Splintered Dreams
"Messages"
Chapter 22
Tifa sat atop her galloping chocobo and tried not to let her eyes stray—yet again—to the bird and rider ahead of her. After a few minutes of watching the grass and trees, she gave up the pretense and settled her gaze once more on Zack.
It was effortless, the way he rode the chocobo, she noticed. His body didn't jerk the way Barret's did, or bounce as Aerith's, but rolled in the natural rhythm of the bird's gait. Like in everything else, it seemed, Zack was a natural.
Tifa bit her lip hard and tried not to watch the way his arms flexed on the reins, or the way his hips surged with each stride, but her attempts were futile and time and again she found her eyes drawn to broad shoulders and a firm backside.
He must have sensed her scrutiny because he turned his head and shot her a quick look, coupled with a flash of white teeth, over his shoulder. He had the most devastating grin, she thought as her heart kicked against her ribs and blood colored her cheeks.
She immediately set her eyes to the golden feathers sprouting from her chocobo's head and tried to steady her breathing. It was too easy to get lost in his smiles, in his eyes...in him. There was something about Zack that drew her. It went beyond his charm and charisma—both of which he had in plentiful amounts—and past his good looks—though handsome was a severe understatement. It was more than she could explain and more than she was ready to address, but his words in the barn kept coming back to her and Tifa reluctantly faced the truth.
She felt something for him that went beyond camaraderie, beyond friendship, and far beyond affection. Attraction was certainly part of the volatile cocktail of emotions he stirred to life beneath her skin and in her heart, but it wasn't the basis for them.
Distracted as she was, Tifa didn't notice the way the ground softened beneath her mount, or the way she had veered farther to the left than the others. It wasn't until her chocobo jerked to a halt beneath her and gave a startled wark! that she realized that they had entered the marshes...and she was stuck.
Tangled up in long reeds and loose grass.
Ahead of her, Zack and the others were nearly across and hadn't noticed her lagging yet. Beneath her, the bird bucked, and its cry became shrill and agitated.
Tifa gave the still waters a quick appraisal before hopping down and crouching beside the agitated animal. "Easy," she soothed, stroking her hand over plumed feathers. She frowned down at the long tangle of reeds wound around her mount's leg. It would take her a few minutes to tear the reeds away, but since it was her fault the animal was snared, she was determined to work it free. "I'll get you out of here." She stroked along the leg, and made soothing sounds as she tugged and pulled at the wet blades of grass.
Several hard yanks had some coming loose by their roots and she had just begun making decent progress when the bird began to shriek and prance in earnest, frantically trying to rip its leg free. Water sloshed and splashed up into her face and Tifa fell backwards into the muck with a curse.
Shoving the sodden ropes of her hair out of her eyes, Tifa crawled back to her animal, grabbed a hold of its leg and tried to steady it. "Shhh, okay, it's okay!" She twisted her hands in between the tangle and her birds tarsus and tried to loosen the strangle of limp weeds. She winced as the reeds tightened around her fingers as the bird continued its frantic attempts to flee.
Behind her, sounding much too far away, she heard Zack call her name.
Still holding her chocobo's leg, she dared a glance over her shoulder and felt a scream lodge somewhere in her throat. Beneath the surface of the marsh an enormous shadow slithered, snaking straight towards her at impossible speed.
The chocobo squawked and reared back; its very apparent terror chilling her. Blood splattered against bright yellow as the bird's talons tore and the reeds cut into Tifa's skin.
"Come on, come on..." Tifa tore at the grass, her heart pounding beneath her ribs.
Faintly, she heard Zack shout her name again and heard Barret bellow something, but above those noises she heard the break of water and a hiss that permeated her bones.
Shit.
Rivers rained down around her and the monster of the marshes loomed twenty feet above, its serpentine body blocking out the sun.
The Zolom.
She'd heard the legends, even in the slums, of the people daring (or foolish) enough to try and cross the marshes and face the Zolom. The reward for its skin was astronomical, and many a desperate fool had gone in search of the monster, never to be heard from again—or so she'd been told. She'd even seen images—mostly in those cheesy newspapers that also claimed Rufus Shinra was half alien and that some woman in Junon had a fish baby—but nothing could have prepared her for the sheer size of it.
With a hiss that sounded like a roar, it opened its giant mouth and Tifa felt her blood freeze in her veins. One thought managed to skitter across her brain and she didn't know why, but she found it funny: She was going to die as a snack for the Midgar Zolom.
"Tifa!"Zack's voice was close—far closer than it was a few seconds ago—and in it she heard sharp command. "Move!"
