Sorry for such a long wait! Here ya go!

Chapter One

A loud, horrible cry split the crisp night air. Jenari clawed at the snow, screaming in pain and agony as she felt the heat coming off of the things that had just crashed into the Planet. Her own screams, however, were drowned out by a horrible ripping and churning sound as the large, flaming rock buried its self into the Planet, cutting a deep gash into the soil. Jenari could feel the heat of the flames against her face as she looked around in wild terror, but even as she did, she felt the ground giving away underneath her. Gasping in shock, Jenari clawed even more fiercely at the snow, trying to keep from falling, but even as she did, it was hopeless. Jenari was going to fall; fall into the abyss that awaited her.

Screaming again, Jenari felt hot tears begin to stream down her face as she slipped. "Help me!" she yelled, wishing that she had never even attempted to come out to the furthest Northern point without anyone with her. She was alone and at the wrong place at the wrong time. No one could have predicted the thing in the sky would have fallen so quickly with such force and power. Shockwaves were still rippling through the atmosphere, sending large, shocking currents along with it, which had made Jenari collapse in the snow.

Now, she knew, that for the last ten years as they wait for the thing to hit their Planet, it had and it had, indeed, brought death with it. She screamed against as her fingers dug deep into the snow. Jenari forced herself to stay halfway up on the ground, but the snow she was clutching was melting, and melting fast. Water already soaked her clothes and hands. She was sweating from the heat of the flames as the roar around her, burning somehow that Jenari could not figure out. She had thought fire had to have something to feed it to burn, but no, this fire was strange, even the snow did not quail its fierce, scorching fire. "Please! Somebody, anybody! Help me!" she yelled against, her voice becoming rather hoarse from screaming so much. Again, there was no answer.

Just as Jenari thought she was going to die, a figure appeared out of the flames, walking right through them as if they weren't there. It was a woman. The woman was rather young and had long silver hair. Her green eyes stared at Jenari for a moment. The woman had very pale skin and the flames reflected it, and even standing so close to the heat, the woman seemed unbothered. "Help me!" Jenari grunted, trying to pull herself up again, but that only resulted in making her slid even further towards her death.

Just as Jenari was certain the woman would let her die, the silver-haired stranger rushed forward, dropping to her knees, she pulled Jenari up, dragging her through the snow. At the woman's touch, Jenari felt a cold rush through her blood and felt rather woozy. She couldn't hear the Planet's voice anymore. She couldn't hear its pained cries, or its warnings...there was only silence. And then as Jenari stared at the woman who continued to drag her, she fainted, her head dropping into the snow. But even within the back of her mind, as soon as Jenari's head had hit the snow, she knew that it was not snow-not entirely at least. No, it was thick and warm. Just like blood.

-

When Jenari awoke, she did not know where she was at first. Blinking her clear blue eyes, she sat up and groaned, clutching her stomach. She felt sick and pained. Seeing no one in the room with her, Jenari lifted up her shirt to look at the skin. It was red and shiny, like it had been burned, which it probably had. Groaning again, she laid back down and turned her head to the left and looked out the window.

It was dark out and off in the distance, she could see a bright light. That was when she remembered. She had fainted and that woman had saved her! Now to find out where she was…Jenari groaned, mouthing, "Planet, what's wrong, why can't I hear you?" and then closed her eyes, well aware that she could not walk. It was true, the Planet's voice had just left her; it was silent.

Suddenly she heard the creaking of a door and opened her eyes and looked up to meet the face of her older sister, who was now thirty-two and the creepy green-silver eyes of the woman who had saved her life.

"Jenari!" her older sister gasped out, her blue eyes shining with joy, "you're awake!" Jenari couldn't help but smile at Shekai despite her pain. Her sister always had a way of making Jenari feel better when she was down or feeling bad. Shekai rushed over to her and wrapped her arms around Jenari, hugging her tightly. The silver haired woman hung back, looking at both of them without any emotion.

When Shekai drew back, Jenari turned her eyes on the other person in the room and looked at her questioningly, "Thank you for saving my life," she blinked her eyes slowly, as if showing her gratitude, and slowly nodded her head as she did so. "What is you name?"

