Pride 7

[Gradius]

Pride 7

Visitations and Lessons Learned


Airship Phoenix


Moving through the airship's corridors Schroeder acknowledged the salutes he received by passing or stationary personnel. Titan followed close behind, hunched slightly to avoid hitting his head on lights or lower hanging beams. Reaching his desired location he banged loudly on the metal door. With several loud CLANKS and then a squeak it was swung open by a youngish looking blonde.


"Is she in?" He asked shortly. The woman looked away for a moment...a moment that had Titan stride forward and push the door completely open. The woman cursed and punched at the large man who...surprisingly gently...simply lifted her up and set her down to the side. Schroeder strode inside. "Scarlet..."


"Doctor, to what do I owe the visit?" Scarlet sat facing away from a central table, on what seemed like a low chair, simply enjoying the view out of her room covering window. Viola stood, ever at her side, with a strained look on her face that confused the doctor.


"It is time for Tifa's examination." He said, marching up to the table, looking across at the blonde. "I was informed you had taken her from her room. Where is she?"


"Why, she's right here." Scarlet twisted around with a smile and tapped at her seat. For all he'd seen and been through, Schroeder still felt an odd lurch in his stomach when Tifa crawled from her hidden position behind the table. Naked, with Scarlet seated primly on her back, the brunette made her way slowly towards the door. "I've been slowly breaking her in.


Schroeder lay a hand on Titan, feeling the outrage radiating from the Esper and hearing the crackle of his clenched fists. He felt his own control slip when the woman rose and dropped a length of leather into his hand. He struggled with himself, spinning around with the leash to walk outside, only to be pulled up short.


Tifa still crawled on her hands and knees. Before he could say anything Titan lifted the woman and followed him out. "Doctor..." He rumbled.


"Say nothing..." Schroeder snapped, dropping the leash from his hand as if it were hot. He'd known what to expect. That didn't mean he had to like it.


*****


Airship over the ocean


"How are they?"


"Jess's finally passed out." Red remarked, absently massaging her nose. Yangus waddled close behind. "Eight's watching over her. Jo's up on the deck with Elena."


"I miss the days when the worst girls did to one another was spread nasty rumors." Cid grumbled, the grey haired pilot glaring out into the dark void of night. "Mebbe pulled out some hair on the odd occasion."


"Never took you for a chauvinist." The platinum haired blonde replied. "With the path your wife took and the friends you keep."


"If not wanting ladies to run around getting the shit kicked out of them, or beating each other black and blue makes me a chauvinist then I embrace it entirely." Cid retorted sharply. "Nuthin' wrong with a tumble now and then but some of you gals take it a bit far."


"The birds've 'ad a right 'ard time" Yangus retorted, scratching his pit. "They just need to 'ave a good ol' bubble and squeak."


Cid shot Red an exasperated look.


"They're both feeling down with Tifa and Yuffie going missing and just needed to blow off some steam." She translated helpfully.


"Just remind me to make sure and let mum and dear old dad know when we get back." Cid growled, turning his attention back to the outside. "Don't think it'd be a good idea to let those two find themselves alone for awhile."


*****


Airship Phoenix


Schroeder kept glancing absently at Tifa's face with each application of iodine. Not a twitch or even flicker of pain. When he'd agreed to Scarlet's plan he hadn't expected the result to be so dramatic. If not for the subtle rise and fall of her chest and occasional blinking of her lids you'd be hard pressed believe it wasn't a corpse on his table. Just to satisfy his own curiousity, Schroeder pressed his palm to her leg. Tifa's entire body spasmed at the shock he sent through her and he nodded in approval.


She wasn't completely divorced from pain or discomfort, which was good. And unfortunate in equal measure taking into account what the woman had ahead of her. Finally he wiped his brow, the doctor extended a hand for the syringe proffered by one of his attendants. A swipe with a piece of cotton, then a jab followed by another quick swipe. Done, he leaned back, gesturing at Tifa. "Get her cleaned up before returning her to her room."


"Shall I stand watch?" Titan rumbled.


"No..." Schroeder sighed. "This is part of our arrangement with Scarlet, my friend. Tifa is hers now."


*****


Two days later, Wutai


"Where is my daughter?"


Tseng winced, dreading the question. Seated on a comfortable mat the Shogun glared up at head Turk who cleared his throat. "We don't know," he answered slowly. "She was last seen fighting Alexander. Since everyone else was knocked unconscious they're not sure what happened."


"I'd say it's pretty obvious what happened." Mikoto, at Godo's shoulder responded, voice as cold as the frozen North from where they'd just returned. "Do you at least know where they've gone?"


"Their data banks were wiped clean." Andrea replied now, chin resting on steepled fingers. "We're effectively back to square one."


"More like minus three." Godo snarled, his fist leaving a hole in the floor. "Cloud, Tifa and my daughter! They've systematically removed three of our best pieces from the board."


"Perhaps, but they gave us several in return." Dio said, holding up a hand. He stared across at Barret and the Turks, the latter now wearing silvery bangles on their wrists. As well as a small bag on the table.


*****


Airship Phoenix


Suspended off the floor by her wrists, Tifa hung down limply, offering no resistance to the slaps and occasional punches delivered by Scarlet.


The blonde took a sadistic pleasure in circling the woman like a shark, never letting her know when the next blow was coming. But something was missing. Moving behind her Scarlet curled her hand into a claw, dragging nails across the younger woman's back. Despite the lines, there was little reaction outside of an initial spasm. At the front she grabbed Tifa's face, glaring into the girl's glazed eyes, pressing their lips together hard before biting hard enough to taste blood.


Her dazed and blank expression never changed. To the side her five blonde underlings and Viola watched on uncomfortably. There was a collective hiss when Scarlet snatched a hanging boob, biting down on the flesh. This got a reaction, Tifa crying out pitifully and squirming weakly as best she could, the ropes tearing into her skin.


"That's more like it!" Scarlet whispered loudly, grabbing Tifa by the neck and running a pink tongue up the side of her face, licking the salty tears. However, the brunette's gyrations soon halted again and her face returned to it's vacant outlook. Scarlet pinched the woman's breasts, working her nails in, trying to get another reaction. Finally, she released the pinch, stepping back pursing her lips in a clearly dissatisfied manner. Then she dragged down Tifa's top and snapped her fingers.


"Nina...Veronica. Take her back." Hastily, the chosen pair jumped up, managing to get Tifa down. She would have fallen if not for the support of the two blondes. Viola stared after them as they dragged the beaten brunette out the door. Turning back, she kept her face neutral, giving no sign at the angry look on Scarlet's face.


*****


"Maintain the current heading for ten minutes." Schroeder ordered. The bridge of the Airship was surprisingly sparse Cloud noted, coming up behind the doctor. "After which bring us around forty degrees. Pass us close enough to Costa del Sol to be seen at a distance."


"Setting a false trail?"


"With what they stole from us at the height of the attack, they may have had their confidence renewed." Schroeder replied shortly. "And I imagine they'll be even more furious now. With Leviathan AND Odin leading the charge we'd be hard put to repel them again."


Cloud started to say something then paused. With a blink he was back in his mind, staring up at his chained alter ego. "I felt that." He growled, ignoring Bahamut's rumble. "What are you hiding?"

Glaring down at him, the chained Cloud didn't respond.

"Shall I take us to visit Tifa?" He said softly, smiling at the other's lurch, jumping back to avoid the wad of spittle sent in his direction. "Imagine what our presence would do to her, considering her current state."

"How, by all that's Holy, are you a part of me?!" Chained Cloud strained against his bonds, Bahamut hissing loudly as a spike moved from his hide. "At my worst I was never as sadistic as you."

"You wouldn't know, because you made yourself forget." Cloud waved his hand disinterestedly. "I had to do many things in order to keep us safe. You chose to pretend they never happened after you met HER again. Wouldn't be much of a hero in her eyes if she knew the things we did for Shinra."


"What is it?" Schroeder demanded as life returned to Cloud's face. "What's wrong?"


"I don't know." He grunted. "He's hiding something...but I don't know what."


Spinning on his heel, Cloud exited the bridge and Schroeder was too busy thinking about what he said to hear the soft sigh from above him.


*****

<Wutai>


"This is fascinating." Odin rumbled. Barret winced as he felt the Esper digging into his memories again. "So you were there when the Outsider was vanquished. And the one that believed himself her spawn was also defeated. You mortals have come a long way since your split with the Cetra."


"Would you mind takin' it easy in there," the black man grumbled quietly. "We're discussin' shit out here."


"Discussing...shit?" Godo remarked cooly, glancing over at Barret. "Forgive me if my concern about our situation is unwarranted."


"No...sorry..." Barret rubbed the back of his head nervously at first, then his expression hardened. "Though I'd have thought you'd be more concerned bout yer missin' daughter."


"You have spent all this time with her, yet know her so little?" Godo raised an arm to discourage his escort taking offense. "She runs off, causes some mischief, then returns home, trouble in tow. I know my daughter as well you know yours. The only difference is yours is better behaved."


"All that aside, I find your current situation interesting." Rufus leaned forward, glancing across at the Turks then at Barret. "Why were you the only one to be joined with so completely. The others are using my people as simple foci."


Barret silent and the moment stretched as everyone waited for an answer. Finally...he shook his head. "Sorry. He's not really interested in answerin'. Says all the time we're wastin' on pointless questions is the farther away our enemies get."


"We have ships and people at just about every relevant point of interest." Godo stated at Cid's nod. "If they show up, we'll know."


"I've also sent people to all of our old, inactive, bases." Rufus continued. At his back, Reno glanced at his phs and looked at Tseng. At the long haired man's nod the redheaded Turk slipped outside, ignoring those that looked in his direction. "They have nowhere to hide and an Airship can only stay up so long without re-supplying. Even one as large as theirs."


"Speaking of that. We should get the fleet back to Gold Saucer." Dio rose from his seat. "There's no point keeping everyone on edge while we have no clue as to their whereabouts. We can refuel and rearm to be ready to go the instant we hear anything."


"No." Godo shook his head. "Stay here. You don't know when you'll get the call. You and yours will have full access to our services while you remain." Godo flicked a finger at Gorkii who nodded and slipped out. "And you, Dio...you, me, Mikoto and Andrea need to talk. Staniv will bring the latter to us."


*****


"She's only just gotten up," Shera fretted, blocking Andrea and Reno entrance to Elizabeth's room. Cid's wife was exhausted, having been dealing with the injured, but still stubbornly sought to guard her patients.


"Let them in doc, sis wants to see them." Vicky's growling tone was irritated.


"As the doctor I have to object, she's still weak and..."


There was a stomping sound and Victoria came up behind Shera, who whirled to face the young brunette. "What did you call my sister?" She hissed through clenched teeth.


"Stand down Victoria!" Andrea's voice was like a lash, and Vicky flinched away from it. "She is just doing her duty...just like we must. I will wait out here, but my young friend needs to see her. It's quite important."


Shera glanced at Reno. In that moment the Turk hated the woman, seeing the sympathy on her face. He moved past her quickly as she stepped aside, ignoring some mumbled platitude. Behind his back Andrea turned at Staniv's approach and nodded to whatever he whispered, walking away. In the room, Elizabeth was propped up in her bed and his eyes widened at her condition. She looked like a walking bruise. "I've heard..." he started, licking his lips and nervously playing with his new bangle. "That you wanted to talk to me. That you saw Viola?"


Elizabeth stared at him for a moment before laughing loudly. Which then turned into a hacking cough. "Saw her...yeah you could say that." The injured brunette gasped out. Grasping the covers the lowered them, displaying her naked chest. With a curse Reno started to look away, then jerked back with a kind of horrified fascination. The mouth watering monsters she normally proudly flaunted were badly bruised, and barely possessed any of the vaunted firmness she used to cow any woman that stood up to her...or when she challenged Tifa.


Just by looking he could tell it had been far worse, which was probably why someone as proud as her had avoided contact since being brought aboard. "What the...did...did she do that?"


"You should be proud," Liz shifted on the bed. "She got me good. Even with the pill she shoved down my throat I could barely hold my own. But at the end of it all, she made me an offer."


"An offer?"


"Yeah. She came running back through the room in a big hurry after disappearing for a bit." Elizabeth winced, sitting up higher. "Me and her, round three. Or would it be four...whatever. She promised to fight me again if I'd give you a message. Just two words actually."


"What?"


"Trust me." Elizabeth looked up at Reno as he stood back, hand twisting, twisting the ring on his finger. Mumbling as he talked to himself then, without another word, he turned and left. As soon as he disappeared Shera came back in the room, clicking her tongue and pushing the smaller woman into the bed while examining her coverings.


*****


<Airship Phoenix>


Tifa whimpered softly, hanging limply in Scarlet's arms. Hefted off the ground by the powerful blonde her breasts, not given chance to recover from the previous day were squashed against her chest by Scarlet's. Yet, far from happy, the woman bore a sour, angry expression as she released her hug to dump the brunette onto the floor. She glanced over at their audience.


"Hit her!"


The sound of flesh striking flesh was loud, as was the curse from Di who delivered the blow, clutching her hand in pain. From Tifa, however there was no response, despite the prominent bruise on her cheek. Barely clothed, the rest of her magnificent body also displayed discolorations to demonstrate her treatment and her breasts, normally so proudly defiant of gravity, hung loosely on her chest. However she retained the same blank stare, despite Scarlet's treatment ever since she was captured, and gave no sign of the obvious pain she must be in. Scarlet stared hard at the kneeling brunette, then extended a stockinged foot.


"Kiss it!" She ordered sharply. There was a visible tremor from Tifa, but the woman leaned forward to plant her mouth firmly onto Scarlet's toes. The blonde's face lit up in a bright smile, then darkened as a scowl crossed her lips and she abruptly lashed out, kicking the kneeling brunette. "Take her back to her room!"


Diana and Mitch roughly yanked the unresisting Tifa to her feet, hustling her out the door. "What's wrong?" Viola asked quietly, glancing pointedly across at Nina. The blonde stared back boldly for a moment before the defiant look gradually faded as the redhead exerted her Esper assisted will on the other woman.


Sighing in irritation, Scarlet waved her out, Nina moving quickly to escape. "You're getting used to them I see."


"Don't deflect." Viola watched as her friend marched past to stare outside the window. "You were always very talkative about all your plans for Tifa once you had her in hand. Now you act as if you can't stand the sight of her."


"I can't..." Scarlet's response was so quiet that for a second Viola thought she hadn't spoken. "She's not there...the fire she had I mean. When I look at her I feel nothing. No. Not even that...I feel..."


"Disgusted?" Viola suggested.


"That too. But it's more like...repulsed." Scarlet scowled, lips twisting as if the words left a bad taste in her mouth. "I can't stand the sight of her as she is."


