A/N: This happened if Lucrecia uncrystallized herself and decided to stop living in the past and joins Vincent and the AVALANCE. Marlene asks her a story one night and Lucrecia decides to tell her.
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"Lucrecia, can you tell me a story? Tifa is too tired from tending the bar and neither Cloud nor Vincent can tell a good story." Young Marlene asked the ex-scientist. Lucrecia smiled at her and nodded.
"What kind of story would you like me to tell you? Hansel and Gretel? Rapunzel? Snow White?" Lucrecia asked. Marlene laid down on her bed and shook her head.
"I want a different story. Tifa told me those stories a long time ago." Marlene whined lightly. "Can you tell me something else?"
"Okay. I have one." Lucrecia told her.
Once upon a time, a long time ago,
Lived a Juliet-like princess with no Romeo,
All she had was a legend, one last hope,
And a far-away king who showed her the ropes.
The king had been kind, almost like a father,
To the princess, she needed no other,
He showed her the legend of an amazing demon,
Whom an evil magician used as a weapon.
"Was the demon good?" Marlene asked Lucrecia. Lucrecia thought for a while and nodded.
The demon saw the princess and the king,
But he could not stop them from fighting,
The magician fought the king to death,
When the demon unleashed a fiery breath.
He saved the princess and became her guardian,
Lived in a ring not known to man,
Like a loyal pet to his mistress he stayed,
All who tried to harm her he slayed.
Then one day came a knight,
From a far away kingdom away from sight,
Quiet, kind, gallant and strong,
The princess fell in love not too long.
"Aww, that's so sweet!" Marlene squealed. "Did she and the knight fall in love? But how about the demon?"
The knight vowed to protect her, love her to no end,
So no longer did the princess on the demon depend.
The demon was thankful, for then he could rest,
And at the same time, make happy his mistress.
But the princess saw the wrong she had done,
For this knight was her king friend's son.
Couldn't overcome the guilt in her heart,
She decided that they fall apart.
"What? That's harsh of her!" Marlene said.
"Yes, it was. She was very wrong." Lucrecia replied sadly.
The knight was heartbroken, but did not go,
For he vowed to protect her, she let him so.
All he wanted was to be looked in the eye,
But all the princess could do was cry.
Not too long later, the magician came,
While the knight was out, took the dame.
Sought revenge for the demon he lost,
And decided that the princess pay the cost.
The knight came to save her, his fate made.
For the princess' fault, it was the price he paid.
The magician got mad, the princess he tried to kill.
But the knight was agile, took the hit at will.
"No! But, but," Marlene started to tear up. Lucrecia was getting a little emotional on the story she told. "What happened?"
he laid dying on the princess' lap,
The princess cried, he fell into the trap.
The magician cursed her, sealed her in glass,
Made her to witness how her knight passed.
But then her demon escaped their fate,
The magician had gone, it was too late.
The demon gave her two choices and only two.
Even if her answer he already knew.
The first choice was to take the magician's head,
The princess will be freed, but the knight still dead.
The second was the demon to power up the knight's soul,
Live in his body, revive him whole.
"So what did the princess choose?" Marlene asked excitedly.
"Listen carefully. It gets better here for the princess realizes her mistake." Lucrecia said.
The princess chose the second, neither could die,
The knight fell asleep, in a coffin where he lie,
The princess watched over him, sorrow in her eyes,
Though he was alive, he couldn't hear her cries.
"Oh, how sad…" Marlene said. Lucrecia nodded. "Isn't there a happy ending?"
"Yes, there is." Lucrecia said.
Years later, the magician died, the princess freed,
But did not age, immortality her steed.
The princess sought the knight, expecting him old,
But in surprise, he was still young, handsome to behold.
His eyes fluttered open at the princess' kiss,
Even if there was a demon inside him, he felt bliss.
And so they were reunited, and their love deepened.
They lived happily forever after, the end.
"That was a pretty story, Lucrecia." Marlene said sleepily.
"I'm glad you liked it." Lucrecia replied.
"I've heard a similar story before, but it was about a pretty scientist, her co-scientist and a bodyguard some time ago from Vincent." Marlene said.
"Is that so?" Lucrecia asked.
"Yes," Marlene replied. "But I like your story better. It had a happy ending."