Author's Note: An update on 'Jade' has been long overdue, lol. It's actually exciting writing a post-apocalyptic story that takes place after Advent Children/Dirge of Cerberus. I can't wait for the next chapter though, since I finally switch to Cloud (this story will be strictly between the perspectives of Jade and Cloud btw). I'll at last get to write Cloud in his bad-ass Advent-Children form and include the cast of FF7, something I've been very limited in my other story. As for 'Jade' himself... it's complicated. I can't say if this story will end happily or very dark. I can honestly see it going either way, if the 'voice' in his head gets his way.


CHAPTER 3: Delivery Man

There was much excitement in the Orphanage now that they were expecting company in a matter of minutes. It had been many months since a stranger passed by their area, especially one from the big city. In the kitchen, the Headmistress hurriedly checked on her stew with a large wooden spoon and ordered a few of the children to wipe the plates from the sink area. The Headmaster, now in crutches but in a merrier mood, tried to swipe a fresh biscuit from a basket until his wife slapped his hand and ordered him out of the damn kitchen. Meanwhile, back at the dining area Ramble and a small pig-tailed girl covered the large cherry-oak table with a simple ivory-laced cloth. The tiny female rolled her eyes while Ramble rambled on about his forest adventure this afternoon for the umpteenth time. Annoyed, she finally kicked him on the knee to make him shut up. As the sound of a motorbike grew louder, the rest of children giggled and excitedly ran to the windows of the Orphanage's reception area. Peeking through the large rose-patterned old curtains, they were eager to meet the stranger that came to visit their sleepy town and see what goodies he brought with him. Everyone was present downstairs and in a jovial mood. All except Jade.

Alone upstairs in the children's sleeping quarters, Jade growled irritatingly as he scavenged through the dress drawers to replace his shirt. There was no time to wash off the blood stains on it. Opening every single drawer within eyesight, Jade tossed out all the clothes in search of a shirt, any shirt. He knew the Headmistress was seconds away from assembling everyone at the reception area. In his desperation, Jade left an awful mess. The entire sleeping quarters was covered with everyone's clothes. No doubt, he'd receive an earful from his roommates later tonight. Still, the silver-haired boy didn't care and was determined to fulfill his mission.

Meanwhile, at the back of Jade's mind played the strange encounter with the silver-haired man he met at the forest. Tall. Strong. Impressionable. Elegant. And downright brutal. Those were the words that immediately popped in the boy's head when he recollected the details of the spirit. Admittedly, Jade admired the man's exquisiteness and grace. As terrifying as it was to be in his presence, there was something very alluring about him. Jade decided to grow his hair as long as his. Somehow, it felt very appropriate. As for the sword given to him, it was currently nowhere to be seen. The spirit mentioned it would appear during his time of need. But… Perhaps the entire event was a dream? A delirious hallucination caused by the humidity of the forest and near-death experience with the wolves?

When Jade heard the sound of a motorcycle's engine purr loudly outside their orphanage, all thoughts ceased. He instantly froze in place.

"All right, children," Jade overheard the Headmistress announce downstairs. "Gather at the reception area right this minute!"

Within seconds, Jade heard loud squeals and the muffled noises of running below. Damn. It was already time. He temporarily abandoned his search for a shirt and quickly approached a half-opened window that overlooked the entire town of Nibelheim. He peered outside. Their delivery man was here at last, not far from the half-standing water tower.

Jade blinked when the lone rider turned off his bike's headlights. Dark outside, Jade couldn't get an adequate look of his face. Enshrouded in shadow, the lean and dark figure slowly dismounted his bike and stretched his legs for a few seconds. Then he stood straight and observed their little town. The stranger took his time, observing each of the demolished establishments. His attentions, though, wandered to the abandoned home where the alleged demonic swordsman lived. The dark-cloaked visitor stayed motionless for what seemed like an entire eternity, as if fixated with that place. Finally, he moved again. He turned around to face the orphanage. Jade's mouth partly opened when he noticed the eyes of this man.

A set of piercing-blue light emitted through the blackness of the night. Shimmering brilliantly, they flickered out each time the man blinked. Staring intently at them, Jade found himself completely lost and taken by them. Aside from his own jade-green eyes, the boy found no one else with a similar strange glow. Those intense ice-cobalt eyes… They reminded him of the bright blue sky he adored each afternoon.

As if sensing Jade's presence, the mysterious delivery man glanced up at his window. The boy quickly withdrew from sight and pressed his frail body against the wall. Jade was trembling. He didn't understand why. His body was warm and he had difficulty maintaining his balance. Hoping the man didn't see him, he dared not take another peek outside. Jade's heart pounded hard against his chest. For some reason, he felt both excited and troubled by this man's attendance.

"Jade!" he abruptly heard downstairs. It was the Headmistress. "Hurry up, boy! We need you down here!"

"Y-yes, ma'am," Jade croaked back when he found his voice again.

