It was three in the morning, a small fire burned behind a few trees, in a small dry area. Four figures sat around it, the one in red had his head bowed, his black eyes sealed from the accusitory glares of his companions.
"What the hell happened? Couldn't keep your eyes on the fucking ocean? It's not like a fucking road, for Christ's sakes!" Reno started it off.
"I couldn't help it, ever since I woke up...I shouldn't have been driving, I'm so tired..." His voice was taking on a dreamy quality to it, his whole body seemed very weak.
"Vincent, are you alright?" Concern crept into Elena's voice, she stood up and tried to look at his eyes, but that damned red thing in front of his mouth made it near impossible.
"Get away!" He bolted straight up, his eyes were seen only for an instant, and they glew bright red, as if a fire was stoked inside of them. "Get away from me!"
They all backed away from him, they all knew what the fire meant. Reno brought out his night stick and switched on the electro-pulse.
Vincent turned and ran from them, his insides burning. His whole body felt like it was being torn to shreds. His cape caught a branch, he tugged on it, and it came free leaving behind a small piece of red. The night surrounded him, sounds of animals all around him were heard all of them coming out to see what the commotion was. An inhuman roar tore through his frail body, tears fell from his eyes, he would never get used to the near infinite pain of his transformations. The voice of the Gallant Beast hit his mind full force, "Let go! Let go! Let go!" His arm felt like it was being torn in half as it turned into the Beast's. His whole body was being torn apart now, blue fur replacing his skin. Another roar escaped his lips, and Vincent Valentine disapeared.
"C'mon, we have to go get him, we can't leave him out there all by himself, he'll get killed!" Elena's voice was full of concern, and she started to walk forward, a small pistol in her had.
"Yeah, and if we find him, WE might get killed." Reno recollected a fight with Avalanche where Vincent turned into the Chaos demon, and KO'd his friends and then the Turks. He shuddered at the thought. After all, there wasn't anything that would be able to save them from it this time.
"You spineless little..." Elena ran into the forest, Rude shrugged and ran after her. Reno sat down on a fell log, and produced his little flask, and drank from his scotch, warmed up by the liquid fire coursing through him.
Elena sighed heavily, her legs pumping as she and Rude ran down the path, following the bits of red left behind by his shroud. Rude dug his hands into his pockets and brought out his diamond studded brass knuckles as they found the blue fur hanging from a branch.
"It's the Gallant Beast." Rude nodded and followed Elena as they crept along the path, and Rude came to recognize the forest.
"It's the Ancients..." Rude muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." And Rude fell over as a huge blue creature attacked him from behind.
"Get off of him!" Elena shot at the Beast's head, and the bullet blured right by it, the Beast looked up and lunged at Elena, but Rude caught hold of it's ankle, it crashed to the ground heavily. Elena held her gun at it's shoulder, and pulled the trigger, the thing fell asleep promptly.
"Knock out rounds...he'll be asleep for several hours." The thing turned back into Vincent very slowly, the fur revealing his red clothes; no wonder they're always such a mess. "Where are we anyway?" The moon was completely full, and it's silver light illuminated everything around.
"The forest surrounding the temple of the Ancients. That's where." Reno walked up to his compatriots, his night stick glowing from the electricity running through it. He shut off the electricity when he saw Vincent on the ground, it went off with a slight crackle, he put it back inside of his coat, and started to walk further into the forest.
"Hey Reno, the camp is back the other way!" Elena yelled after him, but when he didn't stop, turned to Rude, "Pick up Mr. Valentine, and follow us."
Rude effortlessly picked Vincent up, put him over his shoulder and followed after Elena and Reno.
They arrived at the huge hole where the temple was at dawn the next day. It was about thirty feet deep. Reno shrugged, and started to climb down, his calloused hands gripping onto firm rocks, and crawled down. Elena, not to be out-matched started to climb down after him, Reno just sneered, "Elena, leave me to my business, it's bad enough that you have to follow me." She went back up to the summit.
