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Loveless?
by
Calis Cheah (calisc@hotmail.com)
Prologue:
The Bleeding Heart
" In the silence of night,
the heart softly beats.
Filled with everlasting pain,
drops of blood it slowly bleeds..."
The sky was black and the wind howled,
heralding the approach of a thunderstorm. Lighting flashed, bolts of white
light which illuminated the darkness momentarily. Obvious to the tempest
about to rage, yet paying it no heed, crouched the lone figure of man on a
rooftop. Eyes closed, he faced the wind that whipped his crimson cape
about his tall, lean frame.
"Lucrecia, my love.... My only love... why
did you have to leave me so soon? I found you only to lose you again. Is
this the price I have to pay for my sins? Lucrecia.....Lucrecia......" His
voice was heavy, filled with a raw agony that sprung from the depths of
his soul.
It was cold, anyone still out in this
weather would have been chilled to the bone but nothing could compare
against the ice encasing his heart. His life should have ended along with
his beloved's demise yet he lived because of the promise he had sworn to
her. He opened his eyes, eyes the vivid colour of blood. Rising to his
feet slowly, he stood in defiance to the storm. His long midnight hair
steamed out behind his back with the force of the gale.
"So many times, have I heard people say the
home is where the heart is. My heart is with you, Lucrecia, I have no
home in this world. Gladly would I follow you beyond yet I can't. I
can't..... Alone I have to live without you by my side. This will thus be
my fate." His sigh was swept away.
Placing his right hand upon his heart, he
stepped towards the edge. He leaped into space, frozen in a spilt second,
like a crimson bird taking flight. Falling, he bend into a somersault with
boneless grace, landing on his feet on the pavement with scarce ly a
sound. Without a single backward glance, he walked away. A solitary shadow
emerging with the darkness of night.
His name was Vincent Valentine.
Chapter One:
Haunted Wanderer
" Clothed by the road's dust
a weary soul travelled far.
Relentless, a journey undertaken,
to seek a peaceful haven..."
The afternoon sun was scorching, an angry
burning orb in the clear blue skies. Vincent shaded his eyes with his
claw, the replacement to his left hand of once living flesh. It had been
two years since the death of Sephiroth. Lucrecia did not survive long
after her son's death. Her body could not withstand the disintegration of
the Jenova cells and the Mako poison in her bloodstream. Having lost the
will to live long ago, she gladly gave up her precarious hold on life. Two
years, two long years but time had not dulled the loss that Vincent still
felt so keenly. He wandered the far corners of the earth, never staying
long in any place.
Ordinary folks shunned him, regarding him
with fear in their eyes when they saw his claw. Vincent told himself that
he would not care yet often did he pondered whether he was still human or
was he a monster wearing the guise of a man. The only people who treated
him with some resemblance of respect were his ex-comrades in Avalanche
which Vincent had joined in their fight to save the Planet. Cloud and Tifa
got married and had settled down in the quiet town of Mideel where they
ran a small tavern. Both Cid and Red XIII had returned to their respective
hometown, Rocket Town and Cosmos Canyon while Barrett with little Marlene
built a home in North Corel. Yuffie was still pursuing her material quest
and Cait Sith's human persona Reeves was involved in developing housing
projects for the homeless people of Midgar. Vincent would stop by in his
travels to visit them. They welcomed him but Vincent never remained long
for he knew his place was not with them.
He was heading west again with the intention
of spending some time at Cosmos Canyon to see Red XIII. Vincent stopped,
leaning against the trunk of a tree for a while to catch his breath. It
was beautiful to see sun's rays sparkling on the morning dew yet to
evaporate on the green foliage. He had never taken the time to appreciate
the splendour of Nature until now and Vincent was taking a quiet pleasure
in the moment when it struck him.
"Urghh..." A sudden spasm of pain drove him
to his knees.
"Seems like...the attacks...are ....getting
more....frequent..." Vincent rasped, his voice harsh with agony.
He felt as if something was trying to shred
its way out from within. Hojo's experiments' effects were catching up. His
bones and tendons were straining, stretching to take another form. Vincent
struggled with himself, fighting off the Change with sheer force of will.
No, I will not Change... not this time, not ever...I will not wear the
shape of a demon, the shape of Chaos again..., the thought echoed through
his mind. The last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was a pair of
eyes full with curiosity and a touch of concern.
A pair of amber eyes.
Chapter Two:
Chance Encounter
" Two paths met,
with two lives crossed.
Tell me, is this destiny,
Or a twist of fate...? "
Vincent slowly opened his eyes so used to
darkness that the slightest hint of light hurt. He discovered himself to
be lying on a small narrow bed in a room. There was a small table by the
bed and a curtain was drawn over the only window to keep the room dim. All
Vincent knew was that he was in a cabin, this he surmise from the wooden
walls of the tiny room but as to how he got there and how long he had been
unconscious, he had no idea.
"You're awake," a clear and crisp voice
drifted into his hearing.
Vincent turned his head towards the doorway,
hoping to catch a glimpse of his benefactor. By voice alone, he knew it
was a woman but the room was too dark for him to make out her features. He
was about to get himself into a sitting position when she spoke again.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You have
been unconscious for almost two days and I know from experience that your
body will be stiff. Any sudden movements will hurt."
Vincent heed her advice and eased himself up
slowly and gingerly. His body still ached but it would have been worse had
she not warned him. By now, she had crossed the room to the window. With
her back to him, she pulled back the curtain bit by bit, giving Vincent
time to get his eyes used to the sunlight streaming in. It was then that
Vincent noticed the colour of her hair. He had not expected her to be old,
her voice had a strange ageless quality that gave him no clues as to how
old she really was. Yet, her hair was white, as white as virgin snow.