The teenager took a deep swallow and exhaled. Then he quickly went back to searching for a shirt replacement. He groaned in dismay. Either the shirts were too large or too small for him. This shouldn't have been that big of a deal. For some reason, though, Jade didn't want to embarrass himself in front of their new visitor by wearing something ridiculous. He wanted to look decent; elegant. Like that strange and pretty man in the forest.

Jade's sensitive ears soon heard the double-door entrance downstairs creak open. It was followed by the echo of big boots against wooden floor. The children below simultaneously cheered and clapped their hands together.

"Welcome!" the Headmistress's voice was heard above the ruckus.

Panicked now, Jade grabbed the first decent-sized blouse his eyes could find. Without bothering to take in its details, he snatched it up and raced out the door. As Jade sprinted down the stairs, he put on the blouse and tried not to trip.

"Children, children," urged the Headmistress in the reception area. "Settle down, now. Settle down. Let's not scare our guest, please. Behave yourselves."

The commotion lessened. Even the spurts of giggles had been kept to minimum. At ground level now, Jade managed to reach the location everyone had gathered in time for introductions. Trying to catch his breath, the silver-haired boy paused when he saw the entire assembly packed around the entrance. It was difficult to see the delivery man with everyone standing in his way. Even as Jade stood on his toes, some of the taller orphans up ahead blocked him. The silver-haired boy growled and decided to wait until he saw an opening.

"We're so happy to have you here," the elder woman spoke up front. "You must be tired from your trip, sir. We've got dinner already prepped and a bed for you to rest."

For a moment, there was only silence. It dragged on for what seemed like an eternity. Jade immediately wondered if the man had already responded with a voice too low for him to hear or chose not to vocally reply back. But then… a low and soft sound emerged in the room. It rang through the silence like a pleasant melody.

"Thank you, ma'am, but that won't be necessary. I need to be on my way."

Jade heard the thump of his heart pound once. This man's voice… For a moment, Jade couldn't understand why his body reacted so strongly to it. The voice sounded familiar, like from a dream. Each word echoed directly into his ears, only to be replayed in his mind again and again and again. There was something about this man's voice…

"Oh, nonsense," replied the Headmistress with a chuckle. "Ya look exhausted and it's dark and dangerous outside."

"Don't worry about me. I really appreciate the offer, but…"

"Well, at least have dinner with us. Please?"

A few of the children moved to get a closer look at the stranger. That allowed a small gap in the crowd. At the far back of the large group, Jade took a step forward and peered over the shoulder of one of his roommates. He managed to catch a glimpse of the visitor. His green, cat-like eyes glowed brighter at the sight of him.

Standing next to the Headmistress was a lean-figured man with wild, platinum-blond hair and intense sky-blue eyes. He had a distinguishable face with gentle curves. Void of blemishes, his milk-white complexion was beautiful, haunting, and flawless. Jade thought the man's attire was strange yet very flattering. He liked the way it curved around his petite shape in some parts while it hung loosely in others. Donning dark clothes, one arm was completely bare and revealed a perfectly toned arm; the other was draped by a long and slack sleeve. The visitor wore a ribbed top that was currently zipped halfway up and exposed his elongated neck. Meanwhile, a black attachable armor plate sat on one shoulder. A metal emblem of the Fenrir shined brightly there. Throughout the entire outfit there were loose belts that clung to long pieces of black fabric, including to a very large sword holster on his back. Jade could only catch brief glances of the metal weapon from where he stood. It looked rather massive.

Wearing leather gloves and thick leather boots, the teenager could see the heavy years of combat on this man. His sapphire eyes, while magnificent and unique, revealed a long tale of pain, heartache, and perseverance. The more Jade stared at this man the more his skin grew warm. As the stranger shifted his slender hips to one side and stood so casually with one gloved hand on a hip, Jade watched him more intensely. He had never seen a male creature like this before. He was so masculine, so reserved, so… torn.

Meanwhile, up ahead the Headmistress still persisted. "Please, sir, stay. The children went through a lot of trouble making the dinner and would like it very much if you joined us tonight. Am I right, children?"

The entire pack enthusiastically replied with cheers and pleads. The blond-haired man ran a gloved hair through his spiked hair. He smiled.

His smile… Jade couldn't help but feel the corners of his own lips tug upward a bit. The man's smile was the most adoring feature on his face; genuine but also timid. Jade took another step forward, tempted to get closer to this quiet creature from the big city. The teenager halted, however, when one of the girls noticed him and frowned.

"Hey! That's my shirt you're wearing!" the girl pointed straight at him.

Jade froze and glanced down.

Good god, the girl was right. The ivory lace-buttoned blouse hung over his lithe torso rather nicely that he didn't bother to investigate it. It actually looked a lot better than the oversized men's shirts he was forced to wear. If not for the girl pointing out the truth, the blouse could've been mistaken as a unisex. Still, that did not stop the flush of color from overwhelming Jade's cheeks right now. Many of the children turned to investigate the girl's constant yelling and pointing. Once they discovered what had happened they started to laugh at the situation.

