Instinct: Chapter 3
"That's quite a way to say thank you," Vincent said with the shadow of a grin on his pale face.
RedXIII nodded his agreement. "Trust me, no one was more surprised than I was. What I'd meant to tell her was I was I had had an old "Cover" materia equipped to me."
"A cover materia on you, protect her, same difference," Vincent agreed.
"Yeah, but I would have done it regardless. If you had only seen her, she was just so...helpless. And trust me, the idea of Yuffie being helpless is almost more disturbing than the idea of Yuffie being dead."
"Especially to Yuffie," Vincent quipped, and they both laughed.
The two had always had an understanding of sorts: both held a respect for the other's intelligence and strength. Over time that respect had developed into a friendship, and despite their obvious differences they found their quiet, thoughtful dispositions to be very similar.
Red XIII had his feet propped up on a chair next to him. He once again fought the urge to scratch the white cotton tank top that Yuffie had bought for him. She had been insistent on them going to the one clothing shop in the entire town before they left the next day. She and the lady who owned the store had spent at least 3 hours dressing him up like some sort of human doll. He swore that if he heard the word cute as in "Isn't that cute!" or "You look so cute in that" one more time he'd scream. Eventually, the three of them had been able to reach a compromise: Yuffie could buy whatever she wanted as long as it wasn't too much.
"You're worried about the price? It's less expensive than when we go weapons shopping," Yuffie said.
"I'm not talking about money," he said exasperated. "Let's put it this way, I want to wear as little as culturally acceptable to you humans. I *hate* clothes, they're so itchy and restricting and... Anyway, just keep that in mind. Why are you looking at me like that?"
Yuffie stared at him with the same strange expression that she had when he had talked to her that morning, then returned to the sales lady. "Are you okay, Yuffie-san?" the lady asked her. "You look so pale. Did something happen to your cousin?"
"Oh no, we're fine. I just never fail to be weirded out by off-islander customs." The lady looked over her shoulder and gave him a once over. Studying his hair ornaments, the three earrings in his left ear, and the tribal tattoo that peaked out from under the short- sleeved shirt he wore.
"I could understand," she muttered back.
All in all, he ended up with several tank tops similar to the one he wore now, pants that Yuffie referred to as "cargos", and several other things whose names he really didn't pay attention to.
Vincent and he talked now in what once was the Highwind's conference room. The place had been recently converted to a break room now that the Highwind was mainly a cargo plane rather than a rebel base. It was now deserted, devoid of the bustle of off-duty crewmembers. The only sound in the room beside their voices was a TV perched in the corner broadcasting the Chocobo race from Golden Saucer, and the electric hum of the refrigerator.
"I once read a book about this happening. A man waking up one day, and he was no longer a man but a bug," Vincent remarked.
"Yeah? What happened to him?" Red XIII asked curiously. He shrugged, "He lost everything- friends, family, his career, everything. But I remember being struck by how little the protagonist cared about being a bug. He was actually happy that he didn't have to go to work anymore. It was a very...different type of story."
"How did it end?"
"What for the guy? He stayed a bug, no one knew could find anyway to change him back," Red XIII tried his best to hide his crestfallen expression. "But it was just a stupid story, fiction has no baring on reality," Vincent added reassuringly.
"But there always seems to be a little bit of truth to them, isn't there?" he noted quietly.
Just then the Skipper's voice came on over the intercom, saving them from the impending awkward silence. "Mr. Thirteen and Mr. Valentine, your presences are requested at the bridge. We will be-" the voice was cut off and it sounded as if there was someone fighting him for the mic. The two men looked up to the ceiling as the muffled scuffling sound continued, until finally Yuffie's voice was heard. "Hey! Vincent and Nanaki, tea times over boys so get your butts up here! We're at Mideel and we're gonna (urp) land. Ugh, I feel sick... hey Skip' how do you turn this thing off?"
"She's always had a way with words," Red XIII said shaking his head.
"Tch, she's head and shoulder's above Cid," Vincent said without any humor in his voice.
~*~
Mideel had changed greatly since their last visit. The city had found that having the Lifestream flowing through it wasn't as big of a disadvantage as they originally thought. There were temples and oracles on every corner, street vendors sold Lifestream merchandise, and flocks of tourist and pilgrims from all over the world were everywhere.
"Who would have guessed this place would have become such a..." Red XIII began as he watched one tourist group pose for a picture in front of the Lifestream.
"What? Such a sell-out, tourist trap?" Yuffie said eyeing the place, " Kinda reminds me of home," she added bitterly.
"So what are we supposed to be doin' here?" Cid asked impatiently.
"I'm supposed to find a way to contact Bugenhagen. I suppose an Oracle could help, but I have no clue where to begin," Red XIII answered, still a bit dazed. "I guess we just take our pick?"
"Sounds good, let's go," Cid agreed.
They climbed the marble steps of the Oracle of the Lifestream. Yuffie reached to open the door, only for it to fly open as a sobbing young woman came barreling out of the building, and straight into her. "Whoa!" she squeaked in surprise as she fell hard on her ass.
She was helped up by strong arms wrapped around her waist and one under her arm. "She was in a hurry," Red XIII remarked from behind her.
"Yeah," she said as she pulled away from him, her face slightly red.
"Are you blushing Yuffie?" Cid asked with a smirk.
"Shut up, Cid," she snapped then blew past him into the building.
The foyer of the Oracle was cool compared to the humidity of the Mideelian afternoon. Their footsteps echoed off the marble floor and gracefully placed stone pillars. A small blonde girl in a flowing white dress appeared out of nowhere and greeted them, "Hello, pilgrims. Welcome to the Oracle of Life, I am Cecile, how may I be of assistance?"
"How did she do that?" Yuffie whispered to Vincent.
"No clue."
Red XIII stepped forward, "Hello, we came here to contact someone within the Lifestream," he explained.
"Oh a Calling- right this way," she said leading them away from the open room.
As they walked deeper into the Oracle, the great arc of the ceiling began to slope down as they came to a tunnel-like corridor lined with doors. Candles on the walls cast soft orange luminescence on the walls, and the sound of running water murmured through the hall.
"What's that noise?" Yuffie asked.
"That is the sound of the Lifestream. It flows directly through the second dome- it is why we are called the Oracle of the Lifestream
"Right now, we are in the hallway that links the first and second dome. This is where we perform our Callings," she stopped in front of a door with a handle that glowed vaguely. She grasped the handle and muttered to the door in a strange language while the group looked on. "Ouvrez," she commanded, and the door swung open.
She stepped aside to let the group inside. "The Caller will be with you shortly. I will return for you at the end of the session," Cecile said, then shut the door behind them. When she shut it, the door vanished and was replaced by a seamless continuation of the rest of the marble wall.
