Long time no see, huh? Got distracted and started cycling through my fandoms again. Also, I'm in the process of re-writing parts of Ripples in Time, that, looking back, don't quite mesh with my vision, namely, parts of Tifa's story. (In my defense, she's the only one I never really outlined, and it took me a while to pinpoint her character) That won't be changed for a while, but you'll either see another author's note or a comment on my profile page when they do occur.

I've literally had the Nibleheim section written for years, the other bits gave me trouble.

Also, Lifestream dot net did a read along of Ripples in time, which really helped with what needed to be re-written, torn between posting it as a new story or just editing the original story (downside to just editing I can't get new reviews from returning readers if that happens!)

But first, I finish this story!

Between City of the Ancients and Bone Village

"So, you going to explain anything that just happened, or am I going to have to draw my own conclusions?" Reno asked, watching Cloud roll his shoulder for the umpteenth time since they'd started walking.

"… It's complicated. You know how some people say the planet is alive?"

"Yes …" Whole reason there were now serious studies going into mako alternates.

"It is, and She's got issues with control." Cloud sighed. "Someone traveled back in time, which caused a lot of problems, and She wants it fixed."

"That does not explain the wing." Or anything for that matter. But … Shalua and Shelke were here, and something had stopped the younger girl from aging. He had way too many questions about what was happening, while Cloud … didn't seem to care or notice. The soldier wasn't hallucinating, as far as he could tell.

"That's because I'm not sure how the wing fits in." Cloud grit his teeth, and finally his shoulder gave a loud pop. "Reno, could you not report the wing to anyone? Rude if you absolutely have to, but otherwise."

"Sure thing." Reno grinned, "You'll just owe me a favor."

"Wonderful." Cloud's PHS chimed that he had a message- then kept chiming. "When we get back to the village, I need to make some calls."

Nibelheim Reactor, Mt. Nibel

"I don't believe this." Tifa snarled, looking at the guards around the reactor. "The deployment should have gone home once they finished disposing of the Makonoids!" Yuffie and Deneh shared a look before Yuffie piped up.

"You're really surprised by this?" Yuffie sank back at the look Tifa shot her. "So, do we do the 'sneak in and cause holy havoc' plan, or just start with the holy havoc?"

"While sneaking in would be more practical, I think Tifa's reached her limit." Deneh tilted her head. Limit breaks were odd phenomena, even for the scholars of Cosmo Canyon. Some could be reached by having a special materia, others from just attuning to a tiered materia, and a few from specially made weapons that most likely had mako in their forging. But every once in a while, someone would come along, and be able to reach a limit break without attuning to a particular materia. Tifa, Deneh had discovered, was one such person, and while her limit breaks were not the most spectacular or even the most powerful, they apparently came from the planet.

"Go for it, then." Yuffie grinned, and Tifa didn't ask twice, lunging forward in a blur that soon had half of the low level guards on the ground.

"The creature got loose!" One shouted, pointing at Deneh, before realizing that the Reactor doors were behind him and Deneh was charging from the front. His confusion didn't last long, Deneh, mindful of the groups desire to not add to their body count, cast sleep, and his falling backwards opened the doors.

"Nanaki's here!" Yuffie had heard the man's shout, and grinned as her shuriken returned back to her hand. The grin faded as reinforcements arrived, a group of makonoids, with what looked to be pieces of a computer shoved into them, and robot 'Soldiers'. "What the hell, ShinRa shouldn't be able to make those!"

The largest one just about tore the doors off their hinges as it scrapped the sides of the doorway.

"Damnit, they've gone into lockdown!" Tifa slipped on her (finally made) Powersoul gloves. Yuffie and Deneh quickly joined her looking at the group of foes.

"Yuffie, Deneh and I will distract them, you sneak inside!" Tifa ordered, and then charged, her limit break devastating one of the robotic soldiers and damaging the second.

