Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Seduction of the Darkness ❯ Chapter 15: The Goddess Within ( Chapter 15 )

Chapter 15: The Goddess Within

 

Vincent soared higher and higher until he was hovering over Halanitum. The beast was ravaging the ruins of the Deep Ground base, absorbing the Lifestream that had resurrected him. The gunslinger immediately saw the gravity of the situation and drew Cerberus from his holster. He loaded the weapon and surveyed the scene, looking for any apparent weaknesses. He noticed that there was a spot where the neck met with the body that was particularly vulnerable and the demon laughed in Vincent's mind.

 

All too easy. Vincent snarled and dove for the neck at terrifying speed, readying his weapon.

 

But just a few hundred yards from his target, he was thrown back with considerable force. He shook his head to clear it and narrowed his eyes, wondering what had stopped him. He fired and the shot ricocheted off the invisible wall that rippled from the impact. There was a mystical shield surrounding the beast, protecting it from anything Vincent could throw at it. Halanitum turned to see the demonic gunslinger and let loose a howling scream. It whipped its tail about and sent bolts of purple lightning towards the demon. Vincent avoided them with ease but the beast continued to fire bolts at him. He was caught up in an aerial dance to avoid being hit by those electrical arcs but was only partially successful. He snarled in pain as one hit his left shoulder, sending shocks of electricity through him. He shook off the pain and fired again, only have the shots bounce off. Halanitum only seemed to be aggravated by this for the beast swiped at Vincent with one of his paws, sending balls of plasma energy hurtling towards him. Vincent swooped downward to avoid them but was nearly knocked out of the air when one of the plasma balls hit him in the stomach.

~*~

AVALANCHE gasped as they saw Vincent get hit, but the gunslinger righted himself quickly. They saw his movements had slowed somewhat and they realised that this was one battle he wouldn't be able to win.

 

`It's no use,' said Reeve. `Halanitum is too strong for any of his attacks to have any effect.'

 

`But that's impossible,' said Cloud. `Nothing can stand Vincent when Chaos takes over.'

 

`Chaos will not be able to defeat the beast.' Reeve sighed. `I think that this is one battle Vincent will not be able to win.'

 

Hellfire heard these words and felt her heart sink. Chaos was the strongest weapon at Vincent's disposal but Halanitum wasn't harmed by him. If Vincent couldn't defeat Halanitum in Chaos form, then it truly meant nothing could defeat Halanitum….

 

Her head snapped up and her eyes narrowed. She focused her energy until it flowed into her being and she snarled in pain. She felt as though her soul was on fire and her knees buckled from under her. She felt herself falling into the darkness of unconsciousness and knew that it was the power that was hurting her.

 

I can't do this, she thought despairingly. It's going to kill me if I keep going. She felt her heart pounding her chest at an unnatural speed and she hyperventilated.

 

I'm sorry, Vincent. I failed you.

 

She looked up and saw her demon lover fighting Halanitum. The beast hurled a bolt of lightning and he was hit with volts of mystical electricity. His whole body went rigid and he roared in agony.

 

NO! Vincent never gave up on me, even in my darkest hour. And I am not going to give up on him. Damn it, Hellfire! You know you can do this. HE knows you can. FOCUS!

 

Hellfire narrowed her eyes and felt the pain faded, only to be replaced by unimaginable power. It flowed through her like the smoothest liqueur and she rose to her feet, feeling stronger than she'd ever felt in her entire life.

`What the-?' cried Cid, diverting AVALANCHE's attention to Hellfire. They turned and stared as the young woman was suddenly consumed with violet and silver flame. Her eyes glowed red and glittering black angel wings emerged from her shoulders and unfurled before their eyes. Intricate lacy patterns of the crimson and black adorned her white skin and her hair was suddenly flowing down to her waist. Her outfit hadn't changed much, except that beneath her bodice and shirt was now a tight black bodysuit that bared her shoulders and was cut low at the back to reveal the tattoo which now glowed with a crimson light. Her hands were silver tipped with razor sharp talons and a strange motif framed her eyes. She turned to the team, her voice like a crystal bell.

