Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ And Then There Were Two ❯ Hunger ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2: Hunger

 

Vincent felt a pair of eyes watching him as he was trimming the hedges along the edge of the property. He knew that it was Tifa and he wanted desperately to turn around and smile back, but a certain blond, blue-eyed individual prevented him from ever capturing her heart. He had begun to relish in Tifa's company ever since he was released from the coffin in the basement. She was one of the few AVALANCE members who would treat him like a normal human being rather than a freak of nature. She listened to him and respected him, unknowingly aiding in his personal atonement for his sins against Lucrecia.

 

Lucrecia: Vincent's sin. She was able to capture his heart so easily with her beauty. Vincent had been with many women before, but none were fatal as his romance with Lucrecia proved to be. There were many women who only had brains and others only beauty, but Lucrecia had both. She was too tempting to ignore, similar to a certain martial artist he knew. Tifa also had her qualities. She had a beauty that was both internal and external that everyone, especially men, noticed. She had a strong sense of duty and compassion. He could always trust her in battle as a warrior and also as a friend. Tifa was not a woman: she was an extraordinary woman. Her scent was so intoxicating to him that even the monsters he harbored in his body would shift restlessly.

 

Chaos, his most feared and demonic form, held the most interest in his female companion. Vincent had always found Tifa to be attractive, but it wasn't until he received Chaos as well as his gun the Death Penalty that he started to desire the young martial artist. Vincent had never been able to determine whether Chaos sparked his desire for Tifa or if it was his own repressed lust that he never acknowledged until after emotionally releasing himself from Lucrecia. He only knew that his heart had found someone else to hold onto, but like Lucrecia, he couldn't have her.

 

“Weak. Pathetic.”

 

“What do you want Chaos?”

 

“The same thing you do, Valentine.”

 

“And what, pray tell, would that be?”

 

“The girl,” Chaos purred. “She would make a perfect mate.”

 

“Don't think such thoughts about her!” Vincent snapped in anger.

 

“And why shouldn't I? You do,” Chaos laughed.

 

Vincent was at a loss of words for how to respond to Chaos. He knew that the creature was right. Vincent wanted to maintain his dominance over his inner demons and letting Chaos get the last say in this argument was not helping him keep it. He had finally thought of a good retaliation but had no time to voice it when he heard Tifa softly padding his way.

 

He turned and saw the young woman smeared with bits of dirt and sweat all over her body. Her shirt clung to her body as she smiled at him and rubbed some sweat off her forehead, only smudging some more dirt on her face. Vincent could still hear Chaos laughing as he tried to calm his nerves from reacting to her unruly, yet seductive appearance.

 

“I just wanted to tell you that I was going to take a quick shower then make some lunch. Is there anything in particular you want to have?” she asked politely.

 

“I'll be fine with anything you make. No meal you've made has disappointed me yet,” he answered honestly.

 

“Oh, Vincent, you always say the most encouraging things to me,” she blushed. “But Cloud said he was hoping for some of my famous chicken and dumpling soup, does that sound good?”

 

“Yes, that would be nice,” he smiled one of his rare smiles. She was constantly looking out for everyone and putting their needs before her own. He always admired her for this peculiar trait.

 

“Great! Then I better get started. I'll call you two when lunch is ready,” she smiled as she turned around and ran back into the mansion.

 

He watched her back fading into the distance before it disappeared behind the mansion walls. Once he saw that she was safely back in the mansion, he focused on getting back to the hedges. But before he could return to the task at hand, he heard Cloud slowly making his way over. Vincent turned to face his comrade as he watched the blond-haired man walk with a slight twinge of hesitation in his step.

 

Cloud unconsciously rubbed the back of his head before he finally spoke what was on his mind. “Vincent, can I ask you a personal question?”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Well . . . how did you finally get over Lucrecia?” Cloud asked cautiously, fearing that he was treading in hazardous territory.

 

Vincent was shocked that Cloud had asked him about Lucrecia. The leader of AVALANCE had never shown any interest in learning more about the pasts of his other comrades. Vincent took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment before he finally answered. “It took many factors for me to finally overcome my feelings for her, time being one of them. I told you when I was released from the coffin that I had been seeking atonement for my sins; well, Lucrecia was my sin and after killing Hojo I was halfway towards redemption. The other half came from Lucrecia herself. Do you remember the waterfall cave?”

 

Cloud nodded as he carefully listened to all of Vincent's words.

