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“Thanks for stopping by, Kupo! Come and visit us again!”
The group waved at the moogles as they turned and headed west through the dense forest. They had picked up some much-needed supplies and helped wrangle those mischievous moogles again. Well, Cloud had wrangled them – everyone else seemed content to watch, while Tifa worked on securing provisions with Mog, Yuffie tagging along at her side.
It was early afternoon when they set off from Mog House, and it was well past dinnertime before everyone decided to take a break. Tifa began to prepare a meal for everyone while Cloud and Barret got a fire going. Aerith, Yuffie and Red were content to sit back and watch.
Everyone scarfed down their food, conversations interspersed between bites. “We should push to get down the mountainside and make camp near the river.” Cloud said around a mouthful of potato.
Aerith and Yuffie both groaned. “Like we haven’t walked enough today,” Yuffie grumbled, scraping her bowl with her spoon for the last few crumbs of food.
Cloud chose to ignore them both. Standing up, he noted Tifa’s empty bowl nestled between her hands. “Tifa?”
She looked up from the fire to Cloud. “Hmm?”
He jutted his chin toward her, extending his hand. “Are you all done?”
“Oh!” She handed her bowl over with a smile. “Thanks, Cloud.”
Sitting next to Tifa, Yuffie held out her bowl as well. “You can have mine, too.”
Cloud gave her a dismissive snort. “You guys didn’t cook. Clean your own bowls.”
Yuffie pulled her hand back with a huff as Tifa turned her head away, biting her lip to keep from laughing.
The fire was put out and the group headed back down the mountain, the light of the sun sinking low in the sky. Cloud walked beside Tifa, with Aerith and Yuffie not far behind them. Red and Barret had run off ahead. Yuffie was humming a song to herself, which Cloud did his best to ignore.
“Where did you get that?” Aerith asked.
Cloud and Tifa turned their heads to look behind them.
Yuffie had a small glass bottle that she twirled in her hands. “I… found it.”
Aerith frowned. “You got it from Mog House, didn’t you?”
Cloud stopped abruptly, forcing the rest to come to a halt. “Are you serious, Yuffie?”
Yuffie gave him a mischievous look. “What? It could be useful.”
Tifa shook her head in exasperation while Aerith let out a sigh. The youngest of their group had a perchance for getting into mischief. Add in a touch of sticky fingers, and it was a never-ending battle to keep her out of trouble.
Cloud stepped towards her with his hand outstretched. “Give it here.”
The ninja held the bottle close to her chest. “No.”
Cloud let out an exasperated huff. “You stole it.”
“Well, duh! Now it’s mine. Finders’ keepers!”
They wrestled for the potion for a moment, before eventually it slipped from Yuffie’s outstretched hand, shattering as it contacted the rock cliff beside them.
Cloud blinked, feeling wetness splash along his face and arm as the bottle shattered. He raised a hand to his face and rubbed his thumb along his cheek; a purplish liquid stuck to the material of his glove. “Really, Yuffie?” he groused, glancing down at his arm with a hint of disgust.
Yuffie jumped down from her spot on the cliff to land beside him as Cloud continued to wipe the substance off his skin. “Oops.” She shot him a contrite smile that was met with a glare. “Well, I guess we don’t have to take it back then, huh?”
Cloud huffed an aggrieved sigh. “Do you even know what it was?”
The ninja shrugged. “Dunno. Figured it might be valuable, or useful. Guess we’ll never know.”
A wet cloth was suddenly thrust in front of him, and Cloud’s eyes trailed the outstretched arm to Tifa’s heart-shaped face. “Here.”
Cloud took the offered item with a nod of thanks, wiping the slightly sticky substance off his face, then his arm. Glancing at the darkening sky above them, Cloud knew they would need to make camp soon. “We better get moving and find somewhere to rest for the night,” he said, stuffing the damp cloth in his pocket.
With a murmur of agreement, the group continued down the trailway, Barret and Red leading the group down the narrow passageway as everyone else followed suit. Aerith and Yuffie walked together, with Aerith laughing at Yuffie’s animated retelling of her early years of ninjitsu training, while Tifa and Cloud fell in step at the back of the group.
“It’s been a long day, huh?” Tifa murmured, her voice cutting through the silence between them.
“Yeah.” Cloud absently scratched at his arm, not sure what else to say. It had been a long day. “You okay?”
She gave him a sweet smile. “Yeah.” She raised her arms over her head, yawning. “Could use a good sleep though.”
Cloud canted his head towards her. “Yeah.” He looked down for a moment in thought, before catching Tifa’s gaze, the corners of his mouth pulling up. “Isn’t that one of the rules for living on the ground floor?”
He got a surprised laugh out of her. “You remembered.” Her smile turned wistful as she looked toward their companions. “Though, I don’t know if that applies all the way out here.”
Cloud shot her a rueful smile as his gaze followed hers. “Doesn’t really matter where you are. You eventually have to sleep. Gotta recharge for the next day.”
“Hm.”
They hadn't been walking for too long when the path opened to a grassy plain near the cliff’s edge.
Cloud had just reached over to scratch absently at his arm again, when he felt a small hand wrap around his to stop him. Startled, Cloud looked across at the woman beside him. “Tifa?”
Her brows were furrowed, her eyes showing concern as she slowly let go of his hand. “Uh, Cloud? I think you’re having a reaction to whatever was in that potion.”
“What?” Cloud pulled his arm up closer for inspection. The skin where the unknown potion had splattered over him was raised and blotchy, almost like hives. Now that he thought about it, his cheek felt oddly tight on the one side. “Damnit.”
Tifa gave him a pained smile as she reached for the pouch on her belt. “I think I have a cleansing materia here. It might help with the inflammation.”
As Tifa sought the specific materia, he caught Yuffie’s gaze not too far away. Her eyes widened at whatever she saw, giving him a pained smile as she quickly turned away as Cloud glowered at her back. Thanks a lot, Yuffie.
A piercing screech had all of them grimacing as a large avian creature came into view above, the wings on the creature stirring up the foliage around them. “Great,” Cloud muttered, pulling his sword from his back. “Materia’s gonna have to wait. Have to deal with this thing, first.”
Tifa joined him at his side, her fists held ready. “Let’s make this quick, then.”
One monster was just the beginning, as the group seemed to have attracted almost every creature within a five-kilometer radius.
Tifa placed a hand against his back as she rolled across him, landing a decisive kick as another monster approached from his blind side. “These things just keep coming,” she grunted, raising her fists again, her back almost pressing against his.
