Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Learning Curve ❯ Highway to Hell ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: Definitely not mine; always returned to Square Enix with their clothing present, if not necessarily intact.

 

A/N: The Nibelheim Incident, as depicted in the OVA Last Order (when Tifa and Cloud exchanged words in the reactor), is referenced in this chapter. The materia are the marble-sized versions found in-game, not the larger ones from Advent Children, and the Hardy-Daytona is a modified version of the original featuring an extended saddle to accommodate two riders.

 

Warnings: Incipient silliness, coarse language, gratuitous nudity, platform heels, excessive epistaxis, unlikely sexual situations and rampant UST.

 

Bouquets to my betas, Empath-eia, Ranuel and SilverOnTheRose

 

Learning Curve

Chapter Two: Highway to Hell

Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф

 

An hour later, Tifa tried to ignore how her stomach twisted when she saw Cloud escorting Aerith out the door of 7th Heaven, and in particular the proprietary way her arm was hooked through his. Marlene clung to Aerith's other hand, clearly in awe of the pretty young woman because she wasn't saying a thing - just staring up at her with adoring doe-eyes. Cloud was wearing his uniform, with his cowl pulled low to disguise his bust; Tifa noticed that the hilt of his sword rose higher above his shoulder. I guess that he had to change the mounting to keep it from dragging on the ground.

 

“What's up with those two?” Jessie muttered, shaking the crumbs into the sink with a sharp snap of her cloth.

 

“He asked Aerith to help him organize something.” Tifa worked hard to keep her voice neutral as she cleared the crockery. “They're going to Wall Market after they drop Marlene off at school.”

 

“Didn't you guys have enough of Sector Six last night?” Jessie wryly asked.

 

“Both above and below it!”

 

The rest of the morning was taken up with thoroughly disinfecting the kitchen, with Biggs reluctantly volunteering to unclog the floor drain. Barret and Wedge were pried out of their refuge in the basement and sent to acquire ingredients for the daily special as well as pick up Marlene. Tifa had almost managed to forget about the two missing members until the door banged open and Aerith stalked in ahead of Cloud, his arms laden with packages. While he headed directly upstairs, she shot straight across the room to Tifa. “You have to stop him!” she hissed urgently.

 

“Stop him? Why?”

 

“You won't believe what he's planning....”

 

“Hey, Aerith! Hurry up, already!” Cloud called impatiently from the top of the staircase. With a desperately mouthed appeal, the young woman hurried away.

 

Tifa and Jessie glanced at each other with identical puzzled expressions, then shrugged in unison and went about readying the bar for opening. Barret and Wedge arrived soon after with Marlene and armloads of groceries, bragging about the `great deal' they scored on a large hunk of meat. Jessie made a face at the oozing package and went off to find something to contain the mess while Biggs mopped up the drips and Tifa quizzed the two strutting shoppers as to its provenance. When both of them finally admitted that they really had no clue as to what type of beastie supplied the windfall, she heaved a large sigh. “I hope cooking destroys any poison it might contain.”

 

“P-poison?” Wedge quavered, going pale.

 

“For all we know, this could have been salvaged from a dragon-kill.”

 

The raw mystery meat had just been stowed in the largest pan that 7th Heaven owned when Aerith descended from the upper floor, appearing decidedly vexed. Casting Tifa a dark look, she stood to the side, her arms tightly folded and tapping her dainty foot, but spared Marlene a lovely smile when the little girl slipped up to stand beside her. Jessie elbowed Tifa, raising her eyebrows, but her question died a-borning when they saw what followed Aerith down the stairs.

 

Towering platform heels first came into view, followed by long, slim legs encased up to the thighs in buckled white leather. A narrow band of enticing bare flesh above the boots was framed by the shortest pair of blue satin short-shorts that Tifa had ever seen; they made her brief skirt look appropriate for a Presidential reception. A cropped white leather vest framed a blue satin halter top that barely contained an impressive bosom, and fingerless white elbow-length gloves drew attention to slender arms. A cascade of blond ringlets swished against the leather vest, held back from a delicate face by a blue silk ribbon - but by the time Cloud's glossy lips and rouged cheeks came into view, Biggs and Wedge were already down for the count and Barret's jaw was practically in his lap.

 

The swordsman gained the floor and tested his balance, apparently oblivious to his audience's shocked reactions. Reaching into the front of his low-cut top and tugging, Cloud commented to the room at large, “Padded bras are a form of false advertising.”

 

Jessie eyed his burgeoning cleavage. “If you cranked those any higher, we could serve drinks off them.”

 

“Cloud! Why are you dressed like the ladies I'm not allowed to ask about that stand on the street corners all day?” Marlene demanded, small fists planted on hips.

 

“I need to borrow something, and I have to look nice to get it,” he said evasively.

 

“You'll get something, all right, if you set foot outside the door dressed like that!” Jessie snorted.

 

Tifa threw down her cloth and stormed across the room. “What are you playing at?” she exclaimed, somewhat disconcerted by having to again look up at him due to the heels.

 

Blue eyes made even more striking by the deft application of makeup crinkled at the corners as Cloud puckered his shimmering pink mouth. Chucking Tifa under the chin to bring her attention back up from where it had dropped to that shiny pout, he said, “Arranging transportation. Be ready to leave when I return.”

 

“Eh? What?”

 

“I'll be back in half an hour, tops,” he assured, smoothing his gloved palm over her shoulder and down her arm, the satin covering whispering against her skin.

 

Ignoring the goose bumps that he caused, Tifa growled, “You do realize the kind of attention you'll attract in this outfit?”

 

“I'm counting on it!” Cloud grinned, then cheekily tweaked her nose before sashaying towards the door, his hips swaying in a distinctly come-hither fashion, the gleaming shorts accentuating the hypnotic movement. Daintily stepping over an unconscious Wedge, he commented, “These two really ought to get that random blood loss checked out,” and was gone.

