Chapter One
Midgar; the Mako metropolis, the jewel of cities. The city lay nestled on the north coast of the eastern continent, glowing a bright Mako green. From above, it looked like the largest emerald ever to grace the world. Inside Midgar, however, things seem quite different. The despair fills the atmosphere as much as the fumes of the ever burning Mako reactors. The glow from the streetlights reflects off the pall of pollution that lies over the city, bathing the streets in a leprous glow that seems to fit with the rotten nature of the city. Below the plate, things are even worse. The eyes of the people are the eyes of people without hope, and they are deep set in pale faces that have never seen cities. Midgar is no emerald; it's a carbuncle.
***
Aeris Gainsborough picked her way through the streets of Sector 5, a bunch of wilting flowers tucked under one arm. Most of them had sold quickly up above the plate, but there was one bunch left. Maybe she'd give them to her mother. Or maybe she'd give them to Zack, to brighten up his bleak room in the SOLDIER barracks. 'Yes, I'll give them to Zack. He's starting to get a bit homesick again. These might cheer him up."
She walked on, lost in thought, and didn't notice the gang surrounding her until they spoke.
"Oi, flower girl."
Aeris looked up, only then realizing where she'd come. This part of Sector 5 was the territory of the Dukes, one of the many gangs that infested the slums. The leader stepped out from a ruined house, and grinned, baring teeth that were sharpened to points.
"Ya got any money flower girl? Or materia?"
She looked around in terror. Dukes were coming out of every corner, surrounding her. Many of them, like the leader, had teeth sharpened to spikes, and they were leering widely at her. She managed to stammer "N..no. I haven't g..got any m..m..money."
"Well ain't that a pity. 'Cos you see, this is our 'ome. And it ain't polite to just come bargin' in people's 'omes, is it flower girl? So, we're feelin' a bit 'ard done by, so ya 'ave to pay a toll, right?"
One of the gang members leered even wider "Why don' we make her pay another way, eh Deegan?"
The leader grinned. "Funny enough Verm, I was just thinking that myself. I'm sure we'll think of somethin'"
Aeris backed against a wall as the gang closed in on her, frozen in terror.
"Hey! Get off her!" a voice came out of nowhere, and she silently said a prayer of thanks to any nearby spirits, since surely one of them must have been watching over her.
Deegan turned, drawing a wicked looking hooked knife. "An' 'oo's gonna make me?"
"Me." Tseng stepped out of the shadows, followed by two ShinRa MPs. "ShinRa wants her, so I'd advise you to step away. Now." His voice remained flat and emotionless, but his knuckles were white on the handle of his pistol.
Deegan bared his teeth, and waved the dagger at the rest of the gang. They put their weapons back into the various sheathes and holsters they came from. The Dukes ran back into the ruined buildings, Deegan with one last hateful glance at Tseng over his shoulder.
Tseng relaxed his grip on his pistol, and gave Aeris a dazzling smile. "You shouldn't walk these streets, a nice girl like you. There's dangerous people about."
Midgar; the Mako metropolis, the jewel of cities. The city lay nestled on the north coast of the eastern continent, glowing a bright Mako green. From above, it looked like the largest emerald ever to grace the world. Inside Midgar, however, things seem quite different. The despair fills the atmosphere as much as the fumes of the ever burning Mako reactors. The glow from the streetlights reflects off the pall of pollution that lies over the city, bathing the streets in a leprous glow that seems to fit with the rotten nature of the city. Below the plate, things are even worse. The eyes of the people are the eyes of people without hope, and they are deep set in pale faces that have never seen cities. Midgar is no emerald; it's a carbuncle.
***
Aeris Gainsborough picked her way through the streets of Sector 5, a bunch of wilting flowers tucked under one arm. Most of them had sold quickly up above the plate, but there was one bunch left. Maybe she'd give them to her mother. Or maybe she'd give them to Zack, to brighten up his bleak room in the SOLDIER barracks. 'Yes, I'll give them to Zack. He's starting to get a bit homesick again. These might cheer him up."
She walked on, lost in thought, and didn't notice the gang surrounding her until they spoke.
"Oi, flower girl."
Aeris looked up, only then realizing where she'd come. This part of Sector 5 was the territory of the Dukes, one of the many gangs that infested the slums. The leader stepped out from a ruined house, and grinned, baring teeth that were sharpened to points.
"Ya got any money flower girl? Or materia?"
She looked around in terror. Dukes were coming out of every corner, surrounding her. Many of them, like the leader, had teeth sharpened to spikes, and they were leering widely at her. She managed to stammer "N..no. I haven't g..got any m..m..money."
"Well ain't that a pity. 'Cos you see, this is our 'ome. And it ain't polite to just come bargin' in people's 'omes, is it flower girl? So, we're feelin' a bit 'ard done by, so ya 'ave to pay a toll, right?"
One of the gang members leered even wider "Why don' we make her pay another way, eh Deegan?"
The leader grinned. "Funny enough Verm, I was just thinking that myself. I'm sure we'll think of somethin'"
Aeris backed against a wall as the gang closed in on her, frozen in terror.
"Hey! Get off her!" a voice came out of nowhere, and she silently said a prayer of thanks to any nearby spirits, since surely one of them must have been watching over her.
Deegan turned, drawing a wicked looking hooked knife. "An' 'oo's gonna make me?"
"Me." Tseng stepped out of the shadows, followed by two ShinRa MPs. "ShinRa wants her, so I'd advise you to step away. Now." His voice remained flat and emotionless, but his knuckles were white on the handle of his pistol.
Deegan bared his teeth, and waved the dagger at the rest of the gang. They put their weapons back into the various sheathes and holsters they came from. The Dukes ran back into the ruined buildings, Deegan with one last hateful glance at Tseng over his shoulder.
Tseng relaxed his grip on his pistol, and gave Aeris a dazzling smile. "You shouldn't walk these streets, a nice girl like you. There's dangerous people about."