Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Where Have All the Angels Gone? ❯ Masks ( Chapter 2 )

Note: I greatly appreciate my reviews so far. I try as much as I can not to stray from the plot of the game, but you will notice in much of this story that I create things that were simply not mentioned in the game. Be sure to send some reviews!

Masks

I suppose you're searching for forgiveness now.

"All right gang, here we are at the foot of Mt. Nibel. I'd first like to introduce you to the newest member of our fight against Shinra: Vincent Valentine, a former member of the Turks. With Vincent's prior training and high level of intelligence, he may be a great addition to our group."

It had been approximately twenty minutes since Vincent had climbed out of the dusty front doors of Shinra Mansion, his home of residency for over eight years. His eyes were still burning terribly, so he was just beginning to grow accustomed to the immensely bright lights of the outside world.

The party had traveled a good few miles out of Nibelhelm and was now standing in a vast green meadow, decorated with small willow trees and shrubs. It was a warm afternoon in the early fall, so the surroundings had yet to fully transform into the red-and-orange spectacle of color that they would in just a few short months.

After arriving in the meadow, Vincent was greeted by a grand assortment of people, all of which were unique and quite different from him. Tifa Lockheart (introduced as a childhood friend of Cloud) was pretty and optimistic, and yet also had a certain tomboyish charm to her that seemed to provide humor for the party. Meanwhile, Yuffie Kisaragi was simply loud and obnoxious, and was far too young for Vincent to even take any attention in. Along with these two women was a peculiar pair of creatures, which were extremely difficult for Vincent to initially classify as anything. There was Cait Sith, who appeared to be some sort of overly ambitious car riding a robotic Mog, and Nanaki, who was a red beast-like creature that resembled Vincent more in personality than any other member of the party (who also surprisingly talked more intelligently that any of them). Due to this brilliant hue of his fur, Nanaki had been affectionately labeled "Red" by most everyone in the caravan.

The assortment of individuals had congregated around a collection of stones in the meadow, and was now discussing their next move. Cloud had taken the initiative to jump to the position of authority, and was now directing the team as to how to plunge forward in their conquests.

"Okay, Mt. Nibel is probably not a good place for all of us to travel as a group. As you should all know by now, we are conducting this mission on a basis of secrecy and do not want any Shinra guys to catch us wandering around."

"Damn!" interrupted Barret, "does that mean we're gonna have to split up into groups again?" Barret was a talkative fellow, and did not enjoy walking in small groups.

Cloud nodded his head. "Yes Barret, it appears so. Now since you've had a lot of experience in the mountains I'm going to have you guide Aeris through the area. Are you okay with that?"

"That's fine by me," Barret replied, secretly proud that he could be trusted with such an important assignment. It did, however, make Vincent wonder as to why Cloud would take such a special interest in Aeris's safety above anyone else, even if she was an Ancient. It was probably silly of him to think that there were no feelings between the two of them in the first place; it was highly unlikely that some random outside would be able to come in and sweep a girl as beautiful as Aeris immediately off her feet.

Cloud wasted no time in his planning, and turned over to Vincent, who had rested himself against one of the stones in the ground. After not exercising at all for such a long time, climbing an entire mountain would inevitably be murderous upon his frail body.

"Vincent, you have some experience around Mako reactors, don't you?"

"…A small amount," he replied hesitantly. "I'm not altogether certain as to how particularly reactors have changed but I have visited this Nibel reactor before. Rather a gruesome place."

"Well if you are familiar with this area, do you mind guiding Red and Cait Sith through it?"

"No problem whatsoever," he stated hastily. Hiding his diffidence, he spun his rifle around in the air for a moment to flaunt.

"All right then," Cloud continued, "I guess that leaves me to take care of Tifa and Yuffie for the time being." A small hint of a smile appeared on Tifa's soft face, but was quickly eliminated to return to a more serious expression.

"Hey Cloud," Red interrupted while placing his large paws against a nearby rock, "where exactly are we heading to once we get out of the mountains?"

