Remember
"Ultima, are you sure you want to do this?" Fina sat at her desk as Oblivion held me, sitting me on his lap as I held a Moogle toy and cuddled it.
"You two are the only people I trust with her," My Mother was the only one standing. She pulled back her long red hair into a ponytail as she fidgeted constantly. "Please... I just can't keep her with me. If what you've said is true..." She looked at me and I looked back at her. She smiled softly. "Angie sweetheart, can you go into the other room for a moment?"
"Okay," Oblivion let me off his lap and took me into the other room before returning to Auntie Fina and Mother. I put down my Moogle toy and stood by the door, listening in as any curious six year old would do.
"Ultima how long have you been thinking about this?" Uncle Oblivion asked calmly. "Giving up your own daughter?"
"Six years I've managed to keep her from harm..." Mother's hands were shaking. "I'm terrified for her safety. Oblivion, Fina I am not asking you to keep her away from me... they trust you both. The Superiors trust you and I doubt they're prepared to break that trust. I'll do anything to protect my daughter... even if it means giving her up... all you need to do is sign the papers and it's done. She'll be in your custody." Fina was staring down at her desk at the papers my Mother brought in with us. She sighed, running her fingers through her brown curly hair. She looked so pretty when she curled her hair.
"... I still can't get my head around this..." She mumbled. "I have to believe the Superiors killed Faram because I trust you Oblivion," She looked at her husband. I couldn't see his expression only the back of his head. "Still... I can't comprehend why the Superiors would want to hurt a child, especially Minerva..." She looked up at my Mother. "She had her child shortly after you did."
"Ultima we may not be parents yet but... giving up your child..." Oblivion and Fina were trying to make a baby, Mother said I could help look after my little cousin.
"Oblivion I know the consequences and the trauma I could go through by doing this," Mother turned to Oblivion as though she was about to cry. "If I didn't have to I wouldn't but I must for my daughter's sake. I'm not allowing Angevale to be raised in fear of being attacked by Demons and Loyalists or the Superiors themselves!"
"... Does Angevale know what you're doing?" Oblivion asked calmly. Mother calmed down and wiped her eyes.
"I told her it will only be temporary," She admitted. "I plan to keep that promise but I am not letting Angie live in the environment she's in..." Mother was shaking again. "She... when the Superiors sent in their last group of assassins they... sent Cole Dorin as well," Fina's eyes became icy and I think Oblivion's did too. It was more of a horror than anger. "I don't want her to see that man ever again. I don't want that Demon getting anywhere near my daughter... he said something about her using the Looking Glass and I want to keep him away from her... please..." Mother started sobbing and Oblivion hugged her, looking to Fina who had a pen in her hand.
"Ultima... we're about to be stationed in Nibelheim," She told my Mother as she cried. Oblivion was calming her down. "We promise to bring her to Banora frequently... we'll raise her until you feel ready to take her back in but I'm not letting her grow up without her Mother." Ultima nodded, wiping her eyes again. Fina signed the papers and handed the pen to Oblivion. He then signed them and hugged Mother.
"We'll raise her like she's our own," He told her. I ran into the room and hugged Mother, who was stunned at me running in.
"I love you Mother!" I cried hugging her tightly. I felt as though I would cry but Mother hushed me gently.
"I love you too, Angie," She smiled softly as I looked up at her. "But you'll see me lots... just until the bad men go away. Oblivion and Fina will look after you... you like staying over with them don't you?" I nodded, handing her my Moogle toy.
"I can have it when I come back home," I said bravely. I didn't cry. "I'll be a good girl for Uncle Oblivion and Auntie Fina. I promise."
I opened my eyes and rubbed my temples. It took me a while to realise I was in the air in the helicopter Reeve sent us in. It was raining outside and really heavy. At this rate I doubted we would reach Nibelheim soon.
"You alright?" Vincent asked me as I sat up straight and shrugged indifferently.
"Not really..."
"You weren't screaming. Were there no dreams?" He asked me. I could feel a concern in his voice.
"It was more like a memory," I mumbled in reply, twisting my brittle hair around my finger. "It was... when my Mother gave to me Fina and Oblivion," I looked out of the window. I didn't understand why I dreamt about that and not the nightmares... "Vincent will we find what we're looking for?"
"I hope so," We stayed in silent after that. I leaned against the window and closed my eyes. I just wanted this to be over and have everything go back to normal... I was far too weak to fight.
"How long until we're there?" I asked the pilot. Not loudly but loud enough so he'd hear.
"Not too long, another hour and a half if the weather doesn't lighten up," He replied. I nodded and yawned, covering my mouth as I did so. I was so tired but I didn't want to fall asleep. I only feel asleep when my body forced me to. But it was so tempting... even though I dreamed or had nightmares it was like I had no sleep... I just wanted it all to stop.
