CHAPTER II (A): THE WEDDING
The next day, the day of the wedding, has finally arrived. Yuffie and Cinna are helping Tifa with her wedding dress in her bedroom, at the left wing of the mansion.
"Wow, Tifa, you look GREAT and cute in that wedding dress!" admired Yuffie.
"Stop teasing me," said Tifa, blushing a little.
"It's true, Tifa!" Cinna agreed as she scanned Tifa in her wedding dress.
"Well," Tifa looked into the mirror, turning her body from side to side, admiring herself, "It is nice on me, but does it really make me look cute?"
"Of course, it does! Everything that you wear makes you look cute!" Yuffie exclaimed.
Tifa blushed again, "Thanks."
While at the other side of the house, Cloud was already dressed in his suit.
"Looking good, Cloud," exclaimed Cid.
"Yeah," Barret agreed, holding hand-in-hand with Marlene.
"You look really good in that suit, Uncle Cloud!" admired Marlene.
"Tifa will surely say that, too!" Cait Sith predicted.
"I think so, too. What about you, Zack?" asked RedXIII, looking over to Zack.
"Yeah, Cloud. You look EXCELLENT in that suit," Zack said aloud.
Cloud's face starts turning red a little, "Thanks, you guys".
"I wonder if Tifa's done," Cid asked himself, "Zack!"
"Yes?"
"Would you mind to go and check if Tifa's ready?"
"Not at all!"
Zack left to the room for Tifa's. As Zack was heading there, he started to think to himself again.
"Well, Cloud and Tifa's wedding day has finally arrived. Everyone's really excited. But I guess who wouldn't be if their friends are getting married."
He stopped and knocked on Tifa's bedroom door.
"I wonder how Tifa will look like in her wedding dress."
"Come in!" a voice from inside the room.
Zack guessed that it was Yuffie's voice. Zack opened the door and entered the room. When he looked towards where the girls stood, he was surprised.
"Wow, Tifa! You look really beautiful in that wedding dress!"
Tifa blushed even more, "Oh, stop it already!"
Yuffie and Cinna laughed loudly. Zack joined them, as well.
"Well, I guess you are ready then?" Zack said.
"Yes, I'm ready," Tifa answered softly, with that happy smile of hers.
"Cloud must be done then, since you're here. I'm sure he's gonna look good in his suit, won't he, Tifa?" Yuffie exclaimed, looking at her with a playful smile on her face.
Tifa blushed some more in embarrassment. Yuffie, Cinna and Zack laughed again.
"Tell everybody that we're ready for the wedding now, Zack," Cinna said.
"Okay," answered Zack.
*********
A short while had passed. The wedding was going to be held in front of the mansion. Nearly the whole town had come to watch the wedding. Cid had brought a beautifully decorated arch for the wedding down from the Highwind. Cloud is now standing under the arch together with Cait Sith, who was their wedding priest! Cloud's best men, Barret, Cid, RedXIII and Vincent, stood at right side of the arch. Zack, though, was standing at the front of the crowd. Cinna, who was one of Tifa's best women, together with Yuffie, stood at the other side of the arch.
"All my friends are gonna be so jealous of me if they knew that I'm about to witness the marriage between Cloud and Tifa!" Zack thought as he recalled all his friends who were big fans of the Final Fantasy series.
Just then, the front door of the mansion opened and there stood Yuffie. Yuffie quickly rushed over to stand with Cinna. Just then, Tifa appeared from inside the mansion and started walking slowly towards the arch where Cloud stood. She was wearing a thin but beautiful veil over her head. But even through her veil, Zack knew it was unmistakable to see that Tifa was smiling happily. As she was walking, Zack looked at Cloud. He was also smiling happily.
After walking a short while, Tifa stood together with Cloud under the arch. They turned to face Cait Sith. Cait Sith continued to say all the usual things that a wedding priest would say during a wedding ceremony, but Zack will never forget the last part of the whole wedding.
"Cloud, will you take Tifa Lockhart as your ever-darling wife, in sickness and in health, til Death parts you?" Cait Sith asked, looking at Cloud.
"Yes," Cloud answered, still smiling happily.
