Chapter 8 - Transitions

Aerith wasn't expecting to start on weapons so soon, on only the second day.

She stared at the handle of a standard issue sword Sargent Crawford held out to her. "Umm..."

"What? You think it's going to bite you SOLDIER?" barked Crawford, "Take it."

Aerith reluctantly, and with great distaste, took the sword in her hands. Her entire body was tense and rigged, uncomfortable in handling a tool of death. Masamune. First Tsurugui. The Buster Sword. And so many more, how many lives had been taken by such weapons? It made her want to blanch. It's why she preferred a staff; bonking someone on the head and knocking them out was more favorable than skewering them or lopping off limbs. Though, a staff really wasn't effective on penetrating some of the tough monster hides or machine armor AVALANCHE had faced on their journey chasing the One Winged Angel.

She could unfortunately remember enough of her Zack's whining back in the Lifestream about not having been able to get his own special 'coat' or weapon until he hit 1st class. She was stuck with a sword until she proved herself.

"Hmph, with that face you're making you'd think it killed your mother," mocked Crawford.

No. That had been a gunshot wound on top of the needles and experiments Hojo put her birth mother through that ended her life. "Close enough, sir."

Crawford crossed his arms. "You can't do your job without a weapon SOLDIER. Well, Hewley could, but you don't have the muscle nor the unarmed skill he does."

"I know, sir," she said, "I'll use what I have to use."

Crawford scowled. "So you say SOLDIER, but I'll believe that when I see it. You are uncomfortable with a weapon to such a degree it will effect your performance with everything you do. If I didn't know any better, you look at the weapon like one of those ninny pacifists twits."

She pursed her lips. "With respect, sir, it can take just a great of a strength to take the peaceful route than to just run in swinging a weapon."

Crawford swore under his breath. "What did I do to deserve this? You ARE a ninny pacifist twit aren't you?"

"I am not a twit! I prefer a peaceful approach, but I will fight if I have to," she retorted before pausing, "Sir."

Crawford had the audacity to look amused. "Is that so? And what do you fight with? Pretty looks?"

Aerith glared at him. "A staff."

Crawford deadpanned. "A staff. You fight with a twig."

Aerith gave him an undignified look. The last staff she had wielded while alive had definitely NOT been a twig. It might have been as thin as one, but the Princess Guard had been a powerful staff. She kind of missed the feel of it in her hands, it had been a comfortable weight.

"A sword is a weapon of endings," said Aerith, "They are made to kill. A staff can kill if need be, but a good whack upside the head, or on a joint, can end a fight without needless bloodshed or death."

She paused briefly. "Just a concussion or broken bones."

"Killing is a waste of life, and should only be done when it has to be done to prevent greater loss," said Aerith, "I will kill if I have to, but I won't take pleasure in it."

Crawford, to her surprise, stared at her silently for a few minutes. Without a word, he turned and left the room, leaving her a bit dumbfounded and confused. Had she upset him or something? Made him quit training her? She had just spoke her mind...

She stood there, a bit at a loss, until Crawford returned with, to her surprise, a metal staff in his hand. He tossed it to her and she caught it, dropping her sword and twirling the staff in her hands briefly before holding it in a familiar way, diagonally in-front of her body...

Then faster than she could react, Crawford drew his own blade, surged forward, and swung. He severed the staff in half, his blade coming inches from her nose, the force of the attack sending her staggering and the two halves flying out of her hands.

"A staff is not a match for a sword, SOLDIER," said Crawford smugly, "So I suggest you learn how to wield a real weapon."

Aerith stared at him for a moment, her face starting to turn a shade of red, her fists tightening. "You..."

"You have something to say SOLDIER?" said Crawford crossly, "Go ahead and say it, at this point I'm looking for a reason to write you up you pacifist ninny twit."

"No sir," said Aerith through her grinding teeth.

"Good. Now, I am going to walk you through the initial motions, you had best pay attention SOLDIER," barked Crawford.

