Manor House
Chapter Three

Rating: R
Category: AU
Pairing(s): Cloud/Reno, Tifa/Barret, Aeris/Tseng, Zack/Sephiroth, Vincent/Cid, Reeve/Rufus, Yuffie/Elena.
Warnings: Mild angst.
Summary: Cid gets a phone call, Yuffie’s acting strange, Vincent has a fit, and Sephiroth displays his cutlery skills.
Notes: You will eventually find out what’s going on with the dog. Eventually.

This chapter is illustrated by Animama

They were gathered around a fire pit set in what had once been a beautiful paved yard, where in decades past grand parties had been held. Now the paving stones were being pushed aside by weeds and shrubs, and the furnishings and awnings were little more than mouldering ruins. The sun was setting, and the group had gathered to relax with the twelve bottles of carefully aged wine Vincent had stashed next to his coffin years ago, drinking from delicate crystal glasses forgotten in the kitchen.

Sephiroth had returned, humiliated and aloof. The wine was softening his demeanour, but he was still not much inclined to talk to Yuffie after she had waved an earthworm the size of a garden snake at him. He and Nanaki however had suddenly grown very close when Nanaki mentioned that worms were a delicacy among his kind.

Anything that vacuumed up worms was a good thing, so far as Sephiroth was concerned.

“I said I was sorry,” mumbled Yuffie.

Sephiroth sipped his wine and ignored her, his left hand slowly working the fur behind Nanaki’s ears.

Cid’s phone rang, and he pulled it out of his jacket pocket and looked at it. He grinned. “Hey it’s Charlie!”

“You still hear from them?” asked Barret.

“Once a month like clockwork, whether I need to or not. Awwww….” said Cid. “Now ain’t that cute? It’s my baby!”

Cid held up the phone so they could see Toki Wartooth in full rock god mode, head flung back, face covered in corpse paint, eyes half closed, lips parted, the concert lights reflecting off his mirrored contacts to make his eyes glow white. Tifa took the phone for a closer view, smiling.

“Cid,” she said, “repeat after me. Toki Wartooth…”

Cid sharply interrupted. “Is my kid because that son of a bitch who used to shackle him to the wall and flog him before sending him out into the dark to scavenge firewood doesn’t bloody deserve him.”

Tifa was horrified; he could see it reflected in her large dark eyes as she raised her head suddenly to look at Cid.

“Oh tell me you’re joking. Please.”

“I’d like to but I’m not. That’s why he’s spinny in the head like he is. He never got to grow up. Never got to play with the other kids or do anything normal. So… he’s mine now, thank you very much.” He took the phone back from Tifa to look at the other pictures he had been sent. “I asked him to change his last name but he won’t do it. Said that ‘Toki Valentine Wartooth Highwind’ wouldn’t fit on the album cover.”

“He could cram all the names together,” said Zack. “Valentoothwind.”

“I think he’s just gonna stick with Wartooth.” Cid scowled at one photo. “Skwisgaar’s looking a little skinny.”

Cloud peered over Cid’s shoulder. “Looks fine to me.”

“Nah he’s thinner.”

“Well they have been on the road a few months,” said Vincent. “But I have to agree with Cloud. He looks fine. He’s always been willowy.”

“Don’t like it,” grumbled Cid. “Toki would be devastated if anything happened to him.”

“So are you going to adopt him too?” asked Barret.

“Nope, said Cid, flipping through the photos. “Because that would make him and Toki brothers and then they’d have to break up. Besides Vin says we have enough kids.”

“We do,” said Vincent.

“Only three.”

“And five pregnancies. We’re waiting a few years.”

Cid snorted, then grinned at one of the pictures, showing it to Vincent. “Cute when he’s asleep, isn’t he?”

Cloud just laughed. “Cid you’re a trip.”

“Yup.” He moved to a new photo, then let his head fall back, laughing. “Oh man. I just died of sugar overload.”

Tifa bounced. “Let’s see!”

Cid showed her the picture. It was baby Lydia, dressed in a little grey suit with a bright red tie, wearing glasses. Tifa squealed in delight.

“How CUTE!”

Barret snorted. “That’s just great. Poor kid is another victim of parents with too much time and money on their hands. Lydia can form a support group with that herd Rufus adopted.”

“Oh stop that, she’s adorable!” Tifa was smiling, her eyes bright. “She looks so much like Nathan.”

“Poor kid,” said Zack.

