Disclaimer: Don't own FF7, ya know.
Chapter 2
After Meteor, I began to realise I had no purpose in my life anymore, just like before, an endless sleep in the depths of that mansion, punishing and torturing myself about what I had let happen to her. I left her to die, only thinking about myself and my pain. Returning to Nibelheim, finding that Lucrecia had gone, and going to get revenge for her. I only realised later that I was only getting revenge for myself, wanting to kill the man who had taken her away from me. I was stupid and naive back then, turned into something not quite human, never aging, and so I just stayed there in my constant nightmare until they found me. I decided to go with them, only as an avenger, avenging her, and he is now dead. I could have just gone back to Nibelheim then, but by then I felt too involved to leave them all, I had to go on. And then it was all finished. I decided to go back to Nibelheim with Cloud and Tifa, they were going to set a bar up to replace one that had been crushed when a slum had been destroyed by Shinra. I didn't really care for drink anyway, so I remained at the mansion, refusing the comfortable house in the main square that they offered me. Besides, the mansion was like my home anyway, I had been there for quite a while, after all.
It was two years later when Tifa and Cloud visited me, with a letter Red XIII had written.
It had been a quiet day, as always, when a knock sounded on the bedroom door. I got up slowly, sighing in annoyance, wondering who it could be. Of course, it would only be them, they were probably the only people who would visit me anyway, I thought, opening the door, and finding that it was indeed them.
" Vincent! We have big news!" Tifa said loudly, giving me the start of a headache.
I inwardly groaned. No, it couldn't be...
" Cloud? You haven't...you know...?"I asked the spiky haired blonde standing in the doorway behind his wife.
Cloud looked surprised, then started laughing.
" No, no, it's nothing like that, no, Vincent. Tifa, you explain...heh heh heh...." Cloud answered, then went back to laughing.
Tifa narrowed her eyes at me reprimandedly and handed me a folded piece of paper.
I sat down on the bed, and looked up at her.
" What's this?"
" It's a letter. From Red XIII." She told me, then looked back at her husband, who was still laughing.
" He can write?" I questioned her disbelievingly.
" Of course he can. Where did you get that idea? Just read it...", Tifa replied, " And Cloud, please, just be quiet for a second!"
Cloud clapped his hand over his mouth to stop himself laughing.
I didn't think it was that funny...unless there was something he wasn't telling me.
Sighing, and suddenly getting a strange picture of Red XIII writing, I opened the letter and began to read.
Dear Cloud, Tifa and Vincent, I hope you are all well, and getting on with your new lives. Things are busy over here at Cosmo Canyon, me being appointed the town's new chief after Bugenhagen unfortunately passed away. At least things are calming down after Meteor. I heard Reeve is rebuilding Midgar, and Barret is attempting to bring Corel back to it's former glory. So many things have changed since we defeated Sephiroth. Everyone is a lot calmer, I think. Anyway, onto the point of my letter. I would like to invite you all to a little get-together, to catch up with each other, and remember those times when we were adventuring around the world. Well, it would be nice if you could all come, please try and invite Vincent if you can, I know he's not the social type, but at least try to make him come along for old time's sake.
Safe journeys, Red XIII
P.S I think Cid will pick you up.
"Yes?" I asked Tifa, Cloud had thankfully calmed down in the meantime.
Tifa looked annoyed.
" Will you come to Cosmo Canyon with us then?" she replied, hope in her eyes.
I thought for a while. Well, I guess I needed a change of scene. These old mansion walls were getting tiresome, and the place smelled of something I couldn't quite put my finger on.
" Alright then, I will." I said, trying to put a slightly cheery tone into my voice. I didn't quite pull it off, but it seemed to work on Tifa.
"Really? That's great! Well, I guess we'll see you then. Unless you want to come back to the bar with us?" Tifa asked, with a persuading tone.
Cloud snorted. I looked at him, and found he had a fist stuffed in his mouth. I turned back to Tifa with a look of ' No, I will not go to the bar with that fool.'
She seemed to get the message, and smacking Cloud over the head, she practically dragged him out of the door, waving a cheery goodbye.
It seemed strange, but I was looking forward to seeing everyone again. It would take the monotony out of life, at least for a while.
I leant back on the soft bed, and almost immediately fell asleep.
