-Just wanted to say thanks for all the reviews I've gotten so far, I've gone from only three to suddenly eight and the feedback is appreciated, glad you're enjoying it.

-On the heels of that…if the whole time travel alternate dimensions thing confuses you in any way shape or form…well…it might get worse, so if you do need anything clarified as the time travel gets repeatedly used put it in your review and I'll make sure to either explain in my reply or clarify within the story. Enjoy.

Chapter 9

Vincent's Paradox

The water-bound Shadow shot up through the air with a jet of water and arced, ending with a headfirst dive straight into dry land. The ground shuddered and cracked a bit as the creature smashed down heavily. On its tail shot a winged creature that immediately rammed into the downed Shadow. The impact drove the Shadow harder into the ground and then almost immediately the winged creature picked up the Shadow and tossed it back in the water.

Chaos floated above the water, wings going up and down casually, then, after a moment of what appeared to be time to think, it shot with a large splash into the water again. Chaos flew through the water as if it were the same density as air and blasted yet again into the Shadow creature. Chaos tore away at the Shadow with its claws and simply smashed and attacked with every viable part of its body. The sheer ferocity of the attack by Chaos didn't allow the Shadow even the slightest chance of fighting back.

By now the Shadow was knocked so senseless fighting back wasn't an option at all, as Chaos hit the creature the entire area around it exploded and sent up a huge jet of water. The white-hot explosion completely incinerated the Shadow leaving nothing left but sizzling water to prove its existence.

Chaos shot out of the sizzling liquid and then quickly shot back in, surfacing with an object in its claws: a large revolver. It dropped the gun and landed with a sense of calm and finality that seemed very strange on such a creature.

Then the wings disappeared and the monster began to change, shrink a little, and within moments Chaos had given way to Vincent Valentine once more.

The battered and torn Vincent lay on his back, red eyes closed and his body unmoving. He lay like that for an amount of time that was unknown to him. Vincent was injured and tired from the brutal attacks he had received from the Shadow which had then brought on Chaos.

Finally, Vincent opened his eyes and looked around from his laying down position. He noticed everyone had left, he figured the Highwind was probably gone, too. They thought he was dead…no surprise, he'd thought he was dead too. Vincent had wondered if he could in fact die. As far as aging Vincent was immortal, but Vincent had never actually been killed by an enemy and he wondered if it was possible for him to die. He wondered if maybe he had been dead and it had been Chaos that brought him back to life but he couldn't be sure.

Vincent looked then at himself. He was soaked, which made sense as he had been under water for quite a while, and his clothing was a bit more ripped than it had been before. On second inspection his clothing didn't look all that much worse. If one ignored the cuts created by the Shadow it might have been thought the clothing had been designed in such a way.

After a few more seconds Vincent attempted to stand up. He rolled to his left and tried to push himself up but his arms gave out. He did manage to get himself to a sitting position, but he knew walking would be a task. Vincent reached into his crimson cloak and pulled out a potion. He only carried one, just in case, it was a low class potion but it did its job well enough. Had he carried a Hi-Potion or X-Potion he would have been healed much better but the standard potion allowed him at least the ability to get to his feet.

Vincent walked with a bit of a limp but otherwise he was in a much better state. He still looked ragged, and was dripping profusely with water.

He grabbed his revolver, which he knew would still work perfectly even though it had gotten wet. Though most firearms were known to malfunction when submerged in water, Vincent knew his gun was made especially to prevent this. His weapon was so heavily modified and so well constructed that such things didn't affect it.

Vincent began his trek outside and immediately saw what he expected, the Highwind was gone. Vincent traversed the landscape until he found himself a few feet away from the water. He couldn't remember exactly how long it had taken him to get this far but he knew he was probably in for some swimming if he wanted to get back to the location of the black building. It didn't matter…he was already pretty wet anyways.

"Hey there, looking for a ride?" yelled a voice, Vincent turned left to see a medium sized boat floating in toward shore. The owner of the voice was a man he had never seen before; he had long blonde hair and wore a white lab coat.

Vincent waved to him slightly and the man pulled the boat up to shore, Vincent climbed aboard.

"Welcome, where you headed to?" asked the man.

"What's left of Midgar or anywhere near there," Vincent replied.

"What's left," the man laughed, "Shinra hasn't run it down that much, but I know what you mean."

Vincent looked at the man strangely but his facial expression was hidden…Shinra. The man talked of Midgar as if it wasn't in ruins.

"I'm a scientist doing some research out here on the Ancients," the man explained as the vessel headed back out into the water. "I was going to the City of the Ancients, but I figured I'd come back with an air-based vehicle for convenience."

"That might be a good idea," Vincent replied.

