It was well after dark when the two Soldiers realized that even though they could see well enough and were not overly tired, the same could not be said for the women. Neither of them had complained, but they had both stumbled several times. It wasn't until Genesis heard Sherry curse once more that he frowned and pulled on her arm to stop her.
"We will make camp. At least until dawn. Zack and I will take turns with watch. The two of you should rest."
Sherry looked like she was about to object, but Genesis glared at her and cut her off. "We do need to make good time, but even with a slight delay, we should be able to reach Kalm by tomorrow evening. You've done well. Take the time while we have it."
Sherry still wanted to deny the need. At least until she saw Aerith. She finally nodded when the girl practically fell over when they stopped. Sherry cursed under her breath at the reminder that at least she had the added benefit of slightly increased stamina thanks to her brand. Aerith had trooped along with nothing but willpower.
Once that was decided, Sherry guided Aerith to sit down on a large rock and told her to stay while they made camp. It wasn't as though there was a lot of work. It was no time before Genesis had a small fire, and they only unpacked their bedrolls. The weather was mild enough that they didn't have to worry about tents. It wasn't long until they had all eaten something, and the women laid down. Genesis took the first watch while the rest quickly slid into sleep.
Genesis had underestimated how long it would take them, and it was once again well after dark before the lights of Kalm came into view. At least they could see them, and none of them wanted to stop. They were greeted by a scowling Sephiroth and a worried-looking Angeal when they finally made their way into the inn.
Both men's gazes turned to shock when Zack followed the group in, but neither said anything when they saw Aerith leaning against his arm. They realized questions would need to wait until the two women were settled at least. They were both dead on their feet.
They had only been able to reserve one room, but it had four beds. The Soldiers had felt that would have been sufficient since Genesis would likely share a bed with Sherry. Now, things were a little different. It was a problem they would work around anyway, as they would only be there for the night, and they still had much to discuss before they left.
Neither woman complained when they were showed to the room and told to pick a bed. They were both out almost as soon as their heads hit the pillows. As soon as they were settled, Sephiroth quietly gave the Second orders to watch over them while he gestured for Genesis to follow him downstairs.
Genesis rolled his eyes, but still followed along with Angeal. Luckily, once they made it outside, it was late enough that the area was deserted. Sephiroth turned to his Second-in-Command with a glare. "What were you thinking?"
Genesis glared right back. "Do you think I would bring him for no reason? Have you forgotten that his future self was one of the ones to be sent to Earth as well? What do you think that means?"
Sephiroth took a step back at Genesis' rebuke. He had thought about the fact that it had been Zack and not Angeal, but he never asked why. It suddenly seemed like a crucial question. "Why? Why was it Zack and not Angeal?"
Genesis took a step away, but Sephiroth didn't miss the flash of frustrated rage that passed through the man's eyes. His voice barely concealed it as well. "Because, out of us all, he was the one to become a hero. A true hero that put others before himself. One that knows the value of sacrifice."
A wave of unease passed over Sephiroth. Something in those words set him on edge and made him wonder at the parts of the tale they refused to share. When he glanced over at Angeal, he could see the man was even more disturbed and could well guess why. Given the fact that Zack was his protégé, it was no surprise that the man was uncomfortable at the mental image of the boy giving up his own life for others.
Sephiroth was pulled from his thoughts when Genesis spoke again. "It matters not. He deserves to be here, so he is."
Sephiroth frowned at Genesis' imperious tone, but let it go when Angeal placed a hand on his shoulder and spoke instead. "I'm not any happier about it than Sephiroth, but I trust that you wouldn't have brought him without reason. I just hope you know what you're doing."
Genesis waved off his concern and headed back to the inn. "It is late. We need as much rest as we can get if we are to leave early. I doubt we will be allowed much of a head start." Both men frowned at his retreating form, but they had already agreed to see this through. They followed him back up to the room with whirling thoughts and deepened frowns.
The next morning the subdued group headed to the chocobo stables. Sephiroth had already made arrangements to rent five birds for their trip to the fishing village they would use to cross over to Banora since they couldn't use the helicopters. Thankfully, the man had another that had just been brought back the day before, and no one had to share. It was especially good as the only ones that would have been able to, were Sherry and Aerith, and neither had ridden before. Luckily, the rested birds were calm, and both women were given enough pointers that it was not difficult.
The hard part was the fact that they hardly stopped. They had a lot of ground to cover, and they all knew they couldn't afford to waste time. During the trip, Angeal gave Zack a brief overview of where they were going, and much to Genesis' shock, why. Although he only mentioned the basics and not any part that Sherry or Genesis had to play in their knowledge. Zack had been horrified at learning of the experiments, but he still refused to leave Angeal's side. Sherry grinned, when it was Genesis that gave him a satisfied nod.