She glanced to her right and she did scream then, barely managing to roll out of the way as the tail end of the Zolom snapped towards her. Water shot up like a geyser in the spot she had been standing in a fraction of a second before and the force of it tossed her back.
She landed hard against the side of her chocobo, knocking the flailing animal deeper into the water and causing it to flap and squawk mindlessly. Hurried hands swiped hair from her face and she rapidly blinked water from her eyes as she rolled to her knees. Muck and mud sucked at her boots and she couldn't find her footing.
"Tifa! Get up!" Standing on the back of his chocobo as it sprinted towards her, precariously balanced with his sword swinging over his head, Zack's normally dancing blues and easy smile were replaced by glowing Mako and a hard line and he looked every inch the first class SOLDIER he once was.
With a shout, Zack shot himself from the back of his bird, blade swinging to slice into the hissing Zolom, peeling away a layer of scale. The move managed to snag the beast's attention away from her, and in an angry fit, it slapped its tail in the water and thrashed wildly.
With an almost casual ease, Zack landed directly in front of her, and using the Buster Sword as a shield, he slipped his arm around her waist. "Hold on to me," he ordered.
Grabbing a fistful of his shirt, Tifa gasped when Zack spun on his heel and axed his blade against the chocobo tangled in the weeds, cleaving its head clean off. Blood and feathers churned in the muddy marsh water.
The Zolom's tongue flicked out and its interest shifted from the two of them to the fallen bird. It was all the break Zack needed, and before Tifa could blink, he gave a sharp whistle and she found herself thrown in front of him, yellow feathers in her face and Zack's hard chest pressed to her back as they sprinted away from the bloody feast.
Craning her neck around, Tifa felt a flare of sadness for the slain chocobo. It was her fault they had wandered...if she hadn't been so distracted then they would have all made it safely across without incident.
She shook her head and attempted to straighten, only to find Zack's arm locked around her waist. "Don't move," he growled in her ear.
Tifa blinked. If she didn't know any better, she'd swear Zack was furious. Probably left over adrenaline. She knew she was still shaking with it. "Zack, I'm fine," she reassured. "You can let go."
His only response was a curt grunt and when she tried to wiggle into a more comfortable position the arm around her waist tightened marginally, but it may as well have been made of steel. She wasn't moving.
Disgruntled and embarrassed, she relented and leaned back against the warm heat of his chest. Stubborn man. After a few minutes his arm relaxed and eventually moved so that he could get a better grip on the reins.
When they reached solid ground Zack slowed his ride to a trot. The others were only a short distance away and Tifa could already see Barret's arm waving. She lifted her arm in response, letting him know she was okay.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Zack demanded, his breath hot on her neck.
"I was trying to get my bird unstuck," she answered, ignoring the shiver his proximity gave her in favor of being defensive.
"It never occurred to you to yell for help? Or, I don't know, to run to the embankment when you spotted the giant fucking snake heading for you?"
"I was handling it," she muttered, hating the heat coloring her face at his scolding.
"You were handling it," he repeated—through clenched teeth by the sounds of it. "Of course you were. Why the hell would Tifa Lockhart need any help from anyone."
That was just about enough. Tifa reached down alongside the chocobo's neck and gave a small tug on the bridle, stopping the animal. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she turned on Zack, eyes narrowed. "What the hell is your problem?" she demanded.
"You are," he snarled, dropping down beside her.
Feeling an unexpected sting at his words, Tifa gave an indignant snort. "Look, it's simple, it was my fault the bird was caught; it was my job to save it. Maybe you can't understand that, but—"
"You can't save everything!" His eyes darkened to a violet hue and his voice, when he spoke, was rough and shaken. "I know that better than anyone, and I understand more than you can imagine." He stepped forward, gripped her arms. "There's a line between selfless and stupid, Tifa, and sometimes I don't think you know where it is." The kiss was hard, deep and over before she could blink, but it left her breathless all the same. When he released her there was pain in his gaze and it tore at her heart, but she remained silent.
Throwing up his hands in frustration, Zack grabbed his pack and roll off of his chocobo, then turned away from her and stomped off towards the trail at the edge of the trees. "Leave the birds!" he shouted as an afterthought.
Startled, by his kiss as much as his vehemence, Tifa could only stand there and stare after him. It wasn't until she heard Barret's "'Bout time somebody said it," that she shook herself from her daze.
Swiping her muck damp hair from her brow, she turned and pointed at Barret. "Not a word out of you."
