Chapter 5: Bed of Thorns
It was warm. Unnaturally warm. Isako moaned, and sat up. She was in the middle of a desert. The sun was scoarching the earth unforgivingly. She looked around, "What the fuck is going on?!" she said annoyed, moving to stand, while brushing off any sand which she could find a trace of on her clothes. She began to walk aimlessly, hoping to find some evidence of a town, or even just people who could help her.
She paused, and let her arms fall to her sides in defeat. She sighed heavily, "What is going on?" she said, sounding more sorrowful, and confused.
She had fallen asleep on the airship, right? If so....how could she have ended up in the desert?
"Because I have brought you here." A voice suddenly said, from behind her.
With a shriek, she jumped, and spun to face a tall man, with aqua eyes, and silver hair. She gulped. She knew that voice. But never had she imagined she would come to see his face. He held quite a dominating prescence, as he gazed down at her, lazily, and arrogantly.
She backed up a few steps, to keep her distance, "What do you want?!" she demanded, furrowing her brow angrily. She finally understood what this was. Another with her power summoned her into a limbo, to speak with her. Why he wanted to speak to her, though, was beyond her logic.
"I simply wish to talk." he said, holding out his hands peacefully.
"I know there's something else you want." she said crossly, turning and beginning to march away, "I'm not putting up with this! Let me go back to the airship!"
"Not until I'm finished," he said, appearing in front of her to stop her in her tracks.
"Then WHAT?!" she cried. "What? What could you simply want from me?!"
He smiled, chuckling at her agitation, "Dear...dear Isako, calm down for a moment, please." he said nonchalantly.
She sighed once more, and became quiet.
"I warned you to be more careful of the monster." he said, after a moment of peace, "The monster cannot feel love. You will not cover the hurt you feel with that one."
"MONSTER?!" she bellowed, "And how would you know?! Did you know him?! What gives you the right to make an asinine conclusion like that?!"
"I draw the conclusion from the simple fact that he who hasn't been given the opportunity at a fair, decent, happy life, cannot feel happiness, nor love towards others." he said, closing his eyes, arrogantly.
She swiftly let her arm fly up and towards the silver-haired man, striking him across the jaw, "YOU of all people have no right to judge who can and cannot feel love." she spat.
He stood stunned for a moment, then his face flushed red with rage. He didn't speak until he was calm again, "You're out of control emotions are quite frustrating." he started, turning his head to gaze at her with his harsh, cold eyes, "How anyone can put up with you is a miracle on its own. Let alone how the monster even decided he would respect your request from that foolish girl they call a savior. Don't think they'll accept you. They can't. They won't. Quite frankly, you will be alone. And that temper of yours; that wildness in your heart, will not be tamed by anyone. Frankly, I wouldn't say there could exist anyone who would even care to try."
"That's why I'm here, isn't it, Sephiroth." she spat his name like it was trash, "All you care to do is to make my life hell from your filthy grave."
He laughed, "Don't be silly girl. I try to warn you that these people are unworthy of your prescence, is all."
She shorted, "Don't fuck with me, you filthy cunt. I'm not stupid. You're grudge against these people is far too deep to forget, for the weak mind you have. Ignorant fool."
He stood silent, and faded. Everything faded, and became black, and nothingness.
Isako woke with a start. The moon was still high in the sky, and it sent a light glow into her room. She sat up, and threw her legs over the side of the bed, wearily. She slipped a small pair of slippers on her feet, and made her way out of her room, and began to walk aimlessly around the ship.
She made her way towards the deck of the ship, in attempt to hopefully find Vincent.
Without any luck, she found he wasn't there, and sighed, sitting down, crossing her arms across her chest. She began to think back to the disturbing dream that Sephiroth had pulled her into. She had always been wary about his prescence, when he spoke to her, but never had he appeared in such a violent manner.
"What are you still doing up?" a voice asked from behind her.
She looked around lazily, unable to find the source of the voice, "I had a terrible nightmare," she said, apathetically, pulling her legs up to her chest and laying her head to rest on her knees, "I needed to stay awake and think about what he said."
"He?" he asked, stepping forward, out of the dark shadows.
"It was Sephiroth. He speaks to me just like Aerith does." she explained, pulling her knees tighter against her, her last few words were muffled.
