Seek the Stars

Interlude 01: Cid’s Memories

Cid knew something was wrong with him when he had opened his eyes one morning and couldn’t remember where he was. That had been a long time ago, when Radiant Garden had become Hollow Bastion and Traverse Town had become his new home. For close to three hours he couldn’t remember how he had gotten here, why he was here, and why he was alone. For a few hours he remembered a vivid dream of another life, where he saved his world from a psychopath and lived happily in the comfort of his wife’s arms.

And in the arms of someone else.

Someone with moon-pale skin and ink-black hair. Someone with a quiet voice and an even quieter inner strength.

But those memories soon became a whisper and he was his old self again. He didn’t remember the vivid dream that could almost be real. But he had changed, not quite like Cloud or Yuffie, but he had changed. There was something missing in his life and he couldn’t quite figure out what it was. Then that Keyblade brat had shown up and his world changed again enough so he could return home and begin to rebuild.

And now Cloud’s sworn enemy was telling him that he knew the red-eyed Nobody from something called The Before. Cloud had tried to explain once when he, Cid, and Leon were out drinking one night, but he had gotten so frustrated with Cid’s inability to understand that he had given up. Leon had just sat there and hid his smirk behind his glass. Cid hadn’t understood then, and he didn’t understand now.

The old pilot heaved on the thick log of timber and eased it up to lean it against a pile of large rocks, moving to get a cart to try and transport the log to where it needed to be. You’d think after four years of construction, it would be done already, but excitement had a way of making people neglect their jobs. So Cid was out in the construction zone by himself, hauling rocks and logs to tire himself out enough so he could think clearly.

And maybe cajole Aerith into making her lemonade.

The blonde stepped back from the loaded cart and wiped sweat from his brow, staring at all he had accomplished. Not bad for someone his age.

He bent at the knees to haul up a stone to the cart and nearly brained himself with it when the thing hiding behind the rock snapped at him. Cid dropped the rock almost immediately, old muscles remembering old battles as he backpedaled, his lance coming into his hand to fend off the jaws aiming for his throat. He fell on his back, snarling at the thing as he kicked at its belly, keeping the haft of his javelin between him and the creature’s jaws. Claws scored his skin, but those wounds weren’t as serious as the wounds that could be inflicted if the thing actually bit him. Cid gave a heard double kick to the creature’s stomach and rolled, kicking his attacker high over his head. Cid was on his feet in an instant and swung his spear into a ready position.

The creature lunged at him and took the top of Cid’s javelin in the throat. It did nothing to deter the beast; it came on still as the weapon tore through its throat. It died on the haft, inches away from Cid’s foremost hand, and the pilot let out the breath he had been holding. He set his foot on the dead thing’s snout and pulled his weapon free, staring at the dead creature in confusion and just a little bit of excitement.

Cid whirled at the last second and saw his death in the claws reaching for him.

There was a loud crash of thunder, and the attacking creature flew back, broken near in half by the blast.

Cid turned and his mouth went dry.

Behind him stood the red-eyed Nobody, the barrels of his shotgun still smoking. Ruby eyes were narrowed, burning bright in that pale face, and Cid almost had a heart attack. For a moment, that black jacket looked red, and that right arm golden, and Cid’s heart leaped because he knew that person.

“Who the hell are you?” the pilot asked gruffly.

The Nobody moved and the spell was broken. “The one who saved your life,” He replied quietly. He knelt to inspect the bodies of the creatures and frowned, pulling out what looked like a cell phone to take pictures.

“What are you doing?” Cid asked, leaning on his javelin.

“Making a report.” The phone snapped closed and disappeared. “This is a new breed.”

“A new breed of what?”

“Enigma.”

“What the fuck are Enigma?”

Those red eyes peered at Cid for a long moment. “Enigma are a cross between Heartless and Nobodies. Instead of simply consuming the heart, like Nobodies, or releasing it, like Heartless, they eat everything.”

