Premonitions II-B: Vincent’s Blues | By : Hippo_and_Friends_with_Benefits Category: Final Fantasy VII > General Views: 1015 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0 |
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, not any characters therin. I am not making any money off of this work. |
Chapter 3: On the Trail of Sephiroth
Monday, February 4, 0008
10:00 a.m.
He was thought to have died, but Zack Fair was not one to easily expire. He stood at the entrance to North Corel. Word traveled fast; he was now here to make something of himself. He had no one to work for. He had nowhere to go. This was is chance to steer his new life in a new direction.
"Zack Fair?" someone called.
Zack turned to see who had been calling.
It was Red XIII approaching.
"You," Zack greeted. "You know, I don't think we've even been formally introduced. I'm Zack."
"My name is Nanaki," the felid replied. "But everyone calls me Red XIII."
"I think I know why everyone's here," Zack said.
"Sephiroth has somehow been un-petrified," Red XIII began. "Barret's called an emergency meeting."
"I heard," Zack said. "That's why I'm here."
"That's right," Red XIII realized out loud. You've encountered Sephiroth before."
Zack nodded.
"So," the felid continued, "what happened?"
"He got the best of me," Zack replied. "And I ended up spending four years in a tube. And when I woke up, I lost everything."
"I am sorry," Red XIII commented.
"And that's why I'm here," Zack repeated. "To get my hands on him. I've learned a thing or two since then."
"You would be filling a vacancy," Red XIII observed.
"I've got some big shoes to fill, I know," Zack admitted.
"Listen," Red XIII began. "When we find Sephiroth, I don't know if anyone told you this already, but we need to make sure he stays alive."
"I can't promise that," Zack dismissed. "I had a job. I had SOLDIER status. I had a girlfriend. I had a future. And, because of that son of a bitch, it all changed."
11:00 a.m.
Vincent, Zack, Red XIII, Barret, Jessie, Cait Sith, Cid, and Yuffie were gathered in the parlor in Barret's North Corel home.
"Well," Barret began solemnly, "I think we all know why we're all here."
Everyone was silent.
"The cam caught this the other day," he continued as he produced a tablet, aiming the screen at everyone.
The tablet showed the petrified Sephiroth in the same position as he had last been seen in.
Suddenly, a man appeared in the room. He had long gray hair and a beard, and looked oddly dressed. He seemed to stare at the petrified Sephiroth for a few moments.
Then, Sephiroth began to glow green.
Everyone watching the tablet could tell that the intruder had cast a heal on him.
The intruder moved to a safe distance.
Finally, the glowing ceased.
Sephiroth was alive as ever.
He looked around, but did not seem bewildered; prior to being petrified, he had been well aware of his impending fate. He assumed a normal stance, and briefly scanned the intruder.
"You're not my enemy," Sephiroth observed.
"My name is Noba," the man introduced. "I was sent here by the Great Father."
Sephiroth scanned Noba again. He did not seem interested in who he was at the moment.
"Did Meteor fall?" he finally asked.
"Almost," Noba replied. "Lifestream emerged from the ground and destroyed it."
Sephiroth lowered his head.
"No," he groaned. "I was foiled."
"You can still get revenge on those who foiled you," Noba assured him. "And the world."
Sephiroth looked directly at Noba.
"How?" he demanded.
"The all-powerful Great Father is seeking you," Noba replied. "He is waiting for you on the Southern Continent. Come with me to Xenara."
"How long was I petrified?" Sephiroth asked.
"A week, maybe," Noba replied. "I don't know for sure. What I do know is that the Great Father sent me to get you. He can make you the god you wanted to be."
And then, Sephiroth seemed to turn directly toward those who were watching the tablet; he had seen the camera. He quickly destroyed it with his sword, ending the video.
The tablet went blank.
"So, he's joined a cult," Cid dismissed. "Big fucking deal."
"Any cult becomes a thousand times more dangerous when Sephiroth joins it," Cait Sith pointed out. "Just think of the Temple of the Ancients. A harmless old religious artifact, huh? Not to mention, we have no idea where the Black Materia is now, not to mention the Chronus Wand."
"There's no way anyone can get to the Southern Continent," Vincent dismissed. "Assuming it even exists, which I don't think it does.
"Is there a Southern Continent?" Yuffie asked.
"No one knows," Red XIII answered. "Nor will anyone, because of that...obstacle."
"Obstacle?" Yuffie asked.
"The Storm Belt," Vincent answered. "A ring of violent storms that encircles the entire planet."
"You mean like the Eternal Wind Barrier," Yuffie pointed out.
"It's worse than that," Vincent replied. "Not even the Highwind can get through it. Nobody's ever been beyond it. No one knows how deep it is. Maybe it goes on forever."
"Then how did he get through it?" Red XIII asked.
"Maybe he meant Eros Nova," Yuffie suggested.
"Where?" Red XIII inquired.
"Eros Nova," Yuffie repeated. "The southernmost point of civilization."
"Isn't that a resort island?" Cait Sith asked.
