Chapter 37
Vincent continued laughing at Angel and Yazoo's antics. Angel pouted and growled cutely at Vincent, causing him to laugh more and pick her up to kiss her on the cheek.
"You're so cute, I'm sorry for laughing at you," Vincent said, slightly chuckling.
Angel smiled and nuzzled him on the cheek. Yazoo just rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Get a room," Yazoo said.
"Don't be bitter because you don't have anyone," Angel said as she finished her ice cream.
"Stupid dog," Yazoo mumbled.
"You're starting to act like Eustace from Courage the Cowardly Dog. He's the farmer who gets beat on the head all the time," Angel said sweetly.
"But I'm not bald," Yazoo said.
"That can be arranged big brother," Angel said matter-of-factly.
Yazoo shook his head as Vincent started to laugh again. Angel yawned a bit and frowned as her sugar rush and the adrenaline in her system slowly diminished. Vincent stopped laughing and shook her gently.
"Stay awake Angel," Vincent said softly.
"But I'm so tired," Angel whined.
"I know but you gotta stay up so we can keep you safe," Vincent stated.
"I'll try to stay awake as much as I can," Angel yawned out.
"We better get some more sweets into her for another sugar rush," Yazoo said.
Vincent nodded his head and continued to keep Angel awake.
"Someone say sugar," Yuffie called from her spot on the tree.
"Oh and she doesn't smell her," Yazoo muttered.
"Well I did pick the tree downwind," she hopped down and ran over to Angel. "I got candy."
"Candy," Angel's eyes flew open. Her tail began thumping rapidly. Yuffie laughed as Angel began to beg. "Candy. Candy. Give me candy."
"Here. Hey! Not my entire arm," she shouted as Angel ripped the candy out of her arm. Angel ignored her. Vincent shook his head.
"Candy. Candy. Candy," she chanted between mouthfuls.
"Creepy," Yazoo shivered as he saw the possessed look in Angel's eyes.
"We should head back now," Vincent suggested.
"What about my dad," Yuffie questioned. "Perhaps we should switch rooms. You know like Cloud's for yours and stuff."
"Could work," Angel said. "But it would only be for a short while."
"Oh someone might want to look for Simone too, I meant to go look for her but got sidetracked like usual," Angel said thoughtfully.
"Damnit now you tell us," Yazoo mumbled.
Angel's ears drooped out of sadness because she meant to check on her sister but instead went to get ice cream and get sugar high again.
"I'm a terrible twin," Angel mumbled.
"Ok Yazoo my turn," Loz yelled out as he ran over to the group.
"Yay, the fun brother!" Angel shouted.
"What does that make me?" Yazoo asked.
"The…random brother," Angel said.
"What about Kadaj?" Loz asked.
"The impatient brother," Angel said happily.
"Sephiroth?" Yazoo asked.
"The I-have-a-stick-up-my-ass brother," Angel said causing Vincent, Yazoo, Yuffie and Loz to laugh.
Vincent snickered and followed Yuffie back to the place they are spending the time at with Loz following them as well. Yazoo rushed to the ship to check on Simone and get her back to where she can be safe while Vincent and Loz kept a sugar high Angel up.
"Lollipop Lollipop oh lolli lolli lollopop," Angel began singing, causing Loz to sing along and Vincent to get a headache.
"Oh dear gawd please tell me it's not that song," Simone said as she appeared beside them with Yazoo.
"They won't stop, they've been like this since Yuffie gave Angel more candy," Vincent said as he carried his singing girlfriend.
"Poor you," Simone said with a snicker.
"No one knows that I can be put to a dreamless sleep and not be caught with the baby again but the Lifestream has to do it," Angel sang happily, eating more candy.
"Don't tell them that if you want your candy," Simone yawned. "I fell asleep on the deck."
"Sister," Angel pouted.
"Yeah. I know," she sighed. "No sleep I get it. To be honest I don't even remember being at the deck. The last thing I remember was playing with the chocobos then nothing," she sighed. Vincent looked up from Angel.
"Are you sure," he asked.
"Pretty sure. Why," she asked. "I could have just sleep walked or forgotten."
"Yuffie," Vincent asked. She nodded.
"Sounds like something my father would do. I just want to know what he wants with them," she groaned.
"I don't want to know," Angel said sternly. "I won't help him ever."
"I have to follow sister," Simone shrugged. "It looks like it is getting dark." Angel nodded.
"Party time," she randomly cheered. Yazoo groaned.
"Time to stay up all night," Yuffie fistpumped. The gate drew nearer. A lone figer leaned against it.
