Blonde Ambition

By Amaranthos

Chapter 51 – A Spectacular End..


It was officially two weeks till graduation and yet nothing had really changed. Students were going about their daily routine, yet old classrooms slowly were clearing out and the dust that's ever rare on schoolbooks, finds itself settling on the worn covers. School life was changing, and the semester Tifa dreaded, alas too was coming to its spectacular end.

Tifa touched the old desk, which for the last three years she had called hers. A bittersweet smile touched her lips. For her, this had been home when there was none, and school – the place she sometimes dreaded, became strangely a sanctuary for closure and comfort.

She had made so many memories, some still managing an unconscious wince, but others…

Others made her think, how fortunate she sometimes was…

It's strange, that she spent her entire college life 3 seats behind Cloud and not once had he noticed her, and yet the irony was, he did. She sometimes thought, what would a guy like him want with a girl liker her? It's crude how self-esteem dictated what she thought.

Yet her blonde ambition, made her realize with all the effort in her new get-up, in the resolve of what people saw as transformation, was merely a thin veneer behind a girl who desperately wanted more out of her life. Now that she had seen having more friends, or even experiencing the affections of boyfriend was not everything, it gave her the chance to find the real her…buried under what she thought made her liked.

Tifa's eyes glanced the white board where scribbles from her last months Physics class stayed frozen. She smiled…

Now all that there was left, was to say goodbye to her teachers and some of her friends. Things were never going to be the same – the smell of donuts on a Friday, sea breeze after class, girl drama by the bleachers, …nothing could replace the splendors of school. Tifa knew whatever stood beyond the comfort of university, would no longer trouble her…

It was strange that all at once an individual could find themselves fearless and so wildly passionate it could frighten them. No, she didn't know the answers to everything… personally, she thought there was some beauty in not knowing; that past her achievements both big and small, she was happy to accept she was not perfect, she didn't come equipped with all the answers and most importantly, she didn't care to know …

Life was meant to be lived, in any expression of colour or light we allowed. The idea is not to become limited by our demons and illusions, for reasons of safety. That in itself, blurs the true point of life and in essence, the paradoxical truth of life has and will always be, to live your life with all your heart and soul…

Rising to her feet, Tifa turned one last time to her old homeroom, emptying a slow breath…

"Good bye"


"Ladies and gentlemennnnn" The MC started, "today we celebrate our final day of what has been a long and awesome Battle of Schools. On behalf of our sponsors and the competing universities we at Battle of Schools would like to thank each of our participants for the amazing-ass performances which has made this the number one most sold out event of the summer" he roared.

Shera, Yuffie and Tifa screamed out…

"Today being our last day, we've asked finalists to express themselves in whatever way they've wanted. So friends, without further adieu let us welcome our first act – you know them for trouble, you know them for defying gravity, give it up for Highwind!"

The audience roared and people screamed out.

Shera, who normally appeared to be the quiet one in the group started to manically jump up and down. This didn't go unnoticed to the spunky raven-headed girl at her side.

"Careful, someone might think you're infected or… possessed! On second thought, keep jumping" the genki girl waved off.

"Yuffie!" Vincent chastised…

Tifa shook her head.

"Do you guys know where Cloud is? He hasn't returned any of my calls and that was like- two hours ago" Tifa informed with a slight pout.

"Wow Tif. Two hours and you're already a melting-soap-opera." Yuffie tossed her look.

"Yuffie" Vincent chastised once more.

"I'm just saying! Besides, don't you think he's probably preparing for his last concert. This is after all… the end. The…" she swallowed, "end of my university days…Vincent" she started to cry in his arms …

Tifa blinked back.

"And you call Tifa a soap-opera. Yeah…because you're a walking example of towering strength…" Shera said.

"As much as it kills me to say this, I agree with her." Shera paused turning to Tifa, "but he's probably just …gearing himself up for the big run…." Shera paused, "gah, I can't believe this is the last time I'll be screaming my heart at school!"

Yuffie sighed, "please don't remind me reality is in two weeks" she shook her head, "gotta live it up! Gotta get crunk, gotta be bad!" She jumped, but suddenly felt the heavy hand of Vincent, coming to her head, "calm down, you'll be fine" he said softly.

