-Eight Years before the 'Event'-
It was a beautiful busy morning. The sound of cars driving through the streets, laughter of children running to school only further added the joy of the morning, the faint smell of a certain mother cooking breakfast for her family downstairs.
"Mom! Where's my white socks?" A thirteen year old boy, with brown spiky hair asked rather loudly as he rushed down, dressed in his elementary school uniform which consisted of a white shirt, black trousers and a necktie with the school logo stitched neatly at the end.
His mother was a woman in her early forties, with long dark brown blackish hair, and brown eyes. She wore a black sleeveless vest, with a short sleeved white turtleneck shirt underneath, followed by tight black pants with white on black sneakers, and a white apron was tied around her slim waist to add the motherly detail towards her outfit.
"Well where did you put them?" His mother asked as she turned around while holding the spatula.
"I don't remember? I left them on the chair last night now they're gone!" He screamed.
"What's with all the shouting?" An eighteen-year-old boy dressed in dark blue trousers grumbled as he walked down the stairs, with a one towel draped around his topless shoulders.
This is Scáth the oldest of the three biological children that Cloud and Tifa had together.
"What's doing on?" He asked, while he dried his wet hair. "I can't find my white socks! Scáth have you seen them?" Zean begged. Scáth sighed, "I have no idea where you'd put them."
Zean growled and then he ran back upstairs to continue his search.
"Puh…that's what he gets for being so irresponsible." Scáth stated as he sat on the bar stool. Tifa turned to him and shook her head. Scáth didn't reply as she went back to her cooking.
A soon new set of footsteps was heard walking down the stairs. Scáth turned around slowly to see who it was. It his younger sister Spéire, dressed in her school uniform. A light blue mid-sleeve dress that reached pass the knees, a white bow in the middle and the school emblem sewed on the right side of her chest, finished with a pair of ten centimeter white socks and black shoes, and two thigh length metal leg braces that reached her ankles.
As usual she had most of her brown hair tied to one side with a single white ribbon, allowing only her fringe to remain free.
"Do you need help mom?" She asked as she turned to Tifa. Their mother shook her head as she started into the light hazel brown eyes of her daughter. "I'm alright." Tifa replied with a sincere smile.
Spéire smiled and slowly walked towards the barstool. Duk, duk, duk, the floorboards went as she took each step carefully with the help of her two support canes before she slowly lifted herself to the barstool, finally she placed her support canes, standing in a diagonal position on the front of the counter.
Tifa gracefully placed her daughter's breakfast on the counter, and walked over to the drawer. She pulled out a knife and fork, and placed it on the two different sides of the plate. "Thanks mom." Spéire replied.
"Good morning big brother." Spéire greeted Scáth as he pulled out a water bottle from underneath bar counter. "Morning." Scáth replied listlessly as he opened the cap. "What would you like for breakfast, Scáth?" Tifa asked. Scáth gazed at her, and swallowed his water before answering, "Anything I guess."
Tifa nodded in understanding, normally when Scáth says 'Anything' he usually means a salad or something with a lot of greens in it. "Big brother you should really eat other things than vegetables three times a day, twenty-four seven." Spéire reprimanded mainly out of concern for her brother's narrow food choices. "At least it's better than eating junk food all the time." Scáth stated as their mother prepared his breakfast.
Unfortunately, the breakfast that Tifa was preparing for him was far beyond his taste.
Twenty minutes later, she finally placed his food on the table: A plate of beans, scramble eggs and bread or 'A ton of calories mixed with wheat' as he liked to call it. Scáth raised an eyebrow for a moment, and looked like he wanted to complain. Nonetheless he just took a deep breath, picked up his fork and ate his breakfast quietly without an ounce of protest.
"Found it!" Zean shouted from upstairs. Tifa raised her eyebrow in a questioning manner as her other son's footsteps quickly pounded on the stairs, signaling them that he was once again sky-rocketing to get his share of breakfast that Tifa, had fortunately prepared before she made Spéire's or Scáth's.
Zean skidded on his sock covered feet from the arch, which separated the bar from the living quarters of the house, and walked (in a normal pace) towards the divider.
He lifted it up and took at least seven steps before he lifted himself up on the barstool. Tifa instantly placed his breakfast as well as the utensils in front of him before she walked back to the sink.
