Fairy Tales
Chapter Eleven: Past Lives
Edea had since gotten up from the sofa, breaking up a fight and starting on dinner. Veld had offered to help, but she turned him down with an incline of her head and another timid smile. So he sat, trying to ignore the electronic device in his pocket.
The door opened then, and a soft voice carried into the room. "It smells lovely, honey." An older man walked into view, glasses perched on his nose and a rounding figure. Time had been kind to him, he looked healthy and pleasant. He turned to Veld on the couch and tilted his head. "Did Aeris find another stray then?" He adjusted his glasses.
"Just passing through, I knew her mother. I'm Veld." He didn't seem the type to have Edea's unnatural clairvoyance, so Veld would give him the details.
He walked over and extended a hand, prompting Veld to stand. "So you are Ifalna's Seeker. She spoke of you, I am Cid Kramer." He looked around as though he was expecting some other people to be in the room.
"Nice to meet you." He shook the man's hand. He looked more a scholar than what he would think of a Knight looking like... but he guessed that he most likely didn't look much like a Seeker.
"Where is Aeris, honey?" Cid asked, definitely preoccupied. "She shouldn't be alone with Kuja running around."
"She'll be fine, she went to go fetch this boy's friend." She was juggling tasks with an ease... well, it did remind Veld of his mother. But he only had brief glimpses of her.
Cid nodded and walked into the kitchen, his hands finding Edea's waist and hugging her to him. He breathed in her hair as though there was a time long ago when he couldn't hold her and he wanted to savor every moment he could. "So, who is your friend, Veld?" He asked, getting out dishes and stacking them about the table so that people could come by and fill plates. It did not seem, however that they ate at the table.
Edea was flushed slightly, but not in an embarrassed way.
"Ah, his name is Vincent, he's an old... colleague of mine." Evil dictator was not a term for the current company.
This earned Cid's attention. "Is he your friend, or is this something you have to do together?"
Veld frowned. Just what did that mean? "I'm not sure what you're getting at."
He motioned to his wife. "Edea said he was your friend, but you don't speak of him that way. You searched for something to call him." He smiled an old warrior's smile. "I'm well versed in the difference."
"He's not particularly friendly, so it wouldn't be prudent to call us friends." This man was sharp. He could see how he and Edea fit together so well. He was intelligent, she was wise. Like a complete person. It was... inspiring, really.
Cid frowned, computing the information. Before he could say anything however, the door opened.
Aeris appeared, arms looped around Vincent's human arm. The expression on the dark man's face was completely blank; Aeris' hair was down, her ribbon about her hand.
Great, she looked even more like Iffy. He'd better stay away from glassware. Though, he was a fair bit surprised that Vincent actually returned. And why did he always doubt so much?
Cid's eyebrow arched as though he wasn't expecting someone like Vincent in his doorway. "Boys, go clean up for dinner." He commanded gently, a sound directed attention to a group of children that had frozen in place upon Vincent's arrival. "Hello." Cid said.
Edea was setting things on the table and she nodded in Vincent and Aeris's direction. Veld felt out of place again, when he'd just gotten comfortable.
Aeris smiled brightly. "Hallo Mr. Kramer, Mrs. Kramer. I had to fetch Vin." She patted his arm and then let him go and hugged Cid as one would a father. "He scared Kuja away!" She giggled and then plopped down next to Veld. "You didn't tell me he was such a good shot. Clipped that nasty Kuja right in the cheek."
"Kuja?" Veld asked. Edea smiled approvingly, as if she'd already found a spot for him to sleep and what kind of dinosaurs would go on his pajamas.
"The sorceress." Cid responded. "No one to be trifled with, Aeris."
She laughed. "It's alright, Vin was with me." She waved at him. "Come on, Vin, sit down? Deyka's staying for a few days, so you may as well get comfortable."
Vincent's red eyes cast about the room for a moment before he simply moved out of the doorway and to a corner.
Aeris sighed, but the look in Vincent's eyes was borderlining on dangerous and she didn't say anything.
"We'll be out of here as soon as I get through some information. It won't be long." Veld didn't need to reassure Vincent, that wasn't his job, and he'd never felt the need to before. But this was a fairly crowded house and he could swear... no, that man wasn't afraid of anything, it must have been his imagination.
Cid walked out, eyeing Vincent as someone potentially dangerous. "The two of you should rest here for a few days at least. Things have been… hectic lately."
This earned an eyebrow raise from Vincent.
"It seems that Kuja has an interest in many things, and he's a powerful sorceress." Cid responded. "Someone like you could certainly tell that."
