As soon as the teenagers were gone, Sherry turned to see Angeal and Genesis staring at each other with frowns. Sephiroth had joined them and was giving Genesis a hard look as well. "Angeal is correct. We can tell there is something else you are keeping from us. And now you bring in a boy that looks like a strong wind would blow him away and ask Angeal to train him? You do realize the boy could get hurt, correct?"
Sherry walked over to where they were standing and shocked them all when she looked up to Genesis with a frown. "I told you that you should have told them already. You need to tell them now, or none of this will make sense."
Genesis growled at her, and his eyes flashed. His fists clenched, and it looked like he was going to say something scathing, but he swallowed whatever it was before he turned away and paced across the room. It was several seconds before he turned to his friends with a frown. "That boy has the potential to become a formidable warrior. I have seen it with my own eyes. His future self was one of the ones sent to Earth. He was the one that gave First Tsurigi to Sherry before he disappeared. He told her to find a good use for it. She decided the best use for it would be to give it back to him, even if he didn't remember having it."
Genesis lifted the Fusion Sword once more before he tossed it to Angeal. His friend's eyes widened when he caught it. He looked between Genesis and the sword several times before he spoke. "That boy was able to wield this?"
Genesis huffed a bitter laugh. "That boy not only wielded it, but he also designed it."
It was Sephiroth's turn to look shocked. He took the sword from Angeal and examined the many catches that allowed the blades to come loose before he put it back together. He then set it to the side and glared at Genesis. "Be that as it may, this only explains why you want the boy trained, not why you have asked Angeal to train him in your stead. What are you avoiding?"
Sherry put a gentle hand on his arm before he could turn away again. Finally, he looked at them both. "Dreams of the morrow hath the shattered soul. Pride is lost, wings stripped away. The end is nigh."
He looked away and frowned, so he didn't see the flash of worry that entered Angeal eyes. He sighed as he looked back at his friends. "I have been unsure if I should share or not. This is a harsh truth that I have not wanted to face myself, much less cause you to face it with me. Our time is running out now, and I have little of it left to bother hiding from you."
Sephiroth stepped forward and looked at the couple with a frown. Neither of them seemed pleased. He could tell immediately that Sherry knew what Genesis was talking about. Angeal was the one to speak. "I thought the possibility of degradation was dealt with? You were purified with the rest of us, weren't you?"
Genesis sneered, but the look dropped quickly. He then pulled back his left sleeve and revealed the mark on his wrist. When he did, Sherry did the same. She looked up at her husband, and at his nod, began to explain. "I have already told you that this is the mark of a l'cie. We have both been chosen by Minerva to carry out a specific task, a focus. These marks give us the power to do so, but there is more to them."
Angeal was already frowning, and Sephiroth was wearing a horrified look. He had a feeling he already knew what was coming, and it was impossible, but it explained so many things that were still unexplained. His hypothesis was proven when she continued. "These marks are also used to either punish a failed l'cie or reward a successful one. Any l'cie that fail become c'eith. Those are monsters made of crystal that feel only rage and regret. The only thing that can be done for them is to kill them and put them out of their misery."
She paused and had to look away while she swallowed the lump in her throat. She was grateful when Genesis was the one to pick up. "I have seen firsthand what a l'cie gets when they succeed, as this is Sherry's second focus. To quote the goddess' champion, we will be given eternal life. We will watch over our loved ones as we slumber, trapped inside our crystal statues."
Sephiroth stormed to the other side of the room to keep from saying something he would regret later. Angeal looked between the two of them in shock. His gaze finally landed on Sherry. "That statue he brought back. That was you!?"
She couldn't speak, so she nodded. Angeal then pinned Genesis with a glare. "Why are you just now telling us this? Wait, you said you chose this? You knew what the outcome would be, and you asked to be marked? What were you thinking!?"
