Chapter 1: The Cry for Help

Cool air gusted through the opened window and stirred me awake. I rubbed my bleary eyes, sitting up wearily, and glanced around the room. It was still and quiet, but for a few papers that had blown astray and now lay in an unkempt heap on the floor, fluttering in the breeze.

With a sigh I swung my legs out from under the covers and padded across the room. A headline on the front page of the News drew my attention as I stooped to retrieve it. I straightened slowly with the paper clutched in one reluctant hand, and read the caption. I'd noticed it yesterday and had promptly discarded it, perhaps turning a blind eye.

"Another Sephiroth Sighting." Just one more amongst dozens in a given month.

The title seemed to taunt me tonight, as if to say, "But I am different. I am real!".

Numerous reports of a man in black with the trademark long silver hair had been coming in over the last few years. The most recent rave was that he was roaming the Northern Region near Icicle Village and slaughtering the local wildlife with his trademark sword. Usually it was just teenagers playing pranks, or someone who was plain senile with a Sephiroth infatuation -- We'd had our fair share of those. Yet something about this incident rang of a different ilk - the kind that just might turn out to be true.

While eying the paper with particular dislike I sat down and turned on the oil lamp. I hadn't been sleeping much lately. There was something anxious in my mind that I had yet to identify and it had been keeping me up for days now. Maybe it was connected to this, but I didn't know.

Three people had witnessed him this time, one was an adult and the other two were young teens - sons of the former. According to the article, the renown General had been slaying an animal near the snowboarding hill when the three happened upon him. He had not paid them much attention, hardly being worth the notice of his kind I suppose. Taken by surprise and certainly more than a little terrified, the trio had run back to the village and reported it.

That was the jist of it. Nothing very dramatic or mysterious; just the simple, cold hard, truth.

There was a little more to the piece, but nothing that seemed to indicate fabrication on the part of the witnesses. They had gotten a good look at him and the description was genuine enough that it might be authentic. They described a scar on his face that ran between the eyes, across the bridge of his nose, and down his left cheek, almost to the bottom of his jaw. That was new - a nice touch of artistic flare you could say. It could have come from a battle too. A battle that should've taken his life.

I sighed and leaned back in the chair, raking my hands through my tangled hair in frustration. This one might actually warrant an investigation. It'd been ages since the last one and no one expected incentive for another now that resources had been exhausted. If Shin-Ra wasn't in the middle of its reform they might do it themselves, but Reeve was too busy building a government to have the time or the extra hands to lend to a cause that more often than not was a sham.

That left the dwindling remains of Avalanche. If Cloud were here the task might not seem so daunting, but he was gone somewhere no one knows. He went traveling one day and he never came back. That was around a year ago now.

A scratch on the door broke me from the reverie. I looked up blankly and set the paper down. "Who is it?" I asked roughly, clearing my throat, and stood.

"Nanaki." Came the reply.

"Just a second." I answered and tip toed to the door. It swung open with silent ease, exposing the orange feline beyond as he sat on his haunches, waiting. "Hello." I offered a tired smile.

"I saw the light on." He indicated simply. "I thought I'd check in on you."

"Oh, I'm fine." I lied lamely, and commenced examining cracks in the floor. I was never a good liar. Guilt always broke my resolve.

Nanaki studied me sympathetically. "Perhaps you'd like to talk?" He suggested.

My shoulders sagged in silent defeat. There's no avoiding it tonight, Tifa. Might as well bite the bullet and get it over with. "You don't miss much, do you Nanaki?"

He chuckled. "I've had too much practice reading you not to notice."

"Come on in." I said, and stepped aside for him to enter.

Nanaki trotted inside. His eyes darted surreptitiously towards the newspaper on the table.

I resumed brooding by the window, feeding on the delicious fresh air. There was silver light reflecting off the hut roofs as the moon was full tonight. It was so eerily peaceful, like something on the verge of collapse.

"What do you think of the reports?" Nanaki asked eventually.