He was further surprised when she turned to
face him. Her face was that of a young woman in her mid-twenties. The
light streaming in from the window, illuminated her long white hair,
basking her in a gentle halo. For a moment, Vincent was not sure if the
figure standing in front of him was human or spirit. There was an
unearthly, ethereal air about her that somehow reminded him of Aerith, the
last Ancient who sacrificed her life for the Planet.
"I am Syane and I'm sorry if I startled you.
People usually find my features very.... unsettling." Her apology carried
faint humour.
Vincent only understood the meaning of her
apology when she walked over to where he lay. Syane was beautiful but it
was a strange inhuman beauty. His attention was drawn to her eyes which he
had initially thought was a very light shade of brown. As she came closer,
Vincent knew his mistake, they were not brown.
She was the owner of the pair of amber eyes.
Chapter Three:
The Beast Within
" Creature of darkness,
Banished from the light
Cursed immortality
Yearning for humanity..."
"You must be hungry. Please wait, I'll be
back shortly with food."
Syane regarded her patient who was now awake
and watching her with no apparent emotion in his ruby eyes. He looked
entirely too pale to be a man who spent his days under the sun. She knew
he was a traveller as she had seen the sights of wear on his clothes and
boots but beyond that was a mystery. Something has been done to him. I
can't shake the feeling that he is one of us yet he is different somehow.
I'll need more time...Syane wrenched her thoughts to the present. She was
about to walk out when Vincent reached out and grabbed her arm. Syane knew
she could have avoid his grasp readily but she wanted to know what he
wanted.
"Where are my equipment and weapon? I must
leave immediately," His tone was brusque.
"They are outside in the hallway but you
can't leave yet. You are still too weak to..."
Vincent released her arm and headed for the
hallway, ignoring Syane's protests. His body ached but he was grateful for
the pain, at least it made him felt vaguely human. I have to get away from
here. The attacks are more frequent and it has been two days. I don't know
when the next attack will strike. I fear I may hurt this innocent woman if
I stay here any longer, Vincent thought as he stumbled. He was weak and
could feel the last of his strength draining away. Death Penalty was
almost within his grasp when a wave of dizziness washed over him. Darkness
claimed him once again.
Vincent woke to find himself in the same bed
but this time, his body was strangely numb. It was as if his mind and body
were existing on different dimensions, he could not move at all. Vincent
was keenly aware that the clothes he was wearing at the moment was not his
own. Someone had changed them.
"In case you were wondering, yes, I was the
one who changed your clothes. They were so filthy. Anyway, I'm a healer by
profession so there's nothing on you which I haven't seen on a man. The
numbness you feel at the moment is the unfortunate side effect of a herd
called Myern's Fern which does wonders for a weaken constitution and it
will pass in a day or so. Now I better feed you before you start trying to
leave again. So what are you called?" Syane said matter-of factly as she
entered with a loaded tray.
"Vincent...Vincent Valentine." His throat
was dry, making him sound hoarse.
She set her tray on the small table by the
bed and proceeded to prop him up using the pillow he was lying on. Vincent
tried to resist her efforts but his body refused to obey. Before he could
open his mouth to speak again, Syane shoved a bowl of soup in front of his
face.
"Drink unless you prefer to be spoon-fed."
The golden orbs of her eyes fairly glowed as she threatened Vincent.
To preserve his dignity, Vincent had no
choice but to concede to her demand. He trained his blood red eyes on
Syane, hoping to frighten her but she fearlessly matched him, stare for
stare. It was a clash of wills that ended in a stalemate, much to Syane's
satisfaction. She found him a very handsome man. His long, jet black hair
and paleness acted to enhance the beauty of his sensitive face. He
presented an impassive front to her but she sensed emotional pain beneath
that cool facade. He intrigued her.
"All right! Mr Valentine, you will only
leave this bed when I see fit. Don't cross me again for I have ways and
means of keeping you down."
"Leave.... Leave now! If you....wish ..to
..live...Aaaahhh!" Without warning, Vincent lurched forward violently,
throwing Syane backwards.
He flung an arm over his face, knowing that
a Change was upon him. The clothes on his body were torn apart as leathery
membranes sprouted from his back. They were wings. A demon's wings.
Vincent knew he had to get away before he hurt Syane in a throe of
mindless pain. He headed for the window, smashing through it. Half running
and half loping as his feet mutated into claws, towards the vast sanctuary
offered by the forest. Unaware that a white shadow followed.
Chapter Four:
White Wolf
" Running with the wind
a streak of white light
Noble creature of the wild
what does your wise eyes know...? "
Syane raced after Vincent as he plunged
through the undergrowth, moving deeper and deeper into the forest, leaving
a trail of destruction in his wake. She shifted into her other form
smoothly, never missing a pace. He was moving too fast for her human form
to follow. Vincent was not even remotely human now, completely taken over
by the Change. What Syane saw was a creature surely spawned from the
depths of Hell for it was black, blacker than a moonless night and it's
smoky hide seems to absorb whatever light that fell on it.
She was beginning to feel fatigued when the
creature suddenly stopped in a clearing. Syane warily observed it from the
cover of the woods. She knew this glade for it was one of her favourite
places to meditate. It was special because the lush canopy of b ranches of
the ancient trees threw the whole glade in quiet darkness. There was only
one spot where the moonlight fully penetrate the dense cover, creating a
circle of pure white light. It was there that the creature kneeled. The
image struck a chord in her heart: a fiend bathed by heaven's light,
praying for redemption.
He's still in control but how long will it
last? What can I do now? Whatever has been done to him is so different
from the rest of the Changed that I have aided so far. Can I help him or
shall I end his misery? Syane debated with herself, a soft growl emanated
from her throat. No, I can't end his life, my calling will not allow it.
