A/N: And… here's the 7th chapter! Wow, I didn't realize I'd be able to sit it through and write a fanfic for real much less actually putting it up at first but hey I did it!
xLilly White: Thank you so much again for taking your time to read and reviewing each chapter! Please continue to do so and do update your fanfic Borders of Taboo soon~ I love that story.
Chapter 7
Rise, m… son… seek the flower… Rememb… fulfill y… duty… protect th… Planet's… pe… fr… the Cal… of th… ies…
"Chaos," Vincent called out in a soft whisper.
Black leathery wings stretched out as said demon woke up from his place on the construction beam. The site on which once was the slum in Sector 1 was empty save for two people standing below the demon.
"How can you even sleep hanging upside down and all?" a voice spoke out from under Vincent's cloak. It was Yuffie, peeking out and staring at Chaos skeptically.
Chaos dropped from the beam he was hanging on to and walked away from the duo leaving them to follow him. Halfway out of the construction site he stopped and turned around.
"Where are we going exactly?" Chaos asked unblinkingly.
Yuffie did a double take and nearly pulled Vincent down with his cloak in the process. "Boy did someone wake up on the wrong side of the bed," Yuffie said incredulously. "You just stalked off immediately like you knew where you were headed and now suddenly you ask where are going?"
"Is something wrong?" the gunslinger asked ignoring her comment. When Chaos said nothing he added, "We're heading back to Edge."
"But first we find Marlene and Sam in the old church. They should still be there," Yuffie said. Vincent shifted his gaze to look at his fiancée who was clutching his gauntleted arm.
"The church in Sector 5?" Yuffie gave a quick nod. "How long?" Vincent asked again in a serious tone.
"Not too long. I left them there the moment we got to the church and headed here," Yuffie answered nonchalantly. Chaos mumbled something under his breath and took flight immediately before Vincent could stop him.
"What's going on Vince? Is there something wrong with Sector 5?" Yuffie asked her voice full of concern. The man pinched the bridge of his nose, deep in thought for a moment then said, "There has been reports of recent activities going on in that area. Some of the patrols sent to investigate this had even gone missing without a trace."
The flight to Sector 5 was not long with the speed Chaos was travelling in. All the while he kept his senses on high alert for any signs of danger as he dived in between the ruins. At the heart of the collected ruins stood a half-destroyed church, the doors partly open.
As the demon got closer to the building he could hear soft voices coming from the inside. Silently he entered the place and there he saw two figures crouching by what looked like a pond covered in flowers. Chaos immediately recognized Marlene but it wasn't until the small girl spoke out did he realize the other one was Samantha.
Then he stopped in his track. Of course she would be fine, he thought to himself. He moved on again, this time making sure his footsteps are heard. "Did you enjoy your morning, Cetra?" Chaos said when he got their attention.
The demon stood just a few ways away from where the two girls sat on the floor near the flowers. Samantha frowned and said, "It's Sam. Why do you keep calling me that anyway?"
"Because that what you are, a Cetra," Chaos said then he looked at the small girl beside her and added, "It has been a while Marlene."
Marlene nodded and said, "Chaos, will you be staying with us again?"
"Yes Marlene. Speaking of which, why is Denzel not here?" said demon.
Marlene shook her head this time and said, "Denzel is in Edge with his friends. We came here because Sam wanted to see this church."
"And what could be so interesting about this place?" he regarded Sam.
"I was bored, so I thought I'd come and take a look at this place since Yuffie was going to pass by it anyway," Samantha said as she turned back towards the flowers. "Besides, I've always been interested in flowers since young."
There was something about the demon that made her feel uncomfortable being with but she couldn't explain it. Stupid, he's just teasing you. Calm down, she said to herself silently. Instead she pretended to observe the flowers intently trying to ignore his stares. A moment of silence passed by between them before a voice interrupted.
"There you are Chaos," the baritone voice said accompanied by the clinking of metal on solid ground. The trio turned around and saw Vincent pushing the church's door wider and put his gun away. From behind him Yuffie came dashing in.
"The Single White Rose of Wutai, Yuffie Kisaragi is here to bring justice!" she announced, a hand reaching for her shuriken on her back and realized it wasn't there.
Everyone in the church remained silent and stared at the ninja. Vincent was shaking his head in disbelieve and Chaos said, "Apparently you forgot your precious shuriken, little princess."
"Shut up! I just left it onboard Shera that's all," Yuffie said, "besides the enemy are bound to run off when they hear my name."
Chaos snorted and said, "In which I'm sure that is what just happened."
"Hmph! whatever, you're just jealous," Yuffie retorted. "Are you two okay? The jerk didn't do anything to you did he? Because if he did I'm gon-"
What Yuffie planned to do no one knew because Vincent had a gloved hand over her mouth to silent her. The girl only retaliated by attempting to pry his firm hand away and shouted in muffles. Vincent heaved a loud sigh and said, "Yuffie, stop."
"Oh no yub dobe! Vinfent Valentibe leb go ob me dis instant!" Yuffie shouted behind his gloved hand. This time she flung her arms at the tall man hitting him however she could.
