Wanderlust
Disclaimer:
Don’t own anything but the plot, and even that’s not much.
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- change in scene
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- emphasized
Chapter 1: Not That Bad
“C’mon, he isn’t *that* bad.” Tifa Lockheart said to her best friend, Yuffie Kisargi, who made a show of scrunching up her face in disgust. It was obvious what her opinion on this matter was.
“You’re right, he’s worse. I feel sorry for you Tifa, seriously I do.” Yuffie replied evenly, continuing to walk around the dirt road, an occasional tumble weed rolling lazily by in the wind. It was a bright day; the sun’s scorching rays blocked only by simple blue bonnets, their hoop skirts becoming heavier, from the clinging dust. Tifa sighed lightly, brushing a long silky strand of chocolate hair behind her ear. She ignored the envious stares women were giving her, the whispers of the townsfolk nothing new to her ears, and had been droned out a long time ago. Tifa and Yuffie were known to be somewhat of rebels; not following the strict obedient lines set for them, and had always been one of the subjects at gossip time. It had only worsened when it was announced that Tifa was to wed the richest man in town. Though Tifa would have gladly traded spots with anyone, she supposed she should be optimistic about the situation. At least try, since things could have been a lot worse. Tifa turned her wine colored eyes to her companion. “He’s not that bad.” Tifa said, sounding as if she was trying to convince herself as well as the young ‘lady’ next to her. They were on their way to meet with Cloud Strife, a wealthy land owner and rancher, and Tifa’s current fiancée. Like she said to Yuffie, he wasn’t that bad, but she didn’t love him. He seemed, too distant… too out in his dreams to even notice her properly. It’s not like he was abusive like some other men in town, no, he was sweet and kind, but too far out of Tifa’s reach. Like his name implied, he was with the clouds. “I suppose.” Yuffie replied in a bored tone, already tired of talking about the enormously wealthy Mr. Strife. Thankfully, Yuffie and Tifa had been raised differently than most of the women in town, who were set on catching the rich handsome blonde, the fact to them that his money made up for his lack of personality. However, when Yuffie was raised by Lord Gordo, it was rumored that he wanted a son instead of the daughter he received. So as a result, he raised Yuffie against the traditional ways; letting her become opinionated, loud, spunky, and undesirable to the men who wanted a demure obedient wife. Not that Yuffie minded however, she just thought all men were airheads who only thought about money and beautiful women. Tifa’s mother on the other hand, wanted more for her daughter than an obedient little doll. She raised her on the ideals and dreams of women before her, often telling stories of courageous women who could do just as much as any man. So, Tifa had grown up gentle but fiery when needed to be, and educated with morals. Men usually flocked to her quiet home to court her, though not for the sake of her personality. Usually it was her ‘assets’ as Yuffie so gently put it. Tifa was getting exhausted after all of it; the dripping with honey lies, empty flattery, and getting no where but the bedroom. She didn’t want to be where her mother was, trapped in a marriage without love or gentleness, so she was silently against the whole marriage prospect with Cloud. Yet, her father had insisted it was best for her, or him in his pocket aspect, and that Cloud was a fine young man, grown from the little boy that Tifa and Yuffie had often been exposed to. No pleading from her mother would help her in this situation. It would take a miracle to get her out of this mess. “Thanks for coming with me, Yuffie, but you really don’t have to stay.” Tifa said gently, while Yuffie looked up at her, raising an eyebrow. “And go back home to Gordo so soon? No thanks. I’ll stay for a while.” Yuffie stated a matter of factly. Tifa smiled gratefully, turning her gaze back in front of her. “Oh, we’re here.” Tifa murmured in disinterestedly. Yuffie shook her head sadly, tilting her wide brown eyes to scan the almost endless grassy plains. Cattle grazed lazily; and farm hands busily worked like ants, tending to cattle and occasionally going into the stables. The stench of the animals instantly assaulted the pairs’ nostrils, and Tifa delicately put a handkerchief over face, covering the grimace of disgust and the smell. She would have to get used to this if she was going to marry a cattle rancher. Yuffie gave Tifa a sideways glance that clearly told the brunette what she thought of this whole prospect. Tifa sighed, stepping into the fenced threshold. The smell was coming in two fold now, so even Yuffie covered her nose in the ‘girly napkin’. “Ah! Miss Lockheart!” One of the stable men greeted. “Mr. Strife is expecting you. Please come this way.” Wiping the sweat from his brow, he led them into the house, which was only to the side and not very far. But Tifa liked the polite gesture. It was good to know at least some men still had some chivalry about them. Their boots thudded loudly along the wooden planks. The kitchen tucked gently in back with the living room welcomed both visitors. And the stable hand smiled slightly. “Excuse me while I get the master.” Giving a respectful bow, he turned and trotted off, boots thudding and spurs spinning. Yuffie let out a sigh as she sat down on the couch. Looking around, she nodded occasionally, observing that the house, no matter how plain it was, held the air of riches. It was much grander than Tifa’s small house, though somehow it didn’t capture her interest. Money wasn’t an issue to her, only a necessity to life. Soon enough, when the sound of boots on polished wood was heard, Tifa turned her attention to her future husband. He was extremely handsome, spiky blonde hair jutting up in impossible directions, a lean muscular body and distant glowing blue eyes. But despite his distant expression, he was someone women instantly threw themselves at. He was the man women wanted, and men envied. But then again, not everyone was perfect, since Cloud was easily confused with matters of the heart. And because he was often daydreaming, Tifa guessed he had no objections to marrying her. “Cloud.” Tifa said softly, giving a slight nod of her head while he gave her a small smile. “Tifa, you look as radiant as ever.” The blonde man replied rather dreamily, looking at her, and somehow through her. Yuffie, who was gagging silently, rolled her eyes in annoyance and boredom. And thus began the usual polite, long, and tiresome visits Tifa had often paid Cloud ever since they were engaged, all the while wishing to be anywhere but where she was. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Darkness was his cover. His eyes roved deftly over the scene: the small village bright and cheerful, dancing tumble weeds across the grassy plains, and dirt skidding across the road. He turned to the rest of his companions. They nodded their heads, blood red bandanas over their mouths. Red as the blood which they would undoubtedly spill tonight.No, it wouldn’t be a grudge; it was the way they were forced to live, what they had to do to survive. A man needed more than whisky and jerky to survive. They couldn’t settle down in a place like this. The need to be free and roam always was tugging in the back of his mind; a dark and deep reminder he had no home and a mocking tinge of how he had begun his journey. He pushed that thought out of his mind as he turned back to his bandit crew, seeing grins and grim determination. “We only aim for the rich cattle rancher.” He breathed to his men, who nodded, knowing the code they had to follow if they didn’t want to face their leader’s wrath. He was a natural born leader, ruthless and cold, using his strength to strike fear into the hearts of many. A bandit couldn’t be one of the most wanted outlaws in the West without stealing a priceless thing or two and getting away with it. “What about the bank or the saloon?” Another asked, and he shrugged. Turning to the town again, his eyes narrowed as he targeted the bank and saloon, hearing more piano music and laughter ringing from the saloon even though it was very late at night. He gave a slight sigh, the wind rustling along with him. The distant calls of cattle were heard as the moon held her breath delicately, peering down, and knowing something was amiss. Just as everything had dropped their guards, spurs dug into the sides of a black chocobo, which proceeded forward obediently, galloping silently and quickly with the rest of the bandits following suit. As soon as the town was within a boot’s reach, the most energetic of the group let out a traditional holler, since it was ‘rude’ to come unannounced into a town. A slight smirk graced his lips as he continued to lead his gang to the obvious estate of the cattle rancher. Five chocobos had been lost in the last raid, so they needed more transport, and where else to get money and horses at the same time than a rich cattle ranch? “Marauders!” One man cried out, his head poking out of the double doors of the saloon, and instantly the music stopped, just as some of the men began dismounting, entering the saloon while women’s cries and a bar brawl breaking out was heard. The leader looked straight ahead, not even batting an eyelash at the sounds of gunfire and glasses breaking, continuing to ride forward as the cattle ranch became closer and closer. He motioned for some of his men to sneak into the stables. Veering toward the house himself, his horse jumping gracefully over the fence, and he dismounted, striding evenly into the house with the last of his men. “What’s all the commotion?” The door swung open to reveal an angry looking blonde man, who resembled a chocobo quite a lot. His eyes widened as his they rested on the intimidating form in front of him. Instantly Cloud took a step back, reached behind him for a gun, until one was suddenly pressed right against his temple. “Give us your money, now.” He hissed dangerously. The man gulped, loosening his collar in a nervous gesture. He was up a creek without a paddle, if he didn’t have any weapon on him at all. “Cloud?” Came a voice from inside. Startled, both men turned to the doorway, only to see a woman who made one of the most fearless outlaws do a double take. He had seen his fair share of gorgeous women, had a few throw themselves at him, though this one was obviously different. She carried herself with class and knowing, her wine colored irises flickering up to his, effectively shaking him for a moment with their depth. Then she blinked, seeing his gun to her husband’s head, and immediately stepped forward. “Tifa, stay back.” The man identified as Cloud warned, though the raven haired beauty looked at him in disbelief, then turned to the man behind the gun. She rolled up her sleeves, her eyes burning with determination. Her delicate jaw set in a grim line as she strode forward. Tifa’s skirts swished slightly, hugging her obvious curves, bringing out the ivory tone of her skin, and the fullness and redness of her lips. Delicate eyelashes shaded the woman’s eyes as her elegantly shaped eyebrows raised. “I’m not helpless.” She answered in a matter of fact voice, while the man behind the outlaw stirred, not liking the situation at all. He heard the whoops and hollers of his comrades, and wanted to be out of here. Not to mention he didn’t want to hurt the attractive woman in front of him. “Give us the money.” The intimidating voice snarled again. While Cloud gulped, he reached into his pocket and handing out his money pouch like a peace offering. The leader instantly took the gil, when a small yell startled him into turning around. Tifa, as he supposed she was called, charged forward. Her fist raised, she aimed for his head, but missed. Giving a graceful twirl, he ducked under her awkward arm, though he was surprised to see it come down. He twisted again, only to have his partner catch her elbow, giving a blow to the neck that made her slump forward. Catching her, he looked at his leader, raising an eyebrow in interest. His leader wasn’t usually off guard, but maybe the sounds of his victorious comrades had distracted him and made him edgy. “Give her back!” The harsh order came, making both men turn to face Cloud. He had a gun raised, aiming it straight for the two of them, both in an awkward position. With a motion to the man next to him, another gun was lifted, pressed threateningly to Tifa’s temple. She gave a slight groan, while Cloud’s eyes widened. “Put the gun down, or don’t. Either way she dies.” The man replied calmly. Even though there was a gun pointed straight at his head, he was always cool and aloft, knowing how to get out of these situations. Horrified, the gun slumped out of Cloud’s hands as he watched his beloved Tifa, get kidnapped by one of the most wanted outlaws in the West.
Chapter 2: Behavior of Men
Darkness swirled around her, parting
after a moment to reveal a room. Tifa blinked, eyes instantly widening as she
jolted up, looking around the room in confusion, her eyes surveying her
surroundings. The room was barely furnished, a little rough around the edges,
but all right she supposed. She like the simplistic look of this room compared
to Cloud’s overly fancy suite, which she always felt so self-conscious there,
like she might break something. But here… it was almost like home. She blinked,
eyes narrowing as her brow furrowed as she slipped gracefully out of bed. How
did she get here? The last thing she remembered was a gun, gil,
and cobalt blue eyes that put even Cloud’s to shame. She sighed softly,
berating herself for even thinking things like that about an *outlaw* for
heaven’s sake. She made a slight face as she peeked around outside curiously,
seeing the happy bustle of a maid or two, and she blinked again in confusion.
What was going on?
“Awake are ya? Well, good! Sir would
like to see ya!” Tifa turned around, her fists raised automatically, only to
see a smiling figure dressed in a maid’s attire. She had her chestnut hair woven
into a braid to her waist, her green eyes twinkling, giving her an innocent
look, though Tifa just remembered how Yuffie had looked the same, though had
been the complete opposite. Looks could be deceiving, her wise old mentor
Zagan, had informed her, and Tifa believed that.
“Sir…?” Tifa asked somewhat
cautiously, and the girl giggled again, a basket filled with flowers tucked on
her arm, gesturing for Tifa to follow her. Tifa sighed softly, following her
since she didn’t want to be cooped up in that room for who knows how long.
“Yessir. He
runs this sleepy little village, and he’s the one who brought you back here,
along with Rude, y’know.” The girl said conversationally, while Tifa blinked,
continuing to try and figure out her situation. Rude? Sir? Sleepy village? Where was she, and how far away from the life she had always known was
she? It was kinda ironic, how she had ended up here of all places, after
wishing she was gone. Be careful what you wish for, her mother had always
warned, and Tifa groaned to herself.
“Oh, I’m Tifa Lockheart by the way.”
Tifa said somewhat awkwardly, not sure how to talk to this bubbly girl, since
mostly the girls she talked to was Yuffie, who carried most of the conversation
on by herself. The girl looked back at her with her green eyes sparkling.
“Aeris Gainsborough,
and it’s a pleasure to meet ya. Sir doesn’t often bring young ladies back
anymore.” Aeris said offhandedly, while Tifa rubbed her temples, figuring she’d
give this ‘Sir’ a piece of her mind. She was embarrassed that she had quickly
dove into a situation she didn’t understand, not to mention the fact that she
had tried to fight in the outfit that she had. Corsets and fists just didn’t
mix, and she should have known that.
“You too.”
Tifa replied politely, still looking around, occasionally seeing a giggling
maid or two pass by, and it seemed the place she was in was an inn, for there
were many more rooms in which they passed by on their was to ‘Sir’s’ office.
“Where are we?” She asked somewhat in a daze, not finding anything about this
place familiar, but then again, she had never known an Aeris in her life. The
girl in question just smiled, shrugging her shoulders.
“Way out West.
This here’s a dusty little town no one’s heard of. Pigeon Creek I think is what
they called it, but we’re thinkin’ of renamin’ it in honor of Sir.” Aeris said
in a somewhat dreamy voice, eyes fluttering at the thought of ‘Sir’, while Tifa
blinked again. The cobalt blue eyes instantly were in her mind again, making
her feel… all… fluttery in side, something Cloud had only accomplished the
first time they had met.
“Who is this ‘Sir’ anyway?” Tifa
demanded, though blinked and colored a bit in shame when she noticed how
angered her tone sounded. Aeris wasn’t the one she should be angry with, not at
all. It wasn’t *her* fault that Tifa was stuck here in Pigeon Creek or whatever
the town was. Aeris blinked a bit, smiling gently as she stopped in front of a
spiraling staircase that led into a noisy crowd, where women where doing
something similar to the Can-Can while a bartender mixed up a round of drinks
for the roaring crowd. Tifa instantly stiffened at the show of such… unfit
conduct, while Aeris looked at her knowingly.
“Sir is the one saved this here
village. Well, kind of, and,” She noted, seeing Tifa’s sudden change in
behavior, “don’ worry. The men are usually well behaved if ya know how tell’em
you ain’t interested.” Aeris said in a tone that Tifa assumed was supposed to
be comforting, but instead sounded like a warning. Without a second thought,
Aeris was swirling through the crowd, like it didn’t bother her in the least,
flowers still tucked at her arm as she dodged the rowdy men, dancing women, and
flying liquor. Tifa blinked, looking around, Aeris having disappeared in the
crowd. She blinked, dodging the men who were hooting and hollering at the
flirtatious women, making a face as she tried to ignore the roaring noise, but
not succeeding.
“Well lookee here! Ain’t she a purty
little lady!” Tifa blinked, instantly paling and
recognizing the tone of voice that man used. In this confusing place of chaos,
she could count on the men still being men. She looked over her shoulder, only
to find a grinning redhead, who looked like he had a little too much to drink,
his aquamarine glazed over.
“Excuse me sir, not interested.” Tifa
said, turning to leave, only to have him catch her arm. She looked back at him
in disgust, to still see him grinning playfully, having the nerve to wink at
her suggestively.
“C’mon, it’ll be fun.” Tifa was about
to retort with her fist or tongue, when someone hit him on the side of the
head, making him let go of her and grab the lump on his head that was forming,
cursing fluently.
“
“Nice get up ‘Leny. What are ya’ll
‘sposed to be?” Reno laughed, while ‘Leny’ just glared at him, shaking her fist
as she scowled at him, kicking his shin, making him yelp, glaring back at her.
Tifa blinked, backing up a bit, only to meet solid wall. She looked over her
shoulder startled, only to see the same muscled man who had been the one
holding a gun to her head and knocking her out. Her eyes narrowed, though he
wasn’t watching her at all, his rugged cowboy hat pulled over his eyes, so she
couldn’t tell. He was sitting next to the redhead, and it was a wonder Tifa
hadn’t seen him before.
“You…” she said in an accusing voice,
while the man turned his gaze back to her, the hat still pulled over his eyes.
The two in back of her stopped their bickering,
“Ah, Rude, ya’ll finally got yourself
la-“ a nicely timed elbow from the blonde instantly
had him cowering over, and she glared down at him again.
“Pig,” she spat down at him, “Rude
ain’t like you.” Tifa blinked looking back up at the man, who shrugged, in what
she supposed was supposed to be apologetic, and she smiled slightly, nodding
her head. The blonde sighed, turning back to Tifa with a roll of her eyes.
“Forgive the idiot over here, he likes flirtin’ with anything female on two
legs. I’m Elena Harris by the way.” Elena said with a smile, while Tifa nodded
her head, tilting her head to the side.
“Tifa Lockheart,
pleased to meet you.” She said politely one again, while Elena pointed an
accusing finger at
“That’s
“There ya are!” Tifa blinked, looking
back, only to see Aeris, who was smiling in relief. “Thought I had done lost
ya! Thanks Elena, Rude, for watchin’ this here lady.” Aeris said with a smile,
turning and gesturing Tifa to follow, while Rude just nodded, and Elena was
already back at scolding Reno.
“Stop flirtin’ with girls for once!”
Was the last thing she heard out of the amusing trio as Aeris led her to the back.
“They’re a nice bunch, a little noisy,
but nice.” Aeris stated almost thoughtfully, while Tifa nodded, feeling a
headache coming on, glad she was out of that noisy, God forsaken place. Tifa
nodded her head agreeably, looking around the now carpeted hall, which looked
quite grand though somehow, quite empty. As if all the gold and glitter of this
place was a mask to hide something sorrowful. Tifa blinked, letting her eyes
rest on a beautiful portrait hanging silently one the wall. The woman in it was
wearing the best dress money could buy, the blue fabric bringing out the shine
in her eyes, her red lips curved slightly as her sun dyed hair spun itself to
her shoulders. She was beautiful, though her eyes held something that the
artist had managed to capture. She was like a dove, trapped in a place she
didn’t want to be in, like her mother, and now like Tifa herself.
“Who is she?” Tifa asked, still
staring at the woman in a somewhat awed way, and Aeris blinked, peeking over
her shoulder. Then she broke out into a wide grin.
“Oh, that’s Sir’s mother, Isabelle.
She was very pretty and kind.” Aeris said, nodding with her head as if she
agreed with herself, while Tifa looked back at her, an elegant eyebrow raised.
“Was?” She asked, while Aeris sighed
slightly.
“She died when Sir was very young.”
Aeris said, her lips closed after that, while Tifa nodded, turning to follow
again, knowing the feeling. Her mother had recently passed as well, and the
wound was still fresh. Thinking about mother made her feel stronger, yet a bit
mournful. Mother had always wanted the best for her daughter. “Well, here we
are!” Aeris chirped cheerfully, standing like she was presenting the site, in
front of a plain wooden door. She opened the door, smiles all gone as she
stepped in, bowing somewhat. Tifa peeked her head in,
eyes instantly widening. He was sinfully handsome, blonde hair falling
seductively into his stunning cobalt eyes, his appearance clean shaven for a
bandit. He merely raised an elegantly shaped eyebrow when Tifa looked in. A
large black cat, probably half the size of a chocobo, purred next to him, yellow
cat eyes looking up at Tifa in interest. At his side were two formable looking
opponents, both dark haired pale men whose hair fell to their shoulders. The
one on the right had his pulled back, with a small mark on his head, a gun
slung on his side casually, as if it was natural, his
almond eyes peering at her in disinterest. The one on the left had his hair
falling sloppily into his face, torn remains of a red bandana holding it back,
his red eyes peering at her with a raised eyebrow.
