Tifa paced the clearing. Zack and Sephiroth had been in the reactor several minutes now and she still hadn't cooled off. Cloud shuffled his feet awkwardly as he cowered gratefully under his helmet. She was muttering something about Shinra's secrets catching up to them someday.
She paused looking him up and down. "You're the same guy I spoke with back in town aren't you?"
He cleared his throat as an answer.
"What? So you're still not going to talk to me?" She put her hands on her hips.
"Sorry." Cloud apologized in his fake voice.
Tifa shook her head. "Does that mean yes or no?"
Cloud shrugged a reply causing Tifa to sigh. "How big is the Shinra army? Do you guys like know each other or hear about each other and stuff?"
Cloud's helmet bobbled at his head shake. "Not really." He answered carefully.
She hugged her arms and let out a disappointed breath. "Figures." It was quiet a moment before her head perked up. "You hear that?"
Cloud raised his gun and began scouring the area with his eyes while Tifa took up a defensive stance. Cloud advanced slowly forward, "Watch out!" To their left, three monsters leapt into the clearing and Cloud responded with a volley of fire but the monster quickly dispatched him with a shot to his chest, crumpling him.
Tifa clenched her teeth and fists tighter, ready to defend herself but Zack flew past her and was suddenly in their faces. Trusting he would be able to dispatch them, Tifa rushed to her protector's side, bending to check on him. "Hey, are you okay?" She grabbed his shoulder.
Cloud groaned and clenched his burnt uniform in his fist.
"Why did you do that?" She asked him placing her hand over his as Zack walked up and knelt.
Tifa looked at him the confusion on her face apparent. "He... tried to protect me..."
"I know." Zack sighed, he was proud of his friend but inwardly scolding himself for not being here. He shook his head to clear it. "Tifa, stay close to me." He stood.
Tifa pulled Cloud's arm over her shoulder and hauled him to his feet.
"I'll get you guys home." Zack promised.
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Before Nibelhiem
FanfictionNibelhiem was a small, quiet, peaceful town, but like all beautiful things on Gaia it couldn't last under the rule of Shinra. When a young Cloud and Tifa stumble onto a top secret Shinra operation their lives are forever altered, ultimately throwing...
