Disclaimer – I don't own FF7

Coeurl

By Crimson Skies

Chapter Eight – For Thirteen Gil

Wet. He felt wet and gritty. Squinting against the harsh light, he struggled to get his bearings. He was lying on his back in wet sand. On a beach, judging by the way water lapped against his legs.

"Vincent?" he croaked. "Vincent, where are you?" he called. Slowly he sat up. No one was there. He swallowed hard. Vincent was no where to be seen. But he was alive, right? He had to be. Yes, Cloud concluded. Vincent was somewhere. He refused to acknowledge the little voice inside that said Vincent was probably dead. Instead, he wracked him memory for answers. They had been on the ship…

-Flashback-

"My life," Cloud sputtered, "is most assuredly cursed." He blinked rapidly, clearing the water from his eyes. A wave had crashed over the side of the boat, striking him directly in the face.

"You look like a drowned…"

"Don't you dare say chocobo!"

"…cat," Vincent concluded. Actually, with the water weighing his hair down it didn't look so chocobo-like. And the way he was sputtering and hissing like a wet kitten was rather humorous. Or, it would have been, had the ship not been sinking. They had been awoken from sleep when the ship had lurched suddenly only to find themselves in a cabin that was ankle deep in water. What had caused this unfortunate event was still unknown, though he thought they had collided with something. Currently they were with the other passengers, about to board the lifeboats. While there was no little danger at present, drowning somehow seemed a bit less terrifying than facing down giant wolves and other such monsters, or…Gaia forbid!...Hojo.

Meanwhile, Cloud was fuming over his sodden state. Considering his relation with felines, well, he wasn't a huge fan of water. Not that he had a problem with showers. No, he was meticulous when it came to personal hygiene…when he could be anyway. The great outdoors didn't exactly provide showers on a daily basis, or any basis for that matter. Baths…weren't his favorite, still he could live with those. But being drenched in large amounts of water spontaneously did not make him happy. It really didn't.

"You're sparking," Vincent warned the blond. Cloud glanced at his hands. Indeed, now and then a blue spark would flash between his fingers or travel along his arm. Luckily no one had noticed it in their panic to escape. Cloud carefully reined in his annoyance, bringing it down to a manageable level. That was difficult, as he was irritated about having to stop being irritated. He managed nevertheless. The 'sparking' ceased. Vincent nodded in approval. Cloud sighed. Finally they were able to board a lifeboat.

Sitting in the crowded, drifting boat, Cloud sniffled miserably and froze.

"Murphy's Law," he sighed.

"Care to enlighten me?" Vincent asked.

"It's going to storm," he answered.

"How do you figure?"

Cloud sneezed. His tired eyes glared at the gunner unhappily.

"Right, forget I asked," Vincent finished. "Wasn't your nose was stuffed?"

Cloud shrugged before sneezing once more. Vincent wordlessly handed him a tissue.

"Thanks," Cloud mumbled before sneezing into it. The building electricity in thunderstorms made him sneeze. Once it actually started he was fine. Something about all that pent up lightning made his nose itch. Not that it was surprising, considering his sensitivity to such energy. Not to mention his nose was sensitive enough to smell a storm coming. As a matter of fact, his sense of smell was good enough to even smell fear. He was just grateful that his nose was stuffed, or the scent wafting off the terrified passengers would be overwhelming.

Vincent pondered Cloud's revelation. The situation certainly didn't look good. Murphy's Law indeed. Somehow he wasn't surprised. He and Cloud had the worst run of bad luck he'd ever encountered. Maybe it was related to what Hojo did. Or perhaps the superstition was true and breaking that mirror in the in had been very unfortunate. Either way, they were pretty much sunk…literally. He didn't think lifeboats would withstand a storm. Suddenly, he was frightened for his life, but not for his own sake. No, he was scared for Cloud. The reality of the situation suddenly hit him. If something happened to him, then what would become of Cloud? The kid could take care of himself, he knew. But really, everything they owned they carried with them. Where would Cloud go, what would he do? These knew fears were…unexpected. He didn't really know how to handle them. He would probably have panicked, if doing so hadn't run against everything he was. Forcefully, he calmed himself. But if Cloud died…?

