A/n: Hey guys, here again with another chapter! Coming close to the end, just to warn you. Oh, and I'm just a little depressed. Our softball team went to State Championship, and we were in the last game to finish it off, and we were winning 3-0. But in the 6th inning, they hit a couple of good ones in the holes and got 4. So we lost 4-3. And I'm a senior, so this was my last high school softball game! Cry Oh well, at least we got that far, State Runner-up. Ok, sorry rambling. Please read and review!!
Disclaimer: I claim nothing but the storyline.
"What on earth is going on?" Tifa said groggily, waking up for the third time to sawing, hammering, and other sounds of construction.
"Well it seems they are rebuilding the ShinRa mansion." Red XIII sauntered into her bedroom, a rather agitated Dark Nation behind him.
"Wha? Who's 'they'?" She asked, burying herself with blankets. The loud noises outside were muffled, but no quieter.
"What's left of the Turks."
"Why?" Tifa whined.
Sighing, Red XIII shook his head. "I'll find out. You want to go with me?" He asked the two females.
The pile of blankets shook. "No..."
Dark Nation soundlessly jumped onto the bed and hid under the covers too.
Red rolled his eyes and left the room.
"I hear they're just rebuilding it as a museum. Ya know, to get people to remember ShinRa forever."
"Why would they do that when we have those damn reactors to remind us?"
Tifa watched the two old women gossip about the rebuilding of the mansion. Rolling her eyes, she grabbed some cat food off the shelf.
Another old woman joined the group. "Actually I heard that young Rufus himself is still alive and kicking, and he's coming back to stay here in Nibelheim." The other two ladies burst out laughing.
Tifa's heart skipped a beat.
"No possible way. Who could have possibly lived through the collapse of that gargantuan building anyway? He's not a super human." The ladies moved to gossip elsewhere, leaving Tifa alone in the aisle.
"If anyone could live thorough it, it'd be Rufus. If he is alive, I hope it's a good thing. Maybe falling sixty-six floors knocked some sense into him." Her thoughts told her. That old feeling started to burn in her again.
"Hey! Watch it you goon!" A young voice snapped her from her thoughts. Apparently a young boy had walked into someone.
Reno tripped into the aisle. "Little twerp! You hear what he called me?" He jammed his hands into his pockets. His eyes widened. "Hey! That kid took twenty bucks from me!"
Tifa couldn't help but grin at the memory. "It seems the legend of Reno is still being told."
Surprised, the Turk blushed. "I did do that back then, didn't I?" He said, reminiscing about their childhood.
"Reno, what's going on at the mansion? You aren't starting ShinRa again, are you?" She started to ask about Rufus, but couldn't bring herself to it, fearing the answer would crush her newly rekindled hope.
Reno took on an evil grin. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
"If you go psycho Turk on me again..." She threatened.
He merely grinned more. "You'll see Teef. It's a surprise."
Rufus stared out the window, reaching out a hand beside him, remembering briefly that Dark Nation was gone after he felt no warm fur. His bedroom, rather his parent's old master bedroom had been the first to be remodeled, and the mansion was almost completed after only two weeks. The workers would be gone the next day. A sight below Rufus caused him to jump with anxiousness.
Tifa was crossing the square below, from her house to the bar.
There she was. The essence of perfection. How had she slipped through his fingers so many times before?
Elena strolled into the room carrying a tray. "Hey Rufus, your dinner is ready." When he didn't respond, she came up behind him to see what was so interesting. The only action was Tifa Lockheart flipping the 'closed' sign to 'open'. "Ah. I see... Got the hots for Lockheart, eh?"
Much to Rufus' dismay, Reno strolled in also. "Yep. He sure does. He has since we were kids. She had a crush on him too."
The blonde shook his head. "Key word: 'HAD'. She hates me now. I did something unforgivable to her."
Elena blinked, Reno quirked an eyebrow. "What could you have possible done to Tifa?" The lanky Turk laughed nervously, knowing that while Rufus was under mako control, he could have done anything to Tifa while they had her in custody. A growing fear that Rufus had done something horribly, horribly wrong crept into both the Turks minds.
Rufus sighed. "Go away." He said, gruffly.
"No, it's best to get it out now." His sister urged.
He sighed again. "Fine. In Junon, I... I..."
"Well? You what?" Reno gently insisted, fear growing larger.
"I sort of... advanced on her... sexually."
Elena's eyes widened. "Rufus!"
