A/n: Well still not completely sure on what's going to happen in this chapter. But I have ideas. So I'll wing it. Heh, Here's alittle something about me. I'm studying philosphy right now...So

Be Careful, You just might learn something.

Chapter Two: The evil of Da Chao

"I think, therefor I am. Words to remember for people like I. Though important of a saying as that is to me, it is flawed. Rocks don't think, but they are still there. I can still touch them. The grass has no mind, no musings to share, yet I still step on it. If thinking is so important then why don't the most important substances think. Air does not think of were it is blown, but we still need it and it is still there."

Vincent casually approached the gates of Wutai. The fog of the rainstorm had almost completely past from the plains. Vincent saw the dark thunderclouds rolling back in from behind the Wutain Pagoda. He walked faster as the distant deep rumbling of thunder reached his sensitive ears. Vincent still hadn't dried off from the last storm and he still had to find a place to stay the night. He held his head high hoping to pass the gate guards without conflict. As was expected, the guards bared his path with their spears.

"What business do you have here?" The tall, slender guard asked him calmly. His beard reached down to his chest and his long hair was a dark shade of grey. His eyes were like dull grey storm clouds swirling around. The other guard was much younger and scrawnier. They in fact looked much alike. Vincent thought that they might be father and son.

"I am a scholar. I have come to look into your archives." Vincent answered calmly as he bowed his head in respect to the old man. The father and his young son looked at each other for a moment before raising their spears back up to their previous position. The old man held his hand out toward the city, beckoning Vincent in. Vincent walked through the sparsely populated streets. Only a few soldiers and merchants were in the streets. Vincent thought it was because it was such a rainy day. He doubted mothers' would let their children go out in the rain. Vincent already knew his way to the archives. His comrades and himself had passed dirty almost abandoned building filled with dust covered books while they were searching for Yuffie. It was at the edge of town close to the mountain of Da Chao.

Vincent knocked on the door and slowly opened it. The door creaked on its aging hinges as it swung open. The room reminded him of the Shinra mansion. The damp smells of dust and mold, and his most favorite stench of rotting wood and old books. Vincent smiled as he entered the dimly light room. Several candles were light in it. He wondered if anyone else was there with him. He slowly made his way down the endless shelves of old books containing countless facts from history.

"Hello!" Vincent jumped slightly as he looked over his shoulder. A fat, round man was there smiling at him. Vincent turned to the shorter man. He had a thick wispy beard and thinning hair that was hidden under a black skull cap. The man had thin squinty eyes and his face was wrinkly and shapeless.

"And who comes to visit this house of knowledge?" The man asked excitedly as he tightened his grip around a wooden walking stick.

"...I am...The great scholar, Vincent Valentine." Vincent said proudly to the old man. The older man began to laugh.

"Oh my! That's a good one. I know you, you're the hero Vincent who helped save the world!" The old man quelled his laughter and ran his index finger over his frizzy mustache. "A scholar now? Interesting. I am a scholar as well. Bruno Hobbes, pleasure to meet another man of knowledge." Hobbes extended his hand out to Vincent. Tensing slightly, Vincent shook his calloused hand.

"Well your welcome to look at these book with me. I also find this place a humble place to sleep as well. Though perhaps a man like you would be more accustomed to the hotel." Hobbes said trying to be humble, though it came out slightly smug.

"I'm no hero. I sleep in trees . . . That is if I sleep at all. This place is too good for me." Vincent replied quietly. He was offended by the old Scholar's smugness. Never in his life had anyone talked that way to him.

The old guardian of the coughed heavily as the rain patted down on him and his son. The sun had set several hours ago and they were the only ones outside. It was their place. They couldn't leave it. It was family tradition. The old man felt his son put his strong hand on his shoulder.

"Father, go home. I promise I can guard the gates by myself." His son said kindly. He wanted his father to trust him with this job. He knew his father was ill and didn't have long, he wanted to know that he could trust him.

"No, I am fine my son..." His father's body stiffened up and he doubled over coughing harshly. His son caught him as he was about to fall to the wet ground.

