Coral City Of The Dead

a locked heart

"Aries...?"

The fragile ancient brushed her soft fingertips over Cloud's forehead as he lay there inside the vast pit that the temple had left in its wake.

She smiled softly as if it came like a second nature to her. She didn't even have to try when it came to smiling.

She simply smiled down at her hero with a loving gaze.

"Sleep well. My Cloud…"

Tifa's throat tightened. She blinked and bit down on her lip hard. Sucking air through her teeth, she inhaled a deep breath before walking calmly to stand at Aeris' side, looking down at her friend.

"Aeris?" She repeated in the same quiet voice.

This time Aeris looked up, and gave Tifa a look of surprise before quickly turning her head back to Cloud, her cheeks flushing.

Tifa couldn't help but smile.

"Hey don't worry, I wasn't listening. I just caught the last couple of words anyway, so whatever you two were talking about stays between you and him. Okay?" She said, placing a hand on her young friend's shoulder.

Aeris' expression softened and she looked up at Tifa once again, a smile plain on her face. "I was just telling him that everything would be okay. He didn't mean to give up the black materia Tifa. I know he didn't, and knowing Cloud, he will be tying himself up in knots blaming himself for it…" Her voice trailed off, and her glance faltered back to Cloud.

Tifa looked from Aeris to Cloud, and her eyes flickered to give a glimpse of her sadness at seeing him like this. She closed her eyes for a few silent seconds before opening them once more, and kneeling down beside Aeris.

Aeris turned her head to look at Tifa's face. The sombre brunette was looking at her fallen childhood friend with such a forlorn gaze. Aeris looked down, and let out a soft sigh. She parted her lips to begin one of the mass amounts of apologies she needed to make to the strong woman beside her – but suddenly felt a soft grasp on her shoulder. She snapped her eyes to face Tifa in surprise, and was welcomed with a more unexpected sight. Tifa was smiling.

"It's okay Aeris. You don't need to tell me." The smile on Tifa's face was simple, yet genuine. It was a knowing look, as if silently telling Aeris with one of Tifa's typically readable expressions that she knew what Aeris had to say. She was always so good at that. Judging people, knowing her friends better than they even knew themselves sometimes. And doing it whilst being so open herself. Aeris had never admired anyone more.

And that was the honest truth.

She could only manage a weak smile in response. "I'm sorry…" She blurted out regardless it didn't even need to be said anymore because Tifa obviously knew. But, strangely, a look of confusion fell across Tifa's features.

"Sorry? Aeris, what for? There is nothing you need to apologise to me for. If anything, I need to apologise to you." Aeris blinked.

"What?"

"Well, I haven't exactly been altogether fair. I noticed from day one what was going on, even before you and Cloud fully realised it. I was stubborn, and I guess that makes me a stubborn natured person really." She smiled and ran a hand through her hair as she turned her gaze to fall back on Cloud's peaceful face. "But…I'm also an expert in the art of 'friends'. I know you Aeris, and believe it or not, I think I might just know Cloud too, but only just." She said, nudging Aeris gently on the arm, to which they both smiled. Aeris with flushed cheeks.

Tifa simply watched her young friend, the colour blushing on her cheeks made her fully reassured that her suspicions had been correct.

"You see," Tifa began, watching Cloud, as her hand subconsciously reached out to grasp his hand, her thumb stroking the back of it. "I have known for a long time how Cloud is, the type of person he's always been, despite the change in him after SHINRA. Thing is, that day I met you, when he introduced this shy, beautiful ancient to us all, I knew. We all did."

By this time Aeris was really feeling uncomfortable. Tifa hadn't guessed about the fact Aeris felt she needed to say sorry for bringing this mess onto them, with the temple she had persisted she go to. Oh no, Tifa was way far ahead. Aeris felt guilt begin to swirl in her stomach thickly, but somehow, every word Tifa said, made the feeling soften. How could she feel guilty for something that came so naturally to her? Especially now the one person standing in the way of it was telling her it was all right.

Tifa smiled and turned back to Cloud, her grip still firm on his hand.