“You are?” The one whom she assumed
was ‘Sir’, and the one whom had captured her asked somewhat arrogantly,
flipping his hair out of his sapphire eyes. She blinked, feeling her throat
constrict in fear or nervousness, she wasn’t sure, though she straightened her
back like a lady and eyed him somewhat defiantly.
“Tifa Lockheart and
you?” She asked, hating to sound so snotty and stuck up like some of the
ladies she knew, though the arrogant attitude he was showing her was getting on
her nerves. Didn’t he know how to treat ladies with respect? The man gave a
slight chuckle, looking at her in amusement now, for what reason she couldn’t
say.
“Rufus Shinra.” Was the crisp reply,
and her eyes instantly widened, feeling her heart stop it’s beating for a
moment. Rufus Shinra, the most wanted, vicious, merciless outlaw in the West.
And she just happened to be kidnapped by him. Great.
Chapter 3: *Sir*
Tifa gritted her teeth, continuing to
curse every single thing or person who had to do with the creation of Rufus
Shinra with venom. What did he have against her? First off, he seemed to be a
total jerk, not to mention the fact he had no respect for people, let alone
*women*, and he had seemed amused when she had been defiant toward him. Did
anyone else see anything wrong with this? The most wanted criminal was
currently mocking her, and she was thinking of ways to turn him into a bloody
pulp, though not like that would happen. She shivered when she remembered the
ice cold glares that both men, presuming they were body guards, had given to
her, washing her over with ice. She’d had to get past them, and a lifetime in
jail for murder wasn’t what she wanted. Though maybe she’d get rewarded for
strangling the most wanted outlaw in the West? Oh well, she didn’t want to get
her hands dirty over things like that. She would just bear this Rufus Shinra
until he decided to let her go back to Cloud. Tifa stopped her vigorous
scrubbing of dishes, her chocolate strands falling to veil her face, though
being restrained a bit with a leather hair tie she had made herself, her throat
constricting again. Would she return to Cloud? Even if he was completely more
pleasant than Rufus, he wasn’t as… interesting. Yes, that was the word. Interesting. She blinked, startled out of her reverie
looking up as she heard her name being called again.
“Tifa! Oh,
there ya are!” Aeris said breathlessly, pulling her heavily skirted self in
front of Tifa who looked at her with an eyebrow raised.
The look on Aeris’s face was that of obvious distress, and Tifa felt herself
start to nibble her lower lip, a nervous habit she had inherited from her
father. Or so her mother claimed.
“Yes, are you all right? You sound a
bit frantic.” Tifa said, continuing to wash the pristine dishes all over again,
not noticing how Aeris sighed, sighing herself.
“We’re a little short staffed at the
bar front. Would you mind terribly if ya covered a bit?” Aeris almost begged,
looking a bit frantic, her green eyes wide, her breathing labored as she
continued to almost stifle sobs. Tifa muffled a groan, biting her lip more
vigorously now. She had never touched a bottle of liquor in her life, since it
wasn’t required, and she knew next to nothing about drinking, let alone bar
tending.
“Aeris I don’t-“ Tifa was cut short
while Aeris instantly burst up, nearly shedding tears of joy it seemed, while
Tifa blinked, instantly feeling things were going down the drain, like the
soapy water was.
“Thank ya so much!” Aeris cried, while
Tifa blinked, instantly backing off, while Aeris instantly grabbed Tifa’s arm,
babbling her thanks and some other things like that.
“Aeris! I
don’t know anything about this kind of stuff!” Tifa complained, while Aeris
stopped short, on the verge of opening the door into the room where the bar, Heaven
Saloon, was, the rowdy costumers already heard. Aeris tilting her head to the
side, frowning slightly, obviously in deep thought, then brightened.
“It’s okay,
I’ma sure Rude or
“Hey there little
lady.”
“Why am I doing this?” Tifa demanded,
forgetting lady like behavior with
“Because ya too nice?”
“You know perfectly well what I mean,
*sir*.” Tifa snapped, drawing out the word while
“Well little lady,
because I’da drink all the contents in the purty little bottles ‘hind ya till
Ah was six feet under.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Rufus Shinra stood
tall and proud, looking out to the balcony around the small dusty town. His town, his hometown. The town his old man had given to
him in the sad state it was in now, and he would revive it. He trusted his men,
knowing they wouldn’t turn on him like they had his old man, because he didn’t
buy them with the town’s resources. He struck fear into them, a useful little
tool that helped him keep his town in check, the officials not worrying him a
bit. He didn’t need to fear anything really, hadn’t feared much since the days
his old man had finally kicked the bucket. He had won the town’s people’s
respect from simply being who he was, cold and aloft, unreachable cold ice that
was only there physically, none of his thoughts ever reflected in his harsh
eyes.
“Sir?” He
turned his gaze back to Tseng, his almond eyes cold and emotionless, something
he was used to from the stony man. The panther next to him purred slightly in
contentment as she rubbed her head against her master’s had. It was a weird
story, on how he had gotten his beloved Dark Nation. It was supposed to be a
routine train robbery, but instead of nuggets of gold, it housed exotic
animals, one of them being the ferocious Dark Nation, a rare black panther
imported from some foreign land. The large creature had tickled his fancy, so
he had taken the creature in. He turned his gaze back out the window, face
expressionless as he closed his eyes.
“What is it Tseng?” He asked his loyal
follower, one of his old man’s servants during his short life time.
“I have the information you
requested.” Tseng said matter of factly, though with respect as he strode and
slid the papers over to his polished wooden desk to Rufus, who picked up the
papers, scanning them quickly. He did not know what had possessed him to get
the dirt on Ms. Lockheart, but his curiosity in him had sparked as soon as the
fire in her eyes blazed as she glared at him defiantly. It would be fun to
break her spirit, not to mention a challenge that Rufus hadn’t had in a long
time.
Tifa
Lockheart
Hometown:
Nibelhiem
Age:
20
Status:
Engaged to Mr. Cloud J. Strife
Family:
Father – Matthew Lockheart, Mother – Tiffany Lockheart (deceased),
He continued reading with interest,
blue eyes flickering over the page quickly, until they stopped, and he raised
an eyebrow in interest, scanning the paper to make sure he wasn’t mistaken. He
then lifted his gaze from the pale surface of the paper to Tseng, who was
almost as pale as the former. He set the papers down, not even bothering to
read the rest.
“She knows martial arts?” Rufus asked
in amusement, his interest in her rising a bit, while Tseng shrugged.
“I’m not sure sir, but you did say she
tried to attack you.” Tseng said in monotone, distain over the way he thought
about the whole matter evident in his voice. He didn’t like to think his
fearless, emotionless leader might be befuddled by a mere woman, not to mention
the fact that she was engaged. However, he supposed nothing like that could
stop Rufus Shinra after all. Rufus nodded his head slightly, stroking his chin
with a somewhat thoughtful look on his face.
“Tseng,” he started slowly, turning
his icy gaze back to his follower, “I think I might need a hard drink.”
Chapter 4: Hard Drinks
Tifa sighed again, blowing back her
bangs in irritation and exhaustion. She had known next to nothing about liquor,
but after the first two hours, she had picked up some of the tricks that
“Need anyway help?” Tifa turned her
gaze to see Elena, who was grinning, sweat dribbling down her brow. Elena was
one of the waitresses in this chaotic bar, and she was surprisingly friendly,
if you got off the subject of
“No, it’s all right Elena. Thanks
anyway.” Tifa grinned, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as the blonde
nodded, smiling sheepishly as she turned and walked back into the crowd, a tray
in her hands. The party had only begun, with women up on stage, encouraging the
uproar with their dancing, the man on the piano playing like on possessed, and
a cigarette hanging off his lips as he occasionally smirked. Tifa had grown
used to the chaotic crowds, already feeling more at home than she had in a long
time. It was like a giant party, and the festivity made even Tifa smile.
“Bar tender, I’ll have a hard drink.”
Tifa blinked, nodding her head as she quickly mixed up a drink Rude had told
her was ‘hard’, flipping some stray strands back away from her face. She turned
back, sliding it across the bar front, looking up, and her wine colored eyes
widened. Rufus Shinra sat across from her, smirking arrogantly.
“You…” She stuttered, lips pulling
into a grim line, her teeth already gritted. She had almost forgotten about
their unpleasant visit, to put it lightly, and it had come back all too quickly
for Tifa’s liking.
“Nice to see you
too, Ms. Lockheart. Already making yourself at
home?” He said with a smirk, flipping back his blonde strands back into his
face. Tifa bit her lip, not knowing what to say. She didn’t want to get off on
the wrong foot with one of the West’s most wanted outlaw, not to mention this
whole place was crawling with his bandits, so she’d grit her teeth and try and
be polite.
“I guess. Rough
night?” She asked conversationally, looking around to see if anyone
needed a refill or anything. Anything to give her an excuse
to leave this man in the dust. The mere thought of conversation between
them made her head hurt, though he looked more pleasant then the other gents at
the bar, who had been eyeing her the whole night, making her very, very
uncomfortable. He raised an elegant eyebrow as the drink paused at his full
lips, and Tifa continued to nibble nervously on her bottom lip. She wished he
would say something to break the uncomfortable silence, the roar of the crowd
long since drowned out.
“I guess you could say that.” Rufus
said, letting the drink go to his lips, which had once again, pulled into an
arrogant smirk, while Tifa blinked, biting her lip with more fervor. Why did
she have to notice his lips of all things? He was a bandit for heaven’s sake,
and she was already engaged, but her eyes kept being drawn back to his face,
those eyes that made her shiver from something. She mentally scolded herself,
eyes narrowing.
“Kidnapping innocent woman would be
rough on me too.” Tifa said in an angry voice, though she stiffened, noticing
the two dark men’s gazes turning to her, narrowing considerably. She bit her
lip again, turning her gaze away from them, trying hard not to notice the way
their hands had instinctively gone to their guns. It was an
all too clear reminder that she could be killed without any mercy, since after
all, they were outlaws. She instantly wished she hadn’t said anything
and had turned away, but to her surprise, Rufus gave a light chuckle.
“Feisty are we, Ms. Lockheart? I like
that. Rest assured that no innocents have been stolen.” Rufus said in
amusement, draining the glass in a small gulp, and she blinked, feeling a bit
confused. It sounded as if he was mocking her and reassuring her at the same
time. This man was certainly something else. She bit her lip again as she
noticed his hypnotic gaze on her once again, and she felt color stain her
cheeks. ‘Fiesty are we, Ms. Lockheart? I like that.’ Rang in her ears, and she
tried to turn away, though her gaze was still locked with his.
“Then you’ll let me go?” Tifa asked
almost timidly, drawing Rufus’s gaze back up to hers, sapphire eyes locking
with wine, sending a chill down her spine. Ice, that’s what encased the gems
beneath, and it warded her off, wouldn’t let her see deep within, his thoughts,
and that made her nervous. He merely raised an eyebrow, looking up at her in
amusement.
“Maybe in time.
Till next we meet, Ms. Lockheart.” He swept her slender hand up to his, letting
his lips brush gently against it, his eyes never leaving hers, and with a
flourish, was gone into the crowd, leaving Tifa blushing behind him. She toyed
with the idea that maybe he fancied her a bit, and for a moment considered what
any other woman would have done. Swooned, for sure, she thought with a slight
smile, a blush still on her cheeks for the rest of the night.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“What’dya mean kidnapped? Tifa!” Yuffie hollered, forgetting her ‘lady-like’ behavior,
which had been thrown out the window as soon as she had heard of her friend’s
predicament. Not to mention Cloud had been with her also! Ugh! That man was so
infuriating! His fiancée had been kidnapped, and all he could do was sit around
calmly? Yuffie was on the verge of throttling the man to oblivion, but calmed
herself, breathing heavily. Cloud said nothing, knowing it would only enrage
the young woman in front of him. Instead, he waited patiently as the woman
ranted and raved. He had already heard a mouthful from Mr. Lockheart, who
wasn’t as enraged as Yuffie seemed to be, and in fact, had the nerve to ask if
he would still get gil from their wedlock.
“Ms. Kisargi, please calm yourself. I already have this situation under control.”
Cloud said calmly, while Yuffie’s cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red.
“Listen Strife,” she hissed, no longer
using pleasantries, “if this is another one of your stupid daydreams-!” She
started, though was silenced when Cloud cut in, looking up at her with his eyes
flashing in annoyance.
“It is taken care of. I have hired a
mercenary to bring Tifa back.” Cloud stated, while Yuffie gritted her teeth.
She couldn’t believe this guy! Instead of going after Tifa himself, he was
going to let someone else do it for him! What kind of husband was that? She
felt her sides crying out in pain, as she had already tried to escape the confides of her corset during her ranting, so she
decided to hear him out, and it had better be good. Cloud took a slight breath
to continue, eyes flashing at Yuffie. “Zack McCoy came highly recommended, and
I have no doubt in his skills.” Cloud said semi-confidently, while Yuffie
continued to try and think of thoughts other than strangling this man in front
of her. How could he be so calm about this? Placing his trust on a man he
didn’t know?
“Yea, how good is he?” Yuffie snapped,
while Cloud got up silently, turning and walking out the door, and Yuffie
gritted her teeth, though she followed him. Another black spiky haired man was
leaning against the back wall, tapping a gun in disinterest, and when he heard
them, opened his startling blue eyes. Yuffie gave a slight gasp, noticing the
similarities between the two men.
“Ms. Kisargi doesn’t believe in your
skills. Could you give her a demonstration?” Cloud asked calmly, while Zack, pushed himself from the wall with a grin.
“Yessir.” He
smirked, gun instantly whipped from his belt, gun shots expertly breaking beer
bottles that were lined up on the fence, a good distance away. He smirked
again, blowing smoke from the barrel before letting it sink back into his belt.
He turned back to them with a raised eyebrow, a cocky grin pulling his lips up.
“Anything else Ah can do for ya’ll?” Yuffie was
speechless with awe.
Chapter 5: Someone Else
“C’mon, ya can tell me.” Tifa sighed,
trying hard to concentrate on cleaning the worn bar counter as an excuse not to
say anything, but then again, Aeris and Elena were still smiling up at her,
identical grins of mischief on their pretty faces. What was a lady to do? She sighed, looking back at the two who had
been trying to pump information out of her since the highly esteemed ‘Sir’ had
left. Apparently, Elena had seen it all, since Tifa was positive Rude wouldn’t
tell anything like that.
“I already told you,” Tifa said with a
sigh as she straightened the many bottles of liquor she had gotten acquainted
with during the course of the night, thankfully, not by name. She didn’t want
to become another alcoholic, and a lady drinker at that! She straightened
another bottle, her hands poised delicately, her
irises darkening. Rufus Shinra. She never thought that name would take her into
a whirl wind of emotions. Before, when she had heard his name, immediately she
had thought outlaw, bandit, a man who swore and drank, taking innocent women
from the clutches of their men; rugged, and supposedly handsome. She supposed
she was somewhat true in that aspect, but… he was gentlemanly, to her surprise,
though so cold it sent a shiver down her spine. Or maybe it was something else.
Best not go there, Lockheart. She thought to herself grimly, and a slight clearing
of a throat caught her attention again, almost making her drop a bottle, which
would undoubtedly anger someone. Whoever ran the place, but it was probably the
almighty ‘Sir’. She sighed. Why did all of her thoughts seem to come back to
him?
“You’re thinkin’ of Sir, ain’t ya?”
Elena said, somewhat accusing, somewhat smug, and Tifa colored a bit. It would
be improper to be attracted to that… that… man, especially since she was
already engaged. People would talk, as they always would, and Tifa was tired of
that, too. She just wanted to settle down and live a somewhat normal life. She
didn’t need this to complicate anything.
“No.” Tifa said a bit stiffly, drawing
more grins from the two ladies across the bar counter.
“Just admit it! It’ll be easier for
ya. ‘Sides, I reckon Sir’s taken a fancy to ya.” Aeris chirped, Elena nodding
her head, her blonde hair bobbing along with her as she grinned widely along
with Aeris. Tifa let out a small groan, sighing as she leaned against the
counter, biting her lip.
“Do you really think so?” She asked
softly, blushing when she heard herself say that, scolding herself mentally.
What had possessed her to say such a thing? This, of course, only fueled the
two girls on.
“Of course!
Are ya crazy?” Elena encouraged, and Tifa bit her lip, not saying anything for
a moment. Oh this was crazy. She was engaged, a proper lady, not to mention she
had to fulfill her father’s wishes, whether she wanted to or not. What was
wrong with her? Aeris blinked, noticing her frown, the she tilted her head to
the side, her green eyes glistening slightly.
“There’s someone else?” Aeris asked, her voice soft, and Tifa tilted
her head to the side, her eyes distant as she surveyed the small, cozy room,
round wooden tables ringed by chairs lined the room, a piano in front of a
small highlighted stage, tired and frail, when last night it had been playing
with energy. Tifa was told the man had been named Cid, an outlaw in every
right, except he didn’t drink or steal women, only one woman’s heart, Shera Tifa
thought her name was. Was Cloud someone else? She couldn’t begin to describe
the confusing and complex relationship they had, but it was all affection she
felt for him, though she supposed he was someone else.
“Yes, there is. My
fiancée.” Tifa replied softly, gracing them with a slight color on her
cheeks, like a young lady was supposed to do when talking about their husband
or loved one. Except she wasn’t in love with Cloud.
Aeris and Elena gave a slight gasp, letting their gazes and grins drip to the floor.
“Oh,” Elena said a bit quietly,
“sorry, we didn’ know.” Tifa gave a light smile, a musical small laugh wafting
in their ears.
“Don’t worry about it.” Tifa said with
a slight grin, shaking her head softly, her bangs still falling into her face,
the sloppy bun she had crafted hours ago finally falling apart. She didn’t mind
actually, Yuffie had been her only female companion, and Aeris and Elena were
people she would consider friends, and their enthusiasm in ‘settin’ her up’
with Sir was almost catchy. Suddenly the door swung open, and all of the ladies
present looked up, startled to see the very center of their subject grinning
back at them.
“Ladies, if you’d please excuse me and
Ms. Lockheart.” Aeris and Elena gaped at them, but, they of course, couldn’t
disobey ‘Sir’s’ orders, quickly gathered up their skirts and swirled out of the
room, chatting softly to themselves, in low, excited voices. Tifa pulled a
slight face. Oh great. She turned to him, squaring her jaw, her eyes narrowing.
“What do you want?” She asked,
somewhat harshly, and Rufus could only grin dashingly at her, making her knees
give a slight wobble, though she covered it quickly by resuming cleaning the
counter. How come he made her heart beat quickly, and at the same time make her
blood boil with a mere glance?
“Simply to bask in
your presence, my fair lady.” Rufus said charmingly, while Tifa blushed
again, though hid it as she turned around, leaving her back to him. Why did it
seem he forgot she was already to wed another? And why did she have to blush
whenever he flattered her? She should know most men wanted nothing more than a
wild night with a beautiful woman, and a bandit would be a most fit example.
“You forget I’m here against my will,
kind sir.” Tifa replied coldly, shocking herself with the edge in her tone,
though she gave a light gasp as she felt a firm grip take her arm, swirling her
to meet intense sapphire, and instantly she was lost. The vast wonderland of
ice was there, a thick tundra of howling winds,
swirling and leaving all bare and stripped, and yet, through the churning
lashes of wind, she saw something. Something was there, a soul, and the wind
whipped against her eyes, blinding her momentarily, sending her jolting back to
the bar, her skin suddenly feeling very chilled. Rufus’s eyes looked down at
her, an eyebrow raised.
