The City

[Kenpachi Zaraki]

Vincent silently trekked across the emptiness, surrounded on all sides by a half dozen of Bradley’s soldiers. Each was clad in armor with matching helms that obscured their visage, vestments the color of the emptiness around them. As they marched, the cloaked man caught sight of the formidable firearms hanging from their sides. He wondered why his passage to the empire necessitated such a battalion; for his protection, of for theirs? As the fountain shrank behind him and the far-off archway began to grow, the gunslinger wondered what his course of action would be.

Siding with an Empire, Vincent thought. Not exactly the safest bet, if history were any indicator, nor was it something he was known to do. That being said, what choice had he? The path that would lead him home was the route he needed to take. If that meant wandering into a totalitarian regime and completing some unsavory task to appease a greedy emperor, so be it.

The pale man frowned, glancing at his surroundings for the umpteenth time. Omniverse… He recalled the name once more. How had he happened upon this realm? Had Omni saved him from death, or just as likely, had Omni orchestrated the events that led him to the Rift in the first place? Though the ‘god’ had told Vincent that he had come here because he was of interest, how could he be sure that he was not still on Gaia, held hostage by some devious organization. Shinra? he thought at first, quickly dismissing the though; not quite their style. Vincent was not quick to trust in those who called themselves ‘Gods’, though this was hard to argue. Have to see what unfolds… he thought, fingering the ornate revolver obscured by his cloak.

Despite the events that had happened over the last few hours, he still thought only of his home. Indeed, this world was intriguing and mysterious, but the ever-present worry for his loved ones squeezed his heart like a vise. Whether the rift was a ploy to bring him here or a legitimate danger, he could not leave his ‘family’ alone. Danger and strife haunted the raven-haired man, bringing constant sorrow in its wake. He simply had to return. His mind traveled back to the airship, to Cid, Tifa and Cloud. He smiled at the thought of Yuffie freaking out over his disappearance, of Barret’s vain attempts to silence the woman. He thought of Shelke, his adoptive daughter since the events at Deepground. He thought of his long lost Lucrecia, comatose and frozen in time.

“Approaching the portal, Sir.” One of egg the troopers spoke into his walkie-talkie. The sudden commanding tone shook Vincent from his thoughts.

“Excellent,” came the reply. “Take him in.”

At the order, the squad changed formation, making a U-shape with Vincent at the trough. This, he thought, implied he’d likely be entering the city alone. Bradley couldn’t likely afford to part with so many guards for so long. Moments later, he was proved correct as the troops slowed and fanned out as stood before the shimmering archway, the soldiers falling back to form a slightly bulged line behind him.

“Enter,” the nearest soldier grunted, gesturing with his rifle toward the stone archway.

The ‘portal’ as it had been called looked like a run-of-the-mill archway, though it looked to harbor some variety of magic. As there was nothing to be seen behind it, the gunslinger surmised it was likely a teleportation spell or a transport of a similar variety. It could just as likely been a trap, some lethal incantation, though he doubted they would want him dead at this point. Vincent scowled at the doorway before glancing back at the trooper. A rifle jab at his back came in response to his nonverbal question. Feeling vaguely prisoner-like, he stepped through the portal.

- - -

Vincent blinked as he stepped through the portal, the world of the Nexus disappearing for a brief moment before a new world met his opening eyes. There was no obvious sign of any movement or teleportation; no sound or flash of light. He was simply somewhere else now: Coruscant.

The city was an immense metropolis, complete with towering futuristic skyscrapers nearly obscuring the clear blue sky. The city was not dissimilar to Midgar, packed with technology and a feeling of stifling authority. Images of intimidating looking officials, or possible police force members, appeared on buildings and across billboards. The faces wore wide, friendly-seeming grins, though their eyes betrayed them. All too reminiscent of where Edge now stood, though it lacked its characteristic smog layer and near universal grime. It lacked another important feature as well: people.

As Vincent strode down the empty streets, he noticed only a few people here or there, save for the occasional shop vendor or person rushing toward what he could only guess was the center of town. Vendors yelled to him from their shops, waving memorabilia and trinkets stamped with the Imperial logo, the same logo he had seen on virtually every sign and building he had passed. The Prime approached one of these shops, glancing at the television on the wall behind the excited shopkeeper, displaying an immense crowd bustling around a string of floats. Festive music could be heard through the TV, and echoing faintly from down the street.

“Imperial Pennants!” The odd-looking humanoid yelled, though he stood just feet from the Prime. “Celebrate your Imperial pride with these lovelies! Palpatine Bobble-heads!” He shook the toy violently in Vincent’s face, showing off the apparent ‘bobblyness’. “Collectibles worth a fortune some day! Judge Dredd dartboards! Don’t let them catch you with those, mind you.” He winked and gave a hearty chuckle. “Whaddya say, brother?”

Vincent continued to stare at the video feed of the event. He pointed a gloved hand at the TV. “How do I get there?”