Author's Note: I'm happy to be here with another update. I apologize that these waits have been taking a bit. It seems my chapters are getting more dense as the story progresses, and as such are taking a bit more time to see to completion. All the same though, it's full steam ahead for the next chapter, which I really would like to see completed in a week's time, but realistically it may be a bit longer. So I ask you bear with me.

Once again though, I'd like to thank everyone for reading this, and I genuinely hope you've been enjoying the journey thus far. I've got some big plans for the upcoming chapters as we start to move into the second act, and I look forward to taking you all along for the ride with me.

Within the depths of Shinra Manor's basement, far from the chaos ensuing in the streets of Nibelheim, Lucrecia stirred in the hospital bed. A WRO medic kept a passive eye on her vitals, listening to the typical rhythm of the monitors as they beeped and chirped in the background.

The nurse hummed a tune to themselves while they prepared the sedative to be readministered. After snapping on a pair of gloves, they took hold of the syringe and drew the medication from a glass bottle, carefully watching the measurements until they'd pulled just enough. When they started emptying the air from the needle their ears perked at a small shift in the monitors. It was subtle at first, barely more than a slight increase in tempo, but enough for them to take notice.

Lucrecia stirred in the bed, her face clenching and contorting as though she were enduring a bad dream. Her body trembled, and her limbs flailed as the monitors began blaring. The nurse rushed over to Dr. Crescent's side, hurrying to administer the sedative and pull them back into the empty void of slumber. However when they went to reach for the IV, a cold, pale hand latched around their wrist.

The nurse followed the slender arm to its source, finding Dr. Crescent herself to be the one holding them back, her deep brown eyes were fixed squarely on them, partially obfuscated by strands of her wild brunette hair. Lucrecia's shoulder's rose and fell with each heavy breath she sucked in.

"Dr. Crescent?" The nurse said, gently pulling the syringe away from the IV as Lucrecia's grip on their wrist eased. "I understand you might be a bit disoriented right now. My name is…"

"My son!" she cut them off, shooting up in their bed with a fierce intensity painted across her delicate features. "My son is alive!"

XXXXX

"Hey, Cloud?" a voice called to him. "Yo, Cloud? You there, bud?" It was so familiar, but as his mako-laden eyes fluttered open his vision was blurred and he couldn't see who was leaning over him. "Come on man, don't make me ask you a third time." As his vision cleared, Cloud found he was met with eyes not unlike his own. Bright blue gazed down at him from behind a strand of black hair.

"Zack?" Cloud muttered, struggling to lift himself up.

"Expecting someone else?" he smirked. "C'mon, man. I gotcha."

Cloud stared at Zack's hand as they reached out to him, mouth agape and eyes wide. "It's really you, isn't it?"

"Course it's me," he replied. "Nobody else is this good looking. Now, you just gonna lay there, or are you going to let me help you up?"

Cloud shook his head, snapping out of the confusion before taking hold of Zack's hand as the First Class SOLDIER hoisted him up.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Once Cloud was back on his feet, he tried to take in his surroundings. To his left was a small swing set, and directly ahead of him was a familiar dome-shaped jungle gym in the likeness of a fat cat with a slide coming out of its open mouth like a giant tongue.

"Are we…" Cloud looked up to see the Sector 6 plate hanging high above them, blotting out the light of the sun.

"Nah," Zack replied. "Not the real one." The black haired SOLDIER hopped up on top of the fat cat jungle gym and took a seat atop its 'head'. "C'mon, sit down for a bit. We've got some time."

"Wait, hold on a sec," Cloud rubbed his temples, trying to make sense of what was happening. "Zack, where are we? What's going on? Is this some kinda dream or something?"

The First Class SOLDIER's cheery expression eased a bit into that of leveled understanding, giving a small nod to his friend. "I guess you could call it something like that," he replied. "Just take a seat, dude. I'll explain it to ya," he scratched at his head. "Well, I mean, I'll try. Honestly it's a bit confusing to me, too."

"Not inspiring a whole lotta confidence right now, but alright," Cloud said, climbing up onto the jungle gym to take a spot next to Zack. "So what the hell's going on? Last thing I remember, I was…" memories flickered in the SOLDIER's mind as he clenched at his head. Memories of a planet's scream. Memories of a voice beckoning him from beyond the veil of the abyss. Memories of a man whose face he'd hoped to never see again. "Sephiroth…" he dared to speak the name.

"Yeah," Zack planted his hands behind him and leaned back, looking up to the massive plate suspended above. "Whatever it was he did, he sure made a whole lot of noise. Aerith even had to pull you in here while she gets things settled down outside."

"And where is here, exactly?" Cloud asked, looking over to the massive sealed doorway leading to Sector 7. "Is this that special place she was talking about?"