 

As the door slammed shut, Barret finally re-hinged his jaw and demanded, “What's that fool up to now?”

 

“Oh, this is really bad!” Aerith wailed, tugging on her hair; Marlene gave her a comforting hug.

 

Jessie filled two beer mugs with cold water and strode purposefully towards Biggs and Wedge. “What's Cloud's cunning plan?” she asked just before dumping the mugs' contents over the unconscious youths.

 

Aerith covered the little girl's ears in advance of the muted explosion of bad language announcing Jessie's successful treatment. “Borrowing a motorcycle from our dear friends at ShinRa!”

 

Tifa recoiled, then collected herself. ““He won't make it to the end of the block, never mind all the way to the Tower dressed like that!” she said, immediately preparing to go after him.

 

“Ain't nobody gonna lay a hand on Spiky... unless he lets `em,” Barret grunted.

 

“Thanks for that reassurance,” Jessie deadpanned. Shooting Tifa a wry look, she added, “Aside from the fact that Barret's right about Cloud being more than capable of defending his own honour, it looks like you're going on a road trip.”

 

“I wonder where?”

 

“How about that place you mentioned last night?” Aerith asked. “Nibel-something?”

 

“Nibelheim is in the mountains on the far side of the Western Continent; it'd be at least a five day round trip... if the tunnel is open.”

 

Aerith frowned as she straightened Marlene's tiara. “While we were in Wall Market, Cloud was asking everyone if they knew of any natural mako springs in the Midgar area... do you think that might be significant?”

 

“Probably.” Tifa chewed her lip. “I don't like the idea of going anywhere if ShinRa is planning something, though.”

 

“We also need Cloud to be at full strength when the bastards do attack,” Biggs pointed out, wiping his face with his sopping shirt.

 

Jessie snickered, “If you two are anything to go by, he doesn't need his sword; all he has to do is flash his boobs to be considered a lethal weapon!”

 

Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф

 

Twenty-four minutes after Cloud's departure, Tifa was trying very hard to not think about what might be happening to him by concentrating on neatly cutting up the as-yet unidentified meat. Jessie worked beside her, threading the cubes onto skewers and arranging them in a distinctly tipsy marinade.

 

“You sure there's enough booze in this?” the red-head sneezed. “Are you planning on making everyone who eats it drunk, so that they'll die peacefully if it does contain poison?”

 

“Between the alcohol and the grill, it should disinfect the meat.”

 

“It's sure disinfecting my sinuses! Whew!” At that moment, a deep-throated rumble vibrated all the crockery on the shelves and set the light fixtures to dancing; Jessie looked around, wide-eyed. “An earthquake?” she surmised as the shaking and sound increased in volume, but then abruptly cut off. Tifa didn't reply, because she had already washed her hands and dashed out of the rear entrance.

 

In the darkly-shadowed courtyard, she found Cloud dismounting from a powerful-looking motorcycle, its faded insignia barely discernible in the fitful light provided by the single bulb over the door. “Mission accomplished,” he said smugly, patting the fuel tank as satisfaction radiated from his entire being. “Hardy-Daytona modified courier model.”

 

“Where did you get that? How did you get it?”

 

“From a military-surplus depot in Sector Six, and as for how....” Cocking an eye towards their audience now spilling out of the doorway and craning their necks to check out his acquisition, he suddenly snaked one arm around her waist and yanked her flush against him. Tifa went absolutely rigid, but no sooner had she flattened her hands on his chest to push away, she snatched them back. Smirking, he slid his other hand up the back of her neck and into her hair, snugging her against him in a sensual-looking embrace that made several pairs of eyebrows disappear into their owners' hairlines.

 

Placing his mouth next to Tifa's ear, close enough to send shivers skittering over the young woman's skin, Cloud murmured, “If you jiggle your tits and wiggle your ass in their faces, most men's brains instantly leak out of their ears. As soon as that happens, they'll believe anything you tell them because they're thinking with the head between their legs.” Fixing her with a heavy-lidded look as he lightly cupped her cheek, he continued, “I'm really glad that you've never resorted to cheap tricks like that,” then leaned in. Tifa didn't have time to decide if he'd actually made contact before a pair of loud thumps announced that Biggs and Wedge had literally fallen for Cloud's performance.

 

“I also learned that people will see what they want to believe... like those two.” Keeping his arm around Tifa's waist, he regarded Biggs and Wedge's supine forms with considerable amusement. “Are we sure they're not anaemic? Gotta be something making them faint so much.” Pulling Tifa towards the door, he announced, “Time's a-wasting, if we're gonna be back by tomorrow night. Jessie? Could you make up some food parcels for us?”

 

“No inns where you're going?”

 

“Not taking any chances. Having to hunt for our dinner would just slow us up, and according to the rumours I heard at the depot, something big's going down in forty-eight hours.” Giving Barret a cool look, Cloud added, “Better put the neighbourhood on evacuation alert.” Nodding to Aerith, who appeared rather sullen, he said, “Thanks again for your help,” before hauling Tifa into the building. They hadn't made it half-way across the kitchen before he started coughing. “Why does it stink like a distillery in here?” he wheezed.

 

“Trying to make some meat fit for human consumption,” Tifa replied, discovering that her lips were lightly sticky and distinctly fruit-flavoured.

 

“Damn! I hope nobody lights a match.” Pinching his nose, Cloud hustled her up the stairs to their room and began stripping out of the flashy clothing before the door even closed.

 

Tifa surveyed the saddlebags, camping gear, potions, items and assorted materia laid out on her bed. He spent some serious gil this morning. “What're these?” she asked, indicating an aggressively-shaped piece of metal and a heavy bracelet that looked familiar.

 

“I picked up a Metal Knuckle and a Titan Bangle for you. Might come in handy.”

 

Sliding the items into place over her glove and onto her wrist, she reflected that while some girls received flowers, these gifts were more practical - and undoubtedly more expensive. “Thank you.”

