Chapter Twenty-Eight

Cid blinked his eyes several times, slowing awakening with the sun in his eyes. An intense headache pounded, and he groaned as he became more awake and more aware of the pain. Something moved to his side. Someone, actually, he realized, as a hand shifted behind his head, following by a cool metal claw coming to rest across his brow. He heard Vincent mutter something, then immediately saw the telling green glow at the top of vision that indicated a healing spell. The pain in his head receded immediately, and Vincent withdrew his hand and claw.

“Thanks,” Cid said, sitting up cautiously, not wanting to bring back the pain. “That must have been one hell of a whack I took. Damn wolf.” He looked at Vincent and Red, then curiously at their surroundings. “Where are we?”

“In an abandoned shelter,” Red said, after exchanging a glace with Vincent. “We took shelter here from the storm.”

“So you guys defeated it? Good. Damn wolf. How much gil did you get?” Cid’s hand fumbled in his pockets, searching for a cigarette. In his search, he missed the very long look between his friends.

“We didn’t, ah..” said Red, “we didn’t stay long enough to collect it. The storm was getting worse by the minute. We elected to get ourselves to safety.”

“That’s a damn shame,” Cid muttered, “I could have used that to buy some new packs.” His search came up empty. “So we missed them, then?” He didn’t have to explain who “them” was.

“Yes, it seems so,” answered Red, looking at the fireplace. Embers had burned away to ash there, leaving old a cold hearth.

“We’ll continue toward the forest,” Vincent said, handing Cid his pack. Cid grabbed it and opened it immediately, making a triumphant “ha!” when he found a new pack of cigarettes. Vincent and Nanaki turned to leave then, making Cid have to delay lighting his cigarette just long enough to catch up to them.

Yuffie caught up with them a few hours later. She had weathered the storm out in Cozmo Canyon, then headed out as soon as it had broken. She reported that the denizens of Cozmo Canyon had not had any visitors, but they were now prepared to deal with any unwanted visitors.

“So we keep tracking them?” Yuffie asked, after the had related to her about the fight and subsequent loss of time waiting for Cid to return. Red and Vincent had come to a mutual agreement while Cid had been unconscious to not mention to the other members of Avalanche what actually happened in the forest the previous day. They themselves weren’t entirely sure what Sephiroth’s motives were, but his actions – and that of the woman Jyleth – had disturbed them greatly. It went against everything they knew and expected, and they were having a difficult time reconciling the old information with the new revelations.

Before she could be answered, Cid groaned and collapsed, holding his head in both hands. Yuffie rushed to his side, placing her hands on his head and invoking a cure spell. He sighed, breathing easier as the spell took effect. Red walked to them, looking carefully at Cid.

“There are some injuries that magic wasn’t meant to heal,” the red cat said. “This needs rest, Cid.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Cid replied, picking up his spear and using it to lever himself up. He leaned heavily into the weapon, then choose to sit down on a fallen log that bordered the trail. Vincent looked at the pilot, then looked down the path, clearly wishing to continue.

“Cid and I will return to Gongaga,” Red announced, making a decision. “We’ll await you there. Follow the trail before it gets colder than it is, find out where they are going. Then come back and we’ll continue on together.”

Vincent glared at Nanaki for a moment, clearly considering the idea of proceeding alone with Yuffie not something he really wanted to do. Red met his gaze briefly, then shrugged, as if he knew what Vincent was thinking. “I am not exactly up to par, either,” the cat explained. “It would be better if the most fit of us continue on.”

“Com’on then, Vince!” Yuffie said, bouncing down the trail past him, “Let’s go!” Vincent kept his gaze on Red and Cid for a moment longer, then followed after Yuffie, resigned to Red’s logic.

“How did you know they went off the trail back there?” Yuffie asked, following Vincent as he wove his way around the rocks. They had made a wide circle and were slowly heading back toward Gongaga. It seemed to Yuffie that Sephiroth was going to deliver the goods for the child as he had promised.

Vincent didn’t answer her question. In fact, he hadn’t answered any questions since they had left Cid and Nanaki. Yuffie was growing pretty tired of his silence, and she suspected he was growing equally tired of her questions.

“Throw me a bone here,” she said, catching up little and reaching out to catch his cape. He whirled around before she could touch the material, glaring at her.

“Should we find them,” Vincent said in a low tone, “I trust you’ll shut up long enough to fight? Or will you have a dozen questions for them, as well?”

Yuffie met his angry glare, staring him down. Her lips curled up slightly in an amused smile. “Both, of course!” Vincent’s eyes narrowed slightly, then he turned back to following the trail he had been following since they had left the cabin.

