Well, my writing was so different that so far I'm not having a hard time. But my life just changed drastically in the past hour, and so I'm...
Aww, thank you. =) Did I mention that I'm going to be re-writing "Saving Kairi"? To an extent, anyway. You see, I want to post it on another site,...
Yay. =) I feel special now.
I got mine started, so that's...well, a start. lol. I'll have to work on it more later.
Hm, but writing like that can be a good experience as well. Authors often edit things and change things because they wrote something that didn't...
I'm reading fanfics right now trying to get inspiration and listening to music at the same time. I should be good soon. I sort of have writer's...
Thanks. Aww, you'll get to the fanfic someday. xD I'm trying to get working on mine right now. I just need some inspiration...
I could be better, actually. Life isn't too great right now. But it's ok, I'm sure things'll get better soon. How about you?
Hello there. =)
Yeah, it's been a VERY long time. ^^ *Pokepoke*
[I'm glad you enjoyed it. I fixed the italics with the last chapter. I hadn't realized just how bad I was with chapter 5 until you mentioned it. I was in a hurry when I posted it and I forgot to add those in. So thank you for mentioning that. I also worked on the vocabulary when I was editing and working on the final draft of chapter 6, so hopefully it will be better this time. Oh, and sorry to everyone for not posting for a few days. I've had a very busy week. So, without further ado, here's Chapter 6. Enjoy.] Chapter 6: A Blast From the Past Tifa and Cloud came to a stop by the rest of the group. The girl blushed faintly when she saw that everyone was staring at the two of them, at that moment realizing that they were still holding hands. Tifa felt awkward like this, but at the same time, she had no desire to remove her hand from Cloud’s. So she kept it there. Yuffie gave her a strange look, almost as if to say “I knew you two were gonna hit it off someday!†Tifa’s cheeks turned pinker at the thought, and she lowered her head hoping nobody would notice the change in her. “Is everyone alright?†Cloud spoke first, the awkward silence not lasting long. “Yeah, we got rid of those %&!& no problem. Dumb *!&#@.†Cloud nodded, that response being what he expected from Cid. Everyone was here, and they were all safe. At least, they were out of harm's way for now. The enemy didn’t know where this place was, but they would catch on if they didn’t move quickly enough. They needed a course of action, and a plan. And since everyone was looking at him, Cloud figured that he was probably the leader once again. Then again, it was a position he had never fully retired from. “What’s the plan?†Cait Sith asked, voicing Cloud’s concerns. Cloud thought for a moment. The only reason they were really fighting was to safe Tifa. There was no way they could fight this entire war to keep her safe, but what if they went after the Yurak leader? He would be hard to find, but if he was exterminated, then the war would also come to a close. That was really their only option. “We need to go for the leader,†Cloud mumbled, still lost in his own thoughts. Tifa’s eyes widened at the concept. Go after the head Yurak? Preposterous! He would be very heavily guarded. They would use up all their strength going through the guard before they reached him. And then he would surely get rid of them by himself, no problem. “That won’t work,†Tifa said aloud, her voice coming out rushed and nervous. “First of all, it would be impossible to get through his guard. And if we did, we’d be too weak to fight him. He’d kill us by himself and not lose a drop of blood.†“What other options do we have?†Cloud reasoned. “We can’t fight an entire war hoping to kill of your enemies as we go through. We need to go directly to the source and end this quickly.†“We’d die!†“We have a chance of dying no matter what! *$&! it!†Cid yelled. “Now shut ur pie-hole so we can get this done with.†Tifa shot Cid a dirty look, instinctively releasing Cloud’s hand. Good thing he didn’t do the same, or she would have punched Cid right there and then. Instead, she spoke through her teeth. “Cid, notice how I said ‘WE’. WE would die, not just me or somebody else. I’m looking out for YOU right now, believe it or not.†Cid held Tifa’s glare, though he did eventually soften his stare. Perhaps Tifa’s words had gotten through to him. Either that, or he felt pity for her. After all, the ninjas were targeting her, not him. If he were in her position, he would be much worse than she was. “Tifa has a valid point,†Cloud started. “However, I see it as our only choice.†He turned to the black-haired woman beside him. “Do you know where he is?†Cloud’s eyes had no insincerity in them, only concern. Tifa could see that he was only doing what he thought was best. Looking at it now, this was really their only option. They could alter the plan later, but they did need to target the leader. Tifa nodded at his question. “The Southern Caves. It’s a man-made mountain range along the sea-line below Fort Condor.†“Isn’t Fort Condor home of an anti-Shinra force, willing to fight evil at a moments notice?†Red XIII inquired. “Not anymore. The Yuraks use it as a prison now. They killed off the resistance and took the place as their own.†Silence fell upon the group. Only Tifa knew the full strength of these Jenova bred soldiers. Nevertheless, she knew the others would find out soon enough. It would take them a few days to reach the old Fort by foot, and then the caves were not far from that. They would see what she meant by the unbeatable strength the Yuraks possessed. “We need to move, before they find us,†Cloud stated simply, taking control of the situation once again. Everyone nodded in agreement, but nobody made a move to leave. So, Tifa did. She took one step away from the group, but Cloud’s hand kept her back. Tifa looked back at the blonde man, perplexed as to why he wasn’t letting go or following her. “You’ll come with me on my bike,†he explained to Tifa. “We’ll go on ahead and the rest will follow.†*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Things went very smoothly for this part of the journey. Cloud and Tifa rode ahead of the van the entire way, making sure it was safe for the others to come. They also stopped in several towns along the way to pick up fresh materia. There was no need for them to buy weapons, since their old ones were still in great condition. Tifa figured that everyone must have kept all the items safe in case they ever needed to fight another battle. Like they were about to do. The group stopped for one night in Healen Lodge (now abandoned by the remaining Shinra) before continuing on their journey. They continued on their path until later that next night, stopping in a forest area. The van was parked in a clearing, which was the only area available for the large vehicle. Still, the trees did not cover them as well as Tifa had hoped. Not only that, but this place was strangely familiar.... “I’ll be right back,†she told the group. They were all too busy fumbling with tents to pay attention to her, so after a few moments with no responses, Tifa just left. She wasn’t planning on doing anything foolish; she just wanted to understand how she knew this place. The young woman walked through the forest, her brown eyes scanning the area. No...now this place looked unfamiliar. However, the open area ahead of her...Tifa picked up the pace, jogging through the trees. She reached the edge of the woods and took a few steps out, gasping when she saw the area lit by the moon. This place... Tifa felt her heart drop. This was the place where they killed Trent. New emotions rushed to her heart. Regret. Fear. Sorrow. Hopelessness... Deep down inside, Tifa blamed herself for Trent’s death. He had stayed to help her, and if she hadn’t still been fighting, he would have fled as well. If things had been different, he would still be alive. Without him here...Tifa swallowed hard at the thought. He was my light in the darkness. Now my light has been snuffed out, and I have no way of finding the path again. I was so far away from the path in the first place, but with his kindness, he was starting to lead me back. And I lost him. I let him go. I didn’t protect him enough... A rain drop suddenly fell from the sky, landing on Tifa’s nose. It startled her enough to make her jump, bringing her out of her thoughts. What? She looked up at the sky, but it didn’t look as if was going to rain that night. Then where did the water droplet come from? “I sent him to help you,†a soft female voice came from in front of her. Tifa slowly lowered her gaze, afraid of what she would see. She was very shocked to see an old, dear friend standing five feet in front of her. The girl from Sector 5 of the Midgar Slums. The flower girl she had befriended so long ago. Aerith. Tifa opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. However, that didn’t make a difference in the matter, because Aerith started speaking again. “Trent was sent by me.