No creature should be deprived of life when there is still a chance to
save it, regardless how slight that chance may be. If he can't be saved
then I shall personally see to his death before he becomes not only a
danger to him but to others as well.
She continued to watch, waiting for the
right moment to approach the kneeling creature that was once a man. It hid
its face behind wicked sharp talons and moaned. The plaintive sounds
touched her soul, they were so full of despair and hopelessness. Drawn by
his anguish, Syane moved closer on silent paws. Lifting her head, she
howled, her own sorrowful cries accompanying his.
Vincent was fully aware of what he had
became and he loathed himself for not being able to stop it. He was bathed
in light but he could not feel the life-giving warmth. He covered his face
and tormented moans tore themselves from his throat. Vincent was soon
joined by melancholy howls.
Lifting his head, he looked into the
beautiful golden eyes of a great white wolf.
The beast regarded him with intelligent
eyes, it apparently did not feared him. Vincent glanced into the depths of
those amber orbs and they seemed to be telling him something.
'You are a man. No monster, no demon but a
man. You are not made to wear this form. Fight it and regain your
humanity...'
The words echoed on and on in his mind and
Vincent wanted to believe in them but he was afraid. Afraid that this was
nothing but a figment of his imagination. Before he could reel away, the
wolf reached out its mighty head and gently licked his face. The barriers
in his mind came crashing down. With a resounding roar, Vincent willed
himself to change.
To be a man again.
The excruciating pain he suffered gladly
as the price for his humanity. As his body shifted inch by agonising inch,
Vincent was comforted by the presence of wolf. It has stayed by his side,
making soft whines to encourage him and to share his pain. Vincent
collapsed onto the yielding earth, his limbs too stressed by his ordeal to
support his weight. To his amazement, the golden-eyed beast muzzled him
gently before settling down on its haunches beside him. Fully a man,
Vincent was naked and he was grateful for the warmth that the beast's
heavy rich coat offered.
For the first time, he drifted into sleep
peacefully, curled next to the body of a white wolf.
Chapter Five:
Revelations
" Stalking the night,
hiding from prying eyes
Who would have guessed what
lies beneath this repulsive guise..."
Vincent woke to the sound of birdsong, a
bit disoriented. His head was pounding and his whole body throbbed. What
had happened the night before was crystal clear, he remembered everything
including the strange white wolf. Taking stock of his surroundings,
Vincent was mystified to find himself alone, covered with a grey woollen
blanket. The wolf was gone. Someone had laid the blanket over him and the
question was who. It was impossible for the woman Syane to have followed
him, the speed at which he fled the cabin was beyond human. He turned his
thoughts to the wolf. It had regarded him without the wariness that a wild
animal typically possessed.
Could it have belonged to someone, a hunter
perhaps? Vincent wondered. He quickly abandoned the train of thought, his
head hurt too much to think. One thing was oblivious, no one was safe with
him, the Change had became uncontrollable making him a danger. Vincent's
mind told him to leave before anyone came back but his body betrayed him.
Before he could decide on the next course of action, his sensitive ears
caught a slight rustle, alerting him to another's presence. A quick scan
and Vincent knew he had neither a place nor the time to hide, it would
have to be faced head on.
It was her.
Breaking away from the cover of the woods,
she enter the glade, heading straight to him. There was no doubt in
Vincent's mind that the white wolf had brought her here. Syane must be its
master. She had seen him Change and here she was sitting down in front of
him when any sane human would have fled long ago in the opposite
direction. He waited to hear what she would say this time.
"Who did this to you?"
Vincent's eyes widened in surprise. How did
she know?
"Someone has altered your genetic structure
and now the effects of it are manifesting. I need to know exactly what has
been done to you before I can help you overcome these uncontrolled
Changes." Syane regarded him with grave eyes, emphasising the importance
of his reply.
"What business is this of yours? Who the
hell are you and why do you care?" He lashed out in anger for her words
evoked memories he would rather forget if only he could.
"I care because like you, I am no longer
quite human..."
Syane stood up and stepped a few feet away,
her back turned away from Vincent. Before his very eyes, she unbuttoned
her dress and let it fall to pool at her feet. She faced him, her body
screened by her curtain of silver white hair and changed. Her form shifted
and blurred into that of a wolf. A pure white wolf.
Vincent was speechless. He knew there was
something strange about Syane but never in his wildest dreams had he
expected that his bestial companion was her. He sat stunned as Syane
trotted over to him and looked deep into his eyes with her own.
'Vincent, listen to me... Yes, I am speaking
to you with my mind. You are not imagining things. I spoke to you the same
way last night. This is an ability I acquired along with this form. There
is much that we both need to know and while I can communicate in wolf
shape, it is very exhausting on me not to mention unnerving to you. If
you'll excuse me for a moment.'
Syane picked up her dress carefully with her
fangs and loped away beyond Vincent's vision. The act was both their
modesty and an opportunity for him to get his equilibrium back. She
returned slowly, her heart uncertain. It was a great gamble that she had
taken and Syane hoped that her trust had not been misplaced. There was too
much at sake.
"I apologise, that was uncalled for." His
tone was subdued.
"There's nothing to apologise for. I
understand your anger and mistrust for I am but a stranger. There is one
thing I must make clear to you. I will do by best to help you learn to
control these Changes but should you fail, your life will end at my hands.
Do you understand what this means?"
"I know the consequences. I would gladly die
if I could but I promised her and so I shall live..." Vincent's voice was
a whisper.
Chapter Six:
Pieces Of The Past
" I thought my past
has been left behind
Yet it haunts me
From dawn to night... "
All he told her was that a scientist named
Hojo had performed the operation that made him what he was now. Nothing
more. Syane knew instinctively there was more than what Vincent revealed.
