"Well if it isn't Tifa and Cloud!" the guard greeted. "How you two been?"
"Very well Setton, and you?" Tifa replied.
"Aw I've been fine. My kid's on the soccer team now! You should see him runnin' around in the sun! Fresh clean air an' sunshine! I'm so happy they removed the plate."
Cloud shifted from foot to foot impatiently.
"Me too, life seems to have gotten much better for everyone. I'm glad your son gets to enjoy his young life in the sun."
"Yeah, I'm so proud."
"And you should be."
"Yes," Cloud said rather loudly "and it's been nice catching up with you but we have to go. People to meet you know."
"Of course," Setton said opening the gate "I'll see you two later."
"Bye Setton." Tifa waved to him as they walked through the gate. She glanced at Cloud out of the corner of her eye. "So where do you think she'll be?"
"The church I think."
Tifa nodded and continued following Cloud down the street. Midgar seemed different in the sunlight. Not as foreboding as it used to be. She wouldn't have minded living here either, but Cloud just couldn't keep himself still. She could see the church in the distance, Clouds eyes intent on the ancient structure. They came to a stop in front on the old wooden doors and Cloud tried the rusted handle.
"Locked."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, it won't turn." Cloud looked around the area and walked to one side of the building to some crawling ivy, which had flourished in the bright sunlight. "I think I might be able to climb this up to the roof."
"What?"
"Well they obviously haven't fixed the church up since we've been gone. I'll bet the whole I made the first time I visited this place is still there."
"Cloud, that's ridiculous! You'll hurt yourself!"
"Naw I'll be fine Tif'. Just wait there." With that, Cloud began to scale the side of the building.
"Cloud! You didn't even bother to knock first!" Tifa called, but Cloud was already to high up to hear. "Climbing ivy". Tifa thought to herself. "The boy's a hopeless romantic, but a hopeless romantic that's going to hurt himself". Tifa grinned to herself and knocked on the door.
***
Up on the roof, Cloud picked his way across the uneven and broken top of the church. Carefully, he moved over to the familiar hole he had made the first time he'd been to the church. "Big hole". He thought as he stood on the edge peering down into the church itself. He could vaguely see Tifa and Aeris hugging and crying from his vantage point. "How'd Tif' get in already?" He shrugged and looked for a way down into the church. Cloud edged around the hole looking for anything he could lower himself on to, when he suddenly heard a resounding crack followed by a creaking. Crap. He thought as part of the roof gave way under him.
***
For awhile there was just darkness around him. "I suppose Tif' was right about the roof thing. Jeez my head hurts! Did it hurt this much when I fell the first time?" Cloud began to hear hushed voices about him.
"He's gone and made a bigger hole in the roof now." Came a soft voice, Aeris.
"I told him not to go up there." Tifa's voice replied.
"The flowers are crushed."
"I'm not surprised."
"Think he'll be okay?"
"Well he survived the first fall didn't he? He'll be okay, just give him a few minutes."
"Why did he even go up there?"
"Aeris, I have no clue."
Aeris giggled.
"That's Cloud. Oh I've missed him. I've missed you all."
"We've missed you as well Aeris. Seeing you answer the door was...well almost like a dream. I mean Sephiroth told us you were back, but it didn't really hit me until I saw you."
"That's understandable."
Cloud groaned and the voices stopped, one set of footsteps headed for him.
"Cloud?" Aeris said kneeling and putting a hand to his forehead.
"Aeris?" Clouds eye's flicked open to see her smiling, concerned face.
"Very well Setton, and you?" Tifa replied.
"Aw I've been fine. My kid's on the soccer team now! You should see him runnin' around in the sun! Fresh clean air an' sunshine! I'm so happy they removed the plate."
Cloud shifted from foot to foot impatiently.
"Me too, life seems to have gotten much better for everyone. I'm glad your son gets to enjoy his young life in the sun."
"Yeah, I'm so proud."
"And you should be."
"Yes," Cloud said rather loudly "and it's been nice catching up with you but we have to go. People to meet you know."
"Of course," Setton said opening the gate "I'll see you two later."
"Bye Setton." Tifa waved to him as they walked through the gate. She glanced at Cloud out of the corner of her eye. "So where do you think she'll be?"
"The church I think."
Tifa nodded and continued following Cloud down the street. Midgar seemed different in the sunlight. Not as foreboding as it used to be. She wouldn't have minded living here either, but Cloud just couldn't keep himself still. She could see the church in the distance, Clouds eyes intent on the ancient structure. They came to a stop in front on the old wooden doors and Cloud tried the rusted handle.
"Locked."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, it won't turn." Cloud looked around the area and walked to one side of the building to some crawling ivy, which had flourished in the bright sunlight. "I think I might be able to climb this up to the roof."
"What?"
"Well they obviously haven't fixed the church up since we've been gone. I'll bet the whole I made the first time I visited this place is still there."
"Cloud, that's ridiculous! You'll hurt yourself!"
"Naw I'll be fine Tif'. Just wait there." With that, Cloud began to scale the side of the building.
"Cloud! You didn't even bother to knock first!" Tifa called, but Cloud was already to high up to hear. "Climbing ivy". Tifa thought to herself. "The boy's a hopeless romantic, but a hopeless romantic that's going to hurt himself". Tifa grinned to herself and knocked on the door.
***
Up on the roof, Cloud picked his way across the uneven and broken top of the church. Carefully, he moved over to the familiar hole he had made the first time he'd been to the church. "Big hole". He thought as he stood on the edge peering down into the church itself. He could vaguely see Tifa and Aeris hugging and crying from his vantage point. "How'd Tif' get in already?" He shrugged and looked for a way down into the church. Cloud edged around the hole looking for anything he could lower himself on to, when he suddenly heard a resounding crack followed by a creaking. Crap. He thought as part of the roof gave way under him.
***
For awhile there was just darkness around him. "I suppose Tif' was right about the roof thing. Jeez my head hurts! Did it hurt this much when I fell the first time?" Cloud began to hear hushed voices about him.
"He's gone and made a bigger hole in the roof now." Came a soft voice, Aeris.
"I told him not to go up there." Tifa's voice replied.
"The flowers are crushed."
"I'm not surprised."
"Think he'll be okay?"
"Well he survived the first fall didn't he? He'll be okay, just give him a few minutes."
"Why did he even go up there?"
"Aeris, I have no clue."
Aeris giggled.
"That's Cloud. Oh I've missed him. I've missed you all."
"We've missed you as well Aeris. Seeing you answer the door was...well almost like a dream. I mean Sephiroth told us you were back, but it didn't really hit me until I saw you."
"That's understandable."
Cloud groaned and the voices stopped, one set of footsteps headed for him.
"Cloud?" Aeris said kneeling and putting a hand to his forehead.
"Aeris?" Clouds eye's flicked open to see her smiling, concerned face.