Author's Note: So, here it is - the first revamped chapter of the revamped FFVII story I was writing. It's mainly a Zack and Own Character Story, but with plenty of the old crowd thrown in there for fun. I love reviews, but be constructive please? So, enjoy!!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, places or terms used and associated with Final Fantasy (VII). I lay claim only to the character Shalimar Crescent/Cortescant - she is an original design and believe me, no one knows her better than me (Except maybe Zack... or Hojo...) Basically, SHE'S MINE!!
Jenova's Wrath
Chapter One
The cave was dark and lofty; bats fluttered in annoyance around the roof of it, disturbed by the people working far below. Electric lights had been erected down on a few of the ledges, casting strong, white light down on the cavern floor. Train tracks ran the length of the cavern, and many men worked, shovelling large piles of glowing stone from the large piles in which they lay into the carts of a long and beaten-looking train.
While most of the men worked on loading the train with its cargo, others in white coats milled around, discussing what seemed to be important matters, seeming almost unaware of the bustle that was going on around them. A large, thick-set man stood on a large boulder, barking out orders to men carrying large wooden crates. The bats high above squeaked in annoyance as the colourful language of a man who'd dropped a crate on his foot loudly echoed in the cave.
Up above all of this commotion in a small niche practically invisible to anyone on the cave floor, were four small orbs, seeming suspended in darkness, glowing brightly. Once or twice, these orbs winked and moved, but they mostly stayed fixed in place, almost watching the scene below.
And that's exactly what they were doing. The orbs were in fact the eyes of Messrs Cloud Strife and Zack Fair, and they were both vigilantly keeping a close eye on the operation below them. It was beginning to get uncomfortable though; the niche was very small, and Zack and Cloud were neither of them tiny, not to mention the cramp they were both getting from being stationary for so long. Zack itched to get up and do some squats – he was bored stiff, literally in this case, but the size of the niche wouldn't allow it, and the nearest ledge had men stationed on it, and he wouldn't risk giving away their position.
After a few minutes, he tore away his gaze and turned it on Cloud, still watching the commotion below.
"Where's Tifa? I'd have thought she'd have been back by now."
Cloud's gaze remained fixed on the scene below but they narrowed in concern.
"Hmm… She should have been. I'm starting to get worried."
Zack looked at him.
"She'll be alright… She's probably just biding her time. She can certainly take care of herself."
Cloud smiled. Zack was only too right there. Out of all of his friends, Cloud knew the one he should be least concerned about was Tifa, but he couldn't help it. He worried. It was part of his nature.
Zack shifted slightly to allow blood flow back into his leg and the sound of a skull connecting with stone in the tunnel behind them made his ears prick up.
"Cloud," he whispered gently, signalling down the tunnel. Cloud nodded and grasped his sword, ready to use it if he needed to when Tifa sprang out of the shadows, breathing heavily.
"Woah… no need to get… hostile…"
Zack smiled at her.
"Having trouble?" She glared at him as she caught her breath.
"Yeah, you wish. Just so you'd have to save me and be a hero."
Cloud laughed quietly.
"What happened, Teef? You were ages."
She nodded and sat down on a rock.
"I know, I had to bloody lure the guy up here... and... then he started getting hopeful…"
Cloud's eyes darkened and Zack had to stop himself from laughing. Like Tifa should have expected anything else from a red blooded male. He leaned forward to peer behind her into the dark tunnel. He could vaguely make out a lump about 3 metres behind her. He crawled forward.
"Let's check him out then," he said.
Cloud turned the body over revealing it was a middle aged, pot bellied man with thinning, greying hair. He started emptying the unconscious man's pockets, pulling out a wallet with a few gil stowed inside and an ID card. He frowned as he checked out the card.
"That's weird," he muttered. Zack looked up from examining the contents of the man's other pockets.
"What is?"
Cloud held up the card. It was perfectly blank on both sides, save for a simple magnetic strip on one side. There was no label, no name, no photo or number. Zack frowned too.
"Hmm… I don't like it. It looks like a fake… almost like they knew we were here."
