Sephiroth opened his eyes and looked off to one side. "There's a rock formation some distance to the west of here. That's all I will say."
"Thanks, Seph." Cid gave the feline a grudging smile. "How do you know Vin, anyway?"
Sephiroth paused for some time, then closed his eyes. The silver strands of hair all seemed to hover for a moment, then Sephiroth opened his eyes again.
"Oh, I have my ways..."
When the feline turned, Cid could clearly see that one true wing now came out of Sephiroth's back in the place of the marking. The pure white of the one wing was the same shade as the angels he had seen earlier, and Cid was overwhelemed with confusion and conflicting messages. A feather fell from the one wing near his talons, and Sephiroth disappeared into the brush.
"Wait! Wait! Get back here! Hey! I'm talkin' to you, #$^$#^!" Cid shouted angrily, but Sephiroth was gone, as if nothing had ever happened. Annoyed and confused, Cid picked up the feather and turned it around in his claws.
"Somethin' real #$^#ed up is goin' on here..." He looked back at where the feline had disappeared. "Cats don't got wings."
Cid followed Sephiroth's directions, not sure of what else he could really do. He wanted...
He thought deeply and paused. He needed to see Vincent again...he just didn't feel safe or complete without him...
He missed him...
The cynic that usually inhabited his mind and his tongue began to speak again.
Since when have you been so weak to need someone else like this, Highwind? I thought you could handle yourself...
The problem wasn't whether he could handle himself...he was worried for Vincent...
He found the rock pinnacle, a large collection of stones piled near eachother, forming an awkward kind of tower. He stared up, not sure of what to expect.
From a small hole between two rocks, two flashing rubys blinked at him.
"Highwind...?"
From what seemed to be an impossibly small hole, Vincent extracted himself easily, smiling at Cid with the most relief and happiness he had ever seen. The demon's black hair fell around his face wildly now without the bandanna to hold it back into place, but Vincent didn't seem to notice.
What Cid noticed however were the long scars, new scars, that had now been added to Vincent's chest.
"Hi, Vin." Cid smiled awkwardly, hiding his concern although he felt fire rising in him at the thought of the person who had done something like that to him, and walked towards him. "You okay?"
"What brought you back? Why did you come and look for me? How did you find me?" Vincent took Cid's scaled hands in his own, somewhat awkwardly and hesitantly. Although Vincent's voice was soft and quiet, the questions came quickly, something that Cid wasn't used to the demon doing.
"I...had some help." Cid smiled again, trying to keep his emotions quiet. "Doesn't matter now though, right?"
They stared at eachother for some time, only the twitching of both tails revealing anything.
Vincent abruptly pulled Cid into a fierce hug, holding him and shaking convulsively. Although Cid had wanted to do the same thing, but he had been too frightened that Vincent would push him away. Now that Vincent had made the first move, he had an excuse, and he took hold of Vincent himself.
"You came back for me...you really came back to me...I was so frightened without you..."
"Shh, it's okay, Vin..." Cid was shaking himself, trying hard to keep his tail from thumping against the ground in nervousness. "I'll always come back for you..."
"This isn't safe for us though..." Vincent moved backwards, stepping slowly so that Cid could follow him. "This entire thing isn't safe, but it's not safe here either..."
With a smooth motion and grace, Vincent and Cid managed to find their way back to the small area in the rock tower where Vincent had been hiding before. Cid was surprised to find that the area inside the rock was larger then he had guessed from the opening.
Vincent was still holding him, and Cid could not make himself let go.
"Why did you come back...?" Vincent sounded sad and confused. Cid wasn't sure how to respond.
"I had to...I wanted to be with you again...what happened, Vin...?"
Vincent shivered in Cid's arms and Cid responded, not sure of what else to do. "I...came back...late..."
"Those #$^#ers." Cid snarled underneath his breath, feeling the rage that he should feel for all demons coming forth towards those that had hurt Vincent. "How dare they..."
Vincent pulled back and looked at Cid. "Highwind..."
Cid looked at him in confusion. "Hn?"
"Your eyes..."
"What about them?" Cid self-consciously raised a claw towards his eye, but didn't feel anything strange around it. Vincent shook his head at the movement.
"They're...glowing..."
"Oh..." Cid smiled nervously and he watched the glow fade. "That happens when the fire starts buildin' up inside...it's no big deal..."
