Disclaimer: Well, first off…I don't own Final Fantasy VII (unless you mean the actual game…then yes, I do have that) ;;; Erm, but what I mean is that I don't own the characters or the original plot or any of that stuff…though it would be cool. The only thing I do own is this fiction…and a bunch of crap in my house. Oh yeah, there are spoilers in here so if you haven't played the game then…shame on you. You won't understand any of this if you didn't anyway so GO PLAY IT IF YOU HAVEN'T!!! Anyway, on to the fiction.

Time…always knowing and never ending. How many times have we wished to control it, to be able to make it stop and go back? Often we have wanted to change it and make an event become lost but that cannot be. So we strive on with only our own uncertainty to guide us. We can make it if we try because there is nothing completely lost if we do. Let go the past and look towards the future, it's what you make it and what you want it to be. Only we can tell time…and only time, can tell us.

The appearance of a Legend

"Are we almost in men?" a tall man with a white lab coat asked eagerly. It was a cloudy day at the Great Glacier. Groups of people were gathered at a place just beyond Corral Valley. Digging professionals were hard at work trying to make their way through the ice while soldiers waited for them to finish. At the top of the group was a man who led the group, a man well known for his other discoveries like Corral Valley, Ancient Forest and the Mythril mines. Impatiently, he waited for his reply.
"Not quite Professor Gast, just a few more minutes and we will have dug deep down into the central core of the cavern," the man in charge of the drilling said.
"Hojo, stop falling asleep and watch this. We're about to make history!" Gast shouted at the man who was leaning against a piece of equipment, snoozing. "Come on Hojo, take something seriously for once you clown," Gast yelled, throwing a piece of ice at the man startling him awake.
"Ah! That wasn't very nice. Why did I even have to come on this boring excavation, you won't find anything," Hojo said with a disgusted tone in his voice.
"You just don't have any imagination, that's why you are such a lousy scientist," retorted Gast, folding his arms.
"Phhh, whatever professor Gas," chuckled Hojo, closing his eyes again.
"It's Gast, not Gas you ingrate. I do…" Gast started, but was interrupted by a loud crashing sound as the machine broke through and a huge chunk of ice hit the ground of the cavern.
"We're in sir, we'll go first to make sure the area is secure. Once we check the area, you can come down," the commander said, hopping in a bucket and lowering himself down.
"It appears that it's already lit up down there somewhat from the minimal light getting through. I wonder what it will look like down there and what kinds of monsters lurk about. Hojo, you and I will go down when they check the area so get ready," Gast said, walking to the edge a little more and peering down inside.
"What about me?" a brown haired woman asked from inside of one of the vehicles.
"Yes, you too will go down Ifalna, I would never forget you nor leave you in this horrible weather," Gast smiled.
"Hehe, I know but do you really think you will discover something about my ancestors in this place?" she asked, kind of worried.
"Yes, I do and that is why I brought you along. If there is maybe some ancient writing or presence inside, you'll have to decipher it for us," he said, pushing his glasses up.
"Well, it has been awhile since I've seen any Cetra writing but I will try," she said.
"Ok sir! Coast is clear! You may come down now!" the commander shouted.
"Ok, you first Ifalna," said Gast as he opened the jeep's door helping her out to the bucket. "Take it easy with her men."
The bucket began to lower slowly and Gast went to Hojo, hitting his shoulder to wake him. "Come on, we're next."
Hojo sighed and frowned at the thought of even knowing these people. He hated the fact that he was dragged along on another one of Gast's discoveries when he knew that he would not receive any of the credit. He had almost not come but president Shinra ordered it so he had to.
"Damn that President, why do I even listen to him when I have more important things at the HQ to deal with," Hojo grumbled.
"Because the President wishes not to have his money wasted on HIM," another woman said, stepping out of the same vehicle.
"Scarlet, you and the president will never understand the important of HIM so why don't you just stay out of my business and let me do as I wish," Hojo said, hitting her with a snowball.
"Why you, I should have you removed from HQ for that," she growled.
"Go ahead, but I take my specimen with me and he is far more powerful than anything you will ever see, and don't forget my newest either," the man grinned, before hopping in the bucket. "Come Gast, let us get this over with."
