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By request of Valentine'sNinja, here is the first part of a prompt-slash-giftfic. The prompt itself was a Zack/Tifa romance with Tifa as a witch and Zack as a witch hunter. I think it came out alright… so far. This is going to be at least three parts, if not, then more. I hope you like it, V-Ninja!

Title and summary are lyrics of 'Cadence of Her Last Breath' by Nightwish.

Summary: Running for her life, the dark rain from her eyes still falls. Breathtaking butterfly chose a dark day to live.

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, any of its spin-offs, or Nightwish.

She turned over the back of the couch to address the two women standing beside the counter. She sighed. "Are you two still wasting your time on that?"

The older of the two looked up. "This isn't a waste… If we can figure out how to work this then we won't have to live in fear any longer!"

The other one kept her focus on her task. "We're really close… Luckily, we have our own personal tester…"

The raven-haired man pushed himself off the wall. "It is the least I could do."

"But…" the first girl interjected, "You're a former hunter… Don't you want to see us dead?"

"That desire was all a part of my biological programming. You and your sisters have saved me from that fate. I am in your debt now."

***

Zack gave a sigh and clasped his fingers behind his head, following the blond in front of him. He hummed a tune to himself before looking up. "Hey, Cloud… You sure there's one nearby? I don't sense anything…"

Cloud glanced back over his shoulder, keeping a hand on his hefty blade and his voice at a whisper, "Yes, Zack, I'm sure. You're not exactly a full-fledged hunter… Your ability to sense is still premature."

He shrugged. "Yeah, but I still don't sense anything."

"Fine. Head home, then. I'll finish searching without you."

"You sure?"

Cloud turned to face him more fully and sighed. "Yes, I'm sure, Zack. You're probably loud enough to scare her off, anyway."

"Whatever. I'll see you back in Nibelheim, okay?"

"Yeah."

***

A small, dark-haired girl came running into the room with an urgent expression. "We have a super-duper-omega-blowout-heaven-or-hell problem on our hands!"

The oldest brunette pushed her glasses up her nose. "What's wrong?"

"Some hunters found us… They're working behind the company's back to destroy the pillar! They're gonna drop the whole plate!"

The middle sister glanced up from her task and screamed, "What!?"

"It's true, I swear! I heard some humans talking about it…"

The oldest touched her paint brush to the soft flesh of her youngest sister. "We have to hurry, then."

The girl lying on the table with her shirt pulled up glanced around. "Are we going to get out quickly enough?"

"We better. We're almost done. Just stay still for a little longer."

***

Zack walked along the barren roads, absently swinging his sword. Damn it… I should've stayed in case Cloud needed my help… Sure, he never needed it before, but still… I feel bad for leaving him alone like that. He did save my life after- Huh? What's that?

He broke into a jog to inspect the dark lump near the side of the road. Kneeling beside it, he realized it was a person and pushed the hood of their traveler's cloak back. The person's face came into sight and Zack inhaled sharply. It was a young woman, maybe a few years younger than he, with long brown hair disappearing into the back of her cloak. Her eyes were closed and her petite features looked paler than the average person's should. Thin scratches caressed her limbs and lay visible beneath torn clothing. He touched two fingers to her neck to feel for a pulse; she was still alive.

That's always a good sign… he reasoned mentally. He briefly checked for broken bones before gathering her in his arms and lifting her up gently. Making his way down the street, he carried her down along the rough path towards his home in Nibelheim.

***

"Vincent! Get them out of here!"

The youngest sister clawed at the dark man's grip on her. "No! Lucrecia! Shera! You can't stay!"

Lucrecia, the middle sister, spoke with a gentle smile, "Don't worry. We'll be fine. We're going to stop them from doing this and then we'll be right behind you, okay?"

"No! You have to come now! Please! I… I can't do anything without you!"

Shera walked over and set a hand on her younger sister's shoulder. "Don't worry. We'll be just fine."

"But-!"

"I told you. We're just going to stop them and then we'll be right behind you." She looked up and addressed the only man in the household, "Vincent, I'm trusting you to keep them safe. Understand?"

He nodded once. "Of course." He wrapped one arm around each of the two girls' waists and lifted them, carrying them to safety.

The dark-haired girl stayed under the sleep spell Shera had cast on her while the youngest sister fought against her captor as much as she could. "No! You can't do this! I don't want to be alone!"