Cloud huffed as he dropped another creature at his feet. “They hunt in packs. Not too surprising.” He glanced around, noting all their companions were in the middle of battle. Barret, Yuffie and Aerith were attacking the large avian monster, while Nanaki protected their backs from the smaller beasts that had appeared, probably hoping for an easy meal.
Cloud brought his sword down on another monster and stopped, taking a few deep breaths as he leaned against his weapon, nausea suddenly churning in his stomach.
Tifa glanced over her shoulder in his direction, taking in his hunched appearance. “Cloud?”
He waved her off as he swallowed thickly, pulling himself up into a battle stance. “I’m fine.”
Tifa nodded curtly as she moved a few paces away, dropping one creature with a spin kick, and another with consecutive blows from her fists. Cloud focused on the two snarling monsters in front of him as he swung his sword one way and deflected a blow to his side as he swung back. He had just finished another one of the creatures off when his stomach spasmed, sending Cloud down to one knee in pain. “Shit,” he hissed.
Tifa was fighting three of the creatures off to his left, and Cloud staggered to his feet, feeling the need to protect. She was outnumbered and taking a quick glance around, no one else would be able to offer assistance at this point.
He didn’t get more than a couple of steps in her direction before a sharp, stabbing ache brought him to the ground, his left arm wrapped around his abdomen as nausea flared with each starburst of pain. His agonized grunt must have alerted Tifa, as he heard the pace of her steps quicken, her fists making contact with hardened flesh with each swift strike.
It wasn’t too long before he felt a gentle hand placed on his quivering back. “Cloud?” she whispered; her concern evident.
His answer was to drop his sword on the ground and brace himself as he heaved. His guts were on fire and bile scorched his throat as vomit hit the grassy field, his senses overwhelmed. He distantly felt her hands brace his shoulders as he continued to retch, the sounds of fighting distant in the background as Tifa’s soft-spoken words offered support.
It took a minute or two for his stomach to stop seizing, and Cloud opened watery eyes to stare down in front of him. He blinked, narrowing his eyes to focus on what he was seeing.
The vomit was purple-tinted. That was…new.
While he stared dumbly at the mess in front of him, Tifa took off like a shot as she leaped over him and kicked a monster in the face, sending it skittering away and setting a defensive stance in front of him. Cloud frowned. He was supposed to protect her, not the other way around.
The ground suddenly shook, and Cloud brought his head up to see what the cause was.
A large, bullish creature appeared, its mass shaking the ground with each step. Tifa appeared next to him, and Cloud staggered to his feet, his sword dragging on the dirt as he tried to suck in air. The creature roared, lifting its front feet into the air, before slamming them down into the ground.
The area shook violently, causing Cloud and Tifa to stumble from the tremors. The rocky terrain crumbled beneath them, and they both fell as gravity pulled them towards the rocky ground below.
Cloud let out a low groan. His whole body ached, right down to his toes. His head felt heavy and disjointed like he had drank too many Cosmo Canyons. He hadn’t been drinking, had he?
He flinched, as memory returned. He and Tifa had fallen off the cliff when it collapsed under them. He brought his head up sharply, only for him to land face first in the dirt as gravity sent him crashing back down. What was wrong with him? It felt like his neck muscles were weak. He opened his eyes for the first time since falling and frowned. Was it light outside, or was his vision always this sharp?
He blinked several times, trying to clear his vision but it remained overly saturated. Lifting his head took effort, as his head seemed to wobble on his neck. He’d worry about himself in a minute. He needed to find Tifa.
Scanning the precipice they’d just fallen from, he darted his gaze around, searching for a glimpse of long ash-brown hair, red eyes, or a lithe and toned body. Finally, he caught sight of her glinting armor a dozen or so feet away. Her one arm was outstretched, her head turned toward him, dark lashes resting against pale cheeks. “Tifa!”
Cloud paused, uncomprehending. That’s what he had said. Tifa.
That’s not what came out. What came out instead was, “kweh!”
What the hell?!
He tried to push himself up from the ground, only to fall back down as he flailed. He almost smacked himself in the face with a limb full of feathers, his body uncoordinated and clumsy. Taking a deep breath, he eased what should have been an arm forward, only to see a swath of feathers attached to every inch of skin along a sinewy wing.
Was he…? Had he been turned into a goddamn Chocobo?! Shaking his head and letting out a long sigh, he refocused his thoughts. Tifa first, then plan Yuffie’s murder later.
Carefully, Cloud eased one foot out from under him, balancing awkwardly as he shifted his other leg. He had to flap his wings a few times to get to standing, but he finally managed. He wobbled the first few steps like an uncoordinated toddler, until he adjusted to the sensation of his legs bending in the opposite direction of what he was used to.
He was at Tifa’s side a moment later, noting how she was half buried under the rubble. Her breath stirred the dust in front of her with each exhale, so he took comfort in knowing her breathing wasn’t impaired by the debris. Still, judging by the size of the rocks around her, she couldn’t be comfortable.
He glanced up as he heard shouts from above. His eyesight, which had already been abnormally good since he’d gone through the SOLDIER process, was almost overwhelming in its clarity. It was like he was wearing a pair of binoculars. The glint coming off Barret’s gun arm was almost blinding as he waved his arm from up above. “Hey! Cloud! Tifa! Can you guys hear us?”
Cloud shook his head, averting his attention back to Tifa. He could hear them alright – but it’s not like Cloud could answer them. Not in a way that they could understand, anyways. They’d have to wait for Tifa.
Speaking of….
He lifted his wings a moment, then let them drop to his sides. He couldn’t pick her up. Damnit. He lowered his head towards her face, nudging her shoulder with his beak. “Kweh.” Tifa. Wake up. Being this close to her, he could now pick up the scent of blood. She was wounded, but he couldn’t make out where. He nudged her shoulder again, harder this time. He didn’t want to move her until he knew how bad she was hurt.
He heard her groan, her arm shifting in the dirt as she started to come to. That’s it, Tifa. You can do it. He pulled back a little, so he wasn’t right in her face, giving her enough space to breathe as her eyelids fluttered.
“Cloud?”
“Kweh!”
Obviously not the sound she was expecting, Tifa’s eyes shot open, and she jerked back with a gasp at the large Chocobo peering down at her. “A… Chocobo?”
The Chocobo shook its head. “Kweh!”
Frowning, Tifa tried to pull herself up but flinched as large rocks had her pinned from the waist down. She put a hand on one of the larger rocks and shoved, biting her lip as it dug deeper into her side. “Damnit.”
She glanced around, ignoring the Chocobo for a moment as she searched for Cloud. He had been sick just before they fell, and Tifa was concerned he’d been hurt worse by the fall. She frowned as she looked around the area. She didn’t see him anywhere. “Cloud?” she called, trying not to be disappointed when there was no return answer. She tried again to pull herself up, grunting with the effort, even as the rocks shifted and dug painfully into her thigh. “Cloud, where are you?”
