Vincent Comes Home

Pyrosaur: That's totally what I thought as well! Steiner killed me in FFIX. The only characters I really enjoyed were Freya, Beatrix, and Steiner. Steiner was freakin' hilarious. And, of course, Beatrix and Freya kicked ass. But Steiner = love.:)

Sands--Hahahaha! Thank you! ^_^


There's only one man who uses strawberry....Lonestar!


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Cid grabbed Tifa by the arm. “Come on, you’re comin’ with us.”

“Wouldn’t it be safer if she stayed here?” Reno asked him.

“’Course not. If he’s lookin’ for her, he may know where she is.”

Vincent looked at Tifa. She seemed anxious. “I will go retrieve your glove, Tifa.” He looked at Cid. “I’ll get my gun too.”

“If you run into him, sing out. Don’ give ‘im a reason t’attack you. We don’ know if he’ll kill Yuffie.”

“Well duh, Cid,” Reno drawled, rolling his eyes. “He was a Turk, he fuckin’ knows that. Now c’mon!”

“Shut up, shithead.”

“This isn’t finding Yuffie,” Vincent snapped. “Tifa, come with me. We’ll get your things.”

Tifa followed him out the door.

“Walk with me, Tifa. Don’t lag behind.”

Tifa hugged herself. She tried to smile. “You afraid he’s gonna whisk me away without your knowing?”

He heard the tremor in her voice. “Yes.”

Men and women were everywhere on the ship. Leon’s orders to search every cabin had flown to all corners. Across the ship, Vincent escorted Tifa to her room and she grabbed up her gear and put it on.

“Vincent?”

He led her out the door to his room. “What?”

“Are you angry with me?”

Vincent pause and turned to her. He smiled for her. “No, I’m not. I’ve…come to realize that…I can’t hide behind what I was. I still have my memories but in the end…that’s all they are. Just memories.”

“Memories are important.”

“Yes,” Vincent agreed, opening his door, thinking of Klaus, Eddie, Corrie, Bloody Luke and the others. “I’ll have to tell you about them sometime.”

He flipped on his light.

He wasn’t sure what made him move. He just suddenly did. A sword bit down into his claw with a metallic clang.

He leapt backwards, shaking free. “Cloud!”

Tifa made to come in the door.

“No, Tifa! Go get one of the others!”

She looked torn for a moment.

Cloud turned, slowly, his eyes unnaturally wide. He stared at Tifa. He started to smile.

“Go Tifa! Tifa!”

She stared at Cloud. Suddenly, she stiffened. Cloud smiled wider, narrowing his eyes at her.

Vincent flew to his desk and picked up his gun. He fired.

He didn’t even see Cloud move. His sword was just up. Now he was looking at him. Vincent stood, slightly sideways. “Go Tifa. Now. Hurry up.”

Finally, she nodded and took off down the hallway.

Cloud made to go after her. Vincent fired again. “First me, Cloud. Jenova.”

Cloud’s smile turned eerie, his unnaturally wide eyes giving an almost corpse-like appearance. He raised his sword.

Vincent moved sideways. “Where’s Yuffie, Cloud?”

His grin opened, showing teeth. He gave a raspy laugh.

“Where is she? How did you get out of that cell?”

Cloud’s face spasmed. “So…many…questions….questions…”

“Did Yuffie let you out?”

Cloud shook; a tremble seemed to race up his spine. “She just got out.”

Vincent narrowed his eyebrows. “Yuffie did?”

The tremble was gone. “Meeeeeeeeee,” rasped Cloud, in voice that sent chills through Vincent’s bones.

“Where is Yuffie?” Vincent asked again. Cloud started to move with him, so they were circling each other.

Cloud smiled again and drew a line across his throat.

Vincent froze. “You killed her?”

Suddenly, he choked, taking a gasping breath. “Downstairs! In the hold with—“

His eyes rolled back into his head. And he charged.

He’s still in there somewhere.

Vincent fired two shots and sidestepped as Cloud swung at him. The boy anticipated and followed him. Vincent dealt him a stinging slap with his claw, scratching his face open and dazing him for a second.

Vincent leapt over him, grabbing his armor from the floor and pushing it on. Cloud turned at him, blood running down his face. “Viiiiiiiiiinceeeeeeent…”

Vincent took a step backwards.

Cloud’s head began to tilt to one side, his eyes, if anything, opening wider. “Viiiiiiiinceeeeeeeent…” He a short laugh escaped him. “What are you afraid of?” he whispered. He smiled.

To their right, the door burst open. Reno ran into the room.

“Reno, down!”

He did. Barely missing Cloud taking off his head. “Holy shit!”

Cloud stiffened again, taking a deep breath. “—with the…medicine sto—“ He trembled, as if he might have a seizure.

Vincent didn’t waste the opportunity. “Is anyone else on their way?”

