Final Fantasy VII
The Marked Ones
Prologue: Life After Death
Author's Note* I've wrote this years back, but decided to rewrite it. So all the chapters are technically already written, but like I previously stated I'm going to rewrite each chapter in hopes to make the story flow more smoothly, and a big twist. The story is post Advent Children; just a few days after the Healing Rain.
Tifa tidied up Seventh Heaven ignoring the fact that not even a few days ago the Healing Rains graced those plagued with the Geostigma and the brief encounter with the One-Winged Angel, Sephiroth. She stopped in mid-thought; a brief chuckle echoed through the bar when her mind searched for better times with Sephiroth. He was not always bad.
Behind the bar, wiping the wooden surface, Tifa was awaken from her day-dream when Cloud came hustling down the stairs with Marlene and Denzel. Once upon the base floor the three played frog jump with Cloud being the first to squat as the two children jumped over him. Her calm brown eyes watched as the three fooled around; it was like this was her family, no this was her family or at least she wanted them to be.
She wanted beyond what she thought. Tifa wanted to be truly a family with Cloud by her side and children of their own. Maybe even legally adopt Denzel? But shaking her head Tifa could be blissful with the silly life she had now.
"And where exactly are you three off too?" Tifa asked with a playfully raised brow.
Cloud stood straight up and smiled warmly at Tifa. He was quiet, and his bright blue eyes filled the room with illuminating cheer. But that warm smile, yes that loving grin, has not been expressed since their childhood.
Tifa's heart skipped a beat by that smile; she has never seen that smile for quite some time and now it was beaming at her. The way the sun shined through the window with a ray of light forming a glow around Cloud, Tifa could not help but to smile back at him with an affectionate smile of her own.
"We're going out," Marlene said with a goofy grin, "and we're been awhile 'cause we are going to get some sea salt caramels after too!"
Tifa's noticed the glance Cloud gave to Marlene. She stepped out from the bar, "After what? Denzel, do you want to tell me?"
Before the boy could even speak, Marlene tackled him to the ground, covering his mouth as she did so. Cloud laughed as the two children wrestled around before Marlene won and began dragging Denzel towards the door.
"Don't worry Tifa, we're bring you back some sea salt caramels." Marlene gave one last smile before heading outside with Denzel.
Tifa watched Cloud walk closer to her still smiling as a loving child. Face to face, Cloud placed his hand upon hers while she peered around his body to check on Marlene and Denzel before looking back at the blue eyed angel.
Tifa moved closer then let her eyes wander into his, "So are you going to tell me where everyone is going?"
Cloud gripped her hand tenderly and spoke almost shyly, "It's a surprise so wait to be surprised." He leaned in and kissed her cheek lovingly, "Hopefully, you will accept it."
Tifa's cheek warmed with bright blush as her heart pounded fiercely within her chest. As Cloud released her hand, turned away and headed for the door she felt a strong yet strange feeling that once he walks out the door everything will change.
Marlene jumped onto Cloud's back and as Denzel walked besides him, Cloud looked back at Tifa through the window. He smiled softly before headed into town, keeping that cheerful smile.
/\/\/\/\
The day went normally; business was steady and nothing was too out of place. But every now and then Tifa would catch the bandaged up homeless men across the way staring at her. Piercing jade eyes peering through his bandaged wrapped face and just staring at her, or perhaps he was just an old drunk who was staring at the bar. But still every time she caught those jade eyes looking an uneasy feeling came across her being.
Tending a customer nearest to the door, Tifa's eyes wandered to the homeless man who again kept his gaze upon her. She excused herself and stepped halfway out the door, gazing over at the man.
"Excuse me, but would you like to come in," Tifa called to the bandaged man, "maybe have something to eat? No charge."
The homeless man was lending against some wrapped weapon that was just a few inches shorter than his own towering height. But even though Tifa tried to lure him inside he would not move, not even an inch. Even in breathing his chest would barely puff out when he exhaled. This man seemed more dead than alive.
Tifa peered back inside seeing her customers were becoming irritated by the lack of attention to them. Upon looking back out the man was not there to her surprise. With a shrug she went back inside to finish out her day.
When the sun began to set Tifa finished cleaning up the bar all the while pondering what Cloud's surprise was and if they were at all going to be back anytime soon. But hymning to herself she finished her duties before she went to lock the door to the bar.
She was in the back room when hearing the front door opened then the sound of the door closing following closing behind. Tifa grew a wide smile with thoughts of sparkling and wonderful gifts she might receive upon Cloud's return.
"You better have saved me some sea salt caramels…," Tifa uttered as she turned around the corner only to see a tall, slender figure in a dark rose cloak standing at the door. The room became uneasy making tension thick. Tifa took a step then spoke, "I'm sorry, but we're closed for the night."
The figures slowly drew a basket of rotting flowers behind their back, and upon holding the basket in front of them, long frill arms with small hands signified the figure was a woman. She took another step toward Tifa then pulled out a rotten rose and held it out to the bar-keep, hands shaking as she did so.
"Buy one?" the cloaked woman asked with an aged, but familiar voice.
Tifa looked at the rotten flowers, back at the woman and thought how she could respond to this awkward encounter. The smell of rot permeated the whole bar almost intensely. This caused facial disgust expressed upon Tifa's face.
