Lucrecia.

She was on his mind again. Vincent had just gotten out of those monster-infested sewers. He was just an elevator ride away from Shinra Manor. But with the long wait inside the elevator, his thoughts began to wander. He knew going to that mansion would bring back many painful memories, but he had to face them. He needed information on Lucrecia's work. Thinking back on his first meeting with her, he would've never forseen everything that would come to pass due to his sin. Being useless when it came to the person he loved ate away at him. It always had. He assumed it always would.

Though another memory --- a recent one --- replaced the negative thoughts. The day he met Vianca. It was only a few days ago, but already she'd made quite the impression on him. She was strange and curious. She was fierce yet kind. She was beautiful. Vincent halted his thoughts right there. What's gotten into me? He tried to shake away the girl, but her lovely smile remained stuck in his head. The faintest of smiles tugged at the corners of his lips.

He was snapped back to reality when the elevator came to a stop. The door slid open and he stepped out. He was in a storage area within the manor, which meant he'd made it. A gunshot made him swiftly duck behind a large crate for cover. He spied them in the area. Deepground soldiers. He grabbed his gun, peeked around the crate, and shot at the sniper targeting him. He then picked off the rest of them with ease, then continued on his way.

When he entered the next room, which was a rather normal study with old books scattered about, he scanned for enemies, gun in hand. When he realized there wasn't any danger present, he put his weapon away. It was then that a glowing blue ball went rolling across the wood floor. It slowed to a stop at his feet. Confused, he reached down to pick it up. It suddenly glowed brighter. When the light dimmed, he turned upon feeling a presence behind him. Startled, his eyes widened at the woman before him.

"Lucrecia."

"Vincent. Have you...come to check up on me?"

He couldn't believe it. She was really there, right in front of him. The woman he loved. He didn't know what to say or do. The woman slowly walked toward him. Vincent held his arms out, ready to embrace her and never let go. But his hope was crushed when Lucrecia walked right through him. He flinched and turned to look at her, her image flickering. He cursed his own stupidity. Of course she wasn't there. It was just a hologram.

"Omega. His awakening is upon us." The room went white before showing the crystal cave. Lucrecia approached the large crystal in the middle of a shallow pool. "Soul wrought of terra corrupt, quelling impurity, purging the stream to beckon forth an ultimate fate. Behold mighty Chaos, Omega's squire to the lofty heavens. I came across this passage while studying the scriptures of the Ancients. The Chronicles of Yore. Omega: The end. Just as all other sentient beings, he too, is born of the Lifestream. However, his only purpose is to cleanse the planet of all things living and lead their immortal souls through the abyssal aether to a new beginning far, far beyond the never-ending sea of stars."

Holding her hands out, light formed above Lucrecia's palms. It created a single orb that shattered in the next instant. "Just as life circulates through our planet, so too, does our planet through the universe. At least in theory." The crystal cave gave way to a beautiful galaxy. "What I can be certain of is, if Omega awakens, then all life as we know it will end. And when Omega has embarked on his journey to the cosmos, our planet will die. But if Omega should ever stir before his time, Aegis, the planet's failsafe protocol, is said to be born to preserve life and disrupt the awakening."

The galaxy disappeared, fading back to the original layout of the room. Vincent was still listening attentively. "I will leave a copy of my records here for you, Vincent. Though I... I cannot imagine what help they might be, if any at all. Just remember..." She bowed her head apologetically. "I am so sorry."

The hologram disappeared, and the ball in Vincent's head broke to pieces. Vincent lurched forward, a mix of emotions overwhelming him. Rage, shock, confusion, sorrow, heartbreak. It was unbearable seeing her face again.

"Lucrecia..."

