*Warning*- The characters of Final Fantasy VII in no way belong to me (damn), and therefore I take no credit for the characters, which are all copyright to Square Soft Inc and everyone else who owns Final Fantasy VII! Can you tell I'm not good at writing these things? This story may contain spoilers and some violence, but besides that I don't think there should be too many problems! Please email me if you have any queries or comments… thanks! *^_~*
Chapter Six: Confrontations
"I'm singing… in the rain! Just singing… in the rain! What a-"
"Yuffie, that's the first time you won. And it's not raining," Cait pointed out helpfully. Yuffie rolled her eyes, and stretched.
"Surely we must be there already," she grumbled. "I'm this close to puking all over the room." She stood up wearily, holding her stomach, while Cait grimaced and shuffled back against the wall. It had almost been two hours now, and the jetboat still had to reach the Temple of Ancients. It hadn't taken them that long to get to Tifa, so why was it taking so long now? Yuffie groaned, as the boat jerked around. Cait jumped off the back of the Mog and mumbled something about getting someone to help Yuffie. Yuffie slid down the wall, pulling her knees to her chest and muttering curses.
Two minutes later Cait returned with Aeris, who gave Yuffie a sympathetic smile and kneeled next to her.
"Sea sickness, huh Yuffie?" Aeris asked, sitting down. Yuffie shrugged.
"General motion sickness," she said. "That's why I always used to walk around when I wanted to get somewhere. Then you guys find me, and I let you win the battle, and now I'm here in the most rackety boat that exists!" Aeris shook her head and smiled at Yuffie's outburst. Yuffie just crossed her arms indignantly. The door again flew open, and Tifa stood there, out of breath.
"We've got a problem," she said quickly. "Get your stuff, we gotta abandon ship." Yuffie gasped, but hurriedly grabbed everything in the cabin. Cait gathered together his deck of cards, and Aeris rushed out to get her things from the bridge. They all met at the back of the jetboat, holding their assorted possessions and frowning. Vincent was busy putting the boat on autopilot back in the bridge.
"What's going on, Barret?" asked Cait worriedly. Barret unhooked the lifeboat, his forehead creased.
"Some b***ard tampered with our fuel supply," he answered hotly. "And if I find out who…" He clenched his fist, but turned back to the group. "Did you notice that we was going a bit slower than normal? Our fuel has been leakin' since we left the port. If someone were to strike a match… That's why we gotta get off this ship before it blows. Low-down god-d*** scoundrels." He glowered and threw the lifeboat into the sea, holding onto the rope attached to it.
"Ladies first," he said, allowing Aeris, Tifa and Yuffie to jump down into the dinghy. Next, Cait and Rufus hopped in. It was going to be a little cramped, but they would probably all fit. Vincent returned and carefully climbed in. The wooden boat creaked as Barret lowered himself in, but didn't give way to their relief. Barret flushed, then glared.
"Whatcha all lookin' at?" he mumbled, pulling the rope off the boat and piling it in the small rowboat. The Hurricane inched away, leaving the group of seven floating in the little lifeboat. Yuffie had instantly assumed position at the head of the boat, dangling her legs over each side. Tifa and Aeris sat opposite each other, near the front. Rufus sat next to Aeris, while Cait flopped on the Mog in the middle of the lifeboat. Vincent sat next to Tifa and Barret sat at the back, muttering about the person who'd tampered with the boat.
"Um…" Yuffie said nervously. "Shouldn't someone be rowing?"
"#&$%!" Barret got to his feet, cursing. "The d*** oars are back on the-" Everyone gasped as they noticed the quick line of fire speeding towards the Hurricane. Yuffie screamed the loudest as the fire hit home and the Hurricane was blown into hundreds of fragments of metal. Rufus yelled for everyone to cover their heads, and the boat was rained with ashes and debris. Finally, the ash shower stopped and they were able to look up. The boat that had been only ten metres away from them was no more than a floating pile of rubble. Rufus scratched his head.
"Glad we got off that thing in time," he remarked, brushing off dust from his coat. Tifa only nodded, too shocked to say anything. What if they hadn't? What if they had been on that boat…
"Well, we got no oars, and we're about a kilometre away from the Temple," Yuffie said. "Anyone wanna think of an idea about now?" They all shrugged, not knowing what to do. The island could just be seen in the far distance. The waters rippled around them, hiding the sea creatures that lurked beneath. Finally, Aeris offered an idea.
"How about using an Ice summon?" she suggested. "Yuffie, you have Shiva don't you? Summon her and get her to freeze the waters all the way to the island. It should be strong enough." Yuffie nodded, and the group watched as the powerful Ice summon was called up from the waters. Shiva appeared, and blew strong ice crystals around while the seven watched in awe. The waters quickly froze, and Barret ushered everyone out of the boat before the ice melted. Shiva disappeared with a burst of ice, and the group hurried out of the boat towards the island. Vincent glanced back at the boat, and Barret caught his gaze.
"I'll get Cid to arrange another boat sent to pick us up," he assured, and Vincent nodded. Tifa and Aeris led the group speedily, with Cait Sith bounding next to them on top of his Mog. Yuffie, Rufus, Barret and Vincent followed not far behind. It was a hard journey, and they all slid over on the ice at least once. The sun beat down on them, urging them on as it melted the ice.
