Chapter Text
It was after dark, and Tifa was alone.
The hazy, deep violet of the sky had gone black and starless. The only light available was from a weak, pale glow at the edge of a cliff in the distance. She hoped it was her settlement, The Village, the destination at the end of her disastrous journey.
The ambient light, weak as starlight, barely kept her from tripping into the rocks and boulders scattered about the barren ground. A scream called out far behind her, sending a shiver down her spine. She rubbed at her nose, sticky with blood after she'd tripped not an hour ago.
The others were gone. They had dragged off Toby while he repaired the cart, his screams fading into the night after their lantern died out suddenly. Jan had died yesterday, along with her attacker. Then Lieb was either killed or taken just an hour ago. The light grenade had killed the first nightmare apparition, but a second caught them off guard. There had been nothing Tifa could have done but run.
She hated them so damn much.
A sound, like that of dry clay crumbling under a pestle came to her ears. She hid behind a rock outcrop, holding her breath, listening. The sound came closer, bringing with it a rhythmic wheezing, and she tightened her grip on the light grenade on her belt. Perhaps she could catch it by surprise. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she watched and waited.
An antenna as long and thick as a whip darted about from the side of the outcrop, just a foot from her hiding spot. It glided over the dust, tapping at the ground. Then it swiveled closer, almost brushing the stray hairs at the top of her head.
She tensed.
Several eyes, too human for the face they were on, leveled on her. As soon as it opened its mouth, Tifa yanked the pin and shoved it deep into its maw. It snapped shut on her arm as she tried to pull back, puncturing her skin with small, flat teeth. One...
She cried out, then, pulled out her dagger and pierced the middle eye. Black ichor ran down its face and onto her bleeding arm as it let go, screaming like a stuck pig. Tifa kicked it in the jaw, and it stumbled back, its screams becoming a raw howl. She turned her head right after and shut her eyes, praying the grenade wasn’t a dud. Two...
A leg, its tip sharp as a spear, stabbed the ground right by her ankle. Hot, wet breath splattered blood and spittle into her hair as it primed to bite down on her skull. Just before it snapped shut light flooded the inside of her eyelids. A high-pitched scream nearly made her ears bleed.
When the light and that terrible screech finally died down to nothing she peeked her eyes open, revealing a mass of twitching black flesh. Specks of white light glimmered on the exposed meat like stars. They dimmed, one by one, leaving behind the smell of burnt flesh and greasy black smoke.
With a sigh she leaned against the rocks, breathing heavily while nursing her arm. Demons. Gods, did she hate Demons.
Ever since that fateful day, when a thick miasma choked out the sun, Demons roamed the world. Civilization crumbled under their might. Aerith had said it was because the Great Crystal, the entity that brought balance to the world, had cracked and shattered. What was left, what had been shining white and blue, metamorphized into black and violet.
Now humans huddled around the largest, brightest shards of intact Crystal. The light banished those awful, vile beings, born of the darkest recesses of the human heart. Things that crept and crawled, oozed and hissed. Things that killed or dragged away any survivors they found out of the light’s protection.
With a shake of her head, she wiped off her dagger with the bottom of her jacket. She then took out a measure of gauze from her pouch, wrapping it around her forearm and cutting the end off. The teeth had shredded her skin, but thankfully they didn’t get down to her bones and tendons. She flexed her fingers, feeling a sting in her flesh.
She sighed again, looking up at the night sky. Her eyes were drawn to some lonesome clouds hanging over the horizon, barely visible in the darkness. They were glowing faintly, and she crept up to the cliff for a better look.
It was The Village, and it was close, perhaps about a mile. The sight filled her with a measure of cautious optimism she hadn’t felt since they first set out. She just had to find a path down and onto the plains. There were several, she knew, but the question of where hung heavy in her thoughts. If she was going to get there, she needed to know which way to go.
She took a look around, finding the cliffs gently declined far to her left, towards a brook. She could follow it home and then meet up with Barret. He would be upset with the loss of so many scouts, but it couldn’t be helped.
