Afternoon my darlings. Very sorry it took me so long to post again, it's not been through lack of trying or a hiatus it's just a rather meaty chapter. Plus life got pretty busy, Chrismas, a trip to Rome and acquiring a new family member in the form of a Westie puppy! Yaaaayyyy!

Thank you for the ongoing support for this story and to you kind reviewers Turk4Life, Yuleen75, , Jessmusicnote, TheSilenceIsVast, jgkitarel, Little Rookie, chickenscrews, guests, ma boy Anati and anyone else who took the time to give me feedback.

Womble's nerdy update: Played and completely 100% Lightning returns, omg this game is freaking amazing, the trilogy is amazing, but in particular Noel and Caius are amazing! My vocabulary isn't diverse enough to fully explain just how much I loved the end scene with Yuel, Noel and the best anti-hero of all time, it was so profound! And as for Lightning, her character development is off the charts. Great game. Also started the final fantasy unlimited anime series and am really enjoying it, am restarting FF7 again lol and I'm now in Mideel and my most eagerly awaited ff13-2 Serah figurine came. Life's looking good for the Womble folks :D.

P.S. Crossed the 300k word milestone! *Toots little party blower*

Chapter 52 Part 1- Regret and faith

Elena had seen a great many things during her time in the field. A pack of winged creatures cloned from a company SOLDIER laying waste to a village in Banora. A raging herd of Behemoths literally appearing out of thin air over a special forces base on the eastern continent. A street urchin stumbling across an orb of red materia and freezing half a city sector solid after somehow summoning Shiva. A red lion creature called Red that could talk.

An ancient city hidden behind a mystical opening forest however had been a new one for the blonde.

Staying alert and proceeding with cautious strides, Elena gazed around the strange ethereally glowing place, the enormous groves of skeletal bone-white tress, the whispering wisp's of light dancing gently through their branches, the shell-white buildings built into ancient chalk cliffs. The scenery was nothing shy of a spell-binding fantasy and in spite of her wariness, Elena felt a great sense of awe and admiration for the place.

Which was more than could be said for the happy couple in front grinding roughly on her nerves.

"- then they started shooting at me so I had to make a run for it but somehow I ended up the on top of the Junon canon of all places. You wouldn't believe it Tseng, I thought I was going to die."

"SOLDIER do have a habbit of being somewhat trigger happy."

Elena fired an aggravated glare towards the pair trekking along leisurely shoulder to shoulder, both seeming to be more interested in the other than the tragically beautiful ruins around them.

"You're telling me. Luckily the Highwind arrived on time and I had to jump for it. That's when I met Cid."

"The rocket town pilot who stole three million gil of Shinra military equipment?"

"That's the one! He's kind of disgusting but really funny and sweet at the same time so everyone lets him get away with it. Most of the time anyway, Tifa sometimes gives him a good thump still but… I kinda think he likes it. Oh and Jessie who I told you about, she's going to join him on the airship someday as part of his crew. I've… truly made so many wonderful friends."

Unable to block out the sound of the irritating reunion going on in front of her, the female Turk picked up on the drop in Aerith's voice unlike Tseng which was unusual for the boss.

"Being so trusting as you are it's lucky these people did all turn out to be 'wonderful'" Tseng replied with a comical flatness.

"Oooh you're so cynical. Besides it's not luck, I simply like to think I'm an excellent judge of character" Aerith chimed, perking back up admirably and linking her arm onto Tseng's. "Which is precisely how I know you're not the scary mean grump with less emotion than a Tonberry that you pretend to be."

The Wutain gave the flower girl a sidelong glance with eyebrow raised, a discreet amused smile in place that made Elena's jaw clench.

"You are a good judge of character?"

"Well there's no need to say it like that. But yeah."

"If you would be so kind as to remind then what great judgement it was you deduced about that boy from your neighbourhood? The one you were convinced to be profoundly in love with who then pushed you over in the street when you attempted to make conversation?"

Aerith pulled to an abrupt surprised stop.

"W-what!? I was like ten, that doesn't count! Wait… how do you know about that?" Then something clicked and the brunette audibly gasped. "You're the reason he was scared of me! You did something to him!"

"… perhaps."

"Perhaps! He didn't speak or look at me again for FIVE years!"

Tseng smirked at Aerith's mock anger and lightly pulled the grinning woman's hand still on his forearm to keep them moving, looking incredibly at ease with her.

"Only five you say? Seems I'll be paying Mr. Almassy another visit."

In a complete juxtaposition to last night a tuneful laugh was made by the Cetra girl, content emerald eyes looking at the jesting man with adoration and joy.

In response Elena whispered a string of nasty comments under her breath, very much feeling like the forgotten third wheel in the party. Admittedly she had only herself to blame for the disposition, she had been blanking them at every opportunity, keeping her distance, even pretending to be vigilantly scouting the surrounding area every time one of them attempted to look back at her. It was pathetic really but there was something about the way Tseng's professional composure dropped around Aerith and the way he acted completely different in the brunettes presence that irked her. Darker still was the way being irked had led her to keep quiet about what the flower girls true intentions in the city were. It had been Elena's plan to tell Tseng straight away about her suspicions but after seeing them hugging together and hearing Tseng agree to break mission protocol to bring her here, when the time came Elena's mouth had stayed shut.

Aerith Gainsborough was a terrorist, an enemy, a problem she had once considered pushing off a cliff and one that would now disappear if she simply kept quiet.

It sounded simple that way but truth be told she was having a rare moral dilemma with the issue despite the fact she greatly disliked the woman.

If only you hadn't allowed that insufferably nice bitch to heal you.

