Once everyone was on board the Highwind and we were safely soaring into the sky, we all grouped together to discuss the possible whereabouts of our missing leader; Cloud.

Tifa was more distraught than anybody, and she seemed a different girl entirely. Barret was the first to voice his opinion on her dejectedness. He called her a wimp, and she merely apologised for seeming weak. I imagine the death Aeris was adding to her distress, with Cloud gone missing as well she must have felt a lot of strain. And when she was announced temporary leader her shoulders seemed to sag even more. I imagine that I felt pity for her at the time, though I wouldn't have been able to tell. Not at that point. I did feel, however, glad that she was all right. Perhaps I was learning, even then.

All thanks to Cid...

I stood at the back of the large cockpit, watching him teach the young trainee pilot how to fly and land the Highwind so that he could join the rest of us on our missions. He was not a patient teacher at all, nor a pleasant one; shouting at the poor young man every time he made a mistake. Which was often.

"Waaaaahh, Captain Cid!!" He would cry as the ship lurched in mid-air.

Cid would swear and say something like "Give it here, for @%&#'s sake! Moron!" and take the wheel, explaining the procedure again.

Once Tifa was ready, she decided to take Cid and I with her to search for Cloud. I was glad that we had not been separated, but I also wished that she had taken a different two with her instead. It's not that I didn't want to look for Cloud, but I just wanted to stay put with Cid. To talk to him some more, to just be alone with him.

I was actually quite surprised at myself for feeling so needy. I had never needed anyone, but now I felt I needed to be with Cid just to remain contented. For all that time we had been apart going up the Gaea Cliffs and into the Crater, and also the week we had been imprisoned, I'd thought of almost nothing else.

I regretted walking off and leaving him behind on the Cliffs almost as soon as I had done it; but I had felt as if he had forgotten all our progress together and that he didn't understand why it felt hard for me to show emotions or even to feel them like normal people.

I knew deep down that he didn't mean it, that he was just upset. It was a natural reaction, after all.

I felt like I needed to apologise to him for my actions. But now that we were to be travelling with Tifa to look for Cloud, I felt almost bitter that our time was being used needlessly for someone else's benefit. Quite selfish, really, but that's how these things feel sometimes.   

The Highwind had no private quarters for any passengers, as it was not originally a people-carrier ship. It was made for the Shinra, although I can't say for what purpose as I don't know. It had a cockpit, Chocobo holding area and a meeting room with a long table, so I assume it was for short business flights.

I did catch Cid alone once before we left, while he was in the meeting room trying to find some old flight manuals for the student crew members to read while we were gone. I walked in on him cursing after he'd shut his fingers in a file cabinet drawer.

"Fuck-fuck-fuck-FUCK!!" He yelled, grabbing his hand.

"Are you all right there?" I asked coolly, approaching him.

He turned and smiled. "Hey there. Yeah, just trapped my bastard hand in the drawer there..." He slammed a thick textbook on the large table. "So, how you like my airship?" He asked, a gleam of pride in his eye.

"It's excellent. And it's named after you... I'm impressed." I smiled a little and folded my arms.

Cid sat down. After the initial small talk, he was sort of stuck for things to say. He took off the goggles from his head and scratched at his light blond hair, which although not as much as Cloud's, was still rather spiky. He replaced the goggles and looked up at me. "So... are we all right with each other? About what happened at the Cliff..." He began.

"It was my fault. I apologise... I should have taken into account the fact that you were upset. I'm sorry I acted so rashly. I hope I didn't offend you..." I said, meaning every word.

Cid sighed, shaking his head at me yet smiling a little. "You shouldn't apologise, Vin. It was a stupid misunderstanding and we were all a bit touched by the bad news... even you, I think. Am I right?"

I paused, looking at the wood grain on the table. "I... suppose so, yes... but in a different way. But I'm glad that it's over now, and we can return to normal. I... missed you." I said, feeling a little strange to say it, even though I truly meant it.

"Vin..." Cid said, standing up. "You just made my day, saying that. C'mere." He put his arms around me and I returned the gesture. I was starting to like these embraces. Well, not starting to... I already liked them, but rather coming to want them more and more. Like I said before, I was becoming dependant on Cid... I wondered if this was a good or a bad thing, but it felt like a good thing to me.

