Tifa felt a sort of surreal disconnection come over her as she passed through the doors. It was like stepping from one realm and into another; a world of steel, of unstable ground, of adrenaline, and of sweat and blood. Their eyes were lit ahead of them with a fixed and concentrated stare. Before, the battles had been passed with little more than bumps and scratches. Now, they had a chance of really getting hurt...of really getting killed. The two women walked out onto the center of the dome. The floor was once again flat, the blood from all the previous fights gone like magic. Ahead of them loomed the dark, gated archway from before. Tifa stared down at the floor she stood on. How was it going to change this time? "Y'know, the whole 'do or die' thing?" Yuffie said as she lifted her Conformer and checked to see that the materia was firmly placed. Tifa, tightening the strap on Premium Heart, glanced at her. "Yeah?" Yuffie blew the bangs out of her eyes. "It gets really lame after a while." The announcer's voice boomed throughout the dome. "Fighters ready in three, two, one-!" The ground shook as, from the archway before them, the floor rose up in large blocks that steadily climbed higher and higher as it wound around one side of the Arena. The gate before them dropped away, and the two women saw the Iron Man step through the archway, its body nearly filling the frame. Stopping briefly, its small head tilted forward as it laid its piercing gaze on the two women. Tifa took an involuntary step back at the sight of it, her mouth dropping slightly. Yuffie gave a slight curse, her eyes widening as she looked the monster up and down. The Iron Man, sliding one leg back, mutely raised its giant sword, the wicked blade glinting with the movement. Tifa gave a start. "Y-Yuffie!" She grabbed the girl's arm and dragged her along as she sprinted toward the first newly raised platform. "Run!" The Iron Man lunged with heart-stopping speed, its soulless eyes flashing as it brought its blade down with a mighty swing. Tifa had leapt up onto the platform, Yuffie quickly following after her. The ninja could feel the air rush past her as the blade struck the floor, the sparks flying bright into the air. "Cripes!" She squeaked as she sprinted toward the next platform, Tifa just before her. The Iron Man, where the two women had to hoist themselves up to get onto the platform, simply walked up onto it as if it were a stair, long threatening strides clearing the distance between it and the two women in a terrifyingly short time. Tifa, who had just climbed up onto the second platform, turned in time to see the Iron Man raise its sword again. "Yuffie!" she screamed. The ninja, who was hanging onto the ledge, turned in time to see the blade swinging down. Eyes widening, she let go, just missing as the blade struck the edge. Muttering under her breath about, "Always getting in over her head," the ninja crawled frantically between the Iron Man's legs, the large armored monster leaning forward to see where she went, only to bang its head on the ledge of the second platform. Not wanting it to remember its original target, Tifa cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Hey! Look here!" The monster raised its head, eyes staring dully at the fighter as she raised a glowing hand. "Eat this." She said, and out from her palm shot lightning, the most basic and weakest level of the spell. Regardless, the intended affect was achieved as the lightning struck the monster between the eyes. Flinching slightly, a low grumble came from deep in the Iron Man's throat as it raised its sword again. "Oh boy..." Tifa said breathlessly as she turned and began to run, leading the monster away from her friend. Yuffie meanwhile was sitting on the ground on the other side of the platform, her face pale and her breathing ragged. She had come close to being cleaved in half twice. For a moment, the girl regretted ever signing up for the tournament. When a shadow of a slim, longhaired figure fell over her, she looked up. "Tifa?" And that's when Yuffie's eyes glazed over. The fighter herself was trying frantically to keep a step ahead of the Iron Man, the large beast swinging its sword with decisive force. It was when she was up at the last platform that she found herself cornered, sweat pouring down her face and her chest heaving. The drop from the platform was a high one, and Tifa knew that she wouldn't walk away from falling from that sort of height. Behind her, the fighter could feel the ominous presence of the Iron Man at her back. The creature now was in no hurry. Dimwitted, though it was, it knew as well as Tifa did that she was cornered. The fighter turned slowly, her eyes wide and alert, her fists clenched at her sides. She had fought an Iron Man only