[Author's note: Ahead of time, before this raises an almost certain issue, I know the fact that the Weapon is moving to seal the crater. So why should they worry about the Dark Materia if the crater is going to be sealed anyway? Simple: The Dark Materia must be destroyed comepletely. If it's just laying there, it can be excavated and found later in the future. Take, for example, the Temple of the Ancients. They had it in a clever puzzle, making it impossible to get the materia out while surviving, let alone finishing the puzzle before being crushed to death. (Courtesy of CaitSith model no.1 ^.^) So as long as the Materia is in tact, it is a threat. See? ^.^ v ]



Days passed. Day after day, they came and barraged Tifa's mind. One by one, they tramped on her heart. She was tearing up inside with grief and worry. Whenever Marlene was around, she'd be the tough girl everyone knew her to be. But when no one was looking..

She took over the local bar. To keep from going insane, she kept herself busy hourly in there. She redecorated and restored it. She gave it a few touches of Midgar. In a separate room connected to the bar, she put some objects from the wreckage and used them as a sort of memorial dedication to the destroyed city, so every customer would remember. She also made a large shrine for Aeris, the Ancient Cetra who had saved the life of the planet, so that every visitor would learn of her and the great feat she had accomplished. Her flowers were soon planted everywhere, the world over, for remembrance.

Aeris would receive the respect and attention that she so well deserved.

Tifa, of course, named the bar 7th Heaven, for old times sake. She received hundreds of customers a day, who all crowded to see the hero's resting place, and to hear the tale of what truly happened in the Crater, straight from the hero's mouths. Every one of them bore the same question, though; "Where's the leader? The blonde guy?"

Tifa, after only a couple days of being open, had to close it down. She couldn't take it. Over 3 weeks have passed.

Barret had secretly contacted Reeve in Junon to make a request, using the PHS which he still held onto for cases such as these. Reeve happily obliged to Barret's request.

A few days later, Reeve arrived in Nibelheim by coach. Tifa was still unaware of his and Barret's connection, and was upstairs in her room at the time of his arrival. She was hugging her pillow, staring blankly out the window. The sky was it's normal color now, the disgusting purple faded away. /Everything's as it should be.. Except the fact that I'm alone all alone again. It's over.. It's been nearly a month.. I'll never see him again../ She choked back her tears.

Just then she saw the peculiar carriage pull up to her front door.

/Who the hell?/ Her heart stopped. /Cloud?!/ She jumped to her feet. /But.. He has the airship. Why../ She sat back down, feeling restless.

/Maybe it's news about him.. Oh God../ She hugged her pillow and decided just to listen in.

Barret noticed the coach as well, and opened the door cautiously, making sure Marlene and Tifa were out of the area. He wanted this to be private, just in case. He watched Reeve step out of the coach and walk to the door, dressed in a nicely pressed dark blue business suit, with a straight, black tie and formal business shoes, polished to perfection. His hair was slicked back professionally and his smooth goatee was trimmed perfectly to his jaw. Barret greeted him.

They exchanged small talk, and Reeve mentioned he was possibly going to be elected to president of the remaining ShinRa, now posted in Junon Harbor, as expected. He said things we running smoothly, and that Junon was cleaning up.

"As for CaitSith," Reeve moved on, getting to business as he was well trained to do. "I successfully transported him to the Northern Crater. He arrived there just in time to witness the last remaining weapon drag itself to the site, the red one I am told to be called the Ruby Weapon. It was badly damaged in the vicinity of the Gold Saucer, and spent his last living month dragging itself to the north. CaitSith watched as the weapon used it's last remaining strength to seal the cave with a barrier similar to the one before Midgar was attacked. Then it fell dead into the sea. I sent CaitSith forward even more to see if he could penetrate the barrier, but the energy destroyed him.." Reeve looked down. "I then sent my third CaitSith model to the area, to search around for bodies, but found no such luck. I'm sorry, Barret."

Barret shifted his gaze around the room, muttering under his breath. "Damn him.." he sighed heavily. "Damn that little bastard. This is gonna tear Tif up." He pounded his fist hard on the closest object, a small table, and sent it blistering into shards of wood.

Tifa was heart stricken. She couldn't understand what she just heard. Everything was just a blur to her. She couldn't take it. All her sorrow and pain welded up inside, and she ran down the stairs, past Barret and the future president Reeve, and rushed through the door.

She ran to the well. She let out her anger and pain and started pounding away at the stone walls of the well with her fists, sending forceful blow after blow that cracked and chipped at the solid, sturdy grey stone.

"Why didn't you promise!" she yelled in painful fury. "Dammit, why.." She fell to her knees and finally let out every last ounce of pain in her soul.
She cried.

Barret started to go after her, but Reeve stopped him.

"Barret," he said in the calm tone of a friend. "Let her go. Trust me. I've delivered nothing but bad news to hundreds of families since the fall of Midgar. I know what I'm saying. Let her get out her anguish. There's nothing else you can do. When she calms down a little bit, then you go and comfort her as much as possible. I know how much you care about her, old friend. Just hang in there."

Barret said nothing. He had nothing to say. Reeve turned for the door to leave.

"Thank you, friend." Barret said, his voice shaken.

Reeve smiled. "You know who to call if you ever need anything at all." And with that, he left. Knowing he could do no more, he got into his carriage and started his long journey back to Junon.

Barret sighed helplessly. He looked for Marlene to try to distract him from the disturbing news.