MY ANSWER IS IN THE BLOOD
(This story takes place 2-3 years after they beat Sephiroth)
CHAP. 01
::Hmmm....How long have I been here ?::::
Vincent slowly awakened , the tightness of the coffins was compforting but any other
person would feel Clostrophobic , but for one who had spent 30 years in it , Vincent had
grown accostumed to the blank white that was the entirior.
He slowly opened the Coffin lid checking is surroundings. He looked at an electronic
device on the side of the big wooden case.
Vincent forced himself fully awake and proseeded to climb the
spiraling stairs up to the main hall.
A week ago Cloud had sent a letter addressing the AVALANCHE group to meet neer the
outskirts of Gongaga. Vincent had reseeved the letter a bit earlier.The ex-Soldier knew that Vincent slept in his usual place only
rising from his sleep every 3 or 4 days or so to be ready if he where called and to make sure if Gaia (His Golden Chocobo) had
had been fed properly.
He also sold particular objects to pay for the Chocobo's Greens.
He took the task of Making coffee so that his drowziness would pass. It took him more
and more time to awaken *Especially* during day time. After having drank his coffee he
openened the door of the mansion and instintly closed it again and covered his eyes.
He curse to himself. The light had blinded him for a brief moment. He un-raped
some of the stringed band of the material off his head and loosened it so that it coovered
his eyes slightly. He then peered out of the mansion once again. First he saw only white
and as he continued to focus he could see the gates of the manor. Sighing he walked towards
the Chocobos stables.
***
"I bet he's still Sleepin in dat damn coffin of his ! " Barret complained waiting for Vincent
to show up.
"Give the man a brake Barret he's had lots on his mind and a whole bunch of worries that follows him arround" Nanaki spoke
outload still resting his head on one of the pillows
placed for him on the ground.
"Fooo!" Yuffi protested "I could have been Materia knapping just right now , but instead
I get caught up waiting for that freeky guy." Yuffi threw herself down on the couch
crossing her legs and making thems move up and down impatiently.
All of the AVALANCHE Team had gathered except one and all where silently waiting
when the door knocked.
It Slightly oppened " I apologies that I have kept you all waiting. May I come in" He asked,
Tifa nodded. He seated himself on one of the many fauteuilles just besides The Big Cat
wich was Nanaki. The other Cat , wich was seeted on a moogle was standing on the
opposite side facing the Crimson eyed man. He was not staying still , showing signs of something bothering him.
"Something tell's me you had difficulty doing something today. Am I right ?"
Vincent did not reply immediatly.
"I had trouble waking up after 5 days of rest. How do you know ?"
Vincent lifted his head to look at the big stuffed animal.
"Hey ! I may be a guy controling a stuffed animal but I'm not blind.[...] Well I really
saw it through the optic sensors wich are conected through a..
"Would you stop that teckno crap talk , let's start the meeting ! " interupted the
Captain. Cid was in his usualy pissed off attitude Impatiently waiting for the tall blond
man to start the discution.
"Um oh yaa.." He started , taking seat near Tifa " I..We called on this meeting to tell
you guys something special. " He held Tifa's hand.
" Me and Tifa... Well ...were getting married !" He smiled , while everybody save one started congradulating thems.
"Hey Why'd you send uss a letter a week ago. Did you know this at that time ?"
Yuffi started just not able to keep herself sat down.
Cloud and Tifa looked at each other and Tifa smiled while Cloud looked at the others.
Vincent had a hint of interest. The look in Cloud's eyes it reminded him of...
"Actually that's the second good news..Tifa is ...well ... We're expecting a baby!
She's 2 months pregnant!"
Cloud smiled Back at Tifa while the others kept the congradulations comming.
Vincent sat back in his chair pressing his back furmly on the couch. He had been right.
The look was the same. It had reminded him so much of...Lucrecia...She had taken a
pregnancy test and..well you can imagine the rest. Vincent knew Cloud had *It* coming...
"That's why I've gathered you here. You're all invited to the weading.
