AN: Hey thanks so much to all the people who reviewed! Chapters really came along quicker and easier when there is feedback. Thanks especially to MattQ1 for all those insightful questions. It made me go over my plot line again and make sure I had everything covered. Thankful I did, but thanks again for the reminders. Be sure to let me know if you see any holes. I do want to keep to the story and characters as much as possible, even though things are going to change. Hope you enjoy and please, please keep up with the reviews. I guarantee chapters will come quicker!! Oh, and just so you know the next chapter will not be a time jump. This chapter ended up being longer than I thought it would so I cut it in half. Sorry, but I will have the next one up very soon.

The hike up to the reactor was one of the most tense and quietest couple hours in Rain's young life. She was used to the silence it was normal for her. Cloud would go for days at a time without saying more than a couple of sentences and she let him. Never pushing him, because she too knew the need for silence and would have days, never as long as Cloud, where she simply didn't want to talk either.

They understand the need for silence with each other and had learned how to give it. They however never left each other alone, in their self made prison of silence.

For it was in that self induced silence, when the memories were sharpest, the clearest. When the horrors would no longer say confined to the silence of night, but instead decided to walk the day. It was a relief to Rain, because she knew that during that time the nightmares would not visit, but was painful for it made her own oddity more apparent as the villagers starred. What eight year old child after all would suddenly choose not to talk for days? At that age it should be near impossible.

During that time Cloud's touch was always felt, the bushing of an arm. A sudden squeeze on her shoulder, his hand running through her hair, touches that were almost no-existent otherwise, suddenly become the norm throughout the day. It was if he was trying to ground her to reality, remind her that he too knew what she was going through.

Right now though, the silence was different. This was the silence that came before a coming storm, when most would hide and seek shelter, instead of walking toward the storm's very heart.

Rain risked a glance behind her at Vincent, who was following closely, but had not even bothered to try and break the silence. She of course knew he wouldn't. Vincent was probably the quietest one of all of them, which was saying a lot.

She signed what a team they made, the brooding, silent trio.

Rain looked around. They were high up in the mountain line now and trees were scarce up here, but plant life was still evident among the rocks. What was making her uneasy though, was they hadn't had any encounters with a single monster.

Weren't monsters attracted to Mako? Something about mako seemed to call to monsters. That was why SOLDIERS were constantly attacked by them. Rain and Cloud always had to be on guard whenever they left the safety of the village. Reactors were common places for monsters to horde around, yet they had not encountered one. Something up here was overcoming even their pull toward Mako and Rain considered that even senseless monsters knew not to mess with Jenova.

As the reactor came into view through an outcrop of rocks, Cloud stopped and Rain and Vincent stopped behind him.

"Jenova should be hidden in a chamber in the heart of the reactor. She should be powerless now, but do not underestimate her. She is a master of deception and mind control."

"How do you plan on disposing her?" Vincent's cold voice sent chills down Rain's arms. So matter of factually, he did not know who or what Jenova was to the extent they did, but yet didn't seem to have any problem with destroying her. Rain had to remind herself, that Vincent was once a Terk and Terk's rarely asked questions or backed down once they had made up their minds.

"I think burying her under a couple tons of raw mako should keep her from anyone's reach."

Vincent raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "You think?"

"To be honest I'm not sure. Jenova has been dead for over two thousands years, but yet her cells assure that she never really truly die. All we can do is make sure no one can ever find her and hope the raw mako can disintegrate the body over time until there is nothing left."

"Let's just get it over with then!"

Just standing there talking was making Rain anxious. She just wanted to get it over with and get out of this place. There was to many memories here, to many horrors.

Both men looked at her, but she refused to meet their gazes. Rain felt Cloud's hand on her shoulder.

"You don't have to come in."

Rain looked up to meet him in the eye, "Yes, I do! This is not just your nightmare Cloud! You're not the only one that needs to see it end."

Cloud starred at her hard and when she didn't back down from his gaze, he finally nodded.

The inside of the reactor was just like Cloud's memories. Metal pies wove an intricate pattern in the encased structure. Steam and heat rose around them along with the very distinct smell of mako, which hung heavily in the air.

