Galian Beast.

Cid wasn't sure what was going on but he knew something was up with Vincent. It had started right at the start of the day. Cid Vincent and Cait Sith shared a tent, mostly because no one else wanted to share a room or a tent with Vincent. Which really bugged Cid but that had never seemed to bug Vincent before.

Usually Vincent was the first to bed and the first to rise. He would be the one to wake Cid on time to leave and press the carefully hidden button on Cait Sith that apparently alerted its controller to the fact that their attention was wanted.

Not today though.

Not only did Vincent over sleep but also unlike the few other times Cid had needed to wake him, the taller man was groggy and slow to come to full wakefulness.

Moody too.

Of course Cid probably hadn't helped, by not only calling him 'Sleepy' but also blaming him for keeping everyone else waiting while they were getting ready.

In the end Cid had told them to go ahead taking Bugenhagen to the Ancient's City, and they could catch up.

Cid had tried to ask what was up with Vincent. He hadn't answered and had kept walking.

That was when they had been attacked by the bandersnatchs.

The fight had been going pretty well. Until some how the last bandersnatch had cast sleep on Vincent.

Cid could do nothing but watch as the former Turk fought to stay awake, dropping to his knees as his eyelids grew too heavy to resist.

Cait Sith started to cast esuna to wake up Vincent but the monster was already moving to attack.

Vincent opened his eyes only to be able to look at his approaching fate in sleepy confusion.

And to see that fate taken off course as Cid dived in front of him to take the blow.

Why?

The force of the blow forced Cid into Vincent and they both fell. Cid was slow to get off Vincent. Muttering curses under his breath.

Vincent could smell blood and knew that the blow had been critical.

"Cid why?"

"A little help here guys!" Cait Sith shouted just as the monster attacked him, and it must have knocked something important loose since the robot stopped fighting, the cat falling off the over sized mog.

The monster now circled Cid and Vincent clearly expecting a quick kill and easy meal since he had already wounded Cid so badly.

Cid looked at Vincent when he though he heard the man growl. Then he noticed that Vincent who had been holding him was gently placing him on the ground.

Why was he holding me? Why is he leaving me go, he's not going to fight that fucking thing alone is he?

Suddenly Cid remembered the last time Vincent had been so moody and sleepy, and what had happened.

Oh shit.

"I am sorry Cid. You was hurt because of me, and now that I am alone in this fight this is the only way I can defeat this monster."

Cid closed his eyes, it had only been a blink but it was getting harder and harder to keep awake.

By the time Cid opened them again Vincent was already laying his gun on the ground.

The monster sprang at them ready to rip apart the wounded human and his defender.

Vincent threw himself at the monster, becoming a monster himself. Purple skin and fur taking the place of skin and cloth.

The Galian Beast made quick work of the threat.

A crunch of bone, a flash of red and the beast was looking around for more pray.

Finding none the beast grew board.

He took a few bites form the bandersnatch he had killed but he wasn't hungry enough yet to eat with the buzzing in the back of his head filled with disgust with such an act.

Looking around he saw Vincent's fallen friends.

The inanimate one didn't move or make any noise Galian dismissed it with a snort. Then turned to the other one.

Gillian shook his head his red main flying as he did so. The buzzing the words that he didn't understand getting louder, it was scared, it wanted him to leave.

Gillian looked around but he saw no threat, yet the buzzing, the voice insisted.

But…the hurt man was his friend…wasn't he?

He remembered his last fight a little, that man had healed his wounds after that horrible living door had hurt him…the man was no threat, and there was nothing else around...

But the blood… Galian may not have been hungry but the smell of blood excited him, made him restless, he didn't want to just lay there and watch the man slowly pass out as the voice started shouting even more.

Other voices agreed, Galian could feel their excitement at the smell of blood, they wanted to go and do something. To hunt, to kill, to spill blood.

Galian shook his head again. Voices always voices the beast wasn't sure which was worse, the horrible black void that he was trapped in most of the time or the voices that plagued him when he was free.

The loud annoying babble that he couldn't understand but could feel the emotions behind.

A voice, a voice from outside his head.

The blond man had said something. Galian didn't understand but the voices inside his head reacted to the voice of the man.

Galian growled, it felt as if there was a war going on in his head.

The human spoke again.

Galian approached him, then paused again as the voices grew painful, he whined, the voices had never been this bad before.

The human was looking at him.

Galian turned his head to the side, the human hadn't been talking to him before, he had just been talking to himself, as he dragged himself across the ground towards the white and black thing that wasn't alive, but had moved as if it was.

Galian padded over to the thing, the voices hushed.

The human was reaching for something in the things hand, and as he got closer the voices started to get louder again.

Galian looked down at the odd cone shaped thing that the man seemed to want so badly. He nudged it towards the man and the curve of its roll carried the item to the human's hand.

