Chapter 1

...The biggest change we're making is that all materia is now illegal. All materia is to be turned in to the nearest hotel, where it will be shipped to Shin-Ra. All materia has being tagged, so if it is used we will find the person. Anyone caught using materia will be held accountable. Punishments will be severe...

"Idiot!" Squall shut it off. He had been listening to Rufus Shinra's speech. Rufus had been talking about the new policies the Shin-Ra Corporation would be putting into effect. "Don't you realize what problems that'll cause when Sephiroth and Ultimacia start making trouble?" Vincent heard Squall shouting and came in.

"What's going on?"

"I was listening to Rufus' speech. He's making it illegal to use magic or materia."

"What?"

"Everyone is supposed to turn in their materia. Otherwise you'll be punished."

"How is he going to know if someone is using it or not?"

"He said all materia has been tagged. So whatever that means, somehow they'll be able to know if someone is using that materia."

"This isn't good. Anything else happening?"

"Nothing involving Shin-Ra. There was a report on earlier talking about strange, unexplainable, attacks on some of the cities. I think we can explain them though."

"You really think Sephiroth or Ultimacia would just announce themselves like that?"

"I wouldn't put it past them. Where's Cloud?"

"He's taking a walk. He was having another relapse so he's cooling himself down."

"Again? I thought he was finally past all that?"

"No. He's almost past it, but not quite. Red XIII and Yuffie meant a lot to him. We were all close friends when we beat Sephiroth."

"I know what you mean."

"So is that all the news you've heard?"

"Yeah. Nothing special."

"Nothing about Litta?" Squall didn't respond immediately. That was still a sensitive subject, and Vincent knew it.

"No. I was thinking about going out to look for her again. She might have moved back to Maetar by now. I can't stand not knowing where she is, especially when she said she was going to try to fight Ultimacia on her own."

"I remember how upset you were when I found you outside that night."

"I still can't believe she punched me." Vincent chuckled a little.

"She might not have if you had told her how you felt."

"I was planning on it when Tseng got in the way. Can we talk about something else besides Litta?" Vincent was thinking when Cloud came in.

"What are you guys talking about?" he asked.

"We were just discussing what to talk about when you came in," Squall told him.

"Oh. So what's new, or wrong, in the world today?"

"Nothing much," Squall said, "just Rufus making all magic and materia illegal."

"Illegal! How can he do that? Doesn't he know we have to get rid of Sephiroth and Ultimacia before they resurrect Jenova! How will we do that without magic?"

"Calm down Cloud," Vincent told him. "We've broken laws before, and this won't be any different. We need to find Sephiroth and Ultimacia right now though."

"You're right. Okay, so do we have any news on them?"

"There were some attacks on a few towns last night," Squall informed him. "We should probably start there." They decided to start with the city closest to them. Since they were in Midgar, Balamb was the closest attack.

As they walked, Squall thought about his friends. I hope Zell and Irvine are all right. Hopefully they can give me some information about what happened last night. Then we can figure out where to go from there.

They reached Balamb and looked around. The town had been almost completely destroyed. Only a small part of the town was still standing. Luckily, among the people, Squall spotted Zell and Irvine.

"Squall!" Zell came running over.

"Zell, what happened here?"

"You won't believe it, but Ultimacia was here. She questioned some of the people, but obviously didn't get the answers she was looking for. She got angry and started destroying the whole town."

"Who was she questioning?" Zell showed him to the people. "Thanks."

"Hey, where's Litta? I thought she was with you?" Squall just made his way over to the group of people Zell had showed him. Zell shrugged it off. Squall asked the people questions, trying to find out what Ultimacia had been after.

"She kept asking us about Sephiroth. Of course we had no idea and told her so. She asked us where we could find him and so on, but when she realized we didn't know anything, she went berserk."

"Thanks." Squall went back over to Vincent and Cloud. Zell was talking with them when he came over. Irvine joined them at the same time.

"So Ultimacia and Sephiroth are trying to resurrect this Jenova and then destroy the world, again?" Zell was asking.

"Pretty much," Cloud answered. "It was hard enough beating Sephiroth the first time, and now that materia is illegal it's going to be even harder."

"Ultimacia's going to be pretty hard too. She keeps switching forms," Squall started talking, but Irvine interrupted him.

