A cool breeze rustled the soft material of the curtains as it poured inquisitively through the open window, rushing through the room with gentle velocity before settling into a calm stillness once more. The soft chorus of a small wind chime in the corner provided a soothing background tone to the quiet setting as the figure lay still within the linen sheets of the bed. Traces of blood dotted the cream white sheets which wrapped around the wooden structure, a peaceful cloud for the warrior to drift away on.
The wooden door slowly eased open as Tifa stepped gently into the room, taking the utmost care to shut it again with equal silence. She paused, sighing heavily as her garnet eyes fell upon the still figure hidden beneath the bed sheets. Her heartbeat became more evident to her as she slowly moved towards the bed, each footstep burying the soles of her feet into the soft carpet, muting any sound of her approach. Not that it would have mattered. Cloud hadn't heard anything for two days.
Her tears had stained the bloody metallic floor of the reactor as the silver haired monster had escaped into the darkness having done what he came to do. Cloud lay motionless against the cold metal, his deep red blood flowing gently across the floor into the joins between the metallic plates. They had been sent by Shinra to get rid of the monsters which had been harassing the town for numerous weeks. Instead, they had created an entirely new breed of evil.
She wasn't sure how long she had stayed there in the disturbing silence of the dark room deep within the heart of the reactor, with only the relentless heartbeat of the reactor reaching her ears. She could still feel the loose strands of blonde hair as her fingers ran through them, creating an electricity that passed from the unconscious youth into her fingertips, and then throughout her entire body. That moment seemed to last an eternity in her memory; the time between the workers finding them both and taking them both back to Nibelheim seemed nothing more than an instant.
As she gazed down at the peaceful expression on Cloud's face, she found herself experiencing a longing to feel that electricity once more. Just for a moment. She slowly reached out a hand, allowing it to stroke gently through his hair. She closed her eyes and smiled peacefully, allowing herself to drift away into the softness.
"Tifa…"
The uneasy voice startled her, jolting her fiercely out of her trance. Locking her eyes upon Cloud's face, she noted slight movements as he slowly began to regain consciousness. Her heart missed a beat as he slowly opened one eye a fraction, revealing a weary but determined cerulean glow.
"Cloud…" she whispered back, her voice barely audible through the surprise and joy which caught her throat. Standing abruptly, she paused just long enough to allow a joyous smile to spread across her face before rushing off to get the help of her father.
It was a number of quiet weeks before Cloud recovered back to full strength. Shinra had made no contact with him, and no more had been heard about the disappearance of Sephiroth. The people of Nibelheim had been initially cautious of welcoming Cloud back into the community, none more so than Tifa's father himself. For the first few days, it became evident in the blonde's mind that he had only been offered sanctuary at the Lockheart residence so that Tifa's father could keep an eye on him. Shinra were regarded as immensely untrustworthy, and this distrust was projected solely onto Cloud's presence within the village. But this soon passed, although it still did not completely vanish.
A funeral was held for Zack, who was buried in a small grave on the outskirts of the village. Only Cloud and Tifa attended to pay their respects to the slab of stone which represented the fallen hero. But his death was not met with sympathy by many, or even acknowledgement. He was just another dead man in the ground, and the guilty verdict fell squarely upon Shinra.
"You think I've forgotten…"
Tifa glanced up, surprised by the sudden comment from the blonde sitting next to her. Cloud was staring up intently into the night sky, creating an image in Tifa's mind of that night years ago when he had made his 'promise' to her. He looked more mature now, his handsome features highlighted under the glow of the moon as they sat together on the ageing wooden well which creaked softly in the midnight silence. She smiled at him inquisitively.
"Forgotten what?"
"What I said… outside the reactor…" Cloud seemed to be expressing his thoughts as they came into his head, resulting in a disjointed and complicated explanation of whatever he was planning in his mind. Tifa's expression conveyed her confusion, yet she attempted to smile supportively. "I want to start a new life… away from all of this…" Cloud's eyes finally turned to focus upon Tifa's complexion, a confident smile upon his face. "I want to start a new life with you."