Vincent immediately said yes as he looked over at Natalie.
"I pledge my allegiance to this cause for ever." he
smiled after saying this and blushed when Natalie returned his
smile. However, Sephiroth was not so quick to answer.
Lacey sat impatiently in her chair. All stared at Sephiroth then
he gave a short simple answer.
"I will not."
Lacey was shocked and almost fainted in her chair, but she kept
her composure and this time kept a grip on her wine glass.
"If it must be so," she replied.
With a wave of her hand Sephiroth froze. Tears ran down Lacey's
cheeks and Vincent looked questioningly at the man. Suddenly
Sephiroth disappeared and reappeared right in front of Zack,
tripping him.
"Sephiroth....." Zack stuttered the word. "How....
Why....... Where were you?"
Sephiroth stood up and looked around. "Zack you'll never
believe this, but she's back and planning something against Shin-Ra.
We must group the troops immediately." Zack nodded and ran
off. Sephiroth turned and headed toward the base.
Upon his arrival Sephiroth was immediately put in a meeting with
Rufus. Sephiroth walked in Rufus's office and sat down. He told
Rufus the whole story except who Lacey was. Rufus made an evil
grin and said "Give the rebels what they deserve. We'll show
them Shin-Ra's true power."
Sephiroth got up and left a little depressed. He wondered if it
was right... What he just did.... He retired to his quarters and
thought about her.
The crystal began to glow and send out a blinding light. Suddenly
there was a perfect figure of Lacey standing in front of him.
Feeling sad, depressed and betrayed Lacey want to her room and
wondered why Sephiroth chose Shin-Ra over her. Then she figured,
"Heck, I'm in private. I'll ask him."
She held up her crystal and thought of Sephiroth and suddenly a
bright portal was created in front of her and she stepped through,
creating an image of her in his room. She looked sad yet free of
mind. The projection was about a foot tall and it stood on his
dresser, Sephiroth a bit surprised jumped back trying to see
clearly. When his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the
projection he sat and stared. Lacey 's projection sat, as if on
nothing, for the projection just showed her and no objects or the
atmosphere around her.
Suddenly it began to speak.. "Sephiroth it's me. I just want
to know something. Why? Why did you not stay? I thought you loved
me...."
Sephiroth, looking sad, decided to spill the beans, he knew that
this woman would never give up until she got an answer so he
stood up and being the man he was he began to pace as he spoke.
With an edge to his voice he began.
"I do....I mean, I did. But you were gone and I let no one
near to me. I can't just give up what I've worked for my whole
life. Look, I'm a general. And what about the other students like
you? Huh? Am I just going to leave them. You left me now I'm
gonna do the same to you."
Tears trickled down Lacey's cheeks and she didn't bother to hide
them . The floating projection stood up in a sharp manner and
began to reply. "Fine if that is you will. Go on, I don't
care. And besides, I never left you. You're the one who forgot.
You're the one who stopped believing. The only reason I was gone
was because I thought you were worth saving. I thought you were
more than the cold hearted man people made you out to be. But I
was wrong. And now my heart my soul will suffer for this mistake.
I'm gonna watch you always. So you'll never forget. I'll go now.
Just remember this general, you still owe me. What is in the past
can never be forgotten. And neither will I. That crystal you and
I wear bond us forever. But when that is gone as is our love we
will both perish for eternity."
The crying, pathetic image of the warrior who once was vanished
leaving Sephiroth alone once more. Sephiroth took a blow from
Lacey's words.
And he was hurt, though not as much as she was. Her life is now
gone. Her heart blackened for all eternity, though both of their
immortal souls were lost. They became mortal once more, the
crystals bond still held but only by a thin thread. Sephiroth
turned to look out the window. He could just barely hear a wolf's
cry, a deep cry of mourning -it was the crying of Lacey's lost
heart and soul.