A/N: AHHH...A good shower does a person good.
Part one
Chapter seven
Funeral daze
Cloud straightened his tie in the full body mirror in his house. Today was the day of the funeral for Tifa's mother. Cloud hoped that her father would come and hopefully stay. Tifa's face might not have shown it, but inside she was aching inside, he could tell.
"Cloud you look so handsome. You should consider a job with the Turks." His mother said clamping her hand on his slumping shoulder. Cloud grunted and started towards the door. In the middle of town everyone gathered. Even some of Tifa's old friends that had heard came back for the funeral, much to Cloud's dismay. He remembered the looks on their faces when she told them where she was staying. For those two days before the funeral while they were all around her spent most of his time in the shop. Occasionally she could come in to make sure he was ok and to spend time with him, but that never lasted long. Usually Biggs, Wedge, or more often Jesse would come in to see her.
"Morning Cloud." The Headman said tipping his hat a little. Today he wasn't wearing his trench coat, but a nice dark blue suit."Listen I trust you won't refuse to carry that coffin to it's resting place if I ask?" he added.
"Of course I wouldn't refuse." Cloud said, he was weary on how he was goign to keep it even with the other bearers. They were all much taller than him, but he was determined to find a way.
"Good bo…man." He said as he walked over to another group of people. Cloud smiled a little at the fact that he didn't call him a boy.
"Weeeell if it ain't my favorite legalized midget!" A tall, bowling ball-esque man said pushing him with his large belly.
"Morning EJ." Cloud said coldly. The tall round kid stared at him coldly back with his beady brown eyes. EJ was the typical bully when he went to school. He was fat, strong, arrogant, and ugly. He always tried to pick fights with Cloud, but Cloud usually won because of EJ's clumsiness.
"You'd better not drop that pretty ladies coffin." He threatened with his red swollen finger pointing at the coffin. Cloud gave him a smug look and opened his mouth, but was cut off.
"Why would he do that?" A strong voice came from behind Cloud.
"Oh now it's just a party." Cloud muttered to himself as he felt his fists clench in his pocket. Tyler and EJ punched each other in some form of strange manly greeting. He wondered if someone had done that to him in the past if her had punched their lights out.
"Man you've changed since you gots married." EJ said tumbling off.
"Hey." He simply said to Cloud. Cloud stared at him for a bit. He wasn't sure what to expect. It wasn't everyday he stood in front of Tyler Perrin and he wasn't beating his brains out.
"Tifa tells me your taking good care of her." He said after Cloud didn't talk but continued to stare. Cloud just nodded his head, suspicious at his motives.
"That's good to hear. Now I bet your wondering why I'm not beating the crap out of you." Tyler said smirking a little.
"The thought crossed my mind." Cloud said with a small hint of coldness in his voice.
"Well I reckon it's not nice to fight at a funeral and well since you are taking care of Tifa I figure I'd repay the favor…And Monica told me not to." Tyler said putting on his charming smile. Cloud smiled too.
"I guessed you were saving your self from some major injuries." Cloud joked.
"Hey it's time to start." The Headman called over the crowd.
"Now I know it is the tradition for the Headman to help carry the coffin, but I'm a little old so my son's going to do it." The Headman said yanking his son on stage. The Headman's son Daniel was the shyest person in town next to Cloud of course. He had thick brown hair that was combed back. He had a mature looking face that was always clean shaved and he had loving green eyes.
"Well then let's get the other coffin carriers up here. Tyler, Cloud, Paul, Peter, and Kurt get up here." The Headman called. Cloud took his place at the back of the coffin behind Tyler. They started to hike out of town and to the graveyard in the Nibel Mountains. The coffin bearers walked in front guarded by several other men from the monsters around and the rest of the village walked a short distance behind them.
"How you doing back there shorty!" Tyler called out laughing. Cloud had to hold the coffin well above his head with his arm to keep it even, but thankfully her was strong enough to do it."So Cloud you think Tifa's pops is going to show." Tyler said as they continued their trek.
"Let's hope so. I think she really needs him to be there for her." Cloud said shifting the coffin a bit. He started to wonder where she was. She didn't have any family to walk up there with her. Maybe she was coming with his mother.
"I heard one of those ShinRa guy's say there was a guy camping near the Nibel reactor. Think it's him?" Tyler asked looking over his shoulder to see exactaly how Cloud was holding that coffin up.
"Could be, I guess." Cloud said simply, shifting the railing to the other hand.
"We should go check it out before I leave." Tyler said. It took them two hours of marching to reach the graveyard. When they did every coffin bearer, even Cloud, was glad to be rid of their load. The ceremony was short and simple and was over quickly. As the coffin was buried people started to file away. There was only a select few that remained. Tifa and Cloud of course remained, as did Monica, Tyler, Biggs, Wedge, and Jesse. Tifa stood there and silently wept, Cloud awkwardly put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. Soon her friends started to gather at her side, and he retreated to a nearby rock.
"We should go back, it's going to rain." Tyler said after awhile. They all started to walk back down the path as a group when Cloud heard the snapping of a twig.
Cloud stopped and looked around. Tyler stopped as well, but everyone else kept walking. Twigs snapped again and then they heard something take off running. Cloud immediately took off running after it followed by Tyler. Cloud chased the weaving figure down the sloping hill. The figure was wearing a hooded jacket that cloaked his figure. He was headed toward a river with a strong current. The man grabbed a rope and swung across Cloud and Tyler waited for the rope to return, but the mystery man cut it off with his sword.
"Who was that guy" Tyler asked in an exasperated voice. Cloud just shook his head. He knew who it was there was only one person who would hide in the bushes during a funeral. Why would Tifa's father run away though? Better yet why would he hide at his own wife's funeral? Did he really want to avoid Tifa that much?
"We've got to pay a visit to that guy near the reactor?" Cloud said looking up at the taller man next to him.
"You think that guy was him?" Tyler asked
"There's no doubt in my mind anymore. The guy that's up there has to be him. I made that damn sword..." Cloud said in a voice full of determination and detestation.
