Chapter 1: Late Night Brawls

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot (as far as I know).

This is my first time and it took every bit of courage I had to finally put this story on here. It's almost finished right now, but I figure I better post the first chapter and see if people actually like it. No flames please (constructive criticism is ok though)! This is told from Tifa's point of view. Here goes! Enjoy!

Five years had passed since meteor and Sephiroth. We, the members of Avalanche, split up and went our seperate ways while still keeping in touch over the holidays and such. The world had settled down and all was peaceful. Not to mention boring.

I frowned at the beer glass in my hand and scrubbed it harder. What was I doing here serving drinks at a bar? I help save the world and this is what I end up doing afterwards? With a sigh I placed it on the shelf and reached for another, brushing aside a pesky lock of brown hair.

This was my bar in Nibelheim which had been built courtesy of the left over funds from my days in Avalanche. Although this town held painful memories, it was a link to the past that I wasn't ready to leave behind. This was my home. The ground was the same ground that I'd been raised on all those years ago. I had to face the memories sooner or later and I just assumed it be sooner.

The last beer glass glistened in my hand and I set it neatly on the shelf with the rest. I looked up at the clock. It was almost 8. Anna would be here very soon to help me, but for now I would be holding down the fort.

I stepped out from behind the counter, grabbing a rag on my way and started scrubbing tables. They weren't really dirty, but there was nothing else to do. "Baby you're all that I want when you're lying here in my arms. I'm finding it hard to believe, we're in heaven." I sang and danced around with a silly grin on my face, not completely sure where the tune came from and certainly not carig. "And love is all I need, and I found it there in your heart. It isn't too hard to see...we're in heaven."

A gentle whine met my ears and I abruptly lifted my gaze to the door as it swung open on creaky hinges. I remained still, watching. Relief washed over me when a lone cloaked figure stepped inside. Not thieves, good. They had a habit of coming around and starting fights, and it seemed to be occurring more frequently as of late. I was always on edge at night, especially when I was alone.

The man didn't appear to be anyone I knew, though it could have been Cid undearth and I wouldn't have recognized him. The black cloak he wore concealed most of his features. He was fairly tall, his postre impeccably straight, and he had a smooth, agile stride that spoke of some variant of combat training.

"Hello." I offered the stranger a smile, despite the question lingering in the back of my mind.

He simply nodded and sat down in a shady corner of the large room.

"Can I get you anything?" I asked and made a subtle pass at peeking under his hood, to no avail. It wasn't every day that I had a hooded stranger enter my bar. Years of experience had ingrained in me an innate suspicion of those disguising themselve in black cloaks.

"No." He answered quietly and tilted his head downwards so that it was impossible for me to see his face. His voice was vaguely recognizable and seemed to strike a chord that sent a shiver up my spine.

"Well, give me a yell if you change your mind. Iv'e got nothing else to do right now." I told him with a bored sigh and returned to the bar, dumping the rag in the sink. He doesn't seem particularly dangerous,and that in itself was reason to be wary.

Again I heard the door open and I jerked around, perhaps a little too quickly. I reached out to grab the bartop and steady myself. The cloaked figure's head had turned at my violent reactio and I felt a warm blush in my face. My hand gripped the counter tightly. A slender young woman with blonde hair and brown eyes slipped inside. She wore an oversized raincoat, which left a trail of water in her wake as she crossed the room.

My shoulders relaxed reflexively, "Hello Anna. How is your evening?"

"Fine," She replied distractedly, her expression worried. "Is everything alright?" She asked and hastened to my side, hanging her coat up behind the bar. "Are you worried about them coming back?"

"Oh, just a little." I answered through a strained smile. "We should have hired a bouncer." I muttered pensively and sighed without meetig her gaze. "One of these days they aren't going to just leave."

Anna's eyes glazed over grimly. "I know."

"Sometimes I really hate running bars." I confessed and scowled at my finger nails, idly noting that they were due for a trim.

"Is there anything I can do?" The girl asked hopefully.

