I awoke to the thump of a coffin lid to the floor. I pushed the lid open slightly and looked out into the darkness. Suddenly light filled the room and I eased the top down over the coffin. A lamp had been lit. I heard metal scrape the ground and peered out again. Lu was sitting near the lamp she had lit and looked at her silver claw. I pushed the top up farther and looked at her more. Black hair hung over her face as she twisted and turned the claw. I heard her mumble softly to herself, because she did not know I had awakened. I eased the lid back down to let her be amongst herself for a little longer. Thoughts ran through my head like the speeding winds of the whirlwind maze. I didn't know how long I had been thinking, but I heard coffins creaking open and shutting again. I closed my eyes as the lid of the one I rested in opened. I opened my eyes and found the girl blinking at me.

"What is it you need Lu." I stayed silent as she replied.

"I don't want to feel alone…"

"You are not alone. May I continue my rest?"

"Ok. Is it alright if I go outside?"

"Hojo locked the door."

"Not from the inside…" she eased down the lid. I soon heard the door open and shut quietly as she knew Hojo hadn't installed the lock preventing us from going out. I began to wonder and soon I felt a little worried. I opened the coffin I lay in and went after her. I looked on the porch. She wasn't there. I looked about continuously as my worry grew. She was not experienced enough as an undead to protect herself yet. Then I decided to look from atop the mansion. There I found her. She was just sitting on the peak and something was flicking behind her. I stepped up behind her and she looked at me instantly drawing the flicking thing in front of herself with her left hand.

"What is that strange appendage?" she blinked.

"A tail?"

"Why do you have… a tail?"

"I um… I… once was an experiment…" she looked away and looked down at the town of Nibelheim below.

"An experiment?"

"Hojo wanted to see if people could grow animal tails. I was one of the successful attempts. The others had them hacked off."

"You let him do this?"

"We had no choice…"

"I meant you…"

"It was lose my job and be unable to help my sick mother or grow a tail…"

"Your mother is sick?"

"She was… she died months ago… that's when I began threatening Hojo with telling the new president about his experiments."

"He stopped you?" she nodded.

"He'd swamp me with so much work that I couldn't leave at night. I'd work until I fell asleep." I thought a moment and sat down. So that's who I was about ready to kill that night I thought Hojo was asleep.

"Hmm… so you've always had black hair." She nodded.

"And red eyes too."

"So you are used to those?" she shrugged.

"Of course." She looked at me in a quiet, yet inquiring way.

"You want to know something…" she nodded. "Tell me what you want to know."

"How long have you been in this Mansion?" She looked ahead and the light from the town gave it a shadowy look.

"Probably over 30 years. I forget how long." I looked at the surprised look that crossed her face. She looked as if she was thinking something, but I couldn't tell what exactly it was.

"That's a long time," she finally said after a moment. I felt an urge to smile at her, but I suppressed it, as it didn't feel right to me.

"May I see how Hojo did your claw?" she pointed the claw at me. I took it into my claw and studied it quite interestedly. Hojo had made it like mine. The sharp fingers that could slice into anything, the way it was designed. The only difference was the color and the arm it was on. I released the claw and looked up to find her looking at me. The way she gazed was intense. Like the way I gazed. I almost smirked. She wasn't like the others. She was more… somehow more. How gratifying to see a gaze much like my own.

"Vincent are you alright?" I nodded.

"You should go inside. It's safer for you there." She shook her head.

"Maybe in that small room… but anywhere in there is dangerous and you know that." She was right, to say the least. It was very dangerous in there. But I didn't want the world to see Lucrecia. I wanted her to myself. I wanted to be selfish for once in my life. I wasn't going to let this one slip from me like the others had done. I wanted a companion to spend the days with.

"I think it safer in there than out here." She looked at me.

"But you still can wield a weapon. I cannot. Hojo has taken that from me." She held up her hand.

"And what weapon do you wield?" she stood.

"I will show you." I stood as well. She leapt from the roof. Something I normally didn't see others do. I leapt after her, so that if she injured herself I could help. She landed and crouched down in a swift movement. The way of taking the impact. She moved aside to let me land. The event startled me and I grasped her hand for balance as I landed. Her eyes went wide as we both fell over. I landed on my back and she fell across me. She stood and shook it off. I stood as well. I moved my right hand to my head and began to stammer an apology.

"I-I'm sorry Lucrecia…"

She shook her head and began to wander inside. I followed after looking to see if any of the town saw. I saw no one and walked inside. This was very trying for me, as I had not seen a woman in years that came so close to me as the way Lucrecia had done. Lu stood staring at the stairs waiting patiently for me. I strode up behind her and she headed back to the basement area. I followed her, looking at the floor. As we neared the library she froze. I ran into the back of her and she only moved a step. Immediately her hand grabbed my claw. I looked up to where she was gazing. It was a full-fledged yin-yang. I reached for my gun, which stayed on my person at all times, and drew it slowly. I rested my right hand on Lu's shoulder as the creature spotted us. Probably from the sound of the gun coming out of it's holster at my side. It lumbered towards us and Lu tried to run. I held her still, by moving my claw around her and grasping hers.

She shook and I whispered to her, "Be calm." She tried to stop because I felt her tense quickly. The creature came within striking distance. I mean that it could hit us. I saw it's arms raise and I took the chance shooting it in one of the heads. Of course the shot stunned it momentarily, because it raised back up. I had no time to load the gun again. I spun and dragged Lu upstairs. She had no idea what just happened, but that yin-yang was furious. She shook once again as I told her to sit. I must have said it forcefully because she put a finger in her mouth. I shook my head. I had no idea what had come over me down there. I never would have shot a yin-yang before. I usually put a stop spell or two, before going which way I had to. It had been a long time since we had fought the yin-yang. By we, I mean Cloud and the others. I really wasn't up to fighting those creatures and Cloud knew it. Those creatures and I had an understanding. Until now. I paced back and forth unable to determine where that surge of wanting to protect came from.

I felt eyes upon me and I turned to find Lu's gaze upon me. She finally had stopped biting her finger. A small smile crossed my face to her. She smiled back. She looked really happy and oblivious to the silver claw that replaced her right hand. This somewhat made me happy as well. I felt my feet take me towards the girl. She hardly noticed that I was coming closer to her. I began to scream at myself to stop, but my body would not obey me. I watched as my hand reached out and took hers. She looked at our hands and blinked at me. I finally stopped screaming at my body to stop from within my head and just let it happen. She was almost like myself in so many ways. And I didn't know what it was. Maybe I was like her in the beginning. Not caring about the pain and such. Pain? Wait that was a living feeling. But my case was different. I spent thirty years locked away in a coffin with no company, but my sins. Here she had my company.

I moved my arm around her shoulders and said, "I think the yin-yang is gone now. Maybe we can rest." She nodded. She soon stood and peered down the spiral ramp. I walked downward and she soon followed. "Lu." I heard her stop and felt her blink at my back.

"Huh?"

"How would you feel about having your own bed?" I knew by the silence that ensued that she must have been thinking.

"I'll use yer coffin… it's very comfortable Vincent…" I stopped and looked up the ramp at her. She liked my coffin? It was comfortable? She must not be undead completely yet. I nodded and waited for her to catch up. She soon was behind me and I continued down the spiral ramp, with her right behind me.

When we reached the coffin room, I spoke, "Lu…" I felt her eyes blink at the back of my head, "can you still feel things?" I turned around to find her looking at me with an eyebrow raised rather high.

"Feel things? What a crazy-. Yes, I can…" I nodded and we walked into the coffin room. She moved to my coffin looking rather bothered. I lay in another coffin to begin my rest.