"Oy, you are unbelievable sometimes," Gast sighed, hopping in the bucket as well.
As the two are lowered down, Scarlet ran to the edge and shouted down to Hojo. "I'll get you someday Hojo! Mark my words I will!!!"
As the bucket touched the ground, Gast looked around, amazed. Hojo simply hopped out and hmphed.
"There isn't much here, what a boring sight," he said, kicking a piece of ice.
"On the contrary, it is very fascinating. Look at the icy walls and beautiful colors. What an interesting cavern of ice and materia. We must take samples," Gast said, scraping off some of the wall into a container.
"I feel like there is something around here," Ifalna whispered, closing her eyes to focus. "It's that way," she said, pointing towards an opening in the wall.
The trio headed towards the opening and followed it through a small tunnel into a room much like the previous but smaller.
"I feel it, we're close but not there yet," Ifalna spoke, placing her hands on her chest in a small prayer.
"This is boring. Can we go yet?" Hojo whined.
"Quiet, she needs to concentrate in order to hone in on the source of the feeling," Gast explained, looking around for some sort of clue.
"It's no good, it feel's so close but there isn't any openings in this room at all," she said.
"Well here's an idea, look for a trap door or switch," Hojo chuckled, leaning against a stalactite, which moved from his weight and opened a door behind Gast.
"Well Hojo, it seems you were right," Gast said, walking towards the entrance.
"I'm always right," Hojo said disgusted that he had actually helped Gast.
Gast walked through the tunnel and Ifalna followed. Hojo lagged way behind but no one seemed to notice or even care. The main troops had stayed back in the main room and only the captain and two of his best men accompanied Gast, Ifalna and Hojo.
"Captain? I'm getting some sort of reading on the scanner," one of the soldiers said suddenly, stopping in his tracks.
"A reading? Is it a monster?" asked the captain.
"I don't know, but it's big and it seems to be right in front of us."
The captain walked to the front of the group and looked about. After seeing nothing, he motioned for one of the men to call for backup.
"Just in case something is through this next chamber, we'll need that backup. We'll wait here until they arrive, then we'll move into the next room," explained the captain.
"I feel a great uneasiness ahead of us, let's go back before something happens," Ifalna said with worry in her voice.
"Nonsense, we must march on even if danger lurks around the corner. Besides, we've got protection here and I won't let anything happen to you," Gast said.
"Professor…" she sighed.
Twenty more soldiers arrived into the room and took their positions around the entrance. The captain went to the entrance and decided to take the first step inside. After a few minutes, he called back for the rest of the troops to move in.
"Should we follow?" one of the soldiers asked.
"I don't know, but if he called for us it is an order and we have to obey," another said, shaking his head slightly. "Besides, we got guns and if something comes we'll just blow it to smithereens."
The other soldiers nodded and went in, along with Gast, Ifalna and the still lagging behind Hojo.
"It's dark in here, captain? Where are you?" asked Gast, searching for his flashlight.
"Professor, I think we should go back, really" Ifalna said, shivering a bit from the cold.
"Please Ifalna, not now. Captain?" called Gast, still searching for the flashlight.
Hojo leaned back against the wall of the room and closed his eyes until a faint shriek was heard. Hojo leaned forward a bit and looked towards the sound.
"Sounds like the energy source was found," he chuckled.
Another shriek was heard and then a blood curdling scream. Gast ignored the screams and turned on his now found flashlight. Ifalna grabbed onto Gast in fright and closed her eyes as he turned on his flashlight and moved it across the floor of the room shedding light on dead soldiers.
"My god…what could have done this? They look practically mauled to death," said Gast, shocked.
"Pr…o…fessor…." a voice called from afar. Gast pointed the light at the sound and revealed it was the captain. The three went to him and bent down at his side.
"Oh my, Captain your arm!" Ifalna gasped.
"It…took it…it's big…it attacked from out of nowhere…be…car…eful…" the Captain spoke, closing his eyes.
"Dead…" Gast said after checking the captain's pulse.
Hojo grabbed the Captain's gun and threw another one to Gast.
"We'll need these I suppose."

