Greetings people! I hope to find you well! This chapter came later than I originally planned, and I place the entire blame on my last college paper! Now that I'm back, we've finally reached the final chapter of Act III and the end of the events of Nibelheim. About this chapter all that I may say is that as it's been a while, if anyone forgets and gets confused about Grimoire's scene, the answer is in the Lament chapter of Act II; about Vincent and Lucrecia, there're also many things yet to happen in the story. I want to thank you for your continued support and for continuing to follow this story and I promise that as soon as I can I will start posting the chapters of Act IV. Hope you like it!

The Price of Freedom

"The chaos that took him... away from me."

Dr. Lucrecia Crescent - FFVII: Dirge of Cerberus

†

Ashes

In the midst of her fragmented consciousness, slowly Lucrecia began to perceive the scenery belonging to the real world revealing itself around her as the dense impenetrable darkness partially eased from her mind and her brown eyes glimpsed a humble room. She was lying curled up on a bed, hugging her legs in a fetal position; beyond the bed was a small and solitary window in the far wall, the lights were off and the sky outside was so covered with clouds that it made the night even darker.

Lucrecia stood from the bed; her shaking hands slid along the wall for support to keep herself upright. The tremors went through her body without stopping; she didn't know if it was due to her frail condition or if it was due to the terrifying feeling of fear that descended on her, for the darkness that tormented her spirit was also in the room, plunging it into darkness.

Lucrecia stared at the scene with wide eyes; she hugged her body as if trying to protect herself from an invisible evil. She didn't dare move or depart from the wall to walk to the door, fear keeping her frozen where she was standing. The distinct feeling that something was watching her from the shadows was growing inside her, and the woman exhaled softly and inaudible; darkness closed in around her and she could not escape; there was something lurking there, watching her.

The woman's vision swept through the blackness of the room and for what seemed like a long time nothing happened and neither did she find the source of her discomfort, but that feeling remained, never going away. Then suddenly a sound to her left broke the stillness of the room and Lucrecia turned her head quickly in that direction; what she saw made her instantly recoil and her back slammed into the wall.

A pair of unnatural yellow eyes stared at her from the darkness, its gaze never leaving her face.

Her fear increased and a scream froze in her throat, never leaving her mouth as the sound of another footstep echoed in her direction. The woman, stricken with pallor, pressed herself even closer to the wall, hugging her own body even more tightly. She trembled like leaves in the wind; her mind brought back vividly the disconnected scenes of a distant nightmare, the powerful winged creature that held those same feral yellow eyes, thirsting for blood and death. But the darkness that dominated the room partially receded and revealed to her not the face of the ruthless creature, but the face of a man who was familiar to her heaved with sadness.

Vincent watched Lucrecia in silence for a long moment; for the first time he did not hide from her the changes which existed in his appearance owing to the partial manifestation of his power; his body was enveloped in Lifestream's corrupted energy, his reddened aura gently emanating around him, and when he finally broke the silence, his lips parted and revealed the fangs beneath them. His voice echoed like a loud whisper in the stillness of the room, heavy and tired.

"I'm not like you used to daydream in your researches, aren't I... Lucrecia?"

His voice sent a new wave of tremors through her body and the woman shrank even more; her mind was broken, her feelings and memories fragmented; she was scared. Deep down deep inside she knew who he was because she recognized him, but her memories of him blended into the creature of the terrible nightmares she had had and added to the recent irreparable loss of her son, her being was fragmented into a thousand pieces and she no longer was able to discern anything with reason; she couldn't take it anymore.

The man's eyes filled with compassion and pity; he took another step and approached her, but the woman whispered in a shaky, broken voice.

"No... no! Please... stay... stay away from me... please..."

Vincent stopped, and in front of the scientist's shrunken and fragile figure, he sighed slowly and spoke again; his voice this time laced with bitterness.

"Now you know the truth about me, who I really am... The same truth that you also discovered in the underground laboratories of Shinra Manor so long ago and that contributed to destroying what was left of your emotional control... The reason for my father's dedication to the research he conducted on Chaos and also my cetra lineage..."

The woman remained huddled with her head down, embracing her trembling body tightly; he could palpably feel through the Lifestream the fear she felt, as well as the extremely fragile state of her mind. Lucrecia was one step away from falling into the same abyss of madness into which she had succumbed in the other reality and which had, in the end, taken away her life; they had reached the fatal point he had so feared.

