A/N I am so sorry this update is so late! I swear I have everything written out, it's just that work decided to work me overtime and gah I've just been wiped out. But no more excuses, on with the mystery :) And thanks again to my reviewers, I adore you all!

Chapter Four

"And that's the last thing I can remember before waking up here."

Tifa finished her story, watching Zack's reaction that had changed every now and then with an eyebrow arched here and a tug at his mouth there.

What did it all mean? A question, well, one of the more prominent questions, really, had been nagging her to no end and finally she had to know.

"Hey, Zack?"

"Yes?"

"How did you know I wasn't Aerith?"

His lips curved into a smile. "Your scent. As a wolf, I can tell what everything is mostly because of the distinct aroma they give off. Even though you are inside Aerith's body, there was something strange about it, like a fight for dominance of scents in her-your, aura."

Tifa had to laugh a little at that and took in Zack's blissful look as he explained, his eyes shining with that special twinkle when talking about Aerith. She could see the falter in his stance whenever he looked at her and knew that she was not her; Aerith was no longer here but in Tifa's body in Midgar.

They had both come to the conclusion that if Tifa was up here in Aerith's body, it would only make sense that she was in Tifa's down on the Planet. Zack had proven her correct when he pointed to a vast expanse of white, like a clean canvas waiting to be painted. She could only look at him and when he motioned her back to face the white, images were coming in.

"Tifa, I need you to focus on what you saw in that flash of Aerith's memory."

She looked at him before closing her eyes to focus on that thought, her voice was still in there somewhere and soon Tifa picked it out among her own cluttered thoughts. Something about flowers…she looked down at her feet surrounded by yellow and white flowers and soon she was there, looking at the church.

"The church." Tifa told Zack in Aerith's voice, happy to be able to help.

"Look."

Tifa looked out once again at the white that was no longer empty but covered with an image of the church, Aerith's church. Tifa stretched out Aerith's hand to touch the image but it faltered, wavering at her nearness. Zack held her back as she watched the image enlarge and focus on two figures she hadn't seen before.

A gasp escaped her lips as recognition took over and she wanted more than ever to envelope herself in the picture but Zack held her still. A girl with brown hair tied with a red bow and wearing a white dress was holding her hand, guiding her to Aerith's church.

Marlene.

Tifa's heart ached to hold the little girl shown before her and yet she couldn't, trapped in this place. It was a good thing Zack didn't let go or she might have tried jumping at the image and done what, she had no idea, but it would have been better than sitting here and doing nothing. As her emotions ran incoherent, the picture faltered.

"Tifa, I need you to focus. Watch them; see if you can know what's going to happen before it does through her eyes."

Zack didn't have to explain the her she was supposed to channel and took a deep breath, calming her racing mind while closing her eyes.

The church, the flowers, the sun slanting through the broken windows, catching on the stained glass. Tifa had been there many times and could see it all clearly in her mind's eye, even though she hadn't been there since Cloud left.

Cloud.

"Cloud?"

Aerith's voice was in her head, and yet it wasn't. Tifa opened her eyes to see them both in the church now, searching for him. Of course, Marlene was leading her to look for Cloud. Maybe she senses something wrong. She spent more time with Marlene than anyone, there's no way she wouldn't be able to tell that wasn't her holding her hand, right?

Tifa's heart fell when she caught sight of the little girl's beaming gaze. She doesn't know.

She quickly pushed the thought out of her head as the image began to blur again and focused on one thing at a time, since multiple and separated thoughts seemed to affect the vision before her. It was in present time and so she and Zack watched the events unfold before them, unable to do much but focus.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

The church was a mess, and Aerith despised messes. How could things have gotten so bad? She followed the little girl who still held her hand with a strong grip, guiding her through Aerith's church…her church. Tifa's voice was humming in the background as she thought about where they were.

He's not here…but what's this? Tifa's voice alerted her to the bandage atop a crate that was set next to a sleeping bag.

So this is where you've been hiding, Cloud Strife. Aerith put her hands on her hips, holding the piece of cloth and looking around the rest of the place. Where are you now?