Vincent nodded.
Edea cleared her throat. "Dinner's ready." She shot Cid a look before settling down in her seat. Veld sat down shortly after, followed by a few of the kids.
Cid smiled at Edea, following a row of children to the food.
Vincent himself sat down on a chair, not interested in eating. He leaned over, resting his chin in his hand and claw, eyes closed in thought.
"Hey, some of the other guys were thinking about going out or something, wanna come along Vincent?"
"No."
"Ok... ah, see ya tomorrow."
Veld shook his head. "Do you want some corn, Veld?" He almost didn't hear Edea's warm voice. He waved her off; he was suddenly feeling a lot less hungry.
Children were curious creatures, they all walked up and looked at Veld, quite a few had formed a small circle about Vincent, who still seemed deep in thought. Aeris waved them off with her spoon before sitting down on the floor by Vincent's leg.
Red eyes shot open, ignoring the sound of gasping youth Vincent looked down at Aeris as though he thought she was totally insane.
"Oh don't give me that look, you wanted company." She took a big bite of corn and smiled.
Edea almost... smirked. Veld had decided to attempt to eat and nearly choked on a piece of chicken.
She poked him in the leg then, with a fork. "Oh come on, don't you ever smile?"
"Poke me again and I'll break your hand." He warned.
Fabulous. He was going to get Iffy's daughter killed because the weapon he picked happened to despise humanity. Well, he supposed that he'd earned it.
"Aeris, dear, do you mind helping Sally for a bit? She's tired and can't finish her chicken." Edea didn't need to command. She coaxed.
"Sure." Aeris hopped up from the floor and walked into the other room to help the child.
Vincent closed his eyes in thought again, perhaps in an effort to ignore people looking at him.
"That was interesting."
"I don't like people staring at me like that."
It had been the first full sentence he'd ever really heard from Vincent. They'd spent a week looking over ShinRa's shoulder at board meetings. The orders had simply been to "intimidate" and it was something Vincent did well.
"Really I would think you were used to it by now? I mean I don't notice things like that. I…ah…"
"…"
The dream he had the night before bothered him again. Who was that other voice, and if everyone had a path, what was Vincent's? Veld rubbed the side of his head. All he seemed to know was where to go, like he was being pulled to Iffy.
But Aeris had said he had something to do here.
He didn't realize how long he sat there, and only realized dinner was over when Edea cleared his plate for him. He'd retreated into his own thoughts for that long? He felt the age he'd been before he died again... he was getting prone to bouts of thinking like that. Just... thinking.
"You and Vincent should get some rest." Cid offered after a moment of silence. "Aeris can take you both to town tomorrow morning for fresh supplies and such."
Vincent stood without any coaxing.
Aeris smiled, but didn't reach out for Vincent. "Come on, I'll show you guys to the spare rooms."
Veld nodded and stood. Maybe he would get a good night's sleep without anything... odd happening.
Vincent closed his door quietly and Aeris checked her hand again while showing Veld his room. "How was your talk with Mrs Kramer?" she asked.
"It was nice and informative" shadow "I feel a little better prepared for things." Liar. He was never prepared for anything.
She flexed the cut before wrapping her hand again. "You've got a good guardian, Deyka. Don't worry so much."
"...Guardian?"
She tilted her head at him. "Of course, what else would Vin be?" She turned Veld's bed down for him. "He's been watching out for you a long time, I thought."
Had he been? Veld was never sure. But this was Ifalna's daughter, looking and sounding like her for the moment... and it was strange. "I guess so."
"Hey, I heard this mission was pretty dangerous, so I wanted to come and see you or something before heading out."
"Oh, don't worry, Deyka. You'll have someone looking out for you."
It was then Veld realized that he'd slipped into thought again. Aeris had leaned in close to his face. "Deyka?"
He backed up suddenly, nearly tripping on himself. Gods, he was clumsy sometimes.
Aeris giggled, looking very much like her mother. "I asked if you will be alright alone." She cleared her throat. "What have you been thinking about?"
"Oh, I'm fine by myself, I'm used to it. And I was just thinking about nothing." He could imagine it. 'Yes, hi, I'm not sure if you knew this, but I'm the guy your mom dumped so that she could marry your dad and you could be born.' Ridiculous.
She frowned. "You're just like him, you know that?"
"Just like who?" You're just like your mother when you're not acting spacey and wearing pink.
She walked past him to the door. "Like Vincent. Thinking things you're embarrassed to say." She leaned against the door for a moment. "Goodnight, Deyka." And like that she was gone, the door closed behind her.
...Did that mean Vincent was just as befuddled as he was?