Cautious in his choice of words, Vincent continued to talk to her gently.

"I would never hurt you, Lucrecia... Please, don't be afraid of me..."

As he began to speak his next words, the manifestation of his power slowly receded until it disappeared entirely; his eyes went back to crimson.

"Can you understand now...? Why I insisted so much for you to rethink your choices and your actions all these months? I always wished you well, because despite being who I am and having been forced to accept the responsibility that fate put in my hands, I chose to live the life of an ordinary human just to be with you again... I meant it when I told you that I loved you... I always cared about you... you both."

In the midst of the madness that surrounded her mind, threatening to consume her, somehow his words managed to penetrate that thick curtain of darkness and reach her reason; Lucrecia understood his words and heavy tears of torment welled up in her eyes and slid down her face forcefully.

"My... my son... my son... he took him away... the fire... the fire killed him... my son... he is dead... my son..."

"Sephiroth is alive, Lucrecia." The man spoke gently, but his serious eyes sunk into her wild ones. "I know he's my son... I've read the confidential records of Jenova Project. I know everything."

The woman's haunted brown eyes met his crimson ones, and through the tears and pain, for the first time a small light appeared in them, bringing a ray of hope to her weary, tormented soul. Her desperation made her momentarily have the strength to overcome her fear; Lucrecia threw herself forward to the man, her legs gave way and she fell to her knees and was immediately supported by Vincent's arms. She clung to him as if holding on to her life, her white fingers dug into his shirt and she pleaded in a weak, choked voice.

"Please... please... my son... give him to me... please... give me back my son... please..."

Vincent closed his eyes and his heart sank so much that it hurt to see her in that state. It hurt him as much as the mere thought of their son being dead had ripped through her heart and mind, mixed with fear and grief and darkness of the memories that Hojo's actions had provoked.

Vincent held her against his chest as Lucrecia trembled and cried, begging for the son she never held in her arms, and he summoned his power again through the Lifestream and touched the darkened and unbalanced fluids that shaped her being, and began to slowly cleanse them, and as the woman's voice weakened and the storm that enveloped her spirit gave way, her body collapsing against him without strength, Vincent embraced her and realized that Lucrecia had gone so far that her mind her only hadn't completely collapsed as it had in the past due to the hope she still had of finding her son again, and that the only light in that world of shadows that would be able to reach her and save her from the same fate as before and allow the regeneration of her heart, body and soul, was that little child that had once been denied her. His very presence was contributing to agrave her condition, and her fear of him reminded him again of the prophecy.

Closing his eyes, cradling the woman on his lap, he remembered his darkness, his uncontrollable, inexplicable rage, his hands clenched around Guildark's neck, Hojo's eyes fading as his life was brutally ripped from him without remorse, without hesitation, without a second thought, and Jenova's dark, ironic laugh echoing through his mind.

Although you were born among men, you are not one of them... And however much you try to deceive yourself, living among them, you will never be one of them... Your current human life and your family, all these are useless things that will disappear in time...

Overcome with bitterness and deeply haunted by those words, Vincent wondered if among the things that Guildark had not told him, in order for him to fulfill his purpose he would have to be willing to do anything, no matter what consequences? What if his own family stood in the way and he was forced to regain those memories of his past as Chaos... Would he be able to stop his own darkness? Would he be able to stop himself from hurting the woman he loved and their child?

In the end, your own fate will make you take away their lives with your bare hands...

A terrifying chill filled his body as the man began to understand that his own fate might one day ask him a price so high he dared not even conceive of paying.

Were the essences of his power a source of strength...or means of giving him control over himself?

Vincent for the first time feared his own power and all he was capable of doing with it.

Watching Lucrecia barely conscious, her Lifestream fluids a little more balanced with the intervention of his abilities, taking a deep breath, the ancestral being bitterly made his decision.

Seconds before Lucrecia succumbed to unconsciousness, exhausted, she felt Vincent caress her face; his eyes, which had turned yellow again, reverted to their crimson tone once more, filled with sadness and emptiness.

"Forgive me, Lucrecia... I hope that one day you can remember the moments we had together without them bringing back the darkness to your heart..."

...

When Vincent left Lucrecia's room and stopped in the middle of Nibelheim's hospital corridor, his countenance nonchalant and crimson eyes dull that carried the weight of the shadows that existed within him, the nurse he'd entrusted Lucrecia's care to earlier appeared around the corner of the hall, in her hands she was carefully carrying the newborn. The woman smiled when she saw him and the man nodded in greeting.

