02/08/2013

Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Note: There is a new addition to chapter 4. It's an omake written by Mrs-Potter-Black-Riddle-Malfoy showing a very different 'Raisa meets Sephiroth' scene :D Enjoy!

Title: A Mother's Love
Chapter: 7
Author: Jade Tatsu

'There's been a fire in Nibelheim. You are going to investigate.'

The words rolled around Sephiroth's mind for the one thousandth, nine hundred and forty sixth time. The fact that it was Hojo's voice only made the thought worse but then Sephiroth had been hearing Hojo's voice giving him orders he did not like all his life.

This one was by no means the worst but it was one of the most inconvenient. They'd wrapped up the Autumn campaign in Wutai and were preparing the Winter occupation forces. Sephiroth had been looking forward to his week of assigned R&R, because even super soldiers owned by the company got some time off, when the order came through. And so here he was, being pulled from the oft times too hot Wutai to the chill of the Nibel mountains, slogging his way through the snow falls.

It had to be a First who was sent to investigate. He appreciated that much. No one else would be able to get through the snow falls blocking the roads to the village. But what Sephiroth didn't understand was why it had to be him.

There was no outward sign to betray his thoughts but internally Sephiroth snorted. It had to be him because Hojo ordered it. Which led to speculation about what the scientist had been keeping in the Mansion that was so dear to him? Hojo had been asked, but Hojo, being Hojo had said nothing.

And that led to another, entirely too familiar, path of thoughts on accountability between Shinra departments. At least Sephiroth wasn't alone in that. He knew Genesis and Angeal also despaired of the level of reporting the Army was meant to do regarding finances, personal, equipment and justification of orders and manoeuvres. They almost literally could not get a tissue from supply without requisitioning it in triplicate. Yet the science department, they spent millions and no one seemed to care.

The young man, who in a few years' time would be known almost exclusively as 'The Silver General', was not in a good mood when he crested the small rise which lead down to the township of Nibelheim. Because of this his dealings with the very surprised townsfolk were abrupt. He wasn't rude. Sephiroth had been trained from birth never to be rude but their exclamations of shock that he had come through the snow drifts were not helpful. He was standing before them. Of course he'd come through the snow drifts since the helicopters used by Shinra just weren't that effective in conditions this cold. Eventually he speared green eyes on the Mayor and asked the man to sit with him at one of the tables at the Inn. It was easy to ignore the man's trembling and in a tone that brooked no disobedience, Sephiroth asked what had happened.

"There was a fire."

Well yes, he knew that much already. Sephiroth placed his fingertips over his heart, feeling the picture that was sewn into the lining of his coat and gathering strength from the memory of the serenity it displayed. "What caused it?" His voice was even when he spoke, betraying none of the annoyance he felt at the banality of the situation.

The Mayor shook his head. "It was very sudden. It looks like it started in the basement and then the entire building went up. It happened early in the morning and by the time we were aware of it, the entire place was ablaze. I didn't even know the house had a basement."

"Mostly for storage of foodstuffs," Sephiroth lied smoothly. The basement had been used as a cool room, but it was far more extensive than that.

"The only other thing to note is that since that time Raisa and Cloud Strife have been missing."

"Missing?" That was new. No one had reported any missing villagers with the fire.

"At first we thought they were just up on the Mountain. The little tyke is probably one of the best mountaineers we have but when they didn't come back after snow fall… I just hope they weren't in the house." The Mayor looked suitably grim and Sephiroth resisted the urge to rub his eyes. He knew who Raisa Strife was and the implications of her going 'missing' with her child were not good.

It could be innocent. They may have gone up to the Mountain and been trapped by snow. Or she might have been in the Mansion and died… though in that case what she was doing in the Mansion lead to another set of complicated questions. She wasn't meant to be in the Mansion at all. He'd have to ask the Veld for her personnel report. Or it could be something much worse. She might have been the one to light the fire and had fled the crime scene. It was difficult to know.

"I will look at her house before I leave then," he ordered easily.

