Bulu

“That’s right. I may have been attracted to a bustling lifestyle full of glamour and glitz, but what I actually craved was privacy and stability. Sure, there might not be a lot going on to spice things up, but to make up for that, bad things didn’t happen. I just took my showers, patted myself on the back and called it a day!”

“But the situation changed again.”

“How’d you guess?”

“I’m beginning to see a pattern here.”

※

Every few days, a young man would come to buy lunch. He would hang around for about a minute each time and watch over her with a gentle smile as she worked. Tifa recognized him as a regular.

“Happy 18th birthday,” said the young man.

“Huh?” Her hands automatically froze. “How did you—”

“Because you’ve already celebrated your 17th.”

That jogged her memory. He had to have been one of the people at the Planetology movie screening that Jessie had brought her to see. Her pulse quickened.

“Tifa, what’s the matter?” said Uncle, his tone piercing. Sometimes, customers would turn up to talk and monopolize her time, wanting her all to themselves. Uncle must have mistaken the young man to be one of these men. She told him everything was okay, lowered her voice and asked the man, “Do you know Jessie? What about Biggs and Wedge? They were with me that day.”

The young man’s expression turned gloomy.

“Yeah. There are rumors floating around that those guys are in Avalanche, so I've been distancing myself from them. Not everyone who studies Planetology agrees with their ways.”

“Of course not.” She needed to play along.

“Are you looking for them?”

“We have a debt to settle.” She hoped to be forgiven for that small lie.

The young man appeared the next day and ordered steamed buns.

“About what we discussed yesterday. I made some inquiries from my friends. The owner of the Stargazer Heights apartments in Sector 7 might know something about them. She’s got connections.”

“You went through all that trouble to ask for me? Thank you!”

“I’d like a favor in return…”—The young man lowered his voice.—“Can I take a picture with you?”

“Of course!”

He handed his camera to another customer behind him and struck a pose. Tifa leaned forward over the food cart counter to fit inside the frame. Her smile came naturally.

“Just one more shot!”

He wasn’t finished speaking before Uncle shouted from the back, “Hey! I’m gonna charge for that!”

Then came Wednesday. Compared to Sector 8, Sector 7 appeared to be much more cluttered. The entire place looked like one big alleyway, and the dust—perhaps due to the lack of proper pavement in several places—was quite concerning. Shops were lined up haphazardly along the road.

Occasionally glancing up, she saw glimpses of the pillar that supported the Sector 7 plate. She checked for directions, and after asking people a few times, arrived at Stargazer Heights without getting too lost.

It was an old, two-story building lined with a row of doors in the common corridor outside. She noticed AC condenser units. Perhaps each room came equipped with an AC.  The rent here definitely won't be cheap, thought Tifa to herself.

A thin, elderly woman stood at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the second floor. She looked over at Tifa, her mouth ajar.

“Why, if it isn’t Tifa!” It was Marle—one of the patients hospitalized at Damini’s clinic. How many years had it been since they met? “What are the odds! Why didn’t you come and see me sooner?”

“I didn’t know where you lived.”

“But you had my address, didn’t you? I gave it to, uh, what’s his face… The doctor’s son.”

Rakesh hadn’t told her anything. It couldn’t have possibly slipped his mind if he had been told. If that was the case, then maybe he never intended for her to know...

“How is the wound on your chest?” asked Marle.

“Much better. But there's still some pain.”

“My back’s taking its sweet time to heal too, even though it’s been my pride and joy and once mesmerized numerous men. Anyway, where are you off to? I’m quite well known around these parts. Ask me anything.”

“Is this Stargazer Heights? I came to see the landlord who owns these apartments. I heard she has connections.”

“Why, that’s me!”

“Really?! You see, I’ve been searching for some people.”

“Who are you looking for? Tell me.”

“Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge.”

Marle narrowed her eyes. “Biggs and Wedge are in the Neighborhood Watch. Jessie’s a young girl who’s often with them.”

Bingo.

“They’re my friends. We hung out together last year, but I have no idea where they’ve gone now.”

Marle’s eyes were completely shut. She appeared to be thinking over something.

“How much do you know about that group?”

“You mean... Avalanche?” whispered Tifa.

“I understand. So? Do those guys know where to find you?”

“Yes. They came over a few times.”

“And have you considered their feelings—of those people who don’t want to meet you?”

“Yes. That’s why, even if we can’t see each other, all I want to know is if they're okay. I was about to give up on that, but I got some info that might lead me to them, and I just couldn’t pass it up! I wanted to give it one more shot before I really gave up.”

“Hmm. I’ll look into it. Do you have some time?”

“Yes. Until evening, at least.”

“Alright then. Come here.”

Marle gestured for her to come closer, gave detailed instructions on how to get to a bar owned by one of her acquaintances, and then asked her to wait there.

※

“And this is where another connection was formed. The name of the bar and restaurant was ‘Seventh Heaven’.”

※

The Seventh Heaven bar and restaurant was larger than she had imagined. The terrace alone, built one level above the ground, could accommodate four food carts. The interior could easily fit eight carts. If each sold 1,000 steamed buns in a day, then she could make 36,000 gil per day and pay off her debt in just a few days! Thinking about that brought a bitter smile to Tifa’s face.

She surveyed the interior once more. Wiping the food carts from her imagination, she realized the place was empty. In front of her, sat a glass of iced tea, white and cloudy. She noticed the chip in the glass too.

From the look of it, the person tending to the bar and restaurant was the old man who was by himself at the counter. His hair and mustache were pure white. He wore a neat grey suit with a necktie and seemed the very picture of a proper gentleman. But, the man had a terrible complexion; He was deathly pale.

She recalled his frail voice and how slowly he moved when handing over her drink; if any more customers were to come in, she doubted he’d be able to handle them. It was obvious why the place was empty—A pity for such a nice establishment.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” said Marle as she slipped into the seat opposite Tifa. She did not look like she would be ordering any drinks for herself.

“About finding your friends. I've made arrangements to let them know you're searching for them. They'll find out for sure. You can be certain of that. I guarantee it. But the rest is up to them. You can’t force them. Understood?”

“Yes.” Things hadn’t gone the way she expected, but she felt like this was a step forward in the right direction. “Thank you.”

“Now’s not a good time.” Marle spoke in hushed tones. “Things are shaky for those at the top in Avalanche. Shinra senses this and is continuing with the Avalanche hunt. Avalanche has had a series of their meetings shut down. Nobody can get a hold of them, and they seem to be breaking off into smaller groups. That’s why they’re easily getting squashed by Shinra.”

“I see…”

The image of Jessie who had escaped, blood dripping down her face, flashed in her mind. So that fiasco was still ongoing then?

“Oh right,” said Marle, as if something had popped into her mind. “Your message will reach your friends. Provided they’re still alive, of course. I’m sure that part’s obvious to you.”

Marle walked her to the train station to send her on her way home. Along the way, the topic of the deserted Seventh Heaven was brought up. Old Man Monty, who was tending to the counter, was the owner and manager. After selling cocktails at a food cart for ages, his dream was finally realized with the construction of the bar. Business was thriving when it first opened, but lately night-time operations had ceased.

“A charming bartender used to serve drinks there, but she quit. Set her sights on becoming a Shinra employee and moved to the top of the Plate. He’s been looking for a replacement, but hadn’t had any luck finding one. To make matters worse, Monty’s lost all his energy with his declining health. He's actually younger than he looks, you know. He and I are around the same age.”

Marle sighed.

“Is that bartender who quit the only person who knows how to make those cocktails?”

“Monty is a first-class bartender himself, but his elbows and shoulders are all worn-out. If we don't do something, that place is going to fall into the wrong hands. He still owes quite a bit of money to the carpenter who built the bar.”

