The Aftermath
A Final Fantasy VII Fanfic
By Susycreamcheese
The game of Final Fantasy VII is owned by SquareSoft.
Rated R
Chapter Six
The sun had already appeared when Vincent slowly descended the staircase from the upstairs bedrooms. He couldn't believe he had slept this late. He couldn't remember the last time that had occurred, but he realized he must have been more exhausted than he realized.
The dark-haired man appreciated the fact that he had felt completely relaxed for once in the bed that he slept in. He knew that it was Tifa's bed and recognized it would have been only decent for him to have changed the bed linen before sleeping in her bed without her permission, but he had been unwilling to do so for reasons he didn't care to delve into. Vincent was able to recognize that it was Tifa' bed because he could smell her soap, perfume, shampoo, and other odors better left unmentioned. That was another thing that Hojo had left him – an especially acute sense of smell.
Stepping into the living room, Vincent observed that Nanaki had already begun his day. He was sitting in the living room eating from a large bowl of cereal and watching 'Good Day, Midgar' on television. Vincent didn't even want to speculate how Nanaki had gotten his own bowl of cereal, much less out to the living room, unless Cid had helped him before he left; but the dark-haired man doubted that because he thought Cid probably left hours ago.
As if divining his thoughts, Nanaki slightly turned his head during a commercial and greeted, "Good morning, my friend. Would you like some breakfast? The Captain left hours ago, I believe."
"No, thanks," Vincent answered gruffly. He wasn't much of a morning person. "I think I'll get some coffee," he muttered and he stalked into the kitchen.
……….
It was true that Cid had risen before dawn, drank two cups of instant coffee, smoked four cigarettes and was then ready to face the North Cave. Unlike a few years ago when Shin-Ra had allowed Midgar to deteriorate to horrible conditions, Reeve had the trains running to the top of the plate on a limited basis. As long as I don't have to climb up the high tension line that Cloud told be about, Cid thought to himself, as he strode through the almost completely empty predawn streets of the inner city.
He realized he was lucky to be allowed along on this trip, but Cid idly wondered how fortunate he might feel later in the day if they met something or somebody they weren't expecting down in the cave.
It was still so early there was hardly anyone waiting to board the train with Cid. After buying his ticket and passing through the turnstiles, he waited on the platform for his transportation to arrive. Being careful not to stand too close to the edge, because even though there was no more war with Shin-Ra, there was still ordinary street crime, and he didn't want to get his pocket picked and then be pushed under the wheels of an arriving train.
The train he was to ride finally pulled into the platform and the doors opened. Cid wasn't surprised to observe that no one stepped off. The hour was an odd one. People who had been out on the town were already at home and it was still a bit too early for early morning workers to be commuting to work. Besides there were never many people who were traveling from the top of the plate to the slums. If they were traveling from up top, they were usually riding a train straight through to the suburbs.
The train he boarding was known as a 'milk run.' It traveled from the top through the different sectors down below and then back up to the top. Most people who rode it got off at a different sector than they had boarded rather than riding to the top. Cid realized he may have no company at all in his car and that was just alright with him.
Although he never would have admitted it to anyone, he was the tiniest bit paranoid. Cid had grown used to the more leisurely pace of Rocket Town in times of peace and hadn't visited Midgar one time since 'Spike' had run Sephiroth through. The few times he had visited with Cloud and Tifa they had come to Rocket Town.
The blond haired man stepped quickly into the car and sat on the nearest bench. Once the train had gotten underway he was slightly disappointed to discover he had gotten on the wrong route that would carry him out to the Midgar suburbs before returning to the top.
Ah, what the hell, he thought. It's just a few minutes out of the way and I left way too early anyway.
Cid had left an hour earlier than he assumed he needed to because he wanted to avoid any unpleasant scenes with Vincent still wanting to travel with him. Cid didn't blame Vincent for that, but he realized that Vincent would definitely cause Cid's old friends to feel ill at ease; although there was another reason that Cid really wouldn't admit to himself because he would have to own that he actually gave a damn. And that he wouldn't do, not even to himself.
The other reason was if Shin-Ra was still active and they were in any way associated with the disappearance of Tifa and Cloud, it would behoove Vincent to not call attention to himself, which traveling to the North Cave with the President's helicopter pilots certainly would.
Leaving the city limits and stopping at the first suburban station, Cid was surprised to see Bosley Thomas, his redheaded friend, enter the train car he was sitting in. Of course, he never had any idea where any of his old associates were now residing.
If Cid was surprised, Bosley was happily flabbergasted to observe his old comrade sitting in the car he had just entered. "Cid!" he happily greeted. Bosley hated the trip up to the plate every morning that he worked because it was always so early there was never anyone to converse with and he never derived much enjoyment from reading the daily 'Midgar Journal.'
"Morning, Bosley," Cid replied. "I didn't know you lived way out here."
"Yep," Cid's old friend explained.. "Lived out here with my wife and later our daughter for well on to three years. But where are you staying?"
Cid responded, "Oh, I'm still in Rocket Town. I'll probably live and die there. You know what an old curmudgeon I am."
"Yeah," laughed the slightly older man. "Are you still with – I'm sorry I can't recall her name."
"Yeah," Cid sighed. "I'm still with Shera."
"Who?" asked Bosley, momentary puzzlement running across his features. "No, I mean your wife – what is her name? Eloise, isn't it?"
Even after all these years, the mere mention of her name struck Cid like a poleax. He had thought he was finally damn well over her, but he had just discovered he certainly wasn't. He still felt as bad as on the night she left him.
"No," Cid finally was able to find his voice. "No, I haven't been with Eloise for quite a while now."