"It's not- gonna last- much longer," Aeris panted, as they approached the last fifty metres to the island.
"We gotta hurry then," Tifa replied, her hair streaming behind her. She swallowed a gulp as she felt the ice crack beneath her feet, and pushed herself onwards. The last ten metres came, and the ice was barely strong enough to hold them all. Tifa leapt to the sand, relieved to feel solid ground beneath her feet. Aeris and Cait landed softly nearby, but they all turned in shock as Yuffie let out a high-pitched shriek. She had slipped again, and the ice was threatening to cave in any second. Rufus reached out a hand and pulled Yuffie to her feet, jumping as they both took a tumble into the shallow waters. Barret swore as water seeped into his boots, and jumped onto the sand eagerly.
"Think yourself lucky," commented Rufus as he splashed towards them. He was wet from the waist down, and his pants clung to him soggily. His hair was matted to his forehead, having being splashed by water. Yuffie was also soaked and, complaining, made her way to the shore. Vincent had already reached the shore, barely even wet. Tifa smiled at Rufus.
"You look cute that way," she said with a grin, and Rufus tinged pink. Yuffie gagged, and adjusted her weapon.
"Which way to the Temple?" Vincent inquired, peering into the forest. Aeris closed her eyes, and pointed to the left. Vincent shrugged, and the group wearily trudged towards the Temple. Maybe Cloud will be there, Aeris thought with a surge of hope. Maybe Sephiroth will be there, she added in her mind. But she wasn't extremely scared of the sword-wielding man, who just seemed a little misled. However, that didn't mean she was about to go and have a friendly chat with him. He was indeed dangerous.
The whispers of the Ancients grew as they neared the Temple, but Aeris was the only one who could hear them. She could never understand what they were saying, but their frantic whispers were enough to assure her that danger lay ahead. They all stopped as they reached a bridge, gaping at the Temple on the other side. It resembled an Aztec design, with the entrance up at the top of the stone stairs. Rufus paused nervously.
"I don't think we should all go in," he said uneasily.
"Are you scared?" Tifa teased, but Rufus shook his head, not even smiling.
"He's right," Vincent added darkly. "It's not safe. Only a few of us should go." He stepped forward. "I'll go." Yuffie backed away.
"I'll stay here and, erm, keep guard," she said. The group split until it was Vincent, Tifa, Aeris and Rufus going, while Barret and Cait reluctantly agreed to stay behind and secure transport.
"Don't you dare get yourselves hurt, you hear me?" Barret said firmly. "Don't want no broken bones… Good luck." The four that were entering nodded, and started to cross the bridge. Tifa shivered, as a chill swept through the air. Vincent led the way, followed by Aeris, then Rufus and Tifa at the end. Aeris seemed unsettled, rubbing her head.
"You okay?" Tifa called, as they reached the other side. She nodded, frowning.
"The Ancients… they speak frantically here," she said softly. The stairs were an easy climb, and they all flinched at the sight of a black cloaked figure at the top.
"He's been here awhile," Rufus said grimly, kneeling next to him. "I'd say about… three days." Tifa grimaced, and gently urged everyone to keep going. She wanted to find Cloud, and something told her that he might be inside that very Temple. They entered silently, and Tifa squeaked out a cry at the sight of another man lying on the ground. He had a sword wound straight through his stomach, and looked familiar…
"Tseng!" breathed Aeris, hurrying to his side. She felt his wrist, and her eyes fell. "He's…dead," she mumbled quietly. Rufus was breathing hard, his eyes cold.
"Who- who did this?" he snapped angrily, surprising them.
"Who do you think?" Tifa commented dryly. Rufus suddenly lost his angry streak, and knelt down next to the Turk leader with a miserable look in his blue eyes. Finally he sighed, and turned back to Tifa and Vincent.
"We kill Sephiroth now," he said determinedly. "And we kill him slowly." Aeris numbly made her way to the altar, inserting the Keystone she'd acquired from Tseng's hands into the key slot. The whole Temple seemed eerily deserted, with not even a mouse crawling around.
"This is it," Tifa said, hoping to lift the spirits. No one replied, as the path into the Temple was shown. They all stepped through, unaware that their every movement was closely watched.
"We appear to be in a labyrinth of a sort," commented Vincent, looking around them. Aeris closed her eyes, as if straining to hear something.
"The… the Ancients say we must go this way," she murmured, leading the way down a flight of stairs and towards a small cave opening. They didn't meet any creatures on the way, which even surprised Rufus. It was very strange indeed… They entered the cave warily, struggling to see in the darkness that shrouded them. A horrible sound, like gravel scraping on gravel, filled their ears and Rufus could be heard bitterly complaining about the sound effects. Vincent cast a small Lightning spell, and it lit the area long enough for them to see the gigantic boulders rolling around in front of them.
"No way," Rufus said, stepping back. "No way in h***." Tifa rolled her eyes, grabbing his arm and leading the way.
