Days of Exile

Chapter 59 – Stasis

March 0009

It all started when Rufus Shinra had a job for Reno, Rude and Meia. They were to go to the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim to retrieve all useful information regarding JENOVA. Doctor Kilmister had been dissatisfied with the amount of information they had in the Shinra Building regarding JENOVA, preferring to have actual JENOVA samples. However, they did not have any, so Kilmister settled for the retrieval of JENOVA's old reports in the Shinra Mansion.

Or maybe Rufus did not want to give Kilmister any JENOVA remains, thought Meia, but she dared not ask. She never asked too much about JENOVA. That extraterrestrial was too creepy for her curiosity to overcome.

"Why am I asked to go along?" asked Meia curiously.

"According to boss, you're the only one now who remembers the passwords in the underground archives," said Reno with a smirk.

Meia was not very surprised to hear that. It was not necessary for her eidetic memory to be a secret anymore. Also, did she really think that Rufus Shinra would never know of her secret trespassing into the Shinra Mansion?

"Then again, there was really no point in returning." Meia shrugged. "Haven't I already read everything in the Archives?"

"Don't be too cocky, kid," said Rude with a smirk. Meia looked at Rude's confident face, wondering if there was indeed, something that she had missed out.

"Another thing too…" Meia looked down. "Chocobos?" She grinned.

"Gold chocobos," corrected Reno. "They are the best kind of transportation, if you don't mind their speed."

"I know that," said Meia. "But I never knew that Shinra owned chocobos."

"… We didn't," Rude answered beside Meia. "We borrowed them from AVALANCHE. Tifa said that they bred quite a number of them in the chocobo farm and could spare three for us to use."

"Three gold chocobos… AVALANCHE is a lot more resourceful than I thought…" Meia murmured, caressing the soft feathers lovingly. Even though they were a little bumpy, compared to airships and helicopters, gold chocobos were the best mode of transportation as they could travel literally anywhere in the world. "We should've gotten them when we were Turks," she lamented. "I would love to dedicate my Turk job taking care of chocobos."

Reno sniggered at Meia's comment. "As if Veld would let you waste his manpower on chocobos. Besides, seriously? A group of lethal-looking, bloodthirsty Turks, on chocobos?"

Meia giggled. "That does take the terror out of Shinra."

Though not as fast as an airship, the gold chocobos managed to bring them to Nibelheim within the day. They had to detour at North Corel to get dinner, so it was at night when they arrived at Nibelheim. The town was empty, save a few street lamps. The Shinra employees impersonating as Nibelheim citizens had long resigned from their jobs when Meteor was coming. Weeds covered the paths, brown and dry. Houses remained intact, but the open doors and lack of maintenance in the neighbourhood changed nothing about the creepiness of the town.

"What a horrible place to return to," muttered Meia quietly. She was sincerely glad that she had Reno and Rude for company. They were the only people in the entire town, filled with monsters. If Shinra was still around, this town would have gone down in history like Modeoheim.

Turned out that Rude was correct in saying that Meia had not read everything in the library. He showed Meia a section of bookcases, hidden behind another section of bookcases. The hidden section could only be unlocked using a key that Rude had.

"These bookshelves are the raw writings of the scientists, including raw data of their experiments," Rude said grimly. "You'll find that some information in those official folders are presented quite differently in the raw records."

"Amazing," said Meia. There were only three bookshelves but they were filled with thin folders, recording all the projects that the Science Department did, up to Year 0007.

"How did you know that there was another set of bookcases behind?" asked Reno. He threw a suspicious glance at the key. "How did you get this key? I've never seen this in my entire life."

Rude shrugged. "… I have been in the company longer than you. Among the Turks, only Veld, Tseng and I knew about this."

"The key?"

"Rufus gave me permission to retrieve it from the Shinra Building."

"And they called me third-in-command," muttered Reno loudly. Meia giggled and patted his back comfortingly.

