Pushed To Forgiveness Part 2
Title: Pushed To Forgiveness
Author: calvi_sama
Summary: What does it take to achieve forgiveness? How much more do you have to hurt before the pain stops?
Rating: PG, for minor language
Pairing: none specifically, it’s all Vincent’s issues
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters - that’s all Squeenix
Warnings: ** spoilers! (for DOC) **, I repeat, SPOILERS! You have been warned…
A/N: I took some fictitious (and not necessarily impossible to accept, if you think about it) liberties with genealogy in this story. My apologies for those detail-sticklers, but it just made sense to me. Oh, and I also apologize if Vincent seems a little OOC at times, I had to try and think of how Vincent would react and behave when finally pushed to his mental limit and emotionally stripped raw, especially with just what revelation he his hit with, when rendered to his most vulnerable.
And special thanks to chephren, the comma queen, for looking this bad boy over for mistakes and giving me much needed encouragement. Mad love baby...this spud's for you!
(cont'd)
It was at that moment that Vincent became aware of two other figures nearby. He looked up and saw Aerith, a radiant smile on her lips and her green eyes dancing. Standing next to her was a powerful-looking young man with a starkly handsome, cheerful face, an unruly mass of black, spiky hair and bright Mako-blue eyes. Vincent put his arm around his son and observed, “You can only be Zack.” Sephiroth was still beaming.
The young man grinned, winked and fired an imaginary gun at Vincent, “That’s my name, don’t wear it out!”
Chaos snorted from where it had withdrawn to, silently watching Vincent interact with Sephiroth. Aerith and Zack shot the demon apprehensive looks, but Vincent just waved his gauntleted hand dismissively, “Don’t mind him.” He said dryly, “I haven’t exactly been the most diligent in socializing my demon.” Zack gave a delighted laugh, but hid behind Aerith with an ‘eep’ when Chaos glared at him like it wanted to eat him.
“Former demon.” Chaos muttered in irritation.
“Thank the Gods.” Vincent replied, then sobered and asked. “Aerith, I don’t understand.” He absently stroked Sephiroth’s hair, “He’s not…” He couldn’t bring himself to say dead. “At least not in the sense to warrant…” Boy, his speaking skills had degraded quickly.
Aerith giggled brightly and said, “It’s okay, he understands what’s going on, don’t you Sephiroth?” The boy nodded and fit his hand into Vincent’s, who closed his fingers over it. “The child you see is the representation of that part of Sephiroth that is human. And that part is…” Now Aerith seemed as phobic about uttering the word as Vincent had been, as though to say it would make the child disappear. “The Sephiroth that is running amok with everything…” She stamped her foot in frustration, making the child wince and move closer to Vincent, “…is the part of Sephiroth that is Jenova, in other words, not quite human, so not a part of the Lifestream.”
Vincent nodded. That made sense. “Why did you bring him here?” Aerith opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted.
“That was I.”
All heads swung to Chaos who stood back, looking bored. No one spoke as they waited for the demon to explain itself, which of course - in predictable, true fashion, didn’t and would have to be prompted. Vincent fell back into his familiar role of interrogator easily.
“Care to elaborate, former headache of mine?” He asked.
Zack and Aerith exchanged apprehensive looks again. “Uh, Vince, I don’t think you ought to be talking like that to Chaos, man…” Zack said nervously.
Vincent waved him quiet and Chaos laughed outright.
“Please…do continue.” Vincent raised an eyebrow, reining in his newfound feelings with the simple task of questioning Chaos. It was an old habit to which he had, literally, centuries of practice.
“You were damaged, and I believed that the boy could help. He has.” Chaos said simply.
How helpful. “You delight in being vague.” Vincent muttered.
“If only to annoy you.” Chaos snapped back.
Strangely, this familiar posturing was oddly comforting, and Vincent wondered if Chaos thought the same. “Continue…” Vincent said.
The demon nodded absently, “Very well. For over thirty years I was trapped in your body, and most of that time I slept and for much of that time, my rage at the female scientist was all I needed to remain content. But when you awoke, rousing me as well, your dark emotions were most intriguing - however simple.” Vincent scowled. Chaos smirked, but continued, “but as I continued to watch you tiny mortals interact, I noticed that there were other feelings to be experienced. However, you only dwelled in those dark emotions and I began to wonder why. It didn’t take long to figure it out as you are painfully simple creatures…” another scowl, this time from Zack, but Chaos ignored it, on a roll now, “…it was centered around the female scientist who imprisoned me. I really couldn’t care, and still don’t mind you, about whatever relationship you thought you might have had, but your deplorable lack of any other emotion was quickly becoming most unacceptable. I arrived at this solution, as you needed to forgive yourself in order to be free: to be able to forgive yourself, you needed the forgiveness of another.”
