Chapter 7: Nighttime Rendevouses
'I'm lost . . .' Tifa thought as she walked the city limits, looking aimlessly in the dark for the path leading to Aeris's home. She let out a frustrated groan. 'What am I going to do now?' Spotting a tree nearby she decided a break was in order. She threw her back against the rough bark of the nearest elm tree. More exhausted than she thought she was Tifa allowed her feet to slip from under her, landing on the dewy grass. After stomping off in a fury from Cloud and Genesis, she had lost herself in the festivities of the day, never staying too long in one place in fear that she'd be spotted by one of the two men. Much to her delight the rest of her evening was enjoyable, despite the little hiccup she had had earlier in the day.
Weary eyes closed over chocolate eyes as the brunette inhaled a shaky breath, suddenly causing the events of yesterday to come rushing back. 'I need to leave; Elena and the others are probably pulling out each other's teeth trying to find me.' She looked around, nothing but dark silent houses and gloomy trees. Nothing looked familiar or even indicated a path leading to her hostess's humble abode. Frustrated, Tifa slammed her head into the tree, wincing as a tingle of pain shot through her. "Stupid, stupid." She muttered, cradling her throbbing head.
Suddenly a high pitched whistle broke the eerie quiet enveloping the night. Startled, the only thing she could think of was to huddle against the tree, hands covering her ears, eyes tightly shut. Then the distant sound of an explosion, followed by flashes of light. Slowly, Tifa opened her eyes just as the remains of a firework faded into the night sky. She laughed nervously as she straightened up against the tree. Another firework shot into the air followed by its high pitched whistle, suddenly shattering into bright hues of red, yellow and orange. A smile graced her lips as more fireworks followed, shooting off in a rhythmic pattern. Tifa couldn't remember when she last saw such a display; her latest memories being of the annual town fair in Nibelheim, her home town.
She continued to watch the dazzling display until a chill ran up her spine. In order to stave off the cold, Tifa rubbed her hands over her exposed arms, which were riddled with goose bumps. "Guess I should get moving." She said to no one in particular. The intermittent bursts of light caused provided by the firework s allowed her to find a path leading into the forest. 'This has got to be it.' Shoving aside the thoughts and images of things that went bump in the night, Tifa set off into the woods.
As Tifa went further and further down the worn path the amount of times that her hair and skirt snagged upon a branch or bush increased, forcing her to stop and disentangle them. Each time she was forced to stop her fears of someone or something jumping out of the enveloping dark grew. "Maybe I should have waited for them . . ." She mused, trying to find comfort in any sound other than the eerie ambiance.
The snapping of a twig and the rustling of brush froze Tifa where she stood. Nervously she swallowed the ever growing lump in her throat, curling her fists and readying for a fight. 'Why am I so scared right now?' Again the rustling of brush, closer this time. 'You're the prized pupil of Zangan, pull it together Teef!' This steeled her, the fear temporarily leaving her eyes. She spread her feet apart into a fighting stance, abruptly nudging something small and hard. Tifa's eyes darted to her feet, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. With deft fingers she scooped up the offending rock and waited.
'Come on, I know you're there.' Her grip around the small stone tightened in anticipation.
SNAP!
'There!' In one fluid motion Tifa wound her arm, and threw the rock in the direction of the rustling bush. What came from the dark was nothing that she expected.
"Fuck!"
Tifa jumped slightly at the curse. "I know you're there!" She yelled into the dark. "Now come out before I make you come out!" She didn't have to wait long before a shadowy figure appeared through the trees. Between the flashing firework displays, she could make out spiky hair and a pale face. A dark liquid flowed down in a thin stream from his hair line.
"Look who's the asshole now." Cloud muttered, gingerly touching his laceration.
"Serves you right!" Tifa huffed. "What kind of creeper goes around stalking women at night in the middle of the woods anyway?" Her vibrato dropped down a peg when she saw him smear the blood flowing down the side of his face.
"I was looking for you. Who knows where you were wandering off too?"