“I only say this in your best
intention. Hold your tongue unless you want harm to befall you. This is my
world, and I rule it, whether you like it or not. Be pleasant, and you’ll live
longer.” Rufus whispered seductively in her ear, her eyes widening with
disbelief, though the words were cold, warmth instantly seeping into her body,
his warm breath trickling down her neck, her skin instantly tingling with pink
as if touched. Tifa glared at him, ignoring their closeness though the pink
bridge on her cheeks gave her away, trying hard to regulate her breathing.
“Excuse me *Sir*, for my impudence.
Now if you’ll excuse me.” Tifa snapped, wrenching her arm from his grip, her
eyes narrowing in anger, as she turned around, her breathing ragged in her
anger. The nerve! Once again she was turned around,
her gaze once again locked with Rufus, who grinned at her haughtily, her hand
once again going to his lush lips.
“Till we meet
again.” Then he had turned, as if nothing had happened, and walked out
the door, swinging shut behind him as Tifa stared at his disappearing form, her
breathing still uneven and her cheeks still flushed at the thought of their
closeness. She shouldn’t feel this way at all, and she should hate him, not
feel attracted.
Chapter 6: Love Struck
“Somethin’ should be done.” Vincent
looked up from cleaning his gun, an amused eyebrow raised as he eyed his
brother. Tseng gave a slight sigh, rubbing his temples, his cool and collected
demeanor changing slightly on the delicate subject of Rufus Shinra. Tseng had
taken it upon himself to be the boy’s mentor, in the place of his father, and
therefore saw Rufus as something as his own son, even though he took orders
from him. Both brothers had been fortunate to capture the corrupt but
generously wealthy eye of the original Shinra, having eyes like a hawk and a
crack shot to boot. Vincent noticed that his cool composure had diminished,
leaving an outlaw with the southern drawl to match, and that tone of voice
rarely came about.
“What do you suggest?” Vincent asked
with a slight smile, and Tseng glared at his brother, his black eyes narrowed
in anger.
“This ain’t a laughing matter.” He
snapped, and Vincent turned his gaze away from his brother so he could not see
the amused expression on his face. This woman, Tifa Lockheart, had definitely
irked him if it made him slip back into his southern drawl. Vincent paused for
a moment, letting his gun slip back into its holster (A/N: haha! I finally
found out the word for it!) and getting up, walking
over to where his brother was sourly watching the people of the town below the
window.
“Maybe she is what Rufus needs.”
Vincent said almost thoughtfully, though with monotone, since even though he
could be a bit more open with his sibling, it wasn’t by much. Tseng turned back
to him, black eyes flaring and burning like coals in a fire.
“Emotions are weakness. We all know
that. One woman shouldn’ change anything.” Tseng said, his emphasis on every
‘a’ distinguishing also his distrust, his distaste. Vincent gave a slight sigh,
shaking his head as he walked away from his brother. He knew Tseng would be
determined to do anything once he set his mind to it and as much as he cared
for his younger brother, Vincent would not and could not allow him to steal
Rufus’s happiness. Or would be happiness. He had been
with the young Shinra boy since his youth, and he still remembered the youthful
innocence Rufus had managed to attain for a short while, before it had been
washed away with liquor and blood, the blood that ran through his veins was
after all, that of a ruthless Shinra. He believed that no one should have to go
through such pain, as he had when his beloved had… when…
“Mista Valentine! Is Mista Tseng
hey-uh?” He turned around, raising an eyebrow as he saw Elena, her brown eyes
wide, her porcelain cheeks flushed at the thought of her ‘Mista Tseng’. Elena
was a nice girl, even if she tried to lay her accent on thick for flare in
front of Tseng, she was someone who might be able to break down his brother’s
built up walls, and for that, Vincent would try and sneak her into Tseng’s
domain, his hidden world that he had tried to recoil back into. His icy prison
he had built, that everyone here had built, as a means to survive. He tilted
his head in the direction of his relative before walking off, a grim expression
on his face. Love… he hoped his brother wouldn’t have to suffer the pains and
heart break of love like he had. Lucercia… he hoped she forgave him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Shera! Get
me sum god d***med tea!” Shera sighed, brushing a strand of chocolate brown
hair behind her ear, shaking her head. Captain, or in other words, the infamous
cursing Cid Highwind, had gotten one forbidden sip of some exotic liquid that
Sir had brought back from one of their train raids, and had quickly fallen in
love with it. She sighed, pushing her spectacles back to the bridge of her
nose, swaying through the crowd with elegance and grace that came from being in
this place as far back as she could remember. She had first laid eyes on the
famed outlaw Highwind when she was around sixteen, and he had been banging away
on the piano, though with a certain tenderness, a finesse
if you will. She knew he was just rough around the edges, and she had hoped he
would become as captivated for her as she was him. His
brilliant blue eyes, his sloppily seductive blonde hair, and of course the
trademark cigarette.
Shera sighed again, weaving her way to
the bar counter, where Tifa spotted her, giving her a sympathetic smile as
Shera went through the swinging doors. Tifa was a nice girl, and it was rumored
Sir had taken a liking to her. Shera smiled slightly, grinning at the thought
of some cheerful news. Young love was sweet, she knew, and she was still
waiting for her love of Captain would sour, but it seemed it never would, no
matter how many times he yelled and cursed at her. It only wounded her more
everyday, another puncture in her heart until her soul threatened to spill out,
her essence and her being. Didn’t he see her feelings for her?
She paused, a cup of tea
set comfortably on her tray, balanced as she stood, poised and elegant, her
eyes downcast. She had never said anything, only standing silently by his side,
taking everything he lashed out at her, though she still followed him like a
love sick teenager. Why was she still here? She could just leave, she could
just let him go, and yet… how could she? He was her ‘Sir’ her Captain, and she couldn’t abandon him. She knew in time, his
rough edges would ebb away, and maybe he’d come to love her, but maybe, maybe
it was time to let go. Everyone scolded her about it, though the young girls
like love struck Elena and longing for love Aeris had often asked about how she
had fell in love, and Shera admitted it made her feel loved, needed. She was
their life line to a place that both hurt and pleased, but was always there,
comforting or horrible.
“Shera!” She turned around, blinking
as Elena instantly appeared by her side, her cheeks flushed and hopeful. She
raised a slight eyebrow, a small but noticeable kind smile on her face.
“Yes?” She drawled, and Elena burst into giggles,
her cheeks deeply pink, and Shera knew that Elena had just come back from
visiting ‘Mista Tseng’. It would be high time that someone broke through his
barrier, and Shera was willing to bet anything that Elena would be the girl.
“Mista Tseng! Oh Ah’m so smitten!” Elena cooed, her drawl leveled on thick, making her seem more like
a southern belle, which Shera thought was pretty adorable. She had tried that
tactic with her Captain before, though nothing had come of it except more tea.
She sighed again, giving an apologetic smile.
“Ah’m sorry Elena, but Captain’s waitin’ for me.”
Shera said, giving the joyful girl a slight smile before turning and walking
off, hearing Elena’s dreamy sigh behind her. Young love… she wished it wasn’t
so one sided with her supposed ‘love story’.
Chapter 7: Ready?
“And Mista Tseng actually talked ta
me! Ain’t it excitin’?” Elena squeaked, and Tifa smiled, the younger girl’s
enthusiasm taking a hold of her too. It seemed that Elena’s crush for ‘Mista
Tseng’ seemed to be going far more deeply than that and Tifa had a sinking
suspicion it was developing into love, puppy love or the real thing. Well,
whichever one in question, Tifa thought it was cute. She had never experienced
love before, not even the first time she had laid eyes on Cloud Strife, and all
the girls always swooned whenever his bright blue eyes glanced at one of them.
However, the wealthy cattle rancher had yet to do the same to her, and Tifa
suspected he never would. She gave a slight sigh, propping her chin up with her
slender hands as she watched Elena, her brown eyes sparkling with bits of
stars, as if every time she had been hurt by ‘Mista Tseng’ had faded away, just
the way he said ‘hello’ to her healing the aches and pains of the heart. Tifa
gave a slight grin, watching but not really listening to what Elena was happily
blabbering about, Aeris soon joining the conversation, also listening to Elena.
Both girls gave a dreamy sigh, obviously thinking the same thing.
“Oh ya three!
Stop daydreamin’ an’ get sum work dun please.” Shera chided gently, like a
mother to all of the girls, who just gave slight embarrassed giggles and
scattering to different corners of the bar. Tifa smiled slightly, still
polishing the glasses before the usual rush of people poured in, humming a
cheerful tune as she listened to Elena’s and Aeris’s soft chattering as they
straightened chairs and tables.
It was quiet and peaceful, moments
before the
Suddenly the old swinging doors swept
open, and suddenly even the littlest noises stilling, as if everything was
holding its breath. In strode a man who was as evilly handsome as one would
expect the devil to be, his malachite eyes cold a piercing, sweeping over the
tiny place, then coming to rest on Tifa, and she felt her blood freeze, her
breathing stop.
His eyes were much more different than
Rufus’, which had made her heart beat erratically, his eyes pierced deep into
her soul, delving in, as if seeing her every secret while she couldn’t see
anything. His moon spun locks cascaded to his waist, his build muscular, and even Tifa could see under all the brown hides
he wore. It also seemed he was trying to cover most of his outfit, his cowboy
hat quickly going back to covering his eyes as he sat down elegantly, all the
girls’ eyes following him. Tifa was sure that she even saw some of the younger
girls’ knees tremble. Tifa bit her lip and continued to clean the glasses as if
she didn’t notice the stranger.
“What’ll it be?” Tifa asked, wincing a bit as she noticed she had been picking up some of
the ‘improper language’ that her father had looked down upon. Oh well, he
wasn’t here, was he?
“Beer.” The
voice was deep and throaty, enticing and it made the shivers run through Tifa’s
spine. With a slight nod, she quickly poured the liquor, feeling everyone’s
eyes on her. She bit her lip again, not really one for everyone’s attention on
her. She had a sinking feeling that already ever girl in the room was smitten
with this tall handsome stranger seated before her, and she would have gladly
let someone else run the bar in these circumstances. Call her crazy, but she
had a nagging suspicion this man wasn’t here just for the drinks.
“So, what’s your name sir? It’s not
often we’re graced with strangers.” Tifa said truthfully, since she practically
knew all the regulars that came by, since it was the same roaring crowd every
night, though Tifa had liked that. It was like a small community that everyone
knew everyone, and it was kinda homey, though a bit dull after a while.
His deep green eyes turned back to
her, and immediately she felt their cold gaze spill ice all over her, and goosebumps spread throughout her pale skin, and she bit her
lip, still holding his gaze. She didn’t want him to think that she was another
woman who couldn’t defend herself, that would get kidnapped easily. Tifa
blinked, startled at that revelation. She had gotten kidnapped, though at least
she had gone down fighting. For heaven’s sakes her mother had hired an
ex-marauder, a kind man by the name of Zagan, to make sure her daughter was
never in one of these situations. How ironic, Tifa noted with a dreary look on
her face as the man continued to stare at her piercingly. She bit her lip
again, feeling very uncomfortable in this situation.
“In exchange for that information, I
would like some in return.” All the girls were silently pleading for Tifa to
tell him anything, already their love sick gazes looking longing at the figure
before her, his deep voice enchanting then, alluring them to his otherwise cold
green eyes. Tifa bit her lip again, suppressing a sigh. Yuffie had always
scolded her for being too nice, often saying she was
like dirt. Everyone stepped all over her. Though Yuffie had been joking, Tifa
could see now how this applied to her situation.
“A’ight, what would you like to know?”
Tifa asked, noticing the small smirk that had spread across the man’s delicate
and noble features, feeling dread surge through her. Something wasn’t right
about him… However, all the rest of the females in the bar were already close
to swooning, Aeris giving Tifa a grateful look. Suddenly he slid a frayed
poster to her reach, and she blinked, looking down at the picture, putting a
hand over her mouth to stifle the gasp that was ripping up her throat, but she
couldn’t stop her eyes from widening in shock.
Cobalt blue eyes stared back up her,
even in the wanted poster making her heart skip a beat. She bit her lip as she
looked back up at the man, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. She had almost
forgotten. Rufus Shinra was one of the most wanted outlaws in the west, and she
had almost forgotten that. She had tucked that little piece of information in
the back of her mind, wanting to forget what kind of situation she was in,
though it was hard to forget. That she was living with a criminal, a murder, a
man with no morals. Definitely someone her father wouldn’t approve of.
“You know him.” It was a statement,
not a question, and she could feel those cold eyes looking over her, their icy
fingers brushing against her skin and making her shiver. She looked behind him,
seeing that Cid was ready, his hand already above his holster, his blue eyes
narrowed as his mouth was set in a grim line, his cigarette still dangling from
it. It was obvious that Rufus’s fellow outlaw had been listening also, and
didn’t like the way things were turning out. If Tifa didn’t do something
quickly, it would turn into a massacre, and even the girls who were once
enchanted by the deep voice and alluring eyes were shivering slightly in fear
as they started backing away.
“Of course I do.” Everyone tensed, the
girls and Cid looking up at her as if she had betrayed them, while the stranger
looked up at her, raising an eyebrow. The signs of a small smirk still lingered
on his lips. “He’s Rufus Shinra, one of the most wanted outlaws in the west. Doesn’t
everyone know him?” Tifa asked, while the girls and Cid breathed a slight sigh
of relief, Cid’s hand going away from his gun, while the stranger’s smirk
turned into a frown, though he hid it. Tifa smiled inwardly. Take that! She
wasn’t another push over girl that would let someone intimidate her with fear.
“I see.” Was all he said, getting up
and setting gil on the table, his back turning to her as he turned to go out of
the bar, though Tifa found her voice, halting him.
“Sir, you promised to tell me your
name for my information. I believe that a man’s word still holds firm in this
day?” Tifa asked sweetly, the others looking at her like she was crazy, though
Tifa said nothing, her eyes still narrowed as she glared at the man’s back,
which had stiffened. To her surprise, he gave a slight chuckle, deep and
somewhat beautiful, haunting as if it would linger here, and his back relaxed a
bit.
“I suppose it was rude of me. Sephiroth. My name is Sephiroth.” With that, he disappeared,
leaving everyone, including the ever-ready-to-voice-his-opinions-by-cussing Cid
Highwind speechless.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Sir!” Rufus
turned his gaze away from his window, turning to see Elena and Tifa, both
panting as if they had run a long way from the bar to his office, and he raised
an eyebrow. Beside him, both Vincent and Tseng stiffened, their hands
instinctively going to their guns.
“Yes?” Rufus asked calmly, turning his
gaze to Tifa, who bit her lip nervously, ringing her hands on her dress. She
looked him straight in the eye, something not many
people could do for an extended period of time. He was instantly pulled into
her innocence, her trusting, her kindness, the feeling of wine colored honey
dripping down onto him, warm and sweet. Just as suddenly, he was back into his
room when she blinked, giving a slight sigh.
“We think the sheriff’s after ya!”
Elena squeaked, her brown eyes distressed, as for once, she looked at him, and
not behind him to see Tseng. Rufus arched an eyebrow, not sure why it was so
distressing. Plenty of sheriffs had come after him before, and had been meet with Vincent or Tseng’s gun to their foreheads, or, if
they really were a challenge, faced Rufus himself and lost. Just because he had
other people to do his dirty work didn’t mean Rufus couldn’t do it himself. He
had made a name for himself, by himself, and his age didn’t matter either. He
was just as brutal and heartless as either Tseng or Vincent.
His arched eyebrow spoke enough for
him, and Tifa gave a slight groan, shaking her head as if they were all doomed.
Tifa Lockheart was truly a unique woman, since after all, most of them didn’t
know how to defend themselves, not to mention that most of them feared or
respected him, thought ninety nine percent of the time it was both. But Tifa
was unusual. She didn’t succumb to his threats, his cold glares. She just
looked at him and stuck out her chin and talked right back to him as if he was
a simple farmer, as if he wasn’t one of the most dangerous and wanted outlaws
in the west, and that had intrigued him, much to Tseng’s distain.
“It’s Sephiroth! Surely you know him!”
Tifa gave a slight cry, her face scrunched up with worry, startling Rufus for a
moment, though he hid it well. She was worried for him? Rufus gave a slight
smirk, flipping his bangs back for a moment, impressed. He couldn’t understand
this girl at all, and maybe she was the challenge he needed.
Then her words sunk into his skin,
making his eyes narrow a bit angrily. Sephiroth, the great
mighty sheriff that was feared among all outlaws because he had always been
able to catch whomever he felt like. It was like a sport for him, and he
only went after the biggest and the worst because that’s what his reputation
was built upon. Rufus knew it had only been a matter of time before the
green-eyed monster would turn his gaze over to him. He shrugged his shoulders
nonchalantly, as if this news weren’t bothering him, though he knew he would
have to spend some more time back in training, not just lazing around.
“Rufus?” He
turned his gaze to Tseng, whose black eyes pierced deeply into his, obviously
knowing what he was thinking. Tseng was like his father, someone he could
respect and trust a little more than others, since the dark haired man and his
brother had always been loyal to him. He couldn’t remember a time when Tseng
wasn’t by his side.
“Ms. Lockheart, I have a favor to ask
of you.” There was a smirk on his lips as he turned back to Tifa, who was
eyeing him somewhat wearily.
“What kind of favor?” She asked
suspiciously, her hands on her shapely hips, and he inwardly licked his lips in
apprehension. Maybe she was the challenge he needed. So he spoke before Tseng
could reject, since Rufus knew he would.
“I would like you to meet me back here
in three hours. Be prepared for some combat.” With that, he dismissed both
girls, feeling Tseng’s glare on his back.
“That was unwise.” Tseng hissed,
almost going into his southern drawl, which meant even Vincent couldn’t save
him, and Rufus raised an eyebrow, turning back to his comrade with a slight smirk
on his face. It was his world, as he had told Tifa, and he ruled it. No one,
not even the great Sephiroth, could stop him.
Chapter 8: Obviously Not One
of Those Ladies
“Ya should feel honored! A woman, trainin’ with Sir!” There was a stifled squeal of
excitement from Elena as she stopped her ramblings for a moment, glancing up at
Tifa, who was dressed in breeches, and had requested for some deer hide gloves,
and was fidgeting a bit nervously. Her long chocolate strands had been pulled
back into a slight ponytail tied off at the end, secured so they wouldn’t get
into her face. Elena let her lips curve down, watching her friend with worry
etched on her face. “Are ya a’ight?” She asked a bit nervously, and Tifa said
nothing, staring blankly at the floor, before her gaze turned back to Elena,
her usual warm eyes now narrowed, cold. Elena gave a slight shiver, shifting
from one foot to the next.
“Elena, how did he know I could fight?
I’m sure I never told anyone.” Tifa said in a sort of dreamy, thoughtful voice,
though her eyes were troubled, disturbed as Elena blinked again, giving a
slight sigh. She tilted her head to the side, her brown eyes observing Tifa
curiously, as if seeing her for the first time.
“Sir’s an outlaw, an’ if there’s
information he wants, then by God, he’ll get it.” Elena whispered softly, and
Tifa nodded her head, her eyes downcast. So… that’s how things were around
here. He had said this was his own world, and he ruled it, so it was natural he
would find out whatever he wanted. Her eyes narrowed a bit, remembering the two
dark haired men by his side, Tseng and his brother. What was his name?
Hopefully they wouldn’t be present during the little ‘duel’ everyone was
talking about. However, the almighty ‘Sir’ had decreed everyone go on their
normal business, and that the news would be circulated tomorrow, and for that,
Tifa was grateful. She didn’t like fighting in front of a huge crowd,
especially if she didn’t know most of them, and she knew how men were. They’d
probably be getting a lot out of this fight, more than Tifa would like them to.
“Oh… I see.” Tifa said evenly,
straightening as she heard heavy boots thudding against the floorboards, and her
eyes rose to meet cobalt blue eyes, and she blew her bangs out of her face.
Rufus only meet her expression with an amused eyebrow rising, as if he were
mocking her.
“Ready, Ms. Lockheart?” He asked, even
having the nerve to offer his hand, which Tifa ignored, turning her gaze away,
getting up and following him anyway, ignoring his muffled
chuckling and Tseng’s glare on her back.
