Shattered Realms
Chapter 5: The Reunion
"Do you know what day it is today?" Tifa confronted Cloud the next morning as he stepped outside to get a breath of fresh air. "Umm... Birthday?" He replied uncertainly, still drowsy from the lack of sleep the previous night. Tifa's stature faded instantly, her lighthearted look of innocence replaced by a moody frown. She smacked him upside the head. "You are so insensitive! You really don't remember?" Cloud grimaced as he tried to think, feeling very awkward. Suddenly he grinned and nodded knowingly. "Oh yeah, first day of June, how could I forget." Tifa would have smacked him again if her nerve hadn't failed her. She put her head on his shoulder and giggled in silent mirth. "No you idiot, today is the anniversary of the day we defeated Sephiroth."
Cloud cursed silently. How could he have forgotten. I'm such a dumbass... He thought. It was that dream last night. It was still plaguing him. "You don't have to worry, I already called up some friends." She exclaimed brightly and giggled again at the look of bewilderment on his face. "Let's see... Red XIII can't make it, he's busy at Cosmo Canyon, Cait Sith can't make it either, something about an urgent appointment... Barret unfortunately can't come either cause it's a long trip from North Corel and he's got to watch Marlene." Here she paused. "On the other hand... Vincent, Cid, and Yuffie are on their way!" Cloud groaned. "Yuffie?! She'll be after our materia again..."
Tifa frowned. "Course she won't. Do you have to be so insensitive? Besides, it's been a year since we last seen each other... Okay, I'm going in to make breakfast. Oh yeah, I think we should go out to Kalm. you know, get something to eat." She paused again and looked around to see if anyone else was within earshot, even though they were alone. "Since I can't cook for shit." She whispered. "Cloud, are you okay?" She cried, alarmed, seeing silent tears trickling down his face. "What is it?"
"It's just... It won't be the same... without..." He said and choked as the last words escaped his mouth. Tifa's eyes became filled with sorrow. She embraced him and kissed him gently on the cheek. "I know..." She whispered. "I miss her too..." She checked her watch and hesitated. "Are you gonna be okay?" Cloud nodded. Tifa forced a smile and walked back into the house. He knew she wasn't keen on that subject. She was on the verge of tears but was determined not to show it. He knew her too well...
Cloud ran a tired hand through his hair and sighed. It had been a full year since that night... It only felt like yesterday... He remembered that uncontrollable surge of rage that coursed through his veins as he Omnislashed Sephiroth into oblivion. Since then they had all gone their separate ways, returning to their normal lives and families. Cloud and Tifa had no families and nowhere to go to yet they turned down Barret's offer to stay with them. They decided to temporarily stay in a rented out house near the Chocobo Farm until they could raise enough money to buy a real house in Kalm.
Tifa had brought up the idea of returning to Nebleheim, Cloud's hometown, but Cloud refused. He made a sour face; That cursed place brought back far too many awful memories for his liking... Death... Destruction... Betrayal... But there were some fond memories as well... Like Tifa... He remembered that day at the well... but all that was behind him. After Sephiroth's defeat he had wanted to proclaim his love for Tifa and ask her to marry him but they both decided not to go that far with their relationship until they settled down in Kalm.
He shook all the memories out of his mind. He at least had to look forward to the day ahead when he would finally meet his friends again. Why hadn't they kept in touch all this time? He was brought back to reality by a loud knock on the front doors. His heart gave a mighty leap. Cloud hurried in through the backdoor to welcome his companions. As he opened the door he was greeted with a "Hiya!" and a "Where's the fucking tea?" Stepping through the threshold he was embraced in a steel-armed hug from Cid Highwind. Once he was released, he nursed his injured ribs while a grinning Yuffie gave him a peck on the cheek, grinning.
Once they had finally settled down, they had tea in the kitchen and Cloud had a long discussion with Cid while Yuffie merely kept shooting innocent glances at his materia. Cid shook off his blue ski-jacket and lit up a cigarette. "Nice place you got here... Could use some homemade touches though, but don't get me wrong. Looks better than a crusty Chocobo barn." He said seriously. Cloud grinned and ruffled Cid's short blonde, spiky hair. "We're planning on moving to Kalm soon, actually. So, how did you get here anyway? Did you take the Highwind?"
"Nah, Cid picked me up from Wutai in the Tiny Bronco." Yuffie replied. Cid grunted in satisfaction. "That's right. I fixed 'er up. A fine 'ole piece of work, she is. She's just outside, wait till you see 'er. You won't recognize 'er." Cloud nodded. "Maybe you can fly us over to Kalm. Saves us a bit of walking. Were gonna go over there to have dinner cause... cause... cause I hear they have a new steak. Tifa says it's really good." He turned to Tifa and winked at her. She smiled and gave him a thumbs-up behind Cid's back.
Suddenly there was a loud crash upstairs and the group quickly got to their feet. "What the fuck..." Cloud murmured. "What in Hades name was that?" Cid exclaimed angerly, spitting out his cigar and stomping it. Cloud grabbed the Ultima Weapon and they all hurried up the stairs to meet the disturbance. As they stepped through the door to the bedroom they glanced up at the quivering chandelier and gasped...
