-Five Words, Five Ways x 10-
-A series of 'Final Fantasy VII' drabbles centred on Tora and Zack Fair's relationship-
=^w^=
Prevention:
"Don't let him take me! No! No!"
The nightmares were common, but she didn't know how to stop them. Every night it was the same one: SOLDIER operatives tearing through her village and ripping her away from her family. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she sat up in her bunk, the images flashing vividly in her mind. The door to her room suddenly opened and Zack was illuminated by the light in the hallway, chest heaving with the effort of running all the way to see her.
"I heard you screaming," he said softly, crouching down to her level, "Are you alright?" The Wutaiian nodded.
"J-just a bad dream..." she choked out. The Second Class crawled into her bed and pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair soothingly to lull her back to sleep.
Ten minutes later, she fell into a dreamless sleep.
Vision:
When Tora lost her sight because of an explosion in the laboratories, Zack's 'puppy' status was upgraded to 'seeing eye dog'.
Improvement:
Parry. Parry. Parry.
Push back. Swing. Jump. Duck. Swing.
THWACK!
"You got me, Tora. You've been practising."
"Do you really count training with Cloud for his practical reviews practising?"
"There is a definite improvement in you. Keep up the good work."
"Thanks Zack! I mean...er...thank you, sir."
Mathematics:
Years after the events of Midgar and not long after the Deepground incident, Tora found a curious sheet of paper in amongst the items she'd saved that belonged to Zack Fair, a long-time friend never forgotten. The writing was faded, but it was still readable; she suddenly snorted. Zack's writing wasn't what you called 'legible' on the best of days:
Me + Cloud = best friends, therefore me + Tora = best friends.
So by cancelling the common term (me), Cloud + Tora = best friends (with benefits, if I have anything to say about it).
"That cheeky asshole," A smile came to the red face of the orphanage owner, "He was setting us up from the day we met." She looked up at the ceiling, "Zack, if you can hear me now, your plan worked in a twisted way!"
"I know." a voice whispered from the Lifestream.
Circuitry:
"Hey Zack, I want to give you something."
"What is – mmph!" Tora quickly pulled away, giggling at the stunned look on the First Class's face. Zack blinked a few times, still comprehending why exactly the Wutaiian would've kissed him.
"Sephiroth told me that no-one had ever seen your brain crash," she explained, "I want to prove him wrong."
Mission:
The Lifestream, Zack decided, was the best place to be to watch his two friends – one of which was related to him – finally get off their emotionally stunted butts and get together after so many years of courting and skiving around the truth. As he watched Tora hang a wreath of flowers around the handle of the Buster Sword then turn and give Cloud a kiss, he looked over at Aerith and smiled.
"Mission accomplished." he grinned.
Safety:
Tora blinked up at the SOLDIER above her with wide eyes, bruises littering his visible skin. Zack said nothing, just hoisted her into his arms and ran through the gunfire toward Angeal and Sephiroth.
"Zack, stop! You're going to get killed!" she screeched.
"Relax, I got you." he replied smoothly, jumping into the truck as it took off. As he checked her over for any injuries, he suddenly realised that he'd been nicked by a bullet. Oh well, he'd look at that later; Tora was more important now.
Litter:
The children insisted they get another pet for the orphanage, a dog (they already had three Chocobos and a cat that adored sleeping on the gunslinger's bed). Tora perused the small group of puppies in front of her, none of them really sticking out. Suddenly a little paw placed itself on her hand and she looked down into clear blue eyes that belonged to a jet black dog.
'Buy me!' it practically begged.
The orphanage owner took the puppy home that day and called him Zack. The children didn't disagree.
Cassette:
"Cloud?" The swordsman looked up at the gunslinger, who was nervously fiddling with a small tape. Tora walked past him and picked up an old music player, dusting it off and plugging it into the power point in the kitchen behind Seventh Heaven. Slipping the tape inside the dock, she pressed 'play'.
"Hey guys! I figured you'd always need something to perk you back up after all the crazy that's been floating around, so I made this to help you. Just remember to stick to your dreams and always uphold your honour and you'll have no problem. Well, looks like I'd better get back to work, so...Cloud, Tora...keep your chins up and I'll see you again. Count on it."
The 'stop' button was pressed by a gloved finger.
"I found it in one of the gifts he gave me," Tora said softly, "That was the first time I heard it."
