She awoke to the sound of a dove's cooing. As she opened her eyes, she could see the white bird perched upon her side table, basking in the bright sunlight that streamed in from the nearby open window. The dove had a folded piece of paper tied to one of its legs. Elena carefully approached the bird and picked it up, unraveling the string that held the message in place. The bird flew out of her hands and through the window once its cargo had been removed. Elena watched it go, then unfolded the paper. A note was printed on it in gold leaf:

       A Final Message from the BlueJay Nexus.

       For now, the world seems to have returned to peace. Terrorism and revolutions have ceased, the world's major factions are allied and prosperous, and everyone is looking forward to a brighter future. Therefore, the BlueJay Nexus no longer seems to be required.
       MIND YOU, IF ANYONE STIRS UP TROUBLE AGAINST THE PLANET, WE WILL RETURN! But for now, we bid you all farewell.

       The letter was left unsigned. As Elena started to reread the message, a booming sound penetrated the morning air. She stood up and looked out of the window. For a moment, a blue streak smeared the sky, and was gone. She stared at the spot where the blue airship had vanished, then started to get dressed. She had to find Reeve immediately and show him the BlueJay Nexus' last announcement.

       She searched around the mansion for awhile to no avail. Having run into Reno on her way downstairs, he told her that Reeve got up very early and mentioned that he had some things to take care of before their trip. Elena nodded.
       "So, he's in the basement then?"
       Reno shrugged. "I guess so. You haven't seen him anywhere else?"
       "No. I wonder what it is he needed to do?"
       "I have no idea. Anyway, good luck finding him."
       "Thanks."
       Elena started back up the stairs and headed for the secret stairwell in the study.

       In contrast to the sunny warmth of the rest of the mansion, the basement was cool and damp. At the foot of the spiral staircase, Elena noticed that the door at the far end of the hall was shut tight. If Reeve was in there, then this was certainly unusual, as he always left this door open when he was working. Elena started walking toward the door, hearing strange electronic sounds emanating from behind it as she grew closer. Then, Reeve's voice came through over the other sounds.
       "CS3-- check the Analytical cycles per second. Ignore the system analysis and use Sith diagnostics."
       A voice that sounded similar to Cait Sith's answered, "Analytical cycles running at 9400… system normal."
       "Scan over to Emotion."
       "Moving camera."
       "Hold it… hold the lens where it is. What's that? Zoom in…"
       Silence followed. Not entirely sure of what was going on, Elena took the opportunity to knock. Reeve's voice answered sharply from behind the door. "Who's there?"
       "It's just me, Reeve… are you busy? I just got a message I think you should see…"
       "Can it wait? I'm in the middle of something."
       "I guess so. How long will this take?"
       "Not too much longer… give me another half-hour. Hopefully this won't take too long."
       Elena nodded. She was about to say goodbye, when a thought struck her. "Um, Reeve, if you don't mind my prying… what exactly are you doing in there?"
       Silence. Finally, Reeve answered, "Maintenance."
       "Maintenance?"
       "On the Sith… neural network." Another long pause. "Listen, Elena. Before we can go any further, I feel that I have to be straightforward with you. There's something about me that you should know."
       Elena paused. She wasn't expecting this sort of response. "Wh-what's that? It's nothing bad, is it?"
       "No… well, I don't think it's bad. Hopefully you won't either. Come inside so you can see for yourself what I'm talking about."
       Tentatively, Elena put her hands on the door and pushed it open. The lab was brightly lit. Sitting on the large examination table in front of her was Reeve, with his bare back to the door. Also on the table was a metallic-looking robot cat with two thick cables protruding from its back. Two smaller cables were clipped on either side of Reeve's skull, their plugs buried in his thick hair. As Elena slowly neared the table, she saw that the four cables were all connected to Reeve's laptop, and that a fifth cable was connected to a port under a flap of skin in the fold of Reeve's right elbow. Her eyes wide in horrified fascination, she found herself speechless. As Reeve turned to look at her, she gasped and jumped back. The cornea of his right eye was completely black, and the iris was a glowing diode green.
       "Hold on a minute… let me get my eye back to Normal mode," Reeve said before closing his right eyelid in a wink. He held it that way for a few seconds, then reopened it. Now, the eye looked as it usually did. He unplugged the robotic cat, Cait Sith No.3, from the laptop and took the Nexus letter from Elena's quavering hand. He read it over, holding her hand as he did so. She didn't know whether to be frightened or relieved by his touch.
       "So, the Nexus is leaving us. I'm sorry to see them go, but I suppose they're making the right decision."
       Changing the subject, Elena asked him, "Was… this what you wanted to show me?"
       "Yes. I'm sure you've wondered how I control the Siths, and now you know."
       "So you're a… a…"
       "Technically, I'm a cyborg. 'Sith Controller' is a more polite, and more accurate, way of putting it. I have fiber-optic Materia tubes running throughout my body, and two microchips that run the system. Or maybe three…"
       "Maybe three?"
       "Look at this image", Reeve said, pointing to a grainy black and green picture on his laptop. In between the fuzzy masses that represented the brain tissue was a faint, but distinct, dot. "Right before you knocked, I found this thing… I think it's in the cerebral cortex."
       Elena looked at Reeve. "And you've never seen it before?"
       "I've never had to conduct maintenance on myself before. Well, not alone."
       "What do you mean?"
       "No one at Automatama is qualified for this sort of work-- Professor Sith said so himself. It was he who used to run my maintenance checks… until he died in the Reactor #1 bombing. His home was in that area…"
       "I'm sorry to hear that."
       "It's all right. At any rate, I was noticing a minor glitch in the Choco Siths' tracking, so I thought I could look for the problem myself, having run through the drill with Professor Sith dozens of times. Never thought I'd see this though…"
       "Do you think it's another chip?"
       "I honestly don't know. I wonder… if it is a chip, why would Professor Sith go to such lengths to hide it from me?"