"Nah," Zack shook his head. "It's not too far, though," raising a finger, he pointed toward the tunnel connecting Sector 6 to Sector 5. "Right down that way, in case you ever need to find it."

"Thanks," Cloud replied. "But why did Aerith bring me here?" he lowered his gaze a bit. "And where even is she?"

"You were getting unstable," Zack replied. "Sephiroth was making you see things, things that weren't really there, or at least things that no one else could. She was worried you might lose control and do something you'd wished you hadn't."

"So she brought me here to keep everyone else safe?"

"Yeah," Zack nodded. "Or… the you that's inside you? The you that is yourself?" he forced a chuckle. "I can't remember exactly how she said it, but basically your head is safe in here while the you in the real world is taking a quick nap."

"Uh-huh," Cloud listened intently in spite of feeling a bit like he was being led by the blind.

"As for Aerith, she's just outside," Zack pointed toward the sealed door to Sector 7. "Basically what Sephiroth did really upset the Lifestream, so she's trying to get it to calm down."

"What'd Sephiroth even do?"

"No idea," Zack replied. "I'll ask Aerith when she comes back. Maybe she'll know."

"Or," Cloud's eyes shifted away from Zack for a moment. "I could ask her myself."

"Not happening, pal."

"And why not?" Cloud's tone came out sharper than he intended, but Zack didn't seem to take any offense to it. Instead Zack threw a sly smirk toward him.

"Because you've gotta go back," he said. "You and your buds have got a long road ahead of you, and you won't be able to get anything done just sitting around here," he jabbed Cloud with a playful punch to the arm. "Why, were you excited to see her or something?"

"It's not like that!" Cloud snapped, only to immediately backpedal. "I mean, I just…"

"You love her, man," Zack said, his tone not betraying any hint of judgment. "Trust me, I get it. I love her, too." The First Class SOLDIER looked ahead. Cloud squirmed next to him, trying to hide their eyes beneath blonde bangs. "That's why I need to tell you something," Zack continued.

"What's that?" Cloud brushed away the redness in his cheeks and looked back to Zack.

"Aerith is fighting so hard for you guys. She may not try to let it on, but ever since all this stuff started going down, she's been doing everything she can to keep things under control around here. She never says anything, but I can see it in her eyes, man."

"What about the other Ancients?" Cloud asked. "She can't be the only one trying to do something about Sephiroth, can she?"

"I dunno," Zack replied. "I asked her the same thing, but she hasn't really given me an answer yet." Zack ran a hand through his hair and turned to meet Cloud's gaze, locking his mako-laden eyes with theirs. "But I do know one thing for sure," he pressed the tip of his finger directly against Cloud's chest. "I know that no matter what happens, she can always count on you to be there for her. So I need you to promise me something, Cloud; promise me that no matter what she does or what she says, you won't let her do this alone."

"Zack," Cloud said. "You know that I'd…"

"Promise me, Cloud," he repeated, a serious glint in his eyes that Cloud couldn't recall having seen in him before. "Promise that you'll be there for her when she needs you."

"I promise," Cloud said with a strong nod of affirmation.

Zack's expression eased, and a soft smile crept along his lips. "I knew I could count on you," he said. "I'll do everything I can down here, but you've got to do all the heavy lifting up there, got it?"

"Got it," Cloud returned the smile.

The sound of groaning metal roared as the massive door leading to Sector 7 slid open. Cloud and Zack saw beams of brilliant white light piercing through the threshold as the silhouette of a lithe figure started to pass through.

"Looks like it's time for you to go, bud," Zack patted Cloud on the back. "Just remember what we talked about, okay?"

Cloud didn't verbalize a response, instead watching with a fixed gaze as the figure passed through the gate. The doors started to close behind them, blocking off the blinding white light on the other side, but before Cloud could see the features of the approaching figure, the world faded and all went to black.

As Cloud's consciousness slipped away into the veil of the abyss, a distant echo rang not through his ears, nor through his mind, but deep within his soul. The voice didn't resonate as spoken words, but rather a stir of emotions whose message rang clear.

"On your honor as a SOLDIER, I know you'll protect her."

A light pierced the veil of darkness, and Cloud's eyes slowly opened, holding a hand in front of him to shield his eyes from the burdensome beam of white above him. His eyes adjusted and the forms and shapes surrounding him came into view as a voice rang in his ears.

"Hey!" she called out. "I think he's waking up!"

"About damn time," a man with a rustic voice replied. "Shit hits the fan and he's out like a light. Some things never change, I suppose."

"Cid?" Cloud murmured. "Tifa?" he pulled himself up from the infirmary bed and sat along the edge, wiping his eyes.

"Careful!" Tifa knelt down at his side. "You were out cold there. You're not dizzy or anything, are you?"

"Nah," he shook his head. "I'm fine, I think. What about everyone else? Did anything happen while I was out?"

