Archive of Our Own

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Two years ago, the Lifestream itself came to stop Meteorfall from destroying the world. Midgar was left in ruins, leaving everyone to rebuild outside of it. The new city of Edge was still a work in progress, but everything was moving on.Everything but Sabitsuki.She looked out the gaping hole in the wall of the ruined room she called home. Eight stories below, she could see one of the many alleyways in Edge covered in shadow from the setting sun. A few homeless people, including children, either walked or sat slumped against the walls.Sabitsuki was one of the lucky ones. In scavenging the building she was in, which used to be a hotel, she had found a key and claimed one of the rooms as her own. Other homeless people lived in it, of course, but most people chose to live at one of the many shelters in Edge. Over time, after scavenging in the ruins of Midgar, she had managed to acquire blankets, clothes, a bucket to catch and carry rainwater, and an iron pipe that she used as a weapon. Food and other sources of water was something she strived to get every day, either through scavenging, stealing, or the charity of others.Sabitsuki was also one of the unlucky ones. Two months ago, she had contracted something that everyone had come to fear. It presented itself as black scars that oozed a foul substance, and it was rumored to be contagious. Pain and fatigue were the primary symptoms, but everyone who had contracted it would die sooner or later. There was no cure.They called it Geostigma.It had only started appearing once the Lifestream had manifested to stop Meteorfall. It mostly affected children, but there were some adults and teenagers that had it too, like Sabitsuki. Because people were afraid of contracting it, they stayed away from everyone that had visible black scars on their bodies. The most the infected could do was quarantine themselves as best as possible.She could have gone to a shelter; they would have accepted her whether she had the disease or not. However, it was because of the people there that she chose not to. She did not want to look at the others who were doing worse than her, close to the brink of a painful death. She did not want to see the looks of pity or false hope of those that volunteered to help others. She thought it would be better if she stayed alone and kept herself away from the eyes of the public.As such, Sabitsuki only left her home to get food, water, and other things to try to make her living space more comfortable. When she did leave, she made sure she wore her black hoodie with the hood just barely drooping over her eyes. As long as she kept the hood down and didn't make eye contact, no one would notice that she had the Stigma on her forehead. So far, no one had seen it, and she wanted it to stay that way.In the alley below, she saw a man shove a young girl to the ground and snatch a box of cookies out of her hands. She turned her head away from the scene. Thievery was common in the alleyways, and even among the communities of the homeless, no one was kind towards those who had the Stigma. This was why she carried her iron pipe wherever she went.Sabitsuki went to the backpack she left in the corner of the room and opened it up. She fished out today's findings: a can of corn, a bottle filled with puddle water, and a handheld device with a screen on it. She took a closer look at the mystery piece of electronics.The surface was worn and its writing barely legible. There was only one thing written on the front: .flow. She checked the battery casing and saw that the batteries were still in there. Attached to the bottom was a pair of headphones. She had found this thing in a ruined electronics store in what used to be Sector 6 of Midgar. Curious about it, she had decided to take it with her.Not wanting to wait any longer, Sabitsuki pushed the power button.The screen lit up and a rotating logo appeared on it: . When the logo vanished, two boxes with text appeared: "Start" and "Options". Sabitsuki touched the "Options" button on the screen, hoping to get a better idea of what this thing was. The options presented were volume settings, time out counter, and disclaimer. She pressed the disclaimer option."The 'Binaural Listening Device' (BLD) is a product of luciddreaminteractions.flow and may not be copied in any way. If the product breaks within three months of purchase, you may return it for a new one. Luciddreaminteractions.flow is not responsible for any nightmares or night terrors that may occur. Do not take any sleep aids or medication when using this product."
Okay, so I guess this helps you to sleep. No…I think it helps you to lucid dream. Never lucid dreamed before.