"What the hell!" Cid exclaimed in surprise, "Where's the goddamn door?!"
"Ahem," Vincent cleared his throat.
".... Where did the door go." The dark haired man nodded his approval.
"You're kiddin' me, we're locked in here?!" Yuffie said with a note of panic in her voice.
Red XIII examined the area where the wall had been, to find nothing but solid wall. "I guess we wait until the Caller arrives."
The flat screen monitor on the wall behind Cid came to life. The face of a girl with red, curly hair showed up on the screen, "I'm here you guys!" the girl chirped.
"Ghaa!" he yelled in surprise, jumping onto Vincent.
"Scared you?" the rifleman asked with a snicker.
"Oh my Gods! I'm like so sorry! Are you okay?" the screen asked with concern on her digital face.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered brushing himself off nonchalantly.
"Are you the Caller?" Red XIII asked.
"Wow, you're cute," the screen said with a flirty smile. Red XIII's face went crimson.
"He asked you a question," Yuffie shot in annoyance at the overly flirtatious screen.
"Rarw, someone's got an attitude problem," the screen scrunched her nose in mock disgust. "Yes, I'm Aurora, your Caller. What do you say we get this party started? Who are you trying to contact?"
"My grandfather, Bugenhagen." Red XIII answered.
"Alright then Cutiepie. Next decide who's gonna be your Link. The Link's like the guy that's the voice and body of whoever you guys are Callin'. So pick well, ok?"
"So the Link will essentially be possessed by the spirit?" Vincent asked. "Yeah. You could say that," she confirmed.
"Alright, give us a moment, please?" Red XIII nodded. He turned to the group. "What do you guys think?"
"It ain't gonna be me, I don't trust that computer," Yuffie spat. She looked over her shoulder at the screen who was blowing kisses to Red XIII's back at that very moment.
"Jealous she's making moves on your man?" Cid asked slyly.
"I, I don't know what you're talking about!" she sputtered.
"Let's keep focused, you guys," Red XIII interrupted, "So Yuffie's out. Cid? Vincent?"
"I'm not sure how Chaos would behave if I was possessed, he might view it as a threat and emerge. I wouldn't like to tempt fate," Vincent said as he rested his back against the wall with his arms folded over his chest.
"I agree," he assented. "I need to be here to speak with him, so that leaves...." three heads turned to Cid.
"Oh no. Oh no. I flew you halfway across the world to see this damn ditz-in- a-box, I think I've done my good deed."
Vincent rested his hand gently on Cid's shoulder. "Cid, please?" he asked softly.
The pilot frowned, then sighed "Alright," he acquiesced. "but only because you want me to Vince. That's the only reason," he added stridently.
"You guys are soo cute!" Aurora said wiping tears from her virtual eyes.
"Yeah, whatever. Let's get this over with," Cid grumbled.
"Ok, all you have to do is put you hand on the screen, and that's it."
"That's it?" he asked warily.
"Yeah, like for sure."
He walked forward in a reluctant manner, and placed his hand on the screen. The effect was instantaneous: Cid's body arched and spasmed violently, his face contorted in pain, and he howled as he collapsed to the floor. Vincent rushed to his side and caught him before he hit the ground, he held on to his lover as he continued to writhe in his arms.
"What the hell did you do to him?!" he barked at the screen, garnet eyes flashing murderously.
"Dude, this like happens every time. Chill out," she said unperturbed.
"Chill out?" he repeated in a frightful tone. Red XIII could feel the dark aura building around him, and could see his skin gaining a violet hue, and his canines beginning to elongate. "That's not the answer I was looking for," he said in a cold feral voice.
"Shit! Yuffie, he's becoming Chaos!" Red XIII shouted. "We've got to-"
"Ho ho hooo!"
"Bugenhagen?" Yuffie asked.
"Grandpa?"
"Cid?" Vincent asked perplexed, looking down at the head against his chest. Slowly, Chaos' features began to subside back into his body. Cid stood and began to float as he moved around the room. They all watched the person that was Cid in voice and body, but was obviously not Cid. The way he moved, and even the air about him, were different.
"Link complete!" Aurora smiled. "Tap on screen when you're done. Bye Cutiepie," she said winking at Red XIII, then the screen went black.
"I see you're still quite the ladies' man, my boy," Bugenhagen chuckled.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he sniffed. "Clearly you do if you have broken the curse of Shiva," Bugenhagen said knowingly.
"I-" he cut himself off and sighed. "Well it wasn't my fault you know. I didn't know Yuffie... how could I've?"
"Her?" Bugenhagen looked Yuffie with a puzzled expression, "But I thought the Ancient girl was already dead."
"What would Aeris have to do with anything, Grandpa?"
"Would someone like to tell me what the hell is goin' on here?! I'm about two seconds off just walkin' out on all of you," Yuffie interjected loudly.
"There is an old story of how our people came into being," Bugenhagen began. "It is said that we, the Fenrir, were the result of an affair between Gaea, the earth god, and the Phoenix, goddess of rebirth."
"But I thought that Gaea was married to Shiva in all those old stories," Yuffie interrupted.
"Aha! He was, and that is where the trouble started," Bugenhagen continued. "Shiva was jealous of her husband's affair, so she cursed the Fenrir with an insatiable bloodlust and a beast form. Hoping that the humans- her children with Gaea- would despise and kill all of them."
"But Nanki's not a bloodthirsty animal," Yuffie scoffed. "Gawd! If anything he acts better than I do most of the time."
"That's not saying much," Red XIII mumbled.
"Go to hell!" she shot back.
"Anyway, to answer your question," Red XIII said. "It's the crestils that I wear on my ankles and wrist that protect me from that part of the curse."
"Yes," Bugenhagen nodded his head. "The crestils were the Pheonix's only way to protect her children from Shiva's Curse. But even they were not strong enough to remedy the second part of the curse."
"So then how is he human, Bugenhagen? How are you human?" Yuffie asked frustratedly.
"That, my dear, is the last part of the story. When Shiva cursed the Fenrir she made it so the only way to break the curse was the love of the very people she meant to destroy them with- the humans. Which she was sure would be impossible because of their shallow and fickle natures."
"She wasn't right though, wasn't she? They forced all of our people into Cosmo Canyon with the Gi tribe and all the other unwanted monsters. And those that didn't go they killed, right?" Red XIII said softly. It pained him to talk about that part of his history, to constantly live and remember something he hadn't even been alive for.
"The Exile was terrible to say the least, but it was before we had been given the gift of the crestils. We *were* monsters Nanaki, there had been just as many humans killed by us as Fenrir killed by them. The humans did what they felt was necessary to their survival.
