Now on with the story...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Life is a cycle. It is a cycle based on the theory that nothing lasts forever. Living beings live their lives to the fullest until they die. When they die, their descendants start to live their full lives before dying. Their descendants then will live and die. So will their descendants, and the next, and the next. It is an endless cycle that continues to make the world go round.
At first, the planet was at peace. When Shinra came along, war broke out, the evil twin of peace leading the charge. For years, Avalanche and Shinra forces struggled against each other, leaving destruction in their wake.
Eventually Avalanche gained a stable foothold and despite Shinra's efforts to topple it down, Avalanche remained strong and won a costly victory against their rival. Two years of peace ensued.
A new threat suddenly emerged, thrusting the world back into the devastation it had experienced. The last remaining members of Avalanche struggled yet again to combat this mighty foe, earning a narrow victory.
Now everyone began to rebuild what was lost, thinking that this well-earned peace would last.
But as always, the cycle continues and the tranquil hustle and bustle of a recovering world slammed right into a large wall, forcing it to divert to an undesired location. Something has disturbed this process of moving on.
It is now that the world is gearing up for yet another fracas. But before the inevitable completely befalls upon the battle-hardened veterans of the planet, there is time alloted for their last moments of happiness.
And nothing would bring more joy to one man than to spend time with the family he cared for. After successfully completing the job requested of him, he parted with his two friends and began his trip home. He will be meeting those friends again in the future and that was what he was sure of.
As he zoomed across the sand in his bike, the desert sun pounded on him. It was much hotter than usual and the sting on his skin increased in intensity. He took no notice of this for his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the people he will be seeing again. As his anxiety built up, he pumped more juice out of the engine.
Soon, very soon, he will be home. And this time, he will spend more time with the people inhabiting it. He will try to make up for the lost time which he had wasted.
The blonde wiped the dust off his goggles with a gloved hand. Only a few more kilometers left before he can finally see them again. He pulled on the handle, attempting to squeeze the last drops of juice from the bike's engine and silently cursed when the bike gave no response. 'When I arrive, I have to tune up this thing.'
When he arrives, maybe he'll pass by some shops to buy gifts for the three. First, he thought of Denzel and what he liked. He thought for a moment, browsing through what Denzel would usually do. Probably he can get a hint of what the boy might like.
When he could not think of anything, a sad realization struck him: He did not spend enough time with them, thereby giving him almost no idea on how the child's been. In fact, he knew almost nothing about them all.
He was ashamed of himself. What if his relationship with them had already drifted apart? Sure, for this time, his job took only a few hours but over-all, he spent more time on the road than in his home.
Hey, at least he helped a lot in terms of financial needs. His long and tedious deliveries gave him enough money to support his family. Ever since he had reconciled with his past and reinstated himself with Tifa and the kids, he took it upon himself to support them and shoulder all the expenses. Whatever Tifa earned in the bar would be saved for her personal use.
This is what Cloud wanted. This is how he loved his new family. Tifa, on the other hand, protested to this way of life and offered to shoulder half of the expenses herself. Cloud strongly disagreed, leaving Tifa crestfallen.
Eventually, Cloud's proposition was followed and that way of life continued. He wanted Tifa to understand that this was how he could show his love to the family. Of course, he never told her about this reason and so, he just hoped that Tifa would find out. He hoped Tifa would understand that this is how he loved them.
Or so he thought. Because of that, he spent more time on deliveries and less time with them in order to keep the money rolling. What he did not see was that the love they needed from him was his presence there with them.
Has he truly been home?
Did he actually love his family, or did he perfectly convince himself that he did in order to pursue a job he enjoys?
He did enjoy this delivery job but one thing's for sure, he loved his family so much. He convinced himself that he loved them because he actually did love them. And this time, he will make things straight. He will listen to the needs of his family.
But first, he must bring something home to them.
He felt more of his anxiety grow as he passed by Midgar due to the infallible fact that the city of Edge is nearby; His home was nearby.
He entered one of the rebuilt freeways and followed the signs leading to his destination. After a few minutes of dodging cars, he exited the freeway and passed by a sign that read, "City of Edge"
Luckily, he was near one of the little malls in the city so he decided to go there. Probably there might be some stuff there that he can fish out for Tifa and the kids.
