Final Fantasy VII: Legacy
By Melissa McClendon
Ch.1 Reunion
" Just a few more months, my dear, then you can go back to your precious
Vincent ." Hojo taunted, finally looking up from his work at the barely out of medical
school Lucrecia du Lacroix.
" And what if I don't want to wait a few more months? If I went to Vincent right now,
he'd kill you where you stand ." Lucrecia sneered, wishing this was all just a bad dream.
" Do you honestly think he really feels that way about you? What makes you think
he doesn't want the same thing I got from you ?"
" Vincent's different, he's not a bastard like you, Hojo ." She spat back vehemently.
Hojo cackled evily, making Lucrecia wince. " You're even more naive than I thought,
Lucrecia ."
Lucrecia looked away, facing the window as her soft violet eyes swelled with
unshed tears. Her attention suddenly focused on the lean young man outside. Vincent
Valentine stood outside in the garden, shooting at the various targets as if possessed
by some inhuman force. Lucrecia closed her eyes then, letting the tears fall freely.
(My beloved, please forgive me... Just a few more months...)
Vincent hesitantly stepped inside the waterfall, careful not to alert Lucrecia to his
presence. He could hear her crying in the distance, her pain echoing throughout the
cave, tearing at his nearly lifeless heart. Even if she was crying for Hojo, he couldn't
bear to hear her cry. He wanted to hold and comfort her, but that was no longer
possible.
" Vincent ..." She suddenly cried aloud between sobs. He froze dead in his tracks,
fearing she had seen him. Luckily, she was asleep. " My darling beloved, please forgive
me. If only I had told you..."
Vincent finally reached his sleeping angel, his precious Lucrecia. (No... only in my
dreams will she ever be mine, but that doesn't matter. I must get her out of here, even if
she hates me later for killing Hojo.)
Dr. Lucrecia du Lacroix was rolled up in a ball, crying softly, trapped in her own
nightmare.Vincent knelt down beside her and rested his hand on her slender shoulder.
" Lucrecia ." He whispered softly.
Lucrecia's soft violet eyes fluttered open and shot up in surprise to meet his, was
her beloved really standing there? Her eyes were red and puffy from all the crying and
her gloriously long brown hair was wrapped around her upper body like a silk coccoon.
" Vincent ?" She whispered in disbelief.
" Yes..." He replied in a neutral tone, fighting the urge to hold her and tell her
everything was alright. (But everything isn't alright, I killed Hojo with my bare hands and I
helped Cloud kill Sephiroth.)
" W...What are you doing here ? I... I thought I'd imagined you coming here. I
thought you were dead ."
" There's no time to explain, I have to get you out of here ."
Before Lucrecia could even protest, she felt his arm go around her small frame. She
let out a cry of surprise when she found herself being swung into his strong arms.
" Where are you taking me ?"
" Back to the Highwind, from there you can decide where you want to go ."
(What have I done?... What have I done?...)
(You've failed your mother, that's what you've done. You couldn't even carry out a
well made plan that took your parents years to concoct.)
(They weren't my parents!)
(Oh really, then who are your parents? )
(I... I don't know...)
(Just as I thought...Heh, heh, heh...)
(Shut up, it your fault I'm here!)
(Even if you find your real parents, what makes you think they'd want you for a son?
You tried to destroy their world.)
(It wasn't me...)
(Of course it wasn't, but who's going to believe you?)
(I... I don't know...)
(Just as I thought...)
A few weeks later
On board the Highwind
" This isn't going to work, Shera ." Lucrecia said nervously while continuing to pin
her silky brown hair up. " Maybe he's avoiding me because He's had a change of heart."
" Nonsense, Lu ." Elmyra concluded before Shera could.
" Vincent's crazy about you, Lucrecia, you just need to let him know how you feel ."
Tifa encouraged, turning the page in her magazine.
" I really appreciate all your help, but maybe we should be focusing on Cloud and
Tifa's upcoming wedding ." Lucrecia tried to change the subject.
" Hey, I don't want to be the only married woman around here. Since Barret and
Elmyra are already engaged, we need to work on Cid and Vincent ." Tifa defended.
Shera turned away, her cheeks matching the color of her hair. Lucrecia glanced at
Shera before replying. " You have too much free time on your hands, Tif. I'll remember to
speak to Cloud about that later ."
" Say what you want now, Lu, but someday you and Shera will be thanking me ."
Lucrecia shook her head as she stood up from Tifa's vanity. Vincent won't even show
up and all this work would have been for nothing.
