Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Profiles marked as HIGH IMPORTANCE.

CLOUD STRIFE: Age 27. Male. Mako enhanced, not a SOLDIER. 

STRIFE has been known to be violent. Always approach with caution. Extremely dangerous. Immense physical power, adept at sword fighting. Also is smart and can be cunning.

STRIFE is owner of STRIFE DELIVERY SERVICE.

No known relatives left alive after an accident in his hometown, NIBELHEIM. 

Possible connections with the WORLD REGENESIS ORGANIZATION, known henceforth as WRO. Known connections with the now defunct eco-terrorist group, Avalanche. Known to be one to help bring down the SHINRA ELECTRIC POWER COMPANY, known henceforth as SHINRA.

Current whereabouts: City of Edge. Lives above the bar SEVENTH HEAVEN. Lives with TIFA LOCKHART- no romantic connection. Seemingly a law abiding citizen. 

Reason to believe he is involved with kidnappings, burglary, and murder.

STATUS: Dangerous.

TIFA LOCKHART: Age 26. Female. Martial artist, ex-AVALANCHE member.

Calm tempered, but can be violent when the need arises. Known master of martial arts, particularly of the Zangan technique. Former student, and one of the last, of Master Zangan.

LOCKHART is connected with STRIFE. Owner of bar, SEVENTH HEAVEN. 

Possible connections with the WRO. Connections with the now defunct eco-terrorist group AVALANCHE.

Current whereabouts: City of Edge. Lives about the bar, SEVENTH HEAVEN, with STRIFE. Staple in community. Involved with community affairs, with positive response. Reason to believe to be involved with identity theft, murder, bombings. Known to be one to help bring down SHINRA.

Status: Dangerous.

BARRET WALLACE: Age 41. Male. Ex-Avalanche. 

WALLACE is known to be violent. Had surgery to have missing right arm replaced with a long range weapon, which he can switch out when needed. Mostly uses a robotic hand attachment. Loves the grenade launcher.

WALLACE is connected with STRIFE. Independent exploration geologist. Found oil fields near Corel, reinvigorating the substance for power. Owner of WALLACE OILS. Wealthy. 

Connected to WRO. Possible leader of the now defunct eco-terrorist group AVALANCHE.

Current whereabouts: City of Edge. Lives with daughter, MARLENE WALLACE. Staple in community. Involved with community affairs, with positive response. Reason to believe to be involved with burglary, identity theft, murder, simple assault and public intoxication. Known to be one to help bring down SHINRA.

Status: Dangerous

CID HIGHWIND: Age 38. Male. Scientist, pilot, astronaut. Possibly ex-AVALANCHE.

HIGHWIND is crass. Expert in mechanics, designed own weapon. Is a dragoon while fighting, experienced with lances. Lover of loud things: music, machinery, weapons. 

HIGHWIND is connected with STRIFE. Owner of HIGHWIND MECHANICS. Married to SHERA HIGHWIND. Wife is a scientist, formerly employed by SHINRA. 

Possible connections to WRO. Possible connections with the now defunct eco-terrorist group AVALANCHE. 

Current whereabouts: Rocket Town. Tolerated in the community. Reason to believe to be involved with burglary, simple assault. Has been arrested for public intoxication. Known to be one to help bring down SHINRA.

Status: Moderate. 

VINCENT VALENTINE: Age: Unknown. Male. Ex-Turk. 

VALENTINE is silent and deadly. Possibility that he has the ability to transform into beasts. 

VALENTINE is connected with STRIFE and YUFFIE KISARAGI.

Little is known about his life.

Possible connections to WRO and now defunct eco-terrorist group AVALANCHE. 

Current whereabouts: Unknown. Has been seen in multiple places. Seems to have no home. 

Reason to believe to be involved in many illegal dealings, yet can not pinpoint any certain crimes. Known to be one to help bring down SHINRA. 

Status: DANGEROUS.

YUFFIE KISARAGI: Age 22. Ninja. Daughter of a Wutain leader. Unlicensed materia hunter.

KISARAGI is energetic and aggressive. Approach, but with apprehension.

KISARAGI is connected with STRIFE and VALENTINE. Weapon is a four-point shuriken. Has excellent aim. 

Known connections with the WRO.

Current whereabouts: Unknown. Last seen in City of Edge. Reason to believe to be involved with burglary, identity theft. Known to be one to help bring down SHINRA.

Status: Classified. Reported missing.

Chapter Text

(Art is made by StrawderryST)

The side of the motorcycle opened with a soft whoosh sound. Cloud Strife; ex-terrorist, current delivery boy; replaced his sword and let the side close with a click . He looked at the carnage around him. In his travels he encountered a tiny nest of allemagnes. Cloud always winced when he saw them - something about the giant one eye in the monsters always unnerved him. Now that the fight was over, he indulged himself in a little shiver, then kicked his bike in gear and rode off.

Fenrir moved fast through the tiny forest outside of Mideel. Cloud had made a delivery of medical supplies to the wrecked town, glowing green with the Lifestream. The citizens seem to be okay with living there still, simply erecting the town around the green pools. Cloud was always amazed at the fortitude of people. It seemed no matter what life threw at them, they always seemed able to adjust. 

And there has been a lot to adjust to, Cloud thought as he wove through a batch of flowers, careful to not destroy the whole bed. I seem to be able to adjust to it as well. Go me. He added with a tiny hint of sarcasm, but he knew he should be proud of himself. Cloud thought he had made great progress, personally, after the adventures he had… and the friends he lost. He was more open. He was less riddled with angst. He enjoyed laughing and spending time with his friends, which he had so few of.

Cloud cherished them, however. He respected them and trusted them fully. Tifa Lockhart, his closest companion, who could comfort a crying child with a gentle touch yet use the same hand to punch through a brick wall. Barret Wallace, who was a wonderful father to his daughter, but was and exceptional sharp-shooter. Nanaki, who was wise beyond his years yet still liked to play chase with the local kids. Even Yuffie Kisaragi, whose explosive energy could light up a whole city-

Cloud winced. Yuffie, who is currently missing. No one knew where she went. She left no note, called no phone. Her father had no idea where she was. There was no sign of struggle in her home. 

There was no sign of her anywhere.

It has been six months since her disappearance. The second the group heard about it they all began searching for her. Vincent Valentine disappeared as well- thought they knew he was out looking for the girl on his own. Vincent seemed to have a soft spot for the young lady. The man called a few times on his new cell phone, yet answered no calls received. He had no success. 

Cloud shook his head, clearing his mind of the sadness building. We will find her. She is family. He had to clear his mind and get ready for his next delivery; he would need to be focused. 

It was not exactly bandages he would be delivering next. 

He made his way towards the docks, preparing to board a boat set for Junon. In a day’s time, he made it to the busy city and walked down the back alleys to a sleazy hole in the wall. 

Cloud knocked on the door, waiting until a short bald man answered it. When he did, Cloud smiled at him.

“Alex Nakamura?”

“Yes?”

“You are wanted in Wutai for domestic violence and attempted murder of your wife. I’m here to bring you in. Please come quietly, I believe that would be best for you.” Cloud said, watching the other man turn pale.

“Fuck off! I ain’t going nowhere with ya!” The man tried to close the door.

Cloud simply extended one hand and stopped it. He glowered at the criminal as he pushed the door back open. “You were given a chance. Now I’m going to have to be angry with you.” The young blonde stepped forward, letting the man scramble backwards in fear. 

“You can’t do shit. Wutai police ain’t got no jurisdiction here.”

Cloud smiled unnervingly and the other man shivered. “I am not police. My client said to find you, bring you in. He didn’t say you had to be alive. Instead, he insisted that you weren’t.”

The other man desperately swung out a fist, which Cloud caught in his strong hand easily. He almost laughed at the situation- Cloud knew he was not going to murder this man. He would never kill anyone, unless in extreme situations. But it never hurt to let these people know that he could be capable of it. 

He was not above making unwilling participants hurt. 

“You… you can’t. You can’t do this.”

Cloud easily pulled the man towards him and twisted his arm around so the back of him was pressed against his chest. “You have no idea what I can do.”

“Who are ya? Huh?!”

Cloud allowed the sick smile to grace his features once again. “I’m just a delivery boy.”

Tifa Lockhart sighed as she scrubbed the already clean table again. This place, her bar, her home… was spotless. Glimmering with cleanliness. It had been so for the past couple of months, with people simply passing by the opened doors. She had small rushes of people here and there- particularly on some weekends, after the oil rig workers get paid and come home to the city- and that was just enough to be able to pay the bills and keep herself stocked.

Not that she had to buy many supplies, anyway. The bartender always seemed to be in stock of everything, even overstocked at times. She had to cancel the last two weeks of deliveries, which made Cloud frown at her and question why she had to. Tifa never explained, just shrugged at the man as she pushed an unpaid bill under the counter. Cloud was upset at losing a reliable customer, but she knew he was more upset that his closest friend had seen fit to not trust him with what was going on.

The brunette sighed again as she moved away from the table and walked towards the bar. This Monday afternoon was a bust. Tifa lifted the hatch, went behind the counter, and put her towel away in her bleach bucket she kept there. Then she noticed something- she was running low on gin, one of her most popular and cheapest alcohols. Tifa also noted that she was low on those cocktail onions that personally made her gag, but were popular with her patrons.

Tifa could not help the big grin on her face. Finally! Something pro-active to do. She opened the register and was relieved to find that she had just enough money to cover the goods and the delivery charge. Still smiling, she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and pressed the number one button, her speed dial clicking in to make the call.

After a couple of rings, a warm voice answered. “Tifa?”

“Hey, Cloud. I need to place an order.”

There was a pause. “I’m glad. What do you need?”

Tifa noticed his pause and wondered and wondered what the man was thinking. “Just a case of gin and cocktail onions. Can you pick them up on your way home?”

“Absolutely. Do you need them by a certain date?” Cloud asked, and unbeknownst to Tifa, had his fingers crossed that his friend would need them by tomorrow. That would mean she was busy and business was getting better at the bar. He would willingly push his other delivery to the next day if she needed the product soon.

“No. Take your time.” Tifa said cheerfully, but felt a sinking feeling in her stomach. “I hope things are going well for you, wherever you are.” 

“Wutai. I’m collecting payment for my last job. I’m going to Rocket Town after this.”

Tifa smiled. For Cloud, this was a lot of information he just gave, and he gave it willingly. She was so proud of her friend. “May I ask what you had to deliver?”

“It might be better for you to not know.” Cloud shifted the phone around, judging by the odd muffled sound. Tifa felt her stomach clench tight. “Not good business.”

Tifa perked up a bit. That was Cloud-speak for he was willing to share, but it might be best to do it in person. Yet something was bothering her. “I don’t really like it when you do those kinds of deliveries.”

“Need to pay the bills somehow.”

“You know damn well you make enough money legitimately.” Tifa argued, but knew she was going to lose this fight. Too many times people contacted Cloud with a tale of woe, or some sort of injustice that happened. They offered money, and sometimes Cloud took it, sometimes he didn’t. Sometimes he would get a phone call from a friend of theirs to take care of something sensitive, and he would go off for a few days to take care of it. 

Like the soft heart that he was, the ex-mercenary accepted each and every job. Sometimes Tifa understood why he took the jobs, and sometimes she would help him. Most of the time, she sat at home, filled with worry.

“When I get back home, I have to get ready for another job.” There was a pause, and when he came back on the line, Tifa could tell that Cloud was smiling. “I would need some help.”

Tifa sighed. “I’m in.”

“I knew you would be. A case of gin and those gross onion things. Got it. See you Friday morning.”

“Bye, Cloud. Be safe.” The phone died in her ear, but Tifa knew he heard the sentiment. It was  how she always ended their conversations.

Feeling elated at her brief but wonderful conversation she had with her friend, Tifa reached over at the radio she kept and turned the machine on. An upbeat tune flowed out of it, and she started humming along with the song. 

The door to her bar swung upon, and her friend Barret Wallace and his daughter Marlene walked in. The young girl practically ran to Tifa, who already had her arms open for her hug. Barret chuckled at the sight and sat down on his usual stool at the bar, waiting for his excited daughter to jump up next to him. The ten year old sat next to her father and smiled up at him. 

“Can I get a soda, Papa?”

Barret nodded. “One soda for the lady. Give me a beer.”

Tifa grinned. “You got it.” The bartender went to get the drinks. “How are you guys doing?”

“Not bad.” Barret accepted his beer and took a deep drag from it. “My crew found another reservoir. Was happy to write out their bonus checks for them.”

Tifa nodded. “Nice. Well, I’m prepared for the celebrations!” Tifa gestured at the empty tables, and Barret frowned at her. 

“Teef, you know I would be happy to help ya out. Accept it.” 

“Yeah! Papa has a lot of money now!” Marlene giggled, sipping her soda. 

Barret flushed a little, looking uncomfortable. “I don’t got a lot to spend it on. Let me help you out, your family.”

Tifa shook her head. “I’ve told you a thousand times to stop that. I am fine. Really.”

Ruby red eyes locked with deep brown ones. If Marlene was not around, Barret would go a couple of rounds with Tifa. But instead he sighed and said, “Alright.”

Marlene finished her soda. “Tifa, you’re coming to my play on Friday, right? I play the princess!”

“I know!” Tifa said excitedly. She recalled all the nights of pin-pricks on her fingers as she tried to sew the little girl’s costume together. How could she forget that she played the princess with the impossibly pink lace dress? “I’ll be there. Cloud too.”

“Cloud will be there!” Marlene’s face shone, her grin growing bigger if that was at all possible. 

Tifa laughed, knowing that the little girl loved the man. “Yup. Said he would make it home by Friday morning.” 

“Would be nice to see the needle-head. I actually miss him.” Barret said, thinking. “It’s been like two months since I last saw him. Where’s he been?”

“You know Cloud. He likes to stay busy.” Tifa emphasized the last word, and Barret caught her meaning.

“Ah. Well then, we’ll see you both Friday. Don’t be late.” Barret tapped the bar top, leaving money for the two drinks behind. “See ya later!”

“Bye, Tifa! Love you!” Marlene waved goodbye and followed her father out the door.

Tifa waved goodbye to the both of them, smiling. The smile faded when she saw that Barret had left one hundred gil behind for a ten gil order.

Barret walked in his office, uncomfortable that he had to be a boss for the day. Normally he liked to be down with his workers, digging in the soil, placing pipes in the ground and furnaces in homes for people. Every once in a while, however, he had to be the boss; that meant he was stuck inside on a beautiful day filling out paperwork with his secretary and making phone calls.

Barret shook his head. He had found oil. He was helping his fellow man out more than he had ever done before. He felt accomplished; he made the decision to stay at home and have an office… for Marlene. It wasn’t fair when the girl had only seen her father a few times a year, while he selfishly traveled around the world and had fun looking for more oil reserves. 

Yet, and especially during the spring season, he missed the adventure. He missed riding in his truck, or in one of Cid’s airships that he employed for his business. He missed being dirty and scraping by to make ends meet.

The wealth he earned was of great help, certainly, especially when it came to his daughter. She was able to go to a good school, a school he helped found actually; and she was living in a modest but safe and sturdy house. The father never had to worry if his daughter was going to eat that night, or that he would not be able to get her medicine if she ever got sick. It was a relief. 

Though I got all this money now, too much, and I ain’t deserving of it all. Barret leaned back in his desk chair, alerting his secretary. Drew looked up from his desk.

“Everything alright, boss?” Drew asked, his pen pausing in mid sentence. He was busy issuing an order for new trucks. 

“Yeah.” Barret signed off on a week’s pay and threw it in his designated out box. Drew would know what to do with it. “Just bored. Think I might donate to the hospital again. Maybe the school. We need help with a park. I think a park would be nice for the neighborhood.”

“Excellent idea. I’m sure we have the money in the budget for such donations.”

“Nah, I’ll do it myself. Got too much fucking gil as it is.” Barret stood up and walked around his desk. “How’s that going?” He wasn’t even entirely sure what his help was working on. 

“Fine, boss. We’re almost done with this work.” Drew motioned to his stack of papers. “Just got to submit a work order to Highwind Mechanics, send the check to Strife Delivery, and make sure Sheila in accounting gets the paychecks printed on time. Should only take about twenty minutes.”

“After that's done, go home. You did good today.”

“Okay. You stepping out, Barret?” Drew said, itching to turn on a radio and listen to music as he finished his work.

“Yeah. See ya tomorrow.”

“Goodnight.” Drew nodded and Barret left his trusted secretary behind.

Really ought to make that kid partner, the amount of work he does. He deserves this so much more than I do. 

His cell phone dinged, the sound indicating that he had received a text message. He snarled. He hated the whole texting thing- he had Marlene teach him, but it was still difficult for him to do it one handed. He wished people would just call him on the phone, it was so much easier. The big man took his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open.

Get me that fucking order! See you Friday. – Cid

“Your so lucky you are on my good side, ya little shit.” Barret muttered to himself and closed his phone. The excitement for Friday was bubbling up inside of him. Everyone was coming to see Marlene’s play- everyone except for Yuffie and Vincent, however. That stung a bit. He wished he knew where his friends were. But as it was, everyone else was coming on Friday night for the show and for dinner afterwards.

The family was coming together.

(Art is provided by StrawderryST. Support them on X and Ko-Fi!)

Chapter Text

Fenrir pulled into the driveway smoothly, as it had done so many times before. The driver pulled off his goggles, lowered the kickstand, and swung his muscular leg over the bike. The blonde ruffled his hair, grabbed his keys and walked towards the side door of the cottage-style house. 

Cloud was greeted by Shera before he could even knock. A huge smile was on her face. “Cloud! You’re a little early. We weren’t expecting you until tomorrow.” Her voice was warm and deep, and reminded him a bit of his own mother. 

“Yeah, so leave!” Cid called from his work studio, where he was busy tinkering with his new toy.

“Come on in, dear.” Shera stepped aside, allowing Cloud to come into the home. He looked around the kitchen, with its big windows letting in the sunlight, and smelled Shera’s delicious home cooking. “Sit down. Are you hungry?”

Cloud shook his head. “No, Shera, I’m fine. Cid said he had something to tell me.”

Shera nodded, looking a little exasperated by her husband. “No idea what it’s about. The big lug is in his studio. Go ahead.”

Cloud took off down the hallway towards the open door he saw. The familiar smell of grease, fire and cigarettes greeted him as he walked into the room. Cid, expert mechanic and friend, was hunched over the spear end of a new lance. 

“Check it out! Added a fucking taser at the end. Shock the damn beasts into submission, this thing will.” Cid said, connecting two wires together. “Got a bit of a hair trigger, but I’ll get it to work.”

“Nice. You had news for me?” Cloud said, taking an empty chair and sitting down. 

“Yeah. Hold on.” Cid said, his voice a little hollow now. Cloud knew something was wrong immediately - the mechanic never sounded this somber.

Cid fiddled with his new weapon for another moment before turning around and wiping his hands on his shirt. Cloud knew that everything around Cid was covered in some sort of grease- he was surprised that his wife wasn’t. Cid sat down in a chair opposite Cloud.

“Heard a funny story, and thought you should check it out. Seems like someone is taking young girls without their permission, and making them work for their money, if you know what I mean.”

“Sex trafficking?” Cloud grimaced, anger boiling under his skin already. It was one thing to sell your body willingly, that he could understand and had no problem with. To each their own. But to be forced into it… “Any idea where?”

“It moves. But listen to this. Sometimes a girl disappears, never to be heard from again. No sign of struggle, no note left behind. They just leave, like they never existed.”

“Yuffie.”

“Damn right. So I poked around, found out who is in charge of this operation. Got a name.” Cid reached across his work table and grabbed a piece of paper, reading from it. “Don Corneo.”

“Thought he was dead.” Cloud remembered the old balding man, who was short and smelled harshly of cheap whiskey. “Guess no one truly stays in the grave.”

“No one who is important, at least.” Cid took a drag of his cigarette and shook his head in disapproval. “If I were you, I would look around Costa del Sol. It’s tourist season there.”

“I will. I’ll see if I can contact Vincent as well, if he answers his phone.” Cloud stood up, ready to go. “See you Friday.”

“Later, Cloud. See if you can find our girl.” Cid took another puff and waved his friend off.

Wednesday dawned bright and beautiful. Fenrir was rolling along the coast of Costa del Sol, the driver looking around for a place to park. Cloud picked a shady spot and left his motorcycle behind, taking his sword with him as he left.

As soon as he showed up in this beach town, he asked a drunken man where he might be able to find some fun. He feigned that he was anxious and ready to let off pressure, and the man was all too happy to help.

“Good looking guy like you? You’d get any girl you want at the bar! But if you are looking for something special, you should find Leon. He’s the guy you need.” The drunk adjusted his wide brimmed straw hat and took a sip of his fruity cocktail. 

Cloud thanked the man and went in search of this Leon character. After asking a few tourists, putting a word out there in the local bar scene, and exchanging a few gil here and there, he finally found the place he had been looking for. On the off chance that Vincent might be nearby and help him raid the brothel, Cloud left him a voicemail message.

Surprisingly, Cloud saw the crimson-cloaked man leaning against a tree outside of the address he had been given. 

“Cloud.”

“Vincent.” Cloud approached his friend. “We’re looking for a man named Leon. He works under Don Corneo. Suppose to be some sort of salesman.”

“Let’s go.” Vincent joined Cloud and the two walked side by side.

There was silence for a while, yet it was not an uncomfortable silence. The two men knew when the need to talk was, and when there was a need for silence.

“I have had no luck locating Miss Kisaragi.” Vincent said solemnly, keeping his attention on the path in front of him.

Cloud sighed. Thinking of Yuffie always pained him. “Neither have I. This is the best lead I’ve had in over two months.”

“Let's see if she is here. If anything, we can help liberate the women who were taken captive.”

Cloud bowed his head and the two came upon a door.

“Should we be polite and knock first?” Vincent asked, turning his attention to his friend.

There was a fumbling behind the door; a loud gasp, and urgent words sounded. “Shit! It’s Strife. Get the boss outta here.”

“Nah.” Cloud lifted his leg and gave the door a powerful kick.

The door splintered and began hanging on its hinges, shards of wood flying through the air. Two men fell backwards from the force, cursing as they landed hard on their backsides. Cloud stepped into the hallway, looking down at the two men. Vincent calmly followed behind.

“May I speak to your boss?” Cloud asked politely, while Vincent silently pulled a firearm out of a holster and pointed it at the men.

The room was full of bright oranges, reds and yellows. Garish decorations such as lanterns, silk hangings and pictures of half-naked women cluttered the small space. Cloud curled his lips as he saw a particularly lewd picture of two women together on a horse and fought to keep his lunch down.

“Well. Long time no see, Miss.” Don Corneo’s greasy voice sounded from behind the desk.

Cloud stared at the back of an office chair, rich with red velvet and with gold tassels hanging off the sides. Suddenly, the chair twisted around, and the paunchy face of Don Corneo came into view. Another man stood behind the Don, his arms crossed, giving off the air that he was a bodyguard that you shouldn't mess with. Cloud wanted to laugh, but then the older man gave them a twisted smile and motioned for his two visitors to sit down. They refused by standing still and glaring down at the man.

“May I ask why there is a sudden intrusion in my business?” Don Corneo asked, pulling a cigar out of a velvet lined box sitting on his desk. He placed it in his mouth. “You don’t seem to be the type to purchase companionship.”

Vincent reached into a pocket and stepped forward, holding out a picture of Yuffie. “We are looking for this girl.”

“And any other woman you might have stolen from their homes, as well.” Cloud added, mimicking the bodyguard behind Corneo, smirking humorously at the man as he crossed his arms over his chest. “It seems like you are still running your business with some not-so-great ethics.”

Vincent lowered the picture and his red eyes stared at the disgusting man with cold anger. 

Corneo, who had not even glanced at the picture, leaned back in his gaudy throne-like chair. “Never seen her. All my girls willingly came into my employ.” Corneo lit a match and puffed away at his cigar, the end slowly burning an orange glow.

Cloud scowled when he smelled the pungent cigar. He stepped forward. “I bet if I asked around, I’d get a different answer.”

The man behind Corneo snorted. Cloud assumed this was the famous Leon- he was a tall, lanky man with a pock-marked face and stringy blonde hair. His teeth looked like they had not been cleaned in years.

“If you can even find them.”

Cloud grinned at him. “You’re a handsome fellow.”

The Don held up his hand to silence the two. “My ladies know to only come forward when called for.”

Vincent turned to Cloud. “It seems like talking to this man will get us nowhere.”

“Seems like.”

Suddenly, Vincent reared back his leg and kicked the heavy oak desk, sending it and the Don flying to the floor. Vincent’s hands clenched, his energy rising. Cloud knew what was about to happen and simply stood back to give the man some room. The air around the man crackled, a wind started rising up around him. His body morphed and snapped and broke into that of the form, Galian Beast.

The gigantic beast lifted its horned head and stretched its mighty arms. Behind him, Don Corneo and Leon gaped in horror.

“Oh shit.” Leon muttered as he watched the monster in front of him turn towards the two men.

“I give you fair warning. No one can control him when he’s like this. Tell me where the girls are.” Cloud said, approaching the Don.

Corneo still had enough courage to spit in the warrior’s face. Cloud roughly grabbed the front of the man’s shirt and pulled him towards himself, teeth gritting in anger.

“NOW.”

Vincent reached out with a claw and swiped at Leon, who miraculously leapt out of the way. Vincent let out a mighty roar, which caused Don Corneo to convulse in fear and Cloud felt a strange warmness run down his front.

“Did you just piss on me?” Cloud sneered, never breaking eye contact with the man.

The Don looked at him in fear. Down the hall to the left. Under the lantern. Push the wall.”

Cloud threw the man to the ground, feeling disgusted. The blonde mercenary walked towards the door. 

“Call your beast off! I gave you the right information!” Don Corneo cried as Vincent loomed over him and Leon. Leon’s hands were shaking as he tried to load a shotgun, but he could not get a good enough grip on the shells.

“I already told you. He’s out of control.” Cloud said, continuing his journey out into the hall, ignoring the screams of agony as he turned left and headed for the lone red lantern in the hallway. 

He felt the wall underneath the red lantern. He knocked on the wall and heard hollowness. Cloud looked over at the end of the hallway, where silence was now settling in. He decided to wait for his partner to come, knowing that Vincent would not be in ‘beast mode’ for long.

A few minutes later, Vincent stepped into the hallway, in his normal human form. He stood up rigidly for one more moment before making his way over to Cloud.

“Are they alive?”

“They will recover.” Vincent looked down at Cloud’s clothes. “He urinated on you.”

“Please!” Cloud squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his forehead. “Let’s keep that a secret.” He pushed on the wall and felt the boards give. 

The secret entrance showed them a big room, filled with beds and couches. Women quickly got up from their places and lined up against a wall, obviously trained to do so. Cloud looked at all their smiling faces, seeing the strain and fear behind the shining eyes.

“Relax, ladies. We’re here to set you free.” Cloud said, yet the ladies stayed in place. They were terrified. Cloud shifted from one foot to the other, suddenly unsure of what to do to convince them of this truth. 

“Have you ladies seen a young Wutain woman named Yuffie?” Vincent asked, lowering his shoulders and speaking more gently, trying to make the Don’s Ladies more comfortable. 

A young dark haired woman looked up suddenly, her almond shaped eyes widening in shock. “Yuffie? Yuffie Kisaragi?”

Cloud walked over to her, only stopping a few feet in front of her. “Do you know Yuffie? We’re looking for her.”

“I… I grew up in Wutai, with her. We used to study together.”

“Have you seen her around lately?”

The Wutain woman shook her head. “I haven’t seen her in a few years.”

Cloud sighed and backed away from the young woman. He looked at Vincent, whose usually stoic face showed a hint of dismay. “We’ll find her. Let’s get everyone out of here.” 

“How are we to transport these ladies back home?” Vincent asked.

Cloud pulled out his cell phone. “I’ll call Cid, he’ll send a ship over.”

“Cid? From Rocket Town?” A red head perked up. One by one, the ladies started relaxing around Vincent and Cid. If they knew people that were familiar to them, then maybe the men were serious about helping them.

“Yeah.” Cloud nodded, giving her a smile. He dialed Cid’s number and held the phone to his ear. When it clicked, Cloud spoke into the receiver. “Cid? We need transportation.”

Tifa placed the crate of dirty cups by the sink, then took a moment to take a deep breath and feel the exhaustion settle in. It was a Thursday night, a fairly busy night. It was the day most workers were paid and could afford a night out. Tifa could always count on a few customers on pay day, but tonight was crazy. Tifa never got the chance to sit down between orders, never got the time to stop and eat a quick dinner, didn’t even get a chance to chat with the regulars that came in to get a drink. She was so glad when it was closing time; now it was time to finish up the cleaning and take a shower before bed.

The door in the front of the building opened, then closed softly. Boots walked across the floor.

“Damn, I thought I locked that door.” Tifa grumbled, leaning against the crate and sighing. She closed her eyes to try to block out her frustration. “We’re closed!” She called out.

“Damn. I was hoping to get to my bed.”

Tifa smiled and turned around, glad to see her best friend. It had been almost three weeks since he left on his deliveries and she had missed him.

“Hey.” She greeted, sounding tired even to herself. “Long time no see.”

Cloud gave her a smile- a true smile, a smile he only used around her. He opened up his arms, and Tifa gladly stepped into them and gave him the hug he requested.

“You must have had a rough time.” Tifa commented, letting the man go and motioning for him to take a seat at the small table she shoved in the corner of their kitchen. 

Cloud sat down and rested his elbows on the table, sighing as he rested his head in his open palms. “I had a tip on Yuffie. She wasn’t there.”

Tifa, who was pulling some leftover chicken out of the refrigerator, paused at the name. Tears threatened to fall, she had to shake her head to clear it and continued pulling out leftover food for Cloud.

“I’m sorry.” Tifa placed the food on the table, but Cloud just looked at it and didn’t respond. “Cloud…” Tifa reached out and gently lifted his chin so he would look at her. “Don’t think that. She is not lost forever.”

Cloud simply sighed. Tifa ruffled his hair a little bit, pushing it back out of his face. He reached up, took her hand into his own and simply held it. Tifa stepped a little closer to him and let him wrap his arms around her middle. The blonde rested his head against her chest and simply breathed in her scent.

This was a familiar thing to happen to Tifa. When Cloud was starting to feel overwhelmed, or immensely guilty over things he could not control, he turned to Tifa for comfort and to ground himself. Usually when they were alone Cloud would simply envelope Tifa in a hug and just let his mind turn off, not thinking about anything, if only for a few minutes.

Tifa wasn’t worried. When he came back, he came back. He stood up on his own two feet and continued on. It was wonderful progress for him- she felt like Cloud was finally coming to terms with himself, and not the scared child who turned away from everyone in anger.

Cloud lifted his head and smiled up at his friend, his mako blue eyes shining. “Hey.”

Tifa smiled. “Hi.”

Cloud stood up, still holding her in his arms. “I missed you.”

“Then stop being away for so long.” Tifa wrapped her arms around his shoulders and began pulling him close. “You are allowed to take some time off.”

Cloud rested his chin on her shoulder, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. “I know.” He gave her one last squeeze and let go, almost reluctantly. 

Tifa, still smiling, dropped her arms and turned back to the food. “Hungry?”

“Yeah.” He said, noting that the smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. The desire to hold her again was overwhelming him, but he stopped himself. They weren’t like that. They were friends, roommates… nothing more. He could not give her any more than that. He wished he could.

So instead they chatted as Cloud ate, talking about the upcoming weekend.

“Move over, Spikey. I got the aisle seat.”

“Why?”

“‘Cause I got to give these roses to Marlene at curtain call and I need to get out of the seat quickly. Move.”

“Why?”

“Don’t start, you two.”

“Tell him to move then, Teef!” 

“I just don’t understand why I can’t give the roses to Marlene.”

“WHAT.”

“What’s going on down there?”

“Not now, Nanaki. We’re having a tiff.”

“Shut it, Reeve. Cloud, move over. Barret, sit down. The play is about to start.”

A few moments of shuffling and curses later, all seven of them - Barret, Cloud, Tifa, Reeve, Nanaki, Cid and Shera- had settled in just in time for the curtain to rise. Soon Marlene and two other children arrived on stage, ready to start the performance.

Tifa smiled, waving at the young girl, then realized she was not the only one. The rest of the gang was waving too, eyes riveted on the little girl.

The family was here. Then Tifa felt sad. She looked up and down the row, knowing that there should be two more people here; two people that were missing.

It’s alright. Tifa thought. We’ll be whole again. We will.

Chapter Text

Aerith Gainsborough

Age: 22

Status: Deceased

Gender: Female

KEY POINTS

- Known to be the last Cetra on the planet. Cetra were also known as Ancients.

- Mysteriously disappeared. Mother was told she perished in her travels with AVALANCHE.

- Was once a prisoner of SHINRA.

BIOGRAPHY

It is my responsibility to write the truth. I do not know much about Aerith Gainsborough. Most of what I have gathered has been hear-say; neighbors who remember the young lady, a few notes that were pilfered from the former TURKS.

Gainsborough was born February 7th, 1985. Her mother was listed as one Elmyra Gainsborough, though reports claim she was actually the child of the late Professor Gast Faremis and his wife, name unknown to me. The first few years of her life are riddles with holes and black tape- a sure sign that SHINRA is hiding the truth.

Reason to believe Gainsborough suffered through many experimentations and other indignities.

After escaping, Gainsborough went to live with Elmyra Gainsborough. There was no connection between the two beforehand. They lived in Midgar Sector Five. After a decade, Gainsborough was often seen on the top plate- sometimes with a gentleman, name unknown to me- selling flowers from a cart. Her business did well.

Reasons to believe she had ties to the TURKS, SOLDIER and AVALANCHE.

According to her mother and neighbors, Gainsborough left Midgar to travel with CLOUD STRIFE and company.

Rumors of her death circulated, confirmed by her mother. Some say she died at the hands of SEPHIROTH. Some say she died at the hands of STRIFE, though he has never been convicted or accused. 

Rumors are that her remains are in a lost city.

Chapter Text

(Art is done by Ro_X_e)

Six years ago, a group of people changed the world forever.

It started with the explosion of Mako Reactor One, when Shinra Electric Power Company was fighting against a group of eco-terrorists named AVALANCHE and deemed them a hazard to not only themselves, but to Midgar as a whole. Because of their actions, Midgar’s Sector Seven slums were crushed by the gigantic plate from up above. Many innocent people lost their lives that day. 

Riddled not only with guilt, but with determination, the small group decided to set out to bring down Shinra and learn the secrets of the company that hunted them, a calamity that fell from the sky and the son she was said to have.

After many losses, many accidents and many unsettling truths revealed, the group succeeded in saving the planet from a falling meteor and stopped a mad man from spreading his evil tyranny. 

But it happened at a great cost.

Now the small group had split up, still remaining friends, but determined to live their lives and not let the suffering of thousands of people affect them anymore. For the most part, they succeeded. 

One of them, however, still felt the need to help the helpless, to atone for the great sins he had committed. 

One of them still felt the years of pain they had suffered, and was journeying to find the one person that made them feel a little happier in this life.

One of them was proactive and started his own charity, set on helping millions of people rebuild the world and attempt to achieve peace at last. 

The world, for the most part, was the same. Towns still held people, people still held hopes and dreams, hopes and dreams still held promise. One person can be fairly good; just like the same person can be surprisingly evil. Only in extreme cases were they one or the other, however.

Midgar was finished. Meteorfall destroyed most of it, but once the reactors had shut down the city had gone quiet. Too quiet. Most could not stand that silence and left, hoping for better. Dreaming of starting another life. Some citizens stayed behind, not willing to leave all they had ever known behind. Some simply could not afford it.

The World Regenesis Organization was a premier business. Run almost entirely by an anonymous benefactor, the organization volunteered their services to help the planet- and, more importantly, the people living on it. It started as a charity, but quickly turned to be a government based on the needs of the people of the City of Edge.

Reeve Tuesti was the figurehead of the organization. In a way, he was like the Mayor of the city. He was proud of the work they did; but the business had grown so much in the past six years that now even Reeve could not keep track of it all. This upset him.

Now Yuffie, a member of Intelligence and his friend, had gone missing. She was out in the field, sniffing around for any new intel on any new illegal activity, when he stopped receiving messages from her. Then Vincent randomly showed up in his office one afternoon demanding to know why the young lady had not called him, as she always did, much to his chagrin. Reeve had to admit what happened to Vincent, then to the rest of the family. Ever since then, everyone kept an eye, ear, and then some out for her.

It made him wonder if she had found anything that someone wanted to keep secret.

Vincent Valentine had a lot of sins to atone for.

His golden sabatons clicked along the tunnel, the armor making a steady sound as he kept up his pace. He often walked through the tunnels of Midgar now, it was a quiet place to think and he had always liked the quiet.

This time the silence unsettled him.

