[Fic] A Long Road to Destiny - FFVII/FFX - Zack, Cloud & Sephiroth - 8/26?
Title: A Long Road to Destiny
Series: FFVII/FFX fusion
Pairing: Cloud, Zack & Sephiroth
Rating: R
Warnings: violence, angst, swearing, the usual
Chapter length: 4535
Total length: 44,460
The summoner's journey is a long, hard path to walk. Having guardians you trust makes all the difference in the world.
Cloud still felt drained and aching when he made his way to the common room of the travel agency the next day, but it was a vast improvement over the way he'd felt when they'd gone to sleep the night before. Struggling down the Highroad with no resources but their weapons and the clothes on their backs had not been a pleasant experience. Even Sephiroth had looked exhausted from all the healing spells he'd cast by the time they reached the travel agency.
At least Sephiroth had been speaking to him again, by the time they got to the inn. Cloud had been starting to worry that the former summoner might have changed his mind about being Cloud's guardian.
He glanced around, looking for Zack. Sephiroth had still been asleep in their room, but the Blitzer had been nowhere to be seen. He finally spotted his guardian sitting at a table, chatting animatedly with a pretty girl. She seemed to be enjoying the attention, judging by the way she was smiling back at him. Then again, Zack just had that effect on people, like a walking ray of sunshine. Cloud thought he'd smiled more since meeting Zack than in all the rest of his life combined.
Cloud turned away. He wouldn't interrupt. Surely he could handle getting some breakfast without Zack's help.
"Your guardian seems to be enjoying himself," Rin, the owner, said in Al Bhed as he handed Cloud a sandwich. He was the first Al Bhed Cloud hadn't felt nervous around since becoming a summoner. Not only had he greeted Sephiroth last night like his long-lost best friend, he hadn't so much as blinked when Cloud had been introduced.
"Zack's good at making friends," Cloud replied in the same language. "He managed to bring Seph and I under his spell."
"No mean feat, as I well know," Rin chuckled. "Enjoy your breakfast, young Cloud, and much luck on your journey."
"May your steps bring you Home again," Cloud replied. It was a farewell he'd heard from nearly every Al Bhed he'd met along the way to Besaid. Somehow, he rather doubted he would ever so much as lay eyes on Home himself.
"Cloud?" a familiar voice exclaimed. "Spirits of Yevon, is that you?"
Startled, Cloud turned to see a face every bit as familiar as the voice, though he'd never expected to see her here of all places. "Tifa?" he said, mirroring her astonished expression.
"It is you. I thought I recognized your voice," she said, and her wide smile said she was genuinely happy to see him. Something tight in Cloud's chest relaxed, and he was able to smile back at her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, joining her at her table. "You're a long way from home."
"Look who's talking," she laughed. "At least I said goodbye to everyone before I left! I'm on my way to Besaid, of course."
"Besaid?" he repeated. There was really only one reason to go to the island, especially with Sin on the rampage. "You're going to be a guardian?"
"I am one already, actually," she said, her cheeks flushed pink with pleasure and pride. "We met in Bevelle. She's amazing, Cloud. She's High Summoner Ifalna's daughter, and she's going to be the next high summoner, I just know it."
"That's great," he said enthusiastically. "I know you've always dreamed about being a guardian, Tifa. I'm really happy for you." And to the daughter of the previous high summoner - that was as amazing as him having Zack and Sephiroth for his guardians.
"That's Aerith over there," Tifa said, nodding. Cloud glanced over his shoulder, and realized she was talking about the same girl Zack was flirting with. "She seems to be enjoying herself and I don't think that guy means any harm, so I figured I'd just stay over... sweet fayth." Her eyes widened, and her tone dropped abruptly to a strained whisper. "Is... is that who I think it is? It can't be."
"Huh?" Cloud looked again, and blinked. Then he realized he was being an idiot, because he knew exactly who she was reacting to. Despite his own shocking realization the day before, Cloud still had trouble remembering that people all over Spira would recognize Zack on sight.
"It is, it totally is," Tifa continued, sounding awed. "It's Zack, the captain of the Goers. Oh my gosh. What's he doing here, isn't it time for the league games to start?"
"He's not a Blitzer anymore," Cloud told her, amused by her reaction despite the fact that he'd done nearly the same thing himself. Or maybe because of that. "He quit to become a guardian."
"No, really?" Now Tifa's wide-eyed look was directed at Cloud. "Wow. Lucky summoner."
"Yeah," Cloud agreed, his smile soft and shy. "Definitely."
"Do you think... oh, I can't," Tifa said, biting her lip. "He must get so sick of people pestering him for autographs."
Despite himself Cloud snorted, and laughed. "Not that one. He's an attention hound," he said fondly, remembering the way Zack had played up to the crowd at the Blitzdome, before things had turned ugly.
"You don't know that," Tifa protested. "He's not even here as a Blitzer. I can't bother him."
"Okay. I'll do it for you," Cloud said, his grin widening. It was nice to be able to do something for her, he acknowledged to himself. And, if he was being honest, he was showing off a little. He turned to call over his shoulder, raising his voice. "Zack!"
"Cloud, what are you doing, stop it," Tifa whispered, horrified. "You're making a scene."
"It's okay," he assured her. "Zack," he called insistently, a little louder.
"What?" Zack protested, but the grin on his face as he turned told Cloud that he wasn't really irritated. "Can't you see I'm busy?"
Tifa looked like she was contemplating hiding under the table, or at least claiming she didn't know him. Cloud chuckled. "Stop flirting for five minutes and come here, there's someone I want to introduce you to."
Zack heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Duty calls," he said to the pretty girl, making mournfully pleading eyes at her. "Forgive me?"
She giggled, the sound warm and rich. "That's my guardian he wants to introduce you to, so I think perhaps I'd better go along and make sure you don't try your tricks on her."