"It's not so bad," she said. "Just have to time it right…"
"D*** you," muttered Rufus, allowing himself to be led towards what he believed a certain death. Tifa told Aeris and Vincent to follow her movements, and then instructed Rufus to do whatever she did. "I may be upset, but I'm not suicidal! You think you're going to roll under those rocks?"
"No, you moron. There's a large gap in each of them, and we just have to time it so we get under the gap. It's quite simple," Tifa assured, sounding more confident than she really was. Even Aeris looked a little sceptical at Tifa's explanation. Vincent said nothing, but looked prepared to follow her instruction. Rufus just shook his head.
"What if we get crushed?" he said. Tifa shrugged.
"We won't." She tensed, getting ready to spring into action. Rufus frowned, realising that she was serious about the rock rolling. The stone rolled towards them, creating a trail of dust behind it. Tifa closed her eyes tightly, trying not to think of what would happen if she timed it wrong. She swallowed as it neared closer, and told herself that Cloud and Red were waiting on the other side for them. She had to do it. She readied herself, as the boulder approached her. Ten metres away; five metres away; one metre away.
"No!" Rufus yelled, running to crouch next to her. She looked at him momentarily in surprise, and the boulder's gap closed over on them. "This is nuts," he muttered under his breath.
"Here we go!" Tifa cried, and they both sprinted towards the next boulder. The gap again closed on them, and they were almost home free. One more stone to go… They waited until the gap came into view, and hurried forward to crouch under it. Tifa could see a shimmering pool to her left, ahead a bit. After this boulder, they could stay there for a while. The rock spun away, and they were able to rush towards the small pool area. Tifa couldn't help smiling to herself triumphantly, not noticing the other boulder rolling quickly towards them. She heard Rufus yell something, and turned to see the boulder about to hit her. Rufus came dashing towards her, and knocked her out of the way. She almost slid into the pool, but managed to scrape her knuckles against the gravel to stop herself. She collapsed on her back, breathing hard at the near accident. A groan made her jolt straight up.
"Rufus!" she yelped, seeing him holding his right leg in pain. He managed a weak grin.
"Told you it was nuts," he mumbled, as Tifa reached his side.
"You idiot," she admonished. "You shouldn't have done that…"
"And let someone as pretty as you get smushed into the ground? I don't think so," he said, making Tifa flush red. She blinked, wondering why she was affected by his compliment. Back at her old bar, practically every man there had complimented her for her looks and cooking skills. And she'd never done anything more than smile and thank them. The only people able to make Tifa blush were her father and… Cloud. She absently brushed her hair back, and turned her attention back to Rufus. His leg was unusually weak and he couldn't bend it.
"Bloody rolling rocks," he muttered, wincing as Tifa gently took his boot off. The ankle was swollen, and two of his toes were broken, perhaps the ankle also. Tifa rummaged in her bag for a bandage and carefully wrapped Rufus' ankle and foot with it. He grimaced, and swore as a sharp pain shot through his ankle.
"Sorry," Tifa apologised, with a faint grin. "Just seeing how far you could move it."
"Bloody h***, Tifa, could you not?" he said agitatedly.
"Are you okay?" Aeris' worried voice reached their ears. "We can't get through. The boulders are going way too fast now! Tifa?" Tifa got to her feet, noticing that the boulders were indeed rolling past much faster than they had before.
"Yeah, Aeris, we're all right," Tifa yelled. Her voice echoed around the cavern, and she shivered unintentionally, unable to shake the eerie feeling that they were being watched. "Rufus hurt his leg, could you tell Re- Cait – to organise some crutches sent along with the boat. Thanks!" She heard Aeris' light footsteps disappear, and then the unmistakable soft clanking of Vincent's metal boots. She glanced back at Rufus, who'd assumed a sitting position while trying to put little weight on his ankle.
"How's it going?" Tifa asked. Rufus gave her a look, and sighed.
"It hurts," he said shortly. The pool to their left rippled slightly, but neither noticed. Tifa gave Rufus a tight smile, hoping the ankle wasn't too badly hurt. She paced the area slightly, glancing up every few seconds to see if the rocks had slowed down. It would be impossible to cross back whilst they were rolling so quickly, especially with Rufus' leg hurt.
Ti…fa…
Tifa spun around, and saw Rufus observing his ankle. He didn't notice her staring, and didn't seem to be saying anything.
Ti…fa…?
Tifa narrowed her eyes, looking around her warily. Besides the scratch of boulder on gravel in the background, she couldn't hear anything. She clenched her fist, preparing for battle. How stupid she had been! Sephiroth, if he was here, would surely know that the group had arrived. And with Rufus injured… he was probably about to appear, to kill the easy prey. Tifa swallowed, hoping the stones would slow down so she and Rufus could escape out of there. It wasn't safe. And yet, the voice she heard was not Sephiroth's. It seemed familiar, however broken up it was.
TIFA!
Tifa gasped, as a dark shape flew down from above and landed in the shimmering pool.
"Holy s***!" Rufus exclaimed, trying to stand. His baton clattered from his belt, and he grabbed at it desperately. Tifa backed away, unable to will herself to look into the shining waters. Something had just fallen out of the sky into it… hadn't it? The waters were calm now, and not even a ripple crossed its surface. Then, as if someone had the ability to control light, the cavern went pitch black.
