Chapter 51. Gone
Elie's POV
I took care of my things rather quickly.
I considered taking some stuff with me, and packed them swiftly. I left home near midday with a smile on my face.
I walked towards the abandoned factory, making way like a ghost, looking around to confirm I wasn't being seen. After all, I was going to disappear for a while - again.
The place was dead silent, only the cracks of the birds flying around scoring the place. I scanned the area, and took the steps up to go to the place that would lead me to my love.
My happiness. Finally.
The thought of seeing Sephiroth again made my heart flutter. He had been the one and only thing in my mind since he left, and I needed him… badly. I missed him terribly already and still felt sore of our late night… and morning activities.
He was such a dream.
And I had the total and complete notion I was behaving like a dreamy teenager but… what the hell. I felt so happy, like I was walking in clouds.
I reached the room where the PORTAL would be, the door closed. I opened it with a push and looked inside. It was all so quiet… just like always.
I took a deep breath, closing the door behind me and making my way towards the corner that would take me to… paradise.
However, as a walked, there was nothing. No funny sensation, no transparent halo turning blue when I touched it, nothing. Only a dry corner with leaves and a destroyed wall.
A cold shiver took me over and I blinked as I looked around, my hands scanning the walls, the ground - where once the PORTAL was. Because it was pretty obvious right now it wasn't there anymore.
"It can't be…" I whispered to myself, trying to fight back the tears that eventually would fall. "It can't be…"
I didn't know what to do, what to think. I looked around the area for the thousand time, trying to grasp something - a clue, a hint that might explain what happened.
Hell, I didn't know if he was even alive!? Had he crossed it safely? A million of thoughts ran along my mind as I try to gather myself.
"Why didn't I go with you?" I whispered, as tears finally fell. "Why did I have to be so…"
Strength abandoned me as I allowed myself to sit on the ground, resting against a wall. My hands met the irregularities on the floor and, through my hazy vision, all I saw was black, warm rocks. They were everywhere, scattered as if being thrown from… the corner where the PORTAL had been.
"Are you allright, Sephiroth?" I whispered, despair overwhelming me.
It was getting obvious I wouldn't know that.
Not now… and maybe never.
Sephiroth's POV
I didn't know how much time I was out.
I heard a loud buzz, and smelled smoke and fire, pieces of wall and whatever more had been projected in that chamber.
Quiet I remained, until I felt a hand in my left arm and a muffled attempt of talking. The voice tried to speak to me, and made a consistent effort to drag me out of there. I wanted to get up, say something, understand what on the Planet had happened but I couldn't. My body ordered me to stay still, and I had glimpses of the hallways I passed, lying down on something, towards somewhere… green and sterile, so impersonal it made the little hairs of my arms rise.
But of course, it could only be my only and one destination.
Hojo's lab.
A pinch in my arm and a warm sensation inside me eventually took me to the land of a comfortable sleep - with dreams.
A dream in which I stood, in front of something I had never seen in life. I just stood there, staring at that… being that felt very familiar but still, it was completely unknown to me. With long hair, so alike mine and clearly a feminine silhouette, closed eyes and a very calm complexion, in this kind of behavioral stasis we remained, silent and still, facing each other.
The fire inside me burned, and I knew it was Mako. It has always been Hojo's miracle serum in every situation I got hurt. He injected me with unbearable concentrations of that green thing, visibly not tolerated by anyone but me. I guess it was the price to pay for being who I was.
A test subject that turned out okay.
Cold invaded me abruptly and I felt a hard pinch in my gut - a pain so intense that eventually woke me up.
I moved with deliberate actions, and when I could finally see what was around me, I realized I was restrained.
I blinked, and tried to steady my breathing. I didn't know what had happened but thankfully the pain was subsiding.
"I had to woken you up, boy." Hojo's voice came out of a corner. "There's important things to take care of and someone's here to see you."
As I processed Hojo's words, my thoughts went immediately to Stevens. Was she here? How, and was she okay?