"Do you think anyone will walk in during the next thirty seconds?" Cid whispered conspiratorially in my ear.

I smiled. "I don't think so. Tifa's already prepared and we're the only ones leaving other than her."

Cid grinned and kissed me softly.

The thing with Cid kissing me was this; whenever I found myself alone and thinking to myself, my mind would always wander back to the feelings inside that Cid was working to unlock. I felt such closeness to Cid, and I always enjoyed the embraces and the little kisses we had every now and then, although we had not really kissed properly since we left Icicle Inn. Was this love? A close bond usually meant love anyway, but since we started kissing... did this mean it was true love? I would always become confused and distressed by my own mind's workings, until... until I was with Cid, in his arms. Then all I felt was this strange sensation life a bird trapped inside my ribcage, beating its wings and trying to escape. It was not an unpleasant feeling, and I always associated it with Cid.

And then, when he kissed me in the meeting room in the Highwind, I think I actually felt happy. Maybe a little scared too, of my own emotions, but it was still a good thing.

That was when Yuffie walked in.

"Hey guys, Tifa wants to know what's taking you so lo- - ng..??" She stopped dead, staring at Cid and Vincent, who pulled away from each other in a flash as soon as they heard her.

But it was too late, she had seen the kiss... and it had been quite an ardent one, too.

"What the FUCK are you doin', skulking around like that, barging the fuck on in without even knocking?!" Cid yelled at her, his reaction to being caught out.

Yuffie ignored him. She stared. "Are... are you guys...?" She started.  

Cid didn't know what to say. He just did not know. He stood for a moment with his hands behind his head. "Um...."

Vincent didn't even know if it was a good idea for anyone to know about it all yet, as he was unsure as to what he and Cid were to each other. If they were properly an item, or even if they had named and identified what they felt for each other, maybe he would feel a little better about bringing it out into the open. It felt now almost as if someone read a story you were writing before you knew what the ending was going to be and judged it from what they had seen thus far. You at least wanted it to be clear in your own mind before you let anyone else know anything.

Encouraged by the silence, Yuffie asked further questions. "Why were you kissing him..?" She asked Cid. "Are you guys, like, gay or something..?"

"No!"

"No."

They both said in unison, then looked at each other.

"Okaaaay, so what's with the kissing?" Yuffie asked, confused.

Cid gibbered only for a moment before laying into Yuffie again. "What the fuck am I answerin' your questions for?! Get the fuck outta here!!"

Yuffie knew that look in Cid's eye well and made a hasty retreat.

Cid sighed and clasped his hands on top of his head. "Hell. Now everyone'll know."

Vincent looked at his feet. "She might not tell anybody."

Cid looked at him. "Of course she'll fucking tell 'em! That kid's got a mouth that flaps in the breeze like a flag!"

"Is it such a bad thing, everyone knowing?" Vincent asked quietly.

Cid sighed. "It's not because I'm ashamed of it, Vin... it's just... I don't know for sure what's going on in my head yet, y'know? I would have liked to get my feelings figured out before anyone knows anything."

"I understand." Vincent said. "I'm not sure about my own thoughts, either. Perhaps it would have been better if things had happened like you said, but now someone knows. So we must deal with whatever is thrown in our way."

Cid looked kindly at him. "You're right." He said quietly. "We can deal with it. Come on, Tifa's waitin'." He kissed Vincent lightly on the lips and they made their way out to the deck.

*

It didn't take us very long to find Cloud. Firstly, we went back to Icicle Inn for clues; asking many locals questions. Several people mentioned to us that there was a tropical island to the far south called Mideel and there was a good doctor who lived there. We thought that perhaps, if anyone had found Cloud before us, they might have taken him to this doctor. He fell into the Lifestream, after all, so he was likely to need treatment.

We set off in the Highwind for Mideel, and landed close by. As soon as Tifa, Cid and I stepped off the Highwind, the climate change was intense. Having just a short while ago been standing amidst the snow if Icicle Inn again, we stepped off the airship into the claustrophobic heat and humidity of a tropical rainforest. Cid was forever wiping the perspiration from his brow and flapping his open jacket, trying to get cool. When I suggested he take off his jacket and scarf, he replied by suggesting I take off my cloak and headband.

".........."

It just wasn't going to happen.

