Hey there, thankyou for the reviews outhere glad you like what im writing, sorry I havent been posting exams have been consuming up my time. I know some of the bits are heavily influenced by DOC, but the trailer shows it to be in kalm I thought why not plus it shows snipbits of what vincent broods on and thought it be a good thing to show vincents perspective of things. The rest of the fic tho will be soley on my thoughts tho so dont fret 8-D enjoy.
Chapter three
Music resonated through the walls of the house and into Vincent's quarters. The sounds of laugh and cheers could be heard blended in among the banners and music. The lampshade flickered slightly in the background casting an eerie shadow on Vincent's form, who sat on the window sill, his lancet laying unbuckled in its holster. His arm rested in one if his knees and his eyes remained shut as he remained lost in thought
"…That child in your stomach….Using it for experimentation….do you…..do you really want that?" Vincent looked at Lucrecia her head facing the window away from him. She turned around her long light brown hair cascading down her face, concealing what ever emotions were showing on that delicate face of beauty.
The male scientist let out a huff of annoyance, "This is none of your concern, Turk" There was a penal tone in Hojo's voice, "This matter is concerned with Professor Lucrecia and I, In order to make leaps in science few shall we say…sacrifices are needed now and again. After all it's the reason why this child is here."
"Your own flesh and blood," He looked at Lucrecia, "This child is innocent, Lucrecia, think of what your doing, this is too far, its insane!"
A few tears escaped Lucrecia's eyes, "your too late, I've already let myself be infected with Jenova cells. You cant stop it….I'm sorry"
There was a rustle in the chair followed by gunshots
"VINCENT!"
Vincent's eyes shot wide open at the sound of a knock on the door, without thinking he reached for the Lancet and aimed it ready at the door his red eyes narrowing.
There was a knock on the door again followed by the door handle turning
"Who's there?" Vincent's voice was harsh and cold
Tifa popped her head around the corner her eyes looking slightly surprised that Vincent's gun was aimed at her. He was quick to put the gun away, "My apologies Tifa, I was…..Startled."
"Its okay," Tifa said seeing that Vincent looking distorted with himself, "Are you alright?"
Vincent looked at her, those deep amber red eyes staring into hers, "I'm fine."
Tifa pressed the matter no further, "Well okay, I came to ask if your busy tonight?"
Vincent still kept his gaze on her, "No I have no other reservations tonight, why is there any trouble?"
"No, no no no," Tifa was quick to answer, "I was wondering if you cared to join me and Marlene in the festival tonight? I've closed the bar especially for the occasion, and got some new attire."
Vincent did notice that Tifa was indeed wearing attire different from what she would consider "normal". The white gypsy style dress clung gracefully to her feminine body and the delicate flowers mingled seamlessly into her jet black hair.
Vincent turned his head and looked away, "….I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline on that offer."
Tifa shoulders slouched slightly, "Well if that's what you want." She grasped the door handle and bounded for the exit, the door closing quietly behind her.
Vincent continued to look out the window, hearing Tifa laughing with Marlene as they dispersed into the crowded streets of Kalm leaving him in the shadows of the house.
"Hold my hand now okay," Tifa kept saying as she played leader getting through the crowds to try and find a suitable spot.
The streets were like a cattle auction, people gathered in their hundreds to celebrate the festival. The air was electrifying, the smell of candy and beer lingered in the atmosphere. The music blared from the speakers attached to the walls of the streets and the crowds screamed as the parades began.
"I want to see! I want to see!" Was all the words that Marlene kept saying whining at Tifa like a spoilt brat. Tifa losing impatience with avoiding drunken people and keeping Marlene clasped onto her hand finally stopped and placed the nuisance onto her shoulders. She was lighter than Tifa expected, why didn't she think of that sooner.
Tifa saw a gap in the crowd and leapt to the chance.
After frantically apologising to annoyed people Tifa made her way to the front of the crowd and saw the parade. There were big spectacle cars all decorated
with themes from where they came from. The tribe from Nananki's village were dressed in their native clothing. Conjuring dancing spirits of bears, wolfs and deer's, eagles and other spectacles. They gracefully danced around them and leapt into the crowd where they fragmented in spores of different auras. Tifa couldn't help but smile, there was such enthusiasm from people, everyone had made such an effort to make this occasion special, and it was wonderful. Everyone could feel the ecstasy rolling off one another and into the air.
Two hours or so had passed and Vincent still remained at the window his eyes transfixed at the wall, his phone lay opened on the bedside unit displaying the time 11.45pm, carnival was still going strongly.
He sat there attending to his own thoughts when he suddenly heard the distant sounds of a helicopter. His eyes narrowed as he looked beyond the Town walls. Yes. There was something there. He instinctively reached for his gun, not moving his eyes from the spot he had them on.