†Tifa had trouble wrapping her mind around this. “Trent...was...†Aerith shook her head softly, her bangs moving in and out of her eyes. “No, he was not just a spirit like I am. He was very real.†“Then, how...?†“I can work in people’s hearts, Tifa,†Aerith stated softly. “I can lead them to do unthinkable things for other people. That is, if they don’t have their guard up and if they are willing to listen.†Tifa stopped speaking then. It was clear that Aerith wasn’t talking about Trent anymore, but about her. She had been so unwilling to let anyone in within the past year, and that must have included Aerith’s spirit. But—when had that changed? Wasn’t she the same person she was two months ago? No, Tifa knew she wasn’t. While she was back at home, she had slowly lowered her guard against those people. Aerith must have just been waiting for the right opportunity to come see her. By the way the flower girl stayed silent, Tifa knew she was right in her thinking. “I’ve been worried about you,†the Cetra said quietly, finally speaking again. “You’ve given everyone a scare, especially Cloud.†Tifa’s heart skipped a beat at that name. Cloud had given up everything to help her since the start of this crisis, and it still burdened her that she had given him so much heartache. “He loves you, you know.†Tifa turned away, her eyes lowering to the ground. “Well, of course,†she said softly. They had been friends for so long, and close friends did love each other. That was obvious. Yes, that was what Aerith meant. It was the only thing she could mean. “I didn’t mean it like that,†Aerith stated. “He loves you.†Tifa shook her head softly at that, not willing to fully digest what her friend was saying. “No, that can’t be right.†The woman looked up. “You’re wrong about this, Aerith.†Aerith locked eyes with Tifa, both girls suddenly silent. Tifa saw something behind those green eyes...something she was afraid to see. It was the confidence and wisdom she had always seen in the ancient’s eyes. Then she understood something new...Aerith was right. She wouldn’t lie about this, which meant that she knew for sure that Cloud really did like Tifa. No, not like...LOVE. Tifa looked away, unable to hold Aerith’s stare. She looked over toward a tree, and all of a sudden something caught her eye. Something was shining in the moonlight. Taking a few steps forward, she silently made her way towards the tree. Aerith made no move to stop her, so she knew that she was alright in this movement. Tifa was both confused and frustrated at this fact, remembering how mysterious Aerith was sometimes. It annoyed her when her friend pulled the strings and became controlling, even without trying. But now, it seemed very planned. The young woman gasped. She recognized this object. She ran the last few steps to reach the tree and then knelt down in front of it. No, this can’t be... Tifa picked up the object, gently holding it in her hand. A small blue crystal, attached to a piece of string. A necklace. The necklace. She stared at the object in stunned silence, her hand trembling slightly as an overwhelming sadness entered her heart. This was Trent’s necklace. He always wore it on him. But he couldn’t wear it anymore, since he wasn’t around. Trent...is...really gone, Tifa thought, her eyes shutting tightly. She couldn’t handle this! It was too much heartbreak! There was no hope in this world, nothing to sustain her. This journey was pointless if there was no hope. Sure, there was hope of regaining her old life, but at what cost? At the cost of her friends? Herself? She had already lost herself to her sadness and anger a long time ago. Was there no hope of recovering what she lost? Tifa clutched the gem tightly, pulling it close to her chest. A single sob escaped her lips, and then the tears started to flow. The tears were not only for herself, but also for her friends. For Trent, who had given his life so that she could live. For Aerith, whom she had lost to her most evil enemy. And now, for Cloud, who was willing to sacrifice anything for her sake. Why? What was she really worth? “Tifa?†The black-haired girl brought her head up, turning it slightly to see who had called her. Cloud was approaching. And he was alone. Aerith had disappeared, and in a way, Tifa was glad. There was too much pain with the remembrance of that flower girl. But now Cloud was here instead...and he obviously noticed her distress by her body language and facial expression. Tifa made no move to wipe at her tears, knowing Cloud wouldn’t be tricked now. Once he reached her, he knelt down beside her form and looked at her with concern. “You alright?†he gently brought up a hand, setting it on Tifa’s cheek. “I’m fine.†“You don’t look fine.†Tifa remained silent, her brown eyes flickering to the ground. She had yet to open her hand, and for some reason, she didn’t plan on opening it any time soon. This charm was connected to her, not Cloud. It was too personal to reveal, as was her conversation with Aerith. Tifa’s cheeks warmed at that thought. But the thought also made another tear fall from her eye. This time, she did wipe at it. “I am fine,†Tifa stated softly, a certain firmness in her voice. A firmness that hinted that Cloud shouldn’t question her any further. Cloud took the hint and nodded faintly. He knew Tifa very well, and even if this wasn’t the same girl he knew a year ago, she did have very similar ways of telling people to back off. And this...this was one of those times. He stayed with her for a few more moments before awkwardly clearing his throat. “I’m going to head back to camp,†he started quietly. “You can come back whenever you’re ready.†Tifa nodded softly, her eyes lifting up to meet Cloud’s for a moment before returning to the ground. She felt Cloud’s hand leave her cheek, and then she heard him leave. After he was completely gone, she let another tear slide down her cheek. She was worrying him so much...and for what? Sure, she didn’t mean to worry him, but that was a consequence of her erratic behavior. He didn’t deserve this. None of her friends did. The girl stayed in that area for a little while longer before wiping away the last of her tears. She had no idea how long she had been there; it seemed like an eternity, but it could have been only a few minutes. It didn’t matter to Tifa, who was too lost in her sorrow to care about anything so insignificant. Once she was sure the tears were gone, she headed back to the camp. Fortunately, nobody seemed to notice her return. They were all too busy discussing something. They were trying to decide who would keep watch all night. This discussion turned into an argument somehow, but things immediately settled when Tifa volunteered to be the look-out. Cloud did not approve, but in the end, Tifa won. She stayed up until about four in the morning, and then she fell into a fitful slumber, Nanaki taking over the watch the rest of the night.
