Love, Death, and the Birth of a God: The Vincent, Lucrecia, and Hojo FST
The moment we've all been waiting for: I finally finished this thing. And I really don't know how I ought to format this entry, so I'll just make it look pretty, I guess.
Love, Death, and the Birth of a God
A Vincent, Lucrecia, and Hojo FST
Contains spoilers for Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus mixed in with my happy little fanon interpretations...
Tracks:
1. “Prologue of DIRGE OF CERBERUS ~So We Meet Again~” by Masashi Hamauzu
2. “Superman” by Five For Fighting
3. “The Harvest” by Sonata Arctica
4. “She Blinded Me with Science” by Thomas Dolby
5. “Wicked Game” by Giant Drag
6. “I Should Be Sleeping” by Emerson Drive
7. “In the Night-Side of Eden” by H.I.M.
8. “Our Sick Story (Thus Far)” by Atreyu
9. “Romanticide” by Nightwish
10. “Oh God” by Annie Lennox
11. “Sector 7 Hath Wrought the Angel” by Trenthian
12. “Do You Love?” by Natalie Imbruglia
13. “Take Away” by Revelation Theory
14. “Shrinking Universe” by Muse
15. “Solitaire” by Kamelot
16. “The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)” by Kamelot
The Explanations are kind of tl;dr. This is sorta like my big tribute to this character relationship, so the tl;dr is making up for my lack of fanfiction on the subject, I suppose.
1. “Prologue of DIRGE OF CERBERUS ~So We Meet Again~”
“So we meet again, Lucrecia…”
This is my edited version of the “Prologue of DIRGE OF CERBERUS,” cut so that it’s just the part with Vincent talking to Lucrecia.
2. “Superman” by Five For Fighting
“I used to be nothing but a stone in the river of time…”
“It may sound absurd but don't be naive
Even heroes have the right to bleed
I may be disturbed but won't you concede
Even heroes have the right to dream
And it's not easy to be me”
This song fits nicely with Vincent’s state of mind during Dirge of Cerberus. First of all, it really isn’t easy to be him. To me, it seems like he sees himself almost like a superhero. He’s wrapped up in his own issues, but he can’t not help the innocent people he sees suffering. The WRO missions are his duty and his purpose until he finds some kind of closure.
3. “The Harvest” by Sonata Arctica
“I… I saw you again. It was the place…The place we first met. But you were…no. I am the one to blame. I couldn’t stop you that day. I just…”
“The ground is shaking under my feet
The World is turning,
and the
Wind has a friend in Misery,
but I know - she - only - loves - me...”
This song takes the listener back in time to see how Vincent got to the sorry state he’s in at the beginning of Dirge of Cerberus. It’s an overview of all the events of a love that went bad. It has a mood of frustration and desperation that works well with Vincent and Lucrecia.
4. “She Blinded Me with Science” by Thomas Dolby
“Lucrecia Crescent. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Valentine.”
“It's poetry in motion
And when she turned her eyes to me
As deep as any ocean
As sweet as any harmony
She blinded me with science
And failed me in geometry”
This song is cute and silly. The minute Vincent hears Lucrecia speak, he’s fallen for her. You can tell by the light, floaty background music that plays during that scene. Vincent’s off in la-la land.
5. “Wicked Game” by Giant Drag
“Rushing into matters will get you nowhere, doctor.”
“No, why would they send his…”
“Vincent…Do you remember our place, under that tree? The warm breeze on our skin…”
“What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way
What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you
What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way
What a wicked thing you do, to make me dream of you”
Lucrecia carries a lot of guilt for Grimoire Valentine’s death. Whether their relationship was as a student and teacher or as lovers, her failure with Grimoire makes her afraid to get close to Vincent, especially when she realizes that Vincent is the son Grimoire told her about. Taking things slowly was the one major lesson she learned from Grimoire, and it stuck with her. But Vincent is attractive, romantic, and a little silly. He’s a breath of fresh air from everything else in Nibelheim. The attraction is natural, and she can’t help but want him, despite her best efforts against it.
6. “I Should Be Sleeping” by Emerson Drive
“And how are you supposed to be my bodyguard, if you’re up here sleeping?”
