As I fell from the hundred and sixty story building, everything that lead me to this moment rushed to the front of my mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Claire's POV January 1495
I was born May 13th 1487, in the country of France in the city of Avignon… there I lived peacefully with my loving family. My mother was a master seamstress, while my father toiled our land tirelessly to ensure, my sister and I had enough to eat. My sister, Serah and I were loved by our parents and we loved our lives.
"Serah stop!" I growled at my five year old sister who was taking my dolls our mother had made for us. She pouted and I huffed. "Serah I said no!" I puffed as she shook her head and threw my dolls to the ground.
"You're mean!" She shouted as I screamed at her.
"Claire, Serah, get inside now!" I heard papa yell at us as we turned and instantly did as he ordered. I turned to see a single individual with long white hair walking towards us.
"Papa, who is that?" I asked as he shook his head.
"Worry not, child." He stated never looking at me but keeping an eye on the man down the road.
"Claire, Serah get over here." My mother shouted as my sister and I headed her warning. Our father began outside but our mother screamed for him to remain. "Seth don't…" She pleaded as he looked outside and then slammed the door. Our father grabbed his musket and ordered we hide under the house.
"Hannah, just stay down." He ordered but the door was thrown open and the tall man walked in.
"You look to offend me with such a gesture." He grinned as I felt Serah grip me in fear.
"Who is he?" I asked mama and she shook her head but stayed quiet. He stared at us and then to our father.
"Seth… why are you avoiding me? You understand just as the others that payment is required… less you wish those mutts to come and raid your land?" He whispered as my father shook his head.
"We want nothing to do with your kind… we have no quarrel with you, now leave…" My father shouted boldly as he could only stare the man down.
"You are truly a fool." He stated as he turned and began to walk outside. "Come…" He stated and it was as though my legs would no longer listen to me. I could only follow and when I looked at my father and mother they too were walking outside. "I must make an example of you." He stated as I grew scared.
Serah was crying because we didn't know what was happening or going to happen. I looked at my father's face and saw how terrified he and mama were. We walked out from our home and I spotted one other man with white hair standing outside. He scowled at us and shook his head.
"We gonna teach them a lesson?" He asked as I began to tear up myself.
"No!" I cried as I found control over my body and ran to my father's legs. Serah and my mother all ran to us and hugged close to papa as he seemed to be trembling.
"Damn you beasts to hell!" He shouted as the man turned and smirked.
"I will enjoy this…" He grinned but a blur from the edge of the forest caught our attention. It rammed the new white haired man to the ground and stopped between us and the other man. "Damn beast." I heard the white haired man say as I stared in shock at a light yellow wolf that was the biggest I had ever seen. It growled and with it's massive paw the animal slammed it into the man's head crushing it before our eyes.
"GRRRRWWWWLLL" The wolf growled menacingly as the white haired man shook his head.
"I'll kill you just like that friend of yours." He stated and rushed the massive animal only to have the wolf dodge and use it's hind legs to kick the man far away. The wolf turned to us and I looked into its eyes and froze as its eyes caught mine. They were glowing blue and so bright… it was odd to see.
The wolf turned quickly as the white haired man returned and tried to grab him, but the wolf moved so fast that the white haired man's hand was gone while the wolf spat something out behind him.
"You filthy mutt!" The white haired man roared as he disappeared and the wolf flew into the ground and bounced many times.
"Papa, the white haired man is hurting him!" Serah screamed as our father seemed to finally shake out of his thoughts and rushed inside and found his musket.
"Fuck off blood sucker!" He cursed as the white-haired man turned but that gave the wolf the chance to pounce onto the man's back and sink his teeth into the man.
I screamed as blood flew from the man's neck and then he fell to the ground. The wolf continued ripping at him till the man's head was completely ripped from the body. Our dad stared in fear as did we but the wolf looked to us and cocked his head to the side. It looked at the dead man before him and began to slowly approach us.
My father raised his gun in fear but I could see it was shaking as he aimed it. I was afraid as well, I feared the wolf would eat us. It looked at me and then to my sister and finally to my father.
"Leave… they'll think you dead as long as you leave by sun down tomorrow." It said in a beastly manner as we all looked shocked. It turned and began stalking away but it stopped. "Hurry and leave… the sooner you leave the safer your family is." He warned as Serah struggled from my father and mother's arms and ran after the wolf which stopped and turned only to find my sister hugging its hind legs. He merely stared at her, while I thought he would gobble her up.
Instead, the wolf nudged her away with his bloody snout and nodded once before running away into the forest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ November 1508
More than ten years had passed since the appearance of that golden wolf and just as it had warned us that if we stayed we would die, so our father had us pack and that same night we left to northern France to head to Paris a much bigger city. Serah had met a young man whom was my age, which was three years her senior. He had begun courting her when she turned fifteen and they were married when she turned sixteen. He had been a gentleman and with her moving to his estate, he had graciously accepted our entire family as well.
His name was Snow Villiers and by my accounts, though I despised him for taking my sister away, I saw the good this man had in him. He was kind and Serah loved him dearly. For a time we lived happily and peacefully. But that ended the day she came into our lives…
Her name was Tifa Lockhart… a very beautiful, physically well-endowed woman who looked my age. She had turned up on the doorstep of the Villiers Estate and Snow had allowed her to enter our home.
In the two weeks of her presence, she and I talked but she seemed odd. I thought myself to be quite intelligent and thus that intelligence ran many men away, but Tifa seemed far more wiser than she should be. She would speak of the world in such a manner that perplexed me yet intrigued me.
Normally, women our age who were still unwed would either have something wrong with them or be terribly depressed… but in truth I thought I deserved someone better, while Tifa, she said she had found him and that he was taken from her. She told me that I would one day have my own love but it would be many years from then… and her words angered me.
"I will not be some old maid whose hand is taken because a man pities me." I hissed as she smiled and her reddish brown eyes squinted as she laughed. We were out in the garden that night tending to the flowers to pass the time and now her laughing was really ticking me off. "Shut up!" I shouted at her as she shook her head.
"You needn't a man to define you." She said as she placed a hand onto my shoulder and came closer to me. I frowned and then swatted her hand away. I had known about women like her, ones who refused men in order to find pleasure in women.
"I am not interested in being like you." I hissed as she seemed confused and shocked and I continued, "I am a woman, I prefer men, keep your perverse business to yourself." I growled as she laughed louder and had to bend over from it.
"I also desire men… but I desire but one." She grinned and then her smile faded. "Sadly I shall not have the chance to enjoy such love…" She sighed as I frowned.
"He is wed to another?" I asked as Tifa shook her head.
"No…" She grinned as she walked ahead of me. Again she was speaking in such confusing ways. I followed her out of curiosity and when she sat I sat.
"What are you saying?" I asked as she looked at me and it was as though her eyes were looking deep within my soul. I leaned away and she smirked.
"You will be so happy one day. You're gonna meet a guy who will love you and make you truly happy… you and him, will complete each and you both will have true happiness." She said finally as I rolled my eyes.
"How would you know?!" I asked but liking her words so much.
"I can see the future!" She laughed as I shook my head.
"You are quite queer." I sighed as she smiled.
"I may be strange but there are much stranger and scarier things in the world." She commented as I nodded.
"Yes, once I saw a golden wolf tear apart and man and then it spoke to my family." I stated as she froze for a moment and smirked.
"Was this wolf big?" she asked as I nodded. "What else can you say of this golden wolf?" She asked
"It was enormous and had these big blue eyes…" I trailed off as I shivered involuntarily and Tifa giggled.
"You're scared?" She asked with a smile as I scowled
"I'm not scared, it's just the animal was so unique… frightening yes, but it saved us… its strange and papa refuses to speak of the day, but somehow that silver-haired man terrified me more." I whispered as Tifa wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
"Good, because I bet that wolf would never hurt you. ..I know what they were…" Tifa whispered as I frowned.
"What?"
"The silver haired man, did he speak and all you could do was follow his orders?" She asked as I gasped and nodded. "Claire, that man was a vampire." She whispered as I looked at her and scoffed before I laughed.
"A vampire?" I laughed as she looked dead serious. I stopped and the recalled what my father had called the man… a blood sucker. "By the gods…" I whispered as I looked to Tifa and rationality finally hit me. "The wolf… was a man at one point?" I asked as Tifa nodded and smiled.
"You met a vampire and a werewolf and you lived… that is amazing." She smiled as I shook my head to clear it. "Come on, I bet supper is ready." She smiled as she helped me stand.
We came to the dining hall and sat to eat. Tifa played with her food but ate very little, while I couldn't eat because of my shock at my earlier discovery. I kept watching Tifa who was the only person I could really talk to but she seemed to sit up in shock and fear as she looked around frantically.
"Tifa what is it?" Snow's Father asked as she stood.
"Please excuse me." She stated in a rushed tone before running out of the room. We thought to chase after her but Snow asked us to finish our meal so we did.
When we were down I searched for Tifa in her room but found it empty. I then heard screaming coming from the stables outside and I quickly ran through the home and outside. All the while, I had not seen my parents or Snow or Serah. I hurried to the stable but before I could open the door something struck me in the back of my head and I blacked out.
My senses returned sometime later but it was so blurry and so dark outside that I could barely see. Though I could not see, I could hear… I heard Serah screaming for someone to stop and my vision slowly cleared and I saw her being violated by a man hidden by shadow. I reached out to her but another blow to my head left me unconscious.
I awoke again, feeling my lower extremities on fire and I knew I had been raped. I coughed and began crying as I heard nothing now and when I opened my eyes Tifa was looking down at me and her eyes were glowing red. I managed to look around and spotted Snow's body hanging lifelessly from a rope along with my father, mother and Snow's father. I groaned in sadness as Tifa grabbed me by my arm and easily pulled me with her.
"They're dead." Tifa stated calmly as I screamed and she roughly flung me ahead and I landed next to a body and discovered that it was Serah. I managed to look back to the stable and saw Tifa set it ablaze. She returned and looked at me and then to my sister. She checked her chest and sighed before looking at me. "No… its too late…" She whispered and flung Serah's body towards the stable and grabbed me.
She lifted my weakened body easily and ran through the woods before she stopped at the entrance of a small hole that could have been a fox's home. She tossed me down and then spoke. "It's time." She whispered and opened her mouth and I saw two of her top teeth elongate and sharpen before she bit at my neck and I screamed before the strength left me and I could only gasp as a vampire sucked away my life. She stopped after a moment and then slashed at her wrist and pressed the bloody opening in my mouth.
I gagged and tried to spit the blood away and she gripped my neck and forced my head back and her blood began dropping into my mouth, yet I still relented. She growled and instantly pulled her arm away and glared at me. "Quit it… drink or die." She hissed as I shook my head with all the strength I had left.
She scowled and put her arm in her mouth and then pushed me roughly against the ground and slammed her lips against mine. I gasped and the moment my mouth opened I felt the blood in her mouth fall into mine. She grabbed my face and kept my jaw open with her unnatural strength as she continued kissing me and pinching my nose. I had to swallow the blood and instantly I took a deep breath as she moved from atop of me. I stared at her as tears of pain, violation and loss fell down my face.
"You bitch…" I hissed as she looked away from me.
"I had to save you." She hissed and instantly I began convulsing as pain ran through my body. That day, Claire died and Lightning was born.
PART 2
As I continued to fall from the building I could not help but continue to see my past from my childhood to when I was turned to a vampire so long ago.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lightning POV Madrid, Spain 1675
I had sworn my revenge against Tifa Lockhart for the death of my family and for turning me into a monster… I remember crawling into the fox hole as the sun appeared. I remembered the hunger I felt the intense need to feed.
It had taken several years to get myself under control to not devour any human walking the street.
I met an organization of vampires who were also looking for Tifa Lockhart because she had done something unthinkable. Though I never knew what it was, I couldn't care, I had a resource that would help me find her and then kill her.
Genesis Rhapsodos and Cid Raines were the heads of this vampire organization and they wanted Tifa's head badly. When I first met Cid he was going to kill me for being in one of his cities feeding, but when he sensed that Tifa had turned me, he allowed me to explain and my hatred of her caused him to spare my life. He took me in and trained me in how to fight. By 1520 I was well trained enough to go hunt rogue vampires and our mortal enemies, the werewolves.
In over a century and a half I had become a notorious slayer and my name was feared. I was Cid's Right Hand… I only wished to find the woman named Tifa and kill her.
In my near two hundred years of life, I had killed hundreds of rogue vampires and killed nearly a thousand werewolves. Cid and Genesis loved my ruthlessness. There was no being whom didn't fear me as they would fear either Cid or Genesis, so when I hunted rogue vampires the only question I would ask would be if any of them knew Tifa Lockhart. Some would pretend to know her to bide time to try and escape and those were the ones whom I killed slowly… others would lie and say she was halfway across the globe… I would simply kill them and then go on a wild goose chase only to find nothing.
Today, I stalked my next victim… it was a pair of children who were turned maybe twenty or so years ago, by a friend of Tifa's or that's what Genesis and Cid told me.
I followed them silently as the two ran into an old abandoned mansion. They had just attacked a shepherd's flock and had no clue their deaths were imminent. I entered quietly as the two ran through the house as normal children would and laughed as though they were actually normal.
"You two have been very bad…" I called out as I stepped from the shadows and both froze with fear.
"Who are you?" The little girl asked as I walked forward.
"A person looking for a friend of yours." I stated as the boy stepped in front of the girl. "You're going to be the hero?" I asked as he frowned.
"Go away!" He yelled as I chuckled.
"Can't do that… you two are wanted rogues… I'm here to end your existence." I calmly replied as the girl began running away but the boy stayed. "So you will play the hero… okay… come at me and let's see how long you live." I grinned as the boy showed such fear and his lower lip began to tremble.
For a moment, my humanity returned as I felt sorry for him and the girl. From the information I had on the two, they only ate farm animal blood, which would leave them weaker than a normal human drinking vampire. They had caused no harm but they were friends to Tifa and that condemned them in itself.
"You shouldn't fear death, you're already dead." I hissed as the boy shook his head.
"You monster!" He yelled as I scowled.
"We all are." I reminded as I pulled out my pistol and aimed it at him but a bullet ripped through my arm nearly ripping it away. I jumped back and spotted a man with dark long hair walking from the shadows.
"Denzel go to Marlene…" He ordered the child who ran.
"So you are protecting them?" I asked as he looked at me for a moment before shaking his head.
"You're the girl she turned?" He asked as I scowled.
"Who are you?" I hissed as I gave my wound time to heal.
"Vincent Valentine." He whispered as I narrowed my eyes and drew my sword and attacked.
"Die!" I screamed as he merely vanished and kicked me in my rib cage. I flew through one of the walls and instantly I stood and searched the room for the man. "Don't hide." I shouted as he appeared behind me and gripped my injured hand.
"You are no match for me… return to Genesis and Cid to tell them that." He growled in my ear as I finally got a good look at him and realized he was a beautiful man… beautiful but extremely powerful, even for a vampire. He threw me out of the house with a simple flick of his wrist and I slid across the stone pavement before coming to a stop. He was immediately standing over me with his gun aimed.
"Don't return." I froze for a moment but he continued, "I won't kill you, but I will maim you." He hissed as I moved away and retreated for the moment.
When I returned to Cid and Genesis with news of my failure they weren't upset as I thought they would have been.
"So Vincent is alive and well?" Genesis asked aloud with a smirk. "I am amazed you made it back alive." He commented as I looked down in shame that I had failed. "Be not upset that you failed, our lovely little Lightning… Vincent is one of the original vampires… a descendent directly from the first… in fact, it was Vincent's brother who turned us… for he turned Tifa and she you… he is the last descendent of the pure bloods, so he is very old and very powerful… as a pure blood he is so powerful, even the light of day can't harm him." Genesis stated as I nodded.
"I won't fail next time." I hissed as he shook his head and Cid spoke.
"You won't live next time." He added as I bowed again. "Come, we know where those two kids are and with that we know where Vincent is… it will only be a matter of time till Tifa is spotted the trio… and of course your revenge." Cid grinned as I nodded and bowed once more.
"Till then… I will wait." I answered.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lightning's POV New York City, USA 1965
I had waited centuries for the moment that was soon to come… Tifa had been spotted and we know had an entire army on our side chasing her. The two kids had been killed sometime ago, Vincent was suspected of dying as well, now Tifa was all alone and we were closing in on her.
