Lailah's ears twitched as they traveled through Hojo's lab. She could hear him talking to himself again. She knew the man was insane yet brilliant, but the way he talked and laughed to himself made her feel unnerved.

When they entered a part of the lab with test tubes filled with a strange green substance, she could hear Hojo's ramblings much clearer. She hopped off Cloud's shoulder and stalked the professor up the stairs. The others were right behind her.

Catching up to the man, Cloud nodded to Barret. The brute doesn't hesitate to approach Hojo from behind and aim his prosthetic gunarm at his back. "Don't move! I ain't bluffing."

The professor wasn't frightened but annoyed. He looked over his shoulder at the burly man. "What is this?"

"A dozen bullets in your head, unless you open that door right now," Barret threatened, his tone lower than usual.

Without a word, Hojo opened the door. Barret kept his gunarm situated at the professor's back as he and the others followed him deeper into the lab.

Lailah, not wishing to be seen by Hojo, used Cloud's tall stature to hide while they entered the 65th sublevel of the lab. She could hear the collective gasps of the other scientists when they saw the professor being held at gunpoint.

Hojo came to a stop on the stairs and looked at Barret. "You must be the ones who've been stirring up trouble lately. The eco-terrorists?" He felt the gun dig between his shoulder blades and continued down the stairs. "If so I can't imagine what business you have with me. The president's upstairs. Go on, shoo." He stopped again and turned to Barret, trying to send him on his way.

"Shut up," Barret growled, shoving the barrel of his gunarm against the professor's chest. "Keep walking."

Hojo did as he was told.

Barret shoved the professor forward and warned the other scientists. "None of y'all better move a muscle!"

The man brushed off the shoulder the brute touched. "Do stop pushing. Unlike you, I am less accustomed to physical violence."

"You'll get used to it."

Hojo stopped and turned to the group. "What is it that you want?"

"Our friend. She's in your lab," Barret answered.

"Really?"

The brute snapped back. "Tell us where Aerith is!"

More ideas popped into Hojo's mind at the revelation. "Oh, so she's your friend... Well well well, in that case... Yes... That might do the trick."

"Mind speaking up some?" Barret hissed.

Hojo grinned maniacally. "It's nothing. Just imagining how she might react if I were to present to her your fresh corpses." He chuckles at his new plan.

By the time they saw the remote in the professor's hand, it was too late. He pressed the button and released some of his creations before running over to a console to activate it. "I promise...you will regret this."

Lailah saw the man running for the elevator. Seeing the creatures were focused on them, she chased after him. As the elevator arrived, she slipped aboard behind him without him noticing. She remained out of sight until they reached the 66th floor.

She was ready to transform and attack Hojo when she spotted Aerith trapped inside a large glass chamber across the room. She saw there were security officers gathered around it.

Knowing Aerith was more important than the professor, Lailah ran toward the security officers. The men started to shout when they spotted her small form heading straight for them. In a flash, she channeled Zeus' power and transformed into a cobra.

Lashing out at the officers, she curled and twisted around them while zapping them with lightning magic. She used her tail to swat away their weapons and used her fangs to pierce their flesh.

Within a minute, the officers were defeated.

The cobra's attention was drawn to the observation room located not too far from the chamber Aerith was trapped in.

"So, you have delivered yourself to me personally," Hojo cackled. "My, what beauty! I cannot express how much I will enjoy making you my next experiment! There is so much I have planned for you!"

"Lailah!" Aerith shouted.

The cobra looked away from the professor and gazed at her friend softly. She saw she was uninjured, but that didn't stop her from being angered by what Hojo said earlier. Whipping her tail as hard as she could, she slammed it against the observation room. The glass doesn't crack, but her attack startled the professor.

Hissing threateningly, Lailah surged forward. She attacked the observation room directly.

Hojo found her attacks to be amusing. "Do you truly think you could—" The glass suddenly cracked, shocking the man. "What?! This is supposed to be bulletproof!"

