Chapter Text
Shelke stared up the open sky from the roof of Cosmos' Tower.
The wind blew gently, causing her now-long locks of orange-brown hair to flutter about, some strands covering her face for a moment before she rose a hand to push them out of her face and back over her shoulder before she heaved a quiet, but heavy sigh.
Being in this world was...interesting, she supposed. She was grateful for the opportunity she'd been granted to grow, and for the event that allowed her to exceed her prior 'self' and truly assume the shape and form she was meant to be. She looked down at herself; her now larger shaped hands, her more mature body. She truly fit the image of a nineteen year old now instead of being trapped within that of a nine year old's.
She'd come to meet so many people... Some familiar, but from different timelines and realities apart from hers, and some new altogether.
Her heart would twinge when her gaze would settle upon a particular person...
Vincent Valentine.
Of course, she was not the only 'Shelke' called to this world, and there were more than one Vincent as well, the one that always drew her attention was that of a younger Vincent; from his days in Shinra as a Turk. Before the events that shaped him into the man she knows.
Neither of them knew or could figure out which timeline he hailed from, and that planted the seeds of worry within her chest.
The worry--and subsequent fear--that if something should happen to him, the Vincent she knew in her time could disappear.
She wore herself ragged seeing to the man's safety. Granted, he was a Turk and one of the best sharpshooters, he was still mortal. That mortality left him vulnerable to danger. Danger that she refused to allow come near him.
This, however, also wore at her heart and mind.
It brought the longing within her to a near unbearable level at times, the wish and want to see the people from her time. The desire to be reunited with the Vincent she knew...
She hated the weak, vulnerable feeling that would blanket over her when the loneliness became so heavy tears would come to her eyes.
One of her hands clenched into a fist at her side as the other settled itself on her chest over her heart.
'Why don't you try expressing your feelings?' Lenne had gently asked of her.
'Express...? How?' She had questioned quietly to the Songstress.
The other woman gave her a comforting smile. 'Why don't you try writing it out? Or singing? Keeping the words locked inside of your heart doesn't do you any good when they can't be felt or heard.' She advised.
'...I will try. But I am unsure how well this will help me.' She answered to the other.
'It will never hurt to try it out. Maybe you'll see for yourself just how powerful your words become when you reach with your heart.' The other advised before slowly turning and beginning to walk off, making her way across the room towards Shuyin, humming quietly as she went.
She continued to stare up towards the sky; the sun had already set and twilight descended, the sky growing darker and darker as the light faded leaving the stars to glitter and the moon slowly rising in the distance.
"Try..." She murmured to herself, her mako-blue eyes shimmering briefly before an orange glow came to them before they disappeared behind eyelids as she closed them, levelling her head straight forward again, taking a deep breath.
The wind gusted gently again, fluttering the hems of her sleeves and skirt of her dress. She wore a baby blue off-the-shoulder dress with long, billowing sleeves. The skirt was an un-even length, shorter in front that exposed her legs, covered in darker blue stockings with the straps of her holstered EM Sabers attached to the sides of her thighs, but draped long in the back and stopped at her ankles where her feet wore white, soft leather heels with thick straps around her ankles to make sure they stayed secure to her feet.
She swallowed, pushing the strange feeling of nervousness back before she opened her mouth and took a deep breath.
"Lights go down inside your head again... The walls are thin, like they're closing in..." She sang aloud, her voice a little unsteady and quiet. A frown was upon her face, brows drawn together as she attempted to put her thoughts and feelings into words.
"Lost yourself inside a broken mirror... 'Cause that's what you fear. But I'm still here." She continued, opening her eyes to reveal the still-orange glow to them as she gazed towards the horizon, taking another deep breath, pausing as she felt her heart stirring a little stronger with the next words that came:
"Push me out, I'll pull you closer when you think that it's all over. Know that you will never be unloved by me," She sang, voice growing a little louder and bolder as she began to pour herself into the words, letting her feelings come through with the lyrics.
