By a Fraction of a Degree

A FFVII Fanfiction work by findthetiger129

Rated T for Violence and Language.

I do not own Final Fantasy VII, or any of the characters, trademarks or likenesses from Final Fantasy VII or its spin-offs That honor goes to Square-Enix.

Matt and Alistor are original characters.

Part IV: Stigma

Chapter 86, Great Gospel

April 14th [ ν ] – εуλ 0009 10:00 PM Mid Central Sea Time

The mood on the bridge of the Gainsborough was as dark as the night sky outside as their communications officer activated the channel that would put them in direct contact with Reeve's office. Zack stood slightly to the side of the front window, with Aerith next to him facing the others. Barret was holding Marlene in his arms while Cid, Vincent, Cloud, Tifa, and the others stood in an uncomfortable silence. It was hard to believe what had just happened. It felt unreal, like Freya would just walk out from the corridor to the main cabin and ask why everyone was looking so glum, and yet he knew it wouldn't happen. The shotgun she carried now sat against the bulkhead without an owner, though Kunsel stood in front of it, almost as though keeping guard. He hadn't spoken a word since the moment when Zack had walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We need to get aboard. The others will want to know…"

"I know," he'd answered. His voice had been nearly imperceptible, though he had accepted Zack's good hand to pull himself up again and followed Cissnei and Aerith back to the airship even as Cid and Barret had disembarked from the Shera.

Finally Cait Sith picked up on the other end. "Zack? Thank goodness! We were startin' ta worry aboot ya lad! Has there been any news?"

"Cait…" Zack said, "Is Reeve there?"

"He stepped oot for a moment, but I can find him easily enough," the little cat replied.

"Then do it, we've got a report."

Cait Sith seemed to detect the intensity in his voice, because they soon heard the sound of his light footsteps as he padded out of the room and it wasn't long before Reeve's voice sounded through the room. "What's the news?" Reeve asked.

"We found them. They were right where Rude said they were," Zack replied. "The Turks will be pleased to know if Reno isn't telling them now that we also retrieved Elena safely and that we'll be escorting her back to Junon. We also found Marlene… but…" he paused.

"But what?" Reeve asked.

Zack glared at the wall as he spoke, "Denzel, Matt, and Al seem to have been put under some kind of mind control, and… we lost Freya…"

"What?"

"She was protecting Aerith… and Yazoo got behind her…" Zack said helplessly. "If not for her, it would have been..." he stopped, not trusting himself to continue.

Reeve waited for a moment before speaking and then he said "I understand... Do you have any idea where they were headed."

"They're also going back to Junon," Elena spoke up, though she looked ready to drop from physical exhaustion. "They didn't tell me directly, but I heard them talking as they left me in that shack with Marlene."

"We'd better haul ass that way then," Cid interjected, though his usual enthusiasm was nowhere in sight. "We might still be able to head'em off…"

"I agree," Cissnei said. "At least we may be able to prevent them from hurting anyone else."

"Rufus said he'd be headed that way too," Reno added. "We need to get there fast."

Aerith looked like she had something on her mind and at last she spoke. "I have this feeling," she said solemnly. "Like there's something I really need to find here. It might be important. The rest of you can go on if you wish, but I need to look for it."

Zack gave her a worried look. "In that case, the two of us will stay here with the Gainsborough. Someone's got to stick around to protect you." He looked over at Kunsel who was leaning against the bulkhead, as though thoroughly exhausted. "What are you going to do?"

His friend looked up at him, his fists clenched. "I'm going to Junon," he said, his voice painfully flat. "I'm not leaving this alone…"

"You sure?" Zack asked.

"As if there was any doubt!" his friend snapped. "They've taken so much from us already, I'm not letting them take any more."

"Me either," Cloud said. Zack turned to where he stood in surprise. "If I had been there… if I'd had my head on straight just a little sooner… she might still be…"

"Don't blame yourself for that," Zack said. "If anything…"

"Stop." Kunsel said, and the word cut the argument off like a knife. "She wouldn't want anyone taking the blame… She did what she thought was best as a Turk. She knew the risks she was taking, just like we all did…" Everyone watched in silence as he turned around, picked up the shotgun and walked towards the main cabin, apparently done with the conversation.

