Vincent Comes Home

Nevaeh Bluden and Femme Fatal--Thanks to both of you. :)

Shadrach--I cracked up when you talked about terrible DBZ. I know just what you mean. As to Vincent's background--actually, everything that wasn't told in the game, I made up. His friends, Bloody Luke, Eddie, Klaus and the rest. The missions, training, letters, weapons, conversations--I made all of it up. Now, of course, when Dirge of Cerberus comes out I'm gonna be fucked--because I think they're bringing in Hojo and Lucrecia and explaining Vincent's past. :D But hey, maybe I'll get lucky. But I really liked the idea of Vincent having all these past connections. Not just with Hojo and Lu. But with old friends and stuff. That was fun to think of.

VahlanaAngel--All I have to say is:: Clenova. Dude. That kicks my ass. That sounds liks something Reno would say. Hahahahaha!
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I was a little wary about this chapter because we're getting close to the end. I've read it over a few times and I'm finding I'm still uncertain about it. Not in what happens, but in my protrayal of it. So, I may go back and rework this--but for now--here's the next chapter.

OMG! Did anybody go see King Kong, look at the Captain of the Venture and says, "OMG, it's Cid!" Even if he doesn't actually look just like Cid--he still acts just like Cid. I was sitting in the theater and the whole time, that was all I could think of. Was--damn. He's like Cid. A chain-smoking, fierce, hot, badass. Fuckin' A! I was thrilled.


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Barret threw Cloud over his shoulder. “Did they fin’ Yuffie?”

Vincent shrugged. “Reno was here for a moment and I told him to leave. Cloud told me where she was.”

“How the fuck’d he tell you where she was?”

Vincent thought about that for a moment. “He…seemed to have…some sort of spasm, almost a seizure—and when he would…Cloud would come through. He’s still in there somewhere. Just buried deeply.”

The looked Barret gave him was uneasy. “Le’s go fin’ Yuffie.”

The ship lurched. All three of them grabbed onto the walls, Barret cursing.

“We must have arrived,” Tifa said, looking up at the ceiling.

There was silence for a moment.

Vincent turned around, checked the ammo and Materia in his gun and holstered it at his side. “Let’s go then.”

“What about Marlene?” Tifa said suddenly.

Vincent and Barret both looked at her. To be honest, Vincent had completely forgotten about Barret’s little daughter.

“Wha’d’ya mean?”

“Well, just that…just in case we…”

“Y’mean did I say m’goodbyes? No. I tol’ her I was going into the City and said I might no’ come back.”

Tifa stared at him.

“She’s tougher than y’give ‘er credit for, Tifa.”

They left the room. Vincent felt a vague sense of unease when he turned off the lights and closed the door, but then it was gone and Barret was leading them down the hallway. When they turned the corner Zet was jogging towards them. She slowed when she saw them.

“Uh…is everything all right?”

“As can be expected.”

Zet had been a bit more talkative lately. She wasn’t striding out of her way to chat with any of them but she wasn’t looking uneasily to the side when they glanced at her either. It seemed to have something to do with Cid, she’d been with him a lot recently, but Vincent couldn’t really figure out what it was.

Zet nodded, flicking her eyes at Barret’s shoulder where Cloud hung but said nothing of it. Instead, she told them, “We’ve landed outside a strange…place. It looks deserted. Is it the Forgotten City?”

Vincent nodded to her. “We’ll be going in as soon as we find Yuffie.”

Zet’s eyes furrowed. “What’s wrong with Yuffie?”

“Lon’ story,” Barret said shortly. “Let’s go.”

She nodded and, turning on her heel, went back the way she’d come.

Barret scowled and thumped onward. They were about to open the door to the hold when it whisked right out of Vincent’s fingers.

Reno, Yuffie, and Cid came out of the darkness.

“Are you all right, Yuffie?” he asked her.

She smiled. “’Course I am. Hardly a scratch.”

