Some things should never be hidden

Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus

By Knifeshadow

A/N: Well here's the first chapter. This takes place as Vincent flies to save the planet but more importantly to save a friend. If he is indeed a live then it may lead to the uncovering of a new adventure, or if dead it may lead to lost souls and lost love. This is a twisted ending to Dirge of Cerberus; if you can call it that, please no flames. Thank you, and read and enjoy

From the ground below and at a farther distance away, the Avalanche members watched almost helplessly as Omega turned into hard stone. Soon, silver white wings burst thought the gray stone, and with one flap, dust and loose dirt went flying into surrounding directions. Slowly they being began to rise, taking flight.

"Omega's…. ascending," Reeve said, taking a step forward and looking at the ultimate life form. "But that would mean..."

Cid looked at Reeve, clearly remembering the meeting they had aboard the Sierra before the assault on Midgar was put underway. If Omega left, the planet would die, and so would the people who were still on it. There was no way anyone would survive this. It was all up to Vincent. His life, along with all of the people on the planet, was all in the ex-Turk's hands.

"Come on, Vin," the pilot said to himself, gripping the Venus gospel tightly in his hands, eyes searching around Omega's body for any sign of Vincent Valentine.

Suddenly, against the green of what had seemed like the Life Stream, there was a bright red flare, as if a comet had suddenly burst forth from the ground, it's red tail streaming out form behind the head of it, white hot and moving at what seemed like unstoppable speeds. That was him, no doubt in any part of Cid's mind, it was Vincent, and he was going to try and stop Omega.

Several things went through the pilot's mind at this time. The first was a very loud thought, laced with curses, but when censored, it translated into something along the lines of "What on earth is he thinking?"

The next few were part of a frantic debate in Cid's mind. One option was to stand by and watch, putting all his hope into Vincent's decision. The second was to try and stop him, but since Cid had no way to do that, that option was lost very quickly. He would remain there and cheer Vincent on, only with a flicker of fear in his eyes, as to what would happen to them if Vincent would fail, or even fear on what would happen if Vincent was to carry out his plan.

Vincent flew faster then he had ever dared while in his Chaos form. Reaching his point right above Omega, he turned sharply, his wings nearly giving out from the force of the sudden stop. Vincent glared down at the being. There was only one thing left to do, and he only hoped that it would work. Everyone's lives were in his hands, even the one he cared about most; this was all or nothing. The point of no return, even if he would not survive what he was about to do, so be it. The one person, who he knew would always care for him and be there for him, would live on, and there would be happiness in the world once again. Even without himself there to see it.

Throwing his arms out to the side, he summoned all of his power. Vincent dove straight for Omega, all of the power focused on stopping the Ultimate life form. He tore through the power that surrounded it, his body slowly loosing its power. Vincent forced himself to move faster, and with only a blink of an eye, it all seemed to blackout, nothing, no feeling, no air to breath, nothing at all. This sweet nothingness was all that he could see. Had he done it? Had he stopped Omega? Or had he failed and let all of his friends down, even the one he loved and the people of the planet? Nothingness soon took over Vincent's mind. Every thing seemed to be lost.

But on the ground there was a different story. Everything had been lit up as if it had been a midsummer's day, the sky was white for only what had seemed like minutes before it started to fade away, revealing a perfect night sky. The members of Avalanche were left in awe, gazing at the night sky. There were no signs of Vincent or Omega anywhere. Cid, Yuffie, Reeve and Shelke were standing there, looking to the sky as if something terrible had vanished and something worse was left in it's place.

"Vincent….," Yuffie said, fear and worry plain in her eyes. As fragments of the Life Stream slowly floated down.

Cid stepped forward, looking for any signs of his friend, the man who had fought beside him for what had seemed like years, the one who- Cid's thoughts, along with all off the others, was cut short as among the green were crimson lights. Those lights were not like any other of the lights that slowly found their way back to the planet. Those lights resembled a friend.

"No," Reeve said first. "It can't be…..he wouldn't have done that."

"Done what?!" Yuffie asked. "Where's Vin? What do you mean he wouldn't have done that?! He would do anything to save us and the planet..."

She trailed off in her own words. 'He would have done…anything…' she thought helplessly. Tears started forming in her eyes. She began to walk off to where Omega once stood.

"Yuffie, where are you going?" Shelke asked, reaching out to the brunette.

"I'm going to go find Vincent!!" she yelled back. Then Yuffie ran for it, not wanting to be there anymore.

Shelke was about to go after her, but was stopped by the small black and white robot-cat.

"Let her go lassie," Cait Sith said with a sigh, "There isn't a thing ye can do."

Shelke nodded and looked up at the sky. The lights were starting to fall on them like snow. Cid, glaring at the ground, started walking off in the direction of his ship, not taking any notice in Reeve, Cait, or even Shelke.

'Why? Why, dammit?! Why did that idiot have ta do such a stupid, selfish, goddamned thing now?!' Cid thought, as he kicked a piece of metal roughly and cringing at the pain that was left in his foot.