 

“She was there, at least her spirit was. I was given the opportunity to talk to her one last time, to see her before she eventually faded away. She was the one who gave me my current weapon the Death Penalty. That was the weapon I used to kill Hojo. It is also the token of her forgiveness, her last gift to me,” Vincent said calmly as if he had rehearsed these very words before in his mind. He was about to mention Chaos, but decided to forego that. It wasn't Cloud's place to know. “All of that combined with time helped heal the wounds.”

 

Cloud bent his head down in contemplation, “I see. Were there any other factors?”
Vincent was about to mention his growing attraction for Tifa, but that was also another piece of information that Cloud didn't need to know. “No.”

 

“Thanks for telling me. I know it must have been hard to say all that. I'm sure you know I'm still trying to get over the death of Aeris,” Cloud said sadly.

 

“Yes, she was a special person. The planet lost a great ally when she died,” Vincent said flatly.

 

“Yes, she was,” Cloud said with a melancholy tone. “But I think it's time for me to get over her. I want to be there for Tifa. She and I lost everything to Sephiroth. I even lost myself, but Tifa's always been there for me and I think I'm ready to do the same for her. Do you think falling in love again will help me get over the loss of Aeris?”

 

Vincent listened to Cloud's words carefully and felt his throat constricting in a mixture of anger and defeat. He knew if Cloud reciprocated Tifa's feelings that his chance with the raven-haired beauty was lost. Slowly he swallowed each of Cloud's words like a nail and calmly collected himself. “Yes, I think it will and I think that would make Tifa very happy.”

 

“Thanks Vincent, I'm glad I have your approval,” Cloud said as he patted his comrade on the back.

 

Cloud returned to work feeling energized after his talk with Vincent. He would have to find the right time to tell Tifa his feelings, but he knew he had all the time in the world as well as the support of his friends. However, Cloud never noticed Vincent stiffening at his friendly gesture or the vacant look in his eyes as he mentioned his growing affection for Tifa. He blindly put his trust in his comrade never once thinking that he was Vincent's rival for Tifa's love; thus his enemy.

 

“How much longer until we're out of the mountains?”

 

“We're not even close to the half-way mark,” the man said with a tone of annoyance. “I can't believe you decided to walk with us rather than taking the airship. I'm sure grandma is turning in her grave worrying about you.”

 

“Well, a little walk never hurt an old man did it?”

 

“Grandpa, do you need to rest up a bit?” a young woman gently asked the older man who was heaving.

 

“Oh, that would be wonderful, Marie,” the old man nodded as he found a nice sturdy rock to sit down on.

 

“Mommy, I'm tired!” a little boy whined as he rubbed his eyes.

 

“Go ahead and take a little nap next to your great-granddaddy, ok?” Marie lightly patted the boy.

 

The boy only grunted in acknowledgement as he lay down on the blanket his mother had placed neatly on the ground next to the tired old man.

 

“Got any leftovers from breakfast Marie?” the old man asked his granddaughter-in-law.

 

“Grandpa, you already ate a huge breakfast and you're still hungry? It's bad enough that you're delaying our caravan to Rocket Town, but do you really have to eat all our provisions?”

 

“Oh come on William, don't be so harsh on him. The others need some rest too, not just your grandfather,” Marie chided.

 

“We have a funeral to get to and my two brothers and I are needed there by the end of the day tomorrow. We don't have much time to dilly-dally,” William snorted as he paced uneasily.

 

Marie rolled her eyes as she brought out a roll for her husband's grandfather and walked over to the other two men sitting down to offer them her sheepskin of water. The group had left the quiet town of Nibelheim earlier that morning to catch an early start on the mountain pass that would take them to Rocket Town. They hadn't been on the path that long, but since most of the trek was an uphill climb, it wore out the travelers quicker than they had anticipated.

 

“Bryan, Andy, how are you two holding up?” Marie asked the two younger men.

 

“We're fine, thanks for your concern,” Bryan, the youngest of the three brothers, said sincerely.

 

“Yeah, don't worry about us. We're just as tough as our older brother if not tougher,” Andy joked.

 

“Hey, I heard that!” William interjected as he also made his way towards his wife and two younger brothers. “Don't make me prove to you who's the toughest.”

 

“Hey, no problem bro, I was just kidding ya know,” Andy waved his hands up in part defeat and part defense. Anyone who knew William's temperament never wanted to be on the short end of it.

 

The old man smiled as he watched his grandchildren bicker a few yards away from him. He slowly took a bite out of his roll and enjoyed the breeze that gently blew past. He carefully stroked his young great-grandson's head so not to wake him. He could have taken the airship along with his aging children, but the trip would have been boring and uneventful. Watching the younger generation of his family, he saw how his family name was going to survive. He may have chosen the longer and more grueling journey, but he would never have missed feeling this serenity for the world.