Elmyra nodded. " You look lovely, Lu ."
" You're gonna knock his cape off ." Tifa cheered.
Lucrecia gave them a devilish grin before she and Shera walked out of the room. " I
hope this works ." She whispered. The pair continued to walk in silence down to
Lucrecia's quarters when she stopped dead in her tracks. Vincent was leaning
nonchalantly against her door, as handsome as ever. " I... I didn't think you'd come ."
She managed to smile despite her nervousness.
Vincent passed a glance to Shera before returning his emotionless gaze to
Lucrecia. " Cid can be very persuasive when he wants to be ."
" Dinner's ready ." Lucrecia informed, trying to avoid the fact that Cid was in on their
little conspiracy. Shera made herself scarce.
Vincent nodded and opened her door. " Ladies first ."
" I appreciate dinner, Lu, but if you'll excuse me -" He stood up from the table before
Lucrecia realized what was happening.
" Wh... Where are you going ?" She tried not to panic.
" Cloud, Cid, and myself have a mission tomarrow -"
" You can't leave ." Lucrecia shot up from the table and instantly reached his side.
" Lucrecia, I have to ."
" Why? Are you afraid of me? Are you afraid to be a man again? To show -"
Lucrecia was quickly silenced as Vincent's mouth descended upon hers in a gentle kiss
that took her breath away. She went limp in his arms as he cupped her face with his
strong hands and they fell back against the wall.
Vincent finally tore his lips from hers, breathing heavily. " I... shouldn't have done
that..." He trailed off, stepping away from her. " I should go ."
" Vincent..." She whispered, grasping his hand. " I'm sorry... I didn't mean what..."
He brushed his free hand across her cheek. " Shh... I know. Now I must go ."
Lucrecia didn't let go of his hand. " Why must you always leave me ?"
(It stung. She thinks that I don't care... that I don't love her.) " I fear what I'll do if I
stay, Lu ."
" Then why did you bring me here ?"
" For your own safety, so you can start a new life ." Vincent's red-brown eyes
rested on her angelic face. (Not for myself...)
" I want to start a new life... but with you ."
Lucrecia smiled as his arm drew her closer. His free hand slid up her neck, his
thumb gently tilting her chin up, and for a split second her eyes locked with his. She
closed her soft violet eyes when she felt his lips, hot, beguiling, pressing gently against
her own. Nothing else mattered but the taste of him, the feel of her beloved's body
pressed against her.
Vincent didn't frighten her with his passion but kept it tightly leashed, even though
he felt like an inferno about to explode. It was the second hardest thing he'd ever done,
restraining himself when his body cried out to take her here and now. This quickly made
him realize he wasn't as self-controlled as he thought he was. Nearly insane with
unquenched desire, Vincent was unaware of the little things he was doing to her, that
his fingers had slid into her hair, removing the pins, that he had slid her loose dress off,
first one shoulder, then the other, or that he was slowly leading them to her bed.
What was more amazing was that Lucrecia didn't realize what she was doing to
him. Her hands worked frantically at the buttons on his black shirt but quickly began
tugging at his belt. She managed to slip one of his arms out of his shirt as he moved
back the blankets and gently sat her down on the bed. Lucrecia threw her head back on
the pillows, biting her lower lip as his lips and tongue reaked sensual havoc across her
smooth alabaster skin.
" Vincent... please ." She whispered impassionately, clutching at him frantically.
She suddenly knew something was wrong when she felt him tense up.
" Oh god, Lu, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." He panted. " Did I hurt you ?"
Her violet eyes grew wide in surprise. " No..." She whispered. " Quite the contrary ."
Vincent finished shrugging his pants off and settled on top of her. Their eyes locked
as he thrust deep inside her. She tensed up when she felt an excrutiating pain. (Why
did it hurt? It wasn't supposed to hurt. She'd done this before, hadn't she?)
He began kissing her again while moving inside her with a kind of urgency she
responded to by moving her hips to meet him, a kind of urgency they both felt because
of 30 years of denial. The tension grew, pulsed, and finally exploded into elated bliss.
Vincent managed to roll off her before he collapsed beside her, trembling. Lucrecia's
lips quivered with her uneven breathing, her heart pounding as her climax drained. After
a long, silent moment, Lucrecia finally found the strength to sit up on her side and gaze
upon her beloved. His red-brown eyes locked with hers, hardly believing what had just
happened. She smoothed back his black hair and ran her fingers across his lips before
resting her head on his chest. " I love you, Vincent ." She whispered before closing her
eyes and drifting into peaceful slumber...
