No Longer A Memory! – Chapter 6: Curtain Call.
Chapter Summary: More plans are made, and some plots fulfilled, but nothing is ever that easy.
Author: Illusor Meaneld
Rated T: for Descriptive violence and injuries, No Adult Situations, No Cussing.
Disclaimer: I did not create, and do not own the characters from Final Fantasy 7. They are owned by Square-Enix, and I am simply borrowing them for my own (and hopefully your) amusements.
I DO however own, the revised conceptual designs for some clothing, demons, and monsters, and "Namir" completely belongs to me so no stealing…
1:58pm on that anticipated Friday Afternoon found Cloud pacing nervously in his living room. Tifa had said that she would meet him at his house where they would then proceed to the date Cloud had chosen. The blonde was wearing a button-up dress shirt, well tailored and comfortably loose but without a tie, tucked snugly into belted slacks that were also unrestricting. The entire ensemble was part of Sephiroth's suggestions. The ex-General had been very specific about appropriate attire for this event. It still felt bizarre to calmly chat with a man who's "clones" had tried to destroy the world, but Cloud found himself more and more often considering Sephiroth as a friend, even an ally.
His musings were interrupted by a rap on the door. Cloud jolted, whirling in alarm, he resisted the sudden urge to flee, the route of escape etched neatly into his mind even as he forced his feet to stay planted. He was glad he adhered to common sense when a moment later Tifa stepped through the door. She too was dressed in nice black slacks cinched neatly with a matching belt, but sported a soft blue, v-neck blouse just low enough to accentuate her neck and the soft locks of hair that brushed her shoulders. Cloud gulped, and realized he was suddenly uncertain as to the nature of his nervousness. Tifa watched him fidget and a warm smile spread across her face.
"Ready to go Cloud?" She prompted gently.
"S-sure…" Cloud tried to reciprocate the grin, "I have… uh… tickets and stuff."
"Tickets?" Tifa perked, "Where are we going?"
"We're…. ah…" Cloud hesitated as he remembered his conversation with Sephiroth, the Silver-haired counselor had also been very particular about how he was supposed to present the 'date'. "It's a surprise!" Cloud finished.
"Okay," Tifa said, raising one eyebrow slightly, but otherwise letting the subject drop. Cloud found that his smile came more naturally this time.
"We need to get going if we're going to catch our transport in time." The blonde added, offering her his arm as Sephiroth had insisted he do. Tifa obligingly laid her hand on his forearm and both of them proceeded out the door. Once outside Cloud led them to his garage, mounting his bike Fenrir, and waiting for Tifa to take her place behind him. He silently offered her the second pair of goggles Sephiroth had purchased for them, the Ex-General had assured him they would fit Tifa perfectly, and Cloud was surprised to note the man had been right, the thought was rather unnerving.
Fenrir growled to life under Cloud's hands, and with one last adjustment to the position of his goggles the blonde revved the engine and tore out of the garage with practiced ease. The purr of the bike underneath him did wonders to calm his nerves. The city streets and buildings of Edge passed by in a stream of lights and shadows, 10 minutes later, they reached their destination. Pulling into one of the parking structures of a building currently owned by the WRO. Cloud spiraled through the levels to the top, parking on the rooftop. They were alone except for one other vehicle which was sitting quietly in the middle of the concrete expanse.
"A Helicopter?" Tifa blurted in startlement, "Where are we going Cloud?"
The blonde grinned, "It's a surprise!" He repeated, starting to understand why the secrecy was so important. Tifa gawked at him for a moment before smiling and shaking her head.
"Alright Cloud, if you insist." She allowed him to lead the way to the Helicopter, looking pleasantly bemused. The smile vanished, to be replaced with surprise once more when Tseng greeted her from the pilot's seat.
