A/N: It's interesting reading the old Author's Notes I wrote back when I originally worked on this story. It's like looking at a more scatterbrained and hyper version of myself. I guess growing up mellows you out some. That kinda sucks.
Heavy Edits Completed: March 28, 2014
Additional Polish: March 21, 2017
Final Fantasy VII – Remembrance
Chapter 4 – Oriental Detour
At daybreak, Vincent woke to find Tifa ready to leave, having taken the second watch during the night. They travelled in silence, each caught up in their own thoughts. Throughout the morning, the ground gradually became less rocky as the mountain path evened out and shrubbery began appearing. Before long, they saw the green of grassy plains ahead and knew they had finally crossed the Nibel Mountains. As they stepped out into the grasslands, Tifa spotted several familiar figures a couple hundred meters ahead.
"Is that Cloud and the group?" Tifa asked as she squinted her eyes.
"Looks like it," Vincent replied as he too looked out onto the grasslands.
"HEY!" Tifa shouted through cupped hands. "OVER HERE!"
Apparently, her voice travelled easily through the open space as the figures stopped. Tifa ran off ahead waving her arms wildly with Vincent striding calmly behind. As they neared, they could see Cloud's shocked features, his mouth gaping in disbelief.
"You're okay! No injuries at all?" He asked incredulously.
Tifa shook her head happily.
"No, Vincent managed to break our fall."
This caused everyone to turn and stare at the approaching man.
"So… he flew?" Yuffie asked out of the blue.
Vincent ignored the girl as Tifa giggled slightly.
"No way," she replied. "He managed to grab some branches and ledges on the way down to slow our descent."
Vincent glanced over at the female fighter, surprised she could lie so easily.
"Shit, Vincent… and yer just up and walkin' again?" Barret asked.
Vincent stayed pointedly silent.
"Vampires are invincible to blunt force trauma…" Yuffie said to Barret in a stage whisper.
She then mimicked fangs using her index fingers and hissed at Vincent around the large man, much to his annoyance.
"Yuffie! Don't be rude!" Tifa reprimanded.
"Yeah, whatever," the girl mumbled before falling silent.
After a brief reunion in which Cloud recounted their battle with the Materia Keeper, the group set off towards Rocket Town. The small town was located just north of the Nibel Mountains, so it was barely noon by the time they reached their destination. Finding the pilot was an easy task as he was well known by all the townsfolk. They found him tinkering away at the tilted rocket, the lasting memory of Shinra's failed Space Exploration Program.
"Cid!" Tifa called out, getting the older man's attention.
The blond-haired man turned with a rather disgruntled look on his face.
"Yeah? And who the hell are you?" He growled.
Vincent gave the careless girl a sideways glare as she flushed with embarrassment. Cloud stepped in, focusing the attention on himself while explaining their situation. Fortunately, this seemed to distract the pilot from his initial confusion. Obtaining the plane, however, was completely out of the question. Not only was the Tiny Bronco designed for two people at the most, it was also Cid's pride and joy. The older man looked like he wanted to punch Cloud when the blonde tried to change the pilot's mind. Predictably, it was Shinra who ultimately helped the team obtain the Tiny Bronco. Not only did Rufus Shinra show up to request the same thing, but that genius of a man named Palmer decided he would try to steal the plane in the likely event that Cid refused. But when AVALANCHE showed up to stop him, he decided it was more important to play the hero and face AVALANCHE rather than steal the plan, all the while leaving the plane running. After a hasty victory and a Hail-Mary rush for the pilotless plane, they somehow all managed to grab onto the small pink machine.
Except the plane merely sputtered and kept going; the tiny machine was a lot more powerful than it looked.
The pink plane careened wildly throughout Rocket Town, completely unbalanced by the weight of nine people hanging on for dear life. The plane even continued as Cid leapt up in a surprising display of athleticism and grabbed onto the tail as the plane passed by. It wasn't until Rufus ordered the Shinra troops to fire on the low-flying machine that it finally succumbed to a stray bullet. Several members screamed as the plane dipped precariously close to the hard earth below before Cid clambered to the pilot seat and yanked hard on the throttle. A few harrowing minutes and a lot of swearing from Cid, the smoldering plane landed with a resounding splash just off the coastline.
"We're alive! Oh, sweet Leviathan, we're alive!" Yuffie shrieked in relief.
Nearby, the blonde-haired pilot was giving the smoking, bullet-ridden plane a thorough examination.
"Dammit!" Cid shouted completely ignoring the girl as he slammed a fist onto the side of the plane. "Wings are all messed up, too. She's no good for flying anymore. Best she can be used for now is a goddamn raft."
He turned to Cloud angrily.
"Just what the hell were you thinking, trying to fly north when nobody in your goddamn crew knows how to fly?"
Cloud frowned and tilted his head to a side, thinking. Having a proper pilot wasn't something he had really considered until just now. Cid looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel at the vacant expression on the blonde-haired man's face.