Tifa opened her lips to speak, but Cid beat her to the punch. "Hell yeah, a whole buncha stuff happened!"

"Okay, care to fill me in?"

"Well for starters, the inmates are the ones runnin' the asylum now."

"That's not really anything new for us," Cloud shrugged. "What's your point?"

"No, Cloud," Tifa said. "He means literally."

"Wait," Cloud blinked. "What?"

XXXXX

"Oh come on!" Yuffie groaned. "Can't we have just one uneventful day?"

"You're the one who decided to follow us around way back when," Barret replied, snatching up a flailing patient with his massive arm and throwing them over his shoulder. "You could've gone back home and chilled out in Wutai, but your crazy ass decided to stick around. So stop complaining, and start rounding up these sons-of-bitches."

Vincent stood back and took a moment to assess the situation in the town. Almost thirty patients in total wandered about Nibelheim's town square trying to force their way through the WRO as they pushed for the main gate. In spite of their sluggish stride, they all moved as if guided by a single mind. They remained grouped-up as they tried to force their way through a makeshift barricade, lashing out at anyone who attempted to interfere.

"Reunion," one of them croaked.

"Reunion," another wailed.

Nanaki ran ahead of the group, attempting to round them up like a herding dog. Yet his presence didn't appear to register with them as the group continued forward, ready to walk overtop the red-furred creature had he not scurried out of the way at the last moment.

"It's just like before," Nanaki said, standing alongside Vincent as they watched the group press on. "They have no regard for anything except…"

"Reunion," Vincent finished, crossing his arms.

"What do you think we should do?" Red asked.

"Let them go!" It wasn't Vincent who responded, but rather a distant voice coming from the steps leading to Shinra Manor.

Valentine's ears perked at the voice, and as he looked to its source, the high collar and bandana shielding his visage did little to conceal his expression.

"Lucrecia?"

"Stop!" Lucrecia stumbled into the streets, wearing a white button-up shirt and a pair of black pants with a waist far too big for her, only held together by a black belt hastily fastened in place. In her haste it appeared she hadn't even bothered with shoes as she ran along the cobblestone in her bare feet. "You have to let them go!" Lucrecia ran up to one of the WRO soldiers trying to push back against the mob, and grabbed them by the shoulder. With all the strength she had, she tried to pull them away, but they wouldn't budge.

"Is that Dr. Crescent?" Red asked, but by the time he turned to Vincent, they were already gone.

"Get back, lady!" The soldier shoved Lucrecia away, but she didn't relent.

"You don't understand! You're only hurting them by making them stay here!"

"I said get back!" The soldier threw his arm back, pushing Lucrecia away. The scientist lost her footing and her heel slipped on the cobblestone. She saw the clouds in the sky come into view as gravity pulled her down. She closed her eyes and her body clenched to brace itself for the impact, but that impact never came. Instead something firm caught her halfway down as it wrapped itself around her back. Opening her eyes, Dr. Crescent was met by a familiar black haired man with crimson eyes she could never forget.

Looking directly ahead, Vincent unholstered Cerberus. There was no flourish or twirl as he raised his arm and pointed the barrels to the sky. Then with a squeeze of the trigger, a thunderous crack shook the air, bringing all eyes on him while the patients continued to mutter and moan.

"Damn, Vincent," Barret said, still holding the kicking patient over his shoulder. "What the hell, man?"

"Everyone quiet down and listen to what this woman has to say," the former Turk's voice was raised higher than normal, but not quite loud enough to be a yell. Everyone heard his message nonetheless as he released Lucrecia from his grasp to let her speak.

Dr. Crescent looked up to Vincent, taking a moment to wipe away the shock in her expression as the ringing in her ears from the gunshot started to subside. Once she'd found her composure, she cleared her throat and projected her voice across the square.

"Please, I know you think you're doing the right thing, but you need to let these people go!" she shouted. "Their minds are already fractured! If you force them to stay here they'll only break even further! Please understand that they mean no harm, but keeping them here will just make them a danger to everyone around them, including themselves!"

"And who do you think you are to speak with such authority?" The town commissioner waddled over to Lucrecia with a stern eye, making note of her ill-fitting clothes and disheveled hair.

"Dr. Lucrecia Crescent," she replied. "Class A biotechnologist of the Shinra Electric Power Company," she replied, keeping a level, if slightly agitated tone.

"Shinra?" the commissioner raised an eyebrow. "Even if I did believe you, how could I expect someone like you to have these poor souls' wellbeing in mind?"

"Because she has my authority!" another voice arose from the commotion as the sound of high heels clacking against cobblestone filled the square. The commissioner turned to see a red haired woman in glasses approach, her lab coat swaying behind her.

"And now just who are you?"

