Arriving on the other side of the portal, the group was surprised to see Midgar. It was like they never entered the portal.

"Don't know about you, but looks normal to me," Barret commented.

They walked a little way down the road. Lailah could sense this wasn't the real Midgar. "This place... It isn't Midgar. It's a mere copy created by the Whispers."

"Damn," the brute muttered, looking around. "They did a pretty good job."

Aerith, having spotted the strange anomaly in the sky, pointed to show her companions. "Over there."

In the sky was a swirling rift of miasma. The Whispers flew around violently and formed a vortex. As it spun toward the group, it destroyed everything in its path.

"Okay, that ain't right!" Barret shouted.

Sensing the threat, the group tried to make a run for it. They ran down the road, only to be stopped by a second vortex forming and blocking their way. With a vortex in front and behind them, they were trapped.

The vortexes closed in. One by one, the group was sucked into the powerful winds and carried into the sky.

Being separated from the others, Lailah looked around the fake Midgar as her body was suspended in the sky. She tried to find her friends but saw no one. Feeling the familiar chill of the Whispers, she peered over her shoulder to see them coming from behind. They rush past her and she could hear their frustration and anger.

The Whispers coalesced together, creating an immense being that doesn't compare to anything she's fought before. Its stature was frightening and the shriek it released caused a chill to shoot down her spine.

Feeling the gemstone radiate a faint warmth, Lailah opened her palm to see it glowing brilliantly. She could feel the power her mother entrusted her with. Looking back at the Whisper Harbinger, she knew what she needed to do.

The arbiter of fate raised its hand, startling the shapeshifter. Seeing the debris floating in the sky beginning to surge in all different directions, the girl transformed into a bird and swiftly dodged the large pieces that threatened to crush her. With a screech, she flew toward the Whisper Harbinger in hopes it would heed her call.

Alas, the large Whisper wouldn't listen to her as it attempted to swat her out of the air. She could hear and feel the anger seeping from its being. It was too filled with hatred to listen to her.

Needing another plan of approach, she flew to a section of debris that was steadily floating in the sky. She landed and reverted. Seeing the Whisper Harbinger turn its attention away from her, she took a moment to compose herself before trying to formulate a plan. She needed to use the gemstone but wasn't sure how.

Closing her eyes, she ignored the angered wails of the Whisper Harbinger and tried to connect to Gaia. She needed guidance from her mother. She was able to reach her, but the link was weak.

Gemstone...unleash thy...true form...

Although the words were slightly garbled and incohesive, she could make out her mother's voice and understand how to use the gemstone.

When Lailah opened her eyes, she heard a strange noise from behind her. Turning around, she saw three beings standing before her—the Whisper Rubrum, the Whisper Croceo, and the Whisper Viridi. The three beings were agents of the Whisper Harbingers, creatures who were connected to the larger arbiter. To her surprise, they didn't attack. She glanced between the three Whispers, wondering what they wanted.

As they drew closer to her, she heard a battle cry and a sword slash at the three Whispers. She took a step back as all three Whispers shrieked before disappearing. As their bodies dispersed, she saw Cloud, Barret, and Tifa.

"Lailah!" Tifa shouted happily. "I'm so glad we found you."

Cloud lowered his sword, eyes brimming with concern. "You okay?"

She smiled with a nod. "Yeah. It's good to see you three are okay, but...where's Aerith and Red?"

Barret sighed. "Haven't found them yet. Those damned Whispers keep gettin' in the way."

"I know you guys can handle them." Lailah turned her gaze back to the Whisper Harbinger.

Cloud stared at her back. "What're you gonna do?"

"I'm gonna handle the bigger one."

Tifa stepped forward in a panic at hearing her idea. "B-But that thing is huge! There's no way you can do it alone."

Lailah cast a smile in her best friend's direction. "I won't be doing it alone. You all will be dealing with the other Whispers. They have a connection to the harbinger. While I deal some damage head-on, you guys will be injuring it indirectly."

