Switched

Is Better Even Possible?

When the two made it into Edge from the ruined city, they kept to the alleys and not the crowded streets. Edge was still a bustling city, even after the Deepground incident, and Vincent wanted to avoid as many people as possible for now. It took some time to reach their destination. When they finally arrived, it was already dark.

Vincent paused at the door to Seventh Heaven. The bar was already opened for the night and he wasn't sure if this would be the best time to interrupt Tifa. He looked over to the woman that he had brought with him and held in another sigh. Whether it was a good idea to bring her in or not, he knew he couldn't leave her outside alone.

With a motion to follow, he walked inside. His eyes instantly found Tifa behind the bar. She had noticed him and gave him a bright smile. She waved for him to come over as she was in the middle of something and couldn't get away.

Instead of approaching the bar, he pointed to the stairs in the back. She frowned slightly but nodded that she understood. Once he was sure Tifa understood to meet him upstairs, he headed that direction.

Some of the patrons noticed him and the strange woman following him. Most of them knew who the dark-haired man was and knew not to bother him as they were regulars. They especially didn't want to bother him, as the woman following him gave most of them the creeps. Her silver hair stood out like a beacon. It was setting off alarms for most of them.

Even after the two had passed through and up into the apartments upstairs, the crowd was restless. Many of them immediately asked for their checks, keeping the barmaid from her guests even longer than she had expected. She knew Vincent was patient, so she didn't worry too much.

Once she had everyone handled, and things slowed down some, she made sure her helper had everything under control before she headed upstairs. It was almost closing time by the time she got away, so thankfully there weren't many people left in the bar.

She entered her small sitting room to find Vincent lounging on the couch, looking deep in thought. She still had not seen the tall person standing near the window. She didn't see Vincent often, so it was always a pleasure when he visited. "Hey, Vincent! How have you been? What brings you to town this time?"

Tifa's greeting brought Vincent out of his internal review. When he realized what she had asked, he paused. He wasn't sure exactly how to start. "I was visiting the church, but while I was there something happened, and I thought you should know."

Tifa had worried that something was wrong when Vincent went upstairs without a word. She was only slightly disappointed that she had been right. "What's going on?"

At this, Vincent only pointed towards the window. Tifa's eyes followed his gesture and instantly tensed when she saw the silver-haired woman by the window. The resemblance to Sephiroth was uncanny. Even the fact that she was wearing Vincent's cloak didn't reduce the amount of fear that laced through Tifa.

"What is going on, Vincent!? Is she a remnant that we missed?" Sephiroth didn't speak up right away. He only had part of his attention on the tensed barmaid. His thoughts were consumed with his hazy memories. He was back in a burning village and watching as people died around him by his own hand. This girl had been one of the ones struck down by his sword.

He was pulled from his reverie by Vincent stepping in front of him, partially blocking the view of the other woman. When he focused on Vincent, he found the man was staring straight at him and giving him a hard look. "I believe there was something you wanted to say to Tifa?"

Sephiroth gave him a small nod and stepped forward. He had no idea where to start. This was only the beginning, and he was already at a loss. The thought was depressing, but he pushed forward anyway. He wasn't one to give up, ever. "I do need to speak with you. I will understand if you don't want to listen, and I know it is extremely possible that you will not believe me if you do, but I would like to start with an apology."