"Jade's wearing girl's clothes!" one of them squealed.

"I knew he liked dressing like a girl since he looks like one!" followed another.

"Jade! You idiot!"

The rest of the pack laughed. At the center of unwanted attention, Jade took a step back. He heard the Headmistress command them to behave themselves and to stop. Chewing on his lower lip, Jade could only stare in horror as the room seemed to spin around him with snot-nosed brats laughing and laughing. He felt his blood boil. When Jade's cat-like eyes caught sight of the blond-haired man up ahead, he discovered the man stared right at him. Embarrassed by the entire event, Jade broke away from eye contact. Shaking his head, he immediately retreated up the stairs and headed for the sleeping quarters.


His entire body covered in a sheet, Jade stayed in his bed for half an hour with a growling stomach and an annoying feeling of defeat. Bare-chested, he had taken off the controversial blouse and returned it to its rightful place along with the other clothes he had previously removed from the drawers. Briefly, Jade replayed the pathetic display downstairs and automatically frowned. The sounds of their wicked laughter reminded him so much of Kadaj. Unwanted flashbacks of his twisted brother choking him underwater and snickering loudly emerged from Jade's mind. Squeezing his eyes tightly, he saw Kadaj's horrible face on each of the children who had laughed at him. Jade's entire body curled up into a ball. He wished he had done something differently; told them all to stop.

…Or slice off their tender heads while they sleep tonight and set the entire place on fire. Yes, that would be adequate punishment for their insolence? Don't you think?

Jade felt his stomach tightened. Moments later, he heard the sound of footsteps outside the door. He could tell by just the noise of the shuffle that it was the Headmistress and suspected she came to check up on him. Within seconds, he saw her lanky shadow underneath the doorframe. It was followed by a gentle knock. Jade covered his face with a pillow. He dared not show his face to anyone right now. He felt pathetic, weak, and halfway wished the bed he laid on sucked him into the netherworld, to some place far away from here. Unfortunately, Jade remained there in the sleeping quarters with only his bitter emotions to keep him company. Oh, how misery did enjoy such wretched company.

"Jade, boy," the old woman said softly as she slowly opened the door. The light from the hallway showered parts of the dark, vast space of the Sleeping Quarters. "Is everything fine?"

Jade didn't move. He was a bit offended by the question and, thus, chose not to answer her back. Of course everything was not fine. What a ridiculous question to ask, he thought sulkily. Irritated, Jade rolled to his side with the pillow still on his face, lying away from the direction of the Headmistress. He heard the door close and welcomed the possibility that she was gone. However, once Jade heard a shuffle sound followed by the wooden floor creak he knew the old woman was still here. He sighed and wanted to be angry. Yet, some part of him was grateful she did not abandon him after all. Moments later, the bed shifted and he could feel her weight press down on the mattress behind him. A hand gently rested on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Jade," she apologized quietly, "What those children did was horrible. I gave each of those rotten brats a good talkin' to. They'll all be responsible for clean-up duty tonight on top of the other chores I have planned for them tomorrow. They're all sorry now."

Jade stayed silent. He sincerely doubted any of them were sorry. Besides, while the old woman meant well, their punishment meant his misery. They'd definitely retaliate against him once the old woman wasn't around.

"C'mon, now, boy," the Headmistress started again and patted him on the shoulder, "Get out from under the sheets. I got dessert ready downstairs. And I know you're hungry. It'd be great if you came down and joined us."

The silver-haired boy didn't move.

"Please, Jade?" begged the old woman and sighed quietly. In a lower voice, she revealed, "We still haven't gotten 'round the whole payment arrangement with our visitor. I… I need your help. You're the only mature boy that can handle things like that. Help me out, 'kay?"

News of their visitor prompted Jade to slowly remove the pillow from his face. He slightly turned his head back and glanced at the Headmistress over his shoulder. "He's… still here?"

"Mr. Strife?" she asked and nodded. "Yeah. The delivery man is still here."

"Mr. Strife?" Jade repeated and frowned. That name…

"Yep. Strife's Delivery Service, remember?"

Inwardly, Jade felt stupid. He should've guessed the name of their guest. Strife… That was such a very dominant-sounding name, wasn't it? Curious, Jade wondered what the man's first name was.

Silly boy. Think of the heavens above your head and you will find your answer there.

"Mr. Strife is with everyone at the table," the headmistress said shortly, "Ramble is currently entertaining him with that time Mr. Coppers got stuck in the toilet seat."

A small chuckle escaped Jade's throat. He knew any narrative from Ramble's mouth took at least an hour to tell since the boy went too much into the specifics. Still, Ramble had such a lively and energetic personality that no one seemed to mind. In many ways, Jade envied him.

