AUTHOR'S NOTE


I'm currently in the middle of doing a major revision/partial rewrite of Book One, which is why the chapter updates have slowed down. I apologize for that. I was never fully satisfied with the way Book One turned out in regards to Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge and their stories, and so the revision addresses that and expands them considerably. I'm trying to give them more time and depth so as to make Cloud's turnaround about them, his acceptance of the guys' friendship, and his and Jessie's growing attraction more believable. So to help with this, the revision doesn't start at the bombing mission but instead about two months before that, just after Tifa first finds Cloud at the train station.

I'm also doing this to bring Lifestream more in line with its partner story, Reflections, which focuses on Jessie, her past, and her journey to Avalanche and her final fate in the Sector 7 pillar. It'll still be a while before the revision is finished, although I have several chapters done. But I don't plan to post the revision until it's complete because I don't know that the final chapter count for Book One will be the same with the new content as it was originally and I don't want to confuse you guys. However, I have included a little teaser here for you to tide you over and assure you that the story is not dead. It's an excerpt from Chapter One, though it doesn't start right at the beginning. I hope you enjoy it!


Tifa motioned toward the bar. "Why don't you go sit down and I'll get you a drink? Maybe something to eat?"

"Sure, Tif. Sounds good."

"Great!" she replied. "Just make yourself at home, alright?"

I did as she had suggested and headed over to the bar, sliding onto an empty stool. It didn't take long for Tifa to bring me my drink, and I turned to watch the crowd for a bit. Next to me, a guy with short, dark red hair and a blue jacket nursed his own drink, and when he saw Tifa flash me a little smile, he scowled.

"An' justh who the hell are you?" he slurred. "Comin' on in here an' puttin' the moves on my little Tifa?"

I ignored him, not having any desire to trade insults with a drunk. I just sat there, taking a sip from my glass every so often as I wondered about what kind of work there was for a mercenary here in Midgar and if Tifa had any leads. But the guy next to me had other ideas, grabbing my arm and turning me to face him. "Hey now, don't be ignorin' me! I jush ashked ya a question, punk!"

"Cut it out, Johnny," Tifa scolded him. "He's a friend."

Johnny snorted. "A friend, huh? An' jush how good a friend, Tifa? I ain't never sheen him before."

"We grew up together. He just got in town today. And that's all you need to know. Now I think you've had enough, Johnny. Why don't you go on home? Unless you want me to have Barret see you out again. You know how he is when you get rowdy."

He threw up his hands in defeat. "Fine, fine. I'm goin', I'm goin'. But I'll shee ya tomorrow, Tifa."

"I'll bet," she snickered. "You practically live here."

"You only got the best food and drinks and… and uh, you know… in all of Sector 7, Tifa. An' you! Childhood friend! I'll be watchin' you! Don't ya dare make her cry, ya hear? She's an angel of thish here shlum! An angel! Sho you better treat her real good!"

Then he ambled away on unsteady feet, swaying woozily from one side to the other before stumbling out through the doors. When he was gone, I looked back at Tifa, raising an eyebrow. "Was he just… coming on to you back there?"

She smiled. "It's not the first time."

"I didn't think so. You weren't very surprised."

"He's liked me for a long time. I'm not interested, of course. But he is persistent, I'll give him that."

I took another sip of my drink. "So I noticed."

"I can handle him," she assured me.

"I don't doubt it. You still doing your martial arts?"

Tifa nodded. "I've been keeping up with my training for years, ever since Nibelheim. It helps me focus and stay in shape."

"Good. Guess I don't have to kick his ass then if he gets outta line."

She laughed. "He ever tries anything and he'll be lying on the floor in two seconds flat. But Johnny's really not such a bad guy, Cloud. He's actually pretty nice, at least when he's not drinking."

I shrugged. "I'll take your word for it."

Tifa smirked and went off to the kitchen, chatting with a few of her customers along the way. While she did that, I swiveled around on the stool, my back to the bar, and went back to watching the crowd. It was a bit fuller than it had been earlier, with people coming and going, and filled with the murmur of conversation and bits of laughter and cheers, not all of which were entirely sober.

