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Warning: This is a crossover with Final Fantasy 9. There are references to Final Fantasy 8. But they are only slight. And I am disregarding all origins of the planet after Final Fantasy 7. Sorry, but if you are disturbed by this fact, please press the BACK button on the internet browser. If you continue and still feel disturbed by my story, flame me all you want. I accept comments, compliments, and flames.
Also, Reiko has allowed me to upload this story on her account. I'm graciously thankful of course (she rolls her eyes as I type this) and I hope that you enjoy the story! So for those who have read this before i reposted this here, please flame me on the other account. Thank you.
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DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY 7, NOR DO I OWN FINAL FANTASY 9!
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Oh, and the reason why I have these '--------------' is because half of my document crammed itself together regardless of the reprogramming I did on it. If I write another chapter, I'll make sure that I don't have these very very irritating '--------------'. It'll probably make life a bit easier if technology didn't stab you in the back after a multitude of times!
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What if, the worlds we have worshipped and adored were not separated? What if, instead, the storylines of each world, were all set into a large timeline? That each story or plane of existence lasted for a period of time, before launching itself to the next one? Probably unbelievable because of the rarity of such a thought.--------------
But there have been many stories. Good stories, bad stories, and stories without an end. And there have been stories where there is a hero (or heroine), heroes and heroines, who journey throughout the world and lands, fighting the corruption, the evil that plagues its very being. Stories of beings whose strength, power, and unbelievable abilities were unlike any other.--------------
But there is one simple fact that roots the origins of these stories.--------------
They all came from truth. History, molded, cryptically shaped, changed till the true facts were unknown. Only the ones whose eyes have seen and observed such stories know of the truth. But there have never been such beings in the world, and no one has ever heard of such a being in existence. And no one has heard the truth behind the stories themselves.--------------
However, this was not always true. Not at all I say. For there is a single person who has in fact seen history unfold before his own eyes. He lives, breathes, and watches as time seems to pass by him. His name . . .--------------
Vincent Valentine.--------------
Who is he? If anyone was given this man's name, they would know nothing of such a person. Perhaps the word Valentine, or the name Vincent, but they would not know of a man by the name of Vincent Valentine. Not at all.--------------
Vincent Valentine. How shall we begin . . . Perhaps Mr. Valentine's story can be explained. Perhaps, and only perhaps.--------------
He is a man of 6 feet. Tall, dark, and mysterious. Clothed in a black outfit that clung to his fit body, many of the opposite sex would have approached him if not for the haunting personality he possessed. The body he possessed was one that was both easy and horrifying for the eyes. Although he was very handsome, his body was deformed by that of inhumane experimentation upon him. His left arm, once human, was amputated, and a claw of gold replaces its human counterpart. His face of pale ivory was half covered by the collar of a heavy crimson red cloak, hiding his arms, backside, and most of his face from curious onlookers. His forehead was covered by a red bandanna, which pulled back the kept the bangs from irritating his face, although that may have not been his intention. The golden claw is the second most interesting thing about him. The first are his eyes. The eyes he was given did not seem at all human, and yet, he was born with them. Eyes of crimson, orbs of ruby, they were something no one could possibly explain, or create on their own. Though there have been others with red eyes, these eyes possessed a special trait, something that made them, them. Originals, one could say. Such eyes were beautiful, and yet those eyes haunted those who perished by the power of this man.--------------
On his right thigh was a leather pouch which holds his most precious weapon. Cerberus. A massive gun that possessed three barrels, enabling it to unleash an overpowering gunfire assault. It is believed that it had the power to even down the greatest of monsters in the past.--------------
But there is one more thing very interesting about this man. He was transformed after the pickings and proddings of Hojo, who was responsible for submerging his body into what was known as the Lifestream, the life energy of the planet itself. However, his body was introduced to the corrupted Mako (condensed Lifestream) known as G Substance. This had adverse effects on his body, which from that moment on housed the entity known as Chaos. However, upon this contraction, Vincent went into a maddening rampage. He was calmed by the woman he loved, Lucrezia, and placed into a deep sleep. But Chaos would always remain within him.--------------
Vincent Valentine, in the timeline he supposedly belonged in, was a man of mystery. He was found by the first group of heroes that men, women, and children in the future speak and talk of. Within the coffin of a dark mansion, his joining of the group was through a spark of curiosity. If he hadn't heard of the intentions of the heroes, then he'd remain in that very coffin, forcing himself in a death-like slumber for all eternity. But he journeyed alongside with crew of fighters. With his powers and abilities, he aided the group of heroes in stopping the single man bent on destroying the planet.--------------
