The Journey (A FFVII Story)

[For those of you who are wondering, yes, I did quit the site. That was a few months back, for those of you who never saw me and therefore never knew I quit. This thread does not mean that I'm returning to the site. I've had some time on my hands lately, so I decided to work on a fanfic. I'll come on every once in a while to post new chapters to this story. However, I do have some conditions...

Okay, if five of you post within a week of my posting a new chapter, I will post the next one early. If not, then the next chapter will come up a week afterwards anyway. At least for now, anyway. I have a bunch written up already, so hopefully I'll stay on a good schedual with this.

And for those of you who wonder how long the chapters are, they average 5-6 pages long in microsoft word. So yeah, a very healthy length. For those of you who read my other fanfic "Saving Kairi", allow me to warn you that this one is not going to have as many chapters as that one.

Alright, I believe I've said everyting I wanted to. If not, I can edit it in later ;D. Without further delay, here is chapter one of "The Journey"]

Chapter 1: Running

Where am I?

What am I doing here?

What’s going on?

The questions flooded the girl’s mind, and unfortunately for her, they went unanswered. She desperately wished she knew the truth of what was going on here, but only minor, unimportant details came to mind. And they didn’t even really answer any questions that were nagging her.

My name is Tifa Lockhart, and I’m lying here on some God-forsaken cot. Everything around me is silent, and even though my closed eyes, I can tell that there is some kind of faint light in this place. But what is this place? Why am I here?

“--stable now; the first time in days.”

Tifa started at the voice, unaware that anybody was with her. She hardly understood what the words meant, and she desperately wished somebody would make things more clear. The young woman furrowed her brows slightly, trying to force her closed eyes to open. But at the first moment she did, a great pain shot through her head. Without thought, she whimpered softly, unable to keep her pain hidden. A moment afterwards, things were still silent. Hadn’t anybody heard her whimper? If they did, they were being quite rude for not saying anything.

“Where am I?” Tifa murmured, having finally found the strength to speak. She sounded so groggy, and it was almost as if the pain from her headache came through in her voice. But before she could elaborate on that thought, a voice entered her ears once again.

“Oh, you’re awake!”

Tifa’s eyes flickered open, and she saw a female standing by her bedside. A nurse. Why?

“What happened?” Tifa asked, rephrasing her question from earlier. Why does my head hurt? Why am I in this place?

“You’re in the Holy Midgar Hospital. You were fighting in the war with your people when a bomb went off near your camp. Most of your fellow warriors were killed, but you were fortunate enough to make it here for care.” The nurse spoke kindly to Tifa, her soft voice soothing the headache the girl already had. She had a sweet aura about her; her bright blue eyes and short blonde hair making her look very young. But the wisdom in her eyes seemed to express just how much she had seen in her life, however long it had been. “How are you feeling, dear?”

Tifa took a moment before finally speaking, wondering exactly how she was feeling. Physical pain wasn’t too bad, just the headache. And her arm....her arm was hurting a little bit. She hardly noticed that, though, as she drifted into a deep state of thought.

My name is Tifa Lockhart, and I’m in the middle of fighting a war. Not against the Turks or Shinra, but against a new class of Jenova bred soldiers. The Yuraks. I’m a class one hand-to-hand combatant, and was with my camp on the way to the battle front. But then.... Memories of the surprise attack flooded Tifa’s mind, and she shut her eyes again. Her friends were dead, missing, or long gone. It was the way the group travelled. Every man for himself. You don’t worry about your teammates. It was not a wise way to fight, but it was the style Tifa had gotten used to. After all, she hadn’t fought with a team in over a year. And that was with an old group of friends, fighting Kadaj’s group and his summoned beast when they terrorized the city.

It had been just over a year since Sephoroth’s reappearance, and his quick defeat. And Cloud’s revival as well. That day, it had been such a relief to see him alive again. She had smiled at him, and she could have sworn he smiled back. That was the first smile from him she had seen in a while. And one of the last, for that matter. Only a few weeks after that day, Tifa had left her home with only a few necessities. It wasn’t because of anyone around her, just troubling circumstances. Something was haunting her...something from her past. What it was, she didn’t know. She had left to find out. Without saying goodbye. Sure, she had left a note, but it didn’t explain a thing. It was a simple note, and she had no trouble remembering the one line she wrote.

“I’m sorry it has to be like this, but I need to leave.”