The trip to the coast took several days, even with them only stopping for a few hours each night. Thankfully, they only ran into one issue. It was as they were crossing through a swampy area that stank to high heaven that the chocobos started making a fuss. Sephiroth had them all pick up speed, and no one questioned the order. However, Sherry suddenly remembered where they were and, for some reason, had the urge to look back. She immediately wished she hadn't.
Blocky early 3D gaming could never do the Zolom justice. She swallowed a scream and turned back around before she urged her chocobo faster. They were ahead of the thing, but just barely. The image of its red and green scales shimmering under the sun as it slid along in the mud was probably going to haunt her nightmares. Thankfully, they made it into the mines shortly after that.
The trip through the mines was expedited by Sephiroth's requisition of one of the larger mine carts. None of the workers thought to question the General, not even when he told them to forget they had passed through. It was a welcome break for the two women, at least. They were able to nap a little, but the part that helped the most was that they were off the chocobos. For people that were unused to riding, being in the saddle for so long each day was just as hard as walking had been.
They weren't happy to be back on the birds when they got out of the mines, but they didn't complain. Zack took to talking to Aerith a lot after that. It helped keep the girl distracted. He had also been impressed by how well she had been keeping up. He had been impressed by both women, but somehow, he had expected anyone married to one of the Firsts would be a little different. He hadn't been surprised when Sherry took out a whole group of mandragoras before any of the others could even manage to get their tentacles cut from around their ankles.
Once they made it to the fishing village, they were on a boat within a few hours. Sephiroth had already made arrangements for that as well. The man had been waiting for them to arrive. The had to let the birds go back, but they would be landing within a day's walk of Banora, so it was not that big of a deal. Aerith and Sherry certainly weren't going to complain.
By the time they finally made it to the outskirts of the village, it was dusk. Sherry looked out over the orchards and took Genesis' hand. It was picturesque. She looked over to her lover to see him frowning before he spoke up. "Sherry and I will stay at the inn tonight. I am sure there should be rooms enough for the rest of you as well."
Angeal gave him a confused look and stepped forward. "Do you not want to visit your parents?"
Genesis' jaw clenched. Sherry pulled on his hand, but he didn't meet her eye as he shook his head. "Not tonight. Perhaps before we leave."
Angeal had already heard a few things exchanged between the two of them that gave him enough of an idea about why, but it was still hard. He wasn't exactly thrilled to see his mother. There were many things in those reports that they needed to discuss, but he had time to think about it, and he wasn't going to go into the conversation with condemnation. Not once he realized that Genesis was right. He was only a monster if he let himself become one.
He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder and gave him a nod. "I understand but don't forget that someone once helped you realize it was okay to forgive yourself. If that is the case, then it might be okay to forgive others too. At least give them to chance to speak and see if they want the chance to be forgiven." Genesis gave him a glare, but it quickly lost all heat. He didn't say anything else as he turned away and guided the rest of their group to the tiny inn while Angeal went to find the house he grew up in.
The next morning, Genesis called Angeal and asked that he meet them at the caves. The conversation was brief, and they set out as soon as he agreed. He arrived almost at the same time as the rest of them. Several of their group gave him worried looks at his tired eyes, but he ignored them as he brushed past them. "These caves extend a long way under the village, and they're convoluted. We need to get going, especially since we don't know how long we'll be down there."
Sherry almost wanted to speak up and tell them all that it was probable they could not get it done in a day, but she bit her tongue and followed after the group. They all looked to be even more weighed down now that they were here than they had been in Midgar.
It wasn't that she and Aerith hadn't discussed things while they traveled, but neither of them knew what to expect, so it had all been conjecture. Until they got into the room, none of them knew how this would play out. For all Sherry knew, it could take them months to figure out how to access the power of the materia, though she sure as hell hoped not. She doubted Veld would give them that long.
Angeal had been correct about the caves. It took then more than an hour to get to the large doors that blocked what they were looking for. As reverent as Sherry felt, and Aerith looked, none of the men hesitated. Not even Genesis. Both of the Banora natives stepped up and had the door open in seconds. Sherry frowned at her husband. He had been terse all morning, and she knew why, but she had hoped that being here would have helped. She sighed as she followed him in and got her first look at the impressive structure.
Once they were in the room, the men fanned out and looked around. Sherry wondered if it was a habit, or if they really felt threats were waiting for them in a room that had probably been locked for over a decade. She somehow managed to keep her mouth shut.
Once they were assured the room was clear, Sephiroth turned to Sherry. "What now?"
She gave him an exasperated look and shook her head. "Now, we do a little examining." She motioned for Aerith to follow her over to the giant branched materia behind the statue of the goddess.
Aerith gave her a nod and started to follow, but before they had taken more than a few steps, Sherry's arm started to burn. Her eyes widened in panic, and she ripped her sleeve up. The pain coming from her brand, and thoughts of becoming c'eith were suddenly the only thing on her mind. As soon as the geometric pattern was exposed, she was both relieved and shocked when her eidolith flew from it.
