Hey gang! Sorry its been sooooooo long. Thngs have been major crazy around ehre. To top off the last of a line of really crappy thing around here, I nearly got evicted from my apartment because my ex-roommate owed the complex money and couldn't get off her butt to pay it. But hopefully this situation has been resolved completely now. (supposedly she's sent the money, but we'll see.)

And hey, I got my first ever flame for this fic, even if this guy -Hankercheift ghost claims its not. His review was nothing but one big bitch-fest. All I can say to that is dude, if you can't even manage to read the whole posted fic before you complain, you are beyond looserness. If you want to complain, do it to a rock, don't try to camoflage it in a "constructive" review. If you want to be constructive or complementary, then go for it. YOU DON'T' HAVE TO LIKE THE STORY TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE WHEN YOU REVIEW THO! steps off soapbox sorry. Had to get that out. Dude bugged me and ezri-candy both with that one.

But anyway! Here's chapter four. Don't worry, I hate the way it ends too. But things were getting forced and that's no way to write. I'll finish up the fight scenes with Jenova and Sephiroth in chapter five, and have what I'd written for five become six. I've got this new job tho, so it could be as long as a week before I get five out. Sorry.

But, enjoy the fic! TTYL!

Disclaimer (as read by Reno of the Turks): Empress-Eerian-Sadow does not own Final Fantasy Seven, its characters or its settings. She is, however the coolest Sith Lord ever, and lets us come over to her house to play.

Chapter 4

During the morning's watch, and breakfast, Cloud had ample opportunity to survey their camping grounds and decide on their course of action. They'd camped in a plateau with two trail—one on the left side of camp and one on the right. When they broke camp after breakfast, Cloud announced that they would be splitting into two groups of four and exploring both trails in the hopes of finding Sephiroth sooner.

"So, Cloud, which way you goin'?" Barret asked.

"I'll take the right," the blond replied. "Tifa, Vincent, I'd like you with me."

"All right," Tifa replied. Vincent just nodded.

"Cid, Barett, Nanaki, you three work well together. I'd like you to go left." Cloud looked to Yuffie, who was looking at her feet nervously, and Cait Sith, who was standing still for once. "Both groups could use both of you. I'll let you choose your team."

Yuffie looked at Cloud, then at Barett and finally at Cait Sith. "Uh…I…I don't wanna make anyone mad…"

"Its okay, Yuffie," Reeve told her. "I'll go join the boy's club and be deprived of the company of the two cutest girls on the entire Planet."

His statement got a laugh out of everyone, and went a long way toward easing Yuffie's nervousness. She hadn't' really known how to say she wanted to be in Cloud's group because Vincent made her feel safe. She wasn't on the edge of hysteria like last night, but it wouldn't take much to push her onto it—or over. A repeat performance of that wouldn't do anyone any good.

As Cait Sith bounded over towards the left trail, Yuffie walked over to Vincent and took his hand, lacing her fingers through his. Vincent glanced down at their joined hands and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" she asked innocently.

"All right everybody," Cloud said, pre-empting any reply Vincent might have made. "This will be the end of it. One way or another, we're taking Sephiroth down. Let's move!"

And everyone did.


The right hand trail quickly turned into a ledge winding around an oddly shaped stone column. It led down at least a mile, and was so narrow in spots that the party was forced to hug the wall single file. Vincent was glad the narrow space discouraged monster attacks.

At least the view is nice, Chaos remarked. Look up and admire it for a moment, Vincent.

The gunman's attention hadn't been on the view of the cavern, but on the terrain ahead. It still unnerved him, from time to time, that Chaos could be looking out his eyes at the same place and see something entirely different than he did. But he'd long ago learned not to ignore the demon when he wanted something.

So, he stopped and looked up, taking a moment to admire the natural beauty of the cave. The fissure they'd come into the cavern through filtered the morning sunlight down to them in an aurora-like ribbon. It was complimented by phosphorescent fungus that lent the entire cave the feel of the early morning sky over Icicle Inn.

It is beautiful, Vincent told the demon, with a slightly wistful sigh.

"Hey, Vinnie, whatcha lookin' at?" Yuffie asked suddenly from his side.

Naturally, Tifa and Cloud turned to look at him as well.

"Is something wrong, Vincent?" Tifa asked warily.

The gunslinger shook his head. "Chaos merely noted the scenery and wanted a better look."

The worried look dropped off Tifa's face as she looked up to see what the demon had found so fascinating. Cloud and Yuffie looked up as well.

"Wow," Yuffie murmured. "Who'd've ever thought we'd see a view like this a mile underground?"

"Definitely not me," Cloud replied.

"I wonder if the view is as good where the others are," Tifa remarked.

"I dunno, But we need to get going," Cloud told her.

Yuffie and Tifa sighed. "If we have to…" they said in unison, then burst into a fit of giggles

Vincent caught Cloud's gaze and rolled his eyes at the girls' antics. Cloud raised an eyebrow and twitched a shoulder in a shrug of reply.

The message was pretty clear: Who can figure these two out?

Chaos chuckled. And these are the strong women the two of you managed to fall in love with.

What? Cloud and Tifa? Truly?

You are truly dense if you hadn't noticed that, Vincent Valentine.

Then perhaps I should change my name to lead, because I did not notice.

By the hellgods that spawned me, Vincent! Did you just make a joke?

Hm. Must be Yuffie's incredibly bad influence.

"Hey, Vince! Move it!" Yuffie called from ahead on the trail.

"Coming," he called back.


Yuffie sat down heavily at the plateaued base of the column. "Hang on a sec, Cloud. I'm dizzy." Theatrically she placed her right hand on her forehead for effect.

"Yuffie, we really don't have time to be sitting around," Cloud told her with a scowl.

"Yeah, well, I can't fight if I can't walk in a straight line. Two minutes, Cloud. That's all I need."

"Fine. But we're not staying longer. We've been lucky so far, but the monsters won't leave us alone forever."

"Okay."

Vincent sat down on the ground next to her when Cloud was done speaking. "How are you?"

"I'm all right," the ninja replied. Her words did not match the tension in her demeanor.

"Yuffie, be truthful. How are you truly?"

She shrugged. "I'm scared, but I'll be okay. No attacks of big baby again, I promise."

"No one is faulting you for last night," he told her, taking her hand in his. "In fact, I'm honored that you felt you could tell me what was troubling you."

"Really?"

"Indeed. I am glad that you are so comfortable with me. And I am here if you need me again."

Well said, Vincent.

"Thanks, Vince." She smiled shyly. "I hope I don't have to take you up on that." She gave his hand a squeeze. "Let's go, before Cloud blows a gasket."

"Are you certain you are ready?"

"Sure." She stood up and spun around in a circle. "See? Good as gold. Hey Vince, did you know there's a chest behind you?"

"What?" Her statement wasn't anything close to what he'd expected from her.

She sighed. "Behind you. A chest. You know, those things that hold useful items." She walked over to it and flipped the latch open. "I must have been sittin' in front of it. Oo, hey, armor!"

Vincent took the armlet out of her hand. "Cloud will be glad to see this. Even if it isn't the strongest we could have acquired."

"Yup. Now he can stop being grumpy at me."

"Yuffie! Let's go!" Cloud shouted