<span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-size: 50%; line-height: 116%;">It had been so long....</span><br/><br/><span style="font-size: 85%; line-height: 116%;">Way too long....</span><br/><br/>But now...Now he had finally found the answer!!! And with that answer, he finally could return. Return to the loathsome place that had forsaken him, banishing him to that rift in time. It was their fault he had ended up in that chasm, it was THEIR fault he'd been alone for so long. Now he would return, and make them suffer like he had, make them suffer for each of years that had passed, the years that never seemed like they would ever end. Oh how he had thought about just ending it all, but the thought and thirst of revenge, and his overwhelming hunger for power wouldn't let him. No...he would endure. But he couldn't guarantee that they would.<br/><br/>The swirling vortex was before him as he stood there, crackling loudly, the colors a mixture of blacks and purples. Flickers of electricity could be seen, and it made his hair stand on end. A twisted smile forms on his lips, his eyes aglow with a crazed expression, as he begins to laugh maniacally. YES! This was it! He'd finally figured out the code he needed to get out of this damned loophole of time.<br/><br/>Reaching out with his hand, he reaches towards the vortex, his fingers coming in to contact with it first. It felt like an electrical shock was sent through his body, jolting him rather violently, but to him it was nothing. His time spent here, he'd been through a lot worse. So much worse. Pushing forward, his arm went through next, before completely stepping through after taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, his other hand clenched around a sphere, which even between his clenched fingers, a green glow could be seen. This was the key to his success, the core to XVZY, all the codes and answers he needed were literally now in the palm of his hand.<br/><br/>It felt like he was falling, tumbling around in a chasm of never-ending nothingness, and he dared not open his eyes. This amount was nothing to the time he spend, but he couldn't help but feel a nudging of impatience, as the spacial winds blew past his face, tugging at his hair and clothing, trying to wrench the orb from his fingers, but he held on relentlessly. He wasn't about to let go of the prize he'd gained from this endeavor, not easily anyway.</span><br/><br/>A rip in the sky appears just outside of the city of Midgar, as the sky itself becomes dark, clouds forming quickly, and lightning flashing over and over. A particularly loud burst of lightning followed by an ear deafening roll of thunder arrives, coming from within the tear in the clouds. And just as quickly as it had begun, it was over. The people who had seen it look at each other, confusion on their faces, wondering what that was. It certainly wasn't natural or normal, that was for sure.<br/><br/>The change of consistency against his face could be felt, no longer was it the feel of ethereal air, but the fresh clean air of the world he'd been away from for so long. He breathes in as he falls from the sky, filling his lungs with the scent of this place. The earth was coming closer, and he rights himself, landing hard on the ground, his knees bending slightly to take the impact. Slowly he stands upright, opening his eyes as he looks around. For a moment he was quiet, but then he begins to chuckle quietly. Then a little louder. And more so. Until he was laughing like a crazy person, his face turned up to the sky, eyes open wide. "AAAHHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!! I'M BACK! FINALLY I'M BACK!!! YES!!!!" He takes a sharp intake of breath, stopping his laughter and calming down. Looking forward at the city of Midgar, his eyes were glowing with malice. For now he'd wait. They'd get their punishment. Soon. Soon.<br/><br/>In another section of the city, a group of people who'd seen what went on moments earlier were whispering among themselves. "That certainly wasn't normal...I wonder what happened. Maybe it had to do with the disappearance of that one boy? What was his name? Cerberus?" "Yes, that was right. No one ever found him. Not even a body! It was as if he just completely vanished, erased from the world...." "I'd heard he'd gotten in to some trouble, but Shinra never would tell exactly what the case was..." After a moment they look up, spotting a Soldier, and become quiet, hushing their voices even more.