Final Fantasy VII Amissed Tale

The dusky twilight grew into a lonely dark shadow looming over the Earth of Geia's painful birth. A  raven's voice was heard nearby as a young maiden burned the incense to light the air with a an aroma only those with true love for the nature around them could ever understand. She stood, with long black hair and mystique in her eyes as to promise that her presence in the cemetery was destined… 

She shut her eyes and uttered… "My loving son…please forgive me.."

The cold air of Nivelheim blew across her ivory face as she stood, with a face of grief turning swiftly to walk away from the hidden grave of her lost son…

            "Born not of Jenova my dear, by from my own womb…Forgive me dear Angel for letting you into the hands of Prof. Gast…you were different, my one-winged angel, you did come from the sky to me. Gast helped you…he died….and Hojo killed the soul within you.. then Cloud Strife killed you…. Should I have thanked him for helping you out of this misery?"

            Walking off she always questioned the past of her actions, and the value they held on her son, now dead. Another Sephiroth had been created, under another Professor, correction an Assistant Professor at Shinra, several years after the real Sephiroth had died. Hence the tattoo of # 1 on his hand…She knew Lucrecia and felt terrible for the ordeal experienced by the lab technician. It wasn't her fault that her son became such a chaotic child, what would you expect from a child that grew up in the absence of love and care and grew to know a false background. Who would have blamed him? 

"Vincent..Valentine. This is his apartment.." She bit her lip, remembering him in clarity from the past… That one night.. 

Sighing, she knocked on the door hoping he would remember her…

Emerging from sitting in front of his fireplace..Vincent quirked annoyed eyebrow. His thin body stood up and walked elegantely to the door, to question who it was..

"Who is it?"

"..silence…"

Gasping, Vincent quickly thrust the door open…staring at the girl he once loved, it could not be her, he had to be hallucinating.

_She's still the same..crimson lips…white skin..black hair….is it really her? _

The lady quickly caught Vincent's thoughts…finally cutting the silence she tapped him gently and said softly .. "Vincent…I am….not…who you think I am."

_What? Not it has to be her Vincent…listen to her voice…it is her…_

"Who are you then?"

"Vincent..do you remember Lucrecia?"

"Is that a question to even ask?"

"Vincent…do you know who Lucrecia loved?"

" Well, we were almost engaged…"

"Vincent…Lucrecia….did she ever say she loved you?"  
 "I remember clearly the night she expressed it to me."

            Vincent had a surge of painful but sweet memories pass through his eyes as he lead the frozen girl inside. Winter in Midgar is very harsh. The unknown girl sat, within grew the demon of guilt..for her past mistakes. She could not resurrect her son, but she could try at least to soothe the pain before another monster was created because of misery…On Vincent's newly set of black leather she sat on the left end of a sofa. Removing her scarf and coat, Vincent leaned against his fireplace, crossing his arms sternly across his chest.

            "Vincent.. that night… was it………this one….?"

~ _Past scene…~_

 ~_Invitation to Mr. Valentine for the executives' annual gathering on July 23th in Costa Del Sol at President Shin-ra's Villa………..~_

"You going Vince?"  
 "I am not really a social person Reno. You know that."

"They'll be some hot babes there yknow… you might do some good with a girl…"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing…just means that maybe a girl……might……brighten you up….."

"…."

~Shinra Lab~

"Hey Lukie… ya going to this Shinra ball thing?"  
 "I don't know Elena, I don't have a date…"

"Well for a secretary and student like me… I'd love to go, but the Turk leader I'd had a crush on forever just hasn't noticed me! Grr…"

"~chuckle~ Aww Elena, you'll get him… I saw quite a fellow yesterday."

"Really? What was he like?!"

"Tall. Dark. Handsome.."

"Let me guess. Mysterious too?"

"You could say that…..hmm."

"At this rate Luc, you wont be getting anyone… Well  I should be getting back to filing papers…. I'll see you later."

"Bye Elena."

  
 ~Scene Change.~

"Hey look its that science babe, look Reno..look!"  
 "Damn you Reno.. I was busy…"

"Doing what Rude, fuckign your self?"  
"Shut the fuck up………..she is hot…..and she's coming here!"

"Hold back buddy… lets see how Vince handles her…"

"You're going to let up an opportunity like that?!"  
 "I want to prove to that son of a bitch that he would go to a dance, and that a girl will lighten his tight ass up…!"  
 "Damn. He aint that bad."

