"#%& it's cold."
"It will remain that way no matter how many times you state the obvious. Perhaps instead of re-iterating what we already know, you'll help us figure a way out of here?"
Cid glared at Vincent, but found his stare only returned by the emotionless crimson eyes. Finding it pointless, Cid took a sulky drag on his cigarette and turned away. Vincent moved away and leaned against the wall of the ice cave, looking, as usual, slightly depressed. Cloud was sitting on a large chunk of crystal, apparently thinking. Although with Cloud, thought Cid, you couldn't always be sure. He wasn't the most predictable of people and for all anyone knew, Cloud could be considering ways to kill him and Vincent and run off to join up with Sephiroth. Cid tried not to focus on the faults of his companion and instead stared at the cave itself.
To some artsy person it probably would of been pretty, but to him it was beginning to get annoying. And cold. Very cold.
"We can't just sit here. Where do we go now, Cloud?" Cid asked the young man. He continued staring at the floor, then looked up at the pilot.
"The map stopped a while ago...I really have no idea. I'm just improvising now." Cloud shrugged and fiddled with one of his spiked bracelets. Cid felt furious that Cloud didn't know where they were or even seemed to care about it and grabbed his trident tightly, trying to lessen some stress. He looked over at Vincent to see if he shared his feelings, but only found the odd, glazed look that the dark man had most of the time.
While his face remained unchanged, there was obviously something different about the eyes. Cid could see the hidden pain behind the blood-colored eyes. He could recognize it because for a long time, that was all he could see in the mirror when he looked at his own. Shaking these thoughts away, Cid took another puff on his cigarette. He didn't need to know about Goth-boy's traumatic past. Everyone had problems. He didn't want to hear them.
"Where do we go now? We can't sit here, we'll freeze our @$#'s off." Cid glared at the crystalline beauty around him, wishing he could smash it all with his Trident. He watched his smoke float idly to the top of the cavern. Vincent stood against the wall, his face non-changing.
"We need to keep moving." Vincent said in a off-handed manner. Cloud stood and brushed himself off.
"I'll agree with that much. We can't stay still or we'll freeze. So we might as well choose a direction and go with it."
"What about those #$*$^* icicles we knocked down a while ago? Where did they go, anyway?" Cid looked around irritably and was relieved to find that they apparently knew what he was talking about.
"Hmmm...they fell to the floor. I'm not sure where they landed...we should check."
"I ain't goin back all that way just to check. There's got to be a shortcut or something." Cid placed his Trident over his shoulder and used the warmth of the cigarettes tips to help warm his hands. Even in gloves they felt so frozen. He stared at Vincent and Cloud, both of them not dressed in the wisest of choices for the weather here. He rolled his eyes. This had come so suddenly, they hadn't had time to get winter clothes.
Vincent's cloak seemed to be enough to protect the man, however. He showed no signs of cold and constantly wrapped the cloak around him. Cloud was a different story. He was always shivering, yet said nothing.
"We could jump." Cloud began walking. Cid blinked.
"Jump? Jump from there down?"
"Frightened?" Cloud smirked. Vincent walked by...at least, Cid thought he did. It always seemed to him that Vincent seemed to be a little off the ground, as if he was floating. The slow acrobatics he did added to the effect that Vincent was un-earthly. It gave Cid the creeps...Vincent was just like those vampires he heard about. He wondered if Vincent was aware of how he looked.
"You jump quite well when someone pushes you enough in battle." Vincent mumbled as he walked by Cid. Cid could almost detect a faint hint of a smile on his lips. Feeling angry, Cid let out a long stream of obscenities before deciding on something.
"It's called a Boost Jump, it's not just a jump..."
"See, Cid? This should be no problem for you, so stop talking about it."
