Disclaimer: I don't own anything Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children.
Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children-Building and Proving
Chapter 3: The Past To The future?
Gracie was running, pack on back and Mazy and hand. And Alie's sadness disappeared as she kneeled down to Gracie's Height. Gracie ran right into her open arms and into a bear hug.
"You came." Alie said, almost crying with happiness.
"I want to come where ever you are going." Gracie said. They pulled out of the hug and smiled. Alie picked up the tired child and her pack and carried everything on the bus. She first lay Gracie in the seat, stacked the bags on the rack, and then, she sat on the seats behind the driver.
"Where to?" The driver asked.
"Anywhere far from here." Alie answered.
"Well I can take you as far as Midgar-well, I mean Edge."
"How costly is that?" Alie asked, taking out her wallet.
"Would be 200. You get breaks and things too." The driver said. Alie dug in her wallet and gave him four 50s. Alie searched the bus. All the black leather seats were empty. Except in the back. There was someone in a black cloak sitting. She gave them a suspicious look and turned back to Gracie. She couldn't be worried about a stranger now. She had the future and gracie to worry for.
Gracie was asleep across a few seats of the bus. Alie grabbed a blanket from her pack and draped it over her.
"So what do you plan to do when you get to edge?" The driver asked.
"I thought you said we were going to Midgar?" Alie asked confused.
"Well I haven't been in to see the area in a long time so I forget the location changes. It was destroyed by-"
"-meteor." Alie finished. "Ya I remember now."
"Precisely. And after the explosion, surviving citizens of Midgar built Edge just outside of the ruined city, out of all they could fin. Building bricks, wood, and glass. We cant go to Midgar anyways. The roads that used to be used are now closed. You can explore it on foot though, if you wanted."
"Maybe I will." She mumbled. Silence from the seized conversation lasted a moment or two.
"Does she have the Stigma?" the driver asked. Alie looked confused. "Geostigma." Alie looked at Gracie.
"No, why?"
"Edge has been infected. Children. Adults. People of all ages are getting sick now."
"The planet must be a lot madder than we thought." Alie mumbled under her breath, but the driver still heard her.
"If you ask me, its all Shin-Ra's fault."
"Shin-Ra?" Alie asked. "The power plantation?"
"Yup. No one should tweak with experements like they do."
"You talk about it like you've been there before."
"Im retired. I would rather drive others around than experiment on others."
"What do you mean?"
"They've tested on people." Alie's face turned disgusted.
"I know. Horrible isn't it?"
"What kind of people?"
"The young. The age law was 15 to 32. but I believe they have turned it up to 17 to 29. About your age I suppose."
The figure in the back flinched. Alie sensed this but refused to turn around.
"My 18th birthday is two weeks from now." Alie said. "I should be safe, right?" She asked nervously.
"Perhaps. They are trying to test on younger people, like 17 or 18. I guess the younger you go, the better results."
"Do you know why?"
"Well, they cant test on children. They are too young. And experienced adults have burned out abilities. So teenagers and early 20s are way easier. They are still trying to figure out who they are and that makes everything a whole lot easier for the company to manipulate them. And most are totally innocent young people. Beings with whole lives ahead of them. And when they tried to escape, they were shot. Shot in cold blood so they couldn't tell anyone what they experienced. Dead men tell no tales."
"Who shot them?"
"Shin-Ra soldiers. Just because they wanted normal lives they were killed." Alie felt an enormous hatred torwards the "SHinRa" company.
No one said anything for a while. And Alie fell asleep in her seat.
She dreampt of what the bus driver told her. A meteor hitting Midgar. The ruins and the citizens moving just out of the old town. Hen there were people in the streets, walking. Children about Gracie's age were in the allies, streets and on corners. They begged for nourishment and help. There was a monument, and for a strange moment, her vision zoomed in on the inscription. "Midgar." The monument was wrapped in chains to represent the citizens beloved ruined original city. Her vision zoomed out, then zoomed in again. There was a cluster of buildings. And for a second, her vision focused on a sign. Then zoomed back out. She didn't have time to read the whole sign. But she did see the words "Strife" and "Bar".
Flashes of light blue were in her head. Blue Pain flashed in her head again and again. A new vision was forming from the blue flash. First there was a pair of eyes. They were yellow and glowing. Then there was a face. Hair as white as snow, and then the piece of machinery on its head. The plate on it said "JENOVA". There were bubbles and Alie realized the head was underwater. Another very painful blue flash woke her up.
She sat up. Gracie's head was on her lap. Alie smiled and Gracie sat up too. She gave her a hug and lay down again.
Alie felt the blue flash again. This time it hurt more than it had. Its pain was throbbing in her left arm. She clapped her hand on her arm and pulled up her sleeve. Nothing was there.
"You alright?" the driver asked. Alie nodded. The stranger in the back flinched with concern too.
Alie's stomach growled. She hadn't had breakfast and it was nearly lunch.
"11:30 and 20 more minutes until we stop for lunch." The driver announced. "Then you will have 20 minutes to eat, and go powder your noses."
Alie thought of her dreams and the sign she saw. Why was the sign in my dream and what does it mean? Do we need to go there? And the children on the street? Were they helpless victums of the planet's anger and Geostigma? Were they dying? Why hadn't someone taken action? The monument must have been made of scraps from the ruined Midgar. But still, what was the sign I saw suppose to mean?
Alie glanced at the stranger in the back and pulled a double take. He was 3 seats closer than before! She gave him a funny look and turned back around.
"Gracie. Gracie wake up." She nudged the sleeping child. The bus turned into the Sub Square for the break and stopped.
"Im hungry." Gracie said.
"Did you eat anything before we left?" Alie asked. She shook her head.
The bus driver turned around to Alie.
"Didn't get as chance to introduce me-self. Stanley Swarski." He held out his hand.
"Alie Kade." She said shaking it.
The stranger in the back twitched. Alie felt this but didn't look back. "And this is Gracie…Kade." She stuttered. Gracie shook his hand enthusiastically and looked up to Alie with a smile.
"Pleasure to meet ya. You got 20 minutes before we leave." He smiled and winked. Alie looked down at the seats again and Gracie was comfortably curled up there. "The little one may stay if she likes. I have my keys and will lock it up once everyone clears out. I am just gonna go to the bathroom and get a bottle of water and will be back. 7 minutes tops." He said kindly. "We will be stopping at 3 again."
"Gracie I will get you something to eat. What would you like?" Alie asked."Mmm, yummy ice cream and lolly pops…" She dosed off. Alie giggled.
"How about a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich with some fruit juice?" Alie asked. Gracie nodded.
"Hey buddy!" Stanley yelled and made the both of them jump. "Time to get off for a bit." He said to the stranger in the back.
He got up without hesitation, stood completely still for a moment, and was in front of Alie with Gracie in no time. He stood there for a moment and turned his head a bit towards Alie.
She looked to question him. But when she opened her mouth to ask, he had turned and swiftly exited the bus.
"Odd fellow, aint he?" Stanly said, stroking his chin. "He never even told me where he wanted to go." Alie turned to question this.
"What? He just hopped on for the ride?"
"Pretty much, I guess. Gave me 2 grand when he boarded and never said anything. Never even seen his face. He seems awfully interested in you though. Ive noticed that."
"Ya. I have too. Now im scared for Gracie."
So I hope this was satisfying. Its a lot longer than before. Wow starting on 4 pages! Lol well I will try to update soon. The only problem is that I am kinda stuck. Writers block. So SUSHI, got any suggestions? Since you are my first loyal and interested reader, I ask you, what would you like to read in the next chapter, o and thank you for sticking with me as I continue.