“The warm breeze…I was only going to rest my eyes for a minute…”
“Well, I have to admit, the breeze is quite comfortable. However… I think you’re in my seat.”
“I should be sleeping
instead of keeping
these late hours I’ve been keeping
I've been pacing and retracing
every step of every move
even though I'm feeling so right
I'm so happy still I know I
should be sleeping
instead of dreaming about you”
More of Vincent’s infatuation with Lucrecia. This would certainly explain why he needed to rest his eyes for a minute. Whereas Lucrecia’s feelings for Vincent at this point are mostly just physical attraction, Vincent’s starting to really fall for her. Falling in love isn’t something Vincent does often. When he falls for someone, he falls hard. Both Lucrecia and Vincent find themselves dreaming of each other, in this song and in “Wicked Game,” but the emotions surrounding that realization are totally different.
7. "In The Night-Side of Eden" by H.I.M.
“Have you come to your senses and chosen me?”
“Deranged, we're tearing away the petals of desire
Learning the mathematics of evil by heart
We deceive ourselves to start a war
Within the realm of senses
And descend to the circle number four
Where we are nothing”
Lucrecia works closely with Hojo, and they have their pursuit of science in common. Hojo is very intelligent, whereas Lucrecia might get frustrated with Vincent at times because he isn’t really good for technical discussions or debates on theses. Lucrecia could easily admire Hojo’s scientific curiosity and determined pursuit of his goals. Hojo’s already inflated ego would be boosted by Lucrecia paying attention to him. Since she believes she can’t have Vincent, Lucrecia’s first choice for a partner really would be Hojo. Their love wouldn’t be romantic in the traditional sense, but it wouldn’t be passionless. Hojo would never admit to being in love with Lucrecia, though he would recognize his natural male attraction to her female beauty. He views their relationship as another one of his experiments - an experiment in passion and the fulfilling of his desire. Hojo’s version of love is jealous and somewhat depraved. Keeping Lucrecia is important to him largely so that Vincent can’t have her. And Lucrecia convinces herself that Vincent is off-limits and this is what she wants.
8. “Our Sick Story (Thus Far)” by Atreyu
“You are the last person to have any word in this. Leave us at once, boy.”
“My mouth is full of love
My head is held in shame
When you kiss me
Do you still taste her
Are you thinking of, are you thinking of me?
With your lips pressed tightly up against his skin
Does your body still scream my name
Does your body still scream my name?”
Vincent and Hojo’s personalities conflicted from the beginning. Hojo is determined to belittle Vincent and make him give up on Lucrecia. After Lucrecia and Hojo’s wedding, Vincent, while trying to convince himself that he is only concerned about Lucrecia’s happiness, suppresses the anger and jealousy welling up in his heart. Meanwhile, Lucrecia can’t turn her thoughts away from Vincent. She thought marrying Hojo would allow her to permanently shut Vincent out of her life, protecting herself from past failures and mistakes. Since this isn’t working, and she’s still distracted by her attractive bodyguard, she decides to indulge her desires, hoping that if she sleeps with Vincent another time, she’ll be able to stop thinking about him. One more time is never enough for her, and Vincent wants to believe that she really loves him, and her marriage to Hojo was just a mistake. The two try to keep their affair secret from Hojo, but as Vincent becomes more protective of Lucrecia and more jealous of any time spent with Hojo, Hojo begins to develop suspicions of what might be going on between his wife and her bodyguard. Lucrecia becomes pregnant, and she is unsure if the child is Vincent’s or Hojo’s. Hojo, in a test of her commitment to him, suggests the child be the subject of their next experiment, building a superhuman using Jenova’s cells. Lucrecia, not wanting her husband to hate her son, agrees, and the Jenova Project commences.
9. “Romanticide” by Nightwish
“But after that day, the light left her heart.”
“Talk! Why did you let this happen?”
“Silence! Silence! Why? Why can’t these people just keep quiet?”
