Chapter 22: Completion.
Yuffie stared into the hovering form before her. Never before in her life had she even imagined something so terrifying, even in her worst nightmares. Evil seemed to flow off it in an inky mist. The demon grinned wickedly and attacked. Yuffie dodged the flaming shuriken but just being near chilled her soul. It was as if the black flames sucked everything out of her. 'This is not good!' Yuffie thought in fear.
"No it isn't." The demon hissed in answer to Yuffie's thought. "Not for you anyway." The demon suddenly lunged out and grabbed the shaken ninja into the air. Yuffie's skin crawled at the touch of the demon. Yuffie could feel her energy being pulled out of her. "Now its time to end this futile fight. GIVE UP!" The demon ordered as it squeezed harder.
Yuffie felt her body scream in agony. The demon's words echoed in her mind. To give up would end the pain, end the struggle, 'No more fighting.' Yuffie began to slip into the darkness. Suddenly her bandana fell down into her eyes. 'Mother.' Yuffie thought of her mother's lullaby and of her sacrifice for Wutai. 'I won't give up!' Yuffie fought back against the pain. "I won't let you win!" She screamed at the demon. "I have too much to live for!" Yuffie began to glow faintly.
The glow slowly turned into a brilliant light, the demon's hand burst into white flame before it released Yuffie and backed away. The demon shielded its eyes from the light; it could feel the light burning its body wherever it touched. "STOP!" it ordered with fear creeping into its dry voice.
Yuffie had curled into a fetal position, her knees tucked up to her chin. Her tattered clothes atomized away from her, all of her injuries faded as her bandana became a shimmering white. Shimmering wings burst from her back, releasing a shower of floating feathers. The floating feathers hung in the air for a moment before returning to Yuffie. They created an ethereal armor over her. As Yuffie straightened, her shuriken grew and became covered in white flames. Yuffie hovered delicately above the floor. She slowly reached up and pushed the bandana back into its proper position. When it revealed her eyes, they snapped open. A storm brewed deep within those gray orbs. The demon shuddered in fear.
In the real world, Vincent shielded his eyes from the light that Yuffie gave off. 'Just like when she defeated Godo.' He glanced at the others in the room; none of them could stand the light and hide their faces. None of them could notice the wounds Yuffie had miraculously heal. Vincent strained to watch the glowing ninja.
"I will win!" The demon said without any true conviction behind its voice. It lunged with its flaming weapon. Yuffie smiled as she held up her hand. The demons shuriken froze against her hand, its black flames died as the weapon crumbled to dust. The demon's eyes shone in fear as it flew to the other side of the room. "I'm not finished! ETERNITIES DESTRUCTION!"
A stream of black energy rushed from the demons form. It collided with Yuffie and pushed her into the wall. When the dark energy faded, the demon fell to one knee from the loss of magic. Yuffie stood shakily on the ground, with a smile still shining on her face. "Good bye." Yuffie brought her hands together, the light in the room dimmed as it gathered towards her hands. Yuffie's eyes locked with the demons. "ALL CREATION!" A shaft of light sprang from Yuffie's form and smashed into the demon. The demon screamed in horror as its armor melted and it skin burned.
When the light faded and returned to the room, Yuffie hovered in front of the staggering demon. With a final smile, Yuffie raised her flaming shuriken and sliced the doppelganger. The demon cried out in pain as light began to radiate from it. It crumpled to the floor and shattered into fragments. Yuffie gently landed and stared as the fragments disappeared in puffs of smoke. "Thank you for helping me find myself." Her wings slowly returned within her as she sat on the ground, her normal outfit returned. Yuffie closed her eyes.
When she opened them, she was once again on the futon surrounded by her friends and her father. "What's going on!" Cloud hollered from the doorway. "We saw a bright light and rushed here, what happened?" Yuffie just started to laugh. Aerith and Tifa looked at Yuffie then at each other and joined her.
Godo chuckled as he stood, "Come, I'll explain what I can to you and your friends. Let these ones help Yuffie." He pulled Cloud and the others back towards the outside.
Vincent stared after them before returning his gaze to the laughing girl. 'She won.' He felt something deep within him stir, some forgotten part of him that had died within the coffin. The demons within him quickly pressed it back down. Vincent just ignored them, 'A monster doesn't deserve that feeling anyway.' He justified himself as he helped the demons.
The three girls eventually calmed down enough to talk. "What happened Yuffie? Come on tell us everything!" Tifa urged the girl.
"Okay! Okay! I'll explain." Yuffie proceeded to retell what had occurred within her, leaving out her transformation. "And then I blasted that no good jerk into dust!" Yuffie suddenly pulled the two older women into a hug, "I wouldn't have survived without your help." She squeezed them tightly before she looked up to met Vincent's gaze, "Or yours, thank you all so much!" She squeezed Aerith and Tifa harder.
"Yuffie!" Aerith struggled to speak, "Air!" Yuffie immediately released them and looked down sheepishly as they caught their breath. "So now what happens?" Aerith asked.
