The Reunion Begins

There was no time to think. Action was the only thing that would save them from the giant serpent that towered over the group of four.

"Aeris!!! Quick, switch your Limit Break!!! We need Healing Wind!! We can't afford to wait forever for Great Gospel!" Vincent shouted, Limit Breaks were the only real power they had left. "Then you can keep the rest of us healed while we get ours." All it would take was one Limit Break. The Midgar Zolem's HP wasn't high, just it's attack power was, and that was what they needed to worry about.

While Aeris quickly switched her Limit Break before the ambush, Nanaki tested an idea. If they could get the full force of the attack on one person, they could get that one vital Limit Break more quickly. Just maybe, the flame on his tail would do the trick. "Over here!" he roared, leaping towards the beast to dart away at the last minute. Thank the Planet he was still young, only fifty years, and still had the full agility of his youth. He would need every ounce of feline grace and speed that was stored in the powerhouse of his body to even think of out running the monster.

"No!" Tifa shouted as the snake took the bait. "He can't out run it!!!"

Seeing a chance, Vincent grabbed Aeris's slender shoulder's and hurled her forward. "Get out of here!!!" Taking off himself, he only hesitated long enough to know that Tifa was following his lead. He was more worried about Aeris; Tifa could easily outrun him. Of that he was certain, but the slight Cetra wasn't so athletic.

"Can he really outrun that thing?" Aeris puffed, already heaving with the effort of the flight.

Vincent didn't hesitate to answer, "Of course, if a Chocobo can then so can he. His species hunted those birds as food, remember?" It didn't matter that Vincent doubted the fact, he trusted Red XIII to take care of himself.

"Red'll be okay," Tifa reassured Aeris as she matched pace with the other two. The question now was would their own running draw more attention than Nanaki's tail? The Midgar Zolem was especially sensitive to vibrations in the swamp and this much was probably irresistible to it. At any rate, all they could do was keep running in the direction of the Chocobo Ranch on the outskirts of the marsh.

*~*~*~*

What was wrong now? The Zolem's attention was wavering as though it suddenly found something else far more interesting. That wasn't good, not with what that interest might be placed in. At all costs Nanaki had to keep the Zolem's attention.

"I said OVER HERE!" Nanaki roared as loud as he could, shifting slightly sideways while letting all of his weight fall into a four firmly planted paws and then using his legs like the powerful springs they were to propel all of that momentum in the opposite direction. Letting his bared fangs tear at the serpent's thick scales as he passed it in the opposite direction, only by a burst of luck was any damage done. The flashing white fangs caught the edge of a single scale and held, tearing it from it's place.

Rearing in pain, the great serpent realized that this prey meant business. When food tried to fight back, it was time to stop playing and make a meal.

A safe distance from the monster, Nanaki pulled back and prepared for another pass. If he was lucky he could weaken it enough with simple passes and not have to worry about suffering any serious injuries, but one look proved his hopes were futile.

The serpent wasted no time, darting forward with lightning-like reflexes. There was no escape for the prey now. This was a meal well earned, but Piccolo couldn't stand to watch anyone go to that fate, especially not someone who was friends with Gohan.

Bright white light flashed, drawing Nanaki's attention from the impending doom that barreled towards him, but realized his mistake too late. So this was the end. There was no way he could escape the fangs that were almost upon him.

What fangs?

Nanaki's eyes stared out into empty air.

"You're welcome," Piccolo stated, hovering above the stagnantly moist ground. "He almost had you there."

Nanaki was forced to stare a moment more before he shook his head, realizing what had happened, "I thank you greatly."

"Nothing you wouldn't have done for Gohan," Piccolo returned in a flat voice. "Besides, I help you and you help me okay? You probably know where we are, or how to get back to the jungle where Gohan is."

Nanaki nodded. "Indeed. The journey is not far, but we must find the others first. They should be okay, and I'm sure I know where they went."

"Lead the way," Piccolo offered, casting a disdainful eye at the rotting soil. The sooner they got out of this dump the better. He had an urgent feeling about Gohan, and he couldn't afford to waste much time.

*~*~*~*

"What the!"

Barret leapt up as Cait Sith's mechanical voice broke his slumber. He shouldn't have fallen asleep in the first place, but it had only been a few minutes anyway. Glancing around the control room, he was glad to discover that at least no one had seen.

"You..."

Yuffie took a few steps closer to the stuffed mog. What was he saying? She was glad she'd come back inside. This was far more interesting that watching the boring ruins of Midgar.

"It... it can't be! You're dead!"

