Hey everybody. I'm waiting for my younger brother to get home from work so we can play a game, so I'm going to update with a chapter until he gets home. We usually don't spend a whole lot of quality time together, so I'm really looking forward to this. I'm babbling again, go ahead and read the chapter. Disclaimer: I don't own FF7 or the characters. I'm just borrowing them. Megz has rights to the title.

Chapter 20

Reno and Tseng got up early the next morning. They couldn't sleep in due to a bell that was ringing in the distance. They stepped out on the front porch into the morning light.

"What's up with the bell?" Reno whined as he stepped out onto the porch.

"It means that mom's coming home soon." Marie answered.

"I don't understand." Tseng said.

"It's simple really." Willow said from the rocker on the porch. "The bell rings whenever the elders are done with their meeting or have come to a decision. Our mother was in a meeting with them so she'll be coming home soon."

Reno nodded then looked around. "Wait, where's Jaz?"

"She went to go see her parent's and baby sister's grave." Sephiroth said from the part of the porch he was leaning on, causing Reno to jump a mile in the air.

"Jeez, you need to make more noise. I didn't see you over there." Reno said.

"You let her go alone?" Tseng asked.

"I'm sure she won't go far." Sephiroth replied.

Jasmine was standing at the graves of her family. She had taken some flowers and had put them in front of the tombstones of her loved ones. Her mother Jenna Winslow, her father Michael Winslow and her baby sister Annabelle Winslow. She didn't know how long she stood there, gazing upon the graves but decided it was time to head back when she heard the bells ringing. When the house came into view she could see everyone was on the front porch, plus one extra person. She stopped a moment to see that it really was her before she started running at full speed towards the house.

"Jasmine? Jasmine!" the woman cried as she ran towards her.

Jasmine nearly collided with her in an embrace. "It's been to long Aunt Janet."

Janet pushed her by the shoulders a little. "Look at you, all grown up." She used her fingers to brush the tears away that were running freely down Jasmine's cheeks then hugged her again. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too. I missed you, Willow, Marie, everyone and everything. I missed this island so much." Jasmine replied.

"I'll bet you did. It's been nearly eleven years. You'll be staying here now, right?" Janet asked facing her.

"I…can't yet. I have unfinished business to do on the main continents. I came here because I needed to speak to you about something very important. It's about Daniel." she explained.

Janet looked to the three men standing on the porch then back to Jasmine. "Is that why those three are here with you?"

"Partially, yes."

"Very well then. We'll go into the drawing room where the five of us can talk more privately." Janet said.

"And that's why we're here." Jasmine said as she finished explaining to Janet what had happened and why she was there. The three men remained silent during her explanation.

"It does seem that he wants you to kill him." Janet said, bowing her head.

"I want to know why. Why does he want death?" Jasmine said.

"You recall when he left years ago?" Janet asked looking up at her.

Jasmine nodded. "Yes."

"He did come back before you were taken from here. Nobody recognized him due to the helmet and mask that he wore. He only revealed his face to me. He said that they did catch up with the rebels and they ended up fighting. Daniel was the only one who survived. He told me that he had nightmares and was in so much emotional pain that he couldn't stand to be alive anymore. He vowed to find a way to die so he could be with his close friends again." Janet explained.

"Then why have Jasmine kill him?" Tseng asked.

"It's honorable to have the leader of the summoners to kill the one that has much pain." Janet answered.

"There is nothing honorable about killing or death." Jasmine said as she got up to leave the room.

"You couldn't tell Daniel that Jasmine. Please, take his pain away when you return to the main continents." Janet said as Jasmine left the room.

Willow wasn't happy with the turn of events that involved her brother, but she didn't blame Jasmine. She sympathized with her instead. She understood what Jasmine had to do, but also understood her apprehension.

While she was there, Jasmine agreed to go through the three trials that the elders would put her through before she could become the leader. Jasmine had been holing up in Janet's library researching what the leaders of the past had gone through, trying to get herself ready. Jasmine soon found out that task could never be done.

"I give up." Jasmine said as she threw herself onto the couch in the living room.

"I tried to tell you that was impossible for you to study up on." Janet said as she knitted in her rocker from across the room.

"What kind of tasks will she have to face?" Sephiroth asked.

"The second and last task is up to the elders and nobody knows what they will choose. Traditionally, her parents would set the first task, but since their gone that decision will be up to me." Janet explained.

Willow jumped from her seat and ran to her mother. "Mom, I know the perfect first task to put her through."

"Oh no." Jasmine moaned as she covered her eyes with her arm.

"What do you mean a fight?"

"I meant what I said Reno." Jasmine answered. "Willow requested it and Aunt Janet is allowing it."

"So you'll be facing off against your own cousin. Do you think you'll be able to win it?" Reno asked.

"If she's anything like she was when we were younger, then I may be able to still beat her." Jasmine said. "But still, I would rather be prepared."

"You got it." Reno replied as he took her lead and went into a battle stance.

They spent the rest of the evening and the next two days training for the upcoming battle.

A/N: I know what you all are thinking. Noooo, continue on. I'm sorry, you're going to have to wait. I'm a little tired of writing and my Nightmare Before Christmas game is calling to me. I want it to stop screaming at me and I don't want it's voice to get tired now, lol. So I'm going to play that while I wait for my brother to get home. Stay patient and I will update again when I have the time, maybe tomorrow evening but I can't guarantee it. R&R!