Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Damn Good Times ❯ Man, It's So Loud in Here ( Chapter 2 )

I'm not much of a natural dancer

But I've got a friend who's a natural dancer

You could call her a jumpin' bean

She's got ants in her pants

And she's gonna dance

--They Might Be Giants

 

 

Tifa stumbled out of the villa, reigning in the wild desire to go back and force Cloud into the nearest women's apparel shop and strong arming him into going with them in full drag. Not like anyone in the colorful crowd that inhabited the place would mind. Costa del Sol was an open and tolerant town...and it wasn't like he'd be the only man in women's clothing here, Tifa thought to herself. Noting several very good-looking and almost convincing drag queens as they walked past them. One was a rather tall blond in a beautiful, shimmering pink dress. Tifa nearly burst out laughing, imaging Cloud's face...thinking back to that day she met up with him in Corneo's office and the amusing moment of shock. He really did look cute in that dress and Tifa had been slightly annoyed and jealous that Corneo picked Cloud over her. Until she grabbed hold of the reigns, realizing her luck and Cloud's misfortune. She understood it pricked at his masculinity and he'd only done it to save her. But it was god damned funny. Not just because he got all baloofy about it but because he'd made such a hideous drag queen. Sure, he'd looked cute...but in a kind of disturbing, old world grandma way.

The image of him in the loose fitting gingham dress floated in front of her and without wanting to, she turned to look at Aeris, who was apparently struggling with the same thought. One look. All it took was one look and both girls burst into hysterical laughter as they stumbled drunkenly down the street. All this before a single, actual drink hit their system. Tifa laughed so hard and deep that her throat hurt, the gales of laughter coming out in harsh, breathless gasps. Very soon she had to stop, holding her stomach and brushing away the tears. Aeris did the same, bracing her hands on her knees as she titled her head downwards, still laughing deeply. Yuffie, as always, was perplexed, being out of the loop as it were. She'd given up asking, preferring to wait until they were done before prodding them. Wanting very badly to get on with the drinking. The laughter soon tapered off into dry coughs as the girls resumed walking down Costa del Sol's main strip.

Still wiping away a stray laughter driven tear, she regarded Aeris contemplatively, "You know. I never knew you had such a wicked streak in you. What in the world possessed you to do that?"

"You mean, after we swore ourselves to silence and promised never to mention the 'incident' again?" Tifa nodded and Aeris smiled slowly, the same mischievous one she'd graced the group with earlier, "True evil comes in the most deceptive and innocent of packages."

"And here I thought you were all sweetness and light..."

Aeris narrowed her eyes and shook her fist, "Damn. You found me out! I shall have to kill you now."

"I'm ascared of you." Tifa drawled, wiggling her fingers and purposefully failing to look entirely serious.

"Damn straight. Screw Sephiroth! I'm the one you gotta worry about..." She replied with a grin.

"You realize, of course, this means open season on Cloud. He's never gonna live it down..." Tifa said, thinking for a moment before adding, "How did you get him to do it in the first place?"

"I'm very, very stubborn and persistent. It also helps that I don't take no for an answer..."

Yuffie, up to this point, had tolerated the fact that they'd kept secrets from her. Funny and interesting sounding secrets. It was annoying, but she'd let it drop. But they hadn't stopped talking about it and it needled her. Walking in front of them in a cloud of angry fumes, her hands clasped behind her head, she'd had enough.

"OOOOOOKAY! OLD LADIES! Quit talkin' 'bout stuff I don't know about! Where are we goin'?"

 

Tifa and Aeris shared a look, raising their eyebrows and making O's of surprise with their mouths. The brunette fighter grinned, holding up her hands and mouthing, Touchy. Aeris suppressed a giggle. Yuffie saw this and stuck her tongue out, asking about their destination in less than polite terms. Tifa pointed to a large red and gold neon sign that stood on a two-story nightclub, the sign spelling out in large blinking letters--The Temple of Doom. The arc lights in front of the thing moved back and forth, creating little pools of light that trailed across the open sky. The facade was decorated like some of the abandoned cetran temples in Mideel. Complete with 'cracked' bas-relief sculpture and menacing looking stone guardians, all for show, of course.