"Stevens?" I said, my voice rasp and a little painful. How come my throat hurt like this? Had I been screaming?
Sadly, it wasn't her voice that answered me.
"Uh, no, General."
Medina? Was that him?
"She is not here. In fact," He paused, and I sensed him approach me. "I don't know how we'll be able to see her again considering-"
Something strange assaulted me.
"The PORTAL."
There was silence and I was starting to feel impatient.
"Let me go, untie me if you please." I ordered, and sensed Hojo moving.
"Take things slow, boy, you suffered serious damage." He declared, as he took the restraints from my body. My heart started to quicken as I recalled Stevens and our…deal. She was supposed to meet me, follow me. Had she made it?
"How long was I out?" I said, as I sat with slow moves, sensing the residual effects of the explosion in my body and mind. I closed my hands and opened them again, feeling my muscles stretch. My stare met Medina's for the first time and what I saw in there worried me. There was grief and tiredness in that man's face, and I felt I was about to understand why.
"Three days." Hojo said, and I took a deep breath. "I told you, it was a miracle you didn't die in that chamber. The explosion was very potent and honestly… if it wasn't for who you are, I would have-"
"Three days, Medina?" I interrupted, my head doing the math. Good grief, what if Stevens had tried to cross the thing and it had exploded when she was inside? Was there a way to know if she was alive or not?
"Is there any way to know if someone was crossing the PORTAL when it exploded?" I had to ask, I felt my chest constricting at the mere thought of Stevens…no. I couldn't think like that.
"There is no way to know that for certain." He said. "But I doubt someone had crossed it after you, considering it has gone unstable right after you were through."
I narrowed my eyes.
"What?"
"Your crossing… rendered the PORTAL unstable. I don't know why."
I locked my jaw as I tried to recall everything that had happened. I got up and looked around for my clothes. "I need my clothes."
"They're destroyed but we can find some new ones if you don't mind waiting." Hojo snarled, visibly impatient with my insistence, as he left the lab for brief moments. I took the chance immediately.
"Stevens was supposed to meet with us." I declared. "What happened in the meantime, did someone get in our out when I was away?"
John gulped dry and massaged his forehead with his fingers. That would be a blunt 'yes'.
"Cloud…" He started, and I resumed listening. There was no need to make a scene. "It was morning and I was here earlier to make some experimentation when I saw… footsteps at the PORTAL's chamber. SOLDIER footsteps. I was about to call security when…"
Medina paused.
"Go on." I insisted.
"It started glowing, just when someone's crossing it. I just stood there, as I saw him emerge from the PORTAL… with the body of Zack Fair on his back."
And that made me shiver. It was even worse than I thought.
"I tried to tell him to go back but he didn't pay me attention. And just like that… Zack started dissolving into the Lifestream. There was nothing I could do about it."
I closed my eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.
"So Jenova's free, walking around at her will in the Lifestream." I deducted, realizing it was serious shit now. "Thanks to Cloud and his dumbness. Stubborn brat."
Rage invaded me as I tried to gather myself. I had to be controlled, remain in control so that things could just… be right. If that was even possible at this time.
"I need to talk with Cloud right now." I declared. "I will take care of him accordingly and then…" I paused, remembering Stevens. "We'll have to find a way of reactivating the PORTAL."
Medina's tired stare met mine with disbelief.
"It's gone, General." He said. "There is no way-"
"There has to be a way." I interrupted him, as I stared at Hojo, with my clothes on his arms.
Elie's POV
I sat in that morbid, abandoned place for what it seemed an eternity.
Tears fell, despair overwhelmed me in waves, and I felt really lost of what to do. There was no one I could talk about it, no one I could recur to for… help.
Realizing I was completely alone, separated from the man I loved, made me cry an endless river or tears. I had no hunger, and tiredness invaded me - for moments I wished I could vanish, so the grief didn't hurt so much.
