Author's Note:
I don't own Final Fantasy or "Holding Out For a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler. Final Trinity is coming. (I hadn't said that in a while, so I figured I should)
Chapter Fifty
Holding Out For a Hero
As the siege of Fort Condor continued, and Rude trained the Red Wings, Tifa made her way through the desolate countryside surrounding the area, a backpack slung over her shoulders. She knew she had to get away from the area as soon as possible, but to where? Kalm? Or was it safer to head to Junon, the closer destination? Or did the White Scourge, knowing that Junon was closer, have that route blocked?
As she headed north, slipping around whatever sentries she saw, she considered her options. She had to travel by daylight. Against the albinos, that was the time they were most blind. During the night, she would carefully have to hide and stay on her guard, get as little sleep as possible.
She had been travelling for a day before she realized that she was being followed.
There was no evidence of it. No figures in the distance, no sounds of soldiers talking with each other. No shadows, no sounds. Just a feeling. A feeling of being hunted. It was a feeling that Tifa did not like.
She wondered if she should turn and face it, or continue onwards and try to escape whatever was following her. Somewhere behind was an enemy. And somewhere ahead was Cloud, who didn't know what kind of trouble the world was in. He had mentioned a fear that something was coming. But did he know the full scope of what was happening? Fort Condor and Cosmo Canyon under siege, and maybe worse?
Probably not. So she changed her direction, and began to head to Kalm.
As she traveled, she realized that Rude was right in picking her to search for Cloud. While she interacted better with the Red Wings, they saw Rude as an unstoppable force, and looked up to him more. She was someone they could get comfortable with. He was a man that inspired them to be their best, and that the enemy could be defeated. And, as she made her way over difficult, rocky terrain, she amended to herself that she was better for this because of her history as a guide. Rude was a city man to the core. Sure, he had wilderness training, but his home was the urbane. But Tifa? She was far more in touch with the wilderness than any Shinra employee, ex or otherwise, could ever be.
Except, she amdended to herself, maybe Vincent. That man seemed to know everything about everything.
Every once in a while she would stop and mask her trail, or double back and create false ones, always trying to elude whatever was chasing her. She smiled to herself each time she did, thinking it a grand game, despite the danger.
Even as she ran from whatever was chasing her, never seeming to stop until well into the night, she managed time for some private reflection. She was amazed at how much Rude had matured, if men ever really did. He'd managed to put his testosterone away for a minute, and realized that they needed Cloud.
A smile spread across Tifa's face as she stared up at the night sky, thinking about it. But she couldn't help but wonder.
Cloud's good, but against an army of thousands, what can he do that we can't?
The question followed her as she stopped to rest, climbing a tree and slipping into sleep as she rested on one of the branches. Her dreams were filled with images of albinos everywhere and burning everything to the ground, and all the while, Rude and Cloud fought each other, ignoring the plight of others, since neither could really do anything about it.
She awoke with a start, gasping for breath, and nearly fell off the branch she had been sitting on. Leaning more firmly against the trunk, she was about to go back to sleep, but stopped. Something nagged at her, a warrior's instinct, and she stopped herself from going back to sleep and carefully looked down.
And there, standing below and looking directly at her, was an albino with two swords at his hips, a smile on his face. "I was wondering when you'd wake up and notice me. I've been here for an hour."
Hopping down from the tree, she landed gracefully, and assumed a fighting stance. "Then why didn't you attack?"
"And lose the chance to test myself against a real warrior? I think not. I must say, you put up a grand chase. I couldn't even begin to make sense of your trail. Starting here, stopping there, doubling back, always leading me in circles. Quite impressive."
"Then how did you find me?"
He raised one hand slowly, non-threateningly, and touched one of his ears. "Funny thing about people who live underground for a very long time. The eyesight isn't so good, but the hearing and ability to sense vibrations through the ground is extraordinarily good. Will you grace me with your name?"
"So you can know who you're about to kill?" she asked, having heard this speech from many men before who had thought themselves formidable.
"Nonsense. I'd never kill such a beautiful creature as you. I just thought I should give you the chance to surrender, and if you happen to not be possessed of common sense, then take you prisoner until you choose to swear to follow Mother."
"So, you White Scourge are a group of mama's boys, eh?"
The albino smiled, and adjusted his hands on his belt, shifting it around a little. "You still haven't told me your name."