Aerith was delicately hiding a smile behind her hand and poor Zack just looked confused, but at least had the good judgment to remain quiet. He would grill Aerith later, Vincent was sure.
“Your motive was well placed, but did you have to be so cruel?” Vincent asked, peeved.
“Yes.”
‘Oh-Kay…’ Vincent thought, but was just too tired to ask further, besides he figured he had enough information he could extrapolate a suitable answer later. He buried his nose in Sephiroth’s hair and inhaled, just enjoying the sweet smell of his young son’s body in his arms, safe.
But they were all surprised when Sephiroth pulled away from Vincent and walked up to Chaos standing there, looking up at the demon wearing his father’s body. Golden eyes stared dispassionately down into unnatural green, until Sephiroth motioned for Chaos to kneel down. Looking mildly putout, but willing to humor, the demon complied. Jaws dropped all around when Sephiroth, with the complete acceptance that only a child could give, threw his skinny arms around Chaos’s neck and hugged the creature. Chaos, for its part, looked visibly shaken. Sephiroth pulled back and looked seriously into Chaos’s face, “Thank you…for helping him”
Chaos appeared to be at a loss for words before it managed, “You are welcome.”
There was a moment of silence as Chaos knelt in front of the boy, studying him intently while Sephiroth met that stare with a supreme confidence that Vincent didn’t think the child had in him, given his earlier behavior. “It’s such a curious thing,” Chaos said absently, touching the child’s cheek, “that your kind has the capability of such good and in turn such evil within you. What is it, I wonder, what weakness is it, that would cause such a loss of innocence. And is that loss ever mourned, or is it viewed in and of itself as a weakness.” They were not voiced as questions, rather they were observations and Vincent knew they were for his benefit. “You claim wisdom as you age, and yet it is the child that sees with the greatest clarity, as it is often the case that answers lie at the end of the simplest path.” Vincent held his breath when he saw the smallest quirk ghost over Chaos’s borrowed lips. If he hadn’t been watching so intently, he would have missed it.
Then the demon moved its yellow eyes back up to Vincent and stood, its right hand resting on the crown of Sephiroth’s head. The boy held out his hand toward him and Vincent rose, stepping forward to clasp it as he stood before Chaos.
“I know yours, my poor, tortured host,” Chaos murmured and when Vincent didn’t speak, only continued to watch the demon, the creature continued, “you have such love and loyalty in your heart, but it is those very strengths that are your greatest weakness.”
Vincent’s breath came out in a small, quiet rush and he felt Sephiroth tighten his grip and move away from Chaos and up against his side in a supportive and protective gesture. Vincent was deeply moved. He tried to find something to say in response, but couldn’t. Chaos didn’t seem to expect him to say anything and Vincent was struck again by just how well the demon knew him.
He was well and truly caught in his muddled thoughts, and as a result he jumped when he felt Chaos splay his hand over his heart, and ask with such puzzled sincerity that he was momentarily taken aback, “why do you choose to live like this Vincent? What does it prove? What does it do for you now, besides distance you from those who would love you?”
“It’s not that simple.” He replied roughly, reaching for that familiar ache that he had lived with for so long.
“Oh, but I think that it is.” Chaos said, narrowing its eyes, “you punish yourself for other’s mistakes, and have done so for so long that you know of nothing else. You have lived with the pain for longer than you have lived without, so now you fear to let it go, even as you fear to need it.” Chaos’s voice was flat and forceful when it said, “It is time little one, to relinquish your guilt and reclaim your ruined life. The scientist and your son made their choices and paid their debt to consequence, through no fault of your own, and fulfilled the destinies of thousands.” Chaos gestured at Sephiroth with its chin, “He forgives you. Is that enough?”
“I…” Vincent trailed off, staggered with the truth, his brain refusing to work. ‘Was it enough?’ Doubt was still very much resident within his heart.
But Chaos did not allow him a chance to give in to it, “have you learned nothing from your son?”
”What?” Vincent asked puzzled, effectively galling himself at his complete inability to keep up with this conversation. The only thing restraining him from screaming in frustration was the tiny, yet powerful presence of Sephiroth.