 

`He cannot fight this alone.' With that, Hellfire soared into the air and streaked towards Vincent, leaving a trail of black and crimson flame in her wake. She knew what she had to do.

~*~

 

Vincent was about to charge at Halanitum once again when he noticed a black and crimson comet coming towards him. He had very little warning for seconds later, it collided with him and a burst of light momentarily blinded him. He felt something surge through him and he shut his eyes, gritting his teeth in pain. A voice lovelier than the most entrancing crystal melody broke though his haze.

 

`You don't need to fight anymore, Vincent.' The voice was feminine and strangely familiar. `I am here.'

 

Vincent opened his eyes and stared at the winged goddess before him in disbelief. She looked at him, her eyes glowing crimson as she removed her hand from his chest. He looked down and saw the disc over his heart now glowed violet and he looked at her. She smiled softly, revealing very fine white fangs. He knew that smile.

 

Hellfire?

 

She turned back away from him and focused on the beast below them.

 

`This is no longer your fight, Vincent,' she said. `Halanitum cannot be defeated by Chaos. He is beyond that.'

 

`What are you saying?' asked Vincent. Hellfire turned to him.

 

`It was my blood that awoke him,' she said. `And it is I who will destroy him.'

 

`No, you can't do this alone,' he said.

 

`I have seen the way to destroy him while I was become this,' she said. `Its heart is the key to his destruction. Its heart is black, for it is a creature of the darkness. To destroy it, light from the purest source must fill it.' She turned to him.

 

`You gave me strength to overcome my greatest obstacles and my darkest fears, Vincent. You shielded me from pain and filled me with a love I never knew I could feel. I only returned the favour by making you see past the veil you shrouded yourself in for so long.'

 

`You did more than that,' said Vincent. `You know you did. You don't have to do this alone.'

 

Hellfire nodded. `I know. Which is why I cannot ask you to do this.' She looked at him. `I have made my choice.'

 

Vincent took her hand and squeezed it, not caring that her talons were slicing his skin. `Come back alive.'

 

She nodded. ` It's time.'

 

They flew to opposite sides of the shield covering Halanitum. Vincent looked at her, wondering what she was going to do.

 

She lowered her head and crossed her arms over her chest as she glowed with violet light. She let loose a scream like a falcon cry and dove for the shield at speeds even he couldn't manage. He watched as she streaked towards the beast and in a flash of light burst through the shield and shot straight for the beast's heart. She weaved through the bolts that Halanitum threw at her and she shot back with brutal force. It screamed and she saw an opening. Calling on the power she'd harnessed, she let loose another brutal cry and streaked towards the heart. Vincent saw her vanish into the beast's chest and held his breath. A few moments later, Halanitum's was lit with a crimson fire and it roared, whipping its tail furiously as though to beat out the flames. Hellfire shot out through its mouths and rose above the beast. It was dying, now there was only one final thing to do.

 

Vincent saw what was happening and knew she couldn't do this alone. He swooped down to Halanitum, gaining on Hellfire with every passing second. Hellfire glanced at Vincent as he came up beside her. The demonic gunslinger looked at her and grabbed her wrist, pulling her against him. She stared at him and saw the conviction in his eyes. He fixed his eyes on her. If she was to die, he was going to follow. Hellfire understood and gripped his hand.

 

They began to glow with violet and crimson light, calling on their power and feeling it surge through their bodies. With cries of such savagery that it would have frightened the devil himself, they shot towards Halanitum at breakneck speed. Vincent held Hellfire tight against him while the girl gripped his hand so hard her talons drew blood. They focused on their goal, the power between them stronger than the gods.

 

A burst of white light and a scream of agony from the beast was all that AVALANCHE heard and saw.

 

A few moments passed and the skies cleared, revealing a starry sky. Halanitum was defeated.