“Kweh!”
Her gaze was drawn back to the Chocobo. She watched as it stomped its one foot, digging into the dirt with its sharp talons. Now that she got a better look, she noticed it was an unusually colored Chocobo – more of a white-blond than yellow. Tufts of feathers seemed to stick up around its head, giving it an awfully familiar look.
It stopped digging, stepping closer to her and lowering its head so it was near hers. It jerked its head to the side, and Tifa peered past it and lifted herself up, straining to see what it had done on the ground. Maybe it had dug something up?
She stifled a gasp.
C-L-O-U-D was scrawled in the dirt. She looked back sharply at the Chocobo again, this time taking note of the blue eyes with a glowing green tint around the irises that looked intensely back at her.
Tifa put a hand to her mouth. “Oh my… Cloud?!”
The feathered head bounced up and down vigorously. “Kweh!”
She opened her mouth to respond, when shouting from above pulled her attention upward. Tifa noted that they had fallen quite a distance, and with darkness setting across the sky, it would be near impossible for the others to see them. “Are you guys okay down there? Somebody better damn well answer me!”
Barret. She glanced at Cloud with an unsure look. “We’re… okay!” She yelled back. Tifa paused, shifting uncomfortably under the rocks. “We’ll be fine!”
“You sure?”
She looked at Cloud for some kind of affirmation. “Are you okay?”
When Cloud merely raised his wings and glanced at each one before lowering them down and giving her a look, she had to bite back a smile. “Besides the obvious. Are you hurt?”
He shook his head. He took a step away and nudged the large rock resting against her side with his beak, giving her another sharp look.
“I’m okay. I’m pinned down, but not seriously hurt.”
“Guys?” Barret’s voice echoed down the cliff’s edge.
Tifa took a deep breath. “Yeah. We’ll meet you guys down in the valley!”
“You better! It’s getting dark. You guys look out for each other, ya hear me?” There was a faint pause. “That goes doubly for you, Cloud! You take care of Tifa!”
Cloud’s feathers seemed to bristle at the comment, but he said nothing.
Tifa grunted as she tried to shift her hips, placing one hand against the edge of the slab of rock and pushed. She paused, watching as Cloud’s head seemed to dart back and forth over the various rocks trapping her, before he lifted one leg, placing it on top of one of the rocks.
Then he pulled.
Tifa groaned as the weight fell away from her side, feeling the rock on top of that one start to slide onto her. That is, until Cloud ducked his head under the rock and flung it away with the flick of his snout. Her ankle was caught between two rocks, and Tifa bit her lip as she yanked on her leg until her foot came loose from her boot. She crawled her way out of the debris, hearing a few of the larger stones slam onto the ground where she had been.
She pressed a hand against her thigh, feeling blood slide down her leg and between her fingers as the sharp edge of broken limestone had torn her skin and cut a slice across her leg. She cursed under her breath that she didn’t have healing materia on her. She reached for her pouch at her side and pulled out some gauze, pressing down on the wound with a slight grimace.
She felt more than heard Cloud approach, his large, feathered head coming into view as he gave her what she would guess was a concerned look. “I’m fine, Cloud. A little banged up, but I’ll be okay,” she said, hoping the soft tone of her voice would reassure him.
He looked at her leg, then back to her face. “Kweh?”
Strange, how even without using words, she knew what he was trying to say. She huffed a laugh. “I swear, it looks worse than it is.” She tossed the one bloodied gauze pad aside and replaced it with a new one, using a bandage to wrap it and keep it in place. “I think Yuffie or Aerith have healing materia with them. When we catch up to them, it’ll be good as new.”
A thought occurred to her, and Tifa rummaged in her pouch again, Cloud giving her a curious look. She pulled an orb of materia out. “Cleansing materia,” she said, rolling it between her fingers. She looked up at him then. “Worth a try, to see if this can help you.”
She waited for his assent before she cast Esuna, the magic shimmering in front of her as it gently wrapped around him. The light faded a moment later, and much to her dismay, Cloud was unchanged, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other. She tried to hide her disappointment, sure that Cloud was more upset about it than she was. “Well, I guess we’ll have to go back to Mog House and see how they can undo this.”
Even as an eight-foot tall Chocobo, Cloud seemed to shrink in front of her. “Kweh….” Even his vocalization sounded disheartened. Tifa reached over and patted his scaly foot. “It’ll be okay, Cloud. We’ll figure this out. We always do.” She gave him an encouraging smile.
A moment passed, and Tifa shifted to her knees and tried to get up. Cloud was there, offering himself as a crutch to help her stand up. Tifa looped an arm around his neck and allowed him to pull her to standing. Her breath hitched as she tried to put weight on her left foot, feeling the throbbing pain shoot up past her knee. “Cloud? Do you think you could find my shoe for me, please?” she asked hesitantly, wanting a moment to try and balance herself.
Cloud nodded after a moment’s pause; Tifa dropped her arm from around his neck as he took a few steps back to the mound of rocks to dig around for her lost boot.
Without his knowing eyes on her, Tifa allowed the pain she felt ghost across her face. Her ankle was swollen, no doubt. Trying to balance on one bad leg already, she quickly palpated the area, noting how distended the joint was already. While painful, she didn’t think it was broken. Probably sprained then.
Glancing around them, she knew they couldn’t stay where they were. The cliff side was too unstable. They needed to find shelter for the night, with dusk already sweeping across the mountainside.
She felt a gentle nudge at her side, and she looked over to see Cloud holding her boot by the string from his beak like a prized possession. She had to fight a smile at the ridiculous look as she reached a hand over. “Thanks, Cloud.”
She dropped the boot on the ground and wiggled her foot back in it, grinding her teeth together to keep the pained groan from passing her lips. She wobbled a moment and might have stumbled had Cloud not buttressed her with his shoulder, helping her stay upright. She sent him a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
Shoe back on and laces done up to help stabilize her ankle, Tifa took a deep breath as she looked around the area in front of them, her arms crossed nonchalantly. “It’s getting dark. We need to make camp for the night. I doubt we’ll be able to meet up with the others before morning.”
She caught Cloud’s eye as he nodded in the affirmative. “Okay.” She contemplated their choices. “Maybe if we cut across this clearing, we can veer west. Puts us closer to the others while also giving us more protection from the elements.” They both looked up as a distant rumble echoed across the sky.
Tifa grimaced. “Definitely going to want to find cover if it’s going to storm.”
“Kweh.” Cloud seemed to agree.