They spent the night in the basement library of Shinra Mansion, getting any kinds of information that might be of help to cure Geostigma. Reno and Rude also helped by reading, taking down notes, and taking care of any monsters loitering outside the basement library.

At last, Meia was satisfied with the information the library had on JENOVA.

"That makes you the only precious person in the whole Gaia," said Reno, cupping her face with his hands. "Who knows everything about Shinra." He narrowed his eyes at her. "You better not go around blabbing this to random people… or they'll come after your life." He ended by squeezing her cheeks.

Meia grinned. "I'm not that stupid, Reno. Besides, if I'm in trouble…" She held his cupped hands. "You will save me, right?"

"I'll think about it."

"Hey!" protested Meia. "Don't use Rude's words on me!"

Rude, who still had not removed his sunglasses even in the dim room, sighed. "Still, the information was not enough, was it?"

Meia turned to Rude with a nod. Indeed, the secret information were abundant – Meia would never find information on JENOVA anywhere else. However, they were not exactly what they wanted. "I was hoping that we might know anything about Geostigma," she admitted. "But there is nothing on diseases and the like." Meia pouted. "It's jam-packed with Hojo's disgusting experiments."

"… It is Hojo's laboratory, after all."

"Yeah," chuckled Reno. "I won't hold my breath waiting for Hojo to work on cures, yo."

The young woman walked around the room. "He has lack of creativity for his experiments names too. Project S, Project B, Project Z, Project K… I mean, we only have twenty six letters in the alphabet, right?" Meia picked up another folder. "Oh look, Project Chaos… Now that's something that doesn't have a single letter." She flipped through it but was not exactly reading its contents.

Reno raised an eyebrow. "You do know that the letter imply the first names of…"

"Yes, I know." Meia waved him off. "I'm trying my best not to guess what the letters mean." She refrained from looking at Project Z in particular, telling herself that no matter how curious she was, she would never look at Project Z's files unless she was ordered by Reeve or Veld. She wanted her last image of Zack Fair to be a smiling, dark-haired boy, not an unconscious man strapped down with his brain open.

Meia looked at the folder named "Project Chaos", still in her hand. "Hey…" She muttered to herself. "This project was done by both Hojo and a Lucrecia Crescent…"

"What about it?" Reno peered over her shoulder.

Meia blinked, trying to remember. "If I'm not wrong, I've heard Professor Hojo call out this name before…" She gasped. "I remember now, Hojo mentioned her name before…"

"… Lucrecia was a scientist in Shinra," answered Rude. "But that was a long time ago. Decades, maybe." He slid the folder "Project S" towards her. "You may want to reread this then."

As Reno and Rude quietly returned the files back to the shelves, Meia read through the document, this time allowing her eyes to pick up the information slowly. However, it did not take long before her memory and her logic clicked. She looked up from the report sharply. "Doctor Crescent was the mother of Sephiroth?" Rude nodded. Meia gaped at the new information. "… Who's the father?" She asked.

"Who knows?" Reno sat next to Meia and pulled her closer to him. "Probably Hojo. Although I really wonder, is there anyone in this world who would want to get that intimate with Hojo?"

"Sephiroth is Hojo's son…" Meia muttered to herself. "He experimented on his own son. A baby."

"Don't try to understand Hojo, Meia." Reno patted her head.

Rude stood up. He had already taken their sleeping bags and placed them on the floor. He removed his blazer, folded it and placed it neatly. "Get some sleep, you two," He grunted. "… We've got to head back first thing in the morning."

Reno yawned and removed his blazer too. "Yeah, we should."

Meia nodded, kicking off her combat boots and snuggling in her sleeping bag. Even with Reno close to her, Meia found that it was hard to fall sleep. Questions, thoughts of countless of experiments discontinued, images of people in stasis and contorted faces bombarded her mind until she could no longer keep awake.

The next day, they left Nibelheim, taking only a few folders from the library for Doctor Kilmister. It was mid-morning when they set out to return to Edge. They headed south this time, wanting to visit Cissnei in Gongaga before returning to Edge.

