songerein | open 🌠 you see the shadows

Entry tags:

open 🌠 you see the shadows

Who: Tifa Lockhart & you!
Which: Open log + interactive dream
Where: Around Reverein, Mount Nibel
What: Mount Nibel Incident dream, and a couple of dream board postings.
Warnings: N/A for now

✨ i. "the day mom died..." — interactive dream

[There's a winding, rocky path overlooking the town of Nibelheim below, but where it should be clear, the mountain the path leads up is shrouded in a fog that only grows thicker with each passing moment, with what the eyes can see morphing and twisting in and out of view, almost as if the entire landscape isn't sure what it should be. There's an unshakable sound of static in the air, and a rumbling underfoot that isn't too threatening, but it's noticeable enough that it makes itself known.

On one ledge of the path up the mountain are four children. Three boys, whose faces fade in and out of clarity, and a girl with long, dark-brown hair, all looking up at the mountain as they talk, but their words are cut out by the static.]

"Mt. Nibel is scary. Many people have—there."

"—one crosses that—alive."

[The girl turns to face them all, revealing a much younger Tifa, not a day older than nine-years.]

"How about—died? Did—pass through—?" [Tifa wanders past the boys watching her, up the path.] "I'm—"

[Two boys follow while one runs the other way, threatening to bump into any dreamwalkers as he rushes back in the direction of the town. If Tifa is followed, they'll reach a bridge that she crosses fearlessly and without a word, but like the rest of the mountain, it fades in and out of view as well. There, the two boys who remain rush off, leaving Tifa to venture up the rest of the mountain alone.

...

But they stop upon seeing someone new. Someone who might be able to help?]

"Please, you have to stop her! It's dangerous up there! We're going to go back down and get Mister Lockhart."

[And off they go together without another word.]

** ( ooc: Because Tifa doesn't remember this event in full, I fully encourage anyone to have your character influence the setting as much or as little as you'd like! )

✨ ii. freeloading reindeer

[Having done some work on the communal gardens already, Tifa's grown handy with a hammer and nails. Not that she wasn't already proficient enough, but there's a difference between fixer-uppers around a bar that she knew like the back of her hand and building wooden flowerbeds and fences, and the latter has allowed her to at least learn some proper techniques in woodworking. Hell, she's even started learning how to sand and polish, so something like this should be a piece of cake.]

There. I think that's the last of it.

[She'd been hauling wood around all morning, the large planks thrown over her shoulder before she sets them down out in the middle of the farm where there's plenty of room to build out. It's nothing but a pile of wood and a bag of tools, and whoever else has come all the way out here with her, and around them, the reindeer will be grazing and curiously watching from afar, still not sure if it's safe to approach.]

So, it was a new stable for them and a fence, right? Gotta say, biggest thing I've ever built was a flowerbed so this'll be new to me.

✨ iii. new year's noctaere

[It is a little terrifying going up against the Noctaere, especially when she knows little of what to expect upon entering the dreamscape, but Tifa was never one to sit back or sit still for very long. Not when there were threats that needed to be taken care of. She might not be the most experienced partner in the dreamscapes, with her skills in dreamotion magic leaving plenty to be desired, but she can pack a punch when needed, and it has come in helpful in a lot of cases.

That isn't to say she's completely useless at magic, but she'd prefer to let her fists and feet do the talking if it came down to it. Which it will.

And just before stumbling into the dreamscape, she looks over to whoever has volunteered for the job with her, and gives a firm nod.]

You ready?

** ( ooc: if you have a preference for the dreamscape, then please let me know in the subject line! Otherwise, I'll randomize which one we end up getting! )

✨ iv. wildcard

[None of these prompts work? You know the wildcard drill! Feel free to leave something else below, or contact me via PM or @ crystariums if you'd like to plot out something! Tifa can be frequently found at the communal gardens, at the edges of the forest training, and just in general wandering around Reverein, so she's easy to bump into. Also okay with any of the dream board postings!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[...They're all valid, and really it's not like he wants to kick her out or anything. So he just looks at her a little longer before turning back to pick up the brushes in the tub.]

