((In this chapter, I have skipped some of the game... it is not necessary and would waste time and my nerves.... so we are starting again right outside of Nibelheim...))

Chapter four: The man in the coffin....

The group walked into the town of Nibelheim shortly after their trip to Cosmo Canyon. It took them a few days to walk to the town, and they were tired.

"Hey, let's go rest in my house..." Cloud had said.

But, no such luck. Nobody in the small town recognized either Cloud OR Tifa, let alone knew them... Cloud scratched his head, Tifa suggested that they try to rest in the old Shin-Ra mansion. Everyone agreed that it would be a good place to rest for the day.

Cloud opened the door with a creaking as the dust settled as a few shy monsters flew out of sight of the intruders. He walked slowly into the main room and looked around. "This will do just fine..." He said.

"What's this?" Tifa picked up a note and read it aloud. "Hints to open the safe: 1. Look for the lid of the box with the most oxygen... 2. Behind the Ivory's short of tea and ray... 3. The creek in the floor near the chair on the second floor, then to the left five steps... up nine steps... left two steps and up six steps... and 4. Is missing...." Tifa looked around, "What do you think that means?"

"It means... that we have to find something... it's like a scavenger hunt." Nanaki said.

"Hmm...." Tifa reread the list, "Look for the box with the most oxygen..."

Twenty minutes later the group had the three numbers, and were missing one. "Number four is missing, it is torn out of the paper..." Tifa said, "What could it be?"

"Let me see that!" Aeris said, grabbing the paper, and walked over to the window for some more light. "It's here, it was in invisible ink..."

The group went up to the safe and opened it, causing lost number to attack.

Cloud said it best in one word, "Shit."

"Where do you suppose this key goes too?" Tifa said, as Beth stood beside her, dusting off her cloak after they defeated Lost Number.

"I thought I saw a loose wall in a room..." Beth said, "Maybe it's a secret passageway."

Tifa turned around and looked at Beth, "could you lead us?"

Beth nodded and walked upstairs and to a small bedroom.

"I remember this now!" Cloud said, taking the lead, "It goes down to the library... Sephiroth might be there..."

The group walked along the path towards the library, it was dark and dusty and had no light in it, but Nanaki smelled something. "A door!" He called. "It's locked, bring that key over here Tifa!" Using his tail as a light, Nanaki got the key and unlocked the door.

"Smells dusty..." Cloud said.

"It's the smell of death Cloud." Beth said in her soft tone. "But not true...death..." Beth said so that nobody heard her.

"Lookie thar!" Barret said, pointing at a closed coffin in the middle of the small room, "Jes' like da one we foun' Beth 'n!"

Cloud walked forward and, with a little help, pried the lid off the coffin. A pale man dressed in red and black with a gauntlet lay in the smooth black box. "Who wakes me from my nightmares?" His voice was mellow and cool.

"Cloud Strife, along with the team of Avalanche... Do you know a man named Sephiroth?"

"Yes, do you know a woman named Lucrecia, she is the one that gave birth to Sephiroth..."

"I do." Beth walked out of the shadows and looked at the man.

"Let me sleep... more nightmares shall come to me now, more that I previously had..." The man slammed his coffin lid shut.

Cloud opened it again, "At least tell me your name..."

"Vincent. Vincent Valentine..." He glared at Cloud. Beth's eyes widened, but no other emotions showed on her face as she knew that this man was her rescuer. "Now, let me sleep..." Vincent said and shut his coffin again.

"Come on, Sephiroth is in the library!" Aeris said, "Leave that.... that..."

"Thing!" Tifa said, walking out of the door.

Sephiroth was standing there in the library, laughing... Beth stood behind Barret, both terrified and angry at her brother. Sephiroth told them of the 'reunion' and invites them to join him. Sephiroth leaves in a huff and the group is left alone.

"Reunion?" Cloud said.

"Cloud... could we talk later, this place is creeping me out!" Tifa said, picking up a materia.

Just as they were walking out of the secret passage, a shadowy figure stopped them. It was Vincent.

"I... I wish to join your team. Is there a chance that I will meet Hojo?"

"Don't I wish..." Beth said under her breath...

"Yes, Vincent, and welcome aboard!" Cloud said.

((so now Vincent has joined the group, what will he think when the woman, er... baby he saved thirty years ago is a woman and now helping him? What about Sephiroth?))