Cloud and I shared tender kisses, not needing any words. It felt so good to be like this with him again. I'd missed it so much. Although it had only been about a month since I had put our relationship on hold, it felt as if it had been longer. Now it was back on, though, and I didn't have any doubts about my decision. Not one.
Eventually, I came up for air with a grin. "Whew! You sure haven't lost your touch, Cloud. Breathtaking as ever!"
"You're not so bad yourself," he quipped, stroking my cheek.
"Then get back here and let me show you," I teased.
He did, and I gave him a full demonstration of my talents. Our lips fused together as my heart slammed against my ribs and a hurricane of butterflies swept through my stomach. Until now, for the past month, I hadn't let myself go too far on the few times I'd kissed Cloud. But now, I didn't hold back. As I sat in bed with him in his arms while the bright morning sun shone through the window, I reintroduced my tongue to his with a vengeance and held him tight against me.
As we shared that tender, passionate embrace, I forgot all about the faint, dull throbbing in my lower back where Corneo had stabbed me. I was still worn out from using my flashy new powers last night on the mountain, but not as much as before, and I kept Cloud close as long as I could, my lips moving against his, until finally I had to relax, sit back, and catch my breath for a moment. I just laid against him for a while as I rested in the shelter of his arms. I could've stayed there all day, and to be honest, I was more than a little tempted.
"Don't push yourself too hard, Jessie," Cloud said as he held me so close. "I'm not going anywhere. I promised you that."
I smiled. "I remember. Back in Midgar."
He slid his fingers through my hair. "Yeah. I still mean it."
"So do I," my lips touched his again.
We spent much of the day there, in and around the Kisaragi estate, as I took a much-needed breather after everything that had gone on in the past few days. I moved as much as I could, taking walks with Cloud in the gardens and enjoying the fresh air. It was so nice, and the calls of birds chirping sounded here and there.
Then, as we rounded a corner on the garden path, I saw a familiar white eagle perched on a nearby branch. It was watching me with those same familiar eyes, its gaze knowing and almost infinitely deep. And as I stopped and gazed at it, I thought I understood, at least a little. It was Materia, and yet it wasn't. It was more than her. The dream Cloud and I had shared last night had been because of what lay behind her, a light that was vast and timeless. Materia was simply its face for now. And so was my other self. The realization made me tremble.
I let go of Cloud and bowed slightly. "Thank you..."
The eagle tilted its head slightly in my direction, then flew away. It soared up into the sky, circling higher and higher until it was just a tiny white speck in the distance. Then it was gone. As I watched it go, I took out the feather it had left me the first time I'd seen it.
"What's that?" Cloud wondered.
"A message," I murmured. "And a promise."
He raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
I gazed quietly at the feather. "Things are gonna get harder, Cloud, a lot harder, but we're not alone. The planet... she's with us. No matter how dark it gets, there's always light. Hold onto that."
"Will do," he nodded. Then we started walking again. "Never seen an eagle like that before. You met it before?"
"On Mt. Nibel," I said. "Found this after she flew away."
Cloud blinked. "She?"
"I've got a hunch it's a she, yeah," I replied.
"What makes you say that?" he asked.
I thought for a moment. "Did you know LOVELESS was based on a legend set down in a book of poems?"
Cloud shook his head. "Not really. What legend?"
"It's about three brothers who set off in search of the legendary gift of the Goddess," I told him. "But only one of them found it. In the play, I was both Princess Sarah, the hero's lover—but some versions call her Rosa—and the Goddess. Know what her name was?"
"Wait, you don't mean—" Cloud's eyes widened.
I nodded. "Minerva. Materia's other name, remember? You haven't met her yet, but I've told you about her."
"She's the Goddess from the legend?" he stared.
"Sort of," I said, thinking aloud. "But it's more than that. The eagle, I think that was Minerva, too. Taking on a shape we could understand so she could interact with us. Like Materia. But that face changes from time to time. And it's chosen my other self..."
