Yuffie awoke quickly with the crack of dawn, and sat up on the
couch that she had fallen asleep on, yawning and quickly stretching
out muscles cramped from sleep. She rose to her feet and began her
morning workout, stretching, running in place, shadow-boxing, all
to wake her up and get her blood pumping. Barret walked into the
room, his eyes bleary with sleep, looking relieved to see her up.
"Glad you woke your own self up this time.", Barret grumbled
through half-closed eyes. "Red woulda' lost another vase,
otherwise."
"Ha.", Yuffie responded, launching a vicious punch to her
shadow's throat. "I told ya I was sorry about that." She spun,
delivering a roundhouse kick to the shadow's stomach. "Ooh.", she
thought. "That one would have hurt!"
"Yah, well just do yer damn warm ups away from me.", Barret
grumbled, walking past her to fix himself a cup of coffee. Yuffie
grinned, thinking momentarily about tripping him, accidentally of
course, but decided against it. He probably wouldn't think it was
as funny as she would, especially after the vase thing.
The smell of coffee drew Vincent into the room, already wide
awake. Yuffie wondered momentarily if he ever slept. "Yeah, in a
coffin.", she thought mirthfully. "Rest in peace! Hehe." She
launched a punch at her shadow's face, stopped it at the last
possible second, and made a quick grab for it's neck. Then,
launching one final lightning quick kick at her opponent, she
dropped her guard and turned to get a cup of coffee.
"Catch.", Barret said, throwing a glass at her. She caught it
deftly, threw it up in the air, and then caught it again. "Whew,
I'm awake now.", she announced. "We goin' yet?"
"After I get my coffee.", Barret said, his eyes still half-
closed. Yuffie couldn't blame him for being tired. He'd gotten,
what, two hours of sleep yesterday night? She almost felt guilty
for being wide awake. She'd have taken the watch if he'd asked.
He was just stubborn, that was all.
"Cid and his men were banging and hammering on something all
night.", Vincent said. "I wonder what they were working on."
"What do you mean?", Yuffie asked. "I didn't hear nothin'."
Vincent shrugged, not replying. Yuffie envied his enhanced
senses sometimes. Nose like a wolf, ears like a bat, he could
probably walk about with his eyes closed if he wanted, working on
sonar. She found that thought funny for a moment, but quickly
forgot it.
Barret finished his cup of coffee, and Vincent had one as
well. Yuffie decided to abstain at the last second, making one
last check to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything. Then she
went to check on Red.
"Good morning.", he commented, as she descended the ladder to
the front room of the observatory, where Red lay by the couch,
covered in bandages. He'd looked so weak when they'd first found
him, a still, burned up husk. She'd never seen Red looking that
weak before, and that scared her. He was a tough... whatever, and
she liked him. Whatever had ripped him up must have been fearsome
indeed.
"How ya feelin' today, Red?", she asked, settling down beside
him.
"Better.", he replied. "Though I am still sore. I believe I
am healing, though."
Yuffie thought it was strange the way he talked now. When
they'd first met him, he'd seemed more--open, younger. He'd
actually used contractions. Since Bugenhagen's death, he'd become
more reserved, stoic. Perhaps he felt it was improper to act like
a kid, even though that's what he was, by the standards of his
race. Among humans, he could act like an adult, and his maturity
level was surely equal to theirs. Still, his stiffness bothered
Yuffie sometimes, and she wished he'd just loosen up and live a
little, like he used too.
"I wish we had that blasted Fullcure materia!", Yuffie said.
"Then we wouldn't have to bother with these splints and bandages
and cure potions."
"It is inconvenient.", Red agreed. "But we got along without
those, before we found the more powerful magics. We can do so
again."
"Can you walk yet?", Yuffie asked. "The doctor we had look at
you said you wouldn't be able to walk for a couple of weeks."
"I can walk already, though it is painful and I cannot go
far.", Red asserted. "But I cannot run or leap. I will probably
be of little use in a combat situation except as a magic bolster,
but if that's the only role that I can fill in my weakened state,
I will do it." He growled. "Anything to get back at the people
that took Cloud."
"Damn straight.", Yuffie agreed. "So what do you think of
this plan to trap the earth monster? You think it will work?"
"I do not know.", Red said with his equivalent of a shrug.
"But there is a good chance. Given the opportunity to catch one of
us alone, in the open, I doubt Messiah will pass it up. Assuming
it falls for our ruse at all."
"It has ta.", Yuffie insisted. "We've outfoxed it before. We
can do it again."
Red nodded.