It was as simple as that. She had left the note on the pillow of her bed, and then snuck out in the middle of the night. For half a year, she had wandered the wilderness, going from town to town in search of some cure to her distress. But she found nothing. What stunned her, though, was how she had to move stealthily. On several occasions, she had heard of Cloud and their other friends searching for her. One time, she had to hide in an abandoned warehouse to avoid them.

In the middle of her wandering, she saw a group of soldiers marching toward the Western Desert, a new land mass that had appeared close to an old chocobo farm. When she asked the soldiers what was going on, they explained without hesitation.

Since the end of Shinra, a new group had been rising up deep in the west. They were the Yuraks, and they were a force to be reckoned with. With Jenova’s blood in their bodies, they were elite fighters. They believed they owned the world, and they were starting a global war to defeat all who stood in their way. They were approaching Midgar and Nibelhiem at that very moment, using the Western Desert as their path.

Within an hour of hearing these soldiers speak, Tifa enlisted in the army. Not just any part of the army. After all, she was not a sword fighter or gun wielder (though she could have done either if she wanted to). She joined the Rebks, a top class martial arts section of the army. In the six months she had been in the army, she was already one of the top in the class. She had gone on many missions; killed many Yuraks. And for what? A small bit of satisfaction? Tifa was doing work again, and not just bartending. She was working at something that mattered. Then why did she feel so empty inside?

That night, it was late evening, and Tifa’s group of Rebks had just finished setting up camp. They would reach the Western front early the next afternoon and fight in the largest battle they had ever been in. At least, they would have, if it hadn’t been for a surprise bombing that night. Tifa remembered the horror of seeing her teammates fall, and she tried to run. But a fragment impacted her, and the last thing she remembered seeing was the burning campsite.

And then she awakened in the hospital. This was the story of Tifa Lockhart thus far.

“Dear?”

“I’m fine,” Tifa answered absently, opening her eyes again to see the nurse. Physically, anyway. Emotionally, not so much. But the nurse didn’t care about this, and Tifa didn’t bother sharing. It was her past, her mission. She was on her own now, and she was going to keep it that way. “When can I leave?”

The kind nurse smiled. “You just woke up,” she stated. “Give us a little while to make sure you’re alright.”

*~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~*
A day later, Tifa was released from the hospital. She had no serious injuries to keep her there, and her nurse proclaimed it was a miracle. Heh, miracles don’t exist, Tifa wanted to say. But she kept that thought to herself. No need to create unnecessary conflict. And now, walking out the hospital doors, she was thankful she hadn’t made a fuss. Her cooperation is partially why she was released so soon. That, and her strength. After all, she was trained as an elite fighter. And that’s what she was.

Tifa reached up a hand and tucked back a strand of black hair. She looked down to the side as a tall blonde man walked past her and into the hospital. He seemed to be in a rush, but Tifa didn’t bother thinking about it. After all, it was none of her business. Nor did she want it to be. She had to look out for herself now. If she didn’t, nobody else would. The world was a lonely place, but it was something she couldn’t change.

There was only one place she was going to go now, and that was to the Western Front. There was a war to be fought, and she wouldn’t be left out of it. And besides, there was nowhere else for her to go now. Her home was the battle front, fighting to find a purpose. Or defend those who did have purpose. Whatever her duty was, she tried not to concern herself with it too much. Too much thought would only bring pain, as it had when she had left. Running away had been her only option when her emotions became so extreme, and it was her only option today as well.

Years ago, she had never run away from any problem or fight. She faced her problems head on with great courage. Often times, she acted simply to protect and watch out for her friends. But now that she was an individual, apart from the group, she acted very different. In fact, she didn’t really know who she was anymore. It didn’t matter. After all, who really answered the question “Who am I?” It was impossible to find out. A person could spend your whole life trying to figure it out, but in the end, Tifa knew it was a fool’s mission.

It doesn’t matter, she told herself. And besides, I’m not running away now. I’m running to the battle front.

Now a further distance from the hospital entrance, Tifa heard the automatic doors close, and footsteps a moment after that. “Gone again,” a male voice said, his voice showing disappointment. But...it wasn’t just any voice. It sounded so familiar. Even after days, weeks, and months of not hearing that voice, Tifa immediately knew who it was.

Cloud.