 

He shrugged as he sling-shot the bra across the room with a distinct `snap'. “No problem.” Furiously scratching under his breasts while sighing in relief, he reached for his sweater. “I honestly don't know how you girls can wear those things on a daily basis.” Slanting a glance at Tifa, he mischievously added, “Although some of you obviously don't need to.”

 

Ignoring the comment, Tifa picked up the cook stove and asked, “Where are we going?” then nearly dropped it when Cloud's satin shorts slithered to the floor, revealing white thong panties that looked at least a size too small from the way the straps cut into his hips.

 

“There's a natural mako spring in the mountains directly south of here. I'm banking that the boost provided by the mako will juice up the materia enough to reverse the spell.” The thong sailed across the room to join the bra and was replaced by a pair of boxers with a large pin tightening the waistband, which looked rather out of place with the thigh boots.

 

Tifa discovered his combat boots and two pairs of gloves already inside one of the saddlebags. “What did you have on your feet this morning?”

 

“I borrowed a pair of your boots. You don't mind, do you?”

 

“Bit late for me to complain.” Concentrating on tucking potions and materia inside the pots, Tifa mumbled, “You should be taking Aerith, not....”

 

“I want you.” His flat tone brooked no argument, as well as effectively killing any flutter his word choice might have caused. Sitting down to remove the thigh boots, Cloud made a face at the heels once he was free of them. “Why do they even make things like these?” Tossing them aside, he quickly pulled on his trousers and cinched his belt. Settling his pauldron into place and securing his harness, he muttered a mild oath as his loose curls caught in the straps. “Ready?”

 

“Almost.” At his impatient huff, she suggested, “Maybe you should wash your face while you're waiting.”

 

“Huh?” he said in surprise, then wiped his mouth on the back of his hand, leaving a vivid pink smear. “Er... yeah.” Pulling loose the blue ribbon, he dangled it from the tips of his fingers like it was a dead fish. “Could you fix my hair again?”

 

Retrieving her brush, she made him sit on the edge of the bed while she knelt behind. “It's shorter than it was this morning,” she observed, noting that it now only reached half-way down his back.

 

“Sure as hell didn't cut it; must be a result of the materia.” Starting at the ends, Tifa worked through the length of his hair, smoothing it and removing all the knots before sleekly braiding it. At a loss over what to use for a tie, she was about to employ the ribbon when he growled, “Don't you dare.”

 

“I don't have anything else....”

 

Half turning, Cloud reached around behind her. Pulling free the cord securing her hair, he twitched his braid out of her hand and tied it off himself, then dropped the ribbon in her lap as he stood up. “Even trade.” Slinging his sword into place on his back, he tested the weight distribution of the saddlebags while she scrambled off the bed. “Let's go.”

 

Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф

 

Tifa was trying to figure out where best to hold onto Cloud as she perched on the saddle behind him when he completely derailed her considerations by saying, “You'd better do something about your hair, because you'll snap your neck if it wraps around the rear axle.”

 

“Oh!” she exclaimed, then was at a loss until Aerith stepped forward and wound the soft length twice around her throat like a scarf. “Thank you.” The other girl silently nodded as she moved back, her gaze lingering on the blue silk ribbon decorating Tifa's dark tresses.

 

Cloud tipped Barret a salute as the engine roared to life beneath them. “We'll be back early tomorrow evening if everything goes well.”

 

The big man scowled. “You look after Tifa, Spiky. If she gets hurt, I'll kick your ass.”

 

The blond gave him a straight look. “I'll protect her with my life.”

 

While Tifa blushed at his word choice, Barret growled, “You better.” With that, he helped push the motorcycle backwards out into the alley and waved them off. When the tail lights faded into the inky murk, he turned back into the courtyard, where he found Aerith looking very much like a lost puppy. Dropping a massive hand onto her slender shoulder, he boomed, “We have a temporary opening for a barmaid, missy. How `bout it?”

 

She smiled gamely. “Sure. It'll pass the time, anyways.”

 

Barret stooped to peer into her face. “Don't tell me you're mopin' after Spiky, too?”

 

“Don't be silly! He reminds me of a dear friend - that's all.”

 

Shaking his head, he steered the young woman towards the door. “I seriously don't get what you girls see in that fool… is it the uniform?”

 

Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф

 

Peeking over Cloud's shoulder as often as she dared, Tifa could barely contain her excitement as the thin blue line of clear sky kept growing brighter and wider with every mile that whipped beneath the motorcycle's wheels. The smothering blackness covering Midgar rapidly receded as they raced south, the distant mountains showing misty indigo on the horizon. “It's so beautiful!” she exclaimed in his ear.

 

“Been a while,” he agreed while adjusting the throttle, a grin lurking at the corners of his mouth. “Hey… I need to breathe every now and then.”

 

“Sorry!” she said sheepishly, instantly loosening her tight grip around his ribs; his hand covered hers and squeezed. Tifa smiled into Cloud's shoulder and briefly hugged back, indescribably happy to be heading into the light despite the critical situation they were leaving behind. How long has it been since I've seen blue sky and sunshine? Five years? Ever since…. Tifa shook off the icy fingers of old fears and concentrated on admiring the changing vegetation. “How far are we going today?”

 

“The foothills.” He continued to guide the motorcycle with one hand, his other one resting comfortably on top of hers.

 

There was almost no traffic, even though this was the main highway to Junon; they passed a couple of troop transports heading towards Midgar, as well as a small convoy of produce trucks that were undoubtedly bringing food to the Upper Plate's well-stocked markets, but that was it. It's late in the day, and I can understand why people don't want to go to Midgar, but it seems almost... spooky.