"Having trouble there 'Vinnie'?" Chaos remarked smugly. Vincent, clearly irritated with the nickname, shot glares back at him.
"I'm going back to the bar. Come on Marlene," Samantha sighed. She took the small girl's hand and led her out of the place. At the door she turned her head to look at the trio and said, "Are you guys coming or not?"
"Do you even know your way back?" Chaos said with an arched brow – if it could count as that since he doesn't seem to have one.
"Of course I do. I grew up here in Midgar, even if it was a virtual one it's still not that different," she scoffed and left the place.
Vincent tossed Yuffie over his shoulder and walked out of the church with Chaos following behind him. For the first few minutes, the girl swung her arms and kicked her dangling legs until he couldn't stand it anymore and threatened to drop her did Yuffie stop and pouted instead.
"Put me down Vincent. I can walk on my own," Yuffie grumbled into the gunslinger's cloak. Vincent just walked on, ignoring her request. She heaved a loud sigh and said, "I won't attack the jerk if that's what you're worried 'bout and it is uncomfortable hanging upside down here."
Yuffie glared at the demon who only smirked amusingly. Vincent reluctantly places his fiancée down and looked at her. Yuffie continued shooting deathly glares at Chaos until Vincent turned her around and led her by her hand.
The walk back to the bar was different from the one they had used to get to Midgar. They used the quiet alleys to avoid unnecessary panic from the public because of one certain demon. Through the whole journey though Yuffie would annoy Vincent with her talks about their vacation in Costa del Sol.
"For the thousand times, no Yuffie," the man would say when the ninja insisted on bringing their chocobos along. They were a pair of rare black and white chocobo named Knight and Yuki respectively.
"But why? I want them there Vince," Yuffie would whine. And then she would move on to annoy him with other things. When they finally reached back at the bar it was pass noon. A soft jingle rang when Samantha pushed the door open.
"About high time you all return," a gruff voice said coming from across the bar. Cid was chewing on a toothpick at the counter.
"So you did miss me old man!" Yuffie said as she skipped her way in. From behind her Vincent nodded at the pilot and said, "Hello Cid."
"Save yer manners for later, Vince. Tell that fiancée of yours to stop buggin' me on my days off instead," the older man said and Yuffie shouted hey.
"Where's Tifa?" Sam asked after looking around the and not spotting the woman. As if to answer her question said woman entered the bar from the back.
"Oh, you're back," she said. "I'm just about to make lunch. Will you all be staying?"
"Sure!" Yuffie said and she grabbed Vincent to a seat by the window. "If you're offering I'd take it," Cid said as he went over to join the pair by the table.
"Do you need help?" Samantha offered. Tifa smiled gladly and said, "Do you know how to make spaghetti sauce?" The girl nodded and they both began making preparations for the food.
"Tifa, is Denzel at home yet?" Marlene asked. Tifa stopped for a moment in her cutting and said, "Yes, he's upstairs in his room right now. Could you call him down for me?"
The girl took Chaos' clawed-hand and went to the back where the stairs were. "Marlene sure seems very friendly with him," Sam said to Tifa. The woman smiled and said, "He may seem a little cold to others but he's been very nice to the kids. I suppose it's the way they seem to so openly accept him when he first came here that makes him like that."
"About that, how did he actually end up with you all anyway?" Sam asked. Vincent apparently having heard the conversation despite the loud voice of Yuffie said, "After the Omega incident Chaos had somehow returned to the Lifestream along with the other demons that reside in me."
On her first day at Edge, Yuffie had told her stories about their adventures prior two years back. The insurrection of Deepground, the Battle of Midgar and the stopping of the WEAPON Omega.
"So if he returned to the Lifestream how come he got back?" the girl asked again. This time it was Cid who spoke, "Possibly the Planet don't accept demons like that fellar so it decided to spit 'im out."
"If that's the case then the other demons inside Vince would have shown up by now, old man," Yuffie said. "I'm just saying that's all and I ain't old yet, brat," the man retorted.
"So nobody knows why he's here?"
Vincent shook his head and said, "It was during my last visit to Lucrecia's Cave a year back when I found him."
"And he's been living with us since then," Tifa added as she stirred the sauce in the pan. Sam looked at her startlingly and said, "Wait, then you're saying h-"
"That I am staying here in the same room as you."
Everyone was startled to hear Chaos' voice so suddenly except Vincent who already sensed his presence before he entered the bar. Marlene and Denzel came in from behind him and Denzel greeted them all. Cid cursed under his breath something about Chaos hastening his heart attack while Yuffie greeted Denzel back and Tifa continue with her cooking. Only Sam stared at the demon in shock.
"Didn't anyone tell you?" Chaos said looking back at her. The girl look at Tifa then Marlene and Denzel then back at him still in shock. "Well I did tell her she would be sharing her room with two other people," Tifa said guiltily.
"Of all the people, why does it have to be you," she whispered and did a face-palm at the same time.