Chapter 5
Caleb had finally gone to sleep. Cloud exited the bathroom, his wife's body naked and slightly glistening with moisture in his arms. He had removed the ruined clothing and cleansed her of sweat, dirt, and dried blood. Now he stood in the center of their bedroom, looking around in a daze. His body moved without him telling it to; he crossed over to the bed and lay her on the mattress and then went over to the closet and pulled it open. He hesitated only slightly as he reached in and grabbed a few articles of clothing, bringing them back over to her, his movements slow and mechanical. Cloud proceeded to dress Tifa: a white tank top, a short black skirt, a metal belt, brown leather suspenders and her Premium Heart gauntlets, and finally, a black, fur-lined leather coat and her steel-toed boots. He picked her up again and headed back downstairs, coming face to face with their friends.
"We're comin' too," Barrett spoke up for them all. Cloud nodded, his gaze unfixed.
"I gave her a jacket," he explained for no reason in particular," because she might get cold." He clutched her body tightly against his chest until the others acknowledged him with understanding nods. They knew how hard it was to speak of her as if she were really…
Cloud stepped out of the house. The group followed out behind him, Yuffie the last to leave. She locked the door and pocketed the key, rushing to catch up with the procession. They exited the town limits and started back up through the valley, heading for the base of Mt. Nibel: Cloud carrying Tifa, leading the way; Barrett and Cid following at a slight distance; Vincent and Yuffie behind them; Nanaki bringing up the rear. They hiked up the narrow mountain pass, the peaks of the smaller mountains falling beneath them as they climbed, their breaths heaving as the air thinned, but no one cared. Across the old wooden bridge that creaked threateningly, but no one paid any attention. Up still, winding around the recently-destroyed reactor, the path twisting and turning through the blood and mako and dead bodies of the creatures that had threatened to swarm them just hours ago. Only hours. They passed silently by the jagged rips in the reactor's hull and past the torn, hacked tubing for mako transportation. The green, ethereal liquid splashed hollowly beneath their heavy footfalls as they continued onward, climbing onto the sheer mountain face and slipping into the cave just below the overhanging cliff face. They skirted around and beneath the stalagmites and stalactites humming with the planet's power as their hues flickered from deep forest green to sunset orange to dragon hide purple and thrummed hoarsely with the mourners' thoughts. Cloud avoided his eyes from the dark maroon spill on the rock and dirt on one side, stepping into the secondary cave, which was alight with the mako fountain's eternal glow. They filed in after him, stopping only a few steps in and letting Cloud continue forward on his own. The blond halted just before the white-skinned sapling and lowered Tifa to the ground, taking a step back and turning his head to nod at the others. Barrett came forward first. He got to his knees and patted her hair and cupped a large hand to her small, round face and kissing her forehead; it looked like a weary father finally kissing his child goodnight while she slept. He rose and made his way to the cavern exit. Cid passed him on the way back, and crouched beside the woman's body, reaching over and laying one of his hands on her own. He opened his mouth to say something, shook his head and stood, and followed after Barrett. Vincent nudged Yuffie forward, and the younger woman stumbled forward, dropping to her knees beside her friend and embraced her. Her shoulders began to shake with uncontrolled sobs as she silently began to cry and tried to pull away, but physically could not move. Vincent came to her side, reaching down and touching a slight hand to Tifa's cheek, running his long fingers along the curve of her face. Then he helped Yuffie to her feet and they joined the others at the exit. Nanaki limped forward—he was still not fully healed—and began to lick every inch of her face, nuzzling his snout into her hair and snuffling, his whimpers barely audible to anyone's ears but the dead woman's. Finally he pulled away reluctantly and shuffled back to the others, his tail hanging down between his legs. Cloud took a step forward and they left without being told. They knew better. Cloud couldn't touch her, only stare.
"Tifa…" he whispered, his voice registering just above silent. Tears gathered at the corners of his hard blue eyes, hot and stinging. He sobbed, the noise sounding choked in the large domed cave. And suddenly, he let himself go.
Cloud collapsed onto Tifa, his arms coming tight around her waist and his face buried into her lap. "TIFA!" he screamed, gasping in a thick, sharp breath and let it out in a burst of incoherent hiccups. His eyes squeezed shut and he wailed—he shrieked: "TIFA!" The last syllable of her name fell into a round of chest-hitching sobs. He shifted to press his ear against her chest, knowing her heart wasn't beating but hoping, praying, that he could just catch the slightest murmur. Of course, nothing. Cloud let his lips traverse over her chest, neck, shoulders, and face, still crying; pitiful, heart-wrenching whimpers spilling uncontained from his chest. His tears splashed onto her cheeks and slipped down along the pale skin, and for an instant, it seemed as if she were crying with him.
He slowly tore himself away, almost hearing the sound of disattachment and he had to grip the cold rock ground in order to suppress the urge to fling himself back against her. Tiredly, he struggled to his feet and dragged himself out of the larger cave, gripping onto the rock wall for support and restraint. He wanted to turn his head so badly, but he didn't think it would be wise. Instead, he stumbled outside where the others were waiting patiently. They saw his weary, forlorn, and forsaken face, and backed into a semi-circle around him. Cloud stood in the center of the stone archway, his look flickering to one of slight thought. Then he turned and pulled the crystal-edged Ultima Weapon from the harness on his back and stuck it deep into the earth, flinching as the planet gave a slightly pained shudder, only felt by him through the blade. He reached into a pouch on his belt and withdrew two materias. Wordlessly, the others each reached into a pocket or a pouch and unearthed a single material each.
