AN: Sorry for the long delay on this update. Between starting a new job and other real life happenings, this took longer than I had hoped. Once more, special thanks to Bof for her feedback, thoughtful inquiries and for not letting me take the easy way out with these characters. ;) Much love!
Splintered Dreams
Chapter Three
"The SOLDIER and the Flower Girl"
The towering doors opened easily beneath the flats of his palms, surprisingly silent on rusted hinges. His footfalls, slow and uncertain, echoed over aged wood and along mortared walls. Made of wood and stone, there was nothing spectacular in either construction or design of the church, but there was something about it that fascinated him nonetheless.
At one time, before the corrosion of war and violence had changed it-- shattered it-- it must have been beautiful-- full of light and song, people and prayer. Now, it stood silent beneath the plate, more broken than whole, with fractured windows of painted glass poised to dance in sunlight that never came.
A sweet scent hung in the air and drew from him a memory of flowers and falling. He pushed his hair back with one hand and exhaled slowly, his wary feet carrying him past broken pillars and shattered pews. Beneath the open ceiling, a small, wooden cart sat beside a bed of lilies. His lips curved at the corner, the tug of fond memories pulling him to the wagon. He crouched down and jostled it, testing its stability. He smirked when it held fast. Built sturdy, even after all these years.
A voice, smooth as top cream and just as sweet, caused his hand to freeze. "Excuse me. Is there something I can help you--" The rest remained unfinished as he stood.
Zack turned slowly and his breath lodged painfully in his throat. Every single witty line he'd rehearsed on the way there vanished beneath the soft moss of her eyes. Her hands, as delicate and slim as the rest of her flew to her mouth, concealing the lower half of her face, but he knew it by heart. Soft, bow shaped lips, that could form a pout so sincere it made the hardiest of men weak, above a gently rounded chin and a dimple right beside.
"Zack...?" She lowered her hands to her chest where they cupped together, out of habit or need for prayer he couldn't say.
He cocked his head, and the half-smile he offered in return was crooked and cautious. "Hey."
The air between them hung thick with questions. But then she took a hesitant step toward him, paused, then took another, and another.
And suddenly, previously indecisive feet knew exactly where to go, and he was moving toward her.
They came together in an awkward collision of tears and limbs; her arms around his middle, her head in his chest; his hands on her shoulders, his nose in her hair. He felt her shudder—or maybe it was him.
She leaned close, her fingers clenched tight in his shirt. "Zack? I was told—I thought you were dead!"
"I'm not." He pulled her tighter. "I'm not."
The harsh edge to his voice brought her head up. She studied his face for a moment before she noticed she was still wrapped in his arms and took a small back-step. "I can see that," she murmured with a blush.
Zack cleared his throat and let her go. "You, uh, look good," he commented after a brief, awkward silence. This was true. She held the same ethereal beauty she'd had over four years ago when he'd mistaken her for an angel.
She lifted a hand to adjust her hair and lowered her eyes demurely. "Thank you."
He followed the motion and his heart gave a swift kick when he spotted the ribbon. So much unfulfilled promise tied up in that knot.
"I missed you." Her voice was quiet and sad as she played with the pink silk.
"I missed you too," he told her. And he had. He had missed her light laughter, her shy smiles and warm touches. He had missed the way she looked at him and the way her scent lingered long after she'd gone. He missed a million little things that he wasn't sure he could ever adequately explain.
"I wrote you." Soft accusation.
"I know. I didn't get the letters. None but the last." Unconsciously his hand strayed to his pocket.
She turned toward him. "You didn't?"
"No."
"Okay, but why didn't you contact me? Call me? Write me? Send me smoke signals? Something--"
"I couldn't," he cut in sharply. He sighed and began to pace, his hand in his hair. "I couldn't," he restated, less harsh. "Believe me when I tell you that had there been a way to get word to you, Aerith, I would have."
