Legacy of the Lifestream

Chapter 34: Legacy Files Part II

Legacy Files Part II – Crescent's Calamity

 

Sukai rolled around, unable to sleep. She wasn't sure if it was because of what was going on in her mind or the fact that she was pregnant. Either way, no sleep would not be coming for her. She sighed with a huff. Everyone else had long since passed out and were all dreaming blissfully. Rising up, Sukai decided that her mind just needed to be worn out and decided to use the time she was given to do something useful, decrypting more data on the files they found in Banora. She spent a few hours picking at the code, trying to find the smallest of back doors for the encryption, but either the original owner of the files or the GR were very good at keeping unwanted eyes out of the files. However, just about the time Sukai was ready to give up, she hit her wrist computer with her fist, hissing curses at the machine, and apparently the frustrated action allowed the files to be decrypted and they began to fill up her small computer screen.

Looking at them, they were fragmented, almost as though they had been gathered over time and tried to be pieced together, and upon closer inspection, she realized they were written by Lucrecia Crescent.

Jenova Project S (Lucrecia Report)

Today we were given the order that we can begin human testing. Taking cells from the Cetra known as JENOVA and directly injecting them into a human host. However I am unsure that this is a good idea. The animal testing proved to be fifty-fifty at best. They all experienced mutations and increased levels of strength, stamina, speed, and response. I am worried that all the 'failed' experiments that turned into horrible creatures are able to be disposed of. They have a tendency of causing the staff a bit of a scare when they revive after the head has be severed.

Today I do not feel well. A TURK came to us today with the standard procedure of us turning in copies of our studies, however I don't think I will like this new guard. His name is Vincent Valentine...he can't be Grimoire's child...could he? If so I can not work with him.

Vincent has been very kind to me but I had to turn him down. There is just too much at stake for me to lose. I already offered my condolences and wished him well as I accepted Hojo's offer in marriage. We are both brilliant and work well together. I hope he understands.

Today we start the testing on my unborn child. I have been assured that with the Jenova Cells being implanted within the cells of the fetus will not harm it. I will also be given an infusion of Jenova Cells and Mako to help my body adjust to the side effects. Though Hojo assures me that previous human testing produced mild side effects, I am unsure.

It has been three months and I can't shake the horrible nightmares! They are so vivid and dark. Gods that man! It can't be my son?! I collapsed earlier within the presence of Vincent and assured him it was just stress and sleep deprivation but he doesn't believe me. He wants to take my condition up with Hojo! I begged him not to do it. We have so much riding on this project, and if it fails I don't know if I will be able to live with myself. This can't fail!

Oh gods he shot him! Hojo killed Vincent! I saw it, in my dreams last week. How! Are these nightmares real? That voice, that cold voice! I have to save him...Hojo won't let me near Vincent's body. Instead of letting him rest, he is doing all sorts of horrible things to him...It is my fault. If I had forced ShinRa to assign a new TURK to our lab. Maybe he wouldn't be dead..

The procedure worked...After Hojo claimed Vincent as a failed experiment I was able to revive him. However his condition is unstable at best. I am working with a new theory that might help stabilize him-I pray it works. Damn Hojo! He locked Vincent away somewhere...saying that I failed-and I did-Gods forgive me for everything.

The procedures, the nightmares, all of it. Do I even remember my own name? I don't know. My son kicked today. I almost fell out of my chair in surprise. It is the one good thing in my life that I have done right. I hope he grows up strong and healthy. Shiva knows I have had enough Mako treatments to power a small village. How can such an innocent child...no it isn't him!

Hojo took him. I didn't even see him, my baby. I can't do this anymore. First Grimiore, then Vincent, now my child! Hojo has gone too far...or was it all me? Without my son, things are meaning less...perhaps I shall find some peace...

I couldn't even kill myself. The Jenova Cells have caused an unusual mutation in my body. Nothing works. I have tried everything, only to wake up fully healed a few hours later. I can't stay here anymore. I just can't. They say my child died...a test gone wrong. I have nothing now. Gaia grant me peace...If only I could have seen him, my beautiful son. Sephiroth, I love you so much.

Sukai's eyes became wide as saucers as she read again and again my beautiful son. The second thing that hit her was the fact this woman was trying to kill herself over the fact Hojo -being the slime ball that he was- lied to her, and she believed it. Perhaps this woman was blonde? Either way, Sukai just muttered to herself. "Interesting, so little one, you going to do the same to me?"

Sukai's belly began to grumble in hunger and she blushed, her face twisting into somewhere between disbelief and curiosity about the timing of the growl and her question. Dismissing the idea, she looked around at what remained of the food they had taken back with them to the Training Room. Hardly any of it was filling, and that which could have spoiled was long gone by the late hours of the evening. Sighing, Sukai got to her feet and grabbed her chiffon, donning the silken material before sneaking her way down to the Mess Hall, avoiding everyone she possibly could. Carefully she gathered ingredients to make a banana, pickle, chocolate, Dumb Apple, cinnamon, carrot, and peanut butter sandwich. Shuddering she was not sure she would have eaten anything like this prior to her current condition, the fruit, chocolate, maybe the cinnamon, and peanut butter, sure, but carrots and pickles? If she wasn't starving, she may have gagged, but instead, she began to devour the sandwich as though it were her first meal in weeks or her last meal on Planet.