When he found a suitable area, he parked his bike and killed the engine. He then removed his goggles and gloves and placed them in a compartment in it. After that, he dismounted the machine and entered the mall.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Tifa, are you okay?"
"Huh? Oh! I'm okay Denzel."
The little boy looked unconvinced at the older woman as she wiped the wine glass clean.
"You've been wiping the same glass over and over again." Marlene commented. By now the little girl was fully aware of the news but unlike Denzel, she knew that Cloud was alright.
Denzel needed some convincing to calm him of his worry for Cloud. It was pretty hard for Marlene to cheer up her playmate but she eventually triumphed. She wished that she could be like Tifa- a good mother who knows best. Marlene wanted the ability to solve the problems of Denzel and of others' with ease and make them happy. Such innocence was there in a simple child's wish.
Eventually Denzel had gotten over it and had no more worries about Cloud not returning. This is how much Denzel loved Cloud; a little news that MAY involve Cloud being in danger easily breaks the heart of the little boy.
But Tifa... Yes, Tifa. She was pretty much bothered by the news and this time, Marlene and Denzel's comforting could not completely calm the young woman's troubles. Was this how much Tifa loved Cloud?
"Oh. Guess you're right Marlene, hehe." Tifa forced a small laugh before setting the glass down on the table and picking the other one up.
Denzel looked from Marlene's concerned face to Tifa's worried face. He went over to the one with the worried face and attempted to comfort her again, "Tifa you told me that Cloud will come back, and that he is okay. I believe you so don't worry anymore."
The brunette placed the glass on the table and rested her head on her hands. She sighed, "Yes I know. But there is something else."
"What's that?"
Tifa smiled. She was glad for the recovery of the little boy. It was such a good thing to see the brightness in his face again, and this made Tifa feel mad at herself for bringing gloom inside this household.
She almost laughed at her own irony. She was the one who kept the smiles and the joys confined inside the walls of this bar yet she herself kept none for herself. And now, it was a once gloomy kid who was cheering her up.
"It's nothing. I was just thinking about something, thats all." Tifa finally answered. It is true that she herself has somewhat gotten over the news but there was something in it that was bothering her. Something else was about to happen and she fears for the kids' lives.
And she fears for Cloud's life as well.
"If that's all," Marlene replied, "then there's nothing to worry about right?"
"Right..." Tifa murmured.
The two kids were unsure about Tifa's answer. It is either they did not hear it, Tifa spoke softly, or there was really something to worry about. Marlene is not enjoying the uneasy silence in this household. This barely happens and when it does, she braces herself for the inevitable.
"Hey, why are you looking at me like that?"
The kids didn't answer; They couldn't answer.
The brunette stopped whatever she was doing and knelt down in front of them. She placed either hand on the two children's shoulders and spoke in a gentle, motherly tone, "There is nothing wrong, okay? Do not worry about a thing."
Over the years, the time she had spent with these two children altered her relationship with them. At first she was a babysitter of the two and considered them as friends. As time passed, her care for them grew and the sense of family kicked in. Eventually the kids treated her as both a friend and mother, in which her motherly instincts began to develop.
Now, as the matriarch and mother of the family, it is her job to keep them safe and give them extraordinary care. As a part of this job, she had to make sure that their home was always happy. Sure there will be problems but she had to make it a point to paste those smiles on their faces despite all these negative circumstances around them.
"Tell you what," she began. "Why don't I fix you guys something to eat?"
"No thanks, I'm not hungry." Denzel said. He looked at Marlene and waited for her reply.
The little girl just shook her head, "Not hungry either."
Tifa raised an eyebrow at this, "Oh? Too bad." she stood and walked towards the kitchen, "I think there's some cho-co-late cake left in the fridge."
The kids' eyes grew wide and they looked at each other.
"Chocolate cake?" Marlene whispered. "I didn't know we still had chocolate cake!"
"We did!" Denzel replied, his voice as soft as a whisper, "We helped Tifa bake it, remember?"
"Yeah but remember, when we tried to get some, there wasn't any?"
Denzel scratched his head, "Well, the only chocolate cake I remember is the one Tifa baked."
"I think Tifa's bluffing," Marlene pouted.
"Aren't you gonna get it?" Came a voice from the kitchen.
"You're bluffing, there's no more-" Marlene was interrupted by Denzel's hand as he clamped it over her mouth.