Cloud abruptly stopped and Rain bumped hard into his back causing her to stumble back. A claw gripped her arm, steadying her.

She looked up into the red eyes, which starred down at her, expressionless.

"Thanks." She muttered, waiting for the him to remove his hand or claw. He held on for a moment longer simply starring at her. Then almost hesitantly let her go. She took a couple of steps back, slightly uneasy.

That feeling vanished however, when she looked forward again and saw what held Cloud's attention. A long set of metal stairs stood before them with a locked steel door at the top.

Rain's vision swirled and for an instant she could see the form of an not so much older Tifa lying still at the bottom and the bleeding shape of a raven haired man lying broken on the stairs.

Vincent observed as the two seemed lost in a world only they could see and he wondered just what were these children? They were more than siblings to each other. It was if they understood every thought and feeling of the other, especially the girl to the older boy.

The girl seemed to come out of it first, and reached out to grasp the boy by the arm, saying his name softly.

Cloud, he heard a voice inside him smirk, what an interesting and odd name for a boy whose blond, spiky hair looked more like a Chocobo than the soft, fluffy mists of the sky. I wonder what name the girl holds if the boy is such a contradiction.

Quite Chaos! He growled to his inner demon and for once Chaos obeyed.

Cloud seemed to come out of his stupor and was now starting up the stairs. Vincent and the girl followed him.

The steel door at the top looked like it might be a problem, and Vincent was just about to offer his services, when Cloud pulled a metal pipe from his jacket that Vincent had seen him grab when they had first entered the reactor. The pipe was about a two feet long and was rusting.

Vincent looked at the boy sceptically. If he planned on breaking the door down with that, it wouldn't even dent the triple enforced steel door. He watched as the kid lifted the pipe in front of his face and closed his eyes as if concentrating. The move obviously something he copied from a disciplined warrior or maybe a SOLDIER.

Vincent was just about to say something, when a blue hue started to encase the entire length of the pipe. The boy opened his eyes and Vincent could just see the bright glow of mako in his eyes right before he let out a fierce shout. At the same time bringing his arms down in a forward slash. A streak of blue lighting seemed to dart across the short distance between the pipe and door, leaving a deep slash in the floor and cleanly cutting the door in two.

Vincent starred not bothering to hide his shock. How was it possible for a kid to have that much strength? That was Omnislash, a move only SOLDIERS were able use effectively. It required, a tremendous amount of inner strength and control, along with having a significant amount of mako in your system, which was why only SOLDIERS were usually only able to use the move.

Why are you so surprised? You already knew these children were not normal. Instead of being shocked, shouldn't you find it appealing. Imagine how strong they could become.

Vincent pushed Chaos's thoughts back into the depths of his mind. It would take him a while to re-surface. The girl had walked past Cloud surveying the damage, her expression displeased.

"So this is what you have been doing on your treks up the mountain."

She turned suddenly to face him, her voice shrill, "You idiot, why didn't you take me with you?!"

For the first time since Vincent had meet them, the girl actually looked her age. A pouting, little girl throwing a fit because she had not gotten what she wanted. Cloud however meet her suddenly childish behavior unrelentingly.

"One person blowing cracks throughout the countryside was quite enough and we all know you can't do things in moderation, Rain. You might have split the village in two by accident."

The girl's expression didn't change and Cloud finally signed.

"Fine, I'll teach you once we safely away from Nebelheim. Where you can't do any harm."

The girl brightened seeming content, and her expression once again went back to the mature, older then she appeared air. Vincent blinked at the sudden change. The girl really did seem to be a child and adult all somehow rolled into one.

As they stepped through the door, Vincent was hit with even the stronger smell of mako and Vincent glanced down off the platform. They were standing on a metal platform and a green river of mako flowed a couple stories below them. At the far side of the chamber was a large cylinder tank and he was just able to make out the figure of a woman within, when a sudden pain seemed to rip through him, driving him to his knees.

Chaos roared within him. Struggling, threatening to tear him apart. The demon was too busy fighting the will that kept him confined to form words, but Vincent could understand the one thought racing through the demon.

Enemy! Destroy her! Destroy her!

