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Lady of the Wood	By : Ash_Gray_Kitsune Category: Final Fantasy VII > Het - Male/Female > Vincent/Tifa Views: 1108 -:- 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
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- 2
-it was quiet in the ancient halls. silent, though a rare memory or two might surface from time to time, as if the winds above were calling their names. there, she slept...-
The sound of the triple barrels clicking home woke the other three men from their light daze, and Cid glared over at the gunman, relighting his stub of a cigerette before he settled back against the swaying canvas walls, relaxing with the rhythm of the truck. Barret echoed his glare, but resigned himself to grumbling and massaging the base of his right arm, absently cleaning the one of the guns out, while Cloud simply blinked at him, then turned around to stare out the open back, one hand on his stomach. Vincent ignored them, his attention still on the Cerberus. Hydra, Gryffon, and his beloved Death Penalty lay above him on the luggage racks, their modifications already done.
"This don' seem right, yo." That familiar Junon drawl sounded from the front seats, where Reno and Rude sat, the latter driving as stoically as usual. Cid sighed, one hand coming up to rub his five o'clock shadow.
"Ain't never right, goin' after a friend. So, Blondie, where's she at?"
"...City of the Ancients."
"Huh. Makes sense, I guess. Last place Aerith was, last place Yuffie was seen..."
"...Goddammit, Cid, we all know that shit. We shoulda done more..." This time, the glares were leveled at Cloud, though the anger was felt just as much inwardly for all of them. Vincent closed his eyes to the scene, though his own fierce rage and sorrow would have surprised the others. He had been the last to see Tifa, almost two years ago, showing up one night on the doorstep of the bar, his usual aura of isolation and solitude left behind in his hotel room, along with his cloak. The tiny wetbar downstairs had stolen his inhibitions as well, so it was with a slight swagger and a definite need to see the beautiful, wonderful woman who'd made his inclusion into this oddest of groups so smooth that he walked into the Seventh Heaven. He couldn't remember all the times she'd offered to sit down and explain the world to him, from cell phones to computers to current modes of fashion. (Not that he followed those, but for her sake, he had updated his wardrobe to a total of two shirts, and two pairs of pants.)
Tifa had just been closing up shop, her long black-brown hair falling out of its ponytail, tee-shirt clinging to her every curve, jean shorts cut off just above her knees, her slender feet wrapped in cute flats...she was irresistable to the normal man, and as Vincent could quite happily attest, to the unusual one as well. He'd knocked politely, his manners still intact, though they were badly tried when she'd turned around, and given him that smile...The rest of the night, and a good portion of the day after, had been lost in touches and darkness, sunlight and kisses and their bodies moving as one. After that, Vincent had fallen asleep with her head pillowed above his heart, one hand buried in her hair, the other wrapped around her hip and holding her close. He'd even confided in her that he loved her; his terror at having a repetition of the past overwhelmed by her desire for him...
He'd woken up to his hotel room, the bed cold, the window left open...and to a note resting on his night stand. He'd still been undressed, though his silk shirt and leather pants, boxers, boots, socks, and wallet had been resting on the chair across the room, all neatly folded. He'd stumbled to turn on the lights, swiftly pulling on his clothes against the cold, and with his good hand, opened the letter...only to drop it with a cry, his deep crimson eyes flying to the open window, his body following, even as the strangled scream of her name rent the air above Edge...

"Vincent." Those anguished eyes flicked up over his cowl at Cloud, narrowing at the blonde's sharp stare.
"...What?"
"You were the last to see her; you were also the only one she left any sort of note with. You refused to let us see it, and went searching on your own. We're here on your request, so I'd personally like to know what you've found."
"Ah second dat shit."
"...I'm with them, Vince." Cid avoided his gaze, his blue eyes uncomfortable with trusting quite so far as to...well...
"...Fine." He swept out his prosthetic hand, an old projection disk resting in on the black leather, and with a flick of his thumb, activated the hologram, a quiet voice that all of them recognized with a start as Shelke's explaining the data that filled the projection's limits.
"The WRO and former Shinra employees have begun noting several distinct disturbances arising from the area around the Forbidden City, also known as the resting place of one Aerith Gainsborough, in the two years since the anniversary of the Deepground attacks. Reports from Bone Village note that a young woman with long dark hair and red eyes, dressed in an antique form of ballgown, has been seen numerous times around the ruins of the City of the Ancients. Reports also note that anyone exploring deeper into the ruins does not return, though this is not attributed to the young woman. Vincent Valentine, ex-Turk, and Yuffie Kisaragi, shinobi, have been sent in to investigate. Kisaragi-san has not returned as of this date-" He switched the holo off, too aware of his comrades' horror.
"That's all we know. Something is preying on those who venture in, and for some reason, Tifa went there. Yuffie is still alive; that much we know for sure." With another touch, the hologram came to life, this time portraying a hazy map and a bright green beacon, pulsing gently like a heartbeat. "As for the monsters inside...common enough creatures that haunted us on our previous travels, and given our own growth, I doubt highly that we'll have as much trouble as the teams. You five will go after Yuffie and hopefully find out what remains of the Bone Village and WRO units. I will focus on Tifa." He earned himself several glares at that, but held his ground. "We don't know what's happened to her in there, but when she left Edge that night, something was wrong, deeply, horribly wrong. There are secrets even Aerith knew nothing about in that place, things we can't even begin to guess at. I may not hold Chaos within me any longer, but I can survive the sort of blows that would kill even you, Cloud. I'm afraid you have no choice in this matter. Please, find Yuffie, get her out, and wait for us." He couldn't quite meet their gazes, and for once, he was thankful of Cloud's cool demeanor.
"So be it." At Barret's disgruntled growl, he tossed the small disk at the SOLDIER and pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders.
"I don't like this any more than any of you do, so stop trying to burn a hole in my head, Barret. I already have Marlene's solemn swear that if anything happens to her senseis, I'm the one paying for it. And besides..." He pulled out the much-folded, faded note, and smoothed it open, one finger tracing the soft curves of her handwriting, an exquisite copperplate that was so rare in this day of texting and e-mails. "Tifa was afraid of something...afraid that it would hurt us. I need to know what that thing is, so I can track it down and kill it." Vincent caught glimpse of Cid smiling a little, and felt the hard knot of anger unwind a touch. At least the pilot didn't judge him; then again, Cid alone of the group knew exactly what the note contained, partly because he was the only one Vincent trusted completely, aside from Tifa. He touched her signiture, then folded it up again, tucking it in the pocket above his heart, eyes closing as the words so deeply memorized rose into his consciousness.
Vincent,
When you read this note, I'll be far away. Something is not right, something I can't quite explain, and though I have to leave your side, so soon after...after we found one another, I promise it is nothing you did wrong.
I love you. You are my heart and soul, and though my mind is being called to the City, know that you are never far from my thoughts.
Tifa...
-a pause in the feather-light steps, and a rustle of faded green silk. she turns, contemplating the path that led back to the village; the village she just visited, dark eyes watching the workers squabble over some petty arguement. it is quiet now, but far away, she senses it...him. he is coming. he is coming...-
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Lady of the Wood