The blonde-haired man laughed almost like a child before continuing. "Man, I guess I forgot to mention that. If my memory serves me correctly there should be a town a few miles outside of the mountains. We'll meet up in the inn there." Recognizing that they had all information necessary, many members of the party rose to their feet.

"As always, I'll lead Tifa and Yuffie on first, and Vincent's group can depart about an hour later. We gotta make sure we clear the road for Aeris and Barret." Cloud motioned for the ladies to follow him, and Tifa and Yuffie walked up slowly behind him. Yuffie was almost trudging along, as if she didn't want to be here in the first place.

Before Cloud left, he shot a small glance back towards Aeris, who was sitting on a rock feeling the blades of grass between her dainty fingers.

"I'll see you, Aeris," he whispered softly while departing. Aeris didn't respond verbally, but acknowledged his departure by looking up. As soon as Cloud ventured beyond sight, she resumed her chore of toying with the meadow's grass.

Vincent crawled under a willow tree a few yards from the rest of the travelers and looked down at the land surrounding him. He had suddenly started to wonder again why he had even decided to join this expedition. In being around people again, he felt no comfort but rather sadness. He was able to see exactly how different he was from the norm, and how he could not form any decent relationship with anyone. The past had proven it to him.

*-*

It was a cloudy evening in Kalm when Vincent had returned to the Chocobo stables alongside Ester. Over the past few months of the summer they had taken quite a liking to riding Chocobos together, and made it almost their daily routine to cross the hilltops and the emerald fields. Vincent's hair was shorter, and his eyes were much more inviting than the day he was resurrected in his coffin.

Upon reaching the stables, they each climbed off of their birds and placed them back in the main pen, where Chocobo Bill had instructed them to do so.

Vincent turned back to his best friend, who was still stroking her excitable Chocobo with the palm of her hand. "So are you ready to leave? We have a pretty good walk ahead of us back to Kalm."

"Yeah, I guess so," Ester replied, letting her strawberry blonde hair be thrown backwards by the northern wind. "It's so funny how every time you nearly have to drag me away from the stables. I don't know why I like Chocobos so much, but I can never seem to get away for them for two long."

Ester, then only seventeen years old, was a charming and attractive young lady, even though she was never exactly beautiful. She was both intelligent and comical, and Vincent's only true friend within his hometown. Her eyes were blue and bright, and would often offer a direct view into the inner feelings of her soul. She was often emotional, which sometimes made him uncomfortable around her.

"So tell me, Vince," Ester said brightly, carrying her Chocobo helmet at her side while walking, "have you found a job in town yet? It's going to be awfully strange not seeing you during study time."

Vincent shivered immediately at Ester's asking of the question, since it was one he had purposely avoided for weeks. "Actually, I've already found myself some work, and I'm going to start tomorrow."

"What's that?" Ester inquired with the utmost of interest.

"I've been hired by Shinra, Inc. to be part of their Special Forces operators, the Turks."

"And you're going to train in Kalm?" Ester was trying to the acme of her ability to believe that Vincent was not traveling elsewhere, even though it was likely to be the case.

Vincent stopped for a moment in his tracks, and carefully shook his head no. "I'm sorry Ester; I'm leaving for Midgar first thing tomorrow morning. I don't want to be trapped in this town. I am not one for warmth and friendships; I want to see the world and the Turks can help me do that."

As Ester continued walking forward, a slight hint of anger was present in her voice. "And what about me, Vincent? You were just planning on leaving first thing in the morning without telling me where you were going? I care about you, Vincent. I don't want to see you go." The anger diminished from her voice as she talked, and by the conclusion her tone was soft and dejected.

"I…love you, Vincent."

For a moment, hearing these words even made Vincent feel some sort of regret inside for his actions. He was friends with Ester merely for the purpose of not being in solitude his entire childhood; he had never known he had such an affect upon her.

Vincent turned backwards to again face his friend, who was now clutching her small hands to her shirt collar and on the brink of sobbing.