"Tricks?" Zack protested, affecting a wounded look as they both moved to the table Cloud and Tifa were sharing. "I'm not pulling any tricks. Besides," he grinned. "Apparently Cloud's the one you have to watch. He moves way faster than I do. He only sat down like five minutes ago."
"Wha... Zack!" Cloud sputtered and blushed as he realized what the older man was implying.
Zack was laughing at him, of course. "You are so easy to get a rise out of, you know that? I'm not sure if you're more fun to tease than Seph because you actually react, or if he is because it's more of a challenge."
"Glad we can entertain you," Cloud grumbled. "Zack, this is Tifa. We grew up together," he added pointedly.
"Oh yeah?" Zack gave her a genuinely interested smile. "Nice to meet you then, Tifa."
She opened her mouth, but the only sound that came out was a squeak. Blushing, she cleared her throat and tried again. "Um. Nice to meet you, too."
Aerith tilted her head. "You're not usually shy," she said to her guardian, clearly puzzled.
"She's a Blitzball fan," Cloud explained with a grin that echoed more than a little of Zack's impish expression.
"Ah," Zack said, and smiled at Tifa again, adding a wink this time.
"Is that relevant?" Aerith asked. Zack choked and made a gesture as if she'd stabbed him through the heart.
"Geez, first Cloud didn't recognize me for a week, and now you don't even know who I am! I'm gonna get a complex," he complained.
"No, you'll just have some of your ego deflated," Cloud dared to tease back, earning him a grin. "Anyway, Tifa wanted your autograph but didn't want to bother you, so I said I'd ask."
"Hey, anything for a friend of Cloud's," Zack said. "Not that I'd have minded anyway. I'm always happy to talk to fans. I don't get the guys who let it go to their heads and start treating the fans badly. Without all of you who love to watch, we'd all have to find real work."
"Thank you," Tifa said, still looking a little overwhelmed but rapidly getting her feet back under her. "Where in the world did you meet Cloud, though?"
"Huh? In Besaid," Zack said, a bit absently as he scribbled his signature on a napkin.
"Besaid!" Tifa blinked. "Why were you in Besaid?" she asked Cloud.
"Long story," Cloud said, shrugging and glancing away. It was only now occurring to him that introducing Tifa to Zack wasn't the best way of keeping her from finding out what he was up to. Tifa had treated him better than the other kids in Nibelheim, but she'd still laughed at him when he'd told her that he wanted to be a summoner, years ago. He'd begun this journey partly with the intention of showing up everyone in Nibelheim, but he wasn't ready to face them just yet. He'd never expected to run into anyone he knew this soon.
Unfortunately, Tifa was much too perceptive. "But there's nothing in Besaid except..." She trailed off, and looked from Cloud to Zack and back again. "And now you're travelling with... are you a guardian?"
She looked shocked and almost appalled, which was enough to make Cloud really not want her to learn the truth. He didn't want to see the same look all the other Spirans had given him so far. Not from Tifa.
"Of course he's not a guardian, he's..." Zack hesitated a fraction of a second as Cloud threw him a panicked look and shook his head slightly. Smoothly, Zack finished, "He's just along for the company." Not exactly a lie, and it was enough to mollify Tifa. Cloud heaved a silent sigh of relief.
Sephiroth entered the room, glancing around for them, sword in hand and their packs on his shoulder. "There you are," he said when he spotted them, heading over. "Are you ready to continue? I've purchased additional supplies from Rin, there should be enough to see us through to D'jose."
"Just waiting on you," Zack said. The look on his face said he was planning to tease the other man for sleeping in, but before he could say anything else, Aerith gasped.
"Lord Sephiroth!" she exclaimed, and gave him the bow of respect from one summoner to another. She bowed deeply, obviously overawed.
"Sephiroth?" Tifa said, and her eyes went wide again.
Groaning, Cloud looked around quickly to see how much attention they were drawing. Thankfully the travel agency was empty save for the five of them and the owner, and he didn't seem the least bit interested in their little drama.
"Please, don't," Sephiroth said, sounding faintly pained. "I neither want nor deserve that sort of obeisance."
Slowly Aerith straightened, still looking stunned. "They told me you'd died on Gagazet," she murmured. "Why didn't you ever come home to Bevelle?"
Sephiroth blinked, and peered at her more closely. "Forgive me, lady summoner. Have we met?"
She giggled, her smile wide. "I'm not surprised you don't remember me," she said. "I was only seven when we last met. You taught me my very first cure spell."
"Lady Aerith?" Now it was Sephiroth's turn to look surprised. He recovered quickly, and gave her a small smile. "I do remember you, though you've certainly grown. Following in your mother's footsteps, I see."
"I've got some big shoes to fill," Aerith said, and laughed. "Though if you are journeying again, I think my chances of being High Summoner after her just dropped drastically."
Sephiroth shifted uncomfortably, and Cloud's heart sank. He was going to deny being a summoner as he always did, and then Tifa was going to want to know who their summoner was.
"Much as I hate to break up the reunion," Zack interrupted before Sephiroth could say anything. "If we wanna make it to D'jose by nightfall, we need to get moving."
"Yes, we should be on our way as well," Aerith agreed with a regretful smile. "It's a long walk to Luca."
"Why not just rent a chocobo?" Zack asked, surprised.
"There are none available, I'm afraid," Rin put in unexpectedly. "And I would recommend great caution while travelling the Highroad. There is a fiend lurking in the area, and it has eaten or frightened all the chocobos away."
"What?" Cloud exclaimed. "Nothing can outrun a chocobo."
"This thing corners them, apparently," Tifa said with a put-upon sigh. "We had to walk here from D'jose, but we didn't see any sign of the fiend."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Zack asked, his eyes bright. "We need to go take this thing out before it starts hurting travellers, too!"
