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Idiots Don't Go to Heaven

Prologue

If there was one thing Tifa Lockhart had ever learned from her mother before her untimely death, it was that idiots did not go to heaven. Of course, when she was little she didn't know what exactly her mother meant, just that it was something akin to a line from sacred script: holy, wise, and always right.

As she grew, it came to mean different things in her life. At first, when her mother was fresh in her grave, Tifa believed that idiots didn't go to heaven if they didn't try to bring back the ones they loved. A test of sorts, to prove one loved those that had died. So with this belief lighting her eyes, she set off stubbornly to chase after her mother's departed spirit through the mountain pass.

Needless to say, that little venture didn't end well.

Fast forward a couple years and it was her and Cloud making a promise, him leaving and her really just surprised to see such a boy offering a confession in an unorthodox yet deep way. So with the saying in her heart she uttered her promise to him without even realizing what exactly she was getting herself into.

Well, now she was twenty-one.

She had been through many things, had seen many people die. A war, saving her world, raising children--she had done it all.

But her mother's words never left her.

When the darkness engulfed Gaia and she survived, she kept herself alive through sheer determination to live out the promise she had made to Cloud. And once again it led her down an unknown path straying far from the peaceful end she had imagined would be gifted to them (Avalanche was a group after all, not just her) for their hard work because she believed they weren't going to be fate's pushovers.

Still, that was until her friends had mostly fallen to the darkness or scattered in the remains of the chaos that had been unleashed on them. Those that had died. . . their deaths would not be forgotten and yet not a burden.

Her fists clenched.

This was her life, her choice, her chance to see her mother's advice through. It would be hard again, just like the old days. Food would be scarce, sometimes to the point of going solely on water. Materia would run low along with her patience and what fire was left in her eyes would triple out of pure refusal to kneel.

All for them.

It had always been for them.

The tunnel of darkness she walked suddenly flared with brightness.

The final stretch of the trip always sapped her of everything. She could almost feel the light inside her flicker as her body was jerked through to the other side.

It was in such a state of delirium that she was unceremoniously dumped into new terrain after following what she believed had been Cloud chasing Sephiroth. Surrounded by heartless, all she could do was groan and let her head fall back to the ground for a second, dragging herself up a moment later and slapping the first one away with little to no effort.

The others followed the first as the fighter grimaced. Her movements were slow but full of deadly efficiency.

Three, four, five, the dissipating figures kept stacking up, soon going into double digits as she continued down to the last one. Grabbing the final heartless' helmet, she didn't hesitate in whipping the head sideways and listening to the satisfying crunch of a snapped neck (did it even have one?).

It was as Tifa was dusting herself off that she finally caught the feeling of being watched, turning to look around and finding a man following her movements from the entrance of the small cave she assumed she would've headed towards anyways.

"Guess my help isn't needed here." His voice was low but velvety. Tifa exhaled, flicking a stray strand out of her eyes.

"You seen a guy named Cloud around here?" The man raised an eyebrow.

"Blond, carries a huge sword?" Nodding, she tensed in expectation.

"Just missed him."

Smiling crookedly, Tifa bit back another sigh. "Well, why doesn't that surprise me?"

As if on a silent cue in the silence that followed, thunder split the skies above them and she felt the first signs of rain on her pale skin. Walking towards him, she noted his steely gaze as it led to the heavens.

"It's gonna get worse. Town's this way." Nudging his head to the cave behind him, he turned on his heel and began walking without further questioning her.

So she followed.

They continued in silence for a while, interrupted only by the steadily heavier rain and an occasional duo or trio of heartless that was quickly dealt with.

It was in this silence that curiosity took over Tifa and she watched him, mentally taking in everything. She was a creature filled with many questions by nature, having at first enjoyed the freedom of her travels by learning as much as she could about the worlds she passed. That enthusiasm had been long gone now, a small flicker that came to life every once in a while when she was truly sparked beyond just a quick glance or complete ignorance.

Tifa had reached the point past exhaustion and yet somehow felt renewed with the chance this man offered her to be civil-to speak a known language and see a town. . . something that she hadn't done in well over four months of hopping around following a fresh trail.

He looked young. Older than her maybe, but not by much. Steely blue eyes almost to a dark shade of metal grey and dark brown hair that came down in layered spikes to his shoulders. Black clothing mostly, with what she would almost call a fetish for belts, and a blade more similar to a giant gun than an actual sword, though it seemed to offer both perks.

And then she noted something amazing.

When the first of the groups of heartless attacked them, he had jumped in front of her. Still, she flawlessly took his side as he was fighting, guarding him from behind. There wasn't a single word uttered between them as the horde fell upon them swiftly. A roundhouse kick, three quick jabs, a well-aimed block by her companion from behind-in her heart it almost felt as if they had fought together before.

He read her as quickly as she learned him, and they managed without ever once hitting each other. That's when she knew just how skilled he was. Even with Cloud, sometimes it would be more a game of hit and run with an enemy because his attacks could at times be clumsy, brimming with emotion. But with this man it was simple. There was respect for space and a regard only a fighter would know when recognizing another of their kind.

With such intriguing company, it didn't feel that far to town even though they had travelled well over three miles by foot. It was treacherous and she was soaked to the bone, but that didn't phase her at all.

The town had begun to loom ahead of them long before she even realized it, and Tifa couldn't help but feel a tad disappointed at such a short companionship.

But she wouldn't ask for more.

"The name of the town is Radiant Garden." Glancing back to her, he continued without stopping. "Just thought you should know."

Smiling at his back, Tifa nodded. "Thanks."

She followed him well into the town until he finally stopped to speak to a young woman who he entrusted her with.

Without any hesitation, he nodded a goodbye to her and walked off down a totally different direction.