Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to anything within the Final Fantasy VII Compilation.

Chapter 21

The next morning, Mr. Holzoff helped each of them add the additional things to their packs, including a basic shelter for if they had to stay. That was split between them. Even Genesis had on the extra coat and the thicker gloves. He didn't look happy about it, but he kept it too himself.

Once they had everything packed up, their host went through a few last-minute tips on how to tackle the glacier and the best paths. Once they had it down they each gave him thanks as they left. Once they were all gone he continued to look at the door for several moments. As strange as he felt even thinking it, he really hoped to see them all again in a couple of days. The alternative was too horrible to think about.

He finally managed to shake his morbid thoughts and headed to the simple telegraph he had. It was the only thing that worked reliably up in this portion of the world, even if it was outdated. He pulled two sets of ID tags out and got to work. He knew it was going to take him some time to finally manage to get through to who he needed.

None of the three Firsts paid any attention to the passing of time as they continued to climb. The only thing that mattered was that they make it to the next plateau before they froze, and that they made it to the top before the sun set. They hadn't realized that there was even more to go through once they were at the top of the glacier, but at least they were prepared. They knew there was no telling how close they would have to get to examine the barrier, if they even could.

It was late afternoon when they finally reached the caves Mr. Holzoff had mentioned. They took a moment to look for the best place to camp, as they knew they would have to. Once they picked a spot further in and better sheltered from the bitter winds outside, they moved to follow the twisted trail out the other side.

When they exited they looked down the slope to see a completely opaque dome that covered much of the center of the crater they were standing on the edge of. Sephiroth had vague memories of this place and knew that what they could see was only the smallest portion. There were still many twisting caves under that dome as well. Although she couldn't say if they were still the same as what they had been told since there had been several shake ups since Cloud and his group made the descent. She had no recollection of what they had been like either.

They didn't take long to contemplate their path before they headed down. There was a lot of climbing down one platform and back up another. Although they were not truly exerting themselves, the extra movement still served to keep them warm.

They were still a quarter mile away from the edge of the dome when they stopped. They weren't sure how safe it would be to get any closer. Their contemplation was brought to a halt when the dome started to develop ripples in the surface near the ground. They all instantly pulled out their weapons when three large winged figures exited the dome and started toward them. They didn't wait for them to arrive though. If they were going to be forced into a confrontation, they were going to do it head on and not running away.

Both parties stopped several feet from each other. Although the three Firsts were tensed and ready for a battle if it broke out, the three aliens stood there staring with frowns. Sephiroth did note, that two of the three were ones he had not seen yet. That didn't mean much but it gave her hope that the four they had previously encountered had been telling the truth.

After several tense moments the male that claimed to be Jenova's mate stepped forward. "I see you bring yet another child and still the murderer cowers elsewhere."

Sephiroth tensed at his words. His obvious anger toward Cloud had been the main reason she didn't want the blond to join them. The fact that she could barely trust him not to cut her down had been secondary. It was hard on the heels of those thoughts that another realization struck Sephiroth. "You said 'yet another child'.? Did you encounter someone else that was not with us the night we met?"

At her question the male finally frowned before turning to Genesis. "The state that we found your sister in was deplorable. Seeing the things she was subjected to has made us wonder if there is no redemption possible for those that call this planet home. Despite my anger at the other one, I cannot abandon this youngest child. We have tried to repair some of the damage, but it is so entrenched it has not been an easy process."

His words caused Sephiroth to freeze. She wanted to yell out at the male to let Shelke go instantly, but if they really could help the girl… was it something they had a right to stop just because they considered this male an enemy? She didn't get the chance to say anything as Genesis spoke up with a sneer. "Did you bother asking her if she wanted you to 'fix' her? From what I understood she had finally started to find happiness. Are you going to take that away too because you feel it is your responsibility?"

One of the two that had not spoken yet stepped forward with a growl. "You would have the child languish in constant pain with more than her own fractured consciousness inside? We had not assumed everyone was as callous as the few in her memories, but we will reevaluate. Zilan may be right, the people of this planet continue to prove to be unworthy of any continued existence."

Sephiroth found her anger could no longer be held back. Her voice was harsh when she spoke. "Is that why you took away the lives of those sent to see what you have done here? No one deserves to be twisted in such a way. You may be powerful, but you are not gods! Those decisions are not up to you!"