Both Aerith and Zack gasped, as neither knew what they were seeing. Though Zack had a better understanding of what was going on when he saw a circle of light appear. Genesis was immediately by his wife's side. "What are you doing?"
She bit back the pain and shook her head. "That wasn't me."
His eyes widened, and his head shot up. Everyone in the room watched as the giant flaming bird circled several times before it finally perched on one of the topmost branches of the materia. By that time, the pain had passed, and Sherry tried sending her eidolon several commands. It was not responding. At least she was reasonably sure it was because it was responding to a higher order. Or at least she hoped so.
Her suspicions were shortly proven to be true when Phoenix shocked them all by opening her beak and speaking. "I know why you have all gathered. This place is sacred, and the one place on Gaia the Calamity cannot see. You have done well to seek the planet's aid, but know this will not be an easy task."
Aerith had been clinging to Zack, but when the bird turned to her, instead of shrinking back, she stepped forward. "Child, though you will not be alone, the bulk of this burden will fall to you, as the last of those that can hear the planet without the aid of this place. Are you prepared for what may come?"
The girl swallowed a couple of times but nodded. "I don't know if I'm strong enough, but I won't give up as long as I have the strength to keep going."
Sherry stepped to her side and looked up as well. "I know I'm not a Cetra, but if there is anything I can do to help, I will."
Phoenix dipped her head down, and Sherry felt a familiar warmth wash over her. "Child, your task is yet to come. You have done your part in bringing them here. Your presence bolsters their strength and gives them a reason to go on. Stand by them. For now, that will be enough."
Sherry wanted to growl in frustration, but she wasn't surprised. The others had been correct when they said she couldn't use materia. She had tried a few times with Genesis' and, for some reason, it just wouldn't work for her. Still, she managed a nod and settled for stepping back and taking Genesis' hand.
The bird then turned to the others. "None of you can undo the past, but we can mitigate to hold the Calamity has on you all. If this world is to survive, to rebuild what was lost, then we must first ensure you are prepared to face that horror without succumbing to her lies." She paused and looked over them all before she continued. "If you are prepared to do so, then one at a time, you must place your hands upon the materia. The Cetra will control it, and the planet will wash away any influence that would taint your mind."
Sephiroth was the first to step forward. He barely paused before he spoke. "I have read all the reports. I know what was done to me. Out of us all, I have the highest concentration of Jenova cells. If you can stop her influence in me, then I must go first. I still am unsure of everything I have been told, but I would rather be safe."
Phoenix dipped her head once more before she turned to Aerith. "Are you ready, child?"
Aerith looked over at Sherry. She gave her an encouraging look as she wished there was some way she could join her. The girl gave her a nod and turned to make her way to one side of the tree-like materia. Sephiroth made his way to the other. Once both of their hands were on the trunk, the bird spoke once again. "You must both open yourself to the forces of the planet. You will know what to do."
None of them knew what to expect, but it wasn't long before Aerith threw her head back. Her teeth were gritted, but they could all see she was fighting back a scream. On the other side, Sephiroth only looked to be faring better because of his higher tolerance for pain. A sheen of sweat could still be seen across his brow.
When Aerith finally did scream, Zack let out a curse and ran to her side. Genesis and Angeal both called out for him to stop, but Sherry grabbed her husband to prevent him from interfering. Something told her this would be okay. The boy didn't try to pull Aerith back. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close to himself and steady. The action seemed to ease her pain just enough that her screams stopped, and she was taking ragged breaths instead.
It was only a matter of minutes later that Aerith fell back against Zack, and Sephiroth fell to his knees. The rest of the group rushed forward to check on them. Sherry had an ether out and handed it over as soon as she was by Aerith's side. The girl didn't understand at first, but Sherry opened it and nearly forced her to drink it. There was no way that did not drain her magical reserves.
Once she had it down, Zack helped Aerith to her feet, and they turned to see Sephiroth was already with the others. Phoenix spoke up at that point. "You have done well. Your success with the one that would have been known as the Child of the Calamity shows that you are strong enough to finish this."
There were a couple of sighs when they heard it was successful. The only one that frowned was Sherry. Not that she wasn't glad, but she hoped the others didn't focus on the rest of what the planet said. She wasn't given long to worry about it before the bird continued. "As harsh as this was, are you ready to continue?"
Zack piped up with his objections, but Aerith put a hand on his arm to stop him. She gave him a smile and shook her head. "It's okay. With that ether, I'm fine. I knew it would take a lot out of me, but we don't have time to waste. Let me do this." She paused and her cheeks turned a little red, but she managed to finish. "Besides, with your help, I'm sure the rest will be no problem."