"Zoloms, shoot-outs, helicopter dog-fights. You've been on quite the excursion. I hope for both our sakes you do not intend on telling your mother about all this."

From where she was stood Elena was at the ideal angle to spot the flower girl tense and falter mid-stride at Tseng's words.

"Yeah. Mom will give us both such an earful" Aerith remarked, playing it off perfectly. Almost perfectly. "Tseng you'll always take care of her won't you? Make sure she's alright?"

"I suppose. Why?"

"No reason" the flower girl dismissed, linking her hands together behind her back and with quick spritely steps, twirled around into the Turk leaders path making them stop. "Now you have to wait here."

Elena flinched and Tseng folded his arms in front of the flower girl standing tiny at the towering entrance of a dense grove of more impossibly giant bleached tree's twisting outwards from the mouth of a mountainous grey canyon pass.

"That was not part of the agreement" Tseng stated firmly.

Keeping her distance at the rear and dropping her pack to the floor, Elena found she was secretly glad for Tseng's objection in allowing Aerith to go. It removed the ever-growing weight off her shoulders in having to tell him.

"I said I needed to pray silly." The kindness and sweetness radiating from the green-eyed girl was positively sickening.

"And that requires us to wait here why exactly?"

Long dolly brown curls and pink dress billowing in the strong wind being spat from the colossal gorge, Aerith hesitated in her reply.

"Umm.. well you see… don't take this the wrong way but… it's your blood. Human blood is tainted and… it will interfere with the purity of the magic. I know I have some of that same blood in me so there's a honest chance this won't work anyway, but it most definitely won't work if you and Elena come so you have to stay here."

The blonde Turk omitted an audible disdainful tut towards the cluster of strange and potentially dangerous dilapidated chalk buildings that stood thirty-five yards to their left across a small flowing river. She wasn't sure what to be more offended by, being told her blood was dirty or that the woman believed them stupid enough to believe such a poorly made-up …

"Very well, you have thirty minutes."

"Sir!"

The blonde spun around clumsily to her perfectly calm and serious boss in disbelief.

"Yes Elena?" Tseng returned, surprised to hear her speak at last and with such an unprofessional outburst.

"You can't! I mean… s-surely you're not going to let her go are you?"

Elena respected Tseng greatly, even prior to becoming a Turk herself she had acquired something of an interest in the head of administrative research. Something about the way he operated and directed his department had always inspired and fascinated her, resonated with her way of thinking. She had never had any reason to question the man's judgement before but not even Reno on one of his drunken benders would be stupid enough to believe that story.

"I see no reason not to" the smartly suited company man countered evenly with a sweeping glance about the place. "The area is secure, the terrain is easy to track and from here and our means of transportation remains easily accessible should we need it. Unless of course you know of some reason that I should not grant Aerith this moment of privacy?"

The blonde martial artist floundered, her head screaming 'tell him'. One lingered glance at the target standing just off of Tseng's shoulder however, a discreet nervous shaky sigh escaping between the rosey pink lips of her pretty little mouth and Elena's response came out different.

"No … no sir, no reason."

"Then you have thirty minutes miss Gainsborough. If you are not back by then I will be coming to look for you, dirty blood or otherwise."

Whether it was for show or genuine, Aerith made a small humoured giggle and titled her head innocently to one side, regarding the Turk leader with an endearing bright smile.

Elena hated it when she did that.

"Thirty minutes is plenty. You know Tseng, you've changed."

"Hmph. Doubtful."

"You have. You're more at peace now, I can tell."

Tseng waved a dismissive hand as the girl tilted her face in the other direction.

"Getting old more like. I think your powers are-"

"It wasn't my powers that told me that" Aerith interrupted taking a step towards the Turk, her manner becoming more serious. "I've known you since I was seven, did you really think you were the only one doing any observing in that time? You've been with me nearly my whole life and ever since I've known you, you have been running. From yourself. From what happened to you. But now for the first time I think you're ready to accept your own feelings, to move on and Tseng… I'm so glad about that."

The Turk leader's expression was stuck being pulled three ways by perplexity, suspicion and concern.

"Aerith?"

Realising she was slipping and at risk of giving the game away the flower girl swiftly switched demeanours and stepped away again on her toes bouncily,

"But we can talk more about that when I get back. I've got some praying to do."

Uncomfortable with the ongoing exchange on more levels than she cared to witness, the blonde agent kept her eyes averted to the river carved into the side of the path she was agitatedly scuffing her shoe against. So the only heads up she got of being approached was the heavy crunching of brown boots against the rocky path and in reacting to it, Elena was mildly startled to find herself standing face to face with the brunette flower girl.

"What!?" The outburst escaped her before Aerith even had a chance to open her mouth. "If you're here to thank me again don't bother, I'm not interested."

All Elena got in response was the calm understanding smile of a woman somehow more at peace with the situation than she was. It disturbed the nineteen year old and made her do what she always did when she felt stressed or uncomfortable, talk too much.

Briefly checking that Tseng was still watching them quizzically from afar and out of whispering ear shot, she leaned in towards the brunette angrily.

"I don't want your thanks just like I didn't want your fucking healing, I don't want anything from you! I just did my job and not a damn thing else you hear!? None of this is on me. None of it! If you choose to go in there then that's your decision but you'll be the one hurting Tseng, not me! A-and who's to say I even know what you're planning to do!? You never told me anything so why would I be the one to blame if anything…"

"Elena." The close to breathless, blabbering assassin fell silent. "Life is too short and precious a thing to keep bits of your heart locked away. Tell him how you feel."

A light alarmed gasp slipped her lips and rendered incapacitated by those words, Elena speechlessly blinked at the knowing glint in the older woman's eyes before Aerith walked away without another word.