Chapter 5: A Goodbye and A New Beginning Tifa remained in her old home for another two weeks, staying mostly in bed so that her wounds would recover more quickly. Several times throughout that period, more assassins had come to exterminate her. But Cloud was always nearby, and he fought them off no problem. Even though he probably hadn’t fought for about a year, he hadn’t lost any of his strength. In a strange way, it was encouraging for Tifa to know that she could lean back on somebody dependable while she couldn’t defend herself. Oh sure, she could fight if she needed to. But the chance of being wounded more seriously hung heavy on her shoulders, and on Cloud’s. He wasn’t going to allow her to fight any time soon. However, Tifa felt differently. In those two weeks, her wounds had mostly disappeared. She was strong enough to leave now. And that was what she was about to do. The young woman understood she couldn’t expect Cloud to protect her forever. She had to finish what she started and terminate this threat for herself. All done, she thought to herself, putting the cure materia in her armor. It wasn’t any fine armor, just something to get the job done. She wasn’t going to steal from her friends, not now or ever. But...was it really considered stealing since she was going to return this stuff to them? After everything was taken care of, she planned on returning. And this time, she was going to stay. However, it wasn’t the time for that; it was the time to leave. The house was quiet, so she could probably slip out unnoticed. Ok, here I go... Tifa silently exited her room, turning right away to go down the stairs. One step creaked, but otherwise she was very hushed. At the bottom, she scanned the area. Nobody was there. A very unusual occurrence. This to her screamed that it was time to leave. Before anybody came back. She was sorry to worry them again, but if she didn’t take care of the problem, they’d be worried for much longer. Tifa headed toward the front door. A high-pitched screaming entered her ears, making her stop dead in her tracks. All of a sudden, a small little cat jumped in front of the entrance. Cait Sith was home, and apparently he knew what was happening here. “Where do you think you’re going?” he asked, as if he didn’t already know. But the tone of his voice told her the opposite was true, as she suspected. “I need to take care of this problem,” Tifa said simply, taking a step forward. It was a bold move on her part, but it was the only way she could think of to get past Cait Sith. She had a plan. “Let us help you,” the cat pleaded. “You can’t handle this on your own.” Tifa tensed at his words. “I can and I will. This is my fight, not yours.” She walked forward, approaching the door. “Stop!” When she was one step away from the animal, she moved her foot to the side and forward, gently kicking the cat out of the way. He tumbled to the side, sitting on the ground. His wide eyes stared up at Tifa, and the girl suddenly felt some pity for him. “Sorry Reeve,” she said softly. “I have to go.” The cat remained silent, knowing he could do nothing to stop her. Tifa Lockhart opened the door and took a step forward before coming to a complete halt, something else blocking her exit. Cloud was standing right there, arms at his side as he stared at her calmly. “You can’t get past me Tifa,” he said softly. “You’re not leaving.” Tifa took a few steps back, her wide eyes returning to normal size. She stopped there, determination in her eyes. “I’ll fight you if I have to,” she said shakily. Though she desperately didn’t want to, this was something she needed to do. If not for her sake, but for her friends as well. She couldn’t stand to see them worry so greatly. “Don’t do it, Teef.” Barret’s voice came from behind her, and she turned around halfway to see him standing five steps away. “We can’t let you leave. You wus almost killed out there! We’re not loosing you agin!” Their concern was heartbreaking, but Tifa knew that she had to go. Everyone was suddenly showing up around her, so she guessed the rest of the gang would be here soon as well. She shook her head, bringing a hand up to her chest. “I can’t stay, Barret,’ she said quietly. “If I don’t take care of this now, things are only going to get worse. This is my fight, not yours. Isn’t that what you said when you fought Dyne a few years ago? You should understand this more than anyone.” Barret remained silent, so Cloud spoke up for him. “Whether that’s the case or not, you’re not leaving here. This isn’t just your fight any more.” Tifa had been listening to Cloud, but a thought suddenly hit her mind and made her feel frozen. There was a back door. Nobody was guarding that, most likely. If she went there calmly, as if she were going for the stairs, then they wouldn’t follow her until it was too late. Only Cloud and Barret knew about that back door. Barret wouldn’t stop her, since he was too lost in his thoughts of Dyne to move. And Cloud was at the front door. He wouldn’t get to the back in time. She had to move now, or else she would be stuck in that house for a very long time. After all, since they saw her trying to leave now, they were going to have somebody on watch all the time. Now or never, Tifa thought as she turned around, calmly heading in the direction of the stairs. She even looked as if she were defeated by Cloud’s pleads. No footsteps followed her; they believed she was going up to her bedroom. She walked past the stairs and she heard Cloud gasp. He knew now what was going on. Tifa made a break for it, running down the remainder of the hall. She reached the door and pulled it open, rushing outside. Then she slammed it behind her and started to run once again. Sprinting through the alley, she knew that none of her friends could catch her now. She was free. After all, they didn’t have time materia equipped, and they were too far back now to stop her. An arrow flew into the brick wall beside her head, and she skidded to a halt in shock. Were her friends shooting at her? No, of course not! Tifa lifted her eyes to see a line of ninjas on the rooftop, bows pointed at her. She turned her head to look at the other building. Same there! How were there so many? Turning back to the safety of home was not an option; she had to flee. She ran, arrows suddenly spraying the ground behind her. Her heart raced as she sped down the long alley. If she made it out, then she could escape. Almost to the end now... An arrow pierced her arm, and she cried out in surprise. Still, she continued to run. The sounds of the city filled her ear, cars speeding on the roads. The assassins would not target the people, only her. They had no idea that if they hurt any of the people, she would return and save them. She always was tender-hearted to those in hard situations. The sidewalk was ahead of her now, only about ten feet. She could make it! Another arrow pierced her in the back and she flew forward at the very edge of the alley. No, she wheezed, setting a hand on the ground to prop herself up. The girl turned around, seeing a bunch of ninjas land on the ground behind her. The sound of a motorcycle roaring made her turn forward, and she saw Cloud there on Fenrir, staring at her. “Come on!” he urged, extending a hand toward her. Tifa had no choice but to obey. She quickly picked herself up, taking a few steps forward toward the bike. Her hand went to his as she placed herself behind him on the cycle. He sped off, leaving their foes behind them. Gunfire sounded from the alley, and Tifa immediately knew Barret was taking care of the problem. Tifa wrapped her uninjured arm around him before leaning against his back, her wounds throbbing terribly. She couldn’t do anything about it now though; if she cast cure while the arrows were still in her, the skin would heal around them and make them stuck there. She knew what she had to do. As soon as they were at a safe place, she would pull out the arrows and then cast cure. It was the one option she had. The young woman shut her eyes, trying to be patient. Before she even recognized what was happening, they bike stopped. She opened her eyes and saw that they were on a hill over-looking the city. The place where Cloud kept his old sword. Of course; this was not only a safe place, but it was also a place that the others knew about. He was going to have everyone meet there, since they couldn’t go home. Tifa released Cloud and climbed off the bike. Before her friend could understand what she was doing, Tifa grabbed onto the arrow in her back and pulled it out. She gasped at the pain, her hand opening. The arrow fell to the ground, and she felt dizzy when she saw the blood on it. Next, she extended her arm. Cloud’s wide eyes stayed on her as she pulled out the second arrow. She hissed at the pain, but didn’t lose her cool. The green materia started to glow on her arm as she cast cure on herself. The wounds started to close, and her pain died down for the most part. It was frustrating how weak that materia was. As the pain faded, Tifa suddenly felt a warm sensation. Her brown eyes flickered upward, and she saw that Cloud was standing directly in front of her. And his hand was on her cheek; that was what really caught her attention. And the tenderness in his eyes... “You okay?” he asked, breaking through her thoughts. Tifa felt herself blush faintly, slightly unnerved because of the suddenness of everything. She nodded a little bit, careful not to move Cloud’s hand off her cheek. The desire to kiss him was almost overwhelming her all of a sudden, but she restrained herself. Since when had she felt so emotionally connected to him? Cloud seemed