Rita Boltspirit
"They're making a movie, ya know?"
"Oh really?"
"Yeah really. Website and everything…I hear they're ready to start production. Listen, we all know it was you—
"I said nothing!"
"Ha! That's a lie right there if I've ever heard one and I've dealt with ShinRa. I've heard plenty of lies in my time—
"Gaia knows that's been a long time too—
"Shut up! This is your doing! You know it, I know it…we all know it. None of the rest of 'em have gotten any guts to say anything though!"
"You know nothing. I would never say anything about what happened—
"You know they sent me a script? A script? A script to one of the most important things in my life! And for what? To get liability to use my name in that freaking movie. You want to know the load of trash they got in it? And they said it came from a reliable source. Reliable my ass. It's got your name written all over it youngin—
"I am not a kid. Besides, if it's so farfetched what makes you think I told them?"
"Because…for as many stretched truths were in there, there was truth…only truth we know, too."
"I still didn't say anything."
"And I still don't believe you, either."
"And you know movie people always stretch the truth no matter what their sources…"
"…"
"I bet it'd still be a pretty damn good movie though—
"Brat!"
They would love to paint her as the tragic heroine; she'd admit it as easily as the next person that it would be so easy to.
Her mother died when she was a child. Her home town was demolished when she was young before her very eyes. She watched her father die. She was labeled as a terrorist, a murderer while she cared for a child in a bar in sector seven of the destroyed city. She made friends, lost friends, loved, and cared living while in the shadow of another woman even after that woman died.
Yet here she stands today, still alive, still strong, living without the love of the man that she so obviously loved.
That's what they would love to paint her as, the tragic heroine, the second best, the void filler that still went on despite it all with a smile plastered to her face, and open arms to any person in need. A caring, beautiful soul born out of strife and tragedy. That's what makes a good story, after all.
But that's what people do, that's all they do…paint and judge without really knowing.
That's what people are best at, really.
Tifa Lockhart headed down the open market, a bag draped over her arm as she inspected the freshness of an apple. She was currently on Market Street in Edge. The street was lined with different vendors ranging in different goods. From one of the street to the other it went from fresh foods to weapons dealers. The street was packed with people buying their supplies. Most of them had been confined to their homes earlier that morning when it had been raining.
Tifa sighed; she had been feeling a little down lately, her thoughts swamped with unusual stress and rather large decisions.
A script for a movie had been written up apparently detailing the events surrounding AVALANCHE and Meteor. The script had been sent out to all the major players, and even the minor ones. It was rumored Rufus had declined interviews, rejecting the script. He would not be receiving any endorsement and his company's name would have to be changed, along with several other characters that he associated with. On the movie's main website page apparently the Turks were now dubbed Recon. Of course, this was all just on the assumption that the Turks were the actual group represented by Recon. Purely speculation of course.
Purely.
As her fingers traced across her jaw in thought she was jerked into the present by a vibration on her left hip. She sighed, reaching down and slipping the tiny phone from its holder.
"Hello?"
"Hey Tifa."
Tifa smiled, tilting her head. "Hey Yuffie. What's up?"
"Just calling…" Yuffie drug her words out with an obvious impatience.
"I still haven't decided Yuffie, and to be rather honest I'm leaning towards no," Tifa said, handing her purchases to the vendor.
"Tifa, come on! It's a once in a lifetime experience. Who doesn't want to have a movie made about them? And besides, everyone will know it's you anyways. It isn't like we haven't been in the papers before…especially after Vince's little escapade with DG."
"That doesn't change the fact that I'm not sure I want that type of fame."
Yuffie snorted. "Please, like you don't get enough looks as it is."
"Yuffie…why are you so concerned by it?"
Yuffie sputtered. "W-well of course I'm concerned! So far I'm the only major character who has agreed to my name being used."
"Just because you want the fame doesn't mean the rest of us do." Tifa shouldered the phone, handing her gil over the vendor.
