Number VII

Cloud Strife entered the bar of his wife, Tifa Lockheart. 7th Heaven, a rebuilt version of the one she had had in the Old Midgar, was empty of customers that time. The fans were making their usual humming noise on the ceiling, and as Cloud blinked his eyes - trying to get used to the dark room after bright daylight - two children ran towards him, yelling out of pure happiness.

"Cloud!" they yelled together and attacked him with hugs.

"Marlene, Denzel", Cloud said softly, smiling. He shuffled their hair, making Marlene yell something about ruining her beautiful hair, which was held as Aeris had kept it. A shadow passed Cloud's face again, but he shook his head and smiled. "Hello there." He hugged them quickly, and then asked with a bit colder voice: "Where's Tifa?"If General really is back... what if she...? No, she wouldn't... She wouldn't attack our families, right? He felt uneasy and worried: who knew how much General had changed? Sephiroth had changed a lot in a short period of time as well; so why not General?

"She's upstairs, taking a nap", Denzel said, looking up at Cloud, his deep blue eyes shining with trust, admiration and love. He had stayed as an innocent child, even after the episode 3 years ago. Cloud couldn't help it but smile again.

"Stay here, please. There's something I need to talk about with Tifa - adults' talk", he said, apologizing for the disappointed- looking children. He shuffled their hair once again and headed to the stairs.

"Cloud!" Marlene shouted after him. "That red-haired guy called some time ago for Tifa! He said he's coming here with his friends!" Marlene looked worried: she knew the Turks from long time ago, and remembered how one of them had kidnapped Aeris from her. Marlene got upset everytime the Turks were visiting, or when Cloud said he was going to see them in Healin, where they still kept their headquarters.

Cloud turned his head a little, nodded and said thanks. He hurried up the stairs, leaving the children stand still in the empty bar. The two looked at each other. "What's going on?" Denzel wondered.

"I don't know. And I'm not sure I even want to know."

---

Upstairs Cloud went straight to their bedroom, and stopped at the doorway to watch his wife who was asleep. Her chest rose slowly as she inhaled, and her face was turned to the window, her long eyelashes casting shadows on her beautiful face. Cloud leaned on the wall and smiled. Even if he couldn't fully let the past go, some of his choices he did not regret, and one of those things was marrying Tifa - and adopting the children, of course. They were no longer orphans.

Sighing deeply, he walked slowly and as quietly as he was able to towards the bed, sat down on the edge and called for his wife. "Tifa. Tifa, wake up."

"Unh... Cloud?" she whispered, reaching out her hand. Cloud grabbed it and squeezed softly. "Hm", Tifa mumbled. "You're back."

"Yes", Cloud said.

"The delivery?"

"Delivered. I took no more deliveries for today."

Tifa sat up. "What?" Her relaxed expression started to turn into an angry one, and Cloud quickly continued: "Something else came up. Something ... from the past."

Tifa sighed, and crossed her arms around her legs. "The past", she said bitterly. "It's always around us!"

Cloud shuddered. Why do we have to lose out to a memory? Tifa had asked him 3 years ago. "Tifa, this time it's a bit different", he tried to explain. "This is a different person..."

"Ah, indeed a different person, darling", a gentle voice said at the doorway. Cloud turned around and Tifa stood up, and they both gasped as the man with white clothes entered the room. Rufus Shinra smiled at them, his cold blue eyes shining dangerously. The four Turks entered the room behind him, and stood few steps behind their boss.

"Rufus! Why are you here?" Cloud stood up as well. What the hell? I thought he'd stay forever in Healin! Why..?

"Because of the General, of course." Rufus moved some of his blond hair away from his face. "This is such an urgent situation I needed to get out of that place. Furthermore... it seems nobody recognized me." He shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I suppose we'll hear about it later if someone did. May I sit down?" He didn't wait for the answer and sat down on the chair next to the door. He put his right leg on his left one, crossing his arms around himself, and managed to look like he owned the whole place. Cloud glared at him, but he just raised his eyebrows.

"The General?" Tifa repeated. "Not Sephiroth again..!"

"Not Sephiroth, darling", Rufus said calmly, staring at Cloud, trying to read his reactions. But Cloud just stared back. "His ... subordinate." He looked angry as he said this, and Cloud guessed he didn't want to call General as Sephiroth's daughter, as the rumours and legends referred to her. "Elena, the file."

"Yes, sir." The blond, young female Turk stepped forwards, met Cloud's eyes for a second, and handed him a thick file. "This file contains information of every 1st Class SOLDIER in the history of Shinra Electric Power Company", Elena said, in a tone that revealed she had been training her speech. From what Cloud and Tifa knew she had been able to get rid of her old habit to reveal Shinra's secrets to outsiders. "There is also a file of what happened back in Nibelheim about 10 years ago." She looked uneasy, but since her co-workers didn't react to her words Cloud assumed she was allowed to tell them that, but that something in that file bothered her. He, too, felt uneasy everytime Nibelheim was mentioned.

"I see", he said, taking the file. But he didn't open it, and after waiting for few seconds Tifa leaned towards him and grabbed the file. She immediately opened it and started to go through the pages. There were names, rank, and pictures. Sephiroth. Zack. Cloud knew he didn't need the file to know about General. "Anything new?" he looked at Reno, who nodded quickly.

"Yeah, she is here in Midgar."

Tifa looked up from the file. Her eyes got large, and she started to go through the pages faster. There. Celestial "Celes" Mourir. She read the name aloud, slowly. "Who was she?"

"She was, as said, a General. We kept her away from the press the best we could, but some rumours managed to spread around, probably because of her relationship to Sephiroth." Rufus waved his hand lazily. "She was Sephiroth's subordinate, even when she became a General, and she was in the Wutai War. General Celes was also good friends with Zack... and Cloud." Rufus smiled coldly.

Cloud nodded in silence. "I was hersubordinate", he said slowly.

"Hm." Tifa said, looking at the picture. Tanned skin. Skinny face and body. White hair. And... are those Mako eyes, or are they naturally green? She couldn't figure it out. "So what if she was Cloud's superior? What's this all to do with us?"

"Well, this is exactly a same situation as three years ago", Rufus said, tapping his fingers together. "We need some muscle to help us to stop her. Because it seems she's about to finish Sephiroth's job."

"Sephiroth's job?" Tifa repeated, hoping she had understood wrong.

"Yes. To destroy the Planet." Rufus stared at Cloud intensively. "So? Are you with us?"

"You could probably take care of this on your own", Cloud tried.

"Probably, but when it's about this person we want to hundred percent sure nothing will go wrong."

"C'mon, Cloud, you beat her superior at least two times before; General Celes shouldn't be a problem for ya", Reno continued, trying to get Cloud on their side. Rude poked him to his side, remembering how Reno had "succeeded" with convincing Cloud three years ago. Reno frowned at his partner, who just straightened his tie.

Cloud looked at Tifa, who looked a bit upset - but something was burning in her eyes, and Cloud blinked as he realized it wasn't anger: it was determination. Watching her eyes, he made his decision.