Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and PlayStation are owned by Square Enix and Sony, respectively, meaning they do not belong to me. I am in no way, shape, and/or form claiming to be the owner/creator of these concepts, though I do claim any characters not apart of the original Final Fantasy VII or Advent Children storylines (such as Rayne, Marcus, and Kale) mine. As such, I would appreciate fellow authors and readers to give credit where credit is due and not steal any of my characters and/or concepts. Thank you, and have a pleasant day.
(Violence Escalates)
Seventh Heaven was empty, leaving Astrid standing in front of it with her hands on her hips and a confused look on her face.
'Now where on Gaia…'
"They went to the flower place."
Astrid spun around to face an alley, her hand flying to the gun at her waist. Upon hearing a small squeak, though, and seeing the small shadow in the alley, she dropped her hand and knelt, smiling into the shadows.
"It's alright; I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."
The shadow hesitated, then emerged, forming a small boy with dark hair and brown eyes.
Astrid's smile widened and she nodded, "That's right, it's fine. Come on out. My name is Astrid."
"Kale." The boy said, stepping out further and inching closer to her. He stopped about three feet away.
"Smart boy." Astrid said kindly, "Don't trust people you don't know, right? Your parents teach you that?"
"I don't know." Kale said, looking at his feet, "I don't really remember Mom and Dad. They died when the big mountain came down."
Astrid blinked. "Oh…" She then smiled to the boy, "Hey, you hungry? 'Cause I am, and I know that it's almost lunchtime. You want to come with me and we can talk about the people who live here?" She nodded back at Seventh Heaven.
Kale thought about it, then looked at her and smiled, nodding, "Okay!"
"Let's go, then." She stood and held out her hand.
He stared at it for a moment, looking back at his feet.
Astrid frowned slightly, "What's wrong, Kale? It's just a hand."
Kale didn't say anything, but held up his hand. Astrid's eyes widened. It was pale and splotched with black sores. 'He has Geostigma…'
Without thinking about it, Astrid reached out and took his hand, smiling at him when he looked at her in shock. "I'm not afraid." She said, smiling, "I have a friend who has that, so I know. Now, let's go eat."
The boy smiled at her, squeezing her hand and walking alongside her as she led him to a nearby outdoor restaurant.
………
Dark Nation walked up the steps and lay down in front of the door, sighing deeply. Then, a wind blew in from the north and she sniffed, her head jerking up and her nose sniffing the air again. A deep growl sounded in the back of her throat, her eyes burning bright blue.
………
"They went to the old cathedral, eh?" Astrid asked, biting into a hamburger, "Well, I can see them doing that if they were looking for Cloud."
Kale nodded, pouring ketchup over his food happily, "Marlene said that Cloud isn't around a lot anymore. That he's sad that someone he loved a lot went back to the Lifestream." He stopped, looking up at Astrid with curious eyes, "Do you think my Mom and Dad went back to the Lifestream?"
Astrid choked down her food, taking a drink before she answered hoarsely, "I'm sure they did. After all," She coughed, clearing her throat, "Everyone does when their time comes."
"Has anyone you loved gone back to the Lifestream?"
It was an innocent enough question, but it hit Astrid hard.
She didn't show it, though, and smiled at the boy, "Yeah. Someone I loved very much went back to the Lifestream."
Kale looked back at his food and ate silently.
When they were done, Astrid paid the bill and they walked out together, the boy immediately being snatched up by one of his friends and drug into the alley.
"Thanks, Astrid!" Kale shouted.
"You're welcome, Kale!" She shouted back. Astrid wandered back to Seventh Heaven and mounted Misha, turning her towards Midgar, "Looks like that's our next destination."
………
Dark Nation stood slowly and growled deeply at the person walking slowly up the steps.
The door opened and Reno peeked his head out, looking down at the hellcat in shock, "Whoa! Dark Nation?!" He then looked to where she was growling, jumping back and shouting, "Kadaj?!"
The boy smirked at the Turk, "Hello, Reno."
………
Before Astrid could even get to the cathedral, Loz pulled up in front of her on his monster motorcycle, startling Misha.