 

The barren landscape dramatically altered the minute they left the shadows of the black cloud. Sunshine poured down, the blue sky dotted with fluffy white clouds. Grasses and wildflowers formed a wide green-gold sea that flowed almost up to the base of the mountains. A distant line of trees showed where a river ran, and small copses broke up the flatness of the grasslands. Flocks of birds twirled in the updrafts and butterflies fluttered. It's so green! This is what the area must have looked like before the reactors were built! Looking around, Tifa felt a renewed surge of determination to shut down ShinRa, no matter the cost. How can they continue doing so much damage to the environment? The Planet can't sustain their greed!

 

It wasn't long before the warmth of the sun on her back caused Tifa to nod off; she woke up with a start when her chin bounced off Cloud's shoulder. “You okay back there?” he asked.

 

“I didn't get much sleep....” she yawned, suddenly feeling very, very weary.

 

The roar of the motorcycle's engine became a muted rumble as Cloud cut the throttle and steered off the pavement onto the shoulder. “Five minute break,” he declared as they came to a stop. Tifa quickly obeyed, although she discovered that her knees were distinctly wobbly. Walking ahead of the bike, she swung her arms and jogged in place to get her blood moving. Bending over to touch her toes, she belatedly realized that she'd given Cloud quite the show; he didn't bother hiding his smirk in his cowl when she checked.

 

Tossing her head, she turned her back, shading her eyes to look out over the rippling grass, breathing deeply of the fresh breeze. The wind teased loose strands of hair from the coil draped around her neck, playfully tugging on them as she soaked up the unaccustomed sense of freedom. She became aware of Cloud's eyes on her; suddenly self-conscious, she wrapped her arms around herself and walked further along, inspecting the bulrushes growing out of the ditches and the nodding clusters of wildflowers.

 

“Tifa!”

 

The command in his voice spun her around in time to dodge a snarling missile. Lashing out with her fists, she caught the creature in the ribs and sent it flying into the field, where it came to rest at the end of long furrow. As she straightened, pain raked down her shoulder, dropping her to the asphalt where she delivered a sweeping kick that took the legs out from under her attacker. Shouting, she seized two paws and swung the animal around, heaving it after its fellow and gouging another trench in the grassy prairie; the blood dampening her top was a minor distraction as she met another creature with a right hook to the muzzle. The beast shook its head before lunging again. Tifa nailed it in the chest with a roundhouse kick as something whizzed behind her and impacted with a sickening wet thunk. Finishing off her opponent before turning to look, she saw an even larger creature spitted by Cloud's sword.

 

“Come on!”

 

She was already running towards the bike when he met her halfway; grabbing onto his outstretched arm, she swung herself onto the saddle behind him like she'd been doing it for years. Gunning the engine, he yanked his sword out of the twitching carcass on the way past and laid a patch of rubber as they took off at full speed.

 

“What are those things?” she shouted over the rush of wind, hooking her fingers into his belt.

 

“Kalm Fangs,” he answered, flicking his weapon free of blood and resting it on top of the extended brackets that he and Barret had jury-rigged to fit the oversized sword.

 

Glancing around, at first she saw nothing other than the rippling sea of grass, but then she glimpsed them - at least a dozen dark runnels moving at an angle to the gentle direction of the wind. Tifa couldn't suppress a small shudder as huge forms erupted into the open, tongues lolling, red eyes glowing in craggy, dark blue-grey heads as they attempted to run down the motorcycle. They look like Nibel Wolves! “Can we go any faster?”

 

“Nope.” The sword flashed a warning in the sunshine.

 

“Would it be better to stand and fight?”

 

“Not against a pack that big.”

 

Tucking herself as small as possible against Cloud's back to give him as much freedom to swing as she could, Tifa hoped that the creatures were just as individually weak as their Nibel cousins and would give up the chase sooner rather than later. A shadow fell across her, and she looked into a slavering maw as one beast leapt - just as it was violently slapped away with the flat of the sword. The motorcycle slewed sickeningly until Cloud regained control; Tifa watched the tumbling Fang take out three of its pack-mates in a cloud of dust and snarls.

 

Two others tried to take advantage of the distraction and attacked from the other side; the gleaming weapon whirled overhead and they went down in a welter of gore. The injured animals struggled violently in their death throes; Tifa couldn't watch. “They taken the hint yet?” Cloud asked.

 

Carefully scanning the surrounding prairie for more tell-tale movement, she finally said, “I think so.”

 

The bike rocked slightly as he stowed his weapon; after a few more minutes of full-throttle flight, he patted her tightly clasped hands. “Bet you're not sleepy now.”

 

Even as she chuckled, she kept a weather eye on the surrounding vegetation, which appeared somehow less benign in the fading sunlight. “How did you know what those creatures were?”

 

He was silent for a long time. “Kalm Fangs are considered `safe' opponents for ShinRa recruits.”

 

A training exercise mustn't have gone well. “Not so `safe', I take it?”

 

“Not when it's two guys against an entire pack... and you both run out of ammo and potions.”

 

A dim memory surfaced in the corner of her mind. “My dad once told me that when he was a child, the largest Nibel Wolf ever encountered was no larger than a hound... and was only a threat to newly hatched chocobo chicks and cats.”

 

“One of my officers said the same thing about Kalm Fangs.”

 

“Do you think their abnormal growth might be a result of mako pollution?”

 

“You're saying that things grow bigger because of contact with it?”

 

“It's a thought....”

 

“Ah. I wondered... so stuffing your bra with mako crystals paid off, huh?”

 

Tifa stuck out her tongue at the back of his head and smacked his shoulder for good measure as he shook with laughter. Glaring up at the sun-gilded peaks, whose slopes had turned from blue to green and taken over most of the view, she was taken off guard by another long-suppressed memory of a surprise attack. That trooper nearly lost his life protecting me....

 

“Is something wrong?” A gloved hand gently cupped her bare thigh.

 

“Uh, no... just a bad memory that I hoped I'd forgotten.”

