HEEHAW! School finally started! And man am I glad, finally got a life again! And what's better is that this really freaky girl who was stalking me all last year doesn't like me anymore, took a 'Stay the hell away from me.' For her to finally get the hint I'm not interested. Now she's going after this really short goofy kid lol. Well... I must say... being a junior is pretty cool... my english class looks like it's going to be hard =0P I'm in English III College Prep. And we're doing fricking Shakespeare!!! You don't do Shakespeare in fricking Highschool... sigh... that will be interesting. This year is going to suck in some ways, my school now has a cop that's going to be walking the halls all year round =oP That takes all the fun away. Actually the cop is pretty funny, I was talking to him during lunch, heh heh. He showed me his gun, he didn't let me touch it though =0( Then again I wouldn't trust myself with one either heh heh...
NEW Question of the day! The story Alice in Wonderland... why did the author write the this story? (Answer will be in next chapter. If ya get it right, you get a cookie!)
Disclaimer (Malices runs in and starts shaking Zack's shoulders, trying to wake up.) Huh? What? Oh.. I don't own FF7.
Malice- Don't you remember!?
(Blinks) Remember what?
Malice- Sephiroth died! We're suppose to go resurrect him!
(Yawns) I don't feel like it, too tired (Puts his head back down, ready to get more sleep)
Malice- Rima will kill you if you don't hurry your ass up.
(Half awake) Uh huh... I'm fully capable of kicking Mana's ass...
Malice- (Weird look) What're you talking about?
(Snoring away) mmm... roast beef....
Malice- O...k... (Shakes head and walks away)
Chapter 62- Unexpected Call
Red XIII walks out of the room, his head hung low in confusion. After Rima finished drying her tears, he tried to ask what the problem was, she didn't speak. All Rima did was turn around, lay down and seemingly fell asleep. Leaving the Guardian of Cosmos Canyon feeling rather confused. Red XIII makes it to the first floor of the old Ancient house. He sits down and ponders on what could of distressed the female vampire. Red XIII lays down on the round in the middle of the room, 'Perhaps she had a nightmare.' He thinks to himself.
The door to the house opens up. Red XIII lifts his head up from the floor to see who it is that's entering. Yuffie walks in and closes the door behind her. She spots Red XIII laying in the middle on the room, with a grin plastered on her face, Yuffie walks over to him, "Hiya Red!" She greets, patting the fiery beast on the head, much to his annoyance.
"Where's Cloud?" Red XIII asks, noticing the blonde swordsman didn't walk in with Yuffie.
"Still outside" She responds casually, "Says he isn't ready to go to sleep yet, has too much on his mind" Yuffie finished the last statement with a rolls of her eyes.
Red XIII gives her a beastly grin, "Yes I'm sure he would. Probably needs to think about how to propose to a certain someone." He's half serious, half joking.
Yuffie's face turns bright red, "What are you talking about." She pretends to not know what he's talking about, sadly however, she isn't much of an actor.
"You don't think that we're totally blind, do you Yuffie?" Tifa's voice comes from the doorway, having heard the conversation while walking in. The ninja stutters a bit, making Tifa giggle. She gives Yuffie a teasing grin, "You two have been all over each other since this all started." Tifa states, making Yuffie turn more red and making Red XIII's grin widen.
"That's not true!" Yuffie immediately denies. She opens her mouth to say something but clamps it shut as the door opens. Cloud walks into the room, a wide grin across his face as he walks towards Yuffie, making the ninja even more uncomfortable.
"Yea Tifa.." Cloud starts, "We haven't been all over each other since this all started." He throws an arm around Yuffie's shoulder, his grin widening, "Only since we were in Wutai" He states chuckling, Tifa soon joins in as Yuffie's face goes as red as Vincent's crimson cloak.
"Cloud!" Yuffie shouts embarrassed as she shoves him away, "You're such a, such a.... a.. I don't know, but whatever it is it's definitely you!" She says after she fails at trying to figure out a way to insult him.
Cloud opens his mouth to speak but he's cut off by the sound of his PHS going off. The grin on his face drops as he turns serious. He takes out his PHS, "Cloud speaking" He responds. A look of confusion appears across Cloud's face, "Who is this?" He asks thinking he didn't hear right the first time.
"Daisuke..."
"Daisuke? How did you get this number?" Cloud asks surprised.
"Um... that's not very important at the moment. Listen, I went to go seek treasure like I said I was in the Eastern Continent, well turns out there's some in the Mythril Mines"
"So?" Cloud asks.
"Well before I managed to get in and search for it, a large group of.... things went into the cave... these shadowy lookin' creatures with the most coolest lookin' red eyes."
'Hadions.' Cloud thinks to himself.
