During Sara's battle with Rufus, Tifa and the others waited in the elevator heading back down to the lower level. However, Tifa understood Cloud's reason for not coming with them and waiting on Sara. It still didn't make the pain in her heart go away, though she was only worried for Cloud's safety but as for other things it didn't matter.

"Think they can manage on their own?" Red XIII wondered.

"You've seen them both in action," Barret replied, "You know they can besides," Barret paused and turned around.

Suddenly they heard a loud explosion and looked up through the glass wall and saw debris falling from the floor where Cloud and Sara were. Aerith and Tifa gasped while Red XIII growled.

"We gotta believe in them," Barret gritted his teeth.

"I hope so," Aerith said.

"Hey," Red XIII called.

"Screw this! We're going back up!" Barret declared.

"Hey!" Red XIII called again.

"What, Red?" Barret yelled but then he gasped in shock and saw a mecha in the elevator that was across from them.

Barret notices the machine guns and yells, "Get down!"

Everyone got down able to miss the incoming bullets from the mecha. The elevators were still going down but Barret and the others remained down while avoiding a deadly hailstorm of bullets. However, a stream of bullets hit the elevator's steel cables causing it to crash down. Everyone braced for impact.

At the same time, Wedge was doing his best to sneak around the 64th floor making sure no one sees him.

"We're cool," Wedge nervously spoke, "Everyone's cool."

Suddenly he hears a loud screeching sound and looks near the elevator and sees his friends inside the elevator. He gasps as he rushes to the door.

"Barret!" Wedge shouts, "Guys!"

Worried for his friends, Wedge decides to head for the emergency stairs only to be blocked by the Whispers.

"Not again!" Wedge complained.

The Whispers began to push Wedge towards the glass windows.

"You can't stop me!" Wedge yells while trying to push against the Whispers, "For Biggs...For Jessie...Tifa...Sara...and Barret too!"

But the Whispers were too much for Wedge and he looses his balance. Wedge realized that he wasn't going to make it, as his body hits the window and spoke his final words.

"I'm sorry, Cloud....just...tell me that-that I made a difference..."

The elevator stopped at the 59th floor, the doors wouldn't open and so Barret had to force them to open. Once the doors opened, everyone walked out.

"Ya'll still in one piece?" Barret turned to the others.

Aerith coughed a bit and sighed, "Yeah, somehow."

Tifa nodded in agreement while Red XIII growled in contentment. Barret and the others started to make their way to the stairs. However, the elevator that had the giant mecha stopped in front of them.

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me!" Barret shouted.

The robot began to shoot bullets with it's machine guns, Barret and the others ran across the room as the robot continued to pursue them. The robot then fired a several rockets towards them. Everyone jumped down to the next floor to avoid the incoming missiles.

"Okay, you asked for it, mech!" Barret declared as he readies his gun.

"Get ready," Red XIII warns the girls.

"Don't you worry," Aerith smiles as she holds out her staff.

"We got this!" Tifa exclaims as she raises her fists.

The robot jumped right in front of them and the battle began.

Meanwhile, Cloud and Sara took the secondary elevators down to the lower levels. Luckily, once they made it to the sky-view hall, they took the next elevator to the entrance floor.

"Well, I didn't expect to find you here."

Cloud and Sara looked at each other, and both started to draw their swords. Sara looked behind and saw Roche. The 3rd Class SOLDIER raised his hands in surrender with a small smile.

"Relax you two, I'm not here to turn you in. Just returning this." Roche tosses something towards Sara who catches it one-handed.

Sara looked at the item she caught and was surprised to see a familiar set of keys. She looks at Roche who smiles at her.

"Um, how did you find it?" Sara asked.

"Found the dragon not too far from the station after our first encounter. Couldn't risk seeing that beauty be left alone, can't I?" Roche said with a grin. Sara chuckled at the comment but was glad to know that Roche was kind enough to look out for her motorcycle.

"The sleeping dragon is parked by the Hardy-Daytona in the showroom near the entrance floor," Roche informs them as he walks away, "Better hurry before they start sending some of my comrades after you guys."

"Hey, Roche!" Sara called out, the latter stopped and looked at her curiously, "Thanks, hopefully we can do a race someday and keep an eye on my dragon if I do leave her behind."

Roche gives a thumbs up, "It's a deal, stay alive sweet girl!"

Sara chuckled, Cloud rolled his eyes and began to head for the elevator. Sara followed after, walked into the elevator as the door shut behind her. Cloud had his arms crossed while looking at the floor, he seemed a bit irritated.

