Author's note: I don't own Final Fantasy VII. This is a collaboration between Asirainis and myself. This will have no reference to any sequel or prequel in the Compilation. Game 1 Canon only.

Those Chosen By The Planet

Disc 1 Part 1: Life Or Death

Airlia struggled to try and find a reason to go to the fruit merchant, going so far as to spill the fruit into the trash 'accidentally.' Knowing what she knew, the broken brunette had to try and get word to her ally. The woman she knew only by the name Annaliese. The name had been familiar, but it was as if it were out of a dream. She knew when she spilled the fruit, she would be beaten. But it was a minor price to pay to get word out to save thousands.

The dark look Barret gave her spoke that her punishment would come much later as he shoved a bag of coins into her hand and told her to hurry back. That she only had fifteen minutes to get the fruit, an attempt to keep communications out of existence.

So she hurried, running with the coveted message in her pocket, coins in her hand to the familiar vendor. He looked at the brunette perplexed. "My you just got fruit the other day. Did you go through it all already?"

Airlia handed him coin for the needed items, slipping the note into his hand when he passed her the bag. He frowned, this had to be bad, whatever she was trying to tell him as she fled the market before he could read or even react. She made it back in just under the required time as she put the fruit back where it belonged. She would prefer death to her meager existence, but she never took her own life. A small part of her hoped beyond hope that someone would still rescue her. But it would have to be their doing, not hers to run because they would find a way to grab her and do worse than they already had.

The vendor immediately placed a "Back in 15 minutes" sign on the stand and boxed up his goods so as to keep thieves from rendering him penniless. He went to the nearby materia shop. "A message for the shop owner. I need three Fire materia."

The employee took the message. "I will deliver your order in twenty minutes. Standby."

The vendor nodded. He returned to his shop as if he was just waiting for his order and going about his business.

The Materia seller hurried from his position to his own boss. A bald man wearing a suit. "Urgent message, 3 fire."

Rude took the paper and made haste back to Shinra HQ. He needed to find his charge and her father.

He didn't have to look too long as he could hear jovial laughter from inside the head office. "Sephy, Grandpa's too old for this."

Rude went in and was instantly set upon by a little child who looked exactly like his father. Right down to the green-blue eyes with the mako glow and his silver hair, though his mother kept it neatly in a small ponytail. He brushed the boy off, trying not to be too abrupt, and President Shinra retrieved his grandson.

His mother sat at her father's desk poring over the business side of things. She looked up at him. Her own black hair was kept in a neat bun on top of her head. A pair of silver reading glasses sat on her nose.

"Message," he said simply, a man of few words. "Three fire."

Annaliese Shinra took the message and looked it over. "Father mobilize SOLDIER immediately to Sector 1, plate and slums. Evacuate everyone in the area."

President Shinra put Sephy down. "Rude, take the boy to the playground."

Rude groaned. He hated babysitting. However, arguing would take more speaking than he was prepared for. "Yes President. Come brat." He meant the term in the nicest possible way of course.

Shinra waited until the boy was out of earshot and went to his daughter's side. "What is it?"

"A message from my informant. Avalanche is planning to blow up the reactor in that sector. You could possibly save the reactor, but that might endanger my contact. It's better to just get the people out and away from the reactor," she rationalized.

President Shinra normally didn't take orders from anyone, but his daughter was a different matter. She was training with her brother to one day run the company and protect the populace. She knew what she was doing. He dialed his phone. "Heidegger, Reeve, Sector 1. Evacuate all. Emergency Level Red." He hung up the phone. He knew he didn't need to tell them more than that. "That Avalanche is becoming a danger to everyone. I think I might need to consider the End Game after all."

Anna frowned. "The End Game, Father?"

"Yes, now don't take this the wrong way. I hope it's not necessary but I have my own contacts and most of them are telling me they are willing if not eager to do this. The head of contacts has been instructed to place charges on the pillar of Sector Seven, where their base is," Shinra explained.

Airlia frowned as she saw the edge of the brunette come into her periphery with an unknown man. Would he be like Wedge and Biggs? She pushed herself to go to the basement while the 'men and women' talked as Barret put it. It wasn't long after she was first grabbed that she found out the basement was sound proof. Wedge was there with Biggs as they beat her for the careless waste of fruit and having to spend extra gil so soon. They always made sure since the two women had come into the company that it was never where it would be visible, and never bleed. But most times, bruised ribs and welts on the gut and back never showed through her dreary clothing.

However, Barret came down to retrieve the two men, satisfied with her punishment before they were brought upstairs to learn of the necessary information to infiltrate the reactor and destroy it.

All Airlia's thought process was… Please… please… Annaliese, save those poor souls in that sector. I can hold on a little longer for rescue, but their clock is now starting to wind down…

"You want to what!" Anna shouted. "Father, no!" She couldn't believe the extreme plan she was hearing. "Destroying an entire sector of people. Some of them are our own placed there to get information!"