"'Lright, let's get movin'.", Barret said, as he and Vincent
walked into the room, each shouldering their packs. "It's a long
walk to the Airship, Red. Think you can make it?"
"I must.", Red said, rising to his feet and grinning, the
effect almost threatening as he bared his razor sharp teeth. "I am
not staying here alone again."
"Heh, that's the spirit.", Barret said.
"Hey, ya know, I could just float you out.", Yuffie said
brightly. "It'd be easier than walking."
"Not a good idea.", Red said with a shake of his head. "It's
possible Messiah still hasn't figured out how you escaped it's
first trap. We are attempting to get it to observe us and note our
actions, so if it sees me floating it may decide to send something
else after us besides the earth monster."
"Hmm.", Yuffie pondered. "Well, alright. If you're sure."
Red nodded again. "Let's go."
They set out immediately for the Airship, slowed by Red's
pace, but he moved quite fast in his damaged condition, and the
others could see the pain clearly evident in his strained features.
However, he continued on, refusing to slow, and by the time they
got to the bottom of Cosmo Canyon he was moving along quite well,
evidently getting some of his stride back with exercise. "Those
cure potions must be helping.", Yuffie thought.
It was a five minute walk to the spot where the Airship hung
like a spider in a web above the canyon floor. Yuffie glanced up
curiously, looking for any immediate changes that might have been
the result of whatever that hammering and banging was that Vincent
had heard, but the Highwind looked as it always did. Red was
considerably tired when they reached it, and finally agreed to let
Barret carry him up, admitting that a fall from the rope ladder
would finish his usefulness to the party for good.
As they reached the flight deck, they found Cid asleep,
snoring with his head in his hands at the observation station.
Mitch the pilot was already making his pre-flight checks, and gave
them a loose salute as they walked in.
"Don't wake him.", he mouthed. "He's been up all night."
The others settled in at various points on the flight deck,
and Red collapsed before the forward window, obviously exhausted.
He closed his eye and quickly joined Cid in peaceful slumber.
Yuffie walked over to Mitch and caught his attention.
"What have you been workin' on all night?", she whispered.
"Oh, nothin'.", he whispered back with a shrug. "Just a
little surprise for that earth monster."
"Be more specific.", Yuffie whispered in return.
Mitch grinned. "Let's just say we took the best of both
ideas." He refused to say anything else on the subject, and Yuffie
finally gave up, frustrated, and returned to her seat.
"Pilots.", she mouthed to Vincent, who grinned.
Cid woke with a start as Mitch begin to throttle up the
engines, and the rest of the flight crew came in the door, each
sitting down at their assigned stations.
"Wha... oh.", Cid commented, looking blearily eyed at the rest
of the party. "Time ta go?"
"Yessir, Cap'n.", Jerry called from his station.
"You finish everything up?", Cid asked, opening his eyes
wider.
His men nodded, and Cid grinned. "Good.", he said with that
evil glint in his eye.
"Just what did you do?", Yuffie asked in frustration.
"Secret.", Cid said smugly.
"Oh c'mon, Cid!", Yuffie exclaimed. "I'm gonna' be the one
down there as bait for that monster! So if you don't tell me, I'm
gonna bring it up here and let it swallow you!"
Cid shrugged and pulled a cigarette from the pack in his shirt
pocket. "Fine, if ya want to ruin the surprise.", he said as he
lit up. After a minute of contented smoking, he spoke again.
"Engines warmed up? Pre-flight checks complete?"
"Yes sir.", Mitch nodded. "We're ready to go."
"Alright then.", Cid acknowledged. "Lift off."
"Cutting tow cables in 3, 2, 1...", Mitch intoned, and then
with a sharp hiss the Airship bucked, the cables detaching from the
rock of Cosmo Canyon and the engines making a rather nasty sound.
There was a terrifying moment where the Airship swung straight
towards one of the rock walls, which loomed up threateningly, and
then Mitch lifted up and away, and Cid exhaled a long stream of
smoke.
"Gotta' account for that kickback next time.", he commented.
"Hadn't thought it would be that fierce."
"Live and learn.", Mitch commented, the drop of sudden sweat
that ran down his forehead the only clue that the near collision
hadn't been routine.
"So what about it, Cid?", Yuffie asked, managed to unclasp her
white knuckles from their death grip on the guardrail.
"We took the best of both ideas.", Cid said, a grin appearing
on his face as he contemplated his handiwork. "I can virtually
guarantee you that we'll hit that ugly sucker on the first try."
"And how are you gonna' do that?", Barret asked.
Cid told them, quickly, and the end result was the description
of something so simple and completely diabolical that Yuffie
couldn't help but grin. "Boom!", Cid said with a wide hand
gesture, as he finished his quick explanation.
