Crossed Fates

Chapter Eleven: Mirror of a memory.

"Zell!"

Cid Highwind called to him. Standing on the beach, the young blonde man had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and the death of his commander, and best friend, on his mind. A part of him had believed Cloud Strife that Squall would come back safe and well, but a day had passed and still there was no sign of him. A few hundred feet in front of him, from the murky depths below stormy skies ascended a column of pure mako energy.

"Zell. Are you okay?"

"Are you kidding me?"

"Zell, Cloud was missing for ages when he went in that thing." His eyes sparkled as he reminisced. "Oh shit! D'you think I should call Tifa and tell her...? Oh sorry man. You don't need to hear my ramblings, I just keep forgetting you ain't from around here."

"Who is Tifa?"

"Someone Cloud grew up with." He pulled a PHS phone from his jacket pocket. "Now what was her number...?"

"What was who's number Cid?" A familiar voice asked.

"Tifa?" He swung around. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for another town to open in. Business is real good at the moment." She smiled. "Got enough money to open a second place."

They heard a gasp. Zell took a step back, the sea water lapped against the heel of his trainer.

"A new haircut?" She paused. "Oh sorry, I thought you were someone else in this light. God, he does look a lot like him though, doesn't he Cid?"

Zell was having a hard time forming words at that point.

Tifa tipped her head to one side and whispered "are you okay?"

"Oh my life..."

"What's up?"

He realised that it was not who he thought she was, that she just looked very much like her. So much like Rinoa that it was almost scary. "You just look like someone I used to know. A lot like her in fact."

"Well you look like..."

"Cloud Strife. I know."

"Speaking of Cloud, where is he?"

"In the mako, helping out this guy called Squall who is a friend of Zell here. The rest of it just gets more and more complicated, and it makes my head hurt."

She looked out across the water at the pillar of energy. "He's in there?" Cid nodded. "I'd like to see him again but Marlene and I have to get back before dawn... Would you tell him I was here?"

"Is there no way you can stay?"

"No Cid. Sorry. It was good, seeing you again and it was nice meeting you Mr. Zell... Just wish it could have lasted longer."

"It's just Zell. Miss Tifa, can I walk into town with you?"

"It's just Tifa, too. Sure you can."

Zell was still the smallest of his male friends and that rather diminutive size meant he often had an advantage in battle. His centre of gravity was lower to the ground, he threw the enemy of their guard when they saw him, but he'd rather have been as tall as Squall or Irvine, who were now 6 foot 2 and 6 foot 4 respectively. As it was he was only a few inches taller than the beautiful woman who walked beside him. "Why don't you want to see Cloud?"

"I do. I just haven't got the time."

"You're not a very good liar Tifa."

She turned to look at him. "How would you know? Did you have to watch Cloud get increasingly distant, have to hear him call out another girls name in his sleep? He'll never love me as much as he loved her..."

"No Tifa. I didn't see Cloud do any of that. I've not known him much longer than a day. It's not usually me who does the meddling, that's Selphie's job, but I'll tell you what I did have to live through. I watched Squall, the guy Cloud went in after, fall in love with Rinoa Heartilly, a girl who could be your twin or somethin'. Then I had to sit through her funeral when Squall's rival killed her. If he'd been distant before that, God knows what he was after it. He kept going because he was our leader, he was the commander of Garden and we depended on him. But right before my eyes he grew more and more self-destructive. In battles he wouldn't use a cure spell or potion until the last minute. He got a couple of new limit breaks that scared even me. I went to talk to him one night in his office. I found him with both his wrists cut. He lost the will to live." He sighed. "I tried my best and I managed to get him through it. There's still something in his eyes now. A sadness that you can see. I saw the same thing in Cloud's eyes, but it didn't seem to be for the same reasons. Maybe it is, I'm no expert. But what ever it is, have you ever thought that the one he thinks he's lost could be you?"

She stood open mouthed, staring at the stranger. "I couldn't take the chance. If you were wrong, then I'd lose it too."

"Like Irvine says, do you want to live the rest of your life knowing that you never even tried?"

The constant roar of the mako energy intensified and drowned out her words. It exploded outwards and a scream filled the air. It was unlike anything Zell had ever heard before. He covered his ears in an attempt to block the terrible dirge. "The planet." Tifa whispered. "The planet's afraid."


Nanaki, the last of his kind, lay on the stony ground outside his home town. A gentle rain had begun to fall. He had sensed the planet's fear and pain, he sensed it was directed at a breed of creature who he had last heard of in his grandfathers time. He wondered what such a thing could want in this time and place. "Are you in this reality, Watcher?"

"Not only in this reality, but here for your questions, Nanaki."

He turned his head to look at her. "What do you want with us?"

"I have selfish motives really Nanaki, I want peace and death."

"What?"

"I have to prove myself worthy, to die. By undertaking this mission I can redeem myself and find my peace. I am Kiar-li, Karly by the way."

"I was told that a when a watcher tells you their name, it is a sign of trust and it means you have power over them."

"Perhaps that explains why I am always so reluctant to give it."

"What do you want with us?"

"If you will keep it to yourself I will tell you." He nodded and gave his word as protector of Cosmo Canyon. "Another watcher was created recently. His heart was misjudged, in truth he had never been innocent. His heart was black. We have prophesied about such a watcher who would try to engineer the destruction of all realities. If he is allowed to succeed no one will have a chance. He will assemble the greatest evils of all times and realities, warriors to destroy. His dark ones want to destroy those who may stand against this person. Since I have watched so many people I have become well versed in the hearts of various warriors from different realities. I see those with honour and truth in their hearts, I know that they will be able to help me."

"Was it you who took Yuffie?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"She is in danger."

"How do I know that you aren't the one with the black heart?"

"You just have to trust me on that."

Then the planet screamed in fear.

Authors notes.

I was so angry when Tifa and Cloud didn't get it together I decided I wanted to put it right. Zell's a wonderful character to write about so I thought 'why not get him to interfere for me?' See ya laters.