That night, Cloud finally woke up. Rude, Reno and Lunara had been sitting in silence for hours throughout the afternoon waiting for one of them to wake but in the evening, when the light of sundown shone through the window, Cloud's eyes fluttered open and he groaned slightly in pain. Lunara guessed from the headache he had. She had taken the wet cloths away some hours ago because they were no longer cold enough to do anything. Cloud looked to his right when he realized he was lying on a bed and found Tifa lying on another and he discovered they were in the kid's room. Sitting up, Cloud stood quickly to look down at his unconscious friend sadly. Tifa had been attacked. No doubt by one of the three silver haired men and it was all his fault.
"You know, you're pretty heavy," commented Reno after a few moments causing Cloud to turn around in surprise. Reno and his partner stood on either side of the door watching Cloud while Lunara sat in a chair by a small desk at the other end of the room.
"Weren't there kids living with you?" accused Rude when Cloud didn't say anything.
"Because they ain't here," added Reno. Cloud still didn't respond and looked to the floor sadly.
"You don't care?" said Rude again.
"Enough," cut in Lunara and all attention was drawn to her. Cloud appreciated her standing up for him, but he still felt like shit. He couldn't help the kids. He stayed away to protect them and Tifa and because of it they were still hurt.
"I just…" Cloud started slowly then looked to Tifa who still lay unconscious on the bed, guilt still gnawing at him. When Cloud didn't say anything more after a few seconds, Reno let out a frustrated sigh.
"You're a real handful," he said before he and Rude left through the door, slamming it behind them. They had told Lunara that they'd ask around to see if anyone knew where the kids were and that they'd be back as soon as they found something. They wanted to wait until Cloud woke up first to give them a piece of their mind though.
There was silence as Cloud continued to stare at the ground and Lunara sat in the chair, her head turned towards him watching him closely. Neither said anything until Lunara sighed. "None of this is your fault, Cloud," she said softly.
"Yes, it is. I couldn't protect them. I still can't," he mumbled miserably looking over at the bartender again. Standing, Lunara made her way over to Cloud and rested a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"There's nothing you could have done. If you were out looking for me or out on deliveries, they still would have found them regardless," she said.
Cloud didn't respond and as the last rays of sunshine fell, the ex-guard went and sat by the window to wait for his friend to wake. With a disappointed sigh, Lunara left the room to sit at the bar. Maybe Reno and Rude would come back with some information, or Cloud would want to talk later. For now, he needed time to himself and when Tifa wakes up, she might be able to knock some sense into that thick skull of his.
When Reno and Rude returned it was well into the night and Lunara sat bored at the bar, but as soon as they burst in the door saying they had news, she went with them up to where Cloud and Tifa were. Carefully, they opened the door to not disturb the conversation they heard behind it just in time to hear Tifa say something that normally would have put a smile on Lunara's lips.
"Dilly-dally, shilly-shally…" she said. The odd choice of gibberish that came from her forced Cloud to blink and look at her slowly, but he didn't respond.
"Dilly-dally, shilly-shally," she said with more frustration.
Deciding he couldn't wait any longer, Reno spoke up. "I think she wants you to move on, man," he said in a bored voice with his arms crossed over his chest. Cloud and Tifa spun around to look at them, Tifa gasping slightly.
"Did you find them?" she asked desperately, her eyes looking over Lunara briefly.
"No. Only a witness," he replied as he stepped closer to the two. "Kadaj's gang took the kids."
Lunara briefly wondered who Kadaj was, but figured it was one of the three silver haired men, probably the leader. What would they need Marlene and Denzel for? Probably leverage for Cloud to come after them. But why would they want Cloud to come get them if he is the only one that could defeat Sephiroth?
"Where are they?" asked the blonde.
"They're at their base now. The Forgotten City," Rude replied.