Cloud stopped in his tracks. "You sure about that?"
I was. "Yeah. Incredible, huh?"
"Sure is," he agreed. "You'd make a hell of a Goddess, Jessie."
"Thanks!" I laughed. Then I looked quietly up at the clear blue sky again, humbled, awed, and deeply honored. "It's a little hard to believe. I mean, out of everyone on the planet, she chose me. I mean, my other self. Not quite the same, I know, but still... it's just overwhelming. And I'm not sure why I deserve such an honor..."
Cloud laid a hand on my shoulder. "Maybe that's the reason. You're questioning it rather than basking in it. And maybe because you've had a little light in you right from the beginning."
"Cloud..." I slid into his arms and hugged him.
"In most of the other timelines, you died in the pillar," he went on. "Maybe this is Minerva's way of balancing the scales."
I smiled. "Maybe it is, at that."
Cloud kissed me gently. "Looks like you outrank me now, Jessie. A Goddess is way above a SOLDIER First Class."
"I won't tell if you won't," I teased, kissing him back.
We walked around some more, arm in arm as the morning turned into afternoon, and met the others for lunch in Godo's banquet hall. At least, everyone but Cid, who'd already left town to get started on fixing the Tiny Bronco. Cloud and I had also gotten our materia organized in the meantime and had fitted it back into our gear.
I was outside again in the garden relaxing on one of the elaborately carved stone benches with Cloud when Tifa and Yuffie walked up with two young women. One was maybe my age, with short brown hair that hung above her shoulders. She wore a plain dress and a serene, grateful smile. Next to her was a younger girl, maybe sixteen or seventeen, with long, fiery red hair. Her green eyes were nervous behind her glasses. As I looked at the two women, I noticed fading bruises and scars here and there, signs of torment and abuse, and understood.
"Hi, Jessie," Tifa said. "Yuffie and I have been helping the Wusheng rescue the other women Corneo had kidnapped. Now that he's gone, it wasn't hard for us to find them. I remembered what you told us at Fort Condor about a hidden lair in the Wall Market sewers and figured he'd have done the same thing here. And he did."
"That sicko had a bunch of 'em stashed away underground all over the city, but we found and freed everyone," Yuffie added. "My dad and the rest of the Wusheng have people taking care of 'em now and letting their families and friends know they're alright."
Tifa looked at the other two girls and smiled. "I thought you'd want to meet these girls yourself, though. And they also wanted to meet you. You'll understand why when you talk to them."
I nodded. "Looking forward to it!"
"My name's Merle," the older girl said. "And I'm glad to meet you, Jessie. Tifa said you helped my fiancee in Wall Market. I hear he's been looking for me ever since you all chased Corneo away."
My jaw dropped. "Leslie!? So you're the girl he's looking for! I'm so glad you're okay! We've gotta let him know!"
"Thank you, Jessie," she replied fondly. "And don't worry, he'll find me. Yuffie and the Wusheng are helping me. I wrote him a letter telling him that I'm here and waiting for him. They'll track him down and get it to him as soon as they can so we can be together again. I just wanted to tell you that I really appreciate how you helped Leslie in Wall Market and convinced him not to give up on me."
"My pleasure, Merle," I stood up and embraced her.
Tifa gestured toward the red-haired girl with a knowing grin. "And this is Marcy. I believe you know her best friend."
I gasped in delight. "You bet I do! Lydia's gonna be so happy!"
"We've known each other ever since we were kids," Marcy said, her green eyes misty. "Grew up together, you know? After I was taken over a year ago and brought way out here, the thought of seeing her and my family again... it was all that kept me going. I've been away for so long, and I just want to go home. I miss them so much..."
"I know, hon, I know..." I whispered, taking her in my arms. "And you're gonna seem them real soon, I promise. You've had a rough time of it this past year, but it's over. You're safe now."
Cloud glanced at Tifa. "Can we make sure she gets home?"