"Sounds to me like your plan worked too well." The redhead stated. "You got your wish. You broke her. Now you don't know what to do with her."


"What?" Scarlet glared at Viola out of the corner of her eye.


"It was the fight...her violent rejection and drive that made you obsess over her as hard as you did. Hell...on some level you probably even got off on the beatings she gave you." Viola said bluntly. She turned to face Scarlet fully, the blonde marching up to her, ample busts bumping together. "Am I wrong? You were always more focused, more determined after losing to her. And then when you did win, she came back just as hard and determined to pay you back. That's what excited you."


"Drop it Red." Scarlet warned.


"That's what you were expecting. What you wanted." Viola continued, pushing against Scarlet, cleavages squashing together. "You want her hating you still. You want to see her beating the crap out of your girls in an attempt to get at you. You WANT her to resist. That's why we're friends, you and I...because I never kissed your ass. All you've ever been surrounded by is submissives, or those that gave up too easily."


"You don't know what you're talking about." Scarlet gritted out.


"How was it that you first got involved with Rufus?" Viola snapped.


Scarlet slapped her.


Viola responded with a backhand.


Wiping her lip as she regained her balance, Scarlet leapt at Viola, hands curled into claws that grabbed at her crimson hair. Viola's own hands sank tore out handfuls of yellow locks as they tripped and fell to the floor.


*****


She was uncomfortable...

Tifa shook her head slowly, trying to get relief from the nagging discomfort, the movement bringing two women into focus. Who where they? Why were they here and...why did everything...hurt...so bad...

Instinctively Tifa drew away from the edge, sealing herself back in the warm, safe space of Nibelheim. Everything was perfect here. Now if she could just find Cloud... "No..."

A woman appeared in front of her. An attractive...beautiful woman. "Tifa."

"No...you don't belong here." Tifa trembled, glancing at a window and catching a reflection, flinching away from her adult self. "I don't want anymore of that."

"Are you willing to just abandon your friends? To just leave him to them?" She said, floating slowly towards her, extending a glowing hand as Tifa pulled away. "You're stronger than that. You just have to remember..."

"NO!!" Tifa shrieked, pouncing on the newcomer. "I DON'T CARE! I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER! I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER!"

Banging her head onto the ground, Siren cried out as she felt herself being thrust away by Tifa's rejection, banished from the small section of her mind the girl had sealed herself in. She could only watch her partner sobbing brokenly, before collapsing as her mind reset.


"Dammit, pull your weight Mitch!" Diana complained loudly.


"Not my fault, bitch passed out." The stocky blonde grunted as the two hefted Tifa up to their shoulders, walking the woman now. "What the hell's the boss planning? She went through all that shit to get this cunt under her thumb, but hasn't even used her yet."


"Shouldn't I be asking you that." Di grumbled, then smiled slyly as the other woman's jaw set, clenching in aggravation. "Oh that's right. You got replaced, didn't you."


"Keep poking bitch." Mitch growled. "I'll give you some of what I gave Nina!"


"Unlikely," Diana retorted, her voice rough. "But feel free to try. I haven't had a chance to kick your ass since we left prison."


"If I didn't already have plans tonight I'd take you up on that offer." Mitch snorted. She loved a good fight...but she loved a night of rough sex even better. And she had several days worth of frustrations to take out on Marcus. "But don't worry. I'll get around to you soon enough!"


*****


"Ungh!" Scarlet grunted, swinging a wild punch that caught Viola on the cheek, absorbing a punch of her own to the stomach. She grabbed the redhead, only for a knee to double her over and swung fist to send her skidding across the floor. Even as Viola attempted to follow up on her advantage she stopped when Scarlet raised a hand. "Ow, ow...okay...timeout, dammit!"


"You're just going through the motions, Scarlet." Viola panted. She felt better, the grinding guilt fading away in the face of a simple fight. "You're barely even trying. Is it that hard to accept that you never wanted a compliant Tifa?"


"You're making me sound like a masochistic freak." The blonde mumbled, spitting out a wad of bloody spittle. "I should be thinking up ways to make her life miserable, to grind home how I destroyed her. But instead...I don't feel anything. Every time I see her like that, I just want her out of my sight!"


"Guess what blondie, you are a masochistic freak." Viola said, sitting down next to Scarlet even as the woman shot her a look out of the corner of her eye. "And so am I. And so is Tifa. And many of the women in her sister's club. We get off on the challenge of taking on another woman who's as tough as we are. Can't tell you the number of friendships or straight up relationships I've seen develop at Jo's club. You remember Maria?"


"Big titted blonde you flipped out on me for squashing her tits?"


"The same." Viola nodded. "She and butch redhead got into it at the club. Can't remember how long it went for, but by the end they were bruised, Maria had a bloody lip...and they were making out on the mats in front of everyone. Sound familiar?


"I'm not in love with Tifa." Scarlet growled, looking horrified at the thought. "I don't care about a fight. I just want..."


"Them to know you're the better woman, yeah, yeah." Viola interrupted, repeating the line she so often heard. "And you not caring about fighting is a lie and we both know it. I still remember the look on your face when you beat Maria. Or when when you were telling me about your meeting in Nibelheim. But, fine then, not a masochist. A dominatrix precisely...probably."


"I would look good in leather." Scarlet touched a finger to lips that curled up slightly. "And I'm sure I could get my hands on a whip..."


"More to the point, you're honest enough with yourself to admit you DIDN'T beat her. Cloud did. And in her current state, you'll never get a chance to prove you could." Viola continued quickly. "YOU...you want to be the one break her. And now that you've been denied it you don't know what to do with her, or yourself."


Scarlet muttered incoherently to herself as Viola got to her feet and dusted off her rear. The older blonde hugged her knees to her chest, eyes glaring straight ahead unblinking. Viola watched her for a moment before adjusting her rumpled outfit and heading out.


*****

<Wutai>


Night had come and, on the deck of the newly christened Shera III four figures gathered.


"Their questionsss are tiresssome!" Reno/Terrato hissed, taking a drag on his cigarette before coughing loudly. With a look of disgust he hurled it over the bannisters. "And why doessss thisss one persissst in poisssoining hisss body?"


"Their...concern...is...understandable." Tseng/Golem spoke slowly. "The...Planet...is...slowly...healing. More...conflict...only...lengthens...the...process ."


"He, out of all of us, should understand this the best." Elena/Seraph said quietly. "Ramuh is one of the oldest of us and the closest in tune with the stream. His actions are concerning."


"You have been quiet for ssssome time." Reno turned to their fourth. Barret stood silently, arms folded across his broad chest. "What isss your take on all of thisss?"


"That something is wrong." Barret/Odin grunted. "That we have forgotten something. Everything in this feels wrong. Ramuh acting in this manner. Shiva, Siren and Alexander's feud. This ones friends were already powerful before merging with our kind. For them to still be imprisoned...also wrong, and very concerning."


"What IS concerning is that Ramuh is our opponent." The door to the deck opened and Nanaki emerged from within. Moving with an even greater feral grace and poise than usual he sat opposite the other four licking his lips. "He was ever the most restrained of us all. What must he have witnessed to decide on this path."


"Fenrir speaks the truth." Seraph nodded in recognition. "As does Odin. These are not the actions of the one we knew. If he has fallen, then we'll need to be ready. No matter who, or what, stands in our...where are you going?"


Barret strode between them, heading to the open door. "I've gotten soft." He growled, glancing over his shoulder. "Used to be I didn't care what the costs were to protect the Planet. I thought I was done with that life. But if what you're saying is true then I see no point in not using our most powerful asset."


*****

<Airship Phoenix>



Viola sighed to herself, shutting her cabin door lightly, food tray firmly in hand. Tifa was still unresponsive and Cloud... She was so confused. Cloud never even visited Tifa's quarters or even came close to it. He...Viola's head shot up at a whisper of a sound. "No luck?"


"If not for Tifa's condition, I'd consider just letting Leviathan lose and damn the consequences." Yuffie hissed, dropping down from a vent over the redhead's bed. Eyeing the meal, she grabbed a small loaf, tearing off a chunk with her teeth. "What about you?"


"They still don't trust me enough to allow me into the cockpit." Viola replied, sitting and buttering the bread left for herself. "And Tifa's still not...one sec...you try that again and I'll shove you into the same cage with Faye."


"They still giving you trouble?"


"They don't like going against Shiva. It's like constant shrieking of children at the highest pitch imaginable." Viola winced, rubbing her temples. "I'm lucky that she's rarely with Scarlet now or she'd...oh. I'm so sorry."


Yuffie's face twisted at the mention of Shiva. The sight of the blue skinned woman was a shock in and of itself. Seeing her with Cloud had made her vision go red and her movements in the vents had seemed very loud to her ears. "Remember to stay out of it when it kicks off." The kunoichi growled. "Scarlet already owes me a pound of flesh. What she's done to my friends only adds to that tally."


"I'm the one who offered, remember." Viola reminded her, rubbing her palm. Her mind flashed back several days. Sprinting through the base's passageways only to get pounced on and shoved to the ground. The throwing knife at her throat made the redhead immediately quiescent.

"Where are they?" Viola shivered at the barely controlled fury behind Yuffie's voice. "I swear Vi, any games and..."

"Scarlet has Tifa." Viola gasped out and whimpered as the blade pricked her flesh. "Cloud is with her...he...he..."

"He's what? If you've done something to him the fact that we were friends won't matter a damn!"

"They...they got a recording of Costa de Sol. The night you and Tifa stayed at Rosa's place." Viola felt Yuffie's hold on her loosen at a sharp intake. "They edited it...and played it in Cloud's cell on repeat for days. It drove him mad until he finally snapped. He...he's working WITH them now."

"LIAR!" The knife was back at her jugular, trembling with some emotion and the redheaded woman remained completely still. "Cloud wouldn't...he'd never...I don't..."

For a second the girl's weight on her back slackened and Viola suddenly bucked, dislodging the kunoichi, crying out as the knife sliced across her cheek. She rolled and came to her feet. Yuffie stared across the room at her with cold eyes and Viola recognized death there. And more. Suddenly all the rumours weren't just rumours and she realized, with a sick feeling, that Yuffie was quite possibly far more dangerous than Tifa ever was. She had rules. Right now...Yuffie had none. "He believes that it was Tifa. Scarlet's been encouraging it, making him believe that this wasn't even the first time. They found his one weakness...and my line in the sand."

"What are you on about?"

"I can help you get on board the ship. From there I can help you can work to rescue Tifa."

"And why would you do this?" Yuffie demanded warily, twirling the knife in her hand. "If you want to help, then just head outside and let the Turks take you."

"Because I owe it to them. To Tifa, to Cloud and even Scarlet." Viola said bitterly. "I thought I could get through to Scarlet. That if I helped her have her fight she'd get it out of her system. But Cloud was right. The more they fight, the more she wants to fight. What she did to him...even I can't excuse that. Maybe if I'd tried harder to get through to her..."

Yuffie said nothing for a few seconds, ignoring Viola's self-recrimations. Then walked forward. "Hold out your hand," she said roughly. Hesitantly, Viola extended her right arm. Grabbing the wrist, Yuffie slashed the palm deep enough for blood to flow. Viola gasped in shock, but before she could act, Yuffie flipped the blade and grasped it firmly in her own. Blood leaking, Yuffie let the knife drop and held Viola's hand to allow their fluids to mingle. Pulling her in close, Yuffie whispered. "If you betray us, I WILL kill you before anything else. Friend or no, only my children can rival the love I have for him...for both of them."


"I've already made up my mind." Viola continued, sitting down on her bed. "I still consider Scarlet a friend. And because of that I have to do this."


Yuffie shot her a look, no doubt judging her for calling Scarlet a friend, before shoving the last piece of bread into her mouth and slipping back into the vents. Viola sighed and stared at her tray. She wasn't really hungry, but forced herself to eat. She'd not know when she'd need the energy.


*****


Cloud woke up to a chill. Rolling his eyes in irritation he gently shoved Shiva to the side and rose to sit on the bed edge. Rubbing his face, hands froze, fingers parted for flashing green eyes. Growling he stood, slipping on a uniform before padding silently into the airship corridors. Already familiar with the layout it only took him five minutes to reach his destination. There were no guards, her inactivity allowing them to be assigned elsewhere. Not that it mattered to the blonde man, his focus solely on the woman in the room.


In the same position as when she'd been first tossed in there by Scarlet, Tifa's eyes remained blank and unresponsive. No...there was a flicker there when he'd first looked inside.


Grunting in irritation, Cloud blinked...and found himself in Nibelheim. Old Nibelheim...really old Nibelheim. It took him a second to recognize the shops and the people. This was even before he'd left for Midgar. There was laughter and he jumped to the side to avoid a group of children.

Emilio, Lester, Tyler...Tifa.

"It...wasn't...her..."

Cloud glanced around, missing the moment Tifa stopped and slowly turned to stare at him. He blinked again, and now floated outside the vision where a battered looking Siren hung. "Looks like someone's been pushed to the side."

"She didn't...didn't betray you." Siren spoke haltingly. Cloud cocked his head, considering her condition. Tifa hadn't used Siren since being brought on board so... Cloud raised an eyebrow. Siren was supporting Tifa while the woman was in her listless state. Admirable...if he'd still cared. "It...was me. I took control. I...caused...it."


Cloud merely stared...and then he was back outside. He kept his gaze locked on Tifa for several moments longer. Just to see her head rise to look at him. Her hands to reach for him. Maintaining the eye contact he turned and walked away. He could hear her soft cries, just as he heard the raging screams from his other half. He staggered, hand against the wall to support himself and coughed violently. Blinking, he felt moisture along the side of his face and growled in irritation.


*****


Shiva woke, reaching for Cloud, only to find him absent. Sitting up, she stretched, armor clinking as it formed along her torso and floated out into the main hall. She could feel the eyes of the other humans as she drifted past, but ignored them, making her way to the canteen. "I thought I'd find you here."


"Shiva, join me!" Titan sat at a table stacked with plates, attacking a platter of meat and vegetables with gusto. The chef behind the counter watched on with a proud smile. "Mortal foods have come a long way since I was last out."


"It was always your fists or your stomach wasn't it." Shiva chuckled lightly, glancing around the room. It was empty save a few that maintained their distance. "You wouldn't happen to have seen..."


"Nope. Not since the two of you left earlier." Titan answered quickly. "He isn't very sociable, I've noticed. Have you tried the engine room? He and Phoenix seem to have something of a connection."


"You know I'd rather avoid there." Shiva retorted, reflexively exuding a chill at the thought of being close to Phoenix. "It reminds me too much of Ifrit."


"Huh...haven't heard anything of the flamehead since getting out." Titan looked up sympathetically. "Maybe he just needed a break. He is only mortal, remember."


"Oh, that is of no consequence. Believe me." Shiva smiled. She patted Titan's shoulder affectionately before dissipating to explore the ship faster. Titan nodded and returned his attention back to the plate.