to sense her awkwardness, so he took his hand off her cheek. Tifa felt a small sense of dismay because of this. However, she felt very grateful when wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him. The girl silently exhaled, embracing him as well. Her head rested against his shoulder as she let herself melt away, trusting he would protect her. Maybe she couldn’t handle this on her own after all... “Barret will be here soon with the others,” Cloud said softly. “Then we’ll decide what our next course of action is.” Tifa nodded faintly. She understood now that there was no “I” anymore; it was always going to be “we”. Especially after what had happened back at their home. For a long while, the two of them just stood there. Cloud graciously kept her in his arms, holding her just tightly enough to make her heart feel warmer, but still light enough that she could move if she wanted to. And eventually, that was what she had to do. Although she was mostly healed from everything, she still was tired. Tifa gently pulled herself away from Cloud, feeling his arms return to his side as well. She was hesitant to make eye contact with him as she stepped past him, toward the edge of the cliff. Once there, she gently sat herself down, legs dangling over the edge. Moments later, Cloud appeared beside her. “I wish I hadn’t gotten you guys involved,” Tifa admitted quietly, ashamed she had created such and uproar in her friends’ lives. “You shouldn’t. None of us regret bringing you home.” Cloud turned his head to look at her. “I know I wouldn’t have it any other way.” “This whole thing has ruined things for you guys, though,” Tifa persisted. “Now Denzel and Marlene don’t have a home. And it’s my fault.” “Tifa. Don’t.” Cloud insisted. “You didn’t summon the assassins. You didn’t mean for any of this to happen. Denzel and Marlene as brave kids. They’ll make it through this.” He paused. “I’m more worried about you. You’ve....changed.” Tifa nodded faintly, her eyes staying down. “I don’t know who I am anymore,” she confessed softly. That thought almost brought tears to her eyes, but she kept it inside. She didn’t want pity from anyone, especially not Cloud. “I think...I understand,” Cloud said. Tifa looked up at him, curious as to what he was going to say. “You’re running away because you’re afraid of something. Maybe you’re afraid of letting others see you in weakness. Everyone stumbles sometimes, Tifa. A year ago, you saw me at my worst. But you stuck with me. You had faith in me. So why can’t you have faith in yourself? “You are such a beautiful person, Tifa. You’ve always put others ahead of yourself. You’ve always tried to work for the greater good. And now that you’re discovering you need to take care of yourself, you’re afraid. You shouldn’t lose heart, though. It’s something that everyone goes through at some point in their lives. For some people though, it’s harder.” “Why would I feel a need to take care of myself?” Tifa mumbled, her brown eyes flickering to the ground again. What Cloud was saying made sense, but some parts of the puzzle were still missing. What pushed her off the deep end? Cloud shrugged. “Have you...ever had a chance to mourn over your father’s death, Tifa?” Tifa stifled a laugh. “I had five years to think about my father’s death before I did something about the Shinra. That should have been plenty of time.” Cloud didn’t seem pleased with that answer. “You may have thought it over, but have you moved past it?” Pause. “Or Aerith’s death?” Tifa froze. Aerith. The flower girl from the slums. And yet she was so much more than that. In their travels together, they had become great friends. When Sephiroth had killed her...Tifa swallowed hard before finishing the thought. When I lost her, I lost hope. But I didn’t let it show. Instead, I transferred all my hope to Cloud. But I held him too high. He had to mourn the deaths of his friends as well. He couldn’t support both of us. “Tifa?” Tifa tensed at the voice, just then realizing that somebody had snuck up behind her. Cloud was still beside her, but now Marlene was behind her. Tifa looked past the girl, seeing a large van. Her other friends were exiting the van. Everyone was there. Barret, Cid, Vincent, Yuffie, Red, Cait Sith, and Denzel. The young woman’s brown eyes went back to Marlene after a brief moment. “Yes?” “Are you okay?” “I’m not hurt,” Tifa responded simply. She felt Cloud’s eyes on her throughout this whole conversation. “I didn’t ask if you were hurt. I asked if you were okay.” Smart girl, Tifa thought. “I will be,” she said softly. Marlene stood there for a moment before nodding faintly. The girl turned around and headed over to the van, toward Denzel. “Did you mean that?” Cloud asked quietly. Tifa turned her head toward him. His blue eyes were full of concern. No, not just concern, but hope. He really did want was best for her. In the depths of his eyes, Tifa could see that he loved her. Surprisingly, she did not shy away from his love. It was at that moment that she knew her answer. “Yes. I will be okay again. Things will get better. I know they will.” Cloud nodded, a small smile appearing on his lips. He slowly rose to his feet, standing beside her. He extended a hand for her, and she accepted, slipping her hand into his. After rising to her feet, the two of them returned to the group, walking hand in hand. They would fight this battle together.
[I was wondering if anybody would notice. xD Yes, that was my inspiration for that chapter. Here's Chapter 4 =D] Chapter 4: Home The next few days were a blur to Tifa Lockhart. After arriving home, and apparently in bed for quite some time, she awakened to feel Cloud cast cure on her. But the Materia was so weak that it had little impact. Her head pounded a little less, but that was about it. This was how it was for the rest of the week; Cloud or Yuffie would come in with the materia and cast cure, but it only made a small impact. Those were about the only times that Tifa was awake. The rest of the time, she was either asleep or pretending to be asleep. After all, what was she supposed to say to these people? She had abandoned them, a humiliating and embarrassing thing to do. One day, (Tifa couldn’t recall which), Cloud had fallen asleep by her bedside. His hand was covering hers when she had awakened. She didn’t bother moving her hand away. Now, a week after that day, Tifa was aware enough to be awake most of the day. And she was extremely bored. She was used to fighting her days away, or running to a battle field. Lying in bed was torturous for her, even if her wounds had not yet healed completely. So she decided to walk downstairs to the bar...just to do something different. First, she sat herself up, which required a surprising amount of effort. Her stomach hurt very badly. She wrapped an arm around it as she forced herself to her feet, wincing at the pain. Oh well...now that she was standing, surely the pain couldn’t be so bad. She started walking. After going through the hall and down the stairs, Tifa felt as if leaving the bedroom was a bad idea. She was hurting very badly, and the weakness that had kept her docile had returned to her. Still, she was at the bottom of the stairs now. At least she had made it to the bar. She gripped onto the railing with one hand, the other wrapped around her stomach. “You’re not leaving again, are you?†The deep voice startled Tifa, and she looked over at one of the tables to see where the voice came from. There sat Vincent Valentine, just staring at her. “No,†Tifa responded quietly. “I’m not leaving again.†That was partially true; she wasn’t leaving right then and there. She didn’t ever want to leave, but she knew that she’d have to return to the battle field someday soon to finish what she started. “Good.†Vincent’s voice brought her out of her thoughts and she locked eyes with him. He knew there was more going on here, but he didn’t push it. Smart. Tifa shifted on her feet, uncomfortable with the awkward silence. But even more than that, she was uncomfortable with her wounds. They were really aching. She released the stair-railing as she walked over to the tables, sitting herself down in one of the chairs at the same table as Vincent. They had never been too close, but after all they had gone through together with Sephiroth, there was a bond. Even if she couldn’t identify what that bond was, it was there. “Why’d you run away?†Vincent asked, surprising Tifa. Since when had he inquired about anybody? A lot must have changed in a year. Still, the question was what unnerved her the most. She never had found what she was looking for. Instead of answering his question, she stayed silent. It didn’t matter anyway; before she could answer the entrance door opened up and Cloud walked in. As soon as her eyes caught his, she felt her heart drop. He wasn’t going to like the fact that she was up and out of bed when she was still wounded. “Tifa, what’re you doing out of bed?†Yup, that was the question she was expecting. Still, the concern behind his voice is what made her heart skip a beat. He was so worried about her... “I needed to get out of that room, just for a little while,†the young woman responded, surprised at how timid and small she sounded. Cloud’s eyes softened as he hurried over to her, the door closing behind him. He knelt down in front of her and grabbed her hand, sending Tifa into a state of stunned silence. Who was this passionate, new Cloud? “I understand that,†he started sympathetically. “But you shouldn’t have come down here on your own. You could have hurt yourself.†Tifa felt tears appear in her eyes, a result of Cloud’s care. She looked away, her gaze on the ground beside Cloud. “I’m sorry.