Chapter 1- Social Norm

The air was thick and humid. The sky was threatening to rain with plump grey clouds blocking out the sun. Despite the high chance of rain, the town market was bustling with people buying, selling, and trading merchandise. The town was always filled with travellers but there were only about 500 permanent residents. Everyone knew everyone. The town of Nibelheim sat at the base of a mountain, set apart from the rest of the world. Most travellers came to visit the mountains and perhaps climb them. Noble families would occasionally spend a few months by the sea side to the west and would have to cross through the town to reach it.

Tifa slammed the hammer onto the hot metal, shaping it into its proper form. Her ears were used to the ringing after many years so it no longer bothered her. When she was finished, she picked up the newly crafted sword to inspect her handy would. She brought the heated metal up to eye level, making sure it was perfectly straight. The woman threw it into a bucket of water to her side to let the metal cool before she would begin to sharpen it. The garnet eyed girl discarded the hammer and straightened herself. She ran a pale, slender hand through her long dark chocolate locks. Her heart shaped face was covered with charcoal and thin layer of perspiration. The smithy was always boiling because of the forge.

Tifa Lockhart was the resident blacksmith of Nibelheim. She had taken over the business when she was 15 when her father passed away. It had been a long three years since then. She had undergone a great deal a criticism since women were meant to sew, cook, clean, get married, and produce offspring. At first men would look down upon her, but over time they were able to see how skilled she was at crafting weapons and armour.

The young woman picked up the sword from the water before taking it over to the grinding stone. She had just sat down on the stool when she heard someone call to her.

"Mommy?" A little boy in a beige tunic and shorts came up behind the woman. He had a pile of wispy dark hair around his head and dark brown eyes with flecks of crimson in them. He rubbed his face, the humidity causing him to become drowsy. "Are you making swords again?" He had a slight speech impediment.

Tifa put down the weapon and turned towards the four year old, remaining in her seat. She smoothed out her leather apron and readjusted the sleeves of her shirt, keeping them rolled up. Wearing a dress or any typical clothing that women wore around the forge was not very safe. She had tailored most of her father's old clothes to fit her wide hips, slender waist, ample bosom, and long, thin, legs.

"I am, Tius. You should go back inside; it isn't safe in here. There are lots of sharp objects." She ruffled his hair gently as she gave him a soft smile. Tifa was not the biological mother of Tius. In actuality, Tius was Tifa's younger brother. Their mother had died in child birth and then Tifa's father had died when Tius was still an infant. Struggling to hold on to the only family she had left, she raised the boy as her own and had been doing so since she was 14.

"I'm bored mommy," The little boy whined. "Can we go for a walk?"

Tifa glanced over at her unfinished weapon. She was a perfectionist through and through. Leaving a weapon in such a state was against every fibre of her being. "Alright, but afterwards I need to work really hard or else there will be no money for food. You don't want to be hungry do you?" She reached out to tickle his sides. The boy laughed and giggled. Tifa discarded her apron and left the smithy with the boy clutching her hand tightly.

The dark haired woman was very much aware of what people said about her. A young woman with no husband and a child was bad news. Her mother had been bed ridden for the majority of her pregnancy and most did not even know she was with child. When the child was born and Tifa had been the only one seen caring for it, people thought it had been hers. She was not upset by the rumours and accusations. She got what she wanted; isolation. Most only confronted her when they needed something repaired or a new sword.

Tifa and Tius walked through town, their heads held high. Just outside of town was small meadow. Tius began to skip through the meadow chasing afters grasshoppers and butterflies. Tifa smiled to herself at the sight of the small child. So carefree, without a worry in the world. Tifa longed to return to the days before she was forced to grow up. There was loud rumble of thunder above them. Tius had stopped his frolicking and came back to where the dark haired woman stood. The two began walking back to town so that they could get inside before the rain started.

They stopped in the middle of town when they noticed there was a large crowd gathering. "What's going on?" Tius whispered, squeezing her hand a little. Tifa shook her head. She bent down to let the boy climb onto her back so he could get a better view. He hooked his arms around her neck and she hooked her arms under his legs as she straightened up. The townspeople were all gathered around what looked like three heavily armoured men on horses and four large wagons each drawn by two powerful oxen with a hooded men at the reins. There was a group of less armoured men on horses surrounding the wagons.