Cloud continued walking. Cid glared at the spiky-haired youth, but didn't comment. Arriving soon at the place where they had knocked the icicles down, they peered over the edge. It was higher then it seemed. To Cid, it didn't bother him. He was used to the height from being in the sky so much. In fact, this sort of made him feel at ease to be this high above something. He noticed that Cloud had slightly paled and he felt better. Now who was frightened...
"Shall we go?" Vincent said impassively, looking down. Cid was slightly dissapointed to find that Vincent showed no sign of fear. Cloud looked nervous.
"I'll show you amateurs how to do it, so I'll go first." Cid said with a mocking smile. He noticed Cloud's angry stare and smiled, but found Vincent's blank, emotionless gaze disconcerting. Deciding not to give it anymore thought, he jumped.
The cold air rushing past him chilled him more then usual, but he didn't notice in the exhilaration of the moment. Landing easily on his feet, he looked upwards and took another puff on his cigarette.
"Go ahead, if you can." he said, smirking, then turned.
A small bird faced him, black letters written on it's torso and on it's headband. Cid readied his Trident and waited for an oppurtunity to attack.
When Cloud and Vincent finally came down, the found Cid panting slightly next to what looked like a very dead bird.
"What took you dumb#$&'s so long?" Cid asked in what he hoped was a off-handed way. Now it was Cloud who was smirking and Cid who was upset.
Vincent still had the impassive look on his face as he always did.
"Did it get you bad?" Cloud asked with mock concern. Cid clenched his teeth and turned away, shaking his Trident to lose the feathers and blood that was stuck to it.
"Shut the @%$& up and cast Cure, one of you."
"I think the Birds pretty dead, Cid, Cure won't help-" Cloud enjoyed bothering the elder man. Cid turned on him angrily.
"On me, you #$%@! Me! God..." Cid inhaled deeply through his cigarette, seeking some comfort. Cloud was snickering, he could tell. He rolled his eyes, and suddenly heard a sound next to him. He felt the customary rush of strength that came with being healed.
"Took long enough, you @#&$%..." Cid turned to find Vincent wapping his cloak around himself again, his spell finished. Cloud shrugged.
"Now where do we go?" he asked. Cid was in a bad mood and was feeling the cold biting at him more then usual.
"You're the leader, dumb$%&. You figure it out." Cid muttered. Vincent said nothing. Cloud, sensing some tension, turned and looked. He saw a number of platforms floating on the water and hopped across them quickly.
He turned back to his companions, who watched him curiously.
"Let's go this way!" Cloud called. Vincent was the first to cross, making no comment as he hopped across the ice. Small jumps like these were no problem for people like Cid, and soon they were continuing on their way.
It never seemed to get warmer, only colder. Cid could really feel it now. He wondered mentally how Cloud and Vincent could stand to be in this cold dressed as they were. Climbing up another cliff-face, they found themselves in yet another cave.
"This is getting @#$%* boring!" Cid remarked as he stared at the familiar, yet-different surrondings.
"I hear something up ahead." Vincent said quietly. Cid noticed how he never seemed to agree to anything, only make what seemed like occasional comments. Cloud drew his weapon, his face's expression changing. They walked forward into a narrow hallway, and stopped as a black figure walked towards them. It was one of the many who wore the black cloaks...with the number tattoos. Noticing that Vincent had drawn his weapon, Cid held his Trident at ready.
The figure collapsed in front of them, and then something large came rushing at them so fast, they barely had time to react.
Vincent watched the beast cooly. Deducing quickly that the creature's two heads each supported an element, he called upon the power to Sense that came from the materia in his armlet. Discovering it's weakness and strength, he called out to his companions what he learned. One fire, One Ice. Cloud nodded, and Cid smirked.
Cloud had reached his limit watching the cloaked man. Something about the pathetic people bothered him, and this was finally it. Feeling anger surging through him, Cloud rushed forward. Shoving his sword deep into the beast, he then pulled upwards violently. It gave a screaming growl, yet the two heads remained concious.