       Reeve and Elena left for Costa del Sol at noon, riding away on Gold Chocobos. Reno, Rude, Saber, and Cloud were among those who had come to see them off. The four of them had also received the news about the Nexus; combined with that and the relief over Tseng's capture, they were in a giddy, optimistic mood. Reeve, on the other hand, appeared a bit anxious, and Elena was staring into space. They smiled as best as they could to their comrades before riding off. Once their Chocobos were merely specks on the horizon, Cloud turned to Saber and the two Turks.
       "Did something about those two seem a little strange to you guys?"
       Rude mused, "Maybe it has to do with Tseng… I don't think Elena could forget him that quickly."
       "Somehow, I don't think that's it…" Reno said. The others turned to look at him.
       "What makes you say that?" Saber asked.
       Reno shrugged. "Just a hunch. Now c'mon guys, we should get back to work."
       Cloud smirked, "Who says?"
       "I do! Reeve made me Presidentfor the week, so what I say, goes!"
       "Ahh, you're just the interim President," Saber said half-jokingly.
       "All right, you're paying for that one, kid!" Reno replied. "Reactor patrol, all day."
       "Aww, man!"
       "Don't you mean, 'Yes sir, Mr. Interim President'?"
       "Yes sir, Mr. Reno, sir!"
       The redhead laughed. "All right, I suppose that'll do. Now let's get back to work."
       They all nodded and started going about their business.

