Chapter IX: The journey begins.
Vincent walked down the stairs to the bar. He looked at the former members of AVALANCHE sitting around the table. They seemed so cheerful and happy. He was struck by a pang of longing. He had always wanted such happiness, but he could never obtain it. When he was a child so many years ago, he still couldn't do it. He looked as Barret told a joke and they all laughed. He had tried joining them once. He had even tried a joke. They had looked at him oddly, and then he excused himself. His amber eyes looked emotionlessly at them. Like a shadow, he walked past them and cut some bread soundlessly. He made a sandwich and sliced it in half. Still unnoticed, he walked past them and sat down on the couch. He took a bite out of his sandwich.
He remembered the comfort that he had felt when he felt the warm touch of Yuffie. After the cold claws of nightmares raked through him she made the fear go away. He looked over to where Yuffie sat. She was also totally unnoticed by the group. She sat on the opposite side of the room doodling on a piece of paper, while eating am apple. Occasionally she looked at the others, but not for the same reasons as him. Vincent sharp eyes could tell from where he was sitting that she was trying to draw them. Vincent grabbed a piece of paper and pencil. He began drawing an intricate pattern, while cunningly writing some letters inside the pattern. Then he turned it around and wrote "Boo" in huge letters. He folded the piece together until he was holding a paper aeroplane. He creased the edges and threw it gently at Yuffie. It flew completely unnoticed over the group and landed on top of Yuffie's picture. He watched as she opened it up and looked at the design. She squinted, but then gave up. She turned it around and laughed. Vincent grinned slightly.
She looked in his direction and smiled. Vincent was caught in panic. What would he do now? He smiled back and resumed eating. With the internal struggle going on inside him he was oblivious to anything. The sound of footsteps approaching him went completely unnoticed. Only when Yuffie flopped down beside him did he notice that she was there.
"Boo." She said while nudging him playfully.
"Eh." He replied.
"Sleep well?" She asked.
"I don't know." He remarked while grinning.
"Huh?"
"You kept grabbing me in your sleep and waking me."
"Why you little." She said in imitation of Barret.
Yuffie burst out laughing but Vincent just regarded her with his red eyes. Under the stoic gaze of his eyes the funniness was sucked out of the phrase. The laughter died on her lips.
"How come you never laugh, Vincent?" Yuffie asked.
"Nothing seems funny." He answered lightly.
"You mean that when that weird guy offered Cid a weird cigarette and it turned out to be a little bit o' the wacky tobacky, you didn't laugh at all?!" She asked with concern.
"That was funny. I was cracking up when I got back to the tower." Vincent replied quickly. Actually, he said mentally, I merely went to bed early without a second thought.
Yuffie laughed again and Vincent removed his gaze to allow her to enjoy the comedy of the memory.
"Then, how come you never laugh or smile in front of anybody else?" She continued when she was done laughing.
"It takes a while for the comedy to sink into me." He answered sarcastically.
"Seriously."
"I never have since," He stopped suddenly. When was the last time he laughed out loud? Then he remembered. He prowled his memories for a moment he thought was funny. Lucrecia came to mind. She always managed to make him laugh. He shook away the memory. "I've never laughed out loud since Lucrecia left me."
"That's so sad." Yuffie said, unconsciously taking a bite out of Vincent's remaining half-sandwich. "Why if fat fo?" She said between mouthfuls.
"Why did you steal my sandwich?"
"Wha? Oh, dif. Mmm, you weren't gonna eat it, fo I did." Swallowing hard and clearing her. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"Not really."
"Then why did you ask?"
"If curiosity killed the cat I'd be dead in my coffin." He said while grinning.
Yuffie grinned back at him.
Vincent stood up and stretched, then walked to the door. Yuffie followed. Vincent walked into the streets of Kalm. Yuffie followed while shivering. Vincent walked up to the tower he lived in. Yuffie walked past him and into the tower. Vincent walked in after her.
"What are you doing here?" Vincent asked accusingly.
"We were getting along so well, n I thought "Hey, why not try to annoy Vincent into doing something new and funny."" She answered sweetly
Vincent looked at her with his amber eyes.
"I'm leaving today. And I'm leaving alone. Cloud and the others have to go to Midgar and take care of things there with Reeves." He said coldly.
Yuffie stood stunned.
"But, what about you're freaky friend, the hissing wonder, the evil thing that nearly killed me!"
Vincent merely looked at her.
"Ah. I see. That's why you're leaving."
Vincent stared blankly and nodded. He walked up the stairs that led to his only room. Yuffie didn't follow.