Vincent watched silently as Cid summoned Odin to attack the creature, but was slightly dismayed to find that it took little damage. Taking this as his chance, Vincent called on the power to summon the dragon, Bahamut, to his aid. Although this was more effective, it wasn't enough.
Both heads remained glaring at them.
First attacked was Cid. One head breathed a heavy torrent of blue flames at him, causing Cid to lose his balance, falling as pain and ice overtook him. Vincent prepared to cast Cure, but found that the Schizo was not through. The beast rushed forward, attacking Cid viciously. Cid gave an odd cry, and fell to the ground, unconcious. Vincent knew that the pilot was stead-fast in his resolution to never scream. Finding a hidden anger burning within him, Vincent could sense something he hated coming forth. The power that he feared and yet so desperatly needed at this moment.
Cloud attempted to summon the power of the Choco/Mog in hopes of paralyzing the creature, but it failed. The little damage it took only amplified it's anger. The two heads glared at Cloud, then one fired at Cloud while the other aimed at Vincent.
This flame was red hot and burned Vincent, yet he remained stubbornly standing. The anger within him grew, but he strove to control it. He casted Cure upon himself, planning to use it in the next turn on Cloud to heal his injuries. Cloud lept forward to attack, but was pushed back as twin bursts of alternate blue and red flame caught him in mid-air. He fell the ground, his sword knocked from his hand.
Realizing that he was the last chance his friends had, he decided that the only thing he could do was let the anger free. He stood and held out his arms, inviting it to take control of him. And his body began to change shape, becoming a green, hulking being. The Death Gigas gave an angry growl and stared at it's new opponent with previously unseen fury. It leaped forward and slammed it's fist into the fire type of Schizo's heads, knocking it to the ground. It didn't awaken.
The other type, shocked at finding it's counterpart gone, cast a powerful spell that the Death Gigas couldn't avoid. But it was too strong now, and it returned the beast's stare. It angrily breathed a mouthful of blue flames at the Death Gigas and found that this only granted the thing power. The small armlet on it's arm absorbed the cold, turning it into health. The Death Gigas gave a loud cry and electricity burst from it's system, flickering in and out of the Schizo's remaining head.
It tried the devastating spell again, but Death Gigas in the end was too strong and the Schizo perished.
Vincent could feel the anger fleeing and felt relief and shame. He hated having to revert to those monstrous forms...the reminded him of how monstrous he really was...on the inside. Looking at his two companions, Vincent allowed a unfamiliar emotion, worry, play across his features. Digging into the pack that he carried, he grabbed two small red feathers, Phoenix Downs, and placed one on both Cloud and Cid. They woke with alternate groans and complete confusion.
"What happened?" Cloud looked around but couldn't quite focus. Cid swore repeatedly as he held his aching head.
"The Schizo is dead. We must continue." Vincent said, returning to his emotionless voice. He didn't want the constant hurting behind his emotionless facade to be open to them. Cid and Cloud were both strong and able and would not appreciate his weakness. So he remained behind his mask.
Cloud cast Cure on himself until he felt like he was back to his old self. Then he and Vincent alternately healed Cid until he was standing and looking steady. The three looked at the dead body of the beast.
"How did you do it?" Cloud asked Vincent. Vincent just stared down at it.
"My armlet allowed me to absorb the power of it's cold." he said simply. He didn't like speaking about his mutations...his inner monsters...in front of people.
"$%*...you really did a number on it." Cid scratched his head. Vincent glanced at him, then back at the monster. He could not help but wonder how alike he and the monster were. The Schizo and him.
"Let's continue!" Cloud said cheerfully and began walking. Cid and Vincent followed him cautiously, finding the way out of the ice cavern was blocked by a raging blizzard.
"#$&*." Cid said in bad grace. He kicked the pile of snow that blocked the exit. He pulled a cigarette from the pack he kept in his goggles and barely managed to light it with a Fire Materia.
"Those aren't meant to be used like that." Cloud said, noticing what Cid was doing. Cid gave him a look that instantly shut him up.
