For Whom the Bell Tolls - The Unforgiven
Title: For Whom the Bell Tolls - The Unforgiven
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Characters/pairings: CidxVincent, SephirothxCloud, ensemble
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Cid's in for a lot more than he expects when he finds a man sleeping in the Waterways below Hollow Bastion.
Warnings: slash, language
Notes: Old writing, from way back in the day, in it's mostly original format (very minor corrections may have been made) A self challenge, to write Vincent Valentine into Kingdom Hearts. Written well before the second game. Song-fic-ish, with only Metallica songs, but hearing the songs are not necessary for reading.
o o o
New blood joins this earth
And quickly he's subdued
Through constant pain, disgrace
The young boy learns their rules
o o o
Ansem checked the readout on an instrument with a frown. He passed the scanner once again over Vincent's prone body, watching the dial jump and quiver, never giving a clear reading. He sighed and set the scanner on the countertop, then rubbed absentmindedly at his temple. The last hour had been much of the same. Vincent had lain on the table, unmoving except for occasional twitches of his lips or his brows, all of Ansem's instruments had failed to give a clear reading, and two sets of eyes had remained glued on either Hollow Bastion's Lord or the prone body guard the entire time.
Sephiroth sat on an empty counter, his normally icy demeanor broken by the fact that he kept toying with a ring he'd once received from his mother - a ring she had said had come from his father. Cid leaned on the counter beside the younger man, his arms crossed, his eyes rarely leaving Vincent's face. As Ansem's latest efforts came to naught, Cid huffed, earning himself a gold-eyed glare.
Ansem bit back a scathing remark and sighed, closing his eyes a moment. "I'm sorry, Cid," he said patiently, "But nothing is registering correctly. Even something as simple as taking his pulse is sending me back something that seems to be two or more heartbeats together. And all of the other results are worse than that. And as annoying as it might be, I'm going to have to ask you again to tell me what happened. And leave out no details."
Cid sighed in annoyance, fighting the urge to tell Ansem exactly where he could shove his observations. Loosing his temper wouldn't help Vincent in the least. "Zell fell." Cid said, somewhat grudgingly. "And Vincent yanked off his gauntlet and went after him. When he came back up, he had goddamn wings bigger than the one's on my Gummi-ship. He landed and let go of Zell, then shoved the gauntlet back on."
"He said 'It wants out, it's fighting me, and the gauntlet'." Sephiroth said. "And that it was ripping apart his mind."
Ansem frowned. "And anything else?"
"He said 'It has no heart', and then he passed out." A frown crossed Sephiroth's face "He seemed...terrified."
Ansem's frown deepened. This particular nugget of information was stuck in his head, chasing itself into mush, then popping back up. 'It has no heart', a transformation, his hands morphing into dark claws, a dead, yellow look in his eyes, no heart...
...No heart?
It was heart...less?
Vincent's voice. 'He caught me off guard one day and did I don't even know what to me before locking me down in the Waterways.'
Lord Hojo...who had studied the darkness and its effects - and was deeply jealous of Vincent Valentine.
"I am such a FOOL!" Ansem exploded, making both Cid and Sephiroth jump. He stalked across his lab, away from the infirmary and into the place he conducted his experiments. He shifted through an assortment of instruments on a counter, then walked back, a number of scanners and meters in his arms. "Such a fool." He continued. "I should have known. My father enjoyed toying with the darkness far too much. It would not be below him to punish someone he hated with the darkness... Get down, Sephiroth, I'll need that space." Sephiroth slid easily from the countertop and Ansem set his armful of instruments down, quickly and efficiently arranging them in neat rows. "That was the part that made me wonder.’It has no heart'. And what has no heart but a Heartless?"
"A...Heartless?" Sephiroth asked.
Ansem nodded, adjusting the dial on one of his scanners. "Do you remember the creatures of darkness that King Mickey spoke of?" He asked. Both of the others nodded. "I've given them the name of 'Heartless', because that is exactly what they are. Beings who have lost their hearts. My father was the first that I know of that discovered them. He never named them, but he knew what they were. And it would not be beyond him to punish his rival in such a way."
"In what way?" Cid snapped.
Ansem sighed heavily. He set down the scanner he was fiddling with and turned to face both of the other men. "By forcing a Heartless inside his body." He said grimly.
"You mean that Vincent's a Heartless?" Sephiroth asked sharply.
"No," Ansem said. "It would be too easy to take away Vincent's heart and make him a Heartless. It would also let him off too easy, in Hojo's opinion. But forcing a Heartless to share his body, his mind, his very soul, that would torment him to no end. I don't think Hojo even knew what would happen to him. The gauntlet, I imagine, was a precaution against the Heartless getting out and taking Hojo as well." He hefted the scanner again. "At the time, this is all theory, but with a few tests, I will be able to confirm all of this. But I will NOT do this with the two of you hovering over me like nursemaids." He raised his hand as both Cid and Sephiroth started to protest. "No," Ansem said firmly. "I'm pulling rank on you both. Out. Now."
o o o
Deprived of all his thoughts
The young man struggles on and on he's known
A vow unto his own
That never from this day
His will they'll take away
o o o
Cid stalked the hallway outside of Ansem's laboratory, fuming. Sephiroth leaned against the wall beside the lab's doorway in an inherited mimic of Vincent. At the end of the hallway, a cluster of young faces looked around the corner, but none of the children seemed brave enough to approach the angry mechanic.
Cid paused, glaring at the closed door of the lab. "Goddamnit," He muttered harshly. "There's got to be something I can do to help!"
Sephiroth knocked gently on the door. Ansem stuck his head out, looking disheveled. "How goes it?" Sephiroth asked softly.