I'll take the couch, it's fine. I actually don't sleep on the bed much when I stay here so I'm used to it.

[...More likely he's on the floor with the dogs—]

[While he takes the brushes, Tifa piles up the towels in her arms to throw them into a hamper she brought, for washing in the morning. The tension in the room eases a bit when she laughs and waves away the cloud of dog hairs that fly up when they land inside... So much for the bathroom being cleaned, but it's probably a good thing then that she'll be staying.]

Okay. If you're sure.

[She isn't going to argue with him, so she concedes with a small nod.

After that, it won't take long for her to prepare for bed. Tifa hadn't brought a change of clothes, but she doesn’t mind sleeping in what she has, so after she's finished making sure that the couch is done up for him nice and comfortably, she arms herself with a glass of water and pauses at the foot of the stairs with a pair of corgis in tow, her back to him.]

Sleep well...

[He'll mostly let her have her privacy as she prepares, taking the time to get his own arrangement set up. By now he was used to just lying on the floor near the hearth to do some late night reading with the dogs around him, so he's actually made something of a "nest" with some large pillows and blankets.

But the bed upstairs has been changed out with fresh sheets for the few times he had used to it, so it'll be nice and clean for her. And once she starts to ascend the stairs, Eustace only glances at her in return before grabbing the book he had been reading.]

...Goodnight.

[Just a quiet answer in return. But at least it doesn't feel as awkward as it had about a week or so ago.

And so with a few bones for the dogs who remained with him to chew on, he settles into his spot. It'll be a little while before he sleeps, an eye casting upward towards the stairs every now and then as if to listen if Tifa sleeps first or not.]

[He'll hear her light footsteps creaking around above for a while after she's gone upstairs as she gets herself ready. With her clothes covered in dog hair and dust, it would be rude to sleep in them, and so she sheds her top and skirt and socks and spots a shirt of his draped over a chair. It looks clean—and it's at least cleaner than what she had been wearing, so she slips into that instead, pausing for a moment to shake her head at the open back.

Well, whatever. This will have to do for now. Hopefully he won't mind.

Things fall quiet in the house soon enough when Tifa slips into the bed. It's warm and comfortable, and she curls the blankets closer to her face, her eyes fluttering shut at the clean, fresh smell. But there's something else lingering on them that has her chest fluttering and lighting up her cheeks with colour and, with a low, frustrated groan, she turns over and allows sleep to slowly take over.

...

..... ]

Maru! Maru, stop! You can't keep stealing things from people!

[Today was the day!

SOLDIERs were coming to Nibelheim, and they had to be ready. Tifa was ready, and she'd gotten up bright and early in the morning, if she even slept at all the night before to prepare herself—to make sure that everything was in place for them, and her outfit had been pressed and ironed and cleaned so that there wasn't a single speck of cat hair or dust on it. She couldn't have her cat running around at people's heels or pulling flowers and herbs from their neighbour's yard only to drop them on their doorstep like it was prey.

Of course, the cat is much quicker than she is and he manages to slip through her hands to make his escape with a small, red giftbag in his mouth, to perch himself up on a window of the house next to hers, just out of her reach, and the fifteen year-old girl stands there, staring up at him both helpless and frustrated, her hat falling lopsided on her head.]

Edited 2022-01-07 20:18 (UTC)

[Eustace will be unaware of what's happening upstairs, but when he no longer hears her footsteps, he settles into read...or tries to, but his mind keeps drifting to Tifa, wondering if she was all right and just generally thinking about their situation. How he should even interact with her when such a thing shouldn't be an issue to begin with.

Sighing in defeat, he tosses the book aside and snaps his fingers to have the lights extinguished, leaving only the heatstone warming the hearth beside him. Some dogs go to their beds while two nestle beside him as he pulls over the covers.

Just sleep. He's just likely still feeling the fatigue and stress from the previous week...and this time of the year in general. Idly he strokes the fur of the nearest corgi before his eyes finally close and he drifts off.