"You sure you should be here, sister?" Loz asked, smirking at her, "I'd think you'd be back in the mountains with you're boyfriend. Kadaj went there, personally, just for that reason."
Astrid's eyes widened and she was no longer thinking of Tifa and Marlene. Now, her mind was on Rufus. She barely noticed the squirming sack on the back of Loz's bike…
"Here, take this." Loz dismounted his bike, grabbing the sack and his items, throwing a grin at Astrid, "It'll get you there faster than that chocobo would."
"You'd better not hurt her." Astrid jumped down from the bird, patting her neck quickly before running over and mounting the bike.
"Here!"
She looked up and caught a sword, looking at the long, thin black sheath confusedly.
"A gift from Mother." Loz said, scowling, "Though I don't see why she would give you one."
"Thanks." Astrid said absentmindedly, strapping the rapier to her side and starting the motorcycle. After the beast had roared to life beneath her, she spun out and took off, tearing through Midgar and exiting the city quickly. She urged the bike to go faster and faster, and it continued to oblige.
Somehow, the bike made it off-road and sped through the forest, everything passing by even faster than Misha had managed.
She pushed the bike even faster, though.
She had to get there.
She had to stop Kadaj.
She had to save Rufus.
………
"But, sir! Surely you've noticed…" Kadaj knelt before and stared him in the eye, his pupils slitting and his hair growing slightly, his face reforming.
Rufus watched in horror, his eyes widening.
"Sephir—"
He was interrupted by a large crash.
They both turned to the door, listening as something crashed up the stairs, stopping outside the door.
A scream tore through the air.
On the floor, Reno and Rude writhed.
"Astrid…"
Rufus's eyes widened, "Astrid." He turned to Kadaj, who once again looked like Kadaj, and glared, "If you hurt her—"
"Don't worry, President." Kadaj said, standing and smirking down at him, "We wouldn't dream of hurting our sister."
The door burst open and Astrid stumbled in, blood on her pants and her rapier drawn, black metal gleaming with a metallic light, pointing at the boy. "KADAJ!"
He turned and smiled to her, opening his arms, "Sister! How good to see you!"
Astrid stepped forward, stopping to look down at Reno and Rude. Sure they weren't in critical condition, she stepped over them and continued to walk towards Kadaj, her rapier held ready.
"What have you done…"
Kadaj shrugged, "What was necessary to find Mother. The President knows where she is, but he won't tell."
"Get away from him." She said, flicking her sword to the right impatiently.
Kadaj quickly obliged, smiling in recognition at the blade in her hand, "I see Loz successfully delivered Radiant Twilight." He looked at her and his smile widened, eyes searching her face, "Do you like it? Mother made it especially for you."
"It's a beautiful blade." Astrid said, walking over to Rufus's side and turning to face the boy. "I've never seen a more perfectly forged rapier."
"Mother will be happy you like it." Kadaj said, nodding.
"What are you aiming at?" Astrid asked, frowning slightly, "Why are you so polite to me? Why am I 'sister'? Why do I get…" She looked down at the sword, "Radiant Twilight?"
"Because Mother wants you to feel welcome." Kadaj smiled, "She wants you to know that you always have somewhere to go if you chose to. It is completely your choice, of course, but we would love for you to join us."
For a moment, Astrid said nothing. She then looked up at him and nodded, "Thank you, Kadaj, but there is already something you did wrong. Something that makes me never want to join."
Kadaj's eyes widened, "What?! What could I have possibly done?! Tell me, sister!"
Astrid bit her lip, tears welling up, "D-dark Nation." She looked at the door, closing her eyes and choking, "You killed her…"
"What?" Rufus breathed, looking to the door. He then stared at the blood on Astrid's knees and hands.
"I am sorry, sister." Kadaj shook his head, frowning, "Had I known the cat was yours, I never would have touched her. If there's anything I can do—"
"You can leave."
Kadaj balked and stared at her, eyes widening at the look in her eyes. She looked angry, sad, and determined.
"Leave, please." Astrid pointed to the door with the sword, "Just go."
