Aerith blinked with surprise as the large door opened, the sound of the rain getting louder. Well, this was one person she didn't expect in a longer while. She wiped her hands clean of soil, as she straightened up.

"Is it this surprising to see me?" her visitor smiled gently, boots making soft sounds of the wooden planks on the floor.

"Well … yes, considering the time of day"

"I guess that is true as I don't have too much time… I'm just dropping by for a second to be true" Tifa sighed heavily, coming to a halt to the newly planted patch of flowers "Considering my luck in the last few weeks, the bar is about to be burned down"

"Zack should watch over the kids, right? I know I've said some … mean things about him, but…"

"Oh I'm fine about the kids, It's him I'm worried about" the brunette rubbed her chin slightly with one finger "I swear to god, I did never think a grown up man could have such … wild ideas! He's so… so…" she stammered on her words for a moment "He's impossible, stubborn and… and oh dear gods I just can't … do anything about it!" frustration topped the highest notes of her voice,

Another heavy sigh left her lips as she ran both hands through her hair desperately, noticing the surprised gaze her friend gave her. Right… she wasn't behaving too much like herself right now, that probably being the cause of Aerith's surprise. And to think that she didn't come here to complain at all, just to ask a request. She closed her eyes for a moment and clamped down the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Just… forget what I said. It didn't happen, kids are alright and Zack is a lovely man and a charming companion"

"Wow" the Cetra flashed her a wide smile "He really got under your skin! Ok, so you sit there, and you tell me everything!" she pointed to one bench that still was intact.

"No, I … I came to ask you a favor from you"

"From me?" the pretty face brightened "Sure! What is it?"

"Would you mind coming over tomorrow and watching over them? Or maybe watching over the bar to be exact for like.. two days?"

"What? Are you going somewhere…?"

"Yeah, well…" cinnamon eyes traced the white flowers that grew once again in the church, alongside the water lilies that danced on the rippled surface of the pond "We're… I mean me and Cloud…"

"Ooh…" the light in green eyes turned into a more serious one "I forgot, I'm so sorry Tifa. And of course I'll come over, he'll drop me off and you can be on your way then"

"Thank you so much!" Tifa smiled grabbing her friends hands and giving them a slight squeeze "It means the worlds to me!"

"You'll prepare some food though, right? I mean, I can do a lot, but well… cooking isn't really my thing"

"Of course, you'll not have to worry about anything! Oh thank you so much, you're a life saver!"

"Now come on, tell me what did that big oaf do this time?"

Tifa stopped herself from rolling her eyes. She's been doing that quite the lot lately, and it will surely form a habit soon if she didn't stop herself.

"I don't think my bar would make it through that…" she sighed " I'll tell you when I'll... when... well, I don't know. Tie him up in the cellar or something"

"He may actually think of that as enamoring…what happened to 'he keeps me entertained' part?"

"Oh I get entertained alright! Next time I'll keep my mouth shut, cause I swear, someone up there hates me. Thank you again so much…" she gave the smaller girl a quick hug "I'll be off then. Oh and I have some muffins for your mom, they'll be in the cellar, on the highest shelf with Ice Rum, ok? Cause I swear the kids have a radar of some sort for those muffins… "

"Alright" Aerith laughed returning the brief embrace "Oh, here" she placed one flower behind Tifa's ear "So you may have a nice day!"

She watched her friend leave, looking again all collected and calm as usual, and she made a mental note to ask Zack what in the world did he do to make Tifa so inwardly shaken? While the younger girl did not say anything of any detail, her sudden outburst was as out of place as Aerith wearing black.

The Cetra kneeled at her flowers again, fair brows knitting gently. She just hoped Zack didn't do anything stupid.

It kept on raining at the crack of dawn, as Tifa was bustling around her kitchen, making food for everyone for the whole two days. From time to time, a terrible yawn would escape her lips and she would rub her eyes from the remains of sleep. She felt like hell today… As usual, she couldn't sleep, images of lives being ripped to shreds replaying behind her lids if she even tried to close them. Her whole body was hurting, every muscle clenching in pain, as if every little damned scar had reopened.

"Get a hold on yourself girl" she growled under her nose as her knife missed the tips of her fingers by a hair.

She needed to do it. And for that she needed to gather every ounce of courage she ever had. She heard the increasing growl of an engine and a sickening feeling started to rise inside of her. She turned on the cold water and rinsed her face a few times, before wiping her hands in a clean cloth and walking out to greet her friends.

