The memory, still so vivid, played through Vincent's head. That day, when he learned of the experiment on Lucrecia's child. Both she and Hojo were so certain, while he seemed to be the only one with any morals.

All I did was watch, he told himself. I didn't even try to stop her. That was my sin. And this...this condition...this is my punishment. At least, that's what I once believed. Three years ago, I met people who helped me move forward. In truth, I don't think there was anything I could do back then. Lucrecia...she was too hardheaded. She wouldn't listen to reason until it was too late. I showed her love and compassion, but she never reciprocated any of it, not once. And now, all she's able to do is apologize and run away from her sins. So perhaps...I was never at fault in the first place?

~~~~~

Vincent slowly opened his eyes, groggy. He was lying on his back on a bench, and turned his head to look around. His crimson gaze landed on the figure seated across from him, cloaked with a hood designed like a moogle. The stranger waved and greeted him with a "morning".

"Where... Who are you?" he inquired, his vision still clearing.

The female stood and struck a heroic pose. "Well, I'm glad you asked. I am the champion of the earth and sky. I am the conqueror of evil. The single white rose of Wutai!" She grabbed her cloak and flung it dramatically, revealing her identity. "Yuffie Kisaragi!" She jumped onto the bench. "Feast your eyes on-" she lost her balance and suddenly fell back, banging her head on the monitor behind her. "Owww! Oww!" Clutching her head, the ninja wailed and whined in pain.

Vincent only stared at her, then slowly turned his gaze back up to the ceiling. "So, where are we?" he asked, despite recognizing the interior of the WRO's vehicles.

Yuffie gave him an annoyed pout. "Come on! Aren't you at least a little concerned?"

The male looked at her again. "Oh, Yuffie... It's been a while... How's your head?" He was completely monotone.

"You-! Could you at least pretend to be sympathetic?" Vincent started to sit up, but stopped, clutching his chest with a groan of pain. Yuffie immediately jumped up. "Ah, hey! Take it easy. That was a big hole you had in your chest."

"A hole in my chest?" Vincent repeated.

"Uh-huh. I seriously thought you were a goner, but then the wound healed itself right up. You were always 'different', but I guess that's why you're still breathing."

"Yuffie, what are you doing here? And what happened to Vianca?" He suddenly remembered the former Tsviet back at the mansion. He was confused by his last glimpse of her before he passed out.

"Well, I'm just helping out Reeve and his gang. I was poking around Nibelheim and I found you looking all corpse-like in Shinra Manor. So I saved you! Imagine that --- me, saving the great-" She spun in place with a cheery grin. "-Vincent Valentine!" Her eyes suddenly darted to the side as her smile faded. "And if you're asking about that Deepground girl that was protecting you, she's over there." She pointed to a corner of the room where Vianca was tied up, still unconscious. "I didn't know who she was so I brought her too. But I wasn't exactly sure what side she was on, so..."

Vincent slowly managed to get up, the pain in his chest dying down. He went over to the white-haired girl, untying the rope binding her wrists. Carefully picking her up, he brought her over to the bench he'd been sitting on, laying her down more comfortably.

Yuffie watched him with wide eyes. "Uh, Vince, you sure it's okay to untie her? I mean, when I found you both, she didn't look human."

"She was with Deepground," Vincent explained. "But she's since had a change of heart. She's an ally and a friend. I trust her."

"Well, if you say so."

A faint mumble interrupted them, and their eyes fell on the Diamond. She was beginning to stir. Vincent kneeled beside her, watching her pale violet eyes steadily open to meet his. She tiredly looked around, the sound of the vehicle's engine reverberating around her, letting her know they were no longer in Shinra Manor.

"What... What happened? Where are we? Is Rosso gone?"

"We're safe in the bed of a WRO transport. Yuffie brought us here." He nodded toward the ninja, who smiled and waved. "Vianca, you turned into some kind of...being. You protected me when Rosso stole the Protomateria."

The girl carefully sat up, concern etched on her face. She reached out and placed her palm against his chest. "So, I wasn't dreaming. It's really gone." She sighed and looked down at her own hands. "Everything went dark, and I heard a voice in my head calling me to sleep. Her name was...Aegis."

Vincent looked down, perplexed. "You have a beast inside you. Just as I have Chaos, you have this Aegis. But what exactly it is or what purpose it serves, I don't know. The name was mentioned briefly in one of Lucrecia's reports. She called it a failsafe, but that was it."

Vianca clutched her head. "If only I could remember. I feel like I've heard about Aegis before, but I can't recall."

"We can ask Reeve about it," Yuffie suggested, speaking up. "He wanted us to contact him once you both woke up. He might know something."

The ninja turned to one of the computers, switching it on and pressing a few buttons. The blank screen flickered on to show Reeve.

"Vincent. Vianca. I'm glad to see you two are alright. I have good news. Using you-know-who, I was able to infiltrate Midgar. But what I saw wasn't the prettiest of pictures." He paused briefly, looking pained by the idea. "Omega. I should've known. We cannot let them sacrifice the lives of any more people. Once we've gathered our forces, we'll launch a full offensive. Of course we'll require the help of you three as well. Please hurry back to headquarters. Oh, and I'm analyzing the data files you sent earlier. I should have results soon."

"Um, Reeve, sir," Vianca interrupted. "There's something I need to ask. Have you ever heard of Aegis?"

"Aegis?" Reeve echoed, humming in thought. "Sounds vaguely familiar. I'll have Shalua do a little research on it. In the meantime, hurry back. Tuesti out."

The screen went blank, and Yuffie twisted around to straddle the seat she was on. "I don't really know what's going down, or what all this Omega business is, but it sounds big. I've been waiting a long time to get my hands on those Deepground punks, no offense to Vianca. But they've had their way long enough. Now it's time to give them a taste of pain a-la-Yuffie." She mimicked a few boxing moves with her fists.

The white-haired girl hugged her arms, silent. Vincent sat beside her, ignoring Yuffie's rambling. "Something the matter?" he asked.

Vianca turned her head toward him, looking a bit distraught. "While Aegis was in control, I had a dream. But thinking on it, I don't think it was a dream, but a fragment of memory. And if I'm right..." She hung her head, her lower lip quivering. "I...killed her...the only parental figure I ever had..."

Vincent rested a hand on her shoulder, assuming she meant Nestor's mother, who first started Vianca's testing according to that old file. "We all make mistakes --- we all sin. If you feel remorse now, then it means you cared about her. I'm sure it was an accident, nothing more."

"Cared...about her?" Vianca looked at him, puzzled. "I don't quite know what that means. Could you elaborate?"

The man hummed, trying to think of a way to make her understand. "Back in Shinra Manor, you...Aegis stepped in to protect me. I can only assume that was because you considered me a friend."

Vianca tilted her head cutely. "Friend... Yes, that's it. I believe it was Nestor who taught me that word." Her lips turned up in a giddy smile and she clapped her hands together. "I think I get it. Aegis and I must see you as our friend. We must really like you. Enough to put ourselves between you and danger."

The male was taken aback by her honesty. He couldn't deny that he found her to be quite adorable when she spoke so openly. Why was she the one to make him feel these sparks again? There have been other women he's befriended in the last few years, but none had made him feel like that. He thought Lucrecia would be the only one to bring him that sense of happiness. But maybe, just maybe, he'd found another after all that time.