Shinra sighed as he reclaimed his seat. "I know my dear. But...I must ask myself, what is better? A few lives or a hundred or a thousand? These people are like a nest of hornets. We must act to crush them and now. Or the lives lost in the future will be much more significant."

Anna thought about what her father was saying. She could understand his logic but she just couldn't let go of the hope that this could be settled peacefully. "Father...I understand. But give me a chance. I think I can do this."

Shinra frowned up at her. He didn't like where this was going one bit. "A chance to do what?"

"I will go down to the Sector Seven slums to meet with their leader. I will negotiate peace," she stated simply.

Shinra was on his feet in an instant. "Oh no you won't. I will not have my daughter in that danger!"

Annaliese hugged her father to calm him down. "I'll be okay Daddy." She hadn't called him 'Daddy' in such a long time. "My contact tells me that Mr Wallace is a parent too and his daughter is Sephy's age. Surely he's just a man desperate to give his daughter a better life. Please Daddy?"

Shinra sighed. When she used the words 'Please Daddy' that was it. "Alright...but I want you to be careful. You are to take your sidearm and Rude with you. You have my permission to offer him whatever you feel is appropriate. Do not tell him of the bombs on the pillar."

Annaliese squealed and hugged her father close. "Yes Daddy, I will be be careful."

Airlia sighed internally as she nursed her wounds in quiet while Marlene ran the bar. She hated watching the child doing it, but it was Barret's orders. Tifa oddly enough had never tried to make contact with her, to find out her story. The brunette had been sitting on the step of the bar while news came over the television about the bombing.

Holding her breath, she listened for the death toll, and was amazed that it was relatively low. They had gotten my message! Thank the heavens above! However, her relief was masked by her anxiety about Barret's reaction to there not being more who should have died. And yet, as a familiar set of feet approached the bar with a smaller familiar set of feet - Airlia held her breath. Why did you come Annaliese? Why did you bring your son? It's too dangerous!

Anna entered the bar, carefully holding her son's hand tightly in her own. She sat down at a table. When a little girl with brown hair came over to the table, she was a little confused.

"May I help you?" the little girl asked.

Anna frowned. "Are you the waitress?"

The little girl shrugged. "I help here sometimes. Would you like something to drink?"

Anna breathed in sharply through her nose, an indication that she was not pleased. "I would like to speak to an adult."

A young woman with a large bust came down the stairs. "Marlene, do we have guests? What can I get for you today?"

"I would like to speak with this child's parents. Honestly, letting a little girl run a bar." Anna snapped.

Tifa shrugged. "She is in my care for the time being. She just helps with the glasses and things. She doesn't touch the alcohol." She lied on Barrett's insistence.

Anna frowned, "Somehow I have my doubts about her not touching the alcohol, but that is neither here nor there. I'm here with regards to making a deal on behalf of Shinra with Avalanche. To stop this violence, these needless deaths."

Tifa frowned, "I thought you looked familiar! You're the Shinra Princess!" Looking around, she saw the small boy and started putting things together. However, before she could continue Cloud walked back in through the door with Barret, Jessie, Biggs and Wedge. Anna didn't miss the tension that suddenly filled the room when the last two men came in.

Cloud smiled when he saw his long time friend, "Anna! Wow it's been too long. We'll have to catch up sometime. I suspect you're here for other reasons though." The blond smiled as he sat next to his friend.

Anna nodded curtly, "I would be happy to see you, but not in these circumstances Cloud. I'm here to make a proposition with the leader of Avalanche. I know he is here."

The tall dark skinned man with a gun arm on his right hand frowned. "That'd be me. The hell do you want Shinra Princess?"

Frowning, she continued. "I'm here to negotiate a cease fire between Shinra and Avalanche. I want you to stop your bombings immediately before needless lives are lost. I also want you to release any prisoners of war."

Cloud blinked. "Wait, you're taking prisoners Barret? This is not what I signed up for. Mrs. Shinra, what are your terms? I think he should regard it in all seriousness."

Tifa frowned, something was wrong. However, Anna pushed forward. "I'm prepared to offer you amnesty from previous crimes, tuition for Marlene. Wouldn't that be enough to make you stop?"

Cloud frowned, "That's more than reasonable terms Barret. Time to give it up."

The dark skinned man spat, he knew who the mole was now. "They're fucking killing the planet Cloud. I'm not giving in to ease my conscience. Now Shinra Princess, you're coming with me to the fifth reactor. Cloud, Tifa, both of you are comin' with me. Let's go and deal with the Shinra for once and for all! The kids will remain here, where they will be safe while we do our mission."

Anna frowned deeply. "Mr Wallace don't do this. Don't play this game because I promise you will lose."

