A/N:

This is a Sequel to 'Life Ever After', by Shard Aerliss, by whom's writings I was inspired to write a continuation of her story. With the author's permission, I have spent many hours pouring over her story, contemplating the proper path to the continuation. Oh, to monopolize other's writings! I'm so evil! *Devil horns*

Also, a formal apology is in order, for the long wait. Life, has only been so kind to the misfortunate.

On another note, I do not own anything of Shard Aerliss' own manipulations of the original characters and realms. I am merely taking things from author Shard and carving their multiple paths further. On conclusion, you will notice our enormous difference in writing styles. This is because, if you weren't paying attention, I am not Shard Aerliss, and hold my own style with words. Enjoy the story.

Oh...Aerliss? I have tweaked the fight scene. It's kind of different, don't kill me. The basics are all there; I just...built around it and twisted some places. It is true to the telling though. *Wide, evil smile* Dialogue is the same though...

Prologue

The Sharp Knife of a Short Life

Yuffie raced onto the ship, Cloud and the others at her heels, in time to see Vincent and Sephiroth standing in the middle of the deck, pressed against each other; weapons poised to kill.

Yuffie nearly ran to help, fear for the gunman and hatred at the returned silver-haired General prompting her to move. But she bit her lip and stood still instead, knowing full well if any one of them moved, Sephiroth wouldn't hesitate to kill his opponent in one swift move. And as much as she hated to say it, Vincent wasn't immortal anymore. If Masamune pierced his chest, it was over for him.

The others, likewise, stood around the entrance, weapons out, but forced to remain as spectors to the twisted Gladiator game. The silence and tension was so thick, Yuffie could almost taste it.

"What do you want with Lucrecia?" Vincent's voice was breathy, but steady and demanding. Yuffie noticed his gunarm, although unhindered, shook slightly. She scowled.

Sephiroth's smile grew.

"Is it not obvious?" He asked quietly, his tone playful, toying with his opponent locked in a death grip against him.

What Yuffie wouldn't give to run her Conformer through the smug-faced evil General, then blast his rear-end with her Leviathan Materia and put an end to the creepy little dude's ways right then and there!

Vincent growled, his glowering eyes never leaving Sephiroth's smirking face.

"Humor me."

"Her death." The General said simply, as though he had just been asked what kind of weather he preferred.

Yuffie ground her teeth together, her grip on her Conformer tightening until her knuckles turned white. From the corner of her eye, she saw Cloud slowly making his way unnoticed towards the two combatants still locked in conversation in the center of the room. What was the Chocobo-headed idiot think he was doing?! Yuffie mentally screamed at Cloud to stop before he was caught. If anything were to happen to Vincent...Her thoughts stopped there. Nothing would, she promised herself. She would stop Sephiroth before he could hurt him.

"She's your mother!" Vincent exclaimed, horrified that the other man would say such a thing with so little care.

"No." Sephiroth's smile vanished and her snarled at the smaller man. "She bore me! Gave me life! But she is NOT my mother. That honour belongs to JENOVA. She gave me strength, power! Protection!"

Yuffie almost couldn't believe it. He was given all the facts of his true birth, plain as day, and still Sephiroth was rejecting them! She couldn't help but feel a rush of bitter anger towards the ex-SOLDIER. He knew who his birth parents were, why did he refuse them for an old, withered granny with tubes sticking out of her head, and lived inside a glass tube?! The woman didn't even have the lower body to bear children! Not to mention she was only a head. Yuffie knew. She had seen pictures of the...thing. Her relationship with her own father was rough, at best, but she still acknowledged that he was hers; even if they never got along.

"Sephiroth!" Lucrecia cried, tears threatening to spill at his denial of her.

On any normal day, Yuffie would feel nothing but a resigned acceptance of the woman who had pretty much stolen her life. But she felt a small pang of sorrow for her. Here she was, a mother desperate to meet her son and turn him good, being denied the very title of 'mother' to an evil alien head. (A long dead one, at that.) That had to be rough.

Sephiroth's face contorted in pain at Lucrecia's voice, longing and confusion lining his usually confident features for a moment, making him look almost...Dare Yuffie say, normal? Then the moment passed, and the alien and unnatural smile twisted his features once more.

"No." He said, with a wicked smile. "I shall destroy you! Annihilate you!"

At this, Cloud stopped his advance and straightened; determination lining his young face.

"We beat you once."

It was a threat, and a promise. Even Sephiroth knew that.

Cloud felt confident that they would be able to defeat him again, and Yuffie couldn't help but feel smug at the memory of their previous victory against the tyranny of the silver-haired General. She felt like bouncing and taunting the alienated man, but fear for Vincent's life kept her as still as a statue.

Sephiroth, at hearing Cloud's voice, turned his head to look at him.

No sooner had he moved, than Yuffie saw the slight movement of Vincent's finger reflexively squeezing the trigger of Cerberus, which was trained to Sephiroth's throat. Fear shot through the Ninja as she realized, too late, what would happen.