He paused briefly at a sudden surge of mana, then shrugged and resumed.


*****


<Wutai>


"DIE BITCH!!"


"I'd heard the stories." Dio said calmly, ignoring the loud SPLAT of flesh striking flesh. Like any normal man he enjoyed watching a good fight. Catfight even. But it still hit slightly different when it was your daughter. Even if said daughter herself enjoyed taking part. "They really are quite similar."


"EAT SHIT, CUNT!"


"I wouldn't recommend telling them that, but yes. Though usually Tifa or Yuffie can keep them from going too far." Rosalind replied, leaning back in her chair. Trapped in a headlock, Jessica suddenly snarled and bit down hard on the arm around her windpipe. Joslyn squealed and retaliated by biting the redhead's shoulder. Rosa immediately jumped to her feet. "Keep it clean you two. Don't make me come in there."


"STAY OUT OF IT YOU OLD BAG!"


"YOU WATCH YOUR MOUTH OR I'LL CLOSE IT FOR YOU!!"


"JUST TRY IT FLOPPY TITTED WHORE!"


They were in the Wutai mansion's underground arena. The tension at both Tifa and Yuffie's disappearance had been building. Joslyn and Jessica were on edge and tempers frayed. Red already had several bruises preventing them from humiliating themselves aboard the airship or in public. On the outside they blamed the other for their friends' disappearances but Rosa had seen this before.


In reality they blamed themselves and were looking for someone to punish them for it. Which was why she suggested they take some time off in while in Wutai. She knew what would happen. After they disappeared she gave them half an hour then moved to the old mansion. No fool, Dio had also noticed they'd disappeared, and followed close behind.


In the ring, Joslyn and Jessica attacked each other in a frenzy, little of the skill they'd shown in the Northern base on display. Covered in various bruises and scratches as well as several bite marks they fought bitterly and without restraint. A vicious uppercut from Jo knocked the smaller Jessica to the mats. Rolling under the taller brunette to escape a stomping foot, the redhead yanked her legs out from under her, then cracked a foot across Josyln's face.


Rolling with strike Jo came back, snatching at Jessica's ponytails and spinning the girl around, screeching, before flinging her into a corner of the ring. Like her brunette rival, Jessica was quick to her feet, charging back at Joslyn who also rushed to meet her.


"Is the other story true?" Dio glanced at the attractive redhead out of the corner of his eye. "About you and my Josy?"


Rosa tensed at this, and for the briefest of moments considered brushing it aside, Dio's reputation as a protective father well known. Then she shrugged. "Yes. Does it bother you?"


"Bother me?" Dio chuckled openly, leaning back and folding his arms across his broad chest. "My dear, who do you think it was that caught her when she first decided to try experimenting? I'm relieved she's finally gotten it out of her system. Not to sound cruel, but I'll be blunt. You are not the first she's used to scratch the itch, but there is only one person than can lay claim to her heart. We're all just waiting for the young fool to realize it himself."


The panting cries from the young women in the ring distracted him and turned back in time to see Jessica throw a wild punch. It was slow, but the bigger girl was clearly tired and the force of it sent, Joslyn against the ropes. Equally worn, the smaller woman rested hands on her knees breathing heavily instead of taking the advantage presented to her. By the time she drew back to her full height, Jo had lumbered back into her, forcing the redhead back into a corner as they locked up, strength against strength.


"Fair enough," Rosa said absently, feeling a bit put out, but at the same time feeling a kind of petty joy at how he didn't know that she was largely responsible for that. After all, without her expertise Cloud wouldn't have become as adept at love-making as he was. "I do enjoy fooling around with the ladies, quite a lot actually. But my appetites in general are pretty standard. What about yours?"


"As you would expect." Dio cocked his head, again glancing at the woman. He caught her also looking at him from the corner of her eye without looking away. His lip curled. It had indeed been a long time, and he could see why his daughter had felt an attraction for the woman, letting his eye fall obviously to her heaving chest. "Though it gets quite tiresome to find those that understand one night is just one night and not have...larger ideas."


Rosa nodded and gave him a small smile in return. At the same time Jessica collapsed under a weak punch from Joslyn. Rolling onto her stomach she groaned as a panting Joslyn sat high on her back, grabbing her ponytails and pulling. Crying out she reached an arm back, digging her nails spitefully in Jo's leg. Dio heard Rosa give an exasperated sigh, and he rose even as Rosa got to her feet and squirmed under the ropes to approach the pair.


"You two finally done feeling sorry for yourselves?" She snapped loudly. Jo and Jess turned tired faces to stare in her direction. Joslyn wiped away a thread of blood from a split lip while Jessica rested her head on the canvas. "Good, just so you know, Yuffie and Tifa are going to get a full report when we rescue them. So I imagine the two of you are in for an earful."


"That was quite the show. I see why my girls hold you two in such high regard."


"Took you long enough." Dio turned. Andrea stood at the entrance with Vicky at his side. Behind him stood the Rufus and Turks as well as Red XIII. "How's Elizabeth?"


"Recovering, but it'll be awhile before she can step back on the stage. Or onto the mats."


"So what brings you here?" Rosa asked, leaning over the ropes. Vicky glared up at the older redhead jealously, shifting herself to be slightly in front of Andrea. The mature raised a crimson eyebrow, but otherwise didn't react.


"I...we decided that perhaps you needed to know some things. Not the more sensitive material, but what might be necessary." Andrea replied, looking around the room. In the ring, Joslyn and Jessica wearily got to swaying legs, unconsciously supporting each other before shoving apart to be on opposite sides of Rosalind. "Especially considering what happened in the control room."


The three in the ring looked to Dio, who shrugged and spread his arms. "It's easier to tell a story once than multiple times. Though we are missing some."


"Barret and Cid went back to Gold Saucer." Elena said, shooting Joslyn a concerned look, before narrowing her eyes in Jessica's direction. "Vincent and Shelke went with them. Said he had something to get before we did anything else."


"He wouldn't..." Dio muttered, then nodded to himself. "But it would make sense. Anyway...Andrea, if you would."


"What I'm going to share is something that only Cloud up to now has been allowed to know. To start with...that old man we faced in the base, Schroeder..." Andrea paused, then shook his head as if dispelling a memory. "By all accounts he should be dead...if just from old age. The fact that he looks like he's barely aged...and the magic he flung at us means we have something else we're dealing with."


*****


<Somewhere over the ocean>


Clicking his tongue in disapproval, Schroeder monitored Tifa's condition from his station. Lying on a table the attractive brunette remained unresponsive as a pair of technicians, female for obvious reasons, snipped off her dirty clothes and scrubbed her body of the filth that had been coating it. Tubes ran into her body, feeding her intravenously. It wouldn't do to have it fail even if she wanted it to.


To his side stood Alexander, eyes watching, taking in everything. It amused Schroeder somewhat to see the young Esper's eyes drawn to the unconscious woman's breasts, the nipples stiffening in the cool, and between her legs. Guess Scarlet was good for at least one thing when it came to educating him.


"She's ready, sir."


His head rose at the call, nodding, pulling open a drawer at his desk. Carefully he removed a syringe then, as an afterthought, pulled out another. Siren would no doubt be ravenous after the last couple of days. At her side, he made sure his assistants had tightened the straps holding the woman down, found a pair of veins and swabbed the locations before quickly sliding in the needles. Even before he pressed down on the second Tifa moaned lightly as her body relaxed, even filling out slightly, Siren still prioritizing her weakened host.


At soon as the second was emptied her eyes flashed open and she tried to grab him, struggling against the restraints. "You are quite a difficult creature to get a hold of my dear."


"What did you do?" Siren demanded. "Do you have any idea what the Life..."


"Benefits of advanced technology." Schroeder said calmly, ignoring her squirming movements. "I would think you'd be grateful at my help. What with Tifa's recent behaviour."


"Spare me your pity." she spat, twisting her head to pin Alexander in a furious stare. "Everything that's happened is your fault. And I..."


"I do not recall being there and forcing you into copulating with that woman in such a manner." In a glittering swirl of frost Shiva reformed near the table. Siren hissed furiously, bucking furiously at her fellow Esper's presence. Schroeder shot her an exasperated look. "And I certainly didn't edit the way you were clearly enjoying yourself. Who knows. Maybe your precious Tifa enjoyed it as well."


"Shiva..." Siren growled, her restraints creaking ominously. "When I get free I'm going to scatter your essence to the four winds. I'll...


"Enough. Shiva, leave us." Schroeder ordered. "Your presence is only making things difficult."


Shiva glared at Schroeder and couldn't resist a parting shot as she disappeared. "Don't worry about Cloud. I'll be taking good care of him. It's only fair with what he did for me."


Siren screamed, tearing an arm free and snatching for the snowflakes left behind. Alexander leapt forward to hold her down. Scrambling back to his desk, the doctor ready a fresh syringe filled with a tranquillizer. Risking infection he simply stabbed the needle into her thigh, pressing down on the plunger. Even with the high dose it still took almost five minutes for the distraught and enraged woman to finally relax.


"You need to keep your sister away from her." Schroeder growled through gritted teeth, pointing at the pale haired Esper, then gesturing to his helpers. The women rushed forward with a fresh outfit for Tifa. "Their actions might've captured her, but it's all but expended any goodwill she had. Convincing her is going to be beyond difficult."


*****


Crawling through the Airship's innards, Yuffie couldn't help but again be awed by the size of the ship. The ducts alone were big enough to allow her to crawl easily and even turn if need be. Which was a good thing because she was still mapping out their entirety.


"Take her..."


Yuffie froze at the voice. Moving quietly she approached a grilled vent. Looking down she spotted Alexander, handing Tifa over to a pair of guards. Tifa's handling was firm, but not rough, given how she never struggled and simply went where guided. Yuffie clenched a fist as one guard's hand was placed on her friend's rear.


"You think that blonde'll hand her out at some point?"

"Don't get your hopes up. What I hear is that she takes her for a ride on the daily."

"Waste of a fine piece of ass if you ask me."

"I didn't and I don't intend to. That bitch scares the fuck out of me. The way she looks at you...ugh. Besides, those other blondes give it out easy enough."


Yuffie clenched a fist...debating if it would be worth making a move now...then quickly dismissing it. Even with Leviathan, travelling across the water would be difficult. Best to wait till they were over land, and hopefully near somewhere familiar. Gritting her teeth, she instead slipped down a ductway that led away from Tifa's cell.


In the corridors below the guards paused when they saw who was waiting in front of Tifa's door. "And where have you boys been keeping my property, hmm?" Hips swaying Scarlet strutted to and around the three, smiling at the discomfort on the face of the men. Pausing in front of Tifa she carefully palpated the younger woman's chest and leaned in close to her face. "I like what you've done with her, but I'll take over from here."


"Sorry ma'am, but our orders were to..." He was immediately silenced by a manicured finger to the lips.


"Ssshhh. She. Is. Mine!" Scarlet firmly took Tifa's arm, pulling her away from the two men, supporting her easily. "Your boss will tell you the same. You can both leave, I will be watching over her tonight."


Exchanging looks the two troopers warily backed away, turning one last time to catch the possessive kiss Scarlet gave Tifa before shoving her into the room.


*****


"Well, well, well." Scarlet murmured, patting Tifa down, feeling the renewed curves of her young adversary's body. Pulling down the top, her hands lingered the boobs that fed her jea...rivalry with the girl, kneading at the suddenly firm orbs. "What did they do to you, my dear, to produce such results?"


No response. Tearing her eyes away from the mouth watering sight, Scarlet tilted Tifa's face, peering deep into the girls' eyes. Nothing. Scarlet's jaw clenched, a deep fury building up inside of her, slapping Tifa hard to fall onto the bed. "Miserable little piece of trash. You will NOT deny me my triumph!" Scarlet snarled, leaping onto the downed brunette, wrapping her hands around the woman's neck. She squeezed hard...it would be so easy...but Tifa's expression never changed.


With a whine of impotent fury, Scarlet slapped Tifa hard...repeatedly, tearing off her fresh top to get at the boobs she girl had always...always flaunted. Grabbing the orbs she tugged them this way...and pulled them that...looking for something from Tifa. Some indication that she knew what was happening and who was doing it to her. One, final slap set the girl's jugs jiggling and Scarlet rose, turning away. Resting her hands on the sink, she took a deep breath to calm herself, looking into the mirror. Smiling at the young face looking back at her Scarlet patted down her hair and adjusted her outfit. "I can wait...we can wait. She can't hide forever. And then...and then..."


It was a whisper of a sound, but Scarlet whirled around sharply. Gagging at the hand around her throat the blonde's legs kicked wildly as she was lifted off the floor. The hate on Tifa's pretty face ugly and out of place. Scarlet grabbed the fingers digging into her neck, but found them immovable. Slammed against the wall, Tifa's face loomed closer. "If not for the fact that she'd want to finish you personally I'd just do the deed myself!" She hissed spitefully. Choking, Scarlet tried to speak, tried to summon Shiva, but found her connection blocked. Then, the pressure was gone and she sank to the floor.


"Let her come. I will deal with HER personally, and with great pleasure." Siren spat, abruptly backhanding Scarlet onto her side. Eyes watering the blonde twisted around to spot Tifa strutting to the bed, laying down, while keeping their gaze locked. "Count your days mortal. Next time, I will not restrain her from ending you."


*****


Tifa yawned, tired. It had been a long day, especially dealing with her friends. They were starting to act differently. Looking at her strangely, a lot of the teasing between them less friendly, more cruel. When she'd asked her father...her father...

Tifa clutched her head, suddenly finding herself crying. What was wrong with her?

"It'll be okay..."

"Crying doesn't suit you."

Her head jerked up at the voices and recoiled at shapes made out of light. Clearly female one had a long ponytail down her back, while the other had one high on her head. She knew those silhouettes, shrinking away from them. "No...no, no, no, no..."

Turning and breaking into a sprint the girl fled, unwilling to deal with what they meant.


*****


Scarlet returned to her quarters, taking a moment to collect herself, clutching her arms to prevent the shaking. The blonde tasted the emotion, fear not something she was accustomed to, but was surprised to find that's not what had her shaking.


Anticipation.


The thought of fighting an unrestrained Tifa, despite Viola's many vociferous warnings, had her trembling in an excitement that was almost sexual in it's intensity. She then felt a pair of cool arms around her neck and a pair of lips near her ear. "I sensed a danger." Shiva's voice was warm in her head, "Did she try anything?"


"Just Siren making a promise to, and I quote, take great pleasure in dealing with you." Scarlet replied, walking to a window, she heard a light clinking when Shiva's feet touched the floor. "It seems your roles are now reversed."


"I would have destroyed her if not for the interference of the others," Shiva flipped her blue-white hair, unconcerned. "She is of no concern anymore. Anything else?"


