Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Seduction of the Darkness ❯ Chapter 14: A Demon Unleashed ( Chapter 14 )

Chapter 14: A Demon Unleashed

 

She dispatched her assailant quickly with her sword. She watched him fall to the floor in disgust, shaking her head.

 

`See you in Hell.' She glanced up, cracking concrete diverting her attention. She dove out of the way and glanced back at the pillar of matter that had nearly crushed her. The place was coming down around her and she had no choice but to make a break for it. Without a second glance, she turned and ran down the corridor.

 

Hellfire raced through the base, weaving in and out of the falling debris that crushed the unsuspecting soldiers that were left behind. She stopped in her tracks as a huge pillar fell in front of her, blocking her path. She leaped over the fallen object, quickly killing the soldiers that fired at her from the other side and kept running. She was just a few feet from the door when a computerised voice echoed through the base.

 

`Base is under attack. Shutting the main doors.'

 

The doors began to slide shut and Hellfire saw the remaining guards swarming round the entrance, blocking her escape. One of them grinned.

 

`You're trapped now, little girl.'

 

Hellfire narrowed her eyes and she focused her energy. Her eyes glowed with viridian light and her blade suddenly flashed with a violet fire. She snarled and streaked towards them with ungodly speed. The guards were suddenly unsure of what to do. They never suspected a mere girl to have this kind of power. She closed in fast, her sword raised.

 

`Jesus, she's going to break through!'

 

But the warning came too late for the young woman cut a swathe through the blockade and streaked out the doors before they slid shut on the corpses left behind, sealing off the base. She stopped and turned to see the base collapsing on itself, but strands of green light were rising from the ruins. She had a bad feeling about this and decided to reunite with the team who were watching from their vantage point on a high ledge overlooking the scene.

 

 

Reeve was watching from the ledge as she reached them. Yuffi turned to her with a grin of relief.

 

`You're all right!' she cried.

 

`So are you, I see,' replied the young woman with a smile. Cid whistled as he took in the sight of her.

 

`Whoo-ee, Hellfire! You look finer than the day we took you on board!'

 

Barret grinned.

 

`I'm surprised no one's tried to date you yet,' he said. `If I could get cosy with something like that, I'd be crazy bout you. Hey, Cloud! Why don't you give her a shot?'

 

Cloud smiled, shaking his head. Hellfire smiled brightly and turned to Yuffi.

 

`Yuffi, did you see Vincent get out the same way you did?'

 

Yuffi's grin vanished and her expression was written with pain. Hellfire smiled gently, noticing the pain written on her face.

 

`I'm sure he took another way out,' she said. `Did he take the northern corridor or the vent?'

 

Yuffi wouldn't answer her and Hellfire suddenly felt like an ice chest was sitting in her stomach. She gripped the shorthaired sprite by the shoulders, forcing Yuffi to look her in the eyes.

 

`Yuffi, where's Vincent?' she quietly demanded. Yuffi finally looked at her, her expression one of grief.

 

`He didn't make it,' she said. `The essence containers were broken and the Lifestream Deep Ground made spilled out. He pushed me out of the way, but it got him. I got out in time before the base collapsed.' She looked at Hellfire. `I'm sorry, Hellfire.'

 

Hellfire felt as though her heart and soul had been ripped out, leaving nothing but an empty shell. Vincent was gone. The only person who truly understood her had been torn away from her, leaving her alone in the world. She bowed her head, giving into her grief.

 

 

But she wasn't allowed to grieve for too long. A river of green light caught her attention and she saw the spilled Lifestream rising into the air, weaving itself into a rope of light before it shot into the earth with a thunderous blast. Green flame shot up where the light hit it and from those eerie flames emerged a beast larger than the base itself. It raised its wolf head and its snake-tail whipped about furiously as it unfurled its wings. Taking in the world it had been borne into, it let loose a howling scream.

 

`Oh, my God,' whispered Cloud.

 

`Is that what I think it is?' cried Cid.

 

`It's him,' confirmed Reeve. `The Engorger of Life. Halanitum.'

 

`But he shouldn't be awake,' protested the captain of The Shera. `Not unless…'

 

AVALANCHE turned all eyes to Hellfire who stared back at them. She was about to protest that she didn't have anything to do with this until she felt a jolt of pain up her back. A feeling of dread ran up her spine as she reached over her shoulder and felt the healing knife gash. Her hand came away red. She looked up at Reeve, trying to grasp the situation.

 

`But the last time he was awakened, the girl died,' she protested. But Reeve shook his head, filled with shame.

