Shadow smirks at me as I look around the empty space of pure black. The only thing I can see is her, so clearly you would think someone had put lights in her.
"Here comes a crucial question," she smirks. Where am I? "Who do you care for most?"
"What?" I frown. She chuckles evilly and snaps her fingers, two figures appearing. David and Vincent, I recognize as my heart flutters. David grins at me with his head tilted, hands causally stuffed in his pockets. Vincent merely gives me a flat look, crimson eyes glowing just like David's blue ones. His cape flaps slowly behind him, though there is no breeze, reminding me of my thick black cloak I have tied on all the time.
"Who do you wish to be rid of?" I frown.
"Neither, why would I.."
"Fine, fine. Since you two are engaged..." She materializes a gun and fires, my eyes shooting wide, my hand balling up and resting over my heart like it usually does with I see or hear something shocking.
"Vincent!" I shriek, rushing forward to kneel beside him where he lies crumpled on the ground, his eyes shut in a way that seems to display bitterness in his heart. His blood red cape lays around him as I kneel, lifting his head into my lap with trembling hands. "Gods no.." I say breathily, one hand gently touching the smooth skin of his face.
"Vi?" David lays a hand on my shoulder. I swallow hard and brush my fingers over the bullet hole that penetrated his brain. What did she do? Enraged, I stand and glare at the smirking demon.
"What did you do to him!?"
"Oh dear," she sneers. "You seem to have forgotten that my power is greater than yours. Do you honestly think that I'd stand by and allow you to cause me suffering?"
"I don't..."
"Let me ask you one more thing," she snarls, grabbing my collar and jerking me forward. I have one phrase to describe this: WOMAN, YOU ARE ALL UP IN MY GRILL! "How much do you care about your life?"
"What?" I frown. A loud bang echoes through the room and I fall to the pitch black floor, clutching my head. I should be dead. Another excruciating burn through my skull. A scream. A voice yelling my name.
The front of my head explodes into aches when I sit up and slam it into something equally as hard, a grunt of surprise and pain. My eyes fly open and I look sideways to see Vincent with one gloved hand over his eye, a wince gracing his pale face. I groan and hold my own growing bump, whispering curses to myself.
"Sorry," I cringe.
"No need to apologize," Vince replies through a somewhat strained voice. Then he hesitates. "Are you alright?"
"It was only a forehead bump," I smile slightly, rubbing my bruise. He huffs, moving his hand to reveal a dark mark forming around his crimson eye.
"I wish it was so." I force down a laugh at the thought of Vincent with a black eye.
"Sorry about that, Vince."
"Vincent," he scowls, covering his eye again. "And I was not referring to that... Clumsy moment." My nightmare suddenly comes back to me after I had forgotten it for a few moments. My frown must be evident, because Vincent eyes reflect his slight regret toward prodding.
"Yeah... Sorry again."
"Violet," he sighs. "Stop apologizing. Are you alright?"
"Yeah," I blink down at my tossed and wrinkled blankets. He was dead... I was supposed to be dead... David lived? What the... I shudder and look up into his concerned eyes, my heart sinking at the thought that any of us could die, that I could be left with more nightmares like these because I let someone in after thirty years... "You're... Alive, right?" He blinks at me with a frown, armored hand resting over my wrist.
"Yes, as long as there is a pulse, I believe I am alive."
"Good," I say to myself, looking up at the ceiling. "She didn't kill you then."
"Is that why you were screaming..?" He stops himself short after the last word, as if he suddenly didn't want to add to that sentence.
"For you?" I finish. "Probably. It was more that I was getting shot through the head and surviving though."
"I see."
"You see what?" He scowls at me.
"Don't be difficult, Harper."
"Oh, so I have a different name now?" I roll my eyes, ignoring the pang that burns my heart. He lived...
"Violet..?" I look back down from the white ceiling, hating myself for the stinging in my eyes. Why can't I be strong anymore? I've become weakened.
Love is a weakness.
But I don't...
