Chapter II: The Midgar Enigma.
Cid shook Vincent again and said his name again.
Vincent moaned and slowly opened his eyes.
"Cid?" He groaned while rolling onto his side.
Cid felt a surge of relief flow through him.
"Yeah, it's Cid." He answered.
"Why are you here? Where am I?" He mumbled as he sat up.
NOT a morning person I take it, Cid thought.
"Barret called me from Corel 'n' told me that Shadow had run into town, causing a lot of trouble. Furthermore, some local hunters said that they had heard some inhuman screaming in this area. He figured sumtin' must've happened to ya, so he called everyone about your whereabouts. Tifa told 'im what happened and the whole story fit together. Reds tryin' ta track ya down right now, but you had to ride into the river, didn't you? I was makin' a patrol in the Highwind an' I spotted your camp here." Cid explained while taking out a cigarette.
Revelation dawned on Vincent as his memory returned.
Looking around the camp he saw that, indeed, Shadow had escaped from his reigns. Stupid bird, he thought.
"Where's Shadow?" Vincent said weakly.
"In the Highwind." He said airily while sticking the cigarette in his mouth and lighting it.
He tried to stand up but felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his waist.
Immediately, Vincent sat back down and clutched at his side.
"Don't do that, it'll only make the wound worse." Cid warned, sucking in a puff from the cigarette.
Wound? Vincent showed an expression of pure confusion, which took Cid by complete surprise.
He removed his hand and saw to his shock that warm blood was dripping off it.
"How?" Vincent whispered.
"I thought you would tell me that. Berrets inside the Highwind looking for a stretcher of some sort, but don't get your hopes up. The Highwinds not an ambulance for monster boys, ya know." Cid remarked, blowing out the smoke.
"C, Chaos." He said weakly.
Darkness began clouding his vision. Cid's voice seemed to be drifting far, far away.
As the darkness took over, Vincent whispered to Cid with the last of his strength.
"Don't let them take me…"
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Cid watched curiously as Vincent passed out with a look of abject terror on his face. Cid hadn't even seen Vincent look like that while fighting Sephiroth, while he himself nearly pissed his pants a couple of times. He still had nightmares about the frightening one-winged angel.
"YO! CID!" Barret called out from the Highwind.
Cid spun around to address Barret.
"Eh?" he yelled back.
"Nutin 'ere, haul vampire man into the Highwind 'n' then we're leavin'!"
"What about Red though?" Cid questioned.
"Present." Another voice called out.
"Alright." Cid replied.
Looking down at the fainted Vincent, Cid frowned.
How the HELL was he going to pull this one off by himself?
This was an interesting riddle that certainly demanded a crafty mind (unfortunately that was something that Cid lacked.) and an even craftier solution (also something he lacked).
Cid pondered this for while, when he was struck by a sudden idea.
Unbuckling Vincent's cloak, he tied it around Vincent's waist to staunch the flow of blood.
Then, valiantly trying to pick Vincent up, Cid bent his back under the strain of his friend's body.
"God damn! Where the %¤@* does he hide the #%&^in' nine ton anvil?" He grunted.
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Vincent ran through the Town centre of Kalm, clutching at his waist, all the while leaving a trail of blood.
Strange, he thought. The town looks like it did when THEY came to get me.
An inhuman howl rang through the cold air.
Vincent looked around him franticly.
The tower!
He would be safe there. The strong steel doors promised sanctuary.
He began a limp-run towards the tower.
As he ran closer to the tower, it seemed to move backward.
A clawed hand grabbed his shoulder and threw him to the ground.
It was the Galian Beast!
Vincent cried out in horror as it opened its fanged mouth to finish him off.
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A shrill scream rang through the Highwind. Red XIII raised his head at the sound.
"What's wrong with him?" He asked concerned.
"What the hell makes you think that I would know?" Cid said.
"Well, is anyone gonna check on him?" Red Commented.
Barret grinned at him.
"Since you're so concerned wid 'im, why don't you check on 'im?" He countered.