As dire as the circumstances were, Sherry chuckled when Zack's face turned red, and he scratched the back of his head. The motion caused a pain in her chest at the familiarity, but she pushed it aside when he answered. "I'd be happy to help, but only if you're sure you're alright."
When Aerith just nodded, he sighed, and they both moved back to their position by the materia again. This time, he started out holding her like he had before, despite both of them blushing at the contact.
None of them said anything else as Angeal moved to take Sephiroth's place. Sherry was torn. She was worried about Aerith, but she was also concerned about Sephiroth. She could tell that he was still affected by whatever had happened despite his stoic face. When the girl opened a channel again, and Sherry was certain that Zack had things well in hand, she turned to check on the General, despite her husband's frown.
When she reached his side, he looked up with a frown. "Shouldn't you be worried about the others? Or your summon?"
She shook her head and ignored his diversionary tactics. "I can't help them right now, and my eidolon is being controlled by a goddess, so there isn't much I can do about that either. I just wanted to check and see how you're doing? I know that had to be hard. Especially since you probably feel different now."
He narrowed his eyes at her and didn't speak for several seconds. Finally, he sighed and rubbed his temples. "There is a silence that I am unfamiliar with. I never realized the lack of it until the noise was gone. It disturbs me to know that the alien was already in my mind and has been all my life."
Sherry put a hand on his arm. His head jerked up, but she didn't step away. Her voice was soft. "Do not fear that she was influencing you. You have always been a good man despite how you see yourself. I doubt that would be the case if she had her hooks in you. It was most likely more like radio static. You weren't broken enough or close enough for her to do more."
He frowned at her but didn't get to do more. By that time, the process was finished with Angeal. It had taken much less time, and Aerith did not look as worn out as she had the first time. That was a good sign. Sherry was still glad to see Zack pull out an ether and hand it to her. Better to be safe than sorry if they planned on getting all three Firsts protected that day.
Phoenix fluffed her feathers but didn't say anything while they gave Aerith a moment to rest. It wasn't long before she gave Genesis a nod. He took Sherry's hands and looked in her eyes before he brushed his lips across hers. "Infinite in mystery is the gift of the Goddess."
Sherry frowned when he didn't follow that quote up with anything else like he usually would have. What was that supposed to mean? She had a sinking feeling as he placed his hands on the materia, but she didn't get to say anything before Aerith opened a channel. They all watched for a couple of minutes.
It started out just like the others. It looked harsh, but not different. About halfway through the process, something happened. Phoenix reared up with a screech, and a jet of flames shot down and enveloped Genesis. Sherry was immediately casting water to try and put out the fire as she ran to his side. She screamed in fear and frustration when it made no difference.
She was not the only one that tried to get to him, but none of them could get past the seemingly solid barrier. It looked like flames, but it didn't behave like them. Sherry could hardly see past her tears.
They were all shocked when it disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared. Sherry was instantly on her knees next to Genesis and was trying to support him. She was distracted when her eidolith floated back down and reabsorbed into her skin, but not for long. Her husband groaned and looked over into her eyes. The look he gave her was haunted.
Genesis cupped her cheek, and Sherry felt a rising horror at the look he was giving her. It continued as he stared into her eyes and brushed his thumb along her cheekbone. When he finally spoke, her blood ran cold. "Love, you will never be alone again."
Sherry felt herself sway. She was nearly hyperventilating, but she managed to grab both his arms and focused on his face. "Where is it?"
The rest of the group around them had been forgotten and were all utterly lost in their conversation, but Genesis had known she would understand. Sherry's brand had been on the underside of her right wrist. Genesis pulled back the sleeve on his left arm and showed her the underside of his left wrist.
She had known what she would find. Somehow, as soon as she had seen the flames, she knew what was going on, despite not wanting to admit it. Still, Sherry balled her fists and beat them against his chest. "Why! Was I not enough!? Have I not given up enough!? Have I not lost-"
Her words were lost in her sobs, and Genesis pulled her close. He brushed a hand down her hair as he whispered. "No, love, you are more than enough. This was my choice. I asked to have your cursed lifted, but I was told it was impossible. I have seen how much you fear the end of your journey. How much you fear being alone. You will never be alone again."
Sherry beat on his chest once more at his words, but all her strength seemed to leave her as she sank into him, and they sat there together on the floor of the cave, oblivious to the stares of the rest of their group. The others realized that something monumental had just happened, but none had a clue what it was.
A/N: Dun dun dun, oh, sorry. Well, we are getting close to the end here, as the goal is not to tackle everything, but to off Jenova, but we still have at least five to seven chapters. I know this has been a rollercoaster story and will remain that way, but I want to thank you for sticking around. As hard as it can be, I personally believe it has its own form of beauty. And trust me when I say that it won't be an unhappy ending, despite how it looks. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!