"I'm sorry, I did not mean to..."
"It's fine," I bitterly rub at my stupid eyeballs. "I'm just acting like a baby. I'm really fine, Vincent, I promise."
"It does not make you a baby to show emotion," he says quietly. Do you even understand that? "It makes you human."
"Well I'm far from that."
"More human than I," his shoulders drop just the tiniest bit. "There are three now."
"Three?"
"Three demons."
"I only saw that Galian thing," I force myself to sit up and ignore the shooting pain I get through my stomach.
"The second was something nearly out of that horror movie your sister always watched," he finally answers, studying my blanket.
"Frankenstein?" I tilt my head. He nods.
"I believe so. But he cannot speak very well, a small relief." I smile for his sanity's sake and listen. "The last is hard to describe." He takes a deep breath. "He is so thirsty for blood and death, a serial killer of sorts. That's... All I can hear all day long. 'Blood, kill, slaughter them all.'" Vincent's hand clenches into a fist from where it feel to the sheets moments ago. "How do you remain so happy and strong with everything you have gone through and witness still today through Shadow?"
"I haven't known true happiness since the day David died," I say in a distant voice, staring at his tightly clenched fingers. "Strength is something I no longer know."
"But your sanity..."
"Has long since disappeared," I give a bitter laugh. "What I'm left with now is the voice of a demon and a lonely life. If I were sane, I would've killed myself by now." He looks up at me quickly, still sensitive to suicide talk after Lucrecia attempted to take her life. I shake my head. "Don't worry, I'm too stubborn to die."
"Perhaps," he mumbles in a lost tone. "One day we shall search for happiness again."
"And then," I yawn. "Maybe we can go talk some sense into Josh on his spouse choices."
"Would you rather him have been alone?" Vincent gives me a curious look.
"Better than him being with that meanie. I would've punched her by now."
"It is a good thing you're not a man then."
"That means you would've been kissing my son," I smirk after shutting my eyes, blindly finding his cheek to poke. I can feel the heat of his blush radiating to my finger and open my eyes again to see him hiding his red face behind his hair and collar. Then he looks up, slightly embarrassed for some reason and lowly stands.
"I believe we have arrived at the crater."
"What?" I frown, hurrying to get out of bed and follow him. Despite him trying to hide it, I see his nose wrinkle just the tiniest bit and I sigh. "I know I smell. I swear I'll take a shower today, alright?"
"Odd that you must be forced like a child," he notes, opening the door and waiting for me to leave before following.
"Hy-dro-phobe. Does that word hold any meaning yet?" I glare at him. He simply fights a small smile and passes me with his long steps.
"Whoa..." Cait gasps from the window. "The cannon took down the barrier all right, laddie."
"Wow," Tifa blinks, Yuffie standing at her side.
"Cool!"
"Sephiroth's air barrier is gone," Cloud says, walking over to the glass. He turns and looks at Cid. "Can he fly us inside?" Inside the crater? Why would we fight Sephiroth now of all times?
"Huh?" Cid gives him an offended look. "He's my student, ain't he? Of course he can get inside!"
"Right," the younger blonde nods. "Sorry about that." Cid huffs but sends a teasing wink and a smirk in my direction, enjoying the small power he has over the kid. We all take notice of Cait as he slowly wanders to the back of the cockpit, back to everyone else. I frown and shoot a confused look in Nanaki's direction. He shrugs and turns toward the cat as well. It's Barret that finally speaks up about his strange behavior.
"Yo Cait! Now what?" Cait Sith jumps and turns to look at us again, everyone now paying attention.
"Hold it!" The robotic cat calls. I raise an eyebrow in confusion and Nanaki tilts his head like a puppy might. "Scarlet! Heidegger! What's going on?" Shinra employees?
"Strange. I can't reach the President!" Heidegger's gruff voice comes over Cait's speakers. His controller must be letting us listen in.
"Not the President," an unfamiliar voice says. "The Sister Ray!"