"There was this man who seemed to be leadin' them. There was also three other strange men that I couldn't see cuz it's too dark. Anyway they look like they mean business so you're coming here to help me, and before ya say anything, I'm not askin' ya, I'm tellin' ya."
Cloud rolls his eyes, "Do you know how long it would take to get there from here? It would take about a week on a boat." He hears Daisuke laugh in the background, then he hears something that sounds like machinery working.
"I realized that. So I'm comin' to pick ya up."
"Huh?" Cloud says in confusion.
"Well I'll be there in about a hour so be ready then. Oh, and make sure that pretty boy doesn't annoy me or I'll kick his bloody ass right off my ship!"
"This is Captain's ship!" Cloud hears someone say in the background.
"Whatever..." Click!
Cloud stands there for a moment in thought before he speaks, "Gather everyone up, we're leaving in an hour."
On top of a hill a little girl sits and stares off to the horizon. The sound of footsteps, slightly muffled from the thick green grass, is heard behind her. Turning around the little girl smiles as she sees her brother, he returns the gesture and takes a seat on the ground next to her. The little girl glasses up into the endless cerulean shies, "Cyrus, is heaven real? Do the spirits of the dead actually go somewhere depending how they lived their life?" She asks her brother.
Cyrus's amber eyes widen a bit in surprise at the question. The surprise soon leaves his eyes as he flashes her a grin as he scratches the back of his black hair, "Well that's a very impressive question coming from a six year old." He teases. Cyrus shakes his head slightly, "I don't know Seria, some people believe it, some people don't. There's also other theories of where the spirits of the dead go. Some say they turn into the monsters that live on this land, and some people believe that there isn't anything such as a spirit. I guess we only really know the truth when we die and find out for ourselves, there really isn't a way to find out the answer to that question."
Seria nods her head in understanding, "What do you think?" She asks.
Cyrus rubs his chin in thought, "Well... I don't really know. I can't say that any of those theories are right or wrong, I haven't been shown anything that goes against any of the ideas." Cyrus gives a wide grin, "But if there is a heaven then such a nice little girl like you will be going there."
"Really? You think so?" Seria asks.
Cyrus laughs, "Of course! You'll be right.... there!" He lifts his right hand up and points to a small cloud passing across the sky.
Seria's gives a look of fascination, her gaze isn't focused to where her brother is pointing, it's focused on the back of his hand, "What's that?" She asks as she points to the back of his right hand.
"What?" Cyrus says, momentarily confused by the question. "Oh this." He says rubbing the back of his right hand. "It's the mark of our tribe, I just got it. You'll get it too once you're my age. It hurts though since they burn your skin to make it permanent. It still hurts a little."
Seria giggles a little, "Were you the one I heard scream a while ago?"
Pink colors across Cyrus's cheeks, "Yea. Believe me, burning hot metal hurts... a lot. And the strange black pigment they burn into the skin lasts forever, so even if I were to leave, everyone will know what tribe I came from." Cyrus explains as he admires the black half moon shape on his hand.
Seria stands up, "You can't leave! If you leave then who will look after me? Mama and poppa are both gone, you won't leave me too will you?" She asks, frightened a bit by the idea of Cyrus leaving her.
Cyrus gives her a reassuring smile, "Relax Seria, I said 'if' I leave. But I don't see any reason for me to ever leave our land."
Seria gives a relieved smile, "Good..."
"Hey Rima, Rima wake up!" Rima hears Yuffie call her as she's shaken from her dreams.
Rima opens her eyes, blinking a few time before she focuses her gaze on the ninja hovering above her. Rima sits up and looks out the window seeing that it's still nighttime, "Why did you wake me? It's not morning yet." Rima asks, her tone full of annoyance.
"Um... we're leaving." Yuffie answers. A moment later her face pales as she adds, "Our ride is here."
Rima raises an eyebrow, her amber eyes full of confusion, "Ride?" Yuffie quickly rides her head before walking out of the room, muttering a few words that Rima couldn't catch, she was only able to hear something about some rust bucket. Getting out of bed she collects the very few things she owns. Once she has everything, she heads out of the room and travels to the first floor, she doesn't see anyone on the first floor, 'Must already be outside.' She thinks to herself before heading to the door and walking outside. She stops dead in her tracks as she stares on in amazement at the large airship outside.
Yuffie grins as she sees that Rima is obviously impressed. She walks up to Rima, getting the older woman's attention, "This is the Highwind. We all thought it was destroyed and the crew were dead but we are wrong on both accounts." Yuffie laughs a little, "Turns out that the crew stayed on the Highwind and were hiding it near Fort Condor where Daisuke ran into them. So now traveling will be easier." Yuffie's face pales suddenly, "But I have to suffer the whole ride."
