After all the excitement of the past forty-eight hours, Jessie was relieved to have this night off, but at the same time, she was still shaken by the recent turn of events. Barret and Tifa had returned to the hideout much later than her, Biggs, or Wedge had expected them to, but upon hearing about the President's arrival and the loss of Cloud, Jessie was thankful that they had made it back at all. She was sad that Cloud was gone—not only was he a great asset to the team, but kind of cute as well—yet what concerned her more at the moment was: how did the Shinra know what AVALANCHE's second target was? In the meantime, the bombing of Reactor No. 3 had been postponed indefinitely so that they could revise their strategy.
           Barret and Tifa were gone again, each one working the streets of the vast slums, trying to figure out what Shinra had up their sleeves. Biggs was also out, having taken Marlene to a small playground on the outskirts of Sector Six. Meanwhile, Jessie worked behind Seventh Heaven's counter with Wedge, even though there were no customers to serve. The only sound in the room came from the television, set to a static-heavy channel showing a live chocobo racing event. Wedge stood at one end of the bar, dusting bottles of liquor with a rag, while Jessie was at the other end, polishing the bartop for the umpteenth time on this slower than slow evening.
           "You know," she said, "I think we should move the hideout."
           "Huh? You don't like the setup we have here?"
           "It's not that," Jessie reassured him. Wedge was the owner of the bar, and as an AVALANCHE member, his greatest contribution to the group was that of Seventh Heaven's hidden basement. "I just feel that it's not safe here anymore."
           "You may be right. If they had our plan for Reactor No. 5 figured out, then who knows what else they've learned?"
           "Exactly. Once all the others get back here, we should ask them about it, see what they say."
           "Yeah." Wedge returned to his cleaning, but soon stopped again. "Dammit, now you've got me all worried."
           "Relax. Just act natural. You never know who Seventh Heaven's next customer'll be."
           "I hear ya, but it's hard."
           As if on cue, the sound of footsteps came from outside, the stairs' old boards letting off those familiar creaks. The doors swung open, and Jessie let out a relieved sigh as Biggs and Marlene came inside.
           "Why're you two lookin' at us like that?" said Biggs. "You expecting the Shinra or something?"
           Jessie shrugged. "With all that's been going on lately, yeah, maybe. How was your time out?"
           "It was okay, I guess. Don't think I'm cut out for this babysitting stuff. Marlene's tired, so I'm gonna put her to bed. I'll be right back." Biggs began to usher Marlene toward the stairs in the back, but paused and returned to the bar, on which he placed a small white card. "Oh, and take a look at this in the meantime. It fell out from between the sector doors on our way back from the playground. Never seen a weirder business card in my life."
           While Biggs took Marlene upstairs, Jessie stared at the card on the bartop. It did look like a business card, but the only thing printed on it was some kind of emblem printed in the middle in plain black ink; it consisted of a hollow oval with a solid triangle sticking out of it. Picking up the card and turning it over, she found some text, but instead of a name and contact information, there was only the following typeset message:

One sky will fall so that the rocks shall no longer.
Dead, buried, and blamed for the pillar's demise.