***

Zack buckled his belt and made his way out of the bathroom, running a towel through his damp hair. He walked down the hall and pushed the door to his and Cloud's bedroom open. A small voice sounded from behind him, "Zack?"

He turned quickly to face the young girl. "Yeah? What's up, Marlene? Is it that girl?"

Marlene nodded, "Yup! She just woke up."

"Alright. Lemme just grab a shirt and I'll be right there, okay?"

"Okay! I'll go see if she's thirsty!"

"Yeah, you do that." He grabbed a t-shirt off the floor and pulled it over his head before turning and walking out to another bedroom. He paused at the doorway and knocked, causing the brunette sitting up in bed to turn to face him. He grinned. "Morning. You gave me quite the scare."

Her ruby eyes showed a deep fear as she mumbled, "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-!"

"Relax. Just rest. You'll be just fine, but you need to rest."

She nodded slowly. "Who are you?"

He slapped his forehead. "Oops. Sorry! I'm Zack. Zack Fair."

She looked around hesitantly. "My name is Tifa. I'm sorry to be such a burden…"

"Don't worry about it, Tifa. What happened to you?"

"I… I didn't eat enough and I… I passed out. Thank you for helping me. I owe you a great debt as of now."

"Pft!" He waved a hand in front of his face. "Don't worry about it! I'm glad to help!"

"Well, regardless, thank you."

"No problem! Just take care of yourself, okay?"

"Okay."

***

Vincent carried them to the edge of the colossal city, keeping the sleeping girl over one shoulder and gripping the other around the waist. They watched in silence as the heavy plate supporting a fraction of the upper section started to shudder and convulse, dropping slowly towards the planet's surface. The girl screamed at the top of her lungs, "Lucrecia!!! Shera!!! No! This can't be happening…! This can't…"

Her silent guardian released her so she could fall to her knees, choking on her encroaching tears. He set his free hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. They should not have… I should have forced them to come with us."

She leaned back against his leg, sniffling against the dark fabric of his pants. "It's not your fault, Vincent…You haven't done anything wrong…"

His attention snapped upwards. "Hunters! Run!"

***

"Ahh…!" he released a satisfied grunt as he stretched his back out. Zack glanced over at the other bed in the room. Huh… I guess Cloud didn't come in last night… Wonder if he's okay. No sense worrying about him, though. Let's go see what we can dig up for breakfast! He stood from his bed and switched his pajamas for a pair of jeans and a tight-fitting t-shirt. Padding down the wooden flooring on bare feet, his nose picked up a particular scent: Bacon. He followed the aroma down the hall, coming to the kitchen to find a smiling brunette standing by the stove with Marlene at her side. He raised an eyebrow. "Tifa? Sure you should be up?"

She turned quickly. "Wha-? Oh, Zack, you startled me."

"Sorry." He leaned against the counter. "Didn't mean to."

She shook her head. "To answer your question, Marlene woke me up and asked for breakfast. She said you always burn the food and that everyone else was out."

He scratched the back of his head at the sound of Marlene's giggles. "That is true… But still! I can whip up a mean bowl of cereal!"

The young girl whispered loudly to the older, "He's burned oatmeal."

Tifa laughed, "Seriously?" She looked at Zack and asked, "Um… Out of curiosity, how many people live here?"

He counted off his fingers. "Lessee… Um, five… Six if we count you."

"I see. How do you… How do you all know each other, if I might ask? Is Marlene your sister?"

He grinned. "No, but I'm glad you asked! We're all hunters! Marlene, here, is Barret's daughter, so she's not a hunter, but…"

Tifa turned back to the stove. "I see."

"You don't like that?"

"It's just… I abhor violence. I don't care who's dealing it to whom…"

"I get it. I'm sorry. I won't talk about it, then."

The front door opened and two men walked in, both in their thirties, laughing all the while. Zack grinned again and called, "Morning, Barret! Morning, Reeve!"

The tall, dark-skinned one laughed harder. "Mornin', Zack!"

Marlene ran over to him. "Papa! Did you have fun last night?"

"I did! We got a lot o' work done, Reeve an' me."

"Yay!"

The other man, Reeve, caught sight of Tifa standing by the stove and asked, "And who is the lovely lady?"

Zack took the opportunity to answer, "This is Tifa. I found her on the side of the road during my trip back last night. She was unconscious, so I brought her back to fix her up."

