A/N - Once again I couldn't fit it all in one chapter. This is Despair
continued.
~*~*~
Tifa closed her eyes and a vision appeared in front of her as if she were hallucinating. It was blurred as if she was drunk. She saw Cloud's face pass in front of her eyes, his eyes full of hope and belief in her. "Be strong Tifa..." he whispered. The vision faded. Tifa sat up and saw a bolt of lightening light up the distance, illuminating the mountains in the distance, beyond which lay her hometown.
------
I can see the Nibel Mountains from here. They are so beautiful. I spent my childhood up there, they remind me of my happiness with Cloud... They inspire me and always have. Just like he always has. Are you watching over me Cloud? I bet you don't recognise me. I used to be strong. What happened to the Tifa you loved??? I can't let it end like this. Avalanche never gave up...
I know Cloud wouldn't let me give up this easily. So...I'll get a sword... Cloud, I will avenge you and I will protect your daughters at any cost. Please watch over me and give me a fraction of the strength you always had... It would be enough to succeed. I love you still. Your love fuelled me to carry on after my world collapsed, and the memory of your love for me will carry me on now, just like you kept us all going when we fought Meteor. I love you. Keep me safe, please...
Reno... I'm coming honey, and Ill save our baby. Wait for me... I'll be there.
There's no point in waiting now. I have to move on.
------
Tifa stretched and got up. She walked down the steps and into the nearby weapons shop, which was a 24-hour dispensing machine. She ordered the only sword in there... a Force Stealer. It was better than nothing. She still had her mastered Restore, Fire, Ice and Comet materia. She even had Neo Bahamut and Knights Of The Round along with her HP Plus materia. They were all in her armour, which she still had strapped to her arm. She had never taken it off since the Highwind... She walked back out of the shop, holding the big purple sword unbelievably. How did Cloud carry this around with him all the time? It wasn't heavy, but it was big enough to bump people as she walked past a group of teenagers.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a glimmer of silver. She froze. About ten 3Spirits came out of the shadows. Tifa turned and ran as another ten appeared to her right. She was surrounded except for the path towards the rocket. She ran as fast as she could. Her legs were strong at running. She just couldn't kick anymore, as her feet had been badly damaged. This didn't hinder her as she climbed the rocket, desperate to escape. She hadn't got any ethers on her, so she couldn't recharge her MP, which was at a low of around ten. She hadn't a chance with just a Force Stealer sword. At the top she stopped. There was nowhere to go. She knew they had been ordered to kill her at first sight. No one was near to hear her screams. She cowered. It was all over.
The 3Spirits grinned as they stepped towards her. They knew they had won. The leader took out his gun to finish the job. Stupid Avalanche bitch. There was nowhere stupider she could have gone than up here. She should have fought. There was nowhere to run in this town...
Tifa closed her eyes. She prayed. ("Aer, Vince, Yuff, Shera, Cid, Cait, Red, Barrett... Cloud... Please help me. It can't end like this...") She thought she heard the sobs of her friends, crying because they couldn't help her. She had always felt close to them, now was she gonna join them? No... She had to help her children... She heard Cloud call to her in anguish. "Teef... fight back. I love you, we all do, and we know you can do it..." But Tifa couldn't. She had frozen, and the only thing she could do was throw a Lunar Curtain and a Light Curtain which she kept in her coat just in case, which cast MBarrier and Barrier around her. But she couldn't attack. She was desperate. Why hadn't they attacked? She looked in their faces. They were looking at the ground below the tower. They had a look of terror and disbelief on their faces.
Tifa took her chance and lunged at the leader Spirit with her sword, only to be knocked back by the Spirit's own Barrier. She screamed as she fell on her ankle, injuring it badly. She opened her eyes and shook her head, dazed. All she heard was a battle cry ring through the cold night air. That cry... it was Cloud's cry, wasn't it? It had to be... nobody had ever cried like that, with the passion and danger Cloud had always expressed in his voice. But... it couldn't be him... who was it? The cry rang again as she heard the screams of the Spirits as they were attacked and died. The leader looked at Tifa again, frightened, and grabbed her, holding her as if she were a hostage with a gun to her head, and wrapped a huge hand around her neck, lifting her up off the ground. Tifa choked and struggled against his strong arms, first trying to escape, then merely trying to breathe. Her head was growing fuzzy, and her vision blurred. Tifa knew he wouldn't hesitate to kill her. It was all growing black... ("Cloud... help...") Tifa pleaded, her eyes rolled to the sky as she slowly suffocated.
The thunderstorm above suddenly grew quiet and the clouds all grouped into a small dense area. A huge thunderbolt ripped out of the sky, startling everyone there. The noise sounded like a bellow of rage, as if the storm was rebelling against itself to attack. This was not a summoned thunderbolt from materia... no, this was natural. The thunder hit the Spirit holding Tifa, killing him immediately. Similar thunderbolts hit the other remaining Spirits, as Tifa Lockheart fell to the floor in a heap and lost consciousness.