After a moment Zack nodded sadly. "He's right…" He turned his attention back to everyone else. "We'll need everyone we can spare in Junon. Since we're pretty sure the remnants have left the area, I should be all the protection Aerith will need. Everyone else but our pilot will transfer to the Shera and return south. We still don't know what they have in mind but it can't be good." He glared at his left fist. This could have gone so much better. It should have. They should have been able to avoid this… He looked around at everyone assembled. "Get going, we'll be right behind you as soon as we can."

April 14th [ ν ] – εуλ 0009 10:30 PM Mid Central Sea Time

Elena stood alone in one of the cabins aboard the Shera, watching the stars float by through the clouds in the darkened gloom. They were too far North still for the moon to be visible right now. She had already reported to Tseng what had happened. The man's soft words and evident relief at her being all right would normally have made her heart flutter, but right now, she was too exhausted and emotionally spent to care. Freya was gone… The lady Turk whom Zack had helped to save her life, and someone she had respected, along with… she played with her PHS absently for a few moments, debating whether or not to dial the number she had on display.

After a moment, she made her decision. She needed someone who would know what was going on. Who knew what this was like and would understand. Pressing the button, she heard the familiar dial-tone on the other end of the line and then after a moment a female voice answered "E…Elena? Why are you calling at this hour?"

"Lou… Are you busy?" Elena asked.

"Not really. I just got off duty. Is something wrong?" Her sister seemed to have not been notified of her whereabouts.

Elena swallowed hard. The day had been one living hell after another, and reliving it would be so painful. She still felt exhausted from the pain Kadaj had wrought across her body, even though Vincent Valentine had healed the physical wounds, and then… She was already second guessing herself. How was she supposed to explain? "Is this what it means to be a Turk?" She asked after a moment.

"I think I need some clarification, Sis…" Lou said gently. She seemed to have realized that her sister wasn't playing here and that something was definitely wrong.

Elena bit back a sob as she struggled to explain. "A lot's happened today… How do I even begin…?" She considered for a moment and then tried one more time. "Freya's dead…" She forced out at last, barely above a whisper.

"What?!"

Elena wiped away a couple of tears, a little angry at her own weakness. "Exactly what I said," she snapped. "Freya's dead. Those bastards killed her and… Lou… I thought they were going to kill me too…"

"Slow down, Elena. Do you mean to tell me Rufus sent you after them alone?!"

"I wasn't alone," she gritted out. "Rude was with me… but we got separated and… and…" She realized she must have been through far more trauma than she'd realized for her body was quivering both from grief and exertion.

"Elena," Lou said firmly. "What happened? I'm right here. Just sit down, take a deep breath, and start from the beginning." Taking a moment to collect herself, Elena took a few steadying breaths and sat down on her bunk, before slowly retelling what happened from the moment she and Rude had found the remnants to the point where Kunsel had walked out of the shell house with Freya in his arms. Lou listened, only offering her silent support as the young Turk retold the chain of events.

It was when Elena finished her story that she spoke again. "Is there anything I can do?"

"I don't know… But perhaps you can answer my question. Is this always what it was like?"

"I'm afraid so… The reality of it is that it has always been part of the job. We say there is no mission we cannot do, but at the same time, the possibility of dying is always there. It's the nature of what we did, and the life you took up when you put on the suit. She knew that right to the end… and it's something we all have to face sooner or later… "

Elena nodded sadly. "To see it happen in front of you… and not be able to do anything about it…"

"Sometimes there isn't anything you can do," Lou agreed. "But I know you Elena. You're going to make it beyond this not just because you're strong, but because you are a true Turk, and most importantly of all, because you are my sister."

Elena wiped another tear from her eye. "Thanks…"

Lou continued. "All right, now that that's out of the way. I'm sure Tseng will consider you due for leave after this incident but you need to get all the rest you can before you get back to Junon. Speaking from a first aid perspective, trauma like what you've been through is no laughing matter, and he may still have orders for you before the mission's over. I'll see you later if you want to talk some more, all right?"