No. She was just seeing things. She was used to people spilling their minds... He flopped onto the bed. Gods, he was tired. And he hadn't done much that day.
He'd opened it. Just a small handy electronic device, carried by most people when he was last part of the real world. A very useful thing for a scientist. And he was staring at it. She probably kept notes in it. And he probably didn't want to know what sort of notes that woman would write.
He'd thought she was friendly, once.
What is it you are looking for? that Voice echoed in his ears.
Veld started, nearly dropping the damned thing. Gods, he was going crazy. Voices in his head and all that.
I'm not in your head at all, I just, am here. the voice responded as though it was used to hearing people think or say that.
"Could you try less of the disembodied voice thing? It's hard to know what I'm talking at." Veld still felt batshit insane.
The closet door swung open then, and a figure in a brown hood eased his way out. Tall, with dark skinned hands as the only thing visible.
"Is this better?" The figure asked, not moving.
"Ya, that works." Alright, so this was vaguely creepy. But then... what the hell, it wasn't his decade anyway.
The figure was still as death, and still the voice didn't seem to come from it. "Now, what are you looking for?"
What was he looking for? Oh, right, that. "Answers."
"To?"
"To figure out where we all fucked up I guess." That mouth again. He hadn't been that way in years... authority without any real reason must have bristled him like that.
The voice was silent for a long moment. "Perhaps you were not the one to make the mistake?" Still the figure didn't move away from the closet. "Do not let me stop you, I only wish to guide you a bit, Seeker."
Veld sideglanced the figure. "And exactly who are you to do that? And why?"
The voice was silent, the figure motionless. The hands still held each other and the hooded figure simply looked on at the PDA in Veld's hands.
He blinked. "Or are you just like that? Soaking up knowledge with no other purpose..." The listless void of a Scientist tended to trouble him.
"When you have eternity, knowledge is all you have." The voice supplied.
Great. Epic voodoo talking dramatist. Well, he'd better try this before his courage ran out. "You're welcome to look over my shoulder, I guess."
The figure made no attempt to move, simply stood... or more floated in the doorway, dark hands clenched and face obscured.
He tapped the word that was scratched on the case, Reno certainly had a sense of humor, and it opened. Her password was 'goddess'. It figured.
The main screen was simple enough. Just an address section, schedule, and a few... notes. Yes, that's where he wanted, or didn't want, to go.
You are afraid? The voice didn't sound in the room, but it was the figure's voice.
"Cautious." He clicked on the basic agenda. He stared.
"Veld... do you mind staying late tonight? I... I don't really want to go home yet."
"Hey, no problem, I can't leave till you do."
"Are you sure you don't mind?"
"I said no problem."
He didn't know if it was chance or providence or interference from the void they passed through, but the date held his name. Very specifically, it detailed the usual going home procedure. Even some of the 'problems' at home she used to discuss.
Oh, she was clever. Did he look like a sap or something? He wondered sometimes.
"Would you like dinner?"
"Oh, no."
"...Oh..."
"I don't have time, Lu, I'm sorry."
"Oh, of course, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound so disappointed."
He could see Reno as he scrolled the later entries. Just usual... diversion tactics. She played them all like fiddles, didn't she? Though, he doubted Reno would give her the kind of attention she wanted. He felt slightly... ill.
"You didn't show up last night."
"Look, I'm not going to wait around like an idiot for you."
"Goddamnit, Turk, are you going to say anything or not? You got shot?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, that's it, you were babysitting last night?"
"Yes." That was his dangerous tone, the one that didn't want you to speak again. Before Lucrecia said another word there was a loud sound two bodies slammed against a wall.
It didn't surprise him to see Tseng's name repeated several times in the most recent entries. Tags like "shadow" and "Jenova" came with him. He should have known. He cringed a little to see his name mentioned in conjunction, and Iffy's... gods, no wonder the kid had been so confused. He felt terrible about shooting him like that... but he was going to kill Reno...
"It is my fault…"
"Now, that's not totally true, Veld was old."
"No, he wasn't."
"Old for a Turk…"
"…I should have stepped in… I feel like, like there's really nothing left."
"Oh, honey…don't say that. You know, they have a word for that in Cetrain myth."
"Cetrain?"
"Yes, the heartless. If you sell your heart to a sorceress, they will grant your fondest wish."
"Heh. That's a silly sort of thing to sell."
"If it's broken, what does it matter?"
Veld backed up again and took a closer look at Reno. He'd let Tseng down because he was in fact a bad leader. That's what it had boiled down to. But at least Reno had turned out, surprisingly, well.
