She was dreaming of knights and thieves, of roses and death, a myriad of emotions clashing against one another as her ascent to consciousness brought her closer to reality. Shifting slightly, the woman kept her eyes closed, concentrating on the warmth that was flowing through her body. Warm steady breaths fluttered across her skin, and when the woman opened her eyes, she saw that Yuffie was curled close to her, her head tucked beneath the woman's chin. She was still asleep, but when the fighter attempted to disentangle herself from the young girl, she was met with a whimper and, to her alarm, the ninja grasped at the front of her pajamas, causing a glaring blush to spread across the older woman's cheeks. Tifa found herself in something of a predicament as she lied there, this girl holding her down by the clothes as she snuggled even closer than she was before. To move meant to wake the girl, but to lie there meant a stiff neck and an embarrassing position to be found in when the ninja woke of her own accord. Daring another try at prying herself loose, Tifa tried gently pulling Yuffie's hands from the front of her shirt, simultaneously scooting closer to the edge of the bed as she did so. But when it seemed she was succeeding, the ninja's hands finally relaxing their grip, Yuffie did something Tifa didn't expect. She shoved Tifa out of the bed. With a resounding thud and a cry of bewilderment, the fighter was on the floor in a tangle of sheets, the look on her face alarmed and confused. At the noise, Yuffie jerked awake, a scowl coming over her face as she sat up slightly and glanced around with squinted eyes. "Wha-?" She sat up all the way. "Tifa?" The woman in question sat up, giving the ninja a disgruntled look from her place on the floor. "I'm right here, Yuffie." ---------- "So what're we doing today?" "Well yesterday I humored you with that little contest, but today I want to fight in the new Arena." "Oh...o-okay." "Your not scared are you?" "Well...it's been a while since I've done much of anything physical, Yuffie." "Oh for Leviathan's sake, you helped defeat Sephiroth! You haven't got a single reason to be scared of a bunch of lousy monsters." "Y'know, it's just that kind of thinking that gets fighters killed." "Aw, you're no fun, Rusty..." They were getting for the day, Tifa in the bathroom pulling her hair back and Yuffie sitting on the bed tying her shoes. "We'll have to gear up, y'know." Yuffie said without looking up. Tifa paused for a moment as a look of dismay came across her face. "But...I didn't bring anything." Yuffie looked up at her, a frown coming over face. "Don't you at least have one pair of fighting gloves? What about the Premium Heart?" "Well, I brought that. But I don't have any armor...or materia for that matter." Yuffie bit her lip. "Well...I've got some armor and materia. I'll let you have the armor since your so out of practice," Tifa grit her teeth, feeling shame turn her face pink. The ninja continued without notice, "And we'll split the few accessories I've got." "What materia do you have?" The girl thought for a moment, "I have...Contain, Added Effect, Haste, Cure, Quad Magic, and Bolt. Of course, I have Leviathan here, too, but we can't use summons in the Arena." Tifa nodded, "Those are good...what accessories do you have?" "A Safety Bit, Ribbon, and Choco Feather." Yuffie said, reaching for her duffel bag. She pulled out an object wrapped in cloth. Setting it on the bed, she un-wrapped it to reveal her Conformer. Yuffie grinned down at it, "'Course, I had to bring this baby along with me. Makes for a tight squeeze in my bag, but it's worth it." Tifa recalled when the ninja had found the weapon in the crashed Gelnika. A freakish-looking monster (Cloud paralyzed, Tifa poisoned, and Barret unconscious) had cornered them. The young ninja had been knocked into a set of crates and was nearly impaled by the very weapon she came to use. It was that weapon that allowed them to leave the sunken airship safely. "I haven't used it in ages. I'm so excited to fight with it again!" Yuffie picked the weapon up carefully, the blades glinting in the light. ---------- A place of ruckus; a testosterone-fueled atmosphere... Tifa thought she was going to be sick. The Battle Arena was crowded, men left and right smirking and flexing their muscles as if they were something marvelous. Women hung at the walls, eyes fluttering as giggles erupted from their mouths. Banners hung from the ceiling, the letters "BA" embroidered into the velvet fabric in gold. This was the waiting room for the original Battle Arena, where fighters could compete alone...but the people weren't here for that today. An archway was built into the left wall, leading into a larger and sleeker looking waiting room. This was the new Arena, and today...they were having a tournament. Tifa swallowed. Yuffie was sporting a fierce grin, bright eyes flashing about the room as she took in all the different people...her opponents. "Look'it 'em all, Tifa." The girl