Chapter 3: Reflections

"Hey Red? Where's Tifa?", Aldaros asked as he looked around.

"I do not know.", Red XIII said. "She was here just a minute ago."

"I know, but, now she's just up and disappeared.", Aldaros said. "Let me try my PHS."

Aldaros then dialed up Tifa's PHS number but, nothing happened.

"Okay now I'm worried.", Aldars said as he put his PHS away.

"We must find her.", Red XIII said.

"Wait here just in case if she shows up or something.", Aldaros said. "I'll backtrack and see if she might of went into a cave or down another path by accident."

"Good luck my friend.", Red said as he looked around the area for any signs of Tifa.

Elsewhere:

"Where did all these mirrors come from.", Tifa asked as she looked around the cave. "They look like they were formed by the rock."

"That's because they were.", whispered a familiar voice.

"Sephiroth?!", Tifa said in shock. "Where are you?!"

"I'm waiting for your friends to come face me.", he laughed. "But, I think I'll destroy you now."

"Good luck.", Tifa snapped as she turned to leave. "I'm out of here."

"Yes, that's right leave. Go make Aldaros's life even worse than what it is.", Sephiroth said. "Not that you haven't done a good job of that already. I mean cause of you, he went to prison for four years."

"I-It's not my fault!", Tifa shouted. "It was Craig's."

"That's right, blame it on someone else.", Sephiroth said. "If you hadn't told Jessie in school, Craig wouldn't of over heard you. And he wouldn't of busted you two that night you ruined his life."

Tifa eyes widened in shock.

"You know I'm right.", Sephiroth said. "And if by some slim chance you beat me, Aldaros will leave you for what you did to him. He hates you, Tifa. He doesn't want you in his life anymore. He'll be happy without you. You messed up his life once, why do it again?"

"No!", Tifa shouted. "You're wrong! He loves me! I know it! We'll be together and have a family, and be happy!"

"I've seen your future, Tifa. And it's not pretty.", Sephiroth grinned. "Look to your right."

"Now where is she?', Aldaros asked himself. "I can't loose her again."

Aldaros looked around and found a cave entrance.

"Maybe she went in here.", Aldaros said as he walked in.

Tifa looked to her right and saw someone in one of the mirrors. It was an old woman in a dress, sitting in a rocking chair with a little cat sitting in her lap. Her hair was long and white. She looked so sad and alone as a tear slid down her face.

"That'll be you in the next forty years.", Sephiroth said. "You be old and alone with no one to comfort you but your cat. Then again why wait that long. Take a gander to the left."

Tifa looked to the left to see something horrible.

"No!", she said softly.

She saw herself, only she was and old woman. She was still in her tank top and shorts, but she was old with white hair. She looked down at her hands and saw that they were old and wrinkled.

"What did you do to me?!", she asked in a old and raspy voice. "My voice!"

"I've made you an old woman. The mirrors can make whatever I think happen.", Sephiroth laughed. "You'll be to weak to leave. You'll die here old and alone. Enjoy your last moments alone."

Tifa tried to run, but now that she was an old woman, she was to weak to move and fell to her knees. She then fell to her side, finding it hard to breathing. Her left arm went numb. Her chest was pounding. It was painful to her. She then realised what was happening to her.

"I'm having a heart attack!", she said. "Sephiroth was right! I am going to die here!"

Tifa felt herself getting weaker and weaker by the second.

"I can't die! Not now!", Tifa said. "I have too see Aldaros one.... last....... time."

"This cave is long.", Aldaros said. "I don't think Tifa went down here."

Aldaros then saw a body laying on it's side. He could only think of one person it could be.

"Tifa!!", Aldaros shouted as he ran up to her body.

He then knelt down and turned her body to face him.

"Are you okay, Tifa?!", Aldaros said as he got a good look at her.

He was shocked to see that it was an old woman in the cave.

"How did this old woman get in here?!", Aldaros asked.

Suddenly, Tifa opened her eyes slowly. The first thing she saw was Aldaros's face. Aldaros recognized those eyes right away.

"Aldaros.", Tifa said as she smiled.

"T-tifa?!", Aldaros said in shock. "But, how did this to you."

"The mirrors..... Sephiroth.", she said as she was getting weaker.

"So, the hero comes to save his beloved."

"Come on out..... Sephiroth!", Aldaros demanded. "Come out and face me!"

"I'd love to, but, I'd rather have you come to me.", Sephiroth said.

"What did you do to Tifa?!", Aldaros asked.

"The mirrors in this cave have certain........ properties.", Sephiroth explained. "Properties that allow me to use it's powers to my will. Young Tifa is an example of that. Or shall I say, old Tifa. Mwhahahahhahaha!"

"You monster!!", Aldaros said as he looked down at Tifa. "Tifa? Tifa look at me. Look at me!"

"Aldaros, I'm so sorry for ruining your life.", Tifa said as tears were flowing down her face. "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."

"What are you talking about?!", Aldaros asked. "It wasn't you who ruined my life. I love you Tifa. Now and forever."

Aldaros then kissed Tifa. Old or young, he loved her no matter what.

"Oh Aldaros.....", Tifa said as hot tears were pouring down her face. "I love y-"

Tifa's eyes then closed.

"Tifa?", Aldaros cried. "Tifa?! TIFA?! Don't leave me. God, please don't leave me."

"She's dead.", Sephiroth said. "She reflected on her life and now she's dying."

"No!! She can't die!", Aldaros shouted. "She can't leave me. She can't."

"Face it! She's dead!", Sephiroth said. "The mirror's powers can't be beaten!"

"The... Mirrors!", Aldaros said thinking to himself. "That's it!"

Aldaros laid Tifa on the ground and pulled out his axe as he stepped up to one of the mirrors.