"What was that about?" Tseng's carrying voice reached a dumbfound Elena's ears from afar who looked over to the man sharply, exacerbating the butterflies in her abdomen.

"Just girl stuff, nothing to be scared about." The head Turk pulled a face at the woman that said otherwise. "Well, I guess I best be off then."

"Wise. And do try to avoid getting lost. I'd sincerely like to avoid having to search for you in this terrain at night."

After a light nod and a lingering stare the flower girl set off for the windy gorge. Aerith made it ten steps before she paused, rushed back over to her lifelong guardian and hopping onto tips toes, placed a long firm kiss to the Wutain's cheeks before rushing away again.

Tseng's hand shifted to the touched area mutely, a disorientation that lasted momentarily until he called after the flower girl.

"Remember, you have thirty minutes-"

"-and then you'll come chasing after me. Just like old times right?" Aerith shone the warmest of nostalgic smiles one last time over her shoulder and then ducked her way into the blustery gorge.

Having not moved from the same spot, her heart still racing in her chest, Elena's hand briefly went up after the leaving woman and her mouth parted to speak.

Never did the blonde agent expect that failing to form words at that moment would go on to become one of her life's biggest regrets.

Chapter 52 Part 2- Regret and faith

Garbed in her typical combat attire of sky-silver pauldrons and breastplate, tech-goggles positioned in tandem with the crimson bandana at her fringe and electro-mag rod strapped alongside a fully stocked grenade belt encircling her hips, Jessie peered around the chaotic deck of the Highwind helplessly. Everyone was hurrying about making final preparations. From checking equipment and sharpening weapons, to stretching and limbering up joints. All focused aggressively on the task ahead.

Everyone that is, except her.

Jessie had already checked and re-checked her arsenal of grenades ranging from incendiary to EMP and flash bang thrice over and there was hardly any need for her to stretch more than she already had. It wasn't as if she would be doing backflips and suplexing enemies into the ground anytime soon like Tifa.

Now the red-head watched on while her friends rushed around with purpose, feeling out of place and being starkly reminded that unlike the rest of them, she was no trained fighter.

"Vincent reckons he knows where the harp is, me and Red will rendeasvous at Bone village with him to retrieve it while you take the others and secure the forest."

Hearing Kunsel's words the redhead turned to offer the services of her ground density scanner in locating the key to the ancient city but backed down when she saw who it was Kunsel was marching alongside and deep in conversation with. Zack's temperament of late unnerved her. Made her feel hesitant and kinda even scared to approach him. It was something terrible that Jessie never thought she would feel towards the kind Gongagan she usually shared such a light-hearted friendship with. The comfort she took was that at least it would only last until they got Aerith back but for now the red-head had resigned herself to the truth that Zack was last person who needed her blabbering and getting in his way.

"ETA in fifteen girlies. Seems claw fella' was right 'bout the barrier keepin' us from flying all the way in so if things get bumpy, hold on tight, keep the shit IN your pants an' OFF my ship!"

That was it! Maybe Cid could use her help?

"Pardon me!"

Having stepped back on her heel, Jessie had a scare when Red came whizzing passed, narrowly avoiding her as she unintentionally obstructed his path.

"Ah! Sorry!"

She insinctively jumped back a couple feet in the other direction just for her back to bump roughly into the solid wall of a passing by Barret Wallace's wide frame, sending the bullet chain he was ferrying over one shoulder slinking to the floor.

"Sorry I'm sorry!"

"Hey no problem darl', take it easy I got it. Is my bad, shoulda' bin watchin' where I was goin'" Barret mind-bogglingly assured, calmly picking up the clip himself and clomping away with implausible amicability.

That was weird…

Not waiting around to get in anyone else's way or to try to figure out what that just was, the eighteen year-old engineer hurried her way along to the cabin door at the end of the Highwind. Unexpectedly she found her best friend stretching in a relatively clear space just outside the door and from her position in the deepest side lunge known to man, Tifa's focused expression cracked lightly upon the red-head's arrival.

"Don't stop, I'm just passing through. I'm not here to get in your way as well."

"Jessie?" the barmaid was quick in pulling her up before she could hurry below deck, giving her little option but to stop. "As well?"

"It's nothing,"

"You know I know that's not true. Come on you know the rules, no going into fights-"

"-with things on your mind, yeah I know."

"So what's up?"

"… fine" Jessie conceded with a sigh, planting a boot and her back against the door frame to lean as the supple dark brunette switched legs. "I'm just having one of those moments where I'm looking around at everyone and realizing I'm not as good as you guys, not by a longshot. And I know what you're going to say, you're gonna tell me I've 'learned a lot' and I'm 'doing really well'-"

"-because it's true. You've come the furthest in training out of everyone here." Tifa dropped into sitting toe touches. Toe touches and ankle stretches that were very close to being compromising in a black leather mini-skirt.

"Thanks but coming 'the furthest' is hardly going to help save Aerith is it? I don't think enemies much care if I'm stronger then I was a couple months ago if I still can't handle a pack of Fangs by myself."

"Jessie we're all getting stronger and that's nothing to be ashamed of. I know I have. I also know I've got a lot further to go."

She rolled her eyes with an 'oh please' kind of expression.

"Teef, I've seen you punch an iron giant in the head."

"That? That was nothing special. It was slow and had its sword buried in the ground."

"I don't think you're getting my point."

Tifa ceased stretching momentarily, shifting up onto her knees to fix the red-head with her attention.