Ansem shook his head. "I've been trying to guess the true nature of the Heartless for a time now. But I do know now that my hypothesis was correct. Vincent is 'possessed', for lack of a better word, by a Heartless. Now, I can release the Heartless by removing the gauntlet-"
Ansem's words were cut off when Cid grabbed the lapels of his shirt and, despite the fact that that he was a half foot shorter, lifted the High-Lord into the air, his toes barely brushing the floor. "Don't. You. Dare." Cid snarled, his eyes flaring. "Not while he's knocked out. Not while he doesn't know what's going on. If Vincent agrees, then fine, take it off." He dropped Ansem back to his feet. "But he was terrified and in pain from that thing, and he said that it was ripping apart his damn mind, for the love of the Planet. I won't risk it taking him over altogether without his consent, got me?"
Ansem sighed carefully. "Highwind, if you can find a way to wake him up, by all means try. He hasn't moved once since you two brought him in. He's in some sort of coma, and nothing I have tried will wake him."
"Let me see him." Cid said firmly. He glanced over at Sephiroth. "You too."
o o o
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shine through in what I've shown
o o o
Darkness...blank, with no landmarks, no direction, nothing to rest the eyes on. Except for it. The creature with the great wings and greedy, flat eyes and vicious claws that fought him for control. It had a band of gold trapping it, but it fought him still, for without his will holding it back, the band would be easily broken.
It bit and clawed, ripping away at his will, his sanity, shredding his mind. Vincent cried out, his voice lost under the strange slither of the creature attacking him. Vincent was tired, so very tired, and wanted nothing more than to submit to the creature and stop the never-ending pain, but the thought of Cid, and Sephiroth, and Ansem, and all of the other's who had accepted him bolstered his will.
Cid...
A light pierced the darkness, a light and a voice. Two voices, and warmth. Care. The dark creature backed away from the light, hissing. Vincent moved towards the light, letting the voices wash over his tired mind.
'Vince? C'mon, I know you can hear me.'
'Vincent...father. We're here. Come back to us.'
'We ain't giving up, Vince. Wake up, please.'
Vincent reached towards the light.
o o o
Never be
Never see
Won't see what might have been
o o o
Cid sat on the bed beside Vincent, carefully holding Vincent's human hand between both of his own. Sephiroth sat on the other side, his hand resting on Vincent's shoulder. They both spoke quietly, trying to reach through to the body guard. Suddenly Vincent's hand tightened around Cid's. His brows drew together, then his eyes opened, startled and in pain. He tried to sit up and was held down by Sephiroth's hand on his shoulder. Vincent gasped softly, then relaxed, his eyes darting around the lab.
"Vince?" Cid questioned gently. "Vince, can you hear me?"
"Highwind?" Vincent muttered, his eyes scanning Cid's face as if trying to remember a long lost friend. "Where-"
"Ansem's lab." Sephiroth said, drawing those searching eyes to his own face. "You're safe," He continued. "Do you remember what happened?"
"Zell." Vincent said, his voice a dusty croak. "He fell, and I went after him. It knew what to do, and how to help me...it thought I would release it if it helped me..." He shivered, for a moment sounding like a child. "I couldn't let it go...it'd hurt people..."
"It won't hurt anyone." Cid promised. "We won't let it."
Vincent's throat worked. "What...what is it?" He whispered.
"A Heartless." Ansem said quietly from behind Sephiroth.
A frown crossed Vincent's face, then realization. "Hojo." He said flatly.
"It is somehow tied into your own Heart." Ansem continued. "I have no idea how he managed such a union, but he did."
"Is there a way to remove it?" Vincent asked, moving to sit up again. When it seemed Sephiroth was going to stop him again, he glared at the younger man until he relented. Vincent ran a distracted hand through his hair and looked at Ansem.
Ansem sighed. "I don't know." He said. "I can release it, but I may not be able to remove it. There may be a way, but there is also a chance that it will rip your heart along with it."
Vincent frowned, silently studying the lines of his gauntlet. "How intelligent are these things?" he asked.
"There are smaller Heartless," Ansem said "That have the mentality of say, a young child. Some of the larger varieties have much more than that. Not as much as any one of us, but enough to be cunning - and dangerous."
Vincent's frown deepened, his brows drawing together. "Enough to communicate?"
"I just don't know."
Vincent studied his gauntlet again, silent. "It...is aware." He said after a long moment. "It pays attention to anything that raises high emotions in me. Fear...pain...anger, they all make it excited. It is pushed back when I am happy, or content." He shook his head slowly. "I...always knew that something was there in the back of my mind, feeding off my emotions, but I ignored it as an after effect of my long sleep. I never thought, or didn't want to think, that it could be a sentient being." He sighed deeply. "I was so blind to it all..."
"None of it was your fault, Vince." Cid said firmly.
Ansem looked away for a moment, then back at Vincent. "Do you think we would be able to communicate with it if we released it?" He asked quietly.
Vincent looked up at him, his eyes narrowed sharply. Ansem bore the sharp scrutiny without flinching. After a moment Vincent closed his eyes, seeking out the creature in the back of his mind. It snarled, sending a brief wave of pain through his temples, but was there intelligence in that snarl? He thought there was. He opened his eyes again and nodded. Cid made an inarticulate noise of protest beside him, drawing Vincent's gaze. "I cannot risk it escaping and harming any of you, Highwind." He said quietly and firmly. "If any of you are able to communicate with it, it may give you a way to release it from my heart."
Cid scowled. "Fine. But I don't have to like it."
o o o
They dedicate their lives
To running all of his
He tries to please them all
This bitter man he is
o o o
Vincent shivered, looking around the room that was so much like a cage. The walls, Ansem told him, were three feet of solid stone. There was one door, a thick, heavy thing of metal banded stone, and a three foot square opening set with two inch thick bars of orichalcum spaced three inches apart. There was no furniture, no comfort. He sighed, turning to look at Cid, who stood just inside the heavy door, his arms crossed and his eyes worried. The mechanic opened his mouth to speak, and Vincent held up a hand to silence him. "No, Highwind." He said firmly. "I must do this."
Cid sighed, dropping his arms and walking over to Vincent. Ignoring the gazes of both Sephiroth and Ansem at the door, he pulled Vincent into his arms, placing a gentle kiss on the corner of his lips. "I'm sorry all this shit had to happen." He said quietly.
