Chapter 4: Interdimensional travel is overrated

Sephiroth woke up with a start in the middle of the night, blinking and looking around in panic for a few seconds, before his body caught up with his mind as he felt a movement against him. Looking down, he relaxed when he saw Caroline, who was still sleeping in his arms. Sighing in relief, he closed his eyes, letting himself go against the bed, remembering what had happened the day before. Part of him… still struggled to believe what had happened. The silverette… felt like he was coming out of a nightmare that would have lasted years, and of which he only remembered scattered pieces. And the nightmare… had started when they arrived in Nibelheim. The sensation that had woke him up in the middle of the night… he was shivering just remembering it. The feeling that she had been ripped out of his heart… had been worse than anything Hojo had put him through. And the panic when Zack called Kunzel… to learn that Caroline had literally evaporated in the air…

A sleepy mumble against him brought him out of his thoughts, and he opened his eyes, watching the young woman continue to sleep against him. Sephiroth let out a sigh, placing a light kiss on her forehead, hugging her close. Caroline literally clung to his t-shirt, as she often did before Nibelheim. As if she too was afraid that he would disappear. He swallowed hard, a lump blocking his throat. What had she lived in recent years? Chuck… said she'd been back here for years. At least… she hadn't been in Hojo's hands, he thought, a little comforted. Even if the latter had continued to try to get hold of her, apparently. The silverette slipped back into sleep without even realizing it, closing his eyes while burying his nose in the young woman's hair.

When he woke up for good, it was much later. Sephiroth still felt tired, but he woke completely when feeling Caroline stir against him. He watched her wake up slowly, blinking, looking up. It was the first time… that he could watch her wake up like this. No pressure, no stress of having to arrive on time, nothing that pressed him. She smiled weakly at him, also looking tired, even if less than he felt. He returned her smile, the relief visible in his expression it seems, because he saw her raise her hand, coming to stroke his cheek. The silverette closed his eyes, leaning against her hand, enjoying her presence. Feeling her against him reassured him more than anything else, soothing him as she alone knew how to do it. He gently hugged her, kissing her gently. At that moment… nothing was more important than her presence in his arms, with him. All he was missing was Zack.

Almost as if she was reading his mind, Caroline half turned, looking in the direction of the other man, who was still sleeping if Sephiroth relied on the curves shown by the devices. But he couldn't blame her for worrying about Zack. He was her companion after all, even if the silverette wasn't exactly sure of their dynamics now, since they had more or less welcomed him in their couple. It was something he knew he would have to deal with sooner or later… but part of him was afraid of their reaction if he ever dared to talk about it. Fearing to destroy the balance he had ended up building with them. He didn't realize that the young woman had brought her attention to him again before she gently caressed his cheek, pulling him from his thoughts.

"It's all right now, Seph," she said softly with a weary smile. "I promise."

He nodded with a slight sigh, pressing his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. If it were up to him he would probably not have said "all right." Better, yes, but not yet alright. Not completely. Zack was missing on the other side to say that everything was fine. His stomach growling in hunger made Caroline giggle, and he opened his eyes, unable to help but smile when he heard her. That sound… he had missed it so much… he wanted to hear it all the time now, if he could. And if he had to cut Hojo into slices for that… he was ready to do it. Father or not.

"Are you hungry?" He asked softly, taking the madman out of his thoughts.

"Yes," she admitted in the same tone. "I don't know if Chuck is still here… but even when he isn't, he prepares breakfast for me and leaves it warm. On the other hand, Trico only accepts his food from me," she sighed.

"Loyal to the end?" He asked with some amusement, reluctantly releasing Caroline to let her get up.

She nodded, getting up with an annoyed grumble at the floor temperature.

"I'm not sure what he went through before Chuck brought him back… but apparently he decided that I was the only person he could trust. For everything."

Sephiroth let out a slight snicker as he put on his pants from the night before, realizing that he would have to go get some of his belongings back at their apartment… if they were still there, he thought with a frown. An amused smile escaped him when he saw Trico sitting by the door, standing guard or waiting patiently for his mistress to get up to feed him, difficult to say. He grabbed Caroline's hand gently, intertwining his fingers with hers as he had seen Zack do. The young woman's smile reassured him that he hadn't made a mistake, and, after a last look at the still asleep black haired man, they headed for the kitchen.

Chuck wasn't there, but like Caroline said, a ready breakfast awaited them… with one of Sephiroth's favorite coffees running. A quick note informed them that the old warrior was busy making sure no one was bothering them today, and only House would enter the apartment to see Zack, around mid-morning at the earliest. Looking at the time, the silverette realized with some shock that it was already almost 9:00 a.m. He had… overslept? It was the first time it had happened to him. Usually… he always woke up at dawn, even though he had noticed that he had been sleeping more deeply since Caroline and Zack started sleeping with him. And not necessarily because the night was… agitated, he said to himself, almost blushing, watching the young woman feed the Guard Dog. No, their presence just soothed him, he realized. And without his alarm clock… he might have slept even longer than that with their presence.