Pay attention she did, if only so she could learn enough to one day wipe that smug look off his face. Insufferable brute! What he was teaching her might be important, but oh how she disliked him. He walked her through various stances, attacks, blocks, parries, how to use her momentum to her advantage, all of that and more was crammed into her head in half-a-day of exhausting training.

When she finally found herself back in her room, laying exhausted on her bed, she was still peeved. "Stupid Crawford, staff probably only broke because it was a crappy one."

"Crawford huh?" came Zack's voice.

She turned her head to see Zack and Kunsel walking into the room, heading for their own beds. "Yeah, he's my instructor."

Zack cringed a bit and Kunsel whistled, the latter saying, "Strict, but a gifted teacher. Have you seen his creds?"

"Creds?" she asked, uncertain as to what he meant.

"Credentials, resume, he's had a hand in helping to train almost all of the top SOLDIERs," said Kunsel, "Ran the Shinra bootcamp before SOLDIER came about, eventually transferred over and became a SOLDIER."

"Huh," said Aerith.

Wonder what happened to him the first time around. Death in the Genesis copy war? Wutai? Meteorfall? Who knows, she didn't have a clue what happened to the vast majority of SOLDIER to be honest. She didn't even know if Kunsel was alive or dead by the time she went back in time.

"Still, must see something in you if he's training you," said Kunsel.

"Dunno if that's a good thing or not," said Zack sheepishly, "Boy was I glad when Angeal picked me up, Crawford was downright scary to train under my first few weeks. I talked back to him once and he had me run up the stairs, every single floor, top to bottom, multiple times in a single day."

"Good exercise," teased Kunsel.

Zack rolled his eyes and threw a pillow at him.

"I agree with Zack," groaned Aeirth, "He's a grumpy old man."

Kunsel snorted. "If you say so, but I'd find it an honor to be trained by the guy who had a hand in training most of the 1st class SOLDIERs we have now, trio included."

Hmm... he might have a point. It was kind of odd, in a way, to be being trained by the guy who trained Sephiroth. The thought of Sephiroth even being trained was a mind boggling one, even if it was obvious. He HAD to be trained at one point, no one was born wielding a sword like that man could. It brought an amused smile to her face, she wondered if Sephiroth had struggled like she had, or did he just pick it up instantly? She wondered how many years ago he had his training. He had went into Wutai at twelve if she recalled so it had to be before...

She frowned at that thought. Thrown into war at twelve years old... that was seven years ago. It left her briefly astonished to actually realize just how young Sephiroth actually was. Nineteen years old right now. In the original way of things, insane at twenty-two or twenty three, depending on his birth date. It was... such a damn shame, so much of his life ahead of him... so much to look forward to, she had remembered Zack telling her in the lifestream that Sephiroth had been planning to leave Shinra after the Nibelheim mission. If only he had had the chance...

It drew out her contempt for Shinra. She tried to keep it bottled up since she was technically working for them, but anyone, ANYONE who employed child soldiers was horrible. Hell, Zack right now was what... fifteen? Sixteen? Hardly an adult. Just the thought, Sephiroth as a young boy, hard to imagine as it was, thrown into a war at so young an age...

It left her in a brooding depression. Here she was working for so horrible a company. She had put her foot down to Sephiroth, saying she wouldn't be used as a thug for the President, or ever take an innocent life. What were the chances she'd actually be able to keep true to her word AND stay at the company? The leadership of Shinra was pure evil. Or, mostly evil since Hojo had been replaced by Lucrecia. Rupert Shinra, Scarlett, Heidegger, all awful people. Reeve was good, that was true, but he had no real influence at this point. Palmer was... fat and incompetent. Tseng, or Veld at this point, was willing to do anything in the name of Shinra. He may have softened a bit after getting Vincent and his daughter back, but he was still a Turk. Turks who would drop a plate on Sector 7 without question. Lazard... she didn't really know much about him.

