The Past That Haunts - Chapter 1: Part 2 - Games - http://maxpages.com/everythingff7/Chapter_1_Part

Reeve looked so tired once he had spoken that Cloud wondered just how much he’d been doing. /He was probably on call twenty-four hours a day to help seventy different crises in forty different places./ Cloud looked at Reeve in concern. "Hey, Reeve, have you been sleeping enough lately?"

Cid laughed and broke in at that time. "He hasn’t been sleeping more than two or three hours a day. He hasn’t even seen his wife in about four months. That’s where I’m taking him now, back to Junon. He needs a couple days of rest."

Reeve smiled wryly. "I wanted to convince Barret to take the job as mayor of Corel first, though. Then he could help Corel and be Corel’s UPO leader. Barret’s good at that, and he can stay home with Marlene. He just doesn’t realize the opportunities I’m giving him."

Barret hung his head. "Well, Reeve, uh, did everybody really vote me in fer this job?"

Reeve nodded. "They want you to be their mayor and their representative in the UPO meetings."

"Will I, uh, really get to jus’ stay here an’ be with Marlene?"

"And do paperwork and help with your town. The only time you’ll be gone will be when you go to the UPO meetings once a month. Think you can handle it?" Reeve teased.

Barret frowned. "Well, okay, then. I guess I’ll take the job."

"Good!" Reeve replied in his most crisp, business-like manner. "Now, go to the office and the UPO representative from Costa del Sol will explain to you your duties."

Barret rolled his eyes, waved quickly to Cloud and Cid, and then disappeared into a building that was no more than four stories high. Cid shook his head and laughed. "He hasn’t changed a bit, has he? Still stubborn as a mule!"

Reeve shrugged and picked up his briefcase. "One more stop, Cid, then we head for Junon. Cloud, are you coming with us?"

Cloud shrugged. "Can I?"

"Sure you can! I have too much fuckin’ space in that damned airship o’ mine! It needs to be filled up!" Cid exclaimed, looking at the sky wistfully.

The three men left the town. As they left the main entry-way of Corel, Cloud turned to Reeve and asked, "So, Reeve, where’s Cait Sith?"

"They’re wherever I’m not and I’m needed," Reeve replied.

"‘They’re’?" Cloud arched an eyebrow.

"Yes, I need more than one anymore. It seems I’m needed everywhere for every little thing." Reeve sighed as they made their way toward the Highwind. "Some days I wonder if I’ll ever get to go home and have some peace again."

Cid let out a snort. "Yeah, well—what the fuck?!"

Everyone’s gaze followed Cid’s as he looked straight up. A huge shadow flew over the town of Corel. Cloud’s eyes widened as he took in the monstrous form and the violet coloring. Reeve was simply blinking in horror at it. Cloud turned toward Cid, his eyes questioning. "Cid, was that what I thought it was?"

Cid nodded slowly. "Yeah, that was a damned WEAPON, all right. But, hey, I thought we got rid of all the WEAPONs?"

"Obviously not that one," Reeve said.

"I’ve never seen one like that! It was violet, for the Planet’s sake!" Cloud exclaimed.

"I don’t know, guys, but I’ve got a bad feeling about that. If there’re still WEAPONs about, then you know who else is still around," Cid said softly.

The name ricocheted in Cloud’s mind, mocking him. /JENOVA..../

Cloud voiced his thought out loud. "It has to be JENOVA," he whispered.

Reeve frowned. "That’s impossible! We killed JENOVA personally!"

Cloud shrugged. "I don’t know, but it looks like we might have another crisis on our hands."

Cid led them quickly toward the Highwind as he said, "We’d better follow this thing. It might lead us to the problem."

Cloud followed behind silently, his head still ringing with the word "JENOVA" inside of it.

***
Tifa stood up while Zephyre was speaking and went to the door of the bar. Zephyre gave her a confused glance and said, "What’s wrong, Tifa?"

Tifa felt slightly dizzy as she walked toward the door. Her heart was pounding sickly in her chest. She was afraid that she had hallucinated seeing Cloud. She reached her hand out for the handle of the door, but it seemed to be moving in slow motion. Zephyre stood up behind her, watching her with his carefully discerning eyes. Tifa reached the handle and yanked the door open with all her strength. She held her breath in anticipation as the door swung open...

But no one was there. No one stood at her doorstep, grinning cockily. Tifa let out a wail without even realizing she cried out. Her eyes frantically darted around, and she walked outside. Her eyes were drawn to the rode, and she could barely make out a figure walking away. She squinted, and, yes, she could still see him. Running as fast as her slender legs could take her, she called after Cloud. "Cloud! Cloud, wait! Don’t leave me again!"

