Kids
Nine
The lights flickered.
They came back on.
Tifa, Riku, Sora and Kairi were relieved that there is electricity again. "Thank goodness…" Kairi breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Samara must've calmed down already. I wonder how." Sora thought out loud, turning to Tifa and Riku to see any reaction. Tifa just kept quiet and looked away from him. Sora noticed that she did not even touch her food. "Aren't you going to eat, Auntie Tifa?" he asked.
"Will you stop calling me Auntie?" she pleaded with a confused look on her face.
Sora just shrugged. "Gee… I'd like to, but I feel uncomfortable just calling you Tifa." He stated flatly.
Tifa was supposed to say something else but she was interrupted when Riku suddenly reacted, "Dad!" as he was looking at the small window of the door. They all turned to the door and saw Vincent there, waving at them. "Is everyone alright?" he asked.
"Oh, Vincent! Thank goodness you came!" Tifa said as she got up and went to the door with a pleased look on her face.
Vincent turned to his left when he sensed that there were guards approaching. He motioned for Tifa and the others that he will come back before leaving, going to the opposite direction.
Tifa backed away from the door.
Sora and Riku went to her, "Is he going to get us out of here?" the former asked.
"Yes. But we'll have to wait for a while. I think there are guards coming." Tifa replied.
The guards just passed by, ignoring them, noticing nothing unusual.
"We'll just have to wait for Vincent." Tifa continued. She turned to face Kairi and Samara, "Girls, are you prepared to leave…" she trailed off when she realized that only Kairi was there. She blinked. "Where is… Samara?" she asked.
Kairi blinked. "Maybe she's under the bed…"
Riku went to the bed and peeked underneath it. "Nope. No one here." He declared.
Sora groaned. "Oh man! Where did she go?" he asked, looking around the room. The little girl was nowhere to be found.
"She's really scaring me now… where did she go?" Kairi asked, shuddering.
"Relax, she could just be… hiding?" Tifa asked, although she was unsure.
"Don't be ridiculous. There aren't any more hiding places in this room aside from that bed." Riku told her.
Tifa began to freak out. "EEKS!" she covered her face and began to pace across the room. She removed her hands from her face and raked her hands through her hair. "I don't want to think that she's a freak… but… I CAN'T STOP MYSELF!" she cried out in panic.
"Hey, hey, calm down! She's not a ghost or anything…. Although she never really disappeared without a trace before…" Riku said, feeling his hairs rising.
"She must've gone back to our time!" Kairi declared to Sora and Riku.
"How can she go back to our time? Her pendant is with the President, remember?" Riku asked.
"Oh you're right…" Kairi said, bowing down her head and frowning, thinking of other ways on how Samara could just disappear. But she couldn't think of any. She felt her knees getting weaker, "Oh Samara, please don't scare us like this!" she said with a trembling voice.
X-x-X-x-X
Reno and Rude were seated by the front entrance of the Healin Lodge. "You know I think one of us should go upstairs and check on the President. The assailant might go there." Reno said. "I'll do it." Rude volunteered as he got up and then left.
Ever since the lights came back on, they found the sleeping guard outside, and that's when they realized that there are intruders inside the area. "It's strange. We've searched the whole building but we couldn't find suspicious people… if it's AVALANCHE, well, they're pretty good this time…" Reno was thinking as he crossed his arms. ShinRa lacks security and there are only three Turks remaining: himself, Rude and Elena. As for Elena, she has taken a leave and they do not know when she will be back. He was beginning to nod off to sleep when he realized that people were approaching. He got up and brought out his electric rod just in case those people would attempt something bad against him, but he was stunned when he recognized them… "Isn't she supposed to be…" Reno began, gaping at Aerith.
Aerith Strife smiled at him. "Hello, Reno." She greeted. And Reno turned to the other blonde man with her. Rufus ShinRa.
Reno frowned. "Oh no… don't tell me…" he said.
"Let us through." Rufus commanded.
Reno sighed. "Okay, but make sure not to confuse me later with your younger self." He muttered as he gave way to them. "It will be easy to distinguish which is which. He's wearing a hood and he… looks quite hideous… and I look much better." Rufus replied, raking his fingers through his hair with a proud smile on his face before Aerith pushed him forward to make him proceed. "Watch it, Strife," he sneered at her. She just giggled.
Aerith offered a handshake to Reno, "You and Elena make such a great couple!" she said. Reno was stunned as she shook his hand eagerly and then she let go and went after Rufus. Cloud just smiled weakly at Reno before following after them.
Yuffie walked up to Reno, "You're very lucky you already know who you're going to marry! Up to now they're still keeping it as a secret from me!" she said with a disappointed look on her face before following Cloud.
Reno turned to Samara and his eyes widened, "How the hell did you get out?" he demanded.
She smiled slyly at him, "Do you really wanna know?" she asked.
Knowing how creepy this kid could be, he just shook his head. "Never mind. You must've turned yourself into gas and seeped through the small space under the door." He muttered.
She looked up at the skies quite thoughtfully before looking at him again, "…hmm… close." She said before running inside.
