Prologue
~Return of AVALANCHE~

"Cloud....." Tifa looked over the edge of the cliff, her tears streaming down the sides of her face. "He was right, his dream had predicted his death. The girl really is a witch, she killed Cloud !"
"What are we going to do about it ?" Barret asked.
"The only thing I know how to do," Tifa turned to face her comrades who were all beaten up pretty badly. "I know that it sounds crazy but there is no other way, you can come with me or you can go home but either way I am going to do this."
They all looked strangely at Tifa, she had a steely glint in her tear filled eyes and her knuckles were white with the force that she clenched her fists. They all looked at her and then at each other, each looking for one of their friends to ask her the question that someone had to.
"What is it you are going to do?" Yuffie asked.
"You know we will stand by you no matter what," Barret said. "We all want revenge on them too."
Tifa wiped away her tears and got to her feet, "I am going to join forces with Shinra..."

Chapter 1
~Six Months Later~

The rain poured down heavily, the sky was overcast with thick black clouds that let through very little light as two dark figures raced through the downpour seeking shelter. The mysterious pair ducked into a dark cave just as lightning struck a tree close by, causing it to fall in front of the entrance.
Raven shook off her black cape and glanced outside, it was difficult to make out anything with the sheets of rain pouring over the mouth of the cave.
"I don't think that it will stop for awhile," I sighed dropping down onto the stone floor.
"Probably not," Sephiroth agreed. "Looks like we'll be staying here tonight."
"Oh joy ! I just love caves," I muttered sarcastically.
"You'll be alright," Sephiroth chuckled. He had grown fond of my constant sarcasm when things went wrong, in a strange way it made things seem less worse than they really were. "Throw me your fire materia."
"What happened to yours?" I asked, tossing him the small green orb.
"I lost it at that last battle, I wish I hadn't it was almost mastered."
"Mine is mastered," I grinned.
"And you have had yours since you got those daggers," he laughed, not taking his eyes from the pile of wood he was setting up. "How come I am the one who always has to build the fire?"
"Because you are the big strong man," I giggled. "Stop complaining you are beginning to sound like me!" He couldn't help but laugh at the remark. The kindling caught fire and he turned his attention to me, my sweet face had turned serious as I watched the falling rain, deep in thought.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked moving to sit across from me.
"Lots of things," I sighed. "I still really miss Shadow."
"I know you do," he replied. "But you can't let it bother you. He is probably thinking of you too."
"I wonder what it is like to be a weapon," I wondered as I stared at the cold droplets running down the bark of the fallen tree. "I couldn't imagine being so big." I turned my gaze to him. "Sephiroth do you think that Cloud is really dead?"
"What would make you think otherwise?" he asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion. "I don't know.... I know that Jenova is gone. But something inside of me says that things aren't what they seem. Something bad is going to happen."

Tifa stepped into the room surrounded by the five remaining members of AVALANCHE. Reeve sat at the head of the table where had been awaiting for their arrival. The remaining Turks - Reno, Ellena and Rude glanced up at AVALANCHE as they entered, they drew their weapons immediately.
"What are you doing here?!" Reno growled.
"Relax," Reeve motioned for him to settle down. "They aren't here to fight, they are here to join us."
"Them?! You are joking right? Why would they want to team up with us?" Reno glared at Reeve questioningly.
"Because Sephiroth is still alive," Reeve explained. "Sephiroth and a witch who needs to be captured before she causes any trouble."
"A witch?!" Reno looked even more puzzled. "There are no such thing."
"A witch, a sorceress, call her what you will! She has magical abilities without the use of materia and it is very powerful and dangerous," Reeve growled. Reno didn't question further. The look in Reeve's eyes said to shut up and sit down. Reeve sank back down in his chair and waited until Tifa and AVALANCHE were seated to begin speaking again. "First thing we need to do is find them. We will have the entire world searching for them in no time."
"Reeve," Reno raised his hand up to get attention. "Everyone hates us now. How are we going to accomplish this?"
"Simple," Reeve said. "We make them promises so they will trust us again. We will take apart the Mako reactors. We already have this new building built and with the funds we possess it won't be too difficult to win them over."
"So why is AVALANCHE joining us?" Ellena asked.
"Because Sephiroth killed Cloud," Tifa muttered.
"What? Cloud is dead? Wow, I didn't know that!" Ellena exclaimed.
"Ellena shut up," Rude muttered.
"Your big mouth is going to get us in trouble again," Reno added. Ellena pouted and sat back in her chair. Reeve glanced at her then turned back to Tifa.
"Are you ready to make the arrangements then?" he asked. Tifa nodded and cracked her knuckles. "Then lets do this."

"I want to go to Icicle Village," I laughed as she tugged Sephiroth into the harbor.
"What?! Icicle Village?? But why?!" he asked me wide eyed.
"Because they have a new game they came up with," I giggled. "I want to try it, it sounds better than snowboarding!"
"Better than snowboarding huh?" he laughed. "Well then it would have to be good. You about froze me to death last time we were there. Sitting outside all day watching you slide down a hill on a piece of wood."
"I promise this time I won't stay outside as long," I grinned at him.
"So what is it this time? Sliding down a hill on two pieces of wood?" he chuckled.
"No !" I told him, giggling, then I thought seriously for a moment. "That isn't a bad idea though..." Sephiroth began to laugh. "Really, it is called skating, people do it on ice and it sounds like so much fun!"
"Okay okay," he sighed. "Just promise me that we'll only stay for a few weeks."
"Yes yes! I promise!" I pulled him towards the large ship, I had been planning to buy passage for us to the Northern Continent. I glanced up at Sephiroth who was in the process of replacing the hood that had blown off by the ocean's strong breeze.
"That's him!" came the startled yell, my eyes shot towards the man who was pointing at Sephiroth. "Hurry up and get after them Shinra has a price on their heads!" Sephiroth readied his sword but I pulled him away.
"You can't hurt them! They are just regular people!" I cried as I rushed him away, we raced out of Junon's Harbor and onto the large airbase, there was no exit, we were trapped!
"Come on Raven we have to jump," Sephiroth cried once they reached the edge over the ocean.
"Jump?! Are you crazy?" I cried. She turned around to look at the enormous group of men that were following them. "I guess not! Lets go!"
They raced towards the edge readying their selves for the long fall when I felt something tugging at my foot. I ignored it and leapt anyways, not realizing that I was making a huge mistake. The rope that had caught my foot pulled taunt as I dropped, it suddenly and sharply stopped my decent. I screamed as the pain shot through my leg, the sudden stop had pulled protesting muscles. I looked down but I could not see Sephiroth any longer amidst the rolling waves of the ocean. The blood rushed to my head and her eyes began to droop as my body began to defend itself against the massive pain, I sank into the darkness of my own mind.

Chapter 2
~Amongst The Cosmos~

Anyone who ever wondered what was beyond those stars that shone over the planet could never had guessed it would be like this, it was beyond belief. A few days ago we had arrived at our home world - my brothers were somewhat home sick after their eons of imprisonment and they wanted to see our planet again, I was arriving for the first time. The size of the city that covered the face of the planet was awe inspiring, it stretched out farther than the eye could see, it shone in all the colors of the cosmos. My new brothers and sisters walked through the streets much like I remembered my old kind doing, despite the size of the planet however we did not see many other weapons.
"They only return here when they require something," Ruby said, once again reading my thoughts.
"How many of us are their brother?" I asked.
"Once there used to bee millions of us, but a war between our people wiped most of us out. Our type fought with the weapons like Jenova and with the powers that we posses we almost annihilated each other. When the fighting finally stopped our numbers were but a hand full, we have grown slightly in numbers since then, but most of our kind have left to search the cosmos."
"Much like you and my brothers did?" I was curious to know why my brothers left.
"No… that was for a completely different reason," Ruby looked troubled.
"Can I ask what brother?"
"We were not supposed to tell anyone, but as you have our memories it would have returned to you one day. You remember that I told you about the war?" I nodded. "Well your brothers and I were sent to seek out the leader of the weapons who we were fighting, we were supposed to wipe her out… her name was Jenova." I stared at my brother in disbelief, could it be that my brothers came to the planet to kill Jenova.
"So what happened?" it was time to know the truth.
"She got lucky, she managed to imprison my brothers in North Cave, I managed to escape and hide, she was very powerful," Ruby looked away, ashamed of the words he was speaking. I had known for some time that something was bothering my brother, it must have been his guilt, did he feel responsible for the death of my brothers?
"Indeed… it is true, my actions resulted in the deaths of the others. I am now going to face the council and my punishment, I shall tell then everything." My brother walked away and I turned to Emerald to seek more answers.
"What will they do to him brother?" I was concerned for Ruby’s well being.
"Its hard to say Shadow, he will have to tell them about you as well, no doubt they will want to see you," Emerald replied as he led me along the same road the Ruby had gone down.
"About me? Why will they want to know about me?" I stammered.
"Because we have very strict rules Shadow, we are not allowed to create new weapons. Its too complicated to tell you but I has to do with the war, the council decided that the only way to prevent another war was to make sure that no unworthy creature was made into one of us." We stopped outside of a huge golden building, two hulking weapons stood guard at the door and they nodded to us in acknowledgment.
"What now?" I asked my brother.
"We wait," he said nothing else as we stood there, I took the chance to just look around my surroundings. We stood there for about an hour before the doors opened and another weapon talked to the guards.
"THE GRAND HIGH COUNCIL SUMMONS SHADOW," they boomed out in bellowing voices, I walked between them and into the building, Emerald remained outside and I felt very alone. The room beyond the door was a massive dome, in the center of it knelt my brother and to the opposite end sat three huge weapons on thrones of pure Ultima stone. I walked across the hall and knelt down beside Ruby, I hoped that it was the correct gesture to make, I felt very nervous.
"You are Shadow?" they all asked in unison.
"I am," I replied nervously.
"We want you to open your mind to us Shadow, we wish to see the person inside," they chorused.
"I… I don’t know how," I stammered.
"Open up your life force, we will do the rest brother," I did as I was instructed, I felt their minds probing into mine. I felt very strange and as I knelt there my mind flashed through scrambled images of my life and travels, they remained on the face and eyes of Raven for some time before moving on. We they finally finished they let out a sigh and began talking amongst themselves.
"What’s happening?" I whispered to Ruby.
"They are judging you Shadow, to see if you are worthy of being a Weapon," he explained.
"And if I am not?" I croaked in a shaky voice.
"Then you will die," he whispered.
Thousands of things raced through my mind after my brothers’ announcement, before I had a chance to gather my thoughts they began to speak.
"Shadow… we have looked into your very being and your past, we need to ask you some questions before we decided. Who is the girl?" why did they want to know about Raven?
"Her name is Raven," I told them.
"And you love this girl?" they questioned.
"I… I do," I almost choked trying to speak, I had never said it before.
"But she has promised herself to another?"
"She has, and I am happy to be their friend, I owe them both my life," it was very true.
"We see. What is your purpose?" they asked.
"I don’t have one, I never have," I replied.
"That is what we thought. Shadow you are indeed a good person, but a Weapon you are not, we have decided that you must be unmade… GUARDS!" everything went so quickly I couldn’t believe what was happening.
"NO..." shouted Ruby and he began to protest. The guards burst through the door and began charging their powerful attacks, the council also began to draw MP. Ruby turned to me with a tear in his eye, as we looked at each other he whispered something to me.
"I’m sorry Shadow, don’t blame me… please." As I began to reply everything before my eyes went bright before the light faded and I was surrounded by darkness…

Chapter 3
~Powers Silenced~

I opened my eyes slowly and glanced around the dark room. I was suspending from what I guessed was chains against a cold and damp stone wall. Was I in a dungeon? My head hurt badly and my leg howled in pain, protesting against the pulled muscle. Light flooded into the large room and I winced at its brightness. I heard voices and soon my eyes adjusted and I could see who was speaking.
"How are you feeling you bitch!" Tifa spat.
"How do you think I am feeling?" I muttered. "If you are angry at me for killing Cloud then I have every right for being angry at you for trying to kill Sephiroth...."
"Sephiroth is evil!" she growled.
"Jenova was evil," I told her. "Why do you think that Cloud went crazy like he did?"
"He didn't go crazy!" she argued.
"Oh I forgot," I laughed. "You were unconscious when it all happened. You didn't see what he had done to me. What he was planning on doing to Sephiroth and Shadow. You have no idea how badly I didn't want to kill him."
"Like I am going to believe your lies!" she threw up her hands. "No I am going to make you pay for what you did." She pulled out a large ball of materia. "We got this from the huge materia! It is a powerful silence that will prevent you from using your magic!"
"No! Don't!" I cried.
"Why not?" she asked. "Someone like you shouldn't have such power."
"I have the power because I am an Ancient," I told her. I saw Vincent direct his attention to me in the corner of my eye.
"Lies!" she hissed. "Prepare yourself this may hurt a little!" She laughed as she cast the spell on me. I cringed my teeth when I felt the power being pushed so far inside of me that it was out of reach. I began to cry, feeling the helplessness that I hated so much.
"You are not so tough now I see," she grinned. I closed my eyes and let my head drop. I heard footsteps as Tifa left the room.
"Are you okay?" Vincent asked me.
"What do you think?" I glared at him. "Chaos brought my levels up so not only did she knock out my magic but my strength as well! My father would be so ashamed of me...."
"Your father?" he asked, curious.
"Did you ever meet a SOLDIER named Zack?" I asked him hopefully.
"No but I have heard about him from Cloud," he told me. "He was murdered by Shinra many years ago."
"M-murdered?" I was in shock. "My brother is dead?! Oh my......" I fell into tears once more.
"You are his sister?" he looked surprised. I nodded, unable to speak.
"I am also sister to the one you called Aeris...." I mumbled. I watched him take a few steps back. "You don't have to believe me," I told him. "I just want to leave this place. I want to be back with Sephiroth. You knew his mother, Vincent Valentine. He is nothing like Hojo so what does that leave?"
He didn't answer. Instead he hurried out of the room leaving me to hang there in that darkened prison.

"Now you are going to tell me where I can find Sephiroth," Tifa lifted my face so I would look at her.
"Like hell I am," I mumbled.
"Just tell her," Reno said, amazed at how cruel Tifa had become. He knew that Rude had had a crush on her but that would probably change now.
"Forget it," I growled. "I am not going to tell you anything." Tifa punched me in the face and I tried to ignore the hideous pain as I glared up at her. I felt the small trickle of blood slide out of the corner of my mouth and down my chin. My jaw was throbbing with the pain of the damage her special gloves had caused. "I have gone through much worse injury," I managed to say. "Do not be foolish enough to think it will get me to talk."
"You're bluffing," Tifa grinned. "Reno turn her around." Reno glared at her then did as he was told. To his surprise Tifa retrieved a chain whip from a hook on the wall. She ordered Reno to push aside my hair then stepped back to ready herself. I felt the sting as it was connected with my back. It tore through my shirt and into my flesh. I cringed but I didn't make a sound. I felt another one and squeezed my eyes shut.
"Are you ready to talk yet?" she laughed.
"Sadistic @&#*$......" I growled. Reno began to laugh but stopped when Tifa's anger caused her to hit me twice as hard and thrice as many times. Finally she threw the whip down and strode out of the room.
"Come on Reno!" she growled when Reno tried to linger behind. He hurried after her, taking one last look at me before heading out the door. I let my taunt body fall limp as I struggled to shut out the pain. My back felt like it was on fire and I could feel the stickiness of the warm blood oozing out of the large cuts that were spread across it.
"Raven?" I could barely hear the voice through the ringing in my ears. I forced open my eyes and looked at my feet. There was another pair there that I recognized as Vincent's. I felt him turn fiddling with the bands that held my wrists over my head and soon I was loose. He lifted me over his shoulder and carried me into a room nearby. It looked to me like an infirmary.
"Why are you helping me?" I asked as he laid me face down on the table.
"Because I believe you," he answered. "I don't know why but I have learned to trust my instincts."
"You have good instincts," I muttered. He cast a powerful cure spell on me and I felt the pain ebb a little. He helped me to clean off the wounds and found me a loose black button up shirt that I put on over top of my tank top. He reached inside of his cloak and pulled out the Ultima daggers that were missing from my holsters. I took them from him and replaced them where they belonged. "Thank you," I told him weakly.
"Don't thank me," he replied. "I wanted to help you. I can see that Tifa has lost more than Cloud."
"I had a chance to kill Cloud a long time ago," I said. "I had my crossbow aimed right at his heart. I will admit that I was tempted after losing Sephiroth but I couldn't do it. He actually had a legitimate reason for doing what he did. Just as I had a legitimate reason for doing what I did. Jenova had taken Cloud's body over. If I wouldn't have killed him then I would have been trapped within him forever. You have no idea what it is like. It is so dark and I could hear Sephiroth and Shadow's voices yelling for me but I was so helpless. I wouldn't have been able to live like that. I had no other choice, I swear."
Vincent nodded his understanding. "We'll have to find a way out of here. We cannot be seen at all or we will have no chance of escape," he told me.
"Are you sure you wish to do this?" I asked him. "I could go on my own and you could leave here. I will not tell anyone if I get caught."
"I want to go," he told me. "I cannot stay here when Tifa is acting no better than Shinra. Everyone has gone crazy."
"I haven't gone crazy." Vincent and I turned to look at Cid Highwind who had entered the room. Vincent drew his gun with lightning speed and pointed it at Cid.
"Put that thing away," Cid protested. "I'm not here to turn you in, I'm going with you." "What for?" Vincent asked.
"Like you said. Everyone has gone @*#& crazy," he cursed.
"How did you know I was in here?" Vincent asked, worried.
"I was walking down the hall and seen you duck in here all sneaky like after Tifa left. I wanted to know what you were up to so I followed you," he explained. "Don't worry, no one seen me come in here."
I rubbed my head to relieve the dull ache that had settled there. "Are you alright?" I heard Cid ask.
"I will be once I get out of this horrible place," I sighed. "I am worried that Sephiroth is just going to bust in here looking for me before we have a chance to escape."
"What do you see in him anyways?" Cid asked scratching his head.
"Much more then you could imagine," I replied, glancing up at him. He shrugged his shoulders then looked around the room. His eyes rested on a vent high up on the wall. He grinned and looked over at us, "I think we've found our way out."

Chapter 4
~Death of a Weapon~

"Hot… so very hot… where am I?" I spoke out into the darkness.
"You are nowhere my son, but soon you will arrive at your destination," Ruby stepped out of the darkness, he looked insubstantial and his transparent image flickered. "Arrive where father?" I asked. I was strangely calm.
"That question will soon be answered Shadow, but now we must talk of other things, time grows short."
"Am I dead Ruby?" I didn’t feel dead, I did feel strange though.
"Listen to me carefully Shadow and don’t say anything, I don’t know how long this link will last." I nodded in acknowledgement. "You are not dead my son, and this void that you now occupy is not the afterlife, I put you here for a very good reason. I am sorry that this happened my son but now you have become an outcast, you will be hunted down by the others and unmade, unless you are smarter than them. Whilst you remain in your true form you endanger yourself and those around you Shadow, but in your old body you will be safe, they will not find you. You must promise that you will survive my son, you are all that is left of us," as he spoke another figure walked out of the darkness, it was Emerald.
"Emerald? What is going on brothers?" I was now very confused.
"Shadow my brother you must do as Ruby say’s, live on in our name and remember, without you we never existed," Emerald's voice sounded very distant.
"I don’t understand brothers, what’s happening?" I tried to move closer to Ruby but the distance between us stayed the same.
"We have been unmade Shadow, you are all that is left of us now," I shuddered at Ruby’s words.
"You’ve been unmade… I don’t… why? I’ll kill them!" my rage overflowed as I focused it on the council.
"Never mind such petty thoughts Shadow, we still exist whilst you do, that is why you must survive or we all die," Ruby’s voice was getting more distant. "Do not make this all in vain my son, I chose you because I believe that you are worthy, I don’t care what the council says. Your brother and I saved you from their sentence and we have sent you far away where they won’t find you, but we faced your punishment for our actions. Don’t be sad though son because this is the way of life, we leave so that you can enter, you have it in you to be very powerful my son, but use your power wisely that is all we ask of you." Ruby’s image began to flicker and fade, Emeralds projection was already hard to make out, Ruby looked at his hands as they faded.
"The greatest journey of them all is about to begin for us, we will finally join our long lost brothers, what an adventure it will be my son" as Ruby’s image faded away I screamed out defiance into the endless dark, "FATHER!"