Sabitsuki decided to give it a try after she ate her dinner of canned corn. She set the BLD aside and went to the bathroom. Inside, the walls and floor were cracked and it smelled of urine. There was no plumbing, and she had no idea when people would come to this part of Edge to fix it. Then again, the day people would come to fix the plumbing would also be the day the buildings were fixed up and either turned into more shelters or actual homes and businesses where the homeless would be shooed out.In the bathtub was a dishrack that held some plates, silverware, and a can opener. (Sabitsuki had yet to find an intact bowl or glass.) She took a spoon and can opener and went back to the bedroom. She picked up the can of corn and got to work opening it. To her, this can opener was her most useful possession. When she got the can open, a bad smell wafted up from it."Damn." She swore.She debated whether or not she should eat the spoiled corn. It was too late outside to go scavenging again. She knew the dangers of eating spoiled canned food, but she had Geostigma, so it didn't matter if she ate it or not: she was going to die either way. She sniffed it again and found that there was no way she could bring herself to eat it. She went to the hole in the wall and threw the can out. The sound of metal hitting the ground told her the consequence of her choice: she would remain hungry tonight.Pain shot through her head. She put a hand on her forehead. The black scar was damp and threatened to ooze. She went to the bed and dropped to her knees. She fished out some scraps of fabric that she kept under the bed for these occasions. She picked up a piece of brown cloth and pressed it against her forehead. Underneath her pressing fingers, she could feel the cloth absorb whatever was oozing out of her forehead.She withdrew it and looked at it. There was a light splotch of black on the fabric. She felt over her forehead and found that it was dry again. She felt fortunate that this was only one of the lighter spells. There were times when the pain was much more severe and the fluid came out by the handful.Sabitsuki slumped against the bed, suddenly overcome with fatigue. This would also happen after one of her spells, no matter the severity. It was getting dark outside, so she used what little light was left to find the BLD. She crawled up onto the bed and slipped the headphones over her ears. She powered it on and pressed "Start" on the screen.Words appeared on the screen: "Binaural tones will stop in 1:00:00".The timer began to count down. Through the headphones, Sabitsuki could hear a blend of sounds and music. The only ones she could actually distinguish were the sounds of trickling water and an odd, constant hum. She could relax like this. She closed her eyes and gave herself in to the strange sounds she was hearing.***Sabitsuki found herself in a room she had not seen in two years. There was a small bed, a table, an old game console, and posters that advertised SOLDIER, popular music groups, and LOVELESS. She blinked slowly as a thought crossed her mind.
This is my room.
She rested a hand on her old bed, nostalgia filling her. Her old life had a lot of issues, most of them due to teenage rebellion, but it was still better than what she was going through right now. What she would give to be able to go to school again, to talk to her old friends and parents…but all of that was gone now.She removed her hand and walked to the door that led out of her room. She wondered if her mother was downstairs cooking breakfast, if father was watching the news before he left for work. She opened the door and stepped through.
What is this?
Instead of a hallway, Sabitsuki found herself in a large black room lit up by multicolored lights. Hard trance music was playing and there were various lines, squiggles, and shapes that were moving to the music. She glanced down and saw that her skin was glowing in various neon colors.
Whoa. Didn't think I would dream of something like this…and why am I neon?

"Wow! Those lights look so cool, mom!"
Those words echoed all around her. She remembered saying that to her mom when they first went to Wall Market. She thought neon symbolized a life better than the one she was living in; a life full of fun, action, and comforts that one would not find in the slums.Still glowing neon, Sabitsuki took a look around. She poked at the dancing shapes, but they only responded with a "boing" sound. She wandered further until she found a DJ stand. Seeing that no one was on the stand, she decided to take a closer look at it. The platters of the turntables and the dials were moving on their own and there was a mess of characters and numbers on the computer. It was almost like the machine was possessed by a ghost. She carefully placed her fingers on the spinning platters.A pair of headphones appeared on her head and she could hear a blend of music. Her head bobbed to the beat and her fingers seized command of the turntables. If there was a ghost, it had turned its possession to her, since she had no real experience with this. All the shapes changed their movements to match the new music. Sabitsuki hadn't had this kind of fun since Meteorfall.
"I love this music! When I grow up, I'm going to be a DJ!"
It was a dream she had since she saw what clubs looked like on TV. It was a dream that was no longer attainable since her life was left in shambles, and especially since she had contracted Geostigma.Everything suddenly went dark and the music was replaced by a loud heartbeat. Sabitsuki took a step forward and heard a splash. She walked forward with her arms outstretched, hoping to find something. She felt increasingly uneasy as she walked, and it didn't help that the heartbeat was becoming faster.