"Oh you're bigger than this moment. Might be bent, but you're not broken. Know that you will never be unloved by me... 'Cause I know what you're made of. I know what you're made of."
She was unaware she was drawing a small crowd of some of the others who had begun to hear her voice and sought out its source, also unaware of the shadow by the far stairs that was gazing at her in wonder.
Beneath her, in the Summoning Chambers with the Crystal was Arlumia with her staff. She could hear the girl's voice carrying on the wind and felt the resonance within the Crystal. It began to glow faintly, as if responding to the emotions Shelke was pushing forward.
"Burned out with the fire in your eyes... But you're gonna rise 'cause you know how to fight," Shelke sang, closing her eyes again as reality around her distorted, subconsciously activating her Synaptic Net Dive, amplified by the Crystal below that began to show flickering images to those gathered visions of her memory--images of the Vincent she knew and their struggle against Deepground, Hojo, and Omega.
"And you might fall down further than before... But it takes hitting the floor to know you're worth much more."
Images of Vincent nearly succumbing to Chaos, of nearly losing himself to his own inner darkness flashed by as Shelke's eyes cracked open as she lifted her head to stare up towards the stars, lifting her hand from her chest to slowly reach up towards the sky, and behind her the image of her own self being swallowed by Nero's darkness played for the others to see, and those there were engulfed in the feelings of loss, confusion, hurt, and fear that she had felt as she sat there in the darkness, protecting herself with her Shield Materia unknowing if she should give up and be swallowed, or hold on just a little longer...
Her voice echoed within everyone's mind:
'Vincent Valentine... I don't want you to die...'
"Push me out, I'll pull you closer when you think that it's all over. Know that you will never be unloved by me..."
Suddenly, emerging through the darkness of her memories was Vincent himself, reaching out a hand to her. Her memory-self took his hand and he led her out of Nero's shadows, the darkness unable to touch or hold him.
"Oh you're bigger than this moment. Might be bent, but you're not broken. Know that you will never be unloved by me. 'Cause I know what you're made of. I know what you're made of."
Shelke's voice had risen several more notes louder, now able to be heard several floors down from open windows and the Crystal within the Summoning Chamber was glowing extraordinarily bright.
Arlumia held a small smile on her face as she placed her hand on said Crystal, fingers on her other hand curling tighter around her Staff as it too, began to resonate and glow. 'That's it... Call with everything you are.' She thought to herself.
Above, the vision of Shelke replacing the Protomateria back into Vincent's chest, allowing him control over Chaos once more played for others to witness, soon follwed by the hazy images of Vincent crashing down through the ceiling of the Deepground Facility to lift Shelke's small form from the chair she had been using her SND from to fly them back outside before the place collapsed in on itself.
'You're late.'
'Sorry about that.'
'...Not that I mind, though.'
"I know what you're made of... Said I know what you're made of," Shelke sang, voice quieter now, but still able to be clearly heard.
Briefly, as her eyes glowed a brighter orange, a shimmering copy of her briefly appeared beside her, echoing:
"You will never be unloved by me."
"I know what you're made of," Shelke pushed, voice becoming a little stronger again as her tone began to rise.
"I know what you're made of. I know what you're made of. Push me out, I'll pull you closer when you think that it's all over. Know that you will never be unloved by me..."
There was a pause as Shelke took a deep inhlation of breath and there was a feeling of static in the air.
At that moment, Arlumia slammed her staff down onto the ground and the Summoning Circles lit up brightly as the Crystal discharged its energy.
Four figures formed within the glowing light within the circles and when the light cleared away...
Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockheart, Yuffie Kisaragi, and finally... Vincent Valentine stood there within the circles, looking around in confusion and wonder.
Just at that moment, Shelke's voice could be loudly heard breaking the silence:
"Push me out, I'll pull you closer when you think that it's all over. Know that you will never be unloved by me. Oh you're bigger than this moment. Might be bent, but you're not broken. Know that you will never be unloved by me."
Instantly all four of their heads snapped to look upwards, but it was Vincent's eyes that had widened slightly, the glow within his crimson eyes heightening briefly.