"I planned on sneaking out of town, that is true. I'm not one for long or emotional goodbyes, and you know that I couldn't stand to see you cry. I am sorry again, but I never intended to settle down in Kalm. There is nothing left here for me."

"But…what about me?" Ester had abandoned all notions of holding back her tears now, and commenced to sob profusely. She reached out for Vincent to put her arm around her, but she received no warm embrace.

Vincent slowly took his hands and removed a small linked chain from his neck. It was a tiny necklace made of mythril that his father had given to him as a toddler, and one of his most cherished possessions. He then slowly opened up Ester's left hand, and placed the necklace inside of her grasp.

"Maybe I'll see you again sometime." He did not look back again, but instead walked onward into the warm summer wind.

Vincent wondered now whatever happened to his old friend. She was the only true friendly face in his life, but he had made the mistake of losing all contact with her. Even if he never loved her, she was the only one who had ever cared about him in a special way.

Unfortunately, the tragedy of the matter was that Vincent had not done anything to relinquish his aloof attitude towards others.

Will you always be alone?

*-*

The sky above Vincent was blue and peaceful. The Sun was beginning to lower itself down into the horizon, and nightfall would arrive in only a few hours. He had fallen asleep sometime during his retirement, but he was unsure as to the duration of his slumber.

"What are you looking at?"

Vincent jumped about three feet into the air when the voice spoke to him. He looked up, however, to be calmed by the perfect face of Aeris.

"It's getting to be about time for you to lead on into the mountains. You're ready, aren't you?"

Now standing at his usual posture, he knocked the wrinkles out of his clothing and stretched his aching joints. "I believe I am as ready as I will ever be, Miss. I hope to see you on the other side."

"I'll be looking forward to it," she replied smiling. "There are some…questions I want to ask you."

Vincent nearly smiled himself when he discovered he had some sort of meaning to Aeris. He now had a true incentive to cross the mountains; to simply see her again. Her "questions" probably had more to do with her past than anything, but it made Vincent feel much more accepted.

He bowed briefly to his lovely acquaintance.

"Until later." He then turned back towards the rest of his rocks, where the group of followers was awaiting him.

"Cait Sith! Nanaki! Are you two ready?"

The dog-like creature leaped off of a nearby boulder and surged towards the leader, slowly followed by the ridiculous hopping of Cait Sith, who would probably have a difficult time staying onboard his Mog during the strenuous climbing of Mt. Nibel.

Nanaki shook the dirt out of his fur and looked back up at Vincent.

"Call me Red; it will save you the confusion."

The rocky terrain of Mt. Nibel made it extremely difficult for the party to move forward in any sort of formation, so they were forced to just trudge wherever they could find a level area. Vincent took the lead, while Red and Cait Sith were close behind him.

"So tell me, Red, where exactly are you from? I have traveled much of this world and yet I have never seen a creature as unique as you."

Red, who was traveling about ten feet behind Vincent, was actually surprised to hear a question asked of him by his guide. The journey up until this point had been utterly silent, with Vincent talking only when he needed to warn them of rough conditions.

His surprise of the inquiry did not keep him from meriting a response, though. "I was born and raised in Cosmo Canyon, a small community just south of here. The people of the canyon are deep-thinkers, and spend little time communicating with other areas of the world. We rarely receive any visitors, and we seldom travel elsewhere."

"Then what, if I may ask, convinced you to go on this little expedition?"

"I was off running an errand for my grandfather when I was kidnapped by the Shinra and taken to Midgar for "scientific purposes". They had both Aeris and I in a plastic prison hoping for us to breed." As the conversation continued through the hike, Cait Sith seemed to drift backward while Vincent and Red came closer to converse.

"They wanted Aeris and you to breed? Whose idea was this?"

"The head of the Science Department; he was a small, crooked little man with long hair and glasses. I can't seem to recall his name, though…"

"Hojo?"

"Yes, that's correct; his name was Hojo. He was rather an insane little man. I have no real understanding of what Hojo's motive was in attempting to breed both Aeris and I. Even though both are species are on the brink of extinction, it is unlike Shinra to support animal conservation."