He could tell by Vincent's confused expression that he should continue. He didn't feel comfortable in the silence, so this was fine by him. "All us drags got the fire inside, right? That's how we breathe fire and stuff."
"Where...?" Vincent blinked at him. Cid seemed confused at the question at first, then realized that Vincent most likely knew nothing about dragons, considering where he had been and what they had told him.
Cid pointed to the center of his chest. "Somewhere in here, I think. They say it comes from our 'burnin' hearts', but I think that's just #$^#. Somewhere..."
Cid paused when Vincent raised his clawed hand and gently rested it on Cid's chest. Cid stopped breathing even, not sure of what Vincent wanted.
"You're right..." His soft voice finally broke the awkward silence. "It does feel warm..."
#$^#, I am NOT blushing...Cid thought angrily to himself. You're god$%#$ lucky it's dark in here.
"Yeah, it does that." Cid laughed awkwardly as Vincent moved his hand back to where it had been before, resting on his metallic arm. "The eye thin' is just the flames comin' out a different way, really. It's a drag thin'."
Vincent nodded. "Dragons...only breathe fire...when they're angry, right...?"
Cid paused, not sure of what he meant, then shrugged. "Well, we only breathe fire or charge up fire when we're emotional really."
"You aren't...angry at me...are you...?" Vincent's voice became lost and frightened. Cid shook his head vigorously and searched for Vincent's claws, finally taking them in his own.
"No, Vin, $^$# no, I'm mad 'cause they hurt you, that's all."
His eyes were still flickering with his inner fire that had not died, due to the emotions that were raging around in him barely controlled or concealed now. The light of his own eyes reflected softly in Vincent's eyes, which turned away from him, almost like in shame.
"They always hurt me...now they just had an excuse..." Vincent's voice was so soft, but now was shaky. Cid could tell he was trying to keep himself silent, to not betray how hurt he was. He knew because he had used that tone himself.
"C'mon Vin, don't be like that..." Cid wasn't sure of how to respond. "I'm sorry I got you in trouble..."
"Highwind..." Vincent stared down into his sapphire eyes, which caused flickering light to catch on the unshed tears in the demon's eyes. "Highwind, you're the only thing that matters to me now, I'd go through anything to be with you..."
"I am?" Cid cursed his stupid reply, not sure of what else he could really say. "I mean..."
"I never knew..." Vincent closed his eyes for a moment, apparently thinking about what he was saying. "I never knew...I never knew kindness before...not even from my own species, and now that you've shown me kindness...I can't go back to what I was before..."
Cid nodded slowly. "I know what you're talkin' about exactly, Vin. I've never met anyone like you before...now I feel like..."
Cid blushed slightly and looked away. "Like I couldn't really live without you..."
He looked back at Vincent and found him smiling. "What?"
"Your eyes...they're glowing again."
Cid self-consciously turned his eyes downward, trying to think of what to say. "Y'know, Vin..."
"Yes?"
"I'm..." This had always been hard for him to say. "I'm sorry for scarin' you before..."
"Scaring...?" Vincent blinked once then nodded silently. The air in the small cave they were sharing was heating rapidly with their breath and body heat, and again Cid could see through the corner of his eye that the sun was beginning to set. It made sense that Vincent only appeared near night, considering what he was...
Who he was.
"It was my fault for being afraid, Highwind. It's your nature, not who you are." Vincent smiled slightly. "I'm afraid I might not be making sense. But being a dragon isn't who you are. I know that now, but...it's hard to get over that fear...it's been..."
Vincent paused. "It's been driven into us...demons for a long time...it's hard to overcome..."
Cid stared at Vin, noting the light that was coming from his eyes, a soft glow that was deep within the scarlet red. Curious, he could not pull his eyes away as he found a question escaping him despite all his attempts to keep it to himself.
"I don't scare you anymore...do I...?"
Vincent paused, then shifted closer to Cid so that he was right next to him, pulling him close and holding him tightly. "I'm as scared of you as you are of me."
Cid wasn't sure what to do and this time he could feel heat rushing to his face as he blushed slightly, his face against Vincent's soft, cool skin. Raising one of his scaled hands, he gently touched where the new scars had been made across the demon's chest.
"Were you frightened then...?"
