((Wow...lots of response. I guess I'll have to continue this ;-) Enjoy!!))
The grave look in Barret Wallace's eyes pierced a cold hole in Cloud's heart. He prayed silently that he wasn't too late. That he hadn't missed his last chance to see his best friend. To talk to her...hold her hand....confess everything that he should've told her so long ago.
"How is she!?" Cloud asked quickly, pain and tears clouding his sapphire eyes. Barret surveyed his friend, feeling a distinct chill in his bones, nearly as cold as the look in Barret's eyes.
"Slippin'" his voice was thick with tears, which were also evident in his eyes. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days, and spent the sleepless nights crying instead of resting.
"....How....." Cloud choked on his tears, "...how long?" he managed to force out, his throat constricting. He didn't want to know. Oh God how he didn't want to know. But he needed to. He needed to know just how much he was going to tell her. If he'd even be able to...
"She's awake now." Barret said quietly. "The doctor said...maybe two...three hours at the most. An'....even dats stretchin' it." Cloud's face twisted up. Hours. He had only a couple more hours to spend with the love of his life. He knew he had to make them count. "she's......been askin' for you." Barret added. The fact surprised Cloud, since she hadn't spoken to him in months before that. He was going to wonder more why, but Barret all-but directly answered the question.
"She knows she ain't got much longer." he spoke at last. "I guess......it's a goodbye." before he could speak another word, Cloud had darted into Tifa's room.
He could barely recognize the frail woman on the bed. Wires and tubes snaked from her weak body, monitors tracing the functions of her failing body. He had to bite his lip hard not to cry when he saw her. She was dying....he could tell just by looking at her. Her skin was ashen, and there were dark circles under her eyes. The bandages on her head and totally covering her chest spoke of her condition.
"Cloud." Yet, her eyes were just as bright as they'd ever been when they locked into Cloud's, and she seemed to brighten up considerably. Her voice was barely a whisper, but more than loud enough for Cloud to hear. He strode over and pulled the chair up close to her bed.
"Teef." he responded, taking the hand she offered. He rubbed her knuckles with his thumb, exmaining her face. He could tell she was in pain. It was obvious from the harsh lines and tauntness of the muscles.
"I was praying you would come." she said after a length, smiling up at him. How could she smile? Cloud asked himself. She was dying. Yet, her grin was as contagious as ever, and a sorry-looking smile crossed Cloud's lips.
"How do you feel?" he asked quietly, holding her hand tight now. She let out a small snort.
"Do you really want me to answer that?" and Cloud knew he didn't.
"Barret said you wanted to see me. I'm glad I came to see you." he whispered, suddenly pulling in and kissing her forehead. She stared at him, eyes wide.
"What was that for?" she asked, her eyes glitter. How she'd wished for him to kiss her, if only it were under different circumstances.
"For you." he said quietly. "for strength....and courage....." he added. Tifa smiled a little at him.
"I'll need it. Everything's dark ahead.... and I'm afraid of death." she added after a slight pause. She felt bad, as she could see from the hurt look on Cloud's face that she'd chosen poor words. "Cloud......I have something...." she suddenly groped over on the table next to her bed, gripping something in her hand. Cloud looked at her quizically, and she instructed him to hold out his hand. He did so, and she placed a materia in it.
"I got this for you...before I was attacked. It's...a special materia. You can go back, Cloud. And save Aeris. Make it so she lives......I went to get it for you." she paused for a long moment. "I know how much she means to you." Cloud was speechless as he rolled the deep gray-blue materia in the palm of his hand.
"Tifa." he whispered. Pain and guilt washed over him as the painfull realization hit him. Tifa had gone looking for this...for him. That's when she got hurt. Because she wanted him to be happy. She wanted him to be with Aeris. Aeris....who he was sure now that Tifa believed he loved. She sacraficed herself to give him another chance with the flower girl. "Tifa how could you!?" he cried, grabbing onto her wrists.
"How could you do that to me!?" he shouted, shaking her incontrolably. Tifa's eyes welled with tears and she felt a strange pain. she still hadn't made him happy. She'd still failed.
"Do......what? she whispered, her body weakly flapping as he shook it. "I....only wanted.....you happy." she whispered, tears trailing down her ashen cheeks. Cloud realized what he was doing and suddenly dove in and hugged her.
"I'm so sorry...." he whispered, now sobbing. Cloud Strife was crying, gripping onto the weakening body of his childhood friend. He was causing her death, then being angry with her for it. He knew he messed up, and this time, it was more than just a little screw-up. It was the life of the woman he loved. "...but why? Now.....you're leaving me....." he sobbed.
