The End of the Flashback
Anime Vore, GTS, GT, Shrinking, Unbirth
chapter 61
by
copier
· original author:
dooku
Despite his obvious knowledge Zangan had acquired over the years as a highly respected, wise martial arts master, he had no idea what Glenn was planning to do. He knew that he was about to help Tifa, since he knew perfectly well that he had deep feelings for her, feelings that surpassed those of ordinary friendship. He loved her, he realized that whenever Glenn and Tifa were together. With Tifa being his favourite apprentice due to her incredible amount of talent, her strength, her ability to master nearly every single technique with ease and of course because of her having a pure heart - something that is indeed needed in order to become an honorable and good fighter - Zangan wanted the best for Tifa, like an actual grandfather. By the way, Tifa did impress Zangan in another way: the fact that Tifa in fact had a lot of talents. Martial arts were not the only thing she was good at, she also took piano lessons and was able to play almost perfectly by now, as Glenn, for example, was allowed to witness several times. Sitting in her room and listening to his best friend playing a sad or joyous melody was one of his most precious memories. Tifa was also training to become a tour guide for the Nibel Mountain trails, and admittedly, she knew all those dangerous paths quite well by now. All these talents did not only made Zangan look at Tifa in awe, but Glenn as well. And ever since Glenn came to Nibelheim, ever since he realized what his true feelings for Tifa were, he thought that he would be a good friend for her, someone who would actually care about her, even more than about himself. He didn´t know exactly whether Tifa shared the same feelings for him, but as he talked to her quite often, she revealed that her feelings for Glenn also were not those of friendship, either. She kept telling him how amazed she was about Glenn´s overall personality, his kindness towards her, everything. She never met someone like him before, and she was glad that Glenn came into her life. Honestly, although Zangan did not know for sure, he was quite convinced that both Tifa and Glenn loved each other, and maybe they would be able to confess their feelings someday. Zangan indeed hoped so, as he liked Glenn and Tifa almost equally, although Glenn was not one of his apprentices, and he really thought that they would be able to live together happily, something both of them deserved.
"What´s this?" Zangan asked as Glenn took a small, round materia out of his pocket. It looked like an ordinary materia, although Zangan felt that something was different about this one. He might have been a martial arts expert, but he also knew how to use materia properly, and he had some experience with magic. Still, he never felt like that before when looking at a materia.
"To be perfectly frank, I´m not even sure myself what this materia really is. I just know that it will be able to save Tifa." Glenn replied to Zangan´s question.
"But...how is it going to save Tifa? I never saw a materia that can do things like that! And...what is Tifa suffering from, anyway?"
"I...I can´t explain. It just looks like Sephiroth did more to her than just hurting her with his sword. There is something evil inside her, something that wasn´t there before. Because of Sephiroth. But this materia can help us sealing it away inside her body at least."
"Sealing it away? does that mean you can´t cure her?"
"...no. I´m sorry, but I have no idea how to destroy the presence of evil within her. We...can only hope the seal will maintain inside her."
"And what if the seal will be broken?"
"I don´t know. But it will be terrible for Tifa, that´s for sure. But...there could be a way to
help her then."
"Why are you always talking in such mysterious ways?"
"Because I don´t know how to accomplish this once the time should arrive...but please, allow me to use the materia now."
"Of course."
Indeed, even as a wise man, Zangan still didn´t know what Glenn was up to. Evil inside Tifa? Because of Sephiroth? And...sealing it away with a materia? That sounded like some mumbo-jumbo crap, but Glenn was not the type to spout some idiotic nonsense, so he thought that what he said was true. Besides, it was neither the right time nor the right place for lies. But nevertheless, he was wondering what he meant when he mentioned a possible way of saving Tifa in case the seal will be broken by whatever evil force resided inside her.
"Tifa..." Glenn whispered as he looked at his best friend, being unconscious and obviously in pain. He wished he would have been strong enough to protect her from Sephiroth and save her father from certain death. But he...he failed her. Now Tifa´s life was at risk, because he could not protect her. Seeing Tifa in such a weak state, it just made his feelings of guilt even stronger and more painful. He loved her so much more than anyone else, and perhaps she was the only person he ever really had feelings for, and he swore to protect her in any way possible. And he failed...but it was not too late. Her wounds have been healed already, thanks to him and Zangan, but now, he had to take care of the evil entity residing deep within Tifa. The materia would not be able to destroy it, as he had pointed it out already, but at least Tifa would be save, and her body would find rest, and peace...even if it was going to be but a short one.