"Already on it!" Yuffie assured him. "Not all the girls we saved were from Wutai. So my dad and the Wusheng are making arrangements for the ones that aren't to be taken to Midgar or wherever they're from and reunited with their families and friends as soon as they can travel. Not that we don't want 'em, though—anyone who wants to stay is welcome, of course. We're just trying to help however we can."
"Thank you," Marcy breathed. "Thank you so much..."
Yuffie nodded. "Anytime! You'll be home before you know it!"
Marcy looked hopefully at her. "It'll be good to be back. I've... I've gone through a lot since Corneo's gang took me, but... as long as Lydia and my family are there with me, I think I'll be okay."
I understood all too well, seeing the same haunted look in her eyes that had been in Lena's after her terrible experience with the Vice gang. She was right, though. Being back with those who cared about her and loved her would help her recover from all that she'd gone through. And I knew someone else who could help her as well.
"When you get back to Midgar, a friend of mine'll meet you there," I promised. "I'll contact her and let her know that you're coming. She's got connections there, and she'll help you find your family and set you up with whatever you whatever you need to start putting your life back together. When you see her, just tell her I sent you."
"Thank you, Jessie," Marcy hugged me. "What's her name?"
I smiled. "Marissa."
After I gave her Marissa's number, Marcy left with Tifa, her spirits a little brighter after our meeting, but Yuffie lingered for a bit, her face unusually solemn. She still had grim news to deliver to her dad and the rest of the Wusheng, and it wouldn't be easy. After fidgeting around for a minute or two, Yuffie sat next to me on the bench. At first, she didn't say anything, just gazed quietly at the gardens around us. But then she finally looked at me, took a deep breath, and spoke.
"Um, Jessie?" she asked. "Say you had some bad news to deliver to someone who used to be a good friend about someone she really cared about. How... how would you break it to her?"
I slid an arm around her shoulder. "Just be honest, Yuffie. Shake'll be mad at you, but don't take it personally. She just needs time to work through the pain, that's all. Give her some space."
"I guess that makes sense," she said. "Shake's a few years older than me, but we grew up together and always used to be tight. That is, until Hiroshi went missing. She blames me for that, you know."
"That's what I figured," I nodded.
Yuffie sighed. "First her big brother, and now the guy she loved. He actually got her a gift before he met up with me for our mission, Jessie. Sonon hadn't told her how he felt yet, didn't think he was worthy to be promised to one of the Wusheng, but he still loved her. He thought that if he could successfully complete our mission, he'd earn the right to ask for her hand. But now... now he's gone..."
"What was the gift?" I asked quietly.
She carefully took a small, cloth-wrapped bundle out of her pocket and unwrapped it. Inside was a delicately crafted crystal wren standing on part of a branch, its wings folded against its body and its feathers all incredibly detailed. The graceful, elegant sculpture looked as if it might spring to life any moment and fly around us.
"It's beautiful..." I breathed.
"Sonon always did have a thing for the dramatic," Yuffie chuckled. "Well, not in how he acted—he was usually pretty quiet and stoic, a lot like Mr. Crazy Chocobo Hair here—"
"Hey!" Cloud protested.
Yuffie just went on as if she hadn't heard him. "But for little things like this, he'd let out that other side of him. Shake's got a thing for birds, so he had it specially made for her while he was here."
I smiled sadly. "I bet she would've liked it."
"Oh, yeah," Yuffie sighed. "She can be a bit of a loudmouth, but her heart's as soft as they come. And she loves artsy stuff like this. Should I give to her, Jessie? He'd want her to have it, but..."
"Eventually," I said. "But you might wanna wait a bit until she's had time to grieve and work through what's happened."
She carefully put the wren away. "I guess you're right. I don't think now would be a good time for this. She's already pissed at me—I saw it well enough yesterday—and it'll only get worse."
I didn't doubt it. "Shake'll be mad at you for while, but believe me, she'll come around sooner or later."
"Will she... ever forgive me?" Yuffie wondered.