"How do you know Clouds leaving for Midgar today anyway?" She called after him.
"I heard him saying it to Cid and Red. Tifa, you, Barret and Cloud are going to go to Midgar in a while, and Cid and Red are going to go and get their weapons. I won't be here to go with you."
Yuffie thought hard about this for a moment.
"Okay!" She said with a fiendish smile.
Still smiling, she walked out of the tower. Vincent, who did not hear her, continued packing. Greens for the bird. Guns. Ammo for the guns. Tent. A sack to carry it all in. A traveller's cloak. Extra clothes. For some reason, he did not want to change his clothes. He liked the tattered clothes he was wearing. They were ventilating nicely. Remembering it was winter outside, so he put on an extra sweater. He strapped the Death Penalty onto his back and swung the over his shoulder. He walked down the stairs, making sure not to drop anything. Finally, he made it to the door. He kicked it open and made towards the chocobo stalls.
The wind howled viciously in his face as he opened the door that led outside. The occasional snowflake flew into his face, instantly melting. He paid no heed to it and continued on his way. He walked into the stalls, not shifting his gaze in the slightest bit. He arrived at Shadows stall and opened it. The chocobo obediently walked out and waited for Vincent climb onto it. Vincent tied the sack his back and climbed onto the bird. He leaned forward and the bird shot forward.
Vincent's tattered cape fluttered wildly in the wind as the chocobo ran across the snowfields that surrounded Kalm. Snow flew as the bird's feet kicked it into the air. Vincent sped past everything in a white haze. A second chocobo ran silently after Vincent. It was a light silver colour. The owner wore a long white cloak that camouflaged itself in the surroundings. When Vincent veered off into the whiteness, the rider followed. Vincent rode into the valley and stopped. He looked around for a decent spot to camp. An overhanging ledge presented itself as a likely candidate. He hopped off the chocobo a walked up to the ledge. The chocobo obediently followed. Vincent stood under the ledge and inspected it. The snow hardly managed to spread across the ground, and the ledge protected the area from wind and ice. Vincent untied the sack and threw onto the ground. As he began digging through it after his tent, he heard a shuffle of snow. He spun around. Nothing.
Vincent grabbed the Death Penalty and walked cautiously out from the ledge. Tracks covered the snow around him. He couldn't trace which way they went because of their enormous quantity. He looked around but couldn't see anything through the snowy haze. He turned around and returned to setting up his tent. There was no point in riding in that weather.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
The silver chocobo ran across the snowfield, totally blinded by the falling snow. The rider covered her eyes against the oncoming snow, but it still got into her eyes. She tried to look away, but was met with the force of the wind on all sides. She swore. As she squinted her eyes she saw a glittering figure prowling across the snowfield, completely oblivious to the storm, casting about as if tracking something. Then it shot its head in her direction, a cruel smile stamped on its face. It spread a pair of black wings and leapt though the air at her. The rider screamed in terror.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Vincent heard the scream. He felt anger shoot through him. He allowed the wings and claws to grow out of him, while his skin turned black. Control left his grasp and he felt himself being pushed back into sub- consciousness. The hate flowed non-stop through him, starting a huge rage before long. He ran through the snow after the source of the screaming. The sharp ears of the demons soon had located the sound and he was homing in on it. A glitter in the snow caught his eye. A chocobo was trying to dodge away from a silver. Thing that was intent on slashing up the rider. The demon leapt and bit down hard on the shoulder blade. A metallic scream rang out. The glittering thing threw back a clawed hand and smashed it into the demons skull. The demon let go of the shoulder dazedly, seeing stars. It shook its heard to clear its head. It barely managed to side step as the thing turned to slash it. The demon noticed that a small portion of the things face, or what seemed to be a face, had a piece of skin and an eye. It through out a claw and was rewarded to see the thing veer away, clutching its face. It snarled, then jumped up and flew away, howling with a metallic voice. The demon turned to look at the rider that it had just saved. In the fight, the rider had fallen down and hit a large slab of ice, knocking it unconscious. The demon leered wickedly. It bore its teeth down on the rider.