Vincent knew why Hojo wished for Red and Aeris to breed, but he kept the information to himself and continued closer to a large plank bridge less than a mile away. Hojo had apparently thought that he could find another way to this "Promised Land" if he conducted extensive experiments upon the Ancients. However, such a period of research could be dangerous and take a broad length of time, and Hojo wanted to have a replacement specimen in case Aeris perished during the research. Red was the last member of his own race, and therefore he was able to conjure a decent excuse for breeding him.

Vincent remained silent for a few minutes before turning around immediately before a wooden plank bridge to Cait Sith, who was lagging behind by a few meters. "So what about you, Cait Sith? What is your motivation for being out here?"

Tragically, Cait Sith was not able to answer, for the group was quickly jumped upon by a group of three cricket-like monsters.

"Everyone!" Vincent shouted, "Prepare for battle! We have a total of three Kyuvilduns attacking us, and while they are not altogether lethal, they could surprise us with their quickness!"

"Don't worry; I have that taken care of," Cait Sith replied while casting the spell Haste on all party member. "That should counter their speed." Vincent was surprised to see that the party had been able to collect Materia as they had, for even he had a fire magic spells available at his disposal.

Once energized, Vincent grasped his rifle in his hand and fired a quick shot at the small Kyuvildun, which was a small but somewhat visible target against the rugged brown landscapes of Mt. Nibel. His shot sank clean into the creature, which caused it to fall onto the ground and wither.

However, this attack was quickly countered by a fellow Kyuvildun, which grabbed onto Red's bushy mane and tugged forwards and backwards. Red screamed in agonizing pain, and the creature dug its thin legs in deeper through his skin.

"Red, attack it! You are much stronger than it, and by taking the aggressive approach it will be defeated!" Red snarled, and by biting the insect with his razor-sharp teeth, the Kyuvildun fell to the ground, where it was annihilated from a blow of Cait Sith's megaphone. There was only one enemy left, and Vincent glared it down and reached out his right hand.

"I hope I still remember how to do this." He lifted his hand upward, and by releasing a small amount of energy through his patience and strength, the Fire2 spell was cast upon the Kyuvildun, which made it perish before hitting the ground. The battle was completed, and the party was easily named the victors.

Vincent placed the rifle back in his pants pocket, and motioned for his followers to continue.

"Let's move on. We will not have to travel too much further, and I know of a secure location that we can stay overnight in."

"Hold on a sec," Cait Sith interrupted, "I thought we were supposed to travel out of the mountains before finding a place to rest."

"We were," Vincent said defiantly, "but I fear that my body is not strong enough yet to handle such strenuous travel, so it will be best for us to stop for the night soon. I know a place near the reactor itself where the enemies are less abundant than other sections of the mountain, and we can alternate keeping watch to be safe."

The party agreed to Vincent's proposition, and they slowly crossed the wooden plank bridge to the other side of the mountains, where several caves and passages were in plain view.

"Okay," Vincent stated abruptly, pointing toward the cave on the far left. "This will take us on to the reactor. I know you would not think it safe, but the caves near the reactor will be the most sufficient place for us to sleep."

Inside of the entryway, there was a vast mechanical chamber filled with pipes and rusted metal. It seemed as if the building had not been in operation for several years, for all the levers and switches were entrapped with thick spider webs.

As the group continued their descent to the pit of the mechanical chamber, Vincent realized that Cait Sith had never spoken of his motives, or even who he was in the past. Truly all he knew of the creature was that he formerly worked as a fortuneteller in Gold Saucer. In fact, he did not even seem to be real, for neither he nor his Mog partner had any mannerisms or slight movements. They did, however, sustain regular speech patterns and an adequate level of intelligence. Vincent dismissed the thought temporarily, for he felt as if he already knew the answer to his plaguing question, and it was one that would come to him eventually.

Each party member had selected different pipes to travel down (since they all seemingly led to the same destination), and were able to obtain a variety of weapons and items before meeting up again at the chamber's bottom. The floor in the downward sanctum was chilly and dark, so the group huddled close together to prevent any sudden attacks.