Maybe I have just grown accustomed to the near constant ringing of my cell phone.

Vincent turned a corner and started walking down another dark passage.

Maybe I have grown accustomed to her.

Maybe I miss her.

Maybe I feel guilty.

Vincent had refused her advances the last time they had met. Then she disappeared the next day.

You will be found, Yuffie.

This is the one sin I will not live with.

Ding. Ding. Ding.

The tiny chocobo bird popped out of the clock and sang its little song.

Three o' clock.

The stars twinkled in the sky; a cold night sky. His breath was fogging up the window.

It's nice out. Nice and clear.

He pushed away from the window and stood up, stretching. His joints popped and cracked.

I'm tired. I'm so tired.

Yet the thought of bed filled him with anger. He knew he was only going to lay there, staring at his bedroom ceiling. He would hear the soft tick of his alarm clock. He would look over at his door, knowing that in the room across the hall Tifa was resting peacefully. He would have a tiny bit of resentment, and go back to staring at the ceiling. He would replay in his mind over and over again the pain of...

No .

Cloud shook his head to clear the thoughts out.

It's another sleepless night for me.

Tifa shrugged on a sweater, cursing the coldness of the morning. She always liked the warmer weather better; this cold just chilled her down to her bones. She shivered and walked downstairs, glancing at the clock as she went down.

Eleven o' clock. Slept in a little late today.

Tifa had to open the bar at two in the afternoon that day. She still had to stock her shelves, clean the floors and make a soup for the day, and cursed herself for her laziness. The bar maiden had hoped to tackle her receipts that day so she can work on the budget, but now that had to wait.

Except that when she entered her business, everything was already done. The floors and tables sparkled; even the light coming in from the windows was brighter.

He even did windows. It must have been a bad night.

She looked around at her spotless bar; noticing a warm, delicious smell coming from the kitchen. Tifa cautiously walked towards the kitchen, worried about what she was going to walk into. Her nerves collected in her stomach.

"Cloud?"

The man was sitting at the small table, writing into a ledger. A pot of vegetable soup boiled on the stove; the rest of the kitchen was as clean as the bar outside.

Cloud looked up and Tifa noticed the redness of his eyes and the blank look of tiredness on his face.

"I'm almost done with your paperwork." Cloud’s attention went back to her ledger. “You should have told me things were this bad.”

Tifa bit back a retort and went to stand next to him. "Couldn't sleep?" She asked, resting her hand on his shoulder.

Cloud shrugged it off. "No."

Tifa felt a stab of pain at his rejection and took a step back. She hated when he was like this.

"Thank you for your help. Would you like some breakfast? Coffee?" She said, acid lacing her tone of voice.

"Coffee. Please."

Tifa quickly turned around and began making a pot. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, steadying her nerves and anger. Cloud noticed this and put down his pen.

"Sorry." He apologized.

Tifa gave him a small smile. "It's alright. You need a day. Take your time."

Tifa reached into the refrigerator and pulled out some cream. She placed it on the table and sat down across from him.

"Can you talk about it?"

Cloud nodded and stared at his hands.

"Do you want to?" Tifa asked, starting to smell the coffee being made.

"No." Cloud finally made eye contact with her and sighed. "I was thinking about Zack." Cloud rarely talked about the man, but over the years more and more memories of him kept cropping up. It was unnerving. "When he was helping me, he never..." Cloud closed his eyes to fight off tears. "He would never shut up. He told me stories, jokes.... he helped me." And now you do the same thing, helping me. It’s like I’m a worthless parasite.

"And now you help others." Tifa reached out and took his hand. "He would be proud of you."

Cloud grew silent, letting his sadness take over. Tifa gripped his hand tighter.

"Hey. Come back to me." Tifa smiled. "I can't drink a whole pot of coffee by myself. Remember last time?"

Cloud let out a watery laugh. "That poor chocobo was never the same again."

Tifa laughed, then got up from the table to serve them coffee.

A week passes. The delivery service had a few short trips to make, but enough short trips where Cloud started thinking about hiring some help. The company could afford to have one more person on a payroll; it would be easy to hide the somewhat clandestine deals Cloud took on.

They would need a vehicle of their own. .. Cloud thought as he guided Fenrir through the streets of Edge.

The city of Edge was still growing. While most of it was full of safe and secure neighborhoods, there were certain parts of it that were less than satisfactory. Cloud was now traveling through said neighborhood, and passed by a homeless man who was slouched over a garbage can.

Cloud knew before he turned the bike around and went back to the man that he was dead. But the dead, no matter how their lives had gone, deserved some respect. Not to be thrown out like some piece of trash. So he parked his bike, pulled out his cell phone and dialed the local volunteer police department.

They promised to be there in a few minutes, asking Cloud to stay with the body until they got here- so no one else could tamper with it.

Cloud hung up the phone and leaned against an utility pole, staring at the poor man. He wondered what could have happened in this person's life that would make him end up dead in a trash can, when he noticed something odd.

The man's face had an odd green tint to it, his cold dead eyes had turned halfway blue. His eye color.

Mako blue.

Ex-Soldier? Cloud thought and leaned closer to the man's face. No. X-MAK.

X-MAK was a new wonder-drug that caused the user to be powerful, fearless, and hyper when they took it. It also was highly addictive, and highly illegal, to use. Cloud leaned back against the pole feeling slightly disgusted. X-MAK was named for the side effects that came with it, side effects that being infused with mako would make you feel.

His stomach turned. If he had a choice, he would gladly have given up every mako-fused cell in his body.

Cloud had many regrets in life, but that was one of the ones that he regretted most. If he had known what mako and SOLDIER, more importantly Hojo, would do to him, his body and his mind he never would have tried to get into SOLDIER.

Which meant he would never have made a promise to Tifa. Which meant he would probably have spent his life without his best friend and confidant. Which meant that quite possibly, he would have been lonely for his entire life. On the other hand, maybe if he had grown up like a normal person would have, he would have broken out of his shyness a lot quicker and had the nerve to talk to Tifa. He would have had a best friend. He probably would have married her.

Cloud shook his head and returned to staring at the dead man. Could have. Would have. Should have.

X-MAK, he learned, was an awful drug. This guy must have not taken it for too long. Cloud had seen news reports and people on the drug in person- most don't simply die from an overdose. Most die from the side effects- a skewed sense of heroism, mostly. People would jump off of buildings, thinking they have the power of flight. People also thought they have better lung capacity and would wade out into the ocean; while others simply got into fights where, if they were sober, they knew they were never going to win.

Nanaki once commented that he would never understand why humans would willingly take any narcotics. Cloud understood perfectly. Sometimes, being in an altered state is much preferable to the reality of life.

The police came and began their job at the crime scene. Cloud gave a brief recount of how he found the body, then was released. He got on Fenrir, thanked an officer for the nice compliment about her, and kicked off.

The World Regenesis Organization, or WRO for short, was more than a company. It was more than a police force, shelter help, and education. Many branches now cover all sorts of humanities- arts, science, and history. Reeve thought that one was the most important. As they say, those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.

Reeve kept a close eye on all the scientists the WRO employed. Over the past few years, however, there didn't seem to be too much cause for concern. Each one was busy discovering what they could do to further enhance the use of natural oil, or electricity, or communication.

All of the doctors and aides were truly helping repair the world.

Yet Reeve kept a close eye on them. And he kept a close eye on a few cases he had locked away in his office. 

No one was ever going to experiment with JENOVA ever again. 

The lights in the bathroom began to flicker, then went out. Tifa stopped squeezing the soap into her pouf. She sighed, waited a few moments, then the power came back on. It was new to them, this electricity. Well, it was an old power source used during the days of the Republic, but when mako came around- and offered at much lower rates- electricity became a thing of the past. Now that mako was gone, power companies were being funded by the WRO to fix up the old grids. 

Unfortunately, that meant that the electricity was unreliable, and it loved to turn off at random times.

Like when you were in the shower. Tifa finished rinsing off quickly, afraid of the power going back out (and taking the hot water with it) and hopped out of the bathtub. She grabbed a towel, patted herself dry, then went to reach for her robe.

“Shit.”

Tifa had forgotten it. She always brought it into the bathroom with her, to have some decency. She was very aware that she lived with a man, and though she trusted Cloud completely, she felt uncomfortable parading around in practically nothing. But he was going to be coming home late that night, so she gripped the towel tightly around her, and walked out of the bathroom. The towel was small and barely covered her thighs, but she tried her best to have everything hidden from view.

Of course, tonight would be the night that her roommate came home early. Tifa heard his boots on the top steps before she turned around and made eye contact with him.

Cloud paused, his eyes wide as he raked them up and down her body. Tifa was a little startled and felt heat climb up her neck to her cheeks. She tried to ignore the look that passed over his face, but there was no denying it. He looked… hungry, almost. But as soon as she saw it, it disappeared, and a look of embarrassment took place. It was like he realized what situation they were in and he kept his eyes trained on her face. 

“Hey.”

Tifa gripped the towel closer to her chest, not realizing that it lifted a little higher up her thighs. 

“Sorry. I forgot my robe.”

Cloud reached behind him and rubbed the back of his head. He shifted from foot to foot and dropped his gaze to the floor. He was trying so hard not to look. Unbeknownst to her, he had a good peek at her legs, and now a blush was forming on his own cheeks, staining his ears as well.

“That’s… that’s okay…” He trailed off, still focused on the ground.

Tifa realized then that she had to be the one to move and hurried off to her bedroom. 

“I’ll… I’ll just be a minute. I’ll go get dressed.”

Her door slammed shut and she leaned against it, exhaling. That was awkward.

From now on, she promised to herself, she was always going to make sure her robe was always returned to the bathroom.

What she did not know, however, was that her roommate watched every second of her walking away. And that now, he felt guilty about staring at her backside… but not that guilty, he admitted to himself.

He did enjoy the view.

(Art is done by Ro_X_e! Support them on X and Ko-fi!)

Chapter Text

"... in 1976, when construction began on suburban type homes for Shinra Electric Company employees. It was not long after that many were drawn to the promise and the future that Midgar held, and more construction was scheduled to accommodate the new arrivals."

"... the beloved President of Shinra, was ecstatic to welcome his new born son Rufus into the family with intentions of including him in the family business..."

"Many terrorist groups formed to target Shinra and its eight Mako Reactor towers, but many have failed to bring down the enormous company. People now believed that the real power behind the city of Midgar was not the Mayor they had elected; instead it was the once beloved President Shinra.

Regardless of intentions, President Shinra saw fit to create a military force to protect not only Midgar, but the entire world from such terrorist cells. Thus SOLDIER was born."

"...with the city now ruined, no one is certain of the future of the planet. Yet they are people willing to help. One organization rose to prominence in a very short time, called World Regenesis Organization which is the premier lead for assistance..."

Chapter Text

Tifa hung up the phone, unsettled. Reno, of the former Turks, had made another call to them. Apparently he had gotten a tip off about a mob ring- but with no concrete evidence of it's existence, WRO was unwilling to investigate. This was odd to Tifa, who thought that the WRO and Reeve- in particular- would take every tip seriously.

"I thought you and the other Turks were working with public safety now." Tifa had said. "As you told me before, you had to work to pay the bills."

"Of course. But now I have to follow these stupid things called rules."

"How awful."

Reno had laughed at that. Then he asked if the Strife Delivery Service could look into it. Then Reno had asked how she was. Then he asked if she was still single. Then he asked her out on a date.

After politely but sternly refusing, she hung up on  him. A weird feeling fluttered in her stomach. Sure, she had been propositioned before- but always by a random bar patron or someone she had met in a store or something. Yet she knew Reno- in an odd twist of fate, she could even call him a friend. It just didn't settle right, because she had briefly considered saying yes. A night out, doing what normal people do- dinner, dancing, movies- with someone sounded appealing.

Tifa's thumb hovered over her speed dial, intending to call Cloud. She could ask him for a night on the town, but she knew what he would say. That their friendship wasn't like that. That he was sorry.

It would be the same old dance, and Tifa was exhausted. It was tiring to be constantly fighting for something; feel like maybe you were succeeding and breaking walls- but all of the sudden be back at square one.

Tifa was beginning to feel that she should start moving on.

Twelve drug related deaths in the past month and they kept getting closer to home. That upset Cloud; the latest death was too close to Marlene's school. So when Tifa called and told him about the job the ex- Turk offered, Cloud readily agreed to it.

Two more days passed.

Now he was sitting on the street, dressed in an old hoodie and a knit cap, sunglasses on his dirty face to cover his mako eyes. He was without a sword, making him feel oddly naked. Luckily Tifa loaned him a pair of old fighting gloves and he placed materia in the slots, then covered the weapon with his jacket sleeves.

It was amazing. People would pass him by without a second glance, thinking that he was just another homeless person. A snooty topper- and Cloud grimaced when he recalled that old insult for people who had lived on top of the Midgar Plate- had even called him a 'waste of space'.

At the same time, people noticed him. Usually other homeless, who offered him food and water. Cloud accepted these offers, and even shared the little he had with everyone else.

"Any one wan' a materia? I need ta sell them." He slurred, and sometimes would flash his blue eyes.

"Son I ain't got what ya want." An old toothless man told him on his fifth day out on the street. "But tell you what- go to the bakery. They help."

The bakery. Cloud stored that knowledge. A front? Possible.

Luckily for him, his cover as a junkie held and many believed that he was selling anything he could just so he could get a hit of X- MAK. Unfortunately, over the next three days, no one could tell him anything else but 'Go to the bakery'.

Though no one knew what bakery to go to. Surprisingly, most people were clean. He tried and tried to get a name, an address- but everyone just told him to 'Go to the bakery'.

Cloud was getting tired of pretending to be homeless. He longed for a warm meal, his warm bed, with a warm Tifa in it.

Stop it. Cloud scolded himself. We’re not like that.

Still, the image of Tifa in the hallway was burned into his memory. She was always beautiful- but standing there, in his home, with dripping wet hair and a towel that was just a little too small wrapped around her…

Cloud pushed the thought away. They were friends. He made that decision years ago, and he could not change that now.

So, after being out for a little over a week, Cloud went home. When he got there, no one was home. He ambled around from room to room, hoping to see his roommate.

He eventually gave up and went to shower. Nine days worth of dirt and grime washed off him, making him feel relaxed and comfortable. Afterwards he walked around his room, which acted as his office as well, in his lightweight cotton pants; picking up random files and pieces of paper and placing them on his desk.

Cloud decided that since it was a nice day outside he would open up the windows and let the sun shine in. He enjoyed working on his business while the fresh air blew in from the outside. It was also relaxing to hear the hustle and bustle of the city outside- he and Tifa lived a little outside the main part of Edge, so it was not as crazy and loud as city life could be. He enjoyed it.

While working on an invoice for a regular customer and deciding what the best route to take to Junon the next week would be, Cloud heard a low rumble approach. It did not bother him; people rode bikes up and down the street all the time. But then the sound grew louder, went into his driveway, and stopped. 

Cloud's brow furrowed. Did Tifa take Fenrir? She knows not to touch her. Slight annoyance flashed in him. Tifa was always wanting to ride his beloved bike and Cloud had always told her no.

He got up from his desk and huffed over to the window, poking his head out to start yelling at Tifa. He stopped.

Tifa was not on Fenrir.

She also was not alone. Cloud saw a familiar shock of red hair and scowled.

Reno .

Tifa was only talking to the man- joking around it seemed, as she was throwing her head back in laughter, her long black hair glimmering in the sun. Cloud felt a surge of jealousy rise up in him. The brunette gave Reno a quick hug; he started his bike and began to slowly back out. Tifa waved a little goodbye to him and turned, walking towards the back door.

Cloud heard her move around downstairs and pulled his head back in, moving back to his desk. He heard her footsteps as she walked up the stairs, coming towards his bedroom.

"Thought I saw you in the window." Tifa smiled and leaned back against his desk. "How did it go? Did you learn anything?"

Cloud leaned back in his chair and looked her up and down, his throat going dry. She was clad in a tight leather jacket, zipped up to just under her breasts. A bright blue t-shirt was peeking out, cut low enough to show a remarkable amount of cleavage. Her blue jeans were also fairly tight, tucked into her black leather boots. She looked great.

"I was told to go to a bakery but I don't know which one. Why were you with Reno?"

"I was on a date."

"First date?"

"Second, actually. I wonder which bakery. Maybe I could ask around at the bar tonight?"

Cloud nodded. "That might help. A second date?"

Tifa smiled. She was nervous, but seemed happy. "Yeah. I wanted to do a normal thing before I helped bring down a drug ring."

"Let me rephrase my question. A date... with him?" Cloud let his disgust show.

“No one else asked.” Tifa murmured to herself, but Cloud caught it. "Reno is not as bad as you might think. I actually had a good time." Tifa defended. Cloud just stared at her, eyebrow cocked upwards. She stood firm. "Honestly. He's safe- now- and I know how to handle myself, Mother Hen."

Cloud stared at her for another moment and Tifa thought she saw a bit of sadness in his eyes. Then he went back to being business-like and turned away from her.

"I might try another neighborhood tomorrow. Mind if I steal your pearls?"

"Yes, as they were my mothers." Tifa replied a little too angrily.

"Do you have anything else I could steal?" Cloud asked. "I promise to get it back to you."

"Why the thieving?"

"Just want something nice to hock. Got anything nice?" He answered curtly.

Suddenly a tiny clink of metal sounded on his desk. He turned to look at what she gave him, and frowned. Tifa was already out the door, telling him it did not matter if she got it back.

It was the wolf ring he bought her for her birthday.

Vincent Valentine reached the top of the red stone steps, nodding to the guard on duty. He knew he would not be stopped from entering Cosmo Canyon; even though it was a closed community. The small but impressive village was at full capacity and its protector wanted to make sure everyone inside was safe.

Vincent continued to walk up more stairs to the very top of the village. He knocked on the door of the observatory and was greeted with a friendly welcome, telling him to come in. Nanaki was sitting by a window. It was obvious the creature was enjoying the last rays of sunlight from the day.

"Vincent. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Nanaki spoke with authority.

Vincent stood still. "I wish to use the machine. And a place to stay for the night, if I may."

"Of course. Have you had any luck finding Yuffie?" The beast’s voice cracked, showing his youth.

Vincent's eyes grew dark; he did not respond to the question.

Nanaki looked at his friend, sympathy in his one good eye. "I hope she comes home soon. As annoying as I thought she was, she was a good friend and I... I miss her." Nanaki lowered his head, a rather depressing sight. "A young flower should not be held in darkness."

Again, Vincent did not reply. A few more silent minutes passed.

"The machine?" The Gunman asked.

Nanaki stood up and began walking to the lift, his voice dropping back down to a lower register. "Of course."

Vincent stepped on with him and pulled the lever. The lift began its ascent, up into the dome, and the light went dim.

A universe slowly and gently formed around them. Stars twinkled and shot across the sky; planets slowly revolved in their own gravitational pull. Vincent moved toward Gaia; the blue and green of the planet peeking out from underneath the white clouds. His gauntlet-ed hand reached out and touched the planet, and at his touch, the image of the planet grew in size. Landscapes became more visible.

Vincent let his red eyes roam over the planet's surface, letting his mind wonder. He was looking for any place he had not been to before. He was looking for any ideas.

He was looking for Yuffie Kisaragi. It was true what his friend, Nanaki, had said. The young girl was annoying. But, as she grew older and had more life experiences, her immaturity lessened. She grew into a beautiful, smart woman who surprised Vincent with her talent of being caring and kind. She did not deserve to just be gone.

Vincent couldn't handle the pained looks in his friend's eyes anymore. He couldn't handle his own guilt at the loss of the Wutai rose. For months, not bordering a year, the group had searched- following any lead, no matter how ridiculous it sounded. Nothing came from it.

He needed another plan.

"Vincent." A soft voice broke through the man's brooding. "It has been two hours."

The crimson caped man gave no reaction. He only stepped backwards and turned to face his friend. Nanaki was also staring at the planet, his eye focusing on a certain spot. The lion reached out gently and bumped the model of the planet with his nose.

Vincent looked at where Nanaki was pointing at. A dark cloud had settled over Edge.

"Grandpa once said that when dark clouds gather, death is prominent."

Vincent kept his crimson eyes on Edge. "Cloud is looking into it. The new designer drug," he explained, "is lethal."

The two continued to watch the storm clouds over Edge for a few more minutes.

Somewhere on this earth, someone out there needed protection. Someone out there needed help.

Nanaki was glad he was a protector. Him, and his friends. His family.

"I'm sorry."

Tifa jumped at the sudden noise and turned around. She was sitting in her room, going through the photo album on her phone, when her roommate interrupted her. She tossed the phone onto the bed.

Cloud stood in her doorway, not daring to come in yet. "I did not mean to be angry with you."

"It's alright." Tifa reached her left hand over to grab her right arm, giving the appearance that she wanted comfort but was too afraid to ask. "Everyone gets jealous now and then."

"I had no right to be. And I wasn't- I was just concerned." Cloud said quickly, and Tifa felt a fresh new layer of pain. "You are allowed to do what you want. Everyone has that right. I just want you to be careful."

Cloud stepped into the room. Tifa had nothing to say, yet a million thoughts ran through her head.

Just tell me. Kiss me. You infuriating piece of shit. You were jealous. I would be. I need to get out. He needs to stay. I love you. Please don't look at me.

"Tifa?"

"I'm alright." She blurted out. She let her arm drop. She was angry. She was sad. Her burgundy eyes locked with his electric blue ones.

"If anything bad happens... you'd let me know, right? I want to be there for you."

"I know. I will." Just not in the way I need you to be, right? Maybe I should call Reno and tell him no more dates. Or maybe I should just kiss him, in full view... That might get me a rise out of Cloud. I can't do that. I'm not that person. My cheeks are burning. Please stop looking at me.

"Tifa?" Cloud asked a second time.

"Yeah?"

Cloud held out his hand. Her wolf ring was clasped in his fingers. He walked closer to her.

"Please. Never take it off again."

Tifa took the ring and slipped it on her finger, nodding.

"Thank you." Cloud said softly. "I'll be gone for a couple of days."

"Okay."

The two locked eyes again. Cloud unconsciously leaned forward a bit. Tifa felt her eyelids lower, and stared at his lips.

Kiss me. Kiss me.

A loud knock sounded downstairs. Tifa's eyes flew open, just in time to see Cloud turn towards the sound and start walking away.

Damn it.

Cloud walked to the door, ashamed of himself. What was he thinking? Tifa deserved so much better than him.

He schooled his face to be blank of emotion as he walked towards the front door. Opening it, he saw who the intruder was- a hunched over homeless man.

"Heya, Son. Invite an old man in."

"The bar is closed." Cloud went to close the door, but the old man had other plans.

"I was actually looking for you, pal. The new face on the street- one whose not so homeless after all."

Cloud opened the door.

"I recognized ya."

"How?" Cloud asked. He thought he had done well with his disguise.

"Your eyes. I'd seen them before. Recognized you from here, back when I could afford ta drink." The man shuffled from foot to foot. "Come on, let me in. I can help you look for this bakery."

Chapter Text

Cloud had led the man to his room and sat him down at the desk. He went to the other side of his desk and sat, straight up, staring down at the man.

"Talk." Cloud was intimidating when he wanted to be.

"There is a man, calls himself the baker." The old geezer said, leaning across the desk.

"Is this a joke?" Cloud replied. "Okay. I'll bite. Who is this baker?"

"He sells baked goods." The man laughed. "Among other things."

"Things like X-MAK." Cloud leaned back into his chair. "Where can I find this baker?"

The toothless man grinned. Cloud could smell his sourness from his seat.

"At the bakery."

Cloud stood up then and walked around the desk towards the door, grabbing the old man's arm and picking him up as he went.

"You've been a big help, thank you." Cloud pushed the man out of the office and pointed to the stairs. "Please leave."

The old man sputtered. "No! The... the baker! The bakery!"

Cloud kept pushing the man as they went down the stairs and through the tavern. Tifa looked up from the bar, watching as Cloud was pulling his new confidant towards the door. Her eyebrows raised at the sight.

"What's going on?"

"Just a waste of time."

"No! He needs to be stopped. My daughter... the baker… at the hidden bakery…" The man started sobbing.

Tifa pushed up from the bar she was leaning on. "Are you alright?"

Cloud stopped. The old man’s body was shaking with his sobs. The blonde looked over to his friend. "Tifa, he’s not saying anything helpful.”

“It’s hidden in a neighborhood, one you wouldn’t expect.” Cloud released the homeless man. “Someone has a hidden bakery- maybe a lab of some sorts. I just… don’t know where it is!”

Cloud scoffed. “This is pointless.”

“Cloud!” Tifa admonished.

“It’s useless. He doesn’t have any leads. He’s probably just searching for gil.”

“No!” The man exclaimed through his tears. “No, I’ve been looking all over Edge. I can tell you where I’ve been. I want to help! Please, the baker… that man killed my daughter!” Big, fat tears rolled down his face.

Tifa hurried over to the man and led him towards a stool. "Shh... it's okay, we can help. Come sit down."

Cloud admired his friend as she calmed the hysterical man down. Tifa gave him a tissue, a glass of whiskey, and a pat on the back. Cloud could never do anything like that. He tended to have a short fuse, or generally no idea, when it came to people. But Tifa seemed to always know how to handle a situation. She even knew how to handle him; to give him clues on how to act. Right now she was looking over her shoulder at him, motioning with a nod of her head to come over.

'Daughter.' Tifa mouthed to him.

Cloud cleared his throat.

"Uh... I'm sorry about your daughter." Tifa gave him a sincere smile, encouraging him to continue on. "Can you... tell us about her?"

Cloud sat in the stool next to the old man, and Tifa moved back behind the bar. The older man downed the last of his whiskey and stared off into the distance with wet eyes.

"Jade was not smart. Never did well in school. It... frustrated her. She use to take out her frustrations with booze, guys... the normal things teenage girls rebel with."

"All I did was climb a mountain." Tifa joked to Cloud, who didn't smile back. That memory was still a little painful for him.

"I threw her out when she was sixteen. I thought she would learn some responsibility... but then she met this guy named Silas, and started... well, working."

"Working?" Cloud asked.

Tifa frowned. "Working. Entertaining men."

Cloud shifted, uncomfortable. "Oh."

"I don't know much of what happened next for her but I do know that she rose high up in that group. Knew someone called 'The Baker'. Then..." The man took a deep breath. "... they mailed me her head.”

Tifa gasped in horror. Cloud began to think, his brow furrowing with displeasure.

"I lost it. I spent every dime, lost everything I had trying to find out who he is. I never found where he was."

"Why did he mail you her head?" Cloud asked.

"What?"

"This baker must have wanted to make a point to you." Cloud said, feeling his suspicions rise. "Why else would he make such a bold statement? What did you do to get his attention?"

"It's a lie." Tifa said, stepping away from the bar. "He is lying to us."

"You were sent by the big boss, weren't you?" Cloud stood up, and walked behind the man who had just gone stiff with tension. "Come to throw us off the track, or perhaps a bit of reconnaissance?"

There was silence from the man now. His eyes were clear now, he sat up straight. Cloud cursed at himself. He thought he had taken good care with his cover; it turned out he was leading this new enemy right to his door.

"You do know who I am." Cloud leaned over, placing his hands on the bar, caging the man. "You do know what I am capable of. Do you think that you, one geezer, would be a problem for me?"

The man kept his eyes forward. "No."

"Then send your boss a message. I want to meet him. He will know where I am now. Tell him to walk right up to me, shake my hand, and sit in my bar. I'll buy him a drink." Cloud grabbed the man by the arms now and threw him towards the door. The man stumbled, almost falling to the floor.

He straightened himself out and glared at Cloud. "You are a stupid man. Jumping head-first into any trouble you find. Trying to be a hero."

Cloud smiled dangerously. "It's a character flaw of mine."

Reeve placed the phone into the receiver gently and sighed. He placed his elbows on his desk, buried his face in his hands and cursed. Being the leader of a growing company took a lot out of a person. He felt his stress level rise when he thought about his previous phone call; it turned out one of his senior accountants was 'cooking the books' as the investigator said, embezzling the company.

The company that was designed to help people.

"Shit."

"Strong language, for you."

Reeve looked up and saw Rufus Shinra standing in the doorway. He held up a bottle of brandy, to which Reeve nodded his head.

"Yes, please." Reeve reached down and opened a drawer, pulling out two glasses.

Rufus chuckled. He made himself comfortable in a chair and poured two glasses of the alcohol. "I heard that someone had been stealing my money."

"It is being taken care of." Reeve promised.

"It has. I sent one of my best men to handle the situation." Rufus sipped his drink. "And I plan on making another donation to your cause at the fancy gala you are throwing."

"I am not planning on having a fancy gala." Reeve held his glass in his hands.

"You are. In one month. To celebrate yet another year of success." Rufus toasted him, lifting his glass in the air. "It will be held on the top floor of this building, in the atrium. I am sure that I have told you."

Reeve wanted to protest. He wanted this business to help people- establish a sanctuary for the people of Midgar, help build up hospitals, re-establish connections between continents. But in order to do that, he needed the money. A lot of it. Money that, unfortunately, only one person in the entire world had enough to run a big business.

"Of course, sir."

Rufus laughed. "Do not sound so glum, Tuesti. I just thought that it would be nice to show the people that business is going well."

"We can do that by helping Edge. Something strange is going on here."

"There is no need to worry about Edge. It's always a queer town." Rufus placed his empty glass on the table. "And I hope business is well. I wouldn’t want my investment to go to waste." He got up from his chair and went to leave. "It is difficult, I know, to run a business. But this is not Shinra. Remember that."

The door closed shut, leaving Reeve alone in his office. He twirled his untouched brandy in his glass and continued to stare at the door.

"Sometimes I forget." He placed the glass on the desktop and pulled his calendar towards him. He now had a gala to plan.

Chapter Text

Cloud hung up the phone, upset that he had to turn down a job offer from Reeve Tuesti. While not officially a member of the WRO, Cloud frowned, because his friend tended to call him with some of the dirty work that had to be kept confidential. He liked to help when he could. It made him feel useful, and gave him a sense of fulfillment. Like…

Like I belong in this world.

He scowled at his phone and pushed it back into his pocket. If he had to be honest with himself, Cloud was starting to question why Reeve was so dependent on him. Sure, being a bounty hunter and bringing in the criminals was honorable work. He didn’t even mind asking questions in his travels, to see if there was any information he could pass along to the WRO. But lately, the requests that Reeve has been making were starting to make him… uncomfortable. Asking questions was one thing. 

Sneaking into offices or stealing products was another. 

Besides, Cloud was nowhere near Kalm right now, where Reeve wanted him to go. There was a small bottle that Reeve wanted to get his hands on, and it was important. So important that he would not give any more details other than: “It’s dangerous.”

Another day, perhaps. For now, he was slammed at his actual job. Apparently, a competitor of his raised their prices, and they all turned to Strife Delivery Service. He remembered last night at dinner, when he came home exhausted, to see Barett and Marlene there. Barett threw his head back and laughed.

“So much for loyalty! Everyone dropped them like a chocobo turd.” His friend laughed some more, Marlene and Tifa joining in.

It was true. His main competitor, Chocobo Sam, had a long standing reputation of quality and loyalty. But try staying loyal when you can save a few gil.

Not for the first time, Cloud thought about hiring some help. It was difficult to find someone, though, who could handle themselves if they came across some trouble. They would also need their own vehicle. As they lived in a city, most citizens just used public transportation. 

He rubbed his face in frustration. Cloud could sit here and bemoan the fact that he needed help, or he could just keep going. So he kicked his bike into gear and kept going. 

It had been a gloomy, rainy day. Despite his outward appearance, Vincent did not care for it, especially when he was traveling. The rain seeped into his clothes and made him feel cold. 

He was almost to Kalm, and he wanted nothing more than to get to the inn and sit down in the warmth. Vincent was tired. Maybe Kalm would be his last stop, before traveling back to Nibelheim. It had been six, almost seven, years of being on the planet’s surface and there was nothing here for him. The only one who even reached out to him was gone.

Vincent knew Yuffie Kisaragi was dead. The statistics did not lie. When a person, especially a woman, went missing the chances of them being dead were, sadly, high. Most people did not even survive three days after they went missing. But Vincent was trying to keep hope. 

The soft lights of the small city glowed in the distance. Vincent stepped up onto the still broken road and walked towards the walled-in town. 

“Help…”

Vincent stopped.

“Please…”

A very young, very feminine voice drifted through the wind. Whoever it was, she was hurt and scared. Vincent immediately turned his head to see if he could find her. All he could see was the rain drenched road.

“Where are you?” Vincent asked.

A sob rang out. The gunslinger turned his body to the sound and quickly moved to an old, broken down bench. He stooped down and looked underneath, and saw a young child curled up- knees to chest. She was young, blonde, and had her face bruised.

She has to be almost as old as Barret’s daughter.

“Hello.” Vincent said tentatively. He knew he could be scary to almost everyone, especially children. He did not try to smile. It usually sets people off kilter, but it seemed like the child was so grateful to see someone. “Are you alright?”

“Please… I’m hurt.” The young child sniffed.

Vincent felt his heart break. If that was a thing that could even happen. 

“Are you able to crawl out of there? I have restore materia. I can heal you.”

The girl nodded, wiped her nose on her sleeve, and began to come out from underneath the bench. Vincent looked her over- in addition to her bruised face, there was a tear in her coat sleeve and she was favoring her right ankle. 

“May I ask what happened to you?”

The girl shook her head. She reached up, pulled herself up on the bench, and sat patiently for Vincent to heal her. He knew the instant she felt better, because exhaustion kicked in and she fell forward into his arms.

Well. Looks like I am booking two rooms at the inn tonight.

The next morning came without the rain and dark clouds. Vincent was glad for it, it would make traveling to Nibelheim much easier and more comfortable. He woke up, thought to have a quick breakfast before leaving, then stopped.

The girl.

So now he found himself standing outside the room he paid for her, lifting his fist up to knock on the door. 

I could just leave her here. She is not my responsibility. Vincent knocked on the door despite himself. But she is so young. 

There was movement behind the door, so he knew she was still there.  There was a loud grating noise and then a bit of scrambling. 

She must have moved a chair to look through the peephole. Smart girl.

“Good morning.” He said through the door, stiffly. “Are you feeling better?”

Behind him he heard a door open then close. A tall man walked by, nodding his head towards Vincent in a general greeting before moving on. Vincent watched as he walked away. In addition to being very tall, he was also very burly- big enough to match even Barret’s stature. Something about the man made the gunslinger feel uncomfortable.

The door to the little girl’s room opened up, pulling Vincent out of his thoughts. The pretty girl now stood in front of him, smiling shyly. 

“Hello.” She folded her arms around herself, making sure one hand rested on her chest. “Thank you for all your help last night, sir.”

Vincent gave the girl a nod of his head and hummed. “May I ask what happened to you?”

The little girl opened her mouth, but then a fearful look filled her tiny features and she grabbed Vincent’s gauntleted hand and pulled him into the room. Vincent let her and the door was shut behind him. 

“He’s here!”

The panic in her whisper sent him on high alert. Vincent squatted down to be eye level with her and matched her tone’s volume. 

“Who is? What’s going on?” 

“The tall man! He wants what I have, but I can’t give it to him!” The girl pulled something out of her shirt. It was a small leather pouch and Vincent assumed that something valuable was inside.

Vincent held his hand out. “May I?”

The girl was hesitant, but she seemed to trust him, and she took the pouch’s string off her neck and handed it to him. There was a small vial in there, glowing a nice light green. To any eye, it looked like mako.

“Ex-MAK.” Vincent locked his eyes on the young girls. Her eyes were a very light blue, and with her blonde hair and scared look, she seemed very fragile. She nodded her head in agreement. “Why do you have this?”

“It’s very dangerous. A new ‘strain’, is what my Daddy said. My Daddy told me to take it and run, before…” Tears welled up in her eyes. “They killed him. And the tall man tried to kill me too, but I got away!”

“What's your name?” 

The girl wrapped her arms around herself again. “Hannah.”

“Hannah.” Vincent stood up, looking down at the vial of one of the most illegal substances on the planet. One that was made even deadlier than the original. “Where are you from?”

“Kalm.” Hannah reached out her hand, silently asking for the vial back.

Vincent made no move to give it to her. He wanted more information. This girl was way too young to have this burden on her. Combined with the fact that she had been hurt before, he thought that if he left her alone, she would wind up dead. That was something he could help prevent.

“Hannah, do you have any family you can go home too?”

Hannah hesitated. Vincent realized that the subject of home, especially after the recent death of her father, might be painful for her. She looked down at the ground, sniffing back her tears. Her light blonde hair shifted to cover her face. 

“My Aunt Remy lives in Edge.”

Vincent nodded. “I can help you get there.”

Hannah looked up at him, tears freely running down her small face. She nodded her head. 

“And I will make sure this vial gets to the proper authorities, if you’d let me have it.”

Hannah gasped. “No!”