The perspective of not seeing Sephiroth again ate me on the inside. It was a fact that consumed me completely, and I couldn't do anything about it.
Eventually sleep won me over. Not that I cared that I was lying down on the floor of an abandoned factory in the middle of suburbs - I just obeyed to my body and the basic needs of it.
My mind took me to a strange place where both realities mingled. My world, final fantasy 7 world. Sephiroth was there, unaware of me and behaving like he used to, but the mere sight of him felt relieving. At least I could see him.
Strangely, I woke up with a soft touch in my cheek - a touch that made me wonder if I was really awake or still dreaming. A pair of blue eyes that I didn't see for a while greeted me, and I wondered why - and how - could that man be here, exactly where I remained. Patrick, the blue-eyed thug.
How could he know I was here?
"Wake up, Elie, it's no use to just remain here."
I blinked, realizing the luminosity outside subsiding. So, nighttime was upon us.
"What are you doing here?"
He didn't quaver.
"I came to check on you."
And that confused me.
"How do you know I was here in first place?"
Patrick snorted.
"I know this place is your soft spot." There was a pause before he continued. "But there is nothing you can do, here and now. You should go home."
Okay, this wasn't happening.
"You know nothing." I said, my tone bitter.
"I wish I didn't know that much, believe me," He said, standing and turning to go away. "You should go. This is no place for a young woman, mostly at night."
And with an unusual relaxed frown I saw him leave. I closed my eyes for a moment, thinking about how strange all this was. The whole day had been a complete freak show… since the moment I walked this place and found no PORTAL.
I took my time gathering myself, slowly coming to terms with the fact that nothing had changed and that I was alone here. For good.
Eventually I got up and left, feeling utterly devastated. I felt no strength, and honestly didn't know how I would be able to face work the next day.
My feet took me home, and my bag pack landed effortlessly on the floor. Everything was the same, since I left home hours ago… and I could still smell him. Sephiroth.
His scent lingered, here and there, as if waiting for me in every corner. The memories made me gulp dry… and in that moment I realized I had to leave home again.
This time, I would be headed to a different place.
-/-
The graveyard was silent, but there was some residual movement. The men taking care of the place roamed around and it didn't take me much to realize we all walked towards the same direction. When I reached Zack's grave vicinity, I understood why.
The area was surrounded - Zack's grave had been violated and there was dirt everywhere. I could see the coffin destroyed, the lid partially broken and clearly… there was no Zack inside the coffin. No traces of him.
"What happened?" I asked, hoping someone would answer me.
"Grave robbers." An old man said. "It's not very common but it happens sometimes, when someone suspects the deceased holds something precious."
I blinked in silence for a while.
"The deceased had nothing precious on him, I assure you." I declared, feeling confused and surprised. "I was the one burying him."
The man didn't say a word.
"And why take the body? Did anyone see anything, when did this happen?"
"When we got here this morning it was already like this." The man informed. "Whoever did this, did it at early hours and didn't leave any trace behind."
All this was starting to puzzle me. I tried to do the math quickly, recalling I was with Sephiroth the whole night… and morning, which obviously ruled him out of all this.
Then… who might be interested in taking away Zack's body? It was a fact no one of this world would do such thing… which left me only with one option.
Someone crossing the PORTAL and taking Zack back?
It made no sense.
None of it made sense, not even the remote possibility of Sephiroth eventually getting up and do this while I was sleeping. He had no reason to do it, and we both agreed to the necessity of keeping Zack here until there was a possibility to contain Jenova in their world.
It all seemed like a nightmare, a bad dream that never ended.
I left the graveyard with my heart heavy, confused and sad, unable to understand any of it - there was nothing understandable concerning the events of today.
It only brought up more questions and doubts. And to worsen all of it, I was alone, clueless.
Secretly I wondered if I would be able to survive all of this.
Sephiroth's POV.
I walked with some men towards the cell Cloud Strife was being held on. Medina accompanied me, and I knew he was secretly worried with my silence. Namely because behind it I hid an immense rage I honestly didn't know if I would be able to restrain.
