Rufus Shinra stood before the great window in his office, eyes scouring the city below him, hands neatly folded behind his back. His lips transfixed themselves into a smirk at the realization that struck him. He was confident everything would succeed, and at a level that would far best the accomplishments of his father.

In contrast to his arrogant mood, it baffled him how well his old man's influence still managed to hang around. True, it had been a mere two weeks since his rather bloody departure from the Planet, but it was remarkable how he could still be felt everywhere. Every time Rufus entered this room, that was once his father's office, he felt a need to announce his arrival with a formal greeting. But he nearly slapped himself in the forehead each time, when he realized reality. He was, to his great distress, harking to the ghost of the man he had loathed for as long as he could remember.

But President Shinra was no more than a ghost. He could not interfere.

"Sorry, Old Man," Rufus muttered, flicking his ginger hair from his eyes. "Too late. Its my turn now." He turned to face the great desk behind him. His hands pulled apart, and he raised a hand, clenched it into a fist, and shook it. "You hear me? You failed."

"Mr. President?"

Rufus' sapphire eyes darted to the opposite end of the room. "What is it?" he replied, not bothering to shed the anger from his voice. He sighed and straightened the sleeves on his white trench coat. He sighed. "Of course. The conference. Is there really a need for it?"

The man standing at the far end of the room straightened his glasses and flicked a strand of long, ebony hair behind his back. His arms, clad in the sleeves of a well-weathered lab coat, crossed themselves over his chest. A bark of laughter broke the silence in the room. "That's what makes you an inferior replacement, you know."

Rufus narrowed his eyes. "Don't speak to me like I'm one of your experiments, Hojo," he spat. "That little bit of indiscretion is costly, and is what makes you a second-rate scientist."

Hojo's jaw tightened. "Of course, you would choose to defy previous standards. It is only logical."

Rufus rolled his eyes, disgusted by the reminder of the way his father always liked to attend the conferences, giving them long, involved speeches. "The people shall be controlled by an iron fist, not by money. Speeches are pleasant ways to win affection, but why waste my breath? I'm not like my father." He smirked, then, drastically changing the atmosphere in the spacious room. "I was hoping, rather, you were here to enlighten me."

Hojo approached him. "Yes, I suppose I could do that."

Rufus nodded in affirmation. "Then, please."

"There has actually been a change in Sephiroth's course. The main clone, the one we believe killed President Shinra, was found dead last night in the City of the Ancients. Head severed, high-intensity liquefied Mako surrounding it."

Rufus raised his eyebrows. All thoughts of the conference were put aside-he no longer cared. "Was it Cloud that did it?" he suggested with a hint of surprise in his voice.

Hojo shook his head. "We believe so, but we are only eight five percent positive. Fifteen percent contains questions, errors in observation and the well-being of the observer-"

"Which was?" Rufus cut in.

"The Turks."

A moment of silence passed before the young president found the words to judge the situation. "This sounds, rather fortunate."

"Not quite. As you know, the clones are all controlled-theoretically, of course-by the true Sephiorth's will. Therefore, it was his decision to see this one die. According to our calculations, it is almost entirely a possibility that the real Sephiroth is still seeking the Promised Land."

Rufus struggled to maintain an indifferent expression. "I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed," he said bitterly. "Is there any way at all that we can get there first? Though, I strongly doubt if we put a flag in the ground first it will mean anything to him."

"I suggest we allow this Cloud and his companions the right to deal with him. Statistics and past evidence show that they have proven themselves extremely effective against him, though their power is hardly a worthy comparison to Sephiroth's. Shinra Inc. should intervene only when absolutely necessary."

"You're actually making sense," Rufus said with a cocky grin. "But it only means more waiting."

"Patience is a virtue," the sly scientist remarked coldly. "And I sincerely doubt you will ever find your Promised Land anyway. Its utter nonsense, an old wives' tale."

Rufus dwelled on the thought of scorning Hojo's career approach for a moment, but soon tossed the prospect aside. It wasn't worth it, the man was never going to change. But he got his job done, and that was all that mattered. Though he despised it, Rufus felt he would have to go with his old man's judgment when it came to the eccentric scientist, and just turn a blind eye to his oddity.