I opened my eyes and the piecing sun drilled into my brain, I had no idea where I was but the heat was immense. I looked down at my hands, my human hands and I wondered if any of it had really happened, I stood up an looked about. The desert stretched out before me and I knew instantly where I was, I had lived here for so long that I could tell exactly where I was, I had come home. I began walking to the desert edge, my cloak blew behind me in the wind, as I walked I couldn’t help but think of my brothers and their sacrifice. My goal now was a simple one, and one that I had promised to undertake a long time ago, I would hunt out my friends and fight by their sides again, it was my only purpose. I had no idea where they would both be but luckily I had something to guide me, Ultima’s weapons spoke to me and I had a vague idea what part of the country they were in, I began to walk towards Junon Harbor…

Chapter 5
~Escape~

Shadow stepped into the massive harbor and glanced up to see the building that had not been there before. He looked around himself at the hundreds of people who bustled about.
"Excuse me could you tell me what that building is up there?" Shadow asked a woman who was passing by.
"Yes, that is the new Shinra building," she replied. Shadow nodded his understanding and began walking towards it. Once he was close he seen a dark figure slip around the corner. Something told him to follow it so he made his way stealthily after it. He rounded the corner where he soon spotted Sephiroth crouched behind a rock, peering at the structure in front of him.
"Sephiroth? What are you doing?" Shadow asked.
Sephiroth glanced at him then did a double-take. "My god! Shadow is that you?!" he exclaimed.
"Yes its me," Shadow told him. "Will you tell me what it is that you're doing? Where is Raven?"
"Get down, there are workers over there," Sephiroth whispered. "Those AVALANCHE bastards have Raven inside the Shinra building, I'm waiting for those guys over there to leave so I can climb up to the building undetected."
"So that we can climb the building, I’ll help you free her," Shadow added.
"Thank you friend," Sephiroth replied. As they watched the workers moving about Shadow and Sephiroth patiently awaited a chance to make their break, they both spotted an opportunity and dashed towards the Shinra building. When they reached its base they quickly began to climb its surface, the going was difficult because the wall was so smooth, despite this however they still managed to climb rapidly. Nearing the top the little figures on the ground looked like ants, they both stared through the top floor windows to look for signs of Raven, they could see none so they both kept climbing till they reached the roof. "Look for a hatch," Sephiroth instructed.
"I think I’ve found one better," Shadow replied as he pointed to the large skylight, as they both peered through the glass they spotted the members of AVALANCHE.
"Time to play," said Sephiroth, he and Shadow both burst through the window and jumped down to the ground, both rose to their feet with their weapons drawn and ready.

"Damn it! I knew this would happen! Oh my god that looks like Shadow!! That's impossible!" Raven exclaimed as she peered through the vent underneath her.
"What's going on?" Vincent asked.
"Sephiroth burst into fight just as I predicted he would. That guy with him looks so much like Shadow but it can't be possible," she answered. She heard a creaking noise and gasped. Vincent tried to grab her but the vent snapped open and Raven dropped out and fell. She tried to land on her feet but fell back as soon as she touched the floor.
"Oh that was embarrassing," she muttered rubbing her head. She glanced up and saw that all eyes were on her. "What!? You have never seen someone fall out of a ventilation shaft before?" Sephiroth could not suppress a laugh at her amused face. They heard a snap and smoke filled the room in front of them. Vincent and Cid dropped down and motioned for them to follow. Raven pulled herself to her feet and grabbed Sephiroth's arm to force him to run, leaving the coughing members of AVALANCHE behind. They raced through the halls together and stopped when they heard voices coming from the other direction.
"In here!" Raven pushed open a large door and the followed her inside and shut it behind them just in time to avoid the guards on patrol. Raven glanced around and grinned when she seen where they were. "Alright I figured out how we're getting out of here!" she laughed running towards the motorcycles.
"There are only four of them," Cid replied.
"That's okay," Raven giggled looking at Sephiroth. At that moment she looked dead into Shadow's face. "It was you!!" She exclaimed running to hug him. "Wow I've missed you! How did you get back?"
"There is no time for that," he told her. "We'll catch up once we're out of here." Raven nodded and stepped towards Sephiroth. She stood behind him and braided his hair so that it would stay out of his face.
"Are we ready to go then?" Cid asked. "I've always wanted to ride one of these things!" Sephiroth nodded and they climbed onto one, Raven slipped behind Sephiroth and wrapped her arms around his waist. There was a loud roar as the four motorcycles came to life. Raven smiled, in anticipation of the ride that was before them. She too had always wanted to ride one of these things and she was happy to be leaving this horrible place behind.

The grunt of the powerful engines blasted out as the machines sped through the narrow corridors of the new Shinra building. Sephiroth led the convoy and as he located the stairs he opened the throttle and the bike sped down the steps. Shadow also opened the throttle of his bike and soon the two were side by side, the other two machines fell back from the leaders as they raced down the stairs. Three sets of emerald eyes gleamed in joy as the friends returned to their former antics, Raven’s excited laughter flowed from the back of the motorcycle. Before they reached the bottom of the stairs a large group of SOLDIER’s began to climb the stairs to intercept them, Sephiroth burst through a door and along the corridor beyond it, as Shadow followed he noticed the number seven above the exit to the stairs. They didn’t get far before AVALANCHE stood before them again. Raven peered over Sephiroth's shoulder at them.
"You can’t escape," Tifa sneered.
"They are on level seven," Reno spoke into a com and a SOLDIER’s voice responded, reinforcements were on their way. Shadow revved the engine of his motorcycle as they faced their enemy’s, he turned to his friend and gave him a sly smile before releasing the brake, the bike sped across the room leaving a tire track behind it. As he sped towards the awaiting enemy Shadow looked back to see that the others were following, he pulled a ball of materia from his cloak and cast it quickly. A fork of powerful lighting flew across the room and over the heads of AVALANCHE and the Turks, it struck the large window behind them and cracked the thick glass. Raven squeezed Sephiroth's waist tighter, anticipating Shadow's next move.
"You missed," Tifa spat.
"No I didn’t," replied Shadow as he put the machine into full speed, the people before him scattered before the oncoming vehicles and Shadow's bike burst through the window, the others followed. As the bikes flew out of the seventh floor window in a explosion of glass AVALANCHE and the Turks watched in amazement as they plummeted to the harbor floor. Their curved descent took them further and further away from the Shinra building and suddenly the riders all jumped off the machines. AVALANCHE gave out a groan as they watched they figures plunging into the blue ocean, commotion spread as the bikes crashed onto the harbor floor.

Raven sat up, in the rope net she had landed in, and glanced down at the others who had all landed in the water. She peered through the holes in the net and smiled at the four men underneath her.
"Are you alright?" Sephiroth called up to her.
"Hey that was fun! Can we do it again?" she giggled. All eyes moved to look at Raven's face that was flushed in excitement. "Okay maybe not."
"We better get out of here before they can catch up with us," Sephiroth replied.
"Jump down here!" Shadow called up to Raven.
"Are you crazy?!" she exclaimed. "I hate the water! I'll go around and meet you guys at the beach. She gave them no time to protest and began climbing up the rope to the deck. They began to swim as Raven raced across the harbor floor, heading for the beach.

Chapter 6
~Safe?~

"So will everyone please explain their situations?" Sephiroth asked when they were out of view and supposedly safe.
"Situations?" Raven looked puzzled.
"I want to know how you ended up with them," he replied, pointing at Cid and Vincent. "And I would like to know what Shadow is doing back on Earth as a human. I have to admit that I am a bit confused."
"Cid and Vincent helped me to escape because Tifa has lost her marbles," Raven explained. Sephiroth chuckled at her choice of words and pulled her into his arms. Suddenly she cried out in pain when he his arms squeezed against her back.
"What’s wrong?" Sephiroth asked quickly.
"Its nothing" she replied, typically underplaying the situation. Sephiroth looked at her in an annoyed expression and she sighed and gave in.
"Tifa tortured her," said Vincent and Raven shot him an evil look.
"Why do you always say you are okay Raven?" Shadow scolded her.
"Because I don’t want to bother you with my problems," she replied in a little voice, Shadow and Sephiroth just looked at her.
"Well you better let me take a look at it," said Sephiroth and the others turned their backs. "You call this okay?" Sephiroth expressed, "That bitch has made a mess of your back, I’ll kill her."
"I’ll second that" said Shadow and Raven laughed.
"Boys will be boys," she giggled, before wincing in pain again.
"We need to get to a safe place so that I can fix this," Sephiroth said. "Don't even think about protesting because I'm going to do it whether you let me or not." Raven sighed and pushed back the whips of hair that had slipped in front of her eyes.
"I am beginning to wonder if I'm cursed or something," she replied as they began to walk. "It seems that I find myself in more trouble then anyone."
"Maybe you should stop sacrificing yourself so much," Vincent spoke up, Raven stopped dead in her tracks and looked at the dark man.
"Do you really think that is what it is?" she asked him.
"Yes," he answered. "Tifa wouldn't have beat you so badly if you would have spoke up and I seen you use the chaos spells more than once to protect them. I am not saying that it is a horrible thing that you do but if you aren't careful it could very well kill you one day." Raven's face turned to one of a mixture of sadness and concern. Sephiroth stopped and turned to the pair that were speaking, Shadow looked at him and saw the concern on his face. Curious, he followed his gaze to Raven who looked as if she would burst into tears at any moment.
"Raven?" Shadow stepped towards her.
"I'm okay," Raven muttered pushing past him and Sephiroth. They watched her walk quickly ahead of them.
Shadow looked at Sephiroth and Sephiroth looked back at him.
"She’ll never die, not while she has us," Sephiroth spat at Vincent, Shadow held him back and tired to calm him down.
"I think we should just get out of here before we get caught, Sephiroth you an I will go talk to Raven, you two can do what you like," Shadow clearly still didn’t trust the once AVALANCHE members.
"Just be sure that we are keeping an eye on you, if you try anything we’ll make you wish you hadn’t," said Sephiroth as he pulled away from Shadow and began to quickly walk after Raven, Raven suddenly stopped walking and Sephiroth caught up with her.
"Are you okay?" he asked, and she burst into tears as she buried her head in his chest, he gently wrapped his arms around her and comforted his love. Shadow looked at him questioningly and Sephiroth nodded to his friend that everything was okay, Shadow kept a look out for AVALANCHE as his friends talked.
"Tell me what's wrong," Sephiroth encouraged her to speak.
"For the first time I am truly afraid," Raven sobbed. "I have no chaos powers and I have no way to protect you!"
"What did you just say?!" he was taken aback.
"I said that I no longer can use my chaos powers!" she moaned. "They silenced them. How will I keep you two safe?"
"Don't worry about me and Shadow," Sephiroth told her. "You shouldn't put this kind of strain on yourself."
"I can help it," she told him. He wiped the tears off her pale cheeks and sighed. "I don't know what to do anymore. Without my magic I am nothing."
"That isn't true!" Sephiroth argued. "You are everything to me. You are the most wonderful person in the world and there are lots of people who would think the same if they knew the real you. Remember that it isn't the magic that I love Raven, it is you." Raven's eyes glistened with unshed tears as she looked at Sephiroth in amazement. She had never heard him speak so passionately before now. He couldn't resist the urge he felt. She looked so beautiful at that moment with her eyes sparkling and her face flushed. He lifted her chin and leaned forward to kiss her.
"That is the darndest thing," Cid said, wide eyed. "To think that I would ever see Sephiroth show any kind of emotions."
"He is human like the rest of us," Vincent replied. "This shows truth to what Raven has told us."
"You're right," Cid scratched his head. "Still they don't trust us."
"We just have them no reason to think otherwise," Vincent told him. "We have no other option, Tifa has gone mad and we have no place to go."
"You guys had better come on," Shadow replied. "Or you will be left behind." He glanced at Raven who was still locked tightly in Sephiroth's arms. He was looking overtop her head at the sunset that was reflecting on the ocean's surface. The oranges, yellows and reds flowed together as the waves gently rolled towards the shore.

"I can see them ma'am," a SOLDIER told Tifa as he lowered his binoculars. "They are on the beach walking to the south." Tifa narrowed her eyes and turned to Reeve who nodded in understanding.
"Get the men after them now," he commanded. "I want all of them back alive, ecspecially the girl."

"Okay we’ve got a problem," Shadow announced and everyone looked at him.
"What’s wrong?" asked Raven as everyone looked around.
"There is something like twenty Shinra buggy’s all heading our way and they are going pretty fast."
"Damn it, I wish we still had those bikes," shouted Sephiroth.
"Blame that fool over there," said Raven as she pointed at Shadow, he just shrugged and laughed.
"I mean why on earth did you want to go through a seventh floor window anyway?" she quizzed him.
"It seemed like a good idea at the time Raven dear, besides I didn’t hear you objecting."
"I wasn’t driving my bike, this crazy bloke decided to follow you, honestly Shadow you are such a bad influence to him," said Raven as she hit Sephiroth.
"I can’t help it!" said Sephiroth, "He’s just my idol." he said with a perfectly straight face. They three of them stood there for a moment before they all broke into fits of laughter.
"This really is nice, but don’t you think we should be leaving?" asked Vincent.
"Oh hell, I think we forgot about that, common let go!" commanded Raven.
"Nice to see she’s back to normal again," said Shadow sarcastically.
Raven gave him an amused look then broke into a run. Sephiroth shrugged his shoulders and grinned as he fell into a steady pace behind her. The others followed suit and raced through the sand as fast as they could.

Chapter 7
~Shinra’s Pursuit~

It wasn't long before the buggies got close on their heels. Raven could feel her body wearing down faster than normal but kept her speedy pace anyways. She was always quicker than her comrades.
"We will have to fight this one!" Shadow called to Raven and Sephiroth. Raven stopped suddenly and bent forward to catch her breath. Her lungs ached and she was dizzy. Still she would fight by their sides, no matter the consequences. The five of them drew their weapons and turned to face the SOLDIERS that were pursuing them quickly. A daring one drove past Raven and scooped her off her feet. She made a growling sound as she sliced his hands with her daggers. He cried out in pain and dropped her into the sand. She sat up and watched him ride away from her and turn around. She held up the Ultima daggers ready for another attack, her limit break building higher. The SOLDIER jumped off his dune buggy and drew his weapon. Raven gave a quick glance towards Sephiroth and Shadow who were fighting wildly against the other SOLDIERS. Her enemy made his attack and Raven ducked away from his blow. Her limit peaked and she rushed into the mega slash attack. The SOLDIER yelled out in defense as the daggers whipped by him in a blur of Ultima steel. Soon he was laying at her feet, unconscious. She laughed and lifted her green eyes in time to see another attacker.
"Damn it," muttered as she defended herself. "You guys are pathetic!!" Raven leapt at him and grinned as he blocked the flashing blows. A loud noise rang in her ears and she felt the sharp sting of pain in her leg. She struggled to ignore it as she blocked the SOLDIER's attack. Something warm flowed down her thigh and she began to feel a little dizzy. The SOLDIER got the upper hand and lifted his weapon for the attack when she heard another loud noise, very similar to the one she had earlier heard. The SOLDIER dropped and Raven was able to see Vincent behind him with his Death Penalty smoking.
Further away in the center of the melee the two ex-SOLDIERS fought furiously with their once comrades.
"They just don’t train them the same," barked Sephiroth as he dispatched another one.
"They’ll never be as good as us Sir," said Shadow as the pair regressed back to their army days. As more and more of the blue uniformed SOLDIER’s attacked the two friend continued their little conversation as they cut down attacker after attacker, pretty soon most of the SOLDIER’s were trying to avoid them and going for the others.
"I’m going to go help Raven!" shouted Sephiroth as he waded through the blue uniforms.
"I guess I get stuck with this fool," thought Shadow to himself as he fought his way over to help Cid. As the fighting grew more and more intense the small group fought frantically to fight off the waves and waves of SOLDIER’s, but the more they cut down the more came after them.
"We’re going to have to make a break for it soon," Raven told Sephiroth, who now stood fighting at her side, with Vincent on the other.
"I know, but we’re so spread out," he cast an eye over too Cid and Shadow who were getting further and further away.
"SHADOW, get over here now!" yelled Raven at then top of her lungs, and Shadow instantly began to move towards their position.
"See, I say jump and he say’s how high!" Raven giggled and Sephiroth just sighed. As they both watched Shadow fighting towards them with Cid right behind him, Raven and Sephiroth tried to slowly back away from the oncoming attackers. As the two stranded fighters got closer and closer to the group another buggy pulled up and Tifa leapt out onto the roof.
"Fools! You can’t do this all day, you may as well give up now," she mocked.
"I’ll kill you wench!" shouted Sephiroth back as Raven tried to stop him from charging towards her. As Tifa spoke the attackers stopped and they stood back waiting for another order to attack, Shadow began rushing towards his friends but he suddenly stopped. His swords dropped from his hands and closed around the spear shaft that now protruded from his chest, he fell to his knee’s and Cid removed his spear as he stood over Shadow.
"Ha ha, you see, you can defeat AVALANCHE, we will defeat you!" Tifa ordered the SOLDIER’s to attack again and another wave of attackers charged the three stunned figures.
"No!!" the anguished cry erupted from Raven's lips as she charged through the fray her gaze fixed on Cid. Sephiroth ran after her but was stopped by the wave of attacking SOLDIERS. Raven could feel the anger energize her body as she attacked Cid in a flurry of daggers. He cried out when the Ultima cut through his spear and into his chest. Raven watched the man fall and then she dropped to her knees beside Shadow. His wound was very deep. Raven looked towards Sephiroth who was badly outnumbered and then to Vincent who was struggling against a large number of SOLDIER’s as well and finally back to Shadow who was now unconscious.
"I can't let this happen!" Raven howled. Everyone stopped fighting when the light suddenly appeared in a flash and surrounded Raven's body. She threw her head back and outstretched her arms as the new limit break consumed the entire battle, flooding it with bright light. When it was gone Sephiroth and Vincent looked around themselves. They were the only ones left standing. Raven stood up and pulled a weak Shadow to his feet. He shook his head and looked around. He stepped back in surprise at all the sleeping SOLDIER’s around him.
"Wow Raven you really did a number on them!" he exclaimed. "I thought your chaos was silenced."
"It is," she smiled. "That was my Ultima limit break!"
"We had better get the hell outa here before they wake up," Vincent pointed out. Raven nodded and ran to Sephiroth's side. Her gaze fell on the abandoned buggies and a grin spread across her face.
"I think we've found our way out of here!" she laughed.

