Vincent Comes Home

Final Fantasy VII--still doesn't belong to me. If it did, there would be way more Cid Highwind. Everywhere.

I just realized that my Microsoft Word has been changing Materia--to material. Shit. I gotta go through and fix that. Sorry about that...


Yay. Bit four.


Following the shouts, they bolted inside the airship to the mess hall. Zet was standing in front of a young man, lying on the ground. Another man stood before her. Vincent was surprised to note that both men were members of Nothwater’s crew. Had he expected a fight between crews? Well, wasn't that what always happened in the movies?

The man in front of Zet leapt. With a yell, something yellow and circular slammed into him. He jerked and fell from the air on his face with a nasty plop.

The look on Zet’s face wasn't very pleasany. “I can’t believe you,” she said to the crew, perhaps the room, at large, in a quiet voice. “We are guests on Captain Cid Highwind’s ship and I come in here—expecting to find my crew making a good impression and you’re all bickering and fighting like children.”

“He was—“

“I don’t give a shit who started it! This is how you all act with another crew? Especially this crew?! Can’t keep control of yourselves if I’m not here to baby-sit you?”

A woman reached the fallen man and turned him over. “What have you done to him?!”

“I’ve Stopped him.”

“Stopped him! That will kill him!”

“Oh, it will not! Don't be so dramatic. Take him into Midgar. When he's released, tell him he can’t come back. I will kill him if he tries to get back on this ship.”

“You can’t do that!”

Zet furrowed her eyebrows. “You wanna bet?” She outstretched her arm, glowing with materia. “Out! And any of you who feel for him—get out!”

“You can’t fire us, we’re Captain Jeremiah’s crew! You’re just his second-in-command!”

“Oh-ho! Now all of a sudden it praises to Jeremiah—when all you’ve ever done is sneak behind his back? Let’s get things straight. Here, I’m acting for him. And I’ll take full responsibility for that. Get off the ship.”

And about half of Northwater’s crew stood up. They all stared at Zet. Whether they were trying to intimidate her with sheer numbers or just with the varying levels of distaste that shown on their faces was unclear. Zet obviously didn’t care. She gestured with a nod of her head. “There’s the fucking door. Get out.”

“Where are we supposed to go? There’s nothing out here.”

“I’m not your fucking mother. Figure it out.”

“You can’t—“

“No! You’re not listening. I’m tired of putting up with a crybaby crew. You are constantly challenging Jeremiah’s authority. If the Northwater had been mine I’d have never have hired any of you. I won’t put up with this anymore. You’ve embarrassed us and you’ve embarrassed yourselves in front of a first-rate crew. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Get out. Or I will make you.”

The members of the crew ordered to leave banded together.

Suddenly, one of Cid’s helmsmen stood up. “Listen to the lady, boys. Off our ship. Now.”

“You gonna make us? Just ‘cause your captain says ‘e saved the world don’t mean shit to me! He’s just a fucking—“

But whatever Cid was was never found. An apple suddenly flew out of nowhere and struck the man in the nose. And that was all it took. Half of Northwater’s crew and Cid’s skeleton crew erupted into a brawl.

Ah, there's the movie cliche.

“Stop it!” Zet roared. But no one was listening anymore. She ducked a chair that came flying at her head and jumped on a table. Golden materia flared into life at her wrist.

Seemingly, at the same time—Cid and Jeremiah entered the room at a run, Tifa close behind.

“What the fuck?!”

“Zet!”

There was ping and everything stopped again. Zet closed her fist. “Off the ship. If I have to ask one more time, I’m going to start in with my other materia and believe me, it’s won’t be nice.”

“Manipulate Command materia,” Cloud mumbled. Vincent glanced at him.

And half of Northwater’s crew suddenly turned awkwardly, like on puppeteer’s strings and stumbled and ambled out the door, straight past Cid and Jeremiah.

Zet lowered her arm, back still to the door. She rubbed her temples and looked around at those that remained. “I apologize for my self, my captain, my crew. I never expected they would do something like this in another captain’s ship. It is my fault. I should have kept a closer eye on them.”

One of Cid’s men stood up from where he’d been lying on the floor. “S’all right, missy. Least the captains weren’t here to see it. Though Captain Jeremiah may wonder where half ‘is crew ‘as gone.”

“We’ll help you explain, Zet. It’s just as much our fault as it is theirs.”

Suddenly, a man from Northwater straightened, eyes wide. “Captain!”

Zet flew around. The look of horror on her face was unmistakable as she took in not only Jeremiah, but Cid as well. And then Vincent, Tifa and Cloud.

Zet’s hands clenched and she looked down at the table. She hopped off. Vincent could see how she attempted to cover her dismay. If it had just been her captain would it have been different? But he and the others here as well? Zet didn’t look at any of them. She approached Jeremiah and glanced up at him.

“Zet…,” said Jeremiah, looking like a kicked puppy. “What 'appened? I 'eard the shouts from upstairs and this…” he gestured around the room, which was littered with broken furniture, food, and blood.

“I…”

Jeremiah looked miserable. “I expected better out of you, Zet. To attack my crew. I…”

“Captain Cid!” One of the women hurried forward and saluted smartly to Cid. “Permission to make report, sir!” The look on Cid’s face might have killed children. He nodded sternly.

“Aye!” exclaimed a man from Northwater. He saluted to Jeremiah. “Permission to also make report, sir!”

Jeremiah looked at him, a flash of hope came over his face. “Yes. Let’s step outside. You, you, Cid, and myself. Zet, go back to the Northwater and confine yourself to your quarters. Makie, go with her. Stand outside her door. Make sure she doesn't leave.”