She nodded.

Tifa was quiet but she knew exactly how Yuffie felt, yet somehow she was still looking forward to graduating, getting her degree and moving on, all for the thrill of the other good things…

The midday sun was absolutely merciless as it rippled over the wild energy of people. By now the splendor of the afternoon was as much as a rock participant as it was a near nude woman, and that by saying was in plentiful stock. It wasn't even late when the MC started once more in his dynamic beat.

"Are you guys enjoying yourselves?" the MC shouted across his microphone.

The large crowd of people cheered.

"I can't hear you" he tipped his ear to the crowd.

Loud screams rattled the beachfront of Tokyo University as everyone seem practically pumped for the next coming act.

"Today, is a very special day for us, and for some it might be sad hearing this but before I bring out the next band, I want to say, massive respects to this band. They are not only a crowd pleaser, but they have been an iconic representation of good music, excellent brotherhood and above all else, people we love. So …give it up for the one and only playing their last show in Japan… Geostigma!"

The electrical shock of the name Geostigma initiated a sort of electricity amongst rockers and crowd pleasers. In smooth, chills of ambient sound, a familiar guitar met the ear of Tifa. The slow beat, the eerie chills of guitar and drums tuned something she knew very well.

The black curtain parted and there making his way to the pier-stage, with bandages around his stomach in black jeans was Sephiroth Crescent. He reached the microphone with eyes of magnetic green scanning the crowds…

"Takeeeeee" he started in a shriek scream-and-cry of painful execution…

Her heart trembled. She remembered …everything about him…

Long flowing platinum locks, devious green eyes…and a winding crude smirk. A smirk that said so many things ..

Strange how seeing him, she could remember every detail, every single one…

Dipping over the mic, the green-eyed heartbreaker, bawled his heart out, doing what he did best – perform the show of his life. With every sentence he sang, she could see him move in an animated expression of frenetic madness, which made him that more intriguing to marvel.

"Pleaseeeee, please take me again…crossing overrr!" he screamed, until he halted, the music slowing into a hypnotic beat.

He thrashes his head back and forth to an unknown tune, his body like some motioned art, trembling and all at once expressing his veraciousness into this… this man.

The cameraman panned over the crowd, for a moment dipping over the half-nude girls, past the too-drunk-to-care men, and in this single vulnerable moment on someone like her. Sephiroth's eyes followed the trail of the camera, capturing Tifa's eyes in a still hold, pouring words and meanings like some indirect serenade. She had wanted to believe they could have been so much more. She wanted to believe he was so badly the only one for her.

Her face flushed and the injuries he's caused her is something he would never diminish himself to know, someone like that dear kami-sama…she personally…could not love. Turning away from a thirsty camera, a dominative Sephiroth and curious eyes, she welcomed the spectacular moment she.. turned away from the entertainer who would no longer pull the strings of her heart.


It was sometime five or six in the afternoon when the MC did another exciting introduction but this time it was someone Tifa wanted to see. In the MC's playful excitement he started..

"For those of you who don't know our next act you will quickly take home he is the only gentleman to do something of this nature tonight. With his own volition Cloud Strife…" the MC was interjected when the crowd cheered the blond's name.

"Now I don't know how many of you know this but when we reviewed our final fifty participants, Cloud became our most unique. In fact, just before he went on, I had Cloud explain to me the importance of his song tonight, and after having attained the permission from the university and record company, he has asked to sing this song not as some entry to this competition, but to the heart of a very…very special woman..Ms. Tifa Lockhart."

Immediately the camera panned over to Tifa who stood absolutely frozen with hands covering her mouth.

"In his closing performance, Cloud has dedicated this song to his one true love … Tifa Lockhart." The MC finished

Slow beats worked the air, while drums repeated in a somewhat acidic pour.

"This one is for you Tif…" Cloud whispered.