"Shalua Rui," she answered, pulling out a badge and flashing it to the commissioner. "Senior researcher for the World Regenesis Organization." After the commissioner gave the badge a careful look, he realized she was speaking the truth.

"Okay, fine," he huffed. "But we can't just let these patients go! Look at them," he gestured toward the mass of shambling figures. "They can't even eat for themselves, and you'd just let them walk out the front gates? That's outrageous!"

"I understand your concern," Lucrecia spoke up again. "But keeping them here will only make things worse. Give them an escort if you want, I don't care. You just have to let them go before they do any harm to themselves or someone else."

"And you support this?" The commissioner turned to Shalua with a dumbfounded look.

"If Dr. Crescent believes this is the right decision, then I support her fully."

Lucrecia looked to Shalua with a thankful expression. She opened her lips to speak, but decided to remain silent for the time being.

"This is outrageous!" the commissioner shook his head. "You'd be sending these men and women on a death march through the wilds!"

"They'll be protected," Reeve said, approaching the commissioner with a smile. "I'll see to that myself."

"Mr. Tuesti?" The commissioner blinked, straightening up his posture. "You're in favor of this, too?"

"I am," he nodded. "We've seen this phenomenon before, and Dr. Crescent is likely the most knowledgeable person alive when it comes to the subject. If she says we should let them go, then I'll side with her."

"I see…" the commissioner lowered his head while Shalua scoffed and huffed to herself. "I understand, then."

"Of course he listens when a man steps in," Shalua murmured.

"What was that?" The commissioner shifted their gaze to the scientist.

"Oh nothing," she replied. "I was just wondering where all that concern went.

"Shalua…" Reeve saw where she was going.

"Or was it that you just couldn't stand talking to women with more balls than you?"

"Shalua!"

"I've made my point," she said, throwing her hand up in the air as she stepped back, taking note of a very small giggle coming from Dr. Crescent's direction.

With an order from Reeve, the WRO soldiers stepped back and let the haggard patients go as the mass moved toward the town gate. Breathing a sigh of relief, Lucrecia looked to her fellow scientist with a smile.

"Thank you."

"No need to thank me," Shalua replied softly, shying away a bit.

Dr. Crescent then turned and looked up to the man in the red cloak. Their eyes remained locked for a long moment. Vincent opened his mouth, but no sound could come out. After a few seconds passed, Lucrecia snapped her head away and exhaled.

"Thank you as well, Vincent." she said with a rigid tone. "Now if you'll both excuse me, I need to find something that fits a bit better." Without turning to give them a second glance, she strode back to the manor at a hurried pace, leaving Vincent watching her with his mouth still agape as Lucrecia passed through the gates of the old estate.

XXXXX

Rufus groaned. His head felt like it'd been split in half. Tapping his fingers along his scalp, he felt something wet. After bringing his hand before his eyes, he realized his fingertips were coated in red, hardly a good sign. Pulling himself to his feet, Rufus struggled to stand as he tried to recall what'd happened.

He remembered running through the tunnel after the first tremor. Then about halfway back to the lower bowels of Shinra Tower there was another. This time, much to his misfortune, it wasn't a mere tremor, but rather a fierce earthquake that tore the cavern asunder and sent him plummeting into the darkness. The exact minutiae of what happened following that was a blur to Shinra, but his clothes were soaked, so he must've fallen into water at some point only to wash up on a rock in the middle of the underground reservoir.

Rufus stumbled over to the edge of the rock and knelt next to the water. Cupping his hands together, he scooped up some water and threw it on his face to wash away the blood. As the droplets trickled from his chin, he saw his reflection in the pool. He was no doubt worse for wear, but he was still able to stand on his own. Rufus figured that had to count for something.

Staring across the reservoir, he saw countless stalagmites jutting from the water, reaching for the cavern ceiling almost twenty meters above. However, Reno and Rude were nowhere in sight. Looking down at his watch, Rufus tried to activate the short range burst communicator, but received only static.

"Damn," he growled. "Guess I'm on my own, then."

With nowhere to go but forward, the former president trudged through the water, following the subtle currents around him. It had to empty out somewhere, and that somewhere might've been his only hope in finding a way out.

Rufus carefully took in all of his surroundings with a sharp eye, making note of all the intricacies and subtleties in the stalagmites to prevent himself from wandering in circles. It proved to be a redundant effort, however, because the further he ventured into the unknown, the stronger the current became, ensuring he never lost his way.

The tide started as barely more than a faint drift, tugging at his knees, but after what felt like nearly an hour of being guided by the flow, it had become like a steady stream, carrying away the pebbles stirring beneath Rufus' boots.

Eventually the current brought him to a small waterfall overlooking a vast pool filled with rocky islands, their surfaces smoothed from thousands of years of weathering. Rufus stood from the top of the waterfall, scanning over the area when among the dozens of islands he caught sight of something highly peculiar; he saw sunlight.