He shrugged one massive shoulder. "Can't blame the man for speaking the truth."
"Barret—!"
"Save it, Teef." He held up his hand for silence. "I know you well enough to know you're gonna be foolhardy and reckless no matter what I say." He glanced over to the path Zack had disappeared on. "I suppose we should follow."
As tempted as she was to remain rooted where she stood in sullen defiance, Tifa nodded. "We should." After a pause she quirked her brow at him. "That's a little bit pot-kettle on your part, don't you think?"
"Never said I was an example," he grinned down at her. "Come on you two," he waved for Aerith and Red to dismount. "Quit lagging!"
"Perhaps we did not feel it appropriate to interrupt," Red replied, stretching his paws out in front of him. He shook his head, clacking the beads in his fur. "It appeared to be a private moment."
Blushing, Tifa glanced at Aerith from the corner of her eye and found the other woman studying her openly. Green eyes, normally soft and gentle, were narrowed slightly and Tifa couldn't tell whether it was displeasure or curiosity coloring the look.
"Ain't no private moments here. We got shit to do." Barret swung his satchel over his shoulder and set off in the direction Zack had gone. "Keep up."
Red chuffed, deep in his throat, and darted ahead of Barret. Wringing the dirty water from her hair, Tifa turned to Aerith and felt an unexpected flare of something not nice at how fresh and pretty the other woman looked. Her hair was wind tossed and her cheeks rosy with her emerald and moss eyes sparkling in the afternoon light. She was the picture of delicate femininity and Tifa felt like a wet dishrag beside her.
Shoving aside her feelings of inadequacy, Tifa made an open palm gesture in the direction of their companions. "Shall we?"
With a nod, Aerith fell into step beside her. They hadn't gone five feet before Aerith spoke. "It hurts him when you do that." The quiet statement caught Tifa by surprise, although in retrospect it probably shouldn't have.
She cocked her head, one eyebrow arched, hoping she'd misheard. "Uhm, what?"
"Zack." Aerith clarified, although she didn't need to. "When you shut him out, it hurts him."
Uncomfortable, and mildly irritated, Tifa scratched at her elbow and shook her head. "I know you and Zack are close, and I like you...but I really don't want to talk about this."
"About him, you mean," Aerith corrected.
"Fine, yes. I don't want to talk about him."
"With me."
"With anyone."
"Why not?"
"Because I don't."
Aerith inclined her head, quiet for a moment. "All right, then I'll only say this: Zack has a big heart, but it's far more fragile than he lets on." She spoke in slow, deliberate cadence. "Don't break it."
That paused Tifa's stride, and, caught somewhere between amusement and disbelief, she had to know, "Aerith, are you threatening me?"
The other woman thought it over, then beamed a sunshine smile. "Yes. I believe I am."
And for some reason that smile combined with that threat warmed Tifa and loosened from her words she hadn't intended to say. "I don't want to hurt him."
Aerith's smile turned softer, as did her eyes. "I know you don't." She gave Tifa a sidelong glance as they walked. Birds whistled overhead and rocks crunched beneath their heels. After a short while, Aerith spoke again. "You're pretty scarred."
Unwittingly, Tifa's fingers fluttered over her heart. "I guess I am."
"I'm sorry...about your home...."
The words brought a brief searing pain, but Tifa shook it off. "Thank you."
"....Do you remember them?"
"Hm?"
The next words were halting. "Your...uh...parents."
Tifa sidestepped a fallen branch. "I remember my father. My mother died when I was eight."
Aerith made a small sound of acknowledgment. "I remember my mother, I think...Sometimes."
It was Tifa's turn to offer up a quiet, "I'm sorry." There was no comparisons of their pasts as far as circumstances went, but Tifa knew that pain was pain and Aerith had more than her fair share as well.
"Shin-Ra." Aerith shook her head, ringlets bouncing off her cheeks. "They've ruined a lot of things, haven't they?"
Anger tightened her jaw. "Yes."
"It's frightening to think how much control they ha—!" Aerith's voice stopped short, her hand gripping Tifa's arm like a clawed vice.
Following Aerith's gaze Tifa drew in a sharp breath of her own. "Amazing." Taking Aerith by the hand, she pulled her through the edge of trees and into the clearing where the others all gaped at the sight laid out before them.
Sunlight filtered through leaves in a happy little dance, glimmering off the macabre visual ahead. Impaled on a tree, a Zolom lay mangled. Blood and chunks of flesh littered the ground, staining everything dark black with crimson edges.
"You believe this shit?" Barret remarked when they drew closer to where he and Red and Zack stood.
