Chapter One:
Meeting Familiar Faces
Friendships can last for lifetimes
or maybe for a moment.
It all depends on how we feel
for them and how impressions are made.
The bar was very busy that day. Tifa and the two other bartenders, Ryu and Michelle, were having trouble with getting the orders done quickly. They did not anticipate a group of mercenaries and ex-members of SOLDIER to come into town. It was true that Nibelheim had grew in population, but this was ridiculous as they thought. No one would have thought since the reconstruction of Midgar began that so many urban dwellers would flock to the smaller towns to eek out an existence.
"Next time we have to start a policy on calling before bringing in a group over ten people...." Ryu said, trying to mix drinks as fast as he could.
"No, that would be too much like fast food restaurants," Michelle said.
"You have a point there," he replied.
Tifa just shook her head at the two. Both of them would argue with one another for days on end. Of course she let them know when things got to out of hand. Otherwise, they were the best employees she had for the moment.
She came back from her thoughts when she caught a glimpse of Cloud from the window. He was walking from his house in a better looking mood than he had been in recent days. She questioned it, but decided not to linger on it for too long. Still, curiosity got the best of her when he entered a nearby shop. Cloud usually did not go shopping unless he had to restock on food and that was definitely not a food store he just entered.
Michelle poked Tifa's shoulder. "Is something up? Your mind is not with us any more," she said.
"Sorry. It is nothing. Just noticed something out of the ordinary, that's all," Tifa replied.
"Oh I see. Well, we need your help. Apparently, these people can not get enough to drink," Michelle said, a little annoyed.
"I have feeling that I am going to be dragging out some drunks...." Ryu stated, getting ready to hand out drinks.
Tifa quickly started helping with mixing the drinks. Today was a good business day, but the night would bring the weariness. Once done with mixing the batch of drinks, she started working at the cash register. Yes, today would be very stressful and tiring.
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Cloud walked into the store. He hoped it was still there. Then, he spotted what he came for. It was the dress she had her eyes on for a while. It was the color of her hair and would compliment her. At least he knew could make her feel better with a decent present. He bought it and had it wrapped in a box. Careful not to be in view of the bar as he left, he went back into his house with the present in hand. He set it upon the table.
Cloud slowly eased himself into a chair. Once again trapped within his own thoughts. He knew it would be hard to heal what damaged he had caused in the past, but he would have to try. After all he was not the kind of man to back down once he got determined to do something.
He stared across the room. His eyes were set on a photograph of himself and Tifa. Both of them were smiling and seemed happy as can be. It was the day they all went to the Gold Saucer for some fun and vacation time. He smiled at the memory. Hopefully, he could mend things. Then, something came back his memory. He walked over to a note he posted on his refrigerator.
"Seems I almost forgot Barret, Marlene, and Cid are coming into town for the week," Cloud thought.
He would have to get his guest bedroom ready. It was going to be a good week. He had not seen the three of them for a month now. They all kept in touch. It was welcome thing to see old friends, though.
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Crimson eyes looked around in the dark depths of the room. He sat upon a chair enjoying the moment of peace. The air held a certain stand still to it that allowed him to calm the beast inside. His eyes glanced down at the dusty floors that he had never bothered to clean. He thought it best to leave the house as it stood, a relic of the past. It brought back many memories; most were horrible and best to be forgotten. At least it allowed him to have some connection to Lucrecia.
Vincent stood up from his chair. His nightmares had been becoming worse in the past nights. He knew something was amiss. He would just have to be prepared for what the Planet and time had in store. As long as it was not another sin to place on his back. That was something he did not need. The nightmares puzzled him, but he knew slightly of what was to happen.
His thought process stopped when he picked up the
sound of footsteps on the stairwell. He glanced at his door.
He saw nothing. he concluded that he must be growing old and senile.
He closed his eyes and sat back into his chair again. Counting the
ceiling tiles seemed to have been a better past time these days.
His eyes glanced out the window. Clouds were moving in and it would
rain. Then, he knew tonight was the night.
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The cold winds howled across the path and lashed
out at Sephiroth. He had finally finished the long trek down the
mountain side. The rain was pouring, drenching his form and chilling
his bones to the core. His left hand held in wound closed so that
he lost as little blood as possible. It had begun to clot slightly
during the noon hours. He slowly started walking into town in a forced
walk as he could not see from his blurred vision of pain and the dizziness
that accompanied it. Still he kept his head down and continued to
walk.
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Ryu walked outside for a moment. He had to get a breath of fresh air before cleaning up after the mercenaries. All of them had started up the mountain path not too long ago. He sighed as he looked at mud puddles. He never did like the rain. He stared oddly at the man coming from Mt. Nibel staggering as he walked towards the bar, most likely drunk already.