~*~*~
Tifa closed her eyes and a vision appeared in front of her as if she were hallucinating. It was blurred as if she was drunk. She saw Cloud's face pass in front of her eyes, his eyes full of hope and belief in her. "Be strong Tifa..." he whispered. The vision faded. Tifa sat up and saw a bolt of lightening light up the distance, illuminating the mountains in the distance, beyond which lay her hometown.
------
I can see the Nibel Mountains from here. They are so beautiful. I spent my childhood up there, they remind me of my happiness with Cloud... They inspire me and always have. Just like he always has. Are you watching over me Cloud? I bet you don't recognise me. I used to be strong. What happened to the Tifa you loved??? I can't let it end like this. Avalanche never gave up...
I know Cloud wouldn't let me give up this easily. So...I'll get a sword... Cloud, I will avenge you and I will protect your daughters at any cost. Please watch over me and give me a fraction of the strength you always had... It would be enough to succeed. I love you still. Your love fuelled me to carry on after my world collapsed, and the memory of your love for me will carry me on now, just like you kept us all going when we fought Meteor. I love you. Keep me safe, please...
Reno... I'm coming honey, and Ill save our baby. Wait for me... I'll be there.
There's no point in waiting now. I have to move on.
------
Tifa stretched and got up. She walked down the steps and into the nearby weapons shop, which was a 24-hour dispensing machine. She ordered the only sword in there... a Force Stealer. It was better than nothing. She still had her mastered Restore, Fire, Ice and Comet materia. She even had Neo Bahamut and Knights Of The Round along with her HP Plus materia. They were all in her armour, which she still had strapped to her arm. She had never taken it off since the Highwind... She walked back out of the shop, holding the big purple sword unbelievably. How did Cloud carry this around with him all the time? It wasn't heavy, but it was big enough to bump people as she walked past a group of teenagers.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a glimmer of silver. She froze. About ten 3Spirits came out of the shadows. Tifa turned and ran as another ten appeared to her right. She was surrounded except for the path towards the rocket. She ran as fast as she could. Her legs were strong at running. She just couldn't kick anymore, as her feet had been badly damaged. This didn't hinder her as she climbed the rocket, desperate to escape. She hadn't got any ethers on her, so she couldn't recharge her MP, which was at a low of around ten. She hadn't a chance with just a Force Stealer sword. At the top she stopped. There was nowhere to go. She knew they had been ordered to kill her at first sight. No one was near to hear her screams. She cowered. It was all over.
The 3Spirits grinned as they stepped towards her. They knew they had won. The leader took out his gun to finish the job. Stupid Avalanche bitch. There was nowhere stupider she could have gone than up here. She should have fought. There was nowhere to run in this town...
Tifa closed her eyes. She prayed. ("Aer, Vince, Yuff, Shera, Cid, Cait, Red, Barrett... Cloud... Please help me. It can't end like this...") She thought she heard the sobs of her friends, crying because they couldn't help her. She had always felt close to them, now was she gonna join them? No... She had to help her children... She heard Cloud call to her in anguish. "Teef... fight back. I love you, we all do, and we know you can do it..." But Tifa couldn't. She had frozen, and the only thing she could do was throw a Lunar Curtain and a Light Curtain which she kept in her coat just in case, which cast MBarrier and Barrier around her. But she couldn't attack. She was desperate. Why hadn't they attacked? She looked in their faces. They were looking at the ground below the tower. They had a look of terror and disbelief on their faces.
Tifa took her chance and lunged at the leader Spirit with her sword, only to be knocked back by the Spirit's own Barrier. She screamed as she fell on her ankle, injuring it badly. She opened her eyes and shook her head, dazed. All she heard was a battle cry ring through the cold night air. That cry... it was Cloud's cry, wasn't it? It had to be... nobody had ever cried like that, with the passion and danger Cloud had always expressed in his voice. But... it couldn't be him... who was it? The cry rang again as she heard the screams of the Spirits as they were attacked and died. The leader looked at Tifa again, frightened, and grabbed her, holding her as if she were a hostage with a gun to her head, and wrapped a huge hand around her neck, lifting her up off the ground. Tifa choked and struggled against his strong arms, first trying to escape, then merely trying to breathe. Her head was growing fuzzy, and her vision blurred. Tifa knew he wouldn't hesitate to kill her. It was all growing black... ("Cloud... help...") Tifa pleaded, her eyes rolled to the sky as she slowly suffocated.
The thunderstorm above suddenly grew quiet and the clouds all grouped into a small dense area. A huge thunderbolt ripped out of the sky, startling everyone there. The noise sounded like a bellow of rage, as if the storm was rebelling against itself to attack. This was not a summoned thunderbolt from materia... no, this was natural. The thunder hit the Spirit holding Tifa, killing him immediately. Similar thunderbolts hit the other remaining Spirits, as Tifa Lockheart fell to the floor in a heap and lost consciousness.