The cobra managed to crack the glass with the combination of her fangs and weight. Just when she thought she was about to break through the glass and sink her fangs into Hojo, she heard Aerith shout, "Lailah, behind you!"

The shapeshifter ceased trying to break through the glass. Turning her attention away from him, she saw the armored shock troopers stomping towards her. Lunging at them, she wrapped her tail tightly around one of them while she sent flames at the second one.

She was able to crush the first armor and burn the second to a crisp within minutes. With the enemies gone, she turned her attention back to Hojo. A menacing hiss came from the serpent.

"Aerith! Lailah!"

Cloud's shouting didn't distract her from the professor. She kept her gold-slit eyes on the man.

Seeing the others had caught up, Hojo was a little disappointed. "Oh, well. Reinforcements will soon arrive, and I will be able to procure more data."

Cloud ran over to the cobra. He stood next to her as he asked, "But will they get here in time to save you from me?"

Hojo saw the blonde's mako-infused eyes. "My, are you a SOLDIER?"

Cloud attached his sword to his back. "Yeah."

A grin manifested on the professor's face. "No, not quite. Oh, now I recall. My memory was mistaken. My boy, you weren't a SOLDIER..."

His words triggered a headache. Cloud grabbed the side of his head.

Lailah didn't notice as she sensed a familiar chill. Looking behind her and her friends, she saw the specters from the pillar. As they surged forward, she wound her body around Cloud, Tifa, and Barrett to protect them from the hooded figures. To her surprise, the specters targeted Hojo.

"What?! What is this—fascinating phenomenon?!" Hojo shouted in a mixture of excitement and fear as the specters carried him away. "What's happening?! Where are you taking me?!"

Barret was also surprised to see the specters' behaviors. "What are those things up to this time?"

The cobra unwound her body from around the trio. She thought about going after Hojo by continuing to break through the glass but changed her mind when she heard Aerith shout the blonde's name. "Cloud!"

"Barret!" the ex-SOLDIER shouted the man's name.

The brute knew what he wanted and was happy to deliver. "Got it. Stand back."

While Barret shot the digital lock, Lailah reverted to her human form. She checked to make sure the journal was still tucked in the band of the belt around her waist. She was relieved to know she didn't lose it.

Suddenly, she felt two arms wrap around her. Aerith was hugging her. She embraced her back when she felt her friend's body shaking. "Aerith?"

She hugged the shapeshifter tighter. "For a moment, I felt you... You were about to return to the planet, but something brought you back."

Lailah knew she was talking about the time when her heart stopped while Elmyra was tending to her wounds. She didn't want to go into details since they needed to escape before Hojo captured all of them. "My mother brought me back. I'm sorry for worrying you, Aerith."

Aerith pulled away, smiling at the shorter girl. "No need for apologies. You're okay now. That's all that matters." She smiled and grabbed her cheeks, pulling the skin lightly. "You're too cute for this world, but I like you too much to let you go anywhere. You're also really nice and sweet and—"

"A-Aerith," Lailah whined, grabbing the girl's hands and prying her fingers off her cheeks. "Don't you think that's a little too much...?"

She giggled. "Not when all of it is the truth!"

Tifa smiled at the two girls before asking, "You good?"

Aerith's own smile blossomed. "I'm great! Especially now that I've got my dose of Lailah." She turned, casting a smirk in the ex-SOLDIER's direction. "I think I might have to steal her from you, Cloud."

The blonde's eyes widen at the florist's words. "Huh?"

Aerith continued to tease him. "I'm gonna steal Lailah from you! Just you wait!"

Her antics earned a chuckle from Tifa and an amused grin from Barret. Cloud was still shocked at Aerith's declaration. Lailah saw and laughed.

Once the laughter died down, Barret expressed his gratitude. "Thanks for saving Marlene. I owe you one."

Aerith smiled. "Of course. She's such a sweet girl."

Cloud then got them back on track. "Let's get outta here."

