Disclaimer: All things (places, characters etc.) Final Fantasy 7 belong to Square Enix. So they're not mine…I'm just playing with them a little… I'll give them back in no time…

AN: Sorry for the long delay. I'll try my best to keep writing, and don't worry, I won't leave this incomplete. It'll just take awhile is all.

PS. Advent Children was soooo cool. But I think I'll leave it alone for this fic so just ignore it for now.

Huge thanks to SeveredWing for betaing. Couldn't have done it without you.

When Love and Death Embrace Chapter 4: On the road

Travelling had gone well so far. Tifa was making up ground at a fast pace and she figured she would catch up to Cloud within the day. Still slightly sick, the trip was not the best idea perhaps, but driven by the unrelenting feeling to head North, it was not as if she really had a choice in the matter. She just hoped that everything would continue to go as smoothly as it had up until now. Bumping into trouble was the last thing she needed now. Oh great, go and jinx yourself. It's not like this is hard enough already. She urged Fitz to go faster, hoping that the chocobo would sympathize with her and do as she asked. Fitz let out an angry squeak. He was tired and not at all happy at his mistress' demand for more speed. "I'm sorry sweetie. I know you're tired and hungry, but if we keep going for a little longer then we can rest. I'll give you some sylkis greens for the trouble." Fitz gave a happy squeak and ran faster.

About three hours later, the trio was forced to stop for rest. Tifa's condition had worsened. Unwilling to stop, but forced to by her sickness and sudden exhaustion, the young warrior was not happy. It would cause another delay and she really felt that there was no time for any more delays. Every time she stopped she could feel an anxiety take hold of her, pushing her to continue on her journey. But even that could not force her to move forward now. Tifa was absolutely out of energy and the chocobos had been squeaking more and more during the last half hour. As she made camp, which consisted of a fire and a bedroll for her to rest on, she thought yet again about falling behind her schedule. She was close to the shoreline now. She'd reach it the next day she was sure, but there was still no sign of Cloud. Doubt had begun to slip into her. Maybe I chose the wrong direction? He could be heading anywhere. But as soon as the thought entered her mind, it was shot down. She knew she was going in the right direction. Somehow she just knew.

"Alright guys, we rest for an hour or two, then we're back on the road," she told the chocobos as she gave them some greens.

"Don't be all grumpy now. This is important." A scratch behind the head and they seemed content. I'll just rest awhile.

And before she knew it, she was out like a light.

The wind was whisking her hair all over. She had trouble seeing through it, but she did not need sight to feel the heat that was all consuming. Yellow flames were licking away at the small wooden houses, spreading as the wind urged them on. But this can't be? Is this… Nibelheim?

A building fell in on itself behind her and she jumped with fright. The flames were licking closer to her, almost as if they sensed a new thing to destroy. Then suddenly an agonized scream ripped through the air. 7th Heaven? Oh my God! Mina? The bar was almost completely engulfed by fire.

"Mina!" Desperately trying to fight her way through the flames, Tifa finally managed to get inside the building. The inside was burning even more furiously than the outside.

"Mina, are you in here? Mina!" Dodging a burning support beam that fell from the ceiling she made her way to the bar and kitchen entrance. There, trapped under another burning beam was Mina. The woman was obviously dead, probably from the beam hitting her. She was no longer reacting to the flames that were eating away at her.

Tifa felt her bile rise up. She was going to be sick. Desperate for fresh air, she hurried outside, gulping down several deep breaths as she made her way from the burning bar. Only there was no fresh air. It was filled with ash. It was sticking to her hair, her clothes and to her tear stained cheeks. As her panic slowly decreased she noticed that almost all the houses had now been destroyed. "Hello! Is there anybody here?" Please God don't let them all be dead. This can't be happening! Not again. "HELLO!"

And suddenly she was surrounded by hundreds of figures. With a shocked gasp she fell to the now cold ground. The air was suddenly clear again and the burning heat lingered only on her skin. The air here was cold. Inhaling much needed oxygen, it took her awhile to notice that no one was doing anything. They were all just standing still around her, weapons at the ready, their aim fixed on her.

Then a voice shouted out, "Get her! We need her alive…" The voice turned sadistic "…but not undamaged." Tifa was instantly up on her feet ready to fight. They would not get her that easily.

Then something happened. She felt as if she'd been ripped from her body and shoved back into it. When she regained her bearings, she found herself lying on the ground. An eerie quiet was in the air. Pushing herself back into a sitting position, Tifa noticed with dread that everyone else was on the ground as well. Only no one else was getting up. No one else was moving at all. And for some reason the ground felt very sticky.

She slowly stood up to have a look around. What the hell just happened? Lightning illuminated the sky and showed her that there was no end to the bodies. They were absolutely everywhere. And the sticky stuff was now dripping from her hands. Oh no… I'm sticky all over. As lightening flashed in the sky again, she saw that the sticky substance was blood. The ground was covered with it, she was covered in it, it was everywhere.