Vincent fought for control again, forcing the demon to relinquish its grasp over his body. The wings and claws slid back into him, and his skin returned to its normal pallor. He felt so weak; he could feel himself falling to his knees. He took deep breaths of air, then tried to stand again. A slightly better reaction. He walked over the motionless body and hesitated to lift it. He was astonished to fell that he was able to lift it with ease. He looked around for the chocobo, but it had run away in the scuffle. Vincent began the long trek back to his camp. He looked down at the fragile rider in his arms. It wore a snowy white cloak. It was a miracle in itself that he was able to see her in the haze of snow. He followed the tracks that had been left in the snow back to his camp. Once he felt the snow stop its barrage against his face, he turned his gaze upwards. He could see his small tent. Vincent put a little more speed into his walk. The wind still howled at him, but the snow had stopped pounding into his face. His feet touched the hard ground, and the harsh coldness left his legs. He opened his tent slightly and put the rider down. He found a spare cape and wrapped it around the prone body. Vincent turned around and sat down against the ledge. He tried to close his eyes and sleep, but a nagging thought kept him awake. He had to see the rider's face. It was an obligation. He just had to. He stood up again and walked over to his tent. He poked his head through the tent flap. He was surprised to see the rider was no longer laying on the ground, but sitting upright. Vincent's eyes glared at the cloaked figure.
"You faked being unconscious?!" He said with slight agitation.
"Vincent?" The rider replied.
Vincent was shocked that the stranger knew his name but not altogether calmed down about it.
"Yes. That my name. And whom are you." He narrowed his eyes.
"Err."
"Yes?" He said expectantly.
"Err."
Vincent rolled his eyes and sighed. He pushed aside the cloak hood to reveal the rider's face. Brown hair spilled down over her shoulders, and brown eyes looked at him, while a mischievous smile played over her lips. Vincent pulled back.
"Yuffie?!" He said in surprise.
"Oh gawd. You can't really say you didn't see this coming a mile away." She said innocently.
It was Vincent's turn to look bewildered and blather uselessly.
"Err."
"Oh my gawd! You weren't expecting me to come?"
"Err."
Yuffie laughed at the crimson eyed man's expression. Slowly he realized that he was on the wrong side of the conversation.
"You followed me and then faked unconsciousness?"
"Well, I didn't want to go back to Midgar. There was an incident regarding several thousand Gil. And it was so cold, and well, err. You survived the trek back here didn't you?"
Vincent knew that he was no longer on the receiving end of this.
"That's beyond the point. You were supposed to go to Midgar with Cloud."
A mischievous smile crawled up her face again.
"You're right. I was supposed to go to Midgar with Cloud. But here I am."
Vincent now understood that he lost. Yuffie would follow him now. He sighed in weak acceptance of her forced company.
"Fine."
"Am I that annoying?" She said innocently.
Vincent walked down the stairs to the bar. He looked at the former members of AVALANCHE sitting around the table. They seemed so cheerful and happy. He was struck by a pang of longing. He had always wanted such happiness, but he could never obtain it. When he was a child so many years ago, he still couldn't do it. He looked as Barret told a joke and they all laughed. He had tried joining them once. He had even tried a joke. They had looked at him oddly, and then he excused himself. His amber eyes looked emotionlessly at them. Like a shadow, he walked past them and cut some bread soundlessly. He made a sandwich and sliced it in half. Still unnoticed, he walked past them and sat down on the couch. He took a bite out of his sandwich.
He remembered the comfort that he had felt when he felt the warm touch of Yuffie. After the cold claws of nightmares raked through him she made the fear go away. He looked over to where Yuffie sat. She was also totally unnoticed by the group. She sat on the opposite side of the room doodling on a piece of paper, while eating am apple. Occasionally she looked at the others, but not for the same reasons as him. Vincent sharp eyes could tell from where he was sitting that she was trying to draw them. Vincent grabbed a piece of paper and pencil. He began drawing an intricate pattern, while cunningly writing some letters inside the pattern. Then he turned it around and wrote "Boo" in huge letters. He folded the piece together until he was holding a paper aeroplane. He creased the edges and threw it gently at Yuffie. It flew completely unnoticed over the group and landed on top of Yuffie's picture. He watched as she opened it up and looked at the design. She squinted, but then gave up. She turned it around and laughed. Vincent grinned slightly.
She looked in his direction and smiled. Vincent was caught in panic. What would he do now? He smiled back and resumed eating. With the internal struggle going on inside him he was oblivious to anything. The sound of footsteps approaching him went completely unnoticed. Only when Yuffie flopped down beside him did he notice that she was there.
"Boo." She said while nudging him playfully.
"Eh." He replied.
"Sleep well?" She asked.
"I don't know." He remarked while grinning.
"Huh?"
"You kept grabbing me in your sleep and waking me."
"Why you little." She said in imitation of Barret.
Yuffie burst out laughing but Vincent just regarded her with his red eyes. Under the stoic gaze of his eyes the funniness was sucked out of the phrase. The laughter died on her lips.
"How come you never laugh, Vincent?" Yuffie asked.