Nanaki had been gazing at the fire, looking thoughtful. He turned his head to look at Tifa and asked a simple innocent question.

“Are you and Barret going to have children?”

Tifa reached out to pat his broad skull. Nanaki didn’t like being patted but had finally decided that humans were irresistibly drawn to furry things and to just accept it. He also sensed that his question had upset her.

“No,” said Tifa quietly. “We… can’t.”

“Why not?” asked Elena.

Cloud, Zack, Tifa and Sephiroth all exchanged glances. Realization dawned on Elena.

“Ah. Okay, moving right along, then.”

“You could adopt,” said Nancy. “Big house like this would hold a lot of needy kids who would be thrilled to have you as parents.”

“Yeah!” said Yuffie. “Lots of kids love a good monster fight before bed!”

Even Tifa giggled at the remark, but then shook her head. “I know there are a lot of kids who need a home, and Barret and I have agreed to adopt, and we do have Marlene who is a great kid, but… I want just one that’s really ours, you know?”

Cait Sith sat on a rock, slowly kicking his little booted feet. “Ever thought about finding a surrogate mother?”

“What’s that?” asked Barret.

“Well, basically, said Cait. “They take an egg from Tifa, sperm from you, and put it inside a third party to let it gestate. Like borrowing an oven, as it were.”

“That would work!” said Tifa, suddenly perking up.

“It has its drawbacks,” said Cait. “Namely sometimes it is very hard for the surrogate to part with the baby. But if you choose someone who is a close friend it might work.”

“Well I know who should do it,” said Barret, looking pointedly at Sephiroth.

“Wouldn’t work,” said Zack. “Once you put the embryo in him chances are the nanites would just read it as foreign matter and get rid of it. Normally something has to be repeated a few times before the nanites learn the task. That… might be a little hard to bear. In this case you would be far better off finding someone with a uterus.”

“Can’t be me,” said Elena. “You know what I do for a living.”

“Me either,” said Yuffie. “Too much responsibility. And if something happened I’d have to crawl off and hang myself.”

“And Aeris just had one a couple months ago,” said Tifa.

There was a long thoughtful pause, then eyes began shifting to Vincent. Cid grabbed his little husband and clutched him protectively.

“You keep your big ol’ tadpoles away from my Vincent,” said Cid.

“I don’t have tadpoles!” said Barret.

Vincent looked weary and resigned, allowing himself to be held like a pet cat.

“He just had one too. Besides he’s too little!” said Cid. “Damn, man, look at the size of you!”

“Like I’m the one who put a fourteen pound bowling ball in him,” said Barret.

“Exactly. With you as the dad it could be bigger. He’s. Too. Little..”

Barret shook his head, realizing that Cid wasn’t joking. “Cid he’s not too small, he handled that bruiser you put in him.”

“Too. Little,” Cid insisted. “Here. See for yourself.”

“Man I ain’t handling your husband.”

His words were in vain as Cid put Vincent in his lap. Vincent, who rarely complained even in situations where another man would be outraged, tolerated being treated like a puppy for the time being. Barret rolled his eyes.

“Great. Now what the hell am I supposed to do with him?”

Cid picked up Barret’s flesh hand and firmly placed it over Vincent’s belly. Barret looked uncomfortable, but after a moment a look of puzzlement crossed his face.

“Man…. He really is tiny.” He moved his enormous hand over the tangle of black and red covering Vincent. “Good grief! You’re just… tiny little bones!!”

“I keep telling you people,” said Cid.

“There’s nothing there!” said Barret. “Just some teeny little sticks!” He scowled at Cid. “Just what the hell were you thinking putting a baby inside this man?”

“I can tell you exactly what I was thinking, complete with sound effects.”

“NO!” screeched Tifa. “No I don’t want to hear it!”

Barret continued to cautiously prod Vincent until Cid reached over and gently took him back, cuddling him. Vincent sighed, his expression resigned.

“Barret you’ve seen me without the cloak before,” said Vincent. “You even saw me once in shorts and a t-shirt.”

“Yeah but… I guess I never really looked. I just don’t look at guys.” Barret grinned impishly. “So are ya ticklish?”

He reached for Vincent’s ribs. Almost immediately the brass claws rose threateningly.

“That would be a yes,” said Cid. He cuddled Vincent tight against his chest. “You are SO damned cute.”

“All kidding aside,” said Tifa, “would… would the two of you at least consider it?”