I hate this. I hate this. Get me out of here.
Sabitsuki found herself in the lobby of a school. There were a few students in uniform that were loitering about. What stood out was that they all had white or silver hair. Sabitsuki looked herself over and saw that she was no longer neon. However, instead of her purple shirt and white skirt, she was wearing one of the school uniforms.
"Mom, do I have to wear this thing?"

I remember this. White hair was the leading fad back then. Heck, some of them grew their hair out and dyed it silver so that they could look like Sephiroth. Mom and dad were really mad when they saw that I had bleached my hair.
She approached a male student and said, "Hey."Instead of answering, the boy's mouth stretched into a grin and he giggled. The other students lifted their heads up and did the same thing. Sabitsuki backed away from them, obviously unnerved by what she was seeing."What's so funny?" She asked.Their grins stretched wider and they all suddenly ran at her. With nothing to fend them off with, she had no choice but to run. She ran through hallways and up several flights of stairs until she reached the roof. She slammed the door behind her and pressed her back against it. She could hear the giggling from the other side, though she found it strange that no one was trying to force the door open. She looked ahead and saw that she was not alone.Standing near the edge of the roof with his back turned was another student. Unlike the others, his hair was black. He turned around and Sabitsuki's eyes widened at what she saw. There were big plus signs over his eyes and a wide smile on his face. He slowly approached her with a black marker in his hand.Sabitsuki squeezed her eyes shut. She felt the marker press against her eyelid. It moved up and down, then left and right, then it moved to the other eyelid and repeated the action.
"Cool, aren't they? Come on, Sabi, smile."

He was always the odd one out: never followed fads, always did things his own way. That's why I liked…
The sound of static filled her ears.
…what was his name? I…I know this, but…too much static. I can't think. Shut up. Shut up!
***Sabitsuki was alert when she woke up. It actually felt like she was in the dream. It was something she had never experienced before. She removed her headphones and looked down at the BLD. It was off. Wondering if it had run out of battery, she pushed the power button.The screen lit up and the choices of "Start" and "Options" popped up. She thought back to last night and figured that it had shut itself off after the one hour time limit. She set it aside and placed a hand over her empty stomach.She needed to secure food as soon as possible. The spoiled can of corn told her that it would be useless to try scavenging in the ruins of Midgar. The only way to get fresh food was to go to the center of Edge, where more people were gathered.Thrown back into the harsh reality of her world, Sabitsuki pushed the dreams out of her head and went about preparing for another day.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was most likely because of the way she carried her iron pipe or how she walked with her head down, but people tended to avoid Sabitsuki. She focused on her goal of obtaining food in her head and worked out how she would go about it today. Should she resort to begging, or would she steal from a store? To make sure she didn't develop recognition, she went to a different part of Edge.Curiosity struck her when she saw a group of kids gather around a large truck loaded with crates. The kids would hand off pieces of scrap metal to one man in a construction outfit, who would hand it to another man to place in one of the many scrap heaps behind them. Once relieved of their load, the kids would be given fruit, candy, bags of chips, and even MREs. It seemed that their rewards were based off of what they had given.
So they're giving food to anyone who brings metal?