Casting its glow from above, a ray of light pierced through an opening in the cave ceiling and shone its brilliance upon a single rocky island surrounded by stalagmites.

"M— …esdent! Ca— …read me?" static buzzed from Rufus' wrist watch. It was Reno's voice.

"I can hear you," he replied. "Only barely. Over."

"...earthquake. Not sure wha— Can you find— …way out? Over."

"Affirmative," Rufus jumped down from the waterfall and splashed as he landed at its base a few meters below. "I think I found a way out. There's an opening above me. I'll ping my position once I'm there. Assuming I can get a signal. Were you and Rude able to get out? Over."

"Affirmative. Everyone— …safe. Report position when ready. Over." The signal cleared as Shinra grew closer to the light.

"Rest assured, I don't plan on staying down here any longer than I have to," he said. "Over and out." Rufus lowered his arm and stepped onto the large rock beneath the light, water dripping from his soaked coat tail and boots. Bringing his gaze upward he saw a distant white light at the end of a tunnel that extended for nearly a hundred meters toward the surface. In truth, it was nothing short of a miracle that such a perfect opening was formed amidst the destruction and wreckage on the surface of Midgar, and a lesser, albeit still noteworthy miracle that Rufus managed to stumble upon it in the first place.

Raising his watch, the former president prepared to send out the ping, but just as the tip of his finger touched the plastic button, something strange stirred in his peripheral. Snapping his head to the side, Shinra caught sight of a single black feather being carried away as a gust of wind blew from the tunnel above.

With a cautious step he dared to approach the feather as it landed in front of a nearby stalagmite. Kneeling down, Rufus reached to pick it up, feeling its soft texture between his fingers as he looked it over. Something uneasy stirred in Shinra, making the hairs on the back of his neck go rigid as he released the feather to the will of the wind.

Looking ahead, Shinra realized had been carved into the stalagmite. Squinting his eyes, he took another step forward to read it. The message was brief, and the penmanship was crude, as if carved in haste by a blade.

Remember Gast's Final Wish

"What the hell?" Rufus murmured, placing a hand on the cold stone as he leaned in closer to make sure he'd read it correctly. After confirming it, he looked back to the feather only to see that it was long gone, having drifted away into the vast expansion of the cave where it was forever lost.

"Shinra reporting in," Rufus said, activating the communicator on his watch. "I'm about to send you my position. I also want a team sent down here to investigate something."

"Sure thing, boss," Reno said on the other end, his voice coming in crystal clear. "Find something?"

"Remember how I called this place a tomb earlier?" Rufus replied, looking at the message carved in the stone.

"Yeah? What about it?"

"Let's just say I might've dug up some old bones."

XXXXX

Cloud, Tifa, and Cid stood outside the Shera II, watching the mass of shambling figures depart from Nibelheim, venturing into the rocky wilderness that lay ahead. A small contingent of WRO forces followed in their wake, keeping a safe distance as they followed.

"They're really just going to let them go like that?" Tifa shook her head.

"Eh," Cid bit down on his toothpick. "Better than them tearin' up the town, I suppose. Besides, them WRO guys and gals ain't gonna let nothin' bad happen to 'em."

"He's right," Cloud said with crossed arms, fixing his eyes on Number 10 leading the pack on their doomed pilgrimage. "Give them enough time and they might even lead us to Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth?" Tifa blinked. "So it is him, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Cloud's tone was devoid of any clear emotion, keeping his gaze locked on Number 10. "It's him, alright."

"Can't say I'm surprised," Cid chimed. "That son-of-a-bitch never really knew when to quit." The airship captain's dismissive response did little to quell the anxiety gripping at the back of Tifa's heart.

"You're absolutely positive he's the one behind all this?" Tifa took a step toward Cloud. "I mean, couldn't it be Weiss? He's the leader of Deepground, afterall. How can you be so sure it's really him?" The inflections in her tone didn't ring with an inquisitive edge, but rather with the inklings of someone desperately seeking salvation through denial.

"I know it's him," Cloud affirmed, looking to Tifa. "I'm sure of it."

Tifa brought her eyes down to her red boots and sighed. "So I guess you saw something?" she asked. "You know, after you passed out?"

"Something like that," the SOLDIER said, looking back at the mass of figures departing on their exodus. "He was trying to get in my head, but…"

"You fought him off?"

Cloud fell silent, considering what he should say. The truth tried to fight its way out of him. He wanted nothing more than to open his mouth and let the words pour out that it was Aerith who was to thank for saving him, but the wounds of he and Tifa's previous conversation still lingered.

"Yeah, I guess."

Lockhart fixed her dark red eyes on the SOLDIER for a long moment, sensing there was more to be said. When only silence followed, she shook her head and decided to let it go, if only for now.

