--DISCLAIMER: Final Fantasy VII as well as all Final Fantasy titles do not belong to me in any shape, way, or form. Most of the characters and all of the world are from the original game and belong to Squaresoft/Square-Enix. It is from the bottom of my heart that I thank them for creating such a massive game with such an addictive storyline and lovable characters which is what drew me to finally write this story.--
Thank you and please enjoy.
Chapter Two
Morning came with a loud roar as a ship soared overhead and circled the small town. The streets were soon filled with the few villagers that made up Nibelheim as everyone came out to see what the ship was doing. Cloud jumped up and out of bed to find Tifa was already outside. He threw on his coat and rushed out the door to find that everyone had crowded around the main gate. He rushed over just as the ship flew over the town again, passing over the gate and preparing to land. He found Tifa near the front of the crowd with her communicator open and running.
"What are you guys doing up there?" She snapped.
"Just giving a little show is all." Cid's voice came over the communicator with a laugh.
"A little show can give people heart attacks." Tifa protested. "Be careful up there."
"Hey, this is my ship. I'll pilot it however the fuck I want to." Cid said with a laugh.
Tifa sighed and shook her head then turned to see Cloud behind her. "Oh! Hi, Cloud. I didn't want to wake you."
"What's going on?" He asked scratching his head.
"Cid is showing off." Tifa explained.
"When doesn't he?" Cloud asked sarcastically.
The town waited anxiously, wondering if the ship was going to return over the town. Instead, the crew from the ship walked up the path and into the gates. Parents were hiding their children's eyes from Barret. His gun-arm shimmering in the light of the morning sun while his black vest, torn and tattered, did little to cover the stains on his white tank. Cid, tall and lanky, walked in wearing his pilot's jacket and slacks. His polearm clutched in his right hand and a cigarette between his lips. It looked like he had not shaved in two days but he seemed happy with it. Yuffie rushed in, her clothes were tight, primarily a body suit with a yellow sash for a belt. Tied to her back was a large pinwheel. She glanced around the crowd for a moment until her eyes caught glimpse of Cloud's hair. She squealed and charged for him, jumping into his arms.
"Cloud!" She exclaimed, her arms hugging him while secretly searching for materia. "I've missed you so!"
Cloud pulled her off of him and looked at her. "I see."
Vincent was the last to enter the town. The people scattered from the travelers, especially Vincent. His black and red attire and metal armor did seem a bit intimidating. Barret walked over to Cloud and looked him over for a moment.
"Man, you still a skinny ass. What use are ya?"
Tifa shook her head and sighed. "Well, at least you made it all right. I'm about ready to kick Cid in the balls for his piloting."
"Hey," Cid said as he took a puff off his cigarette, "not a damn thing wrong with my piloting skills. I'm the best there is."
Vincent looked over Cloud with solemn eyes and said, "Good to see you."
"Where is Caith Sith? And Red XIII?" Tifa asked.
Barret turned to her and smiled. "Can't trust that rodent anywhere so left him on the ship to watch the bird."
"Red XIII is in Cosmo Canyon taking care of his grandfather. He is not long for this world." Vincent said coldly.
"I see. Well, while you all are here, how about we go to Cloud's house?" Tifa offers with a smile. "I can go to the Inn and set up a room for you there if you like as well."
"Anythin's good so long I don't have to eat Yuffie's cooking." Barret said with a huff.
"What's that suppose to mean?" Yuffie snapped.
"Ok, right this way." Tifa interrupted and led the group to Cloud's home.
Vincent paused in front of Cloud and stared at him. Cloud gave Vincent a confused look.
"Why keep struggling?" Vincent said suddenly before continuing after the group.
Cloud stared at Vincent for a while after that. He was not sure what to think on the issue. Vincent is not a social person. He never had been, spoke even less than Cloud himself. That was saying something. Cloud followed them to his home and watched as they had fun. Tifa set up a room at the inn for them and began cooking large quantities of food for them. Barret spoke of all the adventures they have had since AVALANCHE had been reorganized and how much he had missed Tifa's cooking. Cloud did not care for the conversation, he just stared outside as the day went by.
