So here's another chapter for you all, had good feedback so far, so it'd be nice if it kept up! Exams are finally out of the way, so you can expect a little more form me that you've been getting. I promise not to Cloud bash too badly.

I've upped the rating to M however, due to Tifa and Cid's language

2. Retreat

Cloud was angry. Why had she gone in alone, it was dangerous-- who knew what could be lurking in the shadows-- He'd shot a sidelong glance at Vincent here, who stayed silent throughout their heated discussion, and Tifa had cracked.

Maybe it was time, she had fumed, he started looking forwards, instead of back. They all felt the loss, hell, she even felt somehow she was partly accountable, but if the mission was going to suffer because of his inability to make the right decisions, then she was inclined to put Barret back in charge.

His chest had heaved at her words, though he was stunned to silence. She never argued with him. Never. She never shouted, never got angry. Because before now, she'd always been afraid of pushing him away. Though now, she knew he had already forced the wedge about as far as he could manage.

"I apologise for this-- I didn't realise my presence would be such--"Vincent had mumbled after a drawn out, painful silence, making her jump a little. She'd forgotten he'd been stood behind her, silent and watchful throughout the whole ordeal. They were gathered stiffly in the living room of 'her' house, minus Cloud, who had stepped outside for 'fresh air'. Cid was smoking, watching them carefully through the haze.

She raised her hand to silence him.

"Don't think any of this is your fault. A lot had happened before… before I found you. I guess it had to come out sooner or later." She sighed heavily, running her fingers through her hair. She realised belatedly, catching sight of the gaping white sleeve, that she was still wearing her nightdress. "I should change. Cid, make him feel welcome, would you?"

She bounded up the stairs and set about locating her clothes, her mind still racing with all the angry words she hadn't said, had refrained from saying. It wouldn't do any good, being mad at him. It wouldn't change anything. Nothing at all. Dressed in a yellow shirt and black knee length shorts, she found she was unable to distract herself with a purpose, casting her eyes about her counterfeit bedroom.

The piano was almost identical, just without the few scratches it had accrued over the years; each which she had done her best to hide from her father's sight. The stool didn't have that same creak when she sat on it. None of her music books. Just a note from her old trainer, Zanghan. She'd have to track him down one day. She owed him so much.

The keys emitted a sudden splurge of notes as she placed her elbows there, and covered her face with her hands. She sobbed into her palms, suddenly weak, spineless. She couldn't do this anymore-- chasing a foe around the planet who was way beyond any of them. Superhuman, evil, hell-bent on revenge. She didn't know if she was strong enough, if Cloud was strong enough. She didn't know what she would do if--

She wiped her tears away angrily with the heel of her hand, standing abruptly and throwing her pack over her shoulder.

She'd just have to be strong enough for the both of them.

***

The mountain trek seemed more arduous than she remembered it. By the time a hazy midday sun had reached its pinnacle in the sky, she was sweating, leg muscles aching from heaving herself up ledges, refusing to accept the offer of anyone's hand to aid her. She didn't need it.

Cloud seemed hesitant to allow them a rest, well aware of the dangers of the Nibel Mountains, but they weren't called The Bastard Peaks for nothing, and with an exhausted entourage doing their best to keep up, minus a complaining Yuffie, he was forced to call them to a stop. Tifa huffed out a breath, almost throwing herself to the ground on her backside, letting her head droop between her knees. Over her breathing, she heard boots scrape to a stop by her side, and after a moment, heard their owner ease themselves to a seated position.

"How are you keeping?" His voice was quiet, as if he didn't want the others to hear. She leant back against a vertical rock, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand, to view him better.

"Just about. You?" He was pale; his face lit by the glaring sun showed as much, and she took a moment to appreciate his face, now that she could distinguish its finer features.

"It's been a while since I've stretched my legs, let's just say." He gave a small laugh through his nose. "But I don't seem to be suffering." Defined jaw line, though it seemed somewhat ruined by the length of his hair, which she noted, didn't seem to be staying out of his eyes. He seemed bless with high cheek bones, and well formed brow bones.

"Lucky for some. Here-- you might be needing this." She unwound the spare elastic from her wrist.

"You don't seem… unfit." He selected his vocabulary carefully, and Tifa hid the barest hint of a smile behind her hand, as she watched him tie his hair back roughly, in a way that suggested he wasn't practised in doing so. So his hair hadn't always been that way-- just as well, and she thought with a secret smile that perhaps that fact wouldn't make it so hard to convince him to get it cut someday.