Yuffie gazed up at the sign, carefully reading it aloud before commenting, "The Temple of Doom? Freaky name for a night club...ominous kind of..."

Tifa nodded, "Yeah. But I heard it was a cool nightspot from some of the locals. Fifty-cent drink specials, special events and the best dance floor this side of the planet. That was enough to convince me...Plus, it's ladies night."

"Shit yeah. That's what I'm talkin' 'bout." Yuffie said, immediately less trepidacious about entering a club with a doom based gimmick name.

"Um...Question?" Aeris asked, holding up a finger as they walked.

All eyes were on her and suddenly she was more nervous. Speaking as the leader of a group was never her thing. She'd always preferred being the back up but...it this was a question that required an answer.

"How is Yuffie getting in? I mean, I know Costa Del Sol's drinking laws are more lax...but she's still under the age limit..."

"How DO you know this shit, Aeris?" Yuffie asked, her tact firmly in place.

"I read the helpful brochure from the nice brochure lady at the visitor's center."

Yuffie and Aeris got into an animated discussion of Costa del Sol's drinking laws and how they were to get her into any of the available clubs. They'd lucked out some, Costa del Sol did allow anyone eighteen years or older to drink. This still left the ponderous question of how to get Yuffie in, being two years under the limit. Yuffie solved the argument by proudly holding out the fake ID she and Tifa had made earlier that day. Aeris went immediately into mom mode, asking when in the world they had time to make it and how much trouble they could get into if caught. Turning back into that hated good girl that was at times endearing and endlessly annoying at others. Yuffie quickly dismissed her moral outrage with a hand gesture, a joke and a swift turn of subject. Tifa had to admire the little ninja; she was the first among them who'd been able to actually stop one of Aeris's tiresome lectures on ethics. In the grand scheme of things, one fake ID would not undo world order. Considering what they were fighting for, anyway.

While her friends chatted amiably about materia, Yuffie's favorite subject. Tifa turned her gaze and her thoughts to the gaily-colored night and the throng of people that surrounded her. Looking at their faces, she saw how oblivious they were to the world and the threat that had earlier that day, flown over it...to god knows where, for god knows what purpose. The world could end tomorrow, and not a one of them would notice. They'd never know how hard she'd struggled, how all of them had fought. Would they ever? Always, there was the outrage that no one but her and Avalanche seemed to care...but tonight, tonight she wanted to be like them. Oblivious. Because they seemed so alive, the city itself was alive with color and sound and light.

She'd noticed the resort town was a rather lively place as she'd wandered it that afternoon. It retained that same mix of playful tranquility but the night tinged it with sensuality. That vivaciousness transforming from the innocent play of the day to undisguised, unabashed displays of sexuality as the sun went down. Gone were the revealing swimsuits, replaced by equally revealing club clothes. Most of the people filling the strip were no doubt single and looking to either score or just have a damn good time. Loud music filled the air, along with the mingled laughter and shouts of a thousand people in various stages of drunkenness. The sky would have been a dark blue were it not for the multitudinous lights that burned the darkness away, turning it to a muted purple. Tifa lamented that she couldn't see the stars, and thought that maybe later, she'd have to steal down to the beach and see how far she could go before she'd see them. The night sky on the sea would be worth the trouble.

A breeze rippled off the ocean; it was a cool contrast to the warm, but not unpleasant, temperature that was so constant in this area of the world. She closed her eyes and shivered, enjoying the sensation. It passed over her bare skin and lifted her dark hair off her back. Tifa opened her eyes and smiled dreamily, as her gaze turned back to her friends. Aeris had decided to let Yuffie in on the Don Corneo joke, proving that she really was as evil as she proclaimed. Cloud would be horrified but it'd be worth it to see his face in the morning. Because Yuffie and secrets were things that didn't get along terribly well. Yuffie had a gift when it came to teasing and though she could be obnoxious sometimes, it was mostly do to her youth and not her sense of humor. Aeris turned back and engaged Tifa, dragging her into the conversation by forcing her to tell her side of the story. Tifa obliged her friend and soon all three were in stitches--walking down the street and laughing, their voices blending in with the rest of the crowd.

