The Aftermath
A Final Fantasy VII Fanfic
By Susycreamcheese
The game of Final Fantasy VII is owned by SquareSoft.
Rated R
Chapter Three
Early the next morning the three former members of Avalanche set off for Midgar. Vincent certainly found his present mode of transportation via the Highwind to be far superior than his previous mode of transportation, although that still didn't mean he enjoyed it more. Vincent had never enjoyed air travel, and, in particular, found traveling with Cid extremely disquieting. Vincent observed that the crew was still made of Cid's former flunkies, God knew how he paid them.
Once the Highwind acquired lift and set its' course, Vincent left the bridge and wandered out on deck. Cid's boisterousness always got on his nerves. After a short while, Nanaki joined him.
"What is troubling you, old friend? And what were you really doing in Nibelheim? I know you didn't go there looking for work"
Vincent glanced at his old comrade in arms. Outside of Tifa, Nanaki was the only one he ever had much of a relationship with and that was probably based on what they had each suffered at the hands of Hojo than anything else.
Realizing his old friend was going to remain silent, Nanaki ventured, "Are you still searching for Lucrecia, Vincent?"
He nodded in the affirmative.
"Well, I wouldn't think to impose to suggest what you should do, it's your life," the large cat responded. "But don't you think after all this time it's become rather fruitless?"
There was probably no one else outside of Tifa, who could have spoken to Vincent in such a manner and not elicited an angry, sarcastic response. Instead he glanced at Nanaki and slightly nodded. "You might be right," he murmured. "But I feel as if I were to give up, I would be killing her myself and after all, I really don't have anything else I want to do right now. I just have to know one way or the other, or I can't move on in my mind and heart."
"I understand completely and I wish you luck."
"Thank you," Vincent answered formally and then turned and made his way back into the big airship. Discovering that Cid was still raising holy hell with his subordinates, Vincent drifted over to his usual spot while he was on the bridge, an area as far away as possible from Cid, where he would sit and induce a near hypnotic state through something markedly similar to transcendental meditation.
Nanaki brought him to consciousness when they were nearing Midgar. He awoke to observe Cid looking at him strangely, but there wasn't anything particularly new in that. But when he saw the expression of alarm on Nanaki's features, he felt compelled to ask, "What?"
"You were crying in your sleep and calling out for Lucrecia," the orange-colored cat answered.
"No, I wasn't," Vincent quickly contradicted, because it violently disagreed with the picture he had of himself inside his mind.
"Yes, you were, Bat boy," Cid affirmed.
Vincent glared at Cid, but suddenly felt moisture on his cheeks and reaching up with his good hand he felt tears. Vincent flushed greatly embarrassed, while Nanaki looked away and Cid returned to screaming instructions at his pilot.
Landing the Highwind in one of the many small airfields dotted around the suburbs, which had sprung up surrounding Midgar was no easy task, but Cid, who had taken over the controls, handled it with ease. They quickly decided to split up, investigate in different sectors and meet at Tifa's bar in the evening.
Nanaki entered Midgar through the way to Sector 5. He couldn't help, but notice immediately that a great deal of rebuilding in the sector had already occurred. President Reeve had proven to be a man of his word since rebuilding had been one of the biggest planks in his campaign for the high office.
Nanaki prowled everywhere in the sector looking for anything suspicious or out of place that might help lead him to understanding the disappearance of Cloud and Tifa. He also spoke with several people, who knew the couple but they knew nothing concerning their whereabouts.
Later in the day, Nanaki decided to travel to Aeris' house, where her foster mother had returned. She was delighted to see him and so was Marlene. The older woman informed him that Barret was currently at North Corel and she was watching over his daughter for him. She also said she hadn't heard anything at all about Tifa and Cloud.
After visiting for a short while, Nanaki thanked her for everything and explained he must be off. It was late in the afternoon, so he decided to go meet up with Cid and Vincent for the evening.
……….
Cid decided to travel to Sector 7. He asked everyone in the local neighborhood if they knew anything at all about their disappearance. To a person, he came up completely empty. People did agree with him that it was very unlike them to just disappear without letting others know of their plans.
