Where the Madness Ends and the Nightmares Begin
They were stuck in the middle of enemy territory, unknown and unnerving. The gunman and the pilot had taken a job on hunting a few monsters for a village. This village was in a very remote area with barely a population but it didn't occur to them that something off was about this village. After all, Vincent and Cid were there to help those in need. What could happen? The pair had entered the village like any other but there were no monsters lurking about. Just a dense mist fog the color of plums. Cid rubbed the back of his head and frowned. "What the hell? Where all the monsters?"
Vincent, tall and silent scanned the area. "Are we too late?"
Cid shifted his weight. "Yo! Anyone alive out there!? Hellooooo!? " he called. His voice echoed in the silence. The two stood there looking forward. The silence began to ring through their ears and Vincent glanced over at his blonde parnter.
"Cid. This is strange. Listen... "
Cid blinked and glanced over at the black haired gunman. "What am I listening for?"
"No. Not for..lack of. "
The blonde pilot rose an eyebrow. Blue eyes then widen. "There no sounds! Not a one. No birds, dogs or bugs! No nature at all not even wind. " It was starting to freak him out.
"Stay calm." Vincent told. "Someone wanted us here...lured us here with a false job. We have to stay on guard. " The gunman walked a few steps forwards. "I smell...a lot of blood."
Cid frowned. " The air feels hot. Like hell ya know." he told as he followed the man in red. The mist around the village began to thicken and the two started to become lost in it. "Vince. I can barely see ya. " he told. "Stay closer to me will ya?"
There came no response as the gunman walked faster. "Vince!? " Cid cried out and began to follow. 'Hey! Stop walking so fast!" the blonde chased after him with a mild panic. "Vincent!" he yelled and soon the other was gone and Cid was alone in the dense fog. "Vincent!" he screamed out. The feeling of panic began to settle in. "Vincent!"
Again, there was nothing but silence. Cid's blue eyes began to glanced around rapidly. " Fuckin' mist." he said and huffed. Cid pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Then there was a grip on his shoulder which caused Cid to jump "Wha!" he turned and blinked a few times. Standing there was Vincent. "Hey...how the hell did you get behind me? Why the hell did you leave me alone!? Sticking together was your idea! You gave me a fuckin' heartattack"
"I'm sorry." Vincent told. "The fog is very thick. We should find a place to lay low." The gunmen grabbed Cid's wrist. "Follow me." he told. Cid blinked a few times and followed behind him.
"Have any idea where to go?"
"I can see pretty far into the fog. I can see the outlines of buildings. We should find one to take shelter in."
"Sounds like a plan." Cid told as he glanced down at their arms. The blue eyes widen. The gauntlet that Vincent wore. It was on the wrong side. The blonde glanced up and stared at the back of Vincent's head. The way he walked seemed different and Cid slowed down and then stopped all together. "..."
Vincent stopped his steps but didn't look behind him. "Whats wrong?" he asked. Cid became very quiet and his eyes were closed. He stayed silent for a moment as to think through his panicking thoughts.
"Cid?"
" Ya take me for a fuckin' fool? " Cid asked as he opened his eyes. " You ain't Vincent. Who the fuck are you?" he asked and he held onto his spear. The blonde was about to pull his arm away but Vincent's grip became very tight. "Ugh!" Cid winced.
" So. You are not as stupid as you look." The fake Vincent told. His hands had been turning into sharp talon like claws which dung deep into Cid's arm. Blood began to run out and hit the ground below them. Cid winced and shoved his spear into the monster's head. It did little to phase the doppelganger. "Ow. That hurt." the double told as blood poured from the wound in it's head.
"Where is Vincent ya fuckin' faker!" Cid demanded.
"Most likely having his own nightmares." The monster told. It's arm had become deformed. " It's been such a long time since I 've been able to manifest such a grand fog. Foolish human, you are just prey that walked in. "
"What kind of fucking monster are you!? " Cid struggled to break the other's grip on his arm. This earned a chuckle from the Vincent look alike. Then it turned into a full blown laughter. It was odd to hear the laughing in Vincent's deep and stoic voice. It sent a shiver down Cid's spine. Soon the monster began to clam.
"A monster...a monster...made by humans. They are the worst kind of monsters." it told. " Man plays god, then is killed off by their own creation and the cycle starts over, never ending. It moved quickly close to Cid's ear and it whispered " How does it feel, human? That you are going to be devoured by a beast with your best friend's face?"
Cid yanked the spear out and swung it again but the beast was too quick. It moved fast and sunk it's fangs into Cid's shoulder before ripping it off completely. "Ughhaahhhhhhhhh!" the blonde screamed and stumbled back. "Son of a bitch!" he cried and shoved a restore materia against his wound struggling to close it.
