Chapter X: Nightmares and caresses.
Chaos thought. It was not a process he particularly liked but was forced to do when the situation presented itself. The shadows around him shifted nervously about.
"WHO IS THIS NEW ENTITY?" Asked one of the shadows nervously.
Chaos didn't answer. He merely continued pondering the turn of events.
"WHO IS IT?" It persisted.
Chaos's patience gave away. The trio had been asking the same question since this new, thing, appeared.
"IT IS WHAT IT SAYS IT IS. IT IS A MERGING BETWEEN US AND THE MASTER. BECAUSE OF THE MASTER'S INABILITY TO ACT UPON THINGS LIKE HATE, THIS THING WAS CREATED, BY MERGING US WITH THE MASTER. WE MUST WARN THE MASTER."
The truth was that the new thing had stolen control over the morphing phase, manifesting itself whenever the master felt anger. The anger that himself and the others had created. It had stolen the best of both sides. The strength and power of the demons, the cruel ruthlessness of Vincent, put together with a vicious hate towards all life from the new thing. All the demons knew that they were the cause of the new problem.
"WE TRIED WARNING THE MASTER. AND WE MADE THIS FREAK OF NATURE."
"Cruel wordsssss ssssspout from your mouthssss, but you know we will endure to desssstroy you."
Chaos hazarded to say something he had heard long ago.
"WE BROUGHT YOU INTO THE WORLD, WE CAN TAKE YOU OUT OF IT." Hopefully.
Harsh, hissing laughter answered him.
Chaos hoped to high heavens that Vincent would at the very least take steps to banish the cruel demon inside him.
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Vincent watched the sleeping ninja. He had long ago lost the argument, but it did not matter when he got to listen to the sweet music of her voice. He felt her warmth beside him. Considering what had happened before, neither had any problems with Vincent sleeping in the same tent as Yuffie. He looked at her soft brown hair cascading down around her. He caught himself before he averted his eyes elsewhere. He turned from Yuffie, shifting his thoughts to anything other than certain brown haired ninjas. The green eyes. He thought of the green eyes. He thought about the strange hatred he felt for them. His thoughts wandered off to Yuffie again.
"No." He told himself sternly. "No one can like me in that way." He thought a little more. "No one can like me at all." He added.
Despite what he told himself, he still remembered the soft touch of her hands, her face smiling kindly at him. He rolled over and stared at the sleeping woman beside him. Well, he told himself, it never hurts to hope. Too much, at least.
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Yuffie was walking through the snow again, with the storm around her raging. Once again the glittering beast approached her, a malicious smile slapped on its features. Yuffie searched blindly around herself for a weapon, but the Conformer was gone. She half expected Vincent to plough through the snow and leap onto the thing again, but it never came. The glittering figure just kept coming. Yuffie turned away and began running, but was met by the monster again. No matter where she turned, it seemed to be walking towards her, the wicked smile on its face widening with every step. The frightening teeth gleamed in the cold light. The thing leapt, reaching towards her with the long claws. Yuffie opened her mouth to scream.
Before she knew what was happening, she awoke to find herself being cradled in Vincent's arms.
"'S alright, they can't get you here. 'S alright." Vincent whispered soothingly.
It was the first time Yuffie had heard Vincent say words that were not complete. He would take absolute ages to say things completely correct. But his words were strangely comforting. She felt herself pull her arms around him, as hot tears rolled down her face. She felt his warm body press against hers, and his hand caressing her. She closed her eyes and let herself stay in the arms of Vincent. He began to hum a strange tune. She felt herself drift off into a dream again, with his soft humming continuing to sooth her.
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"RAT BASTARDS!" Cid yelled.
Cloud jumped at the sound of the old pilot. He turned to address Cid.
"What's wrong now?"
"El freako and Yuffie took off!"
Tifa looked up from where she was sitting.
"I really wish you wouldn't call him that."
"WHO CARES?!"
Cloud was beginning to grasp what happened.
"What do you mean, they're gone?"
"Is there any @%ยค#-ing multiple meanings of 'gone' that I don't know about?"
"wha?" Cloud spattered.
Vincent he could understand running off like that, but Yuffie? What had gotten into her? Oh well. Cid and Barret would probably be happy to leave without them anyway.
"Reeve needs us today. Cid, Red you go and get your weapons. Now. Barret, Tifa we're leaving.
There was a reluctant look from Red and Tifa, but they followed Cloud out the door anyway.
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Vincent held the sleeping Yuffie in his arms, swaying from side to side like he was holding a child. He knew he shouldn't be doing this. It would backfire. But he felt reluctant to let go. He wanted to hold her, comfort her.
"Well, I'm only doing what she did for me." He told himself. It sounded like a bad lie in his ears. "Even if I do like it." Pause. "Slightly."
Vincent laid Yuffie down beside him, while he himself laid down to sleep. As he closed his eyes, the sneering face and green eyes entered his vision. He shivered and snapped his eyes open. He wouldn't sleep. He wouldn't allow the cruel beast the chance to leap out of him. To. hurt anyone. But he was so tired. He had to sleep. Or he wouldn't be strong enough to ride Shadow tomorrow. He turned and looked at the sleeping Yuffie. Her warm touch came to mind. He scooched a bit closer to her and allowed the warmth from her soft skin flow into him. He wrapped an arm around her and closed his eyes. He felt himself fall into a sea of blissful sleep.
