Salutations. First off, the summary of the story will be entirely confusing without reading it fully. The hints and details of the whole storyline are scattered throughout it. If you're one of the readers that simply look for a single genre, specific characters, or errors to flame, this fanfiction is definitely not for you.

Now, I present to you: Another Day.
Written by Shuiro Mistress (a.k.a. Scarlet)


Only four years.

Four years since they'd made that promise.
Four years he had to move on.
Four years and he never could.
Four years since they stood on the cliff outside the cave.
Four years since their last exchanged words after making it back to the bar.

Vincent wondered where she was. He didn't know why, but he didn't know why he thought about a lot of things. Sitting alone – well, kind of… with Yuffie and Tifa chattering away over at the counter, though not including him, you could hardly call it 'alone' – made him think of all sorts of things, especially the days where he met his friends.

His friends… the thought amused him. After a three-decade slumber in his concealed world of grief, he'd met the man that had changed his life. He, with the help of many others, had taught Vincent to move on. They had forced him to believe that lingering in the past was dangerous, even if it was just memories. After thirty years in the coffin… that dark, secure place… he'd found friends. The first friends he had ever had. Yes, Lucrecia was a friend, but in a special way. She'd earned her own place in Vincent's heart. She had won it, and he had let her. But these friends were those he kept close, closer than he would keep to anyone he met.

Cloud. The man who convinced him to leave his dim situates. The man who had so easily induced Vincent that languishing in a coffin wasn't the solution for a broken heart. He discovered by means of Cloud (and his friends) that mending a broken heart isn't easy, and you certainly can't do it by yourself. Sure, there wasn't a day that went by when Vincent didn't think of Lucrecia. He loved her. He loved her with every bit of his heart, mind and soul. He had thought of millions of ways to try and bring her back, though he knew it was impossible. The woman he'd fallen in love with so many years ago had crumbled into nonexistence. The only place she subsisted was Vincent's mind, as his spirit.

But that day… over four years ago as of the day Vincent now sat in the booth near the window, he'd met Shelke, and on no friendly terms. The girl, only eighteen years of age, had willingly joined Deepground to be the illicit group's source of Dr. Lucrecia's once lost data. The only reason she left the group was because of them – Vincent, along with Reeve and Shalua, a member of the WRO and Shelke's long lost older sister. Not to mention she was 'no longer needed' after the Protomateria from Vincent's body was stolen.

But she was needed, and after much convincing from Vincent, Reeve, and even Cid (though quite inadvertently), she believed it. Many times they told her that they were counting on her. Even though it confused the girl the first few times, she began to learn what it means to have someone fall back on you.

After weeks of looking into the mysteries of Lucrecia and Hojo's projects and experiments, Deepground's linchpins were razed, driven away by the power of Chaos. Vincent's last visit to Lucrecia was only a week ago, but the most meaningful one was the same day he'd last seen Shelke. They had stood on the cliff in front of Lucrecia's cave, and she had stubbornly stated that she didn't know why she had come to retrieve him from the cave. And that, for the first time in years, was when he had smiled at someone.

They made their way back to the bar, where Yuffie and Tifa were waiting. Cloud was out on a delivery, and was apparently to meet with Vincent later. He had had some important matters to discuss with him – he later talked with Cloud on his phone to gain knowledge of Cloud's intentions to propose to Tifa.

He had yet to do it though; Cid and Reno had called him, telling him that they had a high standard mission to complete, given by someone unknown to any who weren't involved with the assignment. In fact, the entire situation was kept secret from those who hadn't left. Cloud had assured them that they would be back soon. That was four years ago as well.

Shelke and Vincent stood at the doorway to the bar, and Vincent began to go inside. Shelke, however, stayed on the sidewalk, her eyes on the ground. Vincent stopped with one hand on the door, and looked over his shoulder at her. She wouldn't look at him; as if she was ashamed meet his locking gaze. Instead, she spoke to him, slowly and clearly, almost like the words she let loose were the last she'd ever say.

"Vincent Valentine, since the day we met, I've changed, and not by my own will entirely. You helped change me, Vincent. You were my way out of the obscurity that held me. Although you might not realize it, you've become an ingredient of importance in my life. I don't usually allow others to be so involved with my life as you have, Vincent, but once you started, I did not have much of a choice."

She paused there, allowing Vincent to interfere with anything he might have to say. He didn't, so she continued. "I have to leave, Vincent. There's something out there, something vital and ideal to my existence. I don't know where it is, though I'm almost sure what it is. Either way, I have to find it and discern if it is truly as essential as I believe it to be."

Shelke lifted her stare so she looked straight into Vincent's. He looked as deeply as he could into her gaze, but there was nothing written there. It was blank, and she was waiting for him to write something there on his own. He inwardly smirked. He didn't know this girl as well as Shalua might have, but he knew her well enough to know that she was well aware he would do no such thing. She was mildly taunting him, and he was getting amusement from it, if only slightly.

After what seemed like an eternity, he gave her a nod. It was an almost-understanding nod, a nod of entire value. She let the corners of her lips lift into a minor, yet quite meaningful smile. She turned to leave, and Vincent wanted to say something. Of course he did; who wouldn't? But as he did to so many people in his life, he kept silent. He watched her walk only five feet, and she stopped. Her head turned so it was nearly parallel with her shoulder, and her eyes almost met his.

"Goodbye, Vincent Valentine. I'll see you another day. Until then, I shall be in search of…" she smiled again. "My reason to live."


Before you review (if you choose to), I'd like to answer your question: no. There will be no ShelkexVincent pairing in this fanfiction. That's one more thing I'd like to state; if you like to jump to conclusions about my writings, don't. Don't even bother commenting on it, even.

Another point: If you think someone is out of character (which I made sure that no one has been so far) or point out that this or that wouldn't have happened... I don't care. First of all, just because you alone out of the beyond thousands that own accounts on fanfiction happen to have a few thoughts here or there about my story does not mean that they're entirely true. Secondly, this is a fanfiction. I'm allowed to write it anyway I wish to, and I'd like to do it without receiving insolent flames.

So, thanks for reading so far! Hopefully this will be one of the stories I get idea after idea for. I already have the next chapter's contents in mind, though I'm lost for building up after that. I do have ideas for what I'll write throughout the fanfiction, and I'll try to put in things that make sense for them.

Again, thank you for reading. If you actually read this far, I thank you furher. Have cookies.

-Scarlet