I Know What's Beneath the Snow Fields -Chp.2


"I'm home," said Tifa, absent-mindedly as she entered and shut the door behind her.

"Hey, Tifa!" greeted Cloud, kissing her cheek quickly then returning to mopping the floor, "Whew! Glad you're back! washing these floors just isn't my thing. My back's killing me!"

Tifa sat at one of the of the tables, and stared downwards at her boots. Why did the man seem so bent on finding Vincent? In fact, how'd he know Vincent was a member of Avalanche? or for that matter, how did he even know Vincent never aged?

"Yo! Tifa!!" interrupted Cloud, placing his hand on her shoulder firmly.

"Ah! W...what??" stammered Tifa, surprised.

"You okay? I asked you if anyone showed up for that message?" Cloud bent over her, examining her face in concern," Are you alright? You looked as if you were logged on to another dimension."

"Oh, I'm fine, Cloud!" answered Tifa, cheerfully.

"Well, who sent it?"

"Sent what?"

"Sent the message, silly!"

It just then occurred to Tifa that she didn't even know the man's name.

"Hey..Cloud?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you know where Vincent went after we killed Sephiroth?"

Cloud looked at her oddly, "Vincent?? Um..no, he never mentioned where he was going."

Tifa got up, and as she made herself a drink at the bar, asked curiously, "Well, can you guess?"

"Tifa," asked Cloud as he walked up to her, "why are you asking me about Vincent?"

"No.. I was just wondering," replied Tifa, in an attempt to dispel Cloud's suspicions.

"Well, I dunno!" answered Cloud, scratching his head, "It's not like Vincent was the most talkative guy I met! All I know is his name and that he used to be a Turk in ShinRa."

"Yeah, but...where do you think he went?"

"How should I know?" smiled Cloud, uncomfortable with Tifa's persistence, " He could have gone back to his coffin in Nibelheim...or maybe he went to Junon City. Who knows?" continued Cloud as he turned away from Tifa and shrugged his shoulders, "He could be living here in Midgar, for all I know."

Tifa was silent as she gulped down her drink. Yes, she reflected, Vincent could be anywhere in the world. no wonder that man was so annoyed.

"So, Tifa," began Cloud, resuming his mopping of the floor, "did anyone show up for that message?"

"Hm? oh no," muttered Tifa, "No, it was just some idiot's idea of a practical joke." She saw no reason in telling him what happened, so she kept silent.

"Well, we'd better start opening up. Our coffee break's almost over, y'know."

"Okay," agreed Tifa. Cloud was such a help to her in running this restaurant. After the meteor incident, they decided to live together and run a new restaurant together as a business. Cloud sometimes got uneasy with this settled life, but Tifa thought it only natural. After all, everyone in Avalanche had got used to life on the road.

Tifa tossed the message in the trash basket as she set the chairs neatly on the floor. Whoever that weird man was, he seemed almost obsessed with finding Vincent.

Well, good luck to him, she mused. Vincent could be anywhere...even here in busy Midgar. And with that, Tifa forgot the matter, and thought no more of it.