Banora White and Nibel Red

Ch. 9

Well, I apologize for the short chapter last time, but I promise a normal sized chapter this time. So here we go. The focus of this chapter is to explain the origins of GV and Kail, so enjoy!

GOD THIS ONE IS SOO FREAKING LATE!! I promise to keep the updates at least once a month.

Cloud Strife is not a heavy drinker, nor does he indulge in certain activities considered "partying". When he woke up the next morning, he did not expect the pounding headache, and the nausea he experienced when he opened his eyes. He looked around slowly, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. He was in some kind of cell, and – judging by the vibrations – he was in an airship. He was alone in the cell, which formed into a five by five steel square.

His sword had been confiscated at some point and he was cold… very cold. He was too sore to move and his legs had cramped up from the lack of room. Just as he was about to stand, the door slid open revealing two of those red clad Deepground soldiers, and a very pleased looking Genesis.

"Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess," he recited. "We seek it thus, and take to the sky. Ripples form on the water's surface, the wandering soul knows no rest."

"What are you going on about?" mumbled Cloud.

"You are unfamiliar with Loveless?" Genesis asked, offering a hand.

Cloud ignored it and stood up himself, his back cracking.

"No," he groaned at the pain and hobbled after Genesis as the red clad man walked down the hall. "I've heard of it. Why does it matter?"

"I used to recite it to Zack Fair each time we saw each other. Sephiroth often made the claim that I had pounded it into his head."

"You knew Zack?" Cloud looked at Genesis in surprise.

"Yes," he said. "I am the one who drove Sephiroth to madness, and it was Zack who left me outside my childhood home to die. He failed however, because just as he left, the ones called Weiss and Nero rescued me. I am not surprised that you don't know me because you had mako poisoning when we first met."

Cloud looked at the metal floor and remembered an important question.

"Where are Tifa and the others?" he said, reaching for a non-existent sword.

"Be calm friend," said Genesis, waving him off. "They are safe. Someone here wants to meet you."

They rounded a corner and faced the already opened boarding ramp. The rest of AVALANCHE and Shelke, were standing outside in a line, unbound and flanked by ten Hagetaka soldiers. The first thing Cloud noticed however was Barrett's missing right hand. Cloud was shoved in between Barrett and Tifa.

"Hey Spikey," said the big man mournfully. "Just like old times huh?"

"Yeah," said the blonde swordsman. He looked at Tifa. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she said, still looking forward. "Do you know where we are?"

Cloud looked at his surroundings for the first time and was shocked to see the familiar sight of the wrecked Shinra Building. They were split up into two groups (Red, Cid, Shera, Reeve and Tifa onto one, Cloud, Barrett, Shelke and Genesis on the other) and lead to two huge, shabbily built elevators right outside. Barrett chuckled to himself, remembering when he, Red and Aeris had to fight off that piece of scrap when they were fleeing the building after the President's death. They were herded onto the elevators and lifted to the roof, where they got on one huge elevator and rode it down.

"I'm assuming," mused Genesis. "That you don't know where we are going?"

"Deepground," said Shelke mechanically. "Is that right, G?"

"It is," said Genesis. "My employer awaits in the throne room."

"Who's your employer?" asked Barrett. "Is it that no good Shinra?"

"You are getting paranoid in your old age," said Genesis, who was only met with cursing. "No, you do not know this enemy. I will take you to him."

Genesis motioned for them to follow. They were shoved along through the remains of the labyrinth that was once Deepground. The once ruined city was now only rubble. The Mako reactor had been completely sucked dry and was an empty husk, a remainder of a world that was almost lost.

"Why are you in such a good mood?" asked Cid slowly. "Why did you heal us?"

"Today is a special occasion," said the former SOLDIER. "Today is the day that my brother is finally reborn."

"Your brother?" said Cloud.

The Hagetakas all saluted in the old Deepground fashion and shouted, "HAIL WEISS!"

All of the hostages kept silent except for Shelke who muttered "Hail Weiss," under her breath.

After almost three hours of hiking in the cavernous ruins of Mako Reactor 0 they finally reached the entrance of G.V.'s throne room. Genesis stood aside to let them enter and Reeve went up to Cloud.

"If you are wondering about our missing companions," he whispered. "I sent our feline friend to locate them and hopefully tell them where we are."

Above the forests that were the Rocket area, a familiar scream rang out from within the Clouds, hundreds of feet above the ground.

"I CANNOT HANDLE THIIIIS!" cried Cait Sith who was struggling to free himself from the grip of a very hungry Tornadu bird that had apparently wandered from the Corel area, much to the robot cat's disdain.

