The quiet town known as Kalm had not changed so much; it still perceived that welcoming feeling once you stepped onto the cobbled stoned steps at the entrance. Children were running about, laughing and playing, their cheeks flushed and filled with happiness. Yet, some of the other children tended to stay away from the other children who were laughing and carefree. Their eyes were solemn and contained no emotion.

Just then, the sound of a motorcycle broke the silence of the children. One of the children looked up; it appeared to be a boy with shaggy brown hair, his hazel eyes looking to the approaching motorcycle. He stood quietly aback while the other children quickly scurried towards the entrance of Kalm.

"It's Mr. Cloud and Miss. Tifa, they're back!" a little girl's voice rang out as she quickly ran in from a nearby brick entryway. Some of the children broke away from their play, eager looks about their faces as they looked to the approaching figures.

Cloud slowly stopped in front of the entrance, yet not getting off the motorcycle just yet as Tifa eagerly climbed off.

"Hey! Someone has been messing with my Materia again! I told you guys to stop playing hide-and-seek with my Materia!" a familiar voice rung out in the open air, a young woman around the age of eighteen looked from where she was standing, holding up her shuriken, the three slots of where the Materia was to be kept were missing. I'm gonna kill you – Ugh –" she suddenly stopped midsentence, her green eyes focusing on the approaching Tifa."Eh - heh heh. Hey, Tifa!"

A slight chuckle broke from Cloud's lips, his mako-eyes looking to Yuffie Kisaragi as she flailed her arms about. The once young ninja was still rambunctious as ever, but held a immature aura when it came to her age. Her once scrawny existence was brought to the full figure of a woman; her curvaceous form wove a threatened fist around, a squeal emerging from her lips. "Guys! Come on!"

One of the children took a step forward, holding out one of the Materia's that Yuffie was missing.

"Okay. There is one. Where is two and three?" her left eyebrow rose when two of the girls were giggling looking over each other's shoulders to see if the ninja would look or not.

The fist fighter rose a brow, looking towards Yuffie and the eight children, which surrounded her, each one of them having their own unique look. "All right, give Yuffie back her Materia or no dessert after supper!" her voice had a mother like quality with a stern tone.

Few of the children had disappointed looks about their faces, until the two girls in the back gave up and returned the Materia back to the ninja who stood with open hands. "Thank you," she said with a huge smile upon her delicate features. "Oh! In addition, yes! Cloud, I forgot to tell you. I have a letter for you from Vincent." Yuffie's gloved hand scrambled into her side pocket and pulled out a scrunched up letter, apologizing afterwards that the letter was wadded up from being in her pocket.

A thought struck Cloud, his eyes viewing the scrunched letter in Yuffie's hand. He got off his motorcycle, kicking the kickstand down with his boot. He approached Yuffie and took the letter into his possession. Frowning, Cloud began to read the front of the letter:

To: Mr. Cloud Strife

Yes, it was Vincent's handwriting all right, but something about the front of the letter had urgency about it. He carefully opened the seal and slowly unfolded the letter. It revealed a quite strange use of lettering and ancient wording, but on instinct Cloud began to read it.

The days grow older, my friend. The age of rebirth is upon us. Act quickly. I have sensed a different balance in the earth, especially from where Cosmo Canyon reigns. Take heed to my words, Cloud. The world as we know it is in crucial danger. I have been studying these past two years over the disease of Geostigma and have found no cure, thus far. The virus is to take hold of the body that I know you are aware of. Where the virus leads, I am not sure, but my theory it has something to do with the wound near the small town of where Icicle is. The North Crater...Where Sephiroth had resided in all those years. I wish I could further analyze why especially the children are prone to this disease, but I shall found out soon. I shall be making a trip to your area soon, be prepared – my news may upset you...But then again, you may have already have a visitor. I must warn you though, beware of three men with silver hair.

My deepest regards,

Vincent Valentine

The hero's eyebrows furrowed, his mako eyes reading the letter several times over repeatedly. He then slowly raised his head to Tifa and gave her a wary smile. He placed the letter securely in his pocket, knowing he would have to make himself read it over again sometime later. Seeing that the children were now going inside, the sun cast over the hills hinting off it was closely towards the end of the day.

"Something wrong, Cloud?" asked the female fighter, taking a step forward.

Cloud simply shook his head. "Nothing at all Tif', no worries." he smiled, giving off the sense that everything was going to be all right, but in the back of Cloud's mind, he knew that something was beginning and he could do nothing to stop it. His eyes then slowly looked over to the boy with shaggy brown hair and hazel eyes. He approached the boy and gave a gentle ruffle to the boy's hair. "Were you good today, Denzel?" he asked, smiling.

The child adjusted his gaze up towards Cloud, "I'm not ever going to get better and play with the other children...am I?" Denzel's voice was soft and had a boyish nature about it.

Cloud bit down on his lip, not sure how to answer Denzel's question.

The children here in Kalm were different from the other ones, which roamed about carefree. The eight children, which kept their distance from the other ones, were the ones infected with Geostigma. That was why the other children scorned and taunted the children for being different, not knowing whether or not they would actually catch the Geostigma virus or not was questionable even for themselves.