Author's Note: This is my first fanfic so I hope it goes well... Anyway, I love this pair with a passion! You don't see enough of Rosso, let alone this pairing. You just gotta love Rosso's creepy sadism, and she's just so damn hot (in love with a video game character... man i need a life...)! Feel free to leave any comments, or reviews whatsoever (hopefully nice ones), and i hope you enjoy!

Or else...

Synopsis:

This is a story of a warrior, with a heart that can see the humanity in even the most savage of beasts. Rosso the Crimson, a former soldier of the fearsome Tsviets, an elite fighting force of the Deepground army is defeated in battle and in a frenzy of shame and anger falls to her own death to keep what little honor she had left. She was a woman who craved battle, and reveled in the blood of her victims, a "sadistic monster" as she had been labeled by her enemies. The battle for Gaia has ended; the threat of Deepground stomped out, the WRO (World Regenesis Organization) victorious… however Cloud, himself a former soldier, is not willing to let the life of this former monster slip from his hands. In a moment of desperation and unbridled love he takes the woman into his care, determined to nurse her to her former health and save her from her demons. But, the world is against her; she cannot be forgiven in the eyes of the people, and as a result Cloud must brave the fight against the world for the woman he comes to love. Question is: will she return that love? Will she learn to let go of her tragic past, and move on? Will she allow him to guide her on the road to recovery and release, or will she, as a result of years of a warped mindset take his life in her own twisted road to redemption? Even should they fall in love, wouldn't their star-crossed love be only fated to destroy the each of them anyway? Or would love prove to conquer all, and leave them the lives each had only dreamed of having?

Chapter One: The Crimson

POV: The Crimson

THERE among the heavens the crimson sat, perched upon her cathedra of twisted metal. Glowing vermillion eyes stared off into the distance, indolently surveying the coming inordinate mass of ironclad beasts. If only they knew of the kind of beast that waited the deplorable lot of them; she thought to herself. She languidly sat, her leg crossed over the other, watching the approaching cloud of dust rolling across the wasteland and the specks across the sky. They could send their airships and their troops- it was tantamount to nothing compared to the kind of strength that she held; to the kind of carnage she could bring- the bloodshed she reveled in.

However, as atypical as it may be, considering her usual bloodlust, she would not be participating in that initial clash between Deepground and the WRO; not until a certain individual had chosen to turn up, and she knew he would. She knew he would come; she could sense it; she could always smell a challenge. This was a battle that would determine the fate of Gaia, there was no possible way that the warrior would miss such an epic occurrence. Upon doing her own bit of research into the enigmatic gunslinger, Vincent Valentine, she had stumbled upon him; the blond warrior, a faint glow of mako infusion in those sky blue eyes. He had close ties to Vincent and the director of the WRO, Reeve Tuesti, and after a more thorough search of his files, she found that he, as the leader of a group named AVALANCHE, had defeated the man named Sephiroth. She had never known the terror's frightening power, nor had she even met him face to face. During her rigorous training and the horrifying tests she underwent in Deepground, she had, however heard of "the pride of Shin-Ra's SOLDIER program". The scientists had always talked about how they had to surpass Hojo's paramount creation. She was born as a result of that endeavor. She knew that to defeat such a frightening force was no small feat. Somehow though, this man was able to meet the feat a second time, about a year ago, and this time without the help of his comrades. That meant only one thing: not only is he a powerful warrior, but he just seems to get stronger. Hmm... just imagine how much he's grown since then... The scarlet haired woman thought to herself. I can't wait for the moment when I see his blood splatter across the ground and cake my blade in its crimson liquescence. If he turns out to be as strong as the reports say, I'll try and give him as honorable a death as I can.