"I'd like that…"

"Okay then." After saying their good byes, Elena ended the call and suddenly noticed someone in the open doorway to her cabin.

Reno was standing there looking unusually solemn. "You've been talking to Lou." It wasn't a question.

"What if I have?" Elena snapped.

"Nothin' wrong with it, we aren't after them anymore." Reno said, sauntering a little closer. He reached into his pocket and produced a handkerchief. "Here." Elena took it from him before blowing her nose.

"Thanks…"

"No problem." With that, the older Turk turned around and shut the door.

April 15th [ ν ] – εуλ 0009 12:30 AM Junon Western Time

Yuffie was curled up with Nanaki in a tent at a WRO checkpoint, her Conformer next to her. She had been waiting for several hours at this location near the docks, until her assistance was needed. It seemed their operatives were tracking a known member of Scarlet and Heidegger's resistance, hoping to find their hideout. But in the meantime all she could do was wait… and hope. She buried her face into her comrade's back for warmth, and contrarily wished she could have gone with Barret and Cid.

"Yuffie…" she heard Nanaki's voice reverberating through his lungs.

"Mmmm?" she complained with a grunt.

"You're holding me too tightly. Would you please let go a little bit?" the red lion said patiently.

"I'm sorry…" she muttered and rolled over, before blinking as a shadow suddenly covered the area where she was sitting.

"Princess Kisaragi?"

As her eyes slowly refocused she found herself looking up at a WRO SOLDIER who was politely gesturing to the PHS in her pocket. "I thought you might want to get that?"

She looked down, not quite realizing what was going on until she saw her PHS light up at her hip and reached for it, waking up a little faster as she remembered what was going on. The kids! "Reeve? Has there been any news?"

She listened with baited breath as Reeve spoke. At first the news was good, Marlene had been rescued and so had Elena, but then he said something that made her pause. "What?!" Nanaki looked up in her direction, sensing the urgency of her tone. "No way! She couldn't have! How?!..." She listened as Reeve explained, only offering an affirming "I got it," as he explained what he needed her to do. Finally, she hung up and once again curled up on top of Nanaki, this time burying her face in his fur completely and after a moment, she felt tears beginning to flow from her eyes.

"What is it?" Nanaki asked.

"Freya…" Yuffie said biting back a sob, "She's gone…"

April 14th [ ν ] – εуλ 0009 11:00 PM Mid Central Sea Time

It had been about an hour after leaving the Ancient City and Cloud stood on the bridge in front of where Cid was guiding the airship through the sky. He still wasn't exactly sure how to explain what had happened on the way to the lake. Had it been real? Had it been an illusion? He couldn't say. He shut his eyes for a moment. Could he have been there in time? Could they have prevented this? Kunsel had hardly said a word since they'd boarded the Shera. Did he blame him? If he had been there. If he'd been able to help…

"You're still here, and as long as you don't give up, you can keep trying. So don't give up, no matter what… that's the mission I have for you… No buts!" He sighed. How like her. Even in death, she refused to let up on anyone or take any excuses.

"You didn't leave me much of an out, did you…" he turned and started towards the door that would take him to the main cabins.

"You talkin' to me?" Cid piped up from where he stood at the helm.

Cloud paused at the door. "No…"

"Well… I wish I coulda been there too. Just to kick those remnants asses for 'er." Cloud looked up at the pilot in surprise as he continued. "She'd probably laugh me off if she heard me talkin' now. But…" he sighed. "That woman always did have her own way of doing things…"

Cloud nodded, and continued down the corridor a ways. He passed the planning room and noticed Cissnei sitting in there alone, and his gut clenched as he saw that she was curled up in a chair, looking listlessly at the far wall. The position told him everything he needed to know. She had definitely been crying, convinced that no one could see. Deciding not to invade her privacy further, he continued on, soon finding his way to the common area where Tifa and Barret were sitting at a table in the middle of the room. Marlene was sitting in Barret's lap. They looked up as he walked in and at that moment and then Marlene slipped down from the gunman's lap. Barret gave him a hard look. "So what're you gonna do Spiky?" he asked.