Night fell and the stars shimmered as brightly as ever. Cloud made his way onto the roof of his home to stare up at the sky. This was something he often did, nothing new. He looked up to see that some dark clouds were slowly making their way across the sky toward the village. The daily weather had not hinted toward a coming storm but, then again, the village had not seen rain in nearly three weeks. He closed his eyes and felt the breeze against his face, soothing his mind.
"Cloud." Vincent's voice blurted out suddenly.
Cloud turned around to see Vincent's red eyes gleaming at him from the passage. Cloud returned his gaze to the heavens and nodded, allowing Vincent to continue forward.
"What brings you here?" Cloud asked suddenly. "I know it's not just a scheduled safety check."
"Hmm. You're smart. Why did you not let this on to Tifa?" Vincent asked with a grin.
"I don't want to hurt her." Cloud muttered lowering his head.
"To save someone from hurting by hiding the truth." Vincent remarked. "Does that not lead to the end you wished to avoid?"
"Wha?" Cloud asked, turning to face Vincent.
"You said you did not wish to hurt Tifa." Vincent explained. "Hiding the truth. Living a lie to preserve. Upon the realization that the life lead is a lie, would not she feel pain for you not being open to her?"
Cloud stopped to think for a moment then turned his back to Vincent, returning his gaze to the heavens. "I guess."
Vincent remained silent for several moments before saying, "I see now."
"What do you see?" Cloud asked.
"Aeris."
"What!" Cloud said, suddenly turning to face Vincent.
"Inside your gaze, behind those eyes. You long for her."
Cloud lowered his eyes and replied, "I miss her, yeah."
"Does Tifa know this?"
"No. I've been keeping that from her as well. It would tear her apart if she knew that I," Cloud cut himself off, his gaze back to the starry sky.
"Love her still?" Vincent stated, walking over to where Cloud was standing and following Cloud's gaze into the sky. "It's none of my business what you do with your life or with the people involved in it. I, too, know the pain of loss and with that I suppose I am no different than any man on this planet. Dead or alive."
"If you don't care then why butt in?" Cloud asked sharply, his gaze now focused on Vincent's dark figure.
There was silence for a moment, a pause which caused the air to feel thick with tension. Vincent turned his red eyes down to Cloud and said, "I am not butting in. I am simply warning you that your path may not go as you foresee."
Cloud shakes his head and stares of into the horizon. "We'll see, I guess. Nothing happens in this town; never has, never will."
Meanwhile, down in the house, Barret continues ranting about how ridiculous Tifa's efforts toward getting Cloud to rejoin have been and that she should consider the fact that he is not interested. Tifa, bull-headed as ever, refuses to let go on her whim. Yuffie, snooping around the dressers and drawers, secretly listens in as the two continue arguing.
"Damn, you know it ain't working!" Barret snapped.
"You don't know that." Tifa protested, shifting in her seat. "I may be nearing a breakthrough."
"Shi-! That guy, Ex-SOLDIER, ain't coming back. Jus' forget his skinny ass."
"Barret, you never let go before. Why let go now?"
"'Cause I ain't gonna waste time on the off-chance that he just may come back." Barret replied, standing up.
"What's stopping him from coming back?" Yuffie asked softly as she held up a pair of black boxers.
Barret shrugged. "Who knows what the hell goes on in his fucked up head?"
"I," Tifa fidgeted slightly before rising to her feet, "I know what is stopping him."
"Well, go on an' tell us. You been keeping it secret for god knows how long."
Tifa took a deep breath and crossed her arms, clutching the top of her jacket sleeves, "He wants to die."
"Wha!" Barret exclaimed waving his gun arm in the air angrily. "Why in the hell does that ass hole want that?"
"To see someone." Tifa said softly as she lowered her eyes to the floor. "He wants to see Aeris."
"Don't he know she's dead and gone? She's back with the planet now." Barret snapped. "He can't see her."
"Poor Cloud." Yuffie whispered as she continued fishing through the drawer.