Aerith was yawning as she jumped off the great bike, and her braid was slightly off but other than that she looked like her perfect self. Even if Tifa still could see the small pillow print on her soft cheek, the Cetran girl was all awake and ready to start a new day.

Cloud on the other hand looked exactly the way she felt. Which, in plain, blunt, soldiery words meant one thing – like shit. The healthy hue of his skin was replaced by a grey one and his eyes looked dull and dead.

"I prepared everything" Tifa said to her friend as she came up to the bike and settling herself behind Cloud "We won't take long, I promise"

"I think you should take as long as you need" Aerith offered them a small smile "Don't worry about us! And I promise Tifa, I'll watch out for your bar"

"Thank you…"

"Bye bye now!" the Cetra gave Cloud a small peck on the lips, then turned to Tifa to place a similar one on the brunette's cheek "For good luck!"

She twirled around , her pink dress dancing around her legs and entered the bar, the door closing softly, without as much as a click.

"You ready?" Cloud threw her a dark look over the shoulder.

"I don't think I'll ever be…" she sighed, leaning her weight on his back, arms circling around his waist.

"I feel like I'm burning"

"Yeah… I know…" her grip tightened as Fenrir growled louder and a cloud of dust was left to settle just in front of the quite bar.

Zack's eyes snapped open only seconds later. He heard soft footsteps downstairs … and something about them was wrong. It took only one look towards the window for him to know it was waay to early for Tifa to be up – it was still long before dawn. But the person downstairs was taking little, careful steps and he knew it wasn't the bartender. For the past week or more he used to wake up whenever he heard her bedroom door open and Tifa moved differently – with quiet, slow, elegant steps but… not so shy.

He pushed the covers aside and scrambled out of his warm bed, one hand flattening his messy hair. Damn that woman for causing him loose his sleep lately… Well not that she did anything on purpose, it was just because he was thinking really, really hard how to get through to her. Each time he broke one of her walls, she'd sway for a moment and then BAM, two new would be erected. And dear gods, how that frustrated him! He still could remember the strange look in Cloud's eyes on that night before he moved out, when the blonde asked his friend to watch over Tifa. And he still couldn't quite find a name for it… And hell did he try NOT to find a name for what was the cause of his efforts!

Zack shivered as he walked down the stairs, the tip of his nose moving lightly. Maybe if he wasn't in such a sleepy daze he would pick out the slightly different notes that danced in the air…

He stumbled into the bar, one hand reaching out for the switch.

"Hello Zack" a sweet voice greeted him before he flipped on the light.

Dazzling blue eyes wide as plates as he looked into green eyes. Well… that was something he DIDN'T expect.

"Well damn... hi …" he rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times just to make sure he wasn't still dreaming "You're really here?"

"I think I heard that before…" Aerith smiled a slight teasingly "Oh yes, I recall… when I appeared in the Stream"

"Gods…" he glanced at the clock "Look Aerith, it's this.. ungodly hour right now and I'll just pretend I didn't hear… wait… where's Tifa?"

"What makes you think she's not upstairs?"

"Please, I'd know that if she were" Zack snorted "I could tell you that just by hearing her…breathing…" his voice died down suddenly as he experienced for maybe the fourth time in his life being smirked at by Aerith.

He did NOT say that.

Aerith giggled. Oh this day was going to be amusing and it sure will be worth standing up in the middle of the night.

This had to be probably the first time she saw Zack blush.

It was maybe two hours before the sunset begun, when they finally reached their destination. Cloud let his legs down as he turned off the engine, and pulled off his goggles.

"Ok…" he sighed, feeling Tifa press her face into his back "We're here…"

She took a deep breath and looked up, resting her chin on his shoulder. The village seemed as peaceful and quiet, and FAKE, as the last time they've been here. She clamped the sudden urge to rub the skin under her collarbones.

"Suddenly it doesn't seem like such a grand idea" she muttered "Suddenly I want to go home…"

Cloud felt his hands tighten on the handles of his bike. He himself wanted nothing more than to turn around and cross the world again.

"Even the truck is still there… Gods, those pricks sure did a good job on reconstruction"

"I guess we have to.. move on…"

She jumped off the motorcycle and waited for him to join her, as he pushed Fenrir to park it by the devastated truck. He came up, and for a longer moment they both stood like frozen, dead expressions on their faces and a cold light in their eyes.

