( None of these belong to me. They are owned by Squaresoft/enix so I would greatly appreciate it if you don't sue me please thanks) This is my second time writing a fic so bear with me, there's prolly a lot of mistakes in here. Lol no flames please. This is a Vincent/Aeris fic. This is a great fic for all you Vincent or Aeris fans out there... ' oh and another thing.. I know that I'm kinda rushing things and I'm telling the story really fast, but bear with me... I swear, I'll go more into depth and the later chapters will get better! ' Any more critiques or anything could really help me improve my writings.. thanks. Oh um, this is kinda a funny chapter... so, it's really silly, but i think that certain fangirls might enjoy it... nope still no songs... sorry.... Oh, this is gonna get kinda slow... sorry, but the icicle in chapters, are going to take a while, becuase it goes more into depth about Vincent's character.... but don't worry, there will be lots and lots of sswhoopin in here in the late late later chapters... but i promise, if you keep reading, it will get better! thanks for your inputs!! oh an brief mention of rumiko takehashi and her ranma characters in here, those are hers.. not mine... oh an pokemon... and ffX2 lol you'll see... read on...
Red Death's Love
-LMG-
/
They were traveling towards Icicle inn... Aeris couldn't believe it. 10 years!? I've been gone that long? Time passes by faster in the afterlife than it does here. To her, it seemed as if she'd been gone for at least a day or two. She thought about Cloud and pondered about the thought of him being with Tifa.
I can't believe that it's been that long... She hoped that he wouldn't be... As ridiculous as it was, she hoped that he waited for her... She knew it was selfish to think like that, but she couldn't help it...
Despite her mother's warnings, she really wanted to see Cloud.
They had been riding for a good two hours. Aeris had her hands wrapped around Vincent's waist so that she wouldn't fall off. In spite of her Vincent's silence, Aeris smiled in delight. It had been a while since she rode on the back of a chocobo. She loved these feathered beasts. They were such adorable and agile creatures. As far as animals go, chocobo's were pretty smart.
The golden chocobo was the most intelligent of it's kind, but coming across one is rare. They were also known for their speed and agility. They could cross mountains and oceans because they moved so fast. Its very hard to find a gold chocobo, the ones that exist were probably bred in captivity. Aeris pondered about Vincent's golden chocobo and where he obtained the beautiful creature. Her green eyes flashed as she turned them towards Vincent.
She could only see his back. The long strands of ebony cascaded down his back like silk. She was tempted to touch them... but elected not to, because it seemed that Vincent was the sort that couldn't stand to be touched. She remembered when she climbed up on the back of the Chocobo, she almost fell, so when she suddenly threw her arms around the silent man, he tensed.
What was wrong with him? Was she that irritable that he couldn't stand to be around her? As they traveld north, the wind was getting harsh. And little flecks of snow flew into Areis's hair and face when he tried to peer over Vincent's broad shoulders. She was starting to get cold and shivered despite her best efforts to conceal this fact to Vincent.
He was worried about Aeris. HE did seem a little careless with her feelings back there in the forgotten capitol, but he didn't mean to be... True, he was frustrated about his... no "their" current position, but what's done is done.. Aeris was here to stay, and they had to find out why?
Vincent thought about what Iflana told her daughter.... Vincent will know what to do..... what did she mean by that? He thought that he had already accomplished what he sought out to do by making up with Lucrecia and killing Sephiroth.... What else did he have to do?
He was busy in his thoughts, when suddenly Aeris shivered. The winds and snow didn't bother Vincent. He was almost impervious to the ever changing weather... HE could withstand a certain amount of heat and cold... but not for long... If the weather became too extreme, he would not survive. But he was alright for now... but how could he have been so thoughtless about Aeris...
She had on her pink dress and that was it.... Realizing how calloused he had been towards the young woman, Vincent ordered his chocobo to halt. Aeris poked her head out from behind to see if they were at the inn.
"Why did we stop? A-Are w-we there yet?" She said through chattering teeth.
Vincent turned his head slightly so that she could see his profile.
"No we're not there yet...."
He slipped off his bird. Aeris stared down at him in wonder... What is he doing? Are we stopping for a short break? I'm freezing my tail off here...
She was surprised when he pulled off his cloak and handed it over to her. He did it in a graceful and elegant motion.
