As my research into the Jenova project and the SOLIDER program continued. I ended up getting swallowed up into Gaia's problems; like everyone else. This happened on two separate occasions, one in which was later called the "Bahamut SIN incident". In which Jenova's remnants managed to take on human form, kidnap several children who were infected with Geostigma and brainwashed them to do their bidding. They also managed to use a summon materia in which was later known as Bahamut SIN. In which caused untold amounts of death and destruction in the city of Edge. I just happened to be in that area at the time and decided to lend a "rare" helping hand. Unknowing to me, would be helpful in my research.
With the information that I was able to acquire from hacking into Shinra's newly restored network and listening in on the Turks' radio transmissions. I was able to pin point the location of the remnants along the main expressway that connects Edge to Midgar; in which at the time was under construction. While the Turks were somewhat able to help me in slowing down only two of the supposedly three remnants. All with the aid of what I must say; must have been the most ridiculous jury rigged hand bomb that I have ever seen. At least with that bomb I was able was able to ambush the remaining two remnants along the expressway.
Those two (whom would later be identified at Yazoo and Loz) proved to be rather formidable opponents and the odds weren't in my favor at all. But since I was a SOLIDER 1st class; I was used to those kinds of odds. As a result, of either dumb luck or those two under estimating me, I was able to severely injure both of them before they ran off. Before I was able to follow them, I was approached by the Turks Reno and Rude. I never forgot the words that came out of Reno's mouth. It was more of the lines, "Hey! She's supposed to be dead, yo!"
Rude just merely smiled and nodded his head. It was an untold gesture, telling me that it was good to see me alive and well. I remember working with those two in the past and each time it was always a pleasure to work with them. It was mostly that those two respected me and my fighting skill, greatly. I remember Tseng even had a pet name for me, often calling me the "Madame Golden General".
I told them, I didn't have time to chat and ran off after Yazoo and Loz. Not before telling them that it was good to see them, both alive and well. But before I ran off, I told them to give my regards to Tseng.
After chasing the remnants to the remains of the Shinra building; I saw the aftermath of what was a rather huge battle. Debris and blood littered the landscape and for a split second, I felt the presence of something sinister. It was then that I heard a voice begging me to go save him. At the time I didn't know who was I supposed to save? But not even a second later I heard a gunshot and ran towards the sound of it. It was then that I saw Yazoo and Loz standing next to the body of a blond swordsman who holding a weapon that was similar to what Zack Fair and Angeal Hewely used when they were still alive. Without a second to spare, I quickly cast the strongest barrier spell that I could summon and it wasn't a moment too soon. It was soon after that those remnants detonated a suicide bomb, destroying a good part of the Shinra building along with them.
Knowing that my barrier spell protected the blond swordsman, I quickly ran to him and administered first aid. At the time, I didn't know who he was and how he got there. I assumed that this was the person that I was supposed to save. It was then that the voice in my head told me to bring him to the church. I didn't know which church I was supposed to bring this man too. It was then that I had a vision of some sorts and in it that vision gave me the location of the church. So with the blond swordsman in tow, I quickly headed towards the church that was in my vision.
Upon arriving to the church, I noticed two things that I knew weren't possible in Midgar. Those two impossible things were flowers and a pool of water that covered a good part of the floor of the church. There I was then once again visited by that same voice. The voice told me to place the blond swordsman's body in the water. So I did and I noticed that his wounds that I tried to patch up earlier, quickly started to heal. Once again, I had another vision and in that vision I finally met the ghost that I was looking for, Zack Fair. With Zack was a woman that I would later find out was his lover who died prior to Meteorfall, Aerith Gainsbourgh. Those two thank me in saving their friend in which I would also find out was Cloud Strife. The same Cloud Strife that I assumed died in Nibelheim. Knowing that time was not on my side I asked Zack one serious question. "What was that sinister presence that I felt earlier, was it Jenova?" I said.
The answer that those two gave me was rather cryptic and those annoy me to no end. They told me yes, that was Jenova. But, it was Aerith that gave me a rather cryptic riddle on top of all of that. In it she said, "To the one who will become the next pillar in which that supports Gaia. Do not fall in love with the Calamity's son." With my time ending and the sounds of approaching footsteps, I bid them goodbye and walked away from the church and Midgar.
It was later on; after hacking into the Scarlet's personal offsite database (that was a miracle that it was still intact) and the newly formed World Regenesis Organization that I learned more about the remnants and about AVALANCHE's involvement with Meteorfall. From what Reeve told me during the evacuation of Midgar two years prior. That it was Sephiroth who summoned Meteor and that AVALANCHE was the ones that stopped him and saved the world.
It was also that the remnant that would be later known as Kadaj used Jenova's head and took on Sephiroth's appearance. It was that same apparition fought Cloud Strife among the ruins of the Shinra building. At the time I didn't know that Cloud Strife was a member of AVALANCHE. I didn't know about their activities prior to Meteorfall, only from what my clearance as the Director of SOLIDER gave me at the time. That Shinra used them as a scapegoat for being the cause of Meteorfall and tried to have them executed. Fortunately, the entity that would later be known as Sapphire WEAPON appeared during the execution and cased enough chaos and damage for AVALANCHE to escape. It was also later on that they were the ones who help put an end to the Sister Ray Incident and stopped Sephiroth, thus stopping Meteor.
I had the pleasure of meeting two of AVALANCHE's members during the evacuation of Midgar and with all of the hostility that was between Shinra and them. They showed no animosity towards me (being at the time the temporary head of Shinra) and that turned out to be a rather pleasant experience, midst the chaos. Those two members were the heir to the empire of Wutai, Yuffie Kisaragi and the former Turk Vincent Valentine.
AVALANCE came along way from being a terrorist organization to saviors of the world, not once but twice so far.
Now my desire to get the information that Hojo left behind grew even more. I needed to learn more about Cloud Strife and what happened to him during Nibelheim before and after Sephiroth's mental break. Since Shinra's archive prior and after Meteorfall was scattered at best. Also, the journals that Zack left behind only hinted at the torture that he and Cloud suffered. I knew that from reading those journals that Zack did escape from Nibelheim with a sick Cloud Strife in tow. I admired that those two avoided being captured for almost a year, before Zack Fair's execution in the wastes that surround Midgar by Shinra. The archives didn't show how Cloud Strife survival and him joining up with AVALANCHE.
I would find that out almost a year later…