"Good Evening Mr. Strife, Ms. Lockhart, I will be your pilot this evening, if there's anything you need please do not hesitate to ask." The Wutaian Turk half-bowed formally from his seat. Cloud was fully expecting a barrage of questions at this point, but he was notably shocked when Tifa simply smiled, and bowed back.
"Thank you Tseng, it's good to see you again!" She settled herself comfortably in her seat next to Cloud, Wrapping her arm around his. Without another word Tseng started the Helicopter, taking a moment to let the blades speed up and lifting off so smoothly Cloud couldn't tell they'd left the ground. The flight was uneventful, the back seat of this particular model of helicopter made it nearly impossible to see out the windshield, which was of course… perfect. Cloud was content to fidget quietly, and Tifa seemed content to just hold his arm, absently tracing circles on his wrist. They'd both lost track of time when they arrived at their destination, where even the heavily tinted side-windows of the helicopter couldn't block the blaring lights and fireworks. Tifa glanced outside and her face lit up in a beaming smile.
"Gold Saucer? How did you get tickets on such short notice?" She whirled to face him, eagerly tugging his hand even as they waited for the helicopter blades to slow.
Cloud ducked his head rubbed his nose sheepishly, "I… uh… pulled some strings…?" he answered uncertainly, he honestly had no idea how Sephiroth had gotten the tickets, but the general had deflected all of Cloud's questions concerning the matter.
Tifa laughed, shrugging off his response with a grin, "It doesn't matter, this is amazing Cloud! Where are we going first?" Heartened by her good mood, Cloud couldn't help but reciprocate her infectious smile,
"Event Square! There's supposed to be a really fun production scheduled tonight."
"Let's go then!" The brunette happily opened the door, the Helicopter had finally settled enough that the whirling blades wouldn't disturb their carefully arranged attire. Tifa took the lead this time, half-dragging the blonde behind her, laughing as they ran into the vibrant and loud building. "Race you there!" She shouted, and they dashed through the halls neatly dodging the other patrons, snickering as their superior reflexes made the normally dangerous venture a game. Weaving the crowd like experts they finally made it to the Event Square portal breathless and grinning. With a mischievous smirk Tifa ducked behind her date gleefully tossing him down the ramp into their Chosen "Square". Cloud fell with a yelp, tumbling unceremoniously through the chute and ending up splayed on his back at the bottom. A moment later Tifa came out laughing delightedly, both were chuckling as they ignored the bustling audience's nervous glances. Taking the seats designated by their tickets.
"Front row, Cloud?" Tifa nudged him conspiratorially, "I've gotta know who you mugged for these!" The blonde coughed nervously, but Tifa just shoved him playfully and gestured to the stage. "We're right on time, look! They're starting!"
And sure enough the room dimmed and the curtains rose, the announcer took to the stage and ensured them of the enthralling nature of the performance to succeed him. The actors then followed, wonderfully garbed in elaborate costumes. The story was one of a young man and his sweet-heart, the youth had decided to seek his fortune in the country, however on his trip away disaster had befallen his small town, and his bride-to-be had been carried off. Once he returned he sought after her, along his way he met a mercenary, who helped him on his quest to rescue his sweet-heart. Meanwhile at the villain's stronghold, the Son of the evil-doer had taken pity on the unfortunate young woman, and began protecting and courting the small-town damsel, slowly the two became friends and began to care for each other.
