(Disclaimer: I and my best friend and co-author for this story only own our original characters. We can dream of owning the Final Fantasy characters but it's not too likely that it'll ever happen.)

Dear Journal

A Final Fantasy VII Fanfiction

Chapter 3

Luxaria

Yet again, she awoke to a door opening and the sound of footsteps coming to her. Luxaria flinched, eyes still closed; afraid it was the man from earlier come to collect her as well. There was silence and then she heard footsteps running.

"Tifa!" she heard a male's voice say. "Tifa!" It said again, concern clear in the tone.

Luxaria weakly sat up, her eyes somewhat foggy; she shook her head clearing her vision, scurrying over to the blond man holding Tifa in his arms. "You are Cloud, yes?" Luxaria asked. He nodded his blond gravity defying spikes barely moving as he nodded, his eyes the same color as the strange silver haired man's, glaring intently at her. "Tifa, she mentioned you. There was a man; he kept talking about his mother… I fought him, but he took Marlene."

Cloud looked shocked when he heard her words. "Damn," he said before a painful sensation came from his left arm that was currently holding Tifa up. Pain evident on his face, unsure if it would help or not, Luxaria brought her hand to rest on his hurting arm, a red light glowed around Luxaria. Images flashed before her eyes, she looked at Cloud. She could feel his pain and his… guilt? He doubled over, dropping Tifa as he did so, and clutched his arm.

"Calm, the pain will stop." Luxaria said, trying to reassure him. In a matter of seconds, he was passed out next to Tifa. "I will protect you both." Luxaria whispered, her hand shaking uncontrollably from where it had touched Cloud.

Luxaria watched over the two as they slept, it must have been at least two hours. When the doors to the church opened and two men in suits appeared, Luxaria stood quickly, taking up an immediate fighting stance, fire in hands, and prepared to guard both Tifa and Cloud.

"Take it easy, yo!" One of the men said. He had fiery red hair and bright light blue eyes. He wore goggles on his forehead. "We're not gonna hurt them, yo." He said as his bald companion nodded in agreement; his partner's eye color unknown due to the dark tinted glasses he wore.

"How can I be so sure?" Luxaria asked, the fire in her hands growing more as she spoke.

"Take it easy there." The red head said; looking passed Luxaria towards the passed out blond and Tifa. "I promise you, the last thing I want to do his hurt him." Then he added, "Or her."

She stared at the two suited men for a moment then nodded slowly. "For your sake, I hope you are right." She said, with a small wave of her hands to extinguish the fire she held. The redhead moved past her to Cloud as his silent companion moved to Tifa. The redhead lifted Cloud, with a small groan, and carried him out the door as the bald man lifted Tifa with ease before heading out the door as well.

Luxaria followed them and walked in between the two suited men and the people they carried. It was a barren waste land, rubble, and ruins… the remains of some city. The only thing resembling life was the yellow and white flowers she had seen in the church. She wondered what had happened here but said nothing and just walked in silence. They made their way through the ruins moving closer to the edge of some giant metropolis. The closer they got to the edge the more lively things became.

Luxaria looked around the city: it was overly crowded, smoky, dirty, and heavily industrialized. It seemed to be a city made from rubble, the remnant of something once great; now just a melancholy reminder of what once was. Luxaria gawked at the tall gray bleak buildings, at the many different people walking passed, the various forms of transportation, the cracking sidewalks, and a very tall mammoth sculpture like thing made of junk… or at least looked to be made of junk. The redhead laughed. "What? You've never see a big city before, yo?"

"I have. My home is a very large city… it is just that... my city is structured differently from yours." She looked up at the redhead as they walked. He was tall, much taller than her, as were most of the men she'd come across in her life. He was handsome, like many of the young men of her home; lean and lanky, clean faced and pale. His hair was much longer than she had originally thought, coming down to a thin lose ponytail that stopped in between his shoulder blades. The red head and his companion, except for their height, were almost exact opposites. The bald man was muscular, bearded, his skin tone darker. He wore multiple earrings in both ears. Even their suits were opposing. The red head looked unkempt, his suit disheveled, the jacket undone, the white collared shirt un-tucked. His companion on the other hand looked every bit the professional… of whatever they were.

"What, yo?" he asked.

"What are you and your companion called?" Luxaria asked.

"The name's Reno. The talkative one there, that's Rude."

Luxaria blinked, "Such strange names."

Reno smiled, "So you gotta a name, yo?"

