"Good morning Kids." Professor Highwind greeted the class.
"Mornin' miss," Everyone replied.
Tifa stared at the teacher and thought about how much she needed a makeover.
"Where's Aeris? It's not like her not to be in. Do you know Tifa?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you know where Aeris is?"
"Who cares?"
The class chuckled.
"Tifa! How could you say that?"
Tifa just signed. Just shut up, and get on with der bloody lecture!
"Anyway, Zack, do you know where Aeris is? Oh- Zack's not in either!"
"Maybe they're together," Tifa stated blankly. Highwind didn't answer,
instead, she carried on with the lecture.
----
----
Dusk was coming about when they arrived in the slums. They were on a fairly busy street with each sidewalk decorated with litter and dirt. As usual people stopped and stared at the president's son and the deputy head of the Turks, and kept their distance as they walked by.
"So where abouts is this bar?" Cloud Shinra asked, walking beside his friend. They were both dressed in heavy black fur coats which insulated the precious heat from their bodies. Today Tseng's mind was a million miles away so it didn't make a difference whether he was wearing it or not. Tseng heard some words coming from his left. He couldn't make them out.
"What did you say?"
His blond accomplice shook his head. "Doesn't matter." Cloud couldn't be bothered with Tseng today. He didn't even know why Vincent had sent him in on the mission, but then again Elena had disappeared and Vincent himself had some important matters to attend to. He had never asked him what was the matter because apparently, he was one to mind his own business.
"Train station's just down the road. Train stops a couple of blocks away from the bar in sector seven." Tseng commented.
They walked on for a couple more minutes until they finally arrived at the station. They got there just as the train was about to leave. Cloud decided he should buy the tickets while Tseng was still on a distant planet. They then got on the rusty train which looked as if the whole thing would collapse any second and sat at the end of the car opposite two young females; a dark hared girl who looked about Cloud's age who was holding a little girl's hand who looked no more than five. Cloud pondered at the older girl for a second. He thought he recognised her from somewhere but then he disregarded the thought and got out a newspaper and began to read the fatuous news. Tseng sat beside him, his mind back into space.
After a few minutes the train began to move. Cloud was just scanning the words of the paper now, not really reading the Midgar news. He put down the paper and folded his arms. He could see the girl sitting opposite him was staring at him. He turned his head towards Tseng's direction. Using his peripheral vision Cloud could see she was still staring at him with a curious expression. Am I that good looking or something?
She jumped up suddenly, and gasped. "Oh my lord! It's you!" Every one else on the rain looked up, even Tseng.
Cloud turned his head towards the girl and gave her a cold glare. At first he didn't know who she was talking to but then he saw her looking and pointing to him. Cloud ignored her, he was used to this sort of thing.
But this time, it was different:
"Y-You!" The girl looked bewildered. "Oh my lord am I dreaming?" The young girl was making too much of a big scene. Cloud hated that and was beginning to get annoyed.
"What?" Cloud snapped.
"I-I-It'sss you!" Her eyes had gone really wide- and darker, Cloud noticed. They seemed to fill with anguish... He shook his head.
"I'm the president Shinra's son," Cloud told her, hoping to get the words out of her mouth. He turned back to his newspaper. But the girl didn't stop.
"No!"
Cloud looked up again, slightly surprised. No one else but the president himself and his sister knew him as anything else other than the president's son and a Turk.
"From Nibelheilm!" She screamed.
Nibelheim.
He looked away.
Cloud had many incomplete memories from there after a blow to the head by the top ranking soldier. He could vaguely remember the fire, where his mother had died...where he grew up and where he practically died... most of his memories were indistinct, and he just had to rely on his father's memories, or, as he put it: words. For some reason, anger flushed through Cloud.
"You don't know me." He emphasised through clenched teeth. His fists were closed tight, making his knuckles turn white.
"Cloud! Yes! I remember now! Cloud...Cloud...SSSStrife! From Nibelheilm!" exclaimed the girl.
Strife. His mother's name. How did this girl know that? "My name is Cloud Shinra and I'm from Midgar. You must have the wrong person."
"Cloud it's me Tifa!"
The name didn't sound familiar to Cloud at all, but how did she know his name? Could she be from Nibelheilm? But his father had told him no one had survived that incredible fire one year ago. This was disturbing... maybe she was just some crazy bitch. Right now, he didn't want to think about it.
"Never seen you in my life, and I'd prefer it if you'd leave me alone." Cloud got up and went to sit on the other side of the carriage.
--
Memories were rushing back to her. She could now see the young man's face in her memories. Cloud Strife. Could that really be him? Then why doesn't he remember me? Why did he say his name was Shinra and that he was from Midgar? Tifa looked down at her feet. Maybe it wasn't him...
