Revitalized Dream (Book Three)

Year Five, Day Fifty-Six

Tifa POV

I join the others in the lobby of the Icicle Inn. The atmosphere is heavy, weighing us all down with our grief. Not long after I sit down next to Yuffie on a couch, Barret comes in looking moody.

"How's Cloud?" I ask him as he takes a seat nearby.

"Not much better than before," he grumbles. "The damn idiot still won't believe that it wasn't his fucking fault."

"I see..."

Yuffie takes my hand. "Tifa, how's Cress doing?"

"A little better, actually. She was able to eat the stew I brought her, and she asked about Cloud..."

"I think we should start thinking of our next move. We can't sit around doin' nothing with that bastard still out there," Barret growls, standing back up. "We need to press on and...and avenge Aerith."

The others all chorus their agreement, so I also stand up. "Alright. I'll go get Cress and Cloud. If  they're up to it, they should be here to help plan."

I head up the stairs to Cress's room first. But, when I open the door, she isn't there and all her stuff is gone. Maybe she went to find Cloud.

Worried, I hurry down the corridor to the room Cloud and Barret have been sharing and open the door. No Cress in sight. Where is she?

"Cloud, have you seen Cress?" I inquire.

At the sound of her name, he sits up a little straighter and looks at me. "Cress? What's wrong with Cress?"

"I can't find her. She was in our room not that long ago, but she's not there and all her stuff is gone. I thought she might've come to see you."

He shook his head and got up from his bed. "I haven't seen her. Could she have...oh no..."

The horror on his face scares me. "What? What is it? Do you know where she is?"

"I think...I think she might be going after Sephiroth. On her own."

Short chapter, sorry. I may not be able to update for a while since I got a new job that will take up a huge portion of my time. Thank you for all your patience.