"Someone as tiny as you is gonna fight that humongous thing?!" Barret remarked.

The shapeshifter revealed the gemstone to them. "I've got a little trick up my sleeve." The gemstone floated upward and hovered above her palm. "Just focus on finding Aerith and Red and stopping those other Whispers. Leave the rest to me."

As the emerald gemstone flickered between the various colors of the elements, its brightness intensified. Green root-like markings spread across the area.

Cloud, Barret, and Tifa slowly backed away when they felt the intensity of the power being released from the gemstone.

A strong wind whipped around Lailah as she felt the power flow into her body. The markings along her face began to glow. Her pupils turned to slits as her eyes radiated with a golden hue. Branch-like horns sprouted from her head and curled backward. The gemstone merged with her body and the transformation was almost complete. She took a step back toward the edge, which frightened the others.

"Stop!" Tifa shouted.

Lailah smiled reassuringly at them. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. Be careful, everyone." Taking one more step backward, she fell off the edge and plummeted into the city below.

Cloud, Tifa, and Barret rush to the edge. They peer down, only to be forced away from the edge when a wolf the same size as the Whisper Harbinger appeared. The fur along her face and front paws were white before leading into green across the rest of her body. Branches sprouted from the leaf-like fur.

"That's Lailah...?" Tifa gaped in shock.

Barret grinned. "Well, I'll be damned!"

The trio watched as the large wolf bounded over to the Whisper Harbinger. It took no time whatsoever for the two giant beings to begin fighting.

Cloud's eyes never left the wolf as she swiped her claws at the harbinger. "We'll do what we can from here. Let's get rid of those other Whispers."

Tifa nodded, her eyes glinting with determination. "Let's do it!"

As the trio fought against the three Whispers and eventually regrouped with Aerith and Red, Lailah tore into the Whisper Harbinger. She tried to connect with the being of fate, but it still refused to listen to her because of the anger consuming it. This was all because of Sephiroth.

She dugs her claws and fangs into its black flesh to weaken it. Her attacks were working and she was siphoning its strength slowly. Whenever it tried to direct its attention to the others, she made sure to refocus it on her.

The attacks she wasn't able to dodge wounded her, but she remained strong. The Whisper Harbinger was truly a mighty opponent, but she refused to back down.

Eventually, Lailah was able to use her weight to topple over the Whisper Harbinger. Its body slammed into the replica of Midgar, the debris floating upward. With a ferocious growl, she dug her claws once again into the flesh of its chest. Black miasma spewed from the open wound.

She jumped off its body when it attempted to grab her with both hands.

As the Whisper Harbinger slowly got back to its feet, she was surprised to see it suddenly lurch in pain. A bright light emitted from its chest just above where she struck it. From the second wound, she figured the others managed to destroy one of the Whispers. She struck it again and could sense how weak it was getting.

When the last two Whispers were defeated, Lailah set her sights on destroying the core now that it was exposed. With a mighty howl, dark tendrils erupted from the darkness around them. The tentacle-like appendages shot toward the harbinger and pierced through its chest.

The Whisper Harbinger shrieked as its body was engulfed in a bright light.

Lailah was taken aback when the light blinded her. She felt the magic from the gemstone fade as she was forcefully reverted back to her human form. She felt herself black out for a few seconds. When she opened her eyes, she felt strange. Looking around, she was somewhere different. The ground was water and the sky was a crystal-clear blue.

When she felt something off about her body, she looked down to see her clothes were different.

She then checked her hair and realized it was longer than before. Her ponytail was gone and replaced with a half ponytail that was tied back with a black and green ribbon that matched her outfit. The rest of her long hair cascaded down her back. Unlike before, the ends were much more curly. The multicolored tips were more vibrant than before.

"What...happened?" she muttered to herself.

"Consider these my gifts to you for becoming my successor. The gemstone was just the start."

Lailah turned and saw her mother smiling at her. "Will you disappear?" She asked worriedly.

