Sequel: Amethyst Moon ›
Status: Completed
Keeper of Cerberus
I Don't Blame You
Neneki navigated his way through the building. Chaos had made short work of the many armed men through out the entire compound. His heart thundered wildly in his chest and his flaming tail whipped about in agitation. The crimson staining his already red fur was turning rusty and matting. The bodies around him began to turn to brilliant forms of light as they returned to the life stream.
As he rounded the final corner he met Vincent. In his arms he carried a limp form wrapped in his crimson cape. As he grew near he could see messy blond hair. The great lion felt his heart fall in on itself. A sadness that was unexplainable swept up to take hold of him. His head fell against his chest and his gaze focused on the floor. Crimson dripped from the elegant, pale fingers to puddle on the tile. Neneki looked up at Vincent and sympathy joined an even stronger pain.
The gunman's usually blank expression was broken and full of unspoken sadness. His crimson eyes were glowing an orange color… Chaos was still close to the surface. He seemed to be struggling with these feelings and how to deal with them. His hands were gripping tightly to the pale body he carried. Neneki noticed for the first time just how utterly small she was. Against Vincent's tall lean form she was frail and just little… like a child. The feline turned and lead the way to the steps.
Vincent struggled. His chest was tight and his heart pushed painfully against his ribs. He blinked the blurriness away from his gaze and took one step. Positive he wouldn't collapse on the spot he moved slowly after the red cat. His uneven breaths made him shake slightly as he sat on the steps outside. He cradled the body in his arms.
"I am so sorry," his voice broke. Had his mind been else where he might have noticed this is what Lucrecia whispered to him.
Reluctantly he flipped open his cell and sent a message to the team.
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The phone sitting on the bar buzzed wildly. The little device skittered toward the edge ready to fall to the floor in search of attention. A nimble anxious hand snatched the cell phone from the bar top. All around the brown eyed woman faces pressed closely together.
"Who is it Tifa?" Yuffie was the only one unable to sit still as usual. With worry, for the ninja, came fidgeting.
"A text…" Tifa mumbled and flipped the phone open. Her brow pulled up wrinkling her forehead a little. "From Vincent," she nearly dropped the phone in her moment of excitement. Again the faces around her pressed a bit closer.
"We found her," Tifa started reading but she stopped when she read the last words. She didn't snap the phone closed, instead she simply passed it on to whoever was standing closest. Cid grabbed the little black device before Yuffie got a chance to read the message. In less than a second his eyes dulled and a few dark cuss words fell quickly in the silence.
Reeve too it next and so on until the entire room was silent. Yuffie stood completely still. Her hands were balled into fists and her entire body shook. Her mouth was pressed into a tight thin frown and tears threatened to spill from her dark eyes. Tifa stepped toward her and embraced her tightly. The phone lay on the floor where the Wutai ninja had dropped it , shinning it's message at the floor.
'We founder, but we were too late…'
Cid left again and Beret followed him out, needing his space.
Cait Sith, who was sitting atop Reeve's shoulder looked over at a picture on the wall. Faye was clinging to Cloud and grinning like mad. They really could have been twins. "Oh lass… it was just startin' tah feel like a family again," he said sadly.
Her presence had lifted the spirits of the whole team, even Vincent seemed lighter with her around. It had been such a long time since Cloud had smiled, and she had changed that just by coming back through the doors.
"Cloud will be devastated," Reeve mused sullenly.
Amaya sat cross-legged on the floor with her swords at her left side. She didn't even need to see the message to know what was going on, the silence and Yuffie's sniffles had told her everything she needed. All she could do now was pray.
Marlene came down the stairs just about this time. Her little feet carried her directly toward Amaya. "Why is everyone so quiet? Why is Yuffie crying?" the brown haired girl tugged at Amaya's sleeve.
The sword artist lifted her gaze to the child. Behind the young girl she could see Denzel watching from the landing near the stairs. "There's something you should know, Faye is not with us anymore," Amaya's voice was gentle. She saw Denzel look away.
Marlene's eyes gleamed with the pure innocence only a child can have. With a broad smiled the girl stated, "She will come back."
A lump rose in the Amaya's throat. She was about to correct the girl, but found that she didn't really have the heart to. "I hope your right," She rubbed her hand over the child's head.
