Final Fantasy VII

Tifa x Vincent

Chapter 14

Vincent had to remove his cloak and shirt before he stood inside the chamber and lowered Tifa's feet to the base. Shelke connected an internal line into Vincent's arm, and then closed the chamber sealing them both inside the empty shell.

Hagen floated up and spoke to him through a transmitter connected within.

"Shelke is going to flood the chamber with the mako from the pool and inject you with concentrated terra corrupt through that line." He tapped the glass indicating the tube in Vincent's arm. He nodded indicating he understood.

"You are going to have to join with Chaos, find Tifa and try to put her back in her body." For the first time Bugen seemed to hesitate. Vincent could tell he had no idea what was going to happen. Vincent did the only thing he could think of. He smiled. It was a small movement that indicated whatever happened would just have to be the way it was.

Bugen nodded and floated away back to one of the computer stations. Shelke took a seat by his side. Shera was at the tube. She put her hand against the glass, took a deep breath and hit a button on the panel. It instantly began to fill with mako. Shelke waited till it was about half way before she tapped a few others. Then all they could do was watch and wait.

…

Vincent let the fluid suspend them both in the chamber, the agony was indescribable. Before it could start choking him something hot slid into his arm. This was a feeling he knew. His body contorted with agony. Slamming into him and taking away all rational thought, then he was nowhere.

He had no idea what was happening to his physical form. He was now floating in shimmery blue and white. He felt Chaos. It filled him and tore at him then settled as if it had come home. He felt Tifa and… something else.

'Vincent…' Vincent grabbed at her energy but it had tangled in the other. He tried to tug it aside but it would not relent. Chaos was tugging him backwards towards his physical form, away from Tifa. He became frantic. Then as suddenly as he had been there he slammed back into reality.

His mental scream became a real one. Fully changed into Chaos form his body thrashed in the chamber. Clawed hands grabbed at Tifa's limp body and shook it desperately trying to bring life back to the cold flesh. He stopped. Gathering her into his arms and surrendering to the grief that built up from deep in his chest.

'Please…'

…

Shera wept silently as they watched Vincent shake Tifa's body. Chaos roared, a sound of such utter heart breaking grief that even Barrett slipped down to his knees. None of them knew what to do; it was out of their hands.

Chaos embraced Tifa's body, shielding her in leathery wings and clawed hands. It was over. There was nothing they could do to change it.

Shelke was about to empty the chamber when Nanaki stopped her, "Wait!... What is that?"

They moved closer trying to see through the fluid. There was an odd white light coming from beneath the leathery wings. It slowly grew brighter and brighter until it flooded the chamber and then the room. There was a high-pitched keening noise and then an explosion. Glass flew in every direction and mako spilt out on the ground.

Shera tried to claw her way towards the tube to get at Tifa but hands kept her back, holding her tight. She could hear noises, like a scrabbling of sound and wings beating. A strange hissing noise accompanied by a sweeter lilting note.

The light began to fade.

The group was blinking in an attempt to see again now the light had faded away. Everything was blurry and hurt to look at. Chaos was kneeling in front of the chamber with his arms still wrapped around Tifa. Her arms wrapped around him.

But it wasn't Tifa…

"Ho!" Bugen looked ecstatic. The rest of them were utterly lost. They could not make out who it was Vincent was embracing, but she was beautiful. Her hair was long and as white as the light that had just faded. The arms around Vincent's neck ended in delicate fingers, gold claws tipped them like shining metal spikes. His wings were sheltering them, but they were also half sheltered by a second set of wings. Feathered and silvery white.

It took a moment for them all to realise what the two beings were doing. Shera blushed deeply. "Oh!" She looked away. Yuffie giggled, yet none of them really knew what they should to think yet. Chaos kissing the silver and gold angel creäture was really not the outcome they had expected.

They pulled away from eachother and the angel turned her head to look at the group. Her eyes were shining white lights in Tifa's face. It smiled and then… passed out. The light flared once and died, in its place Tifa lay against the ground, breathing and yet completely unconscious.

Chaos shuttered and released Vincent who collapsed at her side. His hand reached for her, curled into her fingers and then he followed suit.

The group stared at the bodies in front of them completely at a loss.

…

"So… did it work?"

