Random #4, The Beginning

A/N: This is not Tifa/Sephiroth! I know it seems like that now, but it's not!

This one is a weird one. In this one, Sephiroth has some weird thing for Tifa (slightly perverse, but I care not, I only do what my muses tell me too, snicker) and hunts her relentlessly. He even strikes a deal with a nameless entity so he can posses her dreams. Then he resurrects Aerith, and binds her to his house, forcing her to be the servant. There is hell to pay when Cloud finds out!

..................maybe. Who knows. We'll see.

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Tifa ran. She knew that if she stopped running, the monster would get her. If she stopped, he could... She shuddered, and felt her strength waning. She had to stop, so she pulled into an ally way in the empty Midgar streets, where she rested. She finally turned to leave the alleyway, when she gasped. There he was, the monster. His eyes shining blue, like the ocean before a storm that swallows you whole. His hair, falling down in waves of silver, like a waterfall that perfectly defined his face. He would be beautiful, but he was far too dangerous. He grinned, the bloodlust dripping from his insane grin like poisoned honey. Sephiroth, the greatest Shinra General of all time. He had been pursuing her with his mind bent on one desire... To kill her. He drew his sword, the impossibly long Masume, and charged at her. Before he struck her, there was a horrific ripping noise, and someone fell to the floor in front of her. She peered over, and saw the dead eyes of... Cloud.

Her hands flew to her face, suppressing a gasp. Cloud, the love of her life had appeared as if out of nowhere and saved her. Saved her, died for her. As she stared at him, she felt the tears dripping down her face in small, tainted rivers. Sephiroth has taken two people that she knew and cared for from her, and now he would pay. She placed one hand on Cloud's broken back, then the other, feeling the blood seep out and cover her hands. Then she fiercely ripped the sword out of his back, and turned to face him. She charged him, sword outstretched, aiming for the heart, but Sephiroth had other plans. He didn't try to fight back, he simply raised the sheath, and before she could stop herself, she rammed the sword into the sheath. He flung the sheath up, and she went flying over his head. She landed behind him in the middle of the street. He laughed, the his perfectly shaped lips began to form words.

"I must thank you for returning my sword to me. I find it very valuable, and would hate to lose it." With a flourish, he turned to walk off. Tifa simply sat there, then stood straight up. With an inhuman scream, she launched herself at him. He just skillfully dodged the frenzied attack. She spun around.

"Bastard!" She yelled out, and threw herself at him again. But this time he threw down his sword and caught her. He grip her in his vise-like hands, as she struggled to get away.

"I'm going to make you regret that." He smiled a vampiric smile. He slammed her up against a wall in the deserted alleyway. She strained against him as she felt the air leaving her lungs. She closed her eyes fiercely, hoping her closed eyes would protect her from his piercing gaze. What kind of game is he playing at, she wondered. She opened them again, and to her surprise, his face was right in front of hers. Before she could say anything, he leaned in, and their lips met. She gasped in surprise, and he seized his chance. He slipped his tongue in, melding with hers. She tried to pull away, repulsed, but he seized her and pulled her closer to him, deepening the kiss. Sephiroth felt her push against him, but he just smiled into the kiss, and let go of her with one hand, running it down her spine. She shivered involuntarily, instantly loathing herself for it. She was thrown to the ground, and he straddled her, grinning gleefully as he placed a hand to her mouth, stifling her. Her tears rose, unbidden, as she found herself desperately torn between the desire push him away, or to pull him closer. Her hands drifted to his waterfall of hair, entwining in it, leaving bloodied marks on his face. Cloud's blood. She pulled herself closer to him, and felt their bodies meet. He began kissing her neck, and she let out a soft moan. Her body was reacting, but her mind was screaming. No, don't! He killed Cloud, and Aeris. Cloud's body is over there! What are you doing!? All she could do was silence the voice in her mind as she gasped and moaned under Sephiroth's treatment. Then, suddenly...