“Mista Tseng, Ah think things are
gonna brighten up ‘round here.” Elena offered, glancing over at Tseng, who was
eyeing the disappearing pair with scorn. Vincent also said nothing, though
glanced at his brother with a slight undistinguishable look on his face,
something close to disapproval. Elena cleared her throat again, trying to start
conversation, but she gave a slight sigh instead, looking up at Tseng with a
somewhat hopeful gaze. Vincent gave a light sigh, shaking his head as he turned
to leave. Tseng watched him for a moment, standing to go as well, though
Vincent shook his head, gesturing for his sibling to stay. With that, he turned
and exited, leaving Tseng a bit confused, though his face remained as stony as
ever, and inwardly, Elena squealed happily. Finally! Her chance to finally
impress Mista Tseng!
Then she noticed his fists clenching into angered
fists, and her eyes widened, and she bit her lip, silencing her tongue. She
knew how much Mista Tseng cared for Sir, almost like a father would care for a
son, and he was probably feeling angered because Sir had probably disobeyed
him.
“Don’ ya want Sir ta be happy?” Tseng whirled
around, seeing Elena, staring up at him, with her brown eyes wide, her hands
clamped over her mouth as if she hadn’t wanted to say anything, but had spoken
anyway.
“What do you mean?” Tseng asked, and Elena turned
her gaze away, suddenly finding the floor interesting. She shuffled her feet
nervously, inwardly yelling at herself, though she gathered enough courage to
speak again, hoping she wouldn’t make a fool of herself in front of him.
“Sir obviously likes Tifa an’ she’s a nice gal. Don’
ya want him to be happy?” Elena asked, trying to choose her words carefully, though
like every other time, her words tumbled off her tongue and she couldn’t do
anything about it. She shuffled around nervously, not meeting Tseng’s stony
gaze.
“What are you saying?” Elena winced a bit, trying
hard to ignore the icy edge in his voice. She didn’t want to hear the spite in
his voice. She made a face, gathering up her courage and facing him, her brown
eyes meeting his coal black ones.
“Ah’m sayin’ that maybe Sir needs some happiness in
his life.” Elena said firmly, her hands on her hips. Tseng regarded her coolly,
saying nothing for a moment, and then he turned a booted heel and strode out.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Ah swear, if ya don’ get whoever
caught the person who kidnapped Tifa Ah’ll-!”
“Ah know Miz Yuffie. Beat the crap
outta me.” Zack finished with a slight sigh, shaking his head as he continued
to pat his dark chocobo on the head, far too used to Yuffie’s inappropriate
behavior to really care. Besides, she had been spewing the same threats over
and over, and it didn’t take the smartest genius on the planet to parrot it
back to her.
Yuffie’s face turned a bit red, her
face scrunched up a bit at him as he calmly continued to take care of his
chocobo. Had this guy no feelings? Seriously! All she was saying was for him to
take care of her best friend and no bodily harm would come to him! So what if
she had proclaimed it nonstop for the last five minutes? Who knew what this guy
would forget. It was hard to tell what he was thinking behind those warm blue
eyes of his that shielded his thoughts from her.
Yuffie had been wrong when she
compared Zack to Cloud. True, they had similar features, if not a bit scary,
but their personalities were as different as day and night. Zack being day of
course, though she found it a bit hilarious that Cloud’s hair would resemble
the sun while Zack’s was like an inky night sky. It tickled her humor inside of
her, making her burst out in laughter, causing Zack to look at her in
annoyance.
“Ehehe! I’m
so brilliant!” Yuffie said, congratulating her own
brilliance, giggling happily to herself as she slid back into her semi-proper
attitude, though her father would be appalled by the way she was behaving.
Abruptly she stopped laughing, her face scrunching up into a disgusted grimace.
Even when he wasn’t with her, her father’s presence seemed to suck out all the
fun in life like a sponge would water.
Noticing Zack had been looking at her
peculiarly, she glared at him, sticking out her tongue, and she was sure her
father would have scowled and lectured her, but who cared? She was almost a
full grown woman, and she could act however way she d*** well pleased! Who
cared what her father thought. He didn’t care about her, so why couldn’t she do
the same?
“What are you lookin’ at?” Yuffie
snapped, and Zack shook his head, turning his gaze back to his chocobo,
emitting a slight sigh. Yuffie tapped her foot impatiently, glaring at him with
her almond eyes like slits, until Zack gave a slight chuckle, turning his gaze
back to him.
“Ain’t ya a regular daisy? Well, not
that Ah mind. Them snobby money grabbers always got on
my nerves.” Zack said, and Yuffie quirked an eyebrow, not at all sure what that
meant, but the tone he said it in was friendly, so she guessed she could make a
civilized try at being nice. But only because he had started
it, not her.
“Yea, well, what do you expect?” Yuffie
asked, throwing out her hip, raising her eyebrow in a spunky look, making Zack
give a light chuckle. With a small grin, he mounted his chocobo, tipping his
hat to her.
“Well, malady, Ah
reckon Ah’ll be seein’ ya around, so sit tight, ya’hear?” Zack said
dashingly, flashing a smile that made ladies melt into a puddle of muteness,
maidens daintily lowering their butterfly lashes onto their pale silky skin, beautiful
women swooning and watching him wistfully as he would ride gallantly off.
But obviously that tickled Yuffie, for
she emitted a laugh, high pitched, as if that was the funniest thing someone
had ever said to her, making his eyebrows narrow a bit.
“You think I’m actually staying in
this dump? I’m coming with ya!”
Obviously Yuffie Kisargi wasn’t one of
those ladies.
Chapter 9: Could This Get
Any Worse?
Tifa panted a bit, shaking her head to
clear her thoughts. Sure, even though Rufus was one of the most wanted outlaws
in the west, she hadn’t expected him to put up such a good fight. Not to
mention him being able to land a few hits on her. She just reasoned it was
because she was out of practice, and a bit rusty.
Rufus was a bit of a distance away,
eyeing her something close to amusement flitting across his face, but when did
she not seem to amuse him? She had called a break, yes, just because she had
felt too… frustrated. It felt as if he was mocking her, holding back as he
continued to toy with her, and she didn’t like that. She wasn’t a puppet and
definitely wouldn’t dance for him whenever he pulled her strings. She pursed
her lips, glaring back at Rufus, who only raised an amused eyebrow.
“Ms. Lockheart, why may I ask, are you so hostile toward me?” Rufus asked, a tinge of
amusement seeping into his voice while Tifa made a face. Well, maybe because he
kidnapped her? It was only a suggestion, though she didn’t dare say it out
loud, instead, opting to glare witheringly at him. She did value her life, as
selfish as that sounded. Even if her father had difficulty showing affection
for her, she was sure he would mourn her, as would Yuffie, in her own way, and
she couldn’t abandon her friends like that.
“I wouldn’t know, Sir.” Tifa mocked,
placing her hands on her hips as she glared at him challenging, while he just
gave a slight chuckle. “What’s so funny?” She snapped, not one to be laughed
at, though he just gave his dashing smile again, making her stomach churn a bit
as she struggled to stand upright. And he knew exactly what he was doing to
her, that uncivilized, arrogant, brute! She refused to call him a man.
“Then shall we begin,
m’lady?” He mocked back, she just pursed her lips, throwing a punch aimed at
his forehead, though he ducked nimbly, grasping her elbow. “I guess ladies
should always go first.” Rufus remarked dryly, still holding her elbows a Tifa
twisted her hips, ramming her knee hard into Rufus’s stomach, as he gave a
slight gag. Her eyes widened, and she kneeled down next to him, concern written
on her face.
“Are you okay-?” Instantly Rufus was
up, her arms twisted behind her back, a gun barrel to her head. Tifa’s
breathing became ragged, her eyes wide and frightened, and inwardly she kicked
herself. This was the oldest trick in the book! Was she so gullible she had to
fall for it?
“Lesson number one Lockheart, bandits
don’t give up. It’s foolish to see if they need help.” Rufus sneered, and Tifa
twisted, struggling to get out of his vice like grip. With a slight sigh, she
turned to him, rolling her eyes, and to his surprise she was the one who looked
amused.
“Lesson number two: Never underestimate
your enemy.” Not having time to process her words, Tifa slammed her head
backward, making Rufus release her, and with a confident smile, she twisted his
arms behind his back, ramming a knee there also, sending him to the ground with
a loud thud. Rufus gave a cough, trying to get the dust out of his mouth.
“I see.” Was all he
could say, still struggling under her, not wanting to admit defeat,
especially to a woman. Tifa gave a slight giggle, releasing him as she stood
back up, even helping him up with a confident grin on her face. Rufus accepted
the hand gingerly, then grinned, pulling her closer to
him. Tifa’s eyes widened in surprise, and she struggled, wincing as his vice
like grip only tightened. She glared up at him, scrunching up her face in
distrust, glaring heatedly at him, while Rufus just grinned down at her. “Ms.
Lockheart, you really should control yourself.” She glared up at him even more,
and if her eyes could burn, which they were starting to do, Rufus supposed, he
would have been burnt to a crisp and shriveled like beef jerky.
However, it wasn’t below his stature
to admit she looked absolutely ravishing, though it wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen
beautiful women before. Her long chocolate strands were cascading down her
back, spread around her like she was a fallen angel, a slight flush staining
her cheeks, her lips spread slightly, lush and inviting, her wine eyes looking
up at him with fire.
A small smirk spread across his lips
as he bent down, his eyes peering into hers intently, and her struggling
stopped, finding it useless anyway, since he weighed more than she could push
off. She instantly reddened, feeling a bit faint at the proximity of their
closeness, his warm breath trickling onto her already flushed cheeks, his clean
shaven smell taunting her, as his blonde locks fell seductively into his bright
blue eyes. Oh god…
His face descended downward, and
Tifa’s breathing increased, her heart hammering desperately into her chest, but
she could run, she couldn’t escape the icy sapphires that had also entrapped
her.
His lips barely missed her slightly
parted lips, instead, brushing gently across her cheek, his breath trickling
down into her ear, making her gasp with a slight shiver of pleasure. Then she
mentally slapped herself. You’re engaged Lockheart! She inwardly cried, though
it was half hearted as Rufus stayed nestled there comfortably, before giving a
slight sigh, and pushing himself away, brushing off his clothing and turning
around.
“We should do this more often, Ms.
Lockheart.” Rufus said with a charmingly seductive smile, then
he turned walking away from her as Tifa stared after him, shocked, with his
warmth still tingling on her skin.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Honestly
“Aw, ‘Laney, lemme
alone!”
She shot Rude a somewhat pleading
look, though the bald man had been silent throughout the whole affair, liking
to keep out unless there was an all out war to be broken up. Rude didn’t like
meddling in people’s affairs, and for that, people
respected and distanced themselves from him. Or maybe it was because he was so
intimidating. Anyway, Elena figured that
With an irritated roll of her eyes,
she made a face as she saw Shera weaving her way through the crowd.
“Lemme guess, gimme
sum more god d***med tea?” Elena asked with a slight grin, while Shera
shook her head, a slight smile on her face as she settled herself comfortably
on a bar stool next to Reno, who was too somber to notice.
“Actually, the Captain is too busy
playin’ to notice me.” There was a slight sigh in her voice, a broken wistful
tone that was longing, her gaze flitting over to her ‘captain’ though Elena
could understand. Both Shera’s Captain and her Mista paid as much attention to
them as a sheriff would a law abiding citizen. As long as they stayed out of
the way and did what was expected, they’d be okay. And unnoticed.
Elena wondered which was better, and judging by Shera’s heartbroken expression,
that she better start changing her attitude. She didn’t want Mista Tseng to
forget her existence.
“What are ya two doin’ here without
me?” Aeris trilled, settling herself also, by Shera,
“Just a friendly gatherin’.
Sharin’ our woes ‘bout love.” Shera said, a slight sigh accenting her point
while Aeris smiled, tossing her braid over her shoulder, fluttering her long
eyelashes almost coyly.
“Well, Ah don’ have ta worry ‘bout
that yet. Ah haven’ found anyone that tickles my fancy.” Aeris said, pursing
her lips, and with a slight snort added, “It’s just too bad that Sephiroth is
sheriff Sephiroth!” With an indignant sigh, she turned to see Elena’s amused
expression. “What?”
“Oh, it’s just that Ah think you’ll find
him. Ah found him. ‘Side, ya fall in love every time a guy walks in the door!”
Elena said a bit teasingly, though a dreamy look on her face as her eyes took a
faraway look, while Shera gave a similar sigh. Aeris scrunched up her face,
sighing slightly.
“That is so not true. Better to fall
in and out of love than let it rule ya. Seriously Shera, Ah think ya should get
some back bone and tell Cid how ya feel.” Aeris said, her green eyes gleaming a
bit mischievously, while Shera pinked, her hands clutching her skirt slightly.
“Ah couldn’, Ah mean, the Captain doesn’ even know who Ah am an’ all.” Shera said, a sudden
slump in her shoulders making Elena even more determined. Pushing her sleeves
up to her shoulders, her jaw set in determination, she shot Aeris a look.
“Watch over the bar real quick. Ah’ll
be right back.” With that, she disappeared into the swirling crowds, while the
two girls looked after her, dumbstruck, while
He looked at her a bit dumbstruck, as
if she had just spewed the secret to longevity or told him Sir’s deepest
darkest secret. Something to that affect. She bit her lip, instantly feeling
embarrassed. It wasn’t her place to tell a full grown man what to do. With a
sheepish smile, she gave a slight bow, turning to dash off with a hasty exit.
Not at all looking where she was going, she rammed head first into someone.
“Sorry!” She cried, blinking as she
looked up into his face, her eyes instantly widening. “Mista Tseng?” She
squeaked, feeling like swooning all of a sudden, but instead, opted for turning
a bright red. Could things get any worse?
Chapter 10: Just Peachy
“Ah can’t believe this!” Shera moaned,
covering her face with her hands, looking as if she was about to crawl into a
hole and die. Tifa blinked, watching Shera with a somewhat confused expression.
“What are you talking about?” Tifa
prodded, while Shera continued to bemoan her situation, and Aeris sighed,
shaking her head as she turned to Tifa with a slight roll of her green eyes.
“Elena just told ‘Captain’ of Shera’s
feelings an’ Shera ain’t takin’ it too kindly.” Aeris stated in a somewhat
bored voice, Shera letting out another mournful sound, while Tifa raised an eyebrow. All this fuss over
something as trivial as that? Shouldn’t Shera be happy that she- well,
actually Elena, had been able to tell her beloved ‘Captain’ how she felt?
Shouldn’t her silent agony be extinguished?
As if sensing Tifa’s thoughts, Shera
instantly looked up, her eyes welling with tears, as if someone had died.
“What if Captain hates me?” Shera
mumbled, hugging her knees to her chest, biting her lip in agony. Aeris just
sighed, shaking her head almost disapprovingly as her braid swished across her
form.
“So how was the sparring?” Aeris asked
after a moment, changing the subject through a painfully obvious method, though
Tifa instantly jumped at the thought.
“It was okay, I guess, though I don’t
know what use I was to Rufus, I guess he could have
fought Vincent or Tseng, so why choose me?” Tifa inhaled after the long
sentence, inwardly cursing her sudden Elena impersonation. At the right time
too!
The other two women just gapped at
her, until, still shocked, Shera exclaimed softly, “You called him Rufus!” Tifa
blinked, tilting her head to the side, watching Shera with a somewhat confused
expression, though the same look flitted on Aeris’s, as if she had committed a
horrible crime.
She shifted from foot to foot, looking
uncomfortable, as she nibbled on her lip nervously. Why did they call him Sir?
Yes, he had saved the town, and had ‘ruled’ them with fear, but never once had
she heard them complain, still respecting and fearing him. He was a couple years
younger than Shera and Cid, yet they still called him Sir if he happened to
pass by.
It must be so lonely, she concluded,
with no one to really understand, distancing themselves
from you just because you hid behind the title of ‘Sir’. Is that why he had
asked her instead of Vincent or Tseng? Surely they would have been a better
challenge than her, though she didn’t doubt her abilities in the least. She was
just a bit rusty, that’s all.
“It’s just that…” Tifa looked up
startled as Aeris spoke, twisting her dress nervously, “No one’s called him
Rufus since his mother died.” Tifa nodded, looking back down at her feet.
The lovely Isabelle, she should have
known. Rufus’s mother. No wonder he was so cold, since
she had been practically the same when her mother had passed away. She sighed,
shaking her head sadly. Poor Rufus… instantly her head snapped up. Poor? Rufus? Where had that thought
come from? He was a rich bandit who could steal whatever he wanted.
“Oh,” Tifa said, clearing her throat a
bit as her voice sounded a bit raspy, “I see.” Aeris nodded, her gaze lingering
on her friend’s face with concern until Elena burst in, looking extremely happy
with herself.
“Ya would never believe what just
happened ta me!” Elena squealed, and instantly the tension dissolved in the
room as Elena burst out into a bright smile. Even Shera’s tears seemed to
disappear as Elena happily babbled about Mista Tseng.
It seemed that something had happened
between them last night, ‘movin’ their relationship further’ as Elena had put
it.
“Okay! All we did was talk!” Elena
said with a slight grin, rubbing the back of her head with a slight giggle,
while Aeris’s face fell, shaking her head with a slight sigh.
“Oh Elena! Ah
was so excited for ya! Well, Ah guess Ah still am!” Aeris said, while Elena was
already lost, looking out of the window with a dreamy expression on her face,
and Aeris sighed again, shaking her head.
“Well, some things never change.”
Shera commented, while Tifa grinned, tilting her head to the side as she continued
to scrub the counter, trying to rid all the stains that the mugs had made
against the wood.
“I think it’s romantic.” Tifa stated
after a moment, sending the two girls bursting into laughter, Elena still lost
in her day dream, and it was obvious where her thoughts were. With her beloved ‘Mista Tseng’.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Ahh, Tseng, Ah can see that look on
ya face. C’mon, who’s the lucky girl?”
Even Rude looked up from his usual mug
of beer, looking at his employer, or at least it looked like it, since the
general direction of his sombrero was pointed in that way.
Tseng continued to remain silent,
“C’mon boss, Ah ain’t gonna tell
anybody! ‘Cept for Rude, but he’d already know, y’know.”
Aeris? Nah,
even though she was sugary sweet, she didn’t have the chest, but then again,
who knew what Tseng wanted. Tseng and his expectations were probably very
different anyway.
Shera? No,
she had her eye on Cid for the longest time now, and besides, he doubted things
would have worked between the two. Too shy anyway, she hadn’t told the
‘Captain’ what she felt for him, and she had been here since forever. Or so it
seemed anyway.
He ran through the lists of all
possible women, even taking in consideration the old hen that still stayed
around the bar, even though she was too wrinkled to do anything correctly and
had an aid to help her around. Probably her poor son in law
or grandchild. Or great grandchild.
“I don’t see how any of this is your
business
“Aw, c’mon boss! Just tell me an’
Ah’ll leave ya alone!”
Both of the brothers’ had gone through
a lot of s*** in their lives, yet they were able to keep it together. He had
chosen Tseng as something kinda like his father figure, since the man had taken
him under his wing, and even though he seemed a bit cold, Reno knew that he
really did have a soul, and he had shown that when he had taken Rude and him
in.
“It’s Elena.” There was a slight
whipping of heads as both Tseng and
“What?” Instantly
Tseng said nothing, his face
hardening, though he didn’t yell at Rude. He supposed it would have gotten to
“Elena?” He cried again, just as
Vincent walked into the room, his eyebrow arched.
“So it is true then?” Vincent said
rather coolly, while Tseng bit back a groan, shaking his head as he applied
more force to his temple, where a pounding headache was forming. Great, just great. First Rufus starts to disobey him,
sheriff Sephiroth is after Rufus, and now Elena and him,
whatever they were supposed to be, were in the open.
Everything in his life was great, just
peachy.
Chapter 11: Uck!