Fear washed away, Reno gave a big sigh of relief. He twirled a finger in the air. "Whoop-di-freaking-do. Guys at the bar do that to her all the time. She can handle herself."
"Yeah, but now I'm no better than one of them. I don't deserve her."
His sister stood for a moment, contemplating an excuse (something she was good at). "Well, tell her the truth. You were under the control of mako."
Reno shrugged. "Just invite her to dinner. If she accepts, then you know you still have a chance. If she declines... Well, she won't decline. I may have been an enemy of Tifa's for a few years, but I still know her like a sister."
Elena nodded. "Yeah, that way you can get your pet back too."
That night, or more accurately, the next early morning, Tifa sleepily turned over the sign again. She trudged, half asleep to her door, opened it, and entered. "Red?"
"Yes?" The intelligent animal answered from his bedroom.
"Anything happen while I was working?"
Red XIII sauntered down the stairs. "Yes. That man with the fire- hair came back with this piece of paper." The aptly named lion creature carried an envelope in his mouth.
"Thanks. Hm, what's this?" The fancy envelope with a raised floral design was illuminated by the soft moonglow. She opened it slowly, pulling out a piece of stationary that had the same design as the envelope.
"Ms. Lockheart, (She shuddered at this formal title; it reminded her of Rufus' cold voice sneering at her) you are invited to dinner at the recently remodeled ShinRa Mansion. Semi-formal. Please be there at 7:00, sharp. Please bring Dark Nation."
Tifa stared at the paper, rereading it. There was no name signed to it. Could Rufus possibly be alive? If so, the thought of his being evil didn't help the decision to go. She plopped onto the couch.
Had Reno just pretended to be nice to her again? What if there were going to kidnap her and use her as bait against her friends? A nudge against her leg startled her.
"Grrrrrowwl?" Dark Nation pushed against her leg with her oversized paw.
Tifa smiled. "You're up early."
The large cat purred, then catching a scent in the air, started sniffing at the invitation. She growled happily and pulled on Tifa's sleeve.
"Ok, ok, I guess I could do it for you. If I take you back to the mansion, you promise to not turn on me and protect me if they try to kidnap me?"
Dark Nation purred loudly and rubbed her head against Tifa's leg.
She sighed. "All right. I'll take a nap, get up at noon, take a shower and get ready, ok?"
A/n: Ok, yes a short chapter, but there is another on the way shortly. Senior year is almost over!!! Whoo hoo! Only bad thing is Finals are this week. Wish me luck!! As always, I ask you to review!!!
Kage3
Disclaimer: I claim nothing but the storyline.
"What on earth is going on?" Tifa said groggily, waking up for the third time to sawing, hammering, and other sounds of construction.
"Well it seems they are rebuilding the ShinRa mansion." Red XIII sauntered into her bedroom, a rather agitated Dark Nation behind him.
"Wha? Who's 'they'?" She asked, burying herself with blankets. The loud noises outside were muffled, but no quieter.
"What's left of the Turks."
"Why?" Tifa whined.
Sighing, Red XIII shook his head. "I'll find out. You want to go with me?" He asked the two females.
The pile of blankets shook. "No..."
Dark Nation soundlessly jumped onto the bed and hid under the covers too.
Red rolled his eyes and left the room.
"I hear they're just rebuilding it as a museum. Ya know, to get people to remember ShinRa forever."
"Why would they do that when we have those damn reactors to remind us?"
Tifa watched the two old women gossip about the rebuilding of the mansion. Rolling her eyes, she grabbed some cat food off the shelf.
Another old woman joined the group. "Actually I heard that young Rufus himself is still alive and kicking, and he's coming back to stay here in Nibelheim." The other two ladies burst out laughing.
Tifa's heart skipped a beat.
"No possible way. Who could have possibly lived through the collapse of that gargantuan building anyway? He's not a super human." The ladies moved to gossip elsewhere, leaving Tifa alone in the aisle.
"If anyone could live thorough it, it'd be Rufus. If he is alive, I hope it's a good thing. Maybe falling sixty-six floors knocked some sense into him." Her thoughts told her. That old feeling started to burn in her again.
"Hey! Watch it you goon!" A young voice snapped her from her thoughts. Apparently a young boy had walked into someone.
Reno tripped into the aisle. "Little twerp! You hear what he called me?" He jammed his hands into his pockets. His eyes widened. "Hey! That kid took twenty bucks from me!"
Tifa couldn't help but grin at the memory. "It seems the legend of Reno is still being told."
Surprised, the Turk blushed. "I did do that back then, didn't I?" He said, reminiscing about their childhood.
