THE DEVIL BEHIND THE DISGUISE- CHAPTER 5- THE GHOST WHISPERER
I DON'T OWN ANY NAMES, PLACES OR EVENTS OF FINAL FANTASY 7, NOW IF I DIDN'T SAY THAT I'D THINK I'D HAVE TO RUN AWAY VERY FAST FROM THE LAWYERS.
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Cloud opened an old wardrobe in the corner of his room. His old SOLDIER uniform was hung up in it along with ultima weapon, which glowed faintly of the surrounding darkness. He took out one of his old gloves and strapped it firmly to his left hand to cover the message. He didn't want anyone seeing it. He looked over at the flashing lights of his alarm clock. They blinked 11:15 back at him. He crept quietly down the stairs so not to wake anyone, especially Red XIII, was curled up on the landing. Cloud held his breath as he walked past him, but fortunately he did not even stir.
He opened the door to the bar and strode across the wooden floor. Shadows glanced off the polished tables as the heavy stream of traffic rumbled past. He carefully opened the door and inhaled a breath of cold air.
'Going somewhere, Cloud?'
Cloud froze. He swore violently under his breath and whirled round to see Vincent sitting on the edge of a table.
'Go back to your cave vampire boy' he said aggressively.
Vincent smirked back at him. His sleek, black hair lay unkempt across his shoulders. The shadows made his eyes look hollowed and his features more clearly defined.
'Where are you going?' he repeated '
I was...going...to...' Cloud paused as an idea struck him. He had heard crazy stories of people who could make contact with deceased spirits and ghosts. Lucrecia who was Vincent's 'ex' happened to be one of them. He always believed these stories as a child. Maybe just maybe...
'Vincent! Where is Lucrecia? I need to see her-now!' he waited for an answer. It came short and sharp.
'You're crazy. Why?'
'No time to explain, tell me quick' he said grabbing Vincent's skeletal shoulders. Vincent blinked in slight disbelief.
'Fine' he said, pushing Cloud away from him and standing up. 'I'm coming with you though- we can't have Reno having another go at you can we?' Cloud ignored him as they departed into the night.
After 20-minute journey in the Highwind, they arrived at Lucrecia's cave. It was damp and dimly lit with a few candles burned down to stumps. A lonely figure sat talking to herself at the very end of the cavern with her back turned.
'Now we can't let that happen can we? No of course not my child will come back oh yes he will because he is mine...yes, all mine, oh! Can I hear the beasties coming...or is it just the pixies?'
She turned around and stared at them with large, pale eyes. Her straggly brown hair hung limply down her back.
'youuuuuuuuuu!' she screeched 'now see what I have done?' she held up her heavily scarred wrists. 'Where is my child? Tell me...tell me!' she crawled forward to Vincent's feet.
'Sephiroth is dead'
'No! He is no relation to me! He is nothing!' Where is my child? YOUR child!' Cloud stared in utter shock at Vincent. He didn't think Vincent had ever...
'Oh Zack where are you?' she wailed. Zack! Cloud remembered his friendship with him in SOLDIER. He was a good- natured man who was shot by shinRA troops. Cloud had vowed revenge. He couldn't believe it he thought the second name Valentine was just a coincidence ... 'He is dead'
'I'll kill ye! Lucrecia screamed. 'You did it! YOU DID IT!' She continued to scream. 'Cloud! Get yourself out of here! NOW!' Vincent started to yell with pain as his body contorted into his other self- chaos.
Lucrecia too, had transformed into a monster. It resembled a huge bat with spines down it's back. She took off into the air, Vincent closely following her. They struck each other in mid air, slashing with claws, biting with fangs. Cloud watched, transfixed with horror. If he didn't do something, they would kill each other. He looked desperately around the dank cave. He gripped his hands desperately, feeling the leather glove around his hand. As he did this he felt a smooth round object underneath his fingers. He looked down and saw a shiny red materia slotted into the glove- a summon materia. Cloud knew what to do. He raised his hand high and cried the summoning prayer.
'Mighty king of dragons hear my plea...COME FORTH!'
Suddenly, two great leathery wings swept up like rising daggers. The ground disappeared as the roof of the cave drew nearer. The wind screamed in Cloud's ears as he grabbed onto a spine to stop himself slipping off. Bahumut glided through the air like a swift blade and circled above Vincent and Lucrecia. The dragon dived to attack. Cloud saw a mega flare forming just before he closed his eyes- 'STOP!'
A girl was kneeling on the ground with her hands over her head as if she was being attacked. Bahumut vaporised into thin air. Cloud dropped a few feet but stood up straight away and ran towards the girl and helped her up. It was Yuffie.
'Yuffie, how did you get in here, its too dangerous, go home....' A strange sensation came over Cloud. He felt dizzy and light headed. All that mattered was.....kill the girl.......kill the girl.....
Cloud saw his hands reach out in front of him as if of their own accord and secure themselves around Yuffie's neck, constricting her airways. A clawed arm forcefully grabbed him around the waist and dragged him backwards. It was as if he had awoken from a deep sleep. Cloud retched and vomited on the ground as he lay on his side. He closed his eyes and heard Yuffie wailing in despair. He opened one blurry eye and saw the shape of Vincent leaning over Yuffie's dishevelled form and embracing her- embracing her?
It happened again. Cloud's eyes snapped open. All the fog in his brain cleared away. He stood up but nearly fell over again as an invisible force grabbed his head firmly. There were murderous screams in his ears. He looked up and saw everything in one colour- red. It was all that mattered...Cloud took another step then another. He kept walking and at the same time stretching out his hands in front of him. His hands closed around Yuffie's neck again constricting, constricting...
'WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PLAYING AT?!' Cloud opened his eyes and found himself back on the ground. He sat up and saw Vincent staring at him, a look of disgust mingled with shock. The remaining colour in his face had drained making his complexion look more pallid than ever. Cloud looked down at Yuffie and gasped. She lay at Vincent's feet, unconscious. Vincent slowly bent down and picked her up, threw Cloud a look that could turn milk sour before striding out of the cave to the airship, Yuffie in his arms.
As Cloud stood there he felt two emotions he hadn't felt for two years. A tear of grief and misunderstanding slid down his cheek as he stood in the cave, a couple of metres away from Lucrecia's lifeless body.
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I made this chapter longer than it was going to be because of how short the 4th chapter was. Hope you enjoyed it! - Yami.D
And another thing, if anyone makes a comment about Vincent still loving Lucrecia, I will eat his or her head- Torn angel I am looking in your direction darling!