Chasing Visions: Chapter 1
New fic!! Inspired by "Saving Subject C" by @aimeelouart, @im-totally-not-an-alien, and she_sees_in_the_dark, I present "Chasing Vision of Our Futures"!
Summary: Cloud didn't ask to be sent back in time by the planet to fix all its problems before they started. He certainly didn't ask to be de-aged into a literal child. At least he has Zack here to help share the burden and prevent him from having an existential breakdown. Too bad some SOLDIER showed up at Nibelheim and stole Zack away, huh?
Now Cloud's on a mission with a newly-freed Vincent to rescue his friend from the "evil clutches of ShinRa". But, just who was the mystery SOLDIER? And what does he have to do with Sephiroth?
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Chasing Visions of Our Futures
Chapter 1: Our Corner of the World
~~~~~
Genesis was honestly at a loss.
He didn’t quite know what to expect when he arrived in the backwater village of Nibelheim, but a small, spiky-haired child swimming in a SOLDIER 1st uniform idly watching Phoenix burn the ShinRa mansion to the ground was not it. The boy didn’t notice him at first, seemingly content to watch the summon (how in the Goddess’s name had he managed to pull that off?) in its destruction. In fact, it wasn’t until Genesis stepped forward to stand almost abreast with him that the child turned his head and looked up at him. The boy’s eyes widened in shock for a moment before he grinned at the 1st.
“Oh, Genesis! I didn’t think you’d be here!”
What?
“Excuse me?” Genesis stuttered.
The kid’s smile faded slightly and his brow furrowed in thought before a panicked expression overtook the grin completely. It was then that Genesis registered the glowing mako-color of the child’s eyes. The SOLDIER reached out to grab the kid, but he bolted - or, at least tried to run. The boy had apparently forgotten that he was wearing clothing that was way too big for him and promptly tripped, face-planting into the snow. Genesis rushed to his side, helping the kid back up, only to jerk back when a small fist connected with his shoulder. The strike shoved him back enough for the child to get to his feet himself. Swearing, the 1st cast a Sleepel at the kid, cutting him off as he tried to shout something. The child’s face slammed into the snow for the second time in as many minutes and Genesis let out a long breath. What in Ifrit’s hell was he going to do now?
-_-_-_-
Cloud was annoyed.
He was tired, cold, achy, swimming in his clothing, and trekking through the Nibel wilderness in the middle of winter. He was stoically ignoring the bit of him that said, Just let Vincent carry you, he offered and you know he wouldn’t think less of you for it, because acknowledging it would be also acknowledging the fact that he was now probably under four feet tall. So, instead, he clomped through the snow and muttered swears that would make Cid proud under his breath as the unfairly tall man trailed him and watched on in concern.
Thankfully, their destination arose up from the rock in front of them: the Nibelheim reactor. Cloud let out a sigh of relief and picked up his pace, eager to get out of the wind.
“They don’t even have guards around their oh-so-precious reactor,” Cloud scoffed, wincing at how high his voice was.
Vincent merely hummed and readjusted Tsurugi on his back. Cloud had reluctantly given the man the sword - minus the two side blades that he and Zack were each wielding - to carry, seeing as his current height didn’t exactly lend itself to carrying a blade of its size. They ascended the stairs and pushed inside, leaving behind the howling wind for the silence of the interior. Cloud took a moment to shake the snow out of his hair and rub at his numb fingers, spying Vincent shaking out his cloak out of the corner of his eye.
“Come on, I don’t want to leave Zack waiting for too long.”
The man fell into step beside him as they pushed further in, his steps all but silent on the metal floor. Cloud could tell he had questions, more than the few they’d answered when they pulled him out of his coffin in the basement, but Cloud was content to wait until the man gathered his thoughts and asked them himself. Sure enough, Vincent spoke up as they entered the room full of Mako pods.
“Are you certain the other will be safe back at the mansion?” he settled on, voice echoing in the chamber.
“Of course,” Cloud answered, “Zack can take care of himself. Besides, wasn’t it you who was pushing for us to split up?”
Vincent fell silent, apparently not having a response to that. Cloud sighed and focused on making it up the stairs to the central chamber in his too-big boots. About half-way up, however, an arm snaked around his waist and hefted him up against a bony hip.