Not too long after they left Nibelheim, while traversing along the mountains, Meia stopped Reno and Rude. "I hear a waterfall," said Meia, pulling her chocobo to a gentle stop.

"What about it?" asked Reno, stopping his chocobo as well. "Waterfalls are everywhere, yo."

Meia beamed. "I wanna stop for a while and look around!"

"… No." Rude said firmly. "We have just left Nibelheim. There is no need for a break."

"But… but… I want to go!" Meia whined. "Come on, when will it be the next time that we get to come out all the way here again?"

"Sorry, little Meia," said Reno. "But I'm with Rude on this. I don't see the need to stop by and look at some crummy waterfall, yo."

Meia pouted. "If that's the case, then you two can go ahead to Gongaga and I'll catch up with the two of you. Just that… you know… if I get lost or killed… there goes all your information." She tapped her head.

"What?" Reno threw his hands up in the air. "I don't believe this!" He turned to Rude in disgust. "My girlfriend is threatening us!" He stared at Meia. "Just for a frolick by the waterfall?"

Rude pushed his sunglasses against his nose. "Don't push your luck with us. We have a mission to complete, and we will complete it at all costs."

Meia folded her arms and stared at Rude defiantly. "Well, I'm not a Turk anymore," she pointed out. "I don't need to abide by the rules. I don't want to. You can go back and tell Tseng, but he can't do much to me… and he can't do much to you too." She cocked her head, as if evaluating them. "You are not bound by Shinra law anymore, are you?"

The bald Turk sighed inwardly. He hated to be in debate with Meia sometimes. Even the weirdest-sounding arguments will sound logical when she sounded that confident. "Just for a while."

"Hurray!" Meia grinned. "You're the best, Rude!"

"Hey, what about me, yo?" Reno stretched his arms wide open.

Meia snorted. "It's easy to change your mind. Rude, however…" She smiled.

"Are you implying that I'm a pushover?" Reno retorted, but Meia was long gone on her chocobo, hurrying down the mountain towards the sounds of the waterfall.

You know how one would often say "Small world, huh?" when they run into someone that they know, often in unexpected situations?

Never in Meia's wildest dreams did she ever thought that she would say that here.

There was a small cave behind the waterfall, something that Meia was not expecting. Not listening to Reno and Rude's protests, Meia crept her way in, trying her hardest to avoid the water from the waterfall.

The cave was dim and very small, no further than twenty steps from side to side. There were no other tunnels or pathways. The entrance of the cave led to a circular clearing. At the other side of the cave, a large centerpiece glowed. There seemed to be something inside.

"Whoa…" Meia gasped, taking a few steps closer.

Suddenly, she heard the click of a rifle. She tensed, touching her bangle readying a spell herself.

"Who is that?" A gruff voice spoke.

Meia was so distracted by the glow of the centerpiece that she did not notice a silent, dark figure sitting by it. "Don't shoot me!" She squeaked, squinting at the familiar long-haired figure. "Mr Vincent Valentine?" She exclaimed when she recognized the figure.

Vincent Valentine blinked at her. "It's you."

Meia was surprised that Vincent remembered her. She laughed nervously. "Small world, huh?"

"How did you know about this place?" He asked.

"Um… we were on chocobos. We kinda stumbled upon this."

"We?"

"Um… Reno, Rude and I." Meia jerked a thumb towards the entrance. "They were Turks with me too." As Vincent turned back, Meia walked closer to him. "What is this place?" She finally could see what was in the middle of the cave. The 'centerpiece' that Meia saw was actually a case of crystallised Mako. A woman was inside the Mako case. Meia gasped. "Is that a human in there? Is she-"

"I'm sorry," Vincent said frankly, cutting her off. "I would like to be alone."