"Welcome to Nibelheim!" a chirpy voice welcomed them as a young, maybe no more than fifteen walked up, offering a welcoming smile and a bright light in deep grey eyes "Are you here for the ceremony too?"

They exchanged a surprised look, then both rested their eyes on the girl's small frame. Tifa had the uneasy feeling of a sick déjà vu, the girl wearing a tight skirt and a white shirt. God be blessed the skirt was knee length, and there wasn't a cowboy hat seen in miles…

Cloud scratched the back of his head in confusion.

"What ceremony?" he asked "And who are you?"

"Oh… I'm sorry! I'm Reini, the daughter of the chief!" she smiled again, a long brown ponytail dancing happily behind her back as she presented herself "And you really didn't hear about the ceremony? It's about that" she pointed to the well "There's going to be a tablet there"

"What tablet?"

"Well…"Reini rocked on her heels lightly "We don't know what exactly. Someone offered a lot of money for it and for it to be hung on our well especially today, and said it's for the Planet's heroes. My dad told me something important had to happen here, if anyone wants to make something like that. Come on, let's get you into the inn ,there still should be a room or two!"

And she skipped away happily, a striking contrast to their mood.

A tablet? One their well...? Today...?

The inn sure was packed, but they managed to get one room. The keeper was rather apologetic when he heard two different names, but they agreed to that without even as much as a rise of a brow. They slept in one room so often, hell not only the two of them, but eight at times… The window overlooked the well and the houses around, orange rays of sun shimmering on clears windows. Tifa pressed her forehead to the cool glass, her eyes closing.

"It still hurts to be here" she finally said, breaking their sun filled silence "Despite… new people living here and normal life once again bubbling…"

There was a soft knock on the door and it opened slightly, the Reini girl smiling at them through the small opening.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes, thank you…" Tifa turned to her, as Cloud collected himself from his spot on the floor "Tell me… all the people living here.. where did you come from?"

"My family is from Mideel! I mean, I don't remember living there, since we moved to Kalm when I was 2 I think" the girl scratched the tip of her nose slightly "And now here, since it's so much nicer here. Then there's the keeper here, he and the shop owner are long time friends from Midgar. Two families are here from the north, and my best friend is from Gongaga"

"Gongaga?" Cloud raised one brow "Soon there will be nothing left of that poor place…" he mutter under his nose.

"He says it's beautiful even if small and promised me to take me there one time, when we're old enough to travel!" a slight blush appeared on the teen's cheeks and she took a deep breath "He said their Firefly Festival was something spectacular!"

"I heard that too" Tifa smiled, her heart warming up due to the brightness in this girl's eyes and ignoring the surprised look Cloud gave her "What about the old Mansion?"

"The ruined one in the back?"

"Yeah… old ShinRa Mansion" Cloud added, his voice oddly flat.

"Well I heard my dad talking with some big guy one day, about destroying the house. It's old, creepy and Locke says there's a coffin with a dead body inside somewhere! And the rumor has it, there is an old guy living in there, but we never saw him! I think he must be … you know, crazy? Living in a rundown, moldy place like that? Sometimes this strange girl walks in there though, obviously looking for something… She sure doubles our income, since my mom run the local bar here!"

Tifa felt her mouth twitch slightly upon hearing that, and already imagining the scowl on Vincent's face when they would tell him that Nibelheim's inhabitants considered him old and crazy.

"Well the ceremony will take place soon, so maybe you'd like to join me and Locke for it?" Reini offered "We can provide you with the fun information and maybe we can talk my dad to let us on the well!"

"Alright" Cloud nodded, a shiver running down his spine as the sheer mentioning of climbing the well.

The small market place was crowded, an Tifa raised her brows in surprise. When they used to live here, there were only a couple of families… There were still few houses, but apparently two or three families lived in one. Everyone seemed to know each other, exchanging warm greetings and talking how their day went. People from other cities came, as they were on their way to reach Rocket Town or North Corel, faces relaxed and not troubled by anything.

Oblivious to the inner turmoil of two outsiders, who stood barely inches away from the well, two teenagers as their companions.. Reini's friend was a skinny, tall boy, with unruly black hair and deep brown eyes and he reminded Tifa very much of a twig topped with burned moss. But he was all easy smiles and childlike enthusiasm, and she and Cloud surprisingly found themselves enjoying his company even if they were still tense and inwardly shaking.