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"Yep, Aeris, the boat's on its way. Should be here in about ten minutes. Where are Tifa and Rufus?"
"They're back inside," Aeris said, gesturing over her shoulder. Cait nodded, then the colour drained from his furry face. Aeris frowned. "What is it, Cait?" She looked behind her to see the entire Temple shrouded with a dense black mist. Evil seemed to seep out of the curling tendrils of smoke, and Aeris instinctively took a step backwards, tempted to run away. Cait turned to her in confusion.
"What about the other two?"
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Tifa stumbled through the dark, trying to find her way back to Rufus and praying that she wouldn't step over the side. Her eyes were slowly adjusting, but the vision inside the Temple wasn't good even once her eyes adjusted. It was as if someone had covered the Temple with a blanket. Rufus moaned, and she was able to locate where the sound came from. She stepped lightly over a rock, and froze when a bright pale blue light emitted in front of her. The pool.
"Man, what now…" Rufus mumbled. She could see his pale face illuminated in the light, and saw that she was standing opposite where he was sitting, and the pool was in between. She'd have to jump or run around it. Too late, she realised, as a shape burst out of the water. The shape glowed a brilliant blue, and she had to squint to see it. It had to be Sephiroth. Her heart caught in her throat, and she became conscious of how undefended she was. She had a few Materia and her fighting glove. That was it.
The light dimmed, and the shape became more distinct, less blurry. Tifa blinked, as a patch of familiar blonde hair came into view.
"Cloud…?" she whispered, unable to believe it. The figure certainly looked like her friend, although he wore a white gown like you would wear in a hospital. His eyes were closed, and he almost looked asleep. Rufus glanced at Tifa worriedly, mentally warning her to be careful. But Tifa couldn't contain herself. "Cloud!" She dashed towards the hunched guy and was about to throw her arms around him, hoping it was Cloud. He opened his eyes, and looked straight at her. She stopped dead as she saw the dead, tortured look in his dull blue eyes. He looked so… vulnerable. As quickly as she blinked, the figure suddenly flickered out of sight and she realised she had been looking at nothing more than an image; an illusion.
Her stomach turned as a low, mad laugh echoed around the cavern.
"S***, s***, s***," muttered Rufus, repeating the same word over and over. The laugh abruptly stopped, and there was silence. Tifa looked around nervously, feeling apprehensive. That had been Sephiroth's laugh, which meant he was nearby. Perhaps closer than she thought… Rufus choked out a cry as Tifa felt her hair yanked back; the blade of a sword pressed lightly against her neck. She resisted the urge to cry out, and remained as still as she could.
"Not so tricky, are we, Ms Lockhart?" said a voice that chilled her to the bone. No, Tifa! she screamed in her head. You shouldn't be scared of him, you wimp. You should be angry, so you can kill him! She was standing less than a metre from the man who had destroyed her hometown and brutally killed her father, yet she was too scared to even move an inch.
"Wh-what, d-do you, wa-want?" she squeaked, wishing she was more brave. The man behind her paused, as if thinking.
"Well, I did quite want to kill every single one of you in a horribly gruesome way," he said, and she felt him shrug behind her. "Oh well. I guess I'll have to settle for you and Mr Shinra." Tifa suddenly had a mental flashback of five years ago; the last time she had confronted Sephiroth so closely. She had been so stupid then, thinking she could wield the sword of a madman. It had almost gotten her killed, had it not been for Za- Cloud… Sephiroth seemed to sense her thoughts, and held the sword in place. She felt a thin trickle of blood run down her throat, and saw Rufus glare at Sephiroth angrily.
"You can kill me," he hissed at Sephiroth. "We got a score to settle anyway. But leave Tifa out of this." Sephiroth cast an amused eye on Rufus, then back to Tifa.
"Seems like Mr Shinra has discovered some feelings for Tifa, hmm?" he said with a lopsided smile that made him look all the more evil. Tifa wondered briefly if she could knock the sword away long enough to escape, but felt the thin blade press slightly deeper. "Don't even think it," Sephiroth breathed in her ear. She breathed hard, struggling not to cry. Everything was so messed up, she thought miserably. And now I'm going to die, without anything I can do to stop it.
"There, there, Tifa," comforted Sephiroth mockingly. "I'd be more worried about your little friends if I were you." Tifa's eyes snapped open, and she tensed guardedly.
"What happened to them?" she whispered in dread. Sephiroth chuckled, then withdrew the sword blade from against her throat. Tifa's hands flew to her throat, and she gasped. Rufus had managed to get to his feet, but his injured ankle was still extremely fragile. Sephiroth laughed like a maniac, sheathing his massive sword.
"I must go finish something now," he said regretfully. "Before you leave, you may want to explore the Labyrinth." He sneered at them while chuckling, his laugh echoing creepily off the walls and imprinting itself into Tifa's mind. With a bright flash, he was gone. Tifa staggered over to Rufus blindly, falling into his arms and sobbing uncontrollably.
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Authors Note:- Not a very happy chap, ay? Well, you Cloud-lovers got a bit of Cloud! *beams* No Red XIII yet or Rude… I wonder why? _ Anyway this chapter mainly dealt with the group heading to the Temple of Ancients, and some of what happened there. Next chap will conclude the Temple of Ancients events, and perhaps shed some light on this strange situation. Thanks for reading, you guys ^^!! If you can, could ya review for me? See you next chapter!
