Disclaimer – I don't own FF7

Coeurl

By Crimson Skies

Chapter Four – Instinct

Ah, light. Blessed light! Vincent squinted at the harsh daylight. On second thought…perhaps it wasn't such a good thing. After spending an unknown amount of time in a coffin and then in a labyrinth of caves his eyes were unaccustomed to sunlight. It didn't help that the layer of snow was reflecting the light in a most irritating fashion. Already his eyes were beginning to ache something fierce. Next to him Cloud seemed to be having similar difficulty, thought the boy was being more vocal about it. Still, he blessed the fresh air that filled his lungs.

"Jeez! My eyes!" Cloud wailed, his voice echoing through the valley. "Stupid snow!" he muttered as he kicked at the fluffy whiteness. Suddenly he was hopping about on one foot in obvious pain. Vincent glanced at the ground. There had been a rather large rock under the snow. The gunner shook his head in amusement. It was moments like those that reminded him of just how young Cloud was. It was easy to forget that Cloud was still a child – too easy. It was something Vincent found disturbing. Cloud

"Well, I'm glad you find this so funny," Cloud huffed irritably. Vincent blinked in amazement. Cloud hadn't even looked at him, and the gunner wasn't exactly being vocal. He really wasn't one for unnecessary conversation. True, it was easier talking to Cloud, and he often found himself holding entire conversations with the boy. Even so, he hadn't laughed aloud. Did the boy know him so well after so little time? Come to think of it, the time that had passed wasn't so short. Vincent couldn't be sure, but he knew a whole lot of time had passed down in those caves. Something told him it had been something like three months since he'd met the little Chocoboy. He chalked it up to good instincts. It still unnerved him that someone knew him so well.

"I could just tell," Cloud muttered. "Call it instinct if you like."

There. He had just done it again. Creepy. And this coming from a man who resembled a vampire.

"Glad we're out of that place. I thought we'd be lost in there forever! We must have been down there for months!" the Chocoboy continued. "It was late summer when I got lost in those caves," he said, confirming Vincent's thought. "So…um…what now?"

Vincent gaped at him. Come to think of it, he'd been focused on escaping so long that he hadn't even considered what to do next. Thinking back, it was odd to see had the events following their fateful meeting had played out. In the days after escaping the dragon they'd wandered through the caves, trying to find a way out. Somehow, during that time, he'd come to know Cloud very well, despite the fact that he still knew almost nothing of him. And, he thought to himself, that sentence made no sense.

But it was true all the same. He knew that Cloud, like himself, could go days without food or water, but that when he ate afterwards it was in huge amounts. It had saved their lives on more than one occasion when food had become scarce (which it was most of the time). They'd survived off of oddly glowing fungi, meat from the occasional animal, and mako laced water. Vincent was just surprised that he and Cloud hadn't developed mako poisoning from that. He supposed he shouldn't be surprised. After all, Cloud certainly didn't mind raw meat. And as they'd had no way to start a fire, that's how most meals were taken…raw. (Disgusting, but it was surprising the lengths one could go to when one was starving.) Of course, Vincent still didn't know how Cloud had acquired these odd abilities.

Cloud watched him think, courteously remaining silent. It was another thing Cloud knew instinctively – when to remain silent. Vincent truly appreciated that, probably above all else. He glanced at the silent boy. Cloud was sprawled out in the snow, looking perfectly comfortable. As if he wasn't bothered, sitting in seven inches of snow. As if the cold didn't affect him.

At all.

Now there was another thing Vincent would have to puzzle over. He mentally labeled the thought and filed it in his 'Strange Things Concerning Chocoboy" folder. Pretty soon he was going to need an entire filing cabinet for that one. Yes, he had started mentally compiling a list. It included every unexplainable phenomenon he'd observed concerning Cloud, which was quite a few.

But never mind all of that. What he really needed to focus on was what they were going to do next. They had emerged somewhere in the Nibelheim Mountain Range. However, the range was large, and they could be anywhere in it. Their best bet was to a hunter's camp. It wouldn't be too hard. The Nibelheim Mountains were known for their barren appearance, their abundance of mako, and the quality of the furs and dragon hides obtained there.