"Aha!" the voice said, "I knew it!" Tifa appeared from the kitchen, a satisfied smirk on her face. "You two tried to sneak some cake didn't you?"
"We did not Tifa!" Denzel defended, his hand still on Marlene's mouth.
The little girl furiously shook her head in agreement.
"Then how did you know there was none?" Tifa continued her assault.
The two said nothing and continued to shudder at Tifa.
"It's a good thing I kept it somewhere safe. Who knows how far in the bowels of your little tummies that cake could've gone to."
The two looked at her in defeat. Denzel unclamped his hand on Marlene's mouth.
"Come now you two, that rich chocolatey goodness is waiting for you." With that, Tifa turned and entered the kitchen.
Swallowing the saliva in his watering mouth, Denzel followed. "Race you to the cake! Winner gets the bigger chunk!"
"Hey, that's unfair!" Marlene ran after him, giggling all the way.
For the matriarch, serving these children and seeing their bright faces bring the sparkle in her eyes. It made her forget all her worries.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night has began fall. Day life deteriorated significantly, giving way to the nightlife. The long hours of pondering about certain gifts to certain people was even more tedious than digging up money from one's pockets.
Cloud sat on one of the chairs down at the foodcourt. Dinner time is only an hour away and people have began to shop for supper at the various stalls, hoping to avoid the heavy traffic of famished shoppers when dinnertime arrives. The blonde decided that it was a good idea to eat dinner just like the other wise people around him.
Anyway, he's not yet done with his business there. Now that he had the kids out of the way, he needed to think of something to give to Tifa. If only he had stayed with his family longer, then he would not have trouble with this, and he would've been home hours ago.
Ah, Tifa, Denzel and Marlene... He could not wait to see them again.
But right now, he thought about what to eat here. Maybe some noodles would do justice to his disgruntled tummy.
Or maybe Tifa's cooking and the warm company of the three can do much better? Correction, it will do much better.
He stood up, grabbed the medium-sized bag and left. Thinking of what to give Tifa could be easier. All he had to do was pull out some of their memories from the back of his mind.
Maybe he could find something from his memory with her during Meteor. Or probably their adventure against Shinra and Sephiroth. Wait, Tifa hated war. She despised it for the horrible memory it brought back to her about Nibelheim and her father when she was a child.
That's it. The blonde smiled, an idea popped in his head. Maybe he can dig up something from his childhood memories with her. With this new idea, he began to think way back to the past, however, he found it unfortunate that he could not recall anything about her since he was at the sides, watching her from afar.
First he sorted out all the memories when they were together. He found a small number of them, which gave him new light. Now he had to sort out all those memories that may have been horrible for Tifa.
Cloud climbed the steps towards the next floor, opening up another endless possibility of merchandises. He walked along the long and wide corridor, peering at each store he passed by.
As he continued his intellectual search of the past, he realized that almost none of the times he spent with Tifa during their childhood went fine. He could easily count those times with the fingers on one hand.
And none of those times could give him any hint of what to give his childhood crush. Cloud finally settled with the thing that was almost always given to a girl- a thing that definitely reminds him of Aeris.
It had been years since he bought some of it from her, yet it seemed not so long ago when he first met her and bought them. He could recall her, on one side of the street, selling them to anyone who would like to indulge in their beauty or to give it to others who might want to.
Cloud felt a slight pain in his heart as he remembered that broken promise to her. He remembered his long and arduous struggle, seeking redemption.
Until finally, he was forgiven. The heavy load, the pang of guilt and pain, the slashes of self-remorse, all lifted just because of a simple acceptance of an apology. He was given a second chance and he will definitely not screw up this time.
Cloud knew where to find a flower stand in the mall and made his way to it. Flowers may be the only thing he can give Tifa as of the moment. He'll just get a beautiful flower like no other. Yeah, that's it.
But before Cloud could descend the stairs and go to the flower shop, a store caught his eye. Aside from it being attractive, a certain object there was his object of interest. This object definitely paints a much clearer picture of his memory of so long ago.
Yes, it was perfect.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The events of that long day had taken its toll on the homesick blonde. Now that he has something to give to the three precious people in his life, he can now go home. His disgruntled stomach attacked him, demanding food already, but Tifa's promising meals made it wait.
Cloud hung the plastic bag on one handle bar, held Tifa's gift with one hand, and drove with the other.
