Premonitions II: Crisis Core
Chapter 85: The Great Beyond
Upon exiting the Emerald Cave, the six travelers beheld a rocky terrain. There were no trees or vegetation; there was simply lifeless rugged terrain as far as the eye could see.
"It looks like the end of the world," Yuffie pointed out.
"It just might be," the exhausted Barret replied.
As Vincent scanned the area, his eyes suddenly spotted what he had been hoping to see.
There was a small village two or three hundred yards in the distance, with no more than sixteen or seventeen houses. It appeared to be some kind of shanty town, as the houses were made of animal skins, supported by simple wooden poles. It seemed behind on technology for sure.
"Who would live in a place like that?" Yuffie asked.
"I have no idea," Zack replied. "But I guess we'll find out soon enough."
Yuffie gave him a skeptical look.
"How do we know they're friendly?" she asked.
"We wouldn't," Red XIII answered. "Not until we take our chances over there."
"We'll need food," Zack pointed out. "And a place to rest."
The other five nodded in agreement.
"Okay," said Barret. "Let's go."
LATER...
The trip to the village did not take long. As the six approached, it appeared that the homes, while built of primitive material, contained multiple rooms. There also seemed to be several open-air markets in a central bazaar. It was difficult to tell, as the village was surrounded by a fence.
There was one entrance in the village; one gap in the fence. A sole sentry stood guard at that entrance, armed with only a spear.
"You may not enter," the sentry announced.
"We mean no harm," Vincent pleaded. "We came from the Emerald Cave and beyond."
"Nothing is beyond the Emerald Cave," the sentry dismissed.
Zack and Yuffie looked at each other skeptically.
"A terrible beast lives in there," the sentry continued. "Nobody can slay it. It is too big for our spears."
Zack then drew his sword, which still had blood on it.
"I did," he announced.
The sentry scanned the sword.
The look on his face then became more welcome.
"We must go to the Elder's lodge," he informed them. "He'll know what to do."
The sentry led the six weary travelers into the village. He led them through the bazaar, and straight to a modest lodge surrounded by several shops.
"Wait here," he commanded.
He then disappeared into the lodge. When he returned several minutes later, he signaled them to enter the lodge.
In what seemed to be the lodge's parlor sat an elderly man of roughly eighty. He signaled for the other six to sit down as well.
"I apologize," the old man began. "My sentry was only doing his job."
"I understand," Zack accepted. "And you are?"
"My name is Ra-Da," he replied. "I am the village elder. Welcome to Ah-Ma."
"Thank you," Vincent said.
"Our sentry told us that you are travelers," Ra-Da continued. "What brings you to Ah-Ma?"
"We are looking for the Great Father," Vincent replied. "Have you heard of him?"
"The Great Father?" Ra-Da echoed. "I'm afraid I haven't."
Everyone's heart sank.
"Have you had any other visitors?" Zack asked.
"You're the first visitors since I can remember," Ra-Da answered.
Everyone was silent; it appeared that they had arrived at a dead end.
"You must be tired," Ra-Da suggested. "We have an empty lodge. Each of you could have your own room. Why don't you stay there for the night?"
THAT NIGHT...
Vincent, Zack, Barret, Yuffie, Red XIII, and Cait Sith were gathered outside of the lodge that they had been provided. It had six rooms, one for each of the travelers.
But that was the least of their concerns.
They had split, and, despite their weariness, spent the day going about the village of Ah-Ma, inquiring about Sephiroth, Xenara, and the Great Father. None of the villagers seemed to know about any of them; they all seemed absorbed in their daily lives. Merchants pressured them to buy things. Children approached them, and were completely blown away by the concept of places outside of Ah-Ma.
But nobody proved to be any great help.
So eventually, the six regrouped, and quickly shared each other's disappointments.
"Any sign of Sephiroth?" Vincent began.
"No," Zack dismissed. "And we're not going to find him down here."
Everyone was silent. It was something many of them had begun to consider, but Zack was the first to voice it.
"We've looked everywhere," Zack continued, "and nobody we've talked to has even seen him."
"Are you certain?" Vincent inquired.
"I'm about to say something," Zack began, "and I don't think any of you are going to like it. But I need to get this off my chest."
"Go ahead," Vincent commanded. "Say it. I don't shoot people for speaking their mind."
Everyone looked at Zack.
They all knew what he was going to say.
"Sephiroth never set foot on the Southern Continent," he replied. "We've been on a wild goose chase this whole time."
"How can you be sure?" Vincent inquired.
Zack silenced himself; he realized that perhaps it was something he should not have said.
"Make your case," Vincent insisted. "It's only fair."
"Let's start with the Storm Barrier," Zack began. "We barely made it in a plastic sphere. There was only one of those. No boat or even any cruise ship could survived the Storm Barrier. How did he get through?"
"I'm not sure," Vincent replied. "He is Sephiroth."
"Sephiroth ain't immortal!" Barret dismissed. "Hell, in the original timeline, we killed him!"
"Then let's take a vote," Vincent suggested. "Who here says Sephiroth is not on this continent?"
Zack raised his hand. Barret quickly followed. Then, Yuffie slowly joined in. Cait Sith came fourth.
