FicWad

The roar of an engine filled the forests around a dirt road, disturbing the peaceful day that was peering through the tree branches as pleasant streaks of light. Through the small muddles of yesterdays small rain shower and over the unkind rocks, as a black streak of light it roared. Cloud was oblivious to the warm day around him, his mind deep in thought as he steered his Fenrir through the once bustling path, passing the Chocobos who once carried people through the forest in which he came, and in fear the bright yellow creatures scurried away in fright from the noisy motorcycle.

He didn’t know why he was coming back to the city of Midgar once more, but something pulled him back to the friends he knew he could count on, although he knew he left them in the dark about where he had been and what he had been doing on his long journeys alone, and he had every intent to keep it that way. With disgust he felt his cell phone ring on his side, and although he couldn’t hear its pleasant tone over the roar of his engine but he could feel it vibrate like a madden rattlesnake disturbed from its sunbathing.

He pulled it out with his black glove and glanced down to see the number.

”Oh…Reno. Wonder what he got himself into this time that he wants me to help him out of.” He thought as it put it back and rubbed his opposite shoulder that was hidden beneath a long sleeve and a another black glove.

He heard the long annoying beep of a left message as he slowed down as he came upon Midgar looming in the distance. He slowed to a stop and opened his cell phone with one hand as he pulled up his riding glasses with the other, pulling it to his ear and listening to the message play back from the red-haired Turk.

“Hey Cloud, its me, Reno. Yeah yeah, I know you’re ignoring me, but I know you always listen to these pointless messages. I just wanted to tell you that I am on my way to Midgar once more, just to catch up on some old times. I thought we could grab a beer or something at the bar… well… I just want to make sure you’re still ticken! Hope to see you there. Seeeee ya!”

“End of messages.”

Cloud shook his head and put his phone back once more, pulling his dark glasses back down from his forehead, right under his blonde spiky hair and over his deep blue eyes.

“Guess I better get going, don’t want to let any other people down.” He muttered to himself, once more revving up the engine and taking off once more to the forlorn city jetting out of the barren landscape around him.

He pulled up to “7th Heaven” and sighed once more. Tifa… She left this place a long time ago, leaving it in the now grown Denzel and Marlene going back to her hometown of Nibelheim to see if she could help the small homeland where he and her grew up after what happened years ago, the last time he faced Sephiroth, and the whole drama of the Advent Children.

He slowly got off, kicking down the stand and shoving his key into his pocket before actually looking to the bar.

Meanwhile, a tall skinny woman was leaning against the wall, hidden in the shadows talking and laughing with Marlene, who was now in her late teens. Her brown eyes sparkled with laughter and she rubbed the side of her bare torso just under her dark blue shirt and along the waistline of her black mini-skirt as she talked to the long haired teenager. Denzel came down the stairs, from where he was bedridden for so many years only having Tifa and the much younger Marlene to look after him but he will never forget the man who saved him, and who he held ideal to, Cloud. He smiled to the shadow in the corner and hugged Marlene, kissing her long black hair softly before making his way back up the stairs to the room Cloud used to use when he had his delivery service. Marlene excused herself from the woman in the shadows and followed him upstairs.

Cloud made his way inside, missing Marlene and Denzel, although they were a few of the people that he wanted to see while he was in town. He looked around the pretty empty bar, half expecting Tifa to be there behind the bar, with her large friendly smile as she always was, but he knew that she was not there, and helped himself to a beer as the figure caught his eye.

“What brings you here, Yuffie?” he asked as a slight smile crossed his face to see at least someone he knew in this bar that held too many memories for him.

“What doesn’t bring me here?” she smirked playfully.

“When there is something new to steal out there.” Cloud laughed meekly as he stretched his arms out in front of him, getting the feeling back in them from a long ride.

She stepped out of the shadows and to the blonde ex-SOLDIER a sly smile playing with her lips.

“And what is that? The great Ninja Yuffie is interested in this one.”

Cloud turned and put both of his elbows on the bar and Yuffie caught herself staring at the rippling muscles that tugged under his skin and had to tear her gaze away from them and back to his face.

“If I told you, it wouldn’t be new now would it?” he scuffed, not looking up from the beer bottle before him, watching the sun sift through the window and into the bottle, casing small off colored rainbows in a beautiful disaster on the ebony wood that made up the bar.

Yuffie took a step back, her thigh high black boots scuffling on the floor as she did.

“You act like I would take it for myself…” she snorted as she shook her head “You know me better then that Cloud.”

He smiled as he cast a quick look her direction.

“These days…yes.” He pulled his gaze from the attractive ninja and back to the bottle. “But back then you stole all our Materia, remember?”

The woman giggled softly, her short hair flowing down around her headband and into her face. She turned on her heel and finished off her beer, slamming the empty glass on the bar before walking back out the door. In the doorway her silloette turned around and spoke softly.

“Thanks Cloud”

He turned to her, blinking slightly to see her shape against the bright sun.

“For what?” he asked unsure of what she had planned, and not knowing if he wanted to know. He loved Yuffie, almost as one of the best friends you could ever have, but yet she annoyed him slightly with her refusal to grow up.
“For the beer.” She giggled, slipping out of the doorway.

He shook his head with a soft sigh.

“Should have guessed. Maybe I should have stayed away.” He thought as he threw some money on the bar and looked around the bar once more.

Meanwhile red flashes of light and dark were surrounding Yuffie, spinning around quickly before forming into the form of Vincent Valentine before her.

“You are in a hurry Yuffie.” He muttered forthrightly.

Yuffie threw him a nervous smile and took a step back from the man with the piercing yellow eyes baring down on her.

“So what if I am, Vinnie.”

“Are you up to something again?” he stepped to her even though she backed away from him and nodded to Cloud who was blocking her in from behind.

“Uh... Never!” Came Yuffie’s steady unwavering voice as she put her hands behind her back and stood on her toes for a second before rocking back to her heels.

“When would I ever do something to my friends, eh?” she giggled softly.

Cloud and Vincent exchanged glances as Yuffie jumped, realizing Cloud was behind her.