"So am I." Vincent replied. Taking a step back, he twisted the band of his gauntlet and pulled the golden metal from his deformed hand. Cid took the gauntlet and hurriedly left the room, helping Sephiroth tug the great door shut.
Vincent heard the heavy bolt latch, but only on the very surface of his mind. His senses were all trained on the sensation of his skin stretching, of the bones in his shoulders rippling and shifting, of the feel of his teeth lengthening in his gums. There was no pain, but the creature in his mind was roaring in triumph, rushing forward, shoving Vincent back into the secondary position in their shared mind, reducing him to a helpless observer. From what felt like a million miles away, Vincent watched his hands turn dark, his clothes ripping away from his body as his muscles bulged and his limbs lengthened.
Cid watched in horror as Vincent transformed from slim and pale to large and bulky and black-skinned. Great scarlet wings stretched from t he creature's back, the wingtips nearly touching the opposite walls in the large room. Its eyes were dead yellow, without pupil or iris. It looked at the three faces clustered in the window, horribly alive, horribly aware, and snarled, launching itself forward with wickedly curves claws unsheathed and fangs gleaming. It struck the window and wild sparks of white magic flared up, making it scream. It backed away, shaking its injured hands in an oddly human gesture. It bared its teeth at them, hissing.
All three men had drawn away from the window when the burning-bright magical shield had flared up. Now Ansem stepped forward again, his handsome face grim. "Can you understand me?" He asked. "Do you know what I am saying?"
The creature snarled and stuck up one fist, popping out the middle finger. Cid blinked in surprise. This horrific being...was flicking them off. The mechanic felt a surge of helpless anger. But the crude gesture did do one thing. They knew it understood.
Ansem's ruddy gold eyes narrowed. "I asked you a question, Heartless." He said coldly. "I expect a verbal answer."
The Heartless threw back it's head and laughed. Suddenly, without warning, they heard it, not with their ears but their minds.
You're a fool, human. You should not have let me loose.
"How were you created?" Ansem asked out loud, never taking his eyes from the being in the room.
That's a question only a dead man can answer. But I am not like those Heartless you have below this place. I am so much more...alive.
Sephiroth looked sharply at Ansem, his eyes narrowing. Ansem ignored his brother. "Where is Vincent?" He asked.
Right here, within me as I was within him. It paused, cocking it's head to the side in a listening gesture, again looking eerily human. He is angry, far more angry than he has ever been. Oh, how delicious.
"Bastard!" Cid snapped.
The thing's yellow eyes focused on him, narrowing. I don't like you. You make him happy.
"And I don't like you." Cid retorted. "You smell like a dead dog."
The creature snarled, again attacking the window. The shield flared brighter this time, crackling, but all three men on the outside clearly saw the creature's clawed hands wrapped around the bars in the window, shaking them madly. Then it was backing away again, rubbing it's hands together, which were burnt even blacker by Ansem's shield. I hate you, oh how I hate you. It's mental voice whined like that of a child. I hate you, hate you, hate you and I will taste your heart between my teeth.
Sephiroth stared at it flatly. "We'll kill you, first." He said coldly.
Would you kill your precious Vincent? It's voice turned hatefully mocking. Kill your dear father, one of the few people you care about in that cold stone you call a hea-
"Shut up!" Sephiroth hissed, his voice laced with dangerous venom, his eyes blazing with cold emerald fire.
Cid looked at him in surprise, Ansem with a measure of fear. Cid had never seen Sephiroth lose any of his steadfast control, but Ansem clearly remembered him as a boy of only ten, his face tight with murderous rage as Masamune tasted Hojo's flesh. From the way the young man looked now, Masamune would soon find out what a Heartless tasted like. He dropped a hand to his half-brother's shoulder, not liking how tense it felt. "Calm yourself." He said quietly, trying to keep any fear from his own voice. "If you do anything rash," He continued. "You would be no better than it." Sephiroth's eyes flickered towards him for a moment, then back at the creature. Ansem didn't remove his hand until he felt some on the tension leave the younger man.
His lips tight, Ansem turned back towards the creature, angrier than he could remember being in a long time. He knew some Heartless were cunning, and dangerous, but never had he seen one that was this cruelly intelligent. An idea struck him and he walked up to the window. "What does the gauntlet do?" He asked, almost conversationally.
The reaction was immediate and violent. The shield flared as the Heartless attacked it for the third time. It screamed, both out loud and in their heads, a wild, inarticulate sound of rage and fear that echoed through the halls of the great castle. YOU WILL NOT BIND ME AGAIN! OH, YOU FILTHY HUMANS, YOU WILL NOT TRAP ME AGAIN, YOU BASTARDS! I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!
Ansem nodded calmly, as if this was the reaction he had expected and turned away from the window, picking up the gauntlet from the table Cid had dropped it on. The Heartless shrieked again, it's great wings flapping hard enough to send a breeze whistling through the window. Ansem ignored it, examining the gauntlet carefully. From a distance, it appeared to be smooth metal, unadorned, but closer inspection revealed shallow runes carved around the edges of the metal plates. Ansem carefully ran his finger along the carvings, whispering a spell. The runes flared fire-bright, enabling him to read them easily. "I will return soon." He said, not pulling his eyes from the runes. "Watch him, and inform me of any change." He walked around a corner, back into the laboratory proper.
Cid perched himself in the edge of the table, staring through the window at the Heartless creature. It crouched in the center of the room, seething, it's claws digging at the floor, it's wings wrapped around it's shoulders and it's dead-alive eyes glaring sullenly out at them. It's mental voice had fallen silent. Cid sighed heavily. "I'll watch him, Sephiroth." He said. "You look like y'need t' get the hell out of here for a while." Sephiroth nodded tightly and left. Cid looked at the Heartless, his lips quirking into a humorless smirk. "Jus' you an' me, ugly."