"Not to say that they are entirely without blame," Bugenhagen continued. "Man is without a doubt the cruelest, most vicious, dangerously ignorant collection of creatures on the planet. But it is because of their love that the curse was broken for both of us. The gods' sense of irony truly knows no limit."
There was a silence in the room as they let Bugenhagen's comment settle over them. Red XIII looked over at Yuffie who was pointedly looking anywhere but at him. She glanced at him as she felt his eyes on her, and then cleared her throat. "We need to finish this up soon. I think that Vincent's having some issues over there."
The gunman sat in the corner of the room with his legs drawn up to his chest. His eyes trained on Bugenhagen's every movement. His lips were slightly parted, his already pale skin looked even paler, and a light sheen of sweat covered his features. Red XIII guessed that the only reason that he had not lost control of Chaos was the holy power of the Oracle itself.
He took a deep breath, not quite sure how to ask his question. Or if he even really wanted to ask it anymore. "Grandpa, do you know of anyway to unbreak the curse?"
Bugenhagen stared at him for a moment then broke down into raucous laughter, "Oh my! Oh my! Nanaki sometimes you're just too much. But I know better than to do anything but take you seriously. Let me think on this for a moment." He crossed his legs in mid-air and tapped his chin thoughtfully, then he snapped his fingers. "Why yes, it is possible for you to return to your original form, or more familiar form as it were. Not entirely, though. You are human now my boy, but it will give you the ability to go between the two forms as you wish.
"There is a materia called "Fenris" that would give you that ability, but it is so rare and so difficult to synthesize that only the Master Materia Maker who lives in the forest near Kalm can perform it."
"Rare materia, huh? Now were talkin'!" Yuffie said almost reflexively.
"Fenris materia? It sounds somewhat familiar," Red XIII said. The realization that he was stuck with this form forever making a large rock form in the pit of his stomach. "Thank your for your help, Grandpa."
He nodded, "I will always help you when you need it, Nanaki." He looked at Yuffie and winked. "Take care of him." He knocked on the screen and it buzzed back to life.
"You guys done with your session yet?" Aurora asked.
"Yes," Bugenhagen answered.
"Shibby. 'Kay, like I said just put your hand on the screen and we'll get you squared away."
Bugenhagen placing his hand was the last thing Red XIII saw before the entire room filled with a blinding blue light. He heard Yuffie yelp her surprise next to him as he shielded his eyes with his arms. When the light had faded, Vincent knelt in the center of the room cradling Cid in his arms.
"Holy mother of god, this has got to be the worse fuckin' hangover I've ever heard of in my life," Cid groaned sleepily.
The gunman crushed the blond's body to his, "Cid! I thought something had happened. Why did I let them do that to you? Oh god I-"
"Whoa, Vince slow down! I'm fine, promise. You're gonna suffocate me if ya keep squeezin' me like this though, babe," he said, stroking his dark hair consolingly. A door materialized on the wall and Cecile knocked before opening it. She quirked a blonde eyebrow at the couple on the floor, but did not comment.
"Your session has ended, please follow me back to the main dome."
"Thank you god! I need to get the hell outta here before they start making out on the floor. Old people sex equals GROSS-NESS!" she exclaimed before exiting out the newly appeared doorway.
Red XIII followed her, but stopped, "I suggest you let them be for a few minutes, if possible," he whispered to Cecile. "Today has been particularly difficult for the darker haired gentleman."
She nodded, "That will be fine. Callings always seem a bit dramatic when you first see them."
He thanked her and followed Yuffie, eternally grateful that the priestess hadn't seen how truly "dramatic" Vincent's first Calling could have been.
~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~
Red XIII clenched his fists in the Dragon Claws experimentally, still adjusting to the feel of the weapon. He struck the wooden post forcefully, and caused a spray of wood chips to dislodge from it. He liked the shock of metal on wood under his hand, although it was slightly different from the head ornament he was used to.
Thwack
The claws weren't exactly like the real thing, but their familiarity were comforting. He was glad that Yuffie had suggested them when they had passed by that merchant from the Icicle area. "You know, so you'll be strapped the next time Vincent decides to breakdown," she had whispered to him.
Yuffie.
Thwack
He heard the telltale sound of her light, quick footsteps coming up the grate iron stairway that led on and off the airship. She had left almost immediately after they had returned from the city, she had told them that she wanted to take a quick stroll with the Conformer through the Mideelian jungles. But he knew that she was just desperate to be away from him. She hadn't looked at him once since the Oracle.
Thwack
Was she disgusted now that she knew he came from a race of cursed people?
Thwack
Why did it even matter? Who was she to judge anyone? A manipulator, a thief, a liar- she was everything his mother had warned him that humanity was and maybe even worse.
Thwack
But still. She was his friend, and that made it matter. Didn't it?
"'Naki, you hit that pole anymore and there won't be nothin' left," her voice came from behind him. His mind wandered back from his thoughts and he noticed that the practice pole he had been striking was missing a large chunk off its right side, and was threatening to collapse at any moment. He chuckled despite himself, "Guess I wasn't really paying attention."
"Obviously," she said. She sat against a large metal support beam that jutted out of the deck, and rested the Conformer against her leg. Even with his weaker human senses he could smell the faint metallic scent of blood that clung to her, and her shirt was stained in a few places with the brownish-red of the drying stuff.
"I was thinking about it," he said abruptly. "And I decided that even if we do get this "Fenris" materia made for me I'm going to return to Cosmo Canyon. I've been away far too long, and it's time I began to assume my responsibilities."
Her eyes jerked up in surprise, and then narrowed in indignation. "Well that's funny 'cause I've been thinkin', too. And I decided that I'm glad you're goin' home, 'cause after two years you still won't let me know a goddamn thing about you." He opened his mouth to speak, and she raised a finger to silence him. "No, no, you had your turn, now it's my turn. I mean, yes I was a little surprised to find out about this curse business. But then I really started thinking about it and I realized it really shouldn't surprise me seeing as I know nothing about you."
"You could ask," he said softly.
"Nope. Tried that, and I kept on gettin' some circular friggin' answer that I didn't understand, so I gave up. And you know maybe you could try, you know, volunteering information every once in a while. I tell you stuff all the time."
"There's not much to say, I don't think. I mean, I'm really not that interesting..."
She nodded her head slowly, "Uh-huh, whatever. What you're tryin' to say is that you really don't trust me enough to tell me anything, right? I understand. Can't blame ya though: I wouldn't trust me neither. Right?"
"Don't put words in my mouth, Yuffie. I said what I meant, there really isn't much to say."
"Well that's it, isn't it? Good lil' Fenrir boys don't trust two-legged things (I think I've heard you call us that before), especially if their thieves," she pushed herself up against the support beam to stand. "And once again I can't really blame you. Sounds like we messed you guys over pretty bad, huh?"