How long would it be until she was ordered to do something against her morals? What would happen at that point? Kill her for refusing? It wasn't even a stretch to think that would happen, not with Shinra...

Maybe.

Veld favored her, she knew that. So did Lucrecia. The trio... she wasn't certain. Before she had bumbled into SOLDIER without asking them they might have. Now, she had to start from the bottom and prove herself first. Being the sole Ancient alive might also get her some leeway, but if push came to shove she'd have to make a decision at some point when the line was eventually drawn. She would never willingly take an innocent life, if she had to one day start AVALANCHE herself then so be it, she'd do what she had to...

Whack.

Aerith gave a yelp when a pillow hit her face right on the nose. "Oh no, no depressed looks allowed, I can practically feel it coming off you."

Aerith pushed away the pillow and glared up at Zack. "Hey!"

Zack gave her a cheeky grin, pulled the pillow she was laying her head out from under her, and shouted, "Pillow fight!"

The following feather-filled disaster was a level of fun and entertainment she hadn't had since before she had joined AVALANCHE on their journey. At least until Angeal Hewley walked into the room, crossed his arms, and raised an eyebrow. The three of them froze, exchanging glances, and put what was left of their destroyed pillows behind their backs in a poor childish attempt to hide their 'misdeeds'.

"Hey Angeal! What's up?" said Zack as if nothing was amiss.

Angeal merely shook his head in exasperation. "Come pup, time for your walk."

Zack scowled slightly before lighting up. "Mission?"

"Mission," confirmed Angeal.

Zack whooped, grabbed his sword, and was out the door in an instant, at least before he yelped and cried out, "Vampire!"

Aerith's eyes furrowed until a slightly disgruntled looking Vincent moved into the doorway. "Lucrecia wishes to see you Aerith."

"What does the Science Department want?" fake-whispered Zack across the room.

"Not our business," scolded Angeal.

Vincent took one look at Zack and said, "Blood."

Zack yelped. "I knew it! Vampire!"

Aerith rolled her eyes. "I was wondering when we were going to get started."

Angeal grew curious. "He's serious? What does the Science Department want your blood for?"

Aerith paused. Angeal didn't know? Wait. Had she not mentioned using her blood to remove Jenova's taint from SOLDIER to them? Did that mean Sephiroth didn't know? Uh... remembering how Sephiroth reacted to the 'surprise' of her suddenly becoming a SOLDIER, doing this without informing him was probably a very bad idea...

"Angeal, could you call Sephiroth and tell him to meet me in the Science Department?" asked Aerith a little timidly.

Angeal raised an eyebrow. "If he's not in the middle of something."

"It's kind of important," she said.

"How important?" asked Angeal, a frown on his face.

"Erm... Jenova important," murmured Aerith.

Angeal's face paled slightly. "I see. Sorry Zack, mission's delayed."

"Awww, whined Zack.

"I'll call Sephiroth and Genesis and have all of us meet you down there," said Angeal.

"Erm, you all don't need to...," began Aerith.

Angeal frowned. "Anything related to that thing we all agreed to keep each other informed on."

"Ah... alright," said Aerith.

"'Jenova'?" asked Zack.

Aerith winced, noting Zack and Kunsel giving her curious looks.

"Something top secret that shouldn't be said so carelessly," said Angeal, giving Aerith a pointed look.

Aerith scratched her head bashfully. "Whoops."

"Top secret?!" exclaimed Zack excitedly, "Awesome! I know a super 'top secret' word!"

Zack walked over to Kunsel and whispered, "What's a 'Jenova'?"

"Beats me," said Kunsel before looking at Angeal and making a zipping motion to his own mouth.

Vincent cleared his throat. "Aerith. Let's be on our way before any 'additional' company secrets are spilled."

Aerith smiled sheepishly, nodded, bid the others goodbye, and followed him to the elevator and to the Science Department. Lucrecia was waiting in the same barren white room as before. Aerith frowned slightly, wishing they'd use a different one she didn't have such memories in, but kept quiet on it. She moved to sit on the examination table as Lucrecia started bringing over her equipment to draw blood. Sephiroth, Genesis, Angeal, and curiously Zack as well, walked in a few minutes later.