Barret frowned as he whispered in warning, "No - you will lose Shinra Princess. However, if you play nice your son will not see any rough handling."

Anna would not play by his rules. "Mr Wallace, you are already in enough trouble for leaving your five year old to tend a bar. Don't press. I'm offering you a 250,000 gil a month salary. A place on Shinra's board of researchers. You claim we're destroying the planet. We're trying to find sustainable energy. Join us and help since you seem to know so much about it. I know you could be a valuable asset. This salary is in addition to a place for your daughter in the same school I went to. Based in Junon, this is the top, the TOP, academy in the world. This school offers scholarships for the children of our researchers. Think of her future. Think of yours. You want to help the planet? Here's your chance."

Barret scoffed at it, "You're just buying me off to make us stop looking at the planet and to simply watch it die. No deal."

Anna threw him a file containing the schematics of Junon's water-power. "Junon has already been upgraded to Hydro-Power for a long time. Rocket Town is on wind power. Neither of these cities use mako any longer. We are trying to find other sources of energy. I think you need to ask yourself. What happens to Marlene if you were to die in one of your raids? No, this isn't a threat. It's a distinct possibility. My son never knew his father. I don't want to see another child lose her parents." She attempted to reason with the man.

Barret frowned. They looked legitimate, but it's easy enough to make something 'look' real. "No deal. I would have heard about Junon being converted to hydropower. And Rocket Town is out in the middle of no where. There's no reason for Shinra to merely do this. They love to do nothing more than suck the life out of our world. And if you threaten my child again, Shinra Princess, you will wish you hadn't."

"What rock are you living under!" she shouted. "I'm not threatening you or your child. You're using bombs. Bombs have a tendency to go BOOM. When they do, can you deny that people get hurt?"

Cloud laughed. "She's got a point Barret. Bombs go boom, and this is generally followed by pieces of the body breaking away."

Barret shot Cloud a dirty look. "We always make sure we're well clear before it goes boom. And anyone who is caught in the crossfire is usually a member of Shinra. So it's a two fold win for me. Now either you're in Cloud or you're out. Take your pick but choose carefully. Accidents do happen you know."

Anna agreed. "You're right. Accidents do happen. And what about the innocent people who are hurt. The ones with no ties to Shinra? What about the hospitals left without power because now there's no reactor to keep them running? What if you misjudge the time you need to escape? What if the bomb malfunctions and YOU'RE caught in the explosion. I ask again, what happens to Marlene?" She felt heat behind her eyes as she remembered the night she was informed of Sephiroth's death. "Don't do that to her. I beg of you? Don't even risk it. She deserves better."

Barret shook his head, getting angry. "I warned you to not bring Marlene into this! Now, we're going to go to the reactor. Jessie has the information we need for the next site and we will be blowing it up. This time, you will be coming with us to ensure that Shinra stays the hell out of this! Biggs, you stay behind and keep an eye on that brat of hers. Make sure he's a good boy and stays here."

Anna knew she had failed to save these people. Cloud stood up. "Barret wait, she's Shinra's daughter. You need to consider the possible repercussions involved." He looked at the obviously upset woman.

She looked at him. "I tried Cloud. I tried…"

Rude knew something had gone horribly awry when Annaliese was led out of the bar and towards the train station with the terrorists. He made to follow but saw quickly the number behind her back, hidden in her very fingers.

He called the President. "Yes Sir. Sector Five. They have her."

Airlia frowned when she saw the group being led out. She knew she couldn't have helped Annaliese at the moment, but she could help in other means with getting her child to safety. Grabbing a pitcher that was of heavy glass, she closed her eyes as she acted like she was filling it with water. However, the moment when Biggs turned his back to watch the children, she clocked him with it. Grabbing Sephy's hand and Marlene's, she hoisted them into her arms with surprising ease as she ran. She knew that Avalanche would be on her in minutes, but she had to do it. She had to save them.

Fleeing, she saw a man in dark blue who had no hair, but dark sunglasses. Sephy's excited squeal came into her ear. "It's Uncle Rude! He can take me to see grandpa!"

Airlia nodded, "That's the plan little guy."

Running to him, she quickly pushed the children into his arms. "Go! Get them out of here! Take him to see his grandpa!"

Rude looked torn, he wanted to get the girl out too, it was apparent that she was the informant. But she quickly answered for him, "There's no time. Go!"

He took off with the children as she turned fatalistically towards the people running at her. "At least they're safe. I did all I could Annaliese."

AN: ::plays Soap-Opera music:: Will Annaliese be able to get away from Barret? Will Airlia survive her selfless act? Will Barret get a clue? Will Cloud still get to dress up like a girl for Corneo? Find out next time on Those Chosen By the Planet. ::Soap Opera Music::