"Thank you."

"Tifa, water here." Cloud called to her. She opened her palms, deftly catching the bottle he tossed to her. She drained half the bottle, before holding it out to her companion.

"We won't be too long. Cloud doesn't really like these mountains much. Though, I have bad memories here myself."

"May I ask why?" He twirled the bottle between his palms.

"My Mother committed suicide here," She wiped the sweat from her forehead on the back of her glove, little infliction of emotion to her tone. "We passed the ledge not so long back."

Vincent frowned. "Why did she kill herself?"

"Depression. She'd been on medication for years. Think she'd just had enough." Tifa glanced up at the clear skies, busied herself with dusting down her pants before she stood again, readjusting her elbow plate.

"Forgive me for being… inquisitive. I'm just trying to figure you out."

"Figure me out?" She placed one hand on her hip, shifting her weight to one leg.

"Yes. You're very… difficult to read."

"Wow. Well, nice to know someone's interested." She gave him a slight wink.

"Nibel Wolves!-- Dead ahead!" Cid's shout startled her-- they hadn't encountered anything all day, and they stop to take a rest for one damn minute…

"Yes." Vincent's voice was firm as he stared in the direction Cid was pointing. "but… I think there may be something else."

Tifa squinted, clambering atop a rock to view the chasm they had just crossed at a better vantage point. "Fuck… fuck." She cursed, her mind scrambling for a solution. "Run, it's a god damn pack-- and they've got the biggest alpha male I've seen in my life."

She threw her pack over her shoulder, breaking into a sprint along with the others. The loose stones crunched underfoot as she ran, and in some places, she would have lost her footing were it not for a firm had at her elbow.

"Careful!" Cid growled, casting a glance backwards. Vincent had armed himself back in Nibel, and had his weapon at the ready, just in case. "Hurry up, Vinnie, yer bullets are no good against these fuckers!"

The path ahead narrowed, and Tifa felt her stomach flip. The wolves wouldn't make much headway here, though they were nimble and agile, designed for the mountains; they would scramble over the rocks with ease and meet them ahead, where they would have no choice but to fight them off.

"We're might have to fight, keep on your toes!" Tifa yelled ahead, skidding to a stop, waiting for Yuffie to sidle along the narrow edge, then Cid, then…

"After you," Vincent said, the faintest of smiles flashing across his hardened visage. The gap was only a little wider than her boots were long, and she found herself holding her breath as she placed her back and palms flat to the rock face and began to shift sideways, towards where Cloud waited anxiously, sword drawn at the ready, her pack a slight impairment on her balance. A high pitched, inhuman howl sent shivers down her spine. It sounded like it was right above her head. She grit her teeth and continued on, concentrating on the placement of her feet only. Just two more steps, and she'd be there…

Cloud's hand was a momentary pressure on her arm, aiding her from the ledge, before it was gone, the kiss of cool air where it had rested being the only affirmation of it ever existing. She watched Vincent anxiously, who seemed to be making light work of the ledge. He made it safely, giving her the slightest of nods in response to her worried gaze.

The chase ensued with rushing wind in her face, cooling her sweat to her skin, only to send it to ice as the ever present threat was enforced further by the howls of the beasts that were at their heels. Cloud Red and Yuffie, seemingly the fastest, vanished out of sight after a time of seemingly ceaseless running, and she was ahead presented with two choices of direction. With time being of the essence, she chose left, Vincent following her close behind. After sprinting until she felt her lungs were going to burst, she began to fear she had lost the others. Barret and Cid had been behind her, though they were no more, and there were no replies to her breathless shouts.

"Tifa, stop. We aren't-- being followed-- anymore. For the moment--at least." Vincent articulated to her through his laboured breathing. His face gleamed with sweat, his dark clothing covered in the grey dust they'd kicked up from the trail. A glance down at herself revealed her to be in a similar state.

"Where the-- hell are we?" Since their turning, they seemed to be heading downhill, with steep rock faces rising up either side of their path. If she listened, she could pick out the sounds of wind rustling leaves, and running water. It was certainly cooler, out of the sun.

"We were-- heading towards -- Rocket?" She nodded. "We are heading-- east I believe… We can't be far from--- the forest. Just a little detour."

"I hope the others are safe…" She fretted, chewing at her lip. "I'll try Cloud's PHS." She thrust the device to her ear after punching in the number. "Shit-- no reception."