For a moment I didn't even realize she had spoken. I was too preoccupied with my thoughts. My hands had absentmindedly slipped into the pocket of my leather shorts and pulled out Premium Heart. Just incase.

"Tifa?" Her gaze made an apprehensive pass over my fighting gloves. She was not especially fond of violence and the sight of them made her nervous.

"Sorry." I blinked and shook myself back to reality, flashing a reassuring grin for her benefit. "There isn't much to be done right now. I've cleaned all the glasses and the tables that didn't need to be cleaned. Unless you'd like to wash them over again?"

She laughed. "I'll pass. Didn't we get another brew in yesterday?"

"Oh, that's right! I completely forgot." I exclaimed, snapping my fingers. "It's in the box in the center of the storage room, can you get it?"

"Sure." She replied and disappeared down the hall.

My eyes returned to the bar entrance as I pulled on my gloves and flexed my fingers. I despise theives, especially when I couldn't prove that they were what they were. They came here to stir up trouble and coax ladies into their circle. Their hands were always drifting to places they should't be, and they would ignore her verbal warnings.

A labored gasp sounded out from behind me, jolting me out of my thoughts again. I turned around int time to catch Anna struggling hopelessly with the box as it began to slip from her grasp. In two swift bounds I had the box securely in my hands.

"Whew!" She gasped, her arms falling lax at her sides in exhaustion. "That was heavy." She laughed nervously.

I smiled. "I've got it." I said and carried it the rest of the way. Poor Anna was a frail thing. I'd have to protect her from anyone trying to take advantage, which only added to the stress of my job.

I walked through another door and into our freezer room where I set the box down. "Let's put them in this one." I nodded to one of the fridges and proceeded loading it with the contents of the box.

"Ok." Anna agreed and was soon at my side, helping.

Anna was oddly quiet as we stacked the bottles inside. So quiet it was making me uneasy. "Anna, what is it?" I asked, watching her from the corners of my eyes.

She stopped, wringing her hands nervously. "Well…t-there were some guys hanging around outside town when I came in here. They watched me as I entered the bar. I could see four, but there might've been more... It looked like they were up to something." She trailed off. "But I'm sure it's nothing."

"Why didn't you tell me before?" I asked, straightening slowly.

"I-I didn't want to worry you, that's all." Anna replied. "Should-"

Anna was cut short by the violent crack of the door being thrown up to slam against the wall. The building gave shudder and my eyes hardened gravely. "Let's go." I said quietly, not even looking in her direction as I began the march into the fiasco that awaited me.

My assistant trembled behind me as we walked back into the bar. She huddled just off my right, daring only to glance around my shoulder and nothing more. Her fingers gradually reached out to gripped my arm tightly as the newest arrivals came into view.

Six men had sat down at two of the nearby tables. They watched us with beedy eyes that hid nothing of their obvious interest and I had a sudden undeniable urge to punch someone. The leader wasn't a large man, but he was fit, his gaze sharp. His eyes were dark, his skin golden brown, and his brown hair was tied up in a green bandana. A golden earring pierced his right ear and a saber hung loosely at his hip.

I had no urge to greet them. In fact, I wanted to toss them out right here and now, but I couldn't simply do that without reason. There was no doubting what they were; they bore the similar markings and colors of their respective guild, but that wasn't enough.

One man signaled for the waitress and Anna slid bravely out from behind me. I was a bit shocked as she approached them, her hands shaking uncontrolably. I know how much she hated this. Every time she was out there working they found some way to touch her or make a snide remark, but she always took it.

I watched them. The leader caught my eye abruptly, giving me a start. Anna was right, this was no simple stop at the bar for a few drinks and possibly a young willing girl. There was something in the leader's eyes that told me otherwise. Or my mind could possibly be fabricating the worst case scenario from the feeling of intense fear now gnawing at the pit of my stomach.