Laurel shook her head. "No. I have named you my successor, but there is still much you need to do before you take my place." She reached out and pressed her finger against the emerald gemstone that was now embedded in her daughter's chest. "Have I ever told you how green really does suit you, sweetheart? To be honest, you look good in every color. I gave you some amazing genetics, didn't I?"

The girl laughed at her mother's words. "Talk about blowing your own whistle."

The woman laughed. "What can I say? You have the beauty of a goddess, much more than I ever had. I know your father would be proud if he could see you today. You'll do great, sweetie. And before I forget..." She held out her hands and conjured a staff.

"Your father wanted to give this to you on your 21st birthday. He wanted to teach you so much, but..." A stray tear trailed down Laurel's cheek. "He'll have to settle for watching you grow into a strong woman without his help. Knowing him, he won't be worrying anytime soon seeing as who's by your side."

Lailah took the staff with a melancholic expression. "I wish I could thank him..."

"I'm sure he knows how grateful you are and how much you love him," the woman smiled gently.

Dispelling the staff, the snowy-haired girl looked around a second time. She was about to ask her mother another question when the woman grabbed her shoulders. "Mom?"

Laurel's smile was gone. "Whatever you see or feel in this place, it is not real. Do not let the illusions confuse you."

She saw her mother's body was slowly fading. "W-Wait...!"

Before she could ask what she meant, Laurel was gone. She felt a sense of loneliness until she heard footsteps. Turning around, her eyes widen when she saw the others.

"Is that you, Lailah?" Aerith gasped.

Lailah was stunned to see her friends were there. She had no idea where they were nor how they got here. She saw each one of them was staring at her in awe, some more than others.

Just as she went to explain what happened, a searing pain coursed through her right arm. She gasped and looked at her arm to see a strange blackness creeping across her skin. As it started to spread across her body, the pain accompanied it and increased tenfold. It was unbearable as she screamed. She wrapped her arms around herself as she stumbled backward. She fell to her knees, her body shaking with pain.

Mustering enough strength, she lifted her head to see Cloud desperately running toward her. Seeing him reaching out a hand toward her in an attempt to grab her, she tried to lift her arm. The moment their hands were about to touch, she was swallowed by darkness and lost consciousness.

*****

"Daddy!" A five-year-old Lailah giggled as she ran into the living room of their home in Tellus. Silas smiled at his daughter and picked her up in his arms. "Mommy said we would make a cake today. Are you gonna help us?"

"Well, someone's gotta keep Mommy away from the frosting. If we're not careful, she'll eat it all and there won't be any left for the cake," Silas said.

"Heard that..." Laurel grumbled as she walked back into the house from the garden. She tucked the flowers she was carrying into a vase before displaying them on the counter. "Now, who's ready to bake a cake?"

"Me!" Lailah shouted excitedly.

"Then let's make the best cake we can!"

The family of three entered the kitchen and got to work. Silas and Laurel grabbed the ingredients while Lailah sat on the counter. When they had everything gathered, they started to make the cake batter and frosting.

Lailah giggled when her father smeared frosting on her mother's cheek. The woman swiped up a glob of frosting and did the same to her husband. They both started laughing before getting back to focusing on the cake batter.

When the cake batter was poured into a pan and slid into the oven, Silas picked up Lailah so she could see the batter cooking. He told her how long it would take and she would need to be patient.

When her father set her down, Lailah dashed over to her mother. She wrapped her arms around Laurel's legs. "Mommy, can we grow some flowers while the cake's baking?"

The woman stroked her daughter's hair. "Are the ones I grew not pretty enough?"

"Not at all! I just wanna grow some of my own."

Laurel smiled and was about to agree to Lailah's request when her joyful expression shattered. Her gaze darted to the door.

Silas had the same grave expression on his face as his wife. "Honey..."

