Taming the Fates Amidst Chaos
folder
Final Fantasy Anime › Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
59
Views:
1,615
Reviews:
382
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Final Fantasy Anime › Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
59
Views:
1,615
Reviews:
382
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Chapter 54
'Internal thought'
'CHAOS SPEAKING'
::Jenova speaking::
~ (Time and/or story focus shift)
Chapter 54
As the golden light surrounded Vincent’s vision, a final warning came from Chaos. ‘REMEMBER, HOST. THE RULES OF THE MIND AND BODY DIFFER.’ Then everything fell silent in his mind and he was cut off completely from the outside world.
The gunman felt a shift around him and quickly forced himself to relax, Chaos’ words coming to mind. ‘Of course I remember. I had to learn the rules for both to keep what little sanity I may or may not have left.’ After all, when one spent as many years as he had waging a mental war with demons, you learned a few tricks.
Vincent growled in anger as he found himself in the all-too familiar hallways of the Midgar labs. Quickly assessing the situation, he reminded himself to calm down. He knew from experience that you could only get caught up in nightmares and memories if you allowed yourself to be. A commotion quickly caught his attention and he turned to find Professor Hojo standing in front of a younger Kadaj, Loz a little further behind the youngest brother, "Where is he? You never run a battle test with just two of us, it's always one or all."
"Now now, number three. No need to get so impatient. In fact, I know both you and number one will be able to handle this quite well. In fact, the only reason I am doing this is because the subject needs to be taught a lesson in control and you two are perfect for this little experiment."
An uneasy feeling grew in the gunman's stomach as both silver-haired brothers frowned at each other before nodding and following the scientist into the room. Vincent remained only a step behind, his movements wraith-like and unseen in this place as he watched Yazoo’s nightmare. As the door closed behind them, he quickly studied the surroundings. He knew that Yazoo had to be close, otherwise the images to the scene wouldn’t be so clear.
The only object in the room was a large steel cage, its walls solid except for a small grate at the bottom of the door. Harsh growls could be heard from inside the structure and Hojo shook his head, “Quite a pity that he’s allowed himself to be reduced to this. If he had more control, he could be rather formidable. And perhaps Nurse Isabelle would still be alive.”
Vincent raised an eyebrow at the scientist’s mournful tone. He knew for a fact that the Professor never gave a damn about any of his associates so the name was probably something significant to the brothers. Sure enough, Kadaj gave a loud shout, “What?! She’s dead?!”
“I’m afraid so. Just this morning actually. Poor thing was trying to give him some food and he attacked her. By the time anyone could do anything, she was already beyond help.”
Loz had been crying well before Hojo finished speaking but surprisingly even Kadaj had tears in his eyes. Vincent wondered who this woman was to them when a frightened voice echoed faintly in the room.
‘No! He’s lying! There was no help for her! He wanted her dead! Please believe me!’
Vincent recognized the voice as Yazoo’s and realized quickly that this was not a part of the nightmare as the others in the room seemed not to hear. It seemed that at least a portion of the Remnant’s mind was aware enough to call out. Looking toward the cage, he wondered if he should stop this. However, the shock of an outside intruder could very well damage the younger man’s mind while he was still so far into the nightmare. It was agonizing to let this continue but the gunman didn’t want to risk truly harming him.
Hojo’s voice broke the raven-haired man’s thoughts, “Well, you two will have ample opportunity to punish him for this.”
The scientist turned to another door, quickly locking it behind him as he settled himself safely inside the viewing room. He held a look of amusement as he flipped the switch to open the cage door. The low growls fell silent as Loz and Kadaj looked warily inside only to find a pair of wide golden eyes rimmed in a similar shade of blue-green as their own looking back at them. Strangely, they could see little else as the darkness hid the silent figure from even their enhanced vision.
Not bothering to switch off the speakers, Hojo’s grating voice was easily heard as he spoke into his voice recorder, “Subject does seem to retain some memories of numbers one and three. Shows apprehension over revealing himself to them. Force may be necessary to continue.”
The two brothers raised an eyebrow at each other before Kadaj looked toward the scientist, “Memories? You mean we’ve met before?”
A grin twisted Professor Hojo’s features into a mask of sadistic glee, “Oh yes. You boys know this creature quite well.”
Loz cracked his knuckles and gave a short, derisive laugh as the silent figure seemed to attempt to dig itself further into the back of the cage, “Hey Professor? I don’t think it wants to play with us. Maybe you should just have one of us take care of this, your monster is too scared of both of us!”
The snickering laughter from the two brothers was cut short as the scientist pressed a button and sent an electrical surge through the cage and steel floor. Twin pairs of cat-like eyes glared at the scientist behind the glass as a harsh snarl left the dark shadows. Hojo simply smirked, “Now, if you two are through playing around, I would like you to actually take this seriously. Sometime today would be quite nice actually.”
Kadaj rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah. Hey Loz, if we can’t get him to come out and face his punishment, let’s get rid of his hiding place!”
The older brother grinned and walked over to the cage, the metal groaning as he took hold of it. Hojo screeched, “Stop that, you dolt! That’s laboratory equipment you’re destroying!”
Kadaj laughed, “You were the one that wanted us to take this seriously. We won’t be able to until we see just what we’re up against and he‘s obviously not coming out on his own so…”
A loud screech filled the room as the steel cage walls were torn from the floor, Loz easily tossing the trashed metal aside. Both of the silver-haired brothers blinked in surprise and even Hojo was silent for a moment as the enveloping shadows did not immediately disperse in the bright fluorescent lighting. The scientist soon found his voice however, excitedly speaking once more into the recorder, “Subject shows signs of greater access to V-005’s abilities than earlier anticipated! If control is established, this could mean nearly limitless possibilities.”
