The sequel to Redemption. I left it for a while before re-reading and posting this and I think it sounds good. I have lots of plans for these two and the overall plot to tie in with Redemption. This focuses more on Vincent and Cid this time 'round. Expect some more SephxCloud stuff when they get back into the picture :D Also, be fair warned. Cid has one foul mouth, so there will be a lot of curse words, hence the mature rating.

-0-0-0-

Vincent Valentine watched the men from ShinRa pack themselves away in the van and drive off. The blond, 'Cloud Strife', glanced at him through the rear window, but he turned away. The town of Nibelheim was silent, people completely unaware of what had gone on in the reactor a mere two days ago. He had felt the imminence of what had been told to him, probably more than Sephiroth or Zack Fair. He could feel the truth in Cloud's words, felt a ringing to his soul, and even the demons inside him calmed somewhat. Probably from some dream he didn't remember.

He glanced down at the piece of paper that Cloud had pushed into his hand, not really seeing the words. So Lucrecia's son had survived? Sephiroth Valentine. What an odd name. If Sephiroth was his son. It was entirely possible that it was Hojo's. His and Lucrecia's relationship had only been physical one time. Was that one time enough to conceive a child?

The problem was, there were no tests that could be run to prove who's child Sephiroth was. Both himself and Sephiroth were so completely changed in DNA from any other person that finding any similarities between them was impossible. Neither one of them could really be called 'human', in his opinion. Even Zack and Cloud were still 'human', despite being mako enhanced. He and Sephiroth were changed so completely that he couldn't consider them so.

Vincent's feet had taken control and he found himself staring at the door to the ShinRa Mansion. He'd done what he'd said he'd do; he'd followed Cloud and found out the 'story' behind everything. He could go back to sleep with a clear conscience and it wasn't like there was anything waiting for him. Except…

He lifted the paper up and made himself read the words. 'Cid Highwind. Rocket Town.' Cloud had pressed it into his hand just before they'd left. It had been a silent request, to go to the place that had been written. Instead, Vincent had found that the place was superfluous; it was only there so he knew where to find the person. The name Cid Highwind didn't mean anything to him. Unlike his instinctive knowledge, from a dream probably, of that face that woke him up being 'Cloud', nothing came forth at the name Cid Highwind.

He hesitated. Did he really want to go back into the darkness of his dreams? They were endless and cold, omniscient in a way that made him feel oppressed. Chaos was cackling at him, whispering dark words in his mental ears. He couldn't control any of his four demons except Galian Beast, at least not fully. Galian Beast was completely under his thumb, and a lesser extent and less predictable was Death Gigas. Hellmasker was barely controllable, and Chaos…he remained completely free in his mind and soul, refusing to heel to the higher authority Vincent had, given that it was his body all five of them were inhabiting.

Why don't you go there? were the whispered words. But coward that you are, you want to play it safe by sleeping. Are you a weakling?

It wasn't Chaos' words, though, that prompted him to step away from the front door and head out of town. He wasn't sure what did it. Maybe it was the worried look on Cloud's face, how he glanced back time and again as they left when Vincent had said that he wasn't going to back with them. He didn't want to have anything more to do with the Turks or ShinRa.

He disappeared into the mountains quickly. As if unsure if he knew where he was going, Cloud had drawn a rough map of how to get to Rocket Town. The quickest way would be going through the caverns and over the mountains, and he didn't mind if it took him awhile. He was actually enjoying the silence of being by himself as he walked. Just hearing the sounds of life relaxed him.

Though a few monsters waylaid him here and there, it wasn't something he was particularly concerned about. Quicksilver could handle just about anything of a small to medium proportion. It was old though and because of that, he skirted around such beings as dragons. He'd even found a nest, the sleeping babies obviously waiting for their mother to return with food, which meant the adult would be even worse in a fight. It added a few days' journey, but that was okay.

