Author's Note: I do not own Final Fantasy nor any of its characters

This is my second fanfic. I am focusing on Tifa and writing about her for most of the story, though Cloud will play a big role later on, as will the rest of the gang.

Amaranthine (adj.): Unfading, everlasting, or eternally beautiful

/ Indicates the beginning and end of a flashback, xxx helps to separate the story

This is rated T for mild language and violence.

Summary: A few months after the events of Advent Children, Tifa is still working as a barmaid. Her life has settled down, but that all changes when she is kidnapped one night. A new organization hopes to become what Shinra once was using equally as destructive sources, and AVALANCHE is the only thing that stands in their way. They plan to use Tifa to lure AVALANCHE to them, and for other sinister purposes. Can Cloud and the others save Tifa, and the whole Planet, once again?

I have not played DoC. This story takes place after Advent Children, so therefore I am writing as if DIRGE OF CERBERUS DOES NOT EXIST. Does that mean it is slightly AU? Maybe. Got it? Good :)

Now, onward with the story!

Amaranthine

Chapter One: A Broken Routine

It was a quiet night. One of those rare moments of tranquility, when the world seemed to go into a slow, dreamlike state. The sky was dark and calm, and a handful of stars winked out from the blackness. It really was beautiful, and the only sound was the wind, gently whispering secrets to anyone that would listen.

But underneath the starry sky was a scene that was not quite as pretty. Edge. The city that had been built among the ruins of Midgar. More than two years after Meteor, the ruins still stood as a memorial to all those that had lost their lives to Shinra.

Midgar had been a dark, evil place, and most people tried to stay away from Edge due to the horrific memories, but there were those that remained unaffected by the city's dark history. This late at night, these brave inhabitants were sleeping in their scattered houses. Since Geostigma had been cured, there was rarely a person found sleeping in the street. That was one improvement in Edge, one of the few improvements that had been made in the years Edge had grown amidst the crumbling remains of Shinra.

This night was the same as any other. People were inside their homes, sleeping, and most of the buildings were dark.

Except one.

It was a bar, titled Seventh Heaven, and it was just one building of many in the crowded streets of Edge. But tonight it stood out from the rest, because its lights were on. It drew one's attention, a bright contrast from the dark street, and the few that were awake wondered, 'Who could be open this late?'

Her name was Tifa Lockhart. She was the owner of this bar, and had been for a couple of years now. Her bar was quite popular to come to, not only because the drinks were good, but because the famous Tifa Lockhart worked there, and the even more famous Cloud Strife lived there. They had saved the Planet a few times now, and finally others had come to appreciate all that they had done. But none of this explained why the bar was still open so late.

The truth was, Tifa was asleep. Sitting on a stool, bent over in an awkward position, she had fallen asleep on the bar while wiping it down. Her dark brown hair covered half of her face, and the only sounds in the room were her gentle breathing and the dripping of the soaking wet rag she held loosely in her hand. Tifa had never fallen asleep while closing before, but this week she had been even more tired than usual.

The bar had been busy, but more importantly, /he/ had left five days ago. Cloud. Gone yet again to make a delivery. Marlene and Denzel were on a vacation with Barret for several days, so Tifa was all alone.

She worried about Cloud sometimes. He had gotten much better these past few months, but there was still a far-off look in his eyes when she met his gaze. Tifa wasn't exactly sure why Cloud was so distant. She thought that he had found forgiveness and peace after Geostigma was cured. And though Tifa tried not to admit it, she had a suspicion that Cloud was searching for Aeris.

Aeris. The beautiful flower girl that had given her life to protect the Planet. Aeris had had a special interest in Cloud, and she had made it obvious. Despite this, Tifa couldn't make herself dislike the woman. She was kind and compassionate, and would have done anything for her friends. But when she had died, Cloud had become different. He blamed himself for her death, that much Tifa knew, but how could she be sure that Cloud didn't have deeper feelings for Aeris?

Tifa loved Cloud. She had loved him for a long time. She had never told anybody, especially not him, but every time she looked at him, Tifa was reminded of her deep feelings for him. They had been childhood friends, and Tifa had helped him sort through his memories over two years ago. Yet Tifa could still not tell if he felt something for her, other than friendship.

Tifa herself was the same, really. She was growing her dark hair out again, and it now reached her middle back. She still had the same caring brown eyes and bright personality with a heart of gold to match. Tifa also had kept her martial arts skills sharp; during her free time, she would practice her moves, go jogging, or spar with Yuffie when the ninja occasionally came to visit. Hardly anything had changed since the Geostigma outbreak. Tifa was still confused about where she stood with the man she loved. Cloud still left quite often, and was gone for a day or two, then came back exhausted and left a couple of days later to make yet another delivery. He always called to tell where he was going and when he was coming back. The calls were short, but necessary.

He had never gone this long before without contacting her. Tifa had been a nervous wreck these last few days, always wondering where Cloud was. She had tried calling him half a million times, but he never picked up. No matter how long Cloud was gone, he always called at /some/ point, until this time. Tifa was out of her mind with worry.

