Disclaimer: I do not own FF7 or FF13.
Her breathing slowed and it felt as if time had stopped all around her. Belatedly, Tifa realized that she could still hear the others' footsteps getting farther away from her, and she wanted nothing but to turn around and yell to them that she was still here; that she hadn't moved an inch while the others were so eager to get into a room that she just knew would be empty. Her feet were rooted to the ground, an invisible force seemingly keeping her frozen in place. Lightning had said nothing to her, the cold ruthless eyes drifting over her for merely a second before narrowing onto the three retreating figures. The tattered garb of the Savior no longer clings to her body. Instead, she wore a leather outfit consisting of only black; belts wrapped around her like constricting snakes while a long jacket drifts after her feet, kissing the ground she walks on. Her Heart throbs violently in her chest, enough to make Tifa gasp but she's muted in the tension binding her bodily functions. She could feel malice and evil wash in waves, the ill-intent crawling up her body like millions of spiders prickling her skin. "Tifa," Lightning says, though her tone is darker and tinged with a trace of fearsome amusement, "Guardian of the Heart of Chaos."
Her knees buckled, forcing Tifa to stagger back to prevent herself from falling onto the ground. "L-Lightning..." She dares to respond, but knowing that she wasn't talking to Lightning anymore. There was panic, an incomprehensible amount of panic that nearly made her stop breathing before she choked on herself. Sephiroth and JENOVA had been searching for the one who carried the Heart, hid their true identity behind a familiar face, and slowly destroyed them from the inside.
Lightning walks past her and stops a few steps away before she turned to face the fighter fully. Tifa swallowed thickly, a shaky breath trembling out of her lips before her eyes darted to Cloud's back and then immediately back to Lightning. A sick smirk twisted Lightning's lips, curling menacingly. "C-CLOUD!" Tifa screamed but the path was instantly blocked, flooded in by the chaos that bent to its Ruler's whim. She could no longer see her friends, and never before had she felt so alone even as she stands in perpetual darkness before the one who had stolen Lightning's face.
...
"C-CLOUD!" His heels dug into the ground, whipping around when he heard Tifa's desperate scream. The hallway was empty. The lights flickered on and off, bodies of slain soldiers still clung to the floor undisturbed.
"Tifa!" He yelled, dashing back the way he came, looking desperately down each barren hallway without a single trace of the fighter that had been following them all along.
"Tifa!" Aerith screamed and distress quickly destroyed what fragile calm she had been trying to maintain. "Where did she go!?" Looking pleadingly to Cloud and then Vincent, the Cetra trembled where she stood.
Vincent shifted, looking down the separate hallways again before he lifted his hand and traced his finger over the black bullet strung to his wrist. "We should find the others." He demanded more so than suggested, turning to face the direction they came.
"What about Tifa!? Damn it! Sephiroth has her!" The blond man stood before the other, "We're not leaving her behind!"
"Then tell me where she is." Vincent returned evenly, motioning to the emptiness suffocating them, "We'll be driven insane at the slightest noise at this rate. Find the others and regroup."
"What about Barret? Cid?"
"We'll have to worry about them later." The red robed man, with his face half hidden beneath the fabric shook his head solemnly, "Alive or not, now is not the time. I wonder if Lightning and the others are safe."
"But why Tifa?" Aerith breathed, "Wouldn't-" Her voice hitched, words jamming in her throat at the realization like the dawning of a blood-red sun. "She... She has... the Heart."
"What!?" Cloud exclaimed, grabbing the Cetra's shoulder to force her to look at him, "Why didn't she tell us?"
"She has to have the Heart. O-Or he wants to use her as leverage against Light. I don't know when, or how! But sometime, somewhere, Light must have given the Heart to her. T-Tifa, she probably accepted it."
"She has." Vincent bluntly confirmed their speculation, "The more time we waste here, the less time we have to deal with this problem. We should find Lightning." Before either of them could say anything, the red robed man swiftly headed back, running back down the way which they came while the other two followed closely behind. Their footsteps clanged loudly, thumping against the floors until they returned to the area they were in before, but the pathway in which Fang and the others had gone down was now crested over with white ice.
"What the-" Cloud said as he pressed a hand to the cold substance that refused to thaw. A fine layer of cold mist wafted over their feet.
"That must be Snow." Aerith huffed, "He's the only one I know that can do this."
"There's no point. We can't get through." Cloud breathed distressingly, running a hand through his hair as he scanned the area again, "How else can we get to the bridge?"
"There has to be other ways." Aerith said, "But-"
"We're not familiar with the Lindblum." Vincent promptly interrupted, "We take the fastest route." He lifted his arm, pointing a finger to the transport they had left behind. "We fly to the front and break in."