"Ouch," said Shadow as Raven dressed his wounds, it wasn’t easy as they buggy bounced up and down on the uneven ground.
"Can’t you drive this thing gently?" she snapped at Sephiroth.
"I’m driving as carefully as I can dear," said Sephiroth as he frantically fought with the controls.
"I think they got you too," said Vincent as he noticed the wound on Raven’s leg.
"Its nothing really," the buggy skidded to a stop.
"Will you stop saying that!" exclaimed Sephiroth as he came back to see the wound.
"What are you doing you crazy fool, they will wake up soon!" yelled Raven.
"I’ll drive," said Vincent as he slid into the drivers seat and started off again. Sephiroth looked at the cut on Ravens thigh and he began to scold her again as he cleaned the cut.
"This is pretty deep you know, does it not hurt?" he asked after he was finished telling her off.
"No," she lied, she was feeling quite light headed but she didn’t want to tell him that, he’d only worry even more.
"Will you two stop figh…" Shadow slipped back into unconsciousness mid sentence.
"Is he going to be okay?" asked Sephiroth.
"I don’t know," said Raven worriedly. "He’s lost a lot of blood, the spear just missed his heart, I can only do very little."
"Do what you can, he’s a fighter, he’ll get through this," Sephiroth comforted her.
"I’m not so sure, remember that he’s not human anymore, perhaps he won’t be able to heal himself in this form. I healed Emerald a long time ago, he didn’t seem to be able to help himself, perhaps it’s a weakness of theirs."
"Well just have to wait and see, but for now we can only do what we can, now let me dress that cut," as Sephiroth helped Raven the buggy sped across the plains further and further away from danger.

Chapter 7
~Aftermath~

Raven glanced at Shadow's sleeping form, still worried about him. They had hid in the woods for the night until they could decide what other options there were. Shadow seemed to be recovering in his sleep, Raven decided that sleep was what he needed most of at this time. She glared into the fire, not knowing what else to do. Sephiroth was laying on his back next to her with his hands under his head as he watched the sky. Raven sighed and flipped a cure into the air and watched as it shimmered down around her. "What was that for?" Sephiroth asked curiously.
"I was bored," she lied. Truthfully she felt like she had been run over by a truck but she kept telling herself that Shadow's pain was much worse. She heard Sephiroth let out a sigh, knowing what he was thinking. He knew that she had spoken dishonestly but he didn't want to anger her so he remained quiet about it. Raven laid back next to him and dozed off, using his chest as a pillow.

"Hey you guys wake up," Shadow replied throwing a small pebble at Raven and Sephiroth. He poked at the fire and the food he was heating up. He was so damned hungry that he was tempted to eat it raw. He watched as Sephiroth opened his eyes and glanced down at Raven.
"Is she still sleeping?" he asked Shadow.
"Like a baby," Shadow smiled. Sephiroth let his head drop back into the leaves and sighed loudly.
"I don't know what's come over her," he told Shadow. "She won't tell anyone when she is hurt and she seems to get angry a lot more often." Shadow looked at Raven's peaceful face with a worried expression on his face.
"We need to keep a closer eye on her," Shadow finally replied.
"I agree," Sephiroth said. "Just watch what you say to her or she'll bite your head off." Shadow laughed lightly and poked at the flames some more. Raven groaned and her fingers gripped Sephiroth's cloak tighter.
"I won't.... be a burden... to you.... Sephiroth....." Raven whispered in her sleep.
"So how’s your chest?" asked Sephiroth
"Truthfully it hurts like hell when I breathe," Shadow turned to Vincent. "So you going to shoot me now too?" he asked angrily.
"I didn’t know about Cid, I’m sorry Shadow," Vincent replied sincerely.
"You better be telling the truth or I’ll carve every lie you tell us into your skin," Shadow warned.
"He seems to be genuinely wanting to help us Shadow, lets give him the benefit of the doubt," said Sephiroth as he tried to calm Shadow down.
"If he touches her I’ll kill him," Shadow said with anger flashing in his emerald eyes, he grabbed the food off the fire and walked across the clearing to eat it.
"Don’t mind him Vincent, he’s just annoyed with himself for trusting Cid, he’ll learn to trust you," Raven said sleepily as she slowly rose from her bed.
"Shadow, come back over here and stop being such a baby!" ordered Raven, Shadow crossed the clearing and stood beside her.
"Now stop being silly, and sit down because I still want to know what you are doing back here and I won’t be happy until you tell me every little detail," Raven sat back and waited for Shadow to tell his story.
Shadow dropped down cross-legged and began to tell them exactly what had happened in the cosmos. Raven watched him intently and dropped her head when he was finished.
"I would give my life if it would stop all of this suffering," she whispered. "Raven don't say that!" Shadow exclaimed.
"Well I would!" she cried. "I can't stand it! We're constantly being chased by Shinra, you've lost your brothers, Vincent lost his friends, Sephiroth has to carry me around everywhere he goes...."
"Raven stop it!" Sephiroth shouted. "When are you going to realize that you are not a burden to me? We are going to pull through this together, we always do!"
"That's easy for you to say," she muttered. "You aren't a little weakling like me!" She leapt to her feet and left to go stand on her own and think for a moment.
"I don't know what I am going to do!" Sephiroth groaned and fell back. Shadow glanced at Raven who leaned against a tree staring into the forest.
"What to do what to do..." Raven chanted as she began to pace back and forth. "I can't do this to them anymore. I can't let them get hurt pulling me out of trouble." She looked at Shadow. "If I wouldn't have needed help Sephiroth would have been there to keep Cid from betraying us and nearly killing him. Damn it!" She slammed her hand against a tree. "What in the hell am I going to do?"
"Raven..." Shadow replied from behind her. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Raven smiled. "Everything is fine." She strode towards Sephiroth and sat down beside him, pretending that she had not just screamed at him.
"Hey do you hear that?" Shadow asked after a moment.
Everyone stopped what they were doing to listen. In the distance they could hear the sounds of dirt bikes as they were making their way into the forest to search for the four fugitives.
"Lets get out of here," Sephiroth ordered.
"I get to drive this time!" Raven announced as she leapt into the drivers seat. Sephiroth couldn't help but to laugh as he climbed in beside her.
"Not again!" Shadow moaned slapping his forehead. Raven revved up the engine and glanced back.
"Get your tail in here!" she yelled at him. Shadow sighed and jumped in the back next to Vincent.
"You better find something to grab on too," warned Shadow. "I’ve seen her drive."
"What’s that supposed to mean?" asked Raven as she turned round to face him.
"Well you are driving without looking love," responded Sephiroth. "Perhaps you should be looking where we are going."
"I know that," she said as she turned round again. The buggy weaved through the trees with ease but still the sound of bikes rasped in the distance.
"I’m not sure that we can outrun them in these trees!" yelled Raven as she struggled to control the speeding vehicle. Before she had finished speaking the trail bikes appeared behind them.
"I’ll see to this one," said Vincent as he drew his gun. The first shot took its target straight out of his saddle, the second took out the tire of the second bike and as it fell it collided with a third, before long all the bikes had fallen to similar fates.
"See, he is useful to have along after all!" said Raven as they sped away. "Hey check this out!" Raven laughed as she punched down the accelerator. Shadow glanced up and his eyes widened when he saw what she was preparing to do.
"Raven don't!" he screamed. Raven hit the gas harder and chewed on her bottom lip in concentration as the buggy mounted an upward sloped rock and flew into the air. The buggy landed on the other side with a jolt and spun around in a one-eighty so they were facing the canyon she had just jumped.
"Wasn't that great?!" Raven laughed. "Can I do it again?"
"No!!" all three said in unison.
"Okay okay!" she giggled. "I think that this is just as good as any place to rest up for awhile." She climbed out of the buggy and the three men sighed with relief.
"Is she always like this?" asked Vincent.
"No… sometimes she’s worse," they both laughed. "You get used to it and then you hooked on her."
"You two really care about her don’t you?" said Vincent.
"In a strange way she is both of our lives. Shadow wouldn't be here if it wasn’t for her and she’s the center of my universe so…" said Sephiroth back.
"Your like the green club or something!" said Vincent.
"I suppose we are," they both laughed in unison, a scream made them turn around.
"Where’s Raven?" yelled Sephiroth as he looked about.
"I’m up here!" came a yell and they all looked up. Raven was dangling in the clutches of a large griffin as she frantically waved her legs around.
"Here we go again," they both sighed and Sephiroth pulled out some lightning materia. As the bolt of bright light flashed out at the griffin it screamed in pain and began to plummet to the ground. With a surprising show of strength it managed to soar over the edge of the cannon but it soon tired and began to fall again.
"NO!" screamed Sephiroth as he ran over to the edge, as he looked down he could see Raven still in the beasts clutches. As he struggled to think of what to do a blur went past him and jumped over the edge. Sephiroth could just make out the red and white of Shadow cloak as he sped down towards the canyon floor, he could not believe what was happening.
The wind rushed past Shadow as he got closer and closer to Raven and the beast, he could almost touch them now. As he reached out and grabbed Raven he struggled to free her for the beasts grip, Raven had her eyes shut and she screamed in fear, she had her daggers in hand as she was wildly slashing about.
"Will you stop doing that please" Shadow shouted and Raven opened her eyes in surprise.
"What the hell are you doing?" she shouted back.
"I was about to ask you the same thing, playing with birds again!" he finally managed to free her from the claws of the griffin and he pulled her closer.
"Hold on" he told her, she grabbed onto him and he wrapped his arms around her. Suddenly the rushing wind stopped and they stood in the middle of nothing, however Shadow screamed in pain and they began to descend again.
"What’s wrong?" Raven asked quickly.
"My chest, I can do this with it injured," he cried.

Back on the top of the canyon Vincent and Sephiroth struggled to see what was going on, "What’s he trying to do?" Vincent asked.
"He’s trying to save her, I hope he does or I’ll jump too," replied Sephiroth.
"How exactly? By killing himself too," said Vincent, Sephiroth turned and hit him.
"They are not going to die! So don’t say that," Vincent wiped the fresh blood from his mouth and got up.
"I’m sorry for… what the hell!" Vincent looked wide eyed, Sephiroth turned to see what he was looking at. The creature that held Raven in its arms floated in the air an it stepped back onto the mountain, as it laid the girl on the ground it collapsed to its knees, a large wound gaped in its chest and rainbowed light ebbed out of it.
"Thank you Shadow," said Sephiroth as tears streamed from his eyes, he held Raven close.
"Shadow!?" said Vincent with a puzzled look. The massive weapon shimmered and Shadow knelt where the massive creature had, his face was white and he sweat heavily, as he tried to stand he fell over. He struggled back onto his knees as Raven got up to look at him, the wound on his chest was bleeding heavily and he was very cold, as she tried to lift him up he fell into her arms unconscious.
Raven stared down at her fallen friend and began to shake her head wildly. "I can't take this!" she cried. "Shadow wake up! Please wake up!"
Vincent lifted Shadow up and carried him into the grass. Raven sat there crying staring at the blood that covered her hands. Sephiroth looked down at her sadly, unable to understand the strange grief she was feeling.
"Raven he will be alright," Vincent promised. "He just needs to rest. And so do you, I'll re-stitch the wound." Raven didn't answer. She just sat there unmoving and silent.
"Raven...." Sephiroth reached his hand to touch her shoulder but then decided against it. He sighed heavily and walked away to sit by himself. He decided that she needed to be alone for the moment.

Raven sat up and glanced at the sleeping forms of her friends. The sun had set long ago and the sky was dark and dotted with tiny white stars. She rose to her feet and stepped towards the fire that had died out and was just now hot ash still occasionally popping. It let off a warm glow into the faces of the men she cared most about. Those who she cared too much about to remain a burden to them.
"Shadow I am sorry," she whispered. "I can't go on letting you be hurt because of me. You guys don't deserve it. I feel so guilty about what I am about to do but I have no other options left. You will be better off without me. I'm sorry...." Raven knelt beside her beloved Sephiroth and kissed him gently on the lips. "I love you.." she whispered before pulling her cloak over her head and disappearing into the night.

Vincent was first to rise the next day and he began cooking breakfast over the small fire. Shortly after Sephiroth began to stir, he turned over in his sleep as if something was bothering him.
"Raven!" he shouted as he woke, his eyes scanned the area for her. "Where is she?" Sephiroth asked Vincent sleepily.
"I haven’t seen her today, maybe she’s gone to find things for Shadow’s fever," replied Vincent.
"Something's not right, I don’t like this one bit," said Sephiroth as he strapped on his giant sword. "I’m going to go look for her, you keep an eye on Shadow. If anything happens to him though I’ll hunt you down, just remember that. I’ll be back when I find her," Sephiroth walked out of the clearing.
A few hours later Vincent was getting worried as Sephiroth had not yet returned, nor Raven. He was forced to stay at the camp to look after the sleeping form of Shadow, so he felt helpless as he waited.
"Where is everyone?" came a whisper of a voice, as Shadow tried to raise himself up onto him elbows.
"I haven’t seen Raven since this morning, and Sephiroth went looking for her, neither of them has come back," Vincent replied.
"Hand me my swords and lets go look for them," said Shadow as he got to his feet.
"I don’t think that’s a good idea," said Vincent as he rushed over to catch the falling body.
"I’ll be fine, its them that I’m more worried about," he said as he pushed Vincent away, Shadow took two steps forward and sank to his knees.
"How far do you think you're going to get like that?" Vincent said sarcastically.
"I only need to get far enough to find them," Shadow lifted his things and began to slowly walk out of the camp following Sephiroth’s tracks, Vincent sighed and hurried to collect his belongings before following after Shadow.

Chapter 8
~Weapon’s Warrior~

Why in the hell was I doing this? To protect them, remember! You are doing the right thing. You are too much trouble for them. You are a magnet for trouble. I hated the loneliness that I felt. So empty inside. How was I going to survive without Sephiroth? I sighed and strode into Junon. I concealed my face well and knew that no one would suspect me while I was alone. I went inside one of the shops and looked around at the clothes that were there. I picked out a hat and a large black shirt and carried it to the counter.
"Is that all for you miss?" the man asked.
"Yes," I answered, tossing the gil to him. He nodded and I gathered the articles up and left the store. I glanced around and stepped into a dark alley. I removed my cape and took off the torn shirt I was wearing and pulled on the new one. Then I tucked my long hair snuggly into the hat. The black cloak made a swooshing sound as she threw it back over her shoulders and then she raced into the harbor. She had enough gil to catch the next ship across the ocean. She handed it to the captain and he gave her a small cabin near the rear of the ship. I was dreading the trip. I hated the ocean, I hated water, I didn't like not having the land where I could see it. I have heard so many stories about storms tearing entire ships in half. I shuttered and laid down on the cot to take a nap. I figured if nothing else then I would sleep the entire voyage.

The lights flashed before my eyes and I shook my head. I had been thrown into the floor, the ship was rocking madly. "No no NO!!" I screamed. "This can't be happening!" I leapt to my feet and threw open the door. The halls were flooded with ankle-deep water, my feet made splashing sounds as I ran through it and up the steps to the deck. The sky was black and the waves were rolling wildly overtop of the ship. I held onto the door frame, frozen where I stood as I watched in horror as men were scattering to keep the boat afloat. Every time a large wave washed over, three or four men would be taken with it.
"Help me!" I heard someone scream. I turned and seen a man holding onto the railing for dear life as he dangled over the deadly waters. I raced to him and grabbed his wrists in attempt to pull him back over the side. I cried out when another wave hit me from behind and washed me over the edge of the ship.

"Hey are you okay?" I heard voices. "Miss? Are you alright?" I opened my eyes slowly. Everything was out of focus. It cleared and a boy's face came into view. He looked to be no older than fifteen. "Are you okay?" he asked again.
"Where am I?" I struggled to say.
"About a mile from Costa Del Sol," he answered. I realized that I was laying in sand. "I just now found you here asleep on the beach. Its dangerous, you could get taken out with the tide."
"I think that I came IN with the tide," I chuckled. "I am cursed with disaster yet fate keeps me alive."
"Who are you?" he asked. "You don't look like a normal village girl."
"That's because I'm not," I replied. "My name is err... you know, I don't remember."
"You don't remember your name?" he said. "Hmmm... would you mind if I called you Blade? I know its a guys name but those are really cool knives you have!"
"I don't mind," I laughed, the name did spark a small memory but it vanished before I could grasp onto it. "And I think they are called daggers."
"You think?" he looked confused.
"Everything is hazy," I replied. "My memory seems to have locked itself away or something. There is just a dark void where my past should be."
"You must have amnesia," he decided. "Wow, I have never met anyone with amnesia."
"Why are you dressed like a guy?" he asked.
"Maybe I was in disguise or something," I replied. I pulled off the hat, that had miraculously stayed on my head, and the long brown hair tumbled out to my waist.
"Hey you are really pretty!" he announced then blushed, regretting his outburst. I smiled at him.
"You think so?" I got to my feet and sighed. "Something tells me that I am in some sort of danger." I looked around myself. "I don't think that I should stay around here much longer."
"Would you like to come with me to Costa Del Sol?" he asked. "They have a really nice hotel there that you can stay in."
"Yeah, I guess so," I agreed after checking my hip pouch and finding a lot of gil. "I'm really tired, I could use some sleep."

"What am I going to do?" I paced the hotel room back and forth thinking about my situation. I had no idea who I even was! This wasn't good. Where was I going? Where did I come from? Why was I washed up onto the shore? I looked at my hands and the glint of silver caught my eye. It was a ring, carved with intricate images all the way around. I took it off and looked around the inside. There were two letters scratched inside it. S and R. Could my name begin with an S or an R? Damn this was so confusing!
I slipped the ring back on my finger and looked around the room. Was I going to have to stay here? I didn't feel comfortable in the small harbor town. Everyone seemed so laid back and lazy. It was obvious that it wasn't my lifestyle. My legs and arms were finely toned with smooth muscle. I strode outside and looked around.
"I just have to take this load of supplies to Nibelheim then I can return home to Corel," a man replied.
"Nibelheim...." I ran to the truck where the man was standing and stopped him before he could climb inside the vehicle. "Excuse me sir, could you please give me a ride to Nibelheim?" He thought for a moment then smiled.
"Sure hop on in," he replied. I smiled and jumped inside the truck. I didn't know why but that name sounded familiar. Maybe that was were I was going to before I lost my memory. Maybe that is where I will regain it.

I glanced around at the many people who walked around talking, shopping, or just sitting around enjoying the nice weather. I adjusted my hat and stepped into the town's center. I caught many of the towns people's eyes but no one seemed to recognize me. I sighed, disappointed.
"Go up the mountain young warrior."
I spun around, searching for the source of the voice but no one was close enough to have said it to me. Then I turned my head and spotted the path heading up the mountain. As if being pulled by an unseen force I began to walk towards it. I walked along the long twisting paths and across a wooden bridge until I reached a wide open space with charred remains of some sort of building. Why was I being drawn here? A blast of light dropped from the sky and landed in the center of the ruins. The force of the blast knocked me backwards, off my feet. I propped myself up on my elbows and stared up at the monstrous figure that stood over me.
"My name is Sapphire Weapon," the creature's words seemed to speak in my mind. I felt no fear against it.
"What do you want with me?" I asked Sapphire.
"You, green-eyed one have been sought by the council. They have chosen you for this special mission against a fugitive amongst our kind," he explained to me.
"But why me?" I cried out. "Why would they choose me? I don't even know who I am!"
"You are a Cetra. A daughter of the cosmos who was born to protect this planet as we protect the universe. You have unbelievable powers that bestowed on you by your ancestors, therefore the perfect selection for this quest," Sapphire told me. "The daggers that you now carry signifies that you were a chosen warrior by Ultima Weapon. The daggers were made to find their way to you."
"But what about my memory?" I pleaded.
"Daughter of the ancients you have been chosen by my brothers to be the weapon's human warrior. Your memories have been taken away from you as a preparation for this. It will only get in the way," Sapphire told me. "I will now destroy the barrier that is blocking your powers."
Sapphire closed his eyes and a blue light surrounded my body. I could feel something inside of me break away and an unbelievable power washed through me. Was I this powerful when I lost my memory? I gasped and threw my head back when it reached its maximum level. The spell ended and I looked up at Sapphire, my eyes glowing.
"I have showed you the fugitive and his allies, the dark one and the white-haired one. Your mission is to bring them back to me if possible," Sapphire explained. "If bringing them back is not possible then destroy them."
"It will be done," I said in a determined voice. I pulled off my hat and freed my long brown hair. It caught in the winds of the high mountain altitude and I closed my eyes. "I will find them and bring them back to you Sapphire."

