Violet Shadows (FF7)

24) Memory Lane

~2 Years Ago~
Red. I see red. My eyes slide shut and I cough weakly, the smoke burning my throat.

"Violet!" How cute... Hearing his voice in my last moments.

"Vi! Where the @-%+# are ya!?" Cid too, huh?

"Gods be #&%+@^-.... Wait... Chief! Over here!"

I frown and force one eye open, only to see more red, more yellow and orange and... Blue now? Either a unicorn's crapped in here or people see rainbows before they die. I scoff to myself.

"Unicorns.."

"I ain't a unicorn, now let's get ya outta here."

"Violet.." Two thin arms lift me in the air, a face nestled into the crook of my neck as the pair runs back to their ship. "You lied..."

"Sorry," I croak past my dry esophagus before giving into the darkness.

When I wake up next, I'm not exactly sure where I am. I can make out the smell of oil and something leafy. I open my eyes to see the curtains drawn tightly and a mug of cold tea on the nightstand alongside a half full pack of cigarettes. The plain white door is cracked open and I can hear a TV downstairs. The clock on the wall tells me that it's nearly eleven at night, the closet holding my combat boots and cloak, leggings and shirt folded beside my shoes. A thin layer of dust coats the black pants and I frown. Where am I and how long was I asleep? I force my legs to move to the floor, surprisingly weak and like sticks, just like the rest of me.

Scowling in frustration when I nearly fall over on my wobble deer legs, I grab the wall and use that for support to make my way downstairs. I'm in some random shirt and a pair of shorts that I continuously have to pull back up because they've slipped down a little. I finally manage to get down the stairs and I recognize where I am. Cid Highwind's house. Where is everyone? I press on through the hall until I reach the livingroom, where I'm met with a sight that warms my heart. Cid with his head back, snoring, and his arm lazily thrown over the back of the couch. Vincent is asleep in the big chair farther away from the low volumed TV, head flopped onto his shoulder and his sock feet propped up on the ottoman.

He's gonna have a sore neck tomorrow. There's a rattle in the kitchen and I grip the wall again to get there, my legs wobbling as I make it into the bright room. Shera stands by the sink, dying dishes and putting them back in the cabinets quietly. I quietly clear my throat and she jumps, turning to see me giving her a weak smile.

"Miss Crescent! Your alive! I mean, awake!"

"Eh, yeah," I shrug, surprised by how... Healed my voice sounds, younger, like it used to be.

"Dear Lord, I'm glad you're alright_" she smiles brightly. "But what on Gaia are you doing walking around in that condition?!"

"Just came to let you know I exist," I shrug again.

"Vi?" Cid? I turn my head around quickly to see a sleepy and confused pilot rubbing his blue eyes. "Yer up?"

"Mhmm."

"Good," he grins, standing and heading over. "Doctor kept sayin' you weren't ever gonna wake up. I kept tellin' him that that wasn't my Violet." I laugh weakly and accept his unintentionally bone crushing hug. "Vin's been worried, you know. Wouldn't stop pacin' and goin' upstairs to see ya."