While attempting to leave the lab, Lailah heard a strange noise. She looked around for the source and saw a dog-like creature jump off the wall toward them. Transforming into her wolf form, she intercepted it. She uses her body to knock it away when it appeared to be leaping toward Aerith.

Landing in front of her friends, she bore her fangs with a snarl. Her eyes narrowed as the creature did the same. The fur along her back stood up. She was prepared to attack but retracted her threatening stance when the creature broke through a window and ran off. Her fur flattened, her body relaxing.

Barret was taken aback at the creature's sudden appearance and departure. "The hell was that thing?"

"We need to go!" Aerith shouted as she took chase after the creature. "Lailah!"

Understanding what the florist wanted, the wolf jumped through the broken window and pursued the creature.

Tifa shouted the girls' names. "Aerith! Lailah!"

The wolf caught up to the creature. She came to a stop in the middle of the hallway when spotting it closing in on Hojo. She watched from a distance as the creature ran toward the elevator the professor stumbled into. Just when it leapt at him, the elevator door closed and it slammed against the metal. The professor managed to escape.

The creature, after having been separated from Hojo, recovered and began stalking down the corridor.

The shapeshifter didn't budge. She remained where she stood as the creature approached. She could sense the malicious aura and growled at it in warning. She prepared to stand her ground and protect the others.

However, the pleading voice of Aerith stopped her. "Lailah, wait!"

The wolf turned her head to see the others had caught up. She did as the florist begged and stepped aside for the creature to pass. Her golden eyes never left its back as it approached the girl.

"This child's a friend," Aerith explained. She took a few steps forward, closing the little distance left between her and the dog-like creature. Even when it took a defensive stance and bore its sharp teeth, she didn't hesitate to reach out for it. Slowly, she placed her hand on its head and used her magic to ease its mind. She was able to clear the fog from its mind and watched with a smile as its threatening expression morphed into a peaceful one.

The creature, having been able to relax, looked between Cloud, Tifa, Barret, and Aerith. It then turned its head to gaze at Lailah, who was sitting on her hind legs.

"Uhh... So what the hell is it?" Barret asked what everyone was thinking.

The creature licked its chops before approaching the group. "A fascinating question."

This shocked everyone.

"Did it just talk?" Tifa gaped in bewilderment, taking a couple of steps back alongside Barret and Cloud.

It sat down in front of them. "You asked what "it" is. Hmm... I am that which you see before you. Nothing more. I'd appreciate it if we simply left it at that. Agreed?" It then looked over its shoulder at the wolf. "Thank you."

"Huh?" Tifa hummed in confusion.

It looked back at them. "Your friend understands."

"But she didn't say a damn thing!" Barret argued.

The creature's ears twitched. "You cannot hear her whispers?"

Tifa shook her head. "No. I didn't even know she could speak when she transformed."

It turned and approached the snowy-furred wolf. "I can hear her whispers clearly. Perhaps you all will be able to hear them someday. She has spoken to me and shall honor my wish."

"That definitely sounds like Lailah," Aerith commented.

Lailah howled, her poofy tail swishing back and forth.

As the creature approached the shapeshifter, Tifa noticed the Roman numeral burned into the flesh of its left front leg. "Thirteen?"

It stopped, sitting on its hind legs. It decided to clear up her confusion. "Red XIII. The designation given to me by Hojo."

"Then...you must have another name. What is it?"

Red didn't answer. Instead, he turned to look in the direction of the elevator. He stood up and wondered how he would get to Hojo now.

"He got away," Cloud remarked.

"So, we gonna go get the son of a bitch?" Barret asked.

Lailah glanced between the elevator and her friends. It was only then did she notice the strange way Cloud was walking. His body shook with uneven steps as he started to walk down the hallway. Her golden eyes widen when she saw his unfocused gaze. It was as if he was in a trance.

