Chapter Four: Sacrifice
Barret walked silently along the path with Vincent and Marlene, still shaken by the recent news. Soon they would reach Nibelheim, and the long walk would be through. That was good, because he knew Marlene was getting very tired, and he had set her down to walk quite some time ago. He would have continued carrying her, but he couldn't help it; his shoulders were getting sore from carrying her so long.
Barret continued walking. The path itself was quite barren, but it was surrounded on either side by thick brush. A strong wind was blowing. Marlene paused to pick a large pink flower from the edge of the path. As Barret watched her, a strange bit of white fluff, perhaps some kid of animal fur caught in the wind, floated over her head and across the path. There was a slight rustle in the brush. Barret glanced towards the sound, just barely catching a glimpse at a familiar person. He was about to greet them and ask why they were in the brush rather than on the path, when suddenly he realised what they were doing. He glanced from the white fluff, which he now recognised as a bit of cotton, to the person in the brush. They hadn't noticed him yet.
"Go," he commanded Vincent in a low tone of voice.
"I beg your pardon?" Vincent responded. The person in the brush saw their party now, and was readying an attack.
"Take Marlene, go!" Barret shouted frantically. Vincent looked confused, but he didn't argue. He picked up Marlene.
"But Daddy-" she began.
"Go! Vincent will take care of you!" he instructed, aiming his gun-arm at the person in the brush. Marlene threw her arms around Vincent's neck, terrified.
"I will see you when we reach Nibelheim," Vincent told him. But somehow he doubted that would be true.
Some time later, out of breath from running with the child in his arms, Vincent arrived at the door of Cloud's home with Marlene. Breathlessly, he set her down and knocked. The door opened a crack and an eye peered out.
"Who is it?" a familiar voice asked cautiously from the other side of the door. Then the door opened up wide, revealing the person behind it.
"Oh, Vincent!" Tifa exclaimed. "Sorry, we're just really nervous around here... Come on in! Hello, Marlene!" Tifa scooped up the little girl and gave her a big hug, carrying her into the house. Vincent followed, shutting and locking the door behind him. Tifa was right to be nervous, with an unidentified murderer on the loose!
He followed Tifa into the living room where he was greeted by Cloud.
"Hey Vincent," he said. "Where's Barret?"
Vincent grimaced. "I am afraid he will not be coming..." he glanced at Marlene. She was a pretty bright child, and he knew nothing could be hidden from her for long. Still, Vincent did not want to suggest what he was about to tell Cloud in front of her. "Let us talk elsewhere."
Cloud followed his gaze. Slightly perplexed, he agreed. He led Vincent into the kitchen.
"What happened?" he asked.
"We were travelling here," Vincent began, "when suddenly he stopped. He told me to take Marlene and run. He looked so serious I could only comply. I heard many gunshots as I ran, and some shouting. I fear he has run afoul of the murderer himself, but I regret that I did not recognise their voice over the noise of the battle."
For a moment, Cloud stood silently. "He could be alright," he said finally. "Maybe he's on his way here now."
"Perhaps," Vincent agreed. But he did not truly believe that, and Cloud did not look as though he did either.
"Let's go back to the girls." Cloud suggested. Vincent nodded. In the living room, Tifa was sitting on the couch talking to Marlene. When Vincent entered, Marlene whispered something to her. Tifa glanced towards Vincent, giggled, and whispered something back. Marlene giggled too.
"What was that all about?" Cloud asked.
Tifa rose from the couch. "Nothing," she told him with a smirk. "So Vincent, to what do we owe this visit?"
"Well," he began.
Marlene interrupted. "Where's the Flower Lady?"
A deathly silence fell over he room. Marlene looked from one person to another, expecting an answer.
Cloud cleared his throat. "Umm... Tifa," he said, "why don't you take Marlene upstairs to the guest room?"
"Of course," Tifa said softly.
"But I wanna know where the Flower Lady is," Marlene protested.
"Come on upstairs dear," Tifa said, "and I'll tell you."
Marlene followed her out of the room, looking worried and confused. Poor child. She was to lose a father and a good friend, all in the same day. Vincent and Cloud exchanged a sorrowful glance.
In a few moments Tifa reappeared, looking grim.
"How'd it go?" Cloud asked her.
Tifa frowned. "I think she's crying. She asked me to leave her alone for a while... poor Marlene."
Vincent and Cloud nodded solemnly in agreement.
Tifa tried hard to hold back the tears as Vincent described the events of his arrival. She felt horrible. She had had to break to Marlene the news of Aeris, and soon she may have to tell her the same thing about her father. Who was going to take care of her? Certainly not Vincent! Tifa would take care of Marlene herself, if need be. She prayed she wouldn't need to, but it was already very late and Barret had not arrived.