Angeal saw the look and shrugged. "He was going to hound me until he figured it out."

Zack bounced on his heels eagerly. "I can keep a secret! I swear!"

Sephiroth pinched the bridge of his nose, sighed, and turned to Aerith. "What is it Ancient?"

"Umm... it occurred to me that you probably didn't know about this," started Aerith nervously, "And I think you'd want to be informed of what's going on."

An irritated look crossed his face. "Informed of what, exactly?"

"We were planning on using infusion's of Aerith's blood to steadily remove Jenova out of regular SOLDIERs," explained Lucrecia.

Sephiroth blinked once. "Remove?"

"Aerith informed us that the planet told her...," began Lucrecia.

"The planet? You can really talk to the planet?" said Zack, "That's so cool!"

"Zackery," warned Sephiroth.

Zack instantly went quiet, giving Sephiroth an innocent look.

"As I was saying, the planet apparently informed her that her blood can be used to purge Jenova out of SOLDIER," said Lucrecia, "We had planned to do this slowly over time as to not awaken Jenova while we weaken her influence."

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes. "And I am just now being informed of this? When exactly was this decided?"

"Erm... before I even returned from my exile," admitted Lucrecia.

"It was before I realized you should be informed," said Aerith quietly.

Genesis snorted. "'Realized'? That sounds like an excuse for not doing so earlier."

"At least we told you?" said Aerith weakly.

Sephiroth sighed quietly before crossing his arms. "What exactly will this process do to my SOLDIERs? Are there any dangerous side effects?"

"We don't know," said Lucrecia, "Aerith herself had no out-of-the-ordinary side effects when she was made a SOLDIER. However, using her blood, her cells, to remove Jenova from someone who is already a SOLDIER, rather than in the process of making them a SOLDIER..."

"Wait," cut in Sephiroth, "New SOLDIERs will be using her cells?"

Oh... there was something else she had forgotten to mention. "Yes? Did you want Shinra to keep using Jenova?"

Sephiroth glared at Aerith, but motioned to his mother. "Continue."

"As I said, we don't know what will happen," said Lucrecia, "It shouldn't be lethal, but..."

Sephiroth cleared his throat. "Then this will not be implemented in mass until it is properly tested on a volunteer. I also assume, since you said 'regular SOLDIER' that it will not work on myself, Angeal, or Genesis."

"No," said Aerith, "How you three were infused with Jenova, especially you and Angeal, is irreversible."

"What about me?" demanded Genesis, "Can your blood cure the degradation you said will affect me?"

"No," said Aerith before adding in as Genesis deflated, "I have a different plan in mind for that."

Genesis scowled. "Something ELSE you haven't told us, Ancient?"

"Erm...," said Aerith, scratching the back of her head nervously.

Sephiroth sighed. "One thing at a time, first we..."

"Question," interrupted Zack, "What is a 'Jenova'?"

"It's a genocidal space alien that wiped out the Ancients that Shinra was using as a science experiment to inject with Mako to create SOLDIER that can apparently mind control anyone with her cells," said Genesis, exasperated.

Zack scoffed. "Right."

When no one said anything to counter that, Zack paled slightly. "Wait, you're serious?"

"Why did you bring him down here again?" Genesis asked Angeal.

"Because he has a habit of eavesdropping and I'd rather have him understand what's going on than making a mess out of partial information," said Angeal.

Zack didn't react to the eavesdropping comment, a heavy frown on his face, a serious tone in his voice, "Alright then. I volunteer, stick her blood in me and get that thing out of me. Now."

Aerith stared at him silently. Zack going deadly serious was a rare thing, and when it happened, it was a sight to watch.

"Wait wait, Zack...," began Angeal.

"Hey, you said you needed a volunteer, I'm offering," said Zack, "I'd rather you test it on me and something goes wrong then have it happen to one of my friends."

