Chapter 15 – The truth

We were leaving out side Cid's flying ship on the mysterious red suit guy's flying motorcycle. I embraced his back letting his long red scratched cape hiding me. I saw the big gun he was carrying on his waist. Tifa, Cid and Cloud stayed behind us inside that monumental ship.

I closed my eyes.

When I open again, I realized we had already landed on the ruined last floor of that building.

The floor looked more cracked then the last time I was here…it must have been a cause of those two monsters fighting…so the dark figure of the monster with bat wings came to my mind…I remembered that somehow he had a human form…better than Hojo looked at least.

-On that day you saved me…I saw… another monster fighting Hojo…did you see it? –I asked.

-It…it was me. –I got speechless…But I wasn't so scare as I felt when I first saw the monster Hojo, because I knew he wouldn't hurt me…otherwise he would have done a long time ago. But still I just could babble a "what?", but I guess he didn't heard me. Instead, he walked on the elevators direction.

When I got there, I still could see a few pieces left of Yuna's mutilated body.

-Poor Yuna… -a short movie passed on my mind with all the moments I had with her and Basch.

-It was your friend?

-Yeah…

-I'm sorry.

-Hm... –I tried really hard not to cry anymore…I didn't wanted him to think of me as a scary little mouse and give up on taking me to see Hojo.

-Try not to look. –he said as pressing the 35 button on that big panel screen.

When we left the elevator...I could better feel the rotten smell there was.

We heard a weird deep snarl coming from inside that dark hallway facing us…calling us.

From inside that darkness I could swear I saw two yellow eyes quickly blink. But I thought it could have been my imagination playing some tricks on my mind since I was scared to death.

But then just as quick as that blink I thought I saw, was that push that red suit guy gave me. When I raised my head to look what happened I saw it…a big different kind of dark blue tiger was above that guy. He was trying to struggle that animal above him.

I ran through the secretary's desk and took the chair behind it to hit the animal with that.

I made it's head bleed, but that was it, it didn't move a feet.

-The gun! Shoot him with the gun –…he told me looking at his gun that had fallen out of his waist on the floor. I hesitated for a moment, because I had never used a gun before…but that big animal was about to rip off his head. "no! I will not let anyone else die because of me!" Besides that animal was so huge that was impossible to not hit it from that distance.

So I shot it in the head. It was like a horror movie, seeing his head blow up. I never thought I could face such terrifying things.

Suddenly I saw that desk flying over my.

It fell over my legs. That pain was so great, that I must had fainted, because when I woke up again I was laid inside the elevator. "What happened? Where is the red cape guy?"

My leg was bleeding too much and I was losing my strength, there was no muscle in my useless body that wasn't in pain, but I have to keep moving.

I saw that desk completely broken against the wall, and unexpectedly I saw it. It was unquietly observing me.

He was completely out of control, totally needy for fresh human flash, and I just couldn't stopping thinking that I was the most perfect pray there could be.

I could manage to get inside a room and lock myself in it.

My nose was suddenly filled with a terrible disgusting smell of some tainted thing.

-AAAAAAAaaAAAAAAAAaAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! –my heart jumped when I saw those dozens strange dead creatures decomposing there.

-Calm down, calm down, calm down… -I keep repeting myself over and over. Tears were falling without my consent. But that horrible smell couldn't let me relax. I had to get out of there or I would collapse from sickness instead of blood loss.

When I open the door, monster Hojo was staring at me. I got completely frozen.

He punched me against the bloody wall. Everything finely faded into black one more time…my time had come… without meeting Vincent again…without being able to save Yuna and Basch, even the red suit weird guy…but that still wasn't my time to died…I opened my eyes again.

Hojo was laid on the floor with his arms missing…his body was full of bruises, scratches and holes.

The red suit guy that standing right in front of him, had his body transformed into that dark bat winged monster…and he was appointing his gun at Hojo.

If he shot him, he will definitely die…and I wouldn't get my answers…that could actually be my last chance.

-Nooo!!! –I yelled him. –don't kill him!!! –I said as crawling myself there.

So I looked on those tired eyes behind that now broken glasses.

-Where is him? I know you can talk. –I was crying of sadness mixed with fear and anger.

-Whom? –he asked on that deep hoarse voice he had. But unconsciously I punched his face…I was so mad that I couldn't hold myself.

-You know who!!! –but he looked at me like he really didn't knew of whom I was talking about.

-Vincent!!! Vincent Valentine you jerk!!! What did you do to him!!! –I was screaming desperately, punching his monstrous bloody chest. I must be too weak for him, because he didn't seams to feel anything.

And then he started to laugh…laugh out loud.

-What?? What are you laughing about?? –then I looked at the transformed red suit guy standing beside me, still pointing that gun at that pathetic monster armless. He looked like a statue…motionless.