“That’s a pity. It’s a nice place.”

“Right?”

Just a little further down and they would reach the train station. Marle stopped and seized her by the arms.

“Do you love money?” Her tone was hushed and secretive.

“I don’t know about love, but I need it.”

“Good answer.” Marle seemed satisfied. “Now, Tifa. When is your next day off? Want to come over again?”

“I have Wednesdays off… But why? What's going on?”

“I’d like your help at the Seventh Heaven. You can come every Wednesday.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll talk to Monty about it. Sounds interesting, don't you think?”

Actually it did. Besides, it seemed like it would be fun. It had been a while since she remembered what “having fun” felt like.

“It's your only day off. If you plan on resting, you should certainly do so. But I have to tell you this.” Marle lowered her voice. “What the former bartender earned is supposedly eight times what you make doing sales.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll be there.”

In the back of her mind she thought perhaps it was a mistake on her part to make an instant reply.

She had heard somewhere that when you have something to look forward to, your work becomes more fulfilling. Uncle was in high spirits since sales were doing well. What she needed was to rearrange her schedule so that Wednesdays would be free from morning until night.

On Wednesdays, she usually reviewed her lessons from the secret manuals all in one go, so what she would have to do was portion out and allot those exercises to other days instead. Now that the purpose of her training wasn’t simply to “kill time”, she had one less obligation to worry about.

Wednesday arrived. She hurried over to see Marle early in the morning, and the two headed to Seventh Heaven together.

Monty, elated to the point of overwhelming Tifa, told her he looked forward to her success. Apparently, he valued her two years of experience working at the food stall.

The restaurant would open at 11 a.m. and serve lunch until 2 p.m. There would be a daily special plate, and that would be the only dish served on the menu. Monty would handle the cooking. From 2 p.m. until 7 p.m. would be tea time. Drinks were coffee, black tea—hot and cold—and two types of juices. There would be cake and cookies too. Except for the coffee and tea, everything else would be purchased from other shops. Bar time would start from 7 p.m. to midnight where they would serve drinks and simple snacks. Since the opening of the bar, their cocktails had been their pride and joy. But, after the bartender had quit, they could no longer serve them.

“I have this pain in my elbows, you see, so I can’t shake a mixer,” said Monty.

“Aren’t there plenty of other cocktails that don’t need to be shaken?” said Marle.

“Marle, you know it’s not about that. A bartender who can’t even shake a cocktail shouldn’t be serving them. It’s a matter of principle.”

“Who cares about that when your bar is on the line? You’re a fool!”

“Excuse me…” Tifa interrupted with some hesitation. “What do you  mean by that? Shake what?”

Both Monty and Marle turned to Tifa, stunned.

On that same day, Tifa walked around the inside of the bar and on the terrace, waiting to serve customers until 8 p.m. as they had agreed.

"It's easy for dust to collect on the terrace tables, so make sure to check on them and wipe them clean,” said Marle.

Following Marle's instructions, Tifa went outside onto the terrace, and it was there that she felt the eyes of passersby on the road, in a little square in front of the bar, look over in her direction. No, not just passersby, but people in the surrounding shops and houses too.

“Tifa, your face looks too stiff.”

“I’m feeling a bit nervous. They’re watching me, aren’t they?”

“Of course they’re watching you. Who else would it be?”

It finally dawned on her. He must be using her to draw customers to the bar. The same way Uncle did. Alright then. If that was how it was going to be, then so be it. But what she didn’t like was the idea that that was the only thing people saw in her. She wanted to garner respect from Marle and Monty for her skills. It was no longer fun for her knowing that she was only being used for her looks.

“Excuse me, but…” She mustered up the boldness to speak up. “The lunch plate doesn’t look appetizing at all. I’m really sorry. I know I just started here today.”

“Don’t be. I understand. I’m aware of that myself. Something needs to be done.”

“I’m sure you can manage. And I’m sure Marle will give us some advice too.”

“I don’t want to owe her more than I already do, but it can’t be helped. Let’s bring it up to her next week.”

That week, what should have been a deserted bar and restaurant was jam-packed to her disbelief. Once it turned into bar time, Monty, persuaded and prodded by Marle, made cocktails at the counter. Tifa worked busily among the merry drunks.

At 8 p.m., as specified, Monty paid her 1,000 gil.

“So much?!”

“That's roughly 50 percent of our sales so far. If you stay here until midnight, I’ll give you twice as much. Drinks brings in good profits.”

"Wow, that's great! But I’ll have to excuse myself for today. I have work tomorrow too."

"I hear you. I’ll be waiting for you next week then.”

After making arrangements with him, she was preparing to leave when Marle entered, her voice echoing in the bar, "Come on, Tifa! Time to go!"

The room became filled with groans and protests. Marle glanced over at Tifa and laughed unapologetically.

“I’ll be back next week! I look forward to working here at Seventh Heaven!”

Tifa bowed her head and walked out. It was a different kind of exaltation from what she felt after achieving the sales goal at the food stall. On top of that, the pay was 1,000 gil with the potential to be 2,000.

※

Beside her, Red XIII’s entire body shook.

“You’re laughing, aren’t you? You’re definitely laughing at me!”

“You’re just imagining things.”

Even his voice was trembling.

“If I didn’t pay back all that money, I’d still be trapped, okay? I couldn’t help it. But it sure does seem like money was the only thing on my mind at the time.”

“I heard someone say that chasing after gil can change a person.”

“That’s true. But in my case, I’d prefer to call it ‘growth’.”

※

Early in the morning on the next Wednesday, after she showered and returned to her container, Rakesh came over.

“Morning, Tifa! Heading out somewhere again today?”

“Umm, I made plans to see my friend.”

“Oh, so you made some friends.”

She struggled to answer him. Even if she really had had plans, was it necessary to tell Rakesh?

“Oh, sorry, sorry. You’re free to do anything you like. I mean, it’s your day off.”

“What was it you needed?”

“Manson’s getting worried. Worried that you might be working somewhere else. At least that’s the info he got.”

“Well, I’m not.” That might have come out too harsh. Lying made her tense up.

“Well, that’s fine. I'm just letting you know.”

“Okay.”

“You’re mine.” Rakesh looked like he was in pain. “I’m not actually saying that to you, alright? It’s just…you were placed under my supervision, so I have my own responsibilities.”

“I understand.”

When did Rakesh Orange start to become only a gloomy presence in her life? So was Manson who was always lurking behind him. Regardless of what type of person he was, she intended to pay back every last gil. It was a matter of stubbornness and pride. With the steamed bun business booming, it wasn’t hard on her. She and Uncle also had great teamwork. But if she could earn good income at the Seventh Heaven on top of that, perhaps she could get rid of her debt sooner?

However, an incident occurred at the Seventh Heaven.

“Monty collapsed at the end of last week. It was his heart,” Marle informed her.

“Huh?” Tifa felt like her own heart was being squeezed.

“They might have saved his life, but it won’t be easy for him to continue working in this business. Such a pity. He was so eager too.”

“I see…”

She recalled how his face lit up when he talked about doing the lunch set. Like a grandfather speaking about his own grandchild. The kind of eyes she saw plenty of times among the seniors in the Calisthenics Club. Perhaps the Seventh Heaven was like a grandchild to Monty, or perhaps…

“These past three days, I’ve been doing the best I could, but baked sweets, coffee and tea are the only things I know how to serve,” said Marle. “We’ll go with those items today. And no food. We’ll need to open at 11 am and close by 5 p.m. as well.”

“5 p.m.? Isn’t that too early?”

“Any later than that and the number of intoxicated customers will start to climb. Sorry, but I don't want to be around drunks. And you’re still a beginner yourself.”