*****

       Cait Sith couldn't shake them. Finally, he decided to turn and face the Shinra MPs that were after him. "All right guys, let's see what you've got!" One MP fired his machine gun at the Toysaurus, but Cait managed to dodge the bullets. In return, Cait cast Ice 3 on both of them, causing them to collapse into unconsciousness. Cait used the opportunity to take off again, only stopping once the coast was clear. He had been back in Midgar for barely half an hour when those MPs attacked.
       He looked around him. Despite all that had happened to Midgar in the previous months, there was much about the city that seemed familiar, especially here in the slums. Looking off to one side, he could see that the old church where Aeris grew her flowers was still standing. Cait pondered for a moment whether or not to go in; after all, he had an urgent mission to attend to. Finally, his curiosity won him over and he guided the giant Moogle toward the church.
       Inside, it hadn't changed much since the last time Reeve was there, watching the world end with Reno. The flowers still grew in the little patch near where the podium would normally be, and for a split second, Cait thought he saw a ghostly form of Aeris there, tending to the pansies. He walked forward, and the image faded. Reaching the flower bed, the Moogle sat down and Cait stared at the plants for what seemed like a long time. His trance was broken by the sound of approaching footsteps. Anticipating more MPs, Cait stood up and raised his megaphone to his mouth. He was surprised to see not MPs, but the figure of a girl with long hair. Cait continued to stare at her as she ran toward him from the shadows. She grabbed the big Moogle body and squeezed it tight, turning her head to look at the cat, tears freely flowing from her dark eyes and a large, happy smile on her face.
       "Tifa!" Cait exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
       "I was about to ask you the same thing! I was… out of it for awhile."
       "Everyone's been looking for you!"
       "Everyone? You mean they're all okay?"
       "Yep. Well, except for Vincent. No one has seen him since the Highwind crashed."
       Tifa nodded. "So where are they? Where is everyone?"
       "Nanaki's in Cosmo Canyon, Yuffie's in Wutai. Cid and Barret packed up and moved to Bone Village to restart AVALANCHE. And Cloud's in Nibelheim."
       "What about you, Reeve? Are you here in Midgar?"
       Cait laughed. "Not at all. I'm in Nibelheim as well. Just curious… how long have you been 'out of it'?"
       "I don't know… I only came to just recently."
       Cait's face turned serious. "Were you in a coma?"
       Tifa shook her head. "I don't know if you'd call it that…"
       Cait mused on this for a moment before looking toward the church's entrance. "It's getting late. I have some business here in Midgar. Wanna come along? I'll be heading back to Nibelheim once I'm done. I'm sure you'd like to see Cloud."
       Tifa hugged the Moogle again. "Thank you! I'd love that…"
       "Okay, then it's settled! You're coming with me."
       "Where were you heading to, anyway?"
       "The remains of Shinra Tower. There's something there that I want…"

       "So, Tifa's alive."
       "Yes," Reeve answered, stroking Elena's hair. They were lying together on a sofa in Cloud's villa in Costa del Sol, listening to the spinning of the fan blades overhead, and the soft roar of the ocean waves coming in from the window. "I'm sure Cloud will be happy to see her."
       "Are you going to tell him about Cait's finding her?"
       "No. I'm going to leave it a surprise."
       Elena smiled and snuggled closer to Reeve. "I'd love to see the looks on their faces when they reunite."
       "Me too. If all goes well, we'll be able to get back in time to do just that." He kissed her forehead and examined her serene face. For the first time since their arrival, she seemed happy.
       After a few silent minutes had passed, Elena spoke up again.
       "Reeve, can you tell me more about yourself?"
       "Hmm?"
       "Well, I just mean more about you. Your background, that sort of thing."
       "Well, there's not much to tell. I was brought up in Gongaga, studied engineering and architecture, and worked for Shinra for twenty years, designing Midgar and the Gold Saucer. A pretty plain, but stable life."
       "What about Professor Sith and Automatama? When did you start getting involved in their experiments?"
       "I don't remember, exactly. I think it was sometime around when I started at Shinra, when I was an apprentice to the then-Head of Urban Development."
       "Do you remember what it was like before you became the Sith Controller?"
       "If you mean, what my body felt like before it was wired, then no. After many years, I just took it for granted."
       Elena nodded. Reeve kissed her again.
       "Listen, how do you feel about what I told you this morning? I hope it wasn't too much of a shock."
       "It was startling, to be sure." Elena answered after thinking it over. "But, I can see that it doesn't change who you are."
       "I was hoping to hear that." Reeve said. He started to shift off of the couch. "How about we hit the beach while the sun's still out? After all, we didn't come all this way just to lounge around."
       "Sounds good to me," replied Elena. They stood up and went to go get changed.