Cait Sith then looks at Tifa, "Tifa, will you take Cloud Strife as your ever-darling husband, in sickness and in health, til Death parts you?"
Tifa answered, "Yes."
She was smiling so happily, Zack noticed.
"Now, the rings, Marlene," Cait Sith called out.
Marlene walked over to Cloud, bringing two rings on a decorated tray. Cloud took one of the rings and put it around Tifa's wedding finger. Marlene then brought the last ring to Tifa. Tifa took it and slowly put it around Cloud's wedding finger. Cloud and Tifa looked at each other's eyes.
"I've never seen them smile so happily before", Zack thought.
The couple then faced back at Cait Sith.
"I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," Cait Sith announced calmly, but there was a tone of excitement, Zack noticed.
Cloud and Tifa faced each other once again. Cloud slowly lifted up Tifa's veil. This was the first time he saw her face since that morning. Her face wore a thin layer of make-up that did not cover much of her natural beauty, but only made her look fairer, and the lipstick that she used made her lips as red as blood. To Cloud, Tifa was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen.
Looking into each other's eyes, their faces got closer and closer and finally their lips met, sealing their marriage. Everyone started clapping loudly and excitedly together. Some started to throw rice at Cloud and Tifa. Cloud and Tifa walked together towards the mansion, smiling their happy smiles once more as rice began to shower on them. When Cloud and Tifa entered the mansion, the best men and women closed the door, not leaving behind Zack and Marlene, preventing any more rice showering into the mansion.
*********
After an enjoying afternoon of celebrations, night arrived. Cid and the others had a big surprise to give to Cloud and Tifa on the Highwind. Zack was already brought up to the Highwind that afternoon, without Cloud and Tifa knowing. So, now Zack knew what the surprise was. That evening, the guys brought up the married couple to the Highwind, blindfolded. They were led to the bridge.
Cloud and Tifa, with the help of Barret and Cinna, entered the bridge, still blindfolded. When Barret and Cinna suggested Cloud and Tifa to stop, the married couple stood still, side-by-side.
"Can we take off our blindfolds now?" Tifa asked aloud, not knowing where were the others standing.
Yuffie answered excitedly, "Yes, now you can!"
Cloud and Tifa took off their blindfolds and was surprised to see the bridge decorated. There were flowers hanging in some places, long ribbons that went across the whole room and other usual decorations.
"SURPRISE!!" everyone shouted to Cloud and Tifa.
"What's this all about?" Cloud asked Cid.
"Well, we all decided that the best thing to give you two for your wedding would definitely have to be the best honeymoon that exists in this world," Cid answered.
"And that would be?" Tifa asked.
"And that would be a grand flight on the Highwind!" Yuffie shouted, "What can be sweeter than having a honeymoon close to the moon, huh?"
"Of course I will be the captain of this flight," said Cid, proudly.
"And I will be the one serving you two during this honeymoon," Cait Sith said as it hops to Cid's side.
Cait Sith's mog was wearing a waiter's suit that seemed to be too tight but yet seemed to fit the giant mog.
"Thanks, you guys," said Tifa with her warm and happy smile.
"Are you all gonna be on this flight, too?" Cloud asked, looking at Yuffie, RedXIII, Cinna, Vincent, Barret and Zack.
"I am! I want to see how romantic this honeymoon will be," Yuffie answered, jumping up and down excitedly.
"We won't be," Barret answered as he continued to explain, "We planned to have as little of us accompanying you two on this flight as we can. So that you and Tifa can have more time with each other than to have us around to bother you."
"That means a lot, Barret," said Cloud, smiling warmly together with Tifa at Barret.
Shaking his head, Barret smiled back at them, "It's nothing, Cloud. It's nothing"
*********
Barret, RedXIII, Cinna, Vincent and Zack had gotten off the Highwind and were on the field, looking up at Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie and Cait Sith, who were at the side of the deck looking down at them. Cid was at the bridge, managing everything before the Highwind got into gear and started to float up. As it got higher and higher, Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie and Cait Sith started to wave at everyone on the field. Barret, RedXIII, Cinna, Vincent and Zack waved back at them as the Highwind started to turn its direction and skimmed through the sky slowly, almost soundless because the rocket engine wasn't in use. When the Highwind was a few miles away from where Zack and the rest stood, they all went into town.