After a moment, Kadaj nodded, "I understand, sister. You're angry… so I understand." He walked to the door, pausing and glancing back at her, "I'm sorry." He walked out.
As soon as the door was shut, Astrid ran over to Reno and Rude, running her hands over them quickly and healing them.
"Tifa's in trouble." She said as soon as they were up, "Please, go check on her. I'll stay here."
They nodded, standing and running out of the room. For a moment, Rufus and Astrid were silent.
"Dark Nation…" Astrid stood and ran out the front door, kneeling down beside the body of the hellcat.
Her black/blue eyes were wide open and staring ahead, mouth positioned in an angry roar. Her pelt was cold and damp, and her chest had been torn open. The blood was already congealing.
"I'm sorry…" Astrid hugged the cat's head to her chest, shoulders shaking, "I-I'm so sorry…"
"I told you to take her."
Astrid flinched at the calm coolness in his voice, shaking her head, "I thought she would be safer here… I never thought they would come here." She looked at him, tears running down her face, "Edge isn't a big city… but there are a lot of people. I thought it would be risky to take her."
"You should have taken her." Rufus said, glaring at her.
"You think you're the only one who cared?!" She shouted, standing and glaring at him, "For the last two years, she was all I had! You were… and the Turks…" Astrid moaned and fell back to her knees, grabbing her head, "She was all…"
They sat in silence for a moment, Astrid eventually standing and picking up the body of Dark Nation. Rufus watched silently as she carried the cat into the forest, his eyes closing when she took out her 'Earth' materia and used it to dig a shallow grave.
When she walked back, solemn and bloody, he turned his wheelchair and nodded to her, "Let's get a room set up for you; you'll be staying here."
Astrid followed him silently through the foyer, then into the main hall.
"The Healin Lodge was built under the pretense that it would be a recovery home for those suffering from Geostigma." Rufus explained, waving to the long line of doors, "And it will be… as soon as this mess with Kadaj is over. Until then, I've decided to use it as my base of operations."
"And what will be your base of operations after this?" Astrid asked, trying her best to ignore the chill she was feeling from the wet blood pasting her sweater to her chest. "Do you plan on moving back to Midgar?"
Rufus took a moment to answer, stopping at one door and opening it, "Probably not. I don't think Shin-Ra will rise again after this."
"It has to." Astrid crossed her arms, frowning down at him and not moving, "Gaia still needs Shin-Ra, Rufus."
"Then let Shin-Ra come back, but have someone else deal with the outside world." Rufus waved his hand, looking away, "I no longer want anything to do with it."
She pursed her lips and glared at him, "That's a load of shit, Rufus. The only other person really qualified to run Shin-Ra would be Reeve, and I don't think he'd be able to handle a project that big without the help of someone with the experience. He'd also need the Turks, and I don't think they'd leave your side.
"Besides!" She went on, waving her hands, "You're Rufus Shinra! As if you'd pass up the chance to rule the world!"
"I never said I wanted to quit running Shin-Ra." Rufus glared at her, "I simply meant that someone else should deal with Shin-Ra's connections with the people. And, Shin-Ra will not be 'ruling the world' anymore. We've already had our go, and we ran it into the ground. This is part of the way we'll pay back the Planet; by letting nature run its course."
Astrid rolled her eyes and groaned, "Which will put the world into a state of anarchy! And it's already happening! Have you heard from Junon?!"
Rufus turned away, "I have, and it's a terrible loss. But there's nothing I can—"
"People are being killed!" She shouted, leaning in and grabbing his armrests, "There are gangs forming, growing and ruling the streets! It'll only be a matter of time before word spreads and the rest of Gaia is under mob rule! I told you, Rufus, Gaia needs a tyranny! And, if not that, at least an oligarchy!"
"An oligarchy…" He repeated, looking at her. "Where did you learn about all of this?"
"School." She answered, standing, "The one institution I actually did well in. Now…" She looked down at herself and winced, "I'm going to take a shower and get this blood off… We can talk more about this later." She started to go through the door, then paused and turned back, sighing, "Hey, I don't have a change of clothes, so could I?—"
"I'll get you something." Rufus said, smirking.
Astrid smiled, "Thanks."