Yet being a person who understood the value of privacy, she did not pry.
Everyone had secrets to hide.
There was no time to teach Vincent the
simple mental exercises that would focus and strengthen the power of his
mind. What Syane had to do was to teach him control, mind to mind but she
was foiled again and again. Now that Vincent was aware of her telepathic
powers, an unconscious shield blocked her from entering his mind. His life
of mistrust and betrayal only made the shield stronger. It was so strong
that Syane knew if she ever attempt to breach it by force, the resulting
clash may very well destroy both their minds.
Almost a month had gone by without any
progress and Vincent had an attack three times. The frequency of the
attacks were not constant, striking like a bolt out of the blue. It took
Vincent longer and longer to recover and at the rate they were going,
Syane knew it spelled disaster.
Vincent closed his eyes, unable to run from
the past. Syane had respected him, never asking for more information and
for that he was grateful. Through the time they spend together, he had
come to understand her a little. Beneath a gentle exterior, lied a
core of steel so unlike the woman he loved. Vincent knew that the new
method required a great sacrifice on her part because her own past would
be laid bare before him. It seemed that both their past can no longer be
hidden. His decision had been made.
"I accept."
___________________________
Night had approached on silent feet and a
full moon shone like a lamp against the fathomless darkness that was the
sky. They were back at the glade, feeling that it was the appropriate
place. There was a quietness there that brought peace to the mind. Syane
passed the draught that had taken her the entire day to prepare over to
Vincent. It would induce a state like sleep, lowering the barriers in his
mind so that she could enter. Vincent took a deep breath and drank. It was
now or never.
They sat side by side with their backs
against the ancient trunk of a great elm for support. As Vincent's
breathing became softer and even, Syane knew it was up to her now. She
steeled herself mentally, took his hand in her own and plunged into
chaos.
Chapter Seven:
Beyond The Facade
" So many faces
without a name
Unknown dancers
In a masquerade..."
She lived his past and felt his pain.
She learned what it was like to snuff out a
life like a candle flame with a single shot, not feeling the least
remorse. To live like an machine until a woman called Lucrecia taught him
to feel. To love in despair, knowing it would never be returned. To let go
of the one who meant more than life, freeing her to seek her happiness. To
hate the man who tore his world asunder, making him an unforgiven
sinner.
His memories overwhelmed her, battering her
down like a ship caught in a storm. Syane let herself be swept away, it
was useless to try and fight. Nothing can be changed, his past cannot be
rewritten. She endured the anguish in her heart mutely and forge ahead.
Only by sharing his life can she find what she sought: his essence, his
soul and the core that was him.
____________________________
He saw the vulnerability she hid.
He watched as her story unfolded before his
eyes and knew how a child felt when her father gave her away for cold hard
cash. He saw through the sad grey eyes of a dark haired girl at the
experiments done to her by a white-coated man in an underground
laboratory. Feeling her hopelessness as her body started to change, the
colour of her hair fading to grey to white, her eyes lightening day by day
into the golden feral glance of a wolf. Her horror and disgust when she
Changed for the first time.
She grew up, living in a thick glass cage,
treated more like an animal than human. Time had long ceased to hold any
meaning until one day an accident occurred, there was an explosion and a
fire broke out at the facility. In the resulting pandemonium, she escaped
and for the first time in her life, experienced the taste of freedom. A
taste that quickly turned bitter when she realised that the human world
had no place for the creature she had become.
Returning to the home she once knew to be
taken for a demon. Children pelted her with stones while their parents
dealt with her more harshly. They beat her with sticks, heedless of her
cries. She scented their fear and knew the taste of her own blood in her
mouth as they dragged her broken body into the woods and left her to
die.
Be it a gift or curse, the genetic
alteration enabled her to survive. From that day on, she devoted her life
to help her brethren, those that were like her, those that had been
Changed. Returning to the now abandoned laboratory, she gained whatever
knowl edge she could from the records and files that have not been
destroyed. It would have been so easy for her to learn how to hate but she
refused to give in to this temptation. All because she knew it was only
human to fear and shun what was different.
___________________________
She finally found him at the deepest recess
in his mind. Syane's search had ended at last. He was a faint glimmer in
the dark, a pale red flame that flickered uncertainly. She reached out to
him, letting her own presence blaze, a guiding light.
Vincent moved towards Syane, joining with
her golden fire that burned like a miniature sun. She symbolised another
chance at life and merging with him as one, Syane showed him the path to
mortality. Together, they came out of the darkness in their souls, two
people renewed.
Chapter Eight:
Truth In The Darkness
" You once loved
the brilliance of the sun
Can you love the moon
a poor, pale shadow...? "
With the passage of time, Vincent gained
mastery over his Change with Syane by his side, steering his way. As the
days passed, they grew closer. Vincent enjoyed her company immensely. He
had never felt so at ease with another woman except for Lucrecia.
Increasingly was he drawn to her because Syane reminded him of his lost
love yet there was more. Her compassion and openness drove away the
bleakness in his soul when he was with her. Vincent knew he could depart
whenever he wished but he was reluctant to leave. Is this possible? Am I
capable of caring for someone again? Do I feel this way because she is
like you, Lucrecia... He questioned himself.
Syane was falling in love. She tried to
denied it, telling herself what she felt for Vincent was the same concern
she felt towards the other Changed. Her heart knew the truth however. Ever
since the first night at the glade, Syane had gradually lost her heart to
this mysterious man. Now, he was no longer a mystery, she knew him as well
as he knew her having relived each other's past.
Yes, I love him but can he love me? What he
felt for this woman called Lucrecia was so deep, so intense. A love not so
easily forgotten. The light in his eyes, is that love for me or am I only
a shadow? These doubts hung like a dark cloud over the joy s he felt,
just being by his side.