Being forced to detour wasn't so bad, Vincent thought, as he found a broken, battered chest hidden among some rocks. Inside was a Sniper CR, somewhat old but quite usable and a definite jump from Quicksilver. By comparison, the Sniper CR was practically new with how old his trusty Quicksilver was. Sitting down, Vincent spent most of the day repairing and fixing the rifle so it was serviceable. Eying both, he set Quicksilver back into it's halter on his leg and set about making a makeshift holder for the rifle. He wasn't about to give up Quicksilver until he'd tested the Sniper CR in actual combat and see how it performed.

Besides, he had sentimental value to Quicksilver.

It took two days for Vincent to navigate himself through the mountain trails, especially since he was also focusing and keeping himself to fights that he was sure he could handle. Chaos and the other demons urged him to not avoid the tough fights that would probably lead to his death, but he figured that was only because they wanted any chance they could get at control of his body so he ignored them. It was gradual at first, the slow changing of hard stone to soft grass and dirt. Greenery quietly beat back the gray of the mountains; trees were more plentiful and reached their branches up to the strong sunlight, as if pleading for more of that life-giving light.

For longer than he cared to remember, Vincent hadn't seen such sights. In fact, he didn't even want to know how long he'd been asleep. He did know that it had to have been a long time if Sephiroth, who hadn't even been born yet when he'd been 'taken' by Hojo and nearly killed, was an adult man.

Vincent glanced at the paper. Who was this Cid Highwind? There had to have been a reason that Cloud had told him to seek this person out. Was he a retired scientist that had taken up residence in such a small town as Rocket Town probably was? Unlikely. What could this man he'd never met offer him? And why? Cid Highwind had no idea who he was or that he was even coming. Probably. Had Cloud somehow alerted him before he'd come to Nibelheim? That seemed a little…

With a sigh at all the unanswered questions in his head, Vincent put the piece of paper away and followed the roughly drawn map toward Rocket Town.

-0-0-0-

He had the impression of a hastily cobbled together place and now he could see why it was called 'Rocket' Town. The huge, old rocket seemed to be the unofficial town center, even though it didn't seem to be in the actual center of town. Far as he could tell, it was set somewhat off to the back of all the store buildings and homes.

He stopped next to a man staring at the rocket, making sure that his metal arm was hidden underneath his tattered cloak. "Do you know where I could find Cid Highwind?"

"Ah, he's in that house over there, nearest the one to the rocket." Vincent glanced in the direction of the pointing finger to a house that seemed more…well-kept than any other. There was a flowerbed in the front of the building that looked well cared for.

Not wanting to go up to the door without at least knowing more than the name of the person he was supposed to find, Vincent asked, "What is he like?"

The old man looked up at him in surprise, as if he didn't understand how he could possibly not know about Cid Highwind. Maybe the man was the 'major' of the town? That seemed unlikely, considering the town was so small it likely didn't need one. "Why, he's the captain of the rocket! Would have been the first man in space, had ShinRa not canceled the program before launch."

So he was a pilot then. Still, that didn't give him much information. He wanted to prod for more information, but the old man seemed to ignore him and continued on blithely about the space program and the rocket, when Vincent didn't care and eventually even wandered away, not that the man noticed.

Now he was even more confused why Cloud had told him to come here. Why would he need to talk to, at the very least, a pilot? Vincent could see no reasoning behind it that made any sense. What could either of them offer each other?

Not wanting to feel like he was procrastinating about the meeting, as that seemed cowardly, Vincent headed for the house, being sure not to step on the flowerbeds. Especially seeing as someone had already done so without care, by the footprints. His knock was quiet, as he wasn't a dramatic person in general, and already there were quite a few stares from the more nosy people in town.

The door yanked open, the wind that the abrupt move generated ruffling the strands of hair around his face for a brief moment. "Who the hell are you? And damn it, woman, where did you put my socks?!"

The man that was busy yelling over his shoulder was scruffy, looking as if he hadn't shaved in a day or two, with bright blond hair that was paler than Cloud's. The shade was the same, but the sun had bleached out a bit of color in Cid's hair than it had Cloud's. He was a bit shorter than Vincent and oil stained his dirty and somewhat ripped clothing, as if it had been torn and worn to death but was so loved it couldn't be parted with. Almost too pale blue eyes looked up at him, sparking with life and what it seemed to be a sort of unconscious 'assertiveness'. A cigarette was stuck in his mouth, unlit as of yet, and another behind his ear. Goggles were hung around his neck with a careless ease.