said, crossing her arms arrogantly. "They think they're all hot stuff with their big muscles and big guns...but they ain't got nothing on us!" Punching the woman lightly in the arm, the girl began walking toward the registration counter. "C'mon, let's sign up and win this thing!" But Tifa flinched at the action, only managing to gaze meekly after the girl as she practically skipped away. Tied to her upper left arm was the Ribbon, the silky strip of fabric sending an odd feeling of energy throughout the woman's body. She'd worn it before, this thing. It was strange and mysterious, and she had no idea how it worked, but through experience, she could honestly swear on her own life, that none would suffer from any ailment of any sort whilst wearing it. Also on her was the Choco Feather, which was tied onto her shoelace. Another item she didn't quite get the mechanics of, but she knew that it boosted the wearer's dexterity a considerable amount. Both were items she frequently used while still an active member of Avalanche, and both brought her amazing heaps of comfort and security in fights... But they brought her neither thing as she stood rock still in this sea of aggressive warriors. "What's the matter?" Tifa jumped and turned to see Yuffie standing beside her. Taking a deep breath, the woman placed a hand on her chest. "Geez...don't do that." Yuffie raised an eyebrow at Tifa as she placed her hands on her hips. "Did you get off on the wrong foot this morning? What with you falling out of the bed and all?" Tifa resisted telling Yuffie of just how she came to fall out of the bed, instead saying, "No...that isn't it. I guess it's just that I'm nervous...you say this new Arena is supposed to be more dangerous than the one before?" The woman looked away, rubbing her arm and muttering shame-facedly, "I remember the old one being something of a challenge all on itself..." Yuffie didn't notice the aside. "Well...the fighting field is bigger...and they say it changes mid-fight." Tifa blinked and stared at her. "What does?" "The field. It changes." "What...what do you mean, 'changes'?" "Just what I mean, it changes, Tifa! Geez, don't look so scared! All that happens is a couple of platforms and walls get raised and lowered, that's all..." But Tifa wasn't reassured. "I don't like this, Yuffie. I don't know if I'm cut out for fighting monsters. It was one thing to spar with you but-" "Well lookey here!" The two women jerked around at the familiar voice, eyes widening in surprise. Tifa stiffened as she saw the owner of the voice. "Is that-?" Yuffie nodded slowly. "Yeah...it...it is." Reno sauntered towards them, his fiery hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. The man was dressed in jeans and a gray designer shirt, a remarkably out-of-the-ordinary look for the Turk, who was rarely seen in anything but his usually work clothes. Smirking like a wolf, the man eyed the two women. "Fancy meetin' you ladies here." Appearing next to him like a wraith was his silent associate, Rude. The man, unlike his partner, was still garbed in his suit from Shinra. He stared mutely at the women, his eyes shaded by his dark sunglasses. Yuffie made a face. "What the hell're you two doing here?" Reno feigned hurt, placing a hand on his chest. "Aw...princess! It hurts me, yo! To have you talkin' to us that way brings a tear to my eye." He wiped the invisible tear from his cheek. "But meh. What can ya do?" He shrugged. "You aren't meaning to start any trouble, are you Reno?" Tifa said, trying to sound steely. Reno rolled his eyes. "For someone who helped 'save the Planet', your pretty dumb, yo." He gestured around him. "You think we're gonna try anythin' here? Am I dressed to kill, sweetheart?" Yuffie growled. "Then what do you want?" Reno held up his hands. "Just wanted to say 'hi' to my favorite team of rebels...where're the others, anyhow? They're with you, ain't they?" Tifa crossed her arms. "It's just us here." Reno raised an eyebrow, "So no Cloud? Damn, yo...I was hoping to compete against him..." to the girls surprise, he looked genuinely disappointed. But with another shrug, the look was gone, replaced with his cocky grin. "Well! It should still be interestin', competin' with you two. ...You are fightin' today...right?" Yuffie balled her fists. "Of course we are!" Reno nodded. "Cool, yo." He turned and began to walk away. "We'll see ya in the finals!" Rude lingered after him, taking another moment to gaze stonily at the two women before following him. Yuffie glared at them as they walked away, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Tifa, now that the two men were out of sight, allowed herself to groan. Burying her face in her hands, she shook her head slowly. "That's it. I really can't do it. Not with them competing too. There's just no way..." A pair of hands gripped her arms tightly, and jerking her head up at the action, Tifa found herself looking into Yuffie's fierce gaze, a shiver running up her spine as she did. "You've gotta get a grip, Tif." The