FIFTY-TWO

We pressed onward through the marshes, the day wearing on as we made our way southwest. As always, I padded a short distance ahead of the others, the mud sticky beneath my paws as I tested the ground. The gloom hanging over the swamp did little to hinder my sight, and I kept my ears alert, listening for anything that might pose a threat to us. But aside from the serpents we'd fought earlier, there was nothing. We went on, none of us saying much and all of us wanting to get out of this dark and terrible place as quickly as possible.

At times as we traveled, Aerith used her earth magic to harden the ground wherever it proved to be particularly troublesome and difficult to pass. Only infrequently at first, but as we drew closer to the last and largest of the lakes and the muck became more treacherous, she had to begin using her spells much more often.

We stayed in the trees as much as we could, as Tifa had suggested, but it soon became too difficult even for Aerith to provide us a path to move upon as deep, murky pools of mud and wetness filled the ground everywhere we looked. They forced us away from the protective shelter of the woods and drove us closer to the water.

Although the ground there wasn't much better off, it was still solid enough that we could keep moving. Our progress slowed considerably, however. Almost to a halt at times, and we had to watch virtually every step we took. I did the best I could to guide the others while keeping a wary eye on the lake. The water stretched on far beyond our sight, and it was cloaked in mist from the light rain.

At first, all went well as we made our way slowly but steadily along the shore, none of us speaking as we moved. But when we were almost to the southwestern edge of the lake, the ripples swirling across its dark surface suddenly intensified. We all turned, paralyzed in that moment, as the reptilian monster burst forth from the water once more just as it had yesterday, its dry hissing loud and chilling in our ears and its scales black and glistening. Only now, the foul creature wasn't alone. Not one, but three giant serpents exploded from the lake.

"Oh, shit…" Barret gaped.

They surged toward us in an instant, slithering and writhing out of the water and baring their sharp fangs. But suddenly, there was a rustle of movement from the trees ahead of us, and seconds later, something large, sharp, and very familiar shot through the air, its four razor points spinning rapidly in a wide arc. The weapon cut across the snout of one of the Midgarsormyrs before hitting the next one and then the third as well, one after the other, before its trajectory took it back to the edge of the woods where its owner caught it easily.

"Get your asses in gear, guys!" the Wutaian girl shouted. "This isn't the time to be standing around!"

I stared at her in disbelief. "You!"

It was the young ninja thief from Kalm. She sat atop her chocobo, wearing a muddy cloak over her green top and white shorts. Her dark, almond eyes were fixed on us and the snakes, and at first, I didn't have any idea what she was doing out here. But then I remembered how Bill had told us at the Chocobo Farm that she'd arrived there before us and had ventured into the marshes as well.

"You guys are lucky I heard you and doubled back!" she said. "And I was almost clear of this ugly place, too!"

The girl's sudden and unexpected appearance quickly jolted us out of our temporary paralysis, and we all got moving, hurrying toward the trees as quickly as we could. But the giant serpents had no intention of allowing us an easy escape. The monsters surged up onto the shore and cut us off, sweeping around us in far less than a heartbeat as Cloud and Tifa's chobobos both squawked in terror.

Barret fired at the snakes. "Outta our way, assholes!"

While he poured bullets into the monsters and Cloud quickly drew his blade, Tifa raced her mount at one of the serpents and tore a gouge across its body with her mythril claws. At the same time, I growled and jumped, using my own claws to rip into another serpent. The ninja girl expertly threw her shuriken again, cutting across the same snake from the other side. When I landed, I followed up with a blast of cold magic that left a sheen of frost on the creature's scales.

Cloud sliced at the third Midgarsormyr as Aerith burnt it with fire spells one after another while they rode around it and ducked under its swinging tail. At the same time, Tifa circled the serpent she and Barret were fighting and pounded it relentlessly over and over again with her clawed fist before hitting it with matra magic. The materia flashed with yellow light as a barrage of enchanted missiles slammed into the snake and exploded one after another. Barret topped it off with another salvo from his gun-arm that knocked it back.

And yet, for all the damage we were inflicting, the Midgarsormyrs barely even slowed down. If anything, their own attacks intensified. As Tifa and Barret kept fighting, they had to constantly twist and dodge to avoid getting hit by the monsters' snapping bites and thrashing tails. It was no better for Cloud and Aerith, either. The ninja girl, however, was extremely nimble and wove through the battle with ease, throwing her giant shuriken at one snake and then another before hitting them with a short but very powerful gust of wind.