"Ye-ah…but I mean, I've got limited options here. Barret won't because he's afraid of the exposure for Marlene but Marlene even agreed to let her name appear in the script. I always knew she was a diva at heart," Yuffie muttered, before finding her focus again. "What's more, Cid's been bitchin' at me near constantly. He thinks I'm the informer."
"Yuffie…we all know you are."
"No you don't!" Yuffie sighed audibly. "And I mean, really, what are the chances Vincent will agree to it? He won't answer my calls."
"Well it isn't any wonder. You know how he doesn't like to be in the public's eye. I don't care how much he's warmed up to us the fact is that people still find him unnerving."
"People find him interesting. He finds people unnerving, and annoying."
"How do you know all this?" Tifa asked, dropping her fruit into her bag.
"That's what he told me I was once."
Tifa gave a little giggle.
"What about Cloud? Has he said anything yet?"
Tifa sighed. "I shouldn't have even given him that script. I honestly think it scared him. I haven't seen hair or hide of him in two days, Yuffie. I blame this on you."
"So is that a yes or no?"
"It's a neither. If you're so interested, call Cloud yourself. I'll have absolutely nothing to do with it."
"So you're denying the script? Come on Tifa! For me! Just this one little, itty, bitty thing."
"And how many of those have you asked in your lifetime?"
Yuffie sighed. "No?"
"I don't know Yuffie…I'll call you later."
"Fine," Yuffie grumbled. "Bye."
"Good bye, Yuffie."
Tifa sighed, flipping her phone shut before turning to head home.
Tifa wasn't exactly a private person. She made friends easily, and enjoyed the company of others, and also the broad expanse of personalities this offered. However, Tifa wasn't really to keen for having her entire life acted out in some movie portraying some of her more intimate and private moments. Not to mention how these moments would be skewed for the most drama.
Tifa glanced around; Yuffie had been right about one thing, though. Even if she were to deny the use of her name more than likely it would be obvious who was being portrayed.
Tifa Lockhart would become Rita Boltspirit and the absolute last thing Tifa wanted to be known as was Rita Boltspirit. She would never hear the end of it from her patrons. Course, it had to be better than Otto Loftybreeze or Maxwell Orson, the latter being Barret.
Red XIII would be reduced to Orange VII, and Cloud, well the substitute name for Cloud couldn't be as bad as the rest of them. He was the main character after all. His was heroic, well as heroic as Phoenix Clash was.
Tifa sighed as she caught another person staring. She didn't want the fame…couldn't they just let her live in peace?
Things had changed since DeepGround. Things had been technically changing for several years. It had been five years since Meteor, three years since Geostigma, and two since DG. It seemed like they were finally settling back into a life without crisis once more. Somehow Tifa's haphazard family had reclaimed their daily routine, if only just barely. Denzel was attending school regularly, and Marlene had finally made the transition to living with Barret.
Tifa's bar was thriving, and so was Cloud's delivery service. Between the two of them they made enough money to get by, and then some.
More than the changes of their businesses and the sprawling city that was known as Edge were Cloud's changes. His tone was lighter, and a smile graced his features easier. He was still as quiet as ever, and had a tendency to brood but who didn't, and few things than Cloud's turnabout could make Tifa happier. Of course his return in sharp sarcasm was rather annoying from time to time.
Her phone vibrated against her hip again. For a fleeting moment she thought it was Cloud, but it wasn't.
"Hey Cid," she said after glancing at the ID.
"Hey chickie. Have you talked to Yuffie?"
Tifa rolled her eyes; how depressing it was that this had become the center of all conversation.
"Yeah…I just got off the phone with her, Otto."
"Shut up, woman. I've got…news…though I can't really say whether it's bad or good… I still haven't figured it out."
"Well don't hurt your brain trying. What is it?"
"Well look who's the smart ass today, eh? Sound like Cloud sometimes, I swear he's rubbing off on you."
"Or you are," she retorted. "You're as sarcastic as they come."
"Oh don't play that card. You know as well as I do the only time that words come out of Spike's mouth they're laced with sarcasm."
"Focus Cid."
"Oh, right…Elmyra agreed."
"What?" Tifa stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes wide.