Cloud wasn't going to die. He would make sure of it.

The wind was beginning to kick up and the waves were becoming fiercer than they had been before. Dark, heavy clouds devoured the sky blocking the moonlight. Cloud shivered, but not from the cold. He looked out upon the raging waters. He saw it just before it hit.

A huge wave bore down on their tiny craft.

-End Flashback-

"I survived," Cloud murmured. His throat rasped in protest. Sighing, he lay back on the sand. He was too tired and worn to care about the sand in his clothes and hair, or the unpleasant way the water was soaking his skin.

"But where is Vincent? He's out there somewhere. He is," Cloud assured him self, needing to say the words aloud. "We were just separated. Vincent is alive." Despite his efforts, he couldn't force much finality into his voice. He lost track of time as he lay on the beach, half asleep. Only when the sun rose high enough into the sky did he reluctantly rise. Looking about him he frowned. He had no idea where he was.

Quickly taking inventory he realized just how bad his situation was. His materia were gone, as was his sword. He possessed a single dagger; the same one Vincent had given him so long ago. It had been tucked safely in his jacket when the rest of his equipment had been washed away. He possessed no food or safe water. That wasn't a huge deal, as he could last many days without provisions, but he could have used the energy boost. His clothes were soaked, torn, and pretty much unsalvageable, but they would have to do for now. He had nothing else.

'Think first, act second, panic later." Vincent's words echoed through his head.

Taking the advice, Cloud firmly stamped out the rising tide of panic. Surveying the area, he noticed quickly that the land sloped upward from the beach to the northeast. He decided to head up the gradual rise. If he could survey the land from a high vantage point, perhaps he could figure out where he was. And hopefully he'd find at least some sign of human habitation. Doggedly, he began his descent up the slope. The farther he traveled, the more he began to notice something very odd.

The land around him seemed to be dying. The few plants seemed to barely survive. Not a single creature seemed to inhabit the area. It was a bit unsettling. The farther he traveled, the sicklier everything looked. There ceased to be a trace of greenery anywhere, and even the land itself looked dead. Frowning, he noticed the sun begin its descent. He hurried onward in hope of reaching the top of the rise before sunset. Just as the stars began appearing and the sun disappeared, he reached the top. He looked out across a large, open plain from atop a sharp cliff. The view was such that he could see for miles. The ground in the large basin was horribly blackened, like someone had taken a giant blowtorch to the planet. And in the center of the dark area was a nimbus of harsh light. The artificial lights of the largest city on Gaia.

And Cloud knew at that moment it would hold either his salvation, or his demise.

COEURLBYCRIMSONSKIESCHAPTEREIGHTFORTHIRTEENGIL

A small form darted through the streets. Swinging around a corner, the boy slowed his frantic pace. With the ease of much practice he blended into the crowd. His pursuers would never spot him among the throng of slum dwellers. Somehow, he managed to refrain from examining his prize. That could wait until he was safe and unseen. Besides, it wouldn't take long to get where he was going. He deftly navigated the labyrinth of streets, taking several little-known shortcuts, before arriving at his destination. After glancing swiftly around for onlookers, he entered the dilapidated shack. It was a relatively safe hideout. The entrance was practically invisible unless one stood right in front of it…or if one knew where to look.

With a satisfied sigh, he plopped down onto the tattered blankets that served as his bedding. With one hand he snatched off the rag tied around his head. A shock of bright red hair fell free. He'd learned long ago to cover his hair if he wished to remain unnoticed. It clearly spoke to anyone with eyes, "Here's the little fire-haired brat!" which was not good in his line of work. So he kept it covered, even though the course cloth made his head itch and was hot.