I jumped again, digging my claws into the scaly hide of the nearest snake, and held on as long as I could while it hissed and thrashed. As I tore at it with my fangs, the monster's movements grew wilder. When I struck it with another shot of ice magic, it shuddered, snapped its body like a whip, and threw me off. I went flying and somehow got my paws underneath me in time, but no sooner had I landed than the creature's tail slammed right into me, hurling me into the base of a nearby tree. It snapped and broke with the impact.

"Red!" Aerith yelled.

"Alright," the ninja girl glared. "Now I'm pissed!"

While I lay groaning painfully at the base of the shattered tree, she leaped off her chocobo, darted across the muddy ground, and used her shuriken to slash the serpent that had thrown me. She struck one, two, three, four times in quick succession, then briefly disappeared for only a moment in a puff of smoke before reappearing and blasting the snake with a bluish-white rune of exploding energy.

I struggled to my feet and rushed back toward the fight, but about halfway there, I missed a step and plunged into the muck with a shout. In spite of how badly my body ached, I fought desperately to stay afloat and get out, but the mud was strong and thick, and I felt myself pulled downward. It was most of the way up my legs and rising fast the more I sank, and I knew I didn't have very long.

Cloud saw me as he fought the snakes. "Aerith! Take over!"

Like the ninja girl, he jumped off his chocobo, but he didn't bother touching the ground. Cloud yelled, then sliced one of the serpents with a spinning overhead chop before landing right on its back and slashing it over and over again, diverting it away from Aerith as she rushed over to help me. But the other two monsters were still in her path. As Barret scorched one with a fireball from his gun-arm, Tifa released another of her chi traps, the bluish-white orb striking both snakes with explosions of powerful energy as she hurried over.

"Aerith! Hurry!" she yelled.

"On my way!" Aerith answered. Then she smirked at the monsters. "You know what they say. Cuteness kills!"

Spinning her staff, she thrust it into the air, and as she held it above her, there was a flash of red light from the materia. And then a shining ball of greenish-white energy appeared, the beginning of the summon. Seconds later, there was bright flash of light, and when it had subsided, a large chocobo with a moogle riding it appeared. The chocobo pawed the ground, then rushed at the serpents, kicking and pecking while the moogle threw bombs one after another.

I was almost completely submerged by the time Tifa rushed up, got off her chocobo, and quickly grabbed my right forepaw. Barret did the same thing and got my left one with his good arm, but as much as they pulled, I could barely move. Only my upper body was above the muck as I fought to escape, but its hold on me was far too strong. Aerith was there seconds later, getting off her chocobo and hurrying over with her staff while Cloud, the ninja girl, and the summon all fought the snakes to cover us and give the others time to save me.

"Hold on, Red!" Tifa urged me.

"Damn, this shit's tough!" Barret swore as he kept trying to pull me out. "Better hurry up with that magic!"

Aerith readied her staff. "Already on it!"

She focused on the Earth materia, and then, with a sudden flash of green light, the ground around and beneath me erupted in a short blast of dirt and rock that hurled me out of the mud and into the arms of my friends. Then I felt a refreshing breeze sweep over me as Aerith tended to my wounds with her healing wind.

"How's that?" she asked.

"Much better, thank you," I replied as Tifa and Barret finally let go of me and I stood up. "Now I think it's time we left. I doubt we can beat these creatures. They're simply too strong."

Barret sighed. "I hate to say it, but you got a point."

Tifa nodded. "Yeah. We need to get outta here. Those bastards just take hit after hit and keep on coming."

"Then let's run! Come on!" Aerith agreed.

As the girls and Barret got back on their chocobos, I looked about for a safe path into the woods. Cloud saw what we had in mind and got onto his mount behind Aerith while the ninja girl hopped and skipped back to hers, tossing her shuriken like a boomerang at the snakes while she did. And no sooner had she gotten on than the summon unleashed its final attack, a stampede of chobobos that swarmed over the snakes, the small white furry moogle with its purple batlike wings, round nose, and red pom-pom at the center of it all.

The monsters were still there and enraged by the time the moogle and chocobo had vanished along with the herd. The serpents thrashed and writhed, hissing as they moved, but the ninja girl didn't go with us as we rushed toward the trees. Instead, she guided her chocobo off in a different direction, still towards the south but some distance from us. I blinked, wondering what she was doing and worrying about her safety. Hopefully she wouldn't try anything foolish.

"This way!" I called.

She shook her head. "I'll draw off as many as I can, furball! Just go! I've got a feeling we'll meet again one day."

Tifa looked worriedly at her. "Are you sure?"

