An Elegy of Doom
Prologue
Nightmaiden
Disclaimer: SE belongs to SE.
A sound—distant and muffled—reached deep into her unconsciousness, causing her to stir. The blood rushing into her head began to lessen. Regaining her senses, the sound she heard before reached to her again. It was closer and clearer.
Her eyelids flinched but refused to open.
She heard it again; calling out her name this time. There was a faint rumble, the ground beneath her shook.
Her body shook.
She moved an arm.
Her body continued to shake; turning desperate and urgent.
She heard the sound again. "Tifa! Tifa, please wake up!"
Tifa's eyes flew open—her senses wide awake. It all came back to her in a sudden rush, causing her to draw a deep and shaky gasp.
She remembered they were running before she blacked out. Her heart turned icy when the paralyzing fear returned. Snapping back to reality, she quickly stood up—surprising Yuffie to a halt—and took a hold of the young girls' hand.
They ran.
Keep moving, Tifa kept reminding herself. She knew it was behind them—breathing down their necks; toying and taunting them. It was enjoying every bit of the chase. She could not bring herself to give up; believing they had a chance of escaping.
She did not dare loose her strong grip on Yuffie's hand. She knew she was crushing her hand but the young girl made no complaint of it. The older woman glanced over her shoulder. The younger girl tried to keep pace but Tifa could sense her stamina waving.
Tifa looked side to side, looking for a hiding spot in the underground cave they found themselves in. Yuffie gave out a small yelp when Tifa turned directions suddenly, nearly dislocating the younger girl's shoulder.
They ducked into a small cluster of jagged rocks. Tifa gathered Yuffie to her side. For a moment, they held their breaths and listened. They heard nothing. They released a sigh of relief.
Tifa turned. "Are you okay?"
"Yea." Yuffie nodded, rubbing her shoulder.
"Do you remember how we got here?"
The young ninja shook her head.
The ground beneath their feet softened causing the young women to stumble to safety. A large portion of the ground began to slowly rise, eventually separating the girls to stand on either side of the rising ground.
It soon detached from the ground, forming into a dark blob.
Tifa and Yuffie stared.
It hovered between them.
Yuffie reached over to touch it.
"Don't!" Tifa hissed.
The ninja retracts her hand at the order. Soon the blob began to float above them, continuing until it was high over their heads.
Hahaha…
Yuffie gasped. Tifa narrowed her eyes.
The large dark blob began to shift and shape itself into a different form. Lumps pressed and pushed against the surface as if whatever was inside was trying to break free of its prison. Two long lumps extended out and taking shape of dark wings. They beat to stay afloat. More lumps pressed out forming into limbs. Muscular arms and legs took shape from the long limbs. Sharp claws stretched out. The large wings folded in its self to shield its body.
Tifa and Yuffie—having no weapons or spells—stood prepared for a fight.
Like a rose, the wings bloomed to reveal the devilish creature. It laughed again causing paralysis to the two fighters.
Yuffie suddenly disappeared but in a split second later reappeared in front of the creature.
Tifa gasped.
It flashed out his claw and held Yuffie by the throat.
Tifa leaped to attack but was stopped in mid-jump.
The dark creature gave a venomous smile to the girl in its hold. Yuffie swung out her feet to strike any part of the monstrous being, all the while trying to break its grip with her small hands.
"Let go of her!" Tifa screamed.
The creature lowered its gaze to the woman below for a few seconds before returning its' glare at the younger girl. It opened its mouth to deliver a killing blow.
Yuffie disappeared again but did not return.
The creature's clawed fingers slowly drew inward when it held nothing but open space. It smirked then turned its attention to the floating Tifa, below. It hovered in front of her.
She swallowed hard and breathed unsteady.
Now it is your turn. Let us hope you succeed this time. It caressed her cheek with the back of its dark clawed hand.
Tifa could not recoil from its' touch.
Its claws glide from one side of her face; under her chin, and finally to the other of her face before jerking its hand to hold a firm grip of her chin. Sharp claws pricked her cheeks.
Tifa closed her eyes in pain.
It pulled her face closer, taking in her scent.
"What do you want?" Tifa questioned through her teeth.
The creature loomed over her ear.
I wish to be free…to rule your world.
Tifa finally opened her eyes and kicked off of the creature without warning. She felt the slashes the claws left on her face when she broke of its hold. She darted behind the cave's stalagmites and stalactites—hoping to hide until she can find a way out. She can hear the beat of the monstrous wings. It was close but she could not pin its location. The cave made it impossible to tell. She wondered if it already knew where she was.
She came around a bend. Something caught her foot; causing her to lose her balance. As agile as a cat, Tifa caught the floor before her face made contact. On the floor, she looked over her shoulder and saw a body. The body was covered in black clothing. Scanning the area around, she cautiously crawled over to it. Long black hair covered the face. She hovered over and gently brushed the hair away. Her eyes widened when she recognized the stranger beneath her. She shook his shoulder. He made no response but she can see he was breathing. She looked over her surrounding to make sure she was still undetected.
She reached over to try again to revive him but she was pulled roughly from him.
