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.
Chapter 14: For Whom the Bell Tolls
Make this fight on the hill in the early day
Constant chill deep inside
Shouting gun, on they run, through the endless grey
On the fight, for they are right, yes, but who's to say?
o o o
Cid stalked around the corner, a shivering Yuffie held one arm. Aerith walked by his side, holding his hand, Squall on the other side with his gunblade at the ready. Cid let go of Aerith's hand long enough to push open a large door. The two Gummi-ships that Cid had finished in the last two years gleamed in the pre-dawn light, the blue-grey Highwind and the bright pink and much smaller Tiny Bronco. Cid led them towards the Highwind and set Yuffie down. "On the Highwind." He said firmly. "And stay there. You too, Squall." Knowing better than to argue, they scrambled up the short ramp and into the ship as Cid went to open the great doors at the end of the hanger.
The sound of the door opening caught his attention and he turned, expecting to see Vincent enter, but saw instead Sephiroth and Cloud. He ran over to them, looking past them for Vincent's dark form, straining his ears for the sounds of gunshots. "Where is he?" The mechanic snapped.
"Vincent?" Cloud asked, turning towards Sephiroth with wide eyes. "He's still up there? We must've passed him when we jumped!"
Cid looked as if he was going to take off right then for his lover, but Sephiroth grabbed him by the elbow before he could. "We'll go for him, Cid," He said. "But you need to get them out of here now. I can fly the Bronco, but only you know how to fly the Highwind. Please."
Cid looked at Sephiroth for a long moment, his azure eyes full of pain and worry, then he grabbed Sephiroth by the edges of his coat and pulled him close, nose to nose. "You had better find him." He snarled, then released Sephiroth and stalked towards his ship.
Sephiroth turned on one heel and left. Cloud threw a worried glance back at the Highwind and followed his teacher.
o o o
For a hill, men would kill. Why? They do not know
Suffered wounds test their pride
Men of five, still alive through the raging glow
Gone insane from the pain that they surely know
o o o
They nearly tripped over Vincent. The gunman was sitting against the wall of a balcony, breathing harshly, his eyes closed. The swordsmen dropped beside him, swords clattering to the stone. "Vince-" Cloud started.
"Damn things." Vincent muttered, sitting up and opening his eyes. He looked up at them, his eyes clouded in pain. Sephiroth opened his mouth to speak, then fell silent once he got a good look at what was left of Vincent's torso. A ragged wound gaped across Vincent's chest, the pale gleam of his ribs deep inside. A smaller wound ripped across his leg, welled up with bright blood. More blood stained the stone around him. It was amazing he was still alive. Around the corner ahead, the slither-step of approaching Heartless was clearly audible.
"C'mon, Vincent." Cloud pleaded, tugging the gunman's arm. "Cid's waiting for us down-"
"Cid..." Vincent said sadly. His hands came up to his neck and slowly unbuckled the cloak around his neck. He reached inside the collar of his shirt and pulled out the Ankh Cid had given him a year and a half before; the day he told him he loved him. The wings beat wildly as Vincent unfastened the chain and handed it to Cloud. Cloud carefully took it, looking at Vincent with wide eyes, then fastened the chain around his own neck. Vincent sat back with a barely audible sigh, his good hand coming up to twist the metal band of his gauntlet.
"Vincent," Sephiroth hissed. "You-"
"Tell him I love him." Vincent whispered, sliding the gauntlet off his arm, revealing the deformed hand beneath. "Give him that and tell him that I'm sorry I couldn't make it." He pulled his cloak out from beneath him, wrapped it around his gauntlet, and handed the bundle to Cloud. "Make sure he gets it and remember my message." Cloud nodded, his throat too thick with unshed tears to speak.