"Don't you need permission for that?" One of the watching villagers blurted the question.

Internally Sephiroth sighed. He was no expert on small town dynamics but he was fairly sure that in towns like this, they tended to have an open door policy in regards to the homes. Such an objection was superfluous but he supposed he should not push the issue and his excuse was easy. "I already have permission," he replied, making sure that a ghost of a smile lingered on his lips. The Turks had spent quite a bit of time educating him in body language and its various meanings. "As an officer of Shinra, I have a duty to see to the welfare of all Shinra Employees. Mrs. Strife is currently missing, therefore I must locate her and that will require searching her abode for any clues."

That seemed to placate the villagers and once again Sephiroth found himself reaching towards the picture. Inwardly he shook his head. He hadn't needed his much re-assurance for a while. There was something about dealing with civilians that set his teeth on edge. He glanced over at the large clock on the wall. There was enough time for him to inspect the ruins of the Mansion but he would need to overnight here before he went up to the Reactor to ensure that it had not been targeted. He could probably have gone in the dark and the cold but this was not Wutai, and there was no need to push his body.

"I will inspect the Mansion now and then return. I will need directions to the Reactor since I do not believe it would be healthy for anyone to accompany me in this weather."

The villagers just watched silently as Sephiroth rose and flowed with all the grace of a hunting cat back out into the chill afternoon. Then they exploded into a gaggle of gossiping maids all unknowing that the soldier who was currently striding towards the burnt remains of the Shinra Mansion could still hear them.

Raisa didn't sleep much that night. Instead she meditated searching her memory for the identity of the creature that had been in the mansion. She remembered faces of those she'd never met, she remembered the green of the Lifestream, she remembered the time in the Mansion and the time she had spent raising Cloud alone in both times but she could not remember that creature. Was it something new? It didn't feel new.

There was not so much of a hint as to what it could be in her memories and frustrated Raisa rose and slowly made her way down into the core of the Reactor. She looked into the room where Jenova should be. It was empty, the blue light wane and chill and she gently placed one hand on the canister. It was cold… colder than the surrounding air. For one insane moment, Raisa wished she could rip the place apart but she couldn't and with Jenova not here, she had no reason to destroy the Reactor.

While she hadn't slept and hadn't gotten answers the night of meditation had given her an idea and instead of leaving the letter she had planned to, she wrote another one. She had to make some assumptions but from what the creature had said they seemed reasonable and if they were, then this letter would confuse the trail significantly. By now, Shinra would know that the Mansion was gone. They would be sending an investigation team, and even though there was not a shred of evidence against her, suddenly disappearing would be evidence enough. She placed the newly written letter at the foot of the canister and walked away, slowing making her way back to the antechamber of the Reactor. Eventually Shinra would find the letter and that should help remove suspicion from her. They had to move and pray that the snow would cut off the investigation team before they reached the passes.

It would be a close thing for themselves as well. Snow was indiscriminate. It would trap them on the mountain just as much as it would keep Shinra away.

They began making their way down the mountains but it was slow going. Sometimes they had to pick their way over rock fields and Raisa saw the way her son moved, his feet sure and swift and she was proud. It was much slower going for her with her injured back but she made it. She would not allow anything less. The wolf ranged around them and there was a few times when they had to turn back to find another trail. Cloud knew the mountains around Nibelheim like the back of his hand, but beyond the reactor was all new and while they knew the path existed, it was not the most well-travelled route. It was bitterly cold and the wind never stopped blowing but there was no snow or ice.

The first snow hit them in the foothills of the Nibel Mountains and when it hit, even as they searched for shelter, Raisa breathed a sigh of relief. Even if Shinra had dispatched an investigation team the instant they heard of the Mansion fire, the team would not yet have reached Nibelheim… Or they shouldn't have. Not if they were coming from Midgar but they would still have to be wary. A team could have been sent from Corel, Rocket Town… or even from Wutai.

