Disclaimer: All of the content: material, characters, towns and names all belongs to square Enix, I do not claim any of the material as my own. I have written it for a non profit piece of writing and as a piece of creativity. So don't sue me :-(.
This story takes place 1 year after advent children. The story is mainly centred on Tifa and Vincent and their struggle to find a place for themselves in the new world. Fate has them meeting in Kalm and thus start of an epic tale of their pasts and struggles, only through each other can they heal and move on. Tifa x Vincent
Chapter 1: A New Start:
Her lungs ached as she struggled to breath at a rate too untenable. The heart thumped with such a force that it was on the verge of bursting in its ribcage. The muscles ached, pleading for her to stop but all in vain as nothing could stop such fierce passion that coursed within her veins. She had to get there perhaps it might not be too late.
Rain pounded fiercely against her skin slowly ebbing the heat from her body, her lips were tinged with blue, her long brown hair lay clinging lifelessly to her pale wet skin. She had been running for what it seemed like eternity until finally she came upon the touch of lights.
Tifa stopped in her stride, her knees giving in as she collapsed hard onto the floor, her boots sinking into the water logged mud. She gasped for breath unable to sustain her breathing any longer. She urged for her body to get up but nothing would move. But she was so close she couldn't give up now. With all of her will power she forced her knees back into motion, her teeth gritting with pain.
Slowly but surely the fifteen year old straddled towards the steps of the Mako reactor. Looking closely the sight of two soldiers could be seen lying dead before her feet, the red liquid oozing from their open wounds and into the rain like a sea of blood. She looked at their horror stricken filled eyes which told of the moment that death was upon them. Turning from the bodies she looked up and saw the door was already open, with a heavy pang in her heart she slowly proceeded up the steps and stepped beyond the pale.
The air smelt of death as Tifa walked in, the neon lights flickering above, humming quietly to themselves. She was faintly aware of her boots grinding against the grated metal floor, its paint peeling around the edges. A while had passed and still she couldn't find him. She began to worry , hyperventilation was setting in. NO!. She must cast these thoughts form her mind, she had too. Finally she turned the corner and saw what she had been fearing.
Lying in a pool of crimson red was the lifeless body of her father, Tears filled her eyes as she screamed with rage holding Sephiroth's sword in her hand.
"Miss?" A voice spoke, "Miss" The train hostess gently shook the young woman's shoulder.
Tifa's brown eyes opened wide and instinctively grabbed for the woman's hand and put it into a arm lock. She cried out in surprise and in pain.
Tifa was quick to release her, "Oh - please forgive me, I didn't mean to do that, you startled me."
The hostess looked at Tifa her expression trying to hide her annoyance: "Its okay madam, I came to inform you that we have arrived at your stop."
"Already?" Tifa looked out the window and saw indeed that she had made it there, "Thanks for informing me."
The lady left and returned to attending other travellers leaving Tifa to gather up her belongings ready for departure.
Stepping onto the platform Tifa smelt the air that had a tinge of diesel to it. The station was busy today, it was a Saturday after all. Trains stood docked at the numerous platforms ready to take its people to their destinations.
Not wasting a moment longer Tifa swung the grungy backpack excitedly onto her shoulders and proceeded to the exit. After moving in and out of various people Tifa managed to pass through the doors of the exit and onto the other side.
This lead the young woman into a main street just before the town square. The roads packed with stalls of various types selling from common house hold items down to the most rarest gems on the planet, though by looks of the dealer Tifa was sure that the guy wasn't being 100 honest. Taking a deep breath she took a step into the crowd and braved the busy streets which were crowded full of eager buyers as well as sellers.
Finding a quiet side lane Tifa stepped into it and rested against the wall lazily plopping her backpack on the path. Reaching into one of the compartments Tifa prized out a piece of paper and opened it up to read the writing that was on it.
12 crescent lane
Tifa stood there and pondered for a moment trying to remember where she had seen it before.
It was half an hour or so before she came upon the building, Tifa huffed in annoyance by the fact that she walked passed this place twenty times while trying to find it.
A man in his mid fifties with slight greying hair stood at the buildings doorway his eyes looking at Tifa while his foot tapped repeatedly on the floor. He hurried over to Tifa: "What took you so long?"