==========
CHAPTER II (B): THE GIRL
Barret is now with Marlene, once again reading a bedtime story to her in the same room like before, this time however together with RedXIII and Cinna. Vincent was in the library again. Even with all the fun that day, his mind was always on solving Lucrecia's warning. Zack was once more wandering around town.
"It has been so much fun today. And the most unbelievable thing about all this is that I have witnessed the marriage between Cloud and Tifa, which I think any Final Fantasy game players would have wanted to witness for themselves. Now Cloud and Tifa are having their honeymoon and only I, a boy from the real world, who knows about it for sure," Zack thought to himself as he walked towards the water tower.
As he walked closer to the tower, he notices a girl sitting at the foot of the tower. He walked closer and realized that it was the girl that he saw the other night, the one that was looking at the stars by the window. This time, the girl had her legs tucked in her arms and was looking blankly forward. Wanting to know who she was, Zack walked towards her. The girl noticed Zack walking towards her and looked up at him. Zack stopped and stared at her face. It wasn't so bright outside that night, so Zack couldn't tell much of the girl's face. He could only see that she was wearing a sleeveless bright-blue blouse and dark-blue jeans.
Staring at each other, Zack smiled at the girl, "Hi. What's your name?"
"Amber Rouge," the girl answered softly.
"Amber? That's a nice name," admired Zack, trying to start a conversation.
"Thanks," Amber said, as if she wasn't in the mood to even open her mouth.
"I'm Zack Nurvana. You can call me Zack," Zack continued.
Amber just nodded and then continued to stare blankly at the floor again.
Zack stood still for a short while, then walked towards Amber's left. Standing beside her, Zack looked at her face. Now that he was closer to Amber, he could see her a lot clearer. She had ocean-blue eyes and there were a few stripes of dark-blue along her black hair. But there was something else about her face. Her face showed feelings of sadness and grief. Kneeling down slowly, Zack looked at her face even carefully. He was surprised when he saw the tears welling up in her eyes.
"What's wrong? Why are you so sad?" Zack asked her in concern.
"I miss them so much," Amber said softly, in a way like as if she was going to cry.
"Who?" Zack asked.
"My father and mother," she answered.
"What happened? Did they leave and still have not yet return."
Before Zack finished, she muttered softly, "They died."
That surprised Zack a lot.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I-I didn't know."
Still in her tucked in position, Amber put her forehead on her arm, covering her face from Zack.
"It's all right."
Zack just stared at her, feeling so guilty to have brought up such a conversation. As he continued to stare at her, he started to hear soft sobbing. He realized that it was from Amber. Now, he felt really guilty for making her cry.
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry to bring up about your." Zack, trying to apologize.
Before he could finish, she suddenly broke free from her tucked position and fell onto Zack. As she placed her head on Zack's shoulder, she started to cry. Zack was surprised. But when he realized that Amber was crying, he couldn't think of anything else but to put his arms around her to comfort her.
"T-There, there," uttered Zack, unsure of what to say while trying to comfort Amber.
*********
It was the next morning. Zack was looking out a window from the second floor of the mansion. He was still thinking about what happened the other night, meeting a girl and having to comfort her suddenly in the end. Zack had never done something like that in his whole life. Even if something like this were to happen to him in the real world, he would be the one watching, instead of the one doing all the comforting. But he also couldn't help but to wonder.
"How did her parents die?"
Zack wanted to meet the girl again. He thought back once more on what happened as Amber continued to cry.
~~~~~~~~~
Flashback: Amber Rouge
Amber continued crying on Zack's shoulder while he continued to comfort her. After a few minutes, but what seemed to Zack to be hours, she had finally stopped crying.
"Thank you," Amber suddenly whispered.
"Huh?" Zack asked, confused.
"Thank you. for comforting me," Amber continued as she lifted her head off Zack's shoulder, facing down as her hair covered her face from Zack.
"But, if it wasn't for me."
"It's all right."
She stood up. Zack watched her, as she did.
"If it weren't for you, I would still be sad. Thank you," she continued, with her soft voice.