The doors were coded and security was heavy, but eventually we got inside - the sight of a very tense Cloud Strife engulfing my senses.
I turned to John and whispered something I considered important at him. A detail that would make all the difference.
"Shut off video and sound, I want this to be secretive."
John nodded and instructed the men, giving me a sign when all was set and done. So now, it was only Strife, John and I.
"Who gave you permission to cross the PORTAL, Strife?"
He gulped at my question.
"My position granted me free pass, Sir."
I raised my eyebrows at him. How smug.
"You mean when you were General?" I asked, but didn't let him continue. "I'm also referring to those times you sneaked around when you were SOLDIER. You didn't have free pass back then, so I assume you must have had help."
Strife didn't say a word, he just took a deep breath and sat.
"So I can see I'm assuming right." I declared, nodding. "What got into that head of yours to consider retrieving Zack Fair?"
Strife's blue eyes met mine and in there I saw will. Determination.
"He belonged here. This was his place, his Planet. What was he doing buried, undignified in that dirty place, ha? Is that your idea of honoring a SOLDIER? What kind of man are you, anyway?"
There was silence of a moment, and I chose my words carefully. Strife's unawareness of the truth would cost him highly and he would pay for behaving the way he did.
"What did you know of the truth, Strife? Tell me, apart from the version we offered to everyone, didn't you stop to think that if Zack's death was surrounded in mystery, there would be a damn good reason to do that?"
Strife didn't answer.
"Yes, Strife, instead of being quiet and do the job of General I commanded you to, you concocted some misplaced conspiracy theory, in which the company had done something terrible to Zack, without having a clue of what really happened. You didn't measure the consequences of your actions, blinded with some childish concept of honor and then… you screw everything up."
Cloud's face changed and there were glimpses of fear and unawareness somewhere beneath those cold blue eyes. I approached him a little more.
"Jenova possessed Zack and he was the one responsible for everything that happened in Nibelheim. After that, he killed everyone in the Science division, took Stevens back to her planet and planned to kill her too. I stopped him, but he had to die for the nightmare to stop. He remained there hidden there because Jenova didn't have lifestream to wander in and what you did with you silly attempt of honoring your very dead friend was simply releasing Jenova back into our world again. She is now free to do whatever she wants, you idiot!"
A heavy silence fell upon us all and no one dared to say word, but me.
"You are permanently expelled from SOLDIER. You will not be allowed readmission in any circumstance. Know your ignorance saved you from a certain death, and that is all."
My eyes met his and I didn't pay him a chance.
"Leave this place before I change my mind."
And under the noise of the Turks getting in and taking the former ex-SOLDIER from my sight, my thoughts lingered on Stevens. I needed to have her back, and Medina would have to help me.
"Well that was unexpected." He said, "But totally justifiable."
I nodded and my eyes landed on Medina's, as we both left the security area.
"I want the Security of this place changed, all of it. Cloud had help to sneak up in and out and it was obviously security providing him access."
"I'll contact Tseng on that."
I took a deep breath as we both reached the elevator and up we went. Medina was the one breaking the silence.
"You look thoughtful. What is it?"
I didn't answer until we reached Medina's office, now in the top floor of the building. I closed the door behind me and sat. Strangely, I felt a little tired.
"I am…" I paused, not really knowing what to say. "I can't believe the PORTAL is gone."
Medina took a deep breath and nodded.
"What do you have 'till now? From your experimentations?"
"Scatters." Medina said. "There will be impossible to keep on without the PORTAL active."
"How about Physics? They were studying it as well, maybe there's a way to… restore it."
Medina's stare left mine and he got up from his chair, sitting in front of me.
"I will see into it, but I can't assure you they'll have something we might use. The PORTAL was a natural entity, and most likely impossible to create a new one, artificially, in a lab."
I snorted.