Vincent simply stared down at her, feeling the tiny bottle in his hand. “It’s dangerous.”

Hannah stood up straighter, setting her tiny body in a defiant stance. The tears still tracked down along her cheeks. “Daddy told me to keep that safe. I’ll take it to the police.” 

Vincent sighed.

“Give it back to me!” Hannah held her hand out. “Please, Mr…?”

“Valentine.”

Despite her situation, Hannah smiled. “Your name is pretty.”

Vincent felt the exhaustion start to seep into his bones. He handed the vial over to her. Hannah smiled, placed it in her pouch, then shuffled her feet.

“Hannah. Let me call my friend. He is head of the WRO. Do you know what that is?”

“Well, yeah. I’m not stupid.”

Vincent pulled out his cell phone. He was getting tired of talking, and he wanted to make sure this girl got to Edge safely. So he called Reeve Tuesti to arrange transportation.

Kalm, despite its name, was a busy city. A lot of people were traveling to and from places, making it easy to blend into the crowd. Vincent liked the cover. If Hannah’s story was to be believed, they would want to stay as hidden as they could be. He and the young girl stayed at the inn for the few hours it would take for Reeve to send some safe transportation for them. 

But now it was time to go.

Vincent held Hannah’s hand as they walked through the town. He did not want to lose the small child, especially after she described the ‘tall man’ to him. They were almost to the northern gate of town when Vincent heard the commotion. He turned his head to look, and saw at least half a dozen of Kalm’s peace officers heading their way.

“Halt!”

Vincent stopped. Hannah grasped his hand tighter and moved to hide herself behind him.

“Can I help you, officer?” Vincent asked, attempting to sound polite. 

“Sir, is this your daughter?” The officer asked, looking at Hannah who had peeked around Vincent’s waist.

Vincent went on guard. “No, sir. I am escorting her to her Aunt in Edge.” He gently pushed Hannah back, ready to grab her if he needed to. “I am a friend of the family.”

“Really? Well, friend, this young lady’s father is looking for her. He never mentioned a trip to Edge.” 

Vincent sneered. It was time to drop the act. 

“Her father is dead.”

The peace officer stepped forward, attempting to grab at the girl. Vincent blocked his hand.

“If you take her to her supposed ‘father’, she will die. Let me take her to Edge.”

“Sir, you are obstructing justice!”

“Hannah!” A booming voice sounded. A tall man, one Vincent recognized from the inn, emerged from the crowd. “Thank god you’re safe.”

Hannah gasped in terror, tears pricking at her eyes. Vincent did not hesitate. As soon as the man reached for the young girl, Vincent pushed him away from the child, upsetting the balance of the men in front of them. Then he twisted around, fanning his cape out and grabbed Hannah underneath her armpits. She was light enough to carry and soon, Vincent was running, Hannah’s arms wrapped around his shoulders.

Vincent stepped up on a pile of crates, scaled a bit of a wall, and was suddenly up on the rooftops of Kalm. The young girl clung to him, her arms wrapped tightly around him. Vincent just kept moving, knowing that eventually, the peace officers would stand back up and pursue them.

Getting as much space between them and their enemy was a priority.

The caped man ducked behind a building that held a rooftop deck. He took a second to get his bearings, then went in the direction of the northern gate. If he could get to the car that the WRO provided, Hannah would be safe.

Why am I doing this? Vincent asked himself, then heard shouting behind him. Damn my gallantry. She’s too young to die. 

He made it to the wall and easily jumped a small distance to land on top of it. They were exposed now, but it would only be for a short while. Vincent ran, hearing his golden sabatons click as he ran over the rock.

Hannah was silent. She had her face buried into his shoulder, opting to not look at what was happening around her. Vincent could feel her tears sock through his shirt, however.

Suddenly, loud popping sounds filled the air, followed quickly by shouting. Vincent did not turn his head to look. He knew who was shooting at him. All he had to do was keep moving, as the gate was approaching. 

He then felt a burning sensation in his right shoulder. Vincent hissed at the unexpected pain, then decided it was time to leave the wall. He gripped his bundle closer to him, then unceremoniously jumped from the wall, landing on the opposite side of the town. The second his feet touched the ground he was moving again, using trees as cover.

It only took a moment to reach the north gate. Vincent stopped. Of course, the peace officers were surrounding the place. They were also currently talking to a man in an official WRO van.

Shit.

“Mr. Valentine? You’re bleeding.” Hannah whispered into his ear.

“I’ll be okay.” Vincent quietly replied, shifting the small child to his left side. He looked down at her and frowned- her cheek had a bright red spot. Vincent reached down, grabbed a corner of his cape, and wiped his blood off of the child.

“Thank you.”

Vincent’s focus went back to the van, hearing the vehicle’s engine turn over. The van began to drive away.

“We’ll have to walk for a while.” Vincent made sure of his grip. “Let me carry you for a bit. We’ll go faster. I want to put some distance between us and Kalm.”

Hannah nodded her agreement. “Mr. Valentine, you’re still hurt.”

Vincent wanted to smile, but was afraid that it would scare the child. “I heal fast. Don’t worry about me.”

With that, Vincent took his charge and made his way into the woods.

A couple hours later, the two were walking by a small river. Vincent felt better now- his shoulder no longer pained him as much, and they had not seen anyone for miles.

Hannah had grown more comfortable with Vincent. She began talking, chattering away about anything. Her school, her Aunt Remy in Edge, and her father. Vincent found that he did not mind letting the young child talk. In fact, it reminded him of his friend, Yuffie. The young ninja loved to blather on about nonsense, and after a few years, Vincent had gotten used to it.

“Hannah.” Vincent interrupted  the young girl. 

“Yes, Mr. Valentine?” Hannah smiled. She loved his name. 

“Can you please tell me what happened the other night?”

The smile faded from her face. She reached up to the pouch around her neck, holding it close to her.

“My.. my daddy was working. He always worked at night. I don’t know where he worked, but he was never happy. I don’t know why. He hadn’t worked in so long, not since Shinra shut down. He helped the scientist there as an assistant. I thought he would be happy about finding a job.” Hannah carefully stepped over the ground, careful of the river next to her. “He came home and gave me this pouch. He told me to run, to get to Edge and give it to the WRO. They were waiting for it.” 

“That is a lot to ask of you.”

Hannah sniffed. “Daddy said I was the only one he could trust. Then, after I delivered it, I should go to Aunt Remy’s house.”

“What else did he say?”

“He told me to tell the police that it was a new ‘strain’, whatever that means. And that it was in Kalm. It was extremely dangerous.”

Vincent hummed. He looked around, but no one was near them. “Then what happened?”

Hannah stopped. Vincent stopped as well and looked down at her, waiting patiently for her to speak.

“The tall man came and… he killed my Dad.” Hannah’s voice cracked, and she sucked in a deep breath. “I was scared. I hid in my room, hoping he wouldn’t see me. The man was searching for the vial. When I heard him open my door, I ran. I jumped out my window.”

There was silence. Hannah was fully crying now, her sobs beginning to wrack her body. She was acting as if she had done the wrong thing.

“There is no shame in running.” Vincent assured her. “I’ve done so, many times. I did it today.”

Hannah wiped her face with her sleeve.

“What happened after?”

“I got hurt when I jumped. I was slow and…” Hannah wiped her face again. “He almost caught me. He hit me across the face, but I kept running. I hid until I couldn’t hear him anymore.”

“Is that when I found you?”

Hannah nodded. The young girl let the pouch go, and Vincent watched as it dangled from her neck. As long as this girl had that pouch, she was a target. Vincent looked off into the distance.

“If we keep moving we can hit the outskirts of Midgar by nightfall. Then it is only a small journey to Edge.” Vincent turned and began walking again. “I have friends who live in the city as well. If we get there before morning, we can stay with them.”

“Are you going to call them?” 

Vincent heard Hannah begin to walk as well, and she quickly appeared at his side. Vincent was confused for a moment.

“Why would I do that?”

“Because it's rude to just show up at someone’s house uninvited! Especially when you are not alone.” Hannah wiped her nose again, but Vincent was glad to see that she had a bit of spunk back in her. “You should call them.”

Vincent sighed. He was still not used to the idea of always having a device on his person that allowed anyone to contact him at any time. He also was not used to having it charged, and he wondered if he remembered to do so last night at the inn. Vincent flipped his cell phone open and stared at the screen. The battery symbol said it was low, but he still had life left in it. He looked for the button that brought up his contacts list. There were not many people in it- his listings read as 7th Heaven (Tifa <3), Cloud is a Butthead, WRO Reeve and Yuffie the Magnificent. The young ninja was responsible for putting this phone together for him when he got it around four years ago.

Hannah looked at his phone, her tiny face scrunched up in confusion. 

“What is it?”

“That's your phone? It's so old!” Hannah pointed at the machine. “Does it even work?”

Vincent scoffed. “Of course it does.”

To prove so, he clicked down to Cloud’s name and hit the green button. The phone gave a tinny ringing noise as the call connected. Vincent brought the phone to his ear and waited.

“Vincent.”

“Cloud.”

There was a beat. 

“Anything wrong?”

Vincent looked down at Hannah, wondering how to explain this. “I am helping a young girl escape from Kalm. We need to get to Edge. Is it alright if I bring her to the bar if we get in late?”

“Of course.” Vincent heard Cloud as he moved around, clicking shut a compartment on his motorcycle. “I would come to you if I could. I’m in Corel. Call Tifa, let her know you’re coming.”

“All right.” Vincent brought the phone down, pressed the red button, and looked over at Hannah who looked aghast. “What?”

“You didn’t say goodbye! Or hello! Don’t you have any manners?”

Vincent rolled his eyes. He was starting to feel tired. He decided to ignore his charge and clicked on Tifa’s name. The bar phone rang a few times before the owner answered. He heard music playing in the background, along with some chatter from patrons.

“Hello! Seventh Heaven, Tifa speaking. How can I help you?” Tifa’s warm voice filled his head. It was amazing to Vincent how calming his friend could be. 

He locked eyes with Hannah. “ Hello , Tifa.” 

Hannah nodded in approval.

“Vincent?”

“Yes. I have a request. I’m helping a young girl get to Edge. Cloud said I can bring her to the bar tonight and rest.” Vincent explained, longing to hang up the phone. He rarely used the damn thing and now this was the third time it was at his ear. 

“Of course! Is she hurt? Is everything okay? What's her name?” Tifa asked, her words coming out rapidly. 

Instead of replying, Vincent simply handed the phone to Hannah. “Go ahead. Talk to her. Her name is Tifa. She’s nice.”

Nervously, Hannah took the phone and held it to her ear. “Hello, Miss Tifa.”

Hannah heard the older woman gasp in her ear. “Oh my! You sound so nice. What's your name, sweetie?”

“Hannah.” A smile formed on the young girl’s lips, and she held the phone closer to her ear. Vincent sighed in relief. Tifa always knew how to talk to people.

“Hello, Hannah. My name is Tifa, and I own a restaurant and bar in Edge. I hear you might come visit me.”

Vincent left the two ladies to talk and walked around the area. Ever since the end of mako use, vegetation and the like were starting to grow again. There was so much more green in the world. As such, more critters were scurrying amongst the leaves. More birds flew in the sky. More trees had begun to grow. Vincent thought it was nice. It reminded him a bit of how it was like when he was a young child almost sixty years ago.

It was amazing how fast things could heal.

Hannah tugged on his sleeve and handed the phone to Vincent. “She wants to talk to you.”

Vincent nodded, took the phone, and put it to his ear. Tifa must have known he was there, because she immediately started talking. “How far from Edge are you?”

“About twelve or so miles now. We are coming from the northern gate.”

“Where are you specifically?”

“Walking along Windmill River. Heading north.”

Tifa had turned the music off and Vincent could hear her quickly move around. “Keep moving. Hannah told me about that man, and there are reports of a kidnapped child. I assume that’s you. I’ll meet you as soon as I can. I think you might need some help.”

Before he had a chance to argue, or even to say anything, Tifa hung up the phone on him. He placed the phone back in his pocket, wishing to not see it again for a long while, and reached out to take Hannah’s hand. He began walking a little faster. 

“We need to go.”

About two hours had passed. The two had yet to come across anything, but Vincent was starting to be a little nervous. They were getting close to civilization, and if Tifa’s comment about a kidnapper in the news was true, it could be a little more dangerous. He wasn’t worried about himself, though. 

He was worried about Hannah, who over the last hour, was getting tired and moving more slowly. It was obvious she wasn’t used to such a long trek on foot, and with all the stress that she had gone through in the last forty eight hours, it was no wonder she was exhausted.

So Vincent stopped. Even his own muscles felt relieved by it, but he was told to keep moving, so he was going to. That didn’t mean that Hannah had to, though.

“Are you getting tired?”

“A little. Can we rest for a bit?”

Vincent shook his head. “No. But you can.”

He held his arms out and Hannah took the invitation. She walked into them, holding her own arms up. Once she was in his arms, she looped her own around his shoulders and rested her head on him. He kept walking. Soon, he heard her soft snoring. He smiled to himself. It almost made him feel like he was human… if, maybe if things had been different, all those years ago…

Vincent decided to focus on moving. Long moments of silence passed. Vincent wondered about Tifa, his friend, and if she was anywhere close to him.

About another hour passed before he had his answer. Still holding on to the sleeping child, he heard soft footsteps coming towards him. He was fairly certain it was Tifa, but just in case, Vincent stepped away from the river and hid in the brush that was overgrown. Hannah shifted in his arms and groggily woke up.

“Mr. Vale-”

Vincent pressed a finger to her lips. Hannah, being the smart girl that she was, quieted down and stayed still in his arms.

Vincent kept his eyes towards the river. Tifa Lockhart walked into his field of vision and he felt a relief spread through him. He stood up, alerting his friend, who immediately went into a defensive stance. When she noticed it was Vincent, she dropped it. The gunslinger stepped out of the vegetation.

“Vincent.” Tifa smiled at the child he held. “Hello, Hannah. It’s nice to meet you.”

Vincent lowered Hannah to the ground. She turned to look at the pretty woman, a small smile on her lips. 

“Nice to meet you too, Miss Tifa.” Hannah didn’t seem nervous around her at all, which Vincent was glad about. “Thank you for your help.”

“You’re so polite!” Tears pricked the corners of Tifa’s eyes. Vincent knew that Tifa immediately had fallen in love with the child.

“My Daddy says that there is no profit in being rude.”

Vincent chuckled. He couldn't help it. After spending the last twenty four hours with the child, he couldn’t help but feel a fondness for her. Now that he had some help, he felt like they were going to succeed in this mission.

Tifa squatted down in front of Hannah and frowned. “I’m sorry to hear about your Dad.”

Hannah looked at the ground.

“You know, I lost my Dad too.” Tifa told the child, her voice soft and full of sorrow. “He was killed by someone I once thought a hero.”

Hannah sniffed. “I miss him.” Her tiny voice sounded so broken. Vincent was reminded that in spite of all the strength she had shown, this little girl had gone through so much pain.

Both of them had. 

“I do too.” Tifa replied and held her arms out, open for the child. 

Hannah rushed into them, needing to be enveloped in love and understanding. Vincent gave them the moment they needed, but he knew they would have to keep moving soon. 

“Tifa.”

The young lady let go of Hannah and stood up. Her crimson eyes were full of determination now.

“Are we far from Edge?”

“Not very far. I’ve only been walking for about an hour. I left my truck hidden by the edge of the forest.” Tifa pushed a piece of hair behind her ear. “Figured it might be quicker than walking the entire way.”

“And the news reports?”

“Describe you in perfect detail. The WRO are trying to silence it, but sensationalism is winning that battle.”

“Let’s go quickly, then.” Vincent touched Hannah’s shoulder to get her attention. “Are you still tired?”

Hannah shook her head. “I’m fine.”

The trio made their way towards Tifa’s truck. It was a giant green monstrosity, more rust than steel. Tifa lovingly started it up and moved it out of the hiding spot, obviously ignoring the smoke billowing out behind her.

“Are you sure this would be faster than walking?” Vincent asked while opening the door so Hannah could climb in.

“There is nothing wrong with my truck!” Tifa said, sounding like she had said that line many times before. “Besides, we don’t have time. We’ve got company.”

Vincent looked behind him and saw a black SUV coming right for them. It was quickly followed by another. 

He quickly jumped into the bed of Tifa’s truck. Tifa hit the gas, had the truck backfire for a second, then the truck lurched forward and started speeding towards Edge.

Vincent held onto the side of the truck, eyes trained on the two black vehicles. They were definitely following them, and gaining distance quickly. He watched as an arm, followed by a torso, leaned out of a window, aiming a gun at them.

Vincent brought out his own gun- Death Penalty, his favorite. He trained the long range weapon on the vehicle, lining up his shot, putting the tire perfectly into his line of sight…

… only to fall back on his butt as Tifa swerved the truck. He heard the sound of gunfire, but it wasn’t coming from the side.

It was coming from the front. 

Vincent righted himself and looked over the cab of the truck. Coming right for them was another black SUV.

“Shit!” He heard Tifa yell. “Get to the floor, sweetie!”

Vincent saw the gunfire aim for the green truck. Tifa turned the wheel, and the bullets hit the driver’s side of the truck. Tifa kept up her speed, the old truck shaking with the effort.

Death Penalty was aimed for the trouble maker and made quick work of stopping the SUV’s engine. Fire started flowing out from underneath its hood, and the passengers of the vehicle jumped out before the inevitable explosion.

He heard Hannah scream.

“It’s okay! Just stay down!” Tifa gasped, straightening her wheels and going straight for the city that was starting to come into view.

“You're hurt!” Hannah yelled.

Vincent ducked down and shoved his head through the open back window of the truck cab. 

“Tifa!”

“I’m fine!” Tifa kept her eyes forward, but Vincent saw the paleness of her skin. 

Vincent pulled his head out of the cab and looked around him. Another black SUV had joined the chase, followed by another. They seemed to be coming from Kalm. Vincent was worried about being outnumbered. Then he heard something large behind him. Large, and fast. He turned his head to look to the sky.

A small airship, one designed for speed, was rushing past them. The airship was low to the ground, too low for normal travel. The back end of it opened up, a ramp descending. Vincent watched as a lone figure hurried off the ramp, not waiting for the airship to land, or even for the ramp to stop moving. 

Cloud Strife, sitting on top of his beloved motorcycle, practically flew off the ramp and landed on the ground. He kept his balance by some miracle and zoomed towards the truck. Quickly, he pulled out his fusion sword, and zipped past them. Vincent noticed him look into the cab, but he didn’t linger. Vincent pointed Death Penalty towards the closest SUV and pulled the trigger. 

The window shattered. The driver slumped against the wheel, and the vehicle began veering off to the right. Cloud maneuvered Fenrir around the car and sped towards the remaining three. The sound of metal on metal grated in Vincent’s ears, but very quickly their pursuers were down by two more vehicles. 

Vincent pulled another shot and managed to get a tire on one of the remaining vehicles. He watched as Cloud turned around and began speeding up to be close to the truck, apparently deciding it was better to offer support close by.

“Vincent!” 

Tifa’s warning came too late. Vincent had not noticed a small car coming towards them, and the car slammed into the side of the truck. Vincent flew from the cab and rolled in the dirt for a moment before stopping. He felt his air being pushed out from his lungs, and fought to gain air. He forced himself to push himself up on his arms, looking for Tifa’s truck. 

Tifa gasped in pain as she moved her body. She heard a loud thump in the bed of her truck, and looked in the rearview mirror. There stood an impossibly large man, looking down at them in the cab.

“Okay, Hannah, I need you to do something. Come here.” Tifa said gently, hoping the girl wouldn’t look behind them.

Hannah climbed back onto the bench seat. She shifted close to Tifa. “Are you okay?”

Tifa grabbed her small hand and placed it on the wheel. “Okay. When I move, slam your foot on the right pedal. Don’t move the wheel unless you are about to hit something.” 

“What?!”

“On three. One, two… three!” 

Tifa pushed herself backwards through the open cab window, rolling her weight on her shoulder and quickly standing upright in the bed of the truck. There was some hesitation as Hannah shifted into the driver’s seat, but the young girl listened to her and soon the truck was picking up speed again.

There was no time nor need for introductions. The tall man lunged towards Tifa, but she ducked down and rolled between his legs. She felt the pain burn in her side, but she focused instead on her entire body instead, feeling the strength she still had. Her foot swept out, hooking on the stranger’s, and forcing him down. He hit the floor of the bed, hard. Tifa bounced up, found her footing, and reached down to pick this man up. Her plan was to toss him over the side. 

But the man grabbed her leg, and pulled. Tifa felt her feet slip, but the man’s hold wasn’t firm, and she managed to escape his grasp. When she backed up towards the back of the truck, the man stood up again, and fell back on the cab when the truck hit a pothole. He used the momentum to push himself forward, reaching out for the martial artist.

Tifa kicked out, her foot smacking his hands away. Then she punched forward, catching the man in the gut, making him double over. 

“Tifa!” 

She did not look behind her when she heard Cloud. Her focus was on her breathing, on keeping her weight in her feet, and smacking the absolute shit out of this villian. The two exchanged blows for a few moments, and Tifa heard gunfire behind her. Vincent must have caught up to them. How, she wasn’t going to worry about it. 

Vincent was sitting behind Cloud on Fenrir, his gun smoking from its most recent shot. Now they only had to deal with the small silver car that was trailing the truck, and the fiend that had managed to get into the cab. Tifa was fighting well, but Vincent noticed that she was hurt. Blood was flowing down her side. 

He felt the tension in the young man in front of him. He stayed close to the truck instead of dealing with the offending vehicle, and Vincent knew it was because he was afraid that his friend was going to fall soon. 

Tifa cried out in pain. Cloud’s shoulders tensed, and Fenrir came up close to the side of the truck. The tall man had Tifa wrapped in his arms, pressing his hand down on her wound. He squeezed her and Tifa’s face turned white. 

“Tifa!” Cloud yelled again, preparing to jump off the bike. 

Vincent cocked his gun and sent a powerful blast at the man, who got hit in the shoulder. It was enough to make him drop Tifa, who fell in a heap in the bed of the truck. The man looked down to them and decided that the fight wasn’t worth it. He deftly jumped over the other side. 

“Cloud, focus.” Vincent was calm, and it seemed to have a great effect on the young man. “We’re in the city limits. They’ve backed off.”

Cloud was tense as they followed the girls, but soon Tifa had stood back up and quickly made her way to the front of her truck. She jumped into the cab, feet first, and soon the truck had screeched to a stop. Fenrir slowed down, circling the truck, keeping the ladies safe as Tifa and Hannah shifted seats again. 

“Okay!” Tifa called out, and the truck groaned as it moved forward.

Cloud stopped circling and followed the truck as it moved through the streets of the city. Tifa guided them to the makeshift police station, where the truck finally gave a final sigh and died. 

Vincent and Cloud slid to a stop by the truck, with Cloud quickly jumping out of the seat and rushing to the driver side door. 

“Tifa.” Cloud pulled open the door and reached in.

Vincent made his way to the passenger side door and gently opened it. Hannah twisted in her seat and looked at Vincent, tears running down her cheeks. 

“Tifa’s hurt!” 

“It’s okay, sweetie.” Tifa said, and all eyes focused on her. “The bullet didn’t go too far.” 

She grimaced as Cloud pushed and pulled, and soon he had the bullet in between his fingers and he handed it to Tifa. 

“It didn’t hit anything vital.” A green light glowed from his bracer as he cast Curaga on Tifa, whose features began to relax. “Thank the gods.” He muttered under his breath. Only Tifa had heard him, and she smiled warmly at him. 

“Come on, Hannah. We’re here.” Vincent said softly, reaching his hand out for the child to take. 

Hannah hesitated, not wanting to leave Tifa, but she took his hand and slid out of the truck. As they walked up the steps to the police station, Hannah looked up at Vincent.

“Who is that man? Is he Tifa’s boyfriend?”

Hannah’s Aunt Remy made it to the public safety offices soon after they arrived, and sobbed as she crushed Hannah into her arms. Cloud and Tifa had followed her in, and they smiled at the sight. Reno and Rude entered the waiting room they were in, nodding to the adults. 

“Hello all. Heard you guys had an exciting day.” Reno pushed his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels. 

Rude made his way to Hannah and her Aunt, squatting down to be eye to eye with Hannah. “Hello. My name is Rude. May I ask for your name?”

“Hannah.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, Hannah. My partner and I would like to take you and your aunt and ask you some questions. Is that alright?”

Hannah nodded, and held her Aunt’s hand as they followed Rude out the door. Reno passed, throwing a wink at Tifa, who blushed and smiled. Cloud glowered at him. Suddenly, Hannah stopped, and rushed back into the room.

“Mr. Valentine!” 

Vincent turned towards her, and found himself being hugged. Hannah wrapped her arms around his waist, and she held him tightly for a moment. Vincent laid a hand on the top of her head. 

“Thank you, for everything.”

Vincent smiled at her. “Anytime.”

Hannah pulled away from him, stepped back, and reached underneath her shirt. She pulled out the pouch and took it off of her neck. Handing it to Vincent, she smiled. 

“Make sure this gets to the right person?” She asked, her eyes full of trust. 

Vincent took the pouch. “I will.”

Reno stepped forward, hand outstretched. “I’ll take it.”

Vincent placed the pouch in his pocket. “I’ll deliver it to Director Tuesti myself. Thank you.”

Reno curled his fingers in the air before dropping his hand. He nodded, then followed the small child as she walked out of the waiting room, leaving the three remaining behind. 

Tifa let out a sigh. “That was an interesting afternoon.” She turned to Cloud. “How did you get here so fast?”

“Called in a favor with Cid. Luckily he had an airship nearby, and sent the crew to get me.” 

“Are you alright, Tifa?” Vincent asked, seeing the blood still on her ruined shirt. 

Tifa smiled at him. “I’m fine. Completely cured.”

“Are you going to give that to Reeve? What is it?” Cloud asked, pointing at Vincent’s pocket. 

“A vial of Ex-MAK. New strain. Hannah’s father was killed for it.” 

“That’s awful.” Cloud frowned.

“At least she is safe here, in Edge. I noticed the last car didn’t follow us into the city. Why is that?” Tifa wondered, her hand resting on her chin. It was such a familiar motion that Vincent found himself thinking of their travels together six years ago. 

“I think he didn’t want to bring any attention to his boss. Whoever that is.” Cloud mused, his brows furrowed in thought. “That means they are in Edge.”

“I think they know that the vial is in WRO’s custody now. They wouldn’t be stupid to try to retrieve it now.” Vincent looked towards the door. “Nevertheless, I’d like an eye kept on Hannah and her Aunt. I’ll speak to Reeve about that.”

“No worries. We will.” Tifa assured him, leaning forward and smiling. 

“Yeah. No harm will come to her.” Cloud agreed. 

Vincent looked at his young friends and nodded in agreement. “Thank you. I should get this to Reeve.”

“Let us know if you ever need anything.” Cloud said, reaching out and touching Tifa’s arm. “Let’s get you home. I’ll come back for your hunk of junk later and get it towed.”

“Excuse me, but my beauty got us here! Give her some respect!” Tifa fought, and followed Cloud out of the building. The two teased and bickered the entire way. 

Vincent took a few moments to breathe and enjoy the silence. It was the first time in what felt like a long time that he was alone. He sat down in a plastic seat and closed his eyes. He refocused on himself. Assessed to see if he needed healing himself. 

Found that he was missing having a chatty brat by his side. 

Vincent pushed himself up off the chair and made his way out the door. He had to make a delivery before he started up his search again.

Chapter Text

(Please support these amazing artists! You can find you_light_the_sky on AO3 and X. You can find Ro_X_e on X and Kofi!)

Seventh Heaven was slow when Reeve Tuesti walked in. A couple of customers looked up and watched as the dignified gentleman approached the bar, wondering why a big-wig would come and walk among them. But when he reached the counter the pretty barmaid smiled, and her customers decided to leave them be and return to their drinks.

"Good evening, Miss Lockhart."

Tifa laughed. "Well, good evening, Mister Tuesti."

"I trust everything is well. May I steal a minute of your time?"

"You may have as much time as you like, if you relax a bit. What's going on, Reeve?"

Reeve sighed, then pulled out a bar stool. Tifa sensed that he was more nervous than stressed, so she simply stood back and let him get comfortable.

"The WRO is holding a banquet in a month to celebrate another successful year. We have expanded, made peace with Wutai, helped many people... everyone thought a party was in order." Reeve explained.

Tifa grimaced. "Everyone, or your mystery benefactor?"

Reeve looked ashamed, then angry. A slight red tinged his cheeks. "I could be using the time and resources to help build... I don't know... better roads in and out of Edge. Feed the hungry. Even wash some windows."

"Or..." Tifa leaned against the counter. "You could enjoy a party. It's not a crime. Think of it this way; it would be showing the world that everything truly is alright if you invite diplomats from other parts and enjoy a peaceful gathering together. It would build morale- something everyone is lacking lately."

Reeve sighed and placed his hands on Tifa's. "It would be good for appearances." Reeve blushed, looking suddenly child-like as nerves settled into his stomach. He quickly cleared his throat and composed himself- he was not a school yard boy anymore.

"I was hoping you would like to accompany me to this event."

Reeve's heart sang when he saw the grin on Tifa's face. His insides began to settle down, and he found himself smiling in return.

"You mean- get a fancy dress, put makeup on and hob-knob with the rich and famous?" Tifa asked. "I've never been to such a formal gathering before- what do I do? What should I wear? OH! Is there going to be dancing?"

Reeve chuckled. "Yes. We are having a live band performing at the event."

Tifa laughed. "Yes! I would love to!" The tall brunette jumped a little in excitement, making her friend laugh.

"I'm glad." Reeve stood up and brushed himself off.

Tifa couldn't hide the smile on her face, even if she tried.

"This is gonna be so much fun!"

Cloud looked up at the sky, at the stars, at the heavens. He stood still, letting the slight wind blow against his strong body. He watched as the stars blinked. He watched as a cloud began passing by. He said hello; to his mother, his friend, and his family. He took a moment to appreciate them, to appreciate the fact that he was now here.

Cloud took a deep breath. A certain bite was in the air now, and Cloud was thinking of calling Barret to fill his oil tank for the upcoming winter. Tifa was always happier when it was about ninety-seven degrees at all times. He could care less. The cold was inviting; it was invigorating.

His neck was starting to hurt. A hand reached up and rubbed the back of it, relieving him of the soreness in his muscles and he came back down to earth. It was getting late and he needed to get home. He kicked Fenrir into drive and rode her smoothly into the city limits. He'd be home in about an hour; then he would take a hot shower, have a hot meal that would be delicious, and relax. Cloud was learning that it was alright to relax; to sit and read a book, or talk to a friend.

Maybe Tifa could teach him a new card game, if the bar was slow enough.

But, as always, he went home. He took his shower; but then locked himself in his room and sat on his bed. The stars were still staring at him; as if cruelly mocking him. He wanted to enjoy them so much, well, then they would keep him up all night. They wanted to taunt him, hurt him, humiliate him; he was worthless. Cloud did not deserve this happiness. He didn't deserve to relax.

His blonde head hit the wall behind him repeatedly as he tried to lull himself to sleep, refusing to look at the stars.

He hated nights like these. Cloud knew what was going to happen. He was going to sit right here for hours. He would replay everything in his head- Nibleheim, Midgar, Lost City... he would try to think of ways that he could have saved everybody. Somebody. Even if it meant that he would lose his own life.

If he was stronger... if he was smarter... if he was more cooperative... if he was better, everything would have been different.

A cruel laugh invaded his head. A light- hearted voice sang in his ear. Tifa’s smile lifted his heart, only to have his heart closed off to her.

You don’t deserve this. You don’t deserve her. What are you even thinking?

Cloud pushed the heel of his hand into his forehead and tried to shake these thoughts. No, it wouldn't do good. All the bad he did he could not take back. The universe would not allow that. He could pretend that things were going to get better. His friends would believe him, even if inside he felt a big, dark hole swirling around.

After sitting for hours, Cloud would eventually stand up. Adrenaline would rush through his body. If he wanted to be good, he would have to do good. He would have to be productive and help others. What better way than to start at home?

Tifa would be in bed for hours already. Cloud went down the stairs and to the garage, where next to Fenrir Tifa’s truck sat. It hardly worked, but maybe Cloud could fool around with it and get it going. It would help Tifa out greatly- she wouldn't have to walk everywhere, or take the shabbily put-together public transport system.

Cloud began tinkering, not stopping even as the sun rose and creeped into the windows. He continued even when he heard his room-mate start her day; smelling the coffee she was making and the slight burning from the old toaster they had. Tifa must have heard him working in the garage.

In a few minutes, while Cloud was trying to put the alternator back into the truck, Tifa quietly opened the door and poked her head around the corner.

"Good morning."

Cloud looked up and gave her a very tired smile. "G'morning."

"I made some toast. Want to join me?" Tifa said, opening up the door further and holding a cup of coffee out for him to take.

Cloud nodded and grabbed an old bar rag. He wiped his hands clean as much as he could and walked towards her. He gratefully took the coffee and allowed Tifa to lead him into the kitchen.

"I'm starving." Cloud said, sitting down at the table and grabbing a piece of toast. He smeared butter on it and took a big bite.

"When aren't you?" Tifa chuckled and pulled out a pan. "Does one of my world famous omelets sound good?"

"Extra everything, please!" Cloud forced the cheerfulness in his voice, even though he meant it. He really was happy to be sitting in his kitchen with a beautiful woman making him food.

"Rough night?" Tifa asked but did not bother to wait for his response. "After a good breakfast, I want you to take a hot shower and go to bed. You need sleep."

"I'm alright-"

"Cloud." Tifa's tone brooked no argument. "You need to rest.” 

“I promise. I will.” Cloud shoved the last piece of toast in his mouth. “How was your day yesterday?”

Tifa cracked eggs in a bowl and began to whisk them. “Reeve came by. He told me about a ball the WRO is hosting next month, we are all invited.”

Cloud sighed and picked up his coffee mug. “That… doesn’t sound like fun.”

Tifa, who was busy picking through spinach, seemed to falter a bit in her movements. “Actually, I’m excited. Reeve asked me to accompany him. There’s going to be dancing, and catering, and…”

Cloud spat into his coffee mug and frowned as he burned himself. “He what?”

Tifa felt a tiny bit of satisfaction. “I think he just wanted to bring a friend. But I’m still excited- I haven’t been dancing in so long.”

Cloud appeared to relax, though on the inside, he was fuming. I’m gonna have to talk to that man.

He kept his calm attitude all through breakfast, chatting amicably with his friend. Once he had finished his meal, Tifa sent him to bed.

He laid down on his mattress, the frown he had been hiding now on his face. Rest was not going to come easy, again.

(Please support these amazing artists! You can find you_light_the_sky on AO3 and X. You can find Ro_X_e on X and Kofi!)

Chapter Text

From The Society Pages of Edge, page 12:

"World Regeneration Organization will host an event on March Twelfth, to celebrate the unification of communication between all settlements. Only a select few have been invited. However, for a donation fee of five hundred gil, a ticket could be purchased."

From Edge News, page 4:

"More than forty people have been invited to the social event of the year. Diplomats and the high society will be brushing elbows at the first annual Unification event hosted by World Regeneration Organization, the helpful charity-driven government agency. Mr. Reeve Tuesti, figure head of the W.R.O, will be welcoming guests at the agency's headquarters. If the public wishes to attend, a small donation of five hundred gil will be your ticket in. The black tie event will be held on March Twelfth, seven at night."

Chapter Text

Once again, there were reports of dead men and women lying in the streets. Eyes blue. A grisly death- there were even rumors of hearts exploding, though Cloud doubted that. Then again, Cloud had seen some odd things happening before, so maybe hearts were exploding. One report had told of two young men who thought they could breathe underwater. When the bodies were brought up, it was found that they had a high level of X-MAK in their system.

X-MAK. Cloud knew there was a compound of mako in it, making people feel stronger. He felt the mako running through his own body. His muscles twitched and he controlled his breathing. He closed his eyes.

"I have to find this bakery." He murmured to himself. It was hidden, Cloud assumed in a suburb or a quiet part of town. If he could find it, he could find them. The big boss. The manufacturer of X-MAK. 

Cloud bolted up out of his desk chair and hurried down the steps. He passed by Tifa, who asked him confusedly where he was going, and left the house. There was a neighborhood, on the other side of town, designed to hold warehouses and businesses, but it never came to fruition. It was a quiet, unassuming place, but it was very reminiscent of the slums. 

A good place to start looking. 

Tifa stared at the door in confusion. Her roommate had busted through the door just as violently as he had left it, not talking. He had run upstairs, came down with his fusion sword, and left abruptly again.

Tifa sighed. She knew, if and when he came home, he would have blood that was not his own on him. He would be sullen and quiet. And she did not have the energy to try to drag him out of it.