The woman did not seem to acknowledge Jenari at first, but then she shook herself a little and then responded in a light and calm, friendly voice, "Jenova; Jenova is my name. I come from the Eastern Cetra Tribe,"

Jenari blinked, surprised. If this woman came from way over on the Eastern Continent, why was she over here? Just as Jenari was about to ask her, Shekai glanced at her sister and then spoke up quickly, "Jenari, Jenova is going to stay with us for a little while. And also, I need to ask you something...Have you seen my Cure3 materia anywhere? I seemed to have misplaced it in all of this chaos,"

If Jenari had expected anything from her sister, it certainly hadn't been about materia. Shekai never lost a materia that she kept with her. Blinking, Jenari stared at her sister in surprise for a moment and then shook her head. She knew that this was bad. Not much materia was found up in this region and a Cure3 materia was important for frostbite and sickness, even occasional monster attacks an for more drastic measures-the ice dragons that lived up in the snowy areas around the great glacier. "I'm sorry, I haven't seen your Cure3 materia ever since I headed out towards the Northern Point,"

"Oh...hm, well I guess I'll just have to keep looking," Shekai sighed and then turned to face Jenova, "If you're tired, Jenova, you can stay in the guest room upstairs. And thank you again for saving my sister. I don't know what I would have done if I had known she had died up there,"

Jenova simply nodded and then turned and left. Both women watched her go and then Jenari sat up, wincing in pain, but she looked at her sister. She needed to talk with Shekai. Something told her not to trust Jenova, no matter what she had done. "Shekai," Jenari began, but Shekai turned her bright blue eyes on her sister and then pushed her back onto the pillows.

"You need to sleep, Jenari. I can't have you getting sick on me; there's too many problems to handle at the moment without you adding to them," Shekai's voice was not unkind, but caring. Jenari sighed and then narrowed her icy blue eyes at her older sister.

"It's important, Shekai," Jenari stated bluntly, but Shekai merely waved her off and said something about talking in the morning and then left. Sighing heavily, Jenari pulled the covers up over her chilled body and closed her eyes. Softly, she whispered, "Planet, where are you?" But again, there was no response. Had she truly lost her ability to speak with the Planet or was it just being silent trying to heal its self from the giant wound it had received?

-

Jenari awoke early the next morning, feeling rather sick. She had a head ache and her arms felt weak, and she found she couldn't move so well either. Groaning, she opened her eyes and was met by the sharp light of the sun fluttering through the window. Jenari quickly shut her eyes, breathing heavily as if she were out of breath. Sick...so sick...

"Shekai..." she whispered, "Planet...help me...I'm sick...I hurt...so bad...I feel like I'm-" Jenari didn't get to finish that as her door opened to reveal Shekai coming over to her, holding something. As soon as Shekai set eyes on her younger sister, she gasped out in shock and nearly dropped what she was holding.

"Jenari!" Shekai gasped out, covering her mouth with her hand, her blue eyes wide with shock. Jenari could only look at her sister with questioning eyes as she buried herself deeper under the covers, suddenly feeling very chilled. "You look very sick! It's a good thing I found this Cure3 materia!" Shekai exclaimed, rushing quickly to her sister's bedside.

Dropping down to her knees, Shekai placed her fingers on Jenari's cheek and titled her head so that Shekai was looking into her eyes. "Okay, Jenari, you've caught something-something bad. But I'm going to cure you, okay?" It was clear that Shekai had realized how bad Jenari's condition was. That was, until she said, "I know this isn't going to help you any, but last night while you were asleep, I was called out. You know Zeran, right? Well, his daughter, Marcie, had fallen sick. Very sick. Sh-she died not long after I got there. There was nothing I could do and...and...I-I think you've got the same thing,"

"Wh-What?" Jenari mustered, staring at her sister in horror. So it was true...she was going to die. She had fallen ill with some deadly disease and now she was going to die... "But...ten years ago...your promised me that I wouldn't die..." Jenari reminded her sister.

Shekai gave her a weak smile, "I did, didn't I? Well I don't plan on letting you go yet, Jenari. Now, focus with me. Focus you're mind on the Planet-on the Lifestream-Ask them to heal you while I us this Cure3 materia,"

Now it was Jenari's turn to give weak smile, "There's one problem, Shekai..." she whispered, wincing as the head ache's pounding in her head continued to attack her and zapped her of her strength. The wound on her stomach burned like fire and her breathing became worse.