"That was very noble of you." He turned to Tifa to introduce himself, "I am Reeve Tuesti. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

She smiled and took his extended hand. "I'm Tifa…" she paused briefly, "…Lockhart. Yes, Tifa Lockhart."

***

She pounded through the forest with Vincent at her heels while he held the small, sleeping girl in his arms. She glanced over her shoulder to search for their followers. "Do you think they're still there?"

He turned to her to reply, but the sound of a gunshot followed by a tree branch splintering a few inches from his head interrupted. He grunted, "I would assume so."

She said nothing, only pouring more speed into her legs to run through the dense forest. Shoving thin boughs away from her face, she ignored the small scratches tearing the skin on her arms and legs. Vincent ran right alongside her, hissing to her, "Go around to the right. I'll go left and we'll meet up on the other side of the thicket."

She nodded once. "Alright. I'll see you there, Vincent."

***

"Zack."

Zack looked up at the sound of his name, lowering his sword to his side and wiping his brow free of sweat with the back of his hand. He spotted the blond trudging down the road with blood splattered to the right side of his body, staining his bare arm red and sticking his baggy pants to his leg. Zack grinned openly. "Heya, Cloud! How'd it go?"

Cloud looked down at his crimson-coated body and raised an eyebrow at his companion. "How do you think?"

"Took you almost a week. Didja get her?"

"She put up a fight, but she went down. They always do."

He shrugged. "Shower should be open. Go get yourself cleaned up."

The blond grunted a reply and strode towards the door of the small, three-bedroom house. Zack turned back to his training, swinging his oversize blade with inhuman strength.

A shrill -and distinctly feminine- scream echoed from the house, forcing Zack to turn on his heel and run for the door. That sounded like… Tifa! He threw the door open to find her leaning against the kitchen counter, eyes wide and full of panic, Barret and Reeve watching uselessly, and Marlene sitting on the floor, watching with a doll in her hand.

Cloud stood before Tifa, one hand bracing the counter, the other raised but hidden from Zack's view. His chin was tilted near her face with his lips almost touching her cheek.

Zack closed the distance between them in a few short strides, shouting, "Cloud! What the hell are you doing!?"

His friend leaned back, face impassive, and replied, "Just getting to know our new friend is all. Nothing to be alarmed about." He turned, retreating to the stairs and disappeared from sight without another word.

Tifa's shoulders shook, her knees giving out beneath her as she dropped to the floor. Zack was at her side in seconds with a hand on her shoulder. "Tifa? Are you alright? What did he do to you?"

She bit her lip, chin quivering with the approach of tears, and stuttered, "He… He…"

"Tifa. It's okay. What did he say?"

"He…He… scared me… I… I'm afraid, Zack."

"Tifa…" Damn it, Cloud… What the hell is wrong with you? He held a hand towards her. "C'mon. Let's go get some fresh air."

She nodded slowly and took his hand as he pulled her to her feet. "Okay. Thank you, Zack."

He heard the sound of the shower start upstairs and pulled her from the house. They walked side-by-side for awhile before Zack realized her was still holding her hand. He let go and scratched the back of his head awkwardly with his other hand.

She blushed slightly and reached out to take his hand back in hers. A small smile graced her tear-stained face as they walked down random streets in the rustic town.

Zack glanced around, reflecting on his childhood while trying to figure out what to say to Tifa. His memories started to flow back in a rush, the emotional impact causing his shoulders to jerk as he stopped abruptly.

A ten-year-old version of himself watching his younger brother's baptism, a family friend holding the boy as she was announced his godmother.

His mother and the same family friend making dinner while twelve-year-old Zack played with his three-year-old brother.

His father showing him how to wield a sword at the age of sixteen so he could 'protect his future wife.'

The day he turned eighteen, when a traveler showed up at their front door, demanding that their family friend be surrendered.

His parents denying the stranger's request and forcing him away.

His home in flames just two days later.

The smell of smoke as he struggled through the thick blanket of black to find his family, only to discover it was the woman they were trying to protect who did this to them.

The pain as she fired a spell directly into him, sending him backwards.

The sight of the stranger forcing his way between himself and the woman, holding a sword at the ready.

Waking up two and a half weeks later with blurred memories.