And when his eyes open, he's staring up at the ceiling of his old bedroom. At first he looks puzzled, but he hears a voice outside his window. It's familiar if...younger? And when his head turns he sees...a cat? There's a moment of dissonance before pieces click into place and he rolls out of bed, not noticing that he is much smaller or that everything here is strange. Instead it feels quite normal, and he reaches the window, opening in curiosity.]

Maru?

[From below, Tifa tilts her head.]

Eustace?

[What is he doing here? Something isn't... Isn't this house supposed to be...?

No, what is she even thinking?

That was the entire reason that Maru had climbed all the way up there. It was his birthday, and it was to bring him his gift before Tifa could be the one to deliver it herself. He was like a little brother to her, just like all the other boys in the village, so the gift needed to be perfect, but she hemmed and hawed instead, not sure whether she should bring it to him now or wait until later, when all the kids in the entire village would come to celebrate over dinner and cake... until Maru made that decision for her. He always was an impatient cat, running out to do his own thing.

She sighs, and calls up to him this time.]

Eustace! Grab him and bring him down, please?

[Before he gets away again...]

Oh, and don't open the bag! That's... for later.

Tifa?

[There's also a moment of confusion as he stares down at her, but then Maru meows and Tifa is calling up to him.]

Uuh, okay!

[He stares at Maru and the bag confused.]

But what's in the bag...?

[Eustace feels as if he should know, but for now he just takes the bag from Maru before picking up the cat and making his way out of his bedroom and down the stairs.

As he walks through, he looks around. Everything looks...normal. His old desk, old books, toys, other belongings. The bed where his littler brother sleeps. When he steps out, he can see the doors to his sisters' room and parents room. He passes the room that was set up as a nursery for the newborn baby. And downstairs to where he can already smell the nostalgic scent of his mother's cooking, his sisters helping.

"Gosh, Eustace, oversleeping again?" his younger sister sighs as his mother laughs.

"It's fine, it's his birthday after all."

...Birthday...? Ah! Realization strikes him as he looks at the bag. That's right, today is his birthday isn't it? So that's what this bag is for... A big grin forms on his face as he runs out.]

I need to help Tifa! Be back later!

[He can already hear his sisters nagging at him like usual, but he just continues to grin happily. A birthday is always exciting for any kid, but now he was officially old enough for his father to take him out on a hunt and he would surely be getting his own rifle now! So it's impossible for him to not be excited as he become one step closer to his dreams.

And when he sees Tifa, he raises his hand with the bag in it and waves.]

Hey, Tifa! I got him!

[She can hear his sisters from outside, and a fond smile spreads over her lips. She was good friends with all of them, and... they'd come over often for lunch, wouldn't they? All of the kids around the village were friends, but because they lived right next door, their family was always a little more special to Tifa, weren't they? She's having troubles recalling a time when they weren't, but...

Strange. There's a prickling feeling in the back of her neck that has her doubting herself, as she always does. These are her memories... Her memories that she locked away for safekeeping, but there was something off about them. Something she can't quite put her finger on.

And for a very fleeting second as Eustace runs out the door, she sees someone else. A boy with blond hair and clothes a size too big and baggy for him, with bright blue eyes. He's shy, timid... Cloud? But then, just as the realization occurs to her, he disappears as quickly as he had come, replaced again with Eustace, who she grins at when he rushes at her with the bag and her cat.]

Jeeze, you did better than I could.

[Tifa takes Maru into her arms, and he meows and rubs his face on her chin. What a suck-up!]

You can keep that, but you're not supposed to eat it after cake. Mom's— [There's a pause, and the word catches in Tifa's throat. She isn't sure why, but she shakes her head and swallows past that sinking feeling in her stomach. Why...?] Mom's just finishing it up now, but we can probably start getting people gathered at my place!

[He stares up at her, but there's an odd feeling again. Around him the village is bustling with Erunes and humans, but... For some reason it feels bigger than he remembers. There's also less snow than there usually would be at this time of season.

But again her voice breaks him from his thoughts and having to hear he has to wait—well it's only natural for the ten yr-old to pout.]

I have to wait? Really?

