Final Fantasy VII: Lifestream - Book 3: Pursuit

FORTY-TWO

Jessie dropped her hand at once. "I knew you'd be here..."

"Always," Sephiroth and Jenova said together. "So many memories in this place. But now, the reunion awaits us."

Cloud frowned. "Reunion?"

"I don't like the sound of that..." Jessie murmured.

"We will be there," Sephiroth and Jenova continued, their voices as one. "The calamity and I. And so will you."

Aerith hefted her staff. "We'll stop you. Both of you."

"By all means, try," they taunted.

Then they were gone, fading into a black mist. Once they'd left, the air seemed lighter, and laying on the stone floor where they'd been was a small green materia orb. Destruct, I sensed when I picked it up. Able to shatter and dispel magical barriers and effects. As I put it into one of the slots on my gun, Cloud looked intently at us.

"Aerith's right," he said, his eyes finding each of ours in turn. "We're definitely gonna stop them. So stay frosty."

"We will," Tifa promised.

Aerith's emerald eyes were determined. "They're afraid of us, guys. That's why they're taunting us. Trying to break us."

Jessie swept her arm in front of her. "Not happening."

"Right," Cloud agreed.

I felt the same way, and although I said nothing, I nodded to show my sentiments were in line with theirs. Then we went into the study to search for clues. While Cloud and I looked through the desk, Jessie and the others checked the bookshelves along the walls. We moved quickly, none of us wanting to be here in the house any longer than we had to. I scanned old documents but found nothing. Then Tifa called to us. She had pulled another file folder off one of the shelves and had seemingly discovered something. We all looked at her.

"I think this might be about our two missing friends out there," she said. "You know, the ones who were in the tanks?"

Aerith nodded. "Yeah. What have you found, Tifa?"

Tifa read from the papers she was holding. "Description of the two specimens, A and B, at the time of their capture. Specimen A was from SOLDIER. No measurable effect was able to be detected from exposure to mako or Jenova cells. Specimen B was a wounded Shinra trooper. A definite reaction to Jenova cells was observed."

"So they were prisoners," Aerith said. "But taken from where? And why were they brought down here, of all places?"

Jessie shrugged. "I wish I knew. Anything else, Tifa?"

"Yeah," she replied. She read more. "Both specimens escaped from their holding tanks and fled. Pursuit was immediate and lasted almost a year until they were located just outside Midgar. A battalion was sent to recapture them. Specimen A was shot and killed but inflicted heavy casualties before succumbing to his injuries. However, Specimen B was unable to be found. He either escaped or was hidden, but his condition was poor at last report and a search is unnecessary."

"Damn..." Cloud sighed.

Jessie's eyes widened slightly at what Tifa had read, then she caught herself and quickly regained her composure as Aerith bowed her head for a moment, not entirely able to suppress a sniffle. What did it mean? I really didn't know, other than the sorrow they felt for those two men, one dead and one lost. I can't say I blamed them.

Then Cloud found something else in another file he'd been looking at and beckoned to us. "Hey, listen to this. Seems to be about that other soldier who was on Mt. Nibel with us that day, Tif."