"Hey, ya got games on that think yer always poke'n at?"
"It would be a PDA. And yes, I've got quite a few… games on it."
"Oh really? See, I sorta like minesweeper."
"I prefer more physical games."
"Well, I like role plays too."
"…oh?"
"Yeah, I really like a good, hard, random encounter."
"Do you now?"
He had to laugh at that kid's gall. Lucrecia never saw it coming; the kid was some kind of natural thief. And he hadn't even been much of a street punk. He had good parents and everything. Poser. Lucky damn bastard.
Surprised? He'd almost forgotten about the voice in the room. She knew that was what he wanted, you know. It made her horribly angry
Veld smirked. "I hope it did."
Everyone he ran into seemed to know everything. "Alright." He clicked around some more. Then he found a listing. She was meticulously organized... a few of the titles he knew right off. TURK. Jenova. General Concept. And a few he'd never seen before, even in all his digging.
What are you looking for now?
"Project info. Considering my old employment title is in here, I'm a little curious." He tapped on TURK first.
"He's going to kill you."
"Who, your lover?"
"You shouldn't start talking to me unless you mean to finish, it's rude."
"Why didn't you leave them alone?"
"What, the Turks?"
"Or your Turk?"
"I wish you would have left Deyka alone. People cared for him, is that what it was? Were you jealous that your Turk didn't care for you?"
"You're being stupid, forget I asked you to speak."
It was a progression. The TURK program fed into her other projects. Shinra had known all along. He hadn't been sent there for incompetence, like they'd said... it was a progression. People to sire children, people to be experimented on directly. It had started with Vincent, and it continued on to him, and a couple of his kids... almost like a sort of family legacy. He'd always wondered why Lucrecia never seemed to age the same as them...
That was Jenova. Or why she would purr over Reno. That was Cerberus. She had all sorts of projects, goals, in the back of her mind. And they'd thought that Hojo was the problem, but he was only a part of it. She was piggybacking on his genius, using her clever to make it come together.
And they were all her children too. Always hers.
let me help you…and then the room went black and instead of the figure in the brown hood there was the lab… there was Vincent, there was Lucrecia…
"When I get back, Vincent, I'm not going to see you anymore." Lucrecia pulled her skirt back into place, touching the bite mark at her lip.
The dark man snorted.
She pouted, sucking on her slightly swollen lip. "Won't you miss me?"
Vincent shrugged. "Does it matter?"
She smiled then, victorious. "You don't matter." She said sweetly as though she'd confessed her love. "Not anymore."
He looked confused, but didn't say anything.
"I don't need you anymore, for the research." Tucking her hair behind her ear she leaned over, showing off cleavage. "Why do you think I disappear every few months for this project?"
"The… research?"
"Oh, yes, our General Concept Project." She looked so pleased with herself "You're such an… impressive physical specimen."
His eyes narrowed at her. "There were other ways to go about this…" Oh that tone of voice.
"Oh, but Vincent, you're such a good fuck, why would I want to give that up?"
They didn't hear the door open. "Yeah, heavens forbid you fuck your own husband for fun huh?"
She draped over Vincent's shoulder then, purring. "He's a little more of an animal than you are, dear."
The gun lifted then and in the same moment that Vincent threw Lucrecia to the floor, Hojo fired. "Then maybe we should put it down…"
Bang
Veld flinched at the sound of the gun. So... so that's how it was. He'd never figured Vincent to be perfect. That's almost a reason why he looked up to him. Veld didn't look up to gods. He looked up to people. But she... gods, had she expected that from him too?
Was he asleep or was he awake?
Keep looking.
"For what?" he whispered.
What you want. The arms were the only thing that moved on the figure then, opening wide. Does your opinion change?
It was still in his hand. He looked down and looked back up at... the person. "There are a great more things we've gotten ourselves into, isn't there?"
"Why did you do that to Deyka? Were you jealous?"
"Whatever would I be jealous of a lovesick Turk for?"
"You cannot be lovesick."
"No, and I'm better off for it."
"That's what he'll kill you for though."
"You're lover isn't going to kill me, Iffy."
"I never said he was."
The figure clasped its hands again, the hooded head nodded. There is a great deal to be done, you cannot just chase fireflies all night, you know. There are other things, you've already set something right, you've given a new purpose to three… Slowly it drifted back to the closet. Maybe in the end, I'll meet you in person. The closet door swung closed then, leaving Veld with the PDA in his hand.
There was no Shadow within him, but for his companion, the Shadow threatened to breach his long since dormant heart. No battle would be won until they had settled both their scores.