This was going to be one hell of a night, I thought and turned away, gathering myself. I made a fist with my hand, admiring the gloves I so rarely used now. I'd no doubt they would see battle tonight, but would it be enough? I'd taken on 6 men before, but they had been imbeciles when it came to fighting. It was better to have a reliable companion, which at the moment I was all out of. No offense to poor Anna, but she was not made for fighting.

As Anna turned to leave a hand snaked out to grab her from behind. She jumped a foot in the air and nearly tripped as she stumbled out of his grasp and back to the bar. The men chuckled amongst themselves with amusement as they watched her.

That is not acceptable, my teeth grated. "If you wish to stay here you will abide by my rules." I snapped. "That includes keeping your hands off the waitress and shutting your mouth if you have nothing important to say."

The leader leaned back lazily in his chair, his face a smooth mask of indifference. "Those are mighty boastful words coming from 1 against 6."

"I've overcome much worse." I retorted. "The slums of Midgar contained the slimiest vermin alive and I'm still here."

He squinted at me then, the wheels spinning in his head. "It is you!" He laughed and slapped the table. "You're the one who owned the bar in 7th heaven." His smile turned venemous. "Pity a plate got dropped on it, eh?"

My hands clenched into fists furiously. "Yes." I returned coolly. "It's a pity you weren't under it too."

He shrugged. "Maybe so, but no matter now. Would've been a shame for a woman like you to be buried."

My lips parted in an inarticulate sound of disgust.. The last thing I wanted was to be admired by him. That would get me into no end of trouble. Ha, who was I kidding? I was already in all kinds of trouble, not the least of which being my lonesome against six of them.

The door slammed open again. I literally levitated off the ground this time. My eyes widened incredulously. Six more men sauntered inside, only to pull up short abruptly as they met the hostile glares of those already seated.

Two obviously opposing thieve guilds had managed to bring their confrontation on my doorstep.

I let my head fall limply onto the table, making a loud thud. Why me? Suddenly my bar was the center of attention for every criminal in a 2000 mile radius. I really should have hired bouncers.

One man stepped forth, thick and brood shouldered, and probably stupid too. His eyes didn't reflect of someon particularly bright. "Diego!" He barked and a vein throbbed along his forehead. "This is our territory!"

Diego, the leader of the first group, slowly stood up from his chair, one hand finger the hilt of his saber. "Jacob, what an unpleasant surprise. But I'm afraid you are mistaken. This is our territory and we plan to keep it."

Anna inhaled sharply from behind me and I felt hands clamp around my wrist. My circulation was slowly being cut off, in fact. "T-T-Tifa!" She stammered. "What should we do?"

I snorted. "Sit back and hope they kill each other."

She gasped behind me. "That's horrible!" She exclaimed.

Her high-pitched voice carried rather loudly across the room and all attention had suddenly shifted back to me.

"Anna, you're drawing attention." I murmured quietly through clenched teeth. I cleared my throat, the pressure of a dozen pairs of expectant eyes bearing down on me all the while. "This bar is mine, so take your quarrels elsewhere or I'll personally evict all of you." Now watch the entire room break into hilarious laughter.

Diego smirked dryly. "You still don't get it, do you? It's you we're here for, nothig else. This business here is very important to us. Not to mention that ass of yours is fine, and such a fiery personality to go with it too, but I digress." His eyes sparkled. "Every king needs a queen, love. How else would we keep our numbers thriving?"

There was a collective snigger from Diego's table that made my blood run cold.

Nice ass, huh? "You and yours can rot in hell for all I care." I said calmly. "Now get out, before I throw you out."

Diego frowned. "That's a shame." He spoke with mock regret, shaking his head. "Such a waste of woman."

The smooth surface of a beer bottle slipped beneath my hands from under the counter. My fingers wrapped around it tightly. This was going too far I decided. The bottle was abruptly hurdling towards the unsuspecting party where it shattered against his face, the glass cutting his skin as the contents streamed down the front of his chest.

He let out an unmanly shriekd, one hand reaching towards his mangled face as he spun furiously at his men. "Idiots! Grab her!'

Jacob and his men stepped in the way. "She's coming with us."