Fuck you, human.
o o o
Throughout his life the same
He's battled constantly
This fight he cannot win
The tired man they see no longer cares
o o o
"Heartless below the castle?"
Ansem looked up sharply. Sephiroth stood before him, arms crossed, eyes fixed on his half-brother. Ansem sighed, turning his eyes back to the gauntlet. "How do you think I know so much about them?" He asked shortly. "I studied them, experimented on them, and confined them to the Waterways to observe them. That is also why I banned anyone from the Waterways for the past few months. They cannot escape from the waterways with the shields I have put up."
"You seem very confident." Sephiroth said coolly. "Where, pray tell, did they come from?"
"People who have lost their hearts." Ansem replied brusquely.
"What people?"
Ansem didn't look up, concentrating on the gauntlet. "Does it matter?" He asked, his voice implying that he would like the conversation to end.
"It does, because I am charged with protecting the people of this world." Sephiroth said, just as coldly. "If something is taking their hearts, I need to know."
Ansem was quiet for a time longer than Sephiroth was comfortable with. "I look for them," He said finally. "I have designed sensors that allow me to look for them, usually in dark, deserted places. I transport them here. I am unable to determine how they lose their hearts." He looked up, his eyes booking no argument - the conversation was closed.
"Next time, I will come with you on one of these 'excursions'." Sephiroth said flatly. He turned on his heel and left.
o o o
The old man then prepares
To die regretfully
The old man here is me
o o o
Ansem sighed tiredly, rubbing his eyes with one hand. His normally immaculate robes were rumbled and his hair was pulled back in a haphazard ponytail that sent straggling strands of hair across his face. He felt tired and filthy, and wondered for the umpteenth time if this whole ordeal would ever end.
Give up yet, human?
"Shut up." Ansem muttered, feeling as sulky as a child. He had spent the last two days without sleep, deciphering the spells carved into the gauntlet, and finding a way to strengthen them. He was convinced, after observing the heartless-being and performing a few tests, that it was impossible to remove it from Vincent without removing his heart as well. He also had found that the heart Vincent and the creature shared could not be taken by another Heartless. The last few days had given him a good deal of information of how a Heartless and a human could coincide, but it had also been a tremendous strain. Once he had decided that he was simply going to strengthen the spells in the gauntlet until Vincent would have almost total control over the Heartless, it had pestered him non-stop. Curses, taunts and threats had filled his mind without end, making it very difficult to focus and even more difficult to sleep. Now, the only problem that remained was getting the gauntlet back on the Heartless.
Give it up. You shall die if you step one foot within this room.
"We shall see." Ansem growled. He picked up the gauntlet and turned towards the small group behind him. Cid stood with his arms crossed, looking like he had no rest in a week. Beside him stood Sephiroth, cool and still unruffled, despite the fact that he had spent almost all of the past two days outside the Heartless' room. Cloud stood beside his teacher, his sword drawn and his face tight with fear. "This shall be simple enough, if you all do as I say." Ansem said, fighting the urge to lean tiredly against the wall. "I shall cast a spell to hold the Heartless, though it will only be for a short time. You three will enter, and get the gauntlet back on it's arm. You will have a little less than two minutes, then you must get out, no matter what. If you fail to get it on it, then come back, but do not leave the gauntlet behind. Understand?" They all nodded and Ansem handed Cid the gauntlet, stepping up to the window.
Cloud wrapped his hands around the handle of the thick deadbolt on the door, ready to open it when Ansem gave the signal. Ansem's hands wove the air in intricate patterns as he chanted under his breath. The Heartless began to scream again. After a moment of chanting, Ansem brought both hands together tightly, as if gripping something between them. He nodded, his eyes tightly shut, and Cloud pulled open the door.
Cid entered the room, followed closely by Sephiroth. The Heartless was in the center of the room, frozen with it's wings outstretched and it's mouth open in a soundless scream. Then they realized that it was not completely frozen; it's hands moved slowly, it's wings were slowly furling to it's back, and it's mouth was closing.
NO! Oh, you BASTARDS, you will NOT! You will NOT! Oh, I shall kill you rip you apart, drink your blood and eat your hearts and shred your flesh from you bones, you filthy HUMANS!
Sephiroth grabbed the creature's left arm, suppressing a cringe at the dead- alive leathery feel of the skin in his hands. It resisted as he pulled it back, gritting his teeth with the effort. He was very aware of the creature's fanged mouth very near his face. Once he had the arm outstretched, Cid jammed the gauntlet over it, forcing it down over the thing's fingers. He twisted the band and his head was nearly split by the pained scream of the Heartless and nearly blinded by the bright flare of magic from the golden metal. He stumbled out, his hands clapped uselessly over his ears, Sephiroth close behind as Cloud swung the heavy door shut.
As soon as the door shut, Ansem dropped the holding spell. The Heartless thrashed and writhed in agony on the floor, it's buzzing scream drilling through all of their heads. It struggled for long minutes, clawing at the gauntlet with it's free hand. Finally, the screams began to taper and the thing's purple-black skin began to slowly pale, it's bulging muscles slimming. Ebony hair burst from it's skull and tumbled down it's back as it's eyes slowly went from yellow to red. The great wings sank into it's back, leaving behind pale, unmarked skin. Minutes that lasted eternities passed before the Heartless was completely gone, leaving a naked, shivering, unconscious Vincent on the floor of the room.
Sephiroth wrenched back the bolt on the door, ignoring Ansem's sharp warning, and stepped inside the room. Kneeling beside Vincent, he slid his arms beneath his limp body and lifted him easily from the floor. "Cloud," he said, carrying Vincent towards the door. "Go to Vincent's room and find a clean change of clothes." Cloud nodded and ran off. Sephiroth carefully laid Vincent out on the table, stroking the brunette's hair from his face with a tenderness he didn't know he had. He looked up, meeting Cid's pained eyes, then Ansem's, which were emotionless. With a sigh, he arranged Vincent into a more comfortable position and waited for Cloud to return.
o o o
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee unforgiven.