Vincent turned his scarlet eyes towards Sephiroth, a soft smile on his lips. His hand came up, trembling and blood-stained, to dance as light as a moth along the general's cheek. "As beautiful as your mother." He breathed as Sephiroth's hand came up and covered Vincent's, pressing it to his cheek. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to watch you grow up. Take care of your student. Now go." His eyes closed again as he bit his lip in pain. Sephiroth nodded slowly, his fingers trailing Vincent's as he stood. Cloud stood beside him and the two retrieved their swords and left. "Be safe." Vincent whispered at their retreating backs.
For the second time in his life, Vincent Valentine was going to die for love.
o o o
Take a look at the sky just before you die
It's the last time you will
Blackened roar, massive roar, fills the crumbling sky
Shattered goal fills his soul with a ruthless cry
o o o
He sighed and picked up the gun that lay forgotten in his lap, checking the clip. He could feel the Heartless rising in his mind, much more slowly than last time. The Heartless kept his heart safe from the other creatures, but not his body. His body, more or less, was still human and could die like anyone else. The rising Heartless gave him an extra burst of energy and he stood, injuries forgotten as he whirled, liquid-smooth, scarlet wings exploding through his shirt and the skin of his back.
A massive wave of Heartless was bearing down on him, dead-alive eyes greedy for his heart that they could not have.
o o o
Stranger now, are his eyes, to this mystery
He hears the silence so loud
o o o
His gun sang it's song of death in his hand, each bullet making a fatal mark. As he watched the Heartless fall before him, tears fell down his cheeks. Tears for those taken by the Heartless, lost to the darkness. Tears for the children, ripped from their home, for the son he never held, for his lover he'd never hold again, for his long-dead love he never told goodbye. None fell for himself. He never cried for his own fate.
o o o
Crack of dawn, all is gone, except the will to be
Now they will see what will be, blinded eyes to see
o o o
His gun clicked empty, his clips all spent. He tossed it aside, spreading both arms and wings. "As long as I live," He yelled at the approaching Heartless. "You will not pass me to take those I love!" The approaching creatures hesitated, then plunged forward. Vincent's wings flapped, lifting him into the air, and he flew forward to meet his death.
He was smiling.
o o o
For whom the bell tolls
Time marches on
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.
Chapter 14: For Whom the Bell Tolls
Make this fight on the hill in the early day
Constant chill deep inside
Shouting gun, on they run, through the endless grey
On the fight, for they are right, yes, but who's to say?
o o o
Cid stalked around the corner, a shivering Yuffie held one arm. Aerith walked by his side, holding his hand, Squall on the other side with his gunblade at the ready. Cid let go of Aerith's hand long enough to push open a large door. The two Gummi-ships that Cid had finished in the last two years gleamed in the pre-dawn light, the blue-grey Highwind and the bright pink and much smaller Tiny Bronco. Cid led them towards the Highwind and set Yuffie down. "On the Highwind." He said firmly. "And stay there. You too, Squall." Knowing better than to argue, they scrambled up the short ramp and into the ship as Cid went to open the great doors at the end of the hanger.
The sound of the door opening caught his attention and he turned, expecting to see Vincent enter, but saw instead Sephiroth and Cloud. He ran over to them, looking past them for Vincent's dark form, straining his ears for the sounds of gunshots. "Where is he?" The mechanic snapped.
"Vincent?" Cloud asked, turning towards Sephiroth with wide eyes. "He's still up there? We must've passed him when we jumped!"
Cid looked as if he was going to take off right then for his lover, but Sephiroth grabbed him by the elbow before he could. "We'll go for him, Cid," He said. "But you need to get them out of here now. I can fly the Bronco, but only you know how to fly the Highwind. Please."
Cid looked at Sephiroth for a long moment, his azure eyes full of pain and worry, then he grabbed Sephiroth by the edges of his coat and pulled him close, nose to nose. "You had better find him." He snarled, then released Sephiroth and stalked towards his ship.
Sephiroth turned on one heel and left. Cloud threw a worried glance back at the Highwind and followed his teacher.
o o o
For a hill, men would kill. Why? They do not know
Suffered wounds test their pride
Men of five, still alive through the raging glow
Gone insane from the pain that they surely know
o o o
They nearly tripped over Vincent. The gunman was sitting against the wall of a balcony, breathing harshly, his eyes closed. The swordsmen dropped beside him, swords clattering to the stone. "Vince-" Cloud started.