"We'll try to find a village or some trappers. Then we'll decide from there," Vincent declared aloud for Cloud's benefit.

"Alright."

COEURLBYCRIMSONSKIESCHAPTERFOURINSTINCT

Five days later there were still no signs of hunters. Instead they found something better. A settlement of people in a large valley welcomed them with open arms. Apparently they didn't often receive visitors, and were happy to host the two travelers. There wasn't an inn, but they were given a cottage designated for visitors. Currently, only one other resided there besides Vincent and Cloud, but he was out for the moment. For Vincent it was rather refreshing to see such trust and generosity. And these people seemed to expect nothing in return, except perhaps company. He reflected fondly on the welcome he and Cloud had received.

-Flashback-

"Welcome strangers! Welcome to our town. Everyone will be so pleased to see you!" an elderly man exclaimed as he opened the village gates. Well, more like a small door in the wall. In truth, the gunner thought the place looked a bit forbidding. Ten foot tall walls, made of the trunks of the ancient pines that thrived in the valley, surrounded the little town. They were spiked at the top with a lookout tower at every corner. From the outside it looked more like a fortress than a town. As he and Cloud entered the gate, he revised his opinion.

Cozy, brick and stone cottages lined rough, dirt streets. It was a much larger town than it had appeared on the outside. Apparently they had only seen one end of it. From where he stood, it seemed to extend fairly far into the valley. Curiously enough, there was very little snow inside the gates, but the roads were covered in a layer of ice. Every person he could see wore a very curious pair of boots. Made of stiff looking leather, they lace up past the ankle. On the bottom of each was attached a metal blade. They were using the strange footwear to glide from one destination from to another. It all looked very graceful, but he somehow doubted it was as easy as they made it looked.

"I want to try that!" Cloud breathed.

"I'm sure we'll be able to find a pair of skates for you, lad," the old man chuckled. He smiled at their puzzled expressions. "Ice skates, the boots they're using to glide across the ice," he explained. "It's rather impractical to try and wade through two feet of snow, so we melt the snow with some fire material. We dug the roads a few feet into the ground so that the water runs into them and freezes. In this part of the mountains, it stays frozen most of the year. In the warmer months we lay wooden planks on top of the mud," he continued. He started suddenly. "Oh dear. Forgive me for rambling on like that. My mind seems to be somewhere else these days. I'm Garn Pinedrak. Welcome to Tal Hierna. We will be glad to host you for as long as you care to stay."

"I am Bane Damon and the boy is Tor Wyvern," the gunner said, gesturing towards Cloud. He saw the boy glance at him sideways. Thankfully Cloud didn't protest, though he looked ready to. One could never be too careful. "Perhaps you could show us to an inn? We do not have much, but we have some material we're willing to trade…"

"You don't have pay a thing, son. Life here can be difficult, but our town has managed to thrive. Just having visitors from the outside is payment enough. I'm guessing you'll want to get some rest. You both look absolutely exhausted. After though, it would honor us greatly if you would join us for a small celebration this evening. You have arrived just in time for the midwinter festival."

"We'd be honored," Vincent replied.

Twenty minutes and a few conversations with the townspeople later they were settled into the cottage.

-End Flashback-

"'Ello there. Glad to finally 'ave some company 'round 'ere," a voice broke through Vincent's thoughts. He turned to see a man standing in the doorway of their room. Apparently this was their new roommate, so to speak. "Name's Liam. I'm a fur trapper. Wandered inta 'ere 'bout two weeks ago."

"Bane Damon."

"Didja get lost too? Me'n my partners were lookin' to trap some frost rabbits, good fur on those, when we were trapped in a freak storm. Every one of 'em, 'cept me and Mitch, died 'fore some townsfolk found us. Mitch died of fever last week. I'm the only one left," Liam said, taking a seat in one of the chairs.

"We were both lucky to have found this place," Vincent observed. Let the trapper think what he wanted.

"And what's yer name young fella?" the trapper asked Cloud. The boy shifted further back on his bed, looking apprehensive. Now that Vincent thought of it, he looked kind of skittish. And the boy had been excited only moment before.

