Chapter 6 – Weak and Powerless

Admittedly, my first 'kiss' was from a man. I was showing the proper way to resuscitate a person from the brink of certain death, and there was nothing sexual or electric to it at all. A notion I found funny now, while this tiny little woman clung to my neck pressing her thin pink lips against mine. I was now assured that the odd feeling I'd gotten from the first time was very minor in comparison to this.

Though, I hadn't had a church burning in the background then. Had I known this woman around the time of Nibelheim... I think it probably would have been amplified more. There was something inherently... blasphemous about this sort of thing. Like fornicating on top of a coffin.

Hmm. Well, judging by the stirrings I was experiencing, certain things were still in working order. Glad to see the Lifestream hadn't messed with that.

I didn't think she would catch on so quickly, would dive in headfirst so boldly. I had to admit it; Flower was rather brave, even if she tried to hide behind a guise of cowardice. She knew exactly who she was, and now, hopefully she knew exactly where she was going.

With me. I wanted her sanity. I wanted everything.

"You don't own me," she whispered, still clinging to my neck, so light, probably had little bird bones that snap very easily. She smiled a sweet smile after that and leaned in again. Hmm. This was an extra I hadn't considered.

I almost didn't notice the pain as she bit my lip. The little wench.

She smiled as she let go, landing like a cat on her feet. A tiny dribble of blood traveled from the corner of her pink little mouth, and I watched it as it feel off her chin. Feeling vampiric, little flower? Sort of fitting that a child of Gaia would be reborn as nothing more than a leech. Well, for the moment. I hoped that the gravity of her resurrection finally hit her.

Maybe she would go completely mad. Wouldn't that just be delightful? I could send her to kill off some of them. The human ones. Having a pseudo immortal pet did have its benefits. I could see why Jenova kept me around. How demeaning; glad I seceded from that horrible excuse for an organism.

Red. It looked so delightful next to her porcelain skin. Next chance I got, she would be decked in red... maybe I'd kill off Valentine first and steal his cape. No, let's not get distracted...

I was laughing without realizing it again. Flower was glaring at me in a particularly domineering way. What a spoil sport.

"Why do you continually insist on making me bleed?" I asked, not for the answer, but for the twitch of her eyebrows as she thought. She gave me that and a small huff before she wiped the remaining blood with the back of her hand. The way she wiped it on her dress, a person would get the impression that something toxic or disgusting had been on her. She frowned at whatever expression I was making upon watching her.

Jenova was nothing in comparison to this sort of entertainment. Truly.

"A reminder," she replied, hands on hips, nose wrinkling as the stench of burning bodies wafted in with a slight breeze, "That you're not indestructible." Another one of those sickening sweet smiles... I'd have to train her to avoid those. I'd have to train her.

"Lord Azrael," one of my groupies spoke, "Shall we take care of the lady?" I couldn't help but smirk at their attempt at courtly manners. That was a day and age dead long before any of us came into the world. Still, some are delusional.

The old Midgarian youth scene is the essence of delusion. They say that imitation is the highest form of flattery; silver hair dye in and of itself perhaps made up more than a few store owners incomes. As feeble an attempt at being one of my kind (of which there are one exactly) as it is... there is a certain satisfaction in being famous enough for that.

The flipside to Strife's little group of friends and their anonymity meant that I sort of maintained mine. All I had to do was loosely tie my hair back and put on a new coat...

I wanted a red one now. Red was my new favorite color.

"Certainly," I replied, watching the momentary confusion in her face. Yes, she did catch the double meaning there. My cleverness was indeed rubbing off on her. I barely need to make a sign to them, and my lackeys are upon her... youth have so little of their own minds. Only three; they are strong ones. But terribly unclever.

"I will go with you," she shouts, dodging the tallest one as he tries to catch her by the arms, "on my terms!" She has broken from them and cleaved herself to me... but not in the weak willed feminine way she seemed to with Strife, but a forceful grip that almost felt as if she were forcing me to be attached to her.

That simply would not do.

One glance was all I needed to have it in my free hand. Worshippers were ever so delightfully useful. They made injecting some tranquilizers in this pretty flower's neck ever so much easier.

"My... terms..." she mumbled before collapsing into my arms. Strikingly romantic image, wasn't it? The damsel falling into the hero's arms... oh, I was certainly laughing again.

"Good work," I said to the short one, the one who wielded authority amongst his brothers. Funny, how many short leader men I'd encountered in the duration of my long life. It made me think on my age... I was over forty now. Not that anyone could see that, but it was a fact. How mundane.

I inclined my head downward to Flower. Her terms? She was clearly mistaken. A kiss wasn't quite the rebellion she thought it was. It only allowed me to mold her all the more easily...

I would have to bring her a gift. Yes, that would be a good idea. I'd wasted enough time with her and my plans needed to be set in motion. With such a simple thing as a church burning, I could feel the beginnings of her "madness".

At least that's what humans would call it. Idiotic beings.

I had to gather the others... for Flower and I weren't the only inhuman things on Gaia. One in particular was an enemy... but a couple of others might prove to be friendly. Or at least malleable. All I had to do was set it in motion.

"Get the lady some proper clothing," I said to the tallest one, the most obedient. He nodded before heading off towards his motorbike. They undoubtedly had one for me waiting, so I went in that general direction too.

"Make it red, too," I added as an afterthought, grinning like some hideous schoolboy, no doubt. I would have to get something red for myself too.