He’s here?! Tifa panicked, though her physical features showed none of her nervousness. She had learned a long time ago to control her emotions so that others couldn’t see what she was thinking. Her footsteps didn’t even miss a beat as she kept walking away from the hospital. There was a park ahead, and there were just enough people and trees to keep her hidden. For a short while. Maybe she didn’t even have to hide. Tifa looked different after two years; something she had worked hard on. Her dark hair wasn’t quite as long as it was before, only going past her shoulders a little bit. Not only that, but she was thinner than before. The training she had received in the past months had really helped her change her appearance. And though she still was a fan of black, she now wore black jeans and a solid white quarter-sleeved shirt instead of her old black outfit. Of course; nobody would recognize her. She was invisible in this place. Still, Midgar was far too close to home. She wasn’t going to stay.

The girl promptly moved behind a tree, very careful not to draw attention to herself. Scanning the area, she started to carefully lower herself to the ground, so her back was against the tree. And then, moments later, he walked by. From behind, he looked as if he hadn’t changed at all. Except for his posture, which seemed a bit less proper than it had before. Stress?

Oh no... Cloud stopped a few feet in front of Tifa’s tree, his back still turned toward her. What was he doing? Tifa didn’t have to wait long for an answer, since Cloud reached into a pocket and pulled out a small object. A cell phone. Tifa’s heart beat rapidly in her chest, and her eyes were wide as she stared up at Cloud.

“She wasn’t there,” the man said into the phone, disappointment and sorrow laced in his voice. Tifa quickly realized that she was being spoken about, and it made her heart skip a beat. After a moment of silence, she turned her head away and looked to the ground. “I don’t know where she is now. Seems like I just missed her.”

The sorrow in his voice...Tifa desperately wanted to get up and tell him she was right there. And that she wouldn’t leave him again. But it was a promise she couldn’t make. This was one battle she had to fight alone. Cautiously, she started to get off the ground, her suspicious eyes staying on Cloud. But he wasn’t looking at her, his position the same as it had been before.

“I don’t know,” Cloud said, his voice tense. “The staff wouldn’t give me any information at all. But I know she was there...” he trailed off for a moment, and then spoke again. “She has to be in Midgar. We should search the city. We can bring her home. I can bring her home,” Cloud’s voice was softer as he spoke that last sentence and Tifa felt her heart break. She wasn’t sure why her emotions were so strong at that moment, and she tried to push them all back inside her, to a place she would never have to think about them again.

“But she belongs at home,” Cloud pleaded into the phone, his normally calm and impassive voice full of emotion. There was a moment of silence before he spoke again. “Fine, if you won’t help, I’ll find her myself.” Tifa heard the cell phone snap shut, and then she made her move, starting to walk through the grass, away from Cloud. Away from everything that she cared about.

Tifa Lockhart caught the next bus and left the city, planning to never return no matter what the circumstances. Fighting was her escape. No, there was something else. And though she wasn’t willing to admit it out loud, she knew deep inside what was going on.

She was running away. Again.

 

Aw, that was sweet D: I wanted her to run towards Cloud at the end, but I suppose that would kind of ruin the storyline, eh? xD

I won't bother commenting on your spelling or grammar, since both are flawless o: Your storytelling is better than in Saving Kairi; your words are chosen well now and you don't "dawdle" in the plot, if that makes sense.

"A moment after that moment, things were still silent"

^ This sounds odd, perhaps replace the first moment with something else?

Oh, and how on earth do you pronounce Rebks? o.o

 

Yeah, I know it was very sad that she had to run away again. But I have my reasons. xD

Aww, thanks. I'm glad you've seen my improvement. =D
Where's that? o.o I don't remember that part at all.

Oh, I really don't know. It's just something random I came up with. xD I guess I was thinking Reb-ex or something like that.

 

Peanut, this was absoultely amazing. You have improved a lot and I loved every minute of this. It seemed so real. xD

Just one thing I found.

I think it should be disappointment rather than disappointed.

Once again, this was great. I loved it. <3



Side Note: How have you been? I've missed you. D8

 

Oh, even if you aren't back for good, it's still awesome to see that you're still writing. I always did love the way you write. :3

Ugh, so interesting! I'm sure we'll hear a lot more about these Rebks. I have a feeling this is going to be pretty deep, considering how deep this first chapter was. You've really improved! A few minor mistakes here and there, but better, nonetheless!

I can't wait to read more of this. I'll check in every once in a while to see what's up, 'kay? =) Good job!

 

It's part of this section:

haha, looks like somebody just got their fifth reply too ;D

 

Corrected, thank you. =D
I'm doing good. Busy, but good. I've missed you too. D8 How are you?

Aww Love, you're so sweet. Glad you were one of my first responders.

Ah, I got it. Thankies.
Haha, I actually meant five from five different people. I don't believe I count as a person. xD Nice try though.