“Wine turns to water
Campfires freeze, love letters burn
Romance is lost
Lord, let me be wrong in this pain
Temporary pain, eternal shame
To take part in this devil’s chess game
Spit on me, let go, get rid of me
And try to survive your stupidity”
And now we take a short jump back in time. Vincent discovers that Lucrecia worked with his father, and all of her pain and frustration over her relationship with Grimoire is brought back to the surface. She directs a lot of this into misplaced anger at Vincent, and this eventually leads to her decision to marry Hojo. Lucrecia’s subsequent affair with Vincent, along with the effect of the Jenova cells injected into her unborn son, begin to take their toll on her body, mind, and relationships. She can feel her life falling apart, but she’s still desperately trying to hold the pieces together. Vincent confronts Hojo about the change in Lucrecia, demanding to know how her husband could endorse the Jenova project when it involved Lucrecia's suffering. Enraged with Vincent’s accusatory tone and over-protective attitude toward his wife, Hojo draws a gun and shoots Vincent.
10. “Oh God” by Annie Lennox
“But this isn’t…how it was supposed to be. I’ve made too many mistakes. And I’ve hurt you so, so much. Why did I do what I did? I’m so sorry.”
"Oh God...
Where are you now?
And what you gonna do
About the mess I've made
If there was ever a soul to save
It must be me
It must be me"
Lucrecia’s scientific logic and reasoning leaves no room for faith in a higher power. She justifies her actions by believing that no god exists, and therefore it is humanity that must control the world. As she comes to terms with Vincent’s murder, she begins to realize some of her true feelings for him, and she becomes involved in a desperate struggle to use her research on Chaos and Omega to bring him back to life. Her relationship with Hojo is dissolving because Hojo suspects more than ever that she and Vincent were having an affair. Lucrecia is overcome by a sense of hopelessness and loss. If science can’t save Vincent - like it couldn’t save Grimoire-then she has nothing left to believe in. With that knowledge, she offers a tentative prayer to the god that she knows better than to believe in.
11. “Sector 7 Hath Wrought the Angel” by Trenthian
“But using your own child in an experiment?”
“Ha! I don’t know what you’re implying, but both of us are scientists. We know what we are doing.”
I got this remix of “One Winged Angel” from OCRemix. It sounds to me like something being put together. Hojo’s experiments with Jenova’s cells lead to the creation of the ultimate warrior, Sephiroth.
12. “Do You Love?” by Natalie Imbruglia
“If this only concerns me, then yes, I am sure.”
"Do you love
Do you need love
When your angels shout
Is your heart strung out?"
Lucrecia never forgets that Sephiroth is her son. She cares for him with the instinctual attachment a mother feels for the child she carries in her womb. She loves him as her son even though his purpose is that of an experiment, and she sees him as special, not just a tool to advance Hojo’s and her own understanding of science. She knows that he needs to be held onto and cared for, but at the same time she is in fearful awe of the visions with which Jenova has provided her: visions of Sephiroth’s future depravity which could ultimately lead to the destruction of the Planet.
13. “Take Away” by Revelation Theory
“Give him back! Give my son back!”
“And how is your experiment proceeding?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know-I don’t care! Let me see him! Just once!”
"Everything's wrong I know, I can see it in your eyes again.
Taking control of my soul and my life.
Cause you take away.
You take away.
What more can you take?
It feels like I've been here before.
All that you do seems to abuse, you won't cut me anymore"
The breakdown of Lucrecia and Hojo’s relationship continues. He has lost all respect for her, and she can’t bear him anymore. He’s taken everything she loves from her, including her only son, the only thing she had left. She fears his moods and his will. Lucrecia and Hojo no longer pretend to have anything like a functioning relationship. There are no formalities, just emotion on both sides.
14. “Shrinking Universe” by Muse
“Once a scientist, always a scientist. I must say. How happy this fellow must be, helping his beloved even after he’s begun rotting away.”
“No! This is no experiment! It’s… it’s…!”
"Purposeless survival
Now there's nothing left to die for
So don't struggle to recognize now
The cruelly heart-felt suicide
Can't you see it's over
Because you're the god of a shrinking universe"
Hojo sees Lucrecia’s life coming apart at the seams. The hatred, jealousy, and vengeance that he had felt repeatedly towards Vincent are now directed at Lucrecia as well. Lucrecia and Hojo had been “gods” of their scientific universe, but now Lucreica’s control is fading, along with any lingering respect Hojo had for her. He has turned to goading her, almost encouraging her to “die for her beloved” and get her disgraceful personage out of his sight. Her presence is no longer pleasurable or flattering to him. In his own mind, Hojo has elevated himself to the role of a god, and Lucrecia is no longer worthy of that god’s favor.
