The Forgotten

Chapter 25: Licking Wounds.

After Piper had been cut of from Stratus and the rest the group, they headed back up to the roof, meeting with Vincent, Red and Yuffie before taking of back to the new base. They had just landed outside the cave:

Stratus dropped to his knees, allowing his broken Buster Sword to fall to the floor with a clang. Akira carried Lance to the entrance of the cave, his arm around his shoulder supporting the teenager.

"Lance!" cried Luna as she ran towards the teenaged gunslinger. She hesitated in wrapping her arms around him then decided not too in fear it would cause him pain.

"Hey." He replied weakly. Akira sat him down, back against the wall.

"Someone get a potion." She yelled as she sat next to him.

----

Stratus stared at his hands, and then at his shattered sword. He had tried his best against Piper and he didn't even stand a chance. He was a better swordsman, and a better martial artist.

"What happened?" asked Yuffie, who just stared at the boy along with Gale, Vincent and Red.

"We bumped into a guy called Piper. He fought Stratus and won. Simple enough." Answered Gale after a long pause.

"Stratus didn't stand a chance. Not in his current state anyway." Came Akira voice from the distance. Blain had joined the assassin as he approached the group gathered before Stratus.

"Stratus. Do you know why you lost?" asked Akira.

"He was better, that's why." He answered dryly without looking up.

"Not at all. You let your anger get the best of you for one."

----

"What are they talking about?" asked Lance, his pain was evident in his voice.

"Something about Stratus. Why he lost I think. Whatever that means." Answered Luna. She had taken a seat next to him whilst they waited for the potion.

"Can you help me up? I have to tell them something."

"Can't it wait? Your still hurt." She replied.

"No. I have to tell Stratus something." He bit his teeth together as a sharp pain went to his shoulder as he tried to push himself up.

"Lance! Take it easy. If you have to I'll help you up." She took his hand and helped him to his feet, then put his arm around her neck and helped him over to the others.

"Stratus." Started Lance once they arrived.

"Huh?"

"I know why you lost." His voice was still weak and barely audible. "That guy you fought. He studied your father, your mother and even Barret. He hates Avalanche for some reason. Something about them killing his parents." He stopped to take another breath. "That's why you lost." He finally finished.

"I don't get it." Stratus replied, he stood and began to pace back and forth.

"I do. Stratus, you fight like your father don't you, and your mother." Akira looked at the teen.

"Yeah, but I still don't get it."

"He studied your parents Stratus, therefore he studied you. He knew what you were going to do, and was prepared for it. That's why you couldn't touch him." Stratus's face said it all, he was angry.

"But my sword! It's unbreakable! Explain that!" yelled the furious teen as he kicked at the dirt.

"It was unbreakable. His sword was made out of a new metal, even stronger than that of your Buster Sword." Akira's voice felt like a knife to the boy, cutting away at his chest and tearing his guts out.

"Shit!" Stratus dropped to his knees again, too ashamed to look up.

Whilst the others talked one of Blains men arrived with a potion and healed Lance back to his normal self. Luna didn't waste one second and threw her arms around her boyfriend, pulling him into a tight hug. He put his arms around her too and murmured soothing words into her ear.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm back." His head rested on the top of her head and he gently stroked her back as she cried into his bandaged chest.

"That's it! I'm going!" Stratus was on his feet in a second and striding towards from the cave.

"What? Where?" Gale ran after him, grabbing his wrist.

"I have to go. I've got to get a new sword!" he turned to face the girl.

"You don't need to go get a sword, we have plenty here." Blain voice rang in his ears.

"I don't want any of your fucking swords! I want a special sword, one that will even the playing field with me and Piper." He answered.

"How long will you be gone?" Gale gave him a sad look and his angered face turned soft in an instant.

"I don't know." He answered truthfully. After all he didn't even know where he was going.

"Then I'm coming with you."

"You sure?" He tried to hide his joy at hearing her words but failed.

"Sure I'm sure." She smiled and let go of his wrist. "Let me go get my things and I'll meet you back here in a few minutes. Okay?"

"'Kay."

----

Stratus and Gale wandered through the open fields, making their way to the huge bridge leading to island of Mideel. There they would get a boat to Gongaga and make their way to Cosmo Canyon. Before they left, Red had told them they could find the material needed there. They would arrive at the bridge in a few hours and set up camp for the night.