“Alright.” Tifa put her hands to her hips, turning to Cloud. “Shall we?”
This is stupid, Cloud thought to himself as he kept pace with Tifa. He could tell that Tifa was in pain. They hadn’t been walking more than thirty seconds before he noticed her gait was off. He had expected a bit of stiffness in her movements, but from her right side, not her left. If he had to guess, he’d say it was an ankle injury. She was trying to hide it, and Cloud would begrudgingly give her props for pushing herself through the pain.
But it wasn’t necessary. Not when he could help.
Twenty minutes had passed since they started, and her movements were getting more strained as she continued to push through. Cloud glanced at the darkening sky and then at Tifa’s profile. At the rate they were going, it would take far too long to find any kind of shelter before nightfall completely set in. While Chocobo eyesight was better at night than humans, it wasn’t that much better.
Steeling himself, Cloud increased his stride to get ahead of Tifa, then planted himself in front of her, forcing her to come to a jarring stop. “Cloud?” She queried, sounding pained.
Carefully, Cloud extended his leg, one sharp nail tapping the ground near her injured foot, before he raised his eyes to hers.
She bit her lip, clearly not wanting to give up the charade. “I’m alright, Cloud. Just sore. We need to keep moving.”
Cloud shook his head. Nope. Try again, Tifa. He tapped the ground again, more forcefully this time.
She let out a tired sigh. “Cloud….”
Feeling a breathy moan rumble in his throat, Cloud eased himself down to a sitting position. Looking at Tifa, he inclined his head toward his back, lifting his wing for emphasis before catching her carmine eyes again.
She blinked at him, looking baffled. “You… want me to get on?”
Cloud nodded, tilting his head again towards his back.
Tifa took a few steps closer, one hand reaching out tentatively to brush against downy feathers. “You sure?”
In answer, Cloud nudged Tifa’s side with his head, pushing her closer toward his shoulder. “Kweh!”
Tifa’s peal of laughter eased Cloud’s tense muscles as he tried to help her up, offering his wing as a stepping stool for her to climb onto his back. It took a moment for her to straddle his shoulders, finding a spot that was more-or-less comfortable. He waited until she had her arms loosely wrapped around the base of his neck before he tried awkwardly pulling himself up without dropping her.
Standing upright, Cloud took a few cautious steps as he adjusted to Tifa’s weight, trying not to go too fast so as not to jostle her. She wasn’t heavy in the slightest – he could barely feel any additional weight at all. However, it was not like he had a saddle she could sit on to help her stay upright or from falling off.
Tifa leaned against the back of his neck; her arms looped around the front of his feathered throat in a loose hug. Her face was pressed against a column of feathers as she held on.
Cloud continued to trot along the path, casting a backwards look toward her. “Kweh?” You okay?
He felt Tifa’s hand unconsciously stroke the side of his neck. A strange, purring sound rumbled in his throat that surprised him. “I’m fine. Let’s hope we can find somewhere to camp for the night.”
“Kweh.” Cloud picked up the pace as thunder growled above them.
It was almost pitch dark by the time Cloud found a spot that would suffice for the evening. A large slab of rock would protect their backs, along with a tight cropping of trees that lined the left side, providing more protection from not only the elements, but also any nocturnal predators that might be prowling about.
“It’s good, Cloud.” Tifa murmured, sounding tired, even as she patted his chest unconsciously.
There was that strange, purring sound again.
Easing himself down, Tifa swung her leg over and lowered herself to the ground, stumbling a bit as her ankle wobbled under her.
“Kweh?” Tifa?
She nodded at him, again, seemingly knowing what he was asking without words. “I’m good.” She found a spot against the rock and slid the rest of the way down, letting out a relieved sigh as she stretched her legs out in front of her.
Lightning flashed above them; both of their eyes drawn upward as thunder boomed around them a few seconds later. Cloud felt the static electricity in the air ruffle his feathers as he felt a sudden need to bolt. Chocobo instincts were fighting with his human ones, but the human side was stronger - and Tifa needed him.
A minute later, the first droplets of rain started to hit the ground around them.
“Of course it would have to rain,” Tifa grumbled as she brought her knees to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs.
They were pressed against a copse of trees, giving them some shelter from the incoming rain. However, with the wind picking up, Tifa was getting pelted with more water as it came in sideways. Their limited shelter wasn’t going to provide the cover they would need to have a fire going, so they would have to wait for the storm to pass.
He watched as Tifa started to shiver as a breeze rolled over them, and Cloud knew action was needed. He was basically a down-filled blanket at this point, and Chocobo feathers were good for wicking away moisture and providing warmth. He could do that much for her.
He would do that for her. He’d protect her however he could.
Tifa lifted her head as she heard Cloud get up, felt the gentle vibration of his steps as he moved to her left, his larger form settling beside her and coincidentally blocking out a chunk of wind and rain.
He was always better with his actions than his words.
Extending a wing out, Cloud blocked out the smattering of droplets against Tifa’s huddled form. He watched her look up, noticing the lack of rain, and saw her smile. She hesitated a moment, before shifting herself over, settling into the mound of velvety feathers that seemed to instantly soothe her chill as he tucked his wing around her. “Thanks, Cloud.”
Cloud felt warmth swell in his chest, that strange trilling sound returning again. “Kweh.”
Tifa shut her eyes, shifting her legs with a grimace before her face evened out as she got comfortable. “Goodnight, Cloud.”
Cloud could only answer with a purr, closing his own eyes as he tried to get some sleep, ignoring the roar of thunder above them.
Cloud woke to the sound of birds chirping in the distance, and he did not miss the irony of being woken up by birds when he currently was one. His head had been tucked to his side, his beak resting against Tifa’s outstretched leg.
Glancing at her now, Cloud felt that strange trilling sound in his chest start again that came out like a kitten’s purr. She was still asleep, her face pressed into his side, stray feathers sticking out at odd angles. Her face looked a little flush, and Cloud hoped it was due to sleep and not the start of a fever.
His wing unconsciously tightened around her.
He lifted his head and looked around, taking in the damp earth with mild interest. At least it stopped raining. The wisp of a groan reached his ears, and Cloud turned to see Tifa stirring, her face rubbing against his feathers as her eyelids fluttered.
If he had lips, he would have been smiling a little at the sight.
Eyes finally opening, Tifa blinked owlishly, seemingly a little confused at their surroundings, before her cherry eyes caught his. He watched, amused, as the details of the day before seemed to sink in. “Oh… right.” She hid a yawn behind her hand, conversely hiding the darkening flush to her cheeks. “Morning, Cloud.”
“Kweh.” Morning.