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Characters/pairings: CidxVincent, SephirothxCloud, ensemble
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Cid's in for a lot more than he expects when he finds a man sleeping in the Waterways below Hollow Bastion.
Warnings: slash, language
Notes: Old writing, from way back in the day, in it's mostly original format (very minor corrections may have been made) A self challenge, to write Vincent Valentine into Kingdom Hearts. Written well before the second game. Song-fic-ish, with only Metallica songs, but hearing the songs are not necessary for reading.
o o o
New blood joins this earth
And quickly he's subdued
Through constant pain, disgrace
The young boy learns their rules
o o o
Ansem checked the readout on an instrument with a frown. He passed the scanner once again over Vincent's prone body, watching the dial jump and quiver, never giving a clear reading. He sighed and set the scanner on the countertop, then rubbed absentmindedly at his temple. The last hour had been much of the same. Vincent had lain on the table, unmoving except for occasional twitches of his lips or his brows, all of Ansem's instruments had failed to give a clear reading, and two sets of eyes had remained glued on either Hollow Bastion's Lord or the prone body guard the entire time.
Sephiroth sat on an empty counter, his normally icy demeanor broken by the fact that he kept toying with a ring he'd once received from his mother - a ring she had said had come from his father. Cid leaned on the counter beside the younger man, his arms crossed, his eyes rarely leaving Vincent's face. As Ansem's latest efforts came to naught, Cid huffed, earning himself a gold-eyed glare.
Ansem bit back a scathing remark and sighed, closing his eyes a moment. "I'm sorry, Cid," he said patiently, "But nothing is registering correctly. Even something as simple as taking his pulse is sending me back something that seems to be two or more heartbeats together. And all of the other results are worse than that. And as annoying as it might be, I'm going to have to ask you again to tell me what happened. And leave out no details."
Cid sighed in annoyance, fighting the urge to tell Ansem exactly where he could shove his observations. Loosing his temper wouldn't help Vincent in the least. "Zell fell." Cid said, somewhat grudgingly. "And Vincent yanked off his gauntlet and went after him. When he came back up, he had goddamn wings bigger than the one's on my Gummi-ship. He landed and let go of Zell, then shoved the gauntlet back on."
"He said 'It wants out, it's fighting me, and the gauntlet'." Sephiroth said. "And that it was ripping apart his mind."
Ansem frowned. "And anything else?"
"He said 'It has no heart', and then he passed out." A frown crossed Sephiroth's face "He seemed...terrified."
Ansem's frown deepened. This particular nugget of information was stuck in his head, chasing itself into mush, then popping back up. 'It has no heart', a transformation, his hands morphing into dark claws, a dead, yellow look in his eyes, no heart...
...No heart?
It was heart...less?
Vincent's voice. 'He caught me off guard one day and did I don't even know what to me before locking me down in the Waterways.'
Lord Hojo...who had studied the darkness and its effects - and was deeply jealous of Vincent Valentine.
"I am such a FOOL!" Ansem exploded, making both Cid and Sephiroth jump. He stalked across his lab, away from the infirmary and into the place he conducted his experiments. He shifted through an assortment of instruments on a counter, then walked back, a number of scanners and meters in his arms. "Such a fool." He continued. "I should have known. My father enjoyed toying with the darkness far too much. It would not be below him to punish someone he hated with the darkness... Get down, Sephiroth, I'll need that space." Sephiroth slid easily from the countertop and Ansem set his armful of instruments down, quickly and efficiently arranging them in neat rows. "That was the part that made me wonder.’It has no heart'. And what has no heart but a Heartless?"
"A...Heartless?" Sephiroth asked.
Ansem nodded, adjusting the dial on one of his scanners. "Do you remember the creatures of darkness that King Mickey spoke of?" He asked. Both of the others nodded. "I've given them the name of 'Heartless', because that is exactly what they are. Beings who have lost their hearts. My father was the first that I know of that discovered them. He never named them, but he knew what they were. And it would not be beyond him to punish his rival in such a way."
"In what way?" Cid snapped.
Ansem sighed heavily. He set down the scanner he was fiddling with and turned to face both of the other men. "By forcing a Heartless inside his body." He said grimly.
"You mean that Vincent's a Heartless?" Sephiroth asked sharply.
"No," Ansem said. "It would be too easy to take away Vincent's heart and make him a Heartless. It would also let him off too easy, in Hojo's opinion. But forcing a Heartless to share his body, his mind, his very soul, that would torment him to no end. I don't think Hojo even knew what would happen to him. The gauntlet, I imagine, was a precaution against the Heartless getting out and taking Hojo as well." He hefted the scanner again. "At the time, this is all theory, but with a few tests, I will be able to confirm all of this. But I will NOT do this with the two of you hovering over me like nursemaids." He raised his hand as both Cid and Sephiroth started to protest. "No," Ansem said firmly. "I'm pulling rank on you both. Out. Now."
o o o
Deprived of all his thoughts
The young man struggles on and on he's known
A vow unto his own
That never from this day
His will they'll take away
o o o
Cid stalked the hallway outside of Ansem's laboratory, fuming. Sephiroth leaned against the wall beside the lab's doorway in an inherited mimic of Vincent. At the end of the hallway, a cluster of young faces looked around the corner, but none of the children seemed brave enough to approach the angry mechanic.
Cid paused, glaring at the closed door of the lab. "Goddamnit," He muttered harshly. "There's got to be something I can do to help!"
Sephiroth knocked gently on the door. Ansem stuck his head out, looking disheveled. "How goes it?" Sephiroth asked softly.