"I will."
Red got off his belly and began to walk.
"Wait." Cid interrupted.
Red turned his head.
"Yes?"
"Vincent said something about Chaos when he was awake. He also said something about someone or something getting him." Cid recalled. "Be careful, he might lose control of those freaky beasts."
"Thanks for the warning." Red remarked.
He walked right out of the steering room and into the hallway.
Another scream rang through the Highwind.
Red shivered involuntarily.
Cid had put Vincent in the meeting room, where he and Barret put some real bandages on him and tried their level best to clean his wound. They left him on the table because of his severe weight (considering that Barret only had one arm and Red was, well, a dog, there was only Cid to carry him and he had had enough of the cruel and unusual punishment of "helping" Vincent).
Red walked up to the doors and nudged them open.
Vincent lay on the ground convulsing rapidly.
"M, Midgar!" He screamed.
Midgar? The word ran through red's mind briefly. Why would Vincent scream out the name of a city?
Vincent jumped to his feet, something he was supposed to be to weak to do. As he did so, Red noticed that Vincent's body was trying to transform into Chaos but Vincent struggled to regain control of it. Vincent was caught between human and demon. The wings had already sprouted out of his back but Vincent's face was a turmoil of shifting colors. Purple. White. Purple again. Claws also tried growing out of Vincent's hand but shrank after a while.
Vincent fell to his knees and screamed again. This time it was a mixture of Chaos's voice and Vincent's.
"ThEy'Re In MiDgAr!" It screamed demonically.
The wings folded back into Vincent's spine and his face returned to its normal pallor.
He began breathing steadily.
Silence.
"Barret!" Red called.
"Yo!" He replied.
"We might have a problem here."
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Cloud was nearing the shore of Junon when he heard the Highwind's roar coming from behind him.
He looked behind him to see the Highwind tearing through the air, an impressive sight even for someone who was currently running on water.
As it neared Junon it veered off to the north, in the direction of Kalm.
"CRAP!" Cloud swore.
It could only mean one thing.
Vincent had gotten into trouble and Cid had come to bail him out.
But just how he had gotten into trouble was a mystery. Vincent didn't exactly go backpacking after it; he merely seemed to attract it.
Tifa was going chew him up and spit him out if it was the last thing she did.
Leaning forward again he drew his sword and held ready.
Woe betides the monster that came in his way.
"I sure as hell can't make it before them but I can try my best." He mumbled.
As the chocobo ran onto the shore Cloud began making up a story.
Cid would go along with the story without hesitation, he himself being a married man and taking the pains of it.
"Okay, Vincent was feeling ill, or got hurt, depends on what happened to him, and I called up Cid and asked him to bring Vincent up to Kalm with the Highwind. Then I left because it couldn't have been more than a few minutes before Cid came blazing over the horizon and picked Vincent up. Perfect." Cloud didn't feel good about lying. He had never been quite able to tell one without hesitating. (Not to loved ones at least. Saying that you didn't have any spare gil to the local bum didn't count as lying. That was routine.)
He came to an abrupt halt at the foot of the long mountain range that separated the northern region from the southern. A deep snow was on the other side, he remembered. He should be careful when traveling the land around Midgar. There was still the stray dragon in that area.
He leaned forward again and Golden Down shot up the mountain slope.
The sun was beginning to set as Cloud reached the top of mountain. The snow reflected the suns dying light into a dazzling array of colors. Even the black land of Midgar was covered in the pristine white snow. Cloud saw this sight from the top of a mountain peek, and he savored the moment until the night had taken over the sky. Then he pressed on once again, hoping that Tifa might have sympathy for someone with frostbite.
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A pair of pale green eyes watched Cloud from the outskirts of Midgar.
On a signal twelve others emerged from hiding around him, each with the same glowing eyes, each holding a sub machine-gun in their hands.
"Lets move!" He yelled.
They all rushed into the slums of Midgar, where the sounds of screams and gunshot echoed around the city in terrible unison.