Slowly, the darkness began to dissipate but the shadowed figure did not remain huddled for long, instead moving in a blur, leaping at the glass panel where the smug scientist sat. A loud crack sounded in the room, Hojo’s eyes widening with a hint of terror as the specialized glass, made to withstand over two tons of pressure, bent under the force and began to form web-like fractures.
The shock quickly wore off from the brothers and both Loz and Kadaj hurried to subdue the rapidly moving figure. The shadows surrounding the creature seemed to be fading even further and the youngest brother’s brows furrowed when he caught a glimpse of silver. Making a quick motion to Loz, Kadaj moved into the creature’s path, waiting for the blow that never came. He was shocked when the figure swerved to avoid him but thankfully the eldest brother was already in position and sent a hard punch right into the shadowed blur.
As the creature crashed into the walled with a loud groan, the darkness finally fully left, revealing a slender, silver-haired figure. Both sets of blue-green eyes widened, “Brother!”
Loz immediately rushed to the fallen man’s side, but both brothers took a moment to study the strange shackles and collar on Yazoo, a glowing red line running along the center of the steel. Kadaj whirling to face Hojo, murderous anger lighting his cat-like gaze, “What is the meaning of this? What did you do to him?”
The scientist huffed, “I don’t have to answer to you, number three. This experiment will continue.”
“Like hell it will!”
A malicious smile grew on the Professor’s face, “I do not believe I recall asking for your permission.”
With that, he pressed a large button on the panel before him. The glass was suddenly covered by a steel panel, only cameras revealing the proceedings inside the room. The grating voice returned over the speakers, “I would recommend backing away, gentlemen, or you may not have ample time to protect yourselves. You had better hope he remembers you or else you will be fighting for your very lives.”
Loz and Kadaj both looked at Yazoo at those words, noticing that the red lines appeared to be fluid-filled tubes that were now emptying into the slender man. The blue-green rimmed golden eyes lifted, pleading with the two watching him warily. Then the slender teen tensed, the recognition in his gaze fading to murderous rage and the frightened whimpers to harsh snarls. The other Remnants took a step away from their middle sibling as he stood, his nails drawing blood from his own hands.
Vincent had to fight to keep from interfering as he heard Yazoo’s thoughts, his desperate pleas for his brothers to run, for this madness to stop. The gunman knew he had to watch closely; if he stepped in too soon, permanent damage would be dealt to the younger man’s mind and he might never wake. Soft whispers, unfamiliar to him but unmistakably Jenova, soon filled the space and he moved to shield himself. The longer his presence remained unknown to her, the better.
::Do you not see, little one? The rage they instilled in you caused fright and harm to the ones you held closest. Even when that disgusting fluid was gone from your body, you could still feel it, the need to lash out, the indescribable desire to consume those around you.::
Kadaj and Loz immediately moved to defend themselves as the now-feral Yazoo leapt at them. The fight was fast and furious but it was obvious that the two silver-haired teens were currently unable to take on their altered sibling’s speed and ferocity. Kadaj gave a cry as claw-like nails dug into his back, leaving four long gashes. The golden-eyed man smirked as he licked the blood from his hand.
‘Please stop this! It didn’t happen like that! I stopped when Kadaj was hurt, the scent brought me back!”
::But you wanted it to happen that way. The rage and hunger you worked so hard to control told you to. You wanted to taste their blood, watch the life leave their eyes. You wanted to be the monster those pitiful humans made you to be instead of the greatness you were intended for.::
‘NO!’ Yazoo screamed, pulling with all his might to get away. Vincent moved quickly as he saw a flicker of change in the altered Remnant’s gaze. The younger man was beginning to gain control again and he would need to be there to help secure that control.
Yazoo could feel his body beginning to slow its attack but still the scene continued to play. He didn’t want to see Loz’s heart in his hands, his brother’s shocked and fearful eyes going blank. He didn’t want to hear Kadaj’s screams as he tore his body apart, Hojo’s torturous laughter surrounding them as his little brother died. He had seen these things too many times before and each time they seemed more real, threatening to make him believe that this was truly how they had died.
‘NO! Sephiroth killed them, not me!’
“Well at least some part of you still knows the truth.”
Time seemed to freeze as the warm voice filled the air, a wall of billowing red surrounding the Remnant as Jenova gave an angered hiss. Yazoo’s eyes went wide as a figure stepped from the crimson, finding that now his voice worked instead of just his thoughts, “Vincent?” A ghost of a smirk appeared on the gunman’s face, oddly comforting to the silver-haired man, “How do I know its really you?”
“That’s the problem, Yazoo. You don’t. You just have to trust what your instincts tell you.”
Yazoo gave an uncertain nod but something told him that this really was Vincent. He started to ask how the gunman came here but a glint of metal and the sound of tearing fabric interrupted him, the long blade of Masamune slicing through the shifting wall. Jade eyes flashed with fury as Sephiroth discovered who had interfered, “Valentine! What are you doing here?
A dark eyebrow rose as the crimson shifted and settled on his shoulders, molding into his trademark tattered cloak, “You should already know the answer. We are here to make sure you don’t succeed.”
Yazoo blinked, his brow furrowing. ‘We?’