"I don't think he knows about my knowing it. He talks in his sleep. I over heard him muttering something, asking someone not to leave. Several apologies. Some pleas. I heard it all." Tifa explained.
"An' you wanted to stay here? You know you ain't got no reason to stay around him." Barret said strongly.
"Look, I'll make a deal." Tifa continued. "If he refuses to join us tomorrow, I'll leave with you and never return here to see him."
"Heh, fine with me." Barret said with a growl. "Just remember. I don't like seeing you hurt. He keeps it up, I'll blow his fucking head off."
"Help!" A voice cries out from outside the house.
Barret, Tifa, and Yuffie rush to the window to see. Up on the roof, Cloud and Vincent peer over the edge just in time to see a child fleeing through the streets and a black, wolf-like creature following him in hot pursuit. Cloud jumped from the rooftop and into the streets below, landing just a few feet away from the window. Vincent follows shortly after Cloud, sending Tifa rushing through the kitchen and out the door.
"Cloud!" She shouts.
Cloud, heart pounding, dashes after the creature. The child races toward Shinra manor, the wolf creature's form seeming to contort with the light of the moon and stars above. Cloud forces himself to run faster, managing to catch up to the creature. The monster's eyes glow an eerie yellow. The pupil was hardly visible but stood out as a small red dot. Cloud kicked off the ground, then kicked off the wolf's head, allowing him to gain enough momentum to fly ahead of the creature and behind the child.
"Hang on," Cloud managed to say between breaths. "I've got you."
The child let out a shriek. The wolf readied to bite. Cloud dove forward, snatching the child in his arms just as the wolf began opening it's jaws to snap. Cloud then shifted his weight to the left allowing him to roll off center and out of the monsters reach. Cloud caught himself just in time to see the wolf shift directions and rush toward them. Dust flew up from the street as the wolf began a mad dash toward Cloud. Cloud braced himself just as the wolf let out a yelp. He opened his eyes to see Tifa standing a few feet away, her body crouched and ready to counter.
"Tifa, what are you," Cloud began.
"I'll take the child." Vincent's voice said suddenly as he pulled Cloud to his feet.
"Wha?" Cloud muttered in confusion.
Barret walked up, loading his gun with a grin. "This is our job. Not yours."
Vincent pulled the child from Cloud's hands and rushed onto the rooftops. Yuffie appeared on the scene, pinwheel in hand. Cid stood upon the well and puffed some on a cigarette before flinging it to the ground. The wolf, having regained its balance, examined the group that stood before him. Barret's grin grew wider, now knowing that the wolf was hesitant to act alone. The wolf raised its head and let out a strange, demonic howl. The wolf then vanished in flames before their eyes, the ground burnt where the wolf had stood.
"I could have handled that." Cloud protested.
"Look. We doin' the safety sweep. Not you. You ain't part of AVALANCHE anymore, remember?" Barret gloated.
Vincent shook his head to Cloud, releasing the girl from his arms. Barret moved to interrogate the girl but was met with nothing but tears. The child fled to a house where she was quickly let in. The closed door sealing off all chances of gaining answers. Tifa sighed, knowing that this would only make Barret more angry and quickly walked off. Yuffie made her way to the inn, knowing that sneaking around through Cloud's stuff while he was there would get her into a lot of trouble. Vincent, shrugged and made his own path toward the inn. Barret followed Cid to the inn, giving Cloud one final glare before completely turning his back to him.
Cloud scratched the back of his head in confusion then shrugged it off. Barret always did have attitude issues but Cloud would do his best to make sure that the temperamental man did not aim his frustrations toward him. After all, he had his own issues to think about. Cloud made his way through the streets, getting to his front door with the eerie feeling that someone was watching him. He glanced around, not touching the door until he felt certain no one was there. Not that it mattered much, he thought, it was a small town, everyone knew where he lived.
"Cloud." Tifa said as he walked in, her tone filled with surprise. "I wasn't expecting you home."
"Why is that? Did you think I was going to fight Barret?" He asked.
"No. Not really." Tifa said nervously. "I just thought, since it's nearly dawn, that you had gone to the reactor again."
Cloud looked behind her to see a suitcase filled with clothes. "What are you doing?"