With a sigh, the silver-haired boy turned his head away from the elder woman again. He honestly wasn't in the mood to see anyone right now. He'd rather stay in this dark room with his dreary thoughts. The idea he might not see the delivery man again after this night, though, crossed his mind. Already, Mr. Strife indicated his intention to depart. Even if Jade made a complete fool of himself in front of this man, he was determined to see him one more time.

A bit hesitant, Jade forced himself to uncover his body and sit up. He tried to conceal his feelings of hurt and anger by not making eye contact. Still, the remorseful look on the elder woman's face indicated how well aware she was of his current condition. She leaned forward and hugged him.

"Thank you, boy," the Headmistress told him. "I know it's been tough, with the way the others have treated you. I promise: things will get better."

Jade didn't reply back.

"You aren't like the others, you know, boy," she suddenly revealed out of the blue. She broke away from their embrace to look at him. "You're special, Jade. I knew that from the day my husband brought you home. There's just something about your eyes."

"Do they terrify you?" Jade asked point-blank.

"No…" she answered back softly. "They just… look very sad."

Jade turned away, as if she'd seen too much of him.

"Let's get going," the Headmistress suggested and changed the subject.

"Yes, ma'am." Jade nodded. "I will do my best to accommodate Mr. Strife's needs."

The old woman chuckled and gently touched his cheek. "You're such a sweet boy."

Jade didn't speak another word. He got off the bed and settled for the shirt he used to sleep as his replacement. It was a bit wrinkled from use but it had to do. Afterward, he followed the old woman out of the Sleeping Quarters. Together, they traveled through the hallway and down the stairs. Jade kept one step behind the Headmistress in case any of the children started business with him. At least he could retreat upstairs again.

It didn't take too long to arrive at the dining table. As the Headmistress indicated earlier, everyone was situated at the dining table while Ramble stood front and center. He currently reenacted the embarrassing scene when Mr. Coppers had realized the toilet seat was stuck to his behind. Everyone was too busy laughing to notice the two new arrivals at the entrance. The old woman temporarily bowed down and whispered into Jade's ear to take a seat. She left shortly afterward to fetch a plate for him as well as help with dessert distribution.

Jade spotted an empty chair at the very end of the long diner table. Thankfully everyone was glued to Ramble's performance up ahead that no one noticed him. Feeling a bit anxious, the young boy tried to catch a glimpse of the delivery man. He discovered him many seats away on the other side of the table. Mr. Strife silently observed tonight's entertainment. While he didn't laugh like the rest, there was a tender smile present on his face. It stretched just a little each time Ramble announced something absurd. Jade would've been more than content to simply watch this man the entire evening. However, the boy looked away when the blond-haired stranger apparently sensed he was being watched. He shifted his eyes to Jade's direction.

The delivery man's gaze had the power of a thousand sharp knives. Jade swallowed hard and felt his cheeks flush with heat. Even as the boy stared at the empty table space in front of him, he knew Mr. Strife was still watching him. Jade felt completely naked. He halfway feared Mr. Strife's strange eyes granted him the ability to see the quirky thoughts and bodily reactions he inspired on him right now.

"Here you are, Jade," abruptly said the Headmistress, who now emerged beside him.

The young boy slightly flinched back, surprised by her sudden appearance. The old woman cocked a brow at him quizzically but placed a plate of food in front of him. She gave him a wink and pat on the back.

Hunger instantly struck the boy the moment he inhaled the aromatic smells of her famous hot stew. It was one of his personal favorite dishes. Taking the first bite, Jade didn't realize exactly how hungry he was until he practically stuffed his face with a biscuit and spoonful of rice simultaneously. Eating seemed like an excellent distraction from the blue eyes that studied him from across the table. The Headmistress, meanwhile, walked away and joined Ramble up front. She clapped her hands together for his oddball presentation.

"Aw, thanks Ramble for enlightening us with that story," she commended the boy, "Mr. Coppers definitely had a good laugh. Right, hubby?"

The old man executed a bitter smile. Then he mumbled underneath his breath, "Humph, I didn't scream like a girl when that happened… Creative interpretation, my ass…"

"All right, so let's enjoy some dessert now," the Headmistress announced to everyone.

The children cheered when a few kids appeared from the kitchen and carried trays of hot dumbapple pie. The Headmistress made sure to secure the best slice for their guest and serve him first. Afterward, the trays were passed along the table. Jade took his piece and set it aside for the moment since he was still going through his dinner plate. Roughly five minutes later, the Headmistress stood from her seat across Mr. Strife's.

"Okay, everyone calm down," the old woman instructed above the non-stop chatter and tapped her glass of water with a fork. "Let's be quiet for a moment. I want to thank our wonderful guest for joining us this evening."