Chapter 9
~The Search For Raven~

A lonely figure stood by the shore staring out at the vast ocean, a tear ran down his cheek as the wind snapped at his cloaked body, his long white hair flowed back from his head as it wrapped itself round the hilt of his glistening sword.
"Where are you?" he spoke quietly into the vastness in front of him.
"Raven!!" this time he screamed the words out into the protesting air and for a second everything stopped to heed his words.
It hadn’t taken Vincent and myself long to find Sephiroth, despite the fact that he had a few hours head start on us and I couldn’t move very quickly he had simply ran out of land, he could go no further. We walked slowly down the hill to where he was standing, I turned to Vincent and told him to stay where he was while I talked to my friend, he nodded and sat in the long grass.
"She can take care of herself," I said as I stopped by his side, he did not turn but kept staring out into the ocean.
"I… I just don’t understand Shadow, where is she?" his words were soft as he struggled to speak them.
"I don’t know Sephiroth, but we’re sure as hell going to find out, we found you remember, we’ll find her as well," my words did very little to assure me never mind Sephiroth.
"I can stand to not be near her, I feel empty," he said, another tear fell from his cheek.
"I feel the same thing friend, for so long she has been the center of both our lives, I can imagine what it would be like without her and I am not about to start now."
"She left here, her footprints end on this beach," he pointed at a line of little footprints that led down to the lapping waves.
"Then that is where we shall go as well friend, it can’t be that hard to find someone as clumsy as Raven, we’ll just follow the trail of destruction, Sephiroth laughed lightly at the joke before turning away from the water.
"We’ll need a boat," he said seriously whilst he absently played with a ring on his finger, as he spun it round I saw that it had two letters delicately engraved into it. We both walked up the hill back towards Vincent and Sephiroth wiped the tears from his eyes as we approached Vincent he looked at us both very curiously.
"You know, I’ve just noticed but you two could nearly be twins," he said as he looked at us. It was true that Sephiroth and I were about the same height and build, we both wore black and thanks to my transformation my eyes were now also green.
"He’s got a point Shadow, we do look rather alike except that you have black hair instead of white," we both looked at each other in amazement.
"I wonder why we never noticed till now?" I said.
"That’s probably why Raven likes us both," he laughed. "Two for the price of one." I laughed at his remark before wincing in pain.
"If we are twins then where is your life threatening injury?" I said jokingly.
"It’s not on the outside," he replied as he turned to look at the water again.
"So where do we go from here then?" asked Vincent.
"Nibelheim," I replied.
"Why Nibelheim Shadow?" said Sephiroth quickly.
"Because that is where she is," I said as I turned to my friend.
"I don’t understand… how do you know?" he said with a puzzled look on his face.
"Because she still has my brothers daggers, which are a part of me now, I know exactly where those daggers are and therefore I know where she is, she is in Nibelheim," my brothers daggers were there I just hoped that she was too.
"Then lets go, its going to get dark pretty soon" said Sephiroth.
"Never mind that, if we find a ship we can be in Nibelheim by the morning" I said as we started walking.

Chapter 10
~Raven the Enemy?~

"Where could she be?" Sephiroth asked as they stepped into an open area somewhere in Mt. Nibel.
"I can feel her nearby," Shadow told him. "The daggers are very close."
"Are you looking for me?" The trio looked up at Raven who was standing on the rocks above them. "That is just as well because I was looking for you."
"Raven! Thank god!" Sephiroth blurted out. He stepped forward but stopped when he saw her appearance.
Raven removed the twin daggers from their holsters and held them to her sides with a crooked grin on her lovely face. Sephiroth and Shadow were so unaccustomed to seeing her features set in an evil expression that they could not help but wince. Could such a loving person that was their Raven be twisted into something they all hated? Sephiroth knew of the possibilities of this because he alone had experienced such warped mind altering. Her long brown hair was weaved into a braid that hung past her waist but was now hanging over her left shoulder. Small locks had escaped and the soft tendrils blew about her face, drawing attention to the emerald green eyes that now had an unnatural glow making them flare with mischief. A strange light illuminated from the Ultima daggers as the blades began to grow in length. Shadow watched with amazed eyes as they became twice their original length.
She held them out to each side and then brought the two hilts together so they met up at the bottom. With a flash the two blended together to make a new and very deadly looking weapon. Her smirk turned into something of a very wicked looking smile.
"I have been given a mission of great import. My objective is to capture you two and bring you back, alive if possible. You have the choice to come in peace or be prepared to fight me," she told them. "But be warned that my chaos powers have been fully restored and I know that I am more powerful than you."
"If we can get her to use a chaos attack then she will be too weak to fight anymore," Vincent whispered to Sephiroth.
"Then who will take the blow?" Shadow asked.
"You can't because you are still weak from that wound," Vincent replied.
"I'll do it," Sephiroth said, not taking his eyes away from Raven. "I am the only one of us that can withstand her magic." Shadow nodded regretfully.
"Have you made you decision then?" Raven chuckled under the question.
"We'll fight!" Shadow announced. He and Vincent leapt to the side, leaving Sephiroth to face her alone. She let out the musical laugh that they all had grown accustomed to but it was tinged with the meanness that was polluting her soul. Then she lifted up the double sword and attacked him. He blocked the blows that she delivered, caught off guard that she wielded the new weapon as if she had all of her life. She held it in both hands, attacking fiercely with both sides. Sephiroth had no trouble holding her off with his expert swordsmanship.
Shadow could not bear to stand and watch Raven and Sephiroth locked in battle with each other. He remained where he was, knowing that it was their only hope. He was surprised to see Raven's attack so strong. Still, Sephiroth began to overpower her and she leapt out of his reach.
"Obviously physical attacks aren't my strong point," Raven laughed. Her self observation surprised both Sephiroth and Shadow. Raven had always known that. Why was she acting as though she was only just learning it? "Looks as though I will have to rely on magic instead."
She held the double sword in front of her and began to spin it. Slowly it began to gather energy and the wind began to pick up around them.
"Angel Blade!" she cried, releasing the magic that the swords had gathered. The powerful blast knocked Sephiroth off his feet and Raven began to laugh, the sound tormenting in Sephiroth's ears. He relaxed his weakened body and Raven ceased the light attack.
Shadow removed his swords from their sheaths and moved to attack. Raven clearly had new magic that did not drain her. She pulled the swords apart and began to attack with Shadow's own choice weapons. The swords flashed through the air, giving the appearance of lightning flashes.
The four swords locked together leaving them no choice to look at each other. The moment their eyes met Shadow lost his will to fight. The battle came to an end when Shadow's swords clattered to the ground and he dropped to his knees in defeat.
Vincent stepped forward and Raven lifted an empty crossbow and pointed it at him. Before he could reach for his weapon a magic arrow appeared and Raven glared at him.
"I would suggest you give yourself up," Raven said calmly. "Your only other option is to die." Vincent dropped his hand and bowed his head in defeat.
The swords returned to their normal length and Raven replaced them in their holsters. She pointed her crossbow at her prisoners and smirked.
"Sapphire will be pleased," she laughed. Shadow's gaze shot upwards when the words fell on his ears.

Completely broken they all lay by her feet, she laughed madly at them as the air behind her began to shimmer and crackle, a few seconds later three hulking weapons loomed.
"You have done well little sister, we are glad to see that you have completed your mission," they chorused.
"Do you still want them alive Sapphire?" she asked sarcastically.
"Yes little sister, they serve a better purpose alive" as the three spoke Shadow raised to his feet and drew his swords again. Raven turned to her forgotten friend and brandished her daggers.
"Have you decided to fight after all?" she weaved the daggers through the air expertly, they hummed as they moved backwards and forwards.
"I don’t want to fight you Raven, but I won’t kneel to them, even if it means that I have to stand against you," Shadow began to walk forwards towards Raven.
"Who is Raven? Stop where you are fool or I’ll strike," she warned him.
"Step aside Raven, I don’t know what has happened to you but you have to step aside," he walked closer to her. As he reached within a few feet of her the daggers rose up and began to slice at him, he did nothing to stop them and his face was deeply slashed by their sharp blades.
"Shadow its not her!" shouted Sephiroth. "She’ll kill you." Shadow parried aside the next blow and the next but Raven continued to fight with wanton aggression.
"I’m sorry Raven," Shadow whispered as he struck out at her with the hilt of his sword, it struck her cleanly in the head and she sank down onto the ground. Shadow stepped over her body as Sephiroth ran up to help her.
"What have you done to her?" Shadow spat at the council.
"Nothing Shadow, we simply asked her to find you. Nothing else," they replied.
"You lie!! Everything was fine until you showed up, suddenly she just walks away from her life and you had no part in that, you lie!" he screamed at them.
"Believe what you will Shadow, we came here for you, no more."
"Then in the name of my brothers you will have me," Shadow’s form began to morph and stood the giant Shadow Weapon stood before them.
"You cannot defeat us Shadow, you will be unmade, you are already injured," they observed calmly.
"My injury is only slight compared to what I will do to you," Shadow began to charge his MP for his maximum limit break. Suddenly something struck the massive weapon and pain raced through his body, as he sank into unconsciousness he saw Vincent and Sephiroth lying on the ground.
"Well done little sister…" was the last thing he heard before the darkness moved in.

"SHADOW WEAPON AND SON OF JENOVA STEP FORWARD!" the booming voices rang in their ears as they stepped across the marble floor towards the leader of the high council. Raven stood to their left, her arms were crossed over her chest and a thoughtful look on her face as she listened to the charges being read aloud. Sephiroth looked into her eyes that were void of any emotion. "YOU BOTH WILL SHALL BE UNMADE FOR YOUR CRIMES AGAINST US."
"No!" Shadow screamed. "We have done nothing wrong! You cannot do this!"
"WE CAN AND WE SHALL!" boomed the enormous weapon.
"Raven! Help us! Don't you even remember who you are!?" Sephiroth yelled towards her.
"My name is not Raven," she said softly. "My name is Blade. I am a mercinary for the cosmos. You must be punished."
"Raven please remember!" Sephiroth pleaded. "Don't you remember the love that we share?"
"What is love?" Raven looked confused. "No! Stop! Lies! They are all lies! You are only trying to fool me!" She put her hands to the side of her head and squeezed her eyes shut. Sephiroth removed the ring from his finger and threw it. Raven heard the soft clink of metal and opened her eyes. The silver ring lay at her feet near the tip of her left boot. She knelt down and picked it up. "This ring..." she whispered. She looked closely at it and seen the fine engravement of the letters S & R. Identical to the ring the was on her own finger. The images flashed through her mind and the tears streamed from her eyes. When she lifted her head she saw Shadow and Sephiroth being lead away forcefully. Sephiroth sent her one last pleading look and that was enough to undo her.
"No!!" the scream sang from her lips and echoed throughout the great hall of the weapons, she lifted her arms and the chaos began.
Still infused with the power that Sapphire Weapon had given her, the magic that Raven cast blew everything in the room against the solid walls of the dome. The council struggled to get back to their feet as Raven blasted at them with more and more power.
"You would desecrate the power that I have given thee little sister?" they cried in pain.
"I always had this power, you just helped me to bring it forth, now I will show you what it can do!" she raised her hands high above her head and a dark sphere or pure energy spun between them.
"Leave them Raven, I’ll deal with them," Shadow walked past Raven just as she released the spell at one of the guards, he sank back with a gaping hole in his chest.
"The power of the council has existed for too long, it is needed no longer. You were elected to stop the war, not to rule our race and its time that you stood down from your positions, we need you no longer," Shadow once again morphed into his true form.
"Such a little time you have been one of us and you presume to know what is best for our people, you know nothing!" they spat at him.
"I have lived longer than you, I have the memories of my fallen brothers, they existed a long time before you were even a thought in the universe," Shadow replied. "You killed the last of my brothers here in this building, and in doing so you sealed your own fates, they exist in me now and I am here to destroy you all," Shadow opened his chest to reveal the life force that glowed within it, all the colors of Shadow's fallen brothers emanated from it and they bathed the room in multicolored light.
"Look deeply Council and know that while you do your time here grows very short, my brothers will show you your fate." The three weapons stared into the glowing ball for a few moments before they screamed out in anger.
"This will never come to pass, we are to powerful for you," they screamed in anger. As they finished speaking they hit Shadow and Raven with their most powerful attacks, both simply shrugged off the waves of power as they stood there absorbing the attacks. Shadow turned to Raven and spoke silently to her in a voice she did not recognize.
"Now child of the Cetra, complete thy appointed task," spoke the voice.
"I don’t know what to do," Raven replied nervously.
"Open you mind to us little sister and we will guide you, it is time to free my people," the voice faded and Shadow stepped closer to Raven and picked her up in one of his massive hands.
"Now little sister do what you must," Raven lifted her hands upwards and the council screamed in terror.

Raven opened her eyes and spotted Sephiroth, Shadow and Vincent. They were all floating in a dark void. "Where are we?" she asked.
"You have destroyed the entire place," Sephiroth told her, looking around.
"Oh no...." she gasped. "I didn't mean to."
"It was supposed to happen that way," Shadow reassured her. "It is time for my race to begin anew."
"You are correct brother," Ruby appeared and then Emerald, Diamond and Ultima Weapons. They surrounded the four humans. "Do not worry yourself little sister. Everything that happened today was meant to be. You freed us from our dark prisons. We shall begin a new colony that is built around peace. Now we will return you to where you belong. Shadow stay as long as you like."
Shadow gave a nod and Raven peered up at Ultima Weapon. He appeared to smile down on her as he spoke. "I have a gift for you young warrior."
"A gift?" Raven looked surprised.
"You have always wondered where you could find your ultimate limit break," Ultima told her. "You could not find it because I kept it all of this time until the day you were worthy. Now, I believe, you are." A bright light shone down on Raven as he bestowed on her the Ultima Angel limit break.
"Thank you," Raven said tearfully.
"Now we will combine our powers to send you home," he announced. The four closed their eyes as the pillar of light fell on them and touched down to the Earth. Then they were gone.

From a distance a shadowy figure watched on in amazement at the four weapons and the humans in the center of them. There was a dark looking man with black hair in front of the emerald weapon, the shadowy looking man in front of the ruby weapon, the white haired man in front of the diamond weapon and the green eyed girl in front of the ultima weapon. His eyes rested on the girl and he stared at her until he decided that he wanted her and the awesome powers she possessed. He also felt the pulling urge to destroy the other three. "When the four of you reunite once more my curse shall unfold," he laughed. Then he jumped into the cylinder of light at the very last moment.

Chapter 11
~The Curse of the Jenova Child~

I stepped through the woods cautiously as I peered around, alert against enemies. I wondered where the others could be. I had woken up completely alone. "Sephiroth!" I called out. "Shadow! Vincent?!" I hoped that one of them was near. I glanced around myself and a realization hit me.
"Raven! Wait for me!"
"Zack?!" I cried spinning around, peering into the thick foliage. I seen no one even though the voice sounded so close. I fell into the vision.

"Raven hurry! He's after us!" Zack cried.
"I'm running as fast as I can!" Raven shouted. Zack could hear the panic in her voice and the tiny yelp when her foot caught on a root sticking out of the ground. Zack turned in time to see his uncle scoop her up. She kicked and screeched like a wild cat, trying to get out of his grasp.
"Raven!" Zack ran towards her.
"You stay out of this," their uncle growled pushing him aside. "She must be punished for her actions."
"But it was an accident!" Zack protested. "She didn't mean to do it!"
"She cost us alot of gil because of that accident," he spat out the last word. "You know damn well that Shinra will make us pay for that broken fan. She shouldn't have let that wrench fall into it."
"She shouldn't have been working in the first place!" Zack argued. "She's too small for that kind of work." Zack fell back against the tree when his uncle drew back and slapped him.
"You two will learn respect and discipline if I have to beat it into you!" he roared angrily.
"NOOOOOO!" Raven shreeked. Her scream was carried away into the wind.

I opened my eyes and wiped away the tears that glistened on my cheeks. The horrible memory of my bruised and beaten body flashed into my mind. I had loved my brother so much more that day, after he attempted to help me, risking our uncle's wrath on himself as well. "Zack..." I whispered, wishing that I could see him and his kind-hearted smile once more. I hurried forward to the home that I had run away from when I was only twelve years old.

I walked through the path and into the town that I had grown up in. It didn't take me long to realize that something was different. There were numerous new graves spread out near the entrance to the villiage. When my gaze traveled up to the reactor that had once stood tall, I found it to be nothing more than a massive pile of charred and broken metal. My eyes were round with disbelief at the damage the explosion had done.
"Father!" A panicked though spurred forth and I raced through the small villiage to my old home. I flung the door open and my father looked up at me. "I thought you were dead!" I took a deep breath.
"Who are you?" he narrowed his eyes.
"Father," I whispered. "It's me."
"Raven?!" he looked up at me with wide eyes then they darkened. "You have to leave here."
"But why?" I cried.
"Because Shinra have been harassing us looking for you," he spat. "I knew that you would be trouble the day that your mother abandoned you here!"
"You can't mean that," I bit my lip to keep it from trembling.
"I do mean it," he said. "You're mixed up with Shinra who are responsible for the reactor explosion that killed your uncle and also the disappearance of your brother, my only son," he narrowed his eyes at me. "You ran out on us when you were twelve years old and your brother left soon after because of you."
"Zack left because he wanted to be a SOLDIER!" I argued.
"Just get out of here!" he yelled. I backed up into something solid and spun around.
"Vincent!" I couldn't hold it any longer. I began to cry and Vincent scowled at my father.
"You're making a huge mistake," he muttered. "Raven is nothing that you say she is." He turned to lead me out of the house. I stopped moving and he looked down at me.
Without turning to look at my father I spoke loudly enough for him to hear me. "By the way," I muttered sadly. "Zack's dead." I choked and Vincent hurried me outside. I leaned against him and cried. He put his hand on my back and sighed.
"Raven..... I'll be your brother if you wish," he whispered. I stopped crying and looked up at him, shocked.
"You what...?" I asked, wide-eyed.
"I can see that you really loved Zack and you miss him," he explained. "I don't want to replace him or anything..." I smiled through my tears.
"This means so much to me Vincent," I said quietly. He wiped away the tears and kissed my forehead. I felt his hand on my back as he urged me out of the village. "My brother..." I sighed as I stared up at the sky that was darkening with nightfall. "He was such a wonderful person. We used to sneak off together and practice fighting. He could never understand my uncanny knack for magic. Zack was not so good at it but he was a wonderful swordsman. I never could figure out how Cloud Strife ended up with his sword. Could you tell me what happened to him? Please Vincent." He nodded and I listened intently as he explained everything that Cloud had told him about my brother's death. When he finished he raised his glance to see me hiding my face. My shoulders were shaking and he could hear the muffled wimpers. He had not realized until that very moment just how deeply I cared for my brother. He put his arm around me and rubbed my shoulder to help sooth me.
"Raven!" I could hear Sephiroth's voice.
"Hey Raven!" Shadow's voice. They reached me and Vincent at the very same moment. There was a long silence and the air around us seemed to be electrified.
"Wha... what is that?" I mumbled, backing up. I bumped into Vincent and he put his hands on my shoulders. I looked up at his glowering face and followed his gaze. The three men around me were glaring at each other with rage in their eyes. "Whats going on?"
"Get your hands off her Vincent," Shadow growled.
"Shadow?" My eyes grew round at his unnusual outburst. He grabbed my arm and pulled me to him. "You aren't worthy of Raven."
"And what makes you think you are?" Sephiroth pulled me against him and I could sense the disturbance between them and looked at all three. "Raven is mine," I heard Sephiroth growl as he crushed me against his chest. He held up his sword as if daring someone to try and touch me or take me away from him.
"Sephiroth what is going on?" I gasped when I realized that he had raised arms.
"I'm tired of sharing you with them," he told me as he slowly backed up. "It has become clear to me that they want to steal you away from me."
"Sephiroth...." he gazed into my eyes when I whispered his name. "No one could take me away from you. I... I love you." His emerald eyes softened as he searched my eyes and found the truth. I jumped when I heard the sudden clash of metal. I looked up to see Sephiroth's sword locked against Shadow's two. He hurridly pushed me behind him as he held off Shadow's attack.
"Stop it!" I cried. "Why are you figting!?" Images flashed in front of my eyes. Zack, Sephiroth, Shadow, Vincent, Cloud, Tifa, and...... someone I didn't recognize. He had long black hair that swirled around him and peircing black eyes that seemed to look right into my soul. Who was he? Where did he come from? Why was I seeing him? I felt the winds pick up around me, lifting my hair that had fallen from the braid. I stepped towards him, in a trance. Then the darkness swallowed me.