He opened his mouth and bit down hard on the giant bird's foot. It screeched in pain but did not let go. He reached into a pouch on his side and pulled out two dice. He chucked them at the bird and nailed it right in the face. The dice exploded on impact and the bird was killed, letting go of its prey.

"Take THAT that you overgrown chicken!" gloated Cait Sith. Then he realized that he was falling.

"I REALLY CANNOT HANDLE THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSS!"

"I hope he can handle it," said Cloud, entering the throne room.

Upon entering they were met with the smell of rotted flesh. Tifa coughed and was shoved by one of the guards.

"Ow!"

"Now now," said a high voice from the center of the darkened room. "Do not harm our guests. Where is G?"

"He went to check on the state of his brother, my lord," said a guard. The voice grunted in response.

"Who is there?" said Reeve, who was smacked in the ribs with a rifle butt.

The room slowly lit up and for the first time, the true face of the one called G.V. was revealed.

He was a man, or what was left of one. His flesh was grey, sagging and covered in festering sores. His hair was black and he wore the remains of a tattered trench coat, the right arm burnt off and only blackened bone remained. His eyes were a pure milky white. He was hooked up to numerous life support devices and the rotting smell just poured off of him.

"I am G.V." he said, pausing. "But you may call me Grimoire Valentine."

"Valentine?!" came the shout from Barret. Grimoire chuckeld

"Now I know what you are thinking," said Grimoire waving off the big man. "And yes. Vincent is my son."

There was a pause and then:

"What the FUCK?!" cried Cid. Before they could hit him, Grimoire raised a hand.

"Yes yes I know it's—"

"What the FUCK?!"

A blast of green energy flew from Grimoire's palm and struck the pilot in the chest, sending him flying across the room. The remainder of the group shouted in surprise and anger except for Shera who outright screamed and ran to her husband.

"Would anyone like to be next?" said the dead man. Everyone was silent. "Good."

Grimoire settled into his chair and smiled.

"I'm sure you are all wondering what is going on right now and why a dead man is talking to you. Why Vincent has never mentioned me or any of his past. I can answer all of these things. Who would like to open this discussion?"

He was almost like an old professor in his mannerisms. A teacher.

"Actually," said Tifa, shuffling her feet and looking down in fear of getting blasted like Cid, who was against the far wall, unconscious. "Who and …what are you?"

"I told you," he said. "I am Grimoire Valentine, father of dear Vincent. I was an archaeologist who discovered the legends of Chaos and Omega."

"And Vincent just happened to be the host to Chaos?" said Shelke, cocking her head.

"That is something," said Grimoir leaning forward. "That I will get to in due time."

Vincent lay his now dry cloak over the sleeping form of the young girl. Yuffie put the girl's head in her lap and stroked her hair to calm her tremors. Vincent sat under a tree and started taking apart Cerberus for cleaning.

"So…." said Yuffie.

"Hmm?" came the tired reply.

"What happened next?"

"With what?"

"The Wutaian couple in Midgar. What happened next?"

"Ah," said Vincent, feeling a pang of guilt for hoping she had forgotten the subject. "Well, where was I?"

"You where about to shoot at them I think…."

"Well… I shot them. Both in under three seconds, the man first and the woman second, before she had time to react."

It was done. Both suspects had been exterminated in record time. The park was in upheaval. The young Vincent quickly disassembled and packed up his gun and ran into the crowd in order to blend in and make his escape. He shoved through the panicking slum folk and ran to the bodies of the heretics to check his kill.

"LET ME THROUGH!" he shouted. "I AM A DOCTOR! LET ME THROUGH!"

Then he heard a sound that made his blood freeze.

"Mommy!" cried a young orange haired Wutaian child, kneeling over the corpses in shock. "Daddy! Wake up… please… WAKE UP!!!"

Vincent froze and stared in shock. The boy shook his mother and screamed their names over and over and over again. Vincent finally got the feeling back in his legs and walked over to the boy. He grabbed the struggling child round the waist and pulled him away from the carnage. He was covered in his parents blood. Vincent carried the crying boy to the LZ and hailed his partner Veld in the helicopter above.

"Vincent," said Yuffie, a touch of realization in her voice. "That boy… it was Kail, wasn't it?"

"My first real sin," replied Vincent quietly. "I took him back to Shinra with me. We put him in a company orphanage instead of killing him because we wanted to see how useful he could be to us in the future. He was seven when I killed them. I was nineteen."

"Vincent…."

