This will be my last chapter of Demons of the Deep for quite a while. I have lost the inspiration that I once had for this fanfic and am not as interested in FFVII as I once was. There is a missing scene to this chapter that will be added if I ever decide to continue the story. I humbly apologize to my reviewers - I have greatly appreciated all the reviews.
"Blah" - speaking
'Blah' - thinking
Demons of the Deep
Chapter 3: Fright
Vincent brushed his rain-soaked bangs away from his eyes. He had traveled at a strenuous pace for the past three hours and now, with his superior vision, he could just barely make out the ruins of Nibelheim.
"Just a few more minutes" he murmured softly to Obsidian, his black Chocobo. "As soon as we get to the mansion, we can dry off. There's some Greens for you in my saddlebag."
Obsidian warked weakly in response and sped up slightly.
The rain had started less than an hour ago. Quite heavy at first, it had thoroughly drenched both rider and Chocobo. Now, the rain had lightened to a steady drizzle, but it was enough to make the unpleasant journey even more difficult.
Vincent had not wanted to return to Nibelheim. Though Hojo had been dead for over four years, and even Lucrecia's ghost had disappeared from her hidden cave, the mere thought of Nibelheim and the empty coffin waiting in the dark basement reopened old wounds.
'Trying to keep the demons at bay. Oh wait … you're too late, since you are one after all.' Chaos taunted, as he heard the dark thoughts swirling through the gunslinger's mind. 'Of vourse the real question is whose more of a monster … you or us?'
Chaos taunted, as he heard the dark thoughts swirling through the gunslinger's mind.The demon teasingly brought up images from Vincent's previous life, before Hojo's experimentations, when he had been a Turk. Images of blood and death and murder; images of a killer without a shred of mercy.
Vincent winced as he fought to keep Chaos from emerging. Memories of the past had a way of unleashing the demons he had been cursed with. Sometimes he thought that it would just be better if he gave it all up and embraced Death but Hojo's punishment prevented that. He wondered if life would just be a series of long days and endless nights until the Planet chose to end his miserable existence.
He knew that the "life" he had in Midgar would end soon enough. He'd decided to end the farce as soon as the current matter was resolved. Staying in Midgar was too dangerous considering the tenuous leash he had on Chaos. The best way to atone for his crimes was to lock himself back up in the coffin waiting so inviting in the depths of the Nibelheim mansion. The only reason he'd decided to work on the case, besides the debt he owed to Cloud and the rest of AVALANCHE, was the sneaking suspicion that Chaos knew something about the mysterious symbol at the site of the attempted assassination.
'A normal life was never meant for a mons-' Vincent's morbid thoughts were cut off as Obsidian abruptly stopped with a muffled wark.
Right by the outskirts of Nibelheim, a battle was taking place. The flaming pillar raging by the small grove of trees indicated the use of a Fire3. With his enhanced vision, Vincent could just barely make out a small human figure fighting against a jaguar-like creature that stood upright. On the ground was another creature - one that resembled a bear; that he assumed was dead.
He urged Obsidian to move closer to the scene of the battle, wondering if any assistance was needed. He doubted it considering the high-level materia the unknown fighter possessed, as he watched Comet2 being unleashed upon the jaguar creature. However, he saw that the bear-creature that he had assumed was dead was only unconscious, and had already regained consciousness as it slowly rose and loomed over the cloaked human figure. Reacting too late the fighter twisted to evade the attack but fell, landing heavily on the ground. The bear figure slammed a fist against the fallen figure but only managed to land a glancing blow.
By this time Vincent had already unsheathed the Death Penalty and swiftly fired two shots. Both bullets hit their intended target; an amazing feat considering the distance and unfavorable weather conditions. The bear-creature let out a fierce roar as the bullets pierced its skin before dissipating into dust particles soon dispersed by the wind.
Vincent dismounted near the fallen fighter and scanned the surrounding area to check if any enemies were left. The Coemt2 had killed the jaguar-creature and no other creatures remained. Crouching next to the unconscious figure, he drew back the hood of the cloak covering the fighter to reveal the face of a member of AVALANCHE that he had not seen for years.