"If you understand all that, then why can't you respect my reservations?"
She made a loud growl of frustration, "If it wasn't for your "reservations" you wouldn't be in this mess in the first place! You wouldn't be human right now if you had told me ANYTHING about this curse before now!"
"Oh how convenient for you," he said snidely. "Now you can just put all the blame on me, and once again escape the consequences of your actions."
"You know what? I'm sick and friggin' tired of you acting like this is the worse thing that ever happened to you. I'd be happy that for once in my life people didn't stare at me everywhere I went, that maybe I could finally get laid like one time before I died, that maybe I had a shot at being normal for once!" she shouted the last words, then immediately stopped talking. Red XIII saw her studying him to see if maybe she had gone to far this time.
"Maybe I'd feel the same way if I was only concerned about myself like you are most of the time," he retorted. "But unfortunately, I don't have that luxury because I am... was the last of my people."
She stood up with Conformer in her hand, "Like I said, it's a good thing that you're goin' home soon. I wouldn't want you to ever think for yourself or anything." She strode past him without looking back, and down the stairs to the interior of the ship.
He watched her go, and almost felt sick. He had never felt so totally and utterly frustrated in his whole life. Why was it so important now that he told her about himself? It had never mattered to her before. The one thing that he was sure of was that he would never ever believe any woman ever again. Friend or not.
Red XIII heard footsteps behind him and turned, praying that Yuffie hadn't returned for a second round, to see Cid. The man looked nervous: he puffed his cigarette in short, quick drags, and occasionally glanced over at the stairs that led to the interior of the ship. He reminded Red XIII of a hunted animal. "I had to get away from Vincent," he explained quickly. " He's been hoverin' over me since we left Mideel, and he can just be fuckin' *unbearable* when he gets that Mother Hen thing up his ass. You know I blame that bitch Lucretia for some of this shit," he looked at the post and gave a low whistle. "You did a number on that thing. So I guess you've gotten good with those gloves, then?"
"I'm improving," Red XIII answered.
"That's good. We'd need you in case we got into a tight spot," he said clapping the red head's shoulder amiably. "Anyways, I was supposed to tell you that we're having a meeting in the break room to figure out what we do next. So head down soon."
He nodded, "Will do."
"Cid? Are you up there? Cid?" Vincent's voice called from the foot of the stairs.
"Aww shit, gotta go Red," he said walking quickly in the opposite direction that the voice had come from.
A moment later, Vincent climbed up the stairs. "If I was smart, I'd shoot him in the knee caps so I wouldn't have to chase him all over this ship all the time. But then again if I was smart I wouldn't be married in the first place, " he smirked at Red XIII. He turned from him and strode off in the direction the pilot had gone, but called over his shoulder "Tifa once told me that if you release you center, that it makes your hits harder. I'm sure if she told me it goes double for you," he said with a final flourish of his left claw before disappearing around the corner.
Release your center, eh? Red XIII thought to himself. He took a deep breath and let his body relax, then he raised his claw and struck the post. There was no thwack; his hand had gone clear through the wood. A moment later, half the top half of the post slid off and fell to the ground with a dull thud. He was startled for a moment, then looked at the claws, and Tifa with a new appreciation.
~*~
The four of them all sat together around a table in the break room. One of the crewmembers cleared away the plates their dinner had been served on and took them back to the ships kitchen. Yuffie hadn't said a word while they discussed what had taken place at the Oracle, even though they had sat next to each other almost out of habit.
"So you don't mind taking me to Kalm?" Red XIII asked.
"Yeah, why the hell not? We're already out here, and you two have already royally screwed my vacation, so why not just go the whole nine yards with it?" the pilot answered roughly.
"What do you plan on doing, Yuffie?" Red XIII asked the ninja girl.
She glared at him and answered, "I'm going to Kalm with you, what did you think?"
"That you'd be going home."
"Look! I told you I'd help you find your stupid goddamn "cure" and that's what I'm going to do, so deal!" she shoved away from the table and declared that she was going to go take a shower before striding out the automatic doors.
Cid blinked his eyes in confusion, "What the hell?"
Red XIII sighed, "We had a bit of a falling out. I shouldn't have provoked her..."
"Must've been a helluva fight," Cid continued pryingly. Red XIII shrugged.
"Tifa told me that Kalm has changed a lot since the Exodus," Vincent said changing the subject. Red XIII flashed him a grateful look. That fight was honestly the last thing he wanted to talk about.
Cid nodded, "I had a run out there not too long ago. It used to be a real hellhole for a while; they had no clue how to deal with all the people coming in from Midgar. Not to mention that everyone was still just a bit crazy after the whole Meteor thing went down. I think that Barret's got it mostly under control now."
"Oh yeah he's mayor down there. I almost forgot about that," Red XIII said.
"Him, Reeve, and a few of the remaining Turks have helped get everythin' up and runnin' down there these last few years," Cid agreed.
"It was starting to improve by the time we left. But that first few months..."Vincent trailed off. They all nodded in agreement.
To say that the fall of Midgar hadn't been pretty would be an understatement. Despite the fact that Meteor hadn't hit a lot of damage had been done. Some of the people had given up hope, so they didn't leave before Midgar fell. Wounded and dead had been everywhere. Red XIII remembered vividly the miles of refugee camps that stretched from Midgar to Kalm full of all those homeless, lifeless, hopeless people. It had been naivety on all their parts to assume that their jobs would be done after they saved the world. Everyone continued to look to AVALANCHE for support; and the members of AVALANCE looked to each other to get through what was perhaps the world's second darkest hour.
"But we made it like we always do. Life moves on blah, blah, yada-fuckin ya," Cid acknowledged.
Vincent shook his head as if to clear it of his thoughts, the pushed away from the table. "I'm too tired to even try to correct you. But you're right, fortunately for us all life does move on." He started walking to the automatic door, but instead of going through the doorway veered to the left a little too far and walked into the wall next to it. A resounding thud rang through the room.
"Vincent?! What the hell happened?" Cid exclaimed as he got out of his seat.
"I'm fine. But the room...it's spinning."
Cid frowned at him, "How 'bout I take you back to the room?" The gunman seemed reluctant at first, and then acquiesced with a nod of his head. The pilot then grabbed him suddenly and threw him over his shoulder. A move impressive both because Vincent was taller than him by at least 2 or 3 inches, and because Red XIII knew there would have been no way for Cid to have achieved it if Vincent wasn't really out of it.
"You know *walking* me there would have worked," Vincent said blandly.
"And risk you dentin' up my ship more? You must be outta your mind," Cid said before walking through the doorway, leaving Red XIII alone at the table. A surprisingly calm ending to an extremely long day.
It almost fooled him into thinking that tomorrow would be easier.