The scientist stuck out his hand, "I'm Professor Gast, and you are?"

Vincent again had his facial expression hidden; he knew exactly who Professor Gast was. Though Vincent wasn't sure this was how he pictured the brilliant scientist…in retrospect he hadn't pictured the scientist alive. Vincent realized he must be seeing a younger version of the Professor.

After a pause Vincent took his hand, "Vincent Valentine."

Gast smiled, "A good surname, I know a man, Grimoire Valentine, do you have any relation?"

For the third time Vincent had his expression unnoticed, Grimoire…his father.

"Not that I know of," Vincent lied.

"I didn't think so, I'm sure he would have told me about you," Gast said smiling, "you look like quite the adventurer."

"You could say that," Vincent replied.

"Say, you wouldn't know anything about the City of the Ancients would you? It looks like you were coming from that direction," Gast asked.

"I ended up here by accident mostly, I'm not even quite sure of where I am," Vincent said, wanting to sound more clueless than he was. He was quite certain this was a side-effect of the black building's appearance.

"That's too bad, I was hoping to learn more about the Ancients, I've been told I'm the last one," Gast said.

It seemed the surprises liked Vincent today, this time it showed in his voice a bit.

"You are an Ancient?" asked Vincent.

"My father fell in love with an Ancient, or so I'm told," Gast replied smiling, "my father was a scientist, too."

This was Professor Gast's son?

"I'm…" Vincent began; his mind was reeling with all the strange information. "I'm sorry, I'm not really from around here, but I believe I have heard of the Gast name."

"I would think you would have," Gast said smiling, "my father got an Ancient pregnant twice."

Vincent chuckled a bit, not out of his finding the comment amusing, but just for the sake of the conversation…Vincent didn't chuckle all that much.

"Of course you know about what Shinra did as well," Gast said.

"Hojo killed your father and took your mother," Vincent said.

Gast looked at him strangely, "I wasn't expecting you to know that much. Yes, well, my mother and my younger sister. They overlooked me."

"Aeris," Vincent muttered.

"You knew my sister?" asked Gast in surprise.

"I knew someone named Aeris," Vincent said.

"My sister died a while ago," Gast said sadly, "something of another project my father was connected with ended up taking her life."

"Sephiroth," Vincent muttered.

"How…" Gast muttered looking at him strangely again, "…how did you know that?"

"We knew the same Aeris," Vincent said.

"You knew my sister," Gast said, eyes wide, "what was she like, what did you two do…before…she died?"

"She more or less saved the planet," Vincent replied.

"I knew it was her, she destroyed the Meteor," Gast said.

"Well, the Lifestream did it, but I have a feeling she had something to do with it," Vincent replied.

"This is amazing," Gast said, "you don't know how long I've waited for someone like you, please, tell me everything about her."

"I really need to be getting…" Vincent began.

"Please, I'll pay you, I'll do anything, just…tell me something, anything," Gast begged.

The sadness and need was almost tangible, even Vincent couldn't bring himself to say no.

"How long until we hit Midgar?" asked Vincent.

"With this boat's speed, thirty minutes," Gast replied.

"Better slow it down, you're going to need more than that," Vincent said.

"Of course," Gast said nodding happily, "Lucrecia, come up here for a second please!"

The surprises kept coming.

It was her, though she was a bit different. She had longer hair than he remembered and it was a different colour, a golden blonde that looked good on her. Of course Vincent knew any hair colour would have looked good on her. The fact she wasn't in a Mako crystal looked good on her too. Lucrecia came up from under the deck, she was wearing the same lab coat as Gast and she was as beautiful as ever.

If she wasn't behind that waterfall that meant many things must be different, whatever paradox Vincent was in his father was still alive, Gast had two children, and obviously Vincent himself did not exist.

"Did Grimoire…" Vincent couldn't help but say and in the process cut off Lucrecia as she was about to speak, "does Grimoire happen to have a child?"

"I thought you didn't know Grimoire Valentine?" asked Gast curiously.

Vincent cursed inwardly, he had said that, "I didn't know my father, maybe I am related."

Gast smiled, "Your long lost father, at this moment I could believe it. I don't think it's you though, his son is in the Turks."

Vincent nodded and looked to Lucrecia out of the corner of his eye; there was a chance for Vincent Valentine and Lucrecia Crescent in this existence it seemed.

"I don't know his name though," Gast continued, "I haven't seen Grimoire in a very long time."

"Vincent," Lucrecia spoke up suddenly, "Grimoire's son is named Vincent."

"Oh," Gast said smiling, "yes…his name is Vincent Valen…"

The Professor stopped and stared at Vincent strangely for what seemed like the millionth time, "…wait, aren't you?"

"Strange coincidence," Vincent replied.