"No I understand your point exactly, if only you knew how much so. I understand because I said the exact same thing when I was starting out and you know what my master told me? He told me that 'true strength is not always big fiery flame for all to see, sometimes it is just a tiny spark that whispers ever so softly, you got this, keep going'. I've seen you be that spark in some of our darkest times to pick Zack up, Barret, Yuffie, yourself. You've picked me up more times than I can count so I'd say that makes you the strongest of all of us."

Jessie was never much of a person for life quotes or well-meaning rhetoric, yet the words had resounded on her.

"Really?"

"Really. That day you showed up three years ago with those horrible cuts and bruises all over you, I didn't hug you in that moment and take you in because you needed it. And I didn't look after Marlene like she my own because I didn't think Barret was capable. Or cook for Biggs and Wedge and force them to the dinner table because I cared about plates being left in the bedroom. I did it because I needed it. I needed all of that, to feel a part of something again. I needed you Jessie. You were my tiny spark and if you hadn't of come along, no amount of iron giant's would be getting punched in the head."

Stood straight and unmoving Jessie was at a loss for what to say.

"Of course after telling me that master Zangan threw me so far across the training room floor that I missed the mat completely and was winded for almost an hour. He said I'd remember it that way."

Jessie recoiled as the barmaid mimicked getting up towards her.

"No! No I got it! I'll remember" Jessie chuckled lightly. "Thanks Teef, that was… surprisingly what I needed."

"Don't mention it" was Tifa's the warm kindly reply back, continuing once again with her yoga-like routine by laying onto her front and stretching her legs out.

Proceeding with incredible flexibility and physical control the brawler reached back, taking a hold of her plated black trainers, causing her simple white crop top ride up a few inches. It was enough to give a small but revealing glimpse of the underside of the drastically arched woman's generous bust and her skirt to was also on the cusp of giving away more than intended.

"Umm Tifa… your clothes."

Easing slowly from her deep stretch her best friend looked down at her attire innocently.

"My clothes? What's wrong with my clothes?"

"Nothing normally, when you're not folded like a pretzel but uh, don't you usually warm up in your room? Why are you doing it out here?"

One minuscule accidental flick of Tifa's gaze gave Jessie the answer.

"Ahhh, that" the red-head hummed, spotting the two Wutain's for the first time in sneaky direct view on the far-side of the ship. "You know you said you wouldn't be judgemental of Turks anymore right?"

"I'm not being judgemental!... well… not really… but Jessie look at them! Your telling me HE'S a Turk?"

Looking down the length of the ship once more the tech-fanatic couldn't help but agree that what she was seeing was uncanny. The immaculately suited Volk and liberally as always dressed Yuffie stood opposite one another, both ninjas balancing with one leg on a thin metal rail like cranes, weapons teetering upright in the flats of their palm.

"You're looking a bit wobbly their Lei, Iiiiiii think you're losing your touch."

"Mind games? Impressive. For an amateur."

"AN AMAT-!"

"Steady now? That was quite the slip."

"No it wasn't! You're totally losing this."

"The trembling in your left calve says otherwise."

"No it doesn't!"

"See what I mean? That Volk guy is acting like a completely different person then when he first arrived!" Tifa implored with confused frustration. "And Yuffie, how can she be so at ease with him like that after all those years? After he abandoned her?"

"I know, I struggle to get my head around it myself but I guess that's just how Yuffie is. Or at least, that's her way of coping with things."

"You think?"

"Sure. I mean take Aerith for example, here we are racing to save her but looking at Yuffie now you would never know she was taking Aerith leaving so hard. But she is."

"I know. I know she is" Tifa stood up gracefully with a sigh. "I suppose I'll never fully understand how Yuffie does it. But it can't hurt to try right?"

"Right." Jessie returned her friends effort to smile. "And on that positive note, I'm gonna see if I can help Cid with landing this thing."

With expert gymnastics and a light "good-luck", Tifa continued with her routine and the rare luxury to actually prepare for a fight for once. Tumbling forward and planting hands on the deck she lifted off into a perfect hand stand with ease and then slowly curved her body towards the floor creating another strong arch in her back. The difference this time was a deep resounding crack escaped from between the martial artists shoulder blades that made Jessie shudder.

"Ahhhh there it is" Tifa hummed pleasurably.

"That… was gross."

"Grossly amazing."

"YOU'RE GOING TO GET ARTHARITIS" Jessie called back with a chuckle, entering the cabin door to descend the steps that lead from the upper deck.

Heart feeling considerably lighter and more optimistic she set a path for the main flight deck, grenades tinkering in their harnesses around her hips as she went. Everything was going to work out fine, she would help Cid land the Highwind, they'd grab the harp, enter the city through the sleeping forest and most likely be there before Aerith ever even arrived. Especially since the flower-girl had no easy means to fly or travel across the ocean.

"Nnnggahhh"

Due to the deep rumbling hum of the ships engine and the distant whirr of propellers being a permanent reverberating tune throughout the Highwind, Jessie wasn't sure she had heard correctly when a bizzare groaning noise drew her attention off towards the sleeping quarters corridor.

"Urrrr-arrrgh!"

Hearing it again her feet diverted from their intended path, approaching with growing uncertainty the more her inkling grew on what or more precisely 'who' it was that was making that noise. As Jessie made it closer to the newly offered out room at the end of the hall, the sharp hissing of a person in pain permeated her ears louder and more distinct, leaving no doubt who it was.

"ARRGHHHH!"

Quickly the instinctive concern she felt for another individual superseded any fabricated fears that she might have her blood drank and the eighteen year old rushed to push the ajar door open. Pale brown eyes bugged down at the man collapsed on all fours in the middle of the room, hand clutched to the centre of his chest, grit teeth biting through angry muffled grunts of pain.

"H-hey! Are y-you alright!?"