A few days later, Cid arrived. Everyone was on the airship except for Red XIII, who was obviously at Cosmo Canyon, and Yuffie, who appeared to be missing. I questioned Cid about it, but all he would say was 'Who's Yuffie?', which was peculiar, because he clearly knew who she was, this was because I remembered him being angry at her for throwing his cigarettes over the side of the airship....Ah....
We arrived at Cosmo Canyon rather rapidly, it was a rocket powered airship, after all. As we all got off the airship, we were greeted by a familiar cheery voice, however, it soon turned to anger, as she saw Cid.
" Cid, you bastard! Why didn't you pick me up? I had to suffer, on my own, on the damn FERRY for two days!" Yuffie raged on, glaring at the airship pilot.
" And who the $%£! are you again?" swore Cid angrily, trying his best to stay calm, but failing miserably.
Yuffie looked incensed. Well, you couldn't fault her for her energy, that was for sure.
" Hey hey! C'mon guys, we can argue later right? We're supposed to be a happy buncha people, y'know?" Cait Sith butted in, bouncing up and down.
I mentally cringed. Nothing....nothing could beat that thing in terms of annoyance.
Yuffie thought for a moment.
" Well, okay....but I'm going to kick your ass later, you bastard!"
Cid threw down his cigarette and stamped on it.
" Yeah, you just try, you little brat! Come on guys, let's hit the bar! Hey, Vincent! You coming?" Cid yelled back to me.
I walked past him slowly towards Cosmo Canyon.
" No, I'll just be fine on my own, thank you." I said in a monotone.
I could sense his confusion behind me.
" Ehhhhh? Ah well, I guess you'll drink with us one day, right?", Cid called to me, " Never could understand that guy....", murmuring to the other men.
It was sometime later that I was just standing there, taking in the sights of the canyon, Tifa and Yuffie's gossip and laughter floating over occaisonally. The sun was just setting, making for beautiful scenery, a red glow taking over the rocks of Cosmo. It was all so peaceful. Maybe a bit too peaceful, I thought to myself.
My worries were realised when I heard Yuffie yelling 'Ice2!' at the top of her lungs. I turned round swiftly to see a large monster attacking the two unarmed girls.
I didn't know at that time that this was the start of everything.
" What's going on, Yuffie?" I asked , running up beside her.
She looked shocked to see me, turning her head round swiftly.
" Vincent? What're you..." she questioned me.
" I heard the commotion and came to see what was happening." I told her, focusing my attention on the beast.
" Well, if you'd like to help kill this thing, feel free! Ice 2!" she yelled at the monster, who was about to come at us again.
I quickly drew my gun and began to shoot at it. However, the thing was so fast, I could barely hit it, and then before we knew it, it was upon us, Yuffie dodging the attack, I being not so lucky, the monster had knocked the gun out of my hand, and knocking me down to the rocky floor.
Squinting at the sunlight, I picked myself up, and could feel my body changing before I even commanded it to. This....this was different. I couldn't control Chaos, as it tore towards the enemy, ripping it to shreds, the blood spilling on my claws and gushing towards the floor. The monster's life was over, but Chaos didn't seem to be like he used to be.
'No!' I desperately thought, as the insane beast hurtled towards Tifa at an astonishing speed. The demon knocked her to the ground and held her down. I knew what was happening now. Chaos was hungry for blood, he wanted more....
Suddenly, a stone struck the back of my head, followed by a dozen more. I could feel Chaos' anger rising, as he let Tifa go and focused on the thrower of the missiles.
'Yuffie... What are you doing? He'll kill you....' I mentally worried, as Chaos began to move towards her.
Her face turned pale, and she took a frightened step back. This, of course, made Chaos even angrier. He leapt forward, knocking her onto the ground underneath him.
" Well, that was sudden. You could've asked me out first!"
I would have raised my eyebrow at this if the situation wasn't so dire.
She looked at me deeply, probably wondering if I was still in there, and I was, I was desperately mentally struggling with Chaos' mind to make him stop.
" Vincent?" She said hesitantly, still searching my eyes for me. Chaos roared violently, and I knew this was my last chance. I focused all my mental strength into getting Chaos out of my mind as he came closer to ripping Yuffie's throat out, her screams echoing in my ear as I finally managed to break free and stop the demon.
My mind suddenly became muddled and I began to realise what had happened. Trying to get up, my body couldn't take anymore, and I fell, back into my normal form and into Yuffie's arms. Everything began to black out around me as I heard her call to me.
