THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS WILL FOCUS ON ADVENT CHILDREN, AND THEN WE'LL GET MOVING ON TO DoC! ALSO, I'M ADDICTED TO BLUE EXORCIST NOW. RIN IS BEAUTIFUL... CONTINUE, PEASANTS ;)
I sigh as another person walking by splashes mud on me when stepping in a puddle. Of course, Edge doesn't have much respect for those on the streets, and they hold even less for those with the Stigma. Looking to my right, I see a small group of children who dirty cloths of all kinds wrapped over the disease. To them, it's a way of healing. To me, it's like they're trying to hide it so that they can try to forget the life threatening sickness with no cure. A bark snaps me out of the stare I've fixed in a small girl with a Moogle toy.
"Hey Ruka," I smile softly, ruffling the shaggy dog's furry head. The mud covering her matted fur rubs off onto my hand, but I don't give it a thought, only hold it out to take whatever is in her mouth. Two stale cookies... Still wrapped in a plastic bag. The corner of my mouth twitches and I force myself to my feet, walking over to the group of kids slowly. They all pause and look up at me, grinning.
"It's the dog lady!"
"What did Rukie bring this time!?"
"I see something!"
I shake my head in amusement and crouch down to their level, opening the bag to split the treats. Four children, each gets a half... I pause and look back at the lonely kid with the Moogle doll. I can't evenly divide.
Yes you can, just give them fourths and have them give the rest to you.
No. I'll just give her something else.
You're starving half to death...
And she's dying!
What would Vincent say?
I pause, hand outstretched with the last cookie half. The last child hungrily snatches it and stuffs it in his young face.
He'd say nothing, only with me with his pretty eyes.
You speak the truth.
I chuckle and stand back up, looking at the small, lonely child. One I've seen the other four push away, say she can't play, that they don't like her because she cries so much. If only the children could understand what she's been through... I don't know myself, but anyone paying attention could feel the emotional pain radiating off her, something that I used to practically stink like. To think that a child barely older than five has to feel what I did... It makes me sick.
Ruka barks and I pet her head absentmindedly. I wonder where he is now? He saved my life after I blew Sephiroth to smitherines, saved Shadow from an eternity of prison inside my body. I can never thank him enough, mentally, of course.
~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."
"How long was I..?" I hesitate once he's finally let go.
"Lemme see... You went out the day we defeated Sephiroth, so that was one, two... Three weeks ago." I blink at him, staring in disbelief.
"Th-three weeks?"
"Yep," he crosses his arms. "Had Yuffie worried sick too. Poor brat practically worships you."
"She definitely found the wrong goddess," I roll my eyes. He grins.
"Ya haven't changed at all."
"Mm..." Vincent hums, stretching his arms over his head and standing. "I'm going to bed now, Chief..." He stops short when he turns to see me next to his friend. "... Violet?"
"Yeah," I tilt my head. "Why?"
He stares at me and I awkwardly pull my shorts up a little higher. Okay, fine, don't answer me.
"Whose clothes are these? They don't fit that great," I lift the hem of the shirt a little to prove my point, the shirt still reaching to my mid thighs.
"Mine," Shera sighs. "They fit fine when you first got here."
"Oh."
"Violet." I'm enveloped in black and red, being tightly but gently held to a tall person.
"Vincent," I reply sarcastically. He just hugs me tighter. "Okay. Wow. You never struck me as that touchy-feely guy that squeezes the orange juice out of you."
"I'm not."
"Then please let go, you're crushing my ribs."
"My apologies," he pulls away instantly, red faced. Shera clears her throat and nods toward the stairs while looking at Cid. He huffs and leads the way, the smaller mechanic trailing behind like a lost puppy. I lean back against the wall and study Vincent with my head tilted. Still tall and skinny with ridiculously long hair and pale hair. Still Vincent.
"So how've you been?" I ask casually. He frowns.
"Impatient."
"Aw, that sucks," I stick my tongue out and grimace. "They don't happen to have a spare toothbrush I could use, do they?"
"Follow me." He turns to walk away but pauses when I start to use the wall again. "Would you like me to help you?"
"Yes," I roll my eyes. "And you don't need to act like you don't know me, okay?"
"... Sorry." He comes back and lifts me effortlessly, grimacing when my elbow stabs his rib.
"Hey, do you know anything about Shadow?" I ask, hanging my head backwards over his arm so that the world passes upsidedown. "She hasn't said anything."