I was just getting ready to take another sip of my drink when I saw the double doors swing inward again as someone else stepped inside. It was a girl, her rich brown eyes bright and filled with warmth. Her long, lustrous auburn hair was pulled back into a thick ponytail and fastened with a red hair tie, and she had a matching red headband neatly tied at her left temple just above her ear. Her bangs hung down over the fabric of her headband, shadowing a pleasant, attractive face, and her cheeks bore the faint impression of dimples.

The girl was slim, shapely, and short, her figure nicely accentuated by the sculpted metal vest she wore, no doubt a custom piece that she'd probably made herself. It fit the contours of her slender body perfectly, highlighting her feminine curves rather than hiding them, and beneath it lay another vest, a lighter one made of links of black chain, probably to cushion the impact of any blows she might receive. And under it all, she wore a dark blue leotard-style top that reached all the way from her abdomen to her neck and fit like a second skin.

Two smooth metal pauldrons protected her shoulders, and the girl wore a pair of black, elbow-length fingerless gloves fitted with polished steel backs and red leather straps fastened around her wrists. Covering her legs were olive green pants that went down to her knees, and below that, metal-reinforced boots shielded her calves and feet, leaving a strip of fair skin visible on each leg at the top of her shins. Around her waist, the girl wore a brown leather belt with a rectangular pouch of the same material hanging at her left hip.

Who was this girl? What sort of work did she do that she had to go around so well-protected? I was curious in spite of myself. And try as I might, I couldn't pull my eyes away from the girl. I just sat there gazing at her, still holding my glass, and I watched as she walked casually over to one corner of the room and sat down at an empty table. She put her legs up on it, then waved to Tifa before pulling a small tablet out of her belt pouch and beginning to tap on it.

At the same time, I noticed a few rough-looking men sitting in the front glance over at her, then back at each other, a silent signal of some sort passing between them. What was going on here? And what did the men want with her? The girl didn't seem to have noticed, engrossed as she was in her work, and my eyes narrowed as I watched her unsavory observers gazing at her intently.

They wore tattered sleeveless blue jean jackets that hung open over their bare, muscled chests, and on their thick hands were red fingerless gloves stained with blood and dirt. Some of the men were bald, but the others were all sporting bright orange mohawks. I was sure they hadn't been here earlier but must have followed the girl inside, probably while I was so engrossed in looking at her. I didn't much like what was going on here and glanced at her again, and it was right at that very moment that she looked up and her eyes met mine.

The girl blinked, obviously surprised to see me. I supposed she was a regular here and knew most of the people who came to the bar. Since I was a new face, though, it had to have caught her off guard. I nodded to her, and she gave me a small, shy smile before returning to her work. I didn't get up to join her, though, wanting to keep a close eye on those goons that were so interested in her.

Their tiny, beady eyes watched the girl with a cold, predatory gaze that immediately set my nerves on edge. I knew what kind of men they were. Punks and thugs, all of them. Gang members of some kind. They waited though, and so did I. Tifa brought the girl a steaming platter of hot food and a cold drink, chatting with her for a bit before heading off again. The crowd was certainly keeping her busy tonight.

After about half an hour, the girl finally pushed back her plate and stood up, brushing off her pants and slipping her tablet back inside her belt pouch. She waved at Tifa again, smiled, and pushed the two saloon doors open before heading back outside. Almost at once, the six goons got up and left as well, no doubt intending to follow her.

I turned back to call to Tifa, but she was already there. "I'm sorry I haven't gotten to your dinner yet, Cloud. It's been pretty hectic tonight. But those guys, I don't like the looks of them."

"Neither do I, Tif. I think they're after that girl."

Tifa sighed. "I saw them watching her, too. I was just hoping I was wrong. Cloud, that girl… she's a friend of mine. She's probably walking home, and I don't think she knows she's being followed. I've taught her some of my martial arts, but she's still learning and hasn't been doing it as long as I have, and I'm just afraid it won't be enough. Please help her, Cloud. I'm worried about her."

I stood up and put down my glass. "I'll handle it."