Their fingers would brush every now and then, as the crowd finally went silent and a tall man, with the same grey eyes as the girl that welcomed people in had, climbed onto the well. It all fell silent for a while, so still and quiet that one could almost hear the wind whistling it lonesome tune in the cracks of Mt. Nibel.

"I see new faces among my neighbors" the man finally spoke, his voice gentle and low "Let me welcome you to Nibelheim. Today is a special day for our small community… Not only we are planning to grow, to build more houses and restore our old ones. Not only we are expecting new families arriving here and living among us…"

"Expanding Nibelheim…" Cloud said quietly, dropping his gaze towards the ground "Can anything grow on dead ground….?" he felt for his friend's hand, out of the corner of one eye seeing how her chest rose and fell quickly.

"Today, even if we never were here before… we were asked to remember a tragedy" the man pointed then to a sheet covering the tablet nailed to the well "We were asked to mourn for lives shattered and lost, and for a prayer that it will never happen again"

With a swift move he ripped the sheet off, a large square of polished metal shining in the last rays of the day, the sun causing it look like set ablaze. Black, burned out letters screamed out from the smooth surface.

And it was a a bolt of pain and grief that flashed through two bodies.

For all the pain,

For all the tears.

A prayer sent to heavens,

Do not forget these.

"While we might not never know what had happened in our small village, I firmly believe that it is our duty as honorable men and women to always remember …"

"Do you want to know?" a calm, cool voice interrupted the chief.

Everyone turned their attention to the man standing in the small path that lead to the old mansion, gasps and sharp intakes of air were heard as their eyes took in the bloody red cape, and danced on the golden gauntlet. The man stood still, like a demon which wandered somehow into the land of men.

Tifa felt Cloud's hand tighten around hers.

"Would you all want to know what happened all the years ago? What that tablet means?" red eyes burning beneath a fringe of black "Why it stands for broken dreams and second chances?"

"Who may I ask are you?" thick brows moved up on the chief's good-natured face.

"Are you the man living in the coffin?" Locke suddenly asked.

Tifa barely managed to stifle down a sudden cough, as she saw Vincent's brows rise and hide beneath the red bandana. She knew perfectly well this wasn't a time for laughs or for lighthearted jokes, but the innocent question of the boy combined with their heavy hearts made too much of a contrast all of the sudden. The black haired man gave her a long look and she just made a gesture for him to continue.

"Do you know of the accident that had to happen here?"

"I know. And they do" with one elegant move of his hand, pointing to his friends in the crowd "It was their lives that burned down here"

Dazzling blue and red eyes met briefly, before they looked at their linked hands, not wanting to see the looks people were giving them already. Each set of eyes seemed to burn at their hardened skin.

"Did you ever live here?" it was Reini's small voice that finally broke the strange silence and she continued only at two silent nods "Then if you did… please tell us of this place. If we are to live here, we have to know. So maybe we can make sure everyone is at peace…"

"We can't build our own happy lives on broken ones" Locke than added, his eyes too serious to belong to a fifteen year old boy "And we can't plan our future not knowing the past"

"It all began when a hero came to this village…" Cloud's voice was strained, but he was still the one to start the tale, his hand still tightly clutching the one of his friend, as if deriving strength from her through mere touch, his eyes set on Tifa's.

Afraid to look in any other direction, at anything else, except the familiar face that has been with him for what seemed forever.

"Nibelheim…" Zack pinched the bridge of his nose, resting his legs on the kitchen table "Gods, why that place…? They both almost died back there. I know Cloud … has been there a few times already, but Tifa…" he trailed off as the memory of a small body covered in blood and burn marks flashed in his mind "But Tifa…?" he tried another time, his voice again failing him as if the bartender's name would explain everything.

Aerith threw him a curious look. They were alone in the vast kitchen, after the kids were put to bed for the night. Even if she really doubted they were already asleep already, both Marlene and Denzel too worked up by all the chasing around they did before bath time. Zack's encouragements didn't help in calming them down either…

After spending a whole day with him and the kids Aerith felt a whole new respect for Tifa. While the Cetra love both of the children, and had a soft spot for the ex-SOLDIER in her heard, and she didn't really have to run the bar, there were a few times where she felt like in the middle of a tornado. And how well did she understand now Tifa's strange behavior! Zack always was a very cheerful person, but she never suspected he was such a little kid deep inside. Something would stir deep inside, when she would watch as he played with Marlene, the girl's small face literally shining with glee as the tall man would pick her up and swirl her around.