†“No, no, no; Please don’t cry,†the blonde-hair man pleaded, his hand gripping Tifa’s a little more tightly. “It’s alright,†he said softly. After a moment’s pause, he spoke again. “Why don’t you stay down here for a little while longer and then go back up to bed?†Tifa nodded slightly, fighting hard to keep the tears locked up inside. He cared so much, and now, seeing how badly she had hurt him by running, she wanted to vomit. How could she be so cruel to this man? As if on cue, Cloud rose to her feet, leaving her at the table with Vincent once again. But out of the corner of her eye, she couldn’t see Vincent Valentine anymore. So she turned her head a little bit, only to realize that he had left sometime during the conversation. She was alone again. She stayed downstairs for another ten minutes before going back up to the bedroom, fearful that others would return and see her tears if she stayed downstairs. As soon as she got upstairs she collapsed into her bed and cried into her pillow. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Two days later, Tifa was lying in her bedroom, just staring at the ceiling. Her wounds had continued to heal, and she could move around the house freely if she desired. That is, if she was careful not to reinjure herself. Cloud seemed to be around every corner, watching her to make sure she was alright. If not Cloud, then Yuffie. Or Cait Sith. It seemed as if they were all fearful of her leaving again. So in the end, Tifa was so sick of being babysat that she just stayed in her room, knowing she had the most privacy in there. But that day, something felt different. The entire building was eerily quiet. It seemed as if nobody were home, which didn’t make sense. Where would they have gone? A faint noise entered her ear, and she instinctively sat up in her bed. It sounded like something had fallen downstairs. She didn’t know what it was, but she had a bad feeling about it. The young woman forced herself out of bed, exiting the room and heading toward the stairs. Once on the stairs, she went down carefully, as to not make much noise. At the bottom, she stood hidden by a wall. She peeked around the corner. “Hello?†Nothing was there; nothing was out of place. She searched the entire downstairs, but nothing was going on. Everything was perfectly normal, except for the fact that she was by herself today. Still, something didn’t feel right....and she had learned to trust her instinct. By the time Tifa made it back up the stairs, she was even more tense. Something just was not right here. And it was even more frustrating that she couldn’t discover what the problem was. Well, she couldn’t stay out of bed forever. She reentered her bedroom, and just when she was about to climb into bed again, she heard a noise behind her. The sound of metal going through the air. She instinctively ducked and the three metal darts went into the wall in front of her. It was an attack! She turned around, seeing six assassins enter the room. They all had different weapons, but she didn’t have the time to take that into account. All of them wore the sashes of an assassin, and it was then that Tifa knew she was in grave trouble. She wasn’t up to full strength, so taking out these six men would be a great challenge. Before they could charge her, she charged at the nearest one, grabbing his head and banging it into the wall. He went down, but Tifa knew it was only a momentary occurrence. She felt wind from an oncoming sword and she did a back flip onto the bed, kicking at two of the ninjas. For another minute or so, she fought them off, using her height as an advantage. This didn’t work for long though. These were skilled assassins, taught to change to their surroundings. One hit Tifa’s legs with his sword and she immediately fell off the bed, onto her knees. Just as she rose again, one of the men rushed forward, punching her right in the gut. She let out a cry as she felt herself fly backwards, through the second-story window. A loud thud sounded when she landed on the hard pavement, painful bursts reverberating throughout her body. Get up! her mind screamed at her, and she forced her body to comply. She got up on her feet just in time, two of the ninjas jumping out the window. Disgusted, she high-kicked the first one that landed, then punched the other hard. The rest jumped out and landed around her, and she did one powerful combo that knocked all of them off their feet. But they got right back up. Ugh! Her body sagged in weakness. “Tifa!†The young woman kicked at one ninja before turning her head to the entrance of the bar. Denzel was standing there, with a sword. Oh, he must have been at the neighbor’s house earlier. Wait, Tifa backed up her thoughts. He’s standing there with a sword?! He had that look on his face, which told her he was going to join this battle. No way! Not with opponents this tough. “Denzel, get back inside!†Tifa scolded, punching the ninjas as they came up to her. She couldn’t keep fighting them off like this, but if she allowed Denzel to join this battle, then they would both go down. She wasn’t going to allow that to happen. “It’s alright!†he shouted back. “Cloud taught me how to fight.†“Go back inside! This fight is too difficult for you. Go make sure Marlene is safe.†She got knocked down while she was distracted, then came back up fighting the four remaining assassins. “But...Tifa!†“Now Denzel!†Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Denzel go inside. Good; at least the boy had sense in him. Cloud and the others really took good care of him in the past year. Pain shot out through her back, and she hissed at the extremity of it. She kicked the ninja behind her, knocking him out of the equation. Tifa slowly turned in a circle, seeing three ninjas surround her. Not good. Not good at all. They charged at her and she leapt up into the air to avoid them. When she landed, she punched the ground, sending a small shock-wave through the pavement. It would have helped if she had earth materia! While they were distracted, Tifa shoved two of their heads together. The remaining ninja sprang forward, tackling her to the ground. They rolled for a few moments, and at the end of it, Tifa found herself underneath her attacker. He had a dagger in his hand. Tifa’s eyes widened slightly in anger as she tried to squirm out from underneath him. But he was gripping her shoulder too tightly with his free hand for her to do a thing. There was no escape, unless she got a miracle. However, she had a feeling she was out of luck today. “Tifa!†The distraction, whether meant to distract her attacker or not, worked in her advantage. She threw a hard punch at the ninja’s jaw, knocking him off of her. The dagger fell out of his hand and pierced the ground next to her arm. The girl lifted herself up quickly in case she had to fight again, but the final assassin did not rise to his feet. He groaned from his spot on the ground, but he made no move to attack her again. Good; she couldn’t handle any more abuse today. She stumbled slightly, taking a step back before falling on one knee. “Tifa!?†she heard her name spoken frantically, and a hand was set on her shoulder. Her brown eyes flickered over and up in time to see Cloud standing next to her, worry in his bright blue eyes. “I’m fine,†she panted, blinking when a bead of sweat came onto her forehead. Cloud’s eyes stayed on her a moment longer before he looked forward, seeing a ninja crawling on the ground. The expression in his eyes changed from gentleness to pure rage as he took his hand off Tifa’s shoulder. He walked forward a few steps and grabbed onto the final assassin, pulling him into an upright position before pushing him against the wall. Tifa winced slightly when she saw how aggressive he was. “Who are you?! Why are you here?†Cloud’s wrath was apparent in his voice. He didn’t wait for an answer. “What do you want with Tifa?!†The assassin only chuckled. “Answer me!†Cloud growled, shoving him against the wall with more force. “She’s an elite fighter...†he said through his ragged laugh. “...High price on her head, there is. Thought I’d hunt down the little girl myself and get a nice vacation or girl for myself if you know what I mean...†Cloud growled again, shoving the ninja’s head against the building. He collapsed this time; his body slumped against the wall. Probably dead. Tifa felt dizzy at that moment, tired from the battle. She set a hand on the pavement, her head drooping as she shut her eyes. Wounds on her stomach and arms were bleeding now, all thanks to those stupid assassins. Seconds later she heard Cloud rush over. He came behind her, gently gripping her around the waist. This movement gave her no choice but to lean back into him, which she did. “I’m so sorry,†Cloud whispered, bringing her closer to him as gently as he could. Tifa was confused. “Why?†she whispered in response, her eyes closing partway in tiredness. “For not being here.†Pause. “I should have protected you better than I have.†There was pain in his voice. That was the last thing she wanted to hear. “It’s not your fault I get myself into trouble,†she said softly. She opened her eyes fully as she looked up at him, just in time to see him frown slightly. The frown wasn’t directed at her, but at the circumstances. Things were much more serious and dramatic than she could have imagined. And things were not going to get better on their own, that was for sure. This was a very serious, critical matter. After that, Cloud helped her inside and back up to bed, where she promptly fell asleep and dreamed of the dangerous life ahead of her.
