Author's Ramblings: This is when Lucretia gave birth to Sephiroth. I'm
saying it's Vincent's child just for the sake of argument. Personally, I
think it's more likely Hojo's. But anyway, this is just a thought I came
across. It's Vincent x Lucretia, I guess. I think Lucretia died before
Vincent got his claw, forms and eyes etc. but we're pretending that she
didn't. She died while he was watching. Poor Vincent.
They were red.
I tried to ignore it, but Hojo just smiled and didn't turn off the video. It was like a sky on the most beautiful painting, suddenly splattered with blood, not red paint, but blood. I wanted to cry, but I knew I had to stay strong. I had to pretend I was indifferent. For the sake of the baby.
But, oh Gods! They were red!
His eyes were red, and his arm was a claw. It wasn't the claw that bothered me. It was his eyes. A single tear had welled up in the corner of his eye. He knew I was watching. He knew I was probably a few hours, maybe even minutes away from starting contractions and delivering this baby. His baby. Our baby. I don't know if Hojo knew, but I did. Something like mother's intuition, you might say.
"Lucretia, beloved. I think it's time that we got you into a comfortable position with a nurse." Hojo prodded gently, although his tone was cold.
I shook my head and continued to stare at Vincent and his red eyes. Why did Hojo have to do this? Why red? I wanted to collapse.
"I-I want him to see." I said suddenly. "I want him there."
Hojo tilted his head and arched a brow. His face was still in the same cold expression. "He can't see, darling." He said, as if speaking to a child. "He can only hear. It's as if he's blind at the moment. It'll pass, darling. It'll pass."
I let myself fall to the floor. I WANTED HIM TO WATCH AS OUR CHILD WAS BORN! Gods damn it! Gods damn Hojo! I let the tears fall and turned my face to the video again. Vincent was crying, as if he could tell I was. His tears were slightly red, like he was crying blood. That sent me into fits of hysteria. Hojo kneeled down and started patting my back, trying to shush me and tell me that I had to watch it and make sure I didn't harm the baby.
"I want him to watch!" I nearly screamed at Hojo. "I want him there," I added, in a much quieter voice.
"I can't let him out." Hojo said, trying to be gentle, but his fingers on my shoulder had latched in a grip that said he wasn't going to go. "You can have it right in front of him for all I care. He won't see you."
"I don't care." I said.
Vincent's face was distressed and distorted in what seemed pain. It was right then that my contractions started.
"Oh shit!" I cursed. "Hojo! Get me in there!"
The nurses who had been outside the door helped me to my feet and onto the gurney they'd set up. Hojo gave them instructions that they quirked an eyebrow at, but didn't question. I was zoomed to the room that Vincent was in. Hojo was jogging behind, the sick twisted little man.
They transferred me onto some other bed-like contraption that was covered in towels. My legs opened automatically and the nurses were telling me to push. Vincent was crying.
"Push!"
I heaved and heaved. The pain was absolutely horrid. I screamed and cried, but it wasn't just from the pain of birthing, but also from the tearing of my heart. Vincent was screaming too, I couldn't tell why. He'd always told me that he was a clairvoyant, that he could see things if they chose to let him see it. It didn't come often, but when it did it was either something major, important enough to change a life, or something minor, like what someone would have for breakfast, or when someone would stub their toe. Lately it had gotten much more frequent, he kept me well informed. He could predict so many things right before they happened.
But his eyes were red.
He was screaming, and so was I.
Hojo was yelling at someone to shut Vincent up. I couldn't hear what he was saying, until Vincent went slack for a brief moment and then began screaming even louder.
"Don't let her die!" He yelled. "Don't get the mako near her!"
Mako? The thought barely left my mind when a needle was jabbed somewhere near my birthing region. I yelped at the added pain, feeling liquid frost seeping through my body and surely the baby's too.
Vincent screamed. "Don't die! NO! DON'T LET HER DIE!"
I wondered at the horrid prediction. The baby was pulled from me and the umbilical cord was cut. I didn't get to hold my baby as I felt the frost sweeping upwards, to my head.
My eyes wanted to close, to let myself die. I didn't fight it. If Vincent was seeing that then it would definitely happen, no matter what. I smiled softly and turned my head.
"Sephiroth." I whispered to Hojo.
He nodded and told the nurses that that was to be the child's name.