Tifa's mind was reeling. Why was Cloud being so emotional all of a sudden? Was it her impending death having this effect on him?
"But....you can go back. Save her." Tifa whispered. "Aeris can be with you and you can be happy..."
"...not without you." he suddenly burst out, holding her tight. Tifa wanted to speak, but her heart fluttered dangerously. She was slipping...her life was being pulled from her. Cloud felt it too, laying her back on her pillow. He took her hand gently.
"Tifa....hang in there for a minute. I gotta tell you...."
"I love you Cloud." she suddenly whispered, her smile returning. She had it out. The heart monitor's steady tone was no longer so, rather a slow and everchanging blip.
"I love you too, Teef." he whispered, tears streaming forth now. "You can never know how-" he stopped. Everything stopped. She was slipping. She kissed his hand and drifted. A long tone punctuated the deafening silence, and Cloud's world went dark just as her's did.
***
"WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT MOTHERFUCKIN' DISRESPECTFULL LITTLE FUCK!?" Cid Highwind screamed, tearing through the small crowd, his feet sloshing on the muddy grass. A small tent-like cover was over the deep rectangular hole in the ground, and a line of chairs were opposite it.
"Cid...." Shera said softly, taking his hand. She could see the distress in his steely blue eyes, and knew the rest of his friends shared it, but this was neither the time nor the place. He nodded and looked down, a few tears sliding down his rough face.
"He should be here." Cid finally said quietly, his voice was gruff and thick with emotion. "She loved that fucker, he should be here!" his voice steadily became louder and Shera hushed him again.
"He gonna be here." Barret's deep voice assured, "This ain't no walk in the park for him.... he gonna be here." Cid slowly nodded, but he couldn't believe him. Looking around at the faces he didn't ever want to see...not under these circumstances, more greif attacked his heart.
The tear-blotched face of the young emperess, Deep graveness (not something new, though) of the ex- Turk, Bowed head of the new-Midgar executive, slow wag of the fire beast's tail, the four-year old girl, sobbing in her father's arms. It was heartwrenching, but what made it all worse was the lack of that usually carefree ex-SOLDIER. The one who should've been there most.
The grave look in Barret Wallace's eyes pierced a cold hole in Cloud's heart. He prayed silently that he wasn't too late. That he hadn't missed his last chance to see his best friend. To talk to her...hold her hand....confess everything that he should've told her so long ago.
"How is she!?" Cloud asked quickly, pain and tears clouding his sapphire eyes. Barret surveyed his friend, feeling a distinct chill in his bones, nearly as cold as the look in Barret's eyes.
"Slippin'" his voice was thick with tears, which were also evident in his eyes. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days, and spent the sleepless nights crying instead of resting.
"....How....." Cloud choked on his tears, "...how long?" he managed to force out, his throat constricting. He didn't want to know. Oh God how he didn't want to know. But he needed to. He needed to know just how much he was going to tell her. If he'd even be able to...
"She's awake now." Barret said quietly. "The doctor said...maybe two...three hours at the most. An'....even dats stretchin' it." Cloud's face twisted up. Hours. He had only a couple more hours to spend with the love of his life. He knew he had to make them count. "she's......been askin' for you." Barret added. The fact surprised Cloud, since she hadn't spoken to him in months before that. He was going to wonder more why, but Barret all-but directly answered the question.
"She knows she ain't got much longer." he spoke at last. "I guess......it's a goodbye." before he could speak another word, Cloud had darted into Tifa's room.
He could barely recognize the frail woman on the bed. Wires and tubes snaked from her weak body, monitors tracing the functions of her failing body. He had to bite his lip hard not to cry when he saw her. She was dying....he could tell just by looking at her. Her skin was ashen, and there were dark circles under her eyes. The bandages on her head and totally covering her chest spoke of her condition.
"Cloud." Yet, her eyes were just as bright as they'd ever been when they locked into Cloud's, and she seemed to brighten up considerably. Her voice was barely a whisper, but more than loud enough for Cloud to hear. He strode over and pulled the chair up close to her bed.
"Teef." he responded, taking the hand she offered. He rubbed her knuckles with his thumb, exmaining her face. He could tell she was in pain. It was obvious from the harsh lines and tauntness of the muscles.
"I was praying you would come." she said after a length, smiling up at him. How could she smile? Cloud asked himself. She was dying. Yet, her grin was as contagious as ever, and a sorry-looking smile crossed Cloud's lips.
