Well, it's me again. Kuro. I'm not really writing this for the reviews, however, I would like critiques. They always help to improve my writing. Same for Reiko. But anyways, like I said before, I'm just writing this to write this. Images, pictures, ideas, all these are swelling in my mind, and I need to let them out.

Well, let us begin from where we left off.

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DISCLAIMER: I don't own things that relate to Final Fantasy!

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Chapter 2.

A Day in the Forest.

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Vincent's eyes remained fixated on the flames that were slowly shrinking in size. More then likely the crew upon the airship was extinguishing the flames the best they could. Each step he took was slow and silent. Each was precise, and distinguished as they were placed in the right spots, preventing any sound from each step.

'Vincent. Do you remember seeing anyone upon the deck of the airship?' Vincent stopped. He closed his eyes, and remained still.

He only saw blackness at first, but he dug further, slowly pushing away all thoughts, all his senses beginning to shut down to concentrate all his power into one task.

A tiny ray of light was dimly guiding his inner self through his mind. And as he got closer, it began to grow. Before long, he felt himself being basked by its warmth, and he closed his inner self's eyes.

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He slowly opened his eyes, letting the light around him disappear. Colors of black, white and grey entered his vision. Colors of blue, green, red, all those colors were expressed by the darkness or the lightness of those three bland colors. However, he himself still remained in color.

Each step he took created a long, lonely echo because of the eternal stillness of this world. He walked up to the ship, and planted only some power to jump the small distance. He landed on the deck, causing a loud echo to rupture his mindscape.

The ball of fire glowed an emanating grey, but it could cause no such harm. Vincent moved to the side to avoid it. And then he saw the people who happened to be on the deck. More then likely, they were still on the deck when the airship was in movement.

There was a man older (physically) then himself. Straight as an arrow, that was what he felt from the man. He was as tall as him, but his statue was of a solid brick. More then likely, the armor he wore contributed to his powerhouse appearance. His eyes showed experience in battle, though they may have been rusty from his years. He held a broadsword in his two hands, attempting to cut down whoever was in front of him.

The next he noticed was to be the one who was dodging the knight's attacks, two daggers in his hands. By the looks of it, he looked to be more of a thief. This one looked to be younger. And was in the air performing a backflip. The child was shorter than him, but his body was meant for attacks with agility and speed. His long hair was loosely tied behind, and his cat-like eyes caused Vincent to raise his eyebrows in curiosity. A confident smirk was on his face, it could have been from his confidence, or hubris. But obviously, the child had an advantage in this battle.

His eyes laid upon the next figure, and was shocked. To have the Princess of Alexandria here seemed strange. Her long hair with the single white strand from her bangs, her pure and naïve eyes, this was definitely Princess Garnet Til Alexandros. No longer was she in the adorned gown, but was in simple commoner's clothes. She changed from the well known princess to the beautiful rare beauty. She seemed to be shouting. Maybe the conflict that was taking place was something she did not want, or she was warning the knight of the bomb, which was behind his

very back. Her hands held a single rod which glowed in the memory. She must know magic.

Finally, his eyes landed on the smallest figure, and was surprised. He had never seen a small being like this before. His clothes covered every inch of his body, and with the large bent up wizard hat, his face was shrouded in mystified darkness. Two unusually light eyes pierced the darkness that was manifested. His hands revealed sparks. So this was a mage? But what sort of magic did the young one know of?

Vincent closed his eyes, and opened them once more, and was greeted by his surroundings in the forest.

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'Those people . . .'

'Yes. More then likely, they would have been thrown off by the crash. And this forest is not a safe one.' Vincent heard Chaos agreement, and he jumped up.

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He jumped from branch to branch, his eyes looking for any signs of human life. But all he saw were the inhabitants of the forest, swamp, and dead life. Until he heard an inhumane squeal. Compared to the bomb's screech in the night, this one had a melodious voice. Vincent began to make his way towards the direction of the battle sounds.