Cloud was enraptured, amazed at the quality of the acting, and the play was one he'd never seen before, the tension kept building as the story progressed, the main character learning to be brave and his mercenary companion gradually becoming a trusted comrade. The real surprise came when the two reached the villain's fortress, and it was revealed that the mercenary had been hired to kill the hero. Cloud was leaning forward in his seat rapt with attention as the climax built. But just when he was waiting to see what would happen, the actors paused, and the curtains dropped. The audience gasped in astonishment and disappointment, exclaiming loudly even as the announcer took the stage once more.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen." The voice rang out, quickly hushing the crowd. "Have you enjoyed our story so far? It isn't over I promise, but this is a special story… not one for the faint of heart." Having now caught the interest of his audience the man smiled, "This story is different and unique, for it's not all pre-written and predestined, some of YOU will decide how it turns out for our heroes!" Gasps filled the hall only to fall again into silence as the Narrator raised his hand. "We have taken the liberty of selecting from among you, two ticket numbers. So if you would take a moment to check your tickets and would those with tickets 15664 and 15665 step up?" A quick scrambling and the flurry of papers was heard, and Cloud blinked several times as he tried to remember where he'd stashed his own admissions ticket. His musings were interrupted however by a startled squeak from beside him. Whirling he found Tifa staring at her ticket in amazement,
"Cloud." She breathed, turning slowly to look at him in awe, "Cloud… where's your ticket?" Fishing the item from his pocket he presented it to her, and she gave the strangest little squeal, "It's US Cloud! Let's go!" Her hand grabbed him, and with a force even he couldn't ignore she yanked him upright waving her ticket like a flag in the air. The announcer waved them to the stage with a grin, and after inquiring as to their names announced them to the rest of the crowd.
"This fortunate young couple will help give an ending to our story ladies and gentlemen! Whether it be a 'Happily Ever After' or a 'Tragedy'. So please sit tight, and enjoy the show!" As he waved his hand dramatically, the curtains rose once more, revealing the still "frozen" actors waiting for their cue. "Mr. Cloud, our first question is posed of you! … How should the Hero deal with these new revelations… should he kill the traitorous mercenary? Or perhaps convince him to be friends? Should the mercenary kill the villain first? Or should they both fall to evil's blade? The choices are endless! But the ending is truly yours…" the audience fell into a dead hush while Cloud stammered uncomfortably and scratched his chin in thought.
"Uh…" He peeped at the many faces staring at him, and somehow managed to resist the urge to cringe, "I uh… I guess…" and suddenly an idea came to him, his words coming out in a rush as he desperately tried to get the attention away from himself, "The Hero should convince the Mercenary to be friends, and they should both kill the villain." He said quickly, and almost sagged with relief when the spot-light returned to the announcer.
"What a touching plot-twist!" the man exclaimed, cheers drifted from the assembled people. "But what about our love-triangle hmmm?" The shushing sound whispered over the chamber as it quickly quieted once more. "Ms. Tifa," He turned to her, "Which of our noble men should win the girl's heart?" The martial artist smiled broadly, glancing over the various actors still on stage, but before she could speak a loud whistle pierced the air, and a whooping call echoed throughout the room.
"WHOOO!! Pick the Merc!" came a disturbingly familiar voice, though it was hard to pinpoint it's source at first.
"NO, A THREESOME!! Come ON Tifa, THREESOME!!" Another voice rang down, followed by more whistles and catcalls, and both Cloud and Tifa gawked as they finally spotted Reno and Zack waving boisterously from the doming rafters. The two crashers quickly dissolved into an argument about the pros and cons of the different men in the play, at one point even arguing that the Villain should end up with the girl. Their debate was halted suddenly as the security filed into the room, pointing and shouting at the interlopers to forfeit their position.
"Whoops! Gotta go!" Reno shouted to Zack with a laugh, scrambling spider-like through the web of broad wooden beams. The Black-haired swordsman tried to follow, but as he raced over the ceiling he lost his footing behind the agile Turk and tumbled noisily to the floor. With his SOLDIER enhancements he was far from hurt, but the Security swarmed over the intruder like angry bees.
"AH! Tifa! Cloud!" Zack cried, turning his pouting face towards the stage, "Tell them I'm with you! C'mon! Help me out!" He struggled half-heartedly with the guards, trying not to hurt them.
Cloud sighed quietly, before turning slowly to his date, but she spoke before he could. "Do you know that man Cloud?" She asked, blinking all too innocent eyes at him, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.
