Only Time
By: Hotaru170

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or any of its characters. I have gained no profit from this (NO DUH!) and have written it for the enjoyment of others and myself. Okay now that I got that out of the way, lets get on with the story!

Chapter 1: One Down and One to Go

Drip Drip Drip...

The lifestream flowed through the veins of the planet as it has always done. The soul of a familiar Ancient was restless when it felt a familiar presence flowing through the lifestream. The soul of this person wasn't ready to return to the planet yet. They were still alive.

A young woman with long brown hair and a pink dress covered in a red jacket floated in the lifestream searching for the familiar presence. Every time she got a lock on the person's position it would change and move further and further away. The young woman's name was Aeris. The beloved Ancient that was a part of Avalanche until Sephiroth killed her.

'Why will you not let me find this person?' Aeris asked the planet.

'Because when a new crisis arrives I will need this person to be strong in order to defeat the enemy when it arrives. The only way that this can happen is if they stay here for one cycle and become something similar to an ancient but far more powerful. They will no longer need materia to use magic or summon espers.' The planet explained to Aeris.

Aeris sighed sadly. 'Can I at least find this person and see who it is? I'm sure they will need some company in order to stay sane in this place. The living were not meant to be in the realm of the dead.'

'I know this child but this being is already strong in spirit. Hmm, but perhaps it wouldn't hurt for her to have you as company after all. I'm sure she would love to see a dear friend such as you.'

Aeris was shocked and puzzled. 'You mean it's a girl and I know her?'

'Yes, you know her quite well child. You were a part of her group before your death. Her name is Yuffie Kisaragi of the Shinobi clan and heir to Wutai.'

Aeris gasped. 'I didn't expect it to be Yuffie but then again she was always strong in spirit and combat as well. Oh I hope she is okay. I must find her now. Can you show me where she is?'

'All you have to do is go where your heart takes you and you will find her but don't tell her anything of our conversation. If she asks you why she cannot leave then simply tell her that you don't know. If you wish you may help her train and let her know that she will need not worry of food or water. The lifestream will provide her with all of her physical needs. Now go and be with your friend my child.'

Aeris nodded and went in search of Yuffie.

Meanwhile while with Cloud and the others...

Cloud had broken up the Avalanche into three teams. The first team was Tifa and himself. The second team was Cid and Nanaki (Red XIII). And last but not least the third team was Barret and Cait Sith. They each were assigned a specific area to search and were to inform the others of their findings via PHS.
Team one had the center of the Northern Crater. Team two had the west side of the crater and team three had the east side of the crater.

They searched for hours until they were on the brink of exhaustion but they refused to rest. They efforts would soon be rewarded when a glimmer of hope appeared.

Cloud and Tifa were at the edge of a large mako pool in the center of the crater. The ground was littered with debris of all kinds but a strip of red caught Tifa's attention under a pile of rumble. On closer inspection, she gasped when she saw a bronze claw sticking out from underneath some nearby debris. She turned around and yelled, "Cloud, come over here quick! I think I found Vincent!"

At hearing her call Cloud immediately took off in her direction and they both heaved the heavy debris up to find the battered body of Vincent Valentine.

Tifa gasped and leaned over his body. He was covered in cuts and bruises. She put her hand on his neck checking for a pulse and was astonished to find one. It wasn't very strong but it was steady. She turned to Cloud and said, "He is still alive Cloud. Hurry and call Cid and the others. We need to get him back to the Highwind."

Cloud pulled out his PHS and dialed Cid's number. Once he picked up, Cloud said, "We need the Highwind up here now. We found Vincent and he is still alive. Yeah, we are located in the center of the crater by a large mako pool. Hurry!" He hung up the PHS and said, "Cid is on his way back and he'll be here ASAP. Come on lets get Vincent ready to be lifted up on a stretcher. I don't think anyone will be able to climb up the ladder carrying him."
With that said, Cloud and Tifa moved Vincent to more level ground to make the Highwind's approach easier.

After the team had successfully rescued Vincent they decided to take a short brake and continue their search for Yuffie when they regained some strength.

To be continued...

Okay, okay! I know it wasn't very long but I have been extremely short on time so I had to make due here. Thanks for the reviews and I'll try to update very soon. Peace out! Jennifer (Hotaru170)