"My love, soon you will have her head and all shall be as it should." Genesis cooed in my ear as we watched the building below for any sight of Tifa. In the near three centuries, Genesis had taken me as his bride. I was to be his and though Cid opposed for he wanted me as well, Genesis was the stronger of the two and thus easily beat Cid down to earn my hand. That was nearly two and a half centuries ago. I truly did not love him, because each time we slept together there was no passion in my form… I simply wished to please the man who would give me my justice… for that was all I wanted. I didn't want love, for in my eyes vampires could never have such a thing.
We were monsters in my eyes and I accepted that… love was a human trait that I had no care for. All I wanted was the satisfaction of killing Tifa with my own hands. I was no fool though… Genesis got what he wanted and thus I was that possession that would be his. I didn't care for living as I was now held no value to me… I merely wanted to end Tifa's life for all the hell I now experienced.
"There…" He whispered in my ear and licked my lobe as he pointed and I spotted her walking out of her building apartment. "Let's finish this." He grinned as I nodded. We raced from our perch across the street and quickly pursued her into a building under construction.
"She's mine." I hissed as I raced after her while Genesis called in his numbers so we would have her.
I ran with all my might jumping from floor to floor until I saw her walking on the floor three levels below the roof. I growled menacingly and she turned at the sound.
"I see you learned how to growl… good girl." She taunted.
"You!" I screamed as she scowled and prepared herself. "I see you're ready to accept your death… I've trained for well over four centuries just for this moment!" I hissed as she scowled.
"If you want to fight fine, I'll beat you till you'll listen." She hissed as I rushed her but she ducked and dodged my attacks easily. She merely flipped backwards and landed on a beam and I rushed her again and drew my hand gun and fired several shots at her only to have her dodge the bullets. I drew my sword and tried to slice her but she caught my blade and crushed it in her grip. I was shocked for a moment and she kicked me backwards onto the solid platform and followed.
"I'll rip you to pieces!" I screamed but she only scowled and her eyes began glowing red as she kicked me in my stomach again. I flew into the air and hit a support beam and crumpled around it. I managed to free myself and she stood before me calmly waiting, as if taunting me.
"You want to fight, fine… I'll just have to make you understand you have no chance against me." She hissed as I stood and grabbed the rest of my blade and before I could move, she was standing inches from me. "Get ready for a real tough lesson." She growled.
I swung but she dodged and then kneed me in my stomach before grabbing my head and slamming it into the support beam. Tifa moved away as I fell to my knees and she instantly kicked me in the side of my jaw and I slid across the ground, stopping only before completely falling off the tall building. She grabbed my leg and instantly I saw the blur of my surroundings before I struck another support beam and then my world blurred and I was then slammed into the ground and broke through the floor.
I groaned in pain and instantly she had grabbed me by my neck and slammed her fist into my face twice before throwing me to the side. I spat out blood from my mouth as she slammed her foot down on my back. I screamed but she slammed her foot down again. I groaned in pain and she lifted me by my hair and then slammed my head down into the ground before grabbing the back of my vest and then throwing me through the ceiling causing me to land on the prior floor we were on. She appeared before me and when I tried to sit up she slammed her foot onto my stomach. She moved her foot and then stomped my head into the floor before lifting me up and slamming me down into the ground. She grabbed something behind me and then flipped me over.
She slammed the broken blade of my sword into my right shoulder and then embedded the blade that remained on the hilt into my left shoulder. I coughed up blood and instantly she punched me again and I knew she would kill me because she didn't seem to be trying at all. She looked at me and lifted me off the ground with the blades still in my body. I couldn't stand so when she released me I fell to the floor exhausted.
I needed blood if I was ever to heal or even move. I was completely at her mercy… just as my family had been. "I hate you…" I hissed as she began to walk away but stopped once I spoke. She turned and her anger was apparent. "You bitch… you took them… my family…" I hissed as she seemed confused and shook her head.
"I saved you!" She growled as I scowled but couldn't answer. "I did what I could for you…" She scowled as she clinched her fists and growled. "You are the one who I should hate! You killed so many of my friends!" She hissed as she shook her head.
"You killed my family!" I screamed as she froze and looked at me. "If you don't kill me, know you will regret it." I hissed as she stared at me and rushed to my side and pulled the blades out of my body and lifted me close in her arms… as a mother would a child.
"What?" She asked as I repeated what I had said.
"I will have vengeance for my family… for the people you took from me." I hissed. She looked down and finally to the sky in what I thought was relief. She took off her glove and then slashed at her hand and then put it over my mouth. I panicked for I knew drinking a good amount of vampire blood would kill me. She sensed my nervousness and sighed as she removed her hand.
"This will help you recover… I turned you and so you can drink without worrying about poisoning yourself." She grinned as she placed her hand over my mouth. "Trust me Lightning… I will explain once you are better… remember I could easily kill you." She reminded as I lapped the blood up and almost instantly I recovered and could feel my energy return. She helped me up and sighed.
"Why did you do it?" I asked and she shook her head.
"Claire… when I arrived, your parents and Snow were dead… Serah was being raped and you were unconscious." She explained as I stepped away from her in disbelief. "Claire, I turned you because you were dying."
"You threw my sister into a fire so she could die! You tossed her into the fire to burn! I watched you kill her!" I screamed as she frowned. She stared at me hard and placed both hands on my shoulders.
"Claire… your sister is alive… she's a crazed vampire who serves Genesis…" She whispered as I stared in shock. "I thought you knew this! I thought you were just killing everyone I knew because you and Serah were crazy!" She explained as I shook my head.
"No… Genesis said that…"
"Genesis lied." She told me as I frowned.
"No… you're lying…" I hissed as she rolled her eyes.
"Claire, why would I?" She asked and I frowned.
"Genesis will be here soon… so tell this to him." I growled as she frowned.
"Genesis is here?" She asked as I nodded. She sighed and seemed deep in thought. "Claire… if I'm lying, why would he let you come here alone to face me? He's stronger than you and faster, how come he's not here now?" She asked as I had no answer for her. "Why would he not just appear and help you beat me to a pulp and torture me to death? Claire…" Tifa began as she looked down and smirked. "That's why…" She grinned as I frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
"Remember when we met long ago and I told you how I could see the future?" She asked as she looked all around us. "I saw a moment where I died and you were the reason I died… it must be because of this moment… if Genesis hasn't shown his face then something is going to happen… you need to get out of here." She warned as I could feel the honesty in her voice but I felt a chill and instantly I knew it was Genesis.
I turned and he appeared with Cid, both were smiling. "Glad you didn't rip each other apart." Genesis stated as he motioned to me. "Lightning, my love come here. I've got the entire place surrounded she's not going anywhere." Genesis grinned as Tifa held me and then pulled me behind her.
"Genesis, I won't let you manipulate her anymore." She hissed as I stayed quiet while Genesis scowled.
"Lightning, do as I tell you." He hissed and I felt a tremor of terror run through me but Tifa huffed.
"You have no reason to fear him… I'm right here." She whispered to me as I seemed to calm down. "Where is Serah?" Tifa hissed as I froze and stared at Genesis. "She knows the truth." She added as Genesis sighed.
"I see… Lightning you were such a great fuck…" He sighed as I frowned. "Kill them both." He stated as several vampires appeared.
"That's all?" She asked as Cid grinned.
"The sun's coming up soon, they are just here to occupy you two till then." He grinned as many more appeared and I noticed several climbing their way up the building. Cid and Genesis waved before vanishing but Tifa blocked and I then saw Genesis with his red sword just above her head. I gasped and that's when Tifa kicked him so hard that he flew through the building taking several vampires with him. Cid appeared behind me and Tifa immediately spun around and kicked him just as powerfully from the building.
"Claire… listen to me." She hissed as I punched an oncoming attacker backwards hard enough that he took several men down with him. "I'll get you out of here but you have to promise me that you'll find the golden wolf… promise me you'll look out for him… please." She spoke as she slammed her fists together and then punched forward causing a wave of light to knock at least twenty of our opponents from the building. I gasped and she only turned to me and smirked as she repeated the technique till we were the only ones left. "Claire, I will take the blame for your family… had I not stopped to meet you, maybe none of this would have happened so soon." She whispered as I frowned.
"So soon? You think this life was my future all along?" I demanded as Tifa shook her head.
"No… its just your father he was mixed up with a very powerful man… the one who made Genesis and Cid into the creatures they are now, was the very man who was killed by the golden wolf you saw so long ago… the vampire he slew was Vincent's half brother… Sephiroth. To vampires, if a mortal sees one of the most powerful perish, it is unjust to allow them to continue living… sooner or later, they would have found you." Tifa whispered as I shook my head.
"No…" I hissed as I felt sick to my stomach at the thought that I had been giving my mind and body to the very man who had killed my family and possibly even raped my sister… who was now a death-dealer like me.
"Claire, now isn't the time!" She growled at me as I nodded. She looked to the horizon and the light of day was making its way across the land. We both then noticed thirty or more vampires rushing to attack. "Claire, take care of yourself." She smiled as she grabbed me and continued. "Find Vincent… he'll be in Naples find him and he'll explain everything." Tifa grinned as she then flung me with all her might and I practically flew through the sky and into a nearby apartment building. I watched from the shadow of the room as Tifa continued fighting for her life as the sun's light began to climb the building where she stood.
I could see the vampires she kicked into the light catch on fire and I found myself praying she'd seek cover but as the sun hit her and the others she continued fighting as her body began to burn. I found my voice frozen in my throat as the one person that I could have trusted was perishing as I stood here watching.
I turned from the sight as flames overwhelmed the building top and I knew Tifa was gone.
PART 3
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lightning POV One month later
I had traveled to Naples Italy just as Tifa had ordered me… I stayed out of sight and made sure that Genesis and his group hadn't followed me. My thoughts on Tifa and the mistakes, I've made for nearly four centuries devastated me. I hated myself even more for falsely accusing her, while serving the monsters who had actually destroyed my life.
I had searched the entire city before coming to an abandoned mansion. I wondered only where I would find Vincent. Tifa had said he'd be here in Naples, yet I had been searching here for nearly a weeks time. In the dead of night I searched the windows until I spotted an open window. I launched myself into the air and landed inside silently and left the room to search the house.
"You don't believe in knocking?" A voice whispered as I turned and I spotted Vincent glaring at me. I merely frowned and reached for my gun but he scoffed. "I already have it." He whispered as I felt my holster empty.
"You are a pure blood?" I asked and he nodded as he then lit a candle.
"You're here… that means Tifa is gone…" He whispered in sadness as I nodded. "Did you bring Genesis and his lackey's?" He asked as I shook my head.
"Genesis and Cid had my family killed and my sister raped…" I began as Vincent seemed to freeze.
"So you didn't know?" He asked as I shook my head.
"No" I answered
"That is unfortunate." He whispered and then looked around. "What has she told you?" He asked as I sighed.
"Not much… she told me about your brother… Sephiroth." I whispered as he looked at me and nodded.
"And?" He asked
"You turned her as Sephiroth turned Genesis and Cid… she also told me about the golden wolf." I added as Vincent nodded.
"Yes… the wolf…" Vincent whispered and smiled. "What else?" He demanded.
"I have to look out for this wolf." I added as Vincent smirked.
"If its alright with you, would you wish to know something about Tifa? The reason she became the number one target of Genesis and Cid, was because of a choice she made so many years ago." He sighed as I followed him into a living room where he had a portrait of Tifa and himself.
"You two looked close." I whispered as Vincent stopped for a moment but didn't speak. "Were you?" I asked as he spoke.
"Tifa and I were close because I trained her." Vincent snapped and then spoke up. "Long ago, a cursed woman gave birth to twins… these twins were damned. When they came of age the affliction began. One turned into a beast which fathered the wolves, while the other became the beginning of our kind… she is the one who turned myself, Lucrecia, and my brother Sephiroth."
"She?" I asked with curiosity as I realized that Vincent had turned Tifa and she me, meaning I was not far from the very first of death dealers.
"Yes, a woman known to me as Jenova." He stated. "Her brother, I knew not… he vanished but not before he turned a few into wolves like him. Only one was known to me and the other two… his name was Angeal a very powerful werewolf. We were friends for centuries, but soon Sephiroth began to leave for long periods of time that was when I found that he had turned Genesis and Cid… and Angeal also had attacked a young man named Zack turning him into a wolf as well. Lucrecia and I refused to curse others and so we set away from the two of them. Years passed and I discovered that Sephiroth had enslaved Angeal… I feared a war coming and so I and Lucrecia confronted him."
"I thought this would explain Tifa's rivalry with Cid and Genesis, I didn't think this would be a life story." I sighed as he frowned.
"You need to know everything to understand." He growled as I sighed. "I tried to get Sephiroth to listen but he turned Angeal on me and killed Lucrecia. I escaped and found the other wolf… Zack and forced him to make other werewolves so that I could combat the army Sephiroth was making… I didn't have the heart to do what he did to Cid and Genesis so I only converted Tifa to save her life. I took her in and taught her to fight so she would not fall to either of Sephiroth's pawns. With Angeal under Sephiroth's mind control, I soon discovered that he was forcing the rabid werewolf to rape hundreds of women."
I scowled in disgust as Vincent sighed. "What happened?" I asked
"Of all the women only two survived the attacks and were with child. Nearing the day of birth Sephiroth bit both women in order to hopefully mix the werewolf curse with that of the death-dealers. One woman died while the other died upon birth of a boy. I attacked Sephiroth soon after the child was born and with the army of wolves, Zack and I freed Angeal and I stole the babe. I put Zack in charge of the child and faced Sephiroth with Angeal at my side."
"I doubt you won," I sighed as he nodded.
"Angeal was killed and I barely made it away safely… years passed and the boy named Cloud, grew to adulthood and then his aging stopped. This puzzled all of us as he grew and then simply stopped once he appeared to reach his peak physical condition. Obviously this sparked Sephiroth's interest so he pursued the two non stop. Cloud and Zack were hunted constantly by Sephiroth and thus when all seemed lost Zack gave his life to allow Cloud to get away. He then swore vengeance against Sephiroth… and ten years later, I suspect that's when he killed Sephiroth before your own eyes… the golden wolf." Vincent explained as I frowned.
"So Cloud is the golden wolf? The wolves I remember killing were unable to turn into their wolf forms at will. They needed a full moon… this golden wolf fought Sephiroth in the daytime." I whispered aloud as I tried to remember more about that day.
"After turning into that wolf he couldn't revert to his human form… which was the same problem as the very first werewolf. Tifa and he crossed paths and she felt something for him… With Sephiroth's death at the hand of a wolf, Genesis and Cid declared a formal war upon the wolves. So not only was she a rogue death-dealer, she was in bed with the enemy."
"She slept with a dog?" I asked as Vincent shook his head.
"Somehow, she helped him revert back to his humanoid form." Vincent explained, "He is unique… he can become a completely new breed of being… different from werewolf and death-dealer maybe even stronger." Vincent whispered.
"Okay… where is he? If he cared so much about her and was so strong where is he now?" I asked as Vincent shook his head.
"I had thought him to have been captured by Genesis and Cid so they could continue the tests Sephiroth began over a thousand years ago… but they are searching for him as well. Tifa told me the last time she saw him was when he was fighting off a wave of vampires loyal to Cid so she could escape before the sun arose. I now believe that he was imprisoned by a separate party."
"Separate party?" I asked as Vincent nodded. I then recalled a second vampire who could walk the daylight… another pure blood. "I remember there was another who could walk in the light." I commented as Vincent nodded.
"I see…" He whispered. "It would seem Jenova is still alive." He whispered calmly.
"Look, I get it now… Tifa wanted me to find you and I have. I want your help against Cid and Genesis." I hissed as Vincent chuckled.
"You are a fool if you think the two of us alone can stand against a force such as those two. We would need the wolves to be on our side as well as several thousand of our kind to join us… I may be stronger but I can't stop an army of death-dealers." Vincent stated as he cleared his throat. "Tifa knew you'd want to get revenge and she told me the only way to do that, was to find this wolf."
I nodded to Vincent's words. "How sure are you that he's not dead?" I asked as he chuckled.
"I trust Tifa's ability to see the future… he's still alive in her vision so that's good enough for me." Vincent replied.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Clair POV Saint Petersburg, Russia six months later.
