Chapter 9: It's Impossible

Location: SOLDIER Base

Time: 5:00 am Wednesday

Tifa's POV:

"Mmm." I mumbled as I tried to wake up.

I opened one eye slowly, but immediately shut it again because of the pain suddenly piercing throughout my skull.

Trying to sit up, I winced and screwed up my face in pain.
Placing a hand to my head I tried yet again to open my eyes. This time I was somewhat successful.

Where am I?

Taking in my surroundings I realised that I was not at home anymore.

"Yuffie?" I spoke quietly, in hopes that wherever I was she was here with me.

No answer. I had to figure out what was going on. I couldn't even remember what had happened to me before all…this.

"Yuffie?" I began again as I made my way off what I was lying on and started to walk over to the light on the other side of the room. "Are you here?" I asked; my throat feeling rather hoarse.

My heart began to pound in time with my already aching head. Closing my eyes once again I outstretched a hand so that I might feel my way around the room to save my eyes the trouble.

My head was suffering from more than just a simple headache. I was coming on with a migraine. The frustration of not knowing anything and not being able to make the pain stop finally combined and caused me to scream out in sheer agony, "YUFFIE!"

That's it…I'm out.

I could feel my body sliding down the cool wall; slowly descending onto the hard floor below. I heard something in the distance. It was the voice of a girl. She was coming closer as she called my name. Something wet smothered my face, cooling me off. My mouth was being opened gently and something distasteful was flowing in.

I felt sick.

"Oh Teef!" came a slightly concerned and yet upset voice.

I had coughed up whatever it was…I just couldn't keep it down. "Yuffie." I coughed even more hoarsely than before.

"It's okay we're here Teef." She whispered as she gently brushed back my hair from my face. The head of a bottle found its way to my lips again and fluid began to drain into my mouth once more.

"Drink it Teef. It'll help." She told me.

I held the liquid in my mouth for a while until I knew that I wouldn't cough it up and then gulped it down in one go. Breathing quickly and feeling extremely hot it wasn't too long before I felt sweat starting to slide down my face and practically making my clothes stick to my body.

"Can you take her into the shower?" she whispered to someone other than me.

There was no response except for someone suddenly lifting me gently from underneath. My back was being supported by something strong and firm against my skin. My head was tucked up and resting against something warm and the sound coming from it was of a gentle rhythm, pumping every few seconds. I felt my arm being pushed into my lap so that it didn't hang limply.

Why am I like this? I feel so drowsy.

Moments later I heard the sound of gushing water. As the entity that held me moved closer towards it, I could feel the tiny droplets of water meet with my skin. Cold at first, but then warm.

It was then at that exact moment that I was being let go. My feet met up with the wet floor and the gentle stream of water descended onto my body. But I wasn't alone. Someone was holding onto my upper body; holding me close to them. I still had my eyes closed and I was resting my face against the rhythmic part of the body.

I rested my hands against the upper part of the form, as one of their arms encircled my waist and the other gently moved to the small of my back.

"Why am I wet?" I asked quietly.

Nothing was heard for the longest time after that. All I could hear was the gentle tap of water falling onto the tiled floor below us.

"You're…you're…"they began quietly not finishing their sentence.

"Mmm." I winced as a sharp pain shot throughout my head once more, although the pain did seem to be ceasing now.

I was held somewhat closer than before and although I had absolutely no idea what was going on around me exactly, I somehow sensed that I was safe with this person.

"Where am I?" I asked as I adjusted my face against the figure.

They didn't answer me yet again. I could feel my migraine fading to nothing more than a simple headache now thankfully.

"You're not the talkative type I see." I said, in a somewhat analysing way.

I languidly lifted a hand up to brush away a piece of hair stuck to my cheek. It was then that the water stopped running and I opened my eyes as the gentle drops died down. I noticed that it was particularly dark on the left of my eye so lifting my head I noticed that the person was in fact wearing black clothing. My eyes ran up the glistening wetness of their neck and then as I wandered up further I saw it. I saw those lips.

Feverish passion overtook me as I felt him press his lips against my own. So soft and yet so extremely firm.

Moving up again I saw that…nose. I gulped.

Laughing he nuzzled his nose into my neck, stopping for a gentle kiss every so often.

This couldn't be real. It couldn't be and then…I saw them…I saw those eyes. They were downcast and dark looking. He was not looking at me. He was not looking anywhere in particular from what I could see.