 

Smiling to himself, he closed his eyes as he let the muffled argument of his grandsons flow through his ears like water. He took another bite of the roll and let the taste linger before finally swallowing, but the masticated piece of bread caught itself along his esophagus. He wanted to cough and ease the burning pain in his throat, but the searing pain in his lower back trumped his choking.

 

The old man was about to reach around to find the obtrusive object jabbing him in his back until he heard a low guttural sound a few inches away from his ear. He didn't need to turn around to know that some wild animal was behind him and was going to turn him into his morning snack. In his prime, the old man would have been able to fight whatever beast was along these mountain paths, but he was far from being able to defend himself. He wanted to scream to warn his grandchildren, but the offending piece of bread was still lodged deep in this throat and he couldn't find his voice.

 

There was only one thing the old man could do to warn them and he hoped that his arm wouldn't let him down. He flung the last remaining piece of roll at his bickering grandchildren and watched as it hit William square in the back of his head. He would have smiled if he didn't have to see the look of annoyance turn into pure horror as his grandchildren all turned to face him. He also probably would have laughed if he didn't know that he was about to die. Despite that, the old man did smile one last time hoping that he gave his grandchildren the chance to run away and survive: feeling nothing but peace as the creature ripped its talons into his throat.

 

* * *

 

Tifa meticulously cut up the vegetables before dropping them in the steaming chicken broth. After covering the large pot, she checked her watch and set the egg timer for fifteen minutes until she had to work on the next step of making the thickener. The chicken had already been marinated, seasoned and grilled. Tifa even brought out the necessary bowls and ingredients for the dumplings, but it was still too early to get started on them.

 

After surveying the kitchen one last time to make sure nothing else could be done, she smiled in satisfaction as she walked over to the kitchen where a novel lay waiting for her return. She had found the book in the library down in the basement. It was one of those mystery novels where the main characters were one by one being murdered by some unknown entity.

 

She was almost finished with the novel and eager to find out how it ended. Finding her bookmark, she let her imagination run rampant as the words formed images in her mind. She never thought that a few simple words were capable of igniting such vivid images. She was thoroughly enjoying the suspense as each page drew her closer and closer to uncovering the murderer.

 

The egg timer finally buzzed interrupting Tifa's train of thought. She quickly replaced her bookmark and stopped the annoying shrill noise. She felt a bit frustrated that she couldn't finish the novel, but lunch needed to be finished. Checking on the pot to make sure the broth was ready for the thickener, she nodded her head in satisfaction before heading for the door.

 

“Cloud, Vincent! Lunch will be ready in fifteen minutes,” Tifa yelled out the door at the two men working in the yard.

 

Cloud waved back at Tifa smiling brightly and Vincent politely bowed. She smiled to herself as she watched the two men from the door. Who needs to read a murder-mystery when I can't even resolve the conflicts of my own heart?

 

Cloud let his gaze linger on the body of his childhood friend who stood in the doorway of the mansion. He had always known that Tifa was extremely beautiful. She was his first crush and the reason why he joined SOLIDER. Unfortunately, all that changed when he met Aeris.

 

Aeris had been the most amazing woman he had ever met. He wasn't sure if he could ever forget her, but at least he had his first crush still by his side. Barret had always told him that Tifa had feelings for him. He never gave it a second thought because he needed time to mourn over Aeris's death. But that was a year ago and now Cloud was ready to move on.

 

He and Vincent had already made their way back into the mansion to clean up before lunch. They both made it to the table as Tifa was spooning out hearty helpings of her soup. Cloud recounted the last time he had some of her famous soup. They thought it was going to be their last meal. Tifa had insisted on making something special for everyone before they went down into the heart of the Northern Crater to fight Sephiroth. Luckily for them, it hadn't been their final meal, but he never forgot the savory taste of her soup. At first, he thought the soup was excellent because it was going to be the last thing he ate, but Tifa had many gifts and cooking was one of them.

 

Sitting down and taking his first bite of the chunky broth proved that Tifa was one of the best cooks he knew. The recipe was exactly the same, but the mood was different. There was no impending doom awaiting them or the fate of the entire planet slung on their shoulders. There was only the satisfaction of eating a hot meal after working part of the day out in the yard. Cloud and Vincent both genuinely savored each bite.

 

“I hope you both enjoy it,” Tifa asked as she scraped up some more soup into both of their finished bowls.

 

“Yes, it's as good as the last time you made it,” Vincent replied.

