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Tifa was not from Wutai. She did not grow up there, she was not born there and she had no ancestry there. She still called it her second home.
After the destruction of Nibelheim she had no family or home to call her own. Even worse was that she had been injured so badly by Sephiroth that she had nearly died. She still had the scar across her chest to prove it, though it had faded with time. Zangan, her teacher, had found her and carried her on his back to safety. He had brought her to Wutai to heal, about as far as they could go from Shinra.
Tifa’s body recovered, but her heart did not. She had a burning hatred for Shinra in her heart. Wutai was the perfect place for her. Tifa was already a good martial artist when she arrived, but now that she was here, with more people to teach her, she improved dramatically. Tifa combined Zangan’s styles with the styles of Wutai to create her own, personal style. She also had found a kindred spirit in the young princess of Wutai, a girl who hated the Shinra as much as her.
Yuffie was courageous, cunning and very greedy. Her skill shinobi training just made her all the more audacious in her acts of thievery. Tifa soon found herself tagging along, as much to protect Yuffie as to try and stop some of her larger thefts.
It was a hot summer night and Tifa was writing a letter to Zangan. The noise was a small one, it would barely register to anyone else. To Tifa it was almost like a siren. She rose from the table and crossed the room, sliding open the paper and wooden door. Tifa stepped outside, the wind gently tugging at her hair and trying to pull it free.
“Where do you think you are going, Yuffie? You know your father won’t be happy about you sneaking out.”
Yuffie turned around. She had her armor on one arm, her shuriken in hand and a bag slung over her back.
“This isn’t what it looks like.”
“Then what is it?” Tifa crossed her arms.
Instead of replying, Yuffie threw something onto the floor. With a bang it released smoke that eagerly filled the area. Tifa coughed. She could hear Yuffie running away. Tifa wanted to chase after her, but it was too hard to breathe. She was forced to wait until the breeze cleared away the smoke for her.
Tifa went back into her room and grabbed a pre-packed bag that she had prepared just in case something like this would happen. It had some clothing, documents, money and supplies. She wasted no time as she took off in the direction she had heard Yuffie running in.
Tifa managed to follow Yuffie all the way to a small fishing village. Yuffie always managed to stay one step ahead of her. A few quick questions around town and she discovered that Yuffie had paid a boat to take her across the sea and to the coast outside of Rocket Town.
She had little choice but to pay to cross the sea herself and follow to Rocket Town. Tifa had almost caught up to her there. She did not see Yuffie herself or find anyone that recognized the name, but all the townsfolk were talking about how the materia shop had been robbed the night before.
Tifa did not even stay long enough to spend the night. Instead, she found a small path that would lead her to the closest town. She tried not to think about where it would take her. She did not want to see the burnt out remains of Nibelheim, but that is where Yuffie went and so that is where Tifa would have to follow her.
Tifa locked away her worries and her fears. She focused on pushing herself to reach Nibelheim as fast as she could. If she was at all lucky she would catch up with Yuffie before reaching it.
Tifa was not lucky.
Yuffie had seen Tifa out of the window of the inn. She had been about to duck and hide but something caught her attention. It was Tifa’s expression. She looked agitated and on edge. Yuffie watched her talk to a person and saw her expression turn to one of disbelief.
Yuffie did not like those expressions on Tifa at all. Yeah, she might have teased her a little bit, but it was never that mean. Seeing someone make her visibly upset made Yuffie well up with an anger that she did not know she could possess for anything that was not Shinra.
Without thinking about it, Yuffie threw open the window and leapt out it and onto the ground between Tifa and the man. She dropped into a stance that she thought looked intimidating.
“Hey, back off. If you mess with Tifa than you mess with me.”
“Listen, I wasn’t trying to make her upset. I honestly don’t remember anyone like her living here.” The man threw up his hands in practiced disbelief before turning and walking away.
“Thank you, Yuffie,” Tifa said.
Yuffie spun on one foot to face her. “Are you alright? I can go teach him a lesson.”
