Tainted Souls
Chapter VIII
Dark Dreams, Darker fears
Vincent threw another log into the fire. Aeris had already gone to sleep, she fell leaning up against Sesshomaru.
"Vincent, why did you follow us and who were those two men you shot." Sesshomaru asked.
"They were Turks. I used to be in their organization…until…never mind." Vincent stopped suddenly as though he was afraid of the subject.
"You're afraid of your past," Sesshomaru said staring down at Aeris, "Our past can ruin our future. I was lucky that mine didn't."
"What do you mean?" Vincent asked as he laid down on a makeshift hammock.
"You see, I fought the Ancients when I was younger, and Aeris is an Ancient if you didn't already know."
"AHHH." Vincent sighed as looked up at the dark canopy searching for the slightest beam of moonlight.
"I used to feel dead inside. I felt no emotion except rage and anger, then I met Aeris." The demon looked down at the girl resting on his shoulder.
"Without knowing life, how can we know death." Vincent added closing his eyes.
"You have a point." Sesshomaru replied also closing his eyes. He then drifted off into a deep sleep.
Sesshomaru got up and stretched his arms, it must still be night , he could sense it. He looked around for Aeris, she was gone. Vincent was too. Sesshomaru walked deeper into the forest. The deeper he went, the darker it got. He traveled down the path for some time until he saw a light in the distance.
Strange, what could that be?
He walked slowly towards the strange glowing object, his hand on the hilt of the Tokijin . As he neared the glowing object, he realized that what he saw was Aeris. She seemed to be covered in blinding white light. She was wearing a white death shroud and raiment. At this particular time that was the farthest thing from appropriate for her to wear.
"Aeris, what are you doing out here?" He asked her.
Without saying a word Aeris smiled and lunged at Sesshomaru, grabbing the sword Tokijin from his side. She took the blade in hand and dug it deep into the demon's heart, twisting it slowly. She withdrew smiling, laughing manically.
"Aeris…Why?" Sesshomaru looked at his lover. He instinctively grabbed the sword and threw it at Aeris, impaling the blade deep into her abdomen. For the first time tears flowed from his eyes.
Sesshomaru collapsed on the ground and looked up at his dying beloved, horrified at what had happened. Tears streamed down Aeris's face, she looked as if her heart was broken, her dreams crushed. She took a few steps towards Sesshomaru, arms outstretched, when she got near enough to him, her expression changed and she smiled. Aeris grabbed the sword and pulled it from her stomach, lifted it to her face and licked the blood from the blade.
"What are you afraid of?" Aeris asked walking towards him.
"I fear nothing." he stood proud, one hand over the gapping wound in his chest.
"What are you truly afraid of?" as Aeris walked towards him, she changed, her hair turned white. She grew taller, her clothes changed to a long black coat. She became Sephiroth.
"You!" Sesshomaru lunged at him impaling his claws in Sephiroth's chest. He screamed as the demon twisted his claws.
"Hurts, doesn't it, worm."
"Stop," Sesshomaru looked down at his victim. It was Aeris, "What have I done."
"NO." Sesshomaru shot up, he was covered in sweat. He moved his hand across his body looking for any signs of a wound. Nothing was there. He ran over to Aeris and pulled the covers off her, he ran his hands across her chest and stomach looking for the wound he caused. Nothing. It was a dream.
"Sesshomaru?" Aeris awoke staring at the demon, who's hand somehow found it's way to her breasts, "If you wanted to…you should have just asked. Not take advantage of a poor girl while she's sleeping." They both looked at each other blushing,
"It's not what it looks like." Sesshomaru backed away from Aeris, who now had a seductive look in her eyes. She crawled towards Sesshomaru.
"Oh, really then why did you rip my sheets off me as I was sleeping and start rubbing my body?" She asked.
"It's a long story. Follow me, I do not wish to wake Vincent." They grabbed their weapons and Sesshomaru lead Aeris to the clearing they were at earlier, where Sesshomaru pledged his love to Aeris.
"Okay, now I want an explanation." She demanded, placing her hands on her hips.
Sesshomaru explained about the dream and how they almost killed each other, and about Sephiroth.
"And then I checked myself for wounds, I then proceeded to examine you."
"I think I understand," Aeris walked over to where Sesshomaru was sitting and sat down next to him, "have you had dreams about things like this before."
"I never dreamed much, and when I do it's normally of past battles." He looked over at Aeris, he was extremely worried.
"What's wrong?" She looked at the demon and wondered why he looked afraid.
"I just can't believe that I could do such a thing, The dream felt so real I could feel the Tokijin tearing through me, I felt your blood on my hands. That wasn't an ordinary dream." He looked at her wondering if the dream was a premonition of what's to come.
Vincent awoke in the middle of the night to find himself alone. He looked around and saw neither Aeris nor Sesshomaru. Their weapons were gone and their seemed to be signs of a struggle near the hammock where Aeris slept and the tree that Sesshomaru leaned against probably sleeping.