 

“Yeah, Tifa. This is the best thing I've ever eaten,” Cloud replied in between bites.

 

“Well, I'm glad you both liked it. I just hope you don't expect all of the meals I cook to be that good,” she said as she picked up her bowl and the empty pot to take it to the sink.

 

“Oh, Tifa, let me help you with the dishes. It's only fair since you slaved in the kitchen all day,” Cloud said while taking the dishes away from Tifa's hands.

 

He smirked as he watched her blush. They left to go into the kitchen leaving Vincent at the table to finish his bowl of soup. Cloud never noticed the pained expression on Vincent's face as they left the table, but Tifa did.

 

The pair made light conversation as they scrubbed the dishes. Tifa wasn't sure why Cloud had suddenly offered to help her with the dishes. It was a task he always despised doing.

 

“So, what plans do you have for tonight?” Cloud asked as he dried one of the bowls.

 

“Nothing much really. Just hoping to get some reading done. Why do you ask?” Tifa shyly inquired.

 

“Oh, I was wondering if you wanted to take a walk around the town? We haven't really done anything together since we moved in here. Just you and me, how does that sound?” Cloud added in a hopeful tone.

 

“That sounds wonderful Cloud,” she quickly replied.

 

Cloud grinned upon hearing Tifa's answer. He wanted to say more, but their private conversation ended when Vincent walked in carrying his dirty dishes.

 

“Oh, Vincent! I hope you don't mind if Tifa and I take a walk together tonight,” Cloud said gleefully.

 

Vincent mechanically moved to dunk his dishes in the soapy water before replying, “that would be fine. Tifa if you don't mind, I'd like to finish the rest of the dishes for you.”

 

Tifa nodded her head and stepped to the side giving Vincent better access to the sink. She felt guilty for agreeing to the walk with Cloud. She needed to clear her mind and get out of the house with the two men who unconsciously pulled on both ends of her heart.

 

“Cloud, Vincent, I'm going to the market to get a few things for the house. I'll be back shortly,” Tifa said innocently. Finding her excuse to get out of the house.

 

“Ok, Teef. I think we're running low on milk by the way,” Cloud added.

 

“Ok, I'll get some more milk while I'm out. Anything for you Vincent?”

 

“No, I'm fine. Thank you for offering,” he gently said.

 

Tifa's eyes locked with Vincent's as he talked and she saw a look of understanding in his eyes. She never figured out how Vincent could be so perceptive. It was probably why he used to be a Turk. Tifa saw how his eyes absorbed their surroundings, taking in all the images and processing them like a machine. His eyes could bore down to the depths of a person's soul and still have room to go even further. They were so different from Cloud's. Cloud's eyes had a look of innocence and gaiety like a young child's. Tifa was sure that Cloud would never outgrow his boyish looks. Even though he was a seasoned warrior and had experienced many hardships, there was always that hint of naivety in his eyes.

 

Tifa tried to refocus her thoughts on the task at hand. The two men had become her distraction and she needed to channel her thoughts elsewhere or she would only drive herself into a deep chasm of confusion. After excusing herself from the room, she quickly grabbed her bag of gil before making her way to the Nibelheim market.

 

It was always refreshing to walk out into the cool crisp air. She was becoming reenergized and walked with a certain bounce in her step as if she had no cares or worries in the world. The trip to the market and back helped clear her mind and gave her a moment to herself.

 

Unfortunately, she wished she could take more time away from her roommates. A part of her wanted to return to the mansion to see both Vincent and Cloud, but another part didn't want to face them: to have that feeling of uncertainty and indecisiveness over the two men.

 

The gates of the mansion stood before her, ready to welcome one of its present owners. As she reached for the gate, she heard the wailing of a distressed woman come from the trail towards the Nibelheim Mountains. Tifa turned and saw three men and a woman half-running, half-walking down the trail. One of the men was dragging the woman who kept on trying to run back up the path. It seemed like the strangest sight to the average person, but Tifa had seen the look of shock and desperation on that woman's face many countless times before. Someone died on the mountain path, someone very dear to her.

 

The group got closer and closer to the mansion gates, still trying to calm their female companion. Tifa could have opened the gates and made her way back into the mansion without giving the group a second thought, but she had a high sense of duty and needed to know what happened.

 

Before Tifa could ask the travelers, the hysterical woman spotted Tifa and broke free from her husband's grip to run towards her.

 

“Please, please help me! My baby's still up there!”

 

“Marie, please! You know we can't go back up there!”

 

“William, it's going to eat our baby, we have to go back,” the woman pleaded with her husband as tears raced down her face.