Tifa stretched, wincing as muscles had grown stiff overnight, especially in her legs. “I think it’s light enough that we can make our way back to the others,” she said, covering a yawn with her hand.
Cloud shifted and stood up as Tifa did, her fingers curling into the feathers near his chest as she stood, needing some help to balance as she tried to ease the pain and stiffness of her muscles. Cloud watched out of the corner of his eye as Tifa did some light stretches to get the blood flowing to her limbs after a less-than-ideal sleep on the hard ground. Her steps were tentative, and he could see her grimace slightly when she put weight on her left ankle.
He hoped one of the girls had healing materia on them so Tifa could get the proper care she needed.
Stretching her arms over her head, Tifa stepped over to him with a sigh. “Shall we get going, then?”
Within half an hour of walking, Cloud had managed to convince her to climb onto his back once again to give her ankle a rest. She appreciated his kind gesture, keeping her arms looped loosely around his neck as he trotted along between the dense trees and unending rows of bushes. She felt a rumble in his chest and throat with every step he took, the sound he emitted not unlike that of a cat. She didn’t even know Chocobo’s made that sound, but she found it soothing as they walked silently in the dense brush as they hopefully headed in the right direction of their party.
The lulling sound he made stopped abruptly just as his feet planted themselves heavily onto the damp ground and Tifa glanced around them, unsure what had caused Cloud to pause. “What is it?” she asked quietly.
He didn’t answer her, but he seemed agitated, feathers bristling as he kept his eyes and ears attuned to the forest beyond her sight. Something was out there – something Cloud was picking up on that Tifa just couldn’t see or hear.
She subsequently kept quiet, sensing Cloud’s mounting irritation. A moment later, she was almost summarily thrown off his back when Cloud shifted suddenly, lowering himself into a crouch as he spun on his foot as a Gongaga wolf snapped its jaws around empty air where Tifa had been just a moment before.
“Wark!” Cloud didn’t waste time and Tifa held on desperately as he turned around and levelled a heavy scaled foot against the wolf’s side, punting it into the air as it soared back towards the dense forest.
Tifa could only stare, wide-eyed. Chocobo’s were known for their powerful legs. However, she felt like Cloud was releasing a little bit of pent-up frustration with that blow. She tried to hold back a snort of laughter. “Way to go, Cloud! That was amazing!”
She was pretty sure if he could have, he would have blushed at the comment. Cloud had a hard time accepting compliments.
The levity of the situation didn’t last long, as half a dozen wolves slunk out of the bushes and circled around them, teeth barred and snarling at them. Tifa knew she couldn’t let Cloud fight them all off on his own, so she eased herself down and ignored his queried call. “We’ve got this,” she murmured as she raised her fists and took a fighting stance. She let out a slow breath to ease the tension in her body, letting her mind empty as she focused on the movements of the wolves in front of her. “Let’s do this.”
Cloud heard the snarl behind him at the same time he heard Tifa’s cry, the sound of crunching bones making him wince. He almost felt bad for the creature. Almost.
Two wolves took the opportunity to test his defences, and Cloud stumbled back as jaws snapped at his neck. His foot missed one wolf as it danced out of his reach, just as another tried to latch onto his wing. That one he managed to headbutt, sending it to the ground with a yelp. Another joined the fray and darted between his legs, nipping at his ankles as he tried to land a decisive blow. If only he had his sword, he could have taken them all out in one blow. As it was, he was just trying to stay on his feet.
He managed to step on one as it finally got too close, but that left him open to a blow coming to his blind spot. As he spun to shake off one wolf, another attacked his chest. Cloud grimaced as he felt teeth bypass the mound of feathers and break the skin around his neck, causing a garbled cry to ripple past his vocal cords. Get off, asshole! He tried kicking it, but felt another wolf snap its jaws around his hind leg. Shit, now his mind was shifting to a state of panic, even as he tried to reign it in, his wings flapping uselessly at his side. With a harsh tug on his leg, he lost his balance and toppled over, crying out as he hit the ground. The wolf at his neck was throwing its head back and forth, trying to rip his throat out and make a meal out of him. Shit!
“Cloud!”
He heard her voice cut through the snarls and cries as he watched as Tifa levelled a booted foot on top of the wolf attacking his leg, dropping it in a heap on the ground. She spun around and glared at the monster latched onto his throat. “Let him go!”
She reached her hand into the wolf’s jaws and yanked it off him. Cloud could only watch in slack-jawed silence as she razed a hearty blow to its head as its teeth sank into her palm. It let go with a yelp, and she followed up with another blow – this time to the ribs.
Did she seriously just do that? Cloud didn’t know whether to be horrified or impressed.
The two remaining wolves still standing scattered, disappearing into the forest with their tails tucked between their legs, the idea of an easy meal forgotten as survival instinct kicked in.
He watched Tifa’s shoulders heave as she fought to regain her composure. After a moment, she spun on her heel and strode over, the hitch in her step more pronounced as adrenaline faded. She tentatively touched the column of his throat, her eyes wide with worry. “Are you okay?” Her fingers brushed against a feather that was tinged red with blood.
Cloud finally snapped out of his stupor and shifted to his feet, careful not to dislodge her grip. “Kweh!” I’m fine, Tifa.
Tifa bit her bottom lip. “You’re bleeding, Cloud.” She tipped her forehead against his broad chest a moment. “I was worried. I didn’t know how bad it got you.” She looked up at him them. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”
Cloud shook his head. While the wound itched, it wasn’t deep. His leg didn’t even sustain any damage due to the thick scaly outer skin that covered his lower limbs.
At the moment, he was more concerned about Tifa. He leaned down and nudged his head against her neck to get her attention.
“Hmm?” She murmured, catching his eye.
Cloud lowered his beak until he encountered her hand. He could smell the blood. He inwardly cursed that he couldn’t properly check her over. “Kweh!” How bad?
She huffed a laugh. “It barely broke the skin. My gloves are pretty tough.”
Cloud gave her an incredulous look as he choked out a disbelieving sound. That was reckless! You stuck your hand in its mouth, Tifa! Internally, Cloud was angry at himself. She had done it to protect him because he was weak like this. How could he keep his promise, if she was the one who would have to fight all their battles for them?
He turned his head away, glaring at some distant bushes.
Tifa seemed to notice his tail feathers flickering in distress, how the muscles under her hand quivered. Even without words, he marvelled at how she seemed to read him as she reached up to his face, stroking the fine feathers there as his eyes shifted back to her. “Everything is okay, Cloud. I promise.” She bit her lip as she seemed to work something out in her head. “Though, if you’re sure you’re okay, I won’t say no if you are still up to giving me a hand out of here.”