"Relax, Boobs! I gotcha covered!" the ninja smirked.

"You heard her!" Cloud said. "Go!"

The Wutaian girl laughed. "As slow as you guys move, I'll probably get to the mines before you! See ya later!"

As we ran, two of the serpents went after the girl while the last one followed us into the trees, biting and snapping not that far behind us. I stayed just ahead of the others, finding a safe path as best I could while we tried to evade the Midgarsormyr. And at the same time, I heard the young ninja girl gleefully taunting the other two snakes as they chased after her through the marshes not so far away.

"Hey, ugly!" she called. "Your mother was a tadpole!"

Then she was gone, disappearing back into the woods as quickly as she had come, the two serpents in close pursuit. However, I knew they wouldn't catch her. The girl had shown herself to be quite cunning and a skilled rider despite her youth and bravado, and she would definitely outrun them before long. I did not know where or when we would see her again, but I was quite certain this would not be our last encounter. She was a survivor, that one, and no mistake.

As for us, we barely stayed ahead of the last of the giant snakes as it closed in on us, its tail sweeping over us as we ran and its hissing filling our ears. Rain still fell as we raced through the trees, the Midgarsormyr smashing through the branches and biting at us again and again. It was nearly on us, and I pushed myself as hard as I could, my lungs burning as both the girls screamed and Barret fired shot after shot at the snake. I looked back and saw it practically on top of us.

"Must go faster!" I yelled.

As if they'd understood me, the chocobos put on a sudden burst of speed, darting swiftly through the muck as I ran at their side. And after several tense minutes, the Midgarsormyr at last fell behind as the birds and I finally outran it. Soon, the only sounds aside from us were those of the swamp and a coming storm, the smells of mud and rain thick in my nose as we hurried onward. None of us spoke for a long while until we had put some miles between us and the lake.

"Snakes…" Barret groaned. "Why'd it have to be snakes?"

I glanced up at him as I finally caught my breath. "Giant ones. Very dangerous. Next time, you go first."

Aerith sighed in relief. "Glad that's over…"

Tifa nodded. "You and me both. What a nightmare!"

"We're lucky that girl showed up when she did," Aerith went on. "I knew we'd run into her again sooner or later."

"And not for the last time," I added.

Barret grimaced. "Yeah, I think so, too. Much as I hate to admit it, that little runt saved our asses back there."

"No shit," Cloud replied.

"The hell was she doin' out here, anyway?" he asked.

Tifa shrugged. "Dunno. But Choco Bill said she'd been to the farm before us and bought a chocobo. And she mentioned the mines, so she may be trying to get to the other side of the mountains just like we are. I'm not sure where she plans to go after that, though."

"We'll figure that out later," Cloud decided. "Like Red was saying, I doubt this is the last we'll see of her."

"Think she'll be alright?" Aerith wondered.

I had no doubt. "Without question."

Cloud slung his sword back over his shoulder. "Yeah. She won't die easy. You all saw the way she fought."

"So what now, Cloud?" Tifa wondered.

"We keep going," he answered. "We've gotten through the worst of it now, I think. Shouldn't be much further 'till we get to the edge of the marshes. We'll stop and rest once we're clear."

Aerith nodded. "Thank goodness!"

"Definitely!" Tifa breathed. "I've had enough of this place."

"Oh, I heard that," Barret agreed.


It was an hour or so before noon when we finally reached Sector 5 and the carriage came to a halt. When Sam opened the door a moment later and I hopped outside, it felt almost strange to be back. I'd been in Wall Market for the better part of a month, and as wild and colorful as it was, it had started to feel kinda like home. I missed all the friends I'd made there and hoped to see them all again one day. In the meantime, though, I had a long journey ahead of me.

"Well, Sam, I guess this is it," I said, offering my hand.

He shook it. "Good luck to ya, Jessie."

I nodded. "Thanks. Take care of yourself, alright?"

"Always do," he laughed.

I joined in with him, then waited while the others got out and said their own goodbyes to Sam. Once that was finished, he waved, hopped back into the driver's seat, and tipped his hat to us. Then he rode away, driving back down the winding dirt trail toward Sector 6. We watched him go, and as I stood there, I took out the baby chocobo feather in its glass case and held it for a moment. I thought of the day Sam had given it to me and of all the good luck his gift had brought to me and Cloud, and through us, to so many others.

"Until next time, old friend…" I murmured.

