Lacey stared at Rufus, something was indeed strange here. He
looked at her with almost, no, they were loving eyes, he
really did care for her. Lacey could tell this by the way he
looked and treated her, as if she were a fragile porcelain doll.
"How could this be, he is a ruthless killer, he cares not
for anyone else..." Lacey was lost in her thoughts, she was
confused and disoriented. She couldn't move, so she just sat
there transfixed, glued to the spot, and focused on the beauty of
the night.
Rufus came out of his trance and sat next to Lacey as he handed
her a bouquet of mako dyed roses. They shimmered in the moonlight,
beautiful and undying. Rufus poured the glass of wine and handed
over the glass. Lacey took a very small sip-she did not want to
get drunk, and lose her control. But unknowingly she already was.
Lacey suddenly stood up and walked toward the balcony. "This
is wrong totally wrong, Sephiroth is my love, and here I am
falling in love with the one man I have been born to hate?"
Lacey asked herself. She sat on the rail, letting her dress flow
over the other side.
Did she really want to do this, even for Gea? Even to save the
world? It betrayed everything she had ever worked for, and the
ones she loved. What was wrong with her? Lacey slapped her fist
down on the hard rail. She picked up her fist. It was scratched,
and was bleeding slightly. Lacey clenched her fist so hard her
fingernails punctured her palms. A silvery tear fell from her
lashes and left a wet imprint on the rail where she sat.
Rufus walked over, wondering what was wrong. Had he hurt her?
Rufus shook his head. "What is wrong with me? I am not this
way, I am president of all Shin-Ra and...." He saw another
tear fall slowly from Lacey's cheek. Slowly he made his way over
to her. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her near. He
kissed her.
This took Lacey so much by surprise she just sat there. There was
nothing much she could do. She was to weak to fight it-but for
some reason she kissed him back...............
Sephiroth had been sitting aloft his bed thinking of Lacey. He
held a picture in his hands. He was about to put it back down
when something strange happened. The glass on the frame shattered
and cracked. Frightened, Sephiroth threw it away from him. He
slowly lifted the chain from his neck to look at his crystal. It
was dark, he had never seen it so before......
Then before him came the picture that was his nightmare-but
before him it became reality. He knew this image to be true. He
could feel it.... But Lacey in love with Rufus? how could this be
possible?
After Rufus released Lacey she just stood there, shocked. They
both had a dizzy, fuzzy feeling about them.
"No" Lacey said softly. She had heard about this
feeling, she knew what had happened....
They were bonded.
They both shared a single life. If one died so did the other,
they both knew each others feelings, they were connected. Lacey
brought up her hands to cover her face. What had she done? She
broke free of Rufus's grip and ran. Tears freely flowed from her
cheeks, wetting her face.
Lacey just kept running she didn't bother to wipe away the tears
that kept blocking her view. She finally reached the safety of
her chamber and flopped stomach first onto her bed. All she could
think about was Sephiroth's broken heart. Lacey knew Sephiroth
already knew about this, the crystal showed it. Lacey clutched
the round orb that still hung around her neck. Lacey looked into
the dark glass, once again her heart was lost.
Ayanna limbered over to the bed, seeing the expression on Lacey's
face. She slowly approached Lacey with a blanket and wrapped it
about the crying woman's shoulders. "Mistress are you OK?"
She asked calmly. Lacey looked and smiled at the young woman who
was so concerned. Lacey patted the bed indicating Ayanna to sit.
"I fear I have done something that hurt someone I love, and
me too." Lacey said through sobs.
Ayanna hugged the woman that had saved her from a horrible fate
and cried with her. They both stayed that way for awhile until
Gea entered the room and sat beside them. Gea looked up at Lacey,
she knew what had happened, the gossip was all over the building.
Gea patted Lacey and slid her the key. Lacey nodded her head. She
had to get out of here. She hugged Gea and Ayanna.
"Now, girls we are leaving this place regardless of my
promise, Gea get your best traveling clothes on and find a pair
for Ayanna."
They both nodded and were off, as was Lacey. Lacey walked the
halls toward Rufus's room. "Gea said he would give the
holder of the key anything.... I need my freedom, and a trip to
the city of ancients...." Lacey said to her self. She knew
she was the apprentice, and the festival of Iris was only a few
months away. She glided down the stairs until she reached Rufus's
dwelling.
She carefully knocked, and this time she was not going to play.
Rufus opened the door, thinking it was going to be a Turk, but to
his surprise it was Lacey. He led her in, and she sat on the bed.
"What do you need my love?" He asked, surprised to see
her here after she had rushed out only 2 hours ago. Lacey smiled,
and Rufus took it the wrong way. He went to grab her for another
kiss but she slapped him-hard. He looked at her shocked.
"Listen to me Rufus I am going to be perfectly honest, but I
don't know why."
Rufus paid attention, for she sounded like the real her. The one
before the potion. "I am Saber Wolf second general of
Natalie's army, and love to general Sephiroth."
Rufus cut her off. "What are you talking about?"
Lacey smacked him again. "You know exactly, the thing you
injected me with was water, not the real thing you dolt."
Rufus frowned-he was foiled again....
"Then why..." he inquired about the kiss. "I don't
know, but now thanks to that we are bonded, and I am leaving
weather you like it or not. You can't stop me either because if I
die so do you."
Rufus nodded. "You are not leaving, I don't necessarily have
to kill you to keep you here you know."
Lacey nodded. She expected him to say that. "You'll let me
go if you want this" Lacey pulled out the key. Rufus's eyes
went as wide as saucers. Lacey gave him that mad grin. "You
promised your only daughter."
"Fine, the key for your freedom." Rufus said and
extended his hand.
Lacey shook her head. "I will go beyond the boundary of Shin-Ra
first and I will leave it in the forest."
Rufus smiled. "My Lady, I give you freedom."