"About what?" he asked, taking a couple of steps closer. There were a lot of things that needed to be dealt with right at the moment.

"About the kids. And them #$$-holes that took-em," Barret clarified.

"I don't know…" he answered. He was surprised to see Marlene walk over to him as he sat down, looking at his left arm, still covered in the dark sleeve.

"Does it hurt?" she asked.

He glanced at the others for a moment, and it was clear that they must have been talking about it. "Don' look so surprised," Barret said. "Zack and Aerith put two and two together right quick once they saw what you'd been doing. We've just been holdin' off on sayin' anything until we were sure."

Cloud turned his attention back to the little girl and the worry in her eyes. "A bit," he said honestly, "But not as bad as Denzel's."

She nodded and then said "You won't go away again, will you? Like you did when he hurt you?"

"Who?" Cloud looked at her curiously.

"You don't remember?" Marlene asked. "You were awake, but you weren't there…"

That was when it came rushing back. Marlene had definitely been there for that. She'd seen what Tifa had gone through before they'd taken him to Banora. How helpless he'd been to do anything. How could he have forgotten? And how could he have been such an idiot?

"You're still here, and as long as you don't give up, you can keep trying…" "They need you…"

After a moment, he leaned forward so he was at her eye-level. "I don't know what's going to happen…" he swallowed as he considered what he was about to say. "But… Once this battle has been fought, I'm not going anywhere." He placed his right hand on her shoulder. "You've always been there when I needed you." He looked up, glancing around to show he was including the others in this statement. "You, and Tifa, and Denzel, and Zack, and everyone else. Now, it's my turn." The best he could do to honor the memory of Freya's sacrifice, would be to honor the last request she had made, regardless of how she had managed to make it. I was never SOLDIER, and I'm definitely no Turk, but I can at least do this much.

April 15th [ ν ] – εуλ 0009 4:00 AM East Central Sea Time

Kunsel found himself sitting at a table near one of the restaurants at the Gold Saucer and he held his PHS in front of him. He'd been typing something, probably to Zack. It was then that he realized the information written in the mail was what had happened in the Ancient City. But that didn't make any sense, because Zack already knew about that. He'd been there. Aerith too, and Cloud, though he'd come in at the end. He stood up, pocketing the PHS, and was looking around when suddenly Freya was standing in front of him, smiling sadly. The two of them regarded each other for a moment, and then without a word, she ran into his arms. For a moment as brief as the morning dew, he felt her warm body within his embrace and then, before he knew it, she disappeared, like she was never there…

"Freya…" Kunsel jerked awake and looked around at the darkened cabin. After a moment, he sat up on his bunk and leaned against the bulkhead, hearing the Shera's engines rumble through the walls. After a moment, his right hand closed into a fist and he brought it against the bulkhead, not loud enough to attract attention, but hard enough that he felt the vibrations from the blow up his arm and his vision blurred with tears. Why? Why was he not fast enough? Why had she been dead before he'd even been able to summon? And what was he doing right now? This last question was punctuated with another angry but still controlled blow to the bulkhead.

Rationally, he knew exactly what he was doing. He knew he was trying to find a way for this to somehow not have happened. To somehow reverse this empty pain in his gut that felt like it was eating him alive, and he knew that it wouldn't be undone. He knew it all too well. Losing Zack, however temporarily, losing Luxiere, twice. Losing any number of fellow soldiers on the battlefield enhanced or not. He'd deadened it out mostly when it was expected that he be the SOLDIER Shinra needed him to be, and when Zack had called on him to be that SOLDIER again, mourning them only when he had the luxury of time to grieve, but this…

Without realizing it until just recently, she'd been someone he'd come to count on being there… how could she not be, when no mission was impossible for her? She was a Turk, damn it! Thinking of her smiling face, her ever-confident, no-nonsense attitude, her self-assurance that no matter what happened they would still win… He didn't want to accept that they were gone, even though he knew he had no choice. Remembering her body against his when they kissed in the tunnel to the Junon Reactor, her lightly glowing copper eyes that matched her long, beautiful hair that she always pulled back to keep it out of the way; the times when they had ribbed each other about whether SOLDIER or the Turks were better; the times when she'd shown him her more vulnerable side, yet still refused to compromise on her principles… the idea that those times would never come again; it was excruciating.

