Siren's Song
Chapter 3
As they stepped out, they found two men arguing with a filthy dust-covered chocobo that seemed to have eaten nothing for days and days. It looked like it was going to fall down on its knees any seconds. Vincent walked down the street near the two men. They were pointing at each other and shouting loudly. The throng was started to gather around them.
"Deez cho-kko-bo iz minez..! Mai dug haz foundz it! (This chocobo is mine! My dog had found it!)"
"Aye, but I have caught it when it attempted to flee from your dog."
"Arrg.. butz..butz.. If mai dug haedunt foundz it, it wood unt haz lun away! (Arrg.. but..but.. If my dog hadn't found it, it wouldn't have run away!)"
"Yes, but I might have found it before that dog of yours could have whipped a smell of the Chocobo!"
And so the argue had went on with a fat greasy man with a huge fat pug standing heavily next to him, and a bald man that barely had few hairs left at the side of his head. Vincent thought if he fed the chocobo well and bred it, it would be a trusty animal to ride on.
"Stop this argue, men!"
He stepped in the middle of the fight. Two men continued arguing, and Vincent thought he felt a pound of spits flying from their filthy mouths. He took his Death Penalty out and shot it to the sky. The sound rang in everyone's ears. Everyone abruptly stopped mumbling, and two men stood staring at the shooter.
"Good. I have finaly gotten your attentions. Now. I want this chocobo. It needs some greens very badly, but obviously you guys are arguing while this useful animal is dying. Now I shall pay you 2 silver coins each. There. Go and be happy."
He handed out two silver coins each to the men. He took the chocobo's reins. He hear several murmurs behind him when he turned and walked away with the chocobo.
"...He has the Cursed Gun!"
"...The death gun.."
"Can it be true..? The legend?..."
He left the crowd behind him and Iris, and held firmly to the chocobo's reins. It needed a bath and some food immediately. He decided to go into the forest.
"This is the forest between the present Cosmo Canyon and Gongaga area. If we walk further, we shall reach the river, my Lord."
Vincent nodded. He walked in the forest. It wasn't dark, but not very bright either. He cracked a dry branch from a dead tree nearby and casted fire on it. He didn't know where the materias came from, but he was thankful for it anyway. He held it in front of him and high. Iris walked right next to him, making slightly feathery rustling sounds. He inhaled her faint fragrance. It hesistated him to go on further, and have her right in the spot where they were standing. When his feet stopped, the chocobo bumped into his back, shattering his fantasy. He silently cursed to himself for thinking such a thing, and walked further on.
The dimsetting sunlight flashed through the thick dark leaves of the trees. Sweet smell of dead wildflowers hung around heavily on the air. They decided to camp somewhere and looked around. They found a small cave and ducked inside. Vincent raked some leaves and dead branches in the center and casted fire on it. It would last at least until the sun rised again. He lay in the dim firelight, using his arms as pillows. He closed his eyes, drifting off into a deep nightmare.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Never open the door unless its us, alright, Vinny?"
His father had said. Why didn't he listen to his wise father?
"Please..I am hungry.. I shall reward you if you let me in.."
The old woman said in a feeble voice outside of the door after his father had left to fetch his mother from the hospital. Vincent hesitated, but his heart ached for this poor woman.
"Aight, but just for a sec, okay? My daddy is gonna get mad at me."
He had opened the door ever so slightly when the woman, with an incredible strength, pushed the door open. She laughed and screamed.
"Do you know who I am!? Do you know why your mother is in the hospital!? She had done something terrible to me. I gritted my teeth and VOWED for revenge. Now she's gone. You shall take the blame!."
Vincent had stepped back and was ready to run, when she had hit his back with a curse.
"You shall forever sleep with nightmares...!"
With that, Vincent blacked out into the darkness. He spun around and around...and around in the pool of death and grief.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He opened his eyes, his forehead flooding with sweat. He opened his mouth to let out a scream, but caught a sight of Iris sleeping next to him peacefully, and stopped himself. He could make out a faint outline of her as the moonlight tried to reach its way. The siren seemed to be glowing. He didn't know how or why, but it did. As he watched her, she slowly opened her eyes as the moonlight shone upon her. She sat up.
