A/N: This chapter has been EDITED

Key-

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

Memories/Dreams

Chapter One

A lone figure stood on the edge of the cliff. As the figure waited, she began to unconsciously stroke the blade that stood imbedded into the ground. 'Cloud…' She thought anxiously, 'Where are you?'

Jecsie was getting impatient; she had been standing on the same spot for a while now, and she was getting impatient. Glancing around, she walked back to where her motorcycle was parked, just a few yards from where she had been standing.

Since she and Zack went their separate ways, her attire had changed; she still wore the cotton black top that he had given her. But now, over it, she wore an open, black leather jacket with sleeves that stopped right above her elbows, and a single fingerless glove with a Velcro strap on her right hand. Her left hand was bare, except for the silver bracelet with her name.

She had on a pair of black, jean shorts that reached to the top of her thighs. She had straps on her mid-thighs that held a pair of sai to her person. She also wore a belt in her shorts, which held the holster holding her .45super special handgun. She had kept the shoes that Zack had given her, but now wore them with fishnet stockings that reached to her sai straps.

Her hair – which reached to the middle of her back - was a silvery, metallic color, and it had streaks of black here and there. Many would think that she had colored it manually. But no, they had grown in themselves over time. It was strange, but really, who would complain? She didn't – she liked them. It was left down for the most part, with her bangs swept to the side, falling over her right eye. She had two thin black ribbons braided into her hair on each side of her head that tied at the back, without a bow. She felt like a child with "pretty ribbons in her hair", as little Marlene had said when she put them there, but she couldn't deny the child her fun.

Jecsie leaned against the cold metal of her motorcycle frame, closing her Mako-blue eyes. 'Maybe I'm too early...' She thought, 'But I know I saw him riding through here...'

Her eyes stayed closed, and eventually, she fell victim to the world of dreams...No, not dreams – nightmares. Because when she fell, she fell back to that day...

That day...I cried...The first and only time...

It was a long while after I had left Zack at the Inn, but I had no way of keeping track of time. So I couldn't say for sure how long it had been. I'd kept up the nomadic habit of not staying anywhere too long, and I didn't know where I was now.

It was raining, and the sound of gunshots was ringing in my ears. At first...I didn't know what to think...I just thought of nothing. Because they were too far away for me to hear much of anything else, and I was far enough away that I didn't have to worry about them coming after me. So I didn't think a thing. I just tried to ignore it – key word tried. But there was a strong pain in my chest that got worse and worse with every shot. And I didn't know why...

Then somehow...After the sound ended, and after I had wandered aimlessly a bit more, I found myself looking down at him...

Zack...was on the ground. I saw Cloud, hovering over him; he was finally up and active, and I was relieved about that. But his glowing blue eyes looked so sad, and I felt my stomach drop as I really took in what I was seeing . They were talking, and even though I was a good nine yards away, I could still hear some of what was being said. "...live!" I watched as Zack pulled his friend against him.

Live...That's what he wanted Cloud to do. I stopped listening – though I could still hear them – as I finally realized what was going on. I finally registered the tears in the sable-haired clothes – they were bullet holes...Zack...He was dying! When Cloud lifted his head, I could see Zack's blood covering his face, and I felt bile rise in my throat. "You'll be..." My ears focused on what Zack was saying, "my living legacy..." he was struggling with his words now. "My honor, my dreams," He lifted his sword up, handing it to Cloud, "There yours now."

He took the sword in both of his hands. There was a sudden ringing in my years. All their words and Cloud's screams were lost to me. My hands covered my ears to try and stop it, my eyes blank and glazed over with tears. I couldn't bare it any longer...

When I looked back Cloud was gone; I could see him walking towards a city...Midgar I believe. I ran to Zack. I skidded to a stop, falling on my knees. "...Zack..." His eyes were glazed, but I could still see life in them, "Zack," I tried again, this time louder, but my voice started shaking.

His eyes focused again, looking at me. "Je...Jecsie..." His voice was strangled, but he managed.

"Zack..." My hands were shaking now too, as I began running them gently through his hair. I'd hoped that it would sooth him, because I didn't know how else to take away the pain I knew was wracking his body. I didn't know why I cared so much. I had just met him...Yet, I felt so afraid to let him die. 'Maybe because he saved you...' I thought.

Whatever the reason, I couldn't stand it. Seeing him die only made the pain in my chest worsen. "Promise me..." His words brought me back from my thoughts, "Promise me...that you'll watch him for me...Keep a close eye on him..."

I smiled the fakest, most sympathetic smile I could muster. It wasn't fake because I didn't care; it simply hurt too much to make a real one. "I've done it before," I answered, thinking back to when he'd left me with the blonde back at the Inn. By his smile I knew he remembered too "So I can do it again." I tried to wipe some of the blood of his face and said, "Thank you. I know that we are complete strangers to each other...But it feels like we've been best friends for years...

"Don't worry Zack Fair." I felt nice saying his full name...It was like my only way to show how much this meant to me, "I'll take good care of him..."

"Thank you...Jecsie..." He turned his head back up to the sky. It had finally stopped raining, which was how I realized that I was crying after my tears fell on his forehead. Zack lifted his hand up, and I watched as he faded. His fingertips dissolving as the green light of the Lifestream danced across his figure.