“Hey! What the fuck! Put me down!”
He flailed around, almost kicking one of his boots off as he tried to free himself from the hold. Unsuccessful, he tried to go for the blade in his harness, but couldn’t reach it with how he was being carried.
“Vincent, I swear to Odin if you don’t put me down right now-”
The man dropped him at the top of the stairs, cutting off his rant as he fell and barely managed to right himself to avoid face-planting into the metal. He whipped around, snarling as his hand clenched over the hilt of his blade, and barely manages to catch Vincent’s smirk before he dunks down behind his collar. The man moved forward and punched his access code into the keypad, the door swinging open after a soft beep. He stepped back and flourished at the entrance.
“After you,” he said, completely stoic.
Cloud snarled again and stomped forward, resisting the urge to flip his friend off (was Vincent still his friend?) as he passed. He continued until he reached the base of the pipe that snaked its way up to Hojo’s shrine. His emotions swirled into an ungodly mess in his chest, hate and anger and fear and contempt twisting around each other until they formed a heavy ball that threatened to choke him. His blood pounded in his ears and he took a deep breath to try and center himself. Vincent stepped up behind him, not quite hovering in reassurance.
Cloud straightened before speaking. “Let’s torch this bitch,” he said with a grin.
He heard Vincent’s huff of amusement as he raised his arm, summon materia glowing as he called on the entity sleeping within. Ifrit erupted into being with a roar before it launched itself at the effigy and into the tank hidden behind it, reducing everything to slag. Cloud turned, grabbing Vincent’s cloak and pulling the man back towards the entrance of the reactor.
“Come on! We don’t wanna be in here when this place comes down!”
They reached the top of the stairs just as the first explosion tore through the core, sending their clothes whipping in the generated wind and heat. Vincent didn’t waste any time, scooping Cloud up and leaping down the stairs before sprinting to the exit. The blond didn’t even bother to complain about the manhandling, too caught up in the thrill of the escape to think about what it meant for his current situation. The man moved through the door and cleared the stairs with a single leap, landing in the snow and continuing a few yards until they reached a safer distance.
Cloud continued to pump his mana down the connection between him and the summon, egging it on as it tore through the metal and caused the whole thing to collapse in a fiery show of power. He cheered and allowed Ifrit to create one final plume of flame to celebrate before it disappeared. Vincent sighed heavily but still didn’t put him back down.
“Uh, Vincent? You can put me down now.”
The man tightened his hold and struck out back down the path at a fast, but steady, pace.
“Vincent? I’m serious, I can walk. You don’t have to-”
“I thought you wanted to get back to your friend? It will take much less time if you allow me to carry you back down.”
Cloud seceded with a growl and crossed his arms, pointedly ignoring that he was pouting like the 7-year-old his body claimed him to be. Still, Vincent was right; he did want to get back to Zack as soon as possible. So, he shut up and tried to adjust himself into a more comfortable position for the ride down.
They made good progress back down the mountain, Vincent seemingly having no trouble with the large drifts of snow and winding pathways. They were crossing the bridge when Cloud caught sight of smoke rising from the direction of town. He frowned and shoved his knee into Vincent’s side.
“Hurry up, we wanna get back to him and get out of town before the civilians get over their fear and investigate the fire,” he said.
Vincent gave him a look but picked up the pace anyway. They were practically flying now, and Cloud was kinda enjoying the wind on his face. It reminded him of long deliveries when it was just him, the road, and Fenrir, which then just made him angry all over again. He gripped the hilt of his blade, the leather creaking under his hand and he took a deep breath, trying to settle himself. It took longer than it should have. Why did it take so long? Was it his younger body? He felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes. Now that he wasn’t so worried about the immediate demise of everything he had failed to save before, he was able to focus on his current bodily situation.
He was a child, physically, even though his mind was unchanged from his 25-year-old self. He had his enhancements, but what was that worth when he couldn’t wear his own clothing, couldn’t wield his own Odin-damned sword? No one would take him - them, Zack was here too - seriously. He’d have to convince Vincent to stay around to travel with them to avoid attracting the attention a couple of kids would get for traveling alone and armed. It was the reminder that he wasn’t alone in his plight, that Zack was waiting for him back down at the mansion, that pulled him back from the rising panic attack. He could have a breakdown later, after they’d reunited and gotten the fuck out of this damn village.
