Monday, 3:00 P.M
I looked at ruined part of Edge city, and decided to take a small walk through there.
While I walked, I could see the images of the past playing in mind, the remnants of memory of this place. I take a deep breath as I continued to walk towards the old 7th Heaven site.
Within five minutes I reached the place. Then took a good look at it. Half of the bar still remained, and the other half was burnt out years ago.
Suddenly something shined in the wreckage. I blinked twice and then walked over to where the shining object was.
After a few steps I reached it, and pulled it out of debris. It was an old photograph, probably taken two years before I was born.
"What are you doing?" A female's voice asks. I turned around and there was the W.R.O's special agent standing before me. "I was just reminiscing." I told her. "This seems like an odd place to reminisce." She points out. I dissed it off and put the photograph back.
"Why are you here?" I asked. "I'm walking home." She answered simply while folding her arms.
I simply stared at her. "You live here?" I asked. She shook her head. "I live in the outskirts of Edge and this is my version of a shortcut." She explains.
She was a strange young woman, why would she walk through wreckage just to go home?
"Why do you live all the way out there?" I asked. "Why do you want to know?" She reprimanded. "After all you didn't seem to care about me when were in high school." She points out.
"That was three years ago…but you're right it's not my place to ask you such personal questions, so…sorry." I said.
She looks at me, bewildered. "So the proud, arrogant Scáth Strife is apologizing." She scoffs. I nod. "The only thing I have left is my karma, and I want to keep it as clean as possible." I told her.
She raises an eyebrow, and asks what I meant by 'Karma', I explained that I broken my promise to my mother about protecting the bar, and since the bar is no gone, I failed to keep that promise and as a result, I get bad karma.
She shakes her head. "You are such a kid…if it was a accident, it doesn't count because it was unpredictable…trust me it doesn't count…learn to take a load off, you get yourself worked up over nothing." She said.
I rubbed the back of my neck in an awkward manner. She sighed irritably. "If you think you've got worst, then you have no idea how many people would want to be in where you're standing now." She lectured.
"What's that suppose to mean?" I demanded as she walked off. I could feel the irritation build up inside me, and then I went after and forced her to look at me. "I asked you a question and I demand an answer." I hissed.
She narrows her eyes and pulled her wrist away from my grip, soon she pulls out her switchblade, and cuts herself in the arm. I moved to take the knife away, but she pulls back and shakes her head, and then lifted her arm.
Instead of blood pouring out, it was just water. Soon the water that flowed out her wound dissolved into the green fragments of the lifestream.
The fragments dissolved into her skin, and turned it crystal before changing back into fragments. Her wound was gone within an instant.
My eyes widen in amazement. "How is that possible…?" I questioned.
She looks at me with a serious expression in her eyes. "It's because I'm not human like you are." She says as she walks off.
I blink in confusion then I follow her.
"What do you mean you're not human?" I pressed.
She sighs irritably. "I was born human, when I was born my blood had to be replaced with pure Mako…and the reason for that was, so I could live… I was born dead you see, and they had to keep my heart beating with a machine till they could figure out how to get my heart beating manually…after a few hours or so, they decided to do a little test, then they inject a small of Mako into my body, and my heart starting to beat…so they added more and more till finally the Mako filled my veins." She explained.
"After my parents found out what happened, they tried to except it at first, but over time they saw signs of me gaining dangerous powers, so in the end I was handed to the W.R.O at the age of four, and from there I was raised in the W.R.O." She adds.
"So don't complain about how unlucky you are, at least you lived with your parents long enough." She says.
In a way she was right, I was lucky that I had a chance to live a normal life…unlike her, sure the W.R.O seemed to give her some freedom, but it wasn't enough to feel the want and need of a normal family in her life.
"Oh right, I never asked for you name." I pointed out. She stops and turns around. "The name that my parents gave me has been discard for a long time now, but I'm known as Sylvette in W.R.O." She said.
I nod. "Well it's nice to know you Sylvette." I told her. She nods. "It's nice to get to know you too Strife." She said before she started to walk off.
I took a step, but then stopped and then called out. "Sylvette, if you don't mind, would you like someone to escort there?" I offered in a gesture of friendship. She blinks twice and then shakes her head. "Thank you for the offer, but I can handle the monsters out there." She says.
I nodded in response. She tilts her head to the side for a second and waves her hand lightly.
I waved too, and turned around to head back to the city.
Maybe she's right, I need to take a load off, I might be able to focus on my work better, and I'll be able to think a lot clearer too… And maybe I should move on…focus on the future, like I wanted too early…
And I might not be the marriageable type, but friendships will work.
Wutai, 12:00 P.M
The family was sitting down for a quick lunch, and usual Zean was gobbling down his food as quickly as possible.
"Zean please slow down, think about the example you're setting for your younger sisters." Mom tells him gently. Zean was about to take another bite, but then he stops and looks at the two three year olds. Finally he gave in and sighs before complaining. "Jeez, if I knew that being a big brother would be this hard then I would I have never wanted hoped for younger siblings…"
"Zean!" I scolded. He waves his hands in defense and said he was 'kidding and only kidding'
I glared at him. For his sake I hope that was a joke… Mom patted my shoulder and then smiled.