'…Yuffie?' The girl - no - woman's delicate features were reminiscent of the elfin face of the youngest AVALANCHE member. She had matured over the four years but retained her slender build and mischievous look. However, she did seem to have outgrown her trademark tank top and shorts, and was wearing a navy blue cloak over a black training outfit, both of which were thoroughly soaked by the rain and clung to her slim form.
Vincent gently carried her unconscious figure to where Obsidian stood, and mounted up, with Yuffie cradled against him as he made his way to the Nibelheim mansion. 'So much for a quiet, uneventful mission,' he thought, as he puzzled over the mystery of the young ninja's presence in Nibelheim.
(scene change)
Henshin let out a growl as the four figurines on his desk flickered, and then broke apart. So his Hunters had failed to capture the impudent little princess. He was surprised that a mere human had destroyed the supernatural creatures Azaethacus had provided him with, but he knew not to underestimate the girl. After all, hadn't she been part of the legendary team that had defeated Sephiroth.
He would have to send a retrieval team composed of mercenaries, to bring her back if at all possible. If not, removing her would leave the throne open, and as the High Priest of Leviathan, he did have a legitimate claim.
With his course of action towards the wayward princess successfully planned out, Henshin turned his thoughts towards the other members of AVALANCHE.
(scene change)
Vincent lifted his eyes from the thick stack of files he'd managed to unearth from Hojo's secret laboratory. The experimentations Hojo had done were all unpleasant, at best, and after over an hour of looking through the extensive notes, Vincent was more than ready to take a break.
Deciding to check on Yuffie to see if she'd regained conscious yet, the stoic gunman quietly stepped into the room where he'd put the bedraggled ninja. The mansion was in deplorable condition and it had been a daunting task to find a room not covered in inches of dust.
/missing scene/
Yuffie awoke to the soothing scent of chicken broth. She blinked her blearily eyes and winced at the bolt of pain that shot though her head at that slight motion. Turning her head, she noticed a warm, steaming bowl of soup had been placed near her bedside. Sitting next to the bed was a tall, dark man - handsome in a morbid poet sorta way - presumably the one who had made the soup. He was inclined in an uncomfortable looking, straight-backed wooden chain, fast asleep but still seemingly alert. 'I don't even want to think of the back cramp he's going to have when he wakes up' the shin obi thought to herself, ignoring the pounding headache she had.
She examined his scarlet and ebony attire with interest but what really caught her attention was the huge golden claw that protruded from his left arm. A prosthesis of some sort she surmised but what kind of madman would replace a hand with a torture some device such as that? She was beginning to feel like she was in a third rate horror movie.
Yuffie's unease increased exponentially when she realized that she had no idea where she was … and no idea who she was. The cumulous thoughts rolling through her head came to a standstill as the man she had been examining abruptly opened his eyes - his inhuman, crimson eyes.
The only show of surprise at finding her awake the man gave was a startled blink. "Are you feeling better?" he inquired.
The disquiet and frustration Yuffie had been experiencing exploded into a furious torrent of words.
"Who are you, where are we, and most importantly who the hell am I?" she demanded angrily.
To be continued (hopefully)
I apologize for taking so long to update - this chapter has been languishing half-finished on my computer for months. Thanks for taking the time to read and if you are looking for any other Vincent/Yuffie fanfics I would recommend:
Why Me? A Love Story for Manic Depressives by Dust Traveller
Ninja by Kai-ou-sama
Faith and Feather by Rose Flame
Lonely Miracle by Rose Flame
Grey Sky Morning by Rose Flame
Obsidian by Sentora
Sink to the Bottom With You by Catalina
To the reviewers:
Both Demon Angel Tsukai and Hotaru170 guessed correctly that Vincent would rescue Yuffie. However it seems that Yuffie may be in even deeper trouble!
As a reward, I am dedicating this story to both Demon Angel Tsukai and Hotaru170. Thank you both for your encouraging words.
Hotaru170: I loved reading your uplifting review, it certainly brightened my day. Thanks for reading!
Thunder Glow: I hope you enjoy the short battle scene in this chapter as well. Thanks for reading!
AEris Deathscythe: I apologize for not updating sooner. Thanks for reading!
Demon Angel Tsukai: For being the first reviewer to correctly answer the question, you receive a plate of (virtual) cookies! Thanks for reading!
As of 12/25/04 (Merry Christmas everyone!) Demons of the Deep is officially on hiatus.