When he was gone, I put the baby chocobo feather back inside my belt pouch, then motioned to Kunsel and the others, and we got going. Sector 5 was bustling with activity as we made our way slowly through town, and I couldn't help smirking a little at some of the curious looks I got thanks to my new outfit. Biggs rolled his eyes and shook his head in amusement, but decided not to tease me about it as we headed down the main street toward the other end of town.

We were about halfway there when another pair of friends hurried over to see us. Maddy and Oates waved and smiled as they approached, and I flashed them a happy grin in return. I'd been hoping I'd get to see them before I left, and Biggs' eyes lit up as well when he caught sight of the kids. Lena laughed and waved, as glad to see them as we were. And I realized it would actually help us out, too.

"Hi, guys!" I said.

Maddy giggled. "Good to see you again, Jessie!"

Oates nodded. "Back in town, I see."

"Yeah, but only for a little while," Biggs explained, folding his arms in front of him. "We've gotta leave the city soon. So you and the others keep an eye on things around here, mind Tess and Ms. Folia, and try to stay outta trouble while we're gone. Got it?"

"No problem!" Oates promised.

Maddy put her hands on her hips. "You can count on us, Biggs! So don't worry. Come back soon and see us!"

He grinned. "I will, guys."

"And say hi to your girlfriend for us," Oates added.

"Uh… what?" Biggs blinked.

I laughed. "Yeah, Biggs! Tell Tifa they said hi. I'm sure she'd love to know they were thinking about her."

"Well, um… okay…" he said, scratching his head.

"I'll make sure he does!" Wedge teased.

Lena gave her big brother a little playful punch on the arm. "Don't worry, loverboy. We know you can do it!"

"I, uh… guess we'll find out," Biggs swallowed.

I turned to the kids. "Anyway, do you guys think you could run on ahead to Elmyra's house and let her know we're coming? We're heading over there now to see her and Marlene."

"Sure thing!" Maddy said, adjusting her glasses.

Oates waved. "See you there!"

Then they left, sprinting lightly away as they slipped easily through the crowded street. We got moving again ourselves, but it took us a bit longer for us to get there than it did for them. About ten minutes later, we came to the Leaf House and noticed Sarah, Trevor, and a few others from their little gang playing outside. Like Maddy and Oates, they were all about ten or eleven, and they waved when they saw us. We stopped and chatted with them for a minute, then moved on, heading down the curving dirt trail toward our destination.

By the time we finally got to the house, the aroma of cooking food wafted out the front door to greet us. Wedge beamed, his eyes as big as his appetite, and eagerly hurried inside with the rest of us. Elmyra was setting the table with Marlene when we walked in, and they both came right over to greet us as soon as they saw us.

"Jessie!" Marlene squealed, flying into my arms.

I held her tight. "Hey there! I really missed you, sweetie!"

She giggled. "I missed you, too!"

"Now don't forget about me, peanut," Biggs winked.

"Biggs!" Marlene hugged him next.

Elmyra embraced me. "It's good to see you again, Jessie. I must say, you look so much better now, whole and fit and healed. Things must've really gone well for you in Wall Market."

"They did," I said. "I had a lot of help, though."

"Of course," she smiled. "But in any case, you really do look good. I can hardly believe you're the same young lady that left here so hurt and broken three weeks ago. After everything you've endured, being able to stand here now the way you are is truly a miracle."

I knew it all too well. "It is at that."

Then, after welcoming Biggs, Wedge, and the others, she motioned for us all to sit down. "Please have a seat, everyone. I know most of you will be leaving soon, and I'm going to make sure you don't have to start this long journey of yours on an empty stomach. Better for you to leave with a nice, hot meal in your bellies instead."

"Thanks, Missus G!" Wedge grinned. "You're the best!"

"Hear, hear!" Biggs gladly agreed.

So we sat down and dug in, enjoying both our early lunch and this last bit of time that we could share together. Kunsel and Marissa would be staying in Midgar, and I was really gonna miss them both. And we'd have to say goodbye to Elmyra and Marlene, too. That wasn't gonna be easy, of course, but it had to be done.

When we were finished, Biggs, Wedge, and Lena headed into town to get some food and supplies for the road, and I took the opportunity to play with Marlene for a bit while Kunsel and Marissa checked on the bikes. Marlene and I watered my flower together, too. I was surprised it was actually still alive after so long.

"You've been taking really good care of our flower, Marlene," I told her. "Cloud'll be really glad to hear it!"

She laughed and gave me another hug. "Thanks! Miss Elmyra says the flowers Aerith grows live a long time. Maybe because she's special. I miss her, Jessie. Will you tell her for me?"

"You bet!" I promised.