The ocean had given them a gift, whether they knew it or not. Tifa had been acutely aware of it, as her burden was in some ways, the largest. She felt contented and at peace, her spirit forgetting its normal restlessness. The need to press forward, the single-minded desire for revenge, disappearing, if only for a moment. Temporarily she forgot about her pain and her troubles in the company of her new found friends. She'd spent so much time around men the last five years, fighting all the time. Never resting. That she'd forgotten what it was like to be a girl, those more motherly, gentle urges taking a backseat for the sake of combat. Just like riding a bike, it all came back. She felt at that moment like any other girl her age, like any of the women who she shared the street with now. Having laughed harder and longer than she had in years. Fun had been such a foreign word. She hadn't really had a scrap of it since that night, when she lost everything that was important to her. The weight that she carried with her lifted and for a moment, she could pretend she didn't mourn the ashes of her hometown and the flame of vengeance that fueled her every step since that day. Unbeknownst to her, the same feeling of relief had flooded her friends.

Music thumped from the club's open doors as the neared it. A small line had already formed in front of it and was roped off in anticipation of more patrons. It was around eight o'clock already and Tifa had expected that they'd arrived early enough to avoid such lines. She guessed wrong, dismissing any annoyance over her error and merely accepting the fact that Costa del Sol was a party town. This thought was lost on Yuffie, who was downright outraged that she had to wait at all.

"Son of a..." she cursed, trailing off as they took their place in line.

It was a mostly pain free wait, if you didn't count Yuffie's grumpy grumbling. The door was reached in a matter of minutes and Tifa refused to let anything bother her. Even Yuffie. At the door the bald, mustachioed bouncer looked them over. He was the kind of person Tifa had tried to avoid as a bar hostess. The kind of guy she'd laid flat on his ass for inappropriate groping and rude suggestions. Oily, was the word she was looking for. This man was one big out of place bag of oil in an oil free universe. She didn't care if he didn't let them in. One touch and she'd make sure he'd be eating with his feet for the rest of his life. His gaze turned immediately to her and Aeris, favoring them with an extra lascivious grin. Toothy and quite oily, rounding out the man's general creepiness. His roaming eyes then wandered to Yuffie and his smile faded, as he looked her up and down appraisingly.

"Naked or what?"

Yuffie had endured the eye wandering but this bizarre question tested her limited patience.

"Excuse me?" She said, holding onto the last syllables of the word excuse to punctuate her aggravation with the man.

"I said....naked or what, baby?"

She was insulted. Not just by the suggestion that she wasn't naked enough but by the way he'd said baby. Pronouncing it Bay-bee....she hated that diminutive, particularly when said that way. Several colorful and not too polite phrases ran through her mind. But she held it back. Her clothes might not show off every bit of skin, but they were comfortable. Women's clothing tended to be restrictive and Yuffie preferred to be ready for action at all times. Like now. Cockily, she tipped her head to the side and with a nimble flick of her wrist, her fingers pressed into several pressure points, rendering the man immobile.

"Or.What." she said slowly, holding out her index finger, she poked the center of his forehead. "Bitch."

The man couldn't move, and could only look on in awe as the tiny girl pushed past him. The last move was meant as a release and he stumbled back as her strikes no longer affected him. He was still disoriented and Tifa took this opportunity to enter the club before he realized what trouble they all could be. Before he had a chance to track them all down and kick them out. She shoved the cover charge in his palm, grabbed Aeris by the wrist and hauled ass into the club. The young ninja had surprisingly waited for them at the door, instead of forging ahead alone. Tifa was relieved and they entered the nightclub together.