 

His hand briefly squeezed, and she cursed it for being more distracting than it should be. “I have a few of those, too,” Cloud said, as then the road began winding through the foothills, and he gave most of his attention to keeping them on the pavement. “Keep an eye out for more Fangs - and a likely place to camp. The sun'll be down in another hour or so.”

 

“A sunset! I haven't seen one in years!”

 

They happened across a small rest stop shortly after that, the main features of which were a single fuel pump and a rickety table whose frail legs were bowing under the weight of boxes full of produce. Cloud made sure his cowl disguised his chest as an elderly man hobbled out of the shack to see if they wanted anything; his equally ancient wife took up a position behind the table. As they dismounted, Cloud pressed several gil into Tifa's hand and muttered in her ear, “Buy something to sweeten up the old gal, and see if she knows anything about the mako spring. I'll tackle the geezer - what's this?” Turning her for a better look, he glared at the dried brown smears decorating her top.

 

“Huh? Oh, you mean that.” Tifa answered, craning her neck. “It's just a scratch.”

 

“Dammit, woman. Hold still.” His hand glowed green and he carefully swept his palm over her back. “You can't take any chances.”

 

“We also couldn't exactly stop out in the open, in case they were following us.”

 

Cloud shook his head in exasperation. “You still should've said something.” Swatting her on the behind, he sent her towards the shack as he greeted the old man.

 

The elder's reedy voice cut the air along with the sharp scent of fuel as Tifa walked towards the table; as it turned out, she didn't have to fake any enthusiasm over the produce, because it was obviously fresh and in peak condition. “I don't know what to choose!” she sighed, jingling the gil in her fist.

 

“The apples are particularly fine,” the woman said, giving one a polish with her apron. “They come from our orchard.”

 

“I'll have to try some to compare them to the apples from my hometown,” Tifa smiled, handing over a couple of gil.

 

Accepting the coins and bagging a half-dozen of the rosy fruit, the woman asked, “Where're you from?”

 

“Midgar... but I was born in Nibelheim, on the Western Continent. It's in the mountains.”

 

“A country girl making a living in the big city, eh?” The older woman raked the younger's revealing clothing with a glance as she handed over the fruit, and Tifa blushed hotly. She probably thinks that I'm a prostitute! The jaundiced look that was then directed at Cloud seemed to cement that idea. “Where's your SOLDIER boy from?”

 

“From Nibelheim. We grew up together.”

 

“Childhood sweethearts?”

 

“Er....” To her consternation, she blushed even harder, but that seemed to soften the woman's attitude.

 

Leaning in, she shook her finger under Tifa's nose. “You make sure he does right by you.”

 

“P-pardon me?”

 

“Make sure he's declared you as his next-of-kin in case he doesn't come back from the next mission.” There was something about the tightness around the woman's mouth and the fierceness in her rheumy eyes that made Tifa suspect there was a personal tragedy behind the advice.

 

“He's not in SOLDIER anymore; he quit.”

 

A white eyebrow arched. “Huh. I thought there was only one way to leave SOLDIER, and that was in a coffin.”

 

Her assertion gave Tifa pause. Come to think of it, Cloud's the only person I've ever heard of walking away from the military. “Um, I was wondering... is there a natural mako spring in the area?” she asked, trying to change the subject.

 

“Maybe. Why?” Those aged eyes were suddenly sharp.

 

Inspiration struck. “My, um, boyfriend has some old battle injuries, and we heard that bathing in a mako spring might help heal them.”

 

“You sure you're not scouting for a new mako reactor site?”

 

“Absolutely not!” Tifa agitatedly waved her hands around and nearly dropped the apples. “I've seen what damage even a single reactor can do... and I'm no friend of ShinRa!” Cloud gave her a questioning glance as the old man blithely continued talking his ear off, and she forcibly settled herself down.

 

“Well, then, young lady... I consider myself a fairly good judge of character. Don't make me regret it.”

 

“N-no, ma'am. I won't.”

 

Producing a stubby pencil and a scrap of paper out of her apron pocket, the woman quickly sketched out a simple map. “Take the next turn-off - it's about ten miles ahead, on the right - and follow it to the fork. Bear left and keep going up the side of the ridge - it's a steep climb, and really narrow - until you arrive on the plateau. You'll see a small waterfall on the cliff face on the other side; the spring's in a cave above it... at least, it used to be. Haven't been up there in years, on account of the snakes.”

 

“Snakes?”

 

Shrugging dismissively, she handed over the map. “I'm not that keen on scaly things; if you're not bothered, then you'll be fine.”

 

“How long is the trip?”

 

“You won't make it tonight; sunset's less than an hour away.”

 

“Oh... darn. Can you recommend a good place for us to camp?”

 

Another penetrating glance. “It isn't safe to sleep outdoors if there's only two of you. Those Prowlers'll strip you clean.” She turned and pointed at the terraced ridge rising behind the shack, the upper elevations shining golden in the early evening sun. “There's a picker's shed on the middle tier that's sturdy enough to discourage unwanted company, and big enough to hold both of you and the bike.” Rummaging again in her pocket, she handed over a small key on a short twist of cord. “This opens the padlock.”

 

“Thank you very much!”

 

Shoving her hands in her pockets beneath the apron, she jerked her white-haired head in the direction of a dirt track curving behind the shack. “Follow that up and take the second right. The shed's in the middle of the orchard, backed up against the retaining wall.”

 

Tifa inclined her head. “We really appreciate this.”

 

“Hmph. Be good, young lady.”

 

“Er, yes, ma'am.” Backing away, Tifa escaped back to the bike, where Cloud was listening to the old man with fairly-well-disguised impatience. Waiting for a break in the torrent of dialogue, Tifa smiled brightly at the elder before saying, “These nice folks have offered to let us camp in their orchard overnight.”

 

“Did my good wife give you the key?”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

As she held it up, he grumbled, “Damn Prowlers - did she warn you about them, too?”

 

“Uh-huh.”