So the barmaid flipped her 'closed' sign around and waited for customers. A few trickled in, and in a few hours, her bar was busy. Tifa relished in it. The day after payday was always her busiest day, even if for only a few hours. She was glad for the business, and glad that her cash register was quickly becoming full.

After a short while though, all her customers were fine nursing their liquor and chatting among each other. A few regulars sat at the bar and made her laugh. Yet, she felt a little lonely.

In a down moment at the bar, she sneaked into the back room and pulled out her phone. Tifa took a deep breath and went through her contact list.

The public safety offices were a bustling, busy and chaotic place to work. So many people walked in and out with complaints and requests for varying degrees of problems.

Reno thanked whatever gods that he didn’t have to deal with all that. He and Rude were in the Special Affairs office. It was an elite, premier division of public safety. As such, they did not have to answer just anyone’s requests.

Well, they still had to answer to one person. Their boss, Rufus Shinra. He routinely called to have them do various jobs for him. It was almost like they had never left the Turks.

Reno and Rude were currently in the office in Edge City. Rude was busy catching up on paperwork, filling the room with the sound of his typing. Reno appreciated the fact that his partner was such a dedicated worker.

As he was currently just tossing a ball up into the air and catching it, laying flat on his back while he did so. The couch in their office was comfortable. He could easily fall asleep…

Ring! Ring!

Reno groaned. 

“Boss man?” Rude asked as Reno looked at his phone screen.

Reno changed the grimace to a grin. “Nope. Beautiful lady.” He clicked the button and brought the phone to his ear.

“Hello, and thank you for calling 1-800-STUDS4U.”

Tifa’s laugh filled his head. That lady really knew how to make a man’s blood boil.

“Oh, darn, I dialed the wrong number.” She replied, still giggling. “I thought I’d settle for Reno.”

“What can I do for you?” Reno sat up on the couch.

“I was wondering about having dinner tomorrow night.”

“Depends on who with.”

Tifa laughed again. “With one of the studs.” 

“He’ll pick you up at seven.” Reno grinned. A date with a beautiful woman? He could kick his feet and giggle non-stop. A gaggle of elphadunks couldn’t keep him away.

After saying their goodbyes, Reno felt a surge of energy course through his entire body. He pushed off the couch, leaped over a small table and went to Rude’s side.

“Good news?” His partner asked.

“Remember that girl that you didn’t want me to see? The one where you threatened me with bodily harm?”

Rude rolled his eyes. “Oh no.”

“Oh, yes! Third date tomorrow night. Third date! You know what that means?”  

Rude scowled. “You’ll finally get a handshake?”

Reno smacked the back of his bald head. “Okay, okay. She’s playing hard to get. But this time, she called me . You know what that means?” 

“She’s broke and hungry.”

Reno smacked his head again. “Don’t be jealous.”

Rude fixed the sunglasses on his face. Reno pushed some papers on the desk and sat down. 

“Fine. What does it mean?”

“It means, after all these years, Tifa finally likes me. Started out as adversaries, done lots of bad things, but all is forgiven and now I reap the reward.”

“Hard to believe.” Rude pushed against Reno’s thigh and grabbed a piece of paper that he was sitting on. He tugged.

Reno shifted so Rude could pull it out. “Yeah, man. Finally got some good karma coming my way.” 

“It’s hard to believe she would like you . Maybe she just wants to make someone jealous. Or she hit her head.” Rude replied, looking over the sheet.

“Hardy har har.” Reno jumped off the desk. “Well, you can sit there and mope if you’d like. I have to go get a reservation somewhere.” Reno stuck his tongue out at his friend, who simply responded by lifting his middle finger.

The streetlights didn't work in the slums, but Cloud could still see the road signs easily. He guided Fenrir through the dirt sheets, looking for any building that looked like it was alive with activity. 

Cloud looked over the buildings until he found the one he wanted. Then he knocked on the door. If anything, it was polite. It also gave the people a chance to run.

But that was what Cloud wanted. He knew that if they wanted to hide, it would take a little bit of time to come to the door. So Cloud waited until someone came to the door. He stood for almost a full minute until he heard movement behind the door.

It opened, and the old not-so-homeless man stared at Cloud. He went to close the door, but Cloud was too quick for him. The mercenary pushed the door open with his full force and stepped over the man as he fell to the ground.

Now he knew he was in the right place.

"Delivery!" Cloud called as he walked down the hallway. He could hear scurrying down before him.

Then there was silence.

Cloud stopped in the hallway and waited. He was thinking about where he was going to go next, there were four doors to try and he didn't want to waste too much time. As he was beginning to make a decision, a tall sturdy man appeared in the hallway.

The man was very thick, his neck and legs were about the size of tree trunks. Cloud thought he recognized him, but he wasn’t exactly sure where. 

"Mr. Strife." He said, his voice a deep timbre. "Please allow me to explain."

"Alright..." Cloud answered. He stood stock still, his hands resting at his side.

"We run a home for misguided people. We try to keep them off the street. Try to hide them from society's woes, as I am sure you are well aware of. There is no work. There is a promise of hope, but a reality of hurt."

Cloud remained silent.

The big man took two steps forward, but Cloud was not moved. "I do not know why you felt the need to break down our front door."

"X-Mak." Was all Cloud explained.

"An unfortunate blight in our young city." The man shook his head. "We hold no tolerance for such vile things in our home. If you are looking for the source, I fear you must be mistaken. It is not here."

Cloud remained in his spot, feeling an itch in the back of his head. "And what do you call 'here'? And may I ask your name?"

The man smiled for the first time. It was frightening. "My name is Mr. Renaldo. This is my private business, it has no name yet. I house the lost. But, the lost that want to contribute back to society. Surely a noble effort."

"Surely."

"I know what you must still be wondering about the criminals here. Ex-criminals, to be precise. After the destruction of Midgar and the rise of Edge, we had all agreed to exonerate the past. These people are wrongly accused of many things now, now when we all agreed that we have a second chance."

"I am not wondering about that."

"You aren't?"

"No." Cloud said, then smiled. "I am wondering who your boss is."

Mr. Renaldo stiffened. He took a deep breath in, out, in and out before speaking again. "Mr. Strife. I have been very kind to you. You have broken into my private dwelling, hurt one of my charges, and now are accusing me of things that - I don't even know what you are even accusing me of. I could have called the police force. I could have defended my home myself, as I do have the right. But I am a man of peace. So, I ask you nicely. Please leave."

Cloud smiled. "No problem." He turned and calmly walked towards the door. "And when you find a new location for your... program... I'll be sure to check it out."

Then, he left.

Mr. Renaldo waited until Cloud Strife fully left before fixing the front door and locking it. Afterwards, he took a deep breath and went towards the office in the back of the house. The room was bare bones, holding only a desk and chair. It was lit by a single light hanging from the ceiling.

The man that sat in the desk chair, however, was grand. He wore an expensive suit, trimmed with gold. He wore an expensive watch around his wrist. His dress shoes were made out of real behemoth leather and were polished to an almost blinding shine. He looked up, his handsome face non-expressive, at his employee.

"Strife is gone sir, but he may be a problem. He has a sense of nobility." Mr. Renaldo explained.

"No." The boss countered, his face still as stone. "He has a sense of guilt."

The restaurant that Reno had picked was beautiful. Nestled in the heart of the city, The Modern Watering Hole- despite its name- was a five star dining experience. The open floor plan was decorated with live flowers, twinkling lights and rich, creamy colors of white and gold. Tifa’s mouth hung open as they stepped inside. She had never been anywhere so elegant before, and the Watering Hole had an amazing reputation for excellent service and even more excellent food.

Reno, being a gentleman, took Tifa’s coat. She had opted to go for something nice, but warm and practical, as the October air was starting to get a chill. She wore a long length cadet blue sweater, with light floral designs woven into the fabric. Underneath, she wore tight black pants, tucked into her high heeled black leather boots. Tifa looked around the place, and Reno noticed that she wore a little bit of makeup- something he never really had seen her in before.

She was pretty. Gorgeous, in fact.

And Reno didn’t feel his heart beat out of his chest, or feel his palms getting sweaty, or anything of that nature. In fact, all day long, Reno was kind of dreading this date. It was not that he didn’t like Tifa- far from it, he liked her very much- or that she wasn’t attractive. Even a blind man could see that . It was just something that Reno had realized this morning.

There was just no... zing. Nothing that made his hands tremble. Nothing that made him want to reach over and kiss her. They had gone out twice before, and they hadn’t even had a friendly good night kiss or anything. Rude was right, he would be lucky if he even got a handshake. Reno wasn’t even sure if he wanted that.

But he liked her. He liked joking around with her. He liked talking to her. It was easy to open up to her, to talk about anything that came across his mind. Over the past few years, he felt like he had gotten to know all of his former adversaries a bit better. Now, he could walk into a room where they were and not feel like he was going to be attacked at any moment. They all had signed that amnesty agreement and promised to move on. 

Tifa took it to heart, though. Maybe that was why Reno liked her so much. She tried to see the good in people, even if all she knew was the bad before.

So, the two settled into their seats at a small table and ordered their drinks. Tifa smiled at him, and the two started with the small talk. 

It wasn’t until after their meals were served when the conversation started to take a serious turn.

“I rarely get to have behemoth steak. It’s so expensive.” Tifa said, cutting a tiny piece off of her rare steak. She popped it into her mouth and moaned in satisfaction. “It’s delicious.”

“I’m glad you like it.” Reno looked at his crab dinner, and noted that the kitchen had removed the meat from the shells for him. He grimaced. He felt a tension grow in him, and he was hoping to relieve some by cracking the little legs in half. 

Tifa took a few more bites. “Are you alright?”

She noticed his tenseness. Of course she did. Tifa was a very keen observer of human nature- it came from years of martial arts training and running a bar. She was in tune with people and how they were. Also, the frown on Reno’s face might have tipped her off.

Reno nodded. “I’m fine.” He picked up his fork and stabbed a hunk of meat. 

Tifa lowered her fork, frowning. “It’s not working, is it?”

There was silence at the table for a moment.

“I don’t get it. I’m here, with a gorgeous woman, eating expensive fancy food. I’m on a date. I should be ecstatic. But…” Reno threw his fork on the table, the buttery meat leaving stains on the tablecloth. “I don’t know.”

Tifa put her fork on the table, a little more daintily than Reno had. She placed her hands in her lap and looked down.

“I get it.”

Reno looked at her, and she lifted her carmine eyes to his. 

“I do. It’s weird, us being like this. Acting like nothing had happened in the past. Acting like we both aren’t wondering why we are here. Not saying what needs to be said.” Tifa dropped her gaze. “Feeling like… maybe we are just hiding from something.”

“I’m not hiding anything.”

Tifa stayed silent at that. 

“Look, Tifa… I like you. I do. Out of all my enemies, you are my favorite.”

Tifa laughed at that. She couldn’t help herself. The tension seemed to break a little after that, and Reno smiled at her. He leaned forward and caught her attention again.

“I think maybe… maybe this isn’t for us. The whole ‘romance’ thing. But, I would not mind doing the ‘friendship’ thing with you.”

Tifa nodded. “I’d like that. If I can confess, I’ve… I've been feeling a bit lonely lately. I have my family, and I love them, but I don’t have many friends.”

“It must be bad if you considered me.” Reno clenched a fist. It was time to talk about things that were uncomfortable. “If we are confessing things. I do feel bad about everything that happened between us before. The chase, Sector Seven… the temple… and everything that happened afterwards. It’s amazing that you are willing to forgive all of that.”

“I haven’t, really. I’ve just come to terms with a lot of things.” Tifa sighed, tears pricking her eyes. “Sector Seven is just as much my fault as it was yours. And what happened in the temple was…”

Silence enveloped them again. Reno shifted in his seat, uncomfortable.

“Besides, I have a feeling that most of the time you were just following orders. I can’t fault you for that. That was your life before.”

“Still my life.”

Confusion painted Tifa’s features. She leaned forward as well, locking her eyes on Reno’s. “What?”

“No one wants to say it. But I still follow orders. Nothing has really changed.”

“But you work in public safety now.”

“C’mon, Teef. We all know who is funding it.”

Tifa nodded. It was unspoken. Tifa knew who funded public safety. It was the same person who funded the hospital, and helped build the school. It was the same person who primarily funded the World Regenesis Organization. But no one wanted to admit it. 

No one wanted to admit that the world had not really changed.

“But there is a bit more freedom.” Reno admitted. “For instance, I don’t feel like I am going to be stoned every time I walk out my front door.”

Tifa smiled. “Never have to go without dinner now.”

“Don’t have to worry about the dangers of mako poisoning every time I had to go to a reactor.”

“Don’t have to hide my face as I walk through the streets. It's nice to not be a fugitive anymore.” Tifa lifted her fork again and started cutting into her steak. Her appetite was starting to return, and she was going to take advantage of the luxurious meal in front of her.

Reno followed suit and picked up his fork. The crab melted in his mouth, and he almost groaned in pleasure. “It’s nice to have a friend.”

Tifa smiled. “Yeah. It is.”

Reno pulled up in front of Seventh Heaven about two hours later. He parked his car and smiled at Tifa. 

“Thanks for tonight. I actually had a really good time.” Tifa said, smiling right back at him.

Reno nodded. “I always aim to please.”

Tifa chuckled and she opened the door, stepping out into the street. She turned and leaned into the open door. “Don’t be a stranger.”

“I won’t. See ya later, Teef.”

Tifa closed the door and stood back, waving as Reno pulled back out into the street. She turned and walked into her home, feeling odd at using the actual front door. Usually, her and her roommate would enter through the garage or the back door. 

She looked around at her bar, darkened by the night. She listened for any signs of life in the building, but the only thing she heard was her own footsteps as she walked across the floor. 

So, I’m alone again. Tifa took a deep breath and let it out slowly. What else is new?

Tifa climbed the stairs and went to bed, the quiet lulling her to sleep. 

Chapter Text

(Today has art featured by the marvelous Ro_X_e! It is GORGEOUS. I highly recommend buying a piece from them, they never disappoint!)

“C’mon, at least listen to what I have to say.”

Cloud rolled his eyes. If there was one person in the world he didn’t want to listen to right now, it was the red headed annoyance in front of him. Cloud crossed his arms and leaned back in the booth.

Reno had come into the bar, smiled at Tifa- which was his first offense, according to Cloud- then asked to speak to him. Cloud made him order the most expensive drink on the menu before he agreed to at least sit down. Now, the two men were sitting in a corner booth, with Reno practically begging Cloud to listen. And Cloud was just wondering how long this was going to take. 

Tifa bounced from table to table, ignoring the two men. Cloud was glad to see her happily helping customers.

“I’m not really interested in what you have to say.” Cloud stared at him coldly.

Reno smirked. “Not if Hojo could be involved?”

“The man is dead.”

Reno reached into a bag that he had brought with him. He pulled out a folder, proceeding to lay some black and white photos on the table. Cloud looked down at them to see a working laboratory. People were milling about, carrying boxes and papers. Cloud felt the revulsion creep over his skin.

“Someone is using his old haunts. Even using some that even Shinra didn’t know about. The big wigs in WRO are afraid that they might be continuing his work.”

Cloud now tasted bile, bitter and burning the back of his throat.

“Why.”

Reno shrugged. “That’s what we need to find out. They asked us in public safety. I need a partner for the job.”

“What happened to yours?” Cloud asked, referring to Rude. He thought it was odd that the bald man hadn’t followed Reno in.

“He’s busy. C’mon, I really need your help with this. Need someone who knows how to fight.  I’ll even pay you for your time.”

Cloud was hesitant. He didn’t want to take too much time away from his business, as he was getting busier with every passing week. Reno wasn’t his favorite person to deal with either, but he could not ignore what was right in front of him. If someone was using the labs, it was not for a good reason.

“Where are we heading?”

“Near Banora.” Reno grabbed his bag. “All the information I have is in that folder. I’ll come pick you up around eight in the morning tomorrow.”

He left Cloud to go through the folder. He stopped, said goodbye to Tifa, then left Seventh Heaven.

There was a clink as a wine glass was set before him. Cloud looked up at his friend and thanked her for the drink. To his delight, Tifa sidled onto the barstool next to him and took a sip of wine from her own glass. Cloud looked around the bar- it was empty, dark, and the closed sign was hanging in the window. 

“You’re closed already?”

Tifa chuckled, warming Cloud more than the alcohol ever could. “You really spaced out, huh? You’ve been here looking over that stuff for hours.” 

Cloud picked up his own glass and took a drink. The wine was sweet, something he was not fond of, but it worked to hide his slight embarrasment. He prided himself on always being able to keep an eye on his surroundings. Maybe it was because this was his home, and his guard was down. He drank some more wine and moved to look at Tifa.  

The young woman was relaxed, looking tired after a good night’s work. Cloud noticed her attire- it was very reminiscent of what she used to wear all those years ago, when he would watch her from afar, afraid to say anything. 

Nothing’s really changed. Cloud quieted his thoughts with another drink. 

Tifa placed her glass on the bar top and smiled at him.

“So, are you going to do whatever it is Reno wants you to do?” She asked, her arm resting against the counter.

“Yeah.” Cloud closed the folder and pushed it towards Tifa. “If you want to do some light reading.”

“Oh, yeah! Homework!” Tifa joked. 

Cloud chuckled at her. 

“Will you be okay?” Tifa asked, her soft voice tinged with concern.

Cloud nodded. “I will be. It seems to be more reconnaissance than anything.”

“Do you want me to pack you some snacks? All good stake outs have snacks.”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to it.”

The sound of laughter filled the air. Cloud relaxed. It was nice being like this with her. He knew things between them had been strained lately. He really did not want it to be like that, but circumstances seemed to have driven some tension in their relationship. 

You never thought she would begin dating, and you’re an idiot for it. 

Cloud knew that to be true. But he pushed away those thoughts and instead, focused on his friend, who was busy listing all the good snacks for a stake out. 

He drew the line at a full pot roast dinner, as delicious as it sounded. The gravy would be too much of a mess.

“Good morning Sunshine!” Came Reno's sing-songy voice. He was parked in front of Seventh Heaven, his car windows rolled down. This allowed him to lean over the seat, give the blonde a big, obnoxious grin, and yell at him. “You look gorgeous.”

Cloud only grunted in response. He took a deep breath and opened the door to the back seat. After storing his gear, and a small cooler full of homemade snacks, he went to slide into the front seat.

“You didn't have to dress up for me, but I appreciate it.”

“Shut the fuck up.” Cloud groused, buckling himself in.

Reno looked behind them to the cooler on the ground. “Is that some of Teef's amazing food?”

Cloud didn't respond. Instead, he just looked straight ahead. 

“She gave you enough to share…” His voice grated on Cloud’s nerves. “Didn't she?”

“Nope.”

Reno chuckled and turned the engine over. “Liar. She probably told you to be nice and share the goodies.”

“Fine. Have all you want, I don't give a shit.” Cloud was glad the vehicle was in motion. The sooner this was done, the better off he'll be.

“You really are the most handsome man I've ever seen. And strong, and talented and sex-”

“Can we please have silence now?”

Reno pulled out onto the highway, a smile on his lips. “Well, because you asked nicely…”

He flipped on the radio and a rock song by some band Cloud didn't really know came on. It was better than hearing the ex-Turks voice, though, and he welcomed the melodic musings of being angry at your dad. Or loving a deity.

It didn't really matter. Reno was blissfully quiet, which he was grateful for. After an hour, Reno turned down the music and pulled off the road, driving his car over the dirt. 

“We can’t take the car the entire way. Don’t want to alert anyone. So we’re gonna stash it here, and foot it. That okay?”

Cloud nodded. “That’s fine. How far out are we from where this place is?”

“About five miles. Just afraid of security.”

“You? Afraid?” Cloud scoffed. “Haven’t had much action in your life, huh?”

Reno gave him a wicked grin. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black.”

Cloud was confused for a moment, though he didn’t let on that he was. He didn’t know what Reno was talking about. Cloud had traveled, mostly on foot, around this entire planet. He saved the world. What did he mean, the pot calling-

Wait a minute.

“Then you don’t know me that well.” Cloud smirked, then opened the car door and stepped out into the sun. 

A little white lie doesn’t hurt.

He left Reno behind, with a slightly flabbergasted look, but the red head quickly followed suit and joined Cloud outside. Cloud was already strapping his sword to his back before he rounded the car and stood in front of him.

“Come on then, stud, let’s get going.” Reno tucked his electro-mag rod in his pocket and swung a pack over his shoulder. “Don’t forget that cooler!”

The walk wasn't that difficult. The terrain was surprisingly clear, despite all the trees and brushes in the area. Reno commented that it looked like people decided to make this a hiking spot. Cloud had to agree, but was curious as to why anyone would want to hike it. It was muggy, full of bugs, and there were a few monsters loitering around. Only a few Mus and such, but still, to someone who might not be experienced in fighting it was dangerous.

They had been walking for only a half hour before they heard a distant roar. Cloud stopped, hand going to his sword automatically.

“Whatever it is, it's about a mile in front of us.”

Reno had also pulled out his rod and nodded in confirmation. “Do we wanna charge ahead, or skirt around the edge? There is a cliff nearby.”

Cloud wasn't really in the mood for a big fight, so he nodded towards where the cliff edge was. His mind raced, wondering what the monster could be. An escape Shinra experiment? It wouldn't be the first time that happened. An enraged elphadunk? They could be nasty while provoked. They weren't in an area with dragons, but drakes were known to be here.

They two made their way through the woods to the cliff's edge, stopping for a moment to admire the greenery spread out before them. Reno whistled in appreciation. 

“Gotta say, the world is looking better.”

Cloud stepped back from the cliff and looked around their immediate surroundings. He heard some woodland creatures scamper by, and the wind rustling the leaves on the trees. But nothing that seemed like immediate danger. It made him wonder, if Reno was so willing to avoid a big beast, why Cloud was needed in the first place. 

Reno tucked his rod away and turned to look towards their destination. “We probably only added a mile to our journey. Not too bad.”

“Let's get going.” Cloud said, setting his sword back and walking forwards. 

“Hold on!” Reno called, and Cloud turned to look at him. “Let's take a small break. Crack open that cooler.”

“You just want to eat all my food.”

“Can you blame me? It's Tifa's cooking.” 

Cloud couldn't blame him, and the thought of having one of Tifa’s roast beef sandwiches made his stomach rumble. So he decided not to fight him and simply placed the cooler on the ground. The two sat down, opened up the cooler, and were immediately joined in their meal by a ten foot behemoth licking their chops. 

“Fuck!” Reno yelled as he jumped to attention, Cloud following suit. 

“It must have followed us.”

“Yeah, no shit, genius!”

Cloud bit back his retort and focused instead on the action. The tall creature seemed to be more enraged than usual, its eyes a shady blue color.

Interesting. 

Cloud parried a swipe, opening up its soft underbelly so Reno could prod him with his electro-mag rod. The two men fought well together, dodging blows and helping each other. After a nasty swipe aimed at Reno, the ex- turk went to his knee, exhausted and hurt. Cloud quickly casted a cure, hoping it helped him recover quickly. Reno stood back up and shot more lightning at the beast.

“Thanks.” Reno called out, but Cloud was occupied. 

The merc launched himself into the air and brought his sword down into the monster's shoulder, rendering that arm useless. The behemoth reared back, knocking Cloud back to the ground. He fell flat on his back and felt the air rush out of his lungs. 

Reno taunted the monster, making it come towards him and away from Cloud, so the man could recover. The behemoth turned to look fully at Reno, licking its chops as it advanced. Reno gritted his teeth and went into a defensive stance. The behemoth reared back, then let loose a roar so loud that Reno could feel the vibrations of it in his feet. 

“Shit.” Cloud muttered, quickly getting up from his spot and rushing towards the back of the monster. 

It seemed to happen too quickly. The beast had turned around, obviously sensing the immediate danger behind it. In doing so, its tail swiped out and slammed into Reno’s side, causing him to lose his balance. The tail kept pushing, and suddenly, Reno had lost his footing and was now careening over the side of the cliff. 

Cloud only had a split second to make a decision, and realized that quite a few people would not be happy if he just let Reno fall to his death. So he skirted around the behemoth, who was swinging its arms around madly, and skidded to the edge of the cliff. He quickly got on his feet and jumped off the side. 

Hand extended, he was quick to grab Reno’s outstretched arm. He looked and found a tree branch that, if he was lucky, he could grab onto and stop their momentum. 

He was lucky, but he felt his shoulder burn as the weight of both men dangling pulled at his arm. 

“Swing me to the wall.” Reno said, and Cloud obliged. 

Reno grabbed ahold of the rocky cliff and let go of Cloud’s arm- which the blonde was extremely grateful for. For being such a small, compact man, Reno was heavy . 

“I think we can climb down easily. There are a lot of footholds.” 

Cloud looked at the wall for the first time and was relieved to see that Reno was right. It would be tedious work, but it would be safe, and they weren’t too far away from the ground. As Cloud grabbed the rock face, he heard a disappointed huff above them. He sighed in relief that the monster deigned to not follow them, considering them a lost cause. Or a lost meal, more like. 

Once they got down to the surface they assessed themselves. A few potions, making a small dent in their supply, and they were good as new. Cloud dusted the dirt off his clothes and looked around. 

“Shit.” Reno said, looking around as well. Cloud could see the frustrations settle into his shoulders. “We must have added miles to our journey.”

“What do you want to do?” Cloud asked, now looking up the cliff. They were a good forty feet down. Not impossible, but not fantastic. 

“What do you mean?”

Cloud looked on Reno with aggravation. “Do you want to see if we can get back to the car, or forge ahead?”

Reno looked around again, clearly frustrated. 

“Well, we are already pointing that way, so let’s just keep going.” Reno reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “Shit. Barely any service.”

Cloud pulled out his own and looked at the bars, seeing that he had no service at all. He pocketed his phone and looked back up at his companion on this trip. Reno was busy typing in something, but clearly what he was doing wasn’t working, and he shoved the phone back into his pocket, irritated. 

“Damn it.” Reno clicked his tongue. “Well, I think that way is the right way to go.”

“You mean you don’t know?” 

“No, I’m not sure.” Reno snapped, preparing for a fight.

Cloud felt the anger rise in him but knew it would be no good to fight right now. “It’s that way. The sun was in front of us.” He pointed at the sky, and began walking. “Come on.”

“You sure?” 

“Yeah.”

“You need to be absolutely sure!”

“Okay.” 

Cloud kept walking. 

By some grace of mercy, Reno had kept quiet for hours as the two walked along the bottom of the cliff. Both kept an eye out for an incline they could climb, but so far, they had not been lucky. The sun began to set, and Cloud could feel the hunger biting at his stomach. He felt his legs becoming sore. He was surprised that Reno hadn’t complained yet- if he felt like this, then surely, his annoying partner felt even worse.

“Hey.” 

Cloud stopped and turned to look at Reno. He really, really wanted to snap at him, but Cloud reminded himself that the man had not bothered him in a few hours. To snap at him now would just be… childish. Petty.

“Yeah?”

“Let’s stop, man. See if we can get something to eat and rest for the night. I don’t want to travel through these woods in the dark.” Reno stretched his arms over his head, sighing in contentment when he felt his back pop in a few places. “Not that I don’t love following you around, but it would be nice to see something other than your ass for a while.”

Cloud, despite himself, smirked. “Never told you to look.”

Reno gave a short bark of laughter and pointed towards a clearing. “How about I set up a small fire, and you scavenge for food?”

“Are you alright with eating squirrels?” Cloud said, eyeing the tree tops. 

Reno nodded. “Whatever.”

“Hm.”

“What?”

Cloud shook his head. “Nothing.”

Cloud just remembered the first time he had cooked squirrel for Barret, when they traveled years ago. The big man had absolutely refused to eat the rodent, but when he smelled the cooked meat, he ate two of them. Cloud remembered all of them laughing at Barret. 

Reno began picking up some sticks to use for kindle. He glanced up at Cloud and looked at him questionably.

“What is it?”

Cloud, despite himself, chuckled. He remembered Barret’s shocked and disgusted face; then he remembered that he asked for dessert afterwards. 

But he wasn’t about to tell Reno about it. Those were his memories.

“Tifa really ate squirrels?” 

“Tifa is more of a country girl than you think. She helped skin and clean them.” Cloud began to shake a tree, watching as nuts and twigs fell off the branches. 

“Oh yeah, I forgot she was from the backwaters. You, too. So used to seeing you in the city.”

Suddenly, a fat gray squirrel fell out of the tree, hitting its head on the ground. Cloud was quick to stomp on its head, ending its life. He picked the rodent up by the tail and threw it towards the fire pit Reno was starting to build. 

“Being in the city has its advantages.” Cloud shook the tree again and repeated the same action when another small animal fell to the ground. “Don’t have to hunt for food.”

“Not that hard to do, apparently.” Reno commented, watching as a small pile of squirrels began forming.

“I think the planet is being nice to us.” Cloud muttered, looking down at his catch. He had gotten five critters, and he smiled. Enough for dinner and a light breakfast tomorrow, if you included all the tree nuts that fell to the ground. 

Reno picked up an animal and began to clean it up. Cloud looked on, impressed. It seemed that part of training to be a Turk meant learning survival skills. Of course, they would have learned how to live in the woods, if necessary. Shinra used to send them all over the place… and it seemed like he still did. 

It took a while until dinner was cooking over a fire, and by that time, night had fallen. Cloud felt the pain in his feet, his back… it had been a long time since he had to travel on foot. As the fire crackled along, spitting as the grease from the meat hit it, Cloud stretched and felt the muscles in his back pop. Before he could stop himself, he let out a tiny moan of satisfaction.

“You alright?” Reno’s mouth twisted in a smirk. “Getting old?”

Cloud ignored him and leaned forward to rotate the spits over the fire. The silence that fell between them was a tad uncomfortable, but Cloud just kept thinking one thing: 

Once this is all over you can go home. You can get back to your life. You can’t live your life if you are in prison for murder. No murder.

“Listen… I’m sorry about the cliff.” Reno scratched his chin. Cloud could tell by his body language that he was uncomfortable.

“Not your fault.”

“I just can’t believe that I got pushed. I’m quick, and that shouldn’t have happened.” Reno stared into the fire. “A lot of things shouldn't have happened.” 

This garnered the merc’s attention. He looked up from the rotating meat to stare at Reno, unblinking in his gaze.

“Stop that. I hate it when you stare. You got those damn blue eyes that are just… unsettling.” Reno pushed away from the fire and leaned back on his hands, opting to look up in the night sky. “Don’t get why anyone would want to do that to themselves. Even now.”

The night became filled with the sounds of katydids and crickets. Cloud wanted to say that it wasn’t his choice, but… if things had gone differently, it would have been. He would have been just another cog in the machine that was Shinra. Even as a grunt, he now realized he was part of the problem, without even knowing it. 

Maybe Reno felt the same.

“Why do you still work for him?”

Reno’s head lolled back to stare at the fire in front of them. 

“You don’t just quit the Turks.”

Cloud stopped rotating the meat and rested his arms on his legs, his hands hanging in between them. “I thought you guys were public safety now.”

“Same job. Different name.” Reno sat up straighter, getting more comfortable. “You’re not stupid. You already know who calls the shots.”

“You had a chance to start anew. You could have taken it.”

Reno stared into the fire, his eyes distant. Cloud lifted the makeshift spit out and rested it on a neighboring rock for their meal to cool a little. 

“What happened to your partner? Why isn’t he here with you?” Cloud asked, trying to appear casual. 

Reno stiffened for a second, before releasing a breath and slumping his shoulders. 

“Rude’s in a coma.”

“What?” 

“Since last week. We ran into some… trouble, and he got hurt. He’s stable. But he just hasn’t woken up yet.” Reno gave a mirthless chuckle. “I feel so damn useless when I go see him.”

Memories of Tifa falling off the mountain filled Cloud’s mind. She was so small, and there had been so much blood, and no one knew if she was going to wake up. He understood how Reno must feel. It was hard to watch someone you care about be in such a state.

Cloud decided not to press the matter further. Instead, he picked up a skewer and began pulling their dinner off of it. He handed some of the meat to Reno, who didn't hesitate to pop it into his mouth and begin chewing.

“Surprised you'd eat a squirrel.” Cloud said, ripping apart the meal with his teeth.

Reno shrugged. “Food is food. Though if I had a choice I would have gone with those roast beef sandwiches. Are you going to get in trouble back at home?:

 “What do you mean?”

Reno took another bite of food and spoke around a mouthful. “With Tifa. You lost a cooler.”

Cloud hated it, the way Reno would just casually bring up Tifa. It made him think that the man was fishing around for information. But, Tifa did go out with him, more than once. She seemed pretty alright with having him around. Cloud had to respect that decision, though he did not like it. 

His tone made it seem obvious that he didn't. 

“No.”

“You know, I’m just gonna say it.” Reno said between bites of his meal. “Tifa is just a friend. I have no interest in her other than that. So stop being so bitchy about it and move on.”

“Fine.” Cloud dropped his meal to the ground and faced Reno directly. “Then why did you want me, specifically, to come on this recon mission with you?”

“I told you why. Needed someone strong. Why are you so concerned about it? You’re getting paid for it.”

“What really happened with Rude?”

“Why do you have to be an asshole? I don’t know how people can stand you.”

Silence fell between the two men. Eventually, Cloud reached down and picked up his dinner, though he was not really hungry anymore. He began to pick off the small amount of dirt on the squirrel. Reno shifted and sighed, closing his eyes.

“Sorry, man. Too far.” Reno threw the carcass he was holding into the fire and leaned forward, watching the flames. 

Cloud watched the man as he contemplated the flames. “What happened to Rude, Reno?”

Reno sighed and his mouth dropped into a frown. “Last week we were at another laboratory. It was empty, or so we thought. The boss just wanted to see if there was any way anyone could use the space. Or if there was anything valuable there to help out the WRO.”

“Or any information he might want to hide.”

Reno gave another mirthless chuckle. “True. But there was nothing there but mold and broken equipment. Rude and I were going to set up some explosives, to destroy the place before anyone got any ideas. We’d been hearing about people using the old facilities. Most of the time, it was just simple research. Examining the new fauna. University students using the old equipment for class. Fairly innocent stuff.

So we set up the explosives. But then a nasty came along… one of Hojo’s old experiments, still kicking around. We fought it, but… it knocked Rude out. Then I couldn’t get to him in time. The bombs went off.”

Cloud, who had also thrown his meal in the fire, sat and watched Reno as recounted the horrific event. Cloud then turned and looked upwards, watching as the sky became even darker and the stars started coming out. 

“Sorry to hear that.” 

Reno sighed and sat back, rubbing his hands on the seat of his pants. He stood up and stretched.

“It’s alright. He’ll come around.” Reno yawned and looked around. “I’m gonna find a nice patch of grass, close my eyes, and forget my worries. I suggest you do the same.”

The Turk moved away, and Cloud could hear him settle into the field to sleep. Cloud sat by the fire for a while longer, watching as the flames danced in the air. Reno was right, he was being an asshole. Cloud sighed and stood up, kicking dirt on the fire. It was surprising to him that anyone would want him around. He didn’t really deserve any of his friends…

Cloud shook his head to clear them of those thoughts. He was tired, and cranky. He needed to get some sleep.

The next day was going to be rough.

“I really wish you would try to get along with the other children.” His mother sighed, lifting an alcohol-drenched cotton ball to his face. 

Cloud winced as the cool liquid hit his face, feeling the sting in the new cut that was above his eyebrow. He then dropped his grimace and kept looking forward, not daring to look at his mother. Of course, he disappointed her again. He always seemed able to do that. All his mother wanted was for him to be a normal kid. To have friends, to be out having fun, to talk to the neighbor girl. Cloud could not seem to do that. 

Though, if he was being honest with himself, he would have loved it. To be popular. To have people notice him… especially, just that one person…

His mother sighed as she finished wiping the blood off her son’s face and began putting a bandage on it. 

“Oh, Cloud, what am I going to do with you? Maybe I should have just killed you at birth.”

Cloud looked up, startled. “What?” 

“It might not be too late. No one would miss you.”

“Mom?!” 

Cloud did not have time to react before he felt his mother wrap her strong hands around his neck. She squeezed, cutting the air flow, making him gasp and tears prick in his eyes. He struggled, raking his fingernails against his mother’s arms as he fought for his life. Scared, wide eyed, unbelieving that his own mother would be doing this. She loved him!

Didn’t she? 

Cloud’s vision began to blur.

“C’mon, Cloud…” His mother laughed cruelly. “This wouldn’t have happened if you just behaved… Maybe I would have still lived…”

“Hey! HEY!” 

Cloud felt his mother’s hand slap across his face. It hurt, causing a tear to leak from his eye. Why was she doing this to him?

“HEY!” 

Another slap, followed by strong hands gripping his shoulders and shaking him. Cloud’s eyes flew open, looking up into the sky and Reno’s shocked face. Without thinking, Cloud violently pushed him away and sat up, turning the opposite way so he couldn’t face him. So Reno couldn’t see him. 