"Good thing bullets can't kill us." Vincent whispered as he pulled a bullet from a wound on my back as we sat in a hotel room. I winced merely out of the odd feeling and sighed as he dropped the metal onto a tray causing a clang to ring out in the shaded room.
"I could not have imagined Cid or Genesis to have such a force at their command… how long have you known that man… Reno?" I asked as he moved away from me to allow me to dress. We had searched endlessly for the whereabouts of this wolf, but still we found nothing. I wanted my revenge but Vincent was always against the idea. He believed that fighting either of the two now would be suicide. From what we learned from Reno, Cid has been enslaving werewolves and breeding them for longer than I've been cursed… With a massive army of death-dealers and werewolves it was obvious that he and I were outnumbered.
"Be more careful next time." He whispered ignoring my question.
"Trying to avoid answering the question?" I asked as he shook his head.
"No, it's not really a concern."
"Vincent whatever your problem is, get over it, we're going to be around one another for sometime as you can see." I growled as he grunted.
"I know that…"
"Then stop trying to keep secrets… if all goes well, I have to live forever and so will you at least I can hear about things from you that I'll never know." It was true, Vincent was now the only person I could turn to for answers yet he would only ignore me or change the subject… which was infuriating!
"I don't want you to begin worrying over things that you shouldn't." He whispered as I looked at him before putting my shirt back on. "You have enough to deal with in the coming time… Finding the wolf, your sister, being used as you have been for so many centuries… the guilt is enough to worry about." He whispered as I frowned.
In truth, I never felt an ounce of regret over the humans, werewolves, or vampires I've killed. It was what I now was as a lion eating zebra or a shark killing a whale… I was a predator and I didn't care that I had taken lives… my only regrets concern Tifa and my sister, nothing else.
"I have no regrets… everything I've done can not be undone… I am what we are meant to be… a killer." At my words Vincent shook his head.
"A woman like you shouldn't think of herself that way." He began and then looked away. "I'm going to open the door and head out, stay back." He ordered as he stood and opened the door quickly causing the sunlight to pour into the room. I foolishly didn't react and my arm began to singe and dissolve before I caught my senses and moved to a dark corner of the room while Vincent stood in the daylight and looked back to me. "I can only hope you could witness the light, then you'd think differently… you would." He whispered as he left.
My day light hours consisted of sitting in the shadows of the room waiting silently till Vincent returned. From him I learned that despite being able to walk in the light, he was much weaker than at night. That explained how Sephiroth a powerful pure-blood died so easily at the hands of a werewolf. It explained how he fail to what I believed was a weaker being. I had learned over the centuries that werewolves were much weaker than vampires due to the fact they were rabid when they turned. The only strength this golden wolf had… or Cloud as Tifa had named him, was the fact he wasn't rabid and mindless.
The door opened and I retreated from the fading daylight as Vincent entered carrying a satchel which he handed me. "Blood." He whispered as I looked inside the bag and saw two packs of blood.
"I tend to drink fresh blood, not packaged." I growled as Vincent sneered. "This would only weaken me, for it's not what I'm used to." I reminded as Vincent shrugged.
"Then I will teach you how to be strong without the need of fresh blood." He stated as I scoffed.
"You can try to embrace what you think is all that is left of your humanity, but there is none. Your sins will forever be your own… there will be no natural death for either of us." I reminded as he shook his head.
"I have to forgive my own sins before trying to help others… I have done that and if I choose to live my life the way I want who are you to judge or demean my beliefs?" He asked as I rolled my eyes.
"And yet you do the same to me. I don't need blood daily, hell not even weekly, but I will feed when I wish and if you want my help the you'll back off and stop demeaning me for the way I choose to exist." I growled as Vincent shook his head.
"Drinking too much human blood can distort your mind… we are evil creatures by nature, thus the urges we feel are only magnified as we consume human blood. Its what happened to your sister."
At those words I looked at him with a fury as he seemed unsure if he should precede and so I stood and with all the speed I possessed, I slammed him against the wall. "What the hell do you mean?" I hissed as Vincent easily pushed me backwards.
"I guess you wouldn't know," He stated as I stepped towards him.
"Tell me about my sister!" I shouted as he frowned and I relented. "Please." I added as Vincent narrowed his eyes.
"A vampire can become stronger by feeding upon many humans continuously… the drawback is that the vampire loses all his or her own willpower and becomes obsessed with blood. Your sister has become stronger due to this… Genesis sent her after Tifa and she would have won had I not stepped in… your sister is more of a beast than any wolf could be." He commented as I shook my head.
"Even more incentive to kill those bastards and take her back." I reminded as Vincent shook his head.
"You wouldn't stand a chance… by way of strength you are merely average… only pure bloods and those they directly turn have superior strength or ability. You are trained well, but so are thousands of their lackeys… you would simply be killed." Vincent explained as I shook my head.
"I have desire to save Serah… that is more than enough to strengthen me."
"Is it?" He asked as he opened the window and I cowered from the light and he chuckled. "Look at how you cower from the light… you fear it while those loyal to Cid and Genesis could care less… you fear perishing thus you will easily be overcome." Vincent argued as I shook my head trying to close out such thoughts.
"I am not afraid of anything." I hissed as I stepped into the light and instantly my exposed skin began to sizzle and burn. He quickly drew the blinds and pushed me into the corner of the room.
"What the hell is wrong with you!?" He shouted with an uncontrolled fury I had not seen.
"I don't fear anything!" I shouted back as he slapped me across my face and then roughly pushed me against the wall.
"Don't you dare act so foolishly! Tifa gave her life for you! She saw something in you and yet all I see is a bold fool!" He hissed as I pushed him backwards.
"I have nothing! I lost it all! My sister is what I have left. I will find this wolf because Tifa asked it of me… I understand my obligation to help but I will not act meek and meager for you to feel masculine." I hissed as Vincent merely scoffed and gave up.
"Fine sun down is in a few hours… I am meeting with a friend tonight around eleven… make sure to be back by ten." He ordered.
When the night had finally come, I made quick work in finding a meal and spotted it in the form of a man trying to rape a whore in a back alley. I had swooped down from the building I was observing from and just as he had finally beaten the fight out of the girl I snatched him by the back of his throat and leapt back on top of the building.
"Wha!" He whined incoherently as I smelled the alcohol on him as though it was emanating from his skin.
"You've been a bad boy." I hissed as he scampered away after I released him and tried pulling his pants up. I jumped behind him and gripped his neck and lifted him from the ground and chuckled. "I wonder what you planned on doing to that girl?" I asked coyly as he coughed and sputtered out a half-assed response.
"No! I was… I was just… just… just…"
"Just what?" I asked as I chuckled darkly. "Let's not make this any worse than it already is." I whispered in his ear as he tried fighting his way out but I slammed my hand into his spinal cord and gripped the bones and laughed. "I bet you like it rough." I hissed in his ear as he screamed in pain. I licked his earlobe and chuckled more. "Don't worry this ends now." I growled as I sunk my teeth into the flesh of his neck and began sucking him dry.
After a few moments his body was cold and he had the same dead far off look they all had. I smirked and dropped the corpse after ripping my hand and a few fragments of his spine out of his back. I grinned and threw the bones to the side and wiped my bloody hands on his jeans. "That was a good meal." I grinned wiping at my mouth and turning only to see two men one white, one black. They both seemed to be glaring at me with distaste but said nothing. "Hello boys." I commented as one spoke.
"Is that the bitch Tifa went on and on about?" The white guy stated before the black guy spoke.
"I think so Rygdea… looks like she's just as twisted as her sister." He growled.
"Kill her then?" Rygdea asked as I scoffed.
"Well since you know me, who are you?" I asked as Rygdea stepped forward.
"Name's Rygdea and this is my friend Barrett… we plan on ripping your little vampire ass to pieces." He hissed as he and the man began to morph. I stepped back in confusion as the two turned into wolves but they stood on their hind legs and not on four. They roared and instantly the two attacked. I moved to dodge the first and then flipped over the second as they regrouped and rushed after me again.
"All this over a human." I scoffed as I kicked one of the beasts and then moved as the second tried tackling me. "You may walk on fours but you fools are still just beasts that need to be put down." I growled as the wolf I knew to be Rygdea jumped in the air and I pulled out my pistol and just before I could fire a single shot stopped me. Rygdea seemed to lose focus as well and landed just before me and turned to the gunshot sound. I spotted Vincent moving towards us with another individual.
"You were right, she is very spunky." A woman stated as she nodded to me. "I am Aeris Gainsborough… a friend of Vincent. Lucrecia turned me around the same time he turned Tifa." She explained and extended a hand to me. "As for those two, they're my friends, Rygdea and Barrett." Aeris explained as I scowled at the dogs behind me.
"You allow dogs to follow you around? I guess it's not as bad as what Tifa did by screwing one." I sighed as Aeris looked at me and then to Vincent before closing her eyes and grabbing Vincent's shoulder but he instantly swatted her hand away. "What was that?" I asked as Rygdea spoke from behind me.
"Aeris should we trust her?" He asked as I scowled.
"Don't screw with me." I hissed as Aeris spoke up.
"We can." She said quickly as I looked at her. "As for what just happened I can read minds by touch… that's all." Aeris whispered as she kept her eyes on Vincent the entire time.
"What did you see?" I asked as she shook her head.
"Its nothing. As for what you've just done to that man… you should be wary… drinking too much human blood can drive you mad."
"Yeah, like her sister." Barrett hissed as I turned and punched the beast to the ground. Rygdea approached me but Aeris spoke.
"Stop…" She hissed in a dark tone that even I knew wasn't normal for her. "If you wish to save your sister then we will have to find Cloud."
"Why? He's merely another wolf with different colored fur!" I shot back. "We waste our time at finding a wolf who may not even be useful!" I hissed as Aeris shook her head.
"Tifa foresaw him and another guiding our two races into a new millennia… he will be a huge asset one we can not ignore." Aeris reminded as I sighed. "I've been searching for him for some time now… what I have discovered is that he and Tifa new one another for ten years after Sephiroth's death… she is the one who somehow reversed his transformation… they were then attacked and from that moment on, Cloud hasn't been heard from since then. I do now he lives for Tifa foresaw a future with him and another in it." She explained as I shook my head.
"And who was this other person?" I asked as Aeris looked to Vincent and shook her head.
"We don't know… do we Vincent? Tifa only told us about Cloud." Aeris explained as I rolled my eyes.
"Great so we have to find him and this woman also?" I asked as Barrett huffed.
"Just a bitch." He hissed as I growled at him.
"Vincent… may I have a word with you?" Aeris asked as I watched him agree and they vanished together. I then looked to the wolves and shook my head.
"Great I'm stuck with the two of you."
"We'd rather not waste our time here in your presence then." Rygdea hissed as he and Barrett reverted back to their human forms.
"And here I thought only the golden wolf could do that." I called to them as they stopped.
"Its because of his DNA your prior masters had. Genesis and Cid have for years experimented upon the werewolves. We are products of those experiments. That's why finding Cloud is so important… if they find him he'll be a test subject that will be used to create an army to wash over the planet. If we find him, we will ensure our survival… we won't be slaves to your kind!" Rygdea hissed as I rolled my eyes. "Don't you see… your sister is a whore for Genesis… I watched as she licked the blood from his fingers just as he finished killing one of my friends… if you wish to save her then our war is your own." He growled as I scowled but I knew he had a point.
"So I'm to join forces with you?" I asked as he shrugged.
"You will do what you must in order to save her won't you?" He asked as the two leapt from the building leaving me to think.
PART 4
Thoughts of those times seemed to freeze the world as I knew it was only a matter of time till I slammed into the ground and perished. Meeting Vincent and being able to love him, losing Tifa… all those memories leading up to how I was in this situation now.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lightning POV Los Angeles March 2009
"Harder…" I breathed as the pleasure in my lower body only mounted. "Yeah like that." I purred as I felt myself getting closer to nirvana.
"Lightning…" I heard Vincent whisper in my ear as I nodded to him as I knew he was close himself.
"Do it…" I whispered back as we moved frantically against one another. In the near fifty years since I had met Vincent, when he finally opened up to me, I told him my own fears and I began to care for him as he has for me. I felt cherished with this man. I think I loved him if not love, then I cared deeply for the man. It felt as though I had finally found someone. When I was used by Genesis, I would just feel empty during and after sex… with Vincent I felt cherished… and so I could never deny him.
We had been together for decades and I was happy, but there was always a nagging feeling in the back of my mind. I pegged it as being the need to save my sister and needing to find Cloud, the golden wolf.
As I felt Vincent reach his climax, the thoughts and worries on my mind refused to allow me to do the same… it was always the same, I would feel pleasure and be so close to release but it never came. I opened my eyes to see him looking down at me as his long hair created a curtain around our faces. "Lightning are you okay?" He asked as I nodded and kissed him.
"We should get dressed." I whispered as he pulled out and stood nude in the moonlight. I admired his body and then looked to the moon outside. "It's been nearly fifty years and we've still have yet to find Cloud… I'm tired of trying to find him." I growled as Vincent seemed occupied and shook his head.
"We can't face Cid and Genesis without him." Vincent whispered off-handedly. I knew something was bothering him but I didn't want to pry.
Vincent and I were going to meet up with Aeris because she had stated she had found something. Vincent parked the car we had procured at the sight of Aeris standing at the top of a building. "This is strange… why is she up there?" He asked softly as I shrugged and got out of the car. He followed and we raced into the building both of us wondering why Aeris was up there.
"We need to be careful. Be ready." He warned as I tapped the new weapon that he had engineered for me. He had called it the Blazefire Saber… a cherished gift from a man who actually loved me.
"Lightning… wait." He cautioned as I was just about to open the roof entrance. I turned and instantly I heard a gunshot.
"Aeris!" I gasped as I threw the door open and saw the woman falling to her knees. I gasped in shock and rushed towards her while looking for the shooter and found Genesis standing with Cid and my little sister off to the side. "Serah…" I began as she waved at me and then launched herself from Genesis's side and was hugging me before I could react. I froze as I could smell blood on her.
"Sister, you are alive and well… I'm so glad." She whispered as I nodded.
"Serah… come with me." I whispered softly as Vincent aimed his gun towards us.
"Lightning get away from her." He hissed as I hugged my sister and she hugged back much tighter.
"Serah, not so hard." I whispered as she shook her head and looked at me.
"Claire are you going to leave me behind again?" She asked with sad eyes and I shook my head.
"NO!" I shouted as she smirked.
"Well if you help us get rid of that mean man, then we can be together… you, me, Gen and Cid." She whispered as I looked into her eyes and she smirked. "Don't be stupid sis…" She whispered in a scarily sweet voice.
I smiled trying to calm her and then pulled her from me and kissed her forehead. "I'm not stupid, little sister." I smiled as Serah grinned.
"Genesis said you would but I know you best… now once we get rid of that guy we'll find this dog and he can be our pet… I always wanted a golden puppy!" She grinned as I nodded.
"Serah… that's fine, but I want you to come with me… just me… we'll both leave now… it'll be just you and your sis… like it's supposed to be." I whispered as she looked to Genesis and Cid.
"Can I go Genny?" She asked as he shook his head and spoke.
"She just wants to rip us apart… Serah don't let her ruin us." Genesis spoke calmly as Serah nodded and moved away from me.
"Claire, stop this." She whispered as I looked to Vincent and then remembered Aeris had been shot, yet she was down longer than I thought she should be. I ignored my sister and ran to Aeris who was just now standing up.
"I know where he is." She whispered as I froze and looked to Vincent and the others. "Barrett and Rygdea… find them and they will take you… there." She coughed as I noticed her wound not healing as it should have.
"A special ultraviolet radioactive material that simulates the rays of the sun." Cid stated as I growled.
"Monster!" I roared as he drew a gun and fired but Aeris had shielded me with her body as the bullets ripped into her back. "NO!" I screamed but Aeris was ripped from my arms and instantly Serah grabbed me by my throat as Vincent was facing both Genesis and Cid. "Serah…" I hissed as she shook her head and lifted me close.
"I won't let you ruin our family!" She shouted and threw me into the ground. I sat up only to have her bear down on my stomach. "Stop being a bitch!" She screamed in madness as I moved her foot and tripped her up. I got to my feet and she was standing with a fury in her eyes.
"Serah stop this…" I begged as she shock her head and rushed me. I stopped her mad charge and tried to over power her but she was much stronger… just as Vincent had explained she was due to the amounts of blood she drank. "You're my sister!" I shouted as she easily crunched my hands and kneed me in my stomach. "Serah!" I screamed as she then lifted me by my throat and shook her head.
