pTifa Strife sat in her bed, cradling her newborn daughter in her arms,
awaiting the return of her husband.
pShe stroked the baby's small blonde tufts of hair.
Outside of her room, a fierce storm raged on.
Lightining lit the dark sky accompinied by the loud rumbling of thunder.
The giant storm engulfed the small town.
The small baby let out a loud wail.
Tifa picked up a bottle from the small wooden table at the side of her bed,
and fed the small child.
p"shhh, it's just a storm. It's okay." She tried to soothe the frightened
child.
A loud knock came at the door.
Tifa got up, and headed towards the door, carrying the baby with her.
She opened it to find a tall male figure standing, drenched in the rain.
Tifa moved to the side, allowing him to enter.
p"Could you find anything?" She asked, anxiously.
pThe man put his head down, and stretched out a huge sword.
p"Oh my god! Vincent, are you sure?" She asked, not wanting to believe it
could be her husband's weapon.
pHe nodded, indicating the letters 'C S' engraved on the handle of the
sword.
pTifa felt her knees buckle, and she fell to the floor.
Vincent took the baby, and Tifa burried her face in her hands.
Her sobs were quiet, but still apparent.
She looked up at him, and took the sword.
She walked it to a small brightly painted room.
In it was a small dresser and a baby crib.
pShe unlocked the walk-in closet at the other side of the room, and set
in it the sword.
Tifa hurried back to Vincent, and took the child.
p"Tifa, if there's anything I can do to help..." He said.
Tifa looked down at the diamond ring on her finger, at her child, then at
him.
p"There's nothing you can do." She said, he voice thick with tears.
Vincent headed towards the door.
p"I'm sorry, Tifa." Vincent looked back, and left.
pShe watched as he mounted the chocobo he had tied up outside of the
house, and rode off into the storm.
p"I guess, I guess it's just you and me now, Alliyah."
br
br
br
br
pChapter One~*
pAlliyah Strife sat on the edge of the well located in the center of Niblehiem. pShe looked down at the sword her mother had given her. The sun shone brightly, reflecting off the sword. She kicked at a loose stone on the ground below her. The 14 year old girl traced her father's initials on the old sword. pHer mother's last gift to her. pAlliyah sighed, feeling tears well up in her eyes. Everything around her was so tranquill, but everything else in her life was a terrible state of terror. Her mother was dead, and her father nowhere to be found. pShe needed to find him. She realized fully well that it would be impossible for a 14 year old girl to live alone. She looked to the sky, shielding her eyes, as an airplane soared overhead. The same ship that had travled across the sky there the day before, and every day before that she could remember. She hopped off the well, and walked out of the town to the small stables outside the town. p"Hey, Alliyah. What can I do for ya today?" A man asked her. p"Oh! Hey, Cid. I just need Esthar." p"Okay, just got done groomin' her." The older man opened a stable, and led a bright green chocobo to the girl. p"So, where ya off to?" He asked. p"There's some things I need to take care of..." She said, making sure her true objective was as unclear as possible. pShe knew that Cid would try to stop her. p"It's too dangerous." He'd say, she could hear it now. p"Oh. You know, I really feel bad about your mom an' all, but it's been almost 3 months, don't ya think ya should be figurin' out where you'll be stayin'?" He asked. p"I will. There's just something I need to take care of first. Some people I have to talk to." He looked at her. p"If you're looking for your father, good luck. He's not an easy man to find." Cid said. p"You're not gonna try and stop me?" She asked, surprised. p"No point. You're just like 'im. Soon as you got somethin' in mind, ain't no one gonna stop ya." Cid handed the reigns to Alliyah. p"Here. Some Kaysha greens. You ain't gonna get Esthar here offa this continent without some food." He handed her a small cloth bag. p"Thanks, Cid." She said, mounting the chocobo. p"Hey, if you get a chance, you might wanna stop by Rocket Town. Chris has been bored outta his mind...maybe he'd like to accompany you on your travel." Cid offered. p"Mr. Highwind...are you pushing your 15-year-old son on your friend's daughter?" He looked at her. p"Cause that's like majorly cool!" She said, pulling on the reigns, and leading the chocobo out of the stables, and towards the mountains. pCid watched as she rode the large, green colored bird out to the mountain trails.br ***
pAlliyah Strife sat on the edge of the well located in the center of Niblehiem. pShe looked down at the sword her mother had given her. The sun shone brightly, reflecting off the sword. She kicked at a loose stone on the ground below her. The 14 year old girl traced her father's initials on the old sword. pHer mother's last gift to her. pAlliyah sighed, feeling tears well up in her eyes. Everything around her was so tranquill, but everything else in her life was a terrible state of terror. Her mother was dead, and her father nowhere to be found. pShe needed to find him. She realized fully well that it would be impossible for a 14 year old girl to live alone. She looked to the sky, shielding her eyes, as an airplane soared overhead. The same ship that had travled across the sky there the day before, and every day before that she could remember. She hopped off the well, and walked out of the town to the small stables outside the town. p"Hey, Alliyah. What can I do for ya today?" A man asked her. p"Oh! Hey, Cid. I just need Esthar." p"Okay, just got done groomin' her." The older man opened a stable, and led a bright green chocobo to the girl. p"So, where ya off to?" He asked. p"There's some things I need to take care of..." She said, making sure her true objective was as unclear as possible. pShe knew that Cid would try to stop her. p"It's too dangerous." He'd say, she could hear it now. p"Oh. You know, I really feel bad about your mom an' all, but it's been almost 3 months, don't ya think ya should be figurin' out where you'll be stayin'?" He asked. p"I will. There's just something I need to take care of first. Some people I have to talk to." He looked at her. p"If you're looking for your father, good luck. He's not an easy man to find." Cid said. p"You're not gonna try and stop me?" She asked, surprised. p"No point. You're just like 'im. Soon as you got somethin' in mind, ain't no one gonna stop ya." Cid handed the reigns to Alliyah. p"Here. Some Kaysha greens. You ain't gonna get Esthar here offa this continent without some food." He handed her a small cloth bag. p"Thanks, Cid." She said, mounting the chocobo. p"Hey, if you get a chance, you might wanna stop by Rocket Town. Chris has been bored outta his mind...maybe he'd like to accompany you on your travel." Cid offered. p"Mr. Highwind...are you pushing your 15-year-old son on your friend's daughter?" He looked at her. p"Cause that's like majorly cool!" She said, pulling on the reigns, and leading the chocobo out of the stables, and towards the mountains. pCid watched as she rode the large, green colored bird out to the mountain trails.br ***