Author's Note: Plot, soooooo much plot. Well, character development at least but there is a whole lot of good stuff coming soon too. Hope you all are looking forward to all the curious ways this story can twist and turn because I have so much for you all to enjoy and puzzle over.

Marken: I have been waiting for this part for a LONG time and was so happy to finally get it written down. I agonized over just how to patch things up between these two and after much thought (and a lot of my beta reader Pixie smacking me over the head with logical arguments) I hope you enjoy their... unique solution.
Thank you for always encouraging me. I really love writing this story and want to keep going till I finish so, one way or another, this work will be completed. If need be, I will take a few weeks off to get caught back up and then continue on once more but I will be sure to let you know in advance if that happens. :)

Beta Readers: Pixie, Kiza, and Discord.

I do not own FF7 or any of its characters. Talin, Unit 28, and some other side characters are mine.

Enjoy and please R&R.

Chapter 42

"So, how do we do this?" Talin felt his spine dance with another shiver as he thought of all the possibilities, but forced himself to focus on the General, still feeling too wary to take his eyes from the man.

"Thank you, Talin," The warmth of the man's voice and the spark of excited anticipation he saw in Sephiroth's eyes made his instincts flare in warning.

"I haven't agreed yet," He said sharply. He hadn't meant to snap, but couldn't help his sudden spike in nerves. "I want to know how it works and then I'll decide." He knew he was backpedaling a little, spooked by that excited glimmer, but he also refused to walk blindly into something like this.

So long as his mentor was being honest with him, he'd give the link a chance, but the small, injured part of his brain still thrashed in protest. It screamed that he didn't know this man well enough to tell a lie from truth. It pushed forward the memory of how this had all started with that same kind of hubris and the teen felt his confidence waver.

Talin caught himself just before he could take an unintended step back. NO! I won't run again! Locking the muscles of that traitorous leg, the Cadet fought to mentally root himself in place, refusing to let fear control his actions any longer. He said he wants me to choose to fight instead of running. I've fled from and avoided my problems enough to last a lifetime... The only running I'm doing from now on is charging forward. Let my demons be the ones to flee from me this time...

The thoughts passed in a flash behind Talin's eyes as he solidified his resolve. Only the tiniest whisper, so quiet that he didn't hear, spoke two truths that he couldn't or wouldn't yet acknowledge. That Sephiroth would never flee from him and, more importantly, that he never wished for the great warrior to do so.

The Cadet's forceful reminder that he hadn't said yes didn't diminish Sephiroth's faith in a positive answer, but the SOLDIER's tone was more controlled when he spoke again. "The link is made in the Void, in a mental room that I can lead you to. Within, there will be a pedestal with a small item resting atop it."

"An item?" This all sounded so odd. A room? Items? There were no items in the Void other than the constructs they created, but this sounded entirely different from that. As hard as he searched, Talin couldn't find any trace of deception and there wasn't a moment's hesitation as the 1st explained.

"Yes. It's something unique to each person, so even I don't know what it will be for you." Mind dancing with ideas, the Cadet paused in thought and then silently grumbled to himself as he felt the familiar itch of curiosity. Unique meant personal... what if the item conjured was too personal?

"Okay, so what am I supposed to do? Keep it?" Sephiroth's small smile didn't annoy him this time as the man chuckled softly.

"Yes and no. When you pick it up, something else will manifest and there'll be an obvious interaction between the two." He saw the hesitation in Talin's eyes again and tried his best to allay the teen's worry. "It shouldn't be anything difficult. Opening a door, writing your name in a book, something that represents the connection you're making. After that, you'll keep the item when you return to the Void. It will appear on your shadow from then on till the link is severed."

The vagueness of that information was irritating but, in a way, it made sense. If the item and the task he had to perform were representative of his link, how would anyone be able to predict the specifics? Talin's gaze wandered slightly, giving a shallow nod as he considered the information so far. It didn't sound hard, just different.

The motion was noted by the General who caught himself before his smile grew beyond the small one that hadn't spooked his Cadet. "Once you've completed that, you'll experience some minor disorientation as the link forms. Then, you only have to follow the path back out."

"How bad is 'minor disorientation'?" Jade green eyes locked with slit crystal, and Sephiroth knew the teen was searching for any possible sign of misinformation or deception. He could have lied, had the capacity to so with enough credibility that even the Turks were unable to tell truth from bluff, but that wouldn't gain him his trainee back.

"Mild. Nothing worse than nasty vertigo."

Talin wasn't worried about a dizzy spell, he'd certainly been through worse, but at least he was forewarned. If anything, he felt somewhat... disappointed. "So, I would go to some room, do a task, and leave? That's it?" For such an intimate and powerful connection, the setup was remarkably simple. It was almost anticlimactic considering how much thought he was putting into the decision.