"You would have us hunt it down?" Sephiroth asked, one eyebrow raised. His tone sounded just a bit too carefully neutral to Cloud.
Zack seemed to sense a trap as well. "Huh? Uh, well... I mean, yeah. It needs to be dealt with, right?"
"And if your summoner is injured or killed in the process?" Sephiroth asked, still mild.
"I'd never let that happen," Zack declared, bristling.
Sephiroth sighed and shook his head, but there was a faint smile on his lips. "A guardian's job is to protect his summoner," he said, the words repeated so often it had become a litany. "A Crusader's job is to hunt down dangerous fiends. And you are?"
"A guardian," Zack said, a touch sheepishly. "Okay, I get the point. We'll leave the stupid thing alone."
"I know how you feel," Tifa said, smiling at him. "It does seem wrong to just ignore it. But I'd never forgive myself if Aerith got hurt because I wanted to play hero."
Zack winced, and chuckled ruefully. "Yeah, all right already, I surrender."
"Too bad we're going the other way," Tifa said as the five of them emerged into the bright morning light. "I would have liked the chance to catch up with you, Cloud."
She seemed sincere, and Cloud felt a flush sweeping over his cheeks. "At least we got to say hi," he said, a little shyly. In truth it felt more like 'goodbye' since he might never see her again, but either way he was grateful for the chance.
"Maybe we'll catch up to you later," Aerith said, smiling. She bowed again to Sephiroth, though she kept the gesture brief this time. "Good journey, Lord Sephiroth."
For a moment Cloud worried that Sephiroth would correct her about whose journey it was. Perhaps Zack sent him a silent signal, or perhaps the look on Cloud's face was enough, because Sephiroth only bowed in return and said, "And yours, Lady Aerith."
Cloud couldn't resist sneaking looks back over his shoulder, even after Tifa was out of sight around a bend in the road. He jumped when Zack patted him on the head, not having realized his guardian was so close.
"She's cute," Zack teased him, grin wide as usual. "Seems nice, too. You guys were just friends?"
Cloud shrugged, cursing his pale skin as he felt another blush rush over his face. "Tifa was the closest thing I had to a friend, anyway," he mumbled. "She never..."
A distant scream cut him off, and he whirled to face the way they'd come. A second scream followed the first, chased by a roar loud enough to make the ground tremble.
"Crap," Zack exclaimed, grabbing for his sword. "We've gotta..."
"Not our concern," Sephiroth said, holding up a hand. "It's up to her own guardian to..."
The third scream was a different voice, more of a terrified shout - a familiar shout. "Tifa!" Cloud exclaimed, and took off running.
"Looks like it's our problem now," he heard Zack say behind him, and then the sound of footsteps told him his guardians were following.
Cloud raced past the travel agency and caught up with Aerith and Tifa just around the bend. The fiend attacking them was huge, bigger than any Cloud had ever seen except Sin itself. Thankfully it was also slow, and Tifa was able to dodge its clumsy swings before moving in close to punch and kick at it.
Cloud skidded to a halt beside Aerith, lying crumpled on the ground at the edge of the road. Before he could say or do anything, magic welled up around her and he recognized the feel of a Cure.
With a shout Zack went charging past to slam his oversized sword into one of the fiend's arms. The Blitzer cursed when the blade skidded off the tough armour, hardly even making a dent.
"It's too strong, I can't seem to hurt it," Tifa said as Cloud fumbled for his own sword. He doubted he would fare any better than Zack or Tifa, but he didn't know any offensive spells and Aerith seemed to be managing the healing just fine on her own.
Sephiroth also had his sword held ready, but instead of attacking he extended his free hand towards the fiend. "If blows have no effect, let us see how it reacts to magic. Fira."
Fire blossomed around the fiend, flames licking hungrily at it. Cloud flinched and thought he saw Tifa do the same. The fiend liked the fire even less than they did. It screamed and fell over on its back, writhing on the ground.
"Now!" Zack exclaimed, and pounced on the fiend again. Tifa dove in past its flailing arms and landed a few solid blows of her own on its vulnerable mid-section.
Cloud managed one step towards the fiend before a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked back to see Sephiroth had taken a firm grip on his shirt, preventing him from joining the fight.
"You are a summoner now, not a swordsman," the older man said sternly, the same tone he used to lecture Zack about a guardian's duties. "Your place is not at the front of the battle."
Aerith was on her feet again, though she looked a little shaken. "Clearly, I need to learn some black magic as well as white," she murmured, and bowed again to Sephiroth. "Thank you, my L..."
A pained shriek cut her off, and Cloud's attention snapped back to the battle. The fiend had regained its feet; Zack was sprawled on the ground in front of it, fighting painfully to get back up again... and Tifa dangled from the fiend's massive fist, making helpless choking noises as it squeezed her mercilessly.
"Tifa!" Cloud's world narrowed until all he could see was her increasingly feeble struggles to get free, and all he could hear was her sobbing breath over the racing of his own heart. Fear cut deep into his heart, and he felt an answering power rising to meet the pain. With a wordless shout Cloud let that power pour through him, scorching him from the inside out.
The earth heaved, hard enough to stagger Cloud and send Zack to the ground again. A giant chunk of rock blasted out of the ground, and a burst of flame chased after it. Both struck the fiend, missing Tifa by inches.
With a roar of fury Evned launched a series of fireballs at the fiend, knocking it over once more. The moment it was vulnerable, he snatched Tifa out of its grasp, settling her on a precarious perch on his shoulder and supporting her with one hand. Tifa clung tightly to one of his horns, looking like she half expected to get a fireball in the face for committing sacrilege.
Dimly Cloud registered that Zack had scrambled out of the way, and he heard Aerith rushing through the words to a cure spell, presumably for Tifa. Sephiroth's hand had tightened on his shoulder, but the older summoner made no move to interfere.