“Oh fuckin’ bullshit. We could see your intestines, Yuffie.”

She glared at Cid. If Tifa had had anything in her hands, she would have dropped it. “What?!”

Yuffie waved her hand. “Don’t worry ‘bout it. M’fine. Reno saved my intestines like a champ.”

“I would rather have saved an arm or something.”

Yuffie laughed.

Vincent looked over Reno. He looked a little tired. “Will you be all right to go to the City?”

Reno straightened. “Yeah, sure. Jus’ don’t make me look at someone’s intestines again. I might puke.”

“Then everyone get your gear and meet near the ramp. Any of you seen Nanaki, Zet, or Jeremiah?”

“I think Nanaki is up on the bridge.”

“We just saw Zet, we told her we would be leaving,” Vincent added.

“Why we bringin’ Captain Space Cadet and Lieutenant Shorty?”

“She’s my height, Reno!”

“Well,” and Reno thought about that for a moment. “You’ve got more flair. Makes you seem bigger.”

“Are you calling me fat?”

“Yes,” Reno said, nodding fervently to her. “I’ve got a death wish.”

Yuffie laughed, hands on her hips.

“Meet up at the ramp then.”

They walked back down the hallway and separated. Vincent, Tifa, and Barret already had their gear, so they went to the ramp. Yuffie had her gear too, but she went with Reno anyway. And Cid strode off to who-knew-where. He’d become almost unapproachable lately.

But then again, he’d been that way when they’d first met too. Cid had given him a handshake, glanced down at his claw and, taking a deep pull on his cigarette, said, “How ya doin’? M’Cid Highwind. Who’re you?”

“He’s Vincent Valentine,” Aeris had put in, appearing at Cid’s side and smiling prettily at him.

Cid had tongued his cheek, glancing down at her as if he wasn’t quite sure what to make of her. He’d looked back at Vincent. “You mute?”

“No,” he had told him, quietly.

“Well, nice t’meet ya, anyway.” The pleasantries came out as if Cid wasn’t used to saying them. Then the man had shouldered his weapon and walked away.

So he supposed it was natural for Cid.


A few moments later, Cid joined them, followed by Nanaki, Zet and Jeremiah. O’Malley walked behind them. At the same time, Yuffie and Reno approached from the left. Cid looked them over for a moment and then turned to his First. “You’ve got the ship. If we’re not back in a couple days, just go. Ship’s yours.”

O’Malley saluted him, looking grim.

“Hey, Vincent,” said Reno, smirking at him. “Yuffie says to give you these.” He tossed something at him.

Lightening fast, his hand flashed out and grabbed the items. They were three chocolate bars. He looked at them.

Yuffie smirked. “Just in case you get hungry.”

Vincent felt a smile spread up over his face. “Thank you.”

Cid hit the button to lower the ramp.

Vincent tucked the chocolate bars in his breast pocket and looked out into a place he thought he’d never see again. “Let’s go then.”


It was entirely different from the Crater and, Vincent thought, kind of ironic that in the Crater there were no longer any monsters but here, for some reason, there were more than ever.

They fanned out in a haphazard line. Whoever fought simply depended on who was attached on who was either side of them when it happened. Vincent tried to stay by Tifa’s side. If he could not be with her, than he would at least protect her.

Yuffie had just skewered some kind of floating thing. “Monsters here are different from before.” Suddenly she gasped. “Oh look! A Fire Ring!” She picked it off the dead monster to show them.

“What the hell’s a monster doin’ with a Fire Ring?” Cid asked her.

“Dunno,” Yuffie said. “It had some gil too. Though I’m not sure where it would have spent them. Who would let it into a store?”

“Who assumed it could count?” Reno snarked, grinning.