Briefly watching him again, Jade quickly discovered how Mr. Strife didn't enjoy being the center of attention. The delivery man remained seated and now shifted his gaze downward. Silent, he avoided eye-contract with the Headmistress while she resumed her speech. The overly enthusiastic old woman, of course, was completely oblivious to this.

"I hope you enjoyed today's feast, Mr. Strife," Mrs. Coppers praised as she stood and looked at him with a large smile across her face, "And we are so thrilled you made the long journey to our town. It's not much but we make do with what we got. Because of you, these children will have a lot to smile about. I hope we can continue using your services next month."

For a moment, Mr. Strife glanced up at her and nodded his head once. Then he returned to staring at the slice of pie in front of him.

"All right, dig in everybody," the old man concluded with a lighthearted laugh.

It didn't take long until the dining area filled with constant talk and giggles again. Jade was relieved no one spoke about the shirt mishap from earlier. In fact, no one talked to him period. That was just fine and dandy with him. He actually enjoyed eating his meal in peace. However, now that Mr. Strife was here Jade did entertain himself by stealing a few glances of him every now and then. For the most part, the delivery man kept to himself throughout dessert and merely listened while the Headmistress' offered more words of gratitude. Jade took those moments to study his face more. So long as Mr. Strife kept his attention on the old woman, Jade didn't have to fear his cobalt eyes looking back at him.

From his observations, Jade personally enjoyed the delicate long strand of hair that dangled right alongside Mr. Strife's right cheek as well as the one that shot straight up from his head. The wild points of his golden hair certainly struck in the most oddest of places; almost at random. Amused by this, Jade instantly thought of the wild chocobos that roamed the lands during spring time. He smiled to himself and studied Mr. Strife's face some more. Jade could tell the delivery man was still tense. Mr. Strife hadn't spoken a word even while the Headmistress continuously commended him. It was only when the subject of dessert came up that the man finally muttered a few carefully chosen words.

"How do you like the pie, Mr. Strife?" the Headmistress asked.

Mr. Strife finished the last bite on his plate and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Thank you. It was delicious."

"It's dumbapple pie."

"Dumbapple pie?" repeated the delivery man and sounded surprised.

"Yes."

"That would explain why the flavor is distinct. I've had dumbapples before. But… aren't dumbapples from Banora?"

"Originally."

"How did you import them?"

"We didn't," the Headmistress revealed proudly. "We actually grew them here."

At this, Mr. Strife raised a brow. "Wait… You mean there are Banora trees here?"

"Yep."

Mr. Strife frowned. "How? Banora trees aren't from this region. They can't tolerate the extreme cold temperatures. Dumbapples can only grow in Banora."

"We managed to bring a few of the trees and raise them in our forest," the old woman answered. Then she sighed and later confessed, "Now, I'll admit, the first batch immediately died. But then a few survived and held well against the cold. I guess the trees adapted to the soil and weather here because, after that first generation, they've doubled their numbers and have thrived ever since. And like their ancestors, they blossom in the oddest of times."

"Interesting…" the delivery man only said and stared at the crumbs on his dish.

"The Meteorfall years ago ruined much of the land," continued the old woman softly and drank from her glass of water. "These trees… I can only guess they forced themselves to change and adapt in order to survive. Kinda like all of us here in Gaia, huh, Mr. Strife?"

He kept silent.

"You seem to know the terrain around here very well," noted the Headmistress. "Have you been here before?"

"I've passed by here, yeah…" Mr. Strife replied slowly. His voice carried off very low.

"Oh? That would certainly explain how ya arrived here in one piece. The landscape in Nibelheim can be rough, even on vehicle. When were ya here?"

"A long time ago…" Mr. Strife vaguely murmured back.

"Before Meteorfall? Or after?"

"Those Banora trees…" the delivery man started and switched the subject, "Where did you plant them?"

"North of here, in the forest. We got lots of them. I'd take you to them now, but it's too dark and there are hungry wolves out in the prowl. In fact, my poor husband was nearly killed today when he collected the apples this afternoon."

Sitting nearby and overhearing the conversation, Ramble bobbed his head excitedly and added in his two cents. "Oooh, yes, Mr. Strife! Let me tell you, those wolves were naaaasty! There were three of them. Big huuuuuge ones. They had beady scary eyes, sharps claws, and eeeeeverything! I was so scared for my life, oh-my-god, I can't tell you how much I…"

"How did you survive, kid?" Mr. Strife politely interrupted.

"Jade!" Ramble suddenly yelled.

From his seat, Jade quickly looked away from the scene when all attentions turned to him. Too nervous to see the man with blue eyes, he focused on his slice of pie.

"Jade could tell you!" Ramble continued loudly, "Right Jade? Hey! I'm talking to you, lug-nuts. Jade? Jade? Er, you deaf?"

Already, the silver-haired boy's cheeks flushed red and he developed a headache from Ramble's constant yelling.

