Cloud took a look around himself. At first everything is blur. But after a short while, things started to get clearer. He can’t believe his eyes.

He came back to somewhere that is most familiar to him. The well, the houses, the truck…his home…this is his…was, his home.

Cloud turned around and everything turned dark. Not pitch black, but dark with a little brightness from the stars. Cloud looked up and stared in awe. The sky is full of stars. They glitter faintly, as if they were telling him something.

Cloud looked around and saw that familiar well that he once spent a lot of his time at. He saw himself, as a little boy, sitting there, kicking his legs, as if he was waiting for someone. Cloud waited for a moment and then he saw a girl coming from behind the well. It was a girl in that familiar dress…it was……

Aeris?!

Cloud shook his head and he tried to look clearer. That isn’t what had happened! He remembered that night he was with…

The surroundings faded and Cloud just stood still, waiting for whatever that was coming for him. Suddenly, he saw a window in front of him. It was that familiar window, where he peeked at everyday when he was a boy. That window, that window leads to the room of …

Cloud went closer to the window to fulfil his curiosity. He heard sounds of someone sniffing, as if someone was crying. Cloud knew what he would see next. He would see a young girl crying, because that was the day, the day where the girl’s mother…

“Mama…”

Cloud took a peek into the window and got the shook of his life. He saw Aeris in that room. Fully grown up. That can’t be! That is impossible! What is wrong with everything?

Cloud retreated backwards and tried to cry out but he couldn’t. He started to feel an itch in his head. Every time when time happens, he will hear that familiar sound…

“æä äàúø äëéîòè äëé îòåìä ùäééúé áå~~~~~~”

That high pitch sound was heard again! He hated this sound! It made his head hurts and he will do terrible things! He wanted it to stop but he couldn’t. He started to lose gain of his consciousness. He was floating, floating…

“Cloud!”

Cloud suddenly felt a surge of intense consciousness and then sweat oozed out from pores all over his body. He suddenly saw someone in front of him and he pushed himself backwards before he could see who it was.

“Cloud. It’s Okay. It’s just me…”

Cloud started to regain his ability to think and see clearly. He saw a middle age woman, very dark brown hair, a round face, wearing pajamas sitting next to him. She looked at him as if she was very worried.

“I’m alright, Tifa. I’m all right. It’s just a nightmare…”

Cloud said, trying to calm down Tifa that was still very worried with Cloud. It was only a dream, that’s all. Other that having sweat all over his body and a heart that is still beating fast, there is nothing really wrong with him.

“Do you need anything, water?”

Tifa asked Cloud but Cloud shook his head. Cloud seemed to be calmer but Tifa’s expression hasn’t changed yet.

“It’s okay, Tifa. Really. It’s okay…”

Cloud suddenly got the shock of his life. He saw an image appear at the mirror opposite of him. Inside the mirror, he saw…Aeris.

“Cloud?”

Cloud got back to reality and the image disappeared. Cloud looked at Tifa and he could tell that she is becoming more and more worried.

Cloud opened his arms and hugged Tifa tight. Tifa tried to resist but she soon stopped. Cloud just closed his eyes and leaned against Tifa’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing. Nothing…”

Cloud was very worried the moment he said this. He felt that something is wrong with himself.

“The 7^th Heaven. 15 years in business.”

That is the motto written just outside of the most popular bar in the city of Kalm. This bar was build right after the meteor incident, and much effort was put on it to make it what it is today. There are rumors that the owners are the ones that defeated Sephiroth and brought down Shinra…

“One more!”

A rough, black middle age man roared when he stomped his empty mug on the table. Tifa walked towards the man and collected the mug.

“You had enough. Watch your age.”

“Hey! I’m as strong as I wer fifteen years ago. I can now easily take out that bastard Sephiroth!”

Well, this man is no other than Barret…fifteen years later. In a slight drunken state, his ego and spirit is still as strong as if it was fifteen years ago. But time had past and he grew older. He was not was he used to be.

“So…Tiff…How’s that spiky head doin’? Does he stil’ have those strange dreams?”

Barret asked as if he knew Cloud’s condition. Apparently that wasn’t the first time that nightmare happened. It had happen for the last few weeks. Tifa is worried about Cloud. Cloud doesn’t seem to be okay, or as usual.

