After a great deal of discussion, it was decided that the threat Jenova posed was big enough to be worth throwing all their Firsts into the gambit. After all, as it stood they wouldn't be able to help and might (likely) even be a liability. At least this way they were doing something proactive.

Vincent could not at this time sustain extended periods of Chaos in control - though he was getting better at it - but they were managing to switch off between them fairly well. And it was decided it would be far wiser to have him approach his family anyway.

So it was that they grabbed a troop transport, loaded it up with the four Firsts, Kunsel, Vincent, Veld, Aerith and Cloud, and headed for Wutai.

"Mmmm… anyone other than me nervous as hell to be flying into Wutai City?" Benji asked. "Yes? No? Just me?"

"That's where the big temple is," Zack reminded him. "And the only remaining oracle line we know of."

"You can't tell me Chaos couldn't find another line," Benji said flatly. "We're here because Valentine's got ties. No offense, man."

"None taken," Vincent murmured. "This was not precisely how I intended to handle my reunions either."

"…please tell me you've actually spoken to your family to tell them you're not dead before now," Aerith said.

Vincent averted his eyes. "…it's been busy."

"Vincent Valentine, are you kidding me?" She groaned. "Well no one better get out until his mother's done having words."

"Do you have reason to believe my mother is even alive?" Vincent asked curiously.

"I asked Veld," Aerith said. "I wanted to know who I would probably be talking to, if he knew."

Vincent turned an expectant gaze on Veld, who nodded.

"Yeah, she's still alive. We're not that old, Vin; your mother's line's long lived anyway. For all I know your grandmother might still be in charge," Veld said.

Vincent arched a brow. "…that would be… convenient."

"You're still going to be read the riot act, but sure," Veld agreed. "Maybe Chaos will be nice and take over."

"At least he'll be inclined to be more respectful on sacred ground," Vincent said.

"…we should have called ahead," Benji said. "Please tell me someone called ahead and we're not touching down in Wutai's capital, on sacred ground, with a team of SOLDIER's finest barely post-war and their undead kin like the world's most unwelcome traveling surprise party."

"It wouldn't be the worst thing I've ever done," Veld said.

"Or the most inadvisable," Vincent said.

"You stay out of this, unless you're going to actually put in a call yourself," Veld said. "And yes, Richards, I called. I may have been a little deliberately cryptic, but there's some conversations you just can't have over a phone."

"Okay. Okay that's fair, I just… shit, man, I know there's things out there but my philosophy has always been 'stay out of their way' not… y'know, go seek their approval so they can scrub alien crud out of your DNA and possibly remake you in their image," Benji said.

"Well, I guess that's what we get for signing up to be shot up with alien crud," Zack said, leg bouncing in a single tell of nerves. "Not that we knew that but I don't know how much intention counts for."

"We'll be okay," Aerith said firmly. "Everyone will be okay."

"Going to have to borrow your faith, flowergirl," Benji said. "…Genesis would be having a goddamn field day with this. Blessings of the gods."

"…I don't know that 'goddamn' is the best term to use right now but yes, yes he would," Drew said. He put a hand on Benji's shoulder, rubbing idly. "What's our ETA, Director?"

"We've got another hour. Plenty of time for people to calm down," Veld said.

"See, you'd think that," Benji said. "Might flip over by then. Or at least get mission-head. I could live with mission-head."

"We can do mission mindset, because this is a mission," Nikolas said. "Possibly the most serious mission we've ever had."

"Yeah…" Benji sighed, closing his eyes and listing against Drew. "Yeah. It is."

An hour was both nerve-wrackingly long and far too short, but ready or not they were in Wutai, touching down in a field outside the temple just as dawn began to light on the horizon. You could make out the outline of the ancient structure, a massive marble building with a sense of age that was almost tangible.

They were greeted by two women in the traditional pale blue robes of Leviathan priestesses and several temple guardians. Not normally enough to do something to a team of five SOLDIERs, but on sacred ground who knew what they were capable of? (No one was inclined to find out.)

Veld stepped out first as the back hatch of the transport opened, bowing politely before holding out a hand as Vincent came around the side.

It was clear that it was one thing to be told but another thing to see that Vincent was alive.

