Still nothing at the town entrance. Tifa huffed. No Shinra yet. Their arrival- No SOLDIERs, should be dramatic and exciting. A whole convoy of vehicles or a huge helicopter swooping out of the sky. She leant back back on one hand and tipped her hat up with the other. Nothing up there but unbroken blue; not even clouds today. Still possible. She fidgeted. "Calm, calm," she murmured to herself and glanced around. Fortunately no one close by who might have noticed the nervous excitement currently at fever pitch. Ever since the positive response to her father's petition for Shinra assistance arrived it had been impossible to ignore her own rising sense of excitement.
SOLDIER were coming to Nibelheim. Well, a SOLDIER was coming to Nibelheim. Or should that be coming back to Nibelheim? Cloud Strife would be returning home today after a rousing success in the last two years. It made sense; who else would they send to a remote mountain town than the one who started off there? The evidence all fit; the others who had gone to MIdgar after him could not find him. Obviously he had been busy training, or off on missions. Shinra did not seem keen to make it easy to find out about their star SOLDIERs. Sephiroth tended to dominate conversations and of course there were other SOLDIERs but no one seemed to bother talking about them. No one but the most dedicated could name another. Another like Cloud Strife.
Cloud was coming back home; the thought sent a rising thrill through Tifa's chest. The first child of Nibelheim who left seeking fame and fortune to come back with both. Odd how things had turned out in the end. The two of them barely talked and never played together. But just like every other boy who went to Midgar, Cloud had called her to the well before he left to say goodbye. But unlike the others there was no solicitation of a kiss or anything further - something Tifa flatly refused each time. No proposals or promises to come back and sweep her off her feet. In the end she had to push for a promise from him and he had been reticent. He agreed eventually - and to such a small thing; vowing to rescue her if she ever needed help.
Her cheeks warmed. The embarrassing request of a thirteen year old who had spent that whole month reading romantic stories of knights in shining armour and the damsels they saved. She had stopped herself from mentioning the white horse at least. The phase passed almost before Tifa noticed; now a new story held her intrigue - the fantasy of a soldier desperate to save her sister and defying the gods of her world as she did so. Not the best basis for her; Tifa could only handle a sword poorly. The town boasted very few firearms and there was little need for them in the town. Master Zangan at least offered an opportunity to learn how to fight. He accepted her as a pupil less than a month after Cloud's departure. Now she could take care of herself - and the town if it came to it. Her frequent treks up Mount Nibel swiftly made her an expert in the terrain and the safest trails across the twisted summit in addition to chances to practice. Her job in the town. Not exactly traditional, but it allowed for so much freedom. And would allow her to be helpful to Cloud when he returned. Who better to greet the returning hero then the town's guide to the mountain and who happened to also be the mayor's daughter? Surely Cloud had achieved heroic deeds in his time at SOLDIER-
"Tifa?" Cloud's voice had deepened in his time away. He was smiling down at her; arrived while she was lost in thought. His hair was still spiky; SOLDIER could not change all of him. He looked taller, his shoulders broader, garbed in the purple uniform of a First Class SOLDIER. He reached down, his hands calloused, rough, but so warm. He kept hold even when she was on her feet.
"I missed you," Tifa said, unable to take her gaze from his dazzling smile.
"I missed you too." He ducked his head. "I've been thinking about you ever since I left." Cloud looked deep into her eyes. "I thought about what I wanted to say to you when I came back."
"Yes?" Breathing was difficult, her heart thundering in her chest.
"Tifa Lockhart-" Cloud fumbled with something in his pocket as he bent down onto one knee. The gold thread of an engagement necklace hung from his fingers. "-Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"
"Yes," Tifa whispered. "Yes!" She repeated louder. "Yes, of course!" Cloud rose, fingers trembling a little as he undid the clasp and threaded the necklace around her neck. He rose a moment later and they kissed- Just a chaste touch of lips for now. More would have to wait for later. But hopefully not too long. So much they now needed to do and prepare for. The wedding was a little hurried, just under a week later. Father grumbled it was all too sudden, and her dress - minor miracle that it was - could have been better with more time. But waiting was impossible; Cloud needed to go back to Midgar - and how could she stay behind now he had proposed to her?
It would not be forever; father was only assured after multiple promises from them both. They would come back and visit, and when SOLDIER granted Cloud retirement, of course they would settle down here. Dala Strife was in tears during the ceremony, and after father astonishingly shook Cloud's hand, asking him to take care of Tifa. Hard not to admire the necklace even as people congratulated her, admired her dress- And she could not stop looking at Cloud. Soon enough they were alone in the Nibelheim inn. Their wedding night. Cloud stripped the uniform from his body and reached out to undo her dress- Hopefully that van would be far away and stop distracting her-
Tifa blinked, her head spinning for a moment. The sun beat down with little heat in the frigid mountain air. The blue van's engine shut off. Could it be? Small, slightly beat-up vans were not the kind of thing she expected but- Tifa shook herself and scrambled to her feet. Cramped muscles revealed just how long she had been waiting. Not important now. A movement at the back of the fan and a flicker of silver. Silver? Shinra had sent Sephiroth of all people? An unexpected bonus; he could be the best man. He couldn't be alone could he?