Chapter Six: Confrontations
"I'm singing… in the rain! Just singing… in the rain! What a-"
"Yuffie, that's the first time you won. And it's not raining," Cait pointed out helpfully. Yuffie rolled her eyes, and stretched.
"Surely we must be there already," she grumbled. "I'm this close to puking all over the room." She stood up wearily, holding her stomach, while Cait grimaced and shuffled back against the wall. It had almost been two hours now, and the jetboat still had to reach the Temple of Ancients. It hadn't taken them that long to get to Tifa, so why was it taking so long now? Yuffie groaned, as the boat jerked around. Cait jumped off the back of the Mog and mumbled something about getting someone to help Yuffie. Yuffie slid down the wall, pulling her knees to her chest and muttering curses.
Two minutes later Cait returned with Aeris, who gave Yuffie a sympathetic smile and kneeled next to her.
"Sea sickness, huh Yuffie?" Aeris asked, sitting down. Yuffie shrugged.
"General motion sickness," she said. "That's why I always used to walk around when I wanted to get somewhere. Then you guys find me, and I let you win the battle, and now I'm here in the most rackety boat that exists!" Aeris shook her head and smiled at Yuffie's outburst. Yuffie just crossed her arms indignantly. The door again flew open, and Tifa stood there, out of breath.
"We've got a problem," she said quickly. "Get your stuff, we gotta abandon ship." Yuffie gasped, but hurriedly grabbed everything in the cabin. Cait gathered together his deck of cards, and Aeris rushed out to get her things from the bridge. They all met at the back of the jetboat, holding their assorted possessions and frowning. Vincent was busy putting the boat on autopilot back in the bridge.
"What's going on, Barret?" asked Cait worriedly. Barret unhooked the lifeboat, his forehead creased.
"Some b***ard tampered with our fuel supply," he answered hotly. "And if I find out who…" He clenched his fist, but turned back to the group. "Did you notice that we was going a bit slower than normal? Our fuel has been leakin' since we left the port. If someone were to strike a match… That's why we gotta get off this ship before it blows. Low-down god-d*** scoundrels." He glowered and threw the lifeboat into the sea, holding onto the rope attached to it.
"Ladies first," he said, allowing Aeris, Tifa and Yuffie to jump down into the dinghy. Next, Cait and Rufus hopped in. It was going to be a little cramped, but they would probably all fit. Vincent returned and carefully climbed in. The wooden boat creaked as Barret lowered himself in, but didn't give way to their relief. Barret flushed, then glared.
"Whatcha all lookin' at?" he mumbled, pulling the rope off the boat and piling it in the small rowboat. The Hurricane inched away, leaving the group of seven floating in the little lifeboat. Yuffie had instantly assumed position at the head of the boat, dangling her legs over each side. Tifa and Aeris sat opposite each other, near the front. Rufus sat next to Aeris, while Cait flopped on the Mog in the middle of the lifeboat. Vincent sat next to Tifa and Barret sat at the back, muttering about the person who'd tampered with the boat.
"Um…" Yuffie said nervously. "Shouldn't someone be rowing?"
"#&$%!" Barret got to his feet, cursing. "The d*** oars are back on the-" Everyone gasped as they noticed the quick line of fire speeding towards the Hurricane. Yuffie screamed the loudest as the fire hit home and the Hurricane was blown into hundreds of fragments of metal. Rufus yelled for everyone to cover their heads, and the boat was rained with ashes and debris. Finally, the ash shower stopped and they were able to look up. The boat that had been only ten metres away from them was no more than a floating pile of rubble. Rufus scratched his head.
"Glad we got off that thing in time," he remarked, brushing off dust from his coat. Tifa only nodded, too shocked to say anything. What if they hadn't? What if they had been on that boat…
"Well, we got no oars, and we're about a kilometre away from the Temple," Yuffie said. "Anyone wanna think of an idea about now?" They all shrugged, not knowing what to do. The island could just be seen in the far distance. The waters rippled around them, hiding the sea creatures that lurked beneath. Finally, Aeris offered an idea.
"How about using an Ice summon?" she suggested. "Yuffie, you have Shiva don't you? Summon her and get her to freeze the waters all the way to the island. It should be strong enough." Yuffie nodded, and the group watched as the powerful Ice summon was called up from the waters. Shiva appeared, and blew strong ice crystals around while the seven watched in awe. The waters quickly froze, and Barret ushered everyone out of the boat before the ice melted. Shiva disappeared with a burst of ice, and the group hurried out of the boat towards the island. Vincent glanced back at the boat, and Barret caught his gaze.
"I'll get Cid to arrange another boat sent to pick us up," he assured, and Vincent nodded. Tifa and Aeris led the group speedily, with Cait Sith bounding next to them on top of his Mog. Yuffie, Rufus, Barret and Vincent followed not far behind. It was a hard journey, and they all slid over on the ice at least once. The sun beat down on them, urging them on as it melted the ice.
"It's not- gonna last- much longer," Aeris panted, as they approached the last fifty metres to the island.