"Uh, whatever, I think he's sick or something, Mr. Strife," Ramble dismissed. He resumed his narration. "Anyway, Jade was there. He told me to take Mr. Coppers back because he had sprung his ankle. He was pretty heavy because Mr. Coppers is so damn fat, but yeah, whatever. Oh-sorry-I-didn't-mean-to-curse. Anyway, like a hero, Jade stayed behind. He was armed with only a stick. He used it to take out all three of the wolves by himself. Can you believe that, Mr. Strife? A tree branch!"

Mr. Strife went quiet again.

"It's true," confirmed Mr. Coppers shortly to their guest. "All of it is true. If not for that young man, not only would I be dead, but we wouldn't be having this nice yummy dumbapple pie. We owe our thanks to that boy."

"Yes, Jade is a very good boy and minds his manners and everything," complimented the Headmistress next. In a louder voice, she beckoned, "Jade, son? Don't you have anything to say to Mr. Strife? I think he'd like very much to hear 'bout your adventure today."

His head down, the teenager didn't dare to look up at the delivery man who'd now gone dead silent. A sudden nauseous feeling developed in his stomach. Jade knew the Headmistress wanted him to talk and entertain their guest, especially when he promised to accommodate Mr. Strife's needs. And yet, at this very moment Jade couldn't work his mouth properly. Already, he felt the weight of the man's stare on him and those weird feelings of warmth and unsteadiness had overcome him again. Jade couldn't understand why he had so much trouble keeping himself together in front of this man's presence.

"Jade, honey?" pressed the old woman again. "Are you okay?"

With a blossomed red face, Jade nodded. "Y-yes, ma'am. I am fine. Thank you."

"Are you sick, boy? You don't sound too good."

"I a-assure you that I am fine, ma'am. Thank you." The boy took a deep breath.

The Headmistress must've noticed his distress because she eventually changed the subject. "So, Mr. Strife, did you bring all of the supplies I requested?"

The delivery man didn't instantly reply back to her. His eyes stayed on Jade for a while until he finally looked at her. "All items are accounted for. I set all of your packages at the reception area. You should be good to go."

The Headmistress blinked. "Wait, all of those packages are ours?"

"Yeah."

"But…"

"I took the liberty of adding in a few items," Mr. Strife informed as-matter-of-fact. "When you mentioned to me about this orphanage and who the supplies were for, well, I figured toys and comics would be nice to include on the list."

"Toys and comics?" beamed one child sitting near the delivery man.

"Wow!" another exclaimed.

At the mention of toys and comics, many children at the dining table instantly abandoned their plates and ran to the reception area. Mr. Coppers barked at them to behave themselves. With his hand crutches, the old man stood and wobbled after them. Despite his no-nonsense tone, he obviously appeared as eager and giddy as the children were. Meanwhile, the Headmistress smiled at the pleasant news.

"Thank you, Mr. Strife," she expressed sincerely. "I appreciate this or, rather, the children do. But well… I'm not sure if we can afford…"

"I'm well aware that funds are tight," the blond-haired man told her. Then with a slight smug on his face, he added, "And I know this dinner was intended to act as my compensation."

The old woman sheepishly grinned back. "I'm sorry, Mr. Strife. I… well…"

"It's okay," he reassured her. "I know how difficult things can be, Mrs. Coppers. I run my own orphanage back at home. I can relate."

Upon hearing this news, Jade immediately looked up at Mr. Strife from his seat. His own orphanage? Mr. Strife had taken abandoned children in too? A part of Jade wondered if there was room for one more. To imagine being in the constant presence of this man… Surely, the orphanage there would be nicer and he'd actually make friends. And he'd be in the big city, surrounded by new attractions and excitement. Of course, Jade did feel an ounce of guilt from this fantasy. He knew the Headmistress and her husband were still struggling to make ends meet here. He didn't want to betray his loyalty to them, especially when they were the ones who had taken him in. Still…

"I can spare some Gil for the gas," the old woman quickly offered.

"No. I got enough."

"Are you sure? I mean…"

"I'm fine, really. However…"

"Yes?"

The delivery man tilted his head to the side and asked, "Are you up for a trade?"

"Of course! Tell me what you want and it's yours, Mr. Strife."

Mr. Strife nodded at his empty plate. "Those dumbapples… I'd like to take a batch."

The old woman laughed. "Ah, so you liked them?"

"I haven't had dumbapples in a very long time." Mr. Strife paused and appeared deep in thought. The mysterious light in his blue eyes intensified. However, the event passed quickly and he said, "They're extremely rare so it'd be great if the kids back home could try them."

"Good thing you have us as a supplier, huh?" The Headmistress winked.

"Yeah." Mr. Strife leaned forward and placed his elbows on the table as he presented his proposition. "Listen, I'm willing to come out here at the end of every month for a supply run. In exchange, I'll take a batch or two of the dumbapples."

"That sounds like a good trade to me."