Sabitsuki approached one of the men who was tossing scrap into piles and said, "Excuse me?"He looked at her and said, "You need to get in line if you want to hand off that pipe."She tightened her grip on the iron pipe. "I'm not getting rid of this. I want to know what all of this is about.""'All this'? This is about adding on to Edge. We have a good sized city now, but there are many spots that still need work. We're giving food to anyone who can salvage scrap metal from Midgar.""But they've got machines to do it now.""True. However, many children have been doing this for a long time, and they don't want to give it up, plus they can go to some places that machines can't reach. You can help out, we could really use some pipes and copper, but it looks like you're better off with a job in Edge."Sabitsuki let out a short laugh. "I may be sixteen, but I highly doubt anyone's going to hire me.""You won't know until you try."She sighed and walked away from the truck. She might be able to do small jobs, but in the state she was in now, there was no way she was getting a real job. She looked at the iron pipe in her grip. She could trade it in for a bag of chips, but it held some sentimental value for her. She only got into a few fights with this thing, but it had protected her well.Her stomach growled in protest. Right now, she needed the food more than she needed the pipe. She joined the crowd and, when her turn came, she relinquished the iron pipe. The man she had talked to earlier gave her a small nod as he took the pipe away. A man standing on top of the truck tossed a bag of Choco Crips to Sabitsuki. She caught it and made her way back to her room.As soon as she had returned and locked the door behind her, she tore open the bag of chips and started devouring them. She could have eaten them while she was still outside, but she never felt safe out there. The taste of the meaty seasonings on the chips only made her eat faster. It did not take long for her to finish off everything inside the bag, crumbs included.She went to get her bottle of water and drank most of it to quench her thirst. She knew the risks of drinking dirty water, but it had not rained in some time, so she had little choice. She went over today's plan in her head: get pipes from Midgar and receive food in exchange. She left so that she could get an early start.***Having explored Midgar before, Sabitsuki had an idea of where to look for pipes and copper. She had seen a lot of piping in the underground parts of Sector 4, but she wasn't sure if she could get them with her bare hands alone. That was the place where she had originally found her pipe, so she thought she still had a good chance of finding something she could carry back.The place also came with risks. Sabitsuki didn't have a flashlight or something similar to help navigate the dark parts of the underground. The only parts she could explore were the ones with holes in the ceiling, where sunlight could pour in. She also stayed away from the dark parts because that was where monsters tended to live. Fortunately, she had always managed to avoid a confrontation with one of those things.There were indeed pipes in Sector 4, but most were still attached and could not be removed without a tool set. Even if she did have the tools, they were too big for Sabitsuki to take back. She would have to make do with the small things. She searched for a few hours, occasionally taking short breaks to sit and drink from her bottle of water. As she made her way down a corridor, she spotted something that caused her breathing to hitch.Several feet ahead lay a clothed skeleton. Near it was a closed toolbox. If there were still tools in it, then it would be a great find. Sabitsuki slowly approached the skeleton. When she was close enough to see the detail of the skeleton, she stiffened.The right humerus was stained black.
Stigma.
Sabitstuki moved closer until she was within reach of the toolbox. She crouched down and opened it up. Seeing its contents made her feel like she had just found a treasure chest."Yes!"There were several types of wrenches and screwdrivers inside, as well as a hammer. Instead of taking the whole toolbox, she took out all the tools and put them in her backpack. The only tool she didn't put away was a pipe wrench. She looked at the walls, which were lined with smaller pipes, and she got to work on removing them.The work was hard, as most of the pipes were rusted and Sabitsuki didn't have much strength. When she got the first pipe removed, she set it aside: that would be her new weapon. She managed to remove two more before she had to stop. Her arms hurt and she was covered in sweat. She looked at the three pipes she had managed to remove. With most of her strength spent, this was all she could do for now. She tucked two of them under her right arm and held the third with her left hand.Sabitsuki retraced her steps. Twenty minutes into her trek outside, she felt her forehead throb in pain. She stumbled and dropped the two pipes. She froze when she heard the loud "clang" of the pipes hitting the floor. Monsters would have definitely heard that. She scooped up the pipes and broke into a run.At some point, she had heard something big scurrying in the air ducts above her. Adrenaline pumped through her body and she continued to run until she was finally out of the underground. She turned around, expecting a monster to come rushing at her, but nothing emerged from the dark tunnel.Pain struck again and she could feel something trickle down her face. She didn't need to look at it to know what it was. Her legs wobbled and she dropped to her hands and knees. The pipes were dropped once more with a loud "clang". She tried to get up, but the fatigue was now setting in. She soon collapsed, still conscious, but unable to muster the strength to get up.Sabitsuki lay there, hoping that no monsters would come out and eat her. Minutes passed, and she eventually heard two sets of footsteps. She lifted her head and saw two children approaching her: a girl with two ponytails and a boy holding a Moogle doll. The boy ran up to her and asked, "Are you alright?"His eyes widened when he saw the streaks of black staining Sabitsuki's face. He asked, "Does it hurt?""A little." Sabitsuki answered. "I'm just having a hard time getting back up."The boy looked to the girl with ponytails and said, "Help me out, Rei."She nodded and also walked up to Sabitsuki. Working together, they managed to get her on her hands. Sabitsuki set the end of the pipe on the ground and used it to help her to her feet. She slowly stood up, though she leaned her weight on the pipe like a cane."Thanks." She told the two children."You're welcome." The boy said.The girl looked at the two pipes on the ground and asked, "Are you getting these for the collectors?""Yeah. Are you here doing the same?""Yes. I need to get food for my brother.""But you need it too, Rei." The boy said.Sabitsuki got a better look at the children. They were thin and their clothes were dirty. She could see the telltale markings of Geostigma on both of Rei's arms. She couldn't see any markings on the boy, but she assumed he had it, too.