"That's it!" Cid growled. "I'm coming with you guys! I'm done with Shinra screwing me over! You idiots are gonna need a pilot anyway since wonder-kid here didn't recruit anyone who actually knows how!"
"Welcome… I guess?" Cloud said, not particularly sure how to respond to the string of insults.
"Hmph," Cid grumbled sitting down in the cockpit. "Well, where to then?"
"Wasn't Rufus spouting some stuff about following Sephiroth to the Temple of Ancients?" Cloud said.
"An' do what, exactly? Get our asses handed to us again? We couldn't do a thing last time we met Sephiroth!" Barret huffed.
"Let's go to Wutai, then!" Yuffie said brightly. "They sell some really nice weapons and armor there! It could be useful!"
This naturally sent alarm bells ringing in Vincent's head.
"We should not waste time," Vincent said, surprising everyone. "It seems like this Black Materia he is after is in there. If I know Shinra, he's been trained to optimize every action. Taking a detour in the opposite direction will only help him."
The others gaped at the normally silent man, having spoken more words than any of them had ever heard up to that point.
"B-but Wutai is a great place!" Yuffie cajoled. "We need the extra training anyway! And there are all sorts of rare Materia to get!"
"She's right, Vincent," Cloud sighed. "We're in no way ready to face Sephiroth."
Vincent frowned and tried again.
"Something tells me that whatever Materia we'll get from Wutai will be useless if Sephiroth steals something even stronger," Vincent said pointedly emphasizing certain words.
Yuffie stared at him, eyes a bit wider than before.
'Crap! How did that stupid vampire figure it out so fast?' She thought feverishly. 'Duh! He's a vampire! He's probably doing all sorts of vampire stuff to me! Like reading my mind and stealing my youth!'
The young girl had a sudden and horrible epiphany.
"Gimme back my youth, youth-stealer!" She suddenly blurted.
This caused everyone to pause and stare oddly at the girl. Yuffie's face became very red, very fast.
"Er… I mean…" she mumbled.
"Yuffie has a point, though," Cloud interjected, saving the ninja from further embarassment. "We've been having a lot of trouble with the monsters in this area and a lot of our gear could use replacing."
Yuffie nodded eagerly.
"Okay Cid! Head west! We're going to Wutai!" Yuffie said, trying to draw them out of the little debate.
"Wait… We're not…" Vincent tried to no avail.
Yuffie turned and stuck her tongue out at him as she moved to a point on the plane furthest away from the man. Vincent sighed and then inched closer to Tifa.
"Well, you tried…" Tifa muttered. "She's going to steal our Materia isn't she?"
On the other end of the ship, they were relatively safe from eavesdroppers due to the noise of the plane engine.
"Yeah. Not many people picked up on that, though. I know Yuffie did. Aerith and Red might have. But no one else."
"Yeah, they're pretty inattentive aren't they?" Tifa said, heaving a sigh.
"Just keep an extremely close eye on your Materia," Vincent warned.
"Yes, sir," the female fighter dismissed.
Several hours later they arrived on the shore south of Wutai, a rather desolate rocky beach with not a soul in sight.
"Come on guys! It's just a short walk north of here!" Yuffie said cheerfully bounding forward.
No one seemed to notice her darting here and there, chattering away. Nevertheless, Vincent was impressed that she could pull off such a distraction that her victims didn't even notice her taking Materia out of their weapons. The girl wasn't a highly trained ninja for nothing, after all. And suddenly, she was next to him.
"Hiya Vinnie! Whatcha doing? Nice weather today huh? You'll love Wutai. It's…"
His hand darted out from the confines of his cloak to grab hers, inches away from his gun.
"Nice try." He growled.
She clicked her tongue as she glared at him.
"I suggest you give their Materia back," Vincent said, loud enough for everyone to hear.
Cloud looked at his sword.
"Hey!" He exclaimed, finally realizing something was amiss.
"Damn you, Vinnie!" Yuffie growled. "Let go!"
She chopped down on his wrist, temporarily stunning his hand enough for her to escape. The ninja fled into the mountains and out of sight.
"Catch that damn brat!" Cid shouted.
The team gave chase, but was quickly stopped by several soldiers.
"Shinra! What are they doing here!" Cloud shouted.
"Stationed soldiers in Wutai, probably!" Nanaki shouted as he tore into one of the armed guards.
The battle ended as quickly as it had begun. The soldiers seemed to have become lax in their quiet surveillance of Wutai. They looked around, but Yuffie was nowhere to be seen. Agreeing that heading to Wutai was the only option at this point, Cloud lead the team north through the mountains. During their hike, Vincent noticed Tifa looking rather sullen.
"What's wrong?" He asked quietly, matching her pace.
"Even though I knew…" Tifa grumbled. "She got mine too."
Vincent shrugged.
"It's her profession. She's very good at what she does."
This only seemed to annoy the fighter more so he left it at that. Nearby, Cloud was venting to Barret.
