Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Who's John ShinRa? ❯ Friends and Enemies ( Chapter 19 )

Chapter 19: Friends and Enemies

 

Rufus rode ahead of the group, trying his best to ignore the inquisitive pair of eyes behind his back. They had ridden together in silence for several minutes after arguing and Rufus had no intention of talking to either of the girls. He kept his eyes forward, trying not to listen to the hushed exchange taking place behind his back.

 

“How mad do you think he is?” Tifa asked; her voice laced with worry.

 

“Gawd, he looked totally pissed at you.”

 

“I shouldn't have gotten too heated up like that. I completely forgot that he used to work for ShinRa.”

 

“And that he's probably buddies with Reno who you insulted the most,” Yuffie playfully chided.

 

“Yeah, that was pretty bad, wasn't it?”

 

“Oh, I'd say.”

 

“Do you think I should apologize to him now? I mean. I'd hate for there to be any animosity between us.”

 

Yuffie stared at the man's back noticing how stiff and rigid it was as he rode.

 

“Nah, let him cool off for a bit. I don't think he wants to talk to us right now.”

 

“Gosh Yuffie, I feel so horrible. He was right about all those things he said about AVALANCHE. A lot of innocent people got hurt on account of our actions. We really thought what we were doing was right, despite the sacrifices along the way. When Cait Sith told Barret how many lives were lost because of the mako reactor bombings, I felt so guilty for being a part of AVALANCHE.”

 

“Yeah, but didn't ShinRa also kill a lot of innocent people?”

 

“They did, but I think the main point is that when you compare AVALANCHE and ShinRa, we're really no different. Both of us were willing to put other people's lives in jeopardy to obtain our goals. People working for ShinRa really think that what they're doing is just as important as our fight for the planet.”

 

“Wow, I never thought of it that way,” Yuffie nodded as she listened to Tifa, glad to hear that the older woman was looking at things rationally.

 

“I really need to apologize. What do you think I can do to make it up to him?”

 

Yuffie grinned as a certain shimmer flashed in her eyes.

 

“Oh, I don't know . . . maybe you can take John for a stroll along the beautiful beaches of Costa Del Sol under the bright stars and moonlit night,” Yuffie snickered.

 

“I want to apologize to him, not seduce him!” Tifa exclaimed a bit too loudly.

 

“Who said anything about seducing?” Yuffie said innocently.

 

“It was implied by your tone,” as Tifa raised an eyebrow before slowly let her face fall. “You know, Cloud was going to take me for a walk along the beach when this was all supposed to be over.”

 

Yuffie's face scrunched in concern as she watched Tifa's heartbreaking expression.

 

“You really miss him don't you?”

 

“Yeah, I do. He was a part of my life for so long, I feel empty not having him beside me. It's like a part of my reason for being is gone forever. I never got to say everything I wanted to say to him.”

 

“Tifa, if it makes you feel better, I think he knew how much you loved him. I saw the looks he gave you when you weren't looking and though you may not know it, I think he loved you back.”

 

“You think so? But I still never took the chance and told him when he was alive. I wanted to say it so badly; to hear him say those three special words, but now I won't ever see him,” Tifa sulked.

 

Yuffie paused as she listened to the older woman. She knew what it felt like to lose a loved one, suffering through the death of her mother when she was nine. But Yuffie didn't know what it felt like to lose someone so close and special to you that life itself had no meaning if they were gone. Yuffie had seen Tifa's detached emotional state before in her own father. The young ninja remembered how her father had grieved over her mother's death and how much it changed him.

 

(flashback)

 

“Yuffie, I want you to be a big girl now and take care of your father. Do you think you can do that for me?” the frail woman whispered to her little girl.

 

Yuffie merely nodded as she knelt by her mother's bedside, “Yes Mommy.”

 

“Godo, my love, how are you feeling?” the woman smiled weakly.

 

“I should be the one asking you that question, Mariko,” Godo sat passively as he smiled.

 

“I fear that all of that won't matter in a bit. I feel so much slipping away from my fingers. Wutai needs your strength, I'm just sorry I won't be there to help you when you need it.”

 

“You shouldn't worry about me. You have to save your strength to fight your cancer,” Godo said wearily.

 

“My dear Godo, you try to hide the conflict of ShinRa's war against Wutai from me, but I can see the torment and anguish in your eyes,” the empress smiled.

 

“You've always been able to see things like that. But do you know what I see? I see the young woman I met and fell in love with on the mountain paths of Da Chao. It was fate that brought me a beautiful angel into my life that day,” Godo's faced softened.

