Chapter 46. There and Back again

Sephiroth's POV

There was a consistent force throwing me towards the wall. My back hurt, my head was dizzy and I tried to open my eyes wide and see past the blackness.

I took my time regaining vision, as I breathed for air. Cough and more cough followed and I tried to move, turn and… get up.

I didn't know what had happened. One moment I was talking to Tseng, the other… an explosion had projected us against the elevator doors by the end of the hall.

I felt a moist wetness in my mouth, and in my scalp, guessing it must be blood. My eyes tried to focus as I took in the disgrace that had landed upon us.

The floor had been blown up to pieces, literally. I walked over the wreckages and wondered… if someone might be alive in here. There was only dust, fire and blood scattered all over the place.

"Tseng!" I yelled, as my eyes seemed to grasp a bulge somewhere. I ran towards it, taking everything from the way, when a muffled sound came out of there. "Hold on!"

After some consistent effort, Tseng's form came to view, as he tried to move. He was badly injured and I only hoped he might live after this.

"I can't move my legs." He said, with an obvious frown of pain. I eyed the man, bloodied all over.

"Stay still, the paramedics must be here anytime." I declared, feeling a little off myself. I looked around, amazed at the destruction around me. Wind blew, and the clouds seemed to gather right on the top of us, highest floor up, completely exposed to the sky now.

Feeling a little more at ease, knowing Tseng was alive, I got up and walked towards the area the President's office was. And I quote, was.

There was nothing but concrete there.

The President was dead.

Medina's POV

"What the Hell was that?" I verbalized, as I turned from the counter where I was working with my newest assistant. The poor girl couldn't have a more petrified stare on her face and I rushed to take the gloves off and the disinfected paraphernalia, and half-ran to the office window to see what I could see.

The vision standing right across the next building rendered me speechless. The top floor of Shinra HQ had been completely destroyed and there was nothing left there but ash and…. Red.

I could see it from where I stood.

"Oh, shit." I whispered, and grabbed my coat. I had to see what had happened there, if everybody was okay.

-/-

When I got to there SOLDIER and Turks had the place invaded. They all looked like busy ants, running around and transporting… body bags.

"Good God…" I whispered, and tried to enquire someone about what had happened. Most of them didn't pay attention to me, but thankfully I spotted a red-head I knew too well. Reno would help me.

"Hey, Reno."

Blue eyes turned to me.

"Yo Doc."

I ran towards the Turk, who stood next to the elevator.

"What happened?" I asked, and the Turk didn't answer at once.

"Open attempt. There's been some casualties."

I blinked at him, wondering on what that might mean.

"Wha-"

The elevator door opened, showing Tseng in a gurney, obviously badly wounded, as the paramedics transported him. My instinct screamed and my heartbeat peaked at the desolating sight. I gulped dry as I turned to Reno again.

"Who's up there?"

"The General."

I widened my eyes at him, considering the odds. No, it couldn't be.

"Alive?"

"And angry. The President was killed."

And with that I felt the world sunk around me. What?

"The President?" I quoted, still not believing it. "Dead? Are you sure?"

"Yes I am quite certain of that, although there is nothing left of the man to prove it."

The General's form came to view, and I had some difficulty to process his words, because his looks were horrendous. There was blood all over him and some cuts here and there. The man's hair was a mix of dust, red and silver, and his pupils were in alert mode. He held his sword tight on his left hand, drops of blood falling to the ground, as the man stared at us with the most revolted frown on the Planet.

"You're bleeding." I said, a little out of words to say.

"It's nothing." He mumbled, turning to leave. My eyes returned to Reno once more, who got that told-ya look on his face.

"Maybe you should warn Stevens."

I blinked at Reno, realizing the double meaning of his words.

"An early attempt on the President's life is reason enough to call her in, don't you think?"

I gulped dry at his words. There had been 2 days since Stevens left and now… this? Should I call her in?

I had my reservations about that, considering the reason she had left for, but… Reno was right about the early attempt. Only she could provide us with something to help us out. Right?

Right.

"I'll see what I can do."