"Hey! Wait up!" yelled Gale who had somehow fallen behind. Stratus stopped and turned to wait for the girl.

"Sorry. I'm just kinda rushing." He replied with a smile. She reached him and stopped to take a few breaths.

"Just slow down will ya." She gave him a tap on the arm and they continued at a steadier pace through the thick grass leading to the bridge that connected the continent with the island of Mideel.

"You okay honey?" She smiled at his now confused look.

"Honey? When you start calling me that?"

"Just now. So are you?" she pried.

"Yeah. I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Stratus babbled.

"That just proves you aren't. Look. So he beat you. Who cares? You'll so get him next time. Right?" Her words seemed to sooth him and he relaxed a little and stopped walking.

"I guess your right." She stopped too and turned to face him.

"No. Not guess. Am." She closed the distance between them and stood on her toes becoming level with him.

"Yeah. You are." She smiled at him.

"There." She poked his nose with the end of her finger and kissed him fully on the lips before pulling back. "Now come on. We have to get to that bridge before nightfall." Stratus just stood for a while watching her walk, until he realised she was walking away and he ran to catch up.

----

Lance and Luna had spent the entire day together, after being apart for those few days they both wanted to spend as much time together as possible. They currently sat cuddled up in Lance's tent, his arms wrapped around her and resting on the small of her back as she snuggled into his chest.

"Your still going to fight aren't you?" whispered Luna, her voice muffled in his chest.

"That bad?" asked the gunslinger.

"Well. Yeah, it is! You almost died Lance!" snapped Luna, pulling back to look him in the eye.

"It happens. I can't back out. I have to fight. I have to help." His voice was full of determination and if she weren't so against him fighting she would be proud.

"So you're going to risk your life? Do you even care that you might die and leave me?" pleaded Luna, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Luna," He started. "It's not that simple. I don't want to die, and I defiantly don't want to leave you. But if I don't fight then Ranish will continue to rule the world and hunt us down. They could kill us and we wouldn't have even fought back. I wont let that happen."

"I'm sorry. You're right. I'm just being selfish aren't I?" Luna whispered and hung her head in shame.

"Hey. Don't say that. I understand how you feel but you don't have to worry. I'm not going to get hurt, captured or killed. Understand?" He lifted her chin up with his index finger and smiled at her.

"Yes." She choked the words out and he replied by brushing the tears away with his finger before claiming her in a passionate kiss.

----

Vincent had found a spot away from the cave that they called their base and began to set up some targets. He placed the targets, glass bottles around the array of rocks and stepped back. After careful consideration he decided they were right and ran back a few metres so they where just in his sight. With quick snaps of his hands he shot and the bottles began to explode, sending glass everywhere until he had taken out every bottle.

"Not bad Valentine." Came Yuffie's voice from behind him, a normal person would have jumped but he merely turned and let a small smirk grace his lips.

"You don't have to tell me Kisiragi." He shot back as his smirk got bigger.

"Vincent. Are you smirking?" her voice was full of amusement and she fought back the surprise.

"I might be. Want to check?" his voice remained it's usual serious tone and he still hadn't moved an inch. Yuffie suddenly burst out laughing, falling to her knees clutching her sides in an attempt to stop them from splitting. "Did I say something funny?"

"You could. Say that." She managed between bursts of uncontrollable laughter.

"May I ask what?" His smirk just grew wider at the sight of the woman before him, on her knees and laughing uncontrollably.

"You. You surprised me. Now I have a question for you mister." She got to her feet and dusted her knees of before continuing. "Who are you and what have you done with my Vincent?

"Your Vincent?" his voice held a slight trace of amusement that anyone would miss if they weren't paying very close attention.

"Yes. My Vincent." She closed the gap between them and looked up at the taller man. "If you weren't, you. I'd say you where flirting with me Vincent Valentine."

"I might just be miss Kisiragi. Now if you'll excuse me." He spared no second glance as he strode past the confused ninja and back towards the base.

"Wait!" she yelled and ran after the dark and mysterious gunslinger.

----

"Master Nanaki."

"You don't have to call me that. Call me Red. After all, everyone else does."

"Of course. I have a man named Cloud on the radio, he wishes to speak to you." Informed the man.

"Very well. I will be there shortly." Answered Red, getting up from his spot next to his wife.

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