[UuuUUuuUUuugh childhood suffering at its worst. But at the mention of gathering, he remembers something and glances to the forests outside of the village.]

But, uh, okay. You go and do that, I have to do something first.

[And this is totally not him trying to get out of something boring and tedious no—]

[There's nothing boring and tedious about getting people ready!

Tifa squints at him. What in the world could be so much more important than his birthday party that he needs to go and do that now? Oh, wait. Wasn't there supposed to be SOLDIERs coming in, too? But Eustace had nothing to do with it. That was Tifa, and god, she'd completely forgotten about it until now... so she'll let this one slide.]

Alright, but just make sure everyone knows that we're about to get started. Shinra's coming today too, and we wanna make sure that we've all had cake and you've opened presents by then. [She sighs, although there is an air of excitement at the mention of SOLDIER.] So busy...

[With one last smile, Tifa turns on her heel and walks back to her own home, and as soon as she shuts the door, an unusual wave of heat passes over the town as a truck rolls up to its entrance. Shinra's here, and they're earlier than planned...]

[Shinra? He looks confused for a moment, unable to immediately register the group, but he just nods his head.]

Don't worry, I won't take long!

[He just needed to check on him, even though he wished he could bring him with him... But it's still better not, preferring to keep his special friendship a secret. Maybe he could tell Tifa one day, but—not right now.

And off he goes, running down the familiar and somewhat unfamiliar paths towards the forest. Along the way he sees the trucks rolling in through the entrance, and his pace slows. Again he feels a weird sense of unfamiliarity, unable to recognize what those trucks are. They look...strange, like nothing he's ever seen before. But the uniformed men inside, their military-like movements—that somehow feels familiar and he doesn't know why that is, either.

A great sense of unease fills him, as if something is telling him that something isn't right and he needs to figure it out... But he shakes it off and makes his way back into the forest.

Just a quick a check. A quick check and to warn his friend to not come close to town. Then he can he can run back...]

[It all happens in such a blur. One second, she's standing in the kitchen next to her mother, writing out "happy birthday" in icing and the next, she's outside at the town's gates, there to greet the soldiers that have only just arrived. Although she looks far from prepared, and rather than all of her focus being on the men in front of her—Sephiroth, the great war hero of all people—her eyes flit around, searching instead for any sign of Eustace.

She feels uneasy... There's still something very off about this that she can't put her finger on, but there's a sense of dread that pricks at the back of her neck and leaves her with a bad taste in her mouth.

Still, she stands straight and welcomes them in, still looking over her shoulder as she follows behind them to Shinra manor in the back of the town. Eustace, where are you?

... Why is she even worried about him in the first place? He's fine. He probably went home to get his parents and siblings to bring them over, but at least mom was there to take care of them until she got back from their tour.

Whenever he does return, he'll see Tifa standing between Sephiroth and another man, this one friendlier looking with spiky black hair, as their photo is taken just outside of the manor. And when she sees him, Tifa waves him over.]

Eustace! Come say hi!

[He might as well. To everyone else living on Gaia, these men were like celebrities!]

Vitty! Vitty!!

[Once in the woods, Eustace cups his hands to his mouth and calls out the name, hoping they would appear. But Vitty always had a habit of hiding and not always appearing quickly, especially if he's out playing on his own. But Eustace continues to glance back where he had come from, that weird ominous feeling rising up the back of his neck. This somehow feels familiar...but different at the same time. As if he has some kind of premonition that something will happen but he doesn't know what. Thinking of Tifa, he wants to hurry and find Vitty and warn him to not come to town, to stay as far away as possible.

But why? Why does he feel this way?

And despite his desperate searching in the various known hiding places, he can't find Vitty.]

Vitty! Is he not here...? [Maybe it's for the best and belatedly he realizes that him calling might bring his friend closer, which is exactly what he doesn't want. With that in mind he shouts into the forest for Vitty to not come near town and to stay in the woods, hoping his voice is heard.