The tall and menacing cloaked gunman was on his feet instantly, halting her advance to help him up with any and all trace of agony gone from his features in a way Jessie had never seen before. It was scarily remarkable, like a switch had been flicked with only a hint of perspiration around the bangs of his incredibly silky jet black hair giving away any sign something had been wrong with him.

"Fine" Vincent replied shortly after some time, dark maroon tinted eyes fixed on her coldly and with what was either suspicion or well disguised embarrassment.

It also did not escape her notice that the man was standing on a slant to keep his claw arm hidden from view on the inside of his cloak.

"… a-are you sure? I'm not a doctor but if you're injured I can take a look-"

"I'm fine."

"Oh… ok."

There was no way she was going to push the scary stranger any further and leaving at that point would undoubtedly be the wisest option. Yet how could she? With the impossible things Vincent Valentine had told them earlier playing on her mind constantly. It was playing on everyone's mind, only the situation with Aerith was postponing them all from addressing the matter in more depth.

"Mr Valentine-" Jessie began, turning back into the room last minute.

"Vincent."

"… Vincent. Can I ask you a question?"

The pale sharp-featured ex-Turk regarded her for some time before breaking from his stiff statuesque pose to gracefully sweep over to the single bed in the room.

"Go ahead" Cissnei's only supposed living relative permitted as he began fumbling with the black leather straps of a very old school looking gun-belt that was neatly laid out on the covers.

"Ok uh, thanks." Jessie daringly ventured two more steps into the room. "Back when you were telling everyone things you knew about them, I've been wondering, why was I the only one you said nothing about?"

"Because by the time I awoke the first time, you were dead."

Jessie's lungs tightened, she had speculated that possibility yet she didn't actually expect to hear it or for the answer to be given so bluntly.

"I… died?"

"Crushed when the sector seven pillar collapsed in Midgar. So Marlene once told me."

"You know Marlene!?" Vincent tensed as if telling her had been a mistake but made no reply to Jessie's outburst, silently strapping the gun holdall around his narrow waist with his back remaining turned. "… you really are from another time aren't you?"

"Would it make a difference if I said yes?

"Yes."

"Then yes."

In truly believing him at last, Jessie's head turned to mush.

"I... I don't understand how this is possible. I don't understand any of it. You say I died because the sector seven plate collapsed, but it didn't. Shinra sent the army in, they shot everyone, it's not the same!"

"Evidently something changed. Hence our speaking together."

"Care to tell me what? Because I'm really struggling with this one Vincent." Her head scrambled Jessie crossed the room and grabbed the belt she had been watching the gunman struggle to fasten for some time with his only functional arm. She strapped the leather cord tight and shrugged when he rotated to stare down at her perplexed by the action. "You can't be a bad guy if Marlene spoke to you."

He nodded, or perhaps he nodded, it was so subtle it was hard to tell.

"So? Any ideas?" Jessie pressed, stood face to face with Vincent in the middle of the room. "Something pretty big must have changed if it means I'm still alive."

"Indeed. Tell me, how is it you first came to meet Kunsel Haringer?"

"Well…" Jessie frowned at the seemingly random question. "It was at the Shinra building, he helped us escape because he's been friends with Zack since they were SOLDIER's together."

"And why were you there? Why did SOLDIER kill the people of sector seven?"

"… because of us… because we destroyed the Shinra News Network."

"Why the network?"

"Well it was Cissnei's idea, we were going to blow one of the reactors but then she showed up and offered-"

"-and why did Cissnei 'show up'?"

"Because she wanted to help…" Jessie paused "... Zack."

"And why weren't you there when SOLDIER attacked sector seven?"

It had already clicked for the red-head but she answered regardless.

"Because Zack let me go with him to Rufus Shinra's mansion… I'm alive because of him... Kunsel, Cissnei, the network… It's all been because of him."

"The difference one life can make."

The pair fell briefly into silent contemplation.

"This is… you know I always imagined time travel and parallel universes would be a lot more fun than this… guess that's just the movies?" When no reply came Jessie checked to see the gunman staring into thin air intently. "Vincent?"

Alarmingly the gunman's gaze snapped onto her violently and in a genuine moment of terror he suddenly lunged towards her making her yelp. Next thing Jessie knew she was thrown to the floor under Vincent's body and a skull rattling blast shook the room as a surge of fiery heat erupted into the cabin.

"WHAT WAS-!?"

"SHIVA'S FUCKIN' TITS! WE GOT COMPANY!"

Rolling off her, his cloak smouldering, Vincent athletically vaulted to his feet giving the engineer an eye widening view of an obliterated room. Flames roared, shrapnel and debris littered what remained of the floor and beyond that clear open skies rushed terrifyingly by, filling the decimated cabin with a torrent of lashing hot and cold winds.

"THAT-THAT WASN'T A BOMB! WHAT WAS THAT!?"

"Let's go."

Wrist snatched in an iron grip Jessie's body was plucked off the floor and pulled from the room like a rag-doll. Ears ringing, brain in shock, her disoriented feet staggered along wildly to keep up and then buckled completely when another explosion caused the entire ship to jerk again, throwing her into the corridor wall.

"He is trying to stall us. Come, on your feet" Vincent ordered impatiently.

"I'M TRYING! WHO'S HE?"

Golden boot smashing into steel, Vincent kicked his way through the door onto the deck of the Highwind and being let go of Jessie was dumped to the floor unceremoniously.

"Calls himself Genesis."

"Jessie!" Springing to the girl on her knee's side, Red was a welcome sight indeed. "Are you injured!?"

