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Cloud watched Denzel and Marlene with their friends as they all approached the newest house in their stroll around Edge. A small smile on his face as they loudly exclaimed “Trick or Treat!” to an elderly couple who received them at the door. The elderly couple gave them compliments and candy and received thanks in return. Tifa and Cloud ended up being the chaperone to a group of 4 additional kids including Denzel’s friend Evelyn who wore a simple dark and grey dress and with her trusty Moogle doll at her side. After the kids received their candy, they hurried back to Cloud and Tifa.
As the sun was setting, Edge was getting more livelier by the second as more kids started running around in their costumes. In addition, the city sound system playing the Mako Mash at the moment added to the spooky yet festive time that was Halloween. Cloud could see the smiles everywhere he went, a sharp contrast to the despondent faces everyone had during the widespread Geostigma crisis and DEEPGROUND’s attack on Midgar.
Cloud and Tifa were walking along hand in hand as they watched the kids skip ahead of them. Comparing the different assorted candies in front of them.
“This is nice.” Tifa said.
“Yeah” Cloud replied.
“I wish days like these would go on forever” Tifa started. “Where we can just go out and have fun, just you, me and the kids.”
“Maybe we can” Cloud offered, causing Tifa to look at him. “I’ve been thinking that Strife delivery could change to a 4 day work week.” Cloud said smiling.
Tifa chuckled at that statement. “Have you run that by the manager yet?”
“Well, I have ways I think I can convince her.” Cloud said cooly his gaze shifting to Tifa’s eyes. The implications of that statement didn’t get lost to Tifa who blushed at the comment.
“I would actually love to see that.” Tifa said, her blushing remained as she squeezed Cloud’s hand which was reciprocated immediately.
“Cloud!” Marlene shouted, refocusing the couple’s toward the children, who were staring frozen. They saw a large hulking man with a white t-shirt that had torn yellow sleeves, brown shorts. On his head were long brown locks and his face was covered with a white metal mask that revealed only red beady eyes. He was standing in the middle of the street with a large chainsaw in his hands.
“What the hell?” Cloud asked as he took two of the Side Blades of his Fusion Sword from underneath the back of his apron that he kept in case he didn’t have his main blade and he was out and about. He stepped in front of the kids in time as the man ran at them with his chainsaw, the blades met with the chainsaw as sparks erupted between them. The kids scurried behind Tifa as she stretched her arms out to keep them all in reach. Seeing the monstrosity clashing with Cloud brought a sense of deja vu to Tifa.
“Looks like he’s getting too excited.” came the voice to Tifa’s right.
Tifa looked at the source of the voice to see a short redhead to her side.
“Shelke?” Tifa asked.
“Greetings Tifa.” Shelke said, continuing to stare at Cloud and the monster’s exchange.
They pulled away from each other before the masked monster surprised everyone by laughing. “You’ve gotten soft Cloud” said yet another familiar voice.
He slowly morphed, his chainsaw melding into his flesh as he changed into a grey goo before changing shape again, into a young looking man with a red bandana and red cloak, with a golden gauntlet and pointed boots.
“Vincent,” Cloud said nonchalantly. “What the hell?” he questioned.
The other kids had calmed down at this point seeing Cloud and Vincent standing there and stopped fighting. Marlene though looked annoyed that this was cutting into their trick or treating time and Denzel was just looking amazed at the spectacle.
“I heard that Edge was celebrating Halloween and decided to add to the fear.” Vincent said plainly.
Cloud looked annoyed by that but changed his stance to neutral. “Whatever” Cloud said as he turned to look at the crowd behind him.
“Let’s go, we’re behind schedule if we wanna hit up all the houses. Cloud told them. He then turned to Vincent. “Want to come?” Cloud offered his usually closed off friend, who this time still had a smile on his face.
“Nah. I’m gonna go scare some other people. Nice ears by the way” Vincent said, walking away. He stopped before he transformed into his Death Gigas form as he lumbered away to scare some other folk. Shelke shook her head.
“Well, time for me to go. See you back home.” Shelke said. Shelke bid Tifa and then Cloud farewell as she leapt to Death Gigas’ shoulder.
Tifa shook her head at the random sequence of events. Before she ushered the kids to come along as they joined Cloud and kept walking.
The kids shook off the fright they just had as they went back to chatting animatedly about their costumes and playing make-believe. Tifa and Cloud, who tagged along behind were talking amongst themselves.
“That was a surprise” Tifa stated.
“Yeah” Cloud said. “I held back too much back there. Maybe I have gotten soft.” he finished.
“Nah you’re just sparing the kids from seeing something crazy.” Tifa countered. “And besides, even if you were, I could always kick you back into shape.” Tifa teased.
“I might just take you up into that, I love a woman who kicks my ass, literally.” Cloud semi-joked. The group of kids headed into another house, this one giving full-sized candy bars making the kids cheer.
The rest of the night continued as planned, the group finishing their walk around Edge. As the night concluded, the group had returned to 7th Heaven to wait as the parents of the other kids arrived to pick them up, allowing for the kids to enjoy the post-Trick or Treat tradition of trading candy. Tifa and Cloud were able to get their share as well.