CHAPTER 8: RISING TENSIONS

It was well into the afternoon when he heard it: that little tingling noise he had come to know well over the past few months. Somehow the thin piece of twine connecting the Strife and Lockhart houses had gone unnoticed by the adults, allowing Tifa and Cloud many hushed late night conversations from their respective windows. More often than not it was the girl who rang the bell to tell Cloud some detail of her day and bid him goodnight. But sometimes, when Cloud felt particularly lonesome he'd find himself reaching to tug the string. It was such a comfort to the boy to know that connection to Tifa was there if he needed it. As long as he had that bell, he'd never be alone.

Cloud sat up in the wash tub before quickly scrambling over the side, trying not to slosh too much water onto the wooden floor. He clumsily donned his pants as he ran up the stairs (grateful that his mother was still out in town square selling her wares). The jingle bell at his window was still ringing by the time he poked his damp head out to see Tifa's sullen expression.

"Tifa! What happened?" he asked, noticing the tension marring his friend's usually happy-go-lucky features.

"Can you come out?" she asked, eyebrows knitted together. "I…Master Zangan turned me away."

A mixture of pity and relief washed over Cloud. He wanted to hug her the way she always did when he was feeling discouraged and alone. If he could give her comfort the way she had always soothed him, it would make him feel so wonderful.

Cloud locked eyes with her and nodded," Come on, let's go. We can go to our place by the water."

… … …

A letter had come from her mother. Nibelheim's post office was little more than a desk with a dozen cubbies behind it along the back wall of the inn's lobby. Lia had come straight home when picking up the letter, anxious to know about the well-being of her parents as ShinRA waged its war upon Wutai. She bypassed the sound of Brian sawing away in his woodshop and quietly ascended the stairs to read the letter in the quiet of her bedroom.

Lia had been closely following the war's coverage in the newspapers. Every day, the papers reported the continuing infiltration of ShinRA's troops throughout her homeland. Closer and closer they came to the little fishing village she called home. What would happen to her parents once the soldiers reached their town? With a deep breath, she opened the envelope and let her eyes glide over words scrawled in her mother's neat handwriting.

Although the letter had been written in a seemingly cheerful manner, Lia could read between the lines. Her parents were afraid. Life had changed drastically in a short time in Wutai. Food was now being rationed as the enemy continued to conquer more and more of the countryside farmland, everyday goods were becoming impossibly expensive, and all the young men had disappeared to go fight for their freedom. Their once peaceful, sunny life by the sea had been blanketed by dark clouds of uncertainty and desperation.

Lia's heart ached at the thought of how distressed her parents must feel. Not only were they soon to be terrorized or killed by ShinRA troops, but it would be near impossible for their country to dream of victory. Would she ever see them again? Would she ever be able to spend another jovial day in the surf with her family smiling at her side? Would little Tifa ever meet her grandparents? She was so deep in thought that she hadn't heard Brian come up the stairs. He called to her softly upon seeing the distress on his wife's face. She looked up when she heard her name, carmine eyes filling with tears.

"Brian…I'm frightened."

The letter in her hands told him all he needed to know. He was at her side in a moment, holding her tightly to his chest. It hurt Brian to know that there was nothing that he could say to bring her peace. He gently guided her to lie down on the bed, stroking her long hair with his fingers and placing gentle kisses on her forehead. Hours stretched by as he lay beside her, and he knew it would take a lot more than gentle caresses to heal this kind of wound.

… … …

Tifa knew she was in big trouble.

The children had lost track of time. The sun had slipped below the horizon and the woods had grown dark around them, making it hard to know which way to go. The stream wasn't far from the village, but the shadows of night were deceiving. It was way past supper time and her parents were going to be very, very angry.

For the first time in a very long time, Cloud held her hand and it comforted her. Although she was getting cold and a little frightened, she let her friend lead her along. There were noises in the woods and crooked shadows of branches that looked like hands trying to grab them. Her heart fluttered in her chest but the feeling of Cloud's firm grip on her hand kept her breathing steady. Tifa tried to look to the sky but the canopy obscured the reassuring light of the moon and stars.

There was crunching of leaves and snapping of twigs. Her paranoia made it hard to tell whether it was an animal coming to eat them or just the sound of their own feet shuffling through the leaf litter. She wondered if Cloud was frightened. He kept telling her not to worry and that he would get her home safely. Tifa didn't notice the fear in his eyes as he desperately searched for something familiar. The sound of a man's voice calling in the distance made the children freeze in their tracks. Cloud listened carefully for the direction of the voice before altering his course and quickening his pace.

"That must be someone looking for us!" Cloud said, urging Tifa onwards. Hope swelled in her chest as she followed behind her blonde companion.