"I recall nothing."
"Gods, you're still awkward."
He sets me down in the bathroom and fishes through the cabinet beside me, nearly knocking my over when he reaches to grab something and his elbow smacks me in the face.
"Ow."
"Are you alright?" He immediately turns around and studies my face carefully.
"I'm fine," I laugh, snatching the toothbrush from his hand and looking it over. Well, it looks unused... I shrug and get to brushing. Vincent stands there, patiently waiting for me to finish before putting it back up in the cabinet, much to my annoyance because I could've done it myself. Then he picks me back up and carries me up the stairs, setting me in the bed I woke up in.
"I'm not tired," I pout. He rolls his eyes and sits in the seat beside the bed, pulling it closer. Just to annoy him, I scoot into a sitting position. "What happened while I was out?"
"Not much," he sighs. "Yuffie and I assisted with the people escaping Midgar, as Reeve commanded. He's planning to start a program to help rebuild the city called the World Regenesis Organization, but it's a long way from being in order. And I saw..." He stops, shaking his head. "Nevermind."
"What?" I furrow my eyebrows, frowning.
"It's nothing," he smiles slightly, looking back up to back from where he's leaning forward in his seat. "I'm just glad you're finally awake."
"Hey, it worked just like I said," I smirk. His features darken.
"I thought I had committed another unforgivable sin by simply letting you go like that." His shoulders slump forward. "I thought you were gone forever."
"Hey, I'm alright," I smile and poke his soft cheek. He looks up and nods, looking lost in thought when his head leans into my hand.
"Are you?" He murmurs.
"Yep."
"Hm."
I roll my eyes and lean forward, kissing him for the first time since the Northern Crater. He stiffens unexpectedly, but slowly follows along. What's up with you, Vince? There's something bothering you. I pull away and study his crimson eyes. Definitely something bugging you.
"What's wrong?"
"What do you mean?" He asks, eyes dropping away from my gaze uncomfortably.
"Vincent, what's bugging you?"
"It's nothing for you to be concerned about," he shakes his head. "I merely had a fantasy in my mind where you wanted nothing to do with me when you woke up."
"Why would I do that? Vince, I went through with it on my own. Why would I hate you for it?"
"I don't know," he sighs. "I read the letter Lucrecia gave you." His eyes flick up to meet mine. "You did it."
"I know," I smirk. "I'm a genius, right?" He shakes his head and kisses my cheek gently before pushing me onto my back and stand.
"Get some rest, Violet."
"Where are you going?" I demand. He shrugs. "Stay here. I don't wan to wake up alone again in case I forget where I am or something."
He hesitates before granting my request, taking off his cloak before slowly easing into the bed next to me. I smile and cuddle up next to his warmth.
"I missed you," I murmur, closing my eyes.
"I missed you more." I grin and open my eyes again.
"That, sir, is a lie and you know it. Don't you be getting all cheesy on me."
"My apologies," he smirks. I absolutely hate you, Vincent Valentine. Not. Okay, seriously, if I ever told him I hated him, even if I was joking, he'd probably go lock himself in a closet and brood whilst staring at a wall. He's that sensitive. Gawd Vinnie, as Yuffie would say.
~Present Day~
After that, I'd woken up every morning in the Highwind house with him by my side. It only took another week for me to be completely healed, and then he finally admitted that he was growing tired of staying there, despite how much he enjoyed Cid's friendship. So, we wound up traveling all over the place for the first year. It was after the first attack six months ago that he told me to go to Midgar and to stay there so that he could find me if he needed to, and Tifa could take care of me. I didn't go right away. I instead insisted that I stay with him, saying that I didn't want to leave him behind. After the second attack, he carried me all the way to Edge and I woke up in one of Tifa's extra beds.
I have my phone, of course, but he doesn't have one. Very rarely does he have enough connection on his old PHS to call me, and when he does, they're just short calls to make sure I'm okay and not laying dead on the street because of the Stigma. It's not that he doesn't care anymore, it's that he can't stand to stay in one place, Edge specifically, for very long. He made that pretty clear last time we talked.
Ruka barks and follows me faithfully as I head down the street and take a right. The gray, drab city is overcast as usual, hardly any color on the streets, buildings, or the people themselves.