__________________________
Syane's mind was tired but her troubled
heart would not let her sleep. Tossing and turning in her bed, she closed
her eyes, trying to get some rest but sleep eluded her. Giving it up as a
hopeless case, Syane threw off the covers and stalked out of her room.
Thinking that a moonlight run would relax her nerves, she was about to let
her self out when something prompted her to check in on Vincent.
He looked much more at peace with himself.
Standing by his bedside, watching him in quiet slumber, Syane wanted so
much to reach out and touch him. To touch his hair that was like black
silk spread against the stark whiteness of the pillow. His face that was
like the finest porcelain.
"Vincent..." Unwittingly, she breathed his
name.
Syane's hand flew to her mouth, unable to
believe what she just did. Fearing that she had woke Vincent, she backed
away and was about to retreat when he caught her hand.
"No, don't go. Don't leave me." The longing
in his voice bounded her like chains.
Pulled gently into the circle of his arms,
Syane fell into his embrace. This was where she always wanted to be,
locked in his arms, a prison that she would never want to be free of. Her
head nested against his chest, Syane was in heaven when he brought her
down to hell.
"Lucrecia, my love. Don't go. Don't leave me
again..."
Lucrecia.
The name pierced Syane like a blade. Like a
piece of broken glass, her heart shattered into a million shards. This was
the price she had to pay for daring to dream, for daring to think that he
could love her. Now she knew all her doubts were true, there was only one
woman Vincent loved and that woman was not her. In the darkness and
befuddled with sleep, he had mistaken Syane for Lucrecia. There was only
one thing to do before he realised his error. Suppressing the pain that
was tearing her apart, Syane imposed her will on Vincent, making him
drowsy.
"I'll be here. I'm always by your side,
Vincent. Rest now, I promise I'll never leave you again." Each word was a
deep gash on her already wounded heart.
"By my side, Lucrecia. Promise......" He was
asleep again.
She laid him down gently and kneeled by the
bed. Cupping his face with her trembling hands, Syane glanced at his
features, branding his face into her memory. Bending, she took one kiss,
brushing his lips so lightly like a touch of a butterfly's wings. A single
tear, glittering like the morning dew, fell unheeded from her eyes onto
his face. He would never know she loved him.
She fled into the night, blinded by her
tears.
Chapter Nine:
Knowing Her Heart
" Too late
I knew her heart
Before my words could form
She was already gone... "
"Syane?"
His voice sounded unnaturally loud in the
small empty cabin. It was already late morning yet she was nowhere to be
found. Vincent wanted to talk to her about the dream he had the night
before. It all seemed too real to be a dream, he remembered hearing
Lucrecia's voice and holding her in his arms.
Vincent looked for Syane at the places she
had shown him and where they had spend so much time together. He even went
all the way to the glade but there was no trace of her. Returning to the
cabin, he called her name, answered by silence. Vincent was standing at
the threshold of his room when his eyes caught sight of a piece of paper
lying on the table by his bed. It was a note for him, his name written on
it in a fine, flowing script that he recognised as Syane's. He took it
outside to read in the sunlight.
Dear Vincent, Forgive me for not saying
goodbye, I am needed urgently elsewhere so I had to leave during the
night. You are welcomed to use the cabin for as long as you wish for I
won't be returning any time soon. There's nothing more I can teach so you
are free to depart and continue your journeys. Whatever you do, I wish you
well.
Syane
Vincent carefully folded away the note.
Something akin to disappointment surged. This was not the first time,
Syane had left abruptly to answer a call for aid from her brethren. He had
seen others like her, the Changed in their wolf forms around her. Ever
wary, they kept away from him but accepted his presence because of Syane.
Often he had wondered what was she to them, he was musing over this when
interrupted by a soft growl.
A young grey she-wolf, looking barely out of
puppyhood, fixed him with stormy pewter eyes. She circled him twice,
looking at him from head to toe. Finally, she shook her head with disdain
as if she found him wanting. Vincent was fairly amused by the cub's
behaviour.
'If you are looking for Syane, she's not
here, pup.'
'Of course I know she's not here, I spoke to
her before she left and stop calling me pup! I'm Kyra, Syane's protˇgˇ and
I'm a lot older than I look! Humph! I really wonder what Syane saw in
you,' Her mind-voice was a little miffed.
'What do you mean, Kyra?' Vincent's
attention was caught by her last statement.
'How blind can you be?! Her leaving was no
accident. I presume you still don't really know why. It's actually quite
simple. My teacher loves you but since another lives in your heart, she
felt she had to leave before you know. Before everything becomes terribly
awkward. There's more. Did you know who you held last night? I assured you
it was no dream. It was a flesh and blood woman. Syane did not tell me
anything but the scene was imprinted on her mind. I picked it up when she
gave me instructions before leaving. In that wretched state without any
defenses, it wasn't difficult finding out what happened.' Kyra's words
hit him like a bucket of cold water.
'Syane loves me?' Vincent could not believe
his ears. He never suspected that she felt this way for him.
'Aye, that she did. I don't know much about
this Lucrecia woman nor do I care. What I want to know is what do you feel
for Syane? Are you taking her for a substitute for that woman? We will
never forgive you if you intentionally hurt her. Syane is old among us, a
teacher and a leader. Even though she gave specific instructions that we
are not to bother you. Remember this, we protect our own.' Kyra snarled,
baring her fangs, emphasising her warning.
Vincent turned away, leaving the young
she-wolf glaring daggers at his back. He needed to be alone, he must
think. Questions battered his mind, their answers could only come when he
reached an understanding. He had to sort out his feelings for two woman,
one living and one dead.