"Shh…lets go."  
  


A knock on the door.

It was Reno's voice, "Hey Vince can ya open the door, I need to piss."

A deep sigh. Vincent ran a hand through his hair while standing up from the dark corner he sat hidden. Walking to the glass door and opening it, he thought in his mind that this girl was one of Shin-Ra's lousy secretary's…

"Mr. Valentine?"

"Yes. That is me."

"Good afternoon Sir, my name is Lucrecia, umm I wanted to ask you a few questions regarding well, your health you are due for a physical, and some questions regarding psychology. If you don't mind. But mostly I wish you to take a look at these files for me They're Miss Kushinida's at the Forensic department.."

"What are they for? And why do you need to ask me questions? I am not insane.."

"Its nothing like that Sir! These files, they are for my friend, she's studying currently. You being in the Turks would place you in crime the most here, and since you are the most intelligent of all Turks…apart from Sir Tseng, who is away, I was wondering if you would please consider her analyzations…"

Vincent looked into her eyes and noticed a certain softness, they were delicate but full of pain. He didn't have anything else to do…

"All right. Do you need anything else, just want me to read them?"

"You can mark on them if you wish.."

"Okay. And what was that about a physical?"

"Yes, Sir. If you don't mind I need you to come with me down to the lab. You're due."

"Oh god….."

Lucrecia chuckled, trying to conceal it under Vincent's slight glare. He  straightened himself and followed her down the hall. Inside the elevator, Lucrecia admired his posture and the way he carried himself. Vincent was not mean, he was polite, but it threw people off that he was so quiet and in the background. Never the center. 

"Please sit over there…"

Vincent obediently sat on the cold, metal lab unit for patients.

"First I'll draw blood." Getting all the needles, cotton, etc and laying them on a small tray she smiled at Vincent, who slightly smiled, more of a smirk but nevertheless tried.

"Most children cry at the sight of needles, whats your reaction?"

"Not something I look forward too, but…I suppose are all right."

"All right?! I hate them! Okay well, this wont hurt too much….I promise."

Lucrecia folded his cuffs gently back, and took his arm, pressing to find is vein.

"You're..very gentle.."

"Why thank you, Sir!" Lucrecia smiled once more. "Found it.. Now just speak to me and don't look down and you wont feel a thing." Wiping an alcohol swab across the location, she tied a rubber band around his mid-arm. "So Mr. Valentine, do you have a date for the upcoming dance?" 

"I am not much of a social person.."

"Really? That's terrible..well not really, people are pains.."

"Heh."

After continuing on with simple tests she projected the results would be there after two days and would let him know then.

"Well that's it, not too bad was it?"

"Not at all.."

"Well, thank you Sir for saying you would look at my friend's work. She was  rather embarrassed, you being an executive and all, and her just a student, but I really hope it will please you."

"I am sure its fine."

"Sir, who do you spend your leisure with?"  
 "No one really…"

"Well then, you will tonight. Please, wont you have coffee with me?"  
 "Umm sure?"

"Great! I will meet you at the Ovelia's Café at 9?"  
 "All right."

~Few days later….~

"ummm Miss Kushinida."

"You don't have to call me that…you can just call me Lucrecia. We have known each for years and we are friends"

"That's kind of you…Its just…strange because…of our whole…name thing.."

"How about, I'm Luke, and you're Lucrecia?"

"Sure.. Luk.. I sort of need a favour…"

"What is it?" Well you know that Turk..Vincent Valentine.?"

"Of course I do, he's so dreamy."

"Well…we've been sort of seeing each other, but more on a friend basis…and the other night he asked me to go to the ball with him…"

"That's great!…..whats wrong? Wait, you did thank him months ago for correcting my report right? He was so sweet about it…. He's so intelligent…."

" Of course I did! He is…..Well…Hojo called me in, and I just can't say no…"

"Why not?"

"Luke, you know how it is…I'm his possession now…and I in a strange way want to be with him…"

"Lucrecia…I can understand…with your past and all but….Hojo of Shinra is not.. someone that can be trusted. Well what do you need?"

" That's not true, Prof. Hojo is grand, he just has certain aspects which can be aggravating……. Anyway Well since you and I are……look alikes and all…..I was wondering if you would go as me…."

"What? Well…since its Valentine, I'll go, but don't you go using me as an excuse now I actually do like him sadly….!"  
 "Don't worry I wont…"

"Lucrecia."

