Vincent looked into the mirror and smiled. Hair properly cut into a decent short style, tie and black suit in the strictest combination and his leather case filled with important documents he was to work on today. In a well-established routine, he ate his breakfast of oatmeal, sandwich, a cup of coffee and a few glasses of juice. He knew that drinking juice in combination with coffee was really silly for caffeine only destroyed the vitamins. He could've been drinking plain water, but he enjoyed his mornings in this way. Following his routine, he put on his shoes, his coat and took the time to kiss Lucrecia goodbye before leaving for work. She was still in bed for her time was more flexible than his. As long as she performed her duties well, the professor didn't care about specific time keeping. That was the upside of a scientist's life. Well, she didn't have to prepare for work today. Her abdomen domed beneath the blanket. She was going to give birth any day now and Vincent always had his phone switched on. He was greatly anticipating that phone call, which would make him drop everything and head to the hospital.
She was smiling back at him, lying embraced by white sheets and fluffy pillows. The morning sun was shining through the window and it seemed like the perfect day.
"I'll try to come home a bit earlier today," Vincent said between kisses and promised to have his phone switched on all day.
"Have a nice day, darling," Lucrecia responded and added; "I love you."
Hearing those words was like offering a thirsty wanderer the sweetest water imaginable. Vincent turned in the doorway and as befitted a caring husband he responded in the similar manner.
"Me too."
This was Vincent Valentine. He was happy, he was married, and he was happily married to Lucrecia Crescent who was now Mrs. Valentine. They were smiling ever so often, taking strolls around the park, basking in sunlight and talking about their future. He had proposed a few years back and she had accepted with a smile. The same smile she directed at him every morning and the same smile he returned each time she said she loved him.
This was Vincent Valentine. He was on his way to work for Rufus ShinRa. He was a successful bodyguard and undertook his duties with utmost gravity. He made good money and had saved quite a lot to be able to take days off now that Lucrecia was having their first child. Yes, their child… HIS child. The notion of his obsessive thoughts pushed a little cloud across the sky, but Vincent wouldn't allow those haunting shadows to put a damper on his day and he kept on smiling until the cloud disappeared. The smile was frozen on his lips and his eyes were tired from peering, but he was happy. This was all he wanted. He was Vincent Valentine, married to Lucrecia Crescent and they were having their first child.
The cloud reappeared with a silver lining, outlining the contours of a fetus. Vincent's smile slowly dissipated as the corners of the mouth relaxed. The cloud moved and moulded into new shapes of a toddler learning to walk, a child learning the rules, a young man learning to rule, and a soldier learning to cope. Vincent watched the cloud and suddenly his mobile phone was ringing. The day had disappeared into night and the sun was already setting behind the mountains and he was still in his car on his way to work. Or home? The only thought that hit him before he answered the phone was, "Where did the day go?"
"Vincent here."
The reception was bad and he could hardly hear what was being said on the other side. He discerned Lucrecia's voice and that she was saying something about heading up to the hospital.
"Been calling several times… no answer… heading to the research facility… it's time…"
"Research facility?" Vincent asked. "Why are you going there?"
The conversation was, however, cut off and he swiftly turned the car around to meet up with Lucrecia. He was smiling again. It was time…
The road towards the research facility was marked with obstacles and the journey took a lifetime. Car accidents, never changing red lights and constant turning the wrong way brought Vincent to the facility just before the night entered the first hour. But he was still high on elation sprung from the anticipation of having a child.
He drove down the garage level and was hit by the pleasant surprise of being the only one with a vehicle, for the entire level was empty and he could park conveniently near the elevator. And just as he closed the door to his car, a soft ring announced the arrival of the elevator. As the doors opened and the handsome man stepped into the confined space inside, a sweet voice welcomed him with;
"Good evening Vincent Valentine. You are just in time for the big surprise."
He was smiling again. That's all he knew. He always smiled when the pain or the obsessive thoughts came. He smiled all the way to the delivery floor. It took seemingly ages to reach the level he desired and the higher up he got, the hotter the air. Vincent removed his jacket and eased the tie around his neck. The light in the elevator started flickering and the buttons on the control panel eventually melted. Confused by this illogical reality, Vincent kept on smiling, hoping that seeing his child would set things right and turn his universe back into what he had always wanted.