"It's Tifa. And are you flirting with me, Mister…?"
"Graehan. Of the Triad. And of course I am. Who wouldn't?"
Tifa smiled, finding that despite all odds, she actually liked this enemy. "You're one of the Triad? I thought you looked familiar. You looked a little different without having a lackey at your side choking to death from a crushed larynx."
Graehan actually laughed at the remark. "That would have been Claiveh. Amazing fighter, too bad he never was all that smart. Never liked the brute anyway."
Graehan's swords abruptly sprang into his hands, and he made a lunge at Tifa. She struck the flats of both blades with open palms, deflecting them away from herself. The man made an approving nod. He stepped back and said, "I must have you."
"Too bad I'm taken," she responded, coming at him with a three kick combo, the first starting low, aimed at his shins, the second at his chest, and the last at his head. He dodged all easily, and swung both swords low, both of which Tifa narrowly jumped over. Even as she did, she pulled back a fist and delivered a solid blow to the man's forehead.
Graehan stumbled back. "Very impressive. You belong to the bald one, then? The one who killed Claiveh?"
"I don't belong to anyone!" she growled, offended at his wording. She came forward swinging, and in that moment of anger, one of Graehan's swords slipped past her defences and nicked her on the waist. She retreated, realizing how vulnerable she was.
"You could have done more damage than that," she said incredulously, feeling at the small wound. "Are you playing with me?"
"If by intentionally saying things to anger you and leave you off balance? Then yes. If by taunting you because of arrogance on my part? No. I told you that I mean to take you alive."
"Why? Because you want me? Because you want to…" She couldn't even bring herself to say it, shuddering.
"I suppose you think me evil, then? I'm a gentleman, I assure you. If and when I take you prisoner, no harm will come to you. I only follow the Will of Mother."
Tifa was shocked by those words. The way they were pronounced, the emphasis on 'Mother', the way it was said. She'd heard it before. Sephiroth had said it the exact same way.
"You mean Jenova?" she said, and the expression on his face confirmed it.
She waited for no response, just attacked in a wild flurry of blows. Graehan was careful to parry only with the flats of his blades, not meaning to do Tifa harm, and she saw his weakness for what it was. He was a killer, yes, but something in him was also exactly what he had said he was. He was a gentleman. And he would not allow any serious harm to come to a woman. Especially an unarmed one.
The two were in full swing, fighting each other with almost everything they had. But Graehan's skill, held slightly back as it was, defied Tifa's. She hadn't seen a swordsman this amazing other than Cloud, or Sephiroth. To think that the White Scourge had such a warrior on their side was frightening.
A dozen moves and half a dozen nicks and cuts on Tifa later, the woman slumped back. She was tiring quickly, and had no idea why. Graehan winked at her, and held up one of his blades, answering her unspoken question, "Sleeping poison on the blades."
She growled in frustration and tried to charge at him, but found she lacked the strength. She managed a few steps before falling to one knee. Shaking her head, she tried to get a rumbling noise out of her ears.
"You're a proud woman, and an excellent fighter. I commend you. Few have ever been able to strike me. Join us, and you will take Claiveh's spot in the Triad. Convince your lover, the bald-headed one to join as well, and you can remove that incompetent bitch, Crya, from the Triad as well, and he can join us as well. What say you?"
Tifa had trouble forming an answer, but the rumbling sound was turning steadily into the sound of a loud engine. It sounded so familiar. She glanced to where the sound was coming from and smiled.
"I say you throw down your weapons and surrender to me."
Graehan, who had obviously heard the noise before her, finally looked to see what it was, only to find himself staring into the headlight of a motorcycle as it roared forward. He barely managed to get his swords up to parry the massive blade of Ultima Weapon as Cloud drove by. He was knocked backwards at the force of the blow, falling down.
Tifa tried to move to restrain Graehan, but stumbled. Everything was getting fuzzy. She looked up to see Cloud off his motorcycle and swinging his weapon at Graehan, the man barely able to keep his balance while engaging against such a massive sword.
One of Graehan's swords went end over end, falling to the ground, and Cloud's sword moved in for the kill.
"Don't kill him!" Tifa managed to shout before she fell unconscious. The world turned to darkness as the poison finally overcame her.
Author's Note:
I'm a beast today. Three chapters so far, and I may do a forth. All at work, too, while I'm supposed to be working. Hrrrmmm… oh well. : P