Yuffie shrugged, "Tomorrow I return to the Pagoda and Godo releases me." A yawn overtook Yuffie. "But for now we go back to my house and sleep." Aerith and Tifa both nodded and left the room. Vincent began to follow. 'Now or never Yuffie, do it!' Yuffie jumped in front of Vincent and gave the dark man a hug before he could react. "Thanks again Vinnie." Yuffie released the startled man and raced out of the house.
'She hugged a monster.' Vincent thought of the warmth he had felt briefly from her form. 'She wasn't scared.' Vincent pondered Yuffie's actions as he exited the building and followed the chattering group back to Yuffie's house. Once again the men were exiled downstairs, Vincent just faded into the shadows and out the front door. A cold look was his answer to questions why he wasn't going downstairs.
Aerith stared after the dark man. "Have either of you ever noticed Vincent sleep, or eat?" Tifa shook her head, Yuffie shrugged. "Neither have I." Aerith waved her hand as if to dismiss the matter. "Well we better get to sleep, Cloud may visit early in the morning again." Tifa and Yuffie both blushed at the memory of Cloud's face before he was assaulted with pillows. "Good night." Aerith curled up into her futon.
Tifa also covered herself with a soft "Good night."
Yuffie sat upon her blankets, "Yeah good night." Her memory returned to her battle. Vincent's towering image burned in her mind, she looked towards the door. "Thanks Vinnie." She said before pulling the blanket up and falling into her pillow in exhaustion.
She never heard the answer of "You are welcome." from the outside. Vincent stood outside watching the stars and the moon. 'How can I dare feel this again. Never again.' Vincent berated himself over the emotions he felt, 'A monster doesn't feel this.' He hardened his heart, 'I can't.' Vincent stood motionless as the night began to fade. He forced the image of Yuffie's glowing form from his mind. 'Never again.' The sun began to heat the horizon.
COUPLE OF HOURS LATER.
Vincent silently watched the three figures slink through the shadows. The figures clung to the shadows with practiced expertise. 'They're good.' Vincent commented, 'but humans are no match for a monster.' Vincent crept along the roofs as he continued to watch. When the small group stopped across from Yuffie's house, Vincent's enhanced hearing easily caught their hushed whispers.
"I thought you said we were on vacation!" Elena said with disgust.
Reno replied snottily, "If you're on the Turks list, we're never on vacation."
Elena only answered with a grumpy, "Hmph!"
Rude broke into the conversation, "Plan, Reno."
Reno's voice became serious, "Sneak in a kill them. No fight, no problem." Reno's voice took a smug note, "Even Valentine won't see it coming. If its actually him..."
"But what if it is really him?" Elena's voice became worried, "If even half of the stories are true, he's going to be a problem."
Rude spoke seriously, "Even legends can die Elena."
'I became a legend?' Vincent felt disgust, 'Why? Because of my monstrous nature doubtless.'
Elena pulled a gun from within her coat and affixed it with a silencer, "Let's just hurry." Reno nodded as he readied his nightstick and began towards Yuffie's house, being careful to remain in the shadows. Vincent quickly predicted their path and formed a plan. His lean figure streamed gracefully across the rooftops and into an alley, where he waited.
"Reno." Rude said with quiet urgency.
"Yeah Rude, I've got'em too." Reno nodded as he continued to creep. "But no one in THIS town would be fool enough to mess with the Turks." Reno passed between buildings, giving the alleyway only a quick glance.
Elena paused nearly causing Rude to stumble over her, "What are you guys talking about? I don't feel any-!" She fell silent as something cold and sharp was latched around her throat.
"What now?" Reno turned back to face her, his mouth dropped at the sight before him. He quickly recovered as he was trained. "Nice move." Cold red eyes glared back at him. "You took two of the Turks hostage in a split second. Oh Rude?" Reno motioned to the silent member of his crew. "This is the first time you ever let anyone put a gun to your head, are you getting slow?" Rude stood motionless as he felt the cold ring of steel pressed lightly against his skull. Reno looked back to the imposing figure of Vincent. "How are we gonna work this out? I know you'll kill them in a second and you know I won't let that happen." Reno grinned widely but it soon fell under Vincent's fiery gaze.
Vincent's voice made both Elena and Rude jump slightly. "If you agree to leave Wutai now, they may live." His tone made Reno flinch.
Reno mulled the predicament over in his mind. "Agreed, we won't play with AVALANCHE until later." Vincent's eyes narrowed momentarily then with the same speed he appeared, he was absorbed back into the shadows of the alley. Elena frantically turned and fired her silenced gun into the alleyway. Rude suddenly jerked the weapon from her and shook his head. Elena was about to protest but Reno silenced her with a look before leading them solemnly out of the town.
Vincent watched them walk out of the town; they made no effort to hide themselves now. He followed them towards the docks and watched as they boarded a boat and disappeared into the ocean's blue horizon. Vincent remained at the docks listening to the drum of the tide until the sun began to warm the sky. Vincent arrived at Yuffie's house just as the sun began to climb into the sky. He could hear the others stirring within the house.
Aerith was the first to emerge from the house, slightly startled when she noticed Vincent leaning against the wall. "Oh, good morning Vincent." Vincent made no move to reply, Aerith simply continued, "Did you have a nice night?"
"It was eventful." Vincent said darkly.
"Hmm?" Aerith gave him a confused look.