Her plans came crashing down. The news made for a lacklustre morning. Despite that, she and Marle went ahead and got things ready, and then opened doors for business.

“Good grief! He’s here again!” Marle, who was behind the counter, had leaned over and was peering outside. “He’s been squatting down in that terrace seat every single day since the week before, idling over that one cup of coffee and a glass of juice for hours.”

She glanced through the window and noticed a large, dark-skinned man about to take his seat. Across from him was a little girl. Tifa couldn’t help smiling at the sight of her. The little girl struggled to climb into her chair. It didn’t look safe. The man, whom Tifa took to be her father, noticed the child, gathered her in his arms and hoisted her safely into her seat.

“They’re father and daughter. Barret and Marlene Wallace. Marlene says she’s ‘two yearth old’.”

“You asked her?”

“Well, I’m an old, meddlesome lady. You think I’d just stand around and not say a word? Oh, by the way, they’re both homeless. Come on. Go and take their orders.”

Their orders were, sure enough, one cup of coffee and a glass of juice. When she finished preparing the drinks and brought them over, Marlene told her “thank you” in a lovely, sweet voice. Tifa nodded slightly towards her. Barret, on the other hand, only slid his sunglasses up and glared at people.

An hour passed since then.

“We’re not getting any customers.”

Only two parties came, drank their coffee and hurriedly left. Last week’s crowd felt like a dream.

“In my estimation, there were at least five customers who were about to walk up the stairs. They were probably all after you though."

The time kept on ticking. Another hour and they would have to close shop.

“Marle, I don’t want to be like this, but it’s so hard not to be upset.”

“You’re talking about Barret, aren’t you? He keeps on scowling at people walking by. No wonder we’re losing customers.”

“There’s that, too. But I’m talking about that little girl—about Marlene. I feel sorry for her. If you go up close, you’ll see how dirty her clothes are! Don’t you feel bad for her?”

“Oh that…”

“Can’t we do something to help her…?”

“Tifa, you’re talking to a veteran at meddling. Can’t even count the number of times I’ve gotten myself into trouble by sticking my nose into other people’s business. So here’s a warning for you. Before you start interfering, decide ahead of time what your boundaries are first.”

“Boundaries...?”

“Take this drink over to that little girl. Tell her it’s on the house. That’s as far as I’m getting involved when it comes to those two. Smells like trouble to me.”

She started preparing the glass of juice with feelings of uncertainty in her heart. Boundaries. How far would she be willing to go to help the child? If she wasn’t going to help her all the way, then wouldn’t it be better to leave things alone? She placed a straw into the drink and carried it out onto the terrace.

“Tell them it’s almost time for us to close,” said Marle.

Two chairs were lined up together with Marlene curled up into a ball sound asleep on top. What a poor yet lovely little girl! She looked so small and tiny. Barret Wallace then leaned his entire body over the table and scowled out at the road, and it was at the moment she realized he was missing his right hand. His arm ended at the wrist and a dirty cloth was draped over it—the cloth fastened to his arm with a leather strap that was wound round and round over it.

Tifa became terrified. Mishaps. War. Violence. Blood splattering.

Barret noticed and looked at her. He removed his sunglasses revealing a pair of large eyes with surprisingly long lashes. Despite the atmosphere that radiated from his entire body, his eyes were charming. Alright. She would look only at his eyes while talking to him.

“This is for Marlene. It’s on the house.” She placed the glass down near Marlene, trying not to wake her. “Oh, and also I’m really sorry but we’ll be closing at 5 pm today.”

“You’re kidding?” Barret, taken by surprise, stared at her with a bewildered look on his face.

“No, I’m not kidding. Actually, due to circumstances, we won’t be serving any alcohol, so we’re taking a break from our nighttime business.”

“You’re kidding…”

“No, I’m not. I’m really sorry.”

“I heard you!” The man backed down easily, but the way he talked to her was rude. It bothered her. She wanted to tell him off but suppressed the thought and left the table. When she put her hand on the door leading into the bar, her leather bracelet—a gift from Master Zangan on the last birthday she celebrated in Nibelheim—came into view. Emotions were to be controlled. She was supposed to look at it whenever she felt overwhelmed by her emotions.

Tifa wondered if she managed to keep her emotions in check earlier. However, could it be just an excuse for her not to do anything? Perhaps her archenemy wasn’t just that strong anger that made her forget reason but also her tendency to avoid trouble by taking only temporary measures or feigning sympathy. Ever since she was a child, she was easily influenced. Perhaps that was the reason why she had so many unwanted memories?

“I won’t lose,” she muttered to herself, and then returned to Barret’s table once more.

“What do you want? Still got an hour left, don’t I?”

“Yes, you do. But when time is up, where will you go? Where do you plan on taking Marlene?”

“…….”

“Where do you sleep everyday?”

“Different places.”

“Oh really? And do you have a change of clothes? She’s not wearing any socks. Does she even have any? And her shoes have holes in them.”

“You see plenty like us around the slums, don’t you?”

“Not to this point.”

“Well, at least we ain’t dead.”

Tifa slammed her hands on the table, giving even Barret a jolt.

“So it’s okay as long as you’re not dead? You need to do better than that! Get her washed up and put on some clean clothes for her. Doesn’t matter if they’re hand-me-downs.”

“Daddy…” The noise must have woken up Marlene. “Daddy, is she yelling at you?”

“No, uhh, yeah—Uh, no.”

“Please don’t be mad at Daddy.”

Marlene glanced up at Tifa with an expression full of sadness.

“I’m sorry. Did I wake you?” Tifa turned to Marlene and smiled.

Marlene shook her head from side to side and said, “Don’t yell.”

“Okay, I won’t.”

“Thanks.” As she inclined her head, little flakes of dandruff fell from it. Tifa caught a whiff of her unwashed body odor. She couldn’t take it anymore and glared at Barret.

“After we close up shop, you’re both coming with me to Sector 8.”

“Huh?”

Marlene watched her with trepidation. Tifa turned toward Barret and lowered her voice. “When you’re here, you scare away all the customers.”

Barret, still dumbfounded, said, “Sorry about that. I mean it.”

“Please don’t yell at Daddy,” Marlene pleaded once more.

What kind of life had these two been leading up until now?

When she explained the situation to Marle, the woman gave her an expression that conveyed complete exasperation, and said, “I thought I warned you.”

“Yes. And I heard every single word.”

“Good grief! You’re worse than I am! Wait for me. I’ll be back in time to close up shop.”

She hadn’t been tending the shop for more than an hour before Marle returned, appearing on the terrace and calling out to Barret. The large man removed his sunglasses as he listened to Marle speak, and kept repeatedly thanking her. What was happening? Not long after, Marle led Barret and Marlene inside the bar.

“Monty’s room is in the basement. It’s a livable space. We’ll have Barret and his daughter use it. I’ve already gone to ask for his permission.”

“Who’s this Monty you all keep talking about?” asked Barret.

“He was working at the counter last week—The white-haired man.”

“That old fart?”

“Don’t be rude. He happens to own this place.” Barret ducked his head at Marle’s words. It was amusing watching every single one of his exaggerated movements. He might be a bit rough around the edges and inconsiderate as well, but he didn’t seem like a bad guy. “Monty’s been worried about Marlene since you first showed up.”

“Should go and shake his hand.”

Marle drew close to the corner wall, checked down at her feet, and then jumped lightly with thud! Then the floor, partitioned into squares, began to sink. It was an elevator.

“Wow!” cried Marlene, rushing over. Barret shouted for her to be careful, but panicking, gathered her into his arms.

“You guys should come too!” Marle's clear voice called from below. The floor partition rose back up again. Barret turned to Tifa. She nodded at him, and then went to stand on top of the elevator floor. Barret, with Marlene in his arms, lined up beside her.