It's just like that boy from school, and his sister.
She nudged the other two pipes with her foot and said, "Take them.""Really?" Rei asked."I've got other things to trade in, and you said you needed to get food for your brother."Sabitsuki was hoping to turn in the pipes and keep the tools to help gather more scrap, but she felt a kinship with these children, and she didn't want them to brave the dangers she had faced today. She would just have to turn in most of the tools for food. Knowing their value in use, the collectors just had to take them.Rei picked up the pipes and said, "Thank you."The boy took out a handkerchief and held it out to Sabitsuki. "You want to wipe that off your face?"She nodded and took the handkerchief. She carefully wiped the fluid off, making sure she didn't smear it on her face. She looked at the now soiled surface of the cloth, then at the boy."You can keep it." He said.She nodded again and pocketed it. She looked off in the distance and said, "I need to get back.""Let's go together." Rei suggested.So the three of them slowly made their way back. Over time, Sabitsuki slowly got her strength back and she was able to walk without the support of the pipe. They eventually returned to the collectors. There was no crowd of children this time. Rei handed over the pipes and got two apples and two bags of Choco Chips. Sabitsuki gave up everything but her pipe and the pipe wrench."Wow." The man on top of the truck said. "These are a good find. You deserve this."He tossed an MRE to Sabitsuki. She blinked in surprise. She was going to have a hot meal for once. She parted ways with the children and went back to her home.***Sabitsuki found herself in her room again. She wondered how her dream would turn out this time. She opened the door and walked through.This time, she found herself in outer space. She was surrounded by stars and she could see a beautiful planet up ahead. She knew that a rocket had been launched to try and stop Meteor, and that there were people aboard. She had seen an interview on one of the people in rocket, Cid Highwind. What he had said described what she was seeing now: pretty damn incredible.Despite there being no surfaces, she found that her feet were standing on…something. With nowhere else to go, she decided to go forward, towards the planet. She didn't know what she would find, but she was suddenly filled with anticipation.There was a loud, sudden crash behind her. Sabitsuki turned around and saw a broken TV. Despite the screen being cracked, it still buzzed with static. She slowly approached the TV.
"Sabitsuki, you've been watching too much TV. Why don't you go outside and play?"
Once more, the words echoed all around her. She remembered her mother telling her that when she was younger. Since there was nothing to do in the slums, watching TV was all she did.
"Sabi…Sabi…ki…"
It was a woman's voice that she did not recognize, and it was coming from the TV. The way it spoke through the static creeped her out. Despite this, she leaned close to the TV and asked, "Who is this?"
"Sabi…a…up…list…go…time…Re…"
She couldn't hear most of what the voice was saying through the static. The TV abruptly shut itself off. She backed away from it and decided that she didn't want to be near it. She continued to walk towards the planet until she was close enough to reach out and touch it.Sabitsuki was suddenly in a white room. There were no furnishings, but there were two people in front of her. One of them was the boy she saw from the last dream. The other was a little girl who was hiding behind him. She peeked her head out for a moment before withdrawing it.
Him, and his sister.
"Hello again." She greeted.The boy only smiled in response. His sister did nothing. Sabitsuki reached a hand out to him when she saw that it was in a black glove. She looked herself over and saw that she was wearing a black dress. It was very familiar to her.
