Vianca followed after Vincent, running through the wreckage deeper into the building. Their trip back to headquarters hadn't gone quite as smoothly as they'd hoped. They'd gotten pulled over and had to fight Deepground soldiers and mechs. Yuffie was left behind for the time being after hitting her head and losing consciousness when the vehicle skidded and crashed. But the other two kept advancing, fighting side by side back to headquarters.

They were met by monstrous roars and screams of people in battle. It took a lot of running, but they found the source of the chaos. There were a trio of WRO soldiers backing away and shooting at a large creature. It looked to be a behemoth-like beast with large horns and a muscular build. It swiped at one of the troops, knocking him flying into his comrades. Vincent had seen his share of oddities, so he wasn't too surprised. Vianca, on the other hand, looked on in horror.

"What the hell...?" the male muttered.

Vianca opened her mouth to speak. "Azul."

Another voice --- a younger one --- uttered his name at the same time. Vianca and Vincent turned to see Shalua and Shelke behind them. Before they could say a thing, Azul roared and started stomping toward them. Vincent was quick to begin firing at the monster, but his bullets did nothing to even slow him. Unsure of whether she should get caught up in the fight, Vianca backed away closer to Shelke, one of her former allies. It wasn't that she was afraid to fight, though Azul was one person that frightened her. She just didn't want to be seen as a foe to someone as strong as the Cerulean.

Shalua moved in to attack, and brought her robotic arm up to block an incoming attack. Azul's large claw slammed into her arm, sending her to the floor, gasping in pain. Vincent started heading toward her to help, but Azul knocked him away as well. Shelke watched impassively, and Vianca only frowned as Azul approached them. But they were stunned when he suddenly swiped at them, knocking them to the floor. Shelke was quick to get up and grab one of her materia, holding it out. It glowed, halting the beast before he could attack again, and even forced him back into human form.

"The extreme potency of this shield materia is comparable to that of your barrier field, Azul," Shelke told him.

Vianca rose to her feet as well, instinctively holding her hand out, prepared to make a shield if necessary. "And my crystals cannot be broken by your brute strength alone."

"Shelke, Vianca, why do you stand in my way?" the Cerulean asked simply.

"We had to protect ourselves," Vianca replied.

"You were trying to kill us," Shelke added, putting away her materia and freeing him of its power.

Azul nodded, but held a condescending look in his gold eyes. "Then now is the time."

He suddenly swung at them both, but they jumped back in time to avoid it, though they both gasped in shock, a bit fearful. "What are you...?" Vianca started to ask, but stopped herself.

"You're no longer required. Neither of you." The tall man peered down at them with a glare. He set his gaze on Shelke. "You're no different from the others. Your weak body is nothing without Mako. Your only skill is collecting data from inside a virtual reality." His focus shifted to the other girl. "And you, you're nearly as weak as her. If it weren't for your power, you'd be nothing. You never experienced the hellish training the rest of us did. It makes me sick to even think of you as members of the Tsviets! Weiss has ordered your termination."

"Weiss?!" both girls cried in unison, the shock of that one statement making them freeze up.

"Your mission was to identify and locate the keeper of the Protomateria, Shelke. That is why we uploaded the doctor's data into your neural network. But now we no longer need it. And we cannot let it fall into the hands of the WRO. And Vianca..." He stepped closer, towering over the Diamond. "Weiss had hope for you. But you let Aegis control you, and put her desires before his. You failed to obtain the Protomateria. You betrayed Deepground, and therefore, are a danger to Weiss's plan."

"No," Vianca argued. "I didn't. I would never. I didn't mean to betray Weiss! I got distracted! But I'll do better, I swear!"

"Your fate has been decided," the man told her. "It's time for you to return to the planet. Both of you."

Vianca was quick to create a barrier in front of her just as Azul swung at her. His fist was blocked by the crystals, but the sheer force of the blow sent the girl flying back into the wall. With a shriek of pain, her back and head slammed into the metal, and she then crumpled to the floor. The impact to her head suddenly sent words and images flashing through her mind, leaving her dizzy like she might pass out. Azul then stalked toward Shelke, but the Transparent pulled out the materia again, halting him with it.

Shalua, having regained her composure, suddenly ran to her and grabbed her hand. "Vincent! Vianca! Shelke! Let's get out of here!"