Vincent could clearly hear the thought and glanced at the Remnant, “We will explain when I am better able. Learn to shield your mind, Yazoo. It will make it more difficult for them to pull at your memories.”
A smirk appeared on the former General’s face, “So you do know the rules to these games. Perhaps you will provide me with a challenge.”
Scarlet eyes narrowed, “Games? You are playing with a person’s mind, breaking them of everything that they hold close.” Then he gave a small smirk, “And I do believe that your precious Mother and you shall find me more of a challenge than you can handle.”
The gunman’s form suddenly disappeared, taking the frozen lab scene with him. Yazoo was startled when Vincent’s voice echoed in his mind, though from Sephiroth’s wary and cautious gaze, he could not hear the raven haired man. ‘I need you to trust me. Your emotional and mental state controls this place. He has power because you fear him, allow us the strength to fight him.’
Yazoo gave an imperceptible nod. He hadn’t know the gunman for long but he found he did trust the mysterious man, nearly as much as he had his brothers. Vincent knew when the Remnant complied, the pressure and overall feeling that he did not belong here lessening. Turning his attention back to the General, he focused his mind. This wasn’t going to be easy or pleasant but he needed to break Sephiroth’s hold on Yazoo’s fears, “I must admit however, I am curious. What did you think you would do with me now that I am here? If you wish to continue with your games, you must have some idea of how you want to go about it. Perhaps you would go with a classic favorite creation of my own mind?”
The darkness shifted, two figures appearing before the silver-haired men. One Yazoo immediately recognized as Lucrecia, the other was a dark-haired man dressed as a Turk and he seemed familiar. As the scene began to play, the man’s head rose, revealing a dark amber gaze that looked longingly at the female scientist. The woman granted him with a soft smile and suddenly the loving kindness of the Turk’s eyes hardened, changing to something far darker in it’s possessiveness.
Lucrecia gave a scream and ran as the dark haired man suddenly leapt at her, tearing into her clothing and skin. Standing where the man had looked so lovingly at the female scientist, Vincent watched the scene with a mixture of sadness and guilt. Yazoo blinked, realizing that the Turk was who Vincent had been before Hojo’s experiments.
The emotion in the scarlet gaze disappeared as the gunman turned to face Sephiroth once more, “Or maybe you wouldn’t. After all, it would be beneath you to do something so unoriginal.”
The ex-Turk took a few steps away from the scene still playing, seemingly unfazed by the screams of the woman he had loved. Another shift occurred as he came to a stop, “Maybe one that my demons have enjoyed taunting me with would better suit your tastes?”
One by one, the members of AVALANCHE were revealed, their figures at ease as they conversed with one another in what appeared to be a bar. A young woman separated herself from the group, practically skipping her way to a shadowed corner of the bar, “Come on, Vinny!”
The image’s gunman shook his head, his expression grim as she and the others of the group began to change, their faces and bodies shifting with age. Scarlet eyes filled with grief as his friends grew old until their forms disappeared, replaced by graves and memorial stones while he sat in the shadows, unmoving and unchanged by the passage of time even as the bar fell to dust and the city surrounding it surrendered to destruction and wilderness.
The shadows around the gunman shifted until they were no longer natural, taking on the shapes of four dark figures clinging to Vincent’s form, holding him as he was for all eternity. Turning away from the scene, the raven-haired man gave the silver-haired swordsman a morbid smile, “But really General, why limit yourself to the imagination of…what is you like to call them? Oh, right, demon filth. After all, there is so much to choose from, why not use it all?”
The gunman raised his arms and suddenly the darkness was filled with sounds and images, the scenes far too numerous to count. Yazoo looked in awe and disbelief, unable to tell where one ended and another began. Sephiroth’s voice cut through the terrified screams and pleas, “Cease this foolishness Valentine!”
The sudden silence was unnerving, especially as each image of Vincent turned to look at the General with a strangely piercing gaze. Slowly, each one stepped out of the nightmare or memory they had been displayed in, some the form of the Turk he had been and some as he was now. Others appeared as Sin and there were even a few that were so bloodied and disfigured that they were unrecognizable as the raven-haired man.
One of the figures of the present Vincent stepped away from the innumerable crowd surrounding the former General, “Don’t you appreciate my efforts General? You don’t even have to do any work at all.”
Yazoo’s attention was pulled away by a soft touch on his arm. Blue-green eyes met with crimson and black as Sin gave a respectful nod, “Master must follow while the half-breed is distracted.”
The Remnant nodded as he followed the winged figure, carefully keeping his thoughts hidden as he whispered, “What are you doing here Sin?”
Sin looked back at the encircled gunman, “We…I am not really here. I am joined with him though we are still not completely merged. He sent what is left of us…me to protect you and lead you away, Master.”
“Where are we going?”
The slave gave a strange smile, “We will not go anywhere. You will wake up, Master.”
~
Vincent could feel Sin leading Yazoo through the opening created in the distraction but he was careful. ‘Just a little more…’ He let a wide fanged grin appear on his face, the copies around him mimicking the expression as the former General warily tried to watch them all, “What’s the matter Sephy? Isn’t the General having fun with this game? No? Well then maybe we should wrap this up, hm?”
The darkness around them grew thicker, the copied images of the gunman swallowed by the shadows, “I know what holds the greatest terror in your heart, Sephiroth, and I am going to make it into a reality.”