"Cloud, you okay?" Sara wondered.

"Yeah," Cloud replied curtly.

Sara raised a brow then she wondered about something. But decided not to ask any further. There was no reason to dwell in mindless things, when another battle may happen at any second and Sara knew to put the small stuff aside and focus on the important things.

After nearly thirty minutes of fighting, Barret and the others finally defeated the mecha which was now a pile of scrap.

"Yay! We did it!" Aerith cheered.

"Yes!" Tifa smiled and nodded.

Barret sat down while laughing, "Good to be alive."

"Quite," Red XIII said seriously, "But we could still die later tonight. Cloud and Sara could be dead already."

"The hell they are!" Barret denied.

"Then we need to find a way we can all escape and quickly," Red XIII suggested.

"You're right, let's go." Aerith agreed and together they went to the elevator.

Outside of the Shinra building many infantrymen were all gathered loading up trucks full of weapons, supplies, and other things to be used in battle. And some of them started to head for the entrance of the Shinra building.

Aerith and the others exited out of the elevator, Barret looked around to make sure that no one was around. All was dead quiet around, Tifa paused as she looked back at the elevator.

"Guys, I'm gonna wait for Cloud and Sara," Tifa said with a worried look.

"Okay!" Aerith smiled.

Tifa waited by the elevator as the others made their way to the entrance. Although it felt strangely eerie that no one was inside, it seemed nice that no one was there to see them.

"All we gotta do now is wait for the others," Barret said.

At that moment a troop of infantrymen rushed in and surrounded them all armed and aiming their weapons at Barret and the others.

"We have them surrounded, sir!" A footman exclaimed.

"Yes...I can see that," Heidegger walked over with a grin, "It was only a matter of time, and here we are."

Heidegger let out a laugh before looked at the group asking, "So then, what is this ragtag group of misfits I see before me?"

"Avalance!" Barret declared.

"Local florist!" Aerith added.

"Lab rat dog," Red XIII exclaimed.

"And where are the rest of you?" Heidegger wondered.

"Up your ass," Barret replied not wanting to tell the truth.

"Charming," Heidegger humphed, "Though not what I would've chosen as my last words."

Those words made Barret and the other's hearts drop as Heidegger gave the command.

"Secure the Ancient, but feel free to kill both the idiot and the dog."

All the footmen were ready to fire, Aerith couldn't help but feel frightened wondering how they were going to make it.

"Aerith," Barret reassured, "You saved my Marlene. Now it's time I returned the favor."

"Wait!" Aerith shouted wanting to stop Barret.

But that was when an unfamiliar sound started to rumble throughout the room. It sounded like an engine roaring, but another one just like it was also heard. With a loud screeching sound, everyone looked up and saw a motorcycle in a dragon-shaped style, and riding it was none other than Sara. Right behind her was Cloud who was also riding another bike which is called the Hardy-Daytona.

Sara landed right in front of the group and Cloud knocked over a few infantrymen then stopped.

"Hey, Heidegger missed me?" Sara grinned.

Heidegger's mouth dropped to the floor, "What?! Saraphina! Y-you alive?!"

"Of course," Sara smiled, "As if you could kill, a SOLDIER like me."

Sara took her motorcycle for a spin knocking out several infantrymen while Cloud did the same thing. At the same time, a small teal blue pick-up truck came in the room and stopped in front of Barret and the others. Tifa was the one driving it.

"Everyone, get in!" Tifa shouted.

Aerith quickly got in the front seat, while Red XIII and Barret jumped in the back.

"Stop them, you fools! Don't let them escape!" Heidegger commanded.

Sara chuckled and leaned over enough to avoid the incoming bullets and knocking over the rest of the infantrymen. She stopped and looked at Heidegger with a smirk.

"Hey Heidegger, eat this." Sara taunted.

Cloud immediately sped up the motorcycle and used his sword to deflect the bullets fired at him. Then stabbed the floor with his buster sword while twisting his whole body using his thighs to squeeze tightly on the seat of the motorcycle which was able to lift the motorcycle using it to knock down the rest of the footmen and Heidegger barely dodged the incoming tire that was inches from his face.

"Let's roll," Cloud exclaimed.

"Okay!" Tifa nodded.

