Shadows Of A Lonely Man: Chapter 4 - Destination Nibelhiem

The boat pulled out from Junon harbor bound for Costa Del Sol at about noon, the sun was high in the sky and it was a clear day the heat only increasing as they got out onto the open sea. The ride was enjoyable and at first chance Edward had pulled out a deckchair and taken off his snappy blue suit and sat in his underwear sunbathing. Vincent watched with a small show of amusement on his face as he stood on the port side of the boat leaning on the edge glancing out over then water then back into the ship laughing a little at how Edward naturally seemed to be coping with the heat. He seemed to be a natural ladies man too, allready he had "picked up" (as he liked to call it) two young women in bathing suits who were on their way to the gold saucer. Vincent on the other hand wasn't interested, he simply waited for the journey to end. He could hear everyone laughing and enjoying the ride, even his partner Edward seemed to be having the time of his life. Though Vincent just concerntrated on the job at hand.

A few hours later the boat docked at Costa Del Sol and Vincent waited as Edward got dressed. When he came out he seemed to think talking to the girls was more important which annoyed Vincent a little since they needed to be somewhere. Still standing on the deck of the boat he walked over and grabbed Edward by the hair yanking him back and dragging him down the gangtree the girls laughing as he shouts and protests Vincent totally ignoring him of course. Once at the bottom Vincent threw his captured partner off onto the harbor and stood watching him as he spun and then composed himself.

"Vince what the hell you doin man!?" he demanded

"We have a job to do" replied Vincent without missing a beat

"But I was IN there!"

"I don't care if you were in the middle of getting money from them we have to lave now come on!"

Vincent walked past him away from the water and into town, he was joined by Edward who followed soon after he realised that his new partner always ment business. They stopped next to the road and looked around then Vincent turned to Edward and spoke.

"Wait here im going to hire a buggy so we cant get to Nibelhiem faster"

Nodding in aknowledgement Edward watched as Vincent dissapeared around a corner. He yawned a little and pulled his sleeve back to look at a watch and then about five minutes later Vincent pulled up in a brand new buggy to which Edward whistled.

"Wow the brand new Turbo 9000, who'd you kill?" he joked

Vincent looked up at him coldly and answered

"A woman and a small kid.." he replied

Edward wasn't sure whether he was joking or serious and started to think he was serious looking at him with a blank stare until Vincent started laughing.

"Come on get in!" he laughed

"Oh ya bastard ya tricked me!" laughed Edward "you really had me there!"

Vincent smiled once more and pulled away, they left the town and headed out into the grasslands of the Eastern Continent on their way to Niblehiem. The journey was mostly silent for about half of it until Edward finally broke the ice.

"Vincent why don't you lighten up a bit?" he asked

"What do you mean?" he replied and he pushed the buggy up another gear

"Well youre always so damn serious I mean ive seen you laugh but everything doesn't have to be done right away"

Vincent pushed the gears into the cruise gear just as they passed a small rive and headed towards cliffs near Cosmo Canyon, he shrugged a little and concerntrated more on driving more than thikning about what Edward had said. He side glanced at him, he was obviously waiting for a reply and yawned a little as h turned a sharp corner causing the buggy to jerk.

"I dunno, I just like everything to be done then I screw around all I want later on"

Edward thought a little bit and then blinked, it made sense aswell. He shook his head and laughed and then continued to look out of the window. Vincent side glanced him again and swallowed, he continued to drive the buggy twisting and turning through the cliff of Cosmo Canyon then narrowed his eyes as they left them and the sun came into view once more. Edward smiled as they passed Cosmo Canyon and heard the music billowing from it like it was a twenty-four hour party and laughed.

"Damn why couldn't we get assigned there huh? Why do we get the borning place?"

Vincent shrugged, he didn't know why things worked the way they did and as far as they were concerned there was nothing they could do so why bother complaining? He shook his head for Edward to see and continued driving a wild chocabo springing out infront of them causing Vincent to slam the brakes on hard and bashed the horn.

"Damn birds!" he cursed

He looked over at Edward and laughed, he had hold of the dashboard tightly and his face was contorted like his still screaming. He blinked and let go then looked at the laughing Vincent and made a face.

"Oh shut up" he said

Vincent turned the key and the buggy rumbled, coughed and then started with a roar of the engine. He pushed it into first gear and started driving towards his destination once more listening as the music from Cosmo Canyon slowly died away. However as the music died down the hills slowly became flat and their destination came into view, Nibelhiem.

As they pulled into the streets they saw people watching them, then when they got out of the car people looked away knowing who they were. Both Vincent and Edward looked around waiting for some kind of aknowledgement that they were here but none cam within that time.

"Looks like no ones home.." said Edward

Just then a voice sailed over the wind and a young woman came running towards them from a large mansion on the far side of the village. She stopped just before them and smiled sweetly looking at them both.

"Hi, my name is Lucrecia, the Professor is waiting in the mansion please follow me"

Vincent looked at her, he blinked and then swallowed, she was truly beautiful her brown hair her brown eyes, the way her round glasses brought out her face. He couldn't help but smile and realise he had seen her before, it was then that it hit him. He gazed at her in awe, it was the girl he had bumped into outside of the ShinRa headquarters!