Tifa's Diary
By Sorceress Fantasia
When I was younger, I used to keep a diary. Then as I grew older, I found out that I had far too many things to do, and twenty-four hours a day wasn’t enough. Thus, with so little time and yet so much work to be done, I had to choose what to do first. So at that time, I decided that writing a diary was out. But now, having all the time in the world, I decided to continue with my diary. It could also help me to clear and reflect over my thoughts and feelings for the day. I think I’ll start with everyone.
Everyone went back to their own lives after the battle. Barret has finally been reunited with Marlene. Now he buys a toy for her everyday as a compensation for not begin able to save her when she was kidnapped. Marlene is so pampered that I’m afraid that she’ll turn into a little brat. Luckily, she didn’t, because Elmyra (Aeris’ stepmother) is there to guide her. Oh, I forgot to mention this. After the battle, Barret and Marlene stayed with Elmyra in Kalm for a while. Then, I think they, I’m not sure, fell for each other or something like that. Since they got along so well with each other, Barret and Elmyra decided to get married. It was sorta like a ‘lightning wedding’, if you ask me; it all happened so quickly. So now, the happy family of three resides in North-Corel where Barret plans to rebuild. He wants to turn the presently trashy North-Corel back into the way it was in the past and it seems that the other villagers had voted him as the mayor of the new North-Corel. I’m sure Barret’ll make a wonderful mayor (once he stops cursing!J ). I heard Elmyra is making a really good wife. She waits on Barret so well that he once told me that he feels a little like a king. She’s a good mother too. I expected this. She had, after all, took great care of Aeris. Marlene loves her very much, as though Elmyra were her own mother.
Talking about brats reminds me of Yuffie. No, we should address her as Lady Kisaragi now. She is to be the next ruler of Wutai. However, she doesn’t behave like one and Barret says she never will. Ha, I guess it all depends. For all we know, she might turn out to be more lady-like than myself, if I’m anyway like one. But actually, it’s only a title; Yuffie doesn’t have to be lady-like, right? However, it’ll of course be better if she is able to act like a lady. At least, we’ll have one lesser brat in this world!J I can’t imagine how she’ll look if she tries to wear a dress, spray perfume and act sweet! Just thinking of it makes me laugh! Wearing a dress, maybe. Acting sweet, unbelievable! The last time we visited her, she was having a duel with Godo for the materias we gave her. Well, let’s hope she won, or else we may not have enough materias to distribute if we were to fight another lunatic. Yikes! Touchwood! She wrote a letter to me, which I just received last week, asking me for some romantic advice. She said there’s a boy wooing her now. His name’s Jerry, a 17 year-old. Quite a nice and sweet boy, I’ve heard. Yuffie admitted that she likes him too, but isn’t sure whether that is love or just pure friendship. That’s the reason she wrote to me. She sounded so panicky and worried, every bit like a teenage girl she is supposed to be. She’s a kid at heart still, even though she tries to act mature in front of us. But honestly speaking, I was rather shocked to receive her letter, and the first thought that came to my mind was that she was up to no good. Then, I ripped open the letter and after reading it, I thought, ‘Hey, she’s serious.’ She had poured all her emotions and feelings for him, writing in every small detail, and requested me to analyze the situation. Hmm… I guess she sees me as an elder sister. There might even be a possibility that she gets on our nerves because she wants attention.
Ah Vincent, the mysterious one. After the battle, we let him off somewhere near Lucretsia’s cave. He said that he wanted to look for her, even if it takes a hundred years. He never forgets her, does he? We’ve not seen or heard from him since, but Red told us that he saw Vincent wandering around the area. I really wish that he finds Lucretsia soon. He’s such a tortured soul. I would love to see him married with the women he loves and settle down. I’m sure he’ll be very happy. Although I never mentioned it before, but I respects him a lot. He’s been through so much for the sake of his loved one, even though she didn’t accept him. Even till now, Vincent still loves her. Sounds like forbidden love. Kinda remind me of Romeo and Juliet. Then fortunately, a few days ago, we received news from Vincent saying that he had just found Lucretsia a while ago. She had got out of the cave in order to avoid Vincent. However, he still found her hiding in Gongaga. His undying love touched her so much that she finally decided to stay with him. How delightful! The two are settling in Icicle Lodge it seems. Although they’re not planning to get married, they’re still as happy. They’re living in Professor Gast’s empty house, doing experiments every now and then. That’s their interest anyway. They really like their lives the way it is now. They’ve also adopted an orphan for company. They named her Snow because the child’s complexion was fair like snow, and they hoped that she would grow up to be a pretty young woman, pure and clever. The girl’s only 2 years old, but she’ll grow up soon. Time flies. Especially when you’re happy.