One of them had no hands to raise.
"Well?" demanded Vincent.
"I-I don't know," Red XIII answered.
Vincent sighed.
"So there we have it. I suppose you all want to go home?"
"We can't go home," Zack sighed. "At least not easily."
"All because of Vincent's blues!" whispered Yuffie.
"I heard that," Vincent reprimanded. "And, for the record, we're not here for me. We're after Sephiroth, in case anyone hasn't remembered."
"We've been led on a wild goose chase," Zack reinforced.
"We were led on a goose chase," Barret echoed. "And now Jessie is dead!"
"She chose to come," Vincent insisted. "We all did."
"And who led us all in this direction?" Barret snapped.
"Lucrecia was appearing to me," Vincent replied.
"Vincent," Zack began. "If she was really appearing to you..."
"What?" Vincent hissed, the skepticism alone annoying him.
"Could she have spiteful intentions?" Zack asked.
Vincent was about to lash out.
But then, he stopped himself.
He had not considered the possibility, and he realized that it existed.
"Why would you say that?" he asked.
"We're after her son," Zack pointed out.
"I promised her we wouldn't kill him," Vincent insisted.
"My mom wouldn't let anyone even inconvenience me!" Yuffie insisted. "Let alone kill me."
Vincent stood in silence.
It had hit him.
And it made sense.
Lucrecia's intentions were always shifting, even in life.
Well shit.
LATER...
Vincent stood in his lodge room. The walls were all made of curtain material, but he had all the privacy he needed.
The room contained simple furniture, including a bed, dresser, and a mirror.
Vincent made his way to the mirror.
But not for the reason one might expect.
He simply gazed at his reflection. His skin was pale, a tell-tale sign that he was dead. It was something he wanted to view one more time.
He then pulled out the Death Penalty.
He had been cheated. And he, in turn, had cheated his friends. He would never see home again, and neither would they.
It was not something that he could live with.
He slowly raised the Death Penalty, and pushed it against his head.
He placed his finger on the trigger.
And, then, he removed it.
"Only a moron would try to kill something that's already dead," he muttered to himself.
He put the Death Penalty away.
And then, Lucrecia appeared in the mirror.
"Now you show up," Vincent grunted.
Lucrecia simply gave him a solemn look.
"Is it true?" he demanded. "Did you lead us down here on purpose? To protect Sephiroth?"
"You don't trust me?" she asked.
"Did you overhear us?" he continued.
"It's a shame," she replied. "You don't trust the woman you love."
"Answer the question," Vincent demanded. "Did you or did you not lead us down here on purpose to protect Sephiroth?"
"I trusted you," Lucrecia pleaded. "Remember?"
FLASHBACK...
It had happened one evening when Vincent was at home, off duty. He was minding his own business, watching some television show that he had long forgotten.
He had not heard from Lucrecia ever since their confrontation at the Shinra Mansion. This time, however, he did not want to hear from her. He was utterly disgusted with what she had said she would do with her own child.
And then, his cell phone rang.
It was a number he thought he recognized, but it was not from his contact list; perhaps he had deleted it some time ago. It was definitely not Lucrecia's; he easily knew that number by heart.
"Maybe it's a better job offer," he said to himself.
Although it was a minimal possibility, Vincent decided to answer it.
"Hello?"
"Vincent," the voice began. "It's Laura."
Laura? Vincent thought to himself. Oh yeah. Lucrecia's mom. What the hell does she want with me?
"What can I do for you?" he asked, attempting to keep his composure.
"How soon can you get to Rocket Town?" she asked, in a seemingly frantic tone of voice.
"Did something happen?" Vincent asked.
"Lucrecia's in labor!" Laura exclaimed.
Vincent hesitated.
He was close to saying "not my business" and hanging up the phone.
"She's calling for you!" Laura suddenly continued.
"Calling for me?" Vincent asked.
I'm not her husband. That was her decision.
"Hojo's not here," she continued. "She could be calling him, but she's calling for you."
Vincent was silent.
Do I really want to go there? he thought to himself. I sure as shit don't want to watch her give birth to someone else's baby.
"Vincent, please!" Laura begged. "I promise you won't regret it."
Vincent sighed.
I just know I am.
LATER...
Vincent arrived in Rocket town, and parked his car a yard from the house. Hoping to get this over with as soon as possible, he quickly made his way to the door and knocked on it.
It was Laura who answered it.
"Vincent," she began, "thank you for coming. Lucrecia's in a lot of pain right now, and she'll be happy to see you."
"Are you sure?" Vincent asked.
"I'm positive," she replied. "I just want to let you know something before I take you to see her. She's having a waterbirth in the next room. It was her decision; it's perfectly safe."
"Why isn't she at the hospital?" Vincent asked. "And, more importantly, why isn't Hojo here?"
"That was her decision as well," Laura replied. "God knows why. Vincent...it almost seems as if she's hiding from him."
Vincent then spotted a five-year-old boy with blond hair standing in the foyer.
"Who's he?" he natrually asked.
"This is Cid," Laura explained. "His mom's the doula here. She brought him over to learn the facts of life."