"How is he?" Vincent inquired with genuine concern.

"Very well; the tests we performed earlier were all positive, the baby is in perfect health. His mother is frail and extremely exhausted, she was distressed when she saw Shinra Manor on fire yesterday, we need to give her a strong tranquilizer... But with treatment and a good rest she will soon be fine too. I was just coming to leave him with his mother; each other's presence will help them to recover."

The Turk nodded and was silent; the nurse watched his eyes resting on the sleeping boy on her arms and she gently asked him.

"You are very fond of your friend and her child, aren't you?"

The man's attention left the newborn to watch the woman, who was unaware of his real involvement with Lucrecia and his paternal relationship with the baby in her arms, as he had decided it would be unwise to reveal it; Vincent limited himself to replying.

"I'm just her bodyguard; I only want their well-being."

The woman nodded in understanding, the gentle smile never left her lips; she offered then, perceiving in him his hidden desire.

"Wouldn't you like to hold him for a moment while I make sure the crib is ready for him?"

A flash of surprise crossed the Turk's face and he looked back at the child. Before realizing what he was doing, he nodded in in agreement and the nurse entrusted the precious little bundle to his arms and then disappeared momentarily into Lucrecia's room.

Vincent carefully adjusted Sephiroth on his lap and rocked the boy gently as he watched him sleep peacefully. This was the second time he held him; the first had been in the midst of a fast-moving urge to get him and Lucrecia out of Shinra Manor before destroying the evil in it and the Mako Reactor with fire, and he'd had very little time to watch his son, but now those few minutes belonged only to them and the Turk allowed himself to forget for an instant the world, his problems, his past, the prophecy and his darkness.

Sephiroth had his little head tilted slightly to the side, leaning against the green blanket that wrapped him, facing the man's chest, with fine silver strands of his hair sticking out. He was so small and fragile, and at the same time so beautiful and special, and Vincent felt his own soul fill with warmth and tenderness so great that it felt like in his arms he was holding the universe in its fullness. Shifting his grip slightly, the Turk lightly touched his son's face, the boy's skin was warm and very soft under his rough, callused fingers. Sephiroth reacted, unconsciously the baby yawned and leaned its tiny head into the man's touch, snuggling against his father to receive his warmth.

Vincent closed his eyes and held his son to his chest, and he was filled with a great love and at the same time an intense and heartbreaking sadness; an involuntary tear slipped down the side of his face as he thought about what it might have been if he had been an ordinary man like any other, without the weight of the Cetras' prophecy and Gaia's hope resting on his shoulders.

The family that they could have been...

The door opened again and the nurse returned into the hall to retreive the child, and Vincent did one of the hardest things he ever had ever done in his life; he let Sephiroth go and delivered his son into the woman's waiting arms without looking at them.

"Are you okay, sir?" The nurse frowned with mild concern and the man nodded; composed, he watched her neutrally.

"Doctor Crescent and her son are the only survivors of the accident that happened in the laboratory and destroyed Shinra Manor. I need to report what happened to the headquarters and to the head of the Science Department, I believe they will contact you soon to send a helicopter and transfer them back to Midgar. For now it's best for the boy to stay with his mother and let both rest."

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of them." The woman smiled and nodded in understanding, and after saying goodbye to the military, she went back into the room taking the child with her and Vincent turned his back and left.

...

Lucrecia awoke again to the sound of a weak and constant cry echoing in the room. She was extremely exhausted, her mind was such a disjointed mess that she couldn't tell what had been a dream and what had been real, but in the midst of the darkness that haunted her soul a light shined through it formed by the pure green energies of the Lifestream; it embraced her and wiped the tears from her wounded heart.

Slowly the woman got up, her eyes watering and widening when she saw a small wooden crib placed next to her bed, and Lucrecia felt her breath fail in her lungs and her heart leap in her chest, invaded by enormous disbelief and hope.

It was hope that put her back on her feet and gave her renewed strength to cross the short distance until she was standing beside the crib, and tears began once more to slid down her face; the short silver haired baby stopped crying and looked up at her and Lucrecia was swept away by those beautiful little eyes, as green as the pure fluids of the Lifestream as she had seen countless times before in her dreams.

The woman leaned over and took the boy gently in her arms; she hugged him to her chest, cradling him, clunging to her son as if he were her very source of life and she felt for the first time in a long months the joy returning to her being.

