Saviour

He must have dozed again or drifted off between this world and the one we know when we are asleep because when next he knew hours had passed. Hours since he had threatened Cloud and hours since Cloud had left. The clone of Sephiroth now probably not sure on what grounds he stood with the vampire, oddly enough though Vincent just didn’t care any more.

Noise from upstairs drew his attention from his thoughts. Looking up at the roof he frowned. It was windy outside the slight howl in the passage way was a testament to that. Not that it mattered but he could hear the door slamming on the hinges meaning that some one had left the door open as they walked in. He could have easily ignored it that wasn’t hard but if it started to rain and water got through the floor boards it flooded the library.

And at this point in time he really didn’t feel like walking around in a few inches of water. Not to mention doing a mad grab for the books that were still all over the floor so they didn’t get water logged and destroyed.

Getting to his feet with a sigh he looked at the piles of books placed all over the library reminiscent of just how many of them he had read since he had locked himself down here. Added to how many had remained strewn around from Sephiroth’s efforts years before.

“How annoying” he sighed heading for the stairs.

Standing at the door he looked out into the night and at the world hidden just beyond the darkness. For a moment he regretted his decision to hide away form it all but then as always a deep seething sensation of guilt stole over him. Closing the door he bared it with a floor board. Digging his claw into the wood and ripping the board free before placing it where a thick sturdy bit of wood should have held it shut.

He remembered the sound of it breaking just as well as he remembered the smell of smoke as Nibelheim burnt to the ground around it all those long years ago.

Turning he paused. Something had changed in the depths of the mansion. Something wasn’t quite like it was a moment ago. Taking a step forward he smelt the air gently his keen sense of smell usually enough to rely on to tell him if anything or anyone had passed through the open door. The strong sent of blood assaulted his nostrils making him frown.

“How did they get past me?” he wondered out loud as he followed the sent back down the stairs.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs he stopped looking towards the arch way at the end of the hall with a frown. Who ever it was had gone straight to the library the bloodied hand print on the wall confirming it, which meant they were cornered. Creeping down the hall as silently as a cat he was ready for anything prepared to lung into final form and completely obliterate who ever it was in one move. Just to be sure of course.

Glancing around the corner his eyes fell on a person sprawled on the floor. A naked calf up to mid thigh before platinum blood stained hair frayed out in every direction. The mass of once pearl hair was wet and in many places shorter than it had once been but it didn’t matter. It would never have mattered Vincent knew who it was instantly and it took a little longer for his brain to realize who he was looking at.

“Sephiroth” he whispered softly before entering the room slower than he had approached the library.

Dropping to a crouch beside the supposed dead villain he placed a hand on a pale shoulder shocked when it was warm. Clammy and sweat covered yes but warm very warm, meaning that Sephiroth really was laying butt naked and wounded in the basement Library Vincent had made his home.

A groan came from the motionless figure making Vincent jump slightly. He hesitated a moment before pulling Sephiroth onto his back so he could see his face. It took a moment to clear away all the strands of hair before he was shocked to see bleary green eyes searching the room unseeingly.

“Can you hear me?” whispered Vincent softly not expecting a response.

Green eyes roamed the room for a moment before slowly focusing in on Vincent a frown creasing a sweat covered brow.

“Vincent?” came the hoarse voice “But… what happened?” he tried to sit then only to pass out again.

For a moment all Vincent could do was sit there and stare disbelievingly at the unconscious man laying on the ground. There wasn’t much else his mind could comprehend doing at the moment. Sephiroth was supposed to be dead he and the others had fought him with Cloud delivering the finishing blow. Yet here he was a little worse for wear, okay maybe a lot worse for wear but still alive to say the least.

Standing he lifted the unconscious villain from the floor shocked at how little he weighted not to mention the ribs he felt beneath his fingers.

“Well I don’t suppose he’s eaten for awhile” he mused to himself as he walked over to the largest of the lounges and arranged Sephiroth into the chair. Grabbing one of the many blankets that he had accumulated in the library he covered the naked man before leaving to fetch a water.

There were things he wanted to do things he wanted to know but they would all have to wait. For while Sephiroth may very well be alive at the moment with the condition he was in that could easily change if he wasn’t taken care of and fixed up.

“But what if it all starts again?” he whispered staring into the bowl of water as it slowly filled “I’m an idiot” he sighed.

He was more than willing to nurse the once would be destroyer of the world back to perfect health. Which just didn’t seem right after they had all gone, Vincent included, to great lengths to insure his more than permanent demise.