Vincent rushed over to Vianca, gently shaking her shoulder. The girl was trembling, her head and back aching, all while her eyes were squeezed shut. She was mumbling incoherently, and she didn't look capable of getting up on her own. Vincent scooped her up in his arms and ran for the blast door that Shalua was at. She hit the button to open it, and Vincent was quick to get through. Vianca was clutching onto his shirt as if her life depended on it. She looked to be in a dizzy, confused state, and he didn't really know what was happening to her, but he knew he had to get her to safety. Looking back, he saw the sisters still on the other side.

"Let go of me!" Shelke yelled, struggling to yank her hand from Shalua's.

"I don't think so. We have ten years to catch up on. I'm not gonna let this end here..."

The blast door started to shut, causing the woman to gasp. Vincent managed to loosen Vianca's grip enough to set her on the floor for the moment. He then rushed to the closing door to help. Shalua stuck her robotic arm between the doors, halting them. The male tried to pry the door open wider for them to get through, but it was too strong even for him. Shalua's palm and elbow were steadily being pushed inward, the components of her arm cracking and snapping. She groaned in pain. Her arm was like a life support for her, so if it went, she didn't know if she'd pull through.

Shelke was surprised by her sister's actions. "Why are you doing this?"

"You can still get through," Shalua said with a grunt, ignoring the question. "Go on." She abruptly shoved the younger girl through. "Shelke..." Her arm was giving way more and more, and Azul was approaching her from behind. Despite that, her lone eye met Shelke's. "I'm sorry I let you suffer...for so long. Vincent...take care of her, will you?"

Vincent was still trying to pull the doors open, using as much strength as he could muster. "Wait! Shalua!"

"Shelke..." the woman softly spoke, a tenderness in her tone. "I'm glad I was able to find you. And remember, I'll always love you."

The doors finally crushed her arm to pieces and slammed shut. Vincent hit his fists against the metal out of frustration, unable to do anything more. As if Shalua's voice resonated with her, Vianca squirmed where she sat against the wall.

"Love you..." she mumbled so softly it was barely heard.

A loud bang on the other side of the door shook them. Vincent stepped back. A strange beige liquid seeped under the door at their feet, mixed with the redness of blood. Shelke was overcome with a mix of emotions she hadn't experienced in a long time. She couldn't quite comprehend what she was feeling.

"Why did she...? Why?" She hung her head, staring at her feet. "Shalua..."

Another loud bang from Azul on the opposite side startled them. Vincent went to Vianca, swiftly picked her up and hanging her over his shoulder. He then snatched Shelke's arm, pulling her along as he ran down the corridor. He had to get the girls out of there. Fortunately, after an intense fight, Azul and the rest of Deepground retreated. Once everything had settled down, Shalua's body was recovered, and Yuffie had caught up to see the results of the attack on the headquarters.

After a quick talk with Reeve, Vincent went straight to the room where Shalua was, and where he'd left Vianca once she'd awoken. Yuffie was already there as well, sitting on a desk beside Vianca, who looked to be quite distraught clutching her pendant. All three of them turned their heads to the container Shalua's body was laying in. It wasn't the usual type of life support tank, but more of a pod to keep her preserved while she healed.

"They..." Yuffie started, breaking the silence. "They say she won't wake up. She suffered too much trauma to her head. Unless there's some kind of miracle, she's...she's not..." She slammed her fists on the desk. "Vincent! You were there! Why couldn't you save her?!"

Vincent sadly hung his head, looking down in shame. "I'm sorry."

Vianca stared down at her lap, her hands shaking as she held her pendant against her chest. "It's my fault. I could've done something. I could've saved her if I hadn't..."

Yuffie's outrage faded and she was quick to rub Vianca's back. "No... I didn't mean to... It was no one's fault, okay? I just hate that this happened."

The door suddenly opened and Shelke stepped in, her neutral gaze on her sister. "She was a fool."

Yuffie jumped to her feet in an instant and marched over to Shelke. An audible slap to her cheek forced the redhead's face to the side. "You have no right to call her that!" the ninja yelled. "You don't know...! You don't know what...!"

Vincent reached out to grip Yuffie's shoulder, halting her from lashing out any further. He lightly pulled her away from Shelke, who turned her head down toward the floor.

"Why...? Why would she do something so...?"

Vianca sat silently, not moving from her spot. Yuffie, on the other hand, was on the verge of crying. She couldn't take it anymore, running past Shelke and out of the room. It was quiet for a few moments until Vincent decided to speak up.