Evned roared again, and quickly proved himself to be just as capable at fire spells as Sephiroth. In moments the fiend was reduced to a swarm of pyreflies, larger than Cloud had ever seen before.
"Everyone okay?" Zack called, glancing around as he shook his sword to clear it of clinging pyreflies.
"I think so," Tifa replied from where she was still sitting on Evned's shoulder. The aeon was tall enough that the bottom of her feet didn't even reach Zack's head. "I owe you my life," Tifa said, looking down at Sephiroth. She looked both shaken and awed, and Cloud couldn't blame her.
He also couldn't blame her for the mistake, and he half hoped his guardian would go along with it. To his dismay but not really his surprise, Sephiroth shook his head. "I am not the one you need to thank."
"That's true. I suppose it's rude to act like he can't understand me." Tifa smiled tentatively at the aeon, apparently misunderstanding Sephiroth's words. "Thank you, too. Um, could you put me down now, please?"
Evned rumbled contentedly in response to the thanks, but seemed to be in no hurry to let her down. Reluctantly Cloud stepped forward. "Thank you, Evned," he murmured, reaching out one hand to his aeon. He could feel the heat radiating off the massive body, as if the skin was only a container for a powerful fire burning within. "You can put her down. Gently."
The aeon made a sound remarkably like laughter. He leaned over enough to allow Tifa to jump down, then reached out to rest one huge hand on Cloud's head. The gesture was clearly one of affection, backed by the surge of approval he felt in his soul, and Cloud couldn't help but smile back. "Dryhg oui," he said again.
"What is it with the fayth trying to kill you, and the aeons treating you like a mascot or something?" Zack asked as Evned vanished in a mist of pyreflies. "Jymavun always preens you when you call her, too."
"They're not trying to kill me," Cloud said, rolling his eyes. "And Jymavun and Evned do not treat me like a mascot!"
"Wait." Tifa was staring at Cloud in shock and disbelief. "You're not seriously trying to say that was Cloud's aeon?"
Well, there was no getting out of it now. Cloud ducked his head and mumbled something, unwilling to face the look in her eyes. It was just as bad as he'd been afraid it would be.
"Is that really a problem?" Zack asked, one eyebrow raised. He walked over to stand next to Sephiroth, just behind Cloud, offering his tacit support. Cloud was grateful, because the look in Tifa's eyes was making him feel alone in a way he never had before.
"Of course it's a problem, he's an Al Bhed!" Tifa exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.
"Half," Cloud muttered, the familiar argument sitting like a lump in his throat.
Tifa looked pained. "Cloud... you know nobody believes that except you." He finally looked up and glared at her. Tifa was the one person who hadn't made it clear she thought his mother was a liar. Not until now, anyway.
"Well, I think it's wonderful." Aerith had been staying out of it, but now she stepped forward. Her eyes were shining as she looked at Cloud. "Maybe an Al Bhed summoner is exactly what Spira needs, to shake us out of our rut. I can summon without a ritual, but you didn't even call his name!"
"He can do it outside of battle, too," Zack put in with a note of smug pride in his voice that made Cloud squirm. "He called Jymavun to save me when I went overboard in a storm."
"But you just said the fayth were trying to kill him," Tifa argued.
"They're not trying to kill me," Cloud repeated, exasperated. "Zack, we've been over this."
"Yeah, well, they're giving a disturbingly good impression of it," Zack replied, unrepentant.
"If they were truly unwilling, they would simply refuse him their power," Sephiroth said. "There is no way to coerce them. I do not understand why they are testing Cloud the way they are, but there is no doubt in my mind that he has the right to be a summoner. Else, I would not be his guardian."
This time Cloud's flush was one of pleasure and pride. That was the most blatant statement of support Sephiroth had yet made in his presence, and it made him feel warm all the way through.
Tifa was gaping, obviously too stunned to say anything. Cloud could hardly blame her for that. He still couldn't believe that Zack and Sephiroth were his guardians.
"Well, I can see I'm going to have to work hard if I want to beat you to Zanarkand," Aerith said, giving him a smile and a wink. "Thank you all for coming back to help us."
"Yes, thank you," Tifa agreed, though she still seemed somewhat dazed.
"No problem, but we'd better get moving if we're gonna reach D'jose by nightfall," Zack said, slipping his sword onto the harness at his back. "On the bright side, now we can ride the chocobos, so we actually have a chance of getting there today."
"We'll be spending enough time camping out as it is," Sephiroth agreed. "I will be just as happy to spend the night at the inn by the temple."
"Then, we'll meet you again further along the journey," Aerith said, and this time she gave Cloud the bow of respect. "Lord Cloud."
Startled, his return bow was a little jerky. "Lady Aerith."
Belatedly Tifa bowed as well - Cloud suspected Aerith might have nudged her. He wanted to say something, anything, to make things better between them again - but what could he possibly say? 'I'm sorry I tromped all over your religion'? It wasn't like he could promise not to do it again.
"Give her some time," Zack murmured as they walked away, putting a comforting arm around Cloud's shoulder. "You gave her a shock, but she strikes me as the adaptable type. Next time you see her, it'll be different."
"You really think so?" Cloud looked up at his guardian, who smiled back at him.
"If nothing else, I believe Lady Aerith will talk her around," Sephiroth said. "She bids fair to outstrip her mother. Lady Ifalna was one of the most tolerant and accepting people I have ever had the privilege of knowing."
"High praise," Zack commented, raising an eyebrow at him. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you had a crush. But if we don't want them to beat us to Zanarkand, we'd better get going on our own journey again.
They both looked at Cloud. He took one more wistful glance at Tifa, now just visible down the road.