Vincent shivered slightly, his wings coming forward to obscure him from view, which was a typical response for winged beings. Vincent fought it back and managed to keep his wings were they were. "Who wouldn't be...after all I heard...and after all I knew..."
Cid could feel the fire within him rising even brighter at the thought of someone harming Vincent, but more so at the fact that it was his fault, no matter how many times that Vincent would deny it. If he had...
If he had just...
"There's no right answer to this..." Cid mumbled outloud to himself, holding his forehead. Vincent stared at him.
"There's no right answer to anything. Nothing has any real answer."
Cid stared at Vincent with a slight smirk. "If you weren't like that all the time, I'd consider that a good answer."
Vincent almost looked offended, but instead he turned his head away, staring out of the small cavern they were in. The space was large enough to hold both of them, but not so large that they could avoid touching constantly. They stayed close to eachother without the restriction of space however. As it was, Cid was in front of Vincent, who was leaning on him, the wall on his other side. Cid had only to look over his shoulder to see what Vincent was staring at.
The last rays of light vanished from the horizon, and the howling wind came rushing through the world, driving away all loose and light things.
Safe within their cave, the two watched, both of their eyes glowing softly, as the wind rushed across the opening, causing a strange note to be produced. It seemed to vibrate deep within the dragon, who waited for the wind to stop before breathing again. It was a custom that had been taught to him when he was young and it was too hard to stop now. That the wind was washing away bad air, and to breathe it in transit...
"Night is here again..." Vincent's voice had again taken that emotionless tone that frightened Cid so much. Cid looked at him, but Vincent was staring outside. With light, soft movements of his hands, Vincent leaned over Cid's legs and moved his head closer to the opening. Cid felt heat rushing to his face again as Vincent's hair moved silkily off his bare back onto his shoulders. "And I can sense someone coming..."
"Someone coming?" Cid twitched. He was normally more alert, how could he have not seen someone coming? He had sensed the angels approach...
What had let him be so careless?
He receieved his answer as Vincent moved again, brushing against his legs softly through the dark green fabric. "If we're careful, they won't see us, but..."
"Who is it?" Cid coughed sharply, noting the bright flash of light that came with the small exhalation of flame. Vincent looked at him and he felt embarassed for doing so.
"I'm not sure...but they aren't looking for us, I'm sure..." Vincent had a tinge of worry in his voice. The slightest betrayal of emotion was enough for Cid. "But we had better be careful anyway. Looking for us or not, if they find us..."
Vincent turned towards Cid, fear almost present in his eyes. "Highwind, don't worry. Don't be afraid..."
Before Cid could ask him why, Vincent put his arms on either side of Cid, and his black tail wrapped around Cid's own. Cid was surprised by how strong Vincent was as he lifted Cid slightly, moving him close to the wall so that their chests were touching. He saw a flicker of black blocking out his only light, and he realized that it was Vincent's wings, blocking him from view.
Of course, he was a dragon! In a dark cavern like this, he stood out painfully...that must have been what Vincent was doing...
He realized that the scraping of Vincent's tail against his own scaled one was moving it so that it was hidden behind them, and Vincent's tail settled, blocking Cid's legs from view.
Everything was completly black now, and all light had been blocked by Vincent's wings. Luckily, because of his coloration, the blackness wouldn't be noticed.
Cid stared at Vincent, who had his eyes closed. He almost looked as if he was in pain, and due to the fact their chests were touching and their faces only inches away from eachother, he could sense how fast Vincent was breathing and how his heart was beating so quickly. Thinking to himself, he came to the conclusion that Vincent must have cut himself moving his tail against his, as the scales were definitly being rubbed the wrong way. That must be why he was in so much pain...
Why was he doing the same thing?
"I'm sorry...I have to force this against you..." Vincent's voice was small and weak. He was breathing heavily, as if trying to keep something back. Cid was breathing faster as well, unconsciously matching Vincent's pattern.
"Force what, Vin?" Cid's voice was only a whisper, a slight flame against darkness for a moment. Vin opened his eyes, and they were so full of pain that Cid started, his own eyes beginning to water.
"I'm...forcing my presence...I'm forcing you to touch a demon...this closely...and..." Cid's own eyes were glowing brightly now because of the intensity of emotion he was feeling, and he could see in the reflected pinpoints in darkness Vincent's small fangs. "I shouldn't do this..."