Again, Seph fought his amusement, but Talin's expression was so deflated that he couldn't help a small chuckle. "It's a bit more impressive when you actually go through it yourself, but yes, it is that simple." The teen almost looked annoyed.

"Then why don't more SOLDIERs use it?" The irritation was mostly for himself, but Sephiroth knew some of it was for his wording regarding the matter. It was a very serious connection when it went both ways, verging on intrusive at times if both persons weren't controlled in their usage of it, but it was what Talin needed right now.

"The thing that makes it rare is the ability to create the room that is required and the pathway to it. It'll take a great deal of concentration on my part to form and maintain it while you're inside." The line of questions ended abruptly and, again, Seph found himself quietly waiting. The teen's thoughts were clearly visible in his expressive jade eyes as he watched. When they refocused on him, the General knew the Cadet had made his choice but asked anyway. "Have you decided, or do you need more time?"

The sound of Talin's heart, fluttering like a bird in his chest, was its own answer. "If you swear you'll teach me to cut it..." He hesitated a moment as that scared part of his brain again tried to halt him, but, with a final push, he wrenched free of the grasping fingers of his fear. "then, yes... I'll make the link."

"I swore on the day I took you as my trainee, that I'd teach you anything you wanted to learn, and everything you didn't know you needed. I swear to teach you this as well." The point-blank assurance was all Talin had really wanted to hear, and he nodded.

"Okay, show me this room." The words made him feel bold, ready to move forward, but the feeling died a coward's death as soon as the General held out a hand and motioned him to come closer. His previous efforts to bind himself in place prevented him from backing away, but he also couldn't bring himself to step forward.

Having worried about this kind of hesitance, Seph left his hand held out, cutting down some of the distance his skittish Cadet would have to cross. "Physical contact is required to form the link. Without it, even if you went to the room I'll make, there'd be nothing there." His instinct was to push Talin, annoy or fluster him till he broke himself free, but he didn't want to push him the wrong way.

Their eyes remained fixed on one another, each seeing the light glow within growing brighter with their heightened emotions. Talin's boot scuffed on the rough surface of the landing pad and the 1st dared not look to see if that small shift was towards him or away. Another movement, another inch, and this time Sephiroth didn't have to wonder the direction.

The tug of pride in his chest was tinged with the pain of regret as he watched the teen take one step after another towards him. He'd watched Talin grow into a vibrant, outgoing, and much-liked member of their group since the redhead had become his trainee. Seeing him now, skittish, hesitant, afraid... it was painful. The General found himself more grateful to Angeal for the blunt slap of his words and for helping him understand just how bad he'd made things. Now it was time for him to fix what he could. Everything else, scorched and burned to bedrock as it was, would need careful tending to grow anew.

Heart hammering, Talin stopped just shy of arms reach from his mentor. He could stretch out and take the man's hand at this distance, but it felt... rude, and that pushed him to take one final step closer. His spine rattled with the force of its shaking, and all the Cadet could hear was his own pulse in his ears as he raised his hand. Again, he hesitated. Seph wasn't wearing his gloves, but Talin couldn't remember when he'd taken them off...

"Talin?" His name, spoken so softly by the imposing General, made him also realize that he hadn't broken their staring contest. The slow twisting of Mako around the slit pupil had been something he'd missed seeing and he found himself distracted as he once more found himself entranced by it. However, the SOLDIER misread his focused look as further hesitance. "Please, Talin..."

The whisper was like a punch to the gut and the teen let his hand down atop the larger one without thinking. Palm to palm, he flinched when the long fingers brushed against his wrist but didn't pull away as they pressed lightly up into the sensitive area. Still dazed from the 'please' he also missed that Sephiroth's expression had shifted to one verging on fond affection.

"Close your eyes, Cadet, and meet me in the Void," The words were almost hypnotic. Spoken so quietly into the space between them, they felt like both a gentle order and entreaty. The silver 1st risked the light pressure of one finger against Talin's pulse point and, although the teen again flinched, he didn't run. Pleased both that his trainee had held his ground and by the steady, if slightly fast, rhythm beneath his fingertip, Seph let his eyes close and moved to wait within that endless darkness.

Talin felt like he'd woken from a trance once the General's eyes closed, and he blinked a few times as he steadied himself. The warmth of the hand under his wasn't new, he'd felt it before from being with the other 1sts, but this was... He bit his tongue, and the minor pain let him clear his head.

It only took an instant for him to close his eyes, and then he was pulling his shadow together for the next step of this process. His mentor was waiting for him, standing just a little further away than they'd been before switching to the Void.