"The barrier's been broken." She nudged Lailah toward her husband. "Take Lailah and—"

The front door flew open. Five SOLDIERs entered the home with their weapons at the ready. Laurel and Silas attempted to use their magic to stop the men, but they weren't quick enough. The SOLDIERs grabbed the woman by her hair and tossed her to the ground where they pinned her arms behind her back. Silas tried to help her, but he too was quickly subdued.

Lailah was horrified. Her body was shaking violently. Seeing the last SOLDIER running toward her, she screamed.

"Don't touch her!" Laurel shouted angrily, struggling against the two men pinning her to the floor.

The SOLDIER doesn't listen. He grabbed the little girl by one of her pigtails and yanked her back toward him. "Damn brat!"

Lailah cries in pain as tears streamed down her cheeks. She scratched at the gloved hand that was grabbing her hair.

"You three are coming with us," one SOLDIER told the family.

"Like hell we are," Silas spat, trying to break free.

"So, you won't cooperate?" another SOLDIER asked.

"Why would we cooperate with monsters like yourselves?" Laurel growled.

The SOLDIERs exchanged glances. When they gestured to Laurel, the two men holding her down grabbed her and pulled her up to her feet.

"Kill her," one man coldly said.

Laurel glared daggers at the men and continued to struggle against them as they tried to drag her out of the house. "I swear, you bastards will—!" She choked on her words as a blade plunged into her chest. Her eyes widened in pure pain. She gasped and choked on blood as the blade was ripped from her body. Like a doll, she collapsed lifeless to the floor.

Lailah screamed in horror at seeing her mother be brutally murdered in front of her. Tears of fright and sorrow continued to pour from her eyes.

Silas stared wide-eyed at the body of his wife. He wasn't even given time to comprehend what just happened before a blade was jammed through his back. He coughed and choked on blood before life faded from his body.

The little girl cried and screamed in horror. Her parents were dead. The SOLDIER holding her used his other hand to raise his sword and press it against her throat. The sharp blade cut into her throat. As she scratched at the hand holding her hair, another SOLDIER asked, "Do we really have enough?"

"The other teams have confirmed multiple captures. Should we at least take the kid just in case?" another questioned.

The man holding Lailah lowered his blade. He shoved her to the floor before pressing his boot against her throat. She choked and clawed at the boot that was crushing her throat. As her senses faded due to the lack of oxygen, her eyes closed and she barely made out the screams of the SOLDIERs as they were killed one by one. All she remembered was the boot being lifted from her throat and being able to breathe again. Too weak to move, she laid limply on the floor.

It wasn't until someone picked her up did she open her eyes. When she did, she saw her savior was a man with crimson eyes and long black locks. Even though his expression was cold, she knew she was safe with him. Closing her eyes, she lost consciousness.

Hours later, Lailah was awake. She saw the man was gone. Looking around, she realized she was on the outskirts of Tellus. She could see the flames of destruction and smell the blood of her people as she felt more tears beginning to form. She knew she couldn't stay and needed to run.

Seeing the bag her savior left her, she grabbed it and ran.

The little girl ran and ran until she was exhausted, using what the man left her to survive as she trekked across the landscape with help from the flow of mako underneath her feet and through her veins. Along her journey, she learned she could no longer speak due to her injured throat.

A year later, she came across the town where the flow of mako was guiding her. The bag she had was destroyed and everything her savior gave her was gone. Abandoning the bag, she walked the rest of the way.

Weak from her travels, she couldn't heal the small cuts and bruises that littered her skin. Her clothes were dirty and tattered. The pigtails she once wore were gone, the ribbons that had been holding them up having been destroyed months prior. Her snowy locks reached her shoulder blades, the curly ends caked with dirt. As she reached the outskirts of the town, she read the sign.

Nibelheim

She was more than happy to find the town, but she froze just before entering when her mind was overtaken by negative thoughts.

What if the men who attacked Tellus were here?

Would these people accept someone like her?

Who would want to care for a six-year-old child that wasn't theirs and couldn't talk?

