Stained Souls

Chapter 13: Confessions from a Stained Soul

By the time Cloud came back to the house Tifa was in the kitchen preparing something for Denzel to eat. His feet dangled as he sat by the counter of the diner. The boy's face tensed uncomfortably when he saw Cloud enter from the house. Tifa didn't know of his presence until she served Denzel and after then went back to the kitchen without a moment's pause. Cloud followed after her, closing the door behind them. Denzel took his sandwich and listened intently from where he sat.

"Tifa-''

"Forget about yesterday Cloud. It's all over and my fault. I brought up the conversation." Cloud's blue eyes softened to a sadden look as he saw Tifa burn herself with the fault.

"Tifa I need to tell you something." Tifa stopped cleaning the dishes and felt Cloud wrap and arm around her waist.

"I do think about him," Cloud whispered. "Everyday. And my mom, and the day when it all happened."

"When you killed Sephiroth?" Tifa asked.

"No," Cloud answered darkly. She waited to be corrected but the answer came hard for Cloud to say. "The day I killed her."

"What! No, Cloud, no. Sephiroth killed her." Tifa spun around and saw Cloud's eyes told no lie.

"I brought him to her, and I just stood there." Cloud gasped for breath to hold back a sob. Concentrating on Tifa's neck he hoped it would bring forth tears. His oceanic eyes tensed but it frightened Tifa that not a drop came from them.

"Cloud," She reached out but he slapped the hand away from her.

"I had everything to stop it but I just couldn't move. And the screaming!" He clasped his ears from the deafening shrill that only he could hear. "Its still screaming!" He yelled.

"CLOUD LOOK AT ME!" Tifa snatched his balled fists from his head and jerked his face towards her. "What's happening to you?" She was the one crying as a hand graced along Cloud's cheek. "Gods," Tifa hid her face in the Soldier's chest. "What's happening to you?"

For a moment Cloud took comfort in Tifa's strong embrace. It reminded him of his mother and how she held him so tight it was hard to breathe. But a wash of reality came over Cloud, sickening his emotions to a more tormented state then before. He slightly pushed her away from him and spoke in a dark tone.

"Don't cling to me." He stated before walking out as another person Tifa didn't know of. Denzel who listened to the entire thing gasped fearfully when he saw Cloud's eyes fall on him. Quickly, he scuttled out of the diner to where probably Marlene would comfort him. Cloud wasn't hurt by the child's reactions and continued hurrying out of the house. Tifa's legs were long tired holding her up and she collapsed on the floor with the stove as something to lean on. Just then her face dropped which her hands caught, gathering tears of her sorrow.

The war is over but why doesn't it feel like we've won?

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