“Only yer can stand wit that guy! After fifteen years being together, yer only his girlfriend! Didn’t he though of marrying you?”

Barret complaint for the sake of Tifa. Tifa just looked at Barret.

“I don’t really care whether we are married. As long as we are together, nothing matters.”

Tifa replied with a slight smile on her face.

“Yah. Like his stil’ having Aeris on his mind…”

Barret stopped when he saw Tifa became disturbed. He said something wrong. Can this have anything to do with Aeris?

Tifa knew that this is what Cloud had been hiding away from her. Aeris. Though Cloud said nothing about that but she could tell it from his eyes. She knew that recently, Aeris had came back into Cloud’s life…

“Tifa.”

A young woman wearing a lab coat entered the bar. This woman had black hair, fair skin, and wow. She is gorgeous. She wore a pair of glasses and pushed it upwards when she looked around.

“Daddy! Didn’t I tell you to stop on alcohol?”

The woman scolded when she saw the empty mug in front of Barret. Well, well. After fifteen years, everything changed. Marlene is a big girl now. She is an apprentice doctor in the nearby hospital.

“What is it?”

Tifa asked, trying to get Marlene’s attention. Marlene immediately looked at Tifa and her expression became serious. Tifa knew that something is wrong. Two days ago, she and Cloud went for a diagnosis to find out what’s wrong with Cloud. Now the results are out.

“Aunt Tifa. Um…you are right. There is something wrong with Cloud.”

Marlene said and pulled out an envelope from her lab coat. She opened the envelope and passes it to Tifa. Tifa look into the envelope and saw a few pieces of paper, with a transparency of some sort.

“It’s an X-Ray of uncle Cloud brain. See that spot in the left area? That’s the problem.”

Marlene said with a grave expression. Tifa took a look and saw something foreign in a person’s brain. It looked like a lump of tissue.

“Cancer?”

Tifa asked. Marlene shook her head and Tifa feared for the worst.

“I remembered hearing from daddy that uncle Cloud was once infused with Jenova’s cells. Our hospital recently done a research on this issue and found out that Jenova calls, or control beings with it’s cells by growing and using that tissue in the brain, emit a series of high pitch waves that can control one’s thinking.”

Marlene explained a mystery that eluded the members of the Avalanche.

“But now after Jenova is dead, that piece of tissue became useless and will remain there. I don’t know what triggered it, but recently, that piece of tissue is starting to have activity again. It emitted a series of random waves and I fear that…”

Tifa prepared herself. She knew that what Marlene is going to say is nasty.

“Uncle Cloud will go…insane.”

Tifa slumped backwards against the wall. She couldn’t believe what she had heard. Cloud is going insane? She experienced that once when she was in Mideel and she don’t want to go through that again. She had been with Cloud for the past fifteen years and she don’t want him to leave her now. She couldn’t possibly take it.

“I am sorry, aunt Tifa. I will go back to the hospital to see what I can do.”

Marlene said and greeted her father goodbye. Tifa didn’t even realize that Marlene left. She was too devastated with the fact that she might lose Cloud. She had been happy for the past fifteen years and she don’t want it to end. She could only hope that Cloud can overcome this obstacle, after all they had been through.

It is another cold night in Kalm. The streets are quiet, most of the people are indoor with their family or in pubs where they feel cosy. But it is also in these streets, where Cloud loved to take a stroll around, walking to nowhere, just enjoying the breeze and the peace and quiet.

It had been a decade since he went on the journey of his life and defeated Sephiroth. Those days where his glory but now he just wanted a normal life. He had a steady job and Tifa beside him. He has nothing more to ask for. No more adventures, no more conflicts. Just a nice, quiet life…

Cloud was smiling when thought about this. He can see himself running down these streets, equipping himself with the latest materia and weapons, figuring out how to past the Midgar golem the town folks talked about. He remembered himself inside that old inn, talking about his past with Sephiroth. He never at that time thought that he would settle down in this quiet little town and live a normal life. Those exciting days were over.

