He headed straight to the skeletal remains of Midgar where the last fight with Kadaj turned Sephiroth had taken place some years prior. Deep in the bowels of the wretched, torn remains of the Shinra building was one confused ex-General of SOLIDER. With confusion comes wariness but there was no sense of insanity that he'd been known for. In fact, he seemed even, a bit scared though of course his face and body movements would never give that obviously away. Vincent's skill of reading a person was all TURK, since the apparent loss of his mind guest, that finely honed skill was all he had to go on should things turn deadly. Lucrecia was correct in how Sephiroth handled. Sephiroth actually broke the silence.

He was reserved, as his previous personality had been described by all that had known him prior to his fall, even by Cloud himself after he's allowed himself to finally heal. It had been seven years after all, since the Remnants and Deep Ground. They all had just wanted to move on. Cloud had stated that the man had been his idol and at one time he had hoped to be eventually a friend through mutual friendship of one Zachary Fair.

Sephiroth said the one thing that lifted the remaining caution from him: He knew who his real mother was. Before Vincent could have him verbally confirm her name, no matter how ridiculous it sounded, Sephiroth lifted a hand and stated that he was well aware that he was human, albeit a much modified human, thanks to his monster of a father Hojo, but that they had to be on their way.

Of course Vincent raised a dark brow at this but conceded. How he knew time was of the essence, he could only assume that Lucrecia had also been in contact with him to ease his way so that he wouldn't be so very confused on his rebirth. He was right though. The next stop was the Forgotten Capital.

They were able to catch some wild chocobos and use them to get to Kalm. From Kalm, they were able to get on a ship to get to the Bone Village. One of Sephiroth's many skills he could do is mask his real visage. It was like looking at him but not for normal humans, Vincent of course could see through the masking technique that was part of his Jenovian cells. It was more or less what allowed for Vincent to become wraith-like in battle that most thought was due to Chaos but was not. When on the outskirts of Bone Village, they went in collected what supplies they might need on the last leg of the trip, not knowing what status Aerith would be in. Once they'd past through the sleeping forest through to the Forgotten City fighting a few monsters here and there, they reached the Conch shell home and descend quickly to the Capital below. Once they had descended the still glowing stairwell down to the altar that had served once as Aerith final destination. She was kneeling once again in prayer on the altar.

The oddest thing happened in a matter of seconds. Before he could call out to her to let her know they were there, Sephiroth was on the move with his lightening reflexes and before Vincent could take aim, Sephiroth had gathered Aerith in his arms-and melded his mouth soundly and passionately to hers in which she didn't fight; she seemed to melt into him, even clinging slightly to his trademark harness that crossed his chest.

They met as long lost lovers, not as embittered enemies, one that had actually lost her life to the other. As if they remembered that he was there, they disengaged the kiss and Aerith had the common decency to look sheepish and Sephiroth even from the slight distance has acquired a small blush over the crest of his cheeks as he suddenly found the surroundings very interesting.

If ever Vincent had a stony exterior due to confusion or just emotions, this was this moment. He literally almost dropped Death Penalty out of shock. That had NEVER happened. Still hadn't, but it was saying it almost did. What was this? Yes, it was definitely time for explanations of what in the Ifrit's Realm went on in the last seven years in the life stream. Lucrecia did NOT divulge this little development. She did state that the planet had stated it had wished for more of its children, of which he figured, was of Cetra which was why Aerith was with them again. Sephiroth coming back wasn't necessarily wrong either since they'd found that Lucrecia's family line had been closer to the original Cetra's DNA, which meant that Sephiroth indeed did hold some Cetran blood. Irony was all over the place today. Why didn't his mind make this connection? Oh, he knew, he had killed her in cold blood beforehand…no, no Jenova wearing his skin had… This was going to be the death of him if Cloud wasn't. If Sephiroth being back wasn't enough, he being ROMANTICALLY involved with Aerith…Leviathan. God's and Devils, they were still holding hands as Vincent ranted in his mind. He swore he heard a laugh from somewhere. Lucrecia you have a very twisted sense of humor.

Aerith spoke up and her news caressed them both like a healing balm. Seems their last and final trip would be to Lucrecia directly. She as well had been forgiven and purified of Jenova.

Vincent knew it was time to make the call because this trip would require the airship and now the kids were back, the others needed to know. Gaia…what to do with Cloud?

