Crisis Core: The Female SOLDIER

42

Once the fires were put out and the surviving villagers out of harm's way, Sera and Zack quickly made their way towards the reactor, killing the monsters blocking their path and they entered the facility when they caught sight of a body on the ground.

Tifa.

They quickly knelt beside her and saw that she was still alive to their relief. Scanning her form, Sera's breath hitched when she saw a deep slash on her chest. Zack saw it as well. "Sephiroth did this, didn't he?" He asked. Tifa turned to him and he held out his hand only for her to turn away, holding herself in fear. Sera's eyes widened and Zack clenched his hands.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll take care of it," Sera gave him a reassuring look and he nodded before backing away to head up the stairs. Sera turned back to Tifa.

"Tifa, let me help you. I need to see that wound on your chest," Sera reached out towards her.

Tifa slapped her hand as she quickly backed away in fear. "No! Stay away!" She cried out, tears in her eyes and her voice in hysterics. "I hate you! I hate Shinra! I hate SOLDIER! I hate you all!"

Sera tried to coax Tifa into letting her help her, but Tifa's heightened fear wouldn't let her. She saw the blood on her shirt beginning to spread and she was forced to cast 'sleep' on her lest Tifa bled herself out.

"I'm sorry," Sera whispered once Tifa was knocked out  and she began to cast a cure spell on the wound, stopping the bleeding and closing up the wound until only a faint scar remained. Her magic faded. "I know... my words won't mean anything to you but..." Sera trailed off. She wanted to say more, wanted to tell her that things will be okay. But she herself knew it was a lie, knew that Tifa also knew, so all she could say was "I'm sorry." 

Propping Tifa against one of the pods, Sera made her way up the top of the stairs, clutching the metal railing tighter and gritting her teeth as the pounding in her head grew. The Voices were acting up again, screaming in her mind about the danger she was going into and about the calamity that had caused all but the Cetras' extinction. It didn't help that she could also sense the feelings of pain and terror from the passing souls of the Nibelheim fire.

How Aerith could handle this, Sera would never know.

'Then again,' Sera thought, 'she was never exposed to the things a SOLDIER must go through.' And she hoped she never will.

Sera pushed away the voices in her head as she managed to reach to the top to see Zack glaring at the door labeling 'Jenova.'

"You ready?" Zack asked and she nodded, pulling out her sword since guns would be useless in this situation. Her mentor was too fast.

At the nod, Zack pulled out his Buster Sword and with a yell, slashed the door apart. They went inside.

The small room was completely filled with old pumps and machinery. It was purely empty save for a higher platform connected to where they were standing with a rather large red cord, wide enough to act as a bridge to cross. And on the platform was some sort of metallic statue of a female figure, large metallic wings spreading out. Behind it, they could see a hint of a glass tank.

A figure with long silver hair stood in front of the statue, speaking to it.

"Mother, let's take back the planet together." They heard him speak, and Sera realized with a jolt that the figure was Sephiroth. "I... I had an epiphany. Let's go to the promised land. Mother..."

"Sephiroth!" Zack shouted, taking a step forward. "Why did you kill the townspeople? Why did you hurt Tifa? Answer me, Sephiroth!" He demanded.

No one said anything for a moment and then, a quiet chuckle escaped the silver haired man.