 

“Your young fella here tells me you had an encounter with some Kalm Fangs.” When she nodded, he spat on the ground and groused, “They never used to be so bold, but they're gettin' downright dangerous lately. If you have to answer a call of nature in the middle of the night, take a big stick!”

 

“How about a big sword?” she grinned, indicating the weapon resting alongside the front forks.

 

“That'll do - just watch out for my trees, young fella.”

 

“Will do,” Cloud replied. “Thanks for your hospitality.”

 

“Hurry up or you'll miss the sunset. Right pretty from up there.” Hanging up the fuel nozzle, he shuffled back to the shack, where he joined his wife under the awning.

 

“Quick... before he decides he needs to tell another `when I was knee-high to a chocobo' story,” Cloud hissed, swinging onto the saddle and firing the engine. Tifa tucked the map and key securely into her pocket and stored the apples in one of the saddlebags before joining him; she'd barely seated herself before the bike took off in a spray of gravel. Waving to their erstwhile hosts with one hand, she pinched his arm with the other.

 

“Ow! You weren't the one stuck talking to him!”

 

“You weren't the one getting the third degree from his wife!”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Turn here and follow the road up the ridge... `sweetheart'.”

 

He glanced over his shoulder, his eyebrow arched. “Your conversation was definitely more interesting than mine.”

 

Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф

 

We're going to swelter in here tonight. Tifa concentrated on heating their dinner over the cook stove instead of thinking about the sweat beading on her skin. The flickering light of the sand-filled fire pit in the centre of the floor threw deep shadows behind Cloud as he alternately stared at the kettle resting above the embers, apparently willing it to boil faster, or gazed up at the narrow bars of dusk visible through the reinforced ventilation slats high in the gables. The sturdy door of the shed was now locked securely from the inside, the small room made even smaller by the presence of the massive motorcycle taking up one entire wall and filling the confined space with the distinctive tang of heated metal and oil. I'm exhausted and have a headache... and that stink isn't helping.

 

“I figured there had to be something to encourage airflow.” Cloud rolled onto his hands and knees, pressing his fingers into what appeared to be knotholes in the floor boards. “Yep, gramps knows his stuff.” Wood squeaked on wood, and fresh air began trickling up from beneath the hut, drawn upwards by the heat escaping through the slats. “Check that side; I'll bet there's a couple more.” Tifa discovered that she had piled the saddlebags on top of one of the vents, and then helped Cloud to balance the bike while he opened the last one.

 

By the time they sat back down, her headache had almost disappeared and the kettle had begun boiling. Cloud filled the mugs while Tifa scooped rice and ladled Jessie's clean-out-the-cooler curry into bowls and handed him one. They ate in silence, the only sounds the scraping of utensils on metal. Well, this is awkward. Sipping her tea, Tifa watched Cloud over the rim of her cup and admitted to part of her disquiet. I don't really know him anymore... if I ever did. He might as well be a stranger.

 

“It's been a long time, hasn't it?”

 

His apparent ability to read her mind made her jump. “Um... what has?”

 

“Since we were alone together.”

 

“Er... last night doesn't count?”

 

“No.” Chuckling, he waved his mug at her. “Longer than that.”

 

Giving herself time to think, she cut up one of the apples. Does he mean the water tower? “Seven years ago? We were just kids then.” Sliding the bowl of apple slices his way, she bit into one and was overwhelmed by the flavour. Crisp, tart, juicy... it's like going home. Wondering if Cloud shared her reaction, she popped the rest of the morsel into her mouth and reached for another.

 

“It's been five years.”

 

“Pardon?” She paused, the piece of fruit half-way to her lips.

 

“The last time I saw you before we met up at the train station was five years ago... in Nibelheim.”

 

B-but... what? He... he wasn't there! Tifa carefully lowered her hand to her lap while her mind spun in mad circles.

 

“You were in really bad shape, so I'm not surprised that you don't remember.” Gloved fingertips lightly stroked over her forearm.

 

“Y-you were in the reactor?”

 

“Uh-huh.” He smiled crookedly. “You really don't remember?”

 

The only two SOLDIERs in Nibelheim were General Sephiroth and the other... what was his name? Zack? Unless... Cloud arrived later as part of a different team? Biting her lip, Tifa unwillingly replayed the disturbing images from that day in her mind. It was Zack who woke me up... wasn't it? He had dark hair.... “Did I tell you that I hated you?”

 

Cloud's eyebrows shot up under his bangs. “No! I apologized for arriving too late, but you said it was okay - that you were glad I kept our promise.”

 

Tifa thought harder, absently toying with the apple. Slowly, very slowly, a picture formed of unruly blond spikes, bright blue eyes - and a relieved smile. I thought I dreamt that.... “I was in a lot of pain; I'm surprised that I was even vaguely coherent.”

 

His arm slid around her shoulders and he pulled her close enough to press his nose into her hair. “I thought you were dead, so I was really happy when you opened your eyes. Hearing your voice was a bonus.” Lips grazed her temple before she was released. “How did you end up in the reactor, anyways?”

 

Sternly telling the twirling butterflies in her stomach to settle down, she said, “I went after General Sephiroth.”

 

“You what?”

 

Tifa made a face. “Pretty stupid, I know, but I wasn't thinking straight.”

 

“I think we were all driven a little insane by what we saw that day,” Cloud said quietly. “What happened?”

 

Her father's pale, lifeless face swam in front of her eyes. “I charged the general with his own sword. He grabbed the hilt and lifted me off the ground - I should've kicked him where it counts when I had the chance - and then....”

 

When the pause stretched, Cloud prompted, “And...?”

 

Shivering at the memory of icy green eyes and a mocking smirk, Tifa murmured, “He smiled - and then hit me.”

 

“He threw you down the flight of stairs? Shiva! He could've broken your neck!”

 

“Not my neck, but enough other bones that I was black and blue for months.”

 

“How'd you get out of there?”

