Crack!
Several birds from a nearby tree took flight as Cloud stumbled back, one hand flying up to his face to cover the red hand-print. Wide blue eyes stared at the furious girl in front of him, hands balled into fists and angry tears running down her face. "T-Tifa? What the hell was that for"
"Why did you come here! Again! She's dead Cloud! She's DEAD! Why can't you realize that"
The blonde blinked, confused for a moment before comprehension dawned on him. He sighed, running a hand through his unruly blonde spikes and striding forward. He brushed past her, not even glancing at her. Tifa whirled around, mouth hanging open slightly and shock in her eyes. "Cloud"
He paused, back to her. "Understand this, Tifa. When she died, my heart died. Do not dishonor her by coming here anymore and tainting the purity of this place with your jealousy. I don't love you and I never will. Now leave me alone." He continued on his way, slipping behind the cold and distant mask he wore these days. Once more, he would continue with his wanderings, randomly roaming from place to place until next year. He would return again. And somehow, he knew Vincent would too.
"CLOUD!" Tifa watched, despair and tears flooding her eyes, as the man she loved continued to walk from her. Only this time, she wondered if she had pushed him too far. Knees buckled and she slid to the ground, silently weeping. It was how Nanaki would eventually find her, later that night.
Not once did the blonde fighter look back at here, just kept up his steady pace. Anyone who had seen The General before he went insane, would have sworn the blonde held the same aura as the white-haired general. The cold, distant, and untouchable shield that had surrounded Sephiroth, could now be found around the spiky-haired blonde. "Farewell, Aeris. I'll come back, I promise."
------------------------------------------------------------
The sun dazzled him briefly, eyes long-since grown accustomed to eternal darkness. Vincent quickly pulled out the sunglasses he had removed during his flight from the stubborn fighter, slipping them back on. Drawing his cape in closer, he hunched his shoulders into the wind, beginning his long trek home. If indeed it could be called home. A tendril of green smoke caught his eye and the silent man lifted a hand to brush it off. The stuff clung to him, cold and clammy. The small amount of Lifestream swirled around his fingers, moving to his palm where it took the shape of a lithe girl, dancing. A barely-noticeable widening of his eyes was all that showed how shocked and interested the ex-Turk was.
The figure disolved into shapeless mist once more, drifting back to the abandoned city on a gust of wind. Ruby eyes watched it go, carefully guarded. What had he held just now? A soul, a person's dream, a memory? It made no matter now though, whoever it had belonged to was long gone from this world. Just as he should be. The wind whipped around him again, carrying the chilly bite of glaciers and sending his hair streaming out.
"Wark"
His head snapped up, turning to find a black chocobo with brilliant red eyes staring back at him. The bird fluttered its wings, shifting nervously as it stared at the human that closely resembled its late master. It took a step closer, its brilliantly shining eyes narrowed as it stared at the human, coo'ing softly. Vincent shifted under the bird's scrutiny, easily seeing the abnormal intelligence this one possessed. For some reason, it looked familiar to him in an off-hand way. With a shiver and shake of its head, the chocobo issued a three-note whistle, tilting its head to the side. When the human did not respond back, it confirmed to itself that this was not its master.
"Kweh." With a leap and a bound, the black bird started off once more to its destination, the Northern Crater. It was the last place its owner had said it was going too, afterall. It glanced back once, the ruby eye carefully looking over the human. He looked so much alike to its master.
That was a little odd. Vincent thought to himself, noticing a glinting of metal coming from one side of the chocobo, as if something had been strapped to it. Obviously, it was a tame one, not one of the wild chocobos common around here. He dismissed it, shaking his head slightly and continueing his trek. Getting old. Worrying about damned birds now.
He looked up to the horizon, sighing heavily as he saw a dark line coming towards him, blotting out the light. Great, a storm. Today keeps getting better and better, doesn't it. Hate to think how it could get any worse.
"WARK"
Clawed feet slammed into him from behind, shoving the ex-Turk forward and to the ground as the chocobo from early ran squawking over him in obvious terror. The man groaned, pushing himself up to all fours and glaring after the running chocobo. I had to say it, didn't I? He climbed to his feet, brushing the bits of leaves and grass from his cape as a shadow fell over him. With an irritated sound, Vincent whipped around to see what else was to be thrown at him...and took a step back. He didn't know what it was, had never seen its kind ever. All he knew was that is was big, black, of the draconic race, and staring right at him.
Time slowed to a crawl, like it always did when he entered a fight. His senses came alive, reflexes increased and heightened. He became a blur, pulling out Death Penalty and snapping off three rounds before the thing could even blink. The scream of pain shook the earth beneath his feet and it lashed out with its tail, the end bristling with a mariad of spikes and blades. The man dodged, snapping to the side with a spin and grunting as he was suddenly yanked backward.
Damn cloak.