"This isn't what we need right now! Does that girl have no sense of priorities?" He looked rather upset by Yuffie's betrayal.
Then, as if remembering, he turned to Nanaki.
"Hey, Red," he said, using the feline's old nickname. "You mentioned something about the Shinra soldiers being stationed here… what's that all about?"
The feline stared at their leader somewhat incredulously.
"You… have never heard of the Wutai War? I would imagine you fought in it at some point or other. I believe most of the SOLDIERs were sent to intervene."
Cloud stumbled slightly, shaking his head. Vincent's eyes narrowed slightly at the young man's actions.
"No… I do. My memory before Nibelheim is a bit hazy," he reasoned. "But why would they leave troops behind?"
"It's a message," Vincent answered. "It tells their people that Midgar is ready at any time to return and crush them should they try to rise up again."
"That's terrible…" Aerith said quietly.
"It's war," Nanaki replied. "Even if it's peacetime, countries will always focus on their military."
An uneasy silence followed. Aerith seemed genuinely upset by this revelation. They continued this way until they reached the small city of Wutai.
"Well? How are we supposed to find that brat now?" Cid snarled gesturing at the simple buildings and civilians going about their daily errands.
"Spread out. Ask around if anyone's seen her," Cloud instructed.
Vincent turned towards the general goods store. Entering it, he found only a shopkeeper and a small chest in the corner.
"I'd like to buy some Materia." He said dully to the lady behind the desk.
"Sorry, we're all sold out for today," she replied, not quite meeting Vincent's eyes.
Turning around, Vincent strolled over to the chest in the corner, opened it, and removed a small blue orb.
"Gimme that!" Yuffie shouted as she dropped down from the rafters.
Vincent dodged her efforts, holding the orb out of her reach.
"Cloud's looking for you, Yuffie," he said calmly.
Frustrated, the smaller girl lashed out.
"Gah! Take this!" She whirled and kicked him hard in the gut, causing him to double over, winded.
Snatching the orb, she skipped over to the door.
"Ta ta, Vinnie!" She ran outside, dodging a surprised Tifa on the way.
Vincent glared at the shopkeeper, causing her to turn pink and look away.
"Well, she got away," Tifa said, entering. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Vincent bit out, mildly annoyed.
"Where now?" Tifa asked, looking around.
"That way," he gestured towards a building at the edge of town.
They entered the house, Tifa making sure to stand directly in the doorway this time. An elderly man looked up at Vincent as he approached.
"Oh, hello. Do I know you? My memory's not been quite what it used to be lately…" he mumbled.
"No, no, grandpa," a young boy next to the old man chided. "They're strangers. Just like that girl that came in here a while ago."
"Oh… is that so?" The old man continued to watch the new arrivals to his home.
Vincent glanced over at Tifa, who nodded. He then proceeded to push aside a nearby screen and, in one fluid movement, grabbed Yuffie by the scruff of her neck as she tried to flee again.
"Damn! You and your vampire mind tricks!"
Her limbs flailed as she tried to escape his grasp. However, Tifa was next to them in a heartbeat, pinning the girl's arms so she couldn't move.
"Graaaah! Let me GO!" Yuffie struggled viciously, nearly breaking free of Tifa's grasp.
"Quit that!" Tifa scolded, giving the younger girl a quick chop to the back of the neck.
Yuffie slumped forwards and was instantly tossed over Vincent's shoulder like a sack of potatoes. They carried their captive back to Cloud, who called off the village-wide search. Once they found a nice, secure area in the shadows of an abandoned building, Cloud woke the unconscious ninja with a light Bolt spell.
"Bwah?" Yuffie mumbled as she blinked blearily.
"Yuffie," Cloud said, catching her attention.
The girl let out a small "eep" before trying to get up. She was grabbed by the shoulders by Vincent and Tifa, who forced her back into a sitting position. Cloud rubbed his eyes tiredly.
"Look, I don't know who put you up to this, and I don't care. Just give us our Materia back and we'll be on our way."
Yuffie looked around helplessly, noting that they were well out of earshot of any civilians. Knowing she was stuck, she lowered her head dejectedly.
"Fine," she said quietly. "It's in my house. Just let me…"
"Really. Where is it?" Vincent interrupted.
The girl glared up at the man who seemed to know her every move.
"I told you it's in my house!" She growled angrily.
Cloud held up his hands in a placating gesture.
"Okay, okay. Let's just get this over with," Cloud sighed.
Vincent continued to glare at the girl as they walked to the northern edge of town. Grudgingly, they followed her into that small, lonely-looking house. The girl appeared fairly minimalistic, with only a few belongings scattered here and there. On a small bedside table, there sat a small photograph of an older woman sitting beneath a cherry tree. Frowning, Vincent turned away. He had always found it strange that Yuffie lived as far away from her father as possible, but never felt the need to inquire further about it.