 

“Master Zangan. He took me to Midgar for medical treatment.” She wanted to ask when Cloud had arrived on the scene, but at the same time she also didn't really want to talk any more about the most horrifying day of her life. I'll have nightmares.

 

Cloud was munching a piece of apple, his expression thoughtful as he rubbed a spot below his breasts. “This scar,” he said slowly. “Sephiroth. Skewered me like a piece of meat.”

 

“How horrible... lucky you were treated right away!” she gasped, knowing the months of painful recovery that she had experienced before she was even able to walk again. He would've had punctured organs - lucky the sword missed his spine!

 

Shaking his head, he frowned. “Don't remember. It's all kinda jumbled after that.” Popping another slice into his mouth, he commented, “These apples are really good.”

 

There was silence after that except for the hissing of the embers in the fire pit and crunching sounds as Cloud finished off the fruit. Tifa caught herself falling asleep sitting up and decided that lying down would be a good thing. Gathering the bowls and utensils, she piled them out of the way, and then rummaged for clean clothing. “Turn around,” she ordered, facing the opposite way while letting her suspenders fall down her arms.

 

“Since I've shown you mine, how about....”

 

“Finish that sentence, and you'll be sleeping outside with the Prowlers.”

 

“You are no fun. I'll bet Aerith would've laughed.”

 

Tifa bit back a petulant retort and instead examined the bloodstains on her shirt. I hope that will soak out.

 

Quickly exchanging the soiled tank top for a clean one, she was in the process of shaking out one of the bedrolls when Cloud said, “Over here,” indicating the side closest to the rear wall.

 

Tossing him the other bedroll, she shuffled hers around the fire pit to join him. However, he merely sat on it, bracing his back against the wall, his sword to hand. “Are you taking first watch?” she asked, unlacing her boots.

 

“Yep. You need your beauty sleep.”

 

Stung anew, Tifa retorted, “Thanks so much,” and zipped herself into the bedding. Wriggling out of her skirt, she folded it into a thin makeshift pillow, then rolled over and put her back to both him and the fire pit. After several minutes of pouting, she gave herself a mental shake. He doesn't mean anything by it... any of it... I simply have to be less sensitive. “Good night, Cloud.”

 

Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф

 

Father? Father!

 

Super-heated air scorched her lungs, the crackle of burning wood deafening as she ran through the inferno. Flames arched overhead, enclosing her in a deadly cathedral; when she finally broke through into a cooler space, she tripped over a body sprawled across the smoking earth.

 

Who's that?

 

She recoiled as the ashen visage turned fathomless black eyes towards her. The mouth opened, revealing sharp teeth and a rasping voice croaked her name. Scrabbling backwards, she screamed as the face resembled her father as she'd last seen him, red spittle dribbling down his chin. The contours narrowed, becoming her mother on her death bed, so shrivelled that Tifa had hardly recognized her. The sunken eyes turned green and dangerous, stringy hair lengthened and glinted silver, until the image finally morphed into a nightmarish creature, red-eyed and blue-furred, its fanged jaws opening wide, its claws reaching for her as it sprang....

 

Falling backwards, screaming, her bones snapping, consumed by pain hammering her from all sides ....

 

She was caught by strong arms, anchored safely in a firm embrace. “Hush... it's all right.” The words were felt more than heard, her ear pressed against a softly-contoured chest, but Tifa grasped desperately after the promise of comfort anyways, fisting handfuls of fabric as she curled into the warm body. “Breathe... c'mon, breathe.” Shuddering violently, she struggled free of the terror, finally surfacing into pitch darkness that nearly sent her shrieking back over the edge, but Cloud's voice pulled her towards reality. “It was only a dream, Tifa. You're safe.” His name came out as more of a faint whimper than anything recognizable, but he somehow heard and shifted his arms, a hand coming up to cradle the back of her head, tucking her snugly under his chin. “I've got you.”

 

It took a long time, but her racing heart finally slowed to the point that she was able to loosen the death grip she had on his sweater. All the adrenaline left her in a rush; slumping boneless in his arms, she was barely aware of Cloud gathering her close. Enough cognition remained for her to mumble, “Thank you,” before she sank into a deep and mercifully dreamless slumber.

 

When she finally regained consciousness, the interior of the shed was no longer pitch-black. It was still extremely dark, but once her eyes adjusted, Tifa was able to make out the bulky shape of the motorcycle against the near wall. Above it, the glimpses of night sky framed by the ventilation slats displayed an astonishing array of stars. Her field of vision was restricted by the fact that Cloud was still thoroughly wrapped around her, but Tifa felt absolutely no desire to move away, despite the odd sensations of being cuddled against distinctly feminine curves. The soothing way he was stroking her hair probably had quite a bit to do with her reluctance to break contact.

 

“Feel better?” His voice was an intimate rumble.

 

“So tired,” she sighed, turning her face towards his chest and then remembering why that wasn't a good idea when sensitive flesh budded against her cheek. Pulling away on principle, she didn't put up much resistance when Cloud tugged her back.

 

“Don't worry about it.”

 

Taking his word for it because she was so very comfortable where she was, Tifa nestled closer, the sound of his heartbeat lulling her into a state of sleepy contentment. I really shouldn't be ... cozying up... but.... When she next opened her eyes, the interior had lightened considerably, but Cloud's fingers continued combing through her hair and she had trouble staying awake. However, being pillowed on his bosom reminded her that the biggest challenge was yet to come, and she was just sleepy enough to speak before thinking. “What if the materia doesn't work?”

 

His hand faltered in its steady rhythm. “It has to. I can't stay both for the rest of my life.”

 

“Both...?” As soon as she said it, Tifa's brain kicked into gear. That odd look on his face after Aerith helped...!

 

Cloud reluctantly confirmed her suspicions. “Yeah. I now have boobs and balls.”

 

“Oh, no.”