“Uck! Can we
stop real quick?” Yuffie complained, still clinging
onto Zack, her face green as the scenery blurred past her, and she felt the
lurch of Zack’s chocobo take another deep stride forward, her stomach lunging
up her throat. Oh god, who knew she was motion sick? She had never ridden in
her life, and mostly walked, so how was she supposed to know she’d get sick
just for riding a stupid bird. She was starting to hate this big black bird.
“Stop? We
ain’t even half way an’ ya wanna stop again?” Zack’s southern drawl reaching
her ears, and she glared at his back, trying hard not
to notice how the scenery swirl around in a sickening array of colors.
“If ya don’ want my breakfast all over
ya, ya will!” Yuffie cried, changing into the third hue of green that morning.
Ugh… retching did sound like a good idea, though not all over Zack. She had
seen first hand the accuracy he had with that gun, and she didn’t want it
pointed at her. She was only sixteen for heaven’s sake! She wanted to keep her
life, thank you very much. She still hadn’t found a way to annoy Lord Gordo to
death. Couldn’t you just feel the love?
Zack sighed, halting his chocobo
almost abruptly, his chocobo warking its unhappiness, while Yuffie immediately
hopped off, going for the nearest bush and the most horrible sound of wrenching
emitted from the bushes, and Zack was positive he turned green himself.
He glanced back at his chocobo, which
looked a bit offended, giving another high pitched ‘wark’ and hiding its face
under its wing as if to drown out the sound.
Ah agree totally with ya buddy. Zack
thought, his face recovering a tinge of its normal color as Yuffie came back
from behind the bushes, looking a bit better, but still worse for wear.
“Ugh, Ah think Ah shouldn’ have eaten
so much.” Yuffie slurred a bit, and Zack noticed, with a piece of pride, she
had taken up the southern drawl. It made her seem more of a person than a stuck
up lady, and maybe that’s what Zack found so interesting about her. She didn’t
follow the rules like she was supposed to, but then again, neither did he.
“Yea, bad for ya stomach. Ya should’ve
told me ya were motion sick.” Zack said with a slightly scolding voice, though
Yuffie stuck out her tongue, putting her hands squarely on her hips.
“Excuse me! Ya ain’t my father!” She
paused, making a face, shaking her head. “And thank Gawd for that!” Yuffie
said, scrunching up her nose as if it was the most insulting thing to be
compared to her father, though he had to say she looked adorable and he thought
it was kinda cute the way she said ‘Gawd’.
Immediately he shook his head,
clearing his head of those kinda thoughts. He had a job to do, and now was no
time for fun. Besides, he couldn’t take advantage of her! It would be wrong,
though there was nothing wrong with him ‘flirting’ so to speak.
Yuffie pursed her lips, her eyes
narrowing as she glared at Zack, who had a somewhat faraway look on his face.
Great, she had another Cloud with her. Oh, life was just peachy.
“Hey!” She snapped her fingers in his
face, getting him back to the planet, her lips pulled into a frown, her nose
crinkling. “We gotta save Tifa, remember? And give a big butt whoopin’ to
whoever was stupid enough to kidnap her! They’ll have to answer to Yuffie
Kisargi!” Yuffie grinned, a gleam in her brown eyes, rubbing her hands together
mischievously while Zack just shook his head.
“Uck!” Yuffie
complained five minutes later while Zack shook his head, sighing slightly. She
was right though, they did need to ‘rescue’ Tifa and give her captures a ‘butt
whooping’. For once in Zack’s lonely life, he wished that he had settled down
and gotten the chance to have friends. Maybe one of them would be a little like
Miz Yuffie Kisargi.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Don Corneo? Who’s that?” Tifa asked
in confusion, looking at Elena, who wrinkled her nose in distaste, reminding
Tifa mildly of Yuffie. With a somewhat guilty expression, Tifa wondered how her
friend was doing, and when was the last time she had thought of her.
“Where did ya hear that disgustin’
name?” Elena said in disgust, her nose still crinkled as if the very name stunk
of something foul, while Tifa blinked, tilting her head to the side almost
thoughtfully.
“Well, I heard
“He’s… a sheriff.” Elena said finally,
and Tifa nodded her head, leaning forward a bit, looking at her friend in
concern, as she had her eyebrows knitted in something like concentration.
“Yes? Is he as good as Sephiroth
then?” Tifa prodded, tilting her head to the side, trying to squeeze some
information out of Elena, which usually wasn’t hard to do. What was so bad
about him anyway?
“No…” Elena said, staring off into
space, her eyes wide and blank, and Tifa resisted the urge to smack her. Would
she just snap out of it?
“Then what is it then? Is he
attractive or something?” Tifa asked in exasperation, and Elena instantly
snapped her head toward her, her brown eyes wide.
“Attractive? Please! He’s so fat an’
pig like! Oh yuck, Tifa! Ah think Ah might kill myself from the very thought!” Elena cried, drawing Aeris’s attention to the
two as she scooted her way over.
“Tifa, if Ah were ya, Ah’d stay far
away from him. He’s a pervert who uses his status to try an’ woo women! It’s
sick, Ah tell ya.” Aeris said woefully, flinging her arms up with dramatic
flair, before settling herself back down while Tifa tilted her head to the
side.
“What does this have to do with me?”
Tifa asked after a moment, and Elena and Aeris gave each other a somewhat
uneasy look.
“Well, ya see…” Aeris started, Elena
picking up on the sentence.
“He likes ta pick fresh young girls…”
Elena trailed off, while both girls piped up together.
“And Ah guess he picked ya!” Both
chirped, almost amused looks on their faces while Tifa face faulted. After
picking herself and retaining some dignity, she looked up at both of them,
mouth open in shock.
“M-M-Me?”
Tifa stuttered, while Elena shrugged, grinning a bit.
“Oh, it’s not so bad. He kidnapped me
and Elena once, but Sir an’ everyone came ta kick his butt for us. It was fun
ta watch his lard butt bein’ kicked.” Aeris giggled, while Elena grinned some
more, her look one of gloating. Tifa blinked, wondering how these two could
take something like that so well. She supposed she was taking it rather well
too. Maybe this had been the escape she had so badly longed for?
But… as she had watched the girls,
like Aeris and Elena, they seemed so at ease with these bandits, who were
supposed to be ‘heartless’ and ‘rowdy’, which admittedly they were, but not so
much like the horror stories told about them portrayed. They just had fun, and
even if it was illegal, Tifa supposed she could understand.
Instantly her eyes widened, almost
clamping a hand over her mouth. Understand why the stole? Why they terrorized
poor innocent people? How could she even think that? But... seeing how happy
the bandits made Elena, Aeris, and Shera… she guessed she could make an exception.
“If Ah were ya, though, Ah would watch
my back.” Aeris said after a moment, pursing her lips in worry while Tifa
nodded, surprised at how Aeris could switch from care free to serious.
“Thanks Aeris.” Tifa said with a
slight smile, as the brunette grinned, giggling as she nodded, balancing a tray
on her slender hand as she wove her way back into the crowd, Elena trailing
after her.
“So what did ‘Laney say?” Tifa whirled
around to see
“Nothing much.”
Tifa said, scrubbing the counter of the bar, not knowing really if she should
tell or not. It might just be a silly rumor or something, and even if
“If it’s that Don
Corneo bit, don’ worry. Rude an’ Ah got ya back. Even Sir is lookin’
into it.”
“What are you talking about?” Tifa
sputtered, while
“Well, y’know, it ain’t too hard to
tell, ‘specially cause ya ain’t the first dame that was smitten with our Sir.”
“What?” She snapped, while
“Don’ act so shocked! Ah mean, geez,
next ta me, Sir is the hottest guy in the west.”
“Oh, I can understand.” Tifa whispered
slightly, tilting her head to the side as
“Well, just be aware Scarlet ain’t
gonna like hearin’ this, so Ah’d definitely watch my back now. See ya Tifa.”
Tifa bit her lip, tilting her head to
the side. Who was Scarlet? And what did Don Corneo want with her anyway?
Chapter 12: Like a Dream
“Corneo has been sighted?” Rufus
asked, raising an eyebrow as he turned around from the window, his gaze turning
back to Tseng and Vincent, Tseng giving a slight shrug.
“
He began trying to regulate his
breathing, suddenly conscious of Vincent, and Tseng’s boring into his back,
running a hand through his silky blonde locks, turning his gaze back to his
companions, his eyes narrowed a bit.
“Do not worry about Corneo, Tseng. I
will personally take care of this.” Rufus stated grimly, his hand unconsciously
going for the spot where his shot gun was kept hidden, his eyes narrowing a
bit, while Vincent gave a slight nod, though Tseng pursed his lips, raising an
eyebrow.
“Are you sure that is wise, sir?”
Tseng asked, his eyes narrowing dangerously while Rufus shrugged nonchantly. He
turned his attention back to the window, his fingers stroking his gun while the
giant panther next to him purred, rubbing her head against his leg, as if to
get his attention.
“I will take care of it personally. Dismissed.” Rufus said, as the two black haired men walked
calmly out of the office, Tseng’s fist shaking barely noticeable.
“You should calm down,
Rufus is old enough to handle these situations. Corneo isn’t exactly the most
unbeatable person.” Vincent reasoned, though his brother looked furious. Rufus
had been disobeying him more often now, and even though Rufus was supposed to
be the one in charge, he often listened to Tseng like an obedient child. And
since these changes had only started to occur when Tifa arrived, Tseng thought
it logical to blame it on her. “Besides,” Vincent tried again, “it is not Ms.
Lockheart’s fault.”
Tseng whirled around at that comment,
his black eyes flashing as if Vincent had just told him that he sided with
Rufus, which he did. Tseng was acting somewhat childish about the whole ordeal,
and Vincent didn’t like to see his brother act like that at all, no matter how
upset he was.
“He only started acting foolish when
she came. We should just kill her and get it over with.” Tseng snarled somewhat
viciously, and Vincent crossed his arms over his chest, raising an almost
amused eyebrow at him.
“Yes, and how
would we get the ransom money? How do you think Rufus would react?” Vincent
questioned, and Tseng, stating that this conversation was over with the enraged
look in his eye, turned and stormed off, brushing past Reno and Rude who looked
a bit startled, not to mention confused.
“Geez, who put a
rattlesnake in his boot this mornin’?”
“Sir will take care of Corneo.” He said
simply, walking off, while
“Ya get the feelin’ we missed
somethin’?”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Shera!”
Shera instantly jumped, almost out of her skin, turning around her brown eyes
wide as she pushed her spectacles back to the bridge of her nose, biting her
lip nervously.
“Yes, Captain?” She asked timidly, shifting
her tray uneasily, not sure what to expect. He had been nice to her since Elena
had blurted out her feelings to her, but she was positive it was only because
he felt somewhat guilty. She pursed her lips, while the Captain just fingered
his hat somewhat uneasily, cursing slightly to himself.
Deciding that he wasn’t going to ‘spit
it out’ in his terms, she spoke up, tilting her head to the side.
“Do ya want sum more tea?” She asked
politely, though Cid sighed, running a hand through his tousled blonde hair,
looking up at her with a slight shaky grin.
“Listen Shera, ‘bout all those times
Ah yelled at ya an’ everything? Ah’m sorry.” He said uneasily, playing with his
hat somewhat nervously, and Shera felt her heart melt, a small smile lingering
on her face.
Standing on her tip toes, since the
Captain was a good inch or two taller than she, she pressed her lips softly
against his rough check, noticing with a tinge of satisfaction that there was a
slight embarrassed blush on his face.
“Well Ah do declare Cid Highwind, Ah
reckon that was ‘bout the nicest thang ya’ve said ta me in all the time Ah’ve
been here.” Shera said with a smirk, one hand placed on her hip, the other
balancing as a tray. “Ah think it’ll be more fun to serve under ya Captain, now
that ya’ve decided to get off ya high chocobo.” With that, Shera swirled back
into the crowd, a small giggle caught in her throat.
She had seen the way the Captain’s jaw
had dropped, and she wouldn’t mind seeing him speechless more often. Now where
was Elena? She really had to thank the girl.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Mista Tseng?” Elena asked, peeking
her head out of the doorway of the saloon for a double check, and there he was,
her Mista Tseng, standing rather stiffly by the doorway, his gaze lowered,
though it went up to meet hers. He looked distressed, but then again, maybe it
was a trick of the light. Mista Tseng never showed his emotions. His face
softened a bit when he spotted her, and she smiled widely, her face lighting
up. Proof that Mista Tseng actually cared.
“Elena, doesn’t it disturb you that I
kill?” He said randomly, and Elena eyed him peculiarly, twisting her apron in
her hands as she moved to stand beside him, looking up at him.
“No, why?
Somethin’ wrong Mista Tseng? Ya can always talk to me ‘bout it.” Elena offered,
her cheeks turning a shade of pink as she sat down next to the small wooden chair
that he inhabited.
She gave a slight sigh when he didn’t
say anything back, tilting her head to the side, shading her brown eyes against
the glare of the sun, even though it was near setting, small colors of red
dashed across the fading yellow and orange, the sun a half globe of melting
gold. It was truly beautiful, and for that, Elena gave a breathy sigh, smiling
slightly as she turned to Tseng.
He seemed deep in thought, deeply
troubled, his eyes distant and faraway, his brows furrowed in concentration.
She blinked, looking out to where his gaze was, though, still seeing the same
magnificent sunset, she knew he didn’t see it. Didn’t enjoy it and basked in
its light like she did, he was too immersed in his own world and thoughts he
didn’t ‘stop and smell the roses’ like Aeris had said once. Well, she’d show
him how beautiful the flowers were, and she’d help him see the gorgeous sunset
in front of him.
“Mista Tseng?” She paused, feeling his
eyes on her, and she gave him a soft smile, pointing to the sunset. “My mother
always said that the sun setting was a miracle, a small one, but it should
never be taken for granted.” She stopped again, giving another shaky smile when
she noticed Mista Tseng was still watching her, a somewhat amused expression on
his face.
She gave him another small smile,
standing up, letting the breeze toy with her blonde locks, and she tucked a
strand gently behind her ear.
“She always said that ya should always
be cheerful and live life to the fullest, ‘cause it
was so short, because ya only have one before it’s gone. It’s like a dream, she
used ta say, it can easily be broken.” She blushed
noticing that he had a thoughtful look on his face, eyeing her. She gave a
slight nervous giggle, tugging on one of her strands of hair. Did she also
mention her mother said that she needed to know when to keep her mouth shut?
“You are right.” Tseng said after a
moment, and her eyes instantly widened, as she whirled around to face him,
blushing widely. Tseng was looking up at her with something close to affection,
something she had never seen in his usually emotionless black depths.
He looked back at the sun, its gentle
rays splashing onto his face, bathing his pale skin in a peach colored light,
the multi-hued sky twinkling in his eyes. She instantly reddened, slapping the
thoughts from her mind, but it was hard not to. His face was so soft, like he
had just been awakened from a nightmare, grateful to be alive once again.
“Thank you, Elena.” He whispered, and
she mustered up her courage, saying nothing as she sat back down next to him,
for once drawing a blank on what she should say. Mista Tseng,
thanking her?
She didn’t utter a word more when he wrapped a
somewhat hesitant, but firm arm around her slim shoulders. She rested her head
gently against his shoulder, sighing in content.
Thank you too, Mista Tseng, she longed
to say, but for the moment, kept silent.
Chapter 13: So Romantic!
“Hey Tifa!”
Tifa blinked, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she whirled around to face
a breathless Aeris, whose eyes were sparkling with happiness, and not wasting a
moment, grabbed Tifa’s wrist and pulled her off, babbling excitedly.
“Aeris! Hold
on for a moment!” Tifa cried, wrenching her hand from the brunette’s grip,
looking up at her peculiarly while Aeris paused a moment, a large blush on her
face as if she was ashamed. She paused for a moment, her eyes twinkling as if
they were the stars themselves, her cheeks flushed in her excitement.
Tifa didn’t know what was going on,
but whatever it was, she wished Aeris would just spit
it out, instead of just letting herself delve into the secret herself with a
large smile on her face. She had to ready the bar before the usual crowd, and
she was anxious to catch a glimpse of Cid and Shera, who were now the talk of
the town.
She had seen with her own eyes how
Shera had given Cid a small peck on the cheek, and how the ‘Captain’ had stared
after her like a bug eyed fish flopping around with the tumble weeds.
Absolutely priceless, and Tifa didn’t want to miss another.
“Well, Ah was goin’ outside to check
up on Elena since she hadn’t returned afta a while, but guess where Ah found
her!” Not even waiting for a reply, Aeris bubbled on, “With Mista Tseng, and
they were both watchin’ the sunset all lovey dovey like! It was so romantic!” Aeris
breathed, while Tifa gave a slight smile, bobbing her head. It was lovely, and
she just wished… she wished that it could happen to her too. Maybe a certain
blonde haired, blue eyed bandit… instantly she snapped out of her thoughts only
to catch Aeris grinning at her. Obviously she knew who she had been day
dreaming about.
Tifa gave a light blush as she turned
away from Aeris and quickly scurrying back to the bar front, only to be
confronted by a man with slick black hair, his brown eyes turning out to her
with a predatory gleam that made you want to run and hide, since it seemed like
he could see everything about you.
“Do you need something?” Tifa asked
softly, tilting her head to the side, while the man just grinned at her, his
bronze tanned skin gleaming as he sized her up, making Tifa turn an even deeper
shade of red.
“Ya Miz Lockheart?”
The man drawled lazily, and she blinked, nodding her head, a confused look
passing her face. She was positive she had never seen this man before, so how
did he know her name? “Good.” All went black as he appeared behind her,
knocking her unconscious before she could react.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“What do you mean kidnapped?” Rufus
snarled viciously, the two men in front of him saying nothing, though their
jaws were set more firmly than usual, as if keeping back the urge to cry or
whimper. Rufus swiveled his murderous gaze to
“Well, uh, Sir, it’s like this, Aeris
had jus’ left her an’ she was on her way to the bar an’ well…”
“What happened?” He hissed in an almost
demonic voice, and Rude paused for a moment, as if picking out his words
carefully, and then spoke.
“Dio was spotted leaving the
premises.” Rude said calmly, the only one in the office who seemed to have his
head squarely on his shoulders, and Rufus cursed like a bandit should, slamming
a palm on the table so hard both men almost jumped, and Reno could have sworn
the table cracked. Even Dark Nation let out a slight unhappy purr, under the
table with her paws over her ears.
“Dio? Are you
certain?” Rufus growled, and
“Yessir, ‘side, Dio
works for the Don, right?”
Rufus’s eyes cut deeply into both
men’s faces, almost making
“We move out in the morning. Where was
Tseng?” Rufus barked, while
“Right here Sir.” All men looked up to
see Tseng and Vincent calmly standing in the doorway, Tseng in a relaxed
position, his face somewhat softer than it usually was, his brother next to him
practically beaming, though his face was serious.
“Where were you when Dio came? I
thought I told you to watch the perimeter?” Rufus asked,
the anger tucked lightly into his voice, with just enough edge to make Tseng’s
face harden once more.
“He was in the restroom Sir, he asked
for me to cover for him.” Vincent spoke up calmly, while Rufus’s eyes narrowed
even more, switching to the elder of the two siblings.
Tseng just stared at his brother
furiously, knowing full and well that Vincent had seen him with Elena, and was
lying so he wouldn’t get the brunt of the blow.
“We’re moving out at dawn. Vincent,
learn to be more careful. I will not allow anymore mistakes.” Rufus snapped,
living no room for discussion while he dismissed them, Tseng glaring up at his
brother, who gave a light shrug as if it were nothing, disappearing down the
hall.
“Ah need a drink.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Aeris hummed merrily to herself,
arranging the beautiful flowers in her basket with a small smile on her face.
She was so happy for Elena she could
sing and dance! Which admittedly, she would do, just not in
public. She didn’t want any rowdy men to get the wrong impression. But
it was so joyful! Elena had finally found love, and Shera and Cid were to
adorable glancing at each other when they thought the other wasn’t looking, and
Sir! Oh, she had been starting to worry about him. She was so glad that Tifa
had decided to arrive at that moment, she must surely
have been a gift from the Lord!