Sephiroth appeared to be talking to someone else hidden by the bulk of the vehicle. A moment later he turned and walked towards the gate, the other figure stepping into view- A man with black spiky hair. Had Cloud dyed his hair? No. No, that was not Cloud approaching. Where was he? Two more figures appeared; nothing but Shinra infantry in their plain blue uniforms. No one else got out of the van as the group from Shinra approached.
Cloud was not here. He had not come back. Tifa turned on her heels, and rushed from the town, running up and up Mount Nibel before she realised what she was doing. Impossible to face them just yet; she would not be able to escape them forever given her role as their guide. Foolish to giddily volunteer for the duty, certain that Cloud would be the one she would help. Damn him for not coming back. Tifa clenched her fists as she ran to a secluded spot on the mountain to begin gathering her thoughts.
Aeris knelt on the hard wooden floor and sifted soil between the flowers. A fraction more light would be helpful, though hard to arrange. Short of tearing open a hole in the church roof- She shook her head. While it might help, it would only provide more light for a few hours each day when the sun was in the right position. The rest of the time the upper plate would be in the way. No good. Aeris shuffled around to the other side of the dirt mound and plunged her fingers into the soil.
The new seeds she buried cost her as much money as she made in three days of selling flowers, but it was impossible to resist the promise they held. The packet bore a striking illustration of the source flower somewhere green. They caught her eye in Wall Market and when she expressed interest, the woman running the stall informed her the seeds came from somewhere on the Eastern continent. Not that she could tell her quite where the seeds originated - and hopefully she had been telling the truth. Entirely possible they were yet another batch of seeds belonging to the same species found near Kalm. Disappointing, but any flowers were good, despite the Kalm species making up the bulk of her garden.
One day it would be nice to see even those blossoms in their natural habitat - out there in the wilderness beyond Midgar's walls. And while taking in the wilderness, she could venture to all the sights mentioned or glimpsed on the television or in books. It went without saying that she would bring samples back; how could she resist? And of course she would come back home; after all this time, how could she even consider leaving her garden to wither and die without her?
The wilderness called, but her home was here. Mom was here. The flowers too. Shinra remained a sore point, but she was - and had been for a long while - free from their clutches. And of course Zack would expect to come back and find her here. Just as soon as he got back from wherever his latest mission had taken him. A long three months since they last saw each other. Two months since his last, faint and slightly garbled call to the house phone. Nothing like having him in person, or even the ability to count down the days until they met up again. Distance made so many things complicated; he was based in Junon and she was stuck in Midgar. But his involvement with Shinra gave them ample opportunities to see each other.
Still hard to believe she could be involved with him; he a SOLDIER of the Shinra corporation. But for all the pained and painful memories - Hojo and the president staring at her through thick glass in amusement as her mother scowled - Zack was never anything less than gentle, respectful, throughtful and trust-worthy. But did Shinra know about the two of them? The company seemed to have spies and informants everywhere - and if nothing else it seemed near impossible that someone like Tseng would not know that one of their own was visiting this church in this sector of the slums everytime he set foot in Midgar.
How much could he do if they continued to see each other? Could he - if nothing else - assure her the company would leave her alone; that she could live her life how she wanted? Would that be enough or would they need to make things official? Her moving to Junon to be with him or him moving to Midgar and commuting the huge distance at the company's whims? Silly thoughts. It might have been two years since the beginning of their relationship, but ultimately they only spent a fraction of that time in each other's company. Still; she was thinking about him more and more-
"Aeris?" Aeris jumped at the sound and looked over her shoulder. Zack Fair stood in the middle of aisle smiling at her, his arms spread wide. Without a second throught, Aeris sprang up and raced towards him. She leapt into his arms, mucky fingers spreading mud across his uniform. Zack didn't seem to care in the slightest. She missed all of this; even just a simple embrace felt good, being so close to him. And now parting with him seemed beyond contemplation. She needed longer.
"So glad you're back," Aeris muttered into his shoulder. She kissed his cheek and tightened her embrace.
"Me too. Hey-" He pulled away from her and sank down onto one knee. His next words were no surprise, but the air left her lungs regardless. Zack opened a small box; inside was a carved materia ring. "Will you, Aeris Gainsborough, marry m-"
"Yes!" Aeris yelled, quivering in excitement. "Of course I will!" Her hand trembled and her heart thundered as Zack slid the ring onto her finger. Waiting was impossible. Aeris pulled him to his feet; Zack cupped her face with his hands and kissed her.
The wedding came a year later. Through a fortunate quirk, Zack was now assigned to duties in Midgar for the forseeable future. No need for long delays between occasions to see each other. No need to be apart any more than they had to during the day. He moved mom to a decent apartment and vastly better job on the upper plate just round the corner from the apartment the new couple shared. Far easier to live up here. Better air. Nicer food. But her roots were not easy to escape. She still took the train down each and every day to check on the flowers while Zack was at work, to bring the flowers back up.
But the best was still to come; soon- The thrill still threatened to overwhelm her- Soon she would accompany Zack on a mission. Something safe obviously and for the most part diplomatic. It didn't matter. What did matter was that the mission was overseas. Beyond Midgar, beyond Junon. It might even be where the seeds came from. Finally she would have a chance to see the world beyond for herself. New flowers to see. A world without a ceiling and without walls.
Aeris shook herself, dragging her gaze from the yellow blossom in front of her. Zack had not returned today. Honestly, the chances of such a convenient timing were unlikely, but fun to imagine. Zack would be back soon. At least she hoped he would be. Not today. But maybe tomorrow. Sometime soon.