If the music was loud from the outside, it was positively deafening on the inside. Slowly, the three girls stepped inside to disappear into the dimly lit interior, becoming one with the gyrating crowd. Yuffie immediately tried to track down a waitress; her sole goal for that evening was to get crocked. With all the talk of Sephiroth, Jenova and all the general world saving weirdness, one night spent at the bottom of a bottle was a good thing. Tifa watched the ninja as she wound through the crowd, dimly aware that she probably shouldn't leave her alone but not really caring enough to track her down. Instead, she absorbed the club's atmosphere, taking in the dark ambiance of the midnight meat market. That's what she'd always called clubs like these. She watched horny couples grope, grind and practically have sex on the large, lighted dance floor. Her goal for the evening. Aeris was glued to her side, holding onto one arm with a vice like grip. She felt out of place and a bit lost, not really knowing what to do or even where she ought to look. Just as Tifa was going to suggest a move to the dance floor, Yuffie hopped up to them, drink in hand. Her mouth moved and Tifa knew she was talking but the music was too loud. After several confusing moments of muted quasi-conversation, Tifa tired of trying to glean what the ninja was saying and pulled her close.

"What the hell did you just say?" She shouted, being careful to enunciate each word precisely, her mouth near the girl's ear.

"I SAID--MAN! It's so loud in here!!"

Tifa pulled back to give her a look of annoyed disappointment--a 'that's it?' look that conveyed that she was less than pleased to have the obvious stated. No, shouted right into her ear.

Yuffie seemed unperturbed by Tifa's icy stare. She'd gotten used to being treated like a little sister by the brunette fighter. It was annoying at first, but now she didn't mind so much. She'd always wanted a big sister anyways.

"I'm gonna go look for the bar." Yuffie shouted, holding up her empty glass as a demonstration of her need, "I stole this drink from some drunk chick...cus everyone's dressed so oddly I can't tell the staff from the customers."

Tifa nodded, noting that it was indeed quite hard to tell staff from customer. Everyone was dressed in such scant attire, that they all kind of blended. She watched her go and again was left feeling it was a very bad idea to let a sixteen year old wander alone in a bar. So many years of being everyone's mom and she'd tired of it. Aeris had took up some of the slack but it was still a chore...and tonight was all about fun. That word she hoped to add back into her vocabulary someday. Besides, a few drinks wouldn't hurt the girl. Tifa had spent enough time in Wutai to know that most native kids grew up with a rattle in one hand and a sake bottle in the other.

She turned her attention to the dance floor. Looking back at Aeris, who looked eerily like a wild chocobo that'd been caught in headlights. Her large green eyes were as wide as saucers and danced about the room giddily. She shook her friend's shoulder, pulling her from her dazed amazement. Dance? She mouthed, pointing at the dance floor. At first, Aeris was confused but the meaning slowly sunk in and she smiled brightly, nodding her assent.

The held onto each other's hand as they snaked through the throng of people towards the waiting dance floor. She practically dragged Aeris behind her, holding onto her wrist so as not to loose her in the crowd. The minute the flower girl set foot on the dance floor her reticence disappeared and her face brightened with an excited smile. She'd never been on a floor that seemed to illuminate with every step. There was something inexplicably magical about it. Tifa shook her head and laughed. She was enjoying herself, she was happy and it bubbled outwards. That laugh translating into a broad smile as she started to dance.

The lights in the club moved in choreographed motion as the song changed. Tifa had heard it a million times coming from any given radio in Midgar. It was a remix, the regular drums replaced by the synchronized rhythm of a drum machine. She didn't care that she hated the song. That in general, she hated the flat, emotionless tone of the techno songs they played in all these clubs. All thought was washed away as she began to move. The music was a heartbeat and with every thump of the bass she felt more alive. She joined the crowd, becoming one more gyrating dark shape on the dance floor. Moving amongst shafts of smoky light, arms waving, hips shaking rhythmically with the music, heart surrendering to the melody.

Aeris gradually joined her and it made Tifa happy to see her friend roll back the barriers she so often put up. The flower girl spent too much time being mysterious, hiding who she was behind those sparkling, green eyes. Aeris spun, her flowing dress fanning out around her. She wasn't trained to dance, as Tifa had been--having been forced into ballet and gymnastics classes by her overbearing mother. But the Cetra was gifted with natural grace and that was enough to make her movement look flawlessly practiced. Both girls were garnered with more attention that either wanted. Occasionally, Tifa would have to swat off an overeager man who thought he could set his hands to roam where they didn't belong. Causing Aeris to joke that she should have hired Tifa for a bodyguard and not Cloud.