And he smiled.
Chaos thought. It was not a process he particularly liked but was forced to do when the situation presented itself. The shadows around him shifted nervously about.
"WHO IS THIS NEW ENTITY?" Asked one of the shadows nervously.
Chaos didn't answer. He merely continued pondering the turn of events.
"WHO IS IT?" It persisted.
Chaos's patience gave away. The trio had been asking the same question since this new, thing, appeared.
"IT IS WHAT IT SAYS IT IS. IT IS A MERGING BETWEEN US AND THE MASTER. BECAUSE OF THE MASTER'S INABILITY TO ACT UPON THINGS LIKE HATE, THIS THING WAS CREATED, BY MERGING US WITH THE MASTER. WE MUST WARN THE MASTER."
The truth was that the new thing had stolen control over the morphing phase, manifesting itself whenever the master felt anger. The anger that himself and the others had created. It had stolen the best of both sides. The strength and power of the demons, the cruel ruthlessness of Vincent, put together with a vicious hate towards all life from the new thing. All the demons knew that they were the cause of the new problem.
"WE TRIED WARNING THE MASTER. AND WE MADE THIS FREAK OF NATURE."
"Cruel wordsssss ssssspout from your mouthssss, but you know we will endure to desssstroy you."
Chaos hazarded to say something he had heard long ago.
"WE BROUGHT YOU INTO THE WORLD, WE CAN TAKE YOU OUT OF IT." Hopefully.
Harsh, hissing laughter answered him.
Chaos hoped to high heavens that Vincent would at the very least take steps to banish the cruel demon inside him.
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Vincent watched the sleeping ninja. He had long ago lost the argument, but it did not matter when he got to listen to the sweet music of her voice. He felt her warmth beside him. Considering what had happened before, neither had any problems with Vincent sleeping in the same tent as Yuffie. He looked at her soft brown hair cascading down around her. He caught himself before he averted his eyes elsewhere. He turned from Yuffie, shifting his thoughts to anything other than certain brown haired ninjas. The green eyes. He thought of the green eyes. He thought about the strange hatred he felt for them. His thoughts wandered off to Yuffie again.
"No." He told himself sternly. "No one can like me in that way." He thought a little more. "No one can like me at all." He added.
Despite what he told himself, he still remembered the soft touch of her hands, her face smiling kindly at him. He rolled over and stared at the sleeping woman beside him. Well, he told himself, it never hurts to hope. Too much, at least.
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Yuffie was walking through the snow again, with the storm around her raging. Once again the glittering beast approached her, a malicious smile slapped on its features. Yuffie searched blindly around herself for a weapon, but the Conformer was gone. She half expected Vincent to plough through the snow and leap onto the thing again, but it never came. The glittering figure just kept coming. Yuffie turned away and began running, but was met by the monster again. No matter where she turned, it seemed to be walking towards her, the wicked smile on its face widening with every step. The frightening teeth gleamed in the cold light. The thing leapt, reaching towards her with the long claws. Yuffie opened her mouth to scream.
Before she knew what was happening, she awoke to find herself being cradled in Vincent's arms.
"'S alright, they can't get you here. 'S alright." Vincent whispered soothingly.
It was the first time Yuffie had heard Vincent say words that were not complete. He would take absolute ages to say things completely correct. But his words were strangely comforting. She felt herself pull her arms around him, as hot tears rolled down her face. She felt his warm body press against hers, and his hand caressing her. She closed her eyes and let herself stay in the arms of Vincent. He began to hum a strange tune. She felt herself drift off into a dream again, with his soft humming continuing to sooth her.
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"RAT BASTARDS!" Cid yelled.
Cloud jumped at the sound of the old pilot. He turned to address Cid.
"What's wrong now?"
"El freako and Yuffie took off!"
Tifa looked up from where she was sitting.
"I really wish you wouldn't call him that."
"WHO CARES?!"
Cloud was beginning to grasp what happened.
"What do you mean, they're gone?"
"Is there any @%ยค#-ing multiple meanings of 'gone' that I don't know about?"
"wha?" Cloud spattered.
Vincent he could understand running off like that, but Yuffie? What had gotten into her? Oh well. Cid and Barret would probably be happy to leave without them anyway.
"Reeve needs us today. Cid, Red you go and get your weapons. Now. Barret, Tifa we're leaving.
There was a reluctant look from Red and Tifa, but they followed Cloud out the door anyway.
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Vincent held the sleeping Yuffie in his arms, swaying from side to side like he was holding a child. He knew he shouldn't be doing this. It would backfire. But he felt reluctant to let go. He wanted to hold her, comfort her.
"Well, I'm only doing what she did for me." He told himself. It sounded like a bad lie in his ears. "Even if I do like it." Pause. "Slightly."
Vincent laid Yuffie down beside him, while he himself laid down to sleep. As he closed his eyes, the sneering face and green eyes entered his vision. He shivered and snapped his eyes open. He wouldn't sleep. He wouldn't allow the cruel beast the chance to leap out of him. To. hurt anyone. But he was so tired. He had to sleep. Or he wouldn't be strong enough to ride Shadow tomorrow. He turned and looked at the sleeping Yuffie. Her warm touch came to mind. He scooched a bit closer to her and allowed the warmth from her soft skin flow into him. He wrapped an arm around her and closed his eyes. He felt himself fall into a sea of blissful sleep.
And he smiled.