"Great... It is raining," Michelle said, a little pissed off.
"A little water never hurt anyone," Ryu replied as he walked in, "We may have another visitor soon. Someone is heading this way from Mt. Nibel, already drunk though."
"I guess our job it is not done yet," Tifa said with a sigh.
She had sat down in a chair. She slowly sipped on a cup of coffee. She needed a break after the flood of men left. Most were staring at her like she was an entree for dinner. Luckily, none of them had tried anything. She really did not feel like putting up with them.
"Both of you can go home early tonight. I will clean up around here," Tifa said, smiling slightly.
"Thanks greatly appreciated," Ryu said, bowing slightly.
"No problem. Besides, it is my turn anyway," Tifa replied.
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Night had fallen on Nibelheim by the time Barret, Marlene, and Cid arrived in town. The rain was pouring long and hard. It seemed there would be no end to it anytime soon.
Vincent closed the door of the large mansion behind himself. His eyes looking through the darkness of the night and the rain. He looked to the mountain path beside the house. He knew something was up, but could not quite place it. The feeling was too familiar. He caught a glimpse of Cloud taking their friends to his house. He started walking towards them. This feeling would have to wait for a while at least.
Cid lit himself a cigarette and saw Vincent coming towards them. "Well hello, you creepy little bastard. Long time since I've seen your ass."
Vincent raised his eyebrow. By now he had grown accustomed to Cid's strange greetings. He looked down as he felt someone tugging on his pants' leg. Marlene looked up at him smiling. She had grown a little.
"Hi Vinny...!" she said, happily.
Vincent just smiled back and looked to Barret and Cid. "Hello once again."
"Same to you. Marlene seems to have taking a liking to you for some reason," Barret replied, "Anyway we a lot of damn talk to catch up on. Have not heard from any of you in a while."
"Yes, by the way, where if Tifa? Do not tell me her ass moved already," Cid asked.
"She is working at the bar. I will pick her up later," Cloud said, "She does not like to bothered while she is working."
Cid and Barret nodded as they inside Cloud's house before they got soaked. Vincent followed them inside with Marlene following him.
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He looked up the rain pelting upon him. It irritated his wound and made it burn like fire. His face glowed in the night since it had grown so pale. He had been staggering in the street until he leaned against a wooden structure to rest a moment.
He heard someone shut a door and lock it. He looked in that direction. A woman was closing up the town bar. He remembered her from somewhere. Her dark brown long hair caught his eye. Whoever she was he already liked her hair.. He shook his head. He should not be thinking such thoughts. Then, it came to him. She was a member of AVALANCHE. She was Tifa...
"Do not harm them.... Gain their trust... Please show them that you are not evil. Sephiroth, show them you mean no harm," a voice said inside his mind. It was the same one he had been following for the past night and day.
Tifa turned around and caught glimpsed of two glowing green eyes in the dark. She blinked. Why would someone be out in this weather? He was leaning against the wooden structure in the middle of town. She slowly walked up towards him. The dark had covered up most of his facial features. All she could see were his eyes. He was an Ex-Soldier.
"Sir? Is something wrong?" she asked.
Sephiroth tensed, but realized she did not recognize him. He felt relieved. For now he would continue to trust the voice. The voice was comforting and soothing and he knew her somehow. He believed it and decided to do what he was told. He winced slightly feeling more rain run over his wound. He could feel his hand covered in blood.
Tifa glanced down at the man's hand. She gasped slightly. Even in the dark she could see the crimson that stained him. She gently grabbed his free hand and motioned him to follow her. She would not leave him out here to die. She would feel guilty, even if she did not know him. She looked at him, her face filled with concern.
"Come with me. I will help you tend to that, you do not need to die," she said, pulling him towards her house.
Sephiroth followed her without saying a word. He looked at her, strangely. It was a good thing she did know who he was. Otherwise she would try to kill him. That is not what he needed at the moment.
"Gain her trust... Trust her. The Planet wills it," the voice said to him. He mentally nodded.
Tifa lead him inside her house and fumbled for the light switch. She turned it on, but the lights did not come on and she cursed at them. She looked to him and slowly begun to lead him upstairs being guided the little light that came through the windows.. There she could get what she needed to tend to him and some candles.
"The lightning must have knocked out the power. I will just let you lay down upstairs while I get some candles and some medical supplies that I need," Tifa said to him.
Sephiroth nodded and slowly went to her bed before he collapsed in utter exhaustion. He composed himself and placed upon a mask that he was accustomed to. He refused to show pain. Pain only made other people worry and the last thing he ever wanted to do at the moment was draw attention to himself.
Become the shadows and you will live for now.
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This chapter got short fron the original, but oh well. Anyway
I hope all of my old readers like the newer stuff in here and the revamping
of the older.