The shrill cry of gunfire, and the deafening sound of explosions snapped her out of her trance. She lazily looked on to see that the front-lines of the WRO's airships had engaged with Deepground's ground troops. I wonder if he'll actually show…? I'm starting to get bored… Without warning, a far off hover-car that doubled as a crude mobile missile-turret of the WRO's began with a barrage of missiles toward some of their mechs. Normally such a thing wouldn't even faze her, but some underlying desire told her to look closer. It was then that she saw it: the flash of yellow atop his mighty black iron steed, weaving through the burst of vermilion cauliflowers like a needle through cloth. Ever flowing with his effortless ease, it was poetry in motion to watch the warrior sail through the battle field. He didn't even seem bothered by the explosions and bullets flying all round him. As he neared beneath where the crimson perched, in spite of herself, a small chuckle rose to her throat. So he actually bothered showing after all…

Pushing herself off the seat of metal she descended head–first, the wind pushing itself against her visage. The blond warrior looked up to see a flowing form descending from the heavens, headed toward him, in a reprisal of bloodlust. From her back she grabbed her double sided blade, whose crested hilt doubled as a firearm, and extending its winged blades descended to the man, a manic grin upon her face. Letting gravity do most of the work, a burst of energy enveloped and became one with crimson, until she became just a blur of twirling light dancing to the ground below. Colliding with the ground, she rode the blast back into the air. The warrior had done the same, as she looked ahead, ready to strike again. The two warriors eyes locked onto one anothers for a moment as they sailed skyward. The man's face shone with a resilient confidence, a handsome face even the crimson had to admit. Too bad I'll have to ruin his pretty little face. Reading each others' movements perfectly, as if they had rehearsed this moment a hundred times over, the man brought the blade behind him, while the crimson twirled around in a moment of pure enjoyment before they brought their blades into connection with each other. A cocoon of raw energy burst forth from the impact of their raw strength, and the two were thrown apart by the intense blast. While whizzing through the air, the crimson regained her poise, and gracefully, back-flipped the rest of the way to the ground. She brought her forward to her prey, who had also landed with graceful ease. Even with that blade as long as he was tall, even with his brutish fighting style, he still retained a sort of grace about him, as if that blade didn't way an ounce. This will certainly be enthralling… Come attack me darling! No holding back now!

As if to answer her call, he dashed forward, and she not a millisecond later. Their blades met at the middle of the distance between them, a shrill cry of scraping metal ringing out. The two exchanged blows for a moment, the man always wary of the advantage his opponent held with a double sided blade. She struck forward with potent vigor, her blade coming down in an arc to her left, its edge seeking flesh. Expecting the parry he threw forward, she spun leftward, and brought abound the blade by her right hand only to be blocked once more. She brought the left blade, pointing toward the ground, forward to swipe at his legs, using his blade as a lever. He back-stepped out of the way of its path, and quickly crossed the distance again, bringing his blade to meet hers once more. They stood with their blades interlocked for what felt like an eternity, one always trying to push back the other in a sort of game. The prize for her: blood.

A smirk crept back up her curvaceous lips, as they parted, "So, Cloud Strife… is this the best that you can do darling?" she asked condescendingly in her harsh Romanian accent. A chuckle rose from her throat as she saw him flinch slightly at the sound of his name. "I was expecting more from you."

With a surge of strength, the blond drove forth his blade, sending her flying. He barely had enough time to turn around and parry the woman's strike as she flashed behind him.

"That's more like it!" exhilaration flowing through her veins. Cloud was barely able to dodge a flurry of slashes the crimson bane sent his way. Adrenaline pumped its way through her veins with each swipe of her blade; she couldn't wait until she was able to cut her way through his flesh, and smell that sweet scent of iron she loved so much. With a swift kick to his abdomen, Cloud was sent flying into a concrete slab, but quickly gathered himself expecting another dose of strikes from the woman garbed in red. Instead he saw her standing quite still, speaking to a raven-haired man, her countenance clearly one of disappointment. Anticlimactic…

"What is so important that you need to interrupt me in my moment of turpitude Nero?" she asked, clearly upset.

"Weiss needs you inside the Shin-Ra building. Some WRO pests are trying to find a way into Weiss's lair." the man said coolly, undisturbed by the crimson's anger.

"Hail Weiss…" the woman said almost nonchalantly. Then just as suddenly as he came, the man called Nero was gone with a flash of darkness.

She turned to the blond warrior and her face twisted back to that sinister grin of pure callousness. "Another time then, darling?" she toyed. Then with a flash she was gone as well, leaving Cloud to stare after her in sheer puzzlement.