Vincent disliked him instantly.

Had he not had such control over his expressions, a hold over from his days as a Turk, his lip would have curled in disgust. He had never felt such an instant emotion, from just a mere look, but there was a first time for everything. Cid Highwind, for this obviously couldn't be anyone else but him even though he prayed he was wrong, was everything that Vincent had never liked. He took no care in his appearance, his language was vulgar, and he seemed very unreliable.

"Well? Are you mute or something? I've got things to do, so if you've got something to say, say it."

"…Do you know Cloud Strife?" It took all his willpower to prevent the disdain from appearing in his voice.

"Never heard of him."

There was an awkward silence as they stared at each other and Vincent wondered what, by the planet, Cloud was expecting him to do here. Cid had no idea who Cloud was, or who he was. And he, in turn, had no real idea of who Cid was. What did Cloud want him to accomplish by sending him here? Seeing Cid practically glaring at him, he was unsure of what to say or do. He could just walk away right now and no one would fault him, but his curiosity over what Cloud had asked him to do, his dislike of Cid notwithstanding, prompted him to stay and find out. Surely there had to be a reason he was requested to go here.

"May I come in?"

"Why the fuck should I let you? I don't even know you're name! And damn it, Shera, where the hell are my socks?!"

Cid stormed back into the house, leaving the door open and Vincent heard a voice carry somewhere from the back. The voice was of a woman, and sounding incredibly calm in the face of Cid's apparent rage at having a lack of socks to wear. "They're on the top of your dresser where I always put them."

Deciding to take his opportunity, Vincent stepped into the house and closed the door politely behind him. The house seemed to be in the midst of a war. One area was perfectly clean and right across from it seemed to be controlled chaos. If he had to guess, seeing Cid throw a shirt to the floor out of the corner of his eye from a bedroom, it was probably 'Shera' who kept the house clean and Cid who did the destroying of it.

A glare was blistering in its heat as it was sent Vincent's way, but he was entirely unruffled by it, merely staring it down. Cid seemed even more outraged that he'd walked in on his own. It was as if he expected Vincent to just go around his house and randomly steal or trash it.

Cid came out hopping on one foot a moment later as he tried to pull his socks on and walk at the same time, having very little success at such an endeavor. "Who—"

Before Cid could ask another swear-filled question, Vincent interrupted. "My name is Vincent Valentine. Cloud Strife sent me to see you."

"I don't know either—"

"Ah, are you a friend of the Captain's?"

Entirely ignoring the tirade sent her way, a woman came out from the kitchen with a tray in her hands. She was fairly pretty, with glasses that sat on the bridge of her nose, and her brown hair was tied in a bun at the back of her head. Her expression was pleasant and she sat down the tray with a calmness that perfectly countered the chaotic actions of Cid.

"No. I was sent here to meet him."

"Oh really. Please do sit down."

"Shera! Don't just invite everybody in for tea, he could be a fucking axe murderer for all we know!" Cid snapped, sitting down in his chair with a huff of annoyance, especially when it appeared as if Shera was quite happy ignoring what he was saying.

Well he's partially correct at any rate, Vincent thought, thinking of Hellmasker and the demon's favored chainsaw. Not quite 'axe murderer', but he was hardly a vision to inspire confidence in peace and prosperity. Sometimes Hellmasker could be incredibly vicious with that chainsaw if he got control. When he'd first realized how many demons were in him, and he'd accidentally let Hellmasker have control, Vincent had found himself coming to his own consciousness in the midst of carnage of several monsters. They had been carved into tiny pieces and he'd been covered with bits of blood and skin and even what he thought were brains.

He'd quickly gone back to his coffin after that incident.

"Here's some tea."

Shera's words dragged Vincent from his thoughts. It appeared that the hot tea had calmed Cid down remarkably, much to his amazement. Though he still grumbled and curse words still littered his speech, the very bearing and tightness in his shoulders had eased and he was relaxing in his chair, feet propped up on the edge of the table. "Well, since Shera's all but invited you to live with us, I guess you can stay for some morning tea. Now…who the hell is Cloud Strife and why would he send you to me?"