"Today, we are gathered here to mourn those who have died in this terrible tragedy…"

That's right, when the plate dropped…
Sabitsuki wanted to cry. She had remembered what had happened years ago, yet she couldn't even remember the names of the ones in front of her. She felt guilty for forgetting."Come on, Sabi, smile." The boy said, his smile stretching."Easy for you to say." She said bitterly. "Look at my life: there's nothing to smile about."The girl peeked her head out and softly said, "Smile.""I can't…I can't."Sabitsuki shook her head and turned to leave."Don't go." The boy pleaded.She hesitated, but left the room anyways.Sabitsuki was now in a snowy field, its pure landscape soiled by blood, corpses, and scattered limbs. Her eyes widened at the horrific scene before her. She tried to turn and run, but she wound up falling on her back. That was when she realized that she had changed once more.Her arms and legs were gone.
"This movie's about a serial killer who chops off his victims limbs. Sister's too young to see it, so you want watch it with me, Sabi?"
She screamed, "This isn't happening! This isn't happening! Get me out of here!"Sabitsuki was suddenly back in the slums. However, it was completely devoid of life. She looked herself over and was grateful to see that she had her limbs back. The outfit she wore this time was a purple dress and witch's hat. In her hand was a broom.
"Look at me, mommy: I'm a witch!"

Yeah, I always pretended to be a witch whenever I was told to sweep the house. Maybe I can actually fly this time?
Sabitsuki decided to give it a try. She straddled the broom and it started to hover. She kicked off the ground and the next thing she knew, she was flying over the slums. Unafraid of how high she was, she circled the city until she saw an opening in the plate above. She ascended higher and higher, never looking down. She lifted her head up, expecting to see the sky.She did see the sky, but it looked like it was being swallowed up by a giant, flaming red ball. It seemed to be growing bigger…no, it was moving closer. Sabitsuki could never forget that dreaded thing in the sky.
Meteor.
She was suddenly falling. She tried to fly back up, but the broom no longer responded. She panicked."No! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"She didn't wake up, but she did find that she was back on the ground. She looked up and saw the surface of the plate. She was back on the ground level of the slums. She tried to walk, but found that her legs didn't work. She looked down to see what was wrong.She had no legs, and she was not standing, but hovering, over her own corpse.
"Wow, do corpses freak you out that much, Sabi? I must admit: the makeup team did a good job with those things."
"A…aah…"She looked at her hands and saw that she could see through them. The same thing applied to the rest of her body. There was nothing below her waist.
"Ghosts? Grandpa says that all living things go back to the Lifestream when they die, so I don't think they exist, Sabitsuki."
"I…I'm not dead." Sabitsuki told herself. "This is a dream."Black smoke rose from her ghostly form and she started to fade away."Wake up! Wake up!"***Sabitsuki was alert once again the moment she woke up. She removed the headphones and put her hands over her face. She had been dealing with nightmares ever since Meteorfall, but since she started using the BLD, those nightmares started to feel more real. She groaned.
I should give this thing a break.
She slid out of bed and prepped her mind for another day of scavenging metal for food.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was drizzling today, so Sabitsuki brought her bucket with her when she went to Sector 4. Before she braved the underground once again, she left the bucket outside so that it could collect rainwater. With the pipe in hand and the pipe wrench in her backpack, she once more went into the underground tunnels.Sabitsuki decided to play it safe and return to the spot where she had found the toolbox. She didn't make it far when she saw that something was different. The hallway was now covered in giant cobwebs. She swore under her breath, knowing that monsters had moved into this part.She heard something skittering up ahead. Not wanting to see what it was, she turned and ran. Something screeched and the noises drew closer. When she finally reached the outside world, she stopped and turned around.In the darkness of the tunnel she just left from, she saw something move. All she could see were two large mantis arms poking out. The thing hissed and withdrew into the darkness. Sabitsuki sighed with relief, though she knew that the tunnels were no longer an option.She went to the bucket and saw that it had collected some of the water. She picked it up and drank the water in a few gulps. After all the running, she definitely needed that. She lowered the bucket and walked away.She decided to visit Sector 5, where her old home used to be.Last time she was there, nearly everything was left in shambles. She remembered the moment when the ground starting shaking, signaling the planet's demise. She ran around the streets, trying to find places to hide. She had decided to go to the school's basement, since it was close. She had just reached the door when green streams of light shot out of the ground. She hid in the basement and waited for the end to come, but it never did.When the shaking had stopped, she left to see the damage. Houses and chunks of buildings had collapsed and there were large holes in the plate above. Through those holes, she saw the sky for the first time, and Meteor wasn't in it. She and several other survivors started looking around. She went back to her house, where she had last seen her parents. Sadly, her house was one of many that had been destroyed, and she saw no sign of her parents.