Yuffie didn’t need to know, he decided, that he could track them now because he had tasted Jyleth’s blood. Just a taste. That was all he needed. He could track her even if she was miles away, and would be able to do so forever. No, she didn’t need to know that at all. In any case, if he told her, she would no doubt come up with twenty more questions. When had he tasted Jyleth’s blood? Why had he done so? Why didn’t he say he had done that before? How long had he been able to do this, tracking by blood? And what was he doing, tasting blood in the first place?

No, she definitely did not need to know why he knew when Sephiroth and Jyleth had diverged off the trail. He glanced at the sun, now a few hours away from setting, and considered how close they were to Gongaga. He knew they were at least a half day behind Sephiroth and Jyleth. If he assumed correctly they had gone back into town to deliver the items for the sick child, then perhaps he could catch up by crossing the wide circle their path seemed to be taking.

“You really need to improve your people skills,” Yuffie commented. Vincent paused, turning a new direction from the trail.

“Change of tactics,” he said. “We’ll cut them off before they reach the town.” Without another word, he left the path, moving a quick pace that kept Yuffie too busy dodging around trying to keep up with him than to question him again.

The moon was high in the starlit sky when Vincent finally stopped. They were a few hours away from Gongaga, but his blood sense told him he was very close to Jyleth. He stood on a cliff high above the forest that bordered the town, surveying the land. The sun was setting, but his eyesight was still very keen. perhaps more so than what it was during the day. A glow among the trees caught his attention. Focusing on that, he saw two figures near the glow. One figure had long, silver-white hair.

"There," he said, pointing Yuffie toward the glow.

"That them?" She squinted at the glow, but couldn't make out more than a faint smudge.

"Yes," he said. He glanced around the terrain, looking for a way down the cliff face. It was a sheer drop as far as he could see to both sides. Without sparing another glance at the figures below, Vincent sprinted off along the edge of the cliff, looking for a way down as he did. Yuffie followed along, for once not questioning his choice of direction.

They found a way down shortly after, and they slid, ran, and jumped their way down in a barely controlled descent. Reaching the bottom, they both paused long enough to bring their breathing under control.

"Damn, that was fun," Yuffie gasped. "Just like racing down the cliffs at Wutai."

"Juvenile stupidity," Vincent replied scowling. "How many die each year daring each other down the cliffs?"

"Only the stupid ones," Yuffie replied blithely. Vincent continued to scowl at her, but she ignored him. "Com'on old man, if you have rested enough, let's go."

“What are they doing,” Yuffie whispered, trying to get a better view of the camp area they had come upon moments earlier. They were still several hundred yards away, far out of earshot of whispered words. Vincent had signaled her down and then moved a few steps forward. From her vantage point, she was unable to get a clear view. She shifted slightly, and the moon obligingly peered behind the clouds long enough for her to get a very clear view of their quary. “Oh!”

Vincent turned immediately and glared at her for her exclamation, frowning at her sudden blushing. Giving her a pointed look, he motioned for her to stay again as he slowly starting creeping forward. Yuffie jumped and grabbed his arm, pulling him back.

“No,” she fiercely said in a strangled whisper. “You can’t! I mean, we can’t… they are .. well… we can’t just now!” Vincent remained silent, but his hand moved to hers, his fingers wrapping around hers and tightening over them painfully. His gaze drifted to her, then back to the couple. Yuffie bit her lip to keep from crying out in pain as his grip tightened to the point she could almost hear her bones cracking. She gave up finally and punched him solidly in the gut with her free hand to make him release her. As his grasped loosened and he doubled over to regain his breath, she wrapped her arm around his waist and dragged him back several steps, using her still numb hand to cover his mouth to prevent him from making any noise.

He threw her off almost immediately, landing her unkindly in a pill of leaf debris. The glare she received was nearly as menacing as if he had pulled his gun on her.

“You were hurting me,” she explained quietly, answering his glare as she slowly got up and brushed off clinging leaves. “And, we really can’t just... well… interrupt.”

“And what do you suggest,” his whisper was harsh and scorning. “Would you like to watch instead?”

“You are…that’s disgusting,” Yuffie answered, looking away and blushing fiercely. “Besides, weren’t we supposed to contact Cloud before we did anything?”

“We should finish this now,” came the answer in a cold tone. “There is no reason to prolong this for Cloud to oversee it.”

“Aren’t you just the least bit curious about Sephiroth’s behavior and actions of late?” Yuffie finally asked the question that had been bothering her for some time. “And this woman, Jyleth, what is up with her. And this… “ she gestured toward the camp site. “Is this something… I mean, we never saw him act like this before. Something has changed.”

The moon came out from behind a cloud again, and clearly illuminated Vincent’s face for a moment. Yuffie saw that his eyes were not looking at her, but something only he could see, as if he was remembering something. Yuffie decided to press her point.