"You know what Rude, I'm getting pretty sick and tired of his attitude, aren't you? Rude?" She turned around and saw he was on the ground, his head on a tree trunk that was covered in soft moss, sound asleep. She took her gun out of it's holster, took it apart, and started to clean it carefully.
Reno hit the bottom, and started to walk around, looking for the object he had all but forgotten about. He had no clue where the front of the temple had been, and didn't care. The whole of the bottom was rather large, he would be down here for awhile, he guessed. His old leather loafers trod the ground carefully, and he saw blood every once in awhile, probably from when Cloud had freaked out at all of his friends.
So, this is where Sephiroth took Aeris. He mused to himself.
When he found Tseng's old blade, the sun was at nine o clock. He took the badly notched and rusted blade into his suit jacket, and started to climb back up.
"So, what was it that you had to make us all wait here for so long to get? Not to mention the long walk through the woods, and all." Elena stood before Reno, her hands on her hips.
"Shut up Elena. 'Sides, I don't think he minded very much." He gestured over to Vincent, who was still asleep. "How much longer?"
"A few hours."
"Let's both of us rest while we wait for him to awaken." Reno laid down on a largish clump of grass, and fell asleep the second he hit the ground. Elena found herself a similar lump of grass, and drowsed.
Back at the beach, Vincent busied himself repairing the boat. He really was amazing when it came to stuff like that. His hands were a frenzy of hammers, nails, and a small blow-torch included with the emergency repair kit. The Shinra had remembered everything. He hadn't talked ever since he woke up, just waited for everyone else to rouse from their deep slumber, and then started to walk back to the beach, all of them behind them, Elena complaining the whole while.
When he was done, the sun had set behind the rolling waves. "Is the boat finished?" Reno walked over and examined Vincent's handiwork. He nodded in genuine appreciation of Valentine's skill. "Are we leaving now?"
"Yes." Vincent got into the boat, and started the motor up, the other two turks jumped into it, and they sped off towards Junon.
"What the hell happened? Couldn't keep your eyes on the fucking ocean? It's not like a fucking road, for Christ's sakes!" Reno started it off.
"I couldn't help it, ever since I woke up...I shouldn't have been driving, I'm so tired..." His voice was taking on a dreamy quality to it, his whole body seemed very weak.
"Vincent, are you alright?" Concern crept into Elena's voice, she stood up and tried to look at his eyes, but that damned red thing in front of his mouth made it near impossible.
"Get away!" He bolted straight up, his eyes were seen only for an instant, and they glew bright red, as if a fire was stoked inside of them. "Get away from me!"
They all backed away from him, they all knew what the fire meant. Reno brought out his night stick and switched on the electro-pulse.
Vincent turned and ran from them, his insides burning. His whole body felt like it was being torn to shreds. His cape caught a branch, he tugged on it, and it came free leaving behind a small piece of red. The night surrounded him, sounds of animals all around him were heard all of them coming out to see what the commotion was. An inhuman roar tore through his frail body, tears fell from his eyes, he would never get used to the near infinite pain of his transformations. The voice of the Gallant Beast hit his mind full force, "Let go! Let go! Let go!" His arm felt like it was being torn in half as it turned into the Beast's. His whole body was being torn apart now, blue fur replacing his skin. Another roar escaped his lips, and Vincent Valentine disapeared.
"C'mon, we have to go get him, we can't leave him out there all by himself, he'll get killed!" Elena's voice was full of concern, and she started to walk forward, a small pistol in her had.
"Yeah, and if we find him, WE might get killed." Reno recollected a fight with Avalanche where Vincent turned into the Chaos demon, and KO'd his friends and then the Turks. He shuddered at the thought. After all, there wasn't anything that would be able to save them from it this time.