"It's down here," she grumbled as she descended a flight of stairs.
They grudgingly followed the girl down into her basement. As they reached the bottom, they found Yuffie sniffling in a corner.
"I just thought…" she started to cry. "That if I could get enough Materia… sniff… then I could help Wutai… hic…"
"Why would Materia help?" Nanaki asked curiously. "It would only attract attention from Shinra. This place wouldn't survive a second war…"
"SO WE SHOULD JUST LET THIS TOWN ROT?!" Yuffie exploded.
Silence filled the room, broken only by Yuffie's shuddering breaths. Several members of the team gave each other nervous glances. Finally, Cloud stepped forward, kneeling down in front of her.
"Look… once we defeat Sephiroth, we'll help you fix up Wutai, alright?" Cloud asked kindly. "But we need that Materia if we want even the slightest chance to beat Sephiroth. Do you understand?"
"Y-Yeah…" she mumbled.
Though she knew that she was lying since she would keep their Materia anyway, deep inside, she was touched.
'Would he actually do it…?' She wondered.
"You'd really do it?" Yuffie asked apprehensively voicing her thoughts.
"Of course." Cloud smiled. "That's what friends are for!"
"Where's the Materia, Yuffie?" Vincent said, interrupting the moment.
She glowered at the tall man who had sucked the magic out of that moment just like he was doing with her youth.
"Right lever," she spat at Vincent.
'He's always screwing my plans up… it's almost like he knows them or something… oh, gawd. I hope I didn't mutter them out in my sleep…'
A sudden picture of Vincent staring at her in her sleep made her blush furiously and shake her head.
"What is it?" Vincent asked.
"N-nothing…" Yuffie stammered.
They followed Cloud into the small room. He pulled the lever and a heavy cage fell down, trapping them. Yuffie laughed.
"Nyah! You peoples shouldn't be so trustful! If you want your Materia back, I suggest you try to steel it! Get it? Steel?" She ran off laughing.
With progressively more complaints from at least two of the members of the group, Cloud freed them from captivity and they chased after Yuffie again. They searched all throughout town, but it seemed she had vanished for good.
"Maybe she left town?" Tifa suggested.
Nanaki sniffed the air several times before shaking his head.
"No, I don't think she's left," Nanaki said.
"Forget this," Cid grumbled. "I need a drink."
"Hear, hear," Barret agreed, following the pilot.
"Guys!" Tifa reprimanded to no avail.
She had little choice but to follow along as the others entered the Turtle Paradise. Upon entering, however, an accusatory voice suddenly cried out.
"You!"
At the bar sat three individuals dressing in dark blue business suits. One of the two men was bald and looked rather intimidating with his sunglasses. The other had a rather cocky air about him, sporting a pair of goggles around his head and two red marks on either side of his face. The last was a petite lady with short, almost white, blonde hair and a mildly annoyed expression on her face.
"Turks," Barret spat.
Almost as soon as the big man said that, the three Turks stood up, drawing their weapons. AVALANCHE stiffened and took a step back. But even as the red-haired leader took a menacing step forward, Vincent was already on the move. He suddenly appeared behind then, pressing a claw to blondie's jugular vein and the barrel of his pistol to baldie's temple. Surprised, the redhead turned angrily, only to have his nightstick kicked out of his grasp.
"Stop," he commanded as the leader was about to draw his pistol. "Leave or there will be consequences."
"You wouldn't dare… We're the Turks," the man sneered, trying to bluff his way through.
Vincent responded by pulling the hammer back on his gun as he dug a single claw into the girl's neck slightly. A trickle of blood rolled down her throat, causing her to tremble in fear.
"Reno!" She cried upon seeing that he was going to pass some snide comment. "Just do as he says!"
"Tch! Fine…" Reno grumbled. "Shitty way to end my vacation…"
As soon as he left, Vincent released the other two, though his weapon remained drawn. Giving the man in the red cloak a disdainful look, the blonde-haired woman left the bar, followed shortly by her partner. Vincent turned to see the rest of AVALANCHE staring at him open-mouthed.
"What was that all about?" Barret blustered. "How the hell'd you do that?"
Vincent cocked his head to the side slightly as he put away his weapon.
"You mentioned they were Turks," he chose to say instead of answering. "I take it you've run across them before?"
Though he knew the Turks well enough, it was best to at least form some kind of partnership with the rest of the group, lest they think him cold and indifferent again. Cloud nodded and gave him a brief rundown of their scuffles with the Turks.
"They're formidable force," Vincent agreed. "But they are, in the end, human. As long as your stay alert, I think you can overpower them."
Cloud frowned at this.
"You make it sound like you aren't human…" he said warily.
Vincent merely turned a steely glare at the AVALANCHE leader.
"Hojo experimented with my body, not out of scientific drive, but out of spite."
That shut Cloud up. Though Cloud was still acting under the guise of an ex-SOLDIER, the mention of Hojo was enough for the warrior to understand the implications. A grim look on his face, Cloud nodded before leaving the bar to go wander around outside instead.
