Date of Post: August 24, 2005
Disclaimer: I don't own Advent Children and the other nifty stuff that Square-Enix have. All I have is this work of literature, which upon rereading seems unworthy of posting… But hey! Who am I to judge my own writing? You people do! So please review!
FreeCorpKnight: Owww… (moans in pain)
Everyone: (o.O) What's wrong?
FreeCorpKnight: Wisdom… Teeth… Taken… Out… (points at jaw) Hurts…
Everyone: Awww…
FreeCorpKnight: Need… Pills… (collapses onto bed)
Everyone: (O.O)
FreeCorpKnight: (goes off into dreamland)
Everyone: (whispers) What about the story?
Author's Notes
Ah… I must give thanks to the readers who had patiently dealt with my short absence. I'm feeling much better now after getting another prescription filled out. Obviously, my gums had a bad reaction to one of the removals. After swishing around some falsely advertised mint-flavored solution for a week, everything is getting back to normal. Yup, I'm finally able to eat rice! … … … Anyways, I should leave you people to read the story… Yeah… Oh! By the way! I'll be putting up random excerpts from books I've read. I hope you understand and find truth in them… … … Review.
"… I understand women." … "The point is … that there's no man alive who can honestly say those words and mean them. It just isn't possible, so there's no use trying. But that doesn't mean you can't love them anyway. And it doesn't mean that you should ever stop doing your best to let them now how important they are to you." -The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks-
--- Final Heaven ---
The sun rose from the east, its morning rays casting a golden glow upon the city of Midgar. A small window captured the beauty of the sunrise, looked out upon by none other than Cloud Strife. He watched as red, lavender, and orange painted the skies, turning the heavens above into a work of art that no person can ever replicate. Nursing a steaming cup of coffee, he leaned against the wall, drinking in both the view and the liquid caffeine. A pained expression briefly showed on his face when the vivid colors disappeared from view, their hues drowned out when the sun fully rose. 'So beautiful…' He thought before turning his attention back into the room. 'Just like yesterday and the days before… Hmmm?'
Cloud found himself looking into the eyes of a very beautiful woman, getting lost in them. Tifa, who was staring at him for the past ten minutes, jumped in surprise. For a moment, they couldn't look away, so entranced by the gaze of the other. 'This is the woman I… love? Wait, is this really love?' He wondered, furrowing his eyebrows in deep thought. Seeing the change, the brunette assumed the worst. 'Is he thinking about what he said two days ago? Does he regret it? Does he really love me or is this just… nothing?' When she came upon that possibility, something inside of her cracked. Feelings of rejection and sadness flooded her senses and soon, tears came to her eyes. She tried to hold them back but failed. Her wall of emotions crumbled as sobs broke free, disturbing the peaceful silence with the sounds of her anguish. Her legs weakened all of the sudden as if some vampiric being drained away her strength. Falling to her knees, her eyes squeezed shut in an attempt to stop the tears. 'Why does he keep doing this to me?'
"Huh?" The man causing her grief snapped back into reality and saw her crumpled form. Immediately, he came her side, kneeling so that they were eye-to-eye. Shaking her gently, he asked, "Teef? What's wrong? Talk to me."
She just kept crying, unable to give a response. The former leader of Avalanche was at a loss. Like most men, comforting others was not a subject he was familiar with. Nervously, he circled his arms around her, bringing her body closer to him. Soon, her head rested on his chest and the salty tears she wept moistened the front of his shirt. He hoped his embrace would calm her but instead, it seemed to make her depression worse. There were more tears and she even started to apologize. "I'm so sorry… So sorry…"
"What are you sorry for?" He asked, whispering into her ear. One of his hands moved up and down her back, trying to soothe her quaking form. "It's ok… I'm here… I'll stay here…"
"Y-You don't g-get it..." Tifa managed to say between sobs. "I-It's much m-m-more than that…"
"Shhh… You can tell me," he promised. "You can tell me anything…"
"…" She didn't reply but the crying abated a little.
