Inside the Inn, the tension was agonizing, like electricity sizzling in the air.
A little more than two days ago, Cloud and Tifa had left the rest of the group, heading for the Forgotten City of the Ancient to search for and bring back Aeris. However, the more hours passed by, the less real the hope of them returning seemed to get.
Could their young comrades' journey have found a sudden end through the hands of Sephiroth?
Could they probably be a part of the Lifestream already?
Though no matter how hard Barret wanted to push that feeling away, to deny the dreading possibilities, he could not help but sense that something had gone terribly wrong. Somehow, unexplainably, he felt a strange prickling sensation in his stomach, yet he did not precisely know what it wanted to tell him. He just knew that fate must have taken a turn that should not have been chosen.
Suddenly, the squeaking sound of the entrance door on the floor below disturbed not only Barret's thoughts but as well the deep silence that hovered in the room.
Heads raised up, neck's turned, listening intently, apprehensively to the noise of old worn stairs creaking under the weight of heavy thudding footsteps.
Slowly, they came closer, the sound grew louder, until the handle of the door to the room the group had rented silently turned around.
The tension reached its highest level. Although the companions knew that their friends had somehow managed to come back, they were still eager to know what had happened and, especially, if they had been able to bring Aeris with them.
As soon as the door was opened and two dark silhouettes entered the room, their unspoken questions should be answered.
With his head hanging low, a blank expression on his face, Cloud walked in, closely followed by Aeris, the last Ancient.
Yet no sign of Tifa, as Barret disturbingly noticed.
Slowly, Aeris closed the door behind her, still not speaking a word, however, unlike the emotionless look on Cloud's face, the young woman wore an expression of deep pain and sadness.
"Now wait a sec…", Cid said, frowning, his eyes jumping from Cloud and Aeris to the closed door and back. "Where the heck is Tifa?"
"Ya, what the hell happened to her? Why isn't she wit ya?" Barret asked, irritated, while he threateningly got to his feet.
Red XIII's muscles straightened as he walked up to the tall, dark man, afraid of the answer he might get, though he already knew what it would be.
Immediately, tears started to pour out of Aeris' eyes and she hid her face in her hands, not wanting to let her friends see her weakness.
Cloud however remained emotionless. His face showed no change as he spoke the first words in days.
"She's dead…"
It was a mere statement.
Said without the slightest notion of feelings.
Weakly, he plopped down on a free bed, staring at the floor in front of him, boiling, weeping inside, yet appearing cool and distanced.
The words once again hit him with the cruel truth.
A truth he should have prevented…
Barret's eyes widened as he sharply inhaled.
"What the…?!" he half-yelled, trying to keep his composure, but failing miserably. "What the hell happened? Who's ass is gonna be kicked for that?!?!"
Cloud did not answer. He simply kept staring at the floor, as if completely absent minded, blacking out the world around him to prevent his mind and heart from even greater pain.
Her sobbing quieting down, Aeris regained her voice and spoke, quietly, guiltily.
"It was him… Sephiroth… He… He wanted to kill me… but… she sacrificed herself…" Fresh tears started running down her cheeks, as the guilt she felt started to overwhelm her once again. "I should have stopped her… but it happened too fast… I couldn't do something… I… I'm so sorry… It's all my fault…"
The words were pouring out of her, uncontrollably, unstoppably, automatically.
Barret was boiling inside, balling his hands into fists.
He had known Tifa for years now, and she had been one of his best friends. She had not only cared for him, but also for his little daughter Marlene, who had lost her mother far too early. Tifa had always been the loving aunt – or even mother – the small child had never had.
But apart from that, she had been a great fighter, always cheery and optimistic. Without her, Avalanche for sure hadn't become that strong and influencing.
He just couldn't, and didn't want to, believe that it now had all found a sudden end, that she shouldn't be there anymore.
Cid had plopped down onto a bed, just like Cloud, but unlike him, he was stunned. Even though he had only known the young woman for a short time, she definitely had a place within his heart, although he would never have admitted it.
Cait Sith only let his head sink down, obviously grieving deeply, even though he, just like Cid, had not known Tifa for that long.
Red XIII – or Nanaki – however, let out a anguished howl, tears glistening in the corners of his eyes. He might not have known Tifa that long either, yet the red furred creature had had a certain liking for her since the first time they met. The young woman had been one of the very few people ever who had treated him like a human person. To her, he had been able to explain his worries, he had been able to be just the teenager he actually was, despite his more mature looks and behavior. For once, he had been able to simply be himself.
A/n: sorry that this is just a small part, but I got a job which lasts one more week, so I can only write at the weekends right now. But as soon as I'm done working, I'll have more time to continue this, and I promise I won't take that much time then. So prepare for some more updates in June^_^. If you got some criticism for me (only constructive for sure, I don't want things like "I hate this" or "it sucks" without telling me the reasons for your attitude). So, keep checking for updates if you like this, okay? Thanx everybody for reading^_^