The stranger coming into the room with charred clothes, explaining that Zack's family was dead and that he almost died as well.

Discovering that the only way he had survived was by receiving an impromptu blood transplant from a hunter, effectively giving him the power of one.

Learning the way of the hunter under the stranger who saved his life.

"Zack?"

"Huh?" He turned to find Tifa watching him intently.

She cocked her head. "Are you alright? You faded out for awhile there…"

"Oh, uh, yeah. I'm okay." He averted his gaze from hers. "I was just… remembering."

She nodded. "I understand."

"So…" He scratched the back of his head again. "Cloud… He's a purebred hunter… His family's been hunters for the last three hundred years, at least. Sometimes, his ego gets the better of him. I'm really sorry about that."

"Why did he say he could smell my fear?"

"He said that?"

She nodded. "Mm."

"As a purebred, his senses have always been sharper than mine. Hell, his are better than Barret's and Reeve's, too. Sometimes, he can pick up on strong human emotions."

"Why would Barret's and Reeve's senses be stronger than yours?"

"I'm… not a real hunter. I was born a run-of-the-mill human… I… got in an accident and Cloud saved me by giving me some of his blood. Don't ask me how he did it, but I'm alive now because of him. "

"I see… Didn't you try to fight the powers?"

"Why would I?"

"Why wouldn't you?"

"My… My family was killed then… My parents… My little brother, Denzel… They were killed…"

"I'm sorry…"

"The 'accident'… My family was betrayed by our closest family friend. She was a witch. She betrayed us… She killed them. Now, I just want to see every witch dead. To free the rest of the world from those god-forsaken tyrants. I'll use this gift that I've been given to make that vision real."

"But… Don't you think there might be good witches?"

"I thought she was a good witch… Look at how that turned out."

"I see."

He shook his head, taking a few steps to stand in front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Regardless, I'll make sure Cloud doesn't do anything to you, okay?"

She bit her bottom lip and nodded. "Thank you, Zack."

He stood in silence, looking her in the eye, and gave her shoulders a brief squeeze. Her chin tipped slightly upwards, prompting him closer. Accepting her invitation, he leaned down and felt her breath on his lips as he came closer.

"Zack!"

They flew apart, blushes lighting both of their faces, and turned in the direction of the sweet and innocent voice that had spoken his name. Zack raised an eyebrow, "Marlene? What are you doing out here alone?"

She stuck her hands on her hips and glared. "Tifa missed the meeting!"

Zack turned to the woman still in his hold. "Tifa?"

She laughed, her tears forgotten. "Marlene and I decided to meet every afternoon with 'top-secret girl stuff' topics."

Disinterest showed on his face immediately. "Oh."

She lowered her voice to keep the child from hearing. "Marlene looked like she needed another girl besides herself. I was here, so I offered to be her friend."

"Ah. Well, you better not keep your partner waiting… She looks pretty angry."

"Yeah." She stayed put. "I should probably go…"

The little girl stamped her foot. "Tifa!"

"I'm coming…" She pulled Zack's hands off her arms reluctantly. "I'll… see you tonight, then."

"Yeah, tonight."

***

She broke free from the woods and slowed to a stop, glancing in every direction. She called out, "Vincent! Vincent! Where are you!?"

She waited, listening for a response, and sighed in defeat when she received none. She turned and found her way to the street, whispering under her breath, "I'm… all alone…"

Fighting back tears, she made her way towards the mountains in the distance, hoping she could cross them before too much time and food was lost.

***

Zack yawned and stretched in his place on the couch, stretching his back while turning to face Tifa. "So, how'd 'girl-time' go?"

She smiled secretively. "It's girl-time, Zack… Do you really want to know?"

He shrugged. "I guess not."

She giggled and shifted her place on the couch. "I… think I should probably go to bed… It's getting late."

Zack stood up. "Sounds good!" He clapped his hands together. "Marlene! You, too!"

The little girl stuck her tongue out. "I'll go when Daddy tells me to!"

"But your daddy isn't here tonight… He's working."

"I know!"

"Marlene, you know you're not supposed to stay up too late."

"Yeah, yeah… I'll go sleep in Daddy's big bed… All alone…"

Reeve gave a little chuckle. "Why don't you sleep in my bed? I seem to have misplaced my Cait Sith and I'll need something to hug in case of a nightmare."