The other two exchanged looks, but it was clear to them that the iced pathway wouldn't open up anytime soon. "Alright." Cloud started heading towards the airship, "Let's go."
...
She limped heavily despite already leaning most of her weight on Vanille. Fang grunted as pain seared across her gut again where her blue sari had been sliced cleanly and stained a dirty brown due to the blood it had soaked. It wasn't everyday that she nearly had her intestines spilled. Soft hands grabbed her arm and moved them over her shoulder on the other side as well. "Thanks." Fang muttered, adjust her body to accommodate the support Serah was giving her. A part of her couldn't imagine how the younger Farron sibling would feel. To know that her sister had been defeated, possessed and controlled like a puppet, and in her more bitter thoughts, she wondered if Lightning's mind was conscious and aware of what she was doing. "We'll get her back." Fang grunted, squeezing Serah's shoulder in support but the younger simply nodded. Her baby blue eyes were focused intently and the spear-wielder couldn't help but reprimand herself for underestimating Serah. After all, she was Lightning's younger sister. That meant, beneath all those smiles, she probably had some steel too.
Snow and Sazh walked ahead of them, the former supporting the latter while Red XIII led the pack. It wasn't smart of them to stay in one place, but at the same time, it wasn't exactly smart for them to move onwards. At the very least, they could make to the bridge praying that Hope and Raines were alive just as 'Lightning' had told them. Hell, they weren't even sure if those two were actually in the bridge to begin with. Approaching the door, Snow gently eased Sazh's arm off his shoulder before he carefully walked up to the door, "I'll check things out first."
"Wait." Red XIII warned. He took one step forward before a crack echoed from their adjacent hallway. The large blond whipped around, hands frosting over with ice while Sazh immediately pointed his gun in the same direction.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Barret walked out with his hands held up in surrender, "It's me."
"How do we know for sure?" Snow asked warily, glancing at Sazh but the older man frowned in contemplation as well.
"The same tricks get old fast." Noel's voice grunted from behind as he staggered out, holding the stump of his missing arm. "It's us. I swear."
"It's them." Red XIII confirmed, stalking over towards them and ignored Barret's surprised expression, "It's their scent."
Fang sighed, shaking her head weakly, "If Sephiroth wanted to finish us off, he wouldn't waste the time doing something like this."
"Sephiroth?!" Barret yelled, stalking over to them swiftly, "You guys ran into him?"
"Yeah. We ran into him alright." Lifting her arms off of Vanille and Serah's shoulders, the spear-wielder leaned against the wall, "He's got Lightning. He's controlling her."
"What!?"
"I knew it." Noel grumbled, "He's taken down Lightning. Caius hasn't come back so he's probably out of the picture too."
"Well, aren't we screwed." Fang huffed, "Where's Hope?"
"He ran off. Sephiroth thinks he has the Heart-"
Thumping her head back, Fang then grabbed her spear from Vanille used it to support herself up again, "Lightning, or Sephiroth now, probably has Hope then. She said he was in the bridge with Raines... but after hearing that, I doubt that's the case."
"We won't know until we see for ourselves." Snow said, moving ahead of everyone else, "Sis won't give up. I know she won't. That means we can't give up."
"Snow's right." Serah said, looking to everybody, "Lightning needs us now more than ever."
"Tch." Straightening herself up again, Fang clutched her arm over her stomach, "We better get moving-"
A sudden explosion rocked the ship, and dust whirled in from the direction they were heading. "That was the Bridge." Barret said, jogging forward along with Snow, "We'll go first." Moving ahead of the pack, the two pressed their backs against the door. "On three." Snow nodded. "One. Two. Three!"
Opening the door, the two swung around guns and ice ready to clash with a large fusion sword and a long pistol. "Barret." Cloud belatedly said after the initial shock. Vincent lowered his gun first and only then did Cloud react similarly.
"How did you guys-" Upon seeing the transport parked inside the bridge with the front facing glass shattered, Barret didn't need to ask the rest of the question.
"The path was blocked with ice." Cloud explained before turning around to reveal Aerith leaning over Raines, pouring cure spells over his nearly fatal wounds. The rest of the group eventually caught up to them, gathering into the Bridge.
"So this is where everyone is." The last remaining missing person's voice yelled over them. They turned looking to a highly disgruntled Cid stalk in with a cigarette that's been long burnt hanging in his mouth, "What. The. Fuck. Happened? I came back and the hangar was filled with these shits chewing people to bits and then they suddenly disappear? Someone explain what the fucking hell is going on here."
"Sephiroth-" Cloud started but Fang interrupted with a solemn shake of her head.
"Lightning."
"What?" Cloud said numbly.