"If you could only see the way she loves me, then maybe you'd understand, why I feel this way about our love and what I must do, if you could see how red her eyes can be when she says… when she says she loves me…" a beautiful voice sang…

A single spotlight appeared over the blond who stood center stage bare-chested with dark blue jeans…

"When she says she loves me…"

Tifa gasped…

He opened his bright blue eyes and sang what could only be romantic verses of an extremely romantic song. With his heart in the song, the large projectors behind him started a video of the blond strumming his guitar in his room when she appeared behind him in a black bikini. Tifa's cheeks reddened.

A video of memories and moments at the beach, at Maske's residence, dancing and laughing made her close-to-tears. It was closer towards the last refrain when she almost choked a sob. A clip of the couple lying down and his lips on her neck as she was straining to keep herself from moaning, struck her with so much magnification. That this video wasn't about exposing the intimate moments which according to the video they had, but more importantly it was a pledge and dedication of the love he had for her, and that she would always be his…

Elsewhere on the compound, Sephiroth sat back with his brothers watching the gushy-spray of affections by Cloud and his band. Always straight-faced, Sephiroth tightened his jaw as something foreign within twisted. Jealousy, anger… hurt. He would never admit it, never even show it, but seeing his ex-girlfriend in the arms of another and by another he meant Cloud, had for a tender second broken something…

For no eyes to see, Sephiroth stood with what dignity he had, leaving the grounds for more than just some air… but maybe too… peace..


When it was 9 or so at night, the great party among universities had come to an end. Geostigma was crowned winner, as Sephiroth took the throne in a fine achievement for Tokyo university. It was thrilling show, a thrilling season Tifa noted.

Though Cloud hadn't won, he had won more certain things. He had won her heart in a more profound and honest way. That night Tifa felt stronger, and in the wake of a new day to come she knew, she was ready for anything…with the best things of her life cheering her on.

Seeing now that all the chapters of her university days were ending, the audience ever looking on, she realized how much more powerful she truly was. For the last how many years of her life, hiding behind herself, Tifa knew what it meant to be the kind-of-girl, nobody liked. As she had been the single and hardest advocate of her destruction.

Looking over the crowd of happy students who were young and laughing their final nights at university, she thought one of the hardest things any of them would have to face, is themselves. Crossroads and broke dreams, goodbyes and breakups, those things don't fully define the person, what does is a discovery of finding out what lives within us, for the purpose of motivation and love that we ourselves deserve.

Tifa knew now, life was not going to be a glitterball, and it was safe to say if you loved yourself the way you should, you wouldn't ask life too. Whatever takes you to the journey of learning about yourself and your dreams and hopes, take it!

Knowing now what she did know, Tifa thought the greatest ambition anyone could have was their happiness…

My name is Tifa Lockhart and this has been my incredible journey…


Epilogue…

Two days after Battle of the Schools.

Sephiroth stood tall and magnificent looking at the blue and green dark ocean. Today was his last day in Japan and the feeling that such a day had come, left him bittersweet…

He would never forget the memories made here, or the pretty face that stole his heart.

Mistakes were made and it seem the most tragic of the lot would forever remain on his heart. He wanted things to be different, maybe too for a second chance but life decided otherwise. After all, he had been cruel to her – pushing away her most tender love in a time he thought he knew himself.

But what the world would never know, what they could never see was love itself had taken him a victim, and it took the tearing of their fates to dissolve in him a heartened truth.

Peeling out a small black box, Sephiroth took a deep breath. Opening it carefully, a beautiful Tacori ring shone brightly. He swallowed tightly, taking his fingers to the ring gently. Inspecting the fine diamonds, the heavy weight and spectacular craftsmanship he darkened his ring would never find its rightful owner.

He breathed in raggedly and with a deep breath …..he threw it as far as he could into the deep dark ocean.

Swallowing hard, he knew she would have loved the ring…..

Turning his back to his university, he boarded his taxi, and with a strained whisper of desperation, of pain… he whispered, "good bye Tifa…"


The End…


Thank you for reading. It has been an incredible achievement for me to finish this fanfiction after such a long time. I hope that the moral of this fanfiction would ring through, that life's journey is about finding and creating our happiness. I think many people can relate to this fanfiction, no matter their age group because the feelings we get sometimes are no different to those of Tifa's.

Thank you again for reading.