There was a muffled struggle and as the pair turned around, a bright light was clicked on and a man with long, dark hair pulled back in a ponytail stepped forward, clapping, the sound resonating in the quiet of the tunnel.
"Well done, Mr Fair, I see you have not lost your abilities at all. It would seem She really has improved."
Zack bristled as his eyes grew accustomed to the light. He knew who the man meant, but wouldn't let it show, however something else caught his attention: Tifa pinned under a fiend.
Zack and Cloud exchanged a look, and then charged.
--(FFVII)--
Cloud kicked open the kitchen door to the rear of the new Seventh Heaven and rushed inside, laying Tifa's limp body on the table. He looked up to find Yuffie in stood staring at him in shock. Zack rushed in behind him and closed the door, leaning heavily against it as he gripped a nasty wound on his arm.
"Yuffie, get a cushion from the sitting room and call Barrett," Cloud ordered. Yuffie didn't even hesitate, just disappeared into the other room. She returned a few minutes later, cushion in hand, Barrett, Vincent and Cid in tow. Cloud placed the cushion under Tifa's head, her face a sickly pale colour. Barrett's expression quickly changed from shock to thunderous.
"Wha' the hell?!" he roared. "I let you guys go out on yer own an' ya can' even bring Tifa back in one piece!"
Zack glared up at the man but seemed to reconsider his options. He sighed heavily, looking tired. Vincent cleared his throat.
"Barrett, I don't think shouting will resolve anything. Perhaps we should let them explain?"
Barrett looked at him then nodded, turning back to the pair.
"Alright," he said. "Explain."
Zack and Cloud exchanged a glance and Cloud nodded.
"Everything got screwed up. They already knew we were there – they pinned Tifa under this… this… thing, so we had to fight to get her out. It attacked her though, and we can't seem to get her to wake up… We tried all the materia we had and it didn't work."
"We even tried using Ultima," Zack added, "but that didn't work either. I don't know why."
"Well it's a bloody good thing else ya'd all be killed!" yelled Barrett. Zack nodded in defeat.
"I know…"
The group lapsed into silence, and Yuffie took up station beside Tifa, holding her friend's hand.
"Um, why don't we try materia now? It might work…"
Zack shook his head.
"We tried the minute we got back to this continent. Our materia just won't work anymore."
"But I have some! Maybe that's still okay?" She turned to Vincent for support and received a nod. She rushed out of the room and reappeared moments later carrying a green, glowing orb.
"Here," she said, throwing it to Cloud. Cloud caught it deftly and used it, a faint, green glow filling the kitchen. Tifa's lacerations were distinctly reduced, but not completely removed. Even when Cloud attempted it again, her cuts remained. Her pallor improved slightly, but it was clear she was still very ill.
Cloud slumped. He felt useless. He'd let his friend get into this mess – it was his fault. And now, there was nothing they could do.
Zack watched his friend and then kindly took the materia from him and healed their injuries. He knew his friend was prone to these depressive moments and luckily, he had another card stowed up his sleeve – or would, if he was wearing any.
"Cloud, I have a friend… Remember I told you about the Scientist that helped me? Gave me back my life?" Cloud nodded numbly, looking up at him with despairing eyes.
"Well, I think she can help. She's a good friend and I'd trust her with my life – again," he added. "I know it's a long shot, but believe me this girl's like a magician… I really think she can help Tifa."
After a long moment, and a guilty glance at Barrett who only nodded, Cloud looked at Zack and nodded silently, before leaving the room.
--(FFVII)--
Shalimar straightened out her coat and flicked her long, red hair back over her shoulder before raising a hand to knock on the back door of Seventh Heaven. It was opened promptly by a young woman of about 20 wish short, jet black hair. She smiled politely.
"Hi, I'm Dr. Shalimar Cortescant, Zack rang me?"
The woman nodded numbly and stood back to let her in. Shalimar stepped into the kitchen and Zack stood up, smiling as he moved forward to hug her.
"Hi Shal, it's been a while."
She nodded and removed her jacket, placing it over a dining chair.
