Chapter 23: Fire!

September 1, 1998

Another year had passed. Cloud was now twelve, and Tifa was eleven. They had been at the Last Orphanage for two years now, and their adult lives now seemed like distant memories.

This particular day, they were preparing for the annual Christmas concert, and we're at their first rehearsal in the music room. Cloud was seated against the wall. To his right was Tifa. To his left was Jake, Amos, and Carter. To their left was a fat boy named Mike.

This was, of course, an opportunity to be naughty, since Mrs. Yaint couldn't possibly keep her eyes on everyone at once.

Cloud could see Amos whisper something to Jack, who whispered it to Carter, who then whispered it to Cloud.

"Mike farted. Pass it on."

Cloud whispered it to Tifa, who passed it on to the boy sitting to her right.

Meanwhile, Amos whispered something else. It soon got to Cloud. This one had to do with Lynn's absence.

"Lynn's smoking Aunt Mary, pass it on."

"I'm not surprised," Tifa whispered back.

And then, Amos started the process again. Only this time, there were some naughty giggles.

Cloud found out why as soon as it got to him.

"Codi's interested in Tara's pickle. Pass it on!"

Tifa turned her ear to Cloud.

He knew he had to think of something else, and quickly.

"Mike beefed again. Pass it on," he lamely said.

Looking to his left, he could see the boys passing something along again; only this time, they were really trying not to laugh too loud.

It soon got to Cloud.

"Amos said he wants to feel Mrs. Yaint's fruitcake. Pass it on."

Cloud had to put his fist in his mouth so nobody would hear him. He laughed so hard his stomach hurt.

He then repeated it to Tifa.

"Amos said he wants to feel Mrs. Yaint's fruitcake. Pass it on."

Tifa covered her mouth and laughed so hard her own stomach hurt.

Unfortunately, that caused the butt of the joke to notice.

"Codi!" Mrs. Yaint demanded. "What did you just say to Tara?"

Cloud's stomach tightened.

"Nothing," he quickly replied.

"Then why is she laughing so hard?" Mrs. Yaint interrogated.

"You don't want to know," Cloud insisted.

"Yes, I do want to know," Mrs. Yaint pressed. "Because I have a feeling it's inappropriate."

"It's not."

"Well, if you're not afraid to say it to Tara, you shouldn't be afraid to say it to me," Mrs. Yaint said. "Come on, let's hear it."

Cloud gulped.

"I'll tell you," Tifa said.

Cloud gasped.

Is she betraying me? he thought.

"Go on, Tara," Mrs. Yaint permitted.

"He said the scariest ride at Gold Saucer is the Racecar of Doom," Tifa lied. "Because it has a check engine light."

There was silence for a few moments.

Then, Mrs. Yaint started cracking up.

"You know, Codi," she said. "That is pretty funny. If that ever happens to you, just pray it's not your catalytic converter!"

She then returned to the piano, still laughing.

Cloud immediately turned to Tifa, smiling at his friend.

"I owe you big," he mouthed.

LATER…

October 12, 1998

Cloud and Tifa were beginning to enjoy their lives as Codi and Tara.

But then, it ended unexpectedly.

One night, Lynn gave Tifa an ominous warning.

"If I were you," she began, "I wouldn't be here tomorrow evening."

Tifa, understandably, did not believe her; Lynn would make bizarre, empty threats left and right.

The next day, Cloud and Tifa were on the field at the edge of campus. Cloud had just felt the smack of the football Tifa had tossed him.

"Nice Hail Mary," Cloud complimented.

"That wasn't a Hail Mary," Tifa corrected. "That was a deep post."

The sun was beginning to set, but they kept on playing. They were spending more quality time together at this point.

Cloud, meanwhile, was wondering how much longer they would remain in the friend stage. Neither of them were beginning to feel romantic feelings yet, although they both knew that they had been married when they were adults.

Eventually, the sun was down, and the now-sweaty Cloud and Tifa realized they needed to return to the building.

But as they were rounding the path, they began to see a flash of orange, and they also began to smell smoke.

"This can't be good," Tifa said out loud.

Her fears were confirmed when the building came into view.

The base was engulfed in flames.

Smoke was coming out of every window.

All of the children were outside, as was Mrs. Yaint. They could see Jake, Amos, and Carter, as well as the future Cissnei.

One child was missing.

"Lynn is gone," Mrs. Yaint said frantically. "Has anyone seen her?!"

It did not take Tifa long to find out what had happened.

She quickly grabbed Cloud's ear and pulled him aside.

"She did it to herself," Tifa whispered.

"What?" Cloud asked.

"Lynn," Tifa replied. "She's been threatening to burn down the orphanage for months. I reported her, but nobody ever took it seriously."

Cloud looked at the burning orphanage.

"Is she still in there?" he asked.

"I have no idea," she answered. "But here's something I do know. We need to set sail."

"Now?" Cloud asked.

He had not seen that coming. Their yacht, for all he knew, was still parked at the dock.

"Right this minute," Tifa replied. "Before the authorities arrive."

"But, Tifa," he began.

"They might put us in separate homes," she interjected. "The orphanage is gone. Everyone you see here has to be placed. We need to get to the boat before we're caught.

Cloud nodded and followed Tifa all the way to the dock. Every few moments, he turned to see if anyone had noticed them flee, but nobody did; they were too focused on their burning home.

Sirens sounded as they reached the dock; it was the fire department on their way to put out the fire. The boat was still there, seemingly untouched since they had parked it there two years earlier.

That was Cloud's biggest fear; that the boat would be gone. His second biggest fear was that the boat would not start. It had been sitting there for two years; anything could go wrong.

But the boat started as it always had. Tifa was able to pilot it out of the dock, and into the open ocean. Gradually, the boat moved further and further away from Jonoheim, and the town grew smaller and smaller.

Soon, there was no land in sight.

"Whew!" Tifa exclaimed as she high-fived Cloud. "We're clear."

They shared smiles before Cloud's faded from his face a few minutes later.

"Two years down, thirteen to go," he said. "That's a lot of time to be captured by the authorities again."

"We'll just say we're brother and sister," Tifa suggested. "That way they can't split us up."

"Good thinking," Cloud complimented.

"So where to?" Tifa asked.

"South," Cloud replied. "Let's go south."

The boat thus continued south into the open ocean.