Epilogue
He was drowning, the darkness surrounding him like black inky water, suffocating him, and at the same time, it didn't. It was a mix between a gentle blanket, and a suffocating one. He struggled against it, though it soothed and tore at him at the same time. He was in pain, and yet he wasn't. It was like a sea in his mind. Was he. dead? He sighed, suddenly feeling the will to fight again. He had been at death's door so many times. when he was a Turk, and when he was Avalanche, and those times he had wanted to die, he had wanted to be reunited with Lucercia, he wanted to be free of his sins and guilt. But wasn't that running? Had he been a coward, all this time? Hiding behind his sins as a shield, so he wouldn't get hurt again? So he wouldn't get hurt. He had always thought the barriers he had set around himself were protective, never to fall, and yet they had, so easily to Tifa. why now, why did he die now, when someone needed him.
'I understand your past is everything to you Vincent, how you struggle so hard to be free of it, but the more you struggle against it, the more you drown in it. Just accept it.' Tifa's words rang in his mind, and he suddenly realized how true her words were. He should have forgiven himself a long time ago. he should have realized Lucercia did. He heard her sweet voice linger in the back of his mind, saying words he couldn't make out, but her voice was forgiving, and he didn't need words to realize what she was saying. Move on. that's what she had been saying all along, not that she hated him like he thought she had. She knew he had tried to save her, and how long he had loved her, and she knew it was time for him to let her go. He had been hurting himself over things he couldn't have stopped for too long. He closed his eyes, feeling more relieved than he had in a long time. His sins were atoned for, he was a clean man again. He would repent by doing everything he could, he would make someone else happy. He would embrace his past and learn from his mistakes, not mourn over them, and he wouldn't make them again. It was like being reborn again. He was just Vincent, not Vincent Valentine, ex-Turk, a man who had fallen in love and had paid the price for it, no, that person was part of him, but not who ruled him anymore. He was just Vincent, and he hoped that was enough.
"Vincent!" He heard a desperate cry from somewhere above the watery substance that swirled around him, though was calm now. He was no longer needed here, but somewhere else, where someone was waiting for him, desperately. He felt a slight tug, and he was above the turbulent waters, opening his eyes for what seemed the first time in his life. And he saw Tifa, her wine colored orbs filled with worry, her tears suddenly turning to joy when she saw he was awake. It was like waking up in heaven, from a long trip from far below. "Vincent! I was so worried!" Tifa sobbed, flinging her arms around him, and he blinked, his vision still hazy, though he returned the embrace, pulling her closer to him.
"I apologize. for making you worry." Vincent said softly, and he felt her tears drop into his neck, her shoulders racking with tears. He tilted her gaze to meet his, and he looked deep into her wine colored eyes, a small, barely noticeable smile on his face. She was his savior, and for that he was eternally grateful. Her eyes traced into his, looking up at him, semi- confused at the change in him, though she smiled anyway, and he saw what he was looking for. Love and acceptance.
"Just don't do it again, okay?" Tifa smiled, and Vincent nodded, wincing a bit, and Tifa's eyes widened, and she immediately forced him back down. "You have to rest! The doctor said you were lucky the claws didn't go any deeper, or else you might have. might have." He gently wiped away the tear that was trailing down her cheek, and he looked up at her.
"How did we get out?" Vincent asked, and Tifa blinked, sniffling a bit as she gave him a shaky smile, sitting down next to him on the bed.
"Well, everyone managed to find us with all the noise we were making, and we managed to defeat that. thing," Tifa shuddered a bit at the very thought, Vincent noticed, "and Reno led us out. I was so scared. you almost. blood was everywhere." Tifa's eyes filled with tears again, and Vincent gave a light sigh, comforting her as best he could, though it was a bit awkward as she cried.
"Tifa." Vincent said softly, lifting her face to his, and she looked up at him, her eyes watering. He felt his throat constrict a little, and he let out a slight breath. He couldn't let her go, not when she didn't know how much she meant to him. She loved him, she had said, and what else could he do but return her feelings? "Will you. marry me?" Tifa's eyes instantly widened, and she smiled, throwing her arms around him, completely forgetting everything else as her lips met his.
"Yes!" She said breathlessly, pressing their lips together again, and Vincent smiled slightly. How could he have lived without her for all these years? He was drowning again, but this time, in something completely different, and somewhat foreign, but he felt it all the same. So this is what love felt like.
