Set during ‘Sequel to FF7’
I lay on my bed in Cosmo Canyon. I could tell someone else was in the room with me, but I was not sure who it was. Either Scarlett or Tifa I thought, keeping my hands folded over my chest. It couldn’t have been a stranger for the odor was familiar. After a while I sighed and called out “Who’s there?” Hoping my voice was loud enough and that my words were understood.
I felt a soft hand gently take mine and I knew who it was even before she could write her name on my palm. “Hi Scarlett.” I said, hoping that I sounded pleasant.
“Need anything?” She spelled out on my palm.
“No, just wanted to know who was there.” I drew my hand back and placed it on my chest.
Gods I hate this, not being able to see or hear. What’s worse is that Cloud is after that insane maniac Rufus Shinra and not here with me. Sigh. Damn, I love that kid. He’s willing to take care of me, but first he has that score with Rufus to settle. I don’t blame him for that, I just hope he lives.
I’m not really sure where it all went wrong for me. Maybe it was having to push the button that ended all those lives in sector 7; or maybe it was that fight when I was a kid that left one dead and me in the hospital along with another. I guess those were my own damn luck really. Maybe like that fever I got in the jungle. Cloud insists that my condition is his fault. Damn it, I didn’t have to follow him! I wanted to go with him. I tried to explain that to him, but he just doesn’t listen. Gods he’s cute when he does stuff like that. Reminds me of my self when I was much younger.
Cute… hmm, if I had told myself a year ago that I’d be calling another guy cute and not thinking I was having one of those days I’d have laughed. Funny how life turns out. Me, one of the great woman chasers of the world, madly in love with another guy? Oh well. I guess that explains why I never settled down before.
The reminds me. The first time I saw Cloud Strife was when he was with that Cetra, Aeris. She was hot, but for some reason I found myself unable to take my eyes off of Cloud. I thought he was way cuter. Of course, at the time I dismissed the notion completely. I didn’t want to believe I could be attracted to him no matter how desirable he was.
The next time I saw him I had to fight him and his friends. It was part of my job. I had to keep them from disarming the bomb I had set. Now, though, I wish I hadn’t of done that. The bomb destroyed the support holding up the sector 7 plate. My actions killed many and got me badly hurt. Damn me and my rational of ‘if not me, another would have done it.’ Sigh.
I still remember how badly Cloud, Tifa, and Barret had actually hurt me. I had to rest and recover for a while from my injuries before I could go on assignment again. When I did it was with the other Turks. We got sent to an old Mako reactor that had exploded 3 years before. There me and Rude settled into our usual debate of who we liked best on a mission. He told me he liked Tifa, which surprised me cause I thought he liked Elena. My original assumption was right cause Rude and Elena are now married, but any way. I, of course, liked Cloud, but couldn’t tell Rude that. I didn’t have the time neither cause suddenly Elena was shouting, “They’re here, they’re really here!”
Cloud and two of his buddies had wandered into our area and it was our job to fight them. I did my job, setting a good example for Rude as Elena rushed of to warn Tseng. Rude and I lost the fight so we ran off. Turks don’t get killed over their job, that’s the one thing we don’t do.
Anyway, Rude and I snuck off into the underbrush and watched Cloud and his friends go to the damaged reactor. I hated getting beaten; especially by the one my body was telling me was the most sensual creature alive. Gods did I want to hold him in my arms and never let go. That was odd considering we were fierce enemies. At the time I tried my best not to think about him. This was kinda hard seeing that we were supposed to be tracking him and his friends.
After Cloud and his had gone Rude and I snuck out of our hiding spot and headed to the rendezvous with President Rufus. Yes, the same Rufus who is a nutcase bent on killing people for his own reasons. As expected Rufus was not happy with or progress. He looked at Rude and I, flicked back that strawberry blond hair of his, and told us that we’d better get something done soon or we’d be on his bad side. No one wants to be on the bad side of Rufus Shinra. Even that bad ass Heidegger, who was our boss beyond Tseng, was afraid of him.
Well, we Turks had known Rufus a long time seeing that he used to hang with us when he was younger. We knew a lot about him. For one, women didn’t interest him no matter how many of those hot chicks swarmed around him. He was very smart and read a whole lot. Also, he could scare anyone just by looking at them a certain way. He’s at least ten times scarier now as my poor loving Cloud rushes off to face him then he was as I stood there before him with Rude, trying not to shake with fear.
After the broken reactor it was a while before I ran into Cloud again. That time it was more like he ran into me. I was down in the underwater reactor at Junon trying to get the huge materia loaded into the sub. I heard someone behind me so I told them to get to work. Turning around I was shocked to see that it was Cloud and two of his friends. I tried hard not to get swept up by his great beauty; I knew I had a job to do. At least this time I didn’t fight him. I ran off and let a robot delay him as I got to the sub.
I had hoped he would not be able to go after me, but I was wrong. He had hijacked the other sub and began firing at mine! Damn, that got me upset. I was just trying to do my job.