Like the day before, Caroline leaned against him as they ate, helping him to relax. Sephiroth… didn't know what he would do in the future, once the news of his… "resurrection" spread. But he didn't see himself returning to the life of SOLDIER. And certainly not in the immediate future, he told himself, helping Caroline to wash their things. Not until he had overcome the fear of losing her if she left his sight, he said to himself, accompanying her back into the room, watching her open the shutter. A rush of stress rose at the sight, but he crushed it mercilessly. If someone could have kidnapped her in a closed, windowless room… without a SOLDIER hearing anything… it wasn't a window that would change much, he thought, forcing himself to think logically.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Caroline who was pulling his arm, and he blinked when he saw her smile with a certain amusement… before seeing the brush she was holding in her other hand. Understanding what she wanted to do, he couldn't help but smile in turn, sitting on the bed and making sure to not pin his hair under him. Very quickly, Sephiroth began to purr without even realizing it as the young woman brushed his hair, massaging his scalp with the brush, making him almost literally melt with pleasure, in paradise.

And it was at this unusual sight that Zack woke up, wondering, bewildered, where the loud purring he was hearing was coming from. Turning his head with some difficulty, still weak, he could only blink in perplexity when he saw Sephiroth sitting on a bed, having his hair brushed by Caroline, eyes half closed and looking completely relaxed. The young man gazed at the scene in awe for a little while, wondering if he was awake or if it was a dream, even a hallucination. If that was the case, he wanted to know what he had been injected with, because the thing looked damn strong! Finally, he spoke up, wanting to verify that he was actually awake.

"Seph, are you purring?" He asked in a hoarse voice in disbelief, realizing that his throat was very dry.

Not enough to cough up, but he wouldn't have said no to some water. The silverette's only response was to blink slowly, before purring even louder when Caroline scratched his scalp with the brush. Zack almost wanted to burst out laughing at the scene, partly because it was hilarious to see Sephiroth like that, looking almost drugged, and partly because of the relief that Sephiroth finally seemed sane. And he had to fight a snicker when literally hearing him whine when his girlfriend stopped brushing his hair, making her smile too, almost giggling. As if he was saying "Nooooooooooo, please don't stop!" She kissed him gently on the cheek as she got out of the bed, patting him on the shoulder.

"Next time, Seph, I promise."

He whined again, the sound sad, when she stood up, stretching her legs with a grimace, and Zack couldn't restrain a small smile.

"And me? I am not allowed a kiss too?" He joked weakly.

The breathing mask bothered him a bit, but he didn't dare take it off. Just talking almost made his head spin, and now that he was pretty much lucid, he could feel a lot of things connected to his body, indicating that he had probably been unconscious for a long time. Caroline then approached the bed, followed by a Sephiroth who seemed to have come back down to earth, and who was looking at the young woman as if she was the most wonderful thing on the Planet. Raising his hand with some difficulty, he looked at her with a look that probably was the same as Sephiroth's, he was sure. He didn't remember much about waking up the night before… but he did remember seeing her cry. Gently, he pulled her towards him as she grabbed his hand, smiling, tears in her eyes, visibly relieved. A sigh of relief escaped him as he felt her leaning against him, proving that he hadn't dreamed the day before, even if he felt his heart tighten as she began to cry softly against his neck. Tenderly, he wrapped her in his arms, lightly caressing her back to comfort her. Zack had no idea where he was… and at the time it didn't matter much. He could have been in the Lifestream, or in a hallucination because he was dying, and it didn't matter.

His gaze fell on Sephiroth, who was standing right next to the bed, and looked at him with a mixture of relief, shame and guilt. Zack… was quite surprised to see that he finally seemed sane. And at the same time… he was incredibly relieved. He had sincerely respected the silverette as a superior… and appreciated on a more personal level (and not just for sex), when he started to lower his mask with them, showing his true face. And it was the face of an almost ordinary man, who, if he was clumsy and uncomfortable to express his emotions… was also human, and could be warm with those he cared about. And even if he had seen it that way with Genesis and Angeal… the redhead's jealousy had clearly strained their relationship. With him and Caroline… there hadn't been this tension which seemed to underline the relations between the redhead and the silverette. Caro… trusted him, and did her best to help him, even if it wasn't much. Sephiroth… was clearly grateful to her, and Zack was pretty sure that the disappearance of the young woman had been too much for his already precarious mental health, and Genesis had completely shattered the little that he had left. Even though Zack seriously suspected that the Scarlet Commander had had serious psychological problems too, if he judged by his behavior before and after his desertion.

He was pulled out of his contemplation by someone knocking on the bedroom door, and Caroline sat up with a sigh, getting a whine of protest from him. Zack wanted to keep her against him as long as possible, he had missed her so much and he had been afraid for her. At least… she apparently hadn't ended up in Hojo's hands, he told himself with a mental sigh. It was always that, he thought, watching her wipe away her tears as Sephiroth went to open the door, as if he knew what to expect. Zack closed his eyes with a slight sigh as she kissed him tenderly on the forehead, squeezing his hand, before moving away, giving way to… House? What was he doing there? Zack wondered, confused, contemplating the only doctor to still have a conscience in Shinra, if the rumor was true.

The doctor looked at him, hands on his hips, his expression both amused and exasperated, while Caroline went to lean against Sephiroth, who held her gently against him, obviously to comfort her.

"So, Fair, you took your time to wake up, mmmmh?"

