A/N: I am so sorry for not updating sooner, but I've been on holiday for the past couple of weeks so I haven't been able to update. Sorry to keep you in suspense for so long but here it is.
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy
He has told Chaos, should we be concerned?
No my master is weak now, very weak. Already the effects are beginning to show, if all goes to plan in a matter of days he'll be on the verge of death.
So we can proceed with the next stage without interference from Chaos?
Yes, Chaos has lost too much of his strength, he cannot stop us now.
Vincent covered his ears to try and block out the conversation despite the fact that it was being held within his mind; he turned his gaze towards Chaos and felt a surge of shock at the sight. The demon's teeth were drawn back in a silent snarl; his eyes tightly shut as several tears streamed down his face, tangled mixed feelings of hurt and shock radiated from his mind in sickeningly powerful waves that made Vincent's stomach flip unpleasantly.
"Why?" Chaos choked and opened his eyes, they burned with such an intensity that Vincent couldn't meet his gaze. "Why didn't you say anything!" the last word dissolved into a savage howl and Chaos drove his claws deep into the floor. "Why?"
Vincent wrapped his arms around his stomach and started to rock back and forth "I didn't want to worry anyone" already he could feel blood bubbling up his throat and closed his mouth quickly. Squeezing his eyes closed so he didn't have to look at the demon's accusing yet hurt gaze, he heard laughter emanating from the depths of his mind.
Vaguely he heard Chaos laugh shrilly "didn't want to worry anyone?" he said mockingly, yet his voice was strangely high pitched and shook with every word. "You'd rather die than worry anyone then?"
Vincent felt something constricting in his chest and managed to gasp out "death would be preferable" he bit back a cry as pain lanced up his back, again he heard the same mocking laughter coming from within his mind.
Feel our power, puny human! It was a voice he'd never heard before, yet it's presence was all too familiar. You can't fight our combined strength, your transformation is beginning.
"No!" Chaos spat "Death is never preferable! There is no paradise for us my host! Only torment and endless pain, an existence" he finished derisively "known as life"
Vincent could only gasp in response, his chest and back were burning with a pain too terrible for him to make a sound; he clawed desperately at his ribs with his demonic hand, feeling the skin rip from the bones like paper.
"No, my host! My host stop!" Chaos managed to drag himself to the edge of the mattress but lay there exhausted, one hand stretching out uselessly towards him.
Look at him crawl, like the worm he is! Feel our power and be transformed!
Vincent finally let out a strangled scream as he felt the skin on his back tear open as two wings exploded out from the confines of his flesh and draped limply over his thin frame. Vincent choked and gasped, his breath coming in short fast panicky gasps. He felt something trickle out of his mouth and wiped it away with the back of his hand, a bright green liquid was smeared across his pale skin. With a low moan he reached out and touched his wings, they quivered lightly in response to his touch. The skin stretched tightly over the bones, giving them a skeletal, malnourished appearance, Vincent felt a low moan escape from his lips as Hellmasker burst into mocking laughter.
My poor pitiful master, don't worry. Your torment will not last as much longer.
Chaos bared his teeth in a savage snarl as he looked at the new limbs decorating Vincent's shoulders, "those are not yours my host, nor do they belong to Hellmasker" he glared into Vincent eyes and let out a series of short sharp growls that echoed in the small room "those wings" he continued "belong to the Other"
"Other?" Vincent managed to ask, it was hard to get the word out from between his pants. A few bandages came off his chest and floated down onto the bed slowly.
"It seems only fitting that I call him that since I do not know this demon's name" Chaos explained and growled again "by doing this he's trying to challenge me"
Vincent almost laughed but pain jarred his shoulders and he bit back a cry instead "how?" he asked when he was able to speak again "how could this" he gestured at his wings "possibly be challenging you!" he couldn't believe a demon would stoop as low as to mark his body merely as a challenge to another demon, that doubled with the fact that he now had wings was pushing him closer and closer to snapping under the strain. Not the mention the almost hysterical laughter still echoing in his mind.
"When I was dominant in your mind" Chaos said as gently as he could as though sensing Vincent's distress "my scent was automatically mixed with yours, obviously the Other didn't want this smell to linger as he wants to be dominant so he thought that the most effective way of replacing my scent with to add more of his limbs to your anatomy"
Vincent let out a strangled cry out horror as the door flew open and Cloud burst in, sword raised "what's doing on! I heard screams!" his gaze travelled over Chaos who was lying on his chest, his teeth bared in a savage snarl, then to Vincent, one hand clutching at his bleeding chest, wings trembling above him. "Oh my god"
Cloud's look of horror made it all worse and Vincent felt his stomach turn over. He suddenly threw up a revolting mix of green slime and his own blood, choking on the foul mix as it spilled onto the bed, the action made the Protomateria in his chest shift painful and he met Cloud's gaze, shaking with the agony of it "Cloud, Cloud help me" he whispered as a few silent tears suddenly streamed down his face.
Cloud came over to him at once and wrapped his arms around the gunman, who sank willingly into the embrace and buried his face in Cloud's shoulder. Cloud gently stroked his hair as Vincent trembled in his arms "shhh Vince, it's alright, you're going to be okay"
Vincent felt himself nodding without having any memory of performing the action, his eyes kept closing but he'd didn't want to sleep, not now when this demon could attack again at any minute, but he was now too exhausted and drained to stop himself and he slipped into unconsciousness.
