Anger. There was nothing but anger: a deep, seething hatred that bubbled
and spilled over his soul.
Chaos. The darkness was rising, threatening to steal him away, its venom dancing like liquid fire through his veins.
Oh Gods, it's happening again.
Shoulders heaving with every shuddering breath, his body writhed in agony and lurched from the bed. He rolled as he hit the floor, his one good arm pinned under the weight of his body while the other tore into the tangle of sheets caught in the fury of thrashing limbs. Blood, muscle and other shreds of flesh spattered the walls as a pair of wings exploded from his back, their bony lengths unfurling with a mighty roar.
Vincent Valentine now remembered why slept in a coffin.
Tears of anguish rolled down his cheeks to wash the blood from the panic-stricken crimson orbs that were his eyes. Coarse hair bristled across his sweat-drenched skin and Vincent let out a strangled cry as he felt the very flesh ripping from his bones. Spasms wracked a body that was no longer his own. Chaos had engulfed him.
There was nothing to do but scream.
"Vincent!"
A voice. Not his own and not the Beast's. Someone was calling his name.
His insides wrenched. Mouth agape, he cried out in horror.
"Shit, Vincent! Snap out of it!"
"No Cid, don't hit him! Vincent, hang on! Please hang on."
"There's blood everywhere!"
"What do we do? What do we do?"
"Help me hold him, Yuffie! Just help me hold him."
As suddenly as Chaos had taken him, Vincent found his release in the newfound warmth that slowly began to swallow him whole. The darkness receded and when Vincent opened his eyes, he found himself lying naked on the cold, wooden panes of his room at the Icicle Inn.
All was silent.
A sigh escaped Vincent's lips as he felt a muzzle brush up against cheek to lick the caked blood off the side of his face. His eyes fluttered shut once more.
"Nanaki," he breathed.
"Be still," the muzzle replied.
"Shit, that's the fourth time in the past two days," another voice that Vincent recognized as Cid Highwind's joined them. "I don't know about you two, but I'm sick and tired of keeping watch over vamps here."
Vincent groaned.
"I need my sleep too, you know," Cid muttered as he threw his jacket over the fallen gunman's prone form. "What makes him so special anyway?"
"Shut up, you old grump! Can't you see that Vincent needs our help?"
Half a smile managed to tug at the corners of Vincent's bloody mouth. It was Yuffie. Yuffie Kisaragi.
"These aren't just nightmares!" the small girl wailed. "Look what they're doing to him!"
Cid let out a mighty harrumph of defeat. "I bet I could do worse, kid." He shook his head. "Look, I care about him and all but this has got to stop."
"I'll talk to Cloud in the morning. Promise!" Yuffie said, wringing her tiny hands nervously. "He and Tifa can take over for you and Red tomorrow night, okay?"
"I do not mind this watching," Red XIII purred softly. "Vincent is my friend," he said after a moment. "And I sleep very little anyway."
"Yeah sure, make me out to be the bad guy," Cid grumbled as he ran several gloved fingers through his dirty blond hair and ripped his goggles from the bridge of his nose where they had fallen. "God damn, I need a smoke."
"Vincent, listen to me, this is Nanaki. Can you stand?"
In a weak attempt to sit up, Vincent's head lolled to one side and his claw-arm fell limply to the floor with a dull clattering sound.
"Screw that," Cid said. "I'll take him."
The naked gunman felt himself hoisted into the air and slung over a pair of broad shoulders.
"Rest now, Vincent. Go back to sleep."
Yes. A distant voice deep within him cooed softly in agreement. Sleep….
Chaos. The darkness was rising, threatening to steal him away, its venom dancing like liquid fire through his veins.
Oh Gods, it's happening again.
Shoulders heaving with every shuddering breath, his body writhed in agony and lurched from the bed. He rolled as he hit the floor, his one good arm pinned under the weight of his body while the other tore into the tangle of sheets caught in the fury of thrashing limbs. Blood, muscle and other shreds of flesh spattered the walls as a pair of wings exploded from his back, their bony lengths unfurling with a mighty roar.
Vincent Valentine now remembered why slept in a coffin.
Tears of anguish rolled down his cheeks to wash the blood from the panic-stricken crimson orbs that were his eyes. Coarse hair bristled across his sweat-drenched skin and Vincent let out a strangled cry as he felt the very flesh ripping from his bones. Spasms wracked a body that was no longer his own. Chaos had engulfed him.
There was nothing to do but scream.
"Vincent!"
A voice. Not his own and not the Beast's. Someone was calling his name.
His insides wrenched. Mouth agape, he cried out in horror.
"Shit, Vincent! Snap out of it!"
"No Cid, don't hit him! Vincent, hang on! Please hang on."
"There's blood everywhere!"
"What do we do? What do we do?"
"Help me hold him, Yuffie! Just help me hold him."
As suddenly as Chaos had taken him, Vincent found his release in the newfound warmth that slowly began to swallow him whole. The darkness receded and when Vincent opened his eyes, he found himself lying naked on the cold, wooden panes of his room at the Icicle Inn.
All was silent.
A sigh escaped Vincent's lips as he felt a muzzle brush up against cheek to lick the caked blood off the side of his face. His eyes fluttered shut once more.
"Nanaki," he breathed.
"Be still," the muzzle replied.
"Shit, that's the fourth time in the past two days," another voice that Vincent recognized as Cid Highwind's joined them. "I don't know about you two, but I'm sick and tired of keeping watch over vamps here."
Vincent groaned.
"I need my sleep too, you know," Cid muttered as he threw his jacket over the fallen gunman's prone form. "What makes him so special anyway?"
"Shut up, you old grump! Can't you see that Vincent needs our help?"
Half a smile managed to tug at the corners of Vincent's bloody mouth. It was Yuffie. Yuffie Kisaragi.
"These aren't just nightmares!" the small girl wailed. "Look what they're doing to him!"
Cid let out a mighty harrumph of defeat. "I bet I could do worse, kid." He shook his head. "Look, I care about him and all but this has got to stop."
"I'll talk to Cloud in the morning. Promise!" Yuffie said, wringing her tiny hands nervously. "He and Tifa can take over for you and Red tomorrow night, okay?"
"I do not mind this watching," Red XIII purred softly. "Vincent is my friend," he said after a moment. "And I sleep very little anyway."
"Yeah sure, make me out to be the bad guy," Cid grumbled as he ran several gloved fingers through his dirty blond hair and ripped his goggles from the bridge of his nose where they had fallen. "God damn, I need a smoke."
"Vincent, listen to me, this is Nanaki. Can you stand?"
In a weak attempt to sit up, Vincent's head lolled to one side and his claw-arm fell limply to the floor with a dull clattering sound.
"Screw that," Cid said. "I'll take him."
The naked gunman felt himself hoisted into the air and slung over a pair of broad shoulders.
"Rest now, Vincent. Go back to sleep."
Yes. A distant voice deep within him cooed softly in agreement. Sleep….