Zack couldn't hold back an embarrassed smile.

"Sorry?" He said softly, his voice hoarse.

House rolled his eyes in response, taking a few instruments out of his bag, including a Scan Materia.

"It's not me you really should apologize to," he remarked in a conversational tone, starting to examine the young man. "Rather towards your girlfriend, kid. She hasn't left your bedside for more than a few minutes in the past two months, except to go to the bathroom or take a shower. And let's not even talk about sleeping, I lost count of the number of times that old Chuck told me about putting her to bed because she fell asleep at your bedside."

Zack looked at him with wide eyes, not quite sure what he was most shocked about. The fact that he had slept so long was news that he absolutely didn't expect. And when he was talking about Chuck… not THE Chuck right? Finally, he regained his voice, focusing on the length of time he had apparently slept.

"Two months?" He breathed softly, shivering as the doctor examined his chest. "But…"

"If you want to say that it shouldn't be possible for someone of your level, kid, I'll stop you right now," House said, looking sternly. "Five years ago, before your mission to Nibelheim, I wont say no. Your Mako supplies were at their maximum, you were rested and well fed, you would have woken up earlier, yes."

"Five years?" squeaked Zack. "But Aerith's letter… said that Cloud and I had been prisoners of Hojo for 4 years."

"And you spent another year on the run, right?" Caroline asked gently.

Zack could only nod in response, too disoriented and shocked to immediately pick her words, especially when House spoke again.

"So, kid, five years ago, yes, you could have woken up a lot faster, because you were in great shape. Here? I honestly doubt that Hojo or his assistants fed you properly. Not to mention that you mustn't have received any Mako injection during that time."

"No, apparently they thought submerging me in pure Mako was more effective," couldn't help but answer Zack, caustic.

House barely twitched at that, apparently not really surprised.

"Anyway… I removed almost a hundred bullets from your body, kid. And let's not count those who passed through it," he said with some irritation. "You had lost a lot of blood, and I'm sincerely surprised that you survived until that old dumbass of Chuck brought you back. But obviously, you are too stubborn to die, brat."

"Chuck?" Zack asked, intrigued.

It was Caroline who replied, smiling slightly amused.

"Lieutenant Chuck Nokia, you know him, don't you?" She asked with amusement.

"WHAT?" Yelped Zack, barely avoiding a coughing fit.

House chuckled softly as he started to pack away his stuff, visibly amused.

"And who else do you want it to be, kid?" He asked, smiling. "Well, the good news is that you have fully recovered. You won't be able to do much for at least 4 or 5 days until I can get standard Mako injections. And with that asshole of Hojo, it looks like it will be complicated," he grumbled. "I'll take the mask and other stuff out of you in two to three days, when you can breathe without getting dizzy as soon as you take it off."

"Uh, is there no way to do this before?" Timidly asked the young man, honestly uncomfortable.

"You have a choice between that and the bedpan, kid," replied the doctor, an almost sadistic look in his eyes. "And as long as you have the mask, it means you don't have the energy to get up to go to the bathroom alone. Or even supported by the General."

"The plumbing is fine with me," Zack announced immediately, changing his mind. "And for eating?" He asked shyly.

Rather a little discomfort than shame. Especially seeing the way his girlfriend giggled, the shadows leaving her gaze. And he didn't want to subject her to that. House sighed.

"Since you have been intravenously fed all this time… the same. I will send a summary to Chuck with what you can swallow. Fortunately, since you SOLDIERS recover faster, you'll be able to switch to solid food faster. Now I'm leaving you. That little shit Reno blew something in his face again," he grumbled. "You might have thought that after the beating he took the other day, he would calm down with the explosions, but noooooooo, he still has to go and add more."

House nodded to Sephiroth, who returned it, and left, continuing to grumble at the Turks and their tendency to injure themselves on missions. Zack snickered, unable to help it, obviously, Reno hadn't changed at all in five years, and it was a relief somewhere. Caroline came back to sit on the edge of the bed, imitated by the silverette, who looked relieved to see that Zack was doing better. He spoke gently, his tone hesitant, as his girlfriend picked up his hand, the young man clutching it with relief.

"Do you want something Zack?" He asked softly.

"Some water?" He asked hopefully. "My throat is dry, intravenous or not."

He watched his girlfriend smile a little sadly, despite the relief visible in her expression, before turning to the silverette.

"Do you feel like going there alone?" She asked softly. "You'll go faster than me for that… and I have things to tell you guys. I might talk a lot, so some water would be perfect."

Sephiroth looked at her for a long time, before nodding with a sigh, kissing her forehead and getting up. Zack waited until he was out before looking at his companion, confused.

"My question will sound silly, but how did Seph get here?"

Caroline shrugged in response.

"Who knows, all I know is that he arrived last night with Chuck. I have no idea about the rest."

Sephiroth returned a minute later, a large jug of water and two glasses in hand. The young woman thanked him with a weary smile, before speaking again, curious.

"Seph?"

"Yes?" He asked softly, sitting down next to her, wrapped an arm around her.

"How is it that Chuck brought you back to the apartment?" She asked, curious. "What happened last night?"

The silverette seemed torn between embarrassment and shame, taking a few moments to respond.

