Blood & Sympathy (FFVII: Vincent x OC)

Ch51 - Too Late to Say Goodbye

Warning! Warning! Prepare tissues! You will cry! (Don't kill me)

Suggested Song for this Chapter: 'The Other Side' by Ruelle

She was sure she looked pale. Paler than she'd ever looked before. They had been walking towards the crater for a couple of minutes, hours, she didn't know. She just knew her hands were trembling and the snowflakes were sticking her fingers together.

The frost on the crater bit harshly against their bodies. The thick clothes were doing nothing to shield them from it. The temperatures were dropped especially around the Crater because of the energy that the Cetra had gathered to heal the Planet's wound that JENOVA had caused when she fell with that Meteor.

Vincent was behind her, on the slim stone path that was covered with thick layers of snow. Yuffie and Tifa were wearing clothes this time but the frost was still hitting them hard as they curled close to each other. Vincent, Jocasta, Nanaki and Cloud, still seemed immune to the cold as they walked forward, and Cid with Barret were keeping an eye on Tifa and Yuffie. Cait Sith was standing on Nanaki's back. He was a waterproof robot, the luckiest of them all.

Jocasta dragged another rubble of ice and snow with her feet so that she could move further. She nearly slipped on the ice beneath her, but Vincent's hand was fast. His reflexes kicked in and he wrapped his arms around her waist, and helped her stand. His arms were warm around her, and she could sense it even from above all those layers of clothing that she wore.

"Careful!" He sounded alarmed. His eyes were wide as he pressed her back against his chest. He made sure that the path in front of them was safe, before his hands released her. He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

"Thanks, Vince," she said gratefully as she turned to look at him and give him a weak smile. He nodded, and their attention was caught up by Cloud's voice as he spoke.

"We're here," Cloud said. His voice sounded cold. His crystal blue, Mako infused eyes stared at the cave that spread in front of them. He was leading them there. He had an insistent feeling, that that's where Sephiroth was. He could feel it in the JENOVA cells that had been forced inside of him.

The others reached them not long after. "So, this is the cave, Cloud, eh?" Cait's voice came as Nanaki approached them.

Nanaki's nose twitched and he hummed in acknowledgement "I can smell him," he nodded.

"Do you think you can lead us to him?" Cloud asked.

Nanaki nodded "I could give it a try," he said and Cloud let him walk forward.

The team entered the cave, where the frost didn't bite as much as it did on the outside. It was getting quite easier to walk in there. The crystalized Mako that was attached all around the walls and the roof, was bringing enough light to guide them within the endless corridors of the cave. There were streams of frozen water, and frozen Mako. The light that reflected was only green with a faint touch of white.

Yuffie let out a groan of protest "How much longer till we kick some ass?

Cid groaned irritatingly "Shut up, brat,"

"But it's getting boring!!"

"Not for long, Kisaragi," Barret said as he cocked his gun, preparing it for battle.

Nanaki stopped walking. He growled and his nose twitched again. His flaming tail stopped perking around and he got in a defensive stance as he stared in front of them. Everybody turned their attention at what he had been growling at and their eyes widened. It was him. Sephiroth. His hair was almost white. His one hand was merged with his one wing. A white mass had started spreading from that wing towards his entire body. Jocasta gritted her teeth.