'What I feel...I do not know anymore...'
Chapter Ten:
Forget Forever
" You belong to me
from now till eternity
Forget these memories
your place is with me... "
He saw the tears in her eyes.
Kneeling in the moonlight, she wept
brokenly. His Syane, who was so proud and strong, he had never seen her
cry and yet now, her tears fell like rain from her anguished face. She was
his angel, for her sake, he had promised not to hurt those stupid humans
who shunned them even when he hated them with a passion. Her pack was on
the ground, where was she going? He approached her with silent feet and
touched her.
In that instant, he knew who made her cry.
His face was so clear in her mind.
"Syane, where is the bastard? I swear I'll
tear him apart!" He gripped her arms with such force, bruising her.
"Fyvern?! Why are you back?" Syane was
shocked by his presence.
"Answer me! Where is he?"
"No! Everything was my fault. It had nothing
to do with him. Leave him alone!" She was defending the one who hurt
her.
"Why? Syane, why? Who is he? Who is he to
you?" He was getting suspicious.
Her emotions worn down, she held nothing
back. She could no longer hide nor did she wish to hide. Let the truth be
told and damn the consequences.
"I love him. That's all you need to know and
I forbid you to harm a single hair on his head. Stay away from him."
He did not speak.
She was lying, she had to be. Syane belonged
to him. She was his and no one else's. Only he can be with her. They were
made to run together, by each other's side. How can she love someone
besides him? The very thought enraged him. He caught hold of a lock of her
long white hair that was like spun moonlight. She was so beautiful. Taking
her unaware, his fist connected with her body. Syane crumbled like a
broken doll into his arms.
"You belong to me always and forever." He
whispered to her unconscious form.
___________________________
Syane opened her eyes and found herself in
the past again. Trapped in a glass holding chamber that was rapidly
filling with a clear liquid. She was almost choked by the fear for she
knew what it would do to her. She pounded her fists against the thick,
unyielding glass in a futile attempt to escape. Syane was reliving her
worst nightmare. Glancing wildly about her, she caught sight of him.
"Fyvern, what are you doing? Let me out!"
The fluid was up to her waist now.
"All in good time, Syane. Soon you'll forget
everything. I'll give you another chance, you will learn to love me. We'll
begin again. I have learn much during the time I spent here. I'm doing
this all for you." His lone, remaining eye lit with a feverish light.
"Love? You? I never have and never will. If
you think everything can be forgotten so easily, you're mad."
"Perhaps I am but it matters not. Say
whatever you want. Nothing has changed, we are destined to be together
forever. He will be gone from your mind, there will only be me.
Haahaaaaaaa..."
His crazed laughter was the last thing she
heard before she was submerged by the numbing liquid.
__________________________
Her life was fading in front of her eyes.
Bit by bit, stripped away from her. Soon there would be nothing left but
emptiness. Her character, her personality, everything that was her would
cease to exist. Her mind erased into a clean slate. Syane refused to let
that happened, desperately trying to fight the effects of the
brainwashing.
It was a losing battle but she would not
yield. She could lose all her memories except one. Syane held on to it,
her last lifeline. Never would she forget him, the man she loved above
all. Gathering the last tattered shreds, remnants of what she once was,
she withdrew deep down into the darkest recess of her mind, letting out
one desperate cry for help before she knew no more.
______________________________
Fyvern watched as she become pliant, all
sights of her struggles stopped. She was sleeping now and when she wakes,
she would be a mindless puppet, his puppet. A smile of perverse pleasure
twisted his thin lips as he anticipated what lay ahead but first he must
attend to some unfinished business.
He had a prey to hunt.
Chapter Eleven:
The Game Begins
" There is fear upon the wind
the quarry stumbled, faltering
Closing in for the slaughter
the hunter laughed silently... "
Fyvern.
Kyra was jolted out of her sleep by a
voiceless cry. It spoke one name, a name that chilled her to the bone. He
had returned and somehow Syane had fallen into his hands. Kyra recognised
Syane's mind-voice which was tinted with desperation and hopelessness. Her
heart constricted with dread for she knew what Fyvern would do to her
mentor.
He desired her and had sought to make her
his by force. Syane fought him and blinded him in one eye with a lucky
swipe of her paw. Kyra and the rest had arrived answering her call for
aid, outnumbered, Fyvern fled. Yet Kyra could still remember the hate and
madness gleaming from the single yellow eye. He swore to return and now he
was back for revenge.
She never ran faster in her life, bolting
headlong into the night. She must warn Vincent and get him to depart at
once before Fyvern discovers his whereabouts. Kyra's breath was laboured
but she ran on because protecting Vincent was the only thing she could
help Syane do now. She found him in the glade, a silent brooding
figure.
'Vincent, leave! Leave this place
immediately! Go now! Go before he finds you!' Kyra was panting but her
mind-voice was aggravated.
'What's wrong, Kyra?'
'Damn it! Stop asking questions, just go!
This is all I can do to help Syane protect you! Fyvern has her and he'll
come for you next. You have her love, don't you see? He'll destroy you
both because she gave you what he can never have...' Her voice trailed
down into a whimper.
'Tell me what happened,' Vincent kneeled and
held the young wolf's face in his hand.
Kyra shuddered, unable to suppress her fear.
Brokenly, she told him what she knew. Fyvern like Syane was one of the
oldest among their people. He favoured himself as their leader and his
hatred of humans was evident, he never hesitated to attack livestock or
man if he could get away with it. No one dared stood up against him
because of his size and strength. Syane was the only one that he viewed as
an equal, Fyvern listened to her because he wanted her. Kyra related the
fateful incident that saw an end to his oppression until now.
Vincent clenched his claw, he would stay.
