-Seven: Locked Heart-

            A week after Eris had left for Nibelheim, Red and Tifa just decided to go back to Kalm. The journey going to Kalm wasn't as stressful as before, but she had been noticing something different about Red: he had become so quiet and would always appear so distant… like there were almost always other thoughts in his mind.

She did not dare talk to him about it because she felt afraid that he might get angry at her for being too nosy.

Upon arriving in Kalm, they went straight to the inn, and just when Tifa was about to think that he's going to only get one room, he got two. One for her and one for himself.

She was even wondering who would pay for all of his credit card bills.

She wanted to tell him that she's worried about the expenses, but as usual, she would just shut up. She couldn't tell him her true feelings about everything and how she misses her old home.

She had been traveling with Red for more than a month already but she still thought that he was still so distant… like there is no chance for her to get much closer to him.

One time, she gathered enough courage to tell him one evening during dinner, "Do you think we'll be stuck here in the East Continent for so long?" she asked.

"If we don't find a way to get to the West Continent." He told her. "How did you get here in the first place, anyway?" he continued.

"I rode a ship from Costa del Sol to Junon, then rode the train to Midgar. The trains and the bridges from Nibelheim to this continent are still under-construction. They're making those trains and bridges so that we wouldn't have to bother riding ships." She explained.

"Problem is, Junon is having trouble with their funds so they really have to cancel all the trips to any of the places in the West Continent." He pointed out with a blank look on his face.

She stared at him for a while before saying, "But we can just go back to Junon and live there for a while so that if ever the trips can resume, we can always leave, right?"

He looked at her. "I can't go there." He said.

"Why not?" she asked.

He bit his lower lip and just turned away. "I just can't." he muttered.

Tifa knew that something was really wrong with him. "Red, is there something wrong?" she asked.

He was just silent.

She frowned at him as she leaned forward. "You let Eris ride the last ship instead of you riding it. What's up with that?" she asked.

He just ignored her before calling the attention of the waiter. The waiter approached him; with that, he handed his credit card.

The waiter got it and went off to the counter.

"You know what, you guys are really beginning to creep me out… first there's Crecia and her son Seth… then Eris who's almost always smiling and day-dreaming about her beloved whosoever he is! And then you?" she asked in disbelief.

He just stared at her blankly. "You really don't understand it, do you?" he asked calmly.

"No, I don't. And I demand an explanation now." She said stiffly.

"Why are you so mad at us?" he asked.

She blinked unbelievably at him. "I'm not mad at you!" she said.

"You sound like you are." He pointed out.

She just kept quiet, frowning at him.

"I'm not ready to go back to Junon. I still want to stay here with you." He admitted with a sad look on his face before he got up and left her alone there with a frustrated look on his face.

Tifa's eyes were wide in disbelief upon what she had heard from him. She suddenly didn't know what to do… and she suddenly felt afraid.

She was about to leave when the waiter approached her, "Excuse me ma'am, your companion left his credit card." He said.

Tifa got it. "Thanks, I'll just give it to him if I find him," she told him reassuringly before she left the restaurant. She was already walking down the street going back to the inn when she decided to read the name on the credit card. What she saw had shocked her and made her want to cry… though she stopped herself.

Rufus ShinRa

            "So there, I told her already…" he thought silently.

He gazed up at the moon and the stars from his window and sighed heavily. "So what if I'm back here… I am confused. What good is a second life if you still don't know where you're going?" he thought silently.

He had been weighing the pros and cons of taking any of the two paths that he would be choosing in the end. He remembered the advice given to them by the Lifestream at it spoke to them before: "You can only choose one. Be sure to choose the right path or end up making the same mistake again. You will not be given another opportunity anymore."

He envied Lucrecia for knowing the right path to choose already even before Lifestream had given them that advice: to look for Vincent Valentine and express to him the love she has been suppressing for such a long time already; while at the same time, become a good mother to Sephiroth.

He envied Sephiroth for knowing the right path to take even before Lucrecia had made the decision: to stay by his mother's side and make up for all the wrong things he had done in the past.

Most of all, he envied Aerith for knowing what she wanted in life: to be back in Cloud's arms and love him, while he in return would love her back.

"Everything concerns love… but how come my path is different?" he thought silently with a disappointed look on his face.

To get back what is rightfully his: his family's dignity… including the wealth and the power.

He told them that; and they all stared at him in disbelief. The looks in their eyes revealed to him what they thought of his decision: "How selfish."

"So what if there's no love in my decision? At least I can live on my own without anyone else but me, myself and I… and of course, my money." He used to think at that moment…

Until she came.

He pounded on the windowpane, more confused than ever. His conscience was already nagging him, "You should've just stayed behind in Junon and did not worry about this girl's safety! Damn you!"