"He thought of everything, didn't he?" Cloud asked. Nodding, the Wutaiian rubbed at her eyes stubbornly and unplugged the music player just as Tifa walked in.
"Am I missing something?" she asked, pointing between the two.
"Not anymore." the blond murmured, loud enough for Tora to hear.
Peace:
"Hey Spike, what's-"
"Shh! She's asleep!" Zack paused mid-crouch to examine the odd colouring on Cloud's thigh, which turned out to be Tora's hair. The blond cadet stroked it softly as she slept peacefully on the couch beside him, her lips slightly parted and her chest moving with each breath she took. The First Class walked over and leant over the sleeping Wutaiian, running a gloved hand over her arm carefully so as not to cause her pain.
"How?" he whispered.
"She came to me after running away from the General," Cloud replied automatically, "He wanted her to practice more of her techniques."
"I'll talk to him. She's only your age and she's got those morons down in research to contend with, too; she needs a life." Leaning down further, Zack brushed his lips against Tora's temple and stood, leaving the two to their peace.
Tora never awoke.
Military:
Routines were necessary, but that didn't mean she had to like them. Hers was: get up in the morning, try not to be sick after eating in the mess hall with Cloud (Cloud didn't make her sick; the food did), pretend to be in paradise as yet another sample of blood is drawn and more tests are performed, and then collapse on a couch somewhere and be taken back to bed by Zack.
It didn't matter that he was on duty half the time; rules were meant to be broken on a regular basis, anyway.
Red:
When Cloud stumbled back to Tora, the smear of his red on his cheek and in his hair, she screamed and hugged the blond, the Buster Sword sandwiched between them to serve as a reminder of the friend they both lost.
Stake:
"Steak," Zack pointed to one of the two objects in front of him, "Stake."
"They sound the same." Tora blinked as the Second Class groaned and hung his head. He was trying to teach her synonyms of various words but nothing was making sense.
"Okay, I'll show you what I mean." Zack ripped a piece of paper from the book in front of the Wutaiian and wrote the two words on it, sectioning it off and placing each piece of paper in front of the objects.
"Steak," He pointed to the first word, "Stake." He pointed to the second word. Gold eyes read each word carefully, the new knowledge tallying itself in her brain. A light suddenly pinged.
"Oh..." she said, then she blinked, "They still sound the same."
It was a good thing Zack's head was hard.
Contacting:
Some nights he steals down from the Lifestream and watches her sleep, her long hair splayed out all over the pillow and her mouth slightly open. It's on these nights he leans over her bed and kisses her softly, like he used to when he wanted to practise for kissing Aerith. It's not the same, but he can still feel the warmth of her heart through this little contact even now.
Tenth:
No-one ever told her that she was the last test subject remaining; nine failures were on full display in the laboratories waiting for a proper farewell. Zack's First Class influence made sure they all received the funerals they deserved.
Window:
"You know she won't wait for you forever."
Zack sighed and rested his head against the cool glass, his blue-violet eyes on the young Wutaiian outside sparring with Cloud so he could practice for his weapon review. Sephiroth made an unimpressed noise in the back of his throat and sat beside the Second Class, folding his arms over his chest.
"Is it wrong to want to protect her and bat away other guys who look at her?" the black-haired man asked, "I know she's younger than me but I can't help it."
"You're a growing man. I cannot tell you what to feel." the First Class replied. Zack huffed and returned his gaze to Tora and Cloud, who had stopped sparring and were sitting under a tree talking about something or other. If the window wasn't there he would've vaulted out of it and dragged Tora away to do something else with him and only him; she could kick his ass for it later.
Life had its way of taunting one through a looking glass. Zack didn't like the temptation the fates had for him.
Undoing:
"Let me go! Ow! Zack, please stop!"
Steering the two of them into a spare room, the First Class SOLDIER closed the door and swivelled on his heel to face the Wutaiian, something in his eyes that made her flinch. What had she done wrong?
"What was that all about?" he asked.
"What was what all about? I don't know what you're..." Realisation suddenly dawned in Tora's eyes, and they took on a sharp glint, "Don't tell me you're annoyed Cloud's taking me to the function."
"You're going to a Shinra function with one of my cadets!" Zack raised his voice a little, missing the slightly fearful look in gold eyes, "Give me one good reason why I should deny that."