"The conference awaits," Hojo said, already pacing away to the elevator.

"Tell them its cancelled, on account of breaking news."

"I am a scientist, not a messenger."

"Apparently, you're both. Its thanks to you, after all, that I won't be attending. Too many things to think about. The very purpose of the meeting has been ripped to shreds-there can't be a beginning to this search for the Promised Land until we have a clear shot."

Hojo murmured something that was just out of earshot, and then was gone.

Rufus turned away, stretching his arms over his head and rocking his neck back and forth.

Well, this complicates things.

The elevator doors slid open, and a single form emerged and darted into the room. It was Elena, the blond, secretary-turned-Turk. She had begun her new career by overcompensating her power, and had often made rash decisions that had done nothing but hinder Shinra's pursuit of Sephiroth. She had a huge amount of respect for the late Tseng, though, Rufus knew. But that, if anything, had saved her from making any more mistakes.

"Mr. President?" she inquired, skidding to a halt in front of him. "I have news for you!"

He regarded her from the corner of his eye. "Shouldn't you be tracking Sephiroth?"

"Yes, Sir. I was, Sir. But you see, the communication to the Northern Continent is very shaky, and I was afraid of a bad transmission, so I decided to report to you directly, Sir-"

"And let him gain another few days time ahead of us?"

Elena shuddered, her head bowed, blonde hair nearly hiding her face. "I-no, Sir. Agent Reno and Agent Rude are on the case as we speak. We've located him. He's in Icicle Town!"

"But for how long? You think its an impossibility that he can just up and go right under your noses? Or vanish from sight even if just you take the time to blink? He's done it before, Elena, he can do it again. Besides, Professor Hojo has informed me that the Sephiroth the Turks are pursuing is now dead."

"Yes, I know, I reported it," Elena said, head now raised and brows knitted together in confusion. "But I don't understand. If he's dead, then who are we pursuing now? And I mean, its not like before, where we thought he was dead but he really wasn't. I saw the body. No way that couldn't be classified as dead. He can't come back from that."

Rufus shook his head, and pressed his hand to his forehead. "I forget how little you know. But that doesn't matter. Go ahead with your report."

Elena took a breath. "He was accompanied by a girl. The same one that Tseng called 'The Ancient', and the same one that I believe was considered to be very valuable to Shinra Inc. They passed through the outskirts just three hours ago, and are staying the very same inn as the Turks."

Rufus was silent. "Well, this is sudden and unexpected."

Elena took his statement as a need to spread the news. "Should I inform Professor Hojo?"

The president shook his head. "No. Not yet. Get back there, now. How long is the flight by helicopter, two hours or so? The Northern Continent isn't that far. Anyway, watch him. Do not let him leave that inn without you watching him as he goes through the door. If he has this Ancient with him, it should significantly slow him down, especially considering the fact that she's on Cloud's side. He should be easier to follow."

Elena scurried to the elevator and clambered her way into it.

Rufus smiled to himself as he turned to once again stare out the window.

Good things come to those who choose to wait, he thought smugly. Unfortunately for you, old man, you didn't wait long enough.

- - - - - - - - - -

An entire day had come and gone since the incident in the Capitol. Night had fallen again. Aeris trudged far behind her captor, shivering with a cold that not only encased her outer body, but one that had delved into her mind as well, and caused it to nearly freeze in place. And she was grateful, in a way, that nature had relieved her from over-thinking her situation by making it nearly impossible to do so.

It was the only comfort, even if it was indirect, that she had felt from the Planet for a long while. There had been nothing threaded into her mind, no sign of confirmation that the path on which her feet now carried her was indeed the next rightful advancement in her life. Nothing, even, had come from the voice of her mother, with whom she had spoken to at will for as long as she could remember. It had been too crowed and noisy in Midgar, and only in the sanctity of the church in the slums could she hear her mother's voice. Now, just as freely, in the quiet and unspoiled silence of the wild, she would expect to hear her, but nothing came. She waited, hour after hour, in Corral Cave, and then in the snow fields, for anything to arrive so familiarly in her head. But nothing came, and all she could do was blindly follow Sephiroth.