Elie's POV

A loud, noisy thump on the wall provided some gratification, and I smiled as I grunted.

I aimed and got some balance, so that the huge hammer would hit the wall again, with dull, effective hits.

Man, I wanted this wall destroyed so badly!

It was eleven p.m in the morning, week day. I was making one hell of a noise but I didn't care. I had my job, my old life back - sort of, and what better than to sharpen the mood but an apartment make-over?

Zack's funeral had taken some of my savings but I still had enough to remodel my place. I had been talking with someone Larry knew and they'd made some great price to do the changes I wanted. I couldn't wait to shift the kitchen area, destroy that awful and depressing room where Zack had been. I would widen the kitchen area, built some kind of island and color the walls. I didn't care it looked childish or cheesy - I just needed change in my life now.

And with all this my savings for going to University were spent. I had nothing to start from now and would have to work my ass off to save a consistent amount again, and well, consider my future.

I stopped with the non-sense wall hammering, realizing I had only a small part of it destroyed. Thankfully the day was shiny and bright and-

The door bell interrupted my thinking and I half-turned, considering if I should open it or not. Maybe it was some nosy neighbor, asking if I was okay, that a loud noise had been heard. I sighed at the thought, and the bell rang again, three times. This time it sounded urgent.

"Who is it?" I asked, my tone flat.

"John."

Joy invaded me, and I opened the door, not bothering I was using my homey sweat-shirt and my gymnastic pants. John wore his usual attire, suit pants, shirt with tie and a coat, very elegant. His eyes flashed as they met mine, and I couldn't hide the happiness I felt over seeing him alive and kicking.

"John! Good God!" I threw myself to his neck, my heart hammering like crazy inside my chest. God, I missed him so much and it had passed what, two days? Two miserable days, and here I was behaving like I didn't see him in years!

"Hey, Elie." He smiled, and I urged him to get inside.

"You made it." I said, smiling back at him. "Was it very hard to find my apartment?"

He made a face.

"No. It was easy." A soft smile decorated his face but there was something else there. Worry?

"Sit for a while." I said, walking towards the fireplace. "I'm getting the fireplace on, it will get more cozy-"

"Elie." John interrupted me, standing by the hall, and in that moment I knew something was going on. I kept staring at him as he seemed to be gathering strength to say something. "Something happened, I… It's difficult to explain it, I-"

"John." I said, and walked towards him again. Okay now he had my full attention. "What happened?"

My pulse was hard inside my head and I couldn't imagine what he was about to say. Inevitably, my immediate thought was that something bad had happened to Sephiroth but I didn't dare to verbalize it. It ashamed me, really.

"There was an attempt on Shinra HQ. The top floor was destroyed and…" I almost stopped breathing when John paused. "…The President died. It's official now."

My mouth fell open, inevitably.

"Is there… everyone else okay, I mean did someone else die?"

I gulped dry, my heart thundering inside my chest as I waited for John to answer me.

"People at the floor next to the President's office died as well… Tseng got hurt pretty bad, he's at the Hospital but stable. Thankfully."

I didn't say a word, but my face must have been pretty transparent. The panic I felt inside was insane.

"The General is alive as well. He got some minor injuries, but… he's okay. As far as I could tell."

I blinked at John, feeling terribly. Why did I feel like this? As if I was guilty of something? I hadn't done a thing, I was here!

Exactly. I was here, oblivious to what might possibly be happening in their world. Silence surrounded us for a while before I had strength to say something.

"Why are you here telling me these things?"

As if I didn't know the answer. I knew what John wanted. My return.

"I'd like you to take a look."

His tone wasn't as firm as I would like it to be.

"What for, John? Why would you need my opinion on something like that?"

John sighed and shook his head at me. He looked disappointed.

"Elie, are you listening to yourself?" John's face was a mirror of his angst. "You know your… ability you, more than anybody, know about who might be behind this. How can you undermine yourself like that?"

I gulped dry at this words. He was kind of right actually. I always had that feeling I was completely useless around them.

"I am growing tired of him constantly throwing your self-esteem down. In every possible aspect."

I made a face, even opened my mouth to say that he wasn't right about that but he didn't let me.