"Thanks mom!" Zean replied as he picked up his knife and fork. Scáth shook his head in disbelief before he gave his younger brother a quick light smack on the head. "Say thank you when she's looking at you, not when she has her back turned." He lectured. Zean scowled and pulled his arm back, ready to punch his brother just as Tifa turned around, catching him in time. "Zean!" She scolded. Zean lowered his arm and grumbled about how he will get back at Scáth later.
Spéire chuckled a few good laughs while she remembered that Denzel used to pick on Scáth like that too before he moved out. Finally she stopped and smiled to herself and then finished up on her breakfast.
"See you later mom!" Zean said before he left for school. Spéire smiled and gave her mother a low wave while saying, "Adieu."
The two of them turned around and walked on to school. Tifa waved without them noticing and sighed.
Scáth stood behind her now wearing a dark blue sleeveless vest to match the same dark blue trouser he still has on.
Tifa turned to him and watched him sweeping the dust off the sidewalk to the property with a straw broom, when he accidently saw the look of worry on his mother's face. "What's that look for?" Scáth asked. Tifa shook her head, showing him that it wasn't anything to be concerned about.
"It's about Spéire isn't it?" He said, practically seeing through his mother's façade. "Don't worry about her. If she gets picked on again, you know the school will call you." Scáth stated the obvious as he rested his hand on his hip.
"I know that, but I wonder how long she can take it?" Tifa muttered. "…" Scáth responded before he silently went back to sweeping. Tifa turned to him, wondering about his lack of compassion in the matter. "Aren't you worried too?" She asked. Scáth suddenly stopped and turned his eyes away from her for a second before closing them abruptly. He sighed as his shoulders slumped slowly.
"I know she's not a weakling." Scáth answered. "That's not I ask." Tifa pointed out. Scáth opened his eyes and turned to look at her. "Mom, there's nothing for me to worry about…Spéire's going to fine. I know it." He stated in a straightforward manner. Tifa continued to stare at her son, this time with concern more than disappointment. "Scáth…if anything happens to her…anything, we'd have to let her go." She said, eying him to see how would he respond.
Scáth didn't stop sweeping, instead he added a little more speed in his work, all the while trying to pretend that his mother didn't say another word of the matter.
"Scáth, you know your sister might not live that long—" Tifa started then she heard the broom drop to ground, she looked down at it before slowly moving her head up look at her son, and then bell to her bar jingled as Scáth quickly entered the bar.
Tifa took a quick breath, and walked over to pick up the abandoned broom, before she looking through the bar window, casting her eyes on the sight of her son furiously wiping the all too clean bar counter and dining tables.
She then stepped inside and gently placed the broom on a nearby wall, soon she rested her hand on her son's, and slowly pulled the cloth from under his palm. "I understand, you don't want to give up hope. Thank you for having faith in her." Tifa said to him.
Scáth nodded, then his mother looked at him with a bright smile, "Why won't you go and take a break. I'll take care of things down here." She said. Scáth turned to her, bearing a stoical look on his face as stared at her.
"Easy up, if you're trying to keep yourself busy, why won't go and help your father with his navigating upstairs." She suggested. Scáth nodded wordlessly and slowly headed away from the barroom, leaping over the bar counter on the way.
He walked up the stairs towards his father's office (which also happens to his parents' bedroom) that was positioned right next to the stairs and on left end on the building.
Scáth knocked on the helm of the opened doorway. "You need help?" He asked his father.
"Sure thing." Cloud replied turning to the doorway. Scáth entered and leaned over his father to see the map for himself. He raised an eyebrow and traced the route lines with his index finger.
"Dad, I think you made a mix up here." He pointed to the exit, which clearly had the word Chocobo farm. "Edge City is right here." He said pointing to the area that was clearly far off from the navigations Cloud made.
His father squinted his eyes. "I think you need glasses dad." Scáth remarked. Cloud didn't reply and fixed the directions on the map, then Scáth scanned his eyes at all the little routes and detours.
"I think if drove from here to here, that might save you sometime to get towards the port quickly." Scáth added moving his hand from the Edge city on the map to Old man's house and finally Junon.
"There's a lot of cliffs there, at any rate, it's safer to just drive straight to Kalm." Cloud replied. "There's a bit a lot of monster sightings there, dad." Scáth added. Cloud looked at him with a straight face, and then stood up from his seat. "Either way, it's the fastest route. And I have weapons to help me with the monsters Scáth, you don't have worry." He said as he left the desk to the corner of the room and picked up one of the packages piled on that spot.
"How long will you be gone this time?" Scáth questioned. Cloud turned this head to look at him. "One day, maybe two days." Cloud answered. Scáth nodded simply because he thought that was an appropriate move at the moment.