"What the devil is he saying?" Cid whispered, joining Yuffie. The ninja girl merely shook her head. But, before any more questions could be raised, a second voice came over the com system controlled by Reeve back in Junon.

"You seem surprised to see me, Reeve. I thought you'd be glad to see your old boss again."

"IMPOSSIBLE!" Barret shouted, running to join the other two. "I'd recognize the voice o' that VERMIN anywhere!"

"Rufus?" Cid murmured disbelievingly.

"Why so scared Reeve? Didn't you know that I too was in SOLDIER once?" the all too familiar voice continued. "Hmph, probably not. It was my father's way of punishing me and making sure I knew my place before I could inherit his fortune."

"I'll be damned!" Barret shouted. "I thought the $%*#@% was gone for good!"

"In any case, Reeve, I am back and I am still the president of this company."

"But, there's nothing left," Reeve's voice said with a desperate sound to it.

"I'm not worried. I have everything I need, including information. Did you know Cloud's friends are in the marshes?"

Cid and Barret exchanged glances. The marshes? That wasn't good.

No one needed to say anything for Cid to set a course for the airship. The marshes were no place to be left hanging. While the Highwind jerked into motion the people aboard it patiently listened to the story Rufus was unwittingly relating to them. A story about near death and a glorious escape from Midgar after the attack by Diamond Weapon...

*~*~*~*

Gohan shielded his eyes as hot white light bored into his mind. Just what he needed. It worsened the headache that throbbed in his head like a dull drum beat, but, at least, he had pulled his mind out of Jenova's clutches for now. There was no longer any doubt in his mind as to what had been happening; he just hoped he had the strength to break her control more quickly next time.

As the light retreated, Gohan took a step forward to get a better view of the dark mass lying in its wake.

"Vegeta?"

"Great," Cloud groaned as he recognized the blond haired man that lie unconscious on the floor. What had happened was a mystery, but it had the reek of Sephiroth all over it.

"We gotta get out of here," Gohan said suddenly, not really sure what brought on the sudden sense of urgency. Only a few moments after the words left his mouth did he blush realizing the slang he'd used. If his mother had been here she would have had his hide for that.

"No kidding," Cloud's own voice gave away none of his emotions. As much as their new company displeased him, a time like this wasn't the time for showing weakness. He had to be cold and strong, if only for the boy's sake. "How did you beat Emerald Weapon before?"

What brought that on? Gohan wondered.

"What attack was that? Give me all the details you can," Cloud demanded firmly. He didn't have time to worry about his own emotions or what the boy thought of the sudden change. All he could afford to do was think. They needed a way out. Quick.

"Well, I just shot it with a blast of my ki," Gohan answered slowly. Cloud was definitely up to something, but what?

"Your ki?"

"Yeah, my energy," Gohan continued. "Dad said mine was even stronger than his, but I really don't think so."

That was it. Cloud's mind began forming an idea. "How do you use your ki?"

"I just do," Gohan said slightly confused. That was like asking someone how you walked. You didn't think about it; you just walked.

"No," surprisingly enough, Cloud wasn't upset by Gohan's lack of cooperation. He didn't have time to waste struggling with the kid. "That's not good enough. Try telling me anything you can, no matter how basic it might seem."

Gohan nodded. It was more than obvious that Cloud had an idea, and they could use any idea they could get their hands on. "I focus my thoughts into channeling my energy into my hands and then..."

"That's what I needed to know," Cloud interrupted. Gohan didn't react to being cut off so rudely; they both knew nothing was meant by it. Besides, if Cloud had an idea, he should be trying to get it to work, not worrying about how polite he was.

"I think I've got it," Cloud murmured, kneeling down to dig in a pouch he had produced. Where it had been seconds before Gohan wasn't so sure, but that didn't really matter. "Have you ever used materia before kid?"

"No," Gohan answered without hesitation. If he'd ever used something like that before, he would have remembered it.

"Good," Cloud stated flatly, more to himself than the young Saijin. "Then there's a chance this will work."

"What?" Vegeta's voice suddenly entered the conversation. With blood stained lips and nearly transparent skin he still managed to hang on to the intimidating air of royalty he always carried. Sitting up seemed more effort than it was worth and so Vegeta lie on his back where he was, conserving as much energy as he could. He would need it to survive a wound like he had sustained without the help of a Sensu bean.

"The Exit materia," Cloud said, pulling a large piece of green materia from the pouch he had gathered his dropped stones into. He hadn't wasted a moment after the battle in gathering up what he'd dropped. "I want you to try something for me Gohan."