"You've ruined my life for the last time!" She shouted as she threw me from the building.
And that is how I've lived to this point. The fall would kill me… she said I would be happy far into the future and she was right… I had found Vincent and though it wasn't complete worry free happiness, it had been enough. I only wished I could have saved my sister taken her from those madmen, but I failed.
My life had been far longer than I would have liked it to be but it had been long and I had seen many things… the evils and joys of humanity the technological advances and even the trips into outer space. I had seen much and now as I fell to my death… my true death I accepted it.
I closed my eyes tightly and that's when I felt something forcefully hit me from below and I snapped my eyes open and saw the face of a mutt looking back at me. "Can't die yet blood-sucker." He hissed and I knew the voice was Rygdea. I looked below and saw that we were still high above the ground and instantly another jolt flung us into the glass building I had been thrown from. I groaned as some serious discomfort ran through my body. I refused to call it pain because I could ignore it.
"Good catch." I heard Barrett comment talking about himself as Rygdea got up and the two wolves slapped their hands together.
"Dogs…" I hissed and then thought to Vincent. I stood to race back Barrett grabbed me.
"No you don't!" He growled as I turned and punched him to the ground.
"We have to take you to get Cloud… you have to be there or else he won't let him out." Rygdea stated as I scowled.
"I have to save Vincent!" I hissed as Rygdea frowned.
"Aeris said she foresaw this day… you have to come with us because this will be our last chance to get Cloud before those bastards do… they have Aeris and they will soon know his location. We have to beat them there!" Rygdea exclaimed emotionally as I shook my head. "He's a pure blood, hell I heard Tifa could handle both of them and your sister and she was around their strength… Vincent trained her and is stronger than them… trust he'll survive." Rygdea growled as I nodded. "Let's go, there's a helicopter waiting." He growled as he pulled Barrett to his feet and then grabbed me but I swatted him away.
"I refuse to allow mutts to touch me." I hissed as he growled but didn't comment back.
"Let's go!" Barrett growled menacingly as he jumped from the building and with it being a much shorter distance to the ground I knew it wouldn't be a fatal leap thus I followed the wolf.
Our enhanced endurance and speed allowed us to run quickly away from the building before Barrett hotwired a small sports car and he and Rygdea changed back into their human forms and hoped in. "Great I get to ride in the back seat with two naked dogs." I sighed as Barrett flipped me off and drove off the moment I got into the cramped back seat. "Are you trying to fucking throw me from the car!?" I hissed as he smirked.
"Damn, looks like I didn't" He growled back as I wanted to crush his skull but he was driving and Rygdea wouldn't approve.
"You need to be more like your docile friend here… at least he's a mutt who knows when to shut his mouth." I growled as Barrett glared at me in the rear view but didn't say another word.
We drove to their destination and I saw a massive chopper standing ready with several people outside.
"Looks like the blood-suckers are holding up to their end of the bargain." Rygdea stated as when we stopped I spotted Reno, Vincent's friend waving to us.
"Good to see you Lightning." He grinned as I took notice of Rude, Tseng, Reeve and Elena.
"You as well." I commented and hugged him.
"Don't worry I know Vincent will be fine." Reno grinned as I was just about to ask but a voice got my attention.
"He knows because I know." I turned and saw a blonde haired man in a suit grinning at me. "You are as beautiful as my premonitions make you to be. Allow me to introduce myself… I am Rufus Shinra… For sometime now, I have been seeing you in my visions." He began as I scowled.
"Look I thought this was a race to find this Cloud wolf? Why are we talking here?" I asked as Rufus nodded.
"Then let us depart." He grinned as we all got aboard and the chopper took off. Rufus had stared at me lustfully for a long while before he spoke. "I was turned by Vincent due to an agreement my family has had for nearly a thousand years, with Mr. Valentine. He turned me nearly a hundred years ago so that I could continue experimenting how this Cloud Strife could exist and the possibilities of his power if activated correctly." Rufus explained as I cocked a brow.
"I don't care." I announced.
"You see Tifa and this Cloud were together and somehow she could drink his blood to sustain herself and to a point, even grow slightly stronger… It is from her that we were able to take small samples of DNA of the wolf with him being missing. From the small sequences we learned a great deal… thus that is how Rygdea and Barrett have learned to change their forms at will. Tifa's DNA even changed making her more powerful than Genesis and Cid, but not as powerful as a first blood… she admitted she only took a small amount from him because she didn't think it would save her life… we believe that somehow by taking in his blood she gained a portion of his strength." Rufus explained as I shook my head.
"He didn't seem so strong when I first saw him." I commented as Rufus looked shocked for a moment.
"So you've met the golden wolf? When?" He asked.
"When I was mortal… Sephiroth and another vampire were threatening my family during the day… obviously they were weakened form the sunlight that's how he killed them." I added
"That's funny because what many do not know is that Sephiroth did not share the same weakness as Vincent or Lucrecia... as to the other vampire with him… well what I learned from my family records is that there was research and tests completed to help vampires survive the sun's exposure… it was a success-failure type of arrangement because I believe the only vampire it worked on was Sephiroth's servant and the fool was greatly weakened by the experiment and when he recovered he was only about have as strong as he once was." Rufus stated as I scowled.
"So this wolf is stronger than Vincent?" I asked as Rufus shrugged.
"Possibly… only in his true form… which I and only a very few know is something he couldn't control. Tifa explained this to me when I had met her for the first time. We are unsure how she made him return to his human form but she told us he couldn't return to his true form. But she said that he would be a huge cornerstone in shaping the future."
"Well how long till we get to where ever we're going?" I asked as Rufus smirked. His smirk I could do without.
"We're going to the Amazon in Brazil… so twelve to fourteen hours." He grinned as I groaned. "Don't worry, that'll give us plenty of time to talk."
"I don't want to talk… I want to find Cloud, locate and save Vincent and then save my sister." I sighed as Rufus nodded.
"Of course." He grinned as I scowled, knowing he was just going to annoy me any how.
We arrived and upon exiting the chopper there were two large jeeps to transport us.
"So where to now?" I asked as Rufus explained.
"Rygdea and Barrett know the location better than I, so if you two would kindly set in the lead jeep and direct our path." Rufus grinned as the two mutts did as they were told.
"Good boy." I added as Rufus looked at me and chuckled.
"Irony is a funny thing." He added quietly as I frowned but he said nothing else.
With the sun still out I along with the other death-dealers had to be covered as we left the chopper to the jeeps that had blacked out windows for our protection. The sun would be going down soon so I only had to endure this crap for a little while.
The two mutts led us to a point where we would have no choice but to exit the vehicles and luckily the sun wasn't in the sky to send us to ashes. We all moved from the jeeps and that's when Rygdea and Barrett morphed and motioned with their heads to follow them.
"Let's go!" The two shouted as we chased after them.
We ran for what felt like hours until we heard several growls from all around us.
"I smell dog." I hissed as Reno chuckled.
"Blood-suckers…" I heard a voice his as Rygdea and Barrett howled. The wolves surrounding us stepped out and then sniffed the air before they all looked at me.
"What?" I asked dangerously as I gripped my saber.
"You're the girl Tifa turned?" A female wolf asked as it stepped into the light and I noticed it wasn't as gruesome looking at the others. It looked slender and much more feminine than any wolf that I have ever seen. She morphed back into her human form and I gasped as she had clothing on which wasn't common due to the fact their clothing is ripped to shreds upon transforming.
"I am…" I answered evenly as I noticed her strawberry hair and nodded.
"My name is Vanille." She grinned. "Welcome to what we call Oerba." She smiled as she and the others began leading us deeper into the forest.
After a few moments of walking we came to a clearing where a massive cave opening was. "This is the entrance to Oerba!" Vanille cheered as a woman walked from the cave holding a long staff.
"Vanille… who are these people?" The woman asked as I noticed first her height which was slightly taller than me and then her messy jet black hair.
"Fang, these are the people Aeris said would come… this is Lightning!" She exclaimed as Fang stared at me and I to her.
"I suppose you're expecting me to say hello…" She trailed off and chuckled. "Well I won't." She added as she motioned for the group to follow. "Come on you blood-suckers, don't want you to stay outside too long." She taunted as I followed along with the others.
We walked down many steps and finally came to a city that was filled with small adobe huts and above bright crystals in the ceiling of the cave illuminated the town. "Impressive." I whispered as Fang turned and nodded.
"Thanks" She added as I scoffed.
"I doubt a bunch of dirty dogs can accomplish something like this… you idiots probably just found this place." I sighed as Fang turned on me and stared for a moment.
"You don't deserve the fate you have." She hissed as I raised a brow.
"What do you mean by that?" I asked as she frowned.
"What… has no one told you?" She asked as I scowled.
"What do you mean?" I demanded as Fang grinned and shook her head.
"I don't have to answer to you blood-sucker… fuck-off." She growled as her teeth sharpened and her eyes became feral as that of a wolf but she didn't grow the snout or the fur. She closed her eyes and relaxed before her eyes and teeth returned to normal. "Sorry about that, anger causes me to turn so easily… you know being around a bitch doesn't help either." She added as I growled.
"You are close to being put to sleep, mutt." I hissed as she turned and before she could launch herself at me her friend Vanille stopped her.
"Fang, please." She begged as I mocked her behind her back. "Let's keep moving."
We continued walking through the city and found a larger building structure.
"This is where he lies…" Fang whispered as she and the other wolves including Rygdea and Barrett all knelt to their knees.
"Cloud's inside?" I asked and Fang growled.
"No the father of all werewolves! Fenrir." She added as I looked to Reno and he gasped as did Rufus.
"So the brother of Jenova… the father of werewolves lies up ahead… it will be an honor." He stated as he began forward but Fang stood and punched him backwards with a strength I didn't think she would have without being in her wolf form.
"The girl goes in with me alone." She hissed as she looked to me and then to the other mutts. "If they object kill them." She hissed as Rygdea stood and spoke.
"We will all remain outside. You can trust us." He stated as Fang growled.
"Let's get this over with." I interrupted as I walked ahead of Fang and entered the building.
"Be respectful." She hissed as I scoffed.
"Of a mutt?" I asked as she sighed in disgust. "That's how I feel whenever I'm around you fur balls." I added commenting on her sigh.
"I have never met this Cloud, but I can't wait till he and you meet." She grinned and I scoffed.
"Why, you think I'll be forever honored for meeting him?"
"Just you wait blood-sucker, just you wait." She grinned.
We walked into a room and inside was a massive wolf that seemed injured but that didn't matter for this creature was easily four to five times larger than the normal werewolves and probably could take a hundred death-dealers without needing aid.
"You are correct in that thinking." It said as I froze. " I can read minds and much more Claire Farron. You are here for Cloud the unique wolf." Fenrir stated but it's mouth never moved. The creature was on all fours just as Cloud had been when he fought Sephiroth, but this beast was much more massive and its fur was pure black.
"I am here for the wolf." I stated in a more respectful manner than I would normally.
"Tifa once visited this place… but she had no clue I had her lover. Aeris returned several years ago and wished that I relinquish the wolf to her, but I swore only to follow the path that Tifa had seen… you may take the wolf." He whispered as Fang growled and instantly Fenrir spoke. "Do you object?" He asked in a threatening voice as Fang froze.
"No…" She answered and when I thought that was all she continued, "I should think he would wish to have one of his own with him." She added as Fenrir growled and she continued, "This girl hates our kind! She calls us mutts, dogs… she thinks we're below her, why would we trust our future with her?!" Fang growled.
"Silence!" Fenrir roared as Fang seemed to shiver in fear.
"Can we just get this over with?" I sighed as Fenrir stared at me and I felt a tremor run through my body.
Fenrir turned and began towards a massive opening behind him. Fang followed us into the opening before Fenrir directed me to a large container that had multiple locks on it. "Here within is the hybrid."
"How'd you put him inside? Grab him by your mouth and dropped him inside?" I asked as Fenrir growled and I stopped talking again. I walked towards the massive cage and inspected it thoroughly before Fenrir leaned down and exposed his neck. "A key?" I asked as I spotted it around his neck and took it.
I took a breath and opened the cage only to see nothing but darkness. I was nudged inside by Fenrir and then I spotted a man on his hands and knees naked. "Cloud?" I asked as a man stood and looked at me before his eyes turned brighter and instantly he transformed and rammed me from the box and pinned me to the ground.
I looked at the wolf above me and felt my body freeze with fear as the image of the wolf from so long ago was now above me. His bright blue eyes piercing into my dark tainted soul, I could feel his breath against my face as he snarled and chomped his jaws right in front of my face. He remained atop me for a moment before slowly moving away from me. He turned and spotted Fenrir and that's when I took the chance to stand. "Where's TIFA!?" He roared as Fenrir growled and acted as though he would attack.
I had not waited so many years for revenge only to have the one I needed get killed. "Stop!" I shouted as I moved between the two.
"Where's TIFA?!" He roared again as I began but Fang cut in.
"She died, nearly fifty or so years ago." Fang answered as his ferocious demeanor changed. His eyes that were once menacing and terrifying, were now wide with sadness. He stared at Fenrir and then to Fang before backing away… I frowned and went to touch him and he snapped at my hand causing a wound across my forearm to spill. I noticed some of my blood to have gotten into his mouth. The wolf instantly snapped his head up and stared at me before looking away.
Slowly, his form returned to that of a normal human. I stared at him hard but he wouldn't look back at me. "Hey." I began but he just sighed.
"I guess you want to experiment on me?" He asked as I raised a brow.
"What?"
"You want to use me… that's why you're here." He hissed as Fenrir growled and spoke up.
"You are to go with the woman… the vampire knew she would arrive… if you truly have such deep emotion for her then accept your fate." The massive wolf growled as Cloud stared at him with a hateful glare. He looked back to me and then he saw Fang.
"Find me something to wear." He barked as he walked past me without a care of his nudity.
"Fucking dogs…" I growled as I followed after him with Fang following. She ran ahead of me and spoke with him.
"Cl-Cloud." She whispered as he paused just before the exit. "Allow me to find you garments… you are well-shaped but it would not be proper for you to just walk among the village without clothing." She whispered as he looked down to his nude form and nodded as Fang walked out. I approached him and took in the appearance of the man and rolled my eyes.
He was pretty muscular but nothing more intense than any other mutt. The man was definitely a pleasure to look at… wild blond hair, a nice chiseled jaw line, piercing blue but glowing eyes. Long ago when I was still human, this Cloud, would have been the man every woman would have secretly swooned over… he was one of the most handsome men I've seen in my long life, but I knew the physical attraction was fleeting and always hid the jackass inside.
"You're Claire…" He whispered as he stared at me in disgust. I tried to retrace our meeting and realized I had never given him my name.
"How'd you know that?" I asked as he shook his head.
"Tifa…" He whispered and sneered at me. "You pale in her comparison… I'll save your pathetic sister and then I want nothing to do with you." He hissed as I had no clue how to react. I was pissed that he would disrespect my sister as he did, but I was shocked he even knew of her.
"I'll control myself to the point of nothing ripping you to pieces if you can explain to me how you know about my sister?" I demanded as he looked at me and shook his head.
"I guess no one has told you… good." He hissed as Fang returned and presented him with a pair of pants and a vest-like pelt.
"This was all I could find… I hope this pleases you." I wanted to puke at how pathetically weak she sounded.
"Thank you." He whispered in a kind tone to her as I snapped. I rushed him but he dodged and instantly I was on the floor.
"Don't try to fight me… you will lose." He hissed as he began getting dressed. I stood and waited till he put the final piece of his little outfit on and then I spoke.
"You have no damn right to speak of my sister in that way. I am only here because it was Tifa's dying wish that I find your filthy flea infested ass." I hissed as he sneered at me.
"You're not worth my time… you speak as though you're better than me… but if that were true you would have saved your sister… but that's just it… you can't. You need me but I don't need you." He growled as I again rushed him but this time he grabbed my arms and held me back. "You blood-suckers may be stronger than most wolves but don't think for a second you can over power me… I've been alive for well over two thousand years… you're a toddler compared to me." He hissed and roughly shoved me backwards to the ground.
"Damn you!" I shouted at him as I stood. "You think I wanted to come here!?" I yelled in fury. "I only came because the man I loved told me we needed you. I left Vincent alone to come here and deal with a fucking dog." I shouted as he narrowed his eyes and shook his head.