Genesis sneered. "You have no idea what it is like. You have not seen her wake from nightmares of that time. You have not seen the fear that haunts her eyes. I know I was not there when she faced the void. The dreams of everyone she loved, seeing them move on, knowing they were happy, and never being able to interact with them again. That is a special kind of torture. If you believe for one moment that I would have the woman I love face that alone again, you do not know me at all."
Angeal stepped back with widened eyes, but he was not given a chance to respond. Veld had just walked in. "Good, everyone is still here. I was lucky enough to find a guide that knows the young man you brought in earlier, so my job is already done. Now we need to discuss our next steps."
All four of the others turned to him with glares that intensified when they saw the three teenagers standing nervously behind him with a new addition. Sherry sighed as Tifa looked around with both curiosity and trepidation.
Genesis growled, but Angeal grabbed his arm. "We aren't done yet!"
Veld looked at the two of them as he walked over. "Whatever is going on, table it. We have plans to make." Both soldiers glared at him, but the Director didn't back down.
Sherry sighed again as she made her way over to the other four. She smiled at the two youngest and tried to ignore the sounds of the three men that were already arguing in a disjointed three-way match that didn't look like it was going to be resolved any time soon. "Why don't you guys go take a seat over there and get to know one another. If we're going to be working together, it can't hurt."
Tifa looked around her before she looked back. "It's not always like this, is it?"
Sherry shook her head with a forced chuckle. "Not at all. We've had several long days of hard travel to get here. I'm sure a little rest will get tempers back in order. Besides, I'm sure you've seen these two are nothing like that."
Tifa grinned at Zack and Aerith. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She then held out her hand. "The name's Tifa Lockhart, by the way. I know I may not look like it, but I'm the best guide in town."
Sherry grinned back. "I have no doubt that you are. I'm Sherry."
Tifa's eyes widened a little. "You're the one married to the Commander?"
"Uh, yeah." Sherry shook her head at the look she was getting, but didn't get to respond further, as she heard a particularly loud curse coming from her husband. She sighed again. "Excuse me. I need to see if I can keep someone from getting killed."
She turned to join the three that were still yelling and found that Angeal was angrier than she had ever seen him, Veld looked like he was ready to shoot them both, and Genesis had fire at his fingertips. She grabbed his arm and tried to get his attention. "Can we talk about this later?"
He barely looked down at her, but it was both Veld and Angeal that answered. "No!"
Angeal took a deep breath to calm a little before he continued. "I will not put this off. Not for Veld, and not for you. I'm sorry."
Sherry gave him an understanding look and turned to Veld. He glared at her. "I might like you, but I will still shoot you if you get in the way."
She threw her hands up in the air and stormed off. "Stupid men. Don't ask me to heal you when one of you goes off the deep end. I'm not cleaning the blood off the floor, either. By the way, if you need a measuring stick, I think I saw one in Tseng's pack."
They all three froze as the meaning behind her words sank in. She didn't notice the smirk Veld sent her way or the shake of her husband's head. She did notice the fact that when they started speaking again, the tone was slightly less antagonistic. Even if none of them were willing to quit.
She stood by the door for a few moments and watched as they continued to argue over nothing. It was at that time that something occurred to her, and she turned to slip out the door. She winked at the look Tseng gave her. "There has to be a bathroom here somewhere, right?"
He rolled his eyes but kept his voice low. "Don't think we won't want to discuss the whole crystal thing once this calms down."
Sherry sighed and nodded. "Like you'd believe us anyway."
He raised a brow. "I have seen enough since I first met you that I'm willing to listen at least."
Sherry gave him a skeptical look and shook her head. "Well, it's a moot point until they are done. I'll be back." She didn't wait for any more response before she slipped out and up the stairs.
There were many more rooms than she had anticipated, but she knew which side of the house to look on, and it didn't take her long to find the right one. She immediately started scanning the bricks on the curved wall and wasn't paying any mind to her surroundings. A bad habit that caused her to jump when a voice called out from behind her.
