Final Fantasy Seven One-Shots

Number One:

To Leave After it is Done

Cloud's eyes slowly opened, looking around, what had happened, he was on the ground… He felt, dizzy, light headed. Then it hit him like a river crushing him with recent memories flowing into him. And finally it started to make a vague thing called sense, as it hit him. Blood was all over the place they called Northern Crater. Some his own, others all around. Then the worry hit, how were his friends doing? What condition were they in anyways? They all had been fighting Sephiroth… That's all… He could remember at the moment.

Pain washed over him, he ached all over as he tried to move, but his body was not willing on this matter, it wished for him to remain down, to rest. But right now he could not do that. He looked around, he saw the others. They were all unconscious, bruised, and bloody. It had been a hard fight…

Cloud tried to move but his body was unwilling. It seemed he just needed to rest. He knew a few things were broken… But god he was in pain… His vision blurred on his next attempt to get up.

Beside him, Vincent was rousing. He sat up like it was nothing, and soon stood, regaining his composure and stature in a matter of seconds. He looked rather bored with himself and what was going on, he took a quick look at everything and seeing Cloud awake went over to him and pulled him to his feet, supporting the blonde man.

"Thanks… We need to help the others…" Cloud told his comrade softly, his voice feeble.

"We do… Cloud, you are injured as well…"

They made it over to the others and in the end Vincent laid them all together. He went from one to the next, reviving them from unconsciousness and healing them with Cure 3. He did it with care, draining himself in the process and such, but to him that didn't matter. And some how Caite Sith had managed to escape any harm except being shut off. But quickly turned on once Vincent touched the robot. Once they were all awake and more or less able to travel they looked at each other. It sunk in.

"We… won…" Tifa was the first to say it.

"We did it…" Yuffie continued.

"Saved the damn planet…" Barret included.

"Beat the fucker Sephiroth, that damn bitch." Cid put it.

"And took care of Jenova." Caite Sith, somehow barely damaged from the fight…

"We destroyed Meteor." Nanaki told.

"And, we completed our quest…" Cloud summed.

Vincent, who was a few feet away, said something he meant not for them to hear, but only for him to say as he muttered a few words. His voice was louder than he had thought.

"Yet once more, I have sinned. Another stain upon my soul to haunt me for eternity. Lucrecia's child, I have killed… Forgive me…" He said, with a deep thriving agony from within.

The looked at him confused, his back was turned to them. Wondering if they heard him right, but sins? For killing Sephiroth? They met Luceria once and she had treated Vincent like shit… They knew that Luceria was Hojo's wife and Sephiroth's mother. He told her he was dead. But… Still, why was it such a sin?

He turned back around and looked at them, the same look upon his face, indifference as it was covered in shadows once more. Cloud got up and walked over to Vincent, placing his hand on the man's shoulder. Keeping him there to ask a question.

"Vincent… Since our jouney is over, will you tell us the reason?"

Everyone looked at him, besides Vincent who just stood there, frozen to the spot. They didn't know what the reason was, but Vincent and Cloud sure as hell did. And of course, like a great audience, waited for what was to happen next, what the great drama and secret was behind the whole 'reason' was.

"Cloud… My reason… For traveling… The reason… of my sins…" He sighed.

"Vincent, please, tell us…" Tifa spoke up. She, like the others, had always wanted to find out about his past.

"Please, understand… Now is not the time…"

"Then when is the time!" He asked indignantly.

"I don't know… When I am ready to release… But not now, I am sorry…" He told them tonelessly. "And now, I must depart, perhaps we may see one another again… Perhaps not."

Cloud let his shoulder go, and laid eyes on the gunman, on Vincent Valentine for what may be the last time. No one said a thing as he walked away. No one moved… And soon, he was gone from sight. Maybe to never be seen again… Only fate would tell.