She paused for a moment, her gaze
turning back out the window, seeing Elena giggling as she tugged on Tseng’s
sleeve and lead him away from the bar, the black haired man’s face so soft and
expressive Aeris wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t seen it for herself.
It made her heart soar, though at the same time, she was lonely.
Now that everyone had someone, it
seemed she was left out of the circle. It wasn’t as if Aeris couldn’t get
someone, no, she knew that if she set her mind to it, she could probably even
woo Vincent, though as much as he intrigued her, she knew he was too silent and
broody for her tastes. She had known Lucercia, the woman who had plagued him,
and Lucercia had been somewhat of a mother to her, and she felt it would be
like stepping all over her memory if she went for Vincent.
With a startled cry, she bumped into
someone, the person so sturdy that her petite form was flung back, and she
landed squarely on her bottom. How embarrassing! Her flowers scattered around
her, and with a light sigh, Aeris shook her head.
“Ah’m so sorry, Ah wasn’t lookin’
where Ah was goin’.” Aeris apologized, not even bothering to look up, expecting
to hear the sounds of boots thudding away, though to her surprise, she saw a
rough textured hand holding out several flowers to her. With a slight blush,
Aeris brushed her hand against the stranger, electricity surging through her
hand to her body, which instantly tingled.
She looked up in shock, her eyes
widening as she was instantly drowned in the most beautiful and exotic eyes she
had ever seen.
He had to be her knight in shinning
armor.
Chapter 14: Trust Me
“Are you ready?” Rufus asked coldly,
The sun was barely peeking
its sleepy gaze over the horizon, and its yellowish rays were seeping into the
town, not even the tumble weeds showing their faces, and all was deadly silent.
“Yea, let’s get this over with.”
Without another word, Rufus turned to
spur of his chocobo, only to stop short when he heard a loud squawk from a
chocobo and its female rider.
“Stop right there Rufus Shinra! Ah’ll
make ya regret kidnappin’ Tifa!” The short petite girl hollered, waving a fist
in the air, her short brown hair whipping around her as she yelled over a black
haired man’s shoulder, who looked somewhat agitated.
Without even waiting for the chocobo
to stop, the girl, since he presumed by the lack of figure, leapt off the
chocobo, landed somewhat gracefully for her face looked a tinge green and
instantly turned for Rufus. Only to be met by a gun from Vincent, who looked
down at the girl in disinterest.
She instantly stiffened, though gave a
warning growl, a visible vein popping up on her forehead, and she looked as if
she might kill someone.
“Get that outta my face before Ah kill
ya!” She cried, while her partner calmly strode over, placing a hand on her
shoulder.
“Yuffie, calm down.
Ya don’ wanna get killed before rescuin’ Tifa.” The black haired man cautioned,
while the one called Yuffie took deep breathes, though her face was flushed
with anger, and her teeth were gritted.
Rufus’s ears perked up with the
mention of Tifa, and he turned to the black haired man, whom he assumed was the
more sensible one of the two.
“Tifa Lockheart, you know her?” Rufus
turned his blue eyed gaze to the other blue eyed man, who gave a wolfish grin,
raking a gloved hand through his already spiky hair.
“Naw, but Yuffie here does. We’re here
ta take her back but…” He paused, raising an eyebrow at the party, and with a
dry sigh stated, “seems someone else got to her, eh?
Geez Yuffie, seems ya friend’s more popular than ya.”
Yuffie glared at him, wagging a fist in his face.
“Aw what do ya know? Ah’ll kick ya
arse so hard ya won’t be able to sit for a week!” She screeched, and Rufus was
sure even Rude flinched, though the black haired
character rolled his eyes, turning his gaze back to Rufus, his lips pulled up
into something close to a smirk.
“Anyway Shinra, we’re here ta take
Tifa back, but Ah guess we might as well kick the Don’s arse too, yea?” He
said, turning back to Yuffie, who nodded vigorously, pumping a fist into the
air.
“Whoop arse to whoever kidnapped
Tifa!” She paused as she whirled around, pointing to Rufus with a positively
demonic look on her petite face, her eyes narrowing to brown slits. “Includin’
ya Shinra, so don’ be surprised when Ah whoop ya too!” She promised, cracking
her fist, though Vincent put his gun back to her temple, and she glared at him
through the corner of her eye. “Ya ain’t bein’ spared neither, so put that gun
before ya hurt someone! Ya messin’ with Yuffie Kisargi
here!” Yuffie snapped, her companion putting a hand on her shoulder.
“Yuffie, calm down before ya get ya
shot, an’ Ah ain’t explainin’ to ya friend why ya missin’
a limb when we do find her.” He said, a cocky grin
still on her face while she screeched.
“Be quiet Zack before Ah whoop ya too!” Tseng leaned forward to Rufus, his eyes
trained on the bickering pair, an eyebrow arched.
“Should we let them come
Sir?” He asked, and Rufus let out a slight sigh. He had a feeling that it would
complicate matters if they let someone loud and rambunctious like Yuffie come
along with them, but people like her usually tagged along anyway, so it would
be a waste of time to tell her to stay back, and he had wasted enough time
watching them.
“Enough!” Rufus’s voice boomed, and
Yuffie quieted, looking up at him, her brown eyes wide. “You can come under one
condition.” Yuffie and Zack looked at each other, obviously some silent
communication passing between them before Yuffie piped up.
“What?” She grumbled, adding silently
to herself, ‘it better not be anything nasty’. Rufus paused for a moment, eyeing
them seriously for a moment, his gaze boring deeply into their skin, making
Yuffie shudder a bit.
“My orders are law, and to disobey
them,” He paused as Vincent let his gun whirl on his fingers, his emotionless
eyes glaring at the two, and Yuffie’s face scrunched up, “is death. Remember
that and we should have no problems.” Rufus added,
turning and spurring his chocobo off, the rest of his companions following
after him, Yuffie boarding up with Zack.
“Gawd, what a jerk!”
Yuffie huffed, while Zack looked back at her, a devilish gleam in his blue
eyes.
“We got off lucky Miz Yuffie, that guy
could’ve killed ya.” Zack said, indicating with a nod of his head to the guy
who had pointed a gun to her head. Yuffie let out a low giggle, shaking her
head, for once her mind off of her motion sickness.
“Yea well, Ah would have kicked his
arse, since Ah am Yuffie Kisargi.” Yuffie stated confidently, while Zack gave a
slight laugh, shaking his head in amusement.
“Yea, Ah don’t doubt ya Miz Yuffie.”
Zack said with a slight grin, while Yuffie scrunched up her nose in distaste,
giving a loud, exaggerated sigh.
“Zack, it’s
Yuffie, not ‘Miz’ since it sounds so… so… formal.” Yuffie said in a haughty
voice, and Zack gave a somewhat soft smile, his eyes twinkling with mischief
not unlike Yuffie’s.
“A’ight, M- Yuffie.” Zack said, a grin
on his face while Yuffie nodded her head, not noticing at all the tone in his
voice. She was far too interested in how the scenery blurred back together and
how not to keep from spewing the contents of her stomach all over Zack.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tifa glared angrily at the man before
her, or maybe he wasn’t a man at all. His face was smashed together like that
of a pig’s, his nose even turned up, and his double chins wiggled in
excitement. His small beady black eyes stared out at her lustfully from beneath
rolls of skin. His fingers looked more like tan sausages stuffed into gold
rings, and his clothing barely stretched over the generous round of his
stomach, indented with ever roll of fat. He was short and had a mop of blonde
hair on him that looked like a pig wearing a blonde wig.
It was disgusting to look at him, let
alone think about being within five feet of him, which the two women on either
side of him were doing, giggling and cooing as they played with tuffs of his
hair. It was sickening to think that she, Tifa Lockheart, could have been one
of those girls if it hadn’t been for her mother. Mentally she praised her
deceased parent, struggling against the bonds that bound her, gagging when the
Don turned his beady gaze to her chest area.
She mentally cursed her gene pool,
sighing as she felt the man who had capture her, ‘Dio’, and she ground her
teeth together. How could she have been so stupid? Obviously she had started
becoming soft during the years she hadn’t used her martial arts. Zagan would be
ashamed of her!
“And who is this?” Don Corneo
squealed, the fat along his mouth folding and bobbing along with his double
chins, and Tifa gave a slight groan of disgust, trying to inch away from him.
It was so disgusting.
“Tifa Lockheart
sir.” Dio reported, and Tifa didn’t know what she would suffocate first
from. The space of Dio’s ego occupying the room or the Don’s mass. Oh god, she
had gotten herself into trouble with this one.
“Yes, she’s lovelier in person.” The
Don said, eyeing her, while Tifa inwardly groaned, shaking her head. Great, just great. The girls on the side of the Don tried to
win his attention back by cooing compliments to him or by rubbing his rolls of
fat, though his gaze was fixated on Tifa, who would have traded seats with
anyone at this point in time.
Suddenly her ears perked up, as she
looked out the window, her eyes widening, her mouth
beneath the gag instantly pulling up into a wide smile. Rufus! He gave her a
charming wink, her heart instantly filled with gladness, and she was never
happier to see someone, even Rufus Shinra most wanted outlaw in the west, ever.
The Don, thinking she had finally come
around into seeing his ‘charm’, squealed back, ready to launch himself at her,
until a loud bang was heard, shattering glass around him, making his girls
scream and run out of the room crying, the Don not being able to run as fast on
his stubby legs fell over. Dio said nothing, whipping out his gun and ducking
behind Tifa, whose eyes instantly narrowed angrily as she struggled, him
pulling her roughly up.
“Don’t even move
Shinra!” Dio boomed, ignoring Corneo as he cried and whimpered, crawling
on the floor to get away from Rufus, who had frozen once he saw Tifa being held
up, gagged and tied, with a gun to her head. He knew how bad these situations
got, and it could only go from bad to worst.
“Let her go, she has nothing to do
with this.” Rufus said calmly, though inwardly he was running every vile word
he knew. If he even plucked on hair from Tifa’s head, he would die a slow,
painful death. Rufus himself would see to it.
Dio sneered, laughing at him with a
jeer, snorting.
“You’re in no position to make threats
Shinra! Turn yourself in! You know better than I that I deserve to be sheriff
instead of Corneo!” Dio snarled, pressing the cold metal even harder against
Tifa’s skin, and she shut her eyes, trying to stay calm. Rufus was here, he
couldn’t leave her, now would he?
“Tifa.” Rufus
said calmly, and she opened her eyes, blinking in shock as Rufus pointed the
gun to her, a small smirk on his face. “I never liked you anyway, more trouble
than you’re worth. Hopefully the bullet will pass through you and kill two
birds with one stone so to speak.” Tifa’s eyes instantly widened, and the world
stopped. Inwardly part of her was screaming it wasn’t true, not to listen to
him, but the look in his eyes told her what he was saying was true.
Rufus? She
wanted to utter, biting back the tears, though part of her had said not to fall
for him, not to think anything. He was a bandit after all, but those words… It
was painful how her heart wrenched in her chest. Why? She had thought… he was
leading you on, Lockheart, her brain sneered, though all she wanted was to
believe…
She had remembered how his blue eyes
had softened when they looked at her, affectionately, as if he was burning the
image of her in his mind, or so she wanted to believe. ‘I never liked you
anyway’ the words stung, they pierced deeply, and she kept the tears back with
a large gulp.
His gun came up in what seemed an
impossibly slow sped, and he caught her eye, giving her a slight wink, and
instantly she grew angry. Was this a game for him? To toy with her emotions
like this?
Sadness gave way to rage, and she
kicked out at Dio, and he cursed, releasing her just as Rufus sent a bullet
whizzing toward him, hitting him square in the chest with deadly accuracy.
Dio’s body snapped back, his form sprawling across the floor, blood trickling
from his wounds while Corneo let out a squeal like a pig, his beady eyes
looking around quickly for an exit, crawling toward the door.
It swung open, revealing a black
haired man and Yuffie, who peeked around the door, tilting her head to the
side.
“Ah thought Ah heard a thud when ya
opened the door. Zack!” She scolded, turning to the
black haired man who looked a bit sheepish, like a child caught with his hand
in the cookie jar, “ya hit someone! Oh, no wait, it’s
just the guy who kidnapped Tifa. Ya can open the door again if ya want.” Yuffie
said seriously, and the man identified as Zack grinned, going to close the door
again when
“Aw man, ya knocked him unconscious!
Ah wanted to do that!” Reno whined, while Rude brushed past his whining
companion, raising an eyebrow as he saw Tifa get up, Dio’s blood splattered all
over her, and she was looking at Dio’s body in shock, obviously she had never
seen a dead man before.
Rufus went to help Tifa up, but she
jerked away from him, looking up at him angrily, tears
welling up in her eyes.
“Did you really mean all those things?
That you never like me anyway? What are you? Some heartless
b******?” Tifa cried, glaring at him angrily while Rufus just stood
there calmly, as if waiting for her to be finished. Disgusted
with his attitude, Tifa quickly got up and walked out of the room, while Yuffie
blinked and looked after her friend, turning to eye Rufus coldly, and following
after her.
Rufus sighed, rubbing his temples
slightly, ignoring the slight concerned look Tseng spared him.
“Get Corneo out of here and do
whatever you like with him, preferably not killing him, but if he does get that
annoying…” He let the sentence hang, turning to walk after Tifa. How was he
supposed to know she didn’t know how these situations worked? Didn’t she know
he wasn’t serious?
He sighed, turning his gaze upward,
his blue eyes clouding over. He would rather they be on friendly terms, and
that shocked him, making him stop in his tracks. He usually didn’t care what
people thought about him at all, so why would that make Tifa so different?
“Here.” Rufus glanced up, seeing
Vincent handing him something cautiously, a slight shrug of his shoulders. “If
you want her to forgive you, it’s safer to use that.” Vincent explained, as if
that was all there was to it before turning and walking off, and for once,
Rufus decided he would take his advice. Vincent knew about these kind of things.
With a confident smirk he was known
for Rufus turned and headed down the hallway.
Chapter 15: What Kind of
Horrible Person?
“Ah think we should burn him.” Elena commented, tilting her head to the
side as she eyed the Don, tied to a chair, a gag over his mouth as he struggled
and squealed like a pig. The Don shrieked, struggling even more at the mere
suggestion, his beady eyes wide behind the layers of fat that surrounded his
entire being.
“That’ll be too good for the pig. Ah
say we should push him off a cliff.” Yuffie voted, pumping her fist up and
down, while Aeris pursed her lips. It was certainly un-lady like to think of
such a thing, much less voice them out loud, however…
she paused, turning to look at Corneo, her brow knitting in concentration.
However, she supposed the Don deserved his punishment for kidnapping not just
her, but Elena and Tifa. Not to mention the fact that he was horribly corrupt.
“Ladies, Ah don’ think this is our
job. Ah mean, the men can take care of him.” Aeris
stated with conviction, though Shera gave Aeris a teasing, but motherly look as
she patted her shoulder. She looked up at the woman with a perplexed look about
her.
“Aeris jus’ wants an excuse to see her
‘knight’.” Shera teased, while Aeris’s cheeks turned a bright red, and
instantly everyone’s eyes rested on her as she twisted her skirt. How had Shera
found out? She was positive that she had uttered a word to no one, so how could
Shera of all people possibly have found out?
“Shera! Please!”
Aeris blushed, while instantly Elena and Yuffie’s faces broke out into grins as
they pounced on the girl, their eyes gleaming. Shera only stood in the
background, Don Corneo forgotten for a moment while Aeris smiled slightly,
tilting her head to the side.
“C’mon Aeris!
Out with it!” Elena squealed, wondering who could have
captured Aeris’s ever wandering attention. Maybe Yuffie’s
friend, Zack. No, as playful and charming as the man was, he seemed more
teasing like Aeris, and opposites and challenges was what Aeris liked. Especially ones involving romance and dashing men.
“Well… Ah think Ah’ve found who Ah’ve
been lookin’ for.” Aeris admitted quietly, while the girls looked at her wide
eyed, Yuffie grinning and rubbing her hands together. This sounded juicy, way
better than the gossip those old hens did around afternoon tea, and better yet,
it was happening right under her nose! Hehe, wait until Tifa heard this!
“Well, who is it? Ah have to tell Tifa
this!” Yuffie piped, while Aeris continued to turn different shades of red,
glancing down at her hands as they twisted cloth in her anxiousness.
She couldn’t just tell them, could
she? What if it was another desperate whim she had conjured up in her lonely
mind? What if it was nothing more than a small crush? Aeris pushed the thought
out of her mind, positive that this had to be the real thing. How could it not
be, when every time she thought about him, her heart stopped and she felt like
singing?
“Well!” Elena squeaked, and Aeris grinned,
her face splitting into a sunny smile as she giggled.
“Ya know the man that’s always ‘round
“Rude?” Elena managed to squeak after
a moment, and Aeris turned to her, arching an eyebrow.
“Why, is there a problem?” Aeris
asked, feeling her heart sink. If her friends didn’t approve of the person she
finally thought had captured her attention, what would she do? Would she be
able to choose between her friends or the man she was interested in?
In truth, Rude had just handed back
her flowers, though when she had bumped into him, she guessed she had knocked
off his hat, because she was staring into the most exotic eyes she had seen.
Stormy grey eyes had been staring back at her, and just thinking about them
made her tingle. He had also helped her up, giving a slight apology, while
Aeris’s tongue had been stuck in her mouth, and she had just stared after him
while he walked off, though he had tipped his hat to her. Did that mean
anything?
“Awwww! How excitin’!” Elena squealed, launching herself at Aeris
and embracing the older woman with a grin. “Finally someone’s caught ya eye!”
Aeris blushed while the rest of the girls giggled and chatted, though Yuffie
paused, quickly growing bored of such talk when she didn’t have a ‘love life’.
It seemed now she was the outsider, thrown into the bunch without so much as a warning. Sometimes she regretted being so
spontaneous, but then again, it was more fun this way. Speaking of fun…
She glanced back at Don Corneo, who had looked
comfortable for a minute just eyeing the attractive ladies to his vintage,
though his tiny black eyes stared up at her in horror, her grin completely
demonic.
“Ah think maybe we should beat him
with a stick?” Yuffie said, getting back to the original conversation while
Aeris giggled. She could almost imagine the Don tied up like a Mexican piñata,
with little children around him with sticks, though she quickly dismissed the
thought. No rope, she mused, could hold the weight of the Don.
“Ah liked the cliff idea better. Any
‘round these parts?” She asked, while Shera pursed her lips, tilting her head
to the side, exaggerating her thinking with a raise of an eyebrow, a mock
serious expression on her face. All ideas sounded tempting. Ahh,
choices, choices.
“Ah guess the men’ll have to decide
this one.” Shera paused, looking back at Yuffie with a slight wink. “Ah think
we should push him off a cliff.” She admitted, while Elena laughed and made a
sort of squish sound that made a grin come to everyone’s faces, though Aeris’s
was more dreamy than anyone else’s as she stared out into space.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tifa blinked, yawning and stretching
like a cat just awakened as she rubbed her wine colored eyes, drowsy with
sleep. With another yawn, she shivered as she stepped onto the cool wooden
floor, effectively jolting her back into an alert state as she padded softly to
the window, moonlight streaming into her room. She was curious to see what had
awakened her. No one had bothered to see her other than Yuffie, who had checked
up on her before Tifa dismissed her, saying she was tired and needed to rest,
though she had only taken bits and pieces of a fitful sleep. Even though Dio
had kidnapped her, she felt horrible, seeing him die like that. She was no
stranger to death, her mother dead, many elderly people she had grown attached
to had died in front of her eyes, withering slowly and
then taking that last futile breath before slipping away.
It was horrible, and those deaths were
mostly of natural causes, and to see someone murdered had shaken her.
Especially since she realized how many times Rufus could have killed her. Or anyone in this establishment for the matter. She knew for
a fact that Elena could be a crack shot if she wanted to, having seen her
brandish a gun and shoot expertly at an enraged drunken costumer, missing him
purposely so he would get the point, tail behind his legs as he ran out.