"...Vincent? Are you awake...?"
"...Yeah."
"I...I don't know. Something's happening. I'm losing my mind."
"...Hm..? What do you mean?"
"I..can't..control myself. The moonlight! The moon!"
With that, she stood up. Her green eyes flashed as blue as the sky. Her wavy hair became silvery as the moonlight as it turned straight and reached her knees. A crescent mark appeared on her forehead as her feathery legs... He couldn't believe his eyes.. The feathers disappeared into the skin, revealing a smooth pale leg. Her claws smoothed out and transformed into two dainty human feet. Her eyes glowed in the moonlight as she stood, her hair cascading down her complete human body, wrapped in a slight transparent robe-like clothes, reminding him of the moonlight shes standing in.
"...I am the Lunar.. The moon fairy."
"..iris...!?"
"Human...I have taken over this poor siren's body.. she suffers too much from this bird-like body for days and days. It was Apollo's thought to comfort her by taking her body over at night and sending her mind into endless dreams until the moonlight stops."
"....Then why don't your 'Apollo' transform her into a human?"
The moon goddess flinched her eyes at Vincent's sarcastic remark.
"She is Cursed. A perfect human she was...an arrogant one too. She had killed many men with her beautiful voice and believed she was more beautiful than the goddess themselves. But she had learned and asked for forgiveness. Until she figures out a way... To go back to her human life, she must stay this way."
"What IS the way!? Do you know!?"
"....The moonlight and sunlight does not match. But sometimes Yin and Yang get along, creating a powerful force."
"...?"
Vincent was puzzled by this mysterious goddess and the riddle. He hated being played with, but with this beautiful goddess in front of his own trusty eyes, he had to believe that it wasn't a dream.
"What do you mean..."
He was cut off when the moonlight faded out and Iris was back to her siren self again. She rubbed her eyes.
"Morning... What...? Why are you staring at me like that? Did I sleep-walk?"
"No...Just..Nothing."
"Ok."
She stretched her arms and yawned. Her hair glistened in the morning light.
"Come on. Lets go on."
Vincent was a little stunned by his nightmare and the whole goddess-moon thing, but he got up, cocking his head the way rufus did to get his bangs out of the way. ...Since when did he start copying Rufus? Oh well. Probably just a habit.
They reached the small river at the end. The chocobo warked. It seemed to be eager to drink. It had to take a bath though. Vincent stripped everything off but his pants. Iris blushed and turned around, her hand covering her heart. He took the chocobo's rein and pulled it in the river. Water splashed and wet his hair, but he didn't mind. How good it was to feel clean and fresh again. He laughed and splashed around. Iris sat down on the riverbank and watched them two. Vincent asked her to join in, but she pointed at her feather legs which would be very heavy to carry once wet. After the long hours of joy bath, the chocobo regained some of its staminas. Vincent motioned Iris to ride on, but she shook her head and unfolded her wings. He forgot all about her wings. It was beautiful, with those flowers freshly watered and streaming down between the wing feathers. It seemed to be clean and combed. She spread them wide and flapped it gently. He swooped one leg on the chocobo, and jumped on its back. Then he just realized. He thought the Chocobo was yellow, since he couldn't tell the color of it by the dirt. But when he had bathed it... he learned that the chocobo was Silver! Iris saw it too, and carefully caressed its feathers.
"Its so pretty.. We should name it. How about.. Precious?"
"Thats a good name."
And so it was. Precious and Vincent trotted along, Iris at their side flying gently. At last, they reached an unfinished building. Iris read a small sign, and tilted her head.
"Cosmo Canyon... I heard of this from Florence. A labortory like place. I heard a dead evil spirit lived along here. But two brave human and a beast had defeated it."
"Probably Cloud, Nanaki, and someone else. I wasn't there you know..I was sleeping in Shinra Mansion inside Nibelheim."
"Oh.."
Vincent tied the chocobo on a nearvy stake. He covered it with dust so no one would know it was a silver one. The building had few bars and restaurants here and there. There was a medium sized plateau and a campfire in middle of it. Iris folded her wings so it was invisible, and walked to the fire. She sat down next to it. Vincent followed her and sat next to her.
