Adult-FanFiction.org : Final Fantasy

Lady of the Wood	By : Ash_Gray_Kitsune Category: Final Fantasy VII > Het - Male/Female > Vincent/Tifa Views: 1110 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, nor do I make any money off of it.

Chapter List
- 1-Lady of the Wood
- 2-Altar Child
- 1
- 2
-a breath of sound. the flowing waves of her beloved Promised Land pool in this hallowed place, drawing even the latent Cetra to the surface...and green eyes survey what has been wrought.-
"Yuffie." -the ninja's head raised slowly, blinking over at the vision hovering over the pool-
"Aerith?"

Rude drew to a stop at the village gate, and in spite of the ominous shadows cast by the giant skeletons that gave it its name, the researchers and paleotologists were friendly and welcoming, a large fire already going in the soft dusk. That was partly due to the monsters and animals around...and also partly because these folks, rather than being affiliated with Shinra, were from Cosmo Canyon. And as a large, deep red creature broke away from the flames, seemingly made of them himself, the newcomers visibly relaxed, thanking Nanaki for remaining topside. The Canyon cat could have dove into the City of the Ancients along with the other crews, and had he still been alone, he would have. But his beloved Deneh was lying in a warm bed of sheepskin and pillows, her swollen stomach giving evidence to her current state, and why the scarred cat would not leave.
Cid hefted his spear and headed over to kneel down beside the lady-cat, while the Turks started asking questions on behalf of the WRO units, and Cloud and Barret relaxed and shared a moment or two of male pride with the happy father-to-be. Vincent shifted himself back into the shadows again, feeling distinctly uncomfortable now that he was the leader of the expedition in truth. He'd never been much of a leader; he had too much of a tendancy to ask for orders as a Turk, and after that, well...He sighed a little, and was startled when a small hand slipped into his, squeezing tightly for just a moment as an equally small voice identified herself to him.
"Vincent, nobody's going to bite, you know." He relaxed and crouched down to give his favorite adopted niece a hug, while privately wondering who in the hell Marlene had managed to charm into flying her up this far north.
"Your father will if he sees you, little one. What in the Lifestream are you doing here?" Her eyes fell, and he hastened to smooth back her bangs, inwardly cursing himself. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. This...is not the place for children, my dear, though you're far more mature than I ever was at your age."
"I know, but...I really want to see Tifa again. And these guys keep saying they see her in the woods at night..." Vincent's voice turned stern.
"You aren't going out there, are you?" Thankfully, the horror on her face eased his own, and he gathered her into a strong embrace again. "Forgive me, I had to ask. Now, tell me all about the village; I've no doubt you've stuck your cute nose into everything here for as long as you've been here...speaking of which, how long before your babysitter calls your father, frantic?" Marlene blinked up at him, then grinned in a decidedly Reno fashion.
"Well, Miss Elena and Tseng-san flew Denzel and me up last week..." The sound of a gauntlet hitting his forehead disturbed the conversations around them, and as Barret gaped, then yelled, then embraced and lectured his miniscule daughter, all Vincent could do was laugh weakly as night drew close and the sere, leafless trees were backlit by moonlight.

