~Smile~

Some "spice" in this chapter

Chapter 21​

Tifa woke up with a jolt, her heart pounding as if she had been running. She placed her hands on her chest and took a deep shuddering breath.

The last time she had a nightmare was days ago. Usually she dreamt about strange, eyeless men grinning all around her, hands raised and ready to rip off her clothes. But this nightmare had been different. She had recognized the face. It was Soren Sephiroth, the man who had been on the other ship. He swung his sword at Cloud. A second later, Cloud’s detached head landed at her feet.

Tifa shivered and tried to shake the image from her mind. She rolled over to face the other side of the bed. Cloud was there, lying sprawled on his back. The sheet was tangled at his waist, arms and legs stretched out as if he had forgotten there was someone else sharing the bed with him. His mouth was hanging open and he let out a quiet snore everytime he inhaled.

Her eyes continued moving downward over his flat, muscularly defined abdomen. She remembered running her tongue down that same path the night before and noted with satisfaction the small red marks she left on him as she sucked on his flesh.

The nightmare was quickly forgotten as her head filled with images of all that transpired between her and Cloud late yesterday and nearly until the sound of chirping birds came through the open balcony doors. How many times had they actually done it? And how many times had he brought her to ecstasy in other ways? She lost count after awhile. Her entire body was pleasantly sore, not to mention she didn’t think she could walk very straight even if she tried.

Rolling onto her stomach, Tifa scooted closer over his left arm and decadently began kissing his neck. She licked his skin along the same path, hoping to wake him up. When that didn’t work, she grazed him with her teeth.

Cloud finally stirred, his left arm automatically curling around her.

“Wake up,” she whispered as she turned his face toward her so she could kiss him.

“Mmm…” he mumbled, still not fully awake.

She tugged on his lower lip with her teeth. “Wake up, Cloud.”

“Is the castle on fire?” he muttered sleepily, eyes still closed.

“No.”

“Am I on fire?”

“No.”

“Then let me sleep.”

Tifa giggled. Neither of them had gotten much sleep, maybe about four hours. But she was determined to get her way. “You don’t want me to do this?” Her hand slowly moved down his abdomen and disappeared beneath the sheet to boldly wrap around his already awakening member.

Cloud was definitely awake now, but he wasn’t quite ready to succumb just yet. He rolled over on his side to face her. “I believe I’ve created a monster.”

“So I’m a monster now?” she asked with a smile.

He rubbed his nose against hers before kissing her on the lips. “You’re the prettiest monster I’ve ever woken up to.” His hand moved to her back and he started caressing her soft skin.

Her skin tingled where his hands touched. When they drifted down to gently brush over the scars on her lower back, she closed her eyes. Only he could make the hurt go away with just a touch. “What should we do today?” she asked absently.

“I vote for staying in bed.”

“I vote for that, too.” Her eyes opened when she felt his hand slide down to her behind. She smiled again when he squeezed one of her cheeks. He hadn’t been able to keep his hands off of it all night long. “What is this obsession you have with touching my fanny?”

“I know it’ll make you smile.” He abruptly tossed the sheet aside, uncovering her completely and moved down to where his hand was. “I think I’d like to have a bite. Just one little bite.”

When Cloud gave her right cheek a playful nip with his teeth, Tifa squealed in a fit of laughter.

Just then there was a knock on the door, making both of them freeze. After a few seconds the knock came again.

Cloud groaned in frustration. “This isn’t even funny anymore.” He crawled off the bed and grabbed a towel from the floor, wrapping it around his waist as he walked to the door. “Who is it?” he growled.

“It’s Jessie, my Lord. I’ve brought you breakfast.”

Tifa sat up and pulled the sheet up over herself. “Be nice, Cloud.”

Cloud unlocked the door. “Hang on a second.” He walked back to the bed and hopped up on it. After pulling off the towel, he sat down behind Tifa. “Alright, you can come in.”

The door was opened by a guard while Jessie carried the heavily laden tray into the room. Upon seeing the prince in bed with his consort, Jessie immediately flushed bright red. Luckily they were both covered with the sheet. She quickly searched for a place to set the tray, opting for an empty nightstand. Her eyes drifted to the open balcony doors.

Tifa was a bit embarrassed that the queen’s handmaiden was seeing them together. But her thoughts quickly vanished as Cloud’s lips touched her shoulder and then the side of her neck.

“Just leave it, Jessie,” Cloud said when he noticed her heading for the balcony to remove the tray outside. “Get it later.”

“Yes, my Lord.” The handmaiden curtsied and hurried out the door.

When they were alone again, Cloud maneuvered Tifa down on her back and gave her a searing kiss. She kissed him back with as much passion, her fingers tangling in his hair. He never liked anyone touching his hair, but when Tifa touched it, he didn’t seem to mind it at all. He broke the kiss and looked down into her sparkling eyes, so full of desire, yet with a touch of mirth he found devastatingly alluring. He’d never grow tired of that look.

Tifa bit her lower lip with a smile and abruptly rolled away from him. She heard him sigh in exasperation as she scooted closer to the nightstand where Jessie had placed the tray full of breakfast food. It was full of sliced breads, fried eggs, sausages, bowls of butter, jam and honey and an assortment of sliced fruit. There was also a small jug of hot tea. Still lying on her stomach, Tifa grabbed a piece of bread and slathered butter and jam on it.

Cloud impatiently stared at the ceiling for a moment before turning to playfully bite the back of Tifa’s calf.

“Cloud, not now,” she said, turning over. “I’m hungry.”

He wasn’t going to give up. He turned over on his stomach and promptly pulled her legs apart. “So am I.”

The second Cloud’s lips touched her down there, Tifa turned into a burning mass of trembling limbs. The slice of bread she had prepared was long forgotten as it slipped out of her hand and landed on the floor. He swirled his tongue around her folds and sucked on them. She gasped and moaned outloud, her hands clutching the sheet. How in the world could something so obscene feel so glorious? His tongue penetrated her and she felt every shudder of his scalding breath against her sensitive flesh.

Tifa’s hand released the sheet and moved to his hair, gripping it tightly in her clenched fists.

Her hands were in his hair again. This only made Cloud work even harder. He savored the warm nectar slowly pouring out of her. He stroked her swollen bud with his tongue before finally sucking on it with an enthusiastic hum. Counting the seconds and knowing it would happen quickly, just for added incentive he lightly tickled her slick folds with his fingers.

A squeal came out of Tifa’s throat as she climaxed strongly.

Cloud couldn’t control his own need and feared he’d spill himself all over the sheet if he didn’t act. Giving her only a few more seconds, he abruptly stopped and quickly crawled over her to slide himself into her welcoming sheath. She was still spasming and the feel of her convulsing inner walls instantly sent him spiraling into oblivion.

When it was over, both of them were breathing heavily.

Not wanting to break the contact just yet, Tifa wrapped her arms and legs around him. “I could stay like this forever,” she purred.

“I thought you were hungry.” He nibbled on her lips until she parted hers. His tongue dipped into her mouth, giving her a taste of her own essence. She willingly accepted his kisses. “Was that too much for you?” he asked smugly.

“You must have had a lot of practice to be so good at it.”

Cloud raised his head and looked down at her. “Actually, no. I think I might have told you I’m more used to…receiving pleasure than giving it.” He kissed her.

“So why do I get special treatment?”

He bent to the side of her neck and kissed her there. “Because you’re special. You’re not like any of the others.”

Tifa reached for his face, pulling it up so she could look at him. She wanted to know what he meant. She needed to know.

“I like being with you, Tifa. That says a lot because I’m not one to linger for long.”

“But you’re supposed to spend time with your consort.”

“It’s not mandatory. Besides, are you here with me of your own free will?”

Tifa thought about it for a moment. He hadn’t forced anything on her. She knew she could have stopped him at anytime and he wouldn’t have been angered by it. She allowed it to happen. “Yes. I am.”

“That’s all that matters to me.” He stroked her lips with his tongue. “I promised I’d make you happy. Aren’t you happy?”

She smiled. “Deliriously.”

Another knock interrupted their interlude.

Cloud couldn’t believe it. This was utterly ridiculous. Whenever he had been alone in his room, no one ever bothered him. For once in his life he was enjoying the company of a woman and he was constantly being disturbed.

Tifa found it humorous and giggled as he shook his head in angry frustration.

“Who is it now?” Cloud shouted.

“It’s Reeve.”

“Whatever it is, it can wait.”

“I’m afraid it can’t.”

Cloud sighed and moved to the side of the bed. As he got up his left foot stepped on something squishy. He picked up his foot and peeled a sticky slice of bread from the bottom of it. “Nice one, Tifa,” he said, sending an amused glare at her.

“You made me drop it,” Tifa replied defensively.

Once again, Cloud picked up his towel and wrapped it around his waist on the way to the door. He checked to make sure Tifa was covered before opening it. “What the hell’s so important, Reeve?”

“Your father has called another meeting.”

“Fine. Tell him I’ll be down in a couple hours.”

“Sorry, but he wants you downstairs now.”

Cloud closed his eyes and groaned. “Goddammit.” He opened his eyes again. “Can I at least have a few minutes to dress?”

Reeve smiled. “Of course. But I’ll be waiting right out here for you.”

Cloud unceremoniously slammed the door in his face.

“Another meeting?” Tifa asked as she watched him search the room for his discarded clothes.

“Yeah. The old man must be losing his marbles.” After putting on his shirt, he went to button it and forgot that Tifa had yanked all of them off the night before. Instead of exchanging the shirt for another one, he simply left it hanging open and shoved most of it into his trousers. At this point he didn’t care what he looked like.

“Are you coming back?”

Cloud walked up to her. She was still reclined sideways on the bed. He bent to kiss her lips upside down. “Yes. Don’t go anywhere.” He kissed her again before walking out.

Reeve gave the prince’s torn shirt a cursory glance, but didn’t say anything as they headed down the corridor.

On the way, Zack came out of his bedroom. “What the hell’s the big emergency? I didn’t even hear the rooster crowing yet.”

“Tell me about it,” muttered Cloud in displeasure.

“Nice shirt, by the way.”

“Thanks. Tifa thought it looked better this way.”

Zack chuckled as they headed down the stairway.

King Shinra glared disapprovingly as Cloud walked in ahead of Zack and Reeve. “It’s about time.”

“I can’t find the time to enjoy my new consort with all these interruptions all goddamned day,” Cloud said as he sat down beside his father.

“You’ve fucked around long enough, Cloud.”

Cloud raised his eyebrows, never having heard his father use that word before. He was upset about something, that much was clear. He glanced at Rufus, sitting on the other side of the king. “What’s going on?” he asked, watching his father run a frustrated hand over his face.

“We just received word that Modeoheim was attacked several days ago,” replied Rufus.

Zack’s face fell. “Aerith’s mother…”

“She’s fine,” Rufus continued. “She’s the one that sent the message. The town was destroyed from sea.”

“Sephiroth’s ship,” Cloud mumbled.

“Many of the townspeople fled to Bone Village, including Aunt Elmyra. But there were also many who never made it out.”

“He must have waited until we were far enough away before turning back north. His ship must be ridiculously fast to reach Modeoheim, which is twice the distance we traveled to reach Midgar.”

“Maybe you didn’t know that Sephiroth has a knack for manipulating the weather.”

Cloud turned to his brother. “Are you serious?” Well that certainly explained how Sephiroth’s ship could move so fast. He obviously called upon strong winds that propelled it twice as fast as The Avalanche.

Zack shook his head in confusion. “What did he think he’d gain by destroying Modeoheim?”

Cloud’s eyes darted back and forth, not focused on anything as his mind tried to come up with the most logical explanation. “He’s trying to lure us in that direction.”

“To Round Island,” added Rufus.

“I don’t like this,” Cloud said. “It’s beginning to sound more and more like a trap. Maybe traveling to Round Island isn’t a good idea right now. It’d take nearly a month round trip. I don’t want to leave Midgar unprotected for that long.”

The king nodded. “I agree. Instead of Round Island, I want you to go to Modeoheim with three other ships. You’ll still be close enough to quell any threats around Midgardia. With any luck you’ll run into Sephiroth and end this before it gets out of hand.” He turned to Zack. “I want you to go with Cloud. When you reach Modeoheim, send a party to Bone Village and retrieve Elmyra.” He stood up with a sigh, his eyes still on Zack. “And now I have the unsavory task of telling my wife that her sister was nearly killed, while you have to tell Aerith. She’ll likely want to go with you to Modeoheim, but I want her here at the castle. Is that understood?”

“Got it.”

King Shinra turned to Cloud. “Will you be prepared to leave in the morning?”

“I’m ready now.”

“Yes, but I want you well-rested. We can’t afford a single mistake due to lack of sleep. It could cost you your life.” The king left the table and walked out of the room.

Cloud turned to Rufus. “What’s the status on the new ships?”

“The shipwright tells me we’ll have fifteen more ships read to sail by the end of next week. You should be back from Modeoheim by that time. If Sephiroth is still alive, then we’ll continue with the original plan to go to Icicle Village and to deliver a peace treaty to Wutai. You can take half the new fleet with you. The rest will be needed to protect the coasts of Midgardia.”

“In the interest of saving time and unnecessary hardship, a message should be sent to Wutai in advance of Cloud’s arrival,” suggested Reeve. “And also to warn King Kisaragi in case Sephiroth has plans to overtake Wutai.”

Rufus nodded. “Agreed. See that it’s done, Reeve.” He turned to Zack. “Take Reno and Rude with you to Modeoheim. They can lead the land party to Bone Village to retrieve Aunt Elmyra.” He turned back to Cloud. “Just sitting around here, I feel like my brain is rotting from the inside out. I wish I was going with you.”

Cloud smiled. “The two eldest princes going to battle? That’d give the old man a heart attack for sure.”

Tifa ate nearly all the eggs by the time Cloud walked back through the door. She didn’t like the look on his face. Something was wrong. “What happened?”

Cloud plopped himself down on the bed and laid his head on Tifa’s lap. “Modeoheim was attacked several days ago.”

“Was it…?”

“Yeah, Sephiroth.” He closed his eyes as Tifa ran her fingers through his hair, brushing it back. “I leave in the morning.”

Tifa hated the thought of him going away, especially when there was a possibility he’d never return. What if Soren Sephiroth defeated Cloud as she had seen in the nightmare she woke from this morning? She’d never see him again. The very idea made her sick to her stomach.

She bent down to bring her lips to his, kissing him tenderly. “Do you promise to come back to me?”

“I promise.” He wasn’t so confident in his response. Everyone knew what Sephiroth was capable of. He was deadly, even before he became the enemy.

“In one piece?”

He smiled, but not with much cheerfulness. “Yes, with all my pieces intact.”

“Good.” She remained bent over him, her cheek resting on his forehead.

Cloud’s thoughts were suddenly many miles away, seriously wondering if this trip would be his last.

 

Chapter 22​

Tifa stared at the small wooden chest Cloud placed on top of the bed. She scooted closer to him after he sat down in front of the chest and lifted the lid.

More than a dozen stones in a variety of colors filled the chest. All of them had the same swirly look to them, just like the green stone she had found in Cloud’s cabin on the ship. Looking at all of them together made them seem alive, a mass of swirling colors undulating as one.

She glanced at Cloud and saw the colors reflected in his eyes. She suddenly realized they glowed like the stones as if they were one and the same. Without thinking, Tifa picked up a blue stone and held it up to his face. “Your eyes glow like this stone.”

He pulled his eyes away from the materia and looked at her. “Does that frighten you?”

She shook her head. “Nothing about you frightens me anymore.”

He took the blue materia from her hand and gazed into it. “A while ago you asked me why my eyes glow. Would you like to hear about it?”

“Yes.”

“While exploring Woodland a year and a half ago, I discovered a small pool of strange liquid inside a cave. I brought a sample of it back home and gave it to Professor Hojo. He broke it down, tested it on some animals and discovered the liquid we named Mako had some sort of powers. When injected, it gives the host special abilities or qualities. Vision enhancement is one of the qualities.”

“So this Professor Hojo injected you with the Mako?”

“Yes.”

“With or without your approval?”

“With my approval, of course. I’d never let that wacko experiment on me if I didn’t trust his skills.”

“You call him a wacko, yet you trust him?”

“I didn’t say I trusted him, just the things he can do. To be honest with you, the man gives me the creeps. And he’s always staring at me like…I don’t know…like he wants to do things to me.”

“What kind of things?”

“Other experiments, things my father hasn’t approved. I swear Hojo has his own agenda, but I can’t prove it and no one wants to believe me.” He shrugged, trying to sound indifferent.

When Tifa noticed he was sulking, she placed her hand on his arm. “So what other abilities do you have besides enhanced vision?”

“I can fly,” he said deadpan and watched her reaction. She stared at him wide-eyed, her mouth hanging open. He laughed, unable to keep up the charade. “I’m just kidding, I can’t fly. But I can jump great distances and have superior strength.”

“I’m sure that comes in handy.”

“Zack was injected with Mako, too. Both of us are quite formidable when we fight side by side.”

“Sounds as though Sephiroth won’t stand a chance.”

Cloud didn’t want Tifa to be constantly worrying about him while he was gone. “That’s what we’re counting on,” he said, hoping to ease her mind.

“I’ve noticed something else. Whenever you touch my face, it has a calming effect on me. Is that something you acquired from the Mako?”

He smiled curiously. “Really? You feel calm when I touch your face?” He reached up, cupping her cheek, as if to test her theory. “I don’t think it has anything to do with the Mako. Maybe it’s just my magnetic personality,” he added smugly.

Tifa returned his smile before turning back to the glowing orbs in the chest. “So…what do you do with these pretty stones besides collect them?”

Cloud’s smile widened. “They’re magic.”

She rolled her eyes and sarcastically said, “Of course they are.”

“You don’t believe me?”

She watched Cloud dig into the pile of stones, carefully studying the green ones as if he could see something about them that she couldn’t.

“Here we go.” He turned around on the bed, facing the fireplace on the far wall. A stack of fresh wood sat in the hearth. “Keep your eyes on the wood.” He held the green stone in the palm of his hand and squeezed his fingers around it. A surge of power filled his hand, shocking him until the hairs on his arm stood on end. He concentrated on the fireplace and pointed the fingers of his other hand toward it.

Tifa’s eyes widened in surprise when sparks erupted from Cloud’s fingertips. Seconds later flames surrounded the logs in the fireplace. “I…I don’t believe it,” she whispered. “How did you do it?”

“I wish I knew. I was sitting near the river one day, studying the stones. If you look closely, you can see small differences in the way the colors swirl.” He held the green stone up. “As I looked at this one in the sunlight, I felt a strong force flowing through me and the next thing I knew, I had set a tree on fire. I call it Fire materia.”

She was utterly amazed. “Can anyone make it happen?”

“Strange as it may seem, only Zack and I have been able to summon the power. Others have tried with no luck.” Cloud held up more of the green stones, naming each one as he identified a certain trait within the swirling color. “This one is Lightning…this is Poison…Ice…Comet…”

“What do the other colors do?”

“I haven’t quite figured them out yet. Some of these other green ones are still a mystery. But eventually I’ll figure out what they do.” He picked up the Lightning materia. “I’m taking the Fire and Lightning with me when I sail tomorrow. If we run into Sephiroth, I plan to use them.”

“Can’t you obliterate his ship from a distance with those two stones?”

“I wish it was that easy. Unfortunately after I’ve used a stone more than four times, it loses its power.” He held up the two stones. “These may not be enough to incapacitate his ship completely.” He gave her a half smile. “But it’ll be enough to disorient him because he won’t know how it happened.”

Tifa leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “Well then, it looks as though you’ll have to travel to Goblin Island sometime soon so you can find more. And you’ll take me with you.” She hopped off the bed and walked out onto the balcony. They had eaten nearly everything on the tray except some fruit. She picked up a bundle of red grapes and leaned on the stone balustrade surrounding the balcony.

As she ate the grapes, she watched the sun descending in the west, the darkening sky splashed with yellow, orange and red colors. She loved watching the sunset and from this westerly facing balcony, the sky seemed as enormous as when she had seen it from The Avalanche.

She didn’t want to think about Cloud leaving in the morning. But no matter how hard she tried, her thoughts always went there and her chest constricted as though an invisible weight pressed down, threatening to crush her suddenly comfortable existence. What if something terrible happened to Cloud? What if Sephiroth succeeded and the Midgar flagship and the entire fleet was destroyed? What if he destroyed Midgar? What would he do next? The worst would be not knowing what was happening out at sea while she sat at the castle waiting for Cloud to return.

Cloud came up behind her. He pushed her dark hair aside and bent to kiss the back of her neck. “I wish I could take you with me now.”

Tifa didn’t want him to see the tears burning her eyes. She composed herself before turning around to face him. “Aerith told me we would be a distraction to you and Zack.”

He rested his hands on either side of her on the top of the balustrade and leaned in to kiss her face. He knew she dreaded his leaving, but he hoped she wouldn’t be miserable the entire time he was gone. “I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you. You’re too important to me.”

She plucked a grape from a stem and held it to his lips. When he opened his mouth, she fed it to him. “How long do you think you’ll be gone?”

“It normally takes three days to reach Modeoheim,” he said, chewing on the grape. “And it’ll probably take another day to bring my mother’s sister back to the ship from Bone Village. So, maybe a week…give or take a day.”

Tifa wrapped an arm around Cloud’s neck, pulling him to her so she could kiss him. “The time will pass too slowly.”

“I know.” He kissed her back. “The minute I come back, we’re locking ourselves in my bedroom again.”

“Agreed.” She tossed the bunch of grapes over her shoulder and wrapped her other arm around his neck as he deepened the kiss.

Somewhere below the balcony, Reno was patrolling the grounds. Something struck the top of his head and he instantly drew his sword, spinning around in a circle. When nothing jumped out at him, he glanced at the ground and bent to pick up a ruined bunch of grapes. He frowned and looked up, rubbing the top of his head. Even from this far away, Reno could hear the feminine laughter from the balcony he knew belonged to Prince Cloud.

Thinking the prince had purposely tossed the grapes at him, Reno yelled, “That’s not funny!” But he didn’t receive an answer.

No one spoke in the carriage on the way to the dock. Zack and Aerith were sitting together holding hands, while Cloud and Tifa were seated similarly on the opposite side.

Cloud raised his eyes to Aerith. He knew his cousin was worried about her mother. Not only because Aunt Elmyra was nearly killed during the attack on Modeoheim, but because she’d have to travel on the return trip to Midgar. The chances of Sephiroth coming to challenge The Avalanche were high and Cloud’s choices for his aunt’s safety were limited. He could put her aboard one of the other ships, but if attacked, the smaller fleet ship would never survive. If he put her aboard The Avalanche, she would still be in danger because Sephiroth would probably focus his attention on the flagship.

The closer the carriage came to the dock, the more panicked Tifa felt. Her grip on Cloud’s hand tightened and she leaned her head on his shoulder. She felt a small bit of comfort when he squeezed her hand in return.

When the carriage stopped alongside The Avalanche, Zack and Cloud exited first before they helped Aerith and Tifa out.

Cloud sighed as he turned to face Tifa and pulled her in for a hug. “I’ll be burning for you every moment we’re apart,” he whispered in her ear.

“As will I.” She accepted his passionate kiss, despite the gathering crowd watching curiously just beyond the perimeter the guards had created.

He released Tifa and touched her face. “I’ll see you soon.”

Tifa felt the calm pouring into her from his touch. But the moment he backed away, it seemed as though the effect left with him. She watched him turn away and walk toward the boarding ramp with Zack. Her heart began pounding faster and her breathing became labored. I love him. I love him. I love him. The words echoing in her mind surprised her, yet they had come so easily. What else could it be but love? Why else would she feel such an unbearable emptiness in her heart when for once in her life, it had been completely full in Cloud’s presence?

Cid and Barret greeted Cloud and Zack as they boarded.

“The ship’s ready to sail, kid,” said the first mate.

Cloud nodded and as he headed for the wheel deck, he glanced further out into the harbor, seeing the rowboats carrying the captains and additional crew to three other ships anchored nearby. They would be accompanying The Avalanche on the voyage to Modeoheim. Among the crew boarding the other ships were Reno and Rude.

Cid began barking orders and the crew rushed to fulfill them, gathering the ropes as they were untied from the pier, untying the secondary sails and raising them into position. The ship slowly edged away from the dock.

Red trudged up to the wheel deck and roared loudly as he sat down beside Cloud. Cloud reached down and scratched him behind the ear as he turned the wheel to point the ship’s bowsprit out to sea.

He turned his head to look over his shoulder as the ship left the dock, locking in his memory the vision of Tifa in a pale yellow gown. With the taste of her still on his lips, he faced forward again, his heart hammering in his chest. He had never felt so saddened about leaving home before. Whenever he set sail, Cloud was ecstatic, barely able to contain his excitement as the ship left Midgar. He felt strange, as if he was leaving a part of himself on the dock. He didn’t feel whole. Panic…that’s what he felt. He didn’t want to leave and it had nothing to do with the possibility of facing off with Sephiroth.

It was Tifa. They had only been apart twenty minutes and already he couldn’t bear the thought of not having her by his side. Cloud turned around again, but the ship had already moved far enough out that Tifa was now only a small speck of yellow against a dark background.

Then his view was blocked by one of the other ships positioning itself behind The Avalanche.

Cloud faced forward again when someone stepped up on the wheel deck. It was Zack. His friend moved to stand beside him. Cloud wiped his forehead with his forearm. He was sweating and it wasn’t even warm out.

“You all right?” asked Zack.

“I’m fine,” Cloud snapped. Then he sighed, trying to relax.

Zack shrugged. “I understand.”

Cloud glanced at him. “You understand what?”

“You’ve fallen in love with your consort.”

“What’d you say?” Cloud frowned.

“You heard me, Cloud. You’re in love with Tifa.”

“I don’t even know what that means.”

“Well, you know it now. Whatever it is you’re feeling…it’s called love. L…O…V…E.”

Cloud sighed again. Was Zack right? Was this what he was feeling? “Yeah, love. A lot of good that’s going to do me.”

“Ah, yes. There’s the engagement. You’re in quite a conundrum, my friend.”

Cloud didn’t want to think about it. “Wow, Zack. Conundrum…did you just learn that word or finally found a way to use it?”

Zack smiled. “Always busting my chops.”

“Someone has to do it when Aerith’s not around.”

They continued joking with each other as the ship went further out to sea, leaving Midgar behind. Neither wanted to admit that for the first time in their lives there was uncertainty in what laid ahead.

 

Chapter 23​

Before Cloud left, he made Tifa promise that she wouldn’t lock herself up. And that was exactly what she did. She spent nearly the entire day in his bedroom, not wanting any company, not wanting to talk to anyone. She wanted to be alone in her misery. She was afraid that if she stopped thinking about Cloud, then something terrible would happen to him. But she realized it was a foolish thing to think. Cloud was no stranger to battle and had fought before. She needed to trust his abilities.

The following morning, Aerith suggested going to the training grounds and practicing with swords. It was the perfect way for her to temporarily take her mind off of Cloud.

Remembering the balcony where Cloud had jumped from the other day, she pointed to it and turned to Aerith. “What room does that balcony belong to?”

Aerith glanced at the balcony in question. “That’s the medical ward.”

Pushing the thought of the room aside, Tifa began sparring with Aerith.

They had only practiced for fifteen minutes before two other women entered the training grounds.

Aerith stopped and took a couple steps back. “Wonderful. An unwelcome audience approaches.”

Tifa turned and saw Scarlet and Elena moving closer, both dressed as if they were going to a ball, while her and Aerith were in plain gowns for their spar.

“Mind if we join you?” asked Scarlet. “We were never formally introduced,” she said to the consort standing with Aerith. “I’m Princess Scarlet, Prince Rufus’s wife.” She lifted her chin, demanding reverence.

Tifa didn’t move to acknowledge her, other than to snort derisively.

Scarlet seethed when the disrespectful consort didn’t bow to her. “Elena, would you show this whore the proper way to respect a princess?”

Elena raised her sword and stepped in front of Tifa, preparing to fight.

Aerith raised her sword and touched Elena’s before turning her eyes to Scarlet. “What’re you trying to prove?”

“Step aside, Aerith. My honor’s at stake.”

“What honor? You’re only here because your country needs Midgar’s protection. Rufus doesn’t like you…not even a little. With any luck, you’ll be barren and then the king would have reason to sever you from his son.”

Tifa was surprised at Aerith’s sharp tongue. She had never heard her speak so offensively before. “I can handle this, Aerith.”

Aerith stepped back just as Elena swung her sword at Tifa. Luckily Tifa effectively blocked the coming blow.

For the next few minutes, the two consorts clashed swords. It wasn’t long before some of the guards who had been training nearby decided to come and watch. It wasn’t often they had an opportunity to watch a duel between any of the women in the castle.

“You stole him from me!” Elena shouted.

At first Tifa didn’t think Elena would be a difficult opponent…until the woman surprised her with a kick to the shin. Tifa stumbled back, but instantly jumped forward, swinging low. Elena blocked and went high, her blade missing Tifa’s face but managing to slice a lock of her hair.

“Elena! Stop this now!” yelled Aerith.

Not wanting to be bested by Cloud’s former consort, Tifa cross-slashed and when she impaled, her blade sliced a larger chunk of Elena’s hair. “You lost him a long time ago!”

Elena watched in surprise as her blonde locks drifted to the ground. She growled in rage and attacked Tifa’s gown with her sword, shredding it in different places. “We were perfectly fine until you came along, you insipid tramp!”

All Tifa could manage was to block a few of Elena’s aggressive moves. The guards surrounding them were hooting in a vulgar manner and it was distracting. “From what Cloud’s told me, you must be in fact referring to yourself!”

“He loves me!”

“Then why did he pawn you off so easily?!” Tifa waited until Elena swung high before slamming her blade hard, sending the other sword flying across the lawn. But it didn’t stop Elena who lunged at Tifa with her bare hands.

Aerith watched helplessly as Elena knocked Tifa to the ground and elbowed her in the face before pulling her hair.

Tifa cringed in pain and tried to push Elena off.

“He’ll grow tired of you, just as he grows tired of everything that bores him.”

Tifa finally managed to bend her knee up between them and planted her foot against Elena’s stomach. With a forceful shove, she sent Elena falling backward and quickly retrieved her fallen sword. Before Elena could get back up, Tifa had the point of her sword at the other girl’s throat.

“What in the hell is all this commotion?!”

The guards immediately stopped hollering and quickly moved away as the queen approached.

Ifalna studied the scene before her. Elena was on the ground and Tifa stood holding a sword over her. Tifa’s dress was nearly torn to shreds. The queen turned to her niece. “Aerith? Explain.”

As much as Aerith despised Scarlet and Elena and wanted to tell her aunt that the lecherous women had started it, the triumphant look on Tifa’s face gave her pause. Cloud’s consort actually looked thrilled to have beaten Elena. “Just a friendly duel, Aunt Ifalna.”

“Friendly? It doesn’t appear so.”

Tifa removed her sword and held her hand down to Elena.

Maintaining the charade, Elena accepted the hand and pulled herself up on her feet.

“Cloud asked me to continue Tifa’s lessons,” Aerith went on to say. “Elena happened along and agreed to be a sparring partner.”

The queen studied Tifa’s torn dress again. “I don’t think this is what my son had in mind.” She turned to Scarlet. “I received a message from your mother. She will be arriving three days before Aerith’s wedding. I suggest you acknowledge her yourself.”

Scarlet nodded. “I will.”

“I meant right this minute.” The queen waited for Scarlet to walk away before turning to Elena. “Go clean yourself up before Lord Tseng sees you this way.”

Elena glared one final time at Tifa before storming away.

“Now…” the queen began. “What really went on here?”

Aerith sighed. “Tifa and I were practicing when they approached. It began as a friendly duel until Elena decided to make it personal.”

Ifalna didn’t need to hear anymore. Cloud had warned that Elena would retaliate against Tifa. “Are you injured?”

“No. I bested her,” Tifa said proudly.

“Yes, you did. But unfortunately you also fueled her rage. Be wary of her.”

“I will.” Tifa bowed her head in respect before walking away with Aerith.

From a distance, as Cloud steered the ship toward the inlet leading to Modeoheim, he could clearly see that the entire village was destroyed. Some of the houses and buildings were still smoking.

“There’s nowhere to dock the ship,” said Cid. “We’ll have to take the boats in.” Cid waited for Cloud’s nod of consensus before turning to the crew awaiting orders. “Lower the secondary sails and drop anchors!”

Cloud maneuvered the ship around so that the starboard side cannon portals were facing out of the inlet in case an unwelcomed guest decided to revisit the destruction he caused. The other three ships did the same, each dropping bow and stern anchors.

The moment Cloud set foot on the broken pier, half a dozen people wearing tattered clothing approached in reverence, bowing and kissing his hands, mumbling clipped sentences.

“Prince of Midgar…”

“Come to save us…”

“Help us rebuild…”

Cloud stopped Reno’s hands before he could roughly push the people off. “Take it easy on them.”

Reno’s hard expression softened. “If you say so.”

“Unload the supplies and feed these people,” Cloud ordered some of the men.

It took some time to bring the supplies from the ships. Food, clothing, tools, weapons and other items. One of the main necessities besides food was medicine and medical supplies. On the northwest side of town was a building that had suffered only minor damage. It had been set up as a medical ward. Medics had come from Bone Village to aid the injured and a mortician was busy dealing with the deceased.

Cloud was disturbed by the sight. He began to doubt his own cause, recalling the few times he had sent a barrage of cannon fire against a coastal town belonging to the enemy. Seeing the result of such destruction up close made him seriously consider how it affected people caught in the middle of feuding sovereigns.

It was nearly dark before Reno returned from scouting the area and questioning the citizens.

“Everyone said the same thing,” Reno told Cloud. “The ship was huge. It entered the inlet and started blasting. There was no warning, nothing to indicate an invasion. Apparently he was aiming on total annihilation of this town and took no prisoners.”

Earlier Cloud had sent Zack and Rude with a dozen men to Bone Village. Luckily there had been horses available. They would return with his Aunt Elmyra by morning.

“Pointless destruction,” Cloud whispered to himself. “He enjoys making people suffer.” His thoughts recalled the time Sephiroth had gone too far.

“What in God’s name have you done, Sephiroth?” the king asked in suppressed fury.

“I obliterated them.”

“What?!” shouted Queen Ifalna

“I saw no reason to keep them alive. They provided no value to the kingdom.”

“They were children, you thoughtless brute!”

“Who will grow to become nothing.”

Cloud stared at the unusually serene face of General Sephiroth. The man had just delivered news to the king that he personally burned down a rundown orphanage with all of its occupants trapped inside and he showed absolutely no emotion or remorse over it. He turned to his mother, seeing the tears falling down her cheeks as she began quietly sobbing. With a startlingly loud yell, Cloud launched himself at Sephiroth. Despite Cloud’s small size, the strength in his arms sent the general backward into a wall. Cloud began pounding his fists into Sephiroth’s face. It was the first time he had ever hit anyone of high rank.

Zack and Rufus immediately grabbed Cloud and pulled him away, fearing the general would strike him back.

Sephiroth composed himself and reached up to touch his face, his fingertips coming back covered in blood. He turned to the furious boy in front of him. “That will cost you dearly, runt.”

King Shinra stepped in front of Cloud and glared at Sephiroth. “You dare threaten my son?”

“Threat? No one lays a hand on me and lives.”

“You’re through, Sephiroth! I hereby strip you of your rank!”

The moment the words left the king’s lips, more than a dozen guards surrounded Sephiroth. He glared back at the king for a moment before he began to laugh. It was a cold, sadistic, maniacal laugh.

Shinra ignored it. “Your methods have left much to be desired. I should have seen it sooner.”

“I gave you power!” At last, Sephiroth showed some emotion. “You wanted land, I gave you land! I gave you everything you wanted and this is how you repay me?”

“I never asked for you to kill women and children, especially not in my own kingdom.”

The queen would have pounded Sephiroth’s face herself if Vincent hadn’t been holding her back. “Have you no shred of decency?! The people of Midgar will revolt against us for what you did! All those children burning to death…” She was sickened by the smile on Sephiroth’s face.

Sephiroth noticed a glance the king gave to someone behind him. Before he had a chance to turn around, he felt something stick into the side of his throat. A syringe. When Sephiroth did manage to turn, he saw the bespectacled face of Professor Hojo.

“Have a pleasant sleep,” said Hojo with a grin.

Cloud had only been sixteen when that had happened. Back then Sephiroth was convicted and isolated to a dungeon in Icicle Village. Even at such a young age, Cloud argued and fought tooth and nail to convince the High Council that Sephiroth needed to die. Rufus, who was three years older than Cloud, also fought for the ruling, as did the king and queen of Midgar.

But it didn’t happen the way the rulers of Midgar wanted. And now Sephiroth was killing again. Cloud was convinced that Sephiroth would destroy every village on the planet before turning his attention to Midgar. Sephiroth knew the king and queen of Midgar would be devastated by all the senseless killing. This was all for Sephiroth’s own amusement…to take revenge on those who wronged him…to make them suffer mental anguish. Sephiroth’s demented mind made him think the things he had done in the past were for the good of the kingdom. Killing women and children and defenseless people struggling to survive, how was that good for Midgar?

“Uhm, your worship?” Reno asked, snapping his fingers to get the prince’s attention.

Cloud broke out of his wandering thoughts. “Sorry. Did you say something?”

“Yeah, I asked what’s for dinner.”

Cloud sighed. “You’re stepping on my last nerve, Reno.” With Red at his side, Cloud walked away, heading for the boats. He planned on spending the night on The Avalanche. He didn’t want to be surrounded by the smell of blood and decay.

After Tifa spent her fourth night alone and hugging Cloud’s pillow, in the morning she decided she would do something productive. Except there wasn’t much to do in the castle when there were servants to do every single task.

Aerith had asked if she wanted to join her at the markets, but Tifa declined. Instead Tifa went to the training grounds, hoping to find an opponent to spar with. Unfortunately the few guards practicing had voiced their refusal to spar with the prince’s consort.

“If I hurt you, he’ll kill me…”

“Not a chance. I don’t want to die…”

“Prince Cloud would have my head…”

Tifa sighed and walked away, absently swinging her sword at the grass, sending the sliced fragments into the air. Her feet came to a halt and she lifted her face upward. Above her was the balcony Aerith said belonged to the medical ward. So what had Cloud been doing in there the day he first began her lessons with a sword?

She decided to investigate.

Gauging the location of the balcony on the second story, the door was situated down a different corridor than the wing containing the bedroom suites. No guards were stationed nearby so Tifa knocked on the door first. When she received no answer, she tested the handle to see if it was unlocked and finding it so, she pushed the door open.

“Hello? Is anyone here?” Tifa walked through the threshold, her eyes roaming the interior of the large chamber.

In comparison to other rooms throughout the castle, the walls in this room were completely dark, with no colorful tapestries hanging from them. There were bookshelves full of thick books with titles that contained words she didn’t know. There were cabinets, with glass paneled doors, containing strange looking tools, instruments and syringes or bottles with illegible labels.

In the center of the room was a crude wooden table with leather straps nailed down in five different places.

Tifa stepped closer to the table and realized that if someone were lying a certain way, their neck, wrists and ankles would be held down by the straps. Upon closer inspection, she noticed dark spots splattered all over the wood. Could they be old blood stains? She looked down at the floor where more stains surrounded the table.

She tried not to panic. Afterall, this was a medical ward meant for the treatment of illnesses and wounds. It was obvious someone, or some people, with serious wounds had been treated here at some point in time.

She walked up to one of the cabinets and opened the glass door. Inside were six shelves, each containing dozens of small bottles filled with a transparent green liquid. Tifa picked up one of the bottles and looked at the label on it. Not sure what the word was, she spelled it out in her head. M…A…K…O…6…C. Placing it back, she glanced at the label on the next bottle. M…A…K…O…6…Z. The numbers of the next few bottles went from 7 to 8 to 9 and so on, in pairs with the C and Z alternating in between. “Mako…this must be what Cloud was injected with,” she whispered to herself.

Her fingers brushed over some papers scattered on the desk just below the cabinet. She quickly glanced at the scribbled handwriting.

February 25th
Gave Mako injection number 5 to both Cloud and Zack. No further improvement in eyesight other than what injection 3 gave. Zack’s strength increased by an amazing 200 pounds. Have yet to test Cloud’s strength. He’s too busy wooing his new consort.

Tifa’s brows narrowed. Had Cloud received an injection the day she found him standing in the balcony? She had yet to properly familiarize herself with the dates since she never really had to worry about it when she had been in Corneo’s custody.

There wasn’t anything else of interest in the room except for another door. She walked to it and after discovering it unlocked, she pulled it open. On the other side was the beginning of a stone stairway that spiraled upward.

Tifa raised her eyebrows and shook her head. When had she become so courageous? Perhaps a fortnight or more ago, in Mideel when she went searching for Captain Cloud Strife, it had been the catalyst leading to everything she had done to this very moment. And perhaps she wasn’t as weak and spineless as she thought herself to be.