 

His rueful chuckle vibrated her cheek. “The old lech at the depot would've been in for a surprise if he'd managed to get in my shorts yesterday.”

 

“Er... how did you, um, keep anything from falling out of those shorts?”

 

“Painfully tight underwear and a dose of good luck.”

 

Tifa slipped her hand up around the back of his neck, beneath the braid and gently squeezed. “I'm so sorr - mmph?”

 

His hand clamped over her mouth, his entire body tensing as he shook off her hand, and then his weight shifted as he reached for his sword. Wrapping his hand around the hilt, he lifted the blade off the floor and angled it towards the ventilation slats in the gables over the motorcycle. Tifa held very still, all of her senses on high alert; she nearly jumped out of her skin when the door softly but deliberately rattled on its hinges. Someone's testing the lock!

 

Cloud released her and silently rose to his feet, but he wasn't looking at the door. Instead, his attention was trained on the right-hand wall; holding up one finger for silence, he gestured her to take the left-hand side. Squirming out of the bedroll, Tifa stripped off her socks to give herself maximum traction on the wooden floor and placed herself back-to-back with Cloud. The door rattled again, and then what sounded like metal scraped along the exterior siding. Sibilant voices hissed, raising the hair on the back of her neck.

 

“Anythin' good?”

 

“Plenty.”

 

“'Ow many?”

 

“Two. Girls.”

 

“Heh. Pretty?”

 

“They got materia.”

 

Tifa strained her ears to track the movements outside, aware of Cloud's tension. Taking one step sideways and one back so that he was beside her, without looking away from the openings in the gable, he whispered, “Prowlers. They'll attack from both sides to split our attention and try to Steal something.”

 

“So... hit first, ask questions later?”

 

“Yep.” His hand briefly gripped hers and then he moved back into position.

 

Shuffling sounds from outside, followed by what sounded like crates were being stacked, had her squinting at the soft, pearly grey sky visible between the ventilation slats. I guess the walls are too sturdy for them to try breaking in that way... I hope. Only a scant moment later, a bushy blond topknot appeared, followed by spooky pale eyes peering through the slats. A metal face mask? Creepy! She couldn't see the Prowler's expression, but she could swear that he leered; however, she didn't get a chance to wipe the look off his face because behind her, Cloud rammed the business end of his weapon through the slats and split open the other Prowler's head.

 

“One down,” he muttered, pulling the dripping blade back inside.

 

Tifa's opponent had vanished as soon as the sword did its deadly work, but a thump overhead had them looking up; that was quickly followed by the sounds of shingles being pried loose. Cloud kept one eye on the door as he moved around the fire pit, his head tilted at an angle towards the trusses. As the roof shook, he beckoned Tifa over and crouched, cupping his hands. “See those two knotholes to the left of the peak? Straight up and knock the bastard on his ass. Bonus points if you break his neck in the process.”

 

Resting one foot on his palms, Tifa balanced herself with her hands on his shoulders, studying the target area. When what appeared to be an axe blade bit through the ceiling in roughly the same space, she waited for one more strike until she was very sure that the axe was on the upswing. “Now!” Cloud launched her straight up, and she drove her metal-shielded fist right through the weakened boards, connecting forcefully with something firm and fleshy that she really, really hoped was the Prowler's stomach and not some other portion of his anatomy. There was a surprised, pained grunt, the clatter of what might have been a wooden-handled axe sliding down the shingles, quickly followed by the ominously squelchy sound of a large body landing awkwardly on the ground.

 

Cloud caught Tifa as she dropped, keeping her well away from the fire pit. Blood streaked her arm from where she'd caught her skin on the jagged edges of the wood; he grimaced and cast Cure. “That's two.”

 

“Do you think that's all of them?”

 

Listening intently, he said, “Sounds like it.”

 

“Can we look outside?”

 

“Are you trying to find trouble?”

 

“No; I just really want to see the sunrise. It's been so long....”

 

“You might want to put some clothes on first.”

 

Tifa looked down and realized that she had been fighting Prowlers while wearing nothing but her cropped tank top and panties. Her first impulse was to cover her crotch with her hands, but then realized that there wasn't much point. Sighing, she retrieved her socks and then had to hunt for her skirt, finally locating it under Cloud's bedroll. It must have fallen out when he woke me from the nightmare. Rapidly pulling on clothes and boots, she had just dug her hairbrush out of the saddlebag when Cloud plucked it out of her hand.

 

“Turn around.”

 

Blinking, she obeyed, and then was even more stunned when he began brushing her hair; he even properly started at the bottom and worked his way up before stroking the brush through the entire length several times. Tifa closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the unaccustomed tenderness, a world away from Marlene's rough enthusiasm. She swayed a little on her feet when he turned her towards him; his arm steadied her as he carefully smoothed her bangs. When the brush and silky ribbon were returned to her hand, she smiled and sighed, “That was nice.”

 

Cloud didn't turn around quite fast enough to hide his pink cheeks when she opened her eyes. “It was nothin',” he gruffly said as he crossed the room and braced the door with his sword before unlocking it. Tifa quickly tied back her hair and joined him, ready to slam the panel shut if something unpleasant was waiting for them on the outside.

 

On his mark, they wrenched the door open and found only a delicate pink glow painting the sky, the mountains and the surrounding orchard. Tifa squeezed past him to step down onto the flat rock acting as a stair, breathing deeply of the soft morning air, but Cloud's arm around her waist stopped her from going any farther. He remained standing on the sill behind her, poised to sweep her back inside and out of any danger as he scanned the nearby trees while she filled her lungs and admired the view.

 

Leaning back into his solid presence, folding her arms atop of his, Tifa murmured, “Everything's so fresh.”

 

As the sun peeked over the mountains, bathing them in golden light, his chin came to rest on the top of her head. “Yeah. Including the two bodies around the side of the shed.”

 

“You really know how to kill a mood, don't you?”

 

Ф Ф Ф Ф Ф