"And I know how to read him. He has been looking with eyes at you like I've never seen him do with anyone before…" She let her voice trail off, as unknown to Aeris who was currently overloaded with shock, and was focussing on Cloud, the strong look in Tifa's eyes began to break, daylight beginning to glint more and more brightly on the moist glass like surface of her wine coloured eyes.

"Eyes that soften every time you walk into a room, light up when you do something as simple as touch his arm, and gaze so attentively on yours when you look at him. Yes…" She paused blinking the water clear from the surface of her eyes just in time for Aeris to look at her.

It was as if the tears were never there.

"…I know. And I want you to know Aeris that I admire you so much for helping Cloud find peace. Something none of us could fully do. Not even me. And you've done it, effortlessly within five minutes of being here, in the most testing time of his life." With one last longing look at Cloud, Tifa let go of his hand as if she had spent up the time allowed to hold him now, in Aeris' presence. Slowly she shifted her weight ready to stand up and squeezed Aeris' shoulder gently with a warm smile. "I tell you what, I'll fend off the rabble for a few more minutes, take them up top to pack things ready, exchange materia into each others slots, equip the right bangles and such." She smiled and leant in to whisper. "And I'll make a long job over it, fussing over them all to make them re-do their selections time and time again until you feel it's the right time and shout up for Vincent to come carry Cloud up. Okay?"

Aeris' eyes glazed over with tears she wasn't in any need to hide, and flung her arms around her friend, closing her eyes as she whispered against her. "Thank you. Thank you so much Tifa…"

Tifa closed her eyes to blink back the temptation to break down and cry herself. But as usual, she couldn't. She had to put the brave face on and be the mature one for everyone else's sake. She wasn't allowed the luxury of being Aeris.

And that was in every way. She wanted more than anything to be in her position. But as things went with Tifa, she always got what she didn't want and was supposed to act grateful, like the unwanted attention from the rowdy, obnoxious boys throughout her childhood. All the while, she was meant to keep up her smiles when the things she really wanted, yearned for, just the simple things like having a mom, and a dad. A family, was denied to her, snatched away.

But now…after everything, her one ray of light was not just being taken from her, oh no…much worse…

She had to give him away. And that stung like hell.

Feeling she couldn't take another minute, she blinked her eyes dry and fully clear once more before pulling from Aeris' embrace, with a fully genuine looking smile that Aeris sucked up without a single thought.

"Okay Aeris, take as long as you want. Just, tell him everything you need to. He's listening." With that, Tifa stood and made her way to one of the four rocky walls of the temple's pit. She took one last glance over her shoulder at Cloud, with the one honest saddened look nobody would ever see – not even him.

And she was looking straight at him.

His eyes were hidden from her, blocking Tifa from getting through to him at all, so that the only senses awake were the ones that allowed him to hear the soothing words of his angel, and feel her touch that had previously felt so numb from his simple childhood friend.

The novelty of childhood had worn off now.

Tifa began to climb.

Authors Notes:

I have come across so many fictions about the 'what if Tifa sacrificed herself instead of Aeris' and as per usual with me, I've decided to take a popular idea that I myself favour, and twist and squeeze the life out of it until I come up with something slightly more original - I hope. And with this one, what I'm hoping to do is find a way to fit the idea into the game's story, in such a way that will explain to not only me! lol, oh no, but to Aeris fans in particular, why Aeris could not have been replaced by Tifa in that scenario.

I really hope you guys out there, Aeris fans included for once, but Tifa fans like myself, like this. I have always loved the angsty oppertunity to write the death of Tifa in such a dramatic way, but for once - hit me for this, people who know me and my writing by now - i have toned down seriously. I resisted the urge for a major Cloud grieving over Tifa scene, and instead I've tried to change it to be how I think the game would have played it. All I'll say is, if tifa dies, it'll affect a lot more people than Cloud. Though obviously Cloud included. Come on! Major CloTi fan here!

Anyway, g'night and g'bless.

Xx Jessie xX

P.S. heart over mind is taking a long time, the next chapter has a thick CloTi bit at the beginning and you know me, I like to get those bits right. Sorry it's taking so long. hope it's worth it in the end! x