"So where do we go now, chief?" Cait Sith asked from behind, obviously using conversation as a tool for shadowing his apparent fear.

Vincent did not receive a divine opportunity to answer, for he began to hear a loud thumping from behind him. As soon as he saw a hint of flame come from the shadows, he ordered for the party to prepare once again for battle.

"Okay, this time it will be serious! Get your best Materia ready in case we need it!" A roar refrained Vincent from any further comments, and in a short time the group met the acquaintance of an enormous purple dragon with a dark green stomach. He was large enough to destroy any warrior in a single blow, and could scorch any survivors easily with his fire.

Cait Sith again started the fray by casting Haste on the party, while Red prepared his best ice attack. Vincent fired at the dragon continuously in between the others' spells, but little seemed to have any effect on the enormous monster.

Then, all at once, it approached, knocking Vincent ten feet backward with its tail. It roared on its hind legs, and charge forward again, nailing him in the side of the face. The remainder of the party attempted a counterattack, but it proved to be of no prevail. The dragon continued a barrage of bites and scratches at Vincent, cutting his face and hands. It seemed as if this would not be a victorious battle for the team, but a small power inside of Vincent slowly began to rise.

Instead of falling backward under the dragon's massive weight, he pushed the vicious beast forward. His ebony black hair slowly rose further from his head, and eventually formed two large pointed horns. His hands and clothing molded into a dark purple, which gave way to a thick coat of fur. His delicate hands and feet were replaced by deadly claws, and his face shaped and formed into a gruesome goblin-like creature. His human teeth sharpened, and became terrifying fangs worthy of destroying almost any foe.

In the midst of his pain and anger, the old Vincent Valentine evaporated and the Gallant Beast was formed. He stood only a few inches higher than his human counterpart, but from one glance one could easily see the vase improvement in strength.

The Beast stared forward at its prey (whose identity was virtually now of no importance at all), and lunged forward in a series of clawing attacks. The dragon did not even receive an opportunity to attack, for the blows dealt out by the Beast were at such a rapid pace as not to even grant the opponent an opportunity. The remainder of the party watched out of awe and perplexity, and in a few minutes the massive body of the dragon fell to the ground. The petrifying form of Gallant Beast then transformed back into the frail and shadowed Vincent, who collapsed down upon the cold ground of the metal floor.

So much for finding yourself, huh?

*-*

The church bells in Midgar were ringing loud and clear on the most gorgeous of Sunday afternoons. Vincent was dressed in his finest navy blue suit (the same one he had wore in his service as a Turk), and was sitting in the back row of the sanctuary. While the majority of the small crowd had seated towards the front, it was not particularly an occasion that Vincent was looking forward to. He recognized some of their faces, from the wrinkled grimace of Barret to the pleasant grin of Tifa. There was soft organ music in the background, and flowers had been placed on each pew to make the happy occasion just that tiny bit more wonderful..

It was not long until the music grew to its greatest volume, and the procession commenced. This particular event was grand and sentimental for most, but for Vincent it only served to add to his despair. Like with Lucrecia, he had been given an opportunity to save her; to make things the way in which he desired. Yet his fear drove him beyond his motivation, and he had never been given the courage to stand up for his own feelings.

He stared despondently at Aeris as she walked by in her beautiful white gown. She looked almost like an angel of peace and beauty, with white ribbons in her hair and a veil covering her lovely face. However, the veil did not even move an inch upon passing Vincent, for he was not even the slightest of her worries. She did, however, walk the aisle alone, a rarity for occasions in this time period.

About two minutes later, Aeris was followed by the muscular blonde hero; the man that most had said was destined to marry her. Cloud was wearing solid black, with the exception of a white undershirt and flower pinned onto his tuxedo. You could tell his joy in the way he walked, since Cloud had never been one to express his emotions with his attitude.

As they both approached the altar, Vincent could not help but consider leaving. He wondered if it could have been him at the altar instead of Cloud, and whether or not Aeris would be just as blissful, if not more.