"Raven!" Vincent rushed to my side and dropped down to his knees. He felt my neck and then looked up at the two who were fighting against eachother. They had lowered their weapons and were now looking at Vincent. "Do you see what you've done?!" Vincent shouted.
"What we've done?" Shadow exclaimed angrily. "You probably killed her. You are still with Shinra aren't you?"
"It was your fault because your greed made you attack me!" Sephiroth yelled angrily.
"If you wouldn't have raised your sword I wouldn't have attacked!" Shadow countered. "It is clear to me that you are the enemy."
"It is clear to me that both of you are just jealous!" Vincent spat. "Raven has started liking me and you hate that."
"She would have liked me the best if Sephiroth here wouldn't have stolen her from me," Shadow hissed.
"I didn't steal her she came to me willingly," Sephiroth argued.
"That is why you had her pushed down the stairs!" Shadow laughed.
"I didn't tell that guard to push her, that was his own stupidity!" Sephiroth pushed Shadow back. "If you wouldn't have gotten yourself captured then she wouldn't have been there and in danger in the first place." Shadow got up and pushed Sephiroth back. Sephiroth pulled his fist back and nailed Shadow in the left eye.
"Will you two stop your fighting?!" Vincent yelled. "We need to do something about Raven!" Both of them stopped their actions in midair and the knelt next to me.
"What is wrong with her?" Shadow asked. Sephiroth felt for a pulse and found it. He pushed my hair aside and looked into my face that appeared only to be sleeping.
"I think that she is in some sort of coma," Sephiroth replied. He picked up my limp body and rose to his feet.
"How come you get to carry her?" Shadow spat.
"Because she is mine," Sephiroth hissed and walked away. Shadow resisted the urge to hit him because he held me locked so tightly in his arms.
"Damnit Sephiroth wait up," Vincent got to his feet and raced after them. "How are we going to wake her up?"
"I am going to try taking her to the City of the Ancients," Sephiroth told him. "It worked the last time."

Sephiroth laid my body in the center of the alter as he had done after the battle with Cloud. He was surprised to see a soft glow surround my body. He tried to touch me but his hand wouldn't move past the light. He realized that my body was protecting itself as it slept endlessly. He knew that if he didn't figure out what to do then I would sleep forever.

Chapter 12
~Enter the Dreams of Raven~

"So what do we do?" Vincent asked. He looked down at Raven and sighed. He wanted nothing more than to help her out of the mysterious coma.
"The materia," Sephiroth breathed. "I've got it! We have to get the materia!"
"What in the hell are you talking about?" Shadow asked sarcastically.
"If we can manage to find the white and black materia then I think that we will be able to find out what is wrong with her," Sephiroth explained. "Possibly even cure her with them."
"Hmmmph! What makes you think that's gonna work?" Shadow laughed.
"Because I said so," Sephiroth growled raising his sword.
"Fighting ain't gonna help," Vincent sighed. Sephiroth glared at him then lowered his sword.
"You go find the white materia," Sephiroth muttered to Shadow. "I'll get the black."
"I'll stay here with Raven," Vincent announced. Both Shadow and Sephiroth turned to him angrily.
"If you hurt her in any way I will shred you to pieces," Shadow spat.
"How can I with that light around her?" Vincent laughed succeeding in only winning a look of rage from Shadow.
"I'll be glad to get the hell away from you," Shadow growled. His cape made a whooshing sound as he spun around to begin his search. Sephiroth glared after him and turned to go in the opposite direction.
Vincent looked at the two departing figures and then back down at Raven, as he drew his gun out from its holster he sat cross legged beside her, resting the gun in his lap.
"Don’t worry Raven, I won’t let anything happen to you," he whispered as he waited.

As Shadow walked thought the city of the ancients he tried to focus his senses to detect the white materia, his mind suggested Midgar so he began to head in that direction. Suddenly he stopped and turned back to face the city, it was in there, he could feel it, he began walking back. Sephiroth strode away from his love knowing exactly where he was going, he had hoped that he would never have to return to North Cave but for Raven he would, only for her.

"He better find that materia," Sephiroth mumbled to himself as he walked, he swung his giant sword through the air at blades of long grass, they fell to the ground at the razor sharp blade cut thought them.
"Why did I trust them anyway, I should have just done this myself, I don’t need them," Sephiroth was troubled and his rambling speech traveled out into the darkness as he walked.
"Ha ha, don’t worry about your friends, worry about yourself," sneered a voice as a figure jumped out onto the road. Sephiroth’s giant sword swung again as he kept walking, the figure fell to the ground as Sephiroth walked past still mumbling to himself.

Shadow looked around searching harder. He squinted his eyes as he gazed into the water. "Ah ha!" he shouted when he seen the green glow illuminating beneath the cool blue surface.
"Stop where you are!" Vincent shouted pointing his gun at Shadow. His eyes were glowing a deep red color. "You will not get the materia."
"Vincent? You traitor! You just want Raven all to yourself!" Shadow accused drawing his swords.
Sephiroth peeked around the corner then stepped into the mouth of the crater. He turned around in circles as he searched the cave for the materia. "You will not get the materia!" The voice rang out, echoing throughout the large cave.
"Cloud? Is that you?" Sephiroth asked, recognizing the voice. "You came back for Raven didn't you?!" he shouted. "Well I won't let you have her! DO YOU HEAR ME CLOUD? SHE'S MINE!"
Shadow leapt forward and attacked Vincent before he could shoot his Death Penalty. Vincent growled as he pushed Shadow off the steps and grinned as he transformed into his ultimate limit break. The large blue demon loomed over Shadow with a wicked smile on it's face.
Cloud's sword clashed with Sephiroth's when he leapt out at him. Sephiroth growled as he pushed back with all of his might. Cloud stood his ground and glared at Sephiroth with hatred and rage. Sephiroth got over his shock of Cloud's return and charged his mortal enemy.
Steel clashed on steel as Sephiroth's sword met Cloud’s in mid air, sparks flew off the swords as their blades ran down each other. The lack of life in Cloud’s vacant eyes was worrying Sephiroth, his mortal enemy fought with untiring strength and Sephiroth was beginning to tire.

Shadow drew his swords as the demon hovered in the air, white light emanated from one of its hands and it lifted its arm towards Shadow.
"You are looking for this, man who is not a man, but you cannot have it. I am sworn to protect this materia and I will not let you use it on the Cetran," said the demon.
"You were supposed to be protecting her you fool, and now I will carve you into pieces," Shadow’s swords spun through the air and he charged the beast. The demon pulled the swords from his grasp and laughed aloud.
"You really though that these toothpicks could damage me did you?" the demon threw them to the ground.
"Perhaps not, but this will," Shadow’s body shimmered and the weapon began to take form, the demon watched as the massive creature unfolded before charging its new opponent. As it flew forward to attack Shadow Weapon the giant creature flung its arms outward and easily caught the wings of the demon, Shadow held his opponent before him. "Now whose turn is it to laugh," boomed Shadow as he began to pull the beast apart, it screamed in torment and its hand opened, the white materia fell to the ground. The demon fell to the ground and its form was replaced with the body of Vincent, Shadow’s form also shimmered and he bent down to pick up the materia, suddenly his mind was cleared and he remembered his actions for the past few days.
"What have we done?" he said quietly before turning to run back up the stairs to where Raven slept.

Sephiroth felt a surge of energy flow through his veins and could have sworn he heard Raven's voice in his mind. With renewed vigor he charged Cloud with a massive attack and unleashed his limit break and was surprised to find it compounded with Chaos Angel. Cloud let out an inhuman howl as the sword cut through him and his body began to disintegrate. Left in its place was the black materia that he had come for.
He lifted it up and shook his head as it began to clear up. "Oh no Raven!" Sephiroth rushed out of the crater as it occurred to him that they had been so busy fighting with each other that they didn't think about her welfare.

Shadow gazed down at the sleeping face that he could not touch because of the light shield Raven had created. He wondered if it was to protect herself from them? To shield herself from their constant fighting.
"Shadow!" he spun around and spotted Sephiroth racing towards him. Vincent woke up and was climbing the stairs at a slow pace.
"Why do I feel like I just got hit by a truck?" he groaned as he fell down beside Raven. "Oh no what happened?!" Sephiroth appeared with the black materia and the three glanced at each other cautiously, unknowing if they were all back to normal or not.
"Lets put them together," Shadow said holding up the white materia. Sephiroth lifted the black materia and they touched together. A bright light flooded the room and the trio disappeared.

Chapter 13
~Raven’s Nightmare~

"Can you see anything ?" Sephiroth voice said out of the darkness.
"No, hold on I’ll try to make some light," replied Shadow as he focused his MP, as he began to cast the spell however his MP dissipated and the spell failed.
"Looks like magic doesn’t work in here," said Vincent's voice, suddenly the darkness began to shimmer. All around them the darkness began to take shape and they all recognized the place, they were standing in the hall of the weapons. Before them the council were seated and three figures knelt on the floor, as they moved closer they recognized the people as being themselves, behind them Raven stood.
"You have done well little sister," the weapons boomed and Raven nodded in thanks.
The image of Sephiroth turned to Raven and spoke to her in a pleading voice, "Don’t you remember me love?" Raven's image looked puzzled as it looked at the prisoner.
"I… I think I do" she mumbled, just as she spoke the weapons fired and the figures disappeared in light.
"No!!" Raven screamed as she rushed to where they had been, Sephiroth tried to move forward to Raven's side but he could not move, the images shimmered and darkness returned.
"I.... I think that we're in Raven's mind," Vincent observed.
"We are witnessing her fears," Sephiroth said. "None of it is real but it might as well be in Raven's mind. It is no wonder why she ran away from us. She is afraid that she will lose us."
"I think she is also afraid that she will be the cause of it," Shadow added. He covered his eyes when a bright light showered itself on them. When they opened their eyes they were standing in the North Crater. Sephiroth stepped forward towards Raven but realized that she wasn't alone. He watched as her mask of fear turned to terror when his counterpart stepped into the room.
"Sephiroth please! Tell me what's wrong! I'm begging you to please not hate me......." she began to cry as he stepped towards her with a hateful look on his face. Shadow appeared to her left and Vincent came in from the right. All three looked like they wanted her dead. She dropped to her knees, unable to fight the ones she loved.
"Seph, Shadow, Vincent! Please!" she pleaded. "NOOOO!" They closed in on her, with their weapons drawn and the image flashed back to darkness.
"Is she afraid that we are going to turn on her?" Vincent asked, worried.
"Not exactly," Sephiroth said quietly. "She is afraid of the way we were before. When we were fighting each other."
"Why were we doing that?" Shadow wondered. "We have never done anything like it before."
"I don't know," Sephiroth said thoughtfully. "But I have a feeling that we will find out once we find Raven."
Again the image changed and they all stood on the edge of the canyon, they looked down but the bottom could not be seen.
"Where is she now?" Vincent asked as they looked around, a scream from behind them made them turn as they saw Raven once again being lifted from the ground by the griffon. The three figures sat around their camp fire as Raven was lifted into the sky, they did nothing to help they just sat and watched her being taken away.
"Help me please!" Raven screamed, but no one got up, as the griffon carried her away she begged for them to help her, instead they got up and walked the other way. Sephiroth was in tears watching these images and anger flowed through Shadow’s veins, helplessly they watched as again and again the images changed.
They were on board the ship that was taking Raven across the ocean to the western continent. They watched on as the storm ripped at the ship and men were being thrown overboard left and right. Suddenly they could see Raven tugging on a man's arm, trying desperately to pull him back onboard. Then a large wave crashed over her head and she was swept off the ship. Instead of being knocked unconscious as it really happened Raven surfaced and fought to stay afloat. The violent waves of the stormy ocean pushed her under again and again. She screamed for help as she thrashed and grabbed onto a rope hanging from the edge of the ship. She finally got a grip enough to pull herself up hand by hand.
The fear was clearly visible on her face as she ascended. She was terrified. She pulled harder and almost reached the edge of the ship when something appeared above her. Someone they didn't recognize hovered on the deck and he grinned in the direction of where Sephiroth was standing as he lifted his sword high above his head.
"NOO!" Sephiroth screamed when he saw the flashing of the weapon's decent. It chopped through the rope in one swing and Raven was dropped into the thrashing waters once more. This time she did not surface. There was an electrifying current that swept over the area. It was a feeling of monstrous depression that deepened tremendously. Sephiroth watched the ship unable to understand what was going on. "Sephiroth!" he could hear her screaming for him. Sephiroth dove into the water without a second thought. He swam hard, not understanding how he was able to participate in the dream. He could see Raven but every time he thought he was getting closer he would realize that she was growing further and further away. He ran out of oxygen and kicked for the surface but it was no use. It was like he was trapped in that one place. He closed his eyes and could feel everything that Raven felt, when he opened them again he was standing in the darkness once more.
Raven stood in the desert below the Golden Saucer as Ruby and Shadow descended below the sands, she stood there for a moment before she began to cry, none of the three watchers could hear what she was saying at first but her words became louder and louder.
"I can’t do this alone!" she repeated, over and over to herself and each time she spoke her words became louder, soon they screamed out into the darkness.
"Suddenly a figure walked out from the edge of the image towards Raven and when she saw it she ran towards it and they embraced. The new figure looked like Sephiroth but it was not, this person’s face was twisted into an evil grin, the fire of madness burned in its eyes, it reminded Shadow of Sephiroth when he had gone mad after finding out the truth of his past.
"That’s not me," said Sephiroth, the two figures still embraced but the man looked over in their direction and smiled at them.
"She is mine now," he said in a grainy voice.
The hot sands blew up and swirled around the trio until they could see nothing. When their vision finally cleared they all gasped simultaneously. They were standing on top of the highest mountain in North Corel. From where they stood they could see the entire eastern continent. "Look at Gold Saucer," Shadow said. The enormous city was broken and looked as though it had been through a tremendous wind storm. It was still standing, however, but it was no longer as glorious as before. They could see North Corel had been destroyed and Costa Del Sol. The sky was gray and the air was cold and damp. Lightning streaked across the sky and thunder boomed in the distance.
"What happened here?" Vincent breathed.
"Don't forget that this isn't real," Shadow reminded him.
"But it could be," Sephiroth muttered.
"Huh?!" Shadow and Vincent asked in unison.
"This is what will happen if Raven weren't here to protect the planet," Sephiroth exclaimed. "This will be our world if evil wins."
"We can't let this happen!" Shadow exclaimed. Sephiroth's gaze fell and he walked forward without saying anything more. Shadow could sense the emotions that were warring inside of him. He couldn't blame him. They all had felt the same way when they seen Raven in the arms of that strange man.
"Sephiroth," Shadow stopped him. "This guy who has Raven.... he is a child of Jenova. I don't mean that he was injected like you and Cloud were, he is Jenova's actual son and he is over 2000 years old."
"Then what is he doing here?" Sephiroth asked with a hint of anger.
"According to my memories he was sealed away by the weapons much like Jenova was here by the Cetra," Shadow explained. "He raised hell after Jenova left the cosmos so they locked him away before he could cause any serious trouble. The seal was broken when Raven destroyed the great hall."
"Maybe that is why he wants Raven," Vincent suggested. "She was the one who freed him."
"That and her powers are far greater than anyone on this planet," Sephiroth muttered. "If he learns how to use the Midnight Angel then it could very well be the end of us and this planet."

"Isn't there anyone on this planet?" Shadow asked, glancing around. "I keep forgetting that we are inside of Raven's dreams." He sighed loudly and sat down on a tree stump.
"What's the matter?" Vincent asked. Shadow glanced at Sephiroth who had wondered away from them to think things through.
"I really miss Raven," Shadow admitted quietly. "I just feel like I don't belong on this planet when she isn't around. My life would have ended much sooner if it weren't for her." "I've got it," they heard Sephiroth suddenly say. They stood up and he disappeared into the shadows of North Corel. Vincent and Shadow glanced at each other and hurried to follow him.
"What are you doing?" Shadow asked as they entered the tram station. Sephiroth was examining the controls.
"We're going to the Gold Saucer," Sephiroth replied flipping switches and pulling levers. "Lets go!" He raced out of the building and jumped into the tram that was slowly beginning to move. Shadow and Vincent leapt in after him and the tram began its ascent towards the Gold Saucer. Vincent peered out the window at the lifeless city that was once full of lights and nonstop activity. Now it was just a shadowy mass. An enormous and forlorn reminder of its former glory.
"Can you believe that Raven saw these things on a regular basis?" Vincent asked quietly. "I could never have imagined that the world could ever look like this."
"It’s so vivid," Shadow agreed. The tram jolted to a halt and the trio jumped out.
"Where could she be?" Vincent asked.
"I have no idea," Shadow answered honestly as he peered at the passages that lead to other parts of the gold saucer. He could barely read the words due to lack of light. "We should split up and search." Without a word Sephiroth dropped into the round passage. Shadow shrugged his shoulders and dropped into the battle passage. Vincent sighed and dropped into the hotel passage.
"Raven!" Shadow exclaimed. He could see her sitting on the steps at the entrance to the battle arena.
"Don't come near me," she said quietly, not looking at him. "I am a curse that cannot be broken."
"Raven don't say that," Shadow slowly stepped towards her.
"I said to stay away from me!" she growled at him as he grew closer. "Don't you realize that I am cursed? If I leave here then the world is doomed."
"No Raven that isn't true!" Shadow exclaimed. She turned and glared at him.
"You know nothing Shadow! You don't know what it is like to be the last Cetra!" she cried. "I alone carry all of the problems that once took thousands of my kind to control! If I leave here then it will all come crashing down and your lives will come to an end. This world that you see will become a reality." Shadow could see the tears streak down her pale cheeks and then she faded into nothing.
"Raven!!" Shadow cried.