"Please father..." His son pleaded. The old man finally gave in and hobbled back to their meager house. His son watched to see if his father made it back in their house all right. When he was safely inside the young man diligently surveyed the fields as he stood strong.

"Hey you know what I have to say to that! Screw you old man!" Yuffie yelled at her father. She had been in the top room of the Pagoda for hours arguing with him, but his arrogance would hear nothing of her opinions. Yuffie stood in silence glaring at her father. The heavy patter of rain was the only sound in the room.

"You will do it. You will get that materia from your friends! It is yours you earned it." Godo scolded his disrespectful daughter. The four other guardians leaned patiently against the wall with their heads bowed. This was supposed to be a council meeting, but it just turned into a family feud..

"No, it's theirs! I don't care about you or this dying resort town!" Yuffie shouted at her father angrily. Some of that was true, she didn't really care about her father or the town. Deep down she did care about them. They were all she had, but her feelings were really deep down.

"Disrespect your home, and me! I raised you! This whole town did!" Godo yelled as his flabby face jiggled and turned a dark shade of pink. Yuffie narrowed her eyes and stood up to her father.

"Yeah this town did raise me! They raised me since I was six. They raised me while you stayed in that bed and got fat!" Yuffie yelled at him. Ever since she had come home, this was all it was. Every day her father wanted her to go out and reclaim all that mastered materia, but she always refused. This, of course, leads to more fights.

Godo turned his head and said nothing. This usually meant that the meeting was over so one by one the guardians filed out of the room and returned to their homes outside the Pagoda. Yuffie was the last to leave. She shot a had glance at Godo as she left. Yuffie returned to her home and went down to her materia room. She sat in the middle of the floor surrounded by all the shiny magical rocks.

"Screw him. I'm done doing this. I'll leave the town and come back when he dies to claim my Pagoda spot. Yeah! That's what I'll do!" Yuffie exclaimed as she jumped off the floor with her fist in the air.

The young guard began to cough as lightly as the cold st in with the rain. His vision was blurry with lack of sleep, but he still stared out into the distance at the dark field. The young guard snapped to attention as he saw someone coming closer. The man moved swiftly, yet slowly as if he were gliding towards him. He was wearing a long black cloak with the hood up. The young guard would've found that ominous, except that it was raining and he expected people to be cloaked. The mysterious man continued to glide towards the entrance, but the young guard stepped in front of him.

"What's your business here so late?" The young man questioned. The cloaked man looked down at him. The young guard noticed his broad chin and his lips curled into a snarl.

"All business is no business..." The black cloaked man answered solemnly. The young guard put his spear out signaling that he may not pass. The strange man turned his back and stopped before he turned around and shoved his hand in the young man's abdomen.

"I've come to take my place..." The stranger twisted his hand around and wiggled his finger inside the hot bloody hole he had made. Each of his movements was filled with the slopping sound of blood. The young guard finally hunched over onto the stranger's arm. The cloaked man slid him off onto the wet muddy ground and continued into the city. He glided slowly through the streets and stared up at the Pagoda that was once his. He saw four people coming from within it out onto the streets.

"Four...yes...The master of the Pagoda must stay at the top level." The stranger muttered to himself as they passed him. He slowly moved forward down the darkened streets and entered the bottom floor of the dimly light Pagoda. He moved up floor mut floor staring at his feet until he reached the fourth floor. The mysterious man's footsteps echoed throughout the floor.

"Who? Who's there!" A frightened voice echoed through out the room. The stranger stopped and looked around. The stranger lifted his cloaked and drew his sword almost silently except for a slight 'swaa' sound at the end. Staniv got up, prepared to fight the stranger though he couldn't see him in the dark. He saw the glint of the sword and the outline of the stranger from the light coming from the upper level.

"Godo Help, An Assassin!" Staniv yelled out. The stranger growled and with one quick thrust inserted his sword into Staniv's neck. Staniv cried out in his dying breath. Up above Godo was frightened by the noise and he ran the bell signaling his guards. The bell rang out through the city and lights went on all over it. The stranger remover his sword and noticed men piling out of buildings rushing out towards the Pagoda. The stranger could hear them climbing the stairs. So he ran and Jumped out Staniv's window and disappeared into the darkness below.