There had been no breaking camp, no fire, no soft place to rest her head. They had been walking the entire time, saying nothing. Aeris had expected nothing less, of course. In the meantime, she had managed to pull a Hyper capsule from one of the pockets of her red jacket beneath her cloak, and had swallowed it down. It had given her energy, and a will, to keep going, for she feared what would happen if she collapsed in the snow. The strange yet majestic man that paced so tirelessly before her was one that had failed to kill her even when foreseen to do so, but she knew nothing else about him.

And it made her heart ache all the more.

Only recently had the thoughts of long ago girlish admiration come rushing back to her. How she had seen him in her thoughts, in her dreams. How she had shivered but marveled at the killing of his enemies, when she had felt all of the unfortunate souls enter the Lifestream after their encounter with the deadly Shinra general. It was during the war with Wutai that he had truly become a hero, after all. She had felt a pang in her heart when it had been her foster mother's husband that had been the victim. But she had looked past all of that. War was a mortal event, that turned mortal against mortal. It was only fitting that he, Sephiroth-though considered to be a god among men was still, in fact, human-he could get caught up in it.

But when he had waged war against the Planet, it was a sin too strong for her to overlook. She had promised herself, in spite of her gentle disposition, that she would never forgive him for such a feat. Now, however, things were different. That version of the general had died back in the Ancient City. The one she was following now was the very same one she had admired from afar for so many years. It was insane, but true, and staring her directly in the eye.

But it was futile. All of those secret thoughts and dreams of hers would never amount to anything, like she had always told herself they wouldn't...

"A penny for your thoughts."

His voice thawed her mind a bit, and she suddenly realized that she had fallen behind. Sephiroth stood before her, his hair whipping wildly about his face in the frigid wind. The light of his eyes had intensified in the chill air, and were filled with smugness.

"I'm-I'm sorry," Aeris uttered, her face a mask of apology.

"We're nearly there."

"Sorry, but where exactly is there?"

- - - - - - - - - -

He had never been a man of humble nature, but nevertheless, he felt pity for her right then and there, at that precise moment. She was so helpless, but so strong, he reminded himself curtly. She had made it all this way, without a single word. It would be expected of him to take advantage of her cooperation, and just press on the rest of the way. But he owed her a great deal, and it would be the least he could do to grant her what he figured her heart most desired at this very point in time.

Rest.

"We're stopping in Icicle Town. At the inn."

It was worth it, he assured himself, as he watched the life he had admired draw back into her eyes.

Another twenty minutes, and they had reached the town. The land had begun to slope upwards, and so the lights of the tiny cluster of log buildings had been sheltered until the very last moment, when they were upon it.

"It would probably be best for you to arrange for the accommodations," he said to her as they passed through the narrow line of trees and neared the inn. His tone was one of an order, rather than a suggestion.

They stopped on the doorstep. She peered into his eyes. "But what about you?"

"I'll find you, don't worry." He took hold of her hand, and when she obediently opened it, he released a handful of gil into it. "Use this."

She took it, and hesitantly backed away from him, opened the door, and was gone as it clicked shut behind her.

Sephiroth sighed deeply, walking briskly back into the shelter of the trees. He raised an eyebrow as he heard a twig snap. He turned in the direction from whence the sound had come from, and noticed a small blonde woman scurry away into the darkness. Suspicion tore at him, and he felt a need to press on, and immediately. Standing out here like this was an invitation for trouble.

But Aeris needed to rest, and he would let her, at least until dawn.

It was going to be a long night.

- - - - - - - - - -

A/N: Sorry it took so long for the update! I was on vacation and not near a computer for quite a while, so...forgive me! Hope this sort-of-long chapter makes up for it. Oh yeah, and, like so many other great fics I've read, I'd like to say that things in the romance department are going to take a little time. Love is such a complicated thing, after all. : )