So after a while of walking through the humid atmosphere of the forest, we reached the hot springs town of Mideel. We didn't really know where to start looking, as this was our first time in the town. We noticed a dog started to follow us around, and Tifa stopped to pet it.

"Poor thing... are you lost? Separated from someone you love?" She murmured as she ruffled the dog's black fur.

Cid and I glanced at each other at what she said.

Just then, we overheard a conversation between two men just a little up the dust path.

"...guess it's been about a week now since he washed up here on the shore... Poor pokey-headed young thing..."

I think we knew immediately what they were talking about. Tifa rushed up to them.

"Excuse me! That young person you were just talking about..."

During the ensuing exchange, we learned the whereabouts of the clinic, and that the young man was inside, being taken care of by the doctor.

I smiled slightly at Tifa, at her face so happy and full of hope now when she had been so dejected.

"You found him." I said, and Cid was grinning away.

Tifa beamed at us and ran off to the clinic, we followed as quickly as we could.

Tifa burst into the clinic and immediately started calling Cloud's name.

"Cloud? Cloud!"

The doctor came over, adjusting his glasses. "There now, what's all the shouting about? You'd think Meteor fell or something."

I suppose you already know the rest. When the doctor led us behind the screen, Cloud was in a wheelchair; a vegetable. His head was lolling around on his neck, he was drooling slightly from the corner of his mouth and his pupils were oddly dilated. He looked straight through us as if we weren't there. It was truly a shocking sight to behold. Our once strong and infallible leader, reduced to this... I couldn't speak.

Tifa knelt in front of him, obviously distressed.

"Mako poisoning... Quite an advanced case." The doctor said, folding his arms. "I've never seen a case this bad. A huge amount of Mako-drenched knowledge was put into his brain all at once. It's a miracle he survived. He is literally miles away from us... some place no one's ever been, all alone..."

"Doctor!!" Tifa started to cry. It was uncomfortable for us, and the doctor suggested that we all wait outside.

The doctor, nurse, Cid and I waited outside for perhaps five minutes while Tifa had some time alone with Cloud. I stood against the wall, my arms folded and watching Cid as he paced to and fro.

What was going to happen now? I had a sneaking suspicion that Tifa wouldn't be our leader for much longer. This was just the type of misfortune we didn't need as we drew ever nearer to our showdown with Sephiroth... it would leave our team in a state of confusion, if not despondency. Would they lose heart? Did we really need Cloud, Tifa and Aeris to carry on? Couldn't we do it without them?

I knew what Cid would say. Cid would say "Of course we can do it without 'em! We ain't morons, so we'll be fine!".

This brought my attention to the matter of Yuffie, when she had walked in on Cid and I earlier that day... She obviously had not told Tifa. But, now that we were for the moment away, would she be telling everyone still on the Highwind, waiting for us? I thought about it, but I couldn't predict which she would choose to do. Of course, with the wrath of Cid to be counted on if she did tell she might not have seen it as a good idea. But as Cid pointed out, she did have a difficulty with keeping her mouth closed.

I just wished that I could have a clearer sense of what my feelings for Cid were. I knew he was just as confused as I was, but I was so unused to feeling anything. I couldn't have told you the difference between angry and sad a few weeks before that. I was learning slowly, and was experiencing what you might call emotional growing pains.

Cid, on the other hand... he felt so much for everything. He was a regular tornado of emotion. But... this was something that he didn't quite know which emotion to throw at.

My thoughts, as usual, were interrupted. Tifa came out of the clinic, with tears in her eyes.

"I have something I want to tell you all..." She said quietly.

"Christ..." muttered Cid. "Not more bad news..."

So, after all of us were assembled in the clinic, Tifa faced us all and wiped a stray tear from her eye. "I don't care about anything else, only Cloud." She said, finally. She told us that she wanted to leave AVALANCHE temporarily to look after Cloud until he recovered. I was expecting this.

"Do whatever you wish." I said as she looked at each of us as if asking for permission.

Her face looked at us all gratefully. "Thank you."

And so, Cid and I left the clinic alone. We made our way out of Mideel and back through the humid forest to reach the Highwind.

"So... you think the brat's told anyone?" Cid asked, sweating again as he batted a mosquito away from his face.

"I don't know... but she may not have for fear of you killing her." I smiled.

Cid chuckled. "Damn right, too."