"Vin..." Cid now felt fear rising in his chest as he could finally hear the footsteps that Vincent had been talking about. "Vin, you're everythin' to me. I can't live without you now. I could never hate you."
Cid felt flame in his mouth, which was fortunately protected against his own heat. In the flickering light from his eyes, he could see Vincent close his eyes, the emotion on his face so apparent. It was relief.
Cid saw something glimmer near Vincent's face, and saw a small droplet form near the corner of his eyes fall. Against his blue shirt, it made a dark purple stain.
"Highwind..."
"Vin...don't cry..." With those words choking out of his system, Cid couldn't restrain his own tears. They slide down his face and mingled with the red drop that had already fallen. Cid let loose a small sob, and the footsteps outside stopped. Both of them tightened their muscles in fear, but the dragon couldn't help himself. Tears began to fall without control, only now without noise.
"Vin, god#$^# it...I've been so god#$#% lonely for all my life and now...now...you're here..."
He opened his eyes and found that Vincent had red streaks running down his face, his eyes matching Cid's perfectly. The demon was crying blood.
"I can't leave you."
Vincent shivered, he could feel his whole body shaking against his own as he struggled to keep silent as the footsteps walked slowly outside, slowly fading.
"You...are everything to me..." Vincent's voice broke softly in his whisper, but he tried to conceal it. "You don't know how much I've been through, searching for this kind of...I've been..."
"I was made a demon because of false love...and I've been alone as long as you have..."
"Vin..." Cid stared up at him, not sure of what effect what he was going to do would have. If Vincent killed him, so be it. At least he would have his memories...
"Highwind..." Vincent shivered inside because he was frightened. He knew what he had to do, to prove this. He had to prove this...but he was frightened that he would not be recieved well...but he had to take that chance, that was his species way...
Cid leaned his face upwards, and Vincent moved forward, and the two of them met, kissing with a fervant desperation.
The shock of surprise was palpable by both of them at the other's action, but it soon passed, just leaving the two of them, connected, the dragon's and demon's tears running together.
Within moments, a soft light began to glow from within them as the pent-up emotions and frustrations that they had had for so long passed from one to another through their contact. Feelings, memories, pain, joy, loneliness, loss, everything was shared in that moment, which culminated with the ecstacy of acceptance.
Of love.
There seemed to be an explosion overhead, and the rhythmic pounding of rain came through, pattering with the strength that only such storms knew. When it rained, it rained hard and it rained fast, and there was no pause. The thunder exploded overhead once more as the two arched against eachother, still in contact, emotions flowing with such power after being held back for so long. The walls had been broken, and everything was now gone.
For moment neither saw nothing, only felt, as whiteness overtook both their vision.
The footsteps were gone, but as they slowly broke contact, the soft light dwindled until it was almost imperceptible. Staring at eachother, they breathed in unison, not sure of how to react. They had stopped crying, both of them had.
"Vin..."
"Highwind...is this...?" Vincent looked at his claws for a moment, the white aura more perceptible around his black skin. It was soft and was fading slowly.
"This is...holy #$^#, Vin..." Cid was staring at his own claws, which reflected the light with more gusto then Vincent's. "This is...this is $%^#in' Heaven's Aura."
"But..." Vincent shook his head slowly, his hair floating along with his movement. "That can't be right. We...we're not even the same species...that can't be..."
"$%&# species, Vin..." Cid moved his claws so they wrapped around the larger demon's back. "We're the #$^#in' same and you know it, you felt it too...that only happens with people who really belong together..."
Vincent's tail was trying not to move, but Cid could feel it brushing against his leg, desperately searching for the other tail for it to wrap around as it felt it should. With tailed beings, this level of emotion, this kind of emotion, called for the tail to be wrapped around something, whether the partners leg but more preferably the twin tail. Being deprived of that ws making Vincent's tail move slightly, but quickly. Cid's tail felt the same need, and the scales scraped against the ground softly as it lashed back and forth, Cid trying desperatly to control it. Vincent seemed to have more control over it then he did at the moment.
"Forgive me..." Vincent's voice was soft, but not weak or frightened or sad as before. It was different, confident, but wary. Cid could feel the soft breath touch his face.
