Across the Divide and Through Valhalla

Magic Without Materia

Chapter 63

Sherry took comfort from his proximity and nodded. "When Genesis told you our meeting was facilitated by the Goddess, he meant that literally, not figuratively. There is a lot more going on here then what seems to be on the surface."

Genesis looked down at the woman next to him and hoped he was doing the right thing. Even though he trusted these two men with his life, until he and Sherry could prove at least part of their tale, his friends could become problematic. Still, it was unavoidable. He looked back up and then launched into an abbreviated version of what happened, including the fact that both an older version of Sephiroth and Zack had been there as well. By the time he was done, Sephiroth had walked a short distance away. It was a strange tale, but with the book that Genesis had, it was harder to dismiss as utter lies.

After several moments, Angeal took a deep breath and tried to put his questions into words. "That would certainly explain why you are so close. It makes more sense that you have known each other for nearly half a year, instead of a few weeks. Even so, that was a tale that I still can't believe."

Sherry was not surprised. She had also been pointedly ignoring the looks Sephiroth was giving her. Now that he knew the truth, he was beginning to understand her behavior around him and Zack. As much as he wanted to ignore their tale as some sort of psychosis, more of the clues were pointing to the truth of it. That did not help settle his nerves. If their tale was true, then it had to have been about more than the circumstances of their births. They had conveniently left out the reasons why, and he wondered how much of it he did not want to know.

When Sephiroth turned to focus on them once again, Sherry slid the bangle from her arm and handed it to Genesis. His eyes widened, and she shrugged. "We might as well show them. It could only help."

He sighed and clenched the jewelry in his hand, but he gave her a nod. She then turned back to the other two. "Like he explained, for some reason, I was the person chosen to help everyone get back. However, the means to do that made me into what is called a l'cie."

She stepped closer to them and raised her wrists so they could see she wasn't wearing any materia. "With my brand, I was given the ability to wield magic, along with slightly increased stamina, strength, etc. I do not have any materia on my person."

Angeal's eyes had gotten wide, and Sephiroth was giving her a hard look. If she were able to perform magic without the aid of materia, then even if their tale were a complete hoax, that would still make her an incredibly powerful individual.

When they were satisfied that she wasn't wearing anything to help her cast, she stepped back and grinned at Genesis. He pinched the bridge of his nose when he realized what she had planned. Her grin widened. "I was always told to go big or go home, right?" He shook his head, but finally looked up with a smile. She had never gotten close to his speed in melee, but she was a superb caster. There was a part of him that always loved watching her when she was wielding magic.

She turned so both Angeal and Sephiroth could see what she was doing before she held her arm up. She tried to watch their faces, but as soon as her eidolith emerged from her arm, her focus shifted to what she was doing. She grabbed the tiny crystal flame and tossed it into the air. When it hit the apex of its travel, she threw a spike of ice that shattered it. Both men stepped back as they saw the light shoot up and the circle that appeared in the air before her. The means may have been different, but they could both recognize that she had just cast a summon. Their eyes widened with shock when a giant bird with flaming wings rushed by them before it alit gracefully next to Sherry.

Angeal gasped when she reached out and rubbed the feathers closest to her, and the bird cooed. It wasn't just the means that were different. This summon looked more like a partner instead of a tool. His shock only grew when she slipped her shoes off, and the bird dipped so she could climb onto its back. She turned back and winked at Genesis before she gave the firebird a mental command to take off.