I turned around and placed my hands against the edge of the window, leaning back awkwardly. "I don't know." I answered. "It's just not possible, logically speaking. We were all there when he died. It's just that something...I can't describe it, but...it doesn't feel right."

Nanaki nodded, understanding. "I know the feeling. I fear the future does not bode well for us."

I pushed away from the window and began to pace. "I just don't know what we should do. We've had so many false alarms. Someone should go up there and find out for sure, but there's no one to do it. I'm…I'm just Tifa. I've never been the gung-ho type, especially not when I'm alone."

"It would be unwise to go alone," Nanaki advised, "And adventure is empty without companionship to share the experience with. We should call a meeting with the others."

Yes, that would seem easy enough, I thought. The problem was that I was afraid to go up there and actually find him.

Nanaki seemed to smile at me, his eyes sparkling in a sad light, "I know, Tifa. I fear it too, as do the others no doubt." He spoke softly, "But before we get carried away with our fears we must confirm them. Perhaps it is not as we believe. There have been no hostilities reported. Don't get too worried till you have solid proof."

"Which requires me to go there." I reminded him dryly. "Oh, you're right, I know. I'll call the others first thing in the morning. We'll decide what to do then."

Nanaki nodded. "I'll make preparations for their company tomorrow. It will be nice seeing everyone again."

"Yes.." I trailed off unhappily. "Well, I guess that's that." I concluded and turned away. My brow wrinkled and I lifted my head, searching, "What about Vincent?"

"He'll come around." Nanaki responded. "Vincent seems to have a knack for it."

I frowned dubiously. "I'm not sure he cares."

"Mark my words," Nanaki told me severely, "Vincent will show."

"I hope you're right." I answered.

"Well," he stood up abruptly and shook his mane, "it's time for me to retire I think. I'll see you in the morning Tifa. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Nanaki." I replied at his retreating form. He turned a left out the door and was gone.

I doubted that my night would be very wonderful. There were things on my mind, too many things to keep track of. The past kept resurfacing in unsettling ways, giving me pause to wonder. The hints were all there of something bad. It was not over; the real battle had still to be fought.

Nanaki and I had heard the cry only a few days ago in Bugenhagen's machine. The planet was dying, had been for some time despite efforts to save it, but the rate of degeneration had noticeably increased recently. It was just as Bugenhagen predicted. The death of the planet was inevitable past a certain point, but this soon?

Everything was for nothing in the end. All the fighting, all the death. If in the long run all that would come of our sacrifices were a few more years to survive, was it worth it? I guess it was better than being slaves to a God, but then not even Sephiroth could have successfully orchestrated that outcome, even if we had lost.

I shivered and returned to the window, propping myself on my elbows. It was a beautiful world out there, a bit dryer than I liked, but beautiful in its own right. The stars were not so bright with the moon to compete with, but they twinkled on merrily. My eyes closed briefly as I tried to extract some sliver of peace from the air, but my vision was filled only with the dreadful images of my past.

The reactor in Nibelheim, the flames consuming the victims of wood and flesh, and the copper scent of blood on the air, thick enough to taste – all of it came rushing back. I felt blade of the masamune as it glided through the air in a dreadful arch and cut through my flesh. The pain was slow to register, but the sensation of horror at my own mortality was paralyzing.

So many things that night that were never explained; so many questions unanswered. Sometimes it felt like there were memories missing, suddenly shrouded in shadow beyond my sight, hiding. What were they hiding though?

I shook my head angrily, pushing away the strange and consuming feeling that something was wrong with me - that something was changed. "No." I spoke firmly, chastising, and forced myself to be realistic.

Tomorrow was a big day, I reminded myself, and returned to my bed. Whether I felt capable of it or not I had to try to sleep. I sprawled out over the covers, the temperature in the room being quite warm even with the outside air filtering in, and closed my eyes. I drifted off instantly.

"... a chance…"

"To change the course of the future…?"