"Vincent?" Tifa whispered as Barret and Cid sat down at the bar.
"You already know most of it," he said quietly as they found a seat at a table.
Tifa recalled a blurb he had written near the beginning of his journal that mentioned demonic possession. Letting out a soft 'oh', the girl sat down across from him while continuing to gaze at the caped man.
"Are you going to let the others know?" She asked softly, letting the ambient noise of the pub drown out her voice.
"Eventually," Vincent replied. "Though I fear it may be sooner than later if we don't get the Materia back from Yuffie."
Tifa sighed sadly.
"We need to find her soon, we've wasted quite a bit of time now," she said worriedly. "For all we know, Sephiroth could already have this Black Materia."
Vincent didn't respond as he stared out into the moderately busy street outside the bar.
…
'Of course. That's what friends are for!'
The young warrior princess's mind was in turmoil. On the one hand, what she had done was nothing new. How many travelers had she left to their fates as she ran off with their Materia? How many of them had cursed her name as the brutal wilderness claimed their lives? Why should this group be any different?
But Cloud's words once again echoed through her mind, sending a wave of guilt over her.
'I'm a… friend?' She wondered.
She sniffled slightly and rubbed at her eyes in annoyance.
'No, I'm doing this for Wutai,' she declared mulishly.
"My, my. Today is a lucky day! Lucky! Now I have two beautiful women to spend the night with!"
Yuffie half turned before powerful hands wrapped around her arms, holding her tight. A nasty looking thug with multiple piercings leered down at her.
"Wha…" she began before a loud and obnoxious laugh cut her off.
"All night long," a blonde pig drawled out making obscene hip thrusts as he did.
"Let me go! Corneo! Once I get free, you're dead you hear me?!" A familiar blonde-haired woman screeched as the kicked and thrashed.
It looked like Elena had somehow gotten herself captured as well.
"H-HEY! Let me GO!" Yuffie cried out as her arms were tied and she was hoisted like a sack of potatoes.
She kicked out, but the thug held tight. A loud gong rang out from above.
"What was that?" The man named Corneo asked no one in particular, staring stupidly at the ceiling.
Almost in answer, AVALANCHE suddenly burst into the room.
"You!" Cloud exclaimed, a look of revulsion on his face.
The fat man turned and laughed in that sleazy way again.
"Looks like I need a bit more privacy before I get to know my chickies better," he said as he gave another laugh.
"Put them down," Cloud threatened in a low voice, hand reaching towards his sword.
Ignoring the warrior, the blonde pig ran off with his thugs, laughing as he did so. Yuffie and Elena's shouts of anger resonated in the small room.
…
It wasn't surprising to see Don Corneo run; the man was a coward and Cloud had expected no less the moment he saw the man again.
"After him!" Cloud shouted as he dashed towards a flight of stairs in the far corner of the room.
As the team emerged into the shrine above, the found Corneo held at gunpoint by several Shinra soldiers.
"Don Corneo! Rufus Shinra has ordered you to be captured and executed. Any resistance is futile!" One soldier was shouting.
Don looked hopelessly around for an escape. He started backing away in fear only to notice an irate Cloud behind him. Suddenly, the Shinra soldiers were rushing in, hand reaching out to grab the fat man. In a moment of unnatural agility, the blonde-haired man wobbled out of the way, causing the soldiers to clash head on with AVALANCHE. Seeing a higher priority target, the soldiers opened fire, causing AVALANCHE to scatter. However, their guns were hardly effective in that closed space and they were quickly dispatched by the resistance group. As the last soldier fell, Cloud looked around.
Don Corneo and his thugs were gone.
"Dammit!" The blonde pilot cursed kicking at the nearby pillar.
"Come on," Cloud commanded. "If Corneo gets away, we'll be stuck here for good!"
The team rushed out of the small shrine only to run into the remaining two Turks, Reno and Rude. Rude raised a single eyebrow at the team, causing Reno to turn towards them.
"Go on ahead, I'll be right behind you," Reno said.
Rude nodded and headed up towards the Da Chao mountain. Turning towards the group, the redhead's eyes locked on Vincent, though he addressed Cloud as he did so.
"He's got Elena, stupid girl probably let her guard down. And, well… um…" he muttered, looking as if he wanted to ask something of them, but was too uncomfortable to say it.
Cloud seemed to take pity on the man and answered neutrally.
"He's got Yuffie as well," the swordsman nodded.
A moment of silence passed between the two and some kind of agreement seemed to be made.
"Don't misunderstand. This is only a temporary cease fire," Reno said, finally looking directly at Cloud.
Cloud nodded.
"Well, let's go then," the Turk leader said, running off with AVALANCHE in tow.
As they reached the foot of the mountain, Vincent called for the team to wait. Reno gave them a mildly annoyed look.
"When you're done messing around, help search the mountain," the man bit out before rushing off up the mountain.