I sailed my sub about one hundred feet from the surface, nearing the shoreline. It was then that a torpedo struck and set off the wailing alarms. Oh Shit! I had thought as I watched the water pour in. I thought I was going to die then, killed by Cloud and that blasted torpedo. I knew I only had one chance to live. I opened up the hatch and was sucked out of the sinking sub. I didn’t know how far it was to the surface at that point so I just swam as hard as I could. I was quickly running out of air, I knew I’d have to breathe, but there was nothing to breathe but water, which wasn’t combatable with me.
I’m not sure how long it took for my lungs to finally give out and force me to inhale. All I knew was that I hadn’t broken the surface yet. Let me tell you, inhaling water hurts like a bitch. My lungs stung horrible as I was plunged into a darkness that I know so well now.
The next thing I remember was laying on the sand, coughing up the water in my burning lungs. I was alive. I rolled onto my back and gasped the stinging air. My eyes hurt as sunlight hit them. Some how I had managed to keep my shades so I pulled them down over my eyes. I decided at that point that I needed a vacation. I dragged myself along the sand till I found a beach couple.
After stealing the couple’s phone I called Rude and told him where to find me. An hour later he and Elena showed up on a chopper and lugged me aboard.
“What happened?” Elena asked.
“They got the sub and I nearly died.” I told her. “We need a vacation.”
“Sounds good to me.” Rude said.
“Where?” Elena asked.
“First I need to change my clothing.” I told them.
The next day we had arrived in Wutai. We headed directly for Turtle’s Paradise. After all, we’re Turks, we like to drink. Rude and I sat with Elena between us and we ordered a round. Oh, there is something I forgot to mention. In addition to finding Cloud and Sephiroth we also had to go after Don Corneo. He had, after all, leaked the plate thing to AVALANCHE.
Speaking of the plate I remember watching the news about it. The news claimed no civilian casualties but I knew that wasn’t true. Even over the roar of the chopper I could still hear the screams of the people bellow. Later I actually saw some bodies in the ruble and felt sick.
Any way, as we sat there in Turtle’s Paradise drinking, who else shows up but Cloud and two of his friends. Elena instantly wanted to fight them, but I told her to sit down. After all, we were on vacation. A fight would have spoiled it.
Cloud was obliging and left us alone. I was glad only because I did not want Rude and Elena to see me staring at the kid. I always, up to that point, thought Rude would beat me into a bloody pulp for wanting another man. I’m glad that isn’t true though. Rude wasn’t upset, just shocked, when he found out. That could be because his wife, Elena, was missing in the jungle.
Any way, we got interrupted a few minutes later by ShinRa troops saying they had found the Don. Elena jumped up and said we should get going. I refused; we were on vacation after all. She left with the troopers while Rude and I sat there.
“Let her have her way,” I said, “She’s not a child.” After a minute my PHS lit up. “Yes?” I asked into it.
“HELP!” Shrieked Elena’s voice. Then the PHS erupted into static.
“Elena…” Rude murmured.
“She’s in trouble.” I said, putting my PHS away as I stood, “Let’s go.”
Rude nodded and followed me out toward the pagoda. While I was there talking to him I heard foot steps. Turning I saw my beautiful Cloud and his friends. After a short talk we realized we were both on the same side against the Don. He had taken that bratty ninja thief Yuffie. Because of this we agreed to a truce till we got our people back. Really, I wished we never had to fight Cloud again. Sadly, we had one last fight to take care of.
A few days after rescuing Elena and killing that Don, Rude and I were sent to the crashed airship. It had landed in the ocean so we had to go by yet another sub. By this time I no longer liked being underwater. I covered it up with my Turk cool though and pressed on.
“What are we down here for?” Rude asked me as we headed for the cargo bay.
“Weapons for stopping Sephiroth. Rufus wants them returned.”
It was then I heard the scrapping behind me. Turning, a pair of fierce, yet lovely, blue eyes met mine.
“So,” I said, “We meet again, for the last time.” I really didn’t want to believe that and now I know it to be untrue. In any case, it was the last time we met in battle. We didn’t get into a fight down in the Midgar tunnels. We parted ways and us Turks went to Costa while meteor came their way.
“What now?” Rude asked me as we sat in the same bar that a year later I would see Cloud again in.
“With Rufus dead,” I said unknowingly, “We are out of a job.”
Rude took a small vile containing the poison issued to the Turks in case of emergency, and placed in on the table. “I guess I will no longer need this.”
I snatched it from the table and put it in my pocket. “I want to keep it.” I told him, “I traded mine for the antidote long ago.”
Rude stayed quiet but I watched him take Elena’s hand into his.
“Well, I want to go home and straighten up a bit.” I told them, “See you two tonight?”
They nodded as I left.
Now I rolled over, feeling hungry. “Scarlett?” I asked.
Her hand picked up mine and wrote ‘need anything?’
“I’m hungry, can you get me something?”
‘sure’ She wrote, then put my hand down.
I sighed, feeling the wind as she walked away. “Cloud my love…” I murmured, “We have been through a lot. I don’t want to loose you yet. Please come home safely to me.”
I saw his face in my mind from the first time I ever saw him. That made me happy. It mixed with the last of what I saw of his face before I lost the ability to see… the way he looked down at me with loving worry in his eyes. I smiled a little and after eating I fell asleep, dreaming of my loving Cloud.
The End.