"We gotta hurry then," Tifa replied, her hair streaming behind her. She swallowed a gulp as she felt the ice crack beneath her feet, and pushed herself onwards. The last ten metres came, and the ice was barely strong enough to hold them all. Tifa leapt to the sand, relieved to feel solid ground beneath her feet. Aeris and Cait landed softly nearby, but they all turned in shock as Yuffie let out a high-pitched shriek. She had slipped again, and the ice was threatening to cave in any second. Rufus reached out a hand and pulled Yuffie to her feet, jumping as they both took a tumble into the shallow waters. Barret swore as water seeped into his boots, and jumped onto the sand eagerly.
"Think yourself lucky," commented Rufus as he splashed towards them. He was wet from the waist down, and his pants clung to him soggily. His hair was matted to his forehead, having being splashed by water. Yuffie was also soaked and, complaining, made her way to the shore. Vincent had already reached the shore, barely even wet. Tifa smiled at Rufus.
"You look cute that way," she said with a grin, and Rufus tinged pink. Yuffie gagged, and adjusted her weapon.
"Which way to the Temple?" Vincent inquired, peering into the forest. Aeris closed her eyes, and pointed to the left. Vincent shrugged, and the group wearily trudged towards the Temple. Maybe Cloud will be there, Aeris thought with a surge of hope. Maybe Sephiroth will be there, she added in her mind. But she wasn't extremely scared of the sword-wielding man, who just seemed a little misled. However, that didn't mean she was about to go and have a friendly chat with him. He was indeed dangerous.
The whispers of the Ancients grew as they neared the Temple, but Aeris was the only one who could hear them. She could never understand what they were saying, but their frantic whispers were enough to assure her that danger lay ahead. They all stopped as they reached a bridge, gaping at the Temple on the other side. It resembled an Aztec design, with the entrance up at the top of the stone stairs. Rufus paused nervously.
"I don't think we should all go in," he said uneasily.
"Are you scared?" Tifa teased, but Rufus shook his head, not even smiling.
"He's right," Vincent added darkly. "It's not safe. Only a few of us should go." He stepped forward. "I'll go." Yuffie backed away.
"I'll stay here and, erm, keep guard," she said. The group split until it was Vincent, Tifa, Aeris and Rufus going, while Barret and Cait reluctantly agreed to stay behind and secure transport.
"Don't you dare get yourselves hurt, you hear me?" Barret said firmly. "Don't want no broken bones… Good luck." The four that were entering nodded, and started to cross the bridge. Tifa shivered, as a chill swept through the air. Vincent led the way, followed by Aeris, then Rufus and Tifa at the end. Aeris seemed unsettled, rubbing her head.
"You okay?" Tifa called, as they reached the other side. She nodded, frowning.
"The Ancients… they speak frantically here," she said softly. The stairs were an easy climb, and they all flinched at the sight of a black cloaked figure at the top.
"He's been here awhile," Rufus said grimly, kneeling next to him. "I'd say about… three days." Tifa grimaced, and gently urged everyone to keep going. She wanted to find Cloud, and something told her that he might be inside that very Temple. They entered silently, and Tifa squeaked out a cry at the sight of another man lying on the ground. He had a sword wound straight through his stomach, and looked familiar…
"Tseng!" breathed Aeris, hurrying to his side. She felt his wrist, and her eyes fell. "He's…dead," she mumbled quietly. Rufus was breathing hard, his eyes cold.
"Who- who did this?" he snapped angrily, surprising them.
"Who do you think?" Tifa commented dryly. Rufus suddenly lost his angry streak, and knelt down next to the Turk leader with a miserable look in his blue eyes. Finally he sighed, and turned back to Tifa and Vincent.
"We kill Sephiroth now," he said determinedly. "And we kill him slowly." Aeris numbly made her way to the altar, inserting the Keystone she'd acquired from Tseng's hands into the key slot. The whole Temple seemed eerily deserted, with not even a mouse crawling around.
"This is it," Tifa said, hoping to lift the spirits. No one replied, as the path into the Temple was shown. They all stepped through, unaware that their every movement was closely watched.
"We appear to be in a labyrinth of a sort," commented Vincent, looking around them. Aeris closed her eyes, as if straining to hear something.
"The… the Ancients say we must go this way," she murmured, leading the way down a flight of stairs and towards a small cave opening. They didn't meet any creatures on the way, which even surprised Rufus. It was very strange indeed… They entered the cave warily, struggling to see in the darkness that shrouded them. A horrible sound, like gravel scraping on gravel, filled their ears and Rufus could be heard bitterly complaining about the sound effects. Vincent cast a small Lightning spell, and it lit the area long enough for them to see the gigantic boulders rolling around in front of them.
"No way," Rufus said, stepping back. "No way in h***." Tifa rolled her eyes, grabbing his arm and leading the way.
"It's not so bad," she said. "Just have to time it right…"
"D*** you," muttered Rufus, allowing himself to be led towards what he believed a certain death. Tifa told Aeris and Vincent to follow her movements, and then instructed Rufus to do whatever she did. "I may be upset, but I'm not suicidal! You think you're going to roll under those rocks?"