Cid shook Vincent again and said his name again.
Vincent moaned and slowly opened his eyes.
"Cid?" He groaned while rolling onto his side.
Cid felt a surge of relief flow through him.
"Yeah, it's Cid." He answered.
"Why are you here? Where am I?" He mumbled as he sat up.
NOT a morning person I take it, Cid thought.
"Barret called me from Corel 'n' told me that Shadow had run into town, causing a lot of trouble. Furthermore, some local hunters said that they had heard some inhuman screaming in this area. He figured sumtin' must've happened to ya, so he called everyone about your whereabouts. Tifa told 'im what happened and the whole story fit together. Reds tryin' ta track ya down right now, but you had to ride into the river, didn't you? I was makin' a patrol in the Highwind an' I spotted your camp here." Cid explained while taking out a cigarette.
Revelation dawned on Vincent as his memory returned.
Looking around the camp he saw that, indeed, Shadow had escaped from his reigns. Stupid bird, he thought.
"Where's Shadow?" Vincent said weakly.
"In the Highwind." He said airily while sticking the cigarette in his mouth and lighting it.
He tried to stand up but felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his waist.
Immediately, Vincent sat back down and clutched at his side.
"Don't do that, it'll only make the wound worse." Cid warned, sucking in a puff from the cigarette.
Wound? Vincent showed an expression of pure confusion, which took Cid by complete surprise.
He removed his hand and saw to his shock that warm blood was dripping off it.
"How?" Vincent whispered.
"I thought you would tell me that. Berrets inside the Highwind looking for a stretcher of some sort, but don't get your hopes up. The Highwinds not an ambulance for monster boys, ya know." Cid remarked, blowing out the smoke.
"C, Chaos." He said weakly.
Darkness began clouding his vision. Cid's voice seemed to be drifting far, far away.
As the darkness took over, Vincent whispered to Cid with the last of his strength.
"Don't let them take me…"
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Cid watched curiously as Vincent passed out with a look of abject terror on his face. Cid hadn't even seen Vincent look like that while fighting Sephiroth, while he himself nearly pissed his pants a couple of times. He still had nightmares about the frightening one-winged angel.
"YO! CID!" Barret called out from the Highwind.
Cid spun around to address Barret.
"Eh?" he yelled back.
"Nutin 'ere, haul vampire man into the Highwind 'n' then we're leavin'!"
"What about Red though?" Cid questioned.
"Present." Another voice called out.
"Alright." Cid replied.
Looking down at the fainted Vincent, Cid frowned.
How the HELL was he going to pull this one off by himself?
This was an interesting riddle that certainly demanded a crafty mind (unfortunately that was something that Cid lacked.) and an even craftier solution (also something he lacked).
Cid pondered this for while, when he was struck by a sudden idea.
Unbuckling Vincent's cloak, he tied it around Vincent's waist to staunch the flow of blood.
Then, valiantly trying to pick Vincent up, Cid bent his back under the strain of his friend's body.
"God damn! Where the %¤@* does he hide the #%&^in' nine ton anvil?" He grunted.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
Vincent ran through the Town centre of Kalm, clutching at his waist, all the while leaving a trail of blood.
Strange, he thought. The town looks like it did when THEY came to get me.
An inhuman howl rang through the cold air.
Vincent looked around him franticly.
The tower!
He would be safe there. The strong steel doors promised sanctuary.
He began a limp-run towards the tower.
As he ran closer to the tower, it seemed to move backward.
A clawed hand grabbed his shoulder and threw him to the ground.
It was the Galian Beast!
Vincent cried out in horror as it opened its fanged mouth to finish him off.
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A shrill scream rang through the Highwind. Red XIII raised his head at the sound.
"What's wrong with him?" He asked concerned.
"What the hell makes you think that I would know?" Cid said.
"Well, is anyone gonna check on him?" Red Commented.
Barret grinned at him.
"Since you're so concerned wid 'im, why don't you check on 'im?" He countered.