He stopped himself, and stood firmly on a single branch that overlooked the scene. The ones from his memory were below, fighting against a strange cage plant. The cage plant had a stumpy like body, however, on the top of its head are a set of vines which can capture and hold any unfortunate creature. It had two main vines which were long, and dangled in the air. They become deadly when the vines were swung at its opponents.

-

There was the thief, and the knight was beside him, but where was the Princess? The mage?

-

"Help me!" He squinted his eyes, before letting them widen. Of all the things.

There in the cage the young mage stood. He could feel the fear flooding out of the child.

"Vivi! Concentrate your magic!" Vincent turned towards the thief. Blonde hair, and sharp blue cat eyes . . . and a tail? He never saw that in the memory . . . But obviously, the kid had an effect on the mage. He saw the fear quiver slightly at the sound of the kid's voice.

"O—okay . . ." Vivi's eyes began to glow a brighter neonic yellow. They thinned out as he closed his eyes, and raised his hands within the prison. Sparks began to gather within the distance the hands were apart. "I call upon the faintest spark, to ignite the flame within!" The yellow eyes snapped open. "Fire!" The sparks gathered in the front of the plant, and a giant burst of flames ignited. It squealed as parts of its body were burned.

'I see.' Vincent took up Cerberus, and took out the Ice materia, replacing it with a Fire materia. Clicking it in place, he looked down to check on the condition of the three.

-

It seemed that the thief was skilled. Every attack by the cage plant was dodged with ease. It was as if it was reading the movements. But then again, the plant was limited because of its thick vines. Having so much weight would limit the speed and direction of the attack. And the thief saw that as he flipped over another vine. He flashed the daggers in his hands, before closing in and slashing two times at the thick body of the plant cage.

-

The other, the knight, was too heavy to dodge them. However, he looked sturdy. He would at least have a good defense. His eyes did show experience with the sword. The knight swung his sword here and there, cutting into the thick vines that dared to fall in his path.

-

Together they combined forces, but Vincent saw the tension in the knight's eyes as he glared at the thief. But it seemed the situation forced them to work together. Speed and strength were hand in hand, with magic on their side.

'They have no need for assistance.' Vincent however did not put away the gun yet.

He saw the mage concentrating once more, gathering whatever he needed for his magic to work. But it seemed like the cage plant already knew what Vivi was going to do. It brought its two thick vines, and wrapped them around the child. He gasped, before strange electric-like waves were being pulled from his body. Vincent saw those eyes dimming as the cage plant continued to drain away the boy's life. "It seems they do need assistance." He snapped his gunarm up, Cerberus in his hand. He jumped down within the barrage of trees, his eyes looking at the black mage. He concentrated his thoughts into the orbs, calling out the name. "Cure 1."

A green ray of light expelled from the barrels, and speedily made its way towards the battle. The bullet finally hit the black mage, who looked shocked at the impact as it was absorbed into his back. But suddenly, the mage was surrounding by a glowing green aura, causing him to gasp. The other two stopped as they watched him glow for those mere moments. In no time, the child's once dimmed eyes were bright once more with renewed energy.

"I CALL UPON THE FAINTEST SPARK, TO IGNITE THE FLAME WITHIN!" Vivi's hands were glowing, and his glowing eyes could easily piece the darkness around him. "FIRE!"

Vincent's eyes almost widened as he saw the engulfing ball of fire explode under the plant. It screeched into the air as its insides were more than likely cooked.

-

'A bit overdone . . . not the way I like it.'

'Once more, you must add a comment to ruin it.'

-

The plant shook violently, before it fell limp in place. The vines that served as a cage flopped down, useless and dead. Vivi shook himself off before waddling towards the two who ran up to the smaller child.

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"Hey Vivi, you okay?" Vivi nodded to the blonde's question.

"Yes. I'm fine. But what was that?" Questionable looks appeared on the two older ones' faces. Vivi scratched the side of his darkened head. "I suddenly felt refreshed when that thing was draining away my energy . . ."

The blonde smiled, patting Vivi's shoulder with a left hand. "Hey, maybe it's that inner strength ya got kid!"