"No, you moron. There's a large gap in each of them, and we just have to time it so we get under the gap. It's quite simple," Tifa assured, sounding more confident than she really was. Even Aeris looked a little sceptical at Tifa's explanation. Vincent said nothing, but looked prepared to follow her instruction. Rufus just shook his head.
"What if we get crushed?" he said. Tifa shrugged.
"We won't." She tensed, getting ready to spring into action. Rufus frowned, realising that she was serious about the rock rolling. The stone rolled towards them, creating a trail of dust behind it. Tifa closed her eyes tightly, trying not to think of what would happen if she timed it wrong. She swallowed as it neared closer, and told herself that Cloud and Red were waiting on the other side for them. She had to do it. She readied herself, as the boulder approached her. Ten metres away; five metres away; one metre away.
"No!" Rufus yelled, running to crouch next to her. She looked at him momentarily in surprise, and the boulder's gap closed over on them. "This is nuts," he muttered under his breath.
"Here we go!" Tifa cried, and they both sprinted towards the next boulder. The gap again closed on them, and they were almost home free. One more stone to go… They waited until the gap came into view, and hurried forward to crouch under it. Tifa could see a shimmering pool to her left, ahead a bit. After this boulder, they could stay there for a while. The rock spun away, and they were able to rush towards the small pool area. Tifa couldn't help smiling to herself triumphantly, not noticing the other boulder rolling quickly towards them. She heard Rufus yell something, and turned to see the boulder about to hit her. Rufus came dashing towards her, and knocked her out of the way. She almost slid into the pool, but managed to scrape her knuckles against the gravel to stop herself. She collapsed on her back, breathing hard at the near accident. A groan made her jolt straight up.
"Rufus!" she yelped, seeing him holding his right leg in pain. He managed a weak grin.
"Told you it was nuts," he mumbled, as Tifa reached his side.
"You idiot," she admonished. "You shouldn't have done that…"
"And let someone as pretty as you get smushed into the ground? I don't think so," he said, making Tifa flush red. She blinked, wondering why she was affected by his compliment. Back at her old bar, practically every man there had complimented her for her looks and cooking skills. And she'd never done anything more than smile and thank them. The only people able to make Tifa blush were her father and… Cloud. She absently brushed her hair back, and turned her attention back to Rufus. His leg was unusually weak and he couldn't bend it.
"Bloody rolling rocks," he muttered, wincing as Tifa gently took his boot off. The ankle was swollen, and two of his toes were broken, perhaps the ankle also. Tifa rummaged in her bag for a bandage and carefully wrapped Rufus' ankle and foot with it. He grimaced, and swore as a sharp pain shot through his ankle.
"Sorry," Tifa apologised, with a faint grin. "Just seeing how far you could move it."
"Bloody h***, Tifa, could you not?" he said agitatedly.
"Are you okay?" Aeris' worried voice reached their ears. "We can't get through. The boulders are going way too fast now! Tifa?" Tifa got to her feet, noticing that the boulders were indeed rolling past much faster than they had before.
"Yeah, Aeris, we're all right," Tifa yelled. Her voice echoed around the cavern, and she shivered unintentionally, unable to shake the eerie feeling that they were being watched. "Rufus hurt his leg, could you tell Re- Cait – to organise some crutches sent along with the boat. Thanks!" She heard Aeris' light footsteps disappear, and then the unmistakable soft clanking of Vincent's metal boots. She glanced back at Rufus, who'd assumed a sitting position while trying to put little weight on his ankle.
"How's it going?" Tifa asked. Rufus gave her a look, and sighed.
"It hurts," he said shortly. The pool to their left rippled slightly, but neither noticed. Tifa gave Rufus a tight smile, hoping the ankle wasn't too badly hurt. She paced the area slightly, glancing up every few seconds to see if the rocks had slowed down. It would be impossible to cross back whilst they were rolling so quickly, especially with Rufus' leg hurt.
Ti…fa…
Tifa spun around, and saw Rufus observing his ankle. He didn't notice her staring, and didn't seem to be saying anything.
Ti…fa…?
Tifa narrowed her eyes, looking around her warily. Besides the scratch of boulder on gravel in the background, she couldn't hear anything. She clenched her fist, preparing for battle. How stupid she had been! Sephiroth, if he was here, would surely know that the group had arrived. And with Rufus injured… he was probably about to appear, to kill the easy prey. Tifa swallowed, hoping the stones would slow down so she and Rufus could escape out of there. It wasn't safe. And yet, the voice she heard was not Sephiroth's. It seemed familiar, however broken up it was.
TIFA!
Tifa gasped, as a dark shape flew down from above and landed in the shimmering pool.
"Holy s***!" Rufus exclaimed, trying to stand. His baton clattered from his belt, and he grabbed at it desperately. Tifa backed away, unable to will herself to look into the shining waters. Something had just fallen out of the sky into it… hadn't it? The waters were calm now, and not even a ripple crossed its surface. Then, as if someone had the ability to control light, the cavern went pitch black.
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"Yep, Aeris, the boat's on its way. Should be here in about ten minutes. Where are Tifa and Rufus?"