And yet...he wished he knew what exactly was penetrating Tifa from inside her. It was an aura he never felt around her before, an aura of evil. It was clear that it had something to do with Sephiroth. But what exactly? And why...why Tifa? Of all people, why Tifa, the one who did not deserve such pain? And what was it? What was invading her body? What was causing this aura of evil? Was it some wave existence? An organic being? Or maybe some ethereal being from a higher plane? It could have been anything, and it was even more confusing, considering Sephiroth´s apparent involvement. One thing was for sure: he didn´t fully understand this aura of evil emanating from some spot inside her body.
But he would find out sooner or later. He swore he would. And he would destroy this existence once he found out what it was and how he would be able to cleanse Tifa´s body from it. Now, all he could do was sealing its powers away, thanks to a materia he didn´t understand, either. This plain looking materia, no different from other materia on the outside. Yet its abilities were surpassing those of an ordinary healing materia by far, he already had realized that years ago. But he didn´t even know where this materia came from and why he was the one to possess it. It belonged to him for what seems like an eternity, and he sometimes was wondering what this really meant.
Getting rid of these thoughts quickly, he positioned both his hands over Tifa´s weak body, closing his eyes and being deep in concentration. And the materia began to work quickly, as the chamber they were in was being illuminated by a green light again, only this time, it was even brighter and more blending than before, when he and Zangan were casting a simple healing spell on her. Zangan himself was impressed as he saw the light practically entering Tifa´s body slowly.
The procedure went on for another minute, until the light was gone completely. Even though it seemed to be a short and simple action, Glenn was indeed exhausted as he opened his eyes again and took a deep breath.
"That...that was most impressive...Glenn..."
He didn´t reply to Zangan´s expression of awe, because all he could think of right now was Tifa´s well being. So he quickly looked down at her, and to his joy, the magic seemed to have worked. Although Tifa was still unconscious due to her body recovering from all those events she had to go through recently, he could see that her state was already getting better. Her breathing was getting more calm, and her body wasn´t trembling in exhaustion and pain anymore.
"It worked...thank goodness." Glenn whispered. He then looked at Zangan again, with a more serious expression in his face.
"Master Zangan, we have to hurry. Shin-Ra´s troops could arrive here anytime soon, and I don´t even want to know what they could do to Tifa."
"You´re right. Let´s get going."
So Glenn bowed down in front of Tifa, looking at her with a sorrowful expression. He sighed as he carefully picked her up off the cold, metallic ground, attempting to carry her on his shoulders. Amidst this grim situation, it was an unbelievable sensation as he felt Tifa´s soft yet strong arms around his neck and her frail body (frail at least at that moment) on his back, while holding her legs with his arms.
"May your body and soul find piece, Tifa. Even if...it is but a short one."
Tifa really didn´t deserve all this. Glenn always thought that a good and kind hearted person like Tifa would be rewarded in life sooner or later, for he firmly believed in the importance of good deeds. And Tifa did a lot of good deeds in her life...like...giving his own life some sort of special meaning...
"Let us leave this place, Master." Glenn said, looking at Zangan. He replied with a nod, and both of them left the frightening chamber. Glenn was truly glad to get out of this place, as it was bearing a scary radiation to him.
Although he had to carry Tifa all the way out of the reactor and over Mt. Nibel back to Nibelheim, it was an easy chore for him, not only because Tifa was a slender girl, but also because he looked at it as an honor to carry his best friend. And after a while, he and Zangan finally reached the village of Nibelheim...or what was left of it. Both had witnessed how Sephiroth burned down the entire village, and it was already a terrible sight, seeing their homes being swallowed by the flames. But seeing ruins instead of the village they were living in until recently really left a mark in their souls, or a scar, to be more precise.
"The village..." Zangan whispered.
"Just like that..." Glenn joined in.