"I was doing just fine! I'm sure this was the path to Aeris's." The guilt of smashing a rock into his skull bit at her, so she tried to focus on something other than the man in front of her.
"This path leads to the bone yard; you wouldn't want to go there. Especially tonight." He stated, slowly moving towards her.
"Well . . . I'd forgotten the way . . ." She replied meekly, crossing her arms over her chest.
Cloud sighed and offered her his clean hand. Tifa looked at it dumbly, unsure of his intentions, considering she just gave the man a nasty looking concussion. Noticing her unease, he gently pulled one of her hands loose and led her through the dark.
A loud deafening roar sliced through the chilly night air as the three SOLDIER Generals circled the colossal dragonoid, Diamond WEAPON. Created by the planet, WEAPONs were designed to be Gaia's avengers and harbinger's of change. Since the first year of their eternal imprisonment, Gaia had sent WEAPONs to eradicate the Jenova infested nest. What Gaia didn't count on was that the people of Ajito wouldn't go down without a fight.
Wasting no time after the WEAPON materialized, Genesis raised his arm summoning forth a ball of flames. With a flick of the wrist, it barreled towards the oversized reptile, multiplying as it went til the sky was filled with innumerable burning embers. Those that managed to hit the thick scaly hide merely broke into even smaller flares, the WEAPON not even flinching from the impact; while those that missed dotted the sky like brightly burning stars.
"A little rusty are we?" Angeal joked, hovering nearby.
"Ha! Far from it!" Genesis waved his arm and slowly drew it towards him into a fist. At his command the shower of flares turned back to its intended target, bathing Diamond WEAPON in a wall of flames. It roared in annoyance, shaking off the magic before opening its jaws, preparing a counter attack. Energy gathered in the hollow between massive incisors, taking the shape of a sphere. The two Generals beheld the attack and knew that avoiding it was futile. They braced themselves, drawing in their arms to shield their torsos and eyes. The WEAPON's body quaked with the might of its attack; arching its neck it forced the crackling sphere from its jaws. The flare engulfed the pair, exploding on impact.
Gaia's harbinger watched as the explosion swirled and mushroomed towards the heavens and outlying mountains, the aftershock barely pushing back its gigantic form. As the fires died, the air stilled, bits of ash floating to the earth below. In what could only be distinguished as triumph Diamond WEAPON threw its head back in a long winded howl, leathery wings outstretched, chest out and talons clawing the air.
"It almost looks majestic," Sephiroth mocked from above. With his sword in hand Sephiroth brought his arm across his chest, the blade glowing with his energy. Faster than the eye could blink he slashed the air in eight different strokes, each one sending a razor sharp wave of light towards the gloating creature.
Lacerations appeared upon the creature's back the width of its body, each cut drawing forth an olive green liquid. Startled by the attack Diamond WEAPON fell from the sky, causing a tremor that rocked the valley. A strangled snarl echoed from the crater it had made in the earth, as giant limbs attempted to support its massive weight. In vain the creature's wings spread, trying to take flight but were unable to due to the injuries it had just incurred.
The Silver General's face was one of cruel delight as he reveled in the creature's pain. "Heh, let's try that again shall we?" He taunted, preparing to enact his previous attack.
Then from the sky an orange streak fell, piercing the WEAPON through the head, ending its misery. The body fell limp upon the ground, a guttural sound emanating from its relaxing esophagus. Sephiroth frowned as he descended towards the body, the grip upon his sword shaking in irritation. Slowly, the body of the felled WEAPON began to dissolve into orbs of emerald and white. In the center of the decaying creature crouched the Ebon General, his Buster Sword hilt deep in the ground. His uniform and armor were charred in some places and melted in others, but physically it looked as if he was never attacked. Sephiroth landed in the flecks of fading lifestream, his posture emitting an air of fowl discontent.
Angeal raised his face, cold dark eyes meeting his friend's emerald catlike glare. He stood, pulling his weapon from the ground with ease. Sephiroth raised his sword, pointing the tip of the blade at the face of one of his closest companions. "There was no need to play with a dying creature, Sephiroth." The silver haired general did not relinquish his stance, his silent fury building beneath the surface. Angeal frowned at this, raising his sword to touch the Masamune. "We fight with dignity and honor, Sephiroth. Remember that." He finished, gently forcing their blades to the ground.