"Hmm?"

"Watch out. Its what I didn't do…"

~_The Night…..The Shin-Ra Ball~_

"Check it out Reno…you were right, he showed up with her!"

"Heh. You owe me 50."

"Fuck"

Vincent and Lucrecia ( Luke) had arrived at the grand entrance, arriving on an express ferry. He had brought a bouquet of scarlet roses for his date, which she held delicately in her black-glove covered arms. Vincent wore a black tuxedo with a white collar, while Lucrecia matched in her dark black dress that fell to her ankles. It was of a chiffon and silk combination, not too tight, but not loose either, appeared as though it were custom made. Both of their arms were hooked as Lucrecia could not help stop smiling as they entered the ball.

"Oh! Elena, you came!"

"Yea…..as the usher, guest checker person and…pretty much just for work."

"Poor thing…you look great though."

"Thanks!"

The night continued on, as Valentine charmed Lucrecia, never realizing that the girl his feet danced along with was not the one he had a liking for… Lucrecia then had forgotten as well, she was overtaken by his grace. After living a life in solitude this was her "Prince." 

"Shall we take the small cruise for a few hours?"

"That would be lovely! I am a bit tired from dancing… as you can see I am a terrible dancer.."

"Don't say that, you're lovely."

"You're too kind."

Vincent held her hand gently, guiding her up the ramp, making sure her dress was not dragging, and that she would not fall. As they boarded, Vincent tipped the pilot quickly, whispering to him to make the trip a bit longer. The two sat on a high deck, being served champagne by the servant onboard. It was the two of them, alone, floating across sea that reflected a sea of stars from above.

"Oh Vincent, look! Isn't it lovely? I can see every constellation in the world!"

Never having felt such great pleasure around a person before, he embraced her gently around the waist, holding her close to feel her hair, and smell the sweet scent of Gucci rush. Placing her hands over his she cried deep inside, in a sweet agony. Lucrecia's life, was full of wrong turns and cycles of bad luck, for once in her life someone had taken the time for her and she was falling in love with it…

"My mother…used to say that when you loved someone you could see them in the stars…"

"Oh really? Are you getting romantic and soft on me dear Vincent?"

"Maybe. Close your eyes."

He lifted her hand gently and pointed to the sky"

"Open"

A soft giggle emerged. "Vincent what are you doing?"  
 "Follow my finger." Tracing an outline of some figure with stars, as if playing astronomical connect the dots.. he traced her face out.."

"There's you…"

Lucrecia, turned, with tears closely forming in her eyes, she could not help but hold the dear yet monstrous Turk next to her. Twirling a lock of her hair, their lips soon met, in a passionate kiss, Lucrecia had requited the love she had for him, but twas not the love for her…

~End of Flashback…~

"Yes it was that night…."

"Vincent…the night of that dance….wasn't Lucrecia…well not the one you knew….it was me…"

"Who are you?"

"I am Lucrecia…..Lucrecia Kushinida. You fell in love with…Lucrecia Testsuya. Lucrecia Kushinda Testsuya."

"What?"  
 "Vincent, do you remember Lucrecia ever getting so distant from you after that night?"  
 "yes."

"I told her about what had happened, I anticipated an angry outburst towards me and was ready for it, but instead she was quite apathetic. Lucrecia wasn't trying to avoid you Vincent..she had been impregnated that night…"

"What? What are you saying?"  
 "Vincent…aren't you miserable, blaming yourself for what the death of Lucrecia because of the birth of Sephiroth?"  
"Yes…"

"Vincent what you never knew was…..that wasn't the real Lucrecia, just as that Sephiroth was a clone."

"What do you mean?"

"Vincent I am the real Lucrecia. That girl you met…she was my clone… that is why her middle name is mine. If they had named her otherwise, it would have been overly confusing and falsified…"

Rage had entered Vincent's blood shot eyes as he madly saw a liar in the raven beauty in front of him. Knocking over a vase he walked to the other side of the room, pulling out pictures of memories of him and Lucrecia…the one he fell in love with and not the stranger in front of him

"Please don't be angry at me.."

"Why have you come now then? Did she love me?"

"That's what I came for Vincent…Lucrecia never loved you…she loved Hojo, she was created by him..from me…and saw him as a God.."

  
Almost wanting to throw an album at her, he calmly strided over to her, sat beside her and opened an album of which letters, coffee notes and pictures of the two stood.