"Shhh… Everythings going to be alright…" He whispered more comforting words to her. "Everythings going to be alright…"
After a few minutes, her tears stopped. Now and then, a shiver would run through her body. "Cloud? Can I ask you a question?"
The blond moved back a little so he can face her. That way, she could tell if he was speaking the truth. 'How come I have a weird feeling of déjà vu?' He thought before answering. "Yes, you can ask me about anything…"
"Please tell me the truth…" Tifa added.
"I will," he promised, tilting his head in curiosity. 'What could she be asking?'
"Do you really love me?"
For Cloud, it was one of those moments when time stopped and everything else faded away. This was the question he knew would come but nonetheless, was surprised when it was asked. 'So it has come down to this…' He thought, alone in the impenetrable darkness.
In an instant, every memory he ever had with Tifa came flooding into his mind, overwhelming him. To the other person in the room, Cloud appeared to jolt and fall backwards, his spine ending up in a graceful arch. He didn't notice any of this for he was unconscious, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. He was deaf to her screams and all he noticed were his memories, the very essence of his being.
He remembered how he was the outcast child in Nibelhiem. All of the other children left him alone and isolated, almost forgotten. All of the sudden, she wandered over one day and became his first friend. Then years later, Cloud remembered how her eyes lit up when he gave her the flower he bought from Aeris. He remembered how sad she was when he picked Aeris for the date in the Gold Saucer. He remembered the look on her face when he pulled the gun away from her head, confusion and hope in her eyes. More memories flickered by, less important but still a part of him.
Then, his tempest in his mind quelled. A familiar figure in a pink dress and long brown hair appeared and then like Tifa, every memory he had with Aeris came at him: buying the flower from her, falling through the church and onto her flowerbed, the date at the Golden Saucer, seeing Sephiroth run her through...
His journey neared its end. Cloud ended up in a black void, darkness surrounding him once more. As if he was on trial, a solemn voice interrogated him. "Tifa or Aeris?"
"What do you mean?" Cloud asked, unsure of whom he was answering.
"Now or never… Pick…" The hidden judge commanded. "Pick… Pick…"
"I… pick…" He began to answer but was interrupted. His response did not come quick enough.
"Tifa or Aeris? Pick..." Again, the question was asked.
"I pick… Tifa," Cloud finally gave his answer, feeling relieved as if a great burden was lifted from his shoulders.
"A wise decision… You have chosen the future over your past. Make sure you realize that for though your words may say so, your actions will determine your true feelings…" The invisible judge spoke his sentence and the darkness gave way to light. His vision slowly came back, blurred as if he awakened from a deep sleep. The first thing he saw was a very worried Tifa.
"Cloud! Wake up! Please wake up! I'm sorry!" She was cradling his head and crying tears again. "I'm sorry for asking that… Please… Just wake up…"
"Ugh… Tifa?" He moaned, still quite drained from his mental ordeal. 'What just happened?'
"Cloud!" She gave a squeal of happiness, which was followed by a bone-crushing time. Cloud blushed, thinking his position more than a little awkward. "You're ok… I'm so sorry…" She continued, rocking back and forth.
"I'm… fine…" He managed to say and the two separated only a little, both a bit red in the cheeks. The blond took a deep breath before continuing. "It's alright. You of all people should know…" He sat up properly and in a sincere tone, he added, "As for your question, the answer is yes. I really do love…"
BOOM!
An ear-shattering sound came from below, interrupting Cloud's declaration.
'Damn it!' The two cursed mentally. 'Something always has to ruin the romantic moment… Curse whoever it is…' Their eyes glared daggers at the floor, hoping to kill the intruder.
Tifa moved first knowing that he won't talk about the subject with people nearby. Though disappointed, she wasn't offended because she knew of his unease. He's still not comfortable with opening up and pushing him to do so would only make matters worse. But still, the tingling sensation of his touch lingered, an eerie reminder of what had almost happened. Almost being the key word.
