~Tifa's POV~
I stare out the front window of the cockpit, the sun having set a long time ago. Cid flew us to Mideel and then vanished along with Cloud and Yuffie. Nobody seems to know where he went, but Barret said he shard Cid yelling at Cloud earlier and heard what sounded like a punch. I seriously hope it wasn't... The beds on this ship are extremely uncomfortable, but the pilot said he was moving the mattresses from the Highwind to her soon. Honestly, I miss the old ship. It was the same machine that saved my life many times and got us everywhere we needed to be as fast as possible. This ship is slow and lazy, seemingly to be used more as a battle craft than transportation with its huge missile supply.
"They should be back soon," A hand rests on my shoulder.
"I hope so," I yawn. "I'm so tired."
"We haven't slept in about twenty four hours, nothin too bad," he smirks down at me and I roll my eyes.
"You never sleep, it shouldn't effect you."
"I do too!"
"Cmon, you wake me up with your random mumbling and annoying train horn sounds."
"Okay, so I snore," he shrugs innocently. Oh Barret... "Don't be so grouchy."
"I won't be if you stop waking me up at night."
"Is that a threat?" He asks in mock fear.
"Maybe."
With a chuckle, he shakes his head and watches a few of the tropical towns' citizens walking home from closing shops and friends' houses. It's so unfair that normal people like this get to be killed and tortured by crazy armies and Sephiroth. What have they done wrong? What did they do to deserve this? If only Sephiroth could be persuaded that people have feelings and souls and they do care. Just because of his bad experience with Hojo he thinks all people are bad. He thinks he was created in a lab when he was really born of Vincent's first love, Lucretia. He doesn't know that Vince tried to save him from the monster Hojo turned him into, and got himself killed and turned into a half demon in return. If only he would listen...
"Look, here they come," he breaks me from my useless thoughts. Sure enough, two light haired men and a dark haired woman are making their way toward the Shera.
"Finally," is all I say before taking my time in my walk to open the door for them. Cid appears first, walking past as fast as can and disappearing into the hall. His eyes looked a little red and puffy... No, I must be going insane. Maybe Cloud punched him in the eyes?
"What's his problem?" Cait asks, entering the room just as Yuffie closes the door behind her.
"Sh..." She starts but stops when Cloud gives her a look.
"You don't even know, we never told you."
"I could tell just from looking at him," she snaps back irritably. "She has mako poisoning, simple as that. But they don't know if she'll ever get better. Whatever happened to her must have been horrible."
"Sephiroth," Cloud mutters, staring off into space.
"Huh?" I frown, my heart thumping a bit harder at the mention of the horrible man's name.
"In the basement earlier... He had a walkie talkie and... He has the kids," he sighs, tugging at the roots of his blonde hair.
"How?" Yuffie finally responds. "And how long did you plan on keeping it hidden?"
"I didn't, it slipped my mind for a short while, probably because of that hit on the head I took."
"Hmph," she scoffs, crossing her arms.
"But yeah, he probably did this to Shera when he came and got the twins."
"So wait," I furrow my brows, suddenly worried. "What happened to your dad?"
"Sephiroth has him too."
"Well this is just lovely. Most of our family is kidnapped by some evil not-very-genius, and you say you forgot about it?!" Yuffie says, glaring at him.
"I told you, I..."
"No, stop making excuses. You didn't want to tell me because you were ashamed of the fact that you didn't keep the kids safe. You just dropped them off at a house and expected that person to takes care of them," she rants. "And look where that got us. Now the Highwinds have been dragged into this mess."
"Not to sound cheesy and all, but we're all kinda in this mess. Together?" Barret speaks up. Then he frowns and blinks for a second. "Wait, does that mean he was cryin?"
"Why else would he look like that?" Yuffie glares at him and he holds his hands up in defense. Geeze, she's really mad...
"I dunno, Cranky. I was just askin."
"You are both seriously asking for a punch to the face right now," she glares at both men. I almost laugh until I realize that she's dead serious.
"Why don't we go to the kitchen and I'll..." I start, trying to help the guys out.
"I can't, I have to go save my kids from a moron that thinks his mother is a thousand year old alien specimen," she seethes, shooting one last spiteful look toward Cloud before heading up the stairs and around to the corner.
"You might wanna..." I start.
"I know, I know," he sighs, following her.
"Give her some space," I finish, blinking blankly at the spot he was last seen. Moments later, more yelling ensues and a noise that rings through the cockpit loudly. Barret gives me a look and I roll my eyes.
"Did you to ever act like this?"