“Daddy, are you gonna make it go BOOM?”

“Yeah.” Barret jumped up and stomped on the floor, and once the floor fell, the three of them descended. A section of the original floor passed in front of them, and they could see the basement. There was a comfortable looking room with a soft bed, an expensive looking sofa table, and two chairs. There was also a TV. It looked like a good place for two people to live.

“Monty wanted a secret base. Just like a little kid. He spent way too much money on all these contraptions and whatnot. Says he wants to put a pinball machine up there. We’ll see about that! Well then. Make yourselves at home.”

“Where’s Monty? I need answers from him to make sense of all this.”

“Well, I don’t know about getting answers, but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Alright you two. Get moving. Time for you both to shower. You’re stinking up the whole place. Oh, and here. Some clothes for Marlene to change into. It’s a complete set from top to bottom. From the looks of it, she’s not wearing diapers anymore, is she?”

“Nope!” Marlene bragged.

Tifa wanted to throw her arms around her and hug her. This new feeling that arose within her startled her—Was this what people called maternal instincts?

“Alright then… Tifa? Leave the rest to me and you can just—Oh! Almost forgot! Let’s go back upstairs for a bit.”

The two of them stood on the elevator.

“You have to jump on it!” said Marlene.

Marle narrowed her eyes, and then stomped on the floor. Tifa thought about what kind of person Monty was for making such a contraption. What sort of life had this white-haired grandfatherly gentleman been leading up until now?

“I’d like to go and greet Monty, and maybe see how he’s doing.”

“Now’s not a good time. You can go after things have quieted down a bit.”

“I see…”

“Come on. It’s okay! I’ll look after him. Goodness gracious! We’re hopelessly linked together. Anyway, enough about that. Don’t you think Barret would make a great bodyguard with those fierce looks? We need lots of help with the physical work at the bar too.”

Tifa burst out laughing. Wasn’t that basically a bottomless act of kindness? Wasn’t Marle the one against the idea when Tifa brought it up to her that she was going to take them with her to Container Alley in Sector 8? When Tifa pointed that out to her, Marle shrugged it off.

“I hate losing, that’s all. Even when it comes to meddling, I can’t let myself lose to you, missy.”

As they arrived at the terrace, Marle, careful of their surroundings, said, “I received a message from Jessie. She said to tell you, “I'm going to see you on my day off the week after next. Wait for my call.”

The week after next! It was more good news than she had expected.

“How about that then?” Marle boasted.

“Thank you so much!”

“But aside from that, I can still count on you next week, right?”

“Of course,” she said, and then left the Seventh Heaven. Turning back several times to look, she noticed some customers visibly disappointed that the bar was closed. Did they come there for her? Tifa regretted not being able to greet them with a smile.

The idea occurred to her that perhaps it would be good for her to learn how to make cocktails. If she could learn, they could reopen the business at night and not have to wait until Monty had recovered. It was a fascinating idea. But before that, she should think about developing the lunch menu first. Ideas, no, dreams popped into her head one after another.

"Welcome back." Rakesh greeted her in the passageway. He had been waiting for her where Gatekeeper used to always sit.

"I'm back."

"Where did you go?" he began to ask, but cut himself off and shook his head from side to side. "Sorry! Sorry! You see, these kinda questions just come out naturally.”

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm working as the security guard until we can find a replacement."

"Oh, really? Must be hard on you."

"Yeah, maybe. But you do what you gotta do."

"That's true. Well, good night."

Tifa, fearing that Rakesh would bring up again that they couldn't escape from Manson, got away from him. She unlocked her container, went inside, and turned on the lights. Wow, what a life of misery! She felt like the few good things that happened today all got wiped out the moment she returned to the container.

She retrieved the knapsack hidden at the bottom of her clothes bin and began to count what was inside. But it wasn’t necessary for her to count to know how much money she had. There was enough to finish paying off her debt a year sooner. In other words, just two more years. Just two more years and she would be released from Manson's rules. She suddenly felt energized. She rose up and began reviewing her kata.

It had been several years since she saw Zangan. She wondered where he could be. The flow of her kata had completely changed into the “Tifa-ryu”, into her own style. Was that okay? She wanted his guidance. Was he somewhere here in Midgar? Was he even looking for her? All he had to do was go to Damini's clinic and ask about her, and they’d be able to tell him where to find her. Rakesh could show him the way.

"Oh!" She had forgotten. When Marle was discharged, she had told Rakesh her whereabouts, didn't she? What did he do with that information? She left her container and returned to the main street in the alley.

“Rakesh.”

"Hm?"

"Did Marle ever give you her address?"

"Marle?" Was he trying to play dumb? "Ahh. You mean that old grandma who was hospitalized several years ago? I remember her. But, her address? Not a clue. She's really old. Maybe she's going senile. Lots of people like her think that they did something, but it turns out they didn't. Like I told you, she never told me anything like that—”

He was rambling. His conscience must have really bothered him.

"Have you seen Master Zangan?"

"No, I haven't."

"Since when?"

"Uhh... Let me think..."

Had this guy always been such a terrible liar? She was furious at herself for not having seen through his lies. She squeezed over her left hand with the leather bracelet. On second glance, she saw that the cord had turned completely black.

"It's been a really long time since we met."

"If you see Master Zangan, make sure to tell him about me. Tell him about this place, about the food stall, and where to find me. Let Dr. Damini know about this too."

"Yeah, of course."

His smile had returned. Perhaps because he thought that their difficult conversation was finally over.

The next Wednesday, there was sad news waiting for Tifa who had been so excited to see Marlene again. Monty had passed away. His condition became critical on Sunday night, and then by early Monday morning, he had taken his last breath. Barret and Marlene were able to speak to him on Sunday and thanked him for lending them the basement room.

"I was supposed to take you to go and see him next week. I'm so sorry for what I did," Marle apologized, clutching Tifa's hands. Then, without a hitch, she said, "Alright! I promised Monty this. We're going to work our butts off and make this place come alive once more!"

Marle, Barret, and even Marlene faced forward and started moving. Work was divided among them for the opening preparations. Barret mopped the floors with intensity. Little Marlene went around wiping down chairs with a rag. She wore a cute one piece dress with a large decorative ribbon tied around her waist, and her hair was brushed until it was nice and shiny.

"We're only staying open until 5 pm in the evening again. No alcohol. Afterward, I'd like to talk to both of you about something. Something Monty wanted me to discuss."

A decent number of guests showed up that day. Marle laughed, saying that it was a good thing Barret left right when they opened. It seemed to be part of his daily routine ever since he started living in the basement. He would leave Marlene with Marle and go out. Marlene would sit at a children’s stool at the counter and tend to the shop.

“Barret and Marlene came to Midgar a year ago when Marlene was still a baby,” said Marle, careful to speak so as to not let Marlene hear. “They wandered around from place to place studying Planetology. Whenever he heard there was a gathering or a screening, he would show up. That’s why he started camping out on the terrace, looking for a young woman he met at one of those screenings. Her name was…”—Marle lowered his voice.—”one you know pretty well. Jessie. Jessie Rasberry.”

Tifa nodded quietly.

“The rest is up to you. I’ll respect whatever decision you make. But that won’t stop me from giving my opinion.” Having said that, Marle left the counter to serve customers. Tifa was suddenly curious, so she peeked behind the counter, and her eyes met Marlene's. She puffed out her cheeks and crossed her eyes at Marlene. It was the kind of funny face her mother was so good at making for her. What on earth was going on with her? Marlene burst into peals of laughter.

After the shop was closed and when it was time to clear things away, Barret returned. Today either, he couldn't find the woman named Jessie whom he was looking for.

“Come on, Marlene!” called out Marle. "Want to go and watch some tv downstairs? Stamp the Loyal Dog is about to start.”