Sara and Cloud took the lead riding up the stairs with Tifa and the others trailing behind. Two infantrymen kept firing their guns at the group, yet Sara knocked them out with her sword. Cloud drove past her, taking down more infantrymen, and stopped in front of a panel of glass. Standing in between them was a solo infantryman who was terrified. Sara raised her sword and threw it right at the infantryman but intentionally missed. It landed right on the glass panel which was stuck but it scared the infantryman so badly that he ran away. Cloud and Sara sped up their motorcycles broke through the glass window. Sara grabbed her sword in midair and they landed on the highway followed by Tifa and the others.

"Ha!" Barret grinned, "We're home free, Red!"

"I wouldn't celebrate just yet," Red XIII spoke seriously.

"Man, you need to lighten up," Barret shook his head, "Hell, you might even try smiling."

Red XIII looked at Barret with a raised brow, but he complied and tried to smile. But it looked more like a wolfish grin with all those sharp teeth.

"On second thought," Barret looked a bit unsure, "Maybe frowning suits you better."

Red XIII quit smiling then gave Barret his usual frown look and turned away.

"Hey, don't pout!" Barret tried to cheer him up.

"Look," Red XIII says.

Barret looked up and was stunned to see what he was seeing. Swarms and swarms of whispers began to cover the entire Shinra building.

"Are you guys seeing this?!" Barret exclaimed.

Everyone looked over and they all stopped the vehicles. The others looked at what Barret and Red XIII were seeing, all of them were shocked at seeing the spectacle.

Meanwhile, back at the president's office, Rufus walked around the floors with Tseng following him. Rufus saw all the whispers coming through the floors, walls, and ceilings.

"What is all this?" Rufus wondered seeing the entities.

Yet Tseng, looked around confused all what he could see was an empty floor that seemed normal. He wondered what was the new president talking about.

"Is something wrong, sir?" Tseng asked.

Rufus looked at him slightly shocked and wondered, was he the only one seeing these ghostly things in the room? He watched Tseng closely as the latter began to answer a phone call. Rufus walked over to the windows of the floor seeing the whispers flying around the Shinra building like waves. He looked at Tseng again who appeared to be unfazed by the whispers or more like he didn't seemed to notice them at all. Rufus decided not to ask Tseng about the whispers.

"I see,very good," Tseng replied and ended his phone call then looked at Rufus, "The men are on standby, sir. Your orders?"

"Bring them in," Rufus commanded.

Back at the highway, Cloud and the others watched the whispers continuing to cover the entire Shinra building.

"It's like the whole damn building's made of 'em," Barret said.

"Yeah," Cloud agreed.

"I don't understand. What are they doing?" Tifa wondered.

"Who knows," Aerith sighed.

Then Barret realized something, "Wedge, you don't think he got caught up in it do you?"

Tifa clenched her fists and replied, "If he did, I hope he's okay."

Red XIII's ears flicked as he picked up a familiar motoring sound and warned, "They're coming."

"Who?" Barret asked.

Then down the road from where the Shinra building was, a squad of infantrymen riding on motorcycles heading towards them.

"This, we don't need!" Barret exclaimed.

"Time to go!" Cloud told everyone.

Everyone jumped back into their vehicles. Tifa put on the petal to the metal while driving the truck. While Cloud and Sara cracked up their motorcycles and were ready to fight while driving.

Several infantrymen began firing at the group, Cloud used his sword to deflect the incoming bullets and swing his sword at one rider slashing the motorcycle which caused it to crash into another motorcycle. However some infantrymen passed Cloud and Sara heading straight for the small truck.

"They're gainin' on us!" Barret tells Tifa, "C'mon, step on it!"

"I'm trying, but it won't go any faster!" Tifa shouts back.

"How the hell we get saddled with this junker!?" Barret complained.

Then Sara had an idea and turned to Cloud after knocking down another infantryman, "Cloud, one of us should be near Tifa and cover for her. While the other focuses on the enemy, you're call."

"Got it, you go and protect Tifa," Cloud tells her, "I'll take care of the rest."

"Roger that!" Sara smiles and drives on ahead, then stayed near Tifa.

Cloud began to focus his attention on taking out the infantrymen. While driving one-handed isn't easy but Cloud made it seem effortless, cutting the front tires of each motorcycle that was run by infantrymen. At the same time, Sara took out any Shinra motorcyclists that were near the truck.

Just then a squad truck rushed towards them, while an infantryman started firing at them. Cloud was ready to try and take out the truck but that was when Barret saw something up ahead.

"Stubborn bastards!" Barret cursed.

"Not now!" Tifa shouted.