"Ha ha ha," a woman I assume to be Scarlet laughs. "What's wrong, Reeve? You're speaking strangely." Reeve... Cait's controller perhaps?
Correct, host.
I'm still mad at you.
Why?
You fail at being innocent.
"None of that matters!" Reeve protests. "The reactor's output is increasing by itself!"
"W-wait a minute. That's not wise!" Scarlet shrieks. "It must cold for three hours or else it won't work. Reeve, shut off the machine!"
"We can't do that, it's inoperable." Cid curses and leans back against the outer wall of his student's control panel, vaguely interested in the conversation. An unrecognizable voice comes next.
"Someone has switched the machine over to mainframe operation! We can't operate it from here!"
"What abut the mainframe?" Reeve demands. "Who?!" A shifting noise. "Call the mainframe!"
"Huh? Why are you giving orders?" Heidegger sneers.
"I don't give a rip about the details," Reeve growls at him, a scuffling notice indicating that he stole the fat man's phone.
"Ha ha ha! Just you wait, Sephiroth!" My heart freezes and I can feel the tension vibrating off of Vincent. More talking follows, but I simply cannot concentrate. Hojo... Why is he interrupting the signal from the Sister Ray? Surely he can't be trying to kill Sephiroth... Would he? That's his... No... He could be Vincent's child too, couldn't he? I cast a sideways glance at Vincent, who gives off a completely calm look except for his clenched jaw and balled fists.
"Is he yours?" I whisper in more of a question to myself. Vincent gives me a 'not now' look and pays attention again. I zone out and move toward the window. Cait's stopped recording and I think Reeve got arrested, but I'm not sure. I can only take in the crater below us, glowing green, blue, orange, yellow, any color you could imagine.
"So then we head for Midgar and stop him," Cloud nods, breaking through my thoughts momentarily before the ringing starts. A high pitching noise, whining, screaming in the back of my head as I fall, clutching my skull.
"Violet!?" Tifa calls, kneelig beside me with a hand laid on my back.
"What the &%+ is wrong with her?!" Barret yells.
"Through the waterfall," my mouth moves, but my voice doesn't come out. It's a voice I don't recognize, one that has a narrative tone to it. "Head east of Nibelheim. There you will find what you are searching for, my son." The ringing stops and my vision focuses again, body collapsing backwards into Tifa's, where she worriedly fusses over my barely conscious mind.
What was that?
A spirit energy from the Lifestream. I have yet to know who's soul it was that possessed you.
A ghost took over me?!
Well if you put it that way...
I push off the martial artists lap and wearily force myself to my feet, stumbling sideways into the window. There pairs of eyes filled with confusion and concern watch me, but I brush off their gazes and look out the glass.
"I suggest you listen to those directions," I say impassively. "Wouldn't want to upset the dead, would we?"
"What?!" Barret's dark eyes grow larger.
"Shadow believes I was briefly possessed by a spirit from the Lifestream," I mumble, watching a behemoth slaughter it's meal of Nibel Wolves.
"Well I ain't riskin' anythin' creepy like that again," Cid shudders. "Let's go! Nibelheim, east, and find a waterfall." His crew bustles around the ship, hurrying to follow their captain's orders. Since when has Tifa cared for my welfare, I think as she wanders away.
"Hey, are you alright?" Cloud looks at me, mako blue eyes painfully like David's. I force my gaze away from them and nod.
"Just a little... Shaken, I guess."
"I would think," he nods back, leaning against the railing. "Has that ever happened before?"
"No," I frown. "It hasn't. It's kinda creepy."
"Mhmm."
"I wonder..." I turn to face the remaining members of Avalanche. "Who 'my son' is?"
"Josh?" He raises an eyebrow.
"No, the voice's," I roll my eyes.
"I dunno. We'll just have to see who's when we get to the waterfall." I sigh and start moving my legs, walking around the Highwind impatiently while I wait for us to find the waterfall. Whose voice? Whose son?
"Violet."
