Title: For Whom the Bell Tolls
Author: Sae
Fan-verse: Kingdom Hearts FFVII
Couplings: VincentXCid, some implied CloudXSephiroth
Rating: PG-13 and most likely to stay that way.
Disclaimer: KH & FFVII belong to Squaresoft. The song-ness in each chapter belongs to Metallica.
Not me. Nope, nope, nope.
Warnings: Yaoi. Many little kids running around. Blatent screw-up-ed-ness of Sephiroth's family. (Hey, this is KH, ANYTHING could happen) Sad, sad angst at the end. Chibi Zell.....On sugar.
A/N: I wrote half of this chapter, then went on a super, ten-hours-of-play- in-less-than-twenty-hours KH kick, cursed myself because my thumb hurt like hell, then got the inspiration to finish it. And my thumb still hurts. Chapters should be coming faster, cause all the stuff that has occupied my mind lately is nearly done, so I have a bit more time to write. Go me.
Chapter 6: Wherever I May Roam
...and with dust in throat I crave
Only knowledge will I save
To the game you stay a slave
o o o
Vincent stood at a window of Cid's workshop, breathing deeply of fresh spring air. The steady drip-drip of melting snow filled the air, punctuated occasionally with a heavy, muffled thump of a larger batch of snow falling from somewhere. Vincent had spent the winter reacquainting himself with Hollow Bastion, getting to know all of the children from the city who visited the castle, and sitting in Cid's workshop, becoming friends with the mechanic and his assistant. The workings of the castle were much easier than he had been used to under King Hojo. Ansem didn't mind the children as long as they didn't break anything, Sephiroth was used to them, and Cid seemed to really enjoy them.
Vincent looked back at the discussion at the main table of the room. Cid, Sephiroth, Ansem, Shera and Cloud all sat around the table, discussing the strange blocks of substance on its surface. The only reason Cloud was there was because Sephiroth had begun to personally train the boy and had wanted him along. Otherwise, the doors to the workroom had been locked against interruptions.
The strange blocks had fallen to the ground during a meteor shower the night before. They were elastic, multi-colored, lightweight and opaque, quite unlike anything any of them had ever seen. As Vincent watched, Ansem picked up two pieces, a red and a green, and touched them together. They bonded easily, not sticky but more like two odd magnets. Cid reached over and stacked a blue piece on top, and it stuck well enough that he tried to pick up the blue and brought up the red and green along with it.
"Weird stuff." Cloud commented, prodding an orange hunk with his finger. It flexed under the pressure like a piece of firm rubber. "And it fell from the meteor shower last night?"
"I think it was the meteor shower." Shera said. "I wonder where it came from."
"Who knows?" Cid replied. "What I want to know is what uses it has. Can we cut it apart? Can we glue it or something to make the bonds stronger? Is it edible?"
Vincent reached over Cid's shoulder, selected a piece, and sniffed it carefully. The odd scent spoke of places further than he could imagine. "I wouldn't trust this to your stomach." He said, dropping it back to the table. It bounced slightly, struck another and bonded instantly.
Cid gave him an odd look over his shoulder. "Whatever you say, Vince." He said. "But what can it be used for?"
Ansem stacked several pieces like a brick wall and prodded the center. It wobbled slightly but didn't fall. "It seems stable enough. We will have to collect a larger amount and test it."
"I've sent the order that any amounts found should be brought here." Sephiroth said. "As the word spreads around the islands, more will come in."
"Who knows," Cloud said "We may get a great deal of the stuff."
"Who's we?" Cid asked him.
Before Cloud could answer, they all heard a distinct whistling noise. Vincent rushed back to the window and looked up. Everyone crowded around him and Shera gasped.
A great streak of light, larger than any of the meteors from the night before, was soaring across the sky. They all watched as it suddenly grew even larger, coming towards them. The streak, not whistling now but screaming, slammed into the ground between the city and the castle, throwing up a huge cloud of dust.
Cid was already out of the workshop, bowling over Aerith, Reeve and Yuffie at the door, Ansem and Sephiroth close behind, Cloud and Vincent bringing up the rear. They rushed down the stairs and were to the stables within minutes. Chocobo's were saddled in record time and the five were riding towards the crash site before the dust settled.