once in her life, and even then, she had found the creature a harrowing challenge. A tough defense, powerful and wide sweeping attacks...the only thing Tifa had going for her was her ability to evade, and that wouldn't add up to much if she wished to actually defeat it. However... The monster slowly raised its sword. Tifa shifted her weight to her right foot, crouching slightly as she watched the monster with a concentrated gaze. While she couldn't do much damage on her own, she knew she could turn the monster's weakness against it. The Iron Man lunged forward, swinging its giant sword down in a mighty sweep...but Tifa leapt quickly to the side, missing the attack by a few inches. The monster stumbled, small head turning as it tried to follow where the woman went. Tifa, turning sharply and running forward two steps, leapt towards the monster's back in a flying kick. The woman caught the beast in the back, and the monster fell forward, body twisting as it tried to twist around and grab the ledge. It managed to catch itself, but Tifa, eyes now lit with magic, raised both hands and whispered a single word. "...Bolt." The lights of the room dimmed and flickered as, out of nowhere, a lightning bolt cracked and struck the beast in the head. Electrical currents flowing through its armor, the monster immediately let go, its large hand slipping away as its body went into a violent spasm. It fell to the floor, body collapsing on it self, and there it crumpled, dead. Tifa stared down at it for a moment before turning. She was about to make her way back down to where she had left Yuffie when, to her surprise, she saw the ninja was standing at the other end of the platform. The girl's stance was firm, her feet placed directly beneath her shoulders and her back rigidly straight. She was clenching her Conformer tightly in her right hand, and her eyes gazed forward hollowly. Tifa blinked at her appearance, sensing something amiss. "...Yuffie?" The girl didn't respond. The fighter stepped forward. "Yuffie...what's wrong?" The ninja began to walk toward her with a steady gait, her eyes never blinking. Tifa clenched her fists. "Yuffie." The girl still said nothing. She was tilting her head forward now as she lifted her Conformer. "Yuffie, stop." The fighter said a hint of alarm creeping into her voice as she backed away along the edge of the platform. Stopping abruptly, Yuffie now gazed at Tifa through her bangs, her eyes still eerily empty. She didn't lower her weapon. Tifa stopped as well. Holding out her hands, the fighter asked gently. "Put down your weapon...It's me." The fighter spread out her arms, a pleading look coming over her face. "It's me...Tifa!" For a moment, Yuffie didn't do anything... ...Then, she threw her Conformer. A shout ripping from Tifa's throat, she tried to dodge the weapon, but as she fell to the ground, away from the edge, she felt a sharp pain in her arm. Looking down, she saw the blood flowing, but she had little time to think on it, as Yuffie was now standing over her, raising a foot to stomp down on the woman's head. Tifa rolled away, up into a crouch and looked up in time to see Yuffie's foot flying toward her face. Blocking the attack, the fighter was reminded of the two's sparring session only a few days ago. But this time, things were different. Yuffie was attacking faster, harder, and more viciously. A snarl crept onto the young girl's face as she launched a punch toward Tifa, the fighter barely blocking it. Faster and faster the attacks came, and the older woman found she couldn't keep up. Two painful shots to the ribs, one to the shoulder...it was the right hook across her face that brought Tifa down on her knee. Blood dripping from her lips, the fighter felt time slow down for a moment as she felt an insurmountable anger take over her. It was fast, it was overwhelming. She didn't understand why Yuffie was doing this. She didn't understand what was going on. She just knew she didn't like what just happened. And so, the woman did what was natural... She retaliated. As she rose, Tifa swung her fist around, burying it into Yuffie's gut. The ninja doubled over, her eyes widening as she gave a dry gasp of air. Tifa straightened as her friend crumpled before her, clutching at her stomach and coughing. The fighter's eyes were shining...and like that the anger was gone. It had been condensed into that single punch, retribution for the attacks made against her. But out of the corner of her eye, the fighter saw something that made her heart drop. The Pollensalta. The woman had completely forgotten that they had yet to see the humanoid monster. Her entire focus had been on defeating the Iron Man. The fighter clenched her fists tightly, her eyes turning bright and furious as realization hit her. She