"It is small, hopeless…"

"…we have to try…"

"Maybe…"

This was a dreaming vision. There were words, many words, all flooding and fixed around me. The sea of voices blended together in an incomprehensible mass from which little could be understood. I could pick out a fraction of a sentence, and lose it suddenly in the next.

Change…

The course of the future…

Evolution…

A new race…

Our fate…

Must try!

Must try...

It is hopeless!

...maybe...but...

You must try…

Try fate…

In your hands…

Get going!

"Shiva?" I stared open mouthed as the Ice Queen herself glared down at me.

"You must go to the dead City, then to the secret passage through the mountains, and on to the Cavern of Ice." Her eyes cut like daggers through the essence of my soul.

I bolted upright as beads of sweat sprang from my forehead and my fingers clenched hand fulls of sheets. My muscles were tense and almost unresponsive, and I my breath came hard. Cold fear trickled down my back.

The dream was too fresh in my mind and the voices echoed in my ears as if they were here, but they couldn't be. A shaky hand swept away the liquid stench that clouded my vision. My eyes darted about the room, dreading the unknown, as if ghosts would sprout from the very walls. There was nothing though, nothing but the gentle wind and the moonlight falling on the floor.

Gradually the fear subsided, but never enough that I could lay back to sleep. It was just a dream. A terrifying one, but a dream. Somehow, that didn't ring quite true.

"Go to the Cavern of Ice!"

My eyes flared wide and I lurched off the bed, spinning around and falling onto the floor in my haste. I landed hard and might have jarred a hip, but I was too focused on what was behind me, which was nothing that I could see. My body was trembling. I tried to breathe, to stay calm, but no part of me could obey.

I gazed into the shadows, challenging them to materialize, but nothing came. The room resumed its deafening silence and it began to dawn on me that the voice had spoken within my mind, not outside.

"The dead City...?" I spoke aloud, faltering. I thought hard for a moment at what that might be, when it unexpectedly came to me. "The Cetra."

"He is there."

I swallowed hard and kept still. No... "I can't do that." I protested. "I..."

"Now and not a moment later!"

The lashing retort wracked my bones like a physical blow and I gasped, taken aback by the fierceness in the command. I was afraid to refuse. "Alright." I abdicated.

A part of me was drawn to do what the mysterious voice bid, despite the sheer stupidity a journey to the North entailed. I understood the gravity of the situation, but it was still ridiculous. I would have to go. There was no avoiding the urgency in the request .

There was a spell at work here, an enchantment of some kind. It pulled me up, gave me strength and courage, and willed me to go forth as the voice demanded. I would travel North to the City of the Dead and on to where Shiva directed me. If not...I didn't care to find out.

I immediately began a harried excavation of my room, scrambling for things to pack with me. Items, materia, food, clothing; I was ready to go in 20 minutes, including everything I was forgetting. I threw on my steel-toed boots and my stiffened fighting gloves, and hastened out the door blindly.

I grabbed a warm fur lined jacket on my way out. Knowing where I was headed, I'd no doubt be needing ti.

The hall I entered was dark, the lights having been shut off hours ago. There was scurrying from time to time of mice and the hunting cat as it stalked them. All human activity had ceased and I was able to go along unnoticed.

In the stables I found my chocobo, a throw back that Cloud had left for me because of its unruly behavior. He was a big golden chocobo with black tipped feathers - an unusual coloration - but not unheard of. Raist was his name.

The giant bird, larger than average, reared his head upon my arrival. His red eyes gleamed with a familiar intelligence not common in most animals. He was edgy with anticipation as he saw me coming.

"Yes Raist, we're going on a trip." I confirmed as I stepped inside the gate, the bridal dangling from my hands. He was surprisingly very agreeable about it. More so then I ever remembered him being in the past. He was unpredictable that way, but we seemed to be bonding pretty well with only a few wild turns now and then.

Tonight he was more interested in escaping from his wooden prison. I couldn't blame him. We hadn't gone out for a ride in weeks. I was too busy brooding about the present state of the world and my lonely existence.