"What is it Vincent?" Tifa asked, seeing the similarly impatient look on Cloud's face.
"Take these for now," the gunman said removing his slotted Materia and passing them to the group. "It's not much, but it'll have to do for now."
Aerith eyed the small orbs in the man's outstretched hand.
"What about you?" She asked even as the rest of the team happily took one or two Materia.
"I'll be fine," was the only response he would give.
There wasn't any time for questions so they resumed their search, splitting up to cover the mountainside more quickly. With Vincent in the lead, AVALANCHE made a beeline straight for one of the statue's hands. As they neared, they could hear Don Corneo taunting the women and Yuffie's distinctive screeching. The two women had been tied to the eyes of one of the statues and hung precariously, poised to drop into the forest below.
"GROSS-NESS!"
But before the younger girl could scream any more vitriol, Cloud rushed down the mountain path and approached Corneo, weapon drawn.
"Let them go, Corneo!" Cloud demanded.
"Aw… you're no fun," Corneo sneered. "Do you know all the troubles I've been through since that time in Midgar?"
He stared off into the distance, as if reminiscing.
"I don't care. Let them go, now!" He repeated.
Shaking his head, the fat man turned back towards them.
"How could you kill my cute little Aps like that? I had to go find a new pet to play with," the man drew a small whistle and blew into it. "Rapps! Come here!"
There was an unearthly screech as the skeletal, winged figure of Rapps descended into view. Immediately, it dove at Cloud, who was closest to its master. The blonde-haired swordsman tried his best to dodge, but due to the limited space he ended up skidding towards the edge, nearly falling off. There was a distraught scream from Yuffie as he nearly disappeared over the edge. Thankfully, Cloud's instincts took over and his hand shot out, barely managing to grab the ledge moments before plummeting to the ground below.
"Oh, gods… my friends are gonna die and it's my fault!" Yuffie whispered in a panicked tone to herself, though Vincent's keen hearing picked it up.
Annoyed at its failed attack, the reptilian creature swooped high into the air, this time aiming at the members of AVALANCHE who were clustered on the mountain statue's arm. Seeing the creature change targets, Vincent steadied himself.
"Look out!" Tifa called as the team scattered, to prevent more people from getting knocked off the side of the mountain.
When Rapps came down Vincent lunged, sinking his claws into the monsters belly and firing point blank at the creature's scaly stomach. Both attacks succeeded, causing the beast to thrashing in pain. However, as it was fleeing, its muscles shifted and Vincent's claw became stuck in the tough, sinewy flesh. Rapps soared into the air again with a vicious shriek, dragging Vincent along for the ride.
"Vincent!" Tifa cried in panic, touching the Materia she had gotten earlier from the man. "Bolt 2!"
Lightning struck the beast, but because of the metal prosthetic, Vincent was also put through the excruciating spell. The beast shrieked out in pain and Vincent felt his limbs spasm even as his regeneration shook off the brunt of the attack. He glared down at Tifa, making her feel very small and insignificant.
"Dammit girl! Use your head!" He growled.
"Sorry…" she squeaked.
The beast was soaring far overhead again. It seemed plenty aware of its passenger and was using the man as a sort of shield every time AVALANCHE took aim with either spells or bullets. At the same time, Vincent was doing his best to attack the best while maintaining his hold, not wanting to take another crippling fall.
'Need a hand?' Chaos sang in a mildly superior tone.
'Shut up and get someone to switch with me,' Vincent growled.
Almost immediately, he felt an incessant tugging within his mind. Closing his eyes, he let his consciousness slip away as he fell into flames of Hellfire.
…
An unearthly roar echoed through the mountainside, emitted by the normally quiet gunslinger.
"What the – " Barret gasped. "What's happenin' to him?!"
Tifa gasped as Vincent seemed to fall limp. Everyone's attention was now focused warily on Vincent's still form. Even though she knew what was coming, it was still a shock when purple fur erupted from the man's body. The tall lanky form shrank slightly, becoming bulkier and more compact. Even from a distance, Tifa could see the creature's eyes burning with an internal blaze.
Galian Beast roared out his challenge as two horns curled up out of his skull. Rapps gave a surprised shriek as it felt its passenger's weight triple, its wings beating hard to stay aloft. Its head lashed downward, trying to dislodge the unwanted beast that had somehow replaced the human. Snarling, Galian Beast merely shrugged off the annoyance and dug its embedded claw deeper into the flying reptile. He roared in triumph as blood suddenly sprayed out, causing Rapps to cry out in pain and fall a short distance. Its labored movements suggested it was all Rapps could do to stay in the air. Lurching upwards, the blood-soaked beast mounted the winged reptile, its claws leaving bleeding gashes wherever they sank into the reptile's flesh. Though it struggled, Rapps could not shake the powerful beast off. It gave one last panicked screech before Galian Beast broke its neck with one swift movement.