The others came back not long after that, and I knew it was time. It was still early in the afternoon—barely past midday. Warm, sunny, and dry. Good weather for a long drive. I only hoped it held. We all headed outside, and for a moment I looked at all the flowers carpeting the hill. I breathed in the pleasant smells and listened to the waterfall splashing into the stream. Then I stored the image away in my mind, took a deep breath, and nodded. It was time to go.

"Alright, guys," I said. "We'd better mosey."

Biggs nodded. "Yeah."

Elmyra enfolded me in her arms again. "Goodbye, Jessie. Please be careful. And be sure to come back one day. This house will always be a home to you, should you ever need it again."

"Thank you," I whispered.

Then, as the others said their farewells to her, Kunsel, and Marissa, I went to Marlene and scooped her up into one more embrace, needing to hold her one more time. She clung tightly to me, and I felt that lump forming in my throat again. As I hugged her, I couldn't imagine what it must've been like for Barret. I promised myself that I'd get him back to her one day, for both their sakes. I owed them that and so much more. My eyes a little wet, I smiled at her.

"Goodbye, Marlene," I said. "Be good for Elmyra, okay?"

She nodded. "I will. Tell Daddy I love him."

I kissed her forehead. "Will do, sweetie. That's a promise. He loves you, too. And he thinks about you every day."

"I'll miss you," Marlene sniffled.

"Same here," I assured her. "I'll miss you, too."

Then I put her down so Biggs, Wedge, and Lena could each have a moment or two with her. While they did, I went to Marissa and pulled her into a tight hug. When we finally let go of each other a moment or two later, her eyes were as damp as mine.

I laid my hands on her shoulders. "Thanks for everything, Marissa. You came all the way down from the plate to find me and save me, and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

"You're my friend, Jessie," Marissa said, taking mine as well. "That's all that ever mattered. Take care, alright?"

"You too," I nodded, hugging her again. "Goodbye…"

Last was Kunsel. He had me in his arms almost before I realized it, and for a moment, all I could think of was the last time we'd had to say goodbye, when I'd had to leave the plate and start my life over again in the slums. It had been one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do, and I hated having to leave him again, even if things were different and we were just close friends now instead of lovers.

He gazed at me. "Jessie…"

"I know," I sighed, blinking a few tears away. "I'm thinking about it, too. But it's not the same, Kunsel. It's not like before. This is different, I know it is. We're doing this on our own terms, by our own choice. Not because Shinra's chasing me away again."

"I'm still gonna miss you," Kunsel smirked.

I laughed, really appreciating his attempt to cheer me up. "I'll miss you, too. And thanks again for riding to my rescue in Sector 7. And for doing it when I was in the Shinra Building, too. It means so much, and I'm just so happy that you came for me."

He held me. "You know I'll always care for you."

"Same here, big guy," I assured him. "And you know, this time, we'll each be with the ones we love. You have Marissa, and I'm on my way to see Cloud. I think we're a lot better off now than we were before. And I know we'll see each other again one day."

"Damn right we will," Kunsel agreed. "But in the meantime, watch yourself out there, alright? I'll try to send you messages when I can and keep you posted on what's happening here. It's all set up on your tablet. I'm sure Marissa's told you about it by now."

I nodded. "Yeah. I'll stay in touch. Do me a favor?"

"Of course," he said.

"Watch over Elmyra and Marlene for me," I explained. "Look in on them from time to time, okay? Shinra knows right where they live, and that worries me. I don't think Midgar's gonna be a good place for them for much longer. Make sure they're taken care of."

Kunsel looked at them, then back at me. "I will. Might have to find somewhere else for them to stay for a while, someplace safe and out of the way. Kalm, maybe. I'll talk to Reeve and come up with a plan to get them outta Midgar as soon as we can."

"Thanks," I smiled. "I really appreciate it."

He hugged me again. "Anytime. Goodbye, Jessie."

"Goodbye, Kunsel," I murmured.

When I let go, I went over to the Hardy and slid onto the seat while Biggs, Wedge, and Lena finished up their farewells. Kunsel and Marissa had offered to give us the Gust to save us the time and trouble of trying to somehow find or salvage another motorcycle. So once everyone was ready to go, Wedge plopped onto the Gust as Biggs got on behind him while Lena climbed onto the Hardy behind me.

Then we started the bikes. They roared to life, their engines nicely loud in the afternoon air, and with a wave to Elmyra and the others, we got underway. We drove down the narrow road back toward town, and then carefully made our way through the crowded streets. Both Maddy and Oates saw us and waved, and so did Sarah, Trevor, and a few of the other kids. We all waved back, and I shot them a grin and a thumbs up as we passed. So did Wedge. Biggs nodded and gave them a little salute before we left them behind and went on.