"You didn't do anything wrong, Yuffie," I assured her. "And in time, she'll see that. Back in Midgar, before the plate fell, Barret found out I'd worked for Shinra. I hadn't told him myself yet because I'd been scared he'd hate me. So I kept it from him for years."
Her eyes widened. "Was he mad?"
"Furious," I nodded, remembering. "He said things to me that day that I thought I'd never hear him say. I was devastated, broken... and I felt as if I'd betrayed him. But you know something? When I was in the pillar during Shinra's attack, he saw how hard I was fighting in spite of what he'd done to me, and he started to regret it."
"Really?" Yuffie's eyebrows went up.
It was something I'd never forget. "Yeah. I didn't know at the time, but it was really starting to eat him up inside. And when Cloud carried me up to the top and Barret noticed how hurt I was after taking on that Shinra chopper, he forgot all about being mad at me. I knew then how sorry he was for how he'd treated me before. He was so worried, and he promised we'd talk. The guy's just a big ol' teddy bear, I tell ya! But then I got my stubborn ass blown off the pillar. I nearly died."
Yuffie gave me a playful little punch. "I'm glad you pulled through, though. This trip would've been so boring without ya!"
"Thanks," I grinned. "Most people like to say they're the life of the party. Me? I am the party! Hasn't always been the easiest road to travel, but I sure am glad to be on it and liven it up! Anyway, while I was stuck in that coma, I heard Barret apologize to me. He also promised to save me, felt it was his fault I was so hurt. Later, when I woke up, we worked things out, and we've been a lot closer ever since."
"So he came around?" Yuffie said.
I smiled. "Yeah. And so will Shake. Just give her time."
She stood up, took a breath to steady herself, and nodded. "Guess I might as well get this over with. Wish me luck, Jessie."
"I do, Yuffie," I told her. "I do."
"Thanks," she said. Then she looked thoughtfully at me. "I've got a picture of Hiroshi back at my house from just before he left home to go on his mission to Midgar. He was about twenty back then. Kinda cute, too. Think it could help your friends in Shinra find him?"
It was definitely a good idea. "Yeah. Any kind of visual ID like that would be useful. Since Hiroshi was probably posing as a Shinra soldier, Kunsel can use his photo as a basis for comparison while checking the records. Shinra keeps a picture of every soldier who joins up. So all he'd have to do is search the database until he finds a match. It's gonna take time, though. There are thousands of soldiers."
"Alright," Yuffie decided. "As soon as I get back, we'll go over to my house and I'll get you that photo. I know right where it is!"
"Sounds good!" I agreed.
Then Yuffie pointed at me and the deep red kimono I had changed into earlier. "Wutaian fashion looks good on ya, Jessie."
I chuckled. "Thanks. I figured since I wasn't going anywhere today and I let Cid take my combat suit with him to get all the battle damage fixed up, I might as well be comfortable in the meantime."
"And look absolutely smokin' hot while you're at it. Just like me, of course," she teased. "Well, gotta go! See ya!"
"She's not wrong, you know," Cloud smirked after she left.
I leaned in closer. "About what?"
He gazed intently at me. "That you're hot."
"Smokin' hot," I corrected him, touching my lips to his. "But so are you, merc. Guess that means we're made for each other."
"You had any doubt?" he quipped.
I pulled him to me. "Not for a moment."
We spent the afternoon there in each other's arms, kissing.
— — — — — — —
"Dead!?" Shake's voice trembled. "He's dead!?"
I sighed as I stood with her, Gorki, and the rest of the Wusheng on the first floor of the pagoda. "I'm sorry, Shake, but... yeah. He is. Like I said, he shoved me into the elevator and let that shadowy guy kill him. I barely got outta there alive. He... he saved me."
She walked right up to me, her small body quivering with rage and her little fists clenched at her sides. She'd always been short, even more than me, and at eighteen was the youngest and newest of the Wusheng. It had been her dream for as long as I could remember, and she'd been so happy last year when she was finally accepted.
