A Long Time Since

Chapter 1: A Tragic Affair

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.

Chapter 1: A Tragic Affair

"WHAT DID YOU DO!"

"I did not do anything…"

"WHY IS SHE LIKE THIS THEN?"

"I do not know…"

"Well… FIND OUT. SHE HAS TO BE AWAKE BEFORE SUNDOWN!"

"Yes ma'am…"

Footsteps left the room.

Minoa opened up one sleepy eye, she surveyed her surroundings and closed it again. The light in the room was a very different contrast to what she was used to. It was dim and hard to see in. A silhouette formed outside the thin glass door. She started to panic. Her arms tried to move into a defensive position and her legs tried to get up and run. But she found herself hampered by ropes around her ankles and wrists.

A clicking noise filled the room, closely followed by the swift squeak of hinges unfolding and collapsing once again as the door opened and closed. Tears leaked out of her eyes, her mind was in terror mode. Where was she? The clunk of boots moved over to her, drawing ever closer, filling her mind with more dread every closing second.

Red eyes swam in her vision, they were soon replaced with shades of purple. Minoa felt dizzy, the glowing eyes that changed randomly were giving her a headache.

"Eh… Who are you?" Minoa asked, trying to blink away the pain.

"That is of no consequence," a male voice whispered in reply. "But I shall tell you anyway," his voice rose a few decibels. "I am--"

He was rudely cut off by the door opening and a female high pitched voice. "Ahh… good. She's awake. That's enough now… no fraternizing with the enemy," at this, she giggled playfully, a laugh full of malicious intent.

The man stalked off. Before he crossed the threshold, he spared a glance towards Minoa. It was a look that conveyed apologies and pity, and then he continued on his way out.

"Hahahaha," the woman laughed again and Minoa cowered in fright. "I am Vineva. I will make you cower in fright! Hahaha!" Vineva looked down and saw Minoa staring wide eyed up at her, shivering as though it was way below the recommended temperature, which it was.

"Well, looks like that speech isn't needed then, eh?" the two other people who had walked into the room with her fidgeted nervously, they looked strange and out of place.

"So, my little dumpling, tell us all you know."

"Come now deary, we don't have all day. For the umpteenth time, do you know this man?"

"NO! I told you, I don't know anything. I don't own anything of importance and I have no idea of what you are doing!"

Vineva had been constantly waving a picture under Minoa's nose for at least an hour, though it felt like longer. It was an image of Avalanche and Vineva had been relentlessly pointing and asking about the man with a red cape.

Vineva sighed, it was unlikely that this girl knew anything, she had doubted she did from the very beginning. But it was worth a try. She started again.

"Let us try again shall we," she said in her sweet sugared tones. "This man is Vincent Valentine. He wears a red cape. He has a special feature. We will let you go if you promise to report to us if you see him. If we find out that you have disobeyed our rules when we have so generously let you out, we will track you down and we will blow you up like paper when it burns," her speech ended on a dangerous note and Minoa gulped. She really wished that she hadn't crossed paths with this dodgy group. But it couldn't be helped.

Her head nodded in agreement to the conditions Vineva had laid on the table for her. A new home, all to herself; a job without much work and release from the building, things were surely looking up for her. But, how long would it last? How could they be sure that Valentine still wore that red cape, how did they know he still possessed that special feature. He might have forgotten it as one fails to remember a foreign language when they forget to practice.

"Oh, and by the way," the sickly sweet voice called out to her. "We don't want the old man."

Outside once again, she felt a presence near her. Turning around, she saw him, the man who had captured her. Before she could utter a word, he spoke.

"I apologise for the interruption," he said politely. "The mistress has a habit of going where she's not needed."

Minoa exploded into a fit of giggles. When her laughter had died down he continued.

"My name is Gapek. It means random, or ever changing." He chanced a look at Minoa. Her green eyes made him shiver with something unexplained. Deep eyes, like the sea and a shade similar to the ocean. They made him want to gaze into their depths and fathom what was within. But these waters were unchartered; no man had ever passed through. It gave him a desire; a longing to sail and see if he could make it all the way.

"What?" her voice interrupted his unwanted thoughts. Shaking his head, he set his eyes on the road and tried to focus.

"I am to take you to your new home and guard you from this day forth."

"Oh. Okay." They lapsed into silence, each focusing on their own thoughts.

Gapek's footsteps halted. Minoa's did the same. They were outside the orphanage.

"What are we doing here?" the young girl asked hesitantly.

"You have belongings, do you not?" Minoa didn't reply to that, she stepped up to the door and slowly knocked. No one answered. She tried again. The door swung inward, and out popped the head of the head overseer.

"What do you want?" she screeched. Most of the words she spoke sounded like a car slamming on its brakes at the last minute, when it's been going very fast.

Minoa gathered up her confidence and boldly claimed, "I have come to collect my effects."

"Very well, child," she replied, the scream in her voice now replaced with a kind of weary tone. "You may come in." Perhaps she had seen Gapek, or perhaps she hadn't, either way, she didn't comment on his appearance.

Minoa came out of the building holding a rather large suitcase. Gapek offered his hand, gesturing towards the bag. She lowered it to the ground. His hand picked up the handles with ease. They started towards the other side of town. During the walk, Gapek wondered why Minoa's bag was so lightweight. Minoa explained that she had been found as a baby in the ruins of Midgar. What was in the bag was all she had.

"We're here," Gapek announced suddenly. Minoa stopped and looked at where his hand pointed.

"Wow," she said breathlessly. A large brick house stood in the middle of a large garden. Leading up to it was a cobble stone path.

When they had reached the door, Gapek pulled a key out of his trouser pocket and pushed it into the doorknob. If she thought outside was breathtaking, then the inside was suffocating. Near the entrance was the kitchen, it had lots of new technical appliances resting on marble benches and she was pretty sure it would take her a while to learn how to use them. Her footsteps slowly took her to the bathroom. A creamy basin rested in the same coloured marble found in the kitchen.

There were three bedrooms, all of them fairly big and designed in the same way.

After exploring the rest of the house, she came back to Gapek who had been standing at the doorway watching with amusement as she moved from room to room.

"It is quite dark. Would you like to have dinner?" he asked.

"Sure," she replied brightly. But then her brow creased into a contemplative frown. "But… who's gonna cook it?"

"The chef."

A machine came whizzing out, and positioned a white puffy hat onto Gapek's head and placed an apron around his shoulders. Minoa and Gapek stood facing each other for a while, a smirk forming on his face as he looked down at her gaping mouth.

"You know… I never really thought guys could cook."

"…"

"I guess you just proved me wrong, huh?"

"…"

Minoa and Gapek were watching the television in the Lounge while eating dinner. The teenager was the one initiating most of the conversation.

"Don't feel like talking?" she asked. "What is so captivating on TV anyway…" her words died away as she turned to face the screen.

"Six members of Avalanche died today as a result of consuming poison. Yuffie Kisaragi and Vincent Valentine, the remaining members, were found outside the Reapers Retirement home. They appeared to be in shock after police crews found them.

"Kisaragi and Valentine were taken away for questioning, so far, it has yielded no results.

"A funeral will take place in the near future commemorating Avalanche and the virtuous contributions they have given the planet and all its occupants…"

The news reporter was abruptly interrupted when Gapek switched the television off.

"…" a sob reverberated around the room. Gapek looked over to the other side of the sofa and was surprised at seeing the young woman shed salty tears. He moved over, his arm circling her in a comforting embrace as she cried her eyes out.

It was just as she thought.

The world was coming to an end.

A/N: This has got to be the longest chapter I've ever written.

Please please please please please please review.