The Only Exception

Story 3 – Vincent

Chapter 13 – Stranded

"Vincent? Vincent!"

Vincent opened his eyes to see a beautiful lady with big brown eyes and a warm smile.

"Finally!" She laughed.

He felt as though his heart could jump out. "Lu… Lucrecia?" He mumbled, as though his mouth was full of honey. His nose stung with the strong fragrance of roses.

"Come on!" The woman laughed, pulling him up.

He sat up and looked around him. They were in a field of roses. They were Lucrecia's favourite flowers. Vincent blinked and shook his head a little. The last thing he remembered was that he drank a lot of sea water and he could barely see anything in front of him.

"Vincent!" The woman shouted again. She stood under the azure sky, with roses blooming red and pink. Lucrecia beamed and giggled. She was as beautiful as he remembered.

"Lucrecia… am I… dead?" He asked.

The woman walked towards him and knelt next to him. "I've no idea what you're talking about," she smiled. "Maybe you are still dreaming."

Vincent stared at Lucrecia, beautiful and unreachable. "Am I really… dreaming?" He lay his head on her lap in relief. "If this is a dream, Lucrecia," Vincent mumbled. "Don't wake me up ever. I have forgiven you already, don't leave me anymore."

"Oh Vincent," she murmured. "You really are sprouting nonsense. I'm always with you…"

Vincent felt a throbbing pain when he became aware of his surroundings. His body was wet and freezing cold, even though the sun was burning against his back. He felt rough sand against his face and he struggled to open his eyes.

Where am I? He wanted to ask aloud, but he could not move his lips. He tried to wriggle his fingers, horrified to find that they were stiff with the cold.

A voice spoke and he squinted to see who it was. It was a young woman, almost like a girl, but it was not Lucrecia. She was squatting beside him, with an annoyed look on her face. She spoke rapidly in a language that Vincent did not understand. Her language had many tone inclinations, but it was not a language that he understood. He frowned. He recognized the language, but he did not know how to speak it.

The girl peered at him with big brown eyes. She had short black hair and a bandanna over her forehead. Finally, she spoke with a thick accent, "Do you understand me now?" Vincent nodded, barely. "Finally!" She sighed loudly. "Are you alive?" He blinked at her random question… and nodded.

To Vincent's relief, she passed him a flask of warm water. He gratefully drank the contents of the flask, glad that it was just water. The water warmed his chest, but the heat was not travelling to his limbs. "… Thank you."

"Oh, so you CAN talk!" She grinned. "I thought you were mute, or something."

"… I was thirsty."

"Well, you were half dead too! I thought you were going to be really dead." She sat down with a loud plop. "If you were dead, my father and the whole village will probably think that I'm the one who did it. They have not gotten over the fact that I pushed Mayaka down the waterfall. I mean, it was not a push, it's more like a nudge. He fell down the waterfall because he could not balance himself. And it's not like it's a very big waterfall…"

Vincent's head was spinning so hard that he did not register anything that she said. He tried wriggling his fingers again. This time, they responded with pins and needles. "Is… Is this Wutai?" He pushed himself off the ground and sat up, wincing as blood rushed into his fingers and toes.

"That's right!" The woman answered. "Oh, what am I doing here when there's someone who is freezing cold?" She took off her jacket and tried to drape it around Vincent.

He shook his hands. "It's alright, miss. I'm covered in sand."

"Seriously?" asked the young woman with a raised eyebrow. "You are concerned about my jacket more than your body heat? It's not winter in Wutai yet, but the winds can get nasty."

Huh. He thought, this time accepting her jacket and stretching his aching shoulders. Anyway, I did somehow end up in Wutai, by unconventional means. He looked around for signs of the fisherman. "Was there anyone else besides me?" He asked the girl.

"Uh…" She opened her mouth. "No? You were the only one lying on the beach."

Vincent cursed himself inwardly. He had allowed a good man to die out in the sea.

She then noticed his eyes. "Ooh, your eyes and your accent confirm that you are not from Wutai. No wonder you could not understand me."

"I'm… from Midgar."

That was when her eyes grew as wide as plates. "Midgar?" She asked. "They said that Midgar was a place that was nothing like Wutai. They don't have many trees and…" She stopped. "Father said that there will be a man from Midgar who would come." She stared at him. "Are you the Midgar man?"

Vincent paused. "No, I'm not," he lied. He was not sure about revealing his identity to her. Not yet.

"I suppose so. You looked more shipwrecked than anything else now."

Vincent looked at his torn and weathered clothes. He supposed that he really was shipwrecked. He looked at the girl again. She looked very fresh and very energetic. "What day and time is it?" He asked.

She looked up in the sky. "It's Wednesday, around noon."

Vincent did the calculations in his head. That was about twenty hours since the boat capsized. He must have been close to the Wutai shores then, and somehow made it back to the shore, by sheer dumb luck. He hoped that the fisherman was alright.

"So… are you going to just sit here and chit chat all day?" The girl stretched out her hand. "If you are in trouble, my father could help." She grinned. "What's your name?"

"… Vin."

"Vin? Is it short for anything?"