As a result of meteor, every building, pillar, right down to the tiniest thing in Midgar, collapsed. Midgar, the once prosperous metropolis of Shinra now lay in ruins. All the inhabitants have left. It’s almost impossible to rebuild Midgar there again. Not that we want to, but Reeve’s very upset about it. It’s his home after all. But Reeve told us that even if there were only a little hope, he’d never give up. So there he is, along with a bunch of workers rebuilding his Midgar. Yep, his. Reeve would be the mayor for the Neo-Midgar. He’s starting a police force to keep the monsters out and he tried to offer us the job. We politely declined the offer as all of us had our own things to do. He is also starting another company called Reeve and friends’ Cooperation. It’s gonna be a big organization. In fact, it will become the biggest company in the years to come. I have to say that it’s really organized, and they have won the support of many commoners. They always seem to have a sound plan to solve problems and have no trouble dealing with any difficulties. It’s gonna be a tough job, but Reeve’s willing to do his part. He’s also helping Barret out with North-Corel. Now, he’s working so hard that he hardly has any time for himself. I bet he’s going to have a nervous breakdown soon if he doesn’t take a day off one of these days. He doesn’t even have the time to search for a soul mate. I wonder if he wants to remain a bachelor…J Oh yes. We’ve checked the town plan and has made sure Neo-Midgar will have no mako reactors.
Cait Sith is now on his own, after Reeve made an electronic brain for him. He’s very happy that he can work on his own without Reeve’s control. At least he’s free now. Even the mog can think for himself. Luckily, he decided to stay with Cait, otherwise Cait’s going to have a hard time getting away from the pound (I don’t think Cait can run very fast). J Then they traveled around the world for quite a while, until the kids in a town (I don’t know which one, he just refused to tell me!) started to whine, crying to their parents that they wanted to buy a robot like him. Of course that was impossible, so some parents tried to pay Cait to stay with them as a pet. A PET! Well, can you imagine that? Maybe they might start feeding them cat food. So they figured out that having a cat on a mog walking around the streets was rather weird. Although he traveled with us during our trek to save the world, but he was always behind Cloud, as a second or third party member. So, the kids don’t really see him. After much thinking and consideration, they decided to find a job in the Gold Saucer as a fortuneteller. He got it of course. Although their skills may not be that accurate, he’s attracted lots of customers. When you have a fortune told, you don’t really want to know the future, it’s usually for the fun of it. And, you don’t find such a funny pair of fortunetellers anywhere, do you? Cait’s popularity is rocketing nowadays, he’s so well-liked by the children that Dio gave him a small part of the wonder square, completely dedicated to him! Kids simply adore that place and of course, Cait himself. He’s going to host a kids’ program soon. Hee, never expected any of us to become a celebrity. I think the program’s name is "Cait Sith with his moogle friend". Barret complained to me that even Marlene’s becoming a big fan of Cait. And I mean a really BIG one. She has got posters, photos, toys and many, many other Cait Sith merchandise. And she’s bound to hog the television set when the program comes out. Marlene is getting really popular in school, being the daughter of Barret Wallace, one of the heroes who saved the world, and knowing all of us, especially Cait. Her friends have been bugging her for a signature of Cait! Well, of course she’s also a gentle and helpful girl.