"Bitchin'.", Barret commented.
"We still have to draw the thing to us, though.", Vincent
pointed out. "How do we plan to do that?"
"That's what I'm stumped on.", Cid said. "I thought you were
gonna' think of that."
"I'm gonna' ride a Chocobo around, right?", Yuffie said
eagerly. "And then when it attacks me, you take it out."
"Right.", Red said, having approached without anyone noticing.
"But I doubt Messiah will attack you after your escape last time,
unless she believes you are vulnerable to the earth monster's
magic. And so we have to give her a convincing reason for you to
be riding through the desert alone, as well as convince her that
you don't expect an attack, and so will not be prepared to avoid
it. And for that, we're going to have to rely on Messiah."
"And how are we gonna' do that?", Barret asked curiously.
"Simple.", Red said. "It seems obvious to me, in retrospect,
that Messiah must be getting information about what we are doing
somehow. We know that she had one spy in Kalm, Wallace Rains, who
worked on poisoning Cloud. However, he was not in the town when we
arrived, and so would have no way of knowing that Tifa, Vincent and
Yuffie would be heading to Midgar on Chocobos instead of in the
Highwind. So she must have found out some other way. That would
imply that Rains was not the only spy she had in Kalm."
"Uh oh.", Yuffie said with a frown.
"So Messiah interpreted what we were doing in Kalm, perhaps
overhead some bit of conversation that tipped her off to our plans,
and used that to take us out?", Vincent said.
"That's the only thing that I can think of.", Red agreed.
"This is where we need your help, Vincent. I need you to think
back to your visit to Kalm. Can you remember anyone that might
have been close enough to hear us discussing our plans, or acting
suspiciously, following us, perhaps?"
"Hmm.", Vincent answered cautiously. "That was a while ago.
Let me think back." He closed his eyes and leaned back in his
seat, crossing his arms over his chest and breathing deeply,
slowly. About a minute later, he seemed to reach a conclusion.
"I cannot help you much.", he said with a shake of his head.
"Looking back, there were nine different people that could have all
overheard any part of our planning. We could go back and question
those nine people, perhaps, but that would tip Messiah off to the
fact that we are on to her."
"Me and Tifa ate at the Tavern before we left.", Yuffie said
with a shudder. "That place was packed, even though it was off
hours. Anyone could have overheard something that might have
tipped them off. Dammit, I get so loose lipped after a few
drinks."
"Still, we shouldn't give up.", Red pointed out. "I believe
if we canvas the town once more, perhaps have a few of us eat in
the tavern and discuss our 'plans', another few drop some hints
around the town as to what we're doing, someone is bound to let
something leak out. We didn't even have to give them much to go
on, last time."
"So then.", Yuffie said. "What's our plan?"
"The best story I can think of is to discuss the fact that we
think we have found where Messiah is hiding.", Red said with a half
smile. "However, we don't want to tip her off to that fact, and
we're not even sure that we known where her hideout is. We figured
out that her last spy was heading for the Mythril Mines, and have
decided to check the place out. That's Yuffie's job. She'll go
around town buying all the provisions for a long journey by
herself, while the rest of us fly around in the Airship to cover
her, pretending to look for Messiah's hideout."
"Naw.", Barret said. "You think that'll work?
"I don't see why it wouldn't.", Red said. "At least, assuming
that my conclusions in this matter aren't flawed."
"It sounds good, Red.", Yuffie agreed. "Though it makes me
feel like even more of a dumbass."
"As Barret said, there's no way that any of us could known
what Messiah was up too.", Red said dismissively. "We'll just have
to hope that she's consistent in her intelligence gathering
methods. Otherwise, we're back to square one."
The door to her cell opened, causing Tifa to wake and squint
her eyes against the blinding dimness outside.
"I brought you some company.", Frieze commented. "Play nice."
He threw someone roughly into the cell, and then shut the door
before she could speak.
"Frieze!", she called, but he was gone.
The darkness was eerie, and she heard the breath of an unknown
person next to her, breathing heavily.
"Are you hurt?", she asked, getting to her feet and stumbling
towards the sound. She had no idea what type of person that Frieze
had decided to throw in here with her. Still, he was operating
under his orders not to hurt her, so he wouldn't have thrown anyone
dangerous in here with her. Or would he?
A cough guided her to a body, laying still on the ground. As
she knelt by it the figure suddenly grabbed her arm, and she
twisted away immediately, leaping back and falling into a ready
stance, keeping her ears open for any sounds of an attack.