There were two flashes of light followed by a massive explosion, there were flames. followed by shots and screams
Vincent darted his eyes around at the sound of footsteps in the hallway, knowing that by the heftiness of the foot movements it was not Tifa. He could see shadows moving under the door ready to force their way in.
The door flew off its hinges and smashed into pieces as it collided with solid wall. Vincent aimed the gun and fired.
Tifa looked around, the explosion stopping the carnival in its flight . People looked around confused, wondering what the source of the noise could be. There was a flash of crimson and white and another explosion took place this time right in the heart of the town square. Tifa felt Marlene's little frame tremble beside her, her little hands clinging to her dress. Tifa felt tense, not now it couldn't be.
Screams emanated as gun shots could be heard firing, and the thuds of dead people hitting the ground. Tifa grabbed Marlene and ran into a nearby lane and urged her to hide in a empty crate.
"I don't want to be left alone," Marlene cried tears escaping her eyes in fear, "I'm scared."
"Me too honey. Please stay here I need to get help the people. I'm coming right back I promise." She looked at Marlene, "I give you my word."
Marlene merely sat in the crate huddled in her knees trying to control the tears escaping from her eyes. Tifa gave her one last look and placed the lid on the crate and ran into the crowd. She could see them, village raiders shooting people, gunning them down like it was a hunting spree. Blood began to boil in Tifa's system. These people had ruined enough of peoples lives as it is, tonight was townsfolk night not theirs .
Fists clenched she punched the first man in the face disarming his weapon from him. The man looked around and saw Tifa, his teeth bearing. The young martial artist stood there ready and poised, waiting for her attacker to make the first move. The man did as she expected lunged forwardly with out thinking. Spinning out of the way she hit him on the back of the neck, stunning the guy completely resulting in him falling to the floor. Tifa stood over him and jostled his neck, the big defiant "snap" told her the neck was broken and the man was dead.
The crowd was in a state of chaos as families got separated and couples got broken up. Tifa looked around and saw the village raiders everywhere, where they the raiders exactly? she couldn't tell, their attire was all different, alien from what she was used to seeing. They were pinning people onto the floor placing some scanning device on them. On one particular woman the scanner shot red and the man hit her unconscious and they began placing her into a van in one of the alleys. Tifa ran at them and side kicked one of them in the chest, the mans gun shot randomly. Tifa kept behind him hidden in the shadows, taking her chances she leapt forward sweeping the guy from under his feet his back landing hard on the floor. She stood and waited. The soldier got up and saw Tifa before him his gun pointing at his face.
"Don't even think about it!" Tifa spoke her voice cold and harsh that it even surprised herself, "I'm not afraid to use this weapon."
The man looked at her, taking her words seriously.
"Get up slowly, don't try anything stupid." Tifa watched as the man got up, "Stand with your hands up, your back against the wall."
The man complied to Tifa's orders and stood against the wall his hands in the air, he waited. Tifa looked at him her hands itching to pull the trigger, "What exactly are you doing here? Who are you?"
"Were here to loot this place," The man said confidently.
Tifa capped him in one of his legs and the man fell to a heap on the floor crying out in pain. "DON'T LIE TO ME," Tifa screamed her eyes glaring at the man, "You killed innocent people!"
"Believe what you want!" He said almost laughing
Tifa a sharp pressure against the back on her neck, "Drop the weapon, or Ill blow your brains all over the wall."
Tifa's eyes widened slowly she dropped the gun and raised her hands up. There was a sharp pain as the man put a hard blow against her head. Her body fell to the floor completely stunned and dazed. She tried to get her body to move but nothing would do as she command. She could hear the men talking.
"This girl is such a pretty thing don't you think? How about we give her some sweetness before were finish her."
Tifa's eyes widened, she was almost screaming for her body to move as the shadows overcastted her dragging her deeper into the alley.
Tifa felt herself being restrained against the wall the guys breath against her face. "don't go screaming now sweetness."
Tifa struggled. She head-butted the man in the face as the other guy slapped her hard her saliva flaying against the wall.
"Ooo this ones a feisty lass," One of them spoke, "Who's going to go first?"
Tifa's heart began thumping in her chest, no she wouldn't let this happen. She struggled but all in vain, her opponents were too strong.
The man laughed as he drew nearer his belt unbuckling. Suddenly he stopped laughing as a red beam shone on him, it travelled down onto his pants and suddenly there was a shot, the guy screamed out as his hands clenched over his private parts blood pumping between his closed fingers, there was another shot this time through the guys forehead. He collapsed the floor in a heap leaving the guy who had Tifa pinned to the wall on his own. He threw Tifa to one side his gun aiming at the air. Tifa sat there still unable to move, only feeling slight sensation in her legs. She watched in fear as the guy looked around, he steadily picked up his dead comrades pistol and pointed it at her ready to kill her. He was just about to pull the trigger at Tifa when a dark shadow leaped into the air, his cape red flying behind him.