Cid looked at Vincent, then to Tifa. “Yeah we can talk about it. I don’t see why not. I mean it’s really up to Vin, he’ll be doing all the work.”

“And it would be kind of weird to have your husband pregnant by another man,” said Tifa.

Cid nodded. “Yeah, I have to admit, the idea of seeing Vin pregnant by another guy… well been there, done that.” He stroked Vincent’s hair, then kissed his face.

“Well just consider it payback for you having slept with Teddy,” said Yuffie.

The silence was profound and deafening. Tifa brought her hand up to her mouth in horror, saying nothing, just staring at Yuffie. Vincent felt Cid’s body rock as if he had been struck. Cid gently set Vincent aside, then stood up.

“I’m going to check the crown moulding on the tower windows.”

“Cid…” said Vincent quietly.

“No I’m fine, just… may as well go have a look.”

Cid walked away, heading for the house. Vincent suddenly turned on Yuffie. With supernatural speed he had her by the throat, dragging her to her feet so hard and fast Tifa was certain he was going to kill her. Yuffie meanwhile stared into a face more wolf-like than human, eyes burning like a lava flow at midnight.

“Cid never slept with Teddy. Cid never did anything with Teddy,” Vincent snarled.

Yuffie tried to get his hands off her throat. “Oh come on we all saw him kiss Teddy in Lucrecia’s cave!”

The red eyes narrowed. “And you are so very pure and perfect and moral that you never felt attraction for one person while loving another. Cid never betrayed me, and never would betray me, and even if he and Teddy were mating like rabbits every chance they got, that is between me and Cid and Teddy. And for you to bring that up and throw it in Cid’s face….”

The hand tightened ever so slightly, and the white teeth glinted as Vincent curled his lip.

“Don’t you dare ever bring that up again. Ever. Because if you do, then I promise you that thirty years locked in a coffin will not be long enough to atone for what I will do.”

Vincent dropped Yuffie, snapping his cloak around himself as he turned and walked away. Yuffie coughed, rubbing her throat, sitting down beside Elena.

“Wow,” said Yuffie. “He’s pissed.”

“Do you blame him?” said Zack. “What were you doing bringing that up?”

“I don’t know, it was just something stupid that slipped out,” said Yuffie. “I didn’t know he and Vincent would have a fit over it.”

“Well how would you feel if Elena had an affair and we brought it up in front of you?” said Barret. “And from what I hear there was no affair to start with.”

“Then what do you call kissing Teddy?” said Yuffie.

“I call it Cid and Vincent’s business and nothing for us to be bringing up,” said Cloud.

“Yuffie, I have to say, your behaviour has been oddly spontaneous, even for you,” said Tifa.

“Yeah I’ve been feeling really odd ever since I came here,” said Yuffie. “Almost… angry. Like… like something is just eating me and… it’s been coming out in some really rotten ways.” She rubbed her neck. “I should go say sorry to Cid and Vincent.”

“No just leave them alone for now,” said Tifa. “Give them a chance to cool down first.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe you said that.”

“Well I said I wasn’t feeling well!” Yuffie snapped.

Zack stood up. “Okay, that’s it. Yuffie, come on. When you start biting people’s heads off then I know something ain’t right. We’re getting you checked out.”

“I’ll take her,” said Elena. She linked her arm through Yuffie’s and helped her to her feet. “Let’s go. We’ll find out what’s wrong with you.”

“Nothing’s wrong,” crabbed Yuffie. “I’m just cranky!”

“Then I’ll give you a lolly and put you to bed.”

Yuffie pouted, but allowed Elena to lead her away. Cloud watched them leave.

“That’s very odd. Yuffie has always been vocal but she’s never been vicious. And yet today she upsets Sephiroth and then goes after Cid. It’s not like her.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” said Zack. “We all have our off days. Today was just her turn.” He turned to Sephiroth and kissed him. “Ready for bed, beautiful?”

“I suppose.”

“Cloud you coming?”

“Sure. Just let me call Reno.”

Zack rolled his eyes as he rose to his feet. “C’mon, Baby, let’s get out of here before we end up hearing Cloud’s endless ‘do-you-wuv-me-I-wuv-you’ to the redhead.”

As the group slowly dispersed, Vincent found Cid sitting alone in the mansion’s small tower room, little more than a tiny circular chamber. He was sitting on a small stack of lumber that had been stored there for a forgotten purpose years ago.

