Ice2

I slumped against the cave wall and drew Vincent's cape up over me, hiding my face. I heard footsteps approach me twice- first the sound of scuffed leather on the cave floor, and then bronze ringing- but twice they stopped and then faded away again.

I used to hide under my blanket when I was younger, not to stay hidden from monsters, but to stay hidden from...well, I'm not entirely sure what. Point was, it always made me feel safe. I'd continued sleeping under my blanket right up until I met Cloud.

After facing Sephiroth, a blanket just didn't seem like adequate protection.

But now I clutched Vinnie's cape tight and burrowed under it. He didn't seem to mind particularly. I could hear him and Cloud speaking softly and starting a fire, comforting background noises. Familiar noises.

Familiar noises used to mean the cats in the shack outside and the crackle of fire from Da Chao. Then I joined AVALANCHE and for a short time that seemed like years familiar noises meant Barret's snoring, embers snapping from a dying campfire, Red XIII's low rumble, Cait's chatter, Tifa's laugh and for a short time, Aeris' calm voice.

But Aeris' voice would never speak again, I never heard Tifa laugh without malice, and I would never again be able to return to Wutai.

Godo knew who had hired the slavers, all right.

He had.

At Tifa's suggestion.

My hand slipped through the soft fabric of the cape. I sighed and concentrated, solidifying again.

When we had finally gotten to see Godo- which had involved convincing the rest of the Pagoda to let us through- Tifa had been beside him, smirking. Godo wanted to clear the name of Wutai's royal line of my stain.

Tifa just wanted another shot at Cloud.

Obviously, that hadn't been the way to go about it. Cloud threw something at her- I found out later it was a ring belonging to the late leader of the slave traders. With the finger still attached.

He snarled at her a little and we left. She tried to keep up with us, but Tifa has no Mako in her system. There was no way she could match our speeds, even if she had a Gold Chocobo.

I happen to know for a fact her last Chocobo bit her and sped off. Ipsen and Chiki are great friends now; they live in the mountains by Lucrecia's cave.

Cloud was back. This time he sat down beside me. I was glad; I wanted to talk to him. I desperately wanted someone to tell me that I was a good person, that I wasn't evil, that I didn't deserve to have my home burnt down or to be sold into slavery.

I'd just been scarred down to my soul, and the only two people in the world I found myself able to trust anymore were in the room with me.

After a bit Vincent sat down on my other side. Neither one of them spoke, but Cloud slung an arm around my shoulders and Vinnie shifted to try and place his human hand awkwardly on my shoulder. I shook my head wordlessly and grabbed his claw.

"Thanks..."