We continued walking on, unsure of what to say after that. We knew we needed to talk about us... we didn't seem to be getting any closer to understanding what was going on. But neither of us were quite brave enough to break the cheerful ignorance both of us seemed to be holding up.

But yet we knew we'd have to sooner or later, or we were going to be skulking around, sneaking in little kisses when we hoped no one was around. That particular plan had failed in the first try, as Yuffie had walked in on us. In a way, I suppose I was glad that it was her and not an older team member, as Yuffie, mouthy as she was, was not likely to say anything because she knew Cid would be angry with her.

I looked at Cid as we arrived at the rope ladder dangling from the Highwind deck.

He looked at me and I think we shared the same thought, but it was Cid who spoke it.

"Look, Vin. I know we need to talk... we gotta get this thing sorted in our heads. I kinda don't know how to talk about it, but we'll do our best, right? We can talk later when we got some time. As soon as we get a new leader picked, we can get some time off and spend a day talking. Okay?"

I nodded at him. I was relieved that he had brought it up, as I knew that I never would have. I looked gratefully at him then we started up the rope ladder into the Highwind.

Cid's narrative....

*

They fuckin' made me leader. ME! I couldn't believe it. At first I couldn't be bothered, but Barret just made it sound so damn appealing... after all, I guess I am leadership material. Heh.

But now I was pig sick of it. I needed to get some time off the main team with Vin so that we could talk, but now it just wasn't gonna happen. He was cool about it, or at least he seemed to be. Sometimes you never can tell with the guy.

It looked like the brat never told anybody about Vin and me in the boardroom. I kept glarin' at her every time she passed me, just to make sure she knew I'd kill her if she said anything.

"Don't give me evils!" She'd squawk at me, and I'd just glare. Hehe.

So yeah, I was the new leader, and I can't remember what the fuck some of the missions were, but I do remember when we had to go save Corel's Huge Materia. That was kinda cool. It was me, Vin and the brat... I though it was better to take her with us so that she didn't accidentally slip up.

We went all the way over this fuckin' bridge, and there must have been a 300 fucking foot drop down there and the ropes were all creaky. I was shittin' it, but Vin didn't seem affected... the brat was just about better at crossing that me, but never tell her that 'cause I'd never hear the fucking last of it.

Then, we had to go over this railway track for miles, and I was gettin' bushed.

Eventually we got to the reactor, but the Shinra were already there. As per usual we ran in there and kicked some puny butt, but we were too late to stop the train that was takin' away the huge materia.

There was no fuckin' way I was gonna let those fuckers get away after me trekking all the way here over dodgy rope bridges, 300 foot drops, baby Chocobo nests and railway tracks that looked like they belonged in a fuckin' roller coaster. So I hijacked another train! What, you didn't know I could drive one? Sure I can! I didn't get to be the best pilot in the world by just studyin' the mechanics of planes, y'know. I can drive or fly anything that can be driven or flown. Or sailed. Basically, any vehicle. Just not Chocobos.

Impressed? Vin was. He said so as I was wrenchin' those damn levers up and down.

"You can drive this too? I'm impressed."

Hehe. I felt so smug. Actually, I think he was checkin' out my ass as I was workin' them levers. Who wouldn't?

Yuffie looked uncomfortable.

I figured that if I alternately yanked the two levers, the train would accelerate and we'd catch up with the Shinra train. So, I worked those levers hard! I was grunting and heaving and I felt sweat forming on my face.

"Don't strain yourself, Cid!" Yuffie sneered.

"Shut... gnh! The hell... rrgh!! UP!!" I snarled, yanking the levers harder, and then we caught up with the train on the opposite track. What we did next was fuckin' crazy 'cause we must have been doin' 180 miles per hour at least... we all got ready on the edge of the platform and with a shout hurled ourselves over the long drop between the two tracks and just about landed on the other train... except me.

I would have been a goner if it hadn't have been for Vin turning instinctively as he landed and grabbing my arm... I'd missed the jump by about half a meter and his arm shot out and grabbed mine.

"WHOA!!" I clung onto his arm as he pulled me up, my stomach turned upside down with the shock.

"FUCK!!" I exclaimed, panting, still clinging to Vin.

Vin tried without much success to prise my hands away from his arm, but I was gripping on for dear life.

"I told Barret you shouldn't be the leader, you're too old!" Yuffie whined. God I wanted to kick her ass.