"Ruka, fetch," I sigh and she bounds off, heading for the large dumpster in the very back of town, right in front of the ruins of the Shinra building. I hope that girl's still there. I huff and crouch into another alleyway, hiding from the looks of disgust people give me. Tifa made it clear that she still doesn't like me, and I make it cleat that I can't stand her. We don't really bump into each other often, but she usually comments on how I could use a shower and job and an all around life instead of waiting for my 'lover' to come back. And what is she doing? Working in a smelly bar that has no customers and waiting for Cloud. Hypocrite. And dear Odin, speak of the devil...
The brunette wanders down the street, handing out food to the kids I just took care of. Despite how much more she does for them, they always choose me over her. I always thought that was odd, but having a dog has its perks, I suppose. Ruka comes back with her mouth full of brown paper bag, and I open it to find a perfectly normal apple, not rotting or anything. Someone must've dropped this... Sucks for them.
"Good girl," I scratch behind her ear and get moving. The idiot woman repeatedly tries to give the Moogle girl the same peanut butter and jelly sandwich she gave everyone else, insisting that she should eat, but the girl keeps refusing. Stupid here apparently can't take a hint. "She has a peanut allergy," I pull my hands on my hips once I've come to a stop behind Tifa.
"Huh?" She turns around and puts on a fake smile. "Oh! Hello Violet! Are you feeling any better?"
"Unless you've come up with a cure," I brush past her and crouch in front of the girl. "No."
"I'm sorry to hear that." I roll my eyes and open the bag, offering the fruit to her. The girl cautiously takes it, studying the surface. "It's still fresh, Rukie got it."
"Oh, that smelly animal?" Tifa mutters to herself. I glare at her before turning to watch Moogle girl bite into it. Her little face lights up and she grins at me.
"Thank you, Miss Violet."
"You're welcome," I smile back, ruffling her dirty blonde hair gently. Tifa frowns and walks away to give away more sandwiches. I win, #&$+^-. I don't mind that she doesn't like me. She says I have an attitude problem and I'm unbearable. Of course, there must be something wrong in her reason if everyone else seems to enjoy my company for some odd reason. Or maybe she's just stuck up. Who knows?
"C'mon Ruka, let's go," I stand and nod for the dog to follow me. I head down the road toward the shelter of sorts I've built out of planks and any dirty cloth I could find. Another reason I won't stay at Tifa's is because she wants me to pay, and not with work. With actual gil. Jerk. One old woman who lives in an apartment stands outside, sweeping her front stairs. She waves and I decide to stop and chat a bit.
"How are you, dear?" She smiles.
"Alright," I shrug. "It's been a month since the last attack."
"And how's the eye?" I sigh and subconsciously touch the gauze wrapped around my head and over my right eye.
"Not great. I still can't see very well."
"Yes, it's quite unfortunate when the Stigma infects our important parts." That can be taken so many ways.
"Guess so," I shrug and eye the dirtied cloth wrapped around her arm. "I should get going now, it's going to get dark."
"Dear, can I get you anything from the kitchen?"
"No thank you," I shake my head.
"At least take a bottle of water. It would make me feel better."
"Okay," I give in, mentally screaming at Shadow because she won't stop snickering. She opens her door and motions for me to follow her inside. So I do. I know this lady, by the way, I'm not just going inside for no reason... Okay that's a lie. I don't know her that well, we just talk whenever I walk by in the evenings. But I haven't been inside a building for a few weeks, so I might as well.
"My grandson, Jeremy, is still in bed with the illness. His poor mother," she shakes her head as she moves about the tiny kitchen. "She died from it last month."
"I know the feeling," I clamp down on my lip and blink down at the floor. Mandy...
~Six Months Ago~
"Hello?" I answer my ringing cellphone. Vincent raises an eyebrow from where he sits by the fire, slowly feeding the flames.
"Hey, Mom?"
"Josh?" I frown, glancing at Vince. He pauses and watches me. Eavesdropper.
"Good, I got the right number!" I smile to myself, taking note of how he's such a David clone. "Listen, um.. I was just wondering if there's any way you could come over anytime soon?"
"We're in the mountains right now," I shrug. "Why?"
Better yet, why do you have service out here?
I dunno.
"It's Mandy, our daughter? She's had Geostigma for awhile now, and it's getting pretty bad. She said she wanted to see you before she went to go see 'Grandpa'."
"Uh.." I swallow hard. Is this disease a result of my survival? Me changing the future? "I'll try to hurry, I guess."
"Thanks Mom. Oh, and why don't you bring Vincent?"
"Like I have a choice," I roll my eyes.
