She held the heavy sword between her two delicate hands. The cold metal could be felt through the thin material that covered the handle. It should have sent chills up her spine but this cold, she welcomed. Her long raven hair swayed in the slight breeze that washed over her. There she stood, legs slightly apart, chin up, eyes dark. Opposite her stood Coal. A smirk formed on his lips as he stared the frail looking girl down. After all she was only small. He shifted his legs slightly further apart, his feet shifting the dry earth at his feet. Slowly he lifted his swords tip from the ground into the air. He smile reassuringly with a quick glance to the left at the observers. Standing sternly was Brian, arms crossed, and solem looking. His long black fringe hung over his right eye but it never seemed to disadvantage his vision. Next to him standing slightly on and angle but still looking at the young women was Raru. He was the total opposite of Brian. His long brown hair hung messily around his face but he wore the same expression.
"Are you ready...Tifa?" he growled.
"Yeah..." she whispered looking down with a little smirk of her own.
Without warning Coal sprung forward bring with him the dirty dust from the ground. She only looked up a split second later and he was above her. Tifa hardly had anytime to react. She pulled her arms up raising her sword. He come down upon her with unbelievable force. Sparks flew and she crouched low giving into the weight. Things seemed to slow as he came upon her. The cheering of the crowd was distant. He was going to kill her she thought. He was going to kill her unless she faught back. With a growl she shoved him back with every ounce of strength she had. Coals eyebrows furrowed at he jumped back and landed with a small thud.
"Good." he spoke harshly. "But, you can do better!" he yelled his voice steadily rising with each word as he sprung forward again.
Tifa took in a deep breath as she raised her sword and broght it down upon the form of coal approaching her. With a twang her heavy, metal sword hit the ground and buried deep. Stunned she blinked for a second. Where could he have gone? It all ahppened so fast. For one split second she closed her eyes...
"Arrhhhh." she yelled through clenched teeth as she spun around bringing her sword with her blocking a fatal blow from the man coming towards her. Their swords connected and knocked him back stunning him but only briefly. He had a retaliation of his own. He charged forcing himself onto her. Their swords connected and again more sparks flew. Fierce brown eyes stared into cold blue ones. Tifa breathed heavily as she held on with everything she had to keep him away.
"Come on, Tifa, show me what you've got." he laughed barely breaking a sweat.
"I am!" she yelled painfully starining every muscle in her body.
"You can do better then this."
"No I can't!" she shook her head, tears welling in her eyes but, still holding him off.
"You can! And you will." he growled shoving her back.
She hit the hard dirt of the quad with force. She cried out in agony as she stopped skidding. She couldn't win. She wasn't strong enough to win. Cloud had broken her spirits. Why did she even fight? She had no desire to live. What was the point when she felt with nothing in her heart anymore. She just watch as Coal leaped into the air pulling his large buster sword behind his head, an insane sickly grin plasted onto his face. Why fight the inevitable? She dug her grave and now she would have to live in it. But Coal wouldn't really hurt her would he? She was here to help them. He wouldn't. They were friends yet, here he was going towards her, his sharp sword blame gleaming in the little light offered.
Something then clicked inside Tifa. She couldn't go on this way. This was never who she was. She never gave up. It was time to make a change. She would fight back. She would fight back and break the one thing that broke her. Cloud Strife. That was her reason to live. This was going to be her revenge.
Coal saw the change behind her eyes. They weren't so brown anymore, infact they were almost black. Something had diffenately changed and not in a bad way. She was finally going to harness her anger. As he fell down towards her she held out her sword with one hand infront of her and that was all it took. She stopped him dead in his tracks. With one leg either side of her he stood there, hunched over her with his sword down upon hers.
Tifa raised her other hand and brought it up to the blade of the sword. Single handedly she forced him off with no effort shown at all. She was not herself. Coal stood there wide eyed, his spikey black hair swaying in the breeze that was steadily picking up. His mouth was slightly agap as he just stared as the young woman stood.
A grin spread on her bowed head hiding her dark features. She looked up cocking her head to the side slightly, looking anything but her normal self.
"Tifa?" Coal asked staring at her. Maybe this was a good thing. She had to be ruthless just like everyone else. When Avalanche found out that she was here did she think that they would spare her life? They would be ruthless in her slaughter. She could not go back now. Not that she wanted to now anyway.
With a yell Coal charged forward, sword pulled behind him. Likewise Tifa did the same, charging, sword pulled behind her. Both with a determined look on their faces. All that Tifa could hear in her head was fight, fight, fight. She had to keep fighting. As they drew closer Tifa skidded to a halt digging her feet in to the ground and swung her blade forward. Coal smirked as he passed straight by her. He came to a halt head lowered just behind her.
Tifa didn't move. Suddenly her eyes grew wide and her normal brown eyes returned. Everyone watching took an aprehensive step forward trying to figure out what had just happened. After all it had happened so fast.
Tifa turned around slowly as Coal turned aswell. He looked up at her with the same blank expression, the same one Cloud always gave her. It made her so mad yet she was unable to move. That was when the pain kicked in. It hit her like a ton of bricks. Slowly and carefully she glanced down ever so slightly. There. As h er eyes go lower she caught sight of a large gaping whole on her side drenched with deep red blood. She looked back up to Coal with tears welling in her eyes. Coal took a step forward as she began to succome to the pain. Like a slap in the face she closed her eyes and the last thing she remembered was falling. And she was still falling...