Tifa shook her head. "I don't want to." She turned to look at Zack, who was still and stoic, his eyes unreadable as he stared and stared at the Zolom.
"It's so brutal," Aerith whispered, her hands covering her mouth. "Sephiroth?"
"Definitely." Zack finally looked away from the bloody mess. "Every legend you ever heard was an understatement. He's stronger than anyone I've ever faced and twice as ruthless."
"But why drag the Zolom here?" Red wondered. "It does not make much sense. Why make that effort?"
Zack glanced at Tifa. "To leave a message."
"A pretty fuckin' effective one, too," Barret grumbled, his good hand rubbing against the metal of his gun arm. "And I, for one, ain't gonna stand here and gawk at the fucker's sick greeting card. We can make a cut right through the Myrthil Mines and save time. I say we get our collective asses moving."
Zack cricked his neck, flexed his shoulders. "Agreed."
An hour later the group stopped outside the main cave entrance of the Myrthil Mines.
"It's probably a good idea to rest for a few minutes before we go traversing through dark caves," Zack suggested, dropping his pack. "Let's take ten." He untied the drawstrings and opened the canvas, pulling out a canteen. "Here."
"Thank you." Aerith took a swallow and passed it to Tifa. She did the same and gave it to Barret, who took a draw from the top and then gave Red a speculative look.
"I'll find some on my own," Red commented with a hint of amusement. "For now, I am going to find a tree."
"Good idea. If anyone has to piss, now would be the time," Barret added as he headed in the opposite direction.
"I don't have to," Aerith said, settling herself onto a boulder. "I'll just wait here."
"Same." Tifa stretched her arms over her head, flexed her legs and climbed atop a rock herself.
"Holler if you need me," Zack told Aerith, and then without a word to Tifa, walked off into the trees.
Tifa sighed. He was still angry. Frowning down at her hands, Tifa decided that maybe she should apologize. She hadn't meant to be so reckless, and Zack had risked his life to save her. Her heart spec up a bit at the image of him charging to her rescue, sword aloft and fury in his eyes.
Hopping down from her perch, she glanced at Aerith. "You okay here for a minute?"
Aerith's smile was a little bit brittle, but genuine. "Sure. Go get him."
She found him not too far away, standing with his forearm braced against a tree and his head dropped down.
"Zack?"
He tensed and turned his face away from her. "Yeah?"
Zack had never seemed unapproachable to her before, but the rigid set of his shoulders and clipped tone paused her steps and her fingers curled into her palms. She took a steadying breath and moved a few steps closer. "I'm sorry."
He nodded, but still didn't look at her. "Okay."
She could turn around now, she thought, and go back to the cave. He accepted her apology and she could just wait until this wrinkle ironed out. Zack wasn't the type to be angry for long, and she knew that eventually his nature wouldn't allow for him to be sullen forever.
But it wasn't up to him, this time, she mentally scolded. If she cared about him—and she did—then she had to make the effort for his sake as much as he would for hers.
"I didn't mean to be so reckless," she continued. "I didn't think."
"You almost died," he replied, voice oddly quiet and distant. "I can't fail you too."
Oh. Oh, Zack...
With a quiet, resolute, breath, Tifa closed the distance between them, placed her hand on his shoulder and turned him to face her. "No, I didn't, Zack. You saved me. And I never said thank you, so, thank you for saving me."
She heard his indrawn breath and saw his eyes widen marginally as, hesitant, she slid her hand over the soft fabric of his shirt until her fingertips brushed the dark strands of his hair. Gently, she drew his head down to rest on her shoulder. "Cloud was very lucky to have you in his life," she whispered. "So am I."
She felt his breath shudder out against her neck and then his arms circled her waist in a desperate hug. They stayed that way—twined together with his head on her shoulder—until a throat cleared behind them.
"Barret says it's time to go," Red informed them, voice quiet, and hinting at apology.
"All right," Tifa nodded, sent him a gentle smile. "Thanks." She waited until Red walked away before she turned back to Zack. "I think we should get going."
"In a minute," Zack breathed, lips bumping hers. "Just...one minute."
As tempting as it was, Tifa carefully tried to disentangle herself. "He won't shoot me, but he may you."
"Might be worth it," Zack murmured, nuzzling her cheek.
And her knees went weak.
"Zack..."
"Gods, I love when you say my name."
"Move it, Princess!"
"Annnnnd there goes the moment." Zack lifted his head, shot a glowering Barret a narrow look of his own. "Great timing!"