A cold surge of wind blew at Cloud and Cloud closed his eyes and enjoyed it. When Cloud reopened his eyes, he was shocked. He saw a girl in pink dress waiting in front of the entrance to Kalm, in front of that familiar old inn. Cloud rubbed his eyes but he still see that image. He couldn’t believe his eyes. His legs were locked to the solid ground.

“Aeris?”

Cloud asked himself softly. The image seems to react. Cloud called out louder again and the image turned towards him. It…it was her. Cloud was stunned.

“Aeris!”

Cloud called out again but this time Aeris turned away. Aeris ran out of Kalm and Cloud went after her. But before Cloud can even leap forward, he had an excruciating pain in his head, again.

“æä äàúø äëéîòè äëé îòåìä ùäééúé áå~~~~~~”

“Aeris!!!”

Cloud shout with the top of his voice and the next thing he felt was his entire body collapsing onto the floor. He struggle and held his head to stop the pain from coming, but there was nothing he could do. The pain gets more and more intense; he felt his consciousness drifting away, slowly, and slowly…

“Sir, are you al…r…i…g…”

Everything else couldn’t be heard. Cloud had once again drifted away from his body, to a land not know to anybody, including Cloud himself.

“Poor Tiff. Cant believe she’s goin through it again.”

Barret said while shaking his head. The nurse that walked past him just nodded. She took a peek inside the door next to Barret and saw a man with spiky blonde hair lying down on the bed, and middle age woman sitting on a chair next to him. The nurse quickly walked away and Barret did the same too.

Cloud is once again in the hospital. Diagnosed with mental disorder. All Cloud do all day long is mumbling something that nobody could understand. Tifa just sat next to Cloud staring at him. Everything is so familiar to her. She remembered how afraid and worried she was when she went through this the first time. She had that same feeling again. She felt that she could burst into tears at anytime but she held it to herself. She wanted to be strong, but it’s so difficult when there is nobody around to hold. She had to go through this again, alone.

“Uh, Tifa?”

Tifa turned around and saw Marlene entering the ward. Tifa quickly shake off her thought, but got even more worried when she saw the expression on Marlene’s face. Marlene adjusted her glass and explained the situation.

“As you know, this is the first case of such an incident in this hospital. The senior surgeon believed that they can remove the tissue from Cloud’s brain, but there is no guarantee that Cloud will recover from this state.”

Tifa just nodded when listening to Marlene. She expected something like this to come out from her.

“I hate to say this, but recovering from this state depends on Cloud himself.”

Marlene continued and Tifa continue nodding. Tifa knew that it was Cloud himself that is the problem. She went into Cloud’s memory and saw what Cloud had in his head. Cloud is very lost in his own memory. There are much of his past that Cloud isn’t sure of. She could only hope that Cloud could be strong, that he could find his way back…

“I assume that you will allow Cloud to go through that surgery.”

Marlene asked Tifa and Tifa confirmed. Marlene took a last look at Cloud, and walked out of the room, leaving Tifa and Cloud alone. Tifa was now standing in front of Cloud. She reached out her hands to hold Cloud’s hand. She tried to enter Cloud’s mind…

“Aeris.”

Tifa felt a jolt on her hands and she quickly let go of Cloud’s arm. She doesn’t know where that came from but she was sure she heard it.

“Aeris…”

Tifa saw Cloud’s lips moving and she covered her mouth with her hands. She couldn’t believe what she just heard. After all these years, Aeris is still deep in Cloud’s mind. That is what that is hidden in Cloud’s heart.

Cloud called out for Aeris again. Tifa tried to calm herself down but she couldn’t. She know that at such a time, she is not in a position to be jealous, but she couldn’t stop thinking about it. She had been with Cloud for so many years, but the one that remained in Cloud’s mind is still Aeris. Tifa felt that her heart being shattered. She is just a replacement, just a person staying next to him, physically. Not the one in his heart…

Again and again Aeris’s name was called out. Tifa closed her ears but she could still hear those voices. She didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t bear to think bad about Aeris because she was her friend. Tifa couldn’t hold this any longer and she started to burst into tears. Her tear started flowing freely, and Tifa buried her head on Cloud’s arm. Tears soaked the bed sheet and Tifa held Cloud tight. She didn’t know what to do. She really didn’t know…

“Tifa?”

