Chapter
Thirteen
Before The Fire
"Not what we
give,
But what we share,
For the gift
without the giver
Is
bare."
The gateway, balanced on a pin
head point on Merlin's raised centre floor area, glowed and
fluctuated through the spectrum, sometimes vanishing into the verges
of the ultraviolet. Cid hung back, looking awkward, avoiding the
tearful goodbyes that were bubbling out of the girls, who'd just
realised the finality of leaving Aerith now. Cloud was out, getting
the most of the crisp cold air before they returned to Planet and he
was forced, for simplicities sake, to accompany Tifa back to
Midgar.
Yuffie would be staying in Rocket Town for a day or two
before Cid took her back home, unless she decided to walk and
Vincent… Well, there things got really complicated, Vincent had
come back here for a while, and then he'd vanished, the note left
on Cid's pillow had promised that he'd return before they left
for Planet, but that he still had some unfinished business to deal
with. Cid knew they had a lot of issues to work out, and only hoped
Vincent hadn't had second thoughts and skipped town. Yuffie glanced
over at him, and smiled, she was nervous too, only Cid had really got
his memories of Vincent (and for that matter, Shera) back, and he was
still a partial stranger to the others, but Yuffie at least knew that
this wasn't just some strange trick; she'd returned a sketch to
Cid showing the two men from some time ago.
"Hay, Cid, look, I found this, it was tucked into your sketchbook and fell out. No one else has seen it!"
It was
currently unfolded on top of Cid's wallet, which was on top of his
lap. It was a confident link back to a past he wanted to recall to
now. He didn't know where it had come from, but he had a vague
recollection of a photo showing the same thing, maybe it was at home…
Or maybe Shera had drawn this after seeing this scenario… Either
way, the picture wasn't leaving Cid's person until Vincent came
home… Home… Heh, now that's a thought, was where Vincent called
home… Where Cid called home?
"Where is home anyhow?" he
breathed…
***
"Cid!
It's time to go!"
"What?!"
"…I'm sorry."
"No!
I'm not leaving until he gets here!"
"But Cid—"
"Highwind?
I'm sorry I'm late."
"Vincent!? I was worried!"
"You
were?"
"Hell yeah! I want to go home, and I couldn't do that
with out ya!"
"I feel so loved."
"Hay Cid?"
"Hmn?
Yeah Aerith?"
"…Did you ever find Shera?"
"No, do ya
think she's back on Planet?"
"Probably."
"…She's
got a hellova lot to answer for. I hope she knows that!"
"Goodbye
Aerith, it was good to see you again."
"You too, Vincent, look
after Cid won't you, you know he's totally useless, but he really
does love you."
"I know that now, I only wish I hadn't put
him though so much."
"Well, at least you both know better than
to take this for granted hmn?"
"Yes, true. But next time, if
you think we're taking something for granted, just show up with a
white sheet and chains and scare us into realising that?"
"What?
Do you think I was behind all this?"
Vincent smiled, "No, but
I think you knew about it."
"WOoooo! Chains it is!"
"Come
on you guys!"
"Comin' brat! Ya don't have to rush
us!"
"Goodbye Aerith, tell Zack I said 'hi'."
"See
you Merlin, give my love to Sora and Leon and all!"
"It feels
strange, leaving this place…"
"Hay, Vince what was that
unfinished business?"
"…I had some prospective business
partners I had to say 'No' to."
"A definitive 'no' was
it?"
"Very definitive."
"Welp, I got no idea what ya
talkin' about, but if it had anything to do with that Organisation
guy who was talkin' to ya, I'm happy for ya."
"Thank you,
Highwind."