Eventually the elevator came to a halt and the door opened with a disturbing rumble, resembling the remnants of an earthquake. Vincent stepped into the distorted world of an abandoned facility; air shrouded in vapor as heat from the underground rose through the metal grid floors. He could see through every level beneath his feet and the scarce lighting buzzing along derelict corridors, paint peeling off the walls, and fleshy remains of something once human, hanging from the ceilings. The stretchers lining his path were rusty and some carried maimed bodies and disfigured decaying creatures. Still, Vincent kept on smiling for Lucrecia was giving birth.
He heard a woman shriek and paced towards the sound. It was coming from a room nearby. It always sounded nearby, but each time he opened a door, it was the wrong room. There was no one at the reception, no one to ask and the confusing maze of the corridors hindered him from reaching his beloved wife.
As Vincent passed the reception a fourth time he stopped and stepped behind the counter to see if he could find any documentation on her whereabouts. The journals and binders were burnt and the papers were fragile and turning into dust in his hands. Vincent cursed with frustration and was about to give up his search when he noticed movements far up ahead in one of the connective halls.
"Hello," he called for the shadow moving far ahead and took chase.
The silhouette was moving fast and Vincent ended up chasing the stranger through several rooms and halls before he caught up with the lad as he ran into a delivery room. Vincent stopped at the door and just peeked inside. His heart was pounding wildly, the sweat was breaking through his skin, soaking every layer of clothing he had on. The young doctor was moving around in the dim room, seemingly very busy and avoided confronting Vincent as he kept on turning away his face and stayed away from the doorway where the father was standing.
The room was filthy, and smelled of blood and mould. On the delivery bed there was a body covered in stained, dirty sheets, the legs still placed on the stirrups. A young doctor, with sable hair, was weeping and made futile attempts to clean up the blood and water from underneath the dead body. The rags he used were torn and already covered in more dirt than could be absorbed. Vincent felt his heart shatter and soul trembled with angst as he moved up to the body with tiny steps. There was a table next to the delivery bed and on it were old scalpels covered in stale blood, tissues and disinfectants that had since long evaporated from the flasks.
The hysterical weeping of the young doctor called Vincent back into a sense of focus. He was sick to his stomach and couldn't believe his perfect world could have crumbled so quickly over a day. He had been so happy with Lucrecia, they were going to have their first child. Vincent placed a hand on the head of the patient and leaned over to kiss her; mourning the past as well as the future. Nothing mattered anymore and he broke down crying and calling for his lost love; but strangely, he couldn't remember her name.
The sheets covering the face were very dirty and smelled of body fluids, but Vincent couldn't care less. He kissed the lips of the face beneath at which the sheet suddenly moved and Vincent noticed the patient was breathing. He shot up from his position, ripping the sheet off the body and staggered backwards at the sight of an exhausted Sephiroth panting rhythmically to the swelling stomach that grew at an incredible rate. It was tearing the skin that had no chance to stretch as quickly, and just as Vincent thought the flesh would snap, Sephiroth started convulsing in cramps, trying to push the child out of his body. It was painful to see him in this agony and Vincent called for the young doctor who was immobilized with sadness and just kept on crying.
"Please Vincent," Sephiroth yelped. "It's tearing me apart!"
Overwhelmed with compassion, Vincent forgot about the insanity of his life and grabbed hold of Sephiroth's hand. He felt powerless and frustrated over not being able to help. As the Soldier cried out with pain, Vincent roared at the young doctor to do something to help Sephiroth; but there was nothing that could be done. Losing his patience, Vincent walked up to the young doctor who was still kneeling underneath Sephiroth's legs and yanked him up from the floor and staggered back with dread at what he saw. The disfigured face of Zack, Sephiroth's only true friend, stared back and empty eye sockets were pouring with black tears. No words slipped from the crying man, he just kept attending Sephiroth the best he could, washing his forehead with the dirty linen and trying to ease his pain.