Time seemed to stop all together, her heart was pounding and she was out of breath. But despite this, she kept dancing; nothing else existed for her right now. She remembered the old ceremonial dances that had been performed on festival days in Nibelheim. They were sacred petitions to the gods, dancing around a bonfire, all your soul put into the movement. No one remembered who started them or why, all they knew was the tradition behind them. She'd been fortunate enough to participate in one before the town was destroyed. It was for the harvest festival and she was to perform in the Bon Odori--the sacred dance of the mountain god. Only girls thirteen years or older were allowed to perform. She was fourteen at the time. She had been so excited about learning the dance, proud to finally wear the special costume all Bon Odori performers got to wear.

In the shadows of her memory, she could see her younger self. Swan like arms shaping the air, slim body pivoting simultaneously with all the other dancers, silhouetted ghosts, twisting as the bonfire behind them burned. She remembered the feeling of that night, like she was really petitioning the gods and that somehow through the dance, she could speak with them and they could grant the wishes of her heart. On a dance floor that night, she made her petition anew. It was hardly the place or even the time, but did the gods really care where you prayed? She set her soul free, letting all her sorrow go for a fleeting moment. Praying that they'd all make it out of this alive. That things would be okay and the worry in her heart she'd carried since they'd left Midgar would resolve itself.

Her eyes flew open as she felt the unmistakable feel of a hand squeezing her ass. It jarred her from her moment of serenity and firmly placed her back into the real world. She froze and turned slowly, wanting to see the face of the squeezer before she tore his arm off and stuffed it in a very uncomfortable place. Red hair, blue eyes, rumpled navy suit. Those details combined into the image of her annoyance. One man who she'd run out of her own bar a thousand times but kept coming back for more. He must like pain...

"Reno." She said flatly, through gritted teeth.

Her eyes narrowed and he flipped her a sideways grin, his hand reaching out for her chest...fingers poised to grab. She caught his fingers in a vice grip, pulling them back farther than a human finger should go. He squealed in pain and she released him. Leaving him to recover on the floor, she pushed through the crowd to find Aeris. She wasn't far away and without a word, Tifa grabbed her wrist and dragged the flower girl off the dance floor. Aeris pulled back, halfway off, breaking Tifa's iron hold.

"HEY?! What's the big idea?" She shouted, over the music.

Tifa pointed to Reno, who'd managed to pick his ass off the dance floor and was still nursing his wounded fingers. "Turk on the dance floor. Must leave NOW!"

Aeris needed no further convincing and made her own beeline out of there. Her green eyes widened in alarm as she grabbed Tifa's wrist and moved towards the second floor. Reno hadn't seen them, that was a good thing. Tifa directed the flower girl to the second floor's balcony. Both stumbled outside, curiously observing the layout of the porch. The music was muted now and both could talk in blessedly normal tones. Aeris spared a worried glance at her friend, who seemed perturbed by something. An angry frown on her face, the muscles so tight that a narrow little line carved itself between her eyes.

"You okay?" a curt nod, "What did he want?"

Tifa was tempted to reply, my ass, but bit it back, "Don't know. Don't care."

"He grabbed your bum, didn't he?"

Tifa blinked, "How'd you know?"

"Because only one Turk I know could inspire such a mood. Plus, he left a big 'ol hand print on your hinder." Aeris said, helpfully pointing to the handprint in question.

Tifa stood up and turned to look at it, smoothing the spot with one hand. Coming into contact with an obvious wet spot. Wet AND sticky. She lifted her hand to smell it. Several thoughts crossed her mind, none of them made her happy. Tequila. Really cheap tequila. Tequila from a fricking jello shot! Now she'd have to go through the rest of the night with a sticky, red stain on her ass. Either that, or a large wet one that would make it look like she pissed herself.