Dark blue eyes stared into mine for the last time that night. Once lively orbs were now nothing but lifeless shapes of nothingness.

Sucked back into the present once more I felt my heart beat rapidly and all feeling left me. Right then I knew I should have hated him. I knew I should have hit him, kicked him, done something to take the pain away and make him suffer for once. But I couldn't. I was upset by those eyes that I used to love. Why couldn't he look at me and say he was home and…

"Cloud?" I asked shakily and raised a hand to his left cheek. He allowed me to lift his face so that he was looking directly at me but he still seemed hesitant.

The strangest feeling swept over me right then. I felt concern and relief and…I just felt whole in a way knowing that my other half was here with me again.

I gently ran my hand over his face as if to check that he was okay.

"Are you all right?" I asked with extreme desperation. I had wanted to ask that for so long.

I felt my body seem to relax…no that wasn't the word. I couldn't find a word for what I was feeling right then. It was like…a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. All this time I had felt completely lost without him, like I didn't belong anywhere. I felt like I was breathing again for the first time in two years. Breathing with him.

His mouth quivered slightly and I felt harsh and fast breathing brush up against my cheeks.

"Where did you go?" I whispered as I sunk into his firm grasp, resting my face up against his shoulder and literally digging my nails into his clothing, fearing that if I let go he would leave without an explanation like last time. All I wanted right then was to feel like I could depend on someone. Let someone take care of me for a while.

But no I couldn't rest like this right now…I had to get some answers. Answers that he was not giving me.

Frowning I pulled myself back up and demanded, "Where did you go?"

He simply looked away as if it were a big secret and seeming to wince at the fact that I was somewhat angry.

"I came here." He replied without the slightest attempt at trying to tell me where exactly 'here' was.

"No Cloud. Tell me where you went." I whispered.

He released his grasp on me and ran a hand through his amazingly beautiful hair. Slapping myself mentally I waited for him to answer me. I watched him as he stepped back a little and looked as if he were about to say something, but then held back.

I couldn't wait any longer.

"Cloud where the hell am I? Where is this?" I yelled growing frustrated and then moved out of the shower, still soaking wet and walking into the room I was in originally.

He followed soon after and watched as I tried to open the door so that I might get a glimpse at the environment I was now in. Unfortunately it was locked.

Kicking the door in annoyance I turned and faced him with pleading eyes.

"Cloud please." I whispered.

Shaking his head he turned away and stated, "You will never understand what I know…so I won't be explaining anything…" he said quietly.

Right then I lost all self-control. I just let myself fly at him with a forceful blow to the left side of his face. Falling to the ground he simply winced and didn't even attempt to stop me.

Jumping on top of him I pinned him down and cried, "Don't treat me like this. I deserve to know why you left. Why did you leave me?" The last sentence came out quiet and saddened. I finally gave up on these words and collapsed on top of him; breathing uncontrollably, forcing myself to hold back the tears and then feeling him move his arms around me.

The thing that was making me feel like this was the thing that was trying to comfort me. It wasn't right.

I had been so good at keeping my feelings bottled up all these years and now I had finally broken down in front of him, or rather on top of him. Back then he was the one I went to for comfort when I was upset and it almost felt like now was one of those times again.

Suddenly I remembered something.

Sitting up abruptly I panicked, "Marlene!"

I jumped off Cloud and ran to the door, began kicking it furiously and hearing him trying to speak to me in the background.

"Not now Cloud. Marlene's at home by herself." I yelled.

The door just wouldn't budge and so finally I summoned all my strength and blasted my fist through it.

It was terribly painful, but I got through and felt around for the door handle on the other side.

His words were but a blur as he spoke to me. I needed to get home to Marlene. I was stupid for following Yuffie in the first place and leaving a child of her age in a house alone.

I had made it out of the room now and what I saw was truly amazing. Men dressed in nothing but black with weapons secured to their bodies were all walking past in a hurry with downcast eyes not uttering a word.

I stood there and watched as they passed and then suddenly I felt a hand pull me back slowly against the wall behind me.

"What is this?" I whispered almost as if I were afraid that one of them would attack if they heard me.

Turning to face him I saw that he was staring aimlessly over them and then answered, "This is SOLDIER. This is where I came."

Turning to me he continued, "And she's safe. She's here."

"What? Who?" I asked in confusion.