"Yup," Cid chimed in. "It's south of Mideel."
"I don't think Sephiroth would wanna go there," Barret dismissed. "Isn't that a big-assed version of Costa del Luna?"
"Great pun," Zack commented.
"There's two sides, actually," Cid clarified. "There's a prude side, and a nude side."
"Now I remember," Cait Sith said. "Wasn't that where they had that uprising a couple of years ago?"
"That's the one," Cid replied. "Funny, it started on the prude side."
"Hey, wait a minute," Zack said. "Cid, didn't you go up into space?"
"You bet your sweet ass," he replied.
"And did you see any Southern Continent?"
"I really wasn't looking," Cid answered. "I was watching the rocket hurling toward Meteor."
Zack sighed.
"Well, that's helpful," he muttered.
"You know," Cait Sith continued, "maybe Yuffie's right. Maybe he did mean Eros Nova."
"Are you saying we should all go down there and check?" Red XIII asked.
"Well," Cait Sith replied, "there's only one way to find out."
LATER...
One of the finest buildings in North Corel was the inn. Vincent, of course, had no need to sleep there; he had slept enough recently. Yet he remained there, as it was where everyone would be meeting in the lobby in the morning.
It was now eleven in the evening. The front desk had closed, and Vincent now sat alone in said lobby. There was a sofa and a few chairs in the room, along with a couple of plants, and a giant mirror on one of the walls.
And, sure enough, Lucrecia appeared in the mirror.
Vincent simply looked her in the eyes; he had almost been expecting her to appear.
"So now you're going after my son," she began.
"He's dangerous," Vincent replied. "Every dangerous man is somebody's son."
Lucrecia gave a look of concern.
"Are you going to kill him?" she asked.
"No," he dismissed. "We all agreed he's more dangerous dead than alive."
"I see," Lucrecia said.
Vincent then realized that he had the opportunity to resume the last conversation he had had with her.
"You never did answer my question the last time," he pointed out. "Why did you leave me? The truth."
"Because I killed your father, that's why," Lucrecia replied as she closed her eyes. "Happy now?"
"You didn't kill my father," he dismissed. "Chaos did."
Lucrecia nodded.
"But I felt so guilty," she continued.
"And you resolved it by hurting me and marrying a madman?" Vincent retorted.
"I wasn't thinking," Lucrecia sighed. "I do worthless things because I'm a worthless person."
"I never thought so," Vincent dismissed. "Neither did your mom."
Lucrecia opened her eyes.
"You still remember meeting my mom?" she asked, almost seeming somewhat amused.
"I'll never forget that day," he replied.
FLASHBACK...
It was three weeks into their relationship when Lucrecia had broken the news to Vincent that her mother had wanted to meet him. The day had arrived, and Vincent was waiting in his house for Lucrecia to show up. He would drive her to Rocket Town, where her mother, Laura, lived. He was wearing a button-down and khakis; he wanted to look his best for both women.
And then, a knock sounded his front door. Vincent has no doubt whom it was. He opened the door, and was greeted by the sight of Lucrecia Crescent, dressed, to his surprise, in jeans and a tee shirt.
"I've never seen you dressed down before," he observed. "Am I overdressed?"
"Not at all," Lucrecia assured him. "I'm not the one who needs to impress her."
Vincent stood silently, somewhat baffled.
"I'm just messing with you!" she laughed before hugging him and pecking him on the cheek.
LATER...
Vincent drove Lucrecia around Mount Nibel, arriving in Rocket Town around five. He parked the car outside of her mother's house when he noticed she seemed uneasy.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I think I should warn you ahead of time," she began. "My mom's a little...outspoken."
"Outspoken?" he asked.
"She's very open," she clarified. "Let me put it this way: she's a doctor."
"Gotcha," Vincent acknowledged.
Lucrecia still felt uneasy, but she wanted to waste no more time. The two of them got out of the car and knocked on the door.
A few moments later, her mother answered the door. She looked like Lucrecia, though, of course, much older.
"Vincent!" she greeted.
"That's me," he replied.
"Welcome," she said. "I'm Laura."
She then led them in. The three of them had dinner and made small talk.
This isn't so bad, Vincent thought.
Then Laura began to ask all the "mom" questions.
"So what do you do?" she began.
"I'm a Turk," Vincent replied. "That's how we met."
"That's a good profession," Laura complimented. "I'm a gynecologist. They pay me six figures to look at vaginas."
Lucrecia blushed slightly.
So that's what she meant, Vincent realized.
"That reminds me," Laura continued, "I had this one couple come into the delivery room. They asked me for some time alone. They said it was to pray in private, but..."
"Oh, no," Lucrecia sighed.
"Yeah," Laura continued. "They were getting it on while in labor. Supposedly it helps the pain."
"Mom!" Lucrecia laughed as she smacked her hand to her head in embarrassment.
"What?" Laura asked innocently.
"Stick to the 'mom' questions!" her daughter pleaded.
"Okay, okay," Laura agreed. "How much older is he than you?"
"I'm older than him!" Lucrecia replied. "By three months."