*****

       Reeve awoke with a start. Save for a small sliver of moonlight coming through the space between the drawn curtains, the room was completely dark. Beside him, a figure slept. Reeve extended a hand and stroked the side of the figure. He stopped midway, when he realized that the figure was not Elena.
       Just then, the door opened, and a girl carrying a lit candle came into the room. He recognized her immediately, but dared not to move or speak, lest he frighten her. The girl's curly locks danced in the shadows they cast, and her green eyes, reflected from the candle's flame, penetrated the darkness. These eyes looked straight ahead, not at Reeve but at the figure who had been sleeping beside him-- a tall man with a lean, bony jaw and short, shaggy hair.
       "He knows where," was all she said before disappearing in an instant, leaving no trace. The candle was now on Reeve's side table. Slowly he picked it up and brought it in front of the man. It was Vincent, and his eyes were half closed. Not knowing what he should do, Reeve asked him, "Doyou mind if I turn on the light?"
       "Not at all."
       Reeve set the candle back on the table and turned on the bedside lamp. He tried to step out of bed, but when his foot reached the floor, the hardwood rippled and his toes got wet.
       Vincent mumbled, "Are you getting out of bed?"
       "N-- no."
       "Do you mind if I do?"
       "What?"
       "I can't stay much longer… I took a huge risk visiting you in the first place."
       "What are you talking about?"
       Vincent sat up, revealing two folded black wings protruding from his back. He slid off the bed and into the floor, causing a large splash. Reeve's leaned away from the splash, his hand falling onto the top of the side table. In his palm, he felt something small and round, like a marble. The room grew quiet once more, and Reeve picked up the object to get a better look at it. He gasped.
       It was the Black Materia.

       Tifa shook Cait Sith awake. They were on the Sector Four upper plate, camping out in an abandoned railroad car. They had spent much of the previous day searching though the remains of the Shinra Corporate Library for the documents that Cait was after. Unfortunately, their search had been fruitless.
       The cat slowly sat up on the sitting Moogle's head, with Tifa looking on the whole time. She apologized, "I'm sorry to have to wake you. Are you okay? It looked like you were dreaming."
       "Huh? How could you tell?"
       She smiled and said, "Oh, I just can… By the way, we have a visitor."
       Cait looked behind Tifa and saw a Shinra MP standing there. Cait reached for his megaphone.
       "It's all right, Cait," Tifa replied. "He's here on behalf of Mayor Domino."
       The MP nodded in confirmation, holding out a welcoming letter with Domino's seal. "That's correct. The Mayor found out you were in the city and wishes to see you."
       The Moogle stood up. "Very well," Cait said. "Let's go see the Mayor."

       The MP led Cait and Tifa to a large building on the edge of the Sector Three plate. This building, which hadn't seen as much damage as some of the other parts of the city, served as the Mayor's home and office, as well as a meeting place for Midgar's fledgling City Council. They were brought before a large set of doors before the MP promptly left. From behind the doors, the Mayor's voice beckoned for them to come inside.
       Cait and Tifa opened the doors and stepped into a surprisingly lavish office. Mayor Domino stood up from his desk chair and walked over to greet his visitors.
       "Cait Sith!" he said, shaking the cat's hand. "And this must be Tifa. I still recall the day when you and your AVALANCHE friends came into my office, on your way up to rescue the Ancient."
       Tifa nodded and shook Domino's extended hand. "Why did you wish to see us, Mr. Mayor?"
       "Some of my men spotted you and Cait rummaging around in the old Shinra Library yesterday. The matter was brought to my attention and I wondered if I could help out. Now what is it you are looking for?"
       Cait replied, "I was looking for Professor Sith's papers. I was having problems during a routine maintenance check and was hoping the documents could be of some assistance."
       "Ahh yes… the Sith Project compendium. I'm afraid that you wouldn't have been able to find it in the Shinra Library."
       "Why's that?"
       "Because it was placed in my care under the condition that it was kept separate from the rest of the Library."
       Cait murmured, "How strange…"
       "Yes, I know, but it's what the Professor specified in his will. I'd show the will to you, but the last known copy burned up in Diamond WEAPON's attack."
       Cait nodded and replied, "That's all right. What about the Sith Compendium itself? May I borrow it?"
       "Of course. If anyone is entitled to it, you are."
       The Mayor walked over to a large safe that stood in one corner of the office. After entering a complex string of digits, he opened the door and pulled out a cardboard box containing three large notebooks. He handed the box to Cait's Moogle.
       "Take good care of them… those books are one of a kind. I hope they can help you solve your problem."
       "I hope so too," Cait replied. He and Tifa bid Mayor Domino farewell and left the office.