"Didn't mean... to scare you.", a voice said, an older, male
voice, scratchy like Cid's. "You startled me."
"Who are you?", Tifa asked guardedly.
"Who are you?", the voice countered.
"A prisoner.", Tifa said. "Like yourself. And I've been in
this cell longer than you. So I've got seniority. So you go
first."
She heard a short chuckle. "Can't argue with that logic.
Captain Veric Masters, former employee of the Shinra Corporation.
Recently relieved of command."
"Shinra.", Tifa said, shaking her head. "You probably don't
want to know who I am, then."
"Tifa Lockhart.", Masters commented dryly. Tifa flinched.
"How'd you know my name?", she asked in dismay.
"I didn't, not till now.", Masters said with another chuckle.
"I was just guessing. The sound of your voice sorta' matched the
one from the files they drilled into all of us, but I couldn't tell
if it was you or Yuffie Kisaragi. Thanks for the help."
"Ha.", Tifa commented, sitting back against the wall. "You're
welcome. So what are you doing here, Captain? I thought Shinra
was working with these guys."
"Hell no.", Masters said angrily. "You haven't seen much,
have you? Those are our men, alright. But they AREN'T our men.
Something is wrong with them, some sort of mind control. I knew
several of them. They were stationed at my base. They're nothing
like the men I once knew."
"You got that right.", Tifa agreed, but suddenly fell silent,
feeling uneasy that she was being drawn into such a seemingly
innocent conversation. Was this one of Messiah's tricks?
"Bastards stormed my base today.", Masters said, venom in his
voice. "My own damn men. Took us from inside. We sent a morning
patrol out, and when it came back in they'd all been warped. Took
out the guards and opened the gates right up for those bastards to
march in. We were caught with our pants down, and slaughtered. My
men, what was left of 'em, didn't stand a chance. Hell of a way to
go out. We held out through Sephiroth and Meteor, and then we fall
victim to these bastards."
Tifa grunted noncommittally, but said nothing else.
"Well, anyways, I'm still trying to figure out why I'm not
dead.", Masters said, seeming to enjoy the sound of his own voice
in the absence of Tifa's. "They offered to accept our surrender,
but when we did, they shot us all. All except me." His last few
words were filled with hate. "Traitorous dogs."
Tifa sat in silence, thinking. Why would Messiah throw this
Shinra Captain in here with her? What purpose did it serve? What
was her game? Was this man's story real, or was he just one of
Messiah's puppets, saying what she wanted him to say, in some half-
hearted attempt to gain her trust?
"It doesn't matter.", she decided, finally. "I don't have a
chance in hell of figuring out what she's up too, but I doubt she
can hurt me any worse than she already has. What's the worst she
can do? Kill me? Ha. That's it. That bitch has no power over me
whatsoever."
For a second, she wondered if she really believed that.
"So what's your story?", Masters asked, with another cough.
Tifa was silent.
"Why so shy?", Masters asked again. "Afraid I'll give your
secrets away to my boss?" He chuckled again, and Tifa heard him
shift his weight, perhaps rising to a sitting position. "I'm
afraid I can't give much away to anyone, not now. Still, you don't
have to tell me. I'm curious about how the hell a former Avalanche
member got crosswise with these bastards, but my curiosity won't
kill me. Not before something else does."
She heard him settle against the opposite wall, breathing
deeply.
"I was captured.", Tifa said suddenly, deciding that she
wasn't telling Messiah anything she didn't already know, if the
bitch was listening. "The earth attacked my group, swallowed me
up. They have some kind of worm that digs around in the ground,
sucking stuff in from the surface. So, it sucked me in, and then
it spit me out here. So here I am."
"Huh.", said Masters. "So their leader went straight out to
capture you, huh? That's what I don't get. Why capture, not kill?
What's he up too?"
"She.", Tifa clarified. "Her name is Messiah. She's the one
controlling your men. With her mind."
"Well don't that beat all.", Masters commented. "Of course,
you could be telling me that just to spread misinformation. Maybe
you're supposed to share some of these wonderful secrets with me,
and then I'll miraculously escape, and return to spread those lies
to my boss." He was silent for a second, and Tifa realized that he
was having the same thoughts as she. That made him almost too
convincing. "Still", he said, "it doesn't hurt anything believing
you. So this Messiah controls people with her mind, huh? That
would explain the warping of my men. That still doesn't tell me
why she didn't do the same to me, however."
"That I can't answer.", Tifa admitted. "Maybe she can't.
Maybe she won't. Maybe it amuses her to let us keep our free will
so she can break us."
"That's a morbid thought for someone so young.", Masters said
with a laugh. "I think I like you, Tifa Lockhart. You aren't that
bad for an Avalanche terrorist."