I leaned over to whisper in Anna's ear, keeping an eye on the proceedings. "Go on, get out of here."

"But-" She began to protest.

"Go! Get help if you can." I said sternly and gave her a push towards the back door. The battle had already begun, judging by the amount of shouting and groaning I could hear from behind us.

"Ok." She relented quietly and made a run for it. Unfortunately Diego saw her, and despite the injuries he'd sustained, he caught her. His fist connected solidly with her face and she crumpled to the floor.

"Anna!" My heart skipped a beat, but there was no time as Diego was now sizing me up. I cracked my knuckles, my jaw tightening as I faced him. "You said you wanted me...well come and get me then."

He grinned wolfishly. Blood trickled down his face from the deep gashes along his cheeks. "Oh I shall." His hand reached for the saber at his side and slid the weapon out of its scabbard with ease.

Don't panic just yet. It isn't like you haven't fought someone with a sword before, Tifa. It'd been a long time since I'd fought anyone and longer still since that someone had a sword. If he was skilled, he would be trouble.

He was fast. I found that out very soon as he lunged at me, barely missing with the tight sweep of his blade. Each attack he made was swift and controlled, and I was juts barely able to evade him. He kept me at a distance so as not to afford me a chance to retaliate.

The man knew what he was about clearly. I waited patiently though. Eventually he would make a mistake and I would be ready.

He took another swipe and I caught him by the wrist without a conscious thought. I spun into him, driving my elbow into his nose and his head reeled back with a sickening crunch. A roundhouse kick knocked him back against the wall, dislodging his sword in the process, which now lay on the ground several feet away.

I jumped to action immediately, grabbing it in my own hands, and threw it well beyond his reach behind me. Sure, it was a sword, but I hadn't the faintest clue how to use it. I just didn't want him to have it.

He wiped the blood from his mouth as he got to his feet. "Well, I'm impressed." He admitted, grudgingly so, and next thing I knew he was on the attack again. A hail of punches came my way with just barely enough time for me to block them. He went for a low kick and I jumped, stricking back with a counter attack. He hit the ground with another resonating thud.

I never heard or saw him, only felt the sudden pain in the back of my head as I was hit. The blow knocked me to my knees and I wavered dizzily, the ache filling my brain and clogging my senss. Whoever my assailant was didn't finish the job though, and I was able to recover. When I turned, I locked gazes with Jacob, theother guild leader.

This man was a sloth and a soon to be victim of my speed. A sluggish punch went past my head and I countered with a jab to his nose, followed by another series of puches. He blocked most of them, but I was driving him back, leaving him no opportunity to sneak in a blow. My defense was too strong and his too slow. I landed a low kick behind his knees and he buckled, hitting the floor with a groan.

I whirled around just in time to duck another fist. The miss put my attacker off balance and slipped in with a strike to his stomach. The man doubled over, gaspig for breath. I kicked up under his chin, caught his esophagus and heard a crunch. He fell to the ground strangling, his hands clawing at the air as he died.

When I turned to face my next foe, I caught a fist in the stomach and I crumpled to the floor. The pain paralyzed me as I lay there, unable to think or move. My arm was gripped tightly and wrenched behind me before I was yanked to my feet. I cried out and struck out wildly with everything I had. My elbow burried into his ribs hard and he let go with a painful expulsion of air.

This time I turned and kicked him in the face, clipping his jaw. His head jerked back, but he recovered quickly and caught my ankle in the midst of a follow up attack. I felt myself twisting in the air and landing hard on the ground. The air was knocked out of me from the landing and I gazed dazedly at the floor beneath me.

Two pairs of arms lifted me off of the ground. At first I hung limply, but as soon as I felt their hold slacken I moved. My captors were soon lying groaning on the floor, their hands rubbing tenderly at their heads. Unfortunately, I was still surrounded.

Several bodies were sprawled across the ground, most of them Jacob's men. Those who remained of his group had mysteriously gone to Diego's side now that Jacob appeared to be dead. He lay on the ground bleeding from a knife in the chest.