I wonder if it was the Turks. No Sesshomaru wouldn't have to struggle like this with Turks plus the screams would have woken me up. Not to mention I'd probably be dead, he'd use a miasma, not dull his sword on such weaklings.
Vincent walked over to where Aeris slept and searched for any trace of what happened. It seemed that Aeris crawled for some distance until finally running down a path being lead by what looked like Sesshomaru's footprints.
A twig snapped behind Vincent, he jumped into the air, drawing a tri-barreled weapon pointing it at the source of the sound. A trio of men in black cloaks emerged from the bushes.
"There's their companion. The Master wants him dead. Fire." The leader of the trio screamed, pulling a large machine gun from under his cloak.
The three men opened fire. Bullets tore through the air barely missing Vincent. Vincent trained the guns sights on the leaders chest. The bullets ripped through him causing no effect what so ever. Vincent hit the ground welcomed by a well placed grenade. The small explosive detonated, sending him flying into the forest. The men ran to his position and opened fire on him as he lay helpless on the ground.
The sounds of gunshots filled the air. Aeris turned towards the direction of the shots and wondered if Vincent was alright.
"Sesshomaru, maybe we should head back. I'm worried about Vincent." She got up and pulled on Sesshomaru's sleeve to make him move but he wouldn't budge.
"Wait, I smell Sephiroth and…Vincent's blood. We have to move now." Grabbing Aeris, he ran towards the source of the scent. If Sephiroth was truly there, he'd pay for what he did to him.
They arrived at the camp a few minutes later to see Vincent lying on the floor as three cloaked men emptied machine gun fire into his chest. Sesshomaru started to run for the men but stopped short,
"What are you doing? Stop them." Aeris raised her staff and started to run at the assailants but Sesshomaru stopped her.
"Wait, something is happening to Vincent."
Rage filled Vincent's body, his eyes glowed even more red then usual. His shape began to change. Wings sprouted from his back and claws shot out from his finger tips. His body changed into a demonic form beyond recognition. He changed completely
"I am Chaos." He screamed as he assumed the form of a demonic beast.
Chaos raised a clawed hand in the air and gather all of the energy around him into his hand. The men looked on in horror as the he swung his hand down, releasing a blade of energy that sliced their leader in two. The others opened fire on the beast only to have the bullets ricochet off of his body. Chaos flapped his wings sending the two men flying. In the blink of an eye he positioned himself in the their path and sliced them as they flew by. The two men disappeared in a flash, leaving behind piles of ash and their weapons.
Chaos slowly turned back to face Sesshomaru and Aeris. He walked towards the two slowly changing back into Vincent with every step he took. Aeris came out from behind the tree she was hiding behind and looked at Vincent, who was a little shaken.
"That's the first time I ever had to use Chaos." He said shaking.
"You mean you can turn into other things?" Aeris asked
"Yes, three other creatures to my knowledge. Chaos is..." He cut himself off once again, it seemed he was afraid of this subject as well.
"We better get moving I don't like the fact that they know where we are." Sesshomaru said tearing down the vine hammocks and putting out the fire.
"We should head north, I know of a safe place where we can stay for the night, it's not far from here." Vincent said packing his equipment and moving out.
A full day had passed since they left the forest.
"I thought you said this place wasn't far. Vincent, why don't you look at the map." Aeris finally blurted out in frustration.
"Because this place wouldn't be on a map. Plus, we never had a map to begin with." He screamed back.
Vincent leaped over a large rock and reached what seemed to be the top of the mountain.
"Besides, the last time I came here I was taken by an airship, plus, there it is." He pointed down at large area in the middle of the mountains where a river emptied into the ocean via a waterfall and an underground cave system.
Sesshomaru lifted Aeris off the ground and leaped off the mountain, landing on a small strip of land that surrounded the waterfall. It seemed that hidden behind the waterfall was a cave in which they could stay for the night. The trio quickly leaped through the waterfall trying not to get soaked.
As they entered the cave they noticed that not only was it lit by some strange source but it was filled with beautiful jewels and was strangely enough a large round room. The floor was perfectly smooth and had no rocks or stalagmites growing from the floor. It wasn't humid at all, it was actually quite refreshing inside the cave. The place gave off a strange aura, this cave certainly wasn't manmade even though it looked like it.
"We better get to sleep." Sesshomaru's voice echoed through the eerie cave.
"Yeah I agree." Vincent nodded and removed his cloak, rolling it into a makeshift pillow and laid down on the floor, which was actually amazingly comfortable for a hard stone floor. He might not even need the cloak-pillow.
"EHHH, Sesshy this place gives me the creeps, are you going to sleep?" She asked him sticking close.
"Yes, why?" He looked at he puzzled.
"Because I'm sleeping near you tonight." she said curling up next to Sesshomaru
The trio fell into a deep sleep. Almost as if on command the lights inside the cave dimmed allowing them to sleep easily.
Later in the night, Vincent awoke to find himself alone, save for a strange orb of light in the middle of the room. He got up and walked closer to the orb. He sensed that this thing was no threat. The orb started to take the form of a women, Vincent gasped and recoiled at the instant it's transformation was complete.
No, it can't be!