Reluctantly, she got up and left the room. Tifa slowly made her way downstairs, expecting an impatient customer demanding liquor. 'If it was one of those idiots who did that, I'm so gonna kill him...'
Just when she arrived at the bar, two familiar faces gave her a pleasant surprise. The smaller welcomed her with a shrill scream. "AUNTIE TIFA! YOU'RE HERE!"
"MARLENE!" Tifa quickened her pace and swept the little girl up, giving her a massive hug. "What are you doing here? It's been a while since you've visited…" The two laughed out loud, forgetting their worries in that blissful moment. Of course, to any male observing this, the situation was... worrisome to say the least.
"Hey!" A deep resonating voice boomed out, announcing the other's presence at the door. "Don't forget bout me! I don't want you two going crazy on me now…"
"Hi Barret! It's nice to see you too! Come in!" Tifa said, letting go of Marlene.
"Hmph! Heard that old Spike's here… Where is he?" Barret asked, looking around the empty bar.
"Right here…" A tired voice came from the top of the stairs as Cloud made his unkempt appearance.
The dark-skinned man looked at his two friends. He noticed the woman's red eyes and other's disheveled appearance. He raised an eyebrow at a thought. 'Did those two get into one of those damn fights? Are they…? Nah… They too dumb to start that right now. Especially Spike.' Barret gave a halfhearted chuckle and made his way into the building, eager to know what his companions were up to.
--- The next day ---
Tifa yawned and shuffled into Cloud's room. Rubbing her eyes, she moved to his side, meaning to check his wounds. Suddenly, she gasped and covered her eyes. The barmaid found herself beside a half-naked handsome man clad only in his chocobo boxers.
'No. No. No… I'm not here to look at him… Well, I am but not his body! Just to check if that nasty cut healed properly… I'm going to look at his leg… ONLY HIS LEG!' She reprimanded herself before removing her hands. She saw bright blue eyes staring back at her with a hint of amusement in them. 'Oh damn… He's awake…'
"I-I… I-was-just-checking-on-your-leg-to-see-if-it's-alright!" She quickly explained herself, uttering an excuse that was comprehendible only to her ears. The would-be patient continued to stare, moving only to scratch his head in confusion. "Huh?"
'Oh yes… Leave Cloud to make all the smart decisions… Sometimes I wonder how he was able to lead us…' Tifa thought, taking her mind away from the embarrassing moment just seconds ago. 'Maybe he forgot…'
"Teef? You alright? You kinda spaced out just now… Hello?" Cloud waved his hand frantically, trying to catch her attention. Seeing her dazed eyes, he had to use his last resort: the dreaded pillow of doom. 'Oh I am so gonna get in trouble with this…'
THWACK!
"… WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR!" An angry Tifa screeched in indignation. A very fluffy pillow had just crashed into her face, annoying her beyond words.
'Well… At least it got her out of that trance… That was so creepy… OW!' Cloud's thoughts were interrupted when the person he was thinking of retaliated, swinging the same pillow back at him. Whipping out his spare, he defended himself from her following attacks, throwing a counter in return here and there. Peals of laughter came from the two of them, their joy doubling when golden feathers burst from their weapons. A whirlwind of chocobo down floated in the air, enveloping the combating forms in a sea of yellow.
"PILLOW FIGHT!" Marlene stormed into the room with a pillow in each hand. She quickly joined the fray, attacking both her adopted aunt and uncle. "TAKE THIS!"
Barret soon followed and unlike his daughter, chose wisely to stay out of the fight. He ran both hands down his face, his frustration showing. 'Yea… Leave Tifa and dumb Spike alone? Like hell… They're so fucking immature… Dunno how the hell he got to be our leader…' Still, contrary to his thoughts, he let the trio have their fun for a few more minutes.
The former leader of Avalanche stepped in once the pillows posed no threat. By then, the floor was covered with feathers and the three collapsed onto the bed, laughing like maniacs. 'I swear… They've fucking lost it…'
Grabbing the two 'adults', he threw them over his shoulders.