Vincent had always wondered about that himself. Why did monsters carry items such as Fire Rings? The only explanation that Vincent could ever come up with was that beasts were naturally drawn to Materia. And since you had to have Materia to have a Spelled Ring, perhaps they were simply drawn to it. Like crows to shiny objects. But, of course, that was only magical items. Vincent had no idea why a monster would be carrying gil. They didn’t speak like Nanaki and they showed no signs of just being friendly towards them. The monster just always attacked them.

He put it from his mind as they came upon the stone walkways. It had always made Vincent think of bones. He looked over the City.

It was still perfect, beautiful and undisturbed. Deserted.

“Wow,” said Zet, very softly, from his right.

Cid sucked on his cigarette. “Hell, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” He strode purposefully past them down the center path, shouldering the Gospel.

On Barret’s shoulder, Cloud suddenly moaned. Everyone stopped.

“We should hurry,” Nanaki told them.

They did. Running down the center path, Cloud groaned again and suddenly a piercing shriek slammed into Vincent’s brain. He stumbled, throwing his hands over his ears. Ahead of him, Cid jolted, tripped and tumbled to the ground.

“Sonofabitch! What is that!?”

Barret tightened his gun arm over Cloud and stuffed a finger in his ear. “Fuck if I know.”

Nanaki lifted his head and howled, trying to drown out the sound.

Yuffie winced, covering her ears. “It doesn’t go away, even if you block it out.”

Tifa was breathing hard. “It’s Jenova. She’s calling.”

“Calling what?” Cid asked her warily, looking up from the ground.

Everyone heard Reno take a very audible breath. “Oh shit.”

“What?” Cid jumped up.

Vincent hurried to Reno’s side.

Monsters were massing below them.

Cid stomped over. “What the—oh, fuck. What the hell?!”

There must have been hundreds of them. All shapes and sizes, with maddened eyes. Everyone stared over the hill, looking at horrid dripping, bloody zombies, beasts with large teeth, magic users, warriors, giants, and moving trees.

“We have to get out of here.”

Cid looked at him. “We could fight ‘em—“

Vincent returned the look, as if he were a newbie Turk suggesting something ludicrous. “There are too many of them. They’ll simple overwhelm us. They want Cloud.”

Everyone looked at their former leader; hung over Barret’s should like a sack of potatoes.

“She’s calling them to us.”

“Start running,” Nanaki told them. “I will summon the Knights and rejoin you.”

Vincent turned swiftly. “Come on,” he told Tifa, taking her arm. “Run. You have to run.”

The ground began to tremble under their feet.

“They’re coming! Run!” Nanaki roared and then he howled, his Materia flaring to life.

Everyone took off. They heard the rumbles and crashes of the Knights and the screams of monsters. They made it through the cliffs and saw the huge Shell House. Vincent ushered Tifa in and waited for Barret to pass him before he went in too. The others came in behind them.

Barret went first, climbing up the curving ramp to go into the blue path, nearly hidden in the middle. He was just about to go down when Cloud’s eyes suddenly popped open. He whipped up like a snake, raised his fist and struck Barret between the eyes. The big man stumbled backwards, crashing into the wall. Cloud jumped down and looked right at Vincent.

Vincent felt every muscle in him seize up.

“You should never have brought me here.”

Vincent’s hand started to move.

Reno leapt over Barret and swung his rod.

Instantly, it was gone, spinning out of his grasp to Cloud’s hand. There was an all mighty crack and the Shell House seemed to burst into pieces. Suddenly, everything was sliding.

Yuffie snagged Reno by the back of his shirt and leapt nimbly from the collapsing structure.

“Shit!” Cid roared. A wall caved open behind him. The floor shifted. He lost his footing, slid across the smooth floor and went flying into the air.

Barret thumped heavily through the floor, slamming limply into the bottom floor.

Zet grabbed the Jeremiah by the arm and jumped out, using her halberd for leverage.

Vincent and Cloud stayed in the air. Floating.

I’m going to lower you, Dark One.

He heard the voice echo inside his skull. A commandment. What things would be.

“It’s good to know fear,” Cloud told him, eyes wide and unnatural-looking.