You're right, that doesn't make sense to me. Forgive me, but I can't form a valid arguement against something that just happened. I know it doesn't make sense that God always was, always is, and always will be. Because I'm only human, I can't fully understand it. But that is what I believe. That explanation helps clear things up, thank you. But my question is, who comes up with these numbers? And also, just because something has a less-likely chance of happening does not limit the possibibly. It's like winning the lottery; chances are very slim, but still possible. So even by using your logic, there's a chance God made the universe and everything in it. Perhaps I'm just more curious than you are. I see so much going on in this world, that I can't help but think that there has to be more to life. Also, just looking at nature gets me thinking. Especially the stars. They seem so far off, but we know that they're really large stars much bigger than our own sun. It makes a person feel really small, and it helps convince me that life here isn't all that's important. Maybe that doesn't seem like a good arguement, but that's the way I think of it.
A. The problem is, what caused the big bang? If you believe that theory, then surely something must have triggered the creation of the world. And what about the molecules out there that created the Earth? Where did they come from? Everything on this planet appears to organized; I don't believe that one day there was a big bang and all of it was created by chance. I'm afraid I don't understand the bolded part above. Perhaps I'm just misreading it, but it really isn't clear to me what you're saying. B. How can there not be a point? All through our lives, we try to find a reason to live. Is it just so we can be happy for a little while, then it's all over when we go to the grave? I don't believe that one bit. If you believe that there is a creator, then you also have to ask yourself "What does he want? Did He put us on this Earth for a reason?" As a Christian, I believe it is to tell others about Him and the sacrifice of Jesus. You can argue that point all you want, but I don't believe you can go through life without ever wondering if there was something more to everything we see. People do use God as an answer a lot, but does that mean it's always incorrect?
It's impossible to be without fear. Deep down inside, everyone is afraid of something. Whether it's something that others can see, such as a fear of heights of small spaces or fear of darkness or something inside of you. We're all afraid of something.
The Old Testiment was full of laws and sacrifices so that the people could pay for their sins, but the New Testimiment cancels it out for the most part. (I believe the 10 commandments are still excelent to follow). A lot of people find the Old Testiment offensive, which I can understand. Those were not good times. But the New Testiment is more relevant and applies to today. You're right when you say some of the main moral points of the Bible (ex Love your neighbor as yourself) are followed by a lot of non-religious people. The point of the Bible or any other sacred text is for you to believe what they believe. The Bible tells you all about God and Jesus, who died for the sins of the world so that when we die we can spend eternity in Heaven. I don't know everything about other texts, so I can't really go in depth with those. Don't worry about tearing me apart; I knew what I was getting into when I posted on this thread. And I really don't mind the questions. As for God not existing, that's a matter of your own faith. Personally, I don't see how there isn't a God for a few reasons: A. Creation. How'd we get here? And why is everything so structured? If the Earth was any further or closer to the sun, we wouldn't be able to live. I don't believe that's just a coincidence. B. Purpose. This life is so short, and there just has to be something more than this. We can do all sorts of good things here, but what good does it do after we die? I could go on for a while about why I believe God exists, but I'll leave it at that for now.
When it comes to the Bible, Christians believe that it was God-inspired. True, God didn't pick up a pen and right it all down for himself, he worked through people here on Earth. They did his will and wrote what they felt He insprired them to write. I'm a devoted Christian; I have been my whole life. Have I read through the entire Bible? No, I haven't. But there are several things you need to realize before you judge an entire religion or God based on some nasty quotes: 1. Times HAVE changed. God has not, I'll be the first to admit that. God is perfect in nature, and sometimes it doesn't make sense why He would tell His people to do such terrible things (have slaves, etc). But in the society they lived in, those things were viewed in a different way. It's almost like the way we view chursing today. Some people view it as okay, other's don't. That's the analogy I have come up with, anyway. Feel free to disagree. 2. God had his people, the Isrealites attack other people. It's a historical fact. But I don't find this so hard to believe; if you're one of the only nations to believe and follow one God, of course you're going to have enemies. Sometimes in order to protect yourselves, there needs to be war. 3. Sometimes God told His people to do certain things to show them how powerful He is, and how He keeps His promises and protects them. 4. God, as the Creator of all things and all people, has the right to do whatever He pleases. So when it comes to others worshipping other gods, I'd say He has the right to be angry. Let me explain it this way. Your father is watching over you, protecting you and leading you, and then you wander astray and give your life to somebody else. Wouldn't a caring father be upset? All throughout the Bible, God is portrayed as a father. 5. Jesus. Jesus was the son of God, but he was also God. Think of it as a three-leafed clover. It's one clover, but three seperate parts. (For the sake of time, I won't go into the Holy Spirit). Matthew 5:30 (Seriously?!) 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. I don't see what's so terrible about this one, actually. He's using the analagy to point out just how serious sin is. Matthew 10:34-35 (Jesus Christ you are scary!) "Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's foes will be those of his own household." I can see how this can be easily misinterpreted, so I'll do my best to explain how I see it. Now, I'm no pastor, just remember that. Jesus knew that his teachings would seperate the world. Not just the world, but it would turn families against each other. That isn't peaceful at all; it's a real struggle to have disagreements within a family. I believe that is what he meant, in a nutshell. I wish I had more time and knowledge to help you guys out. Please understand I'm not criticizing anyone, saying "Oh, you're all stupid, this is what it really means." That isn't my attitude at all. I really want to help you guys. I'm open to questions, and if I can't answer them, I'll be honest and say so. I'm not gonna make up stuff so I don't look dumb. I'm not a perfect person, and I don't know nearly everything about Christianity and Judism. Also, I request in advance that you try not to tear me apart for this. Again, I'm not trying to be offensive, and I hope none of you took it that way.
Yes, Aslan was the representation of Jesus. I see this as a clearly stated fact because in "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe", Aslan is the perfect sacrifice, just as Jesus was in reality. Anyway, back to the question. I don't think it's bs to give the answer that God is always there, and omni-everything. That's what I believe, and so that's the answer I'm going to give, even if it is against what you said. Nobody ever said that God is logical.