“Yeh, Tifa said she had to get something and then she’d get Barret.”

“Go down to the hold, where Cid keeps the Ethers. Yuffie is there. Hurry. She may be dying.” He didn’t have it in him to say she was probably already dead.

Reno’s eyes went wide; he needed no second bidding. He scrambled up and took off.

When he looked back at Cloud, he found the hard Jenova-eyes staring at him again. “How kind of you,” he rasped. “to give him hope.”

“I know you’re still in there, Cloud. We’ll be in the Forgotten City soon.”

He snarled, raised the sword, and flew at him.

Vincent leapt backwards, dodging the blade. Twice the sword bit into his claw and clanged off his armor. Vincent twisted his arm up, locking Cloud’s blade in the grooves of his gauntlet.

“I’m going to kill you, Vincent.”

Vincent raised his gun and pointed it at Cloud’s face. “I’m sorry.”

He fired.

There was a bright flash of light. When Vincent opened his eyes, Cloud was still staring at him. The bullet was gone.

Tifa suddenly ran into the room. “Cloud!” she screamed.

With a snarl, he turned.

“Tifa, no!”

Barret darted in behind her.

She summoned Alexander.

Vincent hit the floor, covering his head.

Cloud roared, flying back into the wall and falling to the ground. He went still.


The only thing she could hear was her own harsh, fast breathing. She couldn’t see anymore. The brightest lights had faded. Her whole body felt hot and sluggish and blood was caked all over her.

She had tried moving her fingers at first, to reach her shuriken, to activate her Materia. But she was far too weak. And she had made the mistake of touching her stomach. There was a deep gash across it; she could feel her entrails, still warm. She nearly passed out.

All she could hear was her own panting breath.

She was dying.

Something touched her arm, but she only barely felt it.

Cloud had just suddenly, not been in the cell. She hadn’t let him out and they had taken his sword and his Materia, so she had no idea how he’d done it. He’d just suddenly been standing next to her. He clamped a hand over her mouth, drug her down the hallway, opened a door and went down some stairs. She bit, kicked and grabbed her shuriken. He’d taken it, easily, and thrown it from her. Then he whipped her around, drew his sword (how had he gotten that?) and cut her right across her abdomen.

She seized up with the pain and he kicked her over.

Then he’d gone back upstairs.

And now the only thing she could hear was her own panting breath.

Couldn’t she?

Hot waves were cresting over her. Suddenly, her whole body was tingling. Heat seemed to flash everywhere.

She gasped, back arching, sending a shockwave through her spine. She shuddered. And then she heard something…something besides her labored breathing.

It sounded like wind chimes.

“Try this one.”

“Where’d you get tha’?”

“Cosmo Canyon.”

Without her bidding, her eyes opened and Yuffie saw a burst of white.

Someone next to her was breathing hard. Yuffie saw another burst of light.

“Let me do it,” someone else ordered gruffly. “Yer gonna pass out. You’ve done the max with jus’ Cure, let alone Full Cure.”

“Shut up.”

White light, again. And a warm sensation slipped over Yuffie’s skin like oil. The pain was fading. This is it…

But…was it?

She heard someone calling her name. Someone was still panting next to her.

“One more time,” said the panting voice.

“Reno, you stupid shit. I’ll—“

“Shut up, old man.”

A man flashed into her mind. Red-haired and cocky as hell, with that knowing smirk and flashing blue eyes. Reno!

More light.

“You dumb son-of-a-bitch.”

“Fuck…you, Cid. You’d do the same goddamn thing if she was yours.”

“You all right?”

“Fuckin’-A.”

Yuffie eyelashes fluttered open. She heard her own breathing, and saw Reno above her. She raised her hands to touch her throat, then her stomach. “What did you do?”

He was leaning on his hands, breathing hard and smiling down at her. “Jus’ checkin’ ya out, babe.”

Yuffie laughed weakly. “How’s the view?”

He half-smiled. “Good, babe. Real good.”

“You all right, Yuffie?”

Yuffie sat up. “Yeah. M’all right. Just gotta catch my breath.” She looked down at her stomach, examining it with her fingers.

Cid nodded and reached onto the shelf by her head. He pulled down a white bag and took out a small, red stick. It almost looked like gum. “Here, Reno. Take a Turbo Ether on me.”

He smiled ruefully and snapped the little red stick in half. “Thanks bunches, Cid.” He said, laughing weakly. Red light came over him and he sighed in with it. He stayed still for a moment and then gave Yuffie his hand. He stood up, pulling her with him.

Suddenly, the ship lurched. Reno pulled Yuffie against him and grabbed the shelves. Cid stayed still with practiced ease. “We must have arrived.”

“At the City?” Reno asked.

Cid nodded, solemn. “The Forgotten City.”

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