To think when they'd first met, he'd thought she was the enemy.

He wasn't exactly sure how long he lay there, thinking these dark thoughts, but the next time he remembered glancing out of the porthole behind him, dawn was breaking over the eastern horizon. He stood, washing his face from the nearby sink and began preparations for the day. GUARDIAN was still needed. As he walked to the door, ready to rejoin the others, he glanced at her shotgun which sat on a nearby table. He'd help protect the others for both of them.

April 15th [ ν ] – εуλ 0009 9:00 AM Junon Western Time

Rufus was standing at the window in his newly repaired Junon office, looking out to the west as the sunlight peeked through the clouds to illuminate the waves below. It had been a long flight to Shinra's headquarters in the western city, but he wanted to be on hand to witness Scarlet and Heidegger's apprehension. However, any ruminating on what he might do for the day was derailed when suddenly the door slammed open, revealing Kadaj, his double-bladed katana drawn. Tseng immediately drew his pistol and aimed in the remnant's direction, but Kadaj was in front of him in an instant, sending the blades through his right shoulder before adding a second blow to his left leg. The Wutaian dropped to the floor and Rufus watched the remnant approach him.

"Boy do I hate liars!" man drawled.

"You assume too much," Rufus responded. "The only sample we know of was lost in the Shinra building, which then became unsearchable following the contamination of its surroundings by the tainted mako. Only a fool would go in there to search for it, and the only ones foolhardy enough would be GUARDIAN." Of course it was a lie, but if he didn't manage to distract Kadaj, the chances were high that Tseng would not survive this encounter, and he could not afford to lose his most loyal Turk.

"Is that right…?" Kadaj had turned his back on the man as he was speaking, but now he faced him again, glaring at him with piercing green eyes. After a moment, he reached out with his katana, placing it neatly under Tseng's chin. "Fine, then swear on him!" As Rufus watched, Tseng looked up at the man threatening to kill him with a face of stone, even though he could tell the man was in agony from the wounds the remnant had already inflicted on him.

Rufus ached to go for the shotgun he had hidden underneath his coat, but it was clear to him Kadaj would undoubtedly strike in that instance. He needed to wait until the right moment. "What good will that do you?" he asked smoothly.

"It doesn't matter," Kadaj insisted. "We need Mother's power. The reunion is coming." He stepped closer, the slits in his pupils contracting eerily.

"Reunion…" Rufus breathed the word out in surprise. He had not heard that word since Hojo's demise, and he had hoped it would never come up again. It spoke of a time when his people had been forced to band together with GUARDIAN to fight a nigh unassailable enemy at the top of the world, and another time when the other man in this room had nearly died.

Kadaj grinned upon seeing the effect his words had. "My brothers and sisters will all assemble…" he raised his arms gesturing at the sky hidden by the building's roof above them, "and together, we'll take revenge on the planet!" he chuckled at the thought before pacing around the room uncertainly. "We've already sent out the invitations but… you know… someone's gone and hidden the guest of honor."

"Invitations?" Rufus asked.

Kadaj looked at him as though he was being intentionally stupid. "The Stigma," he explained, "But you know all about what it did to your precious city, don't you." Rufus stayed as still as a stone, determined not to let this vermin know he was concerned as Kadaj continued. "Mother's memetic legacy lives on in the Lifestream and makes it happen." He threw up his hands in frustration. "She does so much for us, and yet, we don't even know where to find her!" He paced in front of the president in agitation before coming to a stop. "But what can we do? We're just remnants. Merely remnants of mother's legacy." He turned and came closer. "Until we find Mother and receive her cells, we can't be whole again!" He had Rufus backed up against the window as he brought his voice down to a whisper. "Geostigma and a legacy, aren't enough. Not for a true reunion."