Tifa felt sick again. A painful groan was heard before she lost control, and she hurried to find whoever had made the sound. It was a soldier somewhat near to her. He was impaled by what looked to be his own sword.

"What happened here? Who did this? Why did you want to attack me?" The questions were pouring out of her at a desperate pace.

The soldier coughed and gurgled as his own blood was slowly drowning him. "Y-you… We… following… orders…. Why… did you.. I…" He made an awful choking sound and soon said no more.

Tifa was shocked. What did he mean by that? I didn't? I would never… Sobs were starting to grow in her, the lump that had been in her throat for all too long now hurting impossibly. "I just want to go home! I don't understand any of this!" And then the sobs took over.

Her cries went unnoticed, the sky alive and now crying with her as lightning flashed through the sky.

Tifa woke up with a start. The chocobos were sleeping happily a little ways from her. Thank God it was just a dream. She let out a relieved sigh and laughed a little at herself. How could I think that was real? She felt silly now. Silly and late, she needed to get moving.

But… how come the fire is still burning? That was strange, it was obviously several hours since she had fallen asleep. It should have burnt out ages ago. And that's when she noticed the figure standing on the other side of the flames.

Once again she was on her feet in an instant. "Who's there?"

"Tifa. I need you to do something for me." She would recognize that voice anywhere, but it was impossible. He was long dead.

"Tifa, I need you to focus. This is very important." Finally she was stunned out of her shock by the stern voice and years of reacting to it.

"Yes father, what is it?" It was actually her father speaking to her. He was actually there, in front of her, in the flesh.

"It's happening. They're coming and it's absolutely vital that you don't d-" his sentence was abruptly cut off.

"What? It's vital that I don't do what?" Why isn't he saying anything? He was simply standing there in the same place, not moving or speaking.

"Father? Father what's wrong?" She started to move towards him when it became apparent what was wrong. There was something sticking out of his chest. Tifa was instantly back to her dream and the soldier. "Father!" Panic was starting to take over. And then he did move. He made the same awful gurgling sound the soldier in her dream had made and then he fell to his knees. Helplessly she followed him with her eyes as he slid to the ground. This can't be happening again.. I can't- I… Her father was lying on the ground before her, and knife protruding from his back. In disbelief she looked up and was beyond surprised as she looked at her fathers murderer. And saw that she was looking at herself.

"I didn't want to, but he made me do it. Made me promise to do it. And you can't break promises," her mirror image was telling her. And then her hands felt sticky again. She looked down at them and saw blood. When she looked back up, her twin had disappeared and she now stood behind her father's prone form. The constant shock simply too much for her body to handle, she slumped down and fell into the blessed darkness of unconsciousness.

Tifa awoke slowly this time, her head felt very hazy. It was light and the fire had reduced to glowing embers. Oh my head. Ow. Feeling a little refreshed as her body had gotten some rest, Tifa felt it was time to move on.

"C'mon sweeties, we've wasted enough time. Enough resting, let's get going."

The chocobos were not too happy, but got up anyway. She saddled them and then went to put out the fire and pick up her bed roll.

"You know, I feel like I had the strangest dream." Fitz just shook his head to imply that if they were going to go, they better get going now.

"Alright, alright. Grumpy pants!"

The feeling that something was wrong, or that she had forgotten something important was with her for a second before that need to go North was back and they were instantly on their way.

"Cloud! Wait! Cloud would you stop!" Tifa pushed Fitz to go harder and the chocobo responded immediately. Pulling to a stop when she was right in front of Cloud, the blonde warrior finally seemed to take note of her.

"Tifa? What are you doing out here?" Confusion was very evident in his voice.

She dismounted Fitz and walked over to Cloud, pulled him in to a tight hug before angrily pushing him away. "What am I doing here! What do you think I'm doing here? You were sick and then suddenly you're gone! I was worried. I thought something might have happened to you and here I find you in the middle of nowhere just walking around. If I didn't know you were sick, I'd knock some sense into that spiky head of yours."

Something that might have been shame passed over Cloud's face. "I'm sorry if I worried you, I didn't mean to. It's just.. I can't really explain it but I need for you to go back home."

"You're going to keep going, right?" He took a moment before nodding. "Well I'm coming too. And before you say no I'll either walk with you or tag along behind you, but I'm going so deal with it and let's get moving. It's cold out here." He looked like he might protest for a moment, but seeing the resolve in her eyes he quickly changed his mind. "I even brought Percy for you so you wouldn't have to walk." Cloud was actually happy that he wouldn't have to walk any more. The urge to go North had been so strong that he had just left, not thinking about anything else but to go as fast as possible. He watched as Tifa walked back to Fitz and got on before whistling to Percy, who immediately answered his master's call. Mounting his chocobo, he wondered aloud, "I still don't understand why she gave you such strange names." Tifa overheard him and smiled.

"I think we still have a little daylight left, let's keep going as long as we can before we set camp." Even though hunger and sickness pulled at him to rest now, Cloud agreed with her. We must hurry.

End Chapter 4.

AN: If you liked it or if you didn't, I'd love it if you let me know.

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