"Okay." The sincerity and trust that laced Cloud's voice kept Gohan from reminding Cloud of his earlier conversation with Nanaki. Maybe he'd found some way to avoid the earlier problem.

"Materia is easy to use, especially when it's mastered like this one. Just concentrate your thoughts into what you want and the materia will do the rest; that's its job," Cloud started, handing the gently glowing stone to his short mirror image. "I want you to try to do something more though."

What was this!?

Gohan tried to hear what Cloud was saying, but he couldn't bring himself to listen to those words. A thousand other voices swirled through his head like the gentle ripples in a small whirlpool. They filled his mind and caressed his thoughts.

"Now is your time young one."

"Now is your day."

"The time is now, child."

"You were once a warrior."

"You have come back to us."

"Your fight is no longer."

"Against us though you were."

"You will live for us now."

"You are salvation."

"You alright kid?" Cloud asked, gently shaking Gohan's shoulder. "It's just a piece of materia. It won't bite." What did the boy see in that green sphere?

Gohan shook his head and looked up into the blue eyes that studied him intently. What was this? How could he explain it? There was one thing that was certain, though, this was not Jenova. "It's just that," Gohan stuttered as he tried to continue, "I hear them."

Could it be? Cloud's eyes grew wide for an instant before returning to their emotionless state. So it was true then. The boy was a Cetra. "Don't worry about it kid. The knowledge of the Ancients is stored in Mako, in materia. You'll get used to it."

Gohan couldn't really comprehend what was happening, it was just too much at once, but he nodded anyway. Knowledge of the Ancients. That wasn't a surprise. He knew that. Why? How did he know that? ...maybe Cloud had said something about it before... Yeah, that was it. Still, it took considerable effort for Gohan to suppress the voices that suddenly flooded him with sweet sound and an overwhelming sense of comfort.

"I want you to try to focus your ki into using this materia, okay?" Cloud asked softly as he started into the boy's eyes. Placing all of their lives in the hands of a kid wasn't something Cloud was thrilled about. No child should have to suffer with that kind of pressure, but it was necessary.

"Alright," Gohan answered, slowly regaining his senses.

"But, there's a problem, this materia can only get three of us out of here. Someone's going to have to be left behind," Cloud stated the fact bitterly. If it hadn't been for that blasted Vegeta getting himself into trouble they would have all been able to escape, but as it was, there were four of them now.

"Leave me."

That quiet feminine voice was unmistakable. It didn't matter how many years it had been since he'd last heard it in a cave near Nibelhiem, Cloud would recognize Lucrecia's gentle voice anywhere.

"I've longed for death for so many years that this will only be a relief to me now," Lucrecia whispered, walking up to stand in front of Cloud. She glided over the twisted metal as though floating. Unmistakably Sephiroth's mother. There was no denying the perfect grace that this mother and son shared. "Death is only a dream for me now. With her cells I can't find rest. Maybe if I join her, I will finally find the sleep I desire."

What could he say? The last thing Cloud wanted to do was leave her here by herself at the mercy of Hojo and her son. She was so beautiful in her pale white dress, like a dying water lily.

"No," Vegeta's rough voice contrasted dramatically to Lucrecia's as he protested. "You will leave me. I do not need your magic to save me. I will find my own way out."

"Please, let me be," desperation crept into Lucrecia's subtle voice. She had long since lost the will to live, and that had been a predominant factor in her soft manner for as long as Cloud had known her. She wanted nothing more than to finally die in peace. Just like Vincent.

"No one is going anywhere."

Cloud's blood boiled. So close, they were so close to escaping. All they needed where a few more moments! NO! Sephiroth wouldn't have them! Not this easily! He wouldn't go down without a fight!

"Son," Lucrecia whispered, her voice filled with a sadness so deep that Gohan couldn't begin to imagine all she had been through to become so lost. "I won't leave you my son."

Damn. Cloud cursed, getting to his feet.

"When you join mother you will find eternal peace, Lucrecia," Sephiroth's cold voice cut through the air like the long sword he wielded. Even now he refused to admit that Lucrecia was his true mother. Cloud winced as the cruelty cut Lucrecia to the bone. The light in her beautiful eyes died yet again, if it was possible.

"I won't go against you, my son," she whispered, taking a submissive step forward as Sephiroth appeared in a glorious display of light.

"No, you won't mother," he sneered sarcastically. In moments, Jenova's form materialized behind him as well. "Now then, shall we begin?"

NOTE: Sorry it took so long to get writing AGAIN. It just took a little talking my ideas over with a friend and watching the Matrix to get me going again.