The two that were on each side of the tall male had summoned their weapons and took a step forward. Zilan held a hand out to stop them though. He gave Sephiroth a pitying look when he spoke. "We have been able to learn enough to know that my mate's youngest was not the only one to suffer. You, that have so much of her still inside you, you have suffered greatly as well. How many times were you killed and forced to face the pain of rebirth? My mate tried to save you many times, and still you speak as if she was only evil. The murderer cut you down as well. How can you stand by his side?"

Sephiroth felt as if she had been slapped. His words were all truth but twisted until they no longer made sense. She stood straighter and pointed Masamune at the delusional male. "You make it seem as if all that she did was altruistic. I was only brought back to serve as a vehicle for her madness. The man that was forced to take my life or die was more than justified. He is the hero I was always lauded to be. No matter what history we have, I respect him and his constant determination and strength to continue even when it's painful. None of that explains why you have decided to play god."

None of them moved for several moments, but Zilan's face was not angry, only sad, when he spoke again. "Child, I see in you the strength to not only see what we are doing, but to help us with reformation as well. Do not turn your back on the rest of your heritage. There is so much you currently cannot see. I will take you, all of you, to see Evolet's youngest child if you will put away your anger and share with us."

At his words Sephiroth lowered the Masamune. At the action both Genesis and Angeal took a step forward. It was Angeal's low voice that broke the silence. "You can't be thinking about doing it?"

She put a hand on his arm. "We have very little options."

Genesis looked like he was ready to explode at her words. "You will not go in there! You cannot trust them!"

She shook her head at his outburst. "Go back to Cloud."

There were many things she wasn't saying that she wanted to, but she hoped they would understand. The thought of stepping into that void that was untraceable to the planet had even her palms sweating, but if it would allow her the chance to get Shelke, it could be worth it. She was glad to see Angeal give her a nod and grab onto Genesis. She gave him a tight smile before she turned back to the aliens. "If I go with you, will I be forced to submit to your 'repairs' as well? If so then I am not interested. If you want me to join you then I must do it because I believe it is the right thing to do."

The alien held out his hand at her words. "Come, let me show you how you are supposed to be living."

She knew he hadn't really answered any of her questions yet, but if she had any chance to get Shelke, or even just information, this was it. She stepped to his side. She only looked back once and the sight of Angeal holding back a raging Genesis made her gut twist. She sent up a quick prayer to the planet that this was the right choice as she followed the three aliens through the barrier that was no longer as opaque as it had been.

As soon as she was through the barrier, she was so stunned by what was in front of her that she couldn't move. She jumped and scowled at Zilan when he placed a hand on her arm. She jerked away from his touch without thinking about it. He didn't react to the harsh movement though. Instead he swept his hand over the view in front of them. "You have the ability to do this as well. It is dulled and thin, but it still resides in you."

She still could not believe it was real. She took a few steps forward and reached out to touch the flowers in front of her. Her touch caused a sweet perfume to fill the air. She looked around and found that all around her, in the middle of what had been the harshest environment on Gaia, was a lush and fragrant forest. She could even hear animals in the distance. She finally turned to them with wide eyes. "How? The planet has been trying to repair this land for millennia."

The tallest male shook his head at her wonder. "It is our gift to take the barest forms of life and expand them. It is also our responsibility to use that gift when we can. This place was a blemish on this planet. It called to us to fix what was done so long ago."

She couldn't move for a moment. "The Cetra were once a race of people that could do something similar."

All three of the aliens nodded. "We have heard of others that were itinerant. They took their responsibility to the extreme. We have seen traces of their race throughout our travels but have not seen them."

Sephiroth looked around again, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. As she did, she came to several realizations. First, she could not hear the voice of the planet, but she was still protected from the aliens. Whatever the planet had done was obviously something that did not need constant oversight. She briefly thought it would have been nice to share in the conversation they were obviously having, if for no other reason than to know what they were plotting, but she knew it wouldn't be worth the danger. They had already proven they could disable her if she was exposed.

The other realization was what made her pause. These aliens were obviously more powerful than any of them realized, but they still had not attacked. If their words were to be believed, then they might not. If they did, it could be that they would focus on the people and not the planet. As much as she didn't want to admit it, the planet might be alright with that. Humanity was not what the planet had been trying to save from the start, only the concept of life so it could continue to thrive.

There was obviously no easy answer. She decided that even if they chose to attack humanity, she would do everything in her power to stop it. It didn't matter to her if they could help the planet, it would not be worth the loss of so many lives. With that decision she turned back to the waiting aliens. "You said you would take me to Shelke. Where is she?"