"AW! BASTARD!! GOD!" she cursed, wiping off her hand on the nearest available napkin, "The next time I see that sonvabitch I'm gonna break his god damned fingers and feed them to him sideways! SON OF A WHORE!"

Aeris giggled, finding a comfortable spot on the balcony as Tifa continued her verbal rampage. It wasn't the smartest place to hide, Tifa reflected, in-between swearing to kill the red headed Turk. There weren't many people on the open-air balcony and they were exposed, easy to find. The plus side was they were near the fire escape and since there was only one entrance, they'd be able to see them coming. She wasn't overly worried about the Turks anyway. They were pussycats compared to the larger threat they faced.

"Hey. Look! Yuffie!" Aeris pointed the ninja out.

She had a small assembly of people gathered around her table, which was far to the left of the one Tifa and Aeris occupied. She was playing a Wutanese drinking game with an unsuspecting bar patron. They were playing for quite the pile of gil, which was placed in plain sight on the table. Tifa shook her head. The little ninja was playing the bastard for a fool and taking all his money in one fell swoop.

"Huh." Tifa replied, frowning a bit disinterestedly as she waved over a waitress.

She ordered a vodka tonic, picking out the best vodka they had in the house. Also requesting a cup of water to wash off her sticky ass. Having someone play grab ass with her had put her in a foul mood and she needed something to take the edge off. Or to get her drunk enough to find Reno and beat a lesson into his face he'd never forget. Aeris didn't drink alcohol and therefore ordered a virgin strawberry daiquiri.

They chatted while they waited. Well, it was really Aeris doing most of the talking as Tifa listened sullenly, rubbing at the sticky spot on her bottom. The drinks came and the fighter's mood brightened. Quickly, she grabbed for the water first, taking a napkin to the stain on her dress and rubbing it until she was satisfied it was gone. There was lingering annoyance, but it soon faded. She downed her drink, feeling much better as she was consumed by a pleasant buzz. It might have been the vodka, but she was feeling happier. Or perhaps it was just her friend's infectious cheer. Either way, her dark mood was dispelled as she listened to Aeris talked with great animation about whatever came to mind. The flower girl seemed awed and excited by everything. Having spent her entire life in Midgar, everything in the world was new for her. It was nice to see things with a fresh pair of eyes, instead of her own jaded ones.

Sipping demurely on her daiquiri, she told Tifa about her life, about being a Cetra...what little she did know. And those simple subjects blossomed into discussions of her worries that she'd carried since their encounter with Sephiroth on the boat over. She was afraid. She'd thought she was the last. She thought she was so sure...Sephiroth couldn't be a Cetra, she knew this for fact...but...a kernel of doubt had nestled itself in her brain and there was so much she didn't know about who and what she was. Pouring her heart out, and Tifa couldn't help but be touched by her earnest desire to know...to at least talk about it with someone. It was obvious she hadn't vocalized this thought to anyone else, at least, not in as much depth. She had mentioned that she'd tried to tell Cloud but he'd blown her off. So she could think of no one else to tell, until now. She'd held onto these thoughts in her heart for so long, she needed to release them. Aeris frowned as she paused in her narrative, worried that she was boring her friend.

"I"m sorry to bother you with all my problems..." She said sheepishly, dunking her straw in her drink idly, "I don't think this is a virgin daiquiri...tastes funny..."

"Lemme taste." Aeris slid the drink over and she sipped, "Yep. There be rum in that thar drink..."

"Oh hell...So all that stuff I said was just a rambling drunken confession..."

Tifa laughed, "S'okay."

"NO! NO IT'S NOT!...Am I drunk now?" She said, with an anxious pout.

"Probably not after just one daiquiri...and the mix seemed awful weak to me. Though you should have a nice buzz on..."

"Oh." Aeris stared into her drink and bobbed the straw in it a few more times, "Anyway. I'm sorry for boring you. I just started babbling like an idiot and everything kinda tumbled out..." She sighed heavily, still carrying a great weight in her heart that seemed she'd never shrug.

"Don't be." Tifa said, halting her awkward apology before it finished, "You needed to talk. We all do sometimes."