"What do you mean by that?" Rufus asked coldly.

"But sir," Kadaj said, continuing to glare at him, "Surely you've noticed."

As the president of the Shinra Corporation watched, Kadaj knelt on the ground and then slowly lifted his head. He was so distracted by what he saw in that moment, it did not even occur to him to take advantage of Kadaj's lower position on the ground to kill him. For in the instant that he raised his head, Rufus did not see the remnant's face. For a moment, it was Sephiroth's…

April 15th [ ν ] – εуλ 0009 8:00 AM Mid Central Sea Time

Aerith had been awake for some time when Zack rolled out of his bunk in their cabin aboard the Gainsborough. It was understandable. Yesterday's events had taken a toll on him, and she herself still felt tired. She had been right at Kunsel's side, trying to help him revive Freya right up until the end. But they could not linger long, not when there was still so much work to be done, and if they could be there to help the others in Junon, all the better. Behind her she heard Zack speak up, "Are you ready?" he asked.

She nodded. They had already spared a little time for her to tend to his Geostigma so, leaving their pilot to wait by the ship as they made their way towards the ruins. "So, where do you want to investigate?" he asked.

"I'd like to go by the lake one more time," she replied.

He nodded. "All right." With that, they walked quickly along the main path, back through the buildings and old shells. The trees were still, with only the slightest hint of a cold breeze. It was all right though, as she had her cloak and she had Zack. The Planet didn't seem nearly as frantic as it had yesterday, so the danger seemed limited to the black water that was still in the lake.

As they approached it through the woods, she could still see it, an affront to the Planet's nature. Her expression hardened at the sight. Below this lake, Freya had died to save her life. If there was one thing she could do to prevent anyone else from meeting her fate… she tightened her grip around her staff as they reached the water's edge. "I think this is good enough," she said. "The Planet seems to think we're okay around here, even with the black water. Are you ready?"

Zack nodded, unhitching the Buster Sword and sheathing it into the ground before sitting down on his knees in front of it. "Let's do this."

Aerith stood in front of him, holding the Princess Guard between them, and after a moment she placed it on the ground, shutting her eyes and allowing the Lifestream to channel around them from the ambient sources until at last, the familiar wave rose up and engulfed them…

Upon finding herself within her inner space, she noticed that it had changed yet again from the last time. The darker tint of the ambient light surrounding the pond of water had spread, covering more of the field in a darkened hue though the flowers still bloomed. There were even more fireflies surrounding the epicenter of the swarm over the water. Surprised, she walked a little closer, squinting through the points of light to see what was concealed behind them. She thought she caught sight of some tendrils of Lifestream, but she couldn't be sure.

"Aerith?" she could hear Zack calling her.

"Coming!" She called out and started towards the road that led out. As she prepared to leave, the lights once again coalesced into a single point of illumination and followed after her, taking refuge under her cloak. She found Zack waiting on the road, and noticed immediately the evidence of the stigma on him, tendrils of blackened Lifestream bled around him, though she said nothing. They were both well aware of what was wrong. She saw that the area very much mirrored the place in which they actually stood, yet tendrils of Lifestream floated freely around them and shadows walked around, as though searching for their owners. It was truly a ghost town in more ways than one, but none of them felt threatening. If anything, they felt like the spirits they'd run across at the Temple of the Ancients.

"What are they?" Zack asked.

"Ancients who came before, I think," Aerith said. She walked over to one of the shades and attempted to get their attention but it simply looked up at her. Its speech, if it could be called such a thing was nothing but disjointed images of a world long past. A village, and children, and then something about fear, and then recognition that something like what had made their brothers and sisters flee from this place was in the village again. "It's hard to understand, but I think they're definitely aware of the black water."

She looked to her right and there it was, the lake held as visible a presence here as as it did in the real world. She walked closer, her brow furrowing. Now what should they do?