“I didn’t sleep with Teddy,” said Cid in a small, hurt voice as Vincent walked into the room.

“I know,” said Vincent. “I know you Cid. I know you wouldn’t. You’re the only person in my life I trust implicitly.”

Vincent sat on the dusty floor, resting his head on Cid’s lap, placing his hand on his knee. He closed his eyes, smiling as he felt Cid’s hand on his hair.

“You trust me more than your mom?” asked Cid.

“I have no trust for that woman. She used to hide vitamins in my cocoa.”

“Now that’s the mark of true evil,” said Cid. He stroked Vincent’s long hair, then suddenly scooped him up into his arms, pulling him tight against his chest and breaking down in tears.

“I wouldn’t hurt you, Vincent! I would never hurt you!”

“I know Cid. I know. I love you. Pay no attention to Yuffie.”

“Well how can I not? If she said it then others are thinking it.”

Vincent was taken aback by the statement. “Cid since when do you care what anyone thinks?”

“When it comes to my family, I care. I care a whole fuck of a lot. My grandmother thinks I beat you and now my friends think I’m screwing around on you. I’m not like that! I am nothing like that son of a…”

Cid’s voice ran out before he finished the sentence, his voice cracked and rusty. Vincent had never heard him so upset and it frightened him. He put his arms around Cid and held him tightly.

“I know Cid. I know. Don’t be upset, please. I have no idea why she said what she did.” He smiled coldly. “She won’t say it again.”

Cid kissed him. “C’mon, let’s just go home for tonight. We’re just a plane hop from home and I want to see the kids and the woof.” Cid grinned. “Reno told me a cute joke. What’s the difference between a new dog and a new husband?”

Vincent smiled. “What?”

“After a year the dog is still excited to see you.”

Vincent laughed quietly. “That’s not quite true. I happen to still get quite excited to see you.”

“Me too,” said Cid. He closed his eyes and drew a deep, cleansing breath. “I love you Vincent Valentine. And I don’t know why you love me back but there is not an hour of each and every day that I am not grateful you do.” He kissed him firmly. “C’mon. Let’s go home.”

They stood up, Vincent taking Cid’s hand. They were about to leave when Cid paused.

“Did you hear that?” he asked.

“I heard nothing,” said Vincent.

“Sounded like a dog howling.”

“Nanaki likes to howl. It’s probably him.”

Cid shook his head, his expression one of puzzlement. “No. I know Nanaki’s voice, this wasn’t him just making noise. It was a dog, and it was screaming. But I only heard it for a moment.”

“A paw under a rocking chair or a tail in the door,” said Vincent.

“I suppose. Still… made me cold.” They left the room, heading downstairs, Cid deep in thought. “Y’know I would swear this place feels different somehow. It was always creepy and scary, but it didn’t feel so oppressively haunted before.”

“I noticed that too,” said Vincent. “And angry as I am at Yuffie, I’m concerned as well. She has always been boisterous, but she’s never been aggressive.”

Cid nodded. “Yeah that outburst did seem a little out of character. And she’s frightened of Sephiroth to this very day, so it’s kinda strange she would suddenly choose to toss a night crawler at him. And in front of Zack no less. She knows better.” Cid briefly mulled this over, then shook his head. “It’s just this house. Too many ghosts and bad memories.”

“No need to remind me.”

Cid grinned. “Wanna go make love in your old casket?”

“We did that already. When we went for the wine.” He tugged Cid’s hand. “Let’s go home. I’ll wear the pirate outfit.”

Cid grinned. “Okay, I feel better.”

They walked down from the little room, and into the study where the newly-repaired secret door stood open. Once again Vincent paused, looking at the bricks.

“The dog. I hear it now.”

Cid listened, looking puzzled. “That’s funny, I don’t.”

“It’s screaming,” said Vincent quietly. “It saw everything.”

Cid began to feel a thread of worry. “Vin? Baby are you okay?”

The thing that turned around to look at him was not Vincent. Cid grabbed for his lance, but was not fast enough.

***---***

Yuffie held up the piece of pink glass and sighed.

“I had no idea there were so many pieces of glass in a twelve foot high window.”

“You should just be thankful Sephiroth didn’t go out through that huge one in the ground floor piano room,” said Elena. “What were you thinking tossing a worm at Seph? Babe he could have diced you and there would have been nothing we could do to help you.”