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Tifa laughed, being twirled around the dance floor, letting herself sit down, panting for breath, though still laughing. Her eyes were sparkling, her hair curled into a silky water fall, cascading to her waist, her white dress pure and simple, though it complimented everything about her. Vincent gave her a small smile next to her, blinking a bit as she leaned over, putting a small kiss to his cheek, earning hoots and howls from the onlookers. It was nice to see the whole gang again, Cid with Shera, Yuffie causing her usual mischief, Barret teaching Marlene who had grown up into a fine lady to dance, Nanaki in the corner and watching the 'human' spectacle in interest, and even Reeve and the Turks, new and old, were here, much to Barret's displeasure, though he didn't say anything. The world that Masson described wasn't as bad as he had said, but it was almost, though unlike what Masson said, the world had a savoir, in the form of Caith Sith, or rather, the man behind him, Reeve. She smiled, tilting her head to the side and looking up at Vincent, who gave a somewhat small, but awkward smile back. It was funny, if anyone had ever told her she would have wound up with Vincent Valentine instead of her 'hero' Cloud Strife, she would have laughed. How ironic this whole situation was, how clear her path was now. Vincent had put his past behind him. for her. It was touching to think about it, and she. was intent on repaying Vincent in every way.
"C'mon Vincent! Dance with me!" Tifa giggled, pulling Vincent onto the dance floor, smiling up at him, while he continued to smile back, no longer awkward as he was drawn back into her eyes. Suddenly the future seemed very bright, and the past so far away, Vincent realized, his eyes locked with Tifa's dancing one as she smiled, wrapping her arms around him. That's all the past was to him, a bittersweet, ironic echo that had lost its sound.
~*Author's Notes*~ *smiles happily* They got married! *flings confetti in the air* But. *pouts* Now it's over! *wails* I love this story! *hugs it* I hoped you all liked it as much as I loved writing it. Please excuse me if the ending was corny, but I loved it! *hugs story* Well, thank you all for reading and reviewing so far, and keeping this story going! Without you all, I wouldn't have made it past chapter one! Thank you all so very much! *bows humbly* Anyway, remember to vote for another pairing. The reason this chapter came out so late was that I was working on my next story. *smiles* So be on the look out for that. *sniffles* Please read and review! *sniffles* Vincent/Tifa rules! Thank you all again! *bows as the curtain closes*
He was drowning, the darkness surrounding him like black inky water, suffocating him, and at the same time, it didn't. It was a mix between a gentle blanket, and a suffocating one. He struggled against it, though it soothed and tore at him at the same time. He was in pain, and yet he wasn't. It was like a sea in his mind. Was he. dead? He sighed, suddenly feeling the will to fight again. He had been at death's door so many times. when he was a Turk, and when he was Avalanche, and those times he had wanted to die, he had wanted to be reunited with Lucercia, he wanted to be free of his sins and guilt. But wasn't that running? Had he been a coward, all this time? Hiding behind his sins as a shield, so he wouldn't get hurt again? So he wouldn't get hurt. He had always thought the barriers he had set around himself were protective, never to fall, and yet they had, so easily to Tifa. why now, why did he die now, when someone needed him.
'I understand your past is everything to you Vincent, how you struggle so hard to be free of it, but the more you struggle against it, the more you drown in it. Just accept it.' Tifa's words rang in his mind, and he suddenly realized how true her words were. He should have forgiven himself a long time ago. he should have realized Lucercia did. He heard her sweet voice linger in the back of his mind, saying words he couldn't make out, but her voice was forgiving, and he didn't need words to realize what she was saying. Move on. that's what she had been saying all along, not that she hated him like he thought she had. She knew he had tried to save her, and how long he had loved her, and she knew it was time for him to let her go. He had been hurting himself over things he couldn't have stopped for too long. He closed his eyes, feeling more relieved than he had in a long time. His sins were atoned for, he was a clean man again. He would repent by doing everything he could, he would make someone else happy. He would embrace his past and learn from his mistakes, not mourn over them, and he wouldn't make them again. It was like being reborn again. He was just Vincent, not Vincent Valentine, ex-Turk, a man who had fallen in love and had paid the price for it, no, that person was part of him, but not who ruled him anymore. He was just Vincent, and he hoped that was enough.
"Vincent!" He heard a desperate cry from somewhere above the watery substance that swirled around him, though was calm now. He was no longer needed here, but somewhere else, where someone was waiting for him, desperately. He felt a slight tug, and he was above the turbulent waters, opening his eyes for what seemed the first time in his life. And he saw Tifa, her wine colored orbs filled with worry, her tears suddenly turning to joy when she saw he was awake. It was like waking up in heaven, from a long trip from far below. "Vincent! I was so worried!" Tifa sobbed, flinging her arms around him, and he blinked, his vision still hazy, though he returned the embrace, pulling her closer to him.