From the experimentations, Vincent gained the ability of metamorphosis, as well as the power of flight through one of his forms. But the most strangest, and possibly interesting thing is that Vincent Valentine has a strange bodily disorder. He doesn't age. Immortality. Many would think of this as a blessing, but he saw it as a curse. It was something that stopped him from seeing the one he loved on the other side. So because of this, he remained his young 28 year old self, even though the world around him did not. So when the band of heroes he became accustomed to were all lost in time, Vincent let go of past ties, and wandered. Even the one known as Red XIII, or Nanaki, whose lifespan was great, was lost in the thick sands of time. The only other who still remained was of the entity that rested within him. Chaos. As time passed, Chaos became more civilized in human speech, and would at times strike a conversation with Vincent.--------------
He had intended to fall back to sleep, but something changed within him. His time with the group of heroes, no, his comrades had renewed something within him. Something that made him restless when he tried to force himself into the deathly-trance sleep once again.--------------
So he wandered, for years and years, occasionally coming into contact with human beings. But as soon as he was seen, he would disappear in a mere instant. Thoughts of the man disappeared, like a single droplet of blood in the deep end waters.--------------
He became an observer of events, watching time unfold its cruel, yet amusing lines before him. And he was the only one who could fully see history unfold.--------------
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The land he once knew became different, and the knowledge of mako became scarce by the years, and ShinRa ceased to exist. He traveled the lands, and watched as technology advanced. He was amazed by the wonders the future he now lived in possessed, but such wonders and amazing sights were balanced by the wars that were being fought. Children in their teens would fight in a war not truly meant to be fought by ones so young and inexperienced. Although the knowledge of the Lifestream was no more, technology outbalanced the power of the planet. He had seen giant buildings and areas known as 'Gardens' move at their own power, and he saw the children and soldiers cast spells and summon entities that he himself had yet to see. He still held the materia that would call forth many of the entities that were lost in time. Thanks to a certain loudmouth ninja, who had given him the materia upon her time of death. But he had no need to use them.--------------
He had seen the ones whose blood held a power similar to that of the Ancients. An affinity to magical abilities and powers. Sorceresses, that's what they were called. But with their power, came a great evil that possessed them, unless they were guided by a knight, or a male companion who could hold back the evil within the Sorceress. At a point, he almost interrupted the timeline of the current world, but stopped himself when he saw that there was no need for it. He did not feel the urge to step into the world to reveal himself. Not yet.--------------
The events that lead to the greatest wars and conflicts became stories as well, and yet another group of young men and women were idolized in countless tellings of the times of SeeD, and the great military powers of the Gardens.--------------
And then a single sorceress had changed something. She had done something that changed the destined path of the world. Something had happened to the world as more time passed. It just . . . changed. All the technology was gone, and the Lifestream Vincent kept secret about became wild and uncontrollable. It bathed the planet, making it anew, changing it. In a way, it mutated the inhabitants, and yet, it empowered them, recreating them into something different. Vincent however was left unchanged, for his body was forever frozen thanks to the permanent corrupted mako that flowed within him. But he watched from a distance as the world lost touch of the advancements of science, and the Lifestream embedded new powers in the ones born into this world.--------------
This world now had a name, Gaia. And Gaia, was a world that contrasted easily to the ones Vincent had seen before. A world that children from the very parts of history he originated from would dream of. A place of natural beauty, wondrous mysteries, a place that any child would wish to be a reality. And for once, Vincent felt lost in the world, when he watched this world rapidly develop.--------------
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And now, something grave was rolling in. Something that the world itself would not expect.--------------
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And so, Vincent Valentine the gunslinger, the holder of Chaos, the immortal being and the one true historian, shall step into this world.--------------
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What is this world?--------------
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The world of Gaia is one of fantasy. A world that lacked the technological builds that Vincent knew of. A world that in itself was beginning to develop. A world that even baffled Vincent.
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A new world to explore. And a new world to wander. Another world to protect.
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But somehow, in this world, a world unknown to Vincent, he himself does not know of the events that will force his existence to be revealed. What will happen when someone discovers the man who has walked in history's past?
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Chapter I.
A Night in the Town.