Regardless of whether he really knew what he felt for her, he owed her his
life. Together with Kyra, Vincent returned to the cabin to collect his
gun, Death Penalty, to find a mangled wolf corpse staked to the door with
a lock of snowy hair coiled around its bloody neck.
'Yves! No! No......!' A piercing mental
scream ripped itself from Kyra's throat.
He had found him.
Vincent was appalled at the brutality so
prominently displayed. There was no doubt as to who was responsible. Yves
had practically been torn apart. Vincent carefully pulled out the piece of
sharpened wood that held the mutilated body pinned to the door.
Touching the blood matted fur, he caught
the last visages that was rapidly fading from the dead Yves' mind. Fyvern
had toyed with him, killing Yves slowly and painfully. Vincent saw the
twisted joy burning in the black wolf's eye as he violated Yves' mind
before crushing Yves' windpipe beneath his massive jaws.
Now he understood Kyra's fear fully, Fyvern
had so callously butchered one of his kind just to learn about him. Yves'
mauled remains and the lock of Syane's hair was left as a taunt like a
gauntlet throw at his face as a challenge. Even if she could never be mean
more to him than a friend, Vincent knew he could not stand aside and
pretend it did not concern him. He was involved now and he could very well
imagine what sort of fate awaited Syane at the hands of such a sadistic
man beast.
So the game begun.
Chapter Twelve:
Hunt's End
" Succumb to me,
you are ensnared
Cease your struggles
It all ends at my bloodstained hands... "
Vincent was playing a game where he did not
know the rules. Fyvern baited him time and again, leaving misleading
trails. Every time, Vincent failed to find him, one of Syane's people paid
a gory price. It was a slow massacre, Fyvern was slaying his own kind but
he did not care. In fact, he relished each death, they were weaklings
deserving to die. As a united race, they could have ruled and subjugated
the miserable humans but they chose to hide and live out their pitiful
lives.
Fyvern stood in front of the glass chamber,
glancing lovingly upon Syane's countenance. He placed his hands against
the cold surface, how long had he waited for a chance to caress her face.
It would not be long once he removed the man who irked him. Fyvern had
been surprised at how fast Vincent had responded. It was getting harder to
avoid being discovered and that earned a grudging respect.
"He comes but is it for you? All this
shall... we say 'unpleasantness' could have been avoided at the start had
you made the right choice. It doesn't matter, everything will end
tomorrow. I will savour his last moments when I kill him. Perhaps I'll
even let you watch him die." Fyvern spoke to her like a lover before
turning away, filling the stillness with his demented laughter.
________________________
This was the last trail and it lead to a
forgotten ruin. What that used to be the heavy steel doors that concealed
the underground laboratory had been blasted into smithereens that were now
covered by the dense undergrowth. The Shinra logo however was still
visible.
"Shinra... Only they will do such a thing."
Syane was another victim.
Vincent paused cautiously, taking stock of
his surroundings. It was quiet, too quiet. Kyra had wanted to come with
him but he had refused. The deaths were a heavy weight on his conscience,
he did not want the young wolf whom he had become fond of added to the
scale.
All senses alert, Vincent descended into the
darkness. A normal man would have been blind, lost in this abyss where the
sun never shone. Like a cat, Vincent could however see with the tiniest
sliver of light, his eyes were so sensitive. Deeper and deeper, he went
when suddenly the ground before him was flooded with light. Vincent
halted, ready for any surprises. A mocking voice rang out.
"I grow weary of this game. Maybe you'll
provide some amusement so please make your way quickly to the tunnel's
end. I am waiting..."
Aware that a trap may be in store, Vincent
warily proceeded. The tunnel lead to a large antechamber and immediately
his eyes were drawn to the centre where a large glass receptacle held the
woman who loved him. Her eyes closed, Syane looked as if she was asleep,
her long pale hair swirling about her.
'You certainly took your time, I was
becoming impatient. You do know why you have to die, don't you? It makes
killing you so much more enjoyable!'
Fyvern was the biggest wolf Vincent had ever
seen. Pure ebony from nose to tail, he resembled a beast more from the
pits of hell. Vicious fangs bared menacingly, he sprung suddenly to
attack. Acting on pure reflex, Vincent drove to one side, narrowly
avoiding being rend to ribbons by the beast's razor sharp claws. The sable
wolf spun swiftly and attacked again with deadly intent, giving him no
respite. Unable to use Death Penalty, Vincent took the only option open to
him.
He Changed.
Fyvern hurdled itself at him again but this
time, Vincent was ready. He met the creature with a mighty backhand,
sending it crashing to the ground. The beast recovered quickly, regarding
Vincent with blistering hate. He had underestimated his prey and he was
disturbed. Fyvern circled, having learnt his lesson. He feinted and lunged
in when Vincent gave him an opening.
Fyvern snarled in triumph as his jaws closed
about Vincent's throat. Before his fangs could sink into flesh, a lance of
searing pain pieced his chest. He looked down to see Vincent's talons
embedded. He struggled to break free, his claws drawing bloody gashes
across Vincent's body. Ignoring his wounds, Vincent sank his talons deeper
with grim determination. Feeling the beast's rib cage, he relentlessly
crushed them into splinters, driving the shards into the heart.
Fyvern howled a denial as his heart was
punctured. He tasted his own blood in his mouth. He could not believe it,
he was dying. Finally, Syane was his but now he was losing her. He fixed
his remaining eye on her, trying desperately to hold the image forever. He
failed. She faded even before the last breath racked his body.
Fyvern shuddered once and was still.
Chapter Thirteen:
Parting
" Your smiles are not for me,
you love someone I cannot be.
Go away, leave this place
Let me forget your face..."