“Everything?” Cid swallowed. “Like wolves?”

The Nobody’s head tilted. “It’s a close enough analogy.”

“Shit.” Cid breathed. “At least these can be killed.”

“If you hit them in the right place, anything can be killed.” The red-eyed man said softly. Cid wasn’t sure if he had been meant to hear that.

He frowned. Someone had said something similar to him before, someone who had been in immense pain. Who had it been?

“Are you injured?” the Nobody asked.

Cid blinked. “Naw. I’m fine. Right as rain.”

An elegant eyebrow rose but the Nobody said nothing. Cid studied the man in the silence, chewing on the toothpick in his mouth. He was beautiful, but then, so were most men around here (and that just wasn’t right, Cid thought), with raven-hair that hung straight down instead of in a braid. Those crimson eyes never once wavered and when he looked at Cid there was a timelessness in those eyes, something ancient and terrifying.

“So, uh,” Cid rubbed his neck. “You know Riku?”

“Knew him.” The Nobody replied. “I helped his mother nineteen years ago now.”

Cid mulled this over for a moment. “Wait. Riku would have been a baby. What did you do?”

Now the Nobody looked pained. “I brought Riku from his home world to a place where he would be safe, where his grandfather couldn’t touch him. I watched his mother give his life to save another and I can’t help but remember how happy he was.”

“Who?”

“Riku’s mother.”

Cid rubbed his jaw. “So Sephiroth really is Riku’s dad, huh?”

“By blood.” The Nobody glanced at Cid. “But then, you knew that.”

Cid frowned and turned to follow the Nobody when he brushed past the pilot. “Sephiroth called you Vincent.” The blonde blurted. Somehow, he couldn’t accept that back turned to him.

The Nobody turned to look at Cid, face expressionless. “And if that is my name, what is it to you?”

“What… what is it to me? What the fuck does that mean?” Cid yelled. Vincent remained stoic, silent. Cid glared hard at the Nobody and wanted to throttle the bastard. Finally, Vincent moved back over to Cid and stood within arm’s reach of the pilot.

“If you remember, on your own power,” Vincent said, “I will tell you what you want to know. Until then, if anyone else tells you, I will have to kill you.”

“I would love to see you try.” Cid spat out.

Vincent’s small smile was cold and cruel. “You could wound me, even give me a death blow, but I would survive. How long would it take you to die, I wonder?”

Cid took a step back now. “What are you?”

“Immortal,” Vincent replied. “Vampire. Demon. Take your pick.”

Not thinking, Cid blurted, “You’re NOT a demon! How many times do I have to tell you that?” He reached out and grabbed Vincent’s shoulders, giving him a shake. “You’re not a demon or an abomination! You’re human! I don’t care what that rat bastard scientist did to you, you are still human! Goddammit, Vincent, why do you do this self-deprecation shit, huh? Don’t you ever get tired of it?”

Cid gave Vincent one more shake before he pulled the immortal into a hug. He held tight more for his sake than Vincent’s because that vivid dream was playing in his head now, everything from a different life. A different Cid. Vincent held onto him, even sank to the ground with him, but Vincent never let go.

When the fit had ended, the old pilot looked into those ancient red eyes and snorted. “If that’s how you remember, I don’t wanna do it again.”

Vincent gave a soft chuckle. “I’ve never seen anyone remember. Besides, you’re still you.”

“Am I?”

Vincent simply looked at Cid. The blonde let out a long breath. “What now?” he asked the immortal.

“Nothing.” Vincent replied. He rose and helped Cid stand, making sure the man wasn’t injured. “You decide if you want to take the boys where they want to go.”

“And us?”

Vincent looked up at Cid and canted his head. “Whatever you want.”

The black-haired Nobody turned then and began to walk away, pausing to look back at Cid. The blonde thumbed his nose and hurried after Vincent, settling his arm around the immortal’s thin shoulders.