Final Fantasy VII: Lifestream - Book 2: Aftermath

TWENTY-THREE

She let her arm drop to her side. "Thanks, Tifa. I'm up for working on my legs next, just as soon as I catch my breath."

"If you want," Tifa said. "But how about downstairs?"

Jessie gave her a thumbs up with her good hand. "Sounds good. I'll be happy to get outta this room for a little while."

Aerith chuckled. "I don't doubt it."

With a little help from Aerith and Tifa, Jessie turned on the bed so she was sitting on the edge. Then Marissa took her red headband from the dresser and brought it over. It had been thoroughly cleaned during the past two days and was as good as new. Jessie gazed at it fondly for a moment, then looked up at me.

"Help a girl out, merc?" she asked.

I moved closer to her as Marissa gave me the headband. "Sure. Just hold still for a minute."

"Thanks," Jessie smiled as I carefully put it on for her and tied it in place. "This is all that's left of my old gear that I could salvage. The rest is pretty much totaled, unfortunately."

"You'll find a new outfit," I assured her.

She smirked. "Yeah. Something that'll really catch your eye."

I nodded. "Can't wait to see it."

After gently picking Jessie up in my arms, I started to carry her out into the upstairs hall. But halfway there, I stopped, gazing closely at her in surprise. But I hadn't been mistaken. What I'd just seen was no trick of the light. Jessie looked curiously back at me as Aerith and the others shared a curious, wondering glance.

"What's wrong, Cloud?" Jessie asked.

I looked again, confirming it. "Your eyes. They're glowing."

She stared at me. "What?"

I took her over to the mirror. "See for yourself."

As she gazed at her reflection just above the dresser, Jessie's jaw fell open. Her dark brown eyes shone softly back at her. It was faint, which was why none of us had noticed it before, but it was there. Tifa and the rest all crowded around behind us to see.

"Oh, wow..." Jessie gaped.

"But how's that possible?" Tifa wondered, looking at me. "She's not a SOLDIER. I don't understand."

I shook my head. "I don't know. Unless..."

Marissa finished my thought. "Your blood, Cloud. It's full of mako from when you were infused with it. Kunsel told me a little about how the process for enhancing SOLDIERs works."

"And when I donated some of it to Jessie..." I began.

"You passed the mako on to her," Marissa explained. "I'm so sorry, you guys. I should've remembered."

I brushed it off. "You're fine. We had to save her."

"Any side effects?" Aerith asked.

"I've had a bit of a headache that's flared up now and again, but not much else," Jessie said. "Probably just from getting so banged up in the pillar. Nothing a little aspirin won't cure."

I glanced sharply at her. "Have you seen anything?"

She blinked. "As in hallucinations? Nope. Not a one, Cloud. I hope that's not something typical of SOLDIERs."

"It's not," I assured her. "I was... just wondering."

I worried about Jessie, knowing now that she carried some of what I had in me. Hopefully it wouldn't be an issue and the eyes would be all that came of it, but I was gonna keep a close watch on her as much as I could. She smiled as she looked at our reflections in the mirror, both of us with glowing mako eyes. Hers were barely visible for now, but they'd gradually grow brighter over time.