She had already eaten the first sandwich and was in the middle of making another-how that was so delicious, she didn't even want to know- when a knife caught her eye. Taking out, Sukai cut deeply into her finger, misjudging distance of her hand and the knife and hissed a little, walking over to the sink and rising the wound off as she turned on the light to inspect it. Slowly she watched the skin begin to heal itself together and she blinked, poking the newly formed flesh in disbelief. However before she could test it further, the door behind her opened. Flicking her wrist, she quickly tossed the rather large knife at the potential enemy that was sneaking up behind her. When the sound of metal against metal didn't reach her ears, nor did any other sound for that matter, she turned around and began to panic. There, with the knife in hand, was none other than Sephiroth, walking toward her. He stopped just short of running into her and held out the knife for her to take.

"Sassi had the same unusual interest in food when she was with her twins." Sephritoh said, his eyebrow raising when she added the carrots and pickle slices to her second sandwich as he inspected the knife. "I knew you would be coming down here. Two in the morning: your late night snack. Now before we talk any farther, explain the blood on this knife."

"I cut myself while slicing carrots, on accident. Note to self, never slice and dice in the dark." Sukai said innocently. "I swear to Leviathan, that is what happened."

"Where are you cut?" Sephiroth asked, looking her over for wounds. "Or have you already healed it with a Potion?"

"No...I didn't heal it with anything, it stitched itself back together." Sukai said, twitching nervously. She was not liking the disbelieving look on his face. “Well, I suppose it is a good time as any to tell you I found files of your mom. It might explain some things."

"Is that so?" Sephiroth asked, his eyebrow raised.

Sukai was in the middle of the last bite of her sandwich, having practically inhaled it. Holding up her hand, she swallowed before answering. "Yeah, Lucrecia Crescent. Apparently she had some side effects with the whole, mad scientist husband of hers. I can print you out a copy...but um-I found something really interesting. At the last section of the fragmented files, she said she couldn't die, after trying to...kill herself, and I-"

"No..." Sephiroth snapped.

"So now would be a poor time to tell you that sandwhich was laced with arsenic?" Sukai said, with a straight face, until Sephiroth glared at her.

"So cinnamon is the new word for arsenic, I will be sure to tell Sassi that when she cooks breakfast, and how Loz has been poisoned for years." Sephiroth sardonically said through his teeth.

"Oh come on!" Sukai huffed, irritated at his lack of humor. "Don't take life seriously, nobody gets out alive, ya'know!"

"That wouldn't have come from a certain red head would it?" Sephiroth asked.

"No, Poppa Bear said it all the time. It was his way of cheering Muqin up." Sukai replied with a bright smile. "I miss them, but I shouldn't worry. She is one tough old bird. Anyway, good luck to you and the tournament, you boys will need it."

“And you are still thinking that I am going to let you actually fight in your condition?” Sephiroth said with a roll of his eyes.

"The fact that I can heal instantaneously seems to have eluded you...So let me put it into other terms: You do not let me vent out my frustrations in a controlled environment, I will go 'assassination spree' on this place, starting with you. Either back down and let me show you what I am made of, or I will bring you a whole new meaning to the word spineless."

 

Sephiroth smirked. "You're obviously forgetting that moment in the training room. I can subdue you, you can do nothing about it, and I will if I have to! I will not allow any harm to come to my Cetra, my child, or the mother of that child."

 

"I see." Sukai looked down for a moment, gathering her thoughts before looking him dead in the eye. " I will no longer entertain the fact that I let things happen...a moment of weakness is how you were able to do so. Having gotten past that, I am far stronger than you think General Stubborn Guardian. Who were my masters? And I doubt it has escaped your attention of whom my family are. I am not some helpless damsel that you can rescue in some fantasy, I am going to show that I can take on anything."

 

Sephiroth sighed, irritated. Time to employ a tactic that he had almost no expeirence in, and hope that it would work. "Sukai, though I will never believe that you have the power to defeat me, I know that you are strong. This is not a question of your strength. I trust you. I do not, however, trust them. If they got carried away..."

 

Sukai stared at him as though she had been slapped. A shrill gasp, followed by a very colorful stream of curses in various languages and rapid succession that ended with her shoving a finger into his chest. "You just did not- Of all Ifrit's Sins! They-as you so eloquently put it- know that I am in this so called delicate position. However, they also know that with what is coming none of us are safe! Lines may become blurred and if it so happens that I am forced to choose at least I can trust them to do the right thing, even if it kills me. You, however, think that this-... Oh! Handling me like this! I should skin you alive and feed you to the depths of the Underworld! I have plenty of power, if not for my sake, for my child. I will see a cold day in Shiva's arms before I allow anyone to tell me what I can and can't do! I will never be a slave again...."