A row of infantrymen stood in front of a barricade while holding shields attempting to stop them. Cloud noticed this and drove closely to the squad truck and slashed the tires. Making the truck fall on its side and sliding towards the barricade, causing the infantrymen to move out of the way as the truck knocked down the barricade.

"And let that be a lesson to you!" Barret shouted at the crashed truck.

"Firing warning shots," A voice was heard.

Sara looked up and clicked her tongue in annoyance, "They're not letting us get away easily."

"Heads up!" Cloud warned as he dodged the incoming bullets from the helicopter that was flying near them.

"That chopper is all mine!" Barret declared, "I'll bring it down real quick!"

"Save your bullets, Barret!" Sara shouted, "I'll take it down."

"Huh?!" Barret looked at her confused, before he knew it Sara had unleashed a powerful sword slash beam straight from her weapon.

It hit the helicopter's tail that it caused it to fall down below the highway bridge. Sara used her full strength along with using lighting materia to make a powerful sword slash.

"Hey! Save some for me!" Barret complained.

They went through a tunnel and both Sara and Cloud spotted unusual red lights above the ceiling. It was bombs taped to the beams of the tunnel.

"Get down!" Cloud warned everyone.

Barret tries to shoot the bombs before they explode, but it is too late. The ceiling started to come down at that moment several whispers circled everyone all the flames and smoke never touched them. Once everyone made it out of the tunnel, the whispers left.

"Guess we owe you another!" Barret smiles, thanking the whispers.

"You good?" Cloud asks while riding next to the truck.

"Somehow," Aerith answered.

"Are they on our side?" Sara wondered about the whisper's actions.

"The whispers intervene not to defend us," Red XIII answered, "but to preserve the flow of destiny."

Sara didn't like the sound of those words, which meant that their deaths were not here yet. Just then everyone heard a loud sound of rumble, Barret looked over and saw the next road beside them, and on that road was a huge mecha on wheels.

"Oh, no don't you dare!" Barret shouts.

The six-wheeled mecha jumped onto the road they were on and began to attack the truck. It was well over the size of an eighteen-wheeler, with arms that were like blades and a machine gun attached to its chest as the head looked at them with robotic eyes.

"Come on!" Barret yells in exasperation, "You see the piece of shit, we're driving!"

"Says the three-hundred-pound sack of it," Red XIII rolls his eyes.

"Hey!" Barret snaps back at Red XIII.

"Focus!" Tifa tells them in a pleading voice.

Cloud and Sara looked at each other and both nodded as if they silently knew what they needed to do. Cloud immediately charges towards the mecha and begins to slash the tires which were protected by shields. At the same time, Sara started to slash at the mecha's upper body. But it also had a shield as well. The entire mecha had a shield in all of its vital parts, which didn't make it easy to fight it. But Sara knew that every mecha has its weaknesses. Sara noticed that the road was soon to end, for she saw the toll gate not far. This battle had to end quickly, and Sara had a plan. Luckily she had battled with her motorcycle before and had installed a special feature on it.

"Cloud, get ready!" Sara shouted.

Cloud wasn't sure what Sara had in mind but he nodded in response. Sara flipped a small switch in her left handlebar and two letters AP below the speed monitor showed up which stands for Auto-pilot. Sara stood on the seat of her bike and jumped towards the mecha having her katana engulfed with lightning. She swings her sword several times which hits the mecha's shield causing it to break. Sara lands right in front of Cloud's bike which is right behind her allowing Sara to leap again this time, she stabs the mecha in the chest causing it to malfunction. At the same time a small barrier was right ahead, Sara immediately got back on her bike after she stabbed the mecha, switching the bike to the manual, gaining speed at the right moment and all vehicles jumped over the broken bridge and landed on the other side. The mecha, however, fell down and crashed into oblivion.

"All right! We did it!" Barret cheered.

All the girls smiled, Cloud smirked at the moment of victory that they outrun Shinra once again. But then, Cloud saw Sephiroth right at the toll gate and immediately stopped the motorcycle, Sara and Tifa also quickly braked their vehicles wondering what was going on. Cloud saw a black feather falling in front of him but it dispersed when it hit the ground. Cloud got off the bike put his sword behind his back and began to walk towards the gate heading for the end of the road. He stopped and saw more black feathers fall, he looked up and saw Sephiroth floating down from the sky.

Sephiroth landed at the end of the unfinished road with grace, as he chuckled looking at the group but he mostly looked at Cloud.

"Okay, asshole let's" Barret began to shout, but Aerith stopped him, reaching her hand out, "Don't."