"Anyways," Cloud turned around and started back up the loading bay. "Once everyone gets back, we should head out. We've wasted enough time here already."

Cid flicked his toothpick away before following Cloud. "I agree with spiky. I'll give 'em another hour, then we're gettin' the hell outta here."

"I'll let everyone else know," Tifa nodded, choosing to stay behind and watch the mass of figures vanish into the distance. As they faded from view, Tifa closed her eyes and listened to the faint groans and cries of the hapless victims of Jenova's will. Distant their voices might've been, their call, or rather the very desire that drove them forward rang clear.

"Reunion."

XXXXX

The door to Shinra Manor creaked open as Vincent stepped foot into the empty foyer. Shutting the door behind him, he scanned up and down the adjacent corridors, only finding various pieces of furniture coated in almost a decade's worth of dust.

"Lucrecia?" He called, his voice carrying through the still hallways. When he didn't receive an answer, he approached the staircase and ascended to the second floor, his greaves clacking against the wooden steps.

The former Turk found himself following the stride of memories he'd thought forgotten as he ventured through the mansion, walking in the very same steps he'd taken over thirty years earlier. Up the second flight of stairs, then hang a left at the three large windows overlooking the courtyard. From there, it was the door to the left of the botanical room. That was the door to her room, or at least it had long ago.

Vincent reached for the doorknob, but stopped just shy of turning the handle. Instead, he brought his gloved hand up to the center of the door and gave a single firm knock.

"W-who is it?" the woman's voice shouted from the other side.

"It's me."

"Oh," her tone came out flat.

"If you'd rather I came back later, I ca—"

"No," Dr. Crescent replied. "It's fine. Just give me a moment."

Vincent heard the sound of shuffling and stirring followed by approaching footsteps on carpet. Then with a clank and a latch, the bolt released, and the door creaked open. When Valentine saw what was waiting for him on the other side, the former Turk felt a rush course through his chest as a door to the distant past had been opened before his eyes.

With her long, dark brown hair tied together by a yellow ribbon, a black skirt around her waist, and a blouse underneath a white lab coat, it was as though not a single day had gone by. Yet when Vincent gazed upon the visage of the woman before him, he was too swiftly reminded that what he saw was just a momentary lapse into a time that had passed him by long ago.

Though physically she looked exactly the same as she did thirty years ago, she couldn't have been any different from the woman Vincent once knew. There was a dull sheen glazed across her eyes, and a darkness in her expression that sucked away all the light that once radiated from her.

"Lucrecia…" he took a step closer, only for her to instinctively take a step back. Lowering his head, Vincent dared to speak again. "Lucrecia, I want you to know it was never my intent to awaken you."

"I know it wasn't," she said, reaching up and taking hold of her elbow as she looked off to the side, staring at the drab wallpaper. "But I'm glad you did," she paused for a moment, biting down on her lip. "I realize that I'm needed here, whether I like it or not." finding her resolve, she looked back to meet Vincent. "My so—" she stopped herself. "Sephiroth is alive," she said. "And I've seen what he's doing, what he will do in time. I simply can't let it happen."

"Lucrecia," Vincent reached out. "You don't have to…" she batted his hand away.

"Don't treat me like a child, Vincent." there was a bite in her words, the smallest hints of underlying anger buried beneath her tone.

"I didn't mean…"

"I know you didn't," she replied, walking past him and into the hall. Valentine turned on his heel and followed her out. "You never mean anything, do you?"

"Lucrecia," Vincent kept a respectful pace behind her. "Please just let me help you!"

"Go back with your friends," she said, keeping her stride. "I have my own work to do here."

"I'm sorry, but that's not going to happen." There was a firmness in his voice. "Deepground came after you once, and if it happens again, I need to be here to protect you."

"Fine," she said with a dismissive tone as she stepped in front of the three large windows overlooking the courtyard. "As long as you don't get in the way of my research, then you can do whatever you want."

"Lucrecia," though he tried his best to hide it, there was a glimmer of pain seeping through his stoic expression. "What's wrong? Just tell me what I can do to help."

"You can start by telling me the truth for once in your life!"

Vincent stumbled back, as though Dr. Crescent's very words had stabbed him in the gut. "I… I'm sorry," he swallowed.

"Do you even know what you're apologizing for?" What Valentine felt in her words wasn't malice or anger, but rather dejected apathy. In many ways that only made it sting even worse.

"I have a lot to apologize for," he spoke honestly.

There was a sudden spark behind the glossed-over look in Dr. Crescent's eyes as she stifled a sardonic chuckle. "Really? That's what you think I'm angry about?" Her expression lowered. "Even after all these years, you're still lost in the past, aren't you?"

Vincent opened his lips to speak, but before the words could get out, he and Lucrecia heard a voice calling out from the first floor of the foyer.