"They're back inside," Aeris said, gesturing over her shoulder. Cait nodded, then the colour drained from his furry face. Aeris frowned. "What is it, Cait?" She looked behind her to see the entire Temple shrouded with a dense black mist. Evil seemed to seep out of the curling tendrils of smoke, and Aeris instinctively took a step backwards, tempted to run away. Cait turned to her in confusion.
"What about the other two?"
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Tifa stumbled through the dark, trying to find her way back to Rufus and praying that she wouldn't step over the side. Her eyes were slowly adjusting, but the vision inside the Temple wasn't good even once her eyes adjusted. It was as if someone had covered the Temple with a blanket. Rufus moaned, and she was able to locate where the sound came from. She stepped lightly over a rock, and froze when a bright pale blue light emitted in front of her. The pool.
"Man, what now…" Rufus mumbled. She could see his pale face illuminated in the light, and saw that she was standing opposite where he was sitting, and the pool was in between. She'd have to jump or run around it. Too late, she realised, as a shape burst out of the water. The shape glowed a brilliant blue, and she had to squint to see it. It had to be Sephiroth. Her heart caught in her throat, and she became conscious of how undefended she was. She had a few Materia and her fighting glove. That was it.
The light dimmed, and the shape became more distinct, less blurry. Tifa blinked, as a patch of familiar blonde hair came into view.
"Cloud…?" she whispered, unable to believe it. The figure certainly looked like her friend, although he wore a white gown like you would wear in a hospital. His eyes were closed, and he almost looked asleep. Rufus glanced at Tifa worriedly, mentally warning her to be careful. But Tifa couldn't contain herself. "Cloud!" She dashed towards the hunched guy and was about to throw her arms around him, hoping it was Cloud. He opened his eyes, and looked straight at her. She stopped dead as she saw the dead, tortured look in his dull blue eyes. He looked so… vulnerable. As quickly as she blinked, the figure suddenly flickered out of sight and she realised she had been looking at nothing more than an image; an illusion.
Her stomach turned as a low, mad laugh echoed around the cavern.
"S***, s***, s***," muttered Rufus, repeating the same word over and over. The laugh abruptly stopped, and there was silence. Tifa looked around nervously, feeling apprehensive. That had been Sephiroth's laugh, which meant he was nearby. Perhaps closer than she thought… Rufus choked out a cry as Tifa felt her hair yanked back; the blade of a sword pressed lightly against her neck. She resisted the urge to cry out, and remained as still as she could.
"Not so tricky, are we, Ms Lockhart?" said a voice that chilled her to the bone. No, Tifa! she screamed in her head. You shouldn't be scared of him, you wimp. You should be angry, so you can kill him! She was standing less than a metre from the man who had destroyed her hometown and brutally killed her father, yet she was too scared to even move an inch.
"Wh-what, d-do you, wa-want?" she squeaked, wishing she was more brave. The man behind her paused, as if thinking.
"Well, I did quite want to kill every single one of you in a horribly gruesome way," he said, and she felt him shrug behind her. "Oh well. I guess I'll have to settle for you and Mr Shinra." Tifa suddenly had a mental flashback of five years ago; the last time she had confronted Sephiroth so closely. She had been so stupid then, thinking she could wield the sword of a madman. It had almost gotten her killed, had it not been for Za- Cloud… Sephiroth seemed to sense her thoughts, and held the sword in place. She felt a thin trickle of blood run down her throat, and saw Rufus glare at Sephiroth angrily.
"You can kill me," he hissed at Sephiroth. "We got a score to settle anyway. But leave Tifa out of this." Sephiroth cast an amused eye on Rufus, then back to Tifa.
"Seems like Mr Shinra has discovered some feelings for Tifa, hmm?" he said with a lopsided smile that made him look all the more evil. Tifa wondered briefly if she could knock the sword away long enough to escape, but felt the thin blade press slightly deeper. "Don't even think it," Sephiroth breathed in her ear. She breathed hard, struggling not to cry. Everything was so messed up, she thought miserably. And now I'm going to die, without anything I can do to stop it.
"There, there, Tifa," comforted Sephiroth mockingly. "I'd be more worried about your little friends if I were you." Tifa's eyes snapped open, and she tensed guardedly.
"What happened to them?" she whispered in dread. Sephiroth chuckled, then withdrew the sword blade from against her throat. Tifa's hands flew to her throat, and she gasped. Rufus had managed to get to his feet, but his injured ankle was still extremely fragile. Sephiroth laughed like a maniac, sheathing his massive sword.
"I must go finish something now," he said regretfully. "Before you leave, you may want to explore the Labyrinth." He sneered at them while chuckling, his laugh echoing creepily off the walls and imprinting itself into Tifa's mind. With a bright flash, he was gone. Tifa staggered over to Rufus blindly, falling into his arms and sobbing uncontrollably.
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Authors Note:- Not a very happy chap, ay? Well, you Cloud-lovers got a bit of Cloud! *beams* No Red XIII yet or Rude… I wonder why? _ Anyway this chapter mainly dealt with the group heading to the Temple of Ancients, and some of what happened there. Next chap will conclude the Temple of Ancients events, and perhaps shed some light on this strange situation. Thanks for reading, you guys ^^!! If you can, could ya review for me? See you next chapter!