"I don't understand." He eyed her PHS ruefully.

"We should keep moving."

"Good plan. Ladies first."

***

The woods were a reprieve from the baking midday sun, though she found herself sweating under the cover of the tree's canopy, the air think and damp. Moisture clung to her body, dripped form her hair, and she could only imagine what she looked like. The air was filled with the calls of birds, and Tifa felt soothed by them.

They began to walk north-east, a direction which should lead them out of the forest, towards Rocket, or at least somewhere they could get reception, Tifa thought. She didn't like not being about to contact Cloud. She didn't want him to U-turn back to the mountains and get himself into a tangle, all because of some sense of duty. She could handle herself. Besides, Vincent had proved himself a dead-shot.

They'd been walking in silence for some time now, leaf litter crunching under foot, passing in and out of patches of sunlight that somehow managed to penetrate the canopy overhead. Vincent was alert and watchful, his trigger fingers never far from his holstered weapon. She felt a little more at ease with him at her side.

"I don't like this."

She turned to face him, brow furrowed. "Hm?"

"Something isn't right… The birds have stopped singing." She strained her ears, and sure enough, the din was gone, replaced by an unearthly hush. The leaves rustled in a slight breeze. "You have materia?"

"Yes. I have defensive mostly, though there is something else..." He didn't seem to be listening.

"Stay alert. I think we are being followed. Let's just keep moving for now."

He quickened his pace, and she almost had to run to keep in time with his long strides. over their footfalls, she could hear a pattering of many feet. No, not feet. Paws…

"GET DOWN!" He was furious, powerful, weapon drawn, shots landing true between the eyes of the approaching wolf. He must have been the hungry one, Tifa thought vaguely, her back against a tall tree. They didn't hunt like that, Nibel wolves. They worked in tactics, unbreakable units, wearing down, overpowering their prey.

Vincent may be a good shot, but if he were to miss just one, then they would be able to break through and… Oh, why did she let Cloud swap around her materia? She hated it when he did that at the best of times, let alone at the worst, at this time…

She could hear the beasts were excited, closing in, no doubt driven mad by the scent of her sweat…

Vincent waited, aiming difficult between the tree trunks, curses falling from his lips in a steady unbroken stream. They weren't going to make it without taking some damage… and he knew which of them was the most vulnerable right now…

A nearby snarl set shivers down his spine; they were going to attack-- but from which direction? Sweat dripped from his face, his heart racing in a strange staccato in his chest. Oh god, not her, please, she didn't deserve this, didn't deserve to die this way…

And then it was behind him, and it was too late to turn, and aim, and fire… only a few seconds, but a few seconds too late… and…

All time stopped. For Tifa the earth ceased its turning, and the world around them froze into place. Vincent stood not far from her, his body rigid, eyes wide, filled with fear, fury. She felt as though she had been plunged into ice; her skin rose in goose bumps, the hair at the back of her neck stood on end, and her joints seemed unable to respond to her urges to move them. One wolf was suspended in air before her, gleaming teeth bared, slick with saliva, eyes burning with hunger and frenzy. She could almost count, if she'd wanted to, the individual droplets of moisture clinging to its shaggy grey fur.

She took in a shaking breath. The golden key which hung between her breasts clutched tightly in her left hand, the red stone glinting unnaturally. She'd instinctually reached for it, seeing it as a possible route to safety out of their peril. But she didn't know she had unleashed something much more than she had hoped for.

Vincent's eyes moved to hers, engaging her in a stare that seemed to last an eternity; she was cold, hot, weightless, everything, and nothing, under his eyes.

Then he spoke. "What have you done…"

Her lips parted and she uttered one word. "Chaos."

The clock ticked forwards. And everything moved once more.

Vincent was emanating a heat like nothing she had felt before; it warmed her instantly, calmed her frayed nerves. His eyes closed, and his arms fell to his side, limp, useless. They were now more in danger than they could be.

Then his eyes opened.

Golden irises replaced his wine, his body changed before her, no longer his own. A magnificent, terrible creature, winged and clawed, towering above her. But she wasn't afraid. She felt calm. Nothing but calm. Because she had called for him. And he had answered.

The wolves howled.

Teeth sank into flesh, tearing, searing, and she felt warm blood slide down her neck, her chest, soak through her shirt. Of course, she could have laughed; she wasn't to think they were invincible. Foolish Tifa…

Her world went silent, and black.

Well, what did you think?

xx