Both didn´t even want to see the remnants of Nibelheim´s inhabitants, as they could already guess that they were merely horribly burnt figures instead of humans by now. All this because of one man´s lunacy. Glenn didn´t know how many survivors there were, but by now, he only knew of Zangan, Tifa and himself. Most of the villagers were probably either slaughtered by Sephiroth or burnt to death by the flames.
They quickly walked toward the village entrance, not willing to spend more time than necessary in this place of death. It was too painful to imagine that most of the people they knew were now dead, just like that.
And as they reached the entrance at last, both were surprised to hear an unexpected, and yet familiar sound.
"*meow*"
Glenn at least was perplexed to hear a cat meowing, especially considering the circumstances. Zangan, on the other hand, began to smile.
"Huh? A cat?" Glenn asked.
"Take a look behind you." Zangan playfully said. Glenn did as he had been told, and to his surprise, he could see a small cat on the ground, looking up at him with its cute eyes. Its fur was milky white, and it seemed to be really smooth.
"Hey, that´s...Tifa´s pet cat!"
Glenn almost forgot that Tifa had a small cat as a pet, and as far as he was concerned, she was really fond of her/it.
"What is she doing here?"
"Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you. She was the one to lead me to Tifa. Without her, I probably wouldn´t have found her in the reactor, so we should thank her. But I admit that I didn´t even notice that she was following us back into the village."
So Glenn bowed down, looking the cat into her eyes, and for the first time on that fateful and dark day, he smiled.
"Thank you, kitty."
"*meow*"
With Tifa still being on his shoulders, her cat realized this and looked at her owner, and it almost seemed like she was sad to see her in such a weak and frail state.
Anyway, Glenn stood up again, looking at Zangan. It was clear that both were sharing the same thoughts at that moment.
"What do you think we should do now?" Zangan asked.
"...I...I propose you take Tifa with you. Bring her to a save place, so she can recover from her wounds."
"That´s what I intended, but...what about you? Don´t you want to stay with her? She would surely need someone to care about her, you know."
No one can imagine how hard it was for Glenn to give an answer to this question, and it would probably a painful experience. But there was no other choice. It would be the best for him...and Tifa as well.
"...no."
"No? But why?"
"I...I´m already dead to her. I know that she saw how Sephiroth almost killed me and how I fell down into the depths of the Mt. Nibel valley. That´s...that´s the last thing she saw of me. How would she feel like if she saw me again, living and breathing, as if nothing happened?"
"..."
"Besides...I have some unfinished business to take care of."
"What do you mean?"
Glenn folded his arms, looking down at the ground.
"I told you that the materia only prevented the entity from spreading throughout her entire body, so it didn´t destroy it at all. There´s still a chance that it will awaken, and then...I don´t even want to think what will happen to her then."
"I see...so you want to find a way to get rid of this being inside her, don´t you?"
"Yes, that´s right. I already know how it could done, I just can´t think of a way to accomplish this. In any case, it would take me to an indeed unlikely place, I´d say."
"An unlikely place, you say? You don´t mean you want to..."
"Yes, you guessed right. Fighting the entity directly. That´s the only way I can think of right now."
"Hm...that sounds like a dangerous attempt...and futile as well."
"I know how incredible this sounds, but there must be a way. Until then, until the time is right, I shall disappear."
With these words, Glenn carefully handed Tifa´s body over to Zangan. He did this extremely carefully, especially at the moment he took her off his back.
Holding Tifa in his arms now, Zangan looked down at Tifa´s pet cat.
"I think I´ll take her with me. She deserves our gratitude, after all."
Instead of saying something, Glenn slowly approached Tifa, being held safely by her master. Looking into her angelic face, he wanted to cry his soul out, knowing that he would not see her for a long time, that this was his last moment he could spend with her, even though she was not aware of his presence...and even though he was already dead for her, that is.
He carefully touched her soft cheek with right hand, and as he did so, he could hear Tifa sighing deeply. Maybe he was just imagining it, but he could also hear her whispering his name in pain.
"Glenn..."
If she only knew that he was here, that he took care of her. Maybe it would have eased her pain, at least he wished.
