Silencing the Chaos
Chapter 25
Chaos had been flying over the world in the months he gave Vincent to mull over his thoughts. The Planet was a beautiful sight from the sky. As much as Vincent was alone in his mind, Chaos was alone with his.
A long time ago, he was made by the Planet. A creature born of purpose. Omega had one, he had another. Though Omega vanished completely from the world after their battle, Chaos did not. As a concentration of sin and dark memories, Chaos was still clinging onto existence by the faint lingering in Vincent's mind. He had almost vanished completely, but when Vincent woke in the Crystal Cave, just as Chaos had at the beginning of his existence, the creature chose to remain. Not as a taint of sin, but a continual lifeline and because living with Vincent could show him something his existence had denied him before. Emotions of happiness, frivolity and so many degrees of each were within his grasp. Being born of the taint in the puddle of the Lifestream, Chaos knew only of the pain of sinners, something a thousand thousand times worse than Vincent or Lucrecia could feel. But it never bothered him; it was his nature.
Riding along with Vincent, Chaos learned of irritation, peace, mirth, amusement and happiness. That was why, in his eight months of flying around, Chaos made himself a promise. If Vincent became a man capable of living a full life on his own accord, Chaos would retreat, leaving his lifeforce, but not his body of conscience, for Vincent to live and age as any man would. The Protomateria would no longer be necessary to ensure the eternal life of Chaos and would, in turn, function as a heart regulator for Vincent's damaged muscle.
If, however, Vincent proved to be stubborn and incapable of living like a human, Chaos would make sure he lived like an eternal being. First thing on the agenda was to ensure their yearly anniversary with Nanaki in Midgar. Second, was to force Vincent to see the passage of time, not to stare at a coffin lid.
Perched at the edge of the crater where AVALANCHE battled Ultima Weapon, Chaos felt a pull at his mind. Vincent was gone. As much as he concentrated, Chaos could not feel Vincent with his mind. Panic was not an emotion the creature could comprehend, but he was frantic as he probed around in their mind space to find where his host had gone.
Then, Chaos found himself in his favorite mindscape; twilight at the beach, perched on his cliff of rock. Vincent stood beside him, looking out across the dark sea.
"Hello, Chaos," Vincent greeted him amiably.
"V," Chaos responded with caution.
"I want to thank you for giving me time to think," Vincent turned and looked as Chaos gave a noncommittal shrug of his wings. "You have changed in the time we spent together."
"For better or worse?"
"Better. You have learned that there is more than the inevitability of pain. That there is also joy."
"And you, V? Have you changed?"
"I believe I have."
"Are you going to tell me or will I have to go sneaking through your thoughts?" Chaos grinned mischievously at the outlook of prying.
"You won't find it in my thoughts," Vincent said with a Cheshire sort of look.
"It's where you disappeared to, isn't it?"
Vincent nodded and looked down.
"I can do this, Chaos."
"Always believed you could, Valentine," Chaos gave a genuine smile.
"Liar," Vincent said before vanishing from the mindscape to take control of his body.
He had to get back to Edge. There was someone he needed to see.
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The trials proceeded against Lucrecia Crescent. Evidence piled up against her and the public regarded her as badly as they did to the old Shin-Ra Company. Her trial was a harsh reminder of the forced actions of the power company in the years before Meteorfall.
Reeve was called before the panel of judges several times during the proceedings to testify. Each time he went up, he felt worse and worse for the pain he knew he was inflicting on Lucrecia each time he corroborated the lawyers words that she attacked Vincent. It was overkill. The trial did not need to take longer than one court date, but they strung it out in hopes to convict Sophia of her crimes as well.
On the fourth day, Vincent walked into the courtroom. The lawyers scrambled to talk to him. Hours later, he testified and Lucrecia was sentenced to forty years of solitary confinement.
Not once did she look up. Not once did Vincent hope for her to do so.
They parted without a word to each other. Yet it was the first time their communication was so clear.
As soon as the case was over, Vincent talked briefly with Reeve, then when that proved fruitless, went to the Seventh Heaven to reunite with old friends. He had a question to ask, but before he could ask his questions, he was put on baby duty with Marlene while the others worked downstairs. The first ten minutes were tense.
"I'm sorry!" Marlene's shuffling feet finally stopped as she burst out. "I shouldn't have said all that stuff the last time you came. I was worried about Yuffie and we didn't know about what happened and—"
"Marlene," Vincent interrupted smoothly, "you were completely right and I do not hold your words against you. That you would show such emotion for the wellbeing of others is truly commendable."
"Oh," she blushed and shifted her feet. "Dad said I should apologize anyway."
"Barret has a strong sense of morals," Vincent replied and looked at the twins. "They have grown much in my time away."
"It has been eight months," Marlene rolled a ball to Rosa, who gleefully rolled it back.
"Marlene, where is Yuffie? Is she in town?"
"Yuffie hasn't been in Edge for eight months. She left the day after you got her from the hospital."
"Does anyone know where she is?"
Marlene shook her head and shrugged, "She called Tifa once. But it was a long time ago. She just wanted to say she was fine."
"A city then. Maybe Wutai," Vincent pondered to himself.
"I miss her," Marlene admitted. "She's always fun to be around. It's like the room lights up whenever she's there, you know?"
"I know," Vincent recalled her enthusiasm and laughter. The room did always seem brighter with her in it.