"No… No I don't think I've seen him before Tifa." Cloud agreed, quickly catching on. He thought he should feel guilty, but this WAS Zack.
"What?" Zack's jaw dropped, and the guards took advantage of his distraction to begin dragging him away, "You can't ABANDON MEEEE!!" he wailed as he was forcibly removed from the room, "How cold! How Cruel! How…" his exaggeratedly despairing voice faded as the doors closed behind him. Reno was long gone… the Turk neatly extricating himself from the room without any help. Tifa chuckled, shaking her head at the antics of their friends, she shared a smile with Cloud while the announcer quickly regained the attention of the rest of the audience, assuring them that no further interruptions were evident. Once again the stage spotlight hovered over Tifa, and she smiled warmly at the curious faces.
"Well, … on the one hand, the Villain's Son seems quite the noble gentlemen, but he's only known the maiden for a short time. And his father couldn't have been a good influence on the boy, but he IS still her friend and that shouldn't be discounted." There were murmurs from the crowd at this, but those faded quickly, "However the Hero himself has been her friend for even longer, and although he went away he did come back. He came to rescue her, and he must be a good person to make his enemies into friends!" She waved at the mercenary, and paced the stage once as she analyzed the characters carefully. "I think the Hero should claim the girl, but the Villain's son should still be her friend, a good ear to talk to." The cheer from the crowd was a little more hesitant this time, but no less encouraged, and as the announcer ushered them back to their seats the play progressed, the talented cast ad-libbing the new story changes. The ending was touching, and thought-provoking as the group of four new friends made their way victoriously and somewhat sadly away from the Destroyed stronghold. They struggled to put their past behind them, but eventually it settled into a happy and contented ending.
Tifa and Cloud cheered enthusiastically with the rest of them, and were surprised by the congratulations and praise the rest of the audience heaped on them as they made their way from the square. It was like being celebrities Cloud decided, both embarrassed and happy. Tifa laughed as she walked with him, talking about the play and the ending they'd chosen. They picked up food at one of the many booths as they passed and munched in contented silence as they wandered the corridors.
"Cloud?" Tifa interrupted his personal musings. His gaze drifted automatically to her face, "Could we make one last stop before we go home?"
Cloud blinked once in surprise, glancing around at the various portals to different sections of the Gold Saucer's entertainments. "Where did you want to go?"
Tifa chuckled and shook her head, "Not here Cloud, it's somewhere back in Midgar… I'll show you!" The blonde thought about it for a moment as he nibbled on one of the cookies they had purchased,
"Sure… yeah we can do that if you like." He smiled at her, and she returned it. Happily grabbing his hand once she had dusted the crumbs from her own.
"C'mon then, let's go before we get tired okay?" and the Swordsman bemusedly allowed her to drag him from the boisterous halls back outside to the helicopter and it's patiently waiting Turk pilot.
--
Ethan sneezed for the fifth time since he'd begun cleaning the equipment in the Nibelheim catacombs, the Professor was engrossed in mixing chemicals on the counter against the far wall. The room was relatively large compared to the rest of the ones they'd found in the maze-like underground structure, but it had been nearly completely filled with instruments and tables. With merely two sets of giant Mako-tubes against the North wall, and one solitary counter against the East one. The Older scientist muttered now and again to himself as he carefully measured out volatile chemicals for his experiments. Several broken chips of Materia lay scattered around his workspace, some of which still shimmered a deep burgundy others had turned clear, or a generic Mako-green. Ethan jumped at every paper-shuffling noise, and moving shadow, as he tried with shaking hands to do his part. Over and over in his mind he tried to convince himself that his superior knew what he was doing and had things under control, but he'd never been a very good liar. He shivered as a draft seeped under the door, and he finally finished replacing the bolts that secured the largest tank.