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Night. A comforting time. He always looked forward to the time the stars pierced the night sky, glimmering in the darkness. And the single moon that glowed of sapphire hung low, the stars wrapping themselves around it like a mantle. The beauty of the sky surpassed that of the two worlds he had been in. But then again, watching the Lifestream overflowing all that long ago was probably the most amazing thing he had seen.
Vincent had no need for a fire, not wanting to attract any monsters or fiends upclose. The night sky was bright enough to provide him sight.
It was calm, something that had been following him for some time. The solitude itself was a self-imposed one.
When the world changed so suddenly, the place where Lucrezia slept disappeared. Upon this revelation, Vincent could no longer dwell there to watch over his lover. So he wandered, partially in search for her resting place, and also to lessen the pain from being apart from his dearly beloved.
He sat down upon the chimney that remained erected on one of the many rooftops of the homes in the kingdom of Alexandria. From there, he looked outward towards the night sky above.
It had been so long since he had interacted with the society of this world. He has observed it from a distance, and only knew of the current status of life from listening to wandering voices passing by.
The castle in the kingdom was a grand one, one made of pure white marble, and held a giant sword that was too large and powerful for any man to wield. It was prosperous land, a kingdom that seemed like heaven for the people. But he noticed that there was a discrimination of men. He smirked, remembering Yuffie, who would always complain of the discrimination women would receive. How she'd love to see such a sight. Somehow, he could still remember the group of fighters he had accompanied, and almost had a concrete picture of each and everyone of them. It did help for a fact that he still held a photo of them all together.
The castle was lit by lanterns and colorful flags, accompanied with wondrous music that made the castle a bustling place. Today was Princess Garnet Til Alexandros 16th birthday. He had but a glance of the Princess, and she was blessed with great beauty. She herself was a symbol of the kingdom, and thus, the townspeople took pride as they paid their respect to this special day. The sound of resounding clapping and the cheers of the men and women celebrating reached his ears. An airship, a theatreship to be specific, had settled itself down, and was now performing a show. It was strange, the first Cid he knew created the airship, the 2nd Cid he heard of made the Garden into a giant airship, and now the Regent of some town by the name of Lindblum created an airship that ran on the mist of the continent. All of them were named Cid.
There were times when Chaos would speak to him. And it seemed like Chaos wished to speak with him now, as he felt a nudging feeling in his mind.
'What is it Chaos?'
'I can feel the excitement within you. Why do you not venture and see what is causing this celebration?' Vincent shook his head. In a way, he wished to do that.
'No. If I interact with the civilization of this world now, I will cause nothing but trouble. Perhaps long ago, but not now.' Vincent heard Chaos snort in his mind. Sarcasm was drenched in the voice in his mind.
'As if it would make the difference. How long has it been since you have come into contact? Several millenniums without a doubt.' Vincent gave a sigh at this, shaking his head at Chaos assumption. Was it possible for the being to be sympathetic? No, he deserved no sympathy, he thought.
'For a person with no end, those years pass in the blink of an eye.'
Chaos remained silent, something that Vincent would cherish at times. His eyes continued to stay upon the celebration, only being grazed slightly. However, he could never smile at such a happy time. All those times, those celebrations from long ago, he never truly took part or heart in them. He would be present, but that was it.
But the melodious music suddenly stopped, and he heard the sound of cries and screams. Havoc began to arise as the giant airship began to rise abruptly. He watched with curious eyes as barbaric spears plunged into the deck of the airship. The grand airship was being reduced to splinters thanks to the spears that were fastened by chains from the cannons. But when he saw the airship crashing into the nearby buildings and homes, he felt something within his stomach drop as he watched the destruction. The queen of the kingdom was ordering this assault, but why endanger the people of her kingdom?
'Perhaps it is best to intervene?' Vincent heard the clue, and without a doubt, agreed. He pushed himself up from the chimney. His eyes looked on towards the destruction heading towards the center of the town, and began to jump from rooftop to rooftop with now natural grace.
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"Gracia! Gracia! Hang on!" A young boy reached towards the older girl, who was hanging on by a single stone. The building they watched the play 'I Want To Be Your Canary' was half demolished. The girl was unfortunate enough to have been seated at the edge, but was fast enough to grab the still steady foundation.
"Tomias! No! Don't! You'll fall!" Gracia warned her younger brother as he began to lean too far from the edge. Her eyes widened as he slipped. The child was screaming, and Gracia without hesitation let go of the stone slab to grab her brother. She cradled him in her arms, intending to use herself as a shield as they fell down below.