Worried about him, she followed him all the way to the elevator. She remained close to him, wondering what was wrong. Seeing his footsteps becoming even more unsteady and wobbly, she nudged her muzzle against the side of his leg. Only then did she see his body sway dangerously. Seeing he was falling, she acted quickly and used her body as a cushion. She caught his body just before he hit the floor.

"Cloud!" Aerith and Tifa shouted in unison. The two girls, Barret, and Red rushed over.

Lailah slowly adjusted her stance, feeling Cloud's body slumped against hers. She looked over at Red and spoke to him telepathically. She didn't understand why he was the only one who could hear her.

Red passed on her message to the others. "She wishes to carry him somewhere where he can rest."

"I know just the place," Aerith said.

Tifa and Barret worked in unison to position the unconscious Cloud on Lailah's back. Once they were sure he wasn't going to fall off, they stepped back.

"Follow me," Aerith spoke up.

They followed the florist through Hojo's lab. A few minutes later, they arrived in a room located at the end of a hallway. She opened the door and everyone stepped inside.

With help from Tifa and Barret, Lailah was able to ensure Cloud was laying comfortably on the bed after removing the sword from his back. She then reverted to her human form. Standing by the bed, she held her hands out above him. Her palms radiated with an emerald light as she checked on him.

"How is he?" Tifa asked.

Lailah ceased healing him. "There's nothing physically wrong with him, but..."

"You think it's something mental?" Aerith wondered.

The shapeshifter nodded. "Ever since we came to Midgar, Cloud's been dealing with odd headaches. He never had any issues when we were growing up."

"Do you think it's because he's been pushing himself?" Tifa inquired.

"I'm not sure," she dejectedly sighed. "For now, let's let him rest. The rest of us should do the same."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Barret remarked as he flopped down on the red sofa.

With a huff, Lailah sat on the edge of the bed. She closed her eyes as a wave of exhaustion crashed over her. When she opened her eyes, she saw Red gazing at her and spoke to him. "Sorry for attacking you earlier."

"I understand why you did, and I do not hold a grudge against you," Red responded. "What is your name?"

"Lailah," she replied.

"What of your true name?"

She stared into his one visible eye. "So, you know about the Twelve Deities..."

He nodded his head. "Yes. I am quite knowledgeable about your people. It is a shame Tellus is gone alongside its people. Who of the Twelve are you?"

"Rhea," she answered.

"The daughter of darkness. Your twin, Cronus, must have perished along with the others."

Lailah and Red heard Aerith gasp. They looked to see she had overheard their conversation. It wasn't a surprise considering the room was small.

The florist walked up to the snowy-haired girl. "You've learned your true name?"

She got to her feet. "Boreas told me the night you were taking me and Cloud to Sector 7."

"Now that you know, would you, um...like us to call you Rhea?"

Lailah smiled. "No. I kinda like "Lailah" more than "Rhea." No offense to my mom, though. I just can't suddenly ask you all to call me by a different name. It would be confusing to all of us."

Aerith smiled. "I kinda like Lailah more too."

"If that is what you wish, so be it," Red said.

Lailah smiled gratefully. "Thank you." She then remembered the journal she was carrying in her waistband. "Oh, I wanted to ask you something. And now that Red's joined us, I think I might find even more answers." She pulled out the journal and showed it to them.

Aerith was able to identify the scripture Lailah couldn't. "This is the writing of the Cetra, the Ancients. But I don't understand the other scripture."

"That's the writing of my people," Lailah explained. "From what's written, this journal either belonged to a Cetra or one of the Children. Regardless of whose journal this is, could you both help me to understand my people more? I only know what my mother recently told me, but I want to know more."

Red nodded. "Of course."

"Count me in!" Aerith cheered. "We'll take it one page at a time, okay?"

Lailah smiled gratefully at them. "Thank you."

○◦───•❃°•°❀°•°❃•───◦○

An hour passed before Cloud regained consciousness. As his eyes opened, he registered the sensation of someone combing their fingers through his hair. He was greeted by the sight of a smiling Lailah.