Vincent remained silent, while he gazed out over the balcony once more. He stepped forward and sat next to Isako.
"It just boils my blood!" she exclaimed, suddenly, "Honestly?! How can he presume to know everything about emotions, when he's such a diluded mental case?!"
Vincent sighed, "He may be diluded, and a mental case for that matter, but I wouldn't judge him so harshly. He was simply confused. I won't dispute the fact that he was a very deep thinking person while he was with SOLDIER."
"So would you agree with him is he called you a monster, incapable of feeling love, or happiness?" she asked, her head turning to look at his expression, as the words feel from her lips.
His gaze fell to his lap, his eyes closed as he sighed deeply, "He would be correct in the observation I have been miserable for a very long time. But he is incorrect at the same time. Just because I'm unhappy, it doesn't mean I will always be unhappy." he began, his eyes opening and lifting to gaze at Isako, "I've had a harsh history, but nothing that could make me void of loving another person."
She smiled, warmly, a blush tinting her cheeks again. She glanced at her watch, 5:30. The sun would be rising soon. She stood, and walked towards the edge of the balcony, and leaned on the rail, "Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to be happy..."
"Why aren't you happy?" he asked, standing and following her towards. He stood firmly, and folded his arms against his chest, as he watched the red glow begin to ignite the sky. "Aren't you happy to be with people? Wasn't that what you wanted?"
She chuckled, "The tip of the iceberg." she quoted an old saying, burrowing her face against her arms for warmth.
"What do you mean?" he asked, confused by the statement.
"What it means, is that that is only a small part of why I feel so miserable." she explained, standing up straight, and folding her arms across her chest, shivering slightly, "It's going to be a cold day.." she said, quietly.
Vincent moved closer towards her, "You'll soon forget your troubles, Isako. Just give it some more time. I'm sure you'll be content with the way things work out."
Isako looked over the rail, and the sun which signified her first day at a better life, "Who knows? Only time." she said, turning to face Vincent. He was looking down at her, she noticed when she turned. She blushed, "What is it?" she asked, meekly.
He smiled, as long as we're up, I'll make us some breakfast?" he offered, "It would at least get you out of this cold."
She nodded, "Food would be nice..." she said, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks.
And so we went to get something to eat.
Meanwhile, my brain buzzed the entire time. I couldn't stop thinking about it all. Vincent, the dream...my mind was swamped.
It was getting harder now too, the more I spoke with him. The more I learned, the more he comforted, and reassured me, the more I felt like I was falling. I don't like to feel so helpless. I don't like getting so meek, and girly. It's so obvious to the person you're interested in.
Desperation. The feeling that one can tend to get under pressure.
Here I was at 23 years old. I've never had a boyfriend, I've never been kissed, and it was mainly because of my past. Being under research until my teenage years, then in hiding once I escaped. It isn't very fun to have to run and be alone for so long. It can start to eat away at your soul. Luckily I was never completely alone. I always had the voices. Aerith and Sephiroth, and the rest of the ancients. They were excellent guidance. Well...Sephiroth I never paid any mind to...he just came of as way too creepy.
But now, I was living through a culture shock. All these new people from all over the world, attempting to make me fit in where this hole in their hearts now lay. It was frustrating that they looked at me that way. But I respected Vincent's advice on that. They would come around and realize I could never fill Aerith's place in their hearts.
Not only was I suffering this culture shock of new friends. I was also falling for Vincent. He came off as being so cold, but so caring and protective. I don't know why....but he just made me feel at home.
Maybe it was his persistance to find out my reason for being in a place no being knew about, or perhaps it was that he was honestly the first person I can remember being so kind. I can't really say what triggered it, but he put me at ease. I felt comfortable talking with him. The others were just...well they were just people I would eventually come to be comfortable with. But Vincent carried that instant comfort with him...if you can understand what I mean.
Everything just felt natural with him.
"How do you like your eggs, Isako?" he asked, me, snapping me back into reality.
"Huh? Oh...fried, with a hard yolk." I responed, with a slight stutter because of my sudden shock.
He smiled, and turned back to the frying pan.
It felt like this was the beginning of everything becoming complicated.