Suddenly it seemed as though they were floating in space, the world below them, beautifully painted in blues, greens, and white, “This is a world where your terror does not exist, where the great General Sephiroth is not even a memory or a dream. Your name holds no meaning of respect or fear in the hearts of men. And after today,” The gunman faded into the darkness as well, feeling the pull of his physical body, “That world is Gaia.”
_____________________________________________________________________
A/N: Wow…long chapter. Hopefully that helps to make up for how long you guys had to wait for it! LOL
Ok, Roommate gone and I LOVE MY FIANCEEEEE!!!! WOOOT! Not only did he get us a new computer but he got a scanner/printer for me, a 32" LCD flatscreen TV, and a new PS2 and PS3.
So not only did we get rid of the smell, but we got some kicka$$ new electronics. Frizzy is a very happy camper ATM. Of course, this means that you all will now be bombarded with my insane attempts at drawing as well as my crazy stories. Hopefully they will be amusing at the very least.
Thanks to all of you for your support and patience. If you ever get curious about my drawings, check out my DA account http://frizzycrls.deviantart.com/ ...there is only one new one so far but Sapph and I are working on a collab for Chapter 2 of Of Snowstorms that you guys might find funny.
SapphireDoG
Oh hush Sin, you know you love me XD
And my muses can't beat yours in the twisted department. They my try, but they never quite come close enough XD *snicker* Yours perfer Mind Fucks, were as mine perfer physical battle and blood ;D
And I shall enjoy cuddling the furball, his tail is soft :D
Awesome chapter my Master! Both grumpy Sin and I are proud you got this out! Whee! *clutches Sin's tail tightly before glomping Frizzy, making sure the winged one can't escape*
And you evil cliffie bitch! How dare you!! Mehhh!!!!! D: evil women. But I love you anyway :D
Lol and thank you for the VCR advertisment XD muchly appreciated!!
Frizz: Eh, I love VCR way too much not to advertise it hun. Glad that you love me even if I am evil. Verryyyy Evil! LOL
Raven
....... *mutters about scheming parasic bitches trying to taint yazoo* anyways love this story and yes i'm pretty sure it's been 4 maybe 5 not sure but at least 4. you are awesome. keep up the great work, yet another hanging-on-the-edge-of-my-seat cliffy that makes me want to strangle you but i will refrain from sending out my muses because i have hope that you won't make me wait tooooo long for the next chappie.
Frizz: You are awesome as well and I am sorry about the wait. Hopefully this chapter is worth it!
viva_rose
A cookie! Yay! *goes into diabetic coma*
Yeah I realized that a bit after I posted, then went back and re-read the chapter and was like "ohhhhh".
Frizz: LOL its ok, I know sometimes things get confusing. I try to make them as clear as possible though.
Golden Kitsune
YEAH!!!
amazing chapter.
cant wait for more.
that parasite bitch is goin' down!!!
update soon.
XD.
~Golden Kitsune~
Frizz: Hell yeah she's goin down...just gonna have to be next chapter LOL
Kuragari
hmmmm... I'm sad and yet happy at the same time to here of an end to the evil cliffies. Hang on Yazoo... Vinnie's coming! just don't tell him I called him that He might hurt me. ^^;
Frizz: LOL well the evil cliffies aren't done quite yet!
Mr. Cocky
greetings all it is I MR COCKY saying that if our beloved authoress looses access to a computer for a wile don't worry I will make it my personal mission from God to make sure she has a new one asap so don't worry if she is gone for a wile she will be back quickly you have my guarantee
Frizz: AND DID HE EVER!!! WOOT!!!
fyrbyrd
Argghhh another cliffie! Vincent had better rescue Yazoo! Sorry to here about that bastard, getting rid of him is way the best thing. I have two more weeks of hospital then my life gets back to normal, hope yours does too and I look forward to the next update.
Frizz: I do the cliffie thing alot. Hope you like this chapter, it was alot of fun.
SapphireDoG
Watch out for our girl Mr.Cocky! We're counting on you!
Frizz: Hehe, I love my fans.
viva_rose
awww i'm sorry! luckily i dont' live with roommates, just my husband's parents and my three younger siblings and two coon dogs. I hope this works out for you!
Frizz: Sounds like you got alot on your plate as it is hun!
Mr. Cocky
guess what its me the forever wonderful amazing and amusing MR COCKY and you guessed it I got our lovely talented and intelligent authoress a computer YAY you can love me and my arrogance now luv ya saph
Frizz: *sigh* Don't worry you guys, I smacked him over the head for ya.
SapphireDoG
You cocky dork XD but your right, i have no choice but to luv ya on some level or degree XD Wheee! Frizzy back! :D
Frizz: You do have a choice...its just difficult not to.
xx__V a l e n t i n e
Whooo... It took me a while, but I finally finished reading all of the chapters!
-DDR's-
But anyway, I love the story so far, you've kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time~!
When I reached the end of chapter 53 I was all; "Dubbleyewteeeff!?!?! SHE ENDED THERE!?!?"
So yeah, good luck with kicking Mr.Piggy out and I hope to see another chapter soon~
Oh, and I've always wanted to know, where does "Mr. Cocky" -finger quote- get his robo -er.. ponies, I think it was?
'Cause they'd make an excellent gift for someone I know..
-evil laughter-
One of your ever-loving fangirls,
Val
Frizz: LOL Sorry about it ending there. Hopefully you dont mind this chap ending here too much. The robo-ponies and kitties come from a local toy shop (yes he does actually own pretty much everything he uses in the war with Sapph)
Suki Rios
i hope everything works out for you dear. you're in the right, the b**tard has to go. it's not worth stressing yourself over
Frizz: Everything has worked out. Thank you for the support!
