Crystal Cave

After two more days of following the river they arrived at a mountain they now needed to climb.

"So up there was the cave?" asks John to Yuffie since it was she who found it.

"Yes, we can just fly to get there," says Yuffie as she did it before when John turns to the others.

"Are you confident enough to fly that high without help?" asks John as some were quite confident to make it while some didn't.

"Why not get Shinryu to carry us up," says Nesiara to John who really didn't want to bring a Dragon into this realm when he looked back at the mountain and sighs.

"It might be better than take them up ourselves," says John as he made hand seals and a giant smokescreen appeared with Shinryu behind it.

"It's been long since you called me," says Shinryu as his head comes through the smokescreen surprising everyone that hasn't seen Shinryu before.

"The children have grown up since the last time I saw them," says Shinryu seeing Yui, Kieron, and Nora.

"Can you help us up the mountain?" asks John as Shinryu looked at him surprised before noticing the other people around the family.

"I see they can't fly. Well then jump onto my back and I should bring you to where you want to go," says Shinryu as the group mounted on Shinryu.

Shinryu then flies up the mountain following the river as they arrive at a lake on top of the mountain once there Shinryu lands and lets them down.

"I will be waiting in the lake for you to bring you back down," says Shinryu as he jumped into the lake and disappeared into the deepest part of the lake.

"So, you own a Dragon," says Cloud as Vincent shakes his head in denial.

"No, I'm in a contract with the Azure Dragon Clan. It's like a partnership between both with no one having the upper hand," says John as they looked at the mountain that Yuffie was pointing to.

"Right over there is the entrance," says Yuffie as she was the one who found the cave walking towards it.

They follow her to the entrance when Nesiara says, "It will be darker than the Mythril Mine we went through before."

John agreed with her as the cave was quite dark even if the Materia inside the cave were shining making light appear but once it gets dark outside it will become dark inside as well.

John then uses Candle Light spell as ten balls of light began to shine around him before entering the cave to illuminate it and he asks, "Who wants to go inside with us?"

Kieron didn't want to enter the same goes for Nora who didn't have any ties to Lucrecia until she was mentioned in the camp. The same goes for Barret, Cait Sith, Red XIII, and Yuffie.

Tifa didn't want to enter because she didn't know if she should be angry or sad with Lucrecia. She was one of the two people responsible for Sephiroth but just ran away and exiled herself in this cave.

Cloud wanted to enter as well as Zack since they wanted to know more about what they are while Vincent just wanted to mourn her death once John and Nesiara put her down.

Yui wanted to go as well as she wanted to get this chapter behind herself. Aerith joined them as well because she wanted to support Yui who was the whole time out of herself for the last few days.

The seven entered the cave while the others stayed outside training their Ki and Haki. As they progressed the more naturally formed Materia were found and they heard a voice either say 'Vincent...' or 'Sephiroth...' the whole time. Until they arrive at a small pound of water they could step in without getting their pants wet with a big crystal on the opposite side of them.

They stepped into the pound to get to the giant crystal in the room while being surrounded by other smaller crystals. Then they see a woman trapped inside and Vincent says in disbelief, "Lucrecia."

He walked towards the crystal that had Lucrecia inside when he hears, "Stay back!"

Suddenly light radiated from the crystal as Vincent fell to the ground making Cloud and Zack draw their swords.

Yui walked over towards Vincent with Aerith as she checked if Vincent was alright. Seeing he was fine she says, "He is just unconscious."

"You two resemble Sephiroth," says Lucrecia as she felt a connection with Cloud and Zack.

"What do you mean?" asks Cloud as he walked forward towards Lucrecia bit nothing happened like with Vincent.

"You are almost like my son. Almost identical," says Lucrecia making Cloud feel vibes from hearing that while Cloud looked at John wanting some answers.

"What she means is that Hojo wasn't experimenting on you to make SOLDIERS stronger but because he was trying to make a clone of Sephiroth," says John as Cloud, as well as Zack, was now in shock.

"You mean to say that-," says Cloud as both nod.

"You are the Perfect Clone of Sephiroth. That's why he could control you that easily and play you like a fiddle," says Nesiara when Cloud was now thinking about everything.

"And why didn't you tell me?" asks Cloud as he was calm again.