They arrived at the burning mansion right as the roof finally caved in, sending a flurry of smoke and sparks swirling into the sky. Cloud wiggled in Vincent’s grip, wanting to be let down to go look for his friend, and the man obliged. The moment his feet hit the ground, he was moving, eyes peeled for a head of spiky black hair.
“Zack? I thought you were gonna wait for us to get back to set the thing on fire?” he called.
There was no answer other than the crackling of the flames. Cloud bit his lip. Zack was probably just on the other side of the mansion. It made sense; being behind the building meant that the people coming up from the village wouldn’t run right into him when they came to investigate. He started walking around, feeling Vincent fall into step behind him.
They reached the other side of the building, and there was still no sign of Zack. Cloud tried to shove down the building panic as he walked, stumbling more in his oversized shoes as he kept moving. They reached the front again. No Zack.
“Zack! I’m serious, this isn’t funny!” His voice cracked on the last word, his throat closing up. “You can prank me again later but we have to get moving! We, we have to…”
His breaths were coming in heaving gasps now. His vision swam and it was an effort to keep his feet underneath him. A hand came to rest on his shoulder and he tried to shake it off, only for his balance to finally fail him. He landed hard in the partially-melted snow, gasping at the sudden cold on his arms and hands.
“Zack…”
He couldn’t get enough air into his lungs. His head felt too light and too heavy at the same time. He should have been worried by how easily the panic overwhelmed him, how tears poured down his face and how he cried heaving sobs into the snow. But all he could think about was the glaring absence. Zack was gone.
-_-_-_-
Vincent was decidedly, thoroughly, and completely out of his depth.
He’d felt that way since two children tore the lid off of his coffin and declared their intentions to burn down the mansion, with or without his help. He had been justifiably skeptical until the smaller child had opened his mouth and started talking about Hojo and Lucrecia, how they planned to destroy everything the hated man had ever worked towards and save the woman’s son. He hadn’t believed them, not really, but the very knowledge of those people, of his own desires, had been enough to get him up and moving.
He’d gotten a better look at the two after that - noting their oversized clothing and the way-too-big sword that the blond was toting around - and had grown suspicious. The way they attacked the equipment in the lab proper and their eerie, glowing eyes had only cemented his conclusion: these two boys had been lab experiments of Hojo’s. There was no way the clear rage in their motions as they wrecked the lab was anything but personal. However, that meant that these two boys had been here, been suffering while Vincent was sleeping the time away in a gods-damned coffin only a hundred yards away. The self-loathing and anger that had filled him made his hands shake, tore his focus from his current task (he was already trying very hard not to think about the howling of voices not his own in the back of his head) so he’d shoved those thoughts into a mental box to be fully considered later.
He’d also been surprised that the reactor held a target of theirs, but considering the troubles the Jenova specimen had caused even back before his long sleep (how long has it truly been?) and the importance of it to Hojo, he was willing to humor the children and help them. His trek up to the reactor had gone on much too long, the blond child’s - Cloud, the other had introduced him as - refusal to be carried or to locate proper clothing hampering their pace. Their actual time in the reactor was negligible with the boy’s summon making quick work of the specimen and reactor both, and the trek down was significantly faster once he’d allowed Vincent to carry him.
Now, he stood there trying to decide if it would be appropriate for him to offer comfort to Cloud as he kneeled there sobbing in the snow. This was decidedly not in his skill set; being a Turk and then a science experiment didn’t require him to know how to comfort a crying child. Still, he had to try. The boy had risked his life waking him, going against the man who had hurt him so much, then making the trek up a treacherous mountain just to spend a few minutes destroying a dead body in revenge only to have his world ripped out from under him. He deserved to be comforted. Didn’t mean Vincent had any idea how to, though.
He shifted on his feet and flexed his hands before coming to a decision. Vincent knelt down next to Cloud, his cloak pooling around him, and set his gloved hand on the child’s back. The boy’s form twitches under his hand, tensing up before relaxing.
So far, so good.
Vincent starts rubbing his thumb in circles and shifts to get a bit more comfortable. “He could not have gotten far. Most likely, someone from the village came up to investigate and took him back with them.”