He was beckoned forward by the older of the two women, the resemblance between son and mother quickly evident even in profile. She took his hands, gently mindful of the gauntlet but uncaring of the danger, trust expressed in a simple gesture. They spoke quietly, his Wutai still fluent even after so much time away, too quickly and quietly to be picked up by the rest of them.

Soon, though, he was turning to gesture back to the others, Aerith and Cloud standing in front of the other five SOLDIERs. Whatever he said regarding them made her look thoughtful, nodding slowly and beckoning to them.

The guardians didn't move from behind her, but neither were they hostile, so the SOLDIERs tentatively approached.

"She welcomes you to Leviathan's temple," Vincent said, pitching his voice to carry.

"Tell her thank you," Aerith said, suspecting she was the only one who was going to manage much discussion unless directly addressed for now.

Vincent murmured something to his mother that was a little long for a mere thank you, but no one asked.

Veld had a faint, knowing smile; he'd always done better with spoken Wutai, even if his accent had a way of cropping back up any time he tried to speak it. Too elegant for me, he'd tease Vincent, always earning a smile and a little shake of his head.

Vincent spoke a moment longer, before his mother turned and gestured for them to follow her inside.

"All of us?" Zack asked, just to be sure.

Vincent smiled faintly, understanding. "All of you."

"Any, uh, instructions?" Zack checked. He fully expected to be told to leave his sword on the helicopter. Was ready for it, even. Didn't want to, but he would if he had to.

Instead, Vincent shook his head.

"…we're allowed in armed?" Benji said, voicing their shock aloud.

"Not into the sanctuary, I'm sure, but we're not going all the way into the temple part of the building," Vincent explained. His eyes gleamed gold. "…and there's little you could do here you wouldn't immediately regret."

"Great. I love it when letting you have your weapon is a power move," Benji muttered.

"You do," Drew agreed. "You just prefer to be the one doing it."

Benji made a face and trailed after him.

They made an interesting lineup, Vincent and Veld followed by Aerith and Cloud, Zack and Kunsel, and Drew and Nikolas herding a very nervous Benji. The only real sound as they made their way down the marble corridors were the SOLDIER's boots, even that quieter than one might expect unless you'd been exposed to them.

They were led to a room with a wide, long, low table and assorted zabuton laid out on the floor for seating. Vincent graciously directed the rest of them when they hesitated, then took a seat between Aerith and Veld, opposite his mother.

"I am Miyamura Amaya, daughter and heir of Miyamura Michiko, living Voice of Leviathan," the priestess introduced herself quietly, Midgarian Standard moderately accented but clear. "You are here on the grace of returning my son to the living at long last, and the will of the Planet. But you have much explaining to do for yourselves."

"I think perhaps that should be my task," Vincent said. "As I have the best background and resources to understand what's going on. They're here on faith and hope, little more."

An elegant black brow arched, but she inclined her head with a gesture that he continue.

Vincent sighed quietly and braced himself to speak far more than any but Veld had heard out of him at once.

"As you know, ShinRa has meddled with forces it had no business dealing with," Vincent began, and thought it was telling for his side that no one argued in so much as a sound of protest. "And while those responsible have passed on, we're still trying to clean up the mess. In this case… the late Professors Gast and Hojo unearthed and to some extent revived the ancient calamity that nearly wiped out the Ancients, a story perhaps to get in more detail at another time.

"They have injected mostly small doses of the Calamity's cells into their top SOLDIERs." He inclined his head towards the Firsts. "Some more than others. The better known trio of course had even more, but they're not currently involved in events as they stand. And there are others with still more, though they are not allies in any sense of the word.

"You may have sensed that something has changed, that there has been an awakening of this sleeping menace," Vincent continued. "Which would be true. The Calamity has gained access to the Lifestream. To prevent untold damages, we need to remove it as soon as possible. But this has never been a matter for mere mortals to handle on their own."

"So you come home at last to approach the gods through the one conduit you trust," Amaya murmured, and her small smile was approving.

"Please," Vincent said softly, placing his good hand flat on the table.

"Do you know what you need?" she asked mildly.

Vincent took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders. His eyes flickered gold. "…about that, actually."

Amaya sat very still, dark eyes narrowed on her son. "…what have they done, Vincent."

He managed a tight smile. "They found Father's WEAPON."