"Wait a minute," Laura suddenly said. "Vincent, what's your last name?"
"Valentine," he replied.
"Valentine," Laura echoed. "Now I remember. I delivered you!"
Lucrecia's face was bright red.
LATER THAT EVENING...
Vincent and Lucrecia arrived back in Nibelheim. As Vincent parked the car in front of his house, he suddenly felt Lucrecia's hand on his.
"You didn't run away," she began.
"Why would I?" Vincent asked.
"Because of my mom," she replied. "She drives a lot of people away with her antics."
"There's not a lot of people like me," Vincent pointed out as he gently placed his hand on hers.
Lucrecia smiled. Then, the smile suddenly faded. She had something on her mind.
"What's up?" he asked.
"The drive back to Cosmo Canyon's kind of dangerous at night," she replied.
"I know," he agreed. "It's not well-lit, and there's monsters all over the place. It wouldn't be safe to leave the town until morning."
"You're right," Lucrecia agreed.
She then paused, and became somewhat nervous at what she was going to say next. She did not know how to say it, so she simply said it.
"Can I stay with you tonight?" she requested.
Vincent was surprised. It was early in their relationship; he had expected her to go to the inn.
"I'm sorry," she immediately apologized. "Was that too forward?"
Embarrassed, she looked away.
Vincent was at a loss. He certainly did not see it coming. And yet...he liked the idea.
Gently, he placed his arm on her shoulder.
Cautiously, Lucrecia turned to face him.
"It's not too forward," he assured her.
"Really?" she asked.
Vincent nodded.
"It's not safe out there," he said. "You can stay with me."
"Are you sure?" she asked.
Vincent nodded again.
"I'm sure."
Lucrecia smiled.
"Thanks," she said before kissing him.
They got out of the car. Then, Lucrecia made her way to her own parked vehicle and opened the rear driver's side door. She produced a duffel bag.
"You packed?" Vincent asked.
"Just in case," Lucrecia replied with a smile.
Vincent smiled back, realizing she had been planning it.
LATER...
The rest of the evening wrote itself. Vincent and Lucrecia sat on the sofa, watching a couple of movies. She had her head rested on his shoulder the entire time; she was quite relieved that her mother had not driven him away. It proved what she had been hoping for; Vincent was a keeper.
And then, it was time for bed.
"I'm going to change in the bathroom," Lucrecia announced.
She then took her bag and disappeared into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Without further ado, Vincent made his way to the bedroom and changed into his pajamas. He was somewhat amused that Lucrecia was actually spending the night with him. He realized that she really liked him; he had never been this close to a girl before. He had certainly never spent the night with one.
Vincent then turned his head just in time to see a figure in the shadows approaching him from down the hall. As the figure entered the bedroom, he became stunned.
Lucrecia was wearing a short, blue, satin, spaghetti-strap chemise nightgown.
Vincent had never seen her legs. He had never even seen her hair down.
"Well," she began with a smile, "is it summer or is it summer?"
"It's summer," the smitten Vincent replied.
"Can I sleep in your arms tonight?" she requested. "Just so I can feel that we're together?"
"Of course," Vincent replied.
They climbed into bed, Vincent turning out the light. He wrapped his arms around Lucrecia and held her close.
"You really are a wonderful man, Vincent," she complimented.
Vincent kissed her in response.
Lucrecia felt like the luckiest girl in the world.
...END FLASHBACK
"We didn't make love that night," Vincent pointed out.
"I know," Lucrecia replied. "That wasn't the point. You got to see the softer, feminine side of me. You got to see that, no matter how professional I got, I was still a woman."
"You never did answer my question from last night," Vincent pointed out.
"What question?" Lucrecia asked.
"If you sealed yourself, can't you free yourself?"
Lucrecia lowered her head in sadness.
"I don't deserve to be free," she replied. "I don't deserve to live."
And she disappeared.
Vincent was now alone in the lobby.
One day, I'll get her out of there, he thought to himself.
While AFF and its agents attempt to remove all illegal works from the site as quickly and thoroughly as possible, there is always the possibility that some submissions may be overlooked or dismissed in error. The AFF system includes a rigorous and complex abuse control system in order to prevent improper use of the AFF service, and we hope that its deployment indicates a good-faith effort to eliminate any illegal material on the site in a fair and unbiased manner. This abuse control system is run in accordance with the strict guidelines specified above.
All works displayed here, whether pictorial or literary, are the property of their owners and not Adult-FanFiction.org. Opinions stated in profiles of users may not reflect the opinions or views of Adult-FanFiction.org or any of its owners, agents, or related entities.
Website Domain ©2002-2017 by Apollo. PHP scripting, CSS style sheets, Database layout & Original artwork ©2005-2017 C. Kennington. Restructured Database & Forum skins ©2007-2017 J. Salva. Images, coding, and any other potentially liftable content may not be used without express written permission from their respective creator(s). Thank you for visiting!
Powered by Fiction Portal 2.0
Modifications © Manta2g, DemonGoddess
Site Owner - Apollo