“Stamp?” Marlene turned to look at Barret.

“Go on! Go and see!”

With a good-natured "okay", Marlene went to the movable part of the floor. She shouted out, “Boom!” and jumped into the air. The moment she landed, the floor began to drop. Marlene waved goodbye at them as she descended down below.

“Now then. Tifa, you first. This one is simple. It’s a souvenir for you from Monty,” said Marle, leaving a memo book on the countertop. “It contains his life’s work—His cocktail recipes. He told me to give this to you.”

Her heart was pounding in her chest. This felt like destiny. Calling it “destiny” would not be an overstatement. The memo book was the same size as the secret manuals that Zangan had given her. Even the color of the paper was the same.

“Are you sure it’s okay for me to have this?”

“As long as it's not too heavy.”

“I’ll hold on tight.”

Tifa took the notes and flipped through them. It was covered with Monty’s meticulous handwriting and drawings.

“Whoa, incredible! If you learn how to make them and open the bar at night, business will be booming! I can work as a bodyguard. See any pesky drunks, and I’ll catch them by the neck and toss them straight out!”

“That might actually be fun. It would be nice if we could really make it happen,” said Tifa.

“Thought so!” Barret seemed proud.

Marle, however, dropped her gaze.

“What’s the matter?” asked Tifa.

“If we don’t have 200,000 gil ready by the end of this month, the bar will change hands. Monty said that he hadn't been able to pay the carpenter—the man who’s also the boss who named this bar the Seventh Heaven. The boss extended the due date, but it seems he's already run out of patience.”

“200,000 for this place? That's dirt cheap!”

“That’s just the money due now. The rest we pay daily.”

“Oh, makes sense. Hold up! We don’t have any money! Doubt we even have 10 gil between us.”

“Monty had 40,000 saved up, so we need 160,000. If we don’t have it ready, the bar will be sold. It’s a nice location, you see. There’s plenty of buyers ready to snatch it right up.”

“Tch! Bet that’s gonna make Marlene sad,” said Barret. He sounded so casual about it.

“Don’t tell me you plan on sleeping outdoors again?!” exclaimed Marle.

“Hey, we’ve got good quality sleeping bags.”

“Unbelievable!” cried Tifa.

Sensing blame from her, Barret snorted in annoyance.

“I want Marlene to have good memories too. Wear her pretty little dresses, have her hair tied up, get to shower everyday, and sleep in a nice comfortable bed every night. But I don’t got money for all that! What do you want me to do? What I have instead is freedom. Just think. What’ll happen to you if you get yourself into debt? Money will tie you down and make you feel trapped. That’ll make your parents cry!”

Barret was only talking about a hypothetical situation but it came as a shock to her. No matter how much hope she had in herself, anyone else looking at the situation she found herself living in would think that she was making her parents sad.

“Well, my parents are no longer here.”

That was the one thing she could object to.

“Huh? Did I hit a nerve? Buried in debt at your age or something? Well, sorry about what I said. But even if they’re dead, you still have your parents. They’re one with the planet, and you’re connected to the planet. And through that connection, you’ll always be with them, whether they’re dead or alive.”

“When they die, they return to nothing,” Marle interrupted. “There are no more regrets. They’ll continue living on in someone’s heart. Isn’t that good enough? If you’re gonna start lecturing on Planetology, you’d better go elsewhere.”

“Hmph!”

“Well, then, I guess we've come to a conclusion. I'm sorry, but this place is closing at the end of the month.”

“Alright! Let’s give it all we’ve got till the end.”

Why were they getting over it so easily? That frustrated Tifa. Was it all right to make such a quick decision on such an important matter?

“Are we gonna lose our house?” asked Marlene. They didn’t know how long she’d been upstairs. “Are we gonna lose the store?”

She looked like she was on the verge of tears.

“Weren’t you watching tv?” asked Barret.

Marlene tilted her head to the side. “Are we gonna lose our house and have to sleep outside again?”

“Don’t you worry. Daddy will make sure you’re okay. I’ll find us another house.”

“But I like it here.”

Barret drew close and reached over to hug her, but she slipped through his hands and hid behind Tifa.

“I wanna stay here!” she said before crying out in a heartbreaking wail.

“I have the money—160,000 gil,” Tifa blurted out.

Marle and Barret turned to her in surprise. Was that okay? Was that the right thing to do?

When it was time for her to head home, Barret asked to walk her to the border of the slums. When she refused, he said he needed to talk to her. Marlene was left in Marle’s care, and the two of them exited the Seventh Heaven.

“I'll pay you back. One day, I promise. Even if it means making my parents cry.”

“No. I want to work at the bar. I want to make cocktails using Monty's recipes and have lots of customers. I think it’ll be fun. It’s true I felt sorry for Marlene, but she was only the catalyst. The truth is, it's for me. So forget about the money. If you really want to pay me back, you can buy a pinball machine for the bar.”

“Alright.”

The more they talked, the more she felt relieved. Yes. Yes, that’s what this was all about. For my future, for me to survive here, the bar will be my secret base.

“By the way, I heard you know Jessie Rasberry?”

She turned to Barret in surprise. “Did Marle tell you?”

“Nah. Heard it from Marlene. She knows I’ve been looking all over for Jessie.”

Oh yeah. It had to be that one time. When Marle was telling her about what Barret was up to, Marlene had been there.

“Can you help us meet up?”

“Why do you want to see her? If you want to join a Planetology study group, I can introduce you to someone else I know. Some are among our customers.”

“The Planetology stuff’s just a front. The real plan is to get into Avalanche. I’ve heard that Avalanche often blends into Planetology study groups, so whenever I caught wind of one of these study groups, I’d join. Out of all of them, the only one I knew for sure was Avalanche was Jessie. ‘Course I’ve tried searching for others besides her, but Shinra’s been clamping down on them. They’ve all gone into hiding.”

“Guess it’s connected to the incident at the Corel Mako Reactor.”

“Me and Marlene—we’re from Corel.”

She looked at Barret, surprised.

“They took our families and our homes from us. Everyone says it was Avalanche’s doing but I know it’s all Shinra. I’m gonna blow ‘em up into a million little pieces! Talking about the mako reactors—Got that?”

As they walked on, he pointed towards a reactor.

"If we don’t do something to stop them, they’ll destroy the planet. Those reactors are draining the lifeblood from it. I never really paid attention until I started studying Planetology. But, no matter how you look at it, you just can't go off and fight Shinra on your own. You need people on your side. We can do anything. Not alone. But we can if we work together. Ain't that the truth?”

Jessie had told her something similar inside the container. She broke into a smile.

“Come on, Tifa. I’m begging you. I think this is the kinda 'connection' Marle’s always talking about.”

“Could be. But it’s not my decision to make. I need to ask Jessie first.”

“Yeah. I owe you one!”

She promised Barret she would talk to Jessie about him when they meet up next week, and the two of them parted ways.

A week would pass by without incident. At least that’s what she thought.  It happened on Tuesday evening. The Sector 8 Steamed Buns were selling well. After they wrapped up business and she had drawn the food cart back to base, Uncle said, "Hey, Tifa. You still hanging around with Avalanche?"

"Huh?”

Did she ever tell him about that? She remembered he had given her a warning about it, but...

"Not anymore. They went away somewhere."

"That's good." He was unusually expressive. She wondered if something had happened.

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

"At 10 o'clock tomorrow night, Avalanche will be holding a meeting. Shinra plans on attacking them right then and there. They're preparing helicopters and special forces up top.”

"They are?"

"You're the best partner a man could ever have. I don’t ever wanna see you looking down. If you have friends there, I think you should let them know."

"Thank you. But I’m okay."