Cloud came through the door a few moments later. The two more familiar Turks followed him in. It took only a moment for Clouds mind to calculate what happened. His face fell and his eyes closed tightly. "No…" he whispered.
"She's gone Cloud," Reeve said looking away from him.
Cloud lifted his gaze toward the roof and stated sadly, "you have taken two from me already… and you take her too?" When he let his chin fall against his chest he asked, "where are they?"
Amaya got up and moved to a small panel on the wall. When she pushed on it, it hinged open smoothly and she pulled out a little black box. She twitched her finger over a button and the device turned on. A map of the region flickered to life. A red X marked the location of all the members of AVALANCH, or at lead the ones that carried a cell were bunched together in Edge and two wandered about in Midgar. She found the one she wanted, miles from Del Sol a lone X was unmoving.
"Found them," Amaya pointed out the X.
"Let's go," Reno pulled Cloud about by the shoulder and they went to get the chopper.
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Neneki watched Vincent from the corner of his eyes. The red eyed male never took his gaze from the body in his arms. He stroked her pale cheek gently with the pad of his thumb. He mumbled quietly, repeating his whispered apology. The stillness was broken when the sound of rotor blades cutting the air brought a chopper over the tree line. Violent gusts of wind assaulted them. The side door opened and Cloud baled out His face was sad and angry. He was focused directly on Vincent who was still almost clinging to the body his cape covered.
Neneki stepped into the blondes path, "Easy on him Cloud, he is not well."
As the chopper touched down Cloud was already moving. Anger rose in the blonde when he saw Vincent holding a bundle tightly in his arms. Though the urge to blame it all on the gunman was shattered when Neneki spoke. Cloud looked again, closer this time, and shock washed out his anger. Vincent seemed broken in all ways. Clouds resolve softened and he stopped. Cloud motioned for Vincent to hurry.
Once inside the chopper Vincent looked up at Cloud, the pain he was feeling clearly showing in his eyes. "I am sorry Cloud…" he mumbled, his deep voice rang for a long time in the silence of the small room.
"I don't blame you," Cloud said. Again if they had been paying attention they would have realized the words had been said before.
From then on everything remain quiet. No one spoke and no one made eye contact. When they landed Vincent started in a different direction, "bring them to the old Shin Ra manor." Cloud did not ague. They parted ways and were quickly gone.
As he rounded the final corner he met Vincent. In his arms he carried a limp form wrapped in his crimson cape. As he grew near he could see messy blond hair. The great lion felt his heart fall in on itself. A sadness that was unexplainable swept up to take hold of him. His head fell against his chest and his gaze focused on the floor. Crimson dripped from the elegant, pale fingers to puddle on the tile. Neneki looked up at Vincent and sympathy joined an even stronger pain.
The gunman's usually blank expression was broken and full of unspoken sadness. His crimson eyes were glowing an orange color… Chaos was still close to the surface. He seemed to be struggling with these feelings and how to deal with them. His hands were gripping tightly to the pale body he carried. Neneki noticed for the first time just how utterly small she was. Against Vincent's tall lean form she was frail and just little… like a child. The feline turned and lead the way to the steps.
Vincent struggled. His chest was tight and his heart pushed painfully against his ribs. He blinked the blurriness away from his gaze and took one step. Positive he wouldn't collapse on the spot he moved slowly after the red cat. His uneven breaths made him shake slightly as he sat on the steps outside. He cradled the body in his arms.
"I am so sorry," his voice broke. Had his mind been else where he might have noticed this is what Lucrecia whispered to him.
Reluctantly he flipped open his cell and sent a message to the team.
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The phone sitting on the bar buzzed wildly. The little device skittered toward the edge ready to fall to the floor in search of attention. A nimble anxious hand snatched the cell phone from the bar top. All around the brown eyed woman faces pressed closely together.
"Who is it Tifa?" Yuffie was the only one unable to sit still as usual. With worry, for the ninja, came fidgeting.
"A text…" Tifa mumbled and flipped the phone open. Her brow pulled up wrinkling her forehead a little. "From Vincent," she nearly dropped the phone in her moment of excitement. Again the faces around her pressed a bit closer.