"How do you feel?" he asked quietly, holding her hand tight now. She let out a small snort.
"Do you really want me to answer that?" and Cloud knew he didn't.
"Barret said you wanted to see me. I'm glad I came to see you." he whispered, suddenly pulling in and kissing her forehead. She stared at him, eyes wide.
"What was that for?" she asked, her eyes glitter. How she'd wished for him to kiss her, if only it were under different circumstances.
"For you." he said quietly. "for strength....and courage....." he added. Tifa smiled a little at him.
"I'll need it. Everything's dark ahead.... and I'm afraid of death." she added after a slight pause. She felt bad, as she could see from the hurt look on Cloud's face that she'd chosen poor words. "Cloud......I have something...." she suddenly groped over on the table next to her bed, gripping something in her hand. Cloud looked at her quizically, and she instructed him to hold out his hand. He did so, and she placed a materia in it.
"I got this for you...before I was attacked. It's...a special materia. You can go back, Cloud. And save Aeris. Make it so she lives......I went to get it for you." she paused for a long moment. "I know how much she means to you." Cloud was speechless as he rolled the deep gray-blue materia in the palm of his hand.
"Tifa." he whispered. Pain and guilt washed over him as the painfull realization hit him. Tifa had gone looking for this...for him. That's when she got hurt. Because she wanted him to be happy. She wanted him to be with Aeris. Aeris....who he was sure now that Tifa believed he loved. She sacraficed herself to give him another chance with the flower girl. "Tifa how could you!?" he cried, grabbing onto her wrists.
"How could you do that to me!?" he shouted, shaking her incontrolably. Tifa's eyes welled with tears and she felt a strange pain. she still hadn't made him happy. She'd still failed.
"Do......what? she whispered, her body weakly flapping as he shook it. "I....only wanted.....you happy." she whispered, tears trailing down her ashen cheeks. Cloud realized what he was doing and suddenly dove in and hugged her.
"I'm so sorry...." he whispered, now sobbing. Cloud Strife was crying, gripping onto the weakening body of his childhood friend. He was causing her death, then being angry with her for it. He knew he messed up, and this time, it was more than just a little screw-up. It was the life of the woman he loved. "...but why? Now.....you're leaving me....." he sobbed.
Tifa's mind was reeling. Why was Cloud being so emotional all of a sudden? Was it her impending death having this effect on him?
"But....you can go back. Save her." Tifa whispered. "Aeris can be with you and you can be happy..."
"...not without you." he suddenly burst out, holding her tight. Tifa wanted to speak, but her heart fluttered dangerously. She was slipping...her life was being pulled from her. Cloud felt it too, laying her back on her pillow. He took her hand gently.
"Tifa....hang in there for a minute. I gotta tell you...."
"I love you Cloud." she suddenly whispered, her smile returning. She had it out. The heart monitor's steady tone was no longer so, rather a slow and everchanging blip.
"I love you too, Teef." he whispered, tears streaming forth now. "You can never know how-" he stopped. Everything stopped. She was slipping. She kissed his hand and drifted. A long tone punctuated the deafening silence, and Cloud's world went dark just as her's did.
***
"WHERE THE FUCK IS THAT MOTHERFUCKIN' DISRESPECTFULL LITTLE FUCK!?" Cid Highwind screamed, tearing through the small crowd, his feet sloshing on the muddy grass. A small tent-like cover was over the deep rectangular hole in the ground, and a line of chairs were opposite it.
"Cid...." Shera said softly, taking his hand. She could see the distress in his steely blue eyes, and knew the rest of his friends shared it, but this was neither the time nor the place. He nodded and looked down, a few tears sliding down his rough face.
"He should be here." Cid finally said quietly, his voice was gruff and thick with emotion. "She loved that fucker, he should be here!" his voice steadily became louder and Shera hushed him again.
"He gonna be here." Barret's deep voice assured, "This ain't no walk in the park for him.... he gonna be here." Cid slowly nodded, but he couldn't believe him. Looking around at the faces he didn't ever want to see...not under these circumstances, more greif attacked his heart.
The tear-blotched face of the young emperess, Deep graveness (not something new, though) of the ex- Turk, Bowed head of the new-Midgar executive, slow wag of the fire beast's tail, the four-year old girl, sobbing in her father's arms. It was heartwrenching, but what made it all worse was the lack of that usually carefree ex-SOLDIER. The one who should've been there most.