Chaos sighed and actually fully smiled for the first time in Vincent’s memory, “Even as you have forgiven your son for the great evil he has committed, so too have you forgiven yourself.”
He looked down into the wide green eyes of his son, and he began to want to believe, ‘but still’ “Why are you doing this?” Vincent asked in tired curiosity. Then suddenly everything snapped into sharp focus. “You’re not really trapped here are you?”
Chaos slowly shook its head.
“And this never was about my soul being unacceptable to the Lifestream was it.”
Again Chaos shook its head.
“You’ve only ever done things to suit yourself, your own purposes. What are you getting out of this?”
“So many questions and condemnation little one, can I not perform one act of kindness?”
At those words, Vincent was instantly made wary and suspicious. If there was one thing that he had learned with unshakable certainty in the years he was stuck with Chaos, was that Chaos was never kind. Ever.
“Why.” He said flatly, fighting the urge to shiver as he forced himself to meet the demon’s eyes. ‘I think I liked it better when he was in my head, at least then I didn’t have to look at him, even if he is borrowing my body.’ It was unnerving, the creature’s stare, not because Vincent was unused to scrutiny, rather it was because the demon never once blinked, and its eyes burned with a ferocious intent. ‘No, there is no kindness there,’ he thought, swallowing.
Chaos sighed; “Because you have given me a rare and most unexpected gift little one, one I did not realize until, as your kind says, ‘it was gone’” It held its hands, palms up, in a placating gesture. “I simply wished to reciprocate.”
Vincent raised an eyebrow skeptically, still not convinced. “And this, unexpected gift, would be?” He gradually became aware of a tugging on his hand and looked down, startled.
Sephiroth was blinking up at him, thumb back in his mouth and eyes asking what his voice could not. Smiling gently, Vincent leaned down and picked the boy up easily. Short, skinny legs wrapped around his waist as a silver-capped head came to rest on his shoulder while the fingers of his free hand wrapped around obsidian locks, twirling the silken strands. They sighed in unison and Vincent chuckled, unexpectedly soothed by the tiny movements.
Chaos nodded and gestured at Vincent holding Sephiroth, “you and the female both gave me a gift in your own way. You have given me a glimpse of the importance of my creation. And while I was created to destroy and harvest the life sparks of those lives I had taken in order to add to and complete the Lifestream, I now realize why the Lifestream must be collected…and protected.” And to that Chaos added wryly, “and if the female hadn’t have trapped me…” It left the rest unsaid.
But Vincent had been captured by what Chaos had said mere seconds earlier, “Wait, if I had let you merge with Omega, then Cloud and the others…”
“Along with hundreds of thousands of your kind and other living things would have been killed and their life sparks lost forever when the planet crumbled into dust.” Chaos finished quietly, genuine respect glowing in those yellow eyes. “Little one, with the selfless sacrifice of your life for a world that showed you nothing but cruelty and pain, your sins have been resolved and forgiven ten-fold. The only one holding you back now is you.”
He tried to swallow around the sudden lump in his throat, ’could it be possible? Do I dare hope?’ Vincent blinked rapidly.
Since Chaos was in such a queer mood, there was something he wanted to know, even though it was slightly off-topic. “If you wanted to help me so badly, why the hell were you so cruel about it?” Sephiroth shifted and he reflexively rubbed the child’s back.
Chaos chuckled, “Ah, back to stupid questions I see. I did enjoy your moment of insight and intelligence, however brief it was.”
‘Funny,’ Vincent thought and replied, “And I enjoyed your moment of lucidity, however fleeting…”
“Oh-ho! Witty banter, who would have thought?” Chaos exclaimed with raised brows.
“I think you would find that I am full of surprises.” Vincent said dryly. “Now if you would be so kind as to answer my question.”
“And to think I had written you off as hopeless and boring. If I’d only known how amusing you were without your sins weighing you down, I would have done this a lot earlier!”
“Perish that thought,” Vincent muttered, then in a louder voice, “Your answer?”
“Of course,” Chaos said good-humouredly. “The route of tact and kindness was not working. Those you would call friend were not helping, coddling you and playing to your feelings. No one was pushing you, and I am nothing if not cruel, am I not?”
Vincent sighed, feeling drained and utterly exhausted. “Indeed.” He replied, resting his cheek against Sephiroth’s head. ‘Who’d have thought redemption would have come in the form of a demon.’ He thought.