The three cautiously moved about in the darkness, being careful not to stumble over a dead body and even worse. After traveling through the darkness a ways, a roar came from behind them and caused them to stop in their tracks. They all turned around and Gast flashed the light over the creature's face.
"It's a…a.a.a…R.rr.ed….Dr Dr dr aggon…nnn…." Gast stammered.
"So it is," Hojo sighed. "I was hoping for more."
"You imbecile!!! One of these is enough to kill any man!!!" Gast shouted.
"Oh please, he's just a baby and I doubt he'll be any trouble at all," Hojo said confidently.
Just as he said that, a much louder roar was heard from behind them. Slowly, they all turned around only to see a much bigger Red Dragon with a much deadlier appearance and fangs and claws just right for ripping and tearing through flesh.
"However, the baby's are always accompanied by the mother Hojo," Gast said, patting Hojo on the shoulder. Hojo dropped his gun and his jaw for that matter. Ifalna just clinched onto Gast and Gast himself just sweated bullets.
"You know, I think the best option here is not to attack but possibly to…RUN LIKE HELL!!!" Gast said, grabbing Ifalna by the hand and smacking Hojo out of his trance then running under the dragon towards well, anywhere but there. Hojo grabbed his gun and fled after them as well…and the dragon followed of course.
"It's following us! Run faster you two!" Hojo shouted.
"I'm running as fast as I can in this stupid outfit!" Ifalna shouted back.
The dragon began to gain on them but they managed to stay away from its grasp barely, which is until they ran into a dead end.
"Oh no, we're out of road! We're trapped!" Gast yelled.
"More like we're dead!" Hojo said in return.
"I'm scared, what do we do!?" Ifalna asked, shaking.
"I don't know! Why don't you just use some ancient power or something!" Hojo said sarcastically.
"Yeah right, I wish!" she said before tripping over a lever of some sort. "What is this?"
"Who cares? Pull it!" Hojo ordered.
Ifalna grabbed the lever and pulled it back, which opened the floor beneath them giving them enough time to say "Uh oh."
As the group fell down the tunnel, they screamed in fear of hitting the bottom and becoming pancakes.
"If we hit, we're dead!" Gast shouted.
"Oh great, almost eaten then smashed, perfect," Hojo sighed, folding his arms.
But before they hit the ground, a thin soft layer of goo formed beneath them and gave them a soft landing.
"Are we dead?" asked Hojo, dazed a bit.
"I don't know, we didn't hit the ground," Gast replied.
"I think we are alive. This goo stuff saved us, but it isn't sticky and what's the weird white and purple light around us?" asked Ifalna.
"Help me," called a mysterious voice from ahead.
"Did you hear that?" asked Hojo.
"Yes, but who could be down here? This area has never been explored and I don't even really know where we are right now," Gast said. "Do you feel anything Ifalna?"
"Yes, this way, let's go," she said, walking on ahead.
Gast hopped down off of the webbing and followed Ifalna down the path. Hojo shook the daze from his head and jumped down to the floor, but before moving on he pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number.
"Hello? This is Professor Hojo, how is my specimen? Good, ready him for testing when I get back. I think Gast is going to find a lot more here than he expects. Oh yes…and what about the new one? Fine, I'll deal with it when I get back," he said, closing the phone up and sticking it back in his pocket. "This should prove to be interesting after all," he smiled before following the two.

As they progressed through the tunnel, the light got brighter and the walls of the tunnel turned more materia-like. Ifalna lead with Gast right behind her and Hojo lagging behind them both, deep in thought.
"We're almost there, I can see some sort of opening Ifalna," said Gast, moving by her.
"Yes, this is the place the feeling is centralized at. Be careful," she warned.
As the two cautiously made their way into the bright white room, Hojo stopped at the entrance and noticed another lever in the side of the wall. Being a scientist, he pulled it down which revealed a terminal and a computer screen with information about the area on it.
"Look at this place, it's very advanced. I wonder who was here?" Gast spoke in awe.
"It must be Cetra, look at this writing Gast," Hojo announced.
Gast walked over to Hojo and stopped in front of a terminal with a weird type of writing on it. After studying it for a second he called over Ifalna who peered at it herself and began to decipher it.