It's going to be set in a couple of weeks. I'd wager it would be the 21st of this month.
I also wanted to talk to Barret about something." While the croud started to calm down
Nanaki was aware of the troubled Man with Crimson eyes. He had looked withdrawn
from the beginning.
The day past quickly. The group had talked about many things. What had they done
since the last time they had a meeting , new friends jobs and more of such. when
someone had asked Vincent the others fell silent to liscend. It made Vincent acward.
He had not done anything new since last year. He had only slept the whole time and
the stairs from the others where embarassing.
"I...I have not done anything new ." Vincent stoped talking. The red fured cat tried to
change the subject to aleviate his friend's disstress but someone else talked.
"Ha ! I knew it you've gone back to sleep in that coffin of yours havin'cha !" Barret
mocked. The only persons who knew and respected that choice had been Cloud and
Nanaki and they where the only persons he trusted thems with that knowledge.
He had gone past the other meeting with no problems , no one had asked him at that time.
Everyone was waiting for an answer.
"Yes... I have gone back and yes I do continue to sleep in that coffin." Vincent bluntly
answered without a hint of contempt. No one had said anything and he continued with
the same town of voice and indifference.
"I have nothing else to do now that the world is at peace and ShinRa is now out of
buisness. Do you have any Ideas of why I should get a job or continue to live ? I bear withing me the vestige of Jenova , and with
this d.n.a Another Sephiroth could be created. Even I might become like him. It would save the world some trouble by not being
phsyicilly active , and so the jenova cells within me will not awaken."
Vincent simply stood up and left. The others stayed in while Tifa looked angrely at
Barret who shruged. Nanaki had stood up as well on his fours and gone to talk to Vincent.
Tifa also did the same. The rest of the group didn't know what to do. Cloud started
another conversation. He knew that between the old and wize Nanaki and the bright and optimistic Tifa. One of them would cheer
up the morose man .
Cloud asked the *Something* To Barret.
***
"Vincent !" Nanaki exclaimed as the red and black clad man startedto climb on the Golden Chocobo's saddle.
"I know somethings bothering you Vincent I could sence it the minute you came.
What is wrong ?" Vincent stoped and faced the cat.
He stood there for some time thinking about his responce. It hadn't occured to him , but
, while he thought about it , he had noticed differences in his awakened state more and more often. He looked down at Nanaki.
The wize Taby (or whatver he is suposed to be)
had always understood him in a way and he confined in him the greatest trust.
His vast knowledge of biologie and other sciences had also proven their worth at times.
"I..I have more troubledoing everyday things." Saying this Nanaki then realized that Vincent was squinting and put up his hand
over his eyes. Tifa had arrived.
"I'm sorry about that Vincent. I only wanted good out of all of this , it was only to invite
you to our weading. I...Cloud and I...We should have just invited you by letter."
Tifa was trying to find the words but Vincent cut her to save her from more ambarassment.
"It is not your fault ,we both did not know that Barret would ask ." Vincent mounted Gaia.
"If it is all right with you RedXIII I would like to talk more about this subject in private."
He looked at Tifa then at the big Cat.
"All right. Would it be proper for you to meet me at Cosmo canyon ?
Any time would be fine." Nanaki replied while Vincent directed his Chocobo to the North
"I will meet you in 4 days at night. Thank you for you time." Vincent Started the trek
back to Nibelheim.
Tifa looked at Nanaki for an answer as to what they where talking about. But trained also somewhat in the subject of Psychologie
, Nanaki restrained from saying anything direct.
"It is not Barret's saying that has troubled him. It is something else. You do know that
I will not revealle anything without his consent , do you ?"
Tifa nodded understanding. She went back to the gang and made up a story about what happened. The rest or the group talked
the rest of the day and parted at dusk.
***
Vincent groomed his Chocobo before returning it to his stall. He was thinking about
the different things he wanted to say to Nanaki but felt to tired to think about it any further. He returned to the Mansion , hanging
his long red cape on a hook and then suddenly stared at his right good arm.
