#flash fiction friday: fwc

[bardic-tales]

Title: Lights and sirens

Pairing: Bianca / Sephiroth

Rating: Explicit

Word Count: 936

Fandom: Final Fantasy 7

Warnings: Death, violence, emotional distress, supernatural themes, war/conflict, loss of a loved one, dystopian oppression, child endangerment, existential themes, doom/fatalism.

Summary: Bianca Moore is haunted by the death of her lover, Sephiroth, as she navigates the chaos unfolding in Midgar after multiple explosions. Plagued by his voice calling her to join him in the Reunion, she struggles with grief, loss, and her desire for release from the mortal world.

Prompt Filled: 270: Lights and sirens

Created for: @flashfictionfridayofficial

1.

Midgar, Gaia 0007

“Multiple explosions in the Mako Reactor,” the woman relayed from the tv through the quaint little room. As she sat on the armchair, Bianca Moore focused her attention on the reporter on the TV. As she leaned forward, the squeak of the chair conglomerated with the terror in the reporter’s voice.

“Come to me.” Bianca was captivated by the mesmerizing sound of a masculine voice, which seemed to caress her ears and fill the surrounding silence. In that moment, she had a fleeting sensation of someone’s presence behind her, their touch lingering on her right shoulder, but when she turned, there was no one there.

With each beat, her heart throbbed in her chest, mirroring the underlying dread carefully masked by the news anchor. Who said to come to her? Why did it sound so much like him?

In a state of confusion, Bianca’s head jerked from side to side as she tried to locate the elusive owner of the voice. It sounded like him, but it couldn’t possibly be him. Five years ago, Bianca witnessed his death, her voice echoing in despair as the spiky blond-haired trooper plunged a stolen sword into his back.

The familiar wave of sheer terror washed over her, as if five years ago was just yesterday, leaving her heart pounding in her chest. How long would it take for the grief to release its tight grip on her heart? Her rapid breaths hammered against her chest, but she leaned forward, desperately seeking comfort as she cradled her face with her shaky hands.

Her long brown hair fell gracefully down her back, dancing with the rhythm of her steps. As the past events unfolded before her mind’s eye, she attempted to avert the devastating outcome, the heartbreaking demise of the man she held dear, as madness consumed him.

As the thoughts from the past collided with the present, a sudden, forceful knock shattered the continuous hum of the television and its piercing alarm from the Emergency Broadcast System, urging everyone to remain indoors as Shinra tackled the terrorists.

She rose from the chair and sauntered to the door. Her heart still pounded, and as she reached for the doorknob, her hands trembled. It was a strange sensation: hearing the mortals crying out and watching the acrid smoke billowing in the distance like some black cloud washing over the plate, but not feeling anything except wanting the sweet release of death finally.

She, being an outsider to the Planet, experienced a paralyzing dread, knowing she could never join the Lifestream and be reunited with her departed lover. She wouldn’t rejoin the Celestial Realm either. Exiled from those lands, she bore the weight of her doomed love for the mortal man. The sensation of the Eternal Moonlight on her skin will forever remain beyond Bianca’s reach, causing her to miss out on its embrace.

If, by some tragic circumstance, she were to meet her demise, her physical being and inner essence would gradually dissipate, eventually ceasing to exist altogether. There was nothing that would prevent that fate. It was the true nature of an angel’s love for mortals and the willful defiance of divine laws. That was a fate far kinder than being trapped in the heart-wrenching memories of the harrowing events that occurred five years ago. Tears welling up in her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away.

Bianca cautiously peered through the slender gap between the slightly ajar door and the doorjamb. She watched as a swarm of people quickly dashed past her, their hurried footsteps fading into the distance. The sight of their battered bodies, wrapped tightly in thick bandages, was a sobering reminder of the violence they had experienced. Her heart sank as several more individuals walked past, their downcast eyes and slow pace echoing the weight of their sorrows. Staring forward with haunted and vacant eyes, they seemed oblivious to their surroundings.

Despite straining her eyes, she couldn’t glimpse who knocked on her door. Not a single soul stood on her stoop. As she stood there, another man hurried past, clutching a young girl tightly against his chest. The blaring sirens muffled the child’s screams and shrieking of terror, amplifying her sense of impending doom. The child’s face contorted with terror, tears streaming down her cheeks, as her wide, fearful brown eyes darted around the street, searching for the man’s reassurance as young children were apt to do.

A group of troopers, their tense bodies rigid, stood near the entrance of the Sector, the blinding beams of their spotlights scanning the crowd, casting eerie shadows on the faces of the onlookers. No one could escape their watchful eyes, but their loyalty was directly proportional to the amount of money Shinra paid them.

Shinra. She thought, as the man and young child now stood in line with everyone else who was trying to get out and away from the bombing. AVALANCE. That blond man who now pretended to be a SOLDIER. They were the source of all the terror and grief that permeated the air.

Surrounded by the pulsating blue lights of the ambulance parked next to her apartment, Bianca’s eyes welled up with tears as she bitterly observed how quickly the civilians carried on with their lives—even amid a tragedy. If he hadn’t died, he would have been sent here to help the civilians, or at the very least, she would have persuaded him to come and help her and the people who lived in the sector. Her grief weighed heavily on her shoulders. Fists clenching together, Bianca seethed with fury. How she wanted to expose the President and the board’s deceit at his supposed defeat by the monsters of Nibelheim. The fan club mourned him, but he was quickly forgotten about as they moved on to the next upcoming SOLDIER.

“It’s time, Bianca.” Once more, she heard his voice — Sephiroth’s voice— in her head. It was lulling and demanded to be heard, much like a siren luring sailors to their demise. “The Reunion where you and I will finally be one again. A melding of souls. Make your way North. Mother and I are waiting.”

For more Flash Fiction centered on Fantasy Worlds Collide, please see the tag flash fiction: fwc.

[bardic-tales]

So, announcing a new project: my drabble - flash fiction anthology. I decided any drabble (100 words) or flash fiction that does not have any events attached to it (such as Whumptober or Flash Fiction Friday) or a title will be part of this collection.

It will be a companion read for Blood & Stardust, my main FF VII fan fiction. Blood & Stardust will follow Bianca after the events of her father stabbing her and her arrival to Gaia.

The anthology will be titled: Memories from the Lifestream. It can feature anything from banter between Seph and Bianca to minor events from her traveling to North Crater. It could feature darlings that I killed in the main WIP, too.

And here is the shiny banner for this. I'm not too happy with it, but it is what it is.

The tag will be 'fwc: memories from the lifestream'.