 

Sephiroth flinched as she tore into him. That wasn't how it was supposed to go! As her tirade finished, he found himself angry. Did she truly feel as though he thought of her that way? "And what of me?! If something happened to you and our child, what. About. Me?! I have only just begun to realize and understand emotion. Even over Angeal and Genesis... to some degree even more than Aerith... Dammit, woman! I love you! How can you expect me to have no arguments about something that could harm you? I know that we are in a situation where we must be at our strongest. I have been the Dread General for my entire life! I have seen too many battles to count. I know how it goes! That does not mean that I have to like it, or that I should fall on my back and allow you to put yourself and our unborn child at risk because you feel that you have to prove yourself... and... Woman... how dare you... question my feelings. Even in a round-about way... how dare you suggest that you are a slave to me... when I assure you... it is quite the other way around!"

 

Sukai was taken back and looked up, blinking owlishly. Her mouth opened, but no words came out. In whaling she closed her eyes and exhaled loudly. "Fine. If that is the way you see it...Yes there is you, there will always be you. I realize that we didn't exactly open up our skeleton troves- I think that is how Harmony put it- and let the other see inside...but like it or not...I will be doing this. Honor has that effect on our people, your.....piece of slimeball...caretaker...refusing to say paternal, was also Wutian....Sephiroth, if I felt that this was going to overwhelm me and I would be seriously hurt, I would not bat an eyelash and stay out of it. Plus, I have seen as much war as you, but unlike you, the POW that you captured, if you weren't ordered to kill, came to my area of expertise....I know the grit and grime...Going on that fact, I am not saying you have to like it....neither am I saying I enjoy it. Nothing would make me happier than to find a quiet place to lounge around, working on my hobbies and build that slice of heaven for ourselves...but Leviathan challenges us...and I don't plan on idlelly sitting by...as for the slave thing....do not give ammo to your soon to be mock enemy. "

 

Sephiroth closed his eyes, heaving a final sigh. It was clear that she would not back down, and he knew that if she felt it necessary she would enlist Harmony and Sassi to load so many barrier glamours around him that he couldn't even move. All he could do was be there for her. With a deep breath, he spoke. "... Alright. But! Even though I will not fight your decision any longer... if I feel that you are in serious danger, you cannot expect me to stay out of it. I will try to remain subjective. As... as Harmony so often told me back then-and I have begun to see the truth in it-I am only a man." He then grinned and addressed her last comment. "A man that finds it irresistibly sexy-if not filled with bravado-that you think you can not only make it that far in the tournament... but that you would actually stand a chance at defeating me... my sweet, sweet suicide..."

 

Sukai twitched... a subtle on, but a twitch nonetheless. One minute she wanted nothing more than to Hell Firaga him out the nearest airlock, now...she wanted nothing more than to kiss him. Oh the Gods were testing her...How could one man just do that?! Stand up to her, take the verbal beating, and not only reply, but diffuse her! Giving up the tirade...he just sat there and smiled at the irony of meeting her match. "Sweet suicide, huh?"

 

Sephiroth closed the distance between them and leaned into the crook of her neck. With every word, his lips caressed her skin, dark promise being etched into the flesh beneath his wicked mouth. "Yes. Suicide. Because loving you will be the death of me... but if it is death that I face... I will cut my own throat for just a touch. I will tear my heart from my body for a kiss... and I will hand over my soul for just the mention of your love."

 

Sukai could only stand there, breathless beneath the onslaught of his words. Her mind stopped in that moment, etching in the perfect scene and locking it away forever, so she would never forget. She didn't realize she was crying until a tear slipped past, and trailed down her cheek. This man--there were no other words she could have heard that were sweeter. Her body acted on its own, her arms pulling him tighter to her, afraid that he would disappear if he would let go. "Sephiroth, you already had me when I tripped up the stairs and asked you out to lunch. You never would have to do any of those things for my love....Ironic that the two most emotionally traumatized and deficient people can find so much love within one another. Sephiroth, my Wàngǔ...Wǒ huāle yīqiān duō nián zài wèi nǐ yītiān de liánsuǒ**...”

!@#$%^&*()

The training room was loud, filled with people and voices both excited and complaining about what was to take place. The large group stood before the board that Tifa and Cissnei had placed near the entrance, reading the order that they would be fighting in.

“First seed: Cid Highwind

Second seed: Cloud Strife

Third seed: Zack Fair

Fourth seed: Angeal Heweley

Fifth seed: Genesis Rhapsodos

Sixth seed: Vincent Valentine

Seventh seed: Loz Miyake

Eighth seed: Yazoo Kobayashi

Ninth seed: Kadaj Nakamura

Tenth seed: Sephiroth

Women will decide the order in which they fight. One fight at a time. Men will abide by these rules and will not attack out of turn, the women will also honor them. If a woman is defeated by any opponent, no matter the seed, she does not advance to the next and is thereby disqualified from the tournament.

If even one woman defeats every man, the men are to take over the housekeeping chores for a month, the women will not have to do their usual half. If the men prove victorious, The women will take over all of the chores... and wear whatever the men want while we are doing it.”

 

!@#$%^&*()

**Wangu- means eternal, forever...

Wǒ huāle yīqiān duō nián zài wèi nǐ yītiān de liánsuǒ...I would spend a thousand years in chains for a single day with you...