gazed at the monster with a venomous rage. This beast had controlled Yuffie. It had mesmerized her, a special ability Pollensalta's had, and caused Yuffie to turn on her...nearly kill her. But worst of all, this damn monster made her think Yuffie was doing it herself. Tifa eyed her target silently, the inhibitions she had had before quietly slipping away in the surging waters of her anger. The she-monster watched the woman as well, a small frown on it's disproportioned face. It was when Tifa took off at a full run, towards the Pollensalta, that the monster finally reacted. Dodging a wild punch, the Pollensalta back flipped away from the fighter, raising her hands as she came up. Two ice shards appeared at either sides of her head, and swinging her hands before her, the shards shot off like bullets toward the fighter. But the fighter wasn't foolish. She knew the she-monster would use magic, so the woman used some magic of her own. Movements made quicker thanks to Haste, the fighter knocked the first ice shard away, grabbing the second with her other hand mid-flight. Now she wasn't moving just on the time magic...now she was moving with the power of her Limit. She could feel the force rippling from her core, fueling her as she dug the ball of her foot into the floor and pushed forward. The Pollensalta, a different monster in its ability to imitate human expression, gave a terrified look as the fighter charged at her like a bull. The she-monster tried to turn and run, but when Tifa grabbed her by the hair and pulled her back so far that her neck was exposed, the fighter did what her anger told her to do... She drove the ice shard deep into the monster's throat. Like that, the Pollensalta was dead, overtaken by unbridled rage. Tifa gazed down at its dead body, her jaw clenched and her eyes narrowed. Green blood was splattered across her clothes and some sprayed onto her face, the rest of it oozing onto the floor. "Now I finally remember...why I didn't mind all of this so much..." she whispered, finally turning away. ---------- Tifa was sitting on a stretcher that had been wheeled into the waiting room, a medic tending to the cut on her arm. Yuffie was standing nearby, an uncomfortable look on her face as she watched the medic work. "It was actually a pretty shallow cut..." the man breathed as he dressed the wound in a bandage. "Nothing a few Cure spells couldn't fix. Anyway, I don't think you'll have to worry about scars or anything. This'll be gone by tomorrow." But Tifa wasn't listening. She was staring at Yuffie. "There." The medic straightened. "All done." He pulled off his gloves. "You lucked out. You could've come out a lot worse. Though I don't think I'll be saying the same for those two..." he pointed to the big screens. Reno was running from another Pollensalta, legs hiking up as his mouth was pulled back in a scream. Ice shards rained down on him like rain as the she-monster stalked steadily after him. Meanwhile, Rude wasn't having any more luck as he clung desperately to the Iron Man's neck, the large, armored monster swinging about dumbly, its arms reaching for the pest on its back but never managing to reach. Any other time, Yuffie would have found this riveting...a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that she would have relished in with rich, boisterous laughs. ...But her attention was elsewhere. Her attention was on Tifa. The older woman slipped off the stretcher, smiling thankfully at the medic before walking slowly toward Yuffie, who watched her approach with an uncomfortable expression. "Your clothes..." the girl said blandly. "They're ruined." Tifa looked down at herself sheepishly. "Oh...they'll be fine. If not I'll just toss them away. That's okay." Yuffie shifted, staring down at the ground. "You...uh...really lost it in there, huh?" Rubbing her neck, the older woman looked down as well. "Just...a little." "You practically impaled that thing's neck!" The woman winced. "I know...it's just..." Tifa looked at Yuffie somberly. "It was controlling you." Yuffie didn't say anything. She only stared. "Wow!" The two jerked their heads up, looking over to a group of spectators. They were watching the screens, disbelieving smiles on their faces. "I don't believe it! They did it!" Frowning, the two women looked up at the big screens to see what the commotion was about...and neither could believe it. The Iron Man was dead on the ground, a hail of ice shards sticking out of its armor. "But where's the Pollensalta?" The fighter wondered with a frown. Her answer came in the slow-motion replay. "You're kidding..." Yuffie deadpanned. Tifa shook her head. "I don't know how they can fake that..." Over and over, the screens repeated it. The Iron Man, after taking a large shard directly into