…Don't cry, Sabitsuki. This isn't your home anymore; get over it.
Arriving at the old sector, she saw that it had drastically changed. Most of wreckage had been cleared away, most likely by machines. If that was the case, then most of the salvage was probably taken away. There were still a few buildings intact, broken as they were, so she decided to search them.She started with her old school.The inside reflected what she felt in her heart: dead and hollow. Checking the classrooms, she found nothing but rusty metal desks. Though they were metal, the collectors probably didn't want anything rusted. Besides, there was no way Sabitsuki could take even one desk all the way back to Edge.
Has anyone set up any schools in Edge? I doubt it; it still has a long ways to go.
She decided to check the principal's office. She had hoped to find some electronics, like the intercom, but there were no such things present. She figured that someone else came and took them first. She then checked the cafeteria, but found that it had been cleaned out, too. She looked in the janitor's closet, but all she found was a dirty mop. She went to the bathrooms and considered taking the pipes from the sinks, but decided to check the last place in the school: the basement.She went back outside and opened the basement's outer door, letting light in. She peeked inside and saw something red moving in there. It was an ugly creature with short arms and legs and spikes on its back. It turned around and glared at Sabitsuki.She slammed the door shut and started running again. She should have expected it, but she didn't think there would be a monster in a place that was mostly cleared out. She turned around and stopped when she saw that the monster didn't bust the door down to chase her. She didn't think about her luck, but instead went to the next building: the church in Sector 5.The church was actually the most intact building in the whole sector. Sabitsuki had only been there once before Meteorfall, and that was to see a friend who loved going there. It was known as one of two places where flowers grew, the other place being the house of the one who looked after the church.
She really loved those flowers…ugh, why can't I remember her name?
Sabitsuki knew what the girl looked like: small, wearing rags and an orange diving helmet that used to belong to her father. Like the boy and his sister, though, she could not remember her name for some reason. Why had she forgotten these simple things?When she entered the church, she was taken aback at its interior. Aside from a few broken pews, it had not changed much. There were even yellow flowers growing near the center of the room. She temporarily forgot about scavenging and went to inspect the flowers. As far as she could tell, they were healthy. She leaned forward and smelled them. Their smell was sweet, maybe a little too sweet.Pain shot through her head. She placed a hand over the scar and felt that it was damp. As soon as it came, the pain suddenly vanished. She looked around and noticed some other things in the church.Off to the side was a mat and a silver box. Sabitsuki went to take a closer look. The mat was worn, although the box looked pretty new. On top of the box were wrappings with black stains on them. It was obvious that this was someone's home, but who would live here when there were monsters and no food? Looking at the stained wrappings, she could only take a guess: this person wanted this church to be their final resting place.Sabitsuki brushed the wrappings off the box and opened it. Inside were many glowing little orbs of various colors. She had only seen these things in stores: materia. She picked up a green one and looked at it closely. Deep in its core, she thought she could see a tiny, flickering flame. These things had a lot of value, and she knew she would get a lot of money if she found someone who would buy them.She heard a motorcycle engine rumbling in the distance. She stood up when she realized that it was getting closer. She grabbed a couple more materia and pocketed them in her skirt. She looked around for an alternate exit and saw a door in the back. She ran to it and tried to open it. It wasn't locked, but when she tried to push it, it wouldn't budge. She looked at the windows. They were all broken, but they all had shards sticking out of the bottom. She went to the nearest window and smashed the shards off with her pipe. She grabbed the bottom of the sill and hoisted herself up."Hey." A voice called out.She did not turn her head to see who had called out. She knew it was the person who lived in the church, and his voice did not sound happy. Still on the window sill, she dropped down outside the church. Though she landed on her feet, she still stumbled onto the wet ground. One of the materia fell out of her pockets, so she snatched it and got back to her feet.She was about to run when someone grabbed her left arm."Let go!" She snapped as she tried