"Yeah. Alright then. I'll see you after the break. Let's  challenge ourselves to 1,500!"

For some time now, she had been feeling a sense of guilt, as if she was betraying Uncle.

"Um, I—" Tifa stopped in her tracks. "After I finish paying Manson, I'm going to quit."

Uncle hooted in surprise. "So you've got enough to pay him back?"

"I still have a ways to go, but I want you to know now."

"Then let's aim for 2,000. You'll be able to pay him back sooner that way, right?"

Rakesh was there on the road in Container Alley.

"Welcome home."

"Thanks."

She tried to walk past while avoiding his gaze.

"Hey, Tifa. You have tomorrow off, right? It's been a while. Mind visiting the clinic?"

"Sorry. I have plans tomorrow."

"Ah, well never mind. Another time," said Rakesh, backing away.

After she had walked a short distance toward her container, she changed her mind and turned around.

“I'll stay here and work until I pay everything back. You don't need to worry.”

She would use all of her savings towards the Seventh Heaven. That was why she needed to double her efforts to pay back her loan. That was the right thing to do. She was positive.

“Now then!”

Tifa returned to her container and agonized over her thoughts. She needed some way to inform Jessie that Shinra was planning on attacking during the Avalanche meeting. There was a possibility Jessie was already aware. Besides, there was no telling if she would even participate in that meeting. But Tifa couldn’t just leave it alone like that. There had to be some way of getting the message across to her.

“Oh!” She had a sudden flash of inspiration. It was worth a try. Walking out of the container, she ran over to Shower Guard.

"Good evening."

"Hi there, Tifa. Here to shower?"

"But first, please listen to me," Tifa whispered. "At 10 o' clock tomorrow, Avalanche will be holding their  meeting. That info got leaked to Shinra Company. I need to get this information out to the people at Avalanche.”

“Why are you telling me? The only ones saying my son’s with Avalanche are the people at Shinra. Well, even if it’s true, I haven’t seen him in ten years. I have no way of knowing.”

“Right…”

“But still, where’d you get your hands on such dangerous information?”

“From someone I work with. People call him ‘Uncle.’”

She wondered if it was alright to talk to her about it. Did Shower Guard, by any chance, know who Uncle was?

“Hmm. Well, I won’t say I don’t know him, but I can’t help you.”

On that note, she stopped talking altogether.

"I'm sorry for bringing up something strange like this."

There was no response.

Maybe she could ask Marle to pass on the message again. Even though each time it took a long time to reach them, perhaps that was her best option. What if she headed over to Sector 7 now? It was late at night, but she’d have to be at the bar in the morning anyway. She could probably stay there overnight. As she was getting ready, she heard someone knock at her door.

“No need to open.” It was Shower Guard’s voice. “After we talked, I remembered my son's contact info. I tried calling that number and the call went through. I gave him the information you gave me. He said thank you, and he’s going to tell all his friends.”

“Thanks.”

“There’s one more thing. A message from the other side. ‘Tomorrow, Wednesday night at 9 o’clock, at the movie theater on your birthday.’”

“Huh?”

She sensed Shower Guard leaving. She didn’t know what the message meant. But then it hit her. It had to be Jessie. The movie theater on her birthday must be the empty house where she had celebrated her 17th birthday.

She went in for her shower early the next morning. Even though she and Shower Guard saw each other, the woman acted as if nothing had happened. Maybe that was her way of doing things. There was so much she wanted to ask her. Like how fast it took to communicate. Apart from her son, did she also get in touch with Jessie? She said she remembered her son's contact info, but the line of communication in the Slums was supposedly worse than in Nibelheim. She wondered if there was some method they knew of that she didn’t.

As Tifa left her container to go to Sector 7, she turned back just before leaving the alleyway to look at a group of containers lined up. She had been trying not to think about it, but wondered what kind of people lived there. It was funny to imagine Jessie secretly living in one of those containers. That seemed so unlikely.

The interior of the Seventh Heaven was bustling with activity, even though the shop was still preparing to open. Marlene was running around wiping down the chairs.

“Last three or four days, Marlene’s been getting popular. Business is booming. We can do just fine without serving alcohol!” said Barret.

“What nonsense. We still have a ways to go. Now, Tifa. About the payment we owe to the boss. Next Wednesday at seven o’ clock in the evening, do you mind handing it over to him here? I’ll have him come over.”

“Alright. I understand.”

“But how are you going to carry all that money?”

“Oh...” She hadn’t thought about that. There were a lot of bills, but also coins too.

“I’ll help you,” said Barret. “We can close up shop and move the money during the day.”

“We can still keep the business running without you. Leave the restaurant to Marlene and I. You two go and get the money.”

“Roger that!” answered Barret cheerfully.

“Alright then. Let’s work hard today, shall we?”

The bar and restaurant was thriving. As Barret had boasted, Marlene’s presence was a huge factor. The number of customers with their families was increasing. It seemed to have been recognized as a place where people with children could enjoy.

As the evening wore on and the last of the guests were leaving, Marle approached her.

“You’re meeting Jessie tonight, aren’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t forget she’s with Avalanche. Just because Jessie’s a good person, doesn’t automatically mean her friends are good people. No, maybe they are, but people who preach about justice scare me. A lot of those guys think that as long as they're waving the flag of justice, they can do whatever they want.”

“Okay.”

“Now get out of here. Whenever I see your face I can’t stop lecturing.”

“Sorry for worrying you.”

“You should be sorry!”

Marle seemed like she still had something she wanted to say, but Tifa left Seventh Heaven after promising to pay her next week. The meeting place with Jessie was on the Sector 8 side of the border between the Sector 8 and Sector 7 slums.

The house sat on a vacant lot bordered by the outer wall. When she had lost touch with Jessie, she went there several times by herself on her way home from work. The vacant lot was used as a scrap yard. She had never been in any danger but still felt nervous.

Nights in the slums were artificial, but nights on the outskirts felt closer to what was real. It was a different kind of horror being able to tell the difference. As she approached the periphery, the smell of the air changed. The night air smelled real.

“Tifa.”

She nearly jumped from fright from being suddenly called out, but when she turned around she was met with a face she had longed to see.

“Jessie!”

Jessie had on a jacket with a hood and jogging pants. She sprinted over to Tifa with light footsteps over piles of scraps.

“Tifa, it’s not safe here. Get away—?!”

For a moment, she had no idea what had happened. There was a crackling sound, and then sparks flew everywhere.

“We’re being shot at. Let’s run in a zig zag and head back to the slums.” Jessie took her by the hand and they started running.

She heard the same sound again. More gunshots. Something grazed her cheek.

“Ow!” She touched the area and felt blood on her fingertips. The blood rushed in her ears.

“Over there!”

But there was no time to spare even a look in any direction.

“Take me with you!”

“OK!”

The sound of gunfire started again. The bullets plunged into the ground, hitting scraps and scattering sparks, before bouncing away. Disorderly sounds. Weapons flying out. She was scared. She felt like throwing up.

"Careless."

“Huh?”

“Open your eyes. Look around you.”

She hadn’t even realized her eyes were shut. The two girls hid behind the wreckage of a large, unidentified machine—a construction vehicle,  perhaps—and held their breaths.

“I think there are three guys shooting at us with machine guns. They’re hiding somewhere. This place looks safe, but once we make our escape, we'll have to expose ourselves temporarily."

The sound of gunshots ceased. Perhaps their location hadn’t been discovered.

"Ugh! No way! I bet they're waiting for us to make a move."

"Who is shooting at us—And why?"

“Avalanche scheduled a joint meeting today. It was supposed to be held near the outer wall in Sector 8, but word got out that our location was leaked out to Shinra, so it got cancelled. And then, surprise! Shinra had some sketchy info about an Avalanche meeting at the perimeter of the slums. So, right now, those guys are hitting every suspicious spot near the outer wall. Hear that? Listen carefully.”