"What are you waiting for?" Diego shouted. "Get after her!"

They came at me all at once, a giant unorganizd mob that got in its own way. I fended them off for quite some time, sending a few men flying out of the pile, but I was tired and there were too many.I began to notice blood, not theirs, but mine, seeping from wounds I hadn't realized were there until know. There was a cut above my left eye from a dagger, someone punched me in the side and I fell.

Diego spat to the side. "You're a big pain in the ass you know." He said. "Nice show though."

"Release her." A voice interrupted from suddenly not so far away. The cloaked figure from earlier stood but a few feet away, waiting. For a moment, I thought I must be hallucinating. I'd completely forgot he was even here. He sure took his sweet time, came to mind.

Diego's eyes narrowed on the cloaked figure. "Who the fuck are you?" He snarled with a tiny waver.

"Do not make me repeat myself." The man spoke with a quiet ferocity that was tangible to the skin.

That voice was so familiar and yet...not.

One of Diego's men tossed him a knife and he curled his lip. "Alright ya fucking hero, you want me to release her?" He began to approach the cloaked figure, twirling the dagger about dangerously in his hand. "Then take her from me."

In the blink of an eye the cloaked figure had produced an enormously long sword, knocking the knife out of the man's hand, and poising the tip of the blade at his throat. The mystery man's cloak lay on the ground by his feet, long silver hair falling about his shoulders and brilliant mako green eyes gazing pointedly at his opponent. "You were saying?" He prompted.

The entire room seemed to freeze in place. My lips parted in disbelief, horror, and confusion as I stared at a man who was supposed to have been dead for five years. The man who was currently saving my life… What-the-hell. It was so bizarre I could barely fathom it, the way he stood there, familiar, but alien. There was no mistaking who he was.

It's not possible. But no matter how many times I blinked, the scenery didn't change and the man in front of me didn't mysteriously disappear. He was flesh and blood,and he was here now for reasons that couldn't be explained.

The men holding me let go unexpectedly and I abruptly crashed to the ground. I heard the slamming of the door as they all fled, and then the whistle of a sword followed by the dull thud of something solid hitting the floor. I lay still, tired and bruised, and afraid. Maybe if I refuse to acknolwege his existence, he simply won't be there?

My body ached and my head was throbbing. Something didn't feel right. Maybe I was hallucinating?

A gloved hand appeared before me. I eyed it with intense displeasure and defiantly pushed myself to my feet without it. Ah, why not? Let's throw all caution to the wind. It's not like I have a chance of coming out of this alive anyway. Might as well die on my feet.

Sephiroth let his hand fall back at his side unperturbed. "Are you alright?" He asked.

It was the oddest thing to hear coming from his lips. "I'm alive." I answered warily and kept a good distance between us, watching him.

"You took a lot of damage." He commented with a shrug.

"You could've stepped in any time." I pointed out acerbically.

His eyes sparkled with faint amusment. "I couldn't help but enjoy the display." He explained. "You held yourself well. Quite well indeed."

"Quite well?" I laughed dryly and crossed my arms. "I feel like I've been hit by a truck." I muttered.

"You were severely outnumbered. What do you expect?" He scoffed as something drew his attention. "You might want to tend to your friend."

I swore, having forgotten the Anna had taken a serious hit early in the fight, and bounded over the bodies as I approached her still form. "Bastards." I grumbled and 'accidentally' kicked a dead man in the face. I knelt down beside Anna's limp body and checked her for a pulse, just to make sure. It was strong, to my relief and I sat back.

Her eyelids twitched and a soft moan escaped her lips.

"Anna?" I encouraged.

She opened her eyes and looked around, appearing slightly dazed. "Where am I?" She asked and looked at me. "Tifa! You're ok!"

"Yes, I'm fine. What about you?" I asked, pulling her to a sitting position.

"My head hurts." She answered oddly. Her eyes widened and she gave a little shriek. "Oh my god!"