"You were supposed to look out for him, Yuffie!" she shrieked, her voice jumping up an octave. "You promised! How do I know you didn't just run off and leave him to save your own skin?"
"I'd never have done that, Shake!" I argued. "You know me! If there was any way at all that I could've saved him, I would have! All I wanted was to bring him home to you safe and sound."
Shake slapped me across the face, hard. "No! All you've ever cared about is materia! Just stay away from me! Bitch!"
Then she ran off crying up the stairs, her sobs tearing at my heart. I watched her go, barely even aware of the stinging on my cheek, and it was all I could do to keep my own composure. I hoped Jessie was right that Shake would eventually come around and talk to me again, but the odds of that happening didn't look too good at the moment. As I stood there, hurting more for her than for me, I wondered for the first time if she was right, if materia mattered to me more than my friends and my people. But they were why I fought... weren't they?
"Was it really... my fault?" I wondered.
Gorki laid a hand on my shoulder. "No, Yuffie. There was nothing you could have done to save Sonon. He sacrificed his life to save yours and died with honor. It will not be forgotten."
"But if I'd paid more attention, that dark bastard would never have gotten the jump on us," I argued, blinking angry tears from my eyes. "It was all for nothing! There was no ultimate materia, and we couldn't do a thing to stop Shinra from dropping the plate."
"But if you hadn't been there that night and gone back to the slums to help, your friend Jessie would have died," Chekhov gently reminded me. "She and the others told us of your efforts in the ruins. Leviathan's will is not always quite what we believe it is."
I couldn't deny that. "I know, and I'm glad I could help her, but... I just wish I'd been able to do the same for Sonon."
"He would not want you to dwell on his loss," Staniv added. "While your mission didn't turn out as any of us expected, it did put you in the position to help save Jessie and many others. And in turn, she was able to come here later on and aid you and all of us in our time of need. The wheel comes full circle, Yuffie. Never forget that."
I sighed. "What about Shake?"
"We will tend to her," Chekhov promised. "She always tried to hide her feelings for Sonon from us, but we knew. And we had no objection. He was a good man and would've treated her well."
"He was crazy about her," I agreed.
Gorki smiled gently. "We knew that, too. And of his doubts. But he was more worthy of her than he gave himself credit for."
I blinked. "Why didn't you tell him, then?"
"He would not have believed us," Staniv explained. "He and I often trained together, so I knew him better than the others. And he felt that he had to earn our approval to court her or it wouldn't mean anything. None of us were going to get in the way of that."
"That's just like Sonon," I laughed sadly. "Stubborn to a fault."
Gorki chuckled. "Yes, indeed. He will be missed."
I did, very much. "Yeah... now about Hiroshi. He could still be out there, and Jessie's helping me track him down. From what we've found so far, we think he infiltrated the Shinra military as part of his mission to gather intelligence on their operations."
"He did," my dad confirmed quietly, his gaze thoughtful.
"What?" I gaped at him. "You knew?"
He stood with his hands folded behind his back. "Yes. And while I still believe this a fool's errand... perhaps it may yet help you to try. He sent me a letter five years ago, just before we lost contact with him. I do not expect much to come of it now, but you may have it, Yuffie. Maybe you will see something in it that we have not."
"Thanks, Dad," I murmured as he handed me the letter.
"Find him if you can, Yuffie, but keep your hopes in check," he said softly. "I... do not wish to see you hurt further."
I nodded. "I'll try."
I didn't know what else to say, and I was afraid if I said too much, I might go too far and ruin this nice little moment we were having. And I didn't want that. As much as he pissed me off sometimes, I still loved my dad. And us being able to talk openly like this for once meant more to me than all the materia in the world. Even if I didn't have a clue how to tell him. It was just easier to fight with him most of the time. Us not getting along was, I gotta admit, as much my fault as it was his. With a long sigh, I carefully opened the letter and read it.