They lowered, slowly, to the ground.

Yuffie’s shuriken flashed.

Cloud whipped a hand out. It stopped before him and then flew back in the opposite direction. Vincent heard a yelp as Yuffie dodged her own weapon.

Vincent felt dirt under his feet. The House was leveled, the staircase into the Crystal Sanctuary clearly visible.

Raise your weapon.

Vincent winced, flinching back from the command. His fingers twitched.

Do it!

Panting, trying to keep in control of himself, his whole hand shuddered to his holster and pulled out his gun.

Go to the man.

Invisible hands seemed to grab his face and turn it so he was looking at Cid. He was just sitting up, a hand on his shoulder. He must have landed face first because a heavy stream of blood was coursing out of his nose. Tifa crouched next to him, handing him a rag.

And her!

Go to them!

Unable to stop himself, he moved forward. Breathing hard, he spread his legs, planting them into the ground, trying to stop. But it didn't matter. It took him forward.

Shoot them both.

Vincent bit his lip; he was trembling all over with effort at keeping himself still.

NOW! The boom resonated through his skull. He raised his gun, pointing it at Cid.

His blue eyes went wide. “What the hell you doin’?”

“It’s Jenova!” Tifa screamed at him. She leapt up.

KILL HER!

Everything seemed fuzzy, as though they were moving in slow motion. He changed targets and pulled the trigger.

There was a bang, a shriek and a gasp.

Suddenly, Nanaki was there. He was covered in blood and puffing for breath. There were several shouts, something small and red flew through the air and there was a flash of white light.

When it faded, Yuffie fell to her knees, clutching her shuriken. “If we gotta keep summoning Alexander to keep him in line…this is becoming a real pain in the ass.”

“Come on, sit down.”

“I’m fuckin’ fine.”

“Yeah, there’s just a hole in you. Shut up.”

Vincent felt empty all of a sudden. His gun fell to the ground and he crouched beside it for a minute, trying to catch his breath. He watched Reno jump up, pick up Cloud and toss him to the staircase to the Sanctuary. He turned around, asking if anyone had rope. Someone tossed him some and he started tying it around Cloud. Jeremiah was examining Cid’s shoulder, which looked at though a red flower had blossomed on it.

It would have hit Tifa right between the eyes. Cid and Nanaki had moved just in time.

“Take your shirt off, Cid.”

That was Tifa. He protested, saying it would only hurt more but he complied, although he refused to let anyone help him. Vincent watched the muscle lock in his jaw as he slid his arm out of his shirtsleeve and raised half of the garment to his throat.

Zet crouched down, looking at the hole. Tifa looked at her and Jeremiah, seeming to measure them up. Then she looked at Vincent. “Hey…hey, Vincent?”

Crouched over as he was, he looked back, a chill of trepidation running up his spine. I shot Cid.

Somewhere in his memory, Eddie’s voice said, Damn, he’s gonna kick your ass later.

“Are you…okay now?”

He nodded, still feeling out-of-sorts. But then he licked his lips and stood up. “You’ll need help with him, I assume.” Because I almost killed him.

Tifa nodded very seriously. She beckoned to Yuffie. “It’ll take all three of us to hold him down.” Because I almost killed him. Don't...don't...

“Reno could help,” Yuffie piped in.

“Actually, Reno, could you help Nanaki with Barret?” Tifa called to him. He waved to her.

The three of them approached Cid. He glared at Vincent.

Vincent looked away. “I…I apologize.”

“Yeah,” said Cid, rather darkly. “Let’s get this goddamn bullet so we can use Cure and get down there.”

Yuffie handed Zet a small knife while she and Tifa grabbed one of his arms and Vincent grabbed the other.

His claw twinged painfully. He ignored it.

Zet knelt in front of Cid and put a hand on his shoulder. “Just try to hold still.”

“Jus’ get it out.”

