After an arduous journey back to the village because of carrying the man on their shoulders. The young Tifa and Cloud were exhausted. Though they did manage to bring him to the village.
"Hah, hah. Now what? I gotta be honest with you Tifa. I don't think we can bring this guy to our home." Cloud gave a sheepish expression and Tifa nodded in understanding.
Claudia was raising him on her own. And another person in their household, especially a stranger is not a good idea.
"Then let's bring him to our house. Let's ask my parents if they know him or something." Tifa wanted to drag him at once, but they were too tired.
"Okay, maybe after a bit of rest." Tifa smiled wryly and just put the man on a bench while they rested.
"Oof, why do you think this guy was there beneath the manor anyways? Is he really related to Ramiel-nii and Alex-nee in some way?" Cloud sat on the bench and stared at the man's facial features.
Tifa shrugged, but she has a feeling that the man was connected to them. "Of course I don't have a clue as well, but it shouldn't be a stretch to say that there's a reason why this guy was there."
"Hmm, you're right. I guess we just need to ask your parents or himself when he wakes up." Cloud picked up a stick and poked him on the cheeks.
The man groaned and the kids got spooked once again. "Hey, stop that! That's rude." Tifa chided Cloud and he dropped the stick in his hand.
"Hey, hey! Mister, who are you? You okay?" Tifa asked him and the man began to sober up. "Ugh... Where the hell am I?"
"You're at a western village called Nibelheim." Cloud answered and they slowly distanced themselves from him. Wary of the stranger.
"Nibelheim..." The man looked down on the ground and went into deep thought. "I"m Vincent Valentine. Can you tell me what year is it right now?" Vincent rubbed his aching head.
"It's year 1993. Almost 94 though, I'm Cloud. This is Tifa, now. Can you please tell us what you were doing at the Nibelheim manor? We haven't seen you here before."
Vincent had a surprised face. "More than a decade has passed... Lucrecia! Do you know anyone here named Lucrecia?" Vincent suddenly remembered someone important to him. As she was the one who saved him from dying in the first place.
"Lucrecia? I know who that person is, but why are you looking for her?" Tifa squinted her eyes and was really getting suspicious. As that person was Ramiel and Alexandra's mother. And Alex mentioned her once in the past.
"So you do know her... Can you tell me where she is?" Vincent looked desperate and the duo raised a brow at his expression.
"Why do you wanna know where Ramiel-nii and Alex-nee's mom is? Who are you to them anyway? Cloud, if he does something suspicious. Scream to the top of your lungs." Tifa whispered to Cloud and they were prepared to run away.
"L-Lucrecia's children?" Vincent lost strength and sat down on the bench once again. Entering deep contemplation. He began reminiscing all those years ago, when Lucrecia was put into his protection as a Turk. The special task force of Shinra. Basically spies for the company.
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More than a decade ago, Hojo and Lucrecia continued project Jenova in Nibelheim. Putting Jenova's body there so they could experiment and research with more secrecy at a safe location.
One Vincent Valentine all those years ago was currently enjoying his free time with his lover. Lucrecia Crescent. (pic)
"Vincent... I need to tell you something." Lucrecia clenched her hands to fists. Vincent, being a member of the Turks. Noticed that she was anxious immediately. Which in turn, made him nervous as well. Especially because it was the dreaded sentence that a significant other says when shit was about to go down.
"What is it Lucrecia? What's wrong?" Vincent held her hand and she gritted her teeth, trying to stop her tears from coming out.
Lucrecia pried his hand off of hers. "I can't be with you anymore..." Lucrecia stood up and went back to the Nibelheim manor. Leaving behind an absolutely shocked Vincent.
"What do you mean Lucrecia!?" Vincent chased her when he sobered up and pulled her arm. "I mean what I said, Vincent. I don't think we can continue this anymore. Goodbye." Lucrecia turned her back on him.
"W-wha? Explain it to me! Why? Don't leave me to dry out here! What's the reason?" Vincent's voice cracked and Lucrecia stopped for a moment. Her tears finally dropping. But after a second, she continued her walk to the manor.
Vincent dropped to the ground on his butt and looked down. "What the hell? Just like that... Why?" Vincent furrowed his brows.
A few weeks of trying to talk to Lucrecia, Vincent received a message from his fellow Turks that Lucrecia was pregnant with Hojo's children.
The news broke his heart into a million pieces. Putting him into a deep depression as he hid himself and just continued his job as a guard for them.
He continued doing so, until the day when Lucrecia gave birth came. Hojo announced that she died while giving birth. But Vincent couldn't accept that, being a Turk. He snuck to the lab and tried finding her as well as the children.
"W-what in the world is happening here? Are they... Using the children for project Jenova?" Vincent gasped and immediately went to Lucrecia for an explanation. To learn what's really happening and close the curtains on their connection.
He went to her room after searching for a bit and she was resting there. Exhausted in giving birth to twins, as well as gestating them. With Ramiel consuming tons of calories and nutrients that forced her to overeat for months on end or die of malnutrition.
"Lucrecia... I need an explanation, what the hell are you doing to your children?" Vincent squinted his eyes at her and she winced.
"Vincent, I need your help. Hojo's gone too far, he'll be experimenting on our children extensively. Raise them to be soldiers for Shinra." Lucrecia dropped a bomb on him and Vincent was stunned.
"Our... Children? T-they're my children?" Vincent got a headache as the information hit him like a truck. "Yes... They're yours, Vincent. Please, we need to escape before it's too late. I'll explain everything once we get out of here. Now go, you can't be seen here." Lucrecia pushed on him softly, gesturing him to go.
Vincent frowned heavily and immediately began to exit the lab. But with the information from Lucrecia, he couldn't stomach the thought of his children being experimented on further. Stopping before the exit, he returned and would find answers with Hojo.
He quickly found Hojo as he was almost perpetually in the lab. "Hojo. What do you think you're doing?" Vincent confronted him and the scientist just stared at him like he was a nuisance.
"The Turk, what do you mean?" Hojo raised a brow and Vincent got angry. "You're experimenting on children? You're insane!" Vincent had an outburst.
"Ahhh, that? They're my children no? Then it's up to me how to raise them." Hojo smirked at him and Vincent gritted his teeth.
"Then you leave me no choice, I will bring Lucrecia and the twins out of h-" Before Vincent could finish his sentence. Hojo casted a spell, the Glock.
"No you do not." Hojo shot him again multiple times for good measure. "They're too valuable you see? The twins take to Jenova cells like fish in water." Hojo chuckled and ordered some mooks to take his body to a storage room. A test subject is always welcome after all.
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Thanks for reading everyone, ciao.