They were all back on the Shera sitting around the control room looking utterly perplexed. After having gathered up the unconscious forms of Vincent and Tifa and putting them both into the med-bay they had nothing to do except wait.

Both of them were completely stable, strong life signs and not needing anything other than sleep from what they could tell. Yet, they were still confused about what had happened the moment before they had fallen to the ground.

"Ho! Yes, yes. All better I would say."

"But Tifa…" Cloud's frown lingered. The vision of the angel creäture still burnt into the memory of all of them.

Bugen only smiled serenely. "Oh I think she will tell us all when she wakes up."

He hummed to himself softly and trailed off to the room he had been given leaving them all sitting in thought.

Cid shrugged and went to the helm of the airship to begin turning them around. Aiming the Shera back to the Canyon seemed to the most logical step. At least he could get rid of Bugenhagen, the old man drove him crazy.

…

By the time they arrived neither Vincent or Tifa had woken up. They placed them both in the same room sharing a large bed, since they had no idea what else to do with them, and waited and waited.

Shera checked in on them often, but they seemed at ease and showed no signs of waking. She was sitting there staring at them both when Shelke walked in.

"Nothing has changed."

Shelke nodded.

"Is… Is Chaos back in Vincent?"

"Yes."

"So he is immortal again."

"He was always immortal."

Shera frowned, "Oh…" She felt sad for him, living so long a life while watching everyone die around him. It made sense why he left Tifa.

"Are you leaving soon?"

"Yes. Cloud wishes to move on."

Shera took that moment to ask, "You and Cloud…?"

"No. I believe he finds my inability to adjust to life similar to his own. It is comforting for him to be near me."

Shera nodded, "I see."

"Goodbye Shera."

"Safe travels, Shelke."

She watched as the girl walked out. Not really wanting to see Cloud leave as well, she lingered before leaving the room. By the time she met the others around the fire they were long gone and Cid confirmed it by telling her they had left a little while ago.

"Did he see Denzel?"

It was Barrett who answered. "Yeah he did. Kinda' surprised me. He just walked right up and got to talkin' with him. Denzel took it pretty good but I reckon he's had enough of Cloud and has said his goodbyes. Wise kid that one."

Shera nodded, "He has an amazing mum."

They all agreed with sad smiles on their faces.

"So what do we do now?" Yuffie was getting restless.

"Well, I'm going to stay. I won't leave Tifa now. But any of you are free to go when you like."

"I am staying."

They all turned to look at Denzel. His face set in a mask of conviction. Shera smiled.

"I'm stayin." Barret smiled.

"I go where the wife goes." Cid lit a cigarette.

"I need to get back. My father is probably having a fit." Yuffie sighed. "Sorry guys." They all accepted and knew Yuffie had other responsibilities to care of.

"I live here." Everyone laughed at Nanaki's statement.

"I'll stay. Vincent is like a brother to me." Reeve made himself comfortable at Cid's side.

"Right, well I will take ya' home tomorrow Yuff." She smiled at Cid.

"Thanks. I'm going to get some sleep then."

They all stayed around the fire quietly. Reflecting over the strange circumstances of their lives and their friendships, when Shera suddenly mentioned the time Tifa had clocked one of her patrons with a drink tray. They burst into laughter and started sharing all the stories they could remember about Tifa and Vincent well into the early hours.

…

The next morning they were all sitting around eating breakfast when Bugenhagen showed up in a flurry holding a giant old book.

"HOPE!" He yelled triumphant. They all just stared at him waiting for some explanation.

He dropped the book on the table and grinned knowingly.

"There are more demons and spirits in the lifestream than just Chaos you know." He floated away leaving them all to move closer to the book where it lay open. On one side the page was titled "Hope: The shield of Chaos." And on the other a sketched relief of a pale angel that looked exactly like the beautiful creäture they had seen in the cavern.

Shera read the passage out loud.

"Soul wrought of terra corrupt,
Quelling Impurity,
Purging the stream
To beckon forth the ultimate fate
Behold mighty Chaos,
Omega's squire to the lofty heavens.

Carry through the stars,
Tremble the celestial body,
Protected by the silver shield
To enter the promised land
Regard divine Hope
Chaos's eternal companion."

Shera began to weep.