"Um, Cloud," She began, "I'm afraid that I'll be leaving with Barret and the gang. I just can't take this any more." She turned her face from him. "Just standing here and watching you wither away. Day by day, a piece of you dies. Even though you can't tell, I can."
"Tifa, I," Cloud began, taking a few steps toward her.
"No. I've made up my mind, Cloud. I'm sorry." She said with a weak smile. "I just can't live like this. I care for you, Cloud. You know that much. You can always come to me if you have any problems. We'll help each other out."
"So, this is truly final, then?" Cloud said coldly.
"Yes." Tifa replied, "I will say my good-byes later."
Cloud nodded and proceeded outside, climbing up to the roof again. Tifa fell upon the bed, unable to fight the tears back any longer. She buried her face in the security of her pillow, trying to keep her cries muffled. She glanced up once, to stare at the moon that rested just outside the window. Tifa sat up slightly and wiped her face with the back of her glove. She sighed and forced herself up, quickly gathering the last of her things.
She lifted the suitcase up and made her way out the door, taking one last look inside before closing the door behind her. She then looked up to see Cloud staring up at the now cloudy sky and sighed, shaking her head. She turned toward the inn and began walking through the streets. She knew he was not going to follow her and join AVALANCHE. Fighting that fact any longer would be a waste of energy. She would just have to let him go. As much as she did not want to.
Morning came in shades of dull gray. Barret, Tifa, Cid, and Yuffie were met outside by Caith Sith, ready and willing to head out for the next town. Cloud walked out and said his good-byes then turned to go up Mt. Nibel. Tifa sighed, wanting to go after him, but Vincent shook his head, placing a hand on her shoulder. Tifa handed Caith Sith her suit case reluctantly then nodded to Barret.
"Awright, we'll leave as soon as everyone is ready. Don't take forever neither, I ain't got all day." He instructed.
"No one will be going anywhere." A voice rose up from the gate.
The group turned to see a young man, looking no older than fifteen, standing before them in a black suit and tie, his red hair shimmering in the light of the dim sky. Barret stepped forward, forcing the group back.
"An' who are you to be ordering us around?" Barret snapped.
The boy grinned and brushed his bangs from his face. "I'm called Gilgam. I'm a lead operative in a secret Materia seeking organization. We hunt out powerful materia and add them to our, 'collection' if you will."
"We don't have any materia." Tifa said bluntly, stepping forward. "So why stop us?"
"You see, you may not hold any valuable materia upon your person, but one of you hold the key to finding the rarest of all." Gilgam explained. "Our sources say that the man we seek lies in your group. You are AVALANCHE, are you not?"
"Yeah, but what that got to do with anything?" Barret growled.
"Don't hide him from us." Gilgam said calmly as he closed his eyes. "I am prepared to search this entire village. You would not want any harm to come to the village, would you?"
"You ass hole!" Yuffie shouted.
Gilgam grinned and then raised his left hand, "Last chance."
"Look, we don't know what the hell you're talking about." Barret stated.
"Too late." Gilgam said as he snapped his fingers.
Within second, seven people wearing similar suits as Gilgam rushed through the gates and began breaking down doors. Five stayed inside the town, two rushed toward the mountain path. Barret turned to the group and shook his head.
"We gotta stop 'em." He said. "It's our job."
"Right!" Yuffie said with a grin.
"Tifa. Vincent. You two need to get Cloud. We gonna need his ass down here." Barret whispered.
"We're on it." Tifa answered with a grin. "Just be careful down here."
"No problem." Barret said with a grin before returning his gaze to the men.
Tifa and Vincent took off toward the mountain path just as Barret let off five shots at the men. Yuffie managed to get three of the five on her while Caith Sith worked on pulling them from her onto him. Cid puffed on his cigarette for a moment before jumping in.
"Fighting us will cost you dearly." Gilgam explained calmly, his voice gentle.
"Apparently you've never fought AVALANCHE." Barret shouted with a grin.
