Retarded Monkey with Guns (luzzu) wrote in balfonheim_port, @ 2008-01-22 01:31:00 |
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Entry tags: | cid/vincent, ffvii, the calm after the storm |
The Calm after the Storm (working title) Chapter 8
Fandom:Final Fantasy VII
Rating:PG-13
Summary:Chaos has returned to the planet along with Omega, but for Vincent there are still issues to deal with left in their wake. For the rest of Gaia, there's a planet that needs to heal and rebuild. The WRO on one side, opposing factions on the other, life doesn't seem to get any smoother
Author's notes:Again unbeta'd. Nope, still have no real idea where I'm going with this. Exciting huh?
Disclaimer:Final Fantasy VII belongs to Square Enix, I make nothing from this beyond taking up space on my hard drive.
"Of all the damn luck!" Cid kicked his tin cup across the dusty floor in frustration. "My phone's knackered, I've got a small bottle of water and we've not much in the way of any field rations." There was no reason to bring much, this was supposed to be a pretty cut and dry expedition. "Well, there ain't much we can do 'bout it now, though I should be thankful that the detector's still workin'"
Vincent took the chocobo's bridle and placed it in Cid's hand. "You take the bird. The field rations and water I can do without."
Cid shook the sand out of his goggles. "Look, you might think you're invincible, but you're still human, even you can't go three days without water comfortably not when we've got to cross the terrain in this heat. We can share."
"Ignoring that I am practically indestructible, I can't go comfortably without water, so I shall travel by different means."
Cid nodded. "Not for too long, and we travel mostly when it's cooler." He mounted the chocobo and looked back at Vincent. "Let's get moving then ya walking carpet."
Galian beast offered a growl in retort and kept up pace with the chocobo.
They kept up the pace for several miles, but the chocobo, no matter how well adapted for the terrain, needed rest. The heat of the midday sun was making Cid almost long for the cold of Great Glacier. They found an alcove in the cliff face and took refuge from the sun. Cid tried to get some sleep but failed miserably with the smell of the chocobo practically filling his nostrils. Galian Beast had disappeared, Cid figured probably to find food. One of the advantages Vincent had was if food was scare for him, Galian Beast could do the hunting. His diet might be unsavoury to Vincent, but in a pinch it kept him alive and well.
Late afternoon Vincent returned. "If we follow the rock face as we've been doing, we're going to run into a thunderbird nesting site. We're going to have to skirt the outside of their territory and come back toward it once we've got past them." As if to answer Cid's unspoken question, he added, "The nesting area doesn't appear to be too large, so we should come up to the second search point after we've gone around them."
"Well, we'd better start makin' time then." Cid took a mouthful of water and remounted the chocobo. "We should probably head for that rocky outcrop we passed comin' this way by nightfall. I'm not sure I want to be wanderin' around here in the dark."
The outcrop was quite some miles away, so Cid spurred the chocobo into a run, Galian beast keeping up comfortable nearby. As the rock face became craggier, Galian Beast veered off out more into the open. Cid reined the chocobo to follow across the open land. It was more risky travelling out in the open, especially with so little provision, but when weighed with travelling near a nesting colony of thunderbirds, it was the better option. The sun was going down so Cid put his jacket on, it's been tied round his waist when the adamantaimai attacked, so had survived intact. Something he was now quite thankful of.
With the outcrop in sight, Vincent took his own form again; Cid dismounted allowing the chocobo to walk the last stretch and kept a lookout for any possible attack. They kept a comfortable silence, which trying to walk the stiffness out of his legs and backside after hours sitting on the bird, Cid was not ungrateful for.
The outcrop was a large pile of boulders. How it had come to be there was unknown. But they rocks were large enough and there were enough of them that they provided a slight natural cover so they could rest without being over exposed. The chocobo was tied near in a recess of its own while Cid and Vincent sat near a slightly bigger one. They talked for a while, then sat in silence until Cid attempted to lie down to get some sleep. He lay there shivering and somewhat envious of Vincent's cloak. The northern side of the Wutain continent might have balmy temperatures, but the south central was blazing hot during the day, and as Cid was now being reminded, freezing temperatures at night.
Staring at the rock in front of him debating whether to give it all up and just die of cold right now, he felt the ends of long fur tickle his face. He craned his neck to just about see that Vincent, no, Galian Beast had taken up residence between him and the outside world and laying close enough to keep him warm. Cid though, decided against it, and then decided propriety be damned, this was survival and still keeping his back to him, just shuffled a little closer in toward the warm. "Thanks," he muttered. "But you still smell." He smiled in the dark when he was answered with a contemptuous snort.