"You're not my father! You can't tell me not to go with Cloud; he asked me!" He froze. There were tears coming out of Tora's eyes, tears that he'd made exist. Taking a step back, he watched his attempt at protecting her undo before his eyes. Stubbornly wiping at the salt water, the Wutaiian looked at the shocked look on the First Class's face.
"I'm sorry Zack," she whispered, "I shouldn't have said that." Arms suddenly wrapped themselves around her waist.
"It's my fault, Tora. I shouldn't have gotten so angry at you; it nearly cost me your trust. I just..." Zack sighed, "I don't want to lose you...not ever..." Returning his hug, Tora rested her head on his shoulder and rubbed his back soothingly.
"You could never lose me, Zack. You mean too much to me to ever stay away from you." she whispered, kissing his cheek, "Arguments last a day. Friendships last a lifetime."
Cry:
There was a pair of leather gloves sitting in a box in Tora's wardrobe, faintly smelling of salt water. He used to wear them to dry her tears whenever she broke.
"Keep these with you, Tora. That way when you cry you won't have to use a tissue."
Hazard:
Tora had taken to sticking handmade signs everywhere as a method of practising new words she learnt. Sephiroth had a sign plastered to his office door that said 'Do Not Feed The Animal'. Director Lazard's door had a sign that said 'Handle With Care'. Zack had a sign hung around his neck that said 'Walking Hazard'.
Captain:
"The house is on fire!"
"Yes it is, Captain Obvious."
"Who taught you that, Tora?"
"Zack, sir."
"Lieutenant Fair!"
"Yes, Angeal?"
"Did you teach Tora insults?"
"That's a dumb question, Captain Obvious."
"All I did was give her a book, I swear!"
Cleaner:
Okay, so maybe dousing Angeal's desk in hospital-grade bleach wasn't the best idea. It got rid of the awful smell, at least.
...yeah, Zack didn't know how Tora got a hold of the bleach, either.
Copy:
"Another copy showed up, didn't it?" Zack looked up sharply at the Wutaiian, her eyes dulled with remorse. Nodding, he opened his arms and allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder. Tears pricked at his eyes but he took a deep breath.
"At the church," he replied softly, "It was one of Angeal." Tora nodded and rubbed his arm, letting him use her as a rock like she did with him.
"Those things only copy physical features. No-one can copy his heart." she whispered.
Even though it still hurt to remember his mentor, Zack believed her; no-one could copy Angeal.
Pot:
He swore by the cinnamon-smelling ointment he always carried with him in a small red pot. It worked on Tora's lips, and it worked on his; did he mention it was a salve for cracked skin?
Interface:
"Computers suck."
"Who taught you to say that?"
"Reno did. I spent the day with him yesterday and he was having trouble with his computer too."
"Okay, I think I've got it. Just one more click...what? What do you mean, there's no interface?"
"Is that a good sign?"
"No Tora, it's not a good sign. In fact, it's a very bad sign."
"Should I go get Angeal?"
"Nah, I think I can fix it. Watch this."
"...is putting your foot through the screen the answer to all of a computer's problems?"
"Just go get Angeal."
Enlightenment:
The first time she kissed him, she was testing a theory and it didn't mean anything (at that point in time).
The first time he kissed her, he was fully conscious of his choice and there was no ulterior motive (there never was).
Shut:
Sometimes at night, Tora closes her eyes and pretends she's back in Midgar with Zack, laughing at whatever insane stunt he pulled that day or just relaxing after a hard day's work. Every time she does, she opens the floodgates and cries herself to sleep because those days are tightly locked behind a door and she cannot get them back again.
Basement:
After slowly stumbling out of one of the basement rooms in HQ, Zack made a vow never to go drinking with his mentor again; Angeal was one crazy-ass drunk.
"I told the General to give you the day off today. He wants to see you to fully assess how drunk you got last night."
"Thanks, Tora."
Arranging:
It was fun to sneak into his apartment at three in the morning and rearrange his furniture. The resulting thuds and curses taught her more words than she could ever hope to learn in a lesson with the General.
Voltage:
Okay, so he might've grabbed the wrong end of a Turk's EMR; who cared? He was still upright, wasn't he?
"Zack, even I could've told you those things have high voltage. Reno taught me about his."