"Tifa, are you all right?" Little Marlene was looking straight at Tifa with concern.
"Yeah, I'm alright," Tifa replied, forcing a smile.
"That boy sure was rude!"
"Yeah..." Tifa ran a hand through her hair. She looked down across the car to where the boy had moved to. His brow was creased and he was pretending to read a newspaper. Tifa noticed he had taken off his coat and was wearing an immaculate blue suit. She quickly glanced at his companion, the long dark hared man who seemed to be in oblivion and was still wearing his coat. Chills ran down her spine. She hadn't noticed him before but now she recognised him. Could that be Tseng of the Turks?
Suddenly, a loud thunder broke out, making the whole of the carriage vibrate.
"Shit," Cloud said to himself. He got up from his seat avoiding the crazy brunette as he did so, and walked back to where he was sitting next to Tseng who looked up with the same expression.
"We're a little late. We better head off to the reactor and see if we can capture them," He said.
"Lets go." The train arrived at sector six a couple of seconds later.
Everyone outside seemed to be in chaos after the loud explosion, running
in all directions. Cloud and Tseng got off and Tifa followed very quickly.
----
Her eyes finally opened with mighty force and she found herself in...a room? She was lying on her back on top of a comfortable surface, in a dark room. She tried to get up, but her head hurt like hell, and her thoughts couldn't function, so she closed her eyes, and all went black again.
----
It was dark when they got off the train, and the streets were in chaos. Towards the north in the direction of the now destroyed reactor buildings were on flames and loud bangs emanated through the air. There was a lot of smoke and debris in the air, making it even more difficult to see, not to mention breathe.
"It's too hectic!" Tseng, who was now alert shouted. "We'll never be able to find them!"
"You're right!" Cloud replied. "Let's just head back to Shinra!" And with that, they began to head back towards the train station when Tseng suddenly stopped.
"What?" Cloud stopped as well, looking at Tseng.
"Look over there," Tseng said pointing. He had finally managed to snap out of whatever was bothering him, and seemed much more like the alert and ready Tseng which Cloud knew. Cloud followed his gaze, and saw the little brown hared girl from the train. She stood alone, looking lost and scared on the platform. He saw no sign of the other girl she was with- the crazy one.
"What about her?" Cloud asked, confused.
"I think I know who she is. From a source I read, and a picture. I think she's the daughter of the leader of Avalanche- Barret Wallace."
Cloud nodded comprehensively, and both Turks took off in the direction of the frightened little girl.
----
Tifa followed the two Turks out of the train. Barret, Bigs, and Jessie were all in trouble and she had to help them. The streets were busy with chaotic people running in all directions and Tifa kept bumping in to them. She lost sight of the Turks but she knew where the reactor was and kept running, but then suddenly stopped and looked down at her right hand, which was swinging loose by her side. Then she looked at her left and found it empty as well. Where's Marlene? Oh no! I forgot all about Marlene! Where could she be? Shit!
Tifa wondered and worried where little Marlene could be and began to call out her name. "Marlene! Marlene! Where are you!" She screamed, but her voice was drowned out within the Crowd. Tifa became frantic. How could she find her? There were so many people rushing in all directions, not to mention the fact that it was dark. She then ran full speed back to the train station. "Mar-lene! Where the hell are you! Marlene!" Shit, if I don't find that little girl soon Barret's gonna fry my ass good! Shit! Shit! Where is she?! She swallowed down the huge lump in her throat.
When She finally arrived back at the train station, there was no sign of Marlene. Tifa rushed to the ticket manager.
"Er- um-haveyou-havooseenlittlegirlwitshobrohairboutfive?!!!!!"
"Whoa - slow down miss, what do you want?"
"H-h-have-you-seen-a-little-girl-about five-with short brown hair- anywhere!!?"
"Er-it's kinda hard to see through the crowd but-"
"Have you?! Tifa screamed.
"Well I see did a small girl-"
"Where?!"
"Let me finish miss-"
"Hell! I've just lost a five year old girl in the sector five slums who I was supposed to be babysitting! How can I stay calm?!"
"Ok lady. I did see two very scary looking men, rushing off with a small girl," The ticket manager said.
"Shit!" Tifa clutched her hair. Two very scary looking men? "The Turks!"
"MARLENE! MARLENE!!!!!!!" She began asking people around. A few people just shook their heads, but most regarded her as a nutcase.
About an hour passed and there was still no sing of Marlene."WHAT AM I GONNA DO!" Tifa exclaimed. Tears filled her eyes now. Tifa went back to the train station, and jumped on the first train that came by.
--