Across the Divide and Through Valhalla

What This Means

Chapter 19

It was several minutes later that Kaylan finally walked over to the two of them, as neither of them had moved. She grabbed Jerry's hand and looked between them before she spoke to her boyfriend. "So, you believe us now?"

Her question served to break the pall over the two of them. Sherry took a step back and looked at him expectantly as well. He only shook his head at them both. "I don't know what to believe. I mean, I saw fire, but- can you do that again?"

Sherry wasn't certain if his voice was eager or wary, but she still pulled up a fireball, then she frosted a nearby rock. His eyes grew so wide, she wasn't certain they wouldn't pop out. He immediately went to pick the rock up but dropped it and gave her another mixed look. The excitement finally won out, and he was up in her personal space again. "What else can you do?"

She gave him a bemused look and shook her head, but she answered anyway. "So far, I have found that I have mostly support skills; protect, shell, cure, that kind of stuff."

He held his hand out with a grin. "Can you heal this cut I got at work yesterday?"

At his request, she finally laughed, but she did reach out and touch his hand before she let a little of her power flow into it. When the cut closed, he ran his fingers over where it was before he grabbed her and nearly shook her in his excitement. "Do you know what this means?"

She had been trying to forget what it meant from the moment it happened, and in Jerry's excitement, she had almost managed to for a little bit. His question instantly brought it back, though, and she felt as if she were about to be sick. Her expression must have registered what she was thinking, because his eyes widened again, and his face lost all color. He dropped her arms and took a step back while shaking his head.

She closed her eyes and swallowed a few times to try and dislodge the lump. She knew Jerry would eventually remember the only two possible fates for a l'cie, which is why she hadn't wanted him to know about the mark. There was no escaping it. Finally, she was able to speak, even if it was only a whisper. "Yes, I know what it means."

Jerry grabbed Kaylan's hand and pulled her close. His frown was back as he looked between them. His voice had a hard note to it. "You didn't explain it, did you?"

Sherry shook her head. She knew she probably should have told Kaylan, but she still didn't know how. When she looked away from them, her eyes landed on her house guests, and she sighed again. They were all watching with interest. She knew she still owed them all explanations, but her friends came first. She did call out to them, though. "We are going for a walk. I'll be back in a while."

Both Caius and Sephiroth gave her a nod before they turned into the house. Zack and Cloud looked concerned, but they still followed them. Noel must have already left as he was not there. Genesis was the only one to look upset, but she ignored him and turned back to her friends. "We can walk down to the lake."

She didn't wait to see if they were following before she headed toward the woods behind the house. The walk down was both tense and quiet. It wasn't until Sherry was sure they were out of earshot of the house, even for the enhanced ones, before she finally spoke. She stopped and looked at Kaylan before she turned to face the water. "I knew I would have to tell you eventually, but I didn't want to hurt you."

Kaylan finally realized something was very, very wrong by the way the other two were acting. She grabbed Sherry's arm and turned her, so they were facing. "What are you keeping from me?"

Sherry looked away, but Kaylan shook her slightly. "If it's as bad as you're both acting, then I deserve to know. What is going on!"

Sherry had started to cry when she looked back. "There are only two options for any l'cie unless you want to count dying. You either finish your focus, or you don't, but neither outcome is good. If you fail, you become a c'eith. A mindless crystal monster that only remembers the pain, guilt, and remorse of your failure. If you succeed, you are granted eternal life... as a crystal statue. To dream forever but never live."