I twisted around, expecting to see Sephiroth standing there, but he was gone. Where did he go and so quietly? I frowned darkly. I was not finished with him yet.

"Tifa, oh my! This is...it's ghastly!" She gasped and scrambled to her feet. "T-there are bodies everywhere!" She shuddered at the blood that glistened on the floor, shrinking back in horror.

"I know. Go alert the rest of the village. We're going to need help cleaning up the mess." I said tiredly and got to my feet.

"Ok." She replied andleft in haste.

My eyes closed and I stood there motionless for quite some time. The battle had almost been invigorating, up until the point where I was losing it. It reminded me of the old days when I had purpose in my life. Why hadn't I gone out into the world and traveled? There were plenty of adventures to be had, and yet, I was here...wasting away.

The scent of blood hung thick in the air and dragged me back to the present. I laced my fingers through my hair with agitation. Seven bodies lay on the ground. Four belonged to Jacob's men as far as I could see, two were Diego's men and the last was Deigo's body. His head lay on the ground not far away.

My stomach gave an uncomfortable twist and I looked away from the grotesque sight.

I chewed my lip absentmindedly and stooped down to grab Diego's body. As I dragged it across the floor and put it to the side I noticed a tattoo of a snake on his bloodied arm. So that's where they'd come from, the Diamond Back gang from Midgar. Small world.

Minutes passed and most of the bodies were in a pile, and still Sephiroth did not come. I was hoping he might drop by and explain what was going on, or maybe make himself useful. He probably didn't trust me, or maybe he was off devising some devious plan for world domination again. Not that stepping in to rescue me made sense. Really, he had dropped in to say hello in probably the nicest way that was possible.

I kicked a chair angrily. I had really wanted to hit him. He wasn't supposed to be here, and I certainly wasn't supposed to go about like it was normal for him to show up out of the blue and save my hide. Where was the animosity? The hatred? It wouldn't have been a successful attack grant it, but at least I would have felt better knowing I tried to avenge...well, avenge what had already been avenged.

Something was missing though...the satisfaction perhaps. The insanity wasn't there, the thirst for power...the arrogance. I paused at the last bit to reconsider. Oh the arrogance was still there, I mused dryly - he was Sephiroth after all.

No matter how much my memories played at my mind I had to grudgigly admit that he probably wasn't on a murdering rampage of death and destruction, judging by very recent events. I wasn't happy about it, but something was clearly different. He may not be the world's kindest and loving person, but he wasn't a psychopathic bastard bent on human genocide...he was just a bastard.

The door creaked open and I looked up slowly. In came Anna, followed by every person in the village, minus the children of course. There were several gasps and moans, and one woman fainted. I lifted one scrutinizing brow and tried not to appear too irritated.

We spent the rest of the night hauling the bodies out of town under the pouring rain. All I wore was a white top, leather vest, and shorts that came down just above my knees. The rain outside was cold against my skin and a sharp breeze chilled to the bone.

I was relieved to escape back into the bar where the fire still burned. There was more work to do here, but at least it was warm. Blood covered the floor, most of it from Sephiroth's decapitation of Diego. What a mess it left. Not to mention it was 11 at night and getting later.

Everyone had gone home as per my insistence. This was my establishment after all, it was my responsibility to clean, not theirs. I walked sluggishly over to the counter to fill a bucket with water and soap, and gave the floor a hopeless look.

...this is the night that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friends...Gods above, I thought, I've lost my mind.

With shoulders slumping and a sigh on my lips, I got down on my knees and started to scrub the floor. It was covered in waterproof finish at least, but it was still toilsome washing off the blood. Some of it had already begun to dry and took twice the effort to clean. My arms were aching so badly that they could barely move.

Halfway done, I staggered to my feet and went to dump the bucket. The reddened water sloshed into the sink, spattering the surounding area including myself. I washed out the rag, filled up the bucket with clean water and headed back to the floor.

Tired, tired, tired...

There was a knock on the door and I slumped to a halt. "Who is it?" I drawled impatiently. Unless you're hear to help, please go away...