"No, just Vin… Vin Crescent." Vincent reached out for her hand. "And you are?" Even though he was not good at making friends, he figured that he had to at least know the name of the person who helped him.

She pulled him up neatly. She had a good amount of strength unlike the city girls that Vincent knew. Vincent could always use another girl like that in his housekeeping department. "They call me by many names, but I'm best known as the White Rose of Wutai, Yuffie!"

White Rose, huh? Vincent thought. The people in Wutai sure have different mindsets about beauty. Yuffie was not ugly, but she was definitely not a beauty either. She was attractive in a girlish way. Like the kind of girl that has more beauty in her personality than her looks. Vincent had seen women more beautiful. In fact, when it comes to roses-

He shook his head a little, trying to erase thoughts of a woman who smelled of roses.

Yuffie stared at him. "Are you thinking lewd thoughts of me?" She asked, not out of disgust. "I'm the White Rose of Wutai, but I've got thorns that kick ass!" She clenched her fists at him.

Vincent stared at her, shaking his head. Maybe not the kind of girl who has more personality than looks as well. "If you say so," he mumbled. "I just want to get out of this place."

"I'll get you help, but Wutai is a beautiful place." She laughed. "You'll probably love this place more than you'll want to leave it," she commented lightly before skipping down the path.

Vincent looked at her, wondering if she was being serious or not. He had seen pictures. Though they were just a few photos, Vincent thought that Wutai was not that fantastic. Just trees and villages.

He looked up in the sky. The faster he could get a telephone, the better.

Yuffie was right.

Vincent had been to many places, but none of them were as impressionable as Wutai.

Even as they were trekking back to the village, Vincent noticed the abundance of flora and fauna. The country was not messy and unkempt like a country without civilization, but there were so many trees that it was difficult to see past the foliage. In the forest, all Vincent could hear was the sound of crickets.

"So Vin," Yuffie chirped. "You are from Midgar, are you not?"

"… Yeah."

"What is Midgar like? Is it anything like Wutai?"

Vincent looked around him. "Honestly, not really. We barely see any trees in Midgar."

Yuffie paused to look at him in horror. "No way! How do children find things to climb onto, then?"

"Children in Midgar… don't… really climb trees," replied Vincent, wondering how difficult would it be to describe computers and entertainment facilities. It was too tiring anyway, so when Yuffie did not ask further, he did not explain.

"Well, Wutai's expecting a foreign visitor too," Yuffie said, pushing back some vines to pass. The vines swung back, hitting Vincent in his face. "Op- Sorry!" She grimaced. "I forgot to tell you that the vines here get really stingy if you are not careful."

"Thanks for the heads up," said Vincent sarcastically, rubbing his face.

"Anyway, there's a Vincent Valentine – that's like your name, huh? – from Midgar who's supposed to come yesterday. Papa said that it's about building some place in Wutai for more foreigners to come, but…" She sighed. "He has not been here since yesterday. We folks are secretly glad though."

"Why?" asked Vincent, though he knew the reason.

Yuffie stopped to turn around. "Look around you." She smiled at the trees around her. "I'm not very well-travelled, but I know, by the looks of Rocket Town, that there aren't many places like Wutai." She grinned. "We don't want to lose this in exchange for anything."

Vincent was not convinced that all the villagers are happy with a place as outdated as Wutai, but he politely nodded and grunted acknowledgement.

As they approached the village, Vincent could hear the sounds of a town. He looked down at himself. He could really use a bath, and perhaps after speaking with Yuffie's father, he would find Godo… or maybe get in contact with Tseng first.

His thoughts all ran into a blank wall when Yuffie announced that they had arrived at Wutai.

Wutai was nothing like Midgar. Vincent had expected mud houses and campfires, honestly, for the amount of trees in the country had. Instead, the people lived in wooden houses. The houses looked as though it was made completely of wood. Vincent could barely spot a single nail on the walls. Linen flags of bright red, yellow and green lined the streets, fluttering in the wind gently. The houses had intricate designs, even the sheds had simple swirls and patterns on them. People bustled along the streets and children ran after each other, making noises of mirth and delight. Against the sun, the town was vibrant in colour and life.

Wutai was nothing like any place Vincent had been to.

Yuffie caught Vincent staring at the town in amazement. "Beautiful place, huh?" She grinned. Sparing Vincent the trouble to reply, she pulled him by his arm. "Come on, my house is just around the corner."

Vincent looked around him. "So Wutai's houses are made of wood? Don't the termites get to it?"

Yuffie blinked at him in confusion. "Termites?"

Vincent made his question easier. "You know… little ants that eat wood."

"Oh, you mean," Yuffie made a sound which Vincent presumed was Wutaian for "termite". "Wutai trees are made of hard stuff. That or termites do not eat them. That or…" She laughed sheepishly. "I've never seen termites around here." Before Vincent could reply, she led him down the front of a large house and pushed the doors open. "I'm home!" She hollered. She tugged Vincent's arm again. "Come with me," she said.

Vincent soon found himself in a large room with a sofa set and a study at the back of the room, surrounded by large windows. Hmm… He looked around him thoughtfully. Looking at the brilliantly coloured house when he first saw it, he had already figured out that Yuffie was not a common girl. However, the interior of the house confirmed that Yuffie was more than a rich girl.