Reno shivered. "Brr… creepy kid…" he muttered with a frown on his face.
X-x-X-x-X
Rufus stopped before he could climb up the stairs going to the second floor. Aerith and Cloud finally got upstairs and turned back to him, "What's the matter?" she asked.
Rufus thought for a while before saying, "I think you can handle Rufus on your own." And he smiled slightly at her.
Aerith smiled back at him. "Okay." She said before proceeding with Cloud.
Yuffie turned back to Rufus. "Where are you going?" she asked.
"I'm freeing Tifa." He replied before turning to Samara, "You follow Cloud and your Auntie Aerith upstairs and get your pendant and brainwash the President, okay?" he asked.
"I'll brainwash you?" Samara asked with a look of awe on her face.
"No, you will brainwash Rufus." Rufus told her. It sounded vague. He shook his head. "Alright… let me put it this way… you will brainwash the bad man who pushed you earlier, okay? So that he will not remember anything that happened. And then you ask Cloud who else knew about the future, okay?" he asked.
"Okay, daddy. I got it. I was just playing dumb. Hee!" Samara with a silly smile on her face before running up the stairs.
"Careful!" he told her.
"I will, daddy!" she said before she disappeared through the second floor hallway.
"Gee… you got a soft spot for your daughter, huh?" Yuffie asked him with a silly smile on her face.
Rufus just eyed her coldly, "Mind your own business." He said as he moved away from her and went to the first floor hallway next to the receptionist's desk.
Yuffie laughed and went after him. "Gee… this is unbelievable. So Rufus ShinRa does have a heart." She said teasingly.
Rufus just rolled his eyes and continued to walk but he stopped in his tracks when he saw Vincent Valentine standing before a door of a certain room. Rufus knew at once that Tifa and the rest are inside. "Vincent," Rufus called out as he rushed to him.
Vincent turned his gaze to the blonde man clad in white who was approaching him and he blinked. "How did you… I thought you're… on a wheelchair?" he asked in confusion.
"Vincent, this is Rufus ShinRa from the future." Yuffie corrected.
Vincent blinked. "Oh. I see… well hello, nice to meet you," he said with a look of awe on his face.
"I know. Now step aside," Rufus instructed rather coldly as he got a card key from his pocket.
"How did you get that from…" Vincent began, but Rufus instantly answered, "I did not. This is a standard key that I possess. It works for all the doors of the buildings that ShinRa owns." He inserted the card key into the slot and turned back to Vincent. "Developed by Doctor Lucrecia Valentine." He continued before he finally opened the door, surprising the people inside.
"Uncle Rufus!" Sora exclaimed happily, jumping up and rushing to him, hugging him tightly. Kairi smiled happily and went to Rufus, hugging him with Sora. "Oh Uncle Rufus! I'm so glad you came!" she said.
Rufus was just quiet with a ridiculous look on his face before turning to Riku. "Aren't you going to give me a hug?" he asked with sarcasm.
Riku just smiled sheepishly. "Eheheh…" he chuckled lightly.
"Mommy!" Kairi went over to Yuffie and hugged her.
Yuffie felt awkward. "Eh… right…" she said rather hesitantly, forcing herself to hug the girl.
Riku turned back to Tifa who was standing in one corner and staring unbelievably at Rufus. "Hey, c'mon, let's get out of here before the other Rufus catches us!" Riku told her, interrupting her thoughts.
Tifa just continued to stare.
Rufus turned to them, "You all go ahead away from here. I'll take care of Tifa." He told them. "Okay," Riku said, leading the way out of the Healin Lodge. Kairi and Sora followed after him. Yuffie decided to go upstairs. Vincent remained with Rufus. "Tifa, let's go," he said.
Tifa slowly moved towards the door with an unsure look on her face, staring up at Rufus with a frightened look on her face. He looked away for a while, blinking in thought. "Do I look horrendous?" he asked, turning back to her with a curious smile on his face. A curious but charming smile. She swallowed hard and stiffened, shaking her head in a no. "Well then why are you so afraid of me?" he asked.
"She is not afraid, I think she is mortified." Vincent pointed out.
"Let's just go upstairs. I'm worried about my daughter." Rufus said, leading the way.
Vincent turned to Tifa. "Come along now," he said.
Tifa was hesitant for a few more moments before she nodded silently and just followed Rufus and Vincent.
X-x-X-x-X
Rufus ShinRa, still covered in those white sheets and seated on his wheelchair, slowly turned his wheelchair towards the door when he heard a thudding sound. The sound of a person landing on the wooden ground. He frowned slightly. "Rude?" he called out, knowing that the bald Turk was supposedly standing on-guard outside. But instead of the bald Turk entering the room, it was Cloud Strife with a more mature Aerith Gainsborough… and the little girl with long black hair who called him "daddy" earlier. Rufus turned to the floor outside and saw that Rude was lying there as if sleeping. "What did you do to him?" he demanded.
"Relax, Rufus. Your future daughter just put him to sleep for a while. When he wakes up, he will have no more recollection of who she is and what happened." Aerith pointed out with a bright smile on her face as she and Samara approached him.