" Vincent? Are you okay? Vincent!"
Chapter 2
After Meteor, I began to realise I had no purpose in my life anymore, just like before, an endless sleep in the depths of that mansion, punishing and torturing myself about what I had let happen to her. I left her to die, only thinking about myself and my pain. Returning to Nibelheim, finding that Lucrecia had gone, and going to get revenge for her. I only realised later that I was only getting revenge for myself, wanting to kill the man who had taken her away from me. I was stupid and naive back then, turned into something not quite human, never aging, and so I just stayed there in my constant nightmare until they found me. I decided to go with them, only as an avenger, avenging her, and he is now dead. I could have just gone back to Nibelheim then, but by then I felt too involved to leave them all, I had to go on. And then it was all finished. I decided to go back to Nibelheim with Cloud and Tifa, they were going to set a bar up to replace one that had been crushed when a slum had been destroyed by Shinra. I didn't really care for drink anyway, so I remained at the mansion, refusing the comfortable house in the main square that they offered me. Besides, the mansion was like my home anyway, I had been there for quite a while, after all.
It was two years later when Tifa and Cloud visited me, with a letter Red XIII had written.
It had been a quiet day, as always, when a knock sounded on the bedroom door. I got up slowly, sighing in annoyance, wondering who it could be. Of course, it would only be them, they were probably the only people who would visit me anyway, I thought, opening the door, and finding that it was indeed them.
" Vincent! We have big news!" Tifa said loudly, giving me the start of a headache.
I inwardly groaned. No, it couldn't be...
" Cloud? You haven't...you know...?"I asked the spiky haired blonde standing in the doorway behind his wife.
Cloud looked surprised, then started laughing.
" No, no, it's nothing like that, no, Vincent. Tifa, you explain...heh heh heh...." Cloud answered, then went back to laughing.
Tifa narrowed her eyes at me reprimandedly and handed me a folded piece of paper.
I sat down on the bed, and looked up at her.
" What's this?"
" It's a letter. From Red XIII." She told me, then looked back at her husband, who was still laughing.
" He can write?" I questioned her disbelievingly.
" Of course he can. Where did you get that idea? Just read it...", Tifa replied, " And Cloud, please, just be quiet for a second!"
Cloud clapped his hand over his mouth to stop himself laughing.
I didn't think it was that funny...unless there was something he wasn't telling me.
Sighing, and suddenly getting a strange picture of Red XIII writing, I opened the letter and began to read.
Dear Cloud, Tifa and Vincent, I hope you are all well, and getting on with your new lives. Things are busy over here at Cosmo Canyon, me being appointed the town's new chief after Bugenhagen unfortunately passed away. At least things are calming down after Meteor. I heard Reeve is rebuilding Midgar, and Barret is attempting to bring Corel back to it's former glory. So many things have changed since we defeated Sephiroth. Everyone is a lot calmer, I think. Anyway, onto the point of my letter. I would like to invite you all to a little get-together, to catch up with each other, and remember those times when we were adventuring around the world. Well, it would be nice if you could all come, please try and invite Vincent if you can, I know he's not the social type, but at least try to make him come along for old time's sake.
Safe journeys, Red XIII
P.S I think Cid will pick you up.
"Yes?" I asked Tifa, Cloud had thankfully calmed down in the meantime.
Tifa looked annoyed.
" Will you come to Cosmo Canyon with us then?" she replied, hope in her eyes.
I thought for a while. Well, I guess I needed a change of scene. These old mansion walls were getting tiresome, and the place smelled of something I couldn't quite put my finger on.
" Alright then, I will." I said, trying to put a slightly cheery tone into my voice. I didn't quite pull it off, but it seemed to work on Tifa.
"Really? That's great! Well, I guess we'll see you then. Unless you want to come back to the bar with us?" Tifa asked, with a persuading tone.
Cloud snorted. I looked at him, and found he had a fist stuffed in his mouth. I turned back to Tifa with a look of ' No, I will not go to the bar with that fool.'
She seemed to get the message, and smacking Cloud over the head, she practically dragged him out of the door, waving a cheery goodbye.
It seemed strange, but I was looking forward to seeing everyone again. It would take the monotony out of life, at least for a while.
I leant back on the soft bed, and almost immediately fell asleep.