"You aren't that bad for a Shinra goon.", Tifa retorted,
grinning despite their horrible predicament. Maybe that's why
Frieze had thrown this man in here with her. To make her captivity
less stressful by giving her someone to talk to. Although he
seemed cold on the exterior, she wouldn't put it past him. The
more she thought about it, the more she was sure that she could use
him to get to Messiah.
Without warning the door to her cell swung open, and Tifa
squinted at an outline.
"What do you want, Frieze?", she asked.
"Time to go.", he said, something strange in his voice. It
sounded like... excitement?
"What?", Masters asked, rising to his feet. She could see him
for the first time, a vague outline. A strong man, with short
graying hair and a stark profile. Still wearing his Shinra
uniform. "I was just getting comfortable."
"You won't be for long.", the figure said threateningly,
grabbing his collar and pulling him forward. Masters stumbled,
then retaliated, trying to push Frieze off him. The other easily
evaded his attack, and the Masters screamed in pain.
"Don't resist.", the figure at the door ordered, pleasure in
his voice. It was then that Tifa realized she had the wrong twin.
Flaym! What was he doing here?
Masters' cry of pain was cut off as he fell limp, rendered
mercifully unconscious by the pain of Flaym's magic, and the
armored warrior threw the Shinra Captain over his shoulder as if he
weighed nothing.
"I'll be back for you, Tifa.", he said, his eyes flashing red,
the light glinting off of his bared, white teeth. "You've been
granted an audience with Messiah. You will prostrate yourself
before her and beg her forgiveness for your rash actions. I look
forward to seeing that."
"Sure, Flaym.", Tifa answered, her voice as chill as ice. "On
a cold day in Hell!"
"Funny you should mention that.", Flaym said with a grin as he
began to close the door. "The last time that happened, Frieze and
I were born." Then the door slammed, and Tifa was alone.
As the sound of the door creaking open woke her, Tifa cursed
herself for falling asleep. They had taken Masters, after barely
five minutes in her cell, and they'd said they'd be back. Tifa had
waited, chilled and expectant, for... how long? An hour? Three
hours? It was impossible to tell, in this dark. Was it night or
day? Underground, there was no sun. The disorientation hurt her
head. That was surely what Messiah intended.
"It's time to go, Tifa.", a calm voice said, and the lack of
malice there told her it was Frieze. "Mother has requested to see
you. You will come. I do not wish to force you, but I will if
necessary. You know this, so do not resist."
Tifa rose to her feet with a weary nod, and slowly headed for
the door, where Frieze stood, waiting. Her wrists ached from the
ropes that had been pulled taut around them, what seemed like days
ago. They were raw and scratched.
"Stop.", Frieze ordered as she walked out of the cell, and she
grudgingly complied. She felt his hands reach for hers, as he
began to loosen her bonds.
"Frieze...?", she began, but then he stopped, having loosened
her bonds enough to assuage a bit of the pain, but still tight
enough to hold her. To hold a normal woman, anyway. Frieze's
gesture of kindness might just save her.
"Thanks.", she said, meaning it.
"Follow me.", he said, no emotion recognizable in his voice.
"Cold, like his namesake.", Tifa thought as she followed him
out of the cave. It was the first time she could remember leaving
it. They walked down a long, rock tunnel, twisting and turning
with no exits or connecting passageways, and then suddenly they
emerged into a vast underground chamber, the ceiling so high up
that Tifa could barely make it out. Giant stalactites hung from
the rocky ceiling, but the floor had been smoothed out, and as Tifa
looked around she realized that a massive circular area had been
fenced in by tall cement walls, more than two stories tall. Rows
and rows of seats were tiled up from the walls, but all were empty.
Frieze motioned her past him and fell into step behind her,
watching her every move.
"Mother's coliseum.", Frieze said softly from behind her.
"Turn, to your right. March."
Tifa turned, finding her legs climbing a set of steps cut into
the rock, and soon they had gained the top of the walls. She
glanced around, and suddenly her attention was riveted on the area
several seats up.
The rows ended to make room for a vast dias, with a large
altar in front of it, and a massive throne behind. The throne sat
empty, but Flaym stood at it's left side, and a strikingly thin
woman stood on it's right. Her face was pinched and sharp, with
completely white hair which rose from her head as if electrified.
She was clothed in pure white, but Tifa doubted it signified
purity. Then her eyes flashed, bolts of electricity flashing
across her pupils as her gaze met Tifa's, and she suddenly
remembered Rains, his horrified body curled and burned on the bed.