"What are you doing?!", Sephiroth asked.

Aldaros then swung at the mirror.

"NNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!", Sephiroth shouted. "Stop it!"

Aldaros kept on breaking mirror after mirror. After each swing, the mirrors broke into pieces. Aldaros kept on swinging, no matter how tired he got. There were plenty of mirrors, and they were all destroyed. Aldaros then dropped his axe and went back ran to Tifa.

"Tifa?", Aldaros said as he tilted her upper body up. "Come on Tifa, come back to me."

Tifa still wasn't breathing. Aldaros checked her pulse, but, nothing. No heart beat, or anything. He tried casting cure, but still nothing. Aldaros then realised that Tifa was dying. He just held her body as tears poured down his face.

"I love you, Tifa.", Aldaros said as he rocked her body. "I'll always love you."

He then kissed for the last time. Suddenly, the broken mirrors started floating. They then came together to form one huge mirror. Aldaros reached for his axe, ready to fight. The mirror then shot a beam at Tifa. Aldaros didn't know what to do at that moment. Then suddenly, her hair was turning back to it's normal color. Then her skin was becoming smooth again. Within seconds, Tifa was her young self. The mirror then fell to the ground and broke back into pieces.

"Tifa? Please be alive okay.", Aldaros said as he held her.

Suddenly, Tifa's opened up wide as she gasped for air. She waved her hand wildly, trying to get up, but, Aldaros just held her trying to calm her down.

"Tifa! Calm down. It's me.", Aldaros said as he held her still.

"Aldaros?!", Tifa asked.

"Yeah. It's me.", Aldaros said.

"But I thought....."

"I broke the mirrors, and they formed one big one and reversed you youth.", Aldaros explained.

"What about Sephiroth?", Tifa asked.

"I think his power over the mirrors was broken when I broke the mirrors.", Aldaros said. "I think he's waiting for us to come to him."

"Figures.", Tifa said as she rubbed her head.

"How you doing?", Aldaros asked.

"I've been better."

"Well, you look better than you were a few minutes ago.", Aldaros grinned.

"Oh really?", Tifa asked with a smirk.

"Oh yeah.", Aldaros said. "I hope I never have to lip lock with an old woman for a long, long time. Girl your lips were wrinkly."

"How about now?", she asked as she kissed him.

"I think I'll need a second opinion.", Aldaros said.

Aldaros then kissed Tifa. It was something they both wanted ever since they saw each other at the Gold Saucer Prison. But just when it was getting good, they heard somebody clearing their throat. They both broke the kiss to see Red XIII standing at the entrance of the cave.

"I'm glad you two are safe, but we do have a mad man to stop.", Red grinned. "You can do what you want later."

"Very funny.", Tifa said as Aldaros helped her to her feet. "But, you're right. We have to stop Sephiroth. So, let's get going."

As they were leaving the cave, Tifa looked down at one of the broken peices of the mirrors. Only this time she saw her young self. She smiled at seeing her normal self.

"You okay, Tifa?", Aldaros asked.

"I am now.", she said as she grabbed his hand. "Thanks."

"Anytime.", Aldaros said as they walked out of the cave.

After Sephiroth's defeat..........

"Cloud!", Tifa shouted as Cloud was just standing like he was in some kind of trance.

"Cloud!! Snap out of it!", Aldaros shouted.

Suddenly, Tifa slipped of the ledge. Aldaros quickly grabbed her hand.

"Hang on Tifa!", Aldaros shouted.

Then without warning, a rock fell and hit Aldaros' shoulder.

"Argh!", Aldaros shouted.

He then lost grip of Tifa's hand.

"TIFA!!!!", Aldaros shouted.

Tifa was falling to her death, but suddenly, Cloud snapped out of it just in time to grab her and jump up to the ledge where Aldaros was. Aldaros grabbed Tifa first, then they helped Cloud up.

"Where are the others?", Cloud asked.

"HEY!"

Aldaros, Tifa, and Cloud turned their heads to see the others on another ledge.

"You guys okay?!", Barret shouted.

"Yeah! We're cool!", Aldaros shouted.

"I'm glad you guys are okay!",Tifa shouted.

"Now how do we get out of here?", Cloud asked.

"We may have to climb up.", Tifa said.

"I need to rest first.", Aldaros said as he sat against the crater's wall. "I'm totally wiped. Remind me not to do that again for a long time."

"I second that.", Tifa said as she rested her head on Aldaros' shoulder.

Cloud looked down and saw that they were holding hands. A smirk came to his face.

"About time you two got together.", he said.

They both looked at him and smiled.

Suddenly, they all heard a loud noise coming at them from up above. Aldaros shielded Tifa from any rocks that were falling. Then once the shaking stopped, everyone looked to see the Highwing.

"Last one aboard, a rotten egg!", Yuffie shouted as she ran towards the ship.

"Let's blow this joint.", Aldaros said.

An hour later:

They stood silently, their eyes transfixed on the sight before them.

The Lifestream had broken through the surface of the Planet, and flowed towards Meteor in a fury of glowing, pale green tendrils. Holy had failed, but the Cetra hadn't. Hovering dangerously low over Midgar, the gigantic ball of rock froze in place as the Lifestream enveloped it, it's pure energy cutting through it, going straight to it's heart. Bit by bit, Meteor began to break apart.

Slowly, the enormous city below was hidden from sight beneath the Lifestream, as it lifted Meteor away from the Planet. Once it had brought the enormous sphere to a safe distance, the Lifestream tore it to pieces. Chunks of falling rock were caught by the moving energy before they could hit the city below, and the bits that were left of the monstrosity were thrown back with tremendous force.

The ultimate destroyer returned to space, to the blackness that had spawned it.