Then the town was falling away behind us, and after we drove past the train station, we headed on into the outskirts and onto the winding dirt trail that led toward Aerith's church and the outer boundary of the Sector 5 slums. While my friends and I been in Wall Market, we'd spent some time working out our travel plans for getting to Fort Condor and catching up to Cloud and the others.

We passed the church about twenty minutes later, and not too long after that, we finally made it to the outer wall. It was high and partially transparent except for the gate, which was a pair of double doors made out of thick steel. On one was imprinted a large "0" and the other had a "5" on it, making "05" for Sector 5.

Stopping for a moment, I swiped the access card Kunsel had given me through the reader, and the gate slid open with a soft hiss. Then we drove on through onto the cracked ground outside. The shadow of the plate hung over us, and ahead of us were the badlands, a sprawl of dry, barren hills, ridges, and ravines that stretched on for miles and miles in every direction. There was a road, but it was old and cracked here and hadn't seen much use for a long time.

I looked at Biggs and Wedge as we parked the bikes for a moment. "Okay, guys. Let's go over the plan again."

"We're skipping Kalm, right?" Wedge asked.

"Right," I nodded. "We're on a tight schedule and don't have a lot of time before the attack on Fort Condor. So we're gonna have to take one of the tunnels through the mountains."

Lena took over. "The one we want's about two days east from here. And pretty well guarded, I'm guessing."

"No shit," Biggs agreed. "This one's only for the Shinra military, for moving their troops and equipment between Midgar and Junon. We're gonna have a hell of a time trying to get in there unnoticed. I hope you know what you're doing, Jessie. I really do."

I chuckled. "So do I. But I know we can do this, guys. Look at how far we've come. We shouldn't even be alive, let alone setting out on our own little adventure. But here we are."

Wedge stood up to stretch his legs. "Yeah! But, why'd you pick this tunnel, Jessie? I'm not sure I get it…"

"Because it's a private road for Shinra, like Biggs said," I answered. "Which means there won't be any civilian traffic on it, unlike the other tunnels along the mountains. I don't want any innocent people getting hurt if we have to fight our way outta there."

"So after the tunnel, we head south?" Lena wondered.

I looked over my shoulder at her. "Yeah. There's another mountain range that splits off from the Midgar Wall and heads south and slightly west. So we'll keep it on our left as we travel, and we'll follow it around when it curves to the west, then head around the end of the range until we're facing southwest, and drive from there straight to Fort Condor. It should take us about a week to get there."

"Then let's get to it," Biggs said. "Wedge?"

He just gazed at the ground for a moment. "Just a little farther, and it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been. It's kinda scary to to think about, you know? Never left here before."

I got off the Hardy, laid a hand on his shoulder, and smiled. "Come on, Wedge. You can do this. I know you can!"

He joined me, then slowly took a breath and walked a step past the Gust. As the others looked on encouragingly, Wedge took another step, then a third. Finally, he glanced back at me and grinned, more relaxed now than he'd been before, and headed back to the Gust while I started toward the Hardy, ready to get underway.

But halfway there, I gasped and winced as pain suddenly hit me in the head like a hammer. I clutched my temple, barely hearing Lena and the others calling out to me, and wondered what the hell was going on. The last time I'd experienced something like this had been on the road to Wall Market… when I'd seen him. And as if my thoughts had called him, I heard Sephiroth's cold voice in my mind.

The board is set. The pieces are moving. And you, my dear… are my ace in the hole. By your hand alone will the tides of fate be changed. And our planet's shining future will be assured.

Then a barrage of images suddenly flashed through my mind like a hellish slideshow, almost too fast for me to follow, and I couldn't make any sense of them at first. Bits of the past? The future? I couldn't tell. It was just a jumble of color and sound. But then, some of the images did come into focus, and when I saw what they were, I trembled, my blood turned to ice, and my heart froze in my chest.

Water. Deep, blue, and icy cold. Pine trees in the distance, and a line of snowy mountains beyond. A small dock, old and rarely used, sitting in a tiny inlet. And clattering onto its wooden planks, a bloodstained knife, its hilt black, slim, and slightly curved. Drops of blood soaking the wood. Blood filling the water. Death in the air.

