World of Hearts: Linked as One (Book 1)

1-2: Black Feathers

Cloud Strife stepped out of the Gummi ship with Tifa Lockhart and Aerith Gainsborough. They had just come back from a mission. Awaiting them was a woman with long blonde hair and blue eyes, holding a sword that with the tip standing on the ground. The woman had a cold, stern but beautiful face with her hair covering the right side of her face. She was wearing what looked like a dark blue military uniform with blue highlights. On the front of the uniform and over the left side of her chest was a pin with two stars stuck together. On the sides of the shoulders was the crest of LOGOS.

"How did it go?" The woman asked.

"We took care of the hostage situation and mopped up the terrorists," Cloud said. "The hostages and the prime minister are safe and secure, Major General Armstrong."

"And we managed to minimize civilian casualties," Tifa said. "Sure, there were some injured, but Aerith had them healed up."

"There wasn't a single fatality," Aerith said.

The woman huffed her chest in pride.

"And did you squeeze anything out of the terrorists?" General Armstrong asked. "Did they have any connections to Eternal Darkness?"

"Not exactly," Tifa said. "He kept rambling on about this guy called Roman Torchwick and how the whole hostage situation was Roman's to begin with."

"Roman Torchwick?" The general raised a brow. "You mean the same Roman Torchwick who destabilized Vale and was supposedly eaten by a Nevermore during the Beacon Crisis?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Tifa said.

"I don't think so. Torchwick is dead. The reports from the investigation team indicated that there was no way he could have survived. They even interviewed an eyewitness who saw the man get eaten alive," Cloud said. "His hat and weapon were the only things that were left him. His remains were never found."

Tifa pouted.

"And I think that doesn't prove anything," Tifa said. "Eyewitnesses can get things confused sometimes. The weapon and the hat alone aren't enough to conclusively prove that he died. There wasn't even body, let alone any bones of him. How can you confirm someone is dead if you can't even find the body?"

"It's been a whole year—"

"Um... you two should calm down," Aerith said.

"If you want to debate, take it elsewhere that's not here and in my presence," Armstrong said. "You three are on standby until further notice."

Tifa looked at the general with a flabbergasted face.

"But we just got back—"

The general shot a glare at Tifa, making her go stiff and made her stop talking.

"Understood..." Tifa said.

"Good," Armstrong said. "Now if you excuse me, me and general Ironwood have things to discuss."

The woman walked off.

Her name was Olivier Mira Armstrong, an Amestrian major general who is called the Northern Wall of Briggs and was once put in charge of Fort Briggs, the fortress that stands on the border between Amestris and the nation of Drachma just beyond the northern border. A strict woman with a survival of the fittest mentality, people call her the First Ice Queen.