Chapter Twenty---Rise from the Ashes

Axel slammed his fist against the unforgiving wood of Sephiroth's door. No one answered. Cloud gently steered him away before he broke his fist. Fear was overcoming Axel; an unsettling, shattering feeling that left him oversensitized to everything around him.

"Axel, it's alright. We'll go find Riku and we'll get Sephiroth. Zexion will be ok." Tears forced their way down Axel's face. Zexion had to be ok. If Zexion wasn't ok, Sora wouldn't be ok and Riku wouldn't be ok. And if Riku wasn't ok then Leon wouldn't be ok. And if Sora wasn't ok, he himself wouldn't be ok and then Cloud wouldn't be ok. Everything would just be terribly, horribly, very badly, horribly wrong.

It would just be wrong.

"Axel look at me." Pale lips quivered in Cloud's gaze as he tried to calm the red-head before him. It was disturbing to see Axel so distraught.

"I promise everything will be ok. Do you hear me? I promise."

Cloud knew better then to make promises he couldn't keep.

Riku hadn't moved for days. Leon was becoming worried. If it hadn't been for the boy's occasional trips to the bathroom, he would have drug the aqua-eyed teen to the hospital himself. Leon just didn't know what to do for him.

Zexion was the only thing Riku loved more then life itself (even Leon came in a willing second) and he was scared of losing it. Losing the only person that had been with him through everything.

No one could get a hold of Sephiroth either. He wasn't home, at the office or answering his phone and it was making Leon very nervous. Leon didn't do nervous. It just wasn't him. But this whole thing...it was just...wrong. And it was breaking Riku more and more every day.

And as Riku broke, so did Leon's heart.

It was all planned now. All he had to do was wait. And Sephiroth hated waiting. But it was worth it. This time, Trista wouldn't get away with it. This time he could be there for his sons. He could make up for the lost time. So Sephiroth waited.

It was only a matter of time before it all came crashing down.

Zexion awoke to an empty hospital room. The heavy weight of fear rested on his chest as well as uneasy relief that no one was there. He tried sitting up but every time he moved, the world tilted and swayed and he couldn't do anything but fall back onto the bed exhausted.

Footsteps neared his room and he held his breath until they passed. He had to get out of here. But with all the personal running around, that was going to be impossible.

"Hello honey. Are you feeling better? I brought the nurse, she's going to make it all better, I promise." Trista sneered at her son as Tifa came into view, a rather large syringe filled with that same harmless looking fluid that 'would make it all better.'

"Don't be scared honey. It will all be over soon." Zexion, however, was looking into the blazing jade eyes of someone behind her.

It was all over.

A.n: Ahahaha update!!!! enjoi my lovelies and review!!!!!!! This is almost done and its my longest piece yet, so you'd better like it! Just kidding. Though I will be out with a new one called Symbiotic Fascination. Check it out and let me know what you think!!!

Ulti!!!