'CHAOS SPEAKING'
::Jenova speaking::
~ (Time and/or story focus shift)
Chapter 54
As the golden light surrounded Vincent’s vision, a final warning came from Chaos. ‘REMEMBER, HOST. THE RULES OF THE MIND AND BODY DIFFER.’ Then everything fell silent in his mind and he was cut off completely from the outside world.
The gunman felt a shift around him and quickly forced himself to relax, Chaos’ words coming to mind. ‘Of course I remember. I had to learn the rules for both to keep what little sanity I may or may not have left.’ After all, when one spent as many years as he had waging a mental war with demons, you learned a few tricks.
Vincent growled in anger as he found himself in the all-too familiar hallways of the Midgar labs. Quickly assessing the situation, he reminded himself to calm down. He knew from experience that you could only get caught up in nightmares and memories if you allowed yourself to be. A commotion quickly caught his attention and he turned to find Professor Hojo standing in front of a younger Kadaj, Loz a little further behind the youngest brother, "Where is he? You never run a battle test with just two of us, it's always one or all."
"Now now, number three. No need to get so impatient. In fact, I know both you and number one will be able to handle this quite well. In fact, the only reason I am doing this is because the subject needs to be taught a lesson in control and you two are perfect for this little experiment."
An uneasy feeling grew in the gunman's stomach as both silver-haired brothers frowned at each other before nodding and following the scientist into the room. Vincent remained only a step behind, his movements wraith-like and unseen in this place as he watched Yazoo’s nightmare. As the door closed behind them, he quickly studied the surroundings. He knew that Yazoo had to be close, otherwise the images to the scene wouldn’t be so clear.
The only object in the room was a large steel cage, its walls solid except for a small grate at the bottom of the door. Harsh growls could be heard from inside the structure and Hojo shook his head, “Quite a pity that he’s allowed himself to be reduced to this. If he had more control, he could be rather formidable. And perhaps Nurse Isabelle would still be alive.”
Vincent raised an eyebrow at the scientist’s mournful tone. He knew for a fact that the Professor never gave a damn about any of his associates so the name was probably something significant to the brothers. Sure enough, Kadaj gave a loud shout, “What?! She’s dead?!”
“I’m afraid so. Just this morning actually. Poor thing was trying to give him some food and he attacked her. By the time anyone could do anything, she was already beyond help.”
Loz had been crying well before Hojo finished speaking but surprisingly even Kadaj had tears in his eyes. Vincent wondered who this woman was to them when a frightened voice echoed faintly in the room.
‘No! He’s lying! There was no help for her! He wanted her dead! Please believe me!’
Vincent recognized the voice as Yazoo’s and realized quickly that this was not a part of the nightmare as the others in the room seemed not to hear. It seemed that at least a portion of the Remnant’s mind was aware enough to call out. Looking toward the cage, he wondered if he should stop this. However, the shock of an outside intruder could very well damage the younger man’s mind while he was still so far into the nightmare. It was agonizing to let this continue but the gunman didn’t want to risk truly harming him.
Hojo’s voice broke the raven-haired man’s thoughts, “Well, you two will have ample opportunity to punish him for this.”
The scientist turned to another door, quickly locking it behind him as he settled himself safely inside the viewing room. He held a look of amusement as he flipped the switch to open the cage door. The low growls fell silent as Loz and Kadaj looked warily inside only to find a pair of wide golden eyes rimmed in a similar shade of blue-green as their own looking back at them. Strangely, they could see little else as the darkness hid the silent figure from even their enhanced vision.
Not bothering to switch off the speakers, Hojo’s grating voice was easily heard as he spoke into his voice recorder, “Subject does seem to retain some memories of numbers one and three. Shows apprehension over revealing himself to them. Force may be necessary to continue.”
The two brothers raised an eyebrow at each other before Kadaj looked toward the scientist, “Memories? You mean we’ve met before?”
A grin twisted Professor Hojo’s features into a mask of sadistic glee, “Oh yes. You boys know this creature quite well.”
Loz cracked his knuckles and gave a short, derisive laugh as the silent figure seemed to attempt to dig itself further into the back of the cage, “Hey Professor? I don’t think it wants to play with us. Maybe you should just have one of us take care of this, your monster is too scared of both of us!”
The snickering laughter from the two brothers was cut short as the scientist pressed a button and sent an electrical surge through the cage and steel floor. Twin pairs of cat-like eyes glared at the scientist behind the glass as a harsh snarl left the dark shadows. Hojo simply smirked, “Now, if you two are through playing around, I would like you to actually take this seriously. Sometime today would be quite nice actually.”
Kadaj rolled his eyes, “Yeah, yeah. Hey Loz, if we can’t get him to come out and face his punishment, let’s get rid of his hiding place!”
The older brother grinned and walked over to the cage, the metal groaning as he took hold of it. Hojo screeched, “Stop that, you dolt! That’s laboratory equipment you’re destroying!”
Kadaj laughed, “You were the one that wanted us to take this seriously. We won’t be able to until we see just what we’re up against and he‘s obviously not coming out on his own so…”
A loud screech filled the room as the steel cage walls were torn from the floor, Loz easily tossing the trashed metal aside. Both of the silver-haired brothers blinked in surprise and even Hojo was silent for a moment as the enveloping shadows did not immediately disperse in the bright fluorescent lighting. The scientist soon found his voice however, excitedly speaking once more into the recorder, “Subject shows signs of greater access to V-005’s abilities than earlier anticipated! If control is established, this could mean nearly limitless possibilities.”