Zilan gestured to a trail that wound off into the woods. She shook her head at the strange sight again before she followed them down the path. They seemed to be winding back and forth with little forward progress, so it took them some time to finally get to a bright clearing. Before they stepped out Sephiroth looked up to try and see where the light was coming from. She was surprised to note that it barely looked like there was anything above them. From the inside the dome looked more like thin glass, barely warping the outside image with its presence. Her mind was still working furiously as she tried to keep track of everything in case there was somehow a weakness that could be exploited. So far, she had seen nothing but the results of their involvement.

When they stepped to the side and allowed her to enter the clearing she stopped in surprise again. It was much larger than she had anticipated. The three ships were on the far side, but much closer to them was what looked to be a shelter of some sort, even if there were no walls. Inside the shelter were two more of the aliens that appeared to be female. Between them was a bed that was surrounded by a light. Their attention did not waver from the bed even when the males walked up with Sephiroth.

When they got close enough she could see the form of a girl inside the light. Sephiroth had seen a picture of Shelke and this appeared to be her. She watched for a moment and realized the girl looked to be sleeping, although that probably wasn't the case. She tried to stay calm, but she could hear a hard edge in her voice when she spoke. "What are they doing?"

The males looked to her with concern. "They are trying to find where her body and consciousness were shattered so they can piece them back together.

She looked to the form of Shelke again and had to fight to keep from summoning Masamune. "How can I believe you? You came to our planet at attacked without provocation. You have also shown a complete disregard for the lives of our people. So far we have only defended ourselves and yet you expect me to believe that you are trying to help Shelke?"

The two unnamed males looked as if they were ready to fulfill her opinion of them, but Zilan stopped them again. He turned to Sephiroth with a frown though. "My attack was not unprovoked. I had just learned that my mate had been murdered. It was not an unreasonable reaction even if it was not well thought out. Once I had a chance to think, I asked my brothers to join me. It was as they came to me that I sensed another of Evolet's children. Seeing the state she was in, we decided that we would need to investigate to find true justice. I have seen in you that although the race of this planet is savage, not all of you thirst only for blood. You have shown that you can think clearly, even when your weaker blood cries for murder. That may be your stronger blood showing but it is enough for us to hold our hand for now."

Sephiroth had to clamp down on her rage as she listened. The alien male was eloquent and sounded so reasonable, but all the things he said only showed an arrogance that far surpassed most humans she had ever met. Only Hojo had been insane enough to play god. She took a moment before she could respond without making a stupid move. "What makes you think you are capable of judging whether or not an entire race is worthy of being allowed to live? You have shown already that you are not above violence as well. And you still have not explained why you twisted humans into beasts."

At that the male scoffed. "I have already shown you why. It is what we were created for."

Sephiroth shook her head. "You can claim that, but you have only shown me that you know how to abuse the power granted to you. If you really were higher beings, your first thoughts would not be destruction."

Zilan finally showed a flash of anger, but it passed quickly. He motioned to a different path through the woods. "Let me show you something."

Sephiroth was reluctant, but Zilan was the only one to move. She finally followed him down the new path. This one was much straighter and opened up into a smaller clearing. This one had several shelters much like the last one, but to her surprise, there were people in these. When they caught sight of Sephiroth, many of them stood and saluted before one man approached. "General, it's good to see you here. Does this mean Reeve has finally agreed to speak to Zilan?"

She paused at his words. She was already in shock at seeing what seemed to be the rest of the missing team, but more than that, they seemed to be doing well. She finally tried to respond. "Reeve sent me to see what we could find out. I have been talking with Zilan about what has happened." She had a sudden inspiration at that point and spoke up again before any of the others could. "I see you are being treated well, but I wonder if you know what happened to Charles Ipsen and Theodore Almasy?"

Sephiroth was stunned by the answer. The man that had spoken looked a little sad, but not scared or upset. "Yes. It was unfortunate, but they tried to kill Lamay. Since it was an unprovoked attack Zilan was forced to step in. He couldn't let them continue on such a murderous path, so he gave them a baser form to match their actions and set them free."

Sephiroth realized suddenly that these men had to have been altered. No matter what else had happened, she knew enough about the members of the WRO that what happened to those two men would never have been greeted with such nonchalance. She also realized she would need to tread even more carefully than she had before. These men were fine physically, but that did not mean they weren't harmed, or still in danger. She turned to Zilan with a blank face. "I suppose you wanted me to see that you have mercy."