"Nothing seems funny." He answered lightly.
"You mean that when that weird guy offered Cid a weird cigarette and it turned out to be a little bit o' the wacky tobacky, you didn't laugh at all?!" She asked with concern.
"That was funny. I was cracking up when I got back to the tower." Vincent replied quickly. Actually, he said mentally, I merely went to bed early without a second thought.
Yuffie laughed again and Vincent removed his gaze to allow her to enjoy the comedy of the memory.
"Then, how come you never laugh or smile in front of anybody else?" She continued when she was done laughing.
"It takes a while for the comedy to sink into me." He answered sarcastically.
"Seriously."
"I never have since," He stopped suddenly. When was the last time he laughed out loud? Then he remembered. He prowled his memories for a moment he thought was funny. Lucrecia came to mind. She always managed to make him laugh. He shook away the memory. "I've never laughed out loud since Lucrecia left me."
"That's so sad." Yuffie said, unconsciously taking a bite out of Vincent's remaining half-sandwich. "Why if fat fo?" She said between mouthfuls.
"Why did you steal my sandwich?"
"Wha? Oh, dif. Mmm, you weren't gonna eat it, fo I did." Swallowing hard and clearing her. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"Not really."
"Then why did you ask?"
"If curiosity killed the cat I'd be dead in my coffin." He said while grinning.
Yuffie grinned back at him.
Vincent stood up and stretched, then walked to the door. Yuffie followed. Vincent walked into the streets of Kalm. Yuffie followed while shivering. Vincent walked up to the tower he lived in. Yuffie walked past him and into the tower. Vincent walked in after her.
"What are you doing here?" Vincent asked accusingly.
"We were getting along so well, n I thought "Hey, why not try to annoy Vincent into doing something new and funny."" She answered sweetly
Vincent looked at her with his amber eyes.
"I'm leaving today. And I'm leaving alone. Cloud and the others have to go to Midgar and take care of things there with Reeves." He said coldly.
Yuffie stood stunned.
"But, what about you're freaky friend, the hissing wonder, the evil thing that nearly killed me!"
Vincent merely looked at her.
"Ah. I see. That's why you're leaving."
Vincent stared blankly and nodded. He walked up the stairs that led to his only room. Yuffie didn't follow.
"How do you know Clouds leaving for Midgar today anyway?" She called after him.
"I heard him saying it to Cid and Red. Tifa, you, Barret and Cloud are going to go to Midgar in a while, and Cid and Red are going to go and get their weapons. I won't be here to go with you."
Yuffie thought hard about this for a moment.
"Okay!" She said with a fiendish smile.
Still smiling, she walked out of the tower. Vincent, who did not hear her, continued packing. Greens for the bird. Guns. Ammo for the guns. Tent. A sack to carry it all in. A traveller's cloak. Extra clothes. For some reason, he did not want to change his clothes. He liked the tattered clothes he was wearing. They were ventilating nicely. Remembering it was winter outside, so he put on an extra sweater. He strapped the Death Penalty onto his back and swung the over his shoulder. He walked down the stairs, making sure not to drop anything. Finally, he made it to the door. He kicked it open and made towards the chocobo stalls.
The wind howled viciously in his face as he opened the door that led outside. The occasional snowflake flew into his face, instantly melting. He paid no heed to it and continued on his way. He walked into the stalls, not shifting his gaze in the slightest bit. He arrived at Shadows stall and opened it. The chocobo obediently walked out and waited for Vincent climb onto it. Vincent tied the sack his back and climbed onto the bird. He leaned forward and the bird shot forward.
Vincent's tattered cape fluttered wildly in the wind as the chocobo ran across the snowfields that surrounded Kalm. Snow flew as the bird's feet kicked it into the air. Vincent sped past everything in a white haze. A second chocobo ran silently after Vincent. It was a light silver colour. The owner wore a long white cloak that camouflaged itself in the surroundings. When Vincent veered off into the whiteness, the rider followed. Vincent rode into the valley and stopped. He looked around for a decent spot to camp. An overhanging ledge presented itself as a likely candidate. He hopped off the chocobo a walked up to the ledge. The chocobo obediently followed. Vincent stood under the ledge and inspected it. The snow hardly managed to spread across the ground, and the ledge protected the area from wind and ice. Vincent untied the sack and threw onto the ground. As he began digging through it after his tent, he heard a shuffle of snow. He spun around. Nothing.
