Disclaimer: FF7 chars do not belong to me

Chapter 8

Zack was very worried about his commander. He had been gone for two whole days. This wasn't like him. Perhaps he just took a vacation or something.
No, Zack thought. Something was wrong. Zack rallied up the troops and began a search at about 7:00 a.m. He figured if Sephiroth or Vincent were not found by sunset they would have to alert the whole of Shin-Ra, then they would all be in deep. Zack turned from the command quarters and left with the first search party, in which was headed for the nearby forests.

Sephiroth climbed out of bed and found that on the chair next to him his clothes had been mended and washed. Sephiroth put them on and then decided to read a book off of the bookshelf in the corner of the room. While he was busy doing that next-door Vincent was about to have the shock of his life.
Vincent put on the blue suit he had found on the bed earlier. He walked up to the mirror noticing it looked exactly like his old Turk suit. He went to go wash up when there was a click on the latch of his door. Turning he saw the cat as she promptly walked in.
"I'm here to escort you to breakfast" she said. She stepped into the light revealing herself. Vincent gave her a blank stare.
Natalie had a disappointed look on her face. "Vincent, don't you recognize me?"
Vincent shook his head as a tear slipped from Natalie's eye and landed on the soft carpeted floor.
"Perhaps you would remember me more like this then." She walked across the room into the bathroom. Vincent sat thinking, trying to remember this girl. Just then Natalie walked back out and Vincent nearly fainted on the floor.
"N...N...Natalie!!!??"
"Yes," she replied. She came out with a long black old fashioned gown. The arms of the dress dragged on the floor, and the pearl edged bottom left a trail of black and white velvet fabric on the floor. Upon her head Natalie wore a beautiful crimson red headband with a pearl centered in the middle. The headband matched perfectly the lining of the arms as well a the low dipping neck line. Standing in front of Vincent was the princess he had been in love with since the age of twenty. Vincent had snuck into her dwelling many a time just to say he had loved her. The Shang Hai never thought much of people with weaponry such as guns, they preferred the ninja star, whip, and other traditional materials. So Vincent had a sort of Romeo and Juliet affair with her.
"You're...alive??" Vincent just barely managed to gulp down the words. "But after your kingdom was crushed by Shin-Ra you disappeared. I thought you were dead."
"Did a good job didn't I?" she said. I dressed as one of my warriors and escaped through the woods. I tried to find you, and when I finally did you were with that woman Lucrecia. I didn't think you loved me anymore. So I left, unnoticed, and forgotten. Even by the one I loved."
As hard as she tried Natalie just could not hold back the tears of her forbidden past. Anyone who spoke of it was killed by this fearless warrior. Vincent, stupefied, tried to explain, but to no avail. Natalie just sat silently in the corner.
Then after a while began to speak. "I became a warrior to defend what people were left in the kingdom."
She turned around her red-orange hair ablaze in the light. "Yes I am just like Lacey. Forgotten by my love, and destroyed by Shin-Ra. So we joined our people together to rid ourselves from them once and for all, then rebuild our past-no our future." Natalie stood up and grabbed Vincent's hand. He smiled, yes this was her the fiery woman he had always known and loved. And deep in his heart still loved her. Lucrecia had betrayed him in the worst way.....And for that she could never be forgiven. But would Natalie forgive him for his ultimate betrayal?
Another tear from the past slipped from both their eyes as the pair walked down the hall to meet Sephiroth and Lacey at the deciding breakfast. The one that would determine the future of the world.

Sephiroth had just finished his book, and the task of putting his clothes on when he noticed his Masamune was lying on the floor. He felt he was in no danger so he put it in his sheath and turned at the sound of a knock at the door he went over to it and was surprised to find it open. He clutched his sword and opened the door as soon as Lacey had slipped her hand in the door.
Sephiroth grabbed it and flung the person over his shoulder. Expecting the figure to be knocked out he again sheathed his sword. He turned around and gasped. The figure was standing upright holding a weapon in its hand. The light flashed on, and Sephiroth stood, shocked yet again. He was sure now. It was Lacey it had to be, but back from the dead??
"Yes," the figure said. "It is I Lacey back from the dead because of you."
"ME??!!" Sephiroth shouted, "But how!!??"
"Well," she said, "I found you really did love me after all. You wore my crystal on that day, and are still wearing it. Your love brought me back. My crystal kept aglow for about two months after my death. Then abruptly stopped. I had been searching for you the whole of those two months. But stopped after that. The crystal stopped, ceased its life I thought you forgot about me, because every time you forgot a little about me I forgot about you and so the crystal ceased to guide me and I ended up here with Natalie after I learned of Shin-Ra's deeds. Now of course I stand before you. Addressing you as a general, not a friend."
She trailed off still staring at Sephiroth with her brilliant mako eyes. Sephiroth stood stunned.
"No," he said, "no I never forgot. Just lost hope you were gone. I had to realize that. So I pledged all of my time to soldier and Shin-Ra. I became a general. Going after your ideas and dreams, knowing that someday I would avenge you, but......." Sephiroth trailed off as he stared at Lacey unable to move from the spot. Her long white sparkling dress signified purity and the emerald lining was ablaze as her spirit was.
The crystal/mako cornet she wore signified the fire of her soul. Her long brown hair was braided on the two sides of her head then became one as the wove into each other near the ends. Lacey walked past Sephiroth and looked down the hall.
Yes here they came. Natalie and Vincent together once again. Lacey sighed and turned. The mako crystal that was around her neck swung into view. It was aglow, as was Sephiroth's but no one dared speak a word.
Sephiroth took Lacey's hand and smiled as any Gentlemen would. They both met Natalie and Vincent at the hallway and walked to the breakfast hall together.

They all proceeded into the dining hall and were seated. Sephiroth was between Natalie and Vincent and Lacey sat at the head of the table. Maids brought in the breakfast on huge platters. The sweet aroma of pancakes scented the air, as well as sausage and red wine. After all had indulged themselves, Lacey addressed the two men.
"You two have been here for two days now. The time has come to make a decision. But first we will answer any questions you have, I'm quite sure you have many."
With that Lacey was silent. Sephiroth shifted in his chocobo stuffed chair trying to think. He was about to speak up when Vincent jumped at his opportunity.
He politely asked, "How and when was this place built? It is spectacular!"
Lacey grinned seeming to be proud but remained stern and serious. "Since I am the one who built this place I will tell you. 4 years ago I had found some materia called glassbarrier. This was able to make and create a sort of crystal glass that could bend, but remained strong. This material makes up most here that you see."
Vincent nodded as he saw a maid take away a large crystal glass. Sephiroth then made an evil grin. Clever, he thought.
Then Sephiroth thought of another question. "Where did those cats and wolves come from? They are HUGE!!!!"
Natalie smiled and nodded to Lacey indicating it was her turn to answer. "Well, general Lacey and I have been living in the forest until we found that materia. We bonded with the animals, learning mind speech. We found the largest ones you see in an enchanted forest and they were just waiting there or so it seemed. They gave us shelter and actually led us to the materia."
Sephiroth was stunned, he sat quietly trying to make sense of all that had been said.
"No more questions then? Good," Lacey remarked. Here was the tricky part. "General, Mr. Valentine, now the time has come to choose your sides. We are fighting against Shin-Ra. To save the future of all that
lives. We are trying to come to terms with them. For they wont listen to our plea and war is at hand. It's either you ally with them or us." Lacey sat back down in her chair awaiting an answer.