The sight they were met with was beyond strange. An airship made of the strange rubber-blocks was slammed into a half-plowed field, the tail end sticking up in the air. The unfortunate farmer and owner of the field was slowly heading towards the ship with a large rake in hand and a scared look on his face. When he saw his rulers and escorts, he gave a shaky salute and ran. In front of the ship was a strange, short person with a hood.
The person turned towards them as they came up, pushing his hood back. Two large, round ears stuck up from his head and his face was a long, pointed muzzle with a large black nose. Two black, intelligent eyes watched them.
"Holy hell," Cloud breathed. "It's a damn rat!"
"Mouse, actually." The rodent-person said in a high-pitched voice. "King Mickey Mouse, at your service!" He gave a bow.
Ansem dismounted and returned the bow. "Lord Ansem of Hollow Bastion, my King." he said gravely. "Might I ask what country you are King of?"
The mouse laughed brightly. "Oh, I know you have never heard of my country, M' Lord." he said. "But do y' know of a place I can get my ship fixed? I'm on a bit of an errand, y'know."
Ansem looked back at Cid. "I think I know just the place, sir."
The passage of three minutes found Ansem, King Mickey and Sephiroth riding back towards the castle, talking animatedly. Cid and Vincent were standing in the farmer's field, trying to figure out how to get the strange little ship back to the castle. Cloud decided that figuring out the ship was too boring and was lazing in the early spring grass near the road, feeding Cid and Vincent's Chocobo's with snips of grass. His own Chocobo was currently being ridden by a giant mouse.
"Too bad we can't drag it." Cid muttered, walking around the ship with his hands in his pockets. "Be easier, but it'd break somethin'."
"Maybe we can bounce it back." Vincent said dryly, his arms crossed and his back against the ship, his eyes watching Cid pace and stalk with some amusement. "The substance is rubbery enough."
Cid snorted. "Whatever. I might have a flatcar big enough back at the castle...."
"M'Lords?"
Cid looked up. The farmer with the rake had returned, this time with a large flatbed wagon pulled by two yellow chocobo's. Two young teenage boys sat on the birds, looking at the ship with a mix of awe and fear. The farmer cleared his throat. "M'Lords, I believe you are in need of a wagon?" he said nervously.
Cid grinned. "You, my friend, are a life saver." He said sincerely. "Ey, Cloud! Off your ass and help us with this thing!" He heard Cloud grumble and glared at the teen. "Consider it more training. Now c'mon!"
"Alright, alright." Cloud said, shaking grass from his hair. "So how you want to get this thing up here?"
o o o
...Rover, wanderer,
Nomad, vagabond,
Call me what you will
o o o
Vincent stifled a yawn as he pushed open the door to Cid's workshop. He had spent hours the night before with Cid, Sephiroth, Ansem and the odd King, listening to stories and tales hardly believable. Other worlds, other places, legends of stars and Kings and keys that locked worlds and unlocked a person's heart. He told them of the 'Heart of a world', and the Keyhole that led to it. In a quiet voice he spoke of people whose hearts had been overtaken by darkness and became shadowy creatures of darkness and destruction. Brightly, he spoke of his own castle and the animal-people that inhabited it, mice and ducks and dogs and chipmunks, all with the intelligence and stature and emotions of humans.
The stories had continued long into the night, and as a result Vincent had slept in far later than he normally did. The sun was riding high in the sky when he awoke, his head still spinning with half-forgotten dreams of dream- blue castles and talking mice and dark shadow-creatures with yellow eyes.