"He's Tor Wyvern," Vincent said quickly. "He's shy."

"Ah, I understand. Not surprisin'. I was pretty scared of strangers at 'is age too. He'll warm up quick in this place though. People 'ere sure are friendly. I already feel at home. It's can't even think of leaving now…" Liam trailed off. He shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I s'pose you'll be wantin' to get some rest, eh? I'll just be leavin' now. I'll be seein' you later."

Vincent heard Cloud sigh heavily in relief when the man exited. The gunner waited patiently. It was obvious that something was on Cloud's mind. Finally, the boy took the initiative and spoke.

"Bane and Tor? You're paranoid." So it wasn't really how Vincent thought Cloud would begin, but the topic wasn't entirely unexpected.

"I'm still alive."

"Whole lot of good that is. You were sleeping in a coffin in a sealed, underground room."

"Point."

"Thought so. But I'm not too bothered by the name thing really," Cloud confessed.

"Then what is it?" Vincent inquired.

"Something in this town is…unsettling. Something in the air smells off. I can't really describe it any other way. And the hair on the back of my neck is standing on end," he concluded.

"Kid, all your hair stands on end," Vincent snickered. Cloud glared at him. The gunner knew to take the boy's words seriously though. The ChocoBoy's instincts were uncannily accurate, like his own. Now that the boy had mentioned it, there was a peculiar something in the air that made his nose itch. And when he thought about it, the whole scenario was vaguely creepy. Once again, this was coming from a man who resembled a vampire. Disturbing. Frowning, he replayed the recent events in his mind once again. He couldn't find anything unusually suspicious, but it made him feel more anxious.

Meanwhile, Cloud was staring out their second story window, watching the town warily. The sun had just started descending towards the western horizon. It would be a couple hours yet until sunset. In the distance, a lone wolf cry echoed through the valley. He had learned his lesson on the deception of appearance long ago. After all, Nibelheim was certainly a quaint looking town…

A wolf howled in the distance.

Cloud shivered.

ENDCHAPTERFOUR

Hope you liked it. You're lucky. I know I said I wasn't going to update for awhile, but I couldn't sleep and was struck by sudden inspiration. So there you have it, new chapter. The next one might still take awhile, but oh well. I'll get it out as soon as I can. Sorry for the typos and mistakes. I don't always proof these, but I may go back later and do it. Thanks to the unnamed reviewers, even though I don't have a name to list you by, I appreciate your support.

Theory Mistress – Glad you liked the Seph and Zack part. You're response to it was just what I hoped for. Thanks. I hope you liked this chapter as well.

schu – Well, I don't do Hojo-like things to other living organisms, so I suppose you're right. Cloud having perfect grammar was meant to be creepy. Personally, I find it creepy as well, but my muses demanded so I delivered. The time-line will have some skipping. I'm going to try and cover the main events leading up to the meeting between Zack, Seph, and Cloud. A few years are going to pass, but not all at once. I won't say anything else about that, since it would give away the plot. I confess that don't know the entire but yet. Meh. Thanks for the long review by the way. Love the feedback.

Cendrillo – I'm glad you decided to try this fic. I have a huge amount of respect of people who are, like you said, willing to step outside their comfort zone. I myself am working on being able to do this, so I greatly admire those who can. I'm proud to say I'll read most FF7 pairings though (with the exception of yuffentines, which I find somewhat creepy). Glad you approve. I hope you enjoy the rest of the story as well.

SarsMortis – Glad you like it so far. I'll try not to disappoint in the future. Then again, I can only go where my muses take me. Speaking of good SxC fics, there are a few I could suggest that I rather liked. Fusion, Chi to Ase to Namida, and Bound are a few. Otherwise I guess you'll just have to keep looking. Happy hunting (and let me know if you find any good ones). P

Terra – 'fraid can only answer one of your questions. It'd give away too much of the plot to answer the others. Sorry about that. You're going to hate me for saying this, but you'll have to wait to find out. I hope you'll still continue to read this. I do agree that Cloud is young, but that also plays an essential part in the plot. I'm being frustratingly secretive, aren't I? Oh well.

Once again, thanks to everyone who reviewed! Until next time.