A/N: This, like so many of my other stories, is a completely crazy idea that I think could work and I don't care what the consequences are!

This story will start out two years after Dirge of Cerberus and then be set in the future after I'm done with the explaining of everyone's reactions and such to the return of Lucrecia. (If that is such a surprise, you didn't read the summery.) It'll be in a bunch of people's views, but eventually will probably be narrowed down to just a few. Warning, there will be a ton of OC coming in later, and maybe some OOCness too.

Disclamer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or Square Enix. If I did, Lucrecia and Vincent would have a happy ending...:)

Enjoy!


Rhapsody's Song

Prologue: A Harebrained Plan

Two years after the DeepGround War.

"Yuffie, this is not going to work," Tifa stated, following the Wutian ninja up the slope. Yuffie only grinned.

"Oh ye of little faith! And this is coming from the person who said Sephiroth would never come back!" she replied, laughing and continuing up the hill towards the cave.

"Vincent's going to kill us if he finds out," Tifa muttered. Once again, Yuffie was undeterred.

"Come on, Tifa! His birthday's soon! All we're doing is getting him a present!"

"At Lucrecia's Cave?"

"What's better that seeing your long-lost girlfriend alive again? It'll be the best birthday present Vincent's ever gotten!" Yuffie said gleefully.

"Yuffie, I don't think Vincent's going to agree…"

"Nonsense! Vincent's male, right?"

"Yes…at least, we hope he still is…You never know when Hojo's involved…" Tifa said, smiling slightly.

"Then he'll be happy, trust me!"

"Yuffie…" But there was no more time to argue, for they'd reached the entrance of the cave and Yuffie charged in, leaving Tifa to stand there and debate whether to follow or not. She decided to follow.

"This is perfect!" Yuffie gushed, smiling as Tifa walked in. "There's no one here to bug…"

"What are you doing?" a voice said from nowhere. Yuffie yelped and pulled out Conformer without thinking.

"Put that away, Yuffie. It's only me," Shelke said, coming out of nowhere. Yuffie scowled, slowly lowering the weapon. Sure, Shelke had made a lot of improvements during the last two years, but every time she thought of Shelke, she thought of DeepGround. And when she thought of DeepGround, she thought of Rosso and Weiss. Rosso, who tried to make Vincent a dead corpse instead of a living one and Weiss…well, more like Hojo, who'd tried to destroy the world and take Vince with him.

Yuffie hated to admit it, but she kinda felt back for Weiss. He had to be a host for Hojo, of all people!

"Hello Shelke," Tifa said cordially. Shelke smiled at the older woman, still eyeing Yuffie wearily. She didn't know what the ninja was thinking, but something told her that the feeling was mutual between them.

"May I ask again why you are here?" Shelke asked Tifa this time.

"Um…yes, well…It seems Yuffie thinks she's going to give Vincent the best birthday gift ever by…well, doing the impossible, really," Tifa replied, sighing. Yuffie scoffed.

"It's not impossible, Teef! It just not likely! There is a difference!"

"And what is this impossible plan?" Shelke asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm gonna bring Lucrecia back from the dead!" Yuffie said brightly. Shelke looked at her and then burst out laughing. Tifa was a little startled by this, but then again, she'd never heard Shelke laugh. Neither had Yuffie, but she didn't notice.

"What's so funny? It'll totally work!" Yuffie replied indigently.

"Sure. And Rude of the Turks will grow hair tomorrow too," Shelke replied, still chuckling. "And Reno will never drink again." Tifa couldn't help but laugh slightly too at Shelke's impossible statements. Well, maybe Rude would be blessed with hair eventually, but Reno stop drinking? Not likely…

"Ye of little faith!" Yuffie shouted for the second time in one day. Shelke exchanged a look with Tifa. Yuffie started digging through her rucksack, looking for the materia she thought she would need.

"What are you doing?" Shelke asked.

"I've already told you!" Yuffie replied. "Didn't you listen?"

"I meant about trying to bring her back," Shelke almost added numbskull, but held back.

"Oh! Well, I'm gonna try using Cure first, and if that doesn't work, then I'll try a Phoenix Down, and if that doesn't work, then it's Revive. And if Revive doesn't work, I'll use the mastered Phoenix summon!" Yuffie said brightly. Tifa and Shelke looked unconvinced.

"And if none of those work?" Tifa asked.

"Then all use them all at the same time!" Shelke tried not to laugh again. "And the two of you are going to help!"

"We are?!" the two women replied. Yuffie nodded, then set to work.

As expected, Cure, Revive, Phoenix Down and the Summon didn't work. The magic rebounded and Lucrecia stayed asleep in her crystal, totally unaware.

"As I told you, they didn't work," Shelke said, looking at the Revive materia that Yuffie had given her and watching as she gave Tifa Phoenix and then took the down and Cure for herself.

"Why do you keep badgering me? If we were trying to bring Weiss back, I bet you wouldn't be complaining!" Yuffie retorted. Tifa's eyes widened as Shelke glared at the girl.

"What?!"

"Oh, come on, Shelke! We all know you liked him! I bet if he walked back from the dead right now you'd throw your arms around him and never ever let go!" Yuffie taunted.