 

“You're such a flatterer,” Mariko coughed.

 

“Mommy, do you want me to get you some tea?” Yuffie hurried to her mother's side.

 

“That would be good sweetie,” Mariko smiled.

 

Yuffie hurried out the room to tend to her mother's needs, brushing past the servants.

 

Mariko watched her young daughter leave the room before turning to her husband, “She doesn't know, does she?”

 

“No. I didn't have the heart to tell her that her mother was dying. She only thinks you're sick,” Godo hung his head low.

 

“Well, you didn't lie to her, but you didn't tell her the entire truth. She is strong though. I know she will do well. I'm just sad that I won't be able to see her grow-up,” Mariko wheezed.

 

“Rest my love. You need to save your strength,” Godo held his wife's hand, noticing how cold it was.

 

Mariko shook her head slowly as she closed her eyes, “There's no reason to. It's only a matter of time now.”

 

“I don't know what I'm going to do without you,” Godo pleaded, rubbing her hands. “The fate that brought you to me is now taking you away.”

 

Mariko smiled softly as she stared up at her husbands face. Instead of the cocky smile he usually wore; a thin frown of concern was present on his lips. She hadn't seen him so worried for her since the time she gave birth to Yuffie.

 

Yes, it had been fate that brought her handsome prince into her arms. He had always been her protector and she his emotional pillar. But now she knew when Wutai's need was dire, she would not be there for her country or her family. Mariko prayed that Leviathan would look after Wutai, but she desperately wished that she could live to see her daughter grow into a woman while she grew old with her husband.

 

She gazed up to stare at her husband's face trying to memorize the fine wrinkles and small details of his visage. The years have worn away from of Godo's strength and youthfulness, but he was still the man she loved. The room began to spin as Mariko felt her strength wane while she laboriously breathed. It was time. She gazed at her husband one last time and saw his face change as the wrinkles slowly melted away and Godo's eyes brightened until the youthful man she fell in love with appeared before her eyes.

 

“Kiss me,” Mariko whispered.

 

Godo softly placed his hand on her forehead as he bent down to kiss his ailing wife: a kiss that would be their last. He saw her smile one final time before exhaling the remaining breath from her body. He first noticed how limp her hand was as he held it and how cold her lips were becoming. She was fading away and there was nothing he could do but watch and wait.

 

Yuffie quickly ran to her mother's bedside as she brought a cup of steaming hot tea.

 

“Mommy, I brought you your tea. Here is it,” Yuffie obediently sat the cup near her mother's hand.

 

“Mommy? Here's your tea,” Yuffie nudged her mother's hand.

 

The young princess noticed how cold her mother's hands were and shivered as she continued to shake her mother in the vain hope she would wake-up.

 

“Mommy? Please wake-up,” Yuffie choked as tears began to stream down her face.

 

“Daddy, why won't Mommy open her eyes? I keep on trying to wake her up, but she won't wake up,” Yuffie sobbed as she pulled on her father's sleeve.

 

Lord Godo ignored his young daughter's pleas as he stared blankly at his wife's prone form lying in front of him. She still looked beautiful despite her pale face and lips, something he had gotten accustomed to ever since his wife fell ill. But now he would have to become accustomed to never seeing her open her eyes or smile at him ever again. Mariko Kisaragi, the Empress of Wutai, was dead.

 

“Daddy, please wake Mommy up, she's not listening to me. Please,” Yuffie sobbed into her father's sleeve.

 

Yuffie couldn't understand why her mother wasn't waking up to have the tea she brought. Her father had told her that she was sick with some sort of cancer, but the nine-year-old Yuffie didn't understand what cancer was and how deadly it was to her mother. Yuffie also didn't understand how her father's soul was slowly crumbling away as he stood silently mourning for his wife.

 

“Lady Kisaragi, please be calm. Your father needs some time alone with your mother right now,” a woman's gentle voice spoke.

 

Yuffie looked up to see one of her parent's faithful followers, Chekov kneeling beside her. Feeling the need for affection, Yuffie wrapped her arms around the woman as she poured her tears and grief onto her shoulders. Chekov silently stroked the younger girl's hair knowing all too well that these wouldn't be the last tears Yuffie would cry.

 

“She's not waking up, is she?”

 

“I'm sorry my Lady, but she isn't.”

 

“Mommy's . . . mommy's gone, forever?”

 

Chekov choked back her own tears finding it hard to tell the little girl the truth of her mother's death. The woman only found enough strength to nod her head at the young princess.

