Disclaimer: The characters in this fic aren't mine, they either belong to Final Fantasy VII of Squaresoft, or DBZ.

Warning: It may seem like a bit of reading, but I hope someone can sit through it! If you like Gohan or FF7 you shouldn't be disappointed. I've tried to write this so if you are only familiar with one or the other of my subjects you should still be able to understand. I hope you all enjoy my boredom project!

One Winged Angel of Time

Prologue

"This is it," Cloud murmured standing by the black, rusted gate to Nibelhiem. Staring up at the familiar three-part pattern of his hometown's intricate iron worked doorstep, Cloud continued, " Are you sure about this Aeris?"

"Of course I am," the 5' 3" girl fumed in a momentarily indignant tone. Somehow she had changed since Cloud had seen her last. She no longer was quite as cheery as she had once been. Perhaps it was the gloomy news she had brought him two days ago; then again, it could be the fact that she had died too. Still, no matter the cause, Aeris's bright green eyes had faded a little, the bouncing vibrance of her thick braid diminished. "I wouldn't have abused my power and come back unless it was this important you know," she said almost guiltily.

"Maybe," Tifa, another girl, only two years younger than the first, suggested, "you should stay here."

"No," Aeris replied, " I came back from the dead for this; I'm going through with it!"

"It seems to me that you need sometime to remember what living's like," Cloud stated bluntly, his glowing blue eyes saying he didn't mean it in a rude way.

Aeris looked at Tifa and at Cloud. This was their hometown. Those two had seen its destruction once and felt the pain of having all that was dear taken away from them. If anyone should stay back, it was them, not her. "No, if you two can do this so can I," she whispered nearly inaudibly, but the comment was still caught by the whole group of nine that stood clustered around Nibelhiem's gate.

"Seein' as we's all goin' could somebody tell me what the hell's goin' on?" another member, a sturdily built black man, asked with his usual tone of casual confusion. "Ya dragged me from Kalm all the way here so ya better tell me why."

Cloud shrugged, "Its kind of confusing, Barret."

"Hell, I know that," Barret replied, waving his gun arm over his head. "Jes' 'bout everything's confusin'! Jes' explain, okay?"

"Hm, yes," yet someone else added. This companion, however, was not even human. His species was not really known, but it didn't need to be; Nanaki was the last of a long line of proud protectors of the planet. He stared at the dirt in deep thought as he sat on fire red haunches and flicked a flame tipped tail. "But make it short please, we do need to hurry."

"You all know," Aeris hesitated before really saying anything. This all could be very confusing; she'd have to watch how she said it. "I died two years ago in the battle against Sephiroth to save the Planet. You all also know that I am a Cetra, the sole survivor of the Ancients, a race that lived intimately with the Planet. You didn't, however, realize that as such, I could do as my ancestors did and remain separate from the lifestream, preserving my consciousness even after death. I didn't want to abuse my power as Sephiroth had, but in the light of the way things are now, I had no choice." Aeris glanced over her friends as she took a deep breath. "Both Sephiroth, due to the Jenova in him, and Hojo, for the same reason, never truly died two years ago... and now, both are free again. We're here because a new crisis for the Planet is beginning, and it all starts here." Aeris pointed a finger into the heart of Nibelhiem, the Shinra Mansion. Even after the burning and rebuilding of Nibelhiem, the Shinra Mansion was a place too many bad memories had started. It was roughly 32 years ago that Hojo had done dark experiments creating a human-Jenova hybrid, Sephiroth, who had nearly destroyed the world. It was also where, roughly seven years ago, Sephiroth had first learned the truth about himself and set about the crazy business of destroying the Planet, just as Hojo had destroyed his heart. And now, this mansion would be another nightmarish beginning.