The bonfire had died down to a red-hot bed of coals, looking almost soft enough to walk across, though the blazing heat told otherwise. Marlene was tucked deep in the coal miner's arms, Barret himself flat on his back, snoring like a freight train. Cid matched him with that unique 'smoker's lung' airplane turbine of his, his spear replacing Shera for the time being as a teddy bear. Cloud was on the other side of them, both out of hearing and downwind, using his swords and a tarp as a makeshift tent so that he and Denzel could sit up and talk without disturbing anyone. Reno and Rude were with them too; playing a quiet, if intense, game of cards while Vincent stood guard over them all, his cloak discarded for a long scarf and a heavier jacket, for he was perched up in one of the higher pine trees, periodically scanning the horizon just west of the village, where the misty form of the ancient forest rose up.
He'd made the place a pseudo-home for a year or two; just long enough to spy on the three Remnants and care for Tseng and Elena, then he'd taken up Tifa's offer to help him find a place closer to the rest of them after that battle. Six agonizing months searching later...his damned apartment was destroyed by Deepground, and though he'd exacted his revenge, it'd still left him lighter in the wallet than he'd cared to admit. He'd only been there a night before it all went up in smoke! Ah, well...it'd given him an excuse to move back to Edge, living out of a small hotel room, visiting Tifa and the kids, helping with Cloud's delivery service, killing odd monsters for extra gil...Falling hopelessly in love with a twenty-six-year-old, at the ripe young age of fifty-six. He had wondered, over the last couple of years, if her mind had ever changed; it'd only been about three months since he'd been here last, and Yuffie had been missing since the first week in almost five months before that.
He'd scoured the City, the Wood...she was nowhere to be found. She was clearly safe; her beacon and vitals were as strong as ever, but there was no getting ahold of her PHS, nor her radio. Even now, he flipped open his own phone, swallowing the lump in his throat as he located that ambiguous green dot...it was moving. Vincent's eyes widened, and he glanced to the north and west again, sharp vision trying to pick out something, anything that might alert him to Yuffie's wherabouts...when the alarms began going up around the village. He slid down the tree, gritting his teeth as his boots, legs, and arms scraped against the branches, and as he slammed into the ground, swaying dangerously, an ethereal form wavered on the crest above their camp.
Vincent's heart stopped; it was Tifa. But...it was a Tifa changed. No longer did those deep rose-red eyes glimmer with hidden laughter; they were the same shade of dried blood, and just as dead inside. And her long black-brown hair was wild and tangled, scattered with twigs and leaves from the forest. And her clothing...It was certainly a gown, and beautiful, once, but now it was torn and ragged, stained with substances best left undiscovered. He stared up at her, all the feelings he'd kept locked away for so long fighting to break free...When she began to move away, and while Vincent couldn't make a move...his demons could. Galian shifted out in the space between heartbeats, and with a howl, he took off after her, leaving the others to scramble in his wake.
The great guardian beast chased her shadow through the village and out into the sleeping forest, slipping through the eerie mists behind Tifa's form. Fear had no place in a beast, but even Galian felt apprehensive as they wove between the ruins of the Forgotten City, heading straight into the central spring, the spot where Aerith died...Vincent shifted back, chasing after her, armed to the teeth and his instincts on fire. There was no wind here, not even a breath...it felt as though the whole world was silent, when she stopped, suddenly, on the alter itself...where a slender figure lay, hands clasped over her breast, eyes closed.
Bracing himself for the worst, Vincent slowed his flight, watching, confused as the spirit he'd followed began to dissolve in the moonlight, falling into dust around Tifa's slumbering body. Only the fact that he could see her chest moving up and down, slight as it was, kept him from running to her side; but she was so pale, her hair spread out all around her, the simple shirt and jeans she'd been wearing when she left covered in dust. Carefully, he slipped a hand into his belt pouch, fishing for the herb that generally negated a powerful Sleep spell, and as he stood on the last step up, Vincent sprinkled a little over her face and neck, waiting on baited breath.
There! Her eyelids began to twitch, and her eyes opened, squinting painfully at the light that poured down around them. He knelt next to the large stone alter and gently took her hand, pressing a fervent kiss to her palm before he placed his human hand on her cheek.
"Tifa? Tifa, love, please say something..."
"Vincent...?" Her voice was weak, soft...and he nearly wept to hear it. Standing again, Vincent slipped his arms under her neck and knees, and picked her up, cradling her close. Thin arms wrapped around his neck, and a familiar pair of lips touched his cheek, sighing softly. "Missed you..." He kissed her forehead in return, and turned, intending to whisk them both out of the City, when a freezing sensation seared through his chest. Vincent hissed in anger and spun, snarling at the darkness, one hand scrabbling for a Gold Needle; he couldn't afford Petrification with Tifa so weak.
But it was the darkness that surged around them, and something large plucked his love out of his hands, leaving Vincent to fight the cool stone facade that was covering his body alone. But the monster didn't reckon on Vincent's enhanced senses, nor his powerful sight...and he roared out a challenge at the monster born of Jenova held Tifa high, his fangs bared, Cerberus drawn and ready to fire...when the last of the cool granite closed over his gun, leaving a statue in it's place. Only the burning hate in his eyes showed that Vincent lived, and as the hulking anomaly disappeared towards the Northern Crater, distant voices sounded, not far from the City...

-the wave of hatred. pain, fury, grief...the spectre wavered, overwhelmed, losing cohesiveness as she quailed beneath the emotions. it was too late...no...he was still alive. but frozen...-
"Aerith, what's wrong?"
"Vincent...Tifa..." -she watched, thankful as Yuffie bounded off, and sank into the pool again. she'd thought...she'd believed...but maybe they had the strength now...-
- 1
- 2
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Lady of the Wood