"Where did that thing take the Princess?" The knight voiced his worry, almost sounding like he'd crash into shambles. Perhaps an almost fatherly kind of protection.

"The other cage plant probably took her to the heart of the forest. That thing's sorta like a goon for the boss in the central area of the forest."

"Then we must hurry!" Yep, now he was in a panic. But then, he felt movement, and looked towards the downed plant. It flipped in the air, and upon its descent, the thief noticed it as well.

"WATCH OUT!" Too late, the plant released a final screech, and a sickly green and black speckled miasma sped towards them. The thief flipped out of the way, but the other two were surprised upon turning towards it. The miasma surrounded the two like flies to a carcass, and the miasma forced itself into their nose and mouths. Vivi collapsed on the spot, and the knight fell. He raised a trembling hand towards the pathway of the forest.

"P—Princess . . ." He collapsed, his hand slammed into the ground. The thief ran and checked them, feeling for a pulse from the knight.

"Shit. They've been infected. I have to get them to Blank!" The thief crouched down next to the knight, and hoisted him on the shoulder. He cringed at the sudden shift of weight. "Damn Rusty. What the hell's the armor made of? Lead?" He moved to the fallen black mage, and held him under his arm. "Phew, at least you're not heavy like Rusty over here. Okay, I better get going before you guys die on me." Zidane took a few test steps with the new weight, before walking towards the swamps. Vincent finally stepped from his hiding place. But instead of following him by foot, he jumped back into the branches. It was better to jump than walk in the water.

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He hated water.

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Before long, the thief was confronted by a pair of Fangs, their red eyes lingering on the two prone bodies the thief carried.

"Dammit! Oh come on!" The thief's arms and shoulder were both occupied, giving him no time to even arm himself. He could only dodge whatever they were going to unleash.

The Fangs were confident as the two of them attacked at once. The thief began to run, hoping to find a place to safely lower them down. "Damn!" But his speed was cut severely thanks to the knight's body. The Fangs were closing in on him.

Vincent decided it was best to step in. He flew down onto the scene, his gun aimed at the first Fang. "Fire." He shot the materia-infused bullet. It sank into the side of the Fang which didn't notice its effects. But then, the side of the Fang was engulfed in fire. The Fang howled as its flesh was agonizingly cooked. It collapsed, trying to put it out. The other Fang stopped at hearing its 'comrade's' cry and spotted Vincent in his descent. It growled, before launching itself carelessly at the gunslinger. Vincent brought his gun up upon landing, ready for another shot. But then he saw another figure dash and jump into the scene.

"Mind if I cut in?" It was thief. The thief pounced on the Fang, his daggers now gleaming in the darkness. With quick flicks of the wrist, he stabbed the daggers into the eye sockets, gorging the bulging flesh within. The Fang whined in agony when he removed the daggers from the sockets, before he stabbed the Fang in the head. The Fang became limp as the thief removed the dagger from the skull. Sheathing the daggers, he looked at the other Fang, which looked more like unseasoned barbeque. "A bit overdone, don't you think?"

"It works." The thief took a few steps closer, trying to get a good view of Vincent. But because of Vincent's tall stature, as well as his buckled up collar, he gave up trying to get a better look at his face. He patted his pants legs, trying to brush away invisible dust, before looking at Vincent once more.

"You know magic?" Vincent at first looked to be walking towards the thief, but then passed him. He slowed upon reaching his side.

"Sort of." Vincent continued to walk away. He spotted where the thief placed Vivi and the knight. He took the knight on his shoulder. "You need to help them, correct?"

The thief stood there, staring at Vincent, as if he had grown a second head. But he didn't object. He ran up the Vincent and took up Vivi. "I'll lead you back to the group. Come on." Vincent made no objection himself as he silently walked side by side with the blonde.

-

"The name's Zidane. Zidane Tribal." Vincent closed his eyes, thinking. He opened them, and looked at Zidane.

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"Vincent Valentine."