"What's that?" Shekai asked, confusion and question glowing in her eyes. It was obvious that the two sisters had grown close ever since their parents had died fifteen years ago. Shekai had always protected her sister, who was still young, from harm. Their little brother, or rather, Jenari's older brother, at age eight, had died from an ice dragon attacking the Cetra Tribe of the North. Shekai was not going to lose another sibling so soon; Jenari was her only family left.

"I can't seem to contact the Planet anymore...Gaia is quiet, Sister," Jenari said quietly, looking away from her sister in shame. Shekai looked shocked.

"You're telling me that you can no longer hear the Planet? Oh, Jenari! This is bad!" Shekai groaned, but then she remembered the materia she held in her hands. Quickly, she used it on her sister. Jenari blinked at the soft green glow that surrounded her.

Slowly her wounds were healing and her energy was returning. Was she going to live? As soon as the green vanished, Jenari sat up in bed, feeling no pain at all where her burn had been. Her headache had even vanished. "Are you better?" Shekai asked. Jenari blinked, still feeling a little nauseous.

"A little," she replied after a moment or two. Shekai blinked and cast yet another Cure3 on Jenari. Again the warm sensation spread through her body, but as Shekai looked at her sister, she spoke, "Shouldn't you save your magic for others too?"

Shekai gave her a weak smile and nodded, "You're right, I should save it," Standing up right, Shekai looked down at her younger sister, "are you sure you're alright without it?"

Jenari nodded simply, she did not want to worry her sister. She would be fine, Jenari was sure she would. But in the back of her mind, something nagged at her, telling her that she would meet her death if she did not hurry and cure a disease that was spreading through her body. Jenari was sick, she would not deny it any longer. As she sat up, deciding that she had to find the source for the disease, what had given it to her?

It could not have been the torrent of Lifestream that had spewed from the gash in the Planet, could it? No, Jenari crossed that thought out. The Planet would never harm her Cetra, no. So then what? When had she last heard that Planet speaking to her? And then, that was when she knew. Something told her, some voice cried out to her. The voice rang through her ears. 'JENOVA.' Jenari knew that someone had spoken to her. It was not the Planet, no. This voice was quiet, ad weak, as if crying. It was a female's voice. Desperate, hating the name of Jenova, longing for something. Who was speaking to Jenari? 'PLANET HELP US!'

-

The cold bit in his skin as his eyes opened slowly. He blinked, shivering. All around him lay snow. Snow that stretched for miles, like an eternity never to come to an end. The confusion shone in his dark green eyes as he sat up in the chilling snow. No, chilling was an understatement. More like freezing. He shivered again, his silver hair spilling behind his back. Slowly, he lifted himself to his feet, shaking. He knew where he was, but he did not understand. How was he so cold now, when before, the cold had never bothered him?

Shaking his head slowly, the silver-haired swordsman began walking towards the Icicle town, the only small village for many hundreds of miles in the vast, frozen land. He did not know where he was exactly on the frozen terrain, but he knew where to go. That would help him. Hopefully.

Walking through the deep snow, he suddenly became aware of something ahead. The silver-haired warrior wasn't exactly sure what it was. It was most certainly not the Icicle village was it? Peering closer at it, he shook his head slowly, confused even more. No, it was not the small village of friendly people who dared live in such climates. This was something entirely different. The houses there did not look relatively close to the houses and shops in the Icicle town. Where was he?

Glaring at the small village ahead, he continued trekking towards it. It did not take him long to enter the snow covered village. As soon as his right foot made an impression in the snow, a loud yell rang out through the area. His Mako green eyes flashed as he scanned the village. Who had screamed? No one was outside except for one young girl around his age. She was rushing towards an oddly designed house, caring something in her hand. He squinted, able to make out the faint glow of a Cure materia.

He did not care about some stupid materia. Turning away from the girl, he trained his eyes on the house the woman had come running out of. He had noted her clothes, how strange they were. They were made of thin material and hardly enough to keep someone warm in these temperatures. The people in this village were strange.

As his eyes landed on the house the woman had come out of her, he suddenly felt something claw at his mind. Freezing on spot, the silver-haired warrior's Mako eyes widened. He felt 'her' presence inside of his mind. An image of a young girl surround by flames, crying, filled his mind's eye for a moment. And then it was gone. "Where are you?" he growled, his voice harsh.

