Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII.

A/N: I finally beat Final Fantasy X! While I was playing it, I got the urge to play Final Fantasy VII, but I was like, "No, I should finish this game first, or else I'll never get around to beating it." So now it's over, and I started replaying Final Fantasy VII today. I'm already at Junon! Anyway, I'm kind of in a Rufus crush phase – 'cause he's one sexy mann – and I've been trying all over the place to write a story with him in it, but nothing's ever really interested me enough to keep me going. But finally! Here it is! The masterpiece that actually has an in-depth storyline, one that'll keep you and I both interested long enough to finish! So far, I only have a basic storyline in mind, but I'll expand quickly. Well, time to get started. Hope you like!

Wish Upon a Meteorite

Prologue

1997, Month of the Frost, ShinRa Inc. Worldwide Calendar, Day 36, 19:26.

Meteor hovered menacingly over the Planet, battling fervently against the Holy magic holding it back. In mere moments, the Planet and all its inhabitants would be destroyed.

All that Sephiroth had wished for was about to come true. His destiny had revealed itself, and he followed the path his Mother had walked, ages ago. Everything had fallen into place, like puzzle pieces, forming the perfect picture of destruction that had stained his mind so many years ago. And with one more strategically placed move, his dream would be realized.

One more move: the swing of Cloud's first sword, the Buster Sword, slicing through Sephiroth's chest.

He had no dying words, nothing else left to say. Only a serene smile as he felt his physical self fade away. Exactly as planned. And they didn't even know it.

Tifa didn't have any time to smile at the victory, only time to run. She trusted the others enough to escape with her before the whole Northern Cave collapsed on top of them. She wanted to make sure they were okay – she desperately wanted to turn her head and see the seven of them following behind her – but she couldn't take the chance, couldn't spare the time. All that mattered was getting out. She could take care of the others after this was all over; right now, she had to stay alive.

Rocks fell in front of her, behind her, on all sides. She felt claustrophobic. Breathing hard, she pushed through, running for all she was worth.

"Tifa!" Cloud's voice reached over the noise to her ears. She couldn't help but smile a little at the sound. He was alive. "We're going to make it! I promise!"

"Alright. I promise."

Our promise. He'd done it. The whole world was in a pretty big bind, and he saved it. Tifa nodded, even though she knew he couldn't see, and continued, her hope restored. He was right.

It was over. Sephiroth was dead. And they were all going to be okay.

Even in death, Aerith could feel the Planet crying out for help. She could hear the screaming echo in her hollow ears, the nonexistent tears land on her pale face, underwater as she was. It was calling out to her, asking for help, but she had no more to offer. She had done everything she could, and it was still not enough.

The screaming suddenly peaked, soaring through her mind, grating her to her core. The high-pitched sound was nothing else but desperation and complete and utter pain. If she could have, she would've vainly lifted her hands to her ears to block it, even though she knew it wouldn't help.

And above all the screaming rose a dark laughter, coursing through the Planet's veins. She could feel his smile, his vengeance, his pure insanity and rage and obsessive love race through the Lifestream, and knew at once what only he did.

They'd been fooled. Sephiroth didn't want to absorb the Lifestream's power from above. He wanted to control the Lifestream from inside.

And Cloud had just helped him complete his plan.

Tifa launched herself out of the crater with all her might, tumbling headfirst onto even ground. The snow stuck her hair to her face and dampened her clothes against her body coated in sweat, but she couldn't care less. She stood immediately and whipped around, counting as each of her friends came out. Cloud, Red, Cid, Yuffie, Barrett, Cait Sith, Vincent. They were alive, all of them! She nearly shouted for joy, but instead turned her attention to Meteor, slowly breaking through the defense of Holy.

It was a surreal sight. A fiery rock nearly the size of the Planet itself attacking a swirling plate of beautiful white magic. Tifa had to squint so as not to hurt her eyes, as did the others; they'd all stopped to watch, safe now from any immediate danger.

Aerith, she thought, hoping the Ancient could hear her, please let it be enough. Everything that we've done, all that we've sacrificed… Please let it help. Please, help us save the Planet.

She felt unfair asking for more help from her old friend, who had already helped them so much already, but it was all she could do. Watching Meteor tear through Holy, she felt more helpless than she had in a long time. All she could do was watch. Watch and hope.

Red XIII was the first to notice something was wrong. Something smelled strange, and the way the rocks were shifting under his paws wasn't right. Something was happening within the Planet, but he wasn't sure what.

"Cloud!" he barked, instinctively calling for his leader. He got the blonde's attention immediately. "Something is wrong. The Planet… Do you feel it?"

Cloud's brow furrowed in concentration, and he knelt down to press a palm to the earth. For a moment, he was frozen, his fingers going numb underneath the snow. Then he felt it. A tremor; faint, but constant, like chattering teeth. His eyes met Red XIII's. "What's going on?" he asked quietly; Red only knew what he said from how his lips moved. The scenery was much too loud to hear anything other than screaming.

And suddenly, that's what they were hearing.

Without warning, glowing green structures like tentacles burst through the ground around AVALANCHE. They whipped around wildly, throwing chunks of earth this way and that. White strands of light pulsed within, contorting into jagged lines and shapes, looking like a thousand pairs of hands were twisting them every which way.

Tifa grabbed Cait Sith just before leaping out of the way of a tentacle slamming to the ground, inches from where she had just stood. Red XII leaped around them, growling and lashing his tail back and forth. "Cloud!" he called. "These aren't enemies! It's the Lifestream!"

That got everyone's attention, but Cloud was the first to speak. "What?" he asked in disbelief.

"That's impossible!" Yuffie cried. "Why is it coming out of the Planet?"

"One would think it would help us," Vincent suggested.

"It's screaming," Tifa remarked. "It's in pain! What's happening to the Planet?"

"Watch out!" Cait Sith yowled, pointing a white and black paw at an incoming tentacle. The party scrambled out of reach just in time, but Cait Sith's robot was crushed beneath it. "Ah! My Mog!"

"No time!" Cid yelled, pulling the cat away as he tried to go for his broken piece of machinery.

"But –"

"Look!" Tifa shouted, staring at the tentacle. It hadn't made a move to lift itself from the ground; it just writhed there in the dirt, screeching, as a sticky black substance weaved itself through from the bottom up.

"Shi't!" Barrett cursed, stepping back.

"What's happening to it?" Yuffie asked, retreating behind Vincent. He held his arm out to hide her behind his cloak.

"It's Sephiroth," Cloud realized in a whisper. He cussed loudly. "It's Sephiroth!" he repeated so his friends could hear. "He's in the Lifestream now. It's gotta be him!"

Tifa's eyes widened in understanding. "No…" she breathed, but she knew the truth.

He tricked us.

Above the screeching rose a dark laughter, and Tifa knew. They all knew.

Sephiroth had won. And they had helped.

A/N: Well, that's the prologue! I hope you all liked it, and I'll write more tomorrow! I'm sooo happy with this so far. Well, it's almost 1:30 in the morning, and I'm gonna read a little bit before bed, so nite nite for now! Please review! It lets me know you guys are out there! =)