Cloud’s sobs have started to die off, the hitching of his breath calming down. “Yeah…” he mumbles, sniffing. He straightens from his hunched-over position and rubs at his face with his too-big shirt. “I’m a fucking mess.”
Vincent can’t help but chuckle a bit at the boy’s blunt words. “I would say it is perfectly justified, considering the circumstances.”
Cloud sniffled again, then growled and shrugged off the hand still rubbing circles into his back. Vincent took the hint and removed his hand, standing back up. “Let’s head into the village and see what we can find.”
“No, no I can’t.” Cloud was shaking his head, his whole body a bundle of tension. “You can go check it out but I can’t. I’ll just stay here.”
That was strange. The child knew that the village was the best bet to finding his friend. He should be charging ahead, barely waiting for Vincent to follow, not pushing the man to go alone.
“Are you certain? I assumed you would want to find your friend as fast as possible?”
Cloud was still looking down and he rubbed at his arms, the skin finally starting to redden from the cold. He took a deep breath, seemingly settling himself, and looked up at the man. His eyes shone with resolve.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t want you getting chased out of town for child neglect if you walked in with me dressed like this.” He gestured at his unexplained, oversized clothing. “Besides, they’ll be talking to you about stuff anyways; you’re the adult.”
There was something bitter in his tone that Vincent chose to ignore for the time being. He resisted the urge to put his hand on the child’s shoulder, choosing to nod instead.
“I shall head into town, then. I will inquire about unusual happenings beyond the burning of the mansion and see what I can find.”
The boy nodded but furrowed his brow as well. “Why not just ask about Zack?”
“Considering you do not wish to enter the village, I am assuming that you wish to avoid as much attention as you can. By asking about a child fitting your friend’s description in town, it would be drawing attention to him. However, the village is small enough that anyone finding a child by a burning mansion would be news and I, a traveling hunter, would be able to learn of it by inquiring about any interesting happenings.”
Cloud blinked at him before he laughed, something close to fondness on his face. “I didn’t even think of that. Thanks, Vincent.”
Vincent found himself ducking his face behind his collar, unused to such warm reception of his ideas. Cloud laughed at him again, so he turned around, sending his cloak whipping around his body. He pulled the sword off his back and stabbed it into the ground before making to leave.
“Wait!” Cloud went digging through one of his pockets. “Get some supplies while you’re there. I’m getting cold and don’t really want to wait until we hit another town to get fitting clothing.” He pulled out a wallet and held it out to the man. “Don’t lose this.”
Vincent took the item and slid it into one of his own pockets, nodding to the boy. “I shall return posthaste. Please find some shelter; I do not want to have to treat you for frostbite.”
He set out towards the village, catching the child’s “Yeah, yeah” as he left. The wind sent his cloak flapping but failed to penetrate his layers of clothing. Not for the first time since waking up, Vincent wondered why Hojo had bothered to dress him before throwing him in that coffin. Of course, that thought started him down a long train of things he was purposely avoiding thinking about, so he strangled the vein before it could send him into a rage or fuel the things rattling the bars of their cages in his head.
Arriving in the village, he immediately spied a group of people clustered around the base of the water town talking in hushed tones. The moment he recognized their conversation, he found he could hear their words.
“-hope ShinRa won’t blame us for the mansion.”
“Why would they? That SOLDIER was here to investigate the monster attacks and he told us that the monsters were the ones to set the building alight.”
“He’s still ShinRa though. Those types are all the same.”
“Why do you think he was asking about a kid though?”
“Oh, I hope he didn’t find-”
Vincent tore his attention away from the conversation, walking quickly to the building with the worn sign proclaiming it the inn. He could still hear the people talking like he was right next to them.
Don’t think about it, don’t think about it.
Luckily, the sound cut out mostly when he entered the building and he could refocus on the task at hand. He walked right up to the counter and knocked his knuckles on the wood, waiting for someone to help him.
“I’ll be right with you!” A voice called out from what Vincent assumed was the kitchen. It was a few more seconds before a woman poked her head out. “Oh, what can I do for you, sir? A room?”