She then walked towards her house. Zack watched her as she entered her house. After a short while of sitting on the ground, he got up. He looked at Amber's house before he walked back to the mansion.
~~~~~~~~~
Zack puts his hands on the windowpane as he leans on them. A short time has passed and he was still in his deep thoughts. He really wants to meet with Amber again because of all the questions he wanted to ask her.
After thinking to himself for a while longer, he finally decided, "Okay, that's it! I'm going to meet her!"
"Meet who, boy?" suddenly Zack heard behind him.
Zack turned around to see Barret, looking at him suspiciously.
"Well, boy?"
"Um, nobody."
Barret raised one eyebrow and started to walk away.
"If you have a girlfriend, don't be shy and hide it from everyone."
"Hey!" Zack shouted and turned his whole body towards Barret, who was roaring with laughter.
"I do NOT have a girlfriend, Barret!" Zack protested loudly as Barret walked down the staircase, still roaring with laughter.
*********
Zack was standing outside Amber's house, looking up at it.
"Here I am," Zack sighed as he looked back down, "Let's go."
He walked towards the front door of the house and stopped.
"If this was like the game, I could just walk right in and have no problem, but I think that's kind of rude. So I guess I'm knocking."
Zack knocked on the door. He waited for a while but there wasn't any respond. He knocked once more and waited again. Still no respond.
"Is she upstairs?"
He looks up, trying to see through one of the windows.
"Darn, can't see anything."
He tries knocking on the door again, this time harder. He waited for a while again, but still nothing.
"Well, I guess the only choice left is. Well, walking in," Zack told himself.
He opened the door and entered the house. Inside, he looked around.
"This is exactly the same as Tifa's house in the game," Zack thought.
He looked in front of him, "There's the kitchen."
He turned to his right, "And there's the staircase."
"Since there isn't anyone in the kitchen," Zack thought to himself, looking inside the kitchen.
He looked up the staircase, "She should be upstairs then."
He walked slowly up the staircase. Upstairs, he looked around once more.
"Two rooms, just like in the game."
He checked the room in front of the staircase.
"Still the same, the master bedroom."
He then walked towards the door of the second room, which was closed.
"If there wasn't any changes." he grabbed the doorknob, ". this should be Tifa's room."
He turned the knob and opened the door. What he saw right in front of him completely surprised him.
"AAAHHHHH!!! What are you doing!?"
Zack's whole face turned red, redder than it had ever been. He immediately turned around.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, I'm sorry, I'm very sorry!"
Amber was changing her clothes and when Zack opened the door, she had exposed her bare back to him. Covering herself with a cloth, she walked over to the door and shut it.
"I'm really sorry, Amber. Really I am. I didn't know that you were."
"Enough, Zack," Amber answered from her room, "Stop apologizing."
"Well. I'm sorry," Zack apologized once more, his head facing down.
Then, the door behind Zack opened. Zack turned around to see Amber, all dressed.
"Didn't anyone teach you to knock before entering someone else's room or even, their house?" Amber asked Zack, playfully.
"Well, actually I did knock at the front door but nobody answered."
"That was you?"
"Yeah."
"Actually, I was doing my work in my room when I heard your knocking and wanted to call out to you through my window, but I was a little untidy and wanted to get dressed first."
"I'm sorry that I entered your house and also your room without permission. But I swear, I only saw your back! That's all, I swear!"
Amber laughed at Zack.
"I've already told you. It's all right. Since you've only saw my bare back, then let's just take it as my 'thank you' to you for what you did for me last night. Kay?"
She winked at Zack. Seeing that, Zack's face turned red again. Amber laughed at him again.
"So, did you want to see me about something?" Amber asked Zack.
"Yes. I wonder if, um, we could get to know each other a little more."
"That would be nice. Let's talk in my room."
"Okay, thanks."
When he entered her room, Zack took a look around.
"It's exactly the same as the game," he thought, "Everything is still at the same position."
The bed was still at the same corner of the room, as well as the desk. The piano was still at the same place, beside the bed. The cupboard was still right in front of the door.
"So, this is your room."
"Sure it is"
She walked to her bed and sat on it.
"So, how shall we start?" she asked.
"Oh, okay," he took a chair and sat on it, "Let's start!"