 

The man grabbed the woman and held her close. Tifa could see tears forming as the man tried his best to comfort his wife.

 

“Please Marie. I don't want to lose you too. Please don't. We'll find someone to find Jacob for us. He's a big boy now. He'll be alright,” the man said while stroking her hair. He knew they were empty words and that their son was probably already dead, but it was the only hope he could offer.

 

Tifa didn't know exactly what had happened in the mountains, but she heard enough to know that these people were in dire need of help. “I might be able to help you all,” she said loud enough so the four travelers could hear her.

 

Marie lifted her head up in hope after hearing Tifa's offer. “You can? You can go and save my baby?”

 

“Well, I'll certainly try. And if I can't do it, I have two friends who will help,” trying to sound as confident as possible. “Do you have a place to stay?”

 

“No, we don't Ms. . . . ?” Bryan asked while silently staring at Tifa.

 

“Tifa Lockheart,” Tifa said while nodding her head.

 

“Nice to meet you Ms. Lockheart. Here let me get those bags for you, they're probably quite heavy,” Bryan said smiling while grabbing the groceries.

 

Andy was also staring at the beautiful woman who offered her help. “Hi, Tifa. My name's Andy. That person over there is my younger brother Bryan and this is my older brother William and his wife Marie,” he said while shaking her recently freed hand.

 

Tifa stood a bit bewildered at the men's actions. “Hi, nice to meet you all. But let's go inside so I can get you all settled and plan out how to save Jacob,” she said while releasing her hand from Andy's so she could open the gate.

 

The four travelers followed closely behind Tifa never letting her image leave their sights, especially Bryan and Andy. She knew that she needed to find out exactly what happened up in the mountains. She would also have to explain to Cloud and Vincent why she was harboring these people. Though the task seemed daunting at first, she knew that it was at least a distraction from facing Cloud and Vincent alone.

 

They finally made it to the door and opened it to reveal a stoic Vincent with both of his legs propped up against a desk. Bits and pieces of gun parts were littered on the desk as well as a few brushes and oils. Vincent noticed the small band of people in the house and raised an eyebrow at Tifa who only gave him a rueful smile in response. Wiping some oil off his hands, he strapped on his red cloak that was hanging on the back of the chair and quickly worked on cleaning up his tools. Needless to say, the image was not the warmest of welcomes for the travelers. Everyone stood in silence as Vincent calmly sat up and tucked one of the guns that hadn't been disassembled yet in his holster.

 

“I see that we have guests, should I go fetch Cloud?” Vincent asked.

 

“Yeah, that would be great Vincent,” Tifa replied before showing the travelers some nice sofas to rest on.

 

Tifa took the bags of groceries from Bryan and told them she would make some tea for everyone while Vincent went to get Cloud. Andy and Bryan both glared at each other trying to figure out if Vincent was Tifa's husband or relative. Their faces fell when they saw Cloud walk into the room.

 

“Hey, Teef, did you get the milk?” Cloud shouted towards the kitchen where Tifa took the groceries.

 

“Cloud! Can you think of something else other than food? We have guests who need our help,” Tifa shouted back from the kitchen.

 

Cloud turned around to see the four travelers sitting on the sofas in the den. Marie was still crying relentlessly with William to comfort her and Bryan and Andy stared at both Cloud and Vincent dumbfounded as to why two men were living with such a beautiful woman. The situation turned from uncomfortable to awkward as Cloud and Vincent stood in a staring contest with Bryan and Andy. Cloud wasn't sure what to say whereas Vincent was always quiet to begin with and retained that stance. Luckily for the pair, Tifa walked in carrying a tray of teacups and a pot of tea. All of the men, excluding William, were relieved to finally see her return to the room.

 

“Here, this will help comfort you,” as Tifa poured a cup for Marie who took it graciously.

 

“Thank you for your kindness Ms. Lockheart,” William answered for his wife.

 

“Please, just call me Tifa. I feel like an old woman when you call me Ms. Lockheart,” Tifa smiled as she poured the remaining cups of tea. “I know this will be hard on you, but what exactly happened in the mountains today?”

 

Marie tightened the grip on her teacup while William tried to stifle a tear. Andy and Bryan knew that they were too emotionally distressed to recount their horrific journey. The brothers cleared their throats and nodded to one another before starting.

 

“You all may want to sit down for this,” Bryan began.

 

Cloud took a seat in the nearby chair while Vincent stepped back against the wall where the shadows were the darkest. Tifa found a chair next to Cloud's and focused her attention on the two brothers who were about to tell their tale.

 

(continued…)