"Townspeople of Nibelheim, I come here on behalf of his majesty, King Shinra. My name is general Sephiroth Crescent." One of the heavily armoured men spoke from his perch atop of his white stallion. He was a tall man with long silver hair and bold emerald eyes. His skin was pale and his features sharp. His voice had a commanding tone to it and his mere presence seemed to demand everyone's attention.

"He looks scary," Tius whispered nervously into Tifa's ear. She laughed lightly at his remark for it had been the same thing she was thinking.

"This is general Genesis Rhapsodas," the man named Sephiroth gestured to a slender but tall man on his left who had light aqua eyes and reddish brown hair. He looked a little more feminine than the other two, his features softer, which gave him a friendlier atmosphere. He appeared to be bored. She watched as he reached into his bag and pulled out a small book. The man began to read it quietly while the silver haired man continued to speak. "And this is general Angeal Hewley." He motioned to a man on his right who had brilliant azure eyes and dark, shoulder length hair. He had long side burns and a small tuft of hair on his chin. His shoulders were much broader which gave him the appearance of being stockier than the others. "We have been travelling all across Gaia looking for worthy young men who would give their lives to defending king and country."

"Let's go inside," Tifa said softly to the young boy. "This doesn't concern us."

"We will be here for the night; that is your time to enlist and prepare your things. You will transported to the city of Midgar and have to remain there until your services to the king have been fulfilled."

Tifa worked diligently at finishing up her daily quota. The rain had managed to hold off until evening. From what she could hear, the soldiers, recruits, and generals were in the tavern drinking to their hearts content.

"You are Master Lockhart, the Blacksmith?" A deep voice sounded from behind her. Tifa straightened and turned around slowly, fire bellows in hand.

"I am," she said firmly, eyeing up the man before. He had been one of the generals from earlier that day, Angeal. He was no longer wearing his heavy armour but rather dressed in a fancy noblemen tunic and trousers.

"A woman?" He more shouted than asked.

"Is there something you needed?" Tifa rolled her eyes as she placed down the bellows.

"Right, yes," The man lifted his arm to his shoulder where he unattached a massive sword that was strapped to his back. "My weapon received a few nicks and dents in it during my last battle. Normally I prefer not to use such a fine piece of weaponry but my other sword broke and I had no choice. Could you get rid of the scratches, give it a bit of a polish and a sharpen? I will pay you 500 gil if the job is done to my standards. 1000 gil if you can do it in within the next hour."

Tifa weighed her options. She didn't like to rush her work, it only made things sloppy and unprofessional. But, 1000 gil would be just what she needed to leave town to buy new material for higher class weapons. Not to mention, it would leave quite a bit left over for food and clothing. Tius had been growing a lot lately. She flicked her braid over her shoulder so it would be out of the way of her work. Tifa cautiously stepped towards the man and took the weapon. It was much heavier than she expected. As soon as he let go, she dropped it on the ground.

The man laughed at her. Tifa scowled. She was by no means a weak woman, but the sheer weight of the sword had caught her off guard. She had never worked with something so heavy before. Mustering up all of her strength, she picked the weapon up and dragged it towards the fire. She stuck it into the coals to heat it up before she brought it back towards an anvil, beginning to grow accustomed to the weight. Hammer in hand; she pounded out the dents in the weapon.

Angeal took a seat on a nearby pile of wood, watching her every movement. He noted the look a determination on her face. Her lips were pursed into a thin line. "Do you run this place all on your own?" He asked, raising his voice so it could be heard above the clashing of metal on metal.

"Yes," She grunted. Tifa had to put the sword back in the fire to heat it up once more since it had grown cold. "Are you planning on watching me the entire time?"

"I do not let my sword out of my sight." He stated calmly. "For 1000 gil I'm sure you won't complain." Tifa yanked the massive piece of metal out of the fire and continued hammering it. "What are you planning on doing with the money?" He asked after a long moment of silence.

"New materials. There's a man who sells a light weight steel on the other side of the mountains." Though she would never admit it, she rather enjoyed the company of others. It wasn't often that she found people knowledgeable about weapons and armour. Tius wasn't old enough to be introduced to the world of blacksmithing. When he was a bit older she would make him help out with small tasks like getting wood for the fire and fresh water. She flipped the weapon over and began working on the other side.

"I see. Do you get a lot of customers?" He stood up and walked around the shop, looking at all the weapons and armour on the walls. His fingers ran across a piece of chainmail.