"Yeah...it did feel good to get it off my chest..."

"Good. I'm glad." Tifa said simply, smiling at the flower girl warmly before it faded as she turned inward, to her own shadowed worries.

Licking her lips, she wondered if she could trust the flower girl. There had been so many secrets she kept but one, over all the others, threatened to destroy all they'd built. There were some who'd disagree but Tifa believed--she knew--that it was Cloud that held them together. As taciturn as he could be sometimes, he was a natural leader. When he spoke, everyone listened because they knew, as she did, that he'd only offer his opinion when it really mattered. When it was something that was important, that had to be said. As long as she'd known him, she knew Cloud wasn't the kind of person to waste his words. They were always careful, considered. It was this attention to thought that made him the logical choice for the leader of this quest.

He gave the group focus, where before there was none. Kept them on track when the group would try to diverge or would fall into dissent, as contradicting opinions were flung back and forth. He'd take those opinions and give them form, organize them logically until they made sense. From there, he'd come up with a compromise and often the best decision. The most important thing he did was keeping Avalanche's goal clear, despite all the sidetracking they'd had to do. The main, most important goal was to stop Sephiroth and he made sure each and every one of them kept that same goal in mind. Without him, they'd be disorganized and the group would eventually self-destruct because of internal tension, which was always just on the surface.

She let out a long breath and gently rubbed her forehead, "Aeris, can you keep a secret?"

It was a stupid question, but she had to ask. She needed the assurance that she'd be able to trust the flower girl.

"Sure. What is it?"

"Something's been bothering me since we've started and I'm not sure where to begin..." She said, lowering her voice without realizing it as she dimly rubbed her index finger over the rim of her glass, "Remember when we were in Kalm and Cloud told everyone about what happened to Nibelheim?"

"Mmm-hmm." Aeris nodded, steepling her hands, her eyes glittering intently as she listened, "What about it?"

Tifa looked away, obviously wrestling with something very difficult. The look on her face was deadly serious as she gazed out at the ocean. She tilted her head to play with her earring nervously, she was acutely agitated as sorrow and anger combined in a powerful combination that in another circumstance might have exploded. Instead, it was slowed to a dull ache that beat the back of her mind, looking for a release. It was the moment Aeris had waited for, the one she'd knew would come. From the moment she'd met the fighter, she could feel the weight that she carried with her at all times. The hard and burning burden of her anger radiated from her, even when at rest. Tifa was the kind who'd hold such a burden in her heart, locking it away from those who could help her. Too stubborn and independent to shrug it off and let someone else carry it for a while. Aeris had hoped that if she opened up, it would cause Tifa to let go and allow her in...to let her help her. She was pleased to see her plan had worked but she was worried for her friend. Whatever her burden was, it was incredibly painful.

"There's a problem with his story..." Tifa said, in a quietly firm voice, her dark eyes moving away from the ocean and locking onto Aeris's. "There's a problem because he wasn't there."

This was serious. Aeris's eyes widened in disbelief, her hand going to her heart, "What...W-what do you mean by that?"

Tifa sighed heavily, crossing her arms and leaning on the table, "I mean. When Shinra came to Nibelheim five years ago, Cloud wasn't with them. He never came home."

"...Are you sure?" Aeris asked carefully, knowing the question was likely to offend but she needed to know.

"Yes. I'm very sure. That night...that night is burned into my memory and he wasn't there for any of it." Tifa trailed off, tears coming to her eyes. He never kept his promise....

"But...I don't understand. It doesn't make any sense. No one knew Nibelheim burned down, right? So, if he wasn't there...how did he know?"

"That's just it. I don't know...." Tifa answered, laughing bitterly as she became more upset, "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills because I KNOW he wasn't there. I know it. But the things he said...the things he knows only someone who was there on that night would know and it's crazy...because he shouldn't know it. And all I can think is HOW? How does he know these things he shouldn't...Shinra swept this under the rug, there's no way he could have gotten it from the papers...I doubt they even have any files on it anymore. So how does he know? He shouldn't know..." Tifa covered her face with her hands, running them through her hair to calm herself down.