Jessie checked down the front of her body. Black ashy smears covered her clothes, stomach and arms and a thin trickle of blood down her bicep from a mild nick in her arm she hadn't noticed until now.

"I-I think I'm alright."

"We are descending from the sky!" A strong flexion of panic laced Red's voice as he helped nudge Jessie to her feet.

Together they ran their way over to join Vincent at the starboard side of the tremoring airship and leaning over the ledge, machine-smart eyes analysed the damage to the Highwind rapidly losing altitude and the points it had been struck.

"It's Cid, he's lost control of the ship. At this rate we'll be landing miles from the digsite!"

"Then we jump."

Vincent's smooth ivory hand appeared down in front of her face. Jessie ogled it, then transitioned up in disbelief at the gunman now standing on the ledge of the ship, ragged crimson cloak billowing in the wind.

"I feared it would come to this" Red whimpered fearfully.

"JUMP!?" Jessie yipped. "Are you mad!? We're still almost two hundred feet from the floor!"

"Then stay."

"Wait!" She snatched the withdrawing hand and used it to pull herself up onto the rail. "I didn't… I didn't say that. I'm not leaving Aerith!... I… I just need to get my head around this is all."

Making the mistake of looking down again Jessie emitted a small panicked sob.

"You may want to remove that."

Taking Vincent's advice the woman on the borderline of freaking out detached the grenade belt and discarded it to the floor. "So you've done this before right!?"

"Yes."

"Ok… I believe you… we can do this. We just need to stay calm." With a sudden powerful roar the sleek form of Red went soaring clean over the edge of the Highwind. "OHHH I'M GOING TO DIE! WITH A STRANGER! I'M GOING TO DIE! FUCK FUCK FUCK!"

"You really could just stay-"

"NO!" Jessie turned to face the ex-Turk square on and seized the sides of his armoured black leather vest. "You're not lying to me!? You've definitely done this before right!?"

"Yes."

"Then go!"

Long arms linked around her waist awkwardly, the icy contact of Vincent's golden metal claw on her bare hip making the teenagers breath hitch. Keeping her eyes welded shut she felt the man's weight tip towards the long drop causing her stomach to lurch.

"WAIT WAIT WAIT! Just… tell me exactly what it is that's going to be keep us from dying here!?"

Vincent's hand left her waist to tap the very centre of his chest and she could have sworn she caught a glimpse of a smirk on his lips.

"Proto-materia."

"Proto-materia. Right. And uhh… remind me how that works again?"

Vincent simply rolled his eyes, grabbed her close and leaned without stopping this time.

"Wait! WAIT! WAIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTT!"

Gravity mercilessly ripped them from the safety of the airship, her heart rocketed into her throat and the world span in horrifying blurs of sky-blue and forest-green. Five painful seconds of terror passed and though she couldn't hear herself over the roar of eye-watering rushing wind, Jessie knew she was screaming the entire way. Awaiting an imminent and gruesome death to take her, she clung to the gunman for dear life until a propulsion launched her away in a different direction last minute. Wind, leaves and sticks whipped her helpless limbs in flight and then with a thud her hip bone and shoulder met floor. Falling transitioned into uncontrollable rolling across solid ground, hitting various mounds and obstacles along the way until she skidded to a stop face down in leafy smelling forest floor.

Buried under a curtain of her own hair Jessie laid panting for air, bewildered and horrified but indescribably relieved to still be alive.

"You made it!"

"… that… was the... worst… experience of my… life" her voice shakily croaked as the back of her crop-top was bit between powerful jaws and she was pulled into a limp upright kneeling position by a quick to arrive Red.

"I found it rather exhilarating."

Her nerves shot to pieces Jessie looked skyward to catch a glimpse of the flaming Highwind just in time before it coasted out of view behind the tree-line.

"Cid… is going… to be so pissed. Th-think the others made it off to?"

"With Zack, Kunsel and that Turk possessing enhancements, I believe so."

"The village is this way, let's go." Vincent appeared in sight, covered from head to toe in more foliage then the surrounding forest shrubbery.

"Wait" Jessie groaned, climbing achily to her feet with Red's assistance. "I thought the plan was you would both be going with Kunsel."

"Plans change. We do not have time to wait for him, you're coming with us."

Filled with both trepidation and determination at attaining such an important task as helping them retrieve the harp, Jessie sucked it up and steeled herself. The teenagers feet stumbled into a quick jog alongside Red while sticking close to Vincent's heels. That's why she nearly bumped straight into the gunman when no more than ten seconds later he came to an abrupt stop.

"Huh? I've got a compass here if you're-"

An easily half-tonne projectile of tree in forceful flight careened across the path they were about to walk into, disappearing into the canopy to their left in a crash of splintering wood and mangled vegetation. Head swivelling right the girl reaching for her compass gawked and her mouth dropped open between Red and Vincent taking up fighting positions either side of her.

"Did… he just throw a tree?"

The biggest brute of a man Jessie had ever seen in her life with glowing blue tattoo's on his face grinned smugly back and from behind him stepped a woman, scantily dressed in blood red armor and wielding a chilling double sided scimitar.

"If that impresses you darling. Wait until you see what I can do."

Chapter 52 Part 3- Regret and faith

"Elena, if you are angry with me, tell me."

Sat fidgeting on the small boulder Tseng had asked her to sit beside him on, Elena's defences weakened further when the ten minutes of silence that had hung in the air since Aerith's departure was finally broken. With her deceit in not telling Tseng about the girl and Aerith's utterly preposterous idea that she should tell her boss how she felt ringing in her ears, it was all becoming too much for her to handle.

"No sir! Of course not."