"What are you doing?" She whirled around with her hand on her chest and glared at Sephiroth. It was several seconds before she was able to get her breathing under control, so he continued. "I thought it was strange that you left without saying anything to Genesis. It was even odder that you didn't come back right away. Why are you up here?"
By that time, she was calmed enough to speak. "Maybe it's a good thing you came. I wanted to do this alone, but if anyone is going to come with me, it should be you."
She had already started to turn back around to continue her search, but she was stopped when his palm slammed against the wall next to her head. She froze and turned to face him again. She saw nothing but confusion in his eyes as he fought to bring himself back under control. "Why? Why me? What were we to each other, the me that you knew before? I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Genesis loves you, and I thought you loved him too, but the way you look at me, the things you do for me. I don't understand!"
Sherry swallowed thickly and took several deep breaths as she pressed herself back into the wall and tried to keep calm. Her mind was in overdrive as she suddenly realized how her gestures of friendship must have seemed to a man that had no idea what friendship was. She managed to keep her voice even. "We were friends. Good friends, but that was it. I apologize. I really tried to keep my distance. I know you have no idea who I am, not really. I'm a stranger to you, and I tried to remember that you don't have the last two years. I mean from my perspective. That doesn't mean you aren't the same man. It's more like you have amnesia, or… god, I'm totally messing this up. I just mean to say that I wasn't trying to make you feel uncomfortable, it's just so hard for me to see you and not think of him. I know that's not your fault, but-"
He stepped back with a sigh and shocked her by pulling her into a hug. His words were harsh, but his voice was soft. "Enough. I understand. I should not have yelled at you."
He only held her a moment before he let her go and stepped away. She blinked back the tears that had formed at his gesture. It was something the older Sephiroth would have done without thought by the time she could call him friend, and she wasn't sure where it had come from. He shook his head. "You often seem comforted by touch. I thought it would help."
Sherry laughed at his explanation and wiped at her tears. "It did help, thank you."
He then sighed and gestured at the wall behind her. "You never explained what you were doing? Why you think it would be prudent that I go with you and not the others?"
"Oh, oh yeah." Sherry jumped and turned back around. She pointed to the exposed brick wall. "There should be a switch somewhere here that will open this wall. This is the way into the basement. Down there is where Hojo's old lab is. It is also where Vincent Valentine is hidden. I wanted to talk to him without the crowd first."
Sephiroth froze. He put a hand on her shoulder and turned her back around. He was nearly glaring at her. "You planned on going into one of Hojo's labs alone?"
She gave him a half shrug and glared right back. "I am far from helpless. Besides, that lab needs to be torched. All that's down there are reminders of pain and lies. That wasn't where I was going anyway."
His brow furrowed. "Why do you want me to go with you to retrieve Vincent and not Veld?"
Sherry sighed and turned back around. "Help me look, and I will explain."
Sephiroth frowned but obliged. He started looking at the higher portion of the wall, while Sherry knelt and checked the lower part as she started speaking. "You already know that Vincent was assigned here to be a bodyguard during the Project S days."
When he hissed out his remembrance, she grimaced and kept going. "You also know that was when Lucrecia married Hojo. What you don't know is that before she came to be Hojo's assistant, Lucrecia was an assistant to Grimoire Valentine, Vincent's father. He was killed when he pushed her out of the way of an accidental explosion during an experiment. So the truth is, she and Vincent weren't really strangers when they met."
She ignored the fact that Sephiroth paused, but only for a moment. She was still looking as she spoke. "She always felt guilty about Grimoire's death, but she ended up getting close to Vincent anyway. As a matter of fact, there is a lot that indicates they may have become lovers. He certainly loved her. When they got too close, she distanced herself from him and married Hojo."
Sephiroth stepped back at that point in shock. Luckily, Sherry had found a loose brick and pushed it in. She stood with a grin as the wall slid back before she turned to him. The smile slid from her face as he stared at her with wide eyes. "Are you saying the man we are going to talk to, the ex-Turk, Vincent Valentine, is my father?"