Vincent witnessed Sephiroth struggling and read the pain on his face like an open book. He cast a glance at the intact male genitals and shook his head. The situation was impossible, for the angel lacked an opening on his body and the child within was fidgeting more and more violently, deforming the swollen abdomen. There was only one way to relieve the beautiful young man of this pain and the chilling notion was that the burden had fallen upon Vincent. As the father he desired to be, he had the honor to deliver a child and this had to be done at the expense of his love. With trembling hands Vincent removed a rusty, stained scalpel from the bedside table and parting with a final, comforting kiss on Sephiroth's forehead, he moved around the delivery bed to make the life-giving incision to set the child free. Tears flooded his eyes as he watched the man bravely trying to smile back at him and placed the edge of the knife against the pale skin. Sephiroth was almost ready to burst and the veins were protruding from his temples as well as neck.
"Please…" he panted and threw his head from side to side. "Vincent! Please, take it out of me!"
The tip of the scalpel dug under the skin and blood started to pour from the small wound. Zack fell on his knees, wrapping arms around Vincent's legs whilst shaking his head and rocking back and forth. Vincent removed his gaze from the sable man and tried to focus on the suffering angel. He had to set Sephiroth free… Sephiroth had to be free…
He repeated the words over and over as a mantra in a self-hypnotic trance to gather strength to do the unthinkable. Vincent fisted the scalpel tightly and held it above his head. With a last goodbye he brought it down as hard as he could… stopping only a fraction of a breath from the skin. He remained staring at the angel and suddenly began shaking.
"This is wrong," Vincent whispered, looking down at Sephiroth, his face completely devoid of expressions. "It is YOU who has to be delivered."
Vincent threw the scalpel on the floor and walked up to a confused silver man staring in disbelief at his swollen stomach. Vincent noticed that the spawn within the angel was stirring to the cries of agony. Sephiroth made an attempt to speak, but Vincent intervened by placing a hand on the trembling lips.
"Shh, be still. YOU have to be free… not that monster inside you. I will show you reality… just hold on to me."
Staggering through the corridors and firmly holding on to Sephiroth wrapped in sheets, Vincent was moving towards the elevator. The angel was weak and fell several times, but Vincent refused to leave him behind no matter how much Sephiroth begged. Darkness was growing upon them, bringing the voices of hell as hissing and groaning of demons alerted them to a dangerous presence. They had to escape before the shadows surrounded them. Tentacles of something fleshy reached through the seeping inertia, obscuring the world they left behind. Vincent was tired and lost the grip of Sephiroth who immediately collapsed, but before the fiend pursuing them had a chance to bore his claws into the pale flesh, the Turk pulled the angel onto his feet persistently dragging him along. But Sephiroth was too weak. The darkness did not ease its grip on him; not wanting to let him go.
"Move it, Seph. On your feet…" Vincent pleaded for he lacked the strength to pull the body up once more. With dread he watched the darkness approaching and grabbed Sephiroth by the shoulders shouting; "Please… c'mon!"
"I can't," the angel whispered, breathlessly falling back to the ground.
"No!" Vincent protested, "You have to help me, Sephiroth. It's coming, we need to go! C'mon, Sephiroth… help me!" He shouted, pulling Sephiroth's arms impatiently and just as he was about to face the grim reality, Zack floated past them lifting the lifeless body from the ground and with joint effort they continued escaping the shadows.
Short of breath and choking on fear, they reached the elevator and stumbled inside just before the claws shot out from the darkness to grab them. The doors closed with a loud rumble and Vincent pressed the button down.
The elevator was falling freely through space. Vincent and Zack held on to Sephiroth, clutching him tightly in their embrace as if he promised salvation. The elevator plunged into something with a loud thud and black water started pouring in. It was filling up the small space very quickly and within minutes, Vincent was fighting for his breath. Panic was building within him, but Zack held him down, keeping him close to Sephiroth. And together they sunk into the vastness where hope was lost. Rescue came in the soft signal of an approaching floor and consequently, the doors opened. With the angel firmly held in their arms the two men advanced towards the surface somewhere way above them.
For the first time in years, Zack's eyes opened up to a new dawn as light was pouring into his being through his beautiful sapphire eyes. He could see again and took a deep breath of the pulsating life from the world of the living. He was free again. Just like Sephiroth who was now lying on the white shores of the crystal lake. He was breathing soundly and deeply. Vincent lay next to him, catching his breath. He rolled on his side to face the silver haired man next to him. With fingers gently brushing against Sephiroth's lips, Vincent assured what he was feeling was real and made no attempts to hide his emotions from the presence of Zack. Instead, he boldly leaned over the pale warrior and softly kissed him welcome back to this life.