"Oh, my god...Tifa, why haven't you said anything? If it's true..."

"It IS true...and what would you say if you were in my position? Your childhood friend comes back after five years. You get to talking and as you talk, you realize something's not right. But you don't say anything because you're just glad to see a familiar face. Time goes by, you start to notice things. Little ticks that weren't there, gaps in his memory....and sometimes he doesn't even act like the boy you knew so long ago. But you blow it off; tell yourself it's just the passage of time. He's a solider; he's seen things that could have changed him. And then, Sephiroth shows up...we go to Kalm. We talk. And he tells the story of Nibelheim like he was there. What do you say? Do you just jump up and shout 'you weren't there, you're lying?' I couldn't say it, Aeris. Could you? It's my word against his and I don't want to get into that argument. I have no proof...other than my memory. So what would you do, if you were in my shoes?"

"I don't know....God...but...we have to say something, Tifa."

"We can't....If we do, this whole thing ends now. You know it. I know it. Cloud is our leader...at the same time, there's something really wrong with him. And knowing that hardly inspires confidence...and if you haven't noticed, everyone doesn't exactly get along as it is." Tifa paused for a minute, gathering her thoughts, "It was just stupid of me to have brought it up at all..." She frowned and allowed herself to wallow in her own agony, holding her head in her hand.

Aeris watched her friend, analyzing all that she said. It was true; there was something wrong with Cloud. She'd never been able to pin point it but there did seem to be something amiss...slightly off about his behavior. And she hadn't known him as long as Tifa had. Despite all of that, he did make a good leader and she knew that everyone would be lost without him. At the same time, something as big as this shouldn't be kept from everyone. They had a right to know. Tifa was right on one point, however. They had no proof and Aeris wasn't willing to go and point a finger until they knew more.

Aeris smiled and reached out, setting her hand over Tifa's, "No, you weren't stupid. You're right. We can't say anything...at least not until we know more, okay?" The fighter looked up, almost relieved, "Sooner or later, we WILL have to tell everyone...but for now, it's just between you and me."

"Thank you." Tifa replied, smiling back at her softly before squeezing her hand.

"You're welcome..."

Aeris was about to say something but was interrupted by the waitress, who handed them both brand new drinks. Tifa stared at her vodka and then at the waitress, digging back in her pocket for money. She didn't remember asking for another drink but...

The waitress saw her and held up her hand, "You're already paid for, ma'am."

"Wha?"

"That gentleman over there took care of the bill..."

The waitress pointed out a man sitting over at Yuffie's table. A sizeable crowd had gathered around the young ninja. She'd appropriated another victim, who sat in front of her downing drinks like a mad man. It was Reno, but that wasn't what bothered her. The one who'd bought their drinks, the one the waitress had identified as their mysterious benefactor was none other than Rude. Who sat next to his friend watching the contest with extreme disinterest. The bald man turned, probably to check and see if the drinks had been delivered. Tifa favored him with an angry scowl and turned her back on him. She nearly choked in surprise as Aeris stood up, smiling and waving him over.

"What are you doing?" Tifa hissed.

"Well, we should thank him, shouldn't we?"

"NO!" dark eyes widened as Aeris reached for her drink and sipped, "Don't drink that!!"

"Why?"

"Because he probably spiked i--"

"Don't be paranoid!"

"I'm NOT! He's a Turk...he's..." and she trailed off as the man in question walked over and joined them. "Dammit."

 

 

Author's note--OF D-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-M!

 

Um...well this was ONLY supposed to be TWO chapters. But guess what? I got diarrhea of the word processor and it's probably gonna be three now. This chapter isn't as funny as the last. That's why I put it as humor/drama. So don't hit me because it isn't that funny...alright. The next chapter is gonna be fun. Strange. This story started out as a small thing. I was only thinking it'd be a one chapter thing. But it just grew and grew, because I had some things to say. Some things I wanted to explore. *sighs* I create more problems for myself than I need to. Anyways. I'm hoping people are enjoying this and having fun...as much fun as I've had writing this.

 

Thanks for reading!

Ciao,

Noa