 

“Why didn't Da Chao or Leviathan save her? Weren't we good to them? Weren't my Mommy and Daddy good to them?” Yuffie pleaded.

 

“They were my Lady, but sometimes Da Chao and Leviathan can't spare everyone.”

 

Yuffie shook her head unable to comprehend how the gods she believed in could let her mother die, “Then they're stupid! They don't deserve to be our gods!”

 

“Yuffie! You will not speak ill about Da Chao or Leviathan!” Godo spoke harshly, shocking both Yuffie and Chekov.

 

“Why not? They let Mommy die!”

 

“That's enough young lady! The gods know what's best for Wutai and if you know what's best for yourself, you will watch your tongue. Your mother loved the gods dearly and would never want you to speak ill of them, nor would I,” Godo said angrily as tears streamed down his face.

 

Yuffie watched sadly as her father broke down in sobs and dropped his head on her mother's stomach. She didn't know how long her father sat there and cried, but Yuffie realized that she wasn't the only one who missed her mother. Her father missed her as well and probably lost more from her death than she would ever know.

 

(end flashback)

 

Yuffie looked back on that night and realized how much her father had changed since her mother's death. She first attributed it to the war against ShinRa causing him to lose all his hope and ambition, but later Yuffie realized it was her mother's death that caused him to lose his will to fight and the desire to lead.

 

Tifa and Cloud weren't married, but Yuffie wondered if Cloud's death was plaguing Tifa's mind as it had her father's. Yuffie was never able to talk to her father about how hard her mother's death was on him, but then she was only nine and didn't understand anything. Now she was sixteen and knew she had to help Tifa out of her emotional rut before she changed drastically like her father.

 

“Tifa, do you think you'll ever get over Cloud?”

 

“I don't know Yuffie. I hadn't really thought about any other guy except for Cloud. It's really hard to pick things up from scratch when you've been used to someone and known someone for so long. I think eventually I will, but it will take time,” Tifa said softly.

 

“Oh . . . want me to help?” Yuffie asked enthusiastically.

 

“Thanks Yuffie, but I think I can handle this by myself,” Tifa laughed. “Thanks for your concern.”

 

“Um, okay,” Yuffie said disappointed. Too bad cause I'm going to help you anyway! “If you ever do get interested in a guy, you'll be sure to tell me right?”

 

“You'll be the first to know,” Tifa smiled.

 

Rufus's lips curled up into a fond smile as he listened to the girls talking behind him. He had tried his best to remain uninterested, but curiosity got the better of him and he had listened to almost every word of their conversation. He was glad that they still wanted to travel with him rather than kick him out of the group for insubordination. A smiled tugged at his lips as he thought about the desperation and truthfulness in Tifa's voice when she was talking. At least she doesn't hate me.

 

The loud sputter of motorcycles shook the air around him as Rufus saw a group of men riding toward them. Most of the riders were drinking or throwing obscenities at each other as they rode forward, not having noticed the three travelers on gold chocobos riding in the opposite direction. All of the men sported a blood red band on their right wrists. Rufus could only guess that they were about to run into a biker gang and he didn't want Tifa or Yuffie to get hurt as he slowed his chocobo down to let the two girls catch up.

 

Rufus kept his eyes forward trying to ignore the bikers as they rode past on his right. He hoped that they wouldn't stop and taunt them because he wasn't in the mood to deal with hooligans. He noticed how Tifa and Yuffie crept closer to him also keeping their head forward and eyes straight ahead. They probably weren't in the mood for conflict either, hoping the biker gang felt the same way.

 

The three AVALANCHE members listened for the rev of the engines to fade away, but the engines only grew louder as Rufus noted the catcalls and whoops of insults thrown their way. One biker quickly rode up on Rufus's right side and swerved in front of him causing all three chocobos to stop, nearly throwing their riders off.

 

“Hey hot stuff, wanna ride with me?”

 

“Come on baby, show me some of that sugar!”

 

“Hey little girl, want to play with a grown man?”

 

The bikers had them surrounded as the loud machines startled the chocobos. Their riders could feel them shaking underneath as they looked angrily at the lecherous band of bikers.

 

“Well, well, well. Look what we have here. Two fine looking ladies and their escort,” a man with shoulder-length hair and hazel eyes stared back at them menacingly.

 

The man was obviously drunk as his hefty build swayed back and fourth on the bike. In fact, most of the bikers were drunk as they still drank cans of beer that were almost permanently affixed to their hands.