"Nuh-uh," he shakes his small head. "Not that she had the mind for it." I mentally slap myself for forgetting that his wife was mentally disabled. That and for bringing her up, because she died with Corel and all.
"I hope we don't," I shake my head.
"I dunno, that little drunk tantrum Vincent threw was pretty amusing."
"It was not," I roll my eyes.
One day after Vincent got home from his little adventures, he was being a total jerk and very inconsiderate of my customers, cashing a bunch to leave. Except for Barret and Cid anyway. When he told me I was being very annoying and I needed to just shut up, I lost it and locked him outside until closing. When I let him back in, he was stumbling at over the place and it still has me wondering to this day what he drank that made him so dizzy and weird. Anyway, he got inside and I told him that he needed to be on the "couch" tonight because I just needed time to cool off and he threw a temper tantrum like a five year old, stomping his foot and gettin on his knees to hug my leg. It was awful, even though Barret thought otherwise.
"It was too. Plus he knows not to take anything from Cid now."
"Wait so it was Cid's felt that he..." I break off laughing.
"Mhmm."
"I was wondering where he went."
The thoughts about Vincent bring me back to just hours before when he transformed into that... Thing, screaming for something to leave his head and that he wasn't a slave and such. There was blood everywhere, he wasn't screaming for no reason. I have a sudden urge to go see him, but right when I'm about to go find him, Cloud stumbles out of the hall, icepack on his cheek.
"Next time I'll listen to what you have to say before running of," he gives me a weary look.
"What happened to you?" Barret raises an eyebrow.
"Oh you know, the old slap in the face. Only it was more like Odin backhanded me," he rolls his eyes and moves the ice, a bright red splotch on his face.
"Ouch," I wince. He nods and puts the pack back on. "Well I'm gonna go find Vince..."
"Listen to your own advice and let her cool down," Cloud interrupts.
"What happened to listening to what I have to say?"
"It disappeared."
I scoff and then wander down where he came out of. Eventually I find the room by opening the door and seeing Yuffie and the creatu... Vincent. She looks up with her big brown eyes and shakes her head.
"If he sent you up here to talk to me, tell him I not interested."
"I think he learned his lesson," I give her a small smile and look down at Vincent, who seems to be either dead or sleeping completely still. I'm hoping that he's alive... Why wouldn't he be? Tifa, you're gonna worry yourself to death one of these days.
"Good," I small she says before directing her attention towards Vincent. "I don't know what to do with him."
"I wouldn't know either," I shake my head and to gently brush my fingers over the red horn-like things that seem to be protruding from his bandana. His back is no longer bleeding, but it doesn't look entirely right. Almost as if the wings shouldn't be there. And his shoulder... No body has seen a case of the stigma for a year and a half now, almost two. Sephiroth must've done something to his blade when he stabbed through Vincent's shoulder.
"He hasn't..." She starts, but then he moves, his eyebrows furrowing and his arm twitching, the claw at the end digging into his seemingly armored leg. "Moved...?"
I frown and then take my hand away, trying not to wake him up. Then I would have to explain everything, and that's not something I want. But he keeps stirring in his sleep, reaching out for something almost. Yuffie gives me a confused look, which I equally return. What on earth? Suddenly his eyes fly open and stare straight forward, glowing yellow unlike their usual red color. This worries me further, though I don't know what to do at the moment.
"Tifa, you might want to move."
"Why?"
"Because he.." She's cut off by an earsplitting sound, Vince now standing and glaring at us, his sharp teeth poking above his bottom lip. Shoot... Yuffie seems equally stunned as he doesn't seem to recognize us, whatever is taking over him just took the reins.
"Hold crap holy crap holy crap," She continues to mutter to herself as he pulls out his gun. Then she pulls out her shuriken, to which I grab hold of her arm.
"You can't hurt him!"
"Tifa, he's gonna kill us," she glares at me.
"He wouldn't," I shake my head, trying to hold onto the hope that there is still some humanity left inside him. At that moment the gun goes off and it just barely grazes my arm. I shriek in surprise and jump out of the way, habitually standing in my defense posture.
"Yes, he would," she gives me a look before throwing her weapon. It lodges in his thick arm, making him produce some angry sound and throw it to the floor. Groaning, she grabs her to knives and then uses them like tiny swords, slashing at him. I don't know what to do. Will he kill me if I don't do anything? The look in his golden eyes says so, as do his vicious fanglike teeth.
"Yuffie, aren't you supposed to throw those?" I frown in confusion.