“And so we have come to the end of this tale of life, Vincent Valentine, and our paths shall now part.” Chaos said matter-of-factly, “you will return to finish what is left of your life, however long or short that may be. Go to her little one, go the female and tell her our tale and I would ask that you inform her that I no longer bear her any ill will. Tell her our story and…tell her the real reason you survived.”
Vincent blinked in fatigued confusion, “What do you mean…?”
“You will understand when you tell her, Vincent.” Chaos said, cocking its head and peering at him out of narrowed eyes, “it appears, that for all the time we have been together, I have drastically underestimated you; though…I had always thought you stronger than that.” Chaos came forward and rested its cheek against Vincent’s so that it could whisper in his ear, “the question now is: how will you prove me Vincent, now that you know what you know?”
Their interaction concluded, Chaos backed away from Vincent and crossed its arms, waiting…watching.
Vincent felt a light touch on his shoulder and his heart sank, “It’s time Vincent.” Aerith said gently coming up behind him and placing a hand on his shoulder. Vincent had momentarily forgotten that Aerith and Zack were still with them. He closed his eyes, turning his face into Sephiroth’s soft, soft hair and desperately clutched his son to him.
Aerith reached up and put a hand on Sephiroth’s back, rubbing gently, but the child whimpered and frantically clung tighter, burying his little face in Vincent’s neck and hair. He tried to soothe his son, nuzzling him and stroking his back. “Must I leave…Aerith?” He whispered, “Must you make me leave my son?” He turned to face her, fixing her with an even stare, “…now that I have just found him?” His voice was barely above a breath as he said, “I never knew you to be so cruel.”
“I’m sorry Vincent, truly I am.” Aerith’s voice hitched on the last words and her luminous green eyes were shimmering with unwept tears.
Zack moved closer to his beloved, his arms closing about her waist as he placed a soft kiss to the top of her head. He gave Vincent a warning look that said ‘back off my girl’, “I’m sorry too Vince, but we don’t make the rules, we just have to live by ‘em.” He cuddled Aerith, his bright, unnaturally blue eyes never wavering from Vincent’s, “We’d let you stay or we’d let him go, if we could, but…it just doesn’t work that way.”
“He’ll be here Vincent, when it’s your time…waiting, and in the meantime, he’ll be watching you. Perhaps you’ll meet again in dreams.” Aerith said soothingly. She then leaned around him and murmured, “Seph, you know the rules. You have to let him go.” She stroked his hair comfortingly.
Sephiroth was silent for a heartbeat before pulling away from Vincent, squirming until he let the child down. “I know.” Sephiroth sighed, looking at the ground, “I will send him back.” Vincent fought the urge to wrap his arms around the boy and argue his case to stay.
After a moment Sephiroth looked up at Aerith, who finally nodded and took Zack’s hand, and together the lovers walked over to where Chaos stood. Vincent turned and watched as Zack and Aerith waved and Chaos bowed slightly from the waist before turning and walking away, gradually fading from sight. They were alone…wherever they were.
He started when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. Vincent turned and came face to face with…a grown Sephiroth. Vincent was unnerved; it was as though he was facing off with the evil creature that had plagued Cloud’s existence so brutally. He swallowed, but held his ground. The man stood calmly, watching Vincent, a slight smirk on his lips. Sephiroth was wearing a pair of soft, worn leather pants and a loose-fitting black cotton shirt that was open midway down his chest and…oddly, he was barefoot. Vincent studied the man’s face. It was still that flawless perfection: high, fine cheekbones, aristocratic nose, sculpted lips, pointed chin and clear milky-white skin. He still had those acid-green eyes and unnatural vertical pupils, but what struck Vincent strongly was that they were warm. There was a smile there in those eyes that put him at ease and Vincent felt an answering grin tug at his own lips. No, this was not the creature that had butchered thousands and murdered Aerith. It seemed almost wrong that these two men should share the same face. 'Rather like Chaos and I', Vincent thought with surprise.
“Father,” Sephiroth said with a tilt of his head, his thigh-length silver hair drifting to the side.
“Son,” Vincent acknowledged. He studied the man that that boy had become, and then asked the first thing that came to his mind, “You were a child just a moment ago.”
Sephiroth looked down, studying his feet and crossing his arms over his chest. He stood that way as though looking for the right words with which to reply. Finally he sighed and met Vincent’s eyes once more, “yes. That is how I-I hide.” He flushed, as though ashamed, looking away again.
“Hide?” Vincent queried, curious, but not wanting to press at what appeared to be such a sensitive subject.