Something on his face must have given hint to his inner pain because the next moment he felt petal soft fingers on his arm. "Your eyes are as beautiful as I remember."
Instead of a smile, he flinched and turned his face away, revealing the criss cross scars on his cheek.
"What happened to you, Zack?"
"I was betrayed."
She shook her head; moved so he was forced to look at her. "No, it's more than that. You're... different... somehow."
"I told you once that I wasn't normal." He chuckled, a dark sound that startled them both.
"...Zack?"
There was a space between them, he realized, a gap that had little to do with physical distance. He could feel it there, a void filled with shattered promises, broken dreams and wounds time scarred over but never healed. From the gentle apology he saw reflected on her face, he knew she felt it too. "I'm sorry." He met her eyes squarely for the first time since she walked in, his own earnest. "For a lot of things."
"Yeah," she echoed softly. "Me too."
"So..." he managed a convincing smile. "Tell me everything. What's been going on in your life?"
"Motherfuckin' shit! Motherfuckin' bullshit!"
"You know, I believe you covered that one already," Tifa commented dryly as she pushed herself to her feet and wiped her hands against the black of her skirt.
Barret sent her a withering glare, which she tactfully ignored with a hint of amusement and waited patiently as he set the timer on the bomb.
Ten minutes.
Ten minutes to haul their collective asses out of the reactor core and back up the ladder, across the catwalks, into the ventilation system, through the security gates and out to the train station where Wedge, Jessie and Biggs were set to rendezvous.
"Ready?"
She nodded once and pulled her brown, beaten satchel up over her shoulder and when she raised her eyes again she met the grim countenance of a man who'd become both father and friend to her. "Ain't got time for sentimentality or mistakes, now. You understand?" His voice was gruff, firm, but with that underlying tenderness that was reserved for her and one other.
She nodded again. He was worried she was going to change her mind. "Don't worry. I'm with you, Barret."
"Alright then. Let's go!" He took point as they headed back across the piping, his gun-arm at the ready. He was an impressive figure, she thought, following behind. Barret often used his size and fierce features to his full advantage, but for Tifa, his wide expanse and brooding expressions only offered comfort and familiarity.
She lifted her satchel higher and felt her nose twitch. Her footsteps faltered a bit and she turned back towards the reactor's control panel. She saw nothing out of the ordinary but couldn't shake the sense of wrong that hovered in the air. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and that's when she realized what it was. Smoke. Faint, but there. It tickled her nostrils and snaked against a memory.
Her hand rose unconsciously and unsteady fingertips pressed between her breasts as an old ache seared to life. The pain was sudden like a vicious violent rip inside her head and heart.
Her eyes stung and the sounds of agonized screaming echoed in her ears. Flames licked against wood and flesh; scarring, scorching, destroying. She was surrounded by blood and death and heat and she was so lost...
"Dad! Dad! Hold on..."
Pain and rage and agonizing grief.
"Sephiroth!"
His smile was sick and perverse. It followed her down the steps as she fell. Twisted lips and glowing eyes.
Helpless. Bleeding. Cold and alone...
"I'm sorry...I'm a little late."
Eyes so blue they burned and gentle fingers on her face.
"Cloud..."
"You say something, Teef?"
She jerked as though struck, and her hand fell back to her side. Her throat was tight and it took effort to croak out, "No." Doubt showed on his face but Tifa waved him off. "We should hurry."
They moved quickly up the ladder and Barret re-opened the door to the catwalk. They were halfway across the metal dived when the side "EMERGENCY ACCESS PANEL" opened and Shin-Ra troopers poured out, weapons drawn.
"Shit," Barret swiveled around. "A trap!"
Footsteps echoed in the silence following that proclamation and Tifa's eyes widened as a familiar and much loathed figure emerged from the shadows behind the troops, his expensive shoes making a sharp clack with each step.
"President Shinra!" Barret angled himself between Tifa and the guards.