Then he shouldered his pack and nodded. Whether Tifa ever accepted him as a summoner or not, Zack was right about one thing. He had a long way to go before he could rest.
Series: FFVII/FFX fusion
Pairing: Cloud, Zack & Sephiroth
Rating: R
Warnings: violence, angst, swearing, the usual
Chapter length: 4535
Total length: 44,460
The summoner's journey is a long, hard path to walk. Having guardians you trust makes all the difference in the world.
Cloud still felt drained and aching when he made his way to the common room of the travel agency the next day, but it was a vast improvement over the way he'd felt when they'd gone to sleep the night before. Struggling down the Highroad with no resources but their weapons and the clothes on their backs had not been a pleasant experience. Even Sephiroth had looked exhausted from all the healing spells he'd cast by the time they reached the travel agency.
At least Sephiroth had been speaking to him again, by the time they got to the inn. Cloud had been starting to worry that the former summoner might have changed his mind about being Cloud's guardian.
He glanced around, looking for Zack. Sephiroth had still been asleep in their room, but the Blitzer had been nowhere to be seen. He finally spotted his guardian sitting at a table, chatting animatedly with a pretty girl. She seemed to be enjoying the attention, judging by the way she was smiling back at him. Then again, Zack just had that effect on people, like a walking ray of sunshine. Cloud thought he'd smiled more since meeting Zack than in all the rest of his life combined.
Cloud turned away. He wouldn't interrupt. Surely he could handle getting some breakfast without Zack's help.
"Your guardian seems to be enjoying himself," Rin, the owner, said in Al Bhed as he handed Cloud a sandwich. He was the first Al Bhed Cloud hadn't felt nervous around since becoming a summoner. Not only had he greeted Sephiroth last night like his long-lost best friend, he hadn't so much as blinked when Cloud had been introduced.
"Zack's good at making friends," Cloud replied in the same language. "He managed to bring Seph and I under his spell."
"No mean feat, as I well know," Rin chuckled. "Enjoy your breakfast, young Cloud, and much luck on your journey."
"May your steps bring you Home again," Cloud replied. It was a farewell he'd heard from nearly every Al Bhed he'd met along the way to Besaid. Somehow, he rather doubted he would ever so much as lay eyes on Home himself.
"Cloud?" a familiar voice exclaimed. "Spirits of Yevon, is that you?"
Startled, Cloud turned to see a face every bit as familiar as the voice, though he'd never expected to see her here of all places. "Tifa?" he said, mirroring her astonished expression.
"It is you. I thought I recognized your voice," she said, and her wide smile said she was genuinely happy to see him. Something tight in Cloud's chest relaxed, and he was able to smile back at her.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, joining her at her table. "You're a long way from home."
"Look who's talking," she laughed. "At least I said goodbye to everyone before I left! I'm on my way to Besaid, of course."
"Besaid?" he repeated. There was really only one reason to go to the island, especially with Sin on the rampage. "You're going to be a guardian?"
"I am one already, actually," she said, her cheeks flushed pink with pleasure and pride. "We met in Bevelle. She's amazing, Cloud. She's High Summoner Ifalna's daughter, and she's going to be the next high summoner, I just know it."
"That's great," he said enthusiastically. "I know you've always dreamed about being a guardian, Tifa. I'm really happy for you." And to the daughter of the previous high summoner - that was as amazing as him having Zack and Sephiroth for his guardians.
"That's Aerith over there," Tifa said, nodding. Cloud glanced over his shoulder, and realized she was talking about the same girl Zack was flirting with. "She seems to be enjoying herself and I don't think that guy means any harm, so I figured I'd just stay over... sweet fayth." Her eyes widened, and her tone dropped abruptly to a strained whisper. "Is... is that who I think it is? It can't be."
"Huh?" Cloud looked again, and blinked. Then he realized he was being an idiot, because he knew exactly who she was reacting to. Despite his own shocking realization the day before, Cloud still had trouble remembering that people all over Spira would recognize Zack on sight.
"It is, it totally is," Tifa continued, sounding awed. "It's Zack, the captain of the Goers. Oh my gosh. What's he doing here, isn't it time for the league games to start?"
"He's not a Blitzer anymore," Cloud told her, amused by her reaction despite the fact that he'd done nearly the same thing himself. Or maybe because of that. "He quit to become a guardian."
"No, really?" Now Tifa's wide-eyed look was directed at Cloud. "Wow. Lucky summoner."
"Yeah," Cloud agreed, his smile soft and shy. "Definitely."
"Do you think... oh, I can't," Tifa said, biting her lip. "He must get so sick of people pestering him for autographs."
Despite himself Cloud snorted, and laughed. "Not that one. He's an attention hound," he said fondly, remembering the way Zack had played up to the crowd at the Blitzdome, before things had turned ugly.
"You don't know that," Tifa protested. "He's not even here as a Blitzer. I can't bother him."
"Okay. I'll do it for you," Cloud said, his grin widening. It was nice to be able to do something for her, he acknowledged to himself. And, if he was being honest, he was showing off a little. He turned to call over his shoulder, raising his voice. "Zack!"
"Cloud, what are you doing, stop it," Tifa whispered, horrified. "You're making a scene."
"It's okay," he assured her. "Zack," he called insistently, a little louder.
"What?" Zack protested, but the grin on his face as he turned told Cloud that he wasn't really irritated. "Can't you see I'm busy?"
Tifa looked like she was contemplating hiding under the table, or at least claiming she didn't know him. Cloud chuckled. "Stop flirting for five minutes and come here, there's someone I want to introduce you to."
Zack heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Duty calls," he said to the pretty girl, making mournfully pleading eyes at her. "Forgive me?"
She giggled, the sound warm and rich. "That's my guardian he wants to introduce you to, so I think perhaps I'd better go along and make sure you don't try your tricks on her."