Eventually, the voice turned into several ones and Cloud could make out the faint light of three lanterns ahead. Beyond the small group, the lights of the village were glowing softly against the night sky. He could recognize the voices as he neared the search party. One was his mother's, another was…

"Papa!" Tifa cried as she let go of Cloud's hand to run to her father. He embraced her tightly and set down his lantern.

"Tifa! What on earth happened to you? You had us scared to death!" Brian held her to his chest.

"Cloud, thank goodness!" Claudia wrapped her son in her arms and smoothed a hand over his freckled cheek.

Cloud looked up at her face and felt his face burn with shame at causing her to worry. He glanced behind her to see a half dozen adults who had formed the search party. Without meaning to, he made the mistake of making eye contact with Mr. Lockhart.

"M-mom, I'm sorry…It was—"

"You!" Brian shouted, pointing at Cloud. "What were you thinking?! It's dangerous in those woods and you know that! Your stupidity could've gotten Tifa killed!"

Cloud trembled under Mr. Lockhart's accusing glare and pressed his body further into his mother's chest. What could he say? What could he do? After all, he was the one who asked Tifa to go to the stream. He was responsible; Tifa's father was right. Cloud knew he was a worthless and awful child—everyone seemed to think so. And now, he'd endangered his only friend. She'd be sure to see how insignificant and foolish he was. Cloud wasn't sure he could bear having her hate him, too.

"Please, Mr. Lockhart," Claudia began as she held the boy protectively against her. "It was just an accident, a mistake—"

"A mistake, indeed!" Brian roared, "That boy is trouble! Is this how you raise him—to lure smaller children into danger? "

"No!" Tifa interrupted, pushing her father's chest away from her with both of her small hands. Brian faltered, looking down at his daughter in surprise.

"It was my fault," Cloud whispered. "It was my idea to go to the woods."

"Cloud listened to me when I was sad! He protected me when I was scared and brought me home! He's a good boy, Papa! A good boy! –Ah!" she squeaked in surprise as Brian grabbed her ear.

"Tifa—you should have known better! Strife, if you don't teach your boy some decency then I will!"

The aggravated man picked up his lantern and began to make his way back toward the village, pulling his daughter along by the ear.

With the children safe and sound, the small search party disbanded. Cloud felt like he had been struck. Mr. Lockhart was so angry with him! He had to apologize somehow; he had to make it right! He felt his mother press her lips to his forehead and tell him how brave he was to lead Tifa home and tell her father the truth. His body felt numb as she gently rubbed his head and led him home. It wasn't until he had shut himself in his bedroom that Cloud noticed the quiet tears streaming down his cheeks.

… … …

"Lia, I've told you before, that kid is trouble!"

Tifa rested her cheek against the banister as she crouched at the top of the stairs. Mama and Papa were cross with each other and it scared her. She had never heard them argue before. She knew she was supposed to be in bed, but she couldn't sleep. Mama and Papa had been upset with her for getting lost in the woods and even angrier when they found out about how she took Zangan's test without asking. Her parents had lectured her and sent her to bed without supper or a bath. From her hiding place, Tifa could see the Papa's pacing shadow on the wall, flickering in the light from the hearth.

"Tifa is to blame as well," her mother countered. "She's old enough to know better. Kids do these things, Brian."

"How could I have expected that boy to have values or know what is right? His mother spends all her time working! She should spend that time reigning in her wayward child," he growled.

"Be reasonable! Claudia needs to work, she's got no husband to provide for her and Cloud," Lia crossed her arms in an irritated manner. "Claudia and Cloud are people, just like anyone else. Should the lack of a man in that household really be a reason to overly criticize a childhood misadventure?"

Tifa's eyes widened. How hadn't she noticed? Cloud never talked about his Papa, and she'd never seen him, either. For as long as she could remember, it was just her friend and his Mama in the house next door. That was just the way things were and she never stopped to think of why that was so. What happened to Mr. Strife? Why did that make Cloud a bad child?

"I don't know. I'm just afraid he's a bad influence on Tifa. I don't want her to be ostracized or carry his stigma around."

Brian sighed and Tifa heard her father's footsteps approaching the staircase. Quickly and carefully, she fled back into her room. What was the matter with Cloud? He never did anything to hurt her. What was a stigma, anyway? She rested her head on her pillow to glance out her window and over at Cloud's. There was no candlelight; he must be asleep. Tifa felt guilty that her father had blamed Cloud for what had happened and hoped Papa believed what she said about her blonde companion.

She closed her eyes and thought of how upset Cloud must feel. Though he wasn't as timid as he used to be, Cloud's heart was still delicate and he must have been so frightened! She'd have to make it up to him somehow.

A/N: Thank you for reading! To answer a question from a reader's PM, this story will cover the major events concerning Cloud and Tifa that are canon pre-FF7.