Final Fantasy VII: Reflections - Book 1: Descent

TWENTY-NINE

Tifa and I made our way through the dank, winding sewer tunnels as best we could. We crossed into the section underneath Sector 5 after a while, sticking to the tiled stone floor as much as possible and staying well clear of the muck that ran down many of the channels. I guided us with what I knew of the place as well as the flashlight I kept in my belt pouch. Wasn't big, but it made up for it with how bright it could get. At the moment, it was set somewhere in the middle.

"So, Tifa..." I asked as we went along. "How do you think Barret'll take it when we tell him about our mission and what happened? Think he'll be pleased with us? Or pissed?"

She thought for a minute. "I'd say fifty-fifty."

I nodded. "Sounds about right. I know he won't like hearing about what Shinra's been doing to people. But... you think he'll be okay with what happened, with what we did?"

"He'll understand," Tifa assured me. "You did fine, Jessie."

"Did I do the right thing?" I wondered.

She caught me gently by the arm and pulled me to a stop. "Yeah. It was too late for Danny. Whatever they put in him, it fried his mind. All he knew was to kill. We had to stop him."

"I guess you're right," I sighed. "I just wish there'd been some other way, that I could've reached him somehow."

Tifa slid an arm around my shoulder. "I know. So do I. But you still helped him, brought him peace. I think he'd be glad for that. And I can tell you that Barret'll be proud of you."

I gazed at her. "He will?"

"You bet," she smiled. "We struck a blow against Shinra today, and you saved your friend from a terrible fate. I think that's pretty good for your first Avalanche mission, don't you?"

I grinned. "Yeah, I guess it is, isn't it? Thanks, Tifa."

"Anytime," she said.

After giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze, she let go, then reached into her pocket and took out a small vial with a pale blue liquid inside. A healing potion. Tifa glanced at the slashes on my arms and handed it to me. I didn't take it at first, not wanting to use it yet if we could avoid it. And they still tasted utterly gross.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine," I said, giving her a cheeky laugh. "Doesn't hurt all that much, really."

Tifa pressed it into my hand. "Take it, Jessie."

"But what if it's our only one?" I asked.

"It is, but I want you to use it anyway," she insisted. "We're far from home, and you need to take care of yourself."

I shook my head. "I'm telling you, Tifa, I'm—"

Just then, I winced and stumbled as the pain flared up. It stung me like a thousand bees jabbing at my arms. Danny'd gotten in quite a few cuts on both of them when he had pounced on me, and I had done my best to ignore how much they hurt ever since—getting away from that pack of Shinra soldiers and staying alive had been just a bit higher of a priority for me than seeing to my injuries. But we were safe, at least for now, and on our way home. Maybe Tifa was right.

She caught me and held me steady. "Easy, now. Sit down, Jessie. We can rest for a while. Drink the potion, and while you're doing that, I'm gonna take a good look at you."

"Guess I'm in no position to argue with ya," I chuckled.

"Nope," Tifa laughed.

After giving me the potion and carefully helping me have a seat on the floor at the base of the wall, she knelt in front of me and examined first one arm and then the other. I couldn't resist making a face when I drank the potion, but it did ease the pain a bit. As the slashes started to heal up a little, Tifa took a cloth from one of the flat little pouches that hung from the sides of her black leather skirt and cleaned the blood off my arms. There was more than a little.