"You do not need to lie." Tseng waved a hand at her formality. "We both know I have broken protocol and dragged you into a mess. The mission is over as is your obligation to it. You can tell me exactly what you think of me, as equals."

The tiredness in the head Turks eyes staring down between his feet, the solemn regret, the uncertainty, it was something Elena had never seen before and gave an unpleasant stabbing sensation to her chest.

"I'm not angry with you" she repeated with greater conviction.

A short nod of his head and they were back to sitting in silence again. Elena clawed for words to say and what to do but in the end her courage failed to execute all of the things she came up with.

"Legends dead." The sudden and completely out of nowhere news nearly made the slight blonde jump to her feet. "I had planned to wait until we had returned to Junon to tell you."

"Dead! How!? Who did it!?"

"We don't know yet."

"Don't know yet!? What's Shotgun say!? She's got to have some idea!" Elena spat, hovering on the edge of her rock with genuine fury in her tone.

"Nothing. Shotgun has not reported in for two days, she's gone off the radar."

"Then she damn well needs to get back on it!" Elena made to reach for her PHS but Tseng's hand on her forearm and a mournful yet proud smile on his tanned face made her stop. "Sir?"

"Tiz is on the case. Elena, I want to ask you something. Why are you angry?"

"… I don't understand, why wouldn't I be?" she replied, fighting not to blush from the contact.

"I'm simply curious. How many times have you actually met Legend?"

"Tw-twice? Twice sir."

"And speaking honestly, what did you think of him?"

The martial artist swallowed her hesitation and nodded.

"I thought he was cocky and arrogant, a bigger narcissist than Reno and I was praying that I wouldn't get partnered with him."

"So it's fair to say you barely knew him and from what you did know, you didn't like. So I ask again, why are you so angry that he's dead?"

A lump formed in her throat as dark intelligent eyes waited patiently for her answer.

"… because… he was one of us sir."

There it was again, the mournful yet proud smile.

"You'll be a great Turk one day Elena."

She sat upright eagerly.

"I want to be sir! Tell me how and I'll do it , whatever it takes."

"You want my advice?"

"More than anything sir."

"Then as your boss and a fellow Turk I would tell you to harden your resolve, cut away the remaining empathy that I can see still burdens you and causes you to hesitate. Learn to control your often loose tongue and suppress your hot-headed tendencies."

Tseng sighed and she bowed her head to the vital hard truths. The flaws she had long known were holding her back.

"… but as a man who admires you greatly I would ask you to do none of those things. I would ask you stay just as passionate and strong as you are now. To keep talking too much when you're nervous… never stop talking too much. You are a wonderful woman Elena and my advice is that you never listen to my advice. Never let that woman who blushed when she got flowers go. Please do not allow me to kill her."

The impossibly handsome man's face had turned into a watery blur and though the overcome blonde tried to look away and brush her eyes clear with the back of her hand, she only managed to do the latter. No one had ever said anything so beautiful to her before.

" Tseng..." A pleased gleam crossed his expression at her finally using his name. She couldn't do this! She couldn't do this anymore! "… what you just said… I can't tell you what that means to me… but I don't deserve it. There's something I have to tell you. It's about Aerith..."

Whether it was comical timing or cruel fate, three rounds of revolver gunfire echoed in the distance.

"She's in trouble!" Elena frenzied although it was pointless ,they were already up and racing into the canyon at a sprint with guns drawn.

"How many are there!? Is it Sephiroth!?"

I don't know! She never told me-"

"ELENA!"

Spotting the figure descending upon them from the canyon wall a split-second sooner than her, Tseng shoved them apart and four quick fire shots were expertly unleashed at the attacker who slammed their weapons into the ground between them with deadly intent. The assailants arms moved in a whirlwind of blurred red light and hissing twangs, the bullets being slashed and burned from the air. Elena's battle instincts kicked in instantaneously and following up Tseng's attack the martial artist ran in and took flight, aiming a crippling dragon kick for the enemies small centre of gravity. Her leg lashed into its marked area but connected into the forearms of a raised guard, managing only to send the target skidding backwards.

It wasn't a KO but it was enough to gain them some distance to evaluate their ambusher. A dainty girl of no more than nine or ten with shoulder length brown hair, dressed in full body blue and white combat leathers, wielding duel laser rods wired to her armour in each hand.

"I'll handle this."

"Elena-"

The female Turk placed her hand up before taking two steps closer towards the almost robotic looking emotionless girl and reached into her suit jackets inner pocket to slide out a pair of gunmetal grey kevlar gloves.

"Please sir, go, there isn't time. Trust me to do this."

Sensing Tseng's hesitation at her back was nice.

"Don't lose."

"I won't" she declared resolutely as he left, slipping on the final glove.

And Tseng, if it's too late… I'm sorry.

Chapter 52 Part 4- Regret and faith

Never did the flower girl from the slums imagine that the sound of fighting, of swords clashing and bullets cracking, would bring such joy and contentment to her heart. Here in her very last moments of life her friends were with her, fighting for her, returning the immeasurable love she felt for each of them that was now at the forefront of her mind. Fear was gone, doubt and regret washed away. Even the heart breaking despair for her beloved soulmate was but a speck against the mass of truly precious memories with Zack filling her thoughts and how blessed she had been to have walked beside him once more.

That was the prayer of the Ancients. Not some grand complexity of prophetic words spoken in some ancient dialect like she had anticipated. Just the unconditional outpour of the love she felt for those dear to her was all that was needed to awaken the small orb in her hands.

Knelt on the platform overlooking the serene lake from her dream, her mother's singing materia clasped in her hand, Aerith gladly summoned the power of holy. Her gift to the world.