Vincent waved her off. “I’m just passing through. I was wondering about the best place to pick up some trail rations and maybe some camping supplies? I lost my gear and I’m in a sort of a rush.”
She nodded and smiled at him. “Not the first time this has happened. The store next door should have gear and trail rations. If you need something warmer, I’d check there as well, though he might send you over to the Strife woman.”
He blinked. “The ‘Strife woman’?”
The innkeeper sneered. “The only seamstress in town. She does good work, but don’t let that fool you! She’s a witch and she’s passing it down to that little, troublemaking bastard of hers.”
The woman all but growled the last few words, Vincent recoiling a bit at the intensity of her opinion.
“Well, I thank you for your advice. I think I’ll be on my way now.”
Vincent left quickly, unwilling to get involved in small-town politics and suddenly starting to understand Cloud’s avoidance of the village. He walked next door to the store and began glancing over the shelves, looking for what they’d need to get to the next town. As he did so, he pulled out the borrowed wallet and opened it to check how much gil he was working with. To his surprise, there was more than enough for some basic supplies. He also spied what looked like an ID with a very familiar face on it, and decided to ask the child about it when he returned.
Unfortunately, the store did not stock clothing, which meant another stop for him. He sighed and began to gather up what he could find. When he was done, he brought his purchases to the counter, and the clerk only eyed him for a second before ringing him up.
“So… in town for a while?” He asked.
Vincent hummed before responding. “Nope, just passing through.”
The clerk grumbled under his breath, but Vincent was able to catch him say “No one stayin’ in this town these days.”
“A lot of travelers recently?” he asked, sensing his opportunity.
“Huh?” The clerk looked up, surprised, before he shrugged and continued. “You’re the second one passing through today. First was a bonafide SOLDIER 1st Class, on his way to and from a ‘monster elimination mission’, his words, not mine.”
Gotcha.
“A SOLDIER? That must have caused quite the stir.”
The clerk snorted. “You betcha. Handsome fellow, with that red hair and crimson jacket. I don’t remember his name, but he sure worried the lot of us with his asking about some missing kid.”
“Missing kid?”
“Yeah, he came back into town after the mansion had been burnin’ for a while. Was right frantic, in fact. He asked if anyone had a missing kid with ‘spiky’ black hair and a scar on his face, and, well, that certainly don’t sound like no kid ‘round here, so he got a few things from here and skedaddled.” The clerk narrowed his eyes at Vincent. “You wouldn’t know anythin’ ‘bout that, now would ya?”
Vincent raised his hands in a placating gesture, then quickly lowered his left hand when he remembered the gauntlet adorning it. “I’m afraid not. I’ve been out hunting on my way down south.”
The clerk hummed and finished wrapping his items up. Vincent passed over the required amount of gil and picked up the parcel. He went to leave but remembered he had one more thing to do in town. He turned back around.
“Would you know where to acquire clothing suited for this weather? My companion was not expecting how cold it would be.”
The clerk blinked at him, before getting a look on his face like he’d just smelled something foul.
“I don’t have any stock at the moment, so ya’ best bet is seeing if Claudia Strife has anything she’s willing to part with on short notice. You’ll find her house down main street to the left. It’s quite a small place and looks a tad rundown. You can’t miss it.”
Vincent nodded his thanks and left the store, tucking his chin down into his collar against the wind. He followed the directions, soon coming across a cottage that met the description. He approached carefully and knocked at the door. There was light shining through the windows, flickering in a way that meant lanterns or a fire. The door opened and revealed a woman with light blonde hair, something about her seeming very familiar.
“Yes, can I help you?”
Vincent cleared his throat. “Claudia Strife, I presume?”
She nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”
“I am traveling with my… nephew and I’m afraid he doesn’t have anything suitable for this weather. I was told you would be the best bet for acquiring children’s clothing?”
Claudia smiled. “Yes, you heard correctly. Come in, come in. I’ll see if I can find anything.”
She backed away from the door, waving him in behind her. He stepped into the cottage, wiping off his boots on the entrance mat, and took in the interior. It was small but cozy; a kitchen area to the right with a small dining area and a seating area in front of the fire to the left. A set of stairs was set into the wall all the way to the left, leading to what Vincent assumed was the bedrooms. Claudia had moved into the kitchen and was bustling around.
