He was drifting in a liquid that
seemed somewhat like the Lifestream. Yet, even with that factor included, he
knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, that he was dreaming.
This wasn't real.
Suddenly, he was standing outside the Nibelheim mansion, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, when suddenly he noticed somebody. A pretty young woman, with shining emerald eyes and long auburn hair. He knew who that was immediately. After all, he had spent over thirty years of his life thinking about her, even if the majority of that thinking was dreams and nightmares. She turned to him, tears rolling slowly down her pale cheeks.
"Vincent… look at what you did to me. Just look. You ruined my life, and now you're going to forget about me for that other girl. You're cursed, Vincent. Everyone who falls in love with you ends up getting hurt by you,"
Tifa. She was there, too. She was sobbing, before turning to Lucrecia.
"He made Cloud detest me. Even after everything I did for him, yet he manages to throw my love away. Cloud will probably never speak to me again, thanks to him,"
For some reason, Tifa's words shook him more then Lucrecia's did.
"Vincent," The non-feminine voice made him start, spinning around, instantly going for his gun holster only to find that there was nothing there. Hojo was standing there, smirking at him. "You deserved everything I gave you. And more. It's a shame that the technical things available today weren't then, because if they were, you'd have a lot more to complain about, Mr. Valentine,"
He didn't say anything. Dream or not, he wasn't going to give Hojo the satisfaction.
"We all know that you feel for Tifa. Although I doubted it was possible that you actually had a heart, you've managed to prove me wrong. Congratulations, Turk. Not many people manage to do that,"
He started, staring at the megalomaniac of a professor. Hojo smiled a cruel smile which couldn't mask the look of anger in his eyes.
"You're a bastard, Vincent Valentine!" Tifa exclaimed, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I wish I had never met you! All you've done is brought pain and suffering back into my life!"
Vincent involuntarily flexed his claw, wincing slightly as he heard the sound of metal on metal. Then to his horror, he heard himself, or himself about thirty odd years ago, at least.
"Any last words?"
Lucrecia, Tifa and Hojo all turned with him to face the past Vincent, although a Vincent that two out of the three had seen before. The past Vincent was levelling a weapon at a young man's head. He remembered him, as well. One of those that double-crossed him and his fellow… colleagues. Needless to say, it was the last time that he had. The man whimpered at the Turk's feet, who merely scoffed, before lifting his foot and flicking the man with it, who fell back onto his behind. The past Vincent calmly walked up to him, standing beside him as though they were having a friendly chat.
"Do you remember what I said last time this happened?"
The young man shook his head wildly. The Turk made a look of feigned sympathy. "That's too bad. Let me refresh your memory, then, shall I?"
Everybody in the 'flashback' or whatever it could be called flinched as the gun went off, sending the young man fly backwards, a gaping bullet wound in his chest. His body hit the wall as the past Vincent made a face.
"Pathetic," he murmured as the man whimpered, even on his deathbed.
Everyone flinched at the second gunshot as well, which hit the young man in the head.
"And you don't call yourself a monster!" Tifa exclaimed, returning to the 'present'. "How could you do that?"
"I can't believe I ever loved you!"
"Well, looks like we have a slight problem here," To his surprise, it was Chaos, or at least how Chaos had been described to him, he never actually having seen the demon before. It beat its wings nonchalantly before coming closer, Lucrecia and Hojo both stopping their insults and the like to comment on Chaos' 'perfection' and what a success the implantation of the demons had been with Vincent. "They're right, my dear Vincent. Why not give up now?"
"Don't call me that," Vincent hissed.
"Monster!" Lucrecia suddenly shrieked, startling him. Her finger was pointing at him. Not Chaos, him.
The dream slowly faded away, but the piercing ring of her voice didn't. Even as he opened his eyes and looked around Tifa's house's spare bedroom, he could still hear the anger, the loathing in her voice.
It was all a dream. It was all a dream…
"Gods…" Vincent muttered before shutting his eyes, blinking away the tears that threatened to escape from his closed lids.
Hmm, angsty Vincent. I just got my computer back, so I'm very happy and updates will be more frequent now. I hated the last chapter's length too, so hopefully this one is a bit more satisfying :| Anyway, enjoy!