Cloud didn't say anything for a moment as he thought. "Go," he said to them. No one said anything as they all looked at Cloud in surprise. He wasn't going to go after the kids? Lunara was about to protest when he stood and turned to them. "I have to talk to Rufus."
"Stop running!" shouted Tifa in annoyance. "I know. Even if you find the kids, you might not be able to help them. Maybe something with will happen that can never unhappen. That scares, doesn't it?" Cloud didn't answer even as Reno and Rude argued quietly at the door, smacking each other's arms.
"But you need to think about it now. Really take it in. Look at you; you think you've got it so damn hard! Look at Luna. She's the one that's been locked in some cave for eight years! And you hate being alone, so let people in. Sure you might not answer the phone, but I don't see you throwing it away either!" When she was done, Cloud still said nothing and Reno and Rude were done fighting.
"You go. The base is all yours," said Reno and the Turks left. Lunara still stood by the doorway, only nodding briefly to the two men as they left before turning her full attention to her friends. The blonde still said nothing, but Tifa had calmed down.
"Which is it?" she asked softly, almost sadly. "A memory or us?"
Cloud had a habit of not answering questions. Sighing, Lunara stood and made her way over to her friends who looked at her as if it was the first time they noticed her. "I would hate to interrupt, but, Cloud, you have kids to save," she said lowly and as softly as she could. Cloud blinked at her before nodding and leaving the room to do just that without a word.
Turning to Tifa, Lunara smiled slightly at the woman who returned the gesture unsurely. "Hey," she mumbled.
"Hey," the ex-SOLDIER replied.
"Where were you all this time?" she asked, her voice still soft.
"Midgar. Trying to dig up some answers," she said. When the bartender looked at her expectantly Lunara sighed. "I didn't find anything."
"Then why didn't you come back?"
"I thought it unnecessary," she shrugged.
"Unnecessary? Bullshit! We were worried sick about you two," Tifa suddenly shouted.
"Tifa, please-"
"I don't want to hear excuses! But since you're back and alright, I guess I have no reason to be mad," she pouted.
Lunara's lips twitched slightly in a smile as she sat on the bed next to Tifa. "I won't be staying long. I can feel his resurrection coming, I can't stay for that; it's too dangerous. And when this fight is over I'm leaving for good," she said calmly.
"No, Luna, you can't. Stay, we might need your help," Tifa pleaded.
Sighing, the older woman nodded hesitantly. "Fine, I will stay for as long as you need me, but I cannot promise that something might not go wrong."
Smiling slightly, Tifa put a hand on her friend's arm comfortingly. "That's all I can ask for. Thank you."
It wasn't long before the sun came up and Cloud wasn't back yet which made Tifa nervous. The younger woman paced the small room occasionally picking up photos or drawings and letting a tear slip before she brushed it away. Lunara still sat on the bed, her head turned towards the window watching the sunrise, contemplating the consequences if she were to stay.
If he was resurrected, she would have the dying urge to go to him and if she gave in, he'd manipulate her to his cause. She couldn't let that happen. As much as she trusted her abilities in self control, she believed her love for Sephiroth, crazy or not, was stronger and he could use that to his advantage, turning her on her friends. That was another thing too; he'd be angry that she sided with the people that led to his destruction in the first place and might just kill her out of anger.
If she let it go that far, she might be able to convince him to come back to the light. There was still some sanity in him, she knew that. When he came back and found her chamber and when he spoke to her as if she couldn't hear, she could find the doubts of Jenova's plans that she planted in his head. He had told her multiple times that he didn't want to destroy the planet and innocent people he once fought to protect, but then his eyes would go dim and he'd start ranting on how they deserved it. He was an Ancient, betrayed by the people of this world and how he would return the favor.
Sighing, Lunara pinched the bridge of her nose as she was beginning to get a headache. She had to stop thinking about what had happened and what could happen. She had to focus on the safety of the kids and on the strength that Cloud had to have to make it through this. He may not believe it, but she knew that when it came down to it, he would win.