"That Lightning we ran into? Yeah, nearly killed all of us and would've if Serah and Snow didn't stop her." Motioning to the blood staining hers and Sazh's clothes, Fang rolled her eyes with frustration, "Sephiroth's controlling her. And guess what?" Making an obvious act to look around, Fang narrowed her eyes, "Hope's not here."
"Hope?"
"He has the Heart." Vanille mumbled.
"No." Aerith said, eyes still intently focused on Raines' wound, "He doesn't have the Heart. Tifa does."
"Serious?!" Fang said, eyes widening at the first sign of a fighting chance, "Then..."
"Sephiroth... he found out." Cloud said, looking to Aerith who couldn't say anymore. "He captured her."
"Well," Fang breathed, tossing her hands up, "Shit."
"It's not over. Not yet." Noel suddenly spoke up over the silence. They all turned, seeing his eyes burn with fire, "She'll help. They'll help. They're the only one who can stop Lightning. Yeul. The Unseen Chaos! Even Lightning can't control it. That means-"
"Sephiroth can't." Aerith concluded. The soft green glow faded from her hands before she set them lightly on her lap. "There's still a chance."
...
Her senses came back to her like a whirlwind, leaving Tifa to deal with the headache. Gingerly slipping her hand between herself and the hard ground, she pushed herself up before the onslaught of her memories before the black-out came crashing back to her. Whipping her head around, she gaped at the darkness that seem to extend as far as she could see. Where she stood was a perfectly circular platform, barren of any color, ornaments, or decorations. "Finally awake."
Her attention snapped to the sudden voice, tensing when she saw Lightning sitting on what looked like a large throne floating in mid-air. Her legs were crossed, arm propped up on the arm-rest and hand hovering near her face and a fist. "Where am I?" Tifa said bravely.
Lightning shifted, tapping her temple with two fingers, "Hope has the Heart, or so they had tried to make it so blatantly obvious," the pinkette said, "but you are the true Guardian of the Heart of Chaos."
"I-I don't know what you're talking about." She simply snapped her fingers, the loud click resounded for what felt like eons. A flutter of darkness, and then Hope's body dropped limply to the ground. "H-Hope!" Dashing to the young boy, Tifa shook him but he remained unconscious.
"Tell me." Lightning said again, "Who has the Heart?"
Tifa hands clenched into fists, her head dropping until her hair hid her face. She knew that if she would answer, one of them wouldn't make it out of this alive. Sephiroth wanted the Heart and so it would be obvious that the one with the Heart would survive. She returned to her feet slowly, pursing her lips as she looked to him defiantly, "He has it." Even if Sephiroth were to kill her, she would take him down with her. She knew it was selfish, but in all truthfulness, Tifa didn't care. She would rather have the world burn to oblivion than let Sephiroth do as he pleases.
She forced herself to stand strong and brave, unrelenting against the fear that was creeping on her. Lightning lifted herself from the throne and gracefully glided down until her feet made soundless contact with the ground. "I see."
A soft grunt interrupted them, drawing both of their attention. Hope stirred, much to Tifa's dread. His eyes blinked open tiredly, before he too shot up like a rocket when he realized where he was. He looked to Lightning, then to Tifa rapidly, and the fighter could see him put together the pieces to get the full picture. "She has the Heart." Hope said unwaveringly, his hands balling into fists at his side.
"Is that so..."
"No, Hope-" It was a blur. Her eyes widened, mouth dropping open in a soundless gasp. Lightning's hand held her shoulder lightly, their bodies leaving hardly an inch in-between. Strength waned, Tifa looked down, her breaths coming in short frantic huffs when she saw a dark blade lodged inside her gut. Her hand twisted, digging the blade deeper until her feet gave out beneath her. She fell, crumpling to the ground at Lightning's feet.
"Tifa!" She had hardly heard Hope yell her name. Twisting on the ground, she clutched her gut but found no blood. Instead, a darkness lifted from her like a mist. Her vision darkened. The blurred figures before her dimmed until she could see nothing and hear nothing.
Hope staggered forward, dashing towards Tifa but in a flash, the Muramasa pierced his shoulder and lifted him off his feet. He kicked, crying at the pain as the blade sliced through his flesh before he was tossed off to the side. The black boots approached, a hand seized his hair before yanking his head up, "Do not take me for a fool." Lightning's voice said lowly before she dragged him across the floor back towards where Tifa laid.