The door creaked open and silver strands of hair fluttered inside as Sephiroth stepped into the light, closing the door behind him. "Why are you still here?" It was not so much a question as it was a demand.

So he had stayed. "I've got to work tomorrow." I answered dismissively and set back to scrubbing. "Can't have blood all over the floor. Not good for business, you know." I pushed myself to my feet and couldn't help but stagger. "I feel fine." I lied.

His eyes followed me casually, as if waiting for something. When I tried to take a step and nearly collapsed, I understood. His lips gave a faint twitch and he arched a sigle brow, the smugness practically reeking from him, but he said nothing. He didn't need to.

My chin jutted forth defiantly. "If I don't clean it up now it might never come out. I sent the rest of the town home...not their job." I yawned, my head lulling tiredly to the side. "Something about the smell...can't remember."

I couldn't remember what I was supposed to be talking about all of a sudden.

"You're a mess." He stated bluntly.

"Huh?" I asked, confused. "What do you mean?" The scent in the air made me want to throw up. A spell of dizziness struck and the room was suddenly spinning. I took a step, my strength failed me and I fell.

...softly into a waiting embrace. I stared down at the floor curiously. I seemed to be hovering above it, slung over a strong arm.

"Just fine, are you?" His words caressed my ear from not so far away as he steadied me . "You should have that cut on your forehead looked at."

"I…haven't…had time." I gasped for breath and closed my eyes. "And I am fine, not that it's any of your business. That was…that was just the smell in the air making me dizzy." I pulled away from his grasp, eyeing him hostilely.

"Stubborn girl." He muttered.

"What are you doing here? What do you want from me?" I burst out angrily. "You should be dead - no one could survive that, not even you. I watched you die."

Sephiroth merely shrugged. "It is a long story." He hedged. "I was passing through here. Ordinarily I would've been long gone by this time, but circumstances demanded an exceptionly, namely your present condition."

"My present condition?" I repeated shrilly. "My present condition is your fault...my present condition is the result of what you did."

"Very well, I will concede the fault is partly mine." He replied cordially. "But in all fairness, I cannot reasonably take credit for this steadfast determination you have to work yourself into exhaustion."

I scoffed. "What do you know?"

"I've been watching you." He supplied. "And I know when a person has reached their breaking point."

I whirled around at him, "What?"

"Spying is a specialty of mine, along with reading minds and emotions on occasion." His lips perked slightly up at that. The sparkle in his eyes told the lie however.

"Well you can just leave my mind alone." I snapped. "You've got a lot of nerve coming in here and saving my life."

"You just can't stand it can you?" He said and the smugness returned in full force. "What are you going to do? Attack me? You can barely stand."

I stood rigid, glaring down at the floor while I tried to decide what to do. "No, I'm not going to attack you. Even if I can't find any logical explanation for you being here, you saved my life." I said picking up my bucket and rag. I nearly fell again. "That is all the thanks you'll get from me." I looked up at the clock. "You can leave now. I won't say aything." I gestured vaguely to the debries litering the floor. "I've got work to do."

"What does one have to do to convince you otherwise?" Sephiroth inquired.

Bittersweet laughter filled the room, "No one has ever really tried." I answered and dumped the contents of the bucket in the sink. A dull pain on my forehead made me stop. I traced my hand along my skull and felt out a gash. It stung when I touched it and I jerked my hand away.

As I stood there I knew that something was wrong - this was no simply injury. How odd that I should be soaking wet from the rain, and yet the room felt like a furnace suddenly. Maybe I should get some rest and tend to my wounds. Another dizzy spell hit and the delirium set in with a vengeance. That was no mere cut on my forehead.

My legs gave out and this time there was no one to catch me. Everything went black the moment I touched the floor.

Author's notes: Gee I wonder if anyone can tell where this is going. I smell Tifa/Sephiroth paring! HAHAHAHA! Please don't hurt me! Read and enjoy! Review all you want! …Or ignore it…you can do that too.

Happy days everyone, take care.

Faerlyte