The shock of hearing the man speak to him across the empty space was less startling, but still too new to be comfortable. ~Are you ready to proceed? ~ Talin nodded, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible. ~This is the only way I'll be able to communicate with you from here out till you're done. Push your thoughts towards me like you would when linked. So long as I'm focusing, I'll be able to pick them up. ~

Tentatively, Talin arrowed his thoughts and pushed. ~Lead the way. ~ Sephiroth smirked, always finding enjoyment in the teen's quick learning.

~Very well but first, I need you to shrink your form. About the size of a Materia if you can. ~ Confused, but not unwilling, Talin did as requested. Smaller only meant harder to hit and faster to shield, so he shrank to the requested size and found himself looking at a black cloud where the General had stood. Before he could ask what had happened, a solid structure started to form in the hazy mass. A stone wall, like that of a fortress, emerged and then a door exactly his size flickered into existence and swung open.

~ I- I have to go inside?! In your mind? ~ Outside the dark expanse, Talin felt his hand shaking where it rested on Sephiroth's. ~I... I don't think I... ~

~ Please-~ The teen's stomach dropped and he quickly cut off whatever the 1st had been about to say.

~ Stop saying please! I- I just don't... ~ He'd thought it would have been a construct, something his mentor would make, not something within himself. A warning from Angeal flashed in his memory, about becoming trapped in someone's mind if they surrounded you and locked you in. It's what Gen had done to both break his shield and to reassure him he was safe, but this wasn't Genesis.

~This is the only way I know to give you the out you need... The only way I can give you power over me... ~ Saying that Talin felt uncomfortable upon hearing that admission was putting it lightly. He didn't want power over anyone, let alone this particular person. It also made him wonder who else, if anyone, he'd given such an advantage to.

~Have you done this before? ~ Talin knew he was stalling, but also wanted the time to get himself back under control.

~ Yes, with Angeal. ~ The Cadet didn't need to see the man's face to know he'd have a small smile on his face. The fondness in his tone told him more than that little smirk ever would have, but it did spur on another question.

~ Are you still linked? ~ He knew the question was nosey, but what would happen if he linked to the General and he was still linked to Angeal? Would they all be connected?

~ No. ~

~ Why? ~ Had this been any other conversation, Talin would have been laughing at his own childish questions, but now he really wanted to know for more than just curiosity's sake. There was a ripple in the onyx wall of stone before him and the redhead wondered if he'd asked too much.

~ As interesting and useful as it was, such a bond was unneeded in our relationship. More than anything, we were testing its range of uses and limitations. We've considered reestablishing the link, but have yet to do so. ~ Talin remained silent for a moment. The distracting topic had allowed him time to calm his nerves and he only felt a slight tremble roll down his spine as he started towards the still-open doorway.

~ Tell me about your link with Angeal. ~ The request was more to continue to have something to focus on other than what he was currently doing. ~You mentioned opening a door as a possible task to form the link, was that something that happened? ~

~Yes, it was part of my task...~ Talin listened as he sped down the stone hallway, trying to go as fast as possible as the feeling of claustrophobia settled heavily on his lungs.

Sephiroth's bond with Angeal had started with an ornamental dagger. It had been beautiful, a piece of art in every way, with a flowing pattern of vines around the hilt that went from a three-dimensional design to an etched one on the blade. It'd looked like the vines had been either melting into or growing out of the wickedly curved blade whose edge was as sharp as his beloved Masamune.

The door he'd needed to open had actually been a garden gate covered in thornless briar rose vines. The dagger had been used to cut them clear, but he'd lamented the need to destroy the stunning blooms. Angeal's task had been far less wasteful. He'd been presented with a seedling, small and in need of care, that he planted into a barren garden bed.

Talin was struck by the symbolism behind the two interactions and it made him more curious to know what his would say about him. Before he could turn his thoughts back to the narrow pathway or the disconcerting feeling of being within someone else's mind, a doorway loomed out of the darkness ahead of him. Wishing to be anywhere with a bit more space, he didn't slow down till he came to a startled halt in the massive chamber.

Where the hallway had been stone, the room he found himself in was wood. Fashioned like a lodge with thick plank floors, solid walls, and a vaulted ceiling that stretched up into the shadows.

His sudden stillness at first concerned the SOLDIER, but the teen's continued calm, if mildly surprised, demeanor turned worry into interest. ~What do you see? ~

Talin almost jumped, the voice echoing oddly around him now that he was within the source. ~Can't you see? It's in your head. ~

~ No, I can't. The amount of concentration it takes to sustain the room leaves me only just enough to be able to communicate with you and nothing more. ~ The Cadet could understand why so few could forge a 3rd level link if it really took that much focus. ~Do you see the pedestal? ~ After a quick glance around he spotted it.