After taking a deep breath, Tifa began climbing the narrow steps. Occasionally she’d pass a small window and she glanced out to see how high she had gone. This had to be one of the spires she had seen from the carriage when they had first approached the castle days ago.

When she reached the top and passed through an open doorway, Tifa found herself in what appeared to be a laboratory. As neat as the chamber downstairs had been, this room was the complete opposite. Four tables were set around the small room, various items scattered around on top of them. Glass tubes full of liquids of different colors, strange instruments, crumbled or torn paper, dozens of books lying open, cans of paint, cups full of dirt.

It was a complete mess.

Was this Professor Hojo’s lab? The genius that Cloud didn’t trust?

Not wanting to touch anything in the lab, only because she wasn’t sure what anything was, Tifa walked to a glass door. She opened it and stepped out onto a large balcony. This one was much higher than the one in the medical ward below. She could actually see the sea between two of the mountain points behind the castle.

Her attention was drawn by a sharp shrilling sound to her right and she turned toward the source. Perched on wooden stakes sticking out of the castle wall were several large birds of a kind Tifa had never seen before.

Tifa walk closer, moving slowly so as not to frighten the birds. She noted that each had distinctive colored feathers. Red, yellow, brown, black, even green and blue. The one still shrilling had a deep blue tail and wings. Despite the large claws on its feet and the sharp point on its beak, Tifa reached out to touch the bird. It immediately stopped shrilling and lunged toward her fingers. She quickly pulled them back.

“Are you not fond of your fingers?”

Tifa’s head whirled to the man who had spoken.

Emmet Hojo glared suspiciously at the young woman standing near his messenger hawks. He had never seen her before, so he surmised her to be Prince Cloud’s new consort.

Tifa stood flustered as the man stared at her through his round spectacles. The scowl on his face made her think he wasn’t pleased by her presence. “I…I…wasn’t going to touch it.” She stepped aside as he walked up with a small bowl full of raw meat.

Hojo fed the blue-tailed hawk a small morsel of meat.

“I’m…I’m sorry,” Tifa stammered nervously. “The door was open…I didn’t touch anything, honestly.”

“No need to apologize. No harm was done.”

She watched him feed the hawks one by one. “Cloud spoke of you and…I was just curious.”

Hojo glanced over his shoulder at her. “Prince Cloud spoke of me? To you? That’s interesting. What did he have to say about me?”

Tifa wasn’t sure if anything Cloud told her had been said in secret. Would he be in trouble for telling her? “He said he trusted your abilities.” That was a safe statement.

He chuckled and turned back to the hawks. “Yes, interesting, indeed.” When he finished feeding all of them, he stepped away and placed the empty bowl on a small table nearby. “The young prince is quite the thorn in my side. Unfortunately for me, I need him just as much as he needs me.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Come now, Tifa, I’m certain the prince has shared all of his secrets with you.”

“How do you know my name?” she asked in surprise.

He chuckled again. “Your prince threatened to punch my spectacles into my eyes and blind me if I so much as touch a needle to you.”

Tifa blinked in surprise. “Pardon me?”

“Have no fear, child, I have no intention of injecting you with anything.”

“Why would he threaten you if you didn’t make a habit of that which you said you won’t do?”

“I’ve been known to use human test subjects.”

Human test subjects? A cold shiver rushed up Tifa’s spine.

“The king consented to the experiments,” Hojo continued. “As did my two test subjects.”

“How did you know it wouldn’t hurt them?”

“I didn’t.”

Tifa’s brows narrowed. “The king had no qualms about sacrificing his own son. That’s utterly indifferent.”

“These are harsh times, my dear. Especially now that Sephiroth is roaming about. With the Mako injections, Prince Cloud is stronger and he’ll be much harder to kill.”

“But not invincible.”

“Perhaps after the tenth injection. Only time will tell.” He ended the conversation by turning back to the hawks. “Lovely, aren’t they?”

Knowing the professor wasn’t going to give up any more information, Tifa decided to drop the subject for now. “Do they have names?”

“Well, you’ve met Tidus.” He pointed to each of the birds as he said their name. “Ifrit, Leviathan, Axel, Regen, Phoenix, Odin, Bahamut, Kujata, Hades and Esuna.”

Tifa noticed one of the wooden stakes was empty and pointed to it. “Does this perch belong to anyone?”

“Ramuh is off delivering a message from the queen.” He held a hand beneath Tidus’s chest and the hawk obediently stepped onto his wrist. “Come, it’s safe to touch him now that he’s fed.”

She moved closer and cautiously reached out to brush her fingers over the hawk’s tail. “Do any of these birds fly to Mideel?”

“Yes.”

“I need to send a message to someone there.”

Hojo glared at the young woman for a moment before sighing. “Put together your message and come back before the noon hour.”

Tifa afforded herself a small smile. “Thank you, Professor.” She gathered her skirt and rushed inside.

Cloud’s eyes were closed as he rocked from side to side on his hammock. His head swam with images of Tifa…her scent, her taste… He had never lusted for a woman as much as he was lusting for Tifa. Just as he was about to slide his hand down the front of his trousers, the door swung open and slammed into the wall.

“Captain!” yelled Biggs.

Cloud sat up. “What the fuck…!”

“There’s a large ship approaching from the south…”

That was all Cloud needed to hear. He hopped off the hammock and walked to the wall beside the window, pulling the door open. “Call everyone to the ships. I want us away from the harbor within five minutes. These people don’t need any more damage done to their town.” He pulled the armor off the hooks and quickly buckled it securely to his chest.

“What about Mr Fair, sir? His party hasn’t returned.”

Cloud picked up the large box on the floor of the cabinet and lifted the lid. He began placing the silver spiked bracers on his wrists. “We’ll have to fight without them.” When he looked over his shoulder and noticed Biggs wasn’t moving, he scowled at him. “What’re you waiting for?! Move it!”

“Aye, Captain!” Biggs rushed out the door.

Cloud picked up both swords and checked the blades before walking out of his cabin.

When he was topside, he immediately went to the bow deck and stood beside Cid who was peering through his telescope. The first mate handed it to him. Cloud looked through it and panned until the ship was in his sight. There was no doubt in his mind. It was the same ship he had seen before. The Jenova. Sephiroth’s ship.

“I picked a bad time to quit smoking…” Cid muttered absently as he fumbled in his pockets for his cigarettes.

Cloud didn’t hear him over the pounding of his heart. This was it. This was where he’d find out if the excruciatingly painful Mako injections were worth all the agony he suffered everytime he received one.

 

Warning – there is blood and violence in this chapter. O:

Chapter 24​

When Tifa returned to the professor’s balcony with her message in hand, he was busy preparing one of the hawks for its trip. Stopping at the balcony doorway, Tifa unfolded the paper and skimmed over it one last time.

Vincent
I am here at Castle Shinra. In order for me to leave Mideel, Cloud had to purchase me from Corneo. But I don’t mind it. He and his family have been very kind to me thus far. I send you this message to tell you that most everyone here believes you are innocent. Cloud even told me he could prove it. You and Lucrecia must find a way to return to Midgar. An evil man named Soren Sephiroth escaped his prison in Icicle Village and is bent on killing King Shinra and perhaps even the entire royal family. I know Cloud would surely accept any help you could provide. Please come as soon as you can.
Tifa

Tifa refolded the paper and approached the professor with it.

“Is the receiver’s name on the message?” asked Hojo. When the girl handed him the folded piece of paper, he saw the name written on the top flap. Vincent Valentine. Hojo’s eyes darted up to her face. “How do you know this man?” he growled.

Tifa hoped she hadn’t made a mistake. “I met him in Mideel.” Would the professor unfold the paper and read the message she wrote on it? What if he had something to do with the attempt on the king’s life? She said Cloud could prove it. She was endangering him. “I just want to let Vincent and his wife know I’m doing well here at Castle Shinra.”

Hojo’s face changed. “I see.” He had no reason not to trust this girl. She couldn’t possibly know what happened at the castle and Valentine certainly wouldn’t have told her about it.

When Hojo rolled the paper tightly, Tifa released a sigh of relief. She watched him slide the message into a small tube and tied it securely to the hawk’s left foot.

“Would you like to do the honors?” Hojo held out a thick leather glove to her.

Tifa took it and slipped her right hand into it. As the professor set the hawk on her gloved hand, she was surprised by the heavy weight of the bird. “Which is this one again?”

“This is Regen. She’s the youngest and the fastest.”

Tifa gently caressed the bird’s chest. “Stay safe, Regen.” The hawk shrilled in response before Tifa held her arm out over the balustrade. She watched it lift into the air.

The hawk flew a complete circle around the castle before altering its course and heading in a southerly direction.

“How long will it take her?”

“The route isn’t a difficult one. She’s made it there and back in less than ten days.”

Tifa couldn’t see the hawk any longer, but she continued to stare in the direction it went. Hopefully the message would find its way to Vincent. If he knew Cloud believed him to be innocent, Tifa was certain he’d come.

Cloud didn’t need the telescope to tell him something was wrong.

Sephiroth’s ship had lowered their sails ten minutes ago and dropped anchor half a mile from shore. They were leaving themselves vulnerable and open for attack. That in itself was strange. But what Cloud found even stranger was the absence of anyone on the main deck.

Cid gripped his cigarette tightly between his clenched teeth before reaching up to remove it. “What the fuck is going on?”

“Where’d everybody go?” asked Barret, who stood just behind Cloud and Cid.

Cloud looked to his right where Mr Biggs waited for orders. “Signal to the other ships. Form a tight circle. I’ll lead the direction.”

“Aye, sir.”

The closer The Avalanche came to Sephiroth’s ship, the more dread Cloud and the others began to feel. Why wasn’t Sephiroth attacking? He was practically handing himself over on a silver platter.

A moment later Biggs returned. “Message received, Captain.”

Cloud steered the ship around the long bowsprit of The Jenova and angled to the right, leaving enough room for the other three ships to form a complete circle with at least two ship lengths in between. When Cloud turned to Biggs again, the man quickly approached. “Keep her on this course.” He turned over control of the ship to Biggs and retrieved his swords where he had impaled them on the deck.

Cid and Barret followed Cloud down from the wheel deck and the three of them stood side by side at the starboard side of the ship.

There wasn’t a soul on the main deck of The Jenova. It was as if the entire crew vanished into thin air. The cannon portals were closed. There was no indication that a battle was about to erupt. Nothing…

“Suggestions?” Cloud asked his officers.

“Toss out the grapplin’ hooks and board the damned thing!” growled Barret.

“I say we blast the fucker to bits!” growled Cid.

Onboard The Rinoa, Reno and Captain Gast watched Prince Cloud standing with his First Mate and Quartermaster.

“Whatta you think he’s thinking about?” Reno asked.

“Probably determining the best course of action.”

Reno frowned and shook his head. “You know, I can’t understand how the king could leave such an important mission in the hands of a kid.”

Captain Gast glanced at the king’s second in command. “Kid?”

“Well, I mean, I know I’m not much older than him, but…come on. This guy, Sephiroth, he sounds pretty dangerous. Personally I don’t think Cloud’s got the experience to handle this kind of a situation.”

“You don’t know him like I do.”

“Oh yeah? So how do you know him any better than me?”

“He may seem like a simpleton to you, but Prince Cloud’s mind is as sharp as the point of a rapier. He’s quick-witted and sure of himself. I’ve seen him in action and I’m confident he’ll get us all through this.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“Right now he probably has it all figured out.”

Back on board The Avalanche, Cloud scratched the back of his head and turned to his officers. “Rock, paper, scissors?”

Cid grinned. The kid always managed to pick up his somber mood, even when the situation looked grim.

Cloud became serious again as he turned back to the ship at the center of their circle. “Let’s just blast it so we can go home.”

“Good choice,” said Cid as he turned to Wedge. “Start blasting!”

“Start blasting!” shouted Wedge.

“Start blasting!” yelled another voice further away, followed by another and another.

Twenty cannon portals opened simultaneously below decks and five seconds later a volley of cannon fire blasted from The Avalanche. It was a direct hit. The bowsprit split from the nose of the enemy ship. The main mast severed and came crashing down into the water. The other shots hit different areas of the main deck and lower decks. Fire erupted all around.

The other much smaller ships followed suit and fired their eight cannons.

The Jenova began to list to the larboard side.

Cloud waited to see if anyone came out from the decks below. There was absolutely no movement. “Again…” he said unemotionally

Cid shouted to Wedge, who shouted to another and so on.

Another twenty cannonballs hurled toward the already damaged ship. The remaining masts came down, the sails burning, a gaping hole revealing the guts of the hold.

Something nagged at Cloud. The ship couldn’t have moved on its own. It couldn’t have lowered sails and dropped anchor without a crew. Yet as he watched the burning skeletal remains of the sinking ship, all he could think about was magic. Could Sephiroth control the movement of a warship, or a ship of any size, for that matter?

Suddenly from the corner of his eye, he spotted motion beneath the surface of the water. Something was coming…

In the blink of an eye, large reptilian creatures leapt out of the water and began scaling the side of the ship.

Then all hell broke loose.

From the harbor of Modeoheim, Zack Fair and First Captain Rude Tyler, watched the fleet half a mile out, circling and blasting the ship belonging to Soren Sephiroth.

They had just returned to Modeoheim when one of the crewmen informed them Prince Cloud ordered the fleet out to sea to meet the enemy ship.

With his superior sight, Zack could see the enemy ship wasn’t even firing back. It sat immobile, an easy target. “Something’s not right.”

Rude couldn’t see as far, but there was no mistaking the echoing blasts of the cannons. “What’s happening?”

“Sephiroth’s ship is being obliterated.”

The First Captain frowned. “So easily?”

“My sentiments exactly.” Zack turned and retraced his steps to where the rest of the regime sat on horses.

Looking completely uncomfortable astride a horse, Elmyra Gainsborough watched her future son-in-law approach. The look on his face wasn’t good. “Is something wrong?”

“I’m not sure,” Zack replied. He placed his hand over hers. “I want you to go with this man,” he said, motioning with his head toward a guard on his horse beside her. “Take her to the medical ward.”

“Where’s my nephew? Where’s Cloud?”

“I’ll send for you once the ships return to the harbor. Now go!” He waited until she trotted off on her horse with the guard close behind her. Then Zack walked back to where Rude stood.

Suddenly the same reptilian creatures Zack had seen aboard Sephiroth’s ship were rushing out of the water. They were attacking.

“Swords!” shouted Zack as he drew his own.

After sending off her message to Vincent, Tifa went to the dining hall for a quick breakfast and ran into Denzel on the way out.

“Hey, Tifa, are you busy?” he asked her.

“Not at all.”

“Want to go for a ride to the river and back?” Then he remembered that maybe she didn’t know how to ride. “Can you ride a horse?”

“I certainly can. And yes, I would love to go for a ride to the river and back.”

“Great!”

Tifa glanced down at her cumbersome gown. “But I’d like to change into something more appropriate for riding. I’ll meet you at the stables in a few minutes. Pick out a fast horse for me.”

Denzel nodded and cheerfully ran off.

She was extremely appreciative of Denzel to have come up with something for her to do besides staring at paintings and tapestries. With an excited grin, she picked up her skirt and rushed up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time.

Just as she headed down the corridor, she let out a startled shout when she was yanked forcefully through a doorway. A hand came around her from behind, covering her mouth until the door closed in front of her. Her assailant pushed her face into the wall.

For a brief second, Tifa felt a sense of déjà vu, thinking she was being assailed by Corneo. She immediately began flailing her arms behind her, trying to push the weight off.

“Alone at last,” said a voice she was only slightly familiar with, but recognized nonetheless. It was Lord Tseng.

She stopped struggling. “Unhand me,” Tifa seethed between clenched teeth.

“Or what?”

“Or Cloud will be extremely angry.” She said the only thing she could think of.

“Well, he’s not here and that means you’re available and fair game for anyone else in the castle.”

Tifa frowned. Was this true or was he making it up? She didn’t have time to think about it as Tseng groped behind her, trying to lift up her skirt. She bucked against the wall and tried to reach behind her again. He pushed her harder into the wall, holding her there with his body as his hand snaked underneath her skirt and squeezed between her clenched thighs. When his fingers touched her, she screamed out. “No!”

A lizardman lunged forward, sharp teeth bared and dripping blood from whatever crewman it had previously attached. Cloud crossed his swords against the creature’s throat, slicing it as he pulled the blades apart. As the lizardman went down and thrashed about, its clawed hand gripped Cloud’s ankles. Unable to pull away, Cloud hacked the arm off at the wrist and yanked the dead appendage off his leg.

Cloud managed a glance toward the other ships and realized they were all under attack. Sephiroth’s lizardmen were apparently aquatic creatures. They had left their ship and waited for the prey to arrive before they attacked. But if that were the case, then why would they have allowed their ship to be destroyed? And where was Sephiroth?

Bleeding from the head several feet away, Cid used his sharp-ended harpoon to knock the lizardmen off the side of the ship before they could reach the top. He made sure he stabbed them in the heart so they wouldn’t try again. “Come on! Come and get some!” Cid slammed the sharp end of the harpoon into the forehead of a creature that lunged up at him. He pushed the dead creature back over the side and reached up with is forearm to wipe the blood streaming from several gashes above his left eye.

Up on the wheel deck, Barret used his right-handed hook to snag his opponents before slashing at them with a cutlass. One of the creatures was about to leap on Wedge’s back. Barret snagged it by the ankle and hurled it over the side where it splashed into the water nearly twenty feet away. “Wanna try that again?!” The large quartermaster was bleeding from several wounds on his thick arms.

Two lizardmen came at Cloud at the same time. Cloud slashed one across the face with the teeth of his gauntlet while impaling his longsword into the gut of the other. Two more appeared and he simultaneously stabbed both in the chest. He grabbed one by the throat. “Where the hell is he?! Where’s Sephiroth?!” The creature died before it could say anything. That was if they could speak at all. He hadn’t thought to ask Zack if the creatures had spoken when his friend encountered them last.

Something grabbed his right shoulder, in the same spot where he had been attacked by a Bandersnatch. Cloud’s chest shield was ripped away, along with a piece of his shirt and some of his flesh. Oddly enough, he didn’t feel the pain that should have come with it…at least not yet. He turned and slashed his longsword across the creature’s throat, following it immediately with the cutlass. Green blood splattered across his face.

Cloud jumped off the bow deck and slashed at a creature trying to drag a crewman off the ship. As another was about to be brought overboard several feet away, Cloud threw his cutlass. It slammed into the back of the creature and it flipped over the railing and disappeared into the water. With his free hand, Cloud went into his pocket and pulled out one of the two materia. A quick glance told him it was Lightning. He squeezed the smooth stone and static shot through him before a surge of power erupted from the point of his longsword. A nearby creature bent on ripping off the arm of a crewman received the first jolt, sending it spasming and smoking on the deck before it finally froze in death.

Cloud kept the stream of deadly static going as it hit several other lizardmen, killing them instantly. Seconds later the surge of power came to an abrupt halt. Having spent the materia, rending it useless, he flung the stone at a creature clinging to Barret’s back. The orb struck the lizardman in the skull and when it loosened its grip on its prey, the quartermaster spun around and snagged his hook into the creature’s eye.

Reno hopped up on the bow deck as three lizardmen tried to corner him. When one lunged ahead of the others, Reno slashed his sword across its face, green blood splattering the air. The remaining two slowed their attack, but continued approaching their prey, wary of his weapon.

Not having anywhere else to go, Reno backed up along the narrow bowsprit. Lucky for him, he had an excellent sense of balance. “Come on, you scaly-faced bastards! Come and get me!”

The creatures didn’t know what he was saying, but they recognized his condescending tone. They stepped onto the bowsprit, one at a time.

Reno swung his sword and it became imbedded into the creature’s right forearm when it raised it up in defense. But the redhead wasn’t prepared for the lizardman’s other hand as its claws raked across his chest, ripping through clothing and skin. Letting out a howl of blinding pain, Reno yanked his sword free and swung it hard, decapitating the lizardman.

The remaining lizardman lunged forward, pushing aside his dead comrade and unknowingly impaled itself into Reno’s sword.

Reno raised his foot and placed it on the dying creature’s face, pushing him off his sword. When it fell off the bowsprit and disappeared into the water, Reno looked down at his chest. “Goddamn, I’m bleeding!”

Zack attacked while the lizardmen were still coming out of the water. He swung his longsword, slicing and dicing anything that reached for him. But for each one he killed, there were five more to replace it.

Behind him, the rest of the regime battled against the creatures with swords.

While Rude slashed at claws trying to reach him, another lizardman jumped on his back. He bounced backward, slamming himself into the nearest wall. The creature between him and the wall slipped off his back. Rude spun around and swung his sword, slashing the creature’s throat.

Zack reached into his pocket for his Fire materia. The power crackled in his hand and as the fire ignited from his fingertips, he aimed the stream of flames at the wall of creatures descending upon the town. High-pitched screams filled the air as the lizardmen burned to death where they stood. He called up the power again and sent another stream of fire toward a dozen lizardmen chasing after several townspeople.

The two continuous streams of flames instantly wasted his materia. It’s swirling green color was gone, replaced by a bland opaque white. He tossed the spent orb to the ground and raised his sword, shouting loudly as he rushed a mass of lizardmen.

Tifa squirmed to move away from Tseng’s groping hand. He grasped the collar of her gown from behind with his free hand and ripped nearly the entire back of it. Out of pure instinct, she raised her foot and slammed her heel down on his toes with all her strength.

Tseng instantly released her, stunned by the blinding pain in his toes. He hadn’t thought the submissive consort would fight back so severely.

Tifa grasped the handle and swung the door open. She didn’t look back as she rushed out into the corridor, holding up the front of her gown and running blindly toward Cloud’s bedroom. Once inside, she slammed the door shut and fell back against it. Her body shuddered in revulsion as she slid down to the floor.

Tears burned her eyes, but not out of fear. She was enraged at the way the king’s councilman disrespected her. Was Tseng right when he said she was fair game because Cloud was away? She shook her head in denial. Cloud wouldn’t have failed to tell her that if it were true. And he certainly wouldn’t have allowed it. Didn’t Tseng know she would tell Cloud the moment he returned that the man tried to molest her? Unless…Tseng didn’t believe Cloud would be returning.

She closed her eyes and squeezed them tightly. No. She wouldn’t think it. Cloud would return. He just had to.

Red leapt on the back of a lizardman and sank his sharp teeth into the creature’s neck. The lizardman spun around, desperately trying to dislodge its attacker. Red tore out the creature’s throat and immediately hopped off to attack another.

Cloud’s keen eyesight helped him see what was happening on the other ships. Unfortunately one of the three was already overrun by the lizardmen, meaning that the captain and crew had all been killed. His eyes shifted to the shore half a mile away. He could see the lizardmen were also attacking the town.

A movement above caught Cloud’s attention. When he looked up, his eyes widened.

Standing on the highest yardarm was Sephiroth. His face was a mask of an elated conqueror, as if he could smell his enemy’s eminent defeat. In his hand was his traditional sword with a fifty inch blade. Cloud had seen him use it many years ago, back when he had idolized the man glaring down at him now.

“It will all be over soon, Cloud,” Sephiroth said calmly.

For a brief moment Cloud wondered how Sephiroth managed to get on The Avalanche without being seen. But he didn’t want to waste any more time on his pointless curiosity. Cloud began to climb the mainmast to meet his foe.

 

Warning – there’s more blood and violence in this chapter.

Chapter 25​

Jian Tseng jogged up the circular stairway of the east tower, yelling on the way up. “Hojo! Hojo!”

Hojo was in the process of transferring a purple liquid from a beaker to a test tube when Tseng burst into the lab, causing him to spill more than he managed to fill. The professor scowled angrily. “What the devil do you want? Can’t you see I’m busy here?”

“I did it. I distracted the girl long enough to take a good look. I saw it.”

Hojo placed his things down. “You’re absolutely certain you saw the birthmark?”

“With my own eyes.”

The professor frowned. “How exactly were you able to see it?”

“Well, I knew she wouldn’t simply agree to show it to me, so I began to force myself upon her and tore the back of her dress.”

Hojo frowned. “You fool! Did you molest that girl?”

“No! I didn’t touch her.” Well, he touched her just a little. Tseng didn’t know why he lied. The professor was no threat to him.

“Do you realize what’ll happen when Strife learns of it? You’ll be lucky if you walk away on your own two feet after he’s through with you.”

“He won’t be coming home. I’ve been assured of that.”

“Regardless, you better apologize to the girl.”

Tseng fumed. “I will do no such thing!”

“In fact, you might have to grovel. She may seem subservient at times, but there’s an inner strength about this girl. Obviously royal breeding, if I’m not mistaken.”

“When will you receive word from Nibelheim?”

“The queen’s message was delivered a week ago. It’ll be some time before I receive final confirmation.”

Tseng shook his head. “I don’t need further confirmation. That girl is the princess of Nibelheim and we have to let him know at once.”

Hojo sighed heavily. “He won’t be happy when he discovers she’s still alive.”

“Apparently Corneo didn’t fully comprehend our leader’s order to kill the girl when she was still young. Well, it doesn’t matter anyway because we can still take care of her here at Castle Shinra.”

“I don’t like any of this, Tseng. All of these mistakes. The king is bound to find out we’re dealing with the enemy.”

“The king doesn’t concern me. It won’t matter soon enough anyway.”

When Tseng walked out of the lab, Hojo slammed his fist on his work table. He didn’t like when things didn’t go as planned. Everything had been set into motion years ago and they needed to go by the letter. If one thing failed, then it would cause a chain reaction of failures that would lead to the downfall of all they had worked so hard to accomplish over the years.

When Cloud reached the first crosstree, he paused and looked back down. From this height he could see all around the outside of the ship where dozens of lizardmen were crawling up the sides. His crew struggled to stay alive, fighting one after another and receiving countless injuries in the process. Cid and Barret were now fighting back to back on the wheel deck, trying to protect Biggs who was trying to keep the ship from crashing into the others. A swarm of lizardmen were attacking them.

But he couldn’t worry about his men at the moment. Cloud grasped the steel rods poking out of the sides of the mainmast and continued climbing. His focus needed to be directed toward the man obviously waiting for him on the highest yardarm. When he looked up, he noticed that Sephiroth looked utterly bored. Cloud knew it was a ploy to intimidate him and he wasn’t about to let Sephiroth sway his nerves, not even for a second.

When Cloud finally reached the yardarm, he slid his longsword from where he had wedged it in his belt. He missed his cutlass, but that had gone overboard with the lizardman whose back he had thrown it at.

“Well? Are you going to fight or are you going to just stand there and contemplate?” asked Sephiroth.

“I’m not afraid of you,” Cloud replied confidently…or at least with as much confidence as he could muster.

“Good. Then you’ll make a worthy opponent.” Sephiroth raised his sword. “You’ve grown since the last time I saw you, Cloud.”

Cloud raised his own sword and moved closer.

“Commanding a ship of this size is quite an accomplishment for you, I’m sure,” Sephiroth commented.

“Not as much as killing you will be.”

Sephiroth’s smile was cold and thoughtless. “I’m going to let you try, only because I want to see what kind of a challenge you truly pose and because I owe you for hitting me six years ago.”

“Are you going to fight or are you going to just stand there and reminisce?” Cloud asked, mimicking his phrase from a moment ago.

Sephiroth raised his other hand and motioned him forward with his fingers. “Come closer, boy.”

The one thing Cloud hated the most was being called boy. He charged and was immediately thrown backward by an invisible force. Losing his balance, Cloud quickly grabbed a rope as he fell off the yardarm. Without wasting anytime, he quickly swung himself back up on the yardarm and lunged again. This time Sephiroth met his sword, blocking it. When he forced the man to block a lower swing, Cloud raised his left elbow and slammed it into the side of Sephiroth’s face, following it quickly with a slash of the razor-sharp teeth of his gauntlet.

Sephiroth stumbled backward and raised his hand to his bleeding face. He wasn’t smiling any longer. “This is the second time you’ve managed to make me bleed.”

Cloud couldn’t help the crooked smile that formed on his lips. “I should have brought a violin.”

“You were always too cocky for your own good, Strife.” Sephiroth lunged first this time.

Cloud raised both his sword and the opposite gauntlet to block the hit. But Sephiroth kicked his legs out from under him and Cloud found himself on his back. Sephiroth’s sword came down and Cloud moved his head at the last second as it imbedded into the wood of the yardarm. He quickly somersaulted backward and rose to his feet, sword raised and ready.

Sephiroth held his hand out and another invisible force sent Cloud stumbling backward.

For a brief moment Cloud wondered if Sephiroth had stumbled upon the colorful magical stones he found in Woodland. A sound from behind him alerted him that a lizardman was about to attack. Cloud spun around and buried the sharp teeth of his gauntlet into the scaly face of the creature sneaking up on him.

With a screech, the lizardman fell off the yardarm and bounced sickeningly off the railing before disappearing into the water.

Cloud turned back around in time to meet Sephiroth’s sword.

Their swords clashed again in a different direction. And again. It went on for several minutes, each of them trying to find a weakness in the other and each of them receiving a fair share of cuts and slashes.

Sephiroth was mildly impressed by the amount of strength in Cloud’s arms. He didn’t think the boy would last more than five minutes. Yet here they were, at least ten minutes into the duel. But Sephiroth was already growing bored. He had other places to conquer and since the king’s son destroyed his ship, he planned on taking The Avalanche.

Cloud cringed as Sephiroth’s free hand suddenly closed around his mangled shoulder. The pain he hadn’t felt before suddenly came to him in a flash, nearly blinding him as he fell to his knees on the yardarm.

“You can never defeat me, boy. I own this world, which means I own you and I can take your life anytime I want.”

“So…what’re you…waiting for?” Cloud stammered out, teeth clenched, pain searing his shoulder down to the bone. “Go ahead…and kill me.”

Sephiroth released a maniacal laugh as he bent forward, his grip tightening on Cloud’s shoulder. “You don’t want to die. Your pitiful show of courage fails you even now.”

Hot tendrils of pain snaked down Cloud’s arm and to his hand. He tried desperately to hold back his cry of agony as he involuntarily dropped his sword. His hand was nearly paralyzed as he struggled to reach his pocket. When he finally slipped it inside, his fingers curled around his Fire materia.

The one thing Cloud learned about Sephiroth was that the man liked to watch his victims suffer and that’s what he counted on now. Cloud’s opposite hand forced its way up to Sephiroth’s face, covering his right eye.

The surge of power from the materia swirled up his immobile arm like a living entity. He focused the energy through his other arm, the heat building but not burning him. A blue veil of fire ignited in his palm and plumed orange as it scorched the surface of Sephiroth’s face.

Sephiroth released a startled cry, instantly releasing Cloud as his hands went up to his melted flesh.

Cloud fell back after Sephiroth released him. He stared wide-eyed at what he had done. His hand print was charred on the right side of Sephiroth’s face, his eye cauterized shut. Yet when Cloud looked down at his own hand, there wasn’t the slightest mark on it. He quickly pulled himself up on his feet, grabbing his sword on the way and moved forward. Now was his chance to end this. As he sank his longsword into Sephiroth’s chest, he stared into his ruined face with contempt. “You said I couldn’t defeat you.” Cloud withdrew his sword and using whatever strength he had left, he shoved Sephiroth off the end of the yardarm. “Well, you’re wrong!” He watched Sephiroth’s decent until he splashed down in the water below, a look of surprise still masking his burnt face. Seconds later he slowly sank beneath the surface.

Cid and Barret were overwhelmed by the number of lizardmen attacking from every angle. And then all of a sudden the creatures ceased their attack and abruptly threw themselves over the sides, disappearing into the water.

Zack cried out in pain as one of the lizardmen bit him on the arm while he was trying to deal with another.

Suddenly the lizardman stopped and backed away. All around town, the lizardmen stopped their attack.

Zack and Rude briefly glanced at each other, trying to figure out what was happening. Then they watched the creatures rush toward the water and dive in. Within seconds they were all gone.

Rude frowned in surprise. “What the hell…?”

Cloud continued to stare at the spot where Sephiroth’s body had sunk below the surface of the water. Even though he had fought hard and nearly every bone in his body ached from the exertion, it all seemed too effortless. Was it really over? Could he have defeated the great Sephiroth so easily?

“Yo, Spiky…you awright up there?” yelled Barret.

Cloud reached up to touch his injured shoulder. “I’m great.” But he didn’t feel great at all.

Despite her encounter with Tseng, Tifa dressed for riding and went to the stables to meet with Denzel. The boy was leading two saddled horses when she approached.

Tifa noted that one of the horses wore a sidesaddle. Since he had thought about her needs, she didn’t have the heart to tell him that she preferred riding with her legs on either side.

Ten minutes later they were racing through the grass and heading in the direction of River Midgar. They reached it at the same time and sent their horses splashing into the water. After spending awhile scaring the fish and a small flock of ducks, the two dismounted to dry off in the sun and to let the horses graze on the grass.

While Denzel laid on his back, Tifa laid on her stomach. She quietly studied his profile as he stared up at the sky. He looked so much like a younger version of Cloud. Looking at him actually hurt because she missed Cloud so much. “Have you ever thought about what you’ll be doing ten years from now?” she asked curiously, trying to occupy her mind with other things.

Denzel continued looking up at the sky. “I want to be the captain of a ship, just like Cloud.”

She smiled. “I had a feeling you’d say that.”

“But I don’t want to fight other ships.”

“Well, I don’t think Cloud wants to either. Unfortunately Midgar’s at war with Wutai, so he doesn’t have a choice in the matter.”

Denzel turned his face to her. “I heard my father’s going to send Cloud to Wutai with a peace treaty.”

“Really? That’s wonderful news!” Tifa rolled over on her back and laughed lightly. “Without the threat of war, that means I’ll get to sail with Cloud again on his next mission.”

“You like to sail?”

“I love it.”

“How did you meet my brother?”

Tifa didn’t answer right away. She wasn’t sure how much Denzel knew about consorts. Finally she decided to tell him only part of the truth. “A friend of mine told me all about Cloud and his ship. I was so spellbound by the stories, about Cloud’s adventures and all the fascinating places he discovered. So I thought to myself, I just have to meet him someday. Lucky for me, he happened to come to Mideel.”

“Cloud’s last consort didn’t want anything to do with sailing.”

She raised her eyebrows, wondering if he truly understood the role of a consort.

“He kept asking Elena to go with him, but she refused. I think that’s why he stopped liking her.” He shrugged. “And also because he didn’t like the way she treated me.”

Tifa frowned and turned her face toward his. “How did she treat you?”

“Anytime I came looking for Cloud, she always made a comment that I needed to go make friends my own age and stop bothering Cloud.”

“She had no right to keep you away from your brother.”

“I heard them argue about me all the time and they stopped having sex, too.”

“How…how do you know that?”

“Because Cloud wouldn’t let her sleep in his room anymore and they were hardly ever together.”

“That’s funny, Elena swears that Cloud loves her.”

Denzel started laughing. “No way would my brother love someone like her.” He sat up. “I think you’re the one he loves.”

His words made Tifa blush profusely. She didn’t think Cloud could possibly love her. She was just his consort. But the idea of him loving her gave her a warm and fuzzy feeling inside the pit of her stomach. Or perhaps what she felt was the effect of her own feelings for him.

Love. She had questioned it in her mind ever since Cloud left for Modeoheim. Yes, she felt empty without him. Yes, she longed to breathe the air around him. Yes, she wanted to hear his voice…and wanted to feel his hand on her face, to taste his lips, to kiss him until she fell asleep in his arms. She wanted all of it…and all of him.

Yes, she was in love. But she could only dream that Cloud loved her in return. He was a prince and she was nobody.

Cloud wouldn’t allow himself to be treated until he knew his crew had been taken care of first. Many were injured and some quite severely.

Earlier, when he received the final count of the men that were killed, he let out a gut-wrenching groan, feeling sick to his stomach. Eighty-three men had lost their lives in the battle against Sephiroth’s brood of lizardmen. It was a catastrophic number for a fleet of only four ships and he dreaded having to deliver the news to his father.

“Cloud, you should see the doc about that shoulder,” Zack said as he approached, his bandaged arm in a sling.

“Later,” Cloud replied blandly. “How’s Aunt Elmyra?”

“Fine, fine. She finally stopped crying.”

Cloud frowned and looked down. “I didn’t mean to scare her like that.”

Zack laughed lightly. “I don’t think she’s ever seen you so messed up, bleeding all over the place. After I dragged her away, she kept screaming ‘my poor baby, what did they do to him?’” he mimicked in Elmyra’s high-pitched cry.

“Hmm…The last time she saw me, I think I was only ten or something. She’s obviously not used to the idea of me fighting.” When his friend gave him a thoughtful look, Cloud sighed. “I don’t know, Zack.” His eyes shifted toward the sea, to the very spot he had watched Sephiroth disappear. “I’m not convinced we’ve seen the last of him.”

“You burned his face, Cloud and you ran him through with a longsword. Did he resurface after he went down?”

Cloud shook his head.

“Well, then he drowned if your sword didn’t kill him.”

“I guess so.”

“Come on, I’ll walk with you to the medical building.”

Maybe Zack was right. Maybe Sephiroth was finally dead. Cloud looked out to sea for another minute before turning to walk beside Zack.

 

Chapter 26​

It was already two days passed the time Cloud said he would be home.

Tifa was getting worried and anxious. What could have happened? So many thoughts rushed through her head, so many unpleasant images. She didn’t want to focus on any of them. Instead she tried to envision Cloud deciding to stay in Modeoheim several more days to help the people who were left without a home due to Sephiroth’s attack nearly two weeks ago.

Mindless of her direction because of her wandering thoughts, Tifa found herself entering the two-story Library from the second floor door in the north wing of the castle. When Aerith had showed her around on her first day, Tifa had only gotten a quick glimpse of the Library and nearly forgot it existed. Now that she was inside the large chamber, she casually strolled along the bookshelves, occasionally stopping to glimpse at a title of a book. She hummed to herself as she browsed.

Something caught her eye and she tilted her head sideways to better read the title. We Aren’t Alone. She continued to hum as she glanced at another book. Life Beyond the Stars.

“Are you interested in extraterrestrials?”

Tifa whirled around to face the wooden railing overlooking the first level of the Library. In the center of the room was a seating area where four velvet-covered sofas were arranged facing one another around a low table.

Sitting upon one of the sofas, reading a book, was Rufus. He looked expectantly up at her.

“Pardon me?” she asked.

“Extraterrestrials. Are you interested in them?”

Tifa wasn’t even sure what he was talking about, so she shook her head.

“The books you were looking at, they’re all about life on other planets.”

She turned to glance at the books again. Life on other planets? What kind of life? How could anyone know unless they were able to see the surface of a faraway moon? She shrugged. “Have you read these books?” she asked him.

“I haven’t, only because I’m not a believer, but I know many who are.”

“Like who?” Tifa began making her way to the steps leading down to the lower level.

“Well, my father for one.” He chuckled as his eyes followed her progress down the steps. “He’s convinced that if he owns every continent and calls himself the ruler of the world, then any visitor from another world would have to deal with him.”

“But…how would another visitor come here?” She lowered herself on the edge of the sofa directly opposite Rufus.

“On ships that fly through space.” He chuckled again. “The author of one of those books mentions seeing a creature coming down in a meteor that crashed in the upper section of Northland and he believes the creature still exists and currently resides somewhere in a mountain.”

“The book is obviously fiction.”

“It’s not meant to be, but I agree with you.”

“Does Cloud believe in such things?”

Rufus smiled. “My brother doesn’t believe in anything unless he can see it with his own eyes. That’s why he likes to explore. He wants to either break the myths or prove them.”

His statement raised a question in her mind “How did he become captain of a ship?”

He put his book down. “When Cloud turned eighteen, he took his first voyage on one of Midgar’s trade ships. They were headed for Costa Del Sol and back, trading supplies. He was bored so he decided to wander off and disappeared. The captain of the ship was horrified, of course. Having lost the king’s son, you can understand his dilemma. Well, Cloud returned three days later with proof of a native civilization living among the Corel Mountains, not to mention a rare coal that burned five times longer than oil. The discovery elated my father. Cloud somehow convinced him that he should have a ship built just for the purposes of exploration.”

“And so The Avalanche was built?”

“The Avalanche was built,” Rufus repeated. “To Cloud’s specifications. Don’t ask me where he obtained shipbuilding knowledge. That fact remains a mystery to me. Exactly one year later, which was the amount of time it took to build the enormous ship, Cloud took her on her maiden voyage and ran into a ship from Wutai. They weren’t friendly, so he had no choice but to fight.”

“So Cloud started the war between Midgar and Wutai?” Tifa asked incredulously.

Rufus laughed. “Heavens, no. That feud had been going on for some years before Cloud ever got involved. He just never thought they would attack an exploration vessel. There were some injuries and the ship suffered minor damage before the smaller Wutai ship left like a dog with its tail between its legs. After that, Cloud outfitted The Avalanche with cannons, forty of them, as you well know. He vowed that his ship would never suffer damage again.”

Tifa smiled. “I can see he loves that ship like nothing else in this world.”