Somehow, she knew that this was the thing that had killed him.
"March.", Frieze ordered sharply, now that they were under the
speculation of his peers. "Straight up. Move!"
Tifa moved, seeing no point in resisting. She was almost to
the dais when Frieze ordered her to halt.
"Turn left.", he barked. "Walk to the center of the row."
She glanced at him, and tossed him a smug smile which barely
fazed him. She had one for Flaym too, one filled with malice. His
eyes flashed, and a smile came to his own face at seeing her hate.
She reached the center of the row of seats and stopped,
waiting for Frieze's next command. Desperately searching her
surroundings for anything that could aid her escape, even though
she knew there was nothing.
"Mother.", Frieze said reverently, dropping to one knee and
bowing his head. "I had done as you have ordered. Please, bless
us with your presence."
"Mother.", Flaym intoned, imitating Frieze's posture and
bowing his head. "I stand ready to defend you with my life. Bless
us with your presence."
"Great one.", the woman in white proclaimed loudly, which at
least told Tifa that she wasn't Frieze's sister, "I stand ready to
smite all who would oppose you. Bless us with your presence."
Tifa looked back at the dais expectantly, but nothing
happened. Frieze, Flame and the white woman remained in their
subservient poses, not moving a muscle. The ground began to
rumble, and Tifa spun to see something emerge from the ground of
the coliseum, which she immediately recognized. The worm that had
swallowed her up and brought her here.
"Great one.", it stated, it's voice reverbating throughout the
coliseum, putting the statements of it's peers to shame. "I stand
ready to offer you sacrifice. Bless us with your presence."
And that was it, Tifa thought. The four strongest magics, all
under Messiah's control. Fire, Ice, Bolt and Quake. It was almost
poetic.
"My children.", a voice intoned, deep and musical, beautiful.
"Surely not.", Tifa thought in surprise. "Can that be the
voice of my enemy?"
"I accept your gifts.", the voice continued. "The summoning
is complete. Let the peons enter."
Flaym rose immediately, and shouted loudly.
"Company!", he called. "Form up!"
Without warning, Tifa heard the rumbles of hundreds of pairs
of boots. As she watched in dismay, soldiers began to file into
the coliseum, row after row, all marching in perfect unison, a mix
of Shinra troopers and many other men and uniforms that she did not
recognize. A large group wore distinctive brown armor and rounded
helmets, and yet another large group wore crimson robes and strange
hoods. The rest were too differentiated to classify, but all moved
together. It was a terrifying sign of the potency of Messiah's
control. In unison, they filed into the rows of seats on either
side, filling almost half of the coliseum before the flow stopped.
"So many...", Tifa thought in dismay. "How can she have so
many?"
"Company!", Flaym called, his voice reverbating as the voice
of the worm had, it's air of potent command all too evident.
"Present arms!"
There was a strange sound then, the sound of hundreds of men
drawing swords and twirling rifles, a strange mixture of sounds
that blended together in perfection, yet more evidence of Messiah's
potent control over her men.
"How can she control all these...", Tifa though in horror,
"and still control Cloud? What kind of a monster is she?"
"We are the soldiers of Messiah.", the group of soldiers began
to chant then, hundreds of voices all speaking in perfect unison,
the effect terrifying. Tifa was afraid that the reverbations of so
many voices would cause the ceiling to cave in. "We live to serve
only her. We fight when she wills it. We die when she wills it.
We are the soldiers of Messiah. Great master, bless us with your
presence."
"Finally!", Tifa thought, suddenly angry. "Is this show of
force meant to impress me? I cannot be intimidated. All of these
poor men and women, every one, is nothing more than the same
person, copied over and over, all sharing the same intelligence,
like a hive of ants. This is Messiah. This grouping of
diversified soldiers, magics and worms. All one person."
"So we meet, face to face, Tifa Lockhart.", the voice said
from behind her, the deep and musical voice that was too beautiful
to belong to a woman as twisted as Messiah. Tifa turned to face
her, and could not hide her horror.
She was beautiful. Strikingly so. Her perfect skin and
figure, flawless in all respects, was clothed in a gown of
shimmering white, putting the uniform worn by the woman with the
spiked hair to shame. Long, white hair flowed from her head down
onto her shoulders, braided all the way down to her waist. Her
face was perfection, like the visage of the Madonna. Only her eyes
spoiled the illusion. Her eyes, closed forever. In their place
were deep, twisted scars that even her perfect features could not
conceal, easily visible where eyes had once rested. She was blind.
And somehow that only added to her stunning image. A blind martyr.
The Messiah.
The sight made Tifa want to retch.