"What have we here, a petty lovers' quarrel?" Genesis sang, as he gently descended to the earth beside them. Sephiroth's eyes narrowed a fraction, his gaze shooting to the red head who was no worse for wear than Angeal. With a scowl the Silver General turned, black wing extending from his back to take off into flight. The others followed suit, patiently waiting for the next WEAPON to rear its ugly head.
The light of the moon shined brightly down into the church. Its hallowed halls were deserted at this time of night, except for the brunette that knelt before the altar; a pink ribbon in her hair. Her eyes were closed in peaceful prayer, hands folded together near her chest. The white robes she wore seemed to glow with an ethereal light, as if she were a being not of this world.
The youngest remnant Kadaj, watched her from the second floor of the church, a pillar blocking her view of him. Why he stayed hidden he knew not. The woman he was shadowing posed no threat to him or any other in this town. She possessed no strengths physical or magical; her beauty was average at best. Nothing of this woman spoke of anything special or deadly for that matter. Yet she was the fabled child of the planet, a Cetra. Those beings were to be revered and worshipped above all else for their ability to communicate with the planet, lest they bring about world's end.
Kadaj's green cat-like eyes narrowed when the woman stirred from her prayer. Her eyes were now open, gazing through the skylight up at the full moon. A sad smile appeared on her face as a tear rolled down her cheek, the pale light causing it to glisten like a precious stone. She closed her eyes once more and kissed her knitted hands before standing up and fixing her robes. Next she moved to stand behind the altar in order to arrange the flowers she had brought earlier in the day. Once content with her work she glanced towards the pillar that Kadaj was hidden behind. Even knowing that she couldn't see him, he still flinched as her eyes seemingly locked with his. A sense of sadness and pity shining in her bright green eyes, but that look was quickly dismissed as she turned and made her way out of the church.
Kadaj felt his heart speed up as he recalled the look she gave him. A feeling he never felt before in all his centuries of life. He watched her retreating back, until she vanished into the darkness. The silver haired boy scowled at the train of his thoughts and shook his head free of them. Gracefully he jumped from the second story, landing lightly on his feet. He turned to gaze at the altar, the flowers upon it glowing pale white. A sound of disgust resounded from deep within his throat before he turned to pursue his quarry.
"Owe!"
"Oh stop being a baby! You're supposed to be a soldier aren't you?" Tifa chastised the blonde as she tried to tend to the wound she had inflicted earlier in the night. When they arrived, Tifa had firmly sat the blonde upon the bench outside Aeris's house, so as to get a better view of the damage she inflicted. Yet, even with the wound in plain sight, she had failed to stop the bleeding.
Cloud moved out of her grasp before she could try to scrape off another inch of his precious skin. "Just let it heal on its own, I'll be fine."
"Now you won't!" Tifa insisted, gracefully moving around his defensive maneuvers. "If we don't get this cleaned up it'll get infected." At that Cloud's retort died in his throat, the realization that a simple infection was the least of his problems and more of her own.
He winced again when Tifa managed to scrape off more coagulating blood from his hair line, causing it to bleed again fresh. "I'm so sorry!" The brunette squealed in panic. Cloud just smiled sadly at her, gently shaking his head.
"Just wait til Aeris gets back, she's . . . good at these kinds of things."
"No! We need to fix this now." She nibbled her bottom lip with her teeth; Cloud could've sworn he saw the gears turning in her mind as her face turned from one of absent thought to pure genius. "I've got it! Sit tight, I'll be right back!" With that she raced off into the house and out of sight.
'She gets more peculiar ever minute.' He thought to himself, reveling in the quiet she had left him in. A smile formed on his face as he reminded himself of Tifa's insistence. 'Kind of reminds me of a girl I knew back home.'