"What the #$^# for..." Cid's voice wasn't angry, but he knew was Vincent was asking. Both of them were twitching sharply, their bodies wanting to fulfill what their instincts told them to, but the fear, the thought of it, kept them from doing so, and the tension was building.
Again their lips met, and again the emotions flowed between the two easily, naturally, like there had never been barriers in the first place. Because so much had been released before, there was no pain along with happiness, only the soft pleasure that was comforting, that was safe, something which both had been searching for for so long.
The emotion heightened everything, heightened their sense of touch, as Vincent pulled at Cid's shirt, his claws gently touching his skin, and trembles of emotion flickered through the bond they shared.
They were completely one. Their minds were one, and nothing mattered but them, but them and where they were, not the rain, not the wind, not the sun, nothing. They were eachother. They could never have asked for anything more.
Outside, two figures could be seen, one walking away from the clearing, having gone some distance, and one figure hovering above him, flapping yellow feathered wings instead of arms, sheltering the figure below him from the rain.
"I think I heard something..." The bird said softly. The hedgehog underneath him smiled.
"I didn't hear it, but I felt it in the ground." He ran some claws through his black headspikes. "I felt it, and it was definitly love. The real deal kind of thing."
"You think so, Zack?"
"Sure, I've felt it before." Zack smiled up at the blond bird, who blushed and looked away. "C'mon Cloud, I think there's shelter over here."
The Heaven's Aura was generally believed by a cynical populace to be a myth, a legend to go along with dead heros and mystical artifacts. Through each species hystery, the Heaven's Aura had appeared at points, rare and inbetween, yet indeniably in every race's experience. In each the description and the requirements were the same, thus proving it wasn't just one species ability, but something every species posessed. But the rarity of the phenomenon had made it become legend, something everyone knew about but no one could ever hope to achieve.
The Heaven's Aura belonged only to love, and could only be achieved through it. Love that was so strong that the two people became one, love so strong that one was willing to die for the other, one so strong that they could not live alone, one so strong that it became all that mattered to them in their life, that the other's happiness was the only concern they could ever have...the strongest and most powerful, the most deserved and appreciated. To those who never thought they deserved love, to those who needed it the most, to those who had never known the warmth that can only come from such love...
Heaven's Aura was a visible manifestation of the joy, the specialness, the wonder that came with such love, such pure and undying devotion. The white aura made whoever had it glow softly with a gentle white light, which was hard to see in the daytime, but easy to see at night. Clothes were useless, as it didn't come from one's skin, but the very air around the person reacting to their soul's power.
It was so rare, that when it was seen it was rarely believed, and to have it be seen meant that someone had found perfect love, had found the person they belonged with for the rest of their lives.
Heaven's Aura had no preference, no knowledge of how it could ruin things. It simply stated to the world their love, and didn't care if that could hurt who it fell upon.
Heaven's Aura had been bestowed on so many historic and imporant couples across species, it always fell on their greatest hero. Who he loved changed for each species, but it was almost always the opposite sex and within the species. It was generally unknown about the spiked one's great hero, but the spiked ones rarely said anything about anything.
But Heaven's Aura was reserved for those who had deserved it through great deeds and suffering, in the eyes of those who had heard the legends, those who had sacrificed themselves to save their country or their species. It was not common, or just a sign of any love, or anything.
Love of that kind was so rare, so strange, that Heaven's Aura had all but disappeared, and to have it was unbelievable. The very presence, if believed, was enough to elevate the couple to high places of power, to places of honor.
Almost no modern couples ever achieved Heaven's Aura. It was something reserved for gods and heros, not the common folk that now lived without any guidance.
The fact that Cid and Vincent were now both afflicted with the aura, which was undeniable, was not going to be easy to explain.
There was a particular female dragon that liked to follow Cid around, much like, in his opinion, a lost hatchling. Although hatchlings weren't inclined to nag your ears off about everything you did. Which was the problem that Cid suffered.
He had a home, but it might as well have been hers as well for all the time she spent there, cleaning and fixing everything, organizing things, and nagging him. He found that he always smoked more when he was at home with her then anywhere else, because the chemicals helped calm him down in her presence and stop him from outright attacking her to stop her venemous toungue.
Cid had no patience. He knew that. He was surprised that she didn't. But she didn't know a lot of things, although she liked to think she did.