"Don't you dare to say I'm wrong."

I turned, feeling a little off. Hesitation overwhelmed me, since going back in such short notice wasn't part of my plans.

"I have my life here, John. I can't be gone long."

John's face of disapproval was obvious and disturbing.

"Well that's debatable." He declared, and I didn't miss the subtle irony in his words. "You had a perfectly normal life right there as well."

I bit the inside of my lip, not liking the fact he was actually very right about that. But, then again, I had made my choice, circumstances had changed.

"So… what do you want me to do once I get there?" I asked, wondering about how it would be, how it would feel to get back there. "I'm not a war expert, the General is."

John took a deep breath.

"You know, I really hate that he has such an effect on you. It's so… obvious." I blushed at his words. "But, since there's nothing to do about it, at least could you just check it out and tell me your opinion?" There was a slight pause. "You are the one that knows it all about our world, Elie."

I took my time considering his words.

"Please."

And, confronted with John's insistence, and also because he was the one asking me to go, with such vehemence… I actually decided it would do no harm to take a look. But just that, take a God damned look and just… be gone. Get back home and do not fall in temptation.

"Fine." I said, as I prepared to grab my coat. "But I'll have to be back by night time. I have to work tomorrow early."

John smiled openly, visibly happy.

"That's my girl."

I smiled as well, shaking my head at him, realizing I had to be crazy to do what I was about to do.

-/-

The weather was as aggressive as the mood in Midgar.

The ride had been eventless until we reached the Science Division, where John parked and we exited the car. I could see the damage on the other building ahead, and it actually made my heart ache. There was black and dirt on the air, helicopters around the area, heavily guarded with both SOLDIER and Turks.

I turned to see the trajectory of the thing that had hit the floor. The city canon exhaled some smoke, and it didn't surprise me it had been the source of the beam that had destroyed said area.

Something inside told me the responsible for this knew what they were doing. It had been a very precise hit for an accident or a casual malfunction.

"This way." John said, tilting his head towards Shinra HQ. I walked alongside him, my hair a mess of all the wind blowing. No one seemed to notice us walking towards the HQ, John leading the way.

There were yellow tapes by the elevators, with a clear 'no trespassing' message. I slowed my pace, a little frightful about what we were about to do.

"It's fine, let's go."

John's words calmed me a bit and we entered the elevator nonetheless. Eventually I dared to ask John if it was okay to use the elevators and John told me they were working just fine.

We exited a couple of floors below and went up using the stairs.

And the moment the access door opened, my eyes were rewarded with the most depressing view ever. I took my time looking at the scene, without moving. The wind blew, walls were destroyed, and there was red spraying the walls. Concrete, pieces of the structure that once made up the building were scattered along he area, reducing it to a tiny sample of Hell.

"Shit, this was really bad."

The words had left my mouth and I dared to walk a little, headed towards the area where the President's office had been. There was nothing there, and even the floor was destroyed, making way into the lower floor. It was a fact this held little doubt about who might have been responsible for such atrocity.

"This has AVALANCHE imprinted all over."

I had said it out loud, knowing John was nearby.

"You think?"

I nodded, and walked towards him, the sight from the open area giving me the creeps.

"You'll see. Rufus will show up when the dust settles."

"To do what?"

John blinked at me, amazed. He actually wasn't getting the whole picture, wasn't he?

"To claim his father's place." I said, as we slowly walked toward the elevator side, which remained slightly covered. "What, did you think he would let this empire be ruled by someone else but him?"

John didn't say a word, he just listened to me.

"No way. Rufus's very dominating. He wants it all for himself."

There was silence for a moment, and sooner than later I realized there was nothing much to see in this floor anymore. There were just rocks and chunks of concrete, with little or nothing to add to my theory.

The more I looked around, the more I realized this whole attempt had been Rufus's idea of getting rid of his father.

"I'd like to visit Tseng-"

Words had not left my mouth and the metallic sound of the access door opened in a sudden move.

John and I turned to see who it was, and I took my time processing it was actually him that stood in the middle of that hallway. Sephiroth.