Barret walked silently along the path with Vincent and Marlene, still shaken by the recent news. Soon they would reach Nibelheim, and the long walk would be through. That was good, because he knew Marlene was getting very tired, and he had set her down to walk quite some time ago. He would have continued carrying her, but he couldn't help it; his shoulders were getting sore from carrying her so long.
Barret continued walking. The path itself was quite barren, but it was surrounded on either side by thick brush. A strong wind was blowing. Marlene paused to pick a large pink flower from the edge of the path. As Barret watched her, a strange bit of white fluff, perhaps some kid of animal fur caught in the wind, floated over her head and across the path. There was a slight rustle in the brush. Barret glanced towards the sound, just barely catching a glimpse at a familiar person. He was about to greet them and ask why they were in the brush rather than on the path, when suddenly he realised what they were doing. He glanced from the white fluff, which he now recognised as a bit of cotton, to the person in the brush. They hadn't noticed him yet.
"Go," he commanded Vincent in a low tone of voice.
"I beg your pardon?" Vincent responded. The person in the brush saw their party now, and was readying an attack.
"Take Marlene, go!" Barret shouted frantically. Vincent looked confused, but he didn't argue. He picked up Marlene.
"But Daddy-" she began.
"Go! Vincent will take care of you!" he instructed, aiming his gun-arm at the person in the brush. Marlene threw her arms around Vincent's neck, terrified.
"I will see you when we reach Nibelheim," Vincent told him. But somehow he doubted that would be true.
Some time later, out of breath from running with the child in his arms, Vincent arrived at the door of Cloud's home with Marlene. Breathlessly, he set her down and knocked. The door opened a crack and an eye peered out.
"Who is it?" a familiar voice asked cautiously from the other side of the door. Then the door opened up wide, revealing the person behind it.
"Oh, Vincent!" Tifa exclaimed. "Sorry, we're just really nervous around here... Come on in! Hello, Marlene!" Tifa scooped up the little girl and gave her a big hug, carrying her into the house. Vincent followed, shutting and locking the door behind him. Tifa was right to be nervous, with an unidentified murderer on the loose!
He followed Tifa into the living room where he was greeted by Cloud.
"Hey Vincent," he said. "Where's Barret?"
Vincent grimaced. "I am afraid he will not be coming..." he glanced at Marlene. She was a pretty bright child, and he knew nothing could be hidden from her for long. Still, Vincent did not want to suggest what he was about to tell Cloud in front of her. "Let us talk elsewhere."
Cloud followed his gaze. Slightly perplexed, he agreed. He led Vincent into the kitchen.
"What happened?" he asked.
"We were travelling here," Vincent began, "when suddenly he stopped. He told me to take Marlene and run. He looked so serious I could only comply. I heard many gunshots as I ran, and some shouting. I fear he has run afoul of the murderer himself, but I regret that I did not recognise their voice over the noise of the battle."
For a moment, Cloud stood silently. "He could be alright," he said finally. "Maybe he's on his way here now."
"Perhaps," Vincent agreed. But he did not truly believe that, and Cloud did not look as though he did either.
"Let's go back to the girls." Cloud suggested. Vincent nodded. In the living room, Tifa was sitting on the couch talking to Marlene. When Vincent entered, Marlene whispered something to her. Tifa glanced towards Vincent, giggled, and whispered something back. Marlene giggled too.
"What was that all about?" Cloud asked.
Tifa rose from the couch. "Nothing," she told him with a smirk. "So Vincent, to what do we owe this visit?"
"Well," he began.
Marlene interrupted. "Where's the Flower Lady?"
A deathly silence fell over he room. Marlene looked from one person to another, expecting an answer.
Cloud cleared his throat. "Umm... Tifa," he said, "why don't you take Marlene upstairs to the guest room?"
"Of course," Tifa said softly.
"But I wanna know where the Flower Lady is," Marlene protested.
"Come on upstairs dear," Tifa said, "and I'll tell you."
Marlene followed her out of the room, looking worried and confused. Poor child. She was to lose a father and a good friend, all in the same day. Vincent and Cloud exchanged a sorrowful glance.
In a few moments Tifa reappeared, looking grim.
"How'd it go?" Cloud asked her.
Tifa frowned. "I think she's crying. She asked me to leave her alone for a while... poor Marlene."
Vincent and Cloud nodded solemnly in agreement.
Tifa tried hard to hold back the tears as Vincent described the events of his arrival. She felt horrible. She had had to break to Marlene the news of Aeris, and soon she may have to tell her the same thing about her father. Who was going to take care of her? Certainly not Vincent! Tifa would take care of Marlene herself, if need be. She prayed she wouldn't need to, but it was already very late and Barret had not arrived.