Vincent grabbed the Death Penalty and walked cautiously out from the ledge. Tracks covered the snow around him. He couldn't trace which way they went because of their enormous quantity. He looked around but couldn't see anything through the snowy haze. He turned around and returned to setting up his tent. There was no point in riding in that weather.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
The silver chocobo ran across the snowfield, totally blinded by the falling snow. The rider covered her eyes against the oncoming snow, but it still got into her eyes. She tried to look away, but was met with the force of the wind on all sides. She swore. As she squinted her eyes she saw a glittering figure prowling across the snowfield, completely oblivious to the storm, casting about as if tracking something. Then it shot its head in her direction, a cruel smile stamped on its face. It spread a pair of black wings and leapt though the air at her. The rider screamed in terror.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- _-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Vincent heard the scream. He felt anger shoot through him. He allowed the wings and claws to grow out of him, while his skin turned black. Control left his grasp and he felt himself being pushed back into sub- consciousness. The hate flowed non-stop through him, starting a huge rage before long. He ran through the snow after the source of the screaming. The sharp ears of the demons soon had located the sound and he was homing in on it. A glitter in the snow caught his eye. A chocobo was trying to dodge away from a silver. Thing that was intent on slashing up the rider. The demon leapt and bit down hard on the shoulder blade. A metallic scream rang out. The glittering thing threw back a clawed hand and smashed it into the demons skull. The demon let go of the shoulder dazedly, seeing stars. It shook its heard to clear its head. It barely managed to side step as the thing turned to slash it. The demon noticed that a small portion of the things face, or what seemed to be a face, had a piece of skin and an eye. It through out a claw and was rewarded to see the thing veer away, clutching its face. It snarled, then jumped up and flew away, howling with a metallic voice. The demon turned to look at the rider that it had just saved. In the fight, the rider had fallen down and hit a large slab of ice, knocking it unconscious. The demon leered wickedly. It bore its teeth down on the rider.
Vincent fought for control again, forcing the demon to relinquish its grasp over his body. The wings and claws slid back into him, and his skin returned to its normal pallor. He felt so weak; he could feel himself falling to his knees. He took deep breaths of air, then tried to stand again. A slightly better reaction. He walked over the motionless body and hesitated to lift it. He was astonished to fell that he was able to lift it with ease. He looked around for the chocobo, but it had run away in the scuffle. Vincent began the long trek back to his camp. He looked down at the fragile rider in his arms. It wore a snowy white cloak. It was a miracle in itself that he was able to see her in the haze of snow. He followed the tracks that had been left in the snow back to his camp. Once he felt the snow stop its barrage against his face, he turned his gaze upwards. He could see his small tent. Vincent put a little more speed into his walk. The wind still howled at him, but the snow had stopped pounding into his face. His feet touched the hard ground, and the harsh coldness left his legs. He opened his tent slightly and put the rider down. He found a spare cape and wrapped it around the prone body. Vincent turned around and sat down against the ledge. He tried to close his eyes and sleep, but a nagging thought kept him awake. He had to see the rider's face. It was an obligation. He just had to. He stood up again and walked over to his tent. He poked his head through the tent flap. He was surprised to see the rider was no longer laying on the ground, but sitting upright. Vincent's eyes glared at the cloaked figure.
"You faked being unconscious?!" He said with slight agitation.
"Vincent?" The rider replied.
Vincent was shocked that the stranger knew his name but not altogether calmed down about it.
"Yes. That my name. And whom are you." He narrowed his eyes.
"Err."
"Yes?" He said expectantly.
"Err."
Vincent rolled his eyes and sighed. He pushed aside the cloak hood to reveal the rider's face. Brown hair spilled down over her shoulders, and brown eyes looked at him, while a mischievous smile played over her lips. Vincent pulled back.
"Yuffie?!" He said in surprise.
"Oh gawd. You can't really say you didn't see this coming a mile away." She said innocently.
It was Vincent's turn to look bewildered and blather uselessly.
"Err."
"Oh my gawd! You weren't expecting me to come?"
"Err."
Yuffie laughed at the crimson eyed man's expression. Slowly he realized that he was on the wrong side of the conversation.
"You followed me and then faked unconsciousness?"
"Well, I didn't want to go back to Midgar. There was an incident regarding several thousand Gil. And it was so cold, and well, err. You survived the trek back here didn't you?"
Vincent knew that he was no longer on the receiving end of this.
"That's beyond the point. You were supposed to go to Midgar with Cloud."
A mischievous smile crawled up her face again.
"You're right. I was supposed to go to Midgar with Cloud. But here I am."
Vincent now understood that he lost. Yuffie would follow him now. He sighed in weak acceptance of her forced company.
"Fine."
"Am I that annoying?" She said innocently.