The next day, the day of the wedding, has finally arrived. Yuffie and Cinna are helping Tifa with her wedding dress in her bedroom, at the left wing of the mansion.
"Wow, Tifa, you look GREAT and cute in that wedding dress!" admired Yuffie.
"Stop teasing me," said Tifa, blushing a little.
"It's true, Tifa!" Cinna agreed as she scanned Tifa in her wedding dress.
"Well," Tifa looked into the mirror, turning her body from side to side, admiring herself, "It is nice on me, but does it really make me look cute?"
"Of course, it does! Everything that you wear makes you look cute!" Yuffie exclaimed.
Tifa blushed again, "Thanks."
While at the other side of the house, Cloud was already dressed in his suit.
"Looking good, Cloud," exclaimed Cid.
"Yeah," Barret agreed, holding hand-in-hand with Marlene.
"You look really good in that suit, Uncle Cloud!" admired Marlene.
"Tifa will surely say that, too!" Cait Sith predicted.
"I think so, too. What about you, Zack?" asked RedXIII, looking over to Zack.
"Yeah, Cloud. You look EXCELLENT in that suit," Zack said aloud.
Cloud's face starts turning red a little, "Thanks, you guys".
"I wonder if Tifa's done," Cid asked himself, "Zack!"
"Yes?"
"Would you mind to go and check if Tifa's ready?"
"Not at all!"
Zack left to the room for Tifa's. As Zack was heading there, he started to think to himself again.
"Well, Cloud and Tifa's wedding day has finally arrived. Everyone's really excited. But I guess who wouldn't be if their friends are getting married."
He stopped and knocked on Tifa's bedroom door.
"I wonder how Tifa will look like in her wedding dress."
"Come in!" a voice from inside the room.
Zack guessed that it was Yuffie's voice. Zack opened the door and entered the room. When he looked towards where the girls stood, he was surprised.
"Wow, Tifa! You look really beautiful in that wedding dress!"
Tifa blushed even more, "Oh, stop it already!"
Yuffie and Cinna laughed loudly. Zack joined them, as well.
"Well, I guess you are ready then?" Zack said.
"Yes, I'm ready," Tifa answered softly, with that happy smile of hers.
"Cloud must be done then, since you're here. I'm sure he's gonna look good in his suit, won't he, Tifa?" Yuffie exclaimed, looking at her with a playful smile on her face.
Tifa blushed some more in embarrassment. Yuffie, Cinna and Zack laughed again.
"Tell everybody that we're ready for the wedding now, Zack," Cinna said.
"Okay," answered Zack.
*********
A short while had passed. The wedding was going to be held in front of the mansion. Nearly the whole town had come to watch the wedding. Cid had brought a beautifully decorated arch for the wedding down from the Highwind. Cloud is now standing under the arch together with Cait Sith, who was their wedding priest! Cloud's best men, Barret, Cid, RedXIII and Vincent, stood at right side of the arch. Zack, though, was standing at the front of the crowd. Cinna, who was one of Tifa's best women, together with Yuffie, stood at the other side of the arch.
"All my friends are gonna be so jealous of me if they knew that I'm about to witness the marriage between Cloud and Tifa!" Zack thought as he recalled all his friends who were big fans of the Final Fantasy series.
Just then, the front door of the mansion opened and there stood Yuffie. Yuffie quickly rushed over to stand with Cinna. Just then, Tifa appeared from inside the mansion and started walking slowly towards the arch where Cloud stood. She was wearing a thin but beautiful veil over her head. But even through her veil, Zack knew it was unmistakable to see that Tifa was smiling happily. As she was walking, Zack looked at Cloud. He was also smiling happily.
After walking a short while, Tifa stood together with Cloud under the arch. They turned to face Cait Sith. Cait Sith continued to say all the usual things that a wedding priest would say during a wedding ceremony, but Zack will never forget the last part of the whole wedding.
"Cloud, will you take Tifa Lockhart as your ever-darling wife, in sickness and in health, til Death parts you?" Cait Sith asked, looking at Cloud.
"Yes," Cloud answered, still smiling happily.