The sight that greeted him in the workshop was an amusing one. King Mickey's ship rested in the large open space, a layer of the blocks lifted off the front end, creating a hole that two distinctively different rumps stuck out of; one clad in dark green denim and quite a bit larger than the other, which was clad in red shorts with a thin tail sticking out the back. Vincent half-smiled and leaned against the side of the ship, feeling it bend slightly under his weight. Gummi-blocks, Mickey had called them. He listened for a moment to Cid's voice asking questions and Mickey's answering them. "You know, you're giving anyone who walks in the door quite a show, Highwind." He said suddenly, tugging lightly on Cid's pant leg. He heard a startled yelp, a thud, and a stream of curses that made him grin in spite of his night of little sleep. Cid dropped down from the ship, rubbing his head and muttering, Mickey dropping down beside him. Though it was hard to tell for Vincent, Mickey almost appeared to be laughing silently. The mechanic glared at Vincent with a blue eye ringed by sleepiness. "Did you even eat breakfast?" Vincent questioned, raising a brow.
"Breakfast, breakfast, what the hell is this 'breakfast' you speak of?" Cid asked sarcastically. "It cannot get in the way of science, man. Now out of my way, I've got a ship to figure out." The effect was ruined by a loud grumble from Cid's belly. Vincent raised both brows, looking at Cid pointedly. Cid gave in, shaking his head. "Okay, okay," he said, "Teach me of this 'breakfast', for it sounds like food."
Vincent chuckled quietly as Cid headed for the door. Mickey looked up at him, cocking his head to the side. "You two always that silly?" He asked.
Vincent nodded. "Cid seems to bring out the silly side in anyone." he said, watching the pilot talk to a servant across the workroom. "Brings out the best in them." he added quietly, more to himself than to the King.
"He seems to be a good friend of yours." Mickey said, watching Vincent intently.
Vincent blinked, pulling his eyes away from Cid to look down at the King. "He is a good friend." he said. "Possibly the best friend I've ever had."
Mickey gave him an odd look before Cid was calling for them, motioning them over. Vincent frowned a bit, following the King across the workroom. Did Mickey know something about Cid he didn't? Or....did he know something about Vincent that the ex-bodyguard didn't? Maybe he just suspected there was more between the two men than there was. Or was there?
I am way too tired to think right, Vincent thought.
o o o
...And the earth becomes my throne
I adapt to the unknown
Under wandering stars I've grown
By myself but not alone
Carved upon my stone
My body lie, but still I roam
Wherever I may roam
Author: Sae
Fan-verse: Kingdom Hearts FFVII
Couplings: VincentXCid, some implied CloudXSephiroth
Rating: PG-13 and most likely to stay that way.
Disclaimer: KH & FFVII belong to Squaresoft. The song-ness in each chapter belongs to Metallica.
Not me. Nope, nope, nope.
Warnings: Yaoi. Many little kids running around. Blatent screw-up-ed-ness of Sephiroth's family. (Hey, this is KH, ANYTHING could happen) Sad, sad angst at the end. Chibi Zell.....On sugar.
A/N: I wrote half of this chapter, then went on a super, ten-hours-of-play- in-less-than-twenty-hours KH kick, cursed myself because my thumb hurt like hell, then got the inspiration to finish it. And my thumb still hurts. Chapters should be coming faster, cause all the stuff that has occupied my mind lately is nearly done, so I have a bit more time to write. Go me.
Chapter 6: Wherever I May Roam
...and with dust in throat I crave
Only knowledge will I save
To the game you stay a slave
o o o
Vincent stood at a window of Cid's workshop, breathing deeply of fresh spring air. The steady drip-drip of melting snow filled the air, punctuated occasionally with a heavy, muffled thump of a larger batch of snow falling from somewhere. Vincent had spent the winter reacquainting himself with Hollow Bastion, getting to know all of the children from the city who visited the castle, and sitting in Cid's workshop, becoming friends with the mechanic and his assistant. The workings of the castle were much easier than he had been used to under King Hojo. Ansem didn't mind the children as long as they didn't break anything, Sephiroth was used to them, and Cid seemed to really enjoy them.
Vincent looked back at the discussion at the main table of the room. Cid, Sephiroth, Ansem, Shera and Cloud all sat around the table, discussing the strange blocks of substance on its surface. The only reason Cloud was there was because Sephiroth had begun to personally train the boy and had wanted him along. Otherwise, the doors to the workroom had been locked against interruptions.
