Chapter 7:

Vincent, Yuffie and Shelke were in shock from the news. "He's..you're brother!?" Yuffie asked, not wanting to believe it. "This doesn't make sense...you seem so different," said shelke. "They look nothing like each other!" said Yuffie. "Why would your brother do something like this?" Shelke asked Gerald. "Because he's insane. Of course, he wasn't always that way. So you can't fully blame him," said Gerald. "Some of our friends say he's familiar to them. Was he involved in some kind of organization in the past?" Vincent asked. "He was a Turk. One of the most intelligent and famous amongst them," said Gerald. "A Turk? I don't recall anyone by his name as a Turk," said Vincent. "Really? You sound as if you were a turk yourself," said Gerald. "I was," said Vincent. Gerald looked shocked. "Someone like you was a Turk? What happened to you?" asked Gerald. "Nevermind that. We just want to know about Schwartz. Tell us what happened with him," said Vincent.

Tifa returns to the Shera with some drinks for everyone. "They're not back yet?" she asked. "Nope," said Cid as he grabbed a bottle of beer. "Hmm...," Tifa frowns. Gerald takes a few gulps of water before he tells the story. "As you already know, he worked as a Turk. Before you bother asking what I was doing at the time, let me tell you now, nothing. I was just a boy. A Momma's boy in fact. I don't exactly know the kind of work he did as a Turk, but from what I remember, there was a point where he got gravely injured. Can't remember how but, there was this lady named Lucrecia who tended to his wounds and nursed him back to full health," said Gerald. The trio exchanged the surprised looks.

"I'm sure you can guess, they became friends, and he fell in love with her. Lucrecia suddenly started getting busy with some project she was working on with Gast Faremis, and eventually Professor Hojo. So they didn't get to spend as much time together like they used to. My brother decided that he would propose to her when they next meet. But, fate wouldn't allow that. News got around that Lucrecia had passed away, and that's when my brother went mad. He quit being a Turk and blamed everyone who 'took Lucrecia away' from him, and would get his revenge. We lost contact with him for many years since then. Then out of the blue, news got out he came out of hiding, and had built a few laboratories. I met up with him and he told me about how he would get his revenge by creating ZICON and take over the world. He asked me to help him, and I refused. I tried talking some sense into him, but he wouldn't listen. So I left. Some time later, he sent me a message threatening that he was coming for me. The next thing I knew, his ZICON found my house and attacked me and my friends. My friends were killed, and I managed to escape. Found my way here to this beautiful town eventually, and ever since then, I've been looking for someone to help bring them down," Gerald explained.

The trio were quiet as they let all the details sink in. "Well...based on what you said, it sounds like you don't know everything Schwartz was planning," said Shelke. Gerald look at her in confusion. "You make it sound like something big. What am I missing?" Gerald asked. "Lucrecia," said Vincent. Gerald now looked at him with more confusion. "Schwartz is trying to find a way to resurrect her. He kidnapped her, then me to use me as his 'first test subject' because of my power. But because he put me into a coma, I don't know what he did with us or if he succeeded with his plan," said Yuffie. Now it was Gerald who was highly shocked. Then he frowned. "Your power? Elaborate," said Gerald. Yuffie was hesitant at first, but she took a deep breath. "I have some kind of power within me that I was born with. I used to play with it all the time when I was a child, but when my mother passed away, it disappeared. Like it sealed itself inside me. And because I was so little, over the years I grew up, I completely forgot I had it. Apparently it unleashed when the ZICON attacked Wutai, and it destroyed all the ZICON within range," Yuffie explained.

Gerald seemed very mesmerized and interested by the news. "So...what are you? For you to hold a power like that..you must not be human," he said. Yuffie felt her heart sink. She balled her hand in a soft fist and laid it over her chest as she looked down. "I...I don't know..," she said, feeling down. "I don't even understand how to use it or why I have it," she added. Then again, I've never really understood myself in general either, she thought as she walked off. Everyone's always mistreated and misjudged me. What am I? My dad seems to not know either. If my mom was still alive, she'd probably be able to tell me, she thought deeply.

"You was born and raised by caring family in Wutai. You have friends who are willing to help you and consider you part of the family to them. And you really mean to say you don't know who you are?" Vincent said from behind Yuffie, startling her. She quickly turned around to face him. "N-No! It's just...I just don't understand why. I've always felt like there was something wrong with me. I seemed to have had a good life when I was little. That time seems like I was the 'real' me. But then...everything changed when my mom was killed. It's like she was a part of me that I wasn't supposed to lose. But then the situation with my power get tangled up in all of that, and no one knows why I have it. I didn't even remember I had it within me. I grew up as a completely different person from before Mother passed away. It's almost like I've been living a lie," said Yuffie, looking back down as she spoke. Vincent steps closer to her. Yuffie looks up at him and felt his gaze was seeping into her soul. It almost frightened her. "Your power isn't what defines who you are. It's your heart. Know your heart, and you'll know yourself. Only then will you understand everything," he said, then continued walking closer to Yuffie. Making her step back until she was flat against a wall. Vincent pressed his hand on the wall above her head and leaned his face close to hers. "Next time you dare start doubting yourself like this again, I'll make sure to knock some sense into you and punish you for it," he said with a serious tone. Yuffie felt as if she had shrunk by his crimson gaze, and slowly nodded as her cheeks began to feel very warm. Vincent pushed himself off of the wall away from her. "Let's get back to the others," he said, the turned and walked off. Leaving a breathless Yuffie to slide herself downward against the wall and sits on the ground, with her heart racing madly. She slowly placed her hand flatly over her beating heart. Wha-...what was that? She asked in her thoughts.

...

Vincent and Shelke aboard the Shera, with Yuffie following a bit far behind. "Finally! The hell took you guys so long!?" said Barret. "Sorry," said Vincent, with not much meaning to it. "Tch!" Barret scoffs. "So what did he say?" asked Cid. Vincent explained all of the details Gerald provided them about Schwartz and his relationship to Gerald and Lucrecia. Of course, Cid, Barret, and Cait Sith kept interrupting with their 'What!?'s and their 'No way!'s. "Now we know why he created the ZICON...I can't help but pity him," said Tifa, looking sympathetic. "Pft! Shit! All this over a love tragedy!?" said Barret. Tifa gave him a death glare, which shut him up fast. Red XIII sighed. "So what's the plan?" he asked. "Simple. We chase after Schwartz, rescue Lucrecia, and put a stop to him and his ZICON," said Cloud. Everyone looked at each other and nodded in agreement. "Where do we even start looking?" asked Cid, mainly because he was the pilot. "Schwartz's lab base I found Yuffie in. There's a chance he went back since he still wanted to make use of Yuffie," said Vincent. "Then let's get going. Just tell me the directions," said Cid.

Meanwhile, Schwartz had taken Lucrecia to another one of his lab bases. He wanted to run some tests on her to clarify if she had really forgotten everything. He had her laid on a flat scanning table while he did his tests with him computers and operating mechanics. She couldn't have really lost her memory..could she? he thought while he worked.

A/N:

Next chapter will be up tonight! Keep a lookout! Cx