Master Godo,
My apologies for sending this so soon after my last report. But I must inform you that something has just come up that I believe you should be made aware of immediately. As you know, I was able to infiltrate Shinra's military using the fake identity provided to me by Zhijie's contact. She is a mid-level manager at Shinra in charge of a secondary division and, for someone from Midgar, has proven trustworthy, reliable, and discreet. No one suspects her involvement with us at this time.
While duty assignments were being handed out yesterday morning, I heard that Shinra is preparing to investigate some kind of disturbance in a small backwater town high in the mountains far to the west of here. It's far across the ocean and very remote. But what troubles me, and why I'm writing to you now, is that Sephiroth himself will be leading this mission. You know what he did to our homeland during the war, and I can't shake the feeling that this village may also be in danger. I've seen him once in a while, and I feel a great foreboding about him.
I've persuaded my squad leader to allow me to join the mission, and I leave with the rest of Sephiroth's team in three days. I've met them, and none of them suspects anything. One of my fellow soldiers looks a bit pale at the thought of the long truck ride ahead of us, and I think I know why. I've been around little Yuffie enough to know motion sickness when I see it. I only hope it doesn't trouble him too much.
His friend, a man around my age with long, spiked black hair and a large broadsword, is a SOLDIER First Class, like Sephiroth, and seems to be a skilled warrior. But he is also much more open and pleasant, a very talkative fellow. I've spoken with him a little, but not much. Still, if things were different, I think I could see myself calling him a friend. Perhaps not everyone from Midgar is as mistrustful of us as we seem to believe. But I mustn't risk blowing my cover. So I will stay quiet, watch, and wait. And if things go as I fear, I'll do all I can to stop Sephiroth.
In the meantime, I'll have Zhijie send this letter to you via messenger hawk, as it is too sensitive to risk transmitting it directly even through an encrypted frequency. Shinra has ways of tracking and breaking them. An individual who's more familiar with their computer and communications systems than I am would have better luck, but nobody in Zhijie's cell has that knowledge. He did mention, though, that his contact in Shinra—the one who gave me my fake identity—recently hired a young girl who may have such skills. If she does, she could be useful to us.
According to Zhijie, she's also the daughter of one of Shinra's highest executive directors, and if we could convince her to help us, it might take us deeper into the company's inner workings thanwe've ever been able to go before. We'll need to give her time to settle in before we approach her, but if all goes well, she could prove to be a valuable ally. In my time here, I've seen that even within Shinra, people fear and mistrust the company, and rightly so. They won't help us for our sake, but for theirs. To create a better future for themselves and their loved ones.
Such are the members of Avalanche. Zhijie's information has proven sound time and again, and until I return, he'll take over as your primary contact between our government and the resistance in Midgar. He'll also oversee the investigation of the ultimate materia that Shinra's rumored to be developing. I'm not so sure it exists, but I suppose we must find out for ourselves. He'll inform you of any new developments.
I hope my fears about this upcoming mission are unfounded, but my instincts tell me otherwise. Sephiroth would not lead a mission himself if it wasn't extremely important and possibly quite dangerous. And despite how little I've seen of him, what I've observed of his behavior leads me to question his grip on sanity. If he should lose it, the consequences could be disastrous. I'll keep a close watch on him at all times to avert this if I can. And when I return, I'll send you a full report at once. Until then, be well, Master Godo. And please tell my sister that I love her.
Your student and friend,
Hiroshi Hanzo of the Kanshi Ryu, First Sword
My eyes had grown bigger and bigger as I'd read Hiroshi's note and my excitement had built up inside me like a big tidal wave threatening to knock me right off my feet. This was it! The only mission Sephiroth had gone on since the war, at least that I knew of, was the one where he had supposedly died. But he was alive, and I thought that since he had survived, then maybe Hiroshi had, too. And there near the end... it had to have been Jessie that he'd been talking about.
Needing to show this to her, I left the pagoda at a run.