I shook my head in denial as the images faded, the implications of what I'd just seen chilling me to the bone. Sephiroth's cold and terrible laughter echoed in my head as tears leaked from my closed eyes. It had to be a lie, an illusion. A cruel trick. It had to be! Then, as if answering my angry thoughts, he taunted me again.

Ah, but it's not, Jessie. Your mind and will are strong, but they can be broken. And they will be. I know the pain you hide, the weakness you try to conceal from others. It will be your undoing.

What was he talking about? I didn't understand… or I didn't want to understand. But deep down, I knew. And I began to suspect what he had in mind for me, some horrible and unspeakable thing I didn't dare look too closely at. I just… didn't wanna believe it, I couldn't believe it. I… I wouldn't believe it. Then I heard Sephiroth's voice one more time in my mind, cold, cunning, and cruel.

The reunion is at hand. It will begin soon. Mother awaits you—and that which you bring with you. A new strength.

I snapped back to reality so fast I stumbled backward and fell onto my ass, still shaking at what I'd seen and heard. The others all gathered around me, calling to me, but at first I couldn't hear them. I was just so haunted by what I'd experienced. Then, after a moment, the pain faded and my heart finally started to slow its frantic beating. I carefully let go of my head and looked up at the others.

"Guys…?" I breathed.

Biggs knelt beside me. "Jessie! You okay?"

I shivered. "I… I think so."

As much as I trusted my friends, I didn't wanna share what I'd seen just yet, not until I could make sense of it. And as much as I knew they wanted to help, I didn't think they could. Sephiroth and what he had in store for me were way more than they could handle. Cloud would only worry if he knew, and he had enough on his mind already. I was pretty sure Sephiroth was working on him, too.

The only one I thought I might be able to talk to was Aerith, but it scared me to even think about what I'd just gone through. And I didn't think I'd be able to put any of it into words for a long while. So, with a deep, shaky breath, I let Biggs help me to my feet, then took a moment to calm down and steady myself as best I could. Lena laid her hand on my shoulder, her gaze worried but reassuring, and I put mine on top of it for a moment. Then I nodded and let go.

"We're here for you, Jessie," she reminded me.

I smiled. "Thanks. Now we'd better mosey. Cloud and the others'll need our help, and we're gonna be there."

Wedge popped a thumbs up. "We sure will!"

Our course set, we got back on the bikes, fired them up, and drove away, putting Midgar behind us. As we sped through the badlands, the afternoon sun high in the sky above us, I shoved the images I'd seen in my mind aside for now with a huge effort and concentrated instead on the long journey ahead of us. And I swore that whatever horrible thing Sephiroth was up to, I'd find a way to stop it.


The rest of our trip through the marshes was fortunately quiet and uneventful, and an hour or so after our encounter with the snakes and that ninja girl from Wutai, we finally reached the fringes of the swamp. The ground grew a lot firmer and more solid underneath us, and as we left the reeds and cattails behind, we found ourselves riding into waves of tall grass that went on for miles toward the mountains. But there, on the very edge of the marshes, we saw something that curdled my blood as Barret and the girls gasped in disbelief.

We rode in closer to get a better look, staring in shocked silence at the ominous sight ahead of us. In the distance, gray storm clouds hung in the sky, forks of lightning flashing from them every now and then as thunder rumbled overhead. I swallowed, my throat dry as I sat behind Aerith on our chocobo, and my blood ran cold. Near the narrow, rocky gorge that led to the abandoned mythril mines stood a tall and leafless old tree, most of its branches long since gone. And wrapped around its thick trunk was another Midgarsormyr.

Or what was left of it.

It was dead, impaled through the heart as if something had shoved the monster right onto the tree, and its head hung upside down with its mouth gaping open and its forked tongue hanging limply from its jaws. Blood covered its huge, scaled body and ran down the sides of the tree as its tail lay flat on the stained grass. Past it, the mountains frowned at us, but my eyes were locked on the snake.

"The hell…?" Barret murmured, his voice unsteady.

"Sephiroth," I growled. "Is this your handiwork? It is, isn't it? Gotta be. Nobody else could possibly do this."

Barret shuddered. "Damn, he's strong…"

"Very strong," Red agreed. "We must be cautious."

"Amazing…" Tifa breathed, her eyes locked on the dead serpent. "I knew he was powerful, but… not like this…"

I knew what she meant. Talking about Sephiroth's power was a hell of a lot different than actually seeing it on full display. We'd traveled for days through the marshes across dozens of miles, barely escaping from these things and hardly even scratching them with all our weapons and spells no matter how hard we'd struck.