I felt a pang in my heart as my brain came to terms with the fact that the General was there, walking lazily towards us with the most neutral expression on his face. Only a couple of seconds were needed for me to grasp he wasn't staring at me. Sephiroth's eyes were focused in John's, and the despise he projected on me was terrible. Hurtful.

And in the middle of all those painful feelings, I still had strength to notice he had injures on his face, I still had time to wonder and to even consider I should ask him if he was okay… but his words eventually killed my will in an instant.

"And I'd like very much for someone to explain me how a civilian managed to get inside a classified area."

Bitter words made me open my mouth to say something in my defense but John didn't let me. He was the one talking.

"I brought her here."

"Under whose permission?"

"I don't need anyone's permission to bring our informant here."

"She's not our informant anymore."

I widened my stare at them, Sephiroth's scorn hitting me like a rock. It was really impressive - really, how he could be such an asshole when he wanted to.

"She lost that status when she left. So legally, Stevens is trespassing."

John was pale.

"You have got to be kidding me."

Despair took a hold on me and I decided to intervene. I had to stop with this nonsense right fucking now.

"You know, I actually agree with the General."

The reaction was quite gratifying. They both turned their faces, their eyes on mine, and I didn't give Sephiroth the pleasure of seeing the hurt directly into my stare. I was focused in John's instead, playing the same game Sephiroth had been playing with me since he got here.

"I'm not doing anything specific here, so I'd better leave anyway." I declared, and passed by them, walking towards the access door. "John, if you please."

"Elie-"

"Please, John, would you escort me home? I have much better things to do but to listen to rubbish."

I didn't resist. Before I knew it the words had left my mouth, and it had felt relieving as hell. And the General didn't hide his opinion as well.

"Watch it, Stevens."

I turned completely, an ironic smile bathing my complexion.

"Or what?" There was silence for seconds, and I continued. "You know, contrarily to what you consider assumed, your attempt on being aggressive and frightning over me is actually pathetic. But, then again, you're the all mighty General, who excels at everything but the basics in life. Congrats on that."

My heart was pounding, my head hurt and I was at the verge of tears, but thankfully rage didn't let me put it out right now. I felt powerful, with the right of saying whatever I wanted to. So I turned to leave - only to be stopped by a hand grasping my left arm. The reaction was immediate, because I recognized his touch. I released myself at once and snarled my heart out at him.

"Don't you fucking touch me or I won't answer for myself."

There was no response this time and I, confronted with the awkwardness of the situation, opened the door and spoke as I took the stairs down.

"Let's go, John, let's not waist our precious time."

I blinked towards the darkness, lost in the maze of the stairwell, stopping when John signaled me in which door we should exit.

A crushing silence built in between us as the elevator doors opened and we got inside. I rested against a metallic door, tears falling unwillingly. The hurt was almost unbearable, but thankfully it subsided - slowly, as the tears fell. I took a deep breath and prayed for strength. I know I would need it. A lot, namely when I got home and would have to face an empty apartment and the terrible emotions that were always there, punishing me.

"Elie…"

John's voice took me out of my concentration.

"Don't say a word, please."

I had asked him for silence. This was too much to bear and I wasn't ready to talk about this to anybody. Right now, it would shred me to pieces if I did.

"I'm sorry."

I believed John's words with all my heart. And there was little I could do as well, but to be humongously sorry about all this crap.

"It's okay, just let us leave here."

The ride back to the PORTAL was silent and uncomfortable. John drove, didn't say a word but I knew he saw me as I silently cried, my stare lost in the landscape far ahead.

Security greeted me once more, asking me if I would return soon. I had to be very honest on that.

"Not likely."

Travel along the PORTAL with John proved to be distracting, and once we reached the abandoned room of the Industrial Area, I saw John stop. I felt his stare in my back, drilling a hole. The man was worried and he didn't need to say it for me to know he cared.

"Will you be okay?"

Always friendly, I concluded. But in my case the answer was quite obvious. No.

"I will."

My tone was weak, and he sensed my lie. Obviously.

"I'll visit you. I promise you." He said, approaching me.

"Thanks."