[To Chevalier: I wouldn't fall behind, because I'm only planning on having between 10 and 15 chapters in this fanfic. So even if I did distribute them really quickly, I'd have a few weeks to right the finishing chapters. I'll probably release two each week now.] Chapter 3: A Raging War A few hours after falling asleep, Tifa woke up from her slumber, itchy and hot from her sleeping location. She sleepily ran a hand through her hair, feeling some straw in her long black locks. “Ugh,†she moaned disgustedly, pulling the straw out of her hair. Falling asleep on a pile of straw had seemed like a good idea, but waking up now, she almost regretted making that decision. But in the long run, it didn’t really matter. Within seconds of waking up, she remembered her mission: making it to the Western Front. The young woman quickly picked herself up, brushing away the last pieces of hay as she rose to her feet. She was only about an hour away, and judging by the heat and light, it was early afternoon. Good; she had plenty of time to get there and fight. It was her duty to fight...a duty she would willingly fulfill. Tifa Lockhart walked out of the chocobo barn, continuing to head west. Along the way, she thought of nothing but fighting. Fighting techniques, fighting with her group, fighting strategy...those were the best things she could think about. After all, how could she be distracted from fighting when she was thinking about fighting itself? Forty-five minutes later, the first signs of battle started to appear. Blood on the ground, a cloudy horizon...she was definitely heading in the right direction. Not only that, but she could faintly hear swords clanging. Swords? Great; hand-to-hand combat was not going to be such a smart move in this battle. She’d have to grab a sword when she had the opportunity. Adapting to battles was a great asset to all warriors, and that teaching was strict in the way of the Debks. Tifa wondered if anyone from her group would be there, though she doubted it. Most people didn’t run into battle like this. Later, along the horizon, she finally saw the battle itself. And gosh...there was so much blood on the ground. So many fallen people. But even more were still fighting. Most of them were dressed in old Shinra uniforms. Those had been the only available for this war, and Tifa didn’t mind that they were used. After all, they were very protective. If she didn’t need the freedom to move so much, she would wear one herself. At that moment, one of the soldiers was knocked down, and she growled in anger. Those horrible Yuraks! They would pay for all the damage they were doing. Tifa let out a battle cry and charged up the hill, engaging in the battle herself. *~~~~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~~~~* The battle was long and hard. Both groups were still fighting ferociously despite the fact that the battle had been going on for hours. Apparently neither group was willing to end until their missions were accomplished. And of course, Tifa was right there along with everyone else. She hated these Yuraks...more than she had hated anyone in a while. Even Sephiroth and Shinra. Instead of dwelling on her emotions of sorrow and loneliness, Tifa transferred all her thoughts to hating Yuraks. Though she still felt very empty inside, it was good for her to be distracted by despising the Jenova bred soldiers and ninjas. Tifa withdrew once from battle when there was a free moment, the young woman needing a breath of fresh air. Everything around her stunk of dead bodies and blood. However, this was not the only reason she left. During the whole thing, she could have sworn she heard her name being called. Several times by the voice of the Lifestream, and others by people around her. She needed to scan the area, to see what exactly was going on here. The area looked worse than it had earlier. More fallen soldiers were lying on the ground, and their blood was soaking into the planet. Looking at the fighters, the sides looked about even. It was the same as when she had started, only with less people. This battle was hopeless! It wasn’t going to end anytime soon. Tifa raised a hand and wiped sweat off her brow. But sweat wasn’t the only thing that came off. There was blood too. Tifa felt sick to her stomach at the site, and she quickly wiped it off on her torn jeans. When she did that, she saw that her shirt was partially torn as well. The damage wasn’t too bad, but she could see her stomach a little bit. And a small amount of blood from the gash as well. Suddenly, Tifa heard the sound of footsteps coming towards her. She quickly looked up and saw a terrifying sight: 20 Yurak ninjas surrounding her! Her eyes widened in panic, and she took a few steps back. Closer to the edge of a cliff. Only a thin, flimsy railing was between her and the edge. Scanning the men in black around her, she saw that her only exit was to jump. But it was so far down! She could either put up a fight here and die, or jump and die. Either way, it was the end of her. The thought scared her, and yet her heart was surprisingly calm. It was reality. No use fussing over something she couldn’t change. “Tifa!!†Tifa’s eyes grew larger at the voice, and she looked out past the surrounding Yuraks to see a swordsman fighting strong, trying to get towards her. A blonde swordsman, who used a very large sword. Cloud? How was he there? The young woman suddenly had a change of heart; she didn’t want to run away anymore. She desperately wanted to fight along-side Cloud again, no matter what the end results were. Because when she was with him, things always turned out alright. But now, standing here surrounded by the ninjas, she had a feeling things could not be alright. The Yuraks suddenly charged forward, but Tifa kept her eyes on Cloud. She caught onto his eyes for one brief moment, and he saw hers as well. His shown with concern and fierce determination. Hers probably reflected the latter of the two emotions. With a soft grunt, she jumped backwards, over the rail and off the cliff. The rushing wind impacted her, and Tifa furrowed her brows slightly as she fell. She heard a faint noise below her, and she knew her timing was impeccable; a train was coming. Within a second of having this realization, she felt herself land on the hard metal train. She landed on her feet, but the pressure made her fall flat on her back, and the crashing sound that resulted from the impact made her feel as if a bomb had detonated. But it was only her own pain. The young woman hissed in pain, bringing a hand to her stomach without thought or hesitation. She set the other hand on the train and started to push herself up. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a few black specks falling from the sky. Ninjas. She stumbled a step before she started running to the front of the train. It was a long, long train. If she could make it to the front, she could sneak into the train and find a weapon of some kind. Then she could take on these lousy Yuraks. Before she had the chance to get any further, a person in black appeared on top of the train in front of her. And then another. And a third. Tifa turned around, but she saw many more covering her exit route. She couldn’t take them all...especially when they were surrounding her on a moving train. A lone building came up on her right, and she leapt off the train without hesitation. The female fighter flipped once in the air before bringing out her leg, kicking through a glass window as she broke into the building. She landed on the ground with a soft thud, and she struggled against fatigue as she took a few running steps forward. Pain exploded from her back, and Tifa felt herself fly forward, landing face first on the ground. But she quickly pushed herself back up, kicking the surrounding ninjas while she balanced herself on her hands. This is not good, this is really not good, Tifa thought as she picked herself up off the ground. The building was swarming with Yuraks, and in the chaos, they were positioning themselves as to take her on. A bunch of them were at a distance, seemingly with bows or some other kind of long distance weapon. Tifa wasn’t too concerned about them at the moment, knowing the faster she got done with the hand-to-hand combat, the sooner she could take care of the bowmen. Tifa threw more punches and kicks, knocking down five of the ninjas that had swarmed at her. One of them got in a blow, the sword cutting her stomach worse than it had already been. The young woman threw an extra-hard punch at this ninja, sure to take him down. Whether it was for strategy purposes or for revenge she didn’t know. Nor did she care at that moment. Surviving was her main concern. She fought on for what seemed like eternity, but it could have been only a few minutes in reality. However long it was, Tifa was feeling the strain of battle. More wounds were on her body now, and she was weary from the ongoing battle. She knew that she couldn’t take this abuse much longer. And the worse part was, there were no less ninjas