Heart Beats In Her

By Odine

Dedicated to W. Von Goethe





Aftermath:

As You Know, Squaresoft Left Us In The Dark As To What Happened At The End Of Final Fantasy Seven. Well, Okay = We Know Red XIII Has Lots Of Kids And Vine-Encrusted Midgar Is An Excellent Place To Hunt Doves. But Thats Centuries Later! What Happened To Cloud? Tifa? Barret, Cid, Vincent, Yuffie, Cait Sith, And (yes,) Aeris?

Allow Odine To Shed Some Light...

This Story Takes Place Only A Year After The Arrival Of Meteor. Holy And Lifestream Were Able To Neutralize The Threat But The Planet's Energy Is Near Depletion And Holy Has Unforeseenly Left A Harmful Bi-Product; Cloud, Marlene, And Aeris's Adopted Mother Are The Only Ones Reported To Be Affected By This, And Cloud Suffers By Far Worse Than The Other Two. Although The Symptoms Are Not Widespread, They Are Horrifying. Cloud Can No Longer See Or Hear; Despite Medication, He Also Has Paralyzing Seizures And Hallucinations. The Other Two Are Gradually Losing Their Sight And Hearing, But The Effects Are Minimal In Comparison, And They Are Able To Continue A Fairly Normal Life.

Cloud Has Been Bedridden At His Old Home In Nibelheim, Where Tifa Has Taken It On Herself To Watch Over Him. Fixed On The Idea Of A Recovery, She Stays By His Side.

The Team Has All But Dissolved, Everyone Has His Own Concerns Now...

Continue Reading If I Have Your Interest. If Not, You're Probably Already Gone, So I Feel Sorry For You.













Ch. 1: Lonely Vigil

Tifa Groped For The Medicine And Wiped Away New Tears With The Side Of Her Hand. An Expression Of Terrified Compassion Was Sketched On Her Face, Pale And Perspiring.

The Attacks Were Never This Long, Never This Violent.

Cloud Lay The Bed Trembling Wildly, His Breaths Coming In Rapid, Detached Gasps. Now And Then He Would Attempt Speech, But The Words Were Horribly Disfigured By The Uncontrollable Shivering. Tifa Drew Out A Syringe, Dipped It In The Antidote And Filled It. Hands Fumbling, She Then Placed The Bottle On The Windowsill And Held The Needle Against Cloud's Arm. Hastily, She Injected It And Prayed Aloud That It Would Take Effect Quickly.

She Took The Medicine And Was About To Put It Back, When Cloud Abruptly Lurched Upwards And Raised His Hands To His Throat.

"He-r-r He-hhr!-''

His Voice Was Smothered By The Bloody Gobbet Of Bile Which Spurted From His Lips.

Tifa Screamed, Braced Herself Against The Wall With One Arm. Instinct Urged Her Forward, But Her Knees Buckled; Her Joints Gave Way. And She Slid Down Against The Wall, The Medicine Tumbling Out Of Her Hands. Sobbing Numbly, She Watched As It Clattered To The Floor And Spilled Its Contents.

And Then She Lost Consciousness.

Aeris.

Is That Aeris?

She Is Holding Something... What?

Questions.

Who?/What?/Why?

Cloud... He Needs My Help.

Get Up.

Aeris... She Is Holding Something...

What?

My Neck... Hurts.

Get Up!

"Mmnh..."

A Soft Groan... My Voice?

Cloud Needs My Help.

Get Up!

Again She Opened Her Eyes, Slowly Now. Fragments Of Reality Were Puzzling Themselves Back Together Again. All At Once She Was Alerted To The Full Spectrum Of Her Bodily Sensations;

Her Temples Were Red Hot....
Pulse Quickening....Muscles Tense....

"Ohh!" An Indrawn Gasp.

Tifa Surged To Her Feet, Nearly Fainting Again From The Sudden Rise In Blood Pressure. She Stumbled Forward As A Wash Of Dizzying Spots Smeared Her Vision. One Knee Struck The Side Of The Bed.

The Bed... Cloud Is In The Bed!

The Spots Dissipated, As If A Curtain Lifted To The Scene Of A Horrific Play. Her Vision Cleared.

"Cloud!"




Having Fun, Huh? Chapter Two Coming Soon!