"I've been busy," she said. She looked at Tifa on the table. "So what's the problem?"
The gang relayed what had happened as Shalimar performed a routine check on their friend. After they had finished she stood taking Tifa's pulse before stepping back and looking concerned.
"So you've used materia already?" Cloud and Zack nodded. Shalimar frowned.
"Well, it looks like whatever attacked Tifa has a nasty anti-coagulant in its saliva or claws. It's stopping Tifa from healing properly."
They nodded again to show they understood. Yuffie took up her place by her friend's side again. Shalimar smiled at her.
"I think-"
"You're not a mad scientist that wants to help some psycho kill everyone and take over the world are you? 'Cause if you are, I swear, you'll regret it. I'll make sure you will."
Everyone turned to Yuffie, the source of this outburst and stared. She shrugged.
"I don't want Tifa getting any more hurt… And we've only just started getting our lives back on track. I don't want anyone ruining that."
Shalimar cocked her head slightly to one side and looked hard at Yuffie. After a moment she walked around the table to stand right in front of the Shinobi.
"It's Yuffie, right? Yuffie Kisaragi?"
Yuffie nodded, her eyes full of defiance. Shalimar smiled serenely.
"You don't have to worry. I'm not like that at all. I don't want to hurt you, Tifa or any of your friends, I promise. I just want to help."
"Does that mean you can?" Yuffie's eyes were now hopeful. Shalimar hesitated.
"I'm not entirely sure," she said uncertainly, "but I think that I might be able to. Is that good enough?"
Yuffie appeared to think about it for a moment before looking Shalimar square in the eye.
"Yeah… Tifa could die otherwise… I don't want her to die."
She hastily wiped away a scared tear.
"Please help her Dr. Cortescant," Yuffie said with a firm voice. Shalimar nodded.
"Call me Shalimar – I hate my title."
Yuffie smiled. She liked the new Scientist.
Shalimar made the men settle Tifa in bed upstairs, with plenty of air and light. After another, more thorough check up, Shalimar healed the cuts and bruises on Tifa's body, and gave her carers a painkiller and sedative to administer once Tifa awoke. For the most part, Tifa was fine and would recover completely in a couple of days. The group thanked Shalimar and she took her leave, promising Zack that she would see him at home.
Shalimar was sat in her lab, working on a new immunisation for children living on the coast of the central continent against bites from the Sahagin that dwelled there. They were getting increasingly more confident and were moving further and further inland, up the water systems and terrorising the people that lived near them. While troops had been organised to counter the problem, the bites were fatal to the youngsters, so Shalimar had given the case a Priority listing.
She looked up from her work to get some coffee when her phone rang, the Caller ID displaying 'Zack'. She pressed the answer button and set the phone onto loudspeaker as made her hourly dose of caffeine.
"Hey Zack, I promise I won't be long, I've just made some progress on this latest case."
"It's ok – wait, you're not at home? Again?"
"I know, I'm sorry."
"It's fine Shal, I know you've got work to do, I'm just beginning to waste away, that's all. I miss your cooking." Shalimar smiled and walked back over to her work, coffee cup in hand.
"Anyway Shal, I called to tell you about Tifa, She hasn't woken up for nearly 3 days now. We're getting worried."
Shalimar looked concerned.
"I'm coming over," she said and disconnected the call.
Shalimar took one look at Tifa, took her pulse and checked her pupils before telling everyone that she was having her admitted. Something wasn't right at all.
Shalimar had arranged for a room in her lab to be converted into a make-shift hospital room. The room had a bed, a bedside cabinet, a washbasin with a mirror and some chairs for guests. The walls were minimalistic and painted a pale yellow, but it was perfect for housing a comatose patient. Shalimar had placed a vase of flowers on the window sill, the blinds obscuring the view of Edge and beyond into Midgar itself. She figured no one needed reminding of that particular depressing factor – they were worried enough as it was.