The specifics of the trade made Jade smile. Mr. Strife would visit here at end of every month? That meant… he could see him again. Suddenly, the end of the month had become a very important date for the silver-haired boy.

"I've gotta check on the kids and make sure they haven't turned the reception area upside-down," the Headmistress asserted. "Again, I want to thank you. For everything. Are you sure you don't want to stay the night, Mr. Strife?"

"It's okay. I've got another delivery run to make. It's not far from here so I'll be fine."

Finishing up his slice of pie, Jade remained seated while the Headmistress and Mr. Strife stood from their seats. They headed toward the doorway. Everyone else had already congregated at the reception area to unpack all of the boxes. If the loud ruckus indicated anything, the reception was a huge mess and full of children screaming excitedly at the goods. Even if he tried to nab one of the items for himself, Jade was sure all of the nice gifts had been taken by now. Rather than get involved in that risky business, he chose to stay behind and collect all of the abandoned dishware on the table.

"Jade," the old woman scolded him as she reached the door. "Leave that alone. Mr. Strife will be leaving shortly so join us before he heads out."

"It is okay, ma'am," Jade replied and collected another plate in his arms. He kept his head down in an attempt to avoid eye-contact with the man next to her. "Please attend to the other children's needs. I'll place the dishes in their proper places."

The Headmistress sighed. "All right, boy… if you say so."

Jade continued to grab all the dishware on the table. He heard the sound of their footsteps leave the room a few seconds later.

Once the door to the next room opened and closed, Jade exhaled loudly. He mentally kicked himself for his inability to talk to the mysterious blue-eyed man. Admittedly, it was difficult for him to create coherent thoughts in his head, let alone, form an intelligent sentence out loud in front of Mr. Strife. Again, Jade couldn't understand where this anxiety and exhilaration came from. Was it because he hadn't seen a person from the big city before? Did the delivery man's mere physical appearance overwhelm his senses? There was something about Mr. Strife that undid every piece of logic in Jade's mind. The man had stirred a wide range of unchartered emotions within himself. Perplexed by this, Jade entered the kitchen and placed all the dishes in the sink. He busied himself by washing each one. Afterward, he wandered outside through the backdoor for some fresh air.

The air outside was cool and the stars were in full force tonight. Jade observed the remnants of what used to be the town's water tower. Half destroyed, the well itself was gone and only parts of the wooden platform remained. The ladder, itself, was broken up in a few places. Still, Jade made his way up to the platform with ease. He sat on the wooden flooring with his knees bent and pushed his back against a metal pillar that stuck out. Silent, Jade stared up at the starry night sky above his head. It was times like this, when he was in the presence of such mystifying and universal beauty, that Jade felt at peace. Of course, questions of his very existence often occupied his mind whenever he was in a state of contentment. This time was no different.

As always, Jade wondered about his parents and the place he had come from. He'd like to believe he came from some warm and sunny place. He'd like to believe he had lived a fortunate life with people who cared about him. Surely, his parents loved him, his mother especially. But the nightmares... In his dreams, he saw no light or felt the warmth of the sun. Rather, he saw only the weary faces of hundreds of people with hollowed eyes that bled black. Their naked bodies oozed with a black oily substance. Each night they laughed and screamed his name. They urged him to join them in their hell. That was where he belonged, they said.

Jade brought his knees up to his chin and tightly wrapped his arms around his legs. It had been difficult getting a good night's rest without these terrifying dreams to wake him. He attributed the nightmares to the mysterious Geostigma plague that once swept through the land years ago. A few of the children in their own orphanage had died from it. It was a dreadful, incurable disease. Jade remembered his days of treating the Infected and recalled the metallic-like smells of fresh blood as well as the raspy sounds of breathing from those on their death beds. Jade could never forget the time when one infected ten-year-old boy, who went by the name Gloom, wandered up Mt Nibel. Despite Jade's own efforts to stop him, Gloom happily plunged off the edge of the mountain to make his way to the Promised Land. The silver-haired boy couldn't bring himself to tell the Headmistress the ugly truth of Gloom's demise. Instead, he simply told her Gloom had run away and vowed to never return.

It wasn't clear what caused the plague or its abrupt disappearance. To this day, the scientists continued their debates while Gaia worshippers insisted it was workings of the Goddess herself. The skeptics and believers were in constant war with each other. Even so, Geostigma no longer made headlines. Granted, there remained a few cases of the Infected today. And there were even frightening rumors that those still alive with the disease had mutated into something much worse. Still, those were only rumors and, for the most part, Geostigma was history. It didn't matter how it happened or why. As far as anyone was concerned, the world was simply grateful it was finally over and life could finally begin anew.