ninja said, a determined scowl on her face. "We can't back out now. Especially with those two fighting. We just can't." Tifa swallowed. "But...But Yuffie, I can't-" "Stop saying that!" the girl half-shouted, causing the woman to flinch. "If you keep saying 'you can't' then you won't! You had me out of breath the day we sparred on your lawn, remember? It was a tie! You can still fight!" Tifa closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I don't know, Yuffie..." "Think of his smile." The fighter blinked her eyes open. "What?" Yuffie was still giving Tifa her intense gaze, no hint of amusement in her face. "Think of his smile if him and that mute bum win the tournament...can you imagine?" She was talking about Reno and Rude. Tifa frowned slightly as she pictured the two standing up on a pedestal, hailed with cheers and congratulations. On Reno's face was that infernal smile...the one Tifa hated...the one that drove her insane. Slowly a look of disgust came over the woman's face. Yuffie let go of her arms, turning grimly in the direction the two Turks had disappeared to. "My sentiments exactly." ---------- Those who defeated the monsters the fastest decided the tournament. The monsters became stronger and more difficult with each round, and some fighters didn't even make it through the match. There were at least a dozen teams competing, many of the would-be competitors made invalid due to illegal weapons, disorderly conduct, and age restrictions. This left the majority of the crowd in a rather sour mood. Nevertheless they hung about to watch the tournament on the big screens. Tifa and Yuffie were set to compete against two brothers, twins, whose bronzed skin and dark hair lent to the idea that they came from Costa del Sol. They were extremely tall and very muscular. Both smiling condescendingly, they flexed for the women on their way into the Arena. Yuffie pretended to gag as they went by. An announcer's voice blared from the speakers overhead, "And now, the Gomi brothers enter the Arena!" Competing against a Cuahl and two Bandersnatches, the brothers did clean work, killing off the quick-footed monsters in three minutes. Yuffie, however, smirked. "We can beat that." She said. Tifa didn't say anything. She didn't trust herself to speak. Standing from their seats, the two women passed by the twins on their way into the Arena, the men winking as they passed. "Jerks." Yuffie muttered. As they neared the doors, the announcer, who was on a podium at the far side of the room, called out their names, "Now, we have Ms. Yuffie Kisaragi, and Tifa Lockhart entering the Arena, to see if they can beat the Gomi brother's time!" An eruption of murmurs chased after the girl's backs as they passed through the open doors, the voices of the crowd being cut off as the doors shut behind them. "Ready, Tifa?" Yuffie asked, raising her Conformer as she began to walk forward. Tifa nodded, feeling her stomach lurch as she stepped forward. The Arena was a quantam leap from the old one. Made as a dome, the ceiling was high and the walls far apart, giving wide enough berth for any large creature to fit and move around in. The floor was a flat metal surface, nothing miraculous about its appearance whatsoever. However, there were cracks apparent, and when Tifa walked out onto it, the floor resounded with the hollow echo of her footsteps. At the other side of the Arena, a drop-away gate blocked off a large archway. Beyond that only darkness could be seen. But as Tifa looked up and around, she saw that the gate before them was not the only one. There were smaller ones, all around the dome, higher up on the walls. Monsters could come from all over, and this was just with the playing field as it was. What would it be like when it changed? The announcer's voice echoed in the Arena, causing the fighter to jump. "Fighters, ready yourselves! The timer starts in three-!" The gate rumbled as it began to slide into the floor. The floor itself began to rumble as well, and Tifa and Yuffie shared alarmed looks. "Two-!" Without warning, different parts of the floor raised as platforms began to slide out of the walls. Tifa shouted in surprise as the very ground she stood on began to rise. Yuffie, already over her initial surprise, began to leap up onto rising platforms towards the gate. "One-!" Leaping out into the arena, three monsters erupted from the shadows. Tifa and Yuffie were fighting the same set of monsters as the other group: a Cuahl and two Bandersnatches. The Cuahl was a feline beast with spotted fur and large pointed ears. Tifa had fought it on numerous occasions while climbing the Gaea's Cliff. The Bandersnatches were canine creatures with fierce manes and thick gray fur. She had also fought these numerous times on the snowy fields around Icicle Inn. Unfortunately, she also recalled that these creatures had very nearly killed her...numerous times. Premium Heart strapped to her fist, Tifa watched as the creatures leapt with frightening agility towards Yuffie. But