It was then that Cloud noticed she’d put most of her weight on her right leg, her fingers clenching around fistfuls of down as she kept herself upright. Shit. During the battle, he’d forgotten about her previous injuries.
Cloud lowered himself to the ground immediately, hearing a huff of laughter from Tifa as he helped her get onto his back once more. “Thanks, Cloud,” she murmured into the fluff at his neck, and damn if that purring sound didn’t start up again. Cloud had given up on trying to figure out why it happened, but he had noticed Tifa seemed to relax more when he did it.
Standing upright once again, Cloud focused his attention as they made their way west. Okay, let’s go find the others.
About forty minutes later, Cloud could pick up on some familiar voices echoing in between the trees and shrubs. The feathers on his head and neck ruffled at the sound and he picked up the pace.
“Do you hear them?” Tifa whispered, her arms tightening their hold as his steps quickened.
A nod of the head in affirmation, Cloud stepped through some bushes. “Kweh!” Yeah, couple hundred feet away.
It wasn’t long before Tifa could hear Barret’s deep baritone voice calling out to them. “Yo Tifa! Cloud! Where are you guys?”
Cloud could feel and hear the air leaving her lungs in a heavy exhale. The relief was palpable. “Over here, Barret! Just keep talking!” Tifa yelled back.
If he could have, Cloud would have told Tifa not to bother, as he knew exactly where they were. He could smell the sharp metallic tang of Barret’s gun arm, and he’d be able to follow it blind at this point. At least Chocobo noses were good for something. Still, Cloud was relieved to be meeting back up with their companions. Tifa would be safer with the group, and they could get her wounds tended to with healing materia. Once she’s looked after, we can head back to Mog House and get this stupid Chocobo shit fixed.
He pulled ahead into a thicket of bushes and made it out the other side, stepping into a small clearing.
Barret and the others had started waving but paused as Cloud and Tifa approached. “Hey Tifa! Where’s Cloud?”
Cloud stopped about a dozen feet away, turning his head to glance at Tifa. She awkwardly scratched at her arm. “Umm… Cloud’s right here.”
The team just looked at her blankly. “Like, is he behind the Chocobo or something?” Yuffie teased, trying to look behind them. Red seemed to sniff the air, frowning. “How’d you manage to tame a wild Chocobo anyways?” Yuffie stopped in front of them, hands on her hips.
One eye twitching, Cloud fought the sudden urge to kick her. This was her fault to begin with.
Tifa opened her mouth to correct her when Yuffie interrupted. “You must have done something to make this fella take to you so easily.” She jammed her hands into the soft feathers of his chest. “Aww, the feathers are so soft, too.”
“Wark!” Get off me! He growled and pulled back abruptly, causing Yuffie to fall face first into the dirt.
Yuffie spat at the ground, pulling herself back up, glaring up at the blond bird in front of her. “What a cranky, miserable bird! Seriously Tifa, you attract the strangest things!”
“Yuffie!”
The ninja was ranting now, ignoring Tifa as she levelled a finger at the bird and rider. “I mean, look at Cloud! He’s insufferable most of the time but follows you around like a love-sick puppy!”
Cloud wasn’t sure what noise he just made, but he didn’t miss Tifa’s sharp inhale of air. Or how her grip tightened around his neck.
“Yuffie!”
The teenager put her hands to her hips. “What?!”
“The Chocobo is Cloud!”
There was an awkward silence around the clearing as all eyes turned toward the bird and his passenger.
Yuffie huffed a slightly nervous laugh. “Honestly? That kind of tracks. No wonder he’s so cranky.”
Cloud took a few steps to stand beside the pesky ninja. If he’d had teeth, he would have been grinding his molars together.
Yuffie turned her head in his direction. “What? Got something to say?” she snickered, chewing on a knuckle.
He lowered his head down, so he was eye level with her, eyes glinting dangerously. Too bad for Yuffie she didn’t recognize the look. Inhaling as deep as he could, Cloud let loose the loudest, shrillest cry he could muster. Right in her face. “WARK!”
Yuffie screeched, slapping her hands over her ears as she tripped over her own feet and stumbled backwards, just as a chittering sound rumbled from Cloud’s chest. Grimacing, she levelled an accusing finger at him. “You obnoxious feathered asshole! What did I ever do to you?”
He just stared at her, incredulous. Well for one, she was responsible for his current state. Not that he could exactly say that at the moment.
Tifa was the first one to interject. “Knock it off, both of you! This isn’t the time.”
The chirping sound ceased as he was summarily chastised. Lifting head and turning to the side, he caught her head tilt in his direction, followed by a shy smile as she consciously or unconsciously stroked the feathers along his neck. He was pretty sure she’d already forgiven him with that look. Whether for his benefit or her own, it had the same immediate effect.
He started purring again.
Yuffie pulled herself up with a huff as she brushed bits of dirt off her legs. “He started it,” she groused, pouting as she looked to her companions.
Barret threw up his hands, exasperated. “God, it’s like having two squabbling children.”
Aerith hid a giggle behind her hand. “Well, at least Tifa and Cloud are okay.” She paused, before adding, “well, relatively okay, anyways.”
It was then that Cloud remembered Tifa’s injuries. The rumbling in his chest stopped as he made his way over towards Aerith, Red and Barret. He turned his gaze to Tifa and nudged her one foot draped over his shoulder.
“Hm? Oh!” It seemed Tifa had forgotten about her injuries too for a moment. “Actually, Aerith? Do you have the healing materia? Kind of got a little… banged up on our way over here.”
With a surprised sound, Aerith reached for her staff she had tucked away, just as Cloud lowered himself down to the ground. Tifa gingerly swung her leg over and tried to ease herself off his back, but the moment her feet hit the ground her legs buckled.
Aerith’s eyes widened. “Tifa!”
“Kweh!” In an instant, Cloud shifted his wing forward and pulled her against him to stop her fall. I’ve got you.
Her fingers dug into his feathers as her legs shook, trying to push herself to stand. “Sorry. Ankle kind of gave out there for a second.” She released her grip on his feathers and tried to smooth them down as Cloud gave her a worried look. “I’m okay,” she said, their eyes communicating what their voices could not.
Aerith cleared her throat, pulling both of their eyes in her direction. “Let’s get you sorted, hmm?”
Cloud kept a watchful eye as Aerith lent Tifa a hand and guided her a few steps before helping her sit on the ground. And if Cloud shuffled himself a few paces to be closer, no one said a word.
Tifa undid the laces around her left foot and pulled the boot off and Cloud winced at the sight. Her ankle was at least double in size. It was a wonder she had been able to put any weight on it at all, never mind their earlier scuffle with the Gongaga wolves. “Ho boy, did you ever do a number on it!” Aerith remarked, activating the materia. Tifa winced as the magic flowed from Aerith’s fingers that cradled her foot and seemed to flow into her ankle.