Like a puppet with severed strings, Rapps fell into the forest below with Galian Beast disembarking as they fell past the ledge where AVALANCHE stood in shock. Cid, who was closest to the purple beast, unconsciously took a step back. The creature fell to its knees, moaning in pain as it reverted into the familiar cloaked man. Everyone in the vicinity continued to stare, afraid to do anything else. Corneo had clearly wet himself and was doing nothing to stop the liquid that was now pooling at his feet. Vincent made to stand, but staggered and began falling backwards, tottering close to the edge.
"Vincent!"
Tifa's voice broke the stunned silence as she grabbed hold of the man and led him away from danger. Vincent was panting from the exertion of the transformation and was otherwise unresponsive. With a grunt, Cloud hoisted himself back onto the mountain path and turned towards the quivering Don. The swordsman approached with a furious look on his face. Corneo stumbled back a few paces.
"D-don't come any closer!" He screamed with terror in his voice.
He whipped out a small remote and pushed a button. A light snap sounded. The two hostages screamed as the ropes around their arms gave way, leaving them dangling upside down. Corneo brandished the remote like a weapon.
"Come any closer and we'll have squashed tomatoes!"
The fat man laughed gleefully as his attackers froze, unwilling to approach. Their faces were a beautiful mix of hate and dismay. He wondered what else he could make them do with his newfound power. But just as he was contemplating actually dropping one of the women, a loud crack rang out through the mountains. Corneo blinked, staring at the remains of what used to be the hand holding the remote.
Corneo screamed as the pain caught up to him. He continued screaming as he stared uncomprehendingly at the hole punched into his hand. A cold chuckle came from behind the group.
"Good work, Rude," Reno called out as he approached injured man, who was kneeling on the ground, cradling his hand while crying.
The leader of the Turks sauntered up to the cowering man and gave him a hard shove with a boot. Corneo let out a yelp as he tumbled over the edge, his good hand catching the ledge. The fat man trembled as he held on for dear life. Reno walked up and slammed a heel down on Corneo's hand, crushing the bones beneath his boot. Corneo let out a fresh scream but refused to let go.
"To be honest, your little crime of giving away Shinra's plans wasn't exactly severe," Reno shrugged. "I mean, we accomplished what we set out to do at any rate."
Tifa bristled at that statement. Barret was about to say something rude before Cloud silenced him with a gesture. Corneo seemed to take these words to heart.
"S-so…" he stuttered. "C-can't I just go?"
Reno leaned in, heel digging into Corneo's now ruined left hand.
"Oh, no sir," he said mockingly. "Do you know why we followed you all the way here to this backwater little town? One, we like to travel. Two, we knew we would win. Three, we just don't like you."
Reno sneered at the whimpering man.
"Go on, take a shot. Something good might happen if you get it right."
With nothing to lose, Corneo stammered out a response.
"N-number two?"
Reno's grinning visage was all Corneo needed to see to know he had answered incorrectly.
"All wrong," came the cold response.
With a final grind, Reno stepped back, causing the Don to fall screaming to his death.
"It's our job," came Rude's deep voice as he approached the group.
"You guys actually came!" Elena cried out in both surprise and relief.
Perhaps she had thought she would escape from being a hostage of Corneo only to become a hostage of AVALANCHE.
"You're a Turk, Elena," Reno scoffed. "Try to act like one?"
"S-sorry," she muttered in embarrassment.
As they got the two girls down from the Da Chao statue, Reno's phone rang.
"Yeah?" He answered.
A pause as Reno glanced over at AVALANCHE.
"Got it," he said curtly as he hung up.
He gestured to Rude and Elena.
"New assignment. We're to find Cloud Strife and eliminate him…" he said glancing at the group before him.
The remaining members of AVALANCHE tensed, wary of an attack.
"Sir?" Elena said cautiously.
"Are we on?" Rude asked uncertainly giving the narrow mountain path a look.
Reno scoffed.
"You can't get caught up in your work, you know?" He chided. "We're still on vacation. We'll look for Cloud tomorrow."
With that, the man sauntered off, trailed by Rude and Elena. It was a moment before the team relaxed and turned their eyes to the young princess now fidgeting nervously.
"Look… uh…" she stammered. "I… I'm sorry…"
Her eyes remained on the floor as she apologized.
"Let's go back, we'll discuss what to do after we get our Materia back," Cloud sighed.
A short walk later and they were back in Yuffie's house. She hastily returned their Materia before stepping back, still looking hesitant.
"Um…" she began shakily. "Can… can I still come with you? I don't…"
She trailed off, glancing out the window at the tall pagoda in the distance.
"Hmph, so you can just try to steal our Materia again?" Cid snorted. "How stupid do you think we are?"
"Shut up, old man!" Yuffie shouted angrily, tears in the corner of her eyes.
She looked quite distraught at the thought of staying in Wutai. Vincent supposed she was still not on great terms with her father.
