.How does it feel?...
Sephiroth had asked me those words six years ago when I had come home to Nibelheim. Now I stood at the same gate, the same type of sky overhead and the same smell in my nose. This was my hometown, but it was not my home.
I took my first steps into the city in more than a year. This had been one of the places that I had not run. There were too many memories here; too much pain that I would have had to deal with, had I come back. Now, I had.
The city was no different than I had left it. I had not expected it to change; it never had. Things here still did not make sense to me. Why did everyone here claim that there had never been a fire, when I remembered one as clearly as the day around me? Had the fire ever happened? I had looked for the answers once, and I had found most of them, but not all. The fire; that was one of the questions that remained unanswered.
But it was a question for another day.
I looked at the well, solemn and still. All those nights that I spent looking at Tifa and her friends sitting and talking on it, and the night that I had asked her to meet me. She had never paid attention to me as a child. I had tried for her attention, but to no avail.
How different it was now, when she had invited me into her home, and was upset when I left. Everything was different now. I was different, too.
I walked to the mansion, not far away, and reached for the gate. It creaked as I opened it, and closed of its own accord after I walked through.
The mansion loomed in front of me, and I stepped up to the door without hesitation. My life had fallen apart here before, but not now. And never again.
I was not sure if Vincent was here, but this had been when I had found him to start with. If he was not here, I had no idea where he could be.
I creaked open the door and was hit by the musty smell of mothballs and dust. The age of the house was betrayed by its interiors; well kept, though unused, and coated in dust.
My footsteps left gleaming prints on the hardwood floor, the sole of my boot imprinting in the filth. I walked to the center of the sitting area and looked around. A dove fluttered at a broken window, flying to the rafters to join its mate. Its black eyes stared at me as it trotted along the beam, clucking and cooing as it did so.
I stared at it for a moment and then redirected my attention to the stairway. A few more steps had fallen through, leaving it more dangerous than it had been previously.
I trekked my way up them carefully, making sure not to put my foot anyplace that seemed weak or dangerous. I reached the top of the stair and looked down the hallway.
Darkness met me, sailing in and out of the doorways, the crisp, aged curtains, and the sunken chairs. I took a step and heard something scuttle across the floor. The door to the room that led to the basement was to the right.
I took my way carefully, listening to the sounds of the house. There were things here other than dust and creaks; things that I had to be cautious of.
The room was much the same as it had been left. But as I looked down, I noticed that there was another pair of footprints, other than mine. I looked up quickly and listened.
I could not hear anything, but I knew I was not alone in this house.
I went to the door to the basement, encased in the outcropping wall of metal. I reached my hand out a pushed the door back. It slid into the wall slowly, revealing the wooden staircase that wound its way around the walls and down.
I began to make my way down as quietly as I could, but the stairs creaked with my every step. The staircase was old, and rotted in some places. It held, however, as I made my way down.
I heard voices as I reached the bottom level. It was a clear, distinct and cold, " Get OUT!"
I stopped at the entrance to the basement, bats fluttering in the ceiling crevasses. The door to the study was open, with light pouring out. The door to Vincent's lair was also swung open, though only darkness could be seen.
"Get out!" Came again," OUT!"
I walked to the room with light and heard the shuffling of papers," Be quiet, already," Came a voice," I'm almost done."
I knew that voice.
"Reno?"
"Get OUT!"
Reno, formerly of the Turks of Shinra, stood in he doorway to the study. He held a stack of papers in one hand and two books in the other," Well, well, if it ain't old Cloud Strife."
"Get OUT!"
Reno grimace and threw a look to Vincent's lain," Could you please get him to shut up? You know him, don't you?"
"Why should he listen to me?" I asked," He obviously doesn't want you here."
"I'll be done in a moment," He said, stepping back into the study.
"What are you doing?" I asked as I followed Reno into the study. Papers and books were strewn about the place haphazardly. He was obviously looking for something.
"Checkin' up on Shinra's supply of research information."
"I heard that you were still a part of the so-called Shinra." I replied, sitting on the top of a pile of books.
"Well, it's not what it used to be. I heard you were a no-class drug addict now, so how about that?"
I shrugged," Aren't we all?"
Reno smiled vindictively, dropping the books he had been carrying," I guess in this day and age everyone is. Even the innocent ones. I know I tip back on the sake' a few more times than's necessary."
"Get OUT!"
"That's starting to get a ring to it," Reno said sarcastically. He sighed as he dropped the papers on a nearby pie and looked around,"Well, nothing important seems to be missing, and I found what I came here for." He looked at me," But what are you doing here?"
"Searching for answers."
Reno arched a brow, but did not pursue the subject. Instead he asked," How's your friend; the hot one?"
"Tifa?"
"Yeah, that's her."
"She's starring in 'Loveless' in a few weeks."
"Is she now? Well, I may have to just go see that." He said. He paused for a moment, then started to walk out.
"You know," He said, exiting," If you ever wanted back with the company, things are different now. We could use you."
"'Use' me is correct. I don't think so, Reno."
He shrugged, and a yell came again," OUT!"
"Alright, alright, I'm going! Late', Cloud." I nodded and stood once he was gone. For a moment, I stood in silence, and then I went to the door of the other room.
"Vincent?" I called.
I saw a gleam of cat-like eyes," What? What are you doing here?"
I took a step into the room and said, " I want to know more about Dr. Gast Did you know him?"
"Sure, I knew him." He came toward me, his face slowly coming into focus.
Grinning, and showing his fangs, he said, "He killed me."