"I was… in the President's office," he admitted. "There were other people in the room, a dark-skinned, beefy man with a machine gun in place of his right arm, two women, brunettes… I think one of them was Aerith," he added softly, frowning. "The other… was our guide in Nibelheim… Miss Lockhart I believe. There was also… Cloud. The strangest thing was that he stood like a SOLDIER."

Caroline nodded gently, Zack sighing in relief when he learned that his friend was fine.

"And then?" He asked softly, fighting a coughing fit.

Sephiroth took the time to help him drink a little water, adjusting the breathing mask once the black haired man said he had had enough, his head spinning until he could take a few deep breaths. Obviously, the doctor was right, and he was in no condition to do anything for a while.

"I… killed the President," he admitted, Caroline snorting and muttering "good for him" in a low voice. "After that… I turned to that black man… and Lieutenant Nokia arrived in the office."

"He gave you one hell of a dressing down?" Zack asked with some amusement, also making the silverette's lips twitch.

"More or less yes. After… he told me that… Caroline was waiting for me in his apartment. I have to admit… I have no idea what happened to Cloud and his friends after that," he admitted softly.

Caroline gently patted his arm in response.

"I think I can answer that question," she said softly. "There are… many things that I never could tell you because of the Curse," she admitted softly, her tone nervous as her boyfriend looked at her with curiosity. "Even if, now, it has apparently disappeared... or has been removed. And a few others… who were a little too private to talk about… or whom I just didn't want to say."

"Like what?" Sephiroth asked gently, worried about her nervousness.

The young woman took a deep breath, deciding to start with the subject that made her the least nervous.

"To start… how old would you think I am?" She asked softly. "I'll tell you if you're close or not… but I just want to get an idea."

The two men exchanged a puzzled look, before the youngest spoke again, hesitant.

"I would say… about like the last time we saw each other? Between 25 and 27 years old? Because I feel like you haven't changed an hair since. If you hadn't told me it's been five years… I would have thought it was barely a year ago."

"I know you said… you were a little older than us," said Sephiroth softly, "but you never gave your exact age. And even Genesis never asked, as far as I know."

Caroline chuckled softly, nervous.

"It is because it is considered rude to ask a woman how old she is," she said, rolling her eyes. "As ridiculous as it is. And to tell you… no, you're not close to the answer, Zack. Seph?"

The concerned shrugged, confused.

"I would say… the same? Honestly, I can't say."

The young woman sighed softly before answering him.

"I was 33 years old when we met."

The two men mentally blocked on the response for a few moments, trading a confused look, before looking at her again.

"Thirty-three?" Sephiroth repeated softly, almost shocked. "It means…"

"That technically, I'm about 40 years old," she replied in a deadpan tone. "Even if I don't look like it."

"Is that why you fought so hard against your feelings for me?" Zack asked gently, squeezing her hand. "Because you knew you were much older than I was?"

Caroline sighed softly.

"Partly," she admitted softly. "Even if I thought you were only 16, not 18, when we first met."

"Why?" Zack asked in confusion.

He squeezed her hand gently when he saw that she continued to hesitate, Sephiroth speaking softly at her side.

"Tell us, Caroline. I promise that we will listen to you until the end, without ever judging you."

Slowly, the young woman nodded, her shoulders sagging. Zack hated seeing her so defeated… but he never imagined what she was going to explain to them.

"You… remember I told you I came from another universe, right?" She started hesitantly.

The black haired man nodded in response.

"Genesis has cursed a lot the Curse that afflicted you, since it prevented you from telling us much about your world. And I'm still glad Hojo never knew about it," he said softly, shivering.

Caroline also shivered.

"Yes, he would have stopped at nothing to get hold of me. Already when he knew I was back… the first thing he did was to try to kidnap me. I think I almost worshiped Chuck that day."

"I think you're getting a little ahead," said Sephiroth softly, feeling the familiar old rage burn in him. "You were saying something about your world?"

Their companion nodded gently.

"The world I come from… is very different from Gaia. To start… no magic, as far as I know, and…"

At her hesitation, Zack gently squeezed her hand, softly repeating her last word.

"And?"

"In my home world… you're no real. You are only video game characters," she admitted, lowering her head. "From the game Final Fantasy VII. And you, Zack… you were the hero of one of the games of what is called the Final Fantasy VII compilation. Crisis Core. Who was the only one where Genesis and Angeal appeared in."

Of all the explanations the two men expected… this wasn't one of them.

"Sorry?" Asked Seph, taken aback. "Video game characters?"

"Is the game good at least?" Zack asked, almost at the same time. "I hope it's not like this stupid game with Jumps dressed as SOLDIERS! That thing is shit!"

"Considering that the vast majority of people who played it must have been crying when you died… I would say yes," replied the young woman sofly.

Zack made a half outraged protest.

"I die in it? Oh no, I disagree. It's not cool at all! It sucks!"

Before he felt his heart break when he saw his girlfriend start to cry. Shit.

"You would be dead Zack, if I hadn't been able to send Chuck to get you," she replied in a strangled voice. You would have died on that cliff, like in the game, if Chuck hadn't rescued you!"