He went to the bathroom wich had somewhat many articules remaining in the Sink. He had bought many different things just in
cass such a thing happened but.. A sunburn? With what he wears ?! Vincent took one of the many tubes in the sink and carefully
picked it up with his metal claw. He opened the lid and skeezed the cool white cream on his arm. Slowly and carefully he used
his claw to rub the solution on his arm. The skin was peeling here and there , making Vincent worrying about it. He finnished the
task and rubed some warm water on his claw to get rid of the oilly substance. He then took some of the warm liquide and
splashed it in his face. The back of his eyes hurt and so did his head. Paying no further heed to his ailments he stepped in his
black coffin and closed the lid.
As it did . Vincent very easilly awakened at the dusk of the fourth day. Something was bothering him. It felt as if a hand was
pulling him below the rib cage. It wasn't painful but it was nagging him. After eating ever so slightly , Vincent was aware that the
normal stuff he usually ate had a bitter taste. Not paying anymore head to it , Vincent took Gaia out of the stables and headed for
CosmoCanyon.
The night felt cool and it refreashed Vincent as he road through the night. The stars filled the skies and the moon was going to be
full in 2 or 3 days.
Vincent let a smile play across his lips. Night was the only time of day that he felt he belonged to. The canyon was in his lign of
view and so did the small village. He dismounted his stead and entered the village. One of the men guarding the entrance for
monsters asked Vincent what he was doing here.
"I have an appointed rendez-vous with *Elder* Nanaki as you would call him."
"You can pass , we welcome you to Cosmo canyon ."
Vincent was let pass the two men as he marched up the stairs to the old abservatory. Nanaki was waiting for him.
"Thank you for coming ." Nanaki Smiled as he lay his notes on the table. How he could write them without any hands was
beyound Vincent.
"I have thought about the differences during this past year and have made a list to help you." Vincent handed the sheet of paper
folded three times. As Nanaki read the list , his face lighted up as if struck by an Idea. His posture was making Vincent nervous.
"Vincent. What have you been eating lately ?" Nanaki asked taking a sheet of paper out of a tray wich held many more. He put
the paper and a pen he found near Vincent.
Vincent took the piece of paper and the pen and started thinkng. Writing a couple of words and then stopping abrutly.
"Now that I have thought about it. I haven't eaten that much and the things I usually eat taste bitter." Nanaki hummed a
"MmmHmm." he then reached into the fridge and pulled out some stawberries.
"These have been picked today. Tilimee , a sweet little girl I know , grows thems. How they can grow here is beyond me , but I
would like you to tell me how they taste ."
Nanaki layed the tray full of the berries on the table. Vincent took one with his good arm and took the green leaves out of the top.
He then put half of the red fruit in his mouth and bit it. He abrutly closed his eyes and swallowed the mouthfull. After a slight
pause and having cleared his throat Vincent replied.
"It is fairly sour I would not recommend them for you to eat." He put the rest of the stawberrie on the table.
"Changing tastes are you ?" Nanaki put the rest of the strawberries in the refrigirator.
"Those strawberries in particular are the most sweat I have ever encountered. It seems that your anatomie is starting to change ,
including taste buds.
Nanaki had taken the pen and writin something on the piece of paper with his right paw. Strangely enough the pen was very well
placed in the big paw and Nanaki had no difficulty writing with it.
"Vincent do you undergo periodes of changes sometimes? Some discompforts in a regular basis and/or a wanting to travel at
certain times ?"
Vincent sat down crossing his legs , this was a regular question/answer session. He felt akward mostly when in these types of
conversations. And he knew why The red cat asked him If he wanted to travel sometimes.....The jenova cells where part of the
reason.
"Sometimes I just wake up at night and feel very sick and I feel a pain under my chest. When checking my Chocobo Gaia once I
got blinded very badly by the sun light. I also felt very agressive that night and didn't wan't to go to sleep until next Dawn. [...]"
Vincent paused it had been a very long time since he had to remember things between periodes of dormancie and the actual fact
that he wasn't used talking this much to anyone.
