He knew he was dreaming… that same dream. The one he could never wake from or change, the one that the planet screamed at him to forget about but was unable. The one so real it was like a memory…

It was a cold morning, snow covered the ground, he looked around and saw a hut with an animal skin draped over the doorway. He entered, gently parting the skin, a women sat inside, she had long brown hair and eyes, she smiled. She had been sewing but put down her work and stood up.

"Look at you, I suspect you spent too long outside, you look absolutely frozen" she wrapped an arm around him and lead him to a small table, she put a bowl of stew before him and hummed as he ate.

"Big day tomorrow, Cyan has been chatting my ear off"

He stopped eating

"I wish dad could see me"

"He will. From the Lifestream, he will always be watching over you"

"I wish… I wish I could talk to him again"

"One day we will"

She smiled at him. The dream blurred and moved on. Again he was standing outside in the snow, this time he could feel blood running down his back and saw it staining the snow at his feet. Someone pulled his hand up and he saw a crowd of people cheering.

"From now on your title will be 'White Wolf' because like the wolf you are loyal, fierce and strong. You work with the group, and will be a new valued member to the hunt *isenvlak un snare!*" everyone cheered "and as well as this you are pure, like the snow at our feet *isenvlak un snare!*" the crowd cheered again and the dream blurred again. This time a little girl with brown hair and eyes was holding onto his arm while he sat at a table.

"Did it hurt brother?"

"A little"

"You're so brave; I never would be able to endure all of this"

"You won't have to Cyan, you're a girl. Only hunters have to get coming of age tattoos"

A man rushed into the hut and bowed

"I'm sorry my lady but something has appeared in the sky"

They stepped outside and looked up, a blue light in the sky heading straight toward them

"What is it?"

"Some sort of asteroid, heading toward us"

The dream blurred again and as it blurred he heard the voice of the little girl

"What is it mother?"

"Will it hurt the planet when it lands?"

"Are we going to die?"

"Big brother can you stop it?"

"I'm scared"

Suddenly he was standing over a crater, a group of people around him, the woman from before was going deeper inside.

"There is someone inside… they are injured"

She reached a hand into a rock-like shell, a blue hand met it and she pulled the alien creature free of the wreckage. Some of the hunters helped and soon the blue woman was inside one of the huts.

She resembled the woman from before but her hair was shorter and white, she had blue skin and red-pink eyes that glowed. The woman sat down beside her and handed her a bowl of soup.

"My name is Yarrow what is yours"

The blue women stared then slowly started to speak but Carl didn't here the words.

The dream blurred again and Carl's mind filled with dread.

Laying down in bed, someone rushes in, he sits up and the stranger says

"I'm sorry but lady Yarrow and hunter White-Wolf we need you. Everyone is being transformed into…" the man gasped and Carl notices the blood pouring from his wounded arm.

"You're hurt let us heal you" he says taking a step forward but the man backs away.

"No don't, it's too late for me just listen" he takes a deep breath steadying himself against the door.

"The newcomer, she turned against us, she offered us a gift around the camp fire, she said it was from her land a special power to help them stay connected and stronger. She gave it to us but then, they started changing into beasts. Everyone they attack changes too" he gags and rocks slowly "even I got infected, look" he held out his arm and they could see the point around the wound had started to turn blue. "I don't know how much longer I have but you must flee before it is too late" he collapsed against the door frame. Taking a sword from his scabbard he thrust it into his heart. "Go now my lady" he whispered.

The dream blurred again. They were running, he was holding Cyan's hand and half dragging her along. Orange flames had engulfed the village and made the snow shine. Screams and wails came from the village and chocoboes ran amongst the flames looking for their masters. They ran until they could barely hear the screams… but in the silence heard a new noise. It seemed that the 'gift' could also be passed on to beasts, a huge wild fang jumped from a ledge followed by a pack. They were all icy blue and mad with the infection, they growled and snarled snapping their powerful jaws together. Cyan buried her face in his side. He let go of her hand drawing his knives, five blades in each hand.

"Mother I can distract them you and Cyan get away"

"No we will fight together; I will not abandon my children"

She reached up and untied the ribbon in her hair, she took a small white orb and tossed it to Cyan, who caught it and Yarrow said "I wanted to give that to you when you were older; you have to look after it okay? It is a gift from the planet and is very special to our people"

Cyan nodded and held tightly to the orb, one of the wild fangs made a swipe at them, as it dived forward he drove one of his blades through the creatures spine killing it instantly.

"I see you have earned your title my son, The White Wolf"

She took her staff and hit one of the wild fangs in the face. The battle quickly became fiercer and more bodies were piling up, the largest wild fang hung back, intelligence still lurked within its insanity, and it withdrew climbing back up the ledge. When no one was looking its way it pounced, Yarrow looked to see the creature heading toward him. He turned ready to fight but already seeing the battle was over for him. Just as the fang was about to land on him, Yarrow threw herself at him, he fell to the ground and Yarrow took the blow. Pinned under the creature the other remaining fangs started to close in, he got to his feet and made to attack the fang.

"No don't" he saw the wound in her shoulder, an angry red bite mark already turning blue.

