Stained Souls

Chapter 24: Cloud's Answer

"Cloud!" She gasped as her arms grabbed hold of his form. But the ex-soldier took none her embrace. His eyes searched hard and far for any sign of the vanished culprit, but Tifa did not notice. Her joy of seeing him blinded what was right in front of her. "I thought you were gone from Midgar for the longest time. Until the children told me you came back and saved us.

"I was always here." He answered monotone. Tifa drew back herself and away from him as if diseased with a plague.

"What!" She looked at him in shock. In a moment her warming aura dissolved with the voice of truth. "W-Why! Why did you leave us like that!" A slight chuckle passed through her lips which sounded more like a huff. While tugging her bangs back she said, "Do you know how much I was worried when you didn't come home that night! And to think you've been here this entire time!"

Cid was about to greet the young blonde but was stopped by Barret.

"I don't think we should come in yet." He warned.

Cloud dropped his eyes to the ground. He didn't imagine it would be this hard. For the longest time he wanted to quit this charade as if there might be something for him and Tifa. But it was the fear of this moment that held back his tongue.

"You wouldn't understand." He answered softly, not wanting to add to the volume.

"Why wouldn't I understand!" She yelled. Her rising voice was almost too much for him to handle. The mercenary began walking away from her, from her breaking heart as more like.

"Don't walk away from me Cloud!" He didn't listen. "CLOUD!" Tifa screamed with her cheeks flushed with anger. Her voice cracked under the brink of tears.

"I love you." She sobbed. The blonde turned toward her and finally saw his strong friend break. He never saw a face of this on Tifa. Not since she lost her father in the great war. But why was she to wear it on this silly occasion. Cloud thought. Yet, he not being in love didn't prepare him of what would come if someone was in love.

"Not loved, but I still do! Even now I love you." Her breath skipped frequently now. "Havven't you realized that yyett! For just once cccann you see mmee andd only me?"

Cloud thought long and hard how to express his feelings to her without breaking her. But the notion came as to how long he's always given her the way out easily. For the longest time he took the pain for others. In the past he'd take the world on his shoulders in a heartbeat. And now look what it's done to him. His body crumbles and still continues to do so under the weight of the world. Now realizing this Cloud curled his fists into angered boulders but Tifa's self was still there. No, Cloud stopped. Don't break. Not yet when others see.

He now saw something as deep as this cannot come out easily. Either give her the pain now or give it to her slowly. Let it decay over the years and eat him up until soon she would be infected with the same hatred. As a youth he would have chosen the latter choice. As a youth, probably, he would be in love. But war, death, loss can do great damage on one as young as he was. He chose it now.

"No." he said simply.

"What!" Tifa hissed. She couldn't' believe such a strong statement could be summed up in one word. The lady demanded more.

"I said 'no'. And I'll leave it as that." And he walked away. Leaving Tifa out in the cold by herself to cry over the breaking of her heart. Her tears came softly down her cheeks but she said tried to bid them away they came furiously against her will. Barrat and Cid stood in the back round shocked of what their leader just did. He cannot be Cloud. They both assumed. This is not him. However to their dismay they'll soon realize that this is him. In two years time and it'll still be him crouching in the back, wearing black.

Barret and Cid allowed Cloud to walk past them and he ignored their presence. The mercenary left the scene as that would of a ghost. A ghost is what he was now. The ghost of a past that he has never truly remembered.

I was really proud of this chapter. Hope it wasn't to confusing to those that read it. But I think I met my goal in bring out Cloud's sorrow he believed he caused. Eventually in the story he'll think all of this through. Maybe take up another chapter.