Chapter Ten: Sephiroth
The day seemed too sunny for an average day in Midgar, yet the weather was comfortable with only a gentle wind. "Cloud, are you going to take Yoru out today?" Tifa said as she looked through open food market. "I don't know." He hummed holding the wicker basket without the slightest hint of interest. Tifa frowned as she paid an elderly woman and placed two jars in the basket. "Cloud, it's so nice out! You should take Yoru out and make some memories with her!" Cloud sighed about to comment back but Tifa continued to speak. "Really Cloud, she's your good friend you should think about how she feels more!" Tifa placed a package of leeks and chives into the basket next. "Tifa, I do think about her, but she's not the same Yoru she was then. I thank Kami-sama she'll never be that Yoru again." Tifa remained silent though gave a weak smile. "That Yoru really was a shadow of her former glory, wasn't she?" Cloud nodded solemnly and followed her as she headed to the next stall.
Upon arriving home Tifa and Cloud found Yoru behind the bar helping Marlene clean the glasses for Tifa. "Welcome back!" Yoru smiled gently looking up at Tifa and cloud. "Yoru, let me take over, Cloud's going to take you out and make some memories with you!" Before Cloud could protest, correcting her that he only said he would think about it, Yoru was already at his side holding one of his hands in both of hers. "Really? Oh thank you Cloud!" She beamed up at him. He couldn't help but sigh heavily and nod. "Let's go Yoru." He led her from the bar and down the street. "Are Yoru and Cloud gunna be getting married?" Marlene's question caused Tifa to jump. "Huh? What?" Tifa asked dumbly, something that you would expect of Yuffie, but not Tifa. "What makes you think they're going to get married Marlene?" Marlene looked up smiling putting a glass down. "They act like a husband and wife already! Cloud huffed and when Yoru got all happy, he did it anyways because it's something that made Yoru smile!" Tifa pondered on Marlene's response for a moment before smiling herself and looking towards the door. "Well, maybe they will get married."
Cloud was taking Yoru to the church in the Sector 7 slums, and if she was anything like the old Yoru, she would love it just as Aeris had. "Cloud, is where we're going a surprise?" Yoru asked softly, her voice almost inaudible over the roar of Cloud's motorcycle Fenrir. There was no response from Cloud. She looked away watching the speeding scenery as she tightened her embrace around Cloud to ensure her safety. Fenrir rolled to a slow stop in front of the church, the birds were not fluttering in and out of the hole in the ceiling like they did every other time Cloud had been here. "This is it?" Yoru's voice was gentle as her mako blue eyes fluttered over the ruined look of it. "This is it." Cloud responded finally dismounting the bike after Yoru.
The inside was just as Cloud had left it, bright sunlight pouring into the center where a small garden of flowers bloomed. "Cloud, they're beautiful!" Yoru beamed walking forward to get a closer look. Something didn't feel right though, the birds usually welcomed them into the church with their songs, but no sound came from the rafters. A long squeak from the floor board alerted cloud of another presence. "Yoru, my beloved, did I not tell you I would take over the body of Loz should anything happen?" Yoru looked up surprised at the beautiful silver haired man before her. "You know my name too, are you from my past?" Cloud grabbed Yoru's wrist quickly, pulling her towards him and holding her close. "Sephiroth, what are you doing here?" Cloud was angry, this was all too clear. "I am here to retrieve my beloved, Jenova princess."
"Yoru, don't believe anything he says!" Zack ordered, was this beautiful silver haired man evil? "His name, is Sephiroth." She murmured testing the name. "I see, my beloved has had a concussion." Sephiroth chuckled to himself. "That is why you failed to return." Yoru looked to Cloud, still angry, and then to the new comer Sephiroth, amused with the situation. "Zack says not to listen to you." Sephiroth's eyes narrowed at Yoru's words, as did Clouds though his in confusion. "Zack? Even in death he hinders me." Sephiroth obviously wasn't pleased with what Yoru had said. "Leave quickly; I'll do something to distract him." Zack ordered again. Yoru nodded and grabbed Clouds hand making a break for the door as a whirl wind was quickly stirred up.
Cloud didn't hesitate in starting up Fenrir, in sending the bike off at top speed once Yoru was securely on the bike. All attempts where in vein as Sephiroth approached quickly. "Cloud, how futile your attempts are!" This chase was amusing to him, like a game. Tall leathery skinned dog like monsters rose from the dust lay scattered around them and gave chase, snapping their massive jaws at Yoru and Cloud. A single whimper came from Yoru as she pinched her eyes shut and pressed her face into Cloud's back.
"Yoru, I will protect you. Forever." The loud roar of Fenrir seemed to drown into a humm as a long slim blade dug through Clouds shoulder. The ruby droplets splattered across her face and the rushing ground below Fenrir. Yoru was torn from Cloud as Sephiroth retrieved his blade. "I have gotten back what is mine Cloud Strife." Yoru's breath caught in her throat at the sudden jerking, preventing any sound but a small gasp from escaping. "Come Yoru, I will help you remember all of our precious memories."
His words where drowned out along with anything else he might have said. Her eyes where burning the sight of Cloud lying on the ground, bleeding from the gaping wound in his shoulder into her mind. Didn't Cloud say he would protect her forever just a few moments ago? He did didn't he, and now she was being taken away by this painfully familiar person. The familiarity of him made her want to break down into tears out of fear of him. What could this beautiful one winged angel have done to her in the past to scare her so?
Her thoughts began to haze as her eyes lidded themselves. The shock of all the different events happening so suddenly was too much for her. Sephiroth was a bad man wasn't he? He had hurt Cloud, and Zack had told her to stay away from him. Yes, he was definitely a bad man.
The world around Yoru seemed to be clouded in a deep fog, with many yellow and white flowers at her feet. A tall spiky black haired man stood before her with deep blue Mako eyes just like hers. He looked upset, though worry seemed to cover that anger for the most part. "Yoru, I told you to run." His voice was sad, and made her heart fall. "I tried to, we tried to. He caught up with us, and he hurt Cloud." The man shifted slightly before coming towards her pulling her into a hug. She felt safe being hugged by this man, though not as safe as she had felt with Cloud. "You have to try and keep those memories of your past buried Yoru, for Cloud's sake." Yoru looked up at him and nodded. "For Clouds sake, I will remember nothing. Zack." The man smiled and released Yoru, the world's fog growing thicker whiting everything out.
Yoru woke up again in a dark room, black sheets covering her body and long thin glowing branches reached towards the sky. The silence scared Yoru, she had never woken up feeling afraid before. She rolled over on her side pulling the covers over her head and cried, begging Cloud to hurry up and find her so she could leave this awful place.