"Yea…just heard word from her myself. I stopped by to pick up those special tea leaves she's got in her store…well…she agreed."
"S-she said-said she was going to talk to all of us about it…how we felt…and…" Tifa stuttered, failing at making a complete sentence.
"Well, she said that she didn't want her daughter forgotten. Aeris did a great thing for us, and the planet, she said, and that her daughter shouldn't be disgraced with a name like Iris Risehamlet. Can't say I really blame her…" Cid muttered.
"Still…" Tifa's voice trailed off.
As Aeris' closest of kin Elmyra was the one to decide whether or not her name would be used.
"She does have a point, kiddo."
Tifa scoffed.
"It isn't our decision… you know, she said she got the idea from Zack's parents. That's the only way he'll ever be known for what happened to him…"
"It doesn't make it right," Tifa mumbled, walking down the street in the dim twilight. "I just…I feel like we'd be desecrating their memory or something."
"Why? For letting them have a little glory?"
"No…" Tifa shifted, uncomfortable. "But…there are things that only we went through. I don't feel like those things should be broadcasted to the world."
"The brat shouldn't have said anything without talking to us first, I get that…but—
"I can't really say it's her fault…" Tifa mumbled, unlocking the door to the bar.
"What?!" Tifa winced at Cid's tone, making her way to the kitchen.
"Cid, you know they would've come up with this eventually and with barely a grain of truth to it," she said, dropping her bag on the counter. "I'm not absolving her of her crime but…it could've been worse."
"Tifa—
"There are just certain…things in there that shouldn't be." Tifa leaned onto her elbows on the counter.
"Like what—oh…OH. Those things."
"You read that script!" Tifa hissed into the phone. "It's…absurd. It paints me and the rest of you guys in a light…in a way…it just isn't accurate! Do you know they have you as an alcoholic in that script? They say Barret's a recovering cocaine addict, and Vincent is portrayed as a vampire, for crying out loud. And I do not want to be known as some love sick puppy without a chance!"
"Tifa?"
Tifa shrieked, pressing a hand to her chest.
"Cloud!" She punched his arm. "Don't scare me like that."
"I guess I should let you go," Cid was saying through the phone but Tifa was already in the process of hanging up.
Cloud shrugged, looking unperturbed.
Tifa sent him a withering glare, dropping her phone on the counter. Cloud merely stared at her and she rolled her eyes. Getting into a staring contest with Cloud was pointless; he was one of those people who didn't bat an eyelid at an explosion, let alone at a halfhearted glare. He was infuriating sometimes.
Tifa turned, pulling open the refrigerator door and sticking her head in.
"So where have you been?" Tifa asked, tracing her fingers along the shelf.
"Out."
Tifa rolled her eyes, blowing her bangs from her face as she pulled out a bowl of leftover chicken casserole.
"What?" Tifa asked, plunking it down on the counter. "Did you break your phone again?"
There was a thud as an object landed on the counter beside the bowl. Tifa's jaw fell open.
"What did you do?" Tifa gasped, holding up the squashed phone. It was paper thin, and the circuit boards jutted out at odd angles.
"It wasn't my fault."
Tifa smirked. "You always say that. Did you run over it with Fenrir or something?"
"It wasn't my fault."
"Okay, it was an accident, I understand. But I still bet it was your fault."
Cloud sighed, glancing off to the side.
"That's the sixth phone in the past four months. I think that's a new record Cloud."
"They make these things too fragile."
"Most people don't use their phones as a makeshift weapon," Tifa chuckled, sticking the bowl into the microwave.
"One time—
"One time is all it takes Cloud, especially if you're chucking it at the head of a dragon." Tifa retorted, rooting through a drawer in the counter.
"It worked."
"Sheer luck," Tifa rolled her eyes. "You just happened to hit the pressure point Yuffie told you about. You're known for your sword skills Strife, not your aiming skills. And before you say anything about using a gun, it's a bit different. Usually when you hit something with a bullet it does a little damage. There's a significant difference between that and chucking a cell phone at a supposed quarter size dimple beneath a dragon's left eye."