Slowly, the darkness began to dissipate but the shadowed figure did not remain huddled for long, instead moving in a blur, leaping at the glass panel where the smug scientist sat. A loud crack sounded in the room, Hojo’s eyes widening with a hint of terror as the specialized glass, made to withstand over two tons of pressure, bent under the force and began to form web-like fractures.
The shock quickly wore off from the brothers and both Loz and Kadaj hurried to subdue the rapidly moving figure. The shadows surrounding the creature seemed to be fading even further and the youngest brother’s brows furrowed when he caught a glimpse of silver. Making a quick motion to Loz, Kadaj moved into the creature’s path, waiting for the blow that never came. He was shocked when the figure swerved to avoid him but thankfully the eldest brother was already in position and sent a hard punch right into the shadowed blur.
As the creature crashed into the walled with a loud groan, the darkness finally fully left, revealing a slender, silver-haired figure. Both sets of blue-green eyes widened, “Brother!”
Loz immediately rushed to the fallen man’s side, but both brothers took a moment to study the strange shackles and collar on Yazoo, a glowing red line running along the center of the steel. Kadaj whirling to face Hojo, murderous anger lighting his cat-like gaze, “What is the meaning of this? What did you do to him?”
The scientist huffed, “I don’t have to answer to you, number three. This experiment will continue.”
“Like hell it will!”
A malicious smile grew on the Professor’s face, “I do not believe I recall asking for your permission.”
With that, he pressed a large button on the panel before him. The glass was suddenly covered by a steel panel, only cameras revealing the proceedings inside the room. The grating voice returned over the speakers, “I would recommend backing away, gentlemen, or you may not have ample time to protect yourselves. You had better hope he remembers you or else you will be fighting for your very lives.”
Loz and Kadaj both looked at Yazoo at those words, noticing that the red lines appeared to be fluid-filled tubes that were now emptying into the slender man. The blue-green rimmed golden eyes lifted, pleading with the two watching him warily. Then the slender teen tensed, the recognition in his gaze fading to murderous rage and the frightened whimpers to harsh snarls. The other Remnants took a step away from their middle sibling as he stood, his nails drawing blood from his own hands.
Vincent had to fight to keep from interfering as he heard Yazoo’s thoughts, his desperate pleas for his brothers to run, for this madness to stop. The gunman knew he had to watch closely; if he stepped in too soon, permanent damage would be dealt to the younger man’s mind and he might never wake. Soft whispers, unfamiliar to him but unmistakably Jenova, soon filled the space and he moved to shield himself. The longer his presence remained unknown to her, the better.
::Do you not see, little one? The rage they instilled in you caused fright and harm to the ones you held closest. Even when that disgusting fluid was gone from your body, you could still feel it, the need to lash out, the indescribable desire to consume those around you.::
Kadaj and Loz immediately moved to defend themselves as the now-feral Yazoo leapt at them. The fight was fast and furious but it was obvious that the two silver-haired teens were currently unable to take on their altered sibling’s speed and ferocity. Kadaj gave a cry as claw-like nails dug into his back, leaving four long gashes. The golden-eyed man smirked as he licked the blood from his hand.
‘Please stop this! It didn’t happen like that! I stopped when Kadaj was hurt, the scent brought me back!”
::But you wanted it to happen that way. The rage and hunger you worked so hard to control told you to. You wanted to taste their blood, watch the life leave their eyes. You wanted to be the monster those pitiful humans made you to be instead of the greatness you were intended for.::
‘NO!’ Yazoo screamed, pulling with all his might to get away. Vincent moved quickly as he saw a flicker of change in the altered Remnant’s gaze. The younger man was beginning to gain control again and he would need to be there to help secure that control.
Yazoo could feel his body beginning to slow its attack but still the scene continued to play. He didn’t want to see Loz’s heart in his hands, his brother’s shocked and fearful eyes going blank. He didn’t want to hear Kadaj’s screams as he tore his body apart, Hojo’s torturous laughter surrounding them as his little brother died. He had seen these things too many times before and each time they seemed more real, threatening to make him believe that this was truly how they had died.
‘NO! Sephiroth killed them, not me!’
“Well at least some part of you still knows the truth.”
Time seemed to freeze as the warm voice filled the air, a wall of billowing red surrounding the Remnant as Jenova gave an angered hiss. Yazoo’s eyes went wide as a figure stepped from the crimson, finding that now his voice worked instead of just his thoughts, “Vincent?” A ghost of a smirk appeared on the gunman’s face, oddly comforting to the silver-haired man, “How do I know its really you?”
“That’s the problem, Yazoo. You don’t. You just have to trust what your instincts tell you.”
Yazoo gave an uncertain nod but something told him that this really was Vincent. He started to ask how the gunman came here but a glint of metal and the sound of tearing fabric interrupted him, the long blade of Masamune slicing through the shifting wall. Jade eyes flashed with fury as Sephiroth discovered who had interfered, “Valentine! What are you doing here?
A dark eyebrow rose as the crimson shifted and settled on his shoulders, molding into his trademark tattered cloak, “You should already know the answer. We are here to make sure you don’t succeed.”
Yazoo blinked, his brow furrowing. ‘We?’
Vincent could clearly hear the thought and glanced at the Remnant, “We will explain when I am better able. Learn to shield your mind, Yazoo. It will make it more difficult for them to pull at your memories.”
