The next day the storm continued. The rain and freezing cold winds had continued through the night. Tifa had never managed to find shelter and so continued to stumble onwards but now she was freezing cold and hypothermia was swiftly setting in. Tifa was unsure of where she was when the sun came up but she was too cold to care. Finally she collapsed onto the sodden earth. There were so many things she was wanted to tell Cloud and there were so many things she was yet to find out with Sephiroth but now, it seemed, she was not going to get the chance to find any of them out.
Yuffie and Cloud were sat at the kitchen table wondering what they were going to do. Outside the temperature was well below zero and the rain was constant.
"I think I might go and speak to Tifa" Cloud announced. Yuffie nodded
"I would go and speak to Sephiroth but it does not feel right" Yuffie told Cloud.
Over in the mansion Sephiroth was awoken by the sound of someone moving around with dishes. Sephiroth got off the couch and went to investigate. Lucrecia was wide awake and cleaning pots.
"Hey!" Sephiroth said startling her
"I'm sorry if I woke you, I just had to get these pots done" Lucrecia explained
"You have been living in a cave for god knows how long, you should be resting" Sephiroth told her as he lifted the dishes from her hands.
"I have had enough rest" Lucrecia said smiling up at her son "You cooked, you are not meant to do the dishes"
"How about I do the dishes and stop all of the arguments?" Vincent thought from the doorway. Lucrecia looked up and smiled.
"How are you today?" Vincent asked Lucrecia
"Better" Lucrecia told him "How did you both sleep?" she enquired
"Fine" they both replied. Lucrecia smiled at both of them.
A knock at the door drew their attention
"I shall get it" Vincent announced and began to walk over
"It may be Tifa, it would be better if I get it" Sephiroth told Vincent as he walked past him and opened the door. Cloud was stood outside, not looking all too happy to see Sephiroth.
"I have come to talk to Tifa" Cloud told Sephiroth.
"Then try her house" Sephiroth replied. Cloud pushed past Sephiroth and walked into the hall
"I saw her come here last night with you and Vincent, so don't lie to me" Cloud said. Lucrecia and Vincent came in from the kitchen. Cloud stood there stunned
"Tifa's really not here?" he asked Sephiroth
"I thought she came straight back to her house" Sephiroth explained
"I thought she came back here with you" Cloud told Sephiroth. The two of them looked at each other for a few seconds.
"She's still out there" Sephiroth said aloud finally. Cloud went for the door while Sephiroth went to get his coat.
"Cloud, wait" Sephiroth said "I am truly sorry but we should put our differences aside" Cloud nodded silently
"You can fly, there is no better time than now to try" Cloud told Sephiroth. Sephiroth grabbed his coat from the dining room before leaving the manor without a word of goodbye. Cloud went and borrowed the motorbike again while Sephiroth stood no the outskirts of the town trying desperately to fly. He jumped and concentrated but never got anywhere. Cloud pulled up next to him
"If it helps, you used to sort of concentrate energy underneath you and sort of…take off" Cloud said before speeding away. Sephiroth looked at his feet and tried it. The ground beneath his feet shimmered momentarily but suddenly stopped. Sephiroth did it again but made the disk of energy bigger. He felt himself begin to float but then the disk vanished; he had to learn to control it properly. Closing his eyes Sephiroth concentrated You have to do this to save Tifa! He told himself. As though her name inspired energy the disk erupted into life and Sephiroth was sent shooting up into the clouds.
Cloud looked back just in time to see Sephiroth rocket away into the clouds. He will be able to cover a lot more ground Cloud thought as he sped across the grasslands looking for Tifa, now it was a race against time to try and save the brunette.