Chapter 2, The Changing Face of Evil
6 months later
Tifa Strife's eyes slowly fluttered open and found she was in complete darkness.
She felt disoriented for a moment, trying desperately to remember the last thing that
happened. The Highwind had been attacked by mercinaries and somehow, everyone on
board had been captured. How did that happen? How could they have beaten us all?... I
must be in some kind of prison... Where's Cloud? A cigarette being lit suddenly caught
her attention. " Cid ?"
" Yep ." He replied roughly after exhaling.
" How long have I been out ?"
" Couple of hours ."
Something was wrong with his voice. He sounded like he was in a great deal of
pain... He was wounded... I remember seeing the blood... " How's your wound ?" Her
tone harbored deep concern.
" It'll heal ." He replied in a neutral tone before inhaling.
I don't remember seeing Shera... Oh God, something must have happened to
her... " What happened to Shera? I didn't see her ."
Cid tensed up. Those damned bastards! Cid thought bitterly. Attacked my ship
while I was trying to propose to my girl... " I locked her in the closet before I was
captured ." I hope that love-happy numbskull Vincent finds her when he gets back. If
he gets back... Cid thought ruefully. Hell, he and Lucrecia just might decide to stay in
Costa del Sol a few more days...
Tifa shook her head, realizing he wasn't in social mood. Cloud's alright. She
reassured herself. If anything, my husband can take care of himself,... maybe... Tifa's
dark eyes flew up as the cell door opened. Cid and Tifa had to quickly shield their eyes
from the blinding light.
" Captain Highwind, the boss wants to see you ."
" Well ," Cid threw the cigarette down and stamped it out with his boot. " Maybe
I don't want to see him ."
" You don't have a choice, Captain ." The guard replied coldly, patting his weapon
with an unspoken warning.
" Cid, don't start a fight. Just see what the man wants ." Tifa pleaded.
Cid sighed, disgusted with the whole situation. " Fine. I'll see what the stupid
@#%! wants ."
Vincent Valentine tried to keep the gold chocobo as steady as possible, careful
not to wake the angel sleeping in his arms. Lucrecia... Lucrecia Valentine... He thought
with a smile. He seemed to have been doing that a lot lately, hadn't he? I can't believe
she agreed to marry me. I can't believ she'd really my wife... mine.
They had a few more miles to go until they reached the Highwind, from there
they'd move they're things to their new home, the remodeled Shinra Mansion in
Nibelheim. It had been at Lucrecia's insisting that they move into the mansion, Vincent
wanted nothing more to do with the place.
Darling, I've finally decided where I'd like us to live.
Oh really, where, Lu?
Nibelheim.
Nibelheim?!
In the old Shinra Mansion.
What? Why would you want to live there?
Its been a place of sorrow too long, Vincent. I want to bring love and laughter to
the mansion, our love and our children's laughter.
Whatever makes you happy, Lu. That's all that matters to me.
That had been the first time Lucrecia had ever mentioned children, specifically,
their children. He had to admit, he liked the idea of a couple of little girls running around
with soft violet eyes, silky brown hair, and the same face as their mother.
Sons, on the other hand, were a different matter. True, he would love to have a
few sons as well, to protect his beautiful, mirror-image of their mother, daughters. But
any sons he and Lucrecia would have together would pose as potential threats to this
newfound peace.
But it shouldn't matter, should it? I wasn't Sephiroth's father.. Vincent's heart
suddenly wrenched at that reminder of such a painful memory. I should have been
Sephiroth's father. I should-- Vincent quickly ended those thoughts. He and Lucrecia
purposely didn't speak of their past for that very reason. It opened up old wounds that
only caused them pain and suffering. Sephiroth and Hojo were two names that should
never be mentioned in the Valentine household.
" Warrkkk!!" The gold chocobo suddenly bucked, throwing Vincent and Lucrecia
off when gunfire exploded in the air.
Vincent reacted with lightning speed, pulling Lucrecia back behind a tree for
cover. " Vincent?" She whispered, her eyes wide with fright.
" Shhh..." He drew his gun, the Death Penalty, before looking over at her. He
bent over and gave her a quick kiss. " Everything's going to be fine. I'll protect you ."
Her heart wrenched as he jumped up and opened fired. But who's going to protect you?
