Stained Souls
Chapter 17: Coming Back
"Tifa?" The young woman looked down from above at the diminutive child. "Where's Cloud?" Marlene asked with innocence, her big doleful eyes staring at her protector. Tifa made sure her expression didn't show the worry that she felt inside. She kept doubts hidden behind her mask.
"He'll be back darling." Her soft voice cooed the child's worries away along by lightly stroking Marlene's wispy dark hair. Tifa's black eyes shifted to the door, maybe even hoping that Cloud would return through them.
It was longer coming back then leaving Midgar. Many times Cloud stopped his path and thought again of what he was doing. The rubbing of his head, the nonstop uses of why and but were constantly occurring during his periods of self doubt. Yet the cold faces of his dead friends haunted him soon after he thought of turning back, lashing him to move forward into the swamp of memories.
The first house he checked up on was Tifa's. Its importance was urgent to Cloud but he made sure his presence was anonymous. He parked a couple of blocks up the street before walking up to its door yet at its approach Cloud knew this wasn't the best way to enter and look in. The soldier scanned the house's form and structure picking out the best possible way to climb up its top roofs. And he did find one.
The gutters gave a step like outline to the house's side and luckily they were strong enough to carry Cloud's weight. With much stealth he crawled his way up along the building and once on the roof peered into the skyline windows that were meant to spill sunlight into the house.
Denzel and Marlene sat Indian style on the wooden floor in the foyer as always. Playing the many familiar games with their plastic figurines. But what of Tifa? The blonde outstretched his leg to shift over to the neighboring window and there she was.
Tifa was in the children's room folding their clothes, unaware of her guarding spy from above her head. Like of the angels who peek through the clouds and sigh when their charges are safe, Cloud did so and returned to his realm in life.
They're safe now, but it doesn't mean forever. Cloud thought. He could come back and there take them from me. But where the hell am I going to hide that can take me in without the news reaching Tifa? All possibilities were thrown aside because they were easily sought out except one choice.
Reno was cleaning his gun alone in the hotel room. Just something that he enjoyed doing when nothing else was needed to be done. Probably because everything had to be precise and shit was the reason he liked doing it so much. A rapping at the door caught him to stiffen. Ever since Cloud warned him of a killer Reno had been on the edge since.
Taking the gun with him the Turk carefully walked over to the entrance way, trying not the disturbed the silence with the shuffled of the carpeting. Once his hand grabbed the knob he flung it open to aim his gun at Cloud.
"Cloud!" Reno gasped. He was going to continue but the soldier beat him to his own question.
"I need a place to stay, fast!" Reno didn't question any further. He knew what Cloud wanted was urgent and couldn't risk any delay.
"Sure." He brought down his gun. The Turk had to think fast as to where he was going to keep him. Then his last promise came to mind. "Come with me!"
Sorry I took so long to update. Ideas are slow in popping into my head. I promise my ending will be coming up. But for right now please REVIEW as to what you think. (questions, comments, protests) PLEASE REVIEW!