Tifa heard that voice coming from beneath her. Tifa sprung up and took a look at Cloud. Cloud is now looking at the ceiling with his eyes wide opened. Occasionally blinking. Tifa couldn’t believe that Cloud had woken up, but…is he still…sane?

“Tifa?”

Cloud called out for Tifa and looked at her. He made a smile and reached out his hands to her. But Tifa immediately breaks free the moment Cloud’s hands touched hers. Tifa turned away and Cloud had no idea why. Tifa then walked away and Cloud struggled to get up.

“Wait…Tifa…”

Cloud suddenly gave a loud cry as if he is in great pain. Tifa immediately turned towards Cloud and held Cloud. Cloud pulled Tifa and pushed his lips towards hers. Tifa pushed Cloud away from her but Cloud still hold Tifa’s hands tight.

“I am a middle aged woman and such tricks won’t fool me.”

Tifa said with a harsh voice, even though her cheek turned red. Cloud held Tifa’s hands tighter.

“I dreamed of Aeris just now. I sort of understood something.”

Cloud confessed about his dream. Tifa just stood there and listened.

“I saw her as you. I was shocked. I don’t know why. But then I realized something…”

Cloud began to tell his story.

“Have you ever noticed how Aeris behaved? She was like an innocent child. Her smile, her laughter, her giggle…”

Tifa felt a little weird listening Cloud talking about how he thought about another girl, but she just listened.

“Tifa, she reminded of someone I loved. Someone I loved long ago, my true first love. She reminded me of you, when you are young, when we were kids in Nibelhelm. That Tifa which I really, really fell in love with.”

Tifa was moved when she heard these words. He didn’t even notice this. She remembered herself as a cheerful young girl, having nothing to worry about when she was small. All these changed after…after her mother passed away. After Cloud left Nibelhelm. After Nibelhelm was destroyed…She changed into another person. She grew up.

“Tifa. Aeris is the one in my dreams, trying to tell me this. You are in my reality. The person I grew up with, and the person that I will grow old with.”

Tifa don’t know what to say. Although those are just a few words, but she was really moved. Never did Cloud say something like that to her.

“Tifa.”

Cloud pulled Tifa into his arms and wrapped his arms around her. Tifa just cuddled up with Cloud, and felt a comfortable warmness. She had been with Cloud a long time but she still enjoys this feeling.

“I will make sure that I will go through this. I do this for you.”

Cloud spoke softly beside Tifa’s ears. Tifa just closed her eyes and cherish this moment. She only hoped that time could stop forever, forever enjoying this moment…

It had been a long time since this two felt this way for each other.

Cloud could only look at the ceiling. He saw the lights passing by him rapidly and the smell of medicine gets stronger and stronger. The sound of wheels rattering beneath him just won’t stop ringing.

“Be strong, Cloud.”

Cloud looked to his Tifa and saw Tifa walking next to him, holding his hand. Cloud made a smile and Tifa just smiled back. He felt for his head and found out that his hair is all missing. He is on his way to undergo a surgery to remove that piece of Jenova tissue Hojo implanted in his head. There is no guarantee that the operation will be successful, but he has faith in his surgeons. He had faith in his life.

“It’s going to be alright.”

Cloud could see Marlene chasing up Tifa and holding Tifa back. Cloud could see Tifa becoming smaller and smaller, and finally disappeared when he turned into a corner. Cloud then heard a loud noise above him and he then felt himself in a different place. He was now in the operation room. The time has come.

“We are going to put you into a deep sleep. Everything will be alright.”

One of the masked surgeon told Cloud when preparing a needle. Cloud turned to his other side and saw an image in the corner of the operation room, behind the surgeons. He saw Aeris kneeling there, locked deep in prayers. Cloud just smiled and waited for the jab on his arm.

He knows that in reality, Tifa is supporting him. In his dreams, Aeris will be there, praying for him.

The End

Something from da author!

Hm…Aeris fans are going to boycott me for this. All I can say is don’t be angry. Give Tifa a chance. I am a writer that doesn’t take sides and I write whatever that is in my mind. Having a Tifa fic is better than having no fics at all, right?

Anyway, the real story that goes on is in the series. It is that story that matters, right?……………Right?