That Jade survived from Geostigma's havoc meant he was destined to live and move forward. He had to live for those unfortunate people who were not here today, including Gloom. But then, why did he continue to dream about the Infected? Why were his thoughts clouded by angry words and the terrifying faces of millions who demanded he rise and bring them to this… Promised Land? Jade inwardly sighed to himself. Perhaps his mind was so traumatized by the misery he'd personally witnessed that he was unable to move from it. With no memories or a name to call his own, he was also forever tormented by nightmares and lingering questions. There was something about his name and face that brought unpleasant looks in his direction. Even the Headmistress, herself, was uncomfortable around him at times. Surely, someone harbored the answers he desperately sought.

The sound of thunder from above interrupted Jade's thoughts. The smell of rain reached his nose soon afterward and he noticed dark gray clouds form across the night skies. It was time to head back inside. Jade didn't want to get caught in the rain. A strong presence from behind, though, prompted Jade to momentarily freeze. Instantly, he looked back and found glowing blue eyes gaze down at him.

"Your name… is Jade?"

Mr. Strife. His lean and dark silhouette stood over him like a pillar. Jade was completely surprised to see him here at the water tower. Even more, Mr. Strife hadn't made a single sound on his way up the unstable structure. A bit amazed and baffled by this, it took the silver-haired teenager a moment to recollect the man's question. For whatever reason, Mr. Strife's question sounded more like a reaffirming statement. It didn't help that the power of his glowing blue eyes seemingly penetrated Jade's own essence. He felt terrified, but also greatly intrigued.

Slowing standing on his feet, Jade took a swallow and at last replied, "Yes, sir. Can I… assist you with something?"

For a long time, Mr. Strife said nothing. He merely stood and watched the young man with his bizarre pair of electric blue eyes. Up until now, Jade never understood why so many of the children were taken aback by his own green cat-like eyes. Now he knew. The boy felt like prey to this strange man.

Jade's eyes eventually strayed to the massive sword on Mr. Strife's back. He was still unable to get a good look of it from this angle. However, he did notice the thick and angular tip of the blade extended all the way down to Mr. Strife's ankles. It was huge. Mr. Strife definitely was no regular delivery man; he was a certified predator. Yet, even as Mr. Strife possessed unusual eyes and carried an enormous sword on his back, his gentle face eased a bit of Jade's tension. There was nothing malicious about this man. While every part of Jade demanded he retreat, it was more out of anxiety than outright fear.

"Never mind..." Mr. Strife spoke again after a while. Then he took a step back and turned around. The moon's pale light shined down on his left side and reflected off his bare shoulder. Jade was able to observe the impressive sword in all of its delicate details. Quietly, Mr. Strife added, "Sorry, I mistook you for someone else, kid."

Jade stood silent.

"Here." Without looking back at Jade, Mr. Strife pulled out a small orb from a pocket and tossed it backwards. "Heroes should be rewarded."

Jade instantly caught the orb with both hands. Looking down at the small sphere, it glowed with a mysterious green light. He wasn't sure what to make of this. However, as Jade continued to stare at it, an image of a glowing river stream emerged in his mind.

Materia; forged from the Lifestream itself. How very thoughtful of him…

Jade looked up from the materia in his hands. With Mr. Strife's back facing him now, he couldn't get a look of the man's face.

With a low and soft voice, Mr. Strife later said, "Embrace your dreams and your honor, Jade. Someone very precious told me that once."

"My dreams…?" Jade repeated slowly and cradled the materia closer to his chest. "My… honor?"

Mr. Strife paused. Then he nodded his head in silence before he leapt off the water tower in one single jump. Jade's mouth gaped open and instantly ran to the edge of the platform to see if Mr. Strife was all right. At this height, he would've broken a bone. However, as Jade peered down he saw Mr. Strife casually make his way to his parked motorcycle. The batch of apples was already loaded on his bike's compartment. Once the engine of his bike roared to life, the doors from the orphanage flung open and the Headmistress appeared. Judging by her rushed words, she had no idea where their guest had gone off to until now.

It was apparent Mr. Strife was set to leave and conduct the rest of his late-night deliveries. As the children filed out of the orphanage to say their goodbyes, Jade remained at the water tower. The sound of thunder boomed across the sky. He hoped Mr. Strife would make it to his next destination before it rained hard. Of course, Jade was also a bit disappointed that Mr. Strife had to leave so soon. He… wanted to talk to him some more. The teenager's face relaxed a bit, though, when their visitor briefly looked over his shoulder and glanced up at him. There was a hint of a smile on Mr. Strife's gentle face. Then the mysterious delivery man turned away and sped off into the night.

Carefully, Jade made his way down the ladder of the water tower. As unfortunate as Mr. Strife's departure was, he did recall the proposition made this evening. Mr. Strife had agreed to come back to their town at the end of each month for a delivery run. Jade was determined to look this man in the eye. His heart raced at the possibility of actually talking to him. He wanted to hear Mr. Strife's voice again. Somehow, it brought forth a sensation of familiarity and excitement in his being. It awakened some force that had slumbered within Jade for many years.

Mr. Strife… Yes, the next time they met he'd find the courage to talk to him. That was a promise.