"You seem at a loss.", Messiah said with a short laugh, her
smile radiant. "What were you expecting, Tifa Lockhart? A hag?
A twisted, spider-like creature with slavering jaws?" She laughed
again, shaking her head slowly, her perfect hair sliding against
her perfect shoulders. "Does my beauty frighten you, Tifa
Lockhart? It should not. I am your savior."
"No.", Tifa managed, suddenly finding her voice.
"You resist.", Messiah said, feigning surprise, raising a
perfect hand to a perfect mouth in a gesture of innocent alarm. "I
am shocked. Why do you not worship me?"
"Because you do not deserve it.", Tifa whispered angrily.
"Because you deserve to die!"
"Blasphemer!", Flaym cried, striding towards her, but
Messiah's upstretched hand stopped him. He fell to one knee,
bowing his head. Cowed like a dog.
"What say we ask my disciples?", Messiah said with a beautiful
smile. "What of you, Flaym? Do you think I am worthy of worship?"
"My heart and my soul belong to only you, Mother.", Flaym said
immediately. "You are the blood in my veins and the air in my
lungs. You are my world."
"And you, Azure?", Messiah asked, turning to the woman in
white, as Tifa finally learned her name.
"You are the one.", Azure said gently, falling to one knee as
Flaym had done. "You are my life, great master. Say the word and
I will burn myself to cinders to please you. I am yours to
command, for eternity."
"And you, Frieze?", Messiah asked again, turning to her other
son. "What do you say?"
"Words cannot express my feelings for the one who gave me
life.", Frieze said reverently, falling to one knee and bowing his
head as Flaym and Azure had done. The posturing of the others was
pathetic. But seeing Frieze, forced to bow to such an evil,
twisted creature, made Tifa want to rush over to him, force him to
his feet, force him to cry out how much he hated her, how evil she
was. But she knew that he would never say any of those things. He
loved Messiah with all his heart.
"I can say only that I am yours to command, forever and to
eternity.", Frieze said reverently. "All that my siblings have
stated and infinitely more."
"This is good.", Messiah said, smiling. "Now, Tifa Lockhart.
What say you now? Can you doubt such reverent words?"
Tifa was about to lash out with a stinging retort, but stopped
it as it came to her lips, glancing once more at Frieze, still
bowed in his reverent position, his eyes closed in supplication.
"I can only say that there are some who know no better.", Tifa
said, her voice low. "And I will never bow before you, Messiah."
"So be it.", Messiah said calmly, seemingly unperturbed by
Tifa's refusal to worship her. "Since you have refused to accept
the word, as I had known you would, we shall bring on the night's
entertainment."
Flaym rose, his eyes burning with fire.
"Company!", he called. "At ease!"
The sound of hundreds of rifles and swords being sheathed and
settled echoed throughout the auditorium, and then the cheering
began.
"Hail to Messiah!", someone yelled.
"Long live the Messiah!", another cried, enthused by the
feelings of his fellow soldiers.
Soon they were all chanting, the disparity so different from
the unison that had come before.
"You see, Tifa.", Messiah whispered, the voice so close to her
ear that she spun in horror, but Messiah sat still on her throne,
with only her voice close enough for Tifa to reach. "I only made
them see the way. They accept it with all their hearts. This is
my true strength."
Tifa spun away, livid, refusing to be baited. She would
punish Messiah with silence. It was the only way she could now
think of to resist.
"Flaym.", Messiah said softly, her beautiful voice somehow
everywhere at once. "Bring forth tonight's game."
"I live to serve.", Flaym said humbly. He turned to face the
assembled soldiers. "Bring forth the challenger!"
A grating sound brought Tifa's attention back to the arena
floor. The worm had disappeared, no trace of it's entrance into
the coliseum visible any longer. Magic. Her eyes fell on the
porticullus at the far end of the arena, straight across from her,
as it rose, to reveal a dark tunnel twisting back into the rock.
A figure emerged slowly, wearily, clad in a red uniform, a sword
weakly clasped in his hands. He took a faltering step forward and
fell to one knee, and then the porticullus closed behind him.
"The challenger has arrived!", Flaym intoned. "Release his
bonds!"
And with that the red-clothed man shot up, suddenly
invigorated, as if whatever had been dragging him down had suddenly
been pulled away. It was a Shinra uniform. A Shinra Captain's
uniform. And in sudden horror Tifa knew who the man was.
"Frieze, what is this?", Tifa asked suddenly, turning to him,
refusing to meet Messiah's gaze. Frieze said nothing, staring out
over the arena, a trace of sadness on his face.