"She did make me more hopeful." Scarlet smiled. "She said the only reason I was still alive was because she didn't want to rob Tifa of the joy of killing me."


"Ah." Now it was Shiva that smiled, running her hands down Scarlet's curves, knowing the woman's moans were not just due to her caresses.


"Imagine if I could push her to cross that line," The blonde woman shivered in delight. "I would live forever in her mind after that. I can think of few greater victories."


"Let's avoid it if we can, though. I am enjoying my freedom, and finding a like-minded partner would take time I'd rather not waste." Shiva spun her partner around, planting a firm kiss across her lips. As the woman responded, she let herself flow into Scarlet's body, small blue tattoos forming across her skin. "Ah...now I see. For a second I wondered if you were accepting that you were unable to defeat her."


"Hardly, darling." Scarlet snorted loudly, sitting on her bed. "But if she did come at me with such intent I would be hard pressed, since I have no desire to finish her. Where would be the fun in that?"


Lying down Scarlet closed her eyes, slipping into the dreamscape where Shiva waited for her, when the Airship made an abrupt, sharp turn. Eyes flew open and she barely avoided falling off the bed.


*****


"There, sir."


Titan carefully accepted the binoculars handed to him by a nervous looking mortal. Squinting to focus on the point indicated he spotted a steadily growing dot that sprouted a pair of straight wings and a glint that could only be the sun reflecting off of glass. "Any idea how long he's been there?"


"Can't have too long, seeing as how we've only just descended from cloud cover. It's possible he's just as surprised to see us as we are of him."


"Just got lucky huh," Titan lowered the glasses to glance down at Cloud. The yellow haired human stared hard in the direction of the offending scout. "Never underestimate just how much luck can be a deciding factor in a conflict."


"Quite true." Titan agreed. "What do you make of it?"


"Nothing. I'm trying to figure out something myself." Cloud grimaced, massaging his temples. "I can feel something...something wrong. No...more like familiar. It comes and goes and is proving to be quite annoying."


"Are you saying there's a danger close by?"


"Possibly...though possibly not. I have a feeling this has something to do with myself and Tifa." Cloud shrugged. "It's gone now...again. Do you want to tell the doc, or should I?"


"I'll go, you keep trying to solve your problem." Titan paused. "Better you figure it out or one of us do it for you."


Cloud smirked at the subtle attempt at a threat, then frowned. His other self clearly knew something and was keeping silent. Bahamut seemingly did as well, just as he knew Cloud wouldn't move against him personally...not yet anyway. He was having to devote too much energy to keeping the coward chained.


Perhaps helping them capture Tifa had been a mistake. Her presence galvanized his other self. Love...Cloud hawked and spat, ignoring the looks the crew gave him, knowing someone would clean it up, spinning around and returning to the corridors. The coward didn't understand that it was something the bitch gave easily and when it suited her.


But then again he noted...passing through the general quarters, his SOLDIER hearing picking up a muted squeak accompanied by fierce grunts behind one of the doors...everyone else was the same. Give and take.


And he was done giving.


*****


"Stay...stay away!" A young Tifa sat on her bed, back to the wall, hands over ears. "Go away!"

"We can't do that Tifa," The gentleness in the voice made her cringe. She couldn't be here. She saw...she'd watched...Sephiroth. A familiar light giggle. "Oh Tifa...dear, dear Tifa."

"Told ya, she'd turtle up. Always did it whenever we played Fort Condor."

She shuddered, twisting around slowly, squinting as the figures slowly came into focus. Tifa gave a sob at Aerith's serene smile and the cocky smirk from Jessie. They looked unchanged, as if the the last nine years hadn't past. "How...how are you..."

"If I'm honest, I'm not sure." Aerith gave a shrug. "I felt a calling and then I was here. Guess the Planet still has plans for me."

"Same thing here," Jessie leaned against her wardrobe. "I was hoping maybe I'd get to mess with Biggs or Wedge. Instead I found myself here, and you moping around in this...place. It's not bad if I'm honest. Guess you had that tomboy vibe even as a kid."

"This is not where you need to be Tifa," Aerith gently stroked the girl's hair. "They're all still out there. They're going to try and fight again, but this time will be their last chance, though they don't know it. And with Cloud against them..."

Tifa burst into a fresh paroxysm of tears at Cloud's name. "But it's my fault," she wailed. "Because I let Siren...because I kept pushing him...I didn't...I...!"

She wasn't expecting to feel the slap, but nonetheless the stinging shut her up. Sniffling she glared, wide-eyed up at Jess who stepped back. "You calmed down yet?" she said casually. "Cause I wouldn't mind doing it again."

"Jessie..."

"No, she needs to hear this." The red bandana brunette snapped, squatting near the child-like Tifa. "I hated you for a long time you know. Everyone accepted you so easily, even those that knew your reputation, knowing that it would draw attention. Me? I was the girl from up top getting a thrill out of slumming. Even after we became friends it was hard not to feel jealous with just how quickly people warmed to you."

Tifa glanced guiltily at Aerith, seeing the girl blush at the mention of her...reputation. "I always figured you'd known about that," she sighed. "Did you tell...you know..."

"No, despite how much I resented you, I still respected you. And there're some things a girl never talks about...you might want to tell your sister that." Jessie gave a wan smile. "Tifa...I tried to steal Cloud from you. Aerith here could've tried too if she wasn't such a goody two shoes. Only difference would be that she'd actually have had a chance."

"She wouldn't have needed to try." Tifa mumbled as much to herself as the other two. "I could see what they had. And maybe it would've been better for him if..."

"Don't you dare finish that," Aerith's gentle voice took on a steely edge. "Tifa, no matter what I felt for Cloud, or what he felt for me. At the end of the day his eyes were always towards you. Whatever they've done to him will not last. And when he breaks free, he'll need you to stop him from doing something he'll regret."

"I...I don't know. All I've done is screw up because I can't control my temper when it comes to...HER!" Tifa spat, bitterly. "I let her goad me into a fight when I should've been looking for Cloud. And M...Mikoto was right. I treated him like...HEY!"

"If I'd known you'd be this pathetic I wouldn't have bothered trying to play nice." Jessie growled, clawing Tifa's shirt from her body. She gasped, recoiling, only to feel a familiar weight. Glancing down she looked over her, once more, adult body. Staring into her mirror, the Tifa that looked back was the same that ran the Seventh Heaven in Midgar. "I wanted to do this for a long time, only now, there'll be actual consequences other than just bragging rights."

"What are...OW!" Tifa gasped when the lighter haired brunette rested a knee on the edge and swatted her breasts with her, now uncovered, boobs, knocking the woman off the bed. Suddenly light on her feet Tifa scrambled, retreating from her friend. "I don't want to do this, Jessie. Not with you."

"Too bad. Because I've wanted to since we met. Besides...check this out!" Jessie squinted and Tifa felt a slight tremor. To her shock she realized it was her arm. "That's right. If you're not gonna do something and save him, then I will. And who knows where it'll go from there."

Tifa grunted, jumping away as Jessie swatted her tits again, the pain shocking her into caution, circling away warily. She knew her friend's measurements since they'd occasionally shared clothes. Much like her sports bra Jessie's outfit concealed the fact she had a decent pair of guns that, while not as large as her own, were not that much smaller. She glanced over at Aerith to see if the flower girl would try and stop her, but instead she just leaned back...watching.

"Tifa...I'm not entirely sure what the Planet wants." She said quietly as Jessie bounced up and down. "But I know this. Your biggest weakness is this need to do things on your own. In that regard you and Cloud are exactly alike. But you aren't alone. There's no need for you to bear everything on your shoulders alone."

Tifa wrinkled her nose at the statement, turning back to her other friend. "I don't want to hurt you, Jessie."

"Still have some confidence. Good. I always wanted to know how I stacked up against the former Queen of Midgar" The brunette gave her generous chest a wriggle, not noticing how Tifa's face darkened. "Pity it's under these kinds of circumstances. But don't worry. I'll make sure to give that bitch Scarlet the lesson in pain you always held off...uuhhnnn..."

Jessie took a hasty step back when Tifa's boob connected solidly with her own, the flesh sliding past to have their nipples bend, then spring back. Hence the sharp moan. "I hated that title even when it was relevant." The heavy chested brunette growled, giving her spike a secondary flick, making it swell even further. "The amount of glory seeking bitches I had to hustle out to avoid making a scene..."

"Yeah, you're welcome." Jessie smirked. Tifa cocked her head curiously. "I took more than a few of the especially stubborn ones back in the alleys. Quite a few put up a decent fight though, considering your reputation, I don't suppose you'd be surprised that more were interested in slinging tits than baring the claws."

Tifa snorted, narrowing her eyes. Abruptly their surroundings changed and Jessie glared around at the sound of raucous cheers. Her eyes widened, patting her hips, rear then head, feeling the bunny tail and ears props. Opposite her Tifa strutted to the center of the cage they were now in, clad in a two piece catgirl costume that was skimpy enough to be pretty much pointless.

"I'm not fighting in my hometown, not again." She stated loudly, reaching behind her back. The tiny top came free and Tifa let it fall to the ground, her heavy monsters bouncing and rolling with their freedom. "If we're doing this, it's going to be old school."

"Have to say...never thought I'd see myself in one of these." the lighter haired brunette remarked, twisting around to look at herself. A light SNAP and Jessie stretched out her hand, top in tow. A flick of the wrist and it floated to the canvas covered floor. Her own boobs, as large and round as Tifa remembered, settled high on her chest. "Also never thought I'd ever get my chance at you, so I'm not going to complain."

True to her words, Jessie didn't waste time circling or engaging in any trash talk. She simply rushed forward, almost catching the girl by surprise, boob flying through the air to smack solidly against Tifa's. The massive orbs seemed to hang in the air before recoiling and unbalancing the two. But, as if it was the gunshot to a race, both women darted forward, swinging, slamming, pummeling the rapidly swelling glands together with an incredible fierceness.

Sitting primly in the crowd Aerith covered her ears at the roar as the busty friends stood in the center of the caged ring, battering their boobs together with surprising force. The audience's shouts were now punctuated with loud SMACKS and meaty SPLATS along with yelps, squeals and cries of pain.


*****

<Wutai>


"He had been in charge of the medical needs of those of us that entered the arenas, as well as caring for those being groomed to take over upon our retirement." Andrea explained. He rested a hand on Victoria's head, the woman's face twisting and hands curling into fists. "He was good at what he did and, for a time seemed beneath notice."


"But..." Rosa prodded.


"But...things changed after the plate fell on Sector Seven." Rufus ignored the stares he received, Reno and Rude coughing. Andrea continued. "He became colder...more clinical. It coincided with our shift from focusing on private activities to more world shaping events. Less about pitting your personal best against that of another and more about the world stage."


"But isn't that what you always did?" Joslyn said, breathing heavily. "At least, that's what sis seemed to think."


"Despite what she might've thought, no. That was a pretty recent change." Andrea smiled. "Think of it as a personalized Gold Saucer for, very, exclusive clientele. Folks with more money than sense, that got a kick out of watching others beating the crap out one another in every way imaginable."


"Every way?" Jo now turned her gaze towards her father. Dio coughed and looked away. "Are you insinuating that if we had taken him out when we had the chance..."


"No. For all his faults, Schroeder was clearly just another cog in the machine." M now spoke up. Arms folded over her chest, the Wutai masseuse stepped forward.


"Could it have been just an act." Rosa mused, while staring hard at the exotic, dark haired woman. Mikoto was someone she knew about, but rarely interacted with, even back in Midgar. Now, running eyes up and down the woman's figure she could see why Tifa had so much trouble with her. If not for Scarlet she could envision M being her prime rival. Recognizing what Rosa was doing Mikoto matched stares and sparks flew between them. "From what we've been told the Espers were clearly deferring to him. How sure are you of it?"


"Very. I knew the man quite well." Mikoto felt the tightness she always got before a fight. Oh she knew who Rosa was, and had been. Just like she was ninety percent sure that the brat and her had fucked, probably more than once. Which only served to make the Wutai woman more convinced that she was the right woman for Cloud. Though...admittedly...she wouldn't mind rolling around on the mat with the woman for a bit. She rarely got to fight women her own age. "He was kind...in his own way...and I don't see him changing things in such a manner. Also...we know who we're dealing with...more or less."


"Ramuh." Nanaki now stalked forward, sitting on his haunches, speaking in a lower, more feral tone. "Quite possibly the oldest of our kind, and one ofthe most powerful. He was also especially fond of mortals and spent most of his time with them."


"Wait...that makes no sense." Joslyn now spoke up again. "If he loves us so much then why is he running a gambling ring on how whether or not we'd survive?"


"Who knows." Nanaki shrugged as best he could, the change in tone indicating it was him talking. "Our new friends' hope is that maybe he's being controlled somehow. Because going up against him is not something to be considered lightly. Especially with both Alexander and Diabolos with him."


*****

<Airship Phoenix>


Yuffie could feel herself getting frustrated. As well as uncomfortably horny.


It had been a day since she'd last checked on Tifa and, for the first time things seemed to be looking up. According to that doctor her color...was better...even without another round of injections. She didn't want to even think of what they were putting inside her friend, but right now...she had another issue. The most comfortable, and safest place for her to rest and snatch a few hours of sleep was in a section of the ducts that ended in a T-junction near Viola's room. Unfortunately this was also close to the rooms of the higher ranking troops and officials on the airship. And every one of them seemed to have someone to attend to them at night. The rooms were supposedly sound proofed, but the noise filtered into the ducts. And there was a LOT of noise.


Yuffie moaned to herself at the constant screams, cries, shouts and sounds of couples engaged in coitus. Some were passionate, sounds of affection that tapered off to soft murmurings and kissing sounds. Most...however...were aggressive and violent, sounding more like the couple were fighting rather than fucking. Threats and curses preceding climaxes that sounded like they were forced from the recipient.


Seeing no other way, the kunoichi bit down on her hand, while the other slipped into her pants. It was not the preferred solution, but it at least would grant her some relief to snatch a few hours of sleep.


"Yuffie." Twisting around the young woman glanced down into Viola's room, seeing the woman sitting on the edge of her bed, wrapped in a blanket. As their eyes met she shrugged it off, letting it slide back onto the mattress. She was naked underneath. "That's not healthy. Come down."


In a split second varying emotions flitted across Yuffie's face. Outrage, disgust, lust and desperation. Viola's expression softened. "It'll just be between us. Between friends." She whispered. "It's not just you. I need...I need help too. Please."


Going through headfirst the short haired kunoichi flipped down to stand awkwardly in front of the naked redhead, before slipping off her own clothes and crawling into the older woman's embrace. They never kissed, that was taboo, but coupled with a careful urgency that had them moaning in delight or whimpering with relief as they came again...and again. Yuffie felt a kind of sympathy as Viola cried out Reno's name repeatedly at the height of her pleasure. However she never saw Viola's eyes widen, nor did she remember, as she cried out Cloud's name over and over, the redhead clinging on for dear life.