"...why am I seeing stars?"
Don't those things have an 'off' switch?
Lack:
"Just why don't you put out the right results for Hojo, Tora?" The Wutaiian sighed and fiddled with a stray thread on her bandages.
"Do you promise not to tell anyone else, Zack?" The black-haired youth nodded, "My father was a Turk here; everyone called him 'Shinra's Secret'. He had mako in him that was transferred to my siblings and I when we were born. The mako that I was born with has created a defence against the stuff being pumped into me, which is why I have similar abilities to you but my eyes are still gold."
"Your dad was in Shinra?"
"You have the attention span of a puppy, Zack. I think it's cute."
"So that's why you're called 'lack of results' by the lab staff..."
"Three, two, one..."
Gradual:
Day One – flinching and hissing in Wutaiian. Day Seven – one-word English statements. Day Fourteen – select sentences. Day Twenty-One – small paragraphs. Day Twenty-Eight – profanities and curse words that made even Reno proud of her work.
Inequality:
"I'm not trying to change anything, Zack! I'm just trying to live my life in a world where the superior people are the ones with the most shine in their eyes and the biggest chip on their shoulder. All those First Class SOLDIER fail to recognise that each life they lose when they fight is a human being, and if they continue to be careless with those lives as they are now then the Planet will swallow them whole and they'll never get to the Lifestream. There's a fine balance between the living and the dead, and sometimes I wonder if people such as Angeal, Genesis and Sephiroth remember where that is."
Answer:
Zack could always make his friends fit any question posed to him. Who is the authority around Shinra? Sephiroth. Who could kick his ass several times without his sword? Genesis. Who was the only one that could humiliate him in public? Angeal. Who was the best sparring buddy he had? Cloud. Who would always be there for him with a warm smile and an open heart? Tora.
Pigeon:
Three of the damn birds woke him up every morning for a month when spring rolled around, until someone hit them with rocks and knocked them out.
To this day, Zack still marvels at Tora's accuracy.
Bird:
"Tora, how did you know where I put those files I needed?"
"A little bird told me."
"Tora, why did you deliver this to me?"
"A little bird told me."
"Tora, how did you know that this was what I needed?"
"A little bird told me."
Her 'little bird' happened to have black hair, bright eyes and a sword.
Zoom:
It was a funny word, and Tora had a habit of inserting it into every sentence she spoke for the next three months after Zack taught her its meaning.
Cosmology:
Trees and mountains were landmarks with different meanings, rocks and shrubs were path markers that led into the heart, and rivers were paths that led into villages where rest could be obtained.
Who taught him that? The one person who had to rely on those things to get through her day-to-day life back home.
Constitution:
Director Lazard.
General Sephiroth.
Commanders Angeal Hewley and Genesis Rhapsodos.
SOLDIER First Class Zack Fair.
Shinra guard Cloud Strife.
Where did she fit anywhere?
Blocking:
"Sephiroth, led be in."
"No Tora, you're sick."
"Ab not!"
"You are. Now go lie down somewhere that isn't my dwelling."
"Bud Zack's in dere and he's sick!"
"I can deal with him. You, I'd rather not see naked."
"Ew, Sephiroth!"
"Zack says that you need to go see Cloud because he's got what you've got."
"Tell him Cloud's asleep right dow and I don't want to disturb him."
"He asks if you've already been to see him."
"Yes, he dook me wid him to the infirmary for our drugs."
"Why am I the messenger?"
"Because you're de one blocking de door."
"Thank you, Tora."
"Tell Zack that he can come bisit Cloud and bring some of his famous soup."
"Zack says he'll do that tonight because he was planning it anyway."
"Dank you Zack!"
"Remind me again why I blocked the door...shut up Zack."
Inclusion:
Shuffling about on her feet, Tora watched the five SOLDIER personnel sit around the table and talk just as she'd planned it. Sephiroth, Angeal, Genesis, Zack and Cloud had all been so busy with their jobs lately that they hadn't had time to just sit and relax. So, as her gift to them for being so nice to her, the Wutaiian cleared their schedules for the week and organised for them to have privacy to just...be themselves.
As she turned to go, a voice called over to her.
"Want to join us, Tora?"