“What-”

“Man, you okay? You were having a fit or something!” Reno’s voice was full of concern, something Cloud never thought he would ever hear. 

Cloud closed his eyes and breathed in deep. He couldn’t talk to him, to tell him to leave him alone. Of course, on the one night he didn’t want to have a nightmare, he had to have one. He crossed his legs, kept his eyes closed, and started breathing deeply. It was a traditional meditation pose, one that Tifa taught him. It was designed to calm the heart, to clear the mind and make you come back to peace once again. 

He and Tifa had done a lot of this, on the bad nights. They would sit facing each other on whoever's bed that night, holding hands and breathing deeply. It was very soothing. Or, maybe it was only soothing because Tifa was there to keep him grounded.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Imagine the weight of her hands in yours. Come back. 

After a few minutes, Cloud opened his eyes and stood up. He turned to Reno, who was sitting next to the dead fire pit, watching him.

“Sorry.” Was all Cloud could say. 

“It’s okay, man. Seems like it was a bad dream.” Reno even looked like he understood. He looked down at his hands, as if contemplating on what to say next. “I get them a lot, too.”

Cloud didn’t want to have this conversation, not with him. It was embarrassing enough that he had a panic attack in front of his former adversary. He did not want to have a heartfelt talk with him, either. So, he just nodded his head and looked up at the sky. Dawn was approaching.

“Let’s have something to eat then get going. With any luck, we’ll hit civilization today.” 

Reno nodded in response. “If we end up nowhere near Banora, we can call for an air cab or something. Get us back home.”

“Alright.” Cloud picked up a handful of nuts that they had roasted the night before. “I’m down for that.”

The door had opened up to admit the man. That in itself was not unusual- many people can walk through doors. What was unusual was that the man who opened the door checked the man’s identification, and ushered him inside… while holding a rifle. Cloud peered through the binoculars that Reno had handed him, trying to figure out what type of gun it was. He never really was good at shooting, preferring swords. He thought that he should have Barret sit him down and teach him the different kinds.

“Shit, they look busy.” Reno said.

“I think we found what we are looking for.” Cloud pulled the tool from his face and looked at the building as a whole. 

The building had belonged to an old mining company, used for its offices and deposit areas. Cloud watched as the guard looked around, stepped inside, and closed the door.

“There is access on the roof, if we try to get through it that way.” Reno said, pointing at a small trap-like door on the building’s roof.

Cloud nodded. “It might work better. I want to not have casualties, and if we went through the front door…”

“Then we run that risk. I agree with you. Let’s see if we can get to the roof.” 

Cloud walked around the top of the hill they were on, Reno following close behind. The blonde led him to a spot on the hill that was as close to the building as possible, and he bent his knees and made a jump to the roof. He landed, a little harder than he would have liked, and reached behind to make sure his sword was still attached to his back. Reno was on the roof in mere seconds, looking around to see if anyone noticed the noise they just made. 

They were in the clear. Reno nodded to Cloud, opened the trap door, and they both peered in. It was dark, but it was quiet and empty. Cloud was the first one to drop down, and as soon as he did, he activated the motion sensor lights and suddenly, all around him, everything was green. 

He winced and remembered to take a deep breath. 

Reno dropped down next to him and swore under his breath. 

“Fuck… that is a lot of pods…” Reno commented, walking up to an empty pod and looking inside. “Seems like they never got drained- I’m pretty sure this mako has been in these for years.” 

Cloud focused on a door at the end of the hallway they were in and began striding purposefully towards it. Reno noticed that he was not taking in his surroundings, and that the tension between his shoulder blades was taught. He was confused- it wasn’t like these pods posed any harm, as there were no monsters or anything dangerous in them.

But Strife was weird, he decided, and followed him as he walked out of the area. 

They silently walked through the halls. Cloud was in the lead, and for once, Reno was glad. The man did seem to know what he was doing. Of course, Cloud had certain advancements- Reno knew that the man had some mako enhancements done to him, making it easier for him to see in the dark, and to listen to what was going on around them.

“The work must be down these stairs.” Cloud whispered after a few minutes of searching. “They only seemed to have taken just a small part of this building.” 

“Don’t need much room for a drug lab.”

Cloud nodded his head to the side, as if agreeing with him. “Remember- no killing unless necessary. And no materia… one wrong spark and this whole place could go up.”

Cloud led the way down the steps, taking the sword from his back and holding it by his side. Reno fingered his rod, looping the leather strap around his wrist. They silently made their way down. 

The room they wanted was not a large room at all, and it was filled with crates. Large, silver crates that were lined with a nice blue interior- padding, for the vials of drugs that were safely ensconced in them. Cloud watched as a worker examined the goods, carefully closed and locked the box, and nodded to another worker. The two of them lifted the crate and pushed it on a shelf. 

“Warehouse and distribution.” Reno barely whispered, knowing that Cloud could hear him. Cloud nodded in response.

Hiding in between rows of shelves and ducking behind crates, Cloud and Reno made their way to the main area of the business. There were only half a dozen workers sitting around a long table, chatting and laughing over papers and coffee. There were two other people standing next to a door that led outside, armed with rifles. 

Cloud tapped Reno’s arm and nodded for them to go back the way they came. They made their way up to the pod room again without being detected. 

“Does it always go that smooth?” Reno asked, grinning at Cloud. “Let’s call it in.”

Cloud pulled his phone out and was relieved to see that he had service again. Also, there was a text message alert on his screen. Without thinking, he swiped his phone screen and opened up the message, not realizing that the corner of his mouth twitched up into a smile.

Hope you two are getting along. Gettz’ Drugs in Kalm needs to have an extra delivery next week. I put it in your calendar already. Stay safe. 

“Good text?” Reno asked, and Cloud quickly exited out of the message that Tifa had sent him.

“No. Just more business.” 

Then something caught his eye. Something moved in the green light, and Cloud found himself walking towards the row of pods next to the ones they currently stood in. Reno looked on, confused, but followed him as he made his way towards the next row.

“Holy Ifrit…” 

In front of them stood a row of mako pods, each filled with a person, floating lifeless in the green liquid. Cloud felt the bitter taste of vile burn the back of his throat. These unfortunate people had probably been forgotten, left to float and crystallize in the mako. He stepped forward, stopping in front of a young man, eyes focused on his neck.

The poor soul’s head was bent at an unnatural angle, because a large shard of mako crystals had erupted from the side of his neck. Tiny spots glimmered in the light of the mako, from his face down the whole of his naked body. Another shock of crystals stood on the man’s chest, right where his heart would be. His hands had locked into a stiff claw-like position. 

“Poor bastards.” 

Reno’s voice seemed to echo throughout the room. He walked between the pods, looking up into each and every one of them. 

Cloud kept his eyes on the one.

Is this what could have happened if Zack had not saved him? If he had been left in the tube? He always thought that his body would just rot away, and disintegrate in the mako. 

He would have turned into a statue of death. 

Suddenly, the world started to spin. He shut his eyes tight and curled his fingers into fists, jamming them into his sides. Cloud leaned forwards slightly and started breathing in sharp, shallow breaths. He felt the bile climb up his throat, and this time, he could not stop its track. He let his sick fall to the floor, his knees and hands following suit as he retched up the contents of his stomach. His heart raced and he felt the walls around him closing in. 

Gods, I’m going to die.

Without any warning, he felt hands grab him from underneath his armpits and hoist him up. A warm hand rested on his forehead, pushing it up. He was forced into a standing position, then felt as the person looped his arm around their neck and pulled them gently away from the pods. Cloud’s head swam with dizziness. 

“C’mon, let’s get out of here.” Reno’s voice, surprisingly warm, sounded through the loud thumping in his ears. 

Cloud stumbled, but was successfully dragged towards the still opened trap door. Gently, he was placed in a sitting position on the floor, his back resting against a cold mako tube. He looked up, his vision still swimming, and watched as Reno found a ladder and forced the top of it through the hole in the ceiling. 

“Okay. Take a deep breath, man. I need to get you out of here, and I can’t carry you. Can you stand up?”

Cloud shook his head. “Gimme a minute.” He mumbled, resting the back of his head on the tube and closing his eyes. 

“Alright. Listen, we’ll get you up this ladder, and we’ll call for public safety. You can get some fresh air. Is that okay?” Reno asked, now squatting in front of Cloud. He kept his distance, calmly explaining what was going to happen in the next few minutes. 

In a strange way, it calmed Cloud. 

“Help me up.” Cloud said, holding out his hand. 

Reno gripped his arm and gave him the leverage he needed. Cloud still felt a little woozy, but he was feeling better and was able to stand on his own. He sighed and rubbed at his temples. 

“You alright?” Reno asked, stepping back to keep his distance. 

“Yeah.” Cloud made his way over to the ladder. He gripped the ladder and placed a foot on the bottom rung. After another deep breath, Cloud started to climb, focusing solely on the action. 

When he reached the top and felt the cool air hit his face, he immediately began to feel better. He heaved himself up onto the roof and steadily got to his feet. The sky above him was a bright blue, the sun overcast slightly by clouds. Cloud heard birds singing in trees, the rustle of leaves in the wind. It was nice. 

It was freedom. 

He was free. The thought came to the forefront of his mind. He was free, and he never again will be a prisoner under someone else. 

Public Safety was quick to arrive. With the reports from Reno and Cloud, they had enough probable cause to infiltrate the building and arrest the workers inside. Who, to no surprise, were not happy about their current circumstances. Most were angry, but there were a couple of people who were mostly scared about what might happen to them.

One of the men broke from the grips of the peace officers and hurried over to stand in front of Cloud, looking up at him with pleading eyes. 

“Please! Please, I was only doing this for my family.” The man sobbed, grabbing onto Cloud’s shirt. “My family will suffer if I can’t work!”

Cloud kept his face passive and cool and removed the man’s hands from his front. 

“I understand. But it doesn’t change the fact that what you did was wrong.” Cloud let an officer take the man and watched as he was dragged back to a van. “You have to accept the consequences.”

Reno stood next to Cloud and he looked over at the blonde man. “Hey, man, they got everything wrapped up here. Let’s go. They are gonna give us a ride to the car.”  Reno pointed towards a police vehicle. 

Cloud followed him towards the car, leaving the Public Safety officials to handle the mess he was glad to leave behind.

The man was sitting at his impressive desk, staring into a television screen. The black and white imaging seemed to mock him, as he watched Cloud Strife and that former Turk bring down one of his distribution centers. 

“I am growing tired of Strife interrupting my business affairs.” The cold voice turned towards his associate. “You saw the footage from the Banora raid.”

“I have, sir.” The tall man answered him. Renaldo stepped forward to stand more at the side of his boss. 

“Strife should be taken care of. And soon.” The man shot Renaldo an expectant look. “Can I trust you to handle it?”

“It won’t be easy. Strife is a public figure, though he tries not to be. People will notice his disappearance. They are still looking for the girl, after all, and she was not held in such importance as Strife.”

The man scoffed at him. “That is not what I asked. I want to know if you can handle it.”

Renaldo nodded his head. “Yes, Mr. Padilla. I can handle it.”

Chapter Text

Article from Edge News, dated 07.14.2009:

More good news for our new home! Need a place to relax? 

To unwind from all your worries? Look no further than Seventh

Heaven!

Seventh Heaven, a family-friendly restaurant/bar, has opened its 

doors in East Edge. If the name sounds familiar, its for a good

reason- this Seventh Heaven is the second of its kind.

That’s not all that is familiar. The former owner, Tifa Lockhart,

is also behind the bar! 

“We all need a place to have fun.” The young owner told 

EDGE NEWS. “I hope some comfort can be found here.”

There is a full menu available, plus a variety of drinks. All for 

reasonable prices as well. 

“I will never turn away a reasonable offer. Just the other day, 

someone offered me a live chicken in exchange for a 

family dinner!”

Look out for a chicken soup special this weekend! Seventh

Heaven is located on Elm Avenue in East Edge City.

Maybe things will be better with a drink and a smile!

News Article from Edge News, dated 02.12.2012:

In our still growing city there are many issues that we, the citizens,

face. Thanks to many benefactors, Edge has grown greatly in

the past five years.

Sal Padilla wishes to continue with those efforts.

Hailing from Junon, Padilla is a young and fresh faced 

entrepreneur, who has many fingers in many pots. From

grocery stores to electricity research, Padilla is a man of many

talents.

“I have the ability to help many people. I wish to do so.” Padilla tells

EDGE NEWS. “Not just with basic needs. I wish to bring more

support to the art scene as well.”

According to the philanthropist, the arts help heal the soul. 

He has donated many supplies to local school’s art programs.

He also supports local theaters and festivals.

“We’ve done a lot of work in Edge. Let’s start having some fun as well.”

Chapter Text

Reeve knew it was better to just let some things go. He decided to go ahead with the party; it was a good PR move. He decided that the fourteen piece band was acceptable; as were the tables of food and all the lush chairs so the guests could sit. He approved of the twinkling white lights being wrapped around every surface the decorators could get their hands on; plus the new fountain with the figures of two men shaking hands was exquisite.

Then the two huge statues that looked like swans came in. Right after, the Wutainise traditional dancers came in and demanded a dressing room so they could relax between shows. This was quickly followed by the sword swallowers, live peacocks (for the garden, as it was explained to him) and a champagne fountain.

Reeve could just imagine the bill sitting on his desk. It would have a lot of zeros in it. A headache began to form and he just prayed that the event would go smoothly enough and quickly enough so he could get back to work. This was not one of those events he was accustomed to.

He quickly walked through the main banquet hall, trying to avoid the numerous workers running about. A tall man was behind a bar, setting up delicate looking wine glasses, and he looked up and saw the head of WRO heading towards him.

"May I help you, sir?" the bartender asked, recognizing who was at the bar immediately.

"Please tell me we have purchased casks of whiskey for tonight." Reeve said, leaning over the bar top. The bartender shifted in his spot. "Well, not... casks, but sir, I do have plenty of whiskey."

"Good."

"I can set aside a bottle just for you, sir."

Reeve sighed. "You are a good man. Remind me to tip you handsomely later."

Reeve pushed off the bar and walked back towards the entrance. He looked around and saw workers place centerpieces- huge, colorful flowers in baskets- on all the tables. People were high up on ladders, hanging strings of lights and flowers off the ceiling.

"This place looks ridiculous." He murmured, and left to go home.

Barret fussed with the bow tie. He did not even know why he said yes to these types of things; but as his assistant, Drew, insisted that he go through the whole shebang. "It is good for networking”, or so he said. Then that damn kid would smile at him, said it would be good for business; then Barret would be in a monkey suit.

If it would only fit.

Barret looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. It had been over a year since he last had to wear this suit, and in the past year of desk work and hardly any exercise, he had gained some pounds. He thought about wearing his only other suit, but it was too worn out and had some questionable stains on it. He patted his stomach, ripped off the foolish bow tie and cursed at himself.

"God damn it man, you need to fix yourself." he mumbled.

After ridding himself of the suit he went out to the kitchen and poured himself a cup of water. He drank it down in one gulp and tossed the cup in the sink.

"Eh... time to go shopping." He sighed deeply again and grabbed his wallet.

For four years, Cloud Strife had endured the worse torture imaginable. Horrible nightmares, painful injections; years of confusion and having it all end with the world partially destroyed and missing people who should not have been missing. He had buried too many loved ones. He had been the reason many loved ones would not return home. Yet, he remained. He persevered. He learned that he could handle what life threw him his way.

Then he agreed to go shopping with Tifa.

Cloud could not explain why, but it felt like his whole body was hurting from the experience. He walked all around the city, sat in uncomfortable chairs, watching Tifa try on dress after dress. There was even the pain of having to enter the dressing room to help his friend zip up some dresses- and if he thought the sight of her soft pale flesh would help improve his day, he was sorely mistaken. In more ways than one.

After a few hours of walking around, avoiding effeminate men who wanted to dress him, the two friends found themselves in a small boutique. Cloud walked in and immediately felt uncomfortable- it was too warm, too cramped and the lady behind the counter looked way too eager to help them. Tifa let the older woman whisk her away and Cloud went to sit on the firm leather chair provided.

He sighed and tried to get comfortable, enjoying the moment of silence. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

"Oh my dear, this would look stunning on you. This color goes well with your coloring!" The sales lady cooed, ushering Tifa into a dressing room.

Tifa fumbled about in the tiny space for a few minutes, then pulled the curtain back. She stepped out of the dressing room and turned to look over at Cloud.

Hearing that she had left the safety of the curtain, Cloud sighed deeply, then opened his eyes to look at her.

His whole body went rigid. The air left his lungs. He could not focus on anything else- not the sales lady exclaiming that Tifa was the most beautiful creature she had ever seen, not Tifa asking nervously if the dress was okay- for suddenly, there was a goddess standing right in front of him.

A dark green material hugged Tifa's muscular body tightly. It was an emerald green chiffon gown, with a top cut into a pattern of flowers exposing small glimpses of her skin. A sheer green lace material covered the whole dress, spreading out to the ground, making Tifa seem more delicate than Cloud ever remembered.

"I have the most beautiful heels to go with that dress. My darling, you look radiant! You simply must purchase this gown, I'll even give you a discount..." the sales lady dithered, circling around Tifa, handing her shoes and telling her to wear her hair up with the dress.

"What do you think, Cloud?" Tifa asked, causing Cloud to startle out of his reverie. He blushed.

"Well, you are gorgeous my dear, no doubt about that! Right, young man?" The attendant said, carefully unpinning the price tag from the sleeve of the dress.

Cloud nodded. "Yeah. Yeah! Tifa, you look..." He racked his head for an adjective. Wonderful? Amazing? The most beautiful woman I have ever seen? "...pretty."

The whole store seemed to have gone quiet. Even the noise outside on the street seemed to stop. Both Tifa and the sales lady stared at Cloud for a moment.

Then Tifa smiled. "Thank you, Cloud."

Then the world seemed to breathe again and continue on like normal. The sales lady asked Tifa to change so she could put the dress in a bag for her, and went to ring her up. Cloud absentmindedly paid for the dress, much to Tifa's chagrin. He did not mean to embarrass her, he just wanted to speed up the process so he could leave the store.

"Pay me back when we get home." Cloud said, then his cheeks turned red. That sounded a lot dirtier than he intended, but he knew that Tifa would understand what he meant.

They made their way back home, Tifa talking about digging his old suit out of the closet and cleaning it before the event, with Cloud just agreeing with whatever she was saying. He could not get the image of Tifa in that dress out of his mind.

"Tifa, I..." Cloud interrupted her, not even knowing what she was talking about, "I thought the dress really suited you. I mean, you looked really nice in it."

Tifa's cheeks reddened slightly, but her smile was wide. "Thank you, Cloud."

The two continued to walk home, to get ready for the party the next night.

Reeve had to admit to himself that the hall looked stunning, now that it was all put together. It was a grand display of wealth and class and Reeve knew that it was all for appearance only.

He straightened his dark blue robes and smoothed his long hair back. Exiting the hall, he walked down a corridor towards the elevator, stopping at a mirror posted on the wall. His beard was trimmed neatly, his dark hair slicked back with minimal product. Reeve nodded his approval, though he knew he would pale in comparison to his date.

Suddenly, he jumped. He looked down at the watch on his wrist and realized that he should have left ten minutes before to pick up his companion. Reeve swore lightly and rushed to the elevator, to the town car, and to Seventh Heaven. In the car, he had a small token of appreciation for his friend, Tifa Lockhart. A small silver necklace, with a small star pendant adorning it. He smiled at the gift. He wanted it to be a simple gesture, but a sentimental one- they were friends, after all.

Taking a deep breath to calm his rapidly beating heart, Reeve exited the car and walked up the path to the front of the bar. A 'CLOSED' sign hung on the door. He turned around the corner on the wrap-around porch and headed towards the door that led to the actual residence.

Cloud answered the knocks on the door, dressed in tight fitting black slack and a white button down shirt. A smart black tie hung around his neck; though Reeve could see that Cloud kept the Fenrir earring in his ear. A black blazer was held in his hand. Reeve had to admit, he looked distinguished when dressed up- a rare sight in itself.

"Good evening, Cloud." Reeve greeted, and held out his hand. He smiled at his friend.

Cloud, who usually replied with a smile of his own, was stoic tonight. He grasped Reeve's hand a little too firmly and shook it quickly. "Evening."

Cloud stepped back into the kitchen, leaving Reeve standing alone in the doorway. The man took the hint and stepped into the warm home, closing the door behind him.

"How are you Cloud?" Reeve asked. "Would you like a ride to headquarters?"

"No." Cloud answered, pulling on his blazer. "Tifa should be ready soon."

"Is... everything alright?" Reeve asked. He noticed the rather curt tone in the other man's voice.

“Yup.” Cloud grabbed his keys off a hook on the wall. 

Reeve shifted uncomfortably. He had not seen Cloud like this before. It was like his friend was angry with him, and Reeve could not understand why. But before he could inquire further, he head heels click down the stairs.

Both men's heads turned towards Tifa, who was standing in the doorway. Reeve gasped audibly; his mouth turning dry. She was brilliant in her emerald gown; complete with green pumps, and her long brown hair was up in a braided knot on top of her head. His already beating heart threatened to jump out of his chest.

"You look wonderful." He complimented. Then he remembered the small gift he had, and walked forward, handing it to her. "This is for you, Tifa. Thank you for accompanying me tonight."

The door that led to the garage slammed shut and was followed by the roar of a motorcycle. The noise surprised the two of them; it seemed uncharacteristic of Cloud to act in such a manner. However, Tifa broke that uncomfortable silence by laying a hand on Reeve's arm and making him look at her.

"Your welcome, Reeve. But you didn't have to get me anything." Tifa said, but opened up the small box anyway. "Though it would be rude of me to not accept a gift!" She joked, then went quiet when she saw the present.

"I remember you telling me that you still wished on shooting stars." Reeve said, gently taking the necklace from Tifa. He walked behind her and placed the gift around her neck, clasping the necklace. "So I caught one to give to you."

Tifa recalled that moment. 

A few months before, Reeve had come to visit. It was rare when he had a day when he did not have to work, so he came to see some friends and spend some quality time with Marlene- who always managed to have a sophisticated tea party with him. Tifa recalled that Reeve wore

a simple sweater and worn blue jeans, a rare sight to see from the man who seemed to live in formal attire. 

It was a relaxing Sunday afternoon. The bar was closed on Sundays, so the three of them - Cloud, Tifa and Reeve- had gone up to the roof to sit and talk. They talked for hours, well into the night. Cloud left for a few minutes to take a phone call, leaving the two alone.

A star flashed in the sky. "You know, when I was little, I used to wish on falling stars." Tifa said, leaning into Reeve's side.

Reeve smiled. "I believe all children do that."

"Yeah... but I still do." Tifa smiled shyly, looking very pretty in the moonlight. Reeve felt his heart thump in his throat and prayed that she did not notice. "Whenever I see one. I can't help myself."

Reeve could not keep his eyes off of her profile. She turned and looked up at him. She was still smiling. "I think that is an admirable thing to do."

Tifa fingered the necklace and smiled. It was a very sweet gesture. "Thank you Reeve. I love it."

Reeve stepped to her side and held out his arm. "Shall we?"

Tifa took hold of him. "We shall."

Chapter Text

(This chapter has art done by Moonlightff9_, Misakuh, and Ro_X_e. Go follow them and support them!)

07:25 PM.

As he was the host, Reeve Tuesti and his date for the evening were the first to arrive. Tifa immediately laughed at all the decorations, calling them 'gaudy', in which Reeve chuckled and agreed.

He explained to her that for the first hour or so, he was required to welcome each guest and make introductions to certain people. It would be best if she accompanied him throughout that. He also told her that after all the greetings they would all sit down for an eight course meal- in which Tifa patted her stomach and said she hoped for 'good eats'. Reeve assured her that there were, in fact, good eats.

"Good." Tifa laughed, and Reeve noticed that the beautiful lady beside him rarely ever giggled, like most women he knew. She let her mirth show freely. It was endearing. "Okay. So will you remind me who is who, so I don't look like a complete idiot tonight?"

"Absolutely." Reeve smiled.

"And stop me if I'm being too backwater? I don’t want to offend anyone."

Reeve took her hand in his, noting that though it was warm, the callouses on her palms made them tough. She squeezed his hand back, letting him know that she thanked him for his reassurance.

"Everything will be okay." Reeve said, and Tifa smiled nervously.

She let him lead her towards the middle of the ballroom where the humongous chandelier hung. It was made out of old parts of Midgar, mixed in with some new steel being produced out of Junon. It was a testament to the advancement of their world- but a gentle reminder of what was left behind. Though hideous, Tifa said it was her most favorite piece in the whole room, and the smile that beamed from Reeve made the compliment worth it.

After all, he designed it.

8:00 PM.

Rufus Shinra was the first to arrive. Tifa was gracious, though Reeve could tell of an underlying distrust in her voice. But all took it in stride and Shinra left to find his seat. Reeve let out a sigh of relief and turned to greet the next guest, which happened to be Cloud Strife.

With a date.

Tifa beamed at little Marlene Wallace, all dressed up in a pretty pink dress, her hair braided with flowers and bows.

"Mr. Strife." Reeve greeted him. "And Miss Wallace, you look like a vision tonight."

"Thank you." Marlene said shyly, holding onto Cloud's hand tightly.

"I couldn't help myself. I needed to bring the prettiest girl with me, if that's alright." Cloud joked, looking Tifa up and down in a hurried motion. Tifa laughed and bent down to give the small child a hug.

Reeve nodded. "Quite alright, the more the merrier. I hope her father approves."

"I don't." Barett interrupted in his loud bellow, and the adults turned to look at him. "He stole my date. The second he walked in and asked her, she was lost."

"I can't help being good looking, Barett." Cloud said, gently tugging on Marlene's arm to guide her to their table.

"But you can help being a jackass." The bigger man grumbled to Reeve and Tifa, and went to follow his daughter and her date.

A hundred people followed them in, including a surprise- Vincent Valentine. He had strangely accepted the invitation, and was now looking quite odd without his signature red cape and black leather. Tifa had a notion that he was here to keep an eye out for someone; but she had no idea who, and she was a little afraid to ask. Vincent kept mostly to himself, nursing a glass of champagne that Tifa knew he was not going to drink and staying close to their rag-tag group of friends.

Reeve thanked the last guest for coming in. Tifa was grateful that that was all over; she was getting tired of everyone staring her down and wondering where she hailed from.

"Are you related to the Lokhards of Junon? Wealthy family, you know."

"No, I am not. My name is Lockhart. I'm from Nibelheim."

"Ah, Nibelheim. Tell me, do you know of the Shinras? Time ago, they used to own a delightful house in the country. I believe it was in your town."

"Yes, it was. And delightful is not a word I would use to describe anything related to Shinra."

"Are you from polite society, my dear?" This question came from an elderly woman who smelled highly of lavender and cat urine, making Tifa gag and infuriated at the same time. She resisted the urge to scream that she was a 'slum babe', a pleasant moniker that the upper platers would call her and other woman like her, but Reeve placed a gentle hand on her arm and brought her temper back down.

The old woman had left her rankled though. She knew that for the rest of the night, people were going to be looking at her and wondering where she had come from; and if they knew who she was, then there would be even more questions. It was widely known that the former AVALANCHE members were attending the soiree, and pretty soon it would be known that Reeve Tuesti’s companion for the party was one of them.

Tifa sighed. Suddenly, her excitement for the evening had dropped. This was going to be a long night.

9:30 PM.

Their table was the most rambunctious; though the occupants were not particularly worried about it. According to the AVALANCHE family, laughter was a welcome friend. Even Vincent, the most quiet of the group, was chuckling now and then. Of course, other guests were staring at them, hoping they would be more polite.

Tifa excused herself from Reeve. She had promised her friends that she would have a drink with them, and Reeve told her to go ahead and stay- he would join her for some relaxation in a bit.

So, there they were. Happy. Smiling. Reeve waved at Tifa from across the room, signaling to give him five more minutes. Tifa blushed and smiled sweetly. Cloud grimaced and looked away, bringing his champagne glass to his lips.

"I can tell all of you are enjoying the party."

An eerie silence fell over the table. Sensing the hostility of the guests, Rufus Shinra cleared his throat and forced the smile he was bearing wider.

“I know the World Regenisis Organization truly appreciates the continued support,” He said “and so do I.”

The former members of AVALANCHE said nothing. They did not move, blink, or seem to breathe. Rufus was reminded of stone gargoyles, their unblinking stares guarding their secrets. He coughed, wiped his hands on his shirt, and proceeded to move on to the next table without even saying goodbye.

Barret was the first one to say something, but as always it was something very unpleasant. Tifa scoffed, slapped him on the arm, and looked over at her party. 

“We all knew we were gonna have to live in this world with him. Let’s just agree to be civil with the former... adversaries.”

"So we can date 'em." Cloud muttered. Only Tifa and Barret heard him, and while they said nothing, Tifa shot him a look.

Marlene giggled. "It's funny when Papa says a bad word."

Cid guffawed. "Then I must be a goddamned jokester."

The table seemed to relax, laughing at Cid. Reeve came by shortly after, choosing to sit next to Tifa. She smiled at him. Cloud reached out and grabbed another glass of champagne, downing it in one gulp.

"Dinner is almost over." Reeve said, eyeing the empty plates scattered on the table. "Then there will be dancing and mingling; a good chance for people with businesses to meet one another." 

He looked over at Barret and Cloud; the older man was looking bored at the notion, the younger one rolled his eyes as he poured more drink in his glass.

Tifa locked eyes with Barret and smiled. The bigger man grinned at her. It was time to play their favorite game- 'Get Cloud Drunk'- and they knew it would take a lot of alcohol to get the young man inebriated.

Barret sneaked another glass of champagne to Cloud; Tifa looked over at a server and flagged down three shots.

The two smiled at their unwise friend.

Marlene leaned over to her father and smiled. “Papa, would you like the dance?”

Barret looked around the table. Cid and Shera were already on the dance floor. Vincent was gone. Reeve and Tifa were talking and laughing, about to join the dancing themselves. Cloud, turning red in the face, was nursing his drink and openly glaring at the back of Tifa’s head.

Barret tsked and shook his head at the young man. Oh, to be young… and stupid.

“Sure, baby. Let’s cut a rug.” The older man smiled at his daughter and took her hand in his mechanical one.

Soon afterwards, Tifa’s hand was in Reeve’s, and they were heading after Barret and Marlene.

Leaving Cloud alone at the table to stew in his juices.

10:00 PM

The band was playing a delightful waltz and Reeve was leading a grinning Tifa across the dancefloor.

"Where did you learn how to dance?" Reeve asked.

Tifa laughed. "My father. He used to pick me up and twirl me around the room."

Reeve smiled as he pulled Tifa a little closer to avoid another couple. "Was your father a dancer?"

"Well, yes and no. I used to be part of the wealthiest family in town."

"That explains a lot."

"Don't get too excited. This is the boonies we're talking about. Anyway, my grandparents thought that my father should learn how to dance, for social events, ya know?" Tifa explained. "Then he decided I should learn to."

Reeve gently pushed Tifa's hand away from him, twirling her in a tight circle. The barmaid laughed and when she turned to face him again, Reeve took note of the glow on her face.

"I take it you loved it."

Tifa did a quick step that nearly made Reeve stumble at the fluidity of it. "Every moment. There actually is a lot of similarity between dancing and martial arts, you know."

"Which explains why you are an expert in both." Reeve sighed, pleasantly. "Miss Lockhart you are quite unlike every woman I've met."

"What's that mean?" Tifa asked.

"All of the ladies I have been acquainted with are either very power driven, or very subdued. Women who take too many liberties to gain what they desire, or who desire nothing more than to serve someone else. Too hard, or too soft."

Tifa looked confused. "And I guess I'm not like either."

"You are both." Reeve said, stopping with the music. "And so much more."

Tifa was silent for a moment. It was odd, anytime anyone gave her a compliment she rebuffed them because they were either lying, or they did not know her very well. But there was a truth to what Reeve Tseuti had said. And he said it like it was fact, something Tifa appreciated very much.

"Stop calling me Miss Lockhart. You know me better than that." Tifa reached out and took hold of his hand. Reeve allowed himself to be gently pulled towards one of the many private balconies attached to the ballroom.

Tifa wanted to be able to talk to Reeve alone.

But Cloud saw, and then he downed the last shot of vodka handed to him. Then the world went dark for a few seconds. Blissful, uninterrupted blackness.

10:15 PM

The balcony was beautiful. It was a small space, surrounded by fresh flowers and twinkling fairy lights. There wasn’t much else to the balcony, only two iron-backed chairs decorated with a fleur-de-lis design. When a breeze blew, Tifa was gifted with a soft floral scent. She took a moment to appreciate the calmness the balcony provided.

“Are you having fun tonight?” Reeve’s voice broke through her quiet.

Tifa smiled and turned towards her friend. She took him in, in his dark blue formal wear, standing a respectable distance away with his hands clasped behind his back.

Tifa nodded. “I am. I… I never get to come to events like this. I never get a chance to get all dressed up and everything.”

Reeve gestured to a chair, inviting Tifa to sit down. The chair, she noted, was a bit uncomfortable. The tiny cushion on it was more for decoration than comfort.

“I’m glad.” Reeve sat next to her and grimaced. “I should have picked better chairs.”

Tifa laughed and settled her back into the chair. Another breeze blew through the air, filling her nostrils with the heavenly scent of the flowers. 

“I won’t lie.” Reeve broke the silence. “I needed a break from the crowd.”

“I know what you mean. I didn’t realize I needed one until I got out here. I feel like everyone is staring at me.”

“Well…” Reeve blushed a little, and Tifa looked at him with confusion. “You do have at least one person who can’t keep his eyes off of you.”

It was Tifa’s turn to blush. She shifted in her seat, hoping to hide her sudden uncomfortable-ness. It only seemed to magnify it.

“Oh… thank you…”

Reeve looked embarrassed himself. “I apologize. I meant Cl- uh, someone else.”

Tifa relaxed. “Oh, him. He’s always been like that, ever since we were kids.”

“Really?”

Tifa nodded and settled back into her chair. “He always preferred to just watch from the sidelines. I don’t know how many times I invited him to join me and the other kids to play.”

She looked towards the night sky, wishing that the city would dim its lights so the stars could shine brighter.

“Not a joiner?” Reeve asked, knowing that was the case. He had traveled, albeit through his Cait Sith doll, enough with Cloud to know that.

The beautiful woman shook her head. “No. And we were always doing something! Exploring the woods, tea parties, playing cards-”

“Tea parties?”

Tifa’s cheeks reddened. It was embarrassing for her to admit, but she used to force the boys to join her tea parties. When she was younger, she even helped her mother bake for them. Tifa was pretty sure that was the reason for her friend’s perfect attendance.

“Yes. I was one of only a few girls in my village. Most others were older than me and wouldn’t give me the time of day.”

“So you would have the boys over for tea?” Reeve laughed, imagining a young Tifa playing hostess. It was now known to him the start of that particular talent.

Tifa started to laugh along with Reeve, knowing that it sounded ridiculous. But it brought many memories to mind, memories that had been overshadowed by the nightmares she had faced. But the memories made her glad, filling her with warmth. 

“Yeah. But we also went on many adventures! One time, my friend Lester found a puppy. He tried to bring it back to the village, to my house- he thought I would love it. But Cloud saw the pup from his backyard and rushed over to tell us that it was a Nibel wolf pup!” Tifa shook her head at the memory. “Luckily, we got the pup back to the woods before the mother came along.”

Reeve’s eyes flashed with terror. “You two were extremely lucky!”

Tifa laughed. “Yeah, we were wondering why we couldn’t teach him tricks…”

The two friends settled in to enjoy a few more minutes of conversation.

10:30 PM

Elena of the Turks was astounded at the ferocity of his dancing. He obviously had no idea what he was doing, but he did it with such vigor that it was impressive. When he jumped high in the air, too high for a normal human, people began to watch him. Some laughed, others looked disgusted. Elena knew the man was just cracked in the head.

"It was only a matter of time." Reno said, before walking away from her to go back to his position.

Elena, on the other hand, was intrigued. This was a side the ex-mercenary had never shown before. It would be prudent to gather this new intelligence. She watched as Cloud Strife headed towards a balcony, only to be intercepted by his two comrades, Cid Highwind and Barret Wallace. They turned him around, shoved a mug of coffee into his hands, and jumped back when Cloud simply dropped it on the ground and started moving again towards the dance floor, straight to her.

Her guard went up. The man was drunk. With all the modifications a SOLDIER had to go through, Elena was surprised. But when he got close and she realized that he smelled like a distillery, she knew that he had to have tested the never-ending open bar's depths.

"Hey." He slurred.

"Hello."

Cloud moved his hand towards his back, only to come up empty. "I forgot my weapon. Hold on, I'll be right back."

Elena immediately pressed the hands-free speaker on her ear. "Tseng. Situation with Strife."

"On my way." The earpiece crackled, and the blonde stood her ground.