They had encountered only a few monsters on the way down. That was probably due to the wolf who had ranged out before and around them and more than once they had heard growls and snaps indicative of a fight. But wolf had always returned, trotting back with his tongue lolling and his golden eyes glowing. Each night Raisa was comforted by the sight of Cloud using wolf as his pillow, one hand usually reaching up to grip the canine's winter coat.

In the evenings after Cloud had gone to sleep she spoke more to Vincent. The man was good, and he was teaching Cloud a little, showing him how best to stand and to aim to fire both the small pistol he had and the rifle she carried. Each night she wished she could tell him but while her heart screamed for her to tell him about Lucrecia her lips did not betray the name. They still needed the protection. One night after Cloud was asleep he watched her with dark red hooded eyes. "How much gil do you have?" The question was surprisingly straight forward.

"Enough to get to Wutai."

"Enough to buy materia?"

"Some."

"Get some in Rocket Town. Even if you do not need them, the Wutain's will use them."

"Anything in particular?"

"Restore. Use it on yourself."

Raisa nodded. "I'll get what I can," she replied.

Vincent nodded at her and settled down. She wasn't sure if he slept but she shared the watch with him. She was tired but it would be far more dangerous not to set the watch.

They travelled the next day through the grasslands and Raisa smiled indulgently at Cloud who ran around looking at flower seed pods and grass with wolf romping around him. Vincent kept an eye on him as well but the two of them were safe enough as they walked. It was cold and the wind blew constantly but for those born and bred in Nibelheim it was nothing. Looking back at the mountains Raisa could see snow on the peaks and she knew the trials into Nibelheim would be well and truly blocked. By now the village would know she was not just 'out for the day' and would no doubt have reported that to Shinra but she was just a lowly illiterate cleaner, there was no reason they should search for her, Mansion fire notwithstanding.

Resolutely Raisa shook her head and pulled out a piece of paper. While there was still light from the fire she felt she should write what she knew for Vincent about Lucrecia. It wasn't much, just that the woman was still alive and hiding somewhere in the mountains. If he decided to leave them she would give him the letter. And even when she told him, she'd give him the information as well. She owed him that much.

The Silver General laughed at the image he presented. It was going to take him at least a week to get the tangles out of his hair! The cursed wind was just too strong and eventually he'd been forced to find a small patch of shelter and to pull his fingers through the long strands as best he could and plait it up, tying off the end with a bit of string that had been used to wrap his lunch. If Genesis could see him now, the other man would be laughing. Sephiroth took care of his personal grooming, but he didn't obsess.

He sighed softly as he looked around. He was high in the mountains now and with the bite caused by wind borne snow, he was thankful that the villagers had insisted he take the lunch they had prepared for him. His rations would be adequate but they were rations. Food was food but even he enjoyed the difference between a home prepared meal and the mass produced energy packs that were standard emergency army fare.

The woman's house had been empty and had provided no clues as to her whereabouts. Indeed, the little cottage was shocking in its normalcy but his eyes were sharp and with the villagers crowding the door he had looked around, spotting the empty Shinra issue protein bar package that had been laid down as kindling in the small stove and the few empty places on the shelves. It was what was missing that told him so much more than what was present. Blankets, food and there was not a single gil in the house. Granted Nibelheim was a small village, but its economy relied on some gil, not just barter. There should have been at least one gil somewhere. But there wasn't, and combined with the missing blankets and foodstuffs it did not paint a good picture for the former Shinra employee. Even so, he did not jump to assumptions.

The Mansion, he'd seen from first glance that it had been a loss. The fire had been deliberately lit because even after a few days he could smell the faintest trace of acid as well as the tinge of Mako. Whoever had lit it though had known what they were doing and the entire place was reduced to charcoal and ash. He'd picked through the ruins easily, being careful to avoid the worst of the ash and a long bath at the Inn that night had taken care of the few smudges that had gotten on to him. There was nothing salvageable unless something had been in a fire proof container in the basement. But even if it had of been, with the thoroughness of the attack, Sephiroth doubted they would have left such a thing unharmed. Shinra, and Hojo would have to accept that the Mansion was gone and whatever work that had been sloppily left behind was also gone.