There was movement in the corner of her eye, and suddenly she caught sight of a familiar figure standing by the lakeside. As she watched, a pair of faintly glowing copper-colored eyes met with hers, and then the figure turned away, gesturing that they follow her. "Zack! Look!" She gestured towards where the figure had been.

"Freya?" Zack asked. The two of them started hurrying in that direction but soon only found themselves standing in an empty shell, looking down a familiar set of stairs. They could hear the distant footsteps down below them and Zack went first. In an instant, they were no longer on the stairs but standing at the center of the Water Altar where another shadow stood in front of them, somewhat resembling a man wearing ancient clothing and looking somewhat like the shaman whom she'd seen in Banora. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that same copper-eyed figure disappearing into the gloom, fading into nothingness. Turning her attention back to the shadow in front of them, she tried to get its attention.

"Hello?"

The man looked up at her and she felt a warmth wash over her. He was returning her greeting. Then... curiosity she guessed.

"Um… we're trying to find out how the Ancients drove back Jenova... well, her virus… anyway. Do you know anything about that? Can you help us?"

The man glanced over at Zack, who looked like he was too distracted searching for their missing friend to notice the attention. Even so, it was clear the older man recognized the signs. He looked back at her and nodded. From the general sense he was giving her, it seemed like he did know something. He raised his staff, which she saw looked somewhat similar to the Princess Guard, and tapped it on the ground. Above them, the yellowed sea glass cleared, the cracks healed, and within the memory, she saw the man praying to the Planet in a language she didn't know, a familiar materia held in his hand as several warriors lay behind him, contorted in pain from patches of diseased and abscessed flesh that covered their bodies.

"I don't understand," Aerith said. "My materia can only cast Holy…"

The shade looked at her across the memory and walked over to her, reaching gently up to the ribbon in her hair and retrieving the materia from it. She heard him speaking in the Ancient tongue. For a moment, she listened to the old language at first hearing but not comprehending and then, it became clear to her. She understood. She smiled at the old man. "I see. Thank you! Thank you so much! If not for you…"

The man suddenly gave her a look of surprise as his thoughts suddenly registered her memory of her meeting with Minerva and then smiled back. It was then that the little firefly appeared at her elbow. The shadow spotted it and she suddenly felt an emotion that confused her. "Really?"

The man nodded and then placed Aerith's materia back in her hand. The message was clear. "You know what to do, child."

She considered for a moment. The news he had just told her was so huge, but yes, this was also important. "Thanks again," she said, and then after a moment, she looked over at Zack and she could already feel a light rain around her as she followed the old Ancient's instructions…

The rain was still falling as her awareness returned. It was a surprisingly warm and wholesome rain and felt wonderful on her skin in the chill air. Behind Zack, she could see the lake steaming as the clean water came into contact with the polluted murk within its depths, boiling it away and purifying it once more until the waters were crystal clear. Zack was on his feet in an instant. "Aerith, was that who I thought it was in th…" he suddenly looked down at his right shoulder before pulling off his jacket and ripping off the bandage peeking out from under his shirt. As they both watched in wonder, the injured flesh was knitting itself back together as though it had never been infected. The scar from Sephiroth still remained, but the black puss and infected tissue had almost melted away. He looked up at her in surprise. "You did it…"

She nodded and through the rain, the two of them embraced. "We did it," Aerith said, unable to tell which drops of water on her face were rain and which were her own tears.

"Yeah," Zack whispered into her ear. "We'll be able to save everyone. I just wish we could get her back too."

"We all do…" Aerith said and then her thoughts whirled back to the last thing the Ancient had told her. "Zack, there's something else…"

"What is it?"

"I think you're going to be a father…"

"What?" he backed away looking down at her in surprise even though his hands were still on her shoulders. "You mean… you… and me… we're going to have a…" He seemed incapable of articulating his words.

Aerith nodded. "The Ancient who told me how to use the cure. He told me…"

Zack pulled her into another hug as the rain kept pouring around them and she realized he was crying too. Neither of them seemed able to decide if it was out of happiness or grief. "That's wonderful…"

I hope everyone had a happy New Year's Day!

See you next week!