And then he rushes back to town. As he does, he has to suddenly blink and cover his right eye as a wave of heat washes over him—but when he opens his eye, nothing has changed. Whatever he felt just then seemed to be more of an hallucination...but it just makes that dark foreboding feeling sink further. Picking up the pace, he rushes towards his house only to find his family gone. He panics, wondering what happened when he hears the talk and laughter by the manor. He stares at the place, confused as he can't seem to place it, but he runs over there, anyway. In the crowds he catches a glimpse of his family, which relieves him a bit, but the trepidation remains as he finds Tifa.

Quickly he shoves his way through and is at her side, eying the two men warily.]

...Who are they?

[The friendly looking one he doesn't feel too bothered, but the other...he's not sure, but he seems off. Dangerous. Subconsciously his hand reaches out to take Tifa's, as if to try to pull her away closer to his side.]

[She slides back away from his hand, making a small noise of defiance and confusion at him.]

Hey? [She wrings her hand with a nervous laugh, looking between the two SOLDIERs.] This is Zack, and Sephiroth. You remember him, right? We talked about him... that one night at the—

[Her voice falls away for a moment, like she's forgotten the word. She was up there, looking at the stars, and they'd talked about... about... Sephiroth, and how...

Tifa looks to the boy, her brow knitting together as she tries to shake off the unease that's weighing down on her again. The same unease that she felt when she couldn't spot him among the crowds of people who gathered to greet their visitors. Something still isn't right, but it's as if whatever it is, it's doing all in its power to prevent her from figuring it out. Every time she questions it, it only worsens...

As she works through all of this, Zack introduces himself with a wave, and Sephiroth only stares silently down at Eustace through his cold, green, slitted eyes and an unreadable expression.]

Anyway. I was going to show them up Mount Nibel, to the mako reactor...

[She thought she'd have a little more time, but it's her job as the designated tour guide, and her dad said he'd make sure that she would make it back in time.]

I promise I won't be long. [She reaches out to take him by the shoulders.] I'll be back before you know it, okay? For now, just get everyone together and meet at my house.

[He's just as confused, but more than that he just really doesn't trust the look in that Sephiroth's guy's eyes. Another thing bothers him—the idea of everyone together at her house. Everyone all in one place...

Uneasiness sweeps through him and he once again grabs her hand, his grip more firm this time.]

Then—what if I come with you?

[Tifa's lips press into a thin line. It's so hard to say no to him, especially when he grabs her hand like that, but she gives an even firmer shake of her head.]

No. We both know how dangerous it can be up there, but I'll be fine. I'm a pro, remember? Plus, wouldn't wanna worry your family on your birthday, right?

[She looks up at them, all standing around watching, but... why do all the people in the village look so blurry? Everyone but Sephiroth and Zack, and her father... Even Eustace, whose face fades in and out of focus when she blinks.

Strange... She must just be tired, but she presses a hand to rub at her eyes anyway as she stands up straight. Straighter than she's ever stood as she turns back to the other men with an enthused smile.]

Let's get this over with!

No, wait—!

[But just as he tries to reach for her again, a force suddenly pulls him back. Voices he doesn't recognize laugh and tell him to take it easy and to let Tifa do her job. Some tease him, but the words don't really register as he can only watch Tifa and the men leave.

And then time seems to move strangely, as if he's going through water as he is kept back before he manages runs away and out of town into the woods. But it feels strange. The woods that should be covered in deep snow feel more bare, like it's a warmer season. And the trees feel unfamiliar to him, the path he's taking unknown. In the distance he hears echoes of laughter and barks, but it feels weird, like it doesn't belong.

As if he doesn't belong.

But as soon as he thinks that, a familiar white wolf cub appears and runs ahead of him.]

Vitty?

[It's as if the pup is leading him to where he needs to go, so he pushes the growing uneasiness aside as he tries to make his way towards Tifa.]

[The land will feel like it stretches on forever. Like the fields and trees he's found himself in the center of have grown in size, if only to keep him away from finding what's on the other side of them. No matter how fast he runs, or how far he walks, for a long time it will be as if he hasn't moved at all, like there is another powerful force that's dragging him away from the town to stop him from reaching it. Even the peaks of the mountains that cast their shadows over him are hardly visible when the trees seemingly grow taller and taller, until all that's left are the canopies above, and a suffocating wave of heat, like an invisible fire is creeping its way through.

