(Content Warning: Shattering, Partial Petrification, Body Horror, Possible Character Death)

The partial petrification was spreading up Tifa's body, and she knew she had to be careful. Still, she'd been in this situation before, and knew that up until the last few seconds, she'd still be mostly mobile. Right now, all she felt was sluggish, a little cold... She wasn't stone yet.

Except, she'd misjudged it, and as she tried to kick, found herself stumbling. With a gasp, she realised she was petrifying, and losing balance...

She didn't even scream as she fell, too shocked. She could only stare as she fell, stare as her legs, skirt, and feet petrified... and broke. Her upper torso wasn't petrified, but as she bounced, her arms were petrifying too, breaking away, one almost severed off entirely, the other smashing at the elbow. Her stomach and pelvis were petrified, and as she landed again, the pelvis snapped off, like a grim pantyform mannequin.

Perhaps more horrific was that she couldn't feel anything. The parts had petrified separated from her, after all.

She was left staring, gasping in surprise, at her broken body, the petrification still spreading, and her horrified allies staring at her. Somehow on the way her head had partially petrified and a chunk broke off. Petrification kept the scene clean, but still grizzly to look at. And yet the rest of her hair, most of her torso, briefly remained normal, her petrified parts and petrifying body lying atop her long brown, but greying, hair. Her allies could only stare as if they too were stone. Wide eyed Aerith, stunned Nanaki, they could only look as their friend's body lay smashed apart, her eyes wide and terrified as the rest of her petrified.

"...Oh my god," Aerith said, stomach churning. 

She gasped perhaps one last time as the petrification finished... and was stone.  Her last thought before the transformation completed...

'I wish they didn't have to see this... I'm glad the others aren't here...'

"We have to do something," Nanaki fretted.

"But... but what? She's broken! If we use a soft, we'll kill her, if she isn't already dead!" 

"She's not! I'm sure of it, I think..."

"You think?! I've never dealt with someone petrified and broken to bits before!" Aerith practically sobbed.

"I... My grandfather had lots of books, there was one about status effects and illness. I'm sure it said there was a way to heal a petrification even when the victim was damaged. But I think it was time-sensitive."

"A-Alright, we'll call the others... We have to try. Is the book in Cosmo Canyon? Can you remember anything else?"

"...One thing. A badly damaged petrified person is... unaware. There's that to be thankful of. But I think it means we only have so long to save her."

Fighting her panic and shock, Aerith called the others on the PHS.

"Guys... You need to come to us fast, there's been an accident with Tifa..." She managed, before feeling dizzy and falling to her knees. 

The unaware and cold grey eyes of Tifa could only stare as her friend sobbed, Nanaki moving over to try and comfort the Cetra.