He clenched his fists in annoyance with himself.

The night before Sephiroth and Lucrecia had left for Nibelheim to find Vincent, he had a little talk with them:

"So have you decided already?" Sephiroth asked him.

"I'm sticking to my decision. I'm rebuilding my empire." He told them.

Lucrecia shook her head sadly. "The world cannot compare to what the heart can provide for you," She told him.

He just kept quiet. "I don't get what you mean." He lied.

So she just kept quiet too.

Sephiroth patted his shoulder with a gentle smile on his face. "This may sound stupid… we guys think that this is stupid… but… follow your heart."

He just laughed at what his friend had mentioned. "But if you follow your heart, it will just make you suffer. I'd rather use my head than rely on emotions." He said.

"Right." Sephiroth had a sarcastic look on his face.

He just frowned at Sephiroth. "Besides, I've always been like this so why change it?" he asked.

Sephiroth and Lucrecia just exchanged quiet glances. With that, they left without saying another word.

"Rufus,"

At first he didn't know whether he should move or not. It was Tifa's voice. His frown deepened while thinking, "How did she know?"

Tifa was standing by the doorway, holding the credit card in her hand. "You left this." She said softly.

He slowly turned around to face her with a cold look on his face. She stared at her for a while, examining the way she looked. He could tell that she had been crying, but he doesn't know why…

She tried to avoid his gaze on her as she closed the door and slowly approached him.

He saw that she was holding his credit card, but he tried hard not to show his surprise upon seeing it. "She knows… because she saw my name… but if I deny it…" he stopped his thoughts before he started to speak out loud to her, "What did you call me?"

She handed him the credit card. He grabbed it from her and placed it inside his wallet.

"I called you Rufus." She told him with a voice that seemed to falter.

"What if I tell you that I'm not Rufus and I just stole it from him?" he asked her.

She looked up at him with a hurtful look on her face as she clenched her fists. "Please don't start denying…" she said stiffly, but her voice trembled slightly as she spoke.

He just kept quiet for a few moments, not knowing what to say.

She placed her hands behind her back. "So that's why it's Red… because Rufus means redhead." She said with a light chuckle; it was obvious for him that she was faking the smile and the laughter. She looked up at him. "Funny. You don't have red hair." She said.

He just stared down at her.

She smiled bitterly. "Well… red is the color of aggressiveness… it suits you well, Rufus…" she mentioned with a shy look on her face. She seemed like a timid high school girl with a crush on the most popular guy in school… and she knew it. She laughed uneasily. "I'm sorry… I sound foolish… I guess… I guess I should just leave…" she said weakly as she looked away from him and turned away, hoping that he wouldn't notice the tears in her eyes.

Oh, the price that you have to pay with a locked heart: afraid for love to fade before it can come true… so you end up hiding and keeping everything inside.

She started for the door, thinking of just leaving him there for good and just go on her own to Junon or someplace else away from him. She couldn't possibly let herself love someone like him… besides, she was already too afraid to love someone in fear of losing them.

But before she could open the door, he stopped her by running after her and hugging her from behind. "No," he pleaded.

Her eyes were wide in confusion and were also shining with tears that were ready to fall. She released the doorknob and clenched her fists as she trembled slightly.

He tightened his embrace around her. "Please, no… don't..." he whispered against her ear.

It all made sense to him now…

But she was still confused… until she noticed that he was also crying.

"Why didn't you tell me who you are at the start?" she demanded stiffly.

"I'm sorry… I had to lie… we all had to lie: Lucrecia, Sephiroth, Aerith and I… it's for our own safety. We can't afford to let anyone interfere with our purpose in life… but they let you know right? Aerith told you the truth before she left for Nibelheim, remember? Lucrecia mentioned that she's looking for Vincent. Sephiroth is Lucrecia's son… Tifa," he stammered.

She pushed him away. "No… you're Rufus ShinRa! I hate you! My life is ruined because of your family. Our lives… Lucrecia, Sephiroth and Aerith… our lives were all ruined because of your family! I hate you! You're better off dead!" she screamed angrily at him before she ran off, leaving Rufus there, all stunned and still crying. He fell on his knees on the floor, weeping and regretting being what he is. "Tifa, don't leave me!!!" he called out in a desperate attempt before sobbing. He tried to stand up but his knees felt so weak that he just collapsed to the floor.

"Please don't leave me… I love you…" he whispered softly, hoping that she was still there so that she could hear him.

But she was already away from the inn… going away from Kalm. She kept on running until she felt so tired and so weak and when her heart couldn't take it any longer, she just fell on her knees in the middle of the empty road.

Under the moonlight and the starry night, she sat there all alone, weeping.