Vincent dropped back down beside her, reloading his gun. " Try to get a hold of
someone on the PHS ." She grabbed it out of his pocket on command.
Lucrecia dialed the Highwind's number, trembling with fear for Vincent's life. She
silently began to pray as the PHS continued to ring. Vincent suddenly cried out in pain
and fell back against the tree. She dropped the phone when she saw the blood seeping
through Vincent's shirt. " Vincent !!"
" Its alright ." He reassured her. Being a doctor, she knew he was lying to her
just by looking at the wound. As Vincent cast Cure, Lucrecia grabbed the Quicksilver
from his holster and opened fire.
" Lu !!" He pulled her back as a bullet grazed her arm, despite the pain his own
wound caused him.
" Its not bad ." She whispered, holding back the tears.
Cold rage washed over Vincent and he could feel himself transforming into the
dark beast, Chaos. She looked away as he turned into that monster, covering her ears
as cries of anguish escaped their enemies as Chaos destroyed them.
Cid finally reached a richly adorned office with two men standing behind a desk
that bore a striking resemblance to Shera. Rich auburn hair and bright green eyes, the
only difference was their eyes were cold where hers were warm. " Have a seat ."
Cid gave the guards a go to hell look when they forced him into the chair.
" Well ," the taller began. " Now that we're all comfortable ."
" Who the hell are you bastards ?!"
" We'll be asking the questions, you --"
" Calm down, Robert. He is entitled to know our names ." The taller man
interupted.
" He's already taken enough from our sister ."
The taller man eyed Robert evily before continuing. " Please forgive my brother,
Captain Highwind. I'm Richard Westphalen and this is Robert Westphalen ." The doors
suddenly swooshed open and welcomed in another man who looked even more like
Shera than the other two. " Ah, my youngest brother, Thomas Westphalen ."
" Yeah, so whatcha want with me ?" Cid tried to sound bored, uncaring.
" I'll cut right to the point, Captain Highwind. Are you acquainted with a woman
named Shera ?"
Cid's stomach wrenched. What do they want with Shera?... They're after
Shera!!... She must be safe, still locked in our closet on the Highwind. I hope Vincent
and Lu find her soon... " Nope, never heard of her ."
" Gee, that's funny. My sources tell me that you've lived with a woman named
Shera for seven years now ." Robert's tone dripped with sarcasm.
" Please, Captain Highwind ," Thomas pleaded. " Shera's my twin sister. I only
wish to know if she's safe ."
Cid felt compelled to tell Thomas that Shera was fine, but the older two
Westphalens prevented him from doing so. Those two give me the willies. I'm not about
to tell those two where she is.
" Shut up, Thomas !" Robert growled.
" It appears Captain Highwind needs help jogging his memory ." Richard signaled
for the guards to come take him away.
Thomas spoke up as soon as the doors swooshed shut. " Is it really necessary
to torture him ?"
" He deserves it after what he's done to our sister ." Richard replied casually.
" The bastard deserves more ." Robert mumbled.
" Did it ever occur to you that Shera cares for him, possibly loves him ?" Thomas
suggested subtly, hoping it would somehow help the man the guards had just carried
off.
" Impossible !" Richard snorted.
" Shera would never get involved with someone like that ." Robert concluded.
Thomas rolled his eyes as he left the room. How little they truly know about you,
Shera...
Lucrecia finished wrapping up her arm with the guaze as Vincent reloaded the
Quicksilver, dead silence between them. They had reached the Highwind a little over an
hour ago and went straight to the infirmary. There, she removed the bullet embedded in
his shoulder and bound the wound. Now she tended her own wound as her husband
prepared himself for round two.
Vincent placed the Quicksilver back in its holster and looked up at his wife
tenderly, although he was fighting the urge to yell at her for doing such a damned fool
thing. No, I could never yell at her. She was just trying to protect me.
" I can be so stupid sometimes ." Lucrecia finally spoke up as she slipped her
silk blouse back on. " All I did was make matters worse ."
Vincent sighed as his eyes locked with hers. He couldn't lie and tell her it was
the right thing to do, he whole-heartedly agreed it was stupid. " Just don't scare me like
that again ."
" Just don't get shot again ." Lucrecia countered as she finished buttoning her
blouse and threw his bloody shirt away.
Vincent could still see the fright in those soft violet eyes and held his arm out for
her. She snuggled up against his side and rested her head on his bare shoulder. " I'm
not about to make you a widow ." He reassured her.
