First of all, I'm sorry that I put this on hiatus for...wow, 2 years? I'm really sorry. Let me explain, originally, I stopped because of some real life issues also, I refused to update Endless Crisis as long as my friend CM Aeris refuses to update the sister fic, Resolving Crisis. But now that that fic is officially abandoned, I will resume. For the answer to how they all time traveled and how they all don't know that the others time traveled. It's because we wanted them to time travel. But it's not like time travelers can instinctively sense that there's another time traveler is there? And now, without further ado the disclaimer: All the elements of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII belongs to Square-Enix, I do not own anything except for for this humble little fic.
Italicized words are thoughts
Endless Crisis
A chilly afternoon mountain breeze blew into the quaint little village of Nibelheim as a figured looked up at the Mako reactor on top of Mt Nibel. It is time, the pieces are set, and all the players pray fervently that their preparations were adequate, all things considered. Not only were their younger bodies not strong enough to allow for much freedom, there's also the ever so watchful eyes around them, keeping them from doing something drastic. Now that day has come, Shinra's operatives have entered the gates of Nibelheim. Tifa Lockhart, known to the rest of the town simply as the mayor's daughter, is ready.
After she found herself back in her father's house back in Nibelheim, and the happy that everything she had known from her childhood were still safe, the buxom future bartender did her best to try to change the future. But it had been damn impossible. As much as she loves her father, he was too overprotective of her due to her mother's death and the bridge accident shortly after. As a result, Tifa was forbidden to leave the village at anytime on her own. The future bartender does not wish distress on her father so she hesitantly obeyed, instead pouring all of her spare energy into martial arts training under her teacher, Master Zangan. The man had said that she was one of his most talented and promising student, but for Tifa, all that matters would be whether said skills will be able to change the future for the better.
This time, Tifa knew for sure that Cloud is here, she will not be shy and awkward like last time, nor will she let Cloud.
"You guys are sent by Shinra to investigate the monsters, correct?" She had went up to them, "Have you seen a guy named Cloud?" Tifa can't help but smile as one of the infantrymen jumped. "He was my next door neighbor but he went to join the Shinra army."
The SOLDIER Zack gave her a look before giving the Shinra infantryman that had jumped, a friendly pat on the back, "Wow! You're lucky, Cloud. Go on! Take the time to discuss future plans with your lady friend." Is it just me, or does his cheer sound fake? The true member of SOLDIER continued, "The general already said that he doesn't mind."
Soon, they find themselves on the way to Cloud's house. At first, Tifa thought that she'd have to be the one to break the ice, but she was wrong, a good kind of wrong.
"Tifa? Do you know Seventh Heaven?" For a while, the two maintained silence as the future bartender processes that this Cloud is her Cloud, not just the little kid that used to have a crush on her. But the one that survived the destruction of their hometown and has been thru hell and high water together all this time. The words "you too" went unsaid but the answer for both were very clear.
"Yeah, it's my bar. So what do you plan to do? Or rather, it's more than just you..."
"Zack and Aerith are here too." Tifa does not know what to feel. On the one hand, that means there's more people in the same boat, but on the other hand...
"Cloud? What will we do now?"
"We live for the moment, Tifa."
Live for the moment, they did. This time around, Tifa had made sure to get to know Cloud's mother and the woman has came to treat her like a daughter. The reunion with Mrs. Strife was as sweet as it can be. But knowing that impending doom is coming within the week makes it really, really difficult for her mind to be at ease even for a second. There's so much possibilities, so many different outcomes that could result if they decided to act now. Currently, Cloud was telling them about how good of a friend Zack was. Looking out for him in Midgar, keep the bullies off of him, giving him extra combat lessons and more, until they were interrupted by a rattling sound from the window next to them. Upon inspection, it was a grinning Zack.
"Are you kids decent in there?" Cloud rolled his eyes at the cheeky comment and closed the window and turned to his mother,
"Mom...I kind of promised that I would show Zack around town before work tomorrow, can Tifa join us as well?"
Time to save everyone. Tifa smiled inwardly.
But of course it wasn't as easy as she had thought as they find out while they planned their next step inside Shinra Manor.
"As much as I'm happy for the two of you, but it had still made Sephiroth nostalgic about his origins and his supposed mother. Now, this is your home, what do you think can help? I'm out of ideas."
"Tifa," Cloud decided to break the ice. "What have you done so far?"
"Not as much as I liked," I wanted to torch the library and burn Jenovah into ash. "The passage is closed and there's no way to open. I was not able to kick the wall to the passage down either."
"...Sounds like only Sephiroth can open that... Any other ideas?"
"How about if Tifa pretend that she cannot serve as the guide up the mountain?" Zack shook his head,
"Even if there's no guide, he'll still make us climb up and just go take every route until we found the right way." He then tried adding a little cheer into his tone, "Besides, he can just make you be the guide."
Another awkward moment of silence fell upon the group from the future, as thoughts and emotions raced within them at 120 mph until Tifa tried again,
"Isn't there anything you can do or say to Sephiroth for the key to the secret passage?" Zack shook his head again,
"I can try, but if I do and we burn the place down, they'll know who the culprits are,"
"A member of the Turks is here. She already hired me as a guide for Sephiroth..." Tifa sighed, they definitely have to be discreet about it or else. Zack frowned,
"But is there another way to get in? There has to be!"