Cait Sith then looks at Tifa, "Tifa, will you take Cloud Strife as your ever-darling husband, in sickness and in health, til Death parts you?"
Tifa answered, "Yes."
She was smiling so happily, Zack noticed.
"Now, the rings, Marlene," Cait Sith called out.
Marlene walked over to Cloud, bringing two rings on a decorated tray. Cloud took one of the rings and put it around Tifa's wedding finger. Marlene then brought the last ring to Tifa. Tifa took it and slowly put it around Cloud's wedding finger. Cloud and Tifa looked at each other's eyes.
"I've never seen them smile so happily before", Zack thought.
The couple then faced back at Cait Sith.
"I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," Cait Sith announced calmly, but there was a tone of excitement, Zack noticed.
Cloud and Tifa faced each other once again. Cloud slowly lifted up Tifa's veil. This was the first time he saw her face since that morning. Her face wore a thin layer of make-up that did not cover much of her natural beauty, but only made her look fairer, and the lipstick that she used made her lips as red as blood. To Cloud, Tifa was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen.
Looking into each other's eyes, their faces got closer and closer and finally their lips met, sealing their marriage. Everyone started clapping loudly and excitedly together. Some started to throw rice at Cloud and Tifa. Cloud and Tifa walked together towards the mansion, smiling their happy smiles once more as rice began to shower on them. When Cloud and Tifa entered the mansion, the best men and women closed the door, not leaving behind Zack and Marlene, preventing any more rice showering into the mansion.
*********
After an enjoying afternoon of celebrations, night arrived. Cid and the others had a big surprise to give to Cloud and Tifa on the Highwind. Zack was already brought up to the Highwind that afternoon, without Cloud and Tifa knowing. So, now Zack knew what the surprise was. That evening, the guys brought up the married couple to the Highwind, blindfolded. They were led to the bridge.
Cloud and Tifa, with the help of Barret and Cinna, entered the bridge, still blindfolded. When Barret and Cinna suggested Cloud and Tifa to stop, the married couple stood still, side-by-side.
"Can we take off our blindfolds now?" Tifa asked aloud, not knowing where were the others standing.
Yuffie answered excitedly, "Yes, now you can!"
Cloud and Tifa took off their blindfolds and was surprised to see the bridge decorated. There were flowers hanging in some places, long ribbons that went across the whole room and other usual decorations.
"SURPRISE!!" everyone shouted to Cloud and Tifa.
"What's this all about?" Cloud asked Cid.
"Well, we all decided that the best thing to give you two for your wedding would definitely have to be the best honeymoon that exists in this world," Cid answered.
"And that would be?" Tifa asked.
"And that would be a grand flight on the Highwind!" Yuffie shouted, "What can be sweeter than having a honeymoon close to the moon, huh?"
"Of course I will be the captain of this flight," said Cid, proudly.
"And I will be the one serving you two during this honeymoon," Cait Sith said as it hops to Cid's side.
Cait Sith's mog was wearing a waiter's suit that seemed to be too tight but yet seemed to fit the giant mog.
"Thanks, you guys," said Tifa with her warm and happy smile.
"Are you all gonna be on this flight, too?" Cloud asked, looking at Yuffie, RedXIII, Cinna, Vincent, Barret and Zack.
"I am! I want to see how romantic this honeymoon will be," Yuffie answered, jumping up and down excitedly.
"We won't be," Barret answered as he continued to explain, "We planned to have as little of us accompanying you two on this flight as we can. So that you and Tifa can have more time with each other than to have us around to bother you."
"That means a lot, Barret," said Cloud, smiling warmly together with Tifa at Barret.
Shaking his head, Barret smiled back at them, "It's nothing, Cloud. It's nothing"
*********
Barret, RedXIII, Cinna, Vincent and Zack had gotten off the Highwind and were on the field, looking up at Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie and Cait Sith, who were at the side of the deck looking down at them. Cid was at the bridge, managing everything before the Highwind got into gear and started to float up. As it got higher and higher, Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie and Cait Sith started to wave at everyone on the field. Barret, RedXIII, Cinna, Vincent and Zack waved back at them as the Highwind started to turn its direction and skimmed through the sky slowly, almost soundless because the rocket engine wasn't in use. When the Highwind was a few miles away from where Zack and the rest stood, they all went into town.