That explained… why she seemed to know so much about them, Sephiroth realized. In a way… she knew their future. She knew what would happen to them… what they would do. And yet… the silverette couldn't find the strength to hold it against her. Because she had tried to change things. She had tried to warn them and help them as best she could, despite the Curse of Silence. Gently, he hugged her a little more against himself, imitated by Zack who was clutching her hand, seeming to surprise her.

"You… aren't mad at me?" She asked weakly, their hearts squeezing at her plaintive tone.

"Not at all," said Sephiroth softly, Zack shaking his head at the same time. "You… tried to do something for us. All those times when you were cut off by the Curse… you were trying to warn us of what was going to happen to us in the future, weren't you?"

He felt her nod against him, wiping her tears with his free hand.

"I tried, and tried, and tried again," she sobbed. "But as soon as I tried to say something specific… I couldn't. Whenever I wanted to tell you something about the future… the Curse kept me from doing so. I never… lied about my feelings, though. Whatever I feel for you… it's true."

"I know," said Zack softly. "And is that why you were so afraid of Hojo?" He asked, unable to hold back the venom in his voice concerning the madman.

Caroline nodded, sniffing, shivering in the silverette's arms.

"I don't know if it's universal, but there was also someone like that in my home world a few decades ago. Fortunately he's dead now… but he was no better than Hojo. And I know enough about human nature to know how cruel some people can be. Whatever the universe."

Sephiroth gently kissed her on the head, trying to comfort her.

"Speaking of which… what happened to you?" Asked the silverette in a soft voice. "Who kidnapped you? Kunzel… said that no one had entered, and he had checked the apartment and the room for Exit Materia."

Caroline sighed somewhat wearily, before beginning to speak softly, starting with the day they left.

oOo

Sighing almost in despair, Caroline dropped to the bed she shared with Zack. The young woman curled up on herself, fighting against sobs. She didn't want to worry Kunzel, the latter having come to watch over her at Zack's request, Sephiroth making an official order on his part to be sure that Hojo wouldn't try anything. Still, she couldn't help but cry softly. She loved Zack, yes, she had known it for a long time. What she hadn't really expected… was to fall in love with Sephiroth as well… let alone Angeal or even Genesis, despite the "arrogant pyromaniac asshole obsessed with Loveless" side. The realization made her slam her pillow on her face with a groan of despair. Great, she said to herself with a certain exasperation, I fell in love with four guys at the same time, one of whom is unfortunately dead, the other who will also die within the next four to five years, one who will end up sealing himself under the city a little before Sephiroth tries to destroy the planet in about 5 years, and he who is going to be killed three times, but that I would surely never see again either!

Part of her almost wanted to throw objects around the room screaming. Because under the exasperation… there was also sorrow and an almost suffocating fear. She loved them sincerely, and knowing that she couldn't do anything to save them… broke her heart. And it wasn't for lack of trying. But every time she tried to tell them something specific… the words got stuck in her throat. And Caroline knew… that once Sephiroth was dead, and Zack and Cloud in his hands… Hojo would come for her. Maybe it would take him a long time to get her… but Kunzel couldn't protect her forever. And she didn't know if Tseng would openly defy the company orders to keep her safe from Hojo. The uncertainty was suffocating… and she didn't know what to do. Even taking refuge at Aerith home… admitting that she'd gotten there… didn't guarantee she would be safe. And the young woman… didn't want to get her friend (and almost a sister-in-law, since Zack had told her that he only considered her as a little sister) in trouble. Hiding at her home… was guaranteed to draw Hojo's attention to the youngest. And even the Turks would no longer be able to pretend that nothing had happened.

But maybe… maybe Sephiroth would call her when he saw the papers in the Manor, if she was lucky. If she was… maybe she could anchor him in reality. Reminding him of Hojo's cruelty. And suggest that he search the mansion for clues. If that were the case… he could possibly find Vincent Valentine… and if Zack didn't notice their resemblance when seeing them side by side… she'd eat the Mog plush he had given her. Without salt. Many believed that Zack was stupid because of his hyperactive side and his carefree character. But it was very far from the truth. The main problem was that he went by instinct more than his head, even if he could make plans. And like he said… listening to his instincts had saved his ass more than once, despite Angeal's desperation. And she had struggled to figure out what made him despair the most, sometimes. The young crazy puppy side of Zack, or the flamboyant Drama Queen of Genesis?

Thinking of the redhead… squeezed her heart. Contrary to what many would have thought… she had never hated him. She resented him for the hurtful words he said to her, of course… but she suspected that Jenova was at fault. Closing her eyes with a sigh, struggling against the lump in her throat, she put the pillow next to her to breathe deeply. It was past midnight, and she had to sleep. As far as Caroline knew, there was about a four-hour time difference between Midgar and Nibelheim, if she trusted the time Zack had given her when he called her. And she had better go to bed now if she wanted to hope to sleep a minimum.

And suddenly… she felt like she was falling. Like one of those dreams where you dreamed that you were falling into the void, and which woke you up with a start. The young woman straightened with a gasp, and blinked in confusion. Okay, she hadn't slept much last night… but to the point of falling asleep so easily when she wasn't feeling tired? Her hand hit something next to her, and she looked down, perplexed and disoriented. Before feeling her heart miss a beat when she saw what she had touched. Her PSP. The console she started Crisis Core on before falling asleep… and dreaming she was in the game?