Arlumia stepped forward and made motion with her hand. "You were called here by how strong her feelings are." She murmured.
All of them looked to one another, but it was Yuffie who moved, stepping beside and behind Vincent a little and gave him a shove. "Go on, Vince. She's waiting."
At the nods of Cloud and Tifa, Vincent hesitated only a moment before he took off at a run for the stairs that led upwards towards the roof.
"I know what you're made of. I know what you're made of." Shelke sang loudly, feeling her eyes prickling with tears as she poured all of her feelings into it, again her figure shimmering as a digitized clone of her appeared, echoing her words.
"I know what you're made of. I know what you're made of."
Vincent reached the top of the stairs the instant Shelke belted out her last note.
"I know what you're made of...!"
Silence began.
None of the gathered Heroes there said a word as they viewed the scene, and the one on the opposite side in the shadows was staring with their mouth in a parted 'o' of shock and surprise.
Vincent gazed at the back of Shelke, slight wonder alight in his eyes as he took in her new form before he silently strode forward, stopping behind her.
"Shelke," He called quietly.
Eyes snapping open wide, body going tense and rigid in surprise, she whirled around on her feet to meet Vincent's gaze, feeling her heart pounding even harder within her chest.
Her mouth opened, but no words came to her.
They were silent for only a moment before her voice broke it:
"You're late, you know." She whispered, staring up at him, feeling the tears that had been building at the corners of her eyes begin to fall.
He gave her an apologetic look as he shook his head before reaching forward with his non-gauntlet wearing hand to brush some of her tears away. "Sorry." He returned, voice solemn.
Swallowing, she shook her own head before pushing forward and threw her arms around him. "...Not that I mind." She murmured against his chest, feeling his arms come up and surround her as well.
Vincent held her in his embrace, feeling the faintest of smiles ghost across his lips at her response.
On the opposite side in the shadows, the young Vincent stared with a mixture of emotions playing out across his face. After a long moment of gazing at the two and the way Shelke's face lit up with a smile so bright that he'd never saw from her before, he turned and silently slipped away. Perhaps it was better this way, he mulled to himself.
Lenne smiled to herself as she reached to grasp Shuyin's hand and silently began to lead him back down the stairs; her advice had worked.
The others and the rest of the world ignored for the time being, Shelke met Vincent's eyes again as she took a step back to put some space between. "...Is this form acceptable?" She asked quietly before looking down towards her body.
Vincent was silent as he glanced over her and took in the full details of her figure and her looks before he reached forward yet again, placing his hand on her cheek reassuringly. "More than acceptable." He responded.
Another smile rising to her face, a glow encased her and with a flash, two pure white wings extended from her back, leaving Vincent to stare at her in wonder and surprise.
She kicked off the ground and flew up a few feet into the air, reaching a hand down towards him. "...Fly with me?" She requested.
"Of course." Vincent answered, taking her hand and within another moment, his own form shifted to that of Chaos' and he took to the air beside her.
Shelke's laughter echoed on the wind, its purity heard by nearly everyone in the Tower as she arced through the sky with Vincent following alongside her with the moon and stars glittering above them.
She stalled briefly mid-air as she gazed towards Vincent, meeting his glowing gold-red eyes of his Chaos form, not hiding the feelings she felt coursing within her, "I know what you're made of." She murmured out quietly, surprising the other before she began to descend in a dive.
Vincent was barely a hair's breadth behind her as he swooped down after her.
'Know that you will never be unloved by me...' She thought to herself as she felt Vincent's arms wind around her as she let her wings disappear in a flash of light, some of the pure white feathers fluttering around them as they landed on the ground moments later. She could hear the faster beating of his heart in her ear as she rest her head against his chest, letting herself draw him closer as she embraced him once more.
Push me out, I'll pull you closer when you think that it's all over.
Know that you will never be unloved by me.
Oh you're bigger than this moment. Might be bent, but you're not broken.
Know that you will never be unloved by me.
'Cause I know what you're made of.
-End-