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Chapter I – Blue Fireworks
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Cries of awe filled the air as a trail of sparks rocketed through the night sky before exploding into a crescendo of colour and light. Cheer erupted straight after; loud applause and merriment from the crowd almost drowned out the sound of fireworks. Gathered in the town square of Edge, the people, the survivors, celebrated three years of life and successful rebuilding.
Crimson eyes watched from the shadows of a nearby alley as another wailing streak of sparks soared across the inky black night. This time they burst into a shower of brilliant green shimmers like tumbling emeralds. Vincent Valentine quietly crossed his arms as he leant against the cool brick, his golden gauntlet shimmering with coloured reflections of the sky's fire. He tucked his chin into the safety of his blood-red cowl to avoid the gentle breeze sweeping at his cape. He cast his mind back.
They were now in 3 A.C. Three years After Crisis. Three years since the catastrophe of Meteorfall. Also three years since he was last seen by AVALANCHE, or by almost any other person for that matter.
He pressed his back further into the wall and into shadow's embrace as a child ran past his narrow retreat from the scene. She tugged expectantly at the hand of her mother as she pointed towards the centre of the square with barely contained excitement. "Mommy! Look at the pretty fireworks! Don't they look great over the statue!" The enormous Meteor Monument, built in remembrance of the terrible Meteorfall, stood tall and proud under the glittering fire show.
"They do, but slow down!" her mother laughed, a pretty sound that was quickly lost in the thunderous bangs of celebration. They were soon consumed within the crowd as another cheer rang out with a clash and rumble of glitter, another following shortly after, then another. The monument shone more brightly than ever, its construction helped along by refugees who used nothing but the best metal they could find from Midgar's ruins.
This was the town of Edge, built eastward to the remains of Midgar and standing testament to the people's will to survive and carry on. Vincent turned away as another firework cracked open the sky with a flash of red, scattering brilliant, shining fire. While the people of Edge appeared to be moving on with their lives, Vincent was only bitterly reminded of the fact he had failed to move on at all. The past three years had been wasted on him; mostly spent in a dark, dingy library deep within the Shinra Mansion.
He was at a loss as where to go, so returning to the place where he'd been so rudely awakened from seemed to be his only option. Back to the forbidden town of Nibelheim where even the bravest feared to set foot. At first he wasn't sure what he was looking for. A reason to be, perhaps. A reason to live.
Hojo was gone. Sephiroth was gone.
… Lucrecia was gone.
He had no reason to stay on this earth; he felt unwelcome on the very soil he walked on. One night as he sat idly browsing through some tomes in the library, situated under the dank, rotting floorboards of the mansion, he discovered something he hadn't noticed before. Deep in the gaping jaws and belly of that dust and damp-riddled manse, it appeared there were further secrets. Vincent read the terrible scriptures of a madman, diaries that delved into macabre detail in how to remove organs, rend flesh from bone. Ways to splinter a mind and stir madness.
But it was there he found more turmoil and more questions, as well as a sickness seeded with bile that lay festering in his stomach. Vincent appeared to attract mystery, but it was not what he wanted. Quite the contrary: he wanted answers.
The crowd reached a fever pitch when a particularly large firework flecked with gold burst in the sky. It lightly shook the foundations around him with a rumbling echo that died on the wind.
"Whooo! Well would ya check out that baby!"
It was a booming voice Vincent would recognise anywhere. He quickly turned back towards the entrance of the alley and the bustling square with interest.
"It's super pretty!" A little girl chimed up in amazement.
"It's super, super pretty," a woman agreed with a soft bubble of amusement. "What do you think, Denzel?"
"It's pretty cool." The boy's voice would have sounded indifferent, except for the hint of a smile on his face.
A heavily built, dark-skinned man crossed the square wrapped in a puffy white vest. His huge brown boots thundered down upon the cobblestones, his confident stride highlighting his muscular frame. The scary effect, however, was completely ruined by his passenger: a little girl wearing a white turtleneck jumper. Her small arms circled his thick neck, wide eyes fixated on the firework-ridden sky in delight. Vincent recognised the man to be Barret Wallace, former leader of AVALANCHE, and his adopted little girl, Marlene.
By his side followed a woman most fair, a zip-up leather vest hugging her form over the sleeveless white shirt peeking out from beneath its hem. The black duster situated low around her hips brushed her ankles with each step she took. Her chocolate-coloured hair appeared almost black until a firework illuminated the scene with blinding colour. Vincent knew this to be Tifa Lockhart, however her charge he did not recognise. A small boy shuffled close to her heels, his messy and tousled hair a hazel shade. He pulled his short-sleeved hoodie closer around his button-up shirt, hands stuffed deep into dark-green pockets as he dragged his feet with a scuff of worn sneakers across the square.
Vincent should have known that some of his former teammates would appear here, at the third-year anniversary of saving the world by their own hands. After all, that's why he was here... wasn't it?
Vincent had to question himself. He simply wasn't sure anymore.
"What colour fireworks do you like, Denzel?" Marlene called from her towering father's shoulders, giggling when he shrugged further into his jacket and caused her to jump up slightly.
"I'm not so bothered about fireworks..." the boy mumbled.
"There must be one that you like though, right?" Tifa encouraged with a gentle smile that took him off-guard.
"B-blue. I like blue ones. But I don't think I've ever seen a blue firework before..."