then when she had started. She had no idea how this was happening, but the ninjas kept on coming. Fighting was not an option anymore; she had to get out. Now. Turning to her right, she saw something she hadn’t noticed before: an open garage door. And a large white van sitting by it. Perhaps that was how there were more ninjas in the building. Either way, Tifa knew she had her escape route. She threw one more punch at a persistent ninja before turning, stumbling a few steps before fully sprinting toward the opening. An arrow flew past her, and then another. Those were all far from her, so she knew these ninjas either had terrible aim or they were not going for her. It didn’t matter as long as she made it to the exit. She saw one go right past her ear and into a large, sealed container. And then the sight of fire appeared in her eye, and the explosion impacted her and sending her flying. In mid-flight, Tifa realized what had happened: they hadn’t been aiming for her, but for the container that exploded. And now there was a fiery wall in front of her, blocking the way out. None of that mattered though; she was too wounded to move off the ground, let alone fight. The sound of a cackling fire entered her ears, and she opened her eyes a crack to see what was going on. One lone ninja was approaching her, and he was somehow different than the rest. His outfit was not pure black, but a faint grey. Almost white. Tifa grunted softly when this man reached down and grabbed her by the arm, forcing her to her feet. She could stand, surprisingly. But without his grip, she wouldn’t have been able to. Not that she wanted his help; she wanted to run and reach a safe haven. But that wasn’t about to happen. The man chuckled softly, piercing blue eyes looking at Tifa through the holes of his mask. “Oh, how I have waited for this day,†he started. “You are a legend in your army, a terminator of my people. All throughout the battles of late, I have had my people target you. But sadly you have escaped me every time†His eyes turned serious, and he suddenly lifted his free hand and gripped Tifa’s neck tightly. “Now you will not have the opportunity to escape me again.†Tifa grunted softly, struggling to get free. But this man was too strong for her. Even if she was in full health, she had a feeling that it would be difficult to defeat him. She had fought bravely thus far, but the realization that she was about to die for real made her heart beat extremely fast. After everything, she was just going to die here in this abandoned Shinra warehouse. “NO!†The battle cry suddenly entered Tifa’s ears. Her eyes widened when a figure in black suddenly charged from the side, a large sword coming in contact with the grey ninja’s side. A cry came from his mouth as he was knocked back, his grip on Tifa disappearing completely. The young woman fell to the ground, her hand landing palm-down to keep her on her knees. She shook her head slightly, shaking away the cloudiness from her mind. And then she saw it. Cloud, beating this ninja to a pulp with omnislash. It didn’t make sense to her...how was he using a limit so early in a battle? He hadn’t been torn apart as she had, and yet he was fully charged to do his trademark move. Something must have triggered this. Something must have triggered this rage. The limit break had finished, probably before the head Yurak had any idea what hit him. Cloud put his large sword in its case before rushing over to Tifa, kneeling down next to her. “Tifa?†he asked frantically, his eyes searching her. His bright blue eyes scanned over her entire body, seeing the blood that covered her. Tifa saw the room spin, and she blinked several times in an effort to correct the tilt. Apparently Cloud didn’t notice this, too drawn to the wounds that covered her body. Finally, he spoke again. “You’re coming home,†he said softly, his eyes connecting with Tifa’s. Tifa didn’t bother responding, knowing she had no choice in the matter. She was too tired and weary to run again, or fight Cloud with words. Besides, she didn’t feel like doing that now, anyway. Her silence must have been answer enough, because Cloud moved himself beside her, sliding his arm around her waist. She allowed him to help her, the girl rising to her feet alongside him. Once upright, she leaned into him, trusting that he would support her. His sad eyes were on her for a moment before his gaze left her, the two starting to walk toward some exit. Bang! The noise erupted from the other side of the warehouse, and Tifa suddenly felt a slug hit her in the back of the head. Her vision swam as she felt herself fall to the ground, her head pounding with an intensity she never knew possible. Just before she would have impacted the ground, two strong arms came under her armpits. The person behind her knelt down a little bit with her to catch her fall. “Tifa?!†The sound of her name forced her to furrow her eyebrows more, pain ringing from her head. A bullet had collided with her skull, and she felt herself fading. But....no! If she lost consciousness, she surely wouldn’t wake up again. She had to fight to keep a grip on reality. Chuckling came from the other side of the room, and Cloud turned his head to see the ninja-leader pointing a gun in his direction. But not directly at him; at Tifa. This man should have been finished off, but because of his great strength, he had survived. Still, he was clearly near death. But this fact did not diminish the threat he possessed at that moment. “First I will get rid of the girl--†the leader coughed weakly, his gun shaking a little bit. “—then I will take care of you.†He started to pull the trigger. “Hiyaaa!†Yuffie threw her weapon at the leader, knocking the gun out of his hand. The startled man looked down at his hand, and while he was stunned, the female ninja ran in, kicking him to the ground. “Cloud, get her outta here!†she said frantically, running toward a group of ninjas that had started to take an interest in the threesome. Tifa felt Cloud move quickly, one arm around her back and the other underneath her legs. Before she fully understood what was going on, he had picked her up and was hurrying toward a door. Moments later, he skidded to a halt, and she knew that ninjas were blocking the exit despite the fact that her eyes were closed. She felt herself slipping away. She couldn’t hold on much longer... “Ya!†A loud male stepped in, swinging his spear at a group of ninjas. Loud thuds sounded throughout the area from his attacks as well as those from Yuffie behind them. “Go!†Cid shouted. Cloud started moving again, this time not just walking fast, but running. Gunshots sounded throughout the area, and then Tifa knew Barret and Vincent had arrived as well. Growling entered her ears too. And a high-pitched voice. Red and Cait Sith. Everyone was there, fighting while Cloud tried to get her out. But with the way things were going now, she wasn’t going to make it out. Not alive....not in time. They were fighting for nothing. Cloud kicked a door open, and a fresh breeze impacted Tifa. Her wounds started to sting worse, sand from the desert area getting into her cuts. She felt herself drooping in Cloud’s arms, her strength leaving her. “Tifa, hold on,†Cloud pleaded. His voice rang in her ears, and she had no energy to respond. She felt him set her down on the ground, her body sitting in an upright position against the wall of the building. Her head drooped forward, her chin resting on her chest. She wasn’t going to make it; there was absolutely no way. Too much blood had been lost, and her head was throbbing too much. It hurt too badly. What was Cloud doing? He wasn’t with her anymore, and she felt herself fading.... A rain drop landed on her nose, making her flinch slightly. And then another on her arm, stinging a wound she had received earlier. The rain was drizzling, not coming down too hard, but still making her wet enough to feel bothered and, in some strange way, bringing her out of her daze. A moment later, she felt a bottle touch her lips, and Cloud’s hand on her chin. Opening her mouth and gently pushing her head back so she could take the liquid. It went down her throat, and she swallowed weakly two times to get it all down. The potion didn’t come close to healing her completely, but it made enough of an impact for her to know that she wasn’t going to die now. She could last a little longer, as long as nothing else happened. “I don’t have any more potions,†Cloud mumbled, his voice close to Tifa. “Sorry.†Tifa nodded faintly, though she wasn’t sure Cloud could see it. She had no choice but to put up with the pain. She would be okay if she wasn’t injured again. A few moments later, Cloud picked her up and somehow got her on the back of his motorcycle. How, she didn’t know. Tifa was too out of it to consciously pay attention to what was going on. Once the cycle started, she knew that Cloud was rushing her home, where she could be better taken care of. It was then that she allowed herself to lose consciousness as the rain poured down on her.