"Bring forth the champion!", Flaym cried. Tifa heard the
porticullus below her sliding open, and had to bite back her fear
for Captain Veric Masters, standing so bravely out in the middle of
that vast stretch of flat earth, his sword held ready, his stance
calm. What horrible monstrosity was Messiah going to unleash upon
him?
A man walked into sight, and cheers immediately arose from the
assembled soldiers, as they began to chant a name with raised
fists, over and over. Tifa could not believe her ears.
"Cloud!", the voices chanted in unison. "Cloud! Cloud!
Cloud!"
And there he was. His blond hair ruffled just as she
remembered it, his muscles flexing with catlike grace as he stepped
forward, a tremendous sword strapped to his back. It couldn't be
the Ultima Weapon, Tifa thought suddenly, her eyes darting to the
sword at Frieze's side and then back to the scene before her,
watching it as if in a dream. Then she recognized the sword.
Ragnarok.
Masters stepped forward, making a quick flourish with his
sword and bowing to the assembled crowd.
"So this is your strength!", he cried as loud as he could,
even though his voice was barely audible at the tremendous
distance. It was amazing they could hear him at all, as he
possessed none of the magic that seemed to make public speaking so
easy for Messiah and her servants. "I laugh at the sight of this
pathetic collection of rabble! Puppets, all of you! Traitorous
dogs who slaughter their prisoners! I, Captain Veric Masters of
Shinra, hereby challenge you! You will fall, one by one, at my
hand!"
Tifa blinked, immersed in a nightmare. Was that really
Masters speaking? The speech was so eloquent, so noble. So brave
for a man facing certain death. It was the perfect drama, she
reflected with horror. Just as Messiah would have wanted it.
"Champion!", Flaym cried, his voice loud and filled with
righteous indignation. "Dare you take these words from one so
unworthy?"
Cloud turned to face her, and Tifa searched desperately for
some trace of recognition in his clear blue eyes.
Nothing. Nothing but Messiah's power, staring back at her in
it's awful brilliance.
"The blasphemer will die by my blade.", Cloud yelled angrily,
unsheathing his sword and raising it in the air. "Messiah!", he
cried, and Tifa almost expected him to rush up towards her, jump
the two story wall and leap to Messiah's throat, so powerful was
the anger in his voice. And then he finished. "I worship only
you!"
Tifa fell to her knees, suddenly crying, unable to hold back
her tears at the sight of one she loved so much reduced to such an
awful state. She had no doubt any longer. Cloud Strife was dead.
And now Messiah defiled his body as easily as the rest.
She did not see the short fight that followed, did not watch
as Cloud tore through Veric Masters like a knife through paper,
disarming him in one quick stroke, masterfully inflicted the most
painful wounds while doing the least amount of damage. Masters'
screams reached to the dais and deafened Tifa's ears, as he
desperately fought for his life, blocking each strike with his
arms, and then his shoulders, when those were cut off. Finally, he
collapsed in a shower of blood, somehow still alive, Cloud having
seen to that.
"Messiah!", Cloud cried again, raising his bloody sword in the
air. "I await your command!"
"The blasphemer must die.", Messiah said softly, her beautiful
voice filled with pleasure. "Perform your holy duty in my name,
Cloud Strife."
"I live only to serve!", Cloud cried. "Messiah!"
And then his sword landed and at last ended Veric Masters'
suffering.
Her eyes filled with tears that she could not seem to stop,
Tifa turned to see Frieze looking out over the arena, his face
twisted and sickened. He turned to face her, and they shared
something in that moment that gave them a deeper understanding of
each other, an understanding that transcended sex or religion or
affiliation. She could see it in his eyes just as he saw it in
hers.
"This is wrong."
Then he turned away and his face was cold once more.
"And so it was written, Tifa Lockhart.", Messiah's voice
whispered at her ear, cold and triumphant. "You did not worship
me, and so Masters died. He is one. Tomorrow I will bring in two.
Children perhaps, brother and sister. And I will ask you for your
allegiance again. And you will give it, or they will die. As will
the three after them, and the four after that, and the five that
follow. And on until the blood of millions stains your hands and
you understand what it is to defy me. Think on that tonight, Tifa
Lockhart. And pray. Pray that I let Cloud kill you quickly once
you pledge yourself to my side."
Tifa stopped crying then, staunching the last of her tears and
rising to her feet. She turned to face the dais, and saw Messiah
sitting triumphantly, her beautiful face disgusting in it's
smugness.
"You...", she began, softly, and then leapt for the dais.
"BITCH!", she cried, before Azure's lightning tore into her
body and Flaym's pain tore into her soul.
Copyright November 1997
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