"I apologize. for making you worry." Vincent said softly, and he felt her tears drop into his neck, her shoulders racking with tears. He tilted her gaze to meet his, and he looked deep into her wine colored eyes, a small, barely noticeable smile on his face. She was his savior, and for that he was eternally grateful. Her eyes traced into his, looking up at him, semi- confused at the change in him, though she smiled anyway, and he saw what he was looking for. Love and acceptance.
"Just don't do it again, okay?" Tifa smiled, and Vincent nodded, wincing a bit, and Tifa's eyes widened, and she immediately forced him back down. "You have to rest! The doctor said you were lucky the claws didn't go any deeper, or else you might have. might have." He gently wiped away the tear that was trailing down her cheek, and he looked up at her.
"How did we get out?" Vincent asked, and Tifa blinked, sniffling a bit as she gave him a shaky smile, sitting down next to him on the bed.
"Well, everyone managed to find us with all the noise we were making, and we managed to defeat that. thing," Tifa shuddered a bit at the very thought, Vincent noticed, "and Reno led us out. I was so scared. you almost. blood was everywhere." Tifa's eyes filled with tears again, and Vincent gave a light sigh, comforting her as best he could, though it was a bit awkward as she cried.
"Tifa." Vincent said softly, lifting her face to his, and she looked up at him, her eyes watering. He felt his throat constrict a little, and he let out a slight breath. He couldn't let her go, not when she didn't know how much she meant to him. She loved him, she had said, and what else could he do but return her feelings? "Will you. marry me?" Tifa's eyes instantly widened, and she smiled, throwing her arms around him, completely forgetting everything else as her lips met his.
"Yes!" She said breathlessly, pressing their lips together again, and Vincent smiled slightly. How could he have lived without her for all these years? He was drowning again, but this time, in something completely different, and somewhat foreign, but he felt it all the same. So this is what love felt like.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Tifa laughed, being twirled around the dance floor, letting herself sit down, panting for breath, though still laughing. Her eyes were sparkling, her hair curled into a silky water fall, cascading to her waist, her white dress pure and simple, though it complimented everything about her. Vincent gave her a small smile next to her, blinking a bit as she leaned over, putting a small kiss to his cheek, earning hoots and howls from the onlookers. It was nice to see the whole gang again, Cid with Shera, Yuffie causing her usual mischief, Barret teaching Marlene who had grown up into a fine lady to dance, Nanaki in the corner and watching the 'human' spectacle in interest, and even Reeve and the Turks, new and old, were here, much to Barret's displeasure, though he didn't say anything. The world that Masson described wasn't as bad as he had said, but it was almost, though unlike what Masson said, the world had a savoir, in the form of Caith Sith, or rather, the man behind him, Reeve. She smiled, tilting her head to the side and looking up at Vincent, who gave a somewhat small, but awkward smile back. It was funny, if anyone had ever told her she would have wound up with Vincent Valentine instead of her 'hero' Cloud Strife, she would have laughed. How ironic this whole situation was, how clear her path was now. Vincent had put his past behind him. for her. It was touching to think about it, and she. was intent on repaying Vincent in every way.
"C'mon Vincent! Dance with me!" Tifa giggled, pulling Vincent onto the dance floor, smiling up at him, while he continued to smile back, no longer awkward as he was drawn back into her eyes. Suddenly the future seemed very bright, and the past so far away, Vincent realized, his eyes locked with Tifa's dancing one as she smiled, wrapping her arms around him. That's all the past was to him, a bittersweet, ironic echo that had lost its sound.
~*Author's Notes*~ *smiles happily* They got married! *flings confetti in the air* But. *pouts* Now it's over! *wails* I love this story! *hugs it* I hoped you all liked it as much as I loved writing it. Please excuse me if the ending was corny, but I loved it! *hugs story* Well, thank you all for reading and reviewing so far, and keeping this story going! Without you all, I wouldn't have made it past chapter one! Thank you all so very much! *bows humbly* Anyway, remember to vote for another pairing. The reason this chapter came out so late was that I was working on my next story. *smiles* So be on the look out for that. *sniffles* Please read and review! *sniffles* Vincent/Tifa rules! Thank you all again! *bows as the curtain closes*