While Barret was confused by Aerith's gesture, the young girl looked at Sephiroth with a stern look, "And you...you're wrong."

Sephiroth smirked, "Those who look with clouded eyes see nothing but shadows."

"Everything about you is wrong," Aerith exclaimed.

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes, looking at the ground for a moment before looking back at the group again.

"All born are bound to her," Sephiroth declared, "Should this world be unmade, so too shall her children."

"The world won't end today," Cloud spoke, "But you..." He paused and drew his sword, "You will."

"Listen," Sephiroth said.

At that moment an unbearable screeching cry echoed throughout the land. Everyone had to cover their ears except for Sephiroth who seemed delighted by the cry. The whispers that were covering the Shinra building started to increase more and flew towards Sephiroth flying right behind him forming a large cloud of whispers. The sound of the cry started to get louder and louder and sounded like more cries joined in.

"Destiny comes," Sephiroth said as he lifted his hands up with his sword at hand.

Sephiroth turned toward where the moving wall of whispers and slashed them with his sword forming a black hole, with several sparks of lightning from it.

Sephiroth looked over his shoulder and said, "I'm waiting, Cloud."

Sephiroth walked into the black hole and vanished. Cloud put his sword away and was ready to go after his nemesis. Just as he was about to go after Sephiroth, he felt his arm being tugged. Cloud looked back and saw it was Aerith who was pulling him back.

"This is the point of no return," She warned him, Cloud looked at her confused.

She let go of his hand, while shaking her head. Aerith walked over to where Sephiroth was and stopped lifting her hand out as a light emitted from it. Then a burst of light came from Aerith's hand and the black hole began to turn white.

Aerith let's her hand down and turned to her friends, "Destiny's crossroads."

"Then why did you stop me?" Cloud asked.

Aerith looked away with confusion, "I'm not really sure."

"What will we find on the other side?" Tifa asked, everyone wondered the same thing as they looked at the white hole.

"Freedom," Aerith replied, "Boundless, terrifying freedom. Like a great, never-ending sky. What you heard just now were the voices of the planet."

The others were shocked that the loud screech was the voices of the planet. It sounded like pure agony as if it was in pain.

"Those born into this world," Aerith continued, "Who lived and who died, who returned. They're howling in pain."

"Because of him, Sephiroth?" Cloud asked.

Aerith nodded, "They...Their words...they don't reach him. All these moments and memories, precious and fleeting. They're like rain rolling off his back and when they're gone, he won't cry or shout or anything."

Hearing those words, struck hard on Sara's heart it almost sounded like the Sephiroth she knew was long gone. Yet she wondered what could've driven him to such madness.

Aerith, "He'd tell you that he only cares about the planet. That he'd do everything in his power to protect and perserve it. But this isn't the way it's supposed to be. There's no greater threat to the planet than him. Sephiroth has to be stopped. He has to be, and that's why..."

She pauses for a moment and looks at everyone with pleading eyes, "I'm asking you to help me. I know that, together, we can do this."

"But there's a catch if we go through that portal right?" Sara asked.

Aerith looked at Sara and nodded, "If we do this, we'll be changing more than fate itself. If we succeed...if we win...we'll be changing ourselves. I guess...maybe, that's why I hesitated."

Everyone thought about Aerith's words, if they do walk through that hole they will be changing more than fate. They could very well change the course of the future. Suddenly another screeching sound which was the cries of the planet as if it was crying out for help. Once the crying stopped, everyone sighed silently in relief.

"You said it yourself," Cloud said, "He has to be stopped and frankly, I've heard enough howling for a lifetime."

"Thank you, Cloud," Aerith smiled, "Whatever happens, we'll be okay as long as we stick together. Ready?"

"Never tried to challenge destiny," Tifa said.

Red XIII, "This could well be her last line of defense. It won't be easy."

"I prefer to make my own destiny," Sara spoke confidently, "I live how I want to live and not let anyone else tell me how."

"Let's go," Cloud told everyone.

Everyone walked toward the white hole, Cloud was the first to go followed by the girls and Red XIII. Barret stood behind while staring at the white hole.

"Wouldn't be the first time I spit in destiny's eye," Barret said, "Whether you can see the seams or you can't...doesn't change that she's always trying to have it her way."

Barrett paused and looked back at the city, and he began to think of a sweet little girl waiting for him to return.

"Daddy's coming home real soon, honey!"

Barret began to walk towards the white hole and vanished once he went through. At that moment, the future and destiny hang in the balance as the group starts to go after the one who's the true threat to the planet.