“Feel free to sit down, make yourself comfortable. I’ll make you some tea for you to drink while I’m looking for things for you.”
Vincent blinked. “That is quite hospitable of you, ma’am, but unnecessary.”
“Nonsense. It’s cold as Shiva’s scorn out there; you must be freezing. I sure hope this nephew of yours is out of the chill.”
The man moved further into the cottage, taking a cautious seat in one of the chairs by the fire to wait.
“How big is your nephew? If he’s the right size, I might have something of my son’s lying around that he’s too big for.”
Vincent thought for a second. “He’s about waist high on me… maybe around four feet tall?”
Claudia hummed and picked up the kettle just as it started whistling. “I think I have something lying around then. Speaking of my son, Cloud!” She directed the call towards the stairs. “Come down! And bring down some of your old winter stuff, please!”
What?
“Sure thing, Ma!” a familiar-sounding, young voice shouted back.
Vincent found himself reeling. When Claudia came around with a cup of steaming tea, he managed to pull himself back enough to thank her and blow on the hot drink before sipping it. He tried not to think about how this was the first thing he’d had to drink in years (perhaps decades). He almost choked on it, however, when a child bounded down the stairs with his arms full of clothing.
“I grabbed everything I still had, Ma. I hope this is enough.”
Claudia smiled at him. “It’s plenty, Stormcloud. I’m sure Mr…. I’m sorry, I don’t think I caught your name?”
Vincent realized she was asking him a question, but his eyes were focused on the boy. His hair was the same, if a little longer than that of the boy he’d left by the mansion. He was taller too, older, but without that old, worn look to him. In addition, when this “Cloud” turned to look at him, his eyes were blue but absent of the familiar mako glow. The kid was looking at him, head tilted in confusion and Vincent realized he’d been silent for too long. He tore his eyes away from the look-alike and back to the woman. He could see the resemblance now; the color of their hair was the same, and they shared their nose and face shape. He took a breath to steady himself and answered the question.
“Valentine, Ma’am.”
She smiled and nodded. “Mr. Valentine.”
The boy-who-might-be-Cloud stopped looking at him and smiled at his mother. “Where do you want these?”
“Oh, just set them down here on the ground, Cloud. We’ll go through them and decide what Mr. Valentine wants to take.”
The boy nodded and stepped forward, setting the pile down where his mother indicated, and stepped back. “Do I need to stay around, Ma?”
“No, sweetie, you can head back to your room. I’ll call you again if we need anything.”
The child nodded at her then turned back to Vincent. “It was nice to meet you, Sir,” he said.
Vincent swallowed before answering, “Nice to meet you as well, Cloud.”
The boy smiled at him - it was wide and open, not at all like the soft one of the smaller boy waiting by the mansion - and went bounding back up the stairs. Vincent refocused on the pile of clothing and the woman sitting next to him.
“Now, why don’t we sort through this mess?” she asked.
The man nodded in answer and picked up the first item to investigate.
It didn’t take long for them to work their way through the small pile, most of the items being deemed unnecessary for such a short time being spent in the current climate. He did take a couple pairs of pants and shirts, along with a jacket that would probably be just a bit too big. At his request, Claudia also produced a pair of socks and old boots for him to take. Vincent thanked her profusely and insisted on paying her, despite her argument that the clothing was old and would probably be given away anyways. He bundled the clothing up with his other purchases and made for the door.
“Thank you again, Ms. Strife. It was incredibly generous of you to give me these.”
“Oh, it was no problem at all, Mr. Valentine. Anything to help a man concerned for his nephew. Give the boy my well-wishes, will you?”
Vincent smiled at her and nodded before exiting the cottage. He spotted yet another group of people gathered by the water tower and looking at him, but he ignored their stares as he walked out of town, leaving them behind to whisper about his visit.
He mulled over what he learned as he walked, trying to order it in his head. A SOLDIER 1st Class showed up to town on a “monster elimination mission” and had returned after the mansion burned down, frantic and asking about a missing child matching Zack’s description. This SOLDIER had red hair and was wearing a bright red jacket. He was also most likely the one behind Zack’s disappearance, having found the boy at the site of the burning building and taking him. In addition, he had found a family in town with a young boy who looked remarkably like the enhanced boy he’d left behind at the mansion, going as far as sharing his name. This reminded him of the ID he’d seen inside the borrowed wallet, and he maneuvered his packages around until he could get the item out of his pocket.