Sephiroth had asked me those words six years ago when I had come home to Nibelheim. Now I stood at the same gate, the same type of sky overhead and the same smell in my nose. This was my hometown, but it was not my home.
I took my first steps into the city in more than a year. This had been one of the places that I had not run. There were too many memories here; too much pain that I would have had to deal with, had I come back. Now, I had.
The city was no different than I had left it. I had not expected it to change; it never had. Things here still did not make sense to me. Why did everyone here claim that there had never been a fire, when I remembered one as clearly as the day around me? Had the fire ever happened? I had looked for the answers once, and I had found most of them, but not all. The fire; that was one of the questions that remained unanswered.
But it was a question for another day.
I looked at the well, solemn and still. All those nights that I spent looking at Tifa and her friends sitting and talking on it, and the night that I had asked her to meet me. She had never paid attention to me as a child. I had tried for her attention, but to no avail.
How different it was now, when she had invited me into her home, and was upset when I left. Everything was different now. I was different, too.
I walked to the mansion, not far away, and reached for the gate. It creaked as I opened it, and closed of its own accord after I walked through.
The mansion loomed in front of me, and I stepped up to the door without hesitation. My life had fallen apart here before, but not now. And never again.
I was not sure if Vincent was here, but this had been when I had found him to start with. If he was not here, I had no idea where he could be.
I creaked open the door and was hit by the musty smell of mothballs and dust. The age of the house was betrayed by its interiors; well kept, though unused, and coated in dust.
My footsteps left gleaming prints on the hardwood floor, the sole of my boot imprinting in the filth. I walked to the center of the sitting area and looked around. A dove fluttered at a broken window, flying to the rafters to join its mate. Its black eyes stared at me as it trotted along the beam, clucking and cooing as it did so.
I stared at it for a moment and then redirected my attention to the stairway. A few more steps had fallen through, leaving it more dangerous than it had been previously.
I trekked my way up them carefully, making sure not to put my foot anyplace that seemed weak or dangerous. I reached the top of the stair and looked down the hallway.
Darkness met me, sailing in and out of the doorways, the crisp, aged curtains, and the sunken chairs. I took a step and heard something scuttle across the floor. The door to the room that led to the basement was to the right.
I took my way carefully, listening to the sounds of the house. There were things here other than dust and creaks; things that I had to be cautious of.
The room was much the same as it had been left. But as I looked down, I noticed that there was another pair of footprints, other than mine. I looked up quickly and listened.
I could not hear anything, but I knew I was not alone in this house.
I went to the door to the basement, encased in the outcropping wall of metal. I reached my hand out a pushed the door back. It slid into the wall slowly, revealing the wooden staircase that wound its way around the walls and down.
I began to make my way down as quietly as I could, but the stairs creaked with my every step. The staircase was old, and rotted in some places. It held, however, as I made my way down.
I heard voices as I reached the bottom level. It was a clear, distinct and cold, " Get OUT!"
I stopped at the entrance to the basement, bats fluttering in the ceiling crevasses. The door to the study was open, with light pouring out. The door to Vincent's lair was also swung open, though only darkness could be seen.
"Get out!" Came again," OUT!"
I walked to the room with light and heard the shuffling of papers," Be quiet, already," Came a voice," I'm almost done."
I knew that voice.
"Reno?"
"Get OUT!"
Reno, formerly of the Turks of Shinra, stood in he doorway to the study. He held a stack of papers in one hand and two books in the other," Well, well, if it ain't old Cloud Strife."
"Get OUT!"
Reno grimace and threw a look to Vincent's lain," Could you please get him to shut up? You know him, don't you?"
"Why should he listen to me?" I asked," He obviously doesn't want you here."
"I'll be done in a moment," He said, stepping back into the study.
"What are you doing?" I asked as I followed Reno into the study. Papers and books were strewn about the place haphazardly. He was obviously looking for something.
"Checkin' up on Shinra's supply of research information."
"I heard that you were still a part of the so-called Shinra." I replied, sitting on the top of a pile of books.
"Well, it's not what it used to be. I heard you were a no-class drug addict now, so how about that?"
I shrugged," Aren't we all?"
Reno smiled vindictively, dropping the books he had been carrying," I guess in this day and age everyone is. Even the innocent ones. I know I tip back on the sake' a few more times than's necessary."
"Get OUT!"
"That's starting to get a ring to it," Reno said sarcastically. He sighed as he dropped the papers on a nearby pie and looked around,"Well, nothing important seems to be missing, and I found what I came here for." He looked at me," But what are you doing here?"
"Searching for answers."
Reno arched a brow, but did not pursue the subject. Instead he asked," How's your friend; the hot one?"
"Tifa?"
"Yeah, that's her."
"She's starring in 'Loveless' in a few weeks."
"Is she now? Well, I may have to just go see that." He said. He paused for a moment, then started to walk out.
"You know," He said, exiting," If you ever wanted back with the company, things are different now. We could use you."
"'Use' me is correct. I don't think so, Reno."
He shrugged, and a yell came again," OUT!"
"Alright, alright, I'm going! Late', Cloud." I nodded and stood once he was gone. For a moment, I stood in silence, and then I went to the door of the other room.
"Vincent?" I called.
I saw a gleam of cat-like eyes," What? What are you doing here?"
I took a step into the room and said, " I want to know more about Dr. Gast Did you know him?"
"Sure, I knew him." He came toward me, his face slowly coming into focus.
Grinning, and showing his fangs, he said, "He killed me."