Marlene looked at what Tifa was holding and said in a worried voice. "That's just like Denzel. Is Cloud sick?"

Aerith looked down at the girl and felt her pain while trying to figure out what to tell her.

"Why didn't he say something?"

Tifa's thoughts and voice took over, and Aerith was overwhelmed by the loss and confusion those few words held in the young barmaid's heart.

Marlene looked at Tifa worriedly. "Did he leave because he's sick?"

Tifa watched from another place, trying to focus on what was to come…but she couldn't see anything. Didn't Aerith think about something happening in the church?

Aerith no longer thought ahead but voiced Tifa's memories, as if reliving a scene that she once played out before. The oddest feeling of déjà vu played with her mind as Tifa's voice spoke aloud.

"He just…wants to fight alone." Without me. The words were so powerful in her head that Aerith almost said them aloud but Tifa's will held strong, not letting her voice speak.

"Fight?" Marlene looked up in shock at Tifa since there was no war going on that the little girl knew of. She had no idea that what Tifa was referring to was internal.

"No. I don't think that he will…"

This conversation was making no sense. As Aerith stood there, an observer in her friend's body, it still didn't make sense. How would this girl understand it if she herself could not? With her speaking, no less!

"Marlene, let's go home."

That was a quick change. Tifa watched from above as her body moved to hold the child, only to see her slip by and say stubbornly, "But Cloud's not here yet."

Looks like we'll have to wait, Aerith judged and was not surprised to find Tifa's thoughts in agreement.

Tifa smiled from her place above the scene playing out in the church, not surprised in the least by Marlene's stubbornness.

Just like him, stubborn to a fault.

Aerith's thoughts rang through her mind and she blinked in shock. Had they connected to match the same timeline? Everything since this change had occurred in the past and future glances but that seemed so now. Tifa could feel Zack's gaze on her while the picture wavered and she tried to focus, to somehow connect with Aerith in her body in that church with control and not some random act.

Aerith looked around at the flowers and couldn't help smiling a bit seeing that at least something stayed normal since she had been away. The yellows and whites sprinkled among the green calmed her mind a bit until a blinding light pierced through her eyes to the humming at the back of her mind, making her double over in pain.

"Tifa?"

Marlene's voice mirrored Aerith's in her mind as Tifa's subconscious broke through, calling her name.

"Aerith!"

But all too soon it was gone as the door to the church was pushed back and in walked a burly looking man with silver hair done in the most absurd single wisp she had ever seen. Marlene was at her side and Aerith held the girl protectively by her shoulders while the man walked in seeming to look for something.

"Where's mother?"

Mother? Aerith and Tifa thought at the same time in Tifa's body, the image of him and his words sounding all too familiar. Had this happened before?

"Zack, I don't like this. I feel as if I've seen this guy before but I don't remember when! I don't think I can handle much more of this, it's all too confusing."

Tifa was pacing the field with building anger, not understanding why this had to happen. The image rippled with her confusion until Zack was at her side, holding her shoulders to keep her from moving. His eyes were so blue green, so much like Cloud's that Tifa's breath caught in her throat and she didn't stop him from holding her close, comforting her with firm arms wrapping around her body in a hug.

"I know it is, love, it'll be alright. I'm here."

He felt so real, so there. Tifa thought of Cloud holding her like this, something that happened so seldom in real life. She didn't care, resting all of her weight against Zack's body and enjoying the feel of his breath in her hair.

In this relaxed state, Tifa was almost drained of it all, the hurt, confusion, her entire being felt weightless and she didn't realize she was holding him as well until she pulled back and looked back into those eyes, seeing Zack's soul shining brightly for her.

His Aerith.

"Aerith?"

Both blinked at each other as the flower girl's mind went back into its corner, controlling all of Tifa's body back in the church. Zack looked at Tifa's face and she could see his disappointment when he knew it was only her in his love's body once again.

"I didn't imagine that, right?" Tifa asked.

"No, she was here, if only for a moment."

That was all he said before turning back to the events on the screen and Tifa couldn't shake the nagging feeling of impending doom. Something wasn't right, and she really didn't want to find out, but what choice did she have?