"P-p… Professor?" He almost whimpered, "Can't we wait a little longer for this? Maybe do some more thorough research… I mean, what if it goes wrong? I don't think I'd know what to do!" The other man said nothing, his attention solely engrossed in his project. Gulping loudly, Ethan took a hesitant step forward. "Professor? … I… I think…" He didn't dare to touch the older man, lest he inadvertently disturb the vials the Professor held. "Um…. Professor?... Professor Sullivan?" Now fidgeting anxiously, the young assistant glanced around the room, it had originally been lit by no more than one overhead lamp, which had deteriorated until it cast a strange almost green-tinged light through the room. The two of them had set up a few enclosed gas-lamps to better illuminate their surroundings, but the oily yellow color only made the room worse. The green mixed with it to give the room a sickly pallor, one that Professor Sullivan seemed completely unaware of. Ethan simply shuddered. "Professor Sullivan?" He prompted once more, trying not to let his gaze drift to the disturbing shadows under the counter. And his attempts were rewarded by a long-suffering sigh from his partner.
"Yes Ethan?" Sullivan asked impatiently, his gaze never straying from his hands and their contents.
"Sir, … Professor,… I really don't think we should do this now. I mean… there MUST be more information we can find! We're not ready for this!" The young assistant felt his voice crack a little on those last syllables, his nervousness betraying his voice. the bigger man sighed again, and set the vials and beaker down with care before turning to face his assistant.
"Ethan, … I have no intention of researching this until I'm too old to hold these chemical's steady, we could spend all our lives just READING about it! We'll never get anywhere if we don't experiment, that's what science IS." He snorted sardonically, while rubbing at his temple with one hand. "You need to learn to put your faith in science Ethan."
"But… professor…" the youth began, glancing around the dark room, stifling a shiver. The Professor shook his head, throwing up his hands in exasperation. "This room is perfectly safe and sterilized." He growled, turning around to return his attention once more to his work. "I would not have hired you if I realized you were so… squeamish Ethan." One glance spared over his shoulder revealed the younger scientist ducking his head shamefully.
"I'm… I'm not sir…" he mumbled.
Sullivan nodded, "Then please finish prepping that tank, we're ready for the Mako infusions." Ethan complied sullenly, flipping switches and double-checking the pipes they'd pain-staking re-routed to the village's water sources. There was no way they could trust the plumbing already in place in the abandoned rooms. There was no telling what could have happened to the decrepit pipes during their long disuse. So the new pipes and filters had been a must. Clean water poured into the enormous glass cylinder, the front panel lighting up with statistics and readings. Ethan refused to turn away from the small screen, knowing without seeing that the pale-blue light from the computer would not help the lighting in the room in the least. Professor Sullivan joined him after a moment carrying a small sealed vial of dark purplish fluid. This was placed in one of many receptacles and then drained into the filling tank. Yet another faint hue of light was added to the room, the lavender color of the backlit Mako Tank flickering over the two scientist's face. Ethan struggled to keep himself from shaking, the feeling that there was something horribly wrong was getting stronger, and his shoulders were beginning to itch, a sensation similar to the 6th sense of "being watched".
"Professor?" The young assistant half-whispered, "You said Demons are incorporeal correct?" Sullivan, barely taking note of his assistant as he gathered a beaker filled with wine-colored materia chips and Mako, grunted affirmatively. "Are you sure they can't… y'know… hurt us somehow?"
"They are incapable of affecting this realm." The Professor muttered, pouring his Materia-Mako solution into a small metal bowl, which was already placed over a hot burner. "The only way a spiritual being can interfere in the physical world is when it has been fused with the life-stream and become Crystallized Mako… a substance we refer to as 'Materia'. Even then… the creatures contained in such a manner are completely under human control." Sullivan might have continued on this vein, reciting text-book like knowledge by rote had Ethan not hastily interrupted him.
"I know all that Professor… but we're using broken, and perhaps unstable Materia, incomplete samples and even raw Mako… are you sure the demons are still contained?"