“I’m fine,” those words did not sound very firm. “Come on, we need to return to Wutai. Your father will be worried about you.”
“I’m not going back to Wutai. Not until I have enough materia to free it from the Shinra and turn it back to its previous glory.” The look Yuffie gave Tifa just dared her to try and force her to come back.
Tifa sighed, but for the first time since arriving in this town a small smile tugged at her lips. “I guess I am just going to have to accompany you until then.”
Yuffie and Tifa had been waiting in the high branches of the forest. People who traveled and regularly had to use materia would have stronger ones then the young crystals sold in shops. The two had already successfully ambushed two groups, both small units of Shinra soldiers on patrol.
Now, they were watching a very odd group. The leader was wearing a SOLDIER uniform. He was not the odd part. The odd part was the four legged creature, the woman in pink and the man with gun for an arm. Yuffie was confident the two of them could take on all four of them. Something was bothering Tifa about the, but she was not sure what it was.
Yuffie gave the signal and leapt from the branches and to the ground in front of the travelers. Tifa landed behind them. The battle was brief and fierce. They were better than either would have given them credit.
The animal had knocked Yuffie down. She was hurt. Tifa rushed to put herself between Yuffie and the blonde man. She brought her fist back and launched it at the man’s face, and then stopped just an inch from it.
“Cloud, is that you?”
“You’re… Tifa, right?”
Seeing someone that Tifa knew from Nibelheim was almost too much for her. She threw herself into Cloud’s arms, hugging him tightly. Her eyes were growing moist with tears.
“I’m so happy to see you again.”
Yuffie picked herself up from the ground. She glared at the reunion.
The two joined the group. They learnt all about their journey in pursuit of Sephiroth. They traveled alongside the others and they fought alongside them. Tifa was eager to find out what had happened to Cloud. It seemed like she was always around him.
Yuffie did not like it at all. Tifa was supposed to spend all her time with her, not with him. Yuffie would admit that she did like Aeris and Red XIII. Barret really was not that bad. If Tifa was not around him, she did not mind Cloud that much either. It was just when Tifa was talking to him and all her attention was on him that Yuffie found herself mad.
So she began to devise a plan. There was a certain spot near Wutai that would be perfect for her to take their materia and one. Once she was gone then Tifa would have to leave the group and follow her. It really was the perfect plan. She would get materia, it would help Wutai and she would get Tifa away from Cloud. Nothing could go wrong with her plan.
“You aren’t hurt, are you?” Tifa asked Yuffie.
They were back in Yuffie’s home in Wutai. Her plan had not gone so well when she and a Turk had been captured by that pervert. Tifa was trying to check Yuffie over for any type of injuries. Yuffie was busy squirming and trying to slip out of her grasp.
“I’m fine,” Yuffie sulked.
“I know you want to help Wutai, but why did you steal the materia? Why didn’t you trust me?”
“You look at him too much!”
“Look at him?”
“Cloud!”
“Yuffie, Cloud and I grew up together. He is the only person I know from my past that is still alive. He’s special to me.”
“I want to be special to you!”
“You are special to me.”
“I am?” Yuffie turned to clearly look Tifa in the eye.
“Of course. You are one of the most special of them all.”
Yuffie edged up to Tifa. In one motion she kissed Tifa on the lips and then was scampering out of the room, leaving behind a confused and blushing Tifa. It finally dawned on Tifa that the materia had not been the only thing Yuffie was trying to steal from Cloud.
Yuffie was laying on her bed in the Gold Saucer’s inn. She had spotted Cloud and Aeris going out on a date. That was fine with her. Aeris was a nice person and Yuffie was glad to see her enjoying herself.
There was a knock at the door.
“It’s open.”
The door opened and Tifa walked in. She was smiling at Yuffie. “There are going to be fireworks tonight. Do you want to watch them with me?”
Yuffie was up and across the room. “Sure, I mean the ones in Wutai are definitely better. But I can watch these ones with you if you want.”
Tifa wrapped her fingers in Yuffie’s and led her out the door and onto their first date.