She heard the faraway echoes of gunshots and explosions. Helicopters were chopping through the skies above.

“The place where I called you out to is practically right at the outer wall, so I started panicking. Luckily I got there just in time! If we climb over, we’re dead meat! You’re probably wondering what the hell is going on. If this were a play, someone would come and save the heroine... But, I doubt that’ll happen in real life, huh? Tifa, are you carrying any weapons?”

“No. But I’ve trained in martial arts.”

“Cool! But I don’t suppose you’ll be able to fight those guys shooting at us from faraway.”

“No. Probably not. I don’ t know. I won’t know unless I try.”

“You've never even done this before? Oh no you don’t! It's so typical of you self-confident people to act reckless!”

Shots rang out. The bullets hit a piece of metal nearby, ricocheting with several bangs. Unlike before, the bullets rained without letup, the sounds changing from intermittent to continuous gunfire. The sound itself seemed to have the power to kill.

“Is this the routine where they approach while trying to intimidate us? I don’t wanna die! I can’t die! We’ll just have to surrender. We can look for a chance to escape after. Uh, a handkerchief. I need something white.”

As Tifa sat puzzled, there was a very loud burst that sounded like thunder. Then, silence. No, she could still hear shots ringing, but it seemed to be coming from a distance.  Or had her ears been damaged from the noisy gunfire?

“Hey! Tifa! You alright?”

The voice was familiar.

“Huh? What’s going on?” said Jessie. “Is this where the hero comes in to save the heroine who’s in trouble?”

“Tifa! You alive?” It was Barret calling for her.

“Yeah, I’m alive!” Her voice was different—She sounded weaker.

“Alright. There’s no one here. Get outta there—quick!”

Jessie went first and then Tifa followed, stepping out of the shadows of the rusty vehicle.

“Hey, Jessie. Long time no see.” Barret was standing about ten meters away.

“What’s going on? Barret, what are you doing here?” asked Jessie.

“Just the person I wanted to see. I’ve been looking all over for you.”

“Creep!”

As she listened to their exchange, Tifa couldn’t take her eyes off Barret’s right arm. There was a gun—or some kind of weapon—attached to it, thicker than his arm. She could see a number of muzzles. Was there still heat in it? The muzzles appeared to have a slightly red glow.

“Barret, your arm…”

“You mean this? I usually take it off. Think of it as proof that I mean business.”

Three Shinra soldiers were lying on the ground at his feet. So were their large and heavy guns, which had been used, unmistakably, to spray bullets at them earlier.

“These bastards got a bit trigger-happy with you two. Kept on getting closer, and had their backs exposed. Now listen up, Tifa.”

“Huh?”

“If I didn’t kill them, they would have got you.”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t tell Marlene.”

“I won’t.”

Gunshots were still ringing out in the distance. Helicopters were circling high and low in the air.

“Hey you two?” said Jessie. “Shouldn’t we be running away by now?”

“Yeah, you’re right. Tifa, we’re going to your place.”

“Why?”

“Marle told me to make sure you get home safe and sound. Jessie, you come too. We need to talk.”

On the way to the Container Alley, Barret told them the story of how he ended up in that vacant lot.

“Marle said she had a really bad feeling about it, so she ordered me—more like kicked me out—to follow Tifa out of the bar. Lost her once in that maze of scrap metal, but those Shinra idiots were shooting at you all like crazy, so I knew right away where you were.”

“You say it like you’re so proud of yourself.” Jessie glared at him. “But it was a pretty close call.”

“Well, it turned out alright in the end, didn’t it? Hah!”

Before long they entered the passageway. Rakesh, who was Acting Gatekeeper, stared at the three of them in surprise.

“They’re my friends.”

“Alright. Got it.”

Rakesh was overwhelmed by Barret. He took two obvious steps back. He looked so funny that she felt the tension—which had been building since they were at the vacant lot—melted away.

Exiting the passageway, they stood in front of her container.

“Welcome to my humble abode! Thanks for walking me home. Would you, by any chance, like to come inside?”

“Looks cramped in there. I mean, it’s not that I really wanna go in, but I need to talk to Jessie. We're gonna be talking about some dangerous stuff, so I appreciate you letting us borrow your room.”

“It's supposed to be our girl’s night out.”

“I'll make this quick.”

She unlocked the door and opened it, ushering Barret in first, then Jessie, and then squeezed herself in last.

“Wow, it’s really cramped in here with three people.”

Tifa couldn't help but laugh when she saw Barret looking uncomfortable.

“Damn, you need to move out. Nobody should be living like this!”

“I’m going through some stuff.”

"So, Barret, what did you need to talk about?"

"Yeah. About that." Barret plopped down on the floor and scratched his chin. "I'll say it plain and simple. Let me in Avalanche. You're my only hope. Take me to your leader. Elfe, right?"

Jessie sat down on the bed and, sure enough, began to stroke her own chin. Tifa leaned against the wall and listened in on their conversation.

“Hmm.” Jessie scratched her cheek, then at her side. “Simple for you, but not for me. But I’ll explain to you, so listen up.”

Barret leaned over.

“Something strange is going on with the mainstream Avalanche being led by Elfe. Their objectives aren’t clear. That’s why some have distanced themselves and formed their own independent Avalanche. But each group is so small—Groups of three, ten, maybe twenty at the most. Not enough to make even a blip on Shinra’s radar. That’s why we’re trying to get together. Take down Shinra, destroy the mako reactors, protect the Planet, gain autonomy for Midgar, and restore the Republic. See? We all have different goals. Tonight's meeting was supposed to bring us all together. But how could we get together, when it’s not possible for even just the three of us—me, Biggs, Wedge?”

“Huh?” Barret raised his eyebrows.

“I want to stop the reactors. Bomb them or something. Biggs hates Shinra anyway. He’ll do whatever it takes as long as it gives them some trouble. But there are a lot of ordinary citizens who’ll get caught up in our mess too. That’s why we’re still not ready yet. Wedge says he’ll follow me and Biggs. Our hearts are all in it, but we’re just going in circles. If someone were to ask me at the meeting, 'Okay, so what does the Sector 7 Slums Chapter—that's what we call ourselves—feel is your aim, and how are you going to achieve it?' I don't think I can answer that question.”

"The point is you need someone who can take charge and be a leader, not just for you but Avalanche as a whole."

“Yep. That’s exactly what I mean.”

“I’ll do it. Yeah, I’ll do it.”

“If you say so,” Jessie chuckled.

“You won’t know unless you make a move. What works, what doesn’t, or what kinda reaction you’re gonna get. You can fix problems as you keep on rolling. The worst thing you can do is to be too smart and overthink things. Let's get moving. Let me give you that push forward. Ride on my back. Who's in charge now? Jessie, is that you?”

“No. The Sector 7 Slums Chapter is ideologically equal. I love consensus decision-making.”

“That ain’t working out to great, is it? So why not try changing that? Right?”

“Hmm. Tifa, what do you think?”

“I think it’s better to have more people on your side. Besides, it’s good luck.”

“You can’t be serious?” Jessie was taken aback. “But, well, Barret does have that horsepower fueling his heart, doesn’t he? Barret, you have that drive—I mean, the ability to take a step forward. I think that's something we lack. Yeah. Things haven’t been working so far and that needs to change.”

※

“This was the beginning of our Avalanche. Biggs seemed to have a hard time with Barret at first, but he gradually got sucked into his pace too.”

“A takeover?”

“You could say that. Barret’s drive got the other groups involved and we grew bigger. But the more people there are, the more opinions going around, right? Barret couldn’t handle it and exploded. This happened several times, and each time, the Sector 7 Slums Chapter got smaller. The last time he went ballistic was the defection from HQ.”