"No, the monsters stopped bothering us when the fence was put up around the town so people haven't had the need purchase my products that often."

"How do you make any money?" His hand touched a silver dagger on the wall.

"Adventurers come looking for protection and they buy the more expensive things. Once a month a man comes and buys the majority of my inventory and sells it across Gaia." She inspected her handy work. Tifa took the sword over to the grinding stone. The stone began to turn as she pumped her foot on the pedal. Sparks began to fly when the metal hit the stone.

It took a little while but she managed to restore the sword to its former glory. When it was sharp enough and devoid of any nicks or dents, she gave it a good polish with a rag covered in something she had in a jar.

"What did you use for polish?" Angeal asked, taking the sword from her hand. He was able to see his reflection within the metal.

"It's best you didn't ask." She said, beginning to clean the smithy so she could retire for the evening. She hung her leather apron up on the wall.

"Right," He nodded and tossed her a sack of coins. She looked in it and saw that there was roughly 1000 gil.

The door from the smithy to the house creaked open. Little Tius padded out. "Mommy, I had a nightmare."

Tifa crouched down so she was eye level with the small child. "Go back inside; I'm just finishing up here. I will be right there." The boy's large eyes drifted towards the man standing in the centre of the shop.

"Who's he? Is that daddy?" The boy held onto Tifa's arm.

She laughed lightly. "No, he's a customer. Go back inside, sweetie."

"Good night, Master Lockhart," With that Angeal left the two of them.

"Ah man, the general beat us here." A young male voice sounded from where Angeal had been standing. Three young soldiers had wandered over from the tavern. Their speech was slurred and they swayed when they walked. Tifa could smell the alcohol from where she stood. Her back straightened as she rose to her feet, stepping in front of the boy.

"Heard the village whore lived here," One of them said, coming a little closer. The hairs on the back of Tifa's neck stood on end.

"She doesn't look much like one," a second man said.

"Look, she's got a kid but ain't got no man," The third one said.

"How much for an evening?" The first one spoke again coming even closer.

"I run a respectable business here. I am a blacksmith, not a prostitute, so unless you have armour that needs repair or a sword that needs to be sharpened, I suggest you leave." She said firmly, her eyes narrowing.

"I got a sword for you to sharpen," With that, the first man lunged at Tifa, slamming her into a wooden work bench. She dropped the sack of gold on the floor, the coins scattered across the smithy. Tifa gasped in surprise, Tius shrieked and began crying. Tifa began pushing the man away but he grabbed a knife off the wall and held it tightly to her throat. "It will only hurt you if you resist. Just lie down and take it like the good little whore you are."

Tifa punched him roughly in the nose, causing him to drop the knife. The two other men grabbed her by her arms. The first man wiped the blood from his face with his sleeve. He slapped her across the face. She closed her eyes firmly from the pain.

"Don't hurt my mommy!" Tius ran up to the man with the bloody nose and began hitting his tiny fists against the man's leg.

"Scram kid!" The man kicked the boy away. Tius gasped for air as he huddled over. Upon seeing the boy hurt, Tifa began to flail in her captors' grip. She grunted and squirmed until she was free. She kneed one of them in the groin who proceeded to huddle over in pain and she punched the other in the stomach who gasped for air.

"Bitch!" The first man decked her in the jaw. She gave him a kick to the shin before she ducked around him and went to Tius' side. She had almost reached him when she was hauled back by a violent tug on her hair. She yelped in pain. The man she had kicked in the stomach had recovered and grabbed the small child by his collar. The boy spat in his face. The man reached down to his waist and plucked the sword from his belt.

"Fucking brat!" With a swift jab, he stabbed the boy through his small chest. The boys screaming stopped.

Tifa's screaming however, had just begun. Time seemed to slow down for her. Every second felt drawn out and painful. Her heart pounded in her chest and her pulse rang in her ears. She moved in a frenzy of kicks, punches and bites. She clawed and scratched each man. Hot tears burned and stained her face but she paid no mind to the pain. The men continued to fight her. Working around the forge most of her life had given her the strength she needed to thwart them. The assault on the little boy had filled her entire body with adrenaline, rage, and despair. She picked up her hammer, slammed it against the nearest man, and shattered his forearm with it. That had caused him to retaliate and uppercut her in the stomach. She coughed up a bit of clear liquid.