The older man slowly turned, the metal bowl containing now liquidized red-materia fragments held with metal tongs. He smiled slowly, "We'll just have to find out, now won't we Ethan?" Without another word he poured the new mixture into a receptacle on the side of the Tank. The water inside instantly took on a cloudy, crimson-colored appearance. Ethan paled, stumbling backwards from the angrily swirling concoction. "Beautiful, isn't it?" the Professor gazed in quiet awe, his face given an almost unholy cast from the lighting. The young assistant said nothing, his mouth had gone dry, and the room tilted every so slightly. "It's time for me to take the plunge…" Sullivan chuckled at his own pun, ignoring the terrified expression on the youth's face. "Watch my back Ethan."
The boy stretched forward a hand, trying desperately to stop his partner, his mouth opened but no sound was forth coming. It was all he could do not to faint on the ground as Professor Darcy Sullivan climbed to the top of the tank and opened the chute to immerse himself in the strange fluids inside.
--
Cloud surveyed the derelict building before him. A cracked brick facade with boarded windows greeted him, and Cloud wondered how many years it had been since the building had last been occupied.
"Come on, Cloud." Tifa called out as she walked towards the structure. He followed, curiously contemplating what his childhood friend could desire from such a forsaken place. It certainly wasn't what he'd had in mind for the finale of their date… She walked through the front door, pushing aside a small sign labeled "condemned."
"Um, Tifa?" Cloud called nervously upon entering the threshold. "Are you sure we're allowed to be here?" The swordsman glanced around anxiously, taking in the dusty dry air, tasting the scent of old wood and cobwebs, and growing more clueless as to the reason for their visit.
"Don't worry Cloud," the martial artist reassured. "I got permission." A sharp snapping noise punctuated her sentence, and Cloud looked quickly in her direction to find she was donning a pair of her fighting gloves, snapping the leather against her wrist like a surgeon ready to operate. Cloud tensed backwards a few inches, remembering the incident that led to their date. Quickly he glanced at Tifa's face for any hint of anger, but found instead a simple smile. A knot began forming in Cloud's stomach, and he suddenly found himself wishing she wasn't smiling, it was somehow more unnerving in their current situation than her being angry.
"Um, Tifa… I thought we were past this when I asked you out… I can ask you out again if you want. You don't have to pummel me every time you want a date… okay?" Cloud gulped, Tifa's smile just widened.
"This isn't about dates Cloud." Tifa began softly. "And I'm not going to beat you up this time…"
"You're … not?" Cloud replied skeptically, watching as his friend settled herself into a fighting stance.
"No I'm not… because this time…" She smiled a very large and mischievous smile. "This time you're going to fight back."
"Wha…" Cloud began to say, but was cut off as he barely dodged a light jab from the dexterous martial artist before him. The so called ex-SOLDIER ducked, dodged, and spun out of the way of a series of light punches and kicks. He could tell Tifa was not trying to hit him, not yet anyways.
"Come on Cloud, You can do better that this!" the swordsman's opponent taunted between quick jabs. "How many years in the military did you fight and spar with your buddies for fun or for practice?" Tifa then launched herself in the air, throwing punches and kicks down at Cloud so quick that he was forced to block rather than dodge.
The swordsman immediately thought back to the very training Tifa had mentioned, when he was first learning how to fight. Cloud had indeed learned to fight unarmed before the military trained him with other weapons. He deflected a few more kicks. Seeing his long-time friend in a way he never had before. Cloud thought not about how Tifa's abilities could be used to help him in battle, which was the way he usually regarded her fighting skills, but rather, he now considered how to get around the martial artist's nearly perfected offensive style. As his old training came back to him, he realized that to truly protect himself, he would need to put his opponent on the defensive.
Cloud launched a light punch, not hard enough to do damage, but hoping to force a parry. Tifa was behind him before Cloud had even finished. Pain exploded through his side as a booted kick launched him across the main room and towards the far wall. His mind took assessment of the situation just quick enough for Cloud to close his eyes before his face crashed through the drywall and into a forsaken desk in the room beyond.