15. “Solitaire” by Kamelot
“I’m sorry. I can’t… take it anymore. My body… My mind…”
Without her son, her husband, or her lover, Lucrecia finds herself alone and devoid of hope. She has woven a web of lies, mistakes, and wrongdoings that she feels she can never untangle. Finding the Jenova cells in her body make it difficult for her to commit suicide, she seals herself in a cave of mako crystals. Meanwhile, Vincent, kept alive and ageless in appearance by Hojo’s modifications to his body and Chaos’ power, condemns himself to sleep in a coffin in the basement of the Shinra Manor, as atonement for his sins. He will be awakened 30 years later when he is called upon by Cloud Strife and his party to help save the world from Sephiroth’s terror.
16. “The Haunting (Somewhere In Time)” by Kamelot
“Doctor Crescent’s data has begun de-fragmenting within my mind. I can see… many different images… Images she experienced with you. Interference. Recovery…”
"Merely the sound of your voice
Made me believe that
That you were her
Just like the river disturbs
My inner peace"
Three years after the events of Final Fantasy VII, Vincent meets Shelke, the girl from Deepground who carries Lucrecia’s memories. These memories influence her behavior and react to his presence, causing her to remind him more and more of Lucrecia. While Shelke is learning what it truly means to care for another human being, the wounds in Vincent’s heart are torn wide open again and he is made to re-examine what exactly he has done these past 33 years to lay Lucrecia to rest or to seek her forgiveness. Vincent sees his dead lover behind the eyes of a young girl. Part of him wants this to be something like reincarnation because he has never really let Lucrecia go. Vincent and Shelke also have similar life experiences: scientific experiments have frozen both of their bodies in an ageless state. But he wants to keep Shelke (like everyone else) out of his personal battles, even though it is through her own action, not his, that she has become entangled in them.
Full Album + Art (.zip) here!
Love, Death, and the Birth of a God
A Vincent, Lucrecia, and Hojo FST
Contains spoilers for Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus mixed in with my happy little fanon interpretations...
Tracks:
1. “Prologue of DIRGE OF CERBERUS ~So We Meet Again~” by Masashi Hamauzu
2. “Superman” by Five For Fighting
3. “The Harvest” by Sonata Arctica
4. “She Blinded Me with Science” by Thomas Dolby
5. “Wicked Game” by Giant Drag
6. “I Should Be Sleeping” by Emerson Drive
7. “In the Night-Side of Eden” by H.I.M.
8. “Our Sick Story (Thus Far)” by Atreyu
9. “Romanticide” by Nightwish
10. “Oh God” by Annie Lennox
11. “Sector 7 Hath Wrought the Angel” by Trenthian
12. “Do You Love?” by Natalie Imbruglia
13. “Take Away” by Revelation Theory
14. “Shrinking Universe” by Muse
15. “Solitaire” by Kamelot
16. “The Haunting (Somewhere in Time)” by Kamelot
The Explanations are kind of tl;dr. This is sorta like my big tribute to this character relationship, so the tl;dr is making up for my lack of fanfiction on the subject, I suppose.
1. “Prologue of DIRGE OF CERBERUS ~So We Meet Again~”
“So we meet again, Lucrecia…”
This is my edited version of the “Prologue of DIRGE OF CERBERUS,” cut so that it’s just the part with Vincent talking to Lucrecia.
2. “Superman” by Five For Fighting
“I used to be nothing but a stone in the river of time…”
“It may sound absurd but don't be naive
Even heroes have the right to bleed
I may be disturbed but won't you concede
Even heroes have the right to dream
And it's not easy to be me”
This song fits nicely with Vincent’s state of mind during Dirge of Cerberus. First of all, it really isn’t easy to be him. To me, it seems like he sees himself almost like a superhero. He’s wrapped up in his own issues, but he can’t not help the innocent people he sees suffering. The WRO missions are his duty and his purpose until he finds some kind of closure.