He took slow, deep breaths to calm himself. He couldn't worry about her anymore. She wasn't there. He needed to focus. A disk laying on the desk nearby caught his eye. He went over to look at it. There was writing on it that read "Omega". Vincent stuffed it into one of his pockets, then turned to leave. That was one report, and there were bound to be others. Even if they were scattered around the mansion, he would find them. He had to.

~~~~~

Vianca peered up at the mansion, in awe of such a huge house. Even in its dilapidated state, it was impressive. She steadily went up to the front doors, pushing them open. She couldn't keep from smiling, taking in the large foyer. It was her first time seeing anything like it. She twirled around, looking at everything from top to bottom. She abruptly stopped herself.

"Focus, Vianca. Don't get so distracted." She shook her head at herself. "You're here to find Vincent and lend a hand. No time for playing around like a child."

Despite her words, she had a skip in her step as she made her way to the staircase. As soon as Shalua got enough information out of her, Vianca had taken off to lend her power to the keeper. The Protomateria was seemingly calling to her, and thanks to Reeve's help, she located Shinra Manor. The commissioner even asked her to help gather information while she was there. She was overjoyed to be given a task so important to the WRO. Deepground had never given her any real incentive to work for them other than the promise of information. But now there was hope that she could do some good.

Going upstairs, she went to one of the large rooms. There were beds and sofas, and she assumed it was a place for guests to sleep. She sighed upon seeing Deepground soldiers there, already making themselves at home and waiting for any intruders. They paused to look at Vianca, saluting her.

"Vianca the Diamond, we weren't aware of your presence on this mission," one of them said. "Last we heard, you were captured by the WRO and-"

The man didn't even get to finish his sentence. Crystals had grown all over the floor and walls, forming spears that skewered the troops simultaneously. Vianca nonchalantly walked over to one of the beds, flopping onto it with a smile. There was a female soldier stabbed through right beside the bed, and she looked at the girl in terror.

"Wh... Why...?"

Vianca looked over at her, ignoring her question. "You know, this is the first time I've ever laid on a real bed. It's so soft and cozy. Makes me want to sleep." She giggled, watching the woman spit up blood. "Goodnight. Sweet dreams."

The soldier went limp like the others, completely lifeless. Vianca took a deep breath and closed her eyes, relaxing. She made a fist, and listened to her crystals crack and shatter. The bodies fell to the floor with loud thuds, but the flecks of crystals sounded like rain falling. It was so tranquil.

"I hope to sleep on a bed like this someday." The girl opened her eyes to stare up at the ceiling. "Maybe with the WRO, they'll give me a real bed of my own. I'll do my best to earn it."

She sat up, and upon looking at the bloody scene before her, she noticed a disk laying on the nightstand. The words "Omega" were written on it. Vianca picked it up, a little confused. Is this the kind of thing Vincent and Reeve are looking for? Better hold onto it. Disk in hand, the Diamond forced herself up off the bed. She walked around all the blood and corpses to leave the room. Back in the foyer, she leaned forward against the railing, looking around with a sigh.

"This place is huge. How am I supposed to find anything more than this little disk?"

She hopped over the railing, landing gracefully on the floor below. She only just noticed the door at the back of the room, opposite the front doors. Considering the back of the mansion was practically against a massive wall of rock, it couldn't have led outside. With a shrug of her shoulders, she went through. She immediately found herself in a metal hallway. It looked like more of a Deepground facility than a mansion hall. She fearlessly walked onward, finding her path sloping downward a bit. She finally arrived in a room that looked to be a lab. There were shelves of books and computers everywhere. There were large tanks of water and examination tables.

"A lab? Here?"

She looked around, spying another disk laying on a table. It was just like the one she currently had in her hand. She went and picked it right up. With a sigh, she took a seat on one of the tables, a few distant memories piecing together in her head. The room reminded her of the lab she was kept in for so long, and she had to wonder, was this the purpose she had been given? Did the scientists --- did Nestor --- expect for her to work with people like the WRO one day? She had doubts, for sure, but at the same time, she felt like it was right.

You are destined for greatness... Those words echoed in her head. They were Nestor's, she remembered it now. She wondered if maybe working with Deepground had been wrong from the start. Her life after waking up was full of tough choices, and she had picked all the wrong ones. At least until she encountered Vincent. Perhaps he was the one who set her on the right path. When Azul had lashed out at her that day, Vincent had tried to approach her, as if concerned.

A song started playing in her head, one that seemed familiar and so natural to her. She looked down at her pendant, recalling every word. She remembered, it was Nestor's favorite song, and hers. Unable to contain herself, she started singing, completely carefree.

~~~~~

Vincent stopped where he was on the spiraling staircase. A voice reached his ears --- a feminine voice. She was singing, it sounded like. He grabbed his gun and quietly followed it, listening the the words.

(This is the song if you want to hear it. I thought it fit this really well.)

"You wonder why
Everything is in your way
Trying to block the light
And everything feels like a fight
And the more you try
It gets harder every single day
But if you're asking me
You're gonna make it

"You're gonna make it all the way
Just wait and see
You've carried so much
And something else is gonna lift you up
You're gonna make it out of this
And you will be free
It hasn't been easy
And it will be worth it"

Vincent approached the room, silently peeking inside. He was surprised to see Vianca. She was the one singing. He put Cerberus back in its holster, but remained where he was to listen a bit longer. She had a lovely voice, and the words seemed to speak to him in a way.

"You realized
The pressure never goes away
And it drains your mind
And sometimes you can't get it right
But the dream in your heart
Is getting stronger ever single day
And if you're asking me
You're gonna make it

"You're gonna make it all the way
Just wait and see
You've carried so much
And something else is gonna lift you up
You're gonna make it out of this
And you will be free
It hasn't been easy
And it will be worth it"

With a smile tugging at his lips, Vincent stepped into the room. "Beautiful."

Vianca turned her head, smiling softly upon seeing him. "Vincent. Thank you. That's actually the only song I know. It's my favorite." She sadly looked down at her pendant. "It was also...his favorite too."

Vincent could sympathize with her and understood how she felt. He knew Dr. Hauke was important to her, just as Lucrecia was to him. For the first time, he could see a portion of himself in someone else, and he wanted them to get through it. Everyone had to move on at some point, that's what Cloud and the rest of his friends taught him three years ago. But only now did he realize how important it was. Vianca was a sweet girl, and he wanted to help her. But first thing's first, he had a question for her.

"Vianca, what are you doing here at Shinra Manor?"

The girl tilted her head curiously. "I wanted to help. The Protomateria was calling to me, and I feel like...I must protect it." She smiled happily. "But while looking around, I found these." She held out the two disks she found. "They have something to do with Omega. Do you think they'll be useful?"

Vincent took the disks, nodding as he put them away with the others in his pocket. "Very useful. Great job finding these. Made my work easier."

Vianca slid off the table, a joyful gleam in her eyes. "I'm glad to be of assistance. It was enjoyable exploring this place. Have you seen that room upstairs with all the comfy beds? They're so soft, I've never laid on anything like them. Do you think the WRO would give me a bed like that if I do a good job here?"

For the first time in years, a light chuckle escaped Vincent's lips. The girl was just too adorable for him to resist. "I'm certain they will. In fact, I'll make sure you get that bed once we're done here."

Vianca clapped her hands together with excitement. "I can hardly wait! So, are we finished here?"

"Yeah. Let's go. Reeve needs this information."