The man looked at Galian again.

And the voices had fallen silent.

It was as if the world had held its breath waiting for something to happen.

The human broke the stillness first casting the same spell he had once cast on Galian.

The human spoke to him again meaningless words to Galian, again Voices in his head started shouting, the words again meaningless but this time the feelings behind them.

Hate.

Bloodlust.

Fear.

Curiosity.

Galian was confused the Human had helped him before, why should he hurt him? Why should he feel like attacking? Why should he feel like running away?

Why was the human still looking at him?

More words that he didn't understand.

Confusion.

Impatience.

Fear.

Disgust.

Yet that disgust seemed to be aimed at one of the voices rather than the human or Galian himself.

The human stood up, again talking, reaching a gloved hand out to him.

Galian stepped forward.

The fearful voice suddenly grew stronger and louder than the rest, Galian recoiled from the human. Whimpering in pain. Fear and a desperate determination attacking him form within.

With one last look back at the friendly human Galian ran away.

Hours later Vincent opened his eyes, he was surrounded in trees, forest clutter and one stone in particular digging into his side.

Sitting up and leaning against a nearby tree Vincent tried to remember how he got here.

Cait Sith had been disabled...Cid was hurt...and I...

"No..."

Vincent searched the parts of his mind that he dreaded, who had gotten out? Chaos couldn't have, he may be the strongest monster mentally but hadn't yet been able to takeover his body. He flinched as he brushed past the Hellmasker's and Death Giga's minds, they were still to full of hate, bloodlust, and pent up frustration, they couldn't have gotten out. And told him so in no uncertain terms.

That left Galian Beast.

The beast couldn't talk, but Vincent picked up on tiredness confusion and sadness.

The last two Vincent didn't understand, usually Galian was tired and content for a few days after it had, had it's little rampage, Galian was easy to please, a hunt a kill and some fresh meat usually weakened it's resolve allowing Vincent to reclaim his body, something else had happened this time. Vincent risked pressing closer on the beast's mind to learn more.

Blood, Fear, Pain, A face.

Cid's face.

Vincent dropped his head to his hands. No! Not Cid, no more sins to be added onto the already too long list.

Why does everything go wrong, why does everything he does cause more pain.

And now he had killed the only man who had tried to make friends with him.

I've killed my only friend.

"Vincent!"

Vincent looked around. Cloud?

Vincent fought to his feet, using the tree as a crutch. He couldn't let anyone find him. He would only kill more people if he did.

"Vincent!" Another voice Tifa.

"Hey creepy!" Yuffie this time.

Vincent stood on his own feet, where could he go? He had to hide.

"Don't call him 'creepy' Brat!"

Vincent looked in the direction of the voices. It couldn't be.

"Why not old fart? I've heard you call him loads of names 'Sleepy' 'Batty' 'Goth-boy'."

"I don't call him 'Goth-boy' Thief."

"Wouldn't it be wiser to use our energy looking for our friend rather than arguing like this?"

"Like the cat said, shut up and start shouting."

"Barret...that may be the dumbest thing you've ever said."

"Yeah well at least I'm not as stupid as flyboy here, waltzing though the woods with a half healed side."

Vincent hadn't even noticed that he had been walking towards the voices until he had stepped though the last few trees dividing them.

"There you are!" Tifa exclaimed on seeing him.

The rest of the group turned around to see the darkly clad man.

"Cid told us what happened." Barret said.

"Are you okay?" Cloud asked.

Vincent nodded.

Everyone was there bar Cait Sith, who probably hadn't been fixed yet, and Bugenhagen who was probably the one fixing him.

Everyone.

They all cared that much for him.

So much so that they put their quest on hold to go looking at him.

Why? They didn't need him. If anything he put them at risk.

After a few more questions and answers before everyone started walking back to Bone Village to pick up Bugenhagen who, as Vincent has suspected, was fixing Cait Sith.

"Vincent."

"Yes Highwind."

"Are you sure your okay?"

"Yes Cid." Vincent said looking ahead not wanted to look Cid in the eye. "I'm fine."

"Good then, 'cause you scared me you know."

"I scare a lot of people Cid."

"I wasn't scared of you Vincent."

Surprised Vincent turned to face Cid.

"I don't understand."

"Well it's wasn't the first time I'd seen Galian and he seemed, different, this time. When he ran away he seemed scared."

"Ran away?" Vincent frowned. "I thought it attacked you."

"Attacked me? Fuck No, he helped me actually..."

"Hey! Golden Oldies! Pick up the pace!" Yuffie shouted from somewhere ahead. "Last thing we need is losing you two again."

Cid shouted some random curses at the thief.

"Come on Vin last thing we need is her giving us a headache."

After staring at Cid's receding back for a few seconds Vincent followed.

The end