Red settled next to Cloud, with Barret hovering nearby. “Guess we’re gonna have to head back to those damn moogles and see if they can’t fix our cranky bird over here.” Barret laughed at his own joke, needling Cloud in the side.
Cloud just shot him an unamused look.
“Tifa, you’re bleeding.” Aerith chided softly and Cloud’s attention was immediately drawn to the wound on her thigh; the bandage soaked through as Aerith gently removed it.
Tifa, ever stoic, shrugged it off. “It’s fine - really.”
Aerith shot her a look but got back to work.
It took a few minutes before Aerith seemed satisfied. “Okay. Let me know how that ankle feels.” She held out her hand and Tifa took it, hoisting her up. The wound on her thigh was now just a faint line across her skin. Tifa flexed her foot and tested the weight. “It’s certainly stronger than it was.” She sent the other woman a grateful smile. “Thank you, Aerith.”
The young woman smiled back. “No problem.”
Barret coughed into his hand. “Alright, well, we have to backtrack and that’s at least a two or three hour walk. We better get going.”
As everyone gathered themselves and checked their weapons, Tifa whispered something to Aerith, who nodded and placed a materia in her hand. Curious, Cloud watched as she approached. “It’s healing materia,” she answered his unspoken question as she sidled up to him. She brushed her hand gently against his feathered throat as her eyes caught his. “Can I try? Please?”
He looked down at her forlorn expression and he nodded after a moment’s hesitation. How could he refuse when she looked at him like that? Her face brightened as she set to work, and damn if that smile didn’t make him feel better than the materia did, his neck tingling as the Cura spell was cast.
The group made the slow trek back towards Mog House, with Yuffie and Aerith bringing up the rear, and Cloud and Tifa not too far ahead of them. Barret and Red were taking the lead.
Yuffie had her hands resting against the back of her neck, her eyes narrowing as she stared straight ahead. “Do you hear that?”
Aerith paused, frowning. “Hear what?”
Jutting her chin, Yuffie could feel her lips curling upward. “He’s purring.”
Looking at their companions, Aerith stared hard, straining her ears. To her surprise, Yuffie was right – there was an odd rumbling sound coming from Cloud as he walked next to Tifa, who occasionally reached out and ran a hand through the feathers at his chest, her words too soft for Aerith to catch. “Huh. You’re right. I didn’t know Chocobo’s could purr though.”
The ninja shrugged. “Been around Chocobo’s a lot since I was a kid. They don’t purr or trill a lot, but they will in certain conditions.”
Aerith didn’t have much experience around Chocobo’s herself. “Now that you mention it, I’ve heard him do that a few times since we caught up with the two of them.”
The young teenager grinned, teeth glinting in the sunlight. “Yeah. But only when he’s around Tifa.”
The half-Cetra tapped her chin with a curious frown. “Hmm… I wonder why?”
Yuffie’s smile was infectious, her eyes mischievous as she leaned over to whisper, cupping her hand around the other woman’s ear. “They purr when they’re really happy. Usually when they’ve bonded to someone to show affection.” She snickered as she continued. “Or as a mating call, so either one.”
Aerith laughed, trying to stifle it behind her hand as Yuffie snickered.
Their raucous behaviour caught Tifa’s attention as she turned back to glance at them with a curious look. “You guys okay?”
Yuffie caught on immediately that Cloud’s trilling had stopped as he turned to glance back at them as well, his eyes narrowed in that fluffy face of his. “Oh nothing! Just having a good laugh.”
Tifa smiled, but her eyes were still curious.
Cloud however, shook his head and continued on ahead, in step with Tifa.
It wasn’t long before the purring started up again.
The girls snickered as they followed behind.
A quick pit stop for a rest, and the group found themselves back at Mog House a few hours later.
Tifa knocked on the door, talking with Mog quietly as she explained the situation.
“Oh dear, Kupo. Let’s have a look.”
The moogle fluttered over to them, taking a long look at Cloud as he stood there awkwardly. Please let him have a cure ready to go. I’m sick of feeling the need to clean my feathers.
Mog giggled. “Cleaning your feathers is important, Kupo!”
Cloud blinked, taken aback. “Kweh?” You can understand me?
Mog nodded. “Of course I can understand you, Kupo! I know a lot of languages.”
Cloud blinked. He felt a sudden wash of relief that he could finally be understood verbally. Can you fix this?
Mog put a hand to its face. “Hmm. It’s going to be difficult, Kupo.” Mog hovered closer, giving Cloud a once over. “That potion was experimental. Its volatility meant we didn’t make many of them, Kupo. We haven’t gotten the formula perfected yet.”
Everyone glanced at each other, unsure how to proceed. Taking a deep breath, Tifa stepped forward next to Cloud, her concerned eyes catching the moogle’s. “There has to be something we can do, right?”
Mog tapped his chin in thought. “The potion may wear off on its own, Kupo. But that could be anywhere from a few hours to… well….” The moogle raised its arms and shrugged.
Cloud felt his feathers bristle. He didn’t have time to wait on a maybe. He needed something now.
Mog caught his agitation and put his hands on his hips. “Well, we could put together a reversal potion, Kupo.” Before the group could open their mouths to respond, Mog continued. “However, we don’t have all the ingredients we would need.”
Tifa smiled up at the moogle, her face brightening. “That’s okay. We can go find the ingredients, right?” she turned to Cloud with an encouraging smile.
The moogle appeared apologetic. “Not so fast, Kupo. The flower extract that we would need grows on a mountain on the eastern continent.” Mog paused, scratching the back of his head. “And it only grows three months of the year. Those flowers aren’t set to bloom for another five months, Kupo.”
Tifa’s face fell at the news, and Cloud squawked as realization dawned. Five months?! He couldn’t stay like this for five months! How could he fight Sephiroth if all he was good for was giving someone a lift? Or carrying bags? He couldn’t fight like this, and as he glanced at Tifa’s stricken face, he knew he couldn’t protect anyone else, either.
Angry and frustrated, he turned away from his companions and took off at a trot, ignoring the calls behind him as the others beckoned for him to return. He needed space to think and try and figure out what he was going to do now.
Everyone settled near Mog’s House for a rest, save for one. The tension in the air was palpable for the travelling companions. Cloud had taken off half an hour ago and had yet to return.
Tifa felt awful for him. One stupid accident had left him stuck like this, potentially, for several months. Months they didn’t have the luxury to wait. She glanced over at Yuffie who sat on a nearby boulder who for once, was quiet. She suspected the teenager was feeling bad about what happened.
