Chapter IV – Everlasting Sleep
"Why experiment on humans?"
"She and I are both scientists."
"I could have saved him but the Jenova was weakening me. All I could do was watch."
A shot rang out. Vincent didn't move. The bullet tore through his chest. Lucrecia screamed. She left Hojo's side and took Vincent's head in her hands.
"He was dying in my arms. My angel, I killed him. I killed him with my weakness."
Vincent gazed up at his old lover. His crimson eyes were darkening as she watched. The black of his hair mingled with his dark red blood. His skin paled to an unnatural yet beautiful shade of white. Slowly his lips started to move. She bent her head down to listen.
"I still love you."
With that Vincent closed his eyes. His body became limp in her arms. Lucrecia kissed his cold lips.
"I never stopped loving you. Be at peace my Vincent."
Hojo lifted Lucrecia roughly off Vincent and threw her to the floor. She hit her head on the cold concrete floor and fell unconscious.
"That was the first of two deaths I had to deal with during that time in Nibelheim."
"Who else died?"
"Me."
Another scream. Now they were standing in the Nibelheim inn in one of the upstairs rooms. Lucrecia was lying on a bed holding her stomach and screaming. Men in white coats surrounded her. She was giving birth. One last ear-splitting scream and then silence. One man wrapped a small baby with a white blanket. Lucrecia, half-asleep with exhaustion, held out her arms to hold the child.
"Sephiroth."
The man holding Sephiroth looked at her for a second then walked quietly away. She tried to sit up but couldn't make it.
"Sephiroth…"
"Ever since he was born I never got to hold him, even once... You can't call me his mother. That is my sin."
"Lucrecia…"
"I was allowed to name the child however. Sephiroth. It comes from the word seraphim meaning 'highest of the angels'. I got to see him once before I died. All I remember about him are his beautiful sea-green eyes. Had I not been so ill I would have taken him from them and raised him properly."
Cloud and Lucrecia were now back in the blue waterfall cave. Cloud looked at the others. They had seen it all. Tifa's face was damp with tears and Nanaki simply bowed his head. Lucrecia was clutching Vincent.
"You said you died…" Cloud spoke to Lucrecia who in reply nodded her fair head.
"I died a week after Sephiroth was born. I never recovered from the birth. But the Jenova inside me wouldn't let me die completely. Everyone thought I was dead. When I awoke I was in that coffin in the Shinra mansion. I was so confused but all I could do was sleep. I don't age. I don't know if I'm ever going to die. But I have to keep going. I have to tell Sephiroth the truth."
"Lucrecia…"
She turned to Vincent. His form was fading.
"Vincent, what's happening?"
"I must return to the Lifestream. I promised to see you one last time and I have."
"Vincent, no!" Lucrecia tried to wrap her arms around him but they just went straight through. She could barely make him out.
"Vincent, you can't leave me like this! Please!"
"You have Cloud to look after you now. I'll be waiting for you angel. To leave you like this, this is my sin."
With that, Vincent Valentine was no more.
"I still love you."
This time she was completely alone. The lid was been drawn down over her. She wanted to cry out, tell them she was still alive. Darkness. A voice inside her head.
"He is my child. He'd do anything for me. He doesn't even know you exist."
"You bitch! Give me back my baby."
"But Lucrecia…"
Now she was standing in the Shinra lab. A small child with silver hair was curled up in the corner.
"I want my mother!" He was crying.
"Sephiroth, your mother is dead. Jenova is dead."