"Farewell...Tifa. I will come back, and I will save you. I promise."
He then looked up, into Zangan´s face, nodding.
"Take good care of her, Master Zangan."
"I will, don´t worry."
"Farewell, Master."
After this sad farewell, Glenn turned his back to Zangan and began to walk out through the village entrance. With the hood of his robe now covering his face, he left the only person that ever meant something to him behind. No matter how painful it was, he knew for sure that someday, he would meet her again. And on that day, he would finally free Tifa from the shackles of her past, from the evil entity lurking deep inside her body and soul, despite it being sealed away for a time being.
And so, Glenn was walking out onto the fields surrounding Nibelheim and towards an uncertain future. But no matter what fate would bring forth for him, something precious would always remain inside his soul, an unadulterated memory of a person with an undefiled and pure soul that would shine on his way through life even in the frightening darkness in the most desperate situation, yes, even in the depths of the underworld, this memory would prevent him from losing his spirit and confidence. The memory of Tifa would always be the light guiding him on his path, until the day he would finally meet her again.
"What´s this?" Zangan asked as Glenn took a small, round materia out of his pocket. It looked like an ordinary materia, although Zangan felt that something was different about this one. He might have been a martial arts expert, but he also knew how to use materia properly, and he had some experience with magic. Still, he never felt like that before when looking at a materia.
"To be perfectly frank, I´m not even sure myself what this materia really is. I just know that it will be able to save Tifa." Glenn replied to Zangan´s question.
"But...how is it going to save Tifa? I never saw a materia that can do things like that! And...what is Tifa suffering from, anyway?"
"I...I can´t explain. It just looks like Sephiroth did more to her than just hurting her with his sword. There is something evil inside her, something that wasn´t there before. Because of Sephiroth. But this materia can help us sealing it away inside her body at least."
"Sealing it away? does that mean you can´t cure her?"
"...no. I´m sorry, but I have no idea how to destroy the presence of evil within her. We...can only hope the seal will maintain inside her."
"And what if the seal will be broken?"
"I don´t know. But it will be terrible for Tifa, that´s for sure. But...there could be a way to
help her then."
"Why are you always talking in such mysterious ways?"
"Because I don´t know how to accomplish this once the time should arrive...but please, allow me to use the materia now."
"Of course."
Indeed, even as a wise man, Zangan still didn´t know what Glenn was up to. Evil inside Tifa? Because of Sephiroth? And...sealing it away with a materia? That sounded like some mumbo-jumbo crap, but Glenn was not the type to spout some idiotic nonsense, so he thought that what he said was true. Besides, it was neither the right time nor the right place for lies. But nevertheless, he was wondering what he meant when he mentioned a possible way of saving Tifa in case the seal will be broken by whatever evil force resided inside her.
"Tifa..." Glenn whispered as he looked at his best friend, being unconscious and obviously in pain. He wished he would have been strong enough to protect her from Sephiroth and save her father from certain death. But he...he failed her. Now Tifa´s life was at risk, because he could not protect her. Seeing Tifa in such a weak state, it just made his feelings of guilt even stronger and more painful. He loved her so much more than anyone else, and perhaps she was the only person he ever really had feelings for, and he swore to protect her in any way possible. And he failed...but it was not too late. Her wounds have been healed already, thanks to him and Zangan, but now, he had to take care of the evil entity residing deep within Tifa. The materia would not be able to destroy it, as he had pointed it out already, but at least Tifa would be save, and her body would find rest, and peace...even if it was going to be but a short one.
And yet...he wished he knew what exactly was penetrating Tifa from inside her. It was an aura he never felt around her before, an aura of evil. It was clear that it had something to do with Sephiroth. But what exactly? And why...why Tifa? Of all people, why Tifa, the one who did not deserve such pain? And what was it? What was invading her body? What was causing this aura of evil? Was it some wave existence? An organic being? Or maybe some ethereal being from a higher plane? It could have been anything, and it was even more confusing, considering Sephiroth´s apparent involvement. One thing was for sure: he didn´t fully understand this aura of evil emanating from some spot inside her body.