“I know,” said Yuffie, trying to find where the piece of pink fit into the giant jigsaw puzzle of stained glass laid across the floor. “What the hell was I thinking? I’m scared of that guy!”

Nancy took the bit of pink glass from Yuffie and fit it into a large rose. “Well I can tell you that I wouldn’t toss a worm at that man. Not even if he liked them.”

“I just felt so angry,” said Yuffie. “I just… wanted a fight. I don’t know what was wrong with me. I broke Tifa’s window, and I still can’t believe what I did to Cid after some of the things he’s done for me. I’m not like that!”

“Well maybe you’re hypoglycaemic,” said Nancy. “That can make a person act pretty goofy at times.”

“I still have to say I’m sorry to Cid. Where is he, anyway?”

“Out back ripping up the pavers so the area can be repaired and they can restore the patio,” said Elena.

“I thought they had workers for that,” Yuffie. “We’re supposed to be clearing monsters.”

“Didn’t you hear?” said Nancy.

“Hear what?” asked Yuffie.

“Vincent had some kind of fit or seizure last night. He freaked out, shape-shifted and attacked Cid.”

Yuffie was horrified. “No. Oh tell me you’re teasing me.”

Nancy shook her head. “I wish I was. If Cloud hadn’t been here to pull him off who knows what Vincent would have done. It took him and Cid both to wrestle him down.”

“Where’s Vincent?” asked Yuffie.

“He’s at the inn, sedated. Zack always has some Halcinol on him in case Baby blows a fuse. Vincent’s really shaken up, I think he’s having some sort of nervous breakdown. Dr. Gaywell will be here later today.”

“What would have set him off like that?” said Yuffie.

“Don’t know,” said Nancy. “According to Cid he said something about hearing a dog screaming and then he just went crazy.”

Yuffie idly resumed sorting the coloured glass, slowly rebuilding the puzzle that was the large window. Outside she could hear Cid slowly pulling up the paving stones and setting them aside.

“Why isn’t Cid with Vincent?” she asked quietly.

“Vincent seems to think Cid wants to kill him,” said Elena.

“Oh bull crap, Cid wouldn’t hurt Vincent… allegations about a certain hippie aside. Just what is going on around here?”

Nancy shrugged. “Dust spores? Allergy? Something undiagnosed? In your case I still vote hypoglycaemia.”

Yuffie set down the piece of green glass she held and rose to her feet, leaving the room and heading for the outside patio. There she found Cid, subdued and clearly not himself, his eyes ringed with dark circles from lack of sleep, and three long, neat, vicious slices down the right hand side of his face. He was pulling up loose pavers and setting them in an orderly pile for later use.

“Cid?”

He glanced up, the blue eyes narrowing when he saw who was addressing him.

“Not in the mood, Yuffie.”

“No I heard about what happened last night and… why would he do that? He adores you!”

Cid’s lip curled faintly. “Well you will be pleased to know it had nothing to do with Teddy.”

“Cid I’m sorry about that remark. Especially since you’ve been pretty good to me. You’ve been pretty good to all of us. It was a rotten stupid thing to say and I don’t know why I said it. I’m sorry.”

He waved her off. “Don’t worry about it. It’s here, it’s this house. It has us all acting screwy.”

“How is Vincent?” asked Yuffie.

“Don’t know. I can’t get in to see him. He’s acting like he’s out of his mind. Like he doesn’t even know me. He’s hysterical, I can’t figure out what the hell is the matter with him. Finally I just… came out here. Zack’s looking after him for the moment.”

“But that’s not like him! Cid he loves you!”

Cid just shook his head. “Not right now he doesn’t. He’s acting like he hasn’t the first idea who I am.” He put down the pavers he held and straightened up, looking tired and old.

“Yuffie have you heard a dog howling?”

“No. Why?”

“Vincent said he heard a dog just before he had his fit. And I heard one earlier in the evening. Just wondering if you heard one too.”

“Do you think it’s important?”

“I don’t know. Vin had a pretty funny reaction to the bricks in the tower, too.”

“Well I don’t think it’s really that strange when you consider everything that has happened to Vincent in this house. Maybe the strain of being here just… caused him to freak out. I know I don’t like being here! I can’t imagine why Tifa does!”

“Well we’re only here to clean out the monsters. We don’t have to live in this dump. Frankly I just want to know what’s wrong with my Vincent.”

“I’m sure he’s fine, Cid,” said Yuffie. “It’s probably just stress.”