So even Chaos recognizes the creature as a threat to the planet. Vincent thought as he fought to keep him under control. This one reaction from Chaos, convinced him more than any amount of words could. These kids now had his sole and utter belief. They were the protectors of the future.

Cloud had just glimpse Vincent collapse to his knees with a grunt of pain, clenching his chest, when time suddenly seemed to slow and he felt a strange pull within him. He felt his heart quicken at the familiar sensation, until it was so loud he could hear it pounding in his ears. No! How was this possible!

The planet panicked it's thoughts mirroring that of Clouds. How was it possible? Though it had used the last of it's power to transport the planet back to it's original state before the reunion. It had been careful, so very careful to make all events and memories besides those surrounding Cloud would remain the same. Allowing him only to keep his memories and the mako that coursed through his blood. Everything else had been changed back to the way it had been. How was it possible that she had manged to remain as well? How had the planet not felt the intruder? She had not just invaded it's hero, but it's own creation as well. It had to do something! Things would just end the same if this continued, only sooner!

Wait! The Cetra within the lifestream cautioned. Another possible future had just open up before them and if the humans, partially one could endure it, it would guarantee the future, at least from Jenova. Just wait! They whispered.

Cloud was on his knees, grasping for breath as the cells in his body called out to the creature of it's origin. He didn't know how it was possible, but he could now feel the Jenova cells in his body. Something was different though, Jenova wasn't calling to him like she usually did when in proximity to a body that held her cells. Why? He could feel the cells in his body react to her presence, but she wasn't responding. Why?

Another thought suddenly hit him, Rain! If he carried Jenova cells, did she? She was after all almost the exact replica of him. He desperately brought his head up despite the pain. He felt the pounding in his ears stop as he looked up.

Rain was still standing and had somehow moved across the piping leading up to the cylinder and was reaching out with one hand toward the glass tank. He screamed.

"Rain, don't!"

Rain didn't know what was happening. One moment she was starring at the creature in the tank, the next moment she had taken a step forward and everything changed. Rain's arm was thrown across her face as she tried to shield her eyes from the abrupt change in light. As the light dimmed, she slowly lowered her hand from her eyes. The reactor was gone and she was now surrounded by gray empty space. She strained her eyes trying to see anything in the gray expanse, but there was nothing.

Suddenly a soft voice seemed to drift across the gray midst, calling to her. A woman's voice.

"Tifa?" She called. No it wasn't Tifa, the voice was too old, but it sounded so familiar.

"Who are you?"

"You know who I am child." The voice was much closer now and Rain whirled around. A figure was slowly materializing out of the fog, it's features becoming clearer as it came closer. It was obviously a woman, she was unclothed and her long blue hair hung about her head like a halo. The woman held her arms out in welcome as she got closer.

"My child! I have missed you so!"

Rain let the woman embrace her. Her arms seemed frozen at her sides. The woman seemed so familiar, she could feel something inside of her reach out to the woman. Rain slowly lifted her arms and embraced the woman back, one word slipping almost unconsciously off her lips.

"Mother?"

"Yes," the woman purred and Rain could feel long fingers running through her hair, "Yes, I am your mother, dear one and now that we are reunited I won't let anything separate us ever again."

The woman pulled back and looked at her, running her gaze up and down her body intently, almost hungrily.

"So beautiful, you will grow up to do very fine indeed."

Rain was now pulling back uneasy, but the woman grip on her arms was strong. Her head was now starting to hurt as something desperately tried to make its way to her memory. Something about all this seemed so familiar and wrong. What was it? She tried to pull back again, but the woman's hands on her arms suddenly moved to her head, locking it in place. The woman's voice suddenly became eerily in it's softness.

"Do not resist. You are mine! My new daughter! Now we must find your brothers, we will become stronger, but do not worry my dear. They will not take your place. You after all are my only daughter."

Rain's breathing became hoarse as memories held down by an unseen force suddenly came to the surface engulfing her. She screamed jerking herself out of the woman's grip and stumbled back to her knees.

"Jenova!"

The woman's smile turned cold as she felt her grip on the girl's memories shatter. The girl's inner strength and will was strong. Good! She would have been disappointed if her cells had found their way into any lesser human.