"Here... wear this..." he told her.
She was too cold to argue, so she took the cloak out of his hands greatfully and thanked him. She looked down at her body, and wrapped the red cape around herself. It was nice and warm. When she turned to ask Vincent what he was going to do, he had turned from her and walked ahead.
What is he doing? She wondered. Is he scouting or something?
Vincent had one had over his eyes and claw in front as if to block the snow from his path. The snow was getting worst, it was coming down on a slanted angle from the mountain furiously. It was almost as if someone put up the snow barrier to keep them out.
Although the snow was biting, Vincent took this as a good sign, at least they were getting close to the inn.... In another hour or so, they would reach it... He headed back towards Aeris and the Chocobo.
When he got on his chocobo, Aeris asked where he went, he told her that he wanted to check to see how far away from the town they were. Aeris wrapped her arms around his torso.
"Oh.." she said.. she rested her head on his shoulder while they rode on.
When they got there, Aeris became extremely excited. She'd never expected to return back in the town where she, father and mother had lived... She wondered if her old house was still there. She asked if she could look around town.
Vincent nodded and told her to meet up with him at the Inn on the other side of town... Before he let her go, he told her that if she ran into trouble, or anyone from her past, she was to go straight to the inn and that he'd be there. He pointed in the direction she was to go. Vincent could tell that she was excited and wanted to explore.... She was like a big kid....
Aeris nodded and ran off. Her cheeks were rosy and there was a little bit of redness at the tip of her nose. Vincent took the Gold chocobo over to the inn that he and the rest of AVALANCHE had stayed during their journey to the North Crater. The outside was different... it looked a little bit bigger. The probably added on to it... Vincent thought as led his chocobo to the inns stable. He left the bird and headed inside.
When he went in, there was an old inn keeper sitting at the desk.. Apparently, he fell asleep during his duties. Vincent walked up to the desk and rang the buzzard next to the man. He still didn't wake up.
Instead he mumbled about "damn customers...." In his sleep.
Vincent kept ringing the bell. He was just about to shake the old man awake, when he heard someone coming down from the top of the stairs... the old man awoke to those sounds and rubbed his eyes. It took a while for him to adjust his old eyes so that he could see who was standing in front of the desk... He saw Vincent, and jumped in surprise.
Had he fallen asleep on the job again? Oh no.. Marta was going to scold him fro this. Vincent had a somewhat annoyed look on his face.
The old man sweat dropped. "Sorry there young man... I didn't mean to fall asleep on ya... eh... I'm real sorry if I've inconvenienced you in anyway...."
He paused and whispered to Vincent, "If my Grand daughter comes down and realizes that I've been asleep on the job... she'll yell at me... please.. whatever you do... don't tell on me...." He begged, just as soon as he said those words, a young lady appeared from the stairs.
She was young, maybe 16 Vincent guessed. She was wearing a white bandana, a brown dress, with an apron on. She had clean bed sheets tucked her arms. She came over to the old man and tsked.
"Grandpa.. did you fall asleep again?"
The old man jumped at the sound of her voice and grinned sheepishly.
"No, no Marta... I didn't fall asleep.... " He pointed over at Vincent. "I was helping him!! See!!"
The old man picked up the guestbook and showed it to Marta. She peered at the book and narrowed her eyes....
"I don't see his name anywhere.... The last entry was written three days ago by a Michelle Dupree..." Her brown eyes darted over to Vincent. "Unless she's changed sexes, and had extreme liposuction... I'd say.... No-!"
She plopped the blankets on the desk and placed her hands on her hips.
"Grandpa!! What have I told you about falling asleep on the job before?! You know... it's so hard doing business here without so many people coming to town... we really need the money... and you falling asleep won't help us..."
She picked up the buzzard. "I don't even know why I got this... it's not like you can hear it..."
Her grandfather fell onto his knees and wept openly.
"I'm sooo sorry Marta.... I'm so greatful for you... without you here... I don't know what I'd dooo!! I'm so irresponsible...."
Vincent sighed.... This was going nowhere.. all he wanted was a room to stay in and read his books... but instead all he got was a display of family feud..
Vincent decided to step in. "It's alright... miss... it was my fault...."
The old man looked on with wide eyes. What was this guy doing?
Marta gave Vincent a ridiculous look. "What? You mean it's your fault that Grandpa fell asleep?"
