Disclaimer: Alrighty, then… I don't own Final Fantasy. Squaresoft does. No
da. pointless Fushigi Yuugi plug
Author's Note: Sorry about the wait, folks! It's been kind of hectic over here… ~_~;;; Okay, I just read the reviews for Chapter 1. Rachel, umm…. Yes. 'Kay. Tori, thanks for catching that little error… teeheehee. And, let me think, this chapter is basically another evil Hojo chapter. What can I say? The guy's a fruitcake. Oh, return of someone who's only been mentioned, too. More psycho Sephy fun, and only a little bit of Aeris. sniff Ah, well…
Chapter 3
Whatever is Necessary
Lucretia hummed softly to herself a melody she hadn't heard in years. Briefly, she considered making a trip to the market earlier than she normally did. The day was just so beautiful. The sky was clear and the clouds were exactly as she had seen them in all of her old childhood fairy tale books.
She remembered fondly her favorite story. One about a handsome young man who had gone on an adventure. It was nothing out of the ordinary, in fact, it was a rather old story as far as most people were concerned. But, for her, the story held a type of hope that she hadn't dared to dream of in her childhood.
Her smile faded as she remembered that dark time in her life. The streets of Midgar were her only home, and the promise of a new future helped get her through those times that she didn't care to remember.
Nodding her head once, Lucretia stepped outside her home and onto the busy street above the plate. She moved through the narrow streets quickly, knowing them by heart after many years of traveling down them day after day. A gentle breeze blew her hair up and away from her face, and she smiled and closed her eyes, thankful that she could find peace even in such a troubled city.
As she moved past one building, however, her eyes came to rest on one lonely figure that could have been described as a shadow by anyone that knew him. In fact, it was difficult to tell where the long ebony strands of his hair ended and where the dark shadows began.
Lucretia had long since stopped walking, yet had failed to realize it. She only stood there, captivated by this man. She took a tentative step towards him, then another.
The man only stood there and stared at her, unsure what to do at such an awkward moment.
Lucretia opened her mouth to say something to him, but was stopped by his hand. "No," he muttered.
It was just one word. One word should not affect her the way it did. One word did not hold so much power over her that she should crumble and fall, even if that one word was spoken by this man. Even so, her heart stopped beating for a second at the small refusal this man gave her.
She stepped forward again, only to hear that same word repeated. She shook her head slowly and quietly replied, "Vincent…"
But at his name, the man turned around and started to walk away from her. Away from this woman who had cost him so much of his life already. His heart protested his actions, loudly, but his mind refused to stay near someone who had been the cause of so much pain and hardship.
"Vincent, please!" Lucretia shouted. He felt his heart skip a beat when she called out his name, but he knew things could never be how they were before. He had simply wanted to see her face. That was all. Foolish of him, really. Now she would not leave him alone.
Lost in thought, he didn't notice her approach until a hand lightly touched his shoulder. He jerked around and found himself staring at her eyes. So beautiful, so clear… He could lose himself in those depths forever.
"Vincent…"
Suddenly his reverie was cut short, and he stared at her. His eyes grew cold not from lack of love, but from lack of trust. How could he not love her? This woman who had been everything to him in more ways than one. He had no choice about that. He was born to love her. But he didn't trust her. Not anymore. Not after the soft exchanges of words and the defiant meaningless gestures and the hideous torture that he had undergone just to be able to remain true to her. How could he trust her when she still would give herself to that… that thing?
"I just came to see you before I left."
Lucretia blinked at the odd choice of words. He had just come to see her? Well, then, did he not love her anymore? Why on earth would he go through the trouble of finding her if he didn't want to be with her anymore?
"Before you left?" she finally asked, voicing one of the many questions circling through her mind.
A sharp nod was her reply. "I must," Vincent stopped and searched for the right word. "…repent." Seeing a blank look on his love's face, he continued, "I have committed far too many sins to allow myself to indulge in this now."
He turned around once more, yet was again stopped by her hand.
"No, please, Vincent. I want- I want to be able to see you again."
Her words startled him, and rekindled a spark within him that he thought was dead. But he shook his head once, gently, sadly, and replied, "No, I must go. You have your… lover… already."
As his words slowly started to sink in, she looked back up to tell him what had happened, what was actually taking place with the very man he still viewed as a rival. But Vincent was gone, and she knew that no matter where she looked, she wouldn't be able to find him again. Maybe before she might have, but not now.