"That's quite a way to say thank you," Vincent said with the shadow of a grin on his pale face.
RedXIII nodded his agreement. "Trust me, no one was more surprised than I was. What I'd meant to tell her was I was I had had an old "Cover" materia equipped to me."
"A cover materia on you, protect her, same difference," Vincent agreed.
"Yeah, but I would have done it regardless. If you had only seen her, she was just so...helpless. And trust me, the idea of Yuffie being helpless is almost more disturbing than the idea of Yuffie being dead."
"Especially to Yuffie," Vincent quipped, and they both laughed.
The two had always had an understanding of sorts: both held a respect for the other's intelligence and strength. Over time that respect had developed into a friendship, and despite their obvious differences they found their quiet, thoughtful dispositions to be very similar.
Red XIII had his feet propped up on a chair next to him. He once again fought the urge to scratch the white cotton tank top that Yuffie had bought for him. She had been insistent on them going to the one clothing shop in the entire town before they left the next day. She and the lady who owned the store had spent at least 3 hours dressing him up like some sort of human doll. He swore that if he heard the word cute as in "Isn't that cute!" or "You look so cute in that" one more time he'd scream. Eventually, the three of them had been able to reach a compromise: Yuffie could buy whatever she wanted as long as it wasn't too much.
"You're worried about the price? It's less expensive than when we go weapons shopping," Yuffie said.
"I'm not talking about money," he said exasperated. "Let's put it this way, I want to wear as little as culturally acceptable to you humans. I *hate* clothes, they're so itchy and restricting and... Anyway, just keep that in mind. Why are you looking at me like that?"
Yuffie stared at him with the same strange expression that she had when he had talked to her that morning, then returned to the sales lady. "Are you okay, Yuffie-san?" the lady asked her. "You look so pale. Did something happen to your cousin?"
"Oh no, we're fine. I just never fail to be weirded out by off-islander customs." The lady looked over her shoulder and gave him a once over. Studying his hair ornaments, the three earrings in his left ear, and the tribal tattoo that peaked out from under the short- sleeved shirt he wore.
"I could understand," she muttered back.
All in all, he ended up with several tank tops similar to the one he wore now, pants that Yuffie referred to as "cargos", and several other things whose names he really didn't pay attention to.
Vincent and he talked now in what once was the Highwind's conference room. The place had been recently converted to a break room now that the Highwind was mainly a cargo plane rather than a rebel base. It was now deserted, devoid of the bustle of off-duty crewmembers. The only sound in the room beside their voices was a TV perched in the corner broadcasting the Chocobo race from Golden Saucer, and the electric hum of the refrigerator.
"I once read a book about this happening. A man waking up one day, and he was no longer a man but a bug," Vincent remarked.
"Yeah? What happened to him?" Red XIII asked curiously. He shrugged, "He lost everything- friends, family, his career, everything. But I remember being struck by how little the protagonist cared about being a bug. He was actually happy that he didn't have to go to work anymore. It was a very...different type of story."
"How did it end?"
"What for the guy? He stayed a bug, no one knew could find anyway to change him back," Red XIII tried his best to hide his crestfallen expression. "But it was just a stupid story, fiction has no baring on reality," Vincent added reassuringly.
"But there always seems to be a little bit of truth to them, isn't there?" he noted quietly.
Just then the Skipper's voice came on over the intercom, saving them from the impending awkward silence. "Mr. Thirteen and Mr. Valentine, your presences are requested at the bridge. We will be-" the voice was cut off and it sounded as if there was someone fighting him for the mic. The two men looked up to the ceiling as the muffled scuffling sound continued, until finally Yuffie's voice was heard. "Hey! Vincent and Nanaki, tea times over boys so get your butts up here! We're at Mideel and we're gonna (urp) land. Ugh, I feel sick... hey Skip' how do you turn this thing off?"
"She's always had a way with words," Red XIII said shaking his head.
"Tch, she's head and shoulder's above Cid," Vincent said without any humor in his voice.
~*~
Mideel had changed greatly since their last visit. The city had found that having the Lifestream flowing through it wasn't as big of a disadvantage as they originally thought. There were temples and oracles on every corner, street vendors sold Lifestream merchandise, and flocks of tourist and pilgrims from all over the world were everywhere.
"Who would have guessed this place would have become such a..." Red XIII began as he watched one tourist group pose for a picture in front of the Lifestream.
"What? Such a sell-out, tourist trap?" Yuffie said eyeing the place, " Kinda reminds me of home," she added bitterly.
"So what are we supposed to be doin' here?" Cid asked impatiently.
"I'm supposed to find a way to contact Bugenhagen. I suppose an Oracle could help, but I have no clue where to begin," Red XIII answered, still a bit dazed. "I guess we just take our pick?"
"Sounds good, let's go," Cid agreed.
They climbed the marble steps of the Oracle of the Lifestream. Yuffie reached to open the door, only for it to fly open as a sobbing young woman came barreling out of the building, and straight into her. "Whoa!" she squeaked in surprise as she fell hard on her ass.
She was helped up by strong arms wrapped around her waist and one under her arm. "She was in a hurry," Red XIII remarked from behind her.
"Yeah," she said as she pulled away from him, her face slightly red.
"Are you blushing Yuffie?" Cid asked with a smirk.
"Shut up, Cid," she snapped then blew past him into the building.
The foyer of the Oracle was cool compared to the humidity of the Mideelian afternoon. Their footsteps echoed off the marble floor and gracefully placed stone pillars. A small blonde girl in a flowing white dress appeared out of nowhere and greeted them, "Hello, pilgrims. Welcome to the Oracle of Life, I am Cecile, how may I be of assistance?"
"How did she do that?" Yuffie whispered to Vincent.
"No clue."
Red XIII stepped forward, "Hello, we came here to contact someone within the Lifestream," he explained.
"Oh a Calling- right this way," she said leading them away from the open room.
As they walked deeper into the Oracle, the great arc of the ceiling began to slope down as they came to a tunnel-like corridor lined with doors. Candles on the walls cast soft orange luminescence on the walls, and the sound of running water murmured through the hall.
"What's that noise?" Yuffie asked.
"That is the sound of the Lifestream. It flows directly through the second dome- it is why we are called the Oracle of the Lifestream
"Right now, we are in the hallway that links the first and second dome. This is where we perform our Callings," she stopped in front of a door with a handle that glowed vaguely. She grasped the handle and muttered to the door in a strange language while the group looked on. "Ouvrez," she commanded, and the door swung open.
She stepped aside to let the group inside. "The Caller will be with you shortly. I will return for you at the end of the session," Cecile said, then shut the door behind them. When she shut it, the door vanished and was replaced by a seamless continuation of the rest of the marble wall.