"You know..." Cloud started, "Vincent has entered Shinra Manor thru the sewer system during the Omega incident."
"And? Where is the entrance?" The dark haired SOLDIER has not ever seem as genuinely hopeful as he did now.
"Zack, regardless of where it is, do you swear on your Buster Sword that you will aid us on this one?" This is possibly the last available option left to them, and it just cannot be done without Zack.
"Why Cloud! I'm hurt that you'd think that I'd back out! I swear on my honor that I would help."
"The sewer entrance is up in the Mako Reactor." At that, their currently most powerful friend's expression became solemn,
"Remember the monsters that attacked you outside the Reactor that day? If we go up there ahead of time, there will be a lot more of them." He stood up and hands Cloud the smaller standard SOLDIER sword sheathed at his side, "Let's go." As the odd little party of three headed up Mt. Nibel the evening before the ill-fated day for the entire Planet, the two natives thought to themselves What other monstrosities are brooding up there along with Jenova?
While they take the long way around the rope bridge, they have not encountered any monsters other than the native Bombs, Death Claws, Needle Kisses, Sonic Speeds, and even Twin Brains that Cloud and Tifa can defeat with little to no effort. Just as they were halfway up the mountain that Cloud and Tifa were beginning to feel that victory was within reach. Then they encountered monsters, ones that look very humanoid, some of which dressed in uniform that looks like red versions of the uniform that Cloud is currently wearing. Most of which were wielding two curved blades. There were around thirty to fourty of them total, that had been poised ready to attack when they spotted the group of time travelers.
Before either group could attack, Zack held up a hand to held back his companions and approached the small unit of the Genesis Clone army.
"Did your master sent you? Please tell him that we did not come to fight."
"We're here to destroy Jenova." Cloud chimed in helpfully.
Unfortunately, that had been the wrong thing to say and all hell broke loose. Tifa was doing her best to dodge bullets and flying knives while Meteor Striking everything that's in red. Cloud was alternating between sniping targets out of arms reach and hacking away with the standard SOLDIER sword and occassionally sending Meteorain down on his opponents. All the while Zack is covering them by taking out the rest of the clones one by one by his bare fists. Minor setback, they can still make it thru as long as they don't encounter more.
But it seems like Destiny enjoys tormenting them as 10 more humanoid monsters that are identical to the curve blade wielding ones descended from the mountain top. The Nibelheimer's eyes widened as they noticed that they were all sporting a black feathered wing on the left and each carrying...Are those the mako pod monsters? Cloud noted with horror. These monsters are the ones that were created up in the reactor!
Before the monsters' backup could arrive, Zack turned to his fellow time travelers, "We have to go back." And braced for their outrage.
"What? But Zack, these are the monsters that Sephiroth saw in the pods that made him go insane!" Determination rang thru his voice, "This may be our only chance!"
"We've come a long way and you expect us to just give up?" Tifa adds, "Start fighting for real!"
"Fine," Zack sighs and draws his Buster Sword. "I can't cover..."
The monsters were so fast, they had already descended and attacked before Zack could finish and had already lunged at them. Tifa and Cloud could barely react before the other monsters' attention turned to them. They were able to dodge the makoinoid monsters at first, but they were starting to tire. Cloud got nicked by the blades of three of the winged monsters. In the split second that Tifa paused to scream for Cloud as he goes down, one of the makonoid monsters plowed into her.
Before she lost consciousness, she felt a familiar warm breeze, one that feels like a mother's embrace as everything it touches heal, only not. The difference shows as she feels a cold light sting as Tifa falls into a healing slumber.
Sometime later, Cloud and Tifa had woken up back in Shinra Manor, to say that they were upset is an understatement.
"What do you mean you didn't continue?" Zack rubbed his ears to save his mako-enhanced hearing,
"Like I've said before, there's no way I can take on that monster army as well as looking out for you two!" After the two natives took a breath to calm down, he continues,
"I am sorry, but I am only human. That's why I tried to talk them out of a fight."
"Aren't those the monsters inside the pods in the reactor? Why wouldn't you destroy them?"
"Oh, I know what you are thinking but the short version is that Hojo is not responsible for those monsters. Also, it was already hard enough to explain your state of wellbeing to Sephiroth and Arlene coming back like this. Shinra is already watching me for more than I'd like." Perhaps they were being a little irrational, but there were so many question raised.
"But Zack?" Cloud piped up after a moment, "What is going on? There was that mission when we met, and now those monsters were chanting 'Jenova Cells'!"
"...That will have to be a story for another time," He held up two hands to stall their protests. "You two have enough to worry about already. For now, go home and tell your parents that we were checking out the Seven Wonders of Nibelheim." There aren't anymore that they could do. It is just not fair.
There, chapter finished. Also, about Arlene of the Turks. For those of you unfamiliar with Before Crisis, she is the one that looks like Elena, but is a lot more professional and competant. The name is chosen from what the Kingdom Hearts fandom say is Larxene's Somebody's name. Just in case, I hope you guys can forgive my rusty writing style because I'm just picking this back up in two years, CM Aeris said it was too floral. While I'm on the matter, she's writing a new FFVII and Fullmetal Alchemist crossover fic. Click on the blue underlined words just below this paragraph to let me hear your thoughts on this.