The large one responded by using what had to be the largest cannon it could possibly carry and blasting Tifa off her feet. After that, the battle became a frenzy. Eventually, Deneh was also blasted off her feet by the cannon, and found herself staring up at the sky as a dragon dove down, and a familiar figure launched himself at the large one, lance flashing as Cid struck, scoring a critical hit.

Another limit break that bore further study, Deneh blinked, not able to recall if that was a materia or something unique to Cid. She quickly scrambled to her feet to back up Tifa.

Barrett's Missing Score finished it off, and without much further ado, the group rushed into the reactor.

It had been heavily remodeled on the inside, gone were the mako pods, instead there were familiar specimen tubes, most of which were empty. The scientists and handful of guards were unconscious and/or bleeding on the floor thanks to Yuffie, but the ninja was no where to be seen.

"Let's go." Tifa led the way to where Jenova had previously been housed. Extensive remodeling had also occurred in here, and an enclosed lab with the door partially open immediately attracted their attention.

"Nanaki, wake up, c'mon, wake up." Yuffie was struggling to wake up the large leonide, ignoring the makonid scratching at its tube. "Guys he's not waking up!" She was close to tears.

"!ing Damnit all!" Cid knelt down, tracing a familiar black Tattoo. "What the hell did they do?!" Barrett jumped as the makonoid slammed into the side of its tube, howling.

"Look out!" Tifa blocked the attack from a dark furred creature with robotic implants. "What is that?!" The creature backed off looking like a dark copy of Nanaki, even the fire on its tail was a purple color.

"Indigo XIV." Nanaki informed them, startling them as they hadn't realized he'd woken up, he didn't get up, which was alarming. "They were trying to clone me, I suppose to lead them to the promised land or some such nonsense. They used bits of the makonoid over there as well."

"You weren't missing that long!" Yuffie objected.

"We're not here to hurt you!" Tifa called out, trying to get Indigo XIV's attention. "There's no need for us to fight!"

"Since when has that ever fucking worked?" Cid demanded, and Indigo XIV snarled, slipping back into shadows so they could just barely see the outline as it stalked them.

Once again, the Makonid howled just before Indigo XIV lunged out of the shadow's towards Yuffie. Cid barely managed to ward it off with a swipe of his lance. Deneh snarled and cast Bolt, but Indigo XIV slipped back into the shadows.

"Once." Tifa said suddenly, surprising them.

"What?"

"It worked once." Tifa looked at Cid. "Besides, it makes me feel better about myself."

"… I can't tell if you're pulling my damn leg or not." Cid then noticed Yuffie fiddling with the makonoid's cell controls. "What the hell are you doing?"

"It's helping us, it warns us everytime Indigo is about to attack-" The makonoid howled and lunged through the partially open door, slamming into Indigo who was once again trying to attack Yuffie. "See?"

Indigo landed a hit that sent the makonoid skidding back, knocking into Barret and sending them both to the ground. A hiss of static, and they all heard a tinny voice.

"Retreat, Indigo XIV, now."

Indigo growled, but obeyed, disappearing into the shadows.

RRRrrr. The makonoid rumbled, but didn't move to attack them.

"So, can we keep him?" Yuffie grinned.

"I don't fucking believe this." Cid grumbled, pulling out his phone to make a call.

Docks, Costa Del Sol

"Hey, I never took any kids!" The Ship's captain was disgusted by the thought. "I was hired to ship several Crates to Goblyn Island, some new ShinRa lab or something, there weren't any kids in those crates!"

"Are you sure about that? Did you inspect them all?" Legend asked, Johnny shifting in place behind him, looking at the crates surrounding them.

"I searched them at random!"

"Did any have 'Live Animals' written on them?" Johnny suddenly asked, seeing a shipping crate containing a Chocobo.

"Some Monsters and Chocobos, I didn't open those- oh, hell, you think they smuggled children like that?!"

"We need those shipment lists, now!" Legend glared at him.

The Captain nodded, barking orders to his XO to find the Quartermaster.

"Nice thinking partner." Legend looked at Johnny, who gave a weak smile in return. "We'll make something of you yet."