Cid’s enjoying himself too. After he went back to Rocket town, one of the first things he did was to propose to Shera. Looks like Cid has finally understood Shera’s sacrifice for him and knows how to appreciate her. That day when I visited them, Shera told me how he proposed to her. She said that Cid just blurted that out all of a sudden, saying something like he’s sorry for being so rude to her in the past and wants to seek her forgiveness, blah blah blah. Then, he dug out a ring from his pocket and just pushed it to her, asking her to put it on. He didn’t even kneel! Lucky for him, Shera understood why and agreed. The couple has been working on their wedding since then. They’re also working on another rocket, which will be named ‘Shera No. 1’. And guess what? Cid named it! Barret laughed at him, claiming that the once tough Cid had turned soft, which is sort of true, at least to a certain extent. Shera says that he’s a lot nicer and gentler towards her now, and he hasn’t exactly scolded her ever since he was back. But Cid denied it and claimed that it was going to be a memorial for their wedding. He hasn’t given up his dreams of being the first man to explore space, so they plan to go on a honeymoon in space using that rocket as well. Imagine, strolling in space, admiring the stars and the moon… Aww…It’s sooooo romantic. I can’t wait for the wedding! Well, that’s what they wish for, but reality is harsh. Cid doesn’t have enough resources and manpower to build a rocket. So Shera suggested using the Highwind to fetch people back and forth the continents to earn some cash. I have to admit that she’s got brains for business. They’re earning quite a fortune, around 500 gil every trip. It shouldn’t be long before they earn enough to build the rocket and blast off into space. I really look forward to that day. I hope that day arrives soon.
Red XIII, or rather, Nanaki has gone back to Cosmo Canyon. It seems that he has ascended his duties as the guardian and is serving his hometown well. I’ve heard someone say that he’s absorbed in books everyday, other than fending off intruders. It figures. A typical Red XIII hobby. If my memory does not fail me, Red is doing a research on the lifestream and the Cetras. And Red wrote a letter (wonder how he wrote it, with his paws? ^_^), telling us two very important things, one happy one and one very sad one. I think I’ll start with the sad one first. Old Bugenhagen had passed away, right after giving Red his Limited Moon weapon. Red didn’t tell us at that time because he was worried that the news might affect our mood. Poor Red. He must be very upset about it. Bugenhagen was a very important, or perhaps the most important man in his life. But don’t worry Red, because you are not alone. You never will be. Your grandfather and father will always be there to guide you when you need advice and help. Bugenhagen didn’t die, he’s still alive, and he’ll always be. He’s living in Red’s heart, as a part of him. All the things he left behind, the memories, the love and the knowledge would always remain. People die, lands diminish, but not our hearts. So, cheer up Red. And we’re with you as well. Right guys? The good news is that Red has found more of his kind in the forest near Cosmo Canyon. There are seven of them, three males and four females. Including Red, there’ll be eight, four of each type. How wonderful. They won’t have to fight for a mate.^_^ Red’s getting very close to one of the females. Her name’s Katrin and they have strong feeling for each other. I think I hear church bells ringing in the distance…
Oh, the Turks are also doing well. We have settled the score with the three of them and have come to the agreement that if we don’t bug them, they won’t bug us. But really, we’re getting along with them very well. Even Reno’s cool, or rather, cold character has worn down a little, and he’s not picking fights with Barret anymore, unlike when we just made the pact. He’s becoming more matured, thankfully. Reno has found himself a job in Reeve’s company as a high rank guard. He likes the job and the time is very flexible, which suits him just nice. The pay’s great too… He’s also found himself a girlfriend. Her name’s Sara and she’s the daughter of one of the major investors of Reeve’s company. Reno is changing his rough manners to please her father now. Ha, he’s changing a lot just for her. It just proves how much he loves the girl.
Rude’s working for Reeve’s company too, as Reeve’s personal bodyguard. He’s still as quiet as ever, and cool too. He has caught the attention of many of the female employees and is rather popular with the girls. But I guess he prefers to be alone. Reno joked that Rude’s going to marry the company. (Hee, hee.) One day, maybe not very soon, but one of these days, he’ll get himself a bride too. You just wait and see, Reno.
And Elena’s getting married to someone very unexpected. It’s…Reeve! Hard to believe, isn’t it? But it’s true. The lovebirds are getting married next month. Reeve had always been quite interested in Elena ever since she joined Shinra, being the only pretty girl there (Forget about Scarlet! She’s just an old hag!). So, he’s been asking her out on dates the last few months. They got along very well, and soon became a loving couple. Elena has mellowed out a lot and has attempted to do the housework. But, well, she fared terribly. Thus, she gave up the idea of becoming a housewife and decided to help her fiancé in his work as a secretary. They’ll be able to meet each other everyday this way.
