A New World, A New Adventure

Vegeta lifted his head slowly, ignoring the demons that danced their pounding dance across his skull. He knew this place. Hidden beneath the prominent tug from within, which he now recognized as the hand of Jenova, he could feel an energy that had long since been impressed on his mind.

"Kakarot," He growled as he pushed himself to his knees, noticing for the first time what had broken his fall. "Fool boy."

The dead weight crushing him slowly lifting from his aching body, Trunks felt for the first time the pain that embraced his head. The rocky terrain here had done nothing to help with his mood. Not only had he been foolish enough to be caught off guard, but he'd also been nearly crushed alive by...

The air suddenly became like solid rock in Trunks' lungs, and he gasped for air.

It couldn't be!

His father was dead!

"Finally I am home," Vegeta muttered, the only indication that he noticed the sudden pale ghastliness of Trunks' face a slight disapproving sneer. He didn't even bother to address his son as he vanished through the sky in a yellow streak towards the small island where Goku was being kept.

As quickly as he could recover from his surprise, Trunks was following his beloved father.

The purple haired Saijin hovered awkwardly above the Kame House. What to think? What to do? His father had gone inside to see Goku, even believed that he could cure Goku of the madness that had taken him, but Trunks couldn't bring himself to follow. So his father wasn't dead? What did that mean? What was happening? None of it made sense. It was all as stupid and confusing as that silver haired man's talk.

Anger swelled up in Trunks, threatening to push him over the edge. If only they hadn't wasted their wish with the dragon balls on bringing Goku back. At the time it had seemed like a good idea only because of the possibility that Gohan was in such trouble and that they needed him, but now, Goku was just as helpless as his mother! It had been such a waste! If only he had the dragon balls now, he would wish for the death of that demon and an end to the madness it brought!

Deeply wrapped up in his own thoughts, Trunks didn't feel the wind begin to pick up or see the air pulling into itself until he heard that familiar laugh.

"Talk of the devil," Trunks whispered, losing his track of mind as the threat presented itself. He didn't wait to see the man step through that portal; he needed his father at least, and Goku would help, if he was going to even think about taking on this man. He darted down towards the Kame House without another thought.

*~*~*~*

"SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!!!!"

It hadn't occurred to Cloud that when they used the hyper charged slow spell's vortex to time travel that they would end up in the same place in the past as they had been in the present. Unfortunately for his party, there was no convenient Highwind here in the past.

"Gohan!" Cloud shouted without thinking. No time to think. "Get Yuffie! Piccolo! Get Barret and Cid!"

To any on-looker the scene would have looked like some bizarre air show, three people flying in weaving patterns, darting to snag up all of their falling companions. Still, it wouldn't have made a very good performance; it was over in seconds.

Gohan barely noticed the girl that clung to him for dear life, nearly strangling him in her panic as he descended towards the grassy landscape below. "Daddy?" His bright eyes welling up with tears almost competed with his quivering tone for the most heartfelt. Almost.

"It's him, Gohan," Piccolo reassured his young friend. "We're finally home."

As much as the kid had grown on him, another realization nagged at Cloud, drawing his attention away from the possibility of a family reunion. When they'd stepped through the time vortex, they'd been in the Highwind, miles above the ocean once inhabited by Emerald Weapon. Now, they were able to land on a wide plain, stretching to the horizon in every direction. It gave Cloud an uneasy feeling. Something really big had to have happened for landscape to change that much. Cloud didn't want to think about what that might leave in store for them. He wanted to see the poor tortured boy have a "happily ever after" life with his father and be able to return to Aeris himself. ...but things didn't look too promising.

Shaking his head, Cloud set Lucrecia and Vincent down on the spongy soil. So the grassy land was actually rather swampy, he mused. Well, eventually it would become one of the deeper oceans. What a thought; he was seeing the history of his own world.

"Let's go see this dad of yours," Cloud suggested, deciding to change the subject before that train of thought got him pessimistic.

"Hopefully," Piccolo threw in as he dumped his burden ungracefully on the soggy ground, giving rise to a fit of swearing out of both Cid and Barret, "Son will have better command of his mind than he did when last I saw him."

Or he's not as powerful as they all make him out to be, Cloud added silently. One of the two had better be true or they were going to be in for hell.

*~*~*~*

So much energy.

So terribly much energy all eager to help her. And it would. Her brother had said it was so, and she could feel it as well. After all, they were the chosen ones to rule this planet. But what did that mean? Well, it didn't matter right now.

Sephiroth watched in grim satisfaction as the young child easily obeyed his commands. She would be powerful, if not as powerful as himself, and would be a great asset in the up coming battles. That is, if she had the right training.

"Come sister, it is time for us to make our departure," He whispered to her, as two of the inferior mortals broke for the exit. So they could sense the blast she was beginning to release could they? It didn't matter, let them escape. They'd never stand a chance against the combined power of himself and this child.

Bright green eyes met an identical pair of innocent ones as the child let herself be ushered through the vortex by her beloved brother. Now, with no one to regulate it, it was only a matter of time before the energy she had built up would explode.

Sephiroth turned, his face losing its false warmth when it was no longer in the child's sight. What did this fool scientist want now?

He had to make it through the vortex with them. Hojo knew it. He couldn't stay for the blast that was coming; not on his life would he remain here for that torture. "I'm coming with you."

"Are you?" Sephiroth let amusement creep into his voice.

Hojo's eyes widened. Surely his son could not consider leaving him here!

Sephiroth let his famous laugh ring out as he turned his back to the man that called himself his father and stepped through the portal.

"My specimen!" Hojo shouted as the tight swirl of air began to dissipate. "At least remember her label so that I may someday resume my studies! Jenosavel! Don't forget it!" He had no way of knowing if he'd been heard or not. The vortex had completely closed on his last words. He didn't have long to think about it though, before his body was consumed in pure white agony.

Sephiroth was quite rudely reminded of how much work he was in for as his ears where met with a piercing shriek. His charge was falling headlong through the cold morning air. Maybe that should be one of her first lessons, how to fly.

Not wasting any more time, he shifted a small amount of gravity above the plummeting child, stopping her decent. It a good thing he'd taken them high enough or her second lesson might have been how to manipulate Jenova's regenerative abilities, not an easy lesson.

Hojo's last words flickered through Sephiroth's mind for a moment. So this child would be called Jenosavel? Shaking his head and the discarding irrelevant thoughts, Sephiroth floated down to where his precious student floated, wide eyed with fright. For a moment, Sephiroth couldn't help but admire the beauty in those fear-frozen eyes. So cold. So perfect. Of course they were perfect; they were his eyes after all.

The icy glaze of those fiery green eyes slowly melted as realization came into place with Sephiroth's words. No, flying wouldn't be her only second lesson; she also needed a quick lesson on etiquette. But yes, Sephiroth mused, this child would learn quickly. She would soon be powerful.

"After every lesson comes a test," Sephiroth stated, the richness of his voice making up for the lack of expression. Then, pointing a finger down towards the wooden house on the small island below, he didn't have to say more.

Note: I'm so sorry it took this long to get another part out. I really am. I thought things would go more smoothly once summer was here, but my parents have been dragging me up north for weeks at a time. If I could bring my comp. up there I'd be really happy, but well, that's not gonna happen.