Bosley observing the look on Cid's face realized he had just made a social blunder. "I'm sorry to hear that," murmured Cid's friend.
Yeah, so am I, Cid thought sardonically. The Captain never really understood one bit of it. He had thought everything was fine, smooth flying ahead. And he came home one night from a treacherous day of test piloting a new Shin-Ra brain storm that was later discarded as being too impractical and unsafe at any speed to find just a note waiting to welcome him home. Cid could still remember every word of it and why not? Each one had driven a nail into his heart.
It read: Dear Cid, I'm dreadfully sorry to tell you in this fashion, but we both know I have always been a big coward at heart. It appears through no fault of your own that I have fallen out of love with you. I have tried to stick it out but to no avail. I just can't live with myself another day if I continue to live this lie. It's not fair to me and it's certainly not fair to you. I will care about you always. It would be fruitless for you to attempt to find me. I won't return to you. With warm regards, Eloise.
Bosley was desperate to pull Cid out of his immediate funk and asked, "What do you think we're gonna find, Cid? When we go down in the North Cave, I mean."
How the hell should I know? Cid thought to himself, but realizing his friend was just trying to help, he didn't speak it aloud.
"I don't know," Cid admitted. "But somebody does, or you all wouldn't be going down there."
"All I know is," admitted Cid's friend, "that the President received a late night visitor within the last week and after that he called us in and told us we needed to go down in the North Cave and investigate to make certain that all was well."
"I wonder who Reeve would trust that much?" Cid mused softly, almost to himself. A sudden thought struck Cid like a thunder bolt. Could it have been Cloud and Tifa? Cid wondered.
……….
Vincent set his empty coffee cup down on the kitchen counter and returned to the living room just in time to hear the announcer on 'Good Morning, Midgar' give the weather forecast as a heavy thunderstorm warning.
"Oh great," Vincent responded cynically, "Just what we need."
"But it doesn't rain under the plate," protested Nanaki.
"I wasn't thinking of us. I was thinking of Cid," Vincent replied.
Nanaki was quick to say, "Of course, I beg your pardon. I should have known."
"No, I beg yours," Vincent replied. "I had no right to come off at you in that manner."
Well, not all his change has been bad, Nanaki thought. He couldn't have done that two years ago.
After Nanaki had carried his empty bowl into the kitchen and left it on the counter for later, he returned to the living room. Vincent was pacing back and forth across the living room floor.
"I'm sorry," Nanaki apologized again. "I didn't realize you were this anxious to get started."
Vincent stopped his pacing and looked at his old comrade in arms. "It's not that. I'm worried about Cid."
Nanaki's mouth fell agape in wonderment. Vincent noticing this said defensively, "Is it that strange that I would be worried about Cid?"
Nanaki shook his head. "I guess not, but it does come as a sort of a surprise to me."
"To me too," Vincent murmured. "But actually it's not about me, it's about Tifa. She adores Cid and would never forgive me if I let anything happen to him."
I should have known, Nanaki thought.
"Well, we can't do anything to help him sitting around here worrying," the dark-haired man concluded. "Have you decided where you're going to look today?" he asked.
Nanaki answered, "I thought I would attempt to visit as many sectors as I could that we didn't cover yesterday."
"Good idea," Vincent praised. "Although the less said about what I'm going to do the better."
……….
Bosley and Cid left the train at the exit nearest the old Shin-Ra Tower, which was currently housing the President's office. In fact, Reeve had chosen to use his old office. He enjoyed the irony and also wanted to avoid as much ostentation as he could. It was a miracle that a major portion of the Shin-Ra building had remained intact considering all the damage that Midgar had taken between Avalanche, Shin-Ra itself, and Meteor. Reeve always assumed it was the evil that held it upright.
But now I'm attempting to use it for something good, President Reeve thought. He had already been at his desk for two hours and was currently anxiously awaiting his helicopter pilots in order to give them his final briefing.
I hope I'm doing the right thing, but what else can I do? I can't just ignore it and say it's impossible, not after the things I've seen.
The intercom buzzed on his desk phone. Instead of picking it up, the dark-haired President leaned over and placed it on speaker phone. "Yes," he said.
His secretary responded, "Bosley is out here to see you with somebody called Cid Highwind.
Cid! Oh, we could certainly use the expertise of Cid. I hope this means he is willing to go. "Send them in!" Reeve exclaimed feeling somewhat happy for a change.
As soon as the two pilots entered his office, Reeve stepped out from around his desk and shook Cid's hand. "Mr. Highwind, how good to see you again. I hope this means you're going with my men. They could certainly use your expert knowledge of the North Cave."
Cid flushed a little, he was not used to compliments from anyone, except for Shera and she didn't count. Uncertain what he should call him and being extremely uncomfortable with calling him President, Cid opted to not use his name at all.
"Certainly, I want to go and please call me Cid," he explained.
"Good," Reeve replied. "How much do you know? And by the way have a seat gentlemen," the President suggested, while returning to the chair behind his desk. Cid and Bosley quickly seated themselves in front of the President's desk.
"I only know that we are going to the North Cave and take a good look around – for what I don't know," the Captain admitted.
Reeve explained, "I was given information by a reliable source that they had been in the North Cave and observed some strange conditions that might indicate that Sephiroth is still alive."
Now having heard what he only suspected since the day before, Cid refused to give credence to it. "Sephiroth!" he exclaimed. "That's impossible."
"Well, my source didn't say anything for positive," Reeve equivocated. "He'll be here in a few minutes, he's going with you," the dark-haired man continued.
Just then a knock came upon the door and Reeve declared, "I believe that's him now. Enter," he called out.
Cid wasn't at all surprised by this time when the door opened and Cloud walked in – but where was Tifa?