As a rule, everyone had to sell their hard-earned, long-used materia. They all decided it was the best way to promote peace and stop the production of magical orbs, at least reduce it. But, they had all agreed that it would be nice, for memory's sake, to keep one each. A special one, with the most thoughts and memories attached to it, for the individual. Cloud hefted the two in his hands—one had been of his choosing, and one, of Tifa's. He slipped Tifa's Restore materia into the first slot of eight, then stepped back slightly and nodded his head without turning to look at what the others would do; he knew.
Barrett placed his Contain materia into the second slot: She as hard as rock an' cold as ice; get to know'er, an' she's as gen'le as the wind, and her smile warms you up like a fire.
Yuffie sniffled and dropped the Barrier materia into next opening: Strong and dependable and never yielding… like a wall, protecting each and every one of us.
Cid grinned weakly, reaching past Cloud and shoving his mastered Double Cut materia into the fourth opening: I hope angels can kick ass in heaven. Send some poor demons to hell in our place. We're not going for a while yet.
Vincent came up next and Ultima found its place just below the yellow command orb: Like a river of energy, you spill into each of our lives and force back the darkness. I owe everything to you and your husband.
Nanaki came forward, the Phoenix summon material glowing fire-red in his fangs, and gave the orb to the sword: From the ashes of disaster, you always birthed new hope. Thank you, and fly to heaven on phoenix wings.
Cloud's materia sat in his hand, a dull blue. He lifted it to the second-to-last hole and let it lock in, closing his eyes at the sound of finality: Tifa…
They watched the sword turn colors—green, yellow, red, blue, and then white again. They also felt, more than saw, a magical wall emanate from the sword and seal up the entrance to this ever-sacred place. Still unspeaking, they left the cave and started for home.
No one saw the eighth and final materia slot glimmer as a greenish-white orb manifested itself into the blade. The magical wall became solid crystal, and inside the resting place of the late Tifa Lockheart, the crystal tree began to grow.
When they reached the bridge, Cloud stopped. The others were halfway or most of the way down before anyone took notice and turned back to him.
"Cloud?" Yuffie called. He was looking back, as if debating something. Finally, he turned his back fully to them.
"Cloud! Where'yeh goin'?" Barrett hollered up to him.
"I…" he spoke, just loud enough so the mountain gusts could carry his voice down to them. "I can't help but feel as if this is all… unfinished. Why did those monsters attack so suddenly, and in such a large group? It was as if they were trying to distract us."
"You think this was all planned," Vincent stated rather than questioned.
"That's got to be the biggest load of crock I've ever heard!" Cid cried.
Cloud turned his head so that one cold blue eye was glaring back at them: "Please… take care of my son."
"What!" Yuffie screeched.
"Cloud, what are you thi—" Nanaki started to ask when a noise made all their focuses shift downward.
"Ah, fuck," Cid spat.
"The bridge!" Barrett yelped.
They all managed to make it to the safety of the lower mountain path, Nanaki and Yuffie having to make a slight leap as the planks completely gave way under their feet. Their eyes returned to the top of the cliff as they huddled together, catching their breath, and he was gone.
"I can't believe…" Nanaki panted slightly.
"What the hell is this fool child thinking?" Cid slapped his hands over his eyes and rubbed his temples.
"DAMMIT CLOUD!" Yuffie screamed with all her might, cupping her hands over her mouth to allow the sound to echo out over the mountain. "TIFA'S GONE BUT YOU STILL HAVE YOUR SON! HE NEEDS YOU!"
"I think," Barrett spoke up and they all turned to him, "tha' Cloud can't be kept here wit Tifa on'is mind. The points he made irk me too." The large black man gave a helpless shrug. "Much as his son needs him, he needs ta settle his own soul firs'."
"How would he do that?" Yuffie snapped, slight tears hanging at the corners of her eyes. "By killing himself?"
"By finding some answers," Vincent shook his head. Barrett's logic made sense to him. "Cloud would never abandon any one or thing—much less his own son—without damn good reason. And I think he knows it might get too dangerous for the baby if he took him along."
"But, to leave him all alone—" Yuffie continued to protest.
"He asked us to take care of Caleb," Cid caught on to the idea. "He trusts us with his son's life."
"The least I can do for both him and Tifa is to honor that request," Nanaki nodded his angular head.
"…I wouldn't be able to stay still either," Yuffie sighed and shook her head. Vincent took her hand and pulled her close, letting her lean against him.
"He went to find answers," he repeated himself, reassuring everyone as he said it, even himself. "And when he does find them, he'll come back."
Inside the two story house, baby Caleb rolled onto his stomach and buried his small face into the mattress, his chubby hands clutching the sheets as he whimpered slightly in his sleep, fresh, hot tears springing into his eyes.