Cloud opened his mouth to respond but Tifa beat him to it, glaring at him.
She pointed a spoon at him. "No I am not jealous you managed to do it and I didn't. I'm not stupid enough to try."
Cloud shut his mouth.
"Come on, make yourself useful. Set the table." Tifa made vague gestures with the spoon again.
Cloud didn't protest. He had been out without word for two days; the least he could do was set a table.
"Who were you talking to?" he asked, pulling out three plates.
"Cid," Tifa mumbled, pulling the casserole from the microwave.
"About?" he prompted.
Tifa glared at him, "About this trash." She poked the script lying on the counter with her spoon. "I'm willing to bet that's why you ran over your phone."
Cloud shook his head no, moving to the table. "Barret's fault."
"You were with Barret?"
"For an hour. He had a last minute delivery for me to make yesterday. Then I ran over my phone…on accident," he added quickly when Tifa opened her mouth.
She grinned smugly. "Uh huh…I bet. Did you look at it at all?"
Cloud shook his head. "Didn't have time to."
"You at least read the names, though…"
Cloud froze momentarily before moving again. He had, then.
"So, Phoenix Clash," Tifa purred, layering her voice in seductive tones. "Tell me how you saved the world."
"Don't call me that."
Tifa burst into laughter, tears forming at the edge of her eyes. "You know how much you're going to get for that? Phoenix Clash…" she snorted. "You rose from the ashes of your past, born from the flames of despair and agony apparently."
"What?"
"That's what it says in the summary." Tifa shrugged. "Still, you need to give an answer."
"What for?"
"To let them know if the production can use your name or not." Tifa carried the casserole to the table, setting it down gently.
"If I never give them an answer, they can never make the movie."
"No," she leaned against the table, facing him as he crossed his arms. "They'll go ahead and make it without your name. They can't let the hype die, especially after DG. That's what they're feeding off of now. The untold story of AVALANCHE. They still haven't decided on a title yet."
"What are the top choices?"
"Meteor… The Age of Shin. The—
"Shin?"
"Yes, Shin. They had to change ShinRa's name."
"Oh. Continue."
"The Day the Sky Fell. The Last of AVALANCHE. The Memoirs of AVALANCHE. Oh, I just thought of something. We should forbid them from using the name AVALANCHE."
"What? So they can call us something like FLOOD?"
Tifa shrugged. "Better than Recon."
"That's true. The Turks deserve it though"
Tifa's eyes twinkled mischievously. "So you did read it."
"I didn't read it all. I just skimmed."
"Right." Tifa's voice turned serious, though. "Listen…Cid said that Elmyra agreed to using…Aeris' name. Are you okay with that?"
Cloud stiffened, but held his composure. "It's not our decision regardless."
Tifa wrapped her arms around herself. "I mean…it's right to know Aeris did a lot for us, and the planet. But…just the way they're telling it…it doesn't seem right. They seem more concerned with other aspects of her life, than what she did for us."
Cloud was silent for a moment, and then spoke slowly. "You mean…the fight."
Tifa scowled. "Skimmed it my ass," she spat, walking away.
"Tifa—
"Hey Tifa!" A new voice carried through the kitchen as the door slammed shut.
"In here Denzel," Cloud said, sighing.
Denzel came in from the hallway. He was looking even ganglier than usual, his hair spiked straight up. He had died it neon green in a bout of rebellion. Tifa wouldn't even acknowledge the change.
"Oh hey Cloud."
Cloud nodded his head at the boy.
"Where's Tifa?"
"Uh…"
"I'm here." Tifa came into the kitchen. She was carrying a box of wine bottles. "Just had to get this out of the back for later. Busy night, you know," she said frostily.
Denzel nodded warily, eying the two adults with apprehension.
"Is it the script?"
Tifa dropped the box of wine bottles.
She groaned as the glass bottles shattered. Everyone seemed to know about this stupid movie.
"No," Cloud said, saving her again. "I broke my phone again." He held out the flattened piece of technology to the boy.