"Oh…" Meia shifted her foot awkwardly. A part of her wanted to leave, but another part was more determined. "Well, I won't let you." Meia folded her arms defiantly. "I mean, you've blown me off a few times already. I think I deserve to get some answers, right?" She took a step closer to Vincent. "Please…" She pleaded.

"Meia!" From behind her, she could hear Rude calling for her.

Reno called out, "You okay, yo?" Soon, she saw the two Turks walking in. "Whoa!" exclaimed Reno when they saw Vincent. They reached for their weapons. "What a surprise to see you, Valentine."

"The feeling is mutual," Vincent said in a deadpan, his rifle already in position for fire.

"Stop it!" shouted Meia. "Reno and Rude, hello?" She gestured towards Vincent. "Mr Vincent Valentine? My Turk hero?" She shooed them out. "I'll be fine, just give me a while more."

Rude nodded without much protest. "Fifteen minutes." He beckoned Reno to follow him towards the exit.

Reno was complaining to no end. "Can you believe that, Rude? My own girlfriend would rather spend time with Pretty-face than-" His words were engulfed by the roar of the waterfall as they left the cave.

Meia turned to Vincent, who finally lowered his rifle and sat down with a grunt. "Thank you for hearing me out." She walked closer to him and gingerly sat down, trembling as she felt the cold, hard stone floor. "Actually… I just want to know about my father, Joseph Etsky…"

The man paused for a while. Meia tried to shake her awkwardness away by looking around her surroundings. "I'm sorry…" He said at last. "It's been too long, I don't remember much about him…"

"Oh…" Meia turned and looked at the woman in the Mako case again. "Do you know this woman?" She asked.

"… Her name is Lucrecia."

Meia spun around and stared at Vincent. "Lucrecia?" She exclaimed. "Lucrecia Crescent?"

Vincent did not look as shocked as she was, though Meia highly suspected that that was not the case. "Do you know her?" he asked.

"Yeah, well… not really. I just knew that she worked with Hojo before." Meia stared at the woman in newfound interest. "So this is Lucrecia… She is beautiful. No wonder…"

No wonder Hojo looked so gentle when he was thinking about her, thought Meia. She recalled that the scientist did not look as angry or disgusted. Meia wondered if Hojo ever had feelings for the woman. If the thought of her could make Hojo look so humane… surely… She did not voice out her thoughts though. Glancing at Vincent, who was gazing upon Lucrecia with a similar expression, she wondered if he thought the same of her too.

Vincent did not ask Meia how she knew of Lucrecia, neither did Meia ask Vincent of his past with her. Quickly, Meia changed the subject. "So uh… thanks for helping Reeve and I out once in a while, you know?"

"…"

"WRO has been quite busy with stuff in Edge and all. I don't really want to bore you with the details but we've gotten a bit of breakthrough in finding energy sources and all. You should come by once in a while, we could always use some help!"

"…"

"So uh…"

Without warning, Vincent stood, startling Meia mid-sentence. "Are you alright?" Meia asked.

"… I don't think you should be here…"

"Wha… What do you mean?"

"I want to be alone."

"Oh…" Meia clutched the hem of her tunic tighter. Upon realizing what a fool she must have sounded, blabbering to someone who was not interested, her face burned with embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I… I understand…" She mumbled. She stood and turned to go… but something stopped her. "Actually, no, I don't understand." She turned back and stared at the ageless man. "Truthfully, I want to make a big fuss out of this. It's rude to not be engaged during a conversation." Vincent glanced at her and Meia wondered if he understood what she meant. "But I guess whatever I say is futile. You're right. I've taken enough of your time." She sighed. Reno and Rude were waiting for her outside anyway. She doubted that they had a lot of patience right now.

Vincent glanced at her, with his dark red eyes not revealing any emotions that he might contain. Finally, he asked, in a deep, rich voice, "… Why?"

Meia looked at him surprise. "Why what?"

"Why are you so determined to get my help?" He looked away. "I don't remember that we've met."

"I was with Veld when we found you in the Shinra Mansion," interjected Meia.