"What the hell!" Cid exclaimed in surprise, "Where's the goddamn door?!"
"Ahem," Vincent cleared his throat.
".... Where did the door go." The dark haired man nodded his approval.
"You're kiddin' me, we're locked in here?!" Yuffie said with a note of panic in her voice.
Red XIII examined the area where the wall had been, to find nothing but solid wall. "I guess we wait until the Caller arrives."
The flat screen monitor on the wall behind Cid came to life. The face of a girl with red, curly hair showed up on the screen, "I'm here you guys!" the girl chirped.
"Ghaa!" he yelled in surprise, jumping onto Vincent.
"Scared you?" the rifleman asked with a snicker.
"Oh my Gods! I'm like so sorry! Are you okay?" the screen asked with concern on her digital face.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he answered brushing himself off nonchalantly.
"Are you the Caller?" Red XIII asked.
"Wow, you're cute," the screen said with a flirty smile. Red XIII's face went crimson.
"He asked you a question," Yuffie shot in annoyance at the overly flirtatious screen.
"Rarw, someone's got an attitude problem," the screen scrunched her nose in mock disgust. "Yes, I'm Aurora, your Caller. What do you say we get this party started? Who are you trying to contact?"
"My grandfather, Bugenhagen." Red XIII answered.
"Alright then Cutiepie. Next decide who's gonna be your Link. The Link's like the guy that's the voice and body of whoever you guys are Callin'. So pick well, ok?"
"So the Link will essentially be possessed by the spirit?" Vincent asked. "Yeah. You could say that," she confirmed.
"Alright, give us a moment, please?" Red XIII nodded. He turned to the group. "What do you guys think?"
"It ain't gonna be me, I don't trust that computer," Yuffie spat. She looked over her shoulder at the screen who was blowing kisses to Red XIII's back at that very moment.
"Jealous she's making moves on your man?" Cid asked slyly.
"I, I don't know what you're talking about!" she sputtered.
"Let's keep focused, you guys," Red XIII interrupted, "So Yuffie's out. Cid? Vincent?"
"I'm not sure how Chaos would behave if I was possessed, he might view it as a threat and emerge. I wouldn't like to tempt fate," Vincent said as he rested his back against the wall with his arms folded over his chest.
"I agree," he assented. "I need to be here to speak with him, so that leaves...." three heads turned to Cid.
"Oh no. Oh no. I flew you halfway across the world to see this damn ditz-in- a-box, I think I've done my good deed."
Vincent rested his hand gently on Cid's shoulder. "Cid, please?" he asked softly.
The pilot frowned, then sighed "Alright," he acquiesced. "but only because you want me to Vince. That's the only reason," he added stridently.
"You guys are soo cute!" Aurora said wiping tears from her virtual eyes.
"Yeah, whatever. Let's get this over with," Cid grumbled.
"Ok, all you have to do is put you hand on the screen, and that's it."
"That's it?" he asked warily.
"Yeah, like for sure."
He walked forward in a reluctant manner, and placed his hand on the screen. The effect was instantaneous: Cid's body arched and spasmed violently, his face contorted in pain, and he howled as he collapsed to the floor. Vincent rushed to his side and caught him before he hit the ground, he held on to his lover as he continued to writhe in his arms.
"What the hell did you do to him?!" he barked at the screen, garnet eyes flashing murderously.
"Dude, this like happens every time. Chill out," she said unperturbed.
"Chill out?" he repeated in a frightful tone. Red XIII could feel the dark aura building around him, and could see his skin gaining a violet hue, and his canines beginning to elongate. "That's not the answer I was looking for," he said in a cold feral voice.
"Shit! Yuffie, he's becoming Chaos!" Red XIII shouted. "We've got to-"
"Ho ho hooo!"
"Bugenhagen?" Yuffie asked.
"Grandpa?"
"Cid?" Vincent asked perplexed, looking down at the head against his chest. Slowly, Chaos' features began to subside back into his body. Cid stood and began to float as he moved around the room. They all watched the person that was Cid in voice and body, but was obviously not Cid. The way he moved, and even the air about him, were different.
"Link complete!" Aurora smiled. "Tap on screen when you're done. Bye Cutiepie," she said winking at Red XIII, then the screen went black.
"I see you're still quite the ladies' man, my boy," Bugenhagen chuckled.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he sniffed. "Clearly you do if you have broken the curse of Shiva," Bugenhagen said knowingly.
"I-" he cut himself off and sighed. "Well it wasn't my fault you know. I didn't know Yuffie... how could I've?"
"Her?" Bugenhagen looked Yuffie with a puzzled expression, "But I thought the Ancient girl was already dead."
"What would Aeris have to do with anything, Grandpa?"
"Would someone like to tell me what the hell is goin' on here?! I'm about two seconds off just walkin' out on all of you," Yuffie interjected loudly.
"There is an old story of how our people came into being," Bugenhagen began. "It is said that we, the Fenrir, were the result of an affair between Gaea, the earth god, and the Phoenix, goddess of rebirth."
"But I thought that Gaea was married to Shiva in all those old stories," Yuffie interrupted.
"Aha! He was, and that is where the trouble started," Bugenhagen continued. "Shiva was jealous of her husband's affair, so she cursed the Fenrir with an insatiable bloodlust and a beast form. Hoping that the humans- her children with Gaea- would despise and kill all of them."
"But Nanki's not a bloodthirsty animal," Yuffie scoffed. "Gawd! If anything he acts better than I do most of the time."
"That's not saying much," Red XIII mumbled.
"Go to hell!" she shot back.
"Anyway, to answer your question," Red XIII said. "It's the crestils that I wear on my ankles and wrist that protect me from that part of the curse."
"Yes," Bugenhagen nodded his head. "The crestils were the Pheonix's only way to protect her children from Shiva's Curse. But even they were not strong enough to remedy the second part of the curse."
"So then how is he human, Bugenhagen? How are you human?" Yuffie asked frustratedly.
"That, my dear, is the last part of the story. When Shiva cursed the Fenrir she made it so the only way to break the curse was the love of the very people she meant to destroy them with- the humans. Which she was sure would be impossible because of their shallow and fickle natures."
"She wasn't right though, wasn't she? They forced all of our people into Cosmo Canyon with the Gi tribe and all the other unwanted monsters. And those that didn't go they killed, right?" Red XIII said softly. It pained him to talk about that part of his history, to constantly live and remember something he hadn't even been alive for.
"The Exile was terrible to say the least, but it was before we had been given the gift of the crestils. We *were* monsters Nanaki, there had been just as many humans killed by us as Fenrir killed by them. The humans did what they felt was necessary to their survival.