"Before, when I asked Shalua what she was searching for, she answered 'her reason to live'. It was you, Shelke... You were her reason to live."

"So?" the girl replied. "I don't understand...how someone could give her own life for that of another. Do you understand, Vincent Valentine?"

Vianca was listening attentively for his response. Vincent hummed and turned away, thinking of the right words. "I can't answer for your sister. But...when a person has someone they care about that much, giving their life is sometimes the least they can do. And maybe that's what makes us human."

"Someone they care about..." Shelke repeated.

Vianca mumbled to herself, "Care about... In other words...love?"

Vincent turned back around to face Shelke. "Although it seems like there are a lot of people around me who don't need a reason to risk their lives for that of another."

Shelke hesitantly reached toward Vincent, but stopped herself upon seeing some kind of memory playing in her head. It was of Lucrecia and Vincent having a picnic during one of their lunch breaks. She shook her head and stepped back, staring down at her own hands.

"Why are her data fragments...responding?" she muttered.

Vincent had no idea what she meant, but he turned his head to look over at the other girl. "Vianca, I didn't ask earlier but...you okay?"

The Diamond met his gaze, forcing a small smile. "Yes, I'm alright. Actually, when Azul made me hit my head, my memories started returning."

A silent gasp slipped from the man's lips. "Really? That's the best news we've gotten all day." He hoped his lighthearted comment would lift her spirits, but she kept her head down, her hands shaking around the pendant hanging from her neck. He went and sat on the desk beside her, slowly resting his hand on her shoulder. "If you need to talk..."

Vianca looked up at him, tears sliding down her face. "How could I ever forget him, after everything? Nestor was the one person I could trust with my well-being." She opened her hands to look at the crystal. "He promised to show me the cave he got this from. He told me he loved me. And yet...I still don't know what that means exactly. Do you know, Vincent? Is it the same as caring about someone?"

Vincent stared at her with wide eyes. "Basically. When you love someone, you care about them more than anything else. You want them to be happy and healthy, and you would do anything for them. At least, that's what I think."

"I see." Vianca rubbed her cheek, feeling the tears and finally realizing they were there. "I've never cried before. So, this is how it feels." She started sobbing softly and leaned against Vincent, resting her head on his shoulder. "There was still so much he didn't get to tell me. He told me that he'd be there when I woke up. What happened to him?"

Vincent stiffened slightly when she leaned against him like that, but he allowed her to do it. "I don't know. If the Tsviets woke you, then I have little doubt that they were responsible for his disappearance."

"That's true," Shelke chimed in, finally joining their conversation. "Dr. Hauke and all the other scientists in your lab were killed. They risked their lives to keep us away from you. And that's because you're Aegis."

Vianca picked her head up, drying her eyes a bit and sniffling. "How do you know about that?"

Shelke sighed. "Back before, when you asked me about your past, I lied when I told you I'd have to perform an SND to find anything. The Tsviets already had all your information before your awakening." Vianca gasped, her teary eyes wide.

Before the girl could question Skelke further, Reeve suddenly hurried inside. "Vincent. Those data files you recovered from Shinra Manor... Are you sure there were not any more?"

"I'm sure." The red-cloaked male could see the disappointment on his friend's face. "What's wrong?"

"Well...the Omega report... The file was incomplete. To make any sense out of it, we're going to require the other half. If possible, I wanted to know more about our foe before we launched the attack on Midgar."

"Are you speaking of Dr. Lucrecia Crescent's findings?" Shelke inquired.

"Yes. But how did you...?"

"A large quantity of her mnemonic data fragments has been uploaded into my neural network," the young girl explained. "It was my prime directive to use this data to locate and retrieve the Protomateria. Not only was the data incomplete, but part of her consciousness began interfering with my own thought processes. It was believed that the missing fragments may have been the reason for this. I can attempt to upload the WRO's files on the Omega Report. By combining it with the data I possess, you may obtain a clearer picture of what you may be up against. And perhaps I can regain control of my mind. Also, it would be wise for you all to see Dr. Nestor Hauke's files on Aegis. It could be a big turning point in the coming battle. Vianca needs to understand her true purpose."

Vianca and Vincent looked at each other in shock. They hadn't expected Shelke to be such a big help to them. It would be good for them to learn everything they could about Omega, Chaos, and Aegis.

Yuffie's voice suddenly erupted from the loudspeaker. "Vincent, Reeve! You'd better get out here! Cid's here with a whole fleet!"