"Brother," both Angel and Loz cheered causing Sephiroth to cringe.
"You're back," he groaned as he rubbed his ear.
"Don't be such a stick up the o'le bum chap," Angel said as she impersonated a guy she saw on tv. Sephiroth glared.
"You have so much energy. Perhaps you can catch up on your training," he mocked. Angel's ears fell.
"I have been slacking," she looked down sadly. A couple of tears dropped on to Vincent's arms. Vincent looked at Sephiroth with a hardened glare.
"I don't care what you think Valentine. If she runs into trouble alone and no one is there then what," he asked accusingly. "She needs to be able to defend herself and a bow is not gunna do it when guns are everywhere. You can argue that some of us use swords. Well guess what all of us are Jenova celled. Guns are weaker than our slashes. She can't defend herself. That is that," he said in a monotone voice. "If you love her you would see that," his eyes flashed darkly. Vincent met his glare. The red demon eyes were at war with the luminous-green cat eyes.
"He is right," Angel broke the war by pushing herself out of his arms.
"Angel," Vincent said.
Angel looked up at Vincent and smiled at him. Vincent slowly nodded his head and watched as Angel and Loz walked off to an area to train. Vincent glared at Sephiroth again then followed after them silently. Simone rolled her eyes then looked at Sephiroth.
"With everything that's been happening, do you really think her working on her powers will do anything?" Simone asked with a tired yawn.
"It doesn't matter, she needs to be able to protect herself if we're not around to rescue her," Sephiroth said monotonely.
"As true as that is, her archery skills has not diminished," Simone said as she went to watch her sister use her powers against Loz.
Sephiroth just sighed and followed as well to see how Angel's skills might have improved or not. Angel back-flipped away from one of Loz's attacks then she quickly summoned her bow and arrows. She aimed it at Loz and fired arrow after arrow at Loz, who immediately dodged it. Simone watched her sister's movements and her speed.
"Make sure your movements are in control and your speed isn't wasted," Simone called out to her sister, who nodded at her instructions.
Loz dodged the arrows then ran after Angel to attack. Angel summoned her dragon friend to protect her and had it use it fire to harm Loz slightly. The dragon followed Angel's request and Loz flew back but back-flipped and landed on his feet. Angel thanked her dragon friend and sent it away. Angel gently calmed her breathing and summoned fire, water, earth, air, and lightning to surround her.
"Good her powers are still tamed," Sephiroth said as Angel and Loz attacked one another with elements.
Angel closed her eyes and asked the Lifestream for strength and stamina, causing the blue protomateria in her chest to glow blue. She opened her eyes and rushed at Loz. She started throwing punches and kicks at Loz, who tried to dodge them all.
"Rely on your sources!" Simone called out.
"I call upon the power of fire to burn my enemies!" Angel casted as Loz started to burn.
Loz screamed in pain and Angel stopped her attack, panting from exhaustion. Angel touched her chest where the protomateria was and sent her thanks to the Lifestream through it. Simone nodded her head and watched her sister heal Loz's burns and injuries.
"Angel you alright?" Vincent asked.
"I'm alright Vinny," Angel said with a tired smile.
"Good. It's a start. But Loz is only as strong as Tifa maybe more but not by much. You had to call upon help. That is a risk. You could have killed your friend if it were anyone stronger. A red dragon such as this would have fell in one flick of their materia.'' Angel looked down.
"I have to agree sis," Simone thought aloud. "You have potiental but your skills are waning.
"Whatever," she shrugged. "Not like you are any better."
"Are you challenging me," Simone demanded.
"Watch your volume. We are only outside," she mocked.
"Not here and not now," Sephiroth ordered silencing the girls.
"Fine," they muttered.
"Your both are training as soon as we split up tommorrow. No bitching," he growled.
"Yes brother," the girls both gulped.
"Be happy you're not paired with me. You would both be dead. You wouldn't even stand a ghost of a chance against Weiss. You both fight like animals. Yes, I get you are but you waste too much energy. You think they would come one by one. No. So get to work. Your dismissed for today," the girls ran to escape their brother's anger.
"Harsh," Yazoo muttered.
"Do you understand what they are planning. It is likely similar to what I almost did. The planet almost didn't fight back. Jenova had made one large mistake when she choose to kill the last Centra. Don't you realize Omega never even woke for that incident? Meaning the planet only woke on a whim. Basically the Lifestream only has so much energy left after ShinRa and myself. She cannont reley on only that while lacking the skill to control it. She can call elements but she has to use her own energy to call it."