For several seconds Caroline remained motionless, shocked and disoriented as she looked around, seeing her room as she vaguely remembered it. Before collapsing in tears on her bed, curling on herself crying, suddenly feeling empty and alone. The dull pain pulsing in her chest, almost making her want to scream in despair. Part of her… didn't understand why she would be in such a state for a dream, even if it had been longer and more realistic than normal. The rest… knew it had been real. And that she had lost the people she loved. Probably forever. Shaken by violent sobs, unable to stop, hugging her arms around herself in a vain attempt to calm down, she cried for what seemed like hours.

Finally, the sobs stopped. She continued to gasp, eyes red and irritated, for a long time before she managed to regain enough control to calm down completely. Her eyes falling on the PSP as she straightened up to go and take tissues, the young woman was seized with the violent urge to throw the console against the wall. Barely holding back because she didn't want to wake her father, knowing that it was very late at night… or very early in the morning, your choice.

Why? She wondered desperately. Why did I have to be sent back here at the only time I could hope to make a difference?

Slowly, she grabbed the console, watching the scene playing on the screen at the time. And that she almost expected. Unsurprisingly… It was the cutscene for Sephiroth and Zack's arrival in Nibelheim. Tears started running down her cheeks when she saw that. No, Seph, you have a home. With me and Zack. His laughter, however, when Zack asked him about his parents... there was already something fragile in him. And Caroline felt the urge to murder rise when she heard that his mother would be called Jenova. If only she could have told him something before he left… maybe this alien bitch wouldn't have taken control of his mind.

The young woman couldn't bear the scene any longer, and angrily turned off the console with a furious growl. But the pain was what predominated in her at that moment, despite everything. Putting the console on her bedside table, more abruptly than necessary, she slipped under the duvet. Trying to fall asleep, and praying that it would all be a nightmare.

Unfortunately, when he woke up, things hadn't changed. And in the weeks that followed… she slowly started to wither away. Mourning something that the (fairly rusty) logical part of her mind told her was probably only a dream… when the rest of her knew it had been real. Caroline… had also lost her appetite, almost forcing herself to eat so that her father wouldn't worry… but she was finding it harder and harder to pretend. And every night… she couldn't help but pray to Minerva, or any other Goddess, to let her come back to Gaia to save at least Zack, having quickly given up hope of being able to help Sephiroth too. Without success.

Very quickly, she almost became a shadow in her own house, worrying her uncle and father with her behavior, but almost unable to do anything. Operating like an automaton, resigned to this feeling of emptiness, as well as this dull pain, which didn't go away. And sometimes wondering if she hadn't gone mad. Crying after something… someone… who only existed in a video game. Until that night, almost a month after her return.

oOo

Opening her eyes, she was taken aback to see herself in a place she did not know. Caroline looked around, lost. Was it… an island? In the middle of a sea as black as ink, in which floated billions of points of light, almost like stars. Forming clusters resembling galaxies in places, giving credit to this theory. Turning around, the young woman gaped at the huge tree. The view was so beautiful… it took her breath away.

The latter stood in the middle of a lake covering the center of the island, the latter strongly reminding her of the descriptions of the Mako outcropping on the surface… beside the color, a pale purple almost reminding her of Zack's eyes. The tree itself… reminded her of a gigantic weeping willow, the trunk of which almost seemed to reach the sky, its snow-white branches reminding her of the trees of the Forgotten City in Advent Children, but whose long leaves of the same color reminded her of the Willow of Ori and the Will of the Wisps. She approached hesitantly, tilting her head to the side, wondering if she was really seeing that. On each branch of the tree… were… planets? Some reminded her of the planets in her solar system, others seemed very different than those she knew. And there weren't two alike. Looking more closely at the sky, she saw that it reminded her of the Lifestream in Final Fantasy VII, but the same pale purple color as the lake. Returning her attention to the pale violet… Mako? in the center of the island, she saw those kinds of wisps enter and leave it at regular intervals, too numerous for her to hope to count them.

"What is this place?" She whispered softly, not expecting an answer. "Why am I here?"

"You're at The Crossroads, child," replied a soft voice behind her, making her jump violently.

Caroline turned suddenly, surprised, and blinked when she saw that she was no longer alone. A woman stood in front of her, just as strange as this place. Very tall, much more than she was in any case, her long snow white hair fell around her, vaguely reminding her of Sephiroth by their straightness, making her heart throb. The woman's skin was strangely pale, except for a strangely familiar scarlet symbol on her forehead, and was dressed in an equally white kimono, the only color accents of which were a scarlet obi, as were the red borders and patterns in the shape of flames on the sleeves of the same color. The person standing in front of her was beautiful, in the ethereal sense of the word… and also, somehow, infinitely more impressive than any other person. Yet… her entirely black eyes, dotted with bright stars, like the sea around the island… were soft. Her expression, full of compassion. Caroline finally found her voice.

"The… Crossroads? I don't understand."

The woman nodded gently.

"This tree… has received many names. However... you can see it as the heart of this planet. Or, as some would say… the heart of this Lifestream."

The young woman gasped.