Wait, he thought to himself, how am I going to marry her when I barely even know her? I don't even know anything about her…

…Then again, I never really tried to learn anything. I guess it's my own fault again, after all.

A man in light green robes stepped forward before the congregation, and spoke with a booming voice from a small platform.

"Ladies and gentleman, today we are to witness a merging of spirits and a joining of energies into the sacred Lifestream for eternity. These two individuals standing before us, Mr. Cloud Strife and Ms. Aeris Gainsborough, along with their associates, were single-handedly responsible for the restoration of our planet from both Sepiroth and the vile corporation Shinra. It is then with great pride and pleasure today that I present these two to be wed in front of this audience of friends and family, on this beautiful May afternoon, in the newborn city of New Midgar."

"First of all, if anyone feels there to be an adequate reason why these two should not be intertwined in marriage, please speak now or never be acknowledged or exposed."

Upon hearing the minister's statement Vincent commenced to panic in his head. What was he supposed to do, storm in front of the entire congregation and confess his love to a girl that he was certain had no romantic feelings for him? If it had been at any other point and time, the issue would have gone under much harsher consideration, but there was no other point or time; the moment was now.

Straightening out his suit coat, Vincent jumped to his feet and dashed to the altar without being interrupted. "I, minister, have an adequate reason why these two individuals should not be married, now or ever!"

"And why is that?" The minister asked with a chuckle. "There seems to be no reason why two people as renowned and heroic as Cloud Strife and Aeris Gainsborough should not be married. It would be a wonderful couple to support the future of the planet." Cloud and Aeris said nothing, and allowed the minister to do the talking for them.

Vincent responded next, and stated his words defiantly. "I know that they would be a fantastic match, but I cannot exist without thinking of my own future." Vincent wasted no more time, and reached out to snag Aeris's beautiful hand, which she pulled away without hesitation.

"Aeris," Vincent said softly, "you are my future, not just for tomorrow but for today. I can't see myself living without you. I realize that I have been antisocial and despicable to you for the past year, but that was just to hide my true feelings and weaknesses."

Aeris was now looking down into Vincent's brown eyes, which were filling with restless sweat and (amazingly) tears. She took little notice in his actual profession of feelings, but instead protested.

"Then why didn't you ever say anything if you cared so much, Vincent? I would have been friendlier towards you at least." Cloud was scowling, and was evidently anxious to have the ceremony continue.

"I know that I did not treat you the way in which you were meant to be treated," Vincent continued, "but there is tragically little I can do about that matter now. All I know is that I love you, Aeris Gainsborough. I love you more than any man ever could, and it is my fondest dream to spend my life with you."

"Why you son of a-" Cloud jumped to his feet and immediately threw a punch in the vicinity of Vincent. He was easily able to dodge the attack, and Aeris stood between them to prevent any further violence.

Aeris's own green eyes were flowing with tears, and she placed her delicate hands on Vincent's shoulders.

"Vincent, at one time I did love you, but I never received any signs back as to what our relationship was. You would never admit any feelings to anyone, and I couldn't be with someone that wouldn't even talk to me. I'm sorry, Vincent, but I have fallen in love with Cloud now and we're getting married. I hope that you'll stay and…"

Aeris was unable to finish her sentence, because Vincent had already stormed out the back door of the church and into the heat of a beautiful spring day.

And I suppose you desire to be pitied.

*-*

Vincent awoke inside of a cave much darker and dejected then his previous enclosure, and could barely even make out the concerned faces of Red and Cait Sith looking at him from above.

"Vincent, are you okay? We couldn't figure out for the life of us what happened to you in that battle with the dragon. If you were a normal person you would probably be dead."

Looking up at Cait Sith, the dilapidated gentleman scratched his own forehead, for he could not even recall the events of the battle himself.

"I don't know what happened; the last thing I remember was being attacked by the dragon and falling to the ground. How did we end up here?"