Tifa, meanwhile, can't recall how or when she had reached the top of Mount Nibel, as if she'd been dragged up there by another force, similar to what Eustace had felt. There are holes in her memory—gaps where things should be. Where that soldier should be, or that monster, or how Tifa had defiantly stomped off after being denied entry into the reactor... Almost like there's a week that's gone missing... or it's all happened so fast that she can hardly recall that it did.

And what about Eustace's birthday?

She tries not to think too hard on it, and there isn't much time to, because...

...

One second, Eustace will be running through the forest, chasing after the small wolf, and the next, he'll find himself stepping back into Nibelheim, with flames roaring over it, across every building, every sign, and every flower, the town already consumed and destroyed from it.]

[No matter how far he goes, he just can't seem to get there. Why does it feel as if something is trying to push him back...? And every so often he glances back to the town, as if expecting something to happen. This heat especially...it crawls up his skin, and, clawing at something in the back of his mind.

But then it hits him—a blinding flash that makes him cry out and the next thing he's stumbling back into town, set ablaze. He staggers back, unable to breathe as horror and intense grief overwhelms him. He doesn't understand, why—

Screaming for his family, he runs through the streets, the bodies almost making him retch, but he has to hold it in as he runs desperately to his home. But when he gets there it's gone.

Vanished with only black ash remaining.]

No...

[He stumbles back frozen, but then he sees the house next to his. The victims—]

...Tifa...

[It's a hoarse whisper, but as sickening as it is, the sight reminds me that there's someone else. Someone important he has to find.]

Tifa!

[Immediately he takes off to find the road back to the reactor, ignoring the pain of the smoke as he inhales it with every step.]

[His run to the reactor won't be easy. Wind bats at him as he makes the climb up Mount Nibel, and it rocks the bridge when he tries to cross it, with the smoke from below blocking his vision. He won't be able to see the reactor, but its whirring grows louder and louder, until it's all he'll be able to hear above the crackles and the screams and cries. If he looks ahead, he'll see its greenish-blue glow lighting the way through it all, as if serving as a beacon in the darkness.

But even then, the world stretches on. The bridge stretches on, but if he keeps running, he'll make it, only to be met by eruptions of fire from the ground where he steps, like the dream is still trying to slow him down. It's only meant to scare, so it won't burn, but it all looks as real as the very real fires down below that continue to eat through the town.

And when he arrives at the reactor, he'll find who he's looking for. It's dark, but hot, and the smell of mako so overpowering and suffocating that it will burn his insides the moment he breathes it in. There's another smell mingled in with it, too... The metallic scent of blood, and the thick smell coming from the trail of purple liquid dripping across the floor.

From the other end of the reactor, he'll hear Tifa's voice.]

Sephiroth... SOLDIERs... Mako... Shinra... I'm sick of this.

[Should he find her, he'll see her curled over a body, still and lifeless. Her father's. Her fist pounds against his chest, and it vibrates unnaturally loudly through the reactor.]

I'm sick of all of this!

[However, no matter how much he tries to run, his feet won't move. He'll be frozen on the spot, watching as Tifa slowly rises to her feet, still ignorant to his presence, to pick up the sword laying on the ground next to her...]

[Everything he sees is unfamiliar, that feeling of dissonance growing the further he runs. But he can't think of that right now—he has to find Tifa. Has to make sure she's alive.

She can't die, not again—!

The thought hits him like a bolt of lightning, but he doesn't notice the incongruity of the words, only moving as hard and fast as he can. But why is it so slow? Why does it keep feeling as if he's being pushed back? And although the fires frighten him, he feels something push him forward instead.

Gasping he reaches the reactor, the structure so strange and foreign to him, but again he doesn't take any notice, only looking for that familiar figure. Just before he shouts her name, he spots her—but he can't move. He can't even open his mouth.

Tifa! Tifa, look at me!