*****


Tifa grunted fiercely, Jessie's left boob caving in slightly as she slammed her right against it. Jessie gritted her teeth with a hiss, hurling her own right hard to smash against Tifa's left, setting the orb jiggling. Staggering all along the length of the cage the former Avalanche members hammered their battle reddened glands together mercilessly.

Beating their boobs together eagerly neither noticed as their arena changed, the sound of the crowd fading, from the cage in the slums to the Junon cannon. Adjusting their footing to accommodate the slight curve of the barrel they simply fought on evenly, pounding the orbs together with increasing violence.

A loud, liquid sounding PLOP and Jessie squealed, staggering. A retaliatory swipe made Tifa grunt, then another meaty collision and the girl lost her balance, screaming as she started to go over the edge. Horrified, Tifa grabbed for her, pulling the other brunette into a hug even as they started to fall.

"OOOFF!"

Both grunted as they landed in what seemed like an overgrown field, bouncing lightly on the crackling, dry grass. But once the shock wore off they simply held each other tighter, rolling deeper into the brush. Stepping lightly, Aerith followed the grunts of the embattled women and the crunching sound of the turf and snapping of bush branches. There was another surprised yelp and thump, sound ceasing for a moment.

PLOP...SLAP...WHAP...

Reorienting herself, Aerith moved quickly, then came to stop, arms waving wildly as the ground abruptly dropped off. A pit she mused, catching her balance as Tifa and Jessie passed beneath her, covered in dirt and leaves, the latter smashing her boobs against the former with stunning force. She took a second to glance around at the surroundings. A graveyard?! Then, as Tifa furiously battered her friend into retreat, the area then swelled outwards as if a fog had lifted and suddenly she realized where they were.

Gold Saucer. Ghost Square by the look of it.

CLAP...PLOP. "What's the matter Jessie?" Tifa taunted, panting, hurling her breasts against the other brunette. "I'm hardly even trying here."

WHAM...WHAM! "That would explain why you're on your ass." Jessie retorted, looking down at a stunned Tifa. Putting a hand on her hip and the other on a knee she bent over the other girl, letting her mounds hang delectably, smirking. "Guess now we know would've ended up on the floor if Marlene hadn't interrupted us."

Tifa looked up, shocked. She'd forgotten that time. When Barret, Wedge and Biggs had gone off on a mission, leaving her and Jessie alone in Seventh Heaven. Jessie sniping at her over the course of the day. Tifa's temper finally snapping and throwing a glassful of whiskey into Jessie's face. Things would've gotten ugly if a sleepy Marlene hadn't wandered to the front, both brunette's yanking back hands that had strands in them.

"Maybe..." Tifa replied, kipping upright, rubbing the dirt from her sweaty rump. Lips curled slightly, then bloomed into a cocky grin. "But now there's no four-year-old to save you."

"I think you have that backwards." Jessie teased. Ten heavy sounding slams later she found herself in the position Tifa had been in, staring up wide-eyed.

"Still think so?" Tifa replied, sucking in a breath and shoving out her chest. Jessie only smiled widely, leaping back up and rushing her bosomy friend, boobs flailing, crashing together and crushing apart. Several minutes later, Jessie fell again with a pained shout, rolling with the momentum before curling to her feet and pushing herself off the mats.

Mats?

Aerith looked around and found the arena had changed again. Now they were in a carpeted room, with the center covered in series of mats surrounded by chairs. The long haired Cetra shrugged and settled down in a seat while Tifa and Jessie continued to pound their seemingly equal tits together stubbornly. A mistimed blow and Jessie stumbled, grabbing hold of Tifa to maintain her balance. When the dark-haired brunette tried to push her away she only wrapped her arms around her neck, thrusting out to slam all four weighty orbs together. Tifa shouted, throwing her own arms around the other woman, driving her own tits against Jessie's.

Heaving their boobs together brutally, squealing into one another's face they beat the teats with savage impacts that set long, toned legs wobbling. Jessie gave an audible snarl, thrusting out her rear to get some extra oomph behind her swings. Tifa gave a sudden moan and her arms slipped down Jessie's body to just under the shoulder, pulling the girl into a tight hug. Jessie struggled, frustrated at losing her advantage, before her own hands dropped to lock in the small of Tifa's back.

Heads fell forward, bumping foreheads as jaws clenched and muscles tightened, the pair squeezing their breasts together in brutal comparison. Slowly they dropped into a squat, sweat running down their bodies in rivulets, then onto their knees, never letting up the pressure.


*****


"Well?"


Schroeder examined Tifa's body from head to foot, probing delicately, peering carefully as he studied the slumbering young woman. Finally, he peeled off his gloves, taking hold of a syringe and giving her another injection.


"WELL!" Scarlet repeated loudly. At her back, Shiva floated, glaring at the body on the table. Unseen by any but her and the present Diabolos, Siren hung over Tifa's still form, eyes fixated malevolently on Shiva. The Dark Esper was forgotten, his presence just a safeguard.


"She's perfectly healthy. I can't find anything wrong with her physically." The doctor turned walked back to his desk, the two nurses attending to washing Tifa's body. "Mentally...I can't say, that's not my area of expertise. But since Siren is still with her it can't be anything life threatening.


Scarlet glowered at the woman on the table. It had been almost two days since Siren had seized control of Tifa's body to attack her, but now even she was entirely unresponsive. Oh she was there, Scarlet knew. Making the mistake of wandering into the room with Shiva at her back, the Ice Queen had abruptly disappeared and Scarlet had fallen to the ground, struggling to breathe. The last thing she thought, before passing out, was how ridiculous the floating bed looked.


Upon awakening she'd learned that Siren had immediately attacked Shiva, the two of them turning Tifa's room into something resembling an arctic wonderland, their battle damaging that section of the airship. Finally separated by Titan and Alexander, one of the three now kept a constant vigil on Tifa's body to keep Siren under control.


On an impulse she reached a hand the grab a full breast, squeezing it experimentally. Her head jerked back as if shot, leaning in closer, her deep breathing causing a dark nipple to stiffen. Shoving aside one of the attendants she peered closely at Tifa's face, twisting it left, then right. "You once said that Tifa and Siren were probably incompatible as a reason to her not receiving much in the way of benefits...correct?"


"Or that she was probably just rejecting them." Schroeder shrugged, coming up beside her. "Why?"


"Because it seems those reasons are now invalid." Scarlet shivered in delight at how Tifa's face appeared youthful, the stretch marks from giving birth fading, the veins on her boobs disappearing beneath glowing, firm flesh. Spinning around, she marched quickly out the door, Shiva following close behind.


"Well...you were pushed to this point weren't you." The doctor remarked quietly to something he knew was there, but couldn't see. "I wonder...if we were to give her to you, would you be more receptive?"


In the passageway, Scarlet marched through the bowels of the ship, yanking over Alexander's door before slamming it shut. The pale faced Esper, put down the book he'd been reading, staring at her expectantly as she shrugged out of her outfit. Sitting down firmly in his lap, she pulled his head into her chest. "Worship them!" She ordered. His mouth immediately went to work, swallowing as much as he could, tongue flicking a pink nipple and lapping around what he held.


Scarlet moaned in delight...in expectation. Alexander kissed his way across to the other breast, hips jerking slightly. The blonde smiled at the repeated pokes from the tent in his pants. Grabbing his hair, she pulled his head back till he could look at her. "Let's go to bed," she said roughly, smiling as he shot upright, lifting her with him. Dropped onto the bed she stared hungrily as he undressed. "This is your graduation, boy. Fuck me till I tell you to stop!"


Up on the deck, a shirtless Cloud twirled his sword in rapid arcs, feeling the burn as his muscles loosened from the exercise. Even while doing this he felt the invasion and sighed.


"What are you doing?" He demanded, unable to hide an obvious reaction to Shiva's unclothed form. She gently floated up to him, under Bahamut's shadow.

"What do you think?" She flew around him, fingers pressing lightly to his outfit. "Scarlet's busy with my brother. I can feel what he's doing to her. What she wants him to do to her."

"By the Planet, don't you two ever get enough." Cloud grumbled, amused despite himself. Was it an effect of the Mako?

"Says the mortal capable of keeping up with an Esper." Shiva purred, giving one final flick of a finger, Cloud's frozen clothes shattering and falling from his body. She quickly pounced, kissing him deeply. "I've heard of your exploits. You are quite the prize, lover."

Behind the kiss, Cloud's eyes narrowed. Prize, was it. Roughly he twisted her around, shoving Shiva against Bahamut's hide. Sneering, he glared up at the other Cloud's pinned form as he began thrusting hard into a happily squealing Ice Queen. "Do you understand now?" He pulsed upwards. "This is all we are to them."

*****

<Wutai>


Victoria sat quietly next to her sister's bed, watching the slow rise and fall of her breathing. Even after all these years, the idea that her sister could get manhandled to this extent never ceased to amaze her.


"Damn cunt...fucking cunt!" She muttered to herself. It was all that cunt's fault. Ever since Scarlet appeared the club had been going downhill. They had been the two queens of the Honeybee, Viola's bullshit notwithstanding. Then that blonde cow had shown up and ruined everything. Constantly pushing her buttons, not knowing her damn place. Bitch even, somehow, managed to beat her in no holds barred mudwrestling, then set Lizzy's sights on Tifa. After the beating Liz had given Viola, Victoria viewed the trip as pointless. There was no one that could match her sister, and they should've just moved onto to pounding the blonde bitch black and blue.


Tifa beat Elizabeth in a tit and catfight.


The women brutalized each other beyond anything Vicky had ever thought possible. While it had started off promising, her sister dominating the brunette, and professional it soon degenerated into a brawl that had the two top heavy powerhouses savaging one another. Even while fighting Joslyn under the ring she could hear the barely human snarls and screams as the older siblings went after one another. But at the end it was the other woman worrying her sister's boob like a dog did a chunk of meat until she cried for mercy.


She still remembered her sister's screams...her begging, BEGGING, Tifa to stop. She'd never heard Liz sound like that. So weak. So powerless. So...beaten. Even worse, on a personal level, was the first of her many beatings at the hands of the younger sister. No matter how many times they fought, no matter how many times they savaged one another, the girl always came out on top. Once she was number two...something she could tolerate, being below Lizzy. But now she had numerous women, all whom she despised, ahead of her.


That little rich, daddy's girl, bitch Joslyn that taunted and mocked her at every turn.


Her little ninja cunt best friend. That despite her diminutive size, Yuffie could fight like she did made Vicky want to kick a Chocobo chick.


And the whore Mikoto. The only woman, other than Joslyn, that could say she beat Tifa. Always looking down her nose at both of them, even recently just dismissing Lizzy when she confronted her.


But it all went back to the blonde whore, bitch, slut. Victoria's hands curled into fists. If she had never sent them to Wutai, her sister would never have gotten obsessed with Lockhart. She'd not have been humiliated, not once, but twice and the two of them would still rule the Honeybee, regardless of location.


Victoria rose from her seat. Last she heard the cows were spending a lot of time in the same underground arena. Hopefully they were still there, because she badly needed to hit someone. If they hit back, even better.


*****


<Gold Saucer>


"Mr. Wallace, this is most irregular!"


"You don't need to tell me," Barret growled, marching down the hallway of Dio's mansion with Vincent and Shelke, Albert moving rapidly behind them. "But I'm done marchin' to their tune. They wanna bring in da big guns. Well let's see whos is bigger!"


"Still, I require our master's permission to open the door, much less even be in this area of the mansion."


"Albert, I repect ya man. You got yer priorities." Barret never stopped. "But I have mine. They've taken two of my friends an' one is missin'. So either you open it, or I break it down."


"Dio will hear about this." Albert warned, moving rapidly in front of the group, not wanting to risk the black man going through with his threat.


"Would surprise me if he hasn't already figured it out," Barret grunted. He took one more step and felt a painful surge of mana that stopped him in his tracks. Bending over he retched, grabbing hold of the wall, growling angrily. "It's me, ya Planet damned bastards. Don't care what beef ya got with the other guy, but we need your help. Now!"


For a moment the pain continued, even seeming to increase, before sullenly dissipating. Panting heavily, Barret waved off Shelke's attempt to help him up. Gritting his teeth, he strode past a concerned looking Albert into the room where the stone pulsed an angry red.


*****


<Wutai>


Dio woke like he always did, instantly alert. Sitting up, he gently released Rosa who mumbled and rolled onto her side. Oh she was indeed something. He could definitely see why his daughter would get infatuated with her. Swinging legs off the bed he pulled on his shorts, padding out into the corridor.


"Sneaking from the scene of the crime?"


Spinning around Dio caught Joslyn leaning against her doorframe staring at him, clad in a familiar looking blue shirt. The words were accusatory, but the slight smile on her lips lessened the tone. "Considering what I've seen in the last couple of days I'd rather not have an angry daughter looking for my head on a platter."


"Don't worry. If she tries anything I'll deal with her." Jo started to say something else, then thought about it. "I like her you know. Rosa, I mean. She's a lot of fun."


"Yes, she is indeed." Dio remarked drily. "I imagine you had a lot of fun too."


"On the mats, you old pervert. You know what I'm talking about." Joslyn sighed. "I mean...even though Jess would be part of the package...you could do a lot worse."


"Are you suggesting I bring home a woman that you, by all reports, quite enthusiastically sampled?" Dio raised an eyebrow. "Would I have to worry each time I got called away?"


"Come off it, If I thought she was anything like that I'd be the one in there looking for a head." Jo punched him lightly. "I'm being serious, dad. Jessie aside, you could give her some thought."


"The two of you already fight like sisters. If we made it official I think you'd kill each other." Dio chuckled quietly as Josy's face reddened. Then he sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I don't think she's looking for a husband, baby. Just like I'm not looking for a wife. I think we're both past that point."


"I don't think so, and I doubt mom would too." Joslyn replied, hugging the shirt to her body. "There's something to waking up beside someone and knowing there's no other place you'd rather be. Or person you'd want to be with. That's why...Cloud...he has to be..."


"Sshhhh," Dio quickly pulled his daughter into a hug at a soft sob. "If there's one thing I know about Cloud for sure is that boy never lets anything get in his way. Wouldn't surprise me if he's wreaking havoc on that Airship as we speak."


"And sis too," Jo sniffled. wiping her face. "She'll be kicking ass an' making them regret it."


"That's the way," Dio said, gently angling the girl back to the bed. "Now back to bed. You'll need all your energy for the beating Jessica probably has planned for you."


