Chapter 14. May εуλ0002- September εуλ0002

Her birthday passed, and Tifa rejoiced.

Every day was a challenge, but inch by inch, she was growing, changing. Months of pain and struggle were paying off. Her body was slowly being transformed into something long and lean, powerful. She was conscious in a new way of its every motion, every sensation, and she relished in the experience. Unlike her first round of development, these were not changes that left boys talking to her chest instead of her eyes – not that there was anyone much left in town look. Instead, the outside was slowly reshaping to reflect the inside. Endurance, strength.

Spirit.

But all good things had to come to an end, and Zangan had begun dropping hints. "I've been here a long time, Tifa," he told her. "You know I don't like to stay in one place for very long. More than a half year in one place… that's unheard of for me."

"Stay," she'd urge him. "One more day." And he'd nod, and somehow it would be another day, and another, and another.

Truthfully, she thought it was the tightness of their bond that kept her teacher in place. They'd grown very close- not in that way, thank-you-very-much – but Zangan was more like… an older brother? He was older than her father by fifteen years. Grandfather? That didn't suit him at all. She called him Master, but the title was so informal at this point that it was practically a nickname.

Mentor. Friend.

She needed more of those.

She flooded her joys into the piano now, the vibrations of soothing melodies lulling her cat to sleep as it curled on the top of the instrument, purring as if in time with her rhythm. But every now and then, nostalgia would kick in, and she'd find herself playing the same songs as when she and Cloud were children together.

He'd never been bold enough to admit it, but she'd always known he was listening, and she remembered how sometimes, that little girl liked to play something special just for him.

He had been such a child – but then again, so had she. He had been so adorable - that hopeless blond hair, those big blue eyes. Two years was plenty of time for him to hit his growth spurt, fill out some. And all those girls in the city…

She shushed the thought. She hardly had any claim on him, except the promise she'd extracted, terrified (more than with any of her other friends, a fact that still surprised her) at his leaving.

But in the time since he'd left, womanhood had settled into her a whole new set of feelings, ones that reminded her over and over she was child no longer. Her body let her know with new responses, sensitive spots she hadn't expected, aware of being female in way she hadn't realized would be happening. It was as if every step she took reminded her of curves, elements of her body still filling in with no real sign of stopping.

She thought of Cloud in a very different way now, one that would have shocked her even a year before when they made their promise. Thoughts of him sent warm heat through her body, and she found her hand sliding down to touch herself in the new ways she had discovered.

It had been quite by accident she had discovered yet another thing her body could do, pleasurable sensitivity building up until one day, with a gasp, it spiked, leaving her goggled-eyed and panting with surprise.

So that's what it's about…

Another mystery solved.

Which brought her to the question of what that might be like with… someone else.

She tried to picture what Cloud looked like now. The planes of his face that had started to form, sharpened. Nascent muscle giving way to toned arms, the thought of them wrapping around her giving her shivers. Did he grow up to be tall, she wondered? Or was he doomed to be forever on the short side?

She didn't care either way.

She knew she was building him up in her head, but that was all he had left her with. She wondered why he didn't write. Claudia had heard nothing either, she said, a mother's worry creasing her brow. That made Tifa feel, unfortunately, better. She looked for him in the newspapers as promised, and it was Sephiroth, Sephiroth, Sephiroth, and occasionally names of others she did not recognize.. None of them were Cloud Strife.

Did he even think of Nibelheim?

Did he even think of her?

She wondered when she would see him again, desire and fantasy slowly morphing into determination. She was a little embarrassed to admit it even to herself…

Cloud, there's something I want to tell you.. no, something I want to ask you.

There wasn't anyone in the village she thought of this way. Nor, truthfully, anyone who had left the village. But she was a woman now.

Gazing out the window, she took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and forced herself to concentrate. She pictured him taking her in his arms and kissing her gently, until she finally whispered in his ear…

I'm… still a virgin…

Picturing him over and over, kissing her, touching her… how would the rest feel? Would he know what to do? Would she? Or would instinct just take over from there? She didn't know, but she wanted to find out. And the feelings wouldn't go away.

I was wondering… would you… be my first?

Part of her didn't want to go through with it, embarrassed and shy at the thought… but part of her very much did.

She kept willing for him to come home.

Just say the word, and I will…

The cat was being a nuisance. Again.

It must be part dog, Tifa thought, not for the first time. It ran away to roam, but always came loyally back to her, unwavering loyalty to owner that was so uncommon among cats.