"I can't Zack," she replied, "I only organised this for you guys because you're all overworked and I didn't want you all to die young because of stress-related illnesses." Deeming that an inappropriate answer, Zack stood up from the table and picked up the girl, carrying her back to the group and depositing her between him and Cloud.
"Now it's complete." he said, grinning at her.
"I agree." Angeal commented.
"Me too." Genesis added.
"You need to relax too, Tora." Cloud pitched in. Gold eyes looked up at the General, who nodded at their words. Sighing in defeat, Tora rested her head on the Second Class's shoulder and let her paranoid muscles relax.
She would deal with Hojo later.
Parameter:
There was a very fine line between Heaven and Hell, but Zack thinks he's definitely fallen into Hell; Tora's not around to laugh at his jokes anymore.
That Hell was called the Lifestream.
Soul:
There's an old saying: 'The eyes are the windows to the soul'. Zack takes it to heart every time he looks into artificially shining gold ones, or innocent blue ones.
He doesn't quite know what sort of beatings their souls will go through before they can finally be together; damn his failed matchmaking attempts.
Passage:
Three times had Tora stared Death in the face, each time because of carelessness on her part.
Three times had Tora seen Zack's smiling face before she returned to the Planet, each time with a smile on her own face.
Gesture:
One of the first things he did when he received his First Class rank?
"Tora! Tora, look! Now you don't have a reason to be afraid anymore; I can protect you with more honour than before."
"You always had the same amount of honour, Zack. You just have a bigger sword and a bigger smile."
Because nothing beats having a friend you want to protect with your life.
Permission:
"Z-Zack? Can I...can I-I..."
"Come here, Tora. Don't ask, just do it."
"O-okay..."
"I'll always be there for you."
The fifth subject had just died and Tora hadn't been allowed to mourn in front of Hojo.
Information:
"Zack, I think you should take a look at this."
Blue-violet eyes widened at the information that Angeal passed onto him. It had come out of the Shinra Secret's personal file, something he thought only Director Lazard or Tseng had access to.
"But...that would mean..."
"Yes, Zack. You and Tora are related."
Her father was from Gongaga. Her father was his mother's brother. Her father was his uncle.
They were cousins.
Audience:
When the orphanage is empty, Tora clears away the space in her study and sets up a music player, letting a soft melody waft throughout the space. It's in here she lifts her arms, twirls her body and moves to the music in a way that has been ingrained into her brain since she was a young girl in Wutai. From beside the player, a black-haired spirit watches her move and wishes he could dance with her in an effort to feel her smile on his skin and her body close to his once again.
Scholar:
"There's nothing we can do, sir. He just won't give up what we need."
Zack hummed and ran a hand over the scar on his jaw, debating whether or not to go through with the plan that was quickly forming in his head. Oh well, Sephiroth could kick his ass for it later.
"Get me Tora." he ordered. The cadet nodded and scurried off, reappearing with the Wutaiian ten minutes later. Rubbing at sleepy gold eyes she stood beside Zack and peered into the interrogation room, seeing the scruffy looking man grinning at them from his confinement.
"You're a smart person, Tora," the First Class SOLDIER said, "Can you outsmart him?"
"I'm female, sir." was her simple reply before she entered the room. Twenty minutes of screaming and crying later she came out with a piece of paper detailing the captive's involvement in an anti-Shinra research group.
"I don't think he liked it when I reminded him we could turn him inside out using only our hands." Tora quipped casually. Many cadets winced, but Zack beamed proudly.
That was his girl, alright.
Tab:
It was over three hundred Gil, but it had been paid off.
"Hey miss, do you know who paid this off?"
"Some girl with big gold eyes. Beat up a couple of patrons who tried to get her to drink, too. She just slapped the money on the bar and said 'Take it or I'll do the same thing to you.' I didn't have the heart to turn her away."
Where the hell did Tora get over three hundred Gil?
Telling:
Happy - chatting with those who would listen to her, mostly himself and Sephiroth. Sad - clinging onto the nearest source of comfort, again mostly himself or Sephiroth. Frightened - see 'sad'. Sick - withdrawal into self only asking for help when needed, from either himself or Sephiroth. Angry - ...there was no telling with Tora; every time Zack saw her angry she had different ways of displaying it.
=^w^=
DISCLAIMER: The disclaimer applies to all characters and all settings of 'Final Fantasy VII' and all its associating games – SquareEnix – and Tora and her family – me.