"Welcome back," she said, stopping her ministrations. "How are you feeling?"

He closed his eyes with a sigh. "I would feel better if you hadn't stopped..."

She huffed out a chuckle. "You must've hit your head somehow because you're usually not this forward. I could've sworn I caught you, but maybe I'm wrong." She grabbed his cheeks and turned his head to check for any wounds. "Hmm... There don't seem to be any injuries. Maybe I should double-check just in case I did miss something."

Cloud was all too familiar with her teasing. "Lailah." He grabbed her hands, giving them a tight squeeze as he sat up. "I'm fine."

She arched a brow. "Those two words are the number one lie you've told me ever since we were kids. I know when you're lying, Cloud. These headaches aren't normal. I tried to dismiss them as simple migraines, but your symptoms lead me to believe they aren't. What aren't you telling me?"

The ex-SOLDIER was bothered by these headaches and scrambled memories. Still, he wasn't sure how to explain it to her. "I don't even really know what's going on myself."

Seeing he was telling the truth, she pulled away from him. "Even if you can't explain it, you can talk to me about anything regardless if it makes sense or not. You've been there for me, and I'll be here for you."

Unconsciously, Cloud chased after her hands when she pulled away. Realizing what he was doing, he stopped just short of grabbing her hand. He clenched his fist and retracted his hand.

Lailah stood up and saw Tifa and Aerith gazing at her worriedly. She knew they were concerned about Cloud and said, "He's okay."

Both girls sighed in relief.

"Oh, thank goodness," Aerith exhaled.

Cloud looked around the room. "Where are we?"

"Where I lived—when I was still a child." She turned to gaze at the drawings on the wall.

Lailah watched Cloud closely as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. She noticed how he grabbed his head. "Another headache?"

"No," he replied. "Just got a little dizzy."

"If you need more healing..."

He stood up, grabbing his sword and attaching it to his back. "Don't worry. You need to preserve as much mana as possible. I'll be fine."

She chewed the inside of her cheek. Even though his expression was stoic as always, she could see he was worried about something. Instead of prying, she decides to let it go since she figured he would tell her when he's ready. "All right."

Remaining by the bed, Lailah spoke to the florist. "You said this was where you and your mother stayed, right, Aerith?"

She nodded. "Mhmm. We stayed here, years ago when I was just a little girl. The room...looks exactly the same. Every morning, they'd come and take my mom away. I remember crying here alone."

The shapeshifter felt sympathy for what Aerith had to go through as a child before they met. She couldn't imagine being cooped up in this small room for years and having her mother taken from her every morning. She glanced at the girl before admiring the vibrant drawings on the wall.

"...Aerith," Cloud spoke up. "Before we break outta here, talk to us. There's so much we don't know."

Aerith stepped away from the wall. "I'm...a descendent of the Ancients. That's pretty much it, really. Oh, but just so you know, that's not their actual name." She looked at the drawings. "They called themselves...the Cetra."

Barret, who had been sitting silently on the couch, recited the verses he remembered. "We who are born of the planet, with her we speak. Her flesh we shape. Unto her promised land she we one day return." He stood up and took a few steps forward. "By her loving grace and providence may we take our place in paradise."

Aerith smiled. "You know it!"

"Yeah, well... Honestly, I thought that part was just a fairy tale," he confessed before gesturing to Lailah. "Then again, I thought the Children were a fairy tale too but we got one standin' right there."

Tifa chimed in. "At the meeting, we heard Hojo say the promised land was created by the Children of Gaia. How true is that?"

Lailah sighed. "I don't know. I've never heard any mention of this promised land, but I lack any proper knowledge regarding my people because of what happened to Tellus. However, my mom would know for certain about this promised land. We could ask her when we see her again."

"It would make sense, though. After all, your people are incredible, Lailah. Being the descendants of Gaia herself would allow them to create a beautiful paradise."