"Maybe try to teach her how to not rely on the Lifestream alone since she's more tied to it than any of us at the moment," Yazoo said with a yawn.
"That's not a bad idea," Sephiroth said with a thoughtful look on his face.
"Well since Angel and Simone are the only ones who aren't allowed to sleep, I'm going to take a nap then wait for Kadaj to take his turn to watch over Angel. Man, I'm so tired from watching her," Yazoo said as he went to where he'd be sleeping.
The crescent moons on Simone's and Angel's foreheads began to glow. Simone's glowed purple while Angel's glowed crimson. When the glowing stopped, the girls' yamis had surfaced so the girls could get some much needed rest in their mind.
"Crimson, you're back," Vincent said with a look of shock.
"I sensed my hikaris tiredness and decided to stay up for her while she rested in her soul/mind room," Crimson said boredly.
"I did the same thing for mostly the same reasons and because it's been so long since we've been out to play and talk to our mates," Wave said as she stretched her tired muscles.
"That explains why you're out now," Yuffie said as Wave walked over to Genesis and got comfortable in his arms while Crimson cuddled into Vincent's arms happily.
Yazoo walked in and looked at his little sisters. He stared at them in confusion since the presence he felt from them aren't theirs.
"Who are you?" Yazoo asked.
"I am Crimson and that is my sister Wave, we are the true darkness that lies within Angel and Simone," Wave explained.
"What are you out for?" Loz asked suddenly.
"To let the hikaris sleep peacefully without that nightmare of Deep Ground," Wave said boredly.
Loz and Yazoo nodded in understanding as Yazoo laid down and fell asleep on his makeshift bed.
"He must be tired since he had to watch hikari train," Crimson thought as she watched Yazoo's breathing go slow and hypnotic.
Vincent hugged Crimson a bit tighter, causing her to look up into worried red eyes. Crimson smiled and kissed Vincent softly to reassure him that Angel is fine and not having any nightmares. Vincent kissed back then leaned his forehead against Crimson's.
"I love you," Vincent said softly.
"I love you too," Crimson said with a smile.
"Awww…" Tifa and Aeris cooed.
Crimson and Vincent blushed deeply and glared at the two girls, who stood their giggling like school girls. Crimson sighed and messed with her crimson tail.
"I never realized that when you and Angel switch places, your tails turn the color of your eyes," Tifa said.
"My eyes may look crimson but they're slightly blue as well," Crimson said boredly.
Vincent smiled and decided to bite Crimson's neck playfully, causing Crimson to squeak and giggle. Wave rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Get a room," Zack said.
"Go get laid," Crimson said back with a dark smile.
"I swear you and Angel aren't pure at all," Zack mumbled.
"I'm darkness so of course I'm not pure," Crimson said with a monotoned voice.
"Crimson," Wave called. "stop promoting animal and human interrelations."
"Shut-up Wave," Crimson flicked her tail.
"Stupid mutt. You are always trouble."
"Whatever," she muttered.
"I smell cooked chocobo," Wave's eyes widdened. "I want some," she was almost drooling.
"So Crimson is practically the same while Wave is the opposite," Sephiroth noted.
"I'm not the same. I am Crimson not blue," she stuck her tounge out.
"At this point same difference," Wave sweatdropped.
"Aw your no fun," she glared.
"As you say. Carry me to dinner would you kind sir," Wave asked. Genesis nodded and took her to get her meal.
"I don't think I like them much," Zack murmured.
"We don't like you very much either," Tifa yelled at Zack.
"Damn," Zack said.
"You have the worst luck Zack," Sephiroth said as he shook his head.
"How is it that I'm picked on the most by those two?" Zack asked.
"Because you make it too easy," Angeal said.
"How do I make it easy?" Zack asked.
"You have that idiocy," Sephiroth said with a smirk.
Crimson was cuddling and purring as Vincent held her and pet her ears. Zack, Sephiroth and the others just watched with creeped out eyes as Vincent just used Crimson's dog DNA against her.
"Oh there something I forgot to mention," Crimson said happily.
"What is that?" Sephiroth asked.
"We have a brother, we're actually triplets. His name is Nikolai," Crimson said purring.
"Where can we find him?" Sephiroth demanded.
"Maybe deep in a forest. He was never captured like sister and I so I'm not entirely sure where he is because he likes to be a wolf more than human," Crimson said as she happily purred.
"Great now we have to find him too," Sephiroth groaned.
"Thanks for not telling us earlier Angel," Zack scolded.
"Theres three children born of both Jenova and Omega. Dad never really wanted my brother to be found so the night before we were taken. Dad told brother to leave and run as much as he wants. He never came back," Crimson said as she calmed down.