Tifa was admitted to Shalimar's new hospital as soon as the room was ready and Shalimar wasted no time in getting her team to make observations on the young woman. Tifa was in a steady coma, but seemed to be breathing perfectly fine. After preliminary tests, Shalimar knew that health-wise, there was nothing wrong with Tifa's body. She'd managed to get her lacerations healed fully, and had eradicated the fever that Tifa had had due to infection. Tifa was perfectly healthy. There were no neurological signs or other signs to indicate why she was in a coma, which worried Shalimar.
How was she supposed to help Tifa if she didn't even know what was wrong with her?
--(FFVII)--
"Rufus, please, I really need all the time and resources our Science department has. This case is really unusual – the girl's in a coma for no apparent reason, and I'm getting calls that are telling me this isn't the only time this has happened. There are cases springing up all over the world and no one's figured it out."
Rufus Shinra sat behind his mahogany desk, his chair leaning backward as he mulled over Shalimar's words. Shalimar herself sat in a leather chair on the other side of his desk, looking at him with a determined yet pleading fire in her eyes. He could see that she wanted this case, but he was reluctant to give up his best scientist to pursuing this case. She and her team were vital to the new course that Shinra Corp. had taken in furthering the realms of medicine and health. Their research and aptitude was unrivalled and Shalimar was renowned the world over as the best scientist on the planet. He couldn't justify giving her up to this trivial case, but, his mind reasoned, Tifa was one of the legendary 8, the group that saved the world on two occasions from Sephiroth, Hojo, Jenova and even Shinra themselves. If word got out that Shinra had refused to pile all their efforts into helping this woman, then it would be detrimental to their reviving popularity.
Shalimar sat patiently yet anxiously waiting for Rufus' verdict. She knew her work was important to the company, knew the extent of her power within the world's largest corporation,
so she was fairly confident that Rufus would allow her this case. He could hardly refuse, could he? Especially as it was becoming a Pandemic – Shinra's popularity would escalate as lives were helped or saved. Shalimar wasn't sure what she could do, but she had faith. That was how she had survived all these years.
Rufus sighed and stood up, walking to the corner of his office – two wall of his office were made of glass, looking out over the rebuilding city of Midgar and it's outer limits, now fondly known as 'Edge'. Beyond that, the rolling hills and mountains gave the whole scene presence, and Rufus often found it soothing to his busy mind.
"Fine. But you will work on this quickly and efficiently, Shalimar. All resources will be made available to you, though I'm sure you had no doubt of that."
Shalimar smiled. She was the head of the Science and Research Dept. Like Rufus would dare give her anything else.
"You will also have the full services of the Turks, should you need them for whatever reason. You usually do, and as you know, Tseng will be ready to help you whenever you need it. Please refrain from hospitalising Reno again though, Rude does not like to work alone."
At this point he looked over at her with an elegantly arched eyebrow and she stifled a laugh, settling for a smug smile instead. She doubted Reno would be stupid enough to piss her off a second time and besides, he'd only been admitted to hospital for a testicle-retrieval operation. It wasn't exactly MAJOR surgery.
Rufus sat down again, leaning forward with clasped hands.
"Now go on – I'm sure you're itching to put your genius to work."
Shalimar smiled and left with a hurried thanks. A moment later the door opened and Tseng walked in.
"You gave her the case, then?"
Rufus nodded the affirmative. Tseng sat in the chair Shalimar had just vacated.
"Are you sure it's wise, indulging her so much? She's young, and while being very strong willed, she is not totally un-impressionable."
Rufus leant back.
"I know what I'm doing, Tseng. I value your advice, but I have assigned her full access to the Turks as and when required."
Tseng raised his eyebrows.
"You want me to keep an eye on her," he stated. Rufus nodded.
"I know she'll be fine. But you know as well as I do that trouble follows her around like a lost puppy. She'll need you and when she does, make sure nothing happens."
Tseng snorted uncharacteristically.
"Of course, we wouldn't want to lose our meal ticket to world domination again."
Rufus smiled and looked at him.
"Come Tseng, I know you like her as much as I do."
Tseng merely inclined his head. Shalimar might have a captivating personality and a good heart, but she came from a dangerous background. Tseng knew that only too well.
By Arachinea