And now she was watching a very disturbed Zack, with dark eyes and tense shoulders. And it was a sight she was not used to, especially being probably the only person on Gaia who knew him through.

"I wanted to ask you…" she slipped gracefully into a chair near him, her slender fingers wrapping around a hand painted mug "What's going on here?"

"What?" Zack raised his own mug and took a sip, wincing slightly as the hot tea burned his lips "Nothing's going on, Tifa runs the joint , I try to help with the kids and maybe get some more… civilized relations with everyone's favorite cannon head"

"I think you're a little bit biased…"

"Biased? BIASED?! That guy has been calling me per 'Spiky ass' for the last two months! And that is how long I've been leaving here!"

"Barret is a bit… overprotective about Marlene and Tifa, you know"

"I know, but I'm not doing anything! I'm just… well .. me being me"

"Well, did you ever think that's the exact problem?" Aerith tilted her head lightly "And take those feet off the table, it's terrible"

Zack threw her an unpleasant look over the rim of the mug, then let down his legs. He rubbed his temples with the fingers of one hand, as Aerith kept watching him, and he could swear she was waiting for something to happen.

He stood up abruptly, the chair slightly dancing on the wooden floor. Well alright, he might as well get it out into open.

"Did you ever had to try to break down a stone wall with you own head?" he finally asked, his voice surprisingly quiet.

"Depends… you had quite a few"

"Don't give me that shit, you could read me like a book" he snorted.

"I could. I didn't say I had to break you cheery, always optimistic ones. I just said you had them"

"Yeah.. maybe…"

"Then there is Cloud…"

"That… that's different. While I feel like… clawing at a stone wall, and my fingers are bleeding already…"

"Zack…" Aerith smiled that gentle smile of hers, as she walked up and placed both hands on his shoulders "I think you need to stop trying to get through that wall"

He threw her a look over one shoulder and his hands curled, knuckled turning slightly white. With a small gasp, Aerith took one step back, her hands flying to her chest. There was determination and something much more deeper than that in the suddenly stormy eyes, something she saw maybe for one brief moment… when he said he'll return, before that mission…

"Zack…why?"

"I don't know!" he said, frustration building up as images flashed in front of him, and they were all revolving around a certain bartender "I just… dammit. She's so… "

"Independent? Strong-willed?"

"Is she?" a bitter light shimmer in his eyes for a moment, and Aerith perfectly saw it reflected in the window, before he turned again and went up to pick up his mug, finger holding it tight. Too tight for her comfort "Is that all there is, Aerith? A strong heart and a independent mind?!"

"You don't know her Zack… You have no idea what you're doing"

"HOW am I supposed to know her?" those fingers clenched on the porcelain, a slight crack appearing on the smooth surface "Do you think it's easy for me, to just sit and watch her do all that shit to herself? Am I supposed to just stay in the back while she puts more and more onto her shoulders?"

"Zack…"

"And now this??" the crack went further, causing Aerith to rise her brows lightly at the sight "Nibelheim… of all places… and not even a word"

The mug finally got crushed in his fingers, bit of it cutting the inside of his hand. Blood seeping out from many cuts as he cursed under his nose, making his way towards the sink, turning the tap violently with his good hand,.

"Fuck" he hissed as the cold water washed the blood away, shreds of glass ringing against the steel.

"Let me take care of it" Aerith offered, her small palms reaching for his, as she inwardly shook at the outburst she witnessed just seconds ago.

"Let it be" he clenched his hand and watched water mix with red, and flow in a sickingly pink swirl down the drain.

"Zack, you're being irrational! I know you're … angry at Tifa, even if I don't know why…"

"You want to know?" burning blue eyes looked at her again "Because every time she pulls me in, the next second I get a fucking kick and land miles away. Because I want to be here for her, and I don't want her to be afraid of me. And no matter how hard I try she just keeps getting further…" his lips twitched.

"Oh Zack…"

"Fuck…" he almost slammed his healthy fist into the counter "And to think he asked me to protect her.…"

Aerith let out an audible sigh, her green eyes filled with worry. She knew Zack the best of all probably. She knew he was a kind-hearted man, but she also knew that the anger she was witnessing right now before her very own eyes, was a destructive one, that would push him into doing the stupidest things.

And what she didn't know, was whether Tifa or himself would actually cope if he did….