Before him stood a tall figure, a long grey cloak trailed down from his arms and flowed around him like water. Spines stuck out from his arms and neck, running down his spine and stopping just before his pelvis, but two large spines also extended from the tip of long tail that rested just by the demon's feet. His face was covered by a grey hood giving him the appearance of an executioner, two large skeletal wings lay folded on his back. "So" it hissed, the voice was low and rasping but had a youthful tone to it that reminded him faintly of Kadaj "you are Vincent Valentine, my host, though that name for you is already taken, is it not?"
Vincent didn't reply, instead he continued to study this emaciated demon.
The demon's tail lashed the dust covering the ground "Answer me human!" it spat angrily and through the darkness of the hood Vincent could see long reptilian fangs. "You have no control over me!"
"You are in my mind" Vincent said quietly "I am the one who holds power over you I'm afraid"
The demon stiffened with rage and Vincent could hear it's teeth grinding together "you try my patience human" it hissed "I've a good mind to kill you now and save myself the trouble"
Vincent said nothing in response, he only stared at the demon.
The demon waited for a few seconds before sighing and folding his arms, the grey cloak almost blending in with his pale skin perfectly "I thought you'd had all that impertinence beaten out of you by Hojo" it smirked as Vincent stiffened "yes I know all about that human" it snarled "I know everything about that time, and do you know why?" it bared it's teeth menacingly "because I was born from your own desire for vengeance, Hojo may have implanted the very dregs of my soul, but you were the one who stoked the embers of my existence. I grew by feeding on your own twisted desires"
"Who are you?" Vincent choked and swayed suddenly dizzy, his right hand clutching his chest within which the Protomateria was shifting.
The demon chuckled darkly and knelt down beside Vincent, digging a long black claw under his chin so he was forced to look into the demon's face, with the other hand he removed his hood, jet black hair fell past his shoulders and his eyes were closed "your demise" he whispered and opened his eyes, they were completely black, without pupils or irises. Soulless.
Vincent opened his mouth to scream but felt something lash his face, forcing his mouth closed as the force of the blow threw him off balance and he toppled over.
"Silence human!"
Vincent gasped and felt his cheek, a long slash cut across his left cheekbone "who are you?" he repeated as the demon approached, a murderous intent burning in his eyes.
"Xaphan" the demon hissed and raised his tail, whipping it through the air to connect sharply with the side of Vincent's head.
Vincent gasped and sat up abruptly, a low moan escaping his lips at the sudden pain burning in his chest.
"Hey take it easy"
Vincent looked round and saw that he'd been lying in Tifa's arms "I-I'm sorry" he stammered "I didn't mean to disturb you"
Tifa silenced him with a look "it's alright, I only just finished changing Chaos's bandages, he kept making such a fuss" she gestured towards the demon who lay curled up on the mattress and smiled "he wanted to stay awake until you regained consciousness"
"I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"You've been unconscious for three hours Vincent, I've changed your bandages as well but since those" she gestured towards his wings "have grown, they've affected the positions of the muscles in your chest, which in turn affected the Protomateria. I did the best I could to stop the bleeding on your back but it'll be a while before the wounds heal there" she touched his chest lightly in the place where the Protomateria used to rest "you may have some pain here but it's to be expected" she held the back of her hand against his forehead "and your fever's spiked just to top things off" she muttered but smiled at him good-naturedly.
Now that she'd mentioned it Vincent did feel uncomfortably hot, despite the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt. "My head is burning" he whispered and sighed with relief as she held her cool hand against his forehead. "Tifa I'm…" he couldn't finish.
"Hush" she breathed "it's okay" she ran one of her hands over his wings and he jerked in surprise. "What happened to you Vincent?" she asked quietly "why did this happened?"
Vincent hesitated, he didn't want to worry her and telling Tifa that he might soon die would cause her endless worry, before he could say anything however, he felt her hand touch his arm. He let out a low moan and leaned into her touch, relishing the comfort the simple action brought, to have the limb treated as something normal rather than something horrific and malformed both amazed and calmed him, at last here was someone who understood, someone who cared.
Tifa gently ran her hand down his mutated limb, smiling as he relaxed completely in her arms and rested his head on her shoulder. She covered his hand with hers and squeezed it gently "you don't have to tell me what's wrong Vincent, but it's obviously serious and knowing you, it's probably life threatening" she cupped his cheek in her hand and turned him round to face her "but if I can help in anyway just tell me, alright?"
He nodded slowly and leaned his head on her shoulder, pressing his forehead against her neck. Her skin was deliciously cool against his burning skin. Tifa stroked his hair, holding his mutilated hand tightly, ignoring the spines sticking out of his skin. "Try to get some sleep now Vincent, you need it more than ever now"
Vincent nodded slowly and closed his eyes, but just as he began his descent into unconsciousness, a voice rang out in his mind, low and threatening.
Your demise is unavoidable human, soon you will fall and we will take your body for ourselves. The age of the demon will begin.
Another time, in another place the information would have worried Vincent. But now he was too tried to care, better to wait until he was rested before worrying about anything so crucial.
A low comforting chuckle sounded quietly on the edge of his failing hearing.
"Sleep my host, sleep"
A/N: Were the wings too much? I was pondering this as I wrote it but Xaphan seems to be a demon who likes to be melodramatic, and Hellmasker would have agreed since it caused Vincent a lot of pain
Please tell me your opinions :)
Meganoodledoodle