~~~~~

Shelke slowly opened her eyes to find herself in a life support tank. She didn't recognize where she was, but she did notice the redhead slumped over at a desk on the other end of the room. She got herself out of the tank and walked over to see Shalua was asleep. She watched her momentarily before her blue eyes shifted to her sabers on the desk. She reached over to take them back only for the woman to stir.

"Shelke!" Shalua stood, her lone eye gazing at her sister. "How are you feeling?"

The Transparent powered up her weapons, her eyes glowing orange. "You were a fool to let your enemy live. Now I'm going to kill you and return to Deepground."

"I don't think so," her older sister replied with confidence. "I have to admit, I wasn't myself back there. Seeing you for the first time in ten years left me in a spin. But I've had time to recover. And I'm not letting you get away. Not this time. There's no way I'm going to let you kill me, and there's no way I'm going to let you go back to Deepground."

"I don't recall needing your permission to do anything."

"And I don't remember you ever being able to win one of our fights," Shalua taunted. "Do you? How about it? Wanna try your luck?" She gestured with her hand to come at her.

An alarm suddenly sounded throughout the building. "Emergency. Emergency."

Shalua gasped softly, looking to one of the many monitors to see Deepground troops invading. "They're back? Why?"

Shelke depowered her sabers and tucked them into the holsters on the back of her legs. "They were waiting for Azul. His death was merely a prologue to the true terror."

Shelke inwardly smirked. This was her chance to escape and return to Deepground. She didn't care about her sister or anyone else in the WRO. Thanks to Azul, she just received her ticket out of there.