 

[As promised, here's chapter 2 =D]

Chapter Two: A Lost Dream

“Tifa. Tifa, get up.â€

Tifa groggily opened her eyes at the voice. She had grown to recognize it over the past few months, and when she opened her eyes, she knew she was right about whom the voice belonged to. Trent. He was an elite fighter as well, and he had taken a liking to her. But she showed no interest, despite the fact that he was the kind of man she had always dreamed about. He was kind, sensitive, and very brave. However, Tifa didn’t allow herself to feel anything toward him. This was her journey, nobody else’s. She wasn’t about any fantasies or relationships hold her back.

“What’s up?†Tifa propped herself up against the tree she had been sleeping under, next to a kneeling Trent.

“We’re on the move.â€

“Already?†It was still the middle of the night. She was all for moving stealthily, but they had been travelling almost all of the previous day. How did their commander expect them to fight without sleep?

“Yeah,†Trent confirmed, nodding his head. “We’re not going far. This is just a danger spot, and we need to find a safer place to stay the night.†The young man with spiky black hair started to get up, but then stopped halfway and offered Tifa a hand. “Come on.â€

Tifa stood without accepting his hand. And though she could tell he was disappointed, it didn’t matter. Making friendships out here was the most foolish choice anyone could make out here. With all this war and senseless fighting, loosing comrades was bound to happen. Better not to know them, or the stories they had. As selfish as it sounded, Tifa knew it was the best option. Or was it?

Trent and Tifa walked together in the group, but silence hung in the air between them as they travelled. That is, until one moment a few hours into their walk.

“What’s your story, Tifa?â€

Tifa was startled at the question, and she turned her head to look at Trent. He was looking at her, but that wasn’t a surprise. Trent knew he had to be bold with Tifa, and that’s exactly what he did. But gosh, why’d he have to ask about this? It’s not like Tifa went around telling this to everyone. Though the individuals that made up the group were all loners, Tifa was the worst of them all. Or was it the best?

“You know I don’t like to talk about it,†Tifa stated tensely, surprised at her tone of voice. But...it was her story. Couldn’t Trent understand that? The girl noticed a difference in Trent, though she wasn’t quite sure what it was. Regret? Sorrow? Before the conversation could continue, a large light filled the skyline. What, an explosion? And it was about 20 yards in front of them! Tifa heard another explosion, and without looking, she knew it was about 20 yards behind them. They were being ambushed!

“Tifa, run!†Trent ordered, putting a hand on her shoulder. His green eyes shone with concern. Tifa stayed still. She was a better fighter than Trent was, even if it was just by a little bit. She shook her head. No. She would never run from a fight. Dismay appeared in Trent’s eyes, but he didn’t argue it. He too knew that Tifa would never leave. A line of ninja-like soldiers appeared near the first explosion site, and out of the corner of her eye, Tifa saw the same thing occurring behind them. Her group lined up in two separate groups, one facing forward, the other facing the opposite direction. Tifa faced the latter way with Trent close to her side.

There was no delay on either side of the confrontation. The second the Debks were ready, they charged toward the Yuraks, who were charging toward them as well. Tifa let out a battle cry as she reached her first opponent, her gloved fist knocking him right under the chin. Then her foot went into his stomach and she knocked the Jenova soldier back hard. To her pleasure, he collided with three other soldiers, injuring them as well.

The battle went on like this for a while. A soldier would try to attack Tifa, but she simply defended herself then attacked with greater accuracy and strength. Despite the circumstances, the Debks were winning the battle! Or so she thought. At one point, Tifa found herself surrounded by ten Yurak ninjas. It was then that she looked around and noticed something very significant: very few of her squad remained. They were either killed or ran off. Only one other person remained with her, and that person was none other than Trent. He had a sword in his hand, and he was fighting his way through a group of Yuraks. Trying to get to her.

Tifa felt a bit of relief, though that emotion was not long lived. Three charged at her at once, and though a surprisingly small number of the larger group, Tifa knew dispatching three of these elite soldiers would prove quite difficult. Still, she rose up to the challenge. The woman jumped into the air and kicked the first soldier under then chin, getting rid of him immediately. When she landed again, she ran her foot along the ground and swept the two soldiers’ feet out from underneath them. Without thought, she picked up two fallen swords and stabbed her fallen opponents in the hearts. When she looked up, the rest of the soldiers were looking at her in awe. A smirk appeared on her face.