Sephiroth cleared his throat, “I, uh, I felt that it would be the most comfortable way to exist here. I put a lot of people into the Lifestream, father, a fact to which I am not proud. It would be easier for all concerned if I appeared as a child, especially to Aerith, who has been so kind to me considering what I did to her.”
Vincent nodded, understanding, “you are very considerate.”
Sephiroth looked ashamed, “no, I am not. You are too generous with your compliments where they are not deserved.”
Vincent waved his hand dismissively, “I’ll not hear it. You have proven to me that you have earned my compliment at the very least.”
Sephiroth’s eyes shimmered suspiciously and the other man blinked quickly, “you are too kind Vincent. The monster, the mistake that I am, does not deserve it.” He whispered.
Vincent didn’t even attempt to hide his shock as he reached up and tried to place his hands to either side of Sephiroth’s face, but when he saw his gauntlet he frowned. With a disgusted wrench, he pulled the golden weapon from his mangled arm so he could place both of his human, if imperfect, hands upon the beautiful, perfect face of his son. “You are not a mistake, don’t you ever think that.”
“You did.” Sephiroth said flatly, not blinking.
Vincent stiffened, letting his hands drop and looked away, a sharp pain spearing through his heart at the truth. “Once perhaps,” he murmured, rubbing his chest, “but…I no longer believe that.” And he didn’t.
“I am sorry,” Sephiroth whispered, “I should not have said that.” He glanced at what was left of Vincent’s left arm sadly, reaching down and taking the scarred, withered appendage in his hands. He laced his fingers with Vincent’s, “I did not know…”
“There was no way for you too know,” Vincent said softly, for once not feeling uncomfortable looking at his destroyed limb, “it would seem that the son inherited the father’s legacy.”
Sephiroth looked up, raising an elegant eyebrow in inquiry.
Vincent laughed quietly, humorlessly, “We’re both monsters, twisted by pain and doomed by circumstance.”
“Fragmented mind, tortured body, desperate souls. Hell of a family reunion.” Sephiroth agreed, a twist to his lips. They looked at each other for a moment, and then unexpectedly burst out into tired laughter.
Vincent recovered first and ran the fingers of his right hand, the left still being laced with Sephiroth’s, through the other man’s silky hair that framed his face. “It was an expensive price for such a gift. What was done to my body, what was taken from me, I have no regrets as it gave me you and set me on my path to destiny.” Vincent sighed, “I see that now.”
Sephiroth leaned into his touch letting his eyelids slide shut, but his voice grew colder and a little distant, “You are so quick to embrace me and say you love me like a son, but in truth, you know nothing about me, save for my actions.”
Vincent nodded slowly, withdrawing his hand and Sephiroth opened his eyes again to watch him with a hint of suspicion. This had occurred to him. Now, how to explain without sounding wishy-washy and embarrassing them both, “it is said that a child is the best qualities of both of his parents…” He began.
Sephiroth looked suddenly stricken, “That hardly instills confidence in my parentage, Vincent. If I am, as you say, the culmination of the best qualities of you and the woman who is my real mother, then from whom do I inherit the mental imbalance?”
Vincent opened his mouth to reply, and then closed it with a snap. He blushed a bright scarlet at the first thought that entered his mind, ‘that would be your mother’. Oh, Ifrit would cook him for sure for that one; it was completely uncalled for and despicably unfair. Instead he frowned and thought out loud, “I know of no such affliction within either my own family or that of Lucrecia so, it would stand to reason that any genetic predisposition to insanity that you may have is the result of the exposure to Jenova’s cells en utero.” Vincent unconsciously tapped his finger against his chin as his mind ironed out the scenario, “what finally broke your mind were the lies you were continuously being fed as well as a complete lack of nurturing environment necessary for the proper rearing of a child, let alone living as a man.” He couldn’t hide the smoldering rage and rising protectiveness at that revelation, “Both of these factors being not your fault and out of your control.”
Sephiroth’s expression became thoughtful, “that…makes sense, and would explain why we split.”
“And as for so quickly embracing you without ‘knowing you’, before you interrupted me so very rudely?” Vincent leveled his son with a stern glare. This time it was Sephiroth’s turn to flush red in embarrassment and Vincent was quick to soften his voice as to not cause the silver-haired man any further discomfort, “you are Lucrecia’s son, and for that fact alone, you are precious to me. But then I find that you are my son as well…” He paused; taking a deep breath, and when he continued his voice was rougher than normal, “the fact that the best parts of who we are were brought together to create a life. How can I not love you?”