The devilish creature stood behind her, holding her arms locked to her sides. Her hair stood at its end when she felt its hot breath against her back.
I do enjoy our encounters but your kind is not welcome here and must leave now.
Her blood ran cold when she felt its tongue run up her neck. The creature pressed its lips to her neck.
She felt its smirk before feeling its mouth open; feeling long fangs pressed against her neck.
Tifa forced her eyes shut to brace death.
She awoke abruptly; her hands shot out wildly, trying to find anything solid to grasp. She twisted about but no matter which direction she turned; she was met with an endless blue void. She blinked rapidly to clear her hysteria state. After recovering from her slumber uneasiness, confusion settled in.
Was she dreaming? Her movements slow and heavy as if she were. She looked over her arm and examined her hand; her fine skin was a blue tint.
It took her a moment to realize she was submerged in water. Her breathing echoed off her ears. She touched the breathing mask that covered her nose and mouth. Moving only her eyes, she followed the breathing tube down until it ended below her. She noticed more thin tubes attached to her arms and legs. She lightly touched them. Her chest and pelvic area were covered respectfully with white clothing.
She continued down to her toes. Wiggling them, she found herself floating. She soon came to the conclusion: She was in a water tank.
She stretched out her hand. Her open palm met with a solid glass wall. She absently moved her other hand to join the other. She moved her hands up, down, side to side.
Daring to move closer to the edge of the glass, she was able to see beyond the blue void. She peered through the narrow window the water tank provided; she saw more fluid tanks.
She then noticed two men in lab coats standing by another tank across from her. They stood a few meters out, their back to her. In the tank both men stood by, she caught sight of a figure moving about. Unable to make out the figure, she tried refocusing her eyes. She gasped in surprise.
It was Yuffie.
The young girl didn't seem to notice the men in front of her. She kept moving her hands about, clawing desperately against the glass, darting her head at every direction.
The two men examine the tank contenting the young girl. They exchanged words. One of the men looked over a chart as the other opened a small metal box and removed a small object. He inserted a syringe into a tube connecting to the tank. Yuffie soon slowed her rapid movements and lost consciousness.
On impulse, she began pounding against the glass—ripping the intravenous lines from her arm. She gained the attention of the surprised scientists. They glanced at each other before making their way to her tank. Not waiting to be sedated herself, she rips off the breathing tube and pretends to drown.
In a panic, the younger man rushed over to the control panel. The water in her tank starts to drain. She kneeled down, coughing to clear her throat. The tank top opens.
"—idiot, wait 'til we call security!" She heard one shout out.
Feeling the hot adrenaline building, she springs out the tank, body slamming into the men. One was out cold from the impact.
The other man backed away in shock, dropping the small metal case causing the contents inside to spill out onto the floor between them. Quickly recouping from the stun state, he cursed and ran away.
The sudden movement of her attack threw her head into a whirl. She dropped to her knees and dry heaved. The room continued to swirl. She shook herself to regain control. She gasped for breath, waiting for her vision to stop its' rotation.
The sound of the man's dress shoes echoed back to her ears. Her throat burning, she gave chase. She used the sound of the man's shoes echoing off the marble floor to concentrate her mind and body from collapsing to the ground and lose consciousness. She used what was left of her energy into a leap. He just reached the door and about to sound the alarm when she landed on top his shoulders, dropping him unconscious.
Returning back to the whirl ride, she lost her balance. She fell into a fetus position, coughing. She inhaled in the cold air—held it—then exhaled out. She continued the practiced breathing for a minute, recalling her meditation lessons to control the flow of breathing.
She took a moment before crawling over to a nearby wall, leaning against it. The room still moved but its process began to slow. Her stomach turned when she closed her eyes to breathe regularly; the sudden darkness caused her brain in a state of vertigo. She held herself steady. Her breathing normal and her mind free of whirls, she reopened her eyes. She looked around and saw more tanks.
The tanks all had a narrow window on the front, from her view. She could not tell if they were empty or not. Still against the wall, she slowly climbed to her feet and moved to the tanks. She gasped, unconsciously moving her hand to her mouth. Her knees buckled from the sight and dropped to the cold floor.
The tanks held all the men of AVALANCHE.
She swallowed a large lump from her throat. After she composed herself, she made her way to them.
She walked along the closest row of tanks.
She came first to Vincent Valentine's tank. She touched his station, noting his flowing long raven hair.
Cid Highwind's station came up next. His brows knitted together in concentration as if he's currently in a dream. On her right and opposite of Vincent and Cid's tanks were Barret Wallace and Nanaki's tanks.
Her heart skipped a beat when she finally came to the last tank. She drew close to Cloud Strife's tank and touched the glass. His fingers twitched. He was also in a secluded dream.
How did they get here? She questioned. But the answer was something that will have to wait. She needed to get her friends out first.
Taking one last look at Cloud, she quickly made her way to Yuffie's tank first. She looked over the control panel, searching any type of release button but nothing was labeled. She couldn't recall which button released the water or open the tank. She was not about to guess and risk the younger girl's life. She let out a defeated groan.