With an uncharacteristic frown on her face and a heavy burden in her heart, Lucretia headed once more for the market.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Sephiroth looked on as the mysterious girl laughed along with her friends. It had been a few weeks now, since she had introduced herself to him as… Angel? Alise? Aeris? Yes, that was it. Aeris. It was a musical name, perfect for such a light-hearted and carefree girl such as this one with the chestnut brown hair and bright green eyes.
He sighed. Thoughts like this kept repeating through his head. What was it about this girl that entranced him so? She was nothing special, really. Average looks that somehow seemed far more in his eyes. Bright personality, sunny disposition… an average happy child.
Somehow, he didn't think he'd ever understand that.
You'll never understand.
Sephiroth opened his eyes quickly, when he heard that voice. But, it had seemed to come from nowhere. He shrugged, and walked back to his table to do whatever mundane task his teacher had set out for him.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"What?" Hojo asked, irritated that someone would dare to disturb him.
"Umm, Hojo, sir, the lab results…" A lab technician held them out to him before running away in fear. Such was the feeling of most of the people who had spent time in Hojo's presence.
Hojo sneered and picked up the discarded report. It was an old file, on that boy. Why had this been brought here? He had already determined that the boy could not very well help him with his research, so what use was he?
He flipped through the files briefly before locating a new report at the back. Scanning it quickly, Hojo learned that the Jenova cells in the boy's body may have long-term effects that none of them had predicted. Of course they would, Hojo thought irritably, there was no way the boy would just not respond.
And with that thought, Hojo ordered more of his men to study the boy. See exactly how he acted, and what he did. Maybe they could learn whether or not he was a worthwhile cause or a waste of time.
After all, if the Jenova cells were reacting with the Mako and the boy's natural genes, well then…
"Get someone in here!" Hojo yelled out on his intercom. Moments later a different specialist came in.
"Yes, sir?" he asked, nervously.
"Go and study this specimen in its everyday life. See if you can't… discover what might have changed about him."
The specialist turned to leave, but Hojo stopped him with a hand. "And if he does have a reaction, no matter what kind, bring him back here. I don't care if you have to kill everyone in that school, just bring him back here alive. Alive, mind you. Do whatever is necessary to see that it's so."
The specialist nodded and left. Hojo folded his hands and smiled. Perhaps the boy wouldn't amount to nothing after all.
Author's Note: Sorry about the wait, folks! It's been kind of hectic over here… ~_~;;; Okay, I just read the reviews for Chapter 1. Rachel, umm…. Yes. 'Kay. Tori, thanks for catching that little error… teeheehee. And, let me think, this chapter is basically another evil Hojo chapter. What can I say? The guy's a fruitcake. Oh, return of someone who's only been mentioned, too. More psycho Sephy fun, and only a little bit of Aeris. sniff Ah, well…
Chapter 3
Whatever is Necessary
Lucretia hummed softly to herself a melody she hadn't heard in years. Briefly, she considered making a trip to the market earlier than she normally did. The day was just so beautiful. The sky was clear and the clouds were exactly as she had seen them in all of her old childhood fairy tale books.
She remembered fondly her favorite story. One about a handsome young man who had gone on an adventure. It was nothing out of the ordinary, in fact, it was a rather old story as far as most people were concerned. But, for her, the story held a type of hope that she hadn't dared to dream of in her childhood.
Her smile faded as she remembered that dark time in her life. The streets of Midgar were her only home, and the promise of a new future helped get her through those times that she didn't care to remember.
Nodding her head once, Lucretia stepped outside her home and onto the busy street above the plate. She moved through the narrow streets quickly, knowing them by heart after many years of traveling down them day after day. A gentle breeze blew her hair up and away from her face, and she smiled and closed her eyes, thankful that she could find peace even in such a troubled city.
As she moved past one building, however, her eyes came to rest on one lonely figure that could have been described as a shadow by anyone that knew him. In fact, it was difficult to tell where the long ebony strands of his hair ended and where the dark shadows began.
Lucretia had long since stopped walking, yet had failed to realize it. She only stood there, captivated by this man. She took a tentative step towards him, then another.
The man only stood there and stared at her, unsure what to do at such an awkward moment.
Lucretia opened her mouth to say something to him, but was stopped by his hand. "No," he muttered.
It was just one word. One word should not affect her the way it did. One word did not hold so much power over her that she should crumble and fall, even if that one word was spoken by this man. Even so, her heart stopped beating for a second at the small refusal this man gave her.