It's a desperate internal cry before he stiffens, eyes widening when he sees her pick up the sword. What... What is she...

TIFA!!

Why can't he move? Why can't he do anything!??!]

[Tifa can feel it rising in her chest and turning over in her stomach—it's a rage she never thought she would be capable of, but it burns just as much as that sickening smell of mako. She isn't thinking straight anymore, she knows... She should run back to the village and save the people she still can—if there were any survivors left—and yet... she can think of nothing else than seeking vengeance for what he's done. For taking everything from her, and for what?

She turns to look over her shoulder then, as if Eustace's voice had somehow reached her even when he couldn't speak, her face red and streaked with tears. She smiles, and her shoulders shake with relief when she sees him.]

I'm sorry I couldn't protect anyone... That there was nothing I could do... but you need to go. This isn't right.

[Nothing about this is right. Sephiroth, Shinra, all of it... but there was more than just that. So many things had been off about today that Tifa could never quite put her finger on, but it wasn't until Eustace stood there before her, that she realized...

Her fingers tighten around the hilt of the sword, and the steel scrapes against the grates of the floor as she walks up the stairs towards the silver-haired man. Over his head, "JENOVA" is carved into the wall, and sirens start to blare as he tries to wrench the door open. Tifa's boots echo loud with each step up, and when she reaches the top, consumed by rage, she raises the sword above her head—

It's only then that Sephiroth acknowledges her, and the two of them wrestle as she tries to keep her hold on his blade.

The rest happens in the blink of an eye. Tifa loses her grip, and he takes the sword back. Eustace will finally feel his feet free themselves from whatever force had been holding there, but he'll be only seconds too late. The sword slices through the air, and then across her front. The force sends Tifa reeling back through the air, and when her body hits the stairs once, and then again, the sound of each impact and her bones shattering with each one is deafening.

When she hits the foot of the stairs, she lies lifeless, a pool of blood already soaking through her clothes from the sword's clean cut over her chest. She's still conscious, and still breathing, but barely... as she tries to hold onto her life by a thread.

It hurts... so much... The burning and the pain, the hot blood covering her face and chest and arms... She can hear the ringing in her ears, the sirens blaring even louder and trying to keep her aware, as her body tries to fight the way her mind is prepared to give up. If she gives into it now... if she lets go, then all of the lives lost would be for nothing. They would all be gone just to feed whatever twisted fantasy Sephiroth had fallen into, and then what?

She tries to blink her eyes open, and to call out for help, but her muscles refuse to move, and instead cling onto whatever small pieces of life she still has left in her.]

Edited 2022-01-12 15:26 (UTC)

[Everything feels as if it's happening in slow motion. No matter how hard he tries he can't break free and can only watch helplessly as Tifa looks at him, her gaze making his heart stop as he realizes what she's trying to do.

No... Don't... STOP!!

But it's of to no avail and he remains frozen as he watches her go up those steps and try to confront the silver haired man. The whole time he keeps trying to break free, to move, when he suddenly stumbles forward, tripping and landing on his hands. He's stunned for a moment before he quickly looks back in time to see the blade in the man's hands raised.]

No—!

[But in the same breath the blade falls, striking the young girl down and sending her falling down the stairs. For a moment he can't move, the shock too great. And when her body hits the floor with a sickening thud, lying prone and lifeless, memories of his past through Eustace's mind. Of the lifeless bodies in a burning village, the immense helplessness and pain soul crushing—and then the vision of Tifa, older, her body paling and turning blue.

With a voice filled with agony and desperation he screams her name and runs to her, the illusion "breaking" as he no longer appears as a young boy but an adult man, footsteps echoing loudly over the crackling flames and siren. He slides to a stop beside her, his usually calm, focused mind fraying in despair as his hands tremble over her, blood pooling beneath her.]

No, not again, this—

[His mind tries to process multiple things at once. He needs to stop the bleeding, needs to get her out of here, get her treated. As his hands quickly press down on the wound he can only think how this is a nightmare to—

Nightmare.