"Hey, old man!" Yuffie called out, waving at the seat by the study table.

When the chair swiveled to face them, Vincent cleared his throat a little. The middle-aged man had dark hair like his daughter, but his thick eyebrows and sharp features gave a very strict and no-nonsense feeling. He stood tall, almost regal, and walked towards them. "About time you've returned." The man disregarded Vincent and looked at Yuffie steely.

"I was at the shore when I found this man lying half-dead." Yuffie pointed at Vincent.

"Your daughter had saved my life," Vincent added. "And I am terribly grateful."

The man looked at Vincent, and back at Yuffie. "Yuffie, go to your room." He grunted. "I'll summon you later."

"No!" Yuffie protested, linking arms with Vincent. He was surprised at the bold gesture, but showed nothing in his expression. "I found this guy, I'm staying!" She insisted, squinting at her father in defiance.

Vincent watched the man take a deep breath. His daughter must be a handful, I can imagine. He thought, allowing a tinge of amusement to touch the sides of his mouth.

The man quickly gestured at Vincent to sit at the long couch beside them. Vincent politely chose a wooden chair which would be less susceptible to damage from the sand on his clothes. Yuffie's father picked a more elaborate and better cushioned chair to sit on. "Greetings," he said, looking at Vincent with an air of pride and composure. "I am Godo Kisaragi, the chief and leader of the Wutai village that you are in right now."

Vincent blinked. He was not expecting that of all people, he would end up in Godo's house immediately after being shipwrecked. He glanced at Yuffie briefly. A chief's daughter, huh? He pondered. She was sitting on a long couch, cross-legged and waving an attendant to bring them some refreshments. She definitely did not look like one.

Godo continued, "I wish that you would state your name and your business with Wutai, if not I will suggest you take a break and return to the mainland tomorrow morning."

Vincent pulled his lips into a thin line. There would be no point hiding his identity any further. "I'm Vincent Valentine-"

His answer was interrupted rudely by a sound of protest on his right. "Huh? You told me that your name is Vin Crescent!" Yuffie stared at him indignantly.

"I was in a foreign land and I could not afford to reveal my identity so easily," Vincent answered smoothly. "I apologise if I was not honest with you."

Godo sighed before Yuffie could say further. "So you've finally arrived, Mr Valentine. My apologies for not welcoming you warmly."

Vincent chuckled. "It's not as if you could help it, I was shipwrecked. And now I've lost everything. The documents, my cell phone… not a single thing on me."

"Except your clothes," added Yuffie hopefully.

Her father gave her an annoyed look but Yuffie puffed up her chest and stared back at him. Godo looked at Vincent with a polite smile. "In any case, I'm glad that you are safe. I'm sure that you have many questions. But first," Godo gestured at Vincent's salt and sand-stained apparel. "Would you like to have a change of clothes?"

Vincent had initial reservations about the country, but within an hour, he was convinced that Wutai had the best hot springs in the Planet. He sighed with content as he sank deeper into the pool of hot water. Anyone could relax in such a place.

Which is why we are going to ensure that V Hotels get a spot in this place.

He looked around him. In order to do that, much of the natural environment would be compromised. He was quite sure that if that happened, the place would be… different. Whether it would be different for the better or worse was something that Vincent could not envision.

When he walked out of the baths, he was relieved to see that Yuffie was not waiting for him. He had his fair share of people who stuck around too much. He pulled his robe closer to himself and walked back to the guest room that the Kisaragi family had prepared for him. It was tastefully decorated with wooden accents and beaded curtains. Most of all, it was private, which Vincent thoroughly appreciated.

There were two attendants in the room. The female attendant, a giggling young girl who kept glancing at Vincent when she thought he was not looking, plumped up the cushions of the couch and set the snacks and tea on the table. The male attendant, with a calm demeanor that reminded him of Tseng, led Vincent into the dressing room, where he taught and helped Vincent into what seemed like a long robe made of stiff cotton. "The yukata is what Wutaians wear when they are in the comfort of their homes," the attendant said as he straightened the collar of the robe.

"Interesting," was Vincent's short answer. Like Vincent, the male attendant did not probe with more questions.

With the yukata on, Vincent was instructed to rest until Godo called for him. Vincent sat gratefully in a comfortable couch, eating crackers and drinking tea. He refused the company of any attendant, earning a disappointed sigh from the female attendant, and paced around the room.

Everytime I open this document, I end up singing a particular song called "Stranded". It's really strange and really sad as it reveals my age too.

I apologise for not being on time with this chapter. It's not that I've stopped writing. I am writing very little at each time. Curently, I have other commitments in my life. I cannot afford to put fanfiction writing above these other things. Still, I am writing. Just writing at a snail's pace.

Anyway, I enjoy writing about Yuffie. She is a character that I would not hesitate to write about again next time! On the other hand, I struggle with writing about Vincent. Taciturn characters are not quite my forte. So we will soon see more of Vincent's back story... and a danger of Vincent going out of character. Keeping my fingers crossed real tightly.

Please read and review!