By the afternoon on the third day, they had successfully bypassed the thunderbirds with little incident and now Cid, more unshaven than usual smelled about as good as Galian Beast did. In fact worse, as if he were in the mood to be honest, he'd admit that Galian Beast didn't actually smell that much.
They were at a slower pace now, the chocobo had gone for a while without water and it was starting to show. Cid had managed to save a few greens but it was not enough to keep the bird in good shape. Sniffing the air, Galian Beast run off a way ahead, sniffing at the rocks. He put his paw on it and pushed.
Cid watched him as he gradually caught up. Dismounting the chocobo, he walked up to Vincent. "Found something?"
"I think so. Old magic, or at least that's what it smells like. Have you got the detector there?"
Cid rummaged in his folded up coat on the chocobo. "Here." He didn't ask what Vincent meant by old magic, or how it smelt any different than any other type. He learnt over the years some things you just trusted Galian Beast to know, and therefore, Vincent too.
The detector was telling them that there was something there. Cid laid his palm on the rock. "Feels as real as any other rock."
"It's not though. I don't know how to get though it, or how to remove the spell."
"There's no chance of me havin' a clue then."
"I would suggest that we talk with Nanaki," Vincent said.
"Right. Well if we make a note of our location and get back to the airship pronto, as this chocobo's not gonna last much longer, and I'm not sure I'm going to hold out much more myself." He held up the nearly empty bottle for emphasis.
"What have we got?" Vincent asked.
"I've got one potion left, which I'm trying to keep back in case of a real emergency, but I think the bird's gonna need it soon or we will have an emergency. I had antidotes, but they got trampled so we'd better hope we don't run into any bugs."
"We've still got over a day's travel to do. We can't afford to use the potion just yet."
"That's the problem, if I don't we've just increased our travelling time by two days. You might make it, but you can't carry me and ol' beaky here. I'm not in any danger of dying here, providin' I don't get lost, but it's gonna be damn uncomfortable."
Marking the spot, they set of again, as fast as they could but at a much reduced pace than previously. When night fell, they settled into silence. Cid feeling too parched to talk, Vincent not really having anything to say. It grew colder making Cid try to draw his coat further round him.
"I can't help with the cold this time," Vincent said, sounding apologetic. "Whilst I have control, the more freedom he has, the harder it becomes to keep him reined in."
"I understand - sort of," Cid said sounding hoarse. "I could cuddle the chocobo, just I think he smells worse than the carpet." He started coughing.
Vincent wouldn't admit it, and though Cid was still worse off than him, he was starting to feel the strain of the last few days and the lack of water. He didn't feel the cold as easily, but when combined with everything else, he was starting to feel it seeping in. As Cid did tend to remind him, he wasn't actually invincible. "We need to keep warm," He stated simply.
"Tell me about it." Cid continued shivering, too tired to stand up and try to move about.
"In you're weakened state, the cold will get to you first." Vincent removed his cloak and put it around Cid. Cid attempted to protest which Vincent duly ignored. "I'm being practical. The temperature, while cold, is not cold enough to succumb to, unless you are in a weakened condition. You are in a weakened condition. I am not."
Cid still put up an argument, even if it was half hearted. In the end they compromised, both men leant up against the chocobo and put the cloak over both of them which to Cid seemed far more practical all round.
* * *
There were a few small shacks set up as meeting places for when it was raining, or if people just didn't want to be outside. One of them had turned into a makeshift bar. Reno had found his way to this part of the commune very quickly.
The shack itself was pretty dingy with a few makeshift chairs. There was no real bar, just a small pile of kegs and bottles in the corner for people to help themselves. Reno was still trying to find out where they got the gil for their supplies.
Currently it was occupied by about three other men and Reno. He'd so far been disinterestedly talking with Evans for about half an hour and the man was boring him, beyond his professional interest.
"Where's your girl?" Evans asked.
"I dunno. Powderin' her nose?" Reno replied lazily as he lounged in his chair.
Evan's sat down near Reno. "What's your trade again?"
"Me? Demolition." Reno smiled. The way he did when he was looking forward to something.
"Your girl gotta trade?"
"Yeah, but I'd keep it hushed, she doesn't like anyone to know. She's kinda embarrassed, you know what I mean?"
"She's from Wutai ain't she? Didn't think they had any brothels over that way, or did you pick her up in the slums?"
Reno gave a humourless smile. "No, you mistook my meanin'. She's not in that line o' work. She's an ex-WRO. Explosives and weapons specialist, to be exact. But being a pacifist, its awkward for her, too many questions, y'know?"
Reno watched closely as Evans nodded sympathetically. He had not missed the slight peak in interest Evans body language had given away at the mention of an Explosives specialist.
"You're a very fortunate man."
"I like to think so." Reno smiled. The bait had been set, now to see if the man would bite.