"Reno, what's going on at the mansion? You aren't starting ShinRa again, are you?" She started to ask about Rufus, but couldn't bring herself to it, fearing the answer would crush her newly rekindled hope.
Reno took on an evil grin. "Wouldn't you like to know?"
"If you go psycho Turk on me again..." She threatened.
He merely grinned more. "You'll see Teef. It's a surprise."
Rufus stared out the window, reaching out a hand beside him, remembering briefly that Dark Nation was gone after he felt no warm fur. His bedroom, rather his parent's old master bedroom had been the first to be remodeled, and the mansion was almost completed after only two weeks. The workers would be gone the next day. A sight below Rufus caused him to jump with anxiousness.
Tifa was crossing the square below, from her house to the bar.
There she was. The essence of perfection. How had she slipped through his fingers so many times before?
Elena strolled into the room carrying a tray. "Hey Rufus, your dinner is ready." When he didn't respond, she came up behind him to see what was so interesting. The only action was Tifa Lockheart flipping the 'closed' sign to 'open'. "Ah. I see... Got the hots for Lockheart, eh?"
Much to Rufus' dismay, Reno strolled in also. "Yep. He sure does. He has since we were kids. She had a crush on him too."
The blonde shook his head. "Key word: 'HAD'. She hates me now. I did something unforgivable to her."
Elena blinked, Reno quirked an eyebrow. "What could you have possible done to Tifa?" The lanky Turk laughed nervously, knowing that while Rufus was under mako control, he could have done anything to Tifa while they had her in custody. A growing fear that Rufus had done something horribly, horribly wrong crept into both the Turks minds.
Rufus sighed. "Go away." He said, gruffly.
"No, it's best to get it out now." His sister urged.
He sighed again. "Fine. In Junon, I... I..."
"Well? You what?" Reno gently insisted, fear growing larger.
"I sort of... advanced on her... sexually."
Elena's eyes widened. "Rufus!"
Fear washed away, Reno gave a big sigh of relief. He twirled a finger in the air. "Whoop-di-freaking-do. Guys at the bar do that to her all the time. She can handle herself."
"Yeah, but now I'm no better than one of them. I don't deserve her."
His sister stood for a moment, contemplating an excuse (something she was good at). "Well, tell her the truth. You were under the control of mako."
Reno shrugged. "Just invite her to dinner. If she accepts, then you know you still have a chance. If she declines... Well, she won't decline. I may have been an enemy of Tifa's for a few years, but I still know her like a sister."
Elena nodded. "Yeah, that way you can get your pet back too."
That night, or more accurately, the next early morning, Tifa sleepily turned over the sign again. She trudged, half asleep to her door, opened it, and entered. "Red?"
"Yes?" The intelligent animal answered from his bedroom.
"Anything happen while I was working?"
Red XIII sauntered down the stairs. "Yes. That man with the fire- hair came back with this piece of paper." The aptly named lion creature carried an envelope in his mouth.
"Thanks. Hm, what's this?" The fancy envelope with a raised floral design was illuminated by the soft moonglow. She opened it slowly, pulling out a piece of stationary that had the same design as the envelope.
"Ms. Lockheart, (She shuddered at this formal title; it reminded her of Rufus' cold voice sneering at her) you are invited to dinner at the recently remodeled ShinRa Mansion. Semi-formal. Please be there at 7:00, sharp. Please bring Dark Nation."
Tifa stared at the paper, rereading it. There was no name signed to it. Could Rufus possibly be alive? If so, the thought of his being evil didn't help the decision to go. She plopped onto the couch.
Had Reno just pretended to be nice to her again? What if there were going to kidnap her and use her as bait against her friends? A nudge against her leg startled her.
"Grrrrrowwl?" Dark Nation pushed against her leg with her oversized paw.
Tifa smiled. "You're up early."
The large cat purred, then catching a scent in the air, started sniffing at the invitation. She growled happily and pulled on Tifa's sleeve.
"Ok, ok, I guess I could do it for you. If I take you back to the mansion, you promise to not turn on me and protect me if they try to kidnap me?"
Dark Nation purred loudly and rubbed her head against Tifa's leg.
She sighed. "All right. I'll take a nap, get up at noon, take a shower and get ready, ok?"
A/n: Ok, yes a short chapter, but there is another on the way shortly. Senior year is almost over!!! Whoo hoo! Only bad thing is Finals are this week. Wish me luck!! As always, I ask you to review!!!
Kage3