Vincent peered into every room down the long corridor of the hotel. There was no sign of anyone or even any sign that someone had been there. Everything looked as though it hadn't been touched for thousands of years. He sighed and pushed open the last door. "Raven!" he was surprised to see her. She was standing by the window staring into the dark void.
"Can you believe this place?" she asked. "This is what it will look like if I fail."
"Raven you won't fail. Come back with us," Vincent urged her. He could sense her distance so he stayed where he was and didn't even attempt to approach her. He didn't want to risk angering her.
"I can't Vincent. I gave the ultimate sacrifice to save you and Sephiroth and Shadow," she took a deep breath. "You were almost right. It didn't kill me but it is close enough. This place is hell." Before Vincent could reply Raven vanished.
"Vincent!" Shadow exclaimed running into the room. "I saw Raven!"
"I did too. She just disappeared," Vincent told him.
"What did she say to you?" Shadow pressed.
"That this place is hell," Vincent sighed.
"Lets go find Sephiroth," Shadow replied. They turned and hurried out of the room.

"Raven...." Sephiroth stepped towards her cautiously. She looked so distance sitting on a portion of the building staring out at the world below her. "Come back to me, please."
"I can't," she whispered.
"Why?" he questioned.
"Because Siiro is in control," she sighed. "Ego voluntas semper exsitere vester angelus," she whispered to him, then she disappeared.
"Sephiroth?" Shadow and Vincent appeared and they could tell by his saddened appearance that Sephiroth had also seen Raven.
"What did she say to you?" Vincent asked.
Sephiroth looked down and then away into the darkness of the empty world, "She said.... I will always be your angel."
"We have to do something Sephiroth, we swore to protect her, we have to be able to do something," Shadow said to his friend as the darkness returned.
"Siiro!" Sephiroth's voice echoed out into the blackness, no one replied.
"That won’t work Sephiroth, we are in Raven dreams, he’s just controlling them," said Shadow.
"Perhaps there is a way," Vincent added.
"We’re listening," Sephiroth replied.
"Well Siiro is the child of Jenova, so he’s a weapon," said Vincent.
"Correct, and…" said Sephiroth impatiently.
"Well Shadow is a weapon too, can’t he control Raven’s dreams too?" they both looked at Shadow.
"Ruby certainly did it to me, I know how its done I’ve just never tried it before."
"You have to try," Sephiroth whispered, the toll of this experience was clearly showing on his face.
"I will have to change into my true form, and after I begin to fight Siiro’s control I won’t be of any help to either of you, you’ll have to fight him alone," Shadow’s image slowly began to change.
"Good luck, bring her back safely," Shadow’s body was enveloped by the darkness and it disappeared.
The scene around them began to unfold and again they stood in the Golden Saucer although it was still gray and run down, occasionally the walls shimmered and gold shone through but again and again the lifelessness returned.
"I think its up to us now Vincent, Shadow appears to be fighting Siiro’s control," Sephiroth started walking to the last place where they had seen Raven. As they walked through the Golden Saucer the air seemed to crackled as they went by, occasionally the merry music would play distantly and they fade away into nothingness.
"I think we are doing this wrong," said Sephiroth suddenly and he stopped walking.
"What else can we do Sephiroth?" asked Vincent.
"I don’t know," Sephiroth thought for a moment before doing anything, slowly he removed his ring and he place it on the floor by his feet, as the cold metal touched the gray floor a wave of pure gold rippled out from it, as the gold touched the gray they fought for a moment but the gold overpowered it and began to spread outwards.
"Its working!" Vincent exclaimed excitedly. "Now lets follow the path its making." Sephiroth looked down and realized that there was indeed a path working it's way through the Gold Saucer. They walked cautiously to stay on the slow moving path. The air seemed to glimmer where the path was forming. They were going in a direction that Sephiroth had never gone before when visiting the Gold Saucer. He looked up and seen that the path stopped at the elevator. It made a chime sound and the door opened. The two warriors glanced at each other and stepped inside. When they turned around they noticed that the path was working it's way outwards to begin taking over the entire city.
The door closed and they felt it begin to rise. But where was it going? To the roof. Sephiroth could hear Shadow's voice plainly as if he were standing next to him.
"Looks like we're going to the roof then," Vincent replied. Sephiroth glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.
"So what happened with Raven when we returned to the Earth? She looked upset when we found you two," he replied.
"She umm.... she was grieving over her brother," Vincent told him.
"What? Her brother?" Sephiroth looked surprised.
"You didn't know she had a brother?" Vincent asked.
"I did but I never knew who he was," Sephiroth admitted.
"Do you remember Zack?" Vincent looked at him warily. Sephiroth thought for a moment then his eyes widened.
"You mean....?" he stopped when Vincent nodded.
"He was killed by Shinra troops when him and Cloud were attempting to escape from Shinra mansion," Vincent explained. "I told Raven while I was setting her free and she only now broke down with it because of her father's rejection. He disowned her, he blames her for all of their problems and for Zack's death."
"Damn it! And we were all fighting like little kids," Sephiroth growled.
"It wasn't our fault. It was this curse that made us fight. All three of us know that there is nothing to be jealous about. Raven is just that kind of person that is fiercely loyal," Vincent sighed. "If only there were more people like her." Before Sephiroth could reply the elevator pulled to a halt and the doors pulled open. Sephiroth felt the rage smothering his thoughts when he spotted Raven and Siiro standing together. Siiro was holding her to him much like Sephiroth had done on endless nights.
"Let her go," Sephiroth growled. Siiro let out a light laughter and squeezed her to him even tighter.
"If you think that your little weapon friend is going to beat me you are wrong," Siiro laughed. "I am much stronger than he will ever be!" Sephiroth glared at the other man who could be his twin. Raven turned and Sephiroth could see that she was not the same. "You see?" Siiro grinned. "I have control over her!"
"Then I will fight you for her," Sephiroth said.
"You wish to fight me? That's a laugh. Do you not realize that neither one of you can use magic here?" Siiro seemed amused. "But Raven and I can!" Siiro cast an Ultima spell on them and Sephiroth dropped to one knee. "Raven I think you should fight him yourself. I want him to know that he is being destroyed by the woman he loves!" Sephiroth used his sword to push himself back up and swung it just in time to block Raven’s hard blow. He felt a shiver rush up his spine when he looked into her lifeless eyes. They were just a deep emerald void.
"Raven stop this," Sephiroth whispered.
"Isn't she beautiful when faced in a battle?" Siiro gave a fake sigh. "I could look into those fierce eyes all day long. Hmmm I think I will do that, once we have gotten rid of you pests." Sephiroth could not believe how arrogant Siiro was. He pushed the thoughts aside and concentrated on his battle with Raven.
"Raven you have to fight it," Sephiroth told her. "You have to push Siiro out of your mind. Don't be afraid Raven. We won't let nothing happen to you or the earth." Raven slashed at Sephiroth harder, her movements much like that of a cat. The battle grew longer and harder. It seemed that Raven never tired as Sephiroth's stamina was quickly being used up. "Raven.... I love you!" The dagger stopped inches from Sephiroth's throat and he looked down at it while breathing a sigh of relief. He looked into Raven's eyes and seen the emotions warring in her mind. She was fighting it!
Everything stopped for a moment and concern crossed Siiro’s face for the first time.
"Finish him my love," Siiro rasped, "finish him now and we can be together."
"Don’t listen to him Raven, you know that its me and you, try to remember," Sephiroth whispered. Raven’s face twisted in mental anguish as she tried to remember, she looked from Sephiroth to Siiro and from Siiro to Sephiroth.
"Help me Shadow," Sephiroth said under his breath, for a brief instant everything shifted slightly and where Siiro had stood was now a Jenova type weapon, Raven screamed in terror. As quickly as the creature had appeared it vanished and Siiro turned to them with an irritated look on his face.
"You really shouldn’t have done that, now you all must die," the image of the Saucer wavered and they stood in the darkness again.
"I’ll kill you Siiro," Sephiroth bore his sword.
"Look around you Sephiroth, I control her mind and with it you. Do you recognize this scene Sephiroth, its quite fitting, I think I’ll enjoy killing you here," the blackness faded away and the twisting metal of the Shinra Reactor stretched out around them, Siiro walked along the steel walkway towards the pod’s, as he reached the foot of the stairs he turned round.
"My mother, reduced to this, she was a great warrior my mother and you destroyed her. We were going to rule the galaxy and a little planet like this one stopped us, no… it stopped her, I can still fulfill our dreams and I will. You know the strange thing Sephiroth, at the end of it all do you know what we are? We are brothers. We both share our blood with Jenova and we both served her every whim, now that we are both free from her control I wonder what the future holds for us… well for me because I’m about to kill you," Siiro altered his form and the son of Jenova rushed forward towards the trio.
Sephiroth lifted his sword and it immediately clashed with the deadly looking scythe Siiro was fighting with. There was a wave in the atmosphere and Sephiroth took a step back to brace himself. Raven looked on in horror at the battle unfolding before her eyes. Sephiroth was fighting for her and she knew it. She looked down at the daggers strapped to her legs and slowly reached for them. She had to fight for herself now. She had to recapture her own mind.
"Sephiroth....." she whispered. "I am going to fight for me now. It is the only way we can get out of here. I have to prove to myself that I am important. To you, to Shadow, to Vincent..... and to myself." Her eyes were illuminated by the power that was surging inside of her. Her fingers wrapped around the hilts to the twin daggers and she lifted them out of their sheaths.
"Duplus Gladius!" the daggers began to extend and she connected them at the hilt to create the deadly double sword. She looked up in time to see Sephiroth falter against the demi spell that Siiro had cast on him. Raven knew why only she was allowed to use magic. She was in control. She leapt in between Sephiroth and Siiro and knocked aside their weapons with a whirling of the double sword. "I'm in control now Siiro," she hissed as she peered into his glowing eyes. He grinned as she stood armed before him. He knew she was telling the truth.
"We'll meet again little Raven," he chuckled. "Don't think that I would allow you to get away so easily." He grabbed the back of her head and kissed her violently and disappeared before she could slice him with the deadly weapon.
"Bastard!" she growled. She turned around and knelt beside her fallen love. His eyes were closed but he was breathing deeply. A whoosh of wind swirled around her and Shadow appeared above them.
"Time to go back Raven," he said quietly.
"Just one second," she whispered. A glowing mist emerged where her hand was pressed against Sephiroth's chest and surrounded him. His eyes opened a crack and Raven pressed her lips to his.

"Raven!" the word was on Sephiroth's lips as he leapt into consciousness. He rolled into a kneeling position and looked at Raven's body to see if she had awakened. Everyone else was rubbing their heads as they were rousing but Raven lay still as she had done before. He could feel the rage pushing against his chest threatening to unleash but he suppressed it the best he could. "Raven...."

Chapter 14
~Defensor~

They all stood over Raven’s body with worried looks on their faces.
"Do you think she’s okay?" Vincent asked.
"I suppose we just have to wait," Shadow replied as he paced back and forth.
"I wish I knew she was okay," Sephiroth said as he gently held her, "maybe Siiro has got back into her mind."
"I don’t think so Sephiroth, Raven fought him off remember and she knows who he is now, she’ll not let him take advantage of her anymore."
"I know your right Shadow, but I can’t help being concerned, what if he does return, what then?" Sephiroth looked at his friend.
"Then we fight him Sephiroth, I know you well enough to say that nothing can stand in between you and Raven, whatever he tries I know that he will fail," Shadow turned away from Sephiroth as he did not want his friend to see what he was feeling, he walked across the room and looked out at the city of the ancients.
"Somewhere out there is his physical body. All we have to do is to find it," said Shadow. "I can almost bet where he’ll be," said Vincent quietly.
"Where?" they asked in unison.
"Where would you go if you wanted power on this planet, he’ll be at Shinra," Vincent's words made perfect sense to Sephiroth and Shadow, they both knew that’s where he would be.
"I have a message for the one called Shadow," they all looked round quickly at Raven who had suddenly sat up. Her eyes were devoid of life and her movements were strange, she looked around the room.
"I am Shadow, who wants me," Shadow walked forwards towards Raven.
"You do not take your natural form, I did not recognize you. I have a message for you of great importance, and if these people are your friends then they also must heed my words," Raven's occupied body stood up and stumbled towards Shadow.
"We are to give to you a great honor and one that you must swear to undertake with your life, if you and your companions fail then the universe itself will be at risk, so great is the consequences. I bestow onto you one who will free our people and bring peace to the stars again, you must serve and protect her for it is your duty to do so, should she die then all is lost," Raven’s body walked back towards Sephiroth and stood before him.
"Look in the place where your Emerald brother slept, there you shall find your task," Raven’s body went limp and Sephiroth caught her as she fell.
Sephiroth put his arm under Raven's knees and scooped her up in his arms. "What do we do now?" he asked, glancing at Shadow.
"I guess we go to the ocean," Shadow looked worried. "That voice was Ultima Weapon's. Apparently he is Raven's guardian Weapon or he wouldn't be able to use her body like that."
"What about Raven?" Vincent asked.
"I don't know," Shadow sighed. "We will just have to guard her with our lives until she awakens."
"Then we had better hurry. Ultima said that it was important," Sephiroth said as he looked down at Raven's for-once peaceful face. He was glad that she was at last free of her torments.
"We're off then," Shadow replied leading the way out of the Forbidden City.

"Do you think that this is where he was talking about?" Vincent asked peering out into the ocean waters. The waves gently lapped the shores and the sound of moving water gave him a sense of calming. "How are we going to get down there?"
"I'll have to go alone," Shadow answered his question. He transformed into Shadow Weapon and moved forward into the water. When he couldn't be seen anymore Sephiroth laid Raven down in the grass and sat down next to her. He stared out into the ocean and at the reflection of the full moon on it's surface.
"Ahh you got here ahead of me," came a voice Sephiroth immediately recognized. Before he could get to his feet Reno cast the pyramid spell on both him and Vincent, trapping them.
"Damn it!" Sephiroth growled punching the pyramid in his anger. Siiro lifted Raven's limp body and grinned at Sephiroth.
"It looks as if your friend is going to have to make a choice," he chuckled. "He could either give me Jade or I can take over Raven's life. Now that I have her physical body I have full access to her chaos powers!"
"I’ll kill you for this Reno" Sephiroth spat.
"You won’t get the chance fool, Shinra is more powerful now than you’ll ever imagine, nothing can stand against us," Reno replied.
"You're wrong Reno, we will," Sephiroth struggled to get free.
"Who you three, I don’t think you can take us all on," as Reno talked groups of Shinra soldiers appeared behind him and walking in front of them were the remaining members of AVALANCHE.
"I should have know that all the scum would join forces," said Vincent.
"Now now Vincent, if you're nice I might even let you join us again, so its probably in your best interest to shut up now," Tifa replied.
"I’ll never join you Siiro, only you could have made Shinra any worse than it already was," Vincent struggled to aim his gun.
"That is your decision human, but it is a poor one," Reno’s eyes went vacant as Siiro talked, he did not appear to hear what the son of Jenova said.
"Give me back Raven and I’ll let you go unharmed," Sephiroth warned Siiro.
"You are in no position to make idle threats, I could kill you in an instant," Siiro walked toward Sephiroth.
"Where is the weapon?" Siiro asked Sephiroth.
"I don’t know what you are talking about," Sephiroth stood defiantly.
"So the mighty Sephiroth comes down to this!" as Reno laughed Siiro looked at him in irritation and sent him to sleep.
"These little fools have no idea of the scale of it all, they rush about their little lives as if they mean something, but they mean nothing. I will return to this planet when I have control over the galaxy, and I will destroy them all, just to prove I can," Siiro’s mad eyes glowed as he spoke.

Shadow descended into the depths of the ocean he could see a green glow pulsing near the floor. He quickly swam towards it and as he grew nearer he realized that he was looking at a deep green crystal. Inside there was a shadow in the shape of a human. He examined it and found it to be impenetrable.
"Umbra Defensor..."
"Raven?" Shadow looked around when he heard his friend's voice. She was nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly he knew what to do. He could feel the power awaken inside of him and he closed his eyes. "Shadow Protector!" he called out. A stream of light pierced through from the inside of the crystal and then another and another until it was totally engulfed in light. Shadow squeezed his eyes shut as the light grew even brighter. He heard a sound that resembled the sound of shattering glass and opened his eyes. A little girl inside a protective shield stared at him with a bright smile on her face. Shadow gasped as he examined her face. Many of her features were similar to Raven's. The main difference was her hair. Instead of the dark brown of Raven the little girl's was a fiery red. Her eyes glistened with the special emerald gleam that only the children of the cosmos could posses. Only then Shadow realized that she was a child of the great emerald weapon.
"Emerald and Ultima made me to look like the ancient one," she said in a childish voice. "I am here to bring order to the weapons and peace throughout the cosmos. You, Shadow, were chosen to be my guardian!" She giggled and Shadow could not help but to smile. He decided that she could be no older than seven years old.
"Then I will protect you with my very life," Shadow replied.
"My name is Jade," she told him. "In the sake of my father, Emerald. Only I will be able to awaken the ancient one. Will you take me to her?"
"I will," Shadow agreed. He picked up the small lady weapon and began his ascent towards the surface.

As the two bodies exploded up from the surface of the water they party on the beach that waited then prepared their weapons.
"Shadow!" Siiro’s voice screamed outwards, Shadow hovered in mid air with the girl in his arms.
"I want the girl Shadow, give me her and I’ll let your friends go free," the tiny shape in Shadow’s arms clung to him tightly.
"I do not believe that you would do the right thing son of Jenova, and I will never give her to you," Shadow answer came back.
"Then I will kill your friends, starting with this woman," Siiro lifted Raven’s body. As Shadow looked across at his friends Sephiroth gave him a look and said something quietly, Shadow did not move.
"Are you going to give me the girl Shadow?" Siiro asked the hovering weapon.
"Never!" the reply was short and direct and it did not come from Shadow, it came from Sephiroth, as he spoke Shadow turned and began to float away.
"Come back fool!" Siiro’s form shimmered and a wave of destructive power traveled towards Shadow.
"Shadow, look out!" cried Sephiroth, Shadow did not stop, he kept going. The beam hit him full in the back and it exploded on his hard surface, Shadow kept on moving.
"You don’t have the power to beat me!!" Siiro screamed, he fired wave after wave of pure power. Shadow’s massive torso turned back to look at Siiro, when he spoke his voice was deafeningly loud.
"You do not have any power over me Siiro, I have been chosen to protect this child and I shall, my every lifeforce has been dedicated to protecting her, even you do not have the power to beat me now, my brothers have seen to that!" he turned again and floated away.
"It appears that your friend has deserted you," said Siiro as he got control of himself.
"No, I told him to go," replied Sephiroth. "What he has to do is more improtant than sacrificing that poor child."
"That child is no cripple, she has enough power to destroy this planet, and I want it," Siiro looked empty eyes at the shape disappearing into the distance.

"I want you to take me to the ancient one," Jade demanded.
"I cannot let you go near Siiro," Shadow told her.
"The ancient one must fight Siirotinus," Jade informed him. "It is her duty as the protector of the planet."
"You have a much more important job. You are the fate of the universe," Shadow argued. "I cannot give you up to Siiro and let him destroy the cosmos."
"Have you stopped loving the ancient one?" Jade's innocent eyes peered up into Shadow's face. She could feel the stir in his soul. Shadow quickly landed and transformed back into human form. He looked down at Jade with a pained expression.
"My feelings for Raven haven't changed," he replied.
"Is that her name then? Raven..." she looked out at the sea.
"Siiro won't hurt her," Shadow said.
"How do you know?" she asked.
"Because Siiro wants her powers as much as he wants yours," Shadow explained.
"Raven is more powerful than any human on this planet."