"Uh, excuse me?" The two looked down from the balcony to see a lone red haired woman in a lab coat and glasses looking up at them.

"Shalua?" Vincent raised an eyebrow.

"Hey," the scientist replied sheepishly. "I'm… uh… I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Not at all," Lucrecia replied, stepping past Vincent and moving down the stairs. "What do you need?"

"I'm sorry," Shalua swallowed as Dr. Crescent approached. "I wasn't trying to eavesdrop or anything, but I overheard you saying something about research. That research wouldn't happen to involve Jenova, would it?"

"It does," Dr. Crescent's tone was much softer than it'd been for Vincent. However the dull sheen remained on her face. "Why do you ask?"

"I ask because…" Shalua took a breath. "I ask because I've been spending the past two years directly overseeing the study of Jenova's Reunion phenomenon, and it may be a bit tangential, but I'm also very familiar with your work on Omega. So I guess…" she ran her fingers through her hair, brushing a loose strand behind her ears. "I would be honored if you'd be willing to take me as your assistant."

Lucrecia stopped in front of Shalua. It was clear that she was taking note of the redhead's appearance, particularly the obvious injuries they bore on the left side of their body. Shalua took no offense to it, as it was something they'd grown to expect over the years. What they didn't anticipate however was how easy it was for Dr. Crescent to disregard those aspects and look them directly in the eye.

"Shalua is a good woman," Vincent said from the top of the stairs. "You can trust her."

"That's much appreciated, Vincent, but let her speak for herself." Lucrecia said, keeping her eyes fixed on the WRO scientist. "Would you be able to provide me with all the research data on Jenova from 1985 onward? You see I've been away for quite some time, and I'm sure I have some reading to catch-up on."

"Of course!" Shalua replied. "It wouldn't be an issue at all!"

"Do that for me, and then I'll be happy to take you on," Lucrecia gave a soft smile. "After all, I think I do owe you for helping me earlier, don't I?"

"Thank you so much!" Shalua's eye lit up as she gave a small bow. "I promise you won't regret it!" Pivoting on the edge of her high heels, Shalua hurried for the door. "I'll be right back! I just need to collect a few things!"

Once the door shut, Lucrecia's posture eased a bit and her expression lowered once again. She turned back to look at Vincent on the balcony looming above her. The two locked eyes for a long moment, but neither said a word. After enduring the prolonged silence for longer than they wished to bear, Lucrecia departed the foyer and moved down the western corridor, leaving Vincent alone with nothing but the silence of the old manor.

XXXXX

Cloud leaned against the railing overlooking the Shera II's bridge, fidgeting with the mysterious materia as the green swirls danced inside bridge was exceptionally quiet. The techs and staff went about their pre-flight inspections in silence, only making occasional murmurs to themselves as they looked over their checklists. Amidst the silence, Cloud could faintly hear the subtle hum emanating from the materia.

"What kind of materia is that?" a youthful voice snapped Cloud's attention away from it.

"Oh," he said. "Hey, Red." Glancing back to the strange sphere, Cloud tossed it up in the air and caught it in his palm. "To be honest, I'm not really sure. Never seen one like it before."

The feline-like creature tilted its head as they drew in closer and sniffed it. "Mind if I take a look?"

"Be my guest," Cloud replied, extending his hand to Nanaki.

Nanaki narrowed his gaze, appraising the materia with a sharp eye. After giving it a few more sniffs, he reached up with a paw and awkwardly grasped it between his toe pads.

"This is… weird," Nanaki cocked his head.

"What is?"

"The memories in this materia are, well, the only way I can describe it is 'fresh'."

"Fresh?" Cloud repeated. "Fresh memories?"

"Mhm," Nanaki nodded. "Materia comes from the memories of the Ancients. However by the time they manifest, any emotions tied to the memories are long gone. This one though, it feels different," he looked back to Cloud. "Where'd you find this?"

"It came from a lifespring just south of Corel."

"Hmm…" Nanaki examined the materia once more before giving it back to Cloud. "You should have Grandfather look at it."

"You think Bugenhagen can figure out what it does?"

"I'm not sure," Nanaki shrugged. "But if anyone would know what it does, it'd definitely be him."

Cloud examined the materia once more before shoving it back in his pocket. "Good thing we were already heading that way."

"Maybe it's fate?"

"Ya know, you're the second person to say that to me."

"It was Vincent, wasn't it?"

"Was there ever any doubt?" Cloud replied.

"Not a chance," Nanaki smiled.

XXXXX

The sweet scent of coolant filled the air inside of the Shera II's central control system. With nine server towers connecting to the Worldwide Network along with enough computing power to rival that of a Midgar skyscraper, it required nothing short of thirty-thousand gallons of coolant in constant flow to keep it at a bearable temperature.