"There is no way to go through this exit currently. The monster's body blocks the way back. We must either find some way to remove the snow or wait here until it melts." Vincent spoke in his normal, quiet voice, but the others had become so accustomed to his company they were used to it.
"If we stay here, we'll freeze! We have to find a way through!" Cloud looked alarmed, although Vincent remained impassive.
"How about this?" Cid held up the Fire materia.
"We do not have the power to keep the fire going so long as melt all of this. I suggest we start a fire, if possible, then we rest." Vincent closed his eyes.
"Start a fire? With what, smart@$#%?" Cid said irritably. Vincent's face didn't change.
"You have the fire materia. All we need is something for it to burn."
Cloud looked through his pack, trying to look for something flammable. Cid noticed that Vincent kept staring at him...no...at his cigarette.
"You aren't burning my smokes. I need them to keep sane with you #$%&@* yahoos walking around." Cid turned away. Vincent remained silent, then suddenly spoke again.
"Can the materia itself burn?"
Cid blinked and looked at the materia. Cloud shrugged.
"Worth a try, I suppose."
Cid placed the materia on the floor and watched it. He narrowed his eyes, and the materia glowed softly. It then abruptly burst into bright green and blue flames. Cid smiled, scratching the back of his head.
"#$%@...it worked. Didn't expect that."
Vincent sat quietly next to the fire, staring steadily into it. Cloud yawned and pulled out some of old armor from his backpack. Using it as bedding so his body wouldn't be in constant contact with the ice, he began to sleep. Cid remained standing, then walked over the snow.
"I ain't sittin here, I'm getting out of this place...Even if I have to dig my $%&%^* way out..."
Vincent shook his head, yet remained staring at the fire. He could vaguely hear Cid digging at the snow with his Trident.
Vincent began thinking of her. He felt a pang go through his heart. He missed her...and he was the one who had sent her to her death...to her suffering. How dare someone completly ignore their loved ones safety? If he had truly loved her, then he would have stopped Hojo...stopped him from hurting her...from hurting him. He could no longer feel past his left elbow. The metal responded to what he wanted, but he couldn't feel the cold or feel anything. He clenched the claw and felt his self-hatred rising again. This horrible body...this whole thing was-
His train of thought was interrupted as Cloud began snoring. Loudly.
He looked at the young man and smiled slightly. He didn't have any identity problems...he didn't have to wonder about whether he was worth much or deserved to live...he knew who he was. Cloud of Nibelheim. Vincent wished he could be as secure as he was.
He heard a clattering noise and tried to think of how long he had just been sitting and thinking. Although it felt like minutes, it must of been quite a while. The sound was like metal against ice, and Vincent stood and walked to where the snow had blocked the entrance. There was a dent...not a substantial one, but a dent...in the snow.
Collapsed from exhaustion on the floor was Cid, who had fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the floor. Vincent shook his head.
"Highwind? Highwind?" he asked. Cid gave no reply. He poked him gently, but Cid remained steadily asleep. Shrugging, Vincent leaned over and picked Cid up. Finding him lighter then he had expected, Vincent walked back to the fire. Noticing that Cid was also dangerously cold to the touch, he deduced that he needed somewhere warm to sleep.
Cloud had, rather selfishly Vincent thought, taken most of the spare clothes for himself. Vincent didn't have anything that would keep Cid warm. Using the Sense ability, he could tell that the over-exposure to the snow and cold had finally gotten to Cid and his collapse wasn't completly from exhaustion.
Finding nowhere else to place him, Vincent put Cid down near Cloud, so most of his body was on the armor, and then thought. He couldn't leave him like that for long. Sighing, he began undoing the high collar the held the cloak he wore up.