She had no clue why she had grown so
comfortable around them, especially Rufus. Where along the lines had she
forgotten that he could kill people, and so ruthlessly? His words still stung
her, and the very though clenched at her heart painfully, making her bit back
the tears. It didn’t matter anyway. She had awoken to the sound of something
rapping on the windowsill, and at first, she figured it had just been a bird,
nothing more, nothing less, and had continued her fitful dozing. However, the
rapping only increased, to an annoying pitch until she
had become irritated enough to get out of the warm comfort of her bed to
investigate.
With a positively sour look on her
face, her eyes narrowed and her hair and clothes rumpled with sleep, she opened
the window loudly, her hands fisting on the window sill with a scowl on her
face.
“What is it-?” She stopped,
dumbfounded to see Rufus grinning with his lady killer smile up at her, and
that had made her stop and catch her breath, instantly lost in his blue eyes.
The terrain was still as cold and barren, though there was some light
glittering off his blue sapphires, some hope deep
enough that if she dug, she would find it.
Her eyes narrowed angrily, and she
turned to shut the window, though his soft voice stopped her, no longer
arrogant, and that caught her attention so she paused, turning her gaze back to
him.
“I have something to show you.” Was
all he said, and Tifa pursed her lips, sighing slightly. How come she was
willing to go even though he didn’t apologize for saying those hateful words?
Was she really that sad? She sighed, reluctantly swinging her feet out the
windows and dropping down into Rufus’s waiting and strong arms. Instantly she
blushed, though brushed it off as he settled her on the front of his chocobo,
which gleamed in the moonlight, just like everything else about him. It made
him seem somewhat like a night in shining armor, giving her a half smile that
looked somewhat seductive in her eyes.
Somehow, she didn’t want this ride to
end, with Rufus’s arms wrapped securely around her, strong and comforting,
definitely not at all like Cloud’s. Instantly her eyes widened as she fought
the urge to smack herself.
Cloud! When was the last time she
thought of him? She allowed a slight blush to grace her features again, this
time not because of Rufus. She was ashamed of herself. Cloud was supposed to be
her fiancée, and yet here she was with one of the most wanted outlaws in the
west, going who knows where with him. Oh god, what kind of person was she?
She bit her lip again to stop a
strangled cry within her lips, though Rufus just sent her a slight smirk,
dismounting the chocobo and pointing.
“We’re here.” Was all he said, helping
her step off, which she found chivalrous, which she didn’t expect from him.
This man had a way of surprising her, no matter how much time she spent with
him.
Suddenly she let out a gasp of
surprise, her eyes widening. It was beautiful, a gentle stream slopping by the
side of a blossoming patch of lively flowers, singing with vibrant colors. On
the other side, the moonlight streamed down onto the bank, bathing the dirt
with liquid silver, making it hauntingly breathtaking, unlike the horrible
dusty clinging substance it was during the day. It was somewhat ethereal, like
this place had leapt out of the story books and right in front of her.
“It’s… beautiful.” Those were the only
words to describe it, and she felt Rufus chuckle behind her, and distantly she
wondered when he had been able to sneak up behind her.
“I used to come here often… after she
died.” Rufus broke the small silence that had descended upon them, and she
blinked, looking up, her eyes sympathetic. She knew of whom he spoke. Isabelle, his mother. It was sad to know that he had lost
his mother like she had, and for some strange reason, she pitied him, and
usually that would have scared her, however she sympathized for she knew the
same pain. It was all the same, losing someone so dear to you, no matter who
you were. Loss spared no one.
“I’m… sorry.” She said softly, resting
a hand on his shoulder, and for a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of a
lost child, desperately searching for the loving reassurance of his mother,
only to be crushed, hope snuffed out like a flame. It hurt, she remembered the
pain vividly, and thankfully she had someone to understand, since Yuffie had
never known her mother, but missed her all the same. But Rufus… he never had
anyone.
Rufus gave a nonchalant shrug, turning
back to her with his blue eyes softer than before, or maybe it was a trick of
the moonlight, Tifa couldn’t be sure.
“It was his fault.” Now his voice
sounded angrier than sad, rage and a boiling hat churning just below of the
surface of his cool blue eyes, and Tifa turned to him, her eyes wide.
“Who’s fault?” Tifa asked softly,
gently as to not upset him. He had kept this in for a long time, she figured,
and it was better if he spoke of it instead of keeping it behind a cold
unfeeling mask, because that mask could break anytime, and it would hurt more.
“My old man.”
His lips curved into a sadistic smile, his eyes narrowing and his hands
clenched into fists, and Tifa blinked, searching his face for any sign of
emotion. Only hate and anger resided there, cool, unrelenting hate that
threatened to consume him if he didn’t let it go.
“What did he do?” Tifa pressed gently,
and he turned his gaze to her, angry and unseeing.
“He killed her. Shot her himself
because she wanted to leave him. Because she wasn’t obedient
like his whores.” Rufus snapped, his tone crisp and clipped, and Tifa
flinched inwardly. Her father was horrible, but she would never say anything
like that about him, especially in such a tone of voice. She’d probably be
backhanded by one of the ladies who used to gossip about her. She gave a rueful
smile. They’d have a field day if they saw her now.
“I’m…” Tifa started again, though
Rufus stopped her, a merciless, humorless smile curving at his lips.
“Sorry? Everyone was sorry except for
my old man.” Rufus snapped, and Tifa moved to comfort him, though he turned his
back to her, once again cold and detached, nothing like the lost man, no boy,
that she had seen before. He turned his gaze to her, letting it sweep over her
features, before resting on her full lips, and he smiled slightly, not the
cruel arrogant smirk he usually held, but a true smile, no matter how small.
He
leaned forward slightly, barely brushing his lips to hers, and her eyes
instantly widened. He was tempted, oh holy how he was tempted, to deepen the
kiss and claim her as his own, though he supposed now wasn’t the time for it.
He shouldn’t get attached, and he was drowning in his thoughts of her already.
He didn’t need actually memories.
Tifa gave a slight gasp, her eyes
widening as he pulled back, a slight smirk on his features, and with a deft
movement, placed a delicate white rose in her hair, silently thanking Vincent,
who certainly knew how to woo women. Tifa just stood there in shock, her hand
going up to touch it, a somewhat dazed look on her face.
“We should leave.” He said with a
slight wink to her, and she blushed, looking down at her feet. Rufus Shinra had
practically kissed her, and her sinful mind wished for more.
What kind of horrible person was she,
to long for a kiss from an outlaw?
Chapter 16: Perfect Picture
“Zack!”
Yuffie skidded down the hall, screeching to a halt in front of the spiky haired
man in question, who merely raised an eyebrow at her, looking up through the
thick cloud of smoke circling around the table he sat in, Cid cursing like a
sailor, his face scrunched up with concentration as he eyed his cards.
“Yea Yuffie?
Ya need somethin’?” Zack drawled easily, his poker face slipping off as he eyed
the girl who looked at him in annoyance.
“Yea! Teach
me how ta play!” Yuffie squeaked, and Zack grinned down at her, while Cid
howled with laughter, slapping his knee like it was the funniest thing he had
ever heard, and Yuffie turned to him, her eyes narrowed into vicious slits.
“What? Ya got somethin’ ta say gramps?” Yuffie challenged, and Cid instantly
slammed a fist on the table, shaking the wooden structure beneath him in his
fury.
“What’cha ya call me ya little brat?”
Cid snarled, while Yuffie smirked superiorly, hands on her hips as she tossed
her head to the side saucily.
“Gramps, ya need hearin’ help too?”
Yuffie taunted, while a visible vein popped out of Cid’s forehead, gritting his
teeth together as he tried hard not to kill the small girl in front of him,
trying to count to ten like Shera had cautioned him too, though somehow he conveniently
forgot what came past five.
Zack and the other participants at the
table, Rude and
“Listen up gramps, Ah could whoop ya
at this game no sweat!” Yuffie challenged, while Cid slammed the cards down in
front of her.
“A challenge eh? Well Ah’ll show ya!”
Cid snapped viciously, biting his cigarette in-between his teeth and grinded them
together while Yuffie sat down next to Zack, grinning at him with a slight
wink, smiling in satisfaction when Zack returned the smile.
She felt happy with her success, no
matter how small, that she almost felt giddy. Or maybe it was Zack, though she
didn’t want to say that in front of
“Ready runt?”
Cid snarled, and Yuffie smirked, just picking up the cards with a slight laugh,
giving Zack a slight wink before replying.
“Ready gramps, just get
the game goin’.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Hey baby.” A man winked, watching her
as she sashayed by, and a light smirk touched her painted lips, and she humored
him with a wink, tossing her blonde locks over her sun kissed shoulders, not
needing to turn around to know that every man with eyes was following her.
She gave an extra saucy toss of her
hair before clacking up to the unsuspecting red head that was engrossed in some
card game, smoke curling distastefully around the whole table, that she turned
up her nose to avoid the stench. Oh well, she had dealt with worse.
Sliding like she belonged onto the lap
of the startled red head, she grinned up at him, batting her long black
eyelashes as she wrapped her slender arms around his neck, leaning forward so
he could see ample amount of cleavage, and seeing his eyes straying to where
she thought they would go, she smiled.
“Hey
“D***mit Scarlet!
What was that for?”
“Ya know very well what that was for
Reno Taylor! Callin’ me a whore! Wait till Ah tell my
big brother.” Scarlet hissed angrily, her eyes narrowing into tiny slits of
blue fury, and
“Well Scarlet, milady, if Ah’d known
that ya didn’t want more action, Ah wouldn’t have said a word.”
“Reno Ah oughta…” Scarlet snarled,
rolling up one sleeve, though stopped when she heard the bald headed man next
to him give a slight cough. Scarlet blinked, turning her gaze to the more
tolerable of the two, shaking her head and rolling her eyes.
“Someone else is interested in ya
brother Scarlet.” She whirled around, only to see Tim, another bandit who had
his eyes on her for quite some time, and had his uses as a snitch who would get
any information that she needed. She liked to keep those horrible whiny wenches
away from her elder brother, though sometimes her need to get out of here often
interfered with that. So, loyal Tim kept vigilant watch over her brother.
“Who?”
Instantly Scarlet’s eyes narrowed into thin slits, her long fingernails tapping
impatiently on the wood of the poker table, and the occupants looked up with
her with annoyance, though she ignored them.
“Tim…”
Reno said warningly, his aquamarine eyes piercing deep into Tim’s
fretful face, though he looked back to Scarlet, whose lips were pursed, her
face impatient.
“Well, a new girl named Tifa Lockheart
ma’am. Seems they’ve been gettin’
pretty cozy.” Tim said obediently, ignoring the hiss that had come out
of
“Thank ya’ll ever so much. Ah owe ya
one.” Scarlet purred into his ear, then turned, giving
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Aeris sighed, tucking rebellious
strands of chestnut brown hair behind her ear, wondering how they had escaped
her closely woven braid. The sun beat down unrelenting on her back, though she
didn’t mind really. She hummed softly as she tended to her flowers, her green
eyes tender as she watched the flowers bloom, their petals opening as children
would when they had just woken up. Aeris smiled, stroking one of the flower
petals tenderly, glad that the fruits of her labors were turning out so
beautiful.
“Ya have a green thumb.” Instantly she
whirled around, only to come face to face with Rude, and instantly she turned
red. He didn’t seemed perturbed at all, his face just
passively staring into hers, or at least that’s what it looked like.
“Hello Rude. How are ya?” Aeris said
politely, batting her eyelashes slightly, not knowing what had possessed her to
do such a move, but maybe it was worth it, seeing Rude
shift slightly, and she giggled, knowing that if Rude could, he probably would
blush.
Seeing as she wasn’t going to get much
else out of him, she smiled, tugging on his sleeve, and he looked down at her
in curiosity, though it was hidden behind the shadows of his hat.
“Hey, Ah know! Come with me! Sir said
we’d dispose of Corneo today, an’ it seems like a mighty fine idea to watch,
right Rude? Would ya come with me?” Aeris pleaded, her green eyes wide with
innocence as she giggled, continuing to tug on his sleeve lightly, hugging his
arm lightly, smiling up at him.
Rude hadn’t known what had possessed
him to seek out Aeris, though he had known he had been watching her for quite
some time now. The way she moved gracefully, or the lifting sound of her voice
that he had rarely been able to capture, or maybe just the happy content look
that crossed her delicate features when she gardened. But he knew that once he
had locked eyes with her gorgeous emerald depths that he wanted to see her again.
Maybe he had been bewitched, but he
wasn’t so sure about that. Aeris was too pure, too innocent to cast a horrible
spell on someone, and why waste her time with someone like him? It made his
heart flutter slightly to think that she might actually want to go anywhere
with him when she could choose any other guy around.
“Sure.” Was all he could mange
stonily, and Aeris smiled up at him, her features brightening again, and Rude
felt a small smile tug on the corner of his lips.
She was the perfect picture of
innocence.
Chapter 17: Things Get
Interesting…
The sun beat down on the Don as he gave a slight squeak, shifting
uncomfortably in his bindings, shrieking and wailing in a loud high pitched
squawk that made him sound like a pig, though his appearance didn’t help
either, the ropes pushing his fat rolls of fat out for anyone to see if they
happened to gaze upon him. He was a sickening, pathetic sight, and Rufus was
glad they’d be rid of the sniveling pig soon.
However, the Don seemed less than pleased.
For the past half hour he had be whining about getting a ‘last request’ and
Rufus had a sinking feeling in his stomach it had to do with Tifa or sparing
him, and either of them Rufus didn’t feel he should do. Besides, the Don had
only caused him trouble in his life, and right now, he didn’t need anymore of
that clouding his vision or thoughts. Tifa did that enough for the both of
them.
“Sir.” Rude
prompted, and he gave a slight nod, turning back to Tifa, Elena, Aeris, and
Yuffie, all of whom had gathered to see the demise of the fat sheriff. Though
he normally didn’t want women gathered around, they had insisted, and he hadn’t
noticed till then how scary women could be. He wondered how
The Don deserved the justice that will
be served today, especially thinking that he had the audacity to think he could
steal what was his and get away with it. The thought brought a slight smirk to
Rufus’s lips. He hadn’t failed to notice how possessive he had become of Tifa,
though at first he had denied it and he was coming to terms with it. His
impulsive behavior to press his lips against hers had cracked a thin line in
his resolve, and he had given into the urge, even if it was only a tiny bit,
and he couldn’t wait to do it again.
With Tifa’s
permission of course. He knew she could hold up a fight if she wished,
and he didn’t want to fight with her.
Rude gave a slight nod of his head, turning
to the Don who positively whimpered, struggling fruitlessly against his bonds,
while Rude impassively flung him over his shoulder, who squealed excessively,
though Rude looked coolly over his shoulder, his eyes resting on Aeris, and she
gave a slight shaky smile at him, turning her gaze away after a moment. He had
always known she was a gentle soul, and even though the Don had committed
wrongs against her, she couldn’t bare to see him die.
“What’cha waitin’
for? Toss the slimy jerk!” Yuffie hollered, and without another word,
Rude heaved the Don over the cliff, which caused a slight gasp from the lady
population, and he heard a slight snort from
“Hope ya have fun bouncin’
ya fat piece of lard!”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“So, Don Corneo and Dio have been
eliminated?” Cat like green eyes roved over to the messenger, who gave a sort
of strangled look, as if the haunting green eyes themselves were enough to kill
him. The messenger could only give a slight nod, his eyes wide with fear.
Sephiroth shook his head, pursing his
lips in distaste, shaking his head slightly as he leaned back into his chair,
turning his disinterested gaze out the window. He had never really cared for
the perverted power and women lusting Don, and his death wasn’t something that
would be mourned, he was sure.
However, it seemed that Rufus Shinra
could no longer be ignored, and had to be dealt with. As soon
as possible. His lips curved into a somewhat feral smile, tilting his
intimidating gaze back to the messenger, who instantly stiffened.
“Take care of the office for me. I
think I owe Mr. Shinra a visit.” Sephiroth said, while the soldier gave a
slight strangled gulp, eyes wide and bugged eyed as he stared at the sheriff as
if he had lost his mind.
“M-M-M-Me Mr.
S-S-Sephiroth?” The messenger stuttered, as if he was about to fall over
in fright, or wet himself, though Sephiroth wasn’t particularly interested
either way, his mind cool and calculating.
Rufus Shinra was not a man to take
lightly, that was for sure, and he was positive that he was the challenge he
needed to get back into his work so to speak. He hadn’t had a good fight in a
long time, and if Rufus Shinra could impair the Don’s security level to
retrieve his woman without a single scratch, he was definitely a man worth
looking into.
Suddenly the door slammed open and
Sephiroth looked up semi-startled, his eyes narrowing a bit at the blonde
figure panting in the doorway, the messenger nearly jumping out of his seat.
Sephiroth made a mental note to send everyone on a long holiday, though all
thought was tucked neatly away in the corner of his mind.
“And you are?” Sephiroth said somewhat
dryly and the blonde just raised his eyes to look at him, his blue eyes blazing
with some fire that instantly captured Sephiroth’s attention.
“Cloud Strife,
and I believe I may be of some use to you.” Sephiroth’s lips curved into a
slight smile, his chin resting on his folding hands delicately. It looked like
things were about to get interesting…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Shera felt as if she was on top of the
world. Nothing could go wrong now that her Captain was actually paying
attention to her! He had been so thoughtful lately, and considerate, once even
getting her a cup of tea.
Her face broke out into a wide grin.
Never in a million years could she imagine Cid Highwind getting of his high chocobo
for someone like her. It was a miracle, and all it took was Elena’s loose
tongue. She really had to thank the girl.
Everything was just peachy, now that
Tifa was back and everyone in the cycle of romance that it almost made her want
to kick up her skirts and dance. Well, sort of anyway. She was born with two
left feet, like the Captain was, she had found out humorously after having her
feet tromped on by an embarrassed Cid, though she
figured it was good enough he had actually stopped his busy schedule to take a
dance with her.
“Shera?” The
brown haired woman stopped dead, instantly her surreal day dream shattering
around her and crumbling around her to dust, scattering to the four winds. It
couldn’t be, could it?
“Scarlet?” She turned around to
look at the smirking blonde woman, who resembled her brother almost like they
were twins, and both were cunning and devious, especially Scarlet.
She was ruthless when it came to what she wanted, and most of the time what she
wanted was for women to stay away from Rufus. Which most
likely meant that she had heard of Tifa from Tim.
In the infamous words of her beloved Captain ‘d*** that frickin’ no
good jacka** that has his head shoved too far up Scarlet’s a** ta think
straight’. His words, not hers of course.
“Where’s my brother? No one else wants
ta tell me, an’ it better not be with that Tifa Lockheart Ah’ve heard about.”
Scarlet warned, her pretty face twisted into an ugly
snarl, her blue eyes flashing in anger. No one went near her brother if she
could help it. Scarlet knew better than most how women would only use her
brother, and she knew that her brother was a ticking time bomb that could
explode any minute, and the man she admired, loved, and feared would crumble
away into nothing. Just like her head strong mother had.
“Ah don’t see what’s
the problem. Ya brother’s taken a shine to Tifa an’ Ah’d even go so far
to say he was smitten.” Shera said boldly, pushing down the urge to clamp her
hands over her mouth. What on earth had possessed her to say such a thing?
Usually she couldn’t even make eye contact with this woman, much less back
talk!
Scarlet’s eyes narrowed dangerously,
almost to the form of slits, and Shera would have cowered away, though she
stood her ground, feeling somewhat angered also. Scarlet had no right in
telling her brother who to stay away from, especially if someone like Tifa
stopped by. Rufus needed some happiness, and Shera would bet that he could find
it in the wine eyed lady.
“Listen here ya old wench-!” Scarlet
started, though stopped short and she pursed her lips, and Shera couldn’t
figure it out until she heard a somewhat angered growl from behind her. With a
slight turn of her head, she saw her Captain standing there, a positively
demonic look on his face.