" And I suddenly just wanted to travel without my Chocobo. I think it was last year near the end of Spring. I had had that strange
feeling in my stomach the few last days and ..well I think I made a trip to Rocket Town ."
Nanaki listen intently. Listening was something he liked to do very often. Listening to stories, Listening to the planet at the
obsorbatory and sometimes he would visit his Father Seto (now a statue) and just listen to the wind. Presently bits and pieces
where being put together , the more he asked and the more the answers where clearing the state of the matter. Only one thinged
remained before he would be trully sure.
"Vincent ? I will need a blood sample. I have a pretty good Idea what's going on but I need to be trully shure."
The cat stood up and got a little pack of something in a drawer. he also picked up a bottle of antiseptic and a tube with a seringue.
Weather he was a big cat of a big wolf , Nanaki was picking things up as easilly as a human would have done . Although he
lacked the nimbleness of finguers , Nanaki was skilled with most of the Doctorial material that was in the laboratory. He asked
Vincent to open the blue pack that he left on the table.
Vincent tore open the top of the plastic slip and when he peered inside he caught sight of a needle and a seringue. He abrutly
threw the pack off the table. memories flooded Him.
An internal turmoil plagued Vincent as he looked at a distant object in trans. Nanaki had turned abrutly and had evidently realized
his mistake. The needle and seringue reminded Vincent of the experiments that where perfomred on him. No doubt they had
made Vincent Paranoide. He quickly stoped what he was doing and compforted him.
"Don't worry Vincent. I won't hurt you. I'm your friend remember ? Not all needles are meant to hurt Vincent These are going to
help me understand you and help you find your answers about your illness ." Nanaki tried to snap out Vincent out of his trans
and did so when he gave his good hand a quick slap.
Snaping out of it , Vincent remembered another way to take blood samples that wouldn't requier a needle. Vincent ashured
Nanaki that he was allright and took a moment's pause to recover from the painfull memory.
"Nanaki their is a small opening at the base of my elbo near the junction of my metal limb. It opens when you put a tube in it."
Vincent pushed aside two metal junctiors to expose the small hole opening between the wires. The cat seemed to smile and gave
the end of a tube while placing the other in a seringue. Theex-Turk pushed the end tube in the opening and felt the warm liquide
ooze through the opening.
Vincent looked elsewhere , the experience resembled to another which he knew well and still had nightmares about. After the
seringue had 2 thirds finsished Nanaki pulled the tube out and held the end high so that the last remaining blood met the glass
container.
"I'll meet you at Cloud's weading. By then I will have finnished the test." Nanaki put the sample in the centrefuge and turned it
on. As it started spinning Vincent put the folds back of his metal protrusion. Vincent nodded understanding.
"Will you come to tell me the fixed date. I feel I won't be rising from my sleep for a long time. We could talk about it when you
wake me up." He stood back up and thanked Nanaki for his time.
After having said his goodbyes Vincent passed the guards in the entrance of the small village and felt the feeling again. A tight
prickly feeling under his rib cage had formed and he found himself staring at one of the men. He shaked his head to shrug the
feeling off andgot on his chocobo. Both of them made their way back to Nibelheime. As he road on his faitful stead , the
Chocobo's normal up and down motion was making the feeling worse , it felt like prickly electricity this time , running from the
usual spot up his spine and back again.
***
Vincent closed his eyes but could not find sleep it took him a couple of hours to get sleepy. After getting fed up with waiting for
sleep to come to him , Vincent got out of the black malet and went to the bathroom and warmed his face. He still couldn't get
sleepy. He looked back at the mirror and noticed the window behind him. Dawn was starting it's climb up the sky and Vincent
instintly became aware that he was fatigued.
Vincent could not pay further thoughts about it as he staguered to the basement. Barelly managing to climb inside the coffin and
closing the lid , as he sliped into a dreamless sleep.
Vincent awoke at the sound of a loud rasping on the lid of his coffin. He slowly drifted back to reality trying to escape the claws
of sleep.
