Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Seduction of the Darkness ❯ Vincent Valentine ( Chapter 3 )

CHAPTER 3: Vincent Valentine

Hellfire rose to her feet and walked to the window, gazing out at the land. It had been a week since the attack and her wounds were completely healed. She watched as the land few out from under the Shera, wondering about where her life would turn. She had only been part of the team for several days and she already had taken a liking to the members of AVALANCHE. She didn't even mind that they had talking animals as part of their team anymore and had become fast friends with Cait Sith. And yet she wondered about the mysterious gunman who had saved her life. He had retreated to his room as soon as she'd recovered from her ordeal and she hadn't seen him since. She tried to think about something else, but his crimson eyes were burned into her memory. She had to see him. She threw a coat over her long burgundy dress to stave off the cold and walked out of her room.

It didn't take her long to find the enigmatic stranger's quarters and she knocked on the door. She waited, listening for any sign that he was there. She heard the thud of bootsteps and the rustle of cloth as the room's occupant headed for the door. The handle turned and the door opened, revealing the young man that had brought her onto the ship.

'Hey,' she said softly, feeling suddenly stupid and awkward as she looked at him. 'Look, I wanted to thank you for saving my life.'

'I did what I could,' he said, his voice a low raspy growl. She cleared her throat, feeling more confident now she had him talking.

'Listen, it's such a nice night and I wanted to get to know you a little better. Why don't we go somewhere where we can talk?'

He looked at her for a second and then nodded, following the young woman as she climbed the high staircase. She walked to the bridge and saw that it was unoccupied: Cid had relieved the crewmembers of duty for the night before retired to his quarters. The young gunman followed her onto the bridge. She gazed out the windows. The land was desolate, but the night was filled with stars. It was so beautiful up here that she relaxed completely, turning to him with a smile.

'This is better,' she said. The young man nodded and turned his gaze to the vista before them. He felt the young woman's gaze on him and he turned to her.

'What is it?' he asked.

Hellfire looked at him, unable to tear her gaze away from those eyes. 'It's just...I've never seen anything like you before. Or anyone. But I still thank you for saving my life, Mr...'

`Vincent' he said.

She smiled. 'I'm-.'

`Hellfire,' Vincent said. 'It's not a difficult name to remember.' She glanced down sheepishly and turned back to the vista before her. A moment later, though to her it seemed like an eternity, Vincent spoke.

`Do you remember anything about the device?'

Hellfire turned to him with a frown. `Excuse me?'

Vincent looked at her. `You mentioned a device sending you here.'

Hellfire remembered the conversation she'd had with AVALANCHE a week earlier and looked away from him. `I remember being hit by a light and then waking up here. I don't know much else. The laboratory I worked in kept their records on anything outlandish highly confidential, but I remember some of the staff talking about a device that could be used to teleport people to another world entirely, but that there were problems with the machine for those who tested it experienced amnesia or were never seen again. Everything else is a blank.'  

Vincent fixed his eyes on her. 'If what you say is true, then you will have to adjust to life here.'

Hellfire frowned. 'What are you saying?'

'The device that sent you here must have been a time portal,' said Vincent. 'When it struck you, you were sent here.' He looked at the beautiful woman and saw she was very pale. 'I have reason to believe that you will never be able return home.' 

Hellfire suddenly felt ill. 'But that would mean...' She swooned under the weight of information and the realisation hit her like a third gunshot. Vincent lunged forth and grabbed her by the shoulder, wrapping his arm around her waist as she fell to her knees. Hellfire was hyperventilating from shock and she was white as a sheet. 

'I'll never be able to get back,' she whispered. `I'm trapped here.'

Vincent inclined his head towards her. `I'm sorry.'

Hellfire lowered her head as the realisation sank in. Vincent felt for her: he knew what it was like to be torn away from an old life. It would be hard, but after seeing her in battle and watching her interact with Tifa, Cloud, Yuffi and Cait Sith, he knew she would have very little difficulty adjusting.

He frowned slightly as he noticed a winged figure tattooed across her back. He reached out and brushed her hair away from her shoulder. Hellfire glanced at him, but didn't move. He saw it was a woman with black swan wings and lilac eyes. The creature's lithe body was covered with lacy, intricate patterns. Its flowing raven hair was fanned out as though in a strong wind. The black iridescent wings spanned the woman's shoulders and its tips stopped short of her elbows. It was like the woman herself: dark yet stunningly beautiful.

`What is this?' he asked. She glanced at the tattoo and shook her head.

'I've had that ever since I can remember. I don't know where it came from.' She stared in amazement as the wing glowed under his touch. She looked at him and saw a hint of surprise in his crimson gaze. 'It seems to respond well to you. It's never done that before.' Hellfire looked at him and then pulled her arm away, pulling her hair back over her shoulder.

'So do I get to see any of your tattoos?' she asked, shooting a teasing glance his way. She suddenly caught herself: what the hell did she say that for? He turned away from her and gazed out at the city. When he spoke, his voice was soft but still held that raspy tone.

'My marks are not for show,' he said curtly. There was sadness and anger in his stern features. She looked down, struck with the sudden impression that she'd either offended him or she'd asked something that was for him too personal to discuss.

'I'm sorry,' she said softly, feeling incredibly guilty. 'I wasn't thinking about what I said. Forget I asked that.'

Vincent turned to her, watching the woman rub her arms against the rising chill and shivered slightly. She seemed to be hiding the fact that the cold was finally getting to her. She refused to look at him. The gunslinger laid a hand on her shoulder. The wing glowed again and the woman turned to him. He looked her straight in the eyes and studied her. Thick raven hair framed a face of chiselled beauty that was worthy of the angels. Her body was lithe and slender with sleek curves and her nigh-translucent skin was pale as moonlit marble. But her eyes were the colour of a frozen fresh water stream and if you stared into them for too long, you would be drowned in a world of darkness that was unfitting for someone so beautiful. She looked at him and then turned away.

`I should get some sleep,' she said. She turned back to him and looked him in the eyes. `I'm glad we were able to talk, Vincent. I apologise for being so tawdry and asking such an inappropriate question. I was wrong to pry.'

Vincent looked at her and she forced a smile. `I best return to my room and rest. Goodnight, Vincent.' With that, Hellfire turned on her heel and glided out of the room, leaving the gunman with his thoughts. Vincent watched her go, a strange look in his eyes before he left the bridge, his tattered cloak streaming out behind him.

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