"Just run, take Cyan and run"

"But mother"

"You are The White Wolf and my son, I order you as your mother and leader of the clan to take your sister and leave"

He nodded and grabbed Cyan's hand, he turned to run and heard Yarrow say softly

"And remember I will always love you both"

Tears burned his eyes but he ran with Cyan. The snow was slippy terrain to negotiate but they managed to stay on their feet. At one point they slipped and looked back, the fangs had become distracted by a few other animals and villagers but crawling toward them with jittery motions was Yarrow.

"Quick brother she is coming"

He dragged her away running with renewed strength lent to him by his fear.

"What about mother!? She's sick"

"I know, but you've been sick before and always gotten better"

"Yeah… but-"

"We will see her again one day, but right now she has ordered us to run"

"I'm scared"

"Me too… but I will keep you safe… I promise"

In the half light they saw a cliff face in the distance, behind them the howls of the wild fangs had started up. Apparently they were on the trail again, in that second he made up his mind, they ran to the cliff face and he grabbed Cyan by the waist and lifted her onto the ledge above him.

"What are you doing brother?"

"Follow the tunnel to the other village and tell elder Arabith what has happened"

"What about you?"

He shook his head

"The tunnel is too small for me but you will be fine"

"Will I see you again?"

"Yes. One day, now go" she nodded and crawled into the tunnel.

He turned wearily, ready for death. He took one of his knives from his sleeve, taking ten paces forward he looked back the way they had come and saw the wild fangs heading toward him. He took a moment then drew the blade across his wrist, blood poured onto the snow and he started to run. He followed the cliff face, leading the fangs far away from Cyan, his vision quickly became distorted, he didn't want to die; he was just starting to realise how strongly he wanted to survive. Coward, he told himself, he had lost too much blood to carry on, he saw a small crack in the cliff; it was just wide enough for him to fit through. Inside was a small cave, he took a moment to sit, his back against the wall. He tore his shirt and wrapped it around the wound, outside he heard the wild fangs trying to claw their way inside. He looked around the small cave as it began to shake, rocks fell covering the exit, he heard the distinct yelp of one of the wild fangs getting crushed and everything was plunged into darkness. Slowly he got up from the ground, was this cave fated to be his tomb? He could almost feel the darkness pressing in on him. What would he die of first? Blood loss, lack of oxygen or maybe he would go mad and take his own life. The scratching started again; the wild fangs were digging into the cliff face. It would seem he had a fourth way to die. He sat down in the cold cave and awaited death. Hours past and despite the terror he felt, he just hoped Cyan was safe. He couldn't bring himself to end his life, it seemed too cowardly… but the alternative.

He wished he could have saved his mother, the village, if his father was watching he would surely be disappointed. He wished a lot of things. The fangs were starting to get through; a little light penetrated the cave. He could see his reflection in the ice in front of him, all covered in blood. The boy in the reflection had brown eyes and hair and his lip was bleeding but otherwise looked exactly like Carl did now. He could hear the planet crying out for all the death. He wanted revenge on the blue woman.

"Curse you, I curse you, and I wish I could be the one to kill you"

He sensed the planets approval, his only comfort in the half light.

The fangs outside became more frenzied at the sound of his voice.

"It looks like I will be seeing father sooner than I thought, mother too… I wish I didn't have to die… here, alone" the first fang came inside the small cave and he brought his knife down on its neck.

"Live on little sister *isenvlak un snare!*"

Another fang entered the cave and he sliced through it bringing more of his knives into his hands. He felt himself growing weaker and knew he couldn't hold out for much longer, hope was beginning to spark in his chest as no fang came. After a few seconds the largest fang squeezed into the cave but became wedged in the doorway, it would have been comical if it wasn't so scary. It was large enough to be able to reach him anywhere he stepped in the small cave, he tried to attack but the fang batted him aside and clawed down his back. He cried out in pain as it raked across his coming of age tattoos, he forced himself to his feet careful to avoid those snapping jaws. He threw one of his knives blindly, it hit the fang in the eye, the creature bellowed with rage but he took advantage of its momentary blindness and drove his knife into its brain. The creature slumped. Hope rose in his chest as he saw a small gap above the creature; if he dug a little he might be able to escape. A scratching noise outside followed by a gasping hiss made his blood run cold, Yarrow crawled slowly on her belly through the gap, her skin was blue and eyes unseeing but very much alive. She had been driven insane by the infection too, she turned and crawled toward him, he backed up until he hit the wall. How could he fight her? His mother! the woman who had raised him. He felt like sobbing, it was like a horror show, he couldn't take it.

"Kill me"

He blinked; Yarrow had spoken her face contorted with the agony from her current state.

He remained motionless.

"That was an order White-Wolf, KILL ME!"

The sudden loudness of her shriek as she flung herself at him made, his instincts react before his mind could even process what was happening. He cut across her throat killing her instantly, her body landed with a dull thud and he stared in shock. He drop his knives

"No… what have I?" he collapsed the full horror of the situation finishing him off. He lay there staring at the corpse in the gloom, he reached out a hand and held hers, he knew he was dying, he had lost too much blood and the only thing that had been keeping him alive was his willpower.

Everything faded into darkness…

Carl felt a familiar numbness as the dream faded… followed by a familiar question. Nightmare… or memory?