A/N: Yay! I have over 100 reviews! *does a little dance* Thanks so much everybody. XD
So, I meant to put this up yesterday, but my day was too crammed to allow that. And for some reason, this chapter was harder to write than I thought it would be. But I think it turned out okay. Anyhoo...enjoy. :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. |-(
Chapter Twenty-Eight
"I failed...again."
"How so?" the voice asked in the distance. It rang clear in his ears, clearer in his mind.
He opened his eyes, looked to the bright blue sky that was above him. There was no hard floor beneath his back, no sharp pain in his chest. He was on a soft bed of grass, bathed in warm sunlight, surrounded by the sweet scent of flowers. Everything inside him was still, so peaceful, so quiet.
Everything but his thoughts. They tortured him. They reminded him that no matter how hard he tried, he was doomed to the existence of a failure. After everything that had happened, after all the time and effort spent, after he had allowed himself to hope again, here he was.
"You don't believe that," she continued. He heard her footsteps on the grass beside him, drawing closer.
"Yes, I do." Vincent turned his eyes from the sky, looking to the pair of brown boots that stood not too far away from him. His eyes moved up her pink dress, to her smiling face, and eventually to her eyes. She looked down at him, unafraid of the situation unfolding outside of this...whatever it was.
He wasn't surprised to see her here. It was strange, but not surprising.
"Am I dead?" he asked.
She shook her head softly. "No. You can't be killed so easily."
He sighed heavily, lifting his hand and moving the bangs out of his eyes. He looked at the blue sky once more, watching the white clouds drift by. "Why is this happening? After everything he did...how could Sephiroth take over him again?"
"Kadaj must learn to control the part of Sephiroth that is inside of him. They all must. If he cannot, then he'll never truly be free to live."
"Are you testing him?"
"No. Sephiroth is testing him. Sephiroth will test them all."
"Then what can I do?" he asked desperately, "How can I save him?"
"You cannot save him. Only Kadaj can save himself. All you can do is believe in him...and show him the way." Aeris offered him her hand, her eyes still smiling as she bent down to look at him more closely. He looked at the woman he barely knew, the woman who had given her life to save this planet. She never would have brought Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz back if she wasn't certain they could be saved.
"He needs you, Vincent, in more ways than you know."
"I know. And I think...I think I need him, too."
Her smile widened, her palm opening further. "Then help him."
Vincent lifted his arm, placing his hand softly in hers, taking that which she was offering him.
"Vincent? Vincent!"
The voice called him from his unconscious state, slowly pulling him back to reality. It sounded so far away. It was drawing nearer, but he didn't want to approach it. He didn't want to wake up to what he knew would be before him. He wanted to stay within the shelter of his dreams. He wanted...
He forced his eyes open, breaking the disorienting thoughts. He saw the face above him-the pale skin and the long silver hair that was hanging down toward him. For a moment, he thought it was Kadaj. But a second later his vision cleared, and he realized the young man over him wasn't Kadaj but Yazoo. His perplexed eyes were gazing down at him, concern creasing his brow.
When the remnant realized Vincent was awake, he drew back slightly.
Vincent took a moment. He gathered his thoughts and assessed the damage done to his body. He was still in pain, but it had dulled considerably. He lifted his hand, touching the hole in his clothes where the blade had gone through. The blood beneath it was dried, the wound closed over with a thick scab. In a matter of days, any evidence of it would be gone completely. That was just the way his body worked. However, he didn't have that long to wait.
"What happened?" Yazoo spoke.
Vincent looked over to him, then to Loz who was standing behind him. The elder of the brothers was glancing around the cave, looking a little uncomfortable. He seemed to be purposefully keeping his eyes off of Lucrecia's crystal.
"You have to ask?" Vincent replied. He grit his teeth, then pushed himself up, grunting against all the pain that assailed his body. "Where's Kadaj?"
"Far away."
The pain in his body slowly dissipated. Vincent took a second to rest before trying to move further. Yazoo's eyes searched him up and down, evaluating if he would really be able to move at all. They sat in silence for a moment. Loz began pacing, his eyes finally going to the crystal. Yazoo listened to his steps, his gaze to the floor.
"Who is she?" Loz asked, breaking the silence.
Vincent didn't have to look to know that Loz was staring at Lucrecia in wonder and confusion. He was watching her with a childish fascination, knowing and feeling something he couldn't explain. Yazoo felt it as well. That was why he sat there, silent, his eyes still glued to the floor.
"Her name's Lucrecia. She was Sephiroth's mother. His realmother." He could've explained further that she was in turn their mother, but he didn't have it in him to argue at the moment. And he was sure an argument would happen in one way or another.
"I didn't know he had a mother," Loz commented. He reached out, laying his hand softly against the cold crystal. He felt a vibration run through his arm. It stirred the water, leaving ripples to run along its surface.
Vincent's attention was grabbed when Yazoo suddenly held his hand out to him, palm upward. For a second, he thought he was offering to help him up. But a bright light suddenly came from his palm, and when it died away it left a softly glowing, light purple materia in his hand. He was offering it to him.
"What is this?" Vincent wondered, as he took it from his hand. He looked it over, watching the bright lights that danced around inside it.
"I don't know. Mother gave it to me."
"Mother?"
"Aeris. She told me you would know what to do with it."
"Hmph." He turned the orb around in his hand, looking at it more closely, trying to figure out what it was, and what it did. "Looks like a Protomateria."
"What's a Protomateria?"
Vincent didn't feel like going into a long explanation, so he didn't answer his question. "And Aeris gave this to you?"
Yazoo nodded his head assuredly.
"Then I guess we better use it. Whatever it does." He tucked the materia away in his belt, then prepared himself to move again. "Can you lead me to Kadaj?"
"Are you sure you should be moving?" the remnant asked, watching him with uncertainty.
"I can't just sit here. We need to find your brother."
Whether he agreed with him or not, Yazoo stood fluidly to his feet, his hand out to him once more, this time to help him up. Vincent took the help gladly, once again groaning as he pulled himself to his feet. He stood holding the major wound as he steadied his breathing. He looked across the cave, to Loz as he stood before Lucrecia. His hand was still on the crystal, his eyes glistening in the soft light.
"Loz," Yazoo said softly, "We have to find Kadaj."
The elder brother looked away, blinking his eyes rapidly to rid them of his tears. He wiped his nose, then turned his attention to the two of them fully, making his way through the water toward them. They all stood together, looking between each other.
Vincent thought it was strange. He had started this journey with Kadaj, trying to find the two remnants who were with him now. Now Kadaj was the one who was missing, and they were the ones who had to find him.
"Will we bring him back?" Loz asked, doubtful, afraid of what the answer would be. They both knew what the only other alternative would be.
Vincent decided that it was time he make a new promise. "Yes. We'll bring him back...I promise."
A/N: Ha Ha! I just gave myself opportunity for a sequel. Although I'm still not sure how I would go about that... And I have a fear of sequels. They never turn out so well for me. :( They usually end up with me wanting to kill off the main character because he's too darn mopey. |-( And I can't have that.
Anyhoo. Excuse the rant. Please review. :)