He opened the wallet and stared at the ID. The picture looked like Cloud - both of them - but it was a man depicted there. He was wearing black clothing that greatly resembled the oversized outfit his Cloud was wearing, and his haircut also matched almost perfectly. In addition, his eyes had that strange glint that indicated mako glow in pictures. The name on the ID: “Cloud Strife”.
What have you gotten yourself into, Vincent?
He put the wallet away, taking a breath to settle himself before picking up his pace. Half-formed ideas and conclusions filled his thoughts. He felt his pulse rising as certain “less than savory” conclusions formed, his rage building and the things in his head growling and pushing at him to rip and tear the accursed man limb from limb. He has to wrench his thoughts away, toss his demons back in their cages with promises of later before he could continue moving.
He reaches the mansion relatively quickly and casts a look around to try and find Cloud. He finds the boy sitting in the partially collapsed stable by a crackling fire. He looks up at the man’s approach and waves.
“Took you long enough! I was starting to get worried!”
His smile faded as Vincent got closer and didn’t respond, a wary look overtaking the relief.
“Vincent…? Are you okay?”
The man took another breath, realizing that his anger was still boiling through his veins.
“I’m fine, Cloud.” He separated the bundle of clothing from his package of supplies and passed it to the boy. “Here, I found these for you.”
Cloud took the bundle, his brow furrowed in concern, and began going through the clothing. “I hope you had enough gil. I don’t remember how much I had on me.”
“It was more than sufficient,” Vincent answered, still standing.
The boy cast another look at him, then shrugged. “Where’d you get all of this, by the way? I don’t remember Nibelheim having that much in the way of clothing stores, and this all looks used.” He stopped at the boots, staring at them with a contemplative look on his face.
“They didn’t. I was directed to the house of the local seamstress and she was kind enough to sell some of her son’s old things to me.”
Cloud tensed up, his fists clenching, and reached for his sword. “Vincent…”
“Who are you, Cloud?” Vincent couldn’t contain his questions anymore. “I met a young boy who looks exactly like you, minus the scars and mako eyes, and shares your name. There’s an ID in that wallet that has a picture of a man on it, sharing his name with that boy and I assume you as well. He looks like you, wearing what you’re wearing, has equivalent enhancements.”
Cloud has gotten to his feet, his sword out in a ready position and eyes wild. His breathing has picked up, borderline hyperventilating, and his whole body a line of tension.
“Vincent-”
“Are you a clone? Did Hojo kidnap some poor SOLDIER and clone him to make you? Did he steal you from that village? Is that boy in danger of getting stolen now that you’ve escaped? Who is Cloud Strife?” He’s shouting now, all the anger and trepidation and revulsion he’s been feeling for the past few hours coalescing into something else in his chest. The things in his head snarl and scrape at their cages.
“I am Cloud Strife!” Cloud shouts back, tears gathering and falling from his eyes. Vincent stops, lets some of his emotions go as he observes the boy. The tension runs out of Cloud’s body and he slumps over, dropping the sword from its position. “I’m Cloud Strife,” he repeats softly. “But so is that boy in the village.”
Vincent stares at him, uncomprehending. Cloud scrubs at his face, snarling at the wetness he finds there. “Damn this fucking body,” he mutters, sitting back down.
“I don’t understand…” Vincent says weakly, all the fight having gone out from him.
“I’m from the future, Vincent. I’m supposed to be 25.”
Vincent stares at him more, processing what he’s hearing before something occurs to him. “...Zack?” he asks.
Cloud lets out a weak chuckle. “Him too, though he’d be 27 if he’d lived. Was probably supposed to turn up physically 21, considering that’s when he died.”
That… didn’t clear anything up. Still, there was one question forming in his mind that he was almost afraid to ask. “So… why did you two come back in time? Why are you children?”
Cloud heaved a world-weary sigh that wouldn’t be out of place on a man twenty years his senior. “That… is a long story. Might as well sit down, Vincent Valentine. If you want to hear all of it, we’ll be here for a while.”