"Why am I doing this?" He wondered to himself as he unbuckled one clasp. "Is this my pathetic attempt to redeem myself...to try and care for a foul-mouthed, smoking pilot who doesn't remember my name? Is this my way of making up for letting my one love suffer? Letting her go to where I knew pain was...letting her go...how could I ever atone for this...I can't. I can't ever make up for this sin." Vincent immediately felt the cold as he whisked his cloak off. His previously protected arms began to prickle, except for his left past the elbow.
He looked at it. "I'm trying to repay my debt to the one I love by being nice to someone who doesn't care about me...why? Why am I doing this...nothing I ever do will ever redeem me."
Vincent, ignoring his thoughts, layed his cloak on the floor. Picking Cid back up, he placed him on it. The cloak was incredibly thick and well-made, designed for all kinds of weather, especially the cold. He knew this would keep him warm. Wrapping it around him, Vincent leaned back. He hoped this would work. He didn't want another death on his conscience.
"Where will you sleep?" a voice said in his head softly. Vincent looked around, then realized the voice came from one of his inner monsters, Chaos. There were four of them, named for what they did to him when they chose to speak. Vincent knew that if he ever told someone, they would think he was insane. Maybe he was...they shouldn't exist. But they did, and that was painfully obvious when they manifested physically.
"I don't need to sleep." Vincent said, trying to convince himself and Chaos. Chaos was the most devious of his monsters, the one that planted doubt and dissension in his heart. It was the main corrupter of him, and he and Chaos both knew this. Soon, Chaos would be strong enough to appear, like Death Gigas and the Galian Beast. Soon, that loathesome spirit within him would rise and consume him, fighting in battle when someone made him angry. The thought made him sick.
"Need to sleep." Galian said, it's growling voice painfully clear.
"Everyone sleeps. You have to sleep. You slept for so long. Sleep more. Sleep forever."
"I don't need to listen to you." Vincent said softly. "You don't rule my life, I do. Don't speak to me."
"We speak when we want." Death Gigas' thick voice rumbled through his body. "Do what we want. Like you. We ARE you. We need sleep."
"Take the cloak from the pilot. He matters nothing to you anyway. He doesn't know your name, I bet." Chaos hissing voice went through his mind. "You could always blame his death on his stupidity. Trying to dig his way out. He's a fool...take the cloak."
"Take it! Take it now! Sleep for good...sleep and we'll stop talking!" Hellmasker's angry voice startled Vincent. He put his hand to his head, feeling it throbbing. He could feel his claw on the other side, icy cold. He dug his hand underneath his hair and placed his claw over his heated brow. They did not lessen the pain.
"I don't need to listen to you...Cid needs it more then I. If I help him, then I-"
"No matter what you do, you're still a heartless murderer, Turk." Chaos spoke softly, much like Vincent did. "Deep down, you don't care about anyone. Stop pretending you do."
"Stop it!" Vincent said with uncustomary emotion. He held his head as if to press the inner demons within away. But they only laughed at his pain.
"Who the #$*& you talkin to?" a confused voice said from his side. Instantly the demons retreated. Vincent could always depend on the fact that in the presence of others, the demons waited and did not speak to him.
"Highwind...you're awake..." Vincent felt within him embarrassment for becoming angry at the demons and raising his voice. However, through years of training, Vincent's outer facade never changed.
"What the @$%& happened...where am I...what the @#%& is this?" Cid, his voice drowsy and slow, looked at the cloak that was wrapped around him.
"You may have hypothermia." Vincent said, removing emotion from his voice. "You need warmth."
"This is yours, ain't it? I can't believe I'm wearing your cloak..." Cid sat up, but Vincent pushed him back down. He glared angrily at the dark man, but found nothing but the simple pained stare that Vincent always had.
"Don't move."
"I ain't wearin your cloak, dumb#&$, you'll freeze to death. Get this off me and put it back on."
"Stay still."
"I ain't $^*#&# stayin still, I ain't gonna let you freeze cause I got worked up over the snow."
"I won't freeze. I will stay near the fire and watch you two. That way, nothing will attack."