"Impossible?" I quoted. "Are you even listening to yourself? I refuse to accept the idea of impossibility. See it through and find a way Medina."
My tone was imbibed in despair and I didn't even try to hide it.
"Are you so eager to see her again?"
My eyes left this and I got up to leave. I paused with my left hand grasping the door handle.
"Stevens is my only priority. Keep that in mind."
With a sudden move I left, closing the door behind me.
There was much to do today.
Elie's POV
I didn't imagine it would be so hard to endure a daily living after what happened.
Not only I was in some kind of a prison, unable and uncapable of saying a thing - because there was no one that would believe me, but the uncertainty was the worst thing.
I didn't know what to think. My mind had imagined all the possibilities and I wanted very much to believe something had happened to the PORTAL and that Sephiroth couldn't go back to warn me. Of course there were moments in which my insecurities spoke louder and I convinced myself he had done that on purpose… which hurt terribly.
Truth was, I didn't know what to think. Then, there was the Zack thing. His body had disappeared and I wasn't sure it had something to do with the PORTAL vanishing… or not. It was all too out of the ordinary and so illusory I couldn't grasp it as… real.
Contrasting with all this - real life kept calling me in. The days at the Bar were like any other, regular and monotonous, and even facing the insistence of Frances, I kept my worries to myself.
"There you are again, staring into oblivion."
I blinked at shook my head, my eyes meeting hers once again this afternoon. I took a deep breath and said nothing. But Frances insisted - as always.
"Elie, what happened? You look… miserable."
"I'm tired." I offered, knowing she wouldn't buy that.
"Tired?" She quoted, raising her eyebrows. "That's a lame excuse, do you really think I believe in that?"
I bit the inside of my mouth, thinking of what to say. I didn't have many options, and the truth obviously wasn't one of them.
"Listen, I've…" I had to pause, and Frances's curiosity spiked. "I've had some problems lately and… it's been hard to deal with. That's it, but don't fret over me because I'll-"
"Problems?"
The way Frances said it made it sound ridiculous and insignificant. And that made me behave with a bit of hostility.
"Yes, problems. What is wrong with you, is it so hard to believe I might have something going on in my life difficult to deal with?"
Frances took a step back and seemed to consider her next words.
"Okay, okay, just… I was worried about you, I've never seen you like that in life."
In that moment, I felt a little conscientious about having said those things to her. After all she was only worried with me and my… sanity.
"I appreciate your worry, really, but this is something I have to handle myself."
Frances nodded and smiled at me.
"Okay, fair enough." She said, and took off as some new costumers arrived. I resumed minding myself with stuff to do by the counter.
There were always things to do and I could use it to keep my mind out of the gutter. Minutes passed in between drinks, coffees and ice tea's, until Frances approached me again - this time, with a spooked face.
"Oh my God."
I stopped, my attention in her.
"What?"
"You don't imagine what happened."
It was a fact I was getting shivers only by staring at her, but I could tell she was about to tell me something creepy.
"What happened?"
Frances took some time gathering strength to say the words.
"Patrick is dead."
What?
"Wait, what?"
I felt a cold goosebump travel along my spine.
"I just knew, those people told me. His body was found off the city limits, he's been dead for days apparently."
"F-For days?" I quoted, absolutely taken aback. No, this was too much. "Wait a minute, you mean how many days?"
"I don't know… a week, maybe. They said he was in a bad shape when they found him." Frances declared, visibly disturbed. "When Larry finds out he's going to be devastated."
I breathed heavily, recalling the events of Sunday, in that abandoned factory, when he had visited me. And all I could think was if Patrick was already dead when I last saw him.
Which was not only impossible and unreal - it meant it was definitely loosing it.
"Good God." I whispered, and turned to sit next to the counter.
This couldn't mean nice things.
A/N - It took me a while but here it is.
Also a little mystery for Elie to solve in the meantime but it's no big deal trust me. Let's see if the little two birds will see each other again…
Hope you liked the chapter and see you soon*