"I'll be going now." Cloud said as he walked out of the room. Scáth followed his father out, "Wait, dad maybe I can come with you?" Scáth asked. Cloud stopped in his tracks and replied without looking at him, "No, stay here with the others." Scáth nodded reluctantly and watched his father disappear down the stairs.
"How are you keeping up sis?" Zean asked looking over his shoulder. Spéire smiled and answered, "I'm okay. Sorry for slowing down Zean." Her younger brother turned around with a scowl on his face. Spéire's expression changed to confusion in an instant when she saw Zean's reaction.
The both of them stared at each other as the everyday bystanders walked across the side walks, entering stores restaurants or any other type of everyday foundation that was fast building on the every growing Edge City.
"Stop apologizing okay! You're not slowing me down…I'm—I'm walking like this so I can be right beside you when you need me for defense alright!" He said in a flustered manner.
Spéire laughed as she walked over there with the help of her two metal walking sticks. "That's good, I'm glad to know that I have my strong brother watching over me." She smiled as she ruffled his spikes.
Zean forced a cringe and pushed his sister's hand away, "Aw…why'd you have do and do that?" He said pretending to be embarrassed. Spéire shook her head gently in disbelief and continued to walk on with Zean trailing beside her. "Oh yeah sis, I just remembered, when do you have to get your medicine today?" He asked out of the blue. Spéire flicked him gently on the center of his forehead. "Dilly dally shilly shally, we need to get school okay?"
Zean grumbled and rubbed his forehead as he followed his sister while keeping an eye on her.
Meanwhile back at the bar,
"Ten gil, three, gil, four gil." Scáth counted his savings as he sat on his desk chair. He sighed and stared up at the ceiling. "It's not enough…" He said under his breath. Soon his mother knocked on his door before opening it.
"Scáth, Beira's here to pick you up." Tifa called. Scáth glanced at his mother for a second before answering, "I'll be down soon, I just need to change into my uniform."
Tifa nodded and closed the door. Scáth got off his chair and walked over to his wardrobe and reached in to grab his uniform. Afterwards he threw his everyday wear on the bed and then stared at it for a few seconds before he finally picked up his combat shirt, and combat pants. Then he strapped on his protection vest, tied his brown combo boots, next he strapped his leg belts and waist belt, finally he put his red beret and brown gloves.
Finally he walked out of his bedroom, and walked down the stairs to the bar room.
"There he is!" Rothair, Beira's so called boyfriend exclaimed as he saw Scáth heading towards them.
"I'll be going now." Scáth announced. Tifa nodded to all of them. Scáth, Beira and Rothair walked out of the door. "Be careful." Tifa told Scáth. He stopped in middle of the doorway for a minute and nodded to his mother before continuing on to the WRO van. Tifa lifted the divider and stepped out of the bar to stand in the doorway with her hand raised and ready to wave as the van drove off.
Tifa released the breath she was holding before she turned around to walk back in the bar.
"Leave her alone!" Zean screamed while he was being held back by three of the students that approached his sister who was now down on the ground with her walking sticks laying a few feet away from her arm's reach.
Spéire looked at the leader of the group as he approached her.
His name was Baladur, a fifteen-year-old boy with dark almond colored skin, brown hair that spiked downwards, a sideswept fringe and these dark olive colored eyes. "Get up." He ordered her as Zean struggled and screamed in the background. Spéire turned to her brother, witnessing him kicking and waving his arms (ripping the sleeve of his uniform in the process) as he tried to break free.
Suddenly she felt a powerful kick on her stomach, and before she knew it, she saw the floor of the rooftop zooming blow her only to realize seconds later that it was her that was flying towards the metal barrack on the rooftop of the school.
"Ugh!" She cried as she slammed on the metal chains before she slipped down back on the group with her back leaning against the fence.
Zean's eyes widen in horror, and then narrowed in anger. He slowly looked over to his captor and elbowed him in the face, forcing his first captor to release his hold. Finally Zean grabbed his second captor with his free arm and threw him on the ground.
"Zean don't!" Spéire warned as she attempted to reach out to him.
Zean let out a animalistic yell and lunged at Baladur from behind, trapping him in an arm-lock around his neck. "Leave my sister alone!" Zean threatened as Baladur spun and smacked Zean into the fence several times, trying fruitless to get the thirteen year old off him.