"You were stupid and tried acting clever" the voice spoke in her head. A wave of anger shot through Tifa, "I got lost, sorry I'm so late."
The mans expression softened as it turned into a smile, "There's nothing to forgive my child." He and Tifa embraced in a hug, "Its so good to see you again."
"Its good to see too Mathew," She looked at him and giggled, "I can see age is creeping on you huh?"
Mathew couldn't help but smile, "Aye I'm getting old, Time is not too kind on us old folk anymore."
Tifa looked at the building that stood before here, "So its finally mine?" She asked looking at Mathew.
"Uh huh" he replied handing over to her a batch of keys, "All of it."
Tifa looked at Mathew in shock, "What, but I thought I was just getting the shop floor, and you were living in the upstairs floors."
"Not anymore" Matthew spoke smiling to Tifa, "Me and my wife have decided to pack up and retire to our villa in Costa del sol."
"But….I only bought the shop off you, I can't ask this of you."
"Tifa…If it weren't for you back in Nibelheim then Me and My wife would have been long dead, You saved our lives, I owe you so much more than this. So please accept it."
Tifa looked at the keys and then up to the three story building that stood before her, "Thank you so much Mathew."
"Come on go and look inside," The old man said gesturing towards the solid oak doors. Tifa excitedly took the iron handle on the door an pulled it open to find a huge rectangular room spanning the entire first floor. Tifa gasped, the place was huge, a lot bigger than she expected, the wooden floor stood glistening, its deep mahogany pigment shining like it had never been walked on.
"Here's where the New Seventh Heaven will be opened," Tifa said to herself her heart skipping with excitement.
"Here before I forget," Mathew handed her a piece of paper, "My contact number, ring me if you should need anything."
"What your leaving now?" She asked mildly surprised
"Yeah, Alison and I want to leave before the preparations of the carnival get too busy. Farewell Tifa."
Tifa stood by the oak doors waving like a headless chicken as Mathew dispersed amongst the crowds of townsfolk and disappeared. Tifa retreated to the house and locked the door behind her. Ideas were sizzling through her mind. This place was going to be great. A place where people can be joyous and celebrate, a place where people can forget about the problems going in the world and just have a little piece and quiet. Tifa looked at her wristwatch and saw it was drawing sunset.
Picking up the backpack by the door she proceeded to the second floor of the house to find plenty of spacious rooms, perhaps she could rent them out for the carnival, Mathew did say that loads of tourists will be coming here to celebrate the momentous occasion.
The pagan festival was recently revived by the towns new mayor. It was a time signifying unity of people from around the world after the tragedies of the meteor.
At the top floor now Tifa opened the master bedroom and saw once again a spacious room with a en-suite bathroom and walk in closet. There was also doors which lead to the balcony overlooking the town square. To one corner of the room a chest of draws had been left behind along with some shelves and a mirror that lay hung on one of the walls.
Dumping the bag on the floor she placed the keys into the doors and unlocked them, swinging them open to feel rays of the suns heat blazing in on her. The air smelled fresh and felt soothing as the gentle breeze blew on her face and through her hair. Tifa stood there and looked around, how long it had been since she felt like this she didn't know, she felt a level of peace again.
Realising that time was passing and fatigue was setting in Tifa set to motion. Closing the balcony doors behind her she reached for her backpack and detached her camper bag from it spreading it out onto the floor, the delivery of her furniture was due in the early ours of the morning so she ad to make due with what she had.
Walking to the chest of draws she placed her bag on its surface and took out various photos. Warmly she placed each one of them on the chest of draws surface until she came upon the last one. A very rare group photo of the whole gang stood there all looking back at her. She remembered the photo taken just over a year ago just after the defeat of Kadaj and Sephiroth.
Tifa's eyes looked at everyone of her friends, Cloud was now travelling with Nananki searching for more people who were infected with star scar syndrome brining with them the cure. Marlene and Denzel were now living with Barret in Corel rebuilding their village along with making a new life for themselves. Yuffie was now working back in Wutai in hopes of restoring her town to its former glory. And all the children who she had cared for had now been found adoption homes and were doing well. Cid was currently working to try and build new engines that are not dependent on Mako and as for Vincent she didn't know, he left straight after the defeat of Sephiroth and she never heard from him again.
Tifa placed the photo alongside the others and retired to bed.