Vincent called Reeve first. Reeve had always proved to be the quickest communicator, plus it wouldn't hurt to have the backing of Rufus and his TURKS if it came to it should something else arise. Rufus had been briefed of the situation from Reeve directly and he's promised to be waiting in the wings should he be needed. Second on the list from Reeve was Cloud and Tifa who'd settled into living together as a married couple in Edge. Vincent gave the gist of the situation. Cloud of course definitely wasn't having it so he and Tifa were coming ASAP. Next were Cid and Shera with the Sierra. Barrett in Corral was next, gathering Elmyra and the children, Marlene and Denzel who had came to visit her with him. Last but not least had been Yuffie and Nanaki who both had been in charge of ruling both of their respective areas Wutai and Cosmo Canyon. Both were very young for their species but were doing their best and had been succeeding and decided to come as well. Yuffie did say she was due to see "Ruffypoo", whatever that was. It sounded like something he automatically didn't like. It was after all Aerith that had come back. Sephiroth they figured they could take if they needed to with the rest of their friends. Thus, this is how the three were found, on the edge of Bone Village, with the Sierra floating above them with the ladder lowered.

Once aboard, Vincent walked in front of the couple. They'd unconsciously went back to hand holding. Cloud looked at Aerith with such happiness, then he saw it and his brain faltered. There, directly behind Aerith, stood Sephiroth and in looking him up and down, sizing him up he saw it, the hand holding. Cloud made a sound between a scream, a gasp, and an enraged cry as he collapsed to the floor, darkness becoming his bedfellow. Tifa helped and immediately started fussing over him. Sephiroth was audibly chuckling. Aerith mock frowned and elbowed his side, still while holding hands. He stopped audibly laughing but little fine tremors shook his frame as his trademark smirk was plastered on his face. Aerith admonished him softly while pulling him along and him allowing for it. Barrett and Cid helped heave Cloud up and to his room on the Sierra until he could wake.

Cloud woke with a jerk from the bed looking for first Tsurugi as Tifa was dislodged all at once from his lap she had been napping on while she waited for him to wake. While Cloud had rested, she too had been ready to immediately beat down the man but at seeing Aerith holding hands with him, she paused looking confused and a bit hurt because she didn't understand.

Aerith and Vincent had moved quickly gathering everyone in the what Cid called war room, which was just a large auditorium in which all of Avalanche could sit and listen to why not only was she there, why was he there as well. She went over her time in the Lifestream, explaining all the details of what she had been seeing going while there and what had happened during that time with Sephiroth. She spoke of how it was found that he was indeed Cetra and that since that was the case, Jenova had taken him over at such a young age because of this reason. Sephiroth sat silently almost had a air of boredom to him, though she knew better. She knew it was his defense as all of his history was place on display again. It was obvious in the tension in his frame though his face didn't betray that. She stated that he had been completely hollowed out from the time he'd stepped into the mansion and she saw his hands ball into fist at his sides, him closing his eyes to the truth of Jenova finally taking over his body and locking way his very soul to do as she saw fit. She spoke of the multiple clones of him wearing his visage that were all from the Jenovian cells. Everyone in the room looked at him with mixed emotions from doubt to pity. He hated pity the most. That emotion, surprisingly was coming from the one named Tifa. That had been Cloud's friend and now wife. She was the one he had saw though the haze of his mind that Jenova had struck down with his Masamune when she had come to avenge her father's wrongful death. She didn't know it but what little remained of his control is what caused her to just have a thin and terrible scar and him have not had her life.

Tifa had gotten up at some point, Vincent immediately getting up as if to protect or break up any conflict. She remembered standing in front of him, staring at him with those same confused, angry, and pitying eyes. He looked up at her steeling himself for anything she might do, emotions were running high and he was definitely not a master of his, though he could mask them.

"I truly hate everything that I thought that you did. To know that you didn't actually do it, it just seems so very unfair, a cop out. " Tifa stated, "but I do understand that if my sister has found that you have truly been absolved of this, that it truly was Jenova, then I have found my peace because I know she is no more. While I cannot guarantee I will be close to you if ever since your face still haunts Cloud and me, though I know it was used against your will, I will try to remain civil, if nothing more for my two friends Aerith because I am overjoyed she is back, and Vincent because I know you were like the son he never had" she concluded and with that walked away.

Vincent looked at Tifa with gratitude in his eyes and so did Aerith and she moved to hug her and she continued to tell the group how she and Sephiroth and as she had found out Zack who had been living in Edge close to Cloud and Tifa had came back.

Tifa calmed Cloud and recounted everything to him before he could trudge off after his enemy. Cloud just looked temporarily deflated. He had known that it had to be something to it if Aerith had allowed for him to come back and willingingly be holding her hand. He just wasn't ready to see that, not at this time. He slowly came back to the bed and pulled Tifa back with him and allowed for her to just comfort his hurt feelings over it all and promised he'd face it later in the day.

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