Here she stood in the very building that she had been born underneath. It was just a hollow, twisted, empty vestige of its former glory; the Shin-Ra building. Hmm… the way it looks now, fits it. Those Shin-Ra bastards, they got what they deserved. She let out a breathy sigh as she thought inwardly. Had only they died... My only regret is that I could not have been here to kill them off. To treat them no better than a common mutt, just as they did me.

With a sudden hiss, the door on the wall to her left opened. She need not turn, for she already figured who it was. So she stood tranquil, reveling in the blood about her- the bodies of many a WRO strewn across the floor, lifeless. She need only face the fool in battle once more…

Somehow the man had survived her thrusting a hand through his chest, and now stood before her several yards away. "Ahh… Still alive, I see." the amusement broke through her voice. "And you call yourself human?" Truly, another would have certainly perished from a wound such as the one he had sustained. As strong as he was, though, she found her mind wandering to a certain other fighter…

"More human than you." the red garbed gunslinger stated, untroubled by her implied assertion.

"Huh?" if anything anyone said amused her before- this surely beat it. "More human than I?" She couldn't contain herself any longer, her composure giving way to near giddy laughter. Hah! The fool! Her head was thrown back, and her body shook along with the mirth feeling. "Tell me something I don't already know, darling! I'm a Tsviet!" She bluntly declared, as is that was enough to justify her insanity; and to her, it was.

"I traded away my human weaknesses for power long ago. It is the path I've chosen. And the path I'll tread. Until I've suck all life from this pitiful world!" it was how she truly felt. True she hated Shin-Ra for what they did, but she did not exactly regret having been given such immense power. "And I'm not going to let you get in the way." In the way of the one I truly wish to do battle with. "You've lived long enough, Vincent Valentine." She was tired of having to face this unworthy man in battle. She irately said, as she extended the blades of her weapon; "And I'll make sure you don't come back this time, by slicing you into pieces!" the thought of cleaving him apart sent a ripple of shivers up her spine. Ooh! I like that idea!

So she set forth, blade swinging, sometimes firing from afar. She wanted this juvenile battle to end quickly, and seek out the blond warrior for what he's worth. It was his blood that she wanted on her body; to shower in its crimson glory.

She kicked the man away, instilling a pause in the action for a moment. "Do you know why they call me 'The Crimson,' darling?" She twirled the blade over her head, handing it over to her dominant hand. "Let me show you!" The two locked themselves into battle, even more heated than before. She had allowed her powers to spill forth into a form of strength she called her 'Bloodburst' form, to end it quickly. After a while, however, it began to dawn on her that her blows were not having their desired effect, and she was dodging a little more than she thought needed. What's going on? Why is he not dead!

Next thing she knew, she was lying on the ground in front of the gunslinger. Impossible… "Someone stronger…" she gagged. "than… than…" She couldn't finish the sentence, she couldn't find it in herself to admit to it. She had her dignity to think about, so she stood as best she could. "Absurd…" how could she have lost? "Absurd!" he just stood there perfectly cool and collected with that glib look upon his face. She desperately wanted to cut it off, but she admitted to herself that she would not be able to beat him. Her eyes took on a thoughtful look, she found herself wondering what he would think of her, seeing her like this… she dismissed the thought, lowering her head. "Our time here together is done." she stated bringing her eyes to his. They weren't the same as those deep sky blue eyes… "But the mighty Azul awaits." she turned slowly.

With her last bit of dignity she ran forward onto the pinnacle she would stand upon for her last… "I shall not grant you the pleasure of killing Rosso the Crimson." If anyone were to kill me, I would've wanted to die by his hand… She brought her arm up, her hand glowing with the brilliance of the last reserves of her strength. "No one will ever stand above me!" pouring her entire being into the energy enveloping her had. "No one!" she brought her hand down in front of her, slicing the concrete slab high above the ground. Should she fall, she would most certainly die. Better to die like this… "No one!" the second and third slices followed. "No one!" with that final slash, the concrete rumbled, and groaned as it slowly broke apart from the side of the building. She descended to the void below, laughing her maniacal, yet strangely sensual, laugh all the way; the moon's radiance illuminating her shapely form. I'll burn this laugh into the back of his skull! I'll haunt his dreams until he meets his end- no forever, even when we meet in hell will I torment him!

So she plunged to her end…her and her idea of honor…

And her last thought:

If only I could see that bright blue sky once more…