“I’m going to go look for Cloud and check on him, make sure he’s okay.”
Yuffie looked like she was going to say something, but Aerith’s hand curled around her arm, and she shook her head.
As Tifa headed off towards the direction Cloud had wondered off to, Mog tapped his chin. “Those two are close, kupo?”
Aerith nodded. “Childhood friends. Known each other pretty much their whole lives.” She frowned, pausing. “Why do you ask?”
The moogle nodded. “There might be another way to reverse the effects.”
Barret frowned. “You couldn’t have said that half an hour ago?”
“It’s complicated, Kupo.” The moogle flew over towards Barret, looking contemplative. “Sometimes, a person gets lost. If they have an anchor to who they really are, Kupo, sometimes… the heart finds a way.”
Cloud stared at the water despondently, his thoughts churning as his future wavered uncertainly.
Everything had turned upside down in the span of twenty-four hours. He was now more-or-less sidelined from their adventure. Useless, and a burden to their group. How could he confront Sephiroth like this? He’d end up a barbecued Chocobo on a skewer and be helpless to protect everyone else.
His feathers flared as his agitation grew. He couldn’t walk away from this, but he could not remain as he was, either.
He couldn’t say how long he sat there before he caught the sound of leaves and other floral debris being crushed under the steps of another. “Cloud?”
He turned his head at her call but otherwise didn’t move. He had been lost in his own thoughts; he had let his guard down. Cloud huffed to himself. Some protector he turned out to be.
Tifa approached carefully, reading the subdued body language. “Is it okay If I sit down?”
Cloud bobbed his head up and down once, watching as Tifa carefully sat down beside him.
For a few moments, only the slow bubble of the river could be heard as they sat there, both staring off into the distance. Finally, Tifa shifted, her gaze aimed towards him. “You okay?”
The slight breeze off the water ruffled his feathers on his chest and face, calming him even as internally a storm brewed.
He cocked his head slightly at her snort. “Sorry. Stupid question.” She carefully angled herself towards him. “But, it’s gonna be okay, Cloud.” She ran her fingers through the soft downy feathers, garnering a soft coo at the touch. “We’ll figure this out.” Tifa must have somehow read the surprise on his fluffy face as her lips curved into a smile. “You didn’t think you were gonna do this all on your own, did you? You and I will find a way to deal with this. The others can carry on without us. We’ll just catch up when we can.”
His beak opened slightly, stunned by Tifa’s words. She would give up the trail for Sephiroth… for him?
His Chocobo nose was incredibly sensitive, even at sniffing out emotions. Tifa was being completely sincere in her statement. While he could detect uncertainty, the strongest emotion he could detect was humble honesty. “This isn’t permanent. It’s… a setback, but it’s not forever!”
All he could do was stare in disbelief as Tifa went on to talk about what they could do in the meantime, as if Cloud being a nearly eight-foot-tall feathered burden was… not important. Like his condition was the equivalent of not having a coat on a fall day.
She snickered at his dumbfounded look, before she looked at him seriously. “You looked out for me when I needed you; and I promised I’d look out for you, too.”
He watched, awestruck, as she stood up and moved in front of him, stroking the sides of his face with nimble fingers. “I promise Cloud – it’ll be okay.”
Well damn if that purring didn’t start up again.
He leaned forward until he could press his forehead against hers, closing his eyes as he felt her arms come around his neck in a gentle hold. He was still scared, not that he would ever admit that to anyone. Trapped in the body of a giant bird, and his mind on the verge of degradation, he didn’t know if he would be intact in five months. But as he breathed in Tifa’s reassuring scent, he was reminded of home and being safe. Even for a moment, he could pretend that things would be okay, so long as he had Tifa by his side. That he still had time to make everything right again.
Something tickled his nose and he almost sneezed, the breeze causing Tifa’s hair to catch in his bracer as his hand shifted against her back.
His eyes shot open. His hand?!
Tifa seemed started as well as she pulled away as Cloud brought his very human hands in front of his face.
“Cloud!” Her face showed surprise, but genuine happiness. “You’re back!”
“Yeah, but….” He had to clear his throat; his mouth was too dry. “How did you…?”
Tifa was already shaking her head. “It wasn’t me! One minute you’re….” She mimed with her hands, showing something tall. “Then I just felt… you.” She trailed off, her face turning adorably red.
Cloud didn’t care how it happened. He was back – very much human without a single feather present.
He pulled Tifa back in for another hug. “Thank you,” he whispered gruffly, trying not to squeeze her too tight. He’d hurt her last time he had tried this, back at Aerith’s garden. He had been nervous then, but now he was just so relieved to have real hands and feet and a mouth that worked and how he didn’t have to learn how to preen feathers.
As she hugged him just as intensely back, he knew somehow, this was Tifa’s doing. Whether she knew it or not, the only one who ever kept saving him was her.
He reluctantly pulled away as he heard Aerith and Barret’s calls from somewhere nearby. “Guess the trip back here wasn’t totally wasted,” he commented dryly.
Tifa just chortled beside him.
“Hey! It wore off!” Aerith nearly stumbled face first into the bank as she tripped on a rock, Tifa’s hands rising to catch her before Aerith righted herself. She turned to Barret with a smirk. “I told you it would happen.”
He felt like he was missing part of the story. “What are you two talking about?”
Barret stood at the edge of the bank with an amused look in his eye. “Just happened to wear off, huh?” Barret seemed unusually smug as he chuckled and walked away, Aerith not too far behind him, shooting a knowing look at her friends.
Cloud glanced at Tifa, raising an eyebrow. “What’s their problem?”
Tifa could only raise her hands and shrug – she was as perplexed as he was. “I dunno.”
Canting his head to the side, Cloud dismissed it. With his spirits brighter, he turned to Tifa with a sheepish smirk. “Guess we should get moving then, huh?”
With a smile that Cloud swore could light up the mako reactors themselves, Tifa fell in step beside him. “Yeah. We still have a long way to go.”
When they caught up to the others, Yuffie was the first to crack a joke about his feathered misadventure.
Inhaling a deep breath through his nose, he let it out slowly. “Hey Yuffie?”
The spunky ninja narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion. She could hear something in the tone of his voice. “Yeah?”
Cloud smirked at her as she took a step back. “How many SOLDIER’s does it take to catch a ninja?”
The others started to chuckle. “I don’t think-”
“Only one.”
Yuffie started to run as Cloud reached for his sword. “I said I was sorry!” She yelled over her shoulder, while muffled laughter followed her as she planned to stay far away from Cloud’s reach for the foreseeable future.