3. “The Harvest” by Sonata Arctica
“I… I saw you again. It was the place…The place we first met. But you were…no. I am the one to blame. I couldn’t stop you that day. I just…”
“The ground is shaking under my feet
The World is turning,
and the
Wind has a friend in Misery,
but I know - she - only - loves - me...”
This song takes the listener back in time to see how Vincent got to the sorry state he’s in at the beginning of Dirge of Cerberus. It’s an overview of all the events of a love that went bad. It has a mood of frustration and desperation that works well with Vincent and Lucrecia.
4. “She Blinded Me with Science” by Thomas Dolby
“Lucrecia Crescent. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Valentine.”
“It's poetry in motion
And when she turned her eyes to me
As deep as any ocean
As sweet as any harmony
She blinded me with science
And failed me in geometry”
This song is cute and silly. The minute Vincent hears Lucrecia speak, he’s fallen for her. You can tell by the light, floaty background music that plays during that scene. Vincent’s off in la-la land.
5. “Wicked Game” by Giant Drag
“Rushing into matters will get you nowhere, doctor.”
“No, why would they send his…”
“Vincent…Do you remember our place, under that tree? The warm breeze on our skin…”
“What a wicked game to play, to make me feel this way
What a wicked thing to do, to make me dream of you
What a wicked thing to say, you never felt this way
What a wicked thing you do, to make me dream of you”
Lucrecia carries a lot of guilt for Grimoire Valentine’s death. Whether their relationship was as a student and teacher or as lovers, her failure with Grimoire makes her afraid to get close to Vincent, especially when she realizes that Vincent is the son Grimoire told her about. Taking things slowly was the one major lesson she learned from Grimoire, and it stuck with her. But Vincent is attractive, romantic, and a little silly. He’s a breath of fresh air from everything else in Nibelheim. The attraction is natural, and she can’t help but want him, despite her best efforts against it.
6. “I Should Be Sleeping” by Emerson Drive
“And how are you supposed to be my bodyguard, if you’re up here sleeping?”
“The warm breeze…I was only going to rest my eyes for a minute…”
“Well, I have to admit, the breeze is quite comfortable. However… I think you’re in my seat.”
“I should be sleeping
instead of keeping
these late hours I’ve been keeping
I've been pacing and retracing
every step of every move
even though I'm feeling so right
I'm so happy still I know I
should be sleeping
instead of dreaming about you”
More of Vincent’s infatuation with Lucrecia. This would certainly explain why he needed to rest his eyes for a minute. Whereas Lucrecia’s feelings for Vincent at this point are mostly just physical attraction, Vincent’s starting to really fall for her. Falling in love isn’t something Vincent does often. When he falls for someone, he falls hard. Both Lucrecia and Vincent find themselves dreaming of each other, in this song and in “Wicked Game,” but the emotions surrounding that realization are totally different.
7. "In The Night-Side of Eden" by H.I.M.
“Have you come to your senses and chosen me?”
“Deranged, we're tearing away the petals of desire
Learning the mathematics of evil by heart
We deceive ourselves to start a war
Within the realm of senses
And descend to the circle number four
Where we are nothing”
Lucrecia works closely with Hojo, and they have their pursuit of science in common. Hojo is very intelligent, whereas Lucrecia might get frustrated with Vincent at times because he isn’t really good for technical discussions or debates on theses. Lucrecia could easily admire Hojo’s scientific curiosity and determined pursuit of his goals. Hojo’s already inflated ego would be boosted by Lucrecia paying attention to him. Since she believes she can’t have Vincent, Lucrecia’s first choice for a partner really would be Hojo. Their love wouldn’t be romantic in the traditional sense, but it wouldn’t be passionless. Hojo would never admit to being in love with Lucrecia, though he would recognize his natural male attraction to her female beauty. He views their relationship as another one of his experiments - an experiment in passion and the fulfilling of his desire. Hojo’s version of love is jealous and somewhat depraved. Keeping Lucrecia is important to him largely so that Vincent can’t have her. And Lucrecia convinces herself that Vincent is off-limits and this is what she wants.
