She
By: General Quistis Trepe (generalquistis@yahoo.com)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the story plot
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He was rummaging through some folders that Elena had delivered into his office. The folders contained one or more documents about some of the most-wanted people of ShinRa, the powerful company that he inherited from his father when the old man kicked the bucket just days ago.
He sighed heavily as he leaned backward and let go of the folders, letting them drop carelessly on his big office table, unfortunately, one of the folders fell to the floor and the papers inside it scattered by his feet. "Rats," he thought miserably, feeling lazy to bend down and pick up everything. Fortunately for him, his pet Dark Nation was there with him, and one of the papers landed on her nose. The big panther-like animal quickly picked up the papers with her mouth and then walked quickly to her owner.
He smiled proudly at his pet. "Good, Dark Nation." He said before reaching for the first drawer and grabbed a treat to give to Dark Nation. He got the papers and put them on the table before throwing the treat up in the air, wanting Dark Nation to catch it. The panther-like animal caught it, snapping her jaws shut before gnawing on it. She started to purr, so he patted her head gently.
If animals could really think, she would really think, "My, he's really a nice guy, how come everybody hates him?"
But unfortunately, all she could do was defend her master from those people who hate him.
With that, he leaned forward and decided to fix the papers and return them back to the folder, collating them, "Whose file is this, anyway?" he muttered, somewhat glad that no one else was there to see what he was doing.
Finally, he came to the first page and he stopped as he caught a glimpse of the picture of a brunette pasted on the upper right hand corner of the document. His jaw literally dropped open and his eyes were wide open in awe as he stared at the picture. He could remember her from somewhere, but he was not sure where he had seen her… until he moved his gaze to the part where her name could be seen, typewritten clearly in big, bold letters, and he read her name softly, pronouncing her name in the most beautiful way he could, for in his opinion, she owns the most beautiful name he has ever seen: "Tifa Lockheart".
It was a simple, yet lovely name.
… "Right… and she's a member of AVALANCHE." He said aloud with a frown on his face before shutting the folder and placed it away together with the others.
Too bad, he had to remember who she is and where he had first seen her.
"No, it wasn't the time when I let them hear my inaugural speech…" he realized as he turned to Dark Nation who was still purring and rubbing her head against his foot. He bit his lower lip, trying to recall more things, then unconsciously, he got the folder again and opened it, looking at the details and reading each and every single thing about her silently, "Birthplace: Nibelheim…" he stopped, looking at the name of the place.
He turned to her picture again and smiled softly.
He could recall seeing her from outside his bedroom window when he was still a little boy.
He envied her freedom and happiness, thinking what it would be like if he lived in the kind of life she has. His mother knew about his thoughts on her, but she did not prevent him from thinking about her. He recalled that he once told his mother that if she were a princess stuck inside a tower, he would like to be her Prince to save her and take her back to his own castle where they could live happily ever after.
He smiled at those memories before turning to the next page that was just behind the first page. Pictures of her as a little girl were there.
…And for the first time in several years, he smiled happily as he realized that Tifa Lockheart was the same girl whom he had wanted to meet so long ago, but he did not know her name back then.
Then, remembering AVALANCHE, he stiffened. Suddenly, he was confused. He frowned as he sighed heavily. Then, he turned to Dark Nation and he had an idea. With that, he grabbed a pen and a sheet of paper and began to write something. "I have to change things…" he thought silently as his frown deepened while he continued to write the letter. "Sorry, dad. I'm playing by my rules now… not yours…" he muttered with a cold tone as he continued to write. After signing his name, he folded the letter into four and handed it to Dark Nation.
She took it by mouth and stared up at her master, waiting for instructions. He smiled at her. "You know where to deliver it. Go." He said as he patted her head.
"Reorgh…" she responded eagerly with a happy purr before she ran off.