"Barret… Put me down!" Tifa giggled and squirmed about. "This isn't my fault!"
"Yea-huh! It's her fault!" Cloud stuck out his tongue. Tifa poked her out in return.
"Nuh-huh!"
"Yea-huh!"
"Nuh-huh!"
"Yea-huh!"
"Nuh-huh!"
"Yea-huh!"
"WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP!" Barret roared, finally fed up with the two's juvenile antics. It's hard enough trying to raise one child but having to take care of two grownup kids is going way too far. He dumped his charges onto the floor, the feathers swirling upwards from being disturbed. Barret's fists clenched and unclenched, an ominous sign of anger. Even though his mechanical arm didn't appear to be a firearm, it actually conceals three synchronized guns, making it a deceptively dangerous weapon. Cloud and Tifa cowered in fear.
"Daddy? Daddy?" A shy voice prevented the large man from going berserk. Marlene always had a way with calming Barret down and her words went straight to his heart. For this, the two 'adults' owed the child their lives. His face softened and he looked down at her. "What sweetie? What do you want from daddy?"
"Can me and auntie Tifa go out?" Marlene looked up, hopeful for a positive answer.
"Sure, whatever you want dear…" Barret said, with adoration in his eyes.
Cloud made gagging noises, faking his disgust at the sight of a softhearted Barret. Noticing his reaction, Tifa turned to him and smiled sweetly. "And you can clean up this mess of yours…"
"WHAT! YOU DID THIS TOO!" He protested.
"Yes but I own this place and you still owe me one… no, two afternoons. Clean this up as payment for one of them." She reasoned. "Oh Barret? Can you stay here and make sure he does that?"
"Yea… Spike here IS gonna do it, right?" His prosthetic arm made a fist, daring Cloud to answer otherwise.
"Uh… sure…" The mercenary replied, knowing what's best for him.
"Great!" Tifa clapped her hands and dragged Marlene out the door. "Now we can have some girl talk all to ourselves!"
"Man… This sucks…" The blond complained, looking at the messy room. "Do I really have to do this?"
"Get yo ass working! Dumb Spike…"
--- In the streets of Midgar ---
Tifa and Marlene shuffled down the streets, alone in their own little world. They were chatting about random things ranging from the weather to their secret crushes. From what the barmaid heard, her younger companion had taken a keen interest with one of her orphans, Denzel. In return, she told Marlene about her father's rude entrance and how it had disturbed Cloud. They both laughed and thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. Yet, the cheery atmosphere vanished when they entered a certain neighborhood.
"Auntie Tifa? Can we go see Aeris?" Marlene asked, looking up at her guardian with all traces of joy absent from her face.
"Sure…" Tifa said with a smile. She knew that the two were close friends. When Avalanche tried to stop the destruction of Sector 7, Marlene was left in the flower girl's care. During the group's expedition, the child stayed with Elmyra, Aeris's adopted mother. Besides, the excursion would allow her to get some of Cloud's stuff. Unless he's willing to wear the same dirty uniform everyday, Tifa would have to grab some of his spare clothes.
Holding hands, they walked down to the church. Upon opening the heavy wooden doors, a sweet fragrance welcomed them, beckoning them toward the lively patch at the center of the chapel. The dusty floorboards creaked when Marlene walked down the aisle, protesting the weight of the little girl. Tifa watched as she came to her knees, mumbling a heartfelt prayer to Aeris. The poor light cast upon the kneeling figure reminded the barmaid of her fallen friend. In her eyes, she saw a forlorn figure looking over her precious flowers.
'This place… It holds so many memories… of her…' Tifa thought before moving next to her. 'I wonder how Cloud manages in this place… Everything reminds me of her…'
Boom… Click…
'What the…?' The two females turned around and saw what made the noise. Someone came in from behind and shut the door, locking it from the inside. That person gave a sly grin, the smile not fitting his burly figure.