Tifa sat bolt upright in bed, panting, in a cold sweat. She looked around her familiar room. Same bed, same walls, same happy pictures of her and Cloud. It had all been a dream. As she stared at her picture of Cloud, she shivered. She couldn't get over that feeling of betrayal. She had stepped over Cloud's dead body, into Sephiroth's waiting arms, with Cloud's blood on HER hands. She knew that it was just a dream, but she still felt like she had horribly betrayed Cloud. She didn't know how she would face him.. To act on her desire, and to love Sephiroth..... Her tears sprang to her eyes, running in waterfalls down her face. "No.." she whispered aloud. There was no feeling between her and Sephiroth, only hate. She would never live out her dream in reality, and would try to keep it all away from Cloud. But, that horrible, wonderful feeling... That beautiful pleasure he had instilled in her, it revolted her.... And she also found herself aching to feel his arms around her again. It haunted her. She lay awake the rest of the night, crying and shivering from the cold slowly taking over her heart. And somewhere, far away, someone laughed.

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"Hey kid. What happened to you? You look like you slept under the wheel of a truck!" Cid chuckled playfully at the sight of Tifa after she dragged herself out of bed. She glared at him. She did NOT sleep well last night, and she was ready to kill anything that moved.

"Not. Now. Cid. You. Idiot." she pronounced each word carefully, with nothing unlike hatred in her voice. After a night of torturing herself with her betrayal over and over again, a night without sleep, for fear another dream, she couldn't handle even a light-heated joke. As Cid cowered behind a counter, a stab at her she was sure, Cloud came dashing out into the main hallway.

"Tifa! I need to talk to you." Cloud noticed the look that she gave him, a mixture of sleepy defiance and the scared look of a child asked to sleep with the wolves. "Now!" She sighed, and followed him into his "office" aboard the ship. It was really an unused room, but no one wanted to spoil Cloud's brief moments of happiness. He quickly shut the door behind him. "What happened last night?" he asked sternly. The color drained out of Tifa's face. How could he possibly know? She pleaded with herself.

"Ha..Happened? What are you talking about?" she finally managed to splutter out. He looked at her, hard. She felt her heart jump into her throat.

"Last night I heard noises from your room, so I went to check on you. You were crying, And saying someone's name over and over again..." More color than Tifa thought possible drained from her face, turning it to a very pale white.

"Um, whose name, if I can ask?" she stuttered, not really sure if she wanted to know.

"Mine, with a lot of pain..." he whispered softly. Tifa began to breathe again. "And Sephiroth's in something which is definitely NOT pain. It was more like you were calling out to him, as if you were expecting him to answer! Was he here last night?! Tifa, do you know where he is?!" he was staring at her so intently, that she was sure that he was very angry. She gulped, which he noticed. "What the hell is going on, Tifa!? Answer me!" he shouted, his face turning red with anger and impatience. Suddenly, there came a knock on his door, and Tifa sighed a sigh of relief, which was quickly taken back when she heard the news.

" We have landed, however, there was someone who entered the ship. He matches your description of Sephiroth quite well, so I am slightly worried..." he drifted off. Cloud glared daggers at her, seething with anger and suppressing the urge to hit her.

"Don't be. Tifa and I will see to this problem" He snarled, still staring at her intently. Tifa started. Me? Wonderful.

"Why me?" she asked.

"Because there is something that I would like you, and him, to explain." he sneered. Tifa, for the first time in her life, was truly frighted. That was a sneer of pure malice, that nothing human should be able to pull off. She simply stayed quiet. Cloud forcibly grabbed her by the wrist, and dragged her down the hall, to the cargo hold. Tifa knew instantly where Sephiroth was, and rushed down the hall, hurried by something she couldn't explain, and Cloud had to rush to keep up. Sephiroth was standing among the boxes of the cargo hold. He slowly turned around, noticing the beauty rushing towards him. He smiled, and focused on her. Their eyes met, and she felt a twinge of what she felt in her dream, pure desire. She froze instantly. Cloud kept running, whipped out his sword, and barreled straight for him. "What the hell did you do to Tifa?!" he shouted. Sephiroth simply whirled, dodging the attack.

