Synchronisation
Having at long last escaped the cramped confines of the coffin Vincent stared down at her saviour whilst getting a feel for how much out of shape she now was. She had expected a teenager at the very least; that the child -was Cloud male or female?- could be no more than seven or eight years of age came as a surprise. Stranger still was the child's appearance: Brilliant blue eyes, short stature, slim build and a mop of hair as unruly as a chocobo's crest. Her little rescuer looked rather disconcertingly like someone had cast Mini on President Shinra back before the man started going bald.
Of course, the President of the company had used copious quantities of haircare products to tame his own unruly spikes, feeling that untidy, gravity-defying blond locks made him look less than professional, but there was no doubt in Vincent's mind that Cloud was a product of the philandering ways of the ex-Turk's former boss. Which led to the question of what a Shinra bastard was doing in Nibelhien, the proverbial middle-of-nowhere town.
His mother had probably run after realising she was pregnant, getting as far away as possible from Midgar, Vincent decided. Probably under a false name as well, but she would have to check that out later. Hojo had picked Nibelhein for his laboratory because there really was nothing here except the old Mako reactor and it was possibly the smallest and most insular village on the face of the planet.
Then the child's tremulous inquiry registered, making Vincent's lips twitch in amusement.
"No, I am not a vampire. What is today's date and what year is it?"
Cloud relaxed a little, possibly reassured by the fact that the former Turk hadn't tried to jump him, but kept his distance. "It's the twenty-second of April, 1995. Are you sure you aren't a vampire?"
Vincent had been trapped in that blasted coffin for seventeen and a half years. It certainly hadn't felt anywhere near that long, which suggested that her periods of sleep were far, far longer than any normal human's. She'd thought it was two months at the most; Catching up with everything she'd missed would take much longer than she'd initially believed.
She almost flinched at the pain that twisted in her chest when it registered that she'd missed Sephiroth's entire childhood. Vincent sincerely hoped that her precious son was still alive and reasonably healthy and that he could forgive her for not being there for him.
But in order to get to Sephiroth she had to stick to the plan. First, ransack the mansion for information and supplies; Second, catch up with the past seventeen years' worth of happenings and technology; Third, find Sephiroth. Since it would be best to stay under the radar for the moment, Cloud could help her with some of that. Which reminded her...
"Positive; I have a heartbeat," she told Cloud dryly, whom she decided was definitely a little boy. He hadn't minded the long pause between question and answer in the slightest; rather unusual for a child of his apparent age.
"Oh. That's okay then," the spiky-haired boy said, looking up at her inquisitively. "You're really tall. I've never seen clothes like your before. Who put you in the coffin?"
"The crazy scientist who abducted my son," Vincent said flatly, quashing the wave of bitter ire that threatened to wake her inner monsters and striding towards the door in a swirl of tattered red. Her clothing blatantly marked her as the avatar of Chaos, but at least it was comfortable, easy to move in and wouldn't get damaged if her inner monsters emerged. That pockets could be added or hidden on a whim of the WEAPON was an additional bonus.
"How long ago?" Cloud asked timidly, trotting to keep up with her much longer legs.
"Seventeen years," she said shortly, trying not to dwell on what she'd lost. A distressed sound behind her made her pause in the corridor and turn around. Cloud looked absolutely horrified, face pasty and eyes wide.
"All, all of the banging and screaming was always you? There isn't really a ghost at all? I could have come and rescued you years ago and you'd have found your son again by now!"
Vincent refrained from sighing or rolling her eyes at this ridiculous pronouncement; Cloud clearly had a budding guilt complex that needed to eradicated before people started to take advantage of it. "You had no idea that I was in here, correct?"
"No, but-"
"Nor were you the one to lock me in," the former Turk interrupted smoothly.
"No, but-"
"And you are not yet of age, am I right?"
"I'm nearly nine," the chocobo-haired boy admitted. Older than Vincent had thought, but President Shinra was rather short.
"So, as you were not responsible for my imprisonment, were unaware that I was even in here and are still a child, you are in no way to blame for what happened," Vincent said firmly, her now-luminous red eyes meeting Cloud's sky-blue orbs. "People are only responsible for their own choices and decisions, not those made by other people. Remember that."
This fairly obvious statement seemed to come as a revelation to Cloud. "Really?" he whispered. "But everyone blames me..."
"Blames you for what?" Vincent pushed. This needed fixing or the boy would forever be burdening himself with unnecessary guilt.
Could dropped his gaze to the floor and shuffled his feet. "Tifa Lockhart's mother died last month and she ran off into the mountains a few days later to look for her, since everyone just said Mrs Lockhart had gone away. I followed but she fell when the bridge broke and everyone says it was my fault she got hurt."
"They are lying;" Vincent said briskly, relieved the problem was this simple. "If anything it is her father who is at fault for not explaining the truth to her properly or keeping a closer eye on her. Blaming you is completely irrational on their part."
"What's irash, irrational?"
"Irrational means unreasonable, not logical and not sensible."
"So everyone blaming me for Tifa getting hurt is just them being dumb?"
"In essence." As Vincent reached the top of the basement steps she was rushed by a Dorky Face. The former Turk lashed out with her metal-clawed left hand, shredding the monster in one easy movement. Cloud squeaked in awe as the body disintegrated, leaving behind a piece of Phoenix Down that Vincent pocketed.
"That was so cool! Could you teach me to fight like that?" the boy babbled.
Vincent turned around fully to really look at the young Shinra bastard. The blond was both short and scrawny but he certainly had courage and drive. Considering his parentage he was unlikely to get very tall, but height wasn't everything. He looked nimble and quick, both of which were good qualities for a Turk to have. On the minus side Cloud was heedless to danger -he'd just walked into the mansion without considering there would be monsters in an abandoned building- far too trusting and completely immature. However, given time and dedication, those faults could be fixed.
"Will you work hard and follow orders without hesitation?" Vincent did not say 'without asking questions'; an inquiring mind was necessary to becoming a good Turk and should be encouraged and nurtured.
"Yes sir!" Again, Vincent had been mistaken for a man. Not that it was that much of a problem; in fact, in such a backwards village as Nibelhein, it would be an advantage.
"Will you not reveal anything about me or your training to anyone without my express permission?" Secrecy was paramount at this point if her plan was to be successful.
"I won't say anything, I promise!" Cloud looked incredibly eager and very, very young. He also hadn't thought the promise through, which really showed how young and sheltered he was. Not that Vincent would take advantage, but someone else might have.
"Then yes, I'll teach you. Not just how to fight, but all the kinds of things you need to know to survive out in the world."
The smile Cloud gifted her with was absolutely radiant, an abrupt reminder of how charming Mr Shinra had been before his ever-increasing wealth and power made him arrogant and overbearing.
A chocobo is a bird that looks like a cross between an ostrich and a chicken, used for riding. A Dorky Face is a weak monster that looks like a hovering jack o' lantern.
Cloud's guilt complex is not something my version of Vincent is prepared to tolerate; no Turk would be that easy to manipulate.