It wasn't long before the commotion had brought the majority of the town out. A crowd had begun to gather around the smithy. Tifa paid no attention to them, completely intent on avenging the boy's death. Tifa brought the hammer crashing down on one of the men's shoulder blades, hearing a resounding crack.

"What the hell is going on here?" The silver haired general stepped forward, grabbing Tifa by the shoulder. The dark haired girl turned around and punched him in the chest. When he didn't react she quickly clawed at his head, leaving four deep gauges down his neck. The three younger soldiers had stopped moving. Silence filled the air. Tifa pushed off the man's chest and ran over to the boy.

She picked the boy up and cradled his lifeless form in her arms. She made a loud noise that sounded like a cross between howling and crying. She rocked back and forth with him in her arms. "Someone get the doctor!" She cried out. No one moved to help her; the townsfolk began to whisper their gossip. "Please!" She begged. No one responded. In the heat of the moment, Tifa stood up and bolted out into the rain with the boy in her arms. She ran and ran until she found his favourite place to play; the meadow. She dropped to her knees once again.

She cried for hours in the rain. Tius' blood staining her white shirt. Tifa fell asleep in that position and wasn't woken until morning when his body evaporated into tiny strands of green and blue light and floated towards the sky to join the Lifestream. She looked up towards the still overcast sky. Her throat hurt from screaming, her body from fighting and sleeping in an awkward position, and her heart from the loss of a loved one. She shivered violently, her clothing still wet from the rain.

She rose to her feet. Tifa turned away from the meadow and wandered back in the direction of town. She walked with a limp, an injury she had sustained from the tussle. Her arms were folded tightly across her torso. Her eyes were sore and blood shot. When she made it back to town, a crowd was gathered in the middle of the market again. The wagons seemed to be packed and the men were on their horses, no doubt ready to leave.

"Tifa Lockhart," a loud voice called her attention. She looked up. It was the silver haired general. He held an unreadable emotion in his eyes but otherwise his face remained passive. She shook her head and walked to the smithy. She frowned as her face contorted in confusion when she saw that all of her merchandise was missing. She heard light trotting as two horses came up to stand behind her. "You are being charged with assault on a general and assault on Shinra soldiers. You will be taken to Midgar and will be made to stand before the king who will judge you for your actions. Your goods have all been confiscated in the name of King Shinra."

Tifa was beginning to feel sick. Her head hurt and she felt dizzy. She placed a palm on her head, her skin was on fire. It wasn't long before she lost consciousness.

Her eyes fluttered open. She found herself in the back of a wagon. She sat up slowly to look around. The wagon appeared to be filled with crates and barrels of food and drink. Her wrists and ankles had been bound together, her hair was dishevelled and no longer in a braid, her clothing reeking of blood. She still felt weary, but she didn't feel like she had a fever anymore. A blanket had been placed over her sometime while she slept.

"Oh good, you're awake," Her eyes shot towards Angeal who had been riding by the wagon. "Was beginning to think you'd never recover." He smirked a little, trying to lighten the mood. "You've been out for two days."

Tifa frowned when she looked around at the landscape from the back of the wagon. There were no land features she recognized. She laid back down and rolled over so her back was facing him. She curled up into the fetal position and closed her eyes even though she was wide awake. Angeal watched her.

"It will be a few more days before we reach the boat that will take us back to Midgar. Then you will be put on trial, but if you explain what happened, I'm sure they'll let you off easy," He said.

Tifa ignored him, just listening to the sound of the wagons and horses. When dusk came and the men had stopped, she sat up again and moved out of the way so they could grab some crates and barrels out of the wagon. She felt nervous with the soldiers watching her as they continued their work.

"Hey, why don't you come out of the wagon for a bit and have something to eat by the fire." Angeal stood just outside the wagon. He had his hand held out towards her. Tifa shifted her gaze between him and his hand. She shook her head after a moment. He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "It's safer with me. If you stay here, you might be bothered by some of the younger soldiers."

"Why do you care?" Tifa scowled at him.

"I understand that it wasn't your fault," He said without any hesitation. Tifa sighed. She still didn't trust him, but she hadn't eaten in two days. She wasn't hungry but she knew her body would shut down if she did not get something soon. The young woman scooted towards where the man was. She held her feet out for him to undue her bindings. He removed the rope from around her ankles and wrists. Tifa mumbled a thank you as she let him lead her to where he had set up camp with the other generals. They had their own separate fire away from the other troops.