"You spineless little..." Elena ran into the forest, Rude shrugged and ran after her. Reno sat down on a fell log, and produced his little flask, and drank from his scotch, warmed up by the liquid fire coursing through him.
Elena sighed heavily, her legs pumping as she and Rude ran down the path, following the bits of red left behind by his shroud. Rude dug his hands into his pockets and brought out his diamond studded brass knuckles as they found the blue fur hanging from a branch.
"It's the Gallant Beast." Rude nodded and followed Elena as they crept along the path, and Rude came to recognize the forest.
"It's the Ancients..." Rude muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing." And Rude fell over as a huge blue creature attacked him from behind.
"Get off of him!" Elena shot at the Beast's head, and the bullet blured right by it, the Beast looked up and lunged at Elena, but Rude caught hold of it's ankle, it crashed to the ground heavily. Elena held her gun at it's shoulder, and pulled the trigger, the thing fell asleep promptly.
"Knock out rounds...he'll be asleep for several hours." The thing turned back into Vincent very slowly, the fur revealing his red clothes; no wonder they're always such a mess. "Where are we anyway?" The moon was completely full, and it's silver light illuminated everything around.
"The forest surrounding the temple of the Ancients. That's where." Reno walked up to his compatriots, his night stick glowing from the electricity running through it. He shut off the electricity when he saw Vincent on the ground, it went off with a slight crackle, he put it back inside of his coat, and started to walk further into the forest.
"Hey Reno, the camp is back the other way!" Elena yelled after him, but when he didn't stop, turned to Rude, "Pick up Mr. Valentine, and follow us."
Rude effortlessly picked Vincent up, put him over his shoulder and followed after Elena and Reno.
They arrived at the huge hole where the temple was at dawn the next day. It was about thirty feet deep. Reno shrugged, and started to climb down, his calloused hands gripping onto firm rocks, and crawled down. Elena, not to be out-matched started to climb down after him, Reno just sneered, "Elena, leave me to my business, it's bad enough that you have to follow me." She went back up to the summit.
"You know what Rude, I'm getting pretty sick and tired of his attitude, aren't you? Rude?" She turned around and saw he was on the ground, his head on a tree trunk that was covered in soft moss, sound asleep. She took her gun out of it's holster, took it apart, and started to clean it carefully.
Reno hit the bottom, and started to walk around, looking for the object he had all but forgotten about. He had no clue where the front of the temple had been, and didn't care. The whole of the bottom was rather large, he would be down here for awhile, he guessed. His old leather loafers trod the ground carefully, and he saw blood every once in awhile, probably from when Cloud had freaked out at all of his friends.
So, this is where Sephiroth took Aeris. He mused to himself.
When he found Tseng's old blade, the sun was at nine o clock. He took the badly notched and rusted blade into his suit jacket, and started to climb back up.
"So, what was it that you had to make us all wait here for so long to get? Not to mention the long walk through the woods, and all." Elena stood before Reno, her hands on her hips.
"Shut up Elena. 'Sides, I don't think he minded very much." He gestured over to Vincent, who was still asleep. "How much longer?"
"A few hours."
"Let's both of us rest while we wait for him to awaken." Reno laid down on a largish clump of grass, and fell asleep the second he hit the ground. Elena found herself a similar lump of grass, and drowsed.
Back at the beach, Vincent busied himself repairing the boat. He really was amazing when it came to stuff like that. His hands were a frenzy of hammers, nails, and a small blow-torch included with the emergency repair kit. The Shinra had remembered everything. He hadn't talked ever since he woke up, just waited for everyone else to rouse from their deep slumber, and then started to walk back to the beach, all of them behind them, Elena complaining the whole while.
When he was done, the sun had set behind the rolling waves. "Is the boat finished?" Reno walked over and examined Vincent's handiwork. He nodded in genuine appreciation of Valentine's skill. "Are we leaving now?"
"Yes." Vincent got into the boat, and started the motor up, the other two turks jumped into it, and they sped off towards Junon.