Vincent pondered how to answer this question. He clearly couldn't blurt out what Cloud had told him. For one thing, it wasn't his story to tell, and for another, Cid would likely think him crazy. It would have helped immensely if Cloud had just told him why he was going to see Cid Highwind, but Vincent did acknowledge that if he had, he'd have likely found a way of not going. It was all the fault of his curiosity.

"I'm not sure," he finally said truthfully. "He merely handed me a piece of paper with your name on it and where to find you. He didn't explain anything as to why I should seek you out. I had assumed that perhaps you knew him and could explain that to me."

Cid scratched his stubbled chin and shrugged. "Dunno him. I don't even know how he knew about me. I'm just some two-bit pilot that was left behind when ShinRa canceled the space program. Even if I'm one hell of a pilot."

There was a telltale bitterness to Cid's voice that Vincent recognized in his own feelings. Though he didn't think he could ever like the crass captain, at least he could sympathize. Somewhat. The silence grew, neither Cid nor himself having any ideas as to where to go next. Again, it was awkward and Vincent was considering excusing himself when Shera broke into the conversation, with less tact than he'd thought she'd have.

"Why don't you just contact Cloud Strife and ask him? Do you know where he is?"

"I believe he's back in Midgar by now, with his troop."

"Troop?" Cid narrowed his eyes. "By troop, you mean…"

"Cloud Strife is a 3rd class SOLDIER in ShinRa. He has a…very close relationship with the General and his second in command."

There was a bout of cursing from the pilot, most of which Vincent found incomprehensible. It didn't appear as if he was intending to say anything, other than just spout of foul words to alleviate some frustration or anger or irritation. A definite lack of self-control, Vincent added to the list of things he did not like about Cid.

"What the hell does a SOLDIER 3rd class want with me? Even when the space program was still active, we didn't have any dealings at all with SOLDIER, or Turks for that matter!"

"I don't know. You'd have to ask him," Vincent stated mildly and took his first sip of the tea placed in front of him. It wasn't bad, though it wasn't something he could call great either. He wasn't much of a tea person, though he didn't dislike it.

"Then that's exactly what I'll do!"

The silence at the table after that announcement was absolute until Shera stood up. "I'll pack a few things for you. Even with the Tiny Bronco, it'll take you awhile to get there."

Vincent watched, his open mouth hidden by the top of his red jacket. Shera's equability about the sudden declaration had him absolutely stumped. She didn't try to persuade him out of it or even give him suggestions. "…Your wife is very supportive…"

"Hell, Shera ain't my damn wife! I'd never marry her even if we were the last two people on the planet!" At Vincent's look, Cid shifted in his chair, seeming a bit embarrassed. "On my better days, I'd say she's an okay gal, but most of the time, I don't even know what to do with her. Sometimes she gets on my nerves and other times, very occasionally, she's invaluable. I could never marry her, though. We'd probably end up killing each other."

"Somehow I doubt that," Vincent muttered under his breath. "I don't see how you're planning—"

"We."

"…Excuse me?"

"We, pal! You're coming with me."

A dread filled Vincent's stomach. He didn't want to go back to Midgar. If Hojo ever caught wind of him… Not to mention it would bring back too many memories of his past life. The fact that he'd liked being a Turk. Not that he was vindictive and enjoyed killing people, but more the tiny family that he'd formed amid the members. It had been like an island unto itself at one time and had provided a sanctuary when he needed it. To go back and face all those memories and feelings was an almost impossible task.

"I don't think—"

"Look! You were the one that came crashing into my house because this guy Cloud Strife told you to. So we're going to go see him and demand to know what the hell is going on." Cid dropped his feet to the floor and stood up, stretching every inch of his body to work out all the perceived kinks.

"If you can get past his boyfriend."

"What?"

Vincent glanced up as Cid turned around a little at his muttering. "Nothing."

"Shera! Woman, are you done yet?!"

"Just about, Captain."

This was going to be a very long journey.