But he would find out sooner or later. He swore he would. And he would destroy this existence once he found out what it was and how he would be able to cleanse Tifa´s body from it. Now, all he could do was sealing its powers away, thanks to a materia he didn´t understand, either. This plain looking materia, no different from other materia on the outside. Yet its abilities were surpassing those of an ordinary healing materia by far, he already had realized that years ago. But he didn´t even know where this materia came from and why he was the one to possess it. It belonged to him for what seems like an eternity, and he sometimes was wondering what this really meant.
Getting rid of these thoughts quickly, he positioned both his hands over Tifa´s weak body, closing his eyes and being deep in concentration. And the materia began to work quickly, as the chamber they were in was being illuminated by a green light again, only this time, it was even brighter and more blending than before, when he and Zangan were casting a simple healing spell on her. Zangan himself was impressed as he saw the light practically entering Tifa´s body slowly.
The procedure went on for another minute, until the light was gone completely. Even though it seemed to be a short and simple action, Glenn was indeed exhausted as he opened his eyes again and took a deep breath.
"That...that was most impressive...Glenn..."
He didn´t reply to Zangan´s expression of awe, because all he could think of right now was Tifa´s well being. So he quickly looked down at her, and to his joy, the magic seemed to have worked. Although Tifa was still unconscious due to her body recovering from all those events she had to go through recently, he could see that her state was already getting better. Her breathing was getting more calm, and her body wasn´t trembling in exhaustion and pain anymore.
"It worked...thank goodness." Glenn whispered. He then looked at Zangan again, with a more serious expression in his face.
"Master Zangan, we have to hurry. Shin-Ra´s troops could arrive here anytime soon, and I don´t even want to know what they could do to Tifa."
"You´re right. Let´s get going."
So Glenn bowed down in front of Tifa, looking at her with a sorrowful expression. He sighed as he carefully picked her up off the cold, metallic ground, attempting to carry her on his shoulders. Amidst this grim situation, it was an unbelievable sensation as he felt Tifa´s soft yet strong arms around his neck and her frail body (frail at least at that moment) on his back, while holding her legs with his arms.
"May your body and soul find piece, Tifa. Even if...it is but a short one."
Tifa really didn´t deserve all this. Glenn always thought that a good and kind hearted person like Tifa would be rewarded in life sooner or later, for he firmly believed in the importance of good deeds. And Tifa did a lot of good deeds in her life...like...giving his own life some sort of special meaning...
"Let us leave this place, Master." Glenn said, looking at Zangan. He replied with a nod, and both of them left the frightening chamber. Glenn was truly glad to get out of this place, as it was bearing a scary radiation to him.
Although he had to carry Tifa all the way out of the reactor and over Mt. Nibel back to Nibelheim, it was an easy chore for him, not only because Tifa was a slender girl, but also because he looked at it as an honor to carry his best friend. And after a while, he and Zangan finally reached the village of Nibelheim...or what was left of it. Both had witnessed how Sephiroth burned down the entire village, and it was already a terrible sight, seeing their homes being swallowed by the flames. But seeing ruins instead of the village they were living in until recently really left a mark in their souls, or a scar, to be more precise.
"The village..." Zangan whispered.
"Just like that..." Glenn joined in.
Both didn´t even want to see the remnants of Nibelheim´s inhabitants, as they could already guess that they were merely horribly burnt figures instead of humans by now. All this because of one man´s lunacy. Glenn didn´t know how many survivors there were, but by now, he only knew of Zangan, Tifa and himself. Most of the villagers were probably either slaughtered by Sephiroth or burnt to death by the flames.
They quickly walked toward the village entrance, not willing to spend more time than necessary in this place of death. It was too painful to imagine that most of the people they knew were now dead, just like that.
And as they reached the entrance at last, both were surprised to hear an unexpected, and yet familiar sound.
"*meow*"
Glenn at least was perplexed to hear a cat meowing, especially considering the circumstances. Zangan, on the other hand, began to smile.
"Huh? A cat?" Glenn asked.
"Take a look behind you." Zangan playfully said. Glenn did as he had been told, and to his surprise, he could see a small cat on the ground, looking up at him with its cute eyes. Its fur was milky white, and it seemed to be really smooth.
"Hey, that´s...Tifa´s pet cat!"