John eyed me with the longing of someone lost of what to do. He seemed undecided, worried, as if considering what to do… or say.

"Elie…"

"Yeah?"

"That door, did you unseal it, used any materia?"

I looked at where he was staring at, and welcomed that distraction, as I recalled the moment I had returned, two days ago.

"No, it was already open."

"Oh."

My eyes met his again and what I saw there worried me for moments. John was pensive.

"Why?"

"I'll check on that later, I had the idea it had been sealed but I'd have to confirm it."

I blinked at him, feeling exhausted. This whole travel and the disastrous meeting with Sephiroth had slurped all my vitality away.

"Thanks, anyway."

"You're welcome."

The impending goodbye sounded strange, as our voices echoed in the room, clearly devoid of anything but us. That bitter feeling of leaving a friend behind made my chest hurt, but John knew better. He just smiled and urged me to approach him.

"Give me a hug."

I didn't say a word, but allowed myself to be held by him. It felt different, an opposite feeling of the hugs with him. John's touch was the caring kind, with Sephiroth the touch of his hands on me was a total different matter.

"Bye."

I said, as we separated. John's eyes met mine and he took some steps back.

"Bye."

And in front of my eyes, I saw him disappear inside that orb.

Sephiroth's POV

I froze in the middle of that hall, only the breeze and the clouds above making me company.

I didn't know what had gotten into me to say the things I did. Thing was, the moment I saw Stevens getting out of John's car, something inside me flared. It was a mix of joy and anger, for seeing her… with him, talking so casually, dressed up in such strange manner. Her hair was up, arranged in some strange ponytail and her face… her eyes didn't shine the same way. Only Mako did, and I wondered if Stevens was sad.

Two days had gone by since she had left, felt like two months and now, that I had the chance of seeing her and eventually say something to appease what had happened between us… I had been so… incorrect.

Rage blinded me, ruled my mouth and made me say words that I shouldn't, if I gave it a proper thought. But those were out, and the reaction couldn't be nice, as expected. Which was understandable.

I sighed, as I dared to leave the place, recalling how harsh she had been with me when I touched her arm. I didn't know why I did that or with what purpose, but whatever would exit my mouth didn't… because Stevens' snarl didn't let me.

'Don't you fucking touch me or I won't answer for myself.'

Her words echoed in my mind as I took the stairs, all the way down to the lobby. Those actually made my chest compress, as if something or someone was squeezing my insides.

Maybe I had exaggerated then. I was so used to say and do whatever I wanted without measuring consequences… but now it was different. I cared about the consequences; I didn't want this to get any worse than this.

I wanted Stevens back and I had no idea on how to do it. That was the blunt truth.

"You should have told me you were injured, boy."

I stopped as I heard his voice, the tone bringing unpleasant memories of my childhood to mind.

"I'm fine." I whispered, as I restarted my walking, wanting nothing but to go home now. Strangely, I had the feeling I needed to rest.

"You suffered a high-impact experience, you'll need at least 24 hours in the lab for a proper check-up." Hojo declared, and I sensed him closer to me now. "Some Mako infusions would leave you as good as new."

I stopped again, considering Hojo's words. Maybe he was right, considering I actually felt tired and bled out a little since this morning. And I could use the Mako to regain some strength.

I turned completely to face the man, who stood with his hands on his back, only changing his stance to arrange the glasses on his face.

"You seem spent." He barked, and guilt overwhelmed me a little. I hated that I was so transparent to Hojo - him of all persons. How could he know that only from staring at me?

"I'll be headed to the Lab as soon as I work out some things on hold." I eventually said, not minding in justifying myself any further.

Hojo knew more about me than the acceptable and I hadn't forgotten he had been playing around with Stevens' life, most likely just for the fun of it. It was no news he enjoyed provoking me.

I walked towards my apartment, the wind refreshing my mind. Lunch time was long gone and I wasn't even hungry. All I wanted was to sit for a while, be in silence for moments.

Once I got home my eyes landed immediately on the note Stevens had left me, that paper folded in three with the car keys holding it still.

I paused for an instant, realizing I was actually anxious to read what was there. My fingers grasped the paper and I slowly unfolded it.