"Hydraulics 100, Power 95, System restraints normal, subterranean access sealed, now running electrical system bypass and lowering platform," she read slowly.
"Platform? I wonder where it leads?" Gast asked, staring at it as it rose up.
"It goes down, maybe to some sort of research facility or central nervous system," Hojo assumed, walking towards it. "Well, come on."
The three stepped onto the platform, which automatically began to lower itself down into a purplish glow of cloud-like substance. When it stopped, they got off it into a major room with computers and terminals all over the place.
"What is all this? It looks to be just as advanced as the computers at Shinra HQ," Gast stated.
"No one ever said the Cetra were heathens," Hojo chuckled.
"Look, another platform, shall we?" Ifalna asked. The two nodded and down the group went, this time even farther down into an even more purplish glow.
"It's very pretty down here, don't you think?" Ifalna asked Gast.
"Yes, and it is getting more pretty the more further we go down," he replied.
At the end of this ride, the group had ended up in a much smaller area with weird writing all over the walls and yet another platform.
"More of this writing, can you read it Ifalna?" asked Gast.
"I'll try. Let's see…it says: Caution, this is the holding area for her. Only those with special clearance have access to this area. All other personnel are advised to turn back, she is very dangerous and not to be messed with. Those with access, please take the necessary precautions while inside. Thank you."
"Her? Her who I wonder?" Gast asked, puzzled.
"Let's find out," said Hojo.
"I don't know, I feel a very strong presence down there. Maybe we shouldn't," Ifalna said.
"Oh shut up about your feelings, we're scientists and we explore and experiment so we're going to go down there and if you want to stay here then you go ahead," Hojo snorted.
"You're so mean, how could you ever be a scientist with that attitude," Gast retorted, helping Ifalna on the platform.
"How could you ever be one with that dopey face and stupid haircut?" Hojo chuckled.
"Enough of your insolence, may we continue down please?" Gast said as he hopped on the platform.
"Oh fine, I don't know why I ever wanted to be a scientist," Hojo sighed, stepping onto the platform.
"You aren't so don't worry," Gast chuckled as the platform lowered the three down.
The room was an icy cold, ice-misted area with a bunch of light in it from the walls. After jumping off the platform, it rose back to the top, blocking the exit.
"This place just gets more beautiful the deeper we go and yet, I feel like this is where our journey ends," Ifalna said, looking around in amazement.
"Yes, but this room is much deeper than the previous ones. It seems that there is a small path that leads down that slope and around the bend there. Shall we?" Gast said, helping Ifalna down the path.
"If they touch each other again I think I'm going to turn Gast as purple and blue as this light," Hojo grumbled, following them along the path.
The three continued on down even deeper than they ever imagined they could go. The deeper they got, the more feeling Ifalna felt and the colder it became. Hojo was lagging behind of course but still stayed in sight of the other two. After at least 20 minutes, they reached the bottom where there were two huge doors covered in a thick layer of ice with a control panel next to them. Being curious, Gast went to the console and tried to fool with it, thinking maybe he could open the doors.
"Wait, I can read something here," Ifalna said, squinting through the ice at more Cetra writing. "All unauthorized personnel please leave the area immediately, only the head research team and members of the council may enter this area and the Royal family. Please identify yourself at the panel and be prepared for the DNA pass code on the left. Thank you."
"Hmm, it seems that this was a very important place if only these certain people could enter it. There is even a DNA pass code," pondered Gast.
"Well, I guess this is the end of our trip, lets go back now," Hojo said, turning around.
"Not so fast Hojo, we just have to see what's in here. Doesn't your curiosity get to you?" Gast asked.
"Well, its cold and it seems there is no way to get in there. A) You have to have proper identification, B) You have to have the right DNA and C) The doors are covered in a thick sheet of ice," Hojo pointed out.
"Yes but I see that there is an electric current here that is separate from the console. Perhaps if I can rewire the current into your gun I can create a heat ray of some sort that we can use to melt a line where the doors part," alleged Gast, pulling the wire up and over to the door.
"Ok, but how do you expect to do the other two?" Hojo questioned.