A cry entered her ears, and that smirk quickly vanished. Trent! Tifa turned around swiftly, and she saw him on his hands and knees, blood trailing from his lip. His arm and back were bloody as well. Tifa took this in, but more than anything, she noticed his face and expression. He was looking up at the two soldiers in front of him, anger and fear both apparent in his eyes. Tifa couldn’t stand to see that look in his eyes. She threw her sword in that direction and pierced on of the soldiers straight through the stomach. But before she could toss her other sword in that direction, the other seven charged at her. Blinking once in surprise, she charged forward in one direction, slashing through the first soldier that got in her way. She hardly noticed once the other ninjas were gone, her worry for Trent was so great. Once they were all vanquished, she turned around and saw him. Laying flat on his stomach, face buried in the ground. A sword sticking out of his back. The site terrified Tifa, and a scream left her lips without thought...

“Trent!†she cried, bolting into an upright position. Tifa gasped hard and looked around, noticing the landscape. Of course, she wasn’t at the battlefield. She was in a woodsy area past Midgar, and she had fallen asleep there after getting off the bus along the outskirts of her old city. Tifa swallowed, her eyes wide as she brought a hand to her forehead. That day had occurred two months ago, and yet she was still having nightmares about it? Why? She didn’t love Trent...she didn’t even know him. But something about him reminded her of the past. Was he a guardian angel, sent by Aerith to watch out for her?

Tifa scoffed at her own stupidity, forcing herself to her feet. No, that was a ridiculous idea. She didn’t need to be watched out for; she would have defeated those soldiers on her own. Trent got in the way. A tear ran down her cheek, and she wasn’t sure why. She forcefully wiped at the tear, and then started walking through the woods. If she kept moving, the thoughts wouldn’t haunt her. She could get away from it if she moved fast enough. But walking wasn’t good enough, not even close. She sped up to a jog, and then started to run. Running away again. But really, she never stopped running, did she?

Loving someone in such a short time was impossible. And besides, she couldn’t love Trent. Why? ...She didn’t know why. It was a fact that she didn’t allow herself to feel anything toward others, but she had taken Trent’s loss hard anyway. Perhaps because Trent was a lot like Aerith. Sweet, gentle, and surprisingly good with magic. Tifa bit her lip, continuing to run. It didn’t matter now, did it? Aerith was in the past, and so was Trent. The past would continue to haunt her if she didn’t let go of it. But how did one let of the past? It was so much easier said than done.

As she ran, she could almost hear her name in the wind. Tifa...Tifa... The voice was full of sorrow, but even more than that, the voice sounded like Aerith. Was she disappointed in Tifa for running so easily? Or leaving her friends heartbroken? Or was Aerith feeling pity that Tifa wasn’t as strong as she let on? Tifa ran faster, wanting to abandon that thought. Another tear trailed down her cheek, but she didn’t notice it or care.

Tifa ran until she couldn’t run anymore, exhaustion taking a toll on her. She was almost completely through the wood now, and seeing the landscape in front of her, she could tell the sun was rising behind her. It was a new day. Another day to reflect on a past she didn’t want any part of. Just another typical day that would probably end in regret and sorrow. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered as long as she was a part of something meaningful. She pushed herself forward, exiting the woods and heading toward the Western Front.

Trent wouldn’t want you to be a part of the war. The thought popped into her mind, surprising her. Who cares? she silently argued back. Trent didn’t matter. Alright, he was a friend. He had stuck by her even when she hadn’t wanted anyone to. But it was nothing more. Seriously, Tifa knew she didn’t love him. Not the way she loved Cloud.

Tifa’s eyes widened at the thought, and she gasped audibly. How could she possibly still be thinking about Cloud?! He was a part of her past now, and the past didn’t matter. Tifa had forsaken all that was important to her, including Cloud, and all their other friends as well. Gosh, she would miss them so much if she let herself feel emotion. But...remembering the brightness of his eyes kept Tifa locked in her memories. He had always gazed at her with some mystery behind his eyes, some untold secret lurking behind them. And she had been alright with it. Though Cloud hardly shared anything with her, she felt honored when he did. It was at that those moments she knew how important she was to him. But then she had thrown it all away. It was my only choice, she told herself. It was a cop-out. She could have stayed if she had taken the time to think rationally. However, her whole life had been spent thinking logically. Why hold onto it if it wasn’t working for her? Why hold onto that lifestyle if it was bringing her pain?