"No, no situation." Cloud said, hearing the whole conversation. "Tifa'll kill me if I was a situation here."

"Then why were you going for your weapon?" Elena asked, point blank. She saw Tseng out of the corner of her eye.

"Maybe I just wanted to show a pretty girl a nice blade." Cloud said, his cheeks turning red. 

Elena was shocked, though she did not show it. Strife? Attempting to flirt with her? It was like a whole new person was installed into him.

She gave a slight shake of her head, and Tseng stopped. He took a few steps back, but kept his eyes trained on Cloud.

"I don't mean to offend you, Strife, but I have seen better blades than yours. Please go have a cup of coffee, and relax." Elena smoothly said.

"Wanna dance?" Cloud asked.

Elena fought the urge to laugh in his face. "As tempting as that is, a black eye does not go well with my dress." She motioned down to her dark blue gown, which held numerous pockets full of any weapon available to her- though an innocent bystander would never notice. "Leave me alone now. I must hold my position."

"Position? You're working?" Cloud, even drunk, was smart to catch on to her words. She could kick herself for her tongue. She always lets secrets slip.

The ex-Turks were invited to the ball, of course; but they were also personal guardians of Rufus Shinra.

They were under orders to survey the ball and its guests, but not to actively participate in the festivity.

"I am waiting for my date." Elena motioned to Tseng, who moved in. "He had to excuse himself for a moment, but he has returned."

Tseng slid into Elena's side. "Strife. Problem?"

"No." Cloud said, looking disappointed.

"Good." Tseng pointed towards the dance floor. "Leave."

Cloud did so, but not before muttering under his breath. "Knew there was something going on between you two."

10:45 PM

Tifa entered the ballroom again with Reeve in tow rather abruptly. A horrendous crash had sounded, and the two of them had bolted from the patio chairs to see what had happened. As they entered the area, Shera turned to look at them and frowned.

"Cid is trying to get him down. He went for the band, claiming that they were not 'funky enough' for a party. I think he is trying to show them 'how it's done'."

Tifa laughed. The game had been won, and she missed the beginning of it. "Cloud is not harming anyone, and besides, I don’t know if he knows how to play an instrum-"

Suddenly a loud bang occurred. The whole party looked towards the bandstand to see Cloud Strife, hero of the planet, bang the drums to a surprisingly up-beat tune. The band was quick to follow, and pretty soon, most of the younger guests were dancing.

"Well." Tifa said, watching her friend.

"I'll be damned." Shera said; her husband soon joined her.

"Now this is a party!" Cid whooped and grabbed Shera's hands. He pulled her to the dance floor, where they both danced to the country style song.

"I should stop this, but..." Reeve looked around. "This might be the best thing to happen to this party."

"He is good." Tifa said, her head starting to bop along to the beat.

"As Barret puts it… want to ‘cut a rug’?" Reeve said, offering his hand. He smiled widely when Tifa grasped it and pulled him to the dance floor.

Vincent, on the other side of the room, had stood back and let his eyes roam around the expansive room. Most of the party goers were on the dance floor, with the exception of a few of the older guests. The Turks were still in position, trying and failing to blend in with the crowd- it would help if they milled around a bit. He followed the eyesight of every single one of them and saw that they landed right on their boss.

Rufus Shinra was chatting amicably with two older gentlemen.  Vincent immediately became curious, looked up at the ceiling, and stepped back. He stepped quietly into the shadows behind the bar, took a second to get his bearings, and jumped up towards the beams.

“This is neither the time nor place to discuss such matters.” Rufus Shinra calmly told the shorter man. “Focus on other things. Enjoy the party.”

The other man shifted in annoyance and looked around the room. “Only person here I’d want to talk to is you.”

“Then don’t be here.”

Shinra turned and walked away from the man. Vincent, quietly standing over the two men left behind, focused on the taller of the two. There was something about him that seemed familiar. His back was turned towards him, and Vincent wanted the man to turn around to confirm his suspicions. 

When he did, Vincent instantly recognized him as ‘the tall man’ from Kalm.

11:30 PM

Many of the guests were now leaving; the wild man at the drums had been persuaded that the band knew what they were doing. Barret had made his way over to Cloud's side, ready for the inevitable crash. It was coming soon.

"Man, have another water." Barret pushed a cool glass into Cloud's hand. "I don't know if it's actually angel tears or what, but damn, these rich folks sure have tasty water."

Cloud pressed the rim to his lips and nodded. He was starting to grow quiet again and Barret knew he was starting to sober up. Knowing that there was no more danger, he looked over his shoulder to where Shera sat, a sleeping Marlene in her arms. She was smiling softly at the child. Barret thought that Cid needed to give that beautiful woman a child soon; she was looking like a natural mother.

“Sorry Teef and I played that game tonight. Wasn’t the right place to do it.” Barret apologized, signaling for the bartender to send a cup of coffee over. “Didn’t realize how crazy you’d get.”

“It’s okay.” Cloud finished his glass of water. “I took those shots. I could’ve stopped myself.”

Barret took a tray of appetizers from the courteous bartender, who also placed coffee in front of Cloud. The two men began snacking.

Barret knew Cloud was still loose enough to talk, so he decided to ask his young friend the questions.

“You doing alright?”

Cloud knew he wasn’t asking about what he thought was a near gallon of alcohol that was burning through his system. 

“No.”

“Why didn’t you ask her to come with you tonight?”

Cloud picked up his cup of coffee and held it close to his face, breathing in its rich aroma. “Didn’t get a chance. Not that I would’ve taken it.”

The older man sighed. “You know, Cloud, it's been a long time since we had to fight. I don’t understand why you still are.”

Cloud was silent for long moments, staring down at his dark brew. 

Barret was about to give up on him and go collect his daughter when Cloud’s answer came. It was so quiet, it was like the younger man hoped he wouldn’t hear it, but he still couldn’t help the need to speak the words.

“I don’t either. But it's for the best.” 

The bigger man settled against the bar and gave Cloud his full attention.  “Why?”

Cloud shook his head, his eyes never leaving his coffee. 

“Because I don’t want her to die.”

Barret felt his heart constrict in his chest. He knew that Cloud was young- too young- and that he had hurts in his past. Damn it all though, so did everyone. He had loved his wife with all his heart and soul. He held her body in his arms, knowing she was lost forever. But, if he had a choice, he would have done it all over again. The love they had shared had been worth it.

He wished he could convince his friend of this truth.

“Take it from me, Cloud. It’s worth the risk.”

Cloud fell to silence then. His blue eyes were getting clearer, letting Barret know he was becoming more sober. And that this conversation was now over.

"I better get Marlene home." Barret patted Cloud on the shoulder.

Cloud simply nodded, and drank some more coffee. He had just noticed that Shinra was talking to a couple of men; a couple of official looking men. Older gentlemen, not from around these parts, and the three of them had been engrossed in a conversation. Cloud began feeling curious; they had been talking for a while now. He moved to see if he could get a little closer, but a sharp pain rang through his skull and he stumbled a little. He was not at his best. He could not investigate.

He finished his coffee and slammed the glass down on the bar top. If only Barret and Tifa didn't love that stupid game they invented-

"Feeling better, I see." Tifa laughed from behind him.

Cloud started a little, then turned to look at his friend. "Not now, Teef."

Tifa stuck her tongue out at him and sat down on a stool. "Party pooper. You'll forgive me in about two seconds. I know you."

Cloud sighed and felt a weight he didn't know he was carrying leave him. The two sat in comfortable silence for a while. He looked over at her. Her long brown hair was a little frizzy now, and her cheeks had turned red- she must have been dancing. She looked beautiful.

"You look ni-" Cloud started.

"You wanna dance?" Tifa interrupted. Then she laughed again. "I'm sorry. You were saying?"

Cloud shook his head. "Nothing."

"Oh. Would you like to dance? The offer still stands." Tifa asked again, standing up and offering her hand.

"You know I'm not a good dancer." Cloud sighed. His head was still aching a bit and he knew that he had already made too much of a fool of himself.

“We both know that’s a lie.” Tifa smiled. "And it's a good thing that they are back to playing 'boring' music again. No one will pay any attention to us.” She reached out and took his hands, pulling him off of the stool.

He was powerless against her. He always was. He could be portrayed as the strongest, silent, and brooding figure all he wanted; but when it came to her, he could still be that shy little kid again. Tifa could pay two seconds of attention to him and he would follow her around like a little puppy dog.

But things were different now.

He now always had her, even if only in friendship.

Her hand fit so well into his. That didn’t escape his notice. He also saw the way her carmine eyes glinted in the light from the chandelier, and smelled the soft scent of her perfume. Her smile was so pure, so genuine, when he rested his hand on her back and pulled her closer.

Maybe he was still drunk.

Maybe she was just so beautiful.

But he could not keep his eyes off of hers. For the first time, at least to him, it wasn’t awkward. He wanted to be here with her hand gripping his, with her face just mere inches from his.

“Cloud?” Tifa spoke softly.

“Hm?”

“Do you remember the country dances? Back in Nibelheim?”

Cloud furrowed his brow slightly recollecting his thoughts. Though he was much better than before, sometimes his memories still eluded him from time to time.

“In the old barn of Hoover’s ranch?”

Tifa’s smile made his heart beat faster.

“It was the only place big enough to hold everyone. Hoover used to spend a whole week clearing it out before the dances.”

“I remember. I made some pocket money one year helping him out.”

The two settled back into silence for a few moments, letting the music swirl around them.

“You never danced with anyone.” Tifa continued, biting her bottom lip. “I don’t think you ever even showed up.”

Cloud nodded, frowning slightly. “I did. My mom would force me to go. But I would only stay for about ten minutes.”

“That’s a shame. I always wanted to dance with you.”

The band gradually faded out, the musicians done with the night’s entertainment. Couples began to break apart to politely applaud the band. Tifa was the first one to break eye contact and pull away, joining in with the crowd. Cloud noticed the pink dusting on her cheeks.

He might still be a little drunk. But he stepped next to her, leaned into her side, and spoke gently.

“You look beautiful.”

Tifa’s hands faltered and she stopped clapping. Turning, she made eye contact with him and there was no denying the tension between the two.

But then her date called out for her, and she pulled away from Cloud one last time.

12:00 AM

Reeve was saying goodbye to more and more guests, all whom were either elated at the evening's events or appalled by the lack of society at his gathering. Reeve decided that he no longer cared what his guests thought. He was too tired to care, and too happy about how his evening turned out.

He looked across the room at the last of the guests - Cid and Shera, Cloud, Tifa and Rufus Shinra. Rufus was shrugging into his coat, giving out orders to his personal guard, and began to walk towards the door.

Without pausing, he told Reeve that he would see him in his office early tomorrow morning. Reeve felt a pit begin to form in his stomach. He never liked seeing Shinra. He purposely distanced himself in the beginning of the new era; now he was starting to rely on him and his funds to keep the peace. He knew it needed to stop.

Cid and Shera pulled him out of his thoughts, said goodbye, and left. Cloud was still talking to Tifa, but Tifa was shaking her head 'No' to him, and eventually Cloud left her side.

"Thank you for coming, Cloud, and for the entertainment." Reeve snickered.

Cloud didn't react. "Are you alright to drive? You didn't drink too much?"

Reeve was confused by this question, and the rather abrupt nature it was asked in. "I... I have a car. Complete with driver."

"Of course you do." The blonde muttered, then walked away, following Cid and Shera. He wasn’t in a state to drive, and the couple said they would take him home.

That left only the cleaning staff, him, and his wonderful date. Tifa was still smiling as she approached him.

"This was a wonderful shindig." Tifa complimented. Reeve only laughed.

"I never knew Cloud could play the drums- that was surprising."

"Well," Tifa started, her smile faltering a little. "Nibelheim was always big on music. We were really up in the mountains, you know, with little power for theaters or television. So we entertained ourselves. I learned how to play the piano."

"I never knew that."

"Nibelheim was really not well known." Tifa said, a hint of sadness now in her tone. "And now it's just not the same."

Reeve did not know what to say to that. But Tifa did. She plastered on another smile and took his arm.

"Come on. You know it's only polite to offer a lady a ride home."

(This chapter has art done by Moonlightff9_, Misakuh, and Ro_X_e. Go follow them and support them!)

Chapter Text

It was coming up on a year since Yuffie Kisaragi’s disappearance.

As if celebrating the event, the news outlets had picked up her story again. It had all the grand elements of a sensational drama- great for ratings. A young lady, of noble blood, who was one of the planet’s heroes. A smart girl who had close ties with a lot of important figures in the world. Plus, she was beautiful, so her fate was deemed a ‘tragic loss’. No one seemed to know what had happened to her.

It had been months since any leads popped up. The WRO had no choice. Legally, she was declared deceased. No one in her close friend group ever said it out loud, but the loss was felt. Everyone knew that by now Yuffie was gone.

If there were any whisperings, they would share them with each other, but the whisperings seemed to have ended. As painful as it was, everyone silently began to move on with their lives. They had to. The world kept on spinning. 

Only one person refused to move on. He kept traveling, hoping for any sign of his young friend.

Cid clicked off the television set in a huff and threw the remote on the coffee table. He should have known better than to watch the news. Of course, the headlines were all about Yuffie, and how young and tragic she was.

They didn’t know her at all. ‘Tragic’ is not how I’d describe her.

But the thought didn’t settle well with him. Because if he was being honest with himself, it was tragic. Yuffie, the bright and annoying- as he used to call her- was dead. As much as no one had wanted to admit it, there was no denying it anymore.

Cid pulled a cigarette out of his pack and pushed off the couch. Shera wasn’t happy when he smoked, as he had promised her that he would quit. But the past couple of days had been rough. This upcoming weekend, even rougher.

All of the gang were meeting up in Wutai to honor their fallen comrade. 

Cigarette already in between his lips, he pushed open the door to his back deck and stepped out into the chilled morning air. He clicked his lighter then breathed in the bitter nicotine. 

Gods, that is good.

Cid took that first long drag and exhaled, the smoke burning his nostrils. The wind rustled through the trees, and birds flew in between them, singing their song. Cid smiled. He and his group of friends always surprised him. If you had told him six years ago that his life would’ve ended up like this, he wouldn’t have believed you. He had a successful business and good friends. He had a wife who, despite all the shit, loved him.

A lot of the anger he had felt before had left. It seemed pointless to hold on to it after the defeat of Sephiroth. Seeing Meteor crashing down from the sky, and the subsequent breaking apart of it, really put a lot of things into perspective for him. The second he came back from Rocket Town, he asked Shera for forgiveness.

It had taken a lot of work, but the two of them were now stronger than ever. Married, with good jobs and a nice house. Shera had told him the best news last week- they were expecting. After two years of really trying, Cid Highwind was going to be a father. The thought filled him with elation and he knew that it always will. 

But, with his life being settled but progressing, he couldn’t help but feel…old. He was thirty-nine now, much older than most of the people he called his friends. He was happy and settled. He knew what it was like to share his life with someone, and it was an experience he wished his young friends knew… if only they would let themselves. 

He took another drag of his cigarette. Two of them are gone now. And how fucked it was that they both were the same age. Aerith had been so, so young and sheltered- she needed more time. Yuffie was a spitfire, and that was the reason Cid liked her. She deserved more time as well.

He felt his shoulders drop and he looked down at the deck railing. Long minutes passed with nothing but the burning smell of his cigarette filling his nose.

Then, quietly, he felt his wife’s arms loop around to his front and felt her head rest between his shoulder blades. He tossed the used butt over the railing and rested his hands on hers, leaning back slightly into Shera’s embrace. 

It might not have looked like much, but Cid started to feel better.

In the recent past many kids would leave home while young. Too young, if you asked Barret. Not that he had room to talk. Sure, he had stayed in his hometown of Corel- but at the young age of fourteen he stopped his education and began working in the mines. Soon after, he and his best friend Dyne rented a small apartment. It was really just a run down old barn that they lived in the bottom half of, but it was theirs. By the time he was twenty, he was already married to the love of his life. 

Standing in his kitchen now, he thought about his daughter. She was only a few feet away, sitting at the table and doing her school work. Marlene made no moves to go anywhere- not yet, at least. At almost twelve years old, his daughter seems content to just stay at home and do school work. Barret was glad.  He never wanted, as he put it, to ‘clip her wings’, but she was too young and he didn’t want to let her go. 

In a few short years though that could change. Marlene was already growing to be independent. She told her father that she could walk back and forth to school on her own. She rarely asked for help on homework anymore. The young girl was even making her own meals. Barret was starting to feel like he was being pushed out. 

That feeling only intensified the previous week, when Marlene was moody as all get-out and sniped at him. He tried to figure out what was going on, but according to his daughter, he ‘wouldn’t understand’. Then she went across the street to see Tifa, who was able to calm her down. Barret asked Tifa afterwards what happened. Tifa only gave a light laugh, patted his arm reassuringly, and told him not to worry. It was a ‘woman’s trouble’. 

That night, he opened up a drawer in the bathroom and saw a pack of sanitary napkins shoved in the corner. It hurt his thought, to think of Marlene growing up. 

But Marlene was growing up. The only thing he could do was just to be there for her, if she needed him. He wished she would need him often. But Marlene was going to do many things, and even though it was scary, Barret had to let her. She would go on to do more school, maybe even go to University. She would get more friends.

She would even start dating.

Barret decided on a new rule, right then and there.

“Marlene, no dating until you’re forty.” He randomly said as he mixed up dinner. 

His daughter, not even phased by him, just continued with her school work.

“Sure Dad. Whatever you say.” 

Barret nodded in assent. Yes, when his daughter was forty years old, she could date. Maybe then he would be okay with it. Maybe then… maybe he would have someone, too.

It has been ten years. Barret could admit to himself that he was lonely at times. He shared his life with someone, once, and there was a void now. Barret thought it wouldn’t hurt for him to start dating. 

But he had had the best- Myrna. He still loved her, with all of his heart. It was hard to imagine sharing his life with anyone else but her. Though… he knew she wouldn’t be upset if he did. No one would be.

In fact, he knew of two people who actively encouraged it. Tifa kept mentioning that there were a lot of singles at the bar at times, or pointed at single mothers at school events. Cloud said he didn’t care what he did, as long as he was happy. Barret knew that was his way of telling him that he didn’t want him to be alone and unhappy. The older man wished him the same.

Barret saw a lot more than anyone else did. It was a benefit of living close to the two of them, and of being a part of their family. He saw how they acted around each other; how well they knew what the other one thinks or likes. He saw them go through a lot of ups and a lot of downs.

The down was a bad one. It seemed to start around the time Yuffie had disappeared, and kept growing and growing. Cloud was becoming more distant, blaming a busy work schedule for his many absences. Tifa was trying to force herself into a mold that didn’t quite fit, believing that if she made others happy, she would be happy too.

I don’t want her to die.

It was a very dramatic statement coming from a very taciturn guy. Maybe there was truth to it. Maybe fear was holding him back. 

Maybe he was just stupid. Barret chuckled to himself. They’re missing out.  

It was nice to have someone in your life who cares for you. In return, it was nice to have someone to take care of. Someone who wasn’t afraid to call you out on your bullshit. Or tell you what to do. Or to sit down and figure out problems together.

He meant it when he said it was worth it. If he could do it all over again, and get the same result, he would, Myrna was worth it. He will always love her.

He was getting a headache. The tapping of his feet in the hallway was loud, echoing through his pounding brain. This building, too big for simply being for public safety, was brand new and empty. Sure, there were offices and interrogation rooms and the like. People were filing in, filling up space.

But it was still too big and Reno wasn’t sure just why it had to be so big. It was nowhere near the size of the old Shinra building, but Reno thought it was very reminiscent of it. 

Rufus Shinra was a volunteer of many avenues. Philanthropy, hospitals, public safety. He loved to be kept in information under the guise that he was looking out for trouble. Reno knew that Shinra missed being in charge- it was what he was raised for, after all. It must be hard to have all that power for such a short time, and to lose it so spectacularly…

Reno began twirling his keychain on his finger, listening to the jingling of the metal keys as they echoed through the hallway. He thought the quiet would help him, but he was wrong. Not for the first time, Reno felt angry. 

They had been given the wrong information. As a result, his partner had almost died. Rude was awake now, and had been for awhile… but he still was healing. It would be some time before he would return to normal.

But should this be normal?

Was it still a good idea to follow Tseng? To work for Shinra? He had been lost after Meteor- just like everyone else was. He clung on to what he knew. 

But was it what he wanted?

Wutai stood, resplendent in red and gold, proud and somber. The Shera docked in port, letting out its passengers in the tourist-y part of the small country. The team was greeted by a delegate from the Leader of Wutai, Yuffie’s father, Godo Kisaragi.

Cid followed his friends through the busy town by the port into a quieter, less populated area. The years following Meteor were kind to Wutai- while it still had a resort for tourists, the money now earned from it went to the small country instead of the Shinra corporation. The extra funds proved well for Wutai, as many small villages on the island benefited.

Wutai was slowly coming back to its former glory. The people were tentative of the World Regenesis Organization, but were much more open to them than they were of the Shinra Electric Power Company.

When the team reached their destination they were greeted with cheers and drinks. The festivities were already in full swing, and they didn’t hesitate to join.

Pretty soon, Cid and Barret had a pint of beer in hand, laughing along with one of Yuffie’s old school friends. Reeve was deep in conversation with Godo, smiling and nodding along with whatever the Leader was saying. Kids were crowding Tifa and Marlene, wanting to hear stories about the city of Edge. Cloud stood nearby, with a plate of food piled so high it was a miracle it was balancing so well. Tifa kept stealing bites from him, making him smile.

The afternoon passed, with many stories shared and many laughs given. Friends and family gathered to celebrate the life of Yuffie Kisaragi. 

The night came. Eventually, the party began to quiet down. One by one, people walked out towards the beach by the manor. Soon, the only people left were family- Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Nanaki, Reeve, Cid and Shera. Marlene sat, resting her head on her father’s shoulder.

“You all ready?” Barret asked, looking towards a window where the night sky began to sparkle.

People began to nod and stand up, but Cid stopped them.

“Hold on a sec. Shera and I have something to tell you.” Cid said, reaching over to hold his wife’s hand.

Shera smiled at everyone. “We’re about to have a little addition to the family.” 

She reached into her pocket and pulled out a strip of black and white photos. Shera held them up, to wide eyes and growing smiles. Tifa was the first to react.

“Oh my- congratulations!” She exclaimed and gathered her two friends in her arms, laughing as she hugged them.

Soon, Cid felt many pats on his back and heard promises of free babysitting. They enjoyed a few more minutes of celebration before they knew they had no time left. They had to leave.

The beach was a somber place. Heads were bowed, and people had begun to cry.

Cloud rested a hand on Tifa’s upper back as she rested her side against him, taking a moment to gather herself. The two made their way across the sand toward a table on the beach, where someone had set up a station filled with paper lanterns and matches. 

They each took one, lit the lanterns and turned to walk towards the shoreline. Cloud quietly took hold of Tifa’s hand, her fingers lacing easily with his. Her gentle squeeze reassured him that she was not going to leave him tonight.

At the shoreline, he took a deep breath and watched as the waves came in. Soon, all the lanterns were lit, and a soft drumming sound was heard. Guitars started playing and a local singer began to weave a tale in native Wutainese.

Godo Kisaragi stepped up first, tears in his eyes. He stepped into the water and let the waves beat against his legs. He lifted his paper lantern in the air and let it go.

His lantern floated up in the night sky, bobbing lightly over the water. Soon, other lanterns joined it, sending prayers and well wishes to the fallen.

The song slowly faded out. Family stayed on the beach, silent, saying goodbye to a dear friend.

Chapter Text

Calling all Fighters!

Calling all Fighters!

Do you want a chance at stardom?

Come join us at Padilla Stadium!

April 13th at 4 P.M

MONEY PRIZES and CONTRACTS AVAILABLE

to winners!

COME REALIZE YOUR DREAM IN A PROFESSIONAL RING!

At Padilla Stadium

Sponsored by ShinRa Corp.

From Edge News, page 2:

Due to the high demand of jobs, citizens of Edge are looking elsewhere for a livelihood. Many have started their own business, such as Strife Delivery Service or Padilla Stadium. Cloud Strife, owner of Strive Delivery, declined to be interviewed for this article.

Sal Padilla, owner of the new fighting arena and gym Padilla Stadium, only had this to say to his fellow neighbors: "I believe we business owners need to help each other, not ignore each other. Together we can fix the broken infrastructure in Edge and help the people make a living wage. That is why I am proud to announce that Padilla Stadium is partnering with ShinRa Corp to start a professional fighting series."

The stadium will host events and entertainments in the upcoming months. Many are excited for the chance to prove their worth.

"It is time to be strong, together." Padilla comments, laughing. "But let's also have some fun while we're at it!"

Chapter Text

"Tifa Lockhart?" a short, plump man called out, holding a clipboard.

Tifa stood up from the hard-plastic chair and began walking towards the man. It was a shock that Cloud asked her to attend the auditions for new fighters at the stadium, and for the life of her, Tifa could not understand why.  Cloud had wanted to meet the man at the gala party, however, circumstances prevented that. 

Sal Padilla was quickly becoming a pillar in the community, and on top of that, it was said that he was a very nice gentleman. For every donation Barret made, Padilla made as well. Sal Padilla was the one who had a whole wing in the children's hospital named after him, after all.

When she approached the short man, he looked her up and down. This was something Tifa was used to, but it sort of shocked her that he would do it so openly.

"You have good muscle structure. Your core seems to be strong." The man stepped around her. "Good posture. Have you fought before?"

Tifa was taken aback. She had gotten used to people looking at her because she was attractive. ‘Sexy’, as was told to her. But this man was appreciating her fitness. "Yes. I was a student under Zangan."

"The legendary master? Good man." The short man checked his clipboard. "You the Lockhart that saved the planet?"

"Yes."

"Hm... might be a good draw in." He looked back up at Tifa. "Name's Lou. Yes, I know, it is stereotypical. Short fat man by the name of Lou managing fighters. Let's get over it."

"O... kay?" Tifa started feeling a bit uncomfortable. She worked hard to blend into the society that was built, and now her 'fame' was going to be a draw in? Why did Cloud want her to be here?

"Follow me. Let's see what you got." Lou opened the door to the ring for her, and Tifa walked through. "No worries. The only way you get hurt is if-"

"-you let yourself get hurt." Tifa finished, remembering how many times her old teacher, Zangan, told her that.

"Exactly." Lou gave her a warm smile. It was startling at first, but Tifa realized that it looked endearing on the older man. "And if you did manage to get hurt, Padilla will cover the expenses. So, no harm, no foul."

"That's nice of him."

Lou gave a short bark of laughter. "Yeah he's a real sweetheart. C'mon gal, get in that ring. Let's see what you got."

Tifa deftly climbed the ropes and slipped on to the stage. Suddenly, a thousand memories and a feeling of warm nostalgia overwhelmed her. How many times did she stand in that run-down ring in Nibelheim? How many hours did Zangan spend with her, teaching her not only how to fight- but meditation, a sense of self, life lessons? Tifa began to blink away tears.

"Been a long time, huh?" Lou asked gently. Tifa only nodded. "Take a moment. I gotta get your opponent anyway."

Lou walked towards a room in the back. Tifa took a deep breath and collected herself. She closed her eyes and took a deep whiff. The familiar smell of chalk, sweat and cleaner filled her nostrils. It could be sickening to the people who weren't used to it, but she found that she missed it. She could feel her heartbeat slowing down as she unconsciously slipped into a meditation exercise.

Lou had returned with his fighter; Tifa could hear them walking towards her. She heard the fighter quickly climb the ropes and enter the ring themselves and walk until she was a respectable distance from them.

She opened her eyes and saw her opponent...

... Vincent Valentine.

Shock froze her. There he was, wearing only comfortable pants. He was not wearing his gauntlet and fancy gold shoes. Tifa gave no sign that she knew him, just in case Vincent was here undercover. She had not seen her friend in a month, but if he were to just randomly show up in a situation like this, there must be a reason. So, she made it seem like she had no idea who Vincent was, and held her hand out in greeting.

"Hi. I'm Tifa."

Vincent nodded and held his hand out. "Ryu."

"Okay. I just want to see a good, clean fight. Five minutes, tops, so I can see what you have to offer, Lockhart."

Tifa locked eyes with her opponent, then showed respect by bowing. Vincent copied her.

Tifa went into position.

So did Vincent.

Cloud ruffled through all his papers. He had photographs, documents, handwritten notes all pertaining to Yuffie. He never wanted to admit to himself that she was gone, but... considering the circumstances, it was hard to believe otherwise.

He had every reason to believe that Yuffie... his young friend... was possibly dead.

Cloud shook his head, clearing his dark thoughts. He had lost yet another person he cared about. The thought crept into his head, refusing to be pushed away. The thought that if it was so easy to lose the people he cared for, it was easy to lose others.

He leaned back in his chair and sighed. Yuffie was always annoying to him, but he loved her. Despite all the troubles she might have caused him on their journey, Cloud had thought of her as a little sister.

He sat looking at one of the last photos taken of Yuffie. She was standing, dressed in traditional Wutain robes. She was standing next to her father, and to a man- Cloud recognized him as Sal Padilla, having seen his picture plenty of times in the news. He remembered that Padilla had been one of the main figures in the Edge-Wutai peace agreement, setting up trade and good relations with the small powerful country. It worked. Despite Yuffie's disappearance, relations between Edge and Wutai were solid. There was even talk of Wutai opening a few of their popular businesses in the city, opening up new jobs for people here.

Cloud smiled down at the picture of Yuffie. Even though she caused many a headache to her dear father, you could just tell that she adored him. She was smiling widely, standing close to her father.

"One day we'll find you, Yuffie. I promise."

"Lockhart!" Lou called out. Tifa stopped, breathing hard, and looked over her shoulder to the spectator.

"You're street fighting. Use the art."

Tifa took a deep breath. Vincent - Ryu- was silently standing off to the side. She shook her head. Lou was right. After years of fighting for her life, the beauty of the art had left her. She could feel herself slipping into scrap fighting as well, although she knew she did not want to do it.

She stood up straight and turned towards Lou.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

Lou walked towards the ring, rested his hands on the mat. "I do see the talent, kid. But I don't think this program is for you."

Tifa nodded. It was not like she wanted to be a professional fighter anyway- she was only here, she guessed, to check the place out. Even though she did not know why. But... she still wanted to prove herself in the ring. She used to be good at this. She even had medals and trophies- or did, anyway. They were lost in the fire of Nibelheim.

“One more time.”

Lou sighed. “You aren’t gonna be a part of the fights, honey. Might as well stop now.”

“I don’t want to be a professional fighter. I just want to show you that I can fight.”

Tifa looked down at the man. Lou looked up at her. Then he nodded.

“Alright. Show me what you got.” Lou grumbled as he backed off from the rope.

Tifa took a deep breath to steady her heart rate. Then she turned back towards Vincent, who was quiet and still. The thought of why he was even here entered her mind, but she pushed it out. She needed to not think.

She needed to feel. She needed to listen to her body, to feel her muscles as they moved. 

Vincent gave a slight bend at the waist. Tifa followed suit, starting the match with respect. 

Respect for the art, for the ring, for the person.

Another deep breath and she was ready to go.

Vincent was not going to make the first move. This made Tifa be on the offensive, so she started slow by going for a grab at the shoulder. Vincent swiftly moved to the left, allowing Tifa to take a step in and place her leg in between his. Vincent let himself be taken by the waist and flipped over, landing on the mat with a thud. Tifa stepped back quickly and turned again to face him, watching as he kicked up and onto his feet.

It was odd to see him without his cape. But as soon as that thought entered her mind, Vincent’s palm came out and hit her- hard- on her chest, pushing her back and making her lose her breath for a beat.

Tifa gathered her breath and let her mind go again. It was time to focus on the fight. A flurry of kicks, sweeps and punches flew between the two fighters.

“Ryu.” Lou called out, and Vincent stopped. Tifa was halfway through another grab, but Vincent took her weight and steadied her.

“Sorry.” Tifa apologized, hearing Vincent exhale slightly upon impact.

“No problem.” Vincent said, and went back to standing by the ropes.

Tifa exited the ring, going to stand in front of Lou. Lou looked her up and down again, but this time, Tifa did not feel uncomfortable. He was merely checking to see how her body handled itself after a fight; double checking her stature and muscle. She was breathing a little hard, but as she had remained in shape, she was quick to recover from the fight.

“That was better. Much better.” Lou commented. “Still not gonna use you in the games.”

Tifa could not help but feel a little disappointed. She was a good fighter. She knew it.

“But I want you to come back Tuesdays and Thursdays at six o’clock. At night. I think with a little more training you can get back to form. Are you interested?”

Tifa felt a thrill go through her spine. “Who would I be training with?”

“Me. And some choice fighters.”

“You?”

Lou laughed. “Don’t let the size fool ya, kid. I can hold my own.” He held out his hand. “Let me be your manager and trainer. Not even asking for money. Just... interested. You really do have talent, kid.”

Tifa bit her lip. She looked down at his hand. “I can back out whenever I want?”

“Anytime.”

Tifa took hold of Lou’s hand. “Let’s try.”

Cloud was milling about in the kitchen when Tifa came home. He was just about to put the ramen noodles he had made for dinner on the table when he heard her. He looked up at her, smiling.

“How’d it go?” He asked, a hint of hope in his voice.

“I have a manager. And training sessions, but not a contract.” Tifa supplied and sat down at the kitchen table.

“No contract?” Cloud asked, turning towards the pot of soup on the stove and filling a bowl for Tifa. He busied himself adding the rest of the ingredients while Tifa told the story about her fight.

“Why was Vincent there?” Cloud asked, placing a bowl in front of Tifa, who was beginning to look confused.

“I assumed the two of you were in cahoots.” Tifa breathed in deep, smelling the delicious meal. She looked down to see a hard-boiled egg, ham and fresh vegetables were added to her ramen.

“Cahoots? For what?” Cloud sat down. “I didn’t know he was there. And under a disguise? I wonder why...”

Tifa, who had a bite of noodle heading for her mouth, paused. “Wait. You really didn’t know he was there?”

Cloud shook his head. “No. I haven’t talked to him since the party last month. Even then, he didn’t say much. Not that he ever does, anyway.” Cloud slurped a big bite of dinner and chewed.

Tifa looked confused. “But why did you send me there? I didn’t see anything wrong with the place. Though Vincent was a surprise.”

“I just thought you would like it.”

Tifa dropped her chopsticks.

“Like it?”

Cloud, his mouth full of food again, nodded. “Yeah.” He swallowed. “I remember you said you would train with Zangan way back. I figured you missed it, and when I saw the sign, I thought that you would have some fun.”

Tifa felt her heart beat fast again. She smiled at him. “That’s sweet. But-“ She stopped herself and took a bite of her dinner.

Cloud noticed, however. “But what?”

Tifa waited until she swallowed before she answered. Even then, she spoke in a small voice, though she knew Cloud would be able to hear her.

“I’m not that good anymore.”

“Rusty. You are rusty. You didn’t lose the skill; you just need to remember.”

“It used to be so important to me. I felt so special when Zangan chose me to be his student. I was so good at it! Now it’s just... gone.”

“It’s not gone.” Cloud said softly. “You had a lot of more important things to worry about. It’s normal to have some pastimes fall to the wayside. To be honest, Tifa... I only suggested you go because I know you haven’t been the happiest lately.”

Tifa looked up into Cloud’s bright blue eyes. Even after all she had tried to lift her spirits... the dates with Reno, going to functions with Reeve... and with her pulling herself away from him. 

Cloud knew she was not entirely happy with the way her world was right now. It was near impossible for her to hide anything from him, and now here he was, attempting to make her happier. Simply because he cared. Tifa was touched by his affection.

“I’ll be fine.”

“You don’t have to lie to me, Tifa. I’m the one person you don’t have to do that too.” Cloud said, reaching out and placing his hand gently over hers. Tifa felt her heart soar. “I’m your best friend. I want you to be happy.”

Her heart lost a bit of air. But she still felt warm, and safe. “I want you to be happy.”

Cloud smiled. “I’m getting there. But it makes me feel better that you are getting there, too.” He let go of her hand and returned to his dinner. “As for Vincent, he probably was just checking out the scene. The whole thing is sponsored by Shinra. You know how he is about anything associated with that organization.”

Tifa nodded. “That makes a little more sense.” She picked her chopsticks back up and began eating again. “It was nice to see him, though. Even though he was trying to be a super spy."

"Yeah." Cloud grinned over his soup at her. "It's not like he stands out like a sore thumb wherever he goes."

"Totally covert." Tifa nodded in agreement, laughing with Cloud as they ate their meal and chatted about their day.

Chapter Text

The water was surprisingly warm in the cavern. He stepped until he felt the ledge give, then paused. Cloud closed his eyes to stop the tears from falling. He had to be strong. He had to be strong for her. This was something he had failed to do in the past. She deserved more. She deserved better. She did not deserve everything that had happened to her over the last two days, over the last two weeks, throughout her life.