She had tried to sleep, but tossed and turned in her bed the last couple of nights, wondering where he could possibly be. Tifa had become sleep-deprived, and now it was all catching up to her.

The door to Seventh Heaven slowly opened and closed, but Tifa was in too deep a sleep to notice. The sound of heavy footsteps could be heard coming closer and closer to her, and Tifa still did not awaken. Not even when the figure stood directly over her did Tifa realize that someone else was in the bar…not until she felt a hand on her shoulder. Right when a gloved hand gripped her shoulder, Tifa jerked awake. Quicker than lightning she leapt out of her stool and turned to face the visitor, all of her years of martial arts training causing her to shift position into a fighter's stance. All of this happened in a split second, and Tifa did not recognize the person until her fists were raised.

Bright blue eyes, spiky blonde hair…

"Cloud!" Tifa exclaimed, relaxing her position, but her relief was quickly replaced by anger that showed in her eyes. He had been gone six days now, and had never called her nor contacted her in any way. She had been worried sick, and now he just showed up?

Cloud could obviously detect her anger, because his expression softened slightly. "Tifa, I…"

"Where were you? You've been gone five days! You didn't even call!" All of Tifa's anger burst forth at once. Normally, she was a calm and collected person, and rarely lost her temper, but all of the strain of waiting for Cloud had drawn her tighter than a bowstring.

"Tifa, I'm sorry. I-"

"That's what you say every time, Cloud!" Tifa was fighting to regain control. "But do you really mean it? Would it have been that difficult to just pick up the phone?"

"Will you just-"

"You always just leave with almost no explanation. I've put up with it for a long time, Cloud, but when you're gone for almost a week it's hard to not be angry at you!"

"Tifa, listen to me! I-"

"I've tried listening, but you never speak!" Tifa exclaimed, desperation creeping into her voice as it rose to a higher octave. "You just walk out that door again, running away, and-"

"TIFA." Cloud said, and his voice was so forceful that Tifa stopped in midsentence, staring at him, all of her anger finally fading as she controlled her emotions. She shouldn't have lost control like that. She was known for being the calm one of the group, the gentle and sweet one that held everyone together. She felt guilty for yelling at Cloud, but she had just been so worried and missed him so much that she couldn't help herself.

"Tifa, will you listen to me? I'm trying to tell you what's going on, but you haven't given me a chance."

"…..sorry." Tifa replied, her shame causing color to flood into her cheeks as she realized he was right. "I was just worried…I'm sorry. Please go on."

"I left to make a delivery," Cloud started, nodding to acknowledge her apology. Wearily, he sat down on a nearby barstool, a few feet away from Tifa, leaning back against the bar. "This is kind of a long story, so you'd better get comfortable."

Tifa sat back down on her barstool, paying close attention to his every word.

"I was on my way to drop the package off in Kalm. That's when it happened."

"What?"

"I got attacked. I…don't know what it was. Some sort of monster I have never seen before. None of us have ever seen it before. It was unusually resistant to my Materia attacks, so I had to get in close range to attack it." Cloud indicated his sword, which he'd rested on the ground against the bar. "It was….difficult. It was shaped like an arachnid with multiple legs, and it lashed out if you got too close."

Cloud's face was pensive, his eyes distant. "There was something very strange about it. I couldn't place it. Eventually, I disabled it by cutting off a couple of its legs. When it collapsed, I decapitated it."

His gaze moved to Tifa's face, an solemn expression possessing his features. "That was almost my undoing, Tifa. I had a couple of seconds to register that there were cords and wires inside the body of the thing. It was a machine, man-made. Then I heard the ticking noise, and I took off running. I didn't get far before it self-destructed. The blast caught me in the back, threw me in the air, singed my clothes. I was knocked unconscious when I landed."

Tifa realized she was leaning forward in the stool, gripping the sides so hard her knuckles were white, panic fluttering in her chest. Cloud had almost been killed by this…machine. The thought of a machine-monster terrified her. It was something Shinra would have made.

"Two days later, I woke up in Kalm. A couple travelers had found me on the road. They were kind enough to bring me and Fenrir to Kalm, to a healer. My back had scabs from the burns from the heat of the explosion. My arm was broken from the landing, and my cell phone had been crushed in the fall. I was forced to rest there for half a day by the healers. They used Materia on my arm." He was looking down at his arm, now.

"I delivered the package and then came back here, but through the long route. I didn't want to face another one of those things. I spoke to nobody. I covered my face and sword to avoid recognition, and I know I didn't call you, I'm sorry."

"But why, Cloud? Why didn't you call me? I was worried that something had happened, and obviously it did!" Tifa's worry burst through her attempt at self-control and was made obvious through her tone.

"That machine…I couldn't help but feel that it was just lying there in wait. For me. Obviously someone created it, it was resistant to Materia, and had a defense mechanism for short range attacks. It was too much of a coincidence. I was worried I was being followed or watched, and I didn't want to put you or anyone else in danger by calling." He was looking at her again, his expression closed off but a bit wary, as if he thought she was going to chew him out. "I might just be paranoid. But better safe than sorry," he finished quietly.