"We don't need to hear about that Squall. We all know how hard she is to beat."

"Cloud and Vincent don't."

"Well they'll figure it out soon enough. So where's Litta? Did you scare her off or something?"

"No, she's just somewhere else. Anyways, I think-"

"Do you know where she is?" Irvine persisted.

"Irvine, why don't you go somewhere else where you won't be bothering someone," Squall told him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you're starting to get on my nerves, and I'm just about through trying to deal with you."

"Fine, I can see when I'm not wanted." He walked off.

"Wasn't that a little harsh Squall?" Zell asked.

"No. If you feel sorry for him, you can go join him." Zell said nothing, but didn't leave. "Now what was I saying?"

"I think we should head to another city," Cloud suggested. "What's the next town that was hit during the night?"

"Nibelheim, and then Maetar," Squall told him.

"Cloud and I will head to Nibelheim," Vincent told Squall, "and you can check out Maetar. We can meet you there." Cloud knew what Vincent was doing, as did Squall, so Zell was the only one in the dark.

"Okay. I'll wait for you and we'll decide what to do when you get there." Squall walked with Vincent and Cloud until Nibelheim, then continued on to Maetar. When he reached it, he could see the rubble all over. He talked to the first person he saw.

"What happened here?" he asked.

"Haven't you heard? Ultimacia attacked. She asked everyone about Sephiroth, but no one knew anything. No, wait, there was one girl that ran away but Ultimacia saw her. She destroyed the town on her way out to chase the girl."

"Did the girl look like this?" Squall held up a picture of Litta.

"Yeah, sort of. Why?"

"Which way did she run?" The man pointed south.

"Into the forest from what I could see."

"Thanks." Squall ran into the forest without talking to anyone else. I hope she got away from Ultimacia. There's no telling what could happen if she was caught.

--------

"Where is he, where is Sephiroth?" Ultimacia's patience was wearing thing, not that she had had much to begin with. Litta was refusing to answer. I don't know where Sephiroth is, so the minute she finds that out I'm toast, she was thinking.

"Answer me!"

"No. I don't feel like telling you where Sephiroth is." She had been questioning Litta for hours. I wonder what time it is. Probably not noon yet. Ultimacia made another spike in the air and threw it into Litta.

"Your silence is what is causing you pain."

"Look, I don't know where he is, so what else do you want me to say?" Another spike. "Quit using me like a dart board!"

They heard someone coming through the trees. Ultimacia disappeared, leaving Litta pinned to the tree. It was only a few minutes before she saw Squall. Since she wasn't in a clearing, he hadn't seen her yet.

Do I want him to find me? She decided that if she wanted to live she was going to have to face him. "Squall!" He turned around.

"Litta! What happened?"

"Just get me down." He came over and looked at the spikes. There were five spikes in all, pinning her to the tree. He gently pulled them out, and put her on the ground.

"Thanks."

"What happened?"

"It was Ultimacia. She was questioning me about Sephiroth. She left when we heard you coming."

"And the spikes?"

"Whenever I refused to answer or told her I didn't know where Sephiroth was, she made another one. That's how she pinned me to the tree."

"I don't have any potions on me, so I can't heal you yet."

"Just take me back to town." He picked her up and carried her back. When they got there, Vincent and Cloud had just arrived.

"Squall, what happened?" Vincent asked. Cloud was walking away.

"Ultimacia caught her. Do you have any potions on you?" Vincent threw him one. Litta used it, so Squall put her down.

"Is Cloud still mad at me?" Litta asked. No one answered her immediately. "I guess that's a yes."

"He's calmed down, but I don't think he's actually forgotten about everything you did," Vincent told her.

"Is that why he walked off?"

"He always takes walks when he's upset."

"I'll just leave then so I won't be bothering Cloud."

"No," Squall told her.

"What do you mean no?"

"You saw what Ultimacia is like. Do you still want to deal with her by yourself?" She thought for a minute.

"Maybe not. But I don't want to cause Cloud trouble. I don't want to deal with him either."

"We can keep Cloud under control. That won't be a problem."

"What about Danis? Where is she?"

"She went after Sephiroth by herself." Litta didn't know what to say.

"I have to go after her. Do you have any idea where she is?"