Bright crimson blood seeped from his wounds
but they were not serious so he paid them no heed. Vincent's soul was
heavy, looking at Fyvern's crushed body, he saw what he could have become
had he not let go of Lucrecia. Shifting back to his human form, he heard
the soft taps made by a wolf's paws. Kyra, she had followed him in spite
of everything.
"Is the other side of love, hate? Or is it a
love more desperate?" Vincent spoken his thought aloud, a lament.
'I do not know for I have not loved before.
I'm not sure I want to if pain and despair is all it brings.'
"It can bring the greatest joy as well. One
day you will understand."
_____________________________
She did not want to wake. It was dark and
peaceful in this place, she was safe. Nothing can touch her here in this
sanctuary. She wanted to sleep on forever until eternity's end when she
heard that voice again. Calling, calling a name.
Her name.
"Syane, come back..."
A voice so familiar that it disturbed her.
It invoked the image of a pair of haunting blood red eyes. She struggled
to remember and imperceptibly it came back to her, trickling grain by
grain like the sand in an hourglass. It was him and she answered.
"Vincent..."
_____________________________
It had been three days since she woke from
her coma, Kyra had fussed all over her, insisting that she stay in bed.
Syane smiled, the young wolfling would surely scold her if she knew that
Syane was already up on her feet. She had come to a resolution,
understanding that reality must be faced sooner or later. No longer would
she hide.
He was sitting in the hallway and rose once
he saw her. She could sense his dilemma. Vincent still could not figure
out just what was she to him. He stood by her side, holding her arm,
supporting her.
"You should be in bed." Was that gentleness
she heard in his voice?
"All this sleeping is giving me a headache.
Fresh air will do me more good. Care to walk with me?"
Vincent left briefly and returned with a
shawl which he cast around her shoulders. Syane refused to think, reading
too much into his gestures would only hurt herself more, making things
even harder. They stepped out into the brilliant sunlight in silence. Time
for the inevitable had come.
"Vincent...I must talk to you." She
pulled away, unable to bear his touch.
"Too much has happened. Maybe I sound
selfish but I long for the peace I once knew. We don't owe each other
anything. Any debt has been more than repaid. I think you know what I
mean."
"I understand."
He must go for his very presence was causing
her pain. As long as he could not fathom her place in his heart, he must
stay away from her. Vincent was sorry that he had unintentionally hurt
Syane. She was a fine woman and did not deserved to be treated as a
substitute for Lucrecia. He would depart with tomorrow's dawn. It was
better this way.
Epilogue:
Journey Home
" No more hiding,
I'm coming back to you
No more running,
I'm on my way home... "
Without a word, he was gone, leaving no
trace. Leaving nothing to remind her that he existed once in her life.
Yet, he would always be a part of her, a memory that never faded with
time. Every night, Syane waited at the glade, ever so patiently for
Vincent to return.
Running under the moonlight with her mate,
Kyra had finally understood what Vincent told her. Still, what her teacher
was doing was plain foolishness. Three years was too long a time to wait
for a promise never made. Vincent never said he would come back
and most probably he had already forgotten all about her. Day by day
passed her by, still she waited because she believed somehow he would
return once again.
______________________________
He was almost there after travelling night
and day. It took him three long years to finally realise what he felt was
love. Far from her side, she was the one he missed and dreamed of. Her
presence replacing that of a brown-haired woman in his heart and soul.
Vincent felt guilt for admitting that he could love someone else besides
Lucrecia so he suppressed his feelings. Strangled by a dead love, he was
only tormenting himself.
Under Syane's life-giving warmth, Vincent
had experienced what it meant to really live for himself. Coming to terms
with his internal turmoil at last, Vincent ultimately understood what
Lucrecia wanted him to do. It was to let go of her memory which was what
he should have done long ago.
So now he was hurrying back, heading towards
the glade. Instinct had told him, he would find her there and it was not
wrong. Syane stood against the ancient elm where they shared their lives
that fateful night.
With all his heart and mind, he called her
name.
" You answered
My lonely call
With your song
Under the pale moonlight
You held and warmed
This cold heart
With such wise eyes
You saw what lies deep inside
We are one
Our souls entwined
Beneath the starry skies
Say you'll run with me
Beyond forever till eternity..."
~ Wolf Song (Run With Me)
Personal thoughts/comments:
I don't want to say too much about this fic because I'm exhausted. Just
hope it's not that bad since I was rushing for time and just ended it the
way I did. Okay, here we go at the chapters then.
Prologue |
Game fans should know where I based this on. |
Chapter 1 |
A little accounting of the other characters from FFVII.
I changed the Limit Break to a Change because it sounded better. The idea
of Vincent losing control was inspired by a pic drawn by Jen. Go see it at
RPGamer's site. |
Chapter 2~5 |
Building up the relationship between Vince and his
future lady love. I gave enough clues so it should be quite obvious who
the white wolf was. |
Chapter 6~7 |
Syane's past was not very well explained so here I am.
The lab was established for a 'brilliant' biochemist obsessed with the
study of werewolves for possible use in military purposes. Experiments
were successful and that's when the place was sabotaged by a jealous
scientist ( No prizes for guessing who it is.) |
Chapter 8~9 |
True feelings revealed. Sorry if it's a bit too
melodramatic. |
Chapter 10~12 |
Another piece from the past. Done to add some spice. I
intended at first that Syane would leave and Vincent go searching for her
and then it ends with him convincing her that he loves her. |
Chapter 13 |
Too bad I don't have the means of doing a poll or I
would have asked readers to vote on how this story should end. The title
"Loveless?" would have supported a dual ending nicely. |
Epilogue |
Second chance at life. Ahhh... I'm drained. |
Send your questions, comments and whatever to me at: calisc@hotmail.com No flames though!!
^_^
~The End~
|