"We agreed on a truce tomorrow. Red called Victoria out and if it's one thing we can agree on, it's watching Vicky get pounded." Joslyn smiled up at her father, reaching up to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Night dad."


"Sweet dreams babygirl." Dio said, quietly shutting the door. He turned, feeling her gaze on him, to see Rosa leaning up opposite her room.


"Either you're one hell of a father, or my girl is just a rebellious hellcat." She remarked, the light gown doing little to cover what she had. "Why don't you rejoin me and we can discuss it."


"Fatherhood or Jessica?" Dio asked, letting her take his hand. Only fair he let her take the lead now since he'd led the first dance. She smiled up at him, running a finger down his face.


"We can think about it afterwards."


*****


Tifa had no idea how long they'd been fighting. Time had no meaning here. Squeezing each other for what felt like hours, boobs squashed firmly against the chest wall, swaying back and forth. With a deep gasp of effort, Tifa got one foot down, then cursed as Jessie wrenched to the side, dumping them onto the mats. Once grounded supple bodies plastered together, wrapping up even tighter, thrusting and mashing their breasts together feverishly, rocking wildly.

"Titties...sore?" Jessie gasped out heavily, rolling the fiercely resisting Tifa under her, letting her weight bear down on the woman. "Better quit, before I break 'em!"

"Why...don't...you!?" Tifa groaned, struggling, as she slowly forced Jessie onto her side. They hung there for several heartbeats, swatting their awkwardly hanging boobs against each other until Tifa exerted herself. The lighter haired brunette cried out as Tifa completed the roll, grinding her monsters into Jessie's own impressive jugs. "Or they'll be mush when I'm done!"

Grunting and growling the pair rocked back and forth, neither able to maintain the top position long enough to accomplish much. Instead they made their way, gradually, from one end of the mats to the other, then back again. Tifa squealed and Jessie yelped, wrestling their breasts strongly. The compressed orbs piled together thickly, glistening in the sweat that dribbled profusely down their owner's bodies.

Tifa blinked salty droplets from her eyebrows, another running down her nose to drip across Jessie's cheek. She locked eyes with her former Avalanche compatriot, bodies tense as their muscles pushed against one another then...she smiled. Tifa blinked at the genuine smile that lit up Jessie's face and eyes and abruptly she dropped her head giggling.

Jessie chuckled.

They both burst out laughing and Tifa rolled off Jessie, the two lying side by side her foot resting on the aspiring actress's shin, boobs quivering. "Damn...when did you get so strong?"

"What? You don't think they let me into Avalanche just cause of my good looks and amazing personality?" Jessie laughed, sitting up. "I mean...I had to have some confidence in my abilities if I tried to push your buttons."

"Makes me almost wish I did take you up on it. Geez...reminds of the first me an' Josy had at it." Tifa grinned, glancing around, finally noticing their surroundings. "Kinda appropriate setting I suppose. We had an incredible fight in here."

"Now you're making me jealous." Jessie remarked, getting to her feet and extending a hand to Tifa. "Now I'll have to give you an even better one."

Tifa beamed up at Jessie, feeling more relaxed than she had in a long time, despite her ragged appearance. Accepting the offered hand she let herself be pulled upright the women quickly jumping apart. "You're off to a good start, but she's my sister. Think you can fight better than a Lockhart?"

"Why don't we find out!" Jessie smiled, twisting her body to the side. A pair of false starts and their breasts came together with wet SPLAT, the sweat that had gathering there spraying through the air. Rotating slowly, the brunettes hammered their tits together forcefully, each collision making the glands quiver and collapse in on themselves with the force. Still smiling, Jessie reached out to grasp Tifa's hips in a gentle, but firm grip.

Likewise Tifa's hands, strong enough to crush rock to powder if so inclined, reached out to hold Jessie's hips steady as their torsos began to pick up speed. She also maintained her smile, fresh sweat gathering on their brows.

Air began to hiss out from between teeth and smiles straightened out as they began to attack each other with increasing fervor. Hands fell away to now rest on their own hips and legs spread as the pace now increased to a frantic melee of bouncing, flailing, jiggling bosomy violence.


*****

<Airship Phoenix>


Cloud stared sullenly in Tifa's cell, studying his wife's condition. Something was definitely going on in there. Each time he attempted to enter her mindscape Siren immediately repelled him. He narrowed his eyes focusing through Bahamut, seeing Siren floating above Tifa's body.


She stared back, an array of emotions behind her expression. Misery and pain, love and need, anguish and rage. She reached out a hand to him, her eyes now pleading. Cloud cocked his head, raising a hand to his temple, turning away with a grunt. "She's hiding something." He growled. "Some...one? Is that what I...no. She's gone. If she wasn't I'd know!"


Up in the vents Yuffie crawled carefully. She'd already sealed away the previous night in the vault of her memories. It had been simply an act of necessity. Nothing more. She froze upon hearing Cloud's mutterings. Seemed Tifa was getting better. "Wish I could see properly," the kunoichi mumbled to herself. But that was impossible since Leviathan had sealed herself deep in Yuffie's psyche to avoid detection. Which meant she couldn't try and contact Siren.


Instead she paused over the grate, staring down at her friend. Seeing Tifa sleeping was at least better than watching her staring off at nothing. But she was sleeping a lot. Nodding to herself, Yuffie moved on, continuing to study the ship locations and it's crew. And hope that wherever they were heading they'd get there soon.


*****


They were in Wutai. The underground arena to be exact. Hammered up against the ropes Jessie fell back, almost out of the ring, only held up by Tifa quickly yanking her back inside. Spinning back to the center of the ring Jessie nodded at her, then jumped forward again, breasts beating together in crushing impacts. For an interminable length they battered each other...slamming one another on staggering legs across the ring.

Tifa suddenly realized her danger and swung her boobs frantically, trying to angle herself away, but Jessie delivered a brutal blow, left to right, knocking her against a corner post. Groaning, her eyes opened in time to catch Jessie jumping into her, tits first, and she screamed in expressive pain. Not yet done, Jessie grabbed the ropes and repeated the move, this time aided by extra momentum, and Tifa slowly sank to the apron.

"Get...get up Tifa." Jessie ordered roughly, stumbling back on shaking legs. If that move hurt her that badly she couldn't imagine how Tifa felt. But they weren't done yet. "I've waited longer than anyone else to fight you. Show me why everyone had you in their sights."

"Is that what you want?" Tifa growled, glaring up through watering eyes, hands curling into fists on the vinyl. She glared up at Jessie who folded her arms under her chest and bounced the full globes at her. She gave a hard smile. "Fair enough. If a beating is good enough for family, then it's good enough for a stubborn friend."

Lunging from the ground, she caught Jessie by surprise, driving the other brunette before her with savage lefts and heavy rights. At least she did till a solid counterblow from Jessie rocked her again. Rallying, the lighter haired brunette slammed Tifa back several steps before the determined dark haired brunette pounded her persistently until she tumbled over a safe with a shocked screech.

"So you've waited for this, huh!" Jessie gave another howl as Tifa jumped onto her with a meaty SPLAT! Instinctively Jessie's arms went under Tifa's pits to grab at the other girl's long hair and pulled. Tumbling off the metal box with a pained "OOF!" the pair rolled briskly until they hit the wall and kicked apart. Jessie got up slightly slower and barely got her guard up when a furious Tifa barreled into her pushing her into a corner again by the shoulders.

Jessie thrusted back, shoving her boobs against Tifa's and pushing the woman off. But that was only for a moment as Tifa leapt back into her, hands slapping together before fingers linked or grabbed at biceps. Shoved once into the corner Jessie cried out once more as Tifa battered her left boob repeatedly against her right until the girl went limp and sagged downwards.

"Do you get it now?" Tifa gasped, releasing the older brunette. "You can't beat me Jess. Not many can. And those that can, can't do it often."

Jessie merely shook her head, rising back to her feet and lumbering at Tifa again. Breasts splatted together, causing pain, both women crying out openly now. Fifteen hefty blows and Jessie spun around to land on her side.

But still she got up again.

Long brutal minutes, but what felt like hours, the pair made countless breast blows. Once Jessie dropped to a knee, but quickly bounced back up, almost knocking Tifa's tits into her face before resuming slugging their tits together. Then she went down again. Collapsing forward onto her hands and knees, entire body trembling.

Still...she rose stubbornly once more. Staggering towards Tifa, the darker haired brunette grabbed her as she made a clumsy swing, holding her gently.

"No more, Jess." Tifa murmured softly as she felt her friend making soft thrusts into her boobs. "Let's stop this. You're right I can't stay here. Even if he hates me, I can't leave him with them. Anyone else would be better than Scarlet.

"You really are a tough sell, you know that." Jess mumbled tiredly. She gave Tifa a wan smile before resting her head on the girl's shoulder. "But I'll take it. Really thought I had a chance...Tifa...I wish...I..."

"Jess?" Tifa felt her friend stiffen, then shouted as her breasts were catapulted fully into her face, this time, sending her stumbling. "What are you...!"

Jessie was staring behind her, white-faced. Tifa spun around to spot the wall length mirror of the Highwind's gym room. After being surprised at the fact that she was clad in her skirt, not in binkini bottom, she swung back around at Jessie who was staring wide eyed at the mirror. Then she blinked...and blinked again, before backing away slowly, staring into a pair of dark, reddish eyes and pretty face she recognized. How could she not...it was her own after all.

"Hello bitch!" It said, then threw itself at her.


*****


It was a low pitch sound. Those closest were the first affected. A sudden headache and nausea that rapidly grew worse. Then it became a sound they could actually hear and people began dropping unconscious, bleeding from the ears. It spread throughout the airship increasing in intensity until everyone on board could hear it. Even the Espers weren't unaffected, clapping hands over ears ineffectually, moving through pitching corridors to the source of the sound.


Close by, Yuffie curled up into a ball, wondering if she'd screwed up and they were doing this to flush her out. As the torture continued, increasing in intensity, she decided they were just looking to eliminate her.


Cloud stumbled, vomited, dragging himself along the floor. He'd been staring out the port window when the headache hit. Then the pilot and everyone else collapsed to the floor, screaming while holding their ears. Then it hit him, a high pitched scree that knocked him to the floor almost as hard as Sephiroth did. The ship tilted, without someone holding the wheel. Spitting the foul taste from his mouth, the blonde man fought the vertigo assaulting his senses, pulling himself up the wheel, turning to, what he hoped was a stable position.


He could see the blackness on the edge of his vision when the sound abruptly stopped. The sudden cessation of noise caused him to void his stomach again as he found himself suddenly stable again. His last act before passing out was to pull the lever, put the Phoenix in a fixed, stationary orbit.


In Tifa's room, she fell to the floor with a THUMP, a shell of ice covering her mouth, Shiva moaning, dissipating back to Scarlet to recover. Beside her Alexander, Diabolos and Titan all lay unconscious in the hallway. The ship was effectively defenceless. For now. On the bridge Cloud's fingers twitched.


*****


Grunting and squealing and cursing two Tifa's staggered around the shattered Shinra Towers. Perfectly identical, impossible to tell apart until one looked closer. One had eyes of chocolate brown, the other a more reddish coloration. Likewise, their choice of dress mirrored that with one's skirt being black, the other, again, red. Finally one shouted, shifted her grip from a bearhug to left the other under her pits and toss her to the ground. Immediately pouncing on her downed doppelganger, Tifa's hands went around her throat.

"Who are you?" She demanded. "What are you?"

"I am what you see me as," the downed woman smirked. "I'm Tifa."

A punch smashed into her face. "Try again!" Tifa snarled, sitting on her doppelgangers stomach, delivering another power blow. She glared around their surroundings. "Scarlet! I know you're involved in this somehow. Show yourself you cowardly cunt!"

When no response came Tifa cursed furiously, continuing to smash her fist into the one that looked just like her...until she didn't. "Sis..." Josy croaked. "It hurts. Why..."

"Jo..." Tifa flinched away, falling off her sister's body. "What was I..."

"HAH!" With a lunge, Tifa now found herself on the ground, pinned by a widely smiling Joslyn. "You always were so easy to manipulate."

"Josy...get off." Tifa squirmed desperately. "Fight it...they have Cloud! We have to..."

"Save him? Oh don't worry we will." Joslyn smirked, fingers snaking around Tifa's throat. "But we don't need you. After all, Cloud's way to good for someone as used up as you. I mean, you couldn't even keep your panties on once you got to Midgar. Me and Fie...we gave him our first times. Why do you think he can't bear to look at you right now!"

"You're not my sister." Tifa's face twisted into angry snarl. Her knee came up and the woman holding her down eyes crossed before the brunette pulled to fling her up, and over. "Josy's competitive, but not cruel. She helped Cloud and I make up when we had our fight."

"That was just to stay in his good graces." Rushing at Tifa the sisters locked hands in a test of strength, boobs squashing between them. Joslyn glared into Tifa's eyes, jealous hate reflected in the grey lenses. "I could have had him then. It would've just been between me and Fie, and I don't mind sharing with her. You? Why don't you just stay here and mope and let someone that'll stay loyal to him take care of things!"

"I AM LOYAL!" Tifa shouted, butting her sister and pulling her into a hug. With an angry grunt she then let herself drop, with Josy breaking the fall. "I'm not the one fucking other people. I'm not the one having children with three different fathers. He's all I want...all I've ever wanted. And I won't give him up! I WON'T!!"

She screamed as Josy's head went low biting hard at the protruding titflesh, grip loosening enough for her to be flung to the side. Kiping back to her feet Tifa spun around to find Mikoto glaring across at her. "You? Where's Josy!?"

"It doesn't matter what YOU want! You don't deserve a man like Cloud." Mikoto spat, voice carrying the disdain it always did when Cloud was involved. Tifa recoiled warily, then shook her head. They had informants everywhere, and Mikoto was as subtle as Ultima Weapon. "You whine about him being with other women...who the fuck started that in the first place? Having kids...Yuffie ASKED for your PERMISSION! You pass him around, you use him as a prize to fight over, it's a bloody miracle he didn't grow tired of your shit before now."

"Back off you handsy cunt," Tifa warned, trembling in outrage and a desire to sock the bitch. She needed to figure out what was going on. "None of this is your business. I'll deal with you another time."

"After I'm done rescuing him I won't even need that fight you've promised me. But I'll still hold you to it, if just to see the look on your face when you realize I'm not just the better woman in the ring...but in bed as well." Now that...that shook the girl to her core. That was in the middle of the night, with only Josy and Yuffie around. Unless one of them was a spy... "GHUCK!" Tifa grunted as Mikoto flew into her bearing them back until all she felt was atmosphere. They spun in the air and she screamed as the Central Midgar plate flew up to meet them. She felt another crash and they landed wrapped up the dirt. Dirt?

"BITCH!" M dragged her upright, slapping her hard, to which Tifa responded by grabbing her midnight black hair and dragging the masseuse to the side. Arms went over necks and they dropped to their knees, locked on a double headlock punching, slapping, grabbing and squeezing.