"First things first, give me your gun," Gast requested.
Hojo gave the gun to Gast and he began to work furiously at it. After only a few minutes, he stood up and aimed the gun at the doors.
"I'm not a good shot so Hojo you do this," said Gast as he handed the gun to Hojo.
Hojo took the gun and began to fire the beam at the crack of the doors. After moving along the line 5 or 6 times, the ice was gone in the center and they were now free to open.
"Ok, now what do we do Professor?" asked Ifalna.
"Hmmm, leave that one up to me, I'm an expert computer cracker," Hojo said, using the gun to melt the ice off the console.
"Let's see, if I just do this 'click click' and then this 'click click' it should give me access to all the previous Logons. Yep, now all I have to do is choose which one I think might be the highest level. This isn't going to be easy," he said, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"How can you sweat in this cold?" Ifalna asked.
"I always do when I work hard."
"Hey, would the name Taurun Morhavi work?" Gast wondered.
"It's on the list but where did you get it from?" Hojo asked shocked.
"It's engraved on the wall here. It says, "I will love you forever my darling, King Taurun Morhavi the II" on the wall here," Gast explained.
"The king? That is the name then, I'll type it in…" Hojo spoke.
"ACCESS CODE 1 ACCEPTED, AWAITING ACCESS CODE NUMBER 2: DNA MATCH" a voice said from the console.
"Now how about this DNA thing?" Ifalna asked.
"Well try yours, you're Cetra, it might just work," Gast hypothesized.
"But you entered in the royal name, I'm Cetra, but not royalty and if they don't match who knows what will happen," she explained.
"Look woman, Gast did his part and I've done mine so why don't you try contributing something to this mission eh?" Hojo barked.
"Al…all right," she said, sadly moving towards the machine.
"I'll melt that," Gast said, pointing the gun at the machine.
After the machine was fully un-thawed, the Cetra took her necklace and made a deep cut on her hand then placed it on the DNA match machine. After a few seconds, a loud beeping was heard and she stepped back.
"I think we made it mad!" she cried.
"ATTENTION ATTENTION, ACCESS CODE NUMBER 2 ACCEPTED…OPENING CRYOCHAMBER, STAND BACK AND TAKE EXTREME CAUTION"
"Hey, it worked!" shouted Gast as the doors began to slide open slowly and a major light shone through the crack as it widened.
"It…worked? Does this mean I'm…royalty?" Ifalna thought to herself.
After the doors had slid fully open, Hojo joined Gast and Ifalna in the front of the area, peering in.
"Oh my lord…what is that?" Gast said in awe.
"It looks like a person…" Ifalna said, looking into the chamber.
They began to slowly walk into the chamber and up to the tank in the center. Inside the tank was a girl, a very young one no more than 4 or 5.
"Is she…alive?" asked Ifalna.
"Yes, look at the life level readings. It seems she was frozen like this, alive," Hojo said overlooking the tank.
"But why? Why would someone freeze a little girl inside a place like this then lock her up?" Gast asked.
"Wait…I'm feeling something major, something very strong right in front of me," spoke Ifalna with her eyes closed.
"Well, this little girl is right here, could she be the one?" Hojo pondered.
"Perhaps…look, more Cetra writing!" Gast shouted, jolting Ifalna from her thought.
"It says 'Beware of that which seems most innocent and pure. The legend goes that a small child born within a year of a great hurt upon the planet will have immense power. The child will grow to control the power and be corrupted by it. They are the undoubted destructor of the planet and must stay locked away for all time. This is she. Her name is Kirratani and we pray she will never hear it again for she must remain here and never be set free into the world' and it has a strange symbol below it," Ifalna translated, looking at the young girl.
"So what do we do? This is no doubt, the greatest find yet Hojo, should we just leave it here to rest?" asked Gast, rubbing the tank with his fingers.
"To this very day I swore that nothing could ever be greater than my child but now I can see potential even past that in this one girl. Let us take her to the lab and keep her frozen so that we can study her," Hojo said, smiling devilishly.
"Very good, we'll go back up and contact the retrieval group to come and get us with our new specimen," Gast said.
"I have a bad feeling about this…" whispered Ifalna to the heavens.