Coming up with an alternate solution, she searched the lab. She took a hold of a metal chair and slammed it against the glass. The chair painfully vibrated in her hands. She placed the chair back to the floor, in effect to stop the vibrating feel. She glanced up at the glass.
Nothing happened.
With all her strength, she tried again. A large web-like crack appeared as her reward. She felt a swell of hope in her chest. Letting out a cry, she swung the chair once more and broke open the young ninja's tank. A mini tsunami took both women across the floor. She held onto the young girl.
She touched the girl's face, "Yuffie, wake up. Yuffie, it's…"
She gasped.
She just came to the realization she didn't know her own name the whole time. She thought hard but no matter how much she tried, she couldn't remember. She knew it. It was on the tip of her tongue. Sharply jerking her head from side to side, her name will have to wait. If she remembered her friends' names, they were bound to remember hers. She carried Yuffie over to the other tanks contenting the men.
She gently set the unconscious girl down when she heard thudding behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and found Barret watching her. His large fist pressed against the glass wall of his tank. She went back to retrieve the chair. By the time she came back, he had already removed the breathing tube as well as the extra lines covering his limbs.
She broke him free, this time steering clear of the water tide. Barret lost his balance and dropped, shoulder first, to the floor in a painful grunt. He coughed but held himself together. She kneeled by his side as he wiped his face free of excess water and held his head in his large hand.
"Tifa?" He breathed deeply, turning to her.
Taking in a short inhale of breath, her expression flashed—Yes, Tifa. That's her name. But why couldn't she remember it? She remembered the others.
He rubbed his face roughly. "Da hell are we?"
She gave him a single shake of her head. "I don't know but help me with the others before we're caught."
He nodded, allowing her to assist him. They both turned just in time to see Vincent resisting his slumber state.
"Tif, get him outta there. I got these two."
Tifa nodded determinedly, setting to work. She came up to Vincent's awaiting tank, positioning herself to his left. Fully awake, he watched her carefully as she prepared to break him free. Holding the chair firmly in her small hands, she glanced up at him. The breathing tube and IV lines removed. His glowing red eyes not breaking contact from hers, he nods. She swung with all her might and side stepped from the rush of water.
She turned—expecting to see him on the floor, coughing up his lungs—but he was nowhere to be found.
Startled, Tifa rushed up to the tank to locate the gunslinger but in her haste, she lost her footing and slid along the pool of water. She gave out a soft cry when she felt herself about to lose her balance.
A hand shot out from the tank and took a hold of her wrist, keeping her balanced.
She cast her eyes up to find Vincent's crimson eyes staring down back at her. His expression stern and emotionless; but his eyes held an emotion she could not place. She made no move, captivated by his eyes.
She lightly gasped when his hand around her wrist started to feel hot.
He held her in silence. He loosened his hold but held on. Coming out of her trance, Tifa found her solid footing. Vincent let his grip go when he was sure she would not fall.
"Thanks." She whispered, her hand holding her wrist tenderly—the same wrist he had held seconds ago.
He nodded; breaking eye contact first. He jumped out of the tank and proceeded to Nanaki's tank, leaving Tifa to assist Barret.
She stared after his retreating form, gently rubbing her wrist. Not out of pain but the heat that lingered after he released her. She noticed he did not sport the golden claw. Her attention was drawn away from Vincent to Barret when she heard glass breaking.
She saw Cloud slump across the floor. She rushed over to his laying form. Barret had made short work of Cloud and Cid's tanks. Sitting on the floor, Tifa gathered Cloud into her arms, kissing his forehead.
Barret took a hold of an out cold Cid and threw him over his large shoulder. He then moved to where Tifa sat cuddling an unconscious Cloud. The large man kneeled and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Tif, we gotta go."
As if she didn't hear him, Tifa touched Cloud's soft face and kissed his forehead once more. Barret waited patiently. She gazed up at him with forming tears and nodded. Barret took Cloud onto his other shoulder with Tifa still sitting on the floor.
Tifa wiped her eyes clean of tears and stood. The others waiting as she gathered herself. She gave them each a once over glance. Barret, the strength of the group had Cloud and Cid on both shoulders. Vincent had Yuffie in his arms. Nanaki stood close by his side. She nodded and made her way back to her broken tank, looking for an exit.
"Tifa."
Tifa stopped short and glimpsed over to Vincent but he was looking over her head. She followed his line of sight. On the left side of Tifa's empty tank stood another tank. It contented Shera when they approached. Vincent placed Yuffie on Tifa's awaiting back. Vincent worked fast and broke open the tank and caught the technician. He looked to the others and nodded silently.
"Where da hell's the exit?" Barret growled, readjusting Cid's weight.
Nanaki ran to Tifa's side, dropping a badge into her waiting hand.
"What is this?" She asked him, looking over the card.
"I remember them using this when they brought us in." He looked over to the young ninja on Tifa's back. "I believe the exit is this way."
She nodded. "Then let's go."
Yuffie on Tifa's back. Shera in Vincent's arms and Barret with Cloud and Cid over his large shoulders, the AVALANCHE group made their escape.