"Marlene." He answered and then took my hand as we began to move down the hall of passing men.

Wincing I pulled my hand back and stared at my bruised and bleeding knuckles. He stopped walking, moved a hand onto mine and said firmly, "I'll heal it. Lets get out of here first."

I nodded and allowed him to move his arm around my shoulders as he guided me down the hall and into a different section of the building.

Moments later I heard a little girls' voice. I turned my head towards the voice and called, "Marlene?"

It was silent and then a little face peered around the corner of the door I was about to enter. Feeling a sudden rush of relief I ran over to her and embraced her as tightly as I had with Cloud before.

Then letting go slightly I ran a hand over her face and brushed back her small fringe.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

She nodded with a tiny smile and then glanced over my shoulder with a curious expression, which soon turned into realisation.

"Cloud?" she stated questioningly.

I turned to face him and saw that he seemed hesitant to move any closer. However Marlene saved him the trouble and quickly escaped my hold on her to embrace his waist while smiling.

He stood there not knowing quite what to do at first but then gently and quickly patted her head before taking a hold of her upper arms between his gloved fingers and removing her from his waist.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He was about to say something when suddenly she gasped and began to shake. Eyes widened I ran over and turned her towards me. Her eyes had rolled back and all I could see was white.

"Marlene hun!" I cried in a panic.

"What's wrong with her?" I heard Cloud ask.

"I don't know!" I shouted in fear and then yelled at the crimson caped man in front of me to move everything off the table so that I could lay her down. He swiftly swept a gloved hand over the firm surface, sending papers and various writing utilities flying in every direction.

I lifted her up onto the table and lay her down on her back while she convulsed. I didn't know what to do. Nothing that I knew of would be able to cure her of this. It was just like what happened on the day when she stated that she only wanted to see Cloud, soon after running through the gates of SOLDIER Base.

"Tifa!" came a voice.

Turning in a daze I saw that Cloud was once again speaking to me or yelling rather.

"Vincent thinks she may have second sight."

Looking over to the black-haired man I frowned and asked, "Why?"

He spoke softly, "I spoke with her for a while and my sources tell me that it's entirely possible. Her mother had second sight."

"Her mother?" I repeated.

He nodded and then said with a reassuring smile, "She'll be fine in a minute."

I felt sick, but nodded and slowly turned back to her. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I knew exactly whose it was.

I shrugged it off. I didn't need his comfort anymore. I had coped long enough without him.

I watched on as Marlene began to stop shaking and slowly begin to allow her eyes to return to their normal position. She glanced over to Cloud and stared at him for a moment before trying to speak but then suddenly fell, closed her eyes and seemed to drift off to sleep.

"Take her to a spare room." I heard the man by the name of Vincent in front of me say to Cloud.

Cloud proceeded to lift her, however I pushed him away and said, "I'll carry her. You just take us to the room. I want to stay with her."

His eyes stared into mine for a second or so before looking away and moving towards the door.

I gently lifted the little girl up into my arms and then heard the man speak to me yet again. "He's trying his best you know. Everything he's ever done has been for you."

I turned and glared into his deep crimson eyes before saying, "If that were so he would have at least let me know he was all right. All he's ever done to me these last two years is make me wonder. But now that I've seen this place I understand. I just wasn't enough."

With that being said I made my way out of the room not particularly caring that Cloud was listening to every word I said. He was walking silently behind me and it was then that I realised that I didn't know where I was headed.

"Cloud I don't exactly live here, so can you please lead the way?" I demanded in a huff.
He was quick to move forward, giving me a sideways glance as he passed.

Ever since I had seen him again I had been a wreck. First I blacked out, then I almost allowed myself to cry in his presence and now I was just down right pissed off. Every nerve in my body felt like it had been twisted into a knot of hatred towards him.

"Yeah but she's okay now."

Frowning I turned to the familiar voice and called, "Yuffie?"

She turned the corner at that exact moment and stopped, causing whoever was behind to run into her.

"Geez girl." Came yet another familiar voice.

It was both Yuffie and Cid.

Her eyes were wide and all I could do was look back and forth at both her and him.

"Um…hey Teef." She began a little cautious at first but then moved towards Marlene.

"Is she okay?" she asked with genuine concern.

"I thought you just finished talking to Cid about that." I mumbled while looking him in the eye with confusion as to why he was here.

