~~~~Sephiroth's POV~~~~

I opened my eyes, only to realize that i had fallen asleep for a little while. I had a dream about the times when I was still in SOLDIER. I had dreamed about, well more like remembered, one of the many time Genesis, Angeal and I had gone into the training simulator after hours. The more I thought of them the more depressed I felt, so I pushed the memory into the back of my mind.

I looked around and only saw Aerith sitting near me. I could just hear the other four, Sazh and Lightning were talking, and Hope and Vanille were talking. What the others were talking about I wasn't sure and assumed it wasn't important.

"Are you okay?" Aerith asked me with a worried tone.

"I have received two head injuries that would have killed regular people," I pointed out, letting Aerith's finish what I was saying.

"I mean emotionally," I knew my face had contorted to a look of confusion for a split second "You are supposed to be stepping away from the SOLDIER role. If you don't you will be punished for your crimes or simply become a Cie'th."

"I'm supposed to stop being a soldier? Even though we could have been killed more than a thousand times already?" I had let my tone take an edge by accident.

"That's not what I meant," Aerith replied quietly "I meant, that in order to change you have to let people in. You have to try to befriend these people."

"Just what I need. Two kids to watch out for, a pilot who is not trained for combat in any way, and a former soldier that is hell bent on avenging her sister," I noticed that the edge was getting sharper and more anger had slipped into my voice.

"Give it some time, Sephiroth. I'm sure that all of them will earn your respect eventually."

Something clicked in my mind as she spoke to me.

"Your not truly a l'Cie, are you? I was reincarnated into this world. You weren't, were you?" I asked the half-Cetra girl.

"Why do you say that?" Aerith asked back "Because your wrong with both."

"Just a suspicion," I replied keeping my tone in check this time. I was assuming she was lying to me.

Two quetions came up in my mind, Why weren't Angeal or Genesis with me? And, why this world? I'm sure there are hundreds of other worlds I could have wound up on. Why place me on a world with so many similarities to Gaia? I knew that if I did not force myself to forget these questions they would impair my mentality.

"This isn't a game!" I heard Sazh shout.

Aerith and I got to our feet a to go see what was going on. When we found the other four Lightning was in the middle of speaking.

"And the Sanctum's hunting me, an enemy of the state. But who's pulling their strings?" Lightning looked up towards a brightly glowing object in the sky "A fal'Cie. Eden. Cocoon's Sustainer and Guiding Light. It probably ordered the Purge, too. Pulse and Sanctum fal'Cie? They're all the same. And we're all the same to them: expendable. I'm not dying a fal'Cie slave."

"So? What are you gonna do?" Sazh asked Lightning.

"Destroy it," Lightning's response made me remember the time in Nibleheim.

What I learned about myself had made begin to hate everything. I hated the people who had lied to me, abandoned me, feared me, humanity as a whole, and the world itself. I hated everything so much I had wanted to destroy it. I would have destroyed myself but it was Jenova that drove me to summoning Meteor. I knew right away that if Lightning continued on her current mental path, she would end up destroying her self.

"By yourself?" Sazh asked "What, are you crazy? Say you pull it off, hmm? What's that get you? Satisfaction? Something happens to Eden, it's lights out Cocoon!" Sazh then had an expression of just figuring something out "You want that. You're a Pulse l'Cie now, so just want to snuff out Cocoon!"

"No!" Vanille shouted "What about Serah?"

"She said to save Cocoon!" Aerith added, with a half shout.

"It might even be our Focus to make sure Cocoon stays-" Vanille tried to say, but Lightning cut her off.

"Our Focus doesn't matter," She said with an angry tone "I don't take orders from fal'Cie. How I live is up to me."

"Don't you mean how you die?" I said unintentionally. I didn't even realize I said it out loud until Lightning responded.

"Think like that, and it's already over. Better to pick your path and keep moving," Lightning turned to make eye contact with all of us "Don't worry. I'm after the Sanctum. I'm not out to destroy the world. If it did come to that, wonder if our 'hero' would try to stop me?"

"You want to fight Snow now?" Sazh asked with a subtle hint of anger "Just like that and your enemies?"

"Smaller things have caused friends to kill each other," I pointed out. I was referring Angeal, Genesis and I. Each time I brought them up I felt more depressed, but as usual I shoved the thoughts back into the shadows of my mind.

"Next time we meet, we might be too," Lightning said before walking off the ruin and away from us.

I started off after her because I definitely did not want to be near Aerith at the moment. I was fairly deep in depression at the moment and she had a sixth sense for when people were feeling depressed. I heard Hope yell something about Snow before heading after Lightning as well.

~~~~Aerith's POV~~~~

We, as in Sazh, Vanille and I, watched Lightning walk away with Sephiroth following, and Hope shortly after. I knew that Sephiroth was following her so he could keep Lightning from hurting herself, because she was standing at the top of a very slippery slope. At least I hoped that Sephiroth would ensure her safety.

"I don't know what I should do," Vanille whined.

"That makes two of us," Sazh commented.

"Three," I corrected.