Cid had been given a key to their residence by Tifa almost two years previously. The beautiful young woman had done it without Cloud's knowledge, just in case he ever again slipped back into his head, as he had done in the life stream and somehow managed to keep her prisoner in her own home.
After Cid let himself into their home, he prowled around the house looking here and there, not being really certain what he was searching for. He sat down and read some of Tifa's letters, but really didn't learn anything of import except that Yuffie had finally met someone, who could actually stand being around her and they were thinking of getting married. God damn! thought Cid. What next?
Cid next searched through their bureau drawers looking for any sort of a clue. Finding himself to be in Tifa's underwear drawer, he lifted up one of her bras. My God! This is unbelievable! That Cloud is a lucky man!
When the former Shin-Ra pilot did not discover anything of importance in the drawers, he continued to scour the room in vain. He ended his search by looking inside the piano. Nothing there either.
Leaving their house, Cid unlocked the front door of the bar and searched very intensively in there also with the same result – zilch. He then procured someone of trust to run the bar for the rest of the day. Cid then left sector 7 and headed toward sector 8.
……….
Vincent traveled to sector 6. Walking through the once totally demolished playground that had since been repaired to its' original condition. Vincent found himself brooding over the disappearance of Tifa. He felt as though Cloud could take care of himself, but he worried over Tifa knowing she seemed to attract the wrong kind of element, himself included.
This was also the product of having to travel to Wall Market. Wall Market always caused Vincent to feel very uneasy. It was because of the propensity of vice in the area starting with the Honeybee Inn, where just about every perversion known to mankind could be catered to. That gym had also always had an unsavory feel to it.
Vincent shook his head to clear his thoughts. He realized he needed to be concentrating on the task at hand and not worrying about somebody else's sexual hang-ups. As he wandered through the area seeking information concerning the missing Tifa and Cloud, he also kept his eyes and ears open about anything concerning Lucrecia.
After looking practically everywhere and also noticing that the way up the wall to the Shin-Ra Corporate Tower was still open, Vincent decided to snoop around the old mansion of Don Corneo, the old Shin-Ra lackey who Rude had so carefully blown away over two and a half years ago. Vincent idly wondered for the umpteenth time what Reno and Rude, the former Turks, were up to. He hadn't heard anything about them in some time. But he realized that, whatever happened, they were survivors.
Yeah, he thought rather bitterly. Them and the cockroaches.
Stepping into the yard, past the open gate and tumbled down fencing that encircled the wrecked edifice, Vincent walked up to the front door. Locked! Vincent walked around the structure peering into the windows, most of which were boarded up. He finally found one that was partially opened and he climbed in, careful to not damage his prized cloak on anything.
Stepping into the room and glancing around, he observed the entire place appeared completely destroyed, although he recognized that someone had been in there recently, because he saw some fairly new looking empty pizza boxes. Hojo's Famous Pizzas, he snorted. He didn't care whose great marketing idea that was, he still thought it was in extremely poor taste.
Vincent walked through the main room on the first floor and decided to take a look in the basement. He took out 'Death Penalty' because he was uncertain as to what he might encounter in the dark in the basement and he wanted to be prepared. Pausing a second to get his bearings at the head of the long staircase, he flipped the wall switch automatically by force of habit and almost fell down the steps when the room was suddenly flooded with bright light!
What the hell?! Vincent thought. Who would be paying the electric bill and for what reason? His mind naturally, automatically thought of Shin-Ra and/or the Turks and he immediately redoubled his vigilance.
Vincent continued down the stairs, but no longer was creeping, but on the contrary, he stepped lively because if anyone was down there, they certainly knew someone was coming. Upon reaching the basement flooring and after searching everywhere, Vincent realized he was truly alone and hadn't discovered anything of consequence except for the extremely disturbing items he was now holding in his hands.
Now what the hell has happened here? Vincent thought, as he gazed down upon the objects he had discovered – Tifa's white blouse and black skirt!