Ansem shook his head. "I've been trying to guess the true nature of the Heartless for a time now. But I do know now that my hypothesis was correct. Vincent is 'possessed', for lack of a better word, by a Heartless. Now, I can release the Heartless by removing the gauntlet-"
Ansem's words were cut off when Cid grabbed the lapels of his shirt and, despite the fact that that he was a half foot shorter, lifted the High-Lord into the air, his toes barely brushing the floor. "Don't. You. Dare." Cid snarled, his eyes flaring. "Not while he's knocked out. Not while he doesn't know what's going on. If Vincent agrees, then fine, take it off." He dropped Ansem back to his feet. "But he was terrified and in pain from that thing, and he said that it was ripping apart his damn mind, for the love of the Planet. I won't risk it taking him over altogether without his consent, got me?"
Ansem sighed carefully. "Highwind, if you can find a way to wake him up, by all means try. He hasn't moved once since you two brought him in. He's in some sort of coma, and nothing I have tried will wake him."
"Let me see him." Cid said firmly. He glanced over at Sephiroth. "You too."
o o o
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shine through in what I've shown
o o o
Darkness...blank, with no landmarks, no direction, nothing to rest the eyes on. Except for it. The creature with the great wings and greedy, flat eyes and vicious claws that fought him for control. It had a band of gold trapping it, but it fought him still, for without his will holding it back, the band would be easily broken.
It bit and clawed, ripping away at his will, his sanity, shredding his mind. Vincent cried out, his voice lost under the strange slither of the creature attacking him. Vincent was tired, so very tired, and wanted nothing more than to submit to the creature and stop the never-ending pain, but the thought of Cid, and Sephiroth, and Ansem, and all of the other's who had accepted him bolstered his will.
Cid...
A light pierced the darkness, a light and a voice. Two voices, and warmth. Care. The dark creature backed away from the light, hissing. Vincent moved towards the light, letting the voices wash over his tired mind.
'Vince? C'mon, I know you can hear me.'
'Vincent...father. We're here. Come back to us.'
'We ain't giving up, Vince. Wake up, please.'
Vincent reached towards the light.
o o o
Never be
Never see
Won't see what might have been
o o o
Cid sat on the bed beside Vincent, carefully holding Vincent's human hand between both of his own. Sephiroth sat on the other side, his hand resting on Vincent's shoulder. They both spoke quietly, trying to reach through to the body guard. Suddenly Vincent's hand tightened around Cid's. His brows drew together, then his eyes opened, startled and in pain. He tried to sit up and was held down by Sephiroth's hand on his shoulder. Vincent gasped softly, then relaxed, his eyes darting around the lab.
"Vince?" Cid questioned gently. "Vince, can you hear me?"
"Highwind?" Vincent muttered, his eyes scanning Cid's face as if trying to remember a long lost friend. "Where-"
"Ansem's lab." Sephiroth said, drawing those searching eyes to his own face. "You're safe," He continued. "Do you remember what happened?"
"Zell." Vincent said, his voice a dusty croak. "He fell, and I went after him. It knew what to do, and how to help me...it thought I would release it if it helped me..." He shivered, for a moment sounding like a child. "I couldn't let it go...it'd hurt people..."
"It won't hurt anyone." Cid promised. "We won't let it."
Vincent's throat worked. "What...what is it?" He whispered.
"A Heartless." Ansem said quietly from behind Sephiroth.
A frown crossed Vincent's face, then realization. "Hojo." He said flatly.
"It is somehow tied into your own Heart." Ansem continued. "I have no idea how he managed such a union, but he did."
"Is there a way to remove it?" Vincent asked, moving to sit up again. When it seemed Sephiroth was going to stop him again, he glared at the younger man until he relented. Vincent ran a distracted hand through his hair and looked at Ansem.
Ansem sighed. "I don't know." He said. "I can release it, but I may not be able to remove it. There may be a way, but there is also a chance that it will rip your heart along with it."
Vincent frowned, silently studying the lines of his gauntlet. "How intelligent are these things?" he asked.
"There are smaller Heartless," Ansem said "That have the mentality of say, a young child. Some of the larger varieties have much more than that. Not as much as any one of us, but enough to be cunning - and dangerous."
Vincent's frown deepened, his brows drawing together. "Enough to communicate?"
"I just don't know."
Vincent studied his gauntlet again, silent. "It...is aware." He said after a long moment. "It pays attention to anything that raises high emotions in me. Fear...pain...anger, they all make it excited. It is pushed back when I am happy, or content." He shook his head slowly. "I...always knew that something was there in the back of my mind, feeding off my emotions, but I ignored it as an after effect of my long sleep. I never thought, or didn't want to think, that it could be a sentient being." He sighed deeply. "I was so blind to it all..."
"None of it was your fault, Vince." Cid said firmly.
Ansem looked away for a moment, then back at Vincent. "Do you think we would be able to communicate with it if we released it?" He asked quietly.
Vincent looked up at him, his eyes narrowed sharply. Ansem bore the sharp scrutiny without flinching. After a moment Vincent closed his eyes, seeking out the creature in the back of his mind. It snarled, sending a brief wave of pain through his temples, but was there intelligence in that snarl? He thought there was. He opened his eyes again and nodded. Cid made an inarticulate noise of protest beside him, drawing Vincent's gaze. "I cannot risk it escaping and harming any of you, Highwind." He said quietly and firmly. "If any of you are able to communicate with it, it may give you a way to release it from my heart."
Cid scowled. "Fine. But I don't have to like it."
o o o
They dedicate their lives
To running all of his
He tries to please them all
This bitter man he is
o o o
Vincent shivered, looking around the room that was so much like a cage. The walls, Ansem told him, were three feet of solid stone. There was one door, a thick, heavy thing of metal banded stone, and a three foot square opening set with two inch thick bars of orichalcum spaced three inches apart. There was no furniture, no comfort. He sighed, turning to look at Cid, who stood just inside the heavy door, his arms crossed and his eyes worried. The mechanic opened his mouth to speak, and Vincent held up a hand to silence him. "No, Highwind." He said firmly. "I must do this."
Cid sighed, dropping his arms and walking over to Vincent. Ignoring the gazes of both Sephiroth and Ansem at the door, he pulled Vincent into his arms, placing a gentle kiss on the corner of his lips. "I'm sorry all this shit had to happen." He said quietly.