"Why?" Squall asked.

"She can't handle Sephiroth by herself. Sephiroth is my problem, and I want to be the one to get rid of him."

"She left right after you did," Vincent informed her.

"So you have no idea where she is?"

"No, but I'll bet that if you find Sephiroth you'll find her." Litta started walking off, still sore from being pinned to the tree.

"Litta, wait!" She turned back around.

"What Squall?"

"I'm coming with you."

"Now it's my turn to say no."

"You think you can stop me?" Litta sighed.

"Fine. What about you Vincent?"

"I'm going to find Cloud." He walked off in the direction Cloud had exited by earlier.

"So where to?" Squall asked.

"What have you heard about Sephiroth recently?"

"Recently, or since you left?"

"I haven't been gone that long!"

"Two months."

"Anyways, what about Sephiroth?"

"Last I heard, he was spotted around Shin-Ra," Squall informed her.

"Really? I heard he was over by Midgar."

"I was in Midgar, and I never saw him. I would be quicker to believe that he was seen near Shin-Ra."

"Okay then, we'll head to Shin-Ra. I want to avoid the Turks though."

"Don't we all." When they left Maetar, their conversation stopped. Each had something on their mind.

--------

Vincent found Cloud sitting outside Maetar. "Been here long?" he asked.

"I still feel like she deserves to die for what she did. I want her to go through the same pain that I went through."

"You're going to have to control yourself around her."

"I know. Where is she?"

"She and Squall left to find Danis."

"Where is that?"

"I don't know." Cloud stood up.

"Then let's go after Sephiroth." He started walking, and Vincent followed.

--------

Danis had been hiding off to the side. She was sore from sitting, but kept still. Of all the times I'm by myself! Why did I run off? I need someone here right now.

"It seems your reputation was true," Ultimacia said.

"And what reputation is that?" Sephiroth asked.

"That you are determined to achieve your goal, no matter what. Such as we have just accomplished."

"And what an accomplishment. To see Jenova alive again."

"Yes, but why did she leave?"

"She had business to attend to." Danis began moving off, hoping to tell someone what she had seen happen.

--------

"What was that?" Litta asked. What sounded like an explosion went off.

"I'm not sure, but I wouldn't be surprised if Sephiroth or Ultimacia have something to do with it." They headed up the mountain quietly. About half-way up they heard shouts. They ran the rest of the way up and saw a fight going on.

"Danis!" Litta shouted. "What are you doing?" Danis was firing shots and having to dodge at the same time. She had taken on Sephiroth and Ultimacia at the same time.

"What the heck does it look like I'm doing!" she screamed. Ultimacia turned to see who Danis was talking to. When she saw who it was, she glared at Squall.

"I remember you. You're the one who tried to keep me from my goal and ruined my plans last time."

"Yes, and now I get to do it all over again." She went after Squall. Litta jumped out of the way.

"Danis get out of here," Litta told her.

"Why? So you can deal with Sephiroth by yourself? I don't think so."

"Haven't you figured out yet that you can't beat him? None of us can beat him alone."

"Litta is right," Sephiroth said.

"Shut up!" they both yelled. He only smiled and began attacking them both. They took turns dodging and shooting. Litta looked over to see how Squall was doing.

"I will destroy you this time," Ultimacia was saying. Squall didn't reply but attacked again.

"Squall, we have to get out of here," Litta yelled.

"I know. Go ahead and leave, I'll grab Danis." Litta nodded and ran off at the first chance she got. Squall began working his way over to Danis.

"I'm not leaving," she told him. He just grabbed her arm and pulled her away. Sephiroth and Ultimacia didn't follow them. "Why did you pull me away?"

"You can't beat both of them by yourself. You can't beat just one by yourself either."

"What do you know about it?" Her eyes were flashing angrily. Squall knew better that to try to argue with her now. He just pulled her along. At the bottom of the mountain they found Litta waiting.

"Danis, what were you doing up there?" she asked.

"Besides fighting," Squall added.

"I was watching them. They resurrected something called Jenova. They were pretty happy about it, so I knew it must be a bad thing. I was trying to leave to find you when they heard me."

"You're sure they brought back Jenova?" Squall asked. Danis nodded. "I think we need to find Vincent and Cloud."