Hearing the planet suffer, constantly. Learning about her past. Learning what a madman was going to do to their home, then falling at the hands of the same man. Feeling the pain burn through her body. Feeling the punches deep into her flesh as her trusted friend stood over her, crazed. Knowing that he was not in his own mind when her travel companions pulled him off of her. 

Now she is gone. Cloud had lost her, almost at his own hand, until he was stopped. He watched his old hero end her life. Now they were here, in this cavern, in this lake. Cloud looked down at her peaceful face. She was still beautiful, even though the color of her cheeks had long since faded. He watched as they began to hollow. 

Within a matter of seconds, Cloud was holding a bloated corpse in his arms. He screamed in terror. The panicked man tried to let her go, but found that he could not. He stepped back, shaking his arms. The girl’s arms shot out, grabbed the front of his shirt. Pulled him close to her rotting face, flesh falling off of those once rosy cheeks.

“Look at what you’ve done. Look, Cloud.”

Cloud screamed again, feeling hot tears trail down his cheeks. The water around him started to bubble, burning his body. He hissed, then took a deep breath and continued screaming.

“Look at what you’ve done, Cloud! LOOK AT WHAT YOU’VE DONE.” Aerith sneered at him, the crooked smile scaring him more than anything. “This is your love.”

“No!” Cloud screwed his eyes shut to not look at her. 

“This is what your love does.”

“No, I’m sorry, I-”

“How long until I face it?”

Cloud gasped, and opened his eyes at the new voice. Tifa’s skeletal face flashed in front of his eyes just once before he fell backwards. He felt the boiling water blister his skin. Saw the two of them standing above him, lined with death, sneering at him. Felt the water burn its way down his throat as he opened his mouth to scream, choking him.

“Cloud!”

He heard Tifa’s voice. He reached out, trying to push her away. She did not deserve to be here, not in this fire. Not to have her skin blackened and peeled away…

“CLOUD.” He felt his cheek get slapped.

Suddenly his eyes opened and he saw Tifa above him, fear apparent in her widened eyes. 

“Tifa! Get out! I’ll pull you under- she’ll… get out…”

Tifa did not run away. Instead, she pulled her friend into her arms and held him close as he sobbed. For long minutes they stayed like this, until Cloud realized where he was, and realized that he was safe in her arms. He tightened his hold on her- he knew it was painful for her- but he needed to make sure that he was there, still.

By some miracle, Cloud had fallen asleep. Tifa tucked him into bed, and he had a blissful night’s sleep. No dreams. No nightmares.

When he woke up, he was surprised that he felt well. He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and felt a warm bundle next to him. Cloud smiled at the sight of Tifa, curled up in the blankets next to him. She didn’t leave him last night. 

He took a shower, got dressed, and went to have breakfast. Tifa was up by then, attempting to make coffee. He smiled at her, and chatted as she blearily prepared for the day. It was a little too early for her to be up- she usually kept bar hours. He gently pushed her to her favorite seat in the kitchen and made the coffee extra strong for her that day.

After breakfast, he gathered some packages and letters and went about Edge delivering them. It was a quick route, quick money. He visited a few businesses and picked up their orders for the week. For all intents and purposes, it was a very normal day. 

Yet there was a nagging feeling in his stomach. 

Cloud decided to be extra cautious when making his rounds. He picked up some new camping supplies, then went and filled up Fenrir with gas. He stopped by Barret’s office to have lunch with his friend- and he seemed fine. His assistant, Drew, had stepped out to purchase some pho for them. Cloud spent an enjoyable hour, eating and conversing with his giant friend. 

When he left, he was full of warm food and with a project to do on the side. Barret had asked him to go and scope out an area, to see if there were any beasts- or owners to buy from- so that he could possibly use the land for excavation. It was an easy task, and Cloud gladly accepted it. 

Anything to get his mind off of the odd feeling he was carrying. Anything to stop the constant worry and wondering about the X-MAK business, Tifa, and his own traumas.

Reeve Tuesti had taken to smiling as he went about his day, even while he was in his office. It did not matter what he was doing- signing paperwork, making tea- he was just in a good mood. It had been about a month since the ball he had hosted. Shinra had managed to stay off his back for the past few weeks. He also began taking more time for himself. Reeve was even debating on calling up his friend and inviting her out to lunch. He and Tifa Lockhart had met up a few times, all friendly, and she always looked happy to see him.

A bit of nervousness grabbed at him when he thought of her. It had been so long since he had last felt like this. Normally, he was a very cool and collected person. It could be difficult to guess what he was thinking. There were even times when you would not have been able to tell if you were actually speaking to him, or to a dummy robot version he made of himself.

Something about the charming woman seemed to unnerve him. Tifa was a beautiful woman, anyone with eyes would be able to see that. But when you got past the surface, there was a young and brilliant woman there. Reeve always had kept an eye out for her. It was only until recently when he decided to attempt to court her. 

He wasn’t a fool. He knew there was a connection between her and Cloud, but it seemed so blurred and confusing, it was hard to tell what was actually going on. Whenever Reeve asked her to lunch, or to a charity event, or even simply stopping in to have a drink at Seventh Heaven, Tifa was always there and smiling at him. She always greeted him with a hug, and rested her hand on his arm, and actually listened to him as he talked. Lately, he had been trying to get her to talk more. He wanted to learn more about her, but the young lady stayed true to her surname and tended to keep more personal details to herself. She would politely excuse herself and go help another customer, or visit the powder room, or simply change the subject entirely. 

Reeve turned from his desk. The sight of where his wall safe was located caught his eye. There had been no attempted break-ins to his office that he had known of, but something about the area seemed… off. He gently put his cup of tea down. After making sure his office door was locked and the blinds on his windows were shut, he moved a potted plant out of the corner and lightly touched the wall. 

On the painted wall, a glowing set of numbers appeared. It was a hidden keypad, one Reeve designed himself. It would only respond to his fingertips and a special numerical code he tapped in. Once entered, the keypad faded back into the wall, and the safe door unlocked.

He reached out and grasped the edge of the hidden door- again, it looked like a part of the wall. He opened the safe and looked inside. There was only one item hidden in there, and Reeve breathed a sigh of relief.

So far, only him and Rufus Shinra knew about this secret. 

Cloud pushed the door open and held it for Tifa, who stepped into the large hallway and looked around. She saw some art hanging on a wall, and her curiosity got the better of her.

“So, this is a school building?” She asked, reading the second grade bulletin board. 

“Guess so.” Cloud smiled, watching Tifa as she read about how rain falls on a flower. He had to admit, the crude drawings were cute.

“So different from back at home. A group of us just sat around Ms. Bunchwell’s kitchen table.”

“And dealt with her bad breath, up close and personal.”

Tifa laughed in agreement. Nibelheim had no school building. Parents would send their kids to the only teacher in town for a few hours to learn the basics of math, reading and writing. All other schooling was taught at home. Cloud remembered that his mother was very strict when it came to his education- it was really the only time she had a ‘no-nonsense’ attitude. 

Her laughter subsiding, Tifa looked back towards him. The sight of her cinnamon colored eyes never failed to make his heart jump into his throat.

“Any ideas where the principal’s office is?” She asked, her hands clasping together behind her back, leaning forwards slightly. Cloud could tell, despite the reason why they were at Marlene’s school, that she was having fun being involved. 

Both Cloud and Tifa were at the Edge District II public school to investigate the use of drugs on campus. Cloud, while talking on the phone to a distressed Barret, didn’t even ask what drug it was. It was X-MAK, always X-MAK. The substance that, despite there being an obvious markey for it,  Cloud never seemed to be able to find. Cloud had gritted his teeth and called Reeve- not his favorite person at the moment- and asked if he could go to the school to poke around. Reeve readily agreed, and once Tifa had come back and showered after a training session, the two of them set off to play detective. 

The school was closed for a couple of days, to do a thorough investigation of the property. The halls, which Cloud imagined were usually full and noisy in the middle of the day, were bare and quiet. Their footfalls echoed off the walls. Tifa was still looking at every bulletin board as they passed them.

“Is the teacher alright?” She asked, referring to the person who was found with drugs on them. 

“They’ve been arrested. School filed all the charges they could against him.”

Tifa’s brows furrowed. “That’s sad.” She clearly felt bad for the gym teacher who had been arrested. 

Cloud tched. “Good riddance. It was his mistake to bring that crap to work. What if he planned on giving it to one of the kids?”

Tifa shuddered and unconsciously took a step closer to Cloud. “You’re right.” She shook a piece of black hair out of her face. “He put a lot of kids in danger. I shouldn’t feel sorry for him.”

They came to a door with the word ‘PRINCIPAL’S OFFICE’ stencilled on the frosted glass. Cloud knocked on the door, and heard a warm voice telling them to come inside. Again, Cloud opened the door and let Tifa walk in first. The second she did, he noticed the Principal’s eyes widened. The older man straightened his tie, blushed lightly, and stood up straight to appear taller and stronger than he probably was. Cloud rolled his eyes. It was a scene he’s seen thousands of times before. People were always in awe of Tifa when they first saw her. 

He looked over to his friend. She was dressed in old blue jeans and a blue hoodie, but it did nothing to hide the fact that she had curves and that she was beautiful. That was when he noticed that the hoodie she was wearing was his, and a little thrill at the thought of her casually wearing his clothes almost made him smile. 

“Hello, welcome!” The Principal greeted, a smile shining on his face. “You must be Mr. Strife, and… I’m sorry, Miss, I was told that only Mr. Strife was coming, so I don’t believe I know your name.”

“Tifa Lockhart.” She held out her hand and the older man grasped it a little too eagerly. “It is nice to meet you.”

“Miss Lockhart.” He bowed his head. “I am Rey Wolffe, principal of this fine school. Thank you for coming over to help us.”

“Thank you, Mr. Wolffe.” Tifa pulled her hand gently out of his hand and went to stand closer to Cloud. “I’m here to help Cloud today.”

She gestured towards the man, making the Principal re-focus on him. There was obvious disappointment when he watched as Tifa placed her hand in Cloud’s, squeezing his fingers lightly. It was a signal to him that she really didn’t want to deal with a flirtatious man, and that she wanted his help. He squeezed her fingers back to tell her that it was alright.

“Director Tuesti wants me to look around the property a bit; ask your staff a couple of questions.”

“Yes.” The venom was obvious in Principal Wolffe’s voice. “The director did ask me to allow you to investigate. You have the full cooperation of this school and its staff members. Most of them are here today, taking advantage of the time to catch up on work.”

“Thank you.” Cloud tried to keep a pleasant tone in his voice, for Tifa’s sake really, but it was hard for him to do.

The Principal picked a key ring off the desk and handed it to Cloud, who took it and handed them to Tifa. He had a tendency to lose keys. 

“That is a set of master keys. The small silver one does all the lockers, and the bigger silver one does all the doors. The brass one leads you to the basement. It was our gym teacher who was arrested, Coach Barton.” 

Cloud nodded. “Thank you.” He said again, then turned to Tifa. “Ready?”

Tifa smiled at him. “Yeah. No time like the present to start.”

After a few more complimentary remarks from the Principal, all mostly directed towards Tifa, the two of them stepped back out into the hallway and started walking down towards a set of big doors. 

“Thanks. For helping me back there. I didn’t want to deal with a flirt today.” Tifa let go of his hand and began playing with the key ring she held. 

“No problem.”

“So where should we start? Lockers? Supply closets? I wish we asked for a map, I’m going to get lost here.” Tifa chuckled and looked at their surroundings. 

“Let’s hit up the gym first.” Cloud pointed towards the big double doors in front of them, which had a sign displaying the word ‘Gymnasium’ above it. “It’s where they originally found it.”

The two walked into the gym, but the area had been fairly picked clean. They went into the boy’s locker room, where there was the teacher’s office, and found a young man around their age shuffling around the desk. When the door closed behind them, the man looked up and frowned at them.

“Can I help you guys?”

“Yes. We are here on behalf of the WRO.” Tifa began, stepping close to the desk. “We want to know if we can ask a couple of questions.”

The man sighed. “Great. More questions.”

“Excuse me?” Tifa asked, offended by the man’s rudeness.

The man looked ashamed at himself. “Oh, I’m sorry, Miss. I’ve just been answering questions for the past two days. I’m a little burned out.”

“That’s alright, Mr-”

“Edgar. Ed, for short. I am the assistant coach here at Edge II.” He looked around the office. “Guess I'm the new head coach now, with Barton gone. On top of being the main teacher.”

“Bitter about it?” Cloud asked.

Ed threw him a questioning look. “No. Stressed.”

“We heard the drugs were found here, in this department.” Tifa began.

Ed nodded and leaned against the desk, preparing for yet another question and answer session. 

“Yeah. I was the one who found them. I was looking for the key to the ball cabinet, and found them in a drawer. He must have taped them up on the top of the drawer to hide them, but the tape fell apart and they just fell down.” Ed sighed, remembering the stress of the day. “I immediately called Wolffe over, and he called the police force.”

“Any idea why he would even want X-MAK?” Cloud asked, and was mildly surprised at the shocked look on the younger man's face.

“Is that what that was?”

“You've never seen it before?”

Edgar shook his head and looked properly scared. “No. I don't really know a lot about the drug scene, only that steroid use is dangerous and is prohibited by law.”

“X-MAK can be used as a steroid. It is supposed to enhance your performance over time.” Cloud explained. “My guess is they call it X-MAK because the result is similar to mako.”

“You obviously know all about that. Not many people nowadays have been exposed to it, not ever since the use of mako became illegal.”

Cloud blinked his electric blue eyes, tinged with mako green. “True. But what happened to me was pure mako. This was trash.”

“Do you think he gave it to any of the children?” Tifa asked, guiding the conversation away from personal talk. 

“No, thank the gods.” Edgar visibly relaxed, and Cloud could tell he was relieved that the children were spared. “The WRO asked the parents if they could take urine samples from their children, and all came back negative.”

“That’s good to hear.” Tifa continued, smiling in relief. “I'm wondering if he was ever planning on giving it to the kids.”

Edgar looked mad. “If he did, he would be the most despicable man on the planet. We're responsible for the children's well being and safety here. They shouldn't be used for… for experimentation!”

“How much X-MAK was there?” Cloud asked, trying to push thoughts of experiments out of his mind.

“Only two vials.” Edgar answered. “I think it might have been for personal use. He… he had been acting oddly for the past couple of weeks. Moody, but bright and full of energy. He was trying to do impossible feats, like jumping up to sit on the roof. Claimed he could jump over the building in a single bound.”

“Sounds like X-MAK.”

“Any idea why he started using it?” Tifa asked.

“Well… he started acting oddly not that long ago. Said he needed to be impressive.”

Cloud sighed. It was an age old tale, one that he knew very well.

“A girl.”

Tifa rolled her eyes. “Honestly.”

“Her name is Lucinda Gearson, though everyone calls her Miss Lulu. She's new this year. Very nice lady, very pretty too. It's no secret that Barton has a massive crush on her.” 

“So he possibly started to get ‘help' to impress a lady.” Tifa sighed. “Really, whatever happened to simply talking to a person? Getting to know them?”

“He tried.” Edgar shared a grin. “Lu never reciprocated. We laugh about it all the time.”

Cloud caught on. “How long have you two been together?” 

Edgar’s face suddenly changed. He was a young man, bright, eyes lost in love. Cloud wondered if he ever looked like that while thinking about the woman next to him. 

“Three years. I helped her get the job here, when her other school closed down. No one but the Principal knows that we are together. We wanted to keep our personal lives out of our jobs, you see.” Edgar started to get excited, and pulled out his phone. “We just got engaged last week, so soon, everyone will know anyway. But we talked about it. We’ll still be private about our lives outside of here.”

He held out his phone, showing a picture of himself, arm around a very attractive red-headed lady. They both were beaming at the camera, and she had her left hand lifted up to show the ring he had bought her.

“She’s very pretty, and the ring is gorgeous.” Tifa smiled at him. “Congratulations.”

“Is she here today?” Cloud asked, memorizing her face.

Edgar nodded. “She should be, we rode in together. Her room is 202.”

“May I ask one last question before we leave you to your work?” Tifa asked, and Cloud could tell that something was a little off about her. Not enough where others would notice, but since he knew her so well, he could tell that something was bothering her.

“Sure.” 

“Do you know where he got the drugs from?”

“Only a rumor, one that I am sure the police are following up on. We had a janitor here who used to sell a ‘medicinal’ herb. But I never heard of him selling anything stronger than weed, and never to kids, so I doubt he was the provider.”

“You ‘had’ a janitor? What happened to him?”

Edgar laughed at Tifa, who looked alarmed. “I thought there was only one more question!”

“Humor her.” Cloud said, a hint of warning in his voice. He hated when people laughed at her.

Edgar nodded his head, holding a hand up in surrender. “I really don’t know. He was fine here, working, and he was a nice guy. Then suddenly he quit one day, about two months ago. Never explained why, and Wolffe had to hire someone quickly to fill the position. Before you ask me, the new guy is creepy. Very quiet and serious, and not one to make friends. Everyone usually ignores him and lets him do his job.”

“Thank you. “ Tifa said, turning to follow Cloud as the man started walking towards the door. “You've been a big help. Good luck in your new position!”

Edgar only nodded at their backs, then went back to cleaning up his new office.

Talking to Miss Lulu yielded the same results- Barton had a crush that was not reciprocated, the old janitor suddenly left, and the new one was scary. The bubbly redhead did mention that every once in a while, the new janitor would stop and watch someone as they worked, as if he was sizing them up.

No, she did not know if the new janitor was there that day. No one had seen him in a few days, actually.

It wasn’t a lot of information, but it was a start. They decided to go back to the Principal to see if they can learn more about the new janitor. Cloud and Tifa were now walking through the halls, hearing their footsteps echo off the lockers. 

“These things actually look pretty big.” Tifa commented, pointing at the metal fixtures. “Like tiny apartments.”

“They could easily fit a kid. Or two.” Cloud sized up the lockers and chuckled to himself. “If we had these growing up, I would probably have spent a lot of time getting shoved into one.”

“No. I don't think so.”

“No?” 

Tifa shook her head, a devious smile on her face. “Nah. You would be the ‘bad boy’- silent, brooding type with a lot of leather.”

Cloud’s face cracked into a grin. “A lot of leather?”

“It's a requirement for bad boys, don'tcha know?” Tifa sized him up. “Oh yeah. You would have been popular with all the girls and the boys would have hated you.”

Cloud felt the heat burn his cheeks. “I wouldn’t be the popular one. You would.”

“Oh God, what a horrible thought.” Tifa laughed. “I would have hated being a popular girl in a school this size. Always having to be on display… trying to please everyone, I’d be exhausted.”

“You would have done great.” Cloud reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “Popular girls always do.”

“We could have been an awesome team!” Tifa joked, trying to make the mood light. “The cheerleader and the biker boy.”

“Ripped straight from the pages of a teen novel.”

Tifa laughed, leaning into his arm. “Plucked out of a rom-com mov…ie…” 

The air around them started feeling a bit too heavy. Cloud cleared his throat and lately pointed towards the door. 

“You, uh… wanna knock? He seems to like you more.” 

Tifa, her cheeks lightly flushed, nodded and lifted her hand to bang on the door. After being told to enter, Principal Wolffe smiled widely when he saw Tifa enter the office first. 

The smile dropped a little when Cloud came in right behind her. 

“Mr. Wolffe? We were wondering if you can tell us a bit about the new janitor.” Tifa inquired, going to sit in a chair in front of the desk. Cloud stood right behind her. “We've heard that he was a little… off.”

“I had so many complaints about him. But he did the job, never really bothered anybody. Just the teachers and kids seemed scared of him.”

“Do you happen to know where he is? Miss Lulu told us that he hadn't been seen in a couple of days.” Cloud said, resting a hand on Tifa’s shoulder.

The Principal frowned slightly at the casual touch. “He quit… I guess word hasn't gotten around yet. No wonder, we've had quite a brew-ha-ha over here!”

“People don't seem to know much about him, like his name. I haven't heard it once. I'm sure the police are handling the questioning, but… do you think I could get his name and address? Just to do a follow up?” Tifa asked, smiling brightly at the older man.

He caved. No man could hold himself up against her charm. 

“I'm not allowed to hand out private information… but what the hell.” He leaned forward with a lecherous grin. “Let's be bad.”

Tifa giggled, which made the Principal smile even wider. Cloud squeezed her shoulder, a not-so-subtle hint to lighten up on the flirting,  and watched as the Principal typed away on a computer. A sheet of paper came out of the printer behind his desk, and the man folded it up and slid it across the desk.

“Feel free to call me anytime if you have questions.” The Principal said, plucking a business card with his information on it from a card stand on his desk. 

Tifa took the card, batted her eyelashes at him, and thanked the man for all of his help. Cloud just rolled his eyes.

The second they walked out of the school, Tifa tossed the card in the first garbage can she saw.

“Okay, let’s see what we got.” Tifa said, unfolding the paper and starting to read. Cloud looked over her shoulder. “Wait-”

“I know him.” Cloud said, reaching around Tifa to take the paper. “He called himself Renaldo.”

“That’s the man I fought with in the back of my truck. When we were helping Vincent.” Tifa held on to Cloud’s arm as she read over the paper. “I feel like I’ve seen him in other places, though. If I have, I never made the connection.”

“This is the man that ran that so-called ‘bakery’.” Cloud read the name listed. “Adelbert Monroe. He clearly has many names.”

“I wonder who he works for.” Tifa’s nose scrunched, which Cloud thought was adorable. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind. “I swear, I’ve seen him somewhere else. Maybe at an event?”

Cloud shrugged. 

“I can look around tonight at the WRO Youth League charity event. Maybe I’ll see him there. If I do, I’ll call you.”

“Tonight? Since when were you going to-” Cloud stopped mid sentence. Suddenly, he knew what was happening.

WRO. Reeve had asked her to attend another party with him. Being the people pleaser she was, she said yes. Tifa always had a hard time letting people down, preferring to just make them happy. Or maybe she said yes because she wanted to go with the other man. Because she liked him, and liked going on dates with him.

He felt a sourness hit the back of his throat. He swallowed it down and kept quiet.

“Oh! Uh, yeah. I… got invited to an event. It’s for a good cause?” Tifa explained, as if she was questioning it. “It’s good networking, too. I might cater for some rich lady’s daughter’s birthday. Though why she wants an open bar for a sixteen year old, I have no idea…”

Tifa trailed off, seeing the thunderous look pass through Cloud’s eyes.

“Are you going alone?”

He didn’t know why he felt compelled to ask a question he already knew the answer to. 

“No.” Tifa turned into steel, clearly not wanting to talk about it any further. “Look, there’s an address here. We should stop by on the way home and see if we can find anything.”

Cloud was confused for a second before he remembered the paper he was holding in his hands. He refocused on the now slightly crumpled paper and read the address provided. It was on the way back to the bar, so he nodded his head in agreement and started walking towards where Fenrir was parked. Tifa had to quickly follow behind, for he was moving too fast and she was afraid that she would be left behind if she didn’t. 

The address had been a bust. He listed his address as the ninth apartment in a building that only had eight units, so there was a dead end there. Tifa tried to joke about the lack of background checks at the school, but Cloud was silent and broody, so she kept quiet and let him drive them home. 

Tifa went upstairs to get ready, ignoring the look Cloud shot at her when she passed him by. It was a look of anguish, anger and fear and she found herself getting worked up over it. She was only going to this event to do more networking for her business. Besides, she went with a friend and had fun, and she could not understand why that made Cloud so upset.

Only, and she finally admitted it to herself, she could understand. He was jealous. He was upset that she was, by all appearances, moving on. It hurt her to know that, and to know that it was bound to happen because… well, she was trying to move on from him. 

It was difficult. It wasn’t working, but she thought it was time to do so. Wasn’t it? She tried to stop thinking about it. It was giving her a headache, all these feelings, all these confusing thoughts. She wanted things to be simple. She wanted things to just happen. 

Tifa sighed to herself and finished getting ready for her night out. She was going to be positive. She was going to be okay, even though she didn’t feel it on the inside. No one needed to know what was going on in there; no one needed to be bothered with it. 

The second she walked back into the kitchen, Cloud spoke, startling Tifa. 

“You know, you’ve been seeing Reeve an awful lot lately. You two have a habit of ‘getting together’ ever since the party.” 

If it was said in any other tone than the one of seething anger he had, Tifa would have laughed and considered it conversational. 

But it wasn’t. 

“It’s nice to have a friend.” Tifa said, forcing a smile on her lips.

Darkly, Cloud replied. “Then that’s an awful nice dress to ‘hang out’ with a friend in.”

Tifa, anger surging through her now, snapped right back at him, making him flinch away. “If you don’t like me going out with a friend, well then, tough! Stop talking down to me every time I do.”

Cloud looked like he had been slapped in the face. Tifa thought she would feel relieved to have finally said something out loud; but she felt awful, like she wanted to vomit. But that ‘can of worms’, as her father used to say, had been opened now so she decided to keep spilling them.

“I know you hate it. But I am tired of waiting for something to happen. I’m tired of being scared to do something .” Tifa felt herself fumble over her own thoughts. Just hours ago, they were partners, laughing and working with each other.

“I’m tired of walking on eggshells around you. I thought it would be different by now. That we would have what we wanted.”

“What do you want? I’m getting mixed signals here.” Cloud gestured to her attire.

Tifa set her jaw, standing defiant against his ire. “You already know. I’ve told you before, years ago.”

She bit her bottom lip as tears burned her eyes. Cloud looked angry. Whether at her, or himself, she wasn’t sure. But there was the painful truth in what she had said. Something that had been kept secret between the two of them for years.

After Meteor fell, Tifa assumed that things between her and Cloud would keep progressing. They had spent their last night on the planet together, talking and laughing, stealing kisses between stories. He had been so gentle with her, so open. Tifa’s heart was full of love for him. She made a promise to herself that if they survived, she would let him know how she felt and see the feelings through. 

But after the destruction of Midgar things went crazy. There was no time to think about romance. The two of them had things to do- healing people, protecting others from monsters making their way into camps. Cloud had started making deliveries for people, using an old green truck given to him to go back and forth to Junon to pick up supplies. There were days, even weeks, when they wouldn’t see each other.

Tifa was busy as well. She helped build the first homes of what was to be known as Edge, all while planning what to do for their home. Cloud would excitedly give his input on the plans when he was around. Tifa took that to be a good sign. If he was willing to live with her, it stood to reason that he wanted to be with her. When the madness was over, and they were settled in their new home, they could pick up where they had left off.

Then their new home was built. Life was still hectic however, with no signs of stopping. The two of them focused on starting their businesses. Tifa helped Cloud purchase Fenrir because he hated the truck. She had grown fond of it, and kept it, despite it breaking down every few months. 

Cloud got involved working on modifications for Fenrir, too busy to pay attention to anything else… including her, whom he had started pulling away from. Tifa was certain it was only nerves. It had been a long time, almost a year, since they saved the world. Maybe he was uncertain of her feelings for him.

Tifa remembered the day she finally told him how she felt. Cloud had walked into the kitchen after a day of deliveries and said hello. He asked her how her day was- even gave her a hug. When they pulled away, Tifa looked up at him with a soft expression. She said those three words that she had held so close to her heart for so long.

“I love you.”

She never anticipated that he would tense up so tightly. Or that he would pull away from her.

Cloud had looked down at her, sadly. He stumbled over his words, but he explained to her that she was important to him, so important to him, but… and he couldn’t finish his sentences. Instead, he fled. He left her for weeks, making deliveries, helping around the new city, avoiding her at all costs. 

When he returned they never spoke of it, though Tifa felt her heart break every time she looked at him. They acted normally, in front of everyone, even amongst themselves. It was like it had never happened. 

Tifa knew Cloud loved her. It was obvious to everyone. He just couldn’t say it. Tifa, after hours and hours of thinking on it, could never understand why. You love someone. Someone who loved you in return. Someone who wanted to be with you. Why would you reject it? She once told him that words weren’t the only way to tell someone how you felt, and he had kissed her so sweetly. Over the years, Cloud had proven to her time and time again how he felt. 

But after all this time, it would be nice to hear the words. To be together. Or maybe she had been wrong this entire time. Maybe Cloud didn’t love her.

Tifa bit her lip, feeling the sharpness of her teeth break through her skin. It brought her out of her thoughts. 

Cloud, his cheeks flushed, took a step forward. Tifa held her ground, looking up into his angry and desperate eyes. 

“Tifa… I want… I never said that I didn’t…” He stammered, his shoulders shaking. “I want-”

Just then, a knock interrupted them. The two looked towards the kitchen door, seeing Reeve’s silhouette through the small curtained window. Cloud turned away first, heading for the garage.

“Cloud.”

“Have fun on your date .” He slammed the door shut so hard, picture frames fell off the wall and shattered.

The sound was so loud, Tifa jumped and yelped in surprise. Fenrir’s engine roared to life. Reeve opened the door, hurrying into the kitchen. He had heard all the noise and came running in, eyes wide in fear and confusion. 

“Tifa! Is everything alright?”

Tifa, her eyes burning, turned to look away from her friend. No one would want to see her like this. Besides, Reeve and her were supposed to have fun tonight. It wouldn’t be fair to him if she was upset. 

But her chest felt tight. Her head was swimming. She wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and cry. She didn’t want to be out with anyone else, even if the other person was a good friend.

“Yes… just some roommate trouble.” Tifa refused to look Reeve in the eye. “I’m sorry. I won’t be good company tonight.”

Reeve placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Tifa felt her stomach churn. 

“Are you okay?”

Tifa nodded. “Yeah. I’m sorry, I can’t go out with you. Not tonight.”

Reeve dropped his hand and stepped around to look at her. Tifa turned from him again, hiding her reddened face. 

“Please, Reeve. I don’t mean to be rude, but I’d like to be alone right now.”

“Oh.” Reeve stepped back to give her room, always being a gentleman. “I… I hope you feel better soon. If you need anything…”

“Yeah, thanks.” Tifa interrupted, grimacing at her rudeness. 

But she wanted everyone to be as far away from her as possible at that moment. So, without saying anything more, Tifa walked towards her stairs and went up to her bedroom, leaving her friend to stand uncomfortably in her kitchen.

Chapter Text

From Click! Weekly, dated 07.13.2014:

Romance is in the air? 

Reported by Kyrie Canaan

Our intrepid Director Tuesti has been seen around town with a gorgeous lady. It is no other than Tifa Lockhart, hero of Midgar! (Pictured below.)

Seems like there was more than friendship blossoming over the last few years! Many reports claim that this new relationship is fairly new. How exciting! Lockhart was known for being roommates and close friends with another one of our beloved heroes, Cloud Strife. The two are very private, and both have denied to comment on… basically, everything! This reporter has, over many years, tried to get a statement from the two of them and so far I have had no luck. 

‘Will they’ turns into ‘they didn’t?’

Despite being very private people (much to this reporter’s chagrin) it turns out that the ‘maybe they are, maybe they aren’t’ couple are… not a couple! Strife and Lockhart are just friends, much to the sadness of many of our readers. With the recent sightings of Director Tuesti and Miss Lockhart, it is safe to say that everyone is moving on. And moving on up, it seems!

Moving on with a new beau

Miss Lockhart certainly travels in big circles! Just over the past month, she has been seen with the Director at three separate events. Always smiling, always polite, Lockhart has certainly charmed her way into the hearts of many of Edge’s elite.

“She is a delight!” Mimi Hogan, proprietor of Hogan’s Arts, explains. “I’ve only met her a handful of times, and she is always so nice!”

“Certainly a breath of fresh air in the stuffy ballrooms.” Rufus Shinra, former President and currency philanthropist, said. 

Wow! Lockhart even has charmed an old foe! Guess times really have changed, huh? Rest assured, dear readers, I will be keeping my eye on this recent romantic development! 

From Click! .com:

Director Tuesti has been spotted yet again with Tifa Lockhart! The two were seen dancing at the Public Safety Charity event last Friday night. And it is easy to see that they were lost in each other’s eyes! Click below to see the exclusive pictures!

Excerpt from Edge News , dated 08.05.2014:

“... when asked about his love life, the Director was quick to shut down any questions, stating that personal matters were not to be discussed at city hall meetings…”

Chapter Text

“You need to let go, son. She’s gone. It isn’t healthy to hold on to someone who isn’t there.” The wizened old man spat out some of his chew on the ground. “It is alright to have loved and lost.”

Vincent kept his anger in check. It was not the first time he had been told that Yuffie was gone. He’s searched the whole world twice over and the Wutain princess has yet to be found. Most of Wutai, even her father, believes that she is dead. Even he was beginning to believe…

He thought about why he was still searching as he walked away from the old man. If she was dead, her body was most likely destroyed. No one would ever know what happened to her. If he was still looking, it was because he didn’t want to let go. The thought always scared him. 

His walk ended up with him coming to a private clearing, and he decided to stop and sit. To think about the past year. 

It’s been over a year now, he thought with some shock, since the last time he had seen her. His mind wandered to one of the last times they were together.

“And another one bites the dust!” Yuffie twirled her shuriken in the air.

Vincent simply stood by, watching as the last of the Dual Horns faded into the lifestream. In their work with the WRO, Vincent and Yuffie were called to do monster eradications. For them, they were simple.

They had been dispatched near Costa del Sol, where some Dual Horn fiends had set up camp. It was odd, as that was not where they were typically found. It had turned out that they were being shipped in for some illegal fighting tournament, and had gotten loose. The delivery men simply ran, leaving the beasts behind to terrorize the citizens of the beach town.

Now that the problem was under control, Yuffie felt like she could relax and enjoy the sunshine. She stashed her weapon, unzipped her lightweight vest jacket, and stretched her arms out.

“Mmm, the sun feels nice.” She smiled at Vincent. “Doesn’t it?”

“It’s hot.”

Yuffie grinned. “I forgot.” She tapped the arm of a passing team member, who was busy cleaning up the area of the fight. “Vampires don’t like the sun.”

The team member chuckled as they kept working. Vincent felt his ire rise, but you never would be able to tell. At most, he only looked mildly annoyed. He learned that if he emoted appropriately, Yuffie would stop teasing him- or, at the very least, lighten up on it. 

“Come on, Grumpy pants. Let’s go get a drink or something.”

“Why?”

“Because we’re friends and that is what friends do. They hang out.” Yuffie shook her head in mock amazement. “Sweet tonberry nuts, even Cloud understands that, and he is almost as dense as you.” 

Vincent bristled and stood up straighter. 

“Almost, but not quite.” Yuffie was now in his face, her finger pointed up to the sky. “Now, come on. I actually do have some things to talk about, and I need another’s opinion. Please?”

There was a beat, then Vincent turned towards the populated beach area and began walking. “Fine.”

Half an hour later, the two were sitting in the back corner of Bar del Sol, where there weren’t many patrons yet. It was still early in the afternoon, and word had not gotten around yet that the dangers were gone. Vincent found himself enjoying the peace, and the company.

Yuffie, while still young and full of energy, had greatly matured as she grew older. Her humor had become more sharp. Her energy levels were still ridiculously high, but she channeled them better into her work and day to day life. Vincent had to admire her, though he would never ever let her know. The two of them had started growing closer as they worked with the WRO, often being sent on missions together. While Vincent was not a full fledged member like Yuffie, he still felt it was important to help keep the peace in the world they just saved about five years prior. 

“Have you heard the news about Edge?” Yuffie asked, sipping her cocktail. It was bright and looked very sweet. “Apparently, there is a new drug flying around.”

“Drug problems in cities are nothing new.” Vincent commented, drinking his own drink. He had settled for a dry red wine. 

Yuffie nodded in agreement, and continued. “Yeah, but… this drug seems to act like a steroid or something. Makes people go cuckoo bananas! It is not widely known yet, but these people are always found dead after doing something stupid.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, so far, the WRO has not found a single living person with this drug in their system. We only know things about it from the dead.” Yuffie shivered. “And usually, they don’t die from the drug. They die because of what the drug can do. It seems to, I don’t know, give them false confidence. People jump off of buildings, or go face to face with huge monsters in the forest… stupid things like that. Things that people who aren’t under the influence know they can’t do.” 

Vincent digested this. “Sounds awful.”

“Yeah… Reeve asked if I wanted to investigate it a bit more. See if I could get to the seedy underbelly of it all.”

“Are you?”

Yuffie leaned back in her chair, her drink forgotten on the table. “I… I don’t know. This is where you come in.”

Vincent shifted a little uncomfortably in his chair. 

“I need some advice. Most of the time, I am fine with traveling between continents. I spend most of my time between Edge and Wutai anyway, without ever really settling down. And… well, the thought of settling down is really appealing.”

Vincent felt something blossom in his chest, something he had not felt in a long time, and it scared him. He hoped his friend wasn’t saying what he thought she was implying. 

“I might move to Edge. It would be easier, for work, to be close to the headquarters. Lately, most of the work has been there anyway. And I really like being close to Tifa, and Cloud, and all of them. But…”

“But?”