"I knew from the start that I had created a monster. He got into fights and nearly killed another child. He had become so violent because of what I had done. When he was fifteen he became the youngest inductee to the Turks in the history of the company. I volunteered to be his mentor, but he hated me. He was reckless and violent, but he got the job done. I looked after him as best I could. Then, I was assigned to Nibelheim and I did not see him again. Until today."

Vincent put down his gun and was suddenly wrapped in the unexpected embrace of the young ninja girl.

"I'm so sorry Vincent," she wept into his chest. He was startled, his arms in the air. "You did something wrong, but at least you tried to make up for it. Please don't go back…"

"Back where Yuffie?" he asked slowly.

"To the way it was," she continued to cry. "Don't go back into your shell! I know that you want to because he came back, but I need you! Please Vincent…"

Vincent closed his eyes and sighed. She did need him. Her father was dead. Because of his mistake. Kail Kyosuke. The ultimate Turk killing machine. He opened his eyes and looked at the little girl asleep across the clearing. Her parents were dead. Because of his mistake. Now was not the time to dwell on the past. Now was the time to look forward and face his sins head on. Starting with Kail.

"I won't go back this time Yuffie," he said, returning the embrace. "I promise--"

"I REALLY REALLY CANNOT HANDLE THIIIIIIS!" came a familiar accented screech from above.

Out of instinct and training, Vincent threw Yuffie away from himself and was struck by a falling form from above.

Yuffie got up from her stupor and saw Vincent wrestling off a very freaked out Cait Sith.

"YOU?!" shouted the ninja, pointing at the robot. "How did you find us?!"

Cait sith stopped yanking Vincent's hair long enough to see who he was attacking. He chuckled nervously and began combing Vincent's hair with his paws.

"Oh, I was in the neighborhood," he said, climbing off of Vincent who was glowering at the robot and clenching his claw. "And the WRO has been WIPED OFF THE MAP!"

The two companions gasped in shock.

"WHAT?!"

Cait Sith then informed them on the invasions all over the world and of the rest of their friends' capture.

"Almost thirty four years ago," said Grimoire. "I was on an archaeological dig to the Temple of the Ancients when I found a tablet that predicted the end of the world itself, the awakening of Omega and Chaos, and every calamity in between. It was the most revolutionary find in Shinra history."

"A tablet?" mumbled Reeve to himself. He remembered Shalua mentioning such a thing when the DEEPGROUND fiasco had reared its ugly head.

"Imagine it," continued the walking corpse. "Being able to predict whenever the planet would meet, or nearly meet its demise. But it was not just a tablet with hieroglyphs scratched into it. It was imbued with highly magical energies, having been blessed by the most powerful Cetran priests the planet has ever known. Upon touching the tablet I saw everything that was to come involving the planet's fate. Yes even the parts involving you."

He made a sweeping gesture with his hand.

"I saw the birth of Chaos in Nibelheim, Meteorfall, Sephiroth, The Genesis conflict, all the way up to the battle with Omega and even my own death in a lab accident. And my rebirth. With this knowledge I had an epiphany. If I could predict the end of the world, could I not capitalize? I decided to meet my fate and bide my time. I allowed myself to die."

"How is that capitalizing?" asked Tifa, being one of the few brave enough to speak. Grimoire stood and descended the steps leaving a trail of cords and wires behind him.

"Upon my death," he continued. "I was able to retain consciousness in the Lifestream and waited until I was joined by the man called Genesis who had been defeated in battle by Zack Fair. He had been rejected and cast out by the planet itself. Before he left I came to him. I gave him explicit instructions to use the last of Jenova's cell's left behind from Vincent's battle with the Remnants at the Northern Crater and some of Chaos's life force from the grotto inhabited by young Dr. Crescent to revive my rotting corpse. In return I promised to let him and his brother accompany me on my voyage."

"Voyage?" said Cloud.

"The Voyage among the stars. I plan to reawaken Omega."

Vincent sat on the ground. His breathing shallow from Cait Sith's story.

"This is all my fault," he whispered. Yuffie heard him and was going to reassure him when they heard a massive thrumming from overhead.

"Is that," said Yuffie. "A helicopter?"

Vincent snatched up the now clean Cerberus and cocked it. Then he heard a very familiar voice in the trees.

"Hey, yo!" came the voice of Reno the Turk, who came stumbling out. "Don't shoot! It's just me and the new recruit."

From behind him came a small black haired Wutaian girl deftly flipping a shuriken in her hand.

"Heya boys and girls," she said with a wink. "I'm the new Turk on the block. Friends call me Bullet 2m!"

There is your late ass Cameo Bullet! REVEL IN IT!

Yaaaayyyy.