The more he craved to be home with them, the longer the short trip took. The mind, a part of the body that we truly rely on, can fool us. Cloud was dismayed, though slightly, but still dismayed. Why wouldn't the mind show him the reality that he was actually near?
Maybe his thoughts preoccupied the mind so much that it had no sufficient space to analyze the actual distance its owner was from his much-awaited destination. His mind needed conviction in order to function as desired, and this conviction was what Cloud gave.
The mind was given its share of space to properly analyze the data that was given to it. In no time, Cloud found himself at the front porch of the Seventh Heaven.
He parked his bike and picked up his gifts, then walked slowly to the bar. His heart pumped rapidly, bringing more blood into his brain as the mounting threat of an anxiety attack begins its siege.
This threat however, was instantly pacified. Cloud checked his watch and saw the time to be at roughly quarter past seven. He questioned the occupancy of the dark and empty establishment because it was still early for Tifa to close the bar.
Usually at this time, they would be eating dinner together. He could imagine them, talking wholeheartedly around sumptious dishes.
Maybe they've gone to eat out? Yes it is very much plausible. This thought gave Cloud an unprovoked attack from his unsettled tummy. He grumbled and tried the doorknob, 'How stupid. Tifa would never leave the bar open when she's not around.'
Cloud almost laughed at himself as he searched his pockets for a spare key. When he found it, he clutched it tightly. This simple object was the single, most important thing that unlocks his path to a home he had long searched for.
Utilizing the mechanical abilities of this special object, Cloud unlocked the door and opened it. The clang of chimes as the door passed through it greeted the tired family member and welcomed him back to the only place he called home. He took in the familiar surroundings and settled down on the couch, placing the gifts on the small table beside him.
He closed his eyes and decided to surprise Tifa and the kids when they arrived, but first, he must quell the surmounting anger his tummy had as it demanded sustenance. Cloud stood and proceded into the kitchen.
He opened the fridge and found nothing there that was ready to eat. Tifa had no idea that he was coming at this time, and he definitely has no knowledge whatsover about cooking. The fridge was out of the question.
Cloud then searched the cupboards, hoping to find something.
His eyes somewhat sparkled as he found a small cup of instant noodles. Luckily, all he had to do was boil some water and he'll have his instant dinner. Boiling water is fairly simple and he can very much accomplish that task so he settled with that.
Besides, he was craving for noodles and he didn't know why.
Cloud's eyebrows furrowed as he read the preparation instructions. Open lid halfway, put seasoning, add boiling water to the inside line, close lid, wait for three minutes, stir, and enjoy. 'Hmm, seems simple enough. Can't wait for the 'enjoy' part.' He then searched for the kettle.
Watching Tifa as she cooked and clean her utensils gave him an idea on where she puts all of those stuff. In no time, he was waiting for the water to boil.
Cloud pulled a chair out from the table and laid his head on it. Eventually, fatigue set in and his eyes began to droop, threatening him into a good night's sleep. As his eyes completely closed and his body began to relax, a shrill whistle woke him up.
The blonde focused his semi-blurry eyes on a particular object across him. Smoke escaped its mouth as it whistled for someone to notice it. Cloud heavily stood, went over to the kettle, killed the stove and brought it to the table. He opened the lid of the cup of noodles and poured the water in, and closed the lid afterwards.
He then placed the kettle in the sink and allowed it to cool. He turned to his waiting dinner: a single cup of mediocre-cooked noodles on a bare table and realized how much of a mendicant he was for he relied on Tifa for food.
Oh how he'd do anything for one of Tifa's meals. For now, he just imagined that it was Tifa who cooked the instant noodles.
Cloud found himself to be too impatient for the 'wait for three minutes' direction and skipped right into the 'enjoy' part. With his chopsticks, he munched on the still uncooked noodles with much exuberance. Anyway, while he was a regular Shinra soldier, he had to live on tasteless rations.
Uncooked noodles barely crunched in his mouth with every chomp, and some crushed pieces got stuck in his teeth. But hey, despite these, he still found his work pleasant. Or maybe he just convinced himself that it was Tifa who cooked these noodles.
After he had quelled his tummy's uprising and pacify an almost costly rebellion, he cleaned up the mess he made in the kitchen and flopped back on the couch to wait.
Soon enough, the invasion of a bodily desire to rest proved too strong for any resistance.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A/N Merry Christmas to you all and enjoy.