I cried and cried...and cried. And when he was completely gone...I screamed. My cry echoed, almost drowning out the sound of the helicopter coming to the cliff on which this entire scene occurred. I saw it though, and ran. I hid from its view, because I knew the people in it would take me back to that lab – and how would I be able to keep my promise to Zack? ...But something was wrong...The sound of the engine. It sounded different...Like a motorcycle...

Jecsie woke with a start. The sound of an engine cut through her ears and she looked around. When she saw three bikes approaching, she jumped on her bike and rode off. But she knew they saw her anyway, whoever they were. She didn't hear them following though, and pulled over behind a giant boulder to see why.

They stopped at the spot she was just at, the middle rider kicking Zack's Buster Sword from its stop. Jescie growled to herself, but made no move to approach them. She vaguely noticed that all three of them had silvery hair like her own, but her' was a lighter – almost white – and she had her black lowlights.

She just watched them, waiting for them to make some sort of move, because she knew that they knew she was there. The three of them just sat there though, talking amongst one another until a movement caught their attention. While one stayed on the cliff top, the other two were going after something...or someone. To her horror, it was Cloud, oblivious to the danger he was in.

She kept her eyes on the ones chasing after him, watching for the signs of her premonition. Suddenly, shadows appeared from beneath them, and started after Cloud. From the shadows emerged four, large Shadow Creepers. Four wasn't much, at least not for Cloud, but Jescie still felt on edge.

Cloud opened Fenrir, and pulled out one of his broad swords. He sliced the first Creature as it jumped at him from a rock, swerving Fenrir to slice the one behind him. As he cut through another one, one of the bikers that were chasing him came up to Cloud's face. He was speaking to him, but with the distance between them, and the noise of the engines, Jecsie couldn't hear a thing. She was already craning her neck because it was getting too difficult to follow there movements with her eyes. The other man – she assumed they were both male – started firing gunshots at Cloud, as the first one continued trying to hit him off his bike.

As Cloud continued fighting them both off – all the while swerving around jagged rocks and dodging more Shadow Ceepers – a voice reached Jecsie's ears from the cliff. "...because I think you do have Mother there." She heard it say.

She turned back to where the other biker had stopped. She narrowed her eyes to get a better focus on his figure, and she could just make out the features of his face. It was another male, she could tell by the voice, and he had shoulder-length hair. And his outfit was completely made of black leather, with many straps and belt buckles.

"I don't want to talk to you anymore," He snapped into the phone he held, "Put the President on."

'Rufus Shinra?' Jescie thought, her thoughts wandering to the day she saved the young man. She had snuck into the ShinRa building just before it had been demolished by a Mako cannon. She'd known of the president's would-be demise hours before hand, and had made it a personal mission to save him, if only to save herself from the guilt of letting him die. She didn't particularly like him, but since catching his attention that day, she found a fun game in humiliating him for his failed attempts to catch her. Though the Turks had already been chasing her long before, the previous president never got as flustered when he learned of their failure, like his son.

Jescie's attention moved back to the chase going on between Cloud and the strange bikers once the one on the cliff looked back to them as well.

More of the Shadow Creepers kept coming at him, and the two men on the bikes continued firing at him. He swerved around the rocks covering the sandy landscape. One of them braked in front of him, activating some weapon attached to his arm. Cloud pulled Fenrir up, jumping over the man. He landed so that he was facing him, and he pulled out his sword again. He struck at the man, but was blocked by the Taser-like weapon on his arm. Jecsie felt a sudden jolt go through her left arm the same time that she saw Cloud grimace. He glanced down at his arm for half a second before blocking the man with his sword. But that resulted in getting his Broad Sword knocked a good mile away. When he looked back in front of him, the second man was coming straight at him. When he was right in front of Cloud, he hit the brakes, flipping over Cloud, bike and all. When he was half way over him, the stranger released a single bullet.

"Cloud!" Jecsie's scream was loud enough to catch even the strangers' attention, but she was relieved to see Cloud unharmed. 'That was too close for comfort.' She thought.

Then, she stared frozen in place as her vision from the night before came together; both men pulled back, releasing more and more of those Shadow Creepers at her friend. Cloud looked around at all of them, as unsure as Jescie how to escape. She glared at the men as they laughed, seeming to enjoy the sight of Cloud struggling. She looked back at her friend, unable to do a thing as the Creepers all jumped at him, circling him for their last attack.

Then every one of them suddenly disappeared in a single cloud of smoke. He looked just as confused as she was. The men swerved and turned back to where their companion was waiting. The blonde and Jescie followed them with their eyes. Cloud skidded to a stop, looking up at him. He turned, and his eyes widened at the sight of his dear friend so close to the danger. But Jecsie waved him off, mouthing that it was fine. He knew she'd be able to fend for herself, but he still hesitated before taking off.

Jecsie was about to take off, when, "Well, well," She cursed herself, not having heard the three of them approach. "What do we have here?" It was the voice of the man that had spoken of Rufus Shinra.

Her body tensed as she felt two cold, metal points press against her neck. Then right before blacking out, she felt the painful shock of electricity coursing through her body.