 

`It was her blood that woke him, not her death,' he said. Hellfire felt numb. So, that explained Vincent's rage towards Reeve. He knew that the WRO member was holding something back from him that Reeve wouldn't reveal. Reeve had betrayed Vincent by holding this information back, and now it seemed his carelessness had doomed them all.

 

Hellfire felt her grief turn to rage as she fixed her eyes on Halanitum. That beast had killed the very thing she'd cherished most in the world. And if she couldn't stop this, then she would at least have the pleasure of taking its life. She drew her sword and walked towards the ledge, ignoring the team's shouts to stop. A fire of bloodlust burned in her eyes and she let her rage blind her.

 

This is for you, Vincent.

~*~

Vincent felt a strange surge of strength even as he was pulled into the current of the man-made Lifestream as it shot into the earth and burst into green flame. He felt the flames start to burn him and he felt his life slip away. He'd failed. Halanitum would be awakened and the world would end.

 

But as the fire consumed him, a beautiful face filled his mind. But it was not the bespectacled countenance of Shalua, or the preserved beauty of Lucretia. It was the face of a warrior with green eyes and raven hair that he'd held in his arms on a dark night… A searing fire ignited once again in his heart. He'd lost two that he loved dearly. He couldn't let that happen again. She needed him and he was going to be there this time.

 

His eyes flashed gold and he felt unimaginable but familiar power flow through his veins and lowered his head to weather the change. His lean body shifted into a being of incredible strength and power, her face forever burned into his mind. As he transformed into the demon, he roared her name and felt the fire she'd ignited in him merge with his demonic power.

 

`HELLFIRE!'

 

~*~

Something roaring her name in the distance broke through her rage and she stopped in her tracks. She saw a streak of crimson flame shoot up into the air and arc across the starless sky. She watched as the flaming comet arced towards the ledge and stopped a few yards from where she was standing. The flames vanished to reveal a formidable humanoid demon with tattered red wings. He was clad in a tight black bodysuit and crimson armour trimmed with gold. A large headdress crowned his head and partially covered his left eye. His boots were covered with armoured plates and his left arm was a fearsome golden claw, exactly like-

 

It couldn't be. Hellfire stared as the powerful demon landed on the ledge just a few feet from where she was standing. He took in the scene with glowing golden eyes and she caught a glimpse of his impossibly beautiful face. Her heart stopped as she stared, daring to believe.

 

`Vincent?' she said softly. The demon responded, turning to her and looking her in the eyes. She approached him and reached out to touch him, hesitating for a moment. She ran her fingers over the ridges of his armour and laid a hand on the strange glowing disc over his heart. She looked at him as she realised that this demon was the crimson-clad avenger who'd held her in his arms in the early dawn of morning. He looked at her, a softness in his glowing eyes.

 

`Vincent, you need to get the lead out!' yelled Cid. `That thing's about to let all hell break loose. You gotta get moving!'

 

Vincent nodded and turned to Hellfire, taking in her beauty of form and spirit.

 

`Guess I have no choice,' he said, his raspy voice resonating slightly but otherwise unaffected by the change.

 

`You do have a choice,' said Hellfire. `And you're making this one.' Her tone was one of defeat for she knew that this was one argument that she wasn't going to win. Vincent brushed her hair away from her face, exhibiting surprising gentleness in spite of his demonic form.

 

`Still defiant against the odds,' he said, his tone one of fondness. `But I consider myself blessed. You made me realise that I've been so blinded by my past sins that I couldn't see what lay in my heart.'

 

`Vincent…' She fairly choked out his name as tears ran down her face. Vincent brushed them away.

 

`You kindled a fire I haven't felt in a long time, Hellfire,' he said. `And no matter what happens, I will always remember your kindness and compassion…and your fiery spirit.' He turned her face towards him, gently coaxing her to look him in the eyes.

 

`If I am to die tonight, then I will die knowing how much I love you,' he said softly.

 

She swallowed hard to hold back her tears. `You…you need to go and save the world,' she said. `They're counting on you.' She'd never been good at saying goodbye.

 

Vincent cradled her face in his hand and pressed his lips to her mouth with a passion she'd never seen before. She caressed his face as she surrendered to him, wanting to make the moment last for as long as she could. After a moment, or an eternity, Vincent caught his breath and drew away. Reluctantly releasing her, he soared into the air with the grace of a hawk. Hellfire watched him, tears still running down her face.

 

`May the gods protect you,' she whispered.