The monster laughed as it dropped the severed arm to the ground. It licked the blood off of his lips. "Look how pathetic you look. Humans always make me laugh. " he chuckled. Cid hunched over in pain and growled.
"Fuck you! How dare you wear his face...and laugh at me, fucker." he struggled to his feet using his spear to stand up. The monster was looking less like Vincent and more like a black mass of horror with distorted claws, talons, fangs. Half of the double's body was black and misty and with Vincent's face holding a grin matching a murderous Cheshire Cat.
Cid winced and glared. " I'm going to wipe that grin off ya face!" he snarled before holding up the spear. His body was starting to go into shock but he would push on. The monster laughed again in Vincent's voice and it was pissing the blonde off.
"Are you, human? You can barely stand and in a few more moments you will bleed to death. " the monster began to calmly walk forward "You should pray and take solace that you'll die by the hands of your partner. "
The blonde was losing his vision. The blood loss began to take it's toll as he fell forward and was caught by the monster's embrace. "Poor little human. " the monster told as the mist side of it's body opened up wide and fangs hovered over his head. Cid's blue eyes were starting to become dull as they stared at the sharp fangs. They closed in on the blonde and soon it was over. Everything became dark and Cid could feel the fangs sink into his lifeless form. Everything became silent and still in the blackness. Soon his mind began to race and shortly he began to hear a voice.
"...i..d...! …..C...i...d...! …. "
The blond's thoughts continued to race. He couldn't make out whose voice that was. It was so muddled. Was he in the lifestream? He was eaten right? Devoured by that monster with Vincent's face? Vincent...was he okay? Did he escape? Cid hoped he did. He hoped the gunman ran away from the danger that over took them.
"C..id!...Cid! CID!" the voice was screaming.
Soon Cid saw a light. A place began to form around him. It was blurry and his body felt heavy. Cid felt himself blink and the voice was getting louder. It was so familiar and it was filled it worry and panic. Someone was hovering over him. Someone in red and black. "Vin...c..e..." he tried to speak out but his throat hurt. He felt hot. Soon his vision began to focus.
"Cid!" Vincent shook him. "Cid, wake up! You have to stay awake!" The gunman was holding onto the blonde tightly. "Stay with me! "
"Oh...Vincent..." Cid spoke. "Ya are yellin'..." he told as he glanced around. He was in a haze. His eyes fell on Vincent's arm and it was correct. It was in the right place. He glanced back at his friend's face before the memories of being devoured set in. Panic filled his mind as he grabbed his arm that had been bitten off and found it was still there. " My arm?" he asked.
"Calm down. We are back on the airship. " Vincent told as he rested both hands on his shoulders to keep the captain steady. Vincent looked utterly exhausted. Cid sat up slowly and blinked. They were alive?
"Was..that..all a nightmare?" Cid asked as he looked at Vincent.
"The mist.." Vincent told. "It has a negative effect. We were in it for about ten minutes. You then began to shake like having a seizure and collapsed. You began to speak of things that didn't make sense. " he said softly. "I carried you back here. "
Cid blinked "The ship isn't moving? "
"It's caught in the fog...Nothing is running. " Vincent told as he leaned against a near by wall. He didn't look so good. Cid watched him for moment before moving to sit beside him.
"What the hell have we gotten your selves into?" he asked worried. "Are you alright?"
Vincent gave a nod. "The fog...I believe its poisonous...it's effecting me greatly. Chaos is stirring as well.. It's angry. "
"Are you losing control?" Cid asked as he recalled the dream with the monster.
" No...It's more like I'm being cut off from Chaos...his power is fleeting away from me. I dont' believe I have to ability to use my Limit Breaks or transform at all.."
"All because of this fuckin' fog?" Cid asked.
"I feel heavier than normal...and tired. " Vincent replied.
The blonde was feeling worried. " Vince?"
"I'm..sleepy..." the gunman began to sway back and forth slowly.
"Vincent? " Cid asked and he held onto the other's shoulders. Vincent felt so cold and his eyes were barely open. "Vince?! Talk to me man! " he shook him. "Vincent! D-Don't leave me alone! Vincent!" The gunman's body began to feel lighter and slowly he began to dissolve into red ash. Cid's eyes widen. "What...the fuck is happening!?"
Things around Cid faded to black and he sat on his knees holding on the one thing remained of Vincent and it was his headband. He stared wide eyed down at the ground where the pile of red dust once were. "What is happenin? What the fuck is this!? Who is fucking with me!? " Cid snapped and began to swing his spear around wildly. "What the fuck is this!? "
"Cid..." came a woman's voice. It was calm and familiar. The blonde haired pilot looked up and blinked. A few tears had been formed in his eyes as he held onto headband. His eyes scanned the void ahead. The voice was heard again.
"My little Cidney..."