-You...you said he was still alive!!! You said he was alive!!! Did you lied to me??? –I was stuttering at this point…the thought that he was taken away from me forever… I changed my position the keep punching the other monster that was standing besides me…I could not bear that painful agony trying to explode on my chest anymore.

-I see…you haven't told her! –Hojo said with a sarcastic tone. And continued to laugh. And then added –…thank you for giving me this pleasure!

-What are you laughing??!! Please tell me! I just can't take it any mooooore!!! –I thought I was about to collapse again.

-Vincent Valentine…the great Vincent Valentine, is standing right beside you…you idiot!!! –said that hoarse voice.

I needed a few seconds to process that. Suddenly my tears stopped falling. My heart was about to break up violently like I have never felt before…my entire body was getting cold. "What did he mean by my side?" So slowly I turn my face to my right…but…but there was no one.

I heard Hojo laughing more intensely.

-The other side sweet heart! –and suddenly I heard a shot….I looked at Hojo...his face was soaked in blood. So I turned to my left…and all I could see was that sad face of that pale skin, winged monster facing the dead Hojo.

-N…no…it can't be! It can't be!

I tried to run away from that hell. But my leg didn't wanted to grant me that wish, I guess it was too damaged, so I fell on that stinking bloody floor. So I finely decided to give in.

I could remember everything clearly now...my entire life passed slowly though my eyes.

The first day I met Vincent, the first time we had lunch together, the first dinner, the pick-nick under our tree. The beach, his voice, his smile, his scent I could feel when we danced. His warmth. His silken messy short hair…and he telling me "everything will be all right", that last thing I heard from him when I injected Omega on his arm.

When I woke up I realized I had my legs and chest wrapped in bandages. I was lying down over a red cape. I looked around and realized that I was actually inside a cave. Slowly and carefully I set. The red suit guy…Vincent…was sitting over there. He looked like he was in pain…the same pain I felt before.

I stared at him for a long moment… trying to figure what kind of life did he lived during all these years we've been apart… trying to assimilate the whole thing. So I dragged myself and set right beside him.

-I…I am so…so sorry… -I was about to touch his hand, but I didn't… I knew that he was that Vincent from my dreams…but some how I felt like I really have lost him…that I wouldn't see him never again…some how, he was not my Vincent… –I am so sorry that I did this to you. –that struggling pain came back with the though that I had destroyed his life completely.

-I…I never blamed you. -He looked forward, staring at something standing in front of us that I haven't seen yet. I turn my face and…there it was…that creepy thing…my dead body inside a giant crystal rock.

-So…so that is it… that is what he did.

-Did you knew about it?

-Yes…when…when I was about to take you out of that capsule, Hojo called me to see his most important experience…he had created 4 replicas of my body…they were supposed to serve as "guinea- pig" for any kind of experiment…and he was so fascinated with genetics that he decided to make perfect copies of a person…but one of them he would use for another excuse…to assassin me, so he can get all the merit for those tests, documents…everything we had done… -I made a long pause trying to focus on the images that were passing in my mind. -…I argued with him…I said that you wouldn't let him…but after a big laughter, he just said that he would let you die inside that capsule…so I..I tried to run to take you out of there…but he hit me in the back of my head…so I fainted…

-What happen to you?

-He threw me out in a river…hopping I could die drowned…but Yuna and Basch, found me. - their memories will be forever kept inside my heart.. –they saved me…and took me in…when I had lost my memories.

-Hm…

-I'm so sorry Vincent.

-More importantly is that you are alive. –that red suit guy, right before my eye, looked me kindly… followed by a small but warm smile that I remembered vividly. For the first time, I felt that I really had found my Vincent.

I didn't hold myself…didn't even wanted to…I evolved his strong neck with my arms…holding him tightly.

He gently put me on his lap and also held me. I felt so small evolved by those big strong arms.

-Lucrecia… -that sweet gentle voice smoothly calling my name whispering at my ear…made my whole body chill. -…you have no idea how lonely and desperate I was… -I realized he was crying…and he was also trembling.

I release his neck from my arms and placed my hands on his face. Those sad cherry eyes, that had suffered so much. I could feel his pain…his bleeding heart.

-You really like red. –and that was the most stupid thing I ever said in my life, in the most inappropriate moment. But he didn't cared. He just gave the most sweet and kind smile and held the back of my neck, and slowly approached my face, with his lips lightly opened. Just like on that time on the beach, I could feel the sweet warmth of his breath with those beautiful cherry eyes looking into mine...shaking my bones…that feeling of knowing that he was seeing me…only me, made all that pain I felt before go away.

Sweet and gently…he touched my lips with his own soft lips giving me the best kiss…that only he was capable to give me.