Final Fantasy VII © Square Enix. The following is a fan-made story not associated with the above. No profits are being made. Please support the official release.

"When the war of the beasts brings about the world's end, the goddess descends from the sky," a ten-year-old Genesis read aloud, turning the page of the already well-worn book he'd found in his parents' study. "Wings of light and dark spread afar, she guides us to bliss, her gift everlasting…" He looked up in interest at the older boy sitting across from him, his eyes locked on the purplish fruit lying before him in the grass. The younger boy laughed. "And yea, she shall descend to the fields and say unto the nonbeliever, 'Angeal, Angeal, why hast thou not partaken of the glorious dumbapple given to thou by thy kind and incredibly handsome best friend?'"

Angeal glowered at him. "Cute, Gen. Cute."

Genesis laughed. "Seriously, Angie, you've been staring at that apple for an hour already. Are you going to eat it, or not?"

The older boy sighed and thoughtfully picked up the Banora White, turning it over slowly in his hands. "…it just doesn't feel right, is all."

Genesis sighed, closing his book with a sharp snap. "I told you, Angie, I'm giving it to you for you to eat. It's not a stain on your honor if you don't steal it, right?" Angeal was quiet, still looking down at the tempting fruit. "Oh, come on! It's juicy and delicious! And it's the first of the season from my father's tree. You know our apples taste the best, right? Right?"

Angeal reluctantly put the apple back down in the grass before him. "…I can't, Gen. I don't feel comfortable accepting gifts, even from you. I want to work for the things I like, or else I'll feel like I stole it. And that'll stain my honor."

Genesis rolled his eyes. "God, Angeal, why is 'honor' every third word out of your mouth? Show some variety, why don't you!"

Angeal smiled wryly. "This coming from the guy who can't go two minutes without quoting that LOVELESS trash?"

Genesis' mouth fell open in horror. "It's not trash, you uncultured oaf! It's brilliant! When I speak of it, I speak of tragedy and beauty, of the wisdom and protection of the Goddess! All you're doing is being wasteful!"

Angeal cringed; as the son of a poor woman, the one thing he hated above all else (except maybe for staining his honor) was to be wasteful. "How am I being wasteful?"

Genesis angrily gestured at the dumbapple. "By not eating the damn apple! I've already gone and plucked it, so if no one eats it, it'll go to waste!"

Angeal shook his head. "Sorry, Gen. You'll just have to give it to someone else."

"But no one else wants it as much as you," Genesis pointed out. "Come on, just one bite, just to make me happy. Kara's already eaten hers, see?" He pointed to the apple core beside him.

Angeal smiled at the mention of his sister. "Kara will eat anything, never mind where it…wait…" He looked around the grounds of Genesis' home – the two boys were the only ones there. "Gen…where's Kara?"

"She's sitting right next to me," Genesis responded absently, already reabsorbed in his book.

Angeal slowly shook his head. "No, she's not."

Genesis looked up – sure enough, only the discarded apple core was by his side. "Huh, that's funny. She was here a second ago…"

"Oh, my God, oh, my God…!"

"Calm down, Angie, she's around here somewhere. How far can a six-year-old get, anyway?"

"Oh, my God…Kara! KARA!"

Where…where is this? Where am I?

This isn't Banora…where are the houses? Where are the apple trees? Where are Gen's fields?

It's dark…there are lights everywhere, just like the ones in that hole in the ground…but it's still dark.

It's so cold…Mommy…

The lights are green, and they're moving like water…they're moving into me…my arm hurts…my arm hurts, Mommy. My arm hurts, Big Brother. Where are you, Big Brother? I'm scared…I'm so scared…Big Brother…

"…"

Huh? Who's that? Big Brother, is that you?

"…I am not your brother, Kara. I am Minerva."

Minerva…Ms. Minerva, how do you know my name?

"I know the names of everyone on this planet. I am of the Lifestream, you see."

Lifestream? What's that?

"It's what you're standing in right now, Kara. It is the life of the planet, the light given off by billions and billions of souls."

You mean these lights? These are people's souls…? Ms. Minerva, why is the Lifestream going into my arm? It hurts…it hurts so much…

"I know, darling. I know it hurts. But it's going to help you, you see."