-

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Baku, leader of Tantalus, the man known for his humongous pools of strength and brashness, and the man with the info, stood baffled upon seeing the sight of Zidane and tall, dark and mysterious walking towards the ruins of his precious theatre ship. The black shrimp and the rust bucket were in their apparent care, and were taken in. And Baku wanted answers.

"So let me get this straight. This guy here—" He pointed at Vincent. "Was just walking through the forest, when he just happened to see the theatre ship that crashed from the sky? Sounds mighty suspicious to me. And looks mighty suspicious, 'specially with that claw of his." Vincent couldn't help but compare his loud behavior to that of a certain gun armed giant during his time.

"Don't worry Boss, I have a good feeling that the guy's not bad. And you know about my feelings right?"

"Zidane. Ya can't rely on something like that."

"Oh yeah? What about the time I told you not to cross the street?"

"Well—"

"And the day I told you to take the umbrella?"

"It was clear before—"

"How about the time when I told ya not to eat Ruby's newest Tuesday surprise?"

"I was hungry!"

"And when I pleaded you to not go 'all in' at that hand of Take em All Poker!"

"ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALREADY! You made your point dammit. Stupid smart-ass kid . . ." A smirk of triumph was on Zidane's face, and the boss of the group was reduced to mere mumblings. Vincent watched with amusement as the giant was being taken down by the apparent shrimp. Luckily, he himself was taller than the boss, but barely.

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'So . . .'

'So what?'

'How is it being with other beings?'

'Not much. More exciting, in a way.' His eyes pondered on the door of the black mage, who slept. He had just taken the medicine, and needed a bit of rest. Afterall, the potion the child was given was supposed to cleanse his bloodstream. He couldn't help but wonder how he was thrown into the mess. He only looked, or rather, sounded to be that of a 9 year old.

'You're worried about the mage.' Concerned was laced in Chaos' voice. Vincent nodded inwardly.

'A child should never be forced to fight. But here he is now. Why is he here?'

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"Hey! Vince!" Vincent's eyebrow twitched upon the sound of his nickname. An optimistic ninja popped into his mind. How lovely. He slowly turned to Zidane. "I gotta discuss matters with the boss. Don't wander off while I'm gone." Vincent rolled his eyes, feeling like a child being lectured by his mother. Zidane ran off, leaving Vincent alone.

Here he stood in the ruins of the Prima Vista. Somehow, it was intact, but barely. Maintenance was continued as characters of all sorts went in and out. Many curious eyes laid upon him, before moving onward to their tasks.

He felt the same heaviness in his mind. It was the one that would come every time he would use the amplified materia. He pushed himself from the wall, before sitting down. He closed his eyes, adjusting to the sounds of soft pattering feet, and scrapping metal and pounded lumber. But after some time, his mind rested.

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"Got enough rest Vince?" Another twitch of the eyebrow. This wasn't exactly the greatest wake-up call. He heard footsteps, three pairs to be exact. One were light, another felt clumsy, and the last were heavy and lagged. Vincent slowly opened his eyes to find Zidane standing in front of him, with the black mage child only a few feet away, and the knight beside the mage. The knight looked drugged, or perhaps he was sluggish from the administering of the potion. Vincent pushed himself off the floor. He saw the knight look suspicious at his appearance.

"It seems so."

"Good! We're going to be heading out now. We have to save Garnet before we get out of here!" He was a true optimist. The blonde began to walk, and the others followed. Afterall, the kid knew this ship the best.

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They were now outside of the Prima Vista, and Zidane was talking to a man with a hammer in his hand. Vincent now turned his eyes towards the knight, who in turn did the same.

"Who are you? Another of the curs here?" He was definitely one of the straight as the arrow types. And pre-judgmental. Vincent shook his head to the knight. "Then who?"

"Vincent Valentine. And you?" After introducing yourself, it is most impolite for the other person to not give his or her name.

"Sir Aldebert Steiner. Captain of the Knights of Pluto, under the service of Queen Branhe, as well as guardian of Princess Garnet Til Alexandros." He certainly loved to boast.

"I only asked for your name." Vincent kept his voice in a monotone, sounding almost bored and drawled.

