Haunted Memory

Disclaimer: I have no rights over The final Fantasy Characters. This story is based off joint effort of Mix mastah Mike and Sailor Poison. Any reviews is very much appreciated.


“ Haunted Memory “
By Mix Master Mike and Sailor Poison



Chapter 1


The fog had just lifted from the ground, the forest, seemed bare, empty; devoid of any animal noises. Apparently something was up, because a loud noise was heard, almost like a rumbling, as a figure moved quickly hopping over logs, and sticks, hurdling over various woodland obstacles in his way. Those blue Mako eyes scanned over the trees, as he made his way through branches and vines, looking down stepping across a puddle of muddy water, looking down at his reflection, my he has changed, he has grown callous in his thoughts, and feelings, as he trudged through the forest looking for something, looking for a sign of life, treading towards the open plains, being chased by something almost. He felt compelled to sprint with his top speed, but didn't; grabbing onto the side of a tree, leaning into a curve, jumping over a small creek heading towards what looked to be like Kalm, going to where he had left his chocobo, he had to get back and warn Cid of the evils that he had seen, he hustled, with renown vigor when he felt his back being sliced at, by a quick force of leapfrogging Ninjas, he jumped on his chocobo backwards, pulling out a dagger, battling off the ninja, hanging onto the edge of it, turning his face to the side, a throwing star going across it slicing off part of it, underneath an old battle scar, he sliced the ninjas hand off, stabbing the other hand with the dagger into a tree. He grabbed onto the chocobo feathers turning around leaning down, almost laying down on the chocobo to avoid wind resistance; he had to get back quick, to Kalm.

Cid was working on his plane, still.... After several hours of sweat and hard labor, he finely got it working. Or so he thought; his blue eyes looking at the engine in total disgust. His clothes now greasy and he had some cuts on the exposed parts of his arms from deep reaching. He sometimes hated the plane. Cid visualized blowing the bitch up at times. He sat on the plane, looking at the engine as he smoked. His thoughts were on how to get the damn thing working. So, he pulled out a mallet and started to whack away at the bitch. He cursed at the plane too. Mutters about how he will someday ditch everything and be a hermit on some island. This helped his temper quite well. Though one might think that he was trying to kill it with how hard he hit. Then suddenly he looks rather pleased and stops. Gives the engine a good try and it finally starts to work. Cid then pauses tve ave a victory cigar. . .
ting back down on the shield, as it slid down, sliding down even faster till he got to the bottom, he grabbed it back up as it shield shrunk again, he took off running towards Cid sweat dripping from those blonde eyebrows of his, across his pale skin, those Mako eyes showing much intensity.

Cid looks up at the blond on the birdie like creature with a confused expression. Why anyone would be running a poor chocobo almost to death was beyond him in this period of *peace*, he knocks some ass of the cigar as he hangs out of the doorway of the plane to speak to the ride.

The pilot smoke to him in almost a mockery, "What the hell are you doing to that poor thing?!"

Sweat dripped down Cloud's face, onto his soaked clothing as blood dripped down the other side, running down his neck, trickling down his face like water out of an old faucet at night, when you have it turned off. He heaved heavily, as he moved towards Cid speaking quickly and out of tone, then back in tone, "No, time....for...questions."

Just as Cloud finished his sentence a throwing star flew by them hitting the side of the plane. Then about 30 of them went flying hitting the plane, good thing the plane was tough; because most of them hit the side and fell down. He turned around to see ninjas, going down the hill, rolling and leapfrogging over each other again, he turned to face Cid speaking with all seriousness.

Cloud looked at the Ninjas then looked at Cid again speaking rather seriously now, then again who wouldn't if this type of attack was coming at you, "We *need* to get out of here."

Cid spoke after looking at Cloud and shaking his head, "Aw shit. You have some lousy fucking skills with people." Then the pilot spoke to the ninjas narrowing both eyebrows shaking his fist in the air, "I'm going to bill you for that!" He spoke back to Cloud, "Get your blonde ass in the plan The The engine was still on, sucking down gas of course, while he yells indistinctly, he reaches for under the seat and pulls up a flare which he aims at the ninjas to fire it at them. He hated other people damaging his planes. That was *his* job alone.

Cloud ran forward almost directly behind Cid's flare attack, which knocked a ninja back into a rock breaking the ninja's leg, which you could see clearly, one of them jumped at him, he reached out catching his arm in the sla slamming him down pulling his arm back breaking it and twisting around stomping on his face, bashing it into a rock. The swordsman quickly jumped back thinking, concentrating as he put up a wall of fire. Cloud used a mega-all-fire-3 spell, then jumped into the plane hanger' holding up that shield once more as it came back up. The shield was to stop the throwing stars from hitting him in the face, the sharp stars almost going all the way through Cid's invention. Good thing Cid built them like they used too.