Help me? How can it help when it hurts so much? I don't understand…I'm scared…

"Do you remember the hole in the fields that you were looking into?"

Yeah…the lights were pretty, so I wanted to take a closer look.

"Those lights were Mako energy, which is part of the Lifestream. It may be beautiful, but it is poisonous to humans. Right now, you're inside of that hole of Mako, and the energy is seeping inside of your arm."

P-Poisonous? Ms. Minerva, am I going to die?

"No, dear. Your brother will find you before the Mako spreads beyond your arm. When you wake up, your arm will look different, but you'll be alive, and the Evil inside of you will be contained."

Evil? Inside me?

"The cells of the Calamity…they will be quenched by the souls of the Planet…you have a job to do, Kara, and the Mako within you will help you do it."

A job? What kind of job? What about the Evil…? Wait! Please don't go, Ms. Minerva…don't leave me alone in this scary place…

"Sleep now, Kara…sleep, and prepare for your task…you shall save the Son…you shall vanquish the demons in my stead, in the stead of my children…but for now, sleep and prepare…"

"I didn't even know there was a Mako spring on the property!"

"Anyone could have fallen into it…"

"What were they thinking, letting her wander off like that? She could die!"

"It's already too late…even if she survives the addiction, we can't save her arm."

"Oh, God, it's hideous…it looks like the arm of a beast…"

"Did you hear? The Shinra Company is sending representatives out here to plug up the spring!"

"Master Rhapsodos already said that he wouldn't stand for a Mako Reactor in Banora!"

"I've heard they're going to take the girl back for treatment…special city treatment we can't get out here…"

"It may be the only way to save her life…"

Genesis had had enough. Shaking his head in disgust, and desperately trying to block out Gillian's heartbreaking sobs, he hurried outside. How dare they…Kara's barely alive, and all they can do is chatter and scream at her arm…Kara…

It was his fault…why hadn't he been paying attention? Sure, he wasn't her brother, but he was as good as, wasn't he? Gillian had told both of them to look after her that day…but they hadn't…they hadn't, and now she was lying in a coma, so small and fragile, with an arm mutated by the Mako poisons. He had failed her…swallowing the lump in his throat, he furiously shook his head and hurried behind the house.

Angeal was sitting outside the backdoor, his head in his hands. His fists were clenched, and his shoulders shook with silent tears. Genesis had never seen him look more defeated, and felt a million times worse just looking at him. "A-Angeal? Are you…are you okay?"

The older boy looked up; his face was pale, and his eyes were raw and red from crying. "How is she?" he said in a hoarse voice.

Genesis shrugged pitifully. "She hasn't woken up yet. Father was saying that people from Shinra are going to come and get her. They have technology and stuff that might be able to wake her up."

"A-And…her arm?"

In spite of himself, Genesis shuddered at the memory – once-pale skin now tough, brown, and leathery, with long fingers and light blue claws, matching the web of veins running along its length. "…they don't think they can fix it."

Angeal stared at him for a long moment before slowly lowering his head onto his bent knees. "Damn it…I'm her brother…I'm supposed to protect her, but I let her out of my sight…I couldn't do a thing…it's my fault she's like this…"

"It…it's my fault, too, Angie," Genesis said weakly, sitting down beside his friend. "I wasn't watching, either…"

"But I'm her brother," Angeal insisted hopelessly, his voice tight. "It was my job to look out for her…and I let her down…and now they're g-gonna take her away from me…I-I might not even…g-get to say…"

"Hey, hey, man, it's okay, you'll see her again. They're probably just going to give her a few injections and send her straight back, no problem. Trust me, Kara's tough – she'll be back on her feet in no time."

Angeal didn't answer. His shoulders shook harder than ever, and now his sobs were audible, sounding even more desperate than Gillian's. Genesis sighed deeply and put an arm around his friend, fighting back the expanding lump in his throat.

"There is no hate, only joy, for you are beloved by the goddess, Hero of the dawn, Healer of worlds…"

Angeal…I promise, I won't let you down like that again…not ever.