"You love him?" He asked and I nodded. I waited to see if he would say anything else and when he didn't I thought he was done but surprisingly he continued, with words I didn't expect from him. "If you love him then why fight this war? Why not just live in the shadows?" Cloud asked as I frowned.
"I would gladly do that… but Vincent he wouldn't accept that." I answered as Cloud nodded. "I have to fight for my sister."
"What then? What is the point in any of this?" He asked as Fang stepped in.
"What do you mean the point!? You are our savior! You are to lead us into a world where we are not their slaves… a world where we aren't the servants to those nocturnal popsicles!" Fang exclaimed as she looked down the moment Cloud frowned at her.
"I'm not a savior… I never wanted this… I just wanted Tifa…" He whispered as Fang frowned and shook her head.
"You would allow us to be condemned eternally to them all for a woman who was one of them? We are experimented upon, tortured, beaten… you were to change that." She argued with anger. "You would care for who she loves… for her sister… but for your own kind you would throw us to the flame?" Fang asked as Cloud growled.
"You are not my kind… I am nothing like you." He hissed as I watched Fang's spirit break before my eyes.
"Then what was the reason I fought so hard to free myself and Vanille? What was the point if being a test subject is my fate?" She asked sadly and Cloud seemed to perk up to those words. He looked as though he just remembered something from a long time ago. He stood and approached Fang and gripped her shoulders.
"Forgive me… I'm just hurt by what has occurred… I've been locked in that cage for a very long time… I…" Cloud began as Fang hugged him.
"Yes, I understand." She whispered as she leaned away and smirked. "Being caged for over five hundred years would drive anyone to madness."
"Five hundred years…" Cloud trailed off as he looked down. "I left her alone for that long?" Cloud asked to no one in particular. I sighed and spoke up.
"I was with Tifa right before she passed… it is my fault if you must blame someone." I began as Cloud looked at me and waited. "I had thought she had destroyed my life and killed my family so I hunted her under Cid and Genesis's order. When I finally caught up to her she finally explained to me what really happened and that's when she realized that she knew why she would die, to save me." I finished as Cloud stared at me for a moment and nodded.
"She was an angel…" He whispered as I remained silent but agreed in my own way. "She was…" He began but didn't continue. "Let's just go." He whispered as he looked to Fang and nodded. "I will do what I can… but once this is over, please one of you end my life…" He whispered as Fang looked at me and I rolled my eyes but didn't say a word.
We walked out from the large opening and spotted the others waiting outside.
"This is the wolf Tifa spoke so much of." Rufus whispered as he glanced at Cloud. "I'm Rufus…" He began as Cloud walked past him.
"Don't care…" He called back as I smirked and brushed past Rufus roughly.
"Let's get going." I ordered as Rufus huffed behind me and followed with the rest.
PART 5
Lightning's POV – 5 days later Havana, Cuba
I had Rufus looking into the whereabouts of Vincent while I laid low in a hotel with Cloud in Havana, Cuba. The other wolves decided to come with us thus I was now in the company of the damn dogs. Fang, Vanille, Rygdea and Barrett were currently pissing me off due to the fact it was raining outside and they all smelt like the wet filthy beasts they were.
"Why don't you four mutts take a bath?" I asked as Fang growled at me but Rygdea stepped between us. He looked at me in warning but I rolled my eyes and he then spoke.
"You say the four of us… does that mean you enjoy Cloud's smell?" He asked as I unconsciously looked at the blond who sat looking out the window. He turned to look at me and then glared at Rygdea.
"Sit down…" He hissed as Rygdea obeyed. I chuckled and looked back to Cloud who was again watching the rain.
"He doesn't smell like a mutt… even though he is one." I added and Cloud shook his head and turned again.
"Why do you throw out these insults… if it were not for me, Sephiroth would have devoured you and your family." He stood and continued upon seeing the surprise in my eyes. "You think I don't remember you and your sister? The little girl who ran and hugged my leg? I remember the scent of your entire family… I remember the smell of fear… a mutt saved you that day… you don't have to revere me or the wolves, but at least show some respect, death-dealer." He added as I could find no words that would not make me look foolish, so I nodded.
"Cloud you've been hush-hush about yourself… want to open up to us?" Fang asked as she sat on the window seal near him. He merely glanced at her and shrugged.
"I was born by the first wolf Fenrir had turned raping thousands of women and then Sephiroth a pure blood vampire bit her days before she went into labor. She died shortly after and I was beaten and trained to fight the moment I knew how to walk. Let's see, then I was taken by Vincent who then did countless tests, trying to see what my power was. After I was deemed unimportant, he let me go to live a normal life… but the moment I stopped growing, well good ol' Vincent showed up and again wished to test me… but this time, I left before I could be a test subject. While I ran from Vincent, I ran into Sephiroth, he killed Zack right in front of me, and taunted me… so for years, I tried to figure out how to kill him and finally I did, right in front of that girl and her family when she was just a child. The days after I turned into that wolf I couldn't return to this form. I met Tifa and somehow I returned to normal… for a decade, I was happy… I felt whole… but Tifa… she didn't believe in that. She was happy but she told me that I'd find someone else… someone better." He growled and shook his head. "I told her that I would always love her and she agreed but told me I would love someone else more one day… We were attacked one day by Jenova… the queen of the damned… she took me and gave me to her pure blooded death-dealers, but Tifa managed to escape. I was then deemed to be useless and so they caged me in that damn cell for five hundred years… somewhere in that time Fenrir came and got me." Cloud explained with a sarcastic smile as I shook my head.
"That is terrible…" Vanille chimed in as I sighed.
"We all have a pity story… that's the reason he sounds so sarcastic." I hissed as Cloud looked at me and nodded.
"Lightning is right. My story is no better than any of you… the one thing that unites us is the fact we all have had to deal with pain and sadness… we all have had to live with the hell and despair… our immortality only lengthens how long we feel that pain." Cloud whispered as I nodded in agreement. "It's getting close to night fall… we can finally leave." He sighed as I frowned.
"Leave? I have to stay here… Vincent…"
"He'll find us… well… he'll find me eventually… he always does." Cloud hissed as he closed his eyes and walked towards the door outside and opened it allowing light to pour in.
"What the hell?!" I roared as he looked at me and chuckled as the sun began to fade.
"You have nothing to fear from me death-dealer… and you may be the only one." He added with a small grin as I scowled.
"Where the hell are we going?" I demanded as he shrugged.
"You know, us dogs have to go out to mark our territory." Cloud grinned as his eyes began to glow bright blue as he transformed. He came over to me and nudged me with his massive head. "You should come and see how we enjoy the night." Cloud whispered as I rolled my eyes. "I'll let you ride me." He joked as the other four mutts started laughing. I swatted at his snout and shook my head.
"I'll go but only to keep you mutts under control." I hissed as Cloud growled and turned swiftly and slapped me with his tail. "Do that again, I'll rip it off." I growled as he sprinted out the door with the other four. I sighed and followed cautiously as the was still a small twilight in the distance but quickly gave way to the night. I sped up and caught up to the wolves as they kept to the shadows.
"I see a target." Cloud growled as I looked to where his eyes were drawn and saw a man slapping around a woman.
"I hate assholes." Fang growled as Cloud nudged her with his snout. "Cloud?" She asked as he turned his head to the scene.
"They have company." He whispered as several other men appeared and began unbuckling their pants.
"Bastards…" Rygdea growled as Barrett growled.
"She's nothing but a child." At this I noticed the girl was nothing more than a teen. Cloud instantly seemed to go wild as he gave what seemed like a roar and leapt from the shadows and in seconds he had ripped the men to pieces.
"You've lost your damn mind!" I hissed as he growled but didn't speak only approached the girl. She was bleeding from her head and would not survive.
"Turn her…" He whispered as I knew who he was speaking to.
"No…" I replied calmly as he looked at me and shook his head.
"Save her…" He whispered as I frowned.
"You mean condemn her to this life?" I asked as he shook his head. "She will crave blood and will forever need to drink it… she is merely someone who was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
"She doesn't deserve her last minutes of existence to be beaten and nearly raped… just because we are this way… that doesn't mean we can't be happy. I was happy, Tifa was happy and with Vincent… you were happy." He whispered. "Another chance is what Tifa gave you… that's what I'm asking you to give her… I can't help her… she's dying and only your kind can change those close to death… so please give her another chance at life." Cloud whispered as the girl was bleeding out and I could smell her blood as it was covering the ground below my feet.
I knew she heard us but was paralyzed in pain to actually do anything. I glanced at Cloud as he and the others seemed to wait for me.
"Are you gonna do it? I've never seen a blood-sucker… I mean a vampire change someone… I heard they have to drink you're blood too!" Vanille exclaimed as I scowled at her. I thought back to how it happened for Tifa and myself and shook my head.
"Fine…" I hissed as I knelt besides the girl and then looked back at Cloud who walked over to me and looked at the girl.
"You know how to do this right?" He asked as I scowled. "I had to explain to Tifa how it worked… she had no clue." He whispered as I frowned but growled.
"I can do this." I hissed and he still walked over and watched over my shoulder.
"Just bite and from there your DNA will mix with hers, wait approximately ten seconds and force her to ingest your blood." He coached as I scowled but took the advice.
In moments I had forced my blood down her throat and soon she was shaking and convulsing. I had waited nearly an hour for this to stop before she finally looked up at me and she hissed and roared at me. She jumped to her feet and tried rushing me but Cloud rammed her to the ground. I was shocked at his speed and even more amazed at the fact he had reacted before I had.
"You okay Lightning?" He asked as I frowned.
"Of course I am." I hissed as he moved from the girl and I realized she was unconscious and that he was bleeding from his paw. "She got you?" I asked as he looked at his fading wound and he huffed.
"I'm fine." He whispered as he gave me a discreet look from head to toe.
I hated that he babied me, and I would ask him about his protectiveness later.
"So we have another night-walker?" Barrett sighed as I rolled my eyes at the wolf. "What do we do with her? She's going to be rabid when she wakes up." Barrett hissed as Cloud spoke up.
"She'll be fine… just get her inside, she'll wake up later." He stated as he turned and went to the bodies and began to rip at the flesh.
"What the hell?" I growled disgusted as he paused and then looked back at me.
"You feed so why can't we?" He asked as I scowled. "Better hurry and find something… or someone to chow down on." Cloud stated as Barrett, Rygdea, Fang and Vanille all pounced on what the four legged wolf had killed.
"Fucking dogs…" I hissed as I turned to leave.
"Be back before sunlight young lady." Cloud taunted as Barrett laughed along with Fang and Vanille. I went to grab the girl but Cloud spoke up again. "I'll take care of her… go, feed." He whispered as I nodded and took off.
Hours passed and I had yet to receive any information on Vincent even though Rufus swore he'd get back to me this night. I had returned unsuccessful in my hunt as I had no true appetite after watching Cloud and the mutts crunch away at their meal… it was sickening. Sometime between their gallivanting around the city and my failed hunt, Cloud had returned the girl to the apartment and just as he said, she was out.
She had short black hair and quite attractive. I guess Cloud had cleaned the blood from the girl… that or the dogs licked it off her. At either thought I shuddered.
"You find a poor soul to devour?" A voice asked as I turned and aimed my saber at the person only to see Cloud in his human form walking out of the bathroom.
"You've been here for how long?" I asked as he shook his head…
"I grow tired… I was in the bathroom resting, but when I heard shuffling out here… I thought it was her." He pointed to the girl.
"You're tired?" I asked as he nodded.
"I prefer to be here away from the others… they're werewolves and despite my appearance… I'm not." He whispered as he began to walk back into the bathroom but I spoke up.
"So what are you?" I asked as he shrugged.
"Don't know… I have a strong urge to howl at the moon, and though I appear to be a werewolf, I hate the sun… I would rather be in darkness." He sighed as I shook my head.
"So why the bathroom… grown used to small confined spaces?" I asked mocking him but he nodded.
"Yes… for five hundred years, I've sat, paced and thought in what was no more than a seven by seven cage… it took years for me to return to my human form, so being a huge wolf in that tiny cage wasn't good." He grinned and something told me he was thinking of Tifa.
"I barely knew her… but she seemed special… special enough that Vincent cared about her." I added as Cloud nodded.
"Yes, she was special… she was the light in my dark world… she is the reason I could smile." Cloud grinned as I shook my head.
"Hard to imagine you not smiling." I stated as he shrugged. "You've been grinning for the last few days." I added and he nodded.
"Its her memory." He began as I nodded.
"She must have been amazing." I stated as he looked at me and nodded.
"Yes, she was… and so are you… Tifa asked me how to turn humans to vampires, for the soul purpose of saving you and maybe your sister… You are the only one she turned… that's what the others don't know… I can sense your anger at me trying to watch over you… you are her legacy." Cloud stated as he looked at me and nodded. "You'll never have to fear me, I will be your loyal… 'mutt' for as long as I need to be." He whispered as I raised a brow.
"What about killing you after you help my sister?" I asked as he shrugged.
"That was the anger of being without the person I love… I know I'll never see her again and that's what makes each day harder… but as I've had the chance to actually walk free from that cage, I realized that Tifa would have wanted me to help you… so I will. So Lightning, now that you have you own pet hybrid wolf slash vampire, what's next?" He asked as I stood still.
"You're not a pet." I found myself saying as he cocked a brow. Hearing the damn wolf go on about me owning him and demeaning himself in such a way made me want to shake him and tell him he was better than the others but I wouldn't go that far. "You are the future… the rejoining of both our races." I commented based on what Vincent told me long ago.
"Rejoining?" He asked with a smirk… "I am the evolution from what Sephiroth, Jenova and Fenrir told me. Supposedly, we're…" He began and chuckled. "It's stupid." He sighed as I frowned.
"We're?" I began as he raised a brow.
"What do you mean?"
"You said 'we're' as in you and I." I began and he shook his head. "talk now or else!"
"I said 'we're' as in the woman that I find… not you… my future is my own to know… not yours." Cloud hissed as he became angered. I backed off immediately as I knew Tifa most likely had told him his future.
"Sorry, I just thought…" I began as I slowly began to put everything together… the comments Tifa made so many years ago. Then, Rygdea and Barrett mocking me and talking about irony whenever I used such spite when dealing with wolves. I know realized why Tifa questioned me so much about the golden wolf who stood before me now… why she said not to fear him. Cloud was the happiness she meant… and this bastard knew it because he was shocked when I told him that I cared for Vincent. I just kept this to myself and nodded. I did wish to test him however. "I promised Tifa, I'd look out for you, so don't do anything stupid while the sun's out."
He frowned and shook his head. "We'll find your sister and Vincent and from there the next move is on you." He whispered as I nodded. I followed him into the small bathroom and he seemed shocked and actually became nervous. I hopped onto the counter top and sat as he just stared at me. "Why are you here?" He asked
"Keeping a promise to Tifa." I answered as he shook his head and began stuttering. "You look uncomfortable all of a sudden? You even look like you're blushing." I added as he scowled.
"You know?" He asked as I smirked.
"Yeah… it makes sense now." I stated as he shook his head. "Don't worry I'd never fuck a wolf." I growled as he scowled.
"Don't worry you'll never be Tifa… so I wouldn't take you up on the offer." He stated as I nodded.
"Good." I snapped back and walked out of the small room. That damn dog dared to think that I was dumb enough to be tricked and have the truth kept from me. It made me wonder how many others knew of the future Tifa saw? Vincent wouldn't have kept this from me… would he? As I thought about it, he would have to have known… he was close to Tifa and with the way he referred to Cloud, I knew he had some animosity against him. Aeris the girl with reddish brown hair knew, and that's why she was always so careful around me.
I hated this feeling… the feeling of being used for someone else's special purpose. I was not a puppet… I refused to be used any further. Cloud walked from the bathroom and spared a glance at me that I returned with anger. I sneered at him and then I finally stopped at I realized maybe this wasn't what he had wanted in the first place… he had actually agreed on returning me to Vincent which was obviously not what Tifa had wanted.
"You were going to let me go back to Vincent, who also knows of our entwined future, why?" I demanded as Cloud shook his head.
"I have nothing to say to you." He growled as he checked the girl who was still unconscious. I growled and he glanced at me and scowled.
"Why do you care?" He growled out as I stood and folded my arms under my chest.