He gave her a smile. "Yes, as you can see your companions are safe. We are keeping them here for now until a decision is made. These men have proven that they are worth sparing."

She felt her mind running fast. No matter the warrior she was, by herself she was no match for the five aliens, not even just the three males. She couldn't let them continue to manipulate these people. Gaia only knew what they were doing to Shelke too. She had to find a way to stop it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by one of the other males entering the clearing. He didn't say anything when he approached, but Zilan turned to Sephiroth. "It seems as if you are needed. Let us go back to your other companion."

She followed them warily. When they got back to the larger clearing she was shacked to see Shelke awake. The two females moved away from her and she stepped closer to Sephiroth. The General didn't know what to expect, but she stood still and waited for Shelke to approach. When Shelke was close enough to speak, she stopped. "Sephiroth Valentine. I sensed your presence and Lucrecia Crescent woke me. I have been told that these people are trying to fix me and that is why I was sleeping, but I'm not sure what about me needs to be fixed."

She paused and tilted her head before speaking again. "Lucrecia Crescent's memories are of having a boy, yet you are clearly female. Is her consciousness faulty?"

Sephiroth wasn't sure if this was what Shelke was like normally or not. She had been told the girl was unusual, but that could have many meanings. It didn't really matter as she was going to try to use this to her advantage. "No, her memory is not faulty. I was born male. It is a long story though and we don't have time right now. I was told you had my mother's memories, but I didn't realize it was more than that."

Shelke nodded. "Vincent Valentine knows all of this." She paused and looked at Sephiroth closely. "I think that he might be lonely. I am sure Tifa is as well. They often told me that they missed me if they didn't see me."

Sephiroth wasn't sure where the girl was going with the conversation, but she tried to make the most of it. "They do miss you. Once you disappeared Tifa was very upset. They would all like to see you very much."

At that Shelke turned to the aliens. "I am not sure if you have fixed me or not, as I didn't feel broken. I do want to ease Tifa's anxiety though, as she has always tried to help me. Would you allow me to go help her?"

Zilan frowned at her request, but he didn't respond right away. Finally, he turned to Sephiroth. "It seems as if the extra consciousness in her mind is strong. Although it pains me to see her in such a state, we cannot help her if she continues to fight it. For now, I will allow you to take her back to the woman she is looking for. Her most recent memories are the only painless ones."

He paused and looked at them both. "There is one request that I would make. You must consider what is truly best for this planet. We have yet to decide on our course, but there is one that we have already passed judgement on. If there are any that could still be called decent, then they will all agree to present the murderer for judgement. If there are none that will, then we will be forced to carry out judgement on the many that protect him. We will allow you thirty of your days to gather proof of those that should be spared as well as bringing in the judged. We will meet you at that time."

Sephiroth didn't hesitate to go and put an arm around Shelke's shoulders. She gave her a strange look but didn't object. The General couldn't believe the opportunity she was just given but if it was real, she wasn't going to delay. "It will take us several days to get back to everyone, but I will pass on your request and look forward to our next meeting." She didn't betray any of the unease she felt as Zilan finally moved.

He didn't say anything as he turned to take the trail back to where they first met him. When they got to the edge of the dome he looked them both over. "It pains me to see how this world has treated my mate and all of her children, but you will not suffer for much longer."

Sephiroth didn't move until the male lifted his hand and touched the dome. Once it became translucent she gave him a nod and moved Shelke through it. She had never been more grateful to hear something in her head than when the planet spoke to her again. It served to remind her that she was thankful that the planet was the only thing in her head too. She took a few steps backwards until she was outside of the dome. Zilan gave them one last sad look before the dome went opaque again.

Sephiroth realized they got out of there far too easy and wondered what kind of trap was being set. Even with those thoughts, her main concern was getting the girl next to her out of harm's way. She quickly took off her coat and put it on the girl's shoulders as she led her back towards the caves. She only hoped that Angeal and Genesis hadn't tried to tackle the glacier before dawn.

As she led Shelke further away, she found that despite not trusting the aliens, this situation was less black and white than she had thought to begin with. She knew she couldn't allow them to take Cloud or to destroy any more lives though, so it didn't really matter. Their continued actions proved that they were an enemy of humanity if nothing else. She only wished she had been able to save the rest of the scouts as well, but for now, if she could get Shelke back, it would have to do

A/N: So, did anyone see that coming? I know we took a dive off the deep end, but I hope you still enjoyed it. Thank you for reading!