Tifa tucked her knife back into her belt, making sure it was secure before she stood. She glanced around once more, this time for any signs of movement. Nothing. Maybe her luck was finally changing for the better, she hoped.
She stepped over the remains of the Demon, giving it one last look as it slowly dissolved into smoke and ichor. With a huff she began to walk, keeping her eyes peeled for anything out of place. Her footfalls were loud in her ears as dry dirt and pebbles crunched beneath her boots.
The wind picked up suddenly, rustling the dust at her feet. A small shiver went through her, and not just because of the chill. She didn't want to think about what else might be lurking in the shadows. She’d seen enough the last two days.
Her bangs whipped about, and she reached up to brush them back, stopping when she heard something. Something big. She paused, listening intently. It sounded like a group of people marching in lockstep. Tifa looked around, trying to figure out where it was coming from. She tried to pinpoint the sound, straining her ears. It was getting louder, closer.
Her heart dropped when she saw it.
A dark shape was moving between the boulders and rocks. It moved with purpose, stalking her. Tifa held her breath, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. The thing stopped when she noticed it, staring at her from the shadows.
It towered over her, seven eyes glittering blue on its face like dull sapphires, its head crested with feathered antennae that reminded her of the elusive Luna Moth. The Demon’s many arms and legs gave her the impression of a spider, but the way it moved made her think of a giant centipede. Claws tensed and stretched, ready to pounce.
She took a step back, holding the hilt of her dagger, still sheathed on her hip. The creature tilted its head, watching her as she backed away. It lowered itself slightly, and she saw it spread its mandibles. Rows of razor-sharp teeth lined its glistening, open maw. It raised a clawed hand.
Tifa bolted, sprinting as fast as she could, her boots kicking up dust. She could hear the thing behind her, but she didn't dare look back. There were no more light grenades, no more flares. She didn't even have a measly candle to possibly halt its progress. All she had was her legs, and they were strained to the limit already.
She ran until her lungs burned and her sides ached, her breath ragged and shallow. The cliff’s edge was in front of her. She skidded to a stop, gasping for breath. She stared at the edge, her stomach dropping to her knees. The drop was sheer, falling hundreds of feet to the rocky ground below.
Tifa looked around, searching for a way down. There was none. The cliff wall was too steep. The nearest ledge was at least twenty feet below her.
She had nowhere to go.
A clicking noise made her look back. The Demon was watching her, its insectoid eyes burning with hunger and malice. It triumphantly stalked towards her, its long, chitinous legs moving in mechanical tandem. It was still ten yards away, but it was closing quickly.
She took a step backwards, towards the edge of the cliff.
The Demon paused.
Tifa's breath quivered, but she raised her chin defiantly. "I won't let you win."
She swallowed heavily. It was over, but it was on her terms and not this abomination's. A bitter smile came to her face at that, and she took another, longer step back.
The creature lunged forward, almost as if it could sense it was about to lose its dinner. Before she could think about it further, she leaned back, pushing off the cliff with the last of her strength.
She was soaring. Then falling. A tinkling sound, reminiscent of a piano came to mind, flooding her with the nostalgia of better days.
She closed her eyes. There would be peace soon enough.
As she began her descent she felt something strong and hard grab her lower leg tightly. She swung violently as pain seared in her hip, her knapsack sliding from her back. Struggling to look up, she saw the Demon, holding her firmly.
It was staring at her, all seven of its eyes locked on her as she hung there helplessly. Clawed appendages gripped at the boulders and cliff edge. She heard it click its mandibles together, maybe out of frustration, maybe out of eagerness.
Then it began to pull her up towards it.
"No!" Tifa screamed, thrashing about. She kicked at the Demon with her free leg, managing to hit it on the wrist. Its mandibles clicked and it again pulled her up. Again she kicked, then again, hitting it just right. It released her leg with a grunt, and she fell into oblivion as she hit the ledge below.