Vincent kicked backwards off one of the buildings, facing downwards in the air. He aimed his gun at the man and shot several times. Blood splattered onto her face and chest, staining her white dress with crimson. The guy fell onto floor, blood oozing from his entry wounds in the head and vital organs. Tifa's eyes searched the around to find Vincent leaping from the building above her, his cape flying behind him. He landed soundlessly on the floor beside her as he came to her aid.
"Are you alright Tifa" There was a tone of concern in his voice that made vincents voice seem unnatural, "Are you?"
It took her a while to answer, "Yes yes I'm fine they didn't touch me. Where's Marlene?"
"She is safe. I found her hiding in the crate, She's in the bar with other people."
Tifa said nothing. Vincent knelt down and aided Tifa up, carrying her to the town square where he rested her against the wall. Tifa looked around and a cry escaped her, bodies there were so many, all lying motionless on the floor. Vincent walked amongst them trying to see if any were alive.
"Their all dead," His voice was quiet and almost harsh
Tifa didn't say anything, her eyes were fixed upon the body of a dead child that lay before her. The little girls hair was soaked with blood and her delicate hands were held onto a moogle toy she must have won from the stalls. Rain began to fall on the town and onto the dead citizens. Their blood washing into the rain, turning the streets red like a sea of blood. Tifa was numb, it was too much for her, hyperventilation was setting in and she collapsed against the wall.
It was a while before Tifa woke up, suddenly remembering what happened her eyes shot open wide, alert on edge.
"You can relax now," came the same, recognisable voice. Tifa looked around and saw Vincent sitting on the balcony wall, "There's none of them left. I had the citizens come to collect their dead, funerals are being arranged as we speak."
There was silence in the air when Tifa spoke, "It wasn't meant to be this way. No not now not ever again."
"Tifa?" Vincent turned his head to see Tifa sitting on the edge of the bead totally lost in thought. She looked at the dried blood that was coated on her dress. Tears building up in her eyes.
"It was just like Nibelheim," Her voice was barely a whisper, "I saw their dead bodies before me, There were so many, their eyes soulless. Blood. There was so much blood and him." She could only be referring to Sephiroth, "I would never forget the evil in those eyes. He killed everyone that I loved, and all I could do was watch! I couldn't Stop HIM! I hate Shinra, I hate them so much!"
Vincent heard her sob and his eyes turned to look at her. Without thinking or knowing what he was doing he stepped off the balcony wall and knelt before her. Tifa aware of his presence looked up at him his red eyes gazing into hers, "I am sorry."
"What…..Why are you sorry?" Tifa looked at him searching for answers. Vincent stood up and walked towards the balcony carrying the same look that he had when he was amongst those dead villagers. The look of self blame. She didn't understand.
She new that he was not going to tell her the reasons why he just said those words "I am sorry." As much as she yearned for answers she pressed onto other issues. "Those people who were they?"
Her eyes looked at Vincent who was leaning over the railings of the balcony, "village raiders."
Tifa was silent for a moment her thoughts still rummaging through her head, "huh?."
The wind lightly blew through Vincent's hair, his cape gently swaying as well, "They dwell in the slums of Midgar, picking off what they can get their hands on. But….never have they been armed, let alone be bold enough to strike a town as big and as full as this one. But -" Vincent paused in mid sentence.
Tifa's sensed his withdrawal "What is it?"
Vincent turned around to face her, "Whoever they were, They attacked this place and attacked me."
"You?" Tifa was confused, "But what could they want from you?"
"I honestly don't know," Tifa felt like he was speaking the truth to her, "You should get some rest, I'll keep guard tonight."
Tifa took comfort in these words, seeing that she was still caked with dry blood the went to the bathroom and had a shower, putting her bathrobe on she came back to her room to find Vincent had gone. She had no doubts that Vincent was on the roof, keeping guard just like he said he would. After attending to Marlene who had chosen Vincent's bed retreated to hers and fell into an awkward sleep.
Vincent however remained on the roof top, thoughts running deeply into his mind those few words Tifa had said repeating endlessly in his conscious, "all I could do was watch! I couldn't Stop HIM!".
"All you could do was watch her, you couldn't stop her" the voice in his head kept saying, "But what if you didn't just watch? you could have stopped this, prevented all of this, Tifa wouldn't be in pain, clouds mother wouldn't have been dead, Lucrecia wouldn't have been dead." Vincent's thoughts became unbearable. He opened his eyes to look to the stars and then at this clawed hand, "Is this my sin?" he asked himself, "Is this why I am meant to live this on going suffering. It is my fault. All of its my fault."
He remained with his thoughts all night until morning came.