"With all the elements and mako at your disposal, it would be easy to make paradise," Aerith commented. "Breathing life into the planet is what your people do best, Lailah. It wouldn't be hard to believe there is a promised land created by the goddess' children. Even Shinra thinks it's true. They've been searching for the promised land for a long time."

"And they must think you and Lailah can lead them to it... Can you?" Tifa asked.

Aerith sighs. "Nope. Someday, maybe, I'll find it in me. But now? Not even if I wanted to. And since Lailah didn't know about the promised land until a little bit ago, I doubt she could either."

"Even if you could, that land belongs to the—I mean... To you, your people, and the Children. Shinra's after it because they believe it's rich in mako—mako they've got no right to claim. But they'll try to take it anyway, won't they? Hmph. Greedy bastards'll never stop." Barret turned his back and walked toward the couch. He then turned back around as an idea popped into his head. "Okay. New plan. Y'all take Aerith and Lailah and get the hell outta here. Me, I'mma go bust some Shinra heads."

Lailah gaped in shock at his declaration. "What?"

Aerith was quick to shoot down the brute's plan. "Barret, wait... You can't do that..."

The snowy-haired girl suddenly felt goosebumps crawl up her arms. Her eyes widened as she recognized the presence. "They're here."

Cloud heard her. "Who's—?"

The specters entered the room from all sides and circled them.

Barret was ready to fight when he saw them, but he retracted his fighting stance. "Oh, great. These assholes again! Probably some Shinra science experiment."

"Whispers. Perhaps best described as arbiters of fate. They are drawn to those who attempt to alter destiny's course and ensure they do not." Red glanced at the shapeshifter. "I am surprised you have never heard of them."

Lailah was puzzled. This was the first time she's heard of the Whispers.

"Like capital D... "Destiny"?" Tifa asked.

"The flow of the great river that is the planet, from inception to oblivion," Red explained.

"And you're saying that that flow is somehow...fixed?"

"Yes," he said, eyes turning back to Lailah. "For it is the will of the planet itself, your mother's own will. From your expression, it seems she has not mentioned this to you."

Lailah was in utter shock. "If what you say is true, then...did my mother know Tellus was going to be destroyed? Did she do nothing because she determined it necessary to kill her own children?"

"I am sorry, but only Gaia herself can answer those questions."

She looked at the specters. Now that she knew the truth behind them, she needed to see her mother. She needed her questions answered.

"So if we're destined for a bleak future, these Whispers will try to keep us on that course?" Barret inquired. He then stomped toward the dog-like creature. "Now wait just a damn minute! How in the hell can you possibly know any of that? Spouting that cryptic stuff—which could all be bullshit! I mean, ain't you a Shinra lab rat—dog?"

"I'm not a rat dog." Red looked up at the florist standing next to him. "When Aerith reached out to me...I found this knowledge of the Whispers."

The Whispers swarmed the room.

Aerith saw how frantic they were becoming and tried to speak to them. "Listen to me! Please..."

They began swarming her, which worried Cloud. "Aerith."

The florist smiled to reassure him she was fine before speaking to the specters. "The Shinra Electric Power Company isn't the real enemy. It started with them, sure...but I promise you...there's a much bigger threat. I just want to do everything in my power to help. All of you... And the planet."

"Aerith. What are you not telling us?" Tifa questioned.

"I'm lost in a maze, and...every step is taking me further from the path... Every time the Whispers touch me...I lose something. A part of myself. "Follow them. The yellow flowers"."

Suddenly, the Whispers' movements sped up around Aerith. This frightened her.

Lailah couldn't stand seeing Aerith so scared and shouted, "Enough!"

To her surprise and the others, the Whispers listened and disappeared.

Tifa looked around to see all the specters were gone. "They actually listened..."

"Perhaps it is because you are Gaia's daughter," Red said, his one good eye focused on the shapeshifter. "They are agents of destiny created by your mother."

Lailah closed her eyes with a heavy sigh. "I really need to talk to her, and soon..."