She scowled at his back. She hated the way he did that—always putting himself in the line of fire.
"So you're the ones causing all the fuss," President Shinra's voice was amused as he rubbed his chin. "Landslide or something."
"It's AVALANHE," Barret snarled. "And don't you forget it."
The President chuckled and shook his head. "You think I care what you call yourselves?"
Barret smirked. "You'll care soon enough."
"Let me guess, another bomb?"
Tifa and Barret exchanged a look. If the President knew about the bomb, why was he there?
"Such a waste of good explosives. But if it serves the purpose of getting rid of vermin like you..." he shrugged.
"Vermin!" Barret's voice raised to a near shout. "You're the vermin, you fuckin' jackass! Killin' the planet! Suckin' it dry!"
Once more Shinra's padded shoulders lifted in an indifferent shrug. "You bore me. If you'll excuse me I have a press conference to attend, denouncing Avalanche. But no worries, I've brought a playmate for you." He snapped his fingers and a moment later the catwalk rumbled beneath their feet.
Tifa nudged Barret, her features hard. "What's that noise?"
"I have no idea, but it's Shin-Ra, so it can't be good."
The rumbling intensified and the loud shriek of metal grinding metal announced the arrival of a mechanical behemoth, the likes of which Tifa had never seen before. It's frame was enormous, taking up the full width of the opposite end of the catwalk. It whirred and clicked noisily with battle armaments at the ready. Steel blades spun from two gun arms and targeting lasers danced out from red eyes and along the ground. It was a machine designed specifically for war and death.
"Enjoy our Techno-Soldier, Airbuster," President Shinra stated with a curve of his lips before he motioned for his guards to follow. "He's the latest in technological weaponry. I'm sure the data he'll extract from your dead bodies will be of great use to us in future experiments."
Barret rushed forward-- a second too late-- and the security panel hissed shut. He slapped his palm against the cold steel. "Motherfuckin' shit!"
At that moment Tifa seconded the sentiment. She glanced at her watch. Seven minutes. Either they defeated the metal monster closing in on them, or they incinerated with the rest of the reactor. Neither option was particularly appealing.
However, she wasn't the type to back down from a fight. She swung her pack to her front and pulled out her fighting gloves. "Barret, heads up!" She slid her hands into the well-worn leather.
Barret whipped around and fired, his aim dead on. The robot whined in response. The spinning blades whizzed faster, deflecting a majority of the bullets, but several had found their mark leaving several pock holes in the metal. Targeting lasers converged and swarmed like insects over Barret's chest.
Tifa was having none of that. She leaped forward, her fist connecting solidly with the Airbuster's faceplate. She planted her feet against it's shoulders and back flipped away, using her momentum to shove the machine back a good five feet and knock it's lasers askew.
When it fired again Barret was able to dodge and roll across the catwalk so that he came up alongside Tifa.
Ramrod straight, eyes narrowed and focused on the robot, Tifa formulated a variety of attack options in her head. Her gloved hands clenched and unclenched in anticipation. Airbuster rolled forward and fired, bullets spraying the space where she and Barret had stood a moment before. The damn thing recovered fast, she thought angrily as she shoved herself up to her knees. There was no way to take it down while they were standing directly in front of it. It was too massive, with too much firepower.
"We need a plan!"
"Ya think?" Barret swore. He took a couple of shots, and motioned for her to move closer to him. "Get behind it," he ordered. "Maybe we can confuse it. I'll cover you."
She nodded once. "Okay." The heel of her boot struck the railing and she launched herself up and towards the Airbuster. Lasers honed in on her but quickly scrambled when Barret opened fire. Tifa hit the ground and pivoted on one leg, the other lashed out, slamming into the back of the robot and sending it careening forward. She crouched down and gave her watch another glance. Four minutes. "Barret!"
"We gotta take this thing down now!" Was the response.