But she knew the dangers of the mountains, and didn't want her pet torn to pieces by an errant wolf, or become a tasty appetizer for one of Nibel's dragons. She hurtled through the mountains, familiar now with every twist and turn of the trail. The mountain was another home to her now, where she could relish in her solitude, now confident of her ability to ward of f danger.

SO she couldn't believe her eyes when she ran into a small red-haired woman, barely older than she herself – wearing a suit of all things.

"What are you doing here?" the other woman asked.

"Looking for my cat," Tifa replied flatly. "Shouldn't I be asking you that instead?"

The other woman seemed surprised at the question. "I'm.. with Shinra," she replied carefully. "I'm Cissnei."

"Oh, you must be here for the reactor then," Tifa answered.

"I can't really say," Cissnei hedged.

Tifa looked skeptical. "Are you sure you even know your way around?"

Cissnei didn't. She'd made it to the reactor after her emergency landing high on the peak, inspected it and seen the dragons guarding the entrance, called in to Tseng that this was a job for SOLDIER. And now she was lost.

Out of nowhere, a medium-sized white cat tore towards Tifa, and as she reached down, it leaped into her arms. She murmured to her pet, soothing nonsense, the cat obviously pleased to have found its mistress once again.

"That cat seems to know its way around," Cissnei observed.

"It knows the mountains as well as I do myself," Tifa announced proudly. "That's how you know it's a Nibelheim cat. But, seriously, you've obviously never been here before, and we're really high up. How, exactly, were you planning to get to the bottom?"

"There's, uh, a secret ropeway for Shinra employees," Cissnei admitted. "I was planning to use that to get back down."

"Oh, I know exactly where that is!" Tifa announced brightly. So much for "secret", thought Cissnei.

She'd been prepared to defend the other woman on the journey to the ropeway, but to Cissnei's surprise, Tifa could fight. With her bare hands, no less. As she watched the young woman brutalize all sorts of creatures infecting the mountain, she wondered what Rude would think about Tifa's technique. Who had taught her way out here, anyway?

The ropeway soon came into view, and she and Tifa loaded on along with the erstwhile cat. Cissnei entered the passcode, and the cable creaked above them, long-disused mechanism slowly whirring to life.

Tifa stared out the window dreamily, admiring the scenery. The cat purred in her lap, content. "Say, Cissnei," she asked out of the blue. "Do you know people in SOLDIER?"

"Some," Cissnei demurred. "Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering… do you know someone in SOLIDER named Cloud?"

Cloud… such an unusual name… could it be a coincidence? She remembered Cloud, sure enough, but though his file indicated he was making steady progress, he definitely wasn't in SOLDIER yet.

"I don't think so," Cissnei replied. She didn't miss the disappointment in Tifa's eyes. "Who is he to you, anyway? Some one important?"

"Someone who made me a promise once," Tifa replied. But before she could explain further…

The ropeway was pulling into its terminus, and the ancient, rusted chain gave a deep groan. In an instant, Cissnei realized what was happening. "Get off!" she cried to Tifa, half-shoving her out the door, the terrified cat leaping forward out of her arms, Cissnei hustling behind her as the creaking peaked to a dull whine, she barely making it off in time to turn around and see the fibers of the cable fray and tear. In less than a minute, the cable snapped, sending the car crashing to the forest below, shockwaves reverberating through the solid rock of the mountain.

She turned to Tifa, the girl wide-eyes with fear. The cat sidled close, rubbing her legs with soft meows as if to soothe its owner. "I…" Tifa swallowed. "I thought something from Shinra would… um… hold together."

"Poor maintenance." Cissnei snorted. Probably the same reason the reactor is such a mess, she thought. "Do you mind waiting a moment? I have to call this in."

Tifa only nodded, still staring where the car had nearly taken them down with it.

Cissnei stepped aside, opening her phone and dialing. Tseng picked up on the first ring, anticipating her report. In a few words, she gave him the update. "Find someone who knows the mountain to guide us up."

"I think maybe I already have," Cissnei replied. Briskly efficient, she ended the call with a snap.

She walked back to where Tifa awaited. "Tifa, you said you know this mountain well. Would you be able to guide a group up to the reactor?"

"Of course. Easy." Tifa looked at her with shades of suspicion creasing auburn eyes. "Why?"

"Because they're getting serious," Cissnei replied, bringing need-to-know information to light. "By tomorrow, SOLDIER will be coming to Nibelheim."