Well, Raist would get more than he bargained for tonight. It would be far from a leisure ride. We would be moving fast and with a minimal number of stops.The others would find me if I didn't make haste, and I had a feeling that would not bode well for what was to come.

The face of the Ice Queen from my dream still haunted me, her beauty construed by worry and anxious fear. The words repeated themselves in my head with greater intensity, as if to impress further upon me the direness of the situation.

"Be good Raist." I crooned soothingly as I lifted the saddle to his back. Please, just this once.

Hardly surprising was his sharp lurch that sent the leather saddle flying back from whence it came. I groaned and blew a single strand of hair out of my face in irritation. It was foolish of me to believe even for an instant that he might behave.

He had made a racket too, the stall being too cramped to avoid it. My ears picked up the sound of rustling in the distance as a curious villager stirred awake. I'd have to move fast if I were to go unseen, which was my intention from the start. The saddle could be ditched if necessary, which it had become so. All my things were in a pack that I wore on my back.

I gave Raist a long hard glare before snatching the reins and leading him out. I'd not done a lot of bare back riding and as result was quite poor at it. Well, no time like the present to improve upon my skill.

To my relief Raist was quite a gentleman once we vacated the stables and had slipped silently out the back. I rode him out the rest of the way under cover of darkness,. The going got a bit rough when one didn't take the more practical way out, which was the main staircase, so I could do nothing but hold on and let Raist lead.

We rode hard into the waning darkness, past the rising sun, and into afternoon without stopping. My coat had long since been discarded about my waist, and the sun was blazing happily in clear skies above. The heat sapped my energy and drenched us both in sweat.

Raist, feeling that we'd gone far enough in a straight line, finally decided to take matters into his own hands. He made a sharp left, I lost my seat, and he hurled to an abrupt halt at the nearest water hole's edge. I was in no position to save myself at this point and went sailing over his head without further ado. My shrieking voice was cut short as I plunged head first into the water.

I kicked for the surface and came up coughing and gasping for air. After a great deal of furious thrashing about in the water I managed to slog my way back to land where Raist stood looking quite satisfied, not to mention amused.

Despite my outrage at Raist for his deplorable behavior, the cool water was a relief against the blistering heat. I would've liked that had my nice leather jacket and backpack been spared from the spill, but we can't have everything. The jacket would not dry fast and I'd have to empty my pack at some point to go through all the wet things, but the food was stored in waterproof containers so the damage wasn't catastrophic.

"Damn bird." I muttered and stumbled out of the water, firing a barbed glare in Raist's direction as I collapsed on the grassy edge nearby. That animal was a curse - a charming curse at times - but still a curse.

He seemed to smirk at me with untold mischief in mind.

I was victimized by fatigue shortly thereafter. My eyelids drooped heavily and before I knew to stop myself I was already beyond the point of no return.

Thankfully, or not so much, my companion was not a patient waiter and was onto me before a minute had gone by. Raist's sharp beak jabbed me in the side, and I jerked awake, rolling away from my assailant and back into the water.

That woke me up enough to get me to my feet. I scrambled back onto land for the second time, brushing aside the soaked locks of hair plastered to my face, and this time heaved myself onto Raist's back before I could fall asleep again. He was off and running before my butt had time to sit down. Then I dozed.

By nightfall we had reached the north shore of the continent. There we stopped to eat, drink, and prepare for the long journey over the ocean. The temperature had been dropping dramatically the farther North we got, and I was beginning to feel the first hints of chills in the air, but that was the sign that we were getting closer to our destination.

Time to get the warm clothing out. My coat was still slightly damp, but the fleece pants I brought, having been removed from my soaking backpack earlier, had completely dried. I pulled on my warm clothes and turned to face Raist, who'd already finished his meal and was watching me expectantly.

"This is going to be a long one." I warned. I lifted my backpack onto my shoulders as I approached, and boosted myself up onto his back. "No dumping me in the drink this time please."

Raist gave an enthusiastic 'Waaark!" at that and set course for the Northern continent.