"Vince," I exhale heavily, relaxing my unnoticed tension when I feel his hand lightly grip my upper arm. "What did you need?"
"That voice.."
"Do you recognize it?" I shut my eyes, feeling more warmth where he shyly draws closer. What is this thing we have going on anyway?
"It's nothing, nevermind."
"Vincent," I turn and face him, laying my hands on his shoulders. "Who was it?"
"I do not know."
"But you do," I demand. "Don't lie to me. Who is she?"
"It's rather... Disturbing on my part."
"More so on mine. It's not everyday that I have dead people talking with my mouth."
"That was a voice I haven't heard in awhile," he says in a distant voice. I ignore the look a passing Cloud gives us and shake Vincent's shoulders.
"Just. Tell. Me. Who. It. Was."
"My mother," he sighs, locking eyes with me.
"... Oh," I cringe.
"Yeah."
"Ugh," I shiver. "That's creepy."
"Yes," he nods, glaring as Cloud lingers too longer nearby and watching the blonde leave before leaning down toward me. "But I believe there must be a reason, correct?"
"Maybe Sephiroth's been messing with the Lifestream?"
"Perhaps," he tilts his head. He's so close that my nerves and heart are going haywire, my mind wondering why my body is reacting this way. Maybe it's the fear of losing him from the dream? The smirk on his lips tells me he knows what he's doing and it makes me want to punch him, honestly.
"Well I'm gonna go see if we're getting there anytime soon," I blush, pulling away. He catches my wrists and pulls me back into his tall frame. His finger curls underneath my chin and lifts my dropped head, crimson eyes studying me with a gentleness I've seen on rare occasions.
"Why are you leaving in such a rush?"
"Well if nothing important is happening, then I'll be going." He huffs in annoyance before pressing his lips to mine forcefully, demandingly. His clawed hand finds itself pulling me closer by the dip in my back, my hands slipping around to the back of his head, combing through his black mess of hair.
You're in a hallway.
I'm aware.
Where people tend to walk by?
My face heats up considerably when I realize there're a few pairs of eyes watching us. Still, Vincent either doesn't notice or simply ignores them as he presses forward, the hand that was once under my chin tracing along my jaw to brush my short hair back. It's only when I break away for air that I realize Barret, Tifa, and Cid are all watching us. The biggest man has a look of horror on his face, Tifa blushing, and Cid with a stupid grin on his mouth. This is awkward. Vincent merely glares at them and turns the knob to the room we're by, coincidentally mine, and gently pushes me in, closing the metal door moodily.
"Nosey humans," he mutters. I laugh and open my bathroom door, reminded of something by our lovely spit swapping.
"I personally," I start, grabbing my brush. "Prefer demons."
"Do you now?" He says lowly, still annoyed.
"Oh yeah," I nod playfully. "Sit."
"What's wrong?"
"... Nothing? I said sit."
"Oh," he blushes. "I heard something else."
"Well, I guess that works too, since someone came in here and took a dump in my toilet," I roll my eyes, easily working out the knots in his thick hair. He absent mindedly fiddles with it when I'm finished, pushing most of it over to the left side of his head, shorter strands sticking up as I fight a laugh. I'm sure you would be too if you were watching Vincent do his hair.
"What?" He frowns, noticing my internal fight. I smile and shake my head.
"It's nothing. I'm just crazy."
"Aren't we both?" He smiles back in his usual way: barely there, but you can still see it.
"You know," I smirk, wandering closer in slow steps. "I kinda wanna here your cute laugh again." He glares at me with a look of death, because death has a look.
"I told you not to call it that."
"Too bad." I shrug. "You can't stop me." The raise of a single black eyebrow leads me with one choice if I want to keep my life. Run!
RUN VIOLET! RUN LIKE THE WIND! NEXT WE GET A NICE TRIP TO THE CAVE I PLANNED THE CHAPTER FOR WEEKS BEFORE I EVEN STARTED THIS BOOK. YEAH, I'M SPECIAL, DON'T JUDGE.