"Thanks." Johnny managed.

"Now you better take a stroll around the docks, don't do anything, just watch people's reactions." Legend gave him a gentle push, "Oh, and you migt want to call Mrs. Strife, tell her about Goblyn Island." He added, before moving back to pay attention to the Captain.

Fort Condor

"And that's all we know for now." Vincent finished, staring at the nesting bird. "Why did you drop out of contact?"

"Remember how Shalua and Shelke aren't quite right?" Cloud asked.

"Considering I missed it even knowing their ages, yes?" Vincent had been more focused on his part of the plan, and the two had not factored heavily into it.

"Stopped to check on them and Nero. Minerva's meddling. We need to find and kill the time traveler that messed everything up for us the last time." Cloud reported. "But what happens after …"

"Either the timeline resets and we return to the future we left, or we lose our memories and it will be as if we actually were our cover story." As far as Vincent could tell, those were the more likely options. Though given how long they had been in this alternate timeline and still remembered the previous one, neither was actually likely.

"…" Cloud didn't speak for a moment. Vincent thought he heard Reno yelling at someone in the background.

"Cloud? What's wrong?"

"I … I have a wing." Cloud admitted softly. "I definitely didn't have it the last go round. Nero thought it might be because of him."

Vincent was stunned. "What sort of wing?" He asked, before the silence went too long.

"not the featered kind. There's more, but I think that will have to wait." Cloud sighed. "We're heading to Goblyn Island. You get the message from Mom?"

"Yes, Genesis is wrangling transportation now." Vincent looked over to where Genesis was yelling at a poor trooper. Next to him, Aerith was trying to play good cop to the poor trooper, while Zack and Rude were on their phones. "Also of interest, Kunsel woke up."

"What's the story?"

"Don't know, he's a little disoriented apparently, he tried to get out of bed muttering about 'Meteor'."

"Like Dyne?" Cloud's voice was soft as he asked.

"Think so, he was sedated before he hurt himself." Valentine sighed. "This is … getting to be concerning."

"We'll figure it out. We usually do." There was a shift on the other end of the phone. "Reno's got the helicopter up, we're going to Goblyn Island, meet you there."

"Be careful, We don't know what's happened to Hewely … we may have to put him down, like he was before."

"I'd rather not go through Genesis and Zack as well as Sephiroth if that happened."

"Fair enough. See you soon." Vincent hung up and watched as the trooper went scurrying off while Aerith glared at Genesis with her hands on her hips.

"We're all worried about Angeal, you do not have a monopoly on worrying for him!" She scolded.

"Cloud's back in contact, they're enroute to the island as we speak." Vincent announced, cutting off whatever reply (and spell, judging by the glow at Genesis' wrist) the Crimson Commander was about to give her.

"He's alright then?"

"…" Vincent decided against telling them about the wing for now. "He's been better, sounded like trouble with the helicopter." He answered, then looked over at where Rude had just hung up..

"There's a lot of that going around." Genesis glared at the trooper nearby.

Rude made his way over. "Well, Kunsel's out for another twenty four hours. They're going to keep watching him.

"Sephiroth's on his way with a helicopter." Zack announced as he hung and joined them. "Should be an hour or two."

"Wonderful." Genesis scowled. "Apparently we have to move out so we don't disturb the ridiculous birds." He stormed off, hopefully to go take his ire out on the first available monster that appeared in his sights. Aerith dragged Zack off somewhere, none of the trio noticing that Vincent had frozen in place.

"Something wrong?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but the condors … aren't supposed to be here, am I right?" The fort had only been there to protect the birds, if he remembered from the future.

"You know, I'm not sure." Rude frowned. "The reactor was here for a while, as was the fort, but I don't think it had a name until the birds arrived. Either that or t's a nesting site that they return to every year … I can't remember, I'll ask Reeve."

Vincent gave a slight nod, and headed after Genesis and the rest of their group.

Sorta short, but it's a transition chapter, fingers crossed I get the rest of this before the decade's out!