Rufus was still holding the pendant as he stared at Samara with a frown on his face. He can somewhat sense from the girl that she was studying his thoughts and that she was the one who had caused the massive black-out moments ago. "Why did you come here anyway?" he sneered.
She knelt down before him, resting her small pale hands on his knees and smiled up at him, "Don't worry, daddy. I will never bother you again." she said. Aerith instantly grabbed the pendant and moved away from Rufus. Rufus tried to snatch it back, but he just toppled over, landing on the floor. He hissed in pain.
"Oops." Aerith reacted in surprise. She did not mean for that to happen. She attempted to help him but he pushed her away from himself. "Stay away from me and to not touch me! I don't know how you really got here but…" he sneered at her, but he trailed off when he saw another blonde man enter the room. A blonde man who looks like himself. His eyes widened upon seeing him. It was like seeing himself in front of the mirror, only this time, there is not a mirror in sight and this man looked older and more mature than he is. The man knelt down before him and pulled off the sheet that was hiding his face, exposing him to the others. "You will learn how to be nicer… though it will take some time. But don't worry, that young lady over there will help you," he told Rufus with cold look on his face and then looked back to Tifa. Tifa just stood by the doorway with a confused look on her face as she stared down at Rufus.
The other man got up and moved away while Samara approached the Rufus on the floor, struggling to get up. Samara touched his forehead and muttered, "Good night."
In a matter of seconds, the younger version of Rufus ShinRa was asleep.
"He's not so dangerous after all." Aerith told Rufus, nudging him with a teasing smile on her face. "Shut up." Rufus muttered to her. Aerith turned to Samara and fastened the necklace around her neck. "There you go." She said. Samara checked her pendant, bowing down her head to look at it. "Needs polishing, daddy." She told her father. "Don't worry, we'll polish it when we get home." He told Samara before turning to Tifa. "Come here." He told her.
Tifa swallowed hard before approaching him with a slight frown on her face. She could not bear to look up at him for a reason that she could not understand. She was fighting the urge to blush. She stopped before him but she would not look at him, Samara tapped her arm to make her look at her. Tifa did so and she wondered why the little girl was smiling at her. "Daddy loved you even before you knew he did, mommy." she said softly before turning her gaze to the sleeping younger version of Rufus ShinRa on the floor. Tifa felt her heart skip a beat when she heard that. She looked up at Rufus with a look of awe on her face. He smiled softly at her, a smile that she hasn't seen in someone like Rufus… ever. Although she felt rather embarrassed and nervous at the same time when he just moved closer to her and kissed her cheek. "I'll see you, Tifa." He whispered in her ear… and then she felt Samara squeeze her hand.
Tifa felt her knees getting weak and soon, they gave way to her weight and she collapsed to the floor, sleeping.
"You just had to do that." Aerith pointed out to Rufus.
"I can't help it. Besides, what right can prevent me from kissing the younger version of my wife?" Rufus responded coolly as he flipped his hair.
"It's like kissing another woman." Aerith said jokingly.
"Well you kissed Cloud." Rufus told her.
She laughed at him, "Touché!" she said before turning to Samara, "Next stop, the guards… and then Reno, and then we go back to the house in Kalm." Aerith told her.
Samara nodded.
"Are you going to leave Tifa here?" Vincent asked them.
"No. He'll wonder why she's here and might freak out." Rufus told him, referring to his younger version.
"Next thing I'll know she'll wake up with amnesia. I can't believe you let her head hit the floor!" Aerith told Rufus, inspecting Tifa's unconscious state on the floor.
"Oh it will be alright. She's not bleeding anyway." Rufus replied, raking his fingers through his hair.
"Who knows, she could have a concussion." Vincent said.
"No. Trust me. She is not bleeding, even internally. She's had a lot of head injuries before even when she was nursing our first set of twins." Rufus told them reassuringly.
"Don't tell me you're an abusive husband?" Vincent asked in disbelief.
Rufus frowned at him, "No, you ninny! Of course not! The kids hit her head with the feeding bottle or a rattle!" he pointed out.
"Well… she has her moments, if you know what I mean… you think she hit her head when Sephiroth almost killed her years ago?" Cloud asked them curiously.
Rufus was just silent. "Are you trying to imply that my wife is stupid?" he asked.
Cloud just smiled and shrugged, "I was just asking, Rufus." He pointed out before looking around, "Where… where's Sora?" Cloud asked.
"He's back at home now, Cloud. C'mon." Yuffie said, going ahead.
"You go ahead, I'll accompany Samara to the guards and the other people who saw her here so that she can put them to sleep." Aerith told them.
"I'll go with you," Cloud offered. Aerith smiled at him. "Sure." She said nicely.
Rufus got Tifa off the floor, carrying her. "You need help?" Vincent asked. Rufus shook his head. "No. She's so much lighter now compared to where I come from." He said with a sly smile on his face before proceeding to the door. Vincent fought the urge to smile and laugh at what Rufus said as he followed after him.
To be continued... yet again.