Disclaimer: Square owns FFVII

A/N: This is my second one-shot for the Changing Times, a collection of one shots setting up some events/relationships in Times of Separation. The time frame is kind of sketchy because it doesn't really matter when it happens. Just know that it's in-game and it's not that long after Sephy offed Aeris. Anyway, I'll keep it by itself for a week or two, then through it in with the other one. Oh, and please review!

Sympathy for a Demon

A guttural roar tore through the air as pain tore through every inch of his body. Pain seared his skin. His lungs felt as if they were filled with blood. He choked on the oxygen as it reached his pain filled throat. God how he wished he could bleed right now. As a release, as some sort of sign of his suffering, as a signal to tell him that he was indeed still alive, as anything.

A guttural roar tore through the air as worry ran through every inch of her body. She watched from a distance as her friend suffered, as she did many nights. That's right, her friend. He had a hard time believing that he had any of those, but he had plenty.

Well, he had one less now. Only a couple weeks ago, he had a beautiful, brown-haired, green-eyed Cetra as a friend, but now she was gone. Aeris was gone and there was nothing any of them could do about it - including Cloud. Poor, disillusioned Cloud. He still couldn't let go. He could never come to grips with the fact that his story-book ending to this whole mess would never come true. But, it's only been a few weeks, right? Maybe I just need to give him more time...

Tifa was brought out of her mental tangent by a fast approaching figure. His ebony hair waved with the wind, trailing behind his gracefully swift body. She turned to greet him with a smile, but was met with an icy glare from those, cold, indifferent, yet burning red eyes. Sometimes she still mentally jumped at their sight.

"Why are you here?" Like his eyes, his voice was cold and uncaring as he questioned her.

"It's my night to keep watch, Vincent. I have to be out here."

"I believe you are meant to watch out for enemies, not me." With his short statement finished, Vincent quickly began to finish his trip back to the inn. He knew what she had seen and he was not pleased with it. He really would rather keep such events private.

"Why do you deal with... that the way that you do?" The innocence in Tifa's voice did nothing to dull the shock it dealt. Up until now, no one had ever bothered to question Chaos, or how Vincent "dealt" with the demon. Every night Vincent would breathe a sigh of relief that no one had. No such sigh would escape his lips tonight.

He turned, giving Tifa his attention. She took this as a sign to continue. "I mean, you try so hard to keep it in during battle. Why do you willfully let it out when you're all alone? I guess I just don't see the logic."

Vincent's features remained impassive despite his flustered insides. "You should know that I am not in full control of Chaos. I do not wish to run the risk of injuring anyone."

Tifa sighed. As her eyes fell to the ground at Vincent's feet, her mind searched for words to use. She had to phrase this delicately, knowing it was a touchy subject for the quiet man. Why do I have to be so damned curious anyway...

After a few moments of silence, Vincent was ready to again head back inside, until Tifa broke her silence. "I guess I'm trying to say that, if you can hold it in, why do you let it out at all?"

Why do I let it out? Vincent search for a way to verbalize what he felt without frightening her to no ends.. How could he tell her that Chaos was such a vital part of his life? How could he tell her that something inside of him still pushed him towards letting the beast loose? How could he tell her that Vincent, the Turk, wasn't necessarily dead yet?

"It is something you should hope to never understand. Understanding leads to sympathy. Sympathizing with the Devil makes you no better than he."

Tifa's heart sunk. It always did when she heard him say things like that. Being around Vincent for more than a day would make it plain to see that he was his own proverbial devil. "I don't know why you insist on talking about yourself like that. It isn't... right. And above all, it isn't true."

"To deny what I am would be to ignore the facts that stare me in the face. Ignorance may be bliss, but undeserved bliss is sinful. I don't need any more sins added to my list."