"Too fucking OLD??" I yelled at her, embarrassed. "If I'm old, you're fucking middle-aged, and Vin's prehistoric! I ain't got time for your shit, we gotta get to the Huge Materia!"

So we ran up the train, and we kept getting stalled by some fucked up monsters the Shinra sent at us to keep us back. They weren't any kind of match for us by now though, not with all that fucking experience we got from Icicle Inn to the North Crater. We just kept using lightning materia on the later ones and it was soon over with.

We finally got to the top of the train and there were just a couple of measly soldiers left between us and the materia. We kicked their asses, but I was kinda impressed that the poor guys had stood up to us on their own after we'd just smashed up their entire robotic fighter arsenal.

"You got guts comin' after me... I'll never forget it."

Now I needed to stop the train...

"Hit the brakes, chief." Said Vin.

He called me chief! I turned and smiled at him, to see he was smiling a lil' bit too. Cool. I liked it when he smiled. He didn't do it all that often, but he was gettin' better.

"Righty!" I looked at the levers on this train, scratching my chin. I had to remember to shave more... probably gave Vin a rash.

"If you pull 'em alternately to speed up, you must pull 'em at the same time to slow down."

I braced myself and grabbed the lever handles, and started to yank them both up and down at the same time.

The train started going faster...

"Isn't it... the other way..?" Vin asked, only the slightest bit of worry in his voice.

"Hmm..." I started yanking the levers again, harder.

The train went even faster, hurtling along the track so damn fast it nearly came off its wheels at the bends!

"Oh my GAWD! What are you doing, you OLD man!!" Yuffie screeched at me, and I was panicking. We were gonna crash into Corel!

"SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!!"

I yanked the levers hard one last time.

SCREEEEEECH!!

Yeah, the train stopped just centimetres from the outermost tent in Corel. Centimetres. I measured 'em.

But, we stopped the Shinra wrecking these poor bastards' homes again, plus we recovered the Huge Materia. A kid even gave us an Ultima Materia as a reward.

But fuck, was I bushed afterwards. The team wanted me to get right on the next Materia mission, but I just point blank refused to go until I'd had a little kip.          

After I woke up and had a bit to eat, we went to the reactor at Fort Condor, but that was just so fucking boring I can't be assed telling ya about it. What was next..? Oh yeah. We went to visit Cloud and Tifa at Mideel clinic. Fine mess that was...

****

Almost as soon as we arrived in the clinic, an earthquake hit the island, and Weapon attacked at the same fuckin' time. Wait... maybe the earthquake was because Weapon was there? I dunno. But It was so stupid. We walked into the clinic, Tifa said a few words and Cloud wasn't lookin' much better... then it hit.

We all ran out of the clinic to a wide open space, and Weapon dived down at us! It tried to get at us from behind but we spun around and commenced kicking its scaly ass. It was surprisingly weak for a Weapon, and it flew off like the big pussy it was after we'd pounded it for a while.

But after it left, the tremors got worse and worse, and the Lifestream started to gush up from underneath the island... this was gonna get ugly! I shouted to Tifa and the others to get the hell outta there, the whole town was goin' under!

I remember sprinting as fast as I could back to the Highwind as the Island started to crack under the pressure of the bursting Lifestream. In my panicked mind I kept saying "Where's Vin? Where the fuck is Vin?!" even though I'd said every man for himself.

I broke through the trees and made out Vin's figure just arriving at the Highwind. I put a last burst of energy into my run and reached him, panting.

"Vi... Vin... what th... the FUCK just ha... happened..?!" I panted. I was fucked.

"The Lifestream erupted beneath the Island..." He said calmly. He wasn't even out of breath, and I was nearly collapsing where I fuckin' stood.

"Where... where are Tifa and Cloud..?" I asked, a rising dread sticking in my throat.

Vin sighed.

"They fell into the Lifestream..."

***

Wooo, what's gonna happen!?

...

Umm, I guess you already know. But who knows, maybe some of you have never played the game through, and this is EXCITING for you!

Hmm... doubtful. But what the hell. My first attempt at a narrative from Cid's perspective, feedback appreciated if you liked/disliked it, it's actually easier to write as Cid because when I can't be arsed writing pointless crap bits like Fort Condor, neither can he. ^.^;;