the ninja, raising her Conformer, took only a second to aim before launching it at one of the Bandersnatches. It hit, cutting a long bloody gash along its side, and with a cry, it crashed nastily into the metal platforms. Yuffie wasn't given time to celebrate as the Cuahl and the other Bandersnatch were now flying at her. Dodging them both, the ninja reached up into the air and caught her Conformer. Turning, she geared up to throw it again. But as she was about to throw it, a sudden bright light blinded her, causing her to turn away with a hiss. The Cuahl had used its special attack, Pulsing Light. The two monsters landed gracefully side by side. Turning, they were about to take another leap at Yuffie when something landed in front of them. Tifa, who had cast Haste on herself, was moving with a quickened pace, and thanks to the Choco Feather, she didn't trip or fall. Planting her hands on the floor, the woman swept her leg around, striking the Bandersnatch right in the face. The Cuahl snarled, muscles bunching as it were about to leap away, but when the Conformer sliced into its back with a crack, the creature fell to the ground, instantly dead. Yuffie jumped down from where she was a moment later, casual and smiling. Pulling her Conformer out of the monster's carcass, she nodded down at the prone body of the Bandersnatch. "He's out cold." Tifa gazed dazedly down at the monster, her body shaking from the adrenaline coursing through her. "...That's it?" she asked in a small voice. She tried not to notice the blood flowing from the Cuahl's corpse. The floor began to level again, the platforms lowering to their original places. Yuffie offered a hand, "Yep. That's it. For this round anyway." Tifa took her hand and stood woozily to her feet. Together they walked back, and when the doors opened to the Arena Lobby, they were met with cheers and applause. "Fantastic! Ms. Kisaragi, and Ms. Lockhart defeated the monsters in just two minutes and twenty-three seconds!" Yuffie turned and grinned at Tifa. "Still think this is so impossible?" And Tifa found that it really wasn't impossible... ...Simply unpleasant. With each set of monsters they faced, with each strange change the field underwent, the two triumphed, the fighter herself rediscovering the rhythm of battle. It was frightening, it was dangerous...Tifa forgot what it was like to fight a monster. She forgot how violent it was, how brutal it was. But Yuffie hadn't forgotten. She killed with the efficiency of a well-trained warrior, her movements a lethal sonnet of blood and carnage. Whenever she threw her Conformer, a creature fell dead. Tifa tried not to feel so sympathetic for the monsters. They were, in nature, violent and bloodthirsty. It was also theorized that they were the sums of negative life forces leftover from the Lifestream...regardless... Tifa didn't like the idea of killing for fun. Perhaps she was just thinking about it too much. Perhaps it was from her being out of touch with battle for so long...but either way, she knew it in her heart... The desire for such violent things was no longer there. "Yuffie..." Tifa said as they sat in the waiting room, waiting for their turn to fight. She was staring at her gloved hands as if she was seeing them for the first time. Yuffie, who was sitting next to her and avidly watching the current fight, turned her eyes away from the screen reluctantly. "Um...yeah, Tif?" "Just...what do we get for this anyhow?" The ninja pointed towards the side of the room, where the announcer was talking to a man in a suit. Behind them both was a trophy encased in glass. "We get that and ten thousand gil." The girl rubbed her hands. "I don't care much for the gil, but wouldn't it be sweet to win that trophy?" Tifa gazed at it with a dejected expression. "Where are we going to put it on your bike? We haven't got the room to cart around a trophy." Yuffie, frowning at the lack of enthusiasm from her friend, shrugged. "Well, we can always give it to Barret or something..." Tifa didn't look reassured, and exasperated, the ninja asked. "What's the matter?" "Yuffie, somehow I don't think any of this is worth it." "Why not?" "I don't mean to be negative...but they just round these monsters up for us to fight?" Yuffie gave the fighter an annoyed look. "You're worrying about the rights of monsters, Tifa?" Tifa scowled, feeling her cheeks flare up. "They're still living things!" she said defensively. Yuffie gestured at the screen. "You didn't have a problem with this in the old Arena!" "Well...I dunno, I guess I just never thought of it before. Y'know, because we were fighting monsters all the time then...but...but now-!" "Tifa, for Ifrit's sake, these monsters would probably be out killing some innocent people if they weren't here!" "We don't know that!" "...You're joking, right?" "I'm not!" Yuffie rubbed at her face with a growl. "Look, Tifa," Standing she pointed at the doors. "Monsters are not animals, they are not human beings, they're mockeries of life and everything