He smiled in satisfaction as fished his prize toward him. It was a nondescript, cloth bag. But inside was his treasure. Reaching in, he pulled out two large loaves of fresh bread and three apples. It would certainly hold him over for awhile if he rationed it out right. Fishing around inside the sack, he fingered the biggest prize. The thirteen gil he'd managed to snatch off one the merchants customers. For thirteen gil he could buy a pair of sandals, and maybe a new shirt. For thirteen gil he could get a decent blanket. For thirteen gil he could buy enough food to last a week.

Maybe he should set his sights higher, and try his hand at picking pockets more. But for now, he was content.

"Someday, I'm gonna make it to the top," Reno declared, clenching a fist tightly. "But for now…"

ENDCHAPTEREIGHT

Well, another chapter is completed. I apologize, but I didn't take as much time on this chapter. My brother is in town, so I've been busy this week, but I didn't want to leave you all without an update this week, especially since I won't be able to update over Christmas. I personally feel this chapter could have been better, but I hope everyone finds it acceptable. Please tell me what you thought of it. THANKS MUCH!

Dark1 – Thank you. I appreciate and thrive off of the encouragement.

schu – A burning bush, eh? (chuckles) You may be right about that. That little rhyme is something my mum used to tell me. Many times I'd wake up very early at my grandparents' house, unable to sleep. A lot of times the sunrise was red, and she used to say that line to me. Actually, I accidentally wrote it backwards in the last chapter. It's supposed to be, "Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky in morning, sailor's warning." I wish I could take credit for making that up, but unfortunately I can't. Oh well. I love writing the dialogue. I like to think it's my strong point. Oddly enough, conversations come easier to me in writing that in actuality. Isn't that weird? Ooooo! I love your mental picture of the Teacher!Vincent scene. I wish I was more talented as an artist, 'cause then I would draw it! FFX was a wonderful game. Would you believe me if I told you I nearly cried at the end? (sniffles) Kakashi is awesome. You know I'm actually thinking about writing a Naruto fic. My muses have been badgering me about it for awhile now…

rei – I'd certainly be immensely flattered if what you say is right, and other people will write stories with Vincent mentoring Cloud. Actually, I'd also love to read them. There were so many possible routes I could have taken this fic, but I think it would be interesting to see what choices others would make. Thanks much for your review.

SarsMortis – You know, the Teacher!Vincent scene was actually inspired by a dream I had? I won't even try to describe it, as it made no sense in the way most dreams don't. Poor little sis (hehe). Don't worry, I won't tell a soul. I know I've said this before, but I love writing the Seph-sama and Zack interactions. It's just fun to imagine their conversations. And there's so much potential dialogue there too. I try to make it as interesting as possible (and funny too!) This chapter was actually quite difficult for me because of the smaller amount of dialogue required. Oh well. I hope it turned out okay.

Cendrillo – I'm glad you understand the need I had for an intermediate chapter. It was a lot of fun to write, as it gave the opportunity for a lot of humor, but you're correct in feeling not much 'happened.' I, personally, had the same feeling. Oh well. I'm rather glad I decided to add the Teacher!Vincent part. I mentioned this in the above review response, but that scene was inspired by a dream I had. It's good to know I'm not letting them become ooc. I've been trying my hardest to keep them in character, as I perceive them anyway. Though it is tricky, taking into account that Cloud was practically raised by Vincent, which gives him a few…quirks? I can't think of the right words at the moment. I wish strong chains could hold my muses. What a really need is a vault of some sort…

Crystaline-Dragon - They'd have to put a sign on the classroom door "Beware of Demon" I suppose, if Chaos were to teach. That was totally random, but oh well. I appreciate your encouragement. My writing style is something I'm very proud of as I've put a lot of effort into developing it. I know I still have a lot to improve upon…but I've also come a long way since my first attempts…which were stick-figure drawings when I was four. Hehe.