Cloud spoke loudly, letting his booming voice echo through the plane, "Let's go Cid! Let's get the hell out of here!"

Cid starts to taxi the plane out, not caring if the ninja's get in the way. In fact he relished the idea of them getting run over, that was not his goal. His goal was to get the right speed and fly her away; soon as the plane leaves hanger he starts to speed up pull up the best he can on the controls...

The pilot rapidly shook his fist in the air shouting out words, and phrases, the only words that were able to surface that sounded like they made sense were, "Come on you bitches!"

Some of the ninjas were hit and flew out of the way the others grabbed onto the wings, as the plane took off only to be sucked away by the huge draft of air to come through, washing them away like blood being washed away down a sink.

Cid shouted out, "WOOOHOOOOO, eat that you god damn pajama wearing freaks! If I had the time or desire I would've kicked your asses myself!" Cid yells at the ninjas not there, then again it was said cid liked to listen to himself speak anyway. He settles a bit down before speaking again looking at cloud grinning that mockery grin of his once more parting his lips to speak, "Where to on might slayer of chocobo?"

Cloud chuckled slightly, shaking his head the blood running to it once, again trickling down beside, sweat, mixing with it, which wasn't a pleasant smell or feeling, he spoke rather distractedly, "Back home, we must find Vincent, and see what he knows t tht the situation. I figure he'll know more than we do, and probably have an Ace up his sleeve, till then you drive, and I rest. Simply put." Cloud smirked delightfully, he loved toying with Cid.

Cid looked back from flying at him, "My home? Okay, hey don't drip blood on my seat covers! I got potions under the fucking seat you lazy ass bum who knows what you did to piss them off but I bet it was stupid. You don't think right anyway." Cid rattles on as he heads to his home speaking out loud, "Vincent got shit up his pocket but I doubt their aces hmm maybe he might have some ideas. I am going to want an outline of this shit on my desk!" the pilot remarked, but despite what he says; Cid was smiling from ear to ear, because for once he felt useful again.

Cloud laughed politely again leaning back, against a bag full of stuff, which was his, he spoke once more, "Despite our current status, Wutia is in a Civil War, and half are against Midgar and half are against everyone, even fellow Wutia. The ones we found, their the rouges; dedicated to stopping anyone who has come in contact with Shin-Ra slightly, which means us, Vincent, and the rest of the gang. You get my drift pilot?" A smile cracked out of his callous stare, as he let the words pilot roll off his lips like Hojo would.

Cid spoke curtly at him, spitting at the floor almost, that look in his eyes, that furious look, "Shit don't speak to me like that! You sound like Hojo and I hate Hojo." Which was an understatement; he shudders some as he keeps eyes on the windshield speaking calmly now. "Where the hell is Tifa?"

Cloud became serious, as a shadow was almost caste over his face; as he leaned back up against the airplane hanger's wall replying softly yet audibly, "I don't know." He spoke rather doubtful of where she was at, not like he really cared; since it all fell apart. It was his duty though; as her childhood friend, to protect her. So he would live up to that and find her.

He spoke now seriously much like the leader he used to be, before it all went wrong, "We have to find her and Vincent, I figure things will work out right if we do."

Cid replied to the swordsman, "Well for starters kid, we can call Barret; he seems like the dumb nut to keep track of everyone. Hell I bet if he could, he would keep track of all North Corel. I think he has too much feeling, not that he has room in his head for anything else. Least Marlene got common sense, I can tell you that!" He chuckled loudly continuing on the subject, "You on the other hand? You worry me sometimes. But least your head hasn't rotated in circles yet.

Cloud spoke once more to the old scruffy captain, "I doubt that'll happen anytime soon." He shook his head sweat being thrown off his hair, as he had dried all the way now; he watched the drop. Hit the airplane hanger; noticing how fragile it was. Almost like how fragile Aeris was when Sephiroth plunged his sword deep into her back and twisting hard, and pulling it out, then looking at him cruelly that fragileness. Was reflected by the drop of water in front of him that reflected his friends at times' he made sure that someone was always around to pick them back up when they fell. Even if it was him who fell, he knew that Cid would be there.
Cid soon starts to land next to his home town, it has thrived some after meteor. Cid smiled with pride at his town. It was his town in many ways because he was still sort of an unelected leader. Other times this bugs him to hell and back, today he was proud for cloud to see his town. His plane lands rough and bumps the ground rapidly, cid chuckles with each bump. Cloud didn't mind the bumps as long as he was away from danger, and his friends were. He was perfectly fine. He got up when the plane landed, walking towards the cockpit; leaving his stuff aboard. He had to see Vincent first. Apparently Vincent was the law of the town, now. He kept people in line and made sure they followed the rules. The gunman punished rather discretely, which was probably why everyone was so afraid of him; except for Cid. Because Cid knew better I suppose.