"I will."
Red got off his belly and began to walk.
"Wait." Cid interrupted.
Red turned his head.
"Yes?"
"Vincent said something about Chaos when he was awake. He also said something about someone or something getting him." Cid recalled. "Be careful, he might lose control of those freaky beasts."
"Thanks for the warning." Red remarked.
He walked right out of the steering room and into the hallway.
Another scream rang through the Highwind.
Red shivered involuntarily.
Cid had put Vincent in the meeting room, where he and Barret put some real bandages on him and tried their level best to clean his wound. They left him on the table because of his severe weight (considering that Barret only had one arm and Red was, well, a dog, there was only Cid to carry him and he had had enough of the cruel and unusual punishment of "helping" Vincent).
Red walked up to the doors and nudged them open.
Vincent lay on the ground convulsing rapidly.
"M, Midgar!" He screamed.
Midgar? The word ran through red's mind briefly. Why would Vincent scream out the name of a city?
Vincent jumped to his feet, something he was supposed to be to weak to do. As he did so, Red noticed that Vincent's body was trying to transform into Chaos but Vincent struggled to regain control of it. Vincent was caught between human and demon. The wings had already sprouted out of his back but Vincent's face was a turmoil of shifting colors. Purple. White. Purple again. Claws also tried growing out of Vincent's hand but shrank after a while.
Vincent fell to his knees and screamed again. This time it was a mixture of Chaos's voice and Vincent's.
"ThEy'Re In MiDgAr!" It screamed demonically.
The wings folded back into Vincent's spine and his face returned to its normal pallor.
He began breathing steadily.
Silence.
"Barret!" Red called.
"Yo!" He replied.
"We might have a problem here."
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Cloud was nearing the shore of Junon when he heard the Highwind's roar coming from behind him.
He looked behind him to see the Highwind tearing through the air, an impressive sight even for someone who was currently running on water.
As it neared Junon it veered off to the north, in the direction of Kalm.
"CRAP!" Cloud swore.
It could only mean one thing.
Vincent had gotten into trouble and Cid had come to bail him out.
But just how he had gotten into trouble was a mystery. Vincent didn't exactly go backpacking after it; he merely seemed to attract it.
Tifa was going chew him up and spit him out if it was the last thing she did.
Leaning forward again he drew his sword and held ready.
Woe betides the monster that came in his way.
"I sure as hell can't make it before them but I can try my best." He mumbled.
As the chocobo ran onto the shore Cloud began making up a story.
Cid would go along with the story without hesitation, he himself being a married man and taking the pains of it.
"Okay, Vincent was feeling ill, or got hurt, depends on what happened to him, and I called up Cid and asked him to bring Vincent up to Kalm with the Highwind. Then I left because it couldn't have been more than a few minutes before Cid came blazing over the horizon and picked Vincent up. Perfect." Cloud didn't feel good about lying. He had never been quite able to tell one without hesitating. (Not to loved ones at least. Saying that you didn't have any spare gil to the local bum didn't count as lying. That was routine.)
He came to an abrupt halt at the foot of the long mountain range that separated the northern region from the southern. A deep snow was on the other side, he remembered. He should be careful when traveling the land around Midgar. There was still the stray dragon in that area.
He leaned forward again and Golden Down shot up the mountain slope.
The sun was beginning to set as Cloud reached the top of mountain. The snow reflected the suns dying light into a dazzling array of colors. Even the black land of Midgar was covered in the pristine white snow. Cloud saw this sight from the top of a mountain peek, and he savored the moment until the night had taken over the sky. Then he pressed on once again, hoping that Tifa might have sympathy for someone with frostbite.
_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
A pair of pale green eyes watched Cloud from the outskirts of Midgar.
On a signal twelve others emerged from hiding around him, each with the same glowing eyes, each holding a sub machine-gun in their hands.
"Lets move!" He yelled.
They all rushed into the slums of Midgar, where the sounds of screams and gunshot echoed around the city in terrible unison.