"You call that a punch Cloud?" The voice came tauntingly from above him. The Swordsman threw himself to the side, rolling to his feet just before the ceiling exploded and Tifa's heel came down hard on the spot he had previously been occupying.
For a moment, time seemed to slow down, almost stopping. Tifa was before him in a crouched position, smiling up at him, surrounded by the suspended debris of the platform she had destroyed in her descent. Cloud's eyes locked with Tifa's and in that small instant where time doesn't move he remembered who she was. This was his childhood friend who he had promised to be there for all those years ago sitting at the well. This was the fighter who fought along side him against evil powers beyond most mortal's imaginations. This was the woman who had rescued him from the dementia of his own altered memories, pulling him from the pits of madness that Hojo's experiments had buried him in.
The moment was gone, and time flowed normally once again. Tifa was on the offensive in less than a heartbeat, but this time, Cloud was fighting back. The sound of battle echoed throughout the abandoned structure, providing a fast paced percussion any drummer would envy. Time and time again the two combatants flew apart, and came back together. Punches and kicks were dodged or diverted, and the building was quickly disintegrated. While both exchanged blows that would decimate a lesser opponent, neither Cloud nor Tifa took another serious hit. They were not holding back, but neither were they going for the kill. There were no finishing moves, no low blows designed to cause pain and weaken one's opponent. Both of them knew the unspoken rule of martial arts, of nature itself. Like lion cubs that fought without baring their claws, or like the young wolves who chased and tackled each other without drawing blood, so Cloud and Tifa exchanged blows without causing harm, fighting for the sport and joy of fighting.
This was not a fight. This was a game. This was … a dance.
"Why are we doing this?" Cloud said calmly, twisting to the side of Tifa's punch while launching an attack of his own which she neatly dodged.
"A friend of mine clued me in to something…" Tifa blocked a frontal attack, skidding back several feet in the process, before responding with mid-air scissor kick of her own. "… something I never realized about you before."
"And what was that" Cloud said between a series of strategic punches designed to force back his opponent.
"You think best, most clearly…" she broke away from Cloud's offensive, grabbing his extended arm and pulling him back towards her. "…when you are fighting." using her weight and his momentum, Tifa fell to the floor, rocking back and pulling Cloud on top of her, before kicking up hard into her partner's abdomen, rocketing him into the air. "When you have nothing to fight, you lose your confidence and forget what you really want."
Cloud had caught himself on a nearby pillar, swinging his weight around it and returning to the waiting fray. "What is it you think I want?" Cloud asked, his fist sailing in her direction.
Tifa tried to throw her partner again, but this time, Cloud was ready, and caught Tifa around the waist to reverse the outcome of the throw. Tifa sensed the shift in weight, and responded immediately to avoid being pinned. Planting her feet beneath her and catching Cloud under the arm-pit, she launched the two of them skyward. They exchanged holds and grapples in mid air faster than most eyes could track, both of them refusing to forfeit the upper-hand when once again the ground met them.
Cloud landed hard on his back, Tifa sitting squarely across his chest in a pin position. But both of Tifa's wrists were locked firmly in Cloud's iron grasp… It was an impasse.
They breathed hard together, and for many moments neither of them spoke. Cloud looked up at the woman on top of him, feeling himself submerge in the deep liquid brown eyes that returned his gaze. "So… Tifa…" he said between breaths. "What was it… you wanted me … to think clearly about?"
Tifa did not respond right away, taking a few moments to calm her breathing, before leaning down and talking delicately in Cloud's ear. "Tell me… How do you really feel about me?" She sat up slowly, looking at Cloud's reaction, watching the thoughts swim behind his Mako-green eyes. She released Cloud from her pin and stood up, offering her gloved hand to the man who lay on the floor before her.