...But I loved him, the thought drifted into Tifa’s mind, and tears started to flood her eyes as well. She left someone that she cared about deeply, as well as her closest friends. It was pure insanity. People would have killed for what she had, and yet she had willingly thrown it away. Maybe she was the fool after all. Was it too late to recover what she had lost?

Yes, it was far too late. She had let it go, and now she was too prideful to go back and beg for her old life. And besides, other than her friends, she really didn’t have anything to go back to. A bartending job? Psh, what difference did that make? Supplying drunkards with the means to continue ruining their lives? That phase of her life was over. Now she had meaning again.

The sun was fully risen now, behind her as she moved west. In half a day, she would be at the battlefield. The army was probably there, fighting against the Yuraks. She could still join in; she would get there in time. After all, this wasn’t going to be a quick battle. It was going to be a long, hard, and seemingly never-ending battle. But as long as she had a say in it, it would end. It had to. For she wasn’t fighting for herself, or even anyone back home. She was fighting for the innocent, and those who had purpose. They needed protection, and she was going to give them just that.

First though, before she fought, she knew she needed more rest. After another hour of walking, she arrived at an abandoned chocobo farm. She laid herself down on what hay remained and promptly fell asleep, no dreams haunting her this time.

 

Not bad. Very interesting, involving Trent. And then saying he was like Aerith in a way. I can see that.

Great job. I noticed a few mistakes here and there, though I'm not quite sure where they are. xD

Can't wait for the next update! Keep it up!

 

This is very nicely written. I myself am no fan of fan-fics, but this was rather interesting to read. I won't comment on grammar or spelling, but I will say that you could tone down the "past left behind" just a little bit, since it seems like the majority of the paragraphs are in the same direction. I understand the point you are trying to convey, but not every sentence has to bash it at our skulls.

After a while people predict those little bits and just skip them, that's why I'm advising you on it. I enjoyed the first chapter very much, especially the ending.

 

Thank you for the words of wisdom, I greatly appreciate it. I noticed that as I was going along with the rest of the fanfic (I'm several chapters ahead of this), and I knew something wasn't quite right with these first two. I guess that over-emphasis was my error. xD No worries though, I believe the first two chapters have the worst of that.

I'm glad you took the time to read my story and endless ramblings. xP

Oh, and note to everyone reading the fic: I am WAY ahead of my writing schedual. I was planning on dishing out a new chapter one time a week, but since I already have chapters 1-8 (and half of 9) written, I think I may pick up the pace and release two or three a week. That is, if you guys want me to. x3

 

Well, you could, as long as you don't fall behind in the weekly posting, which may happen due to posting more than one weekly chapter.

 

[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!!â€

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.â€

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.

 

Quite a thrilling chapter. I think it's really above average at this point, but the lack of information is a problem, who's controlling the Yuraks? Why Tifa? I guess all this will be answered soon.

I must say though...I think you could do much better, so parts felt repetitive. I'd work on that, if you still have some unwritten chapters as I see it's not such a problem, but something minor to keep watch of.

 

Wow. That was interesting. I was wanting it to go a little longer, and the whole Cloud taking care of/saving Tifa is so cute! I love that pairing! =)

I noticed that some of this, particularly the section starting at the cliff and then to the train and finally the warehouse was very similar to Dead Fantasy, don'tcha think? xD

Great job!

 

[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?â€

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.â€

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.â€

“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?â€

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!â€

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.â€

“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!â€

“Now Denzel!â€

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!â€

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...â€

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.â€

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.

 

I love this so far. The storyline is excellent, and the characters all seem as they would be if the series had continued this far. I'mma keep an eye on this one. Excellent job.

 

Tifa and Cloud are so cute! I'm so used to the stoic and tough side of Cloud that I find myself in awe when he's so gentle and loving toward Tifa. xD Adorable, nonetheless; don't get me wrong. Anyway, great job on this--it was interesting, and things are definitely heating up, no?

Great job!

 

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.

 

This part was particularly good. I'm enjoying how Tifa regains the bonds she had lost, and how Aerith's death still leaves consequences. I'm enjoying this so far.

I know you've written most chapters, but for next time I'd suggest you work on some things. First of all, you jump from third person and first, when , what I think you were trying was conveying Tifa's thought's; those should go on italic.

Another thing I'm noticing is that the vocabulary isn't very explored. Try new words in your writing; nice sounding words, strange words. This will help you expand your vocabulary even more. I found myself going over some paragraphs without paying much attention to them, this might mean I'm lazy, but it might mean some of the writing might be bland; just something to think about...