" Ilfana was a kind but meek soul. She tried to help everyone who she came into contact with. She was with Professor Gast
when she entered Shinra Science. She was the last true Cetra, Professor Gast studied her movements, everything she
supplied to him was a joint agreement, an equal partnership. The basic understanding of how mako translated into summons
and other wonders of the so called Shinra pioneering efforts were from Professor Gast's work. Hojo was envious when Gast
married Ilfana. Ilfana avoided Hojo, yet once she passed by my cell and she heard my muffled cries. Hojo dismissed all I
did or said as "absolute failure" and how lucky I wasn't in the slums, cooking rats which underplate residents don't do.
She came in to hold me, and she assured me I would grow to be a fine man. She sang that lullaby to ease my fears until she
moved in with Professor Gast. I memorized the words, dialects, all of which was in my training since I was small. I could
read, write, and create calligraphy not just in Basic Midgar but kanji, and Wutaian script."
" No wonder Ume is so curious about movement."
" Don't discredit your self Tifa. You had smarts too when you survived those lecherous doctors Zangan trusted abused you."
" Oh, well I could defend myself pretty well. Photos were all they had, I tended a bun stall to pay off the bills til
Marle sort of became a foster mom to me. I maded the mistake of following Cloud to Midgar."
" Your dad didn't know all this? "
" Why Dad is deadset against my involvement with Cloud. Of course, he was furious at Zangan that I got exploited, he
thought I was in the process of healing. It was smoothed out when Marle helped out to buy 7th Heaven as a means to live in
Midgar.
" Marle seems a bit like Ilfana, I wouldn't mind if she is Ume's godmother as you asked.."
Tifa wound her arms about Sephiroth's neck tightly, her hormones were making her far more emotional since she had Ume
just a few months ago. She played with his bangs, smoothing them with her small hand until he closed his eyes to kiss the
palm of her right hand, and he groaned a bit as he laid down, simply content by her warmth. Tifa fought back the tears as
she sensed that he would leave her too soon again. An unspoken fear loomed between them, he would be deployed for war as
he was Shinra's general. His history she knew too well, and she would never ask him to break his career for her. Tifa was
her own woman, she didn't just want to end up as Claudia, a bitter war widow . She and Sephiroth agreed to
have a dojo where she could train plateraised to underplate residents from any sector, and he left funds for her and Ume
if his death passed. Tifa sniffled as she snuggled into his broad chest, her hands rubbing his solid shoulders from their
ache from the last monster. Sephiroth peeked a glimpse to watch her weep, as she was watching the dragon bonsai he had
brought for her from Midgar's below plate black market.
" That tree survived my pruning. "
" Yes, it did, I was surprised you didn't tear off the thorns with your sword. "
" Well, when you got pricked."
Sephiroth laughed gently as he shook his head side to side, his mane sweeping into her neck and bosom. Tifa smiled as
she blew out a few strands, and pinched his left cheek. The tree was pruned so it did have the proper dynamic loop to
resemble a dragon. Tifa recalled how he held her as she guided his hands to carefully cut the branches so they would grow
properly as until she pricked her finger. He lifted his scissors to shear off the bark, and he pulled out the thorn to
kiss her finger, and rub her very swollen tummy.
" Seph, quit it! You will kill the tree! We want it to grow up with Ume for the dojo. "
" I felt her kick, is that from your aikido training? "
" i thought it was from your martial training? "
They both laughed softly at that memory, so not to awaken Ume or Brian. A few hours of tender kisses, caressing, and
settling while, Tifa felt emotionally grounded to ease her anxiety so she wafted off to dream of the man she held as her
hero, and she his angel. Sephiroth dialed Marle's cell to leave a voice mail to confirm she was Ume's godparent at her
baptism.
" Hello, Sephiroth? How's that girl of mine? Better let her the hell are you anyway? We thought you were a
! Mind if I ask Aeris to perform the baptism? "
" Of course, Marle. I will make sure she has the proper fit this time."
!
"Oh you scalliwag! Enough of that. Make sure you stay for it huh? Good night! "
" I'll tell Tifa that you are Ume's godmother, good night."
Marle chortled to herself as she wiped down the bar, and she turned to Cloud, who was gulping down hard whiskey.
He felt tonight was a disaster and he doubted Sephiroth's too good to be true persona, feeling Tifa was going to be let
down at the least and the most, horribly betrayed with Ume. Cloud turned his head as the large, hulking man that matched
Sephiroth's height strode in and pushed his shades down his nose as he rumbled.
" Where dat pic man, name's Barrett Wallace. Yo man, I saw all kinds of crap bout Tifa in her life. Knew back when she
was a scrawny stall kid. Hey Marle. "
" Name's Cloud Strife. I knew Tifa since she was a kid here. She's Sef's baby mama now? You think he really has her best
interests? Let me show you this.."
Cloud slipped a black and white picture, Tifa was slung over Sephiroth's shoulder as he stared blankly into the camera
as he emerged from Shinra Manor, down to Barrett. Barrett moved his shades down furthur as he looked at it intently. He
turned it down and around.
" What's this? A shot of her with her shorts? Why he carryin her? "
Marle came over as she heard this news about Tifa, and leaned down as she barked loud raucous laughter.