"..You never told me anything about you."
Iris quitely said.
"But I understand. There are many upon this earth where people don't tell much about themselves."
"...yeah."
"But I want to get to know you."
Vincent replied with silence.
"First, I should tell you about me. I was a human. A beautiful one too, they said. But i was too arrogant. I broke many men's heart and led them to suicides. I considered myself so beautiful, one day I announced that no goddess could have been more prettier than me."
This was similar to the Moon Goddess's story, but Vincent quitely listened.
"Then from the sky, the moonlight shone ever so brightly..turning my legs into feathery ones..turning my voice into a deadly weapon. I was a siren. I begged for forgiveness.. but they said to find my own way. With a mysterious message... '....The moonlight and sunlight does not match..."
"......But sometimes Yin and Yang get along, creating a powerful force."
Vincent couldn't help but finishing the sentence. Iris stared at him surprised. She searched for an answer in his half-stoic crimson eyes with her matching turquoise eyes.
"...Tell me."
"Yesterday..."
Vincent couldn't resist himself from talking. He told her everything. Her eyes widened.
"Why didn't you tell me!?"
".....I..I don't know."
"...."
Anger flashed in her eyes. But it died away instantly.
"..It probably isn't your fault."
She stood up and gently walked down the stairs and to the bar nearby. He followed her like a stray dog.
"'Ello. Anyt'ing you wis' to drink, my lady? And you, my Lord?"
"I'd like Siren Special please."
"Just a glass of ale."
"O' ho ho! Comin' rite up!"
The bartender busied himself while Iris took a peanut from the bowl and stared at it. Soon the bartender handed them each drinks. They quietly sipped it. Suddenly, the door burst open, and a over-tanned man in sailor suit stepped in through the door. He barely fit in, but he managed it. He looked like a large hairless bear in a marshmellow. He looked at Vincent, and growled. His lips were twisted with what seemed like an anger.
"........You!"
Vincent flinched and stared at this man. The ginat growled again and leaped for the surprised man.
Chapter 3
As they stepped out, they found two men arguing with a filthy dust-covered chocobo that seemed to have eaten nothing for days and days. It looked like it was going to fall down on its knees any seconds. Vincent walked down the street near the two men. They were pointing at each other and shouting loudly. The throng was started to gather around them.
"Deez cho-kko-bo iz minez..! Mai dug haz foundz it! (This chocobo is mine! My dog had found it!)"
"Aye, but I have caught it when it attempted to flee from your dog."
"Arrg.. butz..butz.. If mai dug haedunt foundz it, it wood unt haz lun away! (Arrg.. but..but.. If my dog hadn't found it, it wouldn't have run away!)"
"Yes, but I might have found it before that dog of yours could have whipped a smell of the Chocobo!"
And so the argue had went on with a fat greasy man with a huge fat pug standing heavily next to him, and a bald man that barely had few hairs left at the side of his head. Vincent thought if he fed the chocobo well and bred it, it would be a trusty animal to ride on.
"Stop this argue, men!"
He stepped in the middle of the fight. Two men continued arguing, and Vincent thought he felt a pound of spits flying from their filthy mouths. He took his Death Penalty out and shot it to the sky. The sound rang in everyone's ears. Everyone abruptly stopped mumbling, and two men stood staring at the shooter.
"Good. I have finaly gotten your attentions. Now. I want this chocobo. It needs some greens very badly, but obviously you guys are arguing while this useful animal is dying. Now I shall pay you 2 silver coins each. There. Go and be happy."
He handed out two silver coins each to the men. He took the chocobo's reins. He hear several murmurs behind him when he turned and walked away with the chocobo.
"...He has the Cursed Gun!"
"...The death gun.."
"Can it be true..? The legend?..."
He left the crowd behind him and Iris, and held firmly to the chocobo's reins. It needed a bath and some food immediately. He decided to go into the forest.
"This is the forest between the present Cosmo Canyon and Gongaga area. If we walk further, we shall reach the river, my Lord."