“It’s the only thing that’s ever permanently held Cloud’s interest. He tends to easily lose interest in things that don’t keep him challenged…or excited, which is the reason he prefers to be out at sea rather than sitting around here with nothing to do.” He paused and studied her for a moment, noticing the blush on her cheeks everytime he mentioned his brother’s name. “You, my dear, are a challenge to him, an enigma he has yet to solve.”

“An enigma? Why do you say that?”

“You have secrets he seeks to uncover.”

She shook her head. “I have no secrets.”

“None that you are consciously aware of. Your past is a blur and Cloud’s curiosity has gotten the best of him. He’ll figure it out…or my mother will. They’re very alike in that aspect. They like to solve the mysteries of the world.”

Tifa hadn’t imagined Cloud would be so fascinated with her unknown past. He never questioned her beyond the years she had spent under Corneo’s ownership. What reason would he have to discover what she could no longer remember?

Rufus smiled. “You know, he speaks of you as if your very existence causes the rising of the sun every morning.”

She snorted skeptically. “That’s highly unlikely.”

“You don’t believe me?”

Tifa’s brows narrowed slightly and she felt her face flush with heat. “I’m his consort. He’s obviously disillusioned by…things…that we…” She paused, not willing to describe the intimacy she and Cloud had shared thus far.

“Cloud had Elena before you and he’s been with others before her. He’s never been so outright and open about a woman until you came into his life.”

“What do you mean open?” She was horrified to think that Cloud would speak to Rufus about such intimate things. “What does he tell you?”

“He doesn’t have to say anything. I can see he’s completely taken by you, perhaps even obsessed.”

She was beginning to grow tired of everyone telling her how Cloud felt about her. She didn’t want to hear it from others. She wanted to hear it directly from Cloud.

“You can rest assured, my brother has never said a word to me about anything that goes on inside his bedroom. Unless, of course, it’s something upsetting.”

His intense stare was disconcerting. To distract herself, Tifa glanced around the spacious Library. An entire wall was made up of windows and the sun provided a natural light. Around the sofas were tall stands where candles were placed and ready to be lit during the evening hours. Two walls, on opposite sides of each other, held shelves containing hundreds of books. Perhaps even thousands. She wondered how the royal family of Midgar came to possess all of these books. She couldn’t imagine reading a tenth of them, not even in her lifetime.

The thought sparked another. Would she live in this castle for the rest of her life? What if Cloud never returned?

“I’m worried about him, Rufus. The fleet should have returned by now.”

“If I know Cloud, and I do, he’s found something fascinating to explore. It won’t be the first time he’s delayed his return to Midgar. As I mentioned before, he’d rather be at sea than at Castle Shinra.”

Her eyes returned to him. “But what if something happened? How would we know?”

“Unfortunately we won’t know anything until he returns.” Rufus studied the girl once again. She seemed genuinely concerned for Cloud. “But don’t worry too much, Tifa. Cloud is quite resourceful and he’s proven countless times that he can take care of himself.”

His words quelled some of her anxiety, but not all of it. She still felt an emptiness without Cloud.

“You know, if you ever get tired of Cloud, I’d be happy to take you on as my consort.”

Despite the forwardness of his statement, Tifa wasn’t angry as she should have been. It was difficult to be angry with Rufus when he was being so genuinely kind to her. Rather than discouraging him, she decided to see how far he’d take this before she’d have to remind him of her attachment to Cloud. “Your wife would most definitely frown on that.”

Rufus smiled. “Yes, most definitely. However, I don’t see it as a problem. She has no authority over me.”

Although Cloud and Rufus were quite similar in appearance, she preferred Cloud’s softer, almost childlike look compared to Rufus’s more mature visage. “But she would have a problem with me. She wasn’t very happy when I didn’t bow to her the other day. Was it wrong of me?”

He waved a hand in dismissal. “Don’t fret over it. No one likes her, including me. Scarlet doesn’t realize that her inconsiderate conceit is disrespectful and if she weren’t that way, perhaps others might actually respect her in return. But let’s get back to the possibility of you becoming my consort.”

It was probably best that she dissuaded him from pursuing that prospect. “Forgive me, Rufus, I don’t want to be rude, but I hope you understand that I wish to remain faithful to Cloud.”

Rufus smiled and nodded. “Good answer.”

Her brows narrowed in mild amusement. “Are you testing me?”

“Perhaps…”

She wondered if he was doing this for Cloud’s benefit. Or had Cloud put him up to it, to see if she would remain true to him while he was away?

The door opened and Tseng entered.

Tifa stood up and glared at him…until she saw Elena enter behind him, her gaze lowered to the floor. But there was no mistaking the large red welt on Elena’s left cheekbone. At first Tifa thought it had happened during their scuffle several days ago. Then she remembered, she hadn’t struck Elena in the face. There was only one explanation for the fresh bruise. Tseng had hit her.

Rufus also stood up. “Any word on the fleet?” he directed to Tseng.

“Nothing.”

“We should send a messenger hawk to Modeoheim.”

Tseng shook his head. “It’s pointless. There might not be anyone there to receive the message.”

Rufus briefly glanced at Tifa’s ashen face before turning back to Tseng. “Tell Hojo to send the hawk anyway. If the bird returns with the message still intact, then we’ll know the fleet didn’t…well, we’ll know regardless.”

Tseng bowed his head. “As you wish.”

“I’ll go with you. I’d like to write the message myself.”

Elena was about to walk out of the Library with them.

“Stay here,” said Tseng. His eyes locked on Prince Cloud’s consort.

There was a coldness in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. Tifa wondered if he planned to make another attempt to molest her. She glared back in displeasure, daring him to try and conveying that she’d never allow him to touch her that way again.

The door closed behind the two men.

Tifa’s eyes turned to Elena who walked toward the windows. “He hit you.” It wasn’t a question.

“It’s none of your business,” Elena said, her voice slightly shaky.

“Listen, Elena. We need to put aside our petty squabble and stand together against Tseng.”

Elena whirled around to face her. “What’re you talking about? Why would I want to stand against Tseng?”

“Two days ago, he tried to…force himself on me.”

“That’s not true.”

“Why would I lie about such a thing?”

The sudden fury on Elena’s face was tangible. “You come here and steal Cloud from me and now that I’m with Tseng, you’re making up lies about him. I know what you’re trying to do. You’re pushing me out of this household because I’m a threat to you.”

“Elena, no. That’s not what I’m trying to do. I’m telling you the truth.” She moved closer to Elena. “Why did he hit you?”

“I told you it’s none of your business. Besides, what do you care? You think the queen or anybody else is going to care? We mean nothing to the royal family of Midgar. We’re consorts, mere playthings for their amusement.”

“I don’t believe that.”

Elena laughed without humor. “If you think Cloud’s going to fall in love with you, then you’re delusional. He has to marry into royalty, which means you can never be a permanent part of his life.”

“I’m not stupid, I know that.”

“He’ll toss you away like an old shoe the moment he takes a wife at the end of this year.”

Tifa swore her heart stopped beating for several seconds.

Elena smiled sinisterly. “Judging by the look on your face, my guess is he didn’t tell you.”

“How…how do you know?”

“He told me before he left for Mideel.”

Tifa was stunned. He had known all along he was engaged to be married at the end of the year and didn’t bother to tell her. When was he planning to tell her, the day before the wedding? She had known being with Cloud would be a temporary arrangement, but she thought they’d have more time than just a few months.

And what about her feelings? She couldn’t just stop loving him from one day to the next.

Another thing bothered her. If Elena knew, then it was obviously a known fact throughout the household. No one had bothered to tell her. Not Cloud, not the queen, not even Aerith.

“How does it feel, knowing you’ll be given to someone else, just like me?”

Tifa couldn’t listen to her anymore. She gathered her skirt and walked out of the Library as fast as her feet could carry her.

 

Chapter 27​

Tifa ran through the front gate and headed for a small grove of trees just beyond the battlement walls. When she reached the first tree, without thinking she grabbed the lowest branch and pulled herself up. Despite the frilly green gown, she managed to climb to the next branch where she sat with her legs dangling.

The guards at the gates exchanged curious glances, wondering what could have compelled the woman to climb a tree.

Staring out beyond the river, Tifa could see the outline of the mountains further south. They were majestic and beautiful. The lands around Midgar were rich with fields of tall grass and flowers. The other day when she had ridden out to the river with Denzel, the scents of the yellow and white poppies lifted her spirits and she dreamt of Cloud that night. He kissed her so lovingly that when she woke from the dream, her stomach was twisted in knots. She had desperately longed for his return.

But now she wasn’t sure how to feel anymore. Cloud was engaged to be married. The thought made her so sick, she nearly emptied the contents of her stomach on her way out of the castle. Would Cloud give her to someone else the way he had done with Elena? Or would she remain his consort even though he had a wife? She didn’t know which scenario was worse. Even if he kept her, would she be able to tolerate seeing him with another woman?

Her vulnerable heart felt heavy, an unbearable weight pressing down on it, threatening to crush it like a grape. Tears burned her eyes and she angrily wiped them away before they could spill down her cheeks. But that battle was quickly lost.

Tifa didn’t even know why she was crying. Her life had been full of disappointment and misery. Nothing had changed. What had she honestly expected coming to Midgar with Cloud? He was a prince, destined to be king if the opportunity presented itself. What use would he have for someone like her? Maybe Elena was right. Maybe she meant nothing to Cloud. She was expendable, something to use and throw away when he was finished. Even Rufus stated Cloud tended to be easily bored.

But he also said Cloud was obsessed with her. What did it all mean? What was she supposed to do? How was she expected to deal with this?

Half a mile away, Aerith was returning from a long ride, slowly cantering her horse toward the castle. Her eyes were fixed in the direction of the front gates, but shifted to the right when a movement caught her attention. Something green was perched on one of the trees nearby. With the branches still bare as the spring season approached, Aerith could clearly see it was a woman in a green gown.

She altered her direction and slowed her horse to a trot as she drew closer to the grove of trees. Finally she was able to see that the woman was Tifa.

Upon seeing Aerith riding toward her on a white horse, Tifa quickly wiped at her eyes again.

Aerith drew her horse to a stop beneath the branch Tifa sat on. “What in the world are you doing up there?”

“Enjoying the sights,” Tifa replied without emotion.

Seeing that Tifa appeared upset about something, Aerith dismounted and promptly climbed the tree until she was sitting beside her new friend. She remained silent, observing Tifa’s pained expression, waiting for her to say something.

Tifa’s tears renewed. She looked down, her brows narrowed. “Why didn’t he tell me he was getting married at the end of this year?”

Aerith’s eyebrows went up. She quickly determined there were only two people that might have opened their mouth. Scarlet or Elena. She figured it was the latter. “He honestly planned to, Tifa. But he saw how happy you were and he didn’t want to ruin it.”

“Right, it’s so much better this way…” she said bitterly, “…so he can just crush my hopes and dreams in the blink of an eye.” Then she laughed to herself. Her hopes and dreams? They were completely misguided. There was nothing to hope for, nothing to dream about.

“Remember what I said before, about Cloud not able to have his way at times?”

Tifa nodded.

“Do you remember what else I said?”

“The choices he makes are the ones that are the most important to him.”

“He chose to save you, to give you a better life.”

“I don’t see how this is better, Aerith. He…he makes me fall in love with him and…now I’m expected to…to live with this incredible pain in my heart. I can’t watch him with some other woman.”

“Cloud doesn’t want anything to do with this engagement.”

“But he doesn’t have a choice in the matter. He has to marry into royalty.”

“Please don’t be angry with him when he returns.”

“Why should I be angry with him? He’s not to blame. I’m the one who’s stupid enough to believe I’d ever find happiness here in Midgar.”

“You’re all he cares about, Tifa. It won’t be easy for him to give you up.”

“Not easy for him…” Tifa sighed in frustration. Not easy for him? What about her? She no longer bothered to wipe at the tears sliding down her cheeks. “How do I not think about him with someone else…as they create an heir for the king?” Her voice broke in the middle of the sentence. “How do I stop feeling, now that I know what it’s like?” She covered her face with her hands and cried.

Aerith could feel Tifa’s pain and her own eyes began to tear. She swallowed the lump in her throat, knowing that anything she said wouldn’t erase the hurt. Wanting Tifa to release her sorrow, Aerith waited several minutes before she spoke again. “There’s still time, Tifa. Something might happen that’ll change things.”

Tifa removed her hands and wiped at her eyes as she shook her head. “Cloud made me believe in a lot of things. I have no faith left.”

The Avalanche moved swiftly through the water, heading south toward Midgardia. Two smaller vessels followed behind at a safe distance, equally moving as fast as the heavier ship. The third ship of the Midgar fleet had been trashed by the lizardmen that had overtaken it during the attack and it currently sat at the bottom of the sea near the coast of Modeoheim, along with Sephiroth’s ship.

Cloud stared out at the sea ahead from where he stood behind the bowsprit. His face was a mess of cuts and scratches, his right shoulder was heavily bandaged beneath his shirt and he walked with a slight limp due to a sprained left ankle. That was the extent of his injuries. Zack, Cid and Barret suffered only minor injuries as well. Many of the seriously injured crew remained in Modeoheim because they were incapable of withstanding the trip back to Midgar. So all four ships were extremely light on crew.

From the corner of his eye, he observed his aunt approach and settle down on a crate near the railing. She reminded him so much of his mother that he nearly made the mistake of calling her that on four separate occasions within the last couple of days.

“How long before we reach Midgar?” asked Elmyra.

“We’ve got a good southerly wind blowing, so I estimate sometime tonight.”

“It’s been quite a while since I was last there. Ever since Denzel was born.” She laughed. “You were only eleven. And if I recall, you were quite the rebel.”

Cloud smiled, his cheek stinging from just the small movement. “If you ask my mother, she’ll tell you that I still am.”

Elmyra stood up and walked to her nephew. She reached up and touched his cheek, the one that wasn’t full of scratches. “If it weren’t for you, Cloud, those in Modeoheim that survived the initial attack wouldn’t have survived the second one.”

He tried to see things her way, but he couldn’t get passed the eighty-three men he lost in the battle. He didn’t think he’d ever get over it.

“I’m thankful you and Zack came when you did.”

“I’m sorry it wasn’t any sooner. We might have been able to prevent the first attack.” Cloud knew he was feeding his guilt. But he couldn’t help it. Everything always went right for him, he always succeeded. Not this time. He should have been better prepared for the surprise attack.

“Nonsense, dear. You can’t be everywhere at the same time.” She leaned in and kissed his uninjured cheek. “Let’s not talk about troublesome things anymore. Ifalna mentioned in her last letter that you’re getting married at the end of the year. That’s wonderful news, Cloud. Tell me all about your bride to be.”

Wonderful news? Cloud’s brows narrowed. “I don’t know anything about her. I’ve never even met her.”

“You don’t sound very excited.”

“That’s because I’m not.”

Elmyra frowned. “You don’t want to get married?”

He sighed, looking away. “It’s not that I don’t want to get married. I just…I want to make the choice. I want to be the one to decide who I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.”

“So who arranged it?”

He shrugged indifferently. “My father and I guess hers, back when he was alive. I don’t know.”

“Let me guess. She’s the princess of some other place, right?”

“Junon.”

Elmyra sympathized with him. Her sister, Ifalna had been forced to marry the king of Midgar. Although she had to admit, Ifalna grew to love Tomas Shinra after a few years. It had been a marriage for land and Modeoheim was thus under Midgar’s rule. Elmyra imagined that Junon would benefit under Midgar’s rule and knew the marriage was merely one of convenience. “You want to marry someone you love,” she stated rhetorically.

Cloud instantly thought of Tifa. He could no longer imagine himself being with anyone else. His chest constricted every time he thought about telling Tifa he was engaged to another. But he knew he had to tell her. If she found out from someone else, she’d hate him forever. He wished he could be free to ask her to be his wife. He would do it in a heartbeat. “Unfortunately, I can’t have the one I truly want.”

“Your heart already belongs to someone else?”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

Cloud was reluctant to respond to her inquiry. It would be pointless anyway. It wasn’t like his aunt could somehow persuade his father to call off the wedding. But the curious look in her eyes made him acquiesce. “She’s…my consort.”

Elmyra remained silent for a moment as she studied her nephew. Falling in love with one’s consort wasn’t something unheard of. But a prince was expected to keep the bloodlines untainted. Cloud would never be allowed to marry anyone other than someone of royal bloodlines. Even though he was rebellious by nature, he’d have no choice but to follow that protocol. “She must be something special for you to feel so strongly about her.”

What could he say to describe his feelings for Tifa? “There’s been a connection between us from the very beginning. I can’t explain it. I feel as though I’ve been searching for Tifa all my life.” He frowned. “And now that I’ve found her…I can’t…” he stammered, unable to finish without getting overly emotional.

“You can’t be with her for the rest of your life,” Elmyra concluded for him.

“It’s killing me. I’d do anything for her.”

“Even give up your status as prince of Midgar?”

He turned to Elmyra and looked into her eyes as he nodded his head. “Yes, anything.”

Elmyra squeezed his left arm. “I’m sorry you’re going through this, Cloud. I wish there was something I could do.”

“Thanks for your concern, Aunt Elmyra, but it looks as though I’ll have to deal with this myself.” He wasn’t sure what was worse right now…telling his father he lost eighty-three men in battle or knowing the woman he loved would soon hate him for what he’d have to tell her.

Ifalna ran her fingers over the pink blossoms in front of her. “These are lovely, aren’t they?”

“I’ve never seen such vibrant colors before. Do these flowers grow throughout Midgar?” asked Tifa.

“Unfortunately, no. I have asked the king that we should construct gardens in various parts of the village so our people can enjoy these flowers as I do.” The queen cut six of the flowers from the bunch and handed them to Tifa. “But he never concerns himself with what he calls trivial things.”

Tifa lifted the blossoms to her face and inhaled the beautiful scent. The flowers she was used to that had grown in Mideel weren’t anywhere near as fragrant as these. She reluctantly placed them in the basket and followed the queen further down the flower garden. “Why not have hem built anyway? You’re the queen. You should have a say in some matters regarding Midgar, right?”

Ifalna smiled. “You’re absolutely right, Tifa. If my husband doesn’t want to concern himself, then it will be my concern.”

Tifa was glad the queen had invited her out to the gardens. Earlier, when she had returned to the castle after her near breakdown on the tree with Aerith, she didn’t want to wallow away in self-pity in Cloud’s bedroom. She was ashamed at herself for being angry with Cloud. She missed him so much. The last thing she wanted was to waste the time she had with Cloud on pettiness. She’d be strong for him and support him in what Aerith described as something he was vehemently against. He didn’t want to marry this princess of Junon. That was all that mattered to her for now.

“Do you think Cloud will be home soon?” she asked.

“I certainly hope so. Tomorrow night is our annual masquerade ball. He’d be quite disappointed if he had to miss it. It’s Cloud’s favorite event.”

“A masquerade ball?”

Ifalna smiled at her. “I have quite a collection of masks. You can choose one of mine.”

Tifa returned the smile. “I’ve never been to a ball before. What’s it like?”

“Well, there will be a larger selection of food, of course. And the minstrels will place music and everyone dances.” The queen suddenly had a thought. “I have a wonderful idea. Later tonight we’ll get together in the Dining Hall and I’ll teach you one of the more popular dances. Then you can surprise Cloud.”

Tifa’s smile widened. “Will Cloud ask me to dance?”

“Of course he will, dear. Who else is he going to ask?”

The sound of running footsteps made both Tifa and Ifalna turn toward the source.

A messenger rushed up. “A message for you...my queen...” he said, out of breath and handed her a sealed envelope.

Ifalna recognized the wax seal on the back of the envelope. It was from Annaxia, the queen of Junon. For some reason, Ifalna dreaded the content of the message. With a sigh, she broke the seal and opened the envelope. After pulling out the letter, she quickly read it to herself.

My dear Ifalna,
I’m pleased to announce that my daughter Priscilla will soon be traveling to Midgar and should arrive in a fortnight. She anxiously anticipates meeting her betrothed and hopes to acquaint herself with him before the coming nuptials. I wish you all the best and look forward to seeing you and King Shinra at year’s end.
Queen Annaxia of Junon

Tifa noticed the queen had paled after reading the note. “Is everything all right?” she asked, hoping it wasn’t bad news about Cloud.

Ifalna immediately pasted a smile on her face, even though she wasn’t very thrilled with the news that Cloud’s fiancé would arrive in two weeks. “Everything is just fine, dear. No need to worry.”

“You don’t look well.”

“I’m feeling a bit weary.”

“Let me help you inside.” Tifa took the queen’s arm and walked her back along the rose garden path and in the direction of the castle. She wondered what the message was that made the queen suddenly seem distraught.

Tifa leaned on the stone balustrade, her chin resting on her folded arms. She never realized how much she could possibly miss someone until Cloud came into her life. She missed talking with him. He always had something witty to say and he never failed to make her smile or laugh.

Her eyes scanned over the night darkened countryside from the balcony outside the chamber belonging to the king and queen. The village was illuminated with thousands of pinpoints of light, the only sign that it existed against the dark backdrop of the sea just beyond it.

The entire countryside surrounding Castle Shinra was a breathtaking sight, even at night.

Ifalna stepped out onto the balcony, holding out two elaborately decorated masks. “I think either one of these would look stunning on you. What do you think?”

Tifa stared at a line of torches moving swiftly away from the town and heading for the castle. “What’s that?”

The queen turned to where Tifa pointed. A smile suddenly spread across her slightly aged face. “They’ve come home.”

Tifa didn’t wait for the queen to say anything more. She pushed away from the balustrade and rushed inside. After exiting into the corridor, she gathered the front of her skirt higher so she could run faster. “Aerith! Aerith!”

Aerith came out of her bedchamber just as Tifa rushed up, nearly knocking her over. Tifa grabbed her hands and pulled her. “What’s going on, Tifa?”

“They’re back!” Tifa dragged her. “Cloud and Zack!”

Both Tifa and Aerith nearly tumbled down the length of the stairs in their haste, laughing giddily when they reached the bottom and raced toward the front entrance. By the time they reached the courtyard, the horses and the carriage were just coming through the gates.

Tifa immediately recognized Fenrir, prancing spiritedly ahead of the others.

Cloud saw a fog of pale pink and blue moving closer. He knew immediately it was Tifa and Aerith. Fenrir reared excitedly, sensing his master’s fervor and bolted forward. When they were only a few yards from intercepting each other, Cloud executed a perfect dismount from a full gallop, despite his injuries. He caught Tifa in his arms, picking her up over his head by the waist.

Tifa laughed breathlessly as he spun her around and around.

When he finally put her back down, his shoulder burning from the movement, Cloud continued to hold her tightly. He kissed the side of her neck. “Did you miss me?”

She never felt such relief, nestled in his arms, inhaling his familiar scent, relishing in the familiar feel of his lips on her skin. “I missed you terribly.”

“So did I.” He pulled back and brought his lips to hers, kissing her feverishly. She felt so good in his arms, he didn’t want to let her go. “I thought about you all day and all night.”

When Tifa was able to look at him, she was shocked by what she saw. His face was covered with scratches and there was a deep cut running diagonal from his forehead, along his nose and down to his jaw. “You’re hurt!”

“It’s nothing. Just a couple scratches.” He swallowed the lump in his throat at the pained look on her face as she reached up to brush her fingers over the largest cut. “I’ll be fine, Tifa, honestly.”

She drew his face to her and pressed her lips firmly against his, holding them there and thinking that he could have been killed.

“Cloud?”

They broke apart and turned toward Zack who stood with Aerith and her mother.

“We have to report to the king.”

Cloud released Tifa and nodded. “Right.” He turned toward the front entrance and began walking toward it, Zack walking beside him.

Behind them, Aerith pulled Tifa along with her and her mother. “Tifa, this is my mother, Elmyra.”

Elmyra curiously studied the girl on the other side of her daughter. She was the one Cloud spoke to her about. His consort, Tifa. “Cloud spoke of you to me.”

“He did?” Tifa asked in surprise, noting the slight limp in Cloud’s gait.

Cloud looked over his shoulder and slowed his steps until Tifa was beside him. He took her hand and waited for the others to move ahead up the steps into the castle.

“Is something wrong with your leg?” she asked him.

“Nothing serious. Just a sprained ankle.”

“Why do you look so nervous?”

He shrugged as they headed up the steps and passed the front entrance. “I’m not looking forward to justifying the casualties to my father.”

“Casualties? Did you run into Sephiroth?”

“While we were in Modeoheim, his ship returned and we were attacked by the creatures that made up his crew. I fought Sephiroth and…I killed him. But…a lot of men were killed. Their lives were my responsibility.”

She could tell his conscience weighed heavily on him. “You’re worried your father will berate you for what happened?”

“I don’t know. I’ve lost men in battle before, but this is the first time it’s been this many. I don’t know how he’ll react. He might take away my ship.”

“I don’t think that’ll happen, Cloud.”

“You don’t know my father very well. He’s punished people for less.”

“But you’re his son.”

“It doesn’t matter.” He watched Zack, Aerith and his aunt walk through the doors leading to the king’s Study and heard his mother cry out her sister’s name. He stopped in front of the entrance, waiting while the greetings were taking place.

“Do you want me to wait out here for you?” Tifa asked, wondering if he preferred she didn’t witness his father bearing his wrath down on him.

“No,” he said with finality and pulled her through the doorway with him.

Ifalna and Elmyra were still embraced when Cloud and Tifa entered the room.

The queen released her sister when she saw her son. “Cloud…” She quickly rushed over to embrace him and then held him at arm’s length to inspect him from head to toe.

“I’m fine, mother,” he said, his eyes shifting to where his father waited in his usual spot beside the fireplace. As he pulled away from his mother, Zack moved with him, but Cloud held his hand out to stop him.

The king looked sternly as his son approached. Cloud looked hesitant and guarded, which gave Shinra the impression that not all went as well as it should have. “I assume you confronted Sephiroth again?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

“He’s dead. I killed him.”

“You don’t sound very certain.”

Under normal circumstances, Cloud was rebellious and opposed his father at every opportunity. But he didn’t feel very argumentative at the moment. “I burned his face and ran him through with a longsword. He went into the water and never came up. That’s all I’m certain about.”

“And the fleet?”

Cloud maintained eye contact with his father and he mentally composed himself. “I lost one ship. The Swan. And…eighty-three men…were killed in the battle.” He watched the color rise to his father’s face and waited for the anger to boil over. When his father closed the gap between them, Cloud didn’t flinch, even though he expected a blow to his face. What he didn’t expect was his father’s arms crushing him in an embrace. It took him a moment to recall this was the first time his father ever showed any physical affection toward him.

“Thank the Gods you returned safely,” said the king into his son’s hair. “I don’t know what I would have done if you were lost to me. My boy…” He kissed Cloud’s forehead.

Cloud was slightly uncomfortable with the contact, but he didn’t pull away. His father’s words sank in. He had never expressed his love for his sons. Hearing him speak with such emotion in his voice rendered Cloud speechless. He didn’t know what to say, except one thing. “Thank you, father.”

The king finally released his son, a smile on his face. “Alright then. You’re safe and Midgar is safe.” He nodded proudly. “Go on and be with your consort. I know you missed her.”

Cloud smiled and nodded in return.

Hojo absently stepped out of the medical ward, exhausted beyond belief after spending nearly thirty-six straight hours working on a new strain of Mako. He yawned and headed down the corridor in the direction of the north wing. At the second floor foyer, his feet ground to a halt.

“Good evening, professor,” said a feminine voice.

He stared at the two people that had just come up the staircase. Prince Cloud and his consort. He watched them disappear toward the rooms reserved for the royal family.

Prince Cloud? Tseng assured the prince wouldn’t be coming back. Something had gone wrong…terribly wrong. Instead of heading for his quarters, Hojo went in search of Tseng.

 

Chapter 28​

The moment they were alone in his bedroom, Cloud kissed Tifa senseless, his hands cradling her face.

Tifa tried to speak between kisses. “Tell me…everything…I want…to know…what happened to you.”

“You first.” He moved from her lips to the space just below her ear. “What’d you do while I was away?”

She could barely concentrate on the thoughts swimming around inside her head as he began to slowly build the heat brewing in the depths of her core. He had such a way to make her lose her concentration. “Elena and I dueled with swords.”

Cloud abruptly stopped and raised his head to look at her. “What?”

“I won,” Tifa said proudly with a small smile. She hoped Cloud wouldn’t be mad. Although she hadn’t been the one to start the fight.

The corner of his lips curled crookedly. “Too bad I missed that.” He touched her face again. “What else did you do?” He went back to kissing the side of her neck, his hand moving to her breast, the velvet of her gown soft beneath his fingers.

Tifa’s eyes automatically closed and she swallowed. “I went for a ride with Denzel. We raced to the river.”

“Yeah?” he murmured against her skin. “Did the little deviant try to kiss you or anything?”

She giggled. “No, nothing like that. He was a perfect gentleman.” She thought about what else she could tell him. “I met Professor Hojo.”

Cloud switched to the other side of her neck and pushed her collar of her gown aside so he could kiss her shoulder. “He’s creepy, just like I said, right?”

“Yes, he’s quite creepy. And I ran into Rufus in the Library. We talked about a lot of things.”

“Did he try to kiss you?”

Again she giggled, wondering why he was so obsessed to know if anyone tried to kiss her. Then she remembered something she had tried desperately to forget. “No. But…”

“But?”

“Tseng…” She felt him stiffen and immediately regretted bringing up his name.

Cloud pulled away and looked at her again. “What about Tseng?”

Her eyes widened a bit. “Nothing.”

“Tifa, what happened with Tseng?” he asked sternly.

“He…he hit Elena and bruised her face.”

Cloud frowned. He wasn’t pleased to hear that, but he had a feeling there was more. “What else?” When she just looked at him, a cold chill rushed up his spine. He quickly came to his own conclusion about what could have happened. “He touched you!”

“No! Not…really.”

“What do you mean, not really? Either he did or he didn’t.”

“Well, I got away from him before he could…do anything.”

Cloud’s head felt as if it had just exploded. He released Tifa and bolted for the door, leaving it wide open as he stormed out.

Tifa gathered her skirt and rushed after him. “Cloud, stop!”

He ignored her calls and turned his eyes to the single guard stationed at the top of the staircase. “Where’s Tseng?” he growled.

“The king summoned him to the Study a few moments ago,” replied the guard.

Cloud didn’t even bother with the stairs. He grasped the railing and hauled himself over the side, landing deftly in a crouch on the floor of the first level. Without pausing, he headed for the Study.

Tifa skipped down the stairs as quickly as she could and ran after him.

King Shinra was hunched over a table, pointing to a map rolled out on top of it. Rufus, Zack, Tseng and Rude were standing around the same table.

“What did you call this island again?” asked Shinra.

“Quadra Isle,” replied Zack. “Inhabited only by those creatures we saw with Sephiroth.”

“I want them obliterated, extinct.”

Zack nodded. “I’ll put together a team.”

“It’ll have to wait until after your wedding,” Rufus stated.

“What the hell for?” asked the king.

“You’ll have three very angry women on your hands if he returns with a single blemish on his face. Aerith, my mother and Aunt Elmyra.”

Zack was about to make a witty reply, but he immediately forgot what he was going to say when he saw Cloud enter the room, a look of utter rage on his face.

Everyone else turned just as Cloud pointed toward Tseng. “Fucking miserable piece of shit!”

Tseng paled as the prince came around the table and shoved him backward. He didn’t have a chance to even open his mouth before he was punched hard in the face and dropped to his knees.

Cloud kicked him square in the chest, sending him flat on his black before grabbing him by the front of his shirt, not allowing him the chance to get up on his feet. He glared furiously at the advisor, his teeth clenched. “I swear to everything holy in this world, I’ll rip your heart out with my bare hand and shove it down your fucking throat!”

Tifa remained standing in the doorway, afraid to walk into the room after seeing Cloud punch Tseng.

“What the hell’s wrong with you, Cloud?” demanded the king.

Cloud shoved Tseng to the floor with considerable force and spat on him before turning to his father. “Keep him away from me or I’ll kill him!”

The king motioned to Rude. “Get him out of here.”

Rude hastened to escort Tseng out of the room.

As vicious as Cloud’s attack had been on Tseng, Tifa couldn’t help but feel retribution for what he had almost done to her. She glared smugly at him, his face bloodied and his nose in a strange angle. She wasn’t at all concerned about the ominous look he was giving her in return.

Once Tseng was gone, Shinra turned to his son. “You better have a good reason for striking my advisor, Cloud.”

“That goddamned snake touched my property.” Then he realized what he said and that Tifa was standing near the doorway. “I mean…he tried to force himself on Tifa.”

When the king turned to her and motioned her over, Tifa took a deep breath and approached, her eyes wearily studying the enraged look on Cloud’s face.

“Is this true, Tifa?” the king calmly asked her.

“Yes, sire.”

“Why didn’t you inform the queen?”

“Tseng stated I was fair game while Cloud was away.”

Cloud clenched his fists. “I’ll show him fair game. I’ll tie him to the back of my horse and drag him from here to Kalm and…”

Shinra silenced him with a hand before turning back to the consort. “What Tseng told you is not how things are done here at Castle Shinra. Did he violate you?”

Tifa shook her head. “No, I managed to break away from him.”

“What exactly did he do?”

“He…touched me and tore the back of my gown.”

“You still have a right to lodge a complaint and Tseng will be punished accordingly.”

“How will he be punished?”

“Banishment.”

“Banishment?” She thought it was rather harsh, even though she never wanted to see Tseng’s face again.

“You don’t understand the seriousness of this charge. You are the property of a prince. Without expressed permission from Cloud, Tseng had no right to touch you in any way, shape or form.”

Tifa made eye contact with Cloud. She hoped he would help her make the decision. Judging by the murderous look in his eyes, Cloud would find an excuse to slaughter him in the immediate future if Tseng remained in Midgar. “I wish to speak to the queen first before I make my decision,” she said to the king.

The king released a barely audible sigh. “Very well,” he said before turning to his infuriated son. “Does that meet with your approval?”

Cloud rolled his eyes. “Whatever.” He reached for Tifa’s hand. “Just keep him out of my sight. I won’t be held responsible for what I do to him if he comes within ten feet of Tifa.”

“Fair enough.”

Tifa allowed Cloud to pull her by the hand toward the door. She had never seen him so angry before. But shouldn’t she have been angry with him for calling her his property, even though he tried to correct himself immediately after making that statement? Despite whatever she had thought before, Tifa discovered she wanted to be Cloud’s possession. She wanted to be owned by him. If it was the only way she’d be able to remain close to him, then she welcomed his ownership of her.

Tseng pulled himself out of Rude’s grip. “I can walk on my own just fine!” When the First Captain left him alone, Tseng headed for the east wing and the medical ward. He found Hojo treating a wound on Reno’s forehead.

Hojo saw Tseng’s bloodied face and frowned. “What the hell happened to you?” He didn’t get an answer as the king’s advisor grabbed a cloth and held it to his bleeding nose. Hojo turned back to Reno. “You’ll be fine as long as you stay off your feet for several days.”

Reno hopped off the table. “Thanks a lot, doc. Yeah, I’ll tell the king I need a vacation. Not gonna happen.” On his way to the door, Reno paused near Tseng. “What’d you do, get kicked in the face by your own horse?” he chuckled to himself on the way out.

When they were alone, Hojo turned back to Tseng. “Well? What happened?”

“Strife.”

Hojo pointed a finger at him. “I warned you, didn’t I?”

“He wasn’t supposed to come back.”

“Something obviously went wrong.”

“Perhaps the great Sephiroth wasn’t so great afterall.”

“Or Strife is a lot more than he bargained.”

“I thought you said you were going to stop those Mako injections on him.”

“The next one is different than the others. It’ll probably kill him.”

“A lot of good that does us now with Sephiroth dead.”

“We still have our orders to carry out and we need to see them through.”

Tseng shook his head angrily. “I’m tired of being a pawn.”

“We don’t have a choice. We must do their bidding.”

“Sephiroth is dead. It’s over.”

“It’s not over until she says it’s over. Now come over here and let me see if I can straighten that nose of yours.”

 

Chapter 29​

Cloud was still fuming when they returned to his bedroom. While Tifa disappeared into the bathroom, he plopped himself down on the bed with his back against the headboard and folded his arms. His shoulder and ankle were both throbbing in pain, but he ignored them along with all the other aches. Except for the one in his gut. Knowing that his Tifa had been close to being violated while he was away…it made him sick to his stomach. How could something like that have happened? Did Tseng convince Tifa to follow him? Did he sneak up behind her?

A few minutes later Tifa stepped out of the bathroom wearing her shimmering silk nightdress. As she approached the bed, she studied his brooding face, his eyes focused elsewhere. She could tell he was still angry. At first, when Tifa saw Cloud strike Tseng, she was fearful he’d kill the king’s advisor. But the manner in which Cloud defended her with such fanatical zeal, it only deepened what she already felt for him.

Tifa hiked up the hem of her nightdress and climbed onto the bed. He didn’t move as she crawled over him. Even when she kissed him, he didn’t react. She regretted mentioning the incident with Tseng. It spoiled Cloud’s mood. “Smile for me, Cloud.”

“Don’t feel like smiling.”

Did Cloud think Tseng had tainted her? “Are you disgusted by me?”

“That’s a stupid thing to ask. Of course I’m not disgusted by you.”

She frowned. “You didn’t even bother to ask me how I got away from Tseng.”

Cloud’s eyes shifted to her. “How did you get away from him?”

“I smashed my heel down on his foot. I think I broke his toe.”

Despite his anger, Cloud couldn’t help it. The corner of his lips lifted. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She smiled when Cloud pulled her closer, settling her on his lap. “So now he has a broken nose and a broken toe.”

He placed his hands on her face and pulled it toward him. “I don’t want to talk about him anymore.” As he slowly kissed her lips, his thoughts were filled with nothing but her. How easy it would be to simply tell her how he felt…to tell her he loved her, that he wanted them to spend the rest of their lives together.

Tifa worked on the buttons of his shirt with patience, not wanting to ruin another one by ripping it open like she had done before. When the task was complete, she pulled the sides apart and pushed the shirt off his shoulders. Along the way, she felt something on Cloud’s right shoulder. She pulled away to look and saw a thick bandage. “What happened here?” she asked with concern.

“Some ugly beast got a hand on me and nearly ripped a piece of my shoulder off.”

A hand shot up to cover her mouth and her eyes instantly filled with tears. “Does it hurt?”

He lied. “Not at all. Zack put the healing salve on it. It should be good as new in a few days.”

Tifa hesitantly ran her hands down his chest, thoroughly looking him over. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

“I’m fine, Tifa. Don’t be afraid to touch me.” His hands drifted down to her thighs, caressing the smooth skin before disappearing beneath the hem of her nightdress. He turned his right hand and slid it between her parted legs, his fingers touching her intimately. It only took several seconds before his fingers were coated with her essence. He studied her face…eyes closed, teeth clenching her lower lip, cheeks flushed red. A single tear slid down from the corner of her right eye. He closed the brief gap between them and captured the tear on his tongue before kissing her cheek.

A shiver rushed up Tifa’s spine when his fingers gently slid inside her, curling inward, searching for the place that would send her into oblivion. His other hand rested on the juncture of her thigh, his thumb coming down to rub her swollen bud. His lips moved to hers, tongue demanding entrance. She parted her lips and just as he began exploring the familiar depths of her mouth, she reached her climax and cried out in blissful relief. Her entire body trembled in glorious spasms as she rode out her orgasm to the end.

Cloud loved watching her face when she climaxed. She still behaved so innocently when they were together this way as if each time was the first time all over again. She didn’t know how utterly desirable she was, the devastating allure she exuded…the way she involuntarily made him think and do crazy things he normally wouldn’t even consider. He reached up and brushed her hair away from her face. “Tifa…”

She slowly opened her eyes, her breath beginning to return to normal. There was something about the way he was looking at her, the tenderness in his gaze.

“I never thought this would ever be possible for me, but…I’ve fallen in love with you.”

His words sent another shiver through her. Surely he wouldn’t say such a thing if he didn’t mean it, would he? Why would he risk sharing his deepest feelings with her if he never intended to hurt her?

“I think I fell in love with you the moment I first saw you,” he continued. “There’s a connection between us, Tifa. Do you feel it?”

She pressed her forehead against his. “Yes, I feel it.” She did feel it. Something so tangible, she could reach out and touch it. “It’s like we’re meant to be together.”

“Yes.” He closed his eyes. “I’m going to do everything in my power to keep us together. I don’t want anything to come between us.”

Tifa decided to approach the subject she didn’t think Cloud would voluntarily bring up. But she knew why he avoided telling her. To speak about it only made it real and he didn’t want it to happen. “Not even the princess you’re supposed to marry at the end of this year?”

Despite his surprise to know that she knew the one thing he hadn’t been able to speak of, Cloud didn’t break the contact between them, keeping his face pressed against hers. “You know about that.” It wasn’t a question.

“I was angry with you for not telling me.”