"Not enough room." Then she looks back at me. "Are you gonna help or..." A huge claw hits the back of her head, not only giving her a hard hit, but knocking her body to the floor and not giving her any time to catch herself. One of her weapons skitter across the floor and the other ends up in her leg from her fall.
"Yuffie?!" I kneel by her side and shake her shoulder. She doesn't respond and the monster behind me is staring straight at me. I'm his next target. Suddenly angry at whatever is controlling my lover, I stand up to my full height and glare at him.
"Leave him alone!"
"He's my slave... Bound to me for eternity..." A voice seems to hiss, but his mouth doesn't move. "Now my servant, attack!"
He obediently swipes his claw at me, a deep cut digging into my cheek. I gasp and then ball my fists up. Now you're asking for it. I don't care if this is Vincent's (kinda) body, or that that thing wants him as his slave for some reason. I've finally reached my limit and when I get to the point where I'm gonna explode, I'm gonna explode. Beat rush, somersault, water kick, meteodrive, dolphin blow, meteor strike, and last but not least, Final Heaven.
When I land back on my feet from my last attack, Vincent is already long past knocks out. The door swings open and Cloud and Cid stare at me blankly. At least Cid's face isn't as red as it was before.
"What on earth...?" Cloud trails off and then sees Yuffie, walking over quickly as kneeling by her side.
"What happened?" Cid frowns, looking at the beat and kinda bloody Vincent, the cut on my cheek dripping in blood.
"He woke up and just attacked us. And then some creepy voice said Vincent was his slave or whatever. I don't get it," I shake my head.
"That's... Different," he admits, scratching the back of his neck.
"Maybe it's just a new form," I suggest hopefully. "He used to get them all the time."
"But he was always in control of them."
"I don't know," I sigh, watching Cloud as he picks Yuffie up carefully. Then I feel eyes on me and look at Cid, who looks away when my eyes meet his. Lots of looking going on. I can almost read his mind. Now we're both losing someone. Sighing, I put him into and hug. I feel like I'm gong to cry, but I won't. I'll be strong and I'll hold back on weakness. That's what Vincent would want me to do. Try to figure out a way to save him before I lose myself like he did.
"He'll be fine," he reassures me. "We just need to figure out what's wrong, and then we'll fix it. Okay?" I nod and pull away, looking back at the married couple, Cloud attempting to pull her knife out of her thigh without vomiting.
"I'll get it," I say hurriedly, anything to get my mind off my current dilemma. He nods gratefully and I address her wounds as best I can. The two just stay in the room, watching Vincent in case he wakes up and chatting quietly.
"She'll be fine, Cid. It was only that bad for me because I fell onto the Lifestream, and that's like 'Holy mako!'."
"I know, I just... Can't help but worry," the pilot shakes his head. Aw, Cidera love! Sorry, I had to make a shipping name for those two. Whether Cid likes it or not, we all agree that they're adorable together. I'm getting the feels!
"Trust me, I know," Cloud chuckles, glancing over toward Yuffie. Cid laughs too when he realizes what he's talking about.
"Oh yeah, you've got your own little trouble maker."
"She isn't so little once you get punched in the face once or twice," he sighs.
"Well good thing your wife hasn't punched me in the face yet then, huh?"
"But she's still kicked you," Cloud smirks and Cid rolls his eyes.
"That was painful, okay? How would you feel if she..."
"It did happen once on accident," he laughs, ruffling the spikes on his head. "We were putting the fence up and she was swinging one of the posts around.." He trails off, leaving the rest to our imaginations. After a moment of silence, Cid speaks up again.
"Ouch."
"Yeah."
"You two are weird," I shake my head.
"You're lucky you're not a guy," Cloud responds.
"That I am. One less weakness to worry about in fist combat," I grin.
"Hey, I was pretty good in highschool," Cid defends.
"That was almost twenty years ago, Gramps."
"Still!"
"Hey, he got to punch Sephiroth in the face today, so that must been fun," Cloud tells me. I raise my eyebrows at the pilot, who just rolls his eyes.
"What can I say, I'm talented."
Even though they're making me laugh, talk, and smile, on the inside of falling apart. Vincent... What's happening to him? Will it get to the point where it would be more humane to just put a bullet through his skull that do this to him? I'm so lost, I don't know what to do. He was up the compass to my map. And now I don't know which way is North and which way will cause my destruction. A few days ago we were just sitting at home, arguing over wedding crap, and now he's turned into some... Being that tried to kill me and Yuffie, unaware of anything that he's doing.
I might not be crying, but on the inside, I'm dying.