The sound of boots running down stairs pulled him from his thoughts as he glanced at the door to see a flustered Tifa, panting and holding the frame for support. A wide grin on her face as she held up her fighting gloves. "I found it!"
A golden brow lifted in confusion. "You cut me with a rock and now you're going to beat me?" he asked incredulously. "I believe most people would call that abuse."
Tifa slipped the gloves on effortlessly as if they were made of silk. She playfully nudged his cheek with a fist. "Don't be silly, I've got something that'll get rid of that pesky cut in no time." Cloud just looked at her mockingly.
"If you say so." He replied, crossing his arms waiting to see what trick she had up her sleeve.
She nodded in response and held out her arm, palm open to his face. Immediately it began to glow a faint green, slowly growing in intensity. Cloud sat their transfixed by Tifa's ability, unsure of what she was doing to him. The next thing he felt was a slight sting on his head, where his wound sat throbbing. In a matter of seconds the pain subsided as the wound slowly knitted itself together, leaving nothing but a faint pink mark and dried blood.
The light faded from Tifa's hand and she reached out and to brush the tips of her fingers over the newly healed flesh, her icy touch causing Cloud to shudder. A smile broke out on her peach lips as she examined Cloud. 'He's very handsome. Not quite a man but not a boy either.' Unconsciously her fingers trailed down the side of his face, but before Tifa could get lost much further a tight grip stopped her. She could only stare back at the steely gaze which held her in place, causing her throat to go dry and mouth to part in surprise.
Cloud's eyes narrowed, the grip he had on her wrist tightening with the action. When he saw her wince, he immediately relinquished his hold of her and turned to gaze at something off in the dark. Startled by his behavior, Tifa could do nothing more than massage her sore wrist, even through the thick material of her combat weapon his hold on her was like a steel clasp.
"Sorry," she mumbled. "I didn't mean anything by that."
The blonde shook his head, forcing himself to look at her, even if it was from the corner of his eye. "How did you . . .?" Tifa looked at him a bit confused. "What did you do to?" He finally vocalized, gently rubbing the mended wound in his hairline.
That gentle smile which was beaming a moment ago returned as she raised her gloved hand to display a bangle at the base of her wrist. "I healed you, with materia."
"Materia . . .?"
She nodded, taking a seat beside him. "The company I work for, Shin-Ra makes them." she said while absently turning the bangle on her wrist, so that the large orbs glinted in the pale night light. "It's made from refined, condensed mako. A pure form of lifestream. Once crystallized, the various properties of the processed mako determine its final composition." At the sound of mako, Cloud was all ears. "These unique characteristics allow for the manipulation of natural elements."
"Magic."
Tifa turned to the man that sat beside her. Unsure if she had her him correctly. At her confused look, Cloud tried to school his face into one of neutrality, trying to hide his distaste for the use of the planet's life.
"Yes, if you want to call it that."
"Tifa, I recommend you don't show or use those while you're here." Now she really gave him a bewildered look. "The people here . . ." How was he going to explain this one? "are easily . . . enticed by things from outside the valley. For your own safety, please don't use them around anyone else." His eyes pleaded with her and all Tifa could do was nod in silent promise.
Together they sat in silence, enjoying the feel of company rather than the conversation. Tifa sighed, taking in a deep breath and holding it. Something about fresh mountain air made her all giddy inside. When she chanced a glance at her companion, she couldn't help but notice the hard look on his face. "Cloud? What's th – "
A strong arm pulling her to the ground stopped her train of thought, replaced by the sound of shattering pottery. Tifa slowly opened her eyes when she felt the strong embrace loosen and slide across her back, releasing her. She turned to look at Cloud who had reacted inhumanly fast as he forced them to dodge, what Tifa could only guess, were bullets.
A/N: Well that was Ch.7! Hope you all enjoyed, and sorry about the late update. I just figured out I can't write action. Also didn't know what I wanted to do with this chapter, felt at first that I was going to have so much, but I settled for something in between. Didn't want to overwhelm you all in one chapter. As always R&R! Thanks to all of you who have reviewed, alerted, and fav'd! :D