"So am I." Vincent replied. Taking a step back, he twisted the band of his gauntlet and pulled the golden metal from his deformed hand. Cid took the gauntlet and hurriedly left the room, helping Sephiroth tug the great door shut.
Vincent heard the heavy bolt latch, but only on the very surface of his mind. His senses were all trained on the sensation of his skin stretching, of the bones in his shoulders rippling and shifting, of the feel of his teeth lengthening in his gums. There was no pain, but the creature in his mind was roaring in triumph, rushing forward, shoving Vincent back into the secondary position in their shared mind, reducing him to a helpless observer. From what felt like a million miles away, Vincent watched his hands turn dark, his clothes ripping away from his body as his muscles bulged and his limbs lengthened.
Cid watched in horror as Vincent transformed from slim and pale to large and bulky and black-skinned. Great scarlet wings stretched from t he creature's back, the wingtips nearly touching the opposite walls in the large room. Its eyes were dead yellow, without pupil or iris. It looked at the three faces clustered in the window, horribly alive, horribly aware, and snarled, launching itself forward with wickedly curves claws unsheathed and fangs gleaming. It struck the window and wild sparks of white magic flared up, making it scream. It backed away, shaking its injured hands in an oddly human gesture. It bared its teeth at them, hissing.
All three men had drawn away from the window when the burning-bright magical shield had flared up. Now Ansem stepped forward again, his handsome face grim. "Can you understand me?" He asked. "Do you know what I am saying?"
The creature snarled and stuck up one fist, popping out the middle finger. Cid blinked in surprise. This horrific being...was flicking them off. The mechanic felt a surge of helpless anger. But the crude gesture did do one thing. They knew it understood.
Ansem's ruddy gold eyes narrowed. "I asked you a question, Heartless." He said coldly. "I expect a verbal answer."
The Heartless threw back it's head and laughed. Suddenly, without warning, they heard it, not with their ears but their minds.
You're a fool, human. You should not have let me loose.
"How were you created?" Ansem asked out loud, never taking his eyes from the being in the room.
That's a question only a dead man can answer. But I am not like those Heartless you have below this place. I am so much more...alive.
Sephiroth looked sharply at Ansem, his eyes narrowing. Ansem ignored his brother. "Where is Vincent?" He asked.
Right here, within me as I was within him. It paused, cocking it's head to the side in a listening gesture, again looking eerily human. He is angry, far more angry than he has ever been. Oh, how delicious.
"Bastard!" Cid snapped.
The thing's yellow eyes focused on him, narrowing. I don't like you. You make him happy.
"And I don't like you." Cid retorted. "You smell like a dead dog."
The creature snarled, again attacking the window. The shield flared brighter this time, crackling, but all three men on the outside clearly saw the creature's clawed hands wrapped around the bars in the window, shaking them madly. Then it was backing away again, rubbing it's hands together, which were burnt even blacker by Ansem's shield. I hate you, oh how I hate you. It's mental voice whined like that of a child. I hate you, hate you, hate you and I will taste your heart between my teeth.
Sephiroth stared at it flatly. "We'll kill you, first." He said coldly.
Would you kill your precious Vincent? It's voice turned hatefully mocking. Kill your dear father, one of the few people you care about in that cold stone you call a hea-
"Shut up!" Sephiroth hissed, his voice laced with dangerous venom, his eyes blazing with cold emerald fire.
Cid looked at him in surprise, Ansem with a measure of fear. Cid had never seen Sephiroth lose any of his steadfast control, but Ansem clearly remembered him as a boy of only ten, his face tight with murderous rage as Masamune tasted Hojo's flesh. From the way the young man looked now, Masamune would soon find out what a Heartless tasted like. He dropped a hand to his half-brother's shoulder, not liking how tense it felt. "Calm yourself." He said quietly, trying to keep any fear from his own voice. "If you do anything rash," He continued. "You would be no better than it." Sephiroth's eyes flickered towards him for a moment, then back at the creature. Ansem didn't remove his hand until he felt some on the tension leave the younger man.
His lips tight, Ansem turned back towards the creature, angrier than he could remember being in a long time. He knew some Heartless were cunning, and dangerous, but never had he seen one that was this cruelly intelligent. An idea struck him and he walked up to the window. "What does the gauntlet do?" He asked, almost conversationally.
The reaction was immediate and violent. The shield flared as the Heartless attacked it for the third time. It screamed, both out loud and in their heads, a wild, inarticulate sound of rage and fear that echoed through the halls of the great castle. YOU WILL NOT BIND ME AGAIN! OH, YOU FILTHY HUMANS, YOU WILL NOT TRAP ME AGAIN, YOU BASTARDS! I WILL NOT ALLOW IT!
Ansem nodded calmly, as if this was the reaction he had expected and turned away from the window, picking up the gauntlet from the table Cid had dropped it on. The Heartless shrieked again, it's great wings flapping hard enough to send a breeze whistling through the window. Ansem ignored it, examining the gauntlet carefully. From a distance, it appeared to be smooth metal, unadorned, but closer inspection revealed shallow runes carved around the edges of the metal plates. Ansem carefully ran his finger along the carvings, whispering a spell. The runes flared fire-bright, enabling him to read them easily. "I will return soon." He said, not pulling his eyes from the runes. "Watch him, and inform me of any change." He walked around a corner, back into the laboratory proper.
Cid perched himself in the edge of the table, staring through the window at the Heartless creature. It crouched in the center of the room, seething, it's claws digging at the floor, it's wings wrapped around it's shoulders and it's dead-alive eyes glaring sullenly out at them. It's mental voice had fallen silent. Cid sighed heavily. "I'll watch him, Sephiroth." He said. "You look like y'need t' get the hell out of here for a while." Sephiroth nodded tightly and left. Cid looked at the Heartless, his lips quirking into a humorless smirk. "Jus' you an' me, ugly."