Vincent shook his head. "I wasn't referring to that. I don't remember meeting you before that… Or maybe we did, but I don't remember…" He paused to stare at his hand. "Time has been cruel to me."

This time, Meia sincerely felt bad for probing so hard into the man's thoughts. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I guess… I had the image of who you were in my head for such a long time, that I never considered if you were really the Vincent Valentine that I had idolized." Meia reached out to touch one of the crystal stubs on the floor. The crystals felt surprisingly cold under the touch of her hand. "Joseph Etsky… my father… he has always been a loyal supporter of yours." She glanced at him. Vincent was looking at her, his face impassive. "When you disappeared in 1977, my father devoted his free time finding you. He went through piles of reports and search parties, but he never found you. Even in his journals, his findings never went very far…" She stopped. "Anyway, it doesn't matter to you, I guess."

The man was looking at her with more interest now. "Your father… was looking for me?" Meia nodded. "How close was he to discovering anything about me?"

"Nothing. He never found you." Meia clenched her jaw tightly. "If he had found you, he would have saved you from your coffin, wouldn't he?"

"… I was in the coffin out of my own will."

"Huh?"

The man did not look at her anymore. Instead, he stared at Lucrecia, sighing silently. "When I wanted to go with Cloud and everyone, I had hoped to settle things with Hojo once and for all…" He muttered under his breath. Though Meia could hear him, she decided against responding. "… all for naught."

"Mr Vincent Valentine…"

"Please leave me," the man said, looking at her again. "I'm sorry I wasn't of much help. I have much to atone for."

Meia sighed and folded her arms. "So when would you be done?"

The man looked at her in genuine confusion. "I beg your pardon?"

"I'm saying… when will you stop being like this?" Meia shook her head. "You've been saying those words since I met you. It's been two years… I say you are either self-absorbed, or lazy… or both," she added for additional impact.

The only sign that told Meia that Vincent was listening was the soft rustle of his cloak.

"I do not know what you are going through… I won't proclaim that I know better. However, what is it that you seek? Revenge? Certain things to be done?" She held out a hand. "What do you need to see before you know that your sins are atoned for?"

"…"

"If you are not sure, then all that you are doing is…" Meia whispered, "Is pointless. You think you are seeking progress or closure. But all you are doing is freezing yourself further into your past." The silence from the man told her that it was time that she left him alone. "Well now… I best leave before you shoot my head off," she laughed nervously.

"Wait." The man said. Meia turned in surprise. Vincent shifted himself to look at her properly. Perhaps, it was the first time Meia felt that Vincent was treating her seriously. "… What is your name again?"

She gulped. "Meia Etsky… of the WRO."

"… Someday, everything makes sense, will you listen to my story?"

Meia blinked in surprise. "Of course I will," she answered with a warm smile. "I'll wait for your story, Mr Vincent Valentine."

As she walked out of the cave, Reno stood up quickly. "About time, Meia!" He growled. "Did you know how much time you've wasted on this?"

Meia checked her watch. "Approximately twenty-two minutes and ten seconds," she answered seriously, though the look in her eyes were not.

"Enough time wasted," added Rude with a nod. "Let's go."

As they trudged back to the waiting chocobos, Reno turned to her again. "And Valentine? Are you done talking to him once and for all?"

"Nope," Meia laughed. "We barely said anything much, I guess." She swung herself easily up the chocobo. "But don't worry," she said, turning to look at the cave again. "It won't be the last time I'm seeing Vincent Valentine anyway."

Reno grumbled as he got comfortable on the chocobo's back. "Don't you go cheating on me, Meia Etsky."

She gave him a cheeky smile. "I'll think about it."

"Hey!"

Thank you for your patience. I am very humbled and honoured to see many people following and making this story a favourite. You may not have the words to tell me, but I see your actions. I am thankful.

The last chapter will be out next week. I'm really excited and I hope you are too. As always, please read and review!