Tifa nodded, finally accepting why Cloud had been gone so long. Now her worry was overridden by guilt at losing her temper. He had a legitimate reason for being gone, and she had treated him like a child. That didn't mean she wasn't extremely concerned about the events that had transpired. If someone was following Cloud….that was serious, indeed.

"Sorry I didn't call, Tifa." Cloud muttered, avoiding her gaze.

"It's okay. Sorry I yelled at you," Tifa replied, searching Cloud's face for more than she was going to admit. There were a few seconds of awkward silence.

"…you were sleeping?" Cloud eventually asked.

Tifa felt her face heat up with embarrassment. She never slept on the job. The dirty dishes were piled up in the sink, and when she glanced around she saw that chairs were strewn across the floor from the more feisty customers.

"I guess I didn't get enough sleep this week," she replied, but not telling him the reason why. Cloud probably could have guessed. But Tifa felt a stab of pain as she wondered if Cloud would even /want/ to guess why she was so tired.

Cloud nodded. This was the most they had spoken in a long time, and most of it had been Cloud relating the events that had happened to him. It made Tifa sad when she thought about this. They never had lively or emotional conversations, and Tifa was usually the one doing all of the talking.

"Do you need help?" Cloud asked her.

Tifa shook her head. She didn't want any more awkward silences, and she knew Cloud's heart wouldn't be in it. Where was Cloud's heart? It obviously wasn't with her. No matter how hard Tifa tried, she couldn't be Aeris. The thought made a lump form in her throat. "I'll be fine," she muttered, but it sounded choked. "You need to get some sleep, anyways. We can worry about the machine-monster tomorrow." She turned away and headed towards the sink, so she didn't catch the concerned look on Cloud's face.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Cloud. I'm fine. Do you need anything?"

"No, all my injuries were mostly healed."

"Just rest, then," the brunette said, trying to keep the sadness from tainting her voice.

"Good night," Cloud muttered, sounding confused, then turned and began to head upstairs.

"Cloud?"

He paused, but didn't turn around.

"What are you going to do?" She didn't need to elaborate on the question.

"I don't know. Lie low for a while, maybe see if Barret or Vincent can find out anything about who would have the money and capabilities of creating something like that. I'll be looking here." He turned around, his face unreadable. "You be careful, too."

Tifa nodded, then sighed. "Good night." She turned on the water, picked up a glass, and began to scrub it with the wet rag from the counter. After Cloud's footsteps faded away, Tifa let her mind wander again.

Each day began differently, but they all ended the same. Tifa always looked to Cloud for something he would never give, and Cloud was always going to be oblivious to it all. But Tifa loved him too much to give up on him. It was sad, how she could stay so devoted to one person. She didn't know exactly how this was all going to turn out, but after hearing his story, she would make sure and be extra aware of everything around her. She would follow Cloud to the end of the Planet, even if he were searching for someone she could never be.

It was late, and Tifa was still tired. She continued to wash the dishes and prepare the bar for the customers that would come in the next day. She hoped she'd have time to finish the cleaning, sleep for several hours, and get some errands done before the bar opened at five o'clock. What time was it now, anyways?

Cloud was distant, quiet, unemotional, and a great fighter. He had many faults, but even through all that, Tifa still loved him. She had tried to talk herself out of it many a time. 'Just look how he makes me feel, when instead of me, he sees a beautiful girl with long, braided hair, praying to save the Planet,' Tifa thought to herself, but this only succeeded in making her more miserable. She was always like this, going through stages of self pity, anger, and desperation. Her love for Cloud was eroding away at her personality. Barret had noticed it, and commented on it the last time he was with her.

xxx

/'Hey, Teef, Spiky ain't givin' you a hard time, is he?'

'Of course not, Barret.'

'Don't lie to me, Teef. You know damn well that I can tell if somethin's wrong with ya.'

Tifa had avoided Barret's searching gaze at this point.

'Just remember, Spiky's always been like this. A complete asshole. But he'll come aroun', just wait an' see.'/

xxx

Tifa had been embarrassed that her feelings for Cloud were so obvious, to everyone except Cloud himself. But Barret did know her very well.

Sighing, Tifa broke out of her reverie as she finished cleaning the last glass, and decided to straighten up the tables and chairs before she went to bed. Normally, she was done hours before this, but waiting for Cloud had messed everything up.

As Tifa began to stack the chairs she came to a conclusion, one that she would make sure to hide from everyone else, no matter the cost.

Despite the fact that her routine this week had been broken due to Cloud's absence, her heart was in a far worse condition, and she knew it may be that way for a long time.

Post-chapter notes: I UPDATED THIS CHAPTER 8/2011.

Please read and review. This chapter took me a long time. I had to set up the story, you know. I hope you liked the Tifa/Cloud dialogue, I tried my best to keep them in character. If you think anything is OOC or if I made a mistake of some sort, please let me know. Thanks!