"Tricks?" Zack protested, affecting a wounded look as they both moved to the table Cloud and Tifa were sharing. "I'm not pulling any tricks. Besides," he grinned. "Apparently Cloud's the one you have to watch. He moves way faster than I do. He only sat down like five minutes ago."
"Wha... Zack!" Cloud sputtered and blushed as he realized what the older man was implying.
Zack was laughing at him, of course. "You are so easy to get a rise out of, you know that? I'm not sure if you're more fun to tease than Seph because you actually react, or if he is because it's more of a challenge."
"Glad we can entertain you," Cloud grumbled. "Zack, this is Tifa. We grew up together," he added pointedly.
"Oh yeah?" Zack gave her a genuinely interested smile. "Nice to meet you then, Tifa."
She opened her mouth, but the only sound that came out was a squeak. Blushing, she cleared her throat and tried again. "Um. Nice to meet you, too."
Aerith tilted her head. "You're not usually shy," she said to her guardian, clearly puzzled.
"She's a Blitzball fan," Cloud explained with a grin that echoed more than a little of Zack's impish expression.
"Ah," Zack said, and smiled at Tifa again, adding a wink this time.
"Is that relevant?" Aerith asked. Zack choked and made a gesture as if she'd stabbed him through the heart.
"Geez, first Cloud didn't recognize me for a week, and now you don't even know who I am! I'm gonna get a complex," he complained.
"No, you'll just have some of your ego deflated," Cloud dared to tease back, earning him a grin. "Anyway, Tifa wanted your autograph but didn't want to bother you, so I said I'd ask."
"Hey, anything for a friend of Cloud's," Zack said. "Not that I'd have minded anyway. I'm always happy to talk to fans. I don't get the guys who let it go to their heads and start treating the fans badly. Without all of you who love to watch, we'd all have to find real work."
"Thank you," Tifa said, still looking a little overwhelmed but rapidly getting her feet back under her. "Where in the world did you meet Cloud, though?"
"Huh? In Besaid," Zack said, a bit absently as he scribbled his signature on a napkin.
"Besaid!" Tifa blinked. "Why were you in Besaid?" she asked Cloud.
"Long story," Cloud said, shrugging and glancing away. It was only now occurring to him that introducing Tifa to Zack wasn't the best way of keeping her from finding out what he was up to. Tifa had treated him better than the other kids in Nibelheim, but she'd still laughed at him when he'd told her that he wanted to be a summoner, years ago. He'd begun this journey partly with the intention of showing up everyone in Nibelheim, but he wasn't ready to face them just yet. He'd never expected to run into anyone he knew this soon.
Unfortunately, Tifa was much too perceptive. "But there's nothing in Besaid except..." She trailed off, and looked from Cloud to Zack and back again. "And now you're travelling with... are you a guardian?"
She looked shocked and almost appalled, which was enough to make Cloud really not want her to learn the truth. He didn't want to see the same look all the other Spirans had given him so far. Not from Tifa.
"Of course he's not a guardian, he's..." Zack hesitated a fraction of a second as Cloud threw him a panicked look and shook his head slightly. Smoothly, Zack finished, "He's just along for the company." Not exactly a lie, and it was enough to mollify Tifa. Cloud heaved a silent sigh of relief.
Sephiroth entered the room, glancing around for them, sword in hand and their packs on his shoulder. "There you are," he said when he spotted them, heading over. "Are you ready to continue? I've purchased additional supplies from Rin, there should be enough to see us through to D'jose."
"Just waiting on you," Zack said. The look on his face said he was planning to tease the other man for sleeping in, but before he could say anything else, Aerith gasped.
"Lord Sephiroth!" she exclaimed, and gave him the bow of respect from one summoner to another. She bowed deeply, obviously overawed.
"Sephiroth?" Tifa said, and her eyes went wide again.
Groaning, Cloud looked around quickly to see how much attention they were drawing. Thankfully the travel agency was empty save for the five of them and the owner, and he didn't seem the least bit interested in their little drama.
"Please, don't," Sephiroth said, sounding faintly pained. "I neither want nor deserve that sort of obeisance."
Slowly Aerith straightened, still looking stunned. "They told me you'd died on Gagazet," she murmured. "Why didn't you ever come home to Bevelle?"
Sephiroth blinked, and peered at her more closely. "Forgive me, lady summoner. Have we met?"
She giggled, her smile wide. "I'm not surprised you don't remember me," she said. "I was only seven when we last met. You taught me my very first cure spell."
"Lady Aerith?" Now it was Sephiroth's turn to look surprised. He recovered quickly, and gave her a small smile. "I do remember you, though you've certainly grown. Following in your mother's footsteps, I see."
"I've got some big shoes to fill," Aerith said, and laughed. "Though if you are journeying again, I think my chances of being High Summoner after her just dropped drastically."
Sephiroth shifted uncomfortably, and Cloud's heart sank. He was going to deny being a summoner as he always did, and then Tifa was going to want to know who their summoner was.
"Much as I hate to break up the reunion," Zack interrupted before Sephiroth could say anything. "If we wanna make it to D'jose by nightfall, we need to get moving."
"Yes, we should be on our way as well," Aerith agreed with a regretful smile. "It's a long walk to Luca."
"Why not just rent a chocobo?" Zack asked, surprised.
"There are none available, I'm afraid," Rin put in unexpectedly. "And I would recommend great caution while travelling the Highroad. There is a fiend lurking in the area, and it has eaten or frightened all the chocobos away."
"What?" Cloud exclaimed. "Nothing can outrun a chocobo."
"This thing corners them, apparently," Tifa said with a put-upon sigh. "We had to walk here from D'jose, but we didn't see any sign of the fiend."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Zack asked, his eyes bright. "We need to go take this thing out before it starts hurting travellers, too!"