Angeal gave him a helpless look before sighing, "You're a good pup Zack."

Zack gave him a strained grin. "Besides, only someone who actually knows whats going on should volunteer. Unless you guys were planning on lying to someone about what you were sticking them with. That's kind of a 'Hojo' thing to do, isn't it?"

"Hmph, well said," said Sephiroth, a tint of approval and respect in his eyes for the young SOLDIER, "Very well, Zackery has volunteered. Let's get this started."

Aerith felt uneasy, but, she had no reason to believe her blood would hurt him. Would it? The planet had said her cells could purge Jenova, she doubt it would kill anyone, but... would it hurt?

"Planet?" she whispered in her mind, concerned enough for Zack to ask the Planet to commune to Midgar again.

CHILD.

"PURGE CALAMITY. WILL IT HARM SOLDIER?" Aerith tried to communicate.

There was silence for a moment before the planet answered. "UNPLEASANT."

Oh boy...

"He might want to be unconscious for it," said Aerith aloud.

Angeal immediately grew concerned. "Why?"

"Jenova infects and changes a person's cells, their DNA itself," explained Aerith, "Purging that and correcting that influence will be..."

She echoed the planet's words. "Unpleasant."

Zack shrugged and walked over to sit next to Aerith. "I can take it. Let's go, the thought of having this 'Jenova' thing inside of me is seriously giving me the creeps."

Lucrecia nodded and moved a cart full of equipment to the table. She wrapped a cloth around Aerith's left arm, gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, and then inserted a needle into a vain on her arm. Aerith watched queasily as it went down the needle into a tube connecting to a empty blood bag. She waited silently as it slowly began to fill.

"I'm no scientist, but how is this an 'end all cure'?" asked Genesis, "Based on blood types alone, shouldn't this naturally be incompatible with anyone who doesn't share her blood type?"

Lucrecia cleared her throat. "That might have been a point if there were multiple blood types involved. For SOLDIERs, there are only two."

"Eh?" said Genesis.

"Blood Type J, or Blood Type Jenova if you will, is what SOLDIERs have in varying degrees," explained Lucrecia, "Aerith is correct in what Jenova does to a person. It changes their inner chemistry in subtle ways..."

"Subtle is Jenova's way until she's ready to act," warned Aerith crossly.

Lucrecia paused briefly to turn to Aerith. "I keep forgetting, as an Ancient, you actually have more knowledge about Jenova than we do, don't you?"

Aerith frowned. "I wouldn't say more, I'd just say different. You probably know more scientifically about her than I do, but spiritually, and what she IS and represents, I probably know more."

"Perhaps you could answer a few...," began Lucrecia.

"One thing at a time mother," interrupted Sephiroth, "I recognize a scientist about to ramble on, finish the blood discussion or we'll never get an answer. "

Lucrecia blushed furiously for a moment. "Y-yes of course. As I was saying, Jenova changes your cells, including your blood cells. Those who were born with her cells, such as you and Angeal, have a more pure form of J-Type blood and cells. While those who are infected after the fact, like in the SOLDIER process or other experiments such as what was done with myself, have a more impure variant."

"Pure is a matter of perspective if Jenova is treated as a virus," said Sephiroth calmly, "One could also, grimly, say that we are the most tainted."

Aerith couldn't help but give the man a sad look. Was that how he now saw himself? It was a complete flip from the One-Winged Angel who saw himself as a god, but she couldn't say it was honestly better.

Lucrecia tilted her head in acknowledgement. "Perhaps, but as I was saying, those who are not born with it differ in it's 'purity', however, the reaction we have seen in brief tests with Aerith's blood, is still the same. It wipes out Jenova, with extreme prejudice I might add, and then restores and alters the cells to a more healthy and resistant state."

"Alters?" questioned Sephiroth.