He stiffened and arched when she put the knife in. He grunted, squeezing his hands into tight fists. He pulled forward, nearly throwing Tifa and Yuffie from their feet.

“Hold still, Cid!”

“I’m fuckin’ tryin’!”

It seemed to take ages before Zet threw the knife down. “Don’t scream,” she warned him. She dug her fingers into his shoulder and pulled out the bullet.

“Oh Christ…” Cid breathed, bowing his head.

“Cure? Anyone? Mine’s not mastered yet.”

Tifa popped hers out of her glove and tossed it to Zet. She put it in her halberd, clutched the weapon in her right hand and laid a hand on Cid’s bloody shoulder with her left. She activated Cure and his shoulder knitted itself, the scarred flesh puckering up like a purse and then smoothing itself out.

Vincent released Cid’s arm and walked around him. He held out his whole hand. Cid, who was watching Zet, glanced at him.

The pilot took it and heaved himself up, pulling down his shirt. “How’s Barret?”

“He’s fine,” Reno called across the House. “He’s bitchin’ about a headache.”

Barret shouted something at Reno and must have thrown something because suddenly, the red-head tumbled over, cursing.

Tifa seemed to abruptly take in the staircase. She gasped.

“What is it?” Vincent asked her.

“Let’s go. Let’s go and fix this. We’re nearly done.”

“Thank-fucking-God for that,” Cid snapped, surly. He grabbed his Gospel and started towards the stairs. Tifa and Zet exchanged Materia and everyone followed. It was Cid who picked up Cloud this time, giving him a rough shake before he did, to ensure he was out.

He got on the stairs. They were the same as they had been, so was the room. Crystalline and magnificent.

“Wow,” Vincent heard Jeremiah mutter, somewhere behind him. “I’s beau’iful…”

He glanced at Zet, but, from the look of awe on her face, she seemed too stunned for words.

All of them gathered at the bottom.

Cid turned to Tifa. “Well, this is your dream. Now what?” His tone was harsh.

She looked up.

Cloud’s eyes opened.

“Cid!” Yuffie shouted.

Cid glanced down and with a hard roll of his shoulder, flipped Cloud into the air. Cid grabbed his ropes. Vincent was to them instantly, drawing his gun, putting it flush against Cloud's temple.

“Cid…Cid…where’s Tifa?”

Vincent blinked. Cid did a double-take. “Cloud?”

Cloud seemed to smile, just a little. “Could I stand? Jenova has no power here.”

Cid seemed wary. “How do I know you’re not just fakin’.”

“We have no real way of telling,” Nanaki replied.

Cid glared at him.

Cloud rubbed his arms as Cid, probably against his better judgement, cut the ropes. The young man looked at Vincent and Cid.

I can count on you, right?

Vincent’s head ticked to one side, raising his eyebrows. Cloud reached out and touched him.

He could feel Jenova screaming. It cringed away from this place. It knew what was gong to happen to it.

Are you so sure, she seemed to lash at him. How do you know that once he is gone I won’t emerge and—

Because once I’m gone, you will be too.

A horrible flash of a realization came to Vincent. “Cloud. Is it encase—“

Cloud silenced him with a look. Yes.

Grasping suddenly at what Cloud was about to do, he desperately tried to think of something, anything else.

There is no other way, Vincent. I need to know if I can count on you.

Vincent stared at him for a long moment and, dumbstruck, nodded. He watched Cloud go to Tifa. She flinched away at first, but he stroked her face and smiled for her and hugged her. Then he leaned close and whispered something to her. She smiled. He kissed her. Brushing her cheek, he turned around to face the dais.

He looked up.

“Aeris is here. Tifa, when I told you before I’d dreamed about this place, I lied. But I saw Aeris last night. She has shown me what to do.”

“Cloud…?” Tifa said, looking suddenly wary. “What are you talking about?”

He turned around and smiled at them all.

He walked onto the dais.

There was a great flash of white light.

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