 

“It seems like you lucky ladies and you unlucky sir have run into the Red Riders,” the man pointed at each of them as his gaze lingered on Tifa and Yuffie. “I'm Jagger Grens, head biker for the Red Riders!”

 

“Yeah, you tell `em Jagger!” one of the bikers yelled.

 

Tifa and Yuffie both stared at the bikers coldly as they tried to ignore the wandering eyes of Jagger and his gang. They both knew that these men were dangerous as nearly everyone of them had the obvious signs of fighters or bar brawlers, especially their leader who could rival Barret in size.

 

“So what do you say ladies? Want to have some fun?” Jagger asked as he crept dangerously close to Tifa.

 

“I don't think the women are interested in street thrash like you,” Rufus said as he rode his chocobo in between Jagger and Tifa.

 

Rufus could see the anger flash in the man's bloodshot eyes as he pulled out a baseball bat attached to his belt. The gasps and hoots of the other gang members echoed in his ears.

 

“You're going to wish you'd never been born you prick,” Jagger said staring down at the much smaller man on the chocobo.

 

Rufus glared back at the man named Jagger as his ice-blue eyes pierced Jagger's hazel. The drunken leader's eyes scrunched in recognition as he kept his finger on Rufus.

 

“Do I know you?”

 

“I highly doubt it,” Rufus raised an eyebrow perplexed at how this man would know him.

 

“Nah, you looking familiar somehow. Like some punk-ass turd I used ta beat up back in the slums,” Jagger raised his voice as he hoped off his bike and ran a hand through his dirty-blonde hair.

 

Rufus held his ground as the biker gang leader wobbled closer to Rufus to get a better look at him. Rufus also got a closer look at Jagger and noticed the distinct scar on his face that he mistakenly took for a cleft in his chin. Jagger's eyes were red-rimed and lazy as he stared up at Rufus on his chocobo.

 

“You gotta be him. You're Johnny! Johnny Adacus!” Jagger yelled enraged as he lunged for Rufus.

 

The other bikers took their leader's action as a cue for them to take action as fifteen drunken bikers tried to hobble off their bikes and pull out baseball bats or chains.

 

Rufus quickly swung his other leg over Mortius as he dropped his foot down squarely on Jagger's face and knocked the hefty man back. Not wanting to wait for the larger man to get up, he quickly grabbed his shotgun and knocked a few bikers out with the butt end as they came charging after him. Tifa did a back flip off Sabina as she punched and kicked any bikers that were close to her. Yuffie remained seated on Maru as she threw shurikens at any unlucky bikers within range.

 

Tifa and Rufus fought on the ground dodging baseball bats and chains while knocking out as many bikers as possible. Their two chocobos were now side-by-side kicking any unsuspecting biker with their long sturdy legs as Yuffie's chocobo Maru sat and preened herself. The fight was hardly a challenge to Tifa and Yuffie who took out the drunken bikers with ease.

 

Rufus wasn't having any trouble though his body was pumping with adrenaline as he blocked and countered, throwing a punch into someone's face. He had done combat training before with the Turks, but none of the training compared to being in a real fight. He could smell the blood, sweat, and vomit from his enemies as they were easily being taken out. Several men still tried to fight despite being knocked down to the ground a few times. Tifa and Yuffie both look disgusted as one biker puked on the ground in front of them before passing out in his own vomit.

 

An overly aggressive and foolish biker had come behind Tifa and grabbed her from behind. Tifa was about to elbow the man in the ribs but the man loosened his grip as the feeling of the barrel of a shotgun on his temple made him release her. The martial artist still felt the need to jab the man's ribs as she spun around and hooked the man's head with her foot sending him off to land in a painful heap on one of the bikes.

 

Jagger was lying on the ground with blood pouring out of his nose as a few members of the Red Riders groaned in pain. The rest of the bikers were passed out and bleeding from the wounds the three AVALANCHE members had inflicted. Jagger tried to stagger up as he focused all his attention on Rufus mumbling incoherently to himself.

 

“Let's get out of here,” Rufus murmured as he watched Jagger glare at him.

 

“Don't have to tell me twice,” Yuffie shouted back.

 

Tifa and Rufus mounted their chocobos and sprinted off as far away from the biker gang as possible, hoping that they wouldn't wake up anytime soon. The three chocobos were eager to follow their masters' stead as they glided along the grassy plains while the shouts and curses of the Red Riders faded in the distance.

 

“Well that was weird,” Yuffie pouted.

 

“You can say that again. But it felt good to get some stress out,” Tifa said as she flexed her fingers.