Choking, Lucrecia glanced at them as Vincent dictated.

"I cannot understand. We had all these memories….. Is that really you in that dress on that cruise?"

"Yes…" Lucrecia spoke softly, not wanting to let out the tears within. She questioned her actions, why had she come? Why after so long? Vincent would not yet interrogate, no, he would only when he was positive that he could not figure it out himself. He was not one to rely on the sayings of  others..

Turning the page he turned to another scene, where the two were almost dressed alike with Vincent looking like a female cheerleader with his hair in pigtails, a mini skirt and tight shirt. "That was me… sadly…she had talked me into dressing up as a girl for a party her friends had held for her…"

Lucrecia lifted to a figure that was dressed in a red masque and a black ball dress… "….I remember, that was me."

Against, Vincent turned to another page, this time to a letter… he read it aloud

"Dear loving Vampire,

            How romantic are you dear? I know I have not been around to keep you company long lately but please understand that what is required of me has been raised. Hojo asks me to stay with him late hours and I cannot refuse, this is afterall what I have chosen to do.  I love you darling, please don't forget our anniversary tomorrow."       

                                                                        Love,

                                                                        With all my heart,

                                                                        Your Lucrecia

Choking more, Luke remembered writing that… for Lucrecia…not wanting to tear away that image from Vincent. It was bad enough she was hurting him, but she could not tear away his memories, it seemed that was the world was living from. The people of Midgar living of memories with the plate had not existed, just as the people of the Slums remembered the times before Shin-Ra and the Mako flowing well. The apprehension overtook her, she could not bear to watch anymore of this…

"Vincent, stop!"

"……?"  
 "Vincent… I wish not to tear away all these sweet memories… to take them away is to take a child's childhood away, what is left other than emotionless life? Vincent… Just as you loved Lucrecia, the one you were falling in love with was nothing more than a clone of me…"

"Are you saying I loved you?"

"Vincent.. if I was selfish I would say that. I just don't know, but I can tell you this, that note was written by me, like most of the notes, they were by me."  
 "……………. Why do you come now to tell me?"

"Because… I ran into your friends from the Turks and they told me how you were doing… and I spoke to Cloud..who had seen you in his hometown."

"If you had written the note, than she msut have asked you too, correct?"

"Yes."

"Than she intended what was said."

"Not truly Vincent… Vincent Lucrecia was not a terrible person, I know I will make it seem that was, she was lovely really, but you see, she loved you differently."

"She loved nonetheless.."

"Well, not quite. The only reason she accepted your engagement Vincent was because Hojo was already married and there was a rule passed by the President that multiple spouses was illegal. She was in love with Hojo, and atop that, Lucrecia needed a sense of security, she wanted to avoid people finding out about her and Hojo together, it was unethical for lab workers to do such, and she didn't want that to happen. She felt secure with, and she loved you as though you were her brother. Please understand, Hojo was everything to her.. he created her… he was the one who taught her life, who named her who gave her a sense of purpose."

"……."

"I don't mean to take the love you once had from you.."

She was interrupted by him… "But you just have. You have stolen sweet dreams from my endless nightmare, I don't know wether my guilt has left or not. But I should have stopped Lucrecia from that child."

"You could not have! Vincent, Lucrecia's purpose was to have that child, they were both clones! She loved Hojo, if he didn't' ask her to do anything she would become depressed feeling usless and unworthy…"

"Then it was to have been to duty to make her feel worthy."

"How could you have? Please understand, she listened to no one, she felt you were her brother but in all honest Vincent…she was surreal. Her emotions were mine, they were not hers, she really did not have any. If it wasn't for the fact that Hojo had used me for emotional hormones she would not have any feelings at all but it amused Hojo that she loved him so much. She wanted that child more than anything."

"But she died from it.. it was not right!"  
 "She was made to self destruct after bearing him…"  
 "Did she know of that?"  
 "Yes. I told her just before….that night. She did not care. She knew she was a clone by then, she had found her files locked away one night. She did not care, all she knew was to please Hojo, she had a masochistic infatuation with him."

Vincent was left confused and unsure what to do. Beleving what his ears had heard was yet an answer. If this Lucrecia was the true Lucrecia than could he have loved the other? Was she here to find love in him? Was she a lonely whore making a story to find someone to love? Why was the past tormenting him now again?!  
  



End file.

Final Fantasy VII, Drama, Romance