This time he pulled away to look into her eyes. “I don’t blame you, Tifa. I’m sorry. I just didn’t know how to tell you. You were suddenly so happy, I didn’t want you to lose that feeling.”

Tifa’s eyes began to water. “You don’t have to apologize, Cloud. I understand and besides, I have no right to question your judgment. I’m just your consort.”

His hands went to her face. “No, don’t say that. You’re not just my consort. You’re much more to me than that. I don’t want that kind of life for you. You deserve more…better than that.” He pulled her face closer and kissed her with passion. “I love you,” he whispered against her lips.

She didn’t need to hear anymore.

In the morning, Tifa woke before Cloud. He was still asleep beside her. She didn’t want to wake him, thinking he probably needed more rest after they had made love until well passed the midnight hour. She quietly slipped out of bed and went into the bathroom to attend to her morning necessities.

After slipping her nightdress back on, Tifa turned her attention to the equipment one of the servants had brought into the bedroom the night before. She walked toward the sofa on the other side of the room. Resting on a sheet spread out over the sofa were Cloud’s chestplate and wristguards. The shiny silver was stained with a dark green-colored substance. She knew it was the blood of the creatures he had killed.

She stood rooted to the spot, staring at the blood staining the sharp teeth of the wristguards. Her problems had no significance compared to what Cloud went through just to stay alive. He and the rest of his crew could have easily been annihilated. But Cloud had been victorious over Sephiroth.

He told her everything last night…the vicious attack of the lizard creatures and his own battle with Sephiroth. He became extremely emotional when he talked about the men who died in the battle, but was so overwhelmed with relief when he discovered Zack wasn’t among them…or Barret, or Cid…even Reno. Seeing him so distraught and aching with sorrow made her love him even more because he revealed a side of himself no one had ever seen before. Cloud never cried in front of anyone, but he cried in front of Tifa.

A sound drew Tifa out of her thoughts and she turned toward the bed.

Without opening his eyes, Cloud patted the other side of the bed, searching for Tifa and finding the space empty. He opened his eyes and sat up, glancing around until his eyes fell on her near the sofa. As he scooted to the side of the bed and sat on the edge, Tifa came and sat down beside him.

“You should get more rest, Cloud.”

“I’m not tired anymore.” Cloud reached up and carefully unraveled the bandage wrapped around his shoulder and under his arm. “There’s a jar of healing salve in the top drawer of the nightstand over here.”

Tifa quickly went to retrieve it. When she moved closer to him again, her eyes instantly gravitated to the injury on his right shoulder. Three long patches of skin had literally been ripped off, leaving the flesh beneath unprotected and red. As Cloud reached for the jar, she pulled her hand away. “You took care of me, so now I’ll take care of you.”

Cloud gave her an amused look, wondering if she could handle the sight of the wounds for very long. “Alright.”

She opened the jar and reached into the light green cream with two fingers. The color surprised her somewhat. All the times he had applied it to her back, she thought the cream was white, when in fact it had a pale green tint. After taking a deep breath, Tifa scooted closer to him, standing between his legs and gently began to apply the salve to the open wounds. At first she thought she’d be sick. But the thought of Cloud seeking medical attention from Hojo strengthened her resolve. She wanted to be the one to take care of him, not Hojo.

When she finished applying the cream to his shoulder, she applied some to the thinning scar on his face. It was healing quickly. “Do you have any clean bandages in here?” she asked.

“Bottom drawer.”

Tifa went into the drawer and produced some bandages. “You must have these on hand for a reason.”

“Yeah, I get hurt a lot.”

“I can’t imagine you being so careless.”

“Not careless, just stupid. I take too many risks.” He tried not to wince as Tifa carefully began wrapping the bandage around his arm and over his shoulder. “I suppose it’s mainly because I have nothing in my life important enough to return to. Or rather had.” His fingers brushed along the back of her thighs, briefly startling her. “I have you now.”

Tifa finished wrapping his shoulder and bent to kiss his forehead. “I’m hungry. Can we go downstairs and have breakfast?”

He stood up. “If we must.” But not until he had his fill of her lips.

Ifalna and Elmyra were seated at one of the tables in the Dining Hall. They had spent most of the early morning hours talking about what happened to Modeoheim.

“The people were very appreciative of the supplies Cloud brought with him,” said Elmyra. “The food and medicines will last almost a month.”

“Well, it won’t be the last shipment we send. We’ll make sure that Modeoheim is restored to what it was before the attack.”

The two women turned to the doors as they opened. Cloud entered with his consort.

“You’re up early, dear,” Ifalna commented.

“My new resolution is to rise early every morning.”

Ifalna laughed. “Your resolutions last all of two days and then you’re back to your old habits.”

Cloud waited for Tifa to sit down before he glanced around the Dining Hall. “What, no service this morning?”

“The servants are all busy preparing things for the ball today.”

“I suppose I’ll have to get my own breakfast then.”

“Sit down for a minute, Cloud.”

Cloud sighed heavily, like a child being told what to do. He sat down beside Tifa. “Alright, I’m sitting down.” He had a feeling he knew the subject his mother was about to bring up.

“Your father told me you nearly beat Tseng to a pulp last night.”

“Not quite, but give me another chance and I’ll do it right this time.”

“Would you mind explaining to me why you found it necessary to pick a fight with him?”

“It’s my fault,” Tifa cut in. When the queen and her sister turned to her, Tifa folded her hands on the table. “Tseng assaulted me the other day.”

“Assaulted you? In what way?”

“He touched me and tore the back of my dress before I was able to get away from him. I know I should have told you immediately after it happened, but he led me to believe he could do as he pleased with me while Cloud was away.”

“That’s utterly ridiculous. No one in this castle has a right to touch anyone else’s property once it’s claimed. Especially if it belongs to the royal family.” The queen noticed the girl’s brows narrowing. “Perhaps I’m not explaining it right. It’s not to say you’re property…”

Cloud rolled his eyes. “Just forget it. She knows what you mean.”

“The king told me last night that Tseng would be banished from Midgar if I decide to lodge a complaint against him,” Tifa continued. “What happens if I just let it go?”

Ifalna briefly glanced at her son before turning back to his consort. “It would be in Tseng’s best interest to leave Midgar.”

Tifa frowned. “Why?”

“Because I’ll kill him if he doesn’t,” Cloud casually replied. “You think I’m going to trust him anywhere near you after what he did? I don’t think so.”

She didn’t want to argue with him. There were enough conflicts threatening to break her and Cloud apart. Tseng didn’t need to be added to the list. He wasn’t that important. “Alright,” Tifa agreed slowly. “Send him…away.”

Cloud’s brows narrowed when he heard the uncertainty in her voice. Even after what Tseng did, she didn’t want anything bad to happen to the man. She had a heart of gold. He loved her for it, but there were times he wanted to grab her by the arms and shake some sense into her. She was far too trusting of people who didn’t deserve it.

“I’ll inform the king,” said Ifalna. “In the meantime, we’ll have to find another place for Elena. Perhaps Reno will be kinder to her than Tseng.” She stood up and moved away from the table.

Cloud stood up as well. But he bent to kiss Tifa on the lips. “I’ll go get us something to eat.” He walked toward the door, following his mother.

Tifa’s eyes shifted to Aerith’s mother who was smiling at her. It made her feel slightly uncomfortable, so she returned the smile and sat quietly to wait for Cloud’s return.

Outside the Dining Hall, Ifalna touched Cloud’s arm before he turned in the direction of the kitchen. “Cloud, did you tell Tifa about your engagement?”

“I didn’t have to. Someone else beat me to it.”

Ifalna sighed heavily. “Did Elena know?”

“Yeah, I told her before I left for Mideel a few weeks ago.”

“Then I can only presume Elena was the one that told Tifa.”

“What the hell’s the matter with her? She’s causing all kinds of problems between me and Tifa.” He held his thumb and forefinger an inch apart. “I’m this close to booting her butt out of here.”

“You can’t blame the girl, Cloud. You were the first one who treated her with any kind of respect. I think she loves you.”

“Elena doesn’t love anybody but herself,” he said bitterly. “She’s miserable so she has to make my life miserable by hurting Tifa.”

She gave him a sad smile. “I regret giving Elena to you as a gift.”

Cloud’s expression softened and he reached over to massage his mother’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault, Mom. Don’t blame yourself for Elena’s actions.”

“Well, anyway…it doesn’t matter. It’s a good thing Tifa knows about your engagement because Princess Priscilla will be arriving here in less than two weeks.”

Cloud laughed. “Yeah, right.”

“I’m not joking, Cloud. I received a message from Queen Annaxia yesterday afternoon.”

His smile slowly faded. “Why is she coming here now? The wedding’s not for another eight months.”

“Apparently your fiancé wants to meet you and spend time here so you can both become acquainted with each other.”

Cloud felt like his entire world was crashing down on him. The last thing he wanted was another obstacle between him and Tifa. They needed more time to be alone. He knew he’d find a way for them to be together. It would just take some time. “Getting to know her is not on my list of priorities.”

“I know, dear, but you have to make an effort to at least…”

“I’m not talking to her. I don’t even want to see her.”

“Cloud…”

“No!” He promptly walked away from his mother.

Later that morning, after Tseng was escorted out of the city limits, Cloud met with his father and Rufus in the king’s Study to discuss the plans they had made before the attack on Modeoheim changed everything.

“Shouldn’t we still visit Round Island and also find out what happened in Icicle Village?” asked Cloud. He wanted something to do that would keep him out of Midgar when the princess of Junon came to visit. And he was taking Tifa with him.

“I talked to Hojo this morning,” replied the king. “He received a message from the High Council in Icicle Village. Apparently they’re all alive and well.”

Cloud and Rufus exchanged incredulous glares.

“I find that hard to believe,” Rufus said as he turned back to his father. “There’s no way Sephiroth would have left them alive. It goes against his principles.”

“The message must have been sent from someone else working with him,” added Cloud.

“Sephiroth’s accomplices.” The king mulled over the idea for a moment. “Someone’s trying to prevent us from going to Icicle Village.”

Rufus paced in front of the fireplace. “There’s only one way to find out the truth. We continue with our original plan to visit Icicle Village.”

“What about Wutai?” asked Cloud. “Are we still following through with the peace treaty?”

The king stood up from his lounge chair and walked to the window, his hands clasped behind his back. He stared out at the horses being exercised in the courtyard. “Life is pointless without goals. I once thought mine was to rule the world. Yet I constantly find my judgments being questioned.” He glanced over his shoulder, smiling at each of his sons. “Your mother thinks I rule too harshly. Maybe she’s right.” He turned around to face them and then focused his attention on Cloud. “Deliver the peace treaty to Wutai.”

Cloud turned to his brother and gave him a crooked smile. Peace with Wutai was one of the things they had both wanted for some time.

“It’s time we change Midgar’s reputation,” the king continued with a nod. “I want my sons to be revered for their sympathy and not their cruelty.”

“Good choice, father,” Rufus said.

The king turned back to Cloud. “Aerith and Zack’s wedding is in September. Before that comes to pass, I want you and Zack to visit Round Island and see if Sephiroth was up to something there. But Round Island will be the last on your list of voyages. First you will go to Icicle Village and investigate Sephiroth’s escape and who could have helped him. After that you will go to Wutai and deliver the peace treaty. Once you return with whatever you discover, then you can plan a voyage to Round Island.”

“That’s quite an itinerary you have for Cloud, father.”

Shinra smiled at his younger son. In the last twenty-four hours, all he could think about was how close he had come to losing Cloud. “If he wants to sail, then that’s what he’s going to do.” The least Shinra could do was give in to what his son loved best.

Tifa casually strolled through the gardens, occasionally stopping to sniff one of the many aromatic flowers planted along the sides of the stone path. She marveled at the colorful birds that flitted around the small trees also lining the path. Their melodic chirping was cheerful and lifted her spirits.

The path ended at an archway in a tall brick wall ahead. Through it she saw a fountain with a statue of a winged woman on top. Tifa passed through the threshold, her feet sinking softly into the thick grass beneath. She approached the fountain and looked up at the statue. The face resembled the queen’s. The winged woman held a large vase where water poured from and into the round pool below.

The gentle sound of dripping water was soothing. But it was interrupted by another sound. A woman was crying. Tifa turned around to find the queen sitting on a stone bench, her hands covering her face. Her shoulders were shaking as she sobbed.

Tifa wasn’t sure what to do. She felt as though she was intruding, but she also felt the need to console Cloud’s mother and help her with whatever was making her cry. “Your Highness?”

Ifalna instantly straightened up, her hands falling to her lap, her features becoming stoic. At first she thought it was Scarlet, but when she realized it was Tifa, she wiped at her eyes and tried to smile. “Lovely garden, isn’t it? It makes me cry everytime I come here.”

Tifa wasn’t convinced that the garden was what troubled the queen. She approached and knelt down on the grass at her feet. When the queen closed her eyes, Tifa reached up and placed both of her hands over hers. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

The queen shook her head, still smiling. “Nothing you need to concern yourself with.”

“I don’t like to see you this way. You’re the queen of Midgar.”

Ifalna sighed, taking some comfort in the girl’s hands squeezing hers. “I sometimes wish I didn’t have all of this.” Her eyes looked elsewhere. “That I wasn’t the queen.”

Tifa remained silent, knowing she wanted to say more.

“Then I wouldn’t have to see my sons suffer through things they don’t want any part of.” Her tears renewed. “I try to do what’s best. But sometimes it’s just not enough. It’s not what they want and it’s not what I want.”

“The choices are meant for the good of Midgar.”

“Why must it be for Midgar? Why can’t the choices be for those they directly affect? Rufus didn’t have a choice when he was told to marry Scarlet. And now Cloud.” She wiped at her eyes again. “I don’t want to see him unhappy, just as much as he doesn’t want to see you unhappy. He wants nothing to do with the woman he’s betrothed to.”

“Does Cloud know the princess of Junon?” Tifa asked slowly.

“They’ve never met.”

Tifa swallowed the lump in her throat before she voiced aloud the thought in her mind. “Perhaps…when they meet…he might change his mind.”

“Cloud is quite stubborn. He won’t change his mind now that he has you.”

A pain seized Tifa’s heart. She couldn’t believe she was about to say this. “What if I left Midgar? Then he wouldn’t be distracted by me.”

Ifalna smiled and reached a hand to her face. “You don’t understand, dear. Cloud won’t let you go. He’s completely infatuated with you.” She caressed Tifa’s cheek. “If you leave, he won’t rest until he finds you.”

“Because I’m his property.”

“No, because he doesn’t want to lose you.”

“I don’t want to lose him either.”

“I thought you disapproved of being owned by him.”

“I discovered that I don’t mind it so much.”

“Of ownership in general or because it’s Cloud?”

Tifa smiled. “I’m pretty sure it’s Cloud. He doesn’t treat me the way someone would normally treat a slavegirl. It’s strange. I miss him even when we’re apart for only a few minutes.”

“Are you in love with my son?”

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t in love with him,” Tifa said in barely a whisper.

“Indeed. How can you not be?”

“He told me he’d find a way for us to be together.”

“I hope there’s a way, Tifa. I truly do.” She smiled. “Of all the young girls I’ve known to fall head over heels for my Cloud, you’re the only one I’ve ever approved of. Even Elena. I never really approved of her.”

“Then why did you give her to him?”

“He’ll probably be angry with me for telling you this, but…Cloud needed someone here at the castle. Before Elena, he’d be out until all hours of the night. I had no idea who he was with and I couldn’t stand the thought of him squandering himself so cheaply. He’s a prince.” Ifalna sighed. “But alas, he’s young and…well, he requires someone like you to fulfill all of his needs and not just the physical ones.”

Tifa stood up when the queen did.

“Come now. We must prepare ourselves for the ball.” Ifalna looped her arm around Tifa’s. “You’ll want to look your best for Cloud.”

After having discussed the current plans with Zack, Cloud returned to his bedroom later that afternoon. He had been told Tifa was there.

“Tifa?” he called out, closing the door behind him.

“In here,” came the reply.

As Cloud approached the bathroom, he could hear the sounds of lapping water. He found her in the tub, surrounded by mountains of soap suds as usual. Without wasting any time, he quickly discarded his clothes and jumped into the tub with her. “Guess what?” he asked as he moved closer to her.

She accepted his passionate kiss. “What?”

“Are you up for a little journey?”

The thought of going somewhere beyond the walls of the castle immediately peaked Tifa’s interest. But she didn’t want to appear overly excited. “I suppose,” she replied blandly. “Where are we going?”

Cloud knew her disinterest was just a front. “Wutai.”

Tifa couldn’t pull off the charade for long. She grinned. “Really? Wutai? That’s so far. But why would you want me there with you?”

“King Kisaragi might be more inclined to accept it if I came with a beautiful young woman at my side. But before we go there, we’re visiting Icicle Village to do some investigating.” Cloud suppressed a smile as he studied her. He knew he’d surprise her with the news he’d tell her next. “Afterward I was thinking of exploring the mountain in Nibelheim.”

Her eyes widened.

“If I recall correctly, the night we met you mentioned needing to go there.”

She was speechless.

“I figured you can conduct your business while I’m out exploring.”

Conduct her business? Tifa didn’t have a clue what business she needed to conduct. Vincent never told her.

Cloud noticed the blank look on her face. Was he wrong in thinking she wanted to go there? “You don’t want to go?”

“Yes, I do want to go.”

“You look…unsure.”

Tifa wasn’t sure what to say. “I…I just…I thought you had forgotten.”

“I’d never forget something so important to you.”

She slid her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. No matter what the situation, Cloud always made every attempt to lighten her heart, first and foremost. The queen’s words rang loudly in her head. He requires someone like you to fulfill all of his needs and not just the physical ones. Making her happy was something Cloud received satisfaction from. And seeing him happy satisfied her.

 

Chapter 30​

Tifa’s gown was made of green and blue silk and velvet, with shiny gold threading embroidered in accentuating flower and leaf patterns into the rich fabrics. The long sleeves were off the shoulders and revealed far more cleavage than she was used to showing. The rest of the gown fitted perfectly to her body down to her feet where the hem trailed for another six feet behind her. Her hair was pulled back and tied in a high ponytail accented with long strands of green and blue gems. Resting on her throat was the necklace he had given her. “How do I look?” she asked.

Cloud walked up behind Tifa where she stood in front of a full-length mirror, putting on the earrings that matched the necklace. His eyes automatically went down to all the bare flesh staring back at him. “It’s…uh…perfect.”

Perfect? Tifa had learned to recognize that word as meaning he didn’t want to hurt her feelings by saying it wasn’t quite so perfect. She turned around to face him and watched his eyes travel down to her cleavage. “The queen had this dress made for me. Is there something about it you don’t like?”

“That’s just it. I like everything about it. And if I like it then chances are, so will every other man at the ball.”

Tifa smiled demurely and leaned toward his lips. “But I belong only to you.”

He accepted her soft kiss and smiled back. “Maybe I’ll wear my sword, just in case.” He noticed her smile fade. “I’m joking. Mom would literally kill me if I started a fight tonight.”

She glanced down at his attire. He was dressed in black suede breeches with black leather boots passed his calves. Over a burgundy silk shirt he wore a doublet made of the same suede as his breeches and the Shinra shield was stitched in gold thread over the front of it. She reached up to smooth the front of his doublet. The suede was buttery soft beneath her fingers. Resting on his head was a thin gold crown. This was the first time she had ever seen him wear it.

Cloud’s hand went up to where her eyes were fixed. He briefly fingered the crown and shrugged. “I really hate wearing this thing.”

“It makes you look more regal.”

He shrugged again. “Draws too much unwanted attention to me. I don’t like any of my parents’ aristocratic friends. They’re all extremely shallow and a bunch of smoozers. If I so much as sneeze, ten of them are in my face, wiping my nose.”

That made Tifa laugh. “Perhaps they just like you.”

Cloud frowned and shook his head with a smile. “You’re so naïve. But I forgive you because you’re not used to all the ass-kissing that goes on at these gatherings.”

“Ass-kissing?”

“You’ll see. Ready to go?”

“Yes. I don’t want to be late again.”

“No need to worry. This isn’t a formal dinner. People will be coming and going all night long.” He carefully placed the gold filigree mask his mother had chosen for Tifa around her head and rested it on her face. He smiled. “You look alluringly mysterious.” With that he captured her lips in a long, passionate kiss.

Tifa was slightly breathless when he released her. “Where’s your mask?”

“I don’t like anything over my face.” Cloud took her hand and led her to the door. He paused when she nearly tripped on her hem.

Tifa reached down and gathered up the long train. She slung it over her left arm and continued out the door with Cloud.

Every year, Queen Ifalna chose a color scheme that was not the blue and white colors of Midgar. This year, she had decided on gold and silver. Thus the Dining Hall was decorated in a variety of gold and silver fabrics hanging over the tapestries and from the candlestick chandeliers. White roses with their leaves and stems embossed in gold filled tall vases set in every corner of the large chamber.

Serving tables were situated near the walls, each of them crowded with breads, meats, fish, poultry, vegetables, fruits and pastries and were manned by servants who also poured wine and punch into goblets for the guests.

The doors were all opened to the large brick patio where tables, covered in gold and silver cloths, were set for outdoor dining in the fading daylight. Many of the costumed guests congregated outside with their meals, while others strolled the gardens just beyond the patio.

Ten minstrels played lively music near the open doorways while dozens of couples moved in coordinated dance steps at the center of the Dining Hall.

Aerith was dressed in a shimmering gold gown made of silk and lace with a matching mask. Standing on her left was her mother, Elmyra, wearing a silver satin gown and talking animatedly to two other women, costumed in loud colors.

On Aerith’s right was Zack, dressed similarly to Cloud, except his attire was a dark blue color, with gold piping. The gold metal mask he wore was molded to his upper face. His hand rested firmly around Aerith’s waist. He casually leaned to whisper in her ear. “I want to ravage you right this minute.”

Ever since her mother had arrived, Aerith had kept her company and even slept in her assigned bedroom. Aerith hadn’t been with Zack at all. Turning her face slightly toward him, she gave him a seductive smile. “I might just let you.”

“Later?”

“Later.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Zack pulled on his collar, which suddenly seemed too tight. His hand covered hers. “Let’s dance.” He pulled her along and they quickly began spinning and circling around the makeshift dancefloor along with the other dancing couples.

Cloud and Tifa entered through the main doors, walking hand in hand.

Tifa was stunned by the transformation of the Dining Hall. It looked like a completely different room. “This is amazing!” Her eyes roamed, trying to take in everything at the same time.

As they began to pass a group of women standing along the wall, Tifa noticed them instantly shifting to look in their direction. But most of the eyes, behind their masks, were on Cloud.

“Good eve, Prince…” they all chimed at the same time.

Cloud’s eyes briefly darted to them and he gave them a slight nod. “Ladies…” He quickly pulled Tifa toward the food tables.

“Do you know them?” Tifa asked out of curiosity.

“Sort of. So what do you feel like having? Fish? Meat? Chicken?”

She noticed the way he quickly changed the subject and wondered if he had been with any or all of those women in the past. She remembered what the queen said about Cloud squandering himself. They obviously meant nothing to him or he would have acknowledged them with more attention. But her eyes automatically went to where the women stood. They were still looking in his direction, probably hoping he’d look their way.

“Tifa?”

She glanced up at his expectant face. “Huh?”

“What do you want to eat?”

“Uhm…I’ll have whatever you have.” When he started to hold the plates out to the servants, she touched his arm. “But I don’t want any pork…or any meat. Just chicken.” He moved and she stopped him again. “No wait, I think I want the beef and no chicken.”

Cloud sighed when she stopped him a third time.

“Are you having the chicken? If you are, then I want the chicken, too.”

He turned to the servant. “Do me a favor and just fill some plates with a little bit of everything and have it brought out to the patio.”

The servant bowed his head. “Yes, your Highness.”

“And bring wine, too.”

“Yes, your Highness.”

As Cloud led Tifa away from the tables, she glanced at the dancers, seeing Aerith and Zack and the king and queen among them. But he didn’t give her a chance to study the dance steps as he led her through the open doorways.

The daylight was nearly gone, so lanterns have been lit around the patio to provide light while the guests ate and talked.

Cloud chose a table away from the others, and like so many other gatherings he had attended, he courteously acknowledged everyone with a nod as they spoke his name. He sat Tifa down first before sitting beside her.

“I’ve never been to a ball before,” she said excitedly. “Actually, I think this is the first function I’ve ever attended.”

He reached up and tilted her face toward him before pushing her mask up over her forehead so it didn’t hinder his view of her. “I’m assuming you’ve never danced before either.”

She shook her head. “Is it difficult?”

“Not at all. I’ll teach you.”

“It looks rather lively. Won’t your ankle bother you?”

He shrugged. “It doesn’t even hurt anymore. Besides, not all the dances are so upbeat. Some are slow and I get to hold you close and whisper in your ear.”

Tifa was lost in his eyes. She didn’t even notice the servants bringing plates of food and goblets of wine to their table. “Really? What’re you going to whisper to me?”

He smirked. “All the things I’m going to do to you when we’re alone.” He traced her jawline with his finger and brushed his thumb along her plump lower lip. Unable to control his longing, he leaned forward and kissed her, sucking lightly on her lip.

The sound of crinkling fabric broke the moment and they turned to find the queen plopping down in one of the empty chairs and dabbing her forehead with the back of her hand. She was a vision in a white gown heavily threaded with gold and silver accents.

“I’ve forgotten how exhausting it is to dance,” she said to them, fanning herself with her mask and completely oblivious to the fact that she had interrupted their kiss. “Cloud, you’ll show Tifa how to dance, won’t you, dear?”

“Yes, mom. We already talked about it. We’re going to eat first.”

“Oh good. I’m starved.”

When Cloud saw his mother helping herself to some of their food, he rolled his eyes and resigned himself to tolerating her even though he wanted only Tifa’s company for dinner. Before his mother took everything, he pushed one of the plates in front of Tifa and decided to share with her.

“That dress looks absolutely divine on you, Tifa.”

“Thank you.”

“Didn’t I say my seamstress works magic?”

“You could have made the neckline a little higher,” Cloud commented with a snort.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Cloud. Tifa has a lovely figure. Why shouldn’t she show it off?”

“I’m not questioning her figure. I know just how amazing it is. I don’t like anyone else’s eyes on her, fantasizing about what she looks like beneath this dress.” He bit into a chicken leg.

Ifalna chuckled. “Honestly, dear. You’ve never been this jealous about Elena. Incidentally, Elena seems quite content with the decision to give her to Reno.”

“Good,” Cloud said, his mouth full. “Maybe if she’s happy, she’ll stop bothering Tifa.”

Tifa jumped in. “She’s not bothering me. I can handle myself around her.”

Cloud gave her a wink. “That’s my girl.”

Elmyra came and sat down beside Ifalna. “Dear God, you’ll never believe what Gladys said happened to Patricia.”

“Oh, do tell,” replied the queen.

“Gladys heard from Romana, who spoke to the Duchess of Corel who told her that the Duke of Cosmo Canyon, who is her brother’s friend’s uncle, had an affair with Patricia’s handmaiden’s stepsister’s daughter. Patricia caught them in the linen closet. And you know how unattractive the Duke of Cosmo Canyon is.”

The queen gasped. “Were they…in the middle of something?”

“Completely in the middle of doing it. She saw everything!”

“How revolting!”

Tifa covered her mouth to keep from laughing when she saw Cloud roll his eyes.

He let out a sigh of relief when his mother and aunt left the table. “It’s about time.”

“Where’s Rufus? I haven’t seen him.”

“Probably trying to solve the mystery of the world somewhere.” Cloud took a gulp from his wine goblet. “Can’t blame him for being such a do-gooder. There’s enough dissention going on in Midgar to keep things interesting for him.”

“He doesn’t like merrymaking events like this?”

“Oh, he enjoys them. Or used to. Ever since he got married to that bitch of a princess from Fort Condor…he hasn’t been the same. He used to be a lot more fun.”

“What changed him?”

Cloud frowned. “Responsibilities and obligations. Such is the life of an heir to the throne. And the second in line,” he added bitterly.

While Elmyra was busy gossiping with her sister, Zack and Aerith ran through the gardens hand in hand and disappeared within the tall hedge maze. Zack knew the path from memory, having navigated through it more than a hundred times throughout his years at Castle Shinra. He found just the right secluded place.

But the thrill of being caught only escalated their excitement and they promptly began kissing passionately.

While he lifted the many layers of her gown, Aerith’s fingers worked on the buttons of his breeches before she pushed them down his hips. Seconds later they were joined and he was driving into her like a madman, holding her up against the bushes, her legs wrapped firmly around his waist. As much as Zack loved a long night of making love with his beloved fiancé, there were times a quick romp was ever so satisfying.

Their locked mouths kept her cries of passion to a minimal. But they both knew there were others within the maze doing exactly what they were doing. It happened all the time at such gatherings. Many people wandered off to rendezvous with their secret lovers whenever there was time to be away from their significant others.

Aerith nearly drew blood when she bit down on Zack’s lip just as she reached her peak. A few seconds later Zack reached his own climax.

As their heavy breathing returned to normal, Zack carefully lowered Aerith back down on her feet and they continued to kiss hungrily before finally moving apart to fix their clothing.

Just as Zack turned around, he froze in his tracks. Sitting in the center of the aisle of bushes was Red, his head curiously tilted to the side. “You perverted mangy mutt. How long have you been sitting there?”

Of course, Red didn’t respond. He merely tilted his head in the other direction.

Aerith began giggling. “Probably long enough to enjoy the sight of your bare behind.” She moved out from behind Zack and walked up to Red, scratching behind his ears. “Poor Red.”

“Don’t encourage him.”

“We should find him a mate.”

Zack ran his fingers through his messed up hair. “Cloud found him. It’s his problem.” He walked up and took Aerith’s hand. “Let’s go back before Elmyra sends out a search party.”

As the evening progressed, having shown Tifa some of the steps, Cloud spent nearly two hours dancing with her. At first he planned to dance only a couple of dances. But the more she laughed, the more he wanted to hear it. So he kept bouncing around like the rest of the idiots, making a complete fool out of himself just to make her happy. He had to admit it though, he was actually having fun. It was obviously Tifa’s doing. He never really minded dancing so much, but dancing with her was more enjoyable than with anyone else. Part of the fun was watching Tifa stumble over the steps and the fact that she had to continuously gather her train over her arm and occasionally stepped on his toes, which he didn’t mind if it meant hearing her cheerful giggles over her clumsiness.

Tifa was completely out of breath when Cloud finally pulled her away from the other dancers. “That was so much fun!”

Cloud touched her face. “We’ll do it some more, but it looks like you need a rest.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Wait right here. I’ll get us some wine.”

Tifa watched him walk away. She raised her mask up on her damp forehead and fanned herself with a hand. When Cloud returned, she’d ask him if they could go outside for some fresh air. Just as she turned to glance around, Elena approached her.

Dressed in a sparkling champagne colored, off the shoulder mermaid gown made of satin and lace, with her blonde locks pinned in an elegant updo adorned with jewels, Elena looked like a bride about to be married. She took a sip from a gold goblet and smiled at Tifa. “Enjoying the ball?”

Tifa wasn’t sure what to make of the question, merely because it was coming from Elena who was typically very callous with her. “I’m having a great time.”

“You think your pitiful act of innocence will be enough to keep Cloud interested?”

Tifa released an exasperated sigh. Just when she thought the girl might actually change her ways…she couldn’t be so lucky. “Haven’t we been through this enough already?”

“Not quite enough. You don’t seem to understand my significance in Cloud’s life. I’m the only one who can completely satisfy all of his desires.” She took another sip from her goblet. “I’m certain you haven’t partaken in half of the things he finds pleasure in. He cares nothing about you except the initial excitement of having a virgin. Once it’s lost its…flavor, he’ll come bounding back to me. He always does.”

“Don’t you ever stop, Elena? Nothing you say will prove to me that Cloud is a thoughtless ingrate. He’s not like others I’ve known.” Tifa was about to walk away from her.

“You’ll see.”

Tifa watched the blonde walk away, her head held high. Elena had stolen her dignified exit. The woman didn’t go far. She approached Cloud and threaded her arm around his. Tifa felt a sudden wave of pure jealousy when Cloud gave Elena his undivided attention. They exchanged several words before Cloud walked back holding two goblets.

He handed both of them to Tifa. “Tifa, I’m going to dance one dance with Elena. You don’t mind, do you?”

Her heart leapt into her throat. “Why…why would I mind?”

Cloud gave her a smile before he walked away with Elena.

Tifa noted the victorious smirk on Elena’s face. She also noted that the music currently being played was soft and slow. She watched Elena place both hands on Cloud’s shoulders and he placed his on her waist. With a frown, Tifa raised one of the goblets and emptied the contents in nearly one gulp. As an afterthought, she gulped half the wine in the other goblet.

“What did you want to talk to me about?” Cloud asked Elena.

“You seem happy.”

“I am happy.”

“I am, too. I’m glad Tseng is gone. And thank you for defending my honor.”

Cloud’s brows drew together. He wanted to tell Elena that he punched Tseng not because of what he did to her, but because of what he did to Tifa. But he decided to just let it go. “I heard you’re content with Reno.”

She smiled warmly at him. “Yes, Reno was very appreciative when I approached him with the news that I now belonged to him.” Knowing that Tifa was watching them, Elena shortened the gap between them and began teasing the hairs at the back of his head. “I wanted to talk to you about Reno. Have you known him long?”

He tried to ignore her fingers, but they reminded him of how Tifa touched him and how it made him feel. “I don’t know much about him, except that he’s an insufferable flirt.”

“You don’t think he’ll be anything like Tseng?”

“No way. Reno doesn’t see much action, so he’ll probably kiss your feet and paint your toenails and do anything to keep you interested.”

Elena giggled seductively and brushed a hand over his chest, making a show just for Tifa’s sake, wanting her to think the conversation was about other things. “What do you think he’ll like me to do to him?”

Cloud frowned again. He really didn’t think it was appropriate to discuss such an intimate subject with her.

“I’m sure he’ll enjoy the things I used to do to you, don’t you think? If you give me another chance, I’ll even prove you still enjoy them.”

He leaned toward her ear, not wanting anyone else around them to hear. “Elena, give it a rest, alright? I’m with Tifa. I don’t want anyone else.”

Elena closed her eyes ecstatically, biting her lower lip in what she hoped Tifa would interpret as pure pleasure.

And Tifa was certainly interpreting it as such. She promptly drained the rest of the second goblet. What could he have told her to make her swoon that way? When she saw Cloud pull away from Elena, she removed the disgruntled look off her face and waited for him to return to her.

“Sorry about that,” he said as he took one of the goblets. “She just wanted to talk to me about something.” He peered into the goblet and found it empty. He took the other one from her hand and noticed it was also empty. “You must have been really thirsty.”

An hour later, Cloud was searching for Tifa after she had excused herself to freshen up from another round of dances. Not finding her among the guests in the Dining Hall, he went out to the patio. He saw Elena returning from the gardens. “Elena, have you seen Tifa?”

Elena was about to say she hadn’t, when she glanced through the Dining Hall doorways and saw Tifa searching around the room. “Yes, I saw her.”

“Where?”

She glanced back toward the doorways and saw Tifa approaching, having spotted Cloud. Elena took Cloud’s hand. “I’ll take you to her.” She led him into the gardens.

Tifa stepped out onto the patio and witnessed Cloud walking away with Elena. With a frown, she began to follow them.

When they reached the hedge maze, Elena made sure to move through it slowly so Tifa would be able to keep up.

“Are you sure she went this way?” Cloud asked.

“Absolutely sure. In fact, she was looking for you and I told her I’d send you this way if I happened to see you.”

“Why in the world would she think I was in here?”

Elena stopped and turned around to face him. She glanced over Cloud’s shoulder and spotted Tifa peaking at them from around the bushes. Her eyes drifted back to Cloud. “Yes, kiss me,” she said outloud and threw her arms around him just as she crushed her lips against his. Her eyes shifted to where Tifa stood looking shocked. Then the girl bolted away.

Cloud grabbed Elena’s arms and yanked her off of him. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand in anger. “What the hell…?! Are you insane?”

“Sorry. I couldn’t help myself.”

He pointed a finger at her. “I’m warning you right now, Elena. You try something like this again and you’ll find yourself servicing men on the streets of Mideel.” He furiously walked away from her.

Elena watched his retreating back. A smile graced her face. She knew the damage had been done.

 

Chapter 31​

Tifa ripped the mask off her face and tossed it on the lawn as she quickly made her way out passed the threshold entrance of the hedge maze. Nearly tripping on the long train of her gown, she gathered it over her arm and wove around several couples strolling through the gardens. She vowed not to cry. She vowed with every fiber of her being. Yet even then, the tears came. They burned her eyes and she angrily wiped them away.

How much more disappointment could she take before she completely lost whatever sanity she had left?

With the news of Cloud’s impending marriage, Tifa already felt as if she was teetering on the edge of a cliff, ready to plunge off. Yet she had decided to trust Cloud to find a way to avoid the wedding. And now, after witnessing him kiss Elena…just as Elena said he would…she wasn’t sure whether jumping from a cliff would be enough to take away the decimating ache in her heart.

She felt betrayed in the worst way. He told her he loved her. He made her believe he’d make things right and they’d be together forever. How could he say those things to her and betray her by being with the woman who had caused so much trouble for Tifa ever since she came to Midgar?

Tifa stopped in her tracks and turned to go back, to rip Elena out of his arms and confront him right then and there. But she stopped again, losing her nerve. She was afraid to go back…afraid she’d see him touching Elena the way he touched her…afraid she’d hear Elena crying out in ecstasy, begging for more. She cringed and covered her ears, as if she could already hear the sounds.

She took several steps backward and spun back around, promptly colliding into someone. Strong hands grasped her arms before she could fall from the impact. She opened her eyes and found herself staring at Rufus, his mask propped up on his forehead.

“Tifa…are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” she said in a clipped tone as she extricated herself from his grip.

He studied the disturbed expression on her face. “You look rather frazzled.”

Tifa repressed her anger. “Just tired…”

“Cloud was looking for you.”

She frowned. I’ll bet he’s looking for me, she thought to herself, right after he’s finished mauling Elena.

“Excuse me?” Rufus asked carefully.

Tifa’s eyes shot up. Had she spoken her thoughts aloud?

Other couples strolled around them, curiously watching the two standing together and probably wondering about their relationship. Without thinking, she slipped her arm around his. “Walk with me.” She was relieved when he complied.

Several minutes later they walked into the garden with the statue over the fountain.

Tifa released his arm and walked to the fountain, stretching her hand out to catch the cascading water. “Cloud said you don’t usually attend functions of this kind.”

Rufus smiled. “Contrary to popular beliefs, I do crawl out of my cave on occasion.” He walked up beside her. “My father’s confidants are rather eccentric at times and in order to avoid them, I avoid the festivities.”

“Funny…”

“What’s funny?”

“Cloud says the same thing. But to avoid conversations, I’ve noticed he just ignores people or pretends he doesn’t see them.”

“That’s an accurate assessment.”

She turned to face him. “I get the impression that you know Cloud the best.”

“I like to think so. But in all actuality, Zack probably knows Cloud better than I do.”

“But you’d know if he was being untruthful, right?” she asked impatiently.

Rufus chuckled. “Something has obviously upset you, Tifa.”

Tifa closed her eyes and shook her head, unsure whether or not to burden Rufus with her problems.

He placed his hand on her shoulder. His eyebrows shot up when she instantly jerked away from his touch, but he didn’t try to touch her again. “Something happened with Cloud?”

After mulling it over for a moment, she decided to tell him. “I found him…kissing Elena,” she said with a despairing sigh.

Rufus’s brows narrowed. “No,” he said incredulously.

“I saw them together.”

“Cloud hasn’t been with her in ages. He doesn’t even like her. Why in the world would he choose to be with her now when you’re here?”

“I don’t know. You tell me.”

“It’s obviously some mistake. Maybe you think you saw them kissing and it was something else.”

“I know what I saw!”

“Then there must be some reasonable explanation for what…”

“Reasonable explanation?” Tifa cut in. “He was kissing her! What kind of an explanation can there be?” She sat down on the edge of the fountain and folded her arms. “Do you think he’s bored with me already?”

“That’s quite unlikely.”

“I can’t deal with this, Rufus. I thought I could, but I can’t. I don’t want to be just an afterthought while he tries to decide what he wants in his life. He’s getting married at the end of this year, but he still wants me around. How am I supposed to deal with that? And how fair is that to his future wife?”

“His marriage is merely for convenience. There’s nothing more to it.”

“I don’t care! I can’t do this anymore. Get me out of Midgar, please. Sell me to someone else. I don’t…I don’t care who.” It was far from the truth, but Tifa had no options. She couldn’t bear the thought of living under the same roof with Cloud if he intended to keep having relations with Elena.

Rufus frowned at her. “I can’t do that, Tifa. You don’t belong to me.”

“Rufus! Are you in there?!”

Tifa recognized Cloud’s voice just beyond the garden wall. She jumped up and ducked behind Rufus.