She flashed me a grateful smile and went back to work as I hurried outside. I couldn't see anyone, but there were fresh tracks in the dirt, so I crept down the path, reaching over my shoulder to draw my sword. It was a huge blade at least a foot wide with a sharp, angled tip at the end and two materia slots at its base just above the hilt. In each one glowed a bright green orb, pulsing with magic. I hoped that I wouldn't have to use it, but I was ready if it came to that. I gripped Buster firmly in both hands and followed the trail.

It was barely five minutes later that I heard a startled cry from just around the corner, and I sprang into a run, keeping to the shadows as I went in order to retain the element of surprise. I rounded the bend and saw that the thugs had cornered the girl in a narrow alley formed from two high rows of broken scrap metal. None of them had seen or heard me yet, and I edged closer, hugging one wall and staying out of sight as long as possible so I could get the jump on them.

The girl held her own at first, kicking one goon in the stomach and hitting another with a swift backhand punch to his jaw. It couldn't last, though. She was too badly outnumbered. The men all carried weapons as well, long knives and lead pipes. One of them reached out, grabbing her by the ponytail, and yanked hard, pulling her back. She cried out in pain but swung her arm around in spite of it and smashed her fist into the goon's mouth. She was tenacious, that was for sure. Her attacker fell back, blood pouring down his chin.

But before she could do anything else, she staggered and fell, a lead pipe slamming squarely into her back. The rest of the men closed in on her at once, kicking and punching, and threw her against the wall. Two of the thugs held her arms while another pulled out a knife and strode up to her like a snake closing in on its prey. The girl flinched but didn't waver as he pressed the tip against her throat.

"We gonna teach ya not to go stealin' from us, missy," he said. "You gonna pay us back, you will. One way or another."

"Funny," she shot back. "I thought you stole it first."

He slapped her across the cheek. "You got a pretty smart mouth on you, girl. Gonna get you in trouble, it will. We gonna make you squeal, little miss. Yes, we will. In more ways than one."

"Don't count on it," I growled.

He whirled around, but I was already on him, springing out of the shadows in an instant and slashing him across the chest from shoulder to hip. The thug fell, dead before he hit the ground. While I fended off attacks from the others, the girl seized the opportunity and yanked her arms free, ducking as the two goons who had been holding her tried to grab her again but caught only air. She dove forward and sprang to her feet, her fists raised and her back to mine.

"You've got incredible timing, you know that?" she said. "I thought I was a goner for sure!"

I shook my head. "Not happening."

"Wow! Talk about heroic! You got a name?"

"Save it for later," I admonished her. "We've got work to do."

She nodded. "Right, sorry. Let's teach these bozos a lesson. They're sure gonna regret crossing us!"

The rest of the thugs the four that were still standing charged at us, swinging their weapons and snarling with rage. I blocked one strike and slammed away a second, metal clanging against metal. The girl hit one of the men with a flurry of punches, then finished with a high kick to his chest that sent him sprawling onto his back. Cutting down one of the other thugs, I was just bringing Buster back up when another of the men managed to slice his knife across the side of my shoulder. I gritted my teeth against the sudden pain, blocked everything out of my mind, and called upon the materia's magic.

Seconds later, a sparkling bolt of electricity shot out from my hand and slammed into the thug, scorching him and leaving him a smoking ruin on the ground while the girl hit the last of her attackers with a few quick jabs to his side. He fell back for a moment, then charged right at her. She was ready for him, though. When he reached her, she grabbed him with both hands and used his own momentum to throw him over her shoulder into the dirt. The surviving thugs got up, took one look at us, and ran off into the night.

"Whew!" the girl sighed. "Guess that'll teach me to be more careful about where I get my supplies."

I slid Buster back into place. "You okay?"

"Yeah, thanks to you. I've never had anyone come to my rescue like that before. You were really amazing!"

"It wasn't much," I shrugged.

She grinned. "Ha! Humble, too. I like it. But anyway, would you tell me your name? I… I'd really like to know."

"Cloud," I said. "Cloud Strife."

She held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Cloud. I'm Jessie."