good! It has been scientifically proven that they do not act on anything more than instinct, and their instinct tells them to kill anything that isn't a monster like they are! Now you're honestly trying to tell me that you're feeling sympathetic for creatures that not only do not think past the most basic of functions, but also kill without discretion?" Tifa gazed down at her hands again. Shrugging one shoulder, the woman muttered, "I see death...and I see people cheering for it. I see blood...and I see people fighting to draw it. I see pain...and I see people laughing at it. I...I can't relate to that anymore. I'm sorry." The scowl on Yuffie's face faded away. Muscles easing, the ninja stood before the fighter with a shamefaced expression. Shoving her hands deep into her pockets, the ninja sighed. "This...isn't so much about the monsters, is it?" Tifa didn't say anything for a moment. Raising her gaze up at the giant screens, her face was washed in a faint blue light, the projected battle reflecting in her brown eyes. "Weren't we fighting for life, all those years ago?" the woman asked quietly. Yuffie bit her lip and stared down at her shoes. Tifa's eyes snapped back onto the ninja. "...Weren't we, Yuffie?" "What a brilliant finish by Mr. Kopel and Mr. Rex," The announcer shouted as the two men who were fighting left the Arena, "They finished in five minutes forty-six seconds! Amazing! I'll tell you folks, I have never seen a spear used in such an efficient way!" Tifa and Yuffie fought after that, beating Kopel's and Rex's time and advancing to the finals. However, the ninja was considerably less spirited, and rather than kill the monsters, as she had been doing up until then, she knocked them out like Tifa did. The woman smiled gratefully at the girl afterwards, though they had little chance to exchange words. "Another great win for our lovely lady team, Ms. Kisaragi and Ms. Lockhart! They managed to finish in four minutes and thirty-four seconds!" The crowd cheered, and Tifa and Yuffie waved. "They'll be competing against Mr. Reno and Mr. Rude in the finals! As Ms. Kisaragi and Ms. Lockhart managed a slower time than their competitors, they will be fighting first. We'll take a moment's recess to allow our fighters some rest...meanwhile, concession stands can be found-" Yuffie wiped the sweat from her forehead. "We've only got one more fight to go, Tifa." She said giving the woman a sideways glance. Tifa nodded. "I'll be glad when this is over." They walked toward the seats, where people were standing to get food and drinks. Sitting where they were before, the two sighed simultaneously. Tifa leaned her head back and closed her eyes, willing the pain in her side to go away. "Hey, Rusty?" Tifa opened her eyes slight and turned her head. Yuffie was smiling and leaning forward, her head propped up on her fists and her elbows resting on her knees. "Do you remember when I first met you?" Tifa raised an eyebrow and closed her eyes again. "Yes. I remember. You nearly killed me." Yuffie chuckled. "Yeah, I almost did...but you dodged that shuriken of mine." The fighter snorted. "Barely." "I sneaked up on you guys. You had really good reflexes to react at the last minute like that." Tifa shrugged. "I couldn't do it now. If you threw a shuriken at me, I'd be a goner." Yuffie shook her head. "I doubt that." "Ladies and gentlemen!" The announcer was back at the podium. Gradually, the spectators returned to their seats. "We are now set to begin the final round. If Ms. Kisaragi and Ms. Lockhart would just step up to the doors." Standing the two women did as asked, and the room fell quiet. Tifa fought hard not to stumble as they walked. At the doors, the two looked back to the announcer who nodded. "Your next set of monsters shall be an Iron Man," an image appeared on the screens of a large, armor plated giant with an enormous sword clutched in its large fist. Tifa's stomach clenched at the sight of it. "And a Pollensalta," A humanoid creature with long black hair and a green dress struck a sultry pose on screen, everything about her seeming normal except for her pointed ears and unusually large eyes. The announcer fixed the two women with a serious stare. "You have a choice of backing out now. Should you wish to continue, there will be emergency teams on standby if you need them. But I'll be honest. We can't guarantee your safety. Do you still want to fight?" Yuffie and Tifa turned to look at one another. The ninja raised her eyebrows in question, and the fighter nodded somberly. They had come too far to quit, and at the same time, Tifa simply couldn't bare the idea of facing Reno afterwards. Both turning to face the announcer, they answered in unison. "We'll fight!" Once again, cheers erupted from the crowd. The announcer had to shout to be heard, "Then good luck to you both!" Turning to the people behind the counter, he shouted, "Open the doors!" The doors opened, and the two women stepped through.
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