"Shut up, Yuffie!" Tifa yelled, looking at Shelke's shocked face. She couldn't tell if it was angry shock or just disbelief.

"What? You know it's true!" Yuffie replied, crossing her arms. "Just say it, Shelke! It'll make everything better. Better to let everyone know how you feel than just keep in all inside. You know what that does to you. Just look at Vinnie." Shelke just continued to stare blankly at Yuffie.

Tifa wondered if maybe what Yuffie was saying had some truth to it. She'd heard from Vincent and Reeve that Shelke had moments where she'd just sit alone whispering to herself, "why them and not me?" over and over again. It must have been hard for the girl, to see the only people she could even remotely call a family be killed all at one time.

By the same person, no less!

But if what Yuffie was saying was true, why did Weiss order Shelke to be killed? She couldn't blame it on him being infested by Hojo, because she'd seen other people possessed (-cough- Cloud –cough-) and not kill the people they loved. Attempt; maybe, but not actually follow through.

Was it a one sided relationship?

"That's not funny, Yuffie," Shelke finally replied. Tifa looked at the death glares being passed between the girls and sighed.

"Shelke, are you okay?" Tifa asked. Shelke only nodded, still glaring at Yuffie. "Come on, girls, let's just get this over with, okay? Yuffie, apologize."

"Why?! What'd I say?" Yuffie asked. Tifa had to hold Shelke back from beating the crap out of the ninja.

"Let it go," she whispered to her. "She probably didn't mean anything by it." Shelke looked skeptical but stopped struggling against Tifa's grasp. She walked over to the side of the cave, getting ready. Tifa moved to stand in front of the crystal, staring at the woman dormant there while Yuffie went to the other side of the cave.

Tifa found herself awestruck. Sure, she'd seen Lucrecia before, in pictures and in instances like now, but she'd never really paid attention to the small details.

Like how much Sephiroth actually looked like his real mother.

She sighed, wondering if things had been different; if Lucrecia had chosen Vincent instead of Hojo…things would have been different. She knew they would have. There was no doubt in her mind.

And it made her sad to think this. How tortured both Vincent and Lucrecia were, for the same yet very different reasons. They both regretted their past decisions, their past "sins." It drove Lucrecia to suicide for Gaia's sake!

So would she be alright with being brought back to life?

Lucrecia's mistake was a double edge sword. If she had chosen Vincent, then Tifa and the others would have never met him. He would probably be happy, old and living with his wife, sure. Tifa felt selfish suddenly. Everything Vincent went through led to him meeting Cloud and her and everyone else, and she now looked to him as a valuable friend, even if he didn't think so.

"Ready?" Yuffie called. Shelke muttered something and Tifa nodded. "On three then. One! Two! Three!" Shelke lifted her materia as Yuffie did and cast the spells.

Tifa summoned the Phoenix at the same time, and a sudden thought crossed her mind.

Two years ago, when Shelke had found Vincent here after he went missing, she told everyone he had smiled. She said it was a brief smile, but a smile none the less.

He'd been happy that everyone was worried about him…Vincent had been happy.

Tifa wanted to see that smile, suddenly. She wanted to know Vincent wasn't tortured anymore. That he'd forgiven himself and started to move on…And maybe bringing Lucrecia back would allow that to happen…at least he would smile more. Tifa liked when people were happy. It was her biggest goal in life, to help those who were sad and lonely find happiness. Couldn't she wish that for a friend?

With this thought running through her mind, Tifa watched the Phoenix rise to the roof of the cave, watching Lucercia's sleeping figure. It hadn't done that the last time…The last time it had just flown out the opening of the cave and into the sky. The noble bird looked back at Tifa, then at Yuffie, and last at Shelke. They all looked back at the bird. Tifa suddenly heard a voice in her head.

Is this what you wish for? For her to live again? Tifa was shocked. The Phoenix was talking to her! Is this why you have called me again?

Tifa nodded.

Why?

"Doesn't he deserve happiness too?" Tifa whispered. She heard two other voices speak the same line with her. Yuffie and Shelke looked at Tifa, and she looked back at them. They'd heard the voice too, and answered the same way as her.

It seems you all agree…If the "he" you refer to is Vincent Valentine.

"How did you…" Yuffie asked.

My dear, there is so much you don't yet know about this world. But, if this is what you wish, then I can do nothing less grant it, can I?

The cave filled with white light, blinding the three onlookers. Tifa covered her eyes, telling herself that she was dreaming. That the Summon couldn't talk, that this was all not going to work. She opened her eyes when the light cleared, blinking away the specks that clouded her vision.

"That was…" she stared.

"Weird?" Yuffie offered.

"Impossible!" Shelke shouted. Tifa was about to agree with her when she noticed what the other girl was staring at. Yuffie turned to look too.

"Hello," Lucrecia Crescent stated, smiling and sitting among the shards of her (former) mako cocoon. "May I ask where I am?"

Tifa, Shelke and Yuffie just stared.


A/N: Flames? Reviews? Ideas? Questions? Thank you for reading!