"You would have us hunt it down?" Sephiroth asked, one eyebrow raised. His tone sounded just a bit too carefully neutral to Cloud.
Zack seemed to sense a trap as well. "Huh? Uh, well... I mean, yeah. It needs to be dealt with, right?"
"And if your summoner is injured or killed in the process?" Sephiroth asked, still mild.
"I'd never let that happen," Zack declared, bristling.
Sephiroth sighed and shook his head, but there was a faint smile on his lips. "A guardian's job is to protect his summoner," he said, the words repeated so often it had become a litany. "A Crusader's job is to hunt down dangerous fiends. And you are?"
"A guardian," Zack said, a touch sheepishly. "Okay, I get the point. We'll leave the stupid thing alone."
"I know how you feel," Tifa said, smiling at him. "It does seem wrong to just ignore it. But I'd never forgive myself if Aerith got hurt because I wanted to play hero."
Zack winced, and chuckled ruefully. "Yeah, all right already, I surrender."
"Too bad we're going the other way," Tifa said as the five of them emerged into the bright morning light. "I would have liked the chance to catch up with you, Cloud."
She seemed sincere, and Cloud felt a flush sweeping over his cheeks. "At least we got to say hi," he said, a little shyly. In truth it felt more like 'goodbye' since he might never see her again, but either way he was grateful for the chance.
"Maybe we'll catch up to you later," Aerith said, smiling. She bowed again to Sephiroth, though she kept the gesture brief this time. "Good journey, Lord Sephiroth."
For a moment Cloud worried that Sephiroth would correct her about whose journey it was. Perhaps Zack sent him a silent signal, or perhaps the look on Cloud's face was enough, because Sephiroth only bowed in return and said, "And yours, Lady Aerith."
Cloud couldn't resist sneaking looks back over his shoulder, even after Tifa was out of sight around a bend in the road. He jumped when Zack patted him on the head, not having realized his guardian was so close.
"She's cute," Zack teased him, grin wide as usual. "Seems nice, too. You guys were just friends?"
Cloud shrugged, cursing his pale skin as he felt another blush rush over his face. "Tifa was the closest thing I had to a friend, anyway," he mumbled. "She never..."
A distant scream cut him off, and he whirled to face the way they'd come. A second scream followed the first, chased by a roar loud enough to make the ground tremble.
"Crap," Zack exclaimed, grabbing for his sword. "We've gotta..."
"Not our concern," Sephiroth said, holding up a hand. "It's up to her own guardian to..."
The third scream was a different voice, more of a terrified shout - a familiar shout. "Tifa!" Cloud exclaimed, and took off running.
"Looks like it's our problem now," he heard Zack say behind him, and then the sound of footsteps told him his guardians were following.
Cloud raced past the travel agency and caught up with Aerith and Tifa just around the bend. The fiend attacking them was huge, bigger than any Cloud had ever seen except Sin itself. Thankfully it was also slow, and Tifa was able to dodge its clumsy swings before moving in close to punch and kick at it.
Cloud skidded to a halt beside Aerith, lying crumpled on the ground at the edge of the road. Before he could say or do anything, magic welled up around her and he recognized the feel of a Cure.
With a shout Zack went charging past to slam his oversized sword into one of the fiend's arms. The Blitzer cursed when the blade skidded off the tough armour, hardly even making a dent.
"It's too strong, I can't seem to hurt it," Tifa said as Cloud fumbled for his own sword. He doubted he would fare any better than Zack or Tifa, but he didn't know any offensive spells and Aerith seemed to be managing the healing just fine on her own.
Sephiroth also had his sword held ready, but instead of attacking he extended his free hand towards the fiend. "If blows have no effect, let us see how it reacts to magic. Fira."
Fire blossomed around the fiend, flames licking hungrily at it. Cloud flinched and thought he saw Tifa do the same. The fiend liked the fire even less than they did. It screamed and fell over on its back, writhing on the ground.
"Now!" Zack exclaimed, and pounced on the fiend again. Tifa dove in past its flailing arms and landed a few solid blows of her own on its vulnerable mid-section.
Cloud managed one step towards the fiend before a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He looked back to see Sephiroth had taken a firm grip on his shirt, preventing him from joining the fight.
"You are a summoner now, not a swordsman," the older man said sternly, the same tone he used to lecture Zack about a guardian's duties. "Your place is not at the front of the battle."
Aerith was on her feet again, though she looked a little shaken. "Clearly, I need to learn some black magic as well as white," she murmured, and bowed again to Sephiroth. "Thank you, my L..."
A pained shriek cut her off, and Cloud's attention snapped back to the battle. The fiend had regained its feet; Zack was sprawled on the ground in front of it, fighting painfully to get back up again... and Tifa dangled from the fiend's massive fist, making helpless choking noises as it squeezed her mercilessly.
"Tifa!" Cloud's world narrowed until all he could see was her increasingly feeble struggles to get free, and all he could hear was her sobbing breath over the racing of his own heart. Fear cut deep into his heart, and he felt an answering power rising to meet the pain. With a wordless shout Cloud let that power pour through him, scorching him from the inside out.
The earth heaved, hard enough to stagger Cloud and send Zack to the ground again. A giant chunk of rock blasted out of the ground, and a burst of flame chased after it. Both struck the fiend, missing Tifa by inches.
With a roar of fury Evned launched a series of fireballs at the fiend, knocking it over once more. The moment it was vulnerable, he snatched Tifa out of its grasp, settling her on a precarious perch on his shoulder and supporting her with one hand. Tifa clung tightly to one of his horns, looking like she half expected to get a fireball in the face for committing sacrilege.
Dimly Cloud registered that Zack had scrambled out of the way, and he heard Aerith rushing through the words to a cure spell, presumably for Tifa. Sephiroth's hand had tightened on his shoulder, but the older summoner made no move to interfere.