Red tugged Vincent up with his mouth, and also helped to answer his inquiry. "During the battle, it looked as if you would certainly die when you suddenly transformed into a monstrous purple creature. You attacked the dragon repeatedly by swiping at it, and eventually it fell to the ground in passing. You don't have knowledge of any of this?"

"No. No I don't." Vincent was almost prepared to sit down again, for he was so shocked at Red's description. "Even with our Materia, it is impossible for one person to humanly transform into another creature."

"Trust us, though; you did," Cait Sith added. "I've seen all sorts of people in the time I've been at Gold Saucer, but not once have I seen anything quite like that."

The idea of him undergoing transformations was incredibly frightening, so he attempted to dismiss it from his mind. However, deep inside his own thoughts, he knew it was Hojo that forced him to undergo such terrible alterations.

It must have been part of his experimentations; he thought to himself, what else did he do to me?

It would have been a waste of time to pester his fellow two party members with questions that only one man could answer, so Vincent kept the incident close in thought, and knew that the moment he confronted Hojo he would discover the truth.

"So," Vincent said lightly in hopes to defer his mind, "you still haven't answered my question as to how we arrived in this dark cave."

Cait Sith's cat figure chuckled lightly while the Mog arms swung back and forth. "Hey, Red has lived around mountains his entire life. We were able to carry you out of the dragon chamber and find a nearby cave to take refuge in. We have been here for about ten hours, so Red and I have taken turns keeping watch."

Vincent touched his own skin, and was ultimately surprised to feel no pain from the previous battle. How could his own battle wounds heal so quickly? Like his transformation, it was humanly impossible.

"Well, it would probably be good for us to be on our way." He wanted to leave as little time as possible for personal thought, so his question came quick and unexpected.

"So, were do we go from here?" Red asked politely.

"Well, if we are in the location in which you described, it should not be altogether far until we are out of the mountains. After leaving that chamber, there were only a few more hills to cross." The party exited the cave in a matter of seconds, and was stunned temporarily by the blinding light of the morning Sun.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Aeris and Barret are ahead of us now, considering the length of our break," Red added humorously.

Vincent realized that this was the perfect opportunity to work the girl into the conversation, especially since he was not even the first to mention her name. He had not wished to seem desperate, and did not even desire to create suspicion among his fellow travelers. After all, he barely even knew the girl, even though he had searched for her kind much of his own life.

He hesitated at first, but choked out the question without making it sound too awkward. "I was noticing while we were stopped with the whole group earlier that Cloud and Aeris kept exchanging glances."

Cait Sith shrugged his Mog shoulders in disbelief, while Red was much more inclined to respond. "You know, Cloud is one of the most peculiar human beings that I have seen when it comes to relationships. He has expressed interest in both Aeris and Tifa, without ever committing to either one. It must be frustrating for the two women, that is certain, to be as hesitant as to their mate's interests."

"So you are saying that they're not really together, then?"

"No, of course not. I can understand Cloud's difficulty in selecting the perfect girl, but they are both so beautiful that if I was him I would have made a decision in a heartbeat. I guess because of his lack of decisiveness, though, they are both single and open to other men. Why the sudden curiosity, if I may ask?"

"I don't know," Vincent replied with a shrug. "I'm just attempting to make some petty conversation for the trip. Over the years I have discovered that loneliness will inevitably lead to darkness, and I do not wish to suffer alone again." The party pushed themselves further to the final peak of the trail, and Vincent turned back to his dog-like associate.

"So do you know what kind of people Aeris is interested in?"

Red laughed boldly upon hearing this question, and his furry mane shook back and forth. "How am I supposed to know? I'm no judge of human behavior."

"And yet you were able to give me a deep analysis of Cloud's romantic connections with two different women."

Red continued to laugh to himself, while Cait Sith lugged behind in an attempt to catch the joke. Vincent took one last step up the mountain, and he could finally begin the descent. With the hope of Aeris's "questions" ahead of him (as subtle or insignificant as they could be), they were motivation enough to keep the weakened man upon his feet. The road ahead was now in plain view.

"Well, we're almost there."

He pointed down to the ground, and the green grass of the meadows below had never appeared so inviting.