Meanwhile, up on the path, Cloud slowly made his way up the winding path, a trip that was not foreign to him and was soothing to his thoughts. The only time he felt truly alone. A soft rumble rose, causing Cloud to gaze up into the dark clouds above him. Nibelheim had not seen a storm in a while. Cloud returned his gaze to the ground and continued up the path for several steps until the sound of footsteps rushing from behind him caught his attention. He stopped and turned to see two people in suits behind him.
"Sir, we are going to have to have to ask you to return to town immediately." One man said quickly.
"And why is that?" Cloud asked.
The second operative drew a gun and pointed the barrel at Cloud. "You just have to."
"Heh, mind telling me what this is about?"
"We are searching for someone." The first officer said.
"Really? A fugitive?" Cloud asked coldly.
"Some what. He has some information that is vital to our cause." The second officer stated.
"Hmm, about what? It can't be that bad."
The first man drew a gun and pointed it at Cloud. "He knows about a certain materia that our group is looking for. We have been hunting it for nearly two years now and managed to dig up that the current target knows the location."
"I see." Cloud walked between the two officers, heading down the path toward Nibelheim. "Hope you find your,"
"Cloud!" Tifa's voice rang out from the path below.
Cloud spun around to see Tifa and Vincent rushing toward him. He glanced back to see the two officers rest their fingers on the trigger.
"Cloud? He's the one!" The first officer shouted.
Tifa rushed forward and used Cloud as a springboard to flip over him and land only feet away from the two soldiers. The first one dropped his aim toward Tifa just as she entered a roundhouse kick. The man did no move, simply allowed her to follow through. He jumped, dodging her leg then flung his gun to the side. The second officer moved to the ledge, gun still aimed at Cloud.
"Cloud," Vincent blurted out, "there are more of them in the village. I do not know how long Barret and the others can last." Vincent paused for a moment, his red eyes scanning over the two people before him. "They are not normal."
"Damn." Cloud growled. "Well, we'll have to take care of these two first."
"Right!" Tifa said as she rose to her feet.
Vincent drew his gun, while walking forward to stand by Tifa, and bowed his head, "Fine with me."
Cloud walked to the other side of Tifa and looked to them both with a nod. "Let's do this."
"Ha!" The first officer laughed. "You don't know who you're dealing with."
The second officer shook her head. "Don't get cocky."
The first officer pulled a small blade from his boot and laughed, "I'll kill them myself."
"Shit," The second officer muttered as she quickly drew out what looked like a communicator. "Lord Gilgam, Regis, he's,"
Within seconds, the first officer had moved and sliced open his partner's throat. Tifa backed up in shock while Cloud cracked his knuckles. Vincent shook his head but did not move.
"I'll kill you all!" The man shouted.
Vincent lifted his gun, "Pointless."
The man made a mad dash toward Cloud. Vincent fired but the man seemed to turn into a mist just as the bullet neared him. Tifa snapped herself out of the shock and proceeded to charge after the man. Cloud braced himself, trying hard to keep to his ties. The man swung at Cloud, the blade a blur. What little light the day had reflected off the blade's edge, almost hypnotic. For a split second, Cloud saw Sephiroth as he fell down from the sky, blade ready. There, before his eyes, the image of a girl. She looked up to him.
"Cloud!" Tifa shouted, drop-kicking the back of Cloud's knee to make him fall.
The blade sliced through the air where Cloud's head had been. Cloud looked to Tifa quizzically then to Vincent who had repositioned.
"Snap out of it!" She demanded.
"What?" Cloud asked as he jumped to his feet.
Vincent fired again, managing to land one bullet in the man's right leg just above his knee. The man growled and fell onto the ground. Vincent walked over to the man and aimed down, the barrel only inches from the man's head. The man lifted the knife to slice at Vincent's legs just as Vincent pressed down the trigger. With a loud bang, the man's head erupted, covering the mountain as well as the three fighters.
"Keep your head straight." Vincent said sternly as he made his way down toward the town.
Cloud followed after Vincent with Tifa only steps behind him. They had to hurry, smoke was beginning to rise from the town below. Cloud hoped that this was not another illusion. He could not bear to relive the incidents of the past, not without help at any rate.