Vincent blinked and nodded.
She snorted and folded her arms across her chest. "Now this I gotta hear!"
The old man jumped up and said, "yeah! Me too!?"
Marta stared her grandfather down. "You pipe down you!"
Grandpa gave her a silly grin and bowed on his hands and knees. "Sorry," he said idiotically.
Vincent paused for a moment.. What do I tell her? She really looks mad....
"Well, you see..."He lied, "I was on my way in.... and.. your grandfather was polite enough to introduce himself to me... It's been quite awhile since I vacationed here.... And I asked your grandfather what I could do.. while I was in town.... And so he did... I had to admit... your grandfather told me a lot about this town.. and I was greatful that he had shared some of his pastimes with me.. so I thought it only fair to return the gesture..." Vincent paused.
Marta stamped her impatiently. "Well-?"
The old man nodded. "Yeah, well?"
Vincent glared at the old man... he moistened his lips and continued... "well, that's what happened.... You see, I was so busy rambling about my life... that your grandfather got bored.. and in his boredom... he fell asleep...."
The old man clapped his hands and jumped onto his feet almost as if striking a pose.
"HAha!! I remember now.... Yes yes.. the story was pretty boring.. as I recalled... you were talking about being a cross dresser, and I thought how disgusting... and then you were talking about all your shows.. and I was like.. NO WAY!! And then I started to get bored when you talked about your strange obsessions... so I turned myself off... and fell asleep..."
Vincent was enraged... how dare he... the old scoundrel.. and here I was trying to help him too... Vincent wanted to strangle him... Me? Cross-dressing? Bah.... Vincent banished the thought away.
Marta narrowed her eyes and peered into her grandpa's face.
"Oh yeah," she said cunningly..." If what you say is true, then why don't you tell me his name?"
Grandfather's confidence was now disheveled. "ey.. his name?"
Marta laughed "Ohhoho... see I knew it!! Liar! You are sooo dead..."
The old man sweated some more. "No no... I remember his name now.."
He looked over at Vincent... "Its... Romiko Takehashi!"
Marta agrued, "That's the name of your favorite manga artist!"
"Panty hose Taro?"
"That's one of her characters!!" "uh.. uh... Ninetails!?"
"Ninetails? Isn't that the name of an animal?"
"uh uh... I know what it is...."
"Then tell me!!"
"it's uh... Rikku?"
"nope".
"Yuna?"
"Nada..."
Marta snickered evilly. "Hah! You see!! You don't know what his name is because... you never spoke to him.. and you never spoke to him... because you were sleeping!!!"
The old man was crying now... Vincent's eyebrow twitched.
"Enough already...., that's not my name at all... It's Vincent... Vincent Valentine..."
The old man danced on his heels happily. "Aha! I knew it all along Marta! I was just joking... You see!!! His name is Hearts!!"
Vincent wanted more than anything to facefault... This is the reason why I don't hang out with people...
"Grandpa.. that's not his name!! he said his name a second ago!!"
"Oh did he?" Grandpa looked confused...
Marta nodded and pointed to the guest book.
"If you know his name then why isn't it in the guestbook?!"
"It is.." Vincent said coolly...
Marta and the old man stopped arguing and turned their heads toward Vincnet.
"It's in there you can check..."
Marta grabs the book off the desk and buries her head in it.
"Nu uh.. I don't see it where can it be-" She stopped when Vincent pointed at his name which was on the end of the page.
"See.. here on this dotted line.... Vincent Valentine..."
While the two were arguing earlier, Vincent had grabbed the guestbook signed it and place it back without them noticing.
The old man blew trumpets and did a jig on the desk. Marta shook her head...
"I-I don't get it... it wasn't here a couple of seconds ago... I could've sworn it was.... "
She scratched her head and shrugged her shoulders.
"Oh what the hell..."
Grandpa was teasing her..
"I told you! I told you!"
She grabbed her sheets and walked towards the other room in a huff. She stop in her tracks and yelled...
"Alright grandpa... you might have won this time... but... if I ever catch you sleeping again... "
She drew a line across her neck with her index finger. Grandpa gulped. Marta winked and exited the room. Vincent sighed. Good now that the drama was over... he wanted a room. The old man laughed... he called Vincent his friend and patted his shoulder.
