Chapter 20
Tifa POV
The tremors slowly faded away as Tifa opened her eyes and took in her surroundings. Burning pain laced through her ribs and chest as she tried to breathe deeply but couldn't due to her restraints. Metal bit into her wrists where she felt a type of hook supporting rope at her hands where she was hung suspended in midair. She gazed down at the glowing blue green liquid below her and was shocked at what flickered by. Sephiroth, or maybe his spirit form, seemed to be floating through the mako energy and she stared long enough to indeed see it was The Nightmare and not some trick of the light.
Starting to panic, Tifa flicked her eyes searching throughout the chamber hoping against hope for some kind of help. Not knowing her friends were strategically hiding around, her heart fell when she realized she was all alone. Well, not really if you considered Loz clapping his hands in joy and Yazoo watching with a smirk on his face from the sidelines as Kadaj stood at the controls of the machine trapping her. This can't be good. As if on cue, she was lowered towards the vat. A scream caught in her throat as she moved closer and closer towards Sephiroth's triumphant face.
"Hello, Tifa. Did you miss me?"
Cloud POV
Cloud saw a look of sheer panic cross Tifa's face as she descended toward s the pool. Hearing Sephiroth's taunting, he understood why and grit his teeth, holding his place not needing to lose his head before the time was right to attack. He did not want to hear his enemy's words and wished to spare her as well but was forced to listen.
"You've become such a beautiful woman…such a shame your parents aren't her to see that," Sephiroth chuckled, Cloud's hands clenching into fists at his side.
"No matter, you have a change to be something great my dear; you are going to fulfill my destiny."
"And how exactly am I going to do that?" Tifa asked defiantly, trying to buy time for whatever reason.
"Good girl Teef," Cloud breathed as he waited for the pieces to fall into place.
Tifa POV
"Can you possibly not know?"
Tifa played dumb at Sephiroth's question, stalling so she could think-Tifa had a pretty good idea but Aerith hadn't told her everything so she let her nightmare elaborate.
"The Cetra power you are holding does not belong to you-"
"It belongs to Aerith," Tifa angrily cut him off. He continued as if he hadn't heard this correction.
"Therefore, I am taking the liberty of extracting it from you and placing it in much more worthy hands."
"Most worthy," his remnants chimed in as a way to prove their master's greatness.
Tifa just stared down in at the maniac in shock and almost missed the glint of something silver along the high catwalk. She cautiously glanced at the three remnants and the semi-solid SOLDIER and seeing them all otherwise occupied, looked around with a new sense of hope before once again heading downward toward the psychopath's grinning face.