"Sephiroth," Angeal said concerned. "Where does he play into this. Right now they are grasping at threads for the DNA?" Sephiroth groaned.
"I really don't know."
"Do we have to find him? If we leave him hidden he may not be found. If we do find him he may be feral," Zack observed.
"We can't leave him," Crimson declared.
"He is feral," Angeal reminded. "He will not behave like a human or remotely like Red."
"Having three dogs isn't fun," Vincent said of handedly.
"I hope you mean Red and not me in that," Zack scowled.
"Nope."
"Damn you." Vincent just smirked.
"Honestly we don't even know where he is," Sephiroth shook his head. "One of our groups is bound to bump into him."
"It would be easier if we had Turks," Zack complained.
"Unfortunatly all we have is WRO."
"Their information is limited."
"It's all we have aside for Angel's dreams."
"We still don't want to touch those," Vincent reminded.
"If you guys want to know where Nikolai is, why not just ask Angel when she has awakened," Crimson said boredly.
"Why would we do that?" Vincent asked.
"Because Nikolai's scent has always lingered on Angel since they were babies," Crimson stated.
"Whick means..." Zack trailed off.
Crimson sighed and massaged her forehead to stop her soon-to-appear-headache.
"Nikolai has always have more of a wolf spirit and Angel considered him her alpha because he kept the nightmares away until he disappeared. If you can use her wolf senses long enough for her to track him then he'll be found as easy as that," Crimson said.
"But you're forgetting that deep ground will come for her if we let her run off on her own," Sephiroth said with a glare.
"Then have Red and Cait Sith run wth her, Reeve will be able to see what Cait Sith sees so he'll be able to tell you which way they go and such then you can just follow," Crimson said.
"Well Red does adore Angel and treats her sort of like his own pups," Angeal said.
"Nikolai is their balanca. He is more attuned to the lifestream than Angel is because he is mostly light," Crimon said.
"How come Wave doesnt know about Nikolai?" Zack asked curiously.
"She does know about him but Simone doesnt like to mention him," Crimson yawned out boredly.
"Don't fall asleep," Angeal demanded.
"I'm not but I am completely bored," Crimson saidwhile looking at them.
"How long till Angel will reappear?" Vincent asked, wanting his original back.
"Hmm...about another 7 hours or so," Crimson said thoughtfully.
"Good then we'll ask her about Nikolai and hopefully Simone will fill us in more," Sephiroth said.
"Who died and made you leader?" Cloud said with a glare.
"Shut it chocobo ass," Crimson growled out.
Sephiroth, Angeal and Vincent chuckled at the word.
"Find Angel's brother can be our one advantage of stopping Deep Ground," Crimson said.
"How so?" Zack asked.
"Because he can help her tame her powers a lot better than any of you can," Wave said suddenly as she walked back in with Genesis.
"Won't Simone be upset that she ate a chocobo?" Zack asked.
"Probably," Crimson said with a dark chuckle.
"Damn you are evil," Zack shuddered.
"As for finding Nickolai," Cloud started. "We are on an Island. We will have no luck finding him here. There are no forests either."
"Then we head to the mainlands?"
"As leader," Cloud started. "I say we split off into groups there and search. She may know his scent but according to Red scents do fade over time. The only way to tell is to see if he marked in a forest."
"Ew."
"It's our only chance to find this beast," Cloud shrugged as he was glared at.
"As much as you want to argue he is correct. Beasts are hard to track down based on site. It takes an experianced tracker to do it," Sephiroth reminded.
"Yeah. I hated those missions," Zack groaned. "It's almost as if someone didn't want to do it."
"Short staffed. Deal with it. Tracking is hard even for the genetically modified. We are super-human not dogs."
"Plus it was funny," Angeal and Sephiroth smirked. Zack glared. "So we are stuck between three people who could smell it. We split up in three groups and three directions. I believe our best bet is Nibelheim, near Junon, Ancient Forest, and possibley north of the Icicle Village. The other climates would be a little too hot for a wolf. Mideel is too humid and tropical and Gongaga is a rain forest."
"Then we will split off into groups tommorrow," Cloud ordered. "A group will go South-East of Wutai, the next group will go straight East and the last group will go North to the Icicle Village. The more sturdier members should check out the ice valley North of the village. Cid will drop everyone off close to their targets in a counter clockwise circle. Each group will be at their own continent. So meeting up will take a long while."
"Sounds good to me. I am gunna pass out," Zack yawned.
"I agree," Crimson grinned. "Get as much sleep as you can your gunna need it."