“Yes, I’m here,” Rufus replied.

“Have you seen…Tifa…?” Cloud froze in his tracks when he stepped into the garden and saw Tifa hiding behind his brother. He saw a myriad of emotions on her face…anger, hurt, fear…Her eyes were red and her face was wet. She had been crying. “Tifa, I was looking for you,” he said as he moved closer. His eyes drifted down to where her arms were wrapped tightly around Rufus’s arm. They suspiciously went up to his brother’s face. “What’s going on here?”

Rufus shook his head. “Nothing is going on.”

Cloud ‘s first thought was that Rufus did something to her. “What did you do, Rufus?”

Tifa stepped out from behind Rufus. “He didn’t do anything. I was asking for advice.”

“I’ll leave you two alone,” said Rufus as he walked around his younger brother and walked out of the private garden.

Cloud waited until he was gone before he turned back to Tifa and approached her.

She didn’t move as he captured her lips in a searing kiss. Tifa’s knees went weak…just like they always did whenever he kissed her. He overwhelmed her in an instant as his tongue stealthily entered her mouth. For a moment she had completely forgotten her anger. She whimpered under his touch. Everything else went blank. There was no other thought but him.

It wasn’t until she felt his arm circle her waist that she realized the power he had over her…to make her lose all sense of reality. She fought to regain her thoughts and once she had control, she placed her hands on his chest and shoved him away as hard as she could. “How could you do this to me?” She was seething with hot anger. “How could you say you love me and then come out here with her?”

Cloud stared for a brief moment, trying to comprehend her questions. “Her…? Who?”

She poked his chest with a finger. “You know exactly who I’m talking about.”

“Tifa, I don’t have a clue what you’re saying.”

Tifa reached up and swiped her thumb across a smudge of red lipstick on the corner of his mouth. “This is not the shade I’m wearing.” She waited for him to admit it, but he just stared at her, completely oblivious over the fact that she had seen him. “You kissed Elena,” she finally said.

“No…”

“I saw you!”

He opened his mouth to deny whatever she was claiming, but Tifa must have seen the split second it took Elena to pull him in for a kiss. But it had only been a split second. He had pulled away immediately. Hadn’t she seen that? Hadn’t she heard him threaten Elena? Hadn’t she seen him walk away?

“There’s no denying it, is there?”

Cloud reached for her again. “Tifa…”

“Don’t touch me!” She jerked away from him. “Is that what you whispered in her ear while you danced with her? That you’d sneak out here with her while I’m distracted somewhere else?”

“I was looking for you.”

“She said you’d grow tired of me and run back to her.”

Cloud rolled his eyes. “Right, and you believe her because she’s trustworthy?”

“About as trustworthy as you lately.”

“She said she was taking me to you! Can’t you see she staged the whole thing?!”

“Did you plan to be alone with her?” Tifa demanded.

“No! I didn’t do anything! After all we’ve been through, I can’t believe you’d think I would!”

Tifa stared at him, tears burning her eyes. This was the first time he had ever raised his voice to her. “Why wouldn’t you? You’re a prince. You can do whatever you want. You can make me happy, make me angry, make me cry. What does it matter to you?”

Cloud was stunned that a perfect evening could turn out to be such a complete disaster. “Tifa…this is all a misunderstanding,” he said in a more subdued tone.

“Yes, a misunderstanding. From the very beginning. Why couldn’t you just leave me with Corneo? At least with him I didn’t feel like my heart was being shredded to pieces.” She started to walk away, but he caught her in his arms. She squirmed in an effort to pull away. “Let go of me!”

“I can’t, Tifa. I can’t let you go.”

“I’m leaving Midgar!” she spat furiously and started swinging her fists, trying to land at least one punch.

Cloud released his hold, but immediately grabbed her wrists, holding them in front of her. “I’m…not…letting…you…go…” He emphasized each word to get his meaning across to her.

She glared into his face. “Sell me…get rid of me…I can’t be with you like this anymore!”

“You don’t have a choice,” he said angrily. His words surprised even him. He hadn’t meant to sound so callous and proprietary. But the damage had been done.

Tifa saw nothing but red. She freed one of her wrists and instinctly threw her arm out in front of her with an angry cry.

Cloud suddenly flew backward into a rosebush, nearly hitting the brick wall behind it from the force.

Blinded by her tears and not even aware of her action, Tifa bolted away.

As Cloud recovered, he shook his head to clear it and blankly looked up as she retreated. He slowly got up on his feet and stared at the bush he had crashed into. “What the hell…?” He calculated the distance between the spot he had stood with Tifa and the distance he had flown. Six feet… Tifa had pushed him with enough force to send him slamming into a bush six feet away.

His first thought was that she had used his materia, one of the green ones whose power he hadn’t identified. But she wouldn’t have known how to use it. Or had she discovered it while he was in Modeoheim?

As curious as he was about what happened, Cloud needed to reconcile with her before she began to really hate him. He brushed the dirt off his clothes and jogged out of the garden.

On the way back to the castle, Cloud ran into Reno and Elena. The smirk on her face reminded him of a snake. He stopped and glared at Elena first before turning his attention to Reno. “Do yourself a favor and keep your consort on a tight leash. She likes to stick her nose in places it doesn’t belong.” He didn’t wait for a retort as he headed for the patio.

Inside the Dining Hall, Cloud saw Aerith.

She had an angry scowl on her face. “What did you do to Tifa?” she accused.

He wasn’t going to answer her question. He decided to ask his own. “Where did she go?”

“She said she was going to bed.”

Cloud headed for the door, only to be intercepted by his father and the Duke of Costa Del Sol. It was too late to duck away. They had already seen him.

“There you are, my boy,” bellowed the king as he proudly threw an arm around his son. “The Duke wants to hear all about your battle with Sephiroth.”

“I’d love to, but I’m kind of in the middle of…”

“Tell him how you burned the man’s face,” the king insisted. “Go on, tell him how Sephiroth pleaded for mercy.”

Cloud opened his mouth with a frown. He never told his father such a thing. The king was obviously bragging to the Duke. “Well, uh…you see…” He wasn’t sure what he was going to say, but he knew he’d have to play into his father’s boast. “I grabbed him by the collar, like this…” he said and grabbed the Duke by the collar. The Duke didn’t seem to mind. “I shook him roughly, like this.” He demonstrated. “And I grabbed a hot branding iron off the coals and buried it into his face.” Cloud placed his hand on the Duke’s face, roughly squeezing his cheek. “He screamed like a little girl.”

The Duke burst into in boisterous laughter, even though Cloud was still holding him uncomfortably. “Tell me more. Tell me every detail.”

Cloud released the man and glared at his father. He wasn’t going to be allowed to leave the Dining Hall anytime soon. With a sigh, he prepared to lie through his teeth about what happened with Sephiroth. The king’s friends wanted to hear drama and thrills…they didn’t want to hear the truth.

He just hoped Tifa wouldn’t attempt to leave Castle Shinra.

Lucrecia Valentine stared up at the bright moon from her small bedroom balcony. It was such a beautiful evening. She wished Vincent wasn’t so busy. They could have gone for a moonlight swim in the lagoon on the west side of the island. Instead, her husband was inundated with horses that needed shoeing. Being the only reputable blacksmith in town, every citizen brought their horse to the Valentine residence.

She leaned on the wooden railing of the balcony and rested her chin on her arms as she watched Vincent working in the yard below. The muscles of his bare chest and arms became pronounced with every movement he made.

Just then Vincent lowered the rear hoof of the stocky draft horse he had been working on and moved toward the gate.

Lucrecia’s eyes roved upward until she spotted something moving swiftly down the path to their cottage. As the object drew closer, she saw it was a rider on a dark horse.

The rider drew his mount to a stop and waited as Vincent greeted him. He handed an envelope to Vincent and waited again.

Vincent opened the envelope and removed the letter inside. He quickly read the contents and finally looked up with a frown.

“Is there a reply?” asked the messenger.

“No,” said Vincent. He turned and walked toward the house as the rider spun his horse around and rode away.

Lucrecia met Vincent at the top of the stairs leading to their bedroom. “What is it?”

“It’s a message from Tifa.”

“Is she alright? Is she safe?” Her hand went to her heart, fearing the worst.

“Yes, she’s safe. She’s with Cloud.”

Lucrecia sighed in relief. “Thank goodness.”

Vincent kissed his wife on the cheek. “Get some things together. We’re going on a trip.”

“A trip? Where to?”

“Midgar.”

Lucrecia followed Vincent into their bedroom. “No, Vincent. We can’t. You heard the king’s decree. If you step one foot on Midgar soil, you’ll be executed.”

Vincent began gathering some clothes. “Cloud won’t let that happen.”

“I don’t understand. Why are we going right now?”

“Sephiroth escaped.”

Lucrecia gasped into her hand.

“He’s trying to kill Shinra and I’m not going to let that happen.” Even though King Shinra banished him from Midgar, Vincent didn’t blame the man. All the evidence pointed to him poisoning Denzel. Vincent knew who had done it, but couldn’t prove it. According to Tifa’s letter, Cloud had the proof. He was going to trust his friend. Besides, he had to tell Cloud what he suspected about Tifa. Surely Cloud would investigate and find the truth about what happened to the princess of Nibelheim who had been promised to him more than a decade ago.

Cloud opened the door and walked into the bedchamber, closing the door lightly behind him. The room was dark except for some moonlight coming in through the open balcony doors. He made out Tifa’s form on the bed and sighed in relief. His fear that she’d try to leave the castle quickly vanished. When the ball was over, he had almost stood near the main gates while the guests left, thinking she’d sneak out among them.

She was turned away from him, lying as close to the far edge of the bed as she could without falling off. Was she asleep?

He quietly removed his clothes and slid beneath the covers. He moved close behind her and lightly touched her arm. “Tifa, I’m sorry for what I said.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” she replied coldly. “And if you don’t want me to spend the night in the barn, I suggest you stay on your side of the bed.”

“You’re not getting your way this time.”

Tifa threw the sheet off and jumped out of bed. Dressed in an unflattering nightgown, she stomped toward the door and stopped. “If you follow me, I swear to you…I’ll…I’ll… Just don’t follow me!” She proceeded to the door and walked out, slamming it hard behind her.

Cloud fell back on his pillow with a heavy sigh. This was going to be harder than he thought. She had gotten mad when he hadn’t told her everything, but she had quickly gotten over it. She was extremely angry with him this time and it wasn’t even his fault.

Cloud woke with a start, sitting up in bed. Something had woken him. Then he realized what it was. Someone was pounding on his door.

“It’s open, Goddammit!” he yelled.

The door swung open and Jessie rushed inside, followed closely by a stableboy. “Forgive me for disturbing you, your Highness…but…it’s Tifa. Come see.”

Cloud jumped out of bed, dragging the sheet with him. He wrapped it around his waist and followed Jessie and the stableboy out on his balcony. “What the fuck…?” he blurted out as he looked over the balustrade.

Tifa was riding Fenrir in the exercise yard below. The skirt of her nightgown was hiked up passed her knees while she sat astride the stallion’s bare back. She had Fenrir running at a full gallop down the courtyard. At the end of it, she spun him around and sent him flying in the other direction, again at a full gallop. Several stablehands were chasing behind them on foot, waving their hands in the air.

“Son of a bitch!” Cloud rushed back inside and didn’t bother getting dressed as he headed out of his bedroom. Holding the sheet wrapped around his waist, he jogged down the corridor.

Elmyra gasped when she saw him, half naked coming down the stairway. She turned to her sister, walking beside her and waited for a reaction. Ifalna didn’t even flinch.

Cloud didn’t stop. He bolted out the side door that led to the exercise yard, Jessie and the stableboy, Jacob, running after him.

Elmyra turned to her unusually calm sister. “Aren’t you curious to know why your son is running around half naked, with a handmaiden and a stableboy chasing after him?”

Ifalna shrugged. “When it’s Cloud, I tend not to ask too many questions.”

Tifa felt the cool morning air hit her face as she spun Fenrir around to race him back the way they had come. She felt his powerful muscles flexing beneath her thighs as he stretched into a full gallop.

Just then Tifa caught sight of Cloud running forward, a sheet wrapped around his waist, frantically waving his arm in the air. She had half a mind to run him down. But instead she pulled on the reins, drawing the stallion to an abrupt stop, his hindquarters sliding beneath him. As she gave the stallion a hearty pat on the side of the neck, she glanced toward Cloud.

He approached with an angry scowl. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m riding.”

“That’s my horse!”

“Yes, I know. Jacob told me.”

“Didn’t he tell you that the last person who tried to ride him ended up trampled beneath his feet?”

Tifa feigned a confused expression. “Beneath Jacob’s feet?”

Cloud didn’t think Tifa was that dense. “No, under Fenrir’s feet!” He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “Shit!”

“As I told Jacob,” Tifa calmly explained. “I can handle myself just fine on a horse.”

“This is no ordinary horse. He’s only known one rider and that’s me.”

“Well, now he knows two.” Tifa gave Fenrir another pat on the neck, leaning forward to hug him as well.

Cloud watched the display with his mouth open. Fenrir wasn’t flinching. In fact, the horse seemed to enjoy her attention. His eyes wandered down to her bare knees. “Who taught you to ride like a man?”

“I taught myself. Why? Is it against the law in Midgar for a woman to ride this way?”

“It’s unheard of. Get off my horse before you get killed.”

“I’m not finished riding him yet.”

“You’re finished, Tifa. Now get off him.”

“Make me.”

As Tifa spun Fenrir around and kicked him into a gallop, Cloud couldn’t believe she had disobeyed him so ardently. She reminded him of himself when he refused to do his parent’s bidding.

Just for good measure, Tifa galloped Fenrir around the courtyard three more times before she finally headed back in Cloud’s direction. Swinging her right leg over Fenrir’s neck, she jumped off the horse and handed the reins to Jacob, who fought the beast as he led him toward the stables. She turned to Cloud, standing in the same spot as before, his hands on his hips, one of them holding the sheet up, that same scowl on his brutally handsome face. “I’m done riding now,” she said sweetly.

Cloud couldn’t take his eyes off of her face. Strands of dark hair hung erratically over her pale face, the ruby hue sparkling profoundly in her brown eyes as she stared back at him defiantly. She never looked more beautiful. “What’re you doing, Tifa?”

“I’m doing what I want. Are you going to punish me?”

“I don’t know what your angle is, but are you purposely trying to piss me off?”

“Why can’t I do what I want? Elena does what she wants. Everybody in this castle does what they want. So if I’m not allowed to leave, then I’m doing what I want. You can punish me, if you feel it necessary. I honestly don’t care.”

Cloud watched her walk away. At this point he knew he had lost her.

 

Chapter 32
​

Tifa couldn’t believe she had spoken so disrespectfully to Cloud. But at the same time she felt so exhilarated, as if she had shed fifty pounds overnight. Little by little her confidence grew. She had Cloud to thank for it, of course and she’d kiss him gratefully if she wasn’t so angry with him.

She knew she had angered him by riding Fenrir without his permission. At the time all she had wanted to do was try him out. Knowing how furious Cloud was over it, Tifa’s thoughts took a turn. Would he punish her if she angered him enough to warrant it? Perhaps then she could hate him without any other emotion getting in the way. Or perhaps he’d think she was more trouble than she was worth and he’d sell her. The idea wasn’t very appealing, but she knew she’d survive, especially if the queen had a say in it. Cloud’s mother would more than likely see to it that she went to a good home…like some faithful family pet.

As Tifa headed for the kitchen to get something to eat, she thought of a variety of devious ways to infuriate Cloud. She smiled and bit her lower lip. If she caused enough trouble for him, then he’d have no choice but to get rid of her.

Later that morning, Cloud met with Rufus, Zack, Reeve and his father, to talk about the situation in Modeoheim.

“We can bring wood and other supplies, that’s not a problem,” said Cloud. “They were grateful for the tools I gave them, but I could see it wasn’t enough. Those people need extra hands to rebuild. Most of their skilled builders were either killed or suffered serious injuries.”

The king turned to Rufus. “What’s the progress on the additional ships?”

“I visited the shipwright yesterday morning. Nine out of the fifteen ships are complete. We need only to appoint captains. Do you want a say in it?”

“No. You can decide that with your brother. And make it soon because I want six of those ships ready to sail to Modeoheim by the end of the month. Wood, metal, tools, weapons and builders. Bring them whatever they need.”

Cloud was a bit surprised at the change in his father. Ever since Sephiroth’s escape, the king suddenly seemed concerned about towns under Midgar’s rule that he normally didn’t care about before. Whenever anyone sought help from him, King Shinra sent a quarter of the requested provisions and/or manpower. Something obviously came over him in the last couple of weeks. Not being one to let certain questions go unanswered, Cloud opened his mouth. “What the hell’s the matter with you?” he asked his father.

Shinra turned to Cloud with a questioning look. “What’re you talking about?”

“Two weeks ago you wouldn’t throw a bone to a starving man. Now all of a sudden you’re jumping through hoops to help the people of Modeoheim, not to mention making me lie to your idiot cronies about what happened with Sephiroth.”

“My idiots are not cronies. I mean…my friends are not idiots. There’s nothing wrong with stretching the truth a little.”

“A little? I had to stretch it for a mile last night because of you.”

“Never mind that. And I told you earlier, I had a change of heart.”

Cloud glanced at Rufus.

Rufus smirked. “Mom put him up to it, I’m sure.”

“Your mother had nothing to do with it,” the king defended.

Reeve chuckled. “She always did have a way of convincing you.”

Shinra sighed heavily. “She cut me off awhile ago and now that I’m doing some good, things are back to normal. In fact sex with your mother lately is better than normal.”

Cloud frowned in disgust. “Why in the world would you think I’d want to hear this?”

“I get no satisfaction from consorts. Your mother is very proficient at…”

“Stop!” Cloud covered his ears. “My ears are bleeding!”

The door to the Study opened and Rude entered. All eyes went to him and his went to Cloud. “We have a situation in the east tower.”

Since Rude was looking at him, Cloud responded. “What kind of situation?”

“The messenger hawks are circling the castle and refuse to return.”

Cloud stared in confusion. “What does that even mean? Why should I care about Hojo’s hawks?”

“Your consort snuck your pet up to the tower and the beast frightened the birds.”

A smile spread across Cloud’s face before he released a laugh, clearly envisioning Tifa coaxing Red into the Medical Ward and then up to the lab at the top of the tower.

“This is no laughing matter, Cloud,” the king bellowed. “Get up there and take control of the situation.”

“Fine.” Cloud got up and left the Study.

Hojo was waiting for him in the Medical Ward. “Everytime I get near the balcony doors upstairs, that beast of yours threatens me.”

“Take a walk or something, Professor. I’ll get your birds back.” Cloud waited until Hojo left before he proceeded to the circular stairway leading up to the tower. When he reached the top, Cloud noticed a few things broken on the floor and knew Red must have knocked them off the tables.

As Cloud neared the glass door leading to the balcony, he heard laughter, immediately recognizing it. He stepped out into the sunlight and remained standing near the door to watch Tifa from a distance.

She was leaning over the stone balustrade, laughing and tossing things into the air. One of the hawks flew upward to intercept the item she tossed.

Cloud realized it was a piece of raw meat. He watched her pick up another piece from a large plate resting near her. She tossed the meat into the air and another hawk retrieved it. He was mesmerized by her grin and the childlike laughter she emitted. She was enjoying this.

Balanced precariously on the adjacent wall was Red. He sat perfectly still, except for his tail swishing from side to side. The beast didn’t look like he was scaring the birds in any way. He seemed more interested in the raw morsels Tifa occasionally tossed his way.

Cloud was reluctant to stop Tifa. She looked so happy. Nonetheless, he had to get the birds back on their perches where they belonged. He placed his hands on his hips and walked forward. “You’ve got the professor in quite a tizzy downstairs.”

Tifa didn’t have to turn to know who was approaching. Her smile quickly vanished. His presence tightened her stomach into anxious knots. “I read up on hawks. If they’re to be used to fly long distances, then they need regular exercise. They shouldn’t be sitting idle every day.”

He stopped a foot away from her. “Hojo didn’t give you permission, Tifa. You have no business being up here.”

She turned around to face him. “I suppose I deserve to be punished then.”

He folded his arms and smirked. She was obviously baiting him for a reason he had yet to figure out. “No, letting these hawks get some much-needed exercise doesn’t warrant punishment.” He noticed the disappointed look on her face and frowned. Was she looking for punishment?

“So…what warrants punishment then?”

“I don’t know…setting fire to the king’s moustache, burying Reeve’s favorite shirt in the vegetable garden, pouring soap in the fountain, putting blue dye in your grandmother’s bottle of bath oil…lots of things.” He had done all of that when he was younger and had received quite a beating for each of them. Why did she want to be punished? If he punished her, she’d hate him.

Tifa tapped her lips with her finger. “Pouring soap in the fountain. Sounds like a splendid idea.”

Cloud held his arm out to stop her from walking away. He suddenly knew what she was trying to do. She wanted a reason to hate him. “It’s not going to work, whatever it is you’re trying to do.” From the corner of his eye, he saw Red eating the rest of the meat on the plate. This angered some of the hawks and they were diving at the oblivious beast’s head. He looked away from Tifa for a moment. “Red, get down from there and go downstairs!”

Red turned his large head in Cloud’s direction, peering at him with his one good eye. He licked his paws briefly before hopping off the balustrade and ambling toward the door at a leisurely pace.

Now that the red beast was gone, the hawks began to return to their perches, one by one.

Cloud turned back to Tifa. “I’m not going to punish you, no matter what you do.”

“Even if I decide to kiss any guard who’s willing to oblige me?” She watched his expression darken and his jaw muscles moving.

For a second he almost believed she would. “You won’t do it.”

“Try me.”

“I know you, Tifa. You’re not like that.”

“You don’t know anything about me.”

“Yes, I do. I know you as much as you know me.”

“Well, I thought I knew you and I was wrong.”

Cloud frowned and took her hand. He led her to a stone bench and sat her down. “You’re going to sit still and listen to what I have to say.”

“Fine, but I may fall asleep.”

He wanted to laugh. She was like a furious little mouse trying to defy a ravenous tiger. He knew he could manipulate her if he really wanted to. It would be so easy to break her wall of resolve because she melted everytime he touched her. But he loved her and really wanted her to believe the truth. “When I danced with Elena, she talked about how happy she was with Reno and I was glad for that. But then she started asking me things I didn’t feel were appropriate and I told her so. I also told her I was with you and had no interest in anyone else.”

Tifa didn’t want to hear the truth. She wanted to remain angry with him. She wanted to leave Midgar and put herself as far away from Cloud as possible. Only distance would assure that she wouldn’t hear any news about the second prince of Midgar and his new bride.

“When I was looking for you, Elena said she saw you in the garden. I went with her and then she just grabbed me. I swear I pushed her away right when it happened and I even threatened her. I guess you didn’t stay long enough to see that.”

“I saw enough.”

“Why won’t you believe me?!”

Tifa jumped up, her fists clenched at her side, her face inches away from his. “Because I don’t want to! I hate you!”

He glared at her for a moment, trying to determine if she meant what she said. And then he saw it…a tiny flicker of doubt, something he recognized in himself. She loved him. He knew it and believed it just as much as he believed in his love for her. This sudden defiance…the heat of her anger…he had never wanted her more than he did at that moment. If he didn’t care about repairing the rift in their relationship, he would have forced himself on her. But he could never do that to her. “You can hate me if you want, Tifa, but that’s not going to change how I feel about you.” He reached up and touched her cheek. “I still love you.”

She didn’t move as he leaned in and lightly kissed her lips, holding them pressed against hers for what seemed like hours.

When he released her, he leaned his forehead against hers. “Don’t ever forget that.”

Tifa watched him walk back inside before releasing the breath she had been holding. Damn him, she thought. How did he do it? How did he manage to make her feel guilty for being angry at him?

When Tifa woke up the next morning, she was shocked to find herself sprawled on top of Cloud’s back, her face buried in his hair. His scent was enough to drive her mad with desire. When was the last time they had made love? Two days ago…the morning before the Masquerade Ball. It seemed like an eternity.

She sighed in contentment, relishing in the heat emanating from his body. She curled a leg around his and moved her lips to the back of his neck, ready to kiss him there.

The Masquerade Ball…Cloud kissed Elena…

Tifa instantly bounced off of Cloud’s back in one swift motion and promptly fell over the side of the bed with a loud thump, taking the sheets with her. She heard a groan coming from above her before Cloud’s face appeared.

“You all right?” he asked, rubbing an eye with the back of his hand.

“I’m just fine.” She waited until his face disappeared before she rose to her feet. Her eyes automatically went to the bed where Cloud was now lying on his back, not a stitch of clothing on. He had fallen back asleep, his mouth hanging slightly open. She hated the effect his nakedness had on her. Why couldn’t he have the decency to wear clothes to bed like she did? She purposely wore the most unflattering nightdress as a deterrence. Although she was certain Cloud wouldn’t force himself on her and for that much she was grateful.

She turned away from the bed with a frustrated sigh and walked into the bathroom. Her anger toward him was torturing her. Over the last couple of weeks, she had grown so addicted to his kiss and his touch and his taste. Not having that was just as much punishment for her as it was for him.

But she wouldn’t give in. She wanted Cloud to admit he had a problem. She wanted him to admit he couldn’t keep his hands off Elena. She wanted him to let her go.

Tifa watched the colorful fish swimming in the large tank situated between two columns in the Library. Not that she was familiar with the fish that swam around the shores of Midgardia, she just had a feeling that these must have come from a place where the waters were always warm. Two of the fish, a bright yellow one and a blue and silver striped one, swam near the glass directly in front of her face. Wherever she moved, the fish followed. She wished she knew where they kept the food or she would have fed them.

Just then the door opened. She turned to see who it was.

“This is not a request, Elena.” It was Cloud. He didn’t sound happy as he stood in the doorway, his back toward the room.

Without thinking, Tifa quickly moved to the other side of the fish tank and ducked behind it.

“I was about to go for a ride, Cloud,” said Elena in her most seductive voice. “Perhaps we can go together.”

“Not in this lifetime or the next one,” he said callously before the door slammed.

Tifa cringed at the loud sound and carefully raised herself up slightly so she could see through the fish tank.

Cloud put his hands on his hips as he turned to face Elena. “You better come up with a reasonable explanation for trying to ruin my relationship with Tifa because I’ve lost the last smidgen of patience I had for you.”

“I love you, Cloud. What more can I say?”

“No! That’s bullshit and you know it!”

“You doubt me?”

“I’d sooner trust love coming from a venomous snake than from you.”

Elena giggled. “Alright, I don’t love you.”

“So what’s your problem?”

She shrugged. “You know how much I abhor being disregarded. I didn’t like the way you pawned me off, as if I were nothing more than an old pair of boots.”

“I don’t understand you. I lost interest for almost two years. You never complained until I brought Tifa home.”

“You never gave me a reason, Cloud.”

“You want reasons? Fine, here’s a few. You’re conniving and manipulative. You’re selfish and self-centered. God knows how many times I caught you having a quick romp with some unlucky bastard. And the biggest one: you’re a bitch to my little brother. The very sight of you makes my stomach turn.”

Elena’s eyebrows disappeared into her bangs. “That’s awfully cold, don’t you think?”

“Cold? I was being nice.”

“What can you possibly see in that drippy waif?”

“What do I see in her? I see everything I’ve ever wanted. I see the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. I love her.”

Elena laughed. “How inconvenient for you then that you’re marrying someone else.”

“Let’s get back to the subject I came to discuss. You knew she was standing there when you kissed me, didn’t you? You purposely let her think we still had something going.”

“I was just kidding. Besides, if you’re supposedly so in love with each other then why would she believe you’d do such a thing?”

Tifa felt like showing herself to answer that question, but she remained hidden, watching them through the fish tank.

“She’s had a hard life,” Cloud said. “She barely trusted me enough as it is before you managed to ruin even that.”

“What would you like me to do, Cloud?”

“Repair the damage. Tell her the truth.”

“Why should I do anything for her after what she did to Tseng?”

“For your information, Tifa did you a favor.”

“I hardly call it a favor.”

“Don’t tell me you enjoyed being smacked around by that bastard.”

Elena didn’t respond.

“The fact that he went after Tifa while he had you...that doesn’t say much about him, does it? Fucking weasel thought he could have both of you and thought I wouldn’t say anything?”

“Alright, I’ll talk to Tifa.”

“Do it before dinner.”

“Fine.” Elena moved to the door and flung it open. She walked out without another word.

Cloud stood with his hands on his hips. He sighed heavily.

Tifa peaked around the two fish still vying for her attention. She quickly ducked when Cloud turned toward the fish tank. His footsteps moved closer and she held her breath, hoping he wouldn’t walk around and find her.

After several moments, she heard his footsteps heading for the door before it closed.

She twisted around and peered around the side of the wooden cabinet beneath the fish tank. He was gone. Tifa sat back down, leaning against the cabinet.

Cloud hadn’t lied. He hadn’t kissed Elena. She staged the whole thing, just like he said. She felt like a complete fool. How could she have doubted him?

Tifa lingered around the stables, knowing Elena had gone for a ride and would eventually return. Would Elena really say something to her? How was she supposed to react to that? Was she supposed to believe her?

Elena returned from her ride around midday. As her horse walked toward the stables, Elena saw Tifa standing in front of Fenrir’s stable door. She drew her horse to a stop and hopped off, handing the reins to a stable boy.

Tifa pretended not to notice her as she caressed Fenrir’s massive black face.

“Tifa?”

She briefly glanced over her shoulder, giving Elena a cold glare. “What do you want?”

“I…came to apologize.”

Tifa turned to face Elena and crossed her arms over her chest.

“I wronged you by making you believe that Cloud still had an interest in me.”

“And he doesn’t?”

“No.” She shrugged and looked down with a slight frown. “I must confess to you that I was deeply hurt when I saw how he was with you. He kissed you so lovingly and made you smile and laugh. I was jealous because he was never like that with me. He never showed any interest, never expressed his feelings…” She looked up and smiled without humor. “Not once.”

Tifa noticed the tears forming in Elena’s eyes and wondered if they were real. “I’m sorry.”

Elena shrugged again. “I’m the one who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have taken my anger and resentment out on you. You’re lucky he’s found what he’s looking for in you, Tifa.”

She frowned. “Thank you for telling me the truth. But I don’t consider myself the least bit lucky. The time I have with Cloud is short. He’s getting married at the end of the year and I’m sure his wife-to-be won’t allow him to keep seeing me.”

“Which is why you should put aside your anger. And again, I’m sorry.”

Tifa nodded and watched Elena walk away. She still wasn’t sure Elena was being sincere in her apology, but at least she finally knew the truth about what happened in the Hedge Maze the other night. Now she wasn’t sure how to apologize to Cloud for not believing him. Even though she knew he’d accept her apology, it still didn’t make her feel any better about her obnoxious behavior over the last could of days.

She’d have to make it up to him somehow.

As Tifa headed back toward the castle, Cloud came outside through the side door. She stopped in her tracks and stared at him, wondering what he was going to do as he approached her.

“Come with me. I have something to show you.”

Tifa didn’t protest as he took her by the hand and led her back toward the stables. Her curiosity peeked when he brought her in front of Fenrir’s stable door. “What’re we doing here?” she asked.

He smiled and pulled her over one more stable door.

A black head appeared above the half door. It was a horse similar in breed as Fenrir, but a bit smaller.

“This is Shiva,” said Cloud. “I purchased her last year to breed with Fenrir, but she’s still too young for that.”

The mare stretched her neck trying to reach Tifa’s hand.

“She’s yours, Tifa. I’m giving her to you as an early birthday gift.”

“Birthday gift?” she asked slowly and unsurely.

“She’s never been ridden before and knowing your riding skills, I thought you might need something to do to keep you out of trouble.”

She stepped closer to the mare and caressed her black face. The mare was incredibly sweet and gentle. Tifa felt tears burning her eyes. She had never been given so many gifts before. Lucrecia had given her a gown and unfortunately Corneo had burned it in the fireplace. Cloud’s gifts surprised her because she didn’t think a consort could receive the things he gave her. Rich gowns worn only by women of high status; priceless jewelry fit for a princess. And flowers…every single day dozens and dozens of flowers were brought to Cloud’s bedroom, just for her…just so he could see her smile when she looked at them. And now he was giving her a horse of her very own to train and ride.

How could she possibly doubt Cloud’s love when he constantly worked so hard to please her? Wasn’t it supposed to be the other way around? Wasn’t she supposed to be pleasing him? He didn’t have to please her. But he did.

The mare nickered softly and playfully nipped at her palm. Tifa smiled, tears sliding down her cheeks. She turned around to tell Cloud she was sorry, but he was gone.

 

Chapter 33
​

When Cloud walked into his bedroom later that night, he found Tifa sitting at the foot of the bed. She wasn’t wearing that hideous nightgown like the last two nights. This time she wore the shimmering white silk nightdress he liked, the one that hardly left anything to his imagination.

The moment he closed the door, Tifa jumped up and quickly moved around to the nightstand where a tray containing a wine decanter and two goblets rested. She poured the wine into one and immediately walked up and handed it to him.

Cloud studied her face, trying to read the expression as he took a long gulp. “Thanks.” Then he looked down at the goblet and up at her again. “You didn’t poison this, did you?” The expression that came to her face was priceless. She looked terrified and ready to burst into tears. He felt bad. “I’m just kidding,” he said with a reserved smile.

Tifa slid her arms around his neck. “I’m sorry, Cloud.”

He wrapped one arm around her. The other hand was still holding the wine goblet.

“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you,” Tifa said with emotion. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you. I’m a horrible person.”

Cloud realized he didn’t like hearing the contrite in her voice. “Tifa…”

“I feel terrible. I don’t blame you if you never forgive me.”

He broke the hug and placed a hand on her face. “What’re you talking about, Tifa? There’s nothing to forgive. You acted on what you thought was the truth.”

“But I was wrong.”

“It doesn’t matter.” He pulled her in for another hug.

“I love you,” she said softly.

He smiled to himself. “I know. But I like hearing you say it.”

That brought a smile to her face. “I love you,” she said again.

Cloud tossed the wine goblet over his shoulder and it hit the wall as he circled his other arm around Tifa and captured her lips in a desperate kiss.

She responded by unbuttoning his shirt and pushing it off his shoulders. When he broke the kiss, she reached up and tilted his face toward her, trailing soft kisses along the healing scar running diagonal from his forehead to his jaw.

He kissed her again, harder and deeper. Her hands were on his chest, nails grazing over him. The feeling sent shivers up his spine. “I’m sorry, too,” he said as he brought his lips to the side of her face.

“You didn’t do anything, Cloud. You have nothing to be sorry about.”

“I lost my patience with you.”

“I know you didn’t mean it.”

“I didn’t.”

As he kissed the side of her neck, Tifa’s lips drifted to the scarred flesh on his right shoulder. “Does it still hurt?” When he shook his head, his hair tickled her cheek. She pressed her lips against the wound again.

They felt like fire on the sensitive tissue, but Cloud tolerated it. Her hands traveled down his chest, tickling him slightly on their way down to his trousers. After her fingers managed to undo the ties, she pushed his trousers off his hips. But he couldn’t take them off because he still had on his boots.

She moved to his lips and kissed him ardently, waiting for him to suck on her tongue the way he liked…and she liked. As they kissed, Tifa thought about how she could please him. What could she do that would make him groan in unconditional pleasure? A single idea came to her head. Something she had seen, but thought to be abhorrent. Yet she didn’t feel such dread with Cloud. There wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do if it pleased him.

Tifa kissed the center of his chest and worked her way down his flat torso until she was on her knees. She nestled her face into the soft, dark blonde hairs, inhaling his unique scent. His arousal was evident, demanding attention. She wrapped her hand around his length and stroked him, her eyes lifting up to his face.

Cloud’s gaze met her sparkling ruby eyes. His pulse quickened when he realized what she intended to do. He didn’t want to think about the last time he had received pleasure in this manner, or with whom. He watched with bated breath as Tifa worshipped him with her tongue before she took him into her mouth. It was warm and wet and felt incredible.

The sounds coming from Cloud’s throat made Tifa work harder to please him. But he wouldn’t allow her to finish.

He pulled her up and kissed her before removing her nightdress and leading her by the hand to the bed. Unfortunately he didn’t last very long after he slid himself inside her. But he made up for it in other ways.

Cloud stood beside his mother, impatiently tapping his foot as they waited for the Junon carriage to come through the main gate.

This was the last thing in the world he wanted to be doing, after spending a gloriously perfect week with Tifa. They had spent nearly every moment together, eating breakfast, lunch and dinner together, riding down the chasm to spend an afternoon at the lagoon. They even prepared Shiva together for her first ride, which Tifa handled on her own and without any mishap as the brave filly let herself be ridden.

No one bothered them or made trouble. No one reminded them of Cloud’s obligation. They pretended it didn’t exist.

Until now.

When the carriage finally appeared, Cloud suddenly felt a strange sinking sensation in his gut, as if he was falling from a great height. He dreaded this moment with every fiber of his being. He didn’t want to be standing there. He didn’t want to meet the princess. He wanted nothing to do with her.

The carriage stopped several yards in front of them.

When Cloud sighed heavily, Queen Ifalna touched his arm.

“This is so wrong,” Cloud whispered. “You can’t expect me to cooperate when I know I won’t ever feel anything for this girl.”

“Make the best of it, dear, please. Do it for me.”

Rude stepped up to the carriage door and opened it. He reached in to help someone out.

Judging by the simple gown the young girl wore, Cloud didn’t think she was the princess. More like her handmaiden. Then Rude reached in to help someone else. This was Princess Priscilla of Junon, dressed in a pale pink gown that accentuated the reddish hue of her hair.

Her toe caught in the step of the carriage and she suddenly pitched forward, calling flat on her face.

Cloud couldn’t help himself. He exploded into laughter and couldn’t stop even when his mother elbowed him roughly in the ribs.

Priscilla raised her head and spat dirt out of her mouth. She accepted Rude’s help and then whirled on her handmaiden. “You stupid fool! How dare you stand there watching me fall!” Even as the handmaiden begged for forgiveness, Priscilla pushed her away with tremendous force for such a small girl. “Get out of my face!” She graciously adjusted her hair, where half had fallen out of their pins. The heel of her left shoe had broken off and as she moved forward, she walked with an exaggerated limp.

Cloud tried to maintain his composure, but he was extremely close to losing it again as he watched her approach. She was small and lanky and unimpressive. But even if she had been the most beautiful woman in the world, it wouldn’t have changed how he felt. He didn’t want to marry the princess of Junon. His heart already belonged to someone else.

Priscilla stopped in front of the two people she assumed to be the queen and the prince she was to marry.

Cloud watched her eyes appraise him from head to toe. They briefly paused on his hair and he could read the distaste on her face before her eyes came to rest on his.

Her eyes turned to the queen. “I am extremely pleased to be here, your Grace,” she said as she curtsied.

“I present my son, Prince Cloud Strife,” Ifalna said, waiting for Cloud to hold out his hand. She breathed a sigh of relief when he politely kissed the princess’s hand when she gave it to him. “Please follow the First Captain. I have a room prepared for you and your handmaiden.”

Priscilla’s eyes darkened. “If you don't mind, my incompetent handmaiden will sleep with your servants,” she said disdainfully and then proceeded with Rude up the stairs, her walk tilted from the lack of one heel.

Cloud shook his head. “She’s superficial and one-minded, I can tell just from the way she said the word servants.”

“Well, most royals are shallow. Look at your brother’s wife.”

“Exactly. That’s why I can't marry this girl,” Cloud argued.

“I know you disapprove, Cloud, but this union is crucial, just as your father said. If it pleases you, then keep your consort. It’s not an unheard of practice.”

“Damn right I’m keeping her,” he muttered.

Tifa adjusted Cloud’s tunic and smoothed the front of it with both hands. She swallowed the lump in her throat, her eyes fixed on the delicate threadwork depicting the Shinra seal. “You look handsome,” she said calmly, even though her insides were in complete turmoil.

“I wish you were coming to dinner with me,” Cloud replied in a troubled tone.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

Cloud frowned and kissed her.

“Is she pretty?”

“Not as pretty as you.”

Tifa smiled against his lips as he kissed her again. “Of course you’d say that.”

Cloud kissed her one last time before backing away. “Make sure Jessie brings you something to eat.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t starve.” She watched him walk out of the bedroom and then slumped down on the floor, her back leaning against the foot of the bed. As much as Tifa dreaded the union of Cloud and the princess of Junon, this time she couldn’t complain. Besides, she knew how much Cloud dreaded it as well.

But nonetheless, Tifa still felt a strong ache in her heart. It still hurt to know that someone else would be vying for his attention. What was she supposed to do when it came time for Cloud and Priscilla to create an heir? What if somewhere in the near future Cloud decided he didn’t need her anymore because he began to feel something for Priscilla?

Tifa covered her mouth with her hands. She’d never get over Cloud, even if she was meant to be with someone else.