“Can I believe what you are saying, father?” Sephiroth whispered with an edge of sad desperation, “do I dare to believe that all you have said is truth?”
“I have absolutely no reason to lie to you Sephiroth, not that I ever would. To lie is to give in to cowardice and dishonor.” Vincent replied, never breaking eye contact. He tilted his head, “what does your heart tell you?”
Sephiroth closed his eyes, thinking. Finally, after a long pause, “…yes. Yes, I believe that you have been nothing but truthful and…your emotions have been honest.” He opened his eyes and smiled, “I shall not doubt you again.”
“Good.” Vincent stressed, and then brought his hand to his head as a wave of vertigo hit him suddenly. “What…?”
Sephiroth’s steadying hand landed on his shoulder. When Vincent’s vision stopped swimming he saw that the younger man’s gaze was worried, “time grows short father, you must go back.”
“What is happening?” He asked as his stomach lurched abruptly.
“Your soul is not yet ready to join the Lifestream, the planet is rejecting you. If I do not send you back, you will be crushed.” Sephiroth explained, bringing his other hand to Vincent’s shoulder, “keep looking at me.”
Vincent did as he was bidden and felt the world steady. “Then it looks as though I have no choice. Though…” he broke off, a supreme reluctance swelling within him.
Sephiroth nodded, “we have much to discuss. I would very much like to know my real mother, as well as my father.” He looked sad, “I do not wish to be parted from you, but it is necessary. Do not worry, I will find you again.”
Vincent placed his hands upon his son’s broad, well-muscled shoulders and nodded, a lump having found its way to his throat.
The silver-haired man hesitated before he seemed to make up his mind, “I would ask a favor, though of you Vincent.”
“Anything.” He said firmly, ready to move Gaia herself if his son gave the word.
“Would you- would you tell Cloud that…I-I’m sorry…” Sephiroth swallowed, cheeks turning a light shade of pink, “…for everything that I put him through. That I-I have a great deal of-of…respect for him…”
Dawning came quickly and a wide grin slowly spread across Vincent’s lips, “I see. I shall relay your message, and…and I approve.”
The pink shade darkened as Sephiroth averted his eyes, “thank you.” He murmured. Then he brought that hypnotic green gaze back up to Vincent’s, “thank you for making me whole.”
“You are welcome, though no thanks are needed for such a gift given in return.” Vincent watched the emotion swirl across his son’s face, pride swelling in his chest. Suddenly he didn’t feel so sad to be leaving. He squeezed the strong shoulders under his hands, in their own sort of embrace.
Sephiroth sighed, “It is time.” Without breaking eye contact the silver-haired man brought his hands to either side of Vincent’s face as his arms returned to his sides, even as he fell into the deep pools of jade. Sephiroth leaned in until their lips were just inches away from each other and Vincent’s eyes fluttered closed. Already a heaviness was weighing down his limbs. He would have swayed if it weren’t for Sephiroth’s strong hands on his face, grounding him. There was a brief pause and then Sephiroth spoke one last time as he feathered his thumb over Vincent’s cheek, “Live.” And then their lips came together…
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
…Vincent was falling. Falling at an alarming rate. He felt panic flare as he anticipated slamming into the ground and his body shattering. But as suddenly as the feeling had come upon him, it just disappeared. Cautiously he sat up, cracking his eyes open and found that he had been laying on the solid rock of the floor of a cave. A cave filled with mako crystals. He knew this cave, had visited it before, back when the pain was reawakened, fresher, harsher. He knew this cave from the memories of another, a presence newly liberated, leaving him to his new future.
Vincent felt a familiar weight and looked down. His gauntlet was back in place. He laid a hand upon it thoughtfully; perhaps it was time to stop wearing it so frequently. He smiled as he remembered lacing his fingers with his son's, feeling lighter than he had ever felt in his life, and at peace for the first time with his redemption.
“Live.” Had been Sephiroth’s parting words to him and Vincent felt that maybe it was time he did just that. He looked up at the beautiful woman preserved for eternity in an undying sleep within a magnificent crystal. Vincent’s face softened as he felt the words of his story begin to form on his lips.
“So…we meet again…Lucrecia.”
~Fin (?)
(yet another) A/N - It’s done!! *claps hands excitedly* what was rattling around in my brain finally wormed its way out. I cannot believe that I really finished something! How exciting…this is HUGE! I just think that Vinny would be such a good father…and lastly, any slight event/detail deviations were deemed so minor that they (you know who you might be *evil grin*) have only earned a spot of potential mention…at the end.