"I have a right to know my supposed fate… you and you're friends have already kept much from me." I hissed as Cloud scoffed.
"You think I wanted any of this?" He asked as his eyes began to glow dangerously. "You think I would ever choose you over Tifa? You think that I would put your life above that of Tifa's?" He growled as I could see his face contorting with rage as he began to transform but stopped himself. "I hate myself each day, because if I had just waited till Sephiroth killed you all, maybe Tifa would still be alive." He whispered as I had nothing to say to that. He looked at me and saw my shock but continued as his anger faded and I could sense shame coming from him… "Each time I think about it… I realize that I would have made the same decision as I had that moment… even if I knew Tifa would die because of it." He whispered.
"Let me guess, some strange wolf code." I scoffed.
"No you twit… I'd do this because I have morals… just because I am this monster doesn't mean I must act as one… I wouldn't let children die… I wouldn't stand by as the weak are preyed upon… Tifa said it was the reason she loved me so much… so no matter what… I would never have Tifa in this life… either I'd save you and she'd die for a selfish bitch, or I'd become someone she could never love… I would rather be the person she knew me as even if she's gone." Cloud whispered as he looked at me. "Your parent's are gone and you're sister is mad… but if they are watching now as we speak… can you say you became someone they would still love?" He asked before checking the girl and sighing. "We will head to Europe tomorrow." Cloud stated as I finally found my voice.
"Why?" I asked
"Your sister, Genesis and Cid will be there… once I help you, we will go our separate ways… I'll keep the girl with me… I doubt you will need anymore people following you." Cloud whispered as I nodded.
"Yeah that would be a good idea." I scowled but he didn't answer just returned to the bathroom and shut the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lightning's POV 8 days later London England
"Cloud, why are you helping her again?" I heard Fang ask Cloud as he ignored her.
"Uh… Cloud how are we going to help Lightning's sister if she's gone mad?" The girl I had turned named Yuffie questioned as I waited to hear this answer as well.
"Don't worry about that… leave it to me." He whispered as we all walked down the streets of London. The sun had just gone down and so we had a long night of searching for clues on how to find Cid or Genesis. "When we find them… the entire lot of you should run… I have business with those two… I don't need any of you getting in my way." Cloud hissed as he walked ahead of us and Fang rushed up ahead.
We had stolen clothing so that the wolves would look like that fit in. Fang wore a blue top and black tight jeans with the same color boots. Vanille had a similar outfit with a white shirt and blue jeans. The wolves all had a thing for wearing black leather. I had no clue as to why these animals loved wearing cow hide.
"Lightning… are Cloud and Fang a couple?" Yuffie asked softly as Barrett and Rygdea chuckled.
"Fang will soon make sure of that." Rygdea grinned as I raised a brow.
"No… she likes him… just as she likes every other wolf that comes along." I explained as Yuffie frowned.
"But she doesn't talk to Barrett or Rygdea like she does with Cloud… I think he's cuter than them… don't you?" She added as I nearly gagged.
"I don't look at animals that way… especially pets." I added as Yuffie shrugged. I watched as Fang began kissing at Cloud's neck as he stopped and then he pulled her away and ran a hand through her hair causing her to smile widely. I cleared my throat and spoke up. "Screw the mutt later, we haven't found either of the two vampire lords so play with each other afterwards."
Cloud merely glared at me but said nothing. It was Fang who sent me the glares of hate and began growling at me. "Back off you blood sucking bitch…" She began but Cloud had grabbed her arm and pulled her around to face him.
"Ignore her." He ordered calmly as I marched up to him and pushed him. "Back off, Lightning." He warned as I glared at him.
"Or what?" I threatened as he rolled his eyes and I pushed him again. "I said 'or what'… you don't scare me wolf… so bring it." I hissed as Fang practically slammed me into a car.
"You'll go through me first." She hissed as she began to change but instantly the girl was thrown backwards and Cloud appeared before me.
"Leave Lightning alone." He hissed as he waited till I stood and then shook his head. "Lightning stop acting this way… if you want to find your sister then understand we're a team… and we have to have one another's backs. Enough with your attitude and your hatred." He growled
I slapped him hard and that's when I found myself slammed on the ground and Cloud was straddling my hips. He gripped my neck and I saw his eyes begin to glow bright blue as he increased the pressure on my neck.
"Cloud!" I heard someone call and suddenly he jerked to the side as he stared at me in shock and moved away. Cloud extended a hand down to me and I took it nodding slowly.
"I'm so sorry…" He whispered as I snatched my hand away and turned from the jackass. "Lightning… please." I heard him whisper but I continued on. He huffed behind me and continued speaking, "I can't wait to get this over with." He hissed as I turned and wanted nothing more than to attack him but I knew it would be futile.
"The same can be said for me… I would like to never see your face again if possible." I shot back as he nodded with a scowl.
"Good." He snapped as he looked to a building in the distance. "I think I know a place we may find information on Cid or Genesis's whereabouts." Cloud stated as he walked past me. Fang seemed to have a satisfied smirk set on her face while Rygdea and Barrett were both shaking their heads.
"What are you mutts worried about?" I hissed as Rygdea spoke up.
"The future of our kind." He hissed and this caused Cloud to stop as he turned and marched back to Rygdea and scowled at the man.
"Why? Do you really think, the future can be seen and not changed? You think that Rhapsodos and Raines really don't have any clue about Tifa's visions? You really think that the army of blood-suckers are going to just bow out to my existence? You are a fool." Cloud growled as he pushed Rygdea backwards but the man didn't fall. "You, Fenrir and all the wolves think I'm some messiah who is going to change the world for you. Fenrir the father to all wolves is hiding in a forest!" Cloud snapped. "He's fucking hiding and yet who questions him? Why is he not on the front lines protecting his kind? No… it has to be me… it has to be the guy who was the product of a fucking wolf raping his mother and then a sick fuck of a blood-sucker who wanted to experiment on her… I am tired of having the pressure of all this crap on my shoulders." He growled as Rygdea frowned and stepped forward speaking.
"You won't do this alone! If the others won't stand at your side then I shall… I would die for you, not because you are a hybrid… but because of what you mean to us!" Rygdea nearly shouted and then backed away. Fang approached Cloud who seemed to be deep in thought and touched his arm.
"Cloud we all know how you feel… we each are not far removed from being in shackles as you were once… We see you as hope… you understand that right?" Fang whispered as he seemed to calm himself.
"I never wanted to fulfill a prophecy… I just wanted to be happy with Tifa." Cloud whispered as I watched Fang's eyes show hurt but understanding as he walked away from the group. Cloud paused for a moment and turned back to us. "Come on, the duo have a nesting spot just on the outskirts of the city… if we can't find them there, whoever we find will know their whereabouts." Cloud reasoned as he turned and continued on. Fang looked back at me and scowled.
"I envy you." She hissed as I walked past her but stopped at her words.
"What?" I hissed as she shook her head and scoffed.
"You are promised happiness and love… and all you have to do is just walk ahead and tell him you love him. So simple… but you're afraid of being second to Tifa… you're terrified because you know you'll never stack up to her in his eyes." She hissed as I laughed.
"I have to want to fuck a dog first." I hissed. "besides, Fenrir's probably bigger anyhow." I scoffed as Fang didn't get angry as I thought she would but smirked and leaned close.
"I see… you're trying to enjoy being second to Tifa in someone else's eyes first… no wonder you want to return to Vincent." She grinned as I scowled.
"Fuck you." I hissed as she smirked.
"Hit a sore spot didn't I?" She asked as she passed me. I would have argued further but we didn't need to draw any more attention to ourselves.
Cloud's lead ended up being a bust as the warehouse was abandoned and had been for quite some time. I held my tongue as his own anger was evident and so we continued on through the night before Cloud looked to the sky and sighed.
"We have to get back… Lightning and Yuffie have to get inside before the sun comes out." Cloud whispered as he clenched his fists and nodded to the wolves. "Let's hurry" He ordered as he took off at super speed as the others followed him. I turned to follow but Yuffie tapped me on the shoulder.
"Are you okay?" She asked as I nodded.
"Just fine." I answered as we raced after them.
We returned just before sunrise and I spied Cloud walking ahead into the room Yuffie and I shared. I told the girl to wait at the door as she seemed puzzled but obeyed. I entered the room and found Cloud looking around.
"What do you want?" I asked with civility.
He turned and nodded once before shaking his head. "Someone was here…" He whispered as I waited to see what he had found. He snapped his head towards me then grabbed me and threw me into Yuffie and we both flew from the room as a massive explosion enveloped the entire complex.
"CLOUD!" I screamed in panic as Yuffie and I were surrounded by hundreds of people.
"Awe, did we hurt your little pet?" A voice caught my ear as I turned and spotted Cid standing alone atop of an adjacent building. "Don't worry Lightning, you'll be back home with us in no time… I promise, you won't even remember him." He grinned as I looked to Yuffie who was terrified and for good reason… Cid had no need for her.
"Yuffie..." I whispered as I felt sorry for the girl but I was determined to help her. She looked at me in fear as I smiled to reassure her. "Yuffie when I clear a path, run like your life depends on it." I whispered as she nodded.
I stood and prepared myself as the multitude of death-dealers all closed in on us.
"Fucking blood suckers!" I heard Barrett roar as the man along with the other wolves attacked from our right. I felt slight relief that I had help but as the first wave of men attacked I refocused my efforts on them.
I easily dropped the first five that rushed me and turned back to protect Yuffie who was too nervous and scared to fight back. I kicked several attackers away and turned to Rygdea and Fang who were managing quite well. "Get her out of here!" I yelled as Fang growled and looked to Yuffie before nodding.
"You better follow!" She hissed in her distorted voice that still held its accent.
"I will." I told her as I kicked a death-dealer in his chest hard enough that he flew into a wave of men knocking them down. "Go!" I shouted as the wolves all took off and I went to follow them but Cid appeared before me.
"They weren't important… you are." He grinned as he rushed forward and slammed his first into my gut and then took my legs from beneath me. "I trained you Lightning… while Genesis screwed you, I taught you everything you know." He grinned as he grabbed me by my throat and lifted me from the ground. "I always had a soft spot for you." He whispered as he released me but grabbed my elbows and pulled me close and began smelling my hair. "I've wanted you for centuries and Genesis kept you all to himself. Since he's got your sister, I think its okay if I played with you for a while." Cid grinned as I mustered enough strength and kneed him in his crouch.
He released me but I was instantly tackled by several death-dealers who all proceeded to stomp and kick me until Cid called them off. He lifted me off the ground and then punched me in my face so hard that I lost my equilibrium and sight for a moment.
I refocused and he hit me again just as hard before pulling me to his lips and forcing his tongue into my mouth. I squirmed but he squeezed my body so hard that I had to gasp and he only forced his tongue into my mouth deeper.
He released me finally as I wanted to gag but kissed me again before laughing. "I'm going to fuck your brains out… I'll screw you until you're submissive." He hissed as I felt a tremor of fear run through my body for a moment but another voice spoke.
"Now, now Cid… we already discussed her punishment." Genesis spoke as I felt relief but instant despair as I knew I would suffer for a long time before death came… if they were to be that merciful. "Let's get going." He ordered.
I looked one last time to the rubble and flames before resigning myself to my fate.
Part 6
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cloud's POV San Diego, California 1 month later
I had reunited with the other wolves and discovered that Lightning had been taken nearly a month ago. Fang and the others all wanted to stop me or go with me in Rygdea's and Barrett's case, but I now sat in a taxi alone leaving them overseas in London while I went to rescue Lightning.
I knew where she would be only for Tifa's visions… she told me that if the girl who was to replace her was ever taken that I would find her in a city called San Diego. I didn't want to involve any of the others and I wouldn't. I had to save Lightning because I had let Tifa down in protecting her. I had pushed so hard to reject my fate, but I merely managed to endanger someone's life.
I paid my taxi fare and walked towards the only building that seemed to call out to me. It was late in the evening and so the sun was setting and the moment I stepped into the sixty to seventy story building, I smelled Lightning's scent.
I calmly walked over to the main desk and smiled. "I'm looking for a Genesis Rhapsodos." I commented as the woman at the desk looked at me before growling and launching over the counter and trying to tear into my face. I held her off and easily snapped her neck.
Suddenly the glass windows were being covered as a metal shield blocked out the light from outside as the only light remaining was that of the artificial white light.
In moments there were hundreds of vampires crowding into the lobby surrounding me. "Where's Lightning…" I hissed as they attacked trying to tackle me and pile on, but my anger exploded and I transformed into my wolf form and ripped many of the men and women to shreds as the death of their allies did nothing to deter the remaining group as they all attacked and all of them were easily killed. I spat out a piece of flesh from one of the vampires I had slain and returned to human form as I took some of their clothing and clothed myself.
I don't know how but I managed to pull up a schematic of the building and realized that there was a massive underground portion below. "Hold on Lightning… I'm coming." I whispered as I ran to the elevators.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lightning's POV
I stared at the desiccated man at my feet as I yelled in fury. I quickly realized my madness and forced myself to calm down.
Cid and Genesis had been bleeding me out, so that I craved blood… they wanted to drive me insane like they had done to Serah. I had no clue how long I had been here, but their plan was working… the man now dead had begged to be spared… he proceeded to tell me about his family hoping that I would spare him… he was innocent… he was but a poor store keeper with a wife and two little girls… just as my father had been… but I didn't spare him… I needed blood and for a few hours I refused my intense urges and he thanked me.
The poor fool thanked me… but then he fell asleep and I couldn't stop myself… I only remember him screaming and pleading for me to stop and crying 'why'.
I didn't want to kill him… but I couldn't stop myself… I couldn't control the monster within… and that scared me the most.
"Looks like your knight in shining armor has arrived." I heard one of my guards chuckle as I felt hope return and I thought to Vincent. I knew he would find me… I knew he wouldn't let them drive me insane. I wanted to be free again… I was going mad and any longer in this hell… I would be insane
"We've got orders to move her." Another voice stated as my cell was opened and the three men all unchained my arms and with my weakened state they easily secured my arms and legs in a wheelchair before moving with me briskly towards another room.
"He'll kill you all." I chuckled as one of the men scoffed.
"Don't know how she held out for so long but it won't matter. Sooner or later, you'll be so fucking gone, that you won't remember lover boy at all." He threatened as I panicked… because I was happy with Vincent… not perfectly happy but it was enough… I wished I hadn't cared about Serah… I wish I could just be in his arms again.
"WHAT!?" I heard one of the men yell. "How'd he get here?!" My heart soared as I could sense, even in my daze, the men being thrashed behind me. I smiled in relief as tears threatened to fall down my face as Vincent touched my shoulder from behind and I looked up at him and let my tears of joy fall but behind me wasn't Vincent.
"Cloud?" I whispered in pure shock as he seemed devastated as he looked at me. "I thought you died?"
"Did they hurt you?" He asked, ignoring my question and staring into my eyes with his own bright, bright blue ones. I could only nod not believing that he was the one saving me and not the man who I loved…
"Where's Vincent?" I asked finally as he shook his head.
"I haven't been able to find him… all I know is that he's alive and safe somewhere." Cloud whispered as I looked away and began crying. "Lightning… don't cry." He whispered as he turned my face to his. "I'm here now… we're going to find your sister and everything will be okay…" He whispered as I shook my head.
"I killed him…" I whispered referring to the innocent man I slaughtered. "He had a family… I killed him… they drained me and made me insane…" I whispered as he frowned and nodded. I knew he probably didn't understand but he spoke anyway.
"Don't worry, you're okay now… I'm going to take you far away from here." He whispered as he broke my restraints and I stood up on shaky legs. "Can you walk?" He asked as I nodded and held my footing.
"Let's go… we can't save Serah… I won't have you risk your life for nothing." I whispered as he gripped my shoulder and shook me a few times.
"Finding your sister and saving her is important." He whispered as I nodded and I believed him.
"Where should we start?" I asked trying to catch my bearings.
"You should just follow me… don't try…" He began but a horde of death-dealers rushed us. Cloud transformed and easily dealt with them and then motioned for me to follow as we ran down the hall.
"I can smell her." He growled in his gruff voice just before he transformed back to his human form. He picked up several pairs of pants from the bodies and together we walked into an elevator. The moment the doors closed the elevator began to climb on its own. "They must know we're here." He whispered as I found myself grabbing at his hand. "I'm here." He whispered as I nodded.