The word strikes him like a bolt of lightning and he stiffens, eyes widening as he first stares down at Tifa and then quickly looks up around him. The man is gone but everything is still burning around him, the smell so strong it's stifling. It feels so very real, but of course he wouldn't know any of this. Because all of this—]

...Your nightmare.

[It's a hoarse a whisper as he realizes that it's not just a nightmare, but a memory. A memory of her past. And somehow he was pulled into it, his own childhood memories merging with it. No wonder he felt things were off, the several incongruous moments more evident now.

With his mind starting to clear, the panic ebbs and he refocuses. He's never had to deal with something like this before but the first thing he needs to do is to stop the bleeding and get her out. Even if this is a dream, he doesn't know if the wound will harm her later or if its causing damage to her psyche, so he doesn't want to risk it.

Gritting his teeth, frost forms on his fingertips and over his palms before it spreads to her chest. He really will need to work on some kind of healing magic, but for now he can only hope this will help numb the pain and seal it. He then leans over her face, so young and delicate in his eyes. The sight of her in such pain tears at him, but he forces it back as he speaks more clearly.]

Tifa— Tifa can you hear me?

[Can he wake her up? Is it too soon?]

["Tifa—"

What is that? Familiarity, somewhere, deep down. She knows that voice... knows it well. He'd gone so far away, and when they met again, he was still the same, and yet... so different. And in spite of that coldness, there were still so many things about him that she did remember. How gently he would grab her hand, or how he would be so careful when pulling her from danger. A firm but guarding presence...

... Cloud? She wants to call out to him, but...

"Tifa can you hear me?"

His voice sounds different now, but not at all unfamiliar. His touch, cold as it may be, still carries a presence, similar, but unique in its own way. Firm and powerful, but so careful at the same time. She knows this one, too. She remembers it... Somewhere in the sea of memories, she remembers the way his hands shook when he held her, just like he is now, and when she had opened her eyes, it was his face that she saw...

... Eustace.

Tifa stirs, only just enough for her to finally open her eyes. Her breathing is short, ragged, as she struggles to do as much, and when she speaks, her voice is a low whisper that he can hear the life leaving her body, and the cold taking over.]

... You promised... You promised that you'd come when I was in trouble...

[Wait.

That's not right, either. Why did she say that? And why was Eustace the one she was looking up at... And why does he look so different? So much older... Nothing about this is right, but there isn't anything about it she finds wrong, either.

She asks all of these questions as she lets her eyes close again...]

[There's a ripple of relief when her eyes flutter open, but it distorts to confusion when she mutters those words. Promise? ...What promise, he can't recall making some kind of promise.

Part of the dream, then? ...But who is she...

No, that's not important. When her voice fades and he sees her complexion paling his thoughts instantly flip back to the cave and the present.]

—Tifa. Tifa! Dammit, wake up—!

[He swears as the ice stops and his hand goes to her neck, feeling her pulse. It's so faint, just barely there. He hates how familiar this feels when it shouldn't be. His only point of solace is that this is a dream, a memory, and by some miracle she lives. He doesn't know how, but he can't waste time trying to figure it out. Maybe she'll be fine, maybe she won't, again he doesn't want to take any chance that what she suffers here in this dream will affect her upon waking. And with even this she's still not coming to, and he fears he has to play this out until the end.

His mind racing through all the possibilities, he rips off his cloak and covers her before carefully picking her up. As he does, the ground buckles beneath him, and he staggers to stay upright. Explosions can be heard behind him, ominous creaking and things shattering. Something nearby erupts into a searing wave of heat, and he gasps as he feels it burn his back as he covers the small form in his arm.

But he doesn't falter. Quickly he looks for where he came from, biting his lip as he focuses and creates a swirling wind of snow and ice around him. It's a poor construct, but it may be enough to help deflect some of the heat and fire that burns around them. After a staggering step he runs forward, but has to stop when a large piece of steel falls and blocks his path. Just as he looks around to find another way, a blur of white appears from the corner of his eye and he stiffens.

It can't be...

Despite his doubts, he hardens his resolve and follows after it, the white wolf cub leading him through the reactor that's breaking up around him.]

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