Suddenly her train of thought was broken as a quiet roar emitted from outside. Standing, she went to the window, ignoring Tifa's pacing, and stood beside it to look. People were yelling and running quickly down the concrete of the streets and sidewalks, towards the city square. "Tifa, come here" she said suddenly.
Stopping her pacing, Tifa noticed the older woman by the window and made her way over to look out. Seeing the many people hysterical in the streets, she frowned and looked towards the middle of the city where she heard more shouts. "What's going on?"
Immediately, Lunara turned and stalked out of the room, down the hall and the stairs with Tifa hot on her heals. When they burst onto the street from the building Tifa started asking questions. Stepping up to a random passerby she grabbed his arm. "Excuse me, could you tell me what's going on?"
"The kids that were taken have all come back, they're in the square," he said hurriedly before running off in that direction. Tifa looked at Lunara with apprehension and the woman felt a disturbing chill run up her spine.
"Something's not right. Let's go," she said before the two bolted off to the square. Tifa was calling Denzel's name, trying to be heard over the shouts of the crowd they ran into, but it soon began to thin out as Shadow Creatures leaped from the ground and the crowd's yells of fury turned into screams of pain and fear. Lunara turned to Tifa as she unsheathed her sword. "Go find the kids!"
Nodding, Tifa ran to where a ring of children stood around the Edge monument. Hacking at the creatures, Lunara noticed Reno and Rude not too far off to the side, making their way over to two of the three silver haired men she recognized from when she was freed from her Chryochamber. She wanted to run over with them to confront them, but the Shadow Creatures were too many and innocent people were being hurt, so she fought her way through the seemingly endless horde to Tifa where she was trying to get a young boy out of some sort of trance.
Suddenly lightning struck from high in the cloudy sky, followed shortly by a tremendous roar. Lunara paused after dispatching a Shadow Creature and turned her head to the sky to see another monster, much larger and uglier, form from the stormy clouds. Gasping, she realized it was a Bahamut summon; a creature with no real origin, but strong and deadly.
She must have stared too long because suddenly she found herself on the ground, a Shadow Creature on her back and screeching its piercing roar. Gasping for the air that left her lungs at the impact she made with the ground, Lunara stretched out for her sword that had fallen from her hands and was just out of her reach. The claws of the Shadow Creature dug into her back and it screeched again, rearing its hideous head. Using it as a distraction, she swung her fist behind her and it collided with the beast's head, sending it stumbling from her back. As quick as she could, she leaped at her sword and promptly rolled over as the Creature came at her again, impaling itself on her weapon and instantly turning to smoke.
Jumping back up, she looked for Tifa only to find a Shadow Creature leaping for her and the woman herself turning to strike it, but just as there was about to be contact, Bahamut's foot came down, crushing the beast and causing Tifa to stumble back in shock. Bahamut shrieked, the sound causing a ringing in Lunara's ear, and Tifa covered the boy, Denzel, protectively.
"Tifa!" Lunara cried out in concern, but the woman ducked with the boy as the beast flapped its enormous wings, lifting off the ground then promptly landing on top of the city monument. The crowd had definitely thinned, most of them running to their homes for safety, but the rest fled when Bahamut began tearing at the structure. Rushing over to Tifa and the boy she dove over them as Bahamut took to the air again.
"Get down!" she shouted just as a blue ball of fire shot from the Creature's mouth and into the monument causing a wave that knocked everyone in a one mile radius over. Lunara had succeeded in reaching Tifa and Denzel, but the impact immediately tossed her away several feet. Burning rock and metal littered the area and Lunara felt a pain in her back. Reaching behind her she found her coat had an enormous rip in the side and a hunk of metal stuck out of her back just to the left of her spine. With a hiss of pain, she yanked the offending object out of her and angrily tossed it to the side, ignoring the burning in her hand from the sizzling metal.