She shut her eyes closed to at least soften the pain that was to come. She heard her brother scream in fear as they descended towards the ground. She could feel her long hair whip up as her body sped down like a stone.
But as she expected the stone cold ground beneath, she felt her body being pulled up, and her hair flaring behind her. She opened her eyes and gasped as she was almost launched into the night sky. A strong arm cradled her body, as she cradled her brother's, and she looked up towards her savior.
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Pale skin.
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Black silky hair.
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And those scary, yet, interesting eyes.
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Her mind backtracked upon seeing these features. Now if only he smiled to show if he had fangs or not.
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Vincent landed on one of the safer rooftops, and lowered her down. She let her brother down as well, whose eyes in turn remained glued onto Vincent. Vincent turned around, only allowing the two to see the crimson red cape behind him. He turned back for only a second, allowing them to see a single crimson/embery eye. "You're safe here." He said in a calm and low voice, before he began to jump across the rooftops. The two children watched in awe at his effortless speed and agility.
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'See? Because you're here, you saved those two children.'
'I thought you didn't have a heart.'
'Being here for so long does that to anyone.' Vincent almost chuckled at this. He ran after the airship that was trying its best to escape from the assault of the castle.
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In a matter of no time, Vincent was in the vicinity of the airship. He could read the name of the ship, the Prima Vista. He didn't make any move yet as he watched the airship almost dangle in the air, the spears protruding the beautiful airship, marring its grandeur. The chains rang loudly as the airship groaned, trying to free itself.
His ears caught the sound of grinding stone, and he looked towards the direction of the castle. Giant doors slammed open, and a giant cannon was slowly rolled forward. Such barbaric, yet efficient ways to kill the foe.
At first, Vincent thought that they were going to launch a cannonball at the airship. He heard the explosion of the gunpowder, and expected the giant ball of metal to fly towards the airship. But instead, it stopped in midair, slowing its descent upon the ship. Cracks and splits spread all around the surface of the cannonball, revealing brightening light with each crack. Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass exploded in the air. The light was so bright, Vincent shielded his eyes, and he felt intense heat just barely touching him. He looked up where the cannonball once was, and his eyes widened slightly at what took its place.
It was a bomb.
A really, really really, big bomb.
A bomb that was obviously on Shinra's mako shot treatments. Or steroids. He didn't know what to pick, but the bomb, which is supposed to be only a few feet in height and width, was at least 10 times bigger than the regular bomb. It was fiery roaring ball of fire, ready to explode at any minute and any moment. It's large glowing red eyes could make any grown man cry.
The ball of fire lowered itself near the deck of the airship, and in no time, it began to slowly gather energy in the atmosphere.
He remembered seeing bombs before, but the type of bomb that was present was a bomb he couldn't identify. But it was growing continuously, and showed no signs of stopping. At the rate it was expanding, it would explode in a matter of minutes. And the explosion itself could cause grave injuries, as well as an impending number of casualties.
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He reached down and pulled up his prized gun. But not only that, he reached down for something else.
He pulled out three glowing orbs, materia orbs. Its shining emerald color brightened at his touch. He wanted to save the amount of bullets he had. Until anyone could figure out how to create bullets in this time, he'd keep the use of them low. This was a world that only knew of magic and swordsmanship. Using anything like that would cause grave danger in the future. To bring something that was not yet meant to be used would only bring the advancement of war weapons. This world already had inborn magic and abilities, they didn't need the firepower.
During the second shift in history, he had taken in the knowledge of the weaponry at the time. Especially Galbadia. The Garden of Galbadia was a true military force which he himself was impressed with. And with years to pass the time, he used it to adjust and better his favorite and only weapon.
It was simple. He had materia. And a gun. The gun would run out of ammunition after some time, and in his current situation, it will be useless when the last bullet was spent. And his previous weapons had slots that allowed him to use materia. Cerberus surprisingly, did not, as it was an especially powerful weapon. Its actual ability was to severely increase the velocity and speed of the bullet's path. When released, the bullet will pass through the barrels so quickly, it would almost look like a giant ray of light shooting out of the gun.
So why not materia?
The new attachment was small, but fitted the materia orbs right behind each of the three barrels of the gun. When he concentrated his power into the orbs, the orbs would then power up. When the orbs powered up, the energy of the spell being launched would condense and increase in density in the barrels. At the pull of the trigger, the spell/bullet would be launched, causing the magical bullet to have the elemental effects of the spell. It was a more efficient and safer way to fight from a distance. But the cost of it was the mental fatigue that would crash into him the moment the battle was supposedly over.
