Chapter 4 - Her Name...
Vincent stayed in the community for almost half a year. He was out of the hospital bed by the end of the week and started his new job as the official "door" guard the very next day. Vincent's strength began to return to him in no time and his hair began to grow back (to his advantage). He became very close with Alfina and her father and made many other new friends from the community. But he mostly just kept to himself - sitting on his bed reading, watching the news, or just observing the landscape out his window. He began to remember more and more of what happened during the exorcism. He remembered Chaos leaving his body and he remembered the cloaked figures, the darkness. It was horrible, but it was what needed to be done. He was now free of Chaos and all of his monstrous attributes. He was in his room while he thought of this; 5 months after the exorcism. The street lights from the city below the mountain gave off a faint hue of white and sparkled, like little stars. There was a knock on his door; no one ever came to visit him.
"Come in," he said deeply.
The door opened slowly with a creak; there was Alfina Rouse. She was in casual clothes, like always, and her short blonde hair was pinned to the side with a bobby pin. She smiled shyly at him as he stood to greet her.
"Hello," he said. He wanted to ask what brought her here at this time of night but she didn't give him time to ask. She walked slowly up to him and placed her pale hands around his neck. She began to move her face closer to his, closing her eyes in the process. Vincent closed his eyes too; he had not felt like this in a long time…but there was something off. Alfina pressed her cold lips against Vincent's. They stood there for a few seconds, then Alfina opened her mouth, forcing Vincent's to open his as well, but he did not let it go any further…something still didn't feel right.
"Alfina," Vincent broke away from her kiss.
Alfina breathed slowly. She took her hands away from Vincent's neck and quickly walked over to a chair next to his bed and sat down. "I'm so stupid…"
Oh great, now she's going to wallow in self pity. "You're not stupid," Vincent replied. He sat on his bed next to the chair.
"Yes," she said softly. "I am."
Awkward silences were not new to Vincent, especially around him and Alfina. After another one of there long pauses that they frequently had with each other, Alfina spoke up. "I should have known, the way you always look out into space, there's someone else isn't there?"
"Why would you…"
"Isn't there?"
"No," Vincent didn't even think about it – he felt that he didn't need too. "There's no one else."
Alfina moved closer to him lifting herself off the chair. "Then why…" she reached to kiss him again but Vincent turned his head. "I don't love you, Alfina…I'm sorry."
She backed away and nodded, as if she was expecting the answer. A small tear fell down her face as she sat back in the chair – she tried to hide it by quickly wiping her face – but that made it all the more noticeable. "It isn't that you aren't beautiful, or smart, or anything like that," Vincent was trying to make her stop crying. "It's just…I don't…" What could he say? You aren't my type? No, that wasn't it (plus it sounded corny). She was a wonderful person and she helped him so much by making him feel comfortable here but there was something missing…
"My father told me to tell you that you have done enough for us," she suddenly said. Vincent looked at her with confusion. "You may leave, Vincent Valentine. Thank you for all that you've done."
"Are you sure?" Vincent placed his hand on hers – she stood and slipped from his grasp.
"Yes," she walked towards the door. "I'm sure your friends in Midgar miss you terribly. Good-bye Vincent Valentine." She had never called him by his full name before. It was at first, Mr. Valentine, then just Vincent…she never resorted to calling him Vinnie…oh yes!…Yuffie…he wondered if she was the same old little kid, even though she would be 22 now…A young lady. He had almost forgotten that Alfina was standing at the door; he broke his train of thought and stared back at her. She was smiling and it was the widest smile he had ever seen her give.
"What's her name?" she said simply.
"There's no one…" but he knew that Alfina wasn't going to leave until he told her. "I'm going to pack," he said. There, maybe that would make her go away. Alfina's smile was gone and without another word, she left his room.
Here am I
Yet another goodbye!
He says Adiós, says Adiós,
And do you know why
She won't break down and cry?
- she says Adiós, says Adiós, Goodbye.
My, oh my!
She was aiming too high.
He says Adiós,
And now you know why
There's no moon in her sky
- he says Adiós, says Adiós, Goodbye.
Enya (One by One)
--
Standing outside of the "Chaos Community" (as he decided to call it) Vincent was packed and ready to head back to Midgar. He didn't know how or if he would be welcomed, he did leave without a trace after the wedding. It had been four years since he had seen any of them and he suddenly wondered how Yuffie would handle it. He smiled at the thought of her reaction. "Vinnie!" she would scream in a high-pitch voice. "Why did you LEEEEEAAAVVE so SOOOON?" then she would cry uncontrollably. He breathed out a slight chuckle.
"Hello."
He turned to see the petite Alfina standing right behind him. "Waiting for the bus?" she asked as she stood beside him on the curb. "It should be coming soon."
"Yes, thank you," he replied. Another awkward pause, he thought. Oh the humanity.
"Who is she?" Alfina asked bluntly. Vincent should have seen it coming.
"How many times do I have to tell you?" he sighed calmly.
"I've noticed," she said, "the 5 months you've spent here, you've never looked at me the way you've looked out into space." Vincent turned his head to her. The wind started to pick up and his black hair (which was now short) began to bounce in the wind. "You're leaving soon," Alfina continued, "and I'll never see you again."
Vincent knew this, he probably would never return to this place. He looked closely at Alfina, he couldn't remember someone ever missing him this much because he was leaving, except for maybe Yuffie, but she always over exaggerated her emotions. Yet he remembered that evening…she showed her true self to him before he left after the battle with Kadja. "I just want to know…" That's right, Alfina was still here talking to him.
"I just want to know her name," There were no tears in Alfina's eyes. "Is it the girl…who birthed Sephiroth?" At the word "Sephiroth" Vincent grabbed Alfina and held her shoulders tightly. "I loved her, yes," Vincent stated; he did not break eye contact with Alfina. "I've loved her for over 33 years." Alfina sighed. "But she was weak." Alfina did not know what to say to this. She was weak? "She chose science over love and she chose guilt over forgiveness and when she died…after all those years, I still mourned and loved her." Alfina placed her hands on Vincent's hands still on her shoulders. "But a few years ago, a young girl," Vincent corrected himself. "A young woman told me that I was a son-of-a-bitch for living in the past. That same woman inspired me to come here and get your god out of my body, no matter what the cost."
The bus to Canhaine (which he would then transfer to Midgar) arrived. Vincent took his hands off Alfina's shoulders and picked up his bags.
"Her name," he said, as the bus doors opened, "is Yuffie Kisaragi."