"You weren't ready yet. I wanted to see if you could block a mental attack of Sephiroth before telling you since this revelation could make a crack appear in your mental fortitude. You are far stronger than Sephiroth right now only in the mental department he is classes over you," says John as he explained it to Cloud why they never told him.

"Anything else I have to know?" asks Cloud as he wasn't happy about it but also not mad since they did it to protect him.

"Nothing else," says Nesiara as she was looking now at her daughter who had a worried look on her face.

"What about me?" asks Zack as he looked at the three mad because of what Lucrecia said.

"She said a small part of you remind her of Sephiroth making it obvious that you are a failed clone and you did survive it because you were a SOLDIER," says John as his clones were researching the Jenova-cells and trying to find a vaccine and a cure for the Geostigma that will befall the planet in the worst-case scenario.

"But we aren't here only for you three," says John as he turns towards Lucrecia with Nesiara.

"We are here to offer you eternal peace. No more suffering and no more pain," says Nesiara looking at the crystal.

"That can't happen. I have tried everything but this was the only way for me to punish myself for everything I have done," says Lucrecia as the couple smiled at that.

"We can you just have to believe us," says Nesiara as she walked forward when Lucrecia tried to stop her only to find out that it didn't work.

"Why didn't you-," says Lucrecia as Nesiara looked directly at her.

"Because we are too strong for the will of the planet to stop us. That's why you couldn't take me down as you did with Vincent. But we will wait until he is awake so he can say his farewell to you," says Nesiara as she walked towards her daughter and Aerith that were looking after Vincent.

"How is he?" asks Nesiara as she looks at both.

"He isn't waking up. The Demon inside of him should have already helped him," says Yui worried as she would have woken up from this long ago.

"Then you must enter his mind," says Nesiara as Yui looked at her mother confused when Nesiara smiles at her daughter while saying, "You want to be a teacher that makes you the perfect person to mend psychological problems."

"Fine," says Yui against her will as she put her hand on Vincent's head and entered his mind to help Vincent.

She appears in Nibelheim and Vincent was beside her while another Vincent a younger version of him was talking to a younger version of Lucrecia.

"You really love her do you?" asks Yui as she looked at Vincent.

"I do but with my personality, I should have known she wouldn't choose me," says Vincent as he thought that he was still the problem everything wouldn't have worked out.

"I know you only for five or six days now and I can't tell you that you were the problem or if it was she," says Yui as she wasn't good in those conversations since she wasn't in a relationship before.

"But I know that you have forcefully seduced me with your Demonic Aura by accident and took my first kiss. So yes, it could be that you were the problem," says Yui trying to sound sarcastic to make Vincent feel better.

"I kissed you?" asks Vincent as Yui nods.

"Yes, be happy that it was me and not my sister or you would have been dead by now," says Yui making Vincent chuckle from hearing that

"Oh, someone can laugh it seems. I thought you were an Ice Prince that wasn't able to do that," says Yui as she now smiled at him.

"I only do so if it's funny," says Vincent as he returned to his normal expression.

The Vincent's memories flashed in front of both when Yui says, "We should return so you can say goodbye to her."

"We should," says Vincent in a sad tone since he would lose his first love.

"First Love are made to fail or at least my mother always says that," says Yui as she was once in love but never showed it since the person saw her as a little sister instead of the woman she was.

"Your heart was broken too?" asks Vincent as Yui nods.

"Yes, by a friend of my parents. He didn't know I was in love with him but he had a girlfriend," says Yui as Vincent sees her sad face.

"But at the same time I'm glad that he didn't become my boyfriend," says Yui with a smile as Vincent looked confused at her.

"What do you mean?" asks Vincent as Yui walked in front of her.

"I'm immortal like my parent. I stop aging once I reach the age of thirty. He would have become immortal as well but he wouldn't be able to surpass the suffering coming with immortality. My great-grandfather told me once that he called his mortal wife lucky for being able to die and forget everything while he has to see everyone he loves die in front of him," says Yui as she was sad as well because of that immortality she was blessed with.

"I will be seeing many students of mine die and their children before I get to rest," says Yui as she understood what Jack told her not long ago.

"Well, you won't be alone at least," says Vincent as he wasn't a social person like Yui.

"That might be true but the pain will always be with me," says Yui as they were in a blank space and Yui says, "We should return the others are worried about us."

"Yes," says Vincent as they left the blank space they were in and woke up in their bodies.