The next day had thankfully dawned clear and so he'd headed up the mountain. The villagers had offered a guide but he had seen their furtive relief when he declined. It was bitterly cold and no unenhanced would be able to survive for long without quite a lot of supplies. He did not have the time to slow down that much. Still, they provided directions to the Reactor as well as for the path over the mountains into the Rocket Town area as best they could and the Innkeeper's wife had insisted that he take her home made lunch and a skin of ale.

Except for the wind the trip up to the Reactor had been uneventful. Masamune took care of the few problems he encountered but most of the animals were not yet starving with winter and so left him alone. He'd looked at the land a bit. It was the land that was in his picture but he did not have the time to indulge and try to find the waterfall. If Sephiroth was honest with himself, he doubted he'd be able to find it without help. There were just too many little valleys.

He was cautious when he entered the Reactor. The Mansion had been deliberately burnt down. Whoever had done in it had no respect for Shinra property and so there was no reason that the Reactor would not be suffering from either sabotage or booby traps. There was nothing on the outside, and as he entered the opening chamber he could detect evidence that someone had been here recently and he suppressed a small smile. The smell of blood lingered. So… whoever had destroyed the Mansion had most likely been here as well and at least one was injured though they had left nothing in the remains of their little camp that could identify them.

There was nothing in the Reactor until he got near the core and then even he faltered. The debris of a battle was hard to miss, especially when the body was still there. That was slightly surprising. With so much Lifestream around there shouldn't be a body but there was which was his first warning. Nothing natural survived this long after death, especially where there were no carrion eaters. Carefully Sephiroth knelt and examined it.

The red and purple body was littered with bullets but they had not killed it. There were claw marks and evidence of bites and it had definitely been a combination of fangs and claws that had ripped out the creature's throat, delivering the final blow. Green eyes narrowed as they flicked around the chamber, piecing together the battle. Finally, Sephiroth shook his head and he rose, looking up and froze.

"Jenova."

He wasn't even aware that he had spoken until his voice echoed back at him.

He knew who Jenova was of course. Jenova was his mother. The mother he had never met and never seen… But what was her name doing in one of Shinra's Reactors? In the core? Adorning the door to the central chamber in this backwater place? Sephiroth had ascended the stairs before he even knew what was happening and it was almost as if it was someone else who watched his hand touch the door. The mechanism activated and he stepped into the blue lit room, green eyes taking in everything.

There was nothing there. There had been. There was a central pod, bigger than the rest, raised above them and a myriad of wires and pipes lead to and from it but within the pod there was nothing. Sephiroth wasn't sure what that meant. He wasn't sure he wanted to know anyway.

Jenova was his mother. But the implications of the pod… Had she been here? It certainly looked like it. But how would any human survive such a thing? Mako could be beneficial. He and the other SOLDIERs were evidence of that but that amount was miniscule. The amount of mako in a Reactor… No human could survive that.

Unless…

Unless Jenova was not human.

Sephiroth blinked. Was that it? Was that why no one had ever told him anything beyond the name of his mother?

There was something… It was right on the edge of his mind, tantalisingly close but refusing to be pulled into the light of consciousness. He frowned before shaking his head savagely, sending the braid of his hair thumping heavily at his body. It didn't matter. Or rather it did but he could not pursue it now. Green eyes examined everything and he committed it all to memory. And that's when he saw it. It was a small slip of white that almost glowed in the light. How he'd missed it at first he didn't know and he bent to pick it up.

A letter? What was a letter doing here? A cruel smile creased his lips. Up until now he had only speculation to go on. There was no proof that anything was wrong. But a letter… that was proof. The hand that had written it was not practiced and the words were shaky but it was legible. A letter to Hojo. Oh this should be interesting. He could almost hear what Genesis would be saying about that.