Luxaria nodded as they continued to walk through the city. "I am Luxaria Rose, and it is a pleasure to meet you both."

"Same to you yo!" Reno exclaimed.

"Where are we headed?" Luxaria wondered aloud.

"Seventh Heaven," he said. "It's a bar. Tifa owns it and she lives there. Sometimes Cloud does too."

"I see." She said as they continued walking for a while longer until they finally stopped in front of a small gray building with a small white sign hung above the door.

"This is it." Reno said as he pushed on the door and it swung open. "Well what you know, it's unlocked this time."

Luxaria followed Reno and Rude through the bar. As they weaved in between the many small round wooden tables and chairs, she glanced at the long wooden bar, which was stocked rather nicely with many bottles behind it and a mirror that faced them. She also noticed a small stage like area in the bar as well as she made her way up the staircase leading to the bar's upper level. She watched as Rude opened a door, one of the many doors along the hallway. She watched as he placed Tifa on the bed closest to the window in the small, uncluttered room. Reno followed suit placing Cloud on another bed closer to the door. Reno stood looking down at him; for a moment, his expression a clearly readable one of concern and affection.

"You and he are courting, are you not?" Luxaria asked.

Reno turned, looking at her, his face almost matching his hair. "I-I don't know what you're talking about, yo." Reno stuttered as he tried to hide his flushed face.

"It is alright. One of the greatest leaders of my home land, in the town to the west, he has been known to share his bedchambers with many a man." She smiled. "There is no shame if you truly love someone." A chuckle escaped Rude as Reno sputtered something unknown. She turned to look at Rude and smiled at him before looking back at Reno. "Have I offended you? I meant no harm..."

"N-no," Reno finally managed, "I'm not offended." Reno scratched the back of his head. "And we're not a couple, yo."

Luxaria frowned looking down at her dirty bare feet. "I see. I am sorry to have asked... I may regret this but... why are you not a couple... You two seem suited well for each other?"

If possible Reno's face became darker and he turned to look at Cloud, a look of longing on his face. "Cloud... he doesn't... he thinks it'll hurt Tifa."

Luxaria nodded. "Yes...she seems fond of him." Reno's answer was a simple nod and a sad look. Luxaria muttered something incomprehensible under her breath. "I cause nothing but harm..." She said looking at her feet.

"What you mean, yo?"

"It is of no importance..." She continued to look down. Reno frowned, wondering what she could possibly mean. She did not look at them. "My Mother...she wanted me to marry a man I hate... I refused... in a way I probably should not have... she said I brought harm upon us..." Luxaria trailed off her voice cracking. Reno and Rude shared a look. "My freedom ... apparently meant nothing to her..." Sympathy showed on Reno's face. Luxaria continued to look down, tears threatening to come and soon they fell. "I can never go home. She has banished me. Left me here… If I live I live… and if I die… then I die." Reno and Rude looked at each other before looking at Luxaria.

"H-hey..." Reno began as he moved forward and embraced the crying girl in front of him. "It'll be ok, yo."

Luxaria blinked away the tears. She looked up at Reno and then she noticed them; he had red markings under his eyes. "Those markings… they are beautiful…" She smiled sadly. "You would do well where I come from."

Reno blinked, not sure how to react. "Um, thanks, yo." He said as he let her go and backed away.

Luxaria smiled rolling up the sleeves of her dress; revealing the red vine markings on her arms. "My people... we have these... because of who I am… mine are more intricate... most people have markings like yours."

"Those are nice, yo!" Reno smiled, seeming genuinely impressed as he gave her a once over. "You know Cloud is gonna be out for a while. Rude can watch them..." He trailed off. "You need some new clothes, these are nice... but they've holes yo!" He glanced down at her white gown, spattered here and there with blood. "Plus it's got dried blood on it, yo!" He glanced at her dirty bare feet. "No shoes!" He laughed. "We can't have that, yo!"

Luxaria looked at her clothing. "These are not suitable?"

Reno frowned, "Suitable for a Halloween party, but not for everyday life, yo."

"Reno!" Rude snapped.

Reno turned to his partner, "What, yo?"

"You should be kinder to her." A slight pink tint dusted Reno's cheeks.

Luxaria smiled, "It is alright. So, what do you propose we do about my clothes then?"

"We'll buy you some new clothes, yo."

"Y-y-y-you would do that? For me?" Luxaria wondered.

"Sure, yo," Reno was grinning. Luxaria grinned back. Rude sighed, how this had happened, ran through his mind as he watched the two leave him with guard duty.