" Oh Cloud. She had Ume in Sephiroth's childhood cell, and of course, he bought her a brand new wardrobe. She didn't fit
since she gained 2 inches on her waist and an inch around her hips. She was too sore for a wheelchair so he carried her
that way until she got to Brian's. She was so awkward when I offered her a skirt, and he joked her natural form was best.
Barrett tried not to snort his drink when he heard Marle.
" How bout that? Shinra poster boy got a sense of humor."
Cloud fumed over this last compliment and slammed his glass down as he marched out the door.
" What his problem? Tifa kinda hinted she tired of waiting. Sephiroth more tactical. "
" Oh, he's worried she will get hurt. Sephiroth is a top dog in Shinra. "
" Yeah, well he didn't invite me and ain't gonna go to any Shinra event anyway. "
Barrett spun the swivel stool around as he looked over the walls and onto the horizon as he grunted and pushed his
shades back. He watched as Cloud was breathing heavily into the night air, and cursing to anyone who would hear him out.
" Well, I'll be here for a few days, Marle. Maybe, the others can meet up in here."
" Oh, Barrett, Tifa didn't want anyone from the home team being dragged down since Seph and her have a family now. She
felt that she has to settle down for Ume rather than just settle for a Nibelheim hustle. "
" That so? He got to hustle fo Soldier every day, every day. Spiky there, well look like he need a change of space and
pace. Might have a word to redirect all that karma."
" Sounds like you got a new candidate. "
Barrett swallowed one sip of his drink, before he stretched his huge arms to clap his hand and his arm fixture together
a few times. He stretched his hand behind his neck to sweep up, scratching his close cropped hair. Barrett played out a
few scenarios that could break the ice between himself and the younger man. Barrett rumbled out a greeting as he sought
out Cloud.
" Hey Cloud, heard you got worries bout Tifa. Could help you out since I got em feels too. "
" Huh? Well I worry about her. He's going to in service to Shinra for life. She's not that type."
" Well, I felt the same too. Heard how Soldier boys get that weird sickness, make em die faster. Poster boy still here
after what 12 years in the service? "
Cloud sighed deeply, before he stood up, to crack his spine as he looked over the town's humble skyline. Cloud kept
his eyes on the town square until he sighted Shinra Manor, clinging to the abyss like a wyrm hoarding treasure.
Barrett stated in a softer tone." It gonna be hard fo you get over her. Yo gonna find a new girl. Man like you one to win
the right girls over."
" If you say so, well maybe what I need is a change. Just same old faces."
Barrett laughed deeply as he slapped Cloud's shoulder's a few times.
" Man, that the spirit 's get back fo the bar close, and talk about if you can swing for the home team."
" Sure, that's probably the best idea I heard for awhile."
Reno stood as he clicked his cell phone to record a few photos of Cloud and Barrett,the notorious leader of Avalanche.
" Well send this to the main man, just might cement his standing with the old man."
" Got it. Thank you."
Rufus Shinra, the son of the President, and expected to continue the family line, smirked as he downloaded the image
to send to a few various Dirctors.
" Well, Director Lazard, looks like your credible work is going to be sabotauged. Your wonderful General's dipping into
terrorist trash. Just may change the entire line of work you do in Shinra."
A few beeps ran several documents on the terrorist group, and Rufus tapped his fingers as he considered which way he
could curry more favor with the Directors as he picked up his desk phone until he reached the right extension.
" Hello, Professor Hojo, can you please explain what was your theortical insight into the Nibelheim tragedy? Any possible
way you can redetermine that if a situation changed? "
" Why, why of course! After several years my plan unraveled since the General as 2 years deadlines came. Your corporate
expectations of mako excavation costs being deferred could resume if Nibelheim could be razed. Has anything changed.? "
" Well, the terrorist group Avalanche was sighted in Nibelheim, and the Turks could put this in play."
" Thank you! Please let me know of the developments."
Hojo folded his cell phone into his lab coat as he bent over in hysterical laughter.
" Hehehe, Sephiroth, you can not avoid your fate any longer."
Sephiroth stroked back Tifa's hair as his serpentine eyes followed every rise and fall of her breath. She was
murmuring in her sleep, as she laid her head on Sephiroth's bare shoulder. He laid his chin atop her soft head, as his
eyes saw the same images that flashed through her mind. Tifa was walking down the church aisle, she was staring as her
future husband's distinctive gait. " If his cloak was off, his hair would swing left and right just like his hips."
An older memory came into view, when he first his first night at Shinra Manor. Tifa had snuck in with a camera. He
was roused from a light sleep, his trench on within seconds, as he sighted the mountain guide in view. Sephiroth blinked
a few times, as he tilted his face, puzzled.
" Oh. Sorry I was trying to take a picture of you."
" Why? You did earlier this morning? "
" Well..actually.."
" Yes? "
" I have a bet I could catch you naked with my friends. "
" Well, I have to turn you down. You are free to converse since this reactor leak could take several years to monitor. "
So began a fresh, curious, and innocent friendship between the dojo student and the General. He listened patiently to
her insight into the changes of the local landscape from the area about the mako reactor. Tifa in turn, heard about his
travels throughtout Wutai and his battles. He was regaled about her father's chocoboes, and even a dark dragon, apparently
domesticated. Tifa gasped with horror at the atrocity from Shinra's ecursions into Wutai. Sephiroth leaned over to whisper
in her ear, just as Aeris appeared with a fixed glance as she alit into their bedroom.