An hour later, after King Shinra and Queen Ifalna excused themselves, Cloud stared at the ceiling of the Dining Hall, desperately trying to find something interesting in the intricate patterns of the tiles. Beside him, Princess Priscilla droned on about things he didn’t care about. Her voice was like the continuous buzzing of bees and was grating on his last nerve.

“...the colors will have to be yellow and white, of course. I know the colors of Midgar are blue and white and they’re quite lovely, really, but you don’t mind yellow and white, do you?”

“Wonderful,” he replied blandly.

Ten minutes later...

“...not to mention the horrendous odor they exuded, I nearly fainted. So I prefer not to be in the company of such creatures. You don’t object, do you?”

Cloud closed his eyes and sighed. “Yeah, sure, whatever...”

Ten more minutes later...

“...in such pristine condition. It’s my favorite piece in the entire collection. I’ll have to transport it to Midgar, of course. I’m sure you’ll like it.”

“Terrific...” Cloud’s bored eyes traveled across the table to Rufus, the only other remaining person in the Dining Hall. His brother had an amused expression on his face, probably wondering what thoughts passed through Cloud’s head as his fiancé spewed things that bore no importance to him whatsoever.

Fifteen more minutes later...

“...and drank the concoction without even asking the origin of the ingredients. Can you imagine such a horrible thing?”

Cloud could barely keep his eyes open. “That’s great...”

Priscilla’s brows narrowed. “Great? How can that be great?”

He opened his mouth to respond, but wasn’t even sure what to say because he hadn’t even been listening. He glanced at Rufus, but received no hint.

“You have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?” she accused.

Why lie about it? “Not a single clue.” Cloud got up from the table. “Excuse me a minute. Be right back.”

Priscilla watched him walk out of the Dining Hall, leaving her alone with Rufus. They sat in uncomfortable silence for a moment before she sighed. “He’s not coming back, is he?”

“Probably not,” Rufus said truthfully, enjoying the irritated blush on her face.

Tifa was standing out on the balcony when she heard the door open inside. When she turned, Cloud briskly crossed the room to join her outside. “Dinner’s over already?”

“Now I’m ready for dessert,” he said, immediately taking her in his arms and kissing her senseless.

She didn’t mind, even when he picked her up and carried her inside.

Priscilla was well aware that many princes kept consorts until they were married. Thus she wasn’t surprised when the next morning she spotted Prince Cloud from her balcony, walking hand in hand with a dark-haired girl. Well, she wasn’t about to let him disrespect her right under her nose.

She left her assigned bedroom and quickly made her way downstairs.

Cloud dropped his hand from Tifa’s face when he saw Priscilla approach them.

“I'd like a word with you,” the princess said impolitely to Cloud, even though her eyes were glaring at Tifa.

He followed Priscilla around the corner of the large hedge wall until she finally stopped and faced him, her expression reflecting her distaste at whatever she was about to tell him. He crossed his arms over his chest defensively, knowing the conversation wouldn’t be very friendly.

“Whenever I turn my back, I suppose you’ll be wooing that prostitute?”

He frowned. “I advise you not to call Tifa a prostitute. She’s my consort.”

“I don’t care what she is. I expressly forbid you to see her.”

“Forbid me?” Cloud laughed. “You can’t tell me what to do.”

“I am your fiancé. I have every right to tell you what to do.”

Now he was angry and despite the fact that she was a woman, he decided being cordial to her wouldn’t benefit him in any way. “Let’s get something straight right now. I don’t take orders from anyone, least of all from you.”

“Well, I would expect you to stop fornicating your consort during our engagement. You don’t see me running around with other men, do you?”

“I could care less if you did. Be my guest.”

Priscilla growled in a very unladylike manner. “I’ve never been so insulted in all my life!”

“Get used to it. I’m not going to be very easy to live with. And incidentally, don’t expect to consummate our marriage on our wedding night. That isn’t going to happen until I’m good and ready to create an heir. Tifa’s going to be the one in my bed until the day I die.”

“You’re despicable!”

“Come to think of it, I’m sure I forgot to mention that she’s also accompanying me to Wutai tomorrow.”

“Excuse me? I am your fiancé! I should be accompanying you!”

“Forgive me if I’d rather spend my time with someone I actually care about.” He walked away from her. She’d probably cry to his mother about the way he treated her, but he didn’t care.

Tifa had heard the entire conversation. A part of her was appalled at the way Cloud spoke to his future wife, how utterly insensitive he was to her wishes. But the other part of her was jumping up and down in glee.

Cloud rounded the corner and walked up to Tifa. “Sorry about that.” He took her hand and pulled her in the direction of the castle.

“She didn’t sound happy about me accompanying you to Wutai.”

He looked at her as they continued walking. “You heard that, huh?”

“I heard all of it.”

He shrugged.

“Did you really mean what you said?”

“Which part?”

“About not consummating your marriage until you’re ready to create an heir?”

“No, I didn’t really mean it.”

Her heart felt like someone was squeezing it in their fist. “Oh.”

Cloud stopped and turned to face her. “Tifa, I have no plans to create an heir so I have no plans to bed that girl.”

“Your future wife,” she reminded him.

He cringed. “Not in my eyes. I’ll never consider myself married to that… that…inconsiderate, insipid wench.” He placed his hands on her face and kissed her. “I only want you.”

She believed him. “Are we really leaving tomorrow?”

“Yes, I can’t stand being here another day. Plus there’s been a change in plans.”

“What kind of change?”

“We’re going to Nibelheim right after Icicle Village. Wutai can wait.”

Tifa didn’t argue as he pulled her toward the castle.

King Godo Kisaragi stared at the tall man standing before him, the sharp point of an extremely long sword threatening to sink into the soft flesh of his throat. “I offered you wealth, land, women…what more do you want from me?”

“Wealth, land and women. Such a small offering for your life?”

Godo’s eyes shifted away from the hideously disfigured face to the carnage created by the reptilian creatures accompanying him. The mutilated bodies of his guards laid strewn around the entire audience hall. It took minutes, perhaps only seconds, for them to be overtaken by the creatures that had swarmed through the doors and windows. Godo couldn’t imagine what they had left in their wake. Had they killed any of his subjects along the way?

Sephiroth attempted a smile. But only half of his face cooperated. The other half was ruined. No amount of self-healing could repair the damage caused by Cloud Strife. The boy’s days were numbered, Sephiroth would make sure of it. But for now, he planned to reign terror on the rest of the world. He wanted Strife and Shinra, especially Shinra, to know he was still alive. He wanted them to know he intended to destroy everything and everyone…until he was satisfied.

Until she was satisfied.

 

Chapter 34​

Cloud lifted Tifa up so she was straddling his lap. He watched the color rush to her cheeks. He knew the precise second she was about to climax. It was something he had come to learn while being with her. His hands moved up and down her smooth back, interrupted only by an occasional scar that refused to heal completely. Not wanting his thoughts to return to how she had received those scars, Cloud concentrated on her pleasure…and his own.

She writhed on his lap, arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers clenched tightly in his disheveled hair. As her insides spasmed, she parted her lips and released a hushed cry of bliss.

He covered her mouth with his and tasted her just as he his own release crested. There was no other sound but their labored breathing as they moved in tandem, riding the last few seconds of their climaxes.

Several minutes passed before Tifa opened her eyes. She was reluctant to pull away from Cloud. Not yet. She wanted to remain in their embrace for a while longer. Her eyes shifted to the open balcony doors. The sun hadn’t even risen, yet in the early morning hour, she had been consumed with a need to feel him. He had woken up instantly, of course, always ready to oblige her. She knew he’d never refuse her invitation.

“How long will it take to get to Nibelheim?” she asked, breaking the silence.

“About four days,” he replied, his voice muffled from his lips being pressed to her shoulder. He raised his head to look at her. “But first we go to Icicle Village. That takes three days. Then we’ll head south and dock on the west coast of Corel. It’s about a half day ride to Nibelheim from there.” Cloud closed the gap between them, lazily kissing her lips, swollen from his unwavering attention.

Tifa returned his kiss, but she still had questions. “Why did you change your plans?”

“What plans?”

“About going to Wutai first? Why are we going there last?”

Cloud sighed. He didn’t feel like talking, but he didn’t want Tifa to be worrying and wondering. “Before I left for Modeoheim, a message was sent to Wutai informing them that I’d be arriving with a peace treaty in the immediate future. Well, a couple days ago, we received a reply from King Kisaragi. He refused it.”

“But why?”

“Something about him not able to accept a treaty without some formal apology. That pissed off my father and now…I don’t know, I guess I’ll have to take matters into my own hands.”

“What’re you going to do?”

“Rufus and I talked later and he agrees I should still go to Wutai after Icicle Village…and Nibelheim, of course…and I’d give Kisaragi the apology he’s looking for.”

“Against your father’s wishes?”

Cloud smiled and leaned in to bring his lips to her cheek. “You should know by now, I don’t always follow my father’s orders.”

Tifa smiled in return and closed her eyes as his lips traveled to the space just below her ears, the place he knew she liked to be kissed.

Hojo heard a sound outside his balcony doors. He sat up and reached for his glasses resting on the nightstand beside his bed. After getting up and slipping on a robe, he moved toward the glass doors and peered out.

One of his hawks was sitting on the balustrade, waiting for him. The early morning sky was still too dark for Hojo to see the identity of the hawk. Two of his birds were out with messages, one to Nibelheim and the other to Mideel. He doubted either would have returned so quickly.

Hojo opened the balcony doors and stepped outside. As he drew near the hawk, he didn’t recognize it. It wasn’t one of his. And if it wasn’t, then how would this hawk have known to find him here?

There was a message tube tied to the hawk’s limb. Hojo untied it and pulled the message out. After unscrolling it, he recognized the writing and with a feeling of dread, quickly skimmed over it.

Incompetent Fools
By the time you read this message, I’ll be in Wutai. DO SOMETHING practical and productive or you’ll both be feeding the fish at the bottom of the sea.

Hojo didn’t need to see the signature at the bottom of the message to know who had sent it. Sephiroth. He was still alive. Without any further thought, he shooed the hawk away and went back inside.

Moments later he was up in the East Tower, writing his own message and tying it to the limb of the bird who knew the route to Kalm. Hopefully Tseng would get the message before the sun rose.

By mid-morning the castle was bustling with the usual frantic activity preceding any of Prince Cloud’s impromptu departures. Queen Ifalna, with the help of her sister, Elmyra, had the kitchen staff scrambling to prepare a special breakfast. It was her tradition to feed Cloud and Zack before they left on long journeys.

Meanwhile Tifa and Aerith rushed back and forth between rooms, discussing what they were taking, while Jessie hustled to gather all their necessities.

“Bring that red one, Tifa.”

“But it’s my favorite. What if something happens to it? What if I fall off the ship again?”

Aerith giggled. “You’re right. Cloud will tear it off and let it sink to the bottom of the sea.” She retrieved a blue gown with white accents and threading. “Here’s the one you should wear at King Kisaragi’s audience. The colors of Midgar.”

Tifa agreed and then she suddenly remembered something. “What about Cloud? What’s he going to wear?” She grabbed Jessie’s arm. “What does he wear when he presents a peace treaty?”

The handmaiden shrugged. “He has a formal uniform.”

“Where is it? We need to pack it and take it with.”

Jessie led the way to a trunk near the armoire. She raised the lid and pulled out a blue long-sleeved waistcoat. Gold buttons were on the sides instead of down the front where the Shinra seal was elaborately depicted in white piping. Next Jessie pulled out a pair of blue trousers and finally a pair of black leather boots.

Tifa took Cloud’s formal attire and carefully packed it in her traveling trunk.

Outside the castle, Rude prepared a half dozen horses for a lengthy sea voyage. It wasn’t the first time Cloud had sailed with the equines onboard, but it was the first voyage for at least two of the horses: the prince’s stallion and his consort’s very green mare.

Rude grabbed a stable boy’s arm before he could rush passed him. “Jacob, I want you to pack extra splint boots and quilts in the tack trunks.”

“Yes, sir.”

The Avalanche wouldn’t suffer any damage if any of the horses kicked at its walls, but he seriously worried Fenrir, or even Shiva, might injure themselves if spooked.

In the king’s Study, while Cloud and Rufus went over several maps, the king gave last minute orders to Zack and Reno.

“The High Council resides on the west side of town, in the stronghold closest to the harbor,” Shinra informed them.

“Isn’t that where the dungeons are?” asked Zack.

“Yes.”

Reno shook his head suspiciously, turning to Hojo who was standing beside the king. “Something isn’t sitting right with me. You say the High Council members are still alive?”

“That’s right,” Hojo defended. “That’s what the message said.”

“Sounds unlikely that Sephiroth would leave them unharmed after making his escape.”

“Are you questioning my eyesight?” the professor asked sourly. “I will show you the letter, if you’d like.”

Reno was about to counter, but Reeve placed a hand on his shoulder. But Reno wasn’t quite finished. He’d have a few words with the professor some other day.

Cloud leaned closer to Rufus and glanced over his shoulder. “Think we should tell him I’m going to Wutai?”

Rufus suppressed a grin when his younger brother turned back to him. “Not necessary. The old man knows you won’t listen to him, so he probably imagines you’ll be going there with or without his approval. Are you sure you won’t change your mind about leaving Tifa here?” he asked with amusement.

“So you can steal her away from me? Not a chance.”

“I have to confess, I tried, but…unfortunately she’s completely true to you.”

Cloud smiled. “I knew that.” He rolled up the maps and walked to where the others were standing. “We all set?” he asked as he handed the maps to Reno.

“If you and Mr Fair will accompany me to the Medical Ward, I’ll prepare the next Mako injections,” said Hojo. Since he hadn’t heard from Tseng, Hojo decided he needed to take matters into his own hands. With any luck, Prince Cloud would never make it to Icicle Village.

Cloud studied Hojo’s expression. There was something desperate about him. The professor never broke a sweat, yet his face was beading with perspiration at the moment. “I think I’ll pass for now,” he said almost instinctually.

Hojo’s eyes widened. “What? Why? You…you should have the next injection. It’ll ensure…fu…fu…further strength. Better eyesight, better hearing…it’s critical! We can’t just stop!”

Now Cloud was suspicious. “I don’t need any more strength. And I can see and hear just fine.” He turned to Zack. “Let’s go.”

As Cloud and Zack walked out of the Study, Hojo took a deep breath. So much for his plan. Now he had no choice but to go to Kalm to talk to Tseng himself.

Out in the foyer, Zack punched Cloud amicably on the arm. “What the hell, Cloud? I wanted that next injection.”

Cloud looked over his shoulder to make sure Hojo wasn’t following them before he stopped near the side door. “No, you didn’t.”

“I didn’t?”

“Something’s up with Hojo. Did you see the way he reacted?”

“Well, yeah. He knows what’ll happen if we stop the injections.”

“I’m more concerned about what’ll happen if we continue them.”

“What’re you talking about?”

Cloud closed his eyes and rubbed his temples with his fingers. “I don’t know. I just don’t trust him. He sounded too desperate. What if…” He sighed and opened his eyes, resting them on his long-time friend. “What if he’s the one responsible for trying to poison my father? What if he’s biding his time around here, waiting for the right moment to strike again?”

Zack frowned. “I thought you thought it was Tseng.”

“Yeah, but Hojo’s been acting strange lately, too. I’m not doing any more injections until I can figure out what he’s up to.”

“What if it’s nothing?”

“Then it’s nothing.” Cloud fidgeted. “But I’m never wrong…” he said before walking out the door.

Zack raised his eyebrows. For as long as he had known Cloud, there had never been a time when Cloud’s instinct didn’t prove right.

Cloud didn’t like having an audience at any time. He especially didn’t want it now, while attempting to get his very nervous stallion up the ramp. Twice he had to stop to calm Fenrir before completing several more steps. He’d have to repeat it with Tifa’s mare.

Tifa waited at the bottom of the ramp, holding Shiva’s reins. Zack and Aerith stood beside her. “Can someone explain to me why we’re doing this? Don’t they have horses in Icicle Village?”

“Actually, they don’t,” replied Zack. “But mainly because Cloud hates riding in carriages and he refuses to ride someone else’s horse. Both of them are on the book of Cloud’s laws.”

“He’s very stringent about his laws,” Aerith added, almost seriously.

Tifa smiled incredulously. “The book of Cloud’s laws? Why is this the first time I’m hearing of it?”

“What? He didn’t tell you about his book of laws?” Zack asked in mock surprise. “Hey, Cloud, you didn’t tell Tifa about your book of laws?”

When Fenrir snorted and tossed his head back, Cloud peered down the ramp and gave Zack a look of warning. “You’re not helping, Zack!”

“Sorry!”

“This is ridiculous,” Tifa finally said and promptly hopped up on Shiva’s bare back.

“What’re you doing?” asked Aerith.

Tifa didn’t respond as she nudged her heels into her mare’s sides. Shiva responded without apprehension and started up the ramp.

Fenrir released a shriek and bolted forward, nearly knocking Cloud down on the ramp.

Cloud relinquished his hold on the lead line and let the stallion loose. Luckily Fenrir managed to reach the top of the ramp and was caught by Barret. As Tifa moved forward on Shiva, Cloud put his hands on his hips and gave her a disgruntled look.

Tifa smiled sweetly. “You’re welcome.”

He stepped aside as Tifa rode Shiva passed him up on the ramp. He shook his head and smiled at her determination. It was never a dull moment with her around. He headed up the ramp and waited for Tifa to dismount her mare. “Since you’re so proficient at handling them, I’ll give you the responsibility of getting our horses down to the hold.”

“I accept the challenge.”

Cloud grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into his chest before she could walk away. “Don’t wear yourself out. We have plans later on…you and I.”

“Can’t wait.” Tifa accepted his kiss and forgot who was standing near them until she heard the clearing of a gruff throat. She pulled away from Cloud and with a bush on her cheeks, she left Shiva with Barret to handle Fenrir first.

An hour later The Avalanche and five other Midgar ships left the harbor. They headed in a northwesterly direction in a perfectly executed arrow formation, with The Avalanche in the lead.

For once King Kisaragi wished his daughter would keep her troublesome mouth shut. She didn’t know how grave their situation really was.

“You can’t be serious, father! You’re going to let this poor excuse of a man take control of Wutai?” Princess Yuffie Kisaragi stretched herself up on her toes, trying to intimidate the stranger with some height of her own, even though she was a good two feet shorter than the silver-haired man. “Him and his pathetic guard dogs?”

Sephiroth was almost charmed by the girl’s spirit. He barely had to place the thought into his mind before his minions acted upon it. Four lizardmen surrounded the Wutaian princess. He watched in amusement as she bravely punched and kicked and swung around, knocking them unconscious.

Yuffie kept her hands poised and ready as she trained her eyes on the man who called himself Sephiroth. “Is that all you have?”

Godo jumped out of his throne chair. “Silence yourself, Yuffie!”

Sephiroth stepped up to Godo and pushed him aside. He reached behind him to hold his long hair aside as he sat down in the king’s chair. It wasn’t quite as comfortable as the one in Midgar, but it would do for now. “Now…this is what I want. The son of Shinra is coming with a peace treaty. I want you to refuse it.”

“I’ve already refused it,” replied Godo. “He’s not coming.”

“He’s coming.” Sephiroth leaned back in the chair and rested his hands on the arms. “Tell him you’ll accept the peace treaty only if he defeats your strongest warrior.”

Kisaragi frowned. “As much as I despise any spawn of Shinra, I vilely respect Prince Cloud’s ability. He’ll easily defeat any of my best...which, incidentally, you’ve already killed.”

“I will take their place.”

“I don’t understand this.”

“What’s not to understand? I will defeat him and you will be known as the one who killed the infamous Cloud Strife, son of Shinra.”

“What do you gain from this?”

Sephiroth sighed reverently. “Supreme vengeance.”

“I can deal with Strife and Midgar without your help.”

Sephiroth stood up and glared at Kisaragi with his good eye. He sensed a bit of dissension.

In the blink of an eye, Godo found Sephiroth standing behind Yuffie, as if he had suddenly materialized there.

Sephiroth grabbed Yuffie by the hair and wrapped a thick arm around her neck. “I will send your precious daughter away to assure your cooperation. I expect nothing less, or she will die an excruciatingly…painful…death,” he said calmly, emphasizing each word.

Yuffie struggled in his grip. She finally opted to bite his wrist, drawing blood. Her effort earned her a slap across the face that felt like she had been hit with a boulder launched by a catapult. She quickly lost consciousness before she hit the far wall.

Ifalna walked into the Medical Ward, startling Hojo into dropping a vial of something green. “What is the matter with you, Emmett? You seem far too distressed lately.”

Hojo shook off his nervousness and came up with a quick excuse. “Forgive me, your Grace. I’m afraid I still haven’t gotten over the news of Sephiroth’s escape.”

“Well, the man is dead. Cloud made sure of it.” She didn’t want to talk about Sephiroth. “Anyway, I’m coming to see if there’s been a response from Nibelheim.”

“No, your Grace.”

“Nothing at all?”

He removed his glasses and pretended to clean them in order to stall for a reasonable explanation. “The hawk returned, but there was no message.”

Ifalna frowned. “That’s absurd. I asked for a response. Are you certain the bird didn’t lose the message?”

“The canister was empty. Would you like me to send another message?” he quickly asked before she could question him further.

She sighed. “No, I suppose it doesn’t matter anymore. Cloud will take care of the situation when he gets there.”

Hojo promptly dropped his glasses and nearly stepped on them as he attempted to pick them up. “Gets…gets there?”

“Yes. On his way to Wutai, he’s making a quick stop to Nibelheim.”

“But…Nibelheim is not on the way to Wutai at all.”

“It is to him.”

“And what will he be doing in…Nibelheim?”

“It’s a fact finding mission, Emmett. We’re both determined to discover who Tifa’s parents are and get to the bottom of why they sold her into slavery.”

Hojo felt his stomach lurch. This was an unexpected turn of events. “Will that be all, your Grace. I have an urgent matter to attend to.”

“Yes, I’m through with you.”

He waited until she left the Medical Ward before he quickly dressed for a furiously fast ride to Kalm.

Outside of Midgar, as Hojo pushed his mount to the limits, he thought about the consequences should Cloud Strife, Queen Ifalna or anyone else discover the true identify of Tifa. Even worse, what if Sephiroth discovered it? He’d eventually tie Hojo and Tseng to the conspiracy surrounding King Sears Lockhart. All who were involved wouldn’t have a prayer in the world of begging for their lives.

 

Chapter 35​

Ifalna rummaged through several crates in a room just beyond the wine cellar of the lower level. Inside the crates were things she saved all her life, throughout most of her forty-six years. Things that belonged to her children when they were much younger, like clothing and toys.

One crate contained a variety of swords Cloud had made himself when he was a teenager. He used to spend hours in the forge with the weaponsmith and always emerged from there with some new weapon he had made.

“I found it, your Majesty,” yelled Jessie from the other side of the pile of crates.

Ifalna replaced the lid of the crate with Cloud’s weapons and quickly walked over to where Jessie stood. The crate beside her contained stacks of letters. She rummaged through them until she came across the stack labeled Nibelheim. “Here they are. Thank you, Jessie, you may go now.”

Jessie bowed her head and left the small storage room.

Ifalna sat down on the floor, heedless of the dust getting on her gown. After skimming over several of the letters, she came across the one she was looking for. It was dated eleven years ago.

August 14
My Dear Friend Ifalna
Sad tidings I bring with this letter. I came home from a visit to Cosmo Canyon to learn my sweet little Tifa became afflicted with the Stigma and perished in my absence. Sears was distraught when he told me my child’s face was so ravaged by the disease that I couldn’t even see her before they burned her body. I feel a terrible emptiness in my soul, as if I’m missing a piece of it. I can’t help but think that if I had taken Tifa with me to Cosmo Canyon, she never would have been exposed to the plague that has come to claim so many here in Nibelheim. I know your first thought is to come and console me, my friend, but I beseech you to stay away until this terrible sickness has been eradicated.
Yours truly,
Elfe

Ifalna lifted her eyes from the letter. Elfe hadn’t been allowed to see Tifa before they burned her body. What if someone tricked the king into believing the child had been afflicted with the disease? What if Tifa had actually been kidnapped? It wasn’t unheard of that the children of royal families were kidnapped for ransom. But this wasn’t the case at Castle Lockhart. There was no ransom. If the child, Tifa, had truly perished because of the Stigma, then the Tifa who had been rescued by Cloud in Mideel couldn’t be the princess of Nibelheim.

She sifted through several more letters until she came across the formal proposal between Midgar and Nibelheim made thirteen years ago.

It is hereby decreed that Cloud Strife Shinra, prince and second heir to the throne of Midgar, shall marry Tifa Lockhart, princess and heir to the throne of Nibelheim, on a date scheduled after she reaches the age of eighteen. Upon the deaths of King Sears Lockhart and Queen Elfe Lockhart, if there is no male heir to rule the kingdom, then Nibelheim shall fall under the rule and protection of Midgar.

The proposal was signed by the four parents of the children involved.

Ifalna smiled to herself as she recalled the moment she broke the news to Cloud.

“I have to marry her now?” a wide-eyed, eight-year-old Cloud stared in shock at his mother.

“No, dear, not now. You’re both much too young.”

An even younger Tifa crawled upon the sofa and hugged Cloud around the waist. “I love Cloud!” she announced gleefully.

Cloud tried to pry her arms apart and when he managed it, he scrambled over the back of the sofa and jumped off. “No way, Mom! I’m not marrying her! She’s crazy!”

Ifalna and Elfe exchanged an amused glance as Cloud bolted out of the room.

Tifa looked on sadly. “Come back, Cloud!” She turned around and sat down, looking as if she would burst into tears. “He doesn’t like me.”

Ifalna sat down beside her, pulling the girl into her arms. “It’s alright, Tifa. Cloud just has to get used to you, that’s all. I’m sure it’ll get better, especially if we come to visit once a year, or you can come stay at Midgar for awhile.”

Tifa pulled away from Cloud’s mother and nearly unseated her own mother as she launched herself into her lap. “Can I, mother? Can I go to Midgar?”

Elfe smiled at her little girl. “Of course you can. But not until you’re alittle bit older. It’s a very long trip.”

Ifalna’s eyes drifted to the backside of the child’s left shoulder. “What’s that on the back of her shoulder?”

Elfe’s hand automatically moved up to the spot in question. “It’s a birthmark.”

“What an unusual shape, just like a four-leafed clover.”

“It’s her good luck charm. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?” She tickled under her daughter’s chin. “It’ll bring her good luck all her life.”

Ifalna frowned to herself. The birthmark had indeed been an unusual shape, but it certainly hadn’t brought the child good luck. She recalled seeing the same birthmark on the girl Cloud had brought home. The girl’s name was Tifa and she had the same birthmark. Could it be just a strange coincidence? Not likely. There was also the coincidence that Elfe’s daughter supposedly died of the Stigma at age seven, which was the age the older Tifa mentioned she first came to be under Anton Corneo’s ownership.

Too many coincidences.

Ifalna was convinced that Tifa was the same little girl she had seen in Nibelheim. She was the princess of Nibelheim. She was Elfe’s daughter.

Someone had kidnapped her at age seven and never asked for a ransom.

Why?

On the fourth night of passage between the continents of Corel and Northland, The Avalanche and its five sister ships met with a snow storm. The temperature had dropped drastically and the crew were forced to dress heavier to stay warm.

In the Captain’s Cabin of The Avalanche, Cloud and Tifa were snuggled between thick blankets on the hammock.

“What’re you looking for in Nibelheim?” Tifa asked, her chin resting on his right shoulder.

“Lots of things,” he replied with a smile.

She smiled back. “Humor me.”

“Alright. I’m…looking for the Lifestream.”

“You believe it exists?”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Tifa had read about it years ago in one of Corneo’s books. But the Lifestream was just a myth because no one could find it to prove its existence or their theories of what it was comprised of. “What do you think it is?” she asked him.

“Millions and millions of souls flowing together in a river of eternal life. They aren’t dead. They’re merely living a different existence, maybe in a different dimension.”

“I like your theory.”

“I prefer the theory that the Lifestream is comprised of life and not a bringer of death.” They were silent for a moment before Cloud spoke. “What’re you looking for in Nibelheim? Things that’ll remind you of your childhood and perhaps bring back your memory?”

“I don’t know where to start.”

“We’ll go to the record keeper. There can’t be that many girls named Tifa in Nibelheim.”

“I’m afraid of what I’ll find.”

Cloud repositioned himself so he could look at her face more clearer. “Why?”

“What if I find out my parents are dead?”

“But what if they’re not?”

“What if they sold me for money because they were poor?”

“And what if you find out you have brothers and sisters that were also sold? Don’t you want to know that so you can find them?”

Tifa moved closer to him, pressing her face against his. “Only if you’re there with me.”

“I’ll be there, Tifa. I’ll go with you wherever you want me to go. You won’t be alone.” His lips found hers. “Never again.”

There was a light knock on the door.

Cloud turned his head away from Tifa. “Yeah?”

“It’s Biggs, Captain. We’re within sight of the Icicle Village harbor.”

“Good. Bring us in and let’s wait until morning to disembark.”

“Uh…I think you need to see this, Captain.”

“Fine. I’ll be right up.” Cloud kissed Tifa again. “I better go see what the problem is.”

Tifa moved away as Cloud tossed the blanket aside and hopped out of the hammock. She watched him quickly put his clothes on before walking to the door. “Hurry back.”

Cloud grabbed his coat. “I will.”

After he left, Tifa stared up at the ceiling, the hammock still rocking back and forth from Cloud jumping off. She was curious to know what required his attention that Mr Biggs couldn’t handle himself? Tifa threw the blanket aside and got up to dress, deciding she just couldn’t wait for him.

Cloud jogged up the steps to the wheel deck and noted the solemn looks on the faces of Cid and Barret. “What’s going on?” He glanced at the dark shore a mile away. “I thought we were approaching Icicle Village?”

“That’s Icicle Village,” Barret offered somberly.

Cloud turned again to the dark eastern shore ahead. Where were the lights from the street lanterns? Where were the lights coming from the windows of the houses? The taverns? Icicle Village was always bustling with light, reflected almost blindingly by the snow-covered streets. There wasn’t a single flame burning anywhere.

Cid anticipated the request and handed Cloud the telescope before he could ask for it.

Even with his enhanced vision, Cloud could see nothing but darkness upon the shore. He scanned the area slowly, searching for the smallest flicker of light…anything that would present some form of life. The moon was hidden behind thick snow clouds. Without its light reflecting on the snow, there was nothing to see.

Barret and Cid patiently waited for Cloud to make a decision on what to do.

Cloud lowered the telescope and stared at the water ahead, unable to shake the disturbing thoughts running through his head.

Where was everyone? The people couldn’t have just left. Bone Village was the closest town and that was clear across the mountains and on the other side of the continent. It was a three week trek on horseback, over treacherous mountains infested with Bandersnatches and other creatures even more deadly. No horse could survive the trip, much less any man, woman or child on foot.

From the corner of his eye, Cloud saw Tifa approach the railing. She didn’t say anything, just looked in his direction. He turned to Cid and Barret. “We can’t dock at the pier. It’s too dark. Drop anchor right here and we’ll wait until first light.”

Cid glanced at Biggs and nodded for him to relay the message to the other ships. He turned back to Cloud. “So we’re docking?”

“No. I don’t like the way things look. We’ll go in on boats and look around on foot, no horses.”

Tifa moved closer, but kept her distance, not wanting to disrupt their discussion.

“If anyone still lived there, then we’d see some kind of light,” Cloud added.

“What’re you thinkin’ ‘bout, Spike?” asked Barret.

“I’m thinking everyone’s dead or they left in a big hurry.”

“And went where? There ain’t nothin’ but snow and more snow in every direction.”

“Maybe they evacuated on ships,” Cid offered.

Cloud shook his head. “We would have known about it.” He frowned and shook his head. “Something’s not right. Hojo said he received a message from the High Council and they said everything was fine here.”

“Well, it doesn’t look fine to me,” Barret muttered.

“You think I don’t know that? I’m not stupid!” Cloud regretted his angry tone and frowned again. “We’ll wait until morning,” he said with a sigh, alittle calmer. He watched as Barret walked away to give the orders to the crew to drop anchor. His eyes fell on Tifa standing several feet away. She looked at him warily…frightened. He turned to Cid who had taken control of the ship’s wheel from Wedge. “Let me know if anything changes.”

“You got it.”

Cloud approached Tifa. “What’re you doing up here? It’s cold.”

Tifa ignored his question and searched his glowing eyes. “Something happened to the people of Icicle Village?”

“I’m not sure yet.” He glanced back toward the dark shore, wishing the clouds would disappear so the moon could reflect off the snow surrounding the village…and then he could see it.

She moved closer to him and as he wrapped an arm around her, she turned in the direction he was looking. Was Icicle Village out there somewhere? Why weren’t there any lights?

Yuffie Kisaragi woke to a bucket of cold water thrown at her. She gasped and sputtered. When she felt a pair of large hands pulling her up by the arms, Yuffie kicked out with her legs, landing a foot into her assailant’s face. A rope tightened around her neck and she reached up to remove it. She couldn’t breathe.

Someone’s face came into her line of vision. “Try that again and I’ll rip your head off.”

The rope loosened and she quickly filled her deprived lungs with air. Too weak to fight any longer, Yuffie watched as the thick rope still around her neck was wrapped twice around her wrists. She had no choice but to follow her captor out of the small room she had woken in several times. She didn’t know how long she had been in that room. All she remembered was feeling movement beneath her, sometimes a gentle rocking, sometimes rather violent.

After moving through a tight corridor and up several sets of wooden steps, she found herself outside. It was dark and the stiflingly humid air smelled like the sea. She was dragged further and pulled down a ramp. A quick glance over her shoulder, to where she had come down from, revealed a large ship. Glancing forward at the town, Yuffie knew she was no longer in Wutai.

“Where’s my father?” she asked in a commanding voice. Her captor ignored her question as he continued dragging her through the empty street. “I demand you release me at once!” Again no response.

Several minutes later they rounded a corner and approached an overweight man standing outside a tavern.

“Here she is,” her captor said to him.

Anton Corneo stepped forward and visually inspected the young girl from head to toe and back. He reached out and squeezed her arms, then gripped her face with his hand. “She looks barely of age.”

“That’s cuz she ain’t.”

Corneo recalled the last girl he had that hadn’t been of age when he first purchased her. Unfortunately he had waited too long to defile her and he never got a chance before the prince of Midgar paid a large sum of gil for her. Well, he wasn’t going to make the same mistake with this one. He’d bed her even if she wasn’t of age.

Yuffie jerked her face away and went to bite his hand, but he pulled it away before she had the chance.

“Careful, Mr Corneo. She bites and she kicks, too.”

“I have a cure for that.” He glanced at someone standing near a horse-drawn cart with a barred cage on top and waited for the young man to approach.

As he held up the open leather clutch, Johnny tried not to make it obvious as he briefly glanced at the girl tied in ropes.

Corneo rummaged through the contents and came up with a syringe already filled with a yellow fluid. He removed the cap to reveal the needle.

Yuffie tried to pull away and squirmed when her captor wrapped his arms around her from behind. The man named Corneo grabbed her arm. His grip was like a vice. She couldn’t break it. Her eyes widened when she felt the needle slide into her skin with barely a sting. The plunger went down and the yellow fluid disappeared.

The effect was immediate. Corneo grinned as he pulled the needle out.

“When my father hears of this…he’ll…he’ll…you’ll…die…”

Everything went black.

Everyone stood on the decks of the six Midgar ships as the sky was finally beginning to brighten. The five smaller ships were anchored side by side, their bows facing the coast, while The Avalanche was anchored parallel to the shore, in front of the other ships.

Cloud waited for the shadows to lighten. He couldn’t slow his quickening breath. He didn’t know what to expect, what they’d find. Standing on his right side was Tifa, her knuckles white from clutching the wooden railing. On his left were Zack and Aerith. Behind him were Cid and Barret and the rest of the crew. Everyone was as anxious as he was.

Unable to wait any longer, Cloud raised the telescope to his left eye and he peered through it.

Tifa turned toward him. She hoped to see some glimmer of hope on his face. But his reaction was nothing like that. His brows narrowed slightly before he lowered the telescope, looked down and closed his eyes in dismay. She whirled to face the shore and scanned the coast as the sky continued to lighten.

And then she could see it. She saw what he had seen. There was nothing but hills of snow. If she didn’t know the look of sadness on Cloud’s face, she would have thought this wasn’t Icicle Village, that they were anchored in the wrong place. Icicle Village was somewhere else.

But she knew that wasn’t the case. They wouldn’t have made such a mistake.

Cloud’s heart was hammering in his chest. He looked up again, wishing the scene before him could suddenly change.

There was no way this could be ruled as an accident. The mountains southeast of Icicle Village weren’t that close. Not close enough to cause it on their own. There was only one explanation. Sephiroth had caused it. He forced an avalanche, a controlled avalanche, that buried the entire town beneath hundreds of feet of snow. Nothing was visible, not even the highest rampart of the castle belonging to the High Council. No one could have survived.

“All those people…” Aerith barely whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

Zack slipped an arm around her shoulders. He turned toward Cloud. “We should still send the boats out…just in case.”

Cloud nodded slowly, but he had no hope of finding any survivors. He briefly glanced over his left shoulder to Cid. “Lower a crew and inform the others.”

“When we reach Nibelheim,” said Zack, “we’ll send a message to your father.”

Cloud nodded again. “It’s my fault,” he said after several minutes.

The others turned to him in unison.

“If Sephiroth had been executed years ago, none of this would have happened. The people of Icicle Village would still be alive, all the people who died in Modeoheim would be alive…”

“How is any of this your fault?” asked Aerith.

“I should have been more insistent on the execution.”

“You were fifteen,” Zack argued. “You could have insisted until your face turned blue and no one still wouldn’t have listened to you.”

“I should have killed him when I had the chance. I could have done it when he was in the dungeons…before they took him away.”

“Cloud, you can’t blame yourself for this.”

“Why not? He’s after my family, including me. I’m to blame. My whole family’s to blame.”

“Sephiroth had his own agenda. He would have caused destruction whether your family stopped him or not.”

“Zack’s right, Cloud,” said Aerith. “The man is pure evil.”

Tifa slipped her hand into Cloud’s and waited for him to acknowledge her. “You couldn’t have known such a thing would happen. No one could have known.”

Cloud knew they were right, but it still didn’t stop the shiver of guilt that rushed up his spine whenever he thought of the people that died by Sephiroth’s hand. It could have all been prevented if the High Council had agreed to execute Sephiroth…if only they had listened.

 

Chapter 36​

Just as Cloud suspected, they didn’t find anyone alive in what used to be Icicle Village.

They had spent two days digging in the heavy snow, finding only bodies crushed from the weight of it. Rooftops had collapsed. Not even the sturdiness of the stone castle, where the High Council members lived, had survived the avalanche.

Red scoured every square foot of the town, listening for the slightest sound…anything that might indicate someone was still alive beneath the twenty-five feet of snow that had somehow rolled off the nearest mountain.

Even with their efforts digging all day and night, it was evident that no one survived.

Because of the frozen state of the bodies, it was hard to determine how long they had been dead. It might have been days…or even weeks. Cloud was convinced Sephiroth caused the avalanche at the time of his escape.

It seemed strange though that not a single ship from another province had come to trade after the disaster. Thus no word of Icicle Village’s destruction had reached Midgar. But even stranger was the fact that Shinra did receive a message concerning Sephiroth’s escape. So who had sent the message if everyone in Icicle Village had died in the avalanche? The only explanation Cloud and Zack agreed on was that Sephiroth sent the message himself, perhaps to instill fear in the leaders of Midgar.

Cloud made the decision to leave three ships to continue the task of digging out Icicle Village. Someone had to perform the unpleasant and dismal task of recovering all the bodies. Icicle Village was governed by the High Council, who were all deceased, and wasn’t under sovereign rule, therefore Cloud felt responsible for seeing that the people were given proper burials.

The three remaining Midgar ships, including The Avalanche, finally left the eastern coast of Northland and headed south toward the continent of Corel. The town of Nibelheim wasn’t on the coast, but there was a small fishing village at the eastern coast where the ships could dock. From there, Cloud and company would have to travel the thirty miles inland to Nibelheim on horses. It would take at least four hours to reach their destination.

The feeling on the ship was eerily somber after leaving behind the devastation in Icicle Village. It didn’t help that both day and night the skies remained cloudy, threatening more icy snow and blistery cold.

Aerith had a special gift she didn’t use often. She was strongly empathic and could feel what others were feeling. It tended to irritate the people who knew of her talent when she told them what they were feeling, so she tried not to use it unless it was asked of her. Plus it was difficult knowing what others felt and so many emotions coming at her at once was maddening at times.

She couldn’t help it this time. The quietness onboard the ship was disconcerting to her. Whenever she sailed with Zack, the crew were always joyous and energetic. All she felt from them now was a grave sense of depression. An entire village had been destroyed. The population in Icicle Village was over a thousand. Next to the destruction in Modeoheim a few weeks ago, it was the biggest disaster in history.