"Yeah, right? See ya soon then."
"Bye," I nod, hanging up and groaning, running my fingers through my hair.
"Is something wrong?" Vincent frowns. I shake my head and stand, walking over to sit beside him, resting my head on his shoulder.
"Mandy... Do you remember her?" He blinks at the fire for a moment before nodding.
"Joshua's daughter, correct?"
"Yeah. She's got Geostigma now." He exhales heavily and silently looks at my splotchy arm, black and green with the disease. "Only, he didn't tell me until just now, when she's on her death bed." I sigh and close my eyes. "He wants us to visit her before she dies."
"How old is she?"
"Four."
"Hm." He hums. "Perhaps this is the Planet's way of killing us off instead of using Meteor."
"Yeah. Maybe."
"And is Mandy aware that her father is dying as well?" I clench my jaw and squeeze his hand gently.
"No. She doesn't even know he has it."
"What a wonderful parent."
"Like you would do any different," I snap, defending my son. "He's not going to tell his four year old daughter that he's going to die just to make her more upset and scared than she already is."
Vincent clamps his mouth shut and looks back into the fire, the both of us tensely irritated for no reason at all. Finally, I stand to stretch my legs and he frowns, looking up at me.
"Where are you going?"
"Just for a walk, Vince, I'll be fine."
"But your arm..."
"I'll be fine."
I start to head off onto the path, ignoring the quiet ringing in my ears. But it just gets louder the farther I go, so badly that my head begins to spin. I should go back. And so my trek back begins- and ends very quickly when and extreme pain stings from my arm. I grit my teeth, falling onto my knees and clutching my arm, black ooze I've never seen before spilling from the rash. What's happening?
It's called a Geostigmic attack. It occurs when the cells causing your Geostigma react to something very actively, which causes them to burst and create this painful ooze.
Lovely.
It can also cause death.
What?!
I suggest you beg for your boyfriend now.
"Vincent!" I yell loudly, cringing when the throbbing grows more intense by the second. "Vince!" Now I can hear the pounding in my head, my eyes squeezing shut.
He's coming.
He'd better hurry the #-%+ up!
Well then.
"Violet?" Two hands grab my shoulders, one moving to lift my head. Then he sighs, quickly lifting me. "I told you not to go alo..." Suddenly, my arm feels like someone's pouring acid into it and I scream, my hand clenching tighter around the rash, which only makes it worse. "Violet!" He sets me down and quickly pulls my hand off my arm, wrapping something around the infected skin wuikcly.
"Vincent?"
"You'll be fine, just stay awake," he says gently, propping name up into a sitting position.
"I can't.." I mumble, stolen by unconsciousness yet again. When will it ever stop?
~Present Day~
We never made it to Rocket Town. Vincent insisted he couldn't travel with me knocked out like that, that he wanted to keep an eye on me and make sure I was alright. Mandy died the day after my attack, only her father there with her. Her mother had left the year before, left them for another man, and took James with her. It seems life has never been pretty for those who share my blood. Josh lives alone now in that house, going mad with thoughts of how he could've saved her. I tried visiting, but he refused to open the door, not wanting to see another person die because of the disease.
"Here you are dear. And here's a something for the two of you to share." The old woman hands me a paper bag and a water bottle.
"I told you I..."
"Take it, child. You need to eat to survive."
"Thank you. And good luck with Jeremy."
"I'll need it," she smiles weakly. "You know your way out?"
"Yes ma'am," I nod, heading back outside where Ruka waits patiently. "Let's go, dog." She stretches her mouth into a doggy grin and trots faithfully behind me. Then we walk to our dirty little home with the sun setting at our backs. I guess we look like your average homeless pair, the person scrawny and tired with an equally skinny pet, both muddy and haggard.
I curl up under our shelter and open the bag and hold up an impressive looking six inch sub. There's no way she made this without me noticing, right? Crazy lady knew I was coming by today. I shake my head with a small smile and split the sandwich, giving the bigger half to Ruka. She nudges it with her black nose before gobbling it up happyily. I pick the tomatoes out of my part, tossing them to her, before eating my half slowly. Trust me, this is better than being stuck in Tifa's house, and everyone else around here keeps to themselves, for the most part. Why do I stay? I don't really know. I guess I'm just waiting for Vince.
SO... HOW'RE THE PEOPLE OF THE FANDOM TODAY? I'M FEELING LIKE A TURD. I HAVE NOTHING ELSE TO SAY