I managed to position myself in a way that offered at least some minor comfort and a slim chance of catching some serious shuteye during the passage across. The ride was bumpy. Even on a calm night the ocean was rough on a chocobo, but Raist was not just any bird.

There were no strange voices or visions this time though, only peaceful darkness. Before I knew it Raist was trotting along happily on solid ground again. I sat up in surprise, wincing slightly at the twinge of pain that emitted from my back.

It was still quite dark out, not surprising, as it was dark for most of the day up North during the winter. There was heavy cloud cover over our heads, keeping in what warmth it could, which I was thankful for. No wind ripped at us as was so common in these parts at this time of year either. The only threat that loomed was that of an impending snowfall.

Two hours would take us to Bone Village where I planned another quick rest stop, and then we would continue on to the city of the dead, or the City of the Ancients, as I knew it. My stomach churned whenever I thought about the horror that awaited me there. I was beginning to second guess myself, questioning the logic which brought me here, but in the end I remained resolved in my decision.

What I was doing was completely outrageous. Sure, there were things I needed to know, but I didn't particularly want to know. Not to mention I was alone. I felt foolish and guilty, having left my friends behind while I wandered on a wild goose chase.

They're never going to forgive me for this.

No doubt Cosmo Canyon was in an uproar at my disappearance. Nanaki would launch a search the instant the others arrived and they'd rake the face of the earth looking for me. Raist's empty stable wouldn't go unnoticed either. The question was, what would be their first guess as to my whereabouts? I figured that for at least now my location was safe for not even Nanaki would venture to think that I'd go here.

I hope...

Who would? I would never have suspected it either and here I was, heading right for the dragon's den with little but an exhausted me, and a fearless golden chocobo beneath me. But then, I was always the type to face danger outnumbered if it meant keeping my companions out of danger. This was my army and I was about to face the greatest fighter the world had ever seen. Well, perhaps not the greatest anymore, but he once was. His replacement had sunken into despair and disappeared from the face of the earth though, so Sephiroth might as well still be the greatest.

Was this fate? Was it Cloud's turn to take the silver haired warrior's place as the supremely screwed up and insane man who strives to take over the world? Would he wither in his self-pity and hatred for himself, to become what Sephiroth had been? It was a scary thought and not near so crazy as I would've liked to believe. Funny, it felt as if I'd been through something similar to this before…but perhaps I was overacting do to stress.

The others might assume that I went to look for Cloud, but then that wouldn't be logical as it would be more efficient to do that in cooperation with them. I was doomed. The more I thought about it, the more it became clear that they would know exactly where I had gone and head straight there.

"Oh well." I mumbled to myself. I was only supposed to go there alone. Shiva made no specification that I should leave alone. If they found me there, so be it. I'd have a lot of explaining to do, but that wasn't really an issue at the moment. The issue was that something very big was about to happen, and it could mean the death of us all.

All my fears from the past year had come to fruition and it only seemed to be getting worse.

My head slumped forward in exhaustion again, coming to rest against Raist's bobbing neck. I was out in an instant.

"The dead have risen…" "…the four…" "…will come…"

"Come…quickly."

"Doomed…she is doomed."

"She will fail…"

"Her soul will give in to his eyes…"

"We must try…"

"Only one chance…"

"The others?"

"They will find them…"

Voices rang out in a flurry of words that I could barely understand. There were many talking all at once, making it hard to pick out what they said. They were worried. One was confident with a plan, another against what she proposed. They argued, argued over the future and whether the fate of the world could be changed.

There were black feathers falling all around me, as soft as velvet.

It made very little sense to me what they spoke of. There were too many mixed conversations. One couldn't decipher what was being spoken with so many different voices. My head began to pound at the increasing volume of the sounds.

Then it all vanished, speeding passed as if I were on a train. Shiva the Ice Queen stood before me once again.