“Surprised you stuck with him.”

“Because, you know, we had a connection. That connection led me to meet you too, Red.”

“Humph!” Red XIII dexterously scratched behind his ears with his back foot. “So, what happened to that guy?”

“Hmm? Him, who?”

“Rakesh. There's more to this story, isn't there? So what happened?”

※

Time flew by quickly, and it was Wednesday again. Early in the morning, Tifa finished her daily shower and waited for Barret to arrive. They were to carry 160,000 gil together. The money was a deposit to become the owner of Seventh Heaven, so to speak. The debt left by Monty would be repaid in monthly installments.

After consultation, it was decided that Barret would take Tifa's advice and operate the store. To distance herself from Avalanche, Marle stayed away from the bar. However, she was more than ready to put in a word or two, and sometimes even get involved in matters. Tifa couldn’t understand why Marle had to stay away, but she guessed she had her own logic and reasoning.

Tifa would continue to sell at the Sector 8 Steamed Buns to pay off her debts. Once that was over, she planned to work full-time at the Seventh Heaven. The goal was to join them in two years. Until then, she planned on learning to make cocktails little by little.

“Come on, let’s get moving,” Barret said as he came to escort her. “Hah! Know what’s funny? Last week’s gunfire caused damage to the Plate up top too, so they’re toning down on the Avalanche hunting. This will make it a little easier for us to operate... Hey, Tifa, what's the matter?”

She hadn't heard half of what Barret had said. The 160,000 gil was not in its usual place. The entire bag was missing!

“My money’s gone.”

“Huh?”

“I put it in a knapsack and hid it in here. It's gone!”

She flipped over her clothes bin. Her underwear spilled out, but she didn’t care.

“Nuna na na na.” Barret let out strange, garbled noises.

“Stop fooling around!”

“We’re talking 160,000 gil! Course I’d be sputtering! When was the last time you remember seeing the money?”

“Last night. It was pretty late.”

“So it's gone today—this morning? You were in your room the whole time, weren't you?”

“Yeah. Waiting for you to... Oh! The shower!”

Tifa rushed out of the container and hurried over to the shower room where Shower Guard was.

“Did anyone else come in while I was in the shower?”

“You’re asking me as if I can see your container from here… Oh, the gatekeeper came to take a shower. After he found out you were in there, he went right back out.”

Tifa thanked her and ran over to where the gatekeeper usually sat. Barret joined her along the way.

“I’ve searched your house. The money’s not there.”

“I think I know who did it.”

The two ran through the slums in the early morning in pursuit of Rakesh, the acting gatekeeper. Their destination: Dr. Damini Orange’s clinic and Rakesh’s home.

If they couldn’t find him there, they would go look for him at Manson’s base. They arrived, out of breath. A man’s angry voice could be heard from inside the clinic, and then a woman screamed. Tifa reached for the door. It was unlocked. Noises could be heard from inside again. The sound of violence, of machines breaking, and of shattering glass.

“Stop!” Damini cried out.

“I’ve got the money!” It was Rakesh’s voice.

Barret puts his thick forefinger to his lips. He probably wanted to see how things played out.

“Of course I'll take it. But you're a week late, aren’t you? If you're late, we'll have to make an example out of you, don’t we? Otherwise, you might think it’s okay to walk all over me.”

The voice was one she knew well. Tifa was both shocked and confused.

“No, we won’t think that! We know you’re a man to be feared!”

“So what have you been doing all week? Tell me.”

But she couldn’t hear Rakesh’s answer.

“I’ll tell you what. I heard that you took the money your mother saved up to bet on the chocobos again. Money you were supposed to pay me back. Whadduya take me for, huh?”

“I had solid insider tips that were definitely gonna pay off.”

She heard the sound of more things breaking.

“Please don’t break it. Please!” Damini pleaded. “Manson sir!”

“No way!” Tifa panicked and tried to cover her mouth, but it was too late.

“Who the hell’s there?”

A small elderly man emerged from the back.

“Tifa…”

Uncle stood there, wearing his usual red top and bottom.

“Uncle… You’re Manson?”

Uncle’s eyes swam in different directions, and his mouth flapped open and closed. He let out a deep sigh.

“Well, not much I can do. The truth’s out now. Every Wednesday, I work this job.”

“So you were the one who had me bound by the Manson Rule?”

“Wait a minute. I don't know nothin’ about that.”

“But Rakesh said…”

“Then take it up with him. He’s in the back blowing his nose.”

Tifa was about to go towards the back when Rakesh emerged with swollen eyelids. It looked like he had just wiped off a fresh nosebleed. “Manson sir. Please take this and go home for today. I know it’s not enough.”

Rakesh offered the knapsack to Uncle—to Manson.

“That's my money!”

“We’ll be taking that back!” said Barret, knocking the knapsack from Rakesh’s hand and pulling it towards him. “Secured!”

“Agh!” Rakesh moaned, as if it was his own money that was being stolen from him.

“I need an explanation, Rakesh. Or from you, Uncle.”

“Rakesh owes me a huge debt,” Uncle began to explain in an annoyed tone. “Debts he racked up from gambling. In order to repay the money, they were charging a premium for the treatment here and making the patients pay for it. So many victims. Of course the mother was in on it too.”

“How much did my treatment really cost?”

“A third of it. I’m really sorry,” answered Damini from the back.

Tifa felt suffocated hearing her words. What did she mean, a third of it? She clutched at the leather bracelet on her left wrist. The cord snapped, unraveled, and fell to the floor.

“I mentored you so you wouldn't have to go to Wall Market, no matter how hard times got. Don't you agree?” asked Rakesh.

“Tifa, let's go. Stick around them any longer and you’ll start to rot just like them,” Barret spat out.

“I understand. But before we go—” Tifa held both fists in front of her face. She took a nice deep breath, and then slowly exhaled. The Book of Secrets, Volume 5, Number 1-1-1. A right-handed punch struck Rakesh Orange square in the jaw. He spun around and fell against the wall of the infirmary. Damini rushed over to him and cradled his head. Tifa didn’t feel a shred of guilt or remorse at seeing him like that.

“Uncle.” When Tifa addressed him, Uncle scratched his head. “So you knew everything.”

“Yeah. But for me it was hard letting go of talent. I told you plenty of times, didn’t I? You’re the best partner a man could ever have. That’s why I got on board with Rakesh’s plans.”

“I loved working at the food stall. Even if I had a hard time, I could forget it if I concentrated on the steamed buns. It also taught me the joy of work. That's why it would have been better if you had hired me normally.”

Uncle exhaled regretfully.

“I've been with the underworld for too long.”

Tifa turned her attention to Damini. “I’m all paid up, right?”

“I’ll manage the rest. Thanks for everything you did. No, I’m sorry.”

“Tifa.” Rakesh wobbled to his feet. “The truth is, I loved you…”

The Book of Secrets, Vol. 5, No. 2-2-1. A kick to the side of the head.

※

“I felt better after that last kick… Thank you for your time and attention. Yes, this is the end of the story of me and my gullible days.”

“Oh. So you're not like that now?”

“I intend not to be.”

Red XIII stared at her. Tifa returned his gaze.

“How about Zangan?” He readily changed the subject.

“I don't know. I have no idea. But the next time I see him…”

“You still haven't taken your Menkyo Kaiden yet.”

“Nope. Next time, I’ll go up against him using the Tifa-ryu. I'm a little angry at Sensei.”

Red XIII cleared his throat. Was he laughing? The wind blew again. The meadow rippled.

“Let's go to the others.”

As she stood up, the wind came. Tifa started to walk towards the wind.

Novel by Kazushige Nojima

Translated by Peko