“Look, do you remember what Reeve told us after what happened in the crater? Do you remember how he put all the pieces together? What had happened to Sephiroth – and Cloud and all the clones at that time? No one held Cloud responsible for what he did what Jenova was controlling him through Sephiroth. What if what we defeated back then was Jenova, but not Sephiroth? What is some part of him survived that, the part of him that wasn’t … wasn’t evil?”

Vincent was now gaping at her, his eyes wide. Yuffie stopped, a little surprised herself. Just where had all those ideas come from? Had she actually thought about Sephiroth that deeply? It all made sense, in a way, but it wasn’t something she felt she would have put much thought in…before that moment.

“Perhaps there is something in what you say,” Vincent said, the cold anger having left his voice. “Not everything is what it seems here.” He seemed surprised himself to admit that, but he did not make any further attempt to move toward the campsite. “We will circle around to the town and watch their actions

Tifa stared at her drink, seeing the white foam but not actually seeing. Around her, the noises of the bar cascaded against her ears, but she heard it and did not hear it. Images flashed behind her eyes, horrible images she wished she had never seen, images that merged with deeper pain, distant memories. Closing her eyes, she could see it all so vividly, the two memories overlapping with near perfect clarity. Charred bodies, burned nearly beyond recognition… the villagers of Nibelheim, her friends, her family… the graduates she had trained for years… her friends… her students… And the wounds that fire could not hide, the terrible great slashes, enormous wounds. Wounds like that she had only seen once before. She bore the scar from the same weapon. The Masamune… and it’s wielder, Sephiroth. Tears came unbidden again to her eyes, overflowing down her cheeks.

“Why…?” Her voice was hoarse, and was lost in the din of the bar. Barret was watching her closely, his own feature crowded with equal amount horror and righteous anger.

“Tifa,” he said, “I’m sorry. So sorry. If we’d only gotten ‘ere sooner, maybe we’d’ve been able to do somethin’”

“No,” she said, sniffing, and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “The constable confirmed they’d been dead for a long time. It had been too long, and the fire…” She sniffed again, swallowing hard… “The fire had maybe it impossible to know how long it they were dead.”

Twelve graduates dead, ruthlessly slaughtered in an abandoned warehouse in Junon. How had they all been lured to the same spot? How had they been killed so easily? And, the most important question, had Cloud seen them when he had passed through Junon? Tifa feared the answer to that question the most. Cloud had been teetering so close to the edge, if he had seen the graduates, and their burned, twisted bodies, the gaping wounds… could his sanity have held? For what seemed like the hundredth time that night, she reached down to her PHS, dialing Cloud’s PHS. But again, no answer. Just static. She wasn’t sure if it was her PHS that was malfunctioning, or if Cloud just wasn’t answering. It had been weeks since she had last had contact with any of the members of Avalanche other than Barret.

Their journey to and from the Northern continent had taken far longer than she had expected, and they had fought many fierce battles. She and Barret had discussed a great deal what it meant that the monsters were growing more powerful again. People were once again afraid to leave their villages without warrior escorts, and some, not even then.

Bone Village had suffered much from the attacks, and very few people still lived there. Their homes were mostly abandoned, and they had retreated to the caves from the earliest excavations. Commerce had all but stopped since the ships could not longer find safe harbor. A few privateers, such as the one Tifa had hired, were still willing to make the trip, but they charged exorbitant prices for the goods they brought, and few could afford it. The privateers made most their wealth in the metals that were being minded farther north. The trinkets of Bone Village were really nothing for their holds. Tifa had recommended to the remaining villages to move farther north to one of the many mining towns, but very few seemed inclined to leave their home. Or perhaps they did not believe they would survive the journey.

“Where do we go from ‘ere,” Barret asked, draining the last of his drink and looking like he needed ten more to make the carnage he had seen that day fade into just a bad memory.

“Cloud’s message said he was going to Kalm, then up to Midgar. I guess we should follow and see if we can either catch up or find another message?

“What ‘bout lookin’ for da artifacts?”

“This,” she said, finding strength for her voice, “has gone far beyond that.” She looked Barret in the eyes, finding her own righteous anger replacing her grief. “We must end this as quickly as we can. We’ll leave a message at the post about where we have gone… and what we found. He must be killed, and as quickly as we can.” She paused, looking at her hands, taking a deep breath. “We cannot survive another Meteor, Barret. The planet cannot survive it. We must end this before it comes to that.”

“But,” Barret said as she got up, “if dat was ‘im, and he kilt those graduates, those twelve… how can we defeat him as we be all scattered about?”

Tifa leveled him with a hard gaze as she stood up, gathering her heavy jacket and tossing some gil on the table. Without answering him, she left the bar, reminding him sharply of Cloud’s behavior since they had first learned the Sephiroth had returned.