           "What does it say?" asked Wedge.
           "I think it's some kind of poem or riddle. Couldn't tell you what it means, though."
           "Can I see it? I've always loved a good riddle. Maybe I could figure something out."
           "Sure," said Jessie, handing Wedge the card. He stared at it, rubbing his chin. Some minutes later, the heavy thumping of boots sounded on the back stairs, and Biggs returned to the barroom.
           "Weird card, eh?" said Biggs.
           "Yeah. I think it's a message for us," Wedge replied.
           "What do you mean by 'us'?"
           "'One sky will fall so that the rocks shall no longer.' Falling rocks… doesn't that remind you guys of anything?"
           When Wedge said this, something clicked in Jessie's mind. "Oh! An avalanche!"
           "Okay, I get that, but what about the other parts?" asked Biggs. "The reactors are tall, but they're not what I would call 'pillars', and I have no idea what the 'one sky' is supposed to be."
           "Maybe it has to do with one of the plates?" Wedge suggested. "Here in the slums, the plates block out the sky. It's almost as if they replace it, becoming skies themselves. Also, aren't the plates held up by pillars?"
           "So… the pillar holding up the Sector Seven plate is going to be destroyed, causing the plate to fall on top of us, AVALANCHE?"
           "Yeah," said Jessie. "And if that isn't enough, we'll be blamed for the whole mess."
           "Damn, Wedge," said Biggs, after letting out a long, low whistle. "You're really good at this sort of thing."
           Wedge grinned at the others, his cheeks slightly flushed, before staring at the card again. "So this was a warning. Wonder who left it?"
           "Don't know, but we have to do something. The pillar's not too far from here; couldn't hurt to check it out. Jessie and I will go."
           Wedge agreed to this plan, but Jessie protested, "Shouldn't we at least wait until Barret and Tifa get back?"
           "But we have no idea when they're planning to destroy the pillar."
           Jessie sighed. "All right. It was getting boring here, anyway." She rooted around behind the bar for her armor, knowing exactly why Biggs picked her over Wedge. When they were out on missions or in meetings with Barret, he was all business, but during those rare moments of downtime, she could feel his eyes on her. Obviously, he chose her over Wedge because he wanted to be alone with her for awhile, perhaps to get to know her better. Unfortunately for Biggs, she was not the slightest bit interested in him. She took a deep breath, readying herself mentally for this impromptu mission, and whatever else might come with it.

*****

           It was late by the time dinner ended, so with her mom's permission, Aeris had insisted that Cloud spend the night at their house. Once they had said their good-nights and gone to their separate rooms, Aeris pulled out the envelope that Cloud had delivered to her. After a moment of staring at this precious missive, she took a deep breath, then carefully tore the envelope open. Inside were a couple of sheets of paper, each filled with Zack's handwritten words to her, and her alone.
           The letter contained sparse details of his daily life, reassurances of his health and well-being, and long, drawn-out passages declaring how much he loved and missed her. As in the previous letter, which she had received a little less than a year ago, there was nothing that indicated his specific location, nor any explanation for why he suddenly left SOLDIER all those years ago. At the bottom, after his signature, was a "P.S." asking for her to write back, noting that the person who delivered his letter would gladly take hers back to him.
           Aeris sighed and shook her head. In every single letter he had written her thus far, Zack had asked her to do this very same thing, and although her replies were likewise filled with her life's happenings, she also talked of her anxiety, and how she wished to know more about where he was and why he was there. As was the case with his previous replies, he had not addressed any of these oft-repeated concerns in this latest letter. Why?
           She got into bed, pulling the sheets around her, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't fall asleep. This whole business with Zack was weighing heavily on her mind, and she wondered how to reply to his letter this time, or even if she should reply at all. Of course, she could simply dump him and get this all over with; however, not only did she still have feelings for Zack, but she was curious to know exactly what was going on. After what seemed like an endless amount of time, she got up, turned on the light, and slipped the letter into a box she kept under her bed, where it rested atop the three others she had received from Zack over the past five years. This time, she decided, would be different.
           A brief glance at the clock revealed the time to be 4:15 AM. Deciding that trying to get any sleep now would be a lost cause, she pulled on her robe and quietly left her room to see how her visitor was doing. She slowly opened the door to the guest room and peered inside. Cloud was gone.
           Aeris returned to her room and got dressed. Knowing her mother was likely still fast asleep at this hour, she crept downstairs as quietly as she could, gingerly picked up her rod from its place near the front door, and left the house. Once outside, she ran through the vacant Sector Five streets, her senses alert as she hoped to catch a glimpse of Cloud. Stopping to catch her breath by the massive concrete wall that marked the Sector Six border, that's when she saw him, headed her way. She positioned herself right in front of a large hole in the wall and put her hands on her hips.
           "You're up bright and early," she said dryly as Cloud drew to a stop in front of her. "I thought the terms of your agreement with Zack required you to deliver my reply back to him."
           "Yeah, but I have other things to take care of at the moment. I was gonna go by your house later this afternoon to pick up your letter, honest."
           "That's all right, you don't have to do that."
           "Huh? But didn't you just say—"
           "Yes, but I have a better idea." She clasped her hands behind her back and leaned toward him, smiling. "How about if you deliver me to Zack!"
           "What?!"
           "You said you do a little bit of everything, right?"
           "Yeah, but… I don't know…"
           "What's wrong?"
           "Well…" Cloud said, scratching the back of his head. "Is this okay with your mom?"
           "Actually, she doesn't know about this idea of mine." Besides, she thought. I'm an adult now, and I'm sure she'd understand.
           "I see. Also, how do you plan on paying me for this job? Your bed and breakfast approach ain't gonna cut it this time around, and Zack hired me to deliver a letter from his girlfriend, not the girlfriend herself."
           "We can discuss that later."
           "Uh-huh. Can I go now?"
           Aeris smiled and stepped to one side. "Sure."
           Once Cloud strode through the hole in the wall, Aeris waited a moment before following from behind. It didn't take long for Cloud to notice her. As he continued walking, Cloud glanced over his shoulder and yelled, "You can go home now. I'll drop by later."
           "Do you really mind my following you that much? Besides, what if the Turks come after me again?"
           Cloud sighed and stopped walking. "Seems there's no way I can stop you, huh."
           "Nope," Aeris replied. After catching up to him, they resumed their walk. "Where are you going, anyway?"
           "Sector Seven."
           "Got another client there, Mr. Mercenary?"
           "Something like that."
           They continued walking together in silence until they reached a small, dingy playground. Aeris smiled at the familiar sight; she had played there as a child, and it held good memories for her. Beyond this playground were the massive metal doors that separated Sector Six from Sector Seven. As they approached, the doors opened, and several people ran out.
           "What's going on?" Cloud asked the first person they encountered.
           "There's some fighting at the pillar that holds the plate up," the woman said. "They're trying to demolish it."
           "Who?"
           "Either Shinra or AVALANCHE. I'm not sure because everyone I've talked to has given me a different answer."
           "Dammit," Cloud swore, before breaking out into a run. Aeris immediately took off after him, into the heart of Sector Seven.