Cid grumbled with uncertainty. “Go fix the window,” he finally muttered. “I’m gonna go down into the tunnel and help Barret.”

Yuffie did, returning to the room with the creaking floorboards and dead piano to resume working on the stained glass window. She seated herself on the floor and picked up what looked like a bird’s wing.

“How is he?” asked Nancy.

“He’s got the biggest set of claw marks down his face that I ever saw. Vincent really took a swipe at him. But why would he do that? Cid said he was scared out of his mind and was acting like he had no idea who Cid even was!”

“There is something very nasty about this house,” said Nancy.

“I know. I’ve been here before. But it never felt this horrible and creepy,” said Yuffie.

Nancy shook her head. “Come on, let’s just get this repaired. The sooner I’m out of here the happier I’ll be.”

***---***

“This coat will never be white again,” said Rufus.

“Well who told you to come down here, you jackass?”

“Oh, gee well, let me think. Hmm. Now who was it who said that since Vincent was sick the party was now short a marksman?”

Barret grumbled. “Never saw a man wear white to go into a tunnel.”

“I also wear white to funerals and pottery classes, I’m not about to change now.”

Barret and Rufus paused as they heard Cid call for them to wait up. Barret winced as he saw the damage done to Cid’s face.

“Man you shouldn’t be here with us, you should be with Vincent.”

Cid shook his head. “No, all I’m doing right now is upsetting Vincent. The doctors promised to call when he’s feeling better. So may as well keep busy.”

Barret stepped closer to look at the deep, savage cuts, held together with black sutures on Cid’s face. “He really tagged you, didn’t he?”

“Well that’s what Vincent has those claws for,” said Cid. “Hand to hand combat. I’m damned lucky he went for my face instead of my neck. Those fucking shoes are no joke, either.” Cid hauled up the edge of his t-shirt and showed Barret and Rufus the remains of a materia-healed injury where the flesh had been gouged out in a long V-shaped strip.

“Bloody hell!” said Rufus, horrified.

“Damn,” said Barret quietly. “I mean I knew he fought with them, but… Cid are you all right?”

“Oh yeah,” said Cid. “It wasn’t serious. I mean he carved a trench in me and cut some slivers of bone out of my ribs but the materia fixed it.” He grinned sappily. “My baby kicks so much ass.”

Rufus and Barret exchanged glances.

“Cid you’re a sick man,” said Barret.

“Yeah and you don’t get hot when Tifa kicks someone’s ass.”

“Not when it’s mine I don’t!”

Cid grinned at him. “You get your ass kicked by girls a lot?”

“Shut up or I’ll smack the stubble off you.”

Cid waved a warning finger at him. “None of that. Better be nice to me if you want to borrow my husband’s oven to bake your batch of Oreo cookies.”

Barret stuck his tongue out at Cid. Rufus just sighed.

“Honestly, the things some people consider breeding material. Look there’s Baby. Hello tall, perfect, and stunning.”

Barret and Cid each had a brief case of the jitters seeing Sephiroth standing in the dark tunnels. Rufus simply walked up to him and stroked his long white hair.

“Seen anything?”

“No. Well, yes, briefly, but once things down here sensed my presence they all ran away.” Sephiroth pouted prettily.

“Can’t imagine why,” said Barret dryly.

“Well they had go somewhere,” said Cid. “C’mon, let’s play a little hide ‘n’ seek.”

The four walked cautiously down the long dirt tunnel, alert for anything. They were near the door that led to the office, when they paused, hearing something moving close at hand.

“What was that?” asked Rufus.

“Sounded like a big-ass snake,” said Barret.

“Maybe it’s a forty-foot worm,” said Cid.

Sephiroth closed his eyes, looking ill. “Cid I despise you.”

“It was coming from the little room where Vin had his coffin,” said Cid. “Should we look?”

“Well that is what we are here for,” said Rufus. “Might as well.”

They began making their way back from where they had come, cautiously approaching the small room. There was a definite sound of something slithering, and the quiet noise of rotting wood being nudged around.

“Could be a ground eel,” said Rufus.

“Ground eel?” asked Cid.

“Shinra Inc had them created to help farmers. You see crops can be damaged when spoiled fruit or grain attracts insects and vermin. We genetically altered some amphibious eels to make them larger and give them more stamina on land. They’re quite peaceful, all they want to do is eat spoiled produce and go on their merry way. A cool dark tunnel and some maggoty wood should make quite an acceptable habitat.”

