Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII: Crisis Core or any other FF related elements! The OC, however, is all mine.

I'd like to give a big thanks to 0Infinity0 for reviewing last chapter. This chapter is dedicated to you! I apologize for the brevity of this chapter; I only write how long I think is necessary for a chapter to be complete, so length of chapters will vary, depending. As always, reviews and messages are encouraged and appreciated!

(Chapter 2)

Years passed. I grew more mature mentally, though in all honesty, I didn't notice much physical change even were I supposed to grow older in that capacity. I tried not to notice, sometimes I even wondered if I were...different. Was I human? I immediately shook my head at that nonsensical question. I mean, just look at me. If not human, just what am I?

I tried to keep these anomalous thoughts at bay as I continued journeying, the question to my origins at least keeping my mind off of ShinRa, Banora, and Gillian. I continued traveling, and I found myself in Midgar when the war with Wutai broke out and consumed the mako-driven company.

Was it normal for an electric company to hold so much power over the world? No, I decided, it wasn't. I couldn't speak my mind, of course, should any ShinRa representatives overhear me for some reason or another. Perhaps I come across as paranoid or as a coward to you, but if that is the case, you don't seem to realize just what ShinRa was capable of doing.

Perhaps I was looking for danger and adventure, or maybe it was even a need to truly see what was happening for myself. Regardless the reason, I found myself traveling to Wutai, the center of all the havoc that seemed to be wreaking the known world at the time. People gave me strange looks when I told them my destination, some of them certainly thinking me mentally insane or perhaps a stupid tourist.

I didn't pay them much mind, though I certainly wished I hadn't gone to Wutai at all once I arrived. The locals wouldn't allow me into the town, and I had to remain on the outskirts near the battlefield, SOLDIERs not all uncommon as I wandered. Seeing their swords, the fighting, I was instantly reminded of Angeal and Genesis so many years ago.

Though, this was far different. This was a war – a bloody, senseless shedding of blood that would forever stain Gaia and the survivors of this skirmish. To this day, the sounds of anguished screams and cries for help, the sound of metal slicing through flesh and bones as though it were mere paper, the groans of men who knew their deaths were imminent plague my mind and keep me awake at night.

As I stood there, observing in an almost morbid fashion, a soldier, a Wutaian by the look of him, staggered towards me, a deep wound to his chest bleeding profusely. My mouth gaped stupidly before my legs moved to catch him as he fell, his blood staining the clothes I wore though I can't say it was foremost on my mind at the moment. I could feel tears begin to form at the corners of my eyes despite everything, the man's chin falling to my shoulder before I slowly eased him to the ground, my hand moving to his wound.

I didn't have much, but I gave him what I could scrounge from the small pouch on my hip. I removed the helmet covering his head, a thin trail of blood oozing from the side of his lips as his eyes moved to gaze at me. His lips then moved as if to speak; "Quiet. Save your strength," I informed him quietly, producing the small piece of fabric I had used for a scarf in the colder months and wrapping it around his wound with difficulty.

My eyes widened when I heard footsteps coming in my direction, my throat instantly going dry as I staggered to my feet and did my best to drag the soldier with me. "Halt! What is a civilian doing in the war zone?!" a man cried, causing me to wince. I looked up, relief washing over me once I realized he also was Wutaian.

"He's injured," I told them, indicating the man now laying at my feet. "Take care of him," I instructed the man, quickly turning from him as he opened his mouth to seemingly retort my statement. I inhaled a deep breath once I reached a small clearing, sitting on a nearby rock and pinching the bridge of my nose. What had possessed me to come here? Did I want to die prematurely? I needed to leave, that much was certain.

I was certainly surprised and unprepared for more soldiers to filter into that small, enclosed area; my breath caught in my throat and I couldn't help but lift from the rock and keep my eyes trained on the figures. I slipped into the woods of the enclosure, not daring to breathe as three soldiers appeared, two of them the same rank. I could tell only from the color of their uniforms that they also were SOLDIER.

"It never stops," one of them groaned, easily taking a seat where I had been perched mere moments before. The one of a different color with silver hair flowing over his shoulders and down his back, seemed to sense something in the air, his eyes narrowing slightly from what and where I could tell. "Something wrong?" I finally recognized the man's voice, my eyes widening as I physically put a hand to my mouth in order to stifle any noises that may come out from it. Genesis...was here? Why wasn't he in Banora? Had they drafted him or something? No...he was in SOLDIER?!

My mind was in a whirl while the silver-haired man answered, all three of them finally looking suspicious. I finally got a look at the final member of the group, wincing when I noticed it was Angeal. What were they doing here? Didn't they care they had left their parents defenseless in Banora? What was the matter with them? I would have given them a piece of my mind had they still been teenagers, and smaller then me, but as it was...

I may as well act the part, I finally decided, my hands tangling my hair before skewing my clothing. Suddenly, I landed in the clearing, my breathing forcibly heavy as I landed on all fours, all three of them glancing at me before deciding I was no threat at all. I didn't dare lift my head; I pretended to keep my breathing heavy as I continued, my eyes squeezing shut. If I didn't look up and acknowledge Genesis and Angeal, then maybe I could blame their presence here on my sight. Maybe they were still in Banora, tending to their families and not wasting away in a war zone.

"Civilians are not allowed here," the decidedly clipped and almost cold voice of the silver-haired man informed me, my fist clenching on the ground. I couldn't think of anything to reply, so I instead slowly got to my feet, a hand moving to hover over my eyes, perhaps giving them all the facade that I was crying, or had been at the very least.