She stood for a moment awkwardly as Angeal fished around in a crate in order to produce a few pieces of fruit. He tossed her an apple before he took a seat next to Genesis. Tifa sat down by the fire with the apple. She diverted all her attention to the golden piece of fruit. Cautiously, she took a small bit of it. She chewed it thoughtfully, savouring the sweet taste of the fruit. She was aware that they were watching her, but she didn't care.

"In all my years, I have never seen a woman as fierce as you," Genesis spoke softly. She glanced up at him briefly before returning her focus to the apple. There was no way he was over 30. "You were able to fend off three soldiers. That is a very impressive feat."

When she had finished the apple, she placed the core gently on the ground. She looked around in each direction. They were surrounded by prairies on each side. If she were to make an escape it would have to be when everyone was sleeping.

"How old are you Lockhart?" Sephiroth narrowed his eyes at her, taking in all her features.

"18," She said quietly.

"18?" Angeal spoke up. "But your son looked like he was five."

Tifa felt a sharp pain in her heart as she remembered her beloved Tius. Her eyes began to grow glossy. "He was four."

"Where was his father?" Genesis' eyes seemed to be filled with curiosity. She frowned at their lack of sensitivity.

She clutched her arms tightly as her mind began to bring unpleasant memories to the foreground. "I don't know but he deserves to rot." When she didn't say anything more, the generals began to discuss battle plans. As the night surrounded them, the soldiers began to unroll their sleeping bags and some crawled into tents. A few remained awake so that they could go on patrol. Tifa was growing tired herself. Genesis and Sephiroth had both retired to their tents. Angeal had stayed awake to poke at the dying fire.

"My tent has room for two. You should probably get some rest." He motioned to the tent directly behind him. Tifa frowned at him as she shook her head. The young woman lay down in the dirt. She rolled onto her side, her back facing the fire. Angeal shrugged as he continued to stir the coals of the fire. He could just barely make out her side rising and falling with each breath she took. Soon her breathing slowed down completely and she was fast asleep. He grudgingly left the fire side and entered his tent but not before he tied the end of some rope around her ankle and the other end around one of the poles of his tent.

A couple of hours went by and Tifa woke up. The moon could no longer be seen which told her that it was well into the night. She rose and stretched her muscles until she heard the pop of air leaving her joints. She took her time stretching her long legs so she wouldn't pull a muscle. Tifa narrowed her eyes as she looked in every direction. The light of the dying campfire coals showed her the outline of the general's tents.

Tifa bolted towards the open prairies, running as fast as her legs could carry her. She didn't get very before she felt flat on her face, her rope shackle tripping her. She heard some groaning behind her. The dark haired girl bent down quickly to try to undo the knot at her ankle. She fiddled with it in the dark with no avail. Tifa stood up and began running again, feeling like she was dragging something heavy on the other end of the rope. She tipped again, her face hitting the soft, cool grass. She grunted before attempting to get back up. The woman pushed up on her arms but felt on her front once again when someone began pulling the rope back to camp.

Her hands shot out and tried to grab onto the grass and dirt to keep her still. She began to hear cussing and shouting that grew louder the more she was dragged. She flipped on to her back, to see whomever it was holding the rope. She could just barely make out the form of Angeal standing above her. The garnet eyed girl looked over to their tents to see that all three of them had been knocked over. She couldn`t clearly see the generals' faces but she guessed that they were fuming.

Sephiroth strode over to her. He bent down and grabbed a fist full of her hair, yanking her head back. She grimaced. "Don't you ever try a stunt like that again." He hit her on the head, hard, knocking the girl unconscious.

A/n: Alright, chapter 1. Poor Tifa, nothing seems to go her me know what you guys think. I appreciate constructive criticism. Oh and stayed tuned for the Prequel to Unholy Encounters... I need to think of a name for it. I hope I'm gaining some popularity for this pairing. I like alternate universe stories. I've had this one on my computer for over a month and decided I should stop being so self-conscious and actually publish something. It gets better, or worse, depending on your standing on angsty stories. I don't think I wrote anyone out of character... let me know if I did, I try not to but sometimes it happens by accident. Review Please, if you hated it or enjoyed it. I wish to get better. I have a strong hate for OC'S but it was either Tius or Denzil and I didn't want to use Denzil for this part because he will appear later.