Vincent nodded. He walked in the forest. It wasn't dark, but not very bright either. He cracked a dry branch from a dead tree nearby and casted fire on it. He didn't know where the materias came from, but he was thankful for it anyway. He held it in front of him and high. Iris walked right next to him, making slightly feathery rustling sounds. He inhaled her faint fragrance. It hesistated him to go on further, and have her right in the spot where they were standing. When his feet stopped, the chocobo bumped into his back, shattering his fantasy. He silently cursed to himself for thinking such a thing, and walked further on.
The dimsetting sunlight flashed through the thick dark leaves of the trees. Sweet smell of dead wildflowers hung around heavily on the air. They decided to camp somewhere and looked around. They found a small cave and ducked inside. Vincent raked some leaves and dead branches in the center and casted fire on it. It would last at least until the sun rised again. He lay in the dim firelight, using his arms as pillows. He closed his eyes, drifting off into a deep nightmare.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Never open the door unless its us, alright, Vinny?"
His father had said. Why didn't he listen to his wise father?
"Please..I am hungry.. I shall reward you if you let me in.."
The old woman said in a feeble voice outside of the door after his father had left to fetch his mother from the hospital. Vincent hesitated, but his heart ached for this poor woman.
"Aight, but just for a sec, okay? My daddy is gonna get mad at me."
He had opened the door ever so slightly when the woman, with an incredible strength, pushed the door open. She laughed and screamed.
"Do you know who I am!? Do you know why your mother is in the hospital!? She had done something terrible to me. I gritted my teeth and VOWED for revenge. Now she's gone. You shall take the blame!."
Vincent had stepped back and was ready to run, when she had hit his back with a curse.
"You shall forever sleep with nightmares...!"
With that, Vincent blacked out into the darkness. He spun around and around...and around in the pool of death and grief.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
He opened his eyes, his forehead flooding with sweat. He opened his mouth to let out a scream, but caught a sight of Iris sleeping next to him peacefully, and stopped himself. He could make out a faint outline of her as the moonlight tried to reach its way. The siren seemed to be glowing. He didn't know how or why, but it did. As he watched her, she slowly opened her eyes as the moonlight shone upon her. She sat up.
"...Vincent? Are you awake...?"
"...Yeah."
"I...I don't know. Something's happening. I'm losing my mind."
"...Hm..? What do you mean?"
"I..can't..control myself. The moonlight! The moon!"
With that, she stood up. Her green eyes flashed as blue as the sky. Her wavy hair became silvery as the moonlight as it turned straight and reached her knees. A crescent mark appeared on her forehead as her feathery legs... He couldn't believe his eyes.. The feathers disappeared into the skin, revealing a smooth pale leg. Her claws smoothed out and transformed into two dainty human feet. Her eyes glowed in the moonlight as she stood, her hair cascading down her complete human body, wrapped in a slight transparent robe-like clothes, reminding him of the moonlight shes standing in.
"...I am the Lunar.. The moon fairy."
"..iris...!?"
"Human...I have taken over this poor siren's body.. she suffers too much from this bird-like body for days and days. It was Apollo's thought to comfort her by taking her body over at night and sending her mind into endless dreams until the moonlight stops."
"....Then why don't your 'Apollo' transform her into a human?"
The moon goddess flinched her eyes at Vincent's sarcastic remark.
"She is Cursed. A perfect human she was...an arrogant one too. She had killed many men with her beautiful voice and believed she was more beautiful than the goddess themselves. But she had learned and asked for forgiveness. Until she figures out a way... To go back to her human life, she must stay this way."
"What IS the way!? Do you know!?"
"....The moonlight and sunlight does not match. But sometimes Yin and Yang get along, creating a powerful force."
"...?"
Vincent was puzzled by this mysterious goddess and the riddle. He hated being played with, but with this beautiful goddess in front of his own trusty eyes, he had to believe that it wasn't a dream.
"What do you mean..."
He was cut off when the moonlight faded out and Iris was back to her siren self again. She rubbed her eyes.
"Morning... What...? Why are you staring at me like that? Did I sleep-walk?"
"No...Just..Nothing."
"Ok."
She stretched her arms and yawned. Her hair glistened in the morning light.