There was a sudden blast and the helicopter rocked. Vincent and I stood up and I gripped onto the side.
"What's going on?" Vincent asked.
"It's Deepground! They've found us!"
"Can't we jump?" I asked before another blast hit us.
"That's not possible! We're going down!" I gripped tighter onto whatever it was I was holding. I just didn't want to be too damaged when we crashed. I held my breath and shut my eyes tightly as I was thrown forward and curled up defensively as the helicopter shook and rattled down to earth with a crash.
I opened my eyes when I felt rain hit my face and tried to pull myself up. I gritted my teeth and looked down my body. Metal from the helicopter was crushing my legs. I couldn't bear the pain. Sitting up I started to push it off me, straining and unable to push it far.
After trying a little more I breathed in and took a look around the crash. The pilot died on impact and Vincent... he was unconscious and bleeding heavily. To be honest I was bashed up pretty bad as well. I could taste blood in my mouth and there were deep cuts as well all over my arms and chest. I could only imagine how messed up my legs were underneath the heavy debris.
"Vincent?" I called weakly, my vision blurry from rain and my draining consciousness. I hoped it would be enough to wake him up but I... felt so scared...
"This is very interesting... both our targets neatly trapped and ready for the taking," I looked up to see a woman with a group of Deepground soldiers behind me. That woman looked familiar... the one from Banora.
"You..." I said, crying out in pain as one Deepground soldier kicked the debris, damaging my legs further. "I don't want to make a deal with you Argento! Why can't you just leave us alone!"
"We don't need a deal when we have what we want," She retorted darly, edging closer to Vincent. "So this is Vincent Valentine... more handsome than I perceived to be perfectly honest, Angevale."
"Get away from him..." I tried to growl, but it resulted in Argento kicking the wreckage and hurting me.
"We take Vincent. We don't need Angevale anymore," She told the soldiers, who all started to cock their guns. "... Kill the girl."
At that moment something inside me burned white hot. It was like a spark that catalysed my adrenaline. I practically threw the wrecked helicopter off myself and drew my sword on shaking, bloody and near broken legs.
There were six Deepground soldiers and Argento. My body was screaming to collapse and rest but the feeling was fading, growing numb at least. I stumbled forward and slashed the soldiers hard enough to chop them badly. Make them drop their guns.
I was boiling them with fire that turned rain into steam and disfigured them. It killed them. I was in such a fit of anger I couldn't concentrate my powers or my sword swings. It felt as though something was controlling my actions. I was merely a puppet to my rage.
Within moments I was confronting Argento. She stared at me with a blank expression. She didn't seem impressed by my assault. It didn't matter. She would die tonight.
"You are more impressive indeed," She drew her own sword but I slashed her hand and caused her to drop her sword. I knocked her down by hitting her with the hilt of my blade. "Your emotions delude you. How long do you think you can survive on them?" I growled and shoved my sword repeatedly into her chest. I grabbed her and tossed her far away before running to her and stabbing her a final time as she lay dying. I snarled as she looked up at me. "A true Rhapsodos you are, Angevale. Your family will be proud." She died as I twisted my sword into her chest. The blood washed off my sword almost instantly because of the rain.
In a minute I had pulled my sword out from Argento, sheathed it and ran to Vincent. His wound was... healing by itself? I couldn't see any Phantoms or anyone who could heal nearby... was it him? I did my best focus and held my hands over the injury. Nothing. Growing more frustrated the wound could only heal by itself so much. Still nothing.
"Come on! Please for once could you work!" I cried to my Angelic powers. Some Angel I was...
A faint golden glow on my hands and started to heal Vincent's wound faster. I tried to keep focused until the wound had disappeared. My glow faded a split second afterwards. Vincent opened his eyes and stared at me. I felt myself get angry with him for some strange reason.
"Why did you have to scare me like that!" I yelled, bursting into tears without warning. "You could have died!" Vincent sat up and put his hands on my shoulders.
"I can't die Angevale," He told me. He seemed to believe it. "I'm immortal."
"Oblivion was the God of death and he died!" I screamed, crying harder as I spoke. "Nothing is immortal Vincent! You may be able to live a long time but you'll have to die one day!" The idea of that tore me apart inside.
I had my eyes shut as I cried. During that time I could feel the clothe of his headband press against my forehead. His breath against my cheeks. His hands squeezing my shoulders gently. It calmed me down slowly and surely. I didn't want to open my eyes even though I wanted to stare into his and kiss him... it just felt like... like the right thing to do...
"Erm... we should start heading to Nibelheim." I broke the moment I didn't want to lose. That moment I just forgot... that he loved Lucrecia. That I wasn't his. I thought... for that moment I thought that I belonged him. He was mine. He loved me.
I wanted it to last forever... reality held me back.