None apparently as she watched the man move towards her and Marlene in the church and her protective instinct was so strong that she was suddenly there, looking through her own eyes once again.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Aerith blinked a few times, shaking the feeling of being pulled from Tifa's body back to hers in the Promised Land. Had she really just been there, in Zack's arms? His voice was so real, so close and yet here she was, back in her church in her old friend's body. She didn't have much more time to think about it as the man before her asked a rather silly question.

"Wanna play?"

Still holding onto Marlene, she quirked an eyebrow at him. Honestly, why would a grown man want to play in a church? And what exactly would they play? While her mind went through the absurdity of it all, Tifa's voice was pulling at her mind and overran her thoughts.

Aerith?

Yes?

Thank God. Alright, I remember meeting this guy before and it wasn't very pleasant.

Tifa's voice was running through Aerith's head and she almost cried with joy, being connected with the strong woman.

I don't know what he's talking about Tifa. What does he mean by mother? And what is that metal device on his hand? It doesn't look very nice…

Aerith, please focus. I think I might be able to help you. All you have to do is do exactly what I tell you and I think I…I mean you will be able to beat him. His size just means he'll hurt more afterwards.

What? You don't expect me to fight him, do you? You have got to be joking. Tifa, I can't fight, I don't know how! How do you expect me to physically beat someone that big?

Oh not good, she was panicking and Tifa could feel her grip slipping on her own mind, Tifa's body losing control to Aerith's frantic thoughts once again.

Please, calm down. Take a few deep breaths. If you can relax, I might be able to do all of the fighting for us. Just focus on what should be, with you up here in your body with Zack and we might be able to slip back into place.

Zack watched as Tifa's body became still in the church and Aerith's matched it in the field at his side. What was going on? He moved closer, not wanting to touch her in case something weird happened again but not wanting her to be hurt. He had to see if she was alright.

Aerith completely relaxed her mind until her spirit felt like a bubble floating free in Tifa's body. Why was it there? It should be in her own body, not Tifa's.

Tifa could feel Aerith freeing her mind to allow Tifa to take control and soon she was pulling on her gloves onto Tifa's hands and taking her fighting stance. She was back! With a little direction, she focused on the field where Aerith's body and Zack were watching the spectacle unfold and off the spirit bubble went.

Blinking a few times, the white blur with the darker blob next to her came into focus and Aerith felt Zack's arms resting her in the grass of the field she had seen so much. A smile graced her lips while his soon grew and he was holding her possessively close, relishing in the feel of her back with him.

Her giggle broke the silence and she pulled him over to the white screen, eager to see how Tifa was doing back in her own body against that brute.

Sure enough, she was kicking and punching with all her might and it looked like she was winning until Aerith heard the thick thud of her friend's body hitting one of the stone pillars as electricity was jolted through Tifa.

"No, stop it!" Aerith cried from her place in the field while Zack held her hand, trying to ground her here in her panicked state.

Everything is so fuzzy…what's happening…am I dying?

Tifa tried to focus on the man's hands, trying to stay away from the giant electrode on his arm but she was too slow, the weapon releasing volts through her abdomen and her entire system screamed in pain. He tossed her like a rag doll into the yellow and white flowers of the church. At least she was at the church, still in her body and Aerith was in hers.

If I die, Aerith will still be…

Aerith was lost in visions swimming over her eyes...big boots and blond spikes bending over his fallen friend and housemate…but he would be too late…always too late.

"Tifa, hold on!"

Aerith moved towards the screen but was stopped by Zack.

"You know you can't change fate, Aerith."

"But she did for me. She used my powers somehow to switch us back, and if I do the same, she'll live. Cloud can't be alone again Zack, you know he won't be able to handle it."

His face showed that she was right but he couldn't look at her, he couldn't lose her, not again. Aerith moved a hand to his cheek, holding it so he would focus on her face and look into her eyes..

"Everything will be alright, remember? You said so yourself."

"Yeah but, how can you be sure you'll be able to come back? What if the switch is permanent this time?"

"Whatever happens, I'll be with you. We will never end."

And then she was gone.