Sherry sighed and shrugged. "I honestly don't know."
He shook his head. "Why do you believe he is beside the fact that he may have been my mother's lover?"
Her eyes flicked over his face before she answered. "There are a few reasons I think it is a possibility. The timing is just one of them. None of them are concrete. The biggest one is the fact that I believe the two of you look alike."
His eyes widened. That was the last thing he had expected. Still, they were getting nowhere, and he doubted their absence would go unnoticed for much longer. "Unless you want an audience, we should go." He stepped around her. "Let me lead."
She rolled her eyes but followed him. Despite her irritation, she was thankful for his insistence when they got to the bottom and ran into several disgusting things Hojo must have left behind. Sherry tried not to gag as the things disintegrated when Sephiroth cut them down. At least they were no longer creeping around to sneak up on them later.
Sherry could see a caged light at the end of the cave-like tunnel and realized they were close to their destination. She looked around to their left and spotted the door she was looking for. "There."
Sephiroth had been focused on the lab and had nearly missed it. He frowned as he approached the door that blended into the wall. He looked back to the lab and then at Sherry. "Are you sure."
She nodded. "Yes. The other room is the lab and library. That place can rot. This is where Vincent is."
When he tried to open the door and found it locked, he had Sherry step back so he could use his strength to bust it open. He froze in the doorway when he saw the room was full of coffins. "I believe you may be wrong."
Sherry sighed and tried to push him aside. "I'm not. He's in the one that is covered in chains."
Sephiroth turned back to look at her in shock. "He is in a chained coffin? How long has he been down here? What makes you believe he is still alive?"
Sherry could feel herself getting irritated, but tried to remind herself that his questions were valid. "I'm not sure if it was Hojo that chained him up, but those chains aren't what is keeping him in there. If he wanted to, he could get out. He is… different. What that asshole did to him was even worse than what he did to you. Plus, Lucrecia's only chance at saving him pretty much made him immortal. He can't die. So yes, he is still alive, and I imagine he has been listening to us this whole time wondering if we are going to stand here yapping all day or just give up and go away."
Sherry nearly jumped when her last statement was interrupted by a sharp crack as the chains on the coffin in question did snap, and a figure cloaked in red staggered out with a hand on his head. Sephiroth took a few steps into the room so he could summon the Masamune to his side. As soon as the man finally stood, his eyes landed on the woman that had been talking about his life with such confidence. She nodded. "Hello, Vincent. I'm glad that you look like you're willing to talk, at least."
When the man grabbed his head again and growled as his eyes flashed between gold and red, Sephiroth grabbed her and pushed her behind him. He frowned at her as he did so. "I will agree with Genesis on this one. The fact that you can recognize someone on sight when you obviously do not know them is unsettling at best."
By that time, Vincent seemed to have gotten Chaos under control and spoke for the first time. He was looking at Sephiroth. "You are Lucrecia's son."
Sephiroth nodded. "So I have recently learned. I never knew her, thanks to Hojo."
Vincent frowned at the cold voice of the General, but Sherry stepped around him and tried to give Vincent a smile. "Sorry if I weirded you out. We hoped you would be willing to talk a little."
"Who are you?"
Sherry stepped forward, despite Sephiroth's call. She held out her hand. "I'm Sherry Rhapsodos. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Vincent looked down at her hand as though she were offering him a snake, but she wasn't backing away, nor was her smile dimming. It was as though she were willing him to not be so morose, and he finally relented. At least enough to shake her hand. When he did, a jolt passed through them both along with multiple images that neither were expecting. It was much like the time Aerith had touched her brand, only stronger.
When she finally managed to pull her hand back, Sherry almost dropped to her knees, but Sephiroth was there to pull her back. The General was glaring at the man across from them, but it turned to confusion when Vincent looked at Sherry with wide eyes and spoke. "What was that?"
