Shadows Of A Lonely Man: Chapter 10 - Making New Friends

"THE Cloud Strife?!?" Ceilia exlaimed

"Yes.him." Vincent replied coldly

Vincent rolled around in his sleep the coffin banged and his vocie rang out. His dreams spun through his head like wild fire and burned themselves into his memory so that he would never forget. The woman stood before him..Lucrecia..his love..she watched him.looked him up and down.

"You left me Vincent.." She said quietly

"no..i..i didn't.I tried to help.he shot me.." Vincent's trembling voice replied aloud

"ah Vincent...you left.and you left this world.its all your fault" she hissed

"Whats that sound?" A voice broke in

"Its coming from the coffin" came another it was a female voice

Vincents eyes snapped open, he was faced with darkness but he could hear the voices outside of his coffin clearly in the silence he held. He did not move for a while but stayed quite still listening to everyone.

"Whats a coffin doing down here?" Said the female voice

"I don't know" said the male voice "lets open it"

"I'd advise against that"

This was a third male voice it sounded somehow different to the others, elequent, learned, well spoken. However, it was more quiet than the others.

"Then what do you propose we do Red?" The first male voice asked

Before the voice that he assumed was a man named "Red" could answer Vincent pressed his hands against the top of the coffin and pushed. It flipped off and crashed onto the floor causing everyone to jump and dust raise into the air temporarily blocking him from view as they all coughed. When the dust settled again he was stood upon rim of the coffin at the top end of it facing the strangers in his room his arms held out on either side of him his head raised looking at the roof.

"What are you doing here..?" he asked them

"We erm.." It was the female voice.

Vincent lowered his head and looked at were the voice was coming from, it was a woman. She was dressed in a tight white t-shirt and a short black skirt. Her hands were adorned in red gloves that had hard points on the knuckles and her black hair flowed right down her back to her heels and her brown eyes gazed curiosly at him.

"You were tresspassing" Said Vincent

"You own this mansion then?" She replied

"No." Replied Vincent

"Then no we weren't"

He looked to the left of her and saw a man, he was dressed in what he could only assume was the leftovers of one of the SOLDIER outfits that ShinRa employed in its use. He had spikey yellow hair and bright blue almost glowing eyes. On his back was a large sword that must have been as big as he was and his small arms though tiny looked strong enough to lift a car.

"Whom are you?" Came the third voice

He looked down and saw not a man but an animal, it's coat was totally red with black markings upon it. In its mane were some feathers and its tail flicked wildly behind it. He looked curiously at it and then back at the main with the spikey hair.

"You three have come in here and disturbed me, may I be blunt and ask what you want?" Vincent finally said

"Well.." Said the Spikey haired man "We were here investigating the ShinRa, we've run across a man named Hojo and we want to find him and stop this company before they destroy the planet. That's the main reason..save the planet."

"Hojo..please tell me what you know.."

"They told me their whole story.you probably read about it in the newspaper" Vincent said looking at Ceilia

She nodded.

"I see.." said Vincent after the spikey hair man had finished

"Now tell us your story" He asked

Vincent shook his head.

"No.hearing your story gives me more to attone for.."

He laid down in his coffin and closed his eyes.

"Just let me be alone.."

The three looked at him turned and left. New thoughts ran through Vincents mind.they were after ShinRa..and Hojo.the two were in his grasp at last.he could now at last try and at least make up a little for Lucrecia's death. His eyes shot open and he walked out of the door and saw the three walking down the corridor back to the stairway.

"Wait!" he called

They stopped and turned as he approached.

"Do you think you'll find Hojo?"

The spikey haired man shrugged.

"Anythings possible"

Vincent nodded

"I've decided to go with you..im Vincent Valentine."

"My name is Cloud Strife" Said the spikey haired man

"Im Tifa Lockhart" Said the woman

"And im Red XIII but most call me Red."

Vincent nodded to them and they started back towards the staircase to for the three continue their journey and for Vincent to start his redemption.