Rima laughs quietly remembering Yuffie's problem with motion sickness. Cloud turns around from his discussion with Daisuke and notices Rima. He walks over with a grin on his face, "Oh she got you up. Hope you got enough sleep, if you didn't the Highwind has cabins in it where you can get more if you need it."
"No, I'm alright. I slept rather well." She says giving a smile before walking to the rope ladder hanging from the deck of the Highwind.
Cloud in his spot in shock, next to him Yuffie is in a similar state. Each turn to each other and ask at the same time, "Did she just smile?" Each look up at Rima as she reaches the deck, each with confusion written across their faces.
Once everyone got onto the airship, the Highwind immediately took off into the air, their destination, the Mythril Mines. In the control deck of the ship Daisuke is in the middle of telling everyone something rather important, well important to her, not really to anyone else, "Now ya guys listen here. When we go in there and find whatever rare artifact, treasure or anything of the sorts, it's mine, you find it, you tell me."
Sephiroth crosses his arms in annoyance, "And why should we have to give you anything if we are the ones to find it?" Sephiroth asks.
Daisuke narrows her eyes at the dark swordsman, "Because if I hadn't even bothered to get ya guys, then ya wouldn't be here and I would've gotten whatever's in there anyway."
A smirk plays across Sephiroth's lips, "Well what if I don't feel like giving anything I find to you?"
"Now listen here Pretty Boy, ya will give me whatever ya find or I'll jus have to take it from ya." Daisuke threatens.
Sephiroth snorts and turns his head, "I'd like to see you try."
Cloud shakes his head, "Sephiroth, Just do as she asks." He pleads.
Sephiroth rolls his eyes, "I don't have use for any garbage we find in there anyway."
"Ugh... urk.." Yuffie clutches her stomach as her face looking a bit green, "Well anyways.... urk.. I'll... be.. in my reserved... ugh.. spot." With that said she dashes out of the control room.
"I don't see why the hell we had to come." Reno says in annoyance.
Elena puts a hand on her forehead while she shakes her head, "Reno... would you rather them leave us behind? In the middle of nowhere, when you're wounded no less?"
Reno glances down at the varies bandages wrapped around his body before glancing up to Elena, "Ah hell, I can still take care of anything that crosses my path!" Reno states.
Elena gives a skeptical look, "Right..." She pokes Reno's side, causing him to give a shout of pain.
"Dammit Elena, stop doing that!"
Elena rolls her eyes before she grabs his left arm and begins pulling him out of the control room, "Reno, you're on the injured list. Time for you to go to bed." Reno's protests are cut off by the door sliding shut behind them.
Vincent just stands in his usual spot, in front of some monitors that no one understands. "......" He glances around the control deck a moment before he heads out, going to enjoy one of the things he used to do on nights while riding the Highwind. Passing by Yuffie, who is hunched over groaning rather sickly, he heads up the stairs to the outer deck. He opens the door and stops in his tracks. Someone is already out there. Rima looks over a moment before turning back to gaze up to the stars.
'Something's different about that woman.' Vincent hears Chaos from his mind. Vincent ignores the demon. He walks out onto the deck, the gusts of wind immediately blowing his black hair and crimson cloak behind him. He walks over to the opposite side of the deck that Rima is standing. He places his hand and claw on the railing and gazes up to the stars above. Billions of stars spread across the sky. The stars are even more visible this night then others because the moon isn't out, leaving the night darker, allowing even more stars to become visible.
Even though these nights make it look like the entire sky is shimmering with little bright lights, Vincent can name one place where the view is even more beautiful. Space. When he was in the Shin-Ra rocket no. 26 with Cloud and Cid, he couldn't see the stars then. But when they got into the escape pod and left the rocket he could see. He understood then why the foul mouthed pilot always dreamed of going into space. It truly is a magnificent sight to see. Vincent wouldn't going to space again if he could.
'So I had a brother at one time.' Rima thinks to herself while lowering her gaze to her hands that are on the railing. A small smile tugs on her lips, 'A loving brother who cared about me.' A frown suddenly appears on her face, 'Funny how the first person I killed was my own brother.' Rima thinks, remembering the memory of him getting swallowed up by the planet after she used a Quake spell. Rima blinks a bit as she remembers something, 'So my real name is Seria...humph... I'm not that person anymore, I'll always be Rima Hikari.'
"....You don't have to be."
Rima's brows raise a bit in surprise before she turns around to see Vincent staring at her. "How'd you.."
"You were thinking out loud." Vincent says simply.
"Oh..." Rima turns around again to look back to the stars. She raises her head up, "So.. you heard everything." She states more then questions.