"That's for her to tell. But," he smashed his hand into the back of Cloud's head, knocking him out instantly, "Not till I talk to her first." Cloud dropped to the ground. Sephiroth smirked a self contented smirk. Then he turned to Tifa. "So, how do you enjoy seeing me for the second time?" She gasped.

"You sent the dream! How.."

"I struck a deal with some god, gives me control over your dreams..." he smiled "Forever."

" Why? Why me? Why am I so 'special'"

"Because." he took a step toward her, "I have found myself longing for you, in these past days since I saw you." he reached up a hand and brushed the hair out of her face. She started to close her eyes, then shot them open and batted his hand away.

"What are you doing?!" she shouted, letting her nervous gaze fall on Cloud. He was right to be worried. She was starting to let her guard down in the presence of one of the most difficult enemies that they were likely to cross. Ever.

"Fine" he sighed, "But, I have a proposition for you. I am hosting a little, ah, get-together in a grand, far-off country called Cray. I have informed them that a beautiful 'Sky Princess' would show. It's invitation only, however..." he reached inside his coat, pulling out lacy, black invitations "I won't be happy till the 'Sky Princess' shows up. So, here is your invitation." he handed her two of the frilly things.

"Two?" she mused aloud. It hadn't even crossed her mind to refuse them.

"Yes, one for the 'Princess', and one for whom she wishes to bring." he reached out a hand and ran it through her hair, stopping at the tie on the end. He gently untied it, and retied her hair at the top, so it made a rather large pony-tail. "Please, don't mention me to Cloud." he paused, then resumed stroking her hair. "He might get a little unhappy." Cloud groaned on the floor, indicating that he was waking up. Sephiroth looked at him quickly, then looked back at Tifa, almost painfully. "Good Bye, Tifa, I hope to see you soon." Sephiroth quickly jumped out the large cargo hold window. Tifa spun around and knelt down by Cloud, helping him up.

"Uhh, what..? Tifa?" she nodded quickly. "What did you do to your hair?" she stopped.

" Just a change, Cloud, just a change." She smiled, but her heart was breaking. He smiled back.

"Could you help me to my room?" he said, taking a few hesitant steps. "Wait, where's Sephiroth?" he tried to turn around, but he almost fell over. Tifa caught him.

"Relax, I made him run away, like a scared little girl." Tifa half-laughed. Cloud chuckled

"That's our Tifa. Dealing with everyone her own way, without someone saving her!" Cloud laughed, but Tifa's blood froze. Her mind flashed back to Cloud's dead eyes. He was trying to save her... She forced a smile.

"Yeah, whatever." She laughed. Hoisting him up, she dragged him to his room. She walked slowly back to her room after laying him down to rest. Resting, now there's a good idea she thought sourly. As she opened the door, she was surprised to see the cleaning lady bending over her bed."What are you doing?" she asked accusingly. The cleaning lady stood up immediately.

"Sorry, milady, but you received a package a few moments ago, and their appears to be no signature on the note, and it just appeared in your room, so naturally I was suspicious of something dangerous." she blurted out. She bowed and ran out, under Tifa's angry gaze. She looked to the package, noticing the note off to the side. She walked forward, opening the lumpy package with a single swipe. There lay a pair of glittering shoes, a gorgeous dress, a shining hair band, and a matching bracelet. She looked at the price for the hair tie. She suddenly felt dizzy. "28 million gil for a hair tie?!" with that she had to sit down, looking at the king's fortune of an outfit. She immediately snatched up the note. It read:

To my dearest Sky Princess,

I hope you have not found this outfit alarming, or slightly over expensive. I merely reasoned that the beautiful Sky Princess should have a beautiful outfit to match. This gorgeous outfit pales in comparison of your outstanding beauty. But how could this mer rag expect to compare? I am not trying to buy your love, I merely thought that you would want something nice to wear to my get-together. I hope to see you there.

-S

Tifa gasped. This beautiful outfit, these kind and loving words, these are all from Sephiroth? She quickly put the note in her skirt pocket. She pushed the clothes to the side, and flopped down on the bed. She spent the rest of the waking hours thinking, dreading the dawn.

Next Chapter: Ballroom's Secrets

"Desecration is the better part of Valor"