"Man Cloud!" Denzel whined. "Why didn't you flatten my phone? You always get such nice models and barely use their extras. I get the clunky cheapo phone with synthetic ring tones. You could download music, take pictures—
"You don't need a phone like that, Denzel." Tifa said, lifting the box back up.
"Neither does Cloud obviously." Denzel spat out before realizing it.
Tifa glared at him as he shrank beneath her gaze.
"Eat. Now. Before I change my mind and feed you your phone since it's obviously good for nothing." With that she turned and walked out of the room.
"It was the script, wasn't it?"
Cloud nodded his head tiredly.
"I guess she got to the part where she and Aeris fight over you, huh?"
"I guess."
Tifa sat out on the back steps to the bar facing the alley. The night was chilly, and hung with a damp air. A siren sounded in the distance, and the neighbor's dog began to bark. A car drove by, sending up a spray from the rain earlier that morning.
Tifa sighed.
It wasn't Cloud's fault, and she shouldn't take it out on him. She supposed part of the reason why she was so angry at Elmyra was because of how Aeris was portrayed at times. While it was true Aeris and she had joked about the whole Cloud situation, and Aeris usually liked to fuel the triangle, they certainly never got into a fight about it.
It was almost a distraction then. It was easy to forget why they were traveling across the planet when they could play tug a war with a clueless guy. It was fun, and granted, at times she had gotten jealous of Aeris, but…it was almost like being normal, with normal problems and normal things.
But Aeris had most certainly never said that Tifa would live in her shadow forever…that Tifa would never be able to give Cloud what she could give him.
That was a flat out lie.
And Yuffie hadn't told them that either, Tifa knew that. Yuffie was stupid, but she wasn't that stupid. Undoubtedly she had lightly touched on the subject of the fabled triangle, but more than likely it had gotten fluffed up when the script had begun to actually take shape. What's a good story without a good cat fight, after all? Course, she supposed the slapping incident with Scarlet didn't count.
Tifa sighed again. They shouldn't be portraying her like that.
The entire script was practically a story of about people rising from the ashes of despair and doom and conquering their problems. Yuffie had finally got fight for her country, and against Sephiroth. Barret had reconciled with his past, if in albeit a painful way. Reeve had changed from the dark side, to the good side in a way. Nanaki had learned the truth of his father, and Cid had finally gotten his flying dreams where he wanted them. They showed Cloud as conquering his troubled, and shattered mind, and Aeris as a heroine that was more preoccupied with romance and creating drama than the fate of the planet…yet she then ended up being portrayed as a martyr for the second half as only doing her duty for the planet.
And Tifa? Tifa was proclaimed as the unrequited love…the woman that fawned still today oh so desperately after a man still troubled by the loss of his one true love. The woman that still today lived in the martyr's shadow.
That was why she hated that script. That was why it shouldn't be published, or made into a movie or anything. No sort of fiction should enter their story. The only thing that should be taken into account were word for word interviews taken by all the people involved.
Ever since the movie had been announced more people came to the bar, and more people asked her about her relationship with Cloud.
And she told them all the same thing.
'It's personal.'
And it was personal. She didn't say yes or no, and because Cloud was a private person, they all assumed he felt nothing for anyone, let alone romantic feelings toward Tifa. She was not living in Aeris' shadow, and she certainly wasn't a replacement or void filler. Why people couldn't just leave it alone was beyond her.
Tifa buried her face in her arms and sighed. She would say no. Who the hell cared if she was portrayed as Rita Boltspirit? She was Tifa Lockhart, and she knew the truth, and it didn't matter what other people thought. Still, her friend was being portrayed in such a confusing and conflicting light. All of them were, really.
"It's getting late."
Tifa sighed into her arms again. She hadn't even heard him come out.
"What time is it?" her voice was muffled in her forearms.
"Eleven."
"You didn't open the bar?"
"I figured the last thing you needed was more people asking."
Tifa grunted in agreement as Cloud stood behind her. He tilted his head back to look at the thin streak of sky between the two buildings.
"Rather depressive place to brood."
"Like you're one to talk."
He smiled lightly; glad to see that she had forgiven him.
"I lied to you."