A few days later, Cid arrived. Everyone was on the airship except for Red XIII, who was obviously at Cosmo Canyon, and Yuffie, who appeared to be missing. I questioned Cid about it, but all he would say was 'Who's Yuffie?', which was peculiar, because he clearly knew who she was, this was because I remembered him being angry at her for throwing his cigarettes over the side of the airship....Ah....
We arrived at Cosmo Canyon rather rapidly, it was a rocket powered airship, after all. As we all got off the airship, we were greeted by a familiar cheery voice, however, it soon turned to anger, as she saw Cid.
" Cid, you bastard! Why didn't you pick me up? I had to suffer, on my own, on the damn FERRY for two days!" Yuffie raged on, glaring at the airship pilot.
" And who the $%£! are you again?" swore Cid angrily, trying his best to stay calm, but failing miserably.
Yuffie looked incensed. Well, you couldn't fault her for her energy, that was for sure.
" Hey hey! C'mon guys, we can argue later right? We're supposed to be a happy buncha people, y'know?" Cait Sith butted in, bouncing up and down.
I mentally cringed. Nothing....nothing could beat that thing in terms of annoyance.
Yuffie thought for a moment.
" Well, okay....but I'm going to kick your ass later, you bastard!"
Cid threw down his cigarette and stamped on it.
" Yeah, you just try, you little brat! Come on guys, let's hit the bar! Hey, Vincent! You coming?" Cid yelled back to me.
I walked past him slowly towards Cosmo Canyon.
" No, I'll just be fine on my own, thank you." I said in a monotone.
I could sense his confusion behind me.
" Ehhhhh? Ah well, I guess you'll drink with us one day, right?", Cid called to me, " Never could understand that guy....", murmuring to the other men.
It was sometime later that I was just standing there, taking in the sights of the canyon, Tifa and Yuffie's gossip and laughter floating over occaisonally. The sun was just setting, making for beautiful scenery, a red glow taking over the rocks of Cosmo. It was all so peaceful. Maybe a bit too peaceful, I thought to myself.
My worries were realised when I heard Yuffie yelling 'Ice2!' at the top of her lungs. I turned round swiftly to see a large monster attacking the two unarmed girls.
I didn't know at that time that this was the start of everything.
" What's going on, Yuffie?" I asked , running up beside her.
She looked shocked to see me, turning her head round swiftly.
" Vincent? What're you..." she questioned me.
" I heard the commotion and came to see what was happening." I told her, focusing my attention on the beast.
" Well, if you'd like to help kill this thing, feel free! Ice 2!" she yelled at the monster, who was about to come at us again.
I quickly drew my gun and began to shoot at it. However, the thing was so fast, I could barely hit it, and then before we knew it, it was upon us, Yuffie dodging the attack, I being not so lucky, the monster had knocked the gun out of my hand, and knocking me down to the rocky floor.
Squinting at the sunlight, I picked myself up, and could feel my body changing before I even commanded it to. This....this was different. I couldn't control Chaos, as it tore towards the enemy, ripping it to shreds, the blood spilling on my claws and gushing towards the floor. The monster's life was over, but Chaos didn't seem to be like he used to be.
'No!' I desperately thought, as the insane beast hurtled towards Tifa at an astonishing speed. The demon knocked her to the ground and held her down. I knew what was happening now. Chaos was hungry for blood, he wanted more....
Suddenly, a stone struck the back of my head, followed by a dozen more. I could feel Chaos' anger rising, as he let Tifa go and focused on the thrower of the missiles.
'Yuffie... What are you doing? He'll kill you....' I mentally worried, as Chaos began to move towards her.
Her face turned pale, and she took a frightened step back. This, of course, made Chaos even angrier. He leapt forward, knocking her onto the ground underneath him.
" Well, that was sudden. You could've asked me out first!"
I would have raised my eyebrow at this if the situation wasn't so dire.
She looked at me deeply, probably wondering if I was still in there, and I was, I was desperately mentally struggling with Chaos' mind to make him stop.
" Vincent?" She said hesitantly, still searching my eyes for me. Chaos roared violently, and I knew this was my last chance. I focused all my mental strength into getting Chaos out of my mind as he came closer to ripping Yuffie's throat out, her screams echoing in my ear as I finally managed to break free and stop the demon.
My mind suddenly became muddled and I began to realise what had happened. Trying to get up, my body couldn't take anymore, and I fell, back into my normal form and into Yuffie's arms. Everything began to black out around me as I heard her call to me.
" Vincent? Are you okay? Vincent!"