"To the dead cite and into the mountains, a hidden cavern of ice resides…you must hurry…"

My head jerked back as Raist came to a halt, jarring me painfully from the vision and back into reality. My eyes widened instantly on the City of the Ancients, which sat before us. I blinked repeatedly, waiting for the mirage to disappear, but it did not. We were already here. Raist had not bothered to stop, and I was not at all prepared to face this place. Damn…

I gave Raist a reluctant nudge with my heels, but to my surprise he would not budge. Again I nudged him, slightly harder this time. He remained rooted to the ground like a tree. With an almost inaudible moan I slumped forward in frustration. "We still have far to go Raist…"

"Waaark!"

A tired sigh slipped over my bottom lip and into the cool air in a furling white cloud. This was hopeless, I decided, and slid off his back. I cringed at the shock that jolted up my legs as I landed on the ground. "Damn it." I cursed and released the reins.

I took a deep, calming breath, and turned swiftly on my heel to face Raist. "You stay here." I ordered. "Don't you leave me here, alright? I'll be back." I hope…

He nodded and flopped onto the ground in a heap of feathers, worn out to the core. Well, at least someone is confident of my return. I couldn't say the same for myself.

With a determined gate I set out down the long path ahead. There was a tart wind ripping through the ruins of the city as I looked down on it with a foreboding gaze. My hands clenched rhythmically at my sides as I worked up my courage to face what awaited me.

I subconsciously tightened the leather waistband of my long coat and pulled the fur-trimmed hood up over my head for protection against the wind. The warmth of my body and my human smell was quick to draw on the crowds of creatures that inhabited the area.

My first battled proved to be an ugly one. I'd not fought in a long time and it was blatantly obvious by my slow reaction time and dreadful aim. The last of the three monsters fell under a less than perfect round house kick. It certainly wasn't the prettiest, but it fulfilled its purpose, which was far more than I could've expected. Quite frankly my leg was lucky to still be intact.

I briefly considered taking the time to stretch, but I was hard pressed to move without delay and so decided not to. Several more battles confronted me on my journey through the city and my fists were aching when I finally reached the far end. Now I was faced with yet another problem. Where to next? There was a hidden passage somewhere, but I sure as hell didn't know where to find it.

A rustling to my left snagged my attention and turned around, startled. I recoiled in surprise as a silver fox bounded out from beneath a lone bush. Its dark round eyes stared at me intently for a moment before turning away and bounding off.

Having no time to think before the animal disappeared, I ran after it, tripping on the piles of stone that had once been part of a glorious building. On the other side of the rubble the fox waited, again his gaze intently on me.

I continued to follow him till we came upon what appeared to be a dead end. Then the fox disappeared into the rock wall. My eyes froze dazedly on the solid stone. How…? There had to be a trick to it. I advanced towards the wall where the silver fox had vanished for a closer examination.

My hand touched the rock surface, feeling along it for anything out of the ordinary. I'm not sure I would've known had I uncovered something out of the ordinary come to think of it. The only strange thing around here was the specter of a fox that was probably leading me around just for kicks.

With frustrated groan I collapsed on the ground, cupping my head in my hands. "This is pointless."

The mountain gave a mighty groan and quaked beneath me. I scrambled back to my feet, jerking my head up, and stared goggled eyed as the wall of the mountain slowly gave way to an opening. My lips parted in shock and disbelief.

A tunnel waited for my entrance, but I was far too dumbstruck to move. "Oh, so you just talk and a door opens in the mountain. That makes perfect sense." I grumbled to nothing in particular. "This is unbelievable." I muttered and, against my better judgment, entered the dark abyss.

As my fear heightened the deeper I dove into the cave, the quiet conversations I held with myself became more numerous and louder in volume. I could barely see anything and there was a wretched stench on the walls that tickled my innards the wrong way. This placed really needed some fresh air. Holy knows how long it had existed down here or what fowl creatures occupied the shadows.

From the deep there emitted a growl that shook the loose pebbles at my feet. I halted abruptly, becoming as still as the stone walls themselves. "I should've known. Dark, mysterious tunnel, horrible smell. There's always something big and ugly waiting at the other end of it."

I was living the cliché that every legend seemed to entail. This was what you read about in the stories. The fearless warrior enters the dark cave to fulfill a task and there's always something terrible waiting at the end of it to rip his throat out.