"So you had amnesia." Vincent states a bit flatly. "I take it you remember some of your past which is why you are... acting different."
"I'm two hundred and twenty seven years old." Rima says, seemingly out of the blue.
"And I'm fifty eight." Vincent replies casually.
"I'm serious."
A bit of a smirk crosses Vincent's lips, hidden underneath his cloak, "So am I."
Rima turns around and raises an eyebrow at Vincent. She crosses the distance between them and stands in front of Vincent. She reaches her hand out and unbuckles the top clasps of Vincent's cloak to see his face better. Her eyes scan his seemingly flawless face, no wrinkles grace his face like they would of an old man that he claims to be. Vincent just stands there giving her a confusing look. Rima's gaze falls on the two small scars on the side of Vincent's neck, where she bit him a while back. Then she realizes that he had not, in fact, changed into a vampire. "You look like you're in your late twenties." Rima speaks.
"The curse of immortality." Vincent says while he buckles the clasps again.
Rima crosses her arms and stares at Vincent for a moment before speaking, "Why do you try to hide yourself underneath all that?" She asks, referring to Vincent's cloak.
"..... I could ask you the same thing." Vincent retorts.
Rima turns her head to the side, "I don't know what you're talking about"
Vincent raises his claw up, brushing one of the sharp digits along her cheek, "I know you hide your true looks underneath this cover. You don't just turn into a vampire, you are one. You just cover the truth up, but it recovers strength. That's when the you can't hold it anymore, that's when the cover comes off and you show yourself."
Rima knocks Vincent's claw away and glares at him, "And how would you know that?" She asks getting a bit angry.
Vincent smirks underneath his cloak, "I know... because I used to do the same thing." Rima's glare drops as confusion sets in. "Having demons in my body and being able to speak to them within my mind wasn't the only side affect." Vincent unbuckles the top of his cloak again. "Holding back the demons that used to lurk in my body required strength, and even then I couldn't always hold everything back." Vincent opens his mouth as large razor sharp teeth suddenly form in his mouth, the same teeth that Chaos has. Rima jumps back a bit startled. Just as quickly as Chaos's teeth appear, they disappear. "But that was only because I had to hold back several demons at once. Now I only have Chaos and I don't have any such thing, unless I allow it. Only these eyes, but I will have them whether I have demons or not."
Vincent steps forward raising his human hand up. He rests it onto the side of Rima's face, "The other's may not have noticed but I did when we all fought Jenova. You lose control of yourself when it becomes too much to hold back your true self. But when you let go and willingly become the vampire that you are, you have full control of your actions." Vincent says as his hand begins to caress Rima's cheek.
Rima's eyes dart to Vincent's hand then back to his eyes, "Seems I'm not the only one acting different around here."
The smirk appears on Vincent's face once again, "You don't have a demon controlling you at the moment." Vincent responds, his voice shifting between words. Rima draws back in surprise. Vincent blinks rapidly before rubbing his temples with his hand. He glances at Rima, "I apologize." With that he walks off the deck to the lower one below. 'Chaos..' Vincent hisses in his mind.
Chaos continues to laugh in Vincent's mind, 'I told you a while back I could control you when I wanted to.' Chaos's laughter dies down, 'If only I could of held on longer. I wonder what would of happened if you didn't break through.'
'Don't do that again demon.' Vincent warns as he heads to his spot in the control room.
Vincent can feel Chaos's smirk inside his mind, 'The way I see it, I just did you a favor Valentine.'
Vincent's crimson eyes narrow the slightest, 'Don't do me any favors.' Chaos just laughs in Vincent's mind.
Back on the outer deck of the Highwind, Rima remains standing in her spot. Only one thought crosses Rima's mind, "What the hell..."
Heeheehee hahahahaha! Oh man, this is so not what I had planned for this chapter. But this works nevertheless, it sort of just went in that direction. Oh I have an excuse for Vincent's OOCness too if you guys didn't get the hint. Chaos was controlling Vincent during that little conversation between Rima and Vincent. And if you recall back when Vain first mentioned Le Cas Fo Gollost, Chaos controlled Vincent then too. I actually had something good planned for this chapter but I guess I'll just do it the next one. Heeheehee, Well Die... do you like this one? Heh heh, probably not, (Shrugs shoulders) Oh well too late to do anything about it now. Oh and what I told you what was suppose to happen in this chapter will be in the next but, shh... don't tell no one. heeheehee. Hmm.... I wonder what Vincent would look like with blood dripping Chaos fangs? (Picture it) Hmm... nifty heeheehee. Well everyone, review and tell me whatch'all think. (Blinks) I just created a new redneck word! Whatch'all! heeheehee. Whoa... need to lay off the sugar. TTNC!