The hunt had begun.

I always heard classical music, probably residual memories from a lab childhood, whenever I was particularly happy. Like stalking prey. I'd long since discovered that women, no matter how much training and strength they possessed could be easily disarmed. All this girl needed was a tranquilizer... the other...

I hadn't even noticed that I was on one of their dreadful death mobiles, the nice feel of wind and flowing... I was feeling most angelic, knowing that I must have made an interesting sight on a motorcycle.

Always thinking two steps ahead... that would catch up with me if I didn't watch it. At least the Kalm Metropolis (that sounded strange, even to me) was close. I'd hate to have to track her down across all of Gaia. Only Flower warranted such effort. This was nothing short of an altruistic gesture.

Well, maybe there was something in it for me. Ha.

The journey flew by. I had to admit, I wondered exactly what velocity I was going, as all seemed to be smudges of color and motion... like psychological tests in a mental institution. If I saw mostly red, did that mean I had violent tendencies... or was it green? It had been years since I'd had to remember such a slippery science.

I hated science. There is no logic to it.

I arrived at the quaint little house, sickeningly peaceful, just as the sun began its descent. Late afternoon. Perfect. I couldn't have timed this better. I knew their habits, I knew their patterns.

And Flower's gift was all alone.

I stalked into the house through an open window. Autumn made people complacent... their problem, really. I wondered if the front door was open, but through the window allowed me an element of surprise.

She was humming to herself. How utterly domestic she looked too. I had the sudden urge to dress her up in tight leather and set her lose on a strip club filled with Soldiers and Turks.

Not that I'd ever engaged in such behavior.

She cocked her head to the side, and a smile crept up on her face. I awaited what would happen when she turned to face me. I was just across the room now, just waiting, waiting...

"Vin, you don't have to be all stealthy if you want to—" She stopped, eyes wide as she saw me. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. Silly girl, did she really think that she was safe?

"Hello Lockheart, did you miss me?" I asked, watching as surprise turned to anger, and then to slight panic... ah, she'd be perfect for Flower. Great thing to train on, a wonderful test... Lockheart was so pathetically human.

"You... are you..." she began and then made a dash for the stairs. Where she kept her gloves, I knew. Thing was, I'd sent one of the triad to snatch them only yesterday. But I didn't let her finish her trek, as I yanked on that terribly long hair of hers. She'd kept most of it; much to her disadvantage.

"You haven't been training for a couple of years now," I whispered in her ear as I immobilized those treacherous arms of hers, "And even if your aging has been slowed a little, it's beginning to take its toll." I could hear her jaw clench. She was holding her tongue... how disappointing. It further accentuated just how wonderfully unique a flower I had be given. I would have to thank Gaia later.

Thank? Whatever was I thinking?

"They'll come looking for me," she spoke through gritted teeth, "You won't get away with this, Sephiroth." Such venom in a simple recitation of a name! I wondered how long it would take to break that. Such a tool, Lockheart, you'll be.

"The name is Azrael or Lord Azrael to you," I replied, dragging her to where I knew they kept some good strong cord, "And I'm counting on that. You have such predictable friends." This elicited a short gasp from her, before I began to bind her. I'd learned that most women couldn't be coerced to go anywhere without a little extra... persuasion. Ah rope, you glorious thing!

I gagged her for good measure, using her blue hair ribbon. I quickly scanned the main room, making sure I hadn't forgotten anything.

And then I saw it. Lockheart must have been mending it, or else he would have been wearing it. It hung on a peg, and provided me two things that I wanted. Lockheart was bound enough so that I wouldn't have to worry about her skittering away. So I walked over and picked it up, studying it before shedding my coat and donning it. Good thing Valentine is so tall.

I would have to get one of the triad to alter it to a better... styling. At least it wasn't tattered anymore. I hung my old coat in its place, and turned with a satisfied smirk to my quarry.

"I think I pull this off rather well," I said to her, watching her eyes narrow. She mumbled something unintelligible, but I suspected it involved me shoving something into a rather unpleasant place.

Now, now, Lockheart, you don't have to be so crude.

With another one of the magic needles, I silenced her fully. A limp body wasn't the easiest to carry around, but it didn't matter once I was on the doom mobile. And it didn't matter once I had gotten to my home, a rather elaborate home that probably once resided in Sector Two.

No, all that matter was that Flower was awake, and looking like Fate herself. Red was such a flattering color on her, made her look so vibrantly alive... erasing the washed out pallor that she had previously. And the cut of it emphasized her... assets. I would have to give the triad something special for their good work. Maybe I'd toss them Wallace's whelp; Kadaj had been eying her lately.

I dropped Lockheart at her feet and smiled. I was a good little hunter, wasn't I? As an added token, I untied this strange little pink ribbon that Lockheart kept around her arm, and wrapped it around Flower's wrist.

"She is all yours, milady," I said, hoping she saw the irony in it all. I was so pleased with my wit that I almost didn't see the hand that I had previously been holding sailed towards my face.

Ungrateful.

AN: There's FANART for this chapter! Thanks to Vester, aka Great Materia Hunter Yuffie, there's a visualization for the Red Seph and Aeris! Found here: http / www . deviantart . com / view / 18981402 / Just remove the spaces. And... ya. Tifa's in this. And no, not your usual Tifa meets resurrected Aeris.