Siiro glared at Sephiroth who stood with his fists clenched at his sides. Sephiroth felt a stirring in his heart as he glanced at Raven's body clutched tightly against his chest.
"Close your eyes..." Sephiroth shut his eyes as Raven's voice instructed. "Take control. Summon the Midnight Angel."
"Midnight Angel!" Sephiroth shouted. Siiro could not conceal the surprise on his face as Sephiroth crumbled to the ground. He felt movement and looked down at the flaring green eyes of the girl in his arms. She flipped out of his hands as Sephiroth took full advantage of Raven's limber movements. She grinned devilishly and Siiro realized that it was Sephiroth who had control of her body. There was a flash as the midnight wings appeared behind her and she withdrew the daggers from the holsters. "Guardian Angel!" A bright light flashed and Raven-Sephiroth broke through the pyramid barriers that locked away Sephiroth and Vincent. Vincent helped to lift Sephiroth's body and race away as their enemies remained distracted.
They raced through the trees as fast as they could while carrying Sephiroth's heavy form.
"We have to stop," Raven-Sephiroth groaned. "I can't carry myself with this body."
"Sephiroth?!" Vincent looked shocked as they laid his body to the ground. Raven-Sephiroth grinned and then fell forward into Vincent's arms. Sephiroth stirred and then got to his feet, shaking his head.
"Didn't know she could do that did you?" Sephiroth chuckled. "Well don't feel bad, I didn't either."

"Must you hide you feelings for her Shadow?" Jade asked.
"Yes, it helps me to control them little sister," Shadow took Jade's hand as they began walking.
"Does she have any idea Shadow?" Jade asked.
"I don’t know little sister, perhaps she does, it doesn’t matter anyway, she has Sephiroth," Shadow looked across to the water.
"You wonder how they are I can feel it, it pains you greatly to have left them," Jade looked into Shadow’s soul.
"I just hope that he doesn’t hurt them little sister, they mean a lot to me," Shadow could hide nothing from this little girl.
"Then why don’t we go back Shadow, if you care for them so much?" Jade began to pull him back towards the water.
"Because I swore to protect you little sister and I will do so at all expense," Shadow pulled her back.
"You can still protect me and save them," she pulled his arm back and he fell backwards heavily.
"You really are powerful," he said as he got up.
"No more than you are, I just know how to use it," she replied.
"Ouch, that one hurt!" he laughed.
"So are we going back or not," she pouted.
"I suppose so, its either that or you beat me up," he laughed as he lifted her again.

"Do you think they have gone?" Vincent asked.
"I don’t think they are following us anymore, we must have lost them," said Sephiroth as he struggled for breath.
"Where is Shadow?" Raven asked as she noticed for the first time that he was not there.
"He left with Jade," Sephiroth replied.
"Who’s Jade, what did I miss?" as they filled Raven in on the details she sat and listened to the tail, when they were finished she had more questions. "Where the hell are we?" she asked glancing around. "All I can remember is being near Gongaga and you guys fighting like a bunch of little kids."
"You don't remember the dreams?" Sephiroth looked surprised.
"Nothing," Raven sighed. "I can't move either. I am so sleepy...." She was cut off when she drifted back into a deep sleep.
"Damnit what happened?!" Sephiroth shook her trying to awaken her again.
"It must have only been temporary," Vincent suggested. "You taking over her body must have confused things. Now that everything is back to normal...." He didn't have to finish.
"What can we do to awaken her?" Sephiroth looked up at the starry sky. "Can't someone help us?"
"We can help," Sephiroth jerked his head towards the sound of Shadow's voice. Little Jade stood at his side holding tightly to his hand.
"I can awaken the ancient one," she said, her green eyes sparkling. "She is my sister."
"Huh?" Sephiroth blinked.
"We are both children of the cosmos," she smiled. "Both of us were born on this planet." Sephiroth nodded in understanding and watched as she approached Raven. She laid her hand on her forehead and whispered a spell in the weapon's langauge.
"Damn I feel like I have been hit with an ultima spell," Raven mumbled as her eyes slowly opened. She peered through the thick black lashes and smiled when she seen the little girl standing over her. "You must be Jade..." Jade nodded and smiled.
"I have heard alot about you, ancient one," Jade said. "You are important to Shadow."
"I am glad that I am," Raven smiled. She accepted Sephiroth's help and got to her feet slowly.
"I am glad that you are back," Sephiroth told her. "I was afraid that you were never going to wake up."
Raven looked away from everyone and wiped away the tears that formed in her eyes.
"What is wrong ancient one?" Jade asked, sensing the older girl's distress.
"I.... I saw my death...." Raven admitted reluctantly.
"What?!" The three men said in unision.
"I had a vision. My own chaos powers destroyed me..." Raven bit her bottom lip. "It was Siiro. If he takes over my body like Cloud did then it will be the end of me."
"What do you mean? How?" Sephiroth put his hands on her shoulders.
"Siiro is too strong for me to fight if he discovers the midnight angel. I couldn't fight him like I did Cloud. You would have to destroy us both if that ever happens," she told them. "Destroy us or lock us away for eternity. Do whatever necessary to stop us. My visions always come true."
"Then we won’t let that happen will we?" Sephiroth looked at his friends and he found reassuring looks of determination.
"We should get out of here now, its not safe anymore," Shadow said.
"Where can we go?" asked Raven.
"No where is safe, Shinra control the planet now," Vincent added.
"The planet will not allow it for much longer," Jade said, they all turned to look at her. "I mean… the planet is aware of Shinra and it is growing tired of the way Shinra abuses it." "How do you know all this?" Shadow asked the little girl.
"I can feel it, you would too if you listened," Shadow winced again, Raven could not help but giggle.
"Looks like you have a new mother Shadow," Raven whispered to him.
"Shh, she might hear you," he whispered back, they both giggled lightly.
"Will you two stop playing?" Jade ordered, they both looked at each other and laughed.
"I think that we will go to…" she looked around at their faces, "Icicle Village, I want to try ice skating!" They all looked very startled at her announcement.
"How… how did you know about that?" Sephiroth asked.
"The ancient one was thinking it," said Jade as she pointed ar Raven.
"You can call me Raven, and how do you know what I am thinking?" she asked.
"I know what you are all thinking, your thoughts speak to me," she replied.
"Can you do that?" Raven asked Shadow.
"I don’t think so, I’ve never tried," Shadow said as he shrugged his shoulders.
"There is lots of things he can’t do, he’s really quite useless," Jade said as she looked at Shadow.
"He’s an alright cook!" Sephiroth laughed, Shadow just gave him a protesting look.
"So how are we going to get to Icicle Village?" asked Vincent.
"He’ll take us," said Jade as she pointed to Shadow.
"Anything for you little Jade," he replied sarcastically as he charged form. Jade hopped up into his massive arms.
"Are you lot coming or not?" she asked.
Raven shrugged her sholders stepped towards Shadow. Sephiroth put his hands on her slim waist and lifted her up before climbing up behind her. Vincent leapt up and Shadow took off heading for Icicle Villiage.

Chapter 15
~Midnight Angel~

"Jade be careful!" Raven laughed as the small girl pushed out on the ice. She glanced back at Raven with a big grin on her face then yelped when her feet slipped out from under her. Raven giggled as she continued to strap the special blade to her boots. Shadow and Sephiroth watched from a distance and Vincent lingered behind Raven, curious of this new sport. He looked around at the snowy fields that made up the great glacier. The only place that Shinra's influence didn't reach. The only place where Raven and Jade would be safe from Siiro. Vincent watched as Raven rose to her feet and slid out on the ice with the ease and grace of a feline. Jade's eyes widened as she watched her circle the ice quickly and spin around in one quick swoop. She stopped in front of Jade and lifted her to her feet.
"How does she do it?" Shadow sighed.
"Do what?" Sephiroth asked.
"This is the first time she has ever ice skated and yet she jumps out there like she has been doing it for years," Shadow laughed.
"That is just her nature," Sephiroth smiled proudly as he watched Raven leap into the air and land. He could not help but to think of a bird landing with the wind beneath it's wings.
"She sure has taken to Jade," Shadow observed. "Jade seems to be like her in alot of ways. Both have powers that are beyond our imaginations."
"Do you really think that Raven's chaos magic will hurt her?" Sephiroth looked worried.
"I don’t know Sephiroth, no one has ever possessed anything like what she has, but I swore to protect Jade and that may also include protecting Raven, we’ll beat Siiro," said Shadow.
"I feel like the odd one out here" complained Vincent, they both looked at him.
"Why exactly?" asked Sephiroth.

"Because all you have special powers and I’m just normal," complained Vincent.
"You're far from normal Vincent, look who your friends are," Shadow laughed.
"I guess you’re right, an Ice Skating alien and the man who nearly destroyed the planet," said Vincent.
"That was just a rumor," laughed Sephiroth.
"Do you think we should have a go?" said Shadow as he pointed at the ice.
"Why not," said Sephiroth as he threw a pair of blades at Shadow. The five figures skated across the ice surface for the rest of the day - well some of them tried to. Eventually they grew tired and they all retired to the inn.

"I think I might have broke something," said Shadow as he rubbed his side.
"You shouldn’t have tried the backflip," laughed Raven.

"I didn’t," he replied. "It just sorta happened!" they all laughed at their injured friend. "Do you do anything right?" Jade asked Shadow sarcastically.
"Apparently not," he said as he walked over to the bar.
"Why are you so hard on him Jade?" Vincent asked.
"Because its fun!" Jade and Raven laughed. The group talked for some time before retiring to their quarters, Sephiroth and Raven said goodnight as they closed their door, Vincent walked down the hall to his own room.
"I don’t see why I can’t have a room of my own," Jade said.
"Because I can’t look after you if you’re a room away," Shadow said.
"You need to sleep as well you know," she scolded.
"I know, now in!" he opened the door for her and they went inside. Later in the dead of the night Raven was restless as her dreams flashed up images of things she didn’t want to see, as she awoke from a troubling one containing Siiro she decided to go out for a walk. As she pulled on her winter clothing she looked back at the sleeping form of Sephiroth before walking out the door.

Raven stepped into the icy forest and looked up at the stars twinkling in the heavens above. She smiled softly at the sight of the diamond like lights.
"You have a beautiful smile." Raven felt her breath catch in her throat and dropped her gaze to the man who stood not ten feet away from her. At that moment she realized her mistake at going out alone. Her hands instinctively moved towards the daggers at her sides. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Siiro said smoothly. "You know that I would never hurt you Raven."
"Why not?" she growled, narrowing her eyes.
"Because I love you," he said matter-of-factly.
"I don't believe you and even if I did I love only Sephiroth," Raven shivered. "That can quickly be remedied," Siiro growled. "I will kill Sephiroth will my own hands. Then you will be mine!"
"No! You just want my powers!" Raven cried. "You don't love me at all!"
"But I do!" Siiro protested. "You powers are just an added bonus to the big prize!" He began to laugh wildly. Raven backed up and felt something solid against her back.
"Sephiroth!" she cried out when she spun around. He was glaring at Siiro with fire dancing in his eyes.
"You aren't taking Raven away from me," Sephiroth said calmly. "She is mine."
"That's where you're wrong!" Siiro laughed. His scythe appeared in his right hand and he and Sephiroth lunged at one another. They began a powerful battle. Sparks flew from the clashing metal as they gritted their teeth and snarled at eachother. Raven could hear the other's approaching behind her. She glanced at them and then turned back to the two locked in fierce battle.
Clearly Siiro was more powerful than Sephiroth. Siiro was beyond human. The scythe descended towards it's victim, the holder fixed with a mad smile on his face.
"Sephiroth!!" The cry rang through their ears and all went silent as the long blade found it's sheath in Raven's abdomen. Her eyes widened and glistened as she stared at Siiro, looking deep within his soul. Not one person could conceal their shock anymore then they could move their stilled limbs. Siiro's face was one filled with horror as Raven slipped from the blade leaving a trail of blood behind her. Sephiroth caught her as she fell, his eyes wide with disbelief. He could not make a sound as his knees gave out beneath him and he dropped into the soft snow with Raven cradled in his lap. Siiro stood still watching as the snow around them turned crimson with her life's blood, unbelieving of what was happening. The blow had been meant for Sephiroth. And he alone.
"I.... I was wrong...." Raven whispered through the tremors that racked her body. "It will save me once again, this chaos of mine...." Sephiroth followed her gaze that had moved into the trees. Her eyes were locked with that of a raven, black as midnight, perched on a low branch. Its feathers glistened in the silver light of the moon. It gave out a shrill call at the same moment the final breath rushed from Raven's lungs. Sephiroth heard the slight tremble of her body and looked down into her lifeless face.
"NOOOO!" The howl that errupted from Sephiroth's lungs was enough to frighten the mightest warrior. Siiro's blade flashed through the air and with the glint of reflected moonlight he disappeared.

Waken by the noise Shadow stared out of his cabin window into the snow, amongst the endless white he say the crouched body of his friend, he did not take time to get dressed but leaped out of the hotel window and into the snow. As he rushed to the side of his friend he saw Raven’s body lying in the snow, her hair spead out behind her, all the color drained from Shadow’s face as he got closer, he skidded to a stop in the snow.
"She…she’s dead," Sephiroth whispered.
"No….she can’t be," Shadow replied, stunned.
"He…he killed her Shadow, I couldn’t stop him," Sephiroth slowly got to his feet.
"Get her body and bring it inside, we can’t let her stay out here" Shadow moved towards the body.
"Stay away from her!" Sephiroth growled as he lifted the body gently into his arms.
"Steady Sephiroth, its only me," Shadow backed off slowly.
"Stay away from us both," Sephiroth held the body closely.
"You're in shock, just come inside and we’ll talk about this," Shadow tried to approach his friend.
"No one is going to take her away from me, not even you," Sephiroth backed off again. As they stood there in the snow Jade and Vincent came out of the hotel, they quickly approached their friends.
"They won’t understand Sephiroth, they don’t know you as I do," Shadow beckoned to his friend again.
"Tell them to keep away from us or I’ll…" as Sephiroth spoke the body in his arms began to lightly glow.
"You’ll what Sephiroth?" Shadow noticed the glow and hurried to get his friend to respond.
"I’ll…" before he had a chance to finish the body exploded into light and when it subsided Raven was gone, Sephiroth just stared into his empty arms.
"Sephiroth… are you okay?" Sephiroth sank to his knees in the snow and threw his head back, the scream from his lips could have stopped time.
Jade winced and grabbed onto Shadow's arm. Tears gathered in her eyes and she buried her small face in his shirt. Vincent appeared to be in shock as well. He had seen Raven's body the moment before it disappeared into nothingness. Sephiroth looked up, his eyes had a crazed look in them. It was apparent that he could not withstand the grief that was striking at his heart.
"Jade...." "Raven?" Jade stopped crying and looked around. Shadow looked down at her confused then he looked at Sephiroth whose intense gaze was fixed on the small girl. "Don't you guys hear her?" Jade looked around at everyone.
"Hear who?" Shadow asked. "Raven? Can you hear her Jade?"
"Yes," Jade smiled. "She said that I am the only one who can hear her."
"Where is she?!" Sephiroth asked fiercely, rising to his feet.
Jade appeared to be listening to something then she smiled. "Her body went to the Forgotten City to heal itself," she replied happily.
"Then lets go!" Sephiroth demanded.
"It wouldn't do you any good," Jade informed him. "The forgotten city has been sealed so that no one may enter until she is whole again. She said that it will take about four weeks at the most."
"What do we do until then?" Sephiroth asked.
"Raven is here with us right now," Jade smiled.
"What? Where?" Vincent asked looking around. Jade grinned as the raven landed on Sephiroth's right shoulder. The bird let out a please squawk and nuzzled against Sephiroth's chin.
"R.... Raven?!" Sephiroth's eyes grew wide as he stared at the bird on his shoulder. A green light flashed across the bird's black eyes and he couldn't help but to smile. He lifted his hand and it jumped onto his fingers. Shadow stepped forward and rubbed a finger down it's neck.
"I transfered my spirit at the last possible moment," Raven replied. "I am afraid that I am not much use to you like this but I can still work some of my chaos magic through you."
"How is this possible?" Sephiroth stammered, they all looked at Jade.
"Before her body gave up Raven managed to project her mind into this bird, as long as the bird remains safe no harm can be done to her," Jade appeared to be listening to the bird.
"So what do we do now?" asked Vincent as he stared at the bird.
"Good question," said Shadow, they looked from the bird to Jade and then back again.
"Simple, we have to kill Siiro," Sephiroth spoke with words that were soaked in emotion, they all looked at him.
"I think he’s right" added Jade. "Its obvious that Siiro won’t leave us alone, I think its time that we fought back."
"Its too dangerous," Shadow stood there defiantly.
"Will you stop mothering me!" Jade stamped her feet in the snow. "And why are you half naked?" Shadow looked down and noticed for the first time that he was wearing very little.
"Erm… I was in a rush to get outside, I guess I didn’t have time to dress," he appealed to one of his friends for assistance.
"How are we suppost to fight Siiro, he’s too strong," Vincent sighed as he handed his cloak to Shadow who quickly wrapped it around his body.
"I told you, we are not fighting him, he’s too stong for us," Shadow looked at the snow as he spoke.
"I know that you want to fight him as much as we do Shadow, but you are sworn to protect Jade, perhaps you can do both," Sephiroth said.
"Shh’s, anyone would think I’m a little kid," Jade added as she stamped her foot down again.
"You are a little kid Jade," said Vincent as they all looked at the little girl.
"Oh right, so because I look like one I’m suppost to be like one?" she said crossly.
"That’s the way it usually works," Shadow said.
"You people are impossible," said Jade as she stormed away. The rest of them followed her back into the warmth of the hotel.
"Is it just me or is she just as stubborn as Raven?" Vincent chuckled. The bird landed on his sholder and squawked loudly causing him to jump. "I'm sorry I forgot!" He rubbed her head and she flew back to her perch on Sephiroth's sholder that was shaking with his laughter.

The next morning they set out from Icicle Inn across the snowy fields towards the Ancient City. They all knew that they would not be able to get inside the forgotten city where Aeris had died but they would remain in the City above it where it would be safe. They picked out a building with enough beds for the four of them and settled themselves in.

Chapter 16
~Last Battle~

Sephiroth sat up in his bed looking at the ebony bird resting on his finger. He had sat here talking to her every night for the last four weeks and was growing impatient for her to be restored. The sun had just dropped below the horizon and the twilight sky shimmered with bright stars. Sephiroth yawned and looked at Raven. He now could understand the midnight angel. The midnight feathered wings. Raven. The bird squawked gently and flew to rest on the edge of the bed. "Goodnight my beloved..." he yawned and fell asleep.