Carefully the Silver General flicked it open. He'd felt that there was nothing more than paper in it and with calculating eyes he read. The penmanship did not improve on the inside and while the words were adult, the way that they were formed indicated that the writer was not practiced. They were intelligent but something wasn't right with the letter. The tone did not match the hand writing.

Hojo,

Guess who's free?

Your bitch of a housekeeper was far too thorough for her own good. But don't you worry, she won't be spilling any of your secrets.

You try sleeping for years and see how hungry you get. Oh, that's right, you'd get dead. Pity...

I took her brat as well. I'll need a snack while I go hunting your bitch of a wife, Lucrecia. Heh, you didn't reckon she was alive… but she is. The planet reeks of her presence. Of Jenova taint.

And just in case you are wondering I will find that bitch as well.

Gather your creations close Hojo, keep Lucrecia's son close to you. If they amuse me enough it might garner you five more minutes of life. I doubt it though, I'm not known for my patience so watch for me Hojo, because one day I will be there.

There was no signature and after looking at the words again, Sephiroth closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. And then he mentally added the letter to the list of things that did not make sense about this entire situation.

Slowly he made his way back out of the reactor and then into the wind. In the doorway he looked around. Did he return to the village or did he continue on, attempting to track the people who had slept here?

Track. He eventually made up his mind. He had been sent to investigate, and right at the moment, he only had more questions.

If the letter was to be believed, then he could assume that something had woken up in the Mansion and had supposedly eaten the Housekeeper. He wouldn't be surprised if there had been something in the Mansion that was dangerous enough to do that but it didn't fit with the evidence of the battle in the Reactor. There had been three different calibres of bullets in that creature. Two hand weapons and a rifle. While one might have used multiple weapons, the angles of the bullets pointed to three different shooting positions. That meant at least three combatants… It seemed a safe assumption that one had been Shinra's Housekeeper and one would have been her son… but who was the third? The creature that was claiming to have written the letter… the one that said it ate the woman? Or was there more than one creature?

That could be right. There were two sets of claw marks on the body. One was a set of four claws. They were large enough that whatever caused those marks could have easily taken down a human but they were slightly smaller than the other set. The other set had a fifth claw coming in from another angle. Those marks were disturbingly human.

As for Hojo having a wife… That was news but not so surprising that it was not possible. There were women enough who flung themselves at him because he was a warrior. They saw the power, not the man and while Hojo was Hojo, he was powerful. So the good Professor had been married. It was not that surprising really though the Silver General really didn't want to think about it further. But what was Jenova taint? And how was it supposedly connected to this other woman, Lucrecia? Jenova was his mother. She did not have a taint… she shouldn't… He did not have enough information to know the truth of the matter so reluctantly he let it go. Though who was Lucrecia's son? That didn't make sense. The letter said that Lucrecia was Hojo's wife but said nothing about him fathering a child. 'Lucrecia's son', not your son. It made no sense.

Sephiroth looked at the sky. It was only early winter and the sky was still light but it was getting late. The shadows in the high mountains were long. He'd need shelter though perhaps he could continue moving through the night. That would be dangerous but he shouldn't have any trouble following the path. His eyes were good enough. With a sigh for his leave that was quickly disappearing he sealed the Reactor and began following the path deeper into the Mountains.

Raisa didn't remember the world being this big! Well, she supposed she did. But the last time she had been on a journey this long from Kalm to Nibelheim, she had been travelling in the back of a truck and she had been in love. The memory was distinctly rose tinted. She was getting noticeably tired of walking. Even the novelty of travel was beginning to wear off for Cloud who was trudging along. If it had of been summer his feet would have been kicking up little puffs of dust with each step but as it was winter, the ground was suitably wet that no dust was seen. With the thick grass surrounding the path only the occasional boot print betrayed their passing except where they squashed the grass to make camp. Still, that could be any one, not just them.

Granted their pace was slow because of her injuries and Cloud's youth. But the journey was still boring. Not that she wished to be attacked. That would provide just a bit too much excitement but she did wish that they could travel faster. She couldn't shake the sense that something was gaining on them.