He looked up at the ceiling, noticing the gloominess of his office while recalling what he ordered everyone in his office what to do. "Where is AVALANCHE now?" he thought with an inquiring look on his face as he turned back to her picture. He removed her most recent picture from the first page and stared at it for a while. He smiled gently, but it was not enough. Only her true presence could make him smile more than that. With that, he placed the picture on the left breast pocket of his white blazer.
He stood up, realizing that he already felt lazy to look at all the other files. "Besides, I have other things to do…" he trailed off when he sensed that something was definitely going to go wrong with his plans. His frown deepened as he headed by the window and began to view the dark atmosphere outside.
His eyes narrowed as his frown deepened, staring outside with an expressionless glare. His blue eyes had this blank expression as he tried to think of what was going on outside.
Danger.
He could sense danger, but something was making him feel, even if a little, eased.
It was she…
He wanted to smile, but he could not. "Tifa," he thought silently as his frown deepened…
And suddenly, the whole place just exploded…
***
It had been 4 days after she decided to separate from AVALANCHE. "After all, everything's over…" she thought miserably, remembering the day when Cloud was finally able to beat Sephiroth.
Upon returning back to her old home in Nibelheim, she passed by the well where she could recall making a "promise" to Cloud several years ago. She stopped by the well and peered inside, but it was too deep. She could not see what was really inside or how clean the water was. She sighed heavily as she realized something, "Just like my feelings for him… I couldn't see what's in store for me… like my future isn't bright with him…" with that, she moved away from the well. "Oh well… better get away… I might fall inside and then somebody who's mean enough can put a lid on it so that I'll die inside…" she thought with a silly smile on her face, remembering the moment when she wanted to push Cloud inside, down the well and leave him inside for being so silly. "After all, he loves Aerith, not me… why did it even take long for me to realize that? Man, I hate myself for waiting so long… Stupid me…" she muttered glumly as she walked down the road.
She looked down at the ground sadly as she finally realized, "What kind of fool I am? Nobody can love me because… I am nothing…"
She could feel herself getting numb for thinking of such a thing. "Who was I kidding when I thought that he could love me? Heck, did I really even love him? It could just be a fling or a crush or… oh whatever… never mind… it doesn't matter now… I guess I'd better move on and… just live alone…" she thought miserably as she continued to walk uneasily, hugging herself when she felt the cold December afternoon breeze blowing against her.
She just stopped when she saw a big panther-like animal approaching her. It was carrying some paper in its mouth. She could recognize the animal, like she had seen it before. She gazed at the animal with wide eyes, curious on what it was doing in a place such as where they are.
She forced a smile, hoping that it would not harm her. "H…hi, Kitty." She greeted with a trembling tone.
Assuming that she was afraid, the Black Panther just dropped the paper on the floor. "Meowrgh," it told her. For her, it sounded… sad.
She slowly approached the panther and picked up the paper, unfolding it while keeping her eye on the animal. With a trembling hand, she began to read what was written on the paper:
I've seen your face from afar
In a portrait of beauty and madness;
But I know, right then,
It's true,
That somehow I've adored you…
Though you may not know of my existence,
I have always wished on a star
That someday I can see you finally…
Somehow…
Just to know who you really are…
She froze, suddenly not knowing how to react. The poem was lovely, full of expression. But, she could not bring herself to believe the reality when she read the signature: "Rufus ShinRa"
She wanted to faint, but she stopped herself when the panther-like animal began to rub its head against her leg. It began to meow like it was sad or something, but she did not know if it was just her imagination when she thought she saw tears glistening in the animal's eyes. "Chill out, Tifa. Cats can't cry," she told herself as she mindlessly bent down and patted the animal's head before she embraced it tightly.
The panther-like animal began to purr.
Tifa smiled sadly as she caressed the animal's soft fur. "Dark Nation?" she asked, finally recalling the name of the animal.
"Meowrgh," the cat replied.
And Tifa began to cry…
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Just tell me if you'd like to have a continuation or more, okay? =) I need feedback before I do something else… ;_; Oh, and if you're curious, I originally wrote the poem and sent it to the "Rufus ShinRa" of my life. =)