its skull, keeled over...Right onto the Pollensalta. The doors opened and the two ex-Turks emerged, Rude's glasses askew and Reno paler than death. The announcer, laughing with his own disbelief, shouted into his mic, "Whether that was strategy or just dumb luck, these two have certainly blown us away! Finishing in at a time of ten minutes, sixteen seconds, is Mr. Rude and Mr. Reno, who managed to beat their opponents by a mere two minutes and nine seconds! Ladies and gentlemen! I give you...our very first tournament champions!" The room erupted into chaos as many cheered while others booed. Both Tifa and Yuffie stared, dumbfounded. The ninja, eyes snapping from the announcer to the ex-Turks, squeaked, "We...We lost?" ---------- "Two minutes...we lost by a lousy two minutes." "At least we made it to the finals." Tifa and Yuffie had just left the Battle Square and were now back at the Gold Saucer's main hub. Yuffie swung around and faced Tifa, her eyes dark with disappointment and embarrassment. "Yes, but we lost! Plus we nearly got our asses killed in there!" "Hey! We did a lot better than Reno and Rude did! They won from dumb luck, but we actually killed the monsters ourselves." "You mean you did..." the ninja muttered dejectedly. The girl crossed her arms. "Funny, ain't it? I wanted to fight in the new Arena, you didn't, and in the end, you carried me on your back." The girl shifted her weight. "Frickin' ironic..." she muttered. Tifa bit her lip. She could understand the girl's disappointment...furthermore, her shame. It wasn't easy for the young girl to accept defeat. It was like swallowing a barbed pill. "Come on...let's go to the hotel." The ninja turned toward the chute marked 'Ghost'. "We spent all day in that stupid tournament..." Tifa sighed and went to follow her, but stopped as her eyes fell on something. Placing a gentle hand on Yuffie's arm, the woman got the girl's attention. "C'mere." She said, pulling the girl along. Yuffie, meanwhile, frowned. "What is it?" she asked. Tifa grinned and stopped before the chute marked 'Round'. Yuffie raised an eyebrow. "The gondola? You want to go on the gondola? Now?" Tifa shrugged. "It'll be nice and relaxing. ...Haven't you ever ridden the gondola at night? It's the prettiest thing!" Yuffie shifted. "We aren't exactly dressed for it. Look at you...all dressed in blood and me covered in sweat." "This isn't an awards show, Yuffie." "I dunno...is the gondola small? I get claustrophobic..." Tifa gave her a look. "Claustrophobic? On the gondola ride?" The ninja shrugged sheepishly. Tifa rolled her eyes. "Yuffie...come on." Yuffie crossed her arms defensively. "What!" "Are you scared of heights?" "Tifa, if you think you can bait me anymore on anything, you're dead wrong." Tifa clasped her hands behind her back and cocked her head to one side. "Then what if I just asked really, really nicely?" Yuffie blinked at her. ---------- Tifa didn't think they would have to wait so long, but thus far they had already stood in line for the gondola for ten or fifteen minutes. Yuffie sighed, staring down at her shoes. Tifa gazed at her, her eyes soft. The young girl, she could tell, was very upset over the tournament. Losing to two archrivals was a concoction for one unhappy girl. So now, the ninja was acting withdrawn and surly, her new shield for when things threatened to cut to her core. This shield was one that had taken a few years to build...strengthen...perfect. Yuffie's pride was a tricky thing to work with. When Tifa first met her, the girl was a volatile bundle of youthful energy, looking for any chance to prove herself. She regarded every joke made about her as a challenge to fight. She became easily enraged, was easily insulted... But it seemed that somewhere along the line, she realized that nothing was accomplished that way. That it only exacerbated things and made matters more difficult to deal with. Though she still had a tendency to get carried away by her emotions, Tifa didn't miss the fact that Yuffie now made a concentrated effort to keep them in check. Finally, they reached the front of the line. Smiling at the woman in the booth, Tifa asked politely, "Two, please." "How long is this ride gonna be?" Yuffie asked, the only indication of her unhappiness being the dull glint in her eye. Tifa took the two tickets and turned to glance at Yuffie as they moved forward to board the gondola. "Doesn't take that long...come on, Yuffie. Let's just enjoy this." "I'm not saying I don't wanna ride...I'm just...tired s'all..." The ninja muttered as she climbed in after Tifa. The door shut behind them, and the two sat across from each other, the large view window letting in the lights of the rides. Tifa sighed. "It's been so long since I've ridden this..." Yuffie didn't say