Zet's eyebrows furrowed, almost anxious, but looked at no one. She dropped her gaze to the floor and left the Highwind. Cid’s eyes followed her but he said nothing, merely went after the two crew members and his fellow captain.

Tifa, Cloud, and Vincent looked at each other. “I—“

“Don’t worry about it,” Tifa interrupted. “It’s not your fault, Vincent.”

That had not been about what Vincent was going to say but he said nothing anyway, not bothering to complicate matters.

The crew members around them began to tidy up the room.

Tifa looked back down the hallway. “Vincent, why don’t you and Cloud go back in the house. You two must be starving. I’m going to go talk to Zet.”

Cloud and Vincent both stared at her.

“What?” she snapped. “Go on.”

“But why—“

“Because Vincent came all this way and I’m not going to have it ruined. You know how Cid can be when it comes to airships. I want her side of the story before they decide to chop her hands off or something.” And Tifa left, making her way towards the Northwater.

Cloud and Vincent went back outside and saw that the members of Northwater’s crew who’d just been fired were nowhere in sight. Cloud looked at Vincent. He shrugged. Wherever they were, they weren’t here.


Tifa wandered around the Northwater for ten minutes before she found the woman, Makie, outside of Zet’s room.

She licked her lips. “Hi. Er. Can I talk to Zet?”

Makie shifted uneasily. “Captain said for me to make sure she doesn’t leave.”

“She’s not going to. And he never said you couldn’t let anyone in.”

Makie smiled a little and stepped aside.

“Mum’s the word.”

“Aye, ma’am,” said Makie, nodding.

Tifa opened the door.

Zet stopped in the middle of the room, apparently having been pacing. She stared at Tifa, obviously puzzled. “What are you doing here?”

Tifa shut the door. “I want you to tell me what happened.”

“What about Captain Cid and Jeremy?”

“Don’t worry about them. I can handle Cid. I want you to tell me what happened.”

So Zet related the story. She and the captain had boarded the Highwind. Jeremiah had gone upstairs to get a look at the helm, checking out the structure and it’s similarities and differences between it and the Northwater. Zet went to the mess.

Both crews appeared to be getting along, sharing food and what not. But then a shouting match had broken out between an older, raucous, burly man called Cozu and a younger, quiter man named Randem. A disagreement about the captain evidently. A shoving match ensued. At this point, Zet stepped forward, told them to calm their asses down and finish eating.

It seemed that this might work. Until Cozu impudently tweaked Randem’s ear and slapped him over the head. This had led to a prompt fistfight. Cozu threw Randem to the ground and had drawn a knife. Zet had forced her way between them and taken the knife. She had given him to option of backing off and he had refused. That had been when, unbeknownst to her, Vincent and Cloud had entered.

She looked miserable.


Tifa had seen the look before. She couldn’t say why she suddenly remembered it…


Cloud had gone to bed. He had run a delivery out to Kalm, hit a thunderstorm and rode it all the way back. He had been exhausted when he had arrived home, more exhausted than usual.

Tifa, thus, had poked at the supper she made and decided she wanted none of it. She was about to put it in the fridge when the knock came.

Tifa paused, casting her eyes around. Former battles had made her wary, like a veteran of war. Realizing such made her smile, shaking her head at herself. She wasn't in the good fight anymore. That part of her life was over.

The knock came again, more insistant. Suddenly remembering why she was up in the first place, she laughed and went to the door and opened it.

There stood Cid Highwind. He was drenched from the rain. His rough face was somber. A ruined cigarette stuck out of his mouth. He was leaning with his arm against the doorframe. As she stared out at him, he stood straight and tried a smile.

“Hey, Tifa. How ya doin’?” His smiled failed miserably.

“Cid…what are you…what are you doing here?” She reached and pulled him inside, out of the beating rain.

He shivered in the foyer as Tifa closed the door. Thunder rumbled behind him. He scowled. “I just gave everything over to Shera ‘cept the Highwind. Thought I’d offer you and Cloud my ship. Thought it might help with the business, you know?”

Tifa stared at him.

“You…don’t have it anymore do you? Damn. I thought you did. Sorry Tif. I—“

“No, no, no! We do. I was just…surprised. Here, come eat something. I’ll get you a blanket. Tell me what happened.”

So Cid ate her and Cloud’s supper, told her of the misery in Rocket Town and ended with him coming to her doorstep, unsure of what to do.

To say Tifa was totally thrown off by Cid coming to her was an understatement but she kept her composure. “Well, you’re welcome to stay. We’ve got three extra rooms upstairs. Your crew though…”

“They’ll stay in the ship," he said, quickly. "They always have. Or if it really bothers them, hell—they can go into Midgar.”

Tifa got the feeling Cid was more relieved than he let on. A glimmer of warmth crept back into his face. The attitude didn’t change but the somberness slowly left his eyes. It had been easy as that. Just to come in and ask Tifa for a job. She was glad to have given him assistance.

The somber, empty look that had been on his face mirrored Zet’s. She wasn’t teary or trying uselessly to defend her actions. She had attacked a crewmember and dismissed half the group without Jeremiah’s approval or awareness. She deserved to be fired, considering the amount of authority she had taken advantage of. Such a wanton use of materia was also not condoned or, frankly, legal. And, she added, she had not informed Jeremiah that she had possessed it in the first place.

“What will happen if he fires you?”

Zet shrugged. “Dunno. I can’t go back to North Valley if he fires me. I’ve got nothing there.”

“Family or anything?”

“I’ve got a house but my parents were killed in Junon. One of those WEAPONs. You remember, I’m sure. They were visiting some old war memorial or something.”

There was silence for a moment.

“I deserve to be fired.”

“No, you don’t,” Tifa said firmly. “Don’t start talking like that. Things will be fine.”

She nodded, but didn’t believe it.

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