to struggle out of the grip."What are you doing here?" The voice asked.Sabitsuki turned to look at her captor. It was a man with spiky blond hair and blue eyes that seemed to hide a glow behind them. He was wearing a black jacket with one sleeve and he had a large sword on his back. She stopped struggling, not only because she was intimidated by him, but also because he looked familiar.The man looked at her spare hand and saw the glow of the materia in her grip. He said, "Give it back."She scowled, but dropped the materia."Any others?""In my pockets." She muttered. "Let me go and I'll give them back."The man released her arm. She emptied her skirt pockets of the materia, letting them drop on the ground. "There, that's all. Can I go now?""You didn't tell my why you were here." The man said."Scavenging. It's the only way I can get food. Does that answer your question?"He nodded. Sabitsuki was about to turn to leave when the pain came back. She stopped and put her hand on her forehead. The black fluid oozed between her fingers and the pain became three times worse. She gritted her teeth and hissed, trying her best not to scream. A high pitched whine filled her ears, threatening to burst them. Her body grew weak and she was about to fall forward when the man caught her.His mouth moved, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. She looked at his face and an image popped into her head: the man wearing a Shinra grunt's uniform, his eyes filled with intense hatred. She was unable to think about it and she blacked out from the pain.***When she woke up, Sabitsuki found herself in a bed in an unfamiliar room. She groaned and sat up. She saw a boy with short, wavy brown hair standing in front of a window. He turned to face her and said, "You're up.""Where am I?" Sabitsuki asked."Home. Cloud brought you here.""Cloud? That man with the sword?""Yeah. He said he couldn't leave you there."She heard footsteps and she turned to face the open door. Standing there was a girl with braided brown hair. She said, "You're awake" and ran off, yelling, "Tifa! She's awake!"A minute later, a woman with long dark hair entered the room. She looked at Sabitsuki and asked, "How are you feeling?""Fine." She lied.She slid out of bed and looked around for her things. She found her backpack leaning against a wall, but she did not see her pipe or bucket. As she slid her backpack back on, the woman asked, "Where are you going?""Out." Sabitsuki said bluntly. "Tell that guy I said 'thanks'.""You can't go out in that state. Stay and rest for a little longer.""Can't afford to rest. I have to get my things back and find food.""Are you hungry?" The little girl asked."I can get you something to eat." The woman offered.Sabitsuki sighed. She could not deny that she was starving, and free food sounded great to her. She set her backpack down and said, "Yeah."The woman walked out of the room. Sabitsuki saw a table and chair and decided to sit there. The boy approached her and said, "Tifa's really nice.""I can see that." Sabitsuki said."You shouldn't shrug off any help anyone gives you."She didn't answer. She looked over the desk and spotted a framed photograph. In it were Cloud, Tifa, and the two children in the room with her. She noticed that Cloud was the only one not smiling. The twinge of familiarity came back, though she could not place it.The girl walked up to Sabitsuki's left side and said, "I'm Marlene, and he's Denzel. What's your name?""Sabitsuki.""Sabitsuki? Can I call you 'Sabi'?"
"Mind if I call you 'Sabi'?"

"Come on, Sabi, smile."

"Play with me, Thabi!"
"I'd rather you didn't."At that point, Tifa reentered the room and set something in front of her. It was a tray with a bowl of soup and a glass of ice water. Sabitsuki grabbed the spoon and started devouring her meal. The soup had meat and vegetables, and it was delicious. Tifa and the children watched in amazement at the speed she was eating. When she was done, she let out a sigh of content. It was good to have something in her stomach again."Thank you." She finally said."Would you like some more?" Tifa asked.Sabitsuki honestly did, but she didn't want to push it. She asked, "What do I owe you?""Owe me?" Tifa was puzzled. "You never owed anything.""I…sorry. I'm not entirely used to charity.""Can I ask you something?"Sabitsuki shrugged."Do you have a place to stay?""Sort of.""Are you able to eat every day?""…Not always, but I found some people that will take scrap metal for food.""They're not going to do that forever." Denzel spoke up.Everyone turned their attention to him."I've done this before, and the group I worked with stopped asking for metal eventually.""…I don't have much of a choice.""You could get a job." Tifa suggested."And who would hire me?""Well, we could use another delivery person here.""Delivery? What kind of place is this?""I run the 7th Heaven bar downstairs, but Cloud and I also run a delivery service. You could work for us and make local deliