We arrived at the Northern Crater as quickly as possible. I took two steps, feeling my courage falter slightly. I had one of those feelings that you get when you know something bad is going to happen. Sesshomaru and Byakuya were on their guard, and for good reason. A black mass flew past me and I could hear the sounds of metal scrapping along itself. I quickly turned to find none other than Sephiroth clashing with the other two.

"Seph! No!" I cried as I moved toward them.

In between parries Byakuya called, "This is nothing more than a distraction for us. Go."

I followed his order, and made my way farther into the crater itself. I ran as fast as my legs could physically carry me as I neared that darkened area that my eyes focused on. I only stopped short of outright ripping a head off, though I was upset that there wasn't anything for me to pound, crunch, stab, bite, claw, or any other physical abuse. There was only a dark mass of evil.

Welcome.

"Kiss my ass," I said flatly.

I was wondering when you would show up. Because of your meddling, I had to convince my son that I was his only family.

"You mean brainwashed him," I hissed lowly.

I have no time for pety tricks.

"Yeah, right," I said said sarcastically, "You might as well be the Mother of hell."

Don't you dare sass me!

A wave of pain rushed into my head again. I bit back any emotion but I couldn't control the twitch that came with the pain.

"So you do carry a whip," I said laughing, "What else can you do other than give me a headache?"

More than you can fathom.

"Oh honey, I can fathom a lot," I told her.

Then shall we get started?

"By all means, but you being a cloud doesn't help me much," I said clicking my tongue.

The shadow seemed to condense into a hardened shell of what resembled a human. I didn't give her a chance to attack, I flew through the air and tried to land a claw across the form. She nimbly avoided me as if I was the slowest thing alive. She swiftly came back with a kick that landed, hard. I was knocked back quite a bit and slammed into a rock. I got up from the rubble and came back. This time I got my energy flowing, and my Aura formed the orbs. I had them spin around me so they could be versatility as I walked back towards her.

No POV (3rd Person)

As Raven readied herself to attack, Jenova smiled. Her smoky form would allow her to dodge the creature that dare stand up to her. Raven made a mad dash to her and Jenova smiled. Her grin quickly faded as the tell tale signs of Materia began glowing in her body. Purple materia was set in her legs, Blue in her arms, and Green in her shoulders. Her speed increased as the Purple Materia went to work. A quick dash up to the smoke, Raven brought both her hands together and slammed down, the Master Elemental, Master Fire, and Master Quad. Materia worked as her blow caused her hands to ignite and flames engulfed and pulsed around Jenova. She shrieked as the fire caused her pain. A shadow like tendril wrapped itself around Raven as Jenova tossed her aside before casting Gravity.

Raven cried out at the air around her compressed and began to crush her. As the spell dissipated, Raven called to the Master Barrier Materia to shield her and reflect the attacks of the shadow like creature. Raven wouldn't allow her to get a second attack as she prepared another assault...

Later...

Raven had given her all but Jenova appeared to be unharmed. Cursing under her breath she activated another Blue Master Materia: HP Absorb. This would allow her attacks to leech away the force behind Jenova, not that she would do normally but Raven had no choice. She was beginning to lose...

Meanwhile...

Bright flashes of sparks would be the only thing an outsider would see if they looked on the battle between the three master swordsman. All had deadly skill and it would seem that neither were receiving any wounds. Though the strain of physical activity began to show in the faces of Byakuya and Sesshomaru. The Captain and Demon Lord were finding it difficult to subdue the General, seeing as how he regenerated if they landed a blow. A darkness seemed to surround the General as he kept his onslaught, he even managed to force Byakuya to activate his Shikai.

Shimmering petals danced in the air as the combatants clashed, scattering about to attack and defend for their master. Sephiroth showed no mercy as he continued his onslaught. He even pierced the Demon Lord in the shoulder with Masamune, forcing him back. Byakuya wasn't fairing much better, he had only managed to escape the deadly strikes enough that they left small gashes on his body. As they jumped back and prepared to attack again, Sephiroth stopped.

"Mother," he said in a monotone voice before quickly making an escape.

Raven's POV

Shit, I thought as I felt the toxic aura of Jenova seep into my body. Yeah her life force healed me but it made me sick. I was slowing down and she knew it, I needed some help soon if I was going to kick her ass. How can she be this strong? She is a half dead ancient whatever-the-fuck. Maybe that is my problem...I am thinking of her the wrong way...

I changed my tactics around a little. Instead of attacking her, I chose to attack the spot she originally inhabited. Breaking the earth with my strength, I picked up a large chunk of the earth and tossed it. It landed at the spot and Jenova hissed. Now I was getting somewhere. Levitating I used my orbs to repeatedly attack that once spot. Her cries could be heard no doubt from a distance. I bum rushed the target, moving swiftly as I could as my hands ignited once more. I lept in the air and felt myself go into a blood lust like sadistic mode.

However my attack was short lived as I felt something pierce my skin. In one instant I was going to kill her, the next I found myself face first in the ground. I rose up coughing, having being stabbed and the wind knocked out of me. I rose up and faced the new opponent, I swallowed hard when I realized my attacker was Sephiroth. As Sephiroth readied his attack Jenova stopped him.

"Stop son," she commanded,"She will do perfectly."

"What do you mean Mother?" he asked.

"For my replacement," continued Jenova, "Since you killed the last remaining member of the Cetra Aeris, she will have to do."

My dream...no! I thought as I backed away gasping. There wasn't anyway that I could live through that. I tried to defend myself and come up with something witty but my fear had my words caged. I couldn't think.

"See she even thinks so," she smiled.

"N," I said, one syllable was better than nothing, "n-n-no."

"What?" she said.

"My dream...this isn't real," I said backing off, "You aren't real, you aren't real."

"I am very much alive and real, or are those wounds not proof," she said, "Your foolish gamble in absorbing my life force left you instead harvesting my cells."

"No, he can't," I said remembering the ending, "Seph..."

"What do you know?" she narrowed her eyes.

"He, he, dies," I whispered.

"My son would never," she said.

"He would if you killed him," I said in horror.

"Kill him?" she asked.

"He...he doesn't want me to leave," I told her.

"He doesn't have a choice," she said, "Don't you agree that she is a perfect replacement?"

He stared blankly for a moment.

"Please, please don't say yes. You have another life...you have a choice," I pleaded, "or does that mean nothing?"

"A choice?" he said.

"Yes, I am your family!" I said, "She is just something that holds you back. You never saw that because you weren't given the chance!"

"How dare you!" shrieked Jenova, "He came to ME! I cared for him when everyone abandoned him!"

"He had a mental breakdown and you snapped him up in your evil grip, twisting his heart!" I argued, "You took advantage of him to do your will...Seph was just a puppet to you. You never cared for him."

"I did so!" she said.

"Then why did you let him go and die!" I asked, "You knew about Aerith...you knew what it would do to Cloud, but you ordered him to kill people. You told him to do things that made him feared."

"Sephiroth, son, how dare you let this impudent child speak to me in such a manner," she cried.

"You are losing. If you hadn't been in peril you wouldn't have called him here. I knew that you were a snake! If you fear for anything you call him to save you. You are nothing, always have, always will be nothing. He doesn't have to protect you anymore. He has a choice!" I screamed.

"Very well, if you belive that your words mean something," she said looking at Sephiroth.

The cloud surrounding him faded and he dropped to the ground. I ran over to him and caught him before he hit the ground. His weight limp in my arms as I slowly sat down over him.

"No, you'll never be alone

When darkness comes

I'll light the night with stars

Hear my whispers in the dark

No, you'll never be alone

When darkness comes

You know I'm never far

Hear my whispers in the dark," I sang.

He didn't move, I held him tighter as I glared at Jenova.

"He better come back, you evil bitch!" I said.

"That is up to him," she mused.

I went berserk. I didn't know what happened but when I came back to, Sesshomaru and Byakuya were pulling me back. I had blood all over my hands and I was covered up in gashes. I didn't know whose blood was whose, seeing as how I was drenched in it. The bloody pulp that I beat the creature into was laughing, choking on blood.

"If I do not survive, neither does he," she said.

"Fuck," I said going limp.

Ifalna, Aerith, Minerva, whoever you are...please...

Reach out child. Take her offer. When she opens herself to absorb your conscious and possess her body, call on the Lifestream and you will be her prison.

Will that work? Will I survive being me?

Yes, it will. You do not belong to the Planet, you are not a child of the Lifestream. She isn't toxic to you like she is to us. You will become immune to her as we would be corrupted and like a virus she would eat away at us.

How do I call out?

Focus.

"A-alright," I said, "I don't wanna lose him."

She smirked and laughed, "Everyone has a weakness child."

The black smoke appeared as she slammed into me. I could feel tiny things forcing their way into every pore, and I would be lying if I say it didn't hurt. I have never felt anything like it before. No training, drugs, or magic could prepare my body for this. My screams were the only thing I could feel vibrating my body as she entered me. Moments passed like years and the pain fogged my mind.

Focus.

Focus...It...Life...stream...help...now...

What is this?

Another scream filled my mind, but I wasn't sure if it was my own before I blacked out. If I was going to live through this, I would never challenge a pissed off deity like thing again. Though I did smirk at myself. I was the bigger bitch, and now Jenova wouldn't have anything to say or do about anything for a long time...I didn't know how long I was out but when I woke up to familar faces.

"Hey, guys," I said licking my cracked, dry lips, "So water anyone?"

"That is the second time you gave us a scare," said Byakuya, "That Materia came in handy. He have been up most the days healing you."

I was given a small amount of water to sip on. After downing three glasses, I looked up at them, "How long?"

"You have been in and out of it for the better part of a week. Sometimes you would wake up violently, screaming at the top of your lungs other times you would just lay there," said Byakuya.

"Wonderful, I feel like hell," I said, "How is he?"

"He hasn't gained consciousness yet," said Byakuya.

"Time to wake him up," I said raising up.

"You should be in bed," he said.

"Kiss my ass," grumbled before walking and moving over to Sephiroth's bed, "I have improvements."

"How is that possible?" asked Byakuya in amazement.

"Well that black cloud thing, it was Jenova. Until I find another prison for her, she is inside. Better, faster, stronger, that which doesn't kill me only makes me stronger, right?"

"How does that work?" he asked.

"Don't know. Don't really care. Whoever is upstairs seems happy for now, so a little conversation is in order along with waking the sleepy bum up," I said shaking Sephiroth.

"He hasn't been responsive to anything we do," said Byakuya.

"What all have you...Never mind I don't want to know," I said.

Hey people upstairs.

Yes?

Since I got rid of Jenova, do me a favor. Leave Sephy alone to live a life...

He is the spawn of the Calamity...why should we allow it?

Want me to release Jenova in a body that isn't of this world and sit back and watch it burn? That is one option...Another option would be me filtering through the Lifestream to kick all your asses. He is a very important friend.

If we see that he is not changed, then we will have him destroyed.

Well, best be getting to work then. So how do I wake up coma boy?

Touch him.

Got it.

I touched his forehead with my hand, "Hey Sephy. Wake up. I know you can hear me. Now wake up."

His eyes fluttered a bit before he slowly cracked them open.

"There are those Mako eyes I love," I said, "Come on you insufferable ass. Apparently our little fight left us both in a coma."

"You live?" he asked.

"Yep and now you are permanently stuck with me," I smiled.

"How?" he asked.

We are one...I am her prison. She is me and I her, so your family, as fucked as it is, is here.

"Mother?" he asked in disbelief.

"For now, sorta. She is sleeping somewhere in the back of my mind. Planet helped me seal her. She can't harm anyone anymore. But right now I have to convince the Ancients and Planet that you are okay without that wench. If they find you a threat, they wipe you out and I don't feel like kicking a whole Planet's ass," I chuckled, "So proverbial badass, meet your match."

"Can she hear us?" he asked.

"I don't think so. She is kinda like a tattoo you regret getting, always there but not noticeable unless pointed out," I told him.

"That is one hell of a tattoo you have," he said raising up.

"So remember anything?" I asked.

"No," he said, "Did I do something?"

"Nicked my shoulder but it is all good," I said, "I deserved that one for taking on she bitch queen of deadly demise...or some other spooky description of her...Anyway. I have to return the Materia to Cloud..."

"Cloud lives?" he asked.

"Unless you are suddenly gay and have fallen for him, then no," I said before being decked.

"Not funny," he said coldly.

"Mako enhancements are a bitch," I said rubbing my sore jaw, "I don't think shell shocking the boy would be wise."

"Do you think I would attack him?" he asked.

"I just ripped your life out from under you, hell yeah. You want something normal...and considering I just saved you from a terrible fate, you owe me," I said.

"Terrible fate?" he asked.

"Don't ask," I said.

He looked up at me and attempted the puppy look. It was so friggin' adorable I caved on the spot. How that man who was deemed cold and callous managed the perfect puppy stare, I will never know.

"Fine," I scoffed, "But you cause an ounce of trouble I am cutting all that hair off and dying it pink."

I was listening to The GazettE- Before I decay and The Masochism Tango(Tom Lehrer) while writing the Jenova fight scene...and Pandora had the perfect line up from Dance, Dance to Monster. And guess what Red Jumpsuit Aparatus' Face down and Skillet-Whispers in the Dark played while writting the bit about Sephiroth. I love my play list but it is a bit out there...As for Jenova, Breaking Benjamin-Had Enough came to mind.

The form of Jenova I used would be her Jenova-DEATH form.

Lady Zombie: Well it was more or less a tie...I promise, promise that there will be fluff. I just had to get this plot mover in...T.T sorry. I looked up Anime Munters, I laughed until I cried. Erm, yes Raven will meet Vincent...along with other characters. Chocoass is based off the joke that Cloud's hairstyle in color and look resembles that of a chocobo. The ass part was just a plug in really. O.O You updated? -Flashes to read-

River: Alright another heavy chapter, but the next few bits should be wonderful...hopefully.