"She still has her panties on, so yeah, I think I have excellent damn timing! Now, stop pissing me off and march your ass over here so I can knock your head off."
Zack took a step back but kept his hand on the small of her back. "You know, I suddenly feel very bad for Marlene's future boyfriends."
The Myrthil Mines, once active and productive, now sat unused and vacant due to rampant monster sightings and incidents. A number of miners had disappeared and even more were found with unexplained injuries, but investigation was not an option as Shin-Ra ceased production and 'sealed' the mines.
It was one of the reasons Kalm had been so quiet during their visit, Zack speculated. Miners and their families had left to find other work in other towns. Despite the infrequent use and abandonment, the mines were still well maintained and held little risk of cave in.
But it was still crawling with monsters, Zack thought when a deep voice spoke from an outcropping of rock.
"I'm afraid I can't let you pass."
Bald head, sunglasses, dark suit. Turk. Rude.
"I don't recall asking your permission," Zack replied, crossing his arms and rocking back on his heels, a small smirk curving his lips.
The Turk appeared equally unconcerned. That was until he spotted Tifa, who was still wet from her tumble in the marshes and shivering slightly in the cool shadows of the cave. Slipping his jacket off, Rude held it out to her.
The gesture was received with a shake of head and a muttered, "No thank you," from Tifa but the sight of the proffered jacket sent an ugly itch crawling along Zack's skin. The Turks didn't break uniform. Zack was almost certain they slept in suit pajamas, so for Rude—one of the most devoted of the Turks—to be offering Tifa his jacket spoke volumes to Zack. And what it spoke of, he didn't like. Not one bit.
"How the hell did they get here?" Barret growled, noticing another slim shadow—blond and female—above them and drawing Zack's murderous gaze away from Rude.
"We have a vast number of resources at our disposal. We, unlike some, don't have to rely on game animals to get us where we need to be."
"Tseng." Zack inclined his head in greeting as the other man stepped out from the shadows of the cave wall.
Ignoring Zack, Tseng stepped toward Aerith, who, surprisingly also moved toward him. "Are you all right?" he asked her, genuine concern permeating his normally reserved voice.
"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked in saccharine sweet tones. "Zack's here to take care of me."
Even more surprising than the odd exchange was watching Tseng flinch as though Aerith had struck him. "I...see."
"I doubt that." Aerith brushed her hands over her skirt. "Are you here to take me in?"
"No." Tseng shook his head. "Now that Sephiroth has reappeared it seems that Shin-Ra has other, more pressing, concerns."
"Am I supposed to be grateful for that?"
"That's not what I meant. Aerith...I want to explain—"
"No," she cut in. "You've lied to me too many times. I don't want to hear anything from you."
Tseng bowed his head. "Very well. If the fates are kind, we won't be seeing much of each other again. I...Take care of yourself, Aerith. Rude, Elena, with me, our ship leaves dock soon." With a sharp click of heel to stone, Tseng did an about-face and headed into one of the dark tunnels snaking through the mines.
Once the Turks were gone Zack turned to Aerith. "Wanna tell me what that was all about?"
She flushed from neck to roots. "Nope."
Eyebrows raised, Zack pressed regardless. "Aerith, did you and Tseng...?"
"I said I don't want to talk about it, Zack."
"Okay, okay." He held up his hands. Back before Nibleheim, Tseng had been one of Zack's closest friend's and he had long suspected the other man of harboring feelings for Aerith. It never occurred to him that maybe she returned those sentiments. He frowned, working a knot in the back of his neck.
He hoped she didn't.
For her sake. For all their sakes.
Things were complicated enough without mixing up emotions with the Turks.
"Are we to follow them?" Red's quiet inquiry echoed softly against the stone.
"No." Zack shook his head, thinking about Tseng's words. The man was the most precise and meticulous Turk out there. He never let anything slip. "I know where they're going."
"Oh, yeah? And how's that?" Barret demanded.
Zack closed his eyes, rubbed his temples. "Psychic powers."
"Bullshit."
"That Turk said they were taking a ship. There's only one harbor near here. They're headed to Junon."
Zack gave Tifa an approving smile and took a fair amount of pride in her blush. "Bingo."
AN: I'm sooooooo sorry for the delay. Really and truly. Thank you to those still reading and putting up with me. I appreciate you very much! I hope this chapter started to tie up some emotional loose ends--as that was my intention--and I hope I did it without making anyone yawn. The group's adventure has only just begun and I have some twists in store for them. :) Thank you all for reading, and especially those of you that take the time to review. You make my day!