Cid snuck back into where he lived, trying to avoid everyone. He didn't want people to see he was glowing this way, and he didn't want people asking him why. He REALLY didn't want anyone to smell his clothes before he could wash them and himself. If he had smelled vaguely of demons before, he smelled entirely of them now. He couldn't let anyone know.
He managed to make it back to his house safely without anyone seeing him by timing his arrival carefully. The least dragons were about near the high-noon times, when the sun beat down on the earth viciously. With that much heat and light reflecting off the dragons, it was a hazard to look at them and dangerous as well, as touching one could result in severe burns, even from other dragons. Not many people went about at this time more to save themselves the trouble then out of consideration for others.
Cid may have been obvious at this time, but the sun reflecting off of him hid the glow rather well and kept others away from him, something that he wanted.
He opened the door to his house carefully and crept in, locking the door behind him. Breathing out a sigh of relief, he looked down at his claws and noted the soft white glow that continued to play off his marbled scales.
"#$^#." He mumbled to himself. He sniffed the back of his claws carefully and was surprised by just how little he smelled like himself. It was almost as if he had taken Vincent's scent completely...
He headed for the bathroom, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly as he tried to stay calm. No one had seen him, so this wasn't a problem yet...
"Captain!"
"#$^#!" Cid bolted for the bathroom door quickly, his claws scrabbling over the doorknob as he locked himself inside, hearing the scraping of claws outside trying to open it.
"I saw you go in here! What was that about? Why did you get here so late?"
Cid secured the door with a stool then headed for the shower, calling behind him irritably. "#$^# off! I don't have time to talk to you!"
"Why do you smell strange? Get back out here so I can talk to you!"
"I said #$^% off!" Cid snarled angrily, flames hissing between his fangs. "I'll talk to you LATER, #$^#@!"
He heard her storm off angrily, and he sighed, wishing that he wouldn't let himself get worked up this way. He went to the shower stall and turned the knobs carefully, so that the steam that came out of the nozzles was not to warm. The threat of direct water down one's throat was a big concern for dragons, who believed their inner fires belied their own life. To have one's extinguished meant instant death. So steam showers, a safer alternative, was introduced and kept ever since, as steam couldn't hurt their inner fire unless they really tried to. And it worked just as well anyway, if only slower.
Cid shed his shirt and his pants, tossing his goggles on top of them carelessly. The pack of cigarettes that he commonly kept in there was now gone, given as a gift to Vincent before he left, to remember him by. Although there were many ways that he knew Vincent now could never forget him...
He stepped in, noting the scales on his feet gripping the floor easily. The substance on the floors of stalls was something that scales were meant to grip, which meant slipping was very difficult. Cid preferred this greatly over the marble the elders were so fond of.
It took some time until the steam was able to smooth down his hair and even longer until his hair was wet enough to wash, but he waited. It took ages for a dragon to shower this way, but it was the safest way. Cid personally would have preferred the lake, but there were still far too many other people there searching for his demon.
His demon...
Cid sighed and worked his claws into his hair, wondering if he could really get rid of the stubborn smell. His claws and feet were lingering, although the rest of his body had given up trying to retain the smell. He felt a kind of sadness as it left. The smell was now associated with happiness, with calm, with peace, with...
His horns were now easily visible, the protective covering of his hair and his goggles gone. He ran his scaled hands over them softly.
His horns SHOULD be longer...HER horns were. He scowled to himself and began washing himself even more thoroughly, hoping that he could get rid of every trace of evidence. She couldn't know, she would never understand.
His tail curled around one his legs. He knew it missed it's black counterparts presence, and he let it cling. He missed his own black counterparts presence as well.
It took a great deal of effort and soap until he was able to completely dislodge the smell. He now smelled like flowers, something which bothered him. The minute he left the shower and began to towel himself down, he lit himself another cigarette, to let that familiar smell mask his own. He sniffed the back of his hand again, and found that underneath everything, there was the faint remnants of Vincent's scent hiding underneath his own.
He sighed as he doubted that he would ever get rid of the smell permanently. Just as he would never truly get rid of this glow. It haunted him even as he put on a fresh shirt and pants, hiding his old ones deep in one of the hampers. He'd find them and wash them later, when he got rid of her.
He opened the door and she sat on the couch, glaring at him.