"Not to say that they are entirely without blame," Bugenhagen continued. "Man is without a doubt the cruelest, most vicious, dangerously ignorant collection of creatures on the planet. But it is because of their love that the curse was broken for both of us. The gods' sense of irony truly knows no limit."
There was a silence in the room as they let Bugenhagen's comment settle over them. Red XIII looked over at Yuffie who was pointedly looking anywhere but at him. She glanced at him as she felt his eyes on her, and then cleared her throat. "We need to finish this up soon. I think that Vincent's having some issues over there."
The gunman sat in the corner of the room with his legs drawn up to his chest. His eyes trained on Bugenhagen's every movement. His lips were slightly parted, his already pale skin looked even paler, and a light sheen of sweat covered his features. Red XIII guessed that the only reason that he had not lost control of Chaos was the holy power of the Oracle itself.
He took a deep breath, not quite sure how to ask his question. Or if he even really wanted to ask it anymore. "Grandpa, do you know of anyway to unbreak the curse?"
Bugenhagen stared at him for a moment then broke down into raucous laughter, "Oh my! Oh my! Nanaki sometimes you're just too much. But I know better than to do anything but take you seriously. Let me think on this for a moment." He crossed his legs in mid-air and tapped his chin thoughtfully, then he snapped his fingers. "Why yes, it is possible for you to return to your original form, or more familiar form as it were. Not entirely, though. You are human now my boy, but it will give you the ability to go between the two forms as you wish.
"There is a materia called "Fenris" that would give you that ability, but it is so rare and so difficult to synthesize that only the Master Materia Maker who lives in the forest near Kalm can perform it."
"Rare materia, huh? Now were talkin'!" Yuffie said almost reflexively.
"Fenris materia? It sounds somewhat familiar," Red XIII said. The realization that he was stuck with this form forever making a large rock form in the pit of his stomach. "Thank your for your help, Grandpa."
He nodded, "I will always help you when you need it, Nanaki." He looked at Yuffie and winked. "Take care of him." He knocked on the screen and it buzzed back to life.
"You guys done with your session yet?" Aurora asked.
"Yes," Bugenhagen answered.
"Shibby. 'Kay, like I said just put your hand on the screen and we'll get you squared away."
Bugenhagen placing his hand was the last thing Red XIII saw before the entire room filled with a blinding blue light. He heard Yuffie yelp her surprise next to him as he shielded his eyes with his arms. When the light had faded, Vincent knelt in the center of the room cradling Cid in his arms.
"Holy mother of god, this has got to be the worse fuckin' hangover I've ever heard of in my life," Cid groaned sleepily.
The gunman crushed the blond's body to his, "Cid! I thought something had happened. Why did I let them do that to you? Oh god I-"
"Whoa, Vince slow down! I'm fine, promise. You're gonna suffocate me if ya keep squeezin' me like this though, babe," he said, stroking his dark hair consolingly. A door materialized on the wall and Cecile knocked before opening it. She quirked a blonde eyebrow at the couple on the floor, but did not comment.
"Your session has ended, please follow me back to the main dome."
"Thank you god! I need to get the hell outta here before they start making out on the floor. Old people sex equals GROSS-NESS!" she exclaimed before exiting out the newly appeared doorway.
Red XIII followed her, but stopped, "I suggest you let them be for a few minutes, if possible," he whispered to Cecile. "Today has been particularly difficult for the darker haired gentleman."
She nodded, "That will be fine. Callings always seem a bit dramatic when you first see them."
He thanked her and followed Yuffie, eternally grateful that the priestess hadn't seen how truly "dramatic" Vincent's first Calling could have been.
~~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~~~
Red XIII clenched his fists in the Dragon Claws experimentally, still adjusting to the feel of the weapon. He struck the wooden post forcefully, and caused a spray of wood chips to dislodge from it. He liked the shock of metal on wood under his hand, although it was slightly different from the head ornament he was used to.
Thwack
The claws weren't exactly like the real thing, but their familiarity were comforting. He was glad that Yuffie had suggested them when they had passed by that merchant from the Icicle area. "You know, so you'll be strapped the next time Vincent decides to breakdown," she had whispered to him.
Yuffie.
Thwack
He heard the telltale sound of her light, quick footsteps coming up the grate iron stairway that led on and off the airship. She had left almost immediately after they had returned from the city, she had told them that she wanted to take a quick stroll with the Conformer through the Mideelian jungles. But he knew that she was just desperate to be away from him. She hadn't looked at him once since the Oracle.
Thwack
Was she disgusted now that she knew he came from a race of cursed people?
Thwack
Why did it even matter? Who was she to judge anyone? A manipulator, a thief, a liar- she was everything his mother had warned him that humanity was and maybe even worse.
Thwack
But still. She was his friend, and that made it matter. Didn't it?
"'Naki, you hit that pole anymore and there won't be nothin' left," her voice came from behind him. His mind wandered back from his thoughts and he noticed that the practice pole he had been striking was missing a large chunk off its right side, and was threatening to collapse at any moment. He chuckled despite himself, "Guess I wasn't really paying attention."
"Obviously," she said. She sat against a large metal support beam that jutted out of the deck, and rested the Conformer against her leg. Even with his weaker human senses he could smell the faint metallic scent of blood that clung to her, and her shirt was stained in a few places with the brownish-red of the drying stuff.
"I was thinking about it," he said abruptly. "And I decided that even if we do get this "Fenris" materia made for me I'm going to return to Cosmo Canyon. I've been away far too long, and it's time I began to assume my responsibilities."
Her eyes jerked up in surprise, and then narrowed in indignation. "Well that's funny 'cause I've been thinkin', too. And I decided that I'm glad you're goin' home, 'cause after two years you still won't let me know a goddamn thing about you." He opened his mouth to speak, and she raised a finger to silence him. "No, no, you had your turn, now it's my turn. I mean, yes I was a little surprised to find out about this curse business. But then I really started thinking about it and I realized it really shouldn't surprise me seeing as I know nothing about you."
"You could ask," he said softly.
"Nope. Tried that, and I kept on gettin' some circular friggin' answer that I didn't understand, so I gave up. And you know maybe you could try, you know, volunteering information every once in a while. I tell you stuff all the time."
"There's not much to say, I don't think. I mean, I'm really not that interesting..."
She nodded her head slowly, "Uh-huh, whatever. What you're tryin' to say is that you really don't trust me enough to tell me anything, right? I understand. Can't blame ya though: I wouldn't trust me neither. Right?"
"Don't put words in my mouth, Yuffie. I said what I meant, there really isn't much to say."
"Well that's it, isn't it? Good lil' Fenrir boys don't trust two-legged things (I think I've heard you call us that before), especially if their thieves," she pushed herself up against the support beam to stand. "And once again I can't really blame you. Sounds like we messed you guys over pretty bad, huh?"