Evned roared again, and quickly proved himself to be just as capable at fire spells as Sephiroth. In moments the fiend was reduced to a swarm of pyreflies, larger than Cloud had ever seen before.
"Everyone okay?" Zack called, glancing around as he shook his sword to clear it of clinging pyreflies.
"I think so," Tifa replied from where she was still sitting on Evned's shoulder. The aeon was tall enough that the bottom of her feet didn't even reach Zack's head. "I owe you my life," Tifa said, looking down at Sephiroth. She looked both shaken and awed, and Cloud couldn't blame her.
He also couldn't blame her for the mistake, and he half hoped his guardian would go along with it. To his dismay but not really his surprise, Sephiroth shook his head. "I am not the one you need to thank."
"That's true. I suppose it's rude to act like he can't understand me." Tifa smiled tentatively at the aeon, apparently misunderstanding Sephiroth's words. "Thank you, too. Um, could you put me down now, please?"
Evned rumbled contentedly in response to the thanks, but seemed to be in no hurry to let her down. Reluctantly Cloud stepped forward. "Thank you, Evned," he murmured, reaching out one hand to his aeon. He could feel the heat radiating off the massive body, as if the skin was only a container for a powerful fire burning within. "You can put her down. Gently."
The aeon made a sound remarkably like laughter. He leaned over enough to allow Tifa to jump down, then reached out to rest one huge hand on Cloud's head. The gesture was clearly one of affection, backed by the surge of approval he felt in his soul, and Cloud couldn't help but smile back. "Dryhg oui," he said again.
"What is it with the fayth trying to kill you, and the aeons treating you like a mascot or something?" Zack asked as Evned vanished in a mist of pyreflies. "Jymavun always preens you when you call her, too."
"They're not trying to kill me," Cloud said, rolling his eyes. "And Jymavun and Evned do not treat me like a mascot!"
"Wait." Tifa was staring at Cloud in shock and disbelief. "You're not seriously trying to say that was Cloud's aeon?"
Well, there was no getting out of it now. Cloud ducked his head and mumbled something, unwilling to face the look in her eyes. It was just as bad as he'd been afraid it would be.
"Is that really a problem?" Zack asked, one eyebrow raised. He walked over to stand next to Sephiroth, just behind Cloud, offering his tacit support. Cloud was grateful, because the look in Tifa's eyes was making him feel alone in a way he never had before.
"Of course it's a problem, he's an Al Bhed!" Tifa exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.
"Half," Cloud muttered, the familiar argument sitting like a lump in his throat.
Tifa looked pained. "Cloud... you know nobody believes that except you." He finally looked up and glared at her. Tifa was the one person who hadn't made it clear she thought his mother was a liar. Not until now, anyway.
"Well, I think it's wonderful." Aerith had been staying out of it, but now she stepped forward. Her eyes were shining as she looked at Cloud. "Maybe an Al Bhed summoner is exactly what Spira needs, to shake us out of our rut. I can summon without a ritual, but you didn't even call his name!"
"He can do it outside of battle, too," Zack put in with a note of smug pride in his voice that made Cloud squirm. "He called Jymavun to save me when I went overboard in a storm."
"But you just said the fayth were trying to kill him," Tifa argued.
"They're not trying to kill me," Cloud repeated, exasperated. "Zack, we've been over this."
"Yeah, well, they're giving a disturbingly good impression of it," Zack replied, unrepentant.
"If they were truly unwilling, they would simply refuse him their power," Sephiroth said. "There is no way to coerce them. I do not understand why they are testing Cloud the way they are, but there is no doubt in my mind that he has the right to be a summoner. Else, I would not be his guardian."
This time Cloud's flush was one of pleasure and pride. That was the most blatant statement of support Sephiroth had yet made in his presence, and it made him feel warm all the way through.
Tifa was gaping, obviously too stunned to say anything. Cloud could hardly blame her for that. He still couldn't believe that Zack and Sephiroth were his guardians.
"Well, I can see I'm going to have to work hard if I want to beat you to Zanarkand," Aerith said, giving him a smile and a wink. "Thank you all for coming back to help us."
"Yes, thank you," Tifa agreed, though she still seemed somewhat dazed.
"No problem, but we'd better get moving if we're gonna reach D'jose by nightfall," Zack said, slipping his sword onto the harness at his back. "On the bright side, now we can ride the chocobos, so we actually have a chance of getting there today."
"We'll be spending enough time camping out as it is," Sephiroth agreed. "I will be just as happy to spend the night at the inn by the temple."
"Then, we'll meet you again further along the journey," Aerith said, and this time she gave Cloud the bow of respect. "Lord Cloud."
Startled, his return bow was a little jerky. "Lady Aerith."
Belatedly Tifa bowed as well - Cloud suspected Aerith might have nudged her. He wanted to say something, anything, to make things better between them again - but what could he possibly say? 'I'm sorry I tromped all over your religion'? It wasn't like he could promise not to do it again.
"Give her some time," Zack murmured as they walked away, putting a comforting arm around Cloud's shoulder. "You gave her a shock, but she strikes me as the adaptable type. Next time you see her, it'll be different."
"You really think so?" Cloud looked up at his guardian, who smiled back at him.
"If nothing else, I believe Lady Aerith will talk her around," Sephiroth said. "She bids fair to outstrip her mother. Lady Ifalna was one of the most tolerant and accepting people I have ever had the privilege of knowing."
"High praise," Zack commented, raising an eyebrow at him. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you had a crush. But if we don't want them to beat us to Zanarkand, we'd better get going on our own journey again.
They both looked at Cloud. He took one more wistful glance at Tifa, now just visible down the road.
Then he shouldered his pack and nodded. Whether Tifa ever accepted him as a summoner or not, Zack was right about one thing. He had a long way to go before he could rest.