*****

           It was in the middle of his fruitless wandering around Wall Market that his PHS cell phone had gone off. Jessie was on the other end of the line with some unexpected news. After having gotten a vague tip concerning the Sector Seven Pillar, she and Biggs went to scope it out, eventually witnessing a small unit of Shinra MPs approach the pillar and unlock the gate. Barret had said he'd meet her there, then asked her to notify Wedge of the situation while he called Tifa.
           That first unit of MPs had been eradicated a long time ago, but now Barret and his fellow AVALANCHE members found they had many, many more to contend with. Slowly working his way up the pillar's tall, winding staircase, Barret kept his wits about him and his gun-arm primed and ready to shoot at anything that moved. The materia lesson Cloud had given him the other night had been quite beneficial; after some rough starts in Reactor No. 5, he had finally gotten the hang of casting magic, which he resorted to whenever he needed a break to reload his gun-arm's ammo.
           He thought about Cloud for a moment as he worked his way upward. Kid didn't last long, but he was a damn good fighter, if a bit of a smartass. Sure could use him right about now, Barret thought. Especially with the odds we're facing.
           As he dispatched his seventh aero combatant of the day, Barret heard a scream from higher up on the staircase and froze as he saw a large yellow and blue blur pass him, falling toward the ground. "Wedge!" he cried, leaning over the railing, too late to do anything to save his friend. Then, mere meters from where Barret stood, the falling figure stopped, his shirt having been caught by a smaller, lankier figure with a distinctive shock of blond hair. Barret's jaw dropped. After pulling Wedge over the railing, Cloud leaned out again and looked up at Barret. "Miss me?" he asked.
           "Glad to see your spiky ass is alive. We got some real trouble here."
           "I can see that. What's going on?"
           "No time to explain. Just follow me."