~Not so much a little table as a chunk of rock... ~ As he approached, he saw that, while it was very much rock, it had a smooth top that was at odds with the jagged angles of the rough stone. His eyes didn't remain on the unique formation long as he was far more interested in the small object that glinted at him from atop it. His excitement vanished, again feeling slightly disappointed when he identified the little shape. ~it's a- ~

~ You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. ~ Talin had worried earlier about if the item or task was going to be too personal, but this was neither personal nor exceptional.

~ It's just a key. ~ He hesitated a moment before reaching out and plucking it off the cold stone, almost laughing at himself. It's just a key, no doubt it goes to a lock. At least it will be easy... A shift in the shadows to his left told him that the 'task' portion of the link was forming and he turned to it, ready to be done and get back out to the freedom of the Void.

There was a lock, as large as his head and made of a glittering black crystal instead of metal. The color would have normally been unremarkable, everything was in shades of black in the Void, but compared to the rest of the scene, the color had to of been deliberate.

Dozens of chains, some as thick as his arm and others as thin as a necklace, covered an entire side of the room. Silver, gold, bronze, some aged and rusted, others bright and sparkling snaked their way across the floor, up the walls, and down from the rafters. Much like a spider's web, all the lengths of chain converged at that massive lock... but this spider had caught something...

Talin felt his lungs freeze. The tremors he'd suppressed till then exploded down his spine in one almighty shiver from skull to tailbone as his brain caught up with what his eyes were seeing. Among the metal links, wrapped so tightly as to be nearly suspended, was the figure of his mentor. Eyes closed, completely unmoving, the General hung as if a marionette suspended by chain instead of strings. His arms were held out by the twisting of links and long legs were rooted to the floor by a heavy mass iron so thick that his boot-clad legs weren't visible past mid-calf.

~ Are you okay, Talin? ~ Sephiroth had felt his Cadet's shiver and could feel the thudding of his erratic heartbeat where his fingertip still rested on Talin's wrist, but he could do nothing. The risk of the room fracturing with the teen inside was too great if he attempted to see what had startled him.

~ I'm... I'm fine. Just wasn't expecting it to appear like that. ~ The statement was at least somewhat true. He certainly hadn't expected what and who had appeared, but now his mind was racing. Obviously, he had to use the key in the lock to make the link, but that would free the doppelganger... and then what?

~ You don't have to tell me, but I find myself curious as to what appeared to make you so nervous. Is it not a lock to go with the key? ~ The General's concern was thinly veiled by the question. Whatever it was, he hoped it would only be a small bump instead of a breaking point for this venture.

Talin wasn't sure what the General's presence in his task signified... or what 'freeing' him would mean exactly, but it wasn't something he felt like he should share. It took him a moment to send back a coherent thought, his concentration shaken by this unexpected complication, and his words were slightly clipped. ~ It's a door. Covered in chains with a large black padlock. ~

Both of them knew there was missing information to that statement. Nothing as simple as chains would cause this level of nervousness, but Sephiroth wasn't about to insist. ~ Remember, you don't have to do this. If- ~

~ I'm fine. ~ Talin knew that he had to do something and that, if he walked away from this, another option might not be available. I'm fine... I'm fine. He kept repeating the stubborn words in his head and used them to center himself again. Mind set on his task, the Cadet strode forward to within a few feet of the trapped figure. The lock hung just between them but he couldn't drop his eyes from the silent copy of his mentor.

~ When will that disorientation hit? When I unlock the padlock or when I open the door? ~ The better question was if he'd have time to back away from the unchained specter or not.

~ I don't know, it could be either. There's no way of knowing for sure which action will initiate the link. ~ For Sephiroth, it had been when he'd cut the last vine from the garden gate, but every experience was different. So few had attempted the link that they just didn't have enough information to do more than speculate.

A small part of Talin registered that it was odd to hear the General's voice and see the lips of this identical figure remain still as stone. A minute flicker drew his attention past the face he'd been watching. With all the color of the chains and Sephiroth's mental double, the black walls behind them looked like an endless shadow cast by a larger-than-life presence. Focusing harder, he saw that there was a discernable shadow cast by a nonexistent light source, and he could've sworn it'd moved...

Unease growing by the moment, Talin focused on the cool metal of the key in his fingers and returned his gaze to the frozen face of the General. Won't know till I try... and what's the worst that could happen? The last thought rang with acidic sarcasm as he raised the key and shoved it into the crystal lock.