Cid knew very well that his thoughts were all selfish, Vincent sacrificed himself to save all of them. But that didn't stop the pain that the pilot had, his heart, and his soul felt as if they were going to all fall apart any moment now. The gunslinger was not only his friend, but the one Cid held dear, the one Cid had loved so much that he kept it from the world. Cid had even lied to the others and himself, when he had said that he had married Shera.

"God fucking dammit!!" he yelled, punching an already demolished brick wall, "Why didn't I ever fucking tell 'im?!"

RING, RING

Cid cursed and answered his PHS, "What the fuck-Oh, Yuffie, what's a matter?" Cid's tone changed the minute he had heard the young ninja's voice. It sounded like she had been crying for hours.

"C-cid," she sobbed a few times, her voice muffled as if she had burried her face in fabric, "I-I found V-Vincent's cloak," she began crying again.

"Yuffie," Cid said, taking on an almost fatherly tone, "it's okay, just take a deep breath." He could hear her doing so, or trying to do so. "Good, now Yuff, tell me is there any sign that Vince is okay? Or around anywhere?"

There was more sobbing, then something he would have ever expected of the girl. "Dammit, Old man!! There's blood all over the collar and shoulder of his cloak!!" Yuffie sobbed into the phone, "You tell me he's okay after that!! You go and f-ing tell me, Cid!!" And with that she hung up on him.

"Yuffie? Yuffie!!" Cid yelled into the phone, "Damn, kid, she's been hanging around me for too long."

Cid closed the phone, and kept walking, thought he had no idea as to where his feet were taking him, he knew that it was not to his ship. Cid felt so numb; there was nothing for him to even hope for now. Sure, he had hoped that Vincent was still alive, and that he had just passed out from all of the energy he hand used to save them all. But he had never really thought that Vincent was gone. That those red lights were really what were left of the man he loved.

'Loved?' he thought as he leaned on a cold metal wall, 'Yeah, I guess I really did love that bastard. Him an' his fuckin' unemotional shell, and that fuckin' smirk he always had on when ever he said anythin' to me."

Cid was hunched over now, tears falling slowly down his face; he slammed his fist into the wall behind him. 'Why didn't I fuckin' go after 'im?!'

Cid slowly slid down the wall, bringing his knees up to his chest and covering his face with his arms. He couldn't hold it back anymore, it was too much too hold in. He had lost the one person he really, truly cared about. And he had never got to tell him what he had truly felt.

Sobbing, Cid couldn't hear the slight sound of metal clicking slowly on the ground, the slight sound of it quickening and then slowing down again, like the thing moving the metal had stumbled. Cid only looked up when he heard a dull thud and a quiet groan only a few feet away from him.

Shock was the first thing that ran through his mind, then anger, and then joy. Cid stood up and stumbled over to the figure lying on the ground. Cid turned the person over and saw the pail, narrow, yet girlish face, of Vincent Valentine. The crimson red eyes that he had come to love and not fear as the others had. Cid hugged the man to him.

"Vince, you're really okay!!" Cid held him tighter. "You're really alive!!"

There was a pained and tired groan that came from Vincent. "Well…Highwind," his voice breaking off as he tried to breathe, "I won't-be if you do not stop crushing me."

Cid let him go, and slowly helped Vincent stand. He looked so tired, so weak. Vincent looked at Cid and smiled slightly, showing the pilot more emotion then he ever had. The ebony haired man rested his head on the blonde's shoulder, holing his own left shoulder. Cid wrapped his arms around Vincent's waist.

"Cid," Vincent whispered into the pilot's ear, "I was so worried, about you. I thought, that if I couldn't…"

Cid cut him off by tilting his head up, "I know, but it's okay now Vin. We're both alive," Cid was slowly moving closer to the slightly taller man's face as he spoke, "and there's somethin'… I've been meanin'…. ta tell ya..."

Cid kissed Vincent on the lips, trying to put all of the feelings he had kept from him for so long into that one kiss. Vincent's eyes went wide at first and then slowly closed, understanding how Cid felt. So, both of them had loved each other all this time, but never said a word about it.

Vincent pulled away slowly, resting his head back on the pilot's shoulder. Sighing to himself, he felt the warmth that Cid had always brought into his life spread through him. Relaxing all of the pain and weakness out of his body.

"Cid…"

"Vin."

"I love you," they said in unison, only blushing slightly.

"I love you, more than life itself," Vincent said nuzzling Cid's neck.

"Well don't make a habit out of it," Cid sighed, wrapping his arms around the man he held so close to his heart. "I'm getting too old for the, 'I'm gonna sacrifice myself to save the world' shit. But I love you too, Vincent, and nothing can stop that."

Vincent hmmed slightly and he felt himself dozing slightly before he would let the exhaustion take over his body he whispered to the blonde, "Cid...I...think you'll have to carry me to a safe place..." Vincent sighed slightly and soon passed out into his love's arms.

A/N: Well there's chapter one down. I hoped that you liked this one; I think that this is one of my favorite stories that I've worked on so far. 3 Well, please Review and tell me what ya though and if enough people out there tell me to continue this story I will. 3