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He placed the Ice, Restore and Revive materia in the given slots. He tightened the attachment, hearing the resounding click of it locking in place. It only took a matter of moments to complete the task. He brought up his right hand, aiming it at the growing fireball's back. He concentrated towards the materia orb, and could feel the energy gathering to launch the attack.
"Ice." He whispered under his breath. He pulled the trigger, launching the materia-manifested bullet. It appeared as a very thin ray of blue light, which implanted itself within the bomb's back. There seemed to be no change as the bomb seemed to not even make any notion to move or yell in pain. But Vincent waited for the effects of the spell to work.
The bomb stopped bobbing in the air, and ice began to creep from where the bullet was absorbed. The bomb roared loudly as it was covered in a thick layer of ice. The effects were as powerful as Ice, level 3. Its scream cut into the night, which caused Vincent to cringe as he tolerated it, and hoped that his ears would still work after it finished. Finally, the ice had spread over its whole body, and the screaming ceased to exist. The now giant ball of ice fell down onto the deck of the airship, shattering into chunks and shards of frozen water.
Vincent let Cerberus rest inside the leather pouch once more. That was all he would do. He just hoped that the airship would now escape, leaving behind only a minimum amount of damage to the kingdom and the people.
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Indeed, the airship broke free from the spears, but it took a toll as one of the spear chains whipped at the airship. The right main propeller tower was shattered, causing the Prima Vista to lose its balance in the air. Now that half of the airship's power was cut by half, it would more then likely crash. Vincent followed the course of the airship from a safe distance.
By luck, the airship didn't cause anymore damage as it flew its slow descending course. Something in Vincent's gut told him to grab hold of the ship, to follow it.
'Go for it.' Vincent heard seriousness in Chaos' voice, making him question it.
'Go for what?'
'Isn't it obvious? Fly to the airship. This distance is easy to jump.'
'Do you feel the same feeling I'm feeling?'
'A feeling of longing?' Vincent nodded his head. 'Yes. If you know your geography, you will know where the ship is going to land.'
'Yes.' Without a second thought, Vincent sprinted and pushed himself off from the last rooftop available. It was either the airship, or the waters below. And he hated getting wet.
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The wind was on his side as he felt his body being pushed towards the airship. The airship was losing speed, and was descending at a much faster rate. His cape flared behind him as he also began to fall towards the ship.
He caught hold of the left propeller pole, which remained intact, before swinging himself down into the cagelike chamber that protected its side engine. He leaned on the cage, hoping to recuperate. His mind felt frazzled after the use of the materia. It had been awhile since he used that gun. He took a deep breath, but he caught himself as they passed through the layer of mist. Where it came from, he didn't know. But it felt . . . wrong. To even pass through it felt heavy and almost, familiar. Like passing through a barrier.
As soon as the airship broke through the Mist's upper layer, thick clouds of thunder threatened the airship. Vincent's eyes however fixated on what was below them. It was a giant forest that already gave off a strange aura of evil. Those who were unfortunate to wander into the forest's depths would easily lose their lives. If they were not able to feel the evil, and not just see it, they would more then likely perish if they remained there.
If he remained on the airship now, the airship would crash, and he would experience whiplash, or even catapult from the impact. He hopped onto the railing of the cage, and pushed himself up in the air. He floated down towards the floor of the forest, watching the ship slide on the forest floor.
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'Well. That was exciting.' Vincent raised an eyebrow at this. Chaos did sound serious though.
'Exciting? How so?'
'Better then waiting and watching the planet's constant developments. Heck, you should have participated in that war when the Gardens were in war.' Vincent rolled his eyes. Chaos' sounded eagerness sounded more like a child's. He began to walk towards the crashed airship, letting his eyes reflect the rising flames.
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So ends Vincent's isolation.
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And so a new life will begin.
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A/N: Sorry man, this idea just popped in my head. And well, flame me all you want, really, I'm serious. This idea is pretty whacked up, and I had to write this. If not, it'll still pester in my mind, and I'll be watching the damn animation made up in my mind. Serious, after watching Advent Children, I can just recreate characters and almost watch the stories unfold. And well, I wrote down what I was "watching." As soon as my eyes opened, well, I found this. Very stupid idea really. But hey, I appreciate you reading this. I will continue to write, because the idea is still jumping around in my mind. Until next time.
Kuro,
Signing off.