Lucrecia hesitated. "The cells are left with a change to their DNA. Attempts to re-introduce Jenova Cells results in the destruction of the J-Cells. The J-Cells cannot even begin to infect the treated Cells, they are rejected and destroyed. It's like the perfect antibody. Those who bare her blood are made completely immune to Jenova, among other things."

Aerith's eyes furrowed. "What do you mean? 'Other things'?"

Lucrecia hesitated. "Perhaps you can answer it, and other questions for me. Aerith, your blood, your cells, are different, greatly different, than the records we have of your birth mother's, and even samples taken from when you... previously resided in Shinra."

Aerith frowned uneasily. She knew she had been changed when she had been sent back in time, 'touched by the Avatar' Minerva as the planet had said. What that actually meant in scientific terms, she didn't have a clue.

"What I have been able to see, from the sample we have from before your mako infusion, was that this 'change' had happened very recently," explained Lucrecia, "You were being changed as you waited here in Shinra for Veld to investigate what you had told him. Very few of your normal cells remained, even before you were mako infused."

Aerith answered half-honestly. "I don't really know what happened, I think the planet 'did' something to me when it gave me it's visions, but I can't really go more specific than that."

She noticed that Sephiroth was staring at her with slightly narrowed eyes and did her best not to meet them.

"Can you ask it?" asked Lucrecia, "Get it to speak and explain..."

"The planet really doesn't 'talk' like you think it does," said Aerith, "It doesn't hold full fledged conversations, it's not sentient in the way you or I are, and trying to bridge that gap and actually communicate is difficult, time consuming, and energy consuming."

"I see," said Lucrecia, disappointed.

"To be honest, up until the visions happened, it never talked with actual words. Most of the time it just sent feelings, incoherent and hard to decipher images, or vague desires," said Aerith, "It's desperate now, and doing what it has to do to save itself."

"How does the Goddess figure into this?" asked Genesis eagerly.

"The Goddess Minerva was... is... the avatar of the planet," explained Aerith with hesitance, "I don't fully understand what her entire function was. In the visions, I never interacted with her until I was dead and in the lifestream, and even then, she wasn't exactly talkative, she came and went at her own will."

"As a goddess should," said Genesis smugly.

Angeal and Sephiroth rolled their eyes and sighed simultaneously.

"Confirming the Goddess exists and apparently 'chose him' is the single worst thing you ever did Aerith," said Angeal with chagrin, "The way he goes on and on in private..."

Genesis scoffed and glared at him before going smug. "Well, we can't all be chosen by the Goddess."

Sephiroth had an exasperated, if but amused look on his face before he masked it and turned to Lucrecia. "Back to the topic of the Ancient's blood."

Aerith resisted the urge to glare at him. She was starting to grow a little annoyed at just being 'the Ancient' or 'Ancient'. She DID have a name.

"As I was saying, Aerith's blood is... unique," said Lucrecia, "It still is distinctly 'Ancient', but not in the way her Mother was, or she used to be. If it truly was the planet... or it's Goddess, that did this to her, turned her blood into a cure. I doubt it's something science could replicate unless we were walked through it step by step."

"Is that a problem?" asked Sephiroth.

"Technically, as long as Aerith is alive, no, but having a way to artificially make this 'cure' would make things a lot more easy on her," explained Lucrecia before she gave Aerith a sympathetic look, "The only source of this 'cure' is Aerith herself, as such, she's going to have to continually return here to donate blood and cell samples."

Sephiroth tilted his head in consideration, eyes briefly flickering to Aerith, before slowly nodding. "I see."

The blood bag filled a moment latter, and Lucrecia withdrew the needle from Aerith's arm, dabbing the spot with a cotton ball with some kind of ointment on it. Aerith felt a little lightheaded, but, it wasn't unbearable.

"So... how much of that has to go in me?" asked Zack.

Lucrecia paused at that. "I'm... not actually certain. Aerith?"

Aerith shrugged. "Beats me."

"Well, I don't think you'll need the entire thing, but a small sample might not be enough. I suppose a syringe will serve as the starting point," said Lucrecia, filling one and moving over to Zack.