She stepped forward again, only to hear that same word repeated. She shook her head slowly and quietly replied, "Vincent…"
But at his name, the man turned around and started to walk away from her. Away from this woman who had cost him so much of his life already. His heart protested his actions, loudly, but his mind refused to stay near someone who had been the cause of so much pain and hardship.
"Vincent, please!" Lucretia shouted. He felt his heart skip a beat when she called out his name, but he knew things could never be how they were before. He had simply wanted to see her face. That was all. Foolish of him, really. Now she would not leave him alone.
Lost in thought, he didn't notice her approach until a hand lightly touched his shoulder. He jerked around and found himself staring at her eyes. So beautiful, so clear… He could lose himself in those depths forever.
"Vincent…"
Suddenly his reverie was cut short, and he stared at her. His eyes grew cold not from lack of love, but from lack of trust. How could he not love her? This woman who had been everything to him in more ways than one. He had no choice about that. He was born to love her. But he didn't trust her. Not anymore. Not after the soft exchanges of words and the defiant meaningless gestures and the hideous torture that he had undergone just to be able to remain true to her. How could he trust her when she still would give herself to that… that thing?
"I just came to see you before I left."
Lucretia blinked at the odd choice of words. He had just come to see her? Well, then, did he not love her anymore? Why on earth would he go through the trouble of finding her if he didn't want to be with her anymore?
"Before you left?" she finally asked, voicing one of the many questions circling through her mind.
A sharp nod was her reply. "I must," Vincent stopped and searched for the right word. "…repent." Seeing a blank look on his love's face, he continued, "I have committed far too many sins to allow myself to indulge in this now."
He turned around once more, yet was again stopped by her hand.
"No, please, Vincent. I want- I want to be able to see you again."
Her words startled him, and rekindled a spark within him that he thought was dead. But he shook his head once, gently, sadly, and replied, "No, I must go. You have your… lover… already."
As his words slowly started to sink in, she looked back up to tell him what had happened, what was actually taking place with the very man he still viewed as a rival. But Vincent was gone, and she knew that no matter where she looked, she wouldn't be able to find him again. Maybe before she might have, but not now.
With an uncharacteristic frown on her face and a heavy burden in her heart, Lucretia headed once more for the market.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Sephiroth looked on as the mysterious girl laughed along with her friends. It had been a few weeks now, since she had introduced herself to him as… Angel? Alise? Aeris? Yes, that was it. Aeris. It was a musical name, perfect for such a light-hearted and carefree girl such as this one with the chestnut brown hair and bright green eyes.
He sighed. Thoughts like this kept repeating through his head. What was it about this girl that entranced him so? She was nothing special, really. Average looks that somehow seemed far more in his eyes. Bright personality, sunny disposition… an average happy child.
Somehow, he didn't think he'd ever understand that.
You'll never understand.
Sephiroth opened his eyes quickly, when he heard that voice. But, it had seemed to come from nowhere. He shrugged, and walked back to his table to do whatever mundane task his teacher had set out for him.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"What?" Hojo asked, irritated that someone would dare to disturb him.
"Umm, Hojo, sir, the lab results…" A lab technician held them out to him before running away in fear. Such was the feeling of most of the people who had spent time in Hojo's presence.
Hojo sneered and picked up the discarded report. It was an old file, on that boy. Why had this been brought here? He had already determined that the boy could not very well help him with his research, so what use was he?
He flipped through the files briefly before locating a new report at the back. Scanning it quickly, Hojo learned that the Jenova cells in the boy's body may have long-term effects that none of them had predicted. Of course they would, Hojo thought irritably, there was no way the boy would just not respond.
And with that thought, Hojo ordered more of his men to study the boy. See exactly how he acted, and what he did. Maybe they could learn whether or not he was a worthwhile cause or a waste of time.
After all, if the Jenova cells were reacting with the Mako and the boy's natural genes, well then…
"Get someone in here!" Hojo yelled out on his intercom. Moments later a different specialist came in.
"Yes, sir?" he asked, nervously.
"Go and study this specimen in its everyday life. See if you can't… discover what might have changed about him."
The specialist turned to leave, but Hojo stopped him with a hand. "And if he does have a reaction, no matter what kind, bring him back here. I don't care if you have to kill everyone in that school, just bring him back here alive. Alive, mind you. Do whatever is necessary to see that it's so."
The specialist nodded and left. Hojo folded his hands and smiled. Perhaps the boy wouldn't amount to nothing after all.