"The Lifestream? But… its color…"

The person in front of her (the Goddess of her world?) shook her head gently, interrupting her.

"Each universe… has its own Lifestream's color. Here it is purple. Elsewhere, blue. And still elsewhere… green."

And Caroline realized that maybe she was referring to Gaia. Swallowing, she shyly spoke again.

"Why am I here? I'm not dead though, right?"

"No," confirmed the Goddess. "However… you prayed tirelessly to return to your companions."

The young woman felt tears start to run down her cheeks, her throat tightening.

"Yes," she replied, sobs strangling her voice. "I just… want to find them. This feeling of emptiness that I feel… it's like I've had a part of myself amputated. All I want… is to see them again."

"Including if you had to sacrifice everything?" The Goddess asked gently. "If you go back there… it will be permanent."

And for a few moments, Caroline's mind stopped working. Thinking briefly about her family and friends. And then other faces came to overlap theirs. Semi-long black hair, a calm face. A broad and reassuring silhouette, calm and peaceful. Slightly longer, reddish hair that started to color prematurely gray the last time she saw him, framing a thin face. A passionate personality, who recited a poem with fervor. Mid-length spiky bed hair, jet black, a smiling and carefree face. A solid and comforting silhouette, soft and tender despite its strength. And long silver hair, framing green, jaded and injured eyes. Falling on a graceful figure, like a fierce but protective predator. Ready to show fangs on those who would harm her. Was she ready to give up everything for them? Leaving family and old friends behind?

And the young woman realized, strangely calm, that yes. Yes, she would miss her family in a way. But she missed her companions… even more. It was like she felt a painful emptiness in her heart. She felt alone, drifting… like she had never felt with them. Slowly she looked up, coming to meet the Goddess' eyes.

"Yes," she replied in a voice that she couldn't stop from trembling. "They… need me. Especially Sephiroth. And none of them… deserves to die," she said, her voice about to break.

"Are you sure of your choice, child?" Questioned the Goddess.

Caroline nodded firmly, her heart tight… and at the same time lighter than it had been for weeks.

"Can I ask a question?" She asked bravely, continuing at the nod. "Would… I be returned like on my first trip, with only what I am carrying on me? Or will I be allowed to take and bring somes of my things?"

The Goddess tilted her head slightly to the side, gazing at her in silence. So much courage and selflessness… deserved a reward, she decided.

"You are allowed to take only one bag with you," she said softly. "And whatever you can put inside. But nothing more."

The young woman nodded in response, a little relieved. It meant… that the most important things she had in this world could at least come back with her. The Goddess spoke again, drawing her from her thoughts, and she looked up to look at her.

"You have a lunar cycle to prepare yourself, child. At the end of this period… you will return to Gaia."

Caroline relaxed, relieved, hearing the delay. It meant that she would have time to prepare, and not forget anything behind her. Just as her surroundings began to dissipate into white light… she realized that she had forgotten to ask the Goddess her name. Who was she?

The latter, now alone in the heart of the Planet, smiled with amusement and indulgence.

"Well then…" she whispered happily. "What if I try this form that some people give me here? So much beauty and elegance… it would be a shame not to enjoy it," she chuckled.

Turning away, she moved forward, her shape almost seemed to sink as she changed, and began to trot away. Flowers sprouted behind her, almost immediately withering, forming a temporary flowery path behind her. A disc wrapped in the colors of the sun floating on her back, she vanished in the air, the Lifestream singing around her.

oOo

Caroline woke up with a start, blinking and looking around, disoriented. After a few seconds of confusion, she remembered her dream, and took a deep breath. It was the first time… that she had such a dream. And the hope it brought her… was almost dangerous. But what did she have to lose? She said to herself, getting up with something close to joy for the first time in a long time. The fact that she hadn't dreamed of Zack and Sephiroth's death… to her, it was a sign. And she didn't intend to miss her chance.

So, during the following month, she began to prepare. Gathering the things she could take (going as far as going to town to buy the largest bag she could find , since the Goddess hadn't say anything about size at all, just the fact that only one bag would be allowed), including her video games and consoles, and, in general, spending her money without care. Knowing that, anyway… she would soon be gone. Despite her hesitation… she decided to take the collector's edition of Final Fantasy VII remake that she had pre-ordered almost a year ago. Regretting that they stopped at the end of Midgar. And anyway, she still had the Switch version of the original, she told herself, carefully packing the consoles, wedging them with her t-shirts to make sure they were safe. Fortunately, she was able to take them all, snickering in spite of herself at some of them, guaranteed to make them laugh. Also adding the few stuffed animals she wanted to take, giving up on her giant teddy bear a little reluctantly. Deciding that she would see in the end if she could cram it inside. She also asked her father for help finding the family's photo albums, explaining that she wanted to make one to show it to some of her friends. The latter, relieved to see that she seemed to be getting better, helped her with pleasure. Still scolding her gently on the expenses she seemed to be making, reminding her that she had to pay her rent still.