They were reasonably close to Rocket Town. Last night, when you climbed a rise the glow of lights was visible in the distance, but it was still another two to three days travel on foot. They'd be okay. Cloud had packed enough supplies but her funds would take a hit in Rocket Town and they were almost out of protein bars. Wolf's hunting had helped, giving them a rabbit or two for dinner as well.

The small trail they had been following had joined with a road and Raisa had hoped that they might be able to hitch a ride but there had been no passing traffic. If she thought about it, she wasn't that surprised. This was one of the roads to Nibelheim and in winter the passes snowed closed. It was ironic that the road between Nibelheim and Rocket Town was so good since the town was meant to be a haven for science and was ostensibly dry… Yet Nibelheim's number one export was beer… To Rocket Town.

While Rocket Town was a haven for science, it also housed part of the military for the war. Not the ground troops, the grunts and the SOLDIERs but the air force, such as it was. She'd heard that they were developing rockets, hence the town's name but there was also the project for space travel. Even so, Raisa was hoping to find transportation to Wutai, even if it meant risking stowing away on a transport. But with Vincent, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to.

"Are you coming to Wutai?" she asked, her voice breaking into the monotony of their walk.

She could feel the way Vincent's red eyes looked at her. Calculating, yet considering and she wondered if he had even thought about it. "I do not think so," he said at length and Raisa nodded. It was a logical decision but she had no doubt that he had reasons beyond those she already knew. It would not be good for a Turk, even a former Turk to enter Wutai.

"My original plan was to try to sneak on to a troop transport to Wutai but that doesn't seem like such a great idea now. Do you have any ideas?"

"That depends."

"On?"

Usually Raisa wouldn't discuss this sort of thing in front of Cloud but he was old enough that he should know the truth. He was walking with them, but remained silent though she could tell he was listening.

"How much gil you have and if you want to get there without being reported."

"I don't think I have enough to bribe anyone," Raisa said after giving the matter a little bit of thought. She had gil, saved from her work in the Mansion but she'd intended that money to support them on the trip to Wutai, not to have to use it to bribe people. Buying some materia would push into her reserves but that may be necessary since she would need something to open negotiations with the Wutai. If she was honest with herself, she had only the vaguest idea of how she was meant to walk up to a Wutain and tell them she had the knowledge that she did. There was some memory from her older self which kept bumping into her conscious mind and it seemed clear enough but along with the tinge of the Lifestream, it carried the hint of doubt. It could be a memory of now, or it could be a memory of one hundred years ago. She was certain that it would work out in time. It seemed weak to say it was fate, but the Planet did want her to succeed. She had faith that she would get the opportunity. Somehow.

"You could pay for passage. Most transporters will take jobs on the side," Vincent said softly.

Raisa nodded at the knowledge. She had thought about that, but she wasn't sure they would wish to take someone into a war zone, even in winter when the fighting was less severe. It would probably be reported to Shinra. "I need to give you something before we part," Raisa said.

"…"

The silence was its own question and she could tell that Vincent was curious. "I'll give you what gil I can," she clarified, "but that's not what I meant. I have some notes for you. I know you don't necessarily believe me about the future but I've written down what I can remember. Everything I can remember about Hojo and where he will be and what he will do. I want you to have the information." And everything I can remember about Lucrecia, she added silently, not yet finding the strength to tell him.

He nodded and when they next stopped for a short break, Raisa rooted through the top of her pack to find the letter she had written. She handed it to Vincent, feeling guilty. He wouldn't read it until they parted and cowardly she hoped he would forgive her for the deception. She hadn't written a justification for anything. There wasn't anything she could possibly say that would justify her actions. She merely hoped he would understand.

Sephiroth sighed to himself. It was dark but he was still travelling. He had been hoping to find nothing but that was not to be. He wasn't the best tracker but he had enough skill to see when others had passed the way he travelled, and there were three sets of boot prints going over the mountains. They were accompanied by a dog, a large dog, which explained one set of claw marks on the Reactor Monster.