 

“Yeah, you can say that! Hey John! What did you think about your first fight on the AVALANCHE team? Not bad, huh?” Yuffie laughed.

 

“That was, pretty fun,” Rufus smiled, still feeling high off of his adrenaline.

 

“You did pretty well out there. I didn't know you had any experience with hand-to-hand.”

 

“Thanks Tifa. I had a bit of training when I was in Junon. It hardly compares to your skills, but it gets me by,” Rufus smiled in embarrassment.

 

“I can help you polish them up if you want.”

 

“Really?” Rufus gulped, giddy over the thought of getting closer to Tifa.

 

“Not a problem. Say, John? Do you know who that guy mistook you for? He called you Johnny . . . Ada-something or another. Do you have any idea what that was all about?” Tifa questioned innocently.

 

“I really don't know. The name doesn't sound familiar,” Rufus said before it dawned on him. Jonathan Adacus was John's name. That guy back there thought I was my half-brother!

 

“Who knows who that dude was talking to, Tifa. After all, he was drunk off his ass,” Yuffie shrugged.

 

“Yeah, it was a really weird run-in. I'm glad that we didn't have too much trouble knocking them all out. Hopefully they'll be too drunk to remember what we look like and won't follow us,” Tifa sighed.

 

Rufus nodded in agreement as he pursed his lips in thought. He never knew that John had any enemies and didn't think that anyone would confuse him for his half-brother since John had been with him in Junon for the past eight years. One thing was certain; Rufus hoped he didn't run into Jagger Grens again. He didn't want to think of the punishment the larger man was going to inflict upon him, but he knew it had to deal with copious amounts of pain.

 

“Um, John?” Tifa asked shyly.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“I just wanted to say . . . I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have gone off like that. I was being immature.”

 

“It's alright, Tifa. I'm sorry for my little outburst.”

 

“No, it was justified. I would have been upset if someone talked like that about AVALANCHE,” Tifa paused. “You used to work for ShinRa and I wasn't considerate of that.”

 

“Yeah, used to is a good way to describe that. I doubt I'll be able to go back.”

 

“Why did you desert them? At least, that's what I assume you did,” Tifa quickly added.

 

“Because they think I'm dead,” Rufus blurted out.

 

Tifa quirked her eyebrows at his comment, “Let me guess, you escaped somehow after being ordered on a suicide mission.”

 

“I guess that's one way to put it. You probably think I'm a real jerk or a coward now.”

 

“No, I don't think any less of you. To be honest, I'm glad that you escaped rather than having to fight us. You are right though, there's a lot of blood on my hands, innocent blood. I'm positive that most of the ShinRa soldiers we killed had families and loved ones. We tried to let as many escape as we could, but their jobs were to fight us and so they fought.”

 

“We were doing our jobs and you were doing yours. Your job happens to be a bit more righteous though.”

 

“I guess you can call it that. But let's forget about all of that. It doesn't matter that you and I used to be enemies since we're both on the same sides now. I hope we can both be friends,” Tifa smiled as she held her hand out.

 

Rufus smiled as he stared at Tifa's trusting eyes and took her hand, “Friends.”

 

For a fleeting moment, Rufus wished that Tifa didn't wear her battle gloves constantly as he continued to hold Tifa's hand. Tifa seemed too engrossed in staring back to even notice as she was mesmerized by the shining life behind his blue eyes. They were so much like Cloud's, but so different. The pair stood there locked in each other's gaze oblivious to their surroundings as their chocobos marched at a matching pace.

 

“Aw, I wish I had a camera right now!” Yuffie cooed.

 

Tifa quickly withdrew her hand and flushed in embarrassment as she stared at the ground. Rufus also broke his hand away, but was content in letting his eyes rest on Tifa's face, which was slowly turning red.

 

“Hey John! Did you know that Tifa was going to take you for a walk on the beach?” Yuffie teased.

 

“Yuffie! I'm going to kill you,” Tifa seethed through her teeth.

 

“Ha ha ha, catch me if you can Boobs! Last one to Costa Del Sol is a rotten egg!” Yuffie laughed as she kicked Maru into a full sprint.

 

Tifa quickly pushed Sabina into a full sprint as she chased the wily ninja. Rufus shook his head with a smile as he followed suit watching Tifa's short black hair bob in the wind as she chased Yuffie. He took a moment to look down at his hand as he thought back to a few minutes ago. Tifa had called him her friend, a word he hadn't heard said to him in a long, long time. Rufus closed his hand and smiled. Yes, friends.

 

(continued…)