Spéire gasped as she saw the fence slowly started to dent from all the pounding that Baladur was doing. "Stop!" She warned them both, but they didn't listen. She crawled towards them, and tried to grab Baladur's swinging leg a few times before succeeding with the fifth attempt.
"Stop both of you or you're going to fall!" She cried. Suddenly there was a sound of the metal screeching and Baladur fell back with Zean still holding on to him.
Zean suddenly leaped up and grabbed his sister right hand as she held on the roof with her left hand.
Baladur screamed, thinking that he was going to fall when Zean suddenly grabbed his wrist. "Don't look down!" Zean shouted as Baladur held on with both hands.
"Help! Somebody help!" Spéire cried as she tried desperately to keep a tight grip. "Zean my fingers are slipping!" She announced seconds later.
Her brother looked down and noticed a crowd gathering below them. Then he noticed a majority of them were stared at them in horror as they held or typed on their phones.
"Don't worry sis, just hold a little longer!" Zean encouraged her. Spéire looked down at her brother with her face sweating as she struggled to hold on the ledge while holding on to two teenage boys below them.
Suddenly Spéire heard footsteps dashing from above her, and then someone grabbed her hand. She looked up, and saw another female student holding on to her wrist with both hands. Spéire recognized her, by her calf length red straight hair and widow's peak right in the center of her wispy bangs.
The red haired student pulled her up closer to the edge, and then she reached down to grab Zean's hand, and pull him up, finally she pulled Baladur up.
"Spéire!" Zean rushed to his sister. Spéire looked at her younger brother as he knelt down on one knee, while placing his hand on her right shouler. "Are you alright?" He asked frantically. Spéire nodded and smiled reassuringly.
"What happened here?" The red head asked. Zean turned around to look up at her, and he could tell that she was one of the new senior students.
"Well?" She asked raising one of her eyebrows. "It's okay, whatever happened here is a thing of the past, there's no need to worry about it. By the way, we haven't introduced ourselves, I'm Spéire, this is my younger brother Zean. And these three are our fellow schoolmates, Baladur, Neon and Siren." She named in a sincere and heartwarming tone.
"Sis how can you pretend that everything's okay when these guys were pushing you around like that? And worst we three could've been killed thanks to him—"
"It was your fault too Zean, if only you hadn't jumped on Baladur like that then we wouldn't have fallen." She cut him off, then she continued, "I understand that you wanted to defend me and I thank you for that…but you need to be more careful, okay?" Spéire smiled again after finishing her small lecture.
"Don't think this changes anything between us deficiency!" Siren added as he pointed his finger at Spéire as they walked away.
The red haired girl narrowed her eyes at them soon she spotted the walking sticks, and walked over to retrieve them before she handed it back to Spéire. "Here you go, Spéire…and I'm sorry for not introducing myself my name is Sylvette Tuesti, and I'm here as the student replacing your brother." Sylvette announced as she bowed to them politely.
"Ah—right…" Zean replied as he got up to bow to her as well, before Spéire stood up and bowed her head.
"Thank you for saving us." Spéire replied. Sylvette straighten up and waved her hand in a modest manner, "Don't worry about it, that was nothing. Besides, I think this fate's little way for me to meet new people…or at least that's how Reeve would put it." She added.
Zean blinked twice and wondered why would she call her father by his first name. Sylvette snuffled a laugh and looked at him with an expression that she somehow knew what he was thinking, "Before you ask, no Reeve isn't my father. But he is my guardian, and the reason why I took his last name is so I could get into this school, since I don't know what real last name is." She explained.
"Oh…okay then." Zean replied while nodding in understanding. "Well that's a bit of coincidence…our older brother Scáth works for the W.R.O as an recruit." Spéire added.
Sylvette immediately looked perplexed, "Really? Well I didn't know that." Sylvette replied.
Zean and Spéire nodded and then explained about how their older brothers, Denzel (though he wasn't related to them by blood) and Scáth decided to work under Reeve Tuesti to learn military skills incase the planet was in trouble once more.
"Zean…that's not why Scáth joined in the first place." Spéire said, "Remember he's working there for the on battle medical division, he's not going to be handling any weapons." Spéire reminded him.
"Oh right…" Zean murmured clearly disappointed. Sylvette scoffed as she flipped her hair, "Well at least it's better than nothing. I hate people make excuses to just to fight for the so called 'right' reasons." She muttered.
Spéire approached her and smiled, then added, "Then you wouldn't like your father or Zean if you truly hated fighters." Sylvette stared at Spéire as she smiled friendly at her. Then she sighed and smiled lopsidedly, "Well I guess you're right…but still I hate people who fight for their own gain." Sylvette spoke. Spéire nodded in understanding, "I understand, I don't like people like that either." Spéire added.