8. “Our Sick Story (Thus Far)” by Atreyu
“You are the last person to have any word in this. Leave us at once, boy.”
“My mouth is full of love
My head is held in shame
When you kiss me
Do you still taste her
Are you thinking of, are you thinking of me?
With your lips pressed tightly up against his skin
Does your body still scream my name
Does your body still scream my name?”
Vincent and Hojo’s personalities conflicted from the beginning. Hojo is determined to belittle Vincent and make him give up on Lucrecia. After Lucrecia and Hojo’s wedding, Vincent, while trying to convince himself that he is only concerned about Lucrecia’s happiness, suppresses the anger and jealousy welling up in his heart. Meanwhile, Lucrecia can’t turn her thoughts away from Vincent. She thought marrying Hojo would allow her to permanently shut Vincent out of her life, protecting herself from past failures and mistakes. Since this isn’t working, and she’s still distracted by her attractive bodyguard, she decides to indulge her desires, hoping that if she sleeps with Vincent another time, she’ll be able to stop thinking about him. One more time is never enough for her, and Vincent wants to believe that she really loves him, and her marriage to Hojo was just a mistake. The two try to keep their affair secret from Hojo, but as Vincent becomes more protective of Lucrecia and more jealous of any time spent with Hojo, Hojo begins to develop suspicions of what might be going on between his wife and her bodyguard. Lucrecia becomes pregnant, and she is unsure if the child is Vincent’s or Hojo’s. Hojo, in a test of her commitment to him, suggests the child be the subject of their next experiment, building a superhuman using Jenova’s cells. Lucrecia, not wanting her husband to hate her son, agrees, and the Jenova Project commences.
9. “Romanticide” by Nightwish
“But after that day, the light left her heart.”
“Talk! Why did you let this happen?”
“Silence! Silence! Why? Why can’t these people just keep quiet?”
“Wine turns to water
Campfires freeze, love letters burn
Romance is lost
Lord, let me be wrong in this pain
Temporary pain, eternal shame
To take part in this devil’s chess game
Spit on me, let go, get rid of me
And try to survive your stupidity”
And now we take a short jump back in time. Vincent discovers that Lucrecia worked with his father, and all of her pain and frustration over her relationship with Grimoire is brought back to the surface. She directs a lot of this into misplaced anger at Vincent, and this eventually leads to her decision to marry Hojo. Lucrecia’s subsequent affair with Vincent, along with the effect of the Jenova cells injected into her unborn son, begin to take their toll on her body, mind, and relationships. She can feel her life falling apart, but she’s still desperately trying to hold the pieces together. Vincent confronts Hojo about the change in Lucrecia, demanding to know how her husband could endorse the Jenova project when it involved Lucrecia's suffering. Enraged with Vincent’s accusatory tone and over-protective attitude toward his wife, Hojo draws a gun and shoots Vincent.
10. “Oh God” by Annie Lennox
“But this isn’t…how it was supposed to be. I’ve made too many mistakes. And I’ve hurt you so, so much. Why did I do what I did? I’m so sorry.”
"Oh God...
Where are you now?
And what you gonna do
About the mess I've made
If there was ever a soul to save
It must be me
It must be me"
Lucrecia’s scientific logic and reasoning leaves no room for faith in a higher power. She justifies her actions by believing that no god exists, and therefore it is humanity that must control the world. As she comes to terms with Vincent’s murder, she begins to realize some of her true feelings for him, and she becomes involved in a desperate struggle to use her research on Chaos and Omega to bring him back to life. Her relationship with Hojo is dissolving because Hojo suspects more than ever that she and Vincent were having an affair. Lucrecia is overcome by a sense of hopelessness and loss. If science can’t save Vincent - like it couldn’t save Grimoire-then she has nothing left to believe in. With that knowledge, she offers a tentative prayer to the god that she knows better than to believe in.
11. “Sector 7 Hath Wrought the Angel” by Trenthian
“But using your own child in an experiment?”
“Ha! I don’t know what you’re implying, but both of us are scientists. We know what we are doing.”
I got this remix of “One Winged Angel” from OCRemix. It sounds to me like something being put together. Hojo’s experiments with Jenova’s cells lead to the creation of the ultimate warrior, Sephiroth.