"W-What did you do?" Hope grunted. She didn't bother answering his question, dropping him onto the ground again. The Muramasa sunk into his thigh before he could move, pinning his leg to the ground. He whimpered, refusing the satisfaction of letting the other hear him cry again. "L-Light-"
"She cannot hear you. She cannot help." Lightning muttered quickly redrawing the blade. The fine tip trailed up his chest, his throat and then his face until it hovered over his forehead, "Did you truly think you could deceive me?" The teal blue eyes burned a reddish hue, pupils slimming in a blink of an eye into a slit, but she maintained Lightning's face nonetheless, marred by an insane disregard for life. She was above everything; that was what she truly believed, but Lightning wasn't like that. Lightning was-
Hope clamped his eyes in the last second, a breath trembling out of his mouth when he felt the sharp tip touch the skin of his head. It didn't sink in though, stayed there and it made him wonder if Sephiroth would wait until he opened his eyes just for him to watch the blade sunk into his own skull. Gathering his courage, Hope peeled his eyes open and saw the slight frown on Lightning's brow. Nothing could be observed from her expression, other than mild annoyance, but soon the blade started to shake. The color of her eyes wavered slightly, tinting a slight blue. "Light." Hope croaked, and deep down, he knew that Lightning was thrashing for control again, "Light!"
A blinding light erupted from behind him where Tifa was and washed over them in its cold embrace. It expanded like an invisible barrier, forcing Lightning back and away from them. A thick suffocating darkness settled in, flooding forth like a broken dam. His skin crawled as he bathed in the tragedy that has festered for millenniums. This Chaos was dark, darker than what he has grown accustomed to around the Goddess of Death. "You will not harm them." A collective voice said, although weak on their own, they were strong as one.
"T-Tifa?!" Hope stammered after recovering from the shock. He whipped around and to his horror watched as the fighter sunk in the pool of chaos that congregated beneath her body. His shoulder and leg instantly protested vehemently when he tried to crawl over to her. "Tifa! Wake up!" Soundless footsteps stopped at his side, making him crane his neck up to see Yeul standing there and then many more Yeuls around, their bodies and faces obscured by the shadows.
"We uphold our end of the bargain."
"What-" He barely caught a glimpse of Lightning standing there with the Muramasa clutched at her side before another wave of Chaos slams into his face. Twisting around, he reached for Tifa, seeing a dim light shining from the center of her chest where the Heart should be.
"Save Caius." The Yeuls said, their voice soft yet strong.
"Yeul-" The chaos swallows him whole. The next time he opens his eyes, he's somewhere very silent. There is no ground, no sky, but never-ending darkness dancing around him. "Where... am I?" Hope said, hearing his own voice echoing back to him. Lightning was nowhere to be seen, neither was Tifa nor Yeul.
"The Unseen Chaos, untouched by even the Goddess of Death and Reincarnation."
He looked around for Yeul, hearing her voice speak to him, "Where are you?"
"Save Caius." They repeated, "Save him."
"I-I will. He's in Midgar isn't he?" Hope said, hoping to prove to the Yeuls that he will do as requested, "What happened? Where's Tifa?"
"She is somewhere safe. In a place where Sephiroth cannot reach her. Etro has foreseen this, and thus asked this of us."
"Tell me! Please!"
"She is her own greatest enemy. In a dream where one's desires come true is a threat greater than any blade. Her mind is her safety, her mind is her prison. Will she fall to victim to the illusion of happiness?" Yeul questioned. The unseen chaos brewed around Hope, before light finally penetrated its dark depths. "The protector Etro has gifted her will also be her greatest temptation." Hope watches as the unseen chaos retreats away from him until he's left standing in the ruins of Midgar. He follows the trails of blood up the wall and sees where Caius is crucified. The purple-haired man's eyes open, his dark pupils focusing on Hope with thinly veiled impatience.
Night has long rolled in, the bar now silent save for the low humming of the dim lights hanging above. Towelling her hands dry, Tifa looked over her bar once more before she puffed with satisfaction towards how clean and orderly it was. So she worked until two at night. So she had to wake up bright and early the next morning to make sure Denzel and Marlene were ready for school, but it was still worth it.
Shuffling up her stairs towards her room, she snuck a look to see if the kids were sleeping and grinned to herself when she saw them snoozing away beneath their fluffy blankets. This was life now, defined by simplicity. It was her life in Edge, in Seventh Heaven, as the simple bartender and cook of a simple bar in a simple city.
Upon seeing her bed, she wanted nothing but to crash but there was a certain routine that Tifa forced herself to follow no matter what. She had to shower, that was a requirement to wash the smell of food off of her skin and cleanse the oil from the cooking that has coated her face. At least she could rest easily then. As she gathers her clothes from her closet, her hand absentmindedly draws across her chest, tracing the lightning bolt pendant that hung around her neck.
The counterattack begins...
Tifa's safe inside her own mind, living her 'dream' life. It's much like the 'dream' Caius had put Serah and Noel into in FFXIII-2. Of course, Tifa's protector is there... but to help her escape or to tempt her to stay?
I couldn't resist. Lightning(GC) makes her reappearance. ;D