Soon she looked at dad on the other side of the table, quietly eating his food. "Has their been anyone who needed anything delivered?" She asks, as she tried to start a conversation. "No one yet." He answered.
Mom nods in understanding, "Looks like the business hasn't been going well lately…" She sighs.
"Don't worry mom, I'll get a job in the place where dad works too!" Zean adds. "Zean, we've talked about this." Dad reminds him. Zean immediately slumps his shoulders and folds his arms, then mumbles about how 'it was just a bunch about lamps and how much was the ship was rocking'
Dad excuses himself and then stands up. Mom watches him leave the room, then she excuses herself too.
Zean snickers and then stands. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some listening to do…" He chuckles as he quietly leaves the room.
I closed my eyes.
Then, "Sissy…" Anemone calls. I open them and looked at her, "Where have mommy and daddy gone?" She asks. "They've gone to sort something's out, that's all." I explained as simply as possible.
"Meaning, we're getting poorer now sis, and mommy and daddy needs more money!" Anetheia adds.
I was surprised about how much they knew of our situation…my hands clenched to fists when they weren't looking.
"Dad come on, that's the only option at this point!" Zean shouts. I snapped out my thoughts and listened in.
"That's out of the question, you're only sixteen, and I've said no." Dad replied. Mom's sighs came soon after. "Cloud, he's sixteen, you can't keep him under your thumb forever… Zean needs to learn some responsibility and I think that letting him get a job is the best choice." Mom intervenes.
There was a long pause, and finally dad sighs. "I'll think about it." He said. "Dad can't you give me a straight answer!" Zean demands. "I said I'll think about it, if you don't like the answer I gave you than you can forget about getting a job as a Wutai troop." Dad told him simply.
The sliding door slammed open and Zean rushed out of the room in anger.
"Cloud…" Mom started, but I hear dad's footsteps leave the room, and I sighed too.
Anemone and Anetheia stopped eating, and had their chopsticks placed neatly on their bowls.
"Hey guys come on, eat something." I encourage them. "We're not hungry sissy…" Anemone answered. Anetheia nods in agreement.
Mom then comes in and sits down on her spot, and then looks at all of us. "Don't worry about that, daddy was just having a little talk with your brother and I." She reassures as.
"We should have stayed in aunt Yuffie's pretty castle…" Anetheia sulks. Anemone nods in agreement. "At least we could play with lots of toys and sleep in nice beds…" Anemone adds.
Mom nods, "That's true…but we wouldn't be able to talk or sit like this if we stayed there." She said. And then I add. "Plus the palace is so big we could get lost in there."
"But daddy and Zean wouldn't fight so much anymore…" Anetheia mumbles.
"By the way mom, I heard that the W.R.O are spreading their defenses here so is this true?" I asked, while trying to change the subject. Mom blinks twice. "Well I'm not too sure about that, but they said its rumor... just in case there are gang members here." She said.
I nod, "Well I've noticed that a lot of people have been going missing lately, in fact most of the teenage boys are gone…they've ran away." I told her.
"Ran away?" Mom repeats. I nod, "Most of their parents don't know where they went…and not only that, but all the boys went missing at least stole some tools and Materia too."
"First it was tools, and now it's Materia as well…" Mom whispers in worry. "What could they be planning?" She wonders.
Anemone and Anetheia looks at the both of us in confusion. I smiled and told them that it was some grown up talk. They said 'Ok' and soon they ran off, forgetting about their half eaten meals.
Edge, one week later, Monday, 2:00 P.M
Scáth and Sylvette entered their officer's room. "Sir, you wanted to speak to us?" She announced.
"Yes, as a matter a fact I have a mission for you both." He says. Then he hands us two files. Sylvette opens hers and I opened mines.
Inside was a report of all the missing items from the W.R.O weaponry room. "Sir, if I may ask what exactly do you want us to do about this?" I said. "For now, I'm assigning you on a guard mission––" "I apologize for the interruption, but I'm a spy, I don't do guard missions." Sylvette argues. "This isn't just a simple guard mission, you will be hidden of course. Now Sylvette, I understand that spying is in your department, but you're the most experience fighter that the W.R.O has ever seen, so we need your capabilities in this one."
"If you know that she can handle it, then why do you need me?" I asked. Our commanding officer leans back on his chair and looks up at me. "Scáth, you're a skilled fighter, and you're there to assist Sylvette if anything goes wrong, after all…you have fighting experience as well, and your sharp mind only increases your ability to plan things out quickly." He explained.
"So there's your missions, dismissed." He tells us. "Sir!" We both saluted before we left the room.
Well here's chapter! LOL sorry that it's kinda short, since it's almost 2:00 A.M over here and my brain needs a bit of a rest too ^ ^
anyway I hope you'll enjoy this chapter, and please let me know it there's s anything that bothers you, and I'll re-edit this chapter when I can!
Thank you for your support!
