Chapter 3:
Tifa's heart split in two. The emotional pain was so great that she even started to feel it physically. She felt her heart suffocating itself, not wanting to feel any pain anymore. Tears swelled hotly in her eyes and dripped to the ground. Wiping them away, she stood up. Through her tears, she saw that she was still holding the Materia. She didn't know why she did it, but she stored it safely into her pocket.
While she put it inside, she felt something else. Curious, she pulled the thing out. It was her bracelet – the one that broke at Mt. Nibel. She had found all the charms except one, and she had never worn it since that day…
She had informed Cid that she would be in Midgar for a while – a long while, perhaps. Upon entering the gate to Sector 1, she looked around. Nothing had changed. Midgar was still the same filthy, wretched place and still swarming with thugs.
Sighing at the surrounding sights, she reminded herself of the reason she came back. She was to rebuild the 7th Heaven bar. It was her own decision – just to get her mind off the problems of her world.
On her way to the ruined Sector 7, where she had heard people were clearing and repairing, her eye caught another bar.
She sighed. "Hell. Why not?"
And she sauntered into the bar. It was a lively place with men chatting, chuckling, and swearing all around. However, the bartender seemed quite kind. As she sat down at the counter and rested her head, he leaned against the counter beside her.
"What's the matter, miss?" he asked gently.
Tifa slowly lifted her head. "I'm just depressed, sir."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. Aren't you that young bar hostess that used to run the 7th Heaven? You had quite a selection there."
"Yes, that's me. But Sector 7 is under reconstruction, and I've been…" She sighed, letting her head drop again. "I just feel miserable."
"I see." The bartender poured a glass of his specialty drinks and placed it beside her. "Here, drink this. I guarantee that, after a few of these shots, you'll feel all lively inside. You'll forget all about your problems."
Tifa lifted her head once more. She reached for the drink…