"Do you know what day it is today?" Tifa confronted Cloud the next morning as he stepped outside to get a breath of fresh air. "Umm... Birthday?" He replied uncertainly, still drowsy from the lack of sleep the previous night. Tifa's stature faded instantly, her lighthearted look of innocence replaced by a moody frown. She smacked him upside the head. "You are so insensitive! You really don't remember?" Cloud grimaced as he tried to think, feeling very awkward. Suddenly he grinned and nodded knowingly. "Oh yeah, first day of June, how could I forget." Tifa would have smacked him again if her nerve hadn't failed her. She put her head on his shoulder and giggled in silent mirth. "No you idiot, today is the anniversary of the day we defeated Sephiroth."
Cloud cursed silently. How could he have forgotten. I'm such a dumbass... He thought. It was that dream last night. It was still plaguing him. "You don't have to worry, I already called up some friends." She exclaimed brightly and giggled again at the look of bewilderment on his face. "Let's see... Red XIII can't make it, he's busy at Cosmo Canyon, Cait Sith can't make it either, something about an urgent appointment... Barret unfortunately can't come either cause it's a long trip from North Corel and he's got to watch Marlene." Here she paused. "On the other hand... Vincent, Cid, and Yuffie are on their way!" Cloud groaned. "Yuffie?! She'll be after our materia again..."
Tifa frowned. "Course she won't. Do you have to be so insensitive? Besides, it's been a year since we last seen each other... Okay, I'm going in to make breakfast. Oh yeah, I think we should go out to Kalm. you know, get something to eat." She paused again and looked around to see if anyone else was within earshot, even though they were alone. "Since I can't cook for shit." She whispered. "Cloud, are you okay?" She cried, alarmed, seeing silent tears trickling down his face. "What is it?"
"It's just... It won't be the same... without..." He said and choked as the last words escaped his mouth. Tifa's eyes became filled with sorrow. She embraced him and kissed him gently on the cheek. "I know..." She whispered. "I miss her too..." She checked her watch and hesitated. "Are you gonna be okay?" Cloud nodded. Tifa forced a smile and walked back into the house. He knew she wasn't keen on that subject. She was on the verge of tears but was determined not to show it. He knew her too well...
Cloud ran a tired hand through his hair and sighed. It had been a full year since that night... It only felt like yesterday... He remembered that uncontrollable surge of rage that coursed through his veins as he Omnislashed Sephiroth into oblivion. Since then they had all gone their separate ways, returning to their normal lives and families. Cloud and Tifa had no families and nowhere to go to yet they turned down Barret's offer to stay with them. They decided to temporarily stay in a rented out house near the Chocobo Farm until they could raise enough money to buy a real house in Kalm.
Tifa had brought up the idea of returning to Nebleheim, Cloud's hometown, but Cloud refused. He made a sour face; That cursed place brought back far too many awful memories for his liking... Death... Destruction... Betrayal... But there were some fond memories as well... Like Tifa... He remembered that day at the well... but all that was behind him. After Sephiroth's defeat he had wanted to proclaim his love for Tifa and ask her to marry him but they both decided not to go that far with their relationship until they settled down in Kalm.
He shook all the memories out of his mind. He at least had to look forward to the day ahead when he would finally meet his friends again. Why hadn't they kept in touch all this time? He was brought back to reality by a loud knock on the front doors. His heart gave a mighty leap. Cloud hurried in through the backdoor to welcome his companions. As he opened the door he was greeted with a "Hiya!" and a "Where's the fucking tea?" Stepping through the threshold he was embraced in a steel-armed hug from Cid Highwind. Once he was released, he nursed his injured ribs while a grinning Yuffie gave him a peck on the cheek, grinning.
Once they had finally settled down, they had tea in the kitchen and Cloud had a long discussion with Cid while Yuffie merely kept shooting innocent glances at his materia. Cid shook off his blue ski-jacket and lit up a cigarette. "Nice place you got here... Could use some homemade touches though, but don't get me wrong. Looks better than a crusty Chocobo barn." He said seriously. Cloud grinned and ruffled Cid's short blonde, spiky hair. "We're planning on moving to Kalm soon, actually. So, how did you get here anyway? Did you take the Highwind?"
"Nah, Cid picked me up from Wutai in the Tiny Bronco." Yuffie replied. Cid grunted in satisfaction. "That's right. I fixed 'er up. A fine 'ole piece of work, she is. She's just outside, wait till you see 'er. You won't recognize 'er." Cloud nodded. "Maybe you can fly us over to Kalm. Saves us a bit of walking. Were gonna go over there to have dinner cause... cause... cause I hear they have a new steak. Tifa says it's really good." He turned to Tifa and winked at her. She smiled and gave him a thumbs-up behind Cid's back.
Suddenly there was a loud crash upstairs and the group quickly got to their feet. "What the fuck..." Cloud murmured. "What in Hades name was that?" Cid exclaimed angerly, spitting out his cigar and stomping it. Cloud grabbed the Ultima Weapon and they all hurried up the stairs to meet the disturbance. As they stepped through the door to the bedroom they glanced up at the quivering chandelier and gasped...