Hindsight is 20/20
A Final Fantasy VII Fanfiction
Author: Sanjuno Shori Niko
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(In which the CHAOS factor takes effect.)
Cid Highwind was forty-eight years old.
A genius pilot and an engineer without peer, he had reached for the stars and caught them in his own two hands. The sky was no limit for him. Cid was tough, and smarter than about ninety percent of the population, and everything that he had he worked hard for, he earned every single thing he owned. Captain Highwind cussed like a sailor and smoked like a chimney and drank tea with manners that would make the sourest mother-in-law clench in envy. People who really ought to have known better followed him without thinking twice about it, and people who did think twice about it gave in after enough yelling. He had helped save the world two or three times depending on how you tallied it up. His name was a living legend.
Cid Highwind was forty-eight years old, and a terminal patient in the long-term care wing of Healin' Lodge.
Cid Highwind was also sick to death of being coddled like a damn baby. He had incurable necrosis of the lungs, not brain cell atrophy.
"Vincent." Cid levelled his permanent visitor with a determined look. "I wanna go out."
"Cid, the doctors said that you should take it easy." Vincent was not saying no, just reminding Cid of the professional opinion.
"Fuck 'em." Cid rarely bothered with extra words these days, finding it hard enough to breath. Vincent missed the rants, if only because hearing Cid yell would mean his body was as healthy as the blond man's temper. Hojo's final revenge had been a deadly pathogen released inside of his labs, targeted at anyone who would be inclined to investigate after his death. Cid was not the only member of AVALANCHE living at the Lodge. "I wanna see sky. Please, Vincent."
"Very well." Vincent sighed and shut down the monitors to avoid any alarms alerting the staff to their excursion. It was killing Cid to be cooped up here, surrounded but white walls and pity, treated like a child who could not make his own choices. Vincent never thought twice about complying with Cid's requests as the man rarely asked for anything more than to be taken outside. It was not the first time they had snuck out like this, though the frequency had dropped as Cid's condition worsened.
The air outside was crisp and fresh, carrying hints of salt from the nearby sea. Cid sighed happily as Vincent carried him out on to the balcony and launched them both into the sky on Chaos' borrowed wings. These secret flights were the only times Vincent saw the familiar spark of life return to Cid's sky-blue eyes.
"It's beautiful…" Cid sighed, eyes sliding shut as he sank into Vincent's arms. "Thanks, Vincent."
"Anything for you, Chief." Vincent tightened his grip, swallowing back sorrow and rage.
Cid stopped breathing.
Grieving agony sliced through Vincent's soul, followed by equally painful relief when Cid gasped and shuddered, chest hitching as he struggled for breath.
"Easy, Chief." Vincent banked as gently as possible, not wanting to jar his passenger and shock Cid's lungs into seizing, but hurrying back to the Lodge as best he could. "Just breathe."
"Vincent…" Cid's voice was thin and pleading, his eyes full of pain as his body betrayed him.
'He's dying!'
'No, not Cid. Please spirits, not Cid.'
'Fool!' With a growl, Chaos ripped control of the body from Vincent and completed the change from man to demon. 'I will not let this one die!'
Now where was it? Ah. There.
The world spun around the pair as the demon turned on a wingtip and shot forward, faster than mere muscle could account for. Invisible to human vision but glowing brightly to demon senses was Chaos' goal. A casual blast from the hovering anthromorphic personification of a cosmic force unearthed the flow of the Lifestream. It swirled strangely at this point, a nexus of converging lines rather than the usual smooth swell, and Chaos eyed the glowing eddies with satisfaction.
Not perfect – perfect would be too much to ask – but it would do. It would do very well for what Chaos had in mind. The shadow at the back of Chao's mind that was Vincent's more human side caught a hint of what Chaos planned to do and struggled for ascendance. 'Are you insane? What if it doesn't work?'
"… Vincent." Crimson spotted bloodless lips as the wind tore the thin whisper of Cid's voice away. Objection died, and single-minded determination was all that remained in its wake.
Chaos folded his wings around them both, the self-that-was-Vincent moving to put his will behind Chaos' power as they fell from the sky and into the glowing whirlpool. The swirling up-well of mystic forces created by Chaos erupted into a geyser of light.
The world ground to a stop.
/…/
JENOVA Project File No. 12
Dr. Crescent's genome has completely absorbed the Cetra cells. Mako infusion increasing by 5%.
JENOVA Project File No. 15
Specimen CC (Crescent/Cetra hybrid) has reached a physical maturation point. Mako levels stabilized at 69%. Anticipate removal from growth chamber within the week.
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Every fixit fic author eventually utilizes the time travel trope. This is me, doing that thing I just mentioned.