Hours passed and Denzel came up the stairs for bed. The twins were already asleep after Vincent read to them. After making sure they were all settled in, he went downstairs. Tifa closed up early and the three adults pulled chairs around a table to chat.
"How're you doing, Vincent? It's been a while," Cloud poured their friend a glass of wine.
"I am much better, Cloud," he peered into the glass, but didn't drink right away. "I had a lot to sort out."
"We understand, Vincent. We're all glad to see you again," Tifa reached out and patted his arm.
There were a few minutes of silence. Tifa desperately wanted to ask more questions, but was wary of the consequences. Whereas Cloud was anticipating when everything was going to blow up in their faces.
"I asked Marlene, but she did not know," Vincent started, "Do either of you know where Yuffie is?"
The couple shared a look. Tifa looked worried and fiddled with her rings on her fingers and Cloud let out a sigh.
"Sorry, Vincent, we haven't been keeping track of her. She called, said she was safe and resting up. There wasn't anything we could do, even if we did want to find her," Cloud said apologetically.
"Why do you want to find her?" Tifa had a sly look on her face. Almost indiscernible, but Vincent caught a glimmer of something familiar; it was a look of one who wanted to play cupid. He had seen that same look on Reeve's face when he handed out missions.
"We have some… unfinished business," Vincent took a measured drink of wine so he could not be pushed into speaking. What used to be a nostalgic drink was now heavy and bitter. He put the glass down and removed his hand from the table.
"How important is this unfinished business?" Tifa pressed her luck and got an answer that said noting, but gave her more than words ever could.
Vincent stood gracefully and pushed in his chair before saying, "I shall depart. You need your rest for tomorrow."
"Come by again soon," Cloud saw Vincent off at the door. Locking it behind their departing friend, he turned to his wife. "Why do you have to bother him like that?"
"Because," Tifa eyed Vincent's glass and downed it. Waste not, want not. "I got my answer."
Cloud pulled his wife into his arms and pressed a kiss to her neck, making her smile blissfully.
"Leave them alone," Cloud ordered her and went about cleaning up as his wife tried to persuade him into something else.
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Vincent spoke to everyone. None of them knew anything. He went to Wutai and spoke to Godo. He went to Gold Saucer and talked with Dio. He went to Junon and found that it was no longer the same stinking harbor city. He spoke to the man at the top of the chain. The leader identified Yuffie, but had no idea where she went after passing off the leadership, he didn't even know her name.
Back in Edge, Vincent sought out Rufus, the man still in power over the harbor city.
"Do you know where she is?" Vincent stood as Rufus looked over files in his office.
"Can't say for sure, Valentine. Can't give up the girl when she doesn't want to be found," his piercing blue gaze cut into Vincent, but was ignored.
"I need to talk to her."
"Bullshit. Just say that you need her," Rufus put down his work. "Look, this is none of my concern; well, it shouldn't be, at any rate. But it is. Yes, I helped her out. She asked, I gave. We were honest with each other. Something that the relationship between you two seems to lack. And—"
"Are you getting somewhere, President?" Vincent cut him off.
"I'm not going to betray her friendship unless you convince me why it's good for her," Rufus crossed his arms.
"I will not tell you something that Yuffie deserves to hear first," Vincent glared coldly at the obstacle in his path of finding Yuffie.
"I heard about Dr. Crescent. My condolences."
"Where is Yuffie?"
Rufus smiled at Vincent's tense and automatic rebuttal. Reaching for his phone, he punched a button and spoke into the receiver, "Reno, prep the heli. You will be dropping Mr. Valentine where you left Ms. Kisaragi."
"Reno knew?" Vincent's thought must have translated in some form from the sight of Rufus's quirked brow.
"I actually never knew, Valentine. And I do not know if she's still there. It's been a few weeks," Rufus hung up. "Reno will take you. He'll pick you up on the roof."
"Thank you, President."
"Good luck, Valentine."
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Yuffie pulled her goggles from her face and raised her binoculars. The townsfolk were talking about wolves in the area and Yuffie offered to do some reconnaissance. Consulting the map in her hand, Yuffie noted that several new packs were moving dangerously close to the edge of the city. Wolf extermination was tricking business even when she had materia. To do so with a single Cure material would demand heavy strategy planning.
Stashing her tools back into her pack, she fitted her goggles properly and skied further out. Snow was always present on the freezing Northern Continent and skiing was the fastest transportation.
After surveying the area, Yuffie swung back toward the town. Night came quickly and brought a frightful chill with it and Yuffie had no inclination to enjoy it. Skiing all the way back was impossible, so she removed the runners and strapped them to her back. With the Conformer in her hands, Yuffie slogged uphill to the town.
"After this, I'm going to Gold Saucer or Mideel. Somewhere with no snow in the middle of friggin' summer," Yuffie promised herself and she smiled when the town lights started blinking at her at the next crest.
There was a short downhill and Yuffie was contemplating if she should bother swapping back to skis when she froze. Crunching around her told her that she wasn't alone. Bandersnatches were an aggressive type of wolf and had no problems ganging up on a strong opponent.
Carefully, Yuffie unbuckled her pack and let it slide to the ground. Cure material, check; Ziedrick, check; Ribbon, check. There was decent tree coverage, but left her plenty of room to maneuver her long range weapon. Shifting her grip, she pulled her goggles down around her neck so she regained her peripheral vision.
The wolves moved in and Yuffie slashed out.