Zack burst out laughing. "Aw, man, Reeve…"

The older man shot him a harsh look as Marlene ran over to get a hug from him. "I'll have you know, I like sleeping with a stuffed cat still."

Even Tifa started to laugh, but stopped abruptly as the back door opened and soft footsteps entered. All eyes lifted to look as Cloud walked in with his eyes to the floor and his sword on his shoulder. He turned and went straight for the stairs, disappearing from sight. Tifa released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and watched as Reeve and Marlene went up after him.

Zack looked down at her, smiling at the way she'd moved against his side unconsciously. "So… You want to head to bed, too?"

Without even taking her actions into account, she turned and buried her face in his chest. "I'm scared, Zack."

He stood, slowly lifting her in his capable arms. "Don't worry. I'll make sure he doesn't hurt you, okay?"

She nodded slowly, resting her head on his shoulder now. "Okay."

He hoisted her up a little to get a better hold before carrying her to the stairs. Walking past his bedroom, he glared over Tifa's head at the blond man sitting on the bed inside. Zack kept going and stopped at the door to what had become Tifa's and Marlene's room. He set her down on the bed and braced a leg on the edge before swinging his other over her. Shifting his position a little, he laid down behind her on the twin bed and set a hand on her stomach to pull her close.

She stiffened under his hold for a moment before letting herself relax into him. "Zack…" she whispered, "You're like everyone's brother, aren't you?"

He sighed for a moment, resisting his urge to kiss her hair. "Uh… Yeah. Brother."

A moment later, Tifa's breathing evened off as she entered the realms of sleep. He gently smoothed his hand over her hair, whispering in a voiceless whisper, "Damn it, Tifa… What is it about you…? I mean, any man would be a fool to say you're not beautiful… But this… this feeling…" He hummed a pathetic sound before his thoughts faded out to senseless murmuring.

***

She wandered down the barren path, trying to focus on placing one step ahead of the other. Hunger tore at her insides, threatening to steal her sliver of consciousness away. She pulled her cloak around her shoulders and ran a hand over her stomach, feeling the reassurance of her hope one more time.

Her vision blurred before she collapsed in the dirt.

***

Zack woke up the next morning with a yawn, instantly choking on the locks of hair he inhaled. He jumped to a sitting position, grabbing at the hair while gagging. A feminine yelp sounded next to him as Tifa jumped awake, searching frantically for the source of her arousal. Zack finished spitting her hair out and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Tifa… I didn't mean to wake you…"

She shook her head with a smile. "Don't worry, Zack. I was waking up, anyway."

He gave her a cross look. "You were not."

She chuckled. "You're right. I wasn't. But I should've been. I need to shower and make breakfast before Marlene and I go and have girl-time."

His hand casually slipped around her waist, causing her to flinch. He pulled back and mumbled a quick, "I'm sorry… I won't…"

She turned to him, shock making her eyes larger than they should be. "Zack, what are you-?"

They sat side-by-side, hip-to-hip, with Zack's arm crossing behind her to support himself. He raised a hand to tip her chin up towards his. "You didn't seem to mind yesterday…"

Her eyes grew wider and her lips trembled as she whispered, "Zack… I…"

"Tifa…" he spoke her name softly before leaning down to seal his lips over hers. Her back arched upon the contact, pressing her lips to his in a response to his advances. He kissed her tenderly, wrapping his arm around her again to settle his hand on her hip. Her left hand came up slowly to caress his cheek before slipping down his jaw to rest on his shoulder. She twisted slightly to turn into him, relishing in the feeling of protection she got from him.

He pulled back, looking down at her, with ragged breathing. "Tifa…"

She blushed and forced her gaze away from his electric blue eyes. "Zack, I…"

Concern flooded his mind at the shamed look on her face. "Tifa? Are you alright? Should I… not have done that? Do you… have someone? Waiting for you?"

She shook her head. "That's not it, Zack…"

"Then what is it? You can tell me, Tifa."

Her head shook back and forth with more ferocity. "No, I can't, Zack. I… I want to, but I can't."

"Tifa…" He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "I don't care what is. Just promise me you won't run out on me, okay?"

"Zack, I…"

"Promise me, Teef."

"I promise, Zack."

Hope everyone enjoyed so far! I have part two almost done… A day at grandma's house without internet and an excited muse is a powerful thing. Please review and let me know what you think!

-Valk