Chapter 1

The dull florescent cast a dim, yellow tinted light throughout the tiny apartment located on the Sector 7 plate of Midgar. Due to the city being locked in an eternal night, do to Gaia only knew what cause, the dim light was a necessity, and being fresh out of the Academy and low dog on the totem poll in her new position, the owner could hardly afford larger accommodations.

Still, the dreary surroundings, try as they might, could not lessen the young woman's spirits as she pranced around her small kitchen. Clad only in her buttoned white shirt and white panties, she desperately clung to her spatula, the handle an inch from her embellished lips.

"So it's gonna be forever, or it's gonna go down in flames!" She belted out, singing along with the cheap radio on the counter. "You can tell me when it's over, if the high was worth the pain!"

The heavy bang from the wall shattered her moment however, followed by the bellowing of her neighbor. "Keep it down in there!'

Elena quickly reached over and shut the radio off. "Sorry Mr Jensen!" She called through the wall before turning her attention back towards the pan of eggs cooking on the stove. That's when it caught her eye, that glow. Horror struck her very core, she felt her heart sink, yet at the same time quicken it's pace. Her muscles seized, her mind races, and the world outside went up in flames as an explosions hundreds of times stronger than nuclear warheads went off.

"I'm late!" She screamed. She quickly flung the spatula into the sing, and threw off the burner. She'd have to throw out her would be breakfast when she got home. Bolting to her door with urgency, she flung it open and felt the cool breeze connect to her bare legs. "Pants." She breathed, panicked. She rushed back to her couch, and snagged the pants off the back of it where they lay. Throwing them on as quickly as possible, she ran back to the door, grabbing her shoes and jacket as she passed by them.

Now madly dashing through the streets of Midgar, she cringed as her bare feet made contact with the harsh, unforgiving metal. She had five minutes to make it ten blocks, or else she would miss her train to Sector 0 and officially be late for her first real day as a Turk at the Shinra Corporation. Leaping to the left, she barely missed being run over by a car, before madly dashing through the busy street in an effort to save time.

"Hey, watch it!" A red headed man called out angrily as she knocked his cup of coffee from his hand and to the street.

"Sorry!" She called out without looking back. Any other day, she would have reimbursed the man for her blunder, but today, today she was late, and that just wouldn't cut it.

Her short, blond hair thrashing wildly has ran at top speed through the street, she finally reached the outside of the station just as she heard the words "Sector 0 train doors closing"

"Not today!" She commanded, even going so far as to shock herself by picking up the pace. Barreling through the crowded platform, she made a running leap for the closing doors of the train. If she had been a pound heavier, she would have gotten squashed by the door, but fortunately for Elena, she sailed straight through.

Bouncing roughly off the floor, she felt her head crack against the solid metal floor. "Ow!" She cried, furiously rubbing it to try to stop the pain. Suddenly, she realized where she was. "I made it!" She yelled out, jumping to her feet and throwing her right hand in the air, still clutching her shoes.

"Keep it down!" A red headed man called from further up the car.

"Sorry." She called back, lowering her hand. Still, she couldn't help but feel proud of herself. Walking over to the bench, she sat down and quickly began to put on her shoes, followed by her jacket. Finally, fifteen minutes after boarding the train, it came to a stop at the Sector 0 station. The doors slid open, and Elena departed, walking briskly and with purpose as she left the station and started heading for the massive tower in the center of the district, the tallest in the city.

As she approached the entrance, she stopped to admire her reflection in the door. Making sure that not a single strand of hair was out of place, she reached for the door handle and froze. Something wasn't right, but what was it. Looking back at her reflection, she stared. Hair, perfect, suit, pressed and clean, tie... tie! She couldn't believe it, in her rush to get out the door and catch the train, she completely forgot her tie. What could she do. Here she was, about to attend her first day as a Turk, and she didn't even have the right uniform. She was doomed to fail, forever ostracized, blacklisted, shunned for all eternity.

Still, there was nothing to do. She would just have to step forward, and face her fate. Hopefully, they would show her mercy. Swallowing her pride, Elena grabbed the handle, closed her eyes tightly, and stepped inside.

"Good morning and welcome to Shinra Headquarters, what can I do for you today?" The secretary asked her as Elena entered.

"Hello, my name is Elena, I'm here to meet with Tseng." She responded.

"Ah, yes. Take the elevator to the seventy first floor, and you'll need this security card." The secretary said, handing Elena a key card. "That will also act as your Shinra I.D. So please take care not to misplace it."

"Yes, thank you" Elena responded, taking the key card and moving towards the Elevator.

Hitting the button that read Seventy one, she felt the lift shoot upward. Turning to gaze out at Midgar, she felt her breath catch. Having been born and raised in the slums, she hadn't lived on the plate very long. It was her sister, Emma, who had helped her rise from the slums and get out of her dead end life working at the Wall Market. Still, no time on the plate could have prepared her for the view of the city from the Shinra Headquarters. Millions of lights, glowing in the eternal night of Midgar. Absolutely stunning.

The Elevator came to a stop, and the doors opened behind her. She turned and stepped off the lift, walking out onto the floor. She looked around the massive floor for a moment, before spotting a door with marked "The Turks" on the other side of the room. Crossing the floor, she neared the door and stopped. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself. This was it, the moment shes had long been awaiting. She slid her I.D. Through the card reader, there was a soft click, and she grabbed the handle. Pushing open the door, she was completely unprepared for the sight the met her.