Back To Where It All Began...

Florence, Italy. The capitol of Tuscany. The city lies on the River Arno and is known for its history and its importance in the Middle Ages and in the Renaissance , especially for its art and architecture. A centre of medieval European trade and finance and one of the wealthiest cities of the time, Florence is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance ; it has been called the Athens of the Middle Ages. A turbulent political history included periods of rule by the powerful Medici family, religious and republican revolution. From 1865 to 1870 the city was also the capital of the Kingdom of Italy . Florence is often known as the "Jewel of the Renaissance".

The historic centre of Florence attracts millions of tourists each year and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1982. Florence is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and its artistic, historic and cultural heritage and impact in the world remains to this day. The city has a major impact in music, architecture, education, cuisine, fashion, philosophy, science and religion. The historic centre of Florence contains elegant squares, Renaissance palaces, academies, parks, gardens, churches, monasteries, museums, art galleries and ateliers. The city has also been nominated, according to a 2007 study, as the most desirable destination for tourists in the world.

The city boasts a wide range of collections of art, especially those held in the Pitti Palace and the Uffizi. Florence is arguably the last preserved Renaissance city in the world and is regarded by many as the art capital of Italy. It has been the birthplace or chosen home of many notable historical figures, such as Dante, Boccaccio, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Niccolò Machiavelli, Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Donatello, Galileo Galilei, Catherine de' Medici, Antonio Meucci, Guccio Gucci, Franco Zeffirelli, Salvatore Ferragamo, Roberto Cavalli, and Emilio Pucci .

This place holds far more than just beautiful scenery and historic beauty to Valentina. This place holds a dark past. It was because of this place that Val became what she was now. The woman paced the bustling streets of her hometown. Her rage building as she listened to the happy, cheery voices of the natives and the tourists. The place sickens her, yet she returned for some reason. She growled a bit and let her frustration go one a human passing by. She ripped her claws through the human's face, ripping it open like a cantelope. The body hit the ground with a obscene wet plop. A chorus of screams quickly filled the air. Val simply smirked and walked away from the scene, licking her claws. She made her way to the outskirts to the city, but not by accident. She soon found herself standing before a large warehouse. Her fur bristled, a low growl rumbling in her throat. This place....I know this place.... She brought her hand to her mouth and bit hard enough to draw blood, the flashbacks of her death returning while she stood before the warehouse. Blood ran into her palm. She roared and poured a large amount of reiatsu into her hand, it mixing with her blood. A massive sphere of deep violet light formed in her palm. She raised her hand, her palm facing the warehouse. The orb of light expanded to the size of a small watermelon. She then fired the fully charged Gran Rey Cero at the warehouse. The cero collided with the rusty metal structure, demolishing it within seconds. The building erupted into flames. The scene could be compared to an RPG missile ripping through a treehouse. Val laughed like a madman, her rage only building further. The place she had just eliminated was in fact the very place she died and became a hollow. A team of humans ran towards the building, shouting in Italian to one another. Val's memory of the language was faint. She didn't care what they were saying, but she did care to see what their insides looked like. Using her sonido, she moved in between all seven of them. Blood sprayed into the air as her claws tore through each of them. Visceral organs, severed limbs, and mutilated bodies his the dirt within a matter of minutes. Val's hands were stained by innocent blood. She simply laughed. She now had one more target. She began to move, heading about fifteen miles back into the city of Florence. Heading towards where her Mother and Brother still lived.

A quaint little home, just outside of the historic area of Florence, sat in a peaceful neighborhood. The house was decent in size with a small garden in the front yard that surrounded the porch. A woman was working in the garden, plucking weeds. Val now approached the home, her eyes glowing a deep amber hue, her sanity blinded by her rage. Val walked up behind the woman and gazed down at her. Naturally, the woman had no clue she was being watched by angry eyes. Hello....Mother.... The moment she finished her words, she backhanded the woman into a large oak tree that grew near the porch. The woman hit the massive tree with a loud thud, then hit the ground. She lay unconscious, her back broken upon impact. Val snarled and walked up to the unconscious woman, the anger burning in those hateful eyes. Miss me now, Mother? Or have you still forgotten me...You never bothered to look for me....you....YOU LET ME DIE!!! She growled and kicked the woman in the gut, her claws penetrating the liver, and the stomach. The woman was as good as dead now. There was just one more target. She heard a shout come from inside the house. A boy in his early twenties ran out of the house, screaming for help. The boy looked just as Val did when she was alive. Her twin brother. Valentino.... She snagged the boy by the throat and hoisted him into the air. She growled and looked into his eyes. She forgot that he couldn't see her, and that only pissed her off more. With a quick flick of her wrist, she snapped her brother's neck and threw his body against the tree where her now deceased Mother laid. Val took one more look at the mess, huffed and walked away.