“And you’re sure they’re peaceful?” said Barret suspiciously.

“Well in the sixty years it’s been since we created them the worst complaint we’ve had was about how one figured out to lift the lid of the household toilet and climb into the bowl, where it would lay waiting to give a very nasty surprise to anyone who sat down without looking.”

“Yeah that’s something you don’t want to have happen at five in the morning,” said Cid. “All right. Let’s open the door and pray for a ground eel.”

He raised his lance and used it to nudge open the door, peering cautiously inside. Near the back of the room he could see a long, sleek dark brown back with a short erect fin running down the length of its back. Rufus sighed in relief.

“See? Just a friendly little ground eel. Hello fellow.”

Barret stepped forward, wanting to look at the thing. “Hey fellah. Poke your face up, let me get a look at you.”

The eel seemed quite occupied. Barret stepped into the room, moving slowly and quietly. “Hey little fellah.”

Cid raised an eyebrow. “Barret the thing is about fourteen feet long.”

“Still just an animal,” said Barret.

He drew closer, then paused, suddenly realizing the eel was not moving of its own accord. It was dead, and the movement was being caused by the creature devouring it. As Barret watched, a gigantic thing reared its head up and stared at him with an eyeless face. The mouth on the creature was round and lined with jagged fangs, and the slimy body was a sickly pinkish red, pulsing like a maggot. It was, in short, a forty foot worm.

“What is it?” asked Sephiroth, still standing in the hallway, unable to see past Barret’s massive frame.

“Nothing,” said Barret. “Nothing at all. Uh… she’s got babies. Let’s not bother her.”

He began slowly backing up, stared at by the cold, silent monster. He had nearly reached the door when the jaws on the ghastly creature shot forward on a long slithering protrusion with incredible speed. The serrated teeth drove into his shoulder, and Barret screamed in agony. Cid and Rufus grabbed him and pulled him back, but the teeth stayed driven into the flesh. Cid drew a knife from his boot and began cutting through the head, and the creature suddenly released Barret to attack Cid, catching him by the throat. Barret grabbed the monster, trying to pull it off, flinching as he heard the explosion of Rufus’ shotgun. Then there was a whipping sound that made Barret think of the cooking shows Tifa liked the watch, where the chefs chopped things so quickly it was a wonder they did not take off the tips of their fingers. Suddenly the worm lay in tiny segments all over the floor, and Sephiroth stood in the middle of the gore, shaking, clutching his sword.

“I really, really, really hate worms,” he said quietly.

“Damn, Baby!” said Barret. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” said Sephiroth, clutching his sword, looking a little wild-eyed. “I’m perfectly fine.” He slowly gathered himself, breathing more deeply and relaxing. “How are you and Cid?”

Barret looked at his shoulder. “Well it’s ugly, but it ain’t deep. Should be just fine. How about you, Cid?”

Cid’s throat was raw and abraded, but he too was fine. He cast a glance at Rufus.

“So was that yours too?”

“No,” said Rufus, “I am quite pleased to say that so far as I know my company had nothing to do with that.”

Barret stood up, mentally checking himself over. “They ain’t monsters. They’re corpse worms. Usually they just stay in graveyards and eat what they find, but they’ll hunt if they’re hungry enough. Used to see them all the time down in the mines. And they like company. They live in colonies. Remember those big-ass worms we saw upstairs? Probably this thing’s babies. Sooner we get these tunnels cleared and blocked off the better. I’d like to just blow them up but we can’t take a chance on things being buried and then clawing their way up.”

“Things like giant carnivorous worms,” said Cid.

“Exactly.”

Sephiroth sighed. “I’m in hell.”

“Suck it up, Baby,” said Cid. “C’mon, let’s check the office.”

“I liked it better when you people were all terrified of me,” Sephiroth muttered, stalking towards the office door, coat and hair swaying as he moved.

Cid, Barret and Rufus followed after the great warrior, staying alert for anything that may be hunting them. They walked into the office where, years ago, Vincent had died, Zack and Cloud had been experimented on, and the Great Sephiroth had lost his mind. They paused, looking around Hojo’s grisly playground, then Sephiroth walked into the library that adjoined it.

“There is a secret panel through here,” he said quietly. “It leads into hidden chambers on the lowest level. I suspect that is where our monsters are hiding.”

They followed Sephiroth through the hidden door, and began walking into the depth of the house.