*****

       When Elena opened her eyes the next morning, the first thing they saw was Reeve's handsome form laying next to hers, his face stoic, even in sleep. She gazed at him, unable to turnaway, and at that moment, she realized that Tseng was right, that he knew exactly what he was doing when he asked Reeve to take Elena on a date. She drew closer to him, wanting to take in his warmth, feeling his steady breathing against her skin. As she continued to stare at Reeve's sleeping face, his hand crept up to rest on her waist. He opened his eyes.
       "Good morning, dearest," he greeted, in that calm, smooth voice she loved. "Did you sleep well?"
       "Yes… did you?"
       Reeve nodded, and leaned in closer to Elena, so that their lips brushed up against each other. "I just wish we didn't have to go back to Nibelheim today," he said, in between kisses. "I just want to stay right here, with you."
       Elena slid her hand behind Reeve's neck. "I know what you mean." Their lips met again and, this time, didn't part.

       They left Costa del Sol a few hours later, making good time on their Gold Chocobos. It was perfect weather for riding, and they managed to reach Nibelheim in the mid-afternoon. Saber and Cloud were hanging out by the town gates when they arrived, and called the Turks and the Chocobo handlers on their PHS phones when they saw them approach. Saber, Cloud, and the two Turks looked somewhat relieved to see that Reeve and Elena appeared a bit happier than when they left. As the Chocobos and luggage were taken away, Reno gave an uneventful report on Blue Shinra's activities over the past weekend, then headed back toward the mansion with Rude and Saber. Cloud started to follow, then Reeve stopped him.
       "Cloud, I want you to wait here. There's a Gelnika coming in from the East Continent and I'm going to need your help with the cargo."
       Cloud nodded, and waited with Reeve and Elena for the plane to arrive. Half an hour later, the Gelinka came in for a landing on a grassy runway just outside of the town gates. The three of them started to walk toward the plane once the propeller blades stopped spinning. The cargo hatch opened, and Cait Sith walked out bearing a large cardboard box.
       "Is this the cargo you wanted me to handle?" Cloud asked Cait, looking at the box.
       "Nope," replied the smiling cat.
       "Then where is it?"
       All of a sudden, Tifa, having heard that familiar voice for the first time in months, came running from out the back of the plane and toward Cloud. The young man stood there for a moment, utterly stunned, before starting to run toward her. They met somewhere in the middle, grasping each other in a tight embrace, with enormous smiles on their faces and moist eyes. Cloud turned to look at Reeve, holding onto Elena with a big grin on his face. Elena's own smile shone brightly. Cloud laughed.
       "You planned this, didn't you?"
       Reeve's grin turned into a smirk. "Maybe. I'm glad you liked our little surprise."
       Cloud looked at the girl in his arms, and his smile grew even wider. He buried his face in her hair. "Tifa…"
       Off to the side, Elena looked up at Reeve. "You're a real romantic, you know that?"
       Reeve shrugged. "I try… C'mon, let's leave them alone for awhile."
       Reeve and Elena, with Cait following close behind, left the runway and started walking back toward Nibelheim.

---

Completed October 2002 | Revised January 2003 | Copyright 2002-2003, The Blue Shinra Project.

In the original RP, Reeve's vacation was the first time that he and Elena became an item-- which many found pretty funny :D This chapter is a little less comedic, and introduces the Sith Project scenario a little early (as for Tifa, she came in around this time anyway). Again, thanks to Dar and Cyrus for editing this chapter, which was the toughest one to write thus far.

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