She sat on the cot she shared with Zack, cradled in his arms. “It’s such a terrible feeling,” she whispered.

“What is?”

“Looking toward a place where a thriving village once stood…and feel absolutely nothing emanating from it. When we first arrived there I could have sworn we weren’t anywhere near Icicle Village. But the first mate wouldn’t have made such a mistake.”

“I had friends there,” Zack whispered back. “Everytime I came to Icicle Village throughout the last few years, I got to know some people and we’d always have a few ales at the local pub. Damned good ale, too.”

Aerith sighed. “Cloud still feels as though he’s responsible. He burdens himself unnecessarily.”

“I know. He needs to realize that he can’t claim the responsibility for whatever destruction Sephiroth left in his wake, even though the man did it to agitate him and your uncle. It wasn’t Cloud’s fault that the High Council decided to imprison Sephiroth instead of execute him.”

“I don’t think he’ll ever get over the decision they…” Aerith suddenly stopped mid-sentence and pulled away from Zack’s arms.

Zack noticed the startled expression on her face. He knew the look in her eyes. She was concentrating on something…or someone. “What’s the matter?”

Aerith jumped to her feet and quickly retrieved her robe as she headed for the door. She didn’t wait for Zack as he struggled to put on his trousers.

Several minutes later, Aerith was standing at the center of the main deck, turning in a slow circle, staring out at the darkness surrounding the ship. It was freezing, but she didn’t seem to notice it in her thin nightdress and robe.

Zack was soon by her side, watching her. “Aerith, talk to me.”

“There’s someone out there.”

“Someone?”

“Lonely, distraught, starving, thirsty…”

“Where?”

She turned in every direction, trying to find the source. “I don’t…I don’t know exactly.”

Zack saw Barret standing with Cid, who was steering the ship. “Barret! Go wake up Cloud! Hurry!”

Cloud brushed his fingers over Tifa’s shoulder and down along her arm. Her skin was incredibly soft, softer than any woman he remembered being with. His lips touched her shoulder and he lifted her arm up as he trailed kisses all the way down to her fingertips.

Tifa smiled and closed her eyes. She loved feeling his hands and lips on her. She couldn’t imagine anyone else ever touching her in this manner. When he turned her away from the window to face him, she opened her eyes and looked into his. She saw blue flames dancing in the soft glow. That and the unbridled passion she had grown to recognize as a promise of what was to come…all the blissful pleasure she craved and often demanded of him.

She felt guilty though. Hours ago they left Icicle Village and the dead. It almost felt sacrilegious to be enjoying herself while so many had perished in such a brutal manner.

Cloud noticed her smile fade and her eyes lowered. He tilted her chin up. “What’s wrong?”

She knew Cloud’s spirits needed to be lifted. He felt the most guilt out of anyone because he felt responsible for what happened to the people of Icicle Village. She shook her head and smiled again. “Nothing.”

Her smile stirred his heart. He needed to see it. It was his addiction.

Tifa slid her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers into his hair, pulling him in for a kiss. He didn’t disappoint as he worked his way into her mouth and she was able to taste him.

Their hunger grew and intensified…until someone started pounding on the door.

Cloud broke the kiss and looked up. “What?!”

“You’re needed topside, Spike!”

He recognized Barret’s voice. “What for?” When he didn’t get a response, he sighed heavily and pulled away from Tifa.

They both began to dress as quickly as possible.

After several minutes of mentally searching the surrounding sea, Aerith moved toward the larboard side of the ship, toward the back. She looked out into the darkness, even though she knew she’d never see whatever it was she was sensing so strongly.

Zack held her hand and he felt her squeeze it tightly.

“There, Zack,” Aerith said as she pointed. “Do you see anything?”

He used his Mako enhanced vision and searched the sea where she pointed. Something was there, bobbing in the angry waves. When Cloud came up beside him, Zack pointed. “It’s a small boat.”

Cloud saw it immediately. He jogged toward the wheel deck. “Cid, go to secondary sails! We’re coming about!” He took control of the wheel from Cid as the first mate began barking out orders to the few crewmen tolerating the cold on deck. Cloud spun the wheel quickly, not waiting for the main sail to be dropped.

The ship struggled to respond as it fought against the strong winds blowing from the north.

Cloud kept his eyes on the dark spot in the equally dark waters and concentrated on moving the ship toward it. Somewhere to his right Cid kept a steady drone of orders. The main sail was lowered. He guessed someone was in that boat. It was a miracle Aerith had sensed it.

He spared a quick glance toward the two ships following in his wake. They had also dropped their main sails and probably wondered what he was doing coming about so quickly.

As the ship drew closer to the small boat, Aerith could sense the despair more strongly. “We’re coming!” she shouted over the howl of the wind.

Tifa wasn’t sure what was happening or how Aerith had known there was a boat out there. It was nearly pitch black and she couldn’t see anything. But she knew both Zack and Cloud could see it because Cloud was moving the ship in an entirely different direction than the one they had been going.

“There! I see it!” Aerith yelled and pointed excitedly.

Barret approached the side with a heavy grappling hook attached to a long rope. “Stand back!” As everyone moved out of the way, the thick-armed quartermaster twirled the hook over his head several times before releasing it over the side. It was a perfect execution. The hook fell into the bow of the small boat and caught it. Barret began pulling the rope in.

No one bothered to help him. He was capable of doing the job on his own.

Cid ordered both bow and stern anchors dropped.

Tifa and Aerith both leaned over the railing as Barret tied the rope and then held a lantern over the side. The light landed on the inside of the boat, revealing a thin, violently shivering woman in wet, weather worn clothing.

The sole surviving resident of Icicle Village stared at the faces staring back at her. She curled the thick blanket tighter around herself, relishing in the warmth, something she hadn’t felt in however long she had been out at sea. “It was a terrible sound, like thunder, but worse than I had ever heard before.” Her heart pounded in her chest. “If…if I hadn’t been fishing out on that boat…” she said in a shaky voice. “…I would have…” She couldn’t finish her sentence as her mind filled with the faces of the family and friends she had lost.

Aerith put her arms around the woman, sensing her overwhelming sadness and tried to comfort her as best as she could. Sitting on the other side of the woman was Tifa, holding both of her cold hands, trying to warm them.

Shera Baker had spent a long time on that rowboat. She had lost count of the number of times she had seen day turn into night and night turn into day. There wasn’t a single moment her eyes hadn’t been filled with tears. But she had shed enough tears now. “I’ve seen plenty of avalanches…and this couldn’t have been one.”

“What do you mean?” Cloud asked from the opposite side of the galley table where he and Zack sat.

“Avalanches don’t move horizontally. I saw it come down off the mountain and it should have ended there. But it didn’t. It continued to move across the flat plains for miles before it completely covered the village. A solid wall of snow…more than twenty feet high.”

Cid, Barret, Biggs, Wedge and several other members of the crew listened intently as they visualized the destruction that overtook Icicle Village.

“I’m not sure how long I waited, hoping to see some kind of movement, hoping others had survived. But there was nothing. I didn’t know what to do.”

“Did you see anything else that was unusual?” asked Zack.

Shera shook her head. “Nothing unusual. Just a large ship.”

Cloud’s head snapped up. “A ship?”

“I waved my arms, hoping someone onboard would see me. But it was moving away so fast, I don’t think they even realized what had happened on shore.”

Cloud exchanged a glance with Zack before he turned back to the women. “Take her to my cabin. I’ll have someone send up two more cots.”

“Where will you sleep?” asked Tifa.

“I’ll sleep in the other cabin with Zack.” He watched Tifa and Aerith help Shera away from the table and he waited until they left the galley before he gave Barret a meaningful look.

Barret turned to the crew standing around. “Alright, men, back to what you were doing.”

Once the galley emptied, Barret and Cid joined Cloud and Zack at the table.

“Was that Sephiroth’s ship she was talking about?” asked Cid.

“If it was, then whoever built it helped him escape,” said Cloud. “The question now is, who built that fucking ship?”

Zack ran his fingers through his thick black hair. “Not those lizards he controlled, that’s for sure. They wouldn’t know which end of a hammer to hold.”

“Who then?” bellowed Barret.

Cloud got up from the table and paced. “I have my theories, but I can’t prove them.”

“Well, let’s hear them.”

“Jian Tseng. In the last couple of years, he traveled to Icicle Village a lot, saying he had family living there. Now if that was true, then why didn’t he show an ounce of concern when we heard last year that people were being attacked by Bandersnatches? I would have been on the next ship to Icicle Village and getting my family out of there. When we heard about Sephiroth’s escape and the possibility of people getting hurt or killed because of it, he was the one that warned us not to attempt a trip to Icicle Village, that there might be a trap.”

“What’re you thinking, Cloud?” asked Zack. “You think Tseng was in cahoots with Sephiroth?”

“Yes, and I think Vincent was getting close to the truth and Tseng set him up, leading everyone to believe Vincent had something to do with trying to poison my father.”

Barret slammed both meaty fists on the table, making everyone jump. “Let’s go back and tear him apart!”

“We will, but we can’t go back to Midgar just yet. I told Tifa we’re going to Nibelheim and that’s where we’re going next. While we’re there I’ll get a message out to my father about what happened to Icicle Village and to find Tseng and question him. After that we have to settle a peace treaty with Wutai. Then we’ll go home.”

“What about Shera?” asked Cid. “What’re we going to do with her?”

Cloud turned to him. “Since you’re the one who asked, I’ll leave that up to you.”

“Me? I don’t know what to do with her.”

“Yeah, Cid,” Barret agreed. “You’re the only one without a woman.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cid watched Cloud, Zack and Barret walk out of the galley. “Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?!”

Johnny waited until Corneo left for town before he ventured toward the last stall in the barn. He pushed aside the mound of hay and dropped down to his knees in front of the small barred window of the trapdoor. It was dark inside the underground cell so he couldn’t see what condition the girl was in. “Hey, are you all right down there?”

A few seconds later something rolled into view, barely lit by the meager light coming from the interior of the barn.

Yuffie’s hands and ankles were tied together so tightly, she could barely move. She had been in this position for so long that everything was numb. The voice from above forced her to roll her uncooperative body toward the faint light. She looked up and saw the face of the young man who had been with her captor several nights before. “Come down here and untie me so I can wrap my hands around your throat!”

“Not with that kind of attitude, I won’t.”

“Do you know who I am? I am Princess Yuffie Kisaragi of the magnificent continent of Wutai. My kidnapping is an act of war! My father will find me and destroy every living thing responsible for my abduction!”

“Shhh, keep your voice down or the others will hear.”

“What others?”

“Look, my name’s Johnny Zimmer. Anton Corneo owns me. I only do what he says to avoid a beating. I’ve had my share and I don’t want to experience it again.”

“Are you going to get me out of here or what?”

“I can’t do it right now. But I promise I’ll find a way.”

“Can you at least untie me?”

“I’m sorry, but he’d know I did it.”

“Then don’t talk to me!”

Johnny remained silent for a moment as he continued staring down at the girl. “Are you really a princess?”

“If you get me out of here, my father will reward you.”

“Really? What kind of reward?”

“Gold and precious gems.”

Johnny frowned. “I’m a slave. What am I going to do with gold and gems?”

“Are you an idiot or something?”

“I’ve been called worse.”

“You can buy your freedom, you stupid fool.”

“I’ll think about it.” Johnny moved away from the barred window and covered it back up with the hay.

Yuffie was thrown back into darkness. She rolled herself toward the wall she had been against before the interruption…back to the sharp metal she had found. After positioning herself just right, she went back to the task of trying to use the sharp metal to cut her ropes.

Ifalna had met many princesses in her life, but the princess of Junon was worse than any she had ever known. The girl never stopped talking…and about the most inconsequential things. She was driving Ifalna absolutely crazy. To think she’d have to live with her for the rest of her days once Cloud married Priscilla. Ifalna simply couldn’t stand it. She needed to get out of the castle before she lost her mind.

The queen searched the castle for her sister and discovered she had gone to Kalm with Reeve. Of all the times for them to discover their infatuation with each other. Just when Ifalna needed someone to go to town with.

The only two women left in the castle were Scarlet and Elena. Scarlet was another one Ifalna couldn’t stomach. She settled on Elena and dragged the girl into the carriage with her.

“I have to put a stop to it,” Ifalna mumbled to herself.

“Put a stop to what?” asked Elena as the carriage began to move.

“Cloud can’t marry that psychotic girl. He’ll kill her before the honeymoon even begins.”

Elena smirked. “I thought I was the psychotic one.”

Ifalna waved a hand in dismissal. “Nonsense. She’s ten times worse.” She sighed, her hands dropping to her lap. “She was such a doll when she was a child. I can’t understand what happened to her.” She glanced out the window when the carriage came to a halt just outside the battlement wall surrounding the castle.

Hojo was speaking to the First Captain.

“Rude, what’s going on?”

Rude walked up to the window. “The professor said he’d accompany you into town. He has to pick up some supplies.”

“That’s fine. But he’ll have to find another way back because I’m thinking about traveling to Kalm. You’ll inform the king, won’t you?”

“Of course, my Lady.”

The decision to travel to Kalm was a last minute one. Anything to avoid Princess Priscilla’s annoying ramblings.

Professor Emmet Hojo climbed into the carriage and sat opposite the two women. He grinned cheerfully. “Good afternoon, your Highness. I hope you don’t mind the intrusion.”

Ifalna couldn’t help but wonder what was causing Hojo’s good humor. Normally the man was nothing but gloom and doom. Fifteen minutes into the ride, she was getting tired of his creepy smile. “Is there something on your mind, Emmet?”

“There is definitely something on my mind, Ifalna. We’re almost there.”

She frowned when he called her by her name. It was the first time he hadn’t addressed her by her title. Then it occurred to her that he couldn’t be speaking about the village because they were still at least a half an hour away from arriving.

Hojo began to chuckle when he noticed her sudden discomfort. He shifted his eyes to the young woman sitting beside the queen. “It’s an unfortunate circumstance for you to be here, young lady.”

Elena wasn’t sure what was going on. She didn’t associate much with the professor. But she recognized the threat in his statement. “What’re you talking about?”

Ifalna moved closer to the door and stuck her head out the window. “Driver! Stop, please!” She glared at Hojo when he reached out and grabbed her by the wrist.

Just then there was a swishing sound outside. One of the six guards accompanying the carriage suddenly fell off his horse. Another swishing sound and the driver of the carriage slumped backward, an arrow protruding from his chest.

The remaining five guards drew their swords and spun around, trying to determine where the attack was coming from.

Ifalna stared in shock as her guards were quickly dispatched by a shower of arrows. Some even hit the side of the carriage. All that remained standing were the horses. She was about to question Hojo when four men emerged from behind some rocks on a hill beside the carriage. She recognized one of them. Tseng.

The men came down the hill and approached the carriage. Ifalna knew what the others were just by the way they were dressed. Pirates.

She turned to Hojo. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Something that should have been done a long time ago.”

Ifalna pulled her wrist out of his grasp and slapped him across the face with as much force as she could manage. “How dare you?!”

Hojo pulled a pistol out of his belt and aimed it at her. “Touch me again and I’ll put a hole in your head…” He grinned. “…your Grace.”

Tseng came up to the window with one of the men. He was a bit disappointed to see Elena in the carriage. “Wrong place at the wrong time, Elena.”

“I have nothing to say to you,” Elena spat.

“What’s the meaning of this, Tseng?” asked Ifalna.

“The meaning will be quite evident soon enough.” He motioned to the gray-haired man beside him.

Hojo got out of the carriage while the pirate climbed in, taking his place, a pistol in one hand and a double=bladed sword in the other, both aimed at the women opposite him.

“Take them to the ship,” Hojo told the other two men, who were also gray-haired.

The two men climbed into the driver’s seat, pushing the dead driver off. Seconds later the carriage pulled away, leaving Hojo and Tseng behind.

A short while later, Ifalna and Elena found themselves in a boat heading toward a large ship anchored near the rocky shore they left behind.

While the more burley of the three men was rowing the boat, the other two pirates were sitting opposite the women, guns and swords aimed as if the queen and the consort were a real threat to them.

Ifalna looked at the pirate who appeared to be in command. She had mistaken him for someone much older. Up close in the sunlight she knew he was much younger, even though his shoulder-lengthed hair was completely gray. The one sitting beside him had much longer hair, while the hair of the one rowing was much shorter. She guessed the three were brothers. “Where are you taking us?” she asked the leader.

“Don’t you fret about that, my lady. Nothing will happen to you if you cooperate.”

“I’m not cooperating until you tell me where we’re going.”

“You’ll cooperate or you’ll be dead. Simple as that.”

“Is it riches you want? Whatever Tseng and Hojo gave you, I’ll double it.”

The pirate shook his head. “You don’t seem to understand. I’m not looking for wealth. I’m just looking to stay alive. If I don’t deliver you, my life won’t be worth half a gil.”

“Deliver me where? Just tell me.”

“He’ll tell me where…when the time comes.”

“Hojo?”

“No, not him. And not Tseng. They’re just grunts.”

“Who then?”

“Sephiroth.”

Ifalna frowned. “Sephiroth is dead.”

The pirate smiled. “You’re wrong about that. He’s quite alive. And he’s so looking forward to seeing you once again.”

A cold shiver of fear crept up Ifalna’s spine. There wasn’t anyone in the world whose name frightened her down to her toes. No one except Sephiroth.

 

Chapter 37​

The beginning of spring in Nibelheim was breathtaking. There was still a bit of a chill in the air, but the hearty trees budded early and flowers bloomed even amidst the melting snow and ice. Just off the coast, a dozen small creeks bubbled in every direction, mainly fed from a single river coming down from Mt Nibel and running along the western side of the bustling village of Nibelheim.

Normally when anyone of royal status traveled to another kingdom, they were supposed to announce themselves to the sovereigns in command. Unless there was a valid reason for him to see the king or queen, Cloud often tended to remain anonymous and traveled alone or with a small party. This was one of those times. The party consisted of Cloud, Tifa, Zack, Aerith and Reno. The rest of the crew remained onboard the three ships and stayed in the vicinity of the fishing village where they were docked.

One road led to and from Nibelheim and was well-traveled by fishermen and tradesmen bringing food and other goods to their storage facilities in town. The road into Nibelheim ended just outside the main entrance at a wide wooden bridge over the Nibel River.

The Midgar prince and his small party were inconspicuous among the visitors coming and going over the bridge. Perhaps the only interesting things about them were the two rare black horses, the larger ridden by Cloud and the smaller ridden by Tifa, which managed to amaze several curious eyes.

Cloud glanced at Tifa. She was staring straight ahead, her brows slightly narrowed in concentration. He knew she was trying to remember if she had ever been there. As much as he wanted to spend every minute with her in Nibelheim, he had other plans.

His eyes shifted to the massive mountain looming in the background, thick clouds obscuring the top of it. Somewhere close to the peak was an entrance to a cave and in that cave was the answer to an age-old question. Did the Lifestream really exist?

Near the edge of town were the stables. They dismounted and gave their horses to the stable boys to tend to for the next few days, or for as long as it took Cloud to reach his goal.

But first Cloud needed to get a message to his father. While the others waited outside, he went into the Messenger’s Office. Cloud eyed the various hawks perched in cages behind the counter.

“Good day, sir,” said an elderly man as he stepped out of a back room. “I am the shop manager. What can I do for you?”

“I need to send a message to Midgar. Castle Shinra to be exact.”

“The message will take approximately six days to reach Castle Shinra.”

“That’s fine.”

The manager produced a piece of parchment and a quill and ink.

Cloud began to write.

Father,
I write to you from Nibelheim to give you news about Icicle Village. It’s been completely destroyed by an avalanche brought on by Sephiroth’s wizardry. There wasn’t a single building left standing. However, we discovered a woman in a rowboat after we left. She is the sole survivor and I have given Cid Highwind the task of protecting her until we return to Midgar. Even though Sephiroth is dead, we’re certain he had help and ask you to find and question Tseng. I’m convinced he had a hand in arranging Sephiroth’s escape and more than likely the failed attempt to poison you. By the time this message reaches you, I should hopefully be on my way to Wutai and from there back home.
Give my love to mother.
Cloud

Cloud rolled the message and handed it to the shop manager. He waited until the message was placed inside a thin tube and attached to the limb of a hawk the manager took out of a cage. He followed the manager out the door and watched him release the hawk into the air. The bird disappeared in an instant. Cloud handed the manager several gil and walked to where the others were standing near a wooden water tower in the center of a large courtyard.

“Message is sent?” asked Zack.

“Yes.” He turned to Aerith first. “Get a room at the Inn. We’ll meet up in a couple of days.” He went into his pocket as he turned to Tifa next. “Do you have enough spending money?” He handed her a wad of gil, the same size as the previous two he had already given her.

“I have enough, Cloud. Don’t worry.”

He kissed her on the lips. “When I come back we’ll visit the Record Keeper and see if we can find your family. In the meantime, walk around town and see if anything looks familiar to you.”

She nodded. “Be careful out there and stay warm.”

“I will. I’ll see you later.”

“See you later.”

Cloud and Reno waited for Zack to part with Aerith before the three of them headed north through town, burdened with mountain-climbing gear.

Tifa turned to Aerith. “I don’t know where to start.”

“Does anything look familiar?”

Tifa glanced around at the Tudor buildings surrounding the cobblestone courtyard in the center of town. Nothing reminded her that she once lived there. “No…nothing.” She was beginning to worry that perhaps Nibelheim was not the town she came from. What if she was born somewhere else? How would she ever know?

Aerith took Tifa’s hand and squeezed it. “Just relax, Tifa. We’ll find something you remember.”

She tried to relax as her head spun dizzily. Did she remember the name of her town from a memory or was it because someone else had told her? When had she heard the name Nibelheim except when Vincent spoke it? Or Cloud?

“Come on,” said Aerith, tugging on her hand. “Let’s look in some of the shops. Maybe we can find something fun to take back home.” She needed to distract Tifa from the sudden panic threatening to overwhelm her.

Cloud, Zack and Reno trudged along the snow-covered path heading up through the mountains. The wind was blowing strongly and it was a lot colder than they anticipated for early spring. The enormous snow drifts slowed their progress and made the journey treacherous.

Several hours later they completely lost sight of the path and had to find an alternate way to Mt Nibel.

“Maybe we should just go back and wait until summer,” Reno suggested, having to shout over the howling wind. “It won’t be so cold.” His bright red hair blew wildly around his face.

“Doesn’t matter what the season is,” replied Cloud. “It’s always cold in these mountains.”

“What’re we looking for again?”

“You’ll know it when you see it.”

“How will I know it if I don’t even know what it is?”

“Just shut up, Reno and keep moving.”

But Reno wasn’t one to keep quiet. He kept up a steady banter of complaints about the wind and the cold and the ice and wanting a huge shank of meat instead of the dried stuff they brought along. Cloud and Zack gave up trying to silence him and just stopped listening.

Just before nightfall, they had climbed a peak to a ledge that was big enough for them to pitch up a single tent.

As they ate dried meat and drank melted snow, the wind continued to blow strongly outside their little shelter.

“What if the wind drags us off the cliff?” asked Reno as he stared wide-eyed at the flapping sides of tent.

“We’re tied down firmly, Reno,” said Zack with a sigh. “Don’t worry.”

“But the rods could come loose. We’ll be sleeping and then all of a sudden…snap and whoosh! We’re over the side.”

Cloud lost his patience. “If you don’t shut up, I’ll push you over the side myself!”

Zack glared at Reno in annoyance before turning to Cloud. “I knew we should have taken Cid instead.”

Tifa stared up at the ceiling from the small bed of the room they had rented at the Inn. This was their second night now in Nibelheim and she still hadn’t discovered who she was. She couldn’t sleep, even though she had drank nearly half the carafe of wine Aerith had ordered with their dinner. When would she finally recognize something? Had the town changed so much in the last eleven years that nothing was recognizable? Nothing except…

She slid out of bed and padded to the window, kneeling on the floor in front of it. It was dark outside, but she could still see the impressive castle just beyond the last row of houses. It was outlined by the white, snow-covered mountain in the background.

The castle was familiar, every detail of it, down to the six turrets making up the rear of the gray stone structure. Why was the castle so familiar, yet nothing else in town hinted at the life she had lived prior to Corneo’s ownership of her? Had her family worked in the castle and had never taken her into town, thus she remembered nothing else?

Not able to remain in the room any longer, Tifa quickly put on a less formal gown. She checked to make sure Aerith was still asleep in the other bed before she quietly walked out.

It wasn’t very late, yet there wasn’t much activity in on the streets when she left the Inn. Just a few people were walking about. No one paid any attention to her as she casually strolled around the cobblestone courtyard, studying the buildings in the moonlight and hoping to stir a memory. After awhile she found herself standing at the edge of the wooden bridge. It stretched out into the darkness of the forest leading out of Nibelheim.

The sound of a fiddle and cheerful laughter drew her attention to the side of the bridge. When they had crossed the bridge in daylight the day before, Tifa noticed hundreds of tents lining the riverbank for as far as her eyes could see. It was a rather dreary sight because she knew the people that lived in them couldn’t afford better accommodations within the city walls.

Campfires blazed in various places and lanterns lit the dirt ground. There was more activity by the river than in town. People milled around the tents, cheerfully greeting each other as if they didn’t have a care in the world. Children ran around, laughing and chasing each other. There was a certain charm about it at night. It didn’t seem as dreary.

Tifa found herself following a couple down a path that led to the riverbank. Something about their cheerful countenance stirred a familiar feeling of warmth and comfort. She remained just close enough so that it would appear she was with them.

The tents varied in size from very small to large. They continued on beyond the shelter beneath the bridge and disappeared around the bend of the river. The people all seemed cheerful and friendly. Some even acknowledged her with a smile and a nod. She nodded back and continued following the couple until they came to a place where the tents were grouped in a circle around a roaring fire.

This was where the music was coming from. Two men were playing fiddles while people danced together to the music. Those that weren’t dancing watched and clapped in time with the music.

Tifa stood among the watchers and giggled when she noticed several children running around the dancers, tripping them up. She turned and caught the eye of the woman she had followed.

“You shouldn’t be down here,” the woman said, her smile friendly.

Tifa didn’t respond. She didn’t know what to say.

“I can tell just from your clothing.”

“The music…” Tifa murmured. “I was curious. I better go.”

“It’s alright. I’m not saying you should leave. People who live in town don’t normally come down here, especially at night.”

Tifa’s face paled.

The woman patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’re all quite harmless. Would you like a nice warm cup of tea?”

“No…I should…I should go back.”

“You look cold. It’ll warm you up.”

The woman’s mate sighed. “Greta, leave the girl alone.”

The woman’s name sparked a memory and Tifa heard something echo in her head.

“Greta, let the child play with her dolls.”

Greta chuckled. “A cup of tea won’t hurt her, William.”

Tifa knew she probably should have pulled away from the woman and ran back to the Inn, but there was something about her that made it seem as if it was alright. She allowed Greta to lead her through the crowd of people until they came to a grouping of crates where others were sitting.

“Sit right here, dear and I’ll get you something warm to drink.”

Tifa sat down and glanced around, noticing William had joined her. Again she thought about returning to the room at the Inn, but couldn’t get herself to move. There was something comforting about Greta and William, something oddly familiar she couldn’t quite grasp.

The fiddlers finally stopped playing and everyone clapped and cheered. When an imposingly large man stepped out of a tent, all of the children rushed over to sit on the ground in front of him.

Tifa felt a tap on her shoulder. When she turned, William leaned closer.

“That’s Zangan, a master at storytelling.”

Tifa turned back, staring at Zangan as if she should have known him. The name sparked another brief memory.

“Don’t ever leave the castle gates without an escort. Sometimes princesses disappear and are never seen again.”

She watched Zangan pace back and forth in front of the children, obviously to draw out the drama of the story he intended to tell. She noticed that none of the people were leaving now that the fiddlers were done playing. They all remained to listen.

“This is the tale of the evil witch that once lived in Mt Nibel.” He made his voice sound eerie and mysterious. “Legend says she came from a far off land…a different world altogether…on a vessel that sailed among the stars. She had the ability to control a person’s mind and could make them do terrible things for her.”

The children reacted with startled gasps.

Tifa found herself listening intently.

“Many a man succumbed to her will throughout the centuries, but none of them had a strong enough heart to fulfill the one thing she wanted most of all.” He paused for added suspense.

“What was that, Zangan?” asked one of the children.

“Tell us!” yelled another.

“She wanted to rule the world. But none had the ability to make such a thing happen, even when she gifted them with special powers.”

“How did she give them special powers?” asked one of the children.

“She made them drink her blood.”

The children made disgusted sounds.

At this point Tifa guessed the legend was probably based on false information. She started to chuckle, but stopped at William’s next statement

“It’s true, you know. Zangan said he saw her himself. She had green skin and strange, snakelike hair.”

“And you believe him?”

“He’s been to places no other man or woman would dream of going. And he’s seen many strange wonders.”

Tifa recalled some of the stories Cloud told her. He had seen many strange things and believed him. Why would what Zangan said be any less reliable than if Cloud was the one telling the story?

Greta walked over and sat down beside Tifa, handing her a mug of steaming liquid. She handed a second to William and kept the third for herself. “What did I miss?”

“Zangan is telling his Jenova story,” replied William.

“Oh, I despise this story. It gives me nightmares.”

Tifa stopped listening to their bickering and tried to recall where she had heard that name. Jenova... It was recently, but she couldn’t seem to remember when and where. So much had happened to her that it could have been at anytime.

She glanced down at the hot liquid in the mug.

“It’s an herbal tea that’ll warm you right up,” said Greta.

Tifa took a sip. It was sweet and tasted like mint and warmed her, just as Greta said.

“Where did he say he saw the witch?” Tifa asked William.

“At the top of Mt Nibel. Not many ever make it back down from that mountain. It’s cursed.”

She tried not to overreact to his statement. Hopefully Cloud and the others would return safely.

“Where are you from, dear?” asked Greta.

“Well, originally…I think I used to live here in Nibelheim. But I haven’t been here in so long that I can’t seem to remember.”

“Nothing has changed much in the last two decades. You can’t be that old that you wouldn’t remember where you’re from.”

“No, but…” she trailed off.

Greta patted her hand. “It’s alright. Why don’t you tell me where you came from recently?”

“Midgar. I’m here with friends.” She didn’t want to tell her about Cloud because of desire to remain anonymous.

“Friends are good to have. I hope they treat you well.”

“Yes, they do.” Something stirred inside Tifa. She couldn’t understand what it was she felt, except that it stemmed from the way Greta spoke to her and the sight of the children sitting in front of Zangan, listening intently to one of his chilling tales. She said the names to herself in her head, over and over…Zangan, Greta, William. Had she known them? Was that the reason the names sounded familiar to her?

“What’s your name, dear?”

“Tifa.”

“Tifa,” Greta repeated. “Now there’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time.”

Tifa almost choked on the hot tea. “You…you’ve heard the name before?”

“Yes. I once took care of a child named Tifa. But sadly, she died of the plague many years ago.” She sighed. “Such a lively little girl, with the darkest eyes I’d ever seen. When the sun was out, her eyes would sparkle like dark rubies.” She leaned closer to Tifa. “Why…I think your eyes are just like hers.”

Something flashed through Tifa's mind.

“Tifa, come and have some warm bread. I have your favorite to dip it in.”

“Honey?”

“Yes, honey.”

Tifa wasn't sure if the brief memory had anything to do with Greta.

“How long have you been gone?” asked Greta.

“I think about eleven years. I came here hoping I might…remember who I am and maybe find my family.”

“Who are your parents?” asked Greta. “I might know them.”

Tifa shook her head. “I don’t know their names.”

“Well, I’ll talk to some people and hopefully someone will come forth.”

Tifa nodded.

Greta looked sadly at her. “I’m sorry, Tifa. I wish I could be more helpful.”

“Thank you, Greta. You’ve been very kind already. I can’t ask anymore of you.” Tifa stood up and handed the empty mug back to Greta. “I really must go now.”

“Will you come and visit again?”

“I’m not sure how much longer we’ll be here, but I’ll try.”

Greta gave her a sincere smile. “I hope you find what you’re looking for, Tifa.”

Tifa returned her smile and finally turned to leave. She made her way back along the riverbank and heard the fiddlers start up again, followed by some laughter. She glanced around the dilapidated tents and the muddy ground, wondering how these people could live in these horrible conditions, yet still be so happy.

When Tifa returned to her room at the Inn, she found Aerith up.

“Tifa!” Aerith ran up and hugged her tightly. “I woke up and found you gone and I didn’t know where you went and whether or not I should try to find you and I was terribly, terribly worried that something might have happened. Where have you been?!”

“I couldn’t sleep so I went for a walk.”

Aerith’s arms slumped to her sides. “For a walk? At this hour?”

“I’m sorry I worried you, Aerith.”

As Tifa walked toward her bed, Aerith noticed the mud caked on the hem of her gown. “Were you walking by the river?”

Tifa glanced down when she noticed Aerith looking at the bottom of her gown.

“Do you know what kind of people live down there? You could have been hurt or worse.”

“They’re not bad people. I met an elderly couple and we listened to fiddlers and I watched people dancing.” When she noticed Aerith’s skeptical look, Tifa shrugged. “I was just trying to see if maybe I remembered someone there.”

“And?”

“I’m not sure.”

Aerith walked up and rubbed Tifa’s arm. “What if we go down there together tomorrow? Would that be alright?”

“Yes, that would be fine.”

“Good. Now try and get some sleep.”

Tifa removed her soiled gown and slipped back into her nightdress. After she slid under the covers of her bed, Aerith blew out the candles.

“What you seek can be yours. You have but to do my bidding.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I want you to kill your father.”

“What?! You’re insane! I can’t do that!”

“If you don’t do it, then others will and they will be given the power. Is that what you want?”

“No…”

“You want the power for yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Then do as I ask.”

“No…never…”

Cloud woke when something jarred his arm. It was Zack.

“Hey, Cloud. What the hell’re you dreaming about?”

“What? Why?”

“You kept mumbling something about power.”

Cloud sat up and ran a hand over his face. He was sweating, even though it was freezing inside the tent. “I don’t know. Wake up Reno. We need to reach the top today.” They had been climbing for three days and hadn’t found anything along the way to the top. But Cloud was determined. He wasn’t going to give up until he confirmed that either the cave existed or it didn’t.

Fifteen minutes later, with the tent and the rest of their equipment packed away, Cloud, Zack and Reno continued up the steep side of Mt Nibel.

It was nearly noon when Cloud reached a ledge. He pulled himself up and stared ahead. Amidst the blinding white snow, he saw something black. Forgetting about Zack and Reno, Cloud stepped forward and began digging the snow away from what appeared to be an opening in the mountain. “I found something!”

Zack and Reno struggled to pull themselves up onto the ledge, more heavily laden with equipment than Cloud. They removed the equipment and began helping Cloud dig through the heavy snowdrift.

When they had pushed away enough of the snow for them to enter the opening, Zack dug a lantern out of their supplies. After Reno lit it, the three of them turned to face the cave entrance.

“This is it,” said Cloud. “Let’s find out if the legends are true.”

Cloud, Zack and Reno walked into the cave.

 

Chapter 38​

The interior of the cave tunnel was pitch black and wound around in different directions, but clearly heading downward. Even though Cloud and Zack could see in the gloomy darkness, thanks to their vision enhanced by the Mako injections, they still used the lantern, mainly for Reno’s benefit.

“I would have expected it to still be cold in here,” Zack commented. “But it’s actually hot.”

“I read somewhere that there’s a volcano in this mountain,” replied Cloud.

“Is it still active?”

“I’m not sure. It hasn’t erupted for several decades.”

“Great,” Reno mumbled. “With our luck, it’ll pick today to blow its top.”

“I see something up ahead,” said Cloud. He led the way for several more yards before coming to an opening off the tunnel.

Zack handed the lantern to Reno and followed Cloud through the opening.

The antechamber wasn’t very large and to their surprise, it was littered with skeletons.

Reno held the lantern up to see what they were seeing and he shivered. “A fucking tomb. Isn’t this lovely.”

Zack crouched to inspect the closest one. “Definitely human. From the way this arm is situated, I’d say it was nearly pulled out of its socket.”

Cloud walked around, glancing at the skeletons. Some looked as if they had been there for centuries, while others looked as if they had been there only a year or two. Weapons of every kind lay scattered all over the ground. “Looks like some kind of last stand.” He exchanged glances with his companions. “They definitely lost the fight.”

“I guess we’re not the first ones looking for the Lifestream here,” said Zack.

“Let’s keep moving.”

Just as they reached the opening, Cloud and Zack simultaneously came to an abrupt halt.

Reno bumped into them. “What the hell…?”

Cloud and Zack shushed him at the same time and looked at each other as several hissing sounds were coming in their direction.

“What do you think?” asked Zack.

“Lizardmen?” replied Cloud.

Reno sighed. “Not those things again.”

“Do they even have a name?”

Zack shook his head. “The only times I ever got close enough to ask, I had to kill them.”

“I guess Lizardmen is as good a name as any.” Cloud drew both of his swords. “Let’s not end up like these poor souls,” he said grimly as he motioned toward the skeletons.

Aerith struggled to keep up with Tifa as she wound her way through some of the tents. “Who are we looking for?”

Tifa stopped someone who was making his way to the river. “Excuse me. Could you tell me where Greta and William live?”

“Just around the bend, in the permanent structures.”

“Thank you.” She grabbed Aerith’s hand and pulled her along.

It was a lengthy walk along the muddy bank of the river to the section that bent around the western side of Nibelheim and headed north.

To Tifa’s surprise, the dwellings there were wooden shacks instead of tents. Some were even built right into the wall of rock that sloped upward toward the city above. Leading to each of the dwellings was a confusing maze of dirt paths fortified with stones.

Aerith watched children run around the many paths, laughing and playing games. It didn’t seem as bad as she thought it would be in the slum area of Nibelheim. In Midgar, no one of importance walked the slums because of the vagrants and thieves.

Tifa look around. How would she ever find Greta?

Just as the question entered her mind, someone yelled out her name. She turned toward the riverbank and saw Greta making her way up with a basket full of fish. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”

“I brought my friend, Aerith.”

Greta could tell from the way Aerith was dressed that the girl was of some importance. She bowed her head. “My lady.”

Aerith waved a hand. “Please, just call me Aerith.”

“Come, I need to get these fish into the smoker and then I’ll make us some tea.”

Tifa and Aerith followed Greta along several turns in the labyrinth of paths until they came to an abode built into the rock wall.

Greta began transferring the fish from the basket into a large clay oven with an opening at the top where smoke billowed out. “Go on inside and make yourselves comfortable. I’ll only be a moment.”

Tifa led the way inside.

It wasn’t much. There was a basin full of water in a corner, a rustic wooden table with four chairs and an equally rustic bed that was no larger than the cots used by the men on Cloud’s ship. She wondered how both her and William slept comfortably in the small bed. A variety of fruits and vegetables rested in a basket on the floor near the basin of water.

“How can anyone live like this?” Aerith asked sadly.

“Yet they seem so happy,” Tifa added. She sat down on one of the chairs while Aerith sat in another. In her small cloth purse, several wads of gil weighed heavily on her lap. She thought about leaving some under the pillow. The money could pay for more comfortable furnishings.

Greta stepped inside after several minutes with a copper pot of steaming water. She placed it at the center of the table and went to retrieve three metal cups from a cupboard. After returning to the table, she sat down and carefully dipped each of the cups in the fragrant water.

“What kind of tea is this?” asked Aerith. “It smells wonderful.”

“It’s made from the jasmine flowers that grow near the mountain path in the spring. They’re quite abundant for only a short time, so I try and gather as many as I can.”

Tifa and Aerith sipped from the cups Greta slid to them.

“It’s delicious,” said Tifa.

“Tell me about Midgar. You must both live in fancy row houses reserved for the elite.”

Aerith spoke first. “Well, it’s not quite a row house. More of a castle.”

“A castle? Do you mean Castle Shinra?”

“Yes. We’re here with my cousin, the prince. But I beg you not to tell anyone. He often travels anonymously to avoid the tediousness of being entertained by the rulers. I hope you understand.”

Greta chuckled. “Of course I do. But tell me, which of the sons is here with you?”

“Cloud.”

Greta’s laughter was cheerful and brought smiles to the other two. “Oh, he was such a troublesome child when last I saw him.”

Both Tifa and Aerith raised their eyebrows in surprise.

“Why, it must be thirteen years that have passed. Is he still as unmanageable as he was back then?”

“You know him?” asked Tifa.

“When I served as nanny to the princess of Nibelheim, the king and queen of Midgar once visited Castle Lockhart and brought their two sons. I’ll never forget the sunny color of their hair. The boys were quite the little charmers at first before they…”

Tifa didn’t hear the rest after Greta said Castle Lockhart. Lockhart…the name sounded unmistakably familiar to Tifa. But perhaps it was because she had heard someone say it once before.

“…such a joy to see the princess chase after the younger son. It amused William to no end.”

There was a knock on the frail, wooden door.

