Final Fantasy VII SQUARE-ENIX. Actually, come to think of it, the title really sucks. Thanks for the reviews.
Cid was unconscious and bleeding…but it seemed he wasn't loosing a particular amount of blood. Tifa tried to wake him up but it was useless…grabbing the water they brought along they sprinkled it on his face and even made him drink some.
His eyes started to open a bit and the pilot mumbled incomprehensible words. Tifa had some cure materia…the wounds healed after a while but still kept his eyes closed.
"Tifa, please help and put him on my back, we'll carry him until we find a place where he can be properly treated."
She nodded and picked him up and leaned him against Vincent.
"You want me to do that?"
"We'll take turns so we don't get easily worn out" he suggested.
"Right!"
Even after the last quarrel she was amazed how he carried each problem on his shoulders without further thought. Quite the reliable one indeed.
Looking ahead of them they could see the first rays of light. Tifa's stomach started to rumble.
"Sigh…if I knew things will end up like this I would've stuffed myself last time."
"We had quite a frugal meal last time indeed."
Tifa's hunger was surely playing tricks on her…did she see a house in the distance? She turned to Vincent who kept walking without noticing anything.
"Huh?" she rubbed her eyes "Another one?"
"T-tifa…"
"You see it as well?" she gasped and run towards the familiar human habitats.
"Tifa…wait up!" he ran after her "She's worse than a kid sometimes, geez."
Around there were only a couple of farm animals, hens all over the place. The sun was clearing the fog around but no sign of people…
Vincent caught up and looked around as well, he spotted the back of an old man rocking on his chair. In unison they approached him.
"Excuse me sir" Tifa bent to his face "Can you help us out a bit?"
The man looked at Tifa with an odd look of surprise and he did not answer.
"Maybe he's a little deaf" and Vincent went near to his ear.
"Excuse me!"
"No need to yell young man, what is it that you need?"
Vincent and Tifa looked at each other puzzled.
"We have a wounded friend, might there be a doctor among you?"
He pointed in a precise direction "Straight this way, once the houses seem to end you'll notice a small shack apart from all others. Professor Ismaloth is our local doctor."
"Thank you very much" added Tifa.
"Humph!"
"What's grandpa's problem with me anyway?" whispered Tifa to Vincent.
"Maybe he's embarrassed to speak to a girl."
She thought that was a really stupid reason but then again, who cared.
They saw a couple of other two villagers…they gave Tifa some really scary looks. She moved nearer to Vincent and Cid…they gave her the chills.
Not too far they found the little shack and knocked properly.
"Come in!"
As they entered they found a young man who was cleaning his hands on a towel.
"Strangers huh?" he had a much reassuring look that the others.
"Yes, my name is Vincent Valentine and this is my friend Tifa Lockhart" he slowly started to put Cid down.
"Our friend…he's seriously injured, could you help us?"
"We'll see what can be done, put him on the little bed there."
The man wore the same baggy country clothes like the others and a small pair of glasses.
"Do you guys have a phone or something?" asked Tifa while he was visiting. The man gave a small chuckle before answering.
"Nope" he checked Cid's pupils and pulse "This town is completely electricity free."
"What?" she turned to Vincent "How are we gonna contact the others?"
"We'll think about it when Cid will feel better."
"Then you'll have a good time to think. Your friend broke his leg and has a commotion. He needs at least a week rest and well, he's not going anywhere with a broken leg. How did it happen?"
"A week?"
"Just a broken leg…" he turned to him "He fell from a cliff…"
"I see…well you guys might want to ask for hospitality in town for the time being."
"We don't…have any money."
The man chuckled again "Don't worry, when you go ask shelter ask for a job and explain them the situation. We don't use money here, payment takes place throughout favor exchanges."
"I see" he nodded "We'll do just that."
Another chuckle, it was becoming annoying.
"Women can't work, it's forbidden."
Then it came back to them the weird looks.
"Aren't there any women in this town?"
"Not many but there are, women have to stay in the house. They take care of the house and the children. That's what your woman will have to do."
"I'm not his woman" she added with a sharp glare.
"Well…I recommend you two get married as soon as possible then."
"Excuse me?" she added bewildered.
The man didn't answer and grabbed two wedding rings from a drawer and placed them in Vincent's palm, he just looked puzzled.
"Perhaps you could be a little more detailed about the situation before making us take such an important step."
The doctor sat on his chair relaxing and picking a most familiar tone, he was clearly enjoying their ignorance.
"This town has a very old-fashioned view of life. Men work and women take care of the kids. They cannot live on their own or without a man who is not her father at least…and you my friend don't look anything like that" he moved to him with amused look.
"And what if we do as we want?" asked Tifa.
"We don't get to save Cid" added a discomforted gunman.
"Well, I can't help you if they tell me not to of course…and another thing, she cannot talk to other men unless she is requested to and will not start speaking until you've given her consent to do so."
Tifa's eyes widened in fury.
"What if I make them?" she cracked her knuckles.
"Tifa…please…" he sighed "What if we were to present ourselves separate. We'd only live apart, right?"
"Oh well of course…but that means she'd be available for marriage and since she has no relatives the first who asks gets her."
Tifa grabbed the rings with violence and looked at them closely. They were just metal with no value. She smiled to herself and bent down in front of Vincent to get his hand.
With mocking tone she tried to minimize the situation "Vincent Valentine, would you marry me?"
Vincent pulled her up "Get up Lockhart".
End of the chapter, please review.