Angeal moved over to stand next to Zack, putting a hand on his shoulder, Zack gave him a confident smirk before turning to Lucrecia. "Alright doc, hit me."

Lucrecia raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you wish to be awake for this?"

Zack nodded. "Yep."

With that, Lucrecia shooed Aerith off the table, had Zack roll up his shirt, placed a hand on his chest, and injected the syringe directly into his heart. They watched patiently for about a minute as nothing happened.

Then Zack tilted his head, a odd look crossing his face. "What is..."

Zack flinched, like a jolt of electricity had zapped him. He yelped loudly and clutched a hand to his chest over his heart, his face scrunched up, looking like a cross between being uncomfortable and in pain. Aerith watched, eyes widened, as a barely visible kind of black smoke rose out Zack and started to dissipate into the air. She knew what it was in reality, it was anything but smoke. She had seen it visibly in the air when Cloud and the One Winged Angel had dueled the first time the man had restored himself with Reunion. It was tainted lifestream. Instantly she understood. The planet wasn't trying to purify or heal the lifestream within people that Jenova had infected, it was purging it. Removing and destroying it before replacing it with something resistant to the taint. The planet was done with healing, it was cutting off the infection and removing it.

"Oh wow," wheezed Zack, "I feel that burn. Walking up the stairs has nothing on this."

Angeal gave a nervous, but slightly relieved laugh. "That so?"

Zack nodded, holding out his hands and watching the little streams of black smoke rise out of him and fade. "To quote Reno: This is wack yo."

Aerith blinked a few times. Zack knew Reno?

"While we're waiting for this 'process' to finish, could you explain more about Jenova?" asked Lucrecia, "How was she fought in these 'visions'? This could be important."

Sephiroth nodded and slightly leaned forward. "Indeed."

"I... never properly explained that I suppose," said Aerith nervously, "In the visions, we never actually fought Jenova under her own will."

Sephiroth gave her a perplexed look. "Explain."

"Jenova's will was supplanted by... the One-Winged Angel," explained Aerith, "She was not in control at any point after she initially drove you insane, even when her original form was reconstructed. That's why I'm nervous about this whole process. If she wakes up, facing Jenova, the real actual Jenova, will be far different than facing the One-Winged Angel."

"Wait, this Jenova thing drove Seph...," began Zack.

"We'll explain it all later Zack," said Angeal, "Hush."

"Different how?" asked Sephiroth, ignoring the others, his eyes narrowing at Aerith.

"The One-Winged Angel was one being," she explained, "He acted through Jenova's body yes, but he was only fought a handful of times. Jenova..."

Aerith's face contorted with disgust and anger. "Jenova is a virus. An awful awful monstrous sentient virus THING."

"You're going to have to be a little more detailed than that," said Genesis dryly.

Aerith sighed. "Jenova is an active infection is how I can best explain it. She first appeared two-thousand years ago, arriving on a meteor that heavily wounded the planet. The Ancients tried to heal the planet, but in drawing close to the wound, they made themselves vulnerable. She... it... first approached the Cetra as a friend, deceiving them, taking on the appearance of dead loved ones. Once it got close, it gave them 'the virus', her cells, and infected them. They were driven insane and turned into monsters, all controlled by Jenova's will. She spread across nearly all the Cetra clans, my ancestors were the only ones to survive, who managed to seal her away."

"U-uh...," said Zack, the color draining out of his face, "That's scary."

"So what you're saying is that if Jenova ever becomes active, it won't be as a singular dangerous enemy, but as a widespread pandemic?" asked Sephiroth.

Aerith hesitatingly nodded. "I think so, but truthfully, I don't know, it could be both from all I know. All I have from her original arrival and destruction of the Cetra are stories. Her actual strategies, and what was used to try and combat her, I haven't a clue about. I don't even know how she was originally sealed away."