Now with only one part of the ritual remaining, the brunette closed her eyes and waited for the calamity's son to descend. She had known he was there the whole time, never had her powers been sharper or her senses more in-tune with the planet and Sephiroth's pain, his anger, his despair, it floated above her like a malignant black cloud.

Aerith's spirit reached out to him, prayed whole-heartedly for his salvation and in feeling it the silver general recoiled like a burnt child.

And then the darkness descended…

Disturbed air rushed overhead.

The billowing tails of a long coat flapped on the wind.

Fear of pain threatened to loom its head but Aerith killed it with the memory of being sat around her mother's kitchen table in Kalm, all her friends together, her hand entwined with Zack's beneath the table.

And then it happened…

A hand was planted into her shoulder and she was thrown forcefully down onto the rough stone surface.

"Oof!"

"Ugh"

"NOOO!"

With her shriek Aerith Gainsborough felt her heart break, the sight of Tseng impaled in her place through the front of his stomach by the Masamune excruciating and more terrible than any physical pain that could have been inflicted on her. Horrified was not a strong enough word to describe the flower girls reaction to watching the seven foot katana being drawn back out from the man who had thrown her from harm's way. Or fury for the way her body trembled under the raw power that rallied through her veins when Sephiroth's venomous cat green eyes flickered with bored delight upon realisation at what had happened.

"… Aerith … run…."

Each word and every attempt to breath by the head-Turk laying back down in a quickly formed pool of his own blood burned mercilessly. His plea ragged and desperate to the shaking brunette refusing to move as Sephiroth stalked his way towards her, her lowered face hidden behind a veil of curls.

"Mmm? And what is this?" Reaching down the one-winged angel plucked the small white orb that was laying discarded on the ground. "Curious, so this was your little secret. I confess I missed this last time."

"I was wrong, you are too evil." Whether it was his senses fading, Aerith's hate filled whisper sounded unearthly.

"To think a piece of materia was the reason for my undoing. You have done me a favour for once Tseng."

"You were only supposed to kill me."

"Do not fret daughter of Gaia. I will still grant you your fate." Sephiroth pounced and viciously swung his blade for Aerith's neck.

Tseng's hazy vision drowned in a burst of emerald light, raw indescribable energy erupting from the flower girl sending the masamune spiralling away into the lake in a chorus of singing metal. The Cetra girls fury shook the ancient city, her eyes, skin and hair ablaze in the green efflorescence of the lifestream, shimmering like living fire across her body.

"… Aeri-…."

"… impossible."

She erupted once more the brunt of the power hitting the one-winged angel with full force and a light so fierce it robbed Tseng of consciousness.

"YOU WERE ONLY SUPPOSED TO KILL ME!"

Chapter 52 Part 5- Regret and faith

"It'll be fun. Can we go Tseng? Pleaseee."

"… go where?"

Placing her hand on her hip the bright-eyed brunette gave him 'the look'. Only nine years old and Aerith already had a look.

"Weren't you listening silly? Let's explore the attic!"

"You haven't been already?"

"Nope, mom said it was the one part of the church I wasn't allowed to play in."

Tseng fought back a grin as he folded his arms in front of the sweet playful girl.

"And you thought you'd try and make me your partner in crime?"

"Nuh-uh, I asked and mom said I could as long as you were with me and I did eeeeverything you told me."

"Hmm.

"Pleasssssse Tseng" the child pleaded excitedly, grabbing his hand to try and pull him from the room.

"Please Tseng" she repeated, pulling harder.

Please Tseng."

"Please Tensg."

Air rushed into fluid choked lungs, the broken company man gasping back into pain-filled, blood-soaked reality.

"Please Tseng! Please!"

Dimming eyes opened onto the beautiful grown woman kneeling over him in the grey crumbling city and his soul smiled to see Aerith's hands glowing an exhausted dull green over his midrift even if his face didn't register the emotion.

"Please heal! Please…" It took all his strength to tell the woman with nothing left to stop by placing his stained hand on hers and from it the trembling girls eyes squeezed shut in despair. "… please… I don't want you to go."

Aerith's fuzzy voice was a sob, her blurring face running with tears. At least she could still shed them, so he had to have got one thing in life right.

Aerith, the one thing he was truly proud of.

He tried his voice to tell her, to explain how his seemingly muddled actions had never been intended to hurt her. But now, ironically, as he finally decided to pull his head out his ass and tell her… now nothing could come out.

He was dying.

His lungs drowning in blood.

So perhaps she would never know after all. But it didn't matter, the company man had done his job and his time to checkout was long overdue.

"No. Tseng. Please… don't… don't stop chasing me."

Aerith was crying harder now, she had noticed him head towards the exit.

He had always been the one to dry her tears, never to cause them.

And that would be his final act.

Sheer willpower alone granted him the impossible act to get his hand off the floor, place it to Aerith's cheek and wipe away the flow.

She understood.

Understood that the last thing he ever wanted to see on her face were tears. Aerith nestled her face to his hand and shone that bright smile. He could see everything, perhaps it was his life flashing before him? The child tugging on his sleeve, the teenager eager to experience the world, every Aerith through every age in that one smile.

"I love you Tseng."

His fellow Turks were calling him to the door, his big family of misfits who had completed their missions, but he made them wait a little while longer as Aerith leaned in and placed a soft kiss to his lips.

You gonna keep an old partner waiting?

Come on boss man!

Told ya' he weren't such a stiff.

Good job kid.

"It's ok, you can rest now. Go to them and I'll see you again someday" Aerith hushed gently.

Taking in the strong and gentle brunette one final time, Tseng straightened his jacket and turned for the door. She was going to be alright, his flower girl could take care of herself now.

No regrets. No regrets at all.