Stevens' handwriting was feminine and firm, and the words she had left me actually made my chest hurt.

Enjoy your second chance at life.

I closed my eyes and folded the paper again, put it inside a drawer I had right there in that piece of furniture by the hall.

Second chance, ha? I snorted at how strange it sounded. What disturbed me the most was realizing there wouldn't be second chance if she hadn't change it all, if she hadn't done all the things she did for me.

Only with the goal of me having that second chance.

And it didn't take me much to realize that my second chance wouldn't be whole… because she wasn't here to be part of it.

She was now part of that new life she wanted so bad to give me… and now she had left. Worst, I had made her leave.

What an idiot.

I gulped dry and took some time sitting by the couch, as reality sunk in on me.

Cloud's POV.

Being a 1st Class SOLDIER had always been my priority.

Thanks to my personal effort and the trust of the General I had finally made it. the thought made me smile at myself and I wondered what would my friends and family say when they heard the news. Would they be proud? Would they congratulate me?

In the middle of my personal achievement there was only one thing missing. The approval I'd never got, of my best friend, now dead.

Zack Fair.

I'd never felt satisfied with the explanations everyone provided to me concerning Zack's death. It all felt so strange and… false. How could a man like Zack betray the company and do the things they claimed he did?

I couldn't believe it. I refused to believe it, it was all a tremendous lie, made up to conjure against a serious man, an honorable man who would never betray their own.

As a 1st Class the General had informed me personally with classified information on the Zack Fair death case. The first thing he told me was that I wasn't supposed to investigate something that was already fully investigated - Fair had snapped that day at Nibelheim and he had been responsible for all the killings, ending up being killed in action.

I could buy that, I really could, but there was something in that story that didn't sound right. Why was that woman - Stevens - involved? And why has she looked and sounded so compromised when I asked her personally about it? Her face and her hesitation that day at the Training Room was proof enough things weren't so linear as the company wanted me to believe. My suspicions were fully confirmed when the General harshly interrupted us, demanding my leave at once.

From that day on I decided I would investigate on my own, secretively. No one would have to know about it and I would avenge my friend, pay tribute to his memory.

He was a war hero, not some wacko ruined by power.

Weeks and weeks of hard work had finally paid off when Veld secretly arranged me Stevens's files, and sooner than later I realized her 'informant' capacities lied in something more extravagant than that. No wonder she knew all about me and what I wanted in life.

Heck, she might even know I secretly liked Aerith… most likely, she did. So when I discovered there was a gateway to her world, I had to find out a way to get there.

I made a deal with one of those guys responsible for security by the PORTAL building. He would grant me safe passage during night time so that I could find out what on the Planet were Stevens and the General hiding in her world.

A consistent amount of Gil granted me safe and anonymous passage for a couple of times I went there. The first time, I had found a physical barrier, and I unsealed the door of the area, exploring the neighborhood quite nicely. It had been easy to sense Zack was stuck somewhere there, since Mako was very unique. Besides him, I was the one contaminated with Mako in this place.

However, it was only in my second trip there that I realized where Zack was and I planned to go for him soon, only to be firmly convinced not to.

The guard had called me, advising me to delay any attempt of crossing the gateway for the coming weeks. Confronted with such request I eventually asked him why and he told me the in and out movement across the portal was quite active and that I should give some time for it to calm down, considering I was no official traveler.

I ended up agreeing with the man, realizing I didn't want to put myself in trouble as it was. I was a 1st Class now and had my reputation to keep, so I had to be wise as to protect my physical and intellectual integrity.

All I cared about was being loyal to Zack and to honor his memory. And I eventually would bring him home.

That was where he belonged.

A/N - And that's all for now people. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, there were some surprises here I'm sure but it's not easy to make the subplots coalesce. Anyways, things will fall into place soon enough, worry not. :) I know most of you are dying to see how Elie and Sephiroth will made up, some will be intrigued with the President's death and some will be definitely puzzled with Cloud's goals.

PORTAL is now more intense than ever.

Read and review, you know I love to hear from you - and see you next chapter :)