...

When he opened his eyelids, the sudden brightness of the room offended his eyes and he closed them again. A few seconds later, however, he reopened them and his vision this time quickly adjusted to the surroundings and he stared in confusion while trying to understand what had happened.

He felt as if he had awakened from a long sleep that had lasted a hundred years. His body slowly got used to the sensations again; the weight of the blanket covering him, the softness of the sheet on his fingers, the softness of the pillow under his head. A feeling of profound well-being washed over him and the man couldn't remember the last time in his life he had felt fully rested or physically composed.

In fact he couldn't immediately remember anything; in his mind everything was still lethargic and very confused.

There was a soft sound that constantly beeped on the scenery around him, and turning his head partially to the side, he saw a monitoring device standing next to the bed showing nonstop the rate of his heartbeat. A solitary armchair lay a few feet away, a table beside it with a vase of new, pretty, fresh, fragrant flowers and several photographs of people whose faces he knew and his mind whispered their names to him; white walls without any decoration, open windows on the other side showed the clear blue morning sky.

He realized he was in a hospital, but it was only when he lifted his face just as the door suddenly opened and his crimson eyes met Gast's deeply shocked countenance, transfixed at the entrance to the room, that Grimoire Valentine remembered everything.

That morning there was a lot of movement at Shinra Hospital; the old scientist did dozens of tests that were repeated the next day and again in the following days, but in none of them were the doctors able to explain the man's recovery or get answers as to how his body was able over the months to destroy the incurable disease that had dominated him.

Two weeks later when he finally left the hospital walking through the front door with the same haughtiness of his younger days, Gast accompanying him by his side with a big smile on his lips and tears of joy on his face, Grimoire was finally able to believe the miracle that had happened to him.

He was completely healed.

...

Cobe straightened up and sighed wearily. He lifted his arm and with one hand he wiped the sweat from his face. He took in the hole he had just dug and the expanse of the field; there was still a good chunk left before he finished getting the land ready for planting. He rested his body weight on the hoe and caught his breath as he considered the option of doing now only half the work and finishing the second half the next day; the hot sun was high in the sky and was shining brightly, making the task partially difficult.

The young man then laughed to himself and shook his head; his sister wouldn't leave him alone for the rest of the night if he decided to finish plowing the field the next day, after all he had promised he would have it done by the start of the evening. Heaving another sigh, he caught his breath, picked up the hoe and went back to slashing at the soil before a new wave of weariness washed over him again.

Cobe struck twice; when the hoe slashed down through the air and buried itself in the ground for the third time, the blond haired man came to a complete stop, his golden eyes fixed on the form of a stranger suddenly appearing in the meadow and walking towards him.

Initially surprised, Cobe was speechless; he and his sister lived far from the nearest town and the place was well hidden in the mountains, a refuge surrounded by rock walls and valleys and great forests, and never in all those years had anyone discovered their home. His surprise soon gave way to caution and suspicion and Cobe wielded the hoe in clear hostility.

"Who are you and how did you get here?!"

The young man's gruff voice made the stranger stop. Dressed only in a dark coat and matching pants, a heavy backpack resting on one shoulder, the man with short black hair watched him back for a long moment, his crimson eyes meeting the other's gold firmly.

"You grew up... and became a fine man, Cobe... You look a lot like your father."

The younger's golden eyes widened in astonishment.

"How do you..." Cobe started to ask, but his voice trailed off as, still staring into the other man's crimson eyes, he noticed the familiarity in the intensity of his gaze and recognized him even as he looked very different from when he'd seen him the last time.

At that very moment his sister suddenly appeared at the edge of the clearing; her eyes immediately fell on the newcomer for she had sensed through the pure energies of the Lifestream that he had returned to them as he had promised he would a long time ago.

"Vincent!" Ifalna exclaimed and the beautiful woman with long wavy brown hair ran without hesitation to the man and enveloped him in a strong and longing embrace.

Vincent returned the gesture tenderly and welcomed Cobe into their embrace in the next second, his right arm wrapped around the younger man's shoulders. Ifalna cried with happiness, they had missed him so much! But even though she was overjoyed to see the friend she esteemed as much as a brother, internally the woman felt her heart tighten with worry as she stared into Vincent's face; he looked physically fine and his lips curved up as he gazed at them, but there was darkness on his crimson irises and his smile didn't reach his eyes.