"The #@#& you will. Take it and go to sleep."
"Highwind. No."
Cid uttered a long string of swearwords before speaking. "Why?"
"You have-"
"Not that, dumb#$%. Why you doing this?"
"Doing what?"
"Helping me. I never helped you none. What's the deal?" Cid looked at him suspiciously. Vincent's face never changed, although his hand twitched.
"If you want the truth, I'll tell you." Vincent felt as if he had nothing more to lose. The demons were tearing him apart. If someone knew about them, maybe, it would help.
"$&*^ yeah I want the truth. Spit it out."
Vincent sighed, letting his hair fall over his eyes. "A long time ago, there was this woman that I loved. She wanted to do something that was dangerous, but I didn't want her too...in the end I let her do it, and...and she suffered. I betrayed her by not being there to help her and not stopping it. For this great sin, I try to atone by doing various deeds that I hope will appease her spirit. Helping my team-mate would be one of them."
Cid gave him an odd look and coughed.
"You don't like yourself cause the lady you cared about got hurt and you think it's your fault."
"Not exactly." Vincent sat back, looking off to one side.
"You got it all wrong." Cid looked at Vincent. "Is this what's been bugging you this whole time?"
"If you could put it that way, yes."
"You're a @#$% fool." Cid turned away. "Take this cloak and go to sleep."
"No."
Cid swore for a moment. "I ain't your old lady, okay? Helpin me won't bring her back. You help me, won't help you. Just take it and live."
"What is your reason?" Vincent asked. Cid turned back towards him.
"Reason for what?"
"Why do you want to die and me to live?"
"I said it before..." Cid said sulkily after a moment's pause. "I ain't no murderer."
"I am."
Cid pulled the cloak off himself and shoved it at Vincent, startling him.
"Then take it! Take it and let me die, if you're really a #%$&*@ murderer."
Vincent pushed the cloak back, placing it around Cid's shoulders. Cid looked at him for moment, searching his face for emotion, and found only the sad eyes.
"You're no murderer." Cid said, looking at the dark man. "That at least proves it."
"You don't know anything."
"Maybe I $&*#&% don't, but I do know enough to think you're a $&@^ fool."
"Go to sleep, Highwind. Forget about my problems, because they cannot be solved and will only be a burden."
"No. Take the cloak."
"No."
Desperate, Cid threw the cloak over Vincent, then took half for himself. He glared at the man, whose face still seemed emotionless.
"Happy now? We BOTH got the @#%& cloak."
Vincent remained silent. Cid, frustrated at this, turned away. He could sense Vincent trying to move away, but in a quick movement he grabbed his arms. Vincent looked at him, but didn't struggle.
"I'm not letting you die. So lay down and shut the @#$% up about everything."
He shoved Vincent bodily to the ground. For once Cid thought he saw fright in the blood-colored eyes as he had Vincent pinned. Letting go slowly, making sure Vincent didn't try to scoot away, he then layed down himself, facing the opposite direction.
He could hear Vincent breathing in short gasps. The space between them wasn't that great, but Cid tried to ignore it. He had frightened him. That bothered Cid for some reason. When he had grabbed Vincent, he noticed that he was more frail then he had ever guessed. Underneath that guise of emotionlessness and blank, cold comments, was someone who genuinely didn't know who they were or what they wanted. In the blood-colored eyes Cid could see a reflection of himself.
"Go to sleep, Vincent." he said sullenly, then closed his eyes.
The voices that spoke so loudly in Vincent's mind suddenly became silent.
"He does know my name..." Vincent thought to Chaos, to all his other demons, with a touch of joy. He could feel them retreating and his soul becoming slightly lighter. He looked at the foul-mouthed, bad-tempered pilot, and then came to him another generally unfamiliar feeling. Gratitude.
"Thank you, Cid Highwind." Vincent said softly. Cid waved a hand at him.
"Shut the #$&@ up, I'm trying to sleep..."