Barrett was just leaving when the black motorcycle came speeding into Nibelheim almost flattening Barrett and his large bunch of suitcases. Cloud parked the bike and jumped off before storming past Nanaki and pushing the doors of the manor open and disappearing inside. Nanaki came over to Yuffie as did Barrett

"What's goin on?" he asked Yuffie who had stood and watched Cloud dolefully.

"We caught Tifa and Sephiroth" explained Yuffie. Barrett was more than a little surprised while Nanaki merely looked at the floor.

"Her an' that psychopath?" Barrett shouted angrily "What the hell is she thinkin'?"

"Then Cloud hit Sephiroth" Yuffie wept, finally her emotions were running away with her "Then he went away and Tifa followed him but he ignored her and Sephiroth ran off with Vincent and then we left too and now Tifa's out there somewhere alone"

"Yuffie, you are rambling on about something we do not understand" Nanaki pointed out. Yuffie waved her arms in front of her face to try and stop herself from crying; but it was not working.

"Cloud hit Sephiroth after we found Tifa and Sephiroth together, we left so did Sephiroth which means Tifa is out there by herself" explained Yuffie a lot more coherently.

"She will find her way back" Nanaki mused.

Six hours after Cloud and Yuffie had discovered Tifa and Sephiroth together Vincent and Sephiroth finally found their way down the other side of the mountain range. Sephiroth was very nervous to be meeting Lucrecia, his true mother. Above them storm clouds were sending down torrents of rain. Vincent and Sephiroth entered the large cave which was very warm and humid. Mist had filled the cave; it all seemed to congregate around the shining white altar. Slowly Sephiroth and Vincent walked over to it. Sephiroth had the intense feeling that he was in somewhere sacred. The father and son stopped a few meters ahead of the white altar.

"Lucrecia? Are you here?" Vincent called out to the room. His deep voice echoed out almost infinitely. Sephiroth was too nervous to speak as they waited for a reply. The two men stood there in complete silence, even the sound of the storm outside had petered out. The mist began to congregate upon the altar and a thin shape appeared as a silhouette in the almost holy light that emanated from the altar. Nervously, Lucrecia walked forwards until she was stood on the stairs, at the feet of which Vincent and Sephiroth were stood. Not one of the three spoke. Lucrecia stood there looking into Sephiroth's eyes, a composed look on her face, Sephiroth held her gaze.

"Is it really you?" Lucrecia whispered. Sephiroth nodded, he was literally unable to speak or move.

"It is really him" Vincent told her gently. A good-natured smile appeared on Lucrecia's face before she ran forwards and embraced her long-lost son. Lucrecia broke down in tears as she hugged him. Vincent remained there, a touch of a smile on his lips. Sephiroth was unsure of what to do and so he naturally embraced his mother for the first time. Lucrecia stepped back before hugging Vincent. Vincent felt warmth inside for the first time in three decades, he had missed holding Lucrecia. Vincent smiled and embraced her tighter and picked her up playfully as he had done when they had been together. Lucrecia laughed; the playfulness of Vincent had been sorely missed by her. Lucrecia indicated for Sephiroth hug them also. Slowly Sephiroth stepped forwards and hugged both his parents. A feeling of wholeness spread through the three of them. Vincent felt happy as both his son and love were there, Sephiroth felt complete as he now had his true family for the first time ever; Lucrecia was at ease as she had both her son and the man she loved with her, finally. The three of them stood there embracing for a few minutes until Lucrecia stepped back. Even Sephiroth was surprised to find that he too had been crying. Vincent merely stood there, unsure of how to compose his features.

"This" Lucrecia gasped "This is…impossible"

"No, it has just taken too long" Sephiroth whispered having finally got a hold of his voice. Lucrecia held both Vincent and Sephiroth's hands in her own.

"What happens now?" Sephiroth asked as he looked from parent to parent. Vincent looked at Lucrecia with that piercing look she had fallen for.

"We are finally together" Lucrecia laughed softly "I don't want it to end"

"Then come with us" Vincent told her "Come back to the world, with your son" Lucrecia seemed unsure of what she was to do.

"I can't" she cried "I'm not meant to be here, I should be dead"

"As am I" Vincent reminded her as he held her "I awoke and now I have accepted Sephiroth as my son, I have never been happier" Lucrecia looked up at him

"But what if they don't accept me?" Lucrecia asked Vincent.

"I'm a murderer, they have accepted me" Sephiroth joked making both he and Lucrecia laugh; Vincent merely smiled, almost.

"Please, mother" Sephiroth said. The word mother seemed to break Lucrecia's fear of the outside world. Lucrecia hugged Sephiroth before taking both his and Vincent's hands. Nervously Lucrecia walked towards the opening of the cave.

It had been seven hours since the forest of the Ancients and a storm was battering Nibelheim which meant Barrett could not leave and so he remained in Tifa's home. Cloud had come over and everyone was sat around the table. Tifa had still not returned and people were staring to worry. Vincent and Sephiroth had not returned either but no-one seemed to care. Cloud was stood in Tifa's bedroom looking out of the window

"I wonder where she is" he told his reflection "She has always been there for me, why can't I accept her and Se…I…Why can't I accept her with someone else?" he finished.

"You loved Aeris" a deep voice informed Cloud. Cloud tilted his head to one side as Barrett came into the room

"You loved Aeris, you can't think that Tifa would wait for you forever" Barrett told him "But she did, whenever anyone spoke about love in 7th heaven your name would always come up and then you returned an' forgot, Tifa loved you but then Sephiroth came along"

"I know that" Cloud informed him "I just never thought she would go with him and I expected Sephiroth would care about me"

"Just as Tifa expected you would care for her" Barrett pointed out "You went for Aeris when Tifa loved you, so she did the same"

"So it was revenge?" Cloud asked as he turned to face Barrett

"No, I don't like the idea of her an' him, don't forget that!" Barrett told him "But maybe, what Nanaki thinks it might be, is somethin' called karma" Cloud laughed

"Karma?" he laughed "I don't believe in it"

"Maybe not, but it's the best explanation" Barrett pointed out as he turned and left the room.

Cloud turned back to the window and wondered where Tifa was, he was worried.