Shelke sat in the control seat with half a dozen cables connected to her mako-infused netdiving suit. Reeve had made several attempts to convince her to switch to a battery-powered variant, but she found the 0.38 millisecond synaptic delay to be an unacceptable setback.

Though her vision of the world around her remained obfuscated while wearing her neural helmet, the control center was her domain, and none could trespass it without her knowing. However before she could address the one who dared step foot inside without asking, the trespasser called out to her first.

"You knew I was here, so the least you could've done was say hi." Shalua's voice filled the room, causing Shelke to blink inside her helmet.

"Unfortunately there were several pressing matters," the younger sister replied. "However you can rest assured that I had every intention of talking with you once I'm done."

"Well, I hate to say it, but this might be your last chance for a while," Shalua replied. "I'm staying in Nibelheim. For now, at least."

Shelke blinked again. With the flip of a switch on the arm of her chair, the vast expanse of the Worldwide Network closed down, and she took off the helmet. Spinning in her chair, she met her older sister with mako-laden eyes.

"Is this about Dr. Crescent?"

"Sort of," Shalua leaned back against the wall. "Dr. Crescent is beginning a new research project on Jenova, and I want to be a part of it," she sighed. "Need to be a part of it, rather."

"I understand," Shelke replied with her typical monotone inflection. "In that case, since we'll be departing soon, I won't keep you any longer than I have to."

"Shelke," Shalua groaned, fixing her one-eyed gaze on the young form of her sister. Even though Shelke was twenty-one, she still possessed the body she had when she was only nine. It was so easy for Shalua to fall back into the habit of talking to Shelke like she was a child, but after taking a moment to remember herself, she adjusted her words before they escaped her lips. "Would you be able to send over all the research data on Jenova for me? Unredacted, obviously."

"I can," Shelke replied. "Was that all?"

"Actually," Shalua let the word hang for a moment. "I was wondering if you wanted to meet Dr. Crescent before you left?" Shalua continued. "Since she's awake now, I just thought that since you, well…"

"I appreciate the thoughtfulness," Shelke said. "However, it is unnecessary. I purged Dr. Crescent's memories a long time ago."

"I know," Shalua replied. "But still, I thought you might, I dunno?" She rested her head against the wall and stared up at the ceiling.

"Those memories were never mine to possess," Shelke's gaze fell slightly, betraying a rare show of emotion for only a moment before returning to her empty facade. "By purging them into the Network, I hoped to be able to separate myself from them and become my own person."

"And you have," Shalua replied. "And I'm so proud of you for that, but I think it might do you some good to see Dr. Crescent for yourself, maybe?"

"Perhaps," Shelke started, but the sound of the intercom cut her off.

"Alright, ya'll," Cid's voice blared out of the speakers throughout the ship. "This is your captain speakin'. Everyone go on and get buckled in, cause we're leaving in five."

"However, it appears even if I wanted to, we simply don't have the time," she finished.

"Guess so," Shalua said, pushing herself from the wall. "Still, it was good seeing you again. We should grab a coffee after this is all done and over with."

"I think that sounds nice," Shelke put her helmet back on. "By the way, tell Vincent I said hi."

"Sure thing," Shalua nodded. "I'll keep an eye out for that research dat—" the scientist felt something vibrate in her coat pocket. Pulling out her phone, she saw the message 'download complete' on the screen.

"You were saying something?" The younger sister managed a smirk.

"It was good to see you again, sis."

"It was good to see you, too," Shelke replied as the chair spun back to face the monitor.

Meanwhile on the bridge, Cid gave the order to bring the engines to life. There was a distinct purr and a subtle vibration throughout the hull as Barret, Tifa, and Red hurried to the window to watch as they took off, while Reeve stood on the balcony with Cait Sith on his shoulder, overlooking the bustling activity of the techs and airship personnel working their stations.

At the back of the bridge, Yuffie groaned, feeling her stomach already beginning to churn. Next to her, Cloud fiddled with the strange materia, staring deep into it. Once he felt the distinct sensation of the airship lifting off the ground, he tossed the materia up and snatched it out of the air.

"Let's mosey."

"Oh, shut up," Yuffie growled, lurching forward with another groan.

Outside the Shera II, Vincent and Shalua watched from a distance as the massive airship ascended, kicking up dust in a ferocious gale. From behind the giant window, Barret and Tifa gave a big wave while Red pressed his paw against the glass. As the wind blew back his red cloak, Vincent raised a gauntleted hand and gave a slight flick of the wrist in response.

Once the Shera II had gained enough altitude, Cid flipped a switch, sending a surge of power to the twin engines, igniting the thrusters with a bellowing roar that sent the airship soaring southward. From the ground, Vincent and Shalua watched as the massive vessel flew away. Within a matter of seconds the once gigantic airship had become barely more than a speck edging closer and closer to the horizon before vanishing entirely as it ventured ahead on a new journey.