"Damn things." Vincent muttered, sitting up and opening his eyes. He looked up at them, his eyes clouded in pain. Sephiroth opened his mouth to speak, then fell silent once he got a good look at what was left of Vincent's torso. A ragged wound gaped across Vincent's chest, the pale gleam of his ribs deep inside. A smaller wound ripped across his leg, welled up with bright blood. More blood stained the stone around him. It was amazing he was still alive. Around the corner ahead, the slither-step of approaching Heartless was clearly audible.
"C'mon, Vincent." Cloud pleaded, tugging the gunman's arm. "Cid's waiting for us down-"
"Cid..." Vincent said sadly. His hands came up to his neck and slowly unbuckled the cloak around his neck. He reached inside the collar of his shirt and pulled out the Ankh Cid had given him a year and a half before; the day he told him he loved him. The wings beat wildly as Vincent unfastened the chain and handed it to Cloud. Cloud carefully took it, looking at Vincent with wide eyes, then fastened the chain around his own neck. Vincent sat back with a barely audible sigh, his good hand coming up to twist the metal band of his gauntlet.
"Vincent," Sephiroth hissed. "You-"
"Tell him I love him." Vincent whispered, sliding the gauntlet off his arm, revealing the deformed hand beneath. "Give him that and tell him that I'm sorry I couldn't make it." He pulled his cloak out from beneath him, wrapped it around his gauntlet, and handed the bundle to Cloud. "Make sure he gets it and remember my message." Cloud nodded, his throat too thick with unshed tears to speak.
Vincent turned his scarlet eyes towards Sephiroth, a soft smile on his lips. His hand came up, trembling and blood-stained, to dance as light as a moth along the general's cheek. "As beautiful as your mother." He breathed as Sephiroth's hand came up and covered Vincent's, pressing it to his cheek. "I'm sorry I wasn't there to watch you grow up. Take care of your student. Now go." His eyes closed again as he bit his lip in pain. Sephiroth nodded slowly, his fingers trailing Vincent's as he stood. Cloud stood beside him and the two retrieved their swords and left. "Be safe." Vincent whispered at their retreating backs.
For the second time in his life, Vincent Valentine was going to die for love.
o o o
Take a look at the sky just before you die
It's the last time you will
Blackened roar, massive roar, fills the crumbling sky
Shattered goal fills his soul with a ruthless cry
o o o
He sighed and picked up the gun that lay forgotten in his lap, checking the clip. He could feel the Heartless rising in his mind, much more slowly than last time. The Heartless kept his heart safe from the other creatures, but not his body. His body, more or less, was still human and could die like anyone else. The rising Heartless gave him an extra burst of energy and he stood, injuries forgotten as he whirled, liquid-smooth, scarlet wings exploding through his shirt and the skin of his back.
A massive wave of Heartless was bearing down on him, dead-alive eyes greedy for his heart that they could not have.
o o o
Stranger now, are his eyes, to this mystery
He hears the silence so loud
o o o
His gun sang it's song of death in his hand, each bullet making a fatal mark. As he watched the Heartless fall before him, tears fell down his cheeks. Tears for those taken by the Heartless, lost to the darkness. Tears for the children, ripped from their home, for the son he never held, for his lover he'd never hold again, for his long-dead love he never told goodbye. None fell for himself. He never cried for his own fate.
o o o
Crack of dawn, all is gone, except the will to be
Now they will see what will be, blinded eyes to see
o o o
His gun clicked empty, his clips all spent. He tossed it aside, spreading both arms and wings. "As long as I live," He yelled at the approaching Heartless. "You will not pass me to take those I love!" The approaching creatures hesitated, then plunged forward. Vincent's wings flapped, lifting him into the air, and he flew forward to meet his death.
He was smiling.
o o o
For whom the bell tolls
Time marches on
For whom the bell tolls.