Standing, she immediately raced back over to Tifa and Denzel who had been knocked out from the blast. Kneeling beside her friend she shook her shoulder. "Tifa! Tifa, you have to wake up!" she yelled over the commotion. Tifa didn't wake up, but Denzel did and when he moved, the woman rolled off him and on her side.
"Tifa?" the boy asked in confusion, ignoring Lunara's presence. Bahamut shrieked again and it drew his attention, anger suddenly coming over his features. Glaring at the creature, the boy began to stand. "You son of a bitch!"
Lunara went to grab for Denzel, but the boy was already bolting in the monster's direction. Panic overcame her slightly and she shook Tifa's arm again. "Damn it, Tifa! Wake up!"
Immediately, the woman's eyes shot open and she sat up just in time to see a large dark skinned man land next to Denzel when he became dangerously close to Bahamut. Laying his mechanical hand on his shoulder to stop him, the boy looked at him with surprise and didn't move another step even as the man's hand lifted and formed into a triple barreled gun. He shot at the monster and it let out another tremendous roar.
"You take care of mom," he ordered to the boy just as Tifa and Lunara approached.
"Barret!" Tifa cried in surprise and the man turned to her with a slight glare.
"Marlene better be safe, huh?" he growled before running off towards the monster, quickly followed by a red dog-like creature with a cat that had a crown on its head. The dog jumped and the man shot while emitting a yell as if it would help his aim. Bahamut took to the air once again with a shriek then dove at the man, Barret, who ducked just in time.
The red creature was still on top of the monster and it flew high before knocking it off its back, the cat yelping in surprise. The dog landed on the ground and Bahamut cried out again before the dog attacked, knocking it slightly to the side.
As the red creature leaped onto its back again, the creature set its sights on Barret whose gun had just ran out of ammo. The man's eyes grew wide as the monster approached, but before it could reach him entirely a giant shuriken came out of nowhere and struck the beast's head with a clang before retreating to land in the hands of a black haired girl who floated from the sky by parachute. When she landed by the two women who stood by Denzel, the parachute covered her and she threw it off with a giggle before gagging slightly. Regaining her composure, she turned to the small group.
"Alright, whose been touching my materia?" she asked.
With a warm smile, Tifa shrugged. "The bad guys, naturally."
The girl huffed in annoyance and anger before running into the fray, her weapon held up threateningly. "Who's that?" asked Denzel curiously as he looked up at Tifa. The woman only smiled slightly and didn't answer, however just as the question left his lips, Shadow Creatures suddenly sprung up around them and she covered the boy while Lunara raised her sword to slash at them.
But just as one of the creatures were about to come into contact with her sword a wooden lance suddenly struck down on it and an older blonde man with a cigarette between his teeth landed in front of them and fended off the monsters. Twirling his lance above his head with a triumphant yell he grinned at the group and brushed a thumb over his nose.
"Ain't she a 'beaut," he stated and gestured up to the ship the fighters had leaped from. "My Shera, the latest model." Laughing, the man turned back to the fight enthusiastically. "I'll give you the good tour afterwards."
Smiling slightly Lunara almost missed the man that walked passed her slowly. "Where can I buy a phone?" he said darkly, his voice rough yet calm. His red cape billowed behind him slightly as he passed and he didn't bother to look at any of them as he too joined the fight, raising a triple barreled handgun.
"Who's he?" asked Denzel in awe. Again, Tifa smiled at the boy.
"They're our friends," she giggled and the boy gave her an astonished look as she turned back to watch them. Chuckling from beside her, Lunara placed a hand on the woman's shoulder and she looked at her.
"I believe I will pitch in my own skills," she said dryly, holding up her sword for emphasis. Tifa nodded and the boy only looked at her with curiosity. Had she not been wearing her blindfold, Lunara would have winked at him playfully. Bolting off with the others, she raised her sword and leaped onto the beast's back, beginning to hack at the thick armor.