Yeah, no shit. She dove forward, so that her feet landed between the treads and she thrust up. Off balance, the Techno-Soldier whined, arms spinning wildly to right itself.
"You see an opening?" Tifa flinched and turned her face away, avoiding a fatal bullet from a rear turret. She relaxed her legs and rolled out from under the machine. "Damn."
"Teef, heads up!" The air crackled and popped. Barret was pulling together all the energy in his arm cannon for what he liked to call his Big Shot.
Tifa rushed Airbuster and drove her elbow into its back with enough force to wish she had brought her pads with her. Using the rear turret as a springboard, Tifa flung herself away. "All clear!" She covered her eyes as bright orange flames shot up over Airbuster's head. The robot screamed and shook, blue sparks traveling over it's frame and a moment later the guns lowered uselessly to it's sides.
"Take that, asshole!" Barret sounded smug.
"Yeah!" Tifa grinned. She stepped around the still smoldering hulk of metal and offered up a high-five. "Impressive," she said with a wink. Their victory dance was a bit premature, Tifa realized with an alarmed gasp a second later when the blue sparks reappeared and the robot began to smoke. "Oh, fu--!" The world exploded in a fireball of pain.
Zack reached out one hand to steady Aerith as the ground rumbled beneath their feet. A blaring siren wailed piteously in the distance.
"What in the planet's name was that?" Aerith sounded as shaken as the ground.
"Sounded like an explosion," Zack commented, his gaze speculative. Earlier in the week he had caught the tail-end of a newscast recounting recent 'terrorist activities' against the Shin-Ra corporation, including a bombing of the Sector One Mako Reactor. AVALANCHE was the suspected group responsible.
Zack wondered if it were true, and if it was, was Tifa involved?
Aerith placed a hand to her chest and shook her head slowly, a sad expression crossed her face. "More violence."
"Sometimes violence is the only resort left."
Moss green eyes glanced up at him from beneath a veil of thick lashes. "SOLDIER talk?"
He shrugged easily but the smile had left his eyes. "Fact of life."
"There's always a peaceful way," she disagreed quietly.
Zack didn't want to ruin the comfortable mood they had established a few minutes ago, so he refrained from argument. The steady thump-thump of helicopters sounded overhead. Whatever was going on, the Shin-Ra troops were mobilizing. "We'd better get you home," he told Aerith. "I'll walk you."
She smiled. "I'd appreciate that, thank you. Let me just gather up my things."
Zack nodded in the affirmative, crossed his arms over his chest and waited.
"Tifa! Hold on!"
Tifa winced against the white hot stab of pain in her shoulder. The damn robot had exploded, taking out half the walkway with it, and now she was left hanging by a piece of broken metal over smog and slums. Her hand ached like a son of a bitch from the death grip she had on the twisted steel.
"Tifa!" Barret's voice was hoarse from smoke and more frantic than she'd ever heard it before. He knelt on what was left of the walk with his good arm stretched towards her.
Tifa gasped when the bridge gave a shudder and pitched down."Barret! Go! The bomb!" She struggled to pull herself up, but strong as she was, the pain in her shoulder refused to let her do anything but dangle.
"Just...a little...more..." He was on the flat of his stomach now, extended as far as he could. At least fifteen feet separated the two of them and Tifa could see lines of exertion on Barret's face. The corded muscles in his arm and neck stood out. He was barely holding on himself, and if he inched any farther out there was a good chance he'd fall as well.
Tifa looked down and swallowed. It was a long way down. She looked up at Barret. His eyes were wide but determined, his jaw set in that defiant tilt of his. He wasn't going to leave her there. Just like Barret, she thought. Giving his all for the people he loved. But there was someone waiting for him at home, and Tifa refused to be the reason Marlene grew up without a father.
She called his name and he looked at her.
It was there on her face. "Tifa...no."
"Tell Marlene I love her." She closed her eyes. She smiled. She let go.
"Tifa!"