And now, after finally getting outta that hellhole—exhausted, dirty, half-covered in dried mud—we'd found this grisly sight waiting for us, almost as if Sephiroth had left it here to taunt us. All we'd been through to make it this far—all the pain, struggles, escapes, and close calls we'd had—and he'd just gone and murdered this monster as effortlessly and as casually as any of us would've swatted a fly.

Then, as I kept gazing at the dead serpent, pain suddenly exploded in my head. I grabbed it and winced, squeezing my eyes shut as it kept throbbing. When I opened them a moment later and looked back up, I saw a vision of what must've been the battle between Sephiroth and the Midgarsormyr, if you could even call it that.

The huge snake rose up high above him, hissing loudly as its long tail whipped around it. Sephiroth just stood there, the wind tossing his silver hair as he held his katana. Gripping it in both hands, he moved fast, like the lightning streaking across the sky. When he struck, there was a flash, and I couldn't see him for a moment. But what I did see was a shadow, a shape that was both alien and vaguely familiar. It was gone as quickly as it had appeared, though, and when it was all over, Sephiroth stood alone, the snake impaled on the tree like a grim trophy.

And then he was there for real, standing amidst the grass, blade in hand. "What do you think, Cloud?"

I shook off the pain and dismounted. "Sephiroth!"

Barret gaped. "Shit! He's here!"

"You can see him!?" I asked, my eyes wide.

"We all can," Tifa nodded.

Sephiroth laughed coldly. "You've come far, but your journey's only just begun, Cloud. And so has hers."

"Hers…" I murmured. Then I knew. "Jessie?"

"What!?" Tifa gasped.

Anger surged through me, but I kept it under control. Whatever he had in mind for Jessie, he'd already set in motion. And I had to find out what it was. I'd inadvertently gotten her mixed up in this mess through the blood I'd given to save her. And now Sephiroth had drawn her into his mad schemes. But why, I didn't know.

I glared at him. "What's she got to do with this!?"

Red padded forward. "She must've just left Midgar. I wonder… did she see him, too? As we see him now?"

"She saw what I wished her to see," Sephiroth sneered, pacing back and forth in long, slow steps. "What she was meant to see. Everything's as it should be. All the pieces are in play."

Barret and the girls got off their chocobos, their eyes on Sephiroth as he casually blocked our way forward. I narrowed my eyes but didn't reach for Buster yet. It didn't seem like he wanted a fight, at least not at the moment. Barret did, though. He took a few steps and started to lift his gun-arm, his face a thunderhead.

"That's enough, asshole!" Barret growled. "Let's—"

Aerith touched his arm. "Don't."

He blinked. "Huh?"

"And you," she turned to Sephiroth, her green eyes blazing. "You're wrong. Everything about you is wrong."

Sephiroth stared coldly at her. "Those who look with clouded eyes see only shadows, Aerith. All born are bound to the planet. Should this world be unmade, so too shall her children."

"What did you do to Jessie!?" Tifa demanded. "Tell us!"

He pointed at Aerith. "You'll see."

Then he was gone, vanishing in a cloud of black mist that faded as quickly as it had appeared. For a moment, none of us moved, our gazes locked on the place where he'd been. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest with the fury I always had around Sephiroth. Worry for Jessie filled my mind, too. Then I looked at Aerith.

She'd gone pale, her skin almost white as we gathered around her. I didn't know what it all meant or why he'd singled her out like that. But I wasn't gonna let anything happen to her. Aerith swallowed, then took a slow, deep breath to try and steady herself.

"You okay?" I asked.

She nodded. "I will be, Cloud. Just… give me some time."

Tifa laid a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be alright."

"Yeah," Aerith agreed. "It will…"

Then she walked back to our chocobo and got on without another word. Tifa sighed, then remounted hers, and Barret climbed on behind her a moment later. After taking a last, long look at the dead snake and the bloodstained grass where Sephiroth had stood, I rejoined Aerith on our chocobo and took the reins. Then, with Red walking in front of us, we got moving, heading slowly into the gorge.

We didn't look back.


Here ends BOOK TWO: AFTERMATH.
The story continues in BOOK THREE: PURSUIT.

With Midgar behind them,Cloud and his friends set out on the long, dangerous hunt for Sephiroth,unaware that he plans to use one of their own to change his fated destiny. Pursued by Shinra's forces, they press on. But the price of victory may be higher than they can possibly imagine…


Author's Note:

Whew! And here we are at the end of Book 2! Many thanks to everyone who's kept up with the story this far, and especially those that have read Reflections as well. There's a lot more still to come, and I hope you enjoy it!