"That topic, the 'sealing', poses an interesting question," said Lucrecia, "If Jenova works as you say, and infected the vast majority of the Cetra, then how did sealing away it's core body deal with the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of infected individuals? All Shinra dug up was one single body after all."

Aerith blinked a few times, that was a damn good question. "I... don't know. It also presents another problem, because when someone with Jenova in them dies, the lifestream within them is tainted. This taint can be purified overtime so long as there isn't an active will controlling it, but..."

"It's best Jenova's core body is found and disposed off without waking it up so we don't have to worry about that," finished Lucrecia.

"Agreed," said Aerith.

They all paused when the black smoke finally stopped coming out of Zack. He looked himself over, a hint of a frown on his face.

"Feel any different?" asked Angeal.

Zack had a deep serious look on his face for a moment before he smirked and perked up. "Nope! Good as ever!"

Angeal snorted. "Well, he's not dead or dying, so I say it works."

Genesis spoke up, "If we're done talking about the 'alien', what were you saying about having an idea for my 'supposed' degradation?"

Aerith hesitated. "Well..."

"Why can't the Goddess just do what she did in your future voodoo stuff?" asked Zack.

Genesis saved her from having to lie. "Because I have not earned her favor as my counterpart must have."

Sephiroth cleared his throat. "The cure?"

Aerith licked her lips. "I have a way to cure him, but, I'm unsure as to when to use it."

"What do you mean, when?" asked Genesis.

"When Minerva healed you before, you were on your last legs, you had been degrading for years, carrying on through sheer strength of will...," began Aerith.

"Don't I believe that," said Angeal with a laugh, "Gens to stubborn to die."

Genesis glared at him, but couldn't stop himself from smirking.

Aerith cleared her throat. "The point is, your body was 'imperfectly' given Jenova Cells, it's unstable, it's tearing itself apart in an attempt to reject the Jenova cells. My knowledge of science isn't really... good... but, you were healed after you had degraded to a certain point. I don't know if that has to actually happen or not."

Genesis went silent, a hint of a frown on his face. "Hmm."

"One would think fixing a problem would be easier before it starts to cascade and fail," said Sephiroth.

"That's the thing, I don't know," said Aerith, "The method I want to use isn't something that can be used willy-nilly. There will be a significant downtime, as in years, between uses unless I want to significantly drain the planet's reserves. Which means if it doesn't work this time, he's stuck degrading for awhile."

Sephiroth's eyes furrowed. "Just what are you planning on using to 'cure' him?"

"Holy," was all she said in response.

Sephiroth frowned. "Holy?"

Aerith kept her lips tightly sealed. She remembered Chaos scolding her about revealing it before, she didn't want that a second time, especially when those in-front of her were still connected to Jenova in some way. The term 'Holy' might not be known to Jenova, but if she actually pulled out the Materia, it might cause a reaction...

Which also presented a problem when she actually had to go and use Holy on Genesis. Hrm...

Well, she'd cross that bridge when it came to it.

Sephiroth must have figured out she wasn't going to answer, he scowled intently. "I'm sure Genesis, and the rest of us, would appreciate you using this 'Holy' before he begins to degrade before our very eyes and fall apart. I'd rather not have to have my friend go through that kind of hell if at all possible."

Genesis gave Sephiroth a brief, if but surprised look, appearing startled but pleased by the proclamation. "My friend, your desire, is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess."

Sephiroth grunted in response, but didn't look away from Aerith. "Well?"

"I guess... it's up to Genesis really," said Aerith, "While I don't want him to suffer, it's his risk, his choice. He wont have this option again for a couple of years after it's been used."

Genesis didn't seem phased. "So be it. Do it now if you so wish. I'll not suffer this 'degradation' if I don't have to, and if I do because of my haste, so be it."

"Well, we can't do it here," said Aerith.

"Where then?" demanded Genesis.

Aerith pursed her lips, memories of the destination, of a blade through her chest, haunting her mind. "We'll have to go to the Forgotten Capital..."