The tracks were fresh and with the fire there was only one logical explanation. Someone was fleeing. Whether it was the woman, or some unknown party he didn't know yet and he wouldn't know until he caught up to them. It could be the woman with her son and someone else. But the villagers hadn't reported anyone else missing and it was unlikely that she would have called someone to meet her. If there had of been anyone new in the village, they would have mentioned that.

Which supported the theory that something had woken up in the Mansion and had broken free. It did not support the evidence in the Reactor though. Three calibres of bullets and two sets of claw marks. What had made them? There was no monster that he was familiar with that had five claws arranged in that configuration. And if something had woken up, why was it accompanying the woman? Was it forcing her or was she going of her own will? He could see no signs of a struggle and her house had been too neat for someone forced to pack.

There was something going on here and the only way he was going to get answers was to catch up. That's why he was pushing himself through the night. Though Sephiroth was pragmatic. He already knew his chances were slim. Even on foot, even travelling at the pace of a child, they had a large head start. And once they got to Rocket Town, assuming that they could all pass as human, then they could go almost anywhere.

He shook his head and hurried his steps. There really was nothing else he could do for now.

Raisa paused on the rise overlooking the town and gulped. It was so much bigger than Nibelheim, so much more frantic. Everywhere she looked something was going to and fro. "Cloud, stay close to me," she gave the instruction automatically. There was some sort of scaffold at the back of the town and around all the permanent houses there were tents and lean-tos. They were well maintained so she figured they were part of the army and the blonde sent a silent prayer to the planet that Shinra hadn't put out a search request for her. As one of the towns closest to Nibelheim, Rocket Town would have gotten that. "Do you see that house with the double chimneys and single gable?"

Cloud came up beside her, his eyes wide at what he was seeing and Raisa made sure she smiled down at him comfortingly. He nodded to her question after he looked pointedly at the town for a few moments.

"If you get lost or separated from me, then got to that house and wait. I will find you there. You too wolf."

Cloud nodded again and wolf barked and Raisa had the strangest feeling that the wolf completely understood her instruction.

"It's late," she continued. "We should get to the Inn and tomorrow we can see about supplies and a passage to Wutai."

"I will leave you now."

The announcement took her by surprise and Raisa found herself staring at Vincent. Surely not… Surely he'd have at least a night of rest… "If it's about the Inn, I am more than happy to pay for you," she said, feeling almost dumb as the words left her lips.

"…"

That was not the silence of embarrassment or denial. It was something else. "It will be okay, Mum," Cloud said after a moment. "Vincent doesn't really like to be around people."

Oh. That made sense. It fitted with what she remembered and what she could deduce but she had thought he would stay at least one night to recuperate after the hike over the mountains. But already Vincent was beginning to show signs of impatience. On anyone else, it would seem they were the very picture of infinite patience, but on this man, she could see the slight stirrings. He wanted to be gone, to be away from the press of people that were below.

"I understand," Raisa said, turning to face their companion and giving him a short bow. "Thank you," she said, not bothering to elaborate on what she was thanking him for. There really was too much to mention in just a few words.

He nodded his acknowledgement and let Cloud make his own goodbyes. And then Cloud and Raisa watched as he turned and walked back down the rise, disappearing into the trees at the bottom of the small hill as if he had never been there in the first place. It was a moment of quiet, of serenity and it took Cloud all of two seconds to change the mood, tugging on her arm as wolf jumped a little.

"Mum, let's go!" It was obvious he wanted to visit the town and Raisa felt the slight melancholy that had embraced her heart seeing Vincent leave them lift instantly.

"Yes, let's go," she agreed and led the way down to the Inn.

It's probably not entirely clear, Sephiroth starts out a few days behind them. The scene's fitted together if I started with him.

It would be lovely if the people Favouriting and Following would please also leave a review! :) Though I'll accept all comers!

Jade