"Yes…" Gast said still seeming unsure, but then turned to look at Lucrecia, "sorry, uh, Lucrecia this is Vincent Valentine."

"No relation as far as I know," Vincent said.

Lucrecia offered her hand but seemed very apprehensive.

"Don't worry, dear, he's a friend, he knew my sister," Gast said seeing how she looked at Vincent.

"It's alright, I don't usually come across as very inviting," Vincent said about to lower his hand when Lucrecia quickly shook it.

"Sorry," she said, "I shouldn't have reacted as I did, it's just you look strangely familiar."

"Do I look like this other Vincent?" asked Vincent, knowing it wasn't surprise or uncertainty he saw on her face, it was distrust. He then noticed his cloak wasn't covering his gun and realized that may have caused it.

"Maybe a little," Lucrecia said, "not quite as nicely dressed though I guess, you know those Turk types always wear suits."

Vincent knew better than most…firsthand.

"I try and stay away from them personally," Vincent said.

"As do I," Gast agreed, "never had a high opinion of Shinra's goons."

"That's because of Hojo," Lucrecia said, "if it wasn't for him you'd be alright with Shinra."

Gast didn't reply.

"Did you two know Hojo well, other than the obvious?" asked Vincent, asking more for Lucrecia than Gast.

"He was killed before I met him, group of heroes they were, I understand my sister had been among that group for a while," Gast said.

Vincent noticed Lucrecia avoided the question entirely, but he had his answer. Sephiroth existed so what happened with Lucrecia and Hojo must have still happened.

"Yes, she was, but by then she had left us," Vincent said.

"You were there?" asked Lucrecia.

"I was in that group of heroes as well," Vincent said. "I was present when she was killed. Though I did appear quite late in the game so to speak."

"What amazing luck that I would find the last remaining person of that group here of all places," Gast said.

"The last?" asked Vincent.

Gast's expression turned to sadness, "You don't know what became of your friends?"

Vincent made no response.

"The Geostigma took them all before a cure could be found," Gast said.

"A cure which you developed," Lucrecia added.

"Far too late," Gast muttered.

"All of them?" asked Vincent.

"A great loss," Gast said, "they returned to the Lifestream to be reunited with my sister it seemed. Though nobody has any idea there is a survivor."

Vincent knew if Vincent Valentine was still in the Turks then there was no way he was part of the group in this existence.

"I'd rather it stayed that way," Vincent said.

"Of course," Gast said, "I've no reason to tell anyone."

Vincent nodded.

"I'll watch the boat," Lucrecia said, "you two should go below deck you've been waiting years for someone who knew something about your sister Professor."

Gast nodded and made his way below deck followed by Vincent who gave a last look back to the Lucrecia that had no idea who he was.

Gast sat at a small table and Vincent sat across from the Professor.

"Before you start," Gast swallowed hard forcing himself to speak, "Aeris…was she…beautiful? I don't mean in your opinion, I mean like, you know, in a general sense of the word was she…"

"Yes," Vincent cut him off, "she was."

Gast nodded, "Did she ever…get married, fall in love?"

"Once she said she liked a SOLDIER by the name of Zack," Vincent said, "and I have a suspicion she had feelings for another ex-SOLDIER who was in our group…"

"Cloud?" asked Gast. "Really, I'd never heard that."

"It was more inferred," Vincent said.

"Tifa and Cloud, though…"

"I don't know anything for sure, back then we had been busier with other tasks," Vincent said.

"Oh, yes, well, of course you were," Gast said dismissively.

"Although," Vincent continued, "if I had to make an estimate…Cloud felt the same as I assume Aeris did. As I say, there was never any proof to the contrary."

"I can see why she would pick him," Gast said smiling sadly and looking down to the table. "When we were young we would always play this game, I remember it well. She was an innocent bystander being attacked by monsters and I would be the SOLDIER who came to her rescue. Then after I saved her we would go on adventures and she would always refer to me as her bodyguard."

Vincent nodded, seemed she had never stopped using the bodyguard angle.

Gast laughed, "I'd always ask 'what's in it for me?' and she'd pretend to think for a while and say 'I'll go out with you once.' Then I remember I'd say something like 'we can't go out stupid, we're brother and sister' and then she'd get mad at me because I wasn't still playing that make believe SOLDIER. I was no fun when I was just her brother."

Vincent wondered if that was something like how it had been when she had met Cloud. He wouldn't have been surprised.

"It sounds like you were close," Vincent said.

Gast nodded, "For far too short a time, I never really knew her…not well enough."

"I know what you mean," Vincent said.

Gast looked to him, it was here that Vincent told him about when he had joined the group and just about everything he knew about Aeris before she died.