==========
CHAPTER II (B): THE GIRL
Barret is now with Marlene, once again reading a bedtime story to her in the same room like before, this time however together with RedXIII and Cinna. Vincent was in the library again. Even with all the fun that day, his mind was always on solving Lucrecia's warning. Zack was once more wandering around town.
"It has been so much fun today. And the most unbelievable thing about all this is that I have witnessed the marriage between Cloud and Tifa, which I think any Final Fantasy game players would have wanted to witness for themselves. Now Cloud and Tifa are having their honeymoon and only I, a boy from the real world, who knows about it for sure," Zack thought to himself as he walked towards the water tower.
As he walked closer to the tower, he notices a girl sitting at the foot of the tower. He walked closer and realized that it was the girl that he saw the other night, the one that was looking at the stars by the window. This time, the girl had her legs tucked in her arms and was looking blankly forward. Wanting to know who she was, Zack walked towards her. The girl noticed Zack walking towards her and looked up at him. Zack stopped and stared at her face. It wasn't so bright outside that night, so Zack couldn't tell much of the girl's face. He could only see that she was wearing a sleeveless bright-blue blouse and dark-blue jeans.
Staring at each other, Zack smiled at the girl, "Hi. What's your name?"
"Amber Rouge," the girl answered softly.
"Amber? That's a nice name," admired Zack, trying to start a conversation.
"Thanks," Amber said, as if she wasn't in the mood to even open her mouth.
"I'm Zack Nurvana. You can call me Zack," Zack continued.
Amber just nodded and then continued to stare blankly at the floor again.
Zack stood still for a short while, then walked towards Amber's left. Standing beside her, Zack looked at her face. Now that he was closer to Amber, he could see her a lot clearer. She had ocean-blue eyes and there were a few stripes of dark-blue along her black hair. But there was something else about her face. Her face showed feelings of sadness and grief. Kneeling down slowly, Zack looked at her face even carefully. He was surprised when he saw the tears welling up in her eyes.
"What's wrong? Why are you so sad?" Zack asked her in concern.
"I miss them so much," Amber said softly, in a way like as if she was going to cry.
"Who?" Zack asked.
"My father and mother," she answered.
"What happened? Did they leave and still have not yet return."
Before Zack finished, she muttered softly, "They died."
That surprised Zack a lot.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I-I didn't know."
Still in her tucked in position, Amber put her forehead on her arm, covering her face from Zack.
"It's all right."
Zack just stared at her, feeling so guilty to have brought up such a conversation. As he continued to stare at her, he started to hear soft sobbing. He realized that it was from Amber. Now, he felt really guilty for making her cry.
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry to bring up about your." Zack, trying to apologize.
Before he could finish, she suddenly broke free from her tucked position and fell onto Zack. As she placed her head on Zack's shoulder, she started to cry. Zack was surprised. But when he realized that Amber was crying, he couldn't think of anything else but to put his arms around her to comfort her.
"T-There, there," uttered Zack, unsure of what to say while trying to comfort Amber.
*********
It was the next morning. Zack was looking out a window from the second floor of the mansion. He was still thinking about what happened the other night, meeting a girl and having to comfort her suddenly in the end. Zack had never done something like that in his whole life. Even if something like this were to happen to him in the real world, he would be the one watching, instead of the one doing all the comforting. But he also couldn't help but to wonder.
"How did her parents die?"
Zack wanted to meet the girl again. He thought back once more on what happened as Amber continued to cry.
~~~~~~~~~
Flashback: Amber Rouge
Amber continued crying on Zack's shoulder while he continued to comfort her. After a few minutes, but what seemed to Zack to be hours, she had finally stopped crying.
"Thank you," Amber suddenly whispered.
"Huh?" Zack asked, confused.
"Thank you. for comforting me," Amber continued as she lifted her head off Zack's shoulder, facing down as her hair covered her face from Zack.
"But, if it wasn't for me."
"It's all right."
She stood up. Zack watched her, as she did.
"If it weren't for you, I would still be sad. Thank you," she continued, with her soft voice.