“I love Wutai. Sure, the old man and I are still not getting along that well, but it’s… home. Something I fought for. I wanted Wutai to be back to its old splendor, before the war… how can I help my country if I am not in it?”

Vincent settled back down, his fingers tapping the stem of his wine glass. “I think you are.”

“Huh?”

Vincent offered her a rare smile, and Yuffie looked a little shocked. 

“You are helping Wutai. You are helping by helping others, by strengthening the bond between continents. By spreading the knowledge of Wutai’s traditions and skills.” Vincent gave her a nod of his head, and leaned over the table slightly. “But you should always follow your heart. If you think moving to Edge is right, then do it. If staying in Wutai is better, do that too.”

Yuffie smiled softly, the expression making it seem like she was glowing. “I guess. It’s not like I can’t ever visit the other place ever again, huh? I can spread the love of Yuffie all over the globe!”

Yuffie giggled, and Vincent gave her an answering warm chuckle. In the last few years, he had begun to appreciate having friends, despite his still somewhat cold demeanor. But none of them seem to affect them as much as this young girl that sat in front of him. 

This young girl, whom he was leaning towards.

He cleared his throat and pulled away, seeing the blush fall on her cheeks. He took a sip of wine, feeling the alcohol burn his suddenly dry throat. Yuffie leaned back into her chair and looked across the room, acting like nothing strange had happened. 

“You know what? I’m gonna get a swimsuit and hit the beach. And before you look so crestfallen, no, I am not going to ask you to join me. I know better!” Yuffie stood up from the table and stretched her arms in the air. “Take care of the bill for me.”

“Yuffie.”

“Kidding, kidding.” Yuffie reached into her pocket and pulled out a few gil. “Here. See you around, Vin!”

Vincent nodded to her, then watched as the lady walked towards the entrance of the bar. “See you around.”

Edge City, to Vincent, seemed like a dark hole. Not as dark, or as busy, as Midgar was- but to say that it was a shining example of the future would be a lie. You get too many people together and put someone in charge of them, and you inevitably get greed and corruption. Vincent had seen it before. Hell, he had been a part of it before.

The city, for the most part, was calm on the outside- most people were just living their day to day lives. But change was bubbling underneath. 

X-MAK was a blight in the city, and Vincent was asked by Reeve what he had thought about it. At the time, too focused on his search, he had no thoughts. But then the synapses in his brain connected, and he looked out over the clearing with unseeing eyes. 

Yuffie was talking about moving to the city. 

X-MAK had begun to become a huge problem around the time when she moved to Edge. That was the case that she must have been asked to work on, the drug that she had been talking about in Costa del Sol. 

Vincent stood up and began making his way back to civilization, intent on chartering a flight to get back to Edge. 

He had a civic leader to talk to.

“We have yet another donation from Rufus Shinra, thank you, Mr. Shinra.” The tall, rotund man turned and gave a small bow of respect to the young blonde.

Rufus Shinra, with his ever-present bodyguard Tseng standing not too far behind, simply gave a nod and a smirk. 

The man began to go on and on about what the hefty donation could be used for, and Reeve began to tune him out. It wasn’t like he had any input. Even if he did, he would be overruled, or plain ignored. So he looked down at the spec sheet to see what the organizations or projects the money would be dispersed to. His pen twirled in his fingers, and he let his mind wander. 

As always, it landed on his young and beautiful friend. She was turning into something more in his eyes. Just last night, she had agreed to accompany him to a small charity event. They had a good time, talking and dancing. When they arrived at her door after the party, he thought about kissing her… but the timing was off. She was distracted, looking up at the dark windows of her home with a frown. When he leaned in to give her a hug, she went stiff, and Reeve quickly backed away from her. 

He wanted to ask her what was wrong, but he knew that she wouldn’t want to talk about it. Tifa was a very private person, even to her close friends. Reeve had noticed that it had been a long while of her being… just a little bit off. If he had to admit, both Cloud and Tifa weren’t quite like how they were just a year ago. 

Instead, Reeve asked her if she was available to go with him the following week to another event. She agreed, but her voice was quiet and her eyes were busy moving around, as if looking for someone. Reeve ignored it. 

He tried to focus on the meeting, but it was hard. He found that he didn’t care too much anymore. The board could propose any plan, he could endorse any plan, but they all knew that they would end up doing whatever Shinra said to do. Reeve shifted in his seat and leaned forward, making a more concentrated effort to pay attention. 

The WRO needed the money to help people. 

It was a mantra he kept playing on a loop in his head.

The phone rang again, and Barret picked up the receiver and placed it back down in its cradle. He placed his chin back in his hand and stared at the wall, ignoring all the work that had piled up in the office. He knew that if he left it long enough, Drew would come in and handle it. He wasn’t good at this anyway. He had just wanted to help the planet, not become some big wig oil executive. For the past three years, people had been looking up to him, calling him ‘Boss’ and asking for things.

The phone rang again.

People always asked for things. Barret, without even looking, reached down and lifted the phone- only to immediately hang up again. The people who were calling will eventually get the hint. Then, he came up with a wonderful idea. He took the phone from the desk, violently unplugged it from the wall, then threw it in the trash can. Now, he was guaranteed silence. He looked over at the computer he rarely turned on, and soon, the device was sitting right on top of the phone. More and more things from his desk- blotters, pens and the like- made their way into the trash can. It felt liberating.

Trash the office. Give up on the whole thing. He didn’t do anything important here, anyway. He liked being out in the world, helping people. Being at home, raising his daughter. That is where he belonged. Not in a stuffy room, being forced to pay attention when the lawyers and the government officials come around. No, no… Barret was meant to be a scrub, a lower class citizen who rubbed shoulders with the finest people he had ever known. The regular crowd, working together to scrape a living and helping each other when needed. 

He was avoiding the calls and the emails, and even his assistant at times, because the government wanted to raise the taxes on the price of oil. To do so would require Wallace Oils to raise their prices, which he refused to do. He purposely kept his prices low so he could serve everyone. He even made flexible plans for people to pay at their convenience, so no one would freeze to death during winter and be able to live during the summer. 

Barret landed back in his chair heavily and sighed. He looked around the room, thinking he would finally be happy about getting rid of everything he deemed unimportant. The only things on his desk now were the paychecks that needed to be signed, and a picture of his daughter.

Barret frowned when he looked at the photograph, something he did not usually do. He reached out and grabbed it with his left hand. He brought it close to him and sighed again. 

He had no idea what to do about Marlene. His normally well-behaved daughter was starting to become sassy and rude, snapping at him randomly. She had developed this face, this face that spoke of annoyance and exasperation. She had her good times- the times where he thought she was normal again- only to have her attitude sour the next day. 

Barret had no idea how to handle it.

“Boss? Everything okay here?” Drew poked his head in and looked around the office. “Oh.”

“What do you know about young girls?”

“Well, when I was a young boy, I grew up with three sisters. They are… interesting.” Drew laughed as he fully stepped into the office. “Luckily, I know nothing of young girls now.”

Barret cracked a smile at his assistant’s slightly off-color joke. “Marlene’s been testy lately. Her mood is so…” 

“Erratic?” Drew supplied, seeing his boss’ eyes light up.

“Yeah. She’s been such-”

“A pain in the ass?”

“What’s going on? What happened to my baby girl?”

Drew laughed again and stood by the trash can, looking down at all the office supplies Barret threw out. “Something tells me that she isn’t so much a ‘baby’ anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

Picking up the computer mouse, he looked over at Barret. “Sounds to me like she has entered what was called in our family ‘the losing years’. Puberty.”

Barret leaned back in his chair and groaned, closing his eyes. Marlene was almost twelve now- that was too young. Wasn’t it? “Why did you call it the losing years?”

“Because you lost any argument against them. They were mean, pigheaded and so emotional. Things got complicated very fast. I used to just run for the hills whenever I saw a frown on any of my sister’s faces.” Drew picked up the keyboard and shook out some of the dust. “Those teenage years were not fun.” 

The thought that Marlene was starting to go through puberty sobered him, but also made him fearful at the same time. He had no idea how to talk to her about what was happening to her and her body. He had no idea how to prepare for it. All he remembered was buying his wife some supplies every month, knowing that he would rub her back and make her tea whenever she asked for it. Other than that, the whole thing was a mass of confusion for him.

“Puberty, heh?” He sighed and watched as his assistant placed the office supplies back on his desk. A churning feeling started in his gut. “Maybe I should get Tifa to talk to her…” 

“Wouldn’t be a bad idea. According to a lot of girls, boys just ‘don’t understand’. Or, at least that was what my sisters said!” Drew laughed and picked the monitor up and began hooking it back up to everything else. 

Barret looked up at Drew, then came up with a wonderful idea. Today would be the day. 

“Call the lawyer.”

“You gonna sue your daughter?” Drew looked confused, lifting his head up from the job he was performing. “I don’t think you’d win.”

“Nah. I’m done with this. Wanna be in charge?” Barret stood up and walked around the desk. “Become my partner. You run things anyway, might as well have the title and the pay.”

Drew dropped the cord that was in his hands. “Uh… wha…?”

Barret, at least a foot taller than Drew, stood up in front of the younger man and smiled at him. “Just say yes. I want to step down. This office life… it ain’t for me. I don’t know what I’m doing, or if I am doing it right. I never wanted to be a rich socialite that had to grease the palms of the richer. I wanted to help people. I know you feel the same way… but you got more of a stomach for all the other nonsense. I don’t.”

“Barret…” A smile began growing on Drew’s face. “Are you… sure?”

“Only been sure of a few things in my life. This is one of them. Whaddya say?” 

Drew took a beat to think, then stood himself up straighter and held out his hand. “Yes… partner.”

Barret took his hand, and the deal was done.

“That’s good. Good form.” 

Tifa kept up her punches on the bag swinging from the gym’s ceiling, sweat beginning to drip into her eyes. She ignored it. She was ignoring everything. It felt good to just move, to feel her muscles burning, to feel all her frustrations flowing out of her. 

“Ease up, girl.”

But Tifa ignored Lou, her coach. She ignored the look of concern in his eyes. She just kept going. She had to keep going.

“Tifa.”

No, it sounded too much like him. Too much. She wondered if it was only in her mind. No, no, don’t think of it. 

“Have a good time on your date.”

There was a loud crack, followed by the soft sound of dust falling, and the punching bag fell on the ground with a thunderous bang. Lou quickly took a step back, letting the dust settle before looking up at the young lady responsible for the damage. 

Tifa looked appalled. Her whole self was vibrating with nervous energy- resentment and fear were apparent on her face. 

Lou sighed, scratched at his chin, and looked up at the broken beam in the ceiling. The thought of the sheer power it took to crack a thick wooden beam made him stagger. Then a chilling thought- how much power does a young girl need to possess to do that kind of damage?

What had upset her so much? Tifa was usually much calmer than this. Many of the fellow gym members called her a ‘Ray of Sunshine’, with her easy nature and beautiful smiles she gave out freely. 

“Holy Shiva.” Lou said, looking from the damage to the girl. “You sure do know how to pack a punch.”

“Lou, I’m so sorry, I should know better! I should know how to have better control, I don’t know what happened, I-”

Loud held up his hand to stop her. “Come to the office.” He cut her off, turning to go to the little room that Padilla had provided for him.

“I’m so sorry-”

“Now.”

Tifa felt all the heat leave her body. Her stomach was full of lead and it weighed her down heavily as she shuffled towards Lou’s open office door. She could hear the mutterings of other gym patrons around her; hear them talk about just how much power she had, what could have set her off. She entered the small but cozy room and stood in front of his desk, wringing her hands together.

“I’m really sorry about the bag, Lou. Please don’t be mad. I can pay for the damages…”

“Close the door.”

Tifa trailed off and dropped her hands to her sides. She bit her lip to stop the tears from forming and turned to close the door. She was convinced that Lou was going to drop her, sue her for the damages, and that made her feel awful. She was just starting to get her fighting form back. Tifa was just re-learning her old master’s techniques, going through them every morning at home. She was beginning to feel like she was finally getting back in tune with her body.

Also, she liked being here. She liked having the routine of coming to the gym, saying hello to fellow members, and working with Lou- who, despite his looks, knew what he was talking about. Tifa had grown to be very attached to him in a short time. He was encouraging, but also truthful, and his criticism led her to believe that he cared for her. 

Lou, for his part, looked up at her and sighed. Over the past few months of working with her he had grown very fond of her. She had spirit, tenacity and wanted to prove herself constantly. Her only flaw was that she was an overthinker- she cared too much what others thought. She also had a habit of dwelling on things and whatever it was that she was currently thinking about, it was clearly upsetting her.

“Don’t worry about the bag. This place has so much insurance that that can be handled by this afternoon.” Lou sat down at his desk and motioned for Tifa to do the same. 

Slowly, Tifa went and sat in the chair. She looked down at her hands, watching as her fingers squeezed each other so hard her skin was turning white. 

“Honey.” Lou’s warm voice caused her to look up at him. “Are you okay?”

Tifa started crying.

Renaldo liked his job, he mused as he walked down the hallway. He liked being useful to the boss and liked the variety of jobs he performed. This task he was performing now was one of his favorites.

He carried a tote bag, filled with disks and papers- newspaper articles, new and old. Scientific journals from Shinra Electric Power Company, books from the Old Republic. 

The disks were his favorites. They came from surveillance cameras that he had personally placed around the city. One, he knew, showed Cloud Strife leaving his home in anger about a week ago. Renaldo was curious to see if he had returned. If he had not, his boss could use that information to his advantage. 

His employer also told him to procure information on Mako and its effects on the body, to better understand their enemy.

Whatever the boss wants, he gets.  

Chapter Text

T he New Name in Town

By Kyrie Canaan

There is a new name in town and he is here to do it right! Read on to

learn more about Sal Padilla, Padilla Corp., and his plans for the 

city he loves. 

It is a beautiful Tuesday afternoon that finds me sitting on a balcony,

overlooking the bustling mid-city of Edge. Despite the fancy building

and the location, I feel comfortable. This is because, despite his successes, 

Mr. Sal Padilla is a normal man.

Kyrie: Your place is phenomenal. I love the cozy feel to it!

Padilla: Thank you. Most people are surprised when they first see it.

K: Why is that?

P: (laughs) Because it is so normal. I don’t believe in having fancy things just because

I can afford them. I much rather just be myself. I am just a person, like everyone else.   

K: A regular person who lives in a premier condo?

P: Guilty! (laughs) I needed a more secure building, hence the condo.

K: I can understand that. People know who you are, almost as well as they know the Shinras. 

P: And we all saw how that ended!

K: But you work, regularly, with the former President. 

P: I do. And I am proud to do so. We all had another chance at life after Midgar fell. He (Shinra) has

taken that chance and ran with it. In the past seven years, Rufus has become a

philanthropist who truly has everyone’s concerns at heart. He really has proven that he is a changed man.

K: Despite all the old records being made public? From what I’ve seen, it gave Shinra two black eyes, and more.

P: You can not blame the son for the father’s actions. They are two different people.

K: And you are proud to work with him.

P: Always. Rufus Shinra is a good man, and a good friend. We just want to help others, which is why we set up many foundations.

K: You have worked in many avenues, from entertainment to schooling. You even regularly donate to medical research.

P: I do.

K: Any other plans?

P: Yes, Kyrie, there are. We have a big problem in our city that we need to address.

We are affected by the awesome power of drugs, and it needs to be stopped. But I believe in healing,

not blaming others for their problems. People need help. I am in the process of working

with the WRO (World Regenesis Organization) on starting free rehabilitation programs.

K: That is amazing.

P: We shouldn’t be punishing people who want help. If you are willing to put in the work, we are willing to help you. 

When asked about when such programs are going to be

available, Mr. Padilla smiled his winning smile and promised to

have more information soon and hopes to have the programs available

by the end of summer.

Chapter Text

The dirt crunched beneath his feet. Save for that, there was no noise around. The day was falling, the moon making an appearance in the sky. The night began to blink to life. The night sky, that always made him think… of her .

It’s been over a week since he’s been home. Since they had their fight. His heart broke again, remembering the angry look on her face. 

Cloud sighed and stopped walking. He took a deep breath in, filling his lungs with the cool night air. There was nothing to be done for it. What was said was said. He had had so many chances and he took none of them, due to his fear. This was when a choice needed to be made.

He could fight for her.

He could leave her.

The idea of leaving made him feel sick. But, he had been debating on it all week. It might be better, for her at least, if he moved out. He had enough income to rent an apartment, or to even buy a small house on his own. He wouldn’t know what to do with a place of his own. Maybe he should adopt a nomadic lifestyle. He traveled most of the time anyway. It wouldn’t be a horrible thing to throw himself into his work; to bounce from continent to continent. 

Cloud felt his knees buckle and searched the wooded area around him. He found an old tree root sticking up out of the ground and sat down. 

What would Tifa do? If he left?

Knowing her, she would be upset- but no one would ever know it. Tifa kept a lot inside. She would smile and say that she was happy for him. She would work, and be active with the community and her friends. Tifa would keep dating people.

Given time, the hurt would fade. Then she would meet someone. Tifa would marry, and have children, and live a life full of love she deserves. 

It would be better for her if he left. Cloud knew he was holding her back, making her hold on to false hope. He felt his chest constrict.

Was it false?

Cloud loved her. Had loved her all his life. For him, there would only be her. If he left, what would he do? He wouldn’t meet anyone. He wouldn’t date. He wouldn’t even be able to do anything casual. He would work, sleep on the ground if he couldn’t find an inn, and keep to himself. He’d daydream about home. About her, warm meals, and a comfortable bed. 

But she would eventually be happy. 

Cloud made up his mind and took a deep breath. He would wait until he knew she was at practice, then go home one last time to pack a bag. Maybe, if he could find the words, he would leave her a note. It would be better this way.

He took another deep breath, focused on the task at hand, and stood up. The old building he was looking for was just a few yards away. Cloud currently was in the old Sector Three ruins of Midgar, having heard a rumor of someone working around there. 

It could be nothing. He’s come across illegal chop shops and brothels before, so it was quite possible that this place was the same. Plus, it was an excuse to stay away from his troubles- at least, for the time being. So he made his way over, easily broke into the old building, and stepped inside.

The place was quiet, but there were some lights on and there was warmth. People were there, or they were there recently. Random papers and restaurant menus littered the area. General trash that didn’t seem important. Then Cloud came upon a storage room filled with things like peanut butter and toilet paper, he sighed to himself.

There was nothing here. 

Someone might just genuinely be living there, having found a safe and quiet place to squat. If that was the case then Cloud would just leave it. Even though squatting in abandoned buildings was frowned upon, it was not illegal.

Deciding to leave the not-so abandoned building, he went to turn around and leave. The sudden click of the door’s lock startled him, and he twisted around, drawing his sword. Someone was here. Someone locked him inside. It was never a good thing when, suddenly, you were imprisoned. 

He heard a gentle click and a woosh of air. Something sweet, almost metallic, filled his nostrils. 

Gas! He thought, lifting his sword above his head, ready to chop away at the door. But the sword was heavy, and he stumbled, falling to the side and dropping his weapon. 

The world went dark.

There was a strange color in front of him. It was orange, then green, then red. The colors began to glow brighter. It made his head hurt.

Cloud groaned, turning his head away from the light. The side of his face hit something cold. He was aware of the uncomfortable feeling along his back, all the way from his head to his toes. 

He cautiously opened his eyes, losing sight of all that color, and blinked a few times. He looked ahead of himself, seeing an empty metal gurney next to him. Cloud tried to raise his hand to wipe at his eyes, but instead, he heard the clinking of metal. His hand did not move far,  feeling the resistance of the chains locked around his wrists.

Cloud felt a violent bloom of fear in his chest. Tugging more on the chains only increased his fear, which made pure, blind panic take over. With a guttural scream, Cloud summoned all the strength he had. The chains snapped, and soon, he was up and running- not really seeing where he was going. 

The man stumbled into the hallway and into a security guard. People around him gasped and gave screams of fright when they saw a madman knock out their guard with one hit and take the heavy wooden baton from him. 

But Cloud wasn’t there anymore. He didn’t see the scared workers, he saw lab coats and needles. Green, swirling around him, suffocating him. The earthy smell invaded his nostrils again, making him nauseous. His vision swam. Someone grabbed at him, getting a hold of his arm, and he pushed them into a wall. He heard a sickening crunch, but he was free. So Cloud ran. 

Swinging his stolen baton madly, CLoud fought his way down the hall. After the third person who tried to stop him fell bleeding, others began to get out of his way. Cloud barrelled his way through the building with only one thought running through his mind- to get out . He could not go through this again. He promised himself that he wouldn’t be anyone’s experiment ever again. If he couldn’t get out of here, then he would kill himself.

Plain and simple. Can’t be a successful experiment if you were a corpse. 

Cloud ran down one hallway, turned, and made his way down another. As he traveled, less and less people were seen. He was vaguely aware of an alarm ringing and lights flashing.

Down one more hallway. Take a left. Down another. The smell of o-zone punched its way into his senses and he hurried towards it. Throwing his body into a door, it opened up, slamming him into the outside world.

It had just rained.

Cloud hurried towards the woods, his feet carrying him somewhere safe. Somewhere that wasn’t here. He wasn’t sure how long he ran, but eventually, the scenery made its way from trees to buildings. Cloud slowed down, his mind finally catching up with him. 

Cloud slowed his run to a walk, feeling his body for the first time. Suddenly, he was acutely aware of the sweat and tears pouring down his face. The rancid breath, indicating that he must have vomited at some point. Sure enough, he looked down and saw some sick on his shirt. His muscles burned. His arm pulsed with an odd ache.

Pausing in his travels, Cloud looked down at his left arm, seeing a bruise blossoming on his skin. In the crook of his elbow.

The world became unsteady. He stumbled to the side, catching himself on the side of a building. He had a needle inserted into him. Involuntarily. Someone might have injected him with something or taken something from him. Whatever happened, it meant only one thing- he was an experiment, again.

Only an experiment. A failure, walking around, only pretending to live. Cloud never once lived for himself. He knew he wasn’t allowed to.

Failures never succeeded. 

Despite all he had done the past few years. Having friends, working, being in love…

Tifa.

Suddenly, Cloud felt himself become steady enough to begin searching his pockets. Tifa would help him. She was always his anchor in this world. If he could just get ahold of her, he would be safe. She would come for him.

Desperately he emptied his pockets. His wallet, a receipt from lunch, a pack of mints… and his phone!

With a shaky laugh, he pressed buttons and went to his favorites on his contacts list. Tifa was the only number on that list. Trembling, he touched her name, hearing the phone ring out.

Cloud pressed the phone to his ear as he slid down the building to rest on the ground. He prayed she would answer.

“Hey. I… didn’t expect to hear from you.”

Her voice was a balm to him. If he could get to her, everything would be alright. Suddenly, he remembered how to breathe, but he was breathing too much and too fast. He felt dizzy.

“Tifa…” His voice came out broken and high pitched.

“Where are you?”

Her immediate concern made him break.Tifa loved him and she would come get him and bring him home. She would take care of him. He would be safe.

The tears burned their way down his face. He was hysterical.

Cloud heard her through the phone as she moved around. Doors slammed, a motor turned and he knew she was coming.

“Cloud.” Tifa said, calm but stern. “Where are you? Come back to me.”

He looked up and tried to focus on his surroundings. It took a moment, as everything around him seemed blurry. But he saw some familiar buildings and knew he was about a block away from the Public Safety Building.

“Honey, please. Come back to me. Talk to me.” Now Tifa was sounding desperate, panic seeping into her voice.

“I’m-” Cloud coughed, his words sounding thick and hoarse. “Pottsville Road.”

“Stay right there. I’ll be there soon.”

Cloud pulled his knees to his chest and rested his head on them. His whole body began shaking, tremors rocking him so hard it began to hurt. He took a deep, shuddering breath.

“Hurry.”

Tifa had dropped her cell phone on her seat, but did not end the call. Cloud pressed his phone to his ear, listening to her operate her green truck. He heard her grind through the gears, the clutch groaning under her foot. She was trying to hurry to him, uncaring of what damage she did to her vehicle.

Cloud listened, feeling like he was listening to his heart beat. Every once in a while, he heard her curse at a fellow driver. Sometimes, a gasp, as if she was fighting tears. Those sounds made Cloud hurt. She was scared.

Then the sound of Tifa’s ancient truck grew louder. He lifted his head to see the green machine jolt to a stop before him. He dropped his phone to the ground.

Tifa had barely remembered to pull the parking brake before she flew out of her truck, the door still swinging on its hinges, the beep of an alarm going off. Her face was pale with fear. She said no words, just threw herself down in front of him and wrapped her arms around his body, holding him close.

Cloud felt chills start rocking his body. Sweat began pouring down his face. He hadn’t even realized that he had been pulling on the neck of his sweater until he felt his hand trapped between their bodies. Shakingly, Cloud lifted one arm and rested it on Tifa’s back, feeling her soft hair under his fingertips. 

“I’m here Cloud. It’s alright. Come back to me, please.” Her voice whispered in his ear, and he let his emotions break him open.

It took some convincing, but Tifa managed to talk Cloud into letting her call Doc Sheiran. The old country doctor, the man who helped save her life after Nibelheim, had settled into Edge City to assist in the reformation efforts. He was semi-retired, but he was always willing to lend a hand, especially for his ‘favorite patients’.

Once Doc realized who was in crisis, he agreed to come over at once. Tifa began to thank him profusely, and by midnight, the kind doctor was sitting on the coffee table in front of Cloud, who was on the couch. Cloud flinched nearly every time Doc Sheiran went to check a vital sign. Only when Tifa sat next to him and held his hand did he stop shaking.

“You said you noticed a bruise on your arm?” The doctor gently asked.

It took a moment, but Cloud nodded and carefully extended his arm. Doc Sheiran made no comment, just gently held Cloud’s wrist as he examined the bruise.

“It does seem like a needle has been inserted, and rather roughly, too.” The doctor had excellent bedside manner, speaking softly and slowly. “I only see one spot, so they only went in once.I believe they might have only withdrawn blood.”

Cloud looked into Tifa’s face, and Tifa responded to his silent question.

“How do you know for sure?”

“Well, most doctors- and scientists- will take samples to test first, before doing anything to their subject. That way you know of any irregularities when testing out new procedures. You never want to over tax someone’s system- even if you are certain they can handle it.” Doc picked up his travel medical bag and placed it on the table next to him. “With your permission, I would like to take a blood sample. This is to test to see if there are any foreign substances in your body. I can compare it to the results from your previous samples.”

Cloud shut his eyes. In the years since the fight with Sephiroth, Cloud made it a point to visit Sheiran, to understand what happened to him a little better. He did trust the doctor. Ke kept that mantra running through his head as he gave permission and allowed the doctor to draw a vial of blood.

He still tightened his grip on Tifa’s hand when the needle was inserted. Tifa said nothing, and never moved away from him, even though Cloud knew it must have hurt.

“Alright.” Doc Sheiran said softly after labeling the vial and placing it in his medical bag. “I do not think you are in any immediate danger, Cloud. But if you start feeling worried about how you are, please call me or visit the nearest emergency room. I will be going straight to my office to run some tests. By morning, I should have a clearer understanding of what took place.”

Silence filled the room. Tifa placed her other hand on Cloud’s arm and began rubbing a soothing pattern.

“Of course, Doc. We will.” Tifa gently disengaged from Cloud and stood up. 

Cloud couldn’t hide how bereft he felt.

“Why don’t you take a shower? It might make you feel better.” Tifa leaned over and placed a kiss on the top of his head. “I’m just going to walk the doctor to his car.”

Because Tifa was the person to suggest it, Cloud carefully stood up to go to the bathroom. He was still a little shaky, but sure footed as he focused on his task.

When Tifa and the doctor heard the door shut and the tell-tale click of the lock, they both turned to look at each other.

“He’s not doing well.” Tifa said, her arms coming up to wrap around herself.

Doc gave her a warm smile. “He's doing better than most. He just needs your support.”

“Of course.”

“Just be there for him. You always are, so you know what to do.” Doc began walking to the kitchen, heading for the back door. “I think as long as you keep caring for and loving him, he will get better. Suggest that he takes a break, though. Some rest at home will do wonders.”

Tifa nodded and opened the door for him. “I will.”

Doctor Sheiran reached out gently and gripped her arm. “You should take a break as well. Stay at home and relax. I’ll call you the moment my testing is done.”

Tifa gave the doctor a warm smile and nodded her head. Genuine affection filled her heart as the older man walked out the door. She trusted the doctor fully, and knew he would take the situation seriously. After Sheiran left, Tifa closed and locked the door. She reached over, turned the lights off, and took a moment to stand in the dark quiet. 

Tifa felt her very soul ache. She was not entirely sure what had happened that night. Her and Cloud had not spoken to each other in over a week. They were upset with one another. Now, suddenly, he calls her sounding awful and she felt like the world was ending. All she knew was that she had to get to him. 

She took stock of her body. She felt tired, so tired. More than that, she felt like she was done with everything.

The man she loved needed her. So she was going to be there for him, and he was going to stay for her. She wasn’t going to accept anything less. 

Cloud leaned his head against the wall and let the hot water beat on his back. Just being home was comforting. Being here with Tifa made him feel safe and loved. He took a deep breath and switched the shower off. With a roll of his shoulders, he felt some of the stress from the day leave him.

He was going to take some time off.

He felt better.

He was going to take a break from all the side jobs he performed.

He felt lighter.

He was going to tell Tifa… everything. What he found out. What he wanted. How he felt.

Cloud towel dried and wrapped his robe around him. There was still a shakiness to his limbs, and at moments he felt like it was hard to walk. Maybe Tifa would be willing to sit with him; to practice meditation- it had been awhile since they had last done that together, and he needed all the help he could get tonight.

Once he made it to his room he saw that Tifa was already there. He smiled at her; of course, she wouldn't leave him alone that night. This was one of the many reasons he loved her. If you needed her, she would never leave you alone.

“Hey.” He greeted her before taking some sweat pants out of his dresser. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“Of course I’m here. I’m not leaving you alone.” Tifa watched as he changed into his comfortable clothes, looking to see if there were any other wounds on him. Seh saw a few bruises on his upper arms, as if he had been grabbed. “What happened, Cloud?”

At first, the man sighed, and Tifa was afraid that he wasn’t going to talk. The familiar fear settled into her. But he turned to her, eyes shining, and frowned a bit.

“Can I have a hug?” 

Tifa was quick to get up from the bed and envelope him in her arms. Cloud rested his head on her shoulder, breathing deeply. The slight trembling stopped as soon as he felt her reassuring weight in his arms.

“I was going to leave.”

Tifa gripped him harder.

“I was in Sector Three, thinking about… everything. Then I was distracting myself by looking into an old lab that someone was using. I got knocked out… and… I don’t know what happened next. Not fully.”

Cloud gently pushed her off of him, feeling his legs growing weak. Tifa looked upset, so he took her hand and led her to his bed. He groaned as he sank his weight onto it. Tifa held his hand, her other going to rest on his arm. Cloud looked down, ignoring the angry purple bruise on his skin, and rested his other hand on top of hers.

“I think I hurt people… I… I was in a panic. I woke up on a metal slab and… reacted badly. For a second, I thought I was back in Nibelheim.” Cloud closed his eyes. “I wouldn’t be surprised if I killed someone tonight. I just needed to get out of there.”

The room was silent for a moment. Then he felt Tifa slide her hand out from under his and cup his cheek, forcing him to open his eyes and look at her.

“If you didn’t, you could have been dead. I know this isn’t a comforting thought, but what you did was survival. You were in a dangerous situation and you acted.”

“I didn’t have to be so violent. I had a weapon. I remember…” Cloud pushed down his rising vomit. “I remember hitting a lady over her head.”

“Cloud, stop.” Tifa rested her forehead on his. “Do not beat yourself up over this. You had to get out of there. I know it was awful, and if you could do things over again, you would do it differently. We all make decisions in situations. Now, we have to live with them.”

“Tifa.” Cloud sighed, looking into her beautiful eyes. 

“I’m glad you came home.”

“Tifa, I love you.” Cloud held her close to him, relaxing into her warmth. “I love you. I didn’t want to leave. But you deserve everything you want. I was afraid I couldn’t give it to you. Or afraid that if you knew, fate would come down- again- and take you from me.”

Tifa held him tighter. “Cloud-”

“I know. I’ve lost so many already, people I love, and I’ve been able to continue living. I do it for them. But Tifa… if I lost you, I wouldn’t be able to move on. I wouldn’t be able to try to live. You are…” Cloud pulled away and stared into her saddened eyes, feeling his heart race. “I can’t put into words what you are.”

Tifa reached out and cupped his cheek, her thumb rubbing his skin gently.

“I understand.” She sighed, then dropped her hand to his lap to grab hold of his. “I love you, too. And it is scary. I’m scared every time you walk out that door. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you attract trouble.”

Cloud took her hands in his and sighed. His head found its way to her shoulder, resting there. “Trust me, I know.”

“I’m never sure if you are going to come back to me. I always tell you to come back to me.”

Cloud wrapped his arms around Tifa’s middle and held her close. It was a simple thing, to be held by a loved one, but it was the best feeling in the universe.

“I promise I will. I know this past year has been rough. Ever since Yuffie disappeared, everything has been so fucked.”

Tifa gave a soulless laugh and pulled Cloud up the bed, laying down against the pillows. The man settled easily into her side, resting his head on her chest.

“I don’t know what to do anymore. I have searched the whole world for her. I’m sure Vincent has searched five times already. She is gone. We might never know what has happened to her.”

“I miss her. I’ve caught myself calling her phone so many times. Then, about a month ago, I called her and her phone had been disconnected.” Tifa ran her hand up and down Cloud’s back, the action soothing her as well as him. “You’re right. Things haven’t been good lately. I’ve felt so lost. I try to make it seem like I am living a life… training, working, going on dates. Normal things people do. Nothing is working.”

“I hate that you’ve been dating. Seeing you all dressed up, going out with someone else… It's a surprise, really, that I haven’t completely lost it yet. And it didn’t seem like you at all.”

“It isn’t. I’ve hated it. I’ve hated a lot. I used to be so strong, but I’m not anymore. I feel like I am just floating around, watching myself do these things, and not having the energy to stop myself.” The ticking of the clock counted down to one in the morning, but she didn’t feel tired. “I can’t focus on my training at the gym. My business is failing. I couldn’t be with you. I’ve been stuck.”

“I’m sorry.” Cloud rested a hand on her stomach, feeling it rise and fall with her breaths. For a reason he didn’t want to explain, it made him feel better to feel her warm and alive underneath his hand.

“I want to move forward with my life. I don’t know how.”

Cloud lifted his head and looked her in the eye. “I’ll help you. I know what I want. I know what I have. I have you.”

Cloud watched as tears formed in her eyes.

“You’ve always had me.”

“Yeah… but now I know what it means.”

There was no need for him to explain himself. For the first time in a long time, things felt right. Like the final piece of a puzzle being clicked into place, and Tifa stands back to look at the completed picture. Their entire future was suddenly forming.

Neither were afraid of it.

“Tifa… if I’ve been injected with something, I’m going to have Doc Sheiran help me. I’m going to do everything he suggests.”

Tifa gave him a gentle kiss on the top of his head. “That’s a smart idea.”

Cloud hesitated. “I’m not going to be working for a while. Regardless of what the test results will be. I want to take a break.” He let his head be guided back down to her chest, where he rested again. “I don’t know how long. Maybe a couple of weeks. Would we be okay?”

“Of course we will be.”

There was a hesitation again. “I meant financially. I know the bar isn’t doing well. I have a very decent savings, but it won’t last forever. And if I need treatments-”

“We’ll be okay. We’ll figure it out. Besides, if we tell Barret that you need some time off work and we need help, he wouldn’t let us starve. He might even give us his entire fortune. Gods knows he hates it.”

Cloud couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Imagine… one day, living in the slums, dreaming of a better life. Then once you have it, you don’t want it.”

“He never wanted money. He just wanted everyone to have a chance at a future.”

“Can’t blame him there.”

The two of them fell into easy conversation, talking about anything that popped into their minds. Cloud shared what he learned about X-MAK, which wasn’t much. Tifa talked about all the people she met at charity events. She cracked jokes about how they were so fake you could smell the plastic they were made out of.

They talked about their friends. About how obvious it was that something was changing in the WRO. About a peach cobbler Cloud ate while in Junon one time, and how good it was. Tifa promised to try to recreate it.

They talked about why anyone would want a sample of his blood, if that was what happened. 

Eventually, the two fell into silence. Cloud watched the sunlight creep in through the slats of his blinds, Tifa snuggled up in his arms. She snores lightly, clutching at his side, and nuzzles her face into his chest. 

Cloud was home. Wherever this wonderful, caring woman was, he was home. And home meant love, warmth and safety. He was safe now.

He let himself drift off into sleep.