Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII is a product of Sony and SquareSoft. Some characters and locations were used for non profitable entertainment purposes. No infringement intended.
When Little Girls Grow Up…
There once lived a girl who spent her nights gazing up at the stars...
"I wish my prince will find me one day..."
In time, that little girl stopped wishing on falling stars...
For, like most little girls, she too grew up...
- "Wishing on Falling Stars" by sodacolapop
When Little Girls Grow Up…
Prologue: Saying Goodbye
Once again, it tiptoed into everyone's lives, warding away the traces of winter's cold sleepy touch with the gentlest warmth of a waking sun. The last bits of snow had faded away into the pristine clouds, clearing the ground of the final signs of the coldest season. And as if finally realizing that the time for slumber is over, humans and animals alike slowly crept out of their homes, into spring's welcoming arms.
Spring signified life, a new beginning, rebirth. But not all stories turn out the way people had expected. To some, things always turn out differently. Fate always had its way of surprising and catching everyone off guard, after all…
The morning sun had only just begun to paint the glorious sky a faint pinkish hue, but for some people, the day had started much, much earlier. In a darkened home in the cozy town of Nibelheim, a lone figure clad in a terrycloth robe listlessly paced her room, lower lip swollen from all the nervous biting it had undergone.
"Yes, yes, I'm sure." A weary sigh escaped her lips. "Well, he did. He just left… He's gone."
She gestured weakly with her hand, before burying one in her long tresses. She stopped pacing, only to stop in front of her dresser. Her reflection, a haggard bedraggled lady, stared back at her… It was only a shadow of her real self though, a woman who lost someone she loved with all her heart.
"I'm okay…" A short pause, another sigh and the woman in the mirror frowned. "A little bit furious but I'm okay, really."
It took every ounce of her remaining dignity to say those words without having her voice waver. Just the slightest slip from that vice-like hold would break her already faltering disposition. She can't cry now, not yet…
"Yes, thank you. I appreciate the help…" she blinked, fighting back the tears. "This means so much to me Aeris." And with that, she placed the phone back in its cradle.
Despite the surrounding darkness in her room, the sheet of paper lying on her bed caught her attention. She captured the words "I'm sorry… But I thought I loved you." one more time, before her own grief overpowered her.
And that's when she allowed the tears to fall. Words weren't enough to soothe her aching heart, nor would they keep the impending humiliation from coming. "I'm sorry" cannot, in any case, change the fact that the groom left his would-be bride on the morning of their wedding day.
A few wayward teardrops found their way on the piece of paper, smudging the blue ink against what was once a clean white paper. Despite the pain it brought her, she read the short message one final time before crushing it into a ball.
"I hate you Cloud Strife. I hate you…"
Author's Notes: I know it looks like it, but this isn't one of your typical Cloud-leaves-Tifa fics. I'm going to try and give Cloud and Tifa's personalities and "relationship/friendship" some justice. And yes, I am back! dancesI don't know if there are still some Tifa-Cloud fans here... :) Anyway, reviews and criticisms are highly appreciated.