anything. She was gazing out at the night sky, the silvery clouds drifting in from Mt. Corel. The gondola began to move, jerking slightly as it moved steadily along the ropeway. Tifa felt a flood of memories wash over her as they circled one of the golden towers. As they climbed higher, they were offered a clear view of the Ghost Hotel and the haunted mansion, as well as the winding roller coasters that weaved in and out like serpents. But she didn't forget the girl sitting across from her. Now, Yuffie was looking downright depressed, an uncharacteristic look for the girl. Her eyes shone in the face of all the lights, and Tifa realized with a start that they were tears. "Yuffie?" the woman said tentatively. The girl jerked with a start, wiping quickly at her eyes. "Um, y-yes?" Tifa sighed, leaning forward and placing a hand on the girl's knee. "You wanna tell me what's wrong?" The ninja turned her gaze back out the window. "You already know why I'm upset..." Tifa shook her head, sliding off her seat and kneeling in front of Yuffie. Eyes imploring, she said softly, "It won't do you any good keeping it in, y'know..." Yuffie bit her lip, an attempt to keep herself in control. Slowly turning her face back to Tifa, the girl gazed at the woman with shiny eyes, half her face lit by colorful lights. "I'd never..." she began, now looking down at her lap. "I'd never had that happen to me...before. The moment I looked into the Pollensalta's eyes I couldn't...control my body. I couldn't speak. Not a thing." She sniffed. "Even after facing Sephiroth...and...and Jenova...hell, my own dad, even!" she laughed harshly and shook her head. "I'd never..." her eyes grew distant and she bowed her head. Tifa grasped her hands, worry coming over her. "Yuffie?" The girl looked up again, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I'd never been so terrified in my life!" Tifa squeezed the girl's hands, feeling the pain her friend felt channel into her heart. "I'm sorry, Tifa..." the girl whispered. Tifa quickly shook her head. "Don't apologize. You don't have to. We both got into this willingly." Yuffie grit her teeth. "If I...If I had only been more aware then that damn monster wouldn't have-!" "Yuffie, please...just don't worry about it. " "I almost killed you Tifa! How can I not worry about?" the girl's voice cracked at this and she turned away, looking out the window again. Fireworks burst in the crisp night air, and Yuffie's face was washed in a warm glow. "I didn't ever hear it coming." Yuffie sniffed, tears falling from her eyes. She wiped at them quickly. "I just looked up and it was there. Right...there..." Tifa tried to comfort her, caressing the girl's hand with her thumb. "Shh...it's okay." The woman whispered. "It's all right...it wasn't you. You weren't the one attacking me." "I tried to stop...I did..." Yuffie hiccupped. Tifa closed her eyes and thought back to those moments, when she had driven her fist into Yuffie's stomach, and the sudden realization that the girl had been under control. Now, here the ninja was, feeling guilty for something she couldn't have helped. Tifa clenched her jaw, feeling the anger bubble up inside her again. If only she hadn't killed the Pollensalta so quickly. Yuffie sniffed, not saying anything for a moment. Tifa was afraid she was going to clam up again. An open admission of fear was not something that came easily for the ninja, as the older woman remembered. Then the girl suddenly laughed, but this time it was lighter ...more sincere. "...And after all that," she said, giggling slightly, "We didn't even win!" Tifa, a smile spreading across her face at the sign of her friend's feeling better, got up from her knees and sat next to the girl. Hugging her hard, the woman whispered softly into the ninja's ear, "I think we won something better than a trophy." Yuffie turned to look at her face, her eyes soft. "You think so?" she asked quietly. Tifa nodded mutely, wiping the tears away from Yuffie's face. The young girl licked her lips, a tender look coming into her eyes. Tifa's breath caught in her throat for a moment as a red firework brightened the sky outside, outlining the girl's face with its fiery light. Yuffie leaned forward, and the woman felt her heart skip a beat...but the girl only pressed her forehead to the woman's and smirked. "You dodged my Conformer, Rusty...and you said you couldn't do that sort of thing anymore." Tifa smiled sheepishly. A blast of light suddenly filled the gondola as it became level with the chocobo-racing track. Looking over the ninja's shoulder, Tifa pointed excitedly. "Look, Yuffie!" The girl turned quickly, and in a blast of feathers and color, the chocobos of the track raced thunderously past.
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