The strange blocks had fallen to the ground during a meteor shower the night before. They were elastic, multi-colored, lightweight and opaque, quite unlike anything any of them had ever seen. As Vincent watched, Ansem picked up two pieces, a red and a green, and touched them together. They bonded easily, not sticky but more like two odd magnets. Cid reached over and stacked a blue piece on top, and it stuck well enough that he tried to pick up the blue and brought up the red and green along with it.
"Weird stuff." Cloud commented, prodding an orange hunk with his finger. It flexed under the pressure like a piece of firm rubber. "And it fell from the meteor shower last night?"
"I think it was the meteor shower." Shera said. "I wonder where it came from."
"Who knows?" Cid replied. "What I want to know is what uses it has. Can we cut it apart? Can we glue it or something to make the bonds stronger? Is it edible?"
Vincent reached over Cid's shoulder, selected a piece, and sniffed it carefully. The odd scent spoke of places further than he could imagine. "I wouldn't trust this to your stomach." He said, dropping it back to the table. It bounced slightly, struck another and bonded instantly.
Cid gave him an odd look over his shoulder. "Whatever you say, Vince." He said. "But what can it be used for?"
Ansem stacked several pieces like a brick wall and prodded the center. It wobbled slightly but didn't fall. "It seems stable enough. We will have to collect a larger amount and test it."
"I've sent the order that any amounts found should be brought here." Sephiroth said. "As the word spreads around the islands, more will come in."
"Who knows," Cloud said "We may get a great deal of the stuff."
"Who's we?" Cid asked him.
Before Cloud could answer, they all heard a distinct whistling noise. Vincent rushed back to the window and looked up. Everyone crowded around him and Shera gasped.
A great streak of light, larger than any of the meteors from the night before, was soaring across the sky. They all watched as it suddenly grew even larger, coming towards them. The streak, not whistling now but screaming, slammed into the ground between the city and the castle, throwing up a huge cloud of dust.
Cid was already out of the workshop, bowling over Aerith, Reeve and Yuffie at the door, Ansem and Sephiroth close behind, Cloud and Vincent bringing up the rear. They rushed down the stairs and were to the stables within minutes. Chocobo's were saddled in record time and the five were riding towards the crash site before the dust settled.
The sight they were met with was beyond strange. An airship made of the strange rubber-blocks was slammed into a half-plowed field, the tail end sticking up in the air. The unfortunate farmer and owner of the field was slowly heading towards the ship with a large rake in hand and a scared look on his face. When he saw his rulers and escorts, he gave a shaky salute and ran. In front of the ship was a strange, short person with a hood.
The person turned towards them as they came up, pushing his hood back. Two large, round ears stuck up from his head and his face was a long, pointed muzzle with a large black nose. Two black, intelligent eyes watched them.
"Holy hell," Cloud breathed. "It's a damn rat!"
"Mouse, actually." The rodent-person said in a high-pitched voice. "King Mickey Mouse, at your service!" He gave a bow.
Ansem dismounted and returned the bow. "Lord Ansem of Hollow Bastion, my King." he said gravely. "Might I ask what country you are King of?"
The mouse laughed brightly. "Oh, I know you have never heard of my country, M' Lord." he said. "But do y' know of a place I can get my ship fixed? I'm on a bit of an errand, y'know."
Ansem looked back at Cid. "I think I know just the place, sir."
The passage of three minutes found Ansem, King Mickey and Sephiroth riding back towards the castle, talking animatedly. Cid and Vincent were standing in the farmer's field, trying to figure out how to get the strange little ship back to the castle. Cloud decided that figuring out the ship was too boring and was lazing in the early spring grass near the road, feeding Cid and Vincent's Chocobo's with snips of grass. His own Chocobo was currently being ridden by a giant mouse.
"Too bad we can't drag it." Cid muttered, walking around the ship with his hands in his pockets. "Be easier, but it'd break somethin'."
"Maybe we can bounce it back." Vincent said dryly, his arms crossed and his back against the ship, his eyes watching Cid pace and stalk with some amusement. "The substance is rubbery enough."
Cid snorted. "Whatever. I might have a flatcar big enough back at the castle...."
