Author's Beginning Note Thingy: So every one of these songs was written and performed by a Canadian artist who goes by the name of Heather Dale. It's not her real name, it's her pen name, but that means it's the one you can find her with. She's a great artist, and I happened to buy her CD once... the songs are based around Arthurian Legends and characters, but upon listening to them, all I heard were the stories of people from FF7... so with a little bit of re-writing of the lyrics (only occasionally, some fit so perfectly I didn't need to), I've written a series of Songfics using many of the pieces on her CD. I hope you enjoy.

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Lily Maid

Hojo emerged triumphantly from the dank musty cellar of ShinRa mansion. He hadn't bothered to wash the blood off his hands or his clothes. He'd just finished the final touches on his most horrible experiment yet, that of Vincent Valentine... he held the sleeping form of his finest experiment carefully in his arms, wet silver hair plastered to it's tiny forehead... for now, Sephiroth happily slept.

Past the mountains of Nibelheim, a feminine form was retreating swiftly away from the imposing structure of the mansion... Hojo wouldn't follow her, if he knew she were gone. He would not seek her, or think twice about her absence, or ever find her later... only Vincent would.

Thirty years she would wait, until the day he came to find her encased in the Mako Crystal, the life drained from her body completely... she would be dressed as one would be for a funeral, as one would be if they were the person for whom the funeral was being held for, complete with a morbid bouquet of flowers, the very ones he'd first given her... He would look upon her, still as beautiful as she ever was...

Good Sir,
I now present myself before you,
with velvet robes and lilies in my hair.
My ladies do their best with what they're given
and I only pray that you would find me fair.

And he would do all this without even having been the one to find her note. It was Hojo, in fact, who found the paper that she left. "Lucrecia!" he'd called to her many times, leisurely wandering the halls of the mansion, until he finally checked her room, where it was lying, neatly folded up on her pillow. He put down the whimpering baby boy to look at it, and finger it slowly...

I ask you say a prayer for the planet,
and one more in penance for the hearts you break.
And keep these words forever
as reminder of what
sends a dying lily to the lake.

Dear love of mine,
my sorrow clad in silver,
you see my thoughts return to you again.
You came to me as others come,
a-courting.
But nothing is with you as other men.

I ask you say a prayer for my baby,
and another for my restless spirit's sake.
And keep these words forever
as reminder of what
sends a dying lily to the lake.

With trembling hands, I took up your kind offer,
but failed to earn your favor for my own.
To share your glory's empty consolation,
for my needs are met by you and you alone.

I ask you say a prayer for the water,
and another for the countless lives you take.
And keep these words forever
as reminder of what
sends a dying lily to the lake.
Please keep these words, my love, as a reminder…

He smirked, the words on the page striking no semblance of emotion within his dark eyes. He crumpled up the paper and threw it away... so the woman had loved him, so he had only loved her for the child she could produce, his greatest achievement... he looked down fondly at Sephiroth, then hoisted him up over his shoulder again, gently patting the child's back, and shushing him as he had begun to whine... Without second thought, he walked out of the room, and locked the door behind him. Drama, drama, drama... that's all she was... and that Vincent too... but now there's just us, isn't there, Sephiroth?

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Author's Ending Note Thingy: This song was slightly altered, it may or may not be obvious where... the original lyrics may possibly be found by searching 'Lily Maid' and 'Heather Dale' on google or something, but they might also not be out there yet, she's not a very famous artist. If you want the original words, or even the song from me, see my screenname in my profile. Please review!