"Sephie wake up!!" Jade leaped on the bed and giggled when the man jumped into a sitting postition. "Raven wants you to go outside!!" Sephiroth rubbed his hair out of his eyes and rose to follow the young girl outside to where Raven was flying through the sky. She swooped down near Shadow and he nearly jumped from his skin so unexpected it was. Sephiroth's sides shook with laughter as he held up his arm for her to land on. She fluttered her wings and then tucked them under her. Sephiroth glanced around, happy that today would be the day that she returned to him. She had told Jade as much the previous morning.
"Hey guess who's here!" someone laughed. The four of them turned around to face the remains of AVALANCH and the Turks. At their head was Siirotinus with a large smile on his face. "I had thought Raven to be dead but I must have been mistaken. I will have to remedy that right now!" Sephiroth's eyes widened as Siiro transformed into a silver wolf. It lunged at him and Raven squawked, flapping her wings heavily in attempt to get away from it. Siiro chased after her and Sephiroth was powerless to help. He ran forward but the pair of animals were too quick. Siiro lunged at her and would have caught her at that moment but a black blur knocked him out of the way. Sephiroth looked at the large creature that was now pinning Siiro down.
"Is that...? No it can't be!!" Reno cried.
"It's Dark Nation!" Vincent finshed for him. All eyes moved up to look at the pair who stood above them.
"Rufus?! My god I thought you were dead!" Ellena exclaimed. He jumped down and lifted his arms to assist the girl who was with him. He put his hands on her waist and lifted her down. All eyes widened in shock when they got a good look at her.
"You look just like Raven!" Vincent exclaimed.
"Only younger," Shadow added in awe.
"Who are you?" Sephiroth narrowed his eyes. Raven was perched soundly on his left hand looking at the couple. She squawked gently and Jade stepped forward to tell them what she was saying.
"I would like to introduce to you my little sister Blade," were Raven's words.
They all looked at the girl as she stood there, her features were so like Raven’s that they had to keep telling themselves se was not their fallen friend. The Raven flew across from Sephiroth’s arm and rested on the arm of the girl, she looked at the bird closely.
"So which one of you is responsible for my sister looking like this?" she asked them.
"I am," rasped Siiro as he got up off the ground.
"Then you are a fool, if she doesn’t kill you I will," Blade drew her pistol in a fluid movement and fired. Siiro laughed and waved his hand across his body, the bullets fell to the ground, as they watched his form shimmered and he disappeared, with him went Shinra and AVALANCHE.
"Who.. or what the hell was that?" Rufus asked.
"Never mind that, I think you have some explaining to do first," said Sephiroth as the all stared at the Shinra president in disbelief.
"We all thought that you were dead Sephiroth, why is it so hard to believe that I am alive?" Rufus replied.
"I guess it was too much to ask for," spat Vincent.
"You never can get rid of Shinra can you?" Shadow added sarcastically.
"Raven says to stop all this childish bickering!" said Jade forcefully. "And you should know better!" she scolded Shadow.
"I guess we all have a lot to talk about," said Blade calmly.
"Well we can do it in there," said Jade as she pointed at the city.
"I thought you said we couldn’t go in," Sephiroth said.
"It’s time," Jade replied as she began walking towards the City Of The Antients, the raven flew across to rest on her shoulder as she walked.
They followed Jade and the raven down the long steps to the forgotten city. Blade and Rufus looked around in awe, they had never been there before. They all stopped when they seen Raven's body resting on the alter with her hands overlapping across her abdomen. Jade jumped across the stones to stand at the base of the alter.
"Are you ready?" Jade asked the bird. The raven squaked excitedly and Jade lifted her hand that held the bird into the air. "Midnight Angel return to your true self!" she cried out. A light surrounded the bird and the light surrounding Raven's body grew even brighter as the Midnight Angel began to work her magic. Everyone had to close their eyes to block out the sharp light. Sephiroth rushed forward not caring about the pain in his eyes. He made it to the alter in time to see the Midnight Feathered wings lower Raven to onto the floor. The black wings disappeared with the light and Sephiroth embraced his beloved.
Tears streamed down her cheeks with her happiness to be back in her old body. The bird landed on her shoulder and she laughed when it nuzzled her cheek. Sephiroth lifted her off her feet and spun her around in the air. He set her down and took her hand as they walked down to join their friends. Raven hugged Shadow and Vincent and then turned to her sister that she had not seen in many years. The two girls who could be twins embraced and then Raven turned to look at Rufus. "I want to hug my new brother!" she giggled embracing the blond haired man.
"Brother?" Vincent asked.
"This is Blade Shinra," Raven replied lifting Blade's hand. "I could feel the ring when she hugged me."
"Who would have thought that you would be related to a Shinra?" Shadow sighed. Rufus glared at him angrily. Raven put her arm out to stop him and glared at Shadow.
"Who would have ever thought that Sephiroth even had a heart?" she growled. Then her expression changed into an amused one. "A woman can do alot to a man!"
"I’m getting confused here," said Jade as she looked up at them all. "Who’s he?" she pointed at Rufus.
"May I introduce to you the president of Shinra, Rufus," announced Raven to her little companion.
"I though they were the bad guys," Jade said wearily.
"Shinra are, he’s not," Shadow explained.
"But….. oh never mind," they all laughed at the little girls bemused face.
"Shh and come here you," said Shadow as he stretched out his arms to the little weapon.
"I think its us that need the introductions," said Blade as she looked at the strange people before her, she turned to Rufus.
"This my dear is the most dangerous man on the planet, he is called Sephiroth." Sephiroth bowed to his new sister. "The man with the gun is is called Vincent, the person with the girl I do not know, Rufus told her.
"My name is Shadow and the girl is called Jade, I never met you but I know you by reputation," Shadow added.
"Ahh, sadly my reputation is that of someone else, not the real me," sighed Rufus.
"So you are Raven’s sister," said Vincent as he looked across at Blade.
"Can’t you see how alike they look?" said Shadow.
"Its been a long time sister," said Raven as she hugged her. "You’ll have to tell me everything."
"It’s a shame you won’t have time to catch up," the voice boomed through the hall like thunder, they all looked around. One of the wallls of the chamber rippled like water and the massive form of Siiro Weapon stepped through it, Jade screamed in terror in Shadow’s arms, her protector stepped back and transformed himself.
"You people are not what you seem," said Blade as her eyes widened.
"No one is sister," replied Raven.
"The odd’s seem to have changed, I think I will even them up a bit," Siiro stepped away from the wall and several smaller figures stepped through.
"AVALANCHE and the Turks," exclaimed Rufus. "We better run."
"The time for running is over, we fight," said Sephiroth as he drew his mighty sword.
Sephiroth and Shadow rushed into a massive fight with Siiro. They had nothing on their minds except protecting the woman and the little girl behind them. Raven pulled her daggers free and faced off with Tifa Lockheart. Jade stood safely behind her peeking out at the other woman from behind Raven's leg. Tifa snarled at Raven and attacked first with her final heaven limit break. Raven was knocked backwards but managed to block most of the blows. Tifa jumped back and grinned as she watched Raven wipe the blood off her chin. She looked at the contrasting colors on her hand and lunged at Tifa with fury on her mind, she unleashed her limit break Ultima Angel. The black wings appeared and Raven slashed so quickly that Tifa could not see to block the blows. She fell stumbled backwards as Raven leaped back into her stance.
"Noooooo! Cloud I failed you!" Tifa wailed. She dropped into a heap and she turned to her sister. Raven felt Jade tugging at her leg as they looked at their fighting.
"Me and you have a score to settle!" Rufus glared at Reeve as he pointed his shotgun at him. He fell backwards when Ellena cast a strong lightning spell on him.
"Rufus!" Blade cried. She turned and glared at Ellena with rage in her eyes. "Fury!" she unleashed the limit break slicing at the woman with the two knives that were tucked away in her boots then finishing her off with a quick shot from her pistol. She knelt down next to Rufus who was rubbing his head. Dark Nation snapped at Reeve's arm and growled at the others. Vincent lifted his weapon and shot at Barret who was moving towards them. Rufus stood up and cast a poison spell on Barret. Reeve rushed forward in his anger and grabbed Blade from behind. He held a pistol to her head and laughed at Rufus whom he had taken off guard.
"What are you going to do now Mr. President?" Reeve spat, Blade looked frightened as Reeve backed up.
"Let her go Reeve!" Rufus growled. "This is between me and you."
"No your wife is between you and I," Reeve laughed. Blade looked to the side and smiled when she saw Dark Nation sneaking up. The creature leaped and grabbed a hold of Reeve's arm as Blade ducked out of the way. Rufus took the opportunity to lift his gun and fire. Reeve fell back into a heap. Blade rushed into Rufus's arms who held her tightly, whispering soothing words to her. Raven smiled softly as she looked at the couple then gasped when she heard someone shout.
"Raven look out!" Vincent cried. Raven turned in time to see Siiro's hand dropping towards her and Jade. She pushed the little girl out of the way and the hand closed around her. She screamed when he squeezed her and lifted her up to him.
"No! Let her go!" Sephiroth growled. Raven squeezed her eyes shut and felt the surge flowing through her.
"Ahhhhh!!" she finally screamed when the electric shock became too much. Siiro began to laugh then he transformed back into his human form. There was a protective barrier all around him and Raven.
"At last the Midnight Angel's powers are within my grasp!" he laughed.
"No! Jade!" Raven shouted. The young girl got to her feet and stepped forward.
"Jade what are you doing?" Shadow called out running towards her. He would die before he would see her die. She put up a hand to prevent him from scooping him into her arms. She smiled up at him sweetly.
"I love you Shadow," she said softly. "Raven fulfill our destiny!" Shadow turned to Raven who had slipped out of Siiro's arms but could not get past the barrier that protected him. She smiled at Siiro and began her spell.
"Angel of Midnight Feathered Wings Chaos of the Weapon!" she laughed as the spell began to take effect. A light surrounded Raven as she was lifted up and the barrier shattered like glass. She threw her arms wide and disappeared instantly. A light formed around Jade and her red hair floated upwards, she crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes.
"Raven what are you doing?" Shadow yelled reaching for Jade.
"Don't!" Sephiroth grabbed Shadow's arm. "Believe me you don't want to touch chaos magic. It is more powerful than you could imagine."
"Jade...." Shadow looked on helplessly and then jumped back when the light seemed to explode. When everyone opened their eyes they gasped when they looked upon the little girl who wasn't so little anymore. Strangely she looked so much like Raven they had thought at first that it was her. But the flaming locks of hair flowed behind her telling them that it was not Raven who stood before them but Jade.
"Don't forget that they made me to look like Raven," she giggled. "She is the source of my powers."
"You use chaos magic?" Sephiroth asked.
"Nope," she smiled. "But it is something similar."
"Midnight Angel," the whisper seemed to flow around the room.
"Oh no Raven don't do this!" Sephiroth called out.
"Do what?!" Shadow exclaimed.
"She is maxing out the chaos magic. She is about to do something that could very well drain her life," he explained. "Raven don't do it! We can beat Siiro without it!" Sephiroth suddenly stopped moving and fell to his knees. "Raven no!" He fought against her magic.
"The one winged angel," Jade whispered to Shadow. "You're next." Shadow's eyes widened and he turned to look at her.
"Me?! Oh no Raven you can't!" he exclaimed.
Sephiroth rose to his feet. Half of his cloak had torn and the one white wing had appeared behind him. He held his sword tightly in front of him as he glared straight at Siiro.
"Raven you can't do this...." Shadow backed away his eyes searching everywhere but he knew that he would not be able to see her. "Raven don't!" He jerked and fell to his knees. His form began to change and take shape of the massive weapon but something was different. His claws grew longer and his body lighter. She was giving him the powers of the raven.
"Vincent..."
"I hear you Raven," he said quietly.
"My brother of the choas....."
"Yes Raven. My body is yours my sister of the choas," Vincent closed his eyes as he took Raven inside of him. The midnight wings tore through, tearing his clothing until nothing above his waist remained. A green light flashed across his eyes then disappeared. "Lets win this one so Raven can live!"
Vincent and Sephiroth attacked Siiro first. The scythe appeared in his hand and he blocked their blows with a grin never leaving his face. He caught Vincent across the chest. Vincent fell back and the wings disappeared. Sephiroth swung his masamune knocking Siiro back against a wall. Their battle was long, Sephiroth knew what the cost of loosing was. He unleashed his limit break when he thought of the danger his beloved was placing herself in. Siiro blocked his blows the best he could but got caught with a few of the heavier ones. Jade watched the fight in awe. Their movements were so quick that it was difficult to even see. With a heavy heart she realised that Siiro was, indeed, much too powerful for Sephiroth alone. Before she could warn Shadow of that Siiro summoned his greatest magic. He rushed Sephiroth hitting him hard with every blow that were too quick to block and then casting a powerful cosmos spell on him. Sephiroth fought the magic but it was too much. He screamed his rage and his failure and fell to his knees then fell face down to the ground.
"NO!" Shadow growled rushing towards Siiro. Siiro laughed and then transformed into the giant Jenova weapon.
Jade looked around the room. Vincent lay still in his own blood, she knew that there was no life left. Then she turned and seen Sephiroth's body laying perfectly still. She could see no movement not even the rise and fall of breath. The single wing disappeared and Jade's heart sank. She looked up at Shadow who seemed to be losing the battle with Siiro. Shadow fell back and was transformed back into his old self. If he had not been a weapon Jade knew that it would have been his life that disappeared. With the last of the chaos defeated Raven appeared at Jade's feet. Her hair was spread out over her like a protective blanket and she was so still. Jade knelt beside her sister and looked to Shadow for help. He moved towards them quickly and turned Raven over onto her back. Jade heard laughter and looked up at Siiro who had transformed and was standing holding his scythe, watching them with a grin still spread across his face. She looked back down at Raven and was surprised to see that her eyes were open.
"Sephiroth?" Raven whispered. Shadow looked at his fallen friend then back to Raven.
"Sephiroth is okay Raven," Shadow lied. He didn't want to upset her by telling her that he was.... "Raven you need to rest, regain your strength." Raven's head turned and she seen her beloved before Shadow could stop her.
"No..." she moaned weakly. "Sephiroth...." She reached in his direction but was too weak to do any more. With a fury that was beyond all imaginings Shadow stood to face his enemy. Jade also stood and glared at Siiro.
"I just took the life from three of your friends now you want a turn?" he laughed.
"Raven isn't going to die," Shadow growled.
"Yes she is!" Siiro laughed. "As will you too."
"Shadow..." Raven whispered his name. "Jade... Midnight.... Angel.........." Raven closed her eyes and gave the last of her energy to Shadow and Jade. Shadow had no choice to take it.
"All those years ago your mother came to this planet and she destroyed the people who lived here, now you return to finish her work, but here is where it ends Siiro," Shadow walked towards his enemy slowly.
"I want to help you Shadow," said Jade as she tried to follow him.
"No, this fight is mine Jade, soon you will understand," Shadow turned back to Siiro, "so my brother at the end of it all it comes down to this. I had thought that my task was to protect Jade but now I see that it is much more than that, from the very moment that your mother raised her hand against the ancients this day was decided," Shadow moved closer to Siiro.
"I will destroy you and then I’ll have that girls powers, together we will rule the galaxy," Siiro unleashed a massive attack on Shadow. The beam of power crossed the ancient hall and struck the small figure of Shadow, nevertheless he kept walking.
"Your time us up Siiro, it’s the time of deciding," Shadow’s emerald eyes blazed in anger and he reached out to touch Siiro’s leg. "Lost in the shadows," he whispered and all the power given to him was released.
"No!" screamed Siiro as the limit break was released, both the figures were bathed in star filled darkness.

"What the hell is going on?" screamed Blade as the room expanded and contracted as the darkness pulled it in.
"We have to get out of here!" screamed Jade the chaos magic transforming her back into a little girl, they all raced up the stairs and out of the sacred temple where they had been teleported to. Once they were clear of the building they stoped and tried to get their breath back.
"Shadow…no!" sobbed Jade as the mountain collapsed.
"Wait a minute something is coming out!" yelled Rufus.
"Its Siiro!" breathed Jade in disbelief, the massive form of Siiro struggled to raise itself out of the rubble, suddenly a giant hand grabbed Siiro’s leg and pulled him back in, a flash of darkness filled the sky and then all was quiet.
"Its over," Jade sank to her knees and wept. They all stood looking at the remains of the temple for a few moments.
"It shouldn’t end like this, we have all lost so much," Jade rose to her feet again and looked at the rubble. "I think I’ll try to repair this." She raised her arms up and began to cast the magic, after a few moments she lowered her hands with a confused look on her face.
"It didn’t work," she stared at her hands.
"I think I might know why," said Blade as she pointed at the horizon, the green waves on life force weaved across the land, they focused in on the temple and it was bathed in emerald light.
"What’s happening now?" Rufus looked to his companions with a puzzled look. "Its simple, the planet is finally healing the damage done to it, its finally over," the green light stopped and the life force faded, where it had been the temple now stood, glowing in emerald crystal.
"I think we should go inside," whispered Jade as she wiped the tears from her eyes. They walked down the path and into the temple, inside everything was as it had been before but now in sparkled in green light. They descended down the stairs and into the central room, no signs of the battle could be seen, instead an alter stood. As they walked towards the alter Jade let out a gasp as began to run forward, the figure who had been kneeling by the alter stood up and wrapped his arms around the girl.
"I thought I have lost you," she whispered.
"Never, I will be will be with you forever," Shadow replied, Shadow took the girls hand as they walked up the stairs of the alter, in the centre of the small building lay the bodies of Sephiroth and Raven, side by side, lying slightly off to the side was the body of Vincent.
"Its magnificent," whispered Shadow. "But it still needs one touch." He waved his weary hand and slowly words began carving themselves into the floor around the bodies of his fallen friends.
"Immortalis Angelus," read Jade. "What does it mean?"
"Eternal Angels," said Shadow as a tear ran down his cheak.
Shadow looked up at Blade who was kneeling beside her sister. She had tears in her eyes as she ran her hand down the length of silky brown hair, Rufus looked at Shadow sorrowfully and shook his head. "Her life has ended," he whispered sadly.
"She gave her life so we could live Shadow," Jade choked. "But its okay because she is with Sephiroth. She will be with Sephiroth forever. In the Promised Land...."

Epilogue I
~Goodbye~

Blade sat in the morning wet grass and looked out at the rising sun with a heavy heart. She was proud of her sister who had kept the world from its destruction. She stood and went inside of the monument, where everyone was waiting, to look at the two tombs. There were only two because Shadow could not bear to bury Raven and Sephiroth separately. The other held the body of their friend Vincent who had fought bravely in his chosen sister's honor. Blade could not stop herself from dropping to her knees and bursting into tears once more. Rufus pulled her too her feet and she buried her face in his shoulder. He rubbed her back gently trying to soothe her. Soon her sobs lessened to sniffles and she gazed up at him with sparkling green eyes.
"I never even got to tell her goodbye," she whispered. "I never got to know her. The only thing I have is the memory of when we were growing up and even when we were little I didn't see much of her. She was always at the reactor with her brother and uncle or in the forest somewhere."
"If it will make you feel any better then I will have a statue of them built in the center of Junon. I will let everyone know what they have done for us, what they have done for the planet," Rufus smiled when her sweet face lit up. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. Her arms slid around his neck and he lifted her off her feet for a moment before putting her back down. Then he lead her to the door of the monument where he stood holding her quietly as they watched the sun move over the horizon.
"Goodbye Raven and Sephiroth...." Blade whispered sadly.

"Excuse me sir..." Rufus turned to look at Reno and Rude who had approached. "We couldn't fight you sir. We wish to return to your service." Rufus smiled.
"You're now the leader of the Turks Reno," Rufus replied.
"Just no more dishonorable work you two," Blade added with a grin. "It's time we start looking after the planet or there will be no planet to live on."

Epilogue II
~United In The Stars~

"I guess you won’t be needing me now," sighed Shadow as he stood before his new queen in the hall of the weapons.
"You have done your people a great service Shadow, and your loss has been great, I can feel you pain," Jade looked down at her fallen knight.
"They were my life, my friends, my only family and without them I am alone. Raven… Sephiroth… Ruby… Emerald, all my family is gone now and my task is done," he turned away and began walking out of the hall.
"I am not done with you yet Shadow, your queen orders you to come back," Jade rose from her seat.
"I serve my queen…" he replied as he turned.
"Now get down in your knees," he did as she asked. She walked over to him and lifted his head, for a long time she stared into his eyes until the grief left them.
"So are you going to ask me or not?" she said quietly.
"I do not understand my queen," he stammered.
"Oh, you're impossible," she grabbed his neck and kissed him deeply, as he pulled away he was about to protest and then he saw her. Where the girl had stood was now a woman, her features were much the same but gone was the child and in its place was the elegant body of the queen of the universe.
"You're mine now Shadow," her rich laughter echoed through the cosmos.