He strode in with confidence. "Hello… Sorry to interrupt you… I really am…" He apologized in an insincere tone.
"Who are you?" Tifa asked warily and raised her fists. Cloud rarely had any visitors and this man does not seem to have good intentions especially with that smirk of his.
"My name is Loz. I could ask who you are but I already know… I am so honored to meet the famed Miss Tifa Lockhart, apprentice to Zangan and faithful companion to Cloud Strife…" He said, showing no fear at all. If anything, a flicker of admiration and contemplation showed on his face but they vanished before she could tell for sure. "Though your deeds are great, I'm not here for you… Only for you!" Loz pointed his finger at Marlene.
"What?" The child asked, confused by the situation.
The silver-haired man looked at her and then smirked. "You do not know? You're… special"
Marlene gasped, knowing what he implied. Since she spent a lot of time with the diseased orphans and was a child herself, she should have Geostigma. Fortunately, she didn't though that fact had drawn the attention of this… villain.
"I'm here… to get you." Loz repeated as he drew the gunblade strapped on his thigh.
"No! You won't take her away from me!" Tifa yelled, standing between him and Barret's daughter.
"Well Miss Lockhart, I must say… You have a lot of spirit. It'll be a pity to take that away … Do you really think you can stop me?" Loz taunted, aiming the gun at her.
"Yes!" Tifa stated, getting into her battle stance.
"I'm impressed…" Loz contemplated and then sheathed his weapon. He checked his arm, the one with the metal claw, to make sure it was attached properly. It wouldn't do any good if it fell apart all of the sudden.
"Marlene! Get out of here! Go find Cloud!" Tifa ordered, realizing that her opponent was distracted.
The girl still didn't move, shocked by impending fight. It wasn't her nature to run away when a friend is in danger. She was separated once before and back then, friend had died. No, she would stay here until the end. 'I won't leave Tifa! I won't leave Tifa!' Marlene knew that the decision rested not in her hands but in fate. Her future was determined by the winner of the fight and it was unclear on who that will be. 'Please... Beat him…'
Tifa shifted her body for basic defense, unsure of how Loz would fight. As for the silver-haired man, he just circled her like a hawk, analyzing her strengths and weaknesses. Then, without warning, he rushed at her with one fist drawn back for a devastating punch.
'And so it begins…' She thought before raising her defenses.
Author's Babble
This is what I've done during my absence…
Reading: The Wedding, A Bend in the Road, A Night in Rodanthe, The Rescue (All four authored by the master of romance novels… Nicholas Sparks)
Watching: Fullmetal Alchemist (First 8 episodes in English… I live in the United States and reside in an area where anime/manga is not very popular… Very lucky that I was able to obtain the two DVDs…), National Security (Funny), Message in a Bottle (Very disappointing because it deviated so much from the novel… Ruined a perfectly good story), Once a Thief (Crap), Man of Fire (Confusing in the middle and failed to satisfy my need for action)
Ate: ICE CREAM! Yum! Root beer float rocks! Oh, for more filling material, noodles… Still good but not as tasty…
Thanks to my Loyal Reviewers
Wrath-Oathkeeper: Thanks for being there for me every weekend. I'm very glad that you matured enough to not send nudges every three seconds. Also, I should really get back to reading other people's fanfictions. I'm gonna review yours first :)
navi the rabid pixie: Cool name and yes, you can have a clone. No... Take both of them. One's being a pervert and the other's too damn quiet.
Christian Arnold: Sorry but I was sick this time. I'll try but college is coming up. I'll have to see how that goes...
final fantasy fan: Thanks for the concern! I'll try to update regulary!
DemonSurfer: Hiya! Haven't seen you review for a long time... Oh well, no harm done... I hope you like this chapter (but Iguess you like the previous one more... No Vincent or Reno in this one... Pity...) and all hail Final Fantasy Advent Children!
RAWR! Over 1000 hits but less than 20 reviews! I WANT MORE! ... ... ... Yeah... ... ... Erm... Please review.