" . . . . . . . . "

"Heh, that's a first. You're quiet for once Rusty!" Zidane returned, a sack in his hand.

"For god's sake! I will not be called by that god forsaken nickname by some monkey thief!" So much for quiet. A soft voice reached his ears, and he turned to the black mage who stood beside him. They stared at one another. Vincent could see the natural child curiosity in his eyes.

"Your name is Vincent?" Vincent nodded. "My name is Vivi." He continued to look at the child. Red eyes looking at yellow orbs, and yellow orbs looking at red eyes. Vincent nodded his head, giving the child a response. "Why do you have that?" He pointed at the golden claw. Vincent almost made a move to grab the metal ligament, but stopped himself.

"I have my reasons little one." They remained frozen, until Vivi nodded his head in understanding.

"I see. I won't pry or anything. That would be rude." And the child had manners as well. And he felt maturity from the child.

"Here. I got us some potions, antidotes and phoenix downs. Eyedrops too. Keep them where you need them in case something happens." Zidane gave everyone an even share of supplies. Vincent looked at them strangely. They were in different packages. No longer were they in durable containers. Now they were in vials and flasks, and the phoenix down was not just a small pouch of gold and crimson powder manufactured by a company. Instead, it was a whole and razor like feather. Almost like that of a phoenix.

"Master Vivi! We must be off! The Princess is still in grave danger!" Vivi did hear Steiner's voice. For some reason, he saw Vivi play with the hat upon his head, before he began to run towards the knight and Zidane. Vincent pocketed the newly recognized supplies, before he began to walk after the three who now ventured further into the forest. To the heart of the forest, to the heart of its life. To the center where the Princess was held.

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Vincent trailed a few feet behind the caravan of three. He took up his gun, and unclicked it out of place. The materia orbs were gleaming. He took out the Revive materia, and replaced it with a Heal materia. He clicked it in place once more, before hiding it in its holder. As for the Revive materia, he looked down towards the hand that held it. The bangle was worn out, but still had its uses. He placed the materia into the slot. Though it was an energy-taker, the Revive materia would prove most useful. There was another slot left, so he took out a Barrier materia. He placed it in the slot. Soon he walked towards the group, remaining a safe distance from them.

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They came across Fangs and giant blue Squirrels with unusually heavy iron tails, but they were killed off before Vincent had to move in. The forces of the three were commendable. However, his un-involvement went noticed by one of the members of the party.

"Is it me, or have you not even fought in any of our skirmishes?" Vincent stopped, hearing Steiner's voice, and looked at the knight. He looked irritated. How could he be so easily irritated? He sighed, feeling the immaturity of this argument.

"Why must I? After all, you have handled the monsters well." The knight sheathed his sword, and crossed his arms. His eyes had a glint of confidence. A kind of confidence Vincent felt he wished to extinguish.

"Is it perhaps you are not armed? Or is it because you do not want to fight?" Vincent let his right hand dangle next to the gun holster. The knight knew nothing of what was ahead, or rather, what was to come.

"I wish to not fight." He saw the knight smirk. "However—" Vincent grabbed the handle of the gun, and snapped it up. The knight remained frozen, and had fear written all over his face. Zidane began to shout in alarm, warning, anything to stop what he thought was to come.

"Vince! Don't!"

He pulled the trigger, and a bullet of burning red shot out. It grazed the cheek of the knight as it passed. A frightful howl roared through the forest, making the others turn. There only a few feet behind the knight was a slain Fang. Its face and snout were badly burned, and the eyes were baked. Ooze was dripping out of the ears of the monster.

Vincent placed the gun back in the holster. "If I must, I must. And I will." Vincent's eyes locked with that of Steiner's. "And never put away your weapon. Even here. This is a spot known for ambushes." It was true. The pathway they were on had many thickets of trees, vines, and bushels of green. A monster could hide in the thickets so easily, and remain undetected. Vincent began to walk forward, leaving the knight behind. The knight gritted his teeth, but remained silent. Zidane stepped forward, putting himself in Steiner's vision.