"Come on. Lets go on."
Vincent was a little stunned by his nightmare and the whole goddess-moon thing, but he got up, cocking his head the way rufus did to get his bangs out of the way. ...Since when did he start copying Rufus? Oh well. Probably just a habit.
They reached the small river at the end. The chocobo warked. It seemed to be eager to drink. It had to take a bath though. Vincent stripped everything off but his pants. Iris blushed and turned around, her hand covering her heart. He took the chocobo's rein and pulled it in the river. Water splashed and wet his hair, but he didn't mind. How good it was to feel clean and fresh again. He laughed and splashed around. Iris sat down on the riverbank and watched them two. Vincent asked her to join in, but she pointed at her feather legs which would be very heavy to carry once wet. After the long hours of joy bath, the chocobo regained some of its staminas. Vincent motioned Iris to ride on, but she shook her head and unfolded her wings. He forgot all about her wings. It was beautiful, with those flowers freshly watered and streaming down between the wing feathers. It seemed to be clean and combed. She spread them wide and flapped it gently. He swooped one leg on the chocobo, and jumped on its back. Then he just realized. He thought the Chocobo was yellow, since he couldn't tell the color of it by the dirt. But when he had bathed it... he learned that the chocobo was Silver! Iris saw it too, and carefully caressed its feathers.
"Its so pretty.. We should name it. How about.. Precious?"
"Thats a good name."
And so it was. Precious and Vincent trotted along, Iris at their side flying gently. At last, they reached an unfinished building. Iris read a small sign, and tilted her head.
"Cosmo Canyon... I heard of this from Florence. A labortory like place. I heard a dead evil spirit lived along here. But two brave human and a beast had defeated it."
"Probably Cloud, Nanaki, and someone else. I wasn't there you know..I was sleeping in Shinra Mansion inside Nibelheim."
"Oh.."
Vincent tied the chocobo on a nearvy stake. He covered it with dust so no one would know it was a silver one. The building had few bars and restaurants here and there. There was a medium sized plateau and a campfire in middle of it. Iris folded her wings so it was invisible, and walked to the fire. She sat down next to it. Vincent followed her and sat next to her.
"..You never told me anything about you."
Iris quitely said.
"But I understand. There are many upon this earth where people don't tell much about themselves."
"...yeah."
"But I want to get to know you."
Vincent replied with silence.
"First, I should tell you about me. I was a human. A beautiful one too, they said. But i was too arrogant. I broke many men's heart and led them to suicides. I considered myself so beautiful, one day I announced that no goddess could have been more prettier than me."
This was similar to the Moon Goddess's story, but Vincent quitely listened.
"Then from the sky, the moonlight shone ever so brightly..turning my legs into feathery ones..turning my voice into a deadly weapon. I was a siren. I begged for forgiveness.. but they said to find my own way. With a mysterious message... '....The moonlight and sunlight does not match..."
"......But sometimes Yin and Yang get along, creating a powerful force."
Vincent couldn't help but finishing the sentence. Iris stared at him surprised. She searched for an answer in his half-stoic crimson eyes with her matching turquoise eyes.
"...Tell me."
"Yesterday..."
Vincent couldn't resist himself from talking. He told her everything. Her eyes widened.
"Why didn't you tell me!?"
".....I..I don't know."
"...."
Anger flashed in her eyes. But it died away instantly.
"..It probably isn't your fault."
She stood up and gently walked down the stairs and to the bar nearby. He followed her like a stray dog.
"'Ello. Anyt'ing you wis' to drink, my lady? And you, my Lord?"
"I'd like Siren Special please."
"Just a glass of ale."
"O' ho ho! Comin' rite up!"
The bartender busied himself while Iris took a peanut from the bowl and stared at it. Soon the bartender handed them each drinks. They quietly sipped it. Suddenly, the door burst open, and a over-tanned man in sailor suit stepped in through the door. He barely fit in, but he managed it. He looked like a large hairless bear in a marshmellow. He looked at Vincent, and growled. His lips were twisted with what seemed like an anger.
"........You!"
Vincent flinched and stared at this man. The ginat growled again and leaped for the surprised man.