Cid laughs and he jumps on out of the plane, crushes his cigar remains under a boot without caring that he was littering the landscape. Cid saw Vincent's demon forms as huge ass ugly pussycats. Then again cid was slightly crazy, wasn't he? He follows Cloud, looking around to see if Vincent was in town. When Vincent was, rocket town was always a home for him. Cid made sure of that. Vincent was maybe one of the few he would talk to after Shera left him, probably because Vincent didn't have looks of pity for anyone.

Vincent glanced around the place; he was dead silent, leaned up against the rusty old rocket stand, watching the children play. He put his gun away at his side just pulling his arm back, letting it slide back into the holster softly. He was grabbed in a new red crimson cape, replaced his old one, it was twice as strong and had chain mail on the inside layer. Enough to stop a bullet, with his strength he could move as if it were just a feather. Vincent blinked; looking over at the two figures muttering something only he could hear. Vincent then back down at that golden claw once more at his reflection.

Cid spoke once more; it was funny when Cid spoke. Everyone turned their attention to him, to hear what he had to say, "Hey vampire! I found this moron being chased by some stupid ass Wutians, apparently some civil war or something." The pilot sighed to himself then spoke again, "Anyway we have to have a meeting, so come to my home on the double." Cid marches to his small home. His house was cluttered and dusty because Cid doesn't clean that well, actually he doesn't clean at all most of the time.

Cloud and Vincent nodded to each other as they started walking towards the home. Vincent noticed his new found callosity, and his loss of shallowness, he spoke in that monotone voice to him. "I take it things didn't work out." Cloud nodded as he kept on, slightly, raising his stride as Vincent spoke again smoothly, "In such a hurry to leave things behind?" The former Turk chuckled as his words stopped cloud, as cloud turned to him speaking. "Only in a hurry to proceed with the present." Cloud winked to him a slight smile wring up on his lip apparently he had caught the Turk napping; they continued their walk to the house entering.

Cid of course doesn't bother to hold the door open for them. He didn't give a shit about manners. He steps over some trash and went to his office to dig through for his PHS. His house was the same except for trash not picked up. Some clothes tossed around, along with plates and cups which were dirty. Some cups had some healthy looking mold; possibly even new species of mold. One might suspect cid didn't just drink tea these days by the empty bottles of beer and booze. Half a pint of whiskey, was used to liven up his tea, empty bottles were littered around. He only drank on the days he was very bored and had no desire to socialize with anyone.

Vincent knew this all to well, he leaned up against the wall as silent as usual; leaving Cloud who felt like the rookie again to tamper with the old pilot who quirked a brow at the captain's living quarters, he figured he'd be more collected but then again last time he visited him he wasn't doing that well, it seems things had been piling up since then; he waited for all the people to get there before he'd say a word.

Cid comes out and tosses the PHS on the table before he settles for some pre made ice tea. Getting himself a tall glass and fighting the urge to spike it with whiskey, he knew that was in bad taste. He never thought that his home might reflect him or his mind, nor would he have cared. Right now he felt that he was needed to help the world and he desperately clung to that notion like a drowning man.

Cloud spoke to Vincent about the subject in private, getting all that he knew out of the man; then he walked back over near Cid letting his newly attainted information out, "Yes, he knew quite a bit." he said chuckling politely before speaking again, "He said ever since Godo's fall things have been in chaos, till a new leader arose, one twisted, and cruel. Pulling half of the people to his side, Yuffie out-casted him, knowing that Yuffie was with us, apparently their against us as well, and anyone associated with Shin-Ra from what Vincent said. That's their vendetta against us." Vincent nodded solemnly.

Cid spoke now, "hmmm that is a bitch, now ain't it." He sips his tea, relishing the cold liquid and sighs tough his eyes have a slight twinkle in them. "I won't let them fuck my friends around I plan to put my boot up this man's ass, you guys willing to do that once we warn everyone else?" Both Cloud and Vincent nodded, as Vincent replied the room grew quiet, "I'm going now I'll leave you two to speak over the situation." Vincent soon left, patrolling again he was never much for goodbyes. Cloud nodded to him, waving off. The former Turk only blinked at his wave before replying with a slight nod, the swordsman looked to Cid speaking, "Well you have our answer, you can address your people or whatever you choose, I'm going to get some rest before I get jumped again by some band of people who have wild problems with us." Cloud soon left after listening to what Cid had to say about the bedroom, and it being the only clean one. Cid didn't sleep in the bedroom and only went inside to change clothes, he slept in his chair; and he starts to fiddle with the PHS. After all this time, the PHS didn't stand up to the warranty on it, but Cid could easily fix such thing. They weren't as complicated as engines or planes, or so he thought. . .