Grandpa took Vincent up the stairs and into his new room. Grandpa turned on the switch next to the door. It was a nice room. Not too big and not too small. The floors were made out of wood and lacquered over with a thin layer of shellac so that the wood wouldn't splinter.
The walls were bare and painted white. There were four paintings in the room. One hung securely over the bed, two of them were along the wall near Vincent, and the last one hung over the wall opposite of the bed. There were bright yellow curtains which covered the windows. A small blue lamp on top of a brown lamp sat in front of the window. A large red sofa was planted on an angle on the other side of the room. There was a bed in the center of the room. And another door that led to the bathroom.
Since the room only had one bed, Vincent asked if he could get another room for Aeris, the old man said that they were all booked for now, but there was a young couple that was leaving in a couple of days, so check back then. Vincent nodded and put his things on the bed. Before the old man left, he thanked Vincent for helping him and if there was anything he needed to tell him... He also told Vincent that he could stay here for free as long as he liked. Vincent shook his head. He wanted to pay, but the old man refused.
"It's been a while... since someone's been nice to me... Granted my granddaughter always yells at me, because I get us into so much trouble.. I don't mean to....it's just that, I'm getting old, and well,.. I'm not like I used to be... It seems like now a days, all I ever do is fall asleep... "
He sighed wearily. "I only pray that Marta finds someone before I pass away... I'm not going to be here for long... and she has to make do without me... that's why she acts the way she does... you must forgive Marta for her actions...it's a lot for a young girl to take over a family heirloom... this house has been in our family for five generations..."
The old man walked over to the window and looked outside. "It was given to me by my father, and his father before him gave it to him... I gave it to my son... and now that he's gone, it falls onto Marta to take up this tradition..."
Grandpa shook his head wearily. "After her parents and grandmother died... I was the only one she had left... I know she acts like I'm a buffoon, but deep down inside her heart of hearts.... She is such a wonderful person... and I know ... she loves me..."
The old man turned to Vincent. "What about you young man? You're not the same like the others.... Not just anyone would take time out of their day to help out an old fool... where do you come from? Do you have someone special?"
Vincent, shifted to his side, and crosses his arms over his chest. He shrugs his shoulders.
"I don't really have a place to call my own really... I've traveled many places...it's hard for me to stay in one place for a long time...." Unless it's in a coffin, Vincent added silently.
The old man bowed his head slightly. "I see... but... do you have a special someone.. This... Aeirs.. is she your special friend?"
Vincent shook his head. "No, Aeris and I are... friends... just friends...."
Vincent looked away for a brief second and then back.
"The woman I love... she... passed away... a long time ago..."
The old man turned back to the window. "I see... I'm sorry to hear that.... You must've been in love real young...."
Vincent smiled slightly... "I guess you can say that..."
The old man turned away from the window and walked past Vincent towards the door. "Never the less.. as I said earlier, if you need anything... let me know... it's on the house..."
After he left, Vincent unpacked his things.. As he did so, he thought about the old man... and the way he looked. If it weren't for Hojo, I would almost be as old as he is.... Vincent thought as he placed his things on the bed. I just wish.... I wish...
What did he wish for? That he didn't look they way he did? That he switched places with the old man? Is that what he wanted? To grow old with the ones he loves... to live his life like a regular human being instead of some... some phantom?
No, Vincent knew... no matter how normal of a life he wanted, he could never have it... There was so much, that had gone wrong... so much that he did in his life that was unforgivable... Lucrecia had given him forgiveness when she passed on to the lifestream, but what of the others?
Lucrecia was only one of his guilty little sins... there were still a lot more... he couldn't even count them... Vincent sighed... What he wanted? What he really wanted, was penance and forgiveness...
A little voice inside his brain mocked him... You know Valentine... you know what you have to do to truly earn forgiveness and repentance....
You have to die...
Vincent brought his hand up to his head as if silencing the monster from within. Stop.... He thought this is silly.... He walked over the desk and put his things away... As he did so, he thought about Aeris and her adventure in town. Where was she? She should be due about any minute...
He looked outside the window and into the snow filled streets. His face was so close to the glass that his breath fogged up the window. I hope she's alright... and that she's not in any kind of trouble. With that thought, Vincent turned on the light by the window, grabbed one of his books, and sat down on the sofa.
-End