Fuck you, human.
o o o
Throughout his life the same
He's battled constantly
This fight he cannot win
The tired man they see no longer cares
o o o
"Heartless below the castle?"
Ansem looked up sharply. Sephiroth stood before him, arms crossed, eyes fixed on his half-brother. Ansem sighed, turning his eyes back to the gauntlet. "How do you think I know so much about them?" He asked shortly. "I studied them, experimented on them, and confined them to the Waterways to observe them. That is also why I banned anyone from the Waterways for the past few months. They cannot escape from the waterways with the shields I have put up."
"You seem very confident." Sephiroth said coolly. "Where, pray tell, did they come from?"
"People who have lost their hearts." Ansem replied brusquely.
"What people?"
Ansem didn't look up, concentrating on the gauntlet. "Does it matter?" He asked, his voice implying that he would like the conversation to end.
"It does, because I am charged with protecting the people of this world." Sephiroth said, just as coldly. "If something is taking their hearts, I need to know."
Ansem was quiet for a time longer than Sephiroth was comfortable with. "I look for them," He said finally. "I have designed sensors that allow me to look for them, usually in dark, deserted places. I transport them here. I am unable to determine how they lose their hearts." He looked up, his eyes booking no argument - the conversation was closed.
"Next time, I will come with you on one of these 'excursions'." Sephiroth said flatly. He turned on his heel and left.
o o o
The old man then prepares
To die regretfully
The old man here is me
o o o
Ansem sighed tiredly, rubbing his eyes with one hand. His normally immaculate robes were rumbled and his hair was pulled back in a haphazard ponytail that sent straggling strands of hair across his face. He felt tired and filthy, and wondered for the umpteenth time if this whole ordeal would ever end.
Give up yet, human?
"Shut up." Ansem muttered, feeling as sulky as a child. He had spent the last two days without sleep, deciphering the spells carved into the gauntlet, and finding a way to strengthen them. He was convinced, after observing the heartless-being and performing a few tests, that it was impossible to remove it from Vincent without removing his heart as well. He also had found that the heart Vincent and the creature shared could not be taken by another Heartless. The last few days had given him a good deal of information of how a Heartless and a human could coincide, but it had also been a tremendous strain. Once he had decided that he was simply going to strengthen the spells in the gauntlet until Vincent would have almost total control over the Heartless, it had pestered him non-stop. Curses, taunts and threats had filled his mind without end, making it very difficult to focus and even more difficult to sleep. Now, the only problem that remained was getting the gauntlet back on the Heartless.
Give it up. You shall die if you step one foot within this room.
"We shall see." Ansem growled. He picked up the gauntlet and turned towards the small group behind him. Cid stood with his arms crossed, looking like he had no rest in a week. Beside him stood Sephiroth, cool and still unruffled, despite the fact that he had spent almost all of the past two days outside the Heartless' room. Cloud stood beside his teacher, his sword drawn and his face tight with fear. "This shall be simple enough, if you all do as I say." Ansem said, fighting the urge to lean tiredly against the wall. "I shall cast a spell to hold the Heartless, though it will only be for a short time. You three will enter, and get the gauntlet back on it's arm. You will have a little less than two minutes, then you must get out, no matter what. If you fail to get it on it, then come back, but do not leave the gauntlet behind. Understand?" They all nodded and Ansem handed Cid the gauntlet, stepping up to the window.
Cloud wrapped his hands around the handle of the thick deadbolt on the door, ready to open it when Ansem gave the signal. Ansem's hands wove the air in intricate patterns as he chanted under his breath. The Heartless began to scream again. After a moment of chanting, Ansem brought both hands together tightly, as if gripping something between them. He nodded, his eyes tightly shut, and Cloud pulled open the door.
Cid entered the room, followed closely by Sephiroth. The Heartless was in the center of the room, frozen with it's wings outstretched and it's mouth open in a soundless scream. Then they realized that it was not completely frozen; it's hands moved slowly, it's wings were slowly furling to it's back, and it's mouth was closing.
NO! Oh, you BASTARDS, you will NOT! You will NOT! Oh, I shall kill you rip you apart, drink your blood and eat your hearts and shred your flesh from you bones, you filthy HUMANS!
Sephiroth grabbed the creature's left arm, suppressing a cringe at the dead- alive leathery feel of the skin in his hands. It resisted as he pulled it back, gritting his teeth with the effort. He was very aware of the creature's fanged mouth very near his face. Once he had the arm outstretched, Cid jammed the gauntlet over it, forcing it down over the thing's fingers. He twisted the band and his head was nearly split by the pained scream of the Heartless and nearly blinded by the bright flare of magic from the golden metal. He stumbled out, his hands clapped uselessly over his ears, Sephiroth close behind as Cloud swung the heavy door shut.
As soon as the door shut, Ansem dropped the holding spell. The Heartless thrashed and writhed in agony on the floor, it's buzzing scream drilling through all of their heads. It struggled for long minutes, clawing at the gauntlet with it's free hand. Finally, the screams began to taper and the thing's purple-black skin began to slowly pale, it's bulging muscles slimming. Ebony hair burst from it's skull and tumbled down it's back as it's eyes slowly went from yellow to red. The great wings sank into it's back, leaving behind pale, unmarked skin. Minutes that lasted eternities passed before the Heartless was completely gone, leaving a naked, shivering, unconscious Vincent on the floor of the room.
Sephiroth wrenched back the bolt on the door, ignoring Ansem's sharp warning, and stepped inside the room. Kneeling beside Vincent, he slid his arms beneath his limp body and lifted him easily from the floor. "Cloud," he said, carrying Vincent towards the door. "Go to Vincent's room and find a clean change of clothes." Cloud nodded and ran off. Sephiroth carefully laid Vincent out on the table, stroking the brunette's hair from his face with a tenderness he didn't know he had. He looked up, meeting Cid's pained eyes, then Ansem's, which were emotionless. With a sigh, he arranged Vincent into a more comfortable position and waited for Cloud to return.
o o o
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee unforgiven.