A scruffy, large man in a dirty faded brown checked shirt walked over. He nodded toward Reno then turned to Evans. "We're ready, Boss."
Evans stood and held out a hand to Reno. Taking Reno's proffered hand, he shook it. "We'll have to talk again sometime very soon. You look like a man I could get on with."
"Sure. Nice to meet you too." Reno watched Evans walk off, then wiped his hand on the back of his chair with a slight look of distain. The bait had been taken.
* * *
Yuffie was having no such luck. Her numerous talks with Jula and the other women had yielded nothing more than recipes, what local berries were best for healing wounds, or adding to washing water and where the best edible mushrooms were to be found. There was also lots of talking about ways to help the planet sustain itself from mans destruction until they could all join with it again. Yuffie had come to think either the women genuinely had nothing to do with the terrorists, or they were much better at hiding it and didn't recruit.
Any more mentions of the uses of zeo nuts and she was going to scream. She almost envied Evans for having Reno’s company at times. But whilst their initial time here had uncovered very little; as expected, the last week had paid off. Reno, whilst not fully trusted, had seemed to be accepted into the fold rather quickly as a provisional member. She figured he was such an untrustworthy bastard himself that he would fit in with them without any problems. She also had to begrudgingly admit, whether she agreed with it or not, he was good at his job.
The isolation was getting to her. She missed her friends, her family. Sometimes the intelligence work she did for Reeve was not that interesting, but nothing she'd done so far compared to this. Stuck in this place, with a bunch of, she figured that was a hard one to describe, but Evans gave her the creeps, especially the way he looked at her. It reminded her too much of the look Corneo gave her when he had her tied to that rock with Elena. She had to fight the urge to bust his ass then and there. But the women here she liked, even if she thought them a bit weird.
Reno was a bastard, so no change there. But he was the only thing she had here that was familiar, and she hated him even more for that. She sat on the bed, throwing a small ball she'd found, up against the wall. As the door creaked, she turned slightly and lobbed the ball head height at the intruder. A hand flew up and caught it. "Missed me huh?"
"Get lost." She said quietly.
"I got better things to do with my time than spend it here, but I ain't got no choice either, yo."
Yuffie glowered at him. "You sound like an idiot when you end your sentences like that."
"You just sound like an idiot. Yo." He emphasised it.
Yuffie pulled a face at him and turned her back.
"Fancy a walk?" He said, his voice returning to a normal level.
Yuffie sighed in relief. It meant that there had been word from either Reeve or Rufus. She bounced up, glad that something might finally be happening. "Yeah, let's go!" As they stepped outside, she ignored the irritation as she dutifully linked her arm around Reno's and walked with him through the camp and out into the thicker woods beyond.
Once they had reached a good distance from the camp, Yuffie couldn't hold her tongue anymore. "Word from Reeve? Rufus? Can I get outta here yet?"
Reno stopped and put his hand over her mouth. Holding her despite her struggles. "Geez, you gotta mouth on ya. Shut up an' I might be able to tell you."
Yuffie stopped struggling, looking indignant as Reno moved his hand away. She sat down on the ground. "So what are we doing?"
"You ain't gonna like it." Reno was going to add that he really wasn't happy either, but decided it was a moot point. He already insulted her enough for her to know that.
"Just tell me."
"Obviously, I filled them in on how our infiltratin' the group was goin'. Both have decided that to rush in now would be too quick, we need to gain their trust more. A number of smaller hits would do that.
"Awww, you mean I'm going to be here for even longer?"
"Quit whining. You'd make a lousy Turk y'know."
"I wouldn't ever want to be one of you scum." Yuffie shot back.
"Good job, 'cause you'd never be good enough. Look, can we quit the petty insults for five so I can finish getting you up to speed?"
"Whatever." she folded her arms, annoyed.
"The guys have got a few minor targets in mind, so I'm gonna 'encourage' them. Then, if it works out, I'm setting them up for something a bit bigger. That's where you come in."
"I get to do something finally!"
"If you don't botch it up." He ignored the dirty look and carried on. "We're gonna line up a building that will seem to be in use. A bigger target, somethin' to boost their confidence. And I'm sending you."
"I'm doing it?"
"You're supposed to be the ex-WRO specialist. I'm pretty nifty myself, but my partner's the best explosive experts in the game. I learnt a lot from him in that department. I'm gonna spend the next month or two teaching you everything I know."
Yuffie only really focused on a few words that Reno had said. "The next month or two?!" She groaned. "Ooooh, Reeve owes me big time for this one." The thought of having to spend that much time under Reno's tutelage was really too much.
[Chapter 1][Chapter 2][chapter 3][Chapter 4][Chapter 5][Chapter 6][Chapter 7]