Caroline tried to reassure him as best she could between two preparations… but she couldn't explain things to him as she wanted. Partly because she wasn't good with words. And what her father didn't know… was that she wasn't coming back. She was almost missing Mini to miniaturize her stuff, but the bag she bought was still a good size. She had… also taken care to make a will, and the action had squeezed her heart. Because she knew it was just the point of no return in her preparations. But she had made up her mind… and refused to look back. She had contacted one of her friends, asking if she could remind her of her exact address, explaining that she had lost it, and was unable to find it. Under her insistence… she had finally explained to her why, knowing that her friend believed in magic. And if her friend had been sad… Saphyra had also encouraged her, soothing her heart. Telling her to hug her favorites for her, and Caroline had promised she would. The rest of the server… didn't know the whole story. Only that, very soon, she would no longer be of this world. Of course, for them, that meant she was going to die… and in a way she was.

Going down one afternoon between cramming things in the bag, she came across a DVD box set that her father had apparently bought… and burst out laughing without being able to help it. A collection of Chuck Norris movies, reminding her of Chuck Nokia. Oh damn, she almost forgot. Going back up as quickly as possible, she opened one of her favorite downloading sites, and selected the full set of movies where the actor played in, as well as the series. Chuckling all along, unable to help it. The old SOLDIER would laugh a lot if she had the chance to show him, she thought with amusement. Also looking for videos of people trying to destroy the Nokia 3310 and 3410, remembering nostalgically that time when mobiles survived everything they could be subjected to. Even going through the washing machine was unable to kill them.

All these videos had forced her to buy another external hard drive… accompanied by absolutely adorable Night furies plushies. She wished she could take her giant Toothless figurine, but she didn't have room for that. It was already a bit hard to cram the collector's edition of The Last Guardian… Caroline had quickly realized that if she wanted to be able to put everything in the bag… she would have to take it down to the living room. She had written a letter to her father explaining everything to him, knowing that he was even less likely to believe her than her friend. For him… she was just going to join friends who were far from here. And that was part of the truth, as modest as it was.

Caroline had looked at the calendar the day the Goddess had spoken to her, a little confused about this story about the lunar cycle… before seeing that her dream had taken place on a full moon night. Seeing that, she kept an eye on the dates, using an app to monitor the phases of the moon. And now that she had arrived on the day of her departure… she couldn't help but stress. Checking her bag to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything, a faint smile graced her lips when she saw the little beads Chocobo that Saphyra had made for her, safe in its little transparent box. Most of the things she took… had more sentimental than monetary value, except for her consoles. Especially the photo album and gifts from her friends. Taking a deep breath, she replayed her "plan" in her mind. Step 1, pack everything she wanted to take from Sephiroth's apartment. Step 2, find Chuck Nokia's apartment… which was, if she remembered, the door at the end of the hall, on the floor below… and beg him to help her. Step 3… still in process. If she was lucky… very little time had passed since her departure. And maybe she could call Zack, as well as Sephiroth.

Looking up, she saw her father and uncle approaching, looking at her with some amused confusion. The young woman had thought of getting some death insurance, making sure to get one that would cover the costs of what she wanted to send to her friend… and also taking care of cutting all of her withdrawals as well as closing her bank account. After all… she wouldn't need it anymore, not where she was going.

"You good? Do you have everything you need?" Asked his uncle with amusement.

"And are you really sure you don't need help?" Asked his father, looking at the huge bag. "Can you carry it by yourself?"

Caroline offered them a weary and sad smile, offering them an ultimate hug, her heart tight. She regretted having hidden things from them… but if she had told them the truth, they would probably have interned her by force, fearing for her health. That way… they could see that she wasn't lying.

"No problem, dad, they are coming to get me. And my friends… are quite strong enough to carry it, don't worry about that."

"If you say so," replied his uncle, looking at the bag skeptically. "And when should they be picking you up?"

She looked at the time, nervous. Night had fallen, and her stress levels were almost going through the roof now. All she hoped for… was that she hadn't done this for nothing.

"Any minute now, normally… oh," she breathed when she saw the first pyreflies begin to appear. "It's starting."

"What is starting… What the hell is this!" Swore her uncle when he saw the luminous filaments begin to emerge from the ground.

The two men backed away almost precipitously when they saw the pale purple filaments coming out of the ground… before realizing that Caroline hadn't moved, calmly grabbing the bag's handle, holding it firmly.

"Im sorry…" she said softly, looking at them with sorrow. "But if I had told you the truth… you wouldn't have believed me."

"Caroline?" Asked her father with concern and confusion, looking at her without understanding.

"Parallel worlds… aren't just a science fiction concept," she said as the filaments got more and more numerous around her body. "I spent three years in another world… when only a few hours had passed here… and I'm going back now. I… I left a letter on my desk to explain everything. Goodbye…" said the young woman as the filaments finished forming a cocoon around her.

The luminous sphere shone for a few more seconds… before suddenly contracting, forming a round light the size of a marble, which rocketed towards the ceiling, disappearing silently without a trace. The two men remained shocked for several more minutes, failing to believe what they had just seen. By mutual agreement, they decided to go to bed. Hoping that when they woke up, it would just have been a bad dream.

To be continued…

First part of what happened with Caroline ^^

The next chapter will detail her return, and what happened during the five years that Zack was imprisoned/on the run, and Sephiroth was dead.

(yes Caro is a girl from our world, deal with it XD - Dragon)