"Helllooooo! Anybody in there ? Waky waky." The voice of the elder cat had starteled him as another loud rasp knocked him
fully awake. He wondered If he was scratching hard enough to rip the paint off the cover. At the idea Vincent replied.
"O.k o.k I'm up already! Just please don't damage the painting job any further!"
Vincent painstakenly oppened the cover. Wishing his eyes would stop hurting.
"Got the results. Wan't to hear about thems ? " Nanaki lend a helping hand to get Vincent out of the mallet. He felt wabylish as
he followed Nanaki up the spiraling stair cass.
"I brought something that you might like . " Nanaki opened a plastic container. Inside where rare pieces of meat. "I asked for
these at the nearby resteraunt thinking you might be hungry after sleeping for 20days."
He pushed the container to Vincent who immediatly picked up on of the bits and started eating thems. They weren't that hot and
they where as close to raw as Nanaki could get thems not making Vincent look like an animal.
"Had it been a month already ? What are the results ? " Vincent finnished his last stip of meat.
"Well...As I suspected. Your body hasn't stoped changing since Hojo tinckered with it. Yes your body has stopped ageing but
not changing. Your cellular structure kept though. The first thing you must have noticed when you body had changed was you
eye colour right? The growth was slowed down when you where in dormancie but kept changing you. Now your hair color is
now raven black , you can see better in the dark then a person in daylight ,
your 5 sences are sharpened way beyound a normal humans'.Your white cells are much more advanced and multiply faster then
anything I've ever seen! But the real reason you're feeling drowzee these days is because your routines are changing.You're
getting used to the the hours of the animal wich is most present in your blood structure! The Vampire Bat !"
Nanaki paused. Though Vincent had had little experience in the field of Science he had had many years of to read about it , so
most of what RedXIII (Also known as Nanaki) said had been understood.
"Is their something to worry about in this casse ? What would be the possible worst senario?"
Vincent asked hastefully panicked by the Idea that he may be turning into a creature. The cat was silent for a few minute striving
to think if he should tell him or not. Maybe the truth would hasten the rapidly growing problem.
"I..I'm not shure how Mutagenics work. I would have to do a great amount of research before I am qualified to look at such a
casse." RedXIII Paused .
"I..The worst cass would be for you to...take some physical aspects of the Bat."
"You mean ?...I will start changing ? That not only will I be acting mostly like a bat but I will start looking like one !? I'm turning
into a real biological Vampire !!?
As Nanaki had thought Vincent wasn't picking this up lightly. He had delt with people looking at him , his claw , his eyes and the
paleness of his skin , but he wouldn't dare come out anymore if he knew he could endanger the lives around him.
"Vincent! Hey Vincent calm down ! For all I know panicking will probably speed up the process !"
Vincent calmed down , taking huge and loud raspy breaths he felt *it* pulling down under his rib cage like a jolt in electricity.
"I..I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted like that. It's just...I've known that everybody thinks of me as a monster. It... I couldn't bare
with the Idea of actually resembling one ." Vincent fell silent.
Nanaki nodded and explained where the weading would be planned.
"I've awaken you a day early. We've got some traveling to do. The weading is planned to Costa del sol. It will be held on the
beach near dawn."
The Ex-Trurk (or for whatever time remained for him until he could be called otherwize) disided to confine soemthing personally
bothering.
"Nanaki...I've also failed to mension something of importance. Sometimes during periodes of changing I get a feeling , a prickly
feeling just under my rib cage. Sometimes it can be quite painful."
"Let's not discuss this further , we have quite some bit of travelling to do my friend. You just tell me when this happens and i'll try
and look for the cause of it
hmmm ?"
RedXIII said in a nonshalant voice . He smiled (or what seemed to be a smile for him.) Vincent nodded and started packing some
supplies. He bought greens for Gaia and asked Nanaki if he would be mounting the Chocobo (because of Gaias seeming
distress at the sight of the HUGE cat.) Nanaki had laughed and said he could run steadilly and for great periodes of fatigure. He
also stated that if ever should he grow tiered he would tell him.