As my eyes closed, the last thing I saw was Vincent. He had calmed down and two armed guards were holding him back. A single tear rolled down his face, faintly red. His eyes glittered like rubies. I didn't want to let go of the image.
They were red.
They were red.
I tried to ignore it, but Hojo just smiled and didn't turn off the video. It was like a sky on the most beautiful painting, suddenly splattered with blood, not red paint, but blood. I wanted to cry, but I knew I had to stay strong. I had to pretend I was indifferent. For the sake of the baby.
But, oh Gods! They were red!
His eyes were red, and his arm was a claw. It wasn't the claw that bothered me. It was his eyes. A single tear had welled up in the corner of his eye. He knew I was watching. He knew I was probably a few hours, maybe even minutes away from starting contractions and delivering this baby. His baby. Our baby. I don't know if Hojo knew, but I did. Something like mother's intuition, you might say.
"Lucretia, beloved. I think it's time that we got you into a comfortable position with a nurse." Hojo prodded gently, although his tone was cold.
I shook my head and continued to stare at Vincent and his red eyes. Why did Hojo have to do this? Why red? I wanted to collapse.
"I-I want him to see." I said suddenly. "I want him there."
Hojo tilted his head and arched a brow. His face was still in the same cold expression. "He can't see, darling." He said, as if speaking to a child. "He can only hear. It's as if he's blind at the moment. It'll pass, darling. It'll pass."
I let myself fall to the floor. I WANTED HIM TO WATCH AS OUR CHILD WAS BORN! Gods damn it! Gods damn Hojo! I let the tears fall and turned my face to the video again. Vincent was crying, as if he could tell I was. His tears were slightly red, like he was crying blood. That sent me into fits of hysteria. Hojo kneeled down and started patting my back, trying to shush me and tell me that I had to watch it and make sure I didn't harm the baby.
"I want him to watch!" I nearly screamed at Hojo. "I want him there," I added, in a much quieter voice.
"I can't let him out." Hojo said, trying to be gentle, but his fingers on my shoulder had latched in a grip that said he wasn't going to go. "You can have it right in front of him for all I care. He won't see you."
"I don't care." I said.
Vincent's face was distressed and distorted in what seemed pain. It was right then that my contractions started.
"Oh shit!" I cursed. "Hojo! Get me in there!"
The nurses who had been outside the door helped me to my feet and onto the gurney they'd set up. Hojo gave them instructions that they quirked an eyebrow at, but didn't question. I was zoomed to the room that Vincent was in. Hojo was jogging behind, the sick twisted little man.
They transferred me onto some other bed-like contraption that was covered in towels. My legs opened automatically and the nurses were telling me to push. Vincent was crying.
"Push!"
I heaved and heaved. The pain was absolutely horrid. I screamed and cried, but it wasn't just from the pain of birthing, but also from the tearing of my heart. Vincent was screaming too, I couldn't tell why. He'd always told me that he was a clairvoyant, that he could see things if they chose to let him see it. It didn't come often, but when it did it was either something major, important enough to change a life, or something minor, like what someone would have for breakfast, or when someone would stub their toe. Lately it had gotten much more frequent, he kept me well informed. He could predict so many things right before they happened.
But his eyes were red.
He was screaming, and so was I.
Hojo was yelling at someone to shut Vincent up. I couldn't hear what he was saying, until Vincent went slack for a brief moment and then began screaming even louder.
"Don't let her die!" He yelled. "Don't get the mako near her!"
Mako? The thought barely left my mind when a needle was jabbed somewhere near my birthing region. I yelped at the added pain, feeling liquid frost seeping through my body and surely the baby's too.
Vincent screamed. "Don't die! NO! DON'T LET HER DIE!"
I wondered at the horrid prediction. The baby was pulled from me and the umbilical cord was cut. I didn't get to hold my baby as I felt the frost sweeping upwards, to my head.
My eyes wanted to close, to let myself die. I didn't fight it. If Vincent was seeing that then it would definitely happen, no matter what. I smiled softly and turned my head.
"Sephiroth." I whispered to Hojo.
He nodded and told the nurses that that was to be the child's name.
As my eyes closed, the last thing I saw was Vincent. He had calmed down and two armed guards were holding him back. A single tear rolled down his face, faintly red. His eyes glittered like rubies. I didn't want to let go of the image.
They were red.