"I apologize," I finally answered in the best voice I could muster, consciously adding a quiver for effect. I moved to turn away from them and run away as fast as I possibly could, but instead felt a vice-like grip on my wrist. "Release me. You're not a law enforcer here," I finally showed my face, the contours of my face no doubt angled and unpleasant to look at due to the glare I was giving the silver-haired man. I tried my best not to notice the strange looks on the other two's faces, hoping to Gaia they didn't act as though they knew me.

"Perhaps we should turn her in. She could be a spy," the silver-haired man murmured as I finally twisted my wrist free from his grip. I was almost surprised when he didn't look startled from my extrication, though I did notice a small flash of amusement in his eyes. "Why are you here?" he finally asked, the question catching me off guard and my glare dissolving into a confused look.

"I decided to vacation in Wutai, and lo and behold, there's a war here," I told him truthfully, though coated my words with sarcasm. They need not know my stupidity in travels. The amused look returned to the man's gaze, the corners of his lips twitching probably despite his control.

"Well, aren't you going to introduce me, Angeal?" I finally asked, my head cocking to the side. This most definitely threw him for a loop, and his eyes widened once he realized just who I was. Genesis looked irritated, though the longer he looked at me, I could see the realization finally dawn on him. So, I hadn't been forgotten after all. I suppose I should be flattered.

The silver-haired man's inquisitive eyes looked at me as though he were looking very deep, positively shaking me to the core. Angeal had already introduced me by that point, and I could feel my eyes widen when Sephiroth was finally named. Project S...this must have been the pinnacle of the Jenova experiments. He didn't seem too alarmed by my reaction upon hearing his name, though I suppose most would stop and gape at him like mindless idiots too upon first meeting him. I immediately shut my mouth and dipped my head in an apology, and Sephiroth shrugged his shoulders so imperceptibly I could barely notice it at all.

"What are you doing here?" Angeal finally asked, an amused smile on my lips.

"I thought I told you already," I pointed out, the answer not satisfying him as his arms crossed his chest. I think I liked it better when you were smaller than I was...less threatening that way. It also never helped how your sword was as big as you were.

"I tried to help an injured soldier...his superior came and retrieved him, told me the same useful tidbit of information about no civilians, and here I am, trying to find my way from this place," I finally answered, my tone not betraying how I felt about the whole situation. It wouldn't have changed anything anyway.

I stiffened when I felt the presence of unwanted people, Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis doing the same once I turned to see just what was going on. Wutaian soldiers. They had sneaked up on us as we had talked, their guns all pointed our way as they surrounded us in the small clearing.

I hadn't fought in a while, though I would assume Sephiroth guessed I wouldn't be fighting at all unless he could judge my movements based solely on my physical appearance. Then again, maybe that's giving him far too much.

We all seemed to move at the same time in one fluid movement, my fists pounding and leaving at least five or six men incapacitated though not dead. I turned when I noticed no more soldiers coming in my direction, instead deciding to watch Angeal and Genesis fight off the enemy. At least, the enemy for SOLDIER and ShinRa. I smiled unconsciously when Genesis landed the finishing blow on his enemy, the redhead attempting to catch his breath as Angeal and Sephiroth finished as well. A low gasp left my lips when cool, metallic arms grabbed me from behind, my heartbeat racing as a sharp knife pressed into the skin on my neck, the blade drawing a thin line of blood from where it accidentally punctured the skin.

"Come quietly or she dies," the man threatened, his grip on me tightening as I winced.

The three seemed distraught, torn between the decision. "Foolish," I murmured, loud enough for everyone to hear me before I abruptly bashed the top of my skull into his chin and elbowed him in the gut, the man staggering before letting go completely. One of my hands moved to my throat while I turned to face the downed man, pity suddenly overcoming me. It wasn't the same injured man from before, but it easily could have been under different circumstances.

I decided then that I wanted to leave. I had had enough bloodshed, enough needless killing, enough war to last me a lifetime and then some. I could feel eyes on my back, though I didn't turn around. "Go. Your superior is looking for you," I told them, not certain about that but uttering it nonetheless. I would find my own way, as I always had done.

What I had not been expecting, however, was for a warm hand to clamp on to my shoulder, Angeal insisting that I accompany them back to the ShinRa base where I could get back to Midgar or wherever it was I wished to go. As I felt the first time with Gillian, I found myself compelled and I ended up following them to the base, Sephiroth not murmuring a word; though I couldn't shake the feeling that he was unhappy about the decision.

When we arrived, I could feel the stares of all the SOLDIERs in the camp, some of the glances neither friendly nor platonic. They led me to the General, or whoever was in command, and the man's eyes practically bulged out of their sockets when he saw me, instantly demanding some sort of explanation. I felt horrible when Angeal began to explain; I kept my eyes trained on the ground until I was directly spoken to. "He's agreed to let you go on one of the helicopters back," Angeal told me with a weary smile, the four of us suddenly escorted out until Sephiroth himself went back in for some reason.

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to cause such a commotion," I told Angeal and Genesis, the redhead laughing and Angeal shaking his head with a chuckle. We talked for a while after that, catching up so to speak before Sephiroth returned and they all left. I felt awkward and out of place when they did, which was completely understandable considering everything. I left Wutai rather quickly, and found myself on the way back to Midgar, only able to worry for their safety until the end of the war.