A smirk appeared on the former General’s face, “So you do know the rules to these games. Perhaps you will provide me with a challenge.”
Scarlet eyes narrowed, “Games? You are playing with a person’s mind, breaking them of everything that they hold close.” Then he gave a small smirk, “And I do believe that your precious Mother and you shall find me more of a challenge than you can handle.”
The gunman’s form suddenly disappeared, taking the frozen lab scene with him. Yazoo was startled when Vincent’s voice echoed in his mind, though from Sephiroth’s wary and cautious gaze, he could not hear the raven haired man. ‘I need you to trust me. Your emotional and mental state controls this place. He has power because you fear him, allow us the strength to fight him.’
Yazoo gave an imperceptible nod. He hadn’t know the gunman for long but he found he did trust the mysterious man, nearly as much as he had his brothers. Vincent knew when the Remnant complied, the pressure and overall feeling that he did not belong here lessening. Turning his attention back to the General, he focused his mind. This wasn’t going to be easy or pleasant but he needed to break Sephiroth’s hold on Yazoo’s fears, “I must admit however, I am curious. What did you think you would do with me now that I am here? If you wish to continue with your games, you must have some idea of how you want to go about it. Perhaps you would go with a classic favorite creation of my own mind?”
The darkness shifted, two figures appearing before the silver-haired men. One Yazoo immediately recognized as Lucrecia, the other was a dark-haired man dressed as a Turk and he seemed familiar. As the scene began to play, the man’s head rose, revealing a dark amber gaze that looked longingly at the female scientist. The woman granted him with a soft smile and suddenly the loving kindness of the Turk’s eyes hardened, changing to something far darker in it’s possessiveness.
Lucrecia gave a scream and ran as the dark haired man suddenly leapt at her, tearing into her clothing and skin. Standing where the man had looked so lovingly at the female scientist, Vincent watched the scene with a mixture of sadness and guilt. Yazoo blinked, realizing that the Turk was who Vincent had been before Hojo’s experiments.
The emotion in the scarlet gaze disappeared as the gunman turned to face Sephiroth once more, “Or maybe you wouldn’t. After all, it would be beneath you to do something so unoriginal.”
The ex-Turk took a few steps away from the scene still playing, seemingly unfazed by the screams of the woman he had loved. Another shift occurred as he came to a stop, “Maybe one that my demons have enjoyed taunting me with would better suit your tastes?”
One by one, the members of AVALANCHE were revealed, their figures at ease as they conversed with one another in what appeared to be a bar. A young woman separated herself from the group, practically skipping her way to a shadowed corner of the bar, “Come on, Vinny!”
The image’s gunman shook his head, his expression grim as she and the others of the group began to change, their faces and bodies shifting with age. Scarlet eyes filled with grief as his friends grew old until their forms disappeared, replaced by graves and memorial stones while he sat in the shadows, unmoving and unchanged by the passage of time even as the bar fell to dust and the city surrounding it surrendered to destruction and wilderness.
The shadows around the gunman shifted until they were no longer natural, taking on the shapes of four dark figures clinging to Vincent’s form, holding him as he was for all eternity. Turning away from the scene, the raven-haired man gave the silver-haired swordsman a morbid smile, “But really General, why limit yourself to the imagination of…what is you like to call them? Oh, right, demon filth. After all, there is so much to choose from, why not use it all?”
The gunman raised his arms and suddenly the darkness was filled with sounds and images, the scenes far too numerous to count. Yazoo looked in awe and disbelief, unable to tell where one ended and another began. Sephiroth’s voice cut through the terrified screams and pleas, “Cease this foolishness Valentine!”
The sudden silence was unnerving, especially as each image of Vincent turned to look at the General with a strangely piercing gaze. Slowly, each one stepped out of the nightmare or memory they had been displayed in, some the form of the Turk he had been and some as he was now. Others appeared as Sin and there were even a few that were so bloodied and disfigured that they were unrecognizable as the raven-haired man.
One of the figures of the present Vincent stepped away from the innumerable crowd surrounding the former General, “Don’t you appreciate my efforts General? You don’t even have to do any work at all.”
Yazoo’s attention was pulled away by a soft touch on his arm. Blue-green eyes met with crimson and black as Sin gave a respectful nod, “Master must follow while the half-breed is distracted.”
The Remnant nodded as he followed the winged figure, carefully keeping his thoughts hidden as he whispered, “What are you doing here Sin?”
Sin looked back at the encircled gunman, “We…I am not really here. I am joined with him though we are still not completely merged. He sent what is left of us…me to protect you and lead you away, Master.”
“Where are we going?”
The slave gave a strange smile, “We will not go anywhere. You will wake up, Master.”
~
Vincent could feel Sin leading Yazoo through the opening created in the distraction but he was careful. ‘Just a little more…’ He let a wide fanged grin appear on his face, the copies around him mimicking the expression as the former General warily tried to watch them all, “What’s the matter Sephy? Isn’t the General having fun with this game? No? Well then maybe we should wrap this up, hm?”
The darkness around them grew thicker, the copied images of the gunman swallowed by the shadows, “I know what holds the greatest terror in your heart, Sephiroth, and I am going to make it into a reality.”
Suddenly it seemed as though they were floating in space, the world below them, beautifully painted in blues, greens, and white, “This is a world where your terror does not exist, where the great General Sephiroth is not even a memory or a dream. Your name holds no meaning of respect or fear in the hearts of men. And after today,” The gunman faded into the darkness as well, feeling the pull of his physical body, “That world is Gaia.”