Glenn almost forgot that Tifa had a small cat as a pet, and as far as he was concerned, she was really fond of her/it.
"What is she doing here?"
"Oh, I guess I forgot to tell you. She was the one to lead me to Tifa. Without her, I probably wouldn´t have found her in the reactor, so we should thank her. But I admit that I didn´t even notice that she was following us back into the village."
So Glenn bowed down, looking the cat into her eyes, and for the first time on that fateful and dark day, he smiled.
"Thank you, kitty."
"*meow*"
With Tifa still being on his shoulders, her cat realized this and looked at her owner, and it almost seemed like she was sad to see her in such a weak and frail state.
Anyway, Glenn stood up again, looking at Zangan. It was clear that both were sharing the same thoughts at that moment.
"What do you think we should do now?" Zangan asked.
"...I...I propose you take Tifa with you. Bring her to a save place, so she can recover from her wounds."
"That´s what I intended, but...what about you? Don´t you want to stay with her? She would surely need someone to care about her, you know."
No one can imagine how hard it was for Glenn to give an answer to this question, and it would probably a painful experience. But there was no other choice. It would be the best for him...and Tifa as well.
"...no."
"No? But why?"
"I...I´m already dead to her. I know that she saw how Sephiroth almost killed me and how I fell down into the depths of the Mt. Nibel valley. That´s...that´s the last thing she saw of me. How would she feel like if she saw me again, living and breathing, as if nothing happened?"
"..."
"Besides...I have some unfinished business to take care of."
"What do you mean?"
Glenn folded his arms, looking down at the ground.
"I told you that the materia only prevented the entity from spreading throughout her entire body, so it didn´t destroy it at all. There´s still a chance that it will awaken, and then...I don´t even want to think what will happen to her then."
"I see...so you want to find a way to get rid of this being inside her, don´t you?"
"Yes, that´s right. I already know how it could done, I just can´t think of a way to accomplish this. In any case, it would take me to an indeed unlikely place, I´d say."
"An unlikely place, you say? You don´t mean you want to..."
"Yes, you guessed right. Fighting the entity directly. That´s the only way I can think of right now."
"Hm...that sounds like a dangerous attempt...and futile as well."
"I know how incredible this sounds, but there must be a way. Until then, until the time is right, I shall disappear."
With these words, Glenn carefully handed Tifa´s body over to Zangan. He did this extremely carefully, especially at the moment he took her off his back.
Holding Tifa in his arms now, Zangan looked down at Tifa´s pet cat.
"I think I´ll take her with me. She deserves our gratitude, after all."
Instead of saying something, Glenn slowly approached Tifa, being held safely by her master. Looking into her angelic face, he wanted to cry his soul out, knowing that he would not see her for a long time, that this was his last moment he could spend with her, even though she was not aware of his presence...and even though he was already dead for her, that is.
He carefully touched her soft cheek with right hand, and as he did so, he could hear Tifa sighing deeply. Maybe he was just imagining it, but he could also hear her whispering his name in pain.
"Glenn..."
If she only knew that he was here, that he took care of her. Maybe it would have eased her pain, at least he wished.
"Farewell...Tifa. I will come back, and I will save you. I promise."
He then looked up, into Zangan´s face, nodding.
"Take good care of her, Master Zangan."
"I will, don´t worry."
"Farewell, Master."
After this sad farewell, Glenn turned his back to Zangan and began to walk out through the village entrance. With the hood of his robe now covering his face, he left the only person that ever meant something to him behind. No matter how painful it was, he knew for sure that someday, he would meet her again. And on that day, he would finally free Tifa from the shackles of her past, from the evil entity lurking deep inside her body and soul, despite it being sealed away for a time being.
And so, Glenn was walking out onto the fields surrounding Nibelheim and towards an uncertain future. But no matter what fate would bring forth for him, something precious would always remain inside his soul, an unadulterated memory of a person with an undefiled and pure soul that would shine on his way through life even in the frightening darkness in the most desperate situation, yes, even in the depths of the underworld, this memory would prevent him from losing his spirit and confidence. The memory of Tifa would always be the light guiding him on his path, until the day he would finally meet her again.
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June 2
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