Cloud's thought's raced. All the jagged puzzle pieces of his life flashed before his eyes. Tifa was a part of so many of them, but in all these years of struggling to put them together he had not produced as clear a picture as he did now. She had been right, he realized. He had spent so many years fighting… He looked up at Tifa, her hand extended to him, and knew the answer to her question.
Cloud reached up and took the hand of his childhood friend, letting her help him up with her strength. As he stood, he kept her hand, and pulled her in close to him, wrapping her in a tight embrace. Without another word between them, as naturally as they had fought, they kissed. And somewhere in the distance, echoing across the city and penetrating the shattered remains of the old condemned building, a clock tower chimed.
--
Black coat flapping loudly with his momentum Sephiroth bolted towards his target, a whole nest of hippogrif's had been harassing the residents of Mideel for the last few weeks, and some of the towns people had finally taken the initiative to call out for help. The Masamune sliced through the neck of one monster, catching for just a moment on the rock beneath it. A loud shot rang out and a flurry of feathers rained on the swordsman as his partner took out another creature that had thought to blind-side him.
"So this 'Shelke' person…" Sephiroth called, as he whirled to face yet another foe, there didn't seem to be any end to the crush of bodies, and he grunted as he had to lever one particularly ardent attacker off him with the flat of his blade before running it's brother through the heart. "She knows all of Lucretia's research?"
"Something along those lines…" came the response from the other end of the clearing, though Vincent never seemed to raise his voice, Sephiroth could hear it despite the raucous noise from their dozens of opponents.
"And she would be willing to talk to me?" Sephiroth growled as he tried to fight his way past the press of frenzied half-avians.
"Perhaps."
"Where does she live anyways?"
"She usually works with the WRO." Vincent said calmly, the gunshots were ringing out more and more frequently now, proving Sephiroth's theory that the monsters were trying to overwhelm them with sheer numbers.
"That's not exactly what I asked…" the Ex-General was actually starting to sweat, though whether that was from exertion, or just the massive amount of living beings crammed into one space, he couldn't be certain.
"…" came the predictable reply.
"When are we going to visit then?" The Silver-haired man huffed, grimacing at the blood that was determinedly coating his attire, it was going to be a nightmare to clean this mess.
"She asked us to come next Monday." A pause in the barrage of noise from the Cerberus told Sephiroth that his black-haired counterpart was reloading. The triumphant cry from the Hippogrif's was short-lived however when Vincent quickly returned to the slaughtering of the beasts.
"When did she say that?" Sephiroth returned, his breathing was finally picking up, this wasn't a half-bad workout!
"When I called her this morning…"
The Ex-General fell silent for a moment, reveling in the instinctive motions of his body as he danced around the crazed monsters. He had not been aware of any phone-call made by Vincent at any time during the day, and he was surprised to realize that unnerved him, but the reaction was quickly shrugged off as he fluidly made his way closer to his roommate. "Where will we be meeting her then?"
"…" the gunman hesitated, his gun pausing in it's methodical butchering, Sephiroth hued down two more of the massive beasts before sparing a glance to the trees where he knew his Raven-haired companion hovered. "… Midgar." The half-whispered response came, almost drowned out by the shrieks of the bird-horses. Sephiroth laughed aloud, as he continued his appointed task, and the crack of exploding gunpowder pierced the air once more.
"This should be fun then!" He cried, ignoring the spray of steaming blood from his latest victim, even as it drenched the leg of his pants. He could almost feel Vincent's answering smirk, and he sneered as he drove his sword home into the skull of one more ravenous creature.
--
(( Author's Note: Though I'm great at violence and humor, I'm not very skilled yet at romance, so the Cloud/Tifa fight scene was written by my older brother AmascusMage, ( Author # 1362661 ) the Gold Saucer play was also his suggestion. So all praise for that rightly belongs to him. … the actual writing of the play itself and the rest of the story is still mine though. :3 ))