"If you understand all that, then why can't you respect my reservations?"
She made a loud growl of frustration, "If it wasn't for your "reservations" you wouldn't be in this mess in the first place! You wouldn't be human right now if you had told me ANYTHING about this curse before now!"
"Oh how convenient for you," he said snidely. "Now you can just put all the blame on me, and once again escape the consequences of your actions."
"You know what? I'm sick and friggin' tired of you acting like this is the worse thing that ever happened to you. I'd be happy that for once in my life people didn't stare at me everywhere I went, that maybe I could finally get laid like one time before I died, that maybe I had a shot at being normal for once!" she shouted the last words, then immediately stopped talking. Red XIII saw her studying him to see if maybe she had gone to far this time.
"Maybe I'd feel the same way if I was only concerned about myself like you are most of the time," he retorted. "But unfortunately, I don't have that luxury because I am... was the last of my people."
She stood up with Conformer in her hand, "Like I said, it's a good thing that you're goin' home soon. I wouldn't want you to ever think for yourself or anything." She strode past him without looking back, and down the stairs to the interior of the ship.
He watched her go, and almost felt sick. He had never felt so totally and utterly frustrated in his whole life. Why was it so important now that he told her about himself? It had never mattered to her before. The one thing that he was sure of was that he would never ever believe any woman ever again. Friend or not.
Red XIII heard footsteps behind him and turned, praying that Yuffie hadn't returned for a second round, to see Cid. The man looked nervous: he puffed his cigarette in short, quick drags, and occasionally glanced over at the stairs that led to the interior of the ship. He reminded Red XIII of a hunted animal. "I had to get away from Vincent," he explained quickly. " He's been hoverin' over me since we left Mideel, and he can just be fuckin' *unbearable* when he gets that Mother Hen thing up his ass. You know I blame that bitch Lucretia for some of this shit," he looked at the post and gave a low whistle. "You did a number on that thing. So I guess you've gotten good with those gloves, then?"
"I'm improving," Red XIII answered.
"That's good. We'd need you in case we got into a tight spot," he said clapping the red head's shoulder amiably. "Anyways, I was supposed to tell you that we're having a meeting in the break room to figure out what we do next. So head down soon."
He nodded, "Will do."
"Cid? Are you up there? Cid?" Vincent's voice called from the foot of the stairs.
"Aww shit, gotta go Red," he said walking quickly in the opposite direction that the voice had come from.
A moment later, Vincent climbed up the stairs. "If I was smart, I'd shoot him in the knee caps so I wouldn't have to chase him all over this ship all the time. But then again if I was smart I wouldn't be married in the first place, " he smirked at Red XIII. He turned from him and strode off in the direction the pilot had gone, but called over his shoulder "Tifa once told me that if you release you center, that it makes your hits harder. I'm sure if she told me it goes double for you," he said with a final flourish of his left claw before disappearing around the corner.
Release your center, eh? Red XIII thought to himself. He took a deep breath and let his body relax, then he raised his claw and struck the post. There was no thwack; his hand had gone clear through the wood. A moment later, half the top half of the post slid off and fell to the ground with a dull thud. He was startled for a moment, then looked at the claws, and Tifa with a new appreciation.
~*~
The four of them all sat together around a table in the break room. One of the crewmembers cleared away the plates their dinner had been served on and took them back to the ships kitchen. Yuffie hadn't said a word while they discussed what had taken place at the Oracle, even though they had sat next to each other almost out of habit.
"So you don't mind taking me to Kalm?" Red XIII asked.
"Yeah, why the hell not? We're already out here, and you two have already royally screwed my vacation, so why not just go the whole nine yards with it?" the pilot answered roughly.
"What do you plan on doing, Yuffie?" Red XIII asked the ninja girl.
She glared at him and answered, "I'm going to Kalm with you, what did you think?"
"That you'd be going home."
"Look! I told you I'd help you find your stupid goddamn "cure" and that's what I'm going to do, so deal!" she shoved away from the table and declared that she was going to go take a shower before striding out the automatic doors.
Cid blinked his eyes in confusion, "What the hell?"
Red XIII sighed, "We had a bit of a falling out. I shouldn't have provoked her..."
"Must've been a helluva fight," Cid continued pryingly. Red XIII shrugged.
"Tifa told me that Kalm has changed a lot since the Exodus," Vincent said changing the subject. Red XIII flashed him a grateful look. That fight was honestly the last thing he wanted to talk about.
Cid nodded, "I had a run out there not too long ago. It used to be a real hellhole for a while; they had no clue how to deal with all the people coming in from Midgar. Not to mention that everyone was still just a bit crazy after the whole Meteor thing went down. I think that Barret's got it mostly under control now."
"Oh yeah he's mayor down there. I almost forgot about that," Red XIII said.
"Him, Reeve, and a few of the remaining Turks have helped get everythin' up and runnin' down there these last few years," Cid agreed.
"It was starting to improve by the time we left. But that first few months..."Vincent trailed off. They all nodded in agreement.
To say that the fall of Midgar hadn't been pretty would be an understatement. Despite the fact that Meteor hadn't hit a lot of damage had been done. Some of the people had given up hope, so they didn't leave before Midgar fell. Wounded and dead had been everywhere. Red XIII remembered vividly the miles of refugee camps that stretched from Midgar to Kalm full of all those homeless, lifeless, hopeless people. It had been naivety on all their parts to assume that their jobs would be done after they saved the world. Everyone continued to look to AVALANCHE for support; and the members of AVALANCE looked to each other to get through what was perhaps the world's second darkest hour.
"But we made it like we always do. Life moves on blah, blah, yada-fuckin ya," Cid acknowledged.
Vincent shook his head as if to clear it of his thoughts, the pushed away from the table. "I'm too tired to even try to correct you. But you're right, fortunately for us all life does move on." He started walking to the automatic door, but instead of going through the doorway veered to the left a little too far and walked into the wall next to it. A resounding thud rang through the room.
"Vincent?! What the hell happened?" Cid exclaimed as he got out of his seat.
"I'm fine. But the room...it's spinning."
Cid frowned at him, "How 'bout I take you back to the room?" The gunman seemed reluctant at first, and then acquiesced with a nod of his head. The pilot then grabbed him suddenly and threw him over his shoulder. A move impressive both because Vincent was taller than him by at least 2 or 3 inches, and because Red XIII knew there would have been no way for Cid to have achieved it if Vincent wasn't really out of it.
"You know *walking* me there would have worked," Vincent said blandly.
"And risk you dentin' up my ship more? You must be outta your mind," Cid said before walking through the doorway, leaving Red XIII alone at the table. A surprisingly calm ending to an extremely long day.
It almost fooled him into thinking that tomorrow would be easier.