Vincent took another look at young Cid.
He's way too young to be here, he thought. It's going to mess him up as an adult for sure.
"Well," Laura said, "Lucrecia's in the other room. She'll be happy to see you."
Vincent nodded and began to make his way toward the next room. Before he stepped in, he felt a tap on his shoulder.
"I always thought you were the better choice," Laura complimented.
Vincent smiled, and then entered the parlor.
Lucrecia was in an inflatable tub, on her knees, wearing a plain gray tank top, but nothing from the waist down. She was clearly in pain; her face was as red as a lobster.
"Hey Vincent!" she greeted through her pain.
Just then, Laura and Cid entered the room.
Cid spotted Lucrecia as she was grimacing from a contraction.
"Holy shit!" he exclaimed.
"Cid," reprimanded the blond woman standing over Lucrecia, "watch your mouth!"
"Sorry, mom," he apologized.
The woman then directed her attention toward Vincent.
"Hi, I'm Cissi Highwind," she greeted. "Are you the dad?"
Vincent shook his head.
I should've been.
"Where are her pants?" Cid blurted out.
"She's about to give birth," Cissi replied. "I have to check her dilation. And she can't block the baby's exit, either."
"Ew," Cid groaned.
Vincent, meanwhile, made his way over to Lucrecia, and knelt down outside of the tub next to her.
Lucrecia's immediately grabbed his hand.
"It hurts!" she cried.
Tears were streaming down her face.
This was your decision. You left me for him. Look what it got you.
She squeezed his hand hard as she went through another contraction.
And yet, you're squeezing my hand.
She looked him in the eyes.
Minutes and then a couple of hours feel off the clock as she kept squeezing his hand, reaching out to him for comfort in her time of need.
Maybe I was wrong to be angry at you. Actually, I'm starting to feel sorry for you. You've been unsure of yourself, and, in the end, nobody is to blame. It's obvious you've loved me all this time.
And fuck it.
I still love you.
"Come with me," Vincent suddenly commanded.
Lucrecia gave Vincent a skeptical look. She then turned to her mother.
Laura nodded.
Lucrecia then reached her arms out to Vincent.
He gently pulled her to her feet, and helped her step out of the tub.
Her mother handed her a towel, and she dried her bare lower half off with it before handing it back.
"We'll be back," he assured the remaining three.
He led her into the dining-room, and then through a doorway that led to a bedroom.
It was Lucrecia's old room, before she had left home.
He then locked the door behind him, and gently placed his hands on her cheeks.
"Will you trust me?" he requested.
Still in unbearable pain, Lucrecia nodded.
"I'll trust you," she sobbed.
She then pressed her lips against his.
He slipped off her tank top, leaving her naked. He then stripped naked himself, and pulled her close to him.
"This will help your contractions," he assured her.
And they kissed again.
TEN MINUTES LATER...
Vincent had put his clothes back on, and Lucrecia had put on her tank top again.
Before exiting the room, Lucrecia placed her hands on Vincent's shoulders. She looked at him with sincerity in her eyes.
"Vincent," she began, "I-I need to tell you something. I've made up my mind."
"About what?" he asked.
"I-I want to leave Hojo," she began.
Vincent placed his hands on her bare hips, and held her close.
"Lucrecia...are you sure?"
She nodded.
"I'll divorce him. I want to be with you...and I don't care what Hojo might do because of this. If I have to run and hide, then I have to run and hide. Better late than never, right?" She then put her hand on his cheek as a tear escaped her eye. "I love you, Vincent."
The two shared a kiss.
"I love you, too," he replied.
They then returned to the parlor. They were holding hands, and doing their best to conceal their emotions.
The two adults could tell what had just transpired. They looked at each other and giggled.
Young Cid was completely dumbfounded.
...END FLASHBACK
"I can't believe we had sex while I was in labor," Lucrecia sighed.
"Your mom mentioned she caught a lot of couples doing that. It worked, didn't it?" Vincent pointed out.
"Of course it did," she replied.
It was a unique memory he did not mind sharing with her.
But now was not the time to think about that. She had trusted him, but he needed to trust her as well.
"How did Sephiroth get down here?" he inquired. "How did he get past the Storm Barrier."
"I don't know," Lucrecia replied. "But I do know he's down here."
"Right," Vincent grunted skeptically.
Lucrecia lowered her head sadly.
Then she disappeared.
You had to do that again, didn't you?
With nothing further ado, Vincent went to his bed and sat down, defeated.
MEANWHILE...
Barret sat alone outside of the lodge. It was completely dark, except for the moon, and the sky lit up with stars that appeared in patterns that he did not recognize.
And then he realized it.
These are the southern skies.
He had never considered that the skies would look completely different from his northern home. He was staring at space below the earth. It would go down, down, down forever and ever.
It had hit him.
Space went on forever in all directions.
This quest also seemed to go on forever, and it was appearing more and more likely that it was a failure.
He had explored places that he had never thought existed.
And now, all he wanted was to go home.
And he was wondering if even that would be possible.
In any event, he would never get back what he lost.
He sadly looked to the sky again.
"Good-bye, Jessie," he said softly.