"I knew you did," she said resting her chin on her palm. "It's alright…I understand. I'd rather pretend that script didn't exist either."
"Maybe we could talk to the writers…"
"And take out that juicy bit? Oh no, that would be way too much for them. I am Rita Boltspirit, unloved but strong. I will keep moving on even if I am living in the shadow…even if I am second best."
"You know that's not true." His voice was low, and she shrugged again.
"Maybe…"
He sighed, kneeling down behind her. "You aren't Rita Boltspirit, and I'm certainly not Phoenix Clash." He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "And you know you are not second best or living in someone's shadow or filling a void. You know how I feel."
He rested his chin on her shoulder and she stared ahead. "You know, if you didn't fear PDA we might not be in this situation."
"We're in public right now, aren't we?"
Tifa rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll give you that."
She leaned back, resting up against his chest.
"You know…it could've been worse." Cloud said softly.
"What could possibly be worse?"
"They gave me a script before they gave you one. I made them change it."
Tifa narrowed her eyes. "What did you do Cloud?"
He brought his lips close to her ear, and his breath teased her hair. He smiled, whispering softly. "That night…before it all happened? Under the Highwind? Or the Loftybreeze to be more accurate?"
Tifa felt goose bumps run down her arms in anticipation. They had glossed over that scene, probably mostly because she and Cloud were the only ones present. What did they put in there?
"There was a sex scene."
"What?!" Tifa squawked, twisting around in Cloud's arms.
Cloud blinked at her, infuriatingly unperturbed and undisturbed.
Tifa's eyes were wide in the dark. "Was anything…else changed?"
"No." Tifa's jaw dropped. "It was all the same. Catfight…triangle. Everything."
"Even the whole living in the shadow? Void filler? Those bastards. Selling me out as a cheap tramp. There has to be something we can do…right?"
Cloud shrugged. "I prefer to go down in history as Phoenix Clash. I don't know about you, Rita Boltspirit, but I don't really need the fame."
Tifa shrugged, relaxing back into his arms. "I guess it is only important that we know the truth."
Cloud grunted, his way of laughing.
"Rita Boltspirit does have a nice ring to it—
"Shut up Cloud."
So he did. But only because his lips were too busy finding hers.
In Theaters Today!
Based on a true story,
FLOOD
The Last Tale of Rebellion
Otto Loftybreeze, Maxwell Orson, Orange VII, Dog Scythe, Edward Easter, Tini Hugarasi, Iris Risehamlet, Rita Boltspirit, and Phoenix Clash all have one thing in common: saving the Planet.
What started out as a mission to demolish the corporation Shin, and their personal bodyguards, Recon, turned into a manhunt for the murderer Seferoff and the destruction of Asteroid.
Tales within tales, FLOOD: The Last Tale of Rebellion, is a cornucopia of stories of our favorite heroes.
Under 17 requires accompanying parent or guardian.
Rated R for violence, drug abuse, alcohol abuse, coarse language, and sex.
A/N: Hehe...that was fun. I often get tired of people saying that Tifa is just a way to try and fill the gap where Aeris was. I am so SICK of that. I mean if that's your opinion or whatever, whatever. Good for you, I don't care. It's just so overused. Is it really so hard to believe that Cloud loved Tifa, and loved Tifa first, and isn't looking for a way to feel the gap that Aeris left? I don't know...I'm just ranting. That's what inspired this story and it turned into this whole complex diddy. I think Cloud would be a bit more open with just Tifa, and five years later. That scene in DG (as cringe worthy as it is) where Cloud just smiles talking on a flipping phone...well, I think it's safe to say he gained his sarcastic side back a bit. Another thing that fueled this (and you may have noticed this) is how sickening some peoples impressions of Tifa and Aeris' relationship. Certainly somewhere a catfight took place in some fanfiction in game...I find this highly doubtful. But that's just me. I know I haven't updated lately, but I've been so freaking busy. (School's out and I haven't wrote a sentence! How sad is that?!) Anyways, I'll appreciate any reviews for this, especially about Rita and Phoenix's steamy love...oh la la!