12. “Do You Love?” by Natalie Imbruglia
“If this only concerns me, then yes, I am sure.”
"Do you love
Do you need love
When your angels shout
Is your heart strung out?"
Lucrecia never forgets that Sephiroth is her son. She cares for him with the instinctual attachment a mother feels for the child she carries in her womb. She loves him as her son even though his purpose is that of an experiment, and she sees him as special, not just a tool to advance Hojo’s and her own understanding of science. She knows that he needs to be held onto and cared for, but at the same time she is in fearful awe of the visions with which Jenova has provided her: visions of Sephiroth’s future depravity which could ultimately lead to the destruction of the Planet.
13. “Take Away” by Revelation Theory
“Give him back! Give my son back!”
“And how is your experiment proceeding?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know-I don’t care! Let me see him! Just once!”
"Everything's wrong I know, I can see it in your eyes again.
Taking control of my soul and my life.
Cause you take away.
You take away.
What more can you take?
It feels like I've been here before.
All that you do seems to abuse, you won't cut me anymore"
The breakdown of Lucrecia and Hojo’s relationship continues. He has lost all respect for her, and she can’t bear him anymore. He’s taken everything she loves from her, including her only son, the only thing she had left. She fears his moods and his will. Lucrecia and Hojo no longer pretend to have anything like a functioning relationship. There are no formalities, just emotion on both sides.
14. “Shrinking Universe” by Muse
“Once a scientist, always a scientist. I must say. How happy this fellow must be, helping his beloved even after he’s begun rotting away.”
“No! This is no experiment! It’s… it’s…!”
"Purposeless survival
Now there's nothing left to die for
So don't struggle to recognize now
The cruelly heart-felt suicide
Can't you see it's over
Because you're the god of a shrinking universe"
Hojo sees Lucrecia’s life coming apart at the seams. The hatred, jealousy, and vengeance that he had felt repeatedly towards Vincent are now directed at Lucrecia as well. Lucrecia and Hojo had been “gods” of their scientific universe, but now Lucreica’s control is fading, along with any lingering respect Hojo had for her. He has turned to goading her, almost encouraging her to “die for her beloved” and get her disgraceful personage out of his sight. Her presence is no longer pleasurable or flattering to him. In his own mind, Hojo has elevated himself to the role of a god, and Lucrecia is no longer worthy of that god’s favor.
15. “Solitaire” by Kamelot
“I’m sorry. I can’t… take it anymore. My body… My mind…”
Without her son, her husband, or her lover, Lucrecia finds herself alone and devoid of hope. She has woven a web of lies, mistakes, and wrongdoings that she feels she can never untangle. Finding the Jenova cells in her body make it difficult for her to commit suicide, she seals herself in a cave of mako crystals. Meanwhile, Vincent, kept alive and ageless in appearance by Hojo’s modifications to his body and Chaos’ power, condemns himself to sleep in a coffin in the basement of the Shinra Manor, as atonement for his sins. He will be awakened 30 years later when he is called upon by Cloud Strife and his party to help save the world from Sephiroth’s terror.
16. “The Haunting (Somewhere In Time)” by Kamelot
“Doctor Crescent’s data has begun de-fragmenting within my mind. I can see… many different images… Images she experienced with you. Interference. Recovery…”
"Merely the sound of your voice
Made me believe that
That you were her
Just like the river disturbs
My inner peace"
Three years after the events of Final Fantasy VII, Vincent meets Shelke, the girl from Deepground who carries Lucrecia’s memories. These memories influence her behavior and react to his presence, causing her to remind him more and more of Lucrecia. While Shelke is learning what it truly means to care for another human being, the wounds in Vincent’s heart are torn wide open again and he is made to re-examine what exactly he has done these past 33 years to lay Lucrecia to rest or to seek her forgiveness. Vincent sees his dead lover behind the eyes of a young girl. Part of him wants this to be something like reincarnation because he has never really let Lucrecia go. Vincent and Shelke also have similar life experiences: scientific experiments have frozen both of their bodies in an ageless state. But he wants to keep Shelke (like everyone else) out of his personal battles, even though it is through her own action, not his, that she has become entangled in them.
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