Title: A Dark Moon Rising part 13 of 13
Subtitle: The End
Author: Enide Dear
Rating: NC-17, eventually
Pairing: Valenwind, Reeve/Tseng

Summary: Cid wakes up. Lots of demons.

Author's note: This is the official end of this story line! Thank you all who read it! I will now go on to other writing projects

Cid was propped up sitting, covered in bandages from head to toe, and glared at Reeve who shocked looked down on him. Tseng said nothing, and Vincent was white-faced with fright.

"It ain't none of yer business, Reeve. Yer my friend and I owe ya my life, but it's still my life, ya hear me? I need ta do this. Vince and I need ta do this."

"And if something goes wrong? If they attack you? You are not well enough to deal with this now!"

Cid snorted and then coughed as pain from his half-mended body wracked him.

"If they could mess me up like this a week ago, then I'll never be strong enough ta deal with them, physically. So I have ta do it another way, an' I might as well do it now."

"But – "

"Reeve." Tseng put a hand on his shoulder. "Leave him be. It's his choice."

Angrily, Reeve let himself be led from the room, casting worried glances back. Tseng nodded at Cid and Vincent as he closed the door behind them.

"Take as long as you need. We'll be waiting outside." He didn't add, if the demons attack, call me and I'll come. He didn't need to.

Vincent sat down on the bed next to Cid, shaking his head.

"Reeve is right. This is a foolish idea. We shouldn't encourage them to come out."

"We're not encouraging them, Vince." Cid stroked the long black hair with his undamaged hand. "Trust me, what I'm gonna say to them ain't encouraging."

"But they might attack…"

"Not any more than ya would."

Vincent sighed. He knew Cid was right, but to deliberately relinquish control to the demons that had done this to Cid…

"Who do you want to talk to first?"

"Galian Beast. An' then work my way upwards. Now, bring 'em on."

Vincent met calm, blue smiling eyes and nodded. He closed his eyes and let his consciousness drift away, calling out the first demon.

Cid glared at the big, doglike, hairy creature that suddenly crouched by the bed where Vincent had been sitting. It had teeth as long as his hand and claws longer than his forearm, bulging muscles and burning yellow eyes. For all of that, it looked very much like a dog who had been caught wetting the carpet; it hunched, its ears lay flat around the head and it whined. Cid lit a cigarette, not caring that the demon coughed and sneezed at the smell.

"Right. Now ya listen up…."

"Vince. Vince, yer back now."

Exhausted, Vincent blinked a few times. He was back, standing staggering next to the bed. Calling out the demons had drained him – he hadn't counted on that.

"Are you alright?" Quickly, he sat down on the bed; Cid was bruised and bandaged, but no worse than before.

"I'm a'right, Vince. It all went…fine." Cid smiled crookedly, and pulled him down on the bed next to him. "Ya might wanna tell those demons to brush their teeth once in a while, though. That breath is *lethal*."

"What did you tell them? What did they say?"

"That's between them and me." Cid stroke his hair. "Ya can take of that silverband, now."

"What?" Vincent almost sat up.

"Take it of. They won't do any'ting. They'll come when ya call, but that's all." Cid's blue eyes were warm. "Trust me."

With shaking hands, Vincent opened the silvercollar he'd worn around his neck for protection so long. It clicked and fell into the bed and he shut his eyes, steeling himself for the intrusion.

Nothing happened. Very carefully, Vincent mentally prodded the demons; they were still there, but quiet and still. He could feel a respect so deep it was almost awe emanating from them towards the captain and also a strange, low-key sound. He frowned. Could demons purr?

Cid had picked up the silvercollar, and turned it over in his hands.

"I was getting fond of that," Vincent said, trying to tease.

"Yeah, well, ya can't go around wearing a collar. People will get all kinds of kinky ideas." Cid grinned. "But I'll do something else with it, if ya want me to." Suddenly it was Cid who flustered, stumbling over the words. "Like, perhaps, you know…a ring?"

"Cid, I…yes. Yes! Yes, you stupid, wonderful lummox of a man!" Vincent threw his arms around Cid, hugging him so tight he winced with pain. "Wait. This wasn't what you talked to the demons about, was it?"

"It wasn't the only thing I talked to them about, but…seeing as how ya don't have a family I could ask yer hand from…"

Vincent laughed. He couldn't remember when he'd last laughed like this, so free and happy and untroubled.

"I think you are one of a kind, Cid Reginald Highwind."

"'Course I am," Cid grinned. "And yer the only one who could ever stand living with me, Vincent Valentine."

The End!

Fic is illustrated by the amazing Animama: .com/art/Dark-Moon-pic-Valenwind-93614066