"We found her," Tifa started reading but she stopped when she read the last words. She didn't snap the phone closed, instead she simply passed it on to whoever was standing closest. Cid grabbed the little black device before Yuffie got a chance to read the message. In less than a second his eyes dulled and a few dark cuss words fell quickly in the silence.
Reeve too it next and so on until the entire room was silent. Yuffie stood completely still. Her hands were balled into fists and her entire body shook. Her mouth was pressed into a tight thin frown and tears threatened to spill from her dark eyes. Tifa stepped toward her and embraced her tightly. The phone lay on the floor where the Wutai ninja had dropped it , shinning it's message at the floor.
'We founder, but we were too late…'
Cid left again and Beret followed him out, needing his space.
Cait Sith, who was sitting atop Reeve's shoulder looked over at a picture on the wall. Faye was clinging to Cloud and grinning like mad. They really could have been twins. "Oh lass… it was just startin' tah feel like a family again," he said sadly.
Her presence had lifted the spirits of the whole team, even Vincent seemed lighter with her around. It had been such a long time since Cloud had smiled, and she had changed that just by coming back through the doors.
"Cloud will be devastated," Reeve mused sullenly.
Amaya sat cross-legged on the floor with her swords at her left side. She didn't even need to see the message to know what was going on, the silence and Yuffie's sniffles had told her everything she needed. All she could do now was pray.
Marlene came down the stairs just about this time. Her little feet carried her directly toward Amaya. "Why is everyone so quiet? Why is Yuffie crying?" the brown haired girl tugged at Amaya's sleeve.
The sword artist lifted her gaze to the child. Behind the young girl she could see Denzel watching from the landing near the stairs. "There's something you should know, Faye is not with us anymore," Amaya's voice was gentle. She saw Denzel look away.
Marlene's eyes gleamed with the pure innocence only a child can have. With a broad smiled the girl stated, "She will come back."
A lump rose in the Amaya's throat. She was about to correct the girl, but found that she didn't really have the heart to. "I hope your right," She rubbed her hand over the child's head.
Cloud came through the door a few moments later. The two more familiar Turks followed him in. It took only a moment for Clouds mind to calculate what happened. His face fell and his eyes closed tightly. "No…" he whispered.
"She's gone Cloud," Reeve said looking away from him.
Cloud lifted his gaze toward the roof and stated sadly, "you have taken two from me already… and you take her too?" When he let his chin fall against his chest he asked, "where are they?"
Amaya got up and moved to a small panel on the wall. When she pushed on it, it hinged open smoothly and she pulled out a little black box. She twitched her finger over a button and the device turned on. A map of the region flickered to life. A red X marked the location of all the members of AVALANCH, or at lead the ones that carried a cell were bunched together in Edge and two wandered about in Midgar. She found the one she wanted, miles from Del Sol a lone X was unmoving.
"Found them," Amaya pointed out the X.
"Let's go," Reno pulled Cloud about by the shoulder and they went to get the chopper.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neneki watched Vincent from the corner of his eyes. The red eyed male never took his gaze from the body in his arms. He stroked her pale cheek gently with the pad of his thumb. He mumbled quietly, repeating his whispered apology. The stillness was broken when the sound of rotor blades cutting the air brought a chopper over the tree line. Violent gusts of wind assaulted them. The side door opened and Cloud baled out His face was sad and angry. He was focused directly on Vincent who was still almost clinging to the body his cape covered.
Neneki stepped into the blondes path, "Easy on him Cloud, he is not well."
As the chopper touched down Cloud was already moving. Anger rose in the blonde when he saw Vincent holding a bundle tightly in his arms. Though the urge to blame it all on the gunman was shattered when Neneki spoke. Cloud looked again, closer this time, and shock washed out his anger. Vincent seemed broken in all ways. Clouds resolve softened and he stopped. Cloud motioned for Vincent to hurry.
Once inside the chopper Vincent looked up at Cloud, the pain he was feeling clearly showing in his eyes. "I am sorry Cloud…" he mumbled, his deep voice rang for a long time in the silence of the small room.
"I don't blame you," Cloud said. Again if they had been paying attention they would have realized the words had been said before.
From then on everything remain quiet. No one spoke and no one made eye contact. When they landed Vincent started in a different direction, "bring them to the old Shin Ra manor." Cloud did not ague. They parted ways and were quickly gone.