What was even worse was that I was delving deeper into the horror, knowing full well what would await me at the end of this maze. This was crazy. All of it was crazy. The fact that I even left Cosmo Canyon was crazy! A lot of things didn't make sense though. After all that we sacrificed, there should have been a happy ending, yet none had come.

Fairytales were nothing but a sham.

"Keep going, Tifa." I chided nervously. "Just keep going."

Through fear and doubt I trudged on to face my nemesis and whatever else I might meet. My mind was made up, however ludicrous this was. I needed to find out what was behind the visions, what the words meant, and why they'd come to me. If there was still a way to save the world, I had to try.

Curiosity killed not only cats, but people too. Stupid people. Oddly enough, that made me smile. Curious Tifa was about to get herself into big trouble. Some things never change.

I shifted my attention back to advancing down the path. Each step I took carefully and with the greatest of caution. Up ahead there was a trace of light and as I saw it, a trace of hope. It glowed blue. Maybe, just maybe it was the fabled Ice Cavern that Shiva kept talking about in my dreams.

Or maybe Tifa Lockheart had lost her mind. I wouldn't count that possibility out just yet.

Before long I was singing to myself in vain attempt to dull my terror. My voice stammered with almost every note. "For I come from the salt water people," glowing eyes watched me, "We always lived by the sea. Now I'm down here living in the city with my man and a family." I forced the swelling terror in my throat back down. "My island home, my island home, my island home is waiting for me." I could hear the rapid beat of my heart loudly in my ears, and it was only getting worse with each step.

Little noises rose from the darkness, rocks being over turned, feet scurrying here and there, but nothing confronted me. I wasn't sure whether or not I should be relieved or worried. There were few places in the world now days where there wasn't an infestation of Hojo's specimens. But, perhaps this place had been sealed off from their entry. It did strike me as being very, very old.

Finally I reached the glowing cavern. As I cautiously peeked around the corner my eyes absorbed a most lovely display of natural ice sculptures. I stepped back abruptly in breathless admiration. It was awe inspiring. The ice was everywhere and in numerous flawless shapes, shining brilliantly in many shades of blue and green. I'd never seen anything so beautiful.

Again I looked around the corner and this time I ventured forth, eagerly wanting to get a closer look. My footing gave way almost instantly as I set foot on the polished surface of the slippery ice floor. I landed with a crack on my back, followed by numbing pain in my head, and found myself looking up at some deadly sharp icicles hanging from the ceiling of the cavern.

My eyes widened momentarily and I got to my feet as hastily as it is possible when you're flailing about with a throbbing head ache. After gaining control of my body I slowly and deliberately made my way through the maze of crystals. This place got increasingly dangerous the further in you went. More than once I found myself in a position that could easily hurl me into a wall of icicles were I to lose my footing.

I rounded the next corner and did a double take that resulted in me temporarily losing control of my balance. However, I reclaimed it hastily, my attention now fully focused on what loomed up ahead of me.

My hands clenched furiously at my sides as I stiffened in repulsion. This was the nightmare I'd been living in my dreams for the past week. He was alive, and here was the solid proof in the flesh. I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was.

"Sephiroth…" I whispered.

Author's Note: Well, everyone wanted another one, so here you go. Yep, it's a Tifa/Sephiroth. I've been trying so hard to find something that was good and I think I finally got a piece that will work. My other fic is obviously on hold since I haven't updated in months. Most people have probably forgotten about it it's been so long . I'm not sure what I'm going to do with that one. I haven't quit on it just yet, but I'm thinking about it. I just hate quitting something I've already started, especially when people like it. Lately I've hated everything I write though and I've been desperately trying to write something that I like. These are pretty hard times for me. I hope my readers will forgive me!

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this first chapter. It's quite long. I can't wait to write the next one, lol. Hopefully you can't wait to read it, . Hopefully I'll continue this one if it's good enough.

Thank you everyone who took the time to read this.