"What do you want?"

"What do I want? I want this planet." Jenova took a step forwards the girl, "Together you and I will take this planet and create a shinning new world."

Rain shook her head, struggling to her feet. "No, we won't let you!"

Jenova smiled mockingly, "We? I'm afraid your quite alone here, child. There is no one to help you."

Rain looked around, then raised her fists copying Tifa's stance.

"Then I will stop you!"

Jenova's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You are my child," she hissed, "And you will do as I say!"

Rain didn't even realize Jenova was gone, before she felt hands grab her from behind. She screamed as a hand plastered itself across the front of her face and the blood in her veins seemed to boil as the cells in her bloodstream responded to Jenova's touch. Rain felt her will slowly disappear as a strange and foreign consciousness invaded it's way into her mind. Her limbs became weaker and she could feel herself giving in, as the presence became stronger.

"If it were me I still wouldn't give up?" A voice from past memories suddenly flashed into her mind. Cloud laying on his hands and knees, blood dripping from his hair and various wounds on his shoulders, chest and legs. She couldn't see the face of the raven haired man standing with his back to Cloud, but she knew who it was. Zack! "Well do you need a hand? You already beat him once, this should be a cinch!"

She was not Cloud though. She had not beat Jenova before like Cloud had in Sethiroth second return, but that did not mean she couldn't do it as herself. After all she had Cloud's memories and his strength that came from those memories, as well as the pain they both endured because of them.

Jenova's eyes widened as the girl's mind suddenly lashed out at her, driving her back. A hand suddenly gripped her prying her hand off the girl's face and she was then thrown forward. She landed easily and turned to face the girl in shock. How could this girl be so strong? No, one could resist her! No one!

With a roar Rain sprinted forward her fist drawn back. Pain flashed in her hand as she punched as hard as she could. She pulled back and punched again and was meet with the satisfying sound of fist hitting flesh. She pulled back and hit again and again and again!

She suddenly felt arms grab her from behind, dragging her back. She screamed and struggled to break free.

"Rain, stop!" A voice shouted in her ear.

Rain blinked, and slowly everything came back into focus. She was back in the reactor, and Cloud's face was in front of her shouting at her to calm down. She could feel the strong chest at her back and looked up to see Vincent, his arms firmly secured around her. She stopped struggling.

"Cloud?"

Cloud nodded and reached out to touch her face, but paused when she flinched away from the touch.

"Are you alright?"

Cloud watched as Rain's eyes suddenly filled with tears and she shook her head. He nodded slightly to Vincent, who slowly released her.

"It's her! She's here! Inside my head, make it stop, Cloud!" Rain collapsed to her knees, clenching her head in agony.

Cloud felt his jaw tighten in rage. He knelt down, resting his hand lightly on Rain's shoulder.

"It's alright, Rain. Stay here, I'll make her voice stop."

He rose and walked toward the tank. The glass was already shattered from where Rain's fist had shot through. Wires had been jerked from where they had been connected to the body from the force of Rain's punches on the body itself. With a vicious jerk, he tore the remain ones and the body collapses to the bottom of the tank.

Grabbing a fist full of the hair he attempted to lift the body by the hair, but his height though made it impossible to lift the body from the tank. At this close proximity, he could hear her whisper in his head, but he shut himself firmly off from it. Another hand suddenly gripped around his own. Vincent! Vincent lifted the body with ease from the tank, than flung the body onto a nearby metal walkway.

"Finish her off!" The gunman growled before turning back to Rain, who still lay huddled on the floor. He uttered something to her that Cloud could not hear, but saw Rain take in a deep breath.

Cloud jumped onto the walkway, landing beside the body. He bent down and picked up the body, and moved it out over the edge of the walkway, his movements seemed slow and hesitate as the voice in his head raged at him to stop.

He looked down at the body, "Not this time Jenova! You will not have them, any of them! From now on you will become what you deserve. A memory, nothing more."

He dropped his arms and watched as Jenova, the Calamity disappeared beneath the green mako below.

AN: Just so you know I took that memory of Rain's from a new scene in Advent Children Complete. Just in case it didn't seem familiar to you.