"Whoa, calm down Rusty! Remember, Garnet?" The anger upon his face vanished, now replaced with worry.

"Yes! You are right! We must hurry for the Princess's sake!"

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They soon came across an area different from the others. It was one that was calm, and held no evil. A sound of trickling water made Vincent feel at ease.

Soft dry moss decorated the ground, and a strange glowing light was above the area. An old stump was erected in place, and crystal clear water was leaking out of a naturally made spout. Zidane made his way to the small spring, and began to drink the water. Vincent made his way to the spring as well, but suddenly felt a strange nagging to look down. Upon the ground was a shard of white the size of his finger. He bent down to pick it up, examining it. Where did it come from? He looked up, and saw what was the source of the light.

It was solidified materia. It was casting the strange light glow in the vicinity, and was held in place by twisting vines. The vines around it looked, pure. As if the materia was cleaning it of impure substances and influences.

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'I can't believe it. Whole Materia . . .' He heard excitement and awe from the voice now.

'Whole Materia?'

'Whole Materia. Pure Lifestream, or rather, pure souls manifested this. That's why the whole area is free from monsters.' Vincent nodded his head. That was surely amazing. And to ward off the evil intent of others was a bonus. Materia, he still didn't know everything about the substance. He looked down at the holster/pouch that held his gun and materia supply. The power he could call on, at a small and measly price. What would it have been like if it wasn't for those orbs of energy?

-

He looked up and saw that everyone had taken their share of fresh water. He stuck his hand in the pouch and took up the small water canteen. It was grey and round, but fit easily in the side pocket of the holster. He untwisted the cap and placed it under the trickling waterfall. Slowly, water filled up to the brimming top, and Vincent secured the cover. He drank some water from the spring as well, and felt his energy returning. Maybe the materia above was infusing its energy into the water. He looked down at the white shard in his hand, but carelessly let it drop into the pouch. He walked on, still a distance from the group.

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Vivi had yet again slowed himself to walk next to Vincent. Vincent could feel the boy staring at him. "Is something wrong?"

"Where do you come from?" Another innocent question. Vincent remembered how people would ask such questions. Maybe he did look too mysterious for his own good. Chaos snickered in the back of his mind. He easily ignored it.

"I, cannot answer that question."

"Why?"

"It is because I do not have a place of origin."

"Why?"

"Because my place of origin has disappeared."

"Why?"

Vincent became irritated. But the child's blunt curiosity was natural. "The world changes. So do places. The place I belong to is gone."

Vivi was silent. "Oh. I see . . . sorry." Vivi walked away from Vincent. Vincent swore he felt a bit guilty from his answer. It did sound too realistic. However, his attention was averted as the sound of moving vines entered his mind. He looked up, and saw them.

Vines. Small vines. Big vines. Thorned vines. Heavy vines. Vines could be seen twisting and turning through the trees. And they were moving. Zidane seemed to know what was going on, as he began to sprint.

"Zidane! Wait!" Vivi and Steiner followed in suit. Vincent saw Zidane take up his daggers, while Steiner and Vivi took up their weapons, ready for what was ahead. Vincent was left alone, in thought.

-

"So this is it. We're here."

'Yes. Quite a lot going on, isn't it Vincent?'

'I have a good feeling that more is to come.'

'Indeed. Indeed.' At that, Vincent took hold of Cerberus. He checked the gun, making sure nothing was out of place.

-

Materia in gun? Check.

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Materia in bangle slots? Check.

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Potions, antidotes, eyedrops and phoenix downs in place? Check.

-

Vincent pumped his legs forward, and sped towards the group.

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A/N: This is Kuro. Sorry about the shortness of this chapter. I'll make it up to you in the next. Thank you for reading the 2nd installment for this fanfiction. I hope the read was not too hard for you (what I mean is hard to keep your interest in). I am working on the 3rd ever so exciting installment, while Reiko is doing her homework because she's a last minute person. Heh, sorry, had to add that. But yes, review please. Whether it is a compliment, a flame, or a comment or suggestion, please do so.

Sincerely,

Kuro.