“As ya were sayin’
Scarlet? Ya don’ wanna finish that sentence.” Cid snarled viciously, and
Scarlet’s eyes flashed, but then she turned a heel and stalked off, and Cid
turned his blue eyes back to the stunned Shera, a slight smile softening his
features. “Don’ let that wench bother ya Shera, ya ain’t old an’ certainly
ain’t a wench.” Cid said comfortingly, and Shera did the only thing she could
do. Throw her arms around him and kiss him flat on the lips.
Chapter 18: Fiancée?
Tifa smiled slightly, dipping her bare
feet into the cool water of the stream with a small sigh, letting them dangle
loosely, closing her eyes as she tilted her head back, letting the sun kiss her
face. A small breeze flitted by, toying with her hair and for a moment she
could almost imagine it was Rufus, and that thought brought a flush to her
cheeks. She couldn’t think about things like that, especially when she was
engaged.
She sighed, hugging her knees to her chest, sighing
loudly. It was just a dream she was having, that she could stay here, sure, even though Rufus was an outlaw, he was still
acted so much like gentleman. They way he had held back, even though she knew
what outlaws usually did if they wanted a woman. It made her blush again,
though this time she didn’t really mind, shoving everything from her thoughts
except the brook tugging at her ankles, the sun beaming down on her, and the
wind floating gently by. It was a beautiful day, and nothing could spoil it.
“Hey! What’dya doin’ here?”
Startled, Tifa turned around, only too see the angered
blue eyes of a blonde woman who resembled Rufus so much it was almost scary.
Maybe she was a relative or something?
“Just lazing around. Do ya want to join?” Tifa
asked in a friendly tone of voice, though the woman scowled, hands on her curvy
hips, her eyes narrowing dangerously, and for a moment Tifa wondered if it was
a good idea to come here to meet Rufus in the first place.
“How did ya find this place? Ya ain’t Tifa Lockheart
are ya?” Tifa blinked in confusion, wondering how this woman knew her name.
Tifa was almost certain that she had never met her before, so where could she
know her from?
“Yes, I am. I’m sorry, do I know you?”
Tifa asked, while the woman pointed a single, well manicured nail to her face,
right on her nose, her eyes narrowing even further.
“Listen Ms. Lockheart, Ah don’t take
too kindly to women who try an’ snag my brother.” The woman snapped, and Tifa’s
eyes widened. Rufus’s sister? How come he had never told her before? Smirking,
the woman started, “Didn’t tell ya ‘bout me did he?
Shows how much ya know my brother. He probably don’ even care for ya, so why
don’ ya save yourself the trouble an’ leave?” She mocked, and Tifa bit her lip,
tilting her head to the side thoughtfully. True, Rufus had never told her
anything about himself except about his mother’s death, which was very painful
for him to relate it seemed, so she figured that it showed how much he trusted
her already. Besides, she had never told him anything about herself, and he had
never pried, so in turn she hadn’t either. She had just assumed that he had
never had any other family, since he didn’t mention it.
“Y’know, you never said your name,
unless you want me to refer to as a rude wench.” Tifa snapped, and the woman
immediately flared, her eyes widening at her sudden outburst, then narrowing
her words sunk in.
“Not like it matters, but Ah’m
Scarlet. Just came here to give ya fair warning to stay away from my brother.”
Scarlet said, and without another word, turned her heel and trooped back in the
direction of the bar. Settling deep in thought, Tifa sat silently, a frown
tugging at the end of her lips. Still, Rufus should have told her he had a
sister, especially one so protective. It was so strange, but then again, Tifa
had never had a sibling, so she supposed she wouldn’t know the first thing
about it.
Suddenly a pair of arms snaked around
her waist, and she stiffened, though relaxed when she heard Rufus’s slight
chuckle murmuring in her ear, sending warm trickles of heat shooting all
throughout her body.
“Have you been waiting long?” He asked
her softly, and a blush stained her cheeks. She thought somewhat of Scarlet and
Cloud, though both of them had disappeared from her mind all of a sudden. It
didn’t matter anyway, for she couldn’t construct a sentence as soon as Rufus
turned her gaze to his, his eyes roving her face for a moment before he smirked
slightly, his blue eyes softening.
As if silently asking her permission,
he waited, and her throat, constricted and dry as a desert, could only nod, and
with a small smirk still perched on his lips, he leaned forward, only a hair’s
breath away from her own lips, and with a blush on her cheeks, she closed her
eyes, waiting, though nothing ever came.
“Tifa?”
Startled, Tifa jerked back, her eyes widening as they fell on a confused
looking Cloud, who was standing across the stream, his eyes fixed on her, wide
and hurt. Suddenly she felt herself flush, and somehow embarrassed. Her fiancée
had just caught her about to kiss another man, and an outlaw no less! The same
one that had kidnapped her! She turned her face away, blushing, only to have
her eyes widening as she looked up at the great Sheriff Sephiroth, his cold
emotionless face reminding her of Vincent.
“I’m assuming you’re Ms. Lockheart.”
Sephiroth said, though she knew it wasn’t really a question at all. He probably
already knew who she was, and her eyes narrowed slightly. Now she knew why
Cloud was here, and even though she was touched, she somehow felt a bit angry.
Since when did he care what happened to her anyway? Both Rufus and Tifa stood
up, Rufus’s eyes suddenly cold as ice, his eyes narrowing.
“What do you want?” Rufus asked, as if
to break the tense silence, ignoring Cloud and instead glaring at Sephiroth,
who gave a slight, disinterested shrug. He turned his gaze slightly to Cloud,
who was still looking a tad confused, then back at Rufus with a slight grin.
“We’ve come for the woman, and your
head.” Sephiroth said easily, while Tifa glanced at Rufus out of the corner of
her eye, who seemed perfectly calm, except she knew
him well enough to know that he was seething silently. He didn’t like to be
disturbed, and she knew that well enough. Then he turned his gaze to Tifa,
giving a slight shrug.
“Okay.” He said it easy enough, and
Tifa gave him a startled look, though he only shrugged again, and she felt
someone grasp her arm. Startled, she looked up to see Cloud, whose expression
was unreadable tough she had enough sense to tell he was hurt and angry. And
she had never seen Cloud angry before, and that thought alone scared her. She
just hoped Rufus knew what he was doing.
“Shinra.”
Sephiroth finally acknowledged after a moment, his hand hovering above the
holster of his gun, while Rufus just shrugged nonchantly, his hand on one hip,
his holster hidden beneath the folds of his coat. It was an old fashioned
showdown, Tifa knew that much, and she knew one man would die, and the other
would live. It all depended on the draw, how fast one man get
his gun out and aimed, if the bullet rang true. She turned her gaze back to
Cloud, who was staring at Rufus coldly, his blue eyes narrowed somewhat.
“Would you be so kind to count off,
Tifa?” Rufus asked after a moment, breaking the still, and instantly her eyes
widened, her wine colored eyes switching between both men who looked perfectly
serious and calm when all she wanted to do was scream and tear hair out. How
could Rufus even think she could count when her throat had constricted and her
heart had somehow lodged itself tightly in her throat.
Both men were watching her now, back
to back, Rufus raising an eyebrow at her hesitation, though eh gave her a
slight small, encouraging smile, probably the only one he had ever graced her
with, so she had no choice but to smile back. Tifa squeezed her eyes shut,
giving a loud sigh, as if to clear her throat, then in a slightly shaky breath,
spoke.
“One…” Please don’t die on me, I don’t think I can watch this. Tifa thought, watching
the two men take a small step away from each other, their hands poised above
their pistols, ready to spring into action and quite ready to take the other
out. “Two…” Rufus, please be okay, don’t die in something as stupid as this! I
can’t go back to Cloud, I can’t… She cleared her throat, closing her eyes
tightly, taking a deep breath. She struggled briefly against Cloud’s hold, but
his iron grip was clamped tightly on her shoulder, so there was no means of
escape. “Three!” She screamed, and both men whipped around drawing their guns,
and in a sudden flurry that left Tifa dizzy, Sephiroth’s gun went flying in the
opposite direction, Rufus’s smoking gun barrel arched toward his mouth, a cocky
look on his face.
Suddenly there was a loud click, and
startled, Tifa turned around only to face Cloud, whose eyes were aimed straight
at Rufus, his gun pinned on him. Sephiroth came out of nowhere, locking Rufus
into place from behind, while the outlaw struggled fiercely, trying hard to
grind Sephiroth’s boot into submission, though the silver haired sheriff held
firm.
“Did you think you could take Tifa
from me without facing the consequences? Drop the gun now!” Cloud hissed,
saying it like black poison, and Tifa’s eyes instantly widened, as she squirmed
against him, trying fruitlessly to free herself from him. Rufus merely dropped
the gun to the ground, and Sephiroth kicked a booted foot at it, sending it
flying across the field.
“No stop! Don’t shoot him!” Tifa
cried, while Cloud just stared at her coldly, the look silencing her, filling
her with cold ice. No… Rufus said nothing, his face strangely pale, as if he
accepted fate, accepted death. Don’t die… Rufus turned his face to her, an
apologetic expression gracing his features. ‘I’m sorry’ he all but mouthed, for
his eyes said it all, and in a sickening blast of gunfire, she let out a loud
shriek.
“Rufus!”
However, he didn’t fall, instead, she felt Cloud’s death grip on her arm
slacken, and in a sickening thud, he fell to the ground, clutching his side and
groaning in pain. Startled, she whipped her head around only to see Scarlet, a
hand on her hip as she raised an elegant eyebrow, pointing her thumb next to
her, and silently she eyed Vincent, gun barrel smoking.
Glancing back over at Cloud, she knelt
beside him, tearing off the hem of her shirt and applying pressure to the
wound, making a makeshift bandage.
“Too fickle Ah tell ya, if she’s
already helpin’ the enemy.” She heard Scarlet say in disgust, though she
ignored her, turning back to Cloud, who stared at her with innocent eyes,
filled with hurt and confusion.
“Why?” He asked softly, as if it was
her who had personally shot him, and she blanched, still pressing her hands
over his wound, his side spilling with blood.
“I’m sorry.” Was all she could choke
out, before Vincent tapped her on the shoulder, and she looked up, and with a
slight nod of his head, picked up Cloud and turned a heel, carrying him back in
the direction of the bar, Scarlet throwing one last look over her shoulder and
pointing at Sephiroth.
“Let go of him!” She demanded, though
with a slight smirk, Sephiroth produced another gun, hidden on a second holster
at his hip, pointing it straight at Rufus’s head.
“I always finish what I start.”
Sephiroth snapped, his hand going to squeeze the trigger, and with a kick over
his head, aiming for the gun, which was knocked out of the sheriff’s hand,
Rufus caught it as it heeded back for the ground, his smirk growing wider.
“So do I.” He
fired a rapid succession of bullets that Sephiroth was lucky to dodge, two or
three nicking his side as he dove for his gun, giving a slight tumble before
straightening, having one aimed for Rufus, who slid out of the way, dust
sprawling up around him as the bullets narrowly missed his form. He fired his
gun again, nicking Sephiroth on the side of his neck, barely missing an
important artery, as he flinched.
“What I’ve expected from a legendary
outlaw.” Sephiroth said with a slight smirk, as if he was pleased with this
revolution, and for a blinking, Tifa spotted Rufus’s weapon lying a couple of
feet from her, an idea forming in her mind. “But like all legends, they have to
die.” Sephiroth said with a low voice, deep and throaty as he looked smugly at
Rufus, who kept his cool, gun aimed at Sephiroth’s forehead.
Without another word, both men lunged
forward, firing bullets, getting nicked here or there but always managing to
dodge the other while firing like mad. Suddenly Sephiroth switched tactics,
shooting Rufus at the leg, sending the outlaw to his knees in pain.
“This is where you end, Shinra!”
Sephiroth exclaimed, gun pointed at point blank range at Rufus’s chest, and
Rufus panted heavily, closing his eyes. This was where it all ended…
The sound of a gun firing brought
Rufus’s eyes open wide, turning his head to see Tifa standing a few feet away
from him, the gun barrel of his gun smoking. Startled, he turned to face
Sephiroth, who clutched his bleeding side, his eyes twitching as he glared
venomously at Tifa.
“I suggest you hightail
it out of here Sheriff, and I also suggest you don’t come back, unless you want
to be six feet under.” Tifa snapped, in a serious, almost outlaw like voice,
and Rufus had to crack a smile at that. Maybe he was a bad influence on her…
Sephiroth merely said nothing, and
still clutching his side, turned and limped over to his chocobo, Tifa’s gun
barrel following him the whole way. Without another word, he mounted, with some
difficulty, and spurred the chocobo forward, looking a bit pale as he rode off.
After he had disappeared into a speck
of nothing onto the dust, Tifa lowered the gun, giving a loud sigh.
“I never really meant to shoot him,”
She said apologetically, looking at Rufus who shrugged, “I just meant to scare
him off, but I guess my aim’s not that good.” She laughed, and Rufus gave a low
smile, accepting her hand that had been lowered by his face to help him up.
“I still appreciate it.” He said
huskily, drawing her closer, her eyes widening slightly as she blushed, realizing
their closeness, and somehow feeling right being here, in his arms where she
belonged. Thank god he hadn’t died. If he had… she gave a slight shaky smile as
he tilted her chin up to face him, his eyes roving appreciatively over her
face.
“Ahem!” The pair turned their eyes
back to an annoyed Scarlet, her hands on her shapely hips as she glared,
particularly on Tifa, though she said nothing. “Rufus, there better be a good
explanation for this.” Scarlet said with a scowl, and for a moment, Rufus hesitated,
turning his face back to Tifa, a small mischievous glint lighting his face
almost boyishly.
“Of course.
This is my fiancée, Tifa Lockheart.” Rufus said slowly, his eyes holding
question as he looked down at her, and Tifa blushed. Marriage?
Well, the thing with Cloud had been resolved, somewhat partly, though still…
“Yes.” She heard herself saying, and
Rufus gave a low smile, while Scarlet visibly fumed, and if she could, she
probably would have steam coming out of her ears.
“Fiancée?
Ah’ve been gone for two weeks an’ ya already engaged? What happened ta waitin’
for my permission?” Scarlet screeched, while Rufus said nothing, his hand still
tucked gently under Tifa’s chin. They distantly heard Scarlet turn and stomp
off angrily, murmuring something about skinning someone named Tim for not
telling her these things.
“Are you sure?” Rufus asked bluntly,
and for a moment, Tifa hesitated. Being with someone like him meant more
incidents like today would happen, she could never be rich or stable, and she
could never go back to that simple life she had lead before.
“Of course.”
She breathed, and for a moment, his eyes lingered on her for a moment, and he
gently brushed his lips against her own. This time she didn’t resist, and he
delved deeply into her soft lips, his hands burying themselves into her silky
chocolate strands, the sudden scent of flowers assaulting his nostrils. She
tasted sweet, innocent, pure and untainted. She pressed more deeply into him,
and he gave a slight smirk, letting his senses become overridden with her. Oh
holy, how tempting she was, his little fiancée.
Epilogue
“Ah can’t believe this! How come no
one ever tells me these things?” Yuffie snapped angrily, while Zack just
grinned happily, shrugging his shoulders as he saddled up his chocobo, who was
warking happily, ready to get out on the road.
“Ah know. Who would’ve thought that
Cid actually would ask Miz Shera to marry him. Ain’t
it grand?” Zack said with a slight grin on his face while Yuffie sighed, hands
on her hips as she rolled her eyes.
“Ah just hope we get back in time for
the wedding. Besides, bein’ a mercenary sounds a bit hard.” Yuffie
added after a moment, a tinge serious for a moment, a thoughtful look crossing
her face slightly, while Zack just grinned, leaning down and planting a small
flirtatious kiss on the bridge of her crinkled nose. She was really cute
when she pulled that face.
“That’s why Ah’m here Miz Yuffie.” He
said with a drawl, while Yuffie blushed, pushing him out of the way with a
light shove.
“Oh Zack, ya
horrible.” She said with a slight sigh, rolling her eyes though a blush
stained her cheeks, while Zack just grinned mounting his chocobo as he held out
his hand to her.
“That’s why ya love me, now get on.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Ain’t it so romantic? Everyone all
paired up an’ everything!” Aeris sighed dreamily, her eyes locked up on Rude,
sighing slightly while Elena giggled, tilting her head to the side.
“Uh huh, Ah just feel so sorry for
“Yea, ain’t
that what ya thought ‘bout Mista Tseng? What’s become of him an’ Vincent
recently?” Elena only sighed, looking dreamily out into the horizon, as if
searching for him. Her heart ached for him, though she remembered his almond
eyes staring deeply into hers, his lips moving delicately as he promised to be
home. The same lips had kissed her gently on her own, before he had turned and
mounted a chocobo with his brother, turning and riding off into the horizon on
which she was staring at now.
“They left to escort Mista Cloud home,
though he promised me he’d be back.” Elena said, while Aeris grinned, giving
the younger woman a playful nudge, before tilting her head to the side
slightly, a thoughtful look crossing her face. It was nice and to know that
everything was turning out so well, when things had started becoming bleak, and
like a heaven sent angel, Tifa had shown up and righted everything.
“Speakin’ of Cloud, what happened to
Sephiroth?” Aeris asked, while Elena burst out laughing, grinning happily.
“Oh ya should have heard what Scarlet
was sayin’! She told me how Tifa shot the sheriff and he left with his tail
between his legs! Ah wish Ah could have seen that!” Elena hooted, while Aeris
merely smiled. Oh, what a shame. Sephiroth had been so dashingly handsome too,
though she supposed he couldn’t compare with Rude, who was so sweet and kind it
made her tingle all over.
“Ahh, Tifa, how Ah
envy her! Marryin’ Sir an’ all! Though Ah guess Sir deserves some
happiness.” Aeris bubbled happily, grinning as Rude settled himself next to
her, saying nothing though giving her a slight glance with his stormy gray
depths that it sent shivers down her spine. On her request, he had stopped
covering up his eyes, though he had become mysteriously popular with the ladies
all of a sudden.
“Oh, Ah see. Ah’ll leave ya two
alone.” And without another word, Elena got up and left, while Aeris just
turned to Rude with a small, mischievous smile.
“Ready for an
adventure, cowboy?” She teased, while the corner of Rude’s mouth
twitched upward, and Aeris smiled also. Things would turn out all right, she
knew it.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I love you.” Those were the first
words that accompanied the strong arms that wrapped around her petite form, and
a warm tingling sensation wrapped itself around her body also, and a soft sigh
escaped her lips.
“I love you too.” She said with a
slight grin, turning her neck slightly to spy roguish blue eyes, the barren landscape
she had once seen now glittered and shined like a gem newly cleaned, all the
dust and grim wiped clean from them. She loved his eyes more than anything,
except maybe his lips, which were now slowly trailing up her neck, sending
shivers down her spine. How he loved to play with her!
“You make a beautiful spouse.” Rufus
told her, and she giggled slightly, tilting her head back to the sunset, the
golden globe sinking slightly, sending bright bursts of golden and orange
across the darkening sky, pulling with it the last threads of light while the
moon threw its tapestries of stars across the sky. It was beautiful, and she
would never want to be anywhere else but here, with him.
“And you too, Mr. Outlaw.” She teased,
feeling his breath trickle down her neck, and for a
slight moment there was a thoughtful pause, a small silence shared between two
lovers enjoying the other’s company.
“How did I even find you?” He asked,
and she giggled slightly, looking up at the sky, remembering how she had always
longed to be anywhere but with Cloud, and when she had been with Rufus, well…
she had even wished to be back with him. How fickle she seemed to herself, now
that she thought about it.
“You didn’t love, you kidnapped me,
remember?” The silence returned again, the one shared by lovers enjoying the
company of the other, and a tumble weed toppled lazily by the sign of the town
renamed ‘Wanderlust’ as the two embraced.
~*Author’s
Notes*~ It’s… over! *sobs hysterically* Sorry, I always hate leaving good
stories behind! *wails* Sorry if the ending is so corny, but I couldn’t help
it! *sobs sniffle wail* I really hoped you liked this because it was one of my
favorite stories to write! *sniffles* Thanks to everyone who reviewed! Please
do it one last time! *sobs* Thank you!