The door opened and we walked out only to be greeted by Genesis, Cid, Serah and several death-dealers.
"You are interesting…" Cid called to Cloud who scowled and shielded me with his body.
"I am shocked you would waste your time coming after her… she's lasted far longer than I ever expected but the girl's only a step from madness… you can't save her for soon she'll be as insane as Serah." Genesis grinned as I shook my head but Cloud reached behind and grabbed my trembling arm. I knew I wasn't myself because I was so jittery, meek, nervous and completely desultory to the situation, my mind couldn't focus. It was as though I was here, but at the same time I wasn't.
"We thought you were dead." Cid grinned as Cloud shook his head and growled.
"You two are finished." He hissed as he morphed to his wolf form and prepared to attack.
"From all the stories it was said you had trouble changing back and forth… I see that's not so." Genesis grinned as he opened his mouth to speak but Cloud had launched himself towards the man and he and Cid moved while Serah launched herself towards him.
"NO!" I screamed but Cloud merely leapt off her body and pushed her into the ground as he passed her and chased after Genesis and Cid.
I managed enough control to fight off the death-dealers in the room and then turned to my sister who stood just behind me.
"Why are you trying to ruin my happiness?" I frowned as she punched me toughly and I slid across the ground in pain.
Serah then grabbed me by my leg and slammed me into the ground and then flung me into the air. I spun a few times before falling back down where she caught me by my neck.
"Serah… stop please…" I begged but she scoffed.
"I'll kill you…" She hissed as I heard a growl and instantly Cloud had tackled us both and we broke through the walls of the building many times before we were flying through the air. I gasped in shock just before we slammed into the window of an adjacent building and tumbled to a stop.
I sat up in pain and struggled to stand as I spied Serah as she stood and then glared at Cloud's wolf form as he struggled to his feet and looked at her. He fell to his belly and then morphed back to a human and grinned.
"You are the problem!" Serah shouted as Cloud nodded.
"I am… if you want to make Genesis happy you have to bite me and kill me." Cloud whispered as Serah smirked.
"I will suck you dry… and Genesis will be so happy." Serah laughed insanely as she rammed him into a wall and bit into his neck.
"NO!" I screamed as I rushed to her and threw her backwards with all the strength I had as Cloud fell forward but I caught him. "Cloud…" I whispered as he sighed and smiled.
"I'm fine… we need to get going." He whispered as I looked to Serah who was on her knees crying.
"Serah?" I asked as she looked up to me and began to wail in agony. I looked to Cloud but he nodded to me.
"We need to get going." He repeated as he walked over to Serah and pulled her to her feet. "Lightning, can you follow alright?" He asked as I nodded and he took off.
Cloud had stolen a car and now I sat with Serah in the back seat as we drove through the night. It had been nearly seven hours since we began driving but Cloud, nor Serah had spoken and I was too weakened to focus.
"Cloud, we'll have to stop soon… the sun…" I whispered as he looked in the rear view mirror at me.
"Okay… just wait bit longer." He urged as I looked at the dashboard clock and saw that it was three in the morning… we needed to get off the street and find a place to lay low. "We'll turn in there…" as he pointed to a hotel off the highway. "I have to first get us some new clothes… we're covered in blood and that's bound to draw attention." Cloud reminded as I hugged Serah's sobbing form.
Cloud drove to a twenty-four hour discount store and purchased the three of us clothing to wear and we headed to the small hotel and got a room to rest in.
Cloud climbed into one of the two beds and immediately began stripping down and climbed under the sheets.
"I'll stand guard when the sun's out." He sighed as he covered his head with the blankets and fell asleep almost instantly.
I looked at my little sister who was still trembling and brushed her hair out of her face before kissing her forehead. "Serah?" I asked as she looked up at me finally and then shook her head allowing the tears to fall down her face.
"I killed Snow… they… they… the made me… they tortured me, Lightning… I lost it… I wanted to hurt you… I killed Snow…" She whispered as I shook my head.
"Serah Snow died a very long time ago…" I whispered as she shook her head furiously before whispering back.
"No… I remember how much pain I was in… how badly I wanted blood… they hurt me and hurt me until they said I was ready… they had saved Snow and healed him just so I could rip into him… devour him… like the monsters we are." Serah began crying as I hugged her.
"We'll get through this… together Serah, I promise…" I whispered as I stroked her hair till she fell asleep and then I spotted sunlight on the ground just under the drawn curtain. I realized that I had stayed that way with her for several hours and even Cloud was beginning to awaken.
He rolled out of the bed and looked at me. He nodded to me once and looked to Serah and whispered, "I guess storming that place wasn't for nothing." He grinned as I laid my sister down and moved from the bed and hugged him. "Lightning… are you okay?" He asked after a moment as I nodded against his shoulder and leaned back.
"You brought her back…" I whispered as he nodded. "Its your blood isn't it?" I asked as Cloud nodded.
"Yes… something similar was happening to Tifa… but I gave her some of my blood hoping to calm her and it worked instantly…" He sighed and then I felt his hands on my waist as he pushed back from me. "I found your sister, so the moment I get you back to Vincent, we can part ways." He smiled softly as I frowned.
"He didn't come for me." I whispered instantly as Cloud looked down. "You did… you came even though you didn't have to…"
"I came because I made a promise a long time ago to someone else." He whispered as I shook my head and spoke.
"Well I'm sure that's not the only reason." I whispered as Cloud frowned and looked at me.
"Lightning… you need to take it easy." He whispered as I pulled myself closer.
"I've been in what I presume is hell for over a month hoping the man I thought I loved, Vincent, would come, but he didn't, you did… you crawled out of the ashes and came. Cloud I was losing it, they drained my blood and made me kill an innocent man… I was beaten, raped…"
"What?!" Cloud hissed as his eyes flashed bright bluish-green for a moment before I rubbed the back of his neck and he calmed down.
"I'm fine…" I whispered leaning my head into the nook of his neck.
"You said they didn't hurt you… you said…"
"Cloud I didn't want you to get all crazy… you saved me and Serah, okay?" I sighed as he looked off to the side and nodded. I placed my right hand under his chin and turned him to face me. "You came to save me when I was moments from losing my insanity… hell, I'm still frazzled by the torturing but I'll get back to my old self eventually." I sighed as Cloud looked away and sighed.
"Lightning, get some rest." He whispered but I shook my head.
"I'm enough of myself to know that maybe, we shouldn't fight this anymore… maybe we should just give in." I whispered as Cloud frowned. "I only have Serah but I can't protect her alone… I'm not strong enough… that's already been proven." I whispered. "I can't lose her again." I pleaded as he frowned.
"You don't need me."
"Cloud stop." I hissed with angry eyes. "From what you've told me about Tifa and from what she's told me, we can be happy… we can exist in the hell that we exist in now but we can exist together." I added as he frowned more and pushed me away.
"I can't let you replace her." He shouted at me as I turned to make sure Serah was still asleep and then slapped him. He seemed shocked but controlled himself before looking away and sighing. "I just don't want to… I can't let her memory go." He whispered as I nodded and then hugged him.
"I don't want you to forget her… but would she want you to sulk in the past like you are now? I didn't think I'd ever agree to being a wolf's sex buddy, but after nearly becoming a monster with no mind of my own… I realized that I threw a chance at happiness away because of stubborn pride and ignorance. I sat in chains for a month Cloud… the entire time I sat in chains, I wanted so badly to remember better times. Sure I felt happy with Vincent but it was an empty happiness… I wanted to remember a moment of actual happiness, full and pure happiness, a time when I genuinely laughed or genuinely was told or told someone that I love them… and I couldn't… I couldn't remember ever having that, or feeling anything near it… I could barely remember being a child with parents and a sister… I know this sounds selfish, but if you can make me happy, I want to try and make us work." I finished as he looked down. "Cloud…?" I whispered as I lifted his chin and stared into his eyes.
I moved forward placing my lips upon his and had to hold onto him so that my legs didn't give way. Though brief the kiss was simply amazing, it was as though my body that was long since cold and dead, had been filled with warmth and life. I leaned back and stared into his eyes as I felt my lips quivering and my legs turning to mush. I had no clue how he could make me feel warm and nervous just from a kiss… one I initialized. I stared at his lips and found myself overcome with wonder that something so simple as a kiss could shake me to my core. It only made me wonder if sex with this man would be even more amazing.
"See, Cloud… we've gotten our first kiss out of the way." I finally spoke softly as Cloud nodded and held my gaze.
"Lightning…" He whispered as I held a hand up and touched his face.
"Claire…" I told him as he frowned and I explained. "My real name… it's Claire." I remained silent for a moment and instantly he pulled me close and kissed me. This kiss was different than the shy soft one I had placed on his lips earlier. Cloud had practically lifted me from the ground and slammed me against a wall as he pushed his crouch tightly against my own as his tongue found my own. Now at this sensation my body felt on fire… it was as though I was alive again and burning all in the same instance. My mind was ablaze with thoughts of how I could have ever have wanted anything but his touch.
One moan from me seemed to have driven him mad as he tossed me onto the bed he slept in earlier and I began to assist him by pulling off my skirt and jacket..
"Come here." I whispered as he obeyed and climbed on top of me and slammed his lips down upon mine. I felt him through the fabric of his pants and instantly I felt my own excitement. I pulled away for a moment and looked over at Serah who was sound asleep. "Let's go to the bathroom." I whispered as I suckled at his ear and he growled in mine.
"Claire… if we don't stop now… I won't be able to." His breath sent chills and goose bumps down my spine as I grabbed his face and kissed him roughly.
"Then don't." I grinned as he smirked and pulled me to the bathroom and ripped away my bra and panties before lifting me onto the sink counter and trailing a line of kisses down my stomach till he reached the small tuft of hair between my legs. "I hear dogs like licking…" I whispered as he looked up at me with glowing blue eyes before kissing the left and right insides of my thighs. I shuddered and he instantly sunk right into my cunt licking, sucking and lapping at the flesh there.
I threw my head back roughly as I used my right hand to keep my balance while my left grabbed his head and pushed harder against his head as his tongue seemed to send thousands of jolts into my body. I felt his hands trail up my body and find my breasts as he began kneading my flesh as I moaned softly but loud enough so he knew he was performing outstandingly.
I came quickly and he stood up grinning devilishly as he wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand before he reached down and began massaging away at the nub between my legs. I placed my hands on his shoulders and relaxed as his sensual massage almost sent me over the edge again. "C…C…Cl…" I tried moaning his name but he captured my lips as I stuttered from pleasure. I could taste my own scent on his lips but I merely ignored it and ran my tongue across his as one of his fingers slipped inside and slowly he rotated in large and little circles randomly.
I cried out but the sound was muffled by his mouth. His touch was so different than anything I had before… when I was with Genesis everything was roughed and forced… with Vincent I enjoyed it, but I always had a feeling that he was holding something from me and that though we were joined he was thinking of other things… with Cloud it was as though he was only thinking about me… that he wanted me to enjoy myself first… a quality I wouldn't think a man who lived as long as he would have.
He pulled away from me for a moment and I stared dumbly at him for several moments before frowning and going to ask why he withdrew his hand, but he merely placed his dry hand over my lips and smiled. "As someone told you, dogs like licking… I heard that death-dealers enjoy sucking…" He whispered in my ear as I trailed my eyes down his sculpted abs and saw he had freed his rock hard appendage from his underwear. I stared at him and nodded with a small smile as I pushed him back bit and jumped from the counter and knelt before him. I rubbed his thighs gingerly for a moment before staring up at him and seeing him frown. "I didn't tease you…" He hissed as I grabbed him firmly and nodded.
"I'll make it up to you then…" I whispered as I licked at the head of his penis before slowly sucking on the tip while watching his blissful reaction. I really didn't care much for this type of thing, but seeing such a look on his face stirred something deep inside me and I got a bit more adventurous and tried to take as much of the man in as possible.
"Claire…" He gasped as his hands found my head and he slowly began pumping his hips back and forth while he kept a firm grip on my skull. I relaxed my jaw and every once in a while I would cause friction with my tongue, but I mostly just watched his euphoric expressions as he brought himself closer to release.
Cloud stopped just before he came and then knelt right before me and kissed me deeply before wrapping his arms around me in a loving manner. We separated and he lifted me to my feet. "We're not done yet are we?" I asked with a smile as he shook his head and turned the shower on. "In there?" I asked as he nodded and pulled the shower curtain back.
"Come here Claire." He ordered as I slipped into the shower and almost instantly he lifted me up against the shower wall and slowly… agonizingly slowly, he began thrusting into me. I gasped loudly at first forgetting about Serah but his lips crashed against my own, muffling my cries.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hours later
I don't remember how long we stayed in that bathroom, but I do know the moment I walked out of the bathroom Serah was sitting on the bed in the room watching something on T.V. I froze for a moment before Cloud walked out behind me in only a towel.
"Where are your clothes?" I hissed at him as he shrugged.
"It's not like she's deaf." Cloud sighed as I was about to speak but Serah spoke up.
"We need to get going." Serah whispered as Cloud looked at her and then to me before nodding.
"She's right…" Cloud whispered in my ear as I shuddered still feeling the intense euphoria running through my body at his closeness. "I guess it's gotten dark again." Cloud announced as I felt embarrassment mixed with amazement as he and I had actually went at it the entire day. Cloud finally realized his own words and gave me a small smile from his position in the window.
"I hope you're both done now." Serah smiled weakly but jokingly as I smiled and came to sit next to her.
"Serah… I'll be right here always okay?" I smiled as she seemed to return the gesture. Serah hugged me tightly as Cloud got dressed.
We set out once again after topping off the tank. I sat in the back with Serah while Cloud drove up front. The drive was in silence as Serah seemed to sleep but would open her eyes and look around in a panic before I brushed her head softly to calm her back down.
"We should just leave the country for a while… you know get her somewhere to relax." Cloud suggested as I looked at his eyes in the reflection of the rear view mirror. "Your sister like beaches?" He asked as I shrugged.
"We used to live near a stream… me and Serah would go down into the stream by our home and play in the water…" I whispered as Cloud spoke up.
"Uh… Clai… I mean Lightning."
"My real name Cloud…" I reminded as I wanted him to use it. "you can call me Lightning if you want, but you can call me Claire… just you and Serah though." I grinned as he smiled and nodded.
"Claire… lets head to a beach… an island… someplace secluded so Serah and yourself can relax." He whispered.
"I'd like that… as long as it's the three of us." I whispered as he looked at me and smiled.
"I will be right there with you both." He smiled as I reached up to the front seat and rubbed the back of his neck.
"I want to return to what we were doing earlier today as soon as possible." I commented as Cloud chuckled.
"Same here." He whispered as Serah groaned.
"You two are loud…" She sighed as I grinned but just rubbed her back.
"Sorry Serah…" I kissed her head and smiled. "I'm so happy to have you back… we'll stay together forever. I will protect you from now on." I whispered as she nodded.
"I overheard you two talking before sun up… What did they do to you?" Cloud asked as Serah sighed and slowly began to tell her tale.
7
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cloud's POV Negril Jamaica 2 months later
"Cloud come on!" I heard Serah shout as she and Claire ran into the water as the moon above us reflected off the ocean. I grinned and walked to the waters edge as only to dip my toe in and scoff.
"Not a chance." I called out to the two as Claire used her super-speed to rush into my arms. "Whoa…" I whispered as she just smiled.
"You're such a dog." She grinned as I rubbed her wet body and kissed her neck. "But you're all mine." She giggled as I licked a water droplet that was falling down her cleavage.
"I want to say one thing though." I grinned as she laughed. "That is a beautiful laugh…"
"That's what you wanted to say?" She asked with a huge smile.
"No, what I was going to say is…" I looked up and with my hearing I heard a chopper in the distance, "helicopter…" I whispered as Claire laughed again.
"Helicopter… I see my love has finally gotten to three syllable words." She smiled as she too finally heard the chopper and then turned to Serah. "SERAH GET OVER HERE!" She screamed as Serah rushed to her sister and I prepared to face whatever was coming.
The helicopter landed on the beach and I stood between it and the girls as Claire gathered our things. I got ready to transform but stopped as I recognized the scents within. "Claire, its okay…" I called as the blades stopped and from inside Rufus, Vincent, and Rygdea appeared.
I paused for a moment at seeing Vincent but I snapped out of it the moment Claire touched my lower back. I turned and nodded to her. Rufus stepped forward and looked around before smiling.