"Forget the brat," Barret grunted. "Vincent, just what the hell was that?!"
Vincent shrugged.
"An ability courtesy of Hojo."
Aerith frowned, deeply disturbed at this revelation.
"No offense, Vincent," Cloud said slowly. "But are you… safe? To be around?"
"Yes," Vincent replied in affirmation.
However, glancing around, he saw a few distrusting and worried stares. Sighing, he turned away.
"Let me know what you decide."
Though there was no question asked, it was obvious what he meant. Yuffie was not the only member wondering if they would continue to travel with the group. Even as he closed the door, he caught snatches of "What if he loses control?" and "Should we have someone keep watch?"
Tifa watched with growing unease as they others argued over Vincent's transformations. She noticed Yuffie looking rather downcast as the girl seemed to have been forgotten. Cid was the most vocal; perhaps having a bloodied Galian land next to him earlier had something to do with it. Cait Sith and Nanaki looked indifferent, while Aerith looked rather disapproving of the entire conversation.
"And what if he turns on us? Do we kill him?" Cid argued.
"That's enough!" Tifa nearly shouted.
The room stilled, eyes turning towards the brunette.
"Galian Beast saved our lives! Would a mindless monster do that?!" She asked fiercely. "We would've been killed if it weren't for him!"
Cid fidgeted nervously, being the unwitting sole recipient of Tifa's wrath.
"I was just saying…" the pilot mumbled before wilting under her gaze. "Sorry…"
Frowning, Tifa scanned the room, looking for any other signs of dissent.
"Wait, Galian Beast?" Cloud suddenly asked in confusion. "How do you know what it's called?"
Tifa blinked before fidgeting nervously. She thought fast, knowing she couldn't just give away Vincent's secrets.
"Erm, well… we kind of talked about it after we fell in the Nibel mountains," Tifa reasoned. "It was what saved us after all."
Not entirely a lie, but it was believable enough. Cloud seemed to believe it as he nodded in understanding.
"I trust Vincent," she concluded with finality.
Cloud sighed.
"Personally, I think we need all the help we can get," he said neutrally. "But if anyone doesn't want him around, say something now or don't say it at all. I can't have you all infighting when we're going up against Sephiroth."
"I don't even know why we're having this conversation," Aerith huffed angrily. "I think he's a nice person."
"I don't mind," Nanaki said calmly.
"Me neither!" Cait Sith said in the same happy voice he always used.
"I dunno about him," Barret grumbled. "But if Tifa trusts him, that's good enough for me."
Tifa fixed her gaze on Cid again.
"What?!" He protested. "Fine! Shoot a guy for voicing his opinions! Just don't come crying to me if he loses control!"
Cloud turned to the all but forgotten young girl.
"Yuffie? What about you?" He asked.
"Huh? What?" She stuttered, caught off guard. "Why are you asking me?"
Cloud looked a bit confused.
"You're still coming along with us right?" He asked with a questioning look in his eyes.
The girl flushed, looking flustered.
"I… uh… I don't mind if he comes…"
Cloud nodded.
"Tifa, could you go find him? We'll be doing some last minute shopping before heading out."
The fighter sighed in relief.
"Thanks, Cloud," she said with a smile as she left.
A few minutes later, she found Vincent standing by the river, staring into the clear waters.
"Vincent?"
When he didn't respond, she moved closer.
"Are you okay?"
He gave her a small glance.
"I thought I wouldn't mind since something similar happened last time," he muttered, breaking eye contact.
"They said you could stay," Tifa tried again, frowning.
"Oh, really?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.
Tifa shrugged.
"I kind of forced them into it… besides it was really only Cid who had a problem with you. I think Galian Beast spooked him a bit," she reasoned.
Vincent's lips twitched slightly. If Tifa didn't know better, she would have sworn Vincent nearly laughed.
"Do you want to come with us then?"
Vincent looked towards the young woman. Her eyes seemed hopeful as she awaited his response.
"I will come," he answered.
Tifa smiled at this.
"Come on then, the others are resupplying," she beckoned, walking off with a skip in her step.
Shaking his head, Vincent allowed himself a small smile as he followed the cheerful fighter.
…
A/N: This whole rewriting thing is turning out to be a pretty demanding task. I didn't think every chapter so far would, at a minimum, double in length.
…
Omake 4:
"Hey Vampy," Yuffie said plopping down next to Vincent on the wing of the Tiny Bronco. "Looks like we'll be teammates for a bit longer, huh?"
"Hmph," Vincent grunted.
"Maaan, you're such a killjoy," she said, splashing her bare feet in the water below. "But seriously, how did you catch me?"
Vincent rolled his eyes.
"You're a thousand years too early to try to steal from me," he said blandly.
Yuffie paled.
"Vincent admitted he's a vampire!" She screamed, causing everyone to look over curiously.
"Get away from me, youth-stealer!" She continued, scooting backwards while kicking him.
Vincent groaned at his poorly thought out words.