Vanille turned to and hit Sazh on the back. The hit made Sazh stumble an inch closer to the edge and yelp in surprise.

"Hey! You're taking care of us," She said in a happy tone.

"Well I won't be if you keep pushing me like that," Sazh said to get a laugh out of us. He succeeded.

~~~~Lightning's POV~~~~

Sephiroth and I had been walking in silence since we left. Once again we heard someone running up to us.

"Wait for me!" I heard Hope yell to us. He stopped and started breathing heavily "I'm going with you."

"I can't babysit you anymore," I said to the boy.

"I can fight. I'm not afraid," Hope said back to me. I swear I heard Sephiroth huff.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Sephiroth turn around and flip his sword around from behind him. I turned as well and saw five PSICOM troops with their guns ready.

"Great, a PSICOM hit squad," I said rather loudly.

The soldier in the middle held up a small detonator and pushed the button. An explosion sounded from behind us. The archway of rubble that we had come through collapsed cutting us off from Sazh, Vanille, and Aerith.

Sephiroth and I charged at the PSICOM soldiers intending to kill them all before they could kill us. I easily cut down two of them before to long saw two get shocked and was expecting Sephiroth to finish them off. He killed one of them and stumbled, I guess the wounds he had from earlier will still affecting him. I ended the other two, while just barely dodging their shots. I felt six, no, eight bullets graze my arms and legs as I flipped through the air towards the two remaining soldiers. I shot one half way through my flip, and slashed the others chest when I landed.

I put away Blaze Edge and turned to Hope.

"Not bad," I commented to the boy.

"Really? Thanks," Hope replied with a stutter. I thought I saw a small blush on his face but I assumed it was the light from the fire messing with my vision. I turned to Sephiroth who had his hand over the place where his ribs met.

"Here," I said as I sent a healing spell to him "Don't push your limits," I saw a ghost of a smile appear on his face, but it did not stay for long.

I quickly made eye contact with the two and the nodded in response. I turned back to the pile of rubble and I realized that I was kind of worried about the other three. They did not have either Me or Sephiroth to ensure their safety, but they would be okay. I hoped.

~~~~Aerith's POV~~~~

Sazh Vanille and I had seen the explosion and I knew we were all thinking the same thing: I hope their okay. I knew that Sephiroth and Lightning would be fine, but Hope did not even come close to their physical abilities; So I hoped that Sephiroth would go easy on him.

"Uh-oh. Army's out to play," Sazh commented to no one.

"What now?" Vanille asked calmly.

"What now?" Sazh repeated, seeming to be at a loss for words "Well, we could stay here, but shouldn't we-"

"We hope that they will be fine and continue on our own way," I said to them.

"Run?" Vanille suggested "We should run. If we rush in now, we'll just get in her way."

"You know, you're both right," Sazh agreed "I guess. I mean it's not like Lightning or Sephiroth need any help."

"Sephiroth doesn't need physical help," I muttered under my breath.

Sazh looked to both of us, gave us a nod and started away from the others. I was really worried about Sephiroth, when he was asleep he had muttered something about Genesis and Angeal, and when he had left I saw the sadness in his eyes. It was a subtle sadness, the type that you can tell someone is trying to hide. I was not worried about him breaking down and crying in front of anyone, I was worried about the larger possibilities.

I knew that in Sephiroth's mind there was a wall with him balancing on top of it. On the two sides of the wall were Sephiroth the hero, and the One Winged Angel of Death. When the wall in his mind came down, it would be important for him to have someone there for him, to help him fall on the hero side.

But the only people he had with him now were a soldier and a kid. The soldier would only rile up the angel and the boy would not be able to have any influence over the outcome. Unless Sephiroth were to open up to them.

All I could do was pray for their safety.

~~~~Sephiroth's POV~~~~

"There will be more soldiers," Hope stated to Lightning and I "We should keep moving," I was glad the kid was a fast learner. It was going to make looking after him much easier.

"Lightning?" Hope asked as he turned to face the woman, as did I "Are you worried about the others? I'm sure they got away okay."

"So can you, if you leave now," Lightning said flatly to Hope after turning to him "With me, it'll be fight after fight. I don't know how it'll end. It's anybody's guess."

"I know that," Hope replied, hanging his head "But – I need to be stronger," It had just dawned on me that she also tried discouraging me from going with her. I knew that she knew that she was not getting me to stay behind. After all, I was supposed to be helping her.

"Lightning?" Hope asked after a moment of silence.

"Call me Light," Lightning replied, to the both of us, I was assuming.

"What's the plan from here?" Hope asked the soldier.

"Through the Gapra Whitewood to Palumpolum," She said to both of us "We'll find transport to Eden."

"I live in Palumpolum," Hope stated cheerfully as he looked between me and Lightning "I can show you all the shortcuts."

"No unnecessary side trips," I said to Hope. He turned to me before continuing.

No need. I don't think l'Cie are welcome at home."

I felt that was a good point to stop for now.

I really don't have much to say right now. Except, if you are a fan of Soul Calibur, read my newest story. Yes, I have started another one, which makes it so i am juggling FOUR stories right now.

Please Review.