It took quite some time to convince Denzel he should go to bed after he had made his discovery. Tifa had taken me into the living room and sat me on the sofa, telling me to wait there. I could hear her talking to Cloud and to someone else, evidently telling them what had happened. The others had been encouraged to go, reassured that they could come back tomorrow.
I shifted in my seat, waiting for the inquisition to start. I leant back into the comfortable sofa, crossing my legs at the knee, taking in the room as I sat. It was a real home, photos littering the walls, paintings that the children had done when they were obviously smaller, little ornaments decorating nearly every available shelf. It was warm and cosy, relaxing, safe.
I looked up as the beaded curtain clicked, turning slightly to see who was there. Tifa entered first, followed by Cloud, then Reeve. Vincent stepped inside, moving to a corner from which to observe. I looked from face to face uncertainly, watching them watch me as they took their places in the room; Tifa on the sofa, next to me; Cloud, on the arm of the sofa, close to Tifa; Reeve, perching on the coffee table that stood in front of me. Effectively, I was surrounded. I supposed I had no choice but to talk.
There was silence for a long time. Reeve looked me up and down, gesturing towards my arm. I slowly rolled up my sleeve, holding my arm out towards him, allowing him to take it. He looked closely at the mark, examining the way it had wrapped itself in a single band around my wrist, pressing it here and there. Eventually, he let go, and I rolled my sleeve down. Reeve sat back a little and shook his head.
"Very strange," He said, placing his hands on his knees. "It certainly is geostigma, but not like anything I've seen before. The markings are similar, but the colouration is highly unusual." Cloud nodded in agreement.
"The stigma I had was a sort of brownish-red colour, nothing like a bruise," He said, absently bringing his right hand up to his left arm. Reeve nodded, moving to an armchair and settling back in it. I sat very still and quiet, waiting for them to tell me more about the mark that had been with me since I could remember. Tifa looked at Reeve.
"How come she's still got it though? Shouldn't it have been cured along with the others?" She asked, looking warily at me. I looked over at Reeve, who simply shrugged his shoulders.
"I've no idea," He said, rubbing his forehead with his hand, "It's really quite unusual. Does it give you any pain?" He asked, addressing me. I shook my head, my hand wrapping around my left wrist.
"There is only one reason she still has the stigma," Vincent said, his deep voice slicing through the quiet. I turned to look at him. "Jenova is still present in her blood."
Jenova...the name resounded in my head. Jenova, the bringer of darkness, the beginning of my end, the reason for my abduction, and subsequent destruction.
"Jenova..." I whispered, looking into Vincent's eyes. I looked away, sinking back into the soft cushions of the sofa, my thoughts fluttering like a bird in a cage. "Jenova...is in me,"
Reeve leant forward, as did the others. His eyes met mine and a look of concern spread across his face.
"What do you mean?"
"The Jenova project..." I said, stopping short at the gasps of Tifa and Cloud. "I was a part of the Jenova project. I had...her cells injected into me. I was so young..." My voice faltered, as the memories returned. My mother...the scientists...their blood...
"You were a part of the Jenova project?" Asked Reeve, disbelief evident on his face. "When? How do you know this?"
"I was...maybe fourteen years old. I was taken from my mother, to what I now know to be called the Shin-Ra mansion, in Nibelheim. I...can't remember how long ago it was. Scientists forced their tests on me, hurting me. This carried on for longer than I can bear to think; every day, something else was injected, poured on my skin." I physically shuddered, remembering the sensation of liquid dropping onto me, soaked, my vision blurring, going dark. "One day, someone broke free, escaped from the lab. In the confusion, I too managed to escape into the lab. I...read their lab books, documenting what they had done to me." Memories once again rolled through my mind, of finding the books and reading the spidery handwriting that adorned the pages. Diagrams, of me, with markings all over my body. Words describing the inhuman acts they had performed upon me, my young eyes absorbing them, the words 'Jenova' and 'subject 002' imprinting themselves on my mind forever.
Breaking out of my thoughts, I looked up to see the others waiting for me to continue. Tifa placed a hand on my shoulder, smiling reassuringly. Cloud was listening but his face showed deep thoughts, the subject of which I could probably guess. Vincent's face remained emotionless as ever, though his eyes lingered on mine. Reeve was sunk far back in the armchair, watching me as I spoke. I took a breath.
"I know I was a part of the Jenova project, but what that is exactly I'm not sure. I was reading the notes, when the scientists returned. I hid, but the anger that filled me was too great for me to let them get away with their twisted deeds." I saw their faces, the confusion and surprise that emanated from them as I appeared. The terror in their eyes as I took my revenge. "I killed them. All of them."
There, I had done it. I felt my tensed muscles relax, not realising that I had been so rigid whilst telling my story. I looked away, uncrossing my legs. The atmosphere was awkward, I could feel waves of sympathy coming from the others.
Vincent moved into the centre of the room, his eyes never leaving my face. I looked up at him, my eyes meeting his, seeing the concern there which did not turn into pity. I nodded at him, a wordless understanding passing between us. He nodded back at me and left, walking through the beaded curtain and away from us. Reeve sighed, looking at his watch.
"It's late," He said, standing. Tifa turned to me.
"You can stay here tonight," She said. "I'll bring down some blankets and you can sleep here, on the sofa." I smiled at her, as best I could.
"Thank you, Tifa," I said, watching as she left the room. Both Cloud and Reeve said goodnight and left, the curtain tinkling behind them as they moved to the bar. When Tifa had brought blankets and said goodnight she went upstairs, leaving me completely alone. Alone, with the memories of my past, of Jenova...of the mako, the lifestream, the materia...of all they had done to me...haunting me in a way I'd hoped they never would again.