_____________________________________________________________________
A/N: Wow…long chapter. Hopefully that helps to make up for how long you guys had to wait for it! LOL
Ok, Roommate gone and I LOVE MY FIANCEEEEE!!!! WOOOT! Not only did he get us a new computer but he got a scanner/printer for me, a 32" LCD flatscreen TV, and a new PS2 and PS3.
So not only did we get rid of the smell, but we got some kicka$$ new electronics. Frizzy is a very happy camper ATM. Of course, this means that you all will now be bombarded with my insane attempts at drawing as well as my crazy stories. Hopefully they will be amusing at the very least.
Thanks to all of you for your support and patience. If you ever get curious about my drawings, check out my DA account http://frizzycrls.deviantart.com/ ...there is only one new one so far but Sapph and I are working on a collab for Chapter 2 of Of Snowstorms that you guys might find funny.
SapphireDoG
Oh hush Sin, you know you love me XD
And my muses can't beat yours in the twisted department. They my try, but they never quite come close enough XD *snicker* Yours perfer Mind Fucks, were as mine perfer physical battle and blood ;D
And I shall enjoy cuddling the furball, his tail is soft :D
Awesome chapter my Master! Both grumpy Sin and I are proud you got this out! Whee! *clutches Sin's tail tightly before glomping Frizzy, making sure the winged one can't escape*
And you evil cliffie bitch! How dare you!! Mehhh!!!!! D: evil women. But I love you anyway :D
Lol and thank you for the VCR advertisment XD muchly appreciated!!
Frizz: Eh, I love VCR way too much not to advertise it hun. Glad that you love me even if I am evil. Verryyyy Evil! LOL
Raven
....... *mutters about scheming parasic bitches trying to taint yazoo* anyways love this story and yes i'm pretty sure it's been 4 maybe 5 not sure but at least 4. you are awesome. keep up the great work, yet another hanging-on-the-edge-of-my-seat cliffy that makes me want to strangle you but i will refrain from sending out my muses because i have hope that you won't make me wait tooooo long for the next chappie.
Frizz: You are awesome as well and I am sorry about the wait. Hopefully this chapter is worth it!
viva_rose
A cookie! Yay! *goes into diabetic coma*
Yeah I realized that a bit after I posted, then went back and re-read the chapter and was like "ohhhhh".
Frizz: LOL its ok, I know sometimes things get confusing. I try to make them as clear as possible though.
Golden Kitsune
YEAH!!!
amazing chapter.
cant wait for more.
that parasite bitch is goin' down!!!
update soon.
XD.
~Golden Kitsune~
Frizz: Hell yeah she's goin down...just gonna have to be next chapter LOL
Kuragari
hmmmm... I'm sad and yet happy at the same time to here of an end to the evil cliffies. Hang on Yazoo... Vinnie's coming! just don't tell him I called him that He might hurt me. ^^;
Frizz: LOL well the evil cliffies aren't done quite yet!
Mr. Cocky
greetings all it is I MR COCKY saying that if our beloved authoress looses access to a computer for a wile don't worry I will make it my personal mission from God to make sure she has a new one asap so don't worry if she is gone for a wile she will be back quickly you have my guarantee
Frizz: AND DID HE EVER!!! WOOT!!!
fyrbyrd
Argghhh another cliffie! Vincent had better rescue Yazoo! Sorry to here about that bastard, getting rid of him is way the best thing. I have two more weeks of hospital then my life gets back to normal, hope yours does too and I look forward to the next update.
Frizz: I do the cliffie thing alot. Hope you like this chapter, it was alot of fun.
SapphireDoG
Watch out for our girl Mr.Cocky! We're counting on you!
Frizz: Hehe, I love my fans.
viva_rose
awww i'm sorry! luckily i dont' live with roommates, just my husband's parents and my three younger siblings and two coon dogs. I hope this works out for you!
Frizz: Sounds like you got alot on your plate as it is hun!
Mr. Cocky
guess what its me the forever wonderful amazing and amusing MR COCKY and you guessed it I got our lovely talented and intelligent authoress a computer YAY you can love me and my arrogance now luv ya saph
Frizz: *sigh* Don't worry you guys, I smacked him over the head for ya.
SapphireDoG
You cocky dork XD but your right, i have no choice but to luv ya on some level or degree XD Wheee! Frizzy back! :D
Frizz: You do have a choice...its just difficult not to.
xx__V a l e n t i n e
Whooo... It took me a while, but I finally finished reading all of the chapters!
-DDR's-
But anyway, I love the story so far, you've kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time~!
When I reached the end of chapter 53 I was all; "Dubbleyewteeeff!?!?! SHE ENDED THERE!?!?"
So yeah, good luck with kicking Mr.Piggy out and I hope to see another chapter soon~
Oh, and I've always wanted to know, where does "Mr. Cocky" -finger quote- get his robo -er.. ponies, I think it was?
'Cause they'd make an excellent gift for someone I know..
-evil laughter-
One of your ever-loving fangirls,
Val
Frizz: LOL Sorry about it ending there. Hopefully you dont mind this chap ending here too much. The robo-ponies and kitties come from a local toy shop (yes he does actually own pretty much everything he uses in the war with Sapph)
Suki Rios
i hope everything works out for you dear. you're in the right, the b**tard has to go. it's not worth stressing yourself over
Frizz: Everything has worked out. Thank you for the support!