She hung her head as a sense of hopelessness consumed her. Taking a few steps back, she shook her head as tears trailed down her cheeks. She sniffled and tried to wipe away her tears.

Through her sniffles, she heard footsteps. She lifted her head and saw a young boy with blonde hair and sapphire eyes staring at her. Her sniffles ceased as she realized he wasn't looking at her in disgust but in awe. Wondering what to do, she debated on running away or staying.

When the five-year-old boy slowly began to approach her, Lailah couldn't bring herself to move. Even if she did run, there was nowhere for her to go.

The little boy stopped a few feet in front of her. "Are you lost?"

She didn't know how to reply. Instead, she cast her melancholic gaze to the ground.

The blonde took a couple more steps toward her. "You're hurt."

Lailah lifted her gaze only enough to see her cut and bruised arms. Unable to use her voice, she tried to shrink away and leave.

"Wait," the little boy stopped her. "Don't leave. My mom's amazing at first-aid." He held out his hand to her.

She was hesitant. Staring at his hand, she wondered if she should accept his help. Thinking for a few seconds, she believed she had her answer. With nowhere else to go, she took his hand. It was the beginning of their future together.

*****

As the dreamlike memory faded, Lailah slowly opened her eyes. She felt a familiar warmth against her body when the haze of the memory vanished. Her vision was fuzzy at first but gradually returned to normal. The first thing she could make out was Cloud's face. She saw how worried he was. "Cloud...?"

On his knees, he cradled her body against his. One arm supported her head while the other was gently placed against her lower abdomen. Hearing her say his name and seeing she was awake, he relaxed. "You're okay..."

She then took in their surroundings and didn't recognize where they were. She couldn't sense the flow of mako or any other element. It was dark and desolate with the only light coming from the bright galaxy far in the distance. With Cloud's help, she tucked her knees under her and sat up. "Where are we?"

"Don't know." Cloud was just as confused as her. He and the others had been fighting against Sephiroth when he suddenly found himself in this strange place. He had found Lailah unconscious and thought she would know, but now he knew she didn't. "Any ideas?"

She pressed her palms against the ground and grimaced when she couldn't sense any natural flow at all. "Wherever we are, it isn't our world."

Suddenly, Sephiroth appeared in a vortex of black feathers. "That which lies ahead...does not yet exist."

Lailah stared wide-eyed at him.

With a glare, Cloud stood up and placed himself between her and Sephiroth.

The man turned his back to him as he gazed at the cosmos. "Our world will become a part of it...one day. But I...will not end. Nor will I have you end."

"This is...?" Cloud questioned.

Sephiroth turned back to face the blonde. "The edge of creation." He walked over to the ex-SOLDIER and held out his hand. "Cloud, lend me your strength. Let us defy destiny...together. I will even allow you to keep your little goddess. She will be stripped of her powers and turned into an empty vessel, but her beauty shall be preserved."

Cloud's eyes widen in horror at imagining betraying his friends. He pictured Lailah as an empty shell. Her eyes were void of life, like a doll who was simply on display. Erasing the image from his head, he drew his sword and glowered at the man. "Never."

Smirking, Sephiroth raised his ōdachi. A second later, the battle began.

Lailah watched Cloud and Sephiroth fight. She was amazed at how well the blonde was able to stand against him, but she could tell the platinum-haired man wasn't giving it his all. They exchanged blow after blow, but neither one of them was able to land a hit. She had a little difficulty keeping up with the battle due to how quickly the two were moving.

In the end, Sephiroth was the victor. He successfully disarmed Cloud. The boy's sword flew out of his grasp, embedding in the ground not far from where Lailah was.

Appearing behind Cloud, Sephiroth whispered into his ear. "Not yet. Seven seconds till the end. Time enough for you, but not for her. What will you do with it? Let's see."

In the blink of an eye, Sephiroth vanished.

A horrified Cloud and a confused Lailah were left at the edge of creation.