And Aeris. The beautiful and noble Aeris. I wonder where is she. Guess I’ll never find out… I’m starting to think differently about things, seeing them in another angle. I think everyone on earth has a certain duty to fulfill, a purpose. Aeris had finished hers, thus she left. She was like a ‘guest’ whom we all invited, only to leave soon, after doing her part. However, before she left, she left her footprints on everybody’s heart. The footprints can never disappear, no matter how you scrub or clean. It will always be there. This is not only because she was an ancient, but also because of what she gave us. She gave all of us hope during despair, and a place to find comfort in when we’re down. So, it wasn’t surprising that all of us felt so lost and confused when we lost her. We had lost our pillar of support suddenly. I bet none of us will ever forget her, it’s just impossible. Not after she’d done so much for us and the world. Now when I come to think of it, she’s really like an angel. I remember a poem that can be used to describe her very suitably, here’s now it goes:
Like an angel, she came from heaven above
She shared her compassion, her pain, her love
She only stayed with us long enough to teach
The world to share, to give, to reach.
Cloud and I went back to Nibelheim. We decided to take a last look at it before we head for Cloud Villa in Costa Del Sol. Nibelhiem had become a ghost town, quiet and eerie. We were the only ones there. The Shinra actors had left. Looking at the place brought back many happy memories, the promise with Cloud at the well, my childhood. It also let me remember the painful day mum died and the terrifying Nibelhiem fire. That was something I had never anticipated and will never forget. Even if I wanted to, the scar on my body given by Sephiroth will not allow me to do so.
Sephiroth… He killed my childhood friends, the innocent villagers, burned Nibelheim and even killed Aeris. I would never forgive him. Yet, his story evoked my pity. If Lucretsia were there for him, maybe things wouldn’t have turned out so bad. She might have been able to teach him how to love, how to express himself and what have you. He would have been able to understand his existence. To be frank, I wanna ask him this: ‘What makes you think Jenova’s your mother?’ I just don’t understand how he can take Jenova for his mother. I mean, who would believe that his mother is an alien? A monster? He was every bit like a human, except his tremendous powers. But he still lost the battle to Cloud. Does that mean that Cloud’s a monster? I don’t think so. Perhaps he was manipulated, just like Cloud. But sympathy is sympathy, and hatred is hatred. It’s two different matters. I still hate him. Like I said before:‘ Sephiroth… SOLDIER… Mako reactors… Shinra… Everything! I hate them all!’
Well, there is one exception.
Cloud just came into my bar (also called ‘Seven Heaven’. It’s in Costa Del Sol) this late evening, and pulled me aside. Then he started saying things like since we grew up together, we should have a really strong relationship and stuff like that. Then he just went red in the face and went onto his knees all of a sudden. When I was wondering what prank he was playing, he produced a ring in his hands and asked for my hand. Cloud never fools around with issues like this. I knew he was very, very serious. He grabbed my hand tightly and looked at me in my eyes. My legs went soft, just like jelly and I fell to the floor, as though melting. I started to sob. For a while, I just sat there, crying my heart out. I was much too happy to even say a word. Cloud just knelt beside me, patting my head, consoling me. I was so overcome with joy that I leapt into his hands. After a while of silence, I agreed.
He suggested having a double wedding with Cid and Shera, or even a triple wedding, including Red and Katrin. I said anything was fine as long as he’s happy. Getting married with Cloud was exactly what had I yearned for so long. This is going to be fun. A triple wedding. Not a lot of people get to experience this. We’ll have our wedding in a beautiful church decorated by thousands of lovely flowers. Then, all our friends, dressed so formally that my jaws would drop, would come and give us their best wishes and presents too. Nah, I just want them to come and I’ll be satisfied. Barret, Elmyra, Marlene, Yuffie, Vincent, Lucretsia, Snow, Reeve, Cait Sith, Reno, Rude, Elena… All of them! With these people around, life can never be boring. We have so much to say, so much to do. Wow, then Cloud’ll hold my hand in his, and we’ll stroll down the red carpet. And then, a priest would declare us husband and wife. Oh, it’s so exciting! After that, we’ll speed off for our honeymoon at a serene holiday inn. We’ll enjoy the peace and tranquility. Finally, we’ll return to Costa Del Sol. Once that happens, I’m sure we’ll… hey! Wait. What’s that line they always use in fairy tales? Oh yes. I’m sure we, Prince Cloud and Princess Tifa will live happily ever after. J
(PS: The poem about Aeris is from a tag from one of the beanie babies, Princess.)