"Um…no…I was talking about you." She confirmed and then reached for my wounded hand.

"Hey what happened to you?"

Pulling away and lifting Marlene up a little further I continued to follow Cloud who had slowed a little and had begun to glance back.

"Keep walking." I demanded.

"Tifa?" came both Yuffie's and Cid's voice in unison.

I ignored them both. Right now I couldn't speak to or trust anyone. Yuffie had clearly been a part of this whole SOLDIER thing for a while now and Cid was not the man I thought he was and then Cloud…he was just here again. He was here in my life again acting like everything was normal. I couldn't get a decent answer out of him and…I really need to sleep some of this off.

Marlene was the only one I wanted to be with at the moment. Sure she had been having these so called visions and scaring me half to death with her sudden fits, but she was the only one who had not lied to me, hurt me or let me down in any way.

Finally we reached a room and Cloud hastily pushed through with me right on his tail wanting to get in as soon as possible. I walked straight to the queen-sized bed and gently lay her down, making sure her little head was positioned comfortably.

Then sitting on the edge of the bed I leant my forehead onto hers and whispered, "I'm sorry I left you hun."

Lifting my face so that I could see him again I said, "I need to be left alone now."

"But…" he began moving forward to reach for my injured hand.

"Cloud please." I sighed moving my hand away and then turning my head. "Just go."

With a few moments of lingering about he finally left me to curl up next to Marlene.

"Barrett would kill me if I ever let anything happen to you." I whispered before closing my eyes.

Location: SOLDIER Base

Time: 6:15 am Wednesday

Cloud's POV:

I closed the door and watched her body slide onto the bed and seemingly fall asleep as she shut her eyes.

I really didn't want to leave her there in the state she was in. I could sense that she was beginning to bottle up what she was feelings behind walls that neither I or anyone else could break through. But…I would only make the process work even faster. She clearly didn't want anyone, let alone me around her at the moment, apart from Marlene that is.

Making my way down the corridor I began to think of things that she didn't yet know. Things that she deserved to know. Her father for instance. She still believed that he may be out there somewhere, but I had known since the night I left that he was dead. Then there was Barrett. He was dead. How was I going to break the news to her and Marlene?
Her words just now were eerily familiar as well. I had wanted to tell her the same thing for years. "I'm sorry I left you…"

"Cloud?" came Cid's voice.

"What!" I asked; startled from my thoughts.

"Vincent wants to talk to you. Found out some pretty freaky shit."

Frowning I quickened my pace to Vincent's office and on arrival I saw him staring at a computer screen with extreme interest.

"What is it?" I asked moving around to get a look at what he was gawking at.

Paying close attention I noticed that it was a database of the man who started it all.

"See him?" Vincent asked while pointing to the screen at the image of the man.

I nodded as a sign for him to continue.

"He's her grandfather." While pointing to yet another picture on the screen.

Staring between the two profile pictures on the screen I couldn't be any more shocked than the day that Vincent told me that he had fought Sephiroth personally.

"But…it's impossible." I stated in disbelief.

"Not if you take a look at this." He said now moving out of the way so that I could take a seat.

Scanning through the information that ran across the screen before my eyes I stated once more, "It's impossible."

A/N: You know what? I was so gonna continue with this chapter, but if I did it would have been at least 10,000 words long. Anyway what did you think? Not too boring? Are you looking forward to the next chapter? Because that's my goal. To keep this story as interesting as I possibly can. I just hope I'm not dragging anything out too much.

Well we saw a bit of what Tifa was feeling in this chapter. I tried to make it as realistic as I could by trying to put myself in her situation. First I probably would have been making sure that Cloud was all right and if he were deemed well enough to get his ass kicked, I would have. I mean, leaving without a word and then suddenly he's 'there'. Then I guess I would have wanted to be left alone so that I could think. Her moods were a bit jumpy, but she feels completely alone now and totally clueless. Everyone she thought she knew has been hiding things from her.

Okay sorry for the long overview of my own chapter, but I feel that this is the major turning point of the entire story. It is one of the most important chapters, which you will see why in chapter 10 (which I am dying to write!). Until then, please keep reading and reviewing. I'm really enjoying writing this so much that I've begun to neglect my Final Fantasy X story a bit which seems to be doing far better then this in terms of reviews.

Okay I'll leave ya to it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. The characters and everything associated with this story all belong to Square Enix.

Yunie Tidus