"WHORE!" Tifa swore, grabbing a hanging boob and pulling the orb to full extension. A punch from Mikoto dazed her. Another had her hand come loose. A final had her slump and M shoved her face first into the ground. Spitting out dirt Tifa started to rise only for the black haired masseuse to drop heavily onto her back, repeatedly slamming her head into the ground.

"Admit it Lockhart." Mikoto snarled, dragging back Tifa's face and spitting into it. "I was better than you from day one. Better fighter, better tits and better at sex!"

Tifa roared, bucking madly, then swinging around an elbow that cracked against Mikoto's cheek knocking her off. Twisting around in the dirt Mikoto snarled at Tifa who spat at the porcelain skinned woman before the pair came to grips again. Tearing at hair and clawing at each other's face, they occasionally hauled off vicious punches and slapped handfuls of dirt across one another's body in spite.

Cursing, Tifa hurled a clump of soil into Mikoto's face, causing the woman to cry out. A harsh slap, then punch closed her mouth and knocked Mikoto to the ground. Out of reflex, the woman also grabbed a handful of dirt and flung it where she believed Tifa to be, splattering against the younger woman's knee.

"The only reason, you beat me." Tifa snarled spitefully, marching up and kicking Mikoto in the direction of a wooden and paper building, the dojo of their second inconclusive fight. She dragged Mikoto up by the hair, spinning around and hurling her in the opposite direction. "Is because I hold back to not hurt you. I always do. I've only not held back for one woman and that was...that was..."

"Me..." Scarlet rose, smiling brightly as Tifa shrank away, anger giving way to horror. "What's the matter lover? Come and give us a hug!"


*****


All over the ship were the unconscious figures of the ship crew and passengers. The only sound aboard the Phoenix was the low rumble of the engine. That, and a low squeaking sound. Diabolos's body was pushed weakly to the side. Titan was too heavy to move, so he had to go around.


Clenching his teeth, Cloud pulled himself across the floor, into Tifa's room to where she lay. He could already feel his husbanded energy beginning to fade and knew he didn't have long. Still he pulled himself up to his wife, determination etched onto his face.


*****


"KYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The air rebounded with the loud impacts of flesh against flesh, accompanied by feminine screams. And laughter. Breasts slapping together with a hollow CLAP Tifa and Scarlet staggered each other across the cannon, pounding the swollen glands with violent abandon. The dense, heavy orbs squashed and flattened together with the repeated impacts. Both women yelped and cried out with each collision of their breasts, but the voluptuous Scarlet steadily appeared to be taking control.

Tifa flailed her dark brown hair desperately as she thrust her massive boobs against her blonde tormentor. Scarlet, however, swung her large breasts at her brunette rival with increasing violence, her laughter mocking Tifa's frantic cries. The confident blonde continued to hammer the brunette, who's lithe legs quivered and shook with each weighty blow.

A final hard left to left boob impact and Tifa rose onto her toes, and would have fallen if Scarlet hadn't caught her. Wrapping her arms tightly around the tired woman the blonde kissed her furiously, shoving her tongue deep into the brunette's mouth, uncaring of the danger. Coming up for air, she smiled at Tifa...and squeezed. The girl wailed at this new torture, but gamely threw arms over Scarlet's shoulders and hugged back as best she could.

"Hm hm hm hm. You feel as good as you taste good sweetie." She heard Scarlet say as she dragged a long pink tongue up the side of her face. Squirming together frantically, shoving their tits against one another, Tifa groaned as the blonde's solid boobs squashed heavily against her own firm breasts. "Oh yes, I felt that. Did you? My beautiful boobs're flattening your oversized sacks again."

"In...your...dreams," Tifa sweated, wrenching her torso from left to right, pressing her tits against Scarlet's with each move, the larger orbs struggling to flow over the paler boobs. Scarlet only laughed and Tifa felt that fear...that uncontrollable horror that had hit her upon the woman's appearance. "I've always beaten you when it mattered you old bitch. And I'll do it again."

"Not always when it mattered!"

Tifa screamed. Not as her breasts were penetrated, but when Cloud appeared behind her blonder terror. His look of betrayal and bitterness was like a knife in her heart and she hung limply in Scarlet's arms once more. Unable...uncaring to fight anymore. What was the point?

"Yes..." Scarlet cooed, running her lips across Tifa's, lifting the girl off the floor. "Just give up. Why waste time in a useless endeavor. In here I can make you feel good. No more pain...no more jealousy. All you have to do is accept it."

Tifa said nothing and Scarlet's smile grew wider, pulling the brunette closer, while sneering up in Aerith and Jessie's direction. Unseen Tifa's two friends shouted and pounded on the barrier preventing them from aiding the girl. And before their horrified eyes she began to sink into Scarlet's body, the blonde woman's blue eyes shifting to red, head thrown back in bliss.

"Tifa..." Everything seemed to freeze at the name.

"TIFA!!"

"Cl...Cloud..." Her face slowly pulled out from Scarlet's neck to stare over at Cloud. A Cloud that melted away before her eyes. "C...Cloud?"

"Dammit Tifa...you have to wake up!" The voice came through clearer now, though the words were slightly slurred. "Can you even hear me..."

"I...can..."

"No...you CAN'T!" Scarlet snarled, tugging at Tifa forcefully. "He's not here. He can't save you. Not this time!"

"I don't have much time. Tifa...I believe you. I know you wouldn't betray me. Whatever he says...know it's not me! Please...come back before...before..."


"Cloud...Cloud!!" With a powerful heave, Tifa shoved Scarlet away, looking around frantically as she called to her husband. Finally she stopped, looking at her hands, a bright smile growing on her face. "It wasn't him...he believes me."

"Not that it matters!" Tifa turned slowly to stare at Scarlet. The CLICK CLICK of her heels transitioning to a light THUMP of a pair of boots. Her hair lengthened and darkened, face becoming youthful, hips widened and breasts swelled. "You could've just rested here forever, while I took over. but no...you just had to be fucking stubborn. Though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised."

"I know you now." Tifa said slowly, advancing once more on...herself. It was like looking into a mirror. Staring hard the only difference between them she saw was the red eyes. "You're...

"I'm every dark thought, every impulse you resisted, every angry word." Red eyed Tifa hissed. "I'm the beating you're supposed to give whores like Mikoto and Elizabeth and Scarlet. I'm the FUCK OFF you were supposed to tell your sister years ago. I'm the NO you were supposed to tell that little ninja tart!"

"I let you out once..." Tifa shuddered. "You were there when I first lost to Scarlet. When I accused Cloud of caring for Josy more than me."

"Oh, so now that was MY fault?" Tifa spat, pointing a finger. "Don't you even try it. I'm what you DON'T say...what you're AFRAID to do. I'm..."

"You're what's holding me back." Tifa said softly. Unconsciously the two began to circle. "I keep trying to center myself, but I couldn't...because you were the one thing I was too scared to deal with."

"You have it backward." Tifa growled. "YOU are what's holding US back. You want to play pattycake with the bitches that tried to take Cloud from us, while pretending to be our friends, you go and do that. I'll be the one to do what should have been done almost a decade ago."

"No...I made my choices, for better or for worse," Tifa glanced upwards, catching Aerith, Jessie and a flickering that could only be Siren watching. She took a deep breath and slid her foot back, raising her arm. "Cloud needs me, but in order for that I need to bring you back into the fold. Whether you want it or not."

"You're right about one thing," Tifa smiled, also slipping into a ready position. "Cloud does need me. First I deal with you, then Scarlet, then the others. He's mine and mine alone!"


*****


"What...WAS...that?!" Scarlet demanded loudly. Viola stood at her side, glowing hand pressed against her temple. The blistering headache she'd woken up with, still pounded behind her ears, but was far more tolerable now.


"A Priming." Schroeder stated shortly, then ignored the blonde woman. Working swiftly, he and his attendants wheeled in several devices to help monitor the brunette's condition. Most important, however, was the feeding tube down her throat, with a band around her entire head to keep it in place. And a sheet of rubber that covered her mouth completely. Seeing her sweating, one of women with him placed a compress onto her brow.


"You mean like what Diabolos and Titan can do?" Scarlet wrinkled her nose, shooting a look at Siren. "Could we do that?"


"No, not them. More like what Cloud manages." Said SOLDIER stood outside the entrance, glaring hard at the opposing wall. He'd been found in the room, resting across Tifa's body. When questioned, he'd merely grunted and pushed his way to the current position. Schroeder glanced over at Scarlet. "Diabolos and Titan...and Alexander all have their own bodies specifically created to contain their power. In Cloud...and now Tifa's case it puts a considerable strain on them since it is basically their merging with their Espers. It takes an impressive will to not be overwhelmed by something like that."


"Then I'm overqualified." Scarlet snapped. She strode over to where they were struggling to find places for straps to hold Tifa down, snatching one and sadistically pulling them tight across the woman's chest. "I'm looking forward to her waking up now. She will have a lot to tell me...when I deign to let her talk."


Scarlet's eyes narrowed at Tifa's condition. More precisely the way sweat gathered at the younger woman's pits, face and neck. It made no sense...the room was freezing after Shiva had done to silence her.


*****


Old Seventh Heaven, Midgar. The door exploded outwards and Tifa, clad in her white sleeveless shirt and mini skirt, bouncing down the steps and rolling into a crouch. Picking up a fair sized piece of her ruined door in each hand, she flung them back through the portal, rushing through close behind. Another Tifa, similarly dressed except for the red mini skirt, dodged both chunks of timber, getting both arms to block a slicing kick to her head. Lashing out in turn this Tifa kicked her counterpart in in the ribs, the other rammed an elbow into her face.

Unleashing a ferocious barrage of punches Tifa beat her doppelganger into a retreat. Though many got through, she blocked or dodged enough to keep her feet, until her rear bumped up against a table. Using her loss balance this Tifa fell back onto the table, kicking out in a somersault while flipping to the other side. Running back around she found her counterpart waiting for her as they exchanged a ferocious series of punches and kicks. No advantage.

Brown and red eyes glittering with determination and they closed in, seeking grips on one another. They grappled fiercely, pulling each other into holds intended to sap the resolve and strength of their rival. Pulled into full nelson, Tifa groaned, bending forward under pressure, before rolling with it and pulling the red eyed Tifa with her. Landing flush on top of her yelling double Tifa rolled off quickly, grabbing the hair and pulling her into a headscissors.

Huffing rapidly, Tifa clawed at the toned thighs crushing her face, trying to force them apart. When that failed, she turned her head. Knowing exactly what was coming Tifa quickly kicked out of the move and rolled away. Not missing a beat they rushed back in, pushing and grabbing. One Tifa shoved the other over in a painful surfboard until the sweat on her palms allowed her to escape. A couple minutes of on the knees grappling ended with a Tifa trapped in a body scissors and stranglehold until she managed to slide free.

After a series of failed headlocks, full nelsons and arm locks, one Tifa hefted the other up in a bearhug and squeezed. Groaning as she heard her spine creaking, the trapped brunette clapped her hands across Tifa's ears. Shouting in pain, she dropped the other Tifa, who staggered, panting. Still evenly matched.

Sullenly, the pair stared across at one another's heaving bodies and it was the red eyes Tifa that made the first move, pulling her sweat stained top over her head. It was an unsettling feeling...seeing her own tits pointed at her like they were. "At least now I know how others feel..." she thought to herself, wrenching off her own top. They were matched in skill...they were matched in strength. Did it extend this far?

As soon as her top left her body they were in motion. As it floated to the floor their torsos were twisted as far spines would allow. Just as it settled gently onto the wooden floor breasts were flung to strike against breast.

Impact!

Neither flinched away from the blow, instead shoving the massive, swelling glands together. Teeth bared, Tifa glared at Tifa, anger and frustration bubbling up between them at the realization that...yes. It did go that far. Finally, they leapt apart, hurling boobs savagely at boobs, wielding the plentiful orbs like maces to beat at one another.

Unceasingly. Boob smashed against boob. Collide, flatten, recoil and reset.

Unendingly. Breast crushed into breast. Contact, swell, wince and reset.

They fought in silence, the only sound being the constant, violent beating of their firm, dense teats. Oh there was pain. Burning, excuciating pain that built over time, scaling higher and higher with the force behind each ferocious blow. Leaning in again after a crushing hit, they spun in place, shoving against one another. When they finally pulled away, red skirted Tifa's arms went around black's throat. The unexpectedness of the move allowed her one free slam, before her counterpart retaliated.

Heaving the top of their boobs to smack together stung intensely. Thrusting their tits to ram head to head, nipple to nipple, made them bite their lips. Writhing together they paused for a second, then began pounding their hanging breasts together with vicious abandon. Cheek to cheek they could hear each other's light hissing exhalation of pain. They increased the violence and speed of the impacts.

Tifa trembled at each crushing slam. Tifa shuddered every relentless blow. One final collision dislodged their sweat slickened fingers and they stumbled apart, one sitting on a table, the other resting against the bar. Magnificent bodies heaved as they glared across at one another. The one at the bar, Tifa herself, grabbed a bottle of whiskey swallowing down two mouthfuls before throwing it across her red skirted self.

Gulping down several mouthfuls herself she wiped her lips and pushed herself off to resume. Once they were in range, Tifa darted forward and grabbed her under the elbows, pulling them into a hug.

"No more games." Tifa growled. "If I have to break you in two, then so be it!"

"Such fire. Where was it when it mattered?" Her doppelganger spat, arms going around Tifa's. "When you let that blonde cunt humiliate us...twice! Whenever that Wutai whore comes sniffing around Cloud!"

Feet braced and muscles clenched, the trapped titflesh squashing thickly as it spread. Grinding feverishly, forcing their boobs to balloon out even further. Stumbling...staggering...pulling each other even closer until the orbs are fully pancaked together. With nowhere else to go but forward, the pain increased as their breasts pushed and fought to make headway in the limited space.

They finally relaxed their holds for a short moment, taking big gulping gasps of air, before tensing their arms again. Boobs once more rushed to claim what limited real estate there was between them, the massive oval glands shining from sweat and how stretched the skin was.

"I'll fight you...forever...if I have to." Red skirted Tifa gurgled, the smell of alcohol on her breath strong. "I...won't waver. But you...you'll give way...eventually."

She was wrong, Tifa now knew. She was fighting herself, there was no way for either of them to win. No matter what way they tried it, they were completely the same...or were they?

Grunting fiercely, sweat pouring down every part of her body Tifa tried to remember what Aeirth had said. "I'm...not...alone..." she muttered to herself. Then louder. "I'M...NOT...ALONE!!"