The figure was gone before she even got halfway down the street, and she sank down to the sidewalk, sobbing. /Oh, Cloud,/ she thought, all the grief and pain that had been hers for most of her life crashing into her at full force. /Cloud, why? Why didn’t you come to see me? Don’t you know how much I miss you—how much I need you?! Cloud, please don’t do this to me anymore! Please, come back.../

Tifa was so intent on her thoughts that she didn’t even realize when Zephyre approached her. Gently, the slender man lifted her into his arms and turned back toward the bar. Tifa, who wasn’t thinking straight, sobbed like a child into his shoulder. Zephyre looked down at her and sighed. /Tifa... So, you’re in love with the "hero" of the Planet. How dare he leave you like that! How could he possibly be so cruel as to leave you alone?/

As Zephyre walked back toward Tifa’s bar, it began to rain softly down on them. Tifa’s shoulders were still wracked with sobs, but she’d calmed down slightly and wasn’t as grief-filled as before. Zephyre opened the door to her bar, stepped inside, and closed it behind him. He gently placed her in a chair and stepped away. Tifa buried her head on her arms, leaning on the table. Zephyre knelt down beside her, reaching out one hand to brush a tendril of dark hair away from her tear stained face.

"Tifa, do you have your rooms here or do you have an apartment?" he asked gently.

Tifa looked at him through eyes so filled with pain that Zephyre was forced to look away. "I—I live upstairs," she managed to whisper, lifting her right hand weakly to point above the bar.

Zephyre nodded. "All right, Tifa." He stood up and lifted Tifa into his arms again. She cried silently into his shoulder, and Zephyre wanted nothing more at that moment than to make those tears disappear. "It’ll be all right, Tifa," he whispered softly to her as he walked up the stairs.

She merely shook her head in denial. /I’ll kill him,/ Zephyre thought violently. /I’ll hunt down Cloud and kill him for this./

Zephyre’d reached the top of the stairs. It was easy enough to locate Tifa’s bedroom. He stepped inside and lay her down on her bed. She immediately curled up on herself, her face still twisted with grief and pain. Zephyre reached out and touched a lock of her soft, brown hair, then turned away. He walked down the stairs of the bar and left, closing the door firmly.

He’d taken no more than five steps into the pouring rain when a figure stepped out from behind him. Zephyre knew who it was, and he didn’t event turn as he acknowledged the man behind him. "Darkfire."

The voice that answered him was low and deep. "You are in love with the girl."

Zephyre’s silver eyes narrowed as he turned toward the man. Darkfire faced him, his ebony eyes cold and hard. Zephyre often wondered if Darkfire felt anything for anyone. "And if I am?" he asked, letting the sentence hang threateningly in the air.

Darkfire smiled dangerously. "It could prove detrimental to the plan. You cannot afford any distractions, Zephyre."

Zephyre studied Darkfire for a moment. Darkfire was tall and well muscled, with lithe, slender hands. Zephyre knew that he could move like a cat and he only made sound when he moved because he wanted to be heard. Darkfire was a fierce fighter and a master at attacking. Zephyre was often glad Darkfire was under his command instead of against him. "And why not? It’s not as if I cannot do the job still."

Darkfire laughed, a cold sound devoid of true mirth. "Yes, and for how long? If she knew what we’re doing, she’d turn against us, Zephyre. You know that."

Zephyre shrugged defiantly. "I don’t care."

"Obviously."

Zephyre frowned at Darkfire. "I don’t see what’s wrong with me finding a little pleasure in life. Just because you’re made of stone and don’t need companionship doesn’t mean that I don’t."

Darkfire narrowed his cold, black eyes. "There is nothing wrong with pleasure, but love is another matter. If you fall in love with this one, she could...get in the way." Darkfire smiled, looking for all the world like a predatory panther on the loose. "I can’t afford that. I’d have to kill her."

Zephyre sighed. "You’re right, of course, Darkfire." He looked away from Darkfire, his eyes distant. "I simply won’t tell her what I’m doing." Zephyre turned his gaze back to Darkfire. "Do you have a problem with me seeing her?"

Darkfire shook his head. "Not as long as you’re still performing your duties. We need you, my lord. Do not make me have to remove her."

Zephyre started walking again, his back to Darkfire. "I will be careful," he told Darkfire.

He didn’t need to turn around to know that the dark haired man was gone. Darkfire never stayed around for longer than necessary. /Sometimes I wonder about him,/ Zephyre pondered as he continued to walk toward his apartment. /He’s dangerous. I wonder why he hasn’t attempted to kill me yet./ Zephyre almost laughed at himself for his foolishness. /Of course he wouldn’t kill me. He needs me. And he owes his life to me. Darkfire’s only defect is that he believes in honor./ Zephyre let out a cool chuckle as he reached his apartment. /Yes, Darkfire’s "honor" shall be his downfall./

As Zephyre entered his apartment, a dark shadow fell across the town. No one noticed because of the rain, and it continued on its course.

Sorry about that folks and Viper. On Maxpages, each page is limited to 20,000 characters, and cause this is a long (and great) chapter, I had to split it into two parts. Sorry about that! Well, feedback is good, so e-mail Viper.

TOMBR13@AOL.com

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Page Updated Sat Jun 17, 2000 11:09pm EDT