The material was wrapped around and wadded up with the creatures tail and the thing gave out an uncanny scream. It snapped it tail back and forth, attempting to dislodge the nuisance caught on it, Vincent being dragged along with every movement. Claws raked along his side as the beast attempted to bat him off its tail. A frown twisted the ex-Turk's lips and he slashed through the material, using the razor-sharp edges of his claws. He twisted as he fell, landing on his feet on the thing's back and immediately slamming the shining claw deep into the creature, stabalizing himself as it bucked and writhed in agony, himself letting out a gasp of pain as the movements jostled him around, pulling on the wounds in his side. Another scream sounded, Vincent shuddering visibly as it pierced right into his head. He placed Death Penalty, miraculously still in one hand, against the monster's spine and pulled the trigger once, twice, three times until he had blown straight through the bone and cartilage. The creature fell, movements slowing visibly as it whined in a pitiable way.
It glared back at him, the dying beast darting its muzzle forward in a last attempt. Fire erupted, flaring up and flowing down the monster's gullet as Vincent cast a hasty spell. It reared back, jaws wide and blackened. It rolled over, forcing the man to scramble off to avoid getting pinned underneath the montrous weight. The thing made small movements, a deep groan rumbling out of it. The man limped to its head, the jaws snapping at him, bits of charred flesh and scales flaking off with every movement. Streams of smoke poured from the thing's throat and nostrils, the stench of burning meat filling the ex-Turk's nostrils. He pulled the collar of his destroyed cape over his mouth and nose, pointing the Death Penalty at the creature one last time.
The yellow and green eye stared back, pupil slitting as it snarled. The sharp bang echoed, Vincent staring at the bloody ruin of a hole where the eye had been. He slipped the gun around before holstering it. He had hardly worked up a sweat on that one, lately finding no challenge in the creatures that inhabited the planet. They all seemed weaker, less fierce since the death of Sephiroth. Almost as if they had diminished when he had died.
He unbuckled the remains of his cloak, dropping it over the ruin of the dragon's head, before turning to walk away. The carrion creatures would take care of the beast's corpse. They always did. A wind picked up, sending his black hair streaming out behind him. He turned slightly, convinced he had heard something on that breeze, a woman's voice. He pressed his human hand over the three gashes trailing down the side of his ribs, curving slightly over his abdomen. Blood trickled from between his fingers, but he could feel the flesh already beginning to close. In two days, it would be fully healed. In a week, there wouldn't even be a scar. At least Hojo was good for one thing. Still, for the moment at least he'd have to look after it. He was tempted to go retrieve the remnant's of his cloak to use to bind it, but just shrugged instead. He was close enough to his home anyway.
In the distance, he could see the smoke rising from where Bone Village should be. Putting his back to the small mining town, he headed west, into the snow-capped mountains. Splotches of red marked his passage, staining the grass and snow with the brilliant color. Spring was here though, the waters of the melting snow would wash away the traces, and it would appear as if he had never been here. Like it should always look.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Why do you not aid him"
"It is not time yet. Soon though, soon. Just a little bit more time"
"You know I will follow you"
"Yes"
She turned around to stare at him, green eyes standing out vividly. He was sitting, one leg stretched out and the other bent at the knee, one arm looping around it. "What about Zack"
She sighed slightly, pressing a hand over her heart. "He understands. He knows, I still love him as well. But now, I must help him. And settle things as well"
He rose gracefully, running a hand through his hair. "I will help you. I am not so blind now. I also have a score to settle." He towered at least a foot over her as he went to join her at the edge of the Lifestream's boundaries.
"Thank you."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The stone floor sucked the heat from him and he shivered as he tried to tie off the last strip he had wound around his chest. One claw-tip grazed his skin, drawing a drop of blood. Exasperated, the man pulled out his fire materia, activating it and sending the spell into a pile of sticks and logs he had set up yesterday to light on his return. The tiny area was quickly warmed, mainly by the fact he had used Fire2 to do the job.
Vincent dipped a rag into a small basin of water, using it to scrub off the blood he hadn't already gotten off himself. Goosebumps formed along his arms, a chill sweeping through the cave from a gust of wind. He shuddered, scrubbing briskly until the mixture or red and black blood was fully gone. He reached for his shirt, another gust of wind setting his teeth to chattering. Snow swept in, settling into piles on the stone floor.
Its always so damn cold. I need a new cloak. The man sighed, red eyes glowing eerily as he scooted closer to the fire. Sleeveless shirts are not good. His gaze turned from where he had been staring into the heart of the fire, to staring out of the cave entrance. Sheets of snow whipped and swirled outside, obscuring the view of the ex-Turk. Not that it mattered to him, his mind already far away from his body, travelling on those winds to the place he had left but a scant few hours ago. Where she lay, in an eternal, peaceful rest. He allowed himself to slowly relax, sinking into a pleasant state of half-awareness, staying that way until morning when the light of dawn pierced into his eyes, forcing him from his dreams.
-
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A.N: Sorry, I wanted the chapter to be longer, but it kinda reached the point I wanted to be at quicker then I thought. This should be the last of my extremely short chapters in this story. The next ones will be longer and junk. Anywho, I apologize for disappearing for so long. I really am sorry about that. But I'm back now and updating again. So, please review and let me know how this is coming along so far.