"Sorry it's been too long… when Rygdea told us what happened we were worried, but obviously you escaped and not to mention cured Serah of her insanity." Rufus grinned as he motioned for us to follow him. I shared a lone glance with Vincent before he turned from me and looked at Claire. I was led away to the chopper by Rufus, but not before I spared one glance to Claire.
"Come on Claire, Serah…" I whispered as both women nodded and walked past Vincent following me.
Rygdea smiled at me and went to hug me as I reached the door but then he sniffed the air and looked at Claire and smiled wider. "So you two finally got together!" He exclaimed loudly as I could sense Vincent freezing behind me. I glared Rygdea to silence and jumped into the chopper.
Vincent followed and the moment we sat in the chopper, I became conscious of where Claire had chosen to sit, between me and the door… unfortunately, we sat across from Vincent. He eyed us both and finally spoke up.
"Lightning are you okay?" He asked as I released a breath that sounded like a sigh. Vincent looked at me sharply and I held his gaze and looked to Claire.
"You're okay aren't you?" I asked her as she nodded and spoke up.
"I'm fine Vincent… it's good to see you're okay… what about Aeris?" She asked as I looked to him and realized he was glaring at me but he did answer.
"Rufus and his scientists are trying to reverse the affects of the ultraviolet ammunition used on her." Vincent answered as he finally said what he wanted, "So you're together?" He asked Claire more so than me.
"Yes." Claire answered shortly as I nodded also and Rufus huffed.
"So the legendary couple Tifa foretold is together… if its okay with you both, I want to do a little DNA testing… just to try and unlock what's so big about you both being together." Rufus suggested as I shrugged.
"I guess so… but don't think I'm going to be a test subject for your pleasure." Claire hissed as she tugged the blanket around her shoulders and leaned closer to me. "Where are we going?" She asked as Rufus smirked.
"We have a facility in Houston, Texas… this helicopter will take us there." He explained as I nodded and held Vincent's gaze for a moment.
"I would have found you Claire…" He finally whispered as I rolled my eyes and shook my head. He scowled at me but I held my tongue. Claire looked at me and calmly replied.
"But you didn't… I thank you for your concern but that month of hell really got to me… Tifa believed that Cloud and I would be happy together and I don't want to waste anymore time. I've lived for so long but when Genesis and Cid had me… I was terrified of dying… Vincent, I know we never really ended things but we can at least be civil now." Claire explained as I remained silent.
"Just over a vision?" Vincent began as Claire frowned and I grabbed her hand and that made him angrier. "Over a vision you just fall into his arms and scorn me… I searched non-stop for you and where do I find you? On a beach playing… when were you going to try and contact me?" He shouted at her as I growled.
"Back off." I hissed as Vincent narrowed his eyes.
"You may be strong but don't think that you can overpower me…" Vincent shot back as Claire placed a hand on my thigh to calm me down.
"Vincent, my sister needed time to gather herself." Claire hissed as Vincent seemed to back down.
"Speaking of that… I'm interested in how you regained your senses." Rufus asked Serah who shrugged.
"I remember having so much rage and wanting to hurt things and Cloud, and then I bit him and everything… all the rage, hate, pain… even the hunger vanished… all I had left were the memories… memories of the horrible things I've done." She explained as Claire reached over my lap and held Serah's hand.
"Its okay… I think its safe to say we've all done horrible things in our pasts… we have to look to the future." Claire whispered to Serah who smiled and nodded.
"As I expected, no thirst for blood… same goes for the one who you turned… what's even more amazing is the fact she has a higher tolerance against sunlight than normal." Rufus explained as Claire's body went rigid as I could feel her rage.
"You're experimenting on her!?" She shouted as Rufus lifted a hand.
"All consensual I promise… she managed five minutes and twenty-six seconds of full exposure to sunlight before she began to feel weird as she puts it. I was smart enough to gather a sample of your genetic material before you went to the Amazon and found Cloud and I know that whatever bit Yuffie is similar to your DNA but it is in a way mutated… though you and Tifa both had a very complex DNA sequence, one which is much different from other death-dealers, but it would seem that either something occurred to you between the moment you left the plane to the Amazon and the moment you turned Yuffie, that or she has a special DNA sequence that has given her a slight immunity." Rufus deducted as Claire seemed deep in thought. I thought to and Rufus continued, "was there any blood exchange between you and Cloud?" He asked her as she shook her head.
"No, I haven't bitten Cloud… only Serah has." She reasoned as she looked at me, "Yuffie did ingest some of Cloud's blood." She stated as Rufus raised a brow.
"In what way?" Vincent asked as I frowned myself.
"Would it matter?" I asked as Vincent spoke up.
"Did she bite you or did you drop it into her mouth?" He asked as I nodded.
"I dropped the blood into her mouth." I whispered as Rufus shook his head.
"As I stated I would like to get a bit of DNA work done on all three of you… if that's still alright." Rufus smiled as I nodded and turned to Claire who nodded also and Serah too agreed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lightning's POV Houston Texas
We had given Rufus blood, and even some of our cells and within a matter of hours he had called us into one of the facilities labs.
"Look at this." He shouted in happiness as he had his scientists put the findings on a large computer screen. "On the left is your older genetic code, Lightning." He grinned as I stared at the twisting helix that had ten different colors of dots on it. "Below in the right hand corner is a normal death-dealers genetic code… look at how much variance there is… Your sisters sequence is normal for the most part except for three sequences that are concurrent to Yuffie… we believe these three are what stops vampires from needing to feed… a way of self-sustaining themselves." Rufus grinned as he pointed and then another even more colorful genetic code springs up. "This is currently your latest sample and here is Clouds, not one thing in common!" Rufus announced as I stared at the crowded screen and sighed.
"What does this mean?" Cloud asked as I smiled to him.
"There was a mutation somewhere along the lines… I did find something though… you see Cloud you are much like any other death-dealer because just like all of us, you carry a separate set of genetic material that is released through insertion of your fangs, I call this separate DNA in the fangs, the FDNA. I swabbed your mouth and here is the genetic code that I found." He placed another image on the screen and grinned. "We combine this with your old genetic material Lightning and it creates the DNA we pulled from you now, meaning somewhere down the line, Cloud has bitten you. Now, when I tried inserting the same FDNA from Cloud's fangs into Serah's, Yuffie's and a normal death-dealer… look." He began a simulation where Cloud's cells attacked the other cells, killing them. "Just as expected… a wolf's bite is poison to death-dealers, but to you Claire it morphed your genetic code. I then took the experiment a step further and combined the FDNA from your fangs with Cloud's DNA. I did this to simulate you biting him and the transformation of his genetic code was completely reorganize… it was amazing."
"So what are you saying?" Vincent spoke up.
"Get to the point Shinra." Cloud hissed also as I waited as he stared at the screen.
"Rufus?" I asked as he turned and smirked.
"This is what Tifa foresaw… it had to be you Claire… Tifa ingested Cloud's blood and from what I now know is that is was a good amount also. Her DNA changed and by being a product of a pure-breed, her cells were able to accept the wolf's DNA when she drank his blood. When she bit you, you became just as valuable as Cloud himself… the DNA in your bite will…" Rufus grinned as one of the scientists spoke.
"Sir you should see this." He stated as Rufus turned and then looked at his screen and grinned.
"I knew it… the answer to our dilemma. I skipped the easiest of combinations… and most likely of scenarios if Claire were to bite him… their new base DNA interacting! You see, Lightning's current and normal DNA mixing with Cloud's true DNA and not his FDNA… this simulates the transformation of Cloud when he is bitten by Claire and if Claire drinks his blood, this will occur." He grinned as my DNA began to meld and not attack his. "Low and behold a king and queen of a new dawn." Rufus grinned as I shook my head and scoffed.
"No offense but you sound insane." Cloud whispered as I agreed.
"So when Cloud accidently bit me in the Amazon, we both mutated slightly?
"Yes, that must be the reason Cloud can transform at will and you were able to stand being drained for a month without needing blood… Vincent can only go three weeks without blood." Rufus explained as I frowned. So that's why those lackeys were shocked I held out so long.
"Okay, by biting Cloud and drinking his blood, we both will mutate further?" I summed up as Rufus grinned.
"Yes."
"Into what?" I asked as he seemed at a loss for words. "My point exactly…" I looked to Cloud who frowned just as I did. The last thing I wanted now was to turn us into big blobs of wolf fur and vampire teeth. I wanted to be happy as I had been for the past two months. It was as though we were a real family… that's what I wanted.
"Its possible that you would become so much more than you are now! You could become stronger than Genesis and Cid and overtake them! Think of the possibilities!" Rufus persisted as I shook my head.
"This is insane!" I shouted as Cloud placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Claire." He whispered softly as I turned to look at him and nodded.
"Rufus fuck off." I spat as I stormed from the room and Cloud followed shortly after. "What the hell is he thinking?" I demanded as Cloud placed a hand on my shoulder.
"Relax… maybe we both overreacted." He sighed as I turned livid.
"Overreacted?!" I asked as he lifted a finger to my lips.
"Claire, I doubt our future is meant for us to be weird monstrosities… come back and lets both hear what their research says and then we can go from there." He sighed as I shook my head.
"No! We would be okaying this… I can't become a test subject." I hissed and immediately frowned realizing he had been one long ago and here I was acting childish. "Cloud I don't mean to be so disrespectful… You and I are together… I'm happy… I feel like a normal girl again. With you I feel alive… not the lifeless husk that I am… I feel warm, my cheeks heat up, and my stomach gets queasy... only with you… I don't want to lose this feeling. It's as though I'm alive again." I whispered and smiled. "You're mine, and I'm not letting you go."
"Right." Cloud grinned as I folded my arms in front of me.
"What should we do now?" I asked him as he frowned.
"We don't have to fight this war… let Fenrir and the others do this… they've got our DNA… we'll only be their experiments… you and I deserve far better. Claire… I won't let them use us… I won't let them use you." He growled as I nodded. "They'll eventually try to push more and more experiments upon us both." He sighed
"Cloud you want to run away?" I asked as he nodded. "Just let Cid and Genesis get away with what they've done?" I asked as he looked away and shrugged.
"I don't want to lose you. This war has cost too many lives." He growled as I reached out with my left hand and gently ran my hand through his hair until my fingers came behind his ears and I unconsciously scratched the area and despite him being in human form I saw him visibly relax and shudder in pleasure.
"It will be morning soon, come retire to my room when you're ready." I practically ordered him and he nodded.
The facility Rufus had taken us to in Houston was a massive underground mansion of sorts. I reached my assigned room which in itself was practically the size of a hotel suite. I walked through the living room portion and stared at the massive television mounted on the wall. I flipped a switch and turned on the room's lights.
"Lightning…" A voice from my bedroom caught my attention and I frowned.
"What are you doing here?" I asked as I walked around a corner and spotted Vincent sitting on my bed waiting for me. "You should leave." I told him calmly as he shook his head.
"I searched for you… from the moment we were separated… I looked for you… I went to Rufus and the bastard refused to tell me where you had gone… if I had known those bastards had taken you…"
"I'm fine." I answered as he sighed.
"So you're with him now? You're going to choose him?" He questioned as I scowled.
"Well from the moment I met you and Tifa… I was never really given a choice… you knew about Tifa's vision… yet I had to hear it from him. You've known me for decades, yet the man who tells me the truth is the one whom I've known for less than a month!" I growled as Vincent frowned. "Vincent I am angry… but its not from what you are thinking." I explained as I walked in front of him. "I'm not mad that you didn't come… in fact I'm glad things turned out the way they have. I'm pissed that you are trying to be upset with me. You should be happy that I am happy… Vincent…" I began as I resolved myself to explain how physical Cloud and I had gotten. "Just from his kiss, my body felt warm…" I began as he huffed and I looked at him. "So you don't want to hear me out?" I asked calmly as he stood.
"Let me guess, from that kiss you wondered what more would feel like? So you gave yourself to him… and while you made love, it felt as though you were alive again… as though your heart was pounding in your ears and your skin felt oddly warm?" His words were the exact thoughts that ran through my mind as I nodded.
"Yes, but…" I began wanting to question how could he know.
"Tifa told me the same thing before she chose to leave my side for him." Vincent hissed as I frowned.
"So you are jealous?" I asked and sighed. "Vincent… I've been used by Cid and Genesis as a pawn to kill Tifa… Cloud loved her and because of me she's gone. Then I discover many of you knew of Tifa's premonitions and you played with my heart while you kept the truth from me. I met Cloud and despite how hateful I was towards him, he swore to protect me… Tifa told him I would practically replace her and yet he showed no hatred towards me, nor did he disrespect me the way I did him. When I was taken, Genesis and Cid raped me, bled me out hoping to drive me to madness… for 29 days I endured this… I killed a man who begged me for his life… he told me about his family, about his wife, and two girls… but I ended his life because the beast within took over… I was losing my mind Vincent… and Cloud came… I was delirious and begged him to just take me away… I gave up on Serah… but he refused to leave without her, because he knew she was important to me… he could have died saving her…" I began and sighed. "I admit I wasn't myself when I proposed that he and I should just give into Tifa's vision… and when my lips touched his… it was unreal… my body had never felt such a thing before… Vincent… I felt whole… my heart felt alive… it's a feeling I never had with you." I told him honestly
He went to speak but my door opened and Cloud's voice resonated in my ears. "Claire?" He called as Vincent raised a brow and nodded.
"Claire's your real name… you wanted me to open up, but you never gave me the same respect" He shot back as Cloud walked into the room and cleared his throat.
"Why are you here Vincent?" Cloud demanded as the man in questioned turned to him.
"You haven't won her yet… I won't step aside this time… you failed to protect Tifa… I won't let you ruin her life as well." He growled as Cloud's eyes began to glow signaling his transformation.
"Cloud stand down." I hissed as I grabbed his arm.
"Claire."
"Cloud." I growled and pulled him close to me and kissed him. I knew he kept his eyes open as we kissed and I spied that he stared at Vincent the entire time. "Kissing me right, not Vincent?" I asked as Cloud hummed and I pushed him to the bed and looked to Vincent. "Will you please leave?" I asked and then smirked, "Unless you prefer watching the two of us?" I added as the man frowned and took his leave.
"Claire…"
"Quiet… I want you now…" I told him as the door signaling Vincent's exit closed. I straddled his waist and raked my hands up and down his arms before smirking and ripping his shirt away.
"Wa…Wait!" He exclaimed as I gripped his arms and held him down as I slammed my lips into his fiercely. He moaned in protest but I kept kissing him and grinding myself against his crouch until I felt him stiffen below me.
"No waiting." I told him while leaning away for to say those words before I slammed my lips back into his own. He protested a bit and I pulled away again and smirked. "I'm going to have you now, whether you want to or not… sex isn't up for discussion." I grinned as I rocked back and forth over his hardened cock causing him to shudder. "Do you really want to stop?" I asked as he growled but shook his head.
"I don't but I want to know why you're being so rough…"
"I want to be the dominant one in the relationship." I told him simply as he raised a brow. "I'm tired of being led on by men… first that bastard Genesis, then Vincent… I refuse to be your shadow." I hissed as he nodded, much to my surprise.
"Fine… but must you rip my clothing?" he sighed as I found myself giggling.
I paused as I realized I was giggling like a little girl who was hiding away with her first love. I felt my cheeks heat up and I had to sigh. "Cloud." I spoke his name and was replied with a grunt. I smiled and laid my head on his shoulder and sighed again.
"All this sighing… you must be saddened by something." He whispered as I shook my head.
"No, I'm just happy… I'm truly happy with you… but Genesis and Cid will not leave us be… they will not stop until we stop them." I whispered as Cloud grunted in response. "We have to face them… Serah won't be free until those bastards are dead." I hissed into his ear and he nodded.
"Then I will fight with you until they are no more." He whispered into my ear as I grinned.
"I know you will… now, let's make love." I grinned and before I could kiss the man beneath me a loud knock broke our concentration.
"Lightning! Cloud! You two in there?!" I heard the voice of Barret Wallace shouting through the door and my anger nearly erupted.
"Damn mutts!" I roared as Cloud chuckled.
"Relax." He cooed as he kissed at my neck and spoke between kisses. "Answer him." He whispered as I shuddered with pleasure and called out."
"Wh…Wh…what!" I managed as Cloud suckled at the skin of my throat.
THAT's where he pretty much ended it send review if you want to claim this fic.