Cid looked around and when he glanced behind him he was standing in an old looking house. It was familiar. It felt like a place from his childhood. A childhood he didn't have fond memories of and didn't want to remember. The blonde took a step forward. There was a woman with thick blonde hair sitting at table humming lightly.
"Ma..." Cid found himself saying. He stayed frozen in his spot. He just stared blankly a head. The house was filled with different machinery. That was from his father's work. The man was a brilliant inventor. That was the only thing he remembered of his father. The blonde's grip tighten around the crimson headband.
The scene suddenly changed. Cid found himself standing in the living room of his childhood house the air was thick with blood and a brown haired man laid dead on the ground. He had been stabbed to death. The blonde haired woman from before was running with a boy no more than six years old. They headed upstairs and Cid's surroundings changed to a upstairs bedroom where his mother had ran in. She hurried over to the closet and pushed the little boy in. "Don't come out!" she said with a thick southern accent. "Hush. Don't let them hear you. Stay silent, baby. Close your eyes!" The mother shut the door to the closet.
Two large men ran into the room. They were robbers and they grabbed the mother and threw her against the closet door. She screamed before the men ripped off her clothes and stabbed her many times. Soon she was dead and the knife was discarded near the closet door. The little boy stared in shock at what he had witness. The two robbers had turned their backs and began to look through for anything of value.
The little boy slowly opened the door and picked up the knife, his blue eyes filled with anger. He ran at full speed and stabbed the first robber through the back and through the spine. The other robber gasped and turned kicking the child back. "Ya gonna die for that, you little shit!" The remaining robber moved over and picked up the little boy by his hair. " Look. Look at your dead mommy, brat. You'll gonna end up just like her, fucker." the robber laughed.
The little boy struggled and hissed. "You are gonna die, fucker!" he spat before shoving the knife into the robber's eye. The robber let the blonde boy go and screamed in pain before falling back. The boy hurried over and kicked the knife deeper into the other's skull before falling back shaking. He crawled over to his mother's body and cried. "Ma...mama...wake up...ma.. "
Cid watched the whole thing. A memory he pushed so far in the back of his mind. Something he wanted to forget. "I don't...wanna remember this..." he muttered and looked down at the red head band. "...what is happenin'? " Everything around him went black again. "Am..I in hell or somethin'?" he asked out loud.
The blonde looked at Vincent's headband and he held it tightly. " Vince...what should I do? I don't know what is even happening? This gotta be hell.." he began to walk. "If it's hell then I don't want it! " he began to walk faster. " God can shove it! I 'm goin' home! Back to my ship and friends! These fuckin' bad memories won't chain me again!" he was running now. " Like hell Vincent is dead! He can't die that easily! Fuck whoever is puttin' me through this nightmare! " His eyes fell close. "FUCK THEM!" he screamed.
Cid eyes snapped open. His heart raced and his eyes focused. He was in a bedroom that looked like it belonged to an inn. He was panting heavily and dripping in sweat. The pilot was shirtless and soon noticed his wrist was bandaged. In his tight grip was Vincent's headband and standing before the bed was the gunman himself.
"Careful." Vincent said as he placed in hands on Cid's shoulders. Cid glanced at Vincent's arm and it was in it's right place. He then grasped Vincent's face and held it. This caused the black haired gunman to freeze and blink rapidly. "C-Cid?" Clearly Vincent was caught of guard.
"Oh god. Ya are real...Ya right here." Cid told. He blinked and let Vincent go. "Sorry about that Vince." The gunman blinked and sat on the side of the bed. He looked rather worried about the blonde. Cid glanced down at the head band and noticed it wasn't on Vincent's head. "Er..."
"You were bitten by a poisonous monster. I had to extract the poison but it caused a bad fever and I'm guessing vivid nightmares." Vincent told. "You were groaning and talking in your sleep the whole time. At one point you reached out and grabbed my headband..."
Cid blinked and stared at the headband before handing it back. Vincent took it into his hands. "The nightmares huh...they were so real." Cid told and sighed. He needed a smoke but laid back for now. " It was crazy. A monster that took ya form ate me up...then I saw ya die and then I had a bad memory from my past.. '
"You were calling out for your mother..." Vincent commented. "I can't die easily. You know this. I don't want to eat you either." he glanced down at Cid. " We were fighting monsters in that village and one bit you...I 'm guessing you don't remember that. " Vincent leaned a bit closer. " You still look pal."
Cid suddenly grabbed Vincent and just held him tightly. "I dun care if they were just nightmares. They felt real and I never wanna see you or anyone I care about die again...got it? Just..hold still for a sec will ya?"
Vincent had tensed up and he blinked at few times. He stayed silent and let Cid hold him. A small smile dressed his features. "Okay. " he told. It was strange for him to have people be so worried but if it help Cid calm down then he would let the blonde hold him for awhile. After all, Vincent knew the horrors nightmares could bring and he didn't want Cid to suffer any more that night.