“Come in,” Greta responded.

The door opened and a man entered.

Tifa recognized him as Zangan, the storyteller.

“Zangan, how nice to see you.” Greta motioned to the empty chair beside her. “Come and have some tea with us.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” Zangan took the seat and waited for Greta to fill a mug with the brew in the pot at the center of the table. “Thank you, Greta.” He glanced at the two women also seated at the table. “I’m Zangan.”

“Oh, where are my manners,” Greta flushed. “Zangan, may I introduce Tifa and Aerith of Midgar. They’re here with friends.”

“Midgar, huh? Did you come on that big ship in the harbor?”

“Yes,” Tifa and Aerith replied at the same time.

“That’s Strife’s ship. Is he here, too?”

They weren’t sure whether to confirm Cloud’s presence to this man. They had already taken a risk by telling Greta.

Tifa decided to tell the truth. She didn’t think Greta and Zangan would suddenly rush to the castle and inform the king that Prince Cloud of Midgar failed to make his presence known. “Yes, he’s here. But he asked that his presence not be revealed to the king and queen.”

Zangan scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, I don’t blame him. I was at the coast a couple of days ago and saw the ship. Are the other two ships also from Midgar?”

Aerith spoke this time. “Yes. We’re on our way to Wutai to deliver a peace treaty.”

“Well, it’s about time Shinra opens his eyes. Ever since the war began a few years ago, Wutai wouldn’t trade with any kingdom associated with Midgar. I’m glad it’ll be over soon.” He took a sip of his tea. “So what brings Captain Strife to this town?”

“He’s investigating a legend.” Tifa smiled. “I believe you were actually telling the story to some children last night.”

Zangan’s eyes widened. “Mt Nibel? He’s up on that cursed mountain by himself?”

Tifa’s smile faded. “No, there are two others with him. Are they in danger?”

“Out of all the people that have gone up that mountain, only one man has ever returned. That was twenty-one years ago.”

A cold shiver ran up Tifa’s spine. But she had faith in Cloud’s abilities. “Cloud is very resourceful. He’s traveled to many places far more dangerous and he survived. They’ll return.”

“Not if they run into Jenova. What the devil possessed them to go up there?”

“Cloud’s an explorer. It’s what he does,” Tifa said, trying to remain calm.

“You mentioned one man returned,” said Aerith. “Is he still here in Nibelheim?”

Zangan shook his head. “No, he’s long gone. He left here about eleven years ago and went to serve the king in Midgar. In fact, last I heard, he was Captain of the militia there.”

Aerith frowned. “Captain of the Midgar militia? Why that was…” She gasped and turned to Tifa. “…Sephiroth.”

King Shinra smoked his long-stemmed pipe while sitting on a stone bench just outside the front entrance of the castle. It was getting dark and his stomach growled with hunger. With a heavy sigh, he stood up and paced, trying to decide if he should eat alone or wait for his wife. Denzel had already eaten and was probably asleep in his bed.

The sound of a galloping horse brought Shinra down the steps. When he saw the horse and rider pass through the front gates, he made his way toward them. Thinking it was one of his wife’s escorts, he was surprised to find it was Hojo.

“Hojo…what’re you doing out this late?”

“I went into town.” Hojo held up a leather pouch. “Some potions and things.” He dismounted and gave the reins to s stable boy before turning toward the castle.

Shinra fell in step with the smaller man. “Did you happen to see the queen’s carriage in town?”

Hojo halted. “The queen…” He rubbed his chin. “Yes, I rode into town with the queen. She was with one of the consorts. But I didn’t see them when I was ready to return so I borrowed a horse. Are they not back yet?”

“No, they haven’t returned.”

“Hm, that’s strange.” Hojo began walking again. Then with a dramatic flourish, he halted again and snapped his fingers. “Of course, how could I forget.” He turned back toward the king. “She mentioned something about possibly going to Kalm for a few days.”

“Kalm!” bellowed the king before heading up the steps. “Rude! Where the hell are you?!”

Hojo watched the king storm into the castle. A sinister smile curved the usually downturned corners of his lips.

Rude stepped out of the Library when he heard his name called. He walked to the railing of the second floor and looked over the side. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Shinra stopped in the center of the large foyer and glared up at the First Captain. “Why didn’t anyone inform me that the queen wasn’t coming home?”

“She hasn’t returned?”

“No, you idiot!”

“She mentioned possibly going to Kalm, but I didn’t think she meant it.”

Shinra shook his head in frustration. “She should have told me!” But he wasn’t surprised. Ifalna often did things without telling him and was sometimes gone days at a time, visiting friends in other cities, without telling him. He was always the last to know.

Rude watched the king walk away, heading for the Dining Hall. A few seconds later, Rude saw Professor Hojo pass through the front entrance, whistling a cheerful tune on the way up the stairway. “A prosperous outing, professor?”

Hojo couldn’t wipe the grin off his face. “Prosperous, yes, my good man. Very prosperous.”

As he watched Hojo continue down the east wing, Rude frowned. He found the professor’s cheerfulness off. The man never smiled. So what was making him smile now?

Yuffie felt her binds immediately loosen when she managed to cut one of the ropes using something sharp protruding from the wall. She quickly pulled the ropes off her wrists and sat up to untie them from her ankles.

Without wasting any time, Yuffie moved to the trapdoor on the ceiling. She gave it several shoves before managing to crack it open enough for her to crawl through. A quick glance around revealed the interior of a barn. “I can’t believe the louse put me under a barn,” she muttered.

She rushed toward the side door and pushed it open, slamming into something.

Or someone…

Johnny found himself sprawled out on the ground, water spilled all over his clothes from the bucket he had been carrying when the door hit him right between the eyes. He sat up and shook his head before looking toward the door.

Yuffie cringed, but then remembered he didn’t help her get out of that dungeon. “Serves you right!” She stomped passed him and moved toward the horses in the paddock.

“Oh, crap.” Johnny stumbled in his rush to get up and chase after the girl. “How’d you get out?”

“I had to use my ingenuity, thanks to you!” She grabbed a bridle hanging over the top rail and stepped into the paddock.

Johnny followed her in. “What’re you doing? You can’t just leave!”

“Why not?”

“He’ll think I had something to do with it. Or even worse, he’ll think I’m the idiot who couldn’t keep you from escaping.”

"You try and stop me and I'll split your lip." Yuffie selected the strongest looking horse and quickly bridled him. Wearing knee-length knickers and a thin-strapped matching top, she didn’t think she’d get far in town dressed the way she was. She’d have to find something along the way. “I don’t know about you, but I’m out of here.” She kicked the horse and galloped it twice around the paddock before leading it to the fence. The horse jumped up and cleared it, continuing on in a gallop.

Johnny crawled through the fence and quickly gave chase on foot. “Wait! Wait for me!” He kept running. “He’ll kill me when he finds out you’re gone!”

She would have kept going if she didn’t suddenly feel sorry for the fool. “Dammit!” She reined the horse to a stop and looked over her shoulder. “Hurry up or I’ll leave you here!” She watched impatiently as the moron tripped all over himself trying to jump on the back of the horse.

Once Johnny was finally sitting behind her on the horse, he tried to catch his breath. “I…I…I’ve wanted…to get out of there…for the longest…time…”

Yuffie shook her head in disgust at the way he was huffing and out of breath. He sure was out of shape for a skinny person. “You can come, but I call the shots. Got it?”

Johnny nodded. “Got it.”

Yuffie kicked the horse back into a gallop and they headed down the road leading to town.

 

Chapter 39​

The bodies of the lizardmen were stacking up all around them in the narrow passageway. The three men of Midgar stood with their backs to each other in defense.

Reno slashed the throat of a lizardman and jabbed his sword into the chest of another. Zack sliced off a lizardman’s arm at the shoulder and as the creature screeched and backed away, Zack grabbed the writhing appendage and struck another beast across the face with it. Cloud’s rapier met with a sickly yellow eye while he raised his other hand and sent a geyser of flames toward the advancing creatures further away.

The passageway echoed with agonized screeching as the lizardmen burned to death where they stood.

Cloud, Zack and Reno waited while the flames slowly began to die out, crouching as low to the ground as possible to avoid the rancid smoke drifting near the ceiling.

When they were sure nothing was moving, Zack rushed over to the alcove entrance. He checked the passageway, listening for the slightest indication that there might be more of the lizardmen. “I think it’s clear.”

Reno found one of the creatures alive and he slammed his sword into its chest. As an afterthought, he kicked its head and then kept kicking it. “Stupid, creepy, mindless, ugly…” He emphasized each word with a kick to the face.

Cloud grabbed his arm. “Come on, Reno. We don’t have time to play around.”

“I’m not done with him yet.” But he allowed Cloud to drag him away. He stopped only to pick up the lantern he had carelessly tossed aside so he could free his hand and fight.

As they continued along the passageway, they kept coughing from the smoke still lingering in the air.

“Remind me not to use the Fire materia again,” said Cloud.

“Right,” Zack agreed. “We’re in some pretty tight quarters right now.”

“I see something up ahead.” The closer they got, the more Cloud could see. “More skeletons.”

Zack squinted at the sight ahead. There were about half a dozen skeletons scattered around the ground, in various awkward positions, as if they had been taken by surprise. “Do you see that, Cloud? Not one of them has their head or legs attached.”

“Yeah, I see it.”

Reno frowned as he contemplated the statement and followed closely behind Cloud and Zack.

Just as they came upon the first skeleton, there was an audible thump.

Cloud was about to look down at the stone that had sunk beneath his foot when Reno suddenly grabbed him and pulled him back, forcing all three of them to the ground three feet back. A second later two massive steel blades emerged from the rock wall and passed across the tunnel passage with amazing speed. They vanished just as quickly as they appeared.

Zack sat up and stared ahead. “Shit…did you see that?”

Cloud turned to Reno. “Thanks, Reno. Nearly lost my head there.”

“And your legs,” Reno added. “I promised Tifa you’d be coming back in one piece.”

Cloud stood up. “Figures she’d get you to make such a promise.”

Reno stood up and turned to Zack. “Aerith made me promise, too.”

The three of them took several cautious steps forward. There was two noticeable gaps in the wall, running horizontally for about fifty feet. One gap was at shoulder level and the other was at knee level.

“Now what?” asked Zack.

Reno crouched and carefully brushed some dirt away from a protruding stone on the ground. “I’ve seen this before. It’s a mechanism, triggered by ropes and pulleys. When you step on the stone, it activates the blades. All we have to do is avoid the stones.”

Cloud exchanged a glance with Zack. “Alright, let’s do it then.” He went first, carefully stepping on patches of ground that didn’t have a protruding stone. After several feet, he glanced back to make sure Zack and Reno were following behind him.

“So who do you think set these traps?” asked Zack. “Couldn’t be those lizardmen. They’re not intelligent enough to put together something this elaborate.”

“I’ve been pondering that myself,” replied Cloud.

Several minutes later, the three of them were passed the steel blade trap only to be stopped by a twenty foot gap in the tunnel.

Reno held the lantern up over the gap and the light revealed hundreds of sharp spikes protruding from the ground far below. There were three skeletons imbedded in the spikes further down, as if they had tried to jump across and didn’t make it. “That guy on the right doesn’t look like he’s been there all that long.”

Cloud agreed. The man was still decomposing. “That explains the smell around here.” He glanced at the walls along the gap. There was a short ledge on the right side of the tunnel. The gap wasn’t so large. Him and Zack could easily jump across it with their enhanced abilities. But not Reno. He turned to the redhead. “You think you can shimmy across that ledge to the other side?”

“Are you kidding? I’m world renown for my shimmying.”

Cloud rolled his eyes. “Zack and I can jump across. I’ll go first.” He removed his backpack and handed it to Zack. “Throw me the equipment when I’m on the other side.” Cloud walked back down the tunnel nearly fifty feet before turning back around. “Here goes.” He started to run. When he nearly reached the edge of the pit, he dove forward and landed in a roll on the other side. After getting up, he walked back to the edge. “Throw me the equipment.”

Zack tossed their three heavy backpacks to him, one at a time. Then he did the same as Cloud and walked back fifty feet before making a running dive to the other side.

“Reno, throw the lantern to me before you start across,” said Cloud. When Reno tossed him the lantern, Cloud held it up.

Reno spit on his hands and rubbed them together. He jumped up and grabbed the ledge. As he started shimmying across, the distinct sound of a rodent could be heard.

“You hear that?” asked Zack.

“Yeah. I think it’s coming from the ledge.”

“What was that?” Reno yelled out as he continued across. Just then he felt something bite his fingers and he lost his grip. “Ah, shit!” He dangled precariously from his right hand for several seconds before he forced himself to grab the ledge again.

“I think there’s a rat up there,” said Cloud.

“Oh yeah?” Reno’s left hand released the ledge again and grabbed a knife from his belt. He raised it up to the ledge and stabbed it around until he felt some resistance, followed by a screech. Sure enough, there was a rat dangling from his knife. “Ewww…” He decided to sacrifice his knife and tossed it, along with the dead rat, into the pit.

“I guess we’re not having rat for dinner,” said Zack.

Cloud wasn’t amused by his remark. He watched Reno’s progress across the gap and sighed in relief when the guard made it without a scratch…except for several bite marks on his fingers. Cloud scrounged in his backpack and produced a jar of healing salve.

They waited until Reno rubbed it on his fingers before they continued down the tunnel.

“I think I have a theory,” said Cloud. “Do you remember when Sephiroth first came to Midgar?”

“You mean ten years ago? Yeah, he started out as a guard and quickly rose in ranks until he was First Captain. What does that have to do with anything?”

“He was here in Nibelheim before he came to Midgar.”

“You mean, Sephiroth was born here?” asked Reno.

“I don’t know about that, but we’ve seen lizardmen here and we’ve seen him controlling lizardmen. Maybe there’s a connection. Maybe he’s been to this mountain.”

Zack snapped his fingers. “Didn’t he come back here almost a year before he was incarcerated?”

“Yeah and right after Nibelheim he went to Round Island. And that’s when he started killing for the fun of it.”

“There’s definitely a connection. And it would make sense that Sephiroth might have had something to do with putting these traps here. He’s smart enough to come up with steel saws and ropes and pulleys and a pit full of spikes.”

“But what’s the reason for the traps? What’s in this mountain that all those men back there died for?”

“Aren’t we here looking for the same thing?”

They all froze when they heard hissing. More lizardmen, but they were moving away.

Cloud ran forward. “Come on, let’s follow them.”

They ran for several minutes, feeling the tunnel winding in a downward circle.

Cloud slowed down. “Shhh, I don’t hear them anymore.”

Several steps later they suddenly found themselves staring at a dead end.

“No way,” muttered Reno.

Cloud looked at the ground.

“They’re like fucking ghosts,” Reno added.

Besides their own, there were other tracks. Three-toed tracks belonging to the lizardmen continued right up to the wall as if they had passed right through it. “Ghosts don’t leave tracks. This wall moves. Look at the lines on the ground.”

They began feeling the walls for anything that might be a switch or a lever.

“Over here, over here!” yelled Zack. He had found a small opening within a patch of moss. He pushed the moss aside while Reno held the lantern up. “I see something. It might be a switch.”

Cloud knew it could be another trap. “I’ll do it.”

Zack gave him a look. “Are you crazy? You’re the prince. You’re not dispensable.”

“Yeah, but Aerith would kill me if something happened to you.”

“And the king would kill me if something happened to you.”

While they argued, Reno pushed them aside and stuck his hand in the hole. He felt the stone interior until he came across something sticking up. He wrapped his hand around it and pulled it toward him.

There was an echoing snap and the wall suddenly moved inward.

“You did it!” said Zack. He grabbed Reno and pulled him along as Cloud passed the doorway.

They no sooner took five steps before the wall closed behind them. But their attention was focused on what they saw all around the tunnel ahead. The walls, the ground and the ceiling glowed with glittering green.

Cloud stepped closer to inspect the fragments. At first he thought they were imbedded in the rock, but when he passed his hand over the wall, the glitter came off and clung to his fingers. “It’s dried Mako.”

Zack also touched the wall. “Like this tunnel was once filled with Mako.”

Reno disappeared around a corner and dropped his lantern when he saw what was up ahead. “Holy shit…”

Cloud looked around. “Where’s Reno?”

Just as he asked it, Reno ran back from around the corner. “You have got to come see this.”

Cloud and Zack ran behind him. The tunnel ended at the opening to an enormous cavern filled with green water.

“Is this the stuff Hojo’s been injecting you with?” asked Reno.

Cloud crouched down on the ledge. His eyes widened in amazement and wonder as he stared at the Mako water swirling below. “I’ve never seen so much of it all in one place. This is fantastic!”

“Hey, I thought we were looking for the Lifestream,” remarked Reno.

“That’s just a myth, Reno,” said Zack with a wink.

Cloud stood up and looked around the cavern. The three lizardmen they had followed were in the water, swimming toward the other side where he saw another tunnel entrance. “This is what Sephiroth was trying to keep others from finding.”

Reno frowned. “What for? Why did he need all this Mako?”

“Maybe he was building an army of enhanced mutants,” suggested Zack.

Cloud smiled. “Well, he never got the chance and he never made a claim. So it seems to me like we just made a historical discovery. Right?”

Zack smiled back. “Right. And now Midgar owns the Mako in this mountain.”

“Let’s go back and stake our claim.” Cloud turned around and was about to retrace his steps when the ledge suddenly tilted. He tried to grab the edge of it but couldn’t before he slid off with Zack and Reno.

The three men of Midgar found themselves sliding down a mud slicked path that circled the entire cavern once before depositing them on another stone ledge. This one was just above the water.

“There’s a tunnel on the other side,” said Cloud as he rose to his feet. “Since we obviously can’t go back the way we came, we’ll have to see where that leads.”

Hugging the walls of the cavern was a narrow path leading to the other tunnel.

“Well, we can take the long way around,” suggested Zack. “Or we can swim across.”

“Let’s stay dry,” said Cloud.

Reno stood up and took a step toward the path leading around and the ledge suddenly tilted, depositing them into the water.

Cloud surfaced and waited for Zack and Reno to do the same. “I guess we’re swimming.”

They started to swim across.

“Don’t drink the water, Reno,” Cloud said with a snicker.

“Why not?”

“Mako affects people in different ways. It might stifle your sense of humor.”

“Ha ha. Very funny.”

Cloud reached the other side first and climbed out of the water. He gave Reno a hand out and stretched to help Zack.

Zack suddenly disappeared, dragged under the water.

Cloud dropped to his knees. “Zack!” He searched the water, cursing himself for forgetting about the lizardmen.

A plume of red surfaced. Blood…

It didn’t belong to the lizardmen. Their blood was green.

Cloud was about to dive into the water when Zack finally surfaced.

A sword in one hand and an ugly, sharp-toothed fish in the other, Cloud and Reno dragged him out of the water.

“What the hell happened?” yelled Cloud.

Zack held up the large, bloody fish. “This thing tried to kill me.”

“Well, throw it back in the water.”

“No way. He tried to make a meal out of me, so I’m going to return the favor and cook him as soon as we get back to Nibelheim.”

Reno started inspecting the ledge they were on.

Cloud walked up to him. “Did you lose something?”

“No, I’m just checking to see if this slab has a tilting mechanism.”

They cautiously entered the tunnel, still wary about the three lizardmen they had seen earlier.

Just as the tunnel began to widen at a corner, they heard hissing sounds again. This time, instead of charging forward, the three of them peered around the corner.

In a smaller cavern, the three lizardmen were on their knees and bowing to a slab of rock with carved indentations on it.

“What’re they doing?” Reno whispered.

“Looks like their praying to that carving,” replied Zack.

“We each take one,” said Cloud as he drew a sword. “Got it?”

“Got it,” Zack and Reno confirmed in unison as they drew their own swords and charged into the small cavern.

A minute later, the three lizardmen were dead.

Cloud stood in front of the carving. It was a woman with long hair flowing straight up. Just below it, a name was carved.

J E N O V A

Zack came up behind him. “Jenova? Wasn’t that the name of Sephiroth’s ship?”

“And his mother,” Cloud added.

“That bastard had his lizard minions worshipping his mother? Nice.”

Reno went around the cavern, thoroughly inspecting everything. He moved to the center and scratched his head. “I can’t find a way out of here.”

Zack squeezed water out of the edge of his shirt. “When I was fighting my fish friend, I saw an underwater passage. We could give it a try.”

“What if it doesn’t lead anywhere?” asked Reno.

“How long can you hold your breath?” Zack asked Reno.

“About a minute or two.”

“And you?”

“A couple of minutes,’ replied Cloud.

“I can hold my breath for four minutes,” Zack said proudly. “I’ll check it out first.”

They walked back down the tunnel to the large cavern.

Zack took a deep breath and dove into the water. With his enhanced vision, he could clearly make out the tunnel under the water. He swam into it and after a few seconds, it opened wider. The water suddenly seemed a lot colder. Zack swam upward and surfaced.

Just beyond the edge of the water was an opening leading to the outside.

Tifa paced back and forth in front of the path that no one hardly used. It lead toward Mt Nibel. For days she had contemplated going to the mountain and looking for Cloud. But she knew it would be a hopeless venture. She had no idea which way they went.

They had been gone for a total of six days. So many things could have gone wrong. They could have they lost their way back…or there was an avalanche…or it was colder than they thought and they froze to death…or they could have fallen off a cliff…

“Tifa, what’re you doing out here?” asked Aerith as she came up beside her. “It’s freezing.” She took Tifa’s hand.

“I’m not cold.”

Aerith sensed Tifa’s determination. “Cloud’s been in a lot of bad situations. He’s always returned…maybe with a few scratches, but always alive. Besides, Zack and Reno are with him.”

“I know.”

“Let’s go back to the Inn.”

“Just a few more minutes.”

“Don’t make me regret telling Cloud not to leave us with a guard.”

Tifa turned to Aerith. “What?”

“Everywhere I go, whether it’s with the queen or not, there’s always an escort. I can’t go anywhere alone. I convinced Cloud that we wouldn’t be in any danger here in Nibelheim. If something happens to you…”

Tifa gave Aerith a reassuring smile. “I’ll be fine. I just want to wait until dusk. Then I’ll return to the Inn. Alright?”

Aerith nodded. “Alright.” She gave Tifa’s hand a squeeze before walking away.

Tifa went back to pacing. Her impatience grew with every breath she took until it was nearing dusk and the temperature had dropped considerably.

One more day. She’d wait one more day and then she’d take the path to the mountain. She wouldn’t wait any longer than one more day.

She was about to turn and head for the Inn when she noticed three dark spots amidst the white of the snow. They weren’t on the path. But they were moving closer and closer. And the closer they came, the sooner Tifa could make out blonde, black and red.

It was them.

She rushed forward, lifting her skirt and running as hard as she could. “Cloud!”

Cloud hadn’t been paying attention as he trudged through the snow…until he heard his name. He looked up and saw Tifa running toward him. She stumbled in the deep snow and rose back up, calling his name again. As angry as he was that she’d be alone, out in the cold, he was extremely pleased to see her.

When Tifa reached him, she launched herself into his arms, sending both of them down into the snow.

He tolerated the kisses all over his face for a few seconds before grabbing her face to stop her so he could kiss her lips.

Zack and Reno just kept walking.

 

Chapter 40
​

Reno pulled the pillow over his head when someone nudged his arm.

“Get up, Reno,” said Zack.

“Leave me alone,” Reno mumbled.

“You look like crap.”

When Reno didn’t get up, Aerith came up beside Zack. “What’s the matter with him?”

Reno pushed the pillow away and raised his head, turning in Aerith’s direction. “You want to know what’s the matter? I’ll tell you what’s the matter. I didn’t get a minute of sleep last night because all I could hear was…was…goddamned smooching sounds. It was disgusting. Argh…” He pulled the pillow over his head again.

Cloud walked into the room. “We’re checked out. Where’s Tifa?”

Just as he asked it, Tifa stepped out of the bathroom. “Right here.”

“Alright, let’s go.” He was about to turn back to the door when he noticed Reno was still on the small cot the Inn manager brought up the night before. “Reno, get up.”

Zack smirked. “He’s tired because he didn’t get any sleep last night.”

“Why not?”

Aerith giggled. “Apparently we were being too loud.”

“I said I wanted my own room,” Reno stated from under the pillow.

“Well, they didn’t have any more rooms,” replied Cloud. “You could have slept out in the hall.”

“I should have.”

“Fine. Stay in here. When they come and kick you out, don’t come crying to me.”

Cloud, Tifa, Zack and Aerith walked out of the room, carrying several bags. They brought them to the stable where the stable boys were asked to load them on the saddles.

“What’re we going to do about the claim?” asked Zack.

Cloud shrugged. “Lockhart doesn’t know I’m here, so I can’t rightfully make the claim. We’ll have to come back in a few weeks. I’ll announce my presence and we’ll head to the mountain again with more men so we can collect some of the Mako as proof.”

“King Lockhart won’t be very happy when he finds out that the spring water in that mountain enhances human abilities.”

“Who says he has to know about it? All he needs to know is that we found some green water.”

Last night, when they all went to the Inn, Cloud, Zack and Reno told the girls what they found in the mountain and the minor mishaps they faced. Tifa was thankful they came back alive. “Is that the same fluid the professor injected into you?”

“Yes. But I’ve only ever found it in crystallized form and shaped like the stones I’ve used to produce Fire and Lightning. Hojo crushed the crystals and added water. The stuff we found in the mountain is already a liquid. Who knows, it might have even more power than what Hojo created.”

“Did you take a sample?” Aerith asked Zack as they walked to the center of town.

“Of course I did,” said Zack with a smile. “Your fiancé isn’t stupid, you know.”

Aerith stopped and faced him, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I’m marrying the most intelligent man in all the world.”

His smile widened. “Well, I wouldn’t go that far.”

Cloud looked around at the nearby shops and then spotted the Record Keeper’s Office. He turned to Zack and Aerith. “Where’re you two going?”

“I’m hungry,” said Zack. “We’re going to the pub for a bite.”

“Alright, meet us back here in an hour.”

Tifa stared at the large window of the Record Keeper’s Office. She had been staring at it for days and contemplating a visit by herself without Cloud. But each time she got near the place, her stomach began doing flip flops and she immediately turned around and left. She wasn’t sure what she was afraid of. It was an opportunity to find out about her family…about who she was. But what if she didn’t like what she discovered? What if her family was too poor to even feed themselves? What if they sold her thinking she’d have a better life as someone’s slave? What if they didn’t want her to find them?

She felt Cloud take her arm and watched herself moving closer to the Record Keeper’s Office. Her eyes drifted to the potions shop next door. She pulled her arm out of Cloud’s grip and pointed. “Let’s go in there first.”

“Why?”

“I…I…I need bandages and…ointments.”

“What for?”

“You’re running low on medical supplies onboard the ship. What if someone gets hurt?”

“There’s plenty in the cargo hold.” He took her arm and again she pulled away.

“I need oils for the bath.” She quickly walked toward the potions shop.

Cloud was confused as he watched her enter the shop. It was evident to him that she was purposely stalling the visit to the Record Keeper. But he decided to go along with her delay. With a sigh he followed her into the shop.

From the corner of her eye, Tifa saw Cloud enter. She immediately began browsing the shelves lined with bottles of oils of various fragrances. As he came up beside her, she opened a bottle and sniffed the contents. “Oh, this one smells wonderful.” She held it up for him to sniff. “Don’t you think so?”

Cloud pretended to smell it. “Smells great.” He glanced around the shop, eying the four customers and the overweight woman behind a counter. When he turned back to Tifa, she was opening and sniffing every single bottle on the middle shelf. “Tifa, we don’t have time for you to smell every bottle.”

“But I might miss a fragrance I really like and then I’ll never know if…” Tifa suddenly stopped mid-sentence when she caught sight of an old woman inspecting several wooden canes in a tall basket in the corner of the shop. The woman’s gray hair was tangled and knotted and her clothing was tattered. Her ancient grin revealed missing teeth.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Be quiet, you little wretch.”

“I want my mother!”

The old woman grabbed Tifa’s small arms and shook her roughly. “You’ll never see your mother again! Get that through your head!”

“Take me back now or I’ll scream!”

“Don’t make me put a gag over your mouth, child.” She grabbed Tifa’s hand and pulled her along behind her.

Tifa struggled but she couldn’t break loose from the woman’s grip.

And then another vision came to her.

“Take her and don’t ever let her know who she really is.”

“Why the hell not?” Anton Corneo asked the old woman.

“Because she’s expected to die. If King Sears ever finds out the truth, there’s no telling whose heads will roll.”

When the old woman handed her over to Corneo, Tifa bit the man’s hand.

Corneo immediately backhanded the child, sending her to the ground. “Don’t ever try that again, insolent little monster!”

“Tifa?”

Tifa closed her eyes and shook her head.

Cloud frowned at her. “Are you all right?”

She nodded and looked up at him.

“Why do you suddenly look terrified?”

“Do I?” she asked, not even aware she did.

He touched her cheek. “Is something wrong?”

“Could you spare a coin for a poor old woman?”

Both Cloud and Tifa turned to find the old woman standing beside them. Tifa’s eyes widened even more as she stared at the toothless hag.

Cloud dug into his pocket for some coins. He quickly handed them to the old woman, just to make her go away.

“Thank you kindly.” Her aged eyes met the pretty young woman’s chocolate colored ones before the blonde young man led her away. For a brief moment the old woman thought she recognized those unique eyes. But her memory wasn’t what it used to be these days.

When Cloud managed to get Tifa back outside, her pale complexion finally began to color again. He placed both hands on her face. “Feeling better?”

Tifa nodded in the confines of his hands. “Yes. Must have been all the different smells.” She didn’t want to tell Cloud that somehow she thought she knew the old woman. She just wasn’t sure if the visions were memories or just the product of many nightmares she’d had throughout her life. “Or maybe I’m tired. I didn’t sleep very well while you were away.”

“You’ll get plenty of sleep once we’re back on the ship.” Cloud kissed Tifa’s forehead. “Now let’s go see the Record Keeper.”

Tifa’s heart began pounding as Cloud took her hand and pulled her along behind him. Once they were in front of the door, she had no choice but to go inside as he held it open for her.

The inside of the office was plain, with three tables each set with two chairs. A young couple were sitting at one of the tables, both engrossed in a large book with yellowed and worn pages.

In front of a black curtain was a long wooden counter where a balding man stood near. He was carefully writing something in a book and looked up as the new couple walked up. “Good morning. How can I be of service?”

Cloud had thought long and hard about how he would inquire about Tifa’s identity. Since it was common for children to be kidnapped from their homes or that parents sold their children for money, he wanted it to appear as though he was asking about someone else, and not the girl with him. “I’d like to know the identity of anyone with the first name of Tifa in the last eighteen years.”

The record keeper looked at him for a moment. “That’ll be one hundred gil.” He waited for the blonde young man to place the money on the counter. He took it and went behind the curtain to retrieve the book containing the names beginning with T.

Tifa swallowed the lump in her throat. She quickly caught on that Cloud wasn’t referencing her as the one named Tifa, but she wondered why.

The record keeper returned with a thick book. He placed it on the counter and opened it. As he turned the pages, he glanced at the top of each page to see the name. “Let’s see…Here we are. Tifa.” The man frowned as he skimmed over the nearly blank page. “That’s interesting. We’ve only ever had one citizen named Tifa in Nibelheim. According to the records, she died of the plague eleven years ago.”

Tifa released the breath she had been holding. “The plague? Which plague?”

“Which plague?” The record keeper stared at her. “Have you been living under a rock, young lady? There’s only been one plague. Geostigma. If contracted, it killed in less than seventy-two hours. And was highly contagious. Anyone with the stigma was immediately quarantined away from any others. Once they were dead, they were burned so the virus didn’t get a chance to infect anyone else.”

“Are you sure there haven’t been any others named Tifa born in Nibelheim?” asked Cloud.

“No, never.”

Tifa felt light-headed. If what the record keeper said was true, then that meant Nibelheim wasn’t her home. What if she had been born somewhere else? How would she ever know unless she went to see every record keeper in every single town or kingdom.

Cloud was suddenly suspicious. “The girl who died from the plague, who was she?”

“I’m not at liberty to say.”

Cloud went into his pocket and produced five gold coins, each worth a hundred gil. He slapped them down onto the counter. “How about now?”

The record keeper immediately snatched the coins and slid them into his own pocket. “She was the princess,” he whispered so the couple sitting at the table wouldn’t hear.

“The princess of where…?” Cloud whispered back.

“Of Nibelheim, of course.”

Cloud tried to remember if he even knew the name of the princess of Nibelheim, back when he came here with his parents. He had been so busy trying to avoid her that he couldn’t remember anything else but that. “Thank you.” Cloud took Tifa by the arm and led her out of the office. He made a mental note to ask his mother if she remembered that the name of the princess was Tifa. And then he’d tell her he suspected the princess didn’t actually contract the stigma…and he suspected that maybe, just maybe, Tifa might be the princess. There were no other Tifa’s born in Nibelheim. Either Tifa was born somewhere else or she was the princess of Nibelheim. Cloud wanted to believe the latter.

“Why did you ask him who she was?” Tifa asked when they stepped out into the sun. “Did you know her?”

He didn’t want Tifa to know his suspicions and get her hopes up, just in case he was wrong. “We’ll figure this out.”

“But what am I going to do? If Nibelheim isn’t where I was born, then how will I ever find out? It could take years. You’ll be married to that prudish girl from Junon by the time I discover where I’m from.”

Cloud smiled and caressed her face. “Don’t worry, Tifa. I already told you, I’m not marrying her.”

“How are you going to avoid that?”

He shrugged. “I’ll just have to leave Midgar and we can live somewhere else.”

Tifa frowned at him. “You’ll never leave Midgar.”

“I would for you.” In his heart, he spoke the truth. Whether he would be allowed to leave was another story. “We need to find the others and start heading back to the ships. I want to be on the way to Wutai before dark.”

She grabbed his arm before he could pull her away. “Wait, Cloud. There’s one thing I’d like to do before we go.”

“What’s that?”

“I met an elderly woman several days ago and I want to say goodbye to her.”

“Alright. I’ll come with you. Where does she live?”

“I’ll show you.” Tifa led Cloud through the busy streets.

When they reached the bridge and Tifa led him toward the muddy path leading to the riverbank, Cloud grabbed her arm and stopped her. “Tifa, where’re we going?”

“To say goodbye to Greta.”

“She lives by the riverbank?”

“Yes, with her husband William.”

“When did you go down there?”

“I told you. I met her several days ago.”

“You went to the slums by yourself?”

Tifa realized what Cloud was probably thinking. “Cloud, just because they live in tents or mud huts, it doesn’t make them dangerous. In fact, I met a lot of people and we danced and drank ale and listened to stories. Everyone was very kind to me.”

Cloud wasn’t sure whether to be angry or not. What if there had been someone in the group that wasn’t quite as friendly as the others and tried to hurt her? “You shouldn’t take risks like that, Tifa. If something happened to you…Damn, I don’t know what I’d do.”

She reached up to touch his face. “I like that you’re so concerned about me, but I’ve learned that I can actually take care of myself.”

“But I like taking care of you.”

She smiled flirtatiously. “I like taking care of you, too.”

He leaned closer, nudging her nose with his. “We’ll do that later…on the ship.”

She gave him a peck on the lips before taking his hand and continuing down to the riverbank.

As they walked along the muddy riverbank, Cloud was surprised that people cheerfully greeted Tifa by her name as they passed. “Looks like you met everyone in town while I was gone.”

“Not quite everyone. I don’t know that man over there,” she said, pointing to someone fishing nearby.

The man turned and waved to her. “Good morning to you, Tifa.”

“I thought you said you didn’t know him,” Cloud remarked.

“My mistake,” Tifa replied with a giggle.

A few minutes later, they stood in front of Greta’s mud hut.

Tifa knocked on the door and looked at Cloud. “By the way, Greta says she knows you.”

“What?”

“She says she knows you.”

“Knows me? In what way?”

The door opened and Greta greeted them. “Tifa, it’s so good to see you again so soon.” Her eyes drifted to the blonde young man beside her. “And you’re Prince Cloud.” She bowed her head. “It’s good to see you again as well.”

Cloud and Tifa walked inside as Greta stepped aside.

“Excuse me, but…where do you know me from?” asked Cloud.

Greta motioned for them to sit down. “I used to serve the king and queen of Castle Lockhart. Your family visited once, many years ago. You were just a boy then.”

Cloud’s heart started racing. If this woman knew him, then she surely would have known the princess of the castle. “Why aren’t you still living at Castle Lockhart?”

“Well…after the…princess perished, we were immediately thrown out.”

“Why?”

“The king thought we exposed his daughter when we took her with us to the market. My husband, William and I were immediately escorted out of the castle, along with Zangan, the medic.”

“Why was the medic thrown out?”

Greta shook her head sadly. “Zangan insisted the child didn’t have the stigma, that it was just a sniffle.”

“Did you actually see the die?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Where did they take her?”

“I don’t know that either.”

Tifa wondered why Cloud was so interested in questioning Greta about the princess of Nibelheim. “Cloud, it doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does.” He got up from the table and stood over Greta. “You were the princess’s nanny.”

“Yes, for seven years.”

“Surely there’s something you remember that would make her unique.”

Greta was surprised at the sudden excitement in his voice. “I remember her eyes…they sometimes sparkled like rubies.”

Cloud dropped down on one knees beside Tifa’s chair. He cupped her chin and turned to Greta. “Just like these?”

Greta looked into Tifa’s eyes. “Yes…”

“What else?”

“She had a…birthmark…on the back of her left shoulder. It was…”

“…shaped like a clover,” Cloud finished.

“Yes.” Greta’s hand suddenly flew to her mouth.

It was like a punch to his gut. The realization struck him hard. He couldn’t remember how many times he’d brushed his lips over that birthmark. Cloud stood up and moved behind Tifa’s chair. He gently pushed aside the sleeve of her gown, exposing the birthmark. “Just like this one.”

Greta slowly rose from her chair and nearly collapsed at Tifa’s feet. She grabbed her hands and brought them to her forehead.

Tifa stared in shock as the old woman began sobbing hysterically. She looked up at Cloud. “Cloud? I don’t understand what’s going on.”

“Tifa, you’re the princess of Nibelheim.”

She tried to digest what Cloud said and followed him with her eyes as he knelt down beside Greta.

He saw the confusion on her face and decided to put the pieces of the puzzle together for her. “Don’t you see? There’s never been any other Tifa in Nibelheim except the princess of Nibelheim. She supposedly died of the stigma eleven years ago at the age of seven. That’s the age you were when you were given to Corneo.”

Greta stood up and backed away, giving the prince an opportunity to convince the princess of who she was.

Cloud put his hands on Tifa’s face. “Think hard, Tifa. You’ve known me before we met that night in the tavern of Mideel. You chased me around until I was trapped in a balcony. I jumped on the trellis and fell.”

Tifa’s eyes began watering. She remembered it. “Yes…I remember. You were trying to get away from me.”

He smiled. “I didn’t like all the attention at the time. I didn’t want a girl following me around everywhere I went.”

A tear slid down her cheek. “I’m the princess,” she whispered.

Cloud wiped the tear away and brought his lips to her face. “Yes.” He hugged her when she slid her arms around him.

Several minutes passed before they remembered they weren’t alone.

When Cloud released her, Tifa rose from the chair and walked up to Greta. “I remember you now.” She hugged the old woman who had been her nanny for the first seven years of Tifa’s life.

“You must go to Castle Lockhart and see the queen,” Greta stated. “She’ll be ecstatic to know you’re still alive.”

“All this time I thought my parents were dead. But they’re alive! They’re alive!” She turned and grabbed Cloud’s arm. “We have to go see them right now!”

“No!”

Tifa’s hand dropped from his arm and she stared at him as if he had lost his mind. “What?”

“Tifa, you can’t go there.”

“Why not?”

“We don’t know why you were taken away.”

“I had the stigma.”

“No, you didn’t. If you had the stigma, you would have been dead. You were taken away for another reason.”

“The more reason we have to speak to the king and queen…to my parents.”

“What if they had something to do with your disappearance?”

She shook her head. “No…that’s not possible.”

“It is possible, Tifa.”

She couldn’t understand why Cloud was trying to talk her out of seeing her parents, whom she hadn’t seen in over a decade. They would be happy to see her. “I’m going with or without you.”

Cloud put his hands on her arms and shook her. “Listen to me. They think you’re dead. If you waltz up there right now and present yourself, they’ll think you’re trying to deceive them. You’ll be thrown in a dungeon or even worse, they’ll execute you for trying to impersonate the princess.”

“But I am the princess.”

His hands moved to her face. “I know you are and we’ll prove it.”

“Listen to Cloud, Tifa,” Greta said. “He’s right. The one behind your kidnapping might still be in the castle. If word gets out, something terrible could happen to you.”

Cloud nodded to Greta. “We’ll return with definite proof and when Tifa takes her rightful place as princess once again, you and William will be with her.”

Greta took Cloud’s hand and kissed the back of it. “I’ll be waiting.”