As soon as she caught her breath, Sherry stood and shook her head. "I was not expecting that, though I suppose I should have. You do have a Weapon under your skin, after all. If a half-Cetra could touch my brand and see something, it would make sense that Chaos would be able to sense Minerva's influence in me as well."
Vincent was glaring at her by that point. "How do you know about Chaos?"
Sherry sighed. "That is a long story that we don't really have time for right now. Why don't I ask what I came for first? I doubt we'll be alone for much longer."
"What?"
Sherry gestured to the open door. "There are eight other people up there that have probably noticed we're missing by now, including my husband and Veld, so it's just a matter of time."
Vincent's face closed off at the mention of Veld. "Why are you here?"
"It's simple, really. I know you think you are down here to atone, but I wanted to see if I could convince you to atone in a different way. You see, tomorrow, maybe the next day, we will be going to destroy what is left of the being that once tried to destroy this planet. That is my focus. That is only beginning for the rest of the planet. You, more than most, know how much harm has been done by Hojo and by the current President of the Shinra company."
She looked back at Sephiroth and saw him frowning at her. She gave him a half-smile before she turned back to Vincent. "I have told all these men that it would be too hard on the peoples of the world for the company to fail, but that doesn't mean it is alright for things to keep going the way they are. You have a unique perspective and the skills necessary to implement the kind of changes needed to put the company on a better path. Plus, despite what you may think, there are still people that could use your presence more than your absence."
Neither man missed it when her eyes flicked to Sephiroth again. The meaning behind her look was not lost in either of them. Vincent's eyes widened, and he took a step back. He did not get to ask what his obvious question was, as a loud voice shattered the tension as a furious Genesis came through the door.
"What is going on! Why did you the two of you come down here alone! And who are you?" The last part was almost an afterthought as his gaze landed on Vincent in confusion. He grabbed Sherry and pulled her toward himself as he glared down at her. "You and I are going to have a long conversation later about what is acceptable behavior when there are unknown dangers around."
She rolled her eyes at him and pulled her arm from his grasp. "I have already heard it. Plus, as you can see, I wasn't alone."
Genesis' jaw clenched as he tried not to yell again. "Please do not remind me."
Whatever else he was going to say was cut off. Veld had entered the room as well, and he was looking at Vincent in shock. "Vincent! You really are alive. She wasn't lying."
By that time, Zack had entered as well. "Woah! Are you a vampire!?"
Vincent let out a sigh and ran his hand down his face. He spoke, to no one in particular, "I'm not going to be allowed to go back to sleep, am I?"
Sherry gave him a comforting smile. "I tried. Sorry."
He shook his head before he focused on Veld. "I suppose there is a lot to cover. Why don't we go upstairs? This is no place for children." He was looking at Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith as they all stood close to Zack. The young Soldier wasn't showing his unease, but the rest of them couldn't hide it. Veld gave him a quiet nod before he turned and herded the rest of them back up.
Vincent and Sephiroth shared a troubled glace as they followed, but no words were said between them. Genesis had not missed it, and it had him raising his brow. He had also not missed what had motivated Sherry to bring the General. He pulled her to a halt as the others left. "That man, is he the reason you brought Sephiroth down here instead of me?"
She rolled her eyes. "I had planned on coming alone. He must have slipped away while you were arguing, but yes. I went ahead and brought him because there is a connection there. I don't know how strong it is, but it's there."
He nodded before he leaned over and kissed her temple. "I apologize for yelling."
Sherry chuckled. "I understand. At least you didn't set anyone on fire." Genesis gave her a glare, but she knew there was no heat behind it as he took her arm, and they followed the rest of their team back upstairs.
A/N: So close now. I am not sure how long the next chapter will be, but it will be the last one, plus an epilogue. Wow. This has really taken over here at the end. I hope you are all enjoying it! Thanks for reading!