"Excuse me, miss, but we are,"
"It is only a single gil," the cloaked woman stalked towards Tifa who was now pressed up against the side of the bar, "a single gil and the pretty girl can have this pretty flower." As the woman spoke, her words exhaled with such stench and through thin lips holding missing and yellow teeth.
Tifa had to turn away, and even if it was rude, she held her hand over her mouth and nose to ease the disgusting smell of rot. "Please, you have to leave," Tifa almost pleaded, "I'll buy a flower, but you have to leave after."
Tifa quickly reached for her purse and as she did so the cloaked woman caressed Tifa's smooth cheek. But out of habit Tifa grasped the woman's wrist, and just in the nick of time for sticking out of the palm was a snarling tentacle with razor teeth. Tifa watched as the tentacle stretched for her skin, but before it could connect she threw the hand aside and face the cloaked woman whose eyes were maliciously forest green.
Tifa pushed the cloaked woman away a few feet, "What the hell is going on?" Noticing the rotting flesh of the woman's arms and hands Tifa cluttered with confusion.
Without seconds longer the cloaked woman rushed towards Tifa. Tifa kicked her knee up, cocked her arms back and sent a powerful flat kick into the woman's abdomen which sent the woman flying backwards upon the ground. Walking forwards Tifa gloved her bare fist as the cloaked woman stood to her feet.
"I don't know what's going on, but I'm warning you it will not end well." Tifa stated before taking her fighting stance.
"It will not end well for you," the cloaked woman replied before taking out the Princess Guard and as wind wrapped around her a soft rose dress with buttons was revealed underneath the filthy cloak, "Tifa,"
Tifa stumbled back a few steps seeing the dress and the rod that once belonged to her dear friend, Aerith. A sudden rage embodied Tifa when both of the women rushed after one another. Clashing together, Tifa held the Princess Guard between them with the cloaked woman holding the rod within Tifa's grip.
"You think this is amusing," Tifa questioned with fire rolling off her tongue, "dressing up as the woman who was the main reason the planet was saved? My best friend who I adored, and who I loved? Do you find mocking Aerith is amusing?"
The cloaked woman leaned in close and whispered, "Such kind words, it is a shame I can return them about you."
"Aerith?" questioned Tifa as she tried to peer through the darkness of the cloak's hood.
The cloaked woman forced Tifa into the bar, but there Tifa gathered all of her strength and lifted the Princess Guard, along with the woman, and flipped the backwards causing Tifa's back to become parallel with the bar's surface. Instead of the cloaked woman smashing into the bar, she floated there mid-air as if gravity was not a factor. Wide eyed Tifa was flipped over smashing through the back of the bar and into the storage room as the woman floated upon the floor standing above Tifa's crashed body.
Tifa's closed eyes jolted opened and swiftly pushing herself up from the ground, kicking the cloaked woman backwards and then landed upon her feet. There Tifa combo swift assaults before kicking the woman back through the hole. Then she jumped through herself and landed a few blows to the cloaked woman.
Jumping upon the wooden bar surface, Tifa leapt off with her fist forward ready to strike. Before her blow could be landed she froze, completely every muscle ceased in constricting and gravity held her in mid-air.
The cloaked woman released her rod, which floated on its own, and stepped to Tifa. There, with a wicked smile, reached out to Tifa's side and slammed her palmed into Tifa's ribs. The snarling tentacle deepened its teeth within Tifa's flesh and buried itself further inside.
Tifa painful scream was muffled by a pair of frozen lips. The pain was followed by a dull sense of draining like all her strength, spirit and light was being swallowed by the thing that was inside her. And as the world began to darken, as her breathing began rapid and shallow, the bandaged homeless man came rushing inside.
The bandaged man drew his massively long sword and sliced the cloaked woman's arm clean off causing her to stumble backwards in pain. The magic upon Tifa was broken, and before she fell to the ground he caught her and held her with one arm. With his free arm he held his length sword which stopped just an inch before the cloaked woman's face.
Moments of silence passed. Tifa's darken and blurry vision became more vivid and clear when consciousness gathered the confusion of the silence. Even though she had control over her muscles back she dared not to move or make the smallest of a sound. Instead she hung there, in the bandaged man's arm as him and the cloaked woman peered at one another; none making a move, both deafening quiet.
The cloaked woman gave a twirl before a tornado flew through the bar and took her away from Seventh Heaven. A malevolent cackle was left in her destructive wake along with a chopped off arm which slowly vaporized to ash.
When the bandaged man let Tifa down his knees rattled with weakness and soon buckled out from under him. Before he could reach the ground Tifa caught him and carefully then both lay upon the floor weakened. She leaned against the side of the bar and he lay upon her lap like an exhausted worn out child. His breathing was heavy as if he was running for miles and miles. Surely, he was ill from something.
Tifa cradled his head motherly, gazing down with thankfulness and a cringe of pain, "Thank you, whoever you are." Leaning down her lips graced the bare skin that was not covered up upon his forehead, but quickly after straighten up from the wound at her side.
Moonlight beamed through the cracked windows giving the couple a haunting yet enchanting glow.