           Biggs had his hands full at the top of the pillar when Barret arrived, with Cloud and Wedge holding back their enemies from behind; meanwhile, Tifa and Jessie were at the base of the pillar, guarding the perimeter gate. The aero combatants and helicopters buzzed all around them, and Barret was only too glad to meet their attacks with his own. Cloud whipped out his Buster Sword and used it to shield Biggs, Barret, and Wedge from the gunfire.
           "'Bout time I got some reinforcements!" Biggs yelled over the din. "What's the plan, boss?"
           "Hold off these bastards for as long as we can," Barret replied. "AVALANCHE ain't goin' down without a fight."
           "If only we had more time to warn people about this attack, but the message we got was so vague."
           "Yeah, I heard. And none of you got any idea who sent it?"
           "Not a clue."
           "Shut up you two," Cloud barked. "We've got company."
           Although he was annoyed by Cloud's insolence, Barret followed the mercenary's line of sight to a certain helicopter, from which a lanky figure in a dark suit dropped down. This man arose, his moments as smooth and measured as a cat's, his suit unkempt and lacking a tie, and his hair as red as the set of scars beneath his eyes. He tapped a nightstick across his shoulder, a contemptuous expression on his face.
           "It's one of the Turks," Cloud said under his breath.
           "I've heard of this guy," Biggs added. "Name's Reno. Supposed to be a pretty good fighter."
           The Turk, Reno, said nothing as he started toward a control panel in the center of the platform. Barret raised his gun-arm and was about to fire when a jolt of electricity rippled up the shaft of Reno's nightstick, and the Turk said, "Are you sure that's a wise idea?" Barret gritted his teeth as he pondered his next move, but it was Cloud who completed his thought.
           The mercenary rushed forth, sword in hand, and was about to strike when, all of a sudden, he was captured within a semi-translucent golden pyramid which Reno had somehow conjured with a wave of his nightstick. By this time, Reno had reached the panel; after typing something into a keyboard, he raised his hands. "Well, so much for this sector," he said, a small smile on his face.
           Biggs fired upon Cloud's pyramid enclosure, causing it to disappear, and the latter resumed his approach toward Reno. The Turk turned tail and ran, jumping off over the side of the railing, but not before Cloud was able to strike him. A helicopter soon rose up into view, Reno hanging onto its outer platform, clutching his bleeding side.
           "Good luck trying to halt the self-destruct sequence," he yelled. "Once it's set, nothing can stop it. So long." The chopper flew off, and with it, the rest of Shinra's forces.
           "Shit!" Barret swore. "How much time we got left before this thing blows?"
           "About four and a half minutes," Wedge replied, glancing at the control panel. He whipped out his PHS. "Want me to call Jessie up here?"
           "Yeah, you do that. In the meantime, Biggs and Cloud, I want you to figure out the fastest way for us to get outta here."
           "And what are you gonna do?" Cloud asked.
           "Mess around with these controls, see if that Turk was pullin' our chains."
           Cloud sighed. "I don't think he was, but all right."
           Jessie arrived on the platform a couple of minutes later, panting heavily. Before she could say anything, she stumbled over to the control deck and kneeled before a metal panel on its side, drawing a flathead screwdriver from a pouch on her belt as she did so. She pried the panel open, explaining to the others that it was too late to search for a solution the way Barret was going about it, and that they'd have to see how the device was wired. Upon looking at the device's innards, she gasped, then laughed. Behind the panel was a nest of severed wires, some of which were connected to a small black box.
           "What the…" said Biggs as he looked over Jessie's shoulder.
           "The self-destruct mechanism was disabled, but the activation and counter functions were retained by that little device," Jessie explained, pointing to the black box, "making your Turk friend think that he'd set the self-destruct, when he actually hadn't."
           "Think this was the work of your mysterious tipster?" asked Barret.
           "I don't know, but if I ever meet the person who set this up, I'll buy 'em a round of drinks."
           The counter reached zero, and the small black box exploded, but nothing else did. Barret took a deep breath. Never had Midgar's disgusting, polluted air smelled this sweet. Then, all of a sudden, his PHS went off.
           "Hello?" he answered.
           "Hey, Barret," Tifa replied. "We have a bit of a situation."
           That didn't sound good. "What's goin' on?"
           "There was a girl named Aeris who followed Cloud here. I asked her to take Marlene away from Sector Seven in the middle of all the fighting."
           "Wait, you just gave Marlene away to some stranger?"
           "Cloud said she was trustworthy, and I trust Cloud's judgment, but that's not the point. Aeris' mom just called. She said Aeris was taken away by the Turks in exchange for Marlene's life."
           Barret said nothing.
           "What should we do?"
           He thought for a moment, then replied, "First, let's all head back to the hideout and get some rest. Afterwards, we'll go pay Aeris' mom a visit."

---

Completed February 2009 | Copyright 2009, Reeve Kasahara.

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