She then walked towards her house. Zack watched her as she entered her house. After a short while of sitting on the ground, he got up. He looked at Amber's house before he walked back to the mansion.
~~~~~~~~~
Zack puts his hands on the windowpane as he leans on them. A short time has passed and he was still in his deep thoughts. He really wants to meet with Amber again because of all the questions he wanted to ask her.
After thinking to himself for a while longer, he finally decided, "Okay, that's it! I'm going to meet her!"
"Meet who, boy?" suddenly Zack heard behind him.
Zack turned around to see Barret, looking at him suspiciously.
"Well, boy?"
"Um, nobody."
Barret raised one eyebrow and started to walk away.
"If you have a girlfriend, don't be shy and hide it from everyone."
"Hey!" Zack shouted and turned his whole body towards Barret, who was roaring with laughter.
"I do NOT have a girlfriend, Barret!" Zack protested loudly as Barret walked down the staircase, still roaring with laughter.
*********
Zack was standing outside Amber's house, looking up at it.
"Here I am," Zack sighed as he looked back down, "Let's go."
He walked towards the front door of the house and stopped.
"If this was like the game, I could just walk right in and have no problem, but I think that's kind of rude. So I guess I'm knocking."
Zack knocked on the door. He waited for a while but there wasn't any respond. He knocked once more and waited again. Still no respond.
"Is she upstairs?"
He looks up, trying to see through one of the windows.
"Darn, can't see anything."
He tries knocking on the door again, this time harder. He waited for a while again, but still nothing.
"Well, I guess the only choice left is. Well, walking in," Zack told himself.
He opened the door and entered the house. Inside, he looked around.
"This is exactly the same as Tifa's house in the game," Zack thought.
He looked in front of him, "There's the kitchen."
He turned to his right, "And there's the staircase."
"Since there isn't anyone in the kitchen," Zack thought to himself, looking inside the kitchen.
He looked up the staircase, "She should be upstairs then."
He walked slowly up the staircase. Upstairs, he looked around once more.
"Two rooms, just like in the game."
He checked the room in front of the staircase.
"Still the same, the master bedroom."
He then walked towards the door of the second room, which was closed.
"If there wasn't any changes." he grabbed the doorknob, ". this should be Tifa's room."
He turned the knob and opened the door. What he saw right in front of him completely surprised him.
"AAAHHHHH!!! What are you doing!?"
Zack's whole face turned red, redder than it had ever been. He immediately turned around.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, I'm sorry, I'm very sorry!"
Amber was changing her clothes and when Zack opened the door, she had exposed her bare back to him. Covering herself with a cloth, she walked over to the door and shut it.
"I'm really sorry, Amber. Really I am. I didn't know that you were."
"Enough, Zack," Amber answered from her room, "Stop apologizing."
"Well. I'm sorry," Zack apologized once more, his head facing down.
Then, the door behind Zack opened. Zack turned around to see Amber, all dressed.
"Didn't anyone teach you to knock before entering someone else's room or even, their house?" Amber asked Zack, playfully.
"Well, actually I did knock at the front door but nobody answered."
"That was you?"
"Yeah."
"Actually, I was doing my work in my room when I heard your knocking and wanted to call out to you through my window, but I was a little untidy and wanted to get dressed first."
"I'm sorry that I entered your house and also your room without permission. But I swear, I only saw your back! That's all, I swear!"
Amber laughed at Zack.
"I've already told you. It's all right. Since you've only saw my bare back, then let's just take it as my 'thank you' to you for what you did for me last night. Kay?"
She winked at Zack. Seeing that, Zack's face turned red again. Amber laughed at him again.
"So, did you want to see me about something?" Amber asked Zack.
"Yes. I wonder if, um, we could get to know each other a little more."
"That would be nice. Let's talk in my room."
"Okay, thanks."
When he entered her room, Zack took a look around.
"It's exactly the same as the game," he thought, "Everything is still at the same position."
The bed was still at the same corner of the room, as well as the desk. The piano was still at the same place, beside the bed. The cupboard was still right in front of the door.
"So, this is your room."
"Sure it is"
She walked to her bed and sat on it.
"So, how shall we start?" she asked.
"Oh, okay," he took a chair and sat on it, "Let's start!"