Barret roughly scratched at his thick beard with giant metal fingers belonging to his steel right hand. "Well, I think I'll go talk to tha guy in charge of this whole thing. I'll get ya that blue firework if they ain't already got some." He shot Denzel a confident grin before stomping into the crowd, parting it with his sheer bulk just as another firework burst over the gathering. A beautiful purple. Marlene waved back from his shoulders above the sea of people and Tifa smiled, stifling a laugh at the little girl's enthusiasm, but also at how she appeared to be floating and bobbing mid-air adrift people's heads. She waved back.
"I don't want to be too much trouble," Denzel suddenly spoke up, causing Tifa to snap her gaze down in surprise.
"Now what makes you say that?" she asked, wave faltering with an incredulous lower of her arm.
"I'm not stupid," he said in a low voice, bitterness laced through the tone. "I know you're trying to cheer me up since Cloud left. He left because of me, didn't he? Because I'm too much trouble to take care of."
Tifa lowered herself down to Denzel's height and took a firm but gentle hold of his shoulders, making the boy look up into her features set in earnest. "You're not the reason why Cloud left. Cloud has his own reasons for leaving and you're not a single one of them. You're not any trouble. Not to Cloud, not to me, not to anyone. We love you very much. Do you understand?"
She held his eyes steady with her own. Denzel remained silent for a few moments before finally nodding his head. Tifa's face broke out into a smile.
"Now that's good," she breathed as she straightened and stretched, arching her back and reaching her arms up towards the explosive display. Inside, however, her mind was anything but relieved. She discreetly frowned to herself; she desperately wanted to speak to Barret once she had the chance. A yellow firework flashed and boomed in splendour above them, accompanied by a merry crackle of sparks. They heard Barret before they saw him, pretending not to stumble out of the crowd with Marlene hanging around his neck, grin still set in place.
"Now yer in fer a treat!" He winked at Denzel as he heaved for breath.
"Did they have any blue ones or did you have to go find some?" Tifa asked her old friend. She thought it rather odd if they didn't already have blue fireworks. They weren't particularly rare: Tifa had seen them before in her childhood back in Nibelheim. For Denzel, however, a child and orphan of the slums, it wasn't something common at all.
"They already had some, guess it was jus' coincidence they hadn't already set 'em off." He gazed expectantly towards the stars. "Keep watchin' lil' man! You're gonna get yer own firework!"
True to Barret's word, a screaming streak of sparks fired from the ground as the group turned towards the sky, the trail growing quieter and quieter as it shot into the dark. Then came a tremendous bang. A shape of deep blue emerged from the blackness and scattered across the night canvas in sparkling streams. The crowd gasped; then burst into ardent cheer and applause. Tifa looked to Denzel from the corner of her eye and smiled at the boy's expression. His mouth was slightly open, wide azure eyes taking it all in. This was the biggest firework yet, which made it all the more a fitting present for him. She just made him out over the roar of people.
"Whoa."
"Daddy, Daddy look!" Marlene pointed animatedly towards the shimmering blue. "Denzel's firework is so pretty! I'd like one too!"
Barret chuckled and shrugged his shoulders, causing Marlene to bounce up and down with a laugh of pure delight.
As the firework continued its crescendo it struck blue across the square, illuminating the grandeur monument in a brilliant shade of cobalt. Denzel slowly looked around, drinking in the scene. Turning to his right, he suddenly locked eyes with a crimson shadow in an alleyway. Stunned, he abruptly stepped back, losing his footing and falling with grasping hands against Barret's leg.
"Wha– whaa–!" The cry and pull on his pants leg made Barret immediately turn in alarm to where Denzel's gaze was transfixed, catching a glimpse of a crimson cloak, a dashing figure, then nothing. The next flash illuminated nothing but bricks and emptiness.
A few moments passed in shock for both of them. Barret's giant hand lay on Denzel's shoulder as the boy heaved for breath, neither sure of just when he'd placed it there. The crowd sounded muffled, as if underwater, as the two of them tried to regain their bearings.
Marlene and Tifa exploded into laughter.
"Denzel fell over! Denzel fell over!" Marlene sang from her father's shoulders.
"Denzel, don't look up too much! You'll lose your balance!" Tifa laughed as she carefully helped the boy to his feet, feeling terrible for laughing but unable to stifle her humour. "Are you alright?"
"T-Tifa! I was–"
Barret cut in sharply, "He's jes' fine! Lost his balance. Tha's all." Denzel peered up in question to the giant man who just nodded his head slightly as if to say, 'It's alright.' Somewhat understanding this, Denzel kept quiet.
Tifa furrowed her brow, not missing the silent exchange but ultimately deciding not to push the matter. Instead, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she grew lost in thought.
"Now!" Barret raised his voice to his trademark boom, "My lil' girl wants a firework! What colour would mah precious flower like?"
"Gold! A pretty gold one!" Barely containing her excitement, Marlene almost fell from Barret's broad shoulders. Her father laughed and grabbed her sides, lifting her up to set her down safely next to Denzel.
"Gold it is, so Daddy's gonna get what his lil' girl wants!" He turned to Tifa then, a sudden hint of gravity to his expression. "Look after 'em, would ya?"
Tifa peered questioningly at Barret. "Of course, you know me well enough by now." She smiled what she hoped was a reassuring one, but was inwardly suspicious of his sudden change of behaviour. Barret seemed almost spooked.
"Don't worry 'bout it!" He appeared to respond to Tifa but looked to Denzel who knew it was meant for him. Then with a white-toothed smile aimed at Marlene, he pushed himself back into the crowd of townsfolk and towards the Meteor Monument where the fireworks were being set off.
The hulking man made sure he was well hidden within the crowd before glancing back to ensure Denzel was indeed alright after his small bout of fright. Satisfied, Barret stopped for a moment, lost in thought.
'Vincent? Here?'