'She' was in this village. Now that he was no longer tied to her like some sort of puppet, the strings cut by death its self, he knew he could resist anything she threw at him. Hopefully, he could, at least. Standing there, he came to realize that the cold around him was not going to help him get warm. Glaring at the snow, he rushed towards the house.

He did not care if he was unwelcome or not. He never had before, why should he start now? Shrugging it off, he opened the door and was greeted by a rush of warmth. Hurrying inside, he shut the door behind him. Just as he was about to turn around, a silky voice sounded, "I see you are in a rush to get out of the cold. What brings you here?"

Spinning around, the warrior stiffened, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. His blade hug at his hip. It was long, longer than most swords. At least a good nine or ten feet long, maybe eleven. It was thin, too, thin and extremely sharp. Much blood had been spilt when he used this blade.

His eyes came to rest on a young woman sitting on a couch. She had eerie green eyes, and long silver hair. Her skin was very pale and her thin lips were twisted into a small smile. She seemed friendly, but he did not fall for it. "Jenova!" he spat, his voice quiet and cold.

Jenova gave him a look, and then stood up. "How is it that you know me? Has it already gotten around that I am visiting from the Eastern Tribe?" Jenova asked. She was acting so innocent.

"Shut your rambling! Are you so stupid to forget everything you did to me at the Northern Crater? Made me kill that girl? Told me to kill everyone in that village? How could you forget me? I'm Sephiroth, your damned puppet, Mother!" he snarled, drawing his sword. The way he said 'Mother' was so harsh and offending, the Jenova narrowed her eyes at him, seemingly unfazed by his action.

Sephiroth grew even more rageful, but his rage vanished at the sound of a loud cough from somewhere in another room. Looking around, he was careful not to let his guard down. He hadn't sensed it before, but now he felt another presence in the house besides Jenova. "Who else is in this house, Jenova?" he growled.

Jenova gave him a wicked grin, for an instant, her true nature flashed before Sephiroth's eyes. He saw the demon that had led him to do such terrible things again. And then the image was gone. "A young Cetra girl. Her name is Jenari. Though I am afraid that is the least of your concerns by how you are acting. I still do not understand how you know who I am."

Sephiroth ignored Jenova. He could sense that the young teen was sick. Very sick. 'The Cetra were killed by Jenova. She gave them a virus, killing them off one by one. The mutations within the Cetra body would make them become deformed. They would bleed, they would hurt and suffer. Jenova watched under her many, seemingly friendly disguises. But soon, the few remaining Cetra came together and combined their magic. Jenova was sealed within ice, never to be heard from until 2,000 years later.' The words flashed through his mind. Cetra…that girl was a Cetra. Was that even possible? Sephiroth had killed the last remaining Cetra in the Temple of the Ancients! This girl could not be a Cetra! Jenova was lying again. Lying to him like she had done for so long.

"You lie. Every last Cetra on the face of the Planet is dead. I killed the last remaining one under a year ago. Who is the girl and why is she sick? Is it because of the cold?" Sephiroth growled, giving Jenova the evil eye.

Jenova's grin widened and she nodded slowly, "Yes…because of the…cold." She did not convince Sephiroth. And then a thought occurred to him. Why did Jenova look human? She had never looked so human to him unless you count the time in Nimbelheim when he had cut her head off and took that with him because of the injury he had been given by his enemy, Cloud Strife.

"Why do you look human, Jenova? Why don't you show your true self to everyone like you do me?" he questioned, the grip on the Masamune tightening. He had so many questions, and no answers that Jenova was willing to give. His Mako eyes locked with her own and he growled lowly, staring at her.

"What do you mean? I have always looked like this," Jenova replied innocently. Her green eyes moved away from him as she lied, blinking. Sephiroth could see the clear confusion on her face. 'Seemingly friend disguises,' Jenova was hiding from the Planet. Now Sephiroth had realized how stiff Jenova looked.

"Don't fake it, Jenova. You come from somewhere else other than this Planet. I am no fool. You killed the Cetra 2,000 years ago," Sephiroth told her in a rough, angry voice.

Now Jenova turned to face him, a light in her eyes, "But I have not been on this disgraced Planet for two days yet," There was no lie in her eyes. Sephiroth knew. He was not in the present time, but the past. The Cetra were all still alive, Jenova was killing them with her virus. The Planet must have sent him here through the Lifestream where past, present, and future come together.