Sylvette chuckled and said. "In that case, I hope we can be good friends in the future Spéire."
Spéire nodded in agreement before the bell rang. Finally the three of them opened the exit door and went down the stairs.
Scáth held a cell phone in front of his ear as he sat on the reclining chair in the debriefing meeting, waiting for his mother to answer. Finally after or two he finally gave up and hung up.
Then he stared up at the ceiling, ignoring the shining lights of the long thin bulbs in a listless manner before sighing. Then he heard someone enter the room.
"Ah, good you're here for the debriefing." Reeve said. Scáth opened his eyes and greeted him respectfully, "Yes, Commissioner." Reeve took his seat on the center of the meeting table, and then he looked at Scáth. "So, how has your first month with us been? I hope the other employees have been treating you well?" Reeve questioned. "They've been treating me well here." Scáth answered aimlessly as he leaned forward with his hand clasped together and outstretched. "Sir, if you don't mind. You called me here to take care of something?" Scáth reminded. Reeve nodded stared at him, "Very well, let's get down to business. I need you to escort an acquaintance of mines to Wutai for a conference for a stronger alliance between the W.R.O and the empire."
Scáth looked at him, somewhat shocked and somewhat calm about the news as he continued to listen. "I understand that this mission isn't even remotely close to your chosen profession, but I want to send there with her because there is no denying that you have experience with weaponry, especially the sword. And you are around the same age as my acquaintance." Reeve added. Scáth leaned in shock as he stared at Reeve. "You're sending a teenager as a diplomat?" Scáth inquired. Reeve shook his head, "Not a diplomat, she is more of a peace treaty, she will provide a blood union between Edge City and Wutai." Reeve explained.
Scáth nodded in understanding as he looked down at the polished wooden meeting table before he looked back up at Reeve. "May I voice my opinion sir?" He requested. Reeve nodded and motioned Scáth to go on. "I have to say that this method is quite archaic, are you sure that she will consent to this?" He asked. Reeve nodded and explained to Scáth that his acquaintance was the one who proposed the idea. Scáth stood up and thanked receive for the mission before he left the meeting room through the automatic motion censored sliding glass door.
Suddenly his phone started to vibrate as he walked down the hall. Scáth reached into his pocket and pulled it out before pressing the top center button. Finally he held the phone up to his ear. The person on the other line was his mother.
Scáth nodded to every word, and each nod his made only became slower and slower as Tifa continued on, finally his head stopped moving. Scáth immediately stiffen, as he stood there with his eyes unblinking and widen. "Okay, I understand…I'll come home right away, just let me get permission from Reeve." Scáth replied before he hung up. He placed the phone back in his pocket, before he pulled his now clenched fist out.
"What were you thinking jumping on those kids like that!" Scáth screamed in Zean's face as he slammed his hands on the bar counter. "That's enough, your father and I will handle it when he gets back." Tifa told him while she placed her hand on Zean's shoulder.
Scáth took a deep breath and tried to keep a cool head. "Fine… I know my place. And Zean don't expect me to cover you when dad gets back, because I'm calling him right now." Scáth stated as he walked over to divider.
Zean's eyes widen in horror as he jumped off he barstool. He grabbed his brother's hand. "Please don't tell him! Big brother please don't tell him!" Zean begged. Scáth merely looked down at him emotionlessly.
"If you're going to act like a kid, then you're going to get treated like one too." Scáth replied as he shook his brother's arm off before he lifted the divider and headed upstairs.
Zean lowered his head and Tifa approached him, before pulling her son into a hug. "Mom…why does he hate me so much?" Zean asked. Tifa looked down at him and shook her head, before she rested her left hand on the top of his head. "You're brother doesn't hate you Zean… he was just worried about how close to danger you put your sister, that boy, and yourself in." She said. "He can be harsh sometimes, but that's just how he is. Hopefully he'll ease up as time goes by." She added with a smile. Zean looked up at her and remarked, "Like that's going to happen."
"It will." Tifa assured him as she ruffled his hair gently in a motherly fashion. Zean grinned and leaned looked up at her. " Well if he does easy up anytime in the future then I'll be my chance to beat him up!" Zean declared.
Well here it is, the first rewrite of Changes chapter one! Hopefully this one would give you, the readers more insight into the characters! This is LiteratureStarter signing out, enjoy the story! :D