" Where is everyone ?" She whispered, knowing something was wrong. Cid or
one of the others would have been down here already if there wasn't.
" I'm not sure. I'd better go look ." Vincent left her embrace and headed for the
door.
Lucrecia quickly ran in front of him and placed her hands on his chest to stop
him. " We better go look ."
" No, you're going to stay here ."
" Vincent, don't make me do something stupid again ." She warned.
She gave him a piercing look that went right through her. She was about to take
the coward's way out when he finally spoke. " You better stay right next to me ."
Vincent's arm left Lucrecia's shoulders when they entered the cockpit and found
it was empty, just like the rest of the ship. " Where is everyone ?" She asked, hoping
Vincent would know as he began examining the controls.
" Something must have happened. Cid would never have left the Highwind
unattended and fully operational ."
Lucrecia bit her lower lip as Vincent went to the main computer. I hope they're
alright... " Perhaps they are just hiding to play a practical joke on us ."
Vincent suddenly looked up at her. " Maybe you're right, Lu ." He turned around
and leaned against the railing, crossing his arms over his chest. " Maybe they want to
catch us red-handed ."
" Red-handed ?" Vincent gave her a devilish grin and she blushed when she
realized what he meant. " You've become as bad as Cid ."
" No one is that bad, my love ."
" Well, I'm going to go look for the others until you decide whether you want to
get caught or not ."
" Well, that shouldn't take too long ." He said to her back as she left.
Lucrecia crept to Cid and Shera's room, trying to hear them whisper amongst
themselves, but she heard nothing. She decided to open the door as Vincent reached
her side. " Cid? Shera ?"
" I checked Cloud and Tifa's room, there was no sign of them ."
" There's no sign of anyone here either ."
" We should go to the control room and check the surveillance system. The ship
may have been attacked and they were captured,... or worse ."
Lucrecia suddenly became frightened again. " Wouldn't there have been signs of a
struggle ?"
" Not necessarily. Some organizations keep it clean. They try to erase all
evidence of them ever being there... Like the Turks ."
My Vincent used to be a Turk. He was the greatest Turk in the organization and
the company sent him to protect me. Like Sephiroth was to Soldier, Vincent was to the
Turks.
" What's wrong ?"
" I was just thinking they may have been after the team itself... They'll be after
you ."
Vincent moved towards her and suddenly stopped when he heard tapping from
Cid and Shera's closet. he signaled for Lucrecia to get behind him as he drew his gun.
He quickly jerked the door open and aimed.
Shera stared at them with her bright green eyes before fainting into Vincent's
arms. Vincent gently lay her down on the bed as Lucrecia began examining her.. "
Whoever locked her in here was in a hurry. She nearly suffucated ."
" What do you need ?" Vincent volunteered.
" A cold washcloth and a glass of water ."
Vincent ran into the bathroom, sure Shera kept those things in there. Shera
began to stir. " Cid... Cid..."
" Shera, its Lucrecia. C'mon, snap out of it ." Lucrecia took the washcloth from
Vincent and began running it across Shera's face.
" Where's Cid ?" She whispered hoarsely.
" What happened? Who put you in there ?"
" We were attacked. Cid locked me in there so I'd be safe. He was captured after
that ." Shera suddenly panicked. " Where is he? I've got to find him. He's hurt--"
" Calm down, Shera ."
" Lu, come here ." Vincent called.
She got up and walked over beside him. He signaled for her to look down.
Lucrecia covered her mouth in shock when she saw the puddle of blood. Vincent
looked to her for an explaination. " I can't tell you for sure without running a DNA test ."
" More than likely though ." Vincent concluded.
Lucrecia stood up and turned around to face a complete stranger. " Vincent !"
Before she could even blink, Vincent had her jerked behind him, Quicksilver drawn.
" Please, Mr.Valentine, I'm not here to harm you or your wife ." The man slowly
brought his hands up to show he was unarmed.
" Who are you ?" Vincent demanded in a cold, Turk-like tone.
" Thomas Westphalen. I'm here to see Shera ."
" Thomas ?" Shera whispered in disbelief. " Vincent, its alright. Thomas is my
brother ."
Vincent nodded, putting the Quicksilver away. Thomas bent down beside Shera,
taking her hands in his. " Its so good to see you. I got worried when I didn't recieve your
letters anymore ."
" I'm fine, Thomas ."
Vincent signaled for Lucrecia to follow him outside, deciding to give the brother
and sister time alone and for him to plan his next move.