"M'Lords?"
Cid looked up. The farmer with the rake had returned, this time with a large flatbed wagon pulled by two yellow chocobo's. Two young teenage boys sat on the birds, looking at the ship with a mix of awe and fear. The farmer cleared his throat. "M'Lords, I believe you are in need of a wagon?" he said nervously.
Cid grinned. "You, my friend, are a life saver." He said sincerely. "Ey, Cloud! Off your ass and help us with this thing!" He heard Cloud grumble and glared at the teen. "Consider it more training. Now c'mon!"
"Alright, alright." Cloud said, shaking grass from his hair. "So how you want to get this thing up here?"
o o o
...Rover, wanderer,
Nomad, vagabond,
Call me what you will
o o o
Vincent stifled a yawn as he pushed open the door to Cid's workshop. He had spent hours the night before with Cid, Sephiroth, Ansem and the odd King, listening to stories and tales hardly believable. Other worlds, other places, legends of stars and Kings and keys that locked worlds and unlocked a person's heart. He told them of the 'Heart of a world', and the Keyhole that led to it. In a quiet voice he spoke of people whose hearts had been overtaken by darkness and became shadowy creatures of darkness and destruction. Brightly, he spoke of his own castle and the animal-people that inhabited it, mice and ducks and dogs and chipmunks, all with the intelligence and stature and emotions of humans.
The stories had continued long into the night, and as a result Vincent had slept in far later than he normally did. The sun was riding high in the sky when he awoke, his head still spinning with half-forgotten dreams of dream- blue castles and talking mice and dark shadow-creatures with yellow eyes.
The sight that greeted him in the workshop was an amusing one. King Mickey's ship rested in the large open space, a layer of the blocks lifted off the front end, creating a hole that two distinctively different rumps stuck out of; one clad in dark green denim and quite a bit larger than the other, which was clad in red shorts with a thin tail sticking out the back. Vincent half-smiled and leaned against the side of the ship, feeling it bend slightly under his weight. Gummi-blocks, Mickey had called them. He listened for a moment to Cid's voice asking questions and Mickey's answering them. "You know, you're giving anyone who walks in the door quite a show, Highwind." He said suddenly, tugging lightly on Cid's pant leg. He heard a startled yelp, a thud, and a stream of curses that made him grin in spite of his night of little sleep. Cid dropped down from the ship, rubbing his head and muttering, Mickey dropping down beside him. Though it was hard to tell for Vincent, Mickey almost appeared to be laughing silently. The mechanic glared at Vincent with a blue eye ringed by sleepiness. "Did you even eat breakfast?" Vincent questioned, raising a brow.
"Breakfast, breakfast, what the hell is this 'breakfast' you speak of?" Cid asked sarcastically. "It cannot get in the way of science, man. Now out of my way, I've got a ship to figure out." The effect was ruined by a loud grumble from Cid's belly. Vincent raised both brows, looking at Cid pointedly. Cid gave in, shaking his head. "Okay, okay," he said, "Teach me of this 'breakfast', for it sounds like food."
Vincent chuckled quietly as Cid headed for the door. Mickey looked up at him, cocking his head to the side. "You two always that silly?" He asked.
Vincent nodded. "Cid seems to bring out the silly side in anyone." he said, watching the pilot talk to a servant across the workroom. "Brings out the best in them." he added quietly, more to himself than to the King.
"He seems to be a good friend of yours." Mickey said, watching Vincent intently.
Vincent blinked, pulling his eyes away from Cid to look down at the King. "He is a good friend." he said. "Possibly the best friend I've ever had."
Mickey gave him an odd look before Cid was calling for them, motioning them over. Vincent frowned a bit, following the King across the workroom. Did Mickey know something about Cid he didn't? Or....did he know something about Vincent that the ex-bodyguard didn't? Maybe he just suspected there was more between the two men than there was. Or was there?
I am way too tired to think right, Vincent thought.
o o o
...And the earth becomes my throne
I adapt to the unknown
Under wandering stars I've grown
By myself but not alone
Carved upon my stone
My body lie, but still I roam
Wherever I may roam