"Vincent! No!" She screamed.

But it was too late.

Cerberus howled it's victory, a large portion of Sephiroth's neck was blown away, and the General fell back, landing with a dull thud onto the decks floor. Vincent stood still for a moment, his arm lowered to his side before sinking to his knees, Cerberus clattering to the floor beside him. It took Yuffie a moment before she saw the thin blade of Masamune protruding from his back. Someone screamed.

"Vincent!"

She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. She stood still as people rushed past her, vaguely noticing what was going on; the world having slowed down considerably. She barely noticed everyone running forward, unable to tear her gaze from Vincent as he fell slowly to the floor.

A blonde blur that was Cid ran past, catching Vincent before he reached the floor.

No. It wasn't happening.

Lucrecia feel to her knees beside them, her muffled voice a choking sob. Unintelligible. Unimportant.

No. It wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening.

But she knew it had happened. She stumbled forward, walking slowly to where Cid and Lucrecia knelt, a numbness spreading through her body.

It couldn't be real.

But it was.

She stopped, looking down at the blood-covered blade of Sephiroth's that still remained in Vincent's chest; silver vanishing where it met black leather. Her mind screamed at her to pull the accursed blade out, but her body refused to comply. She stared mutely as Cid pulled the gleaming blade free from its prey. Her eyes followed the shiny over-sized katana as it was tossed aside, lingering a moment on the bloodied blade; the world vanishing as she watched the weapon; unable to tear her gaze away.

"Lucrecia."

Vincent's whisper snapped her back into focus, and she tore her gaze from the blade, and down to the source of the voice, her stomach dropping when she finally saw how bad his injury was. She knelt at his head, her trembling hands desperately wanting to hold him, to keep him safe until he got better, but unable to do more than touch the black strands as though they would shatter at any moment. At the thought, she felt the tears begin to form. A glance at Cid and Lucrecia confirmed her fears that he was not getting better. This was it. He was going to die. She had failed. She had promised to protect him, and she had failed. The sensible part of her brain told her that it wasn't her fault, as she had no way of stopping Sephiroth in the first place, and that her attempts would have only ended in Vincent's death anyway; and that, either way, he was doomed to die in the fight. But the heartbroken and shattered part of her beat away the sensible part with denial, fervently holding the blame. It was the only part of him she could keep now. She had lost his love and devotion to another, never having had a real chance at laying claim to that. She had lost her chances of turning his heart to hers with Lucrecia's revival. And now she had lost her chance at living as a friend to him. The blame of his death belonged to her now. That was all that was left of him.

No! She would not cry! She forced her tears away, her shaking hands running through the long, blood-soaked locks in front of her. Vincent's eyes fluttered and she felt her countenance sway. 'Don't go yet, Vinny.' She prayed. 'Leviathan, don't let him go!'

As though he had heard her, Vincent's glazed eyes found hers. Something flickered in his eyes and she tried to read what it was.

"I'm sorry." Vincent whispered, coughing blood as he spoke.

Yuffie stared, her heart pounding furiously. What did he mean?

"No!"

Lucrecia leaned forward, her hands cupping her lover's face. Yuffie only stared, her mind swirling in confusion. What was he saying? Why was he sorry? What for?

Tifa looked on from beside Barret, a look of horror and disbelief on her face. A similar look twisted the face of the big, mammoth man beside her. Red stood beside the father-figure to Marlene, a pained look of sorrow on his bowed head, Reeve's hand unconsciously rubbing the fur on his back, dumbfounded. Cloud was staring confused and disbelieving at what was happening, his blue eyes blinking slowly.

"Please," Lucrecia begged, her fingers ghosting Vincent's lips and trailing invisible lines along his cheek-bone. "Don't leave me!"

Yuffie silently agreed with the scientist, her grey eyes still locked with Vincent, who choked, coughing blood as he struggled to speak. Yuffie wanted to tell him it was okay, wanted to believe that this wasn't happening. She didn't want to believe that the man they all believe to be immortal...was dying. Right there in front of her, and there was nothing she could do to save him.

A wave of helplessness washed over her, and she wanted to cry. Wanted him to sit up and prove that it wasn't happening. It wasn't real. Beside her, Cid watched on in silence, his face strained as he tried to stop the flow of blood.

Vincent choked again, his hand in Lucrecia's lap twitched and the scientist was quick to wrap one hand around it, her fingers lacing around his and squeezing them gently. Yuffie saw that hand squeeze weakly back, the sight making her throat burn uncomfortably. Her eyes snapped back to his face. Back to his flickering eyes.

"Sorry." Vincent mouthed, no longer able to speak as his body finally gave in to the struggle to live. His eyes drifted closed and he went still. Yuffie stared.

It was over. No sigh. No quiet gasp of air that usually accompanied the dying, that signaled the end. Just silence. A quiet man; even in death.

"Vincent!" Lucrecia screamed, falling in a sobbing heap on Vincent's chest, her hands clutching feebly at him. Yuffie's mind spun.

Vincent...was dead.