"I only knew Aeris for quite a short time," Vincent said after he finished telling her story, "it wasn't long after I joined them that she was taken from us."

Gast looked as if he was about to say something but instead burst out in tears, which he quickly contained, "I'm sorry, I think you've said all I can hear."

Vincent wondered what exactly it was like to care for someone that much, he couldn't remember a time when he ever actually cried for Lucrecia. Maybe because he had never really lost her in the literal sense, not like Gast had lost Aeris.

Vincent wanted to say more but wasn't sure what to say, he looked at Gast, "She was a very…good person, amusing at times, and she had my respect whatever that may be worth."

"Worth millions to me," Gast said still struggling to speak, "thank you."

Vincent nodded.

Gast stood up quickly and wiped his eyes, taking a deep breath.

"Lucrecia, full speed, let's get this man to his destination!" Gast yelled up to her.

"You got it!" Lucrecia replied.

"Let's go above deck, we'll be there shortly," Gast said and Vincent followed him.

The three stood and watched as land got closer and closer.

"We're headed directly to Midgar, are you going there?" asked Lucrecia.

Vincent shook his head, "I'm looking for someone in particular I'll keep walking until I find him."

Vincent was of course referring to his companions and the black building; he also realized he was going to have to figure out where he was. Mostly because of what he saw ahead: Midgar, completely intact, exactly as it wasn't supposed to be.

Vincent was in a different existence which only meant one thing: the black building was creating much greater paradoxes back in his own time.

"Professor," Vincent said, "what do you know about time travel?"

Gast turned to Vincent, "We've been working on something particularly in that field. Shinra has started construction of a laboratory to start studies and tests. Why do you ask?"

"I've heard that Ancients are experts of time travel," Vincent said.

Gast laughed, "I'm afraid as far as a genuine Ancient the only thing I've got is the blood to prove it. As far as knowledge I'm lacking."

"Do you think I might be able to see this construction, I've sort of always had an interest in time travel," Vincent lied.

"Professor Hojo is in charge of the time travel field of science within Shinra, but I'm sure I can get you in. I hold more credibility with the new President than he does."

"Hojo?" asked Vincent.

Gast nodded, "Not the, of course, his son."

"Hojo had a son," Vincent muttered shaking his head.

"Other than Sephiroth, yes, I know, seems kind of unlikely to me as well, but it happened," Gast said smiling.

"Is he like his father?" asked Vincent.

"No, not at all actually," Gast said, "his name is the only relation to that madman. He knew my family and his father had a troubled relationship in the past so we work together a lot, his way of trying to bridge the gap."

"Is it working?" asked Vincent.

"We've made more progress in science than most scientists ever have in their lives," Gast said, "though our areas of research are usually very different. In an effort to distance himself from his father he has stayed away from any studies involving the Ancients."

"I've been away from civilization for far too long it seems," Vincent lied.

"I guess so," Gast said, "why don't I get you up to speed while I show you around the Time/Space Research Lab?"

Vincent nodded; he needed to know as much as he possibly could about where he was. He realized he was in the existence where the black building was being created so in turn this place could also very well be the key to destroying the building in his time.

"Professor, look!" Lucrecia said urgently pointing toward Midgar. Fires sprung up all over the city and airships began appearing all around.

"Midgar is under attack," Gast said in a confused tone, "that doesn't make any sense."

"What's going on?" asked Lucrecia.

"Shinra doesn't have any enemies," Gast said, "hurry, we have to get over there dock the boat now!"

Vincent drew his revolver, "It looks like you might need some help."

"No better help available I'm sure," Lucrecia said and Vincent looked to her trying to see if that was a sarcastic comment or a genuine compliment.

"Agreed, let's go," Gast said.

The boat came to a sudden halt that almost threw Vincent off his feet, Lucrecia reached down quickly into a crate and pulled up two .45 caliber pistols and tossed one to Gast. Then she moved to the middle of the deck and opened up the floor pulling out two medium sized shotguns.

"You have this boat…well equipped," Vincent said slowly.

Gast smiled, "Scientist can never be too careful, one day something like this might happen."

"Just didn't expect so many guns I suppose," Vincent said.

"They're easier to use than swords," Gast said shrugging.

Vincent could agree with that.

"Besides," Gast said, "swords are so overrated, I'd give you the odds of a gun winning over a sword, but you don't look like the type to care all that much about odds."

Without waiting for a response they jumped off the boat and Vincent followed them. Seeing Lucrecia with a holstered pistol and a shotgun was very strange, but he did keep in mind this was a different existence than the one he knew.

Vincent wasn't sure how time ran here in comparison to his world, but he knew the Ancient Black was still coming and his friends would need all the help they could get.

Time was still against him.