With just those words, the barrier that imprisoned them in this section of her memory shattered. The mental backlash hit both Tifas hard and they fell apart. When she recovered the red eyed Tifa growled in irritation. The Tifa she now faced glowed a gentle green...which was odd in and of itself...and hovered several feet off the ground on a pair of lightly flapping wings.

"Cool trick," she grunted, clenching her fists. In a flash of light she also rose off the floor, crossing her legs as the wings flapped. "However, anything you do, I can do as well. Or did you forget."

"No, I didn't." Tifa/Siren gestured at her counterpart, a ball of wildly churning wind forming in her palm. "However, you forgot something..."

"Oh? And what is...wha..." A sharp tug pulled her to the ground and the red eyed Priming looked around wildly.

"You interfered in my fight!" Jessie growled, clad in her Avalanche outfit, stamping on a wing before firing several shots into it. "After a decade the Planet gives me a chance to finally throwdown and you ruined it at the end."

"Tifa cannot afford to be divided right now." Aerith floated down, waving her staff at her friend's new form, a beam of light glowing over her...renewing her. Making her stronger. "I can sympathise with your feelings, but I think this has gone on long enough."

"NO!" Tifa's amalgamation of rage and jealousy swung wildly at Jessie, knocking her away and clapping her hands to generate a gust to send Aerith spiralling wildly away. "I will not accept this. Even if it destroys us both I will NOT...AGGHHHH!!"

A large shuriken buried itself in her shoulder. Before she could react Yuffie was there, tugging it free and flipping away. "I have never done anything to hurt Tifa, nor would I ever. There're few people I respect more, and even less that I love."

Before Tifa's doppelganger could respond she felt herself pushed to the ground. High on her back, Joslyn blew her a kiss as she twisted her head around to see. "I'm no angel...and I might hope to win Cloud over... But I would never, nor have I ever...attempted to ruin my sis's marriage. I love her too much to do so."

"This was your failing," Tifa/Siren stated, almost sadly, as Jessie and Yuffie joined Joslyn in keeping her couterpart pinned to the ground. Behind her, Aerith channeled energy into her spell, making it more potent the more she charged it. "No...our failing. When I embraced you I pushed everyone else away. Josy was the one that beat it into me how bad an idea that was last time. This time...it was you."

Tifa's dark side howled as she released the spell. It's explosion knocked away her sister and friends as well as destroying the illusion that surrounded them. When it finally faded they were back in Nibelheim. Yuffie and Joslyn faded away leaving only Jessie and Aerith with Tifa. She floated to the ground, Siren splitting off with a flash, as she knelt beside her doppelganger. Eyelids fluttered open and, despite her condition, she reached up a trembling hand for Tifa's throat.

Tifa simply held onto it, linking their fingers. Shimmering, her dark side became to fade, then slowly sink into the brunette's body. Tifa slowly pulled her closer, into a hug as it happened.

"I'll always be there," she rasped, brushing their lips together as they were face to face. "In the back of your mind, waiting for you to slip up again."

"Perhaps," Tifa murmured tiredly, embracing her other self, the process picking up speed until only she remained. Getting to her feet, she massaged her temples. "Or maybe this time I won't be a coward and run from my troubles and we face them...together."

"Together sounds good," Siren said, planting a soft kiss on Tifa's forehead. "We both have bitches in need of a beating."

"This wasn't exactly what I had in mind," Aerith noted placidly. "But I've come to realize the Planet really doesn't care what we think regardless. It does what it thinks is best."

"How did Yuffie and Jo get here?" Tifa glanced at her two friends. "And do you two just...I dunno...poof away or something?"

"Those were visions of how you view them. Why you never act against them no matter how angry or jealous you might get." Aerith shrugged, staring at her arm as she twisted it too and fro. She stamped her feet for good measure. "As for us...I guess we still have a role in this somewhere. When the time comes, we'll know."

"I'm happy to stick around." Jessie shot Tifa a sly look. "This time around was business so I couldn't really enjoy myself. But once everything gets settled..."

Tifa burst out laughing. She curled over as the laughter took her until she could hardly breath. Finally she raised a hand, still snickering. "So...so that's your excuse. I beat you because you weren't taking me seriously?"

"Hey, I was serious," she replied primly, giving her hair a shake. "But it was kinda tough since as I was fighting you I also had to keep that bitch...no offense...in check. Next time it'll just be be you...me...and these guns."

"For the Planet's sake," Tifa groaned at Jessie's wriggle, smiling, then turned a serious face to Siren. "What's my body like right now?"

"Recovering, they've been taking quite good care of us, all things considered." Siren said. "However, she has also been keeping a close watch on us. So if you wake..."

"Scarlet..." Tifa growled, clenching a hard fist. "She got me good this time. Have to admit I never expected her to sink to that level. Waited till just the right moment, then took me out while I was demoralized. I got too complacent after all these years...even Liz and M want to be beat me fair. Well...it's time for me to take a leaf out of her book."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm always the one reacting to her." Tifa grunted. "Berserk...Shiva...I'm always letting her set the pace and the rules. Well now I have nothing to hold me back. She wants me? She's going to get more of me that she can handle!"

"No...not yet." Three pair of surprised eyes turned towards Siren. "You're assuming the others wouldn't step in. And if I was to go all out...my power isn't something you aim."

"So what do you suggest?' Tifa demanded. "I just play possum and not react to..."

"No...let me. I've already asserted some control over our body and they know I can." Siren fluttered around them. "They won't think twice if it's me moving us and it'll also...if lucky...maybe figure out where they're taking us."

Tifa started to speak, then in her mind something seemed to click. Siren felt it as well, fluttering closer to Tifa who embraced the winged woman. "It was always right in front of me..." she murmured, pulling Siren into a deep kiss. In front of a wide eyed Jessie and Aerith, Siren's form flashed bright, and when their vision cleared...she was gone.

"What was that?" Jessie demanded.

"It was like a lightbulb going off." Tifa replied, her pose once more fully confident and strong. "No more resisting Siren because I want to play fair. I want my husband back, and I want to brutalize a particular blonde that's been riding my ass for almost ten years. And no mercy for anyone that gets between me...us...and either goal."

"I don't need to say it, but you already know that Scarlet feels the same way." Aerith warned. "But you still have a shipful of people that will try and stop you. And that's before we even consider the ones that could."

"That's why I'll stay here. Our, Siren and I, connection still needs some work." Tifa gestured and they were back in Wutai, behind the dojo where she'd trained Joslyn and Yuffie. "It'll give me time to adjust and get in some training."

"Well now..." Jessie turned to Tifa with an eager expression. "I can think of several ways to help out. It'll be...uh...Aerith?"

"Seems my time's up." Aerith remarked mildly, looking through her own arm at Tifa. She gave her friend a smile. "Dunno what the Planet's got planned for us but when you see Cloud tell him...tell him I'm happy for him."

"Aerith...I will." Tifa swallowed and nodded. "And I'll try to be better. To at least comvince myself that what you say is true."

"And I'll keep her from feeling too sorry for herself." Jessie nodded at the other girl. Once faded, she turned back to Tifa. "So how do you want to do this...or perhaps you wanna take a break first?"

Tifa clenched her fists, then uncurled them patting the side of her face. "No...no time for that now." The woman dug into herself, pulling out what had only just been reclaimed. "But I'll need you to step back for a bit. Want to try something first."

"Already?" The red eyed Tifa smiled nastily, observing her counterpart, then turning her expression towards Jessie. "You're still here? Glutton for punishment aren't you."

"She's here to help." Tifa said, holding out an arm to keep Jessie back. She raised her fists, bouncing lightly. "But right now I need to get into the right mindset. And I can't think of anyone better to hit right now, other than myself."

"Guess we can agree on that." Her doppelganger mirrored her stance, staring hard into Tifa's face. Rushing together, legs flashed out to cross in a kick...


*****


Up on deck, Cloud stumbled while swinging his sword. Holding and shaking his head the blonde man yanked back his hand at the moisture. Holding up Excalibur he started at his reflection and the tears running down his face. They just wouldn't stop.


Resting against a wall Cloud gave a choking sob as he clutched at his face. Sliding down the cool metal Cloud fought back against the emotion until it burst out of him in a loud wail that was mirrored by his other self, hanging limply on Bahamut's hide.


In the vents Yuffie's arms gave out under her and she curled up, sobbing quietly. She didn't understand why, but it felt as if her heart was breaking.


*****


The scene repeated elsewhere as well.


Aboard the Shera III Cid nearly collapsed, held up by the wheel, cursing as wiped at his eyes and the tears blurring his vision.


Barret clutched at his chest, pounding repeatedly on the floor while Vincent froze at the uncomfortable feeling emanating outwards.


In Edge, Reeve was at his desk dealing with paperwork, when his vision blurred. Rubbing his eyes, he heard the soft patter as tears soaked into the paper. Even the Turks felt an uncomfortable, cold feeling run through them, Tseng raising his head to stare at the sky before catching himself.


*****


<Airship Phoenix>


Above Tifa's slumbering body a vortex swirled, becoming larger and more defined. It stopped suddenly and Siren took a second to take in her new body. "Hmmm..." Her hands ran down it to her hips, legs kicked out, then back up to pause at her chest. "I'll need to work on that one there. But first..."


Twisting herself back into her wind state the Esper flew up into the ducts, splitting off to explore as much as she could. This would be an excellent escape route for...!


Yuffie trembled, coming back to herself, ashamed at that breakdown. She felt a brush of warm air on her face.


"Yuffie..."


The kunoichi gave a muted yelp, scrambling into a corner. "There's nothing there...there's nothing there. I'm just hearing things...yeah...yeah..."


"Oh, but you're not..."


She would have screamed...if not for the pale, greenish glowing had over her mouth. With a swirl of air, a woman took form in front of her. Yuffie panicked, thinking this some new Esper they'd brought about, but before she could act the ninja felt herself yanked away...


And found herself dumped onto the ground in Wutai. Scrambling upright she found herself face to face with a startled brunette that looked somewhat familiar, before the CRACK of a powerful blow had a blur fly between them.

"What the..." Yuffie stammered, confused by what was going on, staring at Tifa who was scrambling to her feet, then whirling around to stare at Tifa rushing out from the dojo.

"Yuffie? What're you..." The one that had landed close by stared at her confused, before the kunoichi was tackled out of the way by the mystery woman. Acting on instinct, and unsure of what was going on, Yuffie grabbed her aiming to pin her down. However, the brunette reacted as quickly, throwing her own arms around Yuffie and when they hit the ground, both responded naturally.

Rolling briskly, former Avalanche member and kunoichi wrestled fiercely across the dirt and turf, coming close to the Tifas as they continued to exchange blows and grips. Squeezing tightly, arms curled up towards heads and Yuffie shouted in sudden pain as her head was pulled back by the hair. Kicking furiously at the brunette she heard her scream in reponse as her own hands yanked. Their wild roll finally carried them towards, through the Tifas who fell in a startled heap at the interruption. The sudden shock caused the pair to merge back into one.

Hissing savagely Yuffie managed to slow their roll, banging the other woman's head onto the ground. To little or no effect with how soft it was, but the strain of the last couple of days coupled with the strange situation she found herself in the kunoichi snatched at the chance for an outlet. A small, hard fist cracked against the side of her face and now Yuffie found herself under the other woman, who assaulted her face with fore and backhand slaps.

There was a roaring in her ears and, though she could see the woman's mouth moving, she couldn't make out what was being said. Unimpressed, Yuffie instead focused on a pair of vulnerable targets hanging just above her head. Lithe, muscular arms shot up and fingers, strengthened from years, decades of training crushed and squeezed. The brunette woman screeched as her boobs were mangled, hands going for Yuffie's wrists. The kunoichi shoved powerfully and gradually moved to a kneeling, then upright position, still pressing down on the brunette's tits.

"Ugh!" She grunted as she was butted in the chest, the thick hair muffling some of the blow, then jumped away from a wild kick. Tucking into a flip she could see the brunette was hurt, ducking her head and charging back in, hands flat and fingers stiffened.

"Wait...wait!" The words barely registered and Yuffie stabbed her arm in the mystery woman's direction...only to give a startled squawk as she went through the air to land on her back, the air knocked out of her.

"Stay down Yuffie." Tifa warned, twisting the kunoichi's arm, holding a hand out to the other woman as well. "How did she get here, Jessie?"

"No clue," Jessie panted, brushing off dirt and grass, massaging her chest under the fabric. "One minute she wasn't there, then the next she was. I tried to get her out of the way of the two of you...next thing I know I've got a hell of a fight on my hands."

"Yeah...she does put up one," Tifa glanced down at Yuffie, relaxing her hold and extending a hand. The younger woman, ignored the proffered limb, jumping to her feet and pulling Tifa into a hug. The brunette took a step back in surprise, before wrapping her arms gently around Yuffie. "What happened kiddo?"

"You're asking me that," Yuffie gasped, holding her friend close. "I've been so worried with what they've been doing to you. And now I'm...I'm....where are we?"

"My mind, basically. Siren must've sent you in here." Tifa gestured at the girl she'd called Jessie. Yuffie cocked her head. The woman looked familiar. Clearly she felt it as well with how intently she stared. "Jessie here was helping me piece things together with...Aerith..."

"I felt her," Yuffie said softly. "She's gone again isn't she?"

Tifa nodded and the pair hung their heads in a companionable grief, before Yuffie's came back up at Jessie's approach.

"I know you don't I?" She said, approaching Yuffie warily, studying her closely. "I feel like we've met before. Like Tifa said, I'm Jessie. We were in Avalanche together. You're not some uppity cunt who's ass I had to kick are you?"

"What? If that brief tussle was any indication, I think you have it backwards!" Yuffie snapped, glaring at the brunette. "I'd have...wait. Jessie...Jessie, I remember now! You were that chick outside Seventh Heaven with the bandaged foot. The one I spanked in Cosmo Canyon."

"Huh? I think I remember everyone that ever beat me." Jessie scoffed. "And I'm sure I'd remember get beaten by a Wutai chick with a rack like yours."

"I grew up. And I wasn't THAT small." Yuffie retorted defensively.

"Easy, we're on the same team. I don't need another Josy and Jessica situation." Tifa said quickly. Jessie looked confused while Yuffie reddened. "But if you're here Yuffie...let's compare notes. Tell me everything that's happened while I was out. Then we'll come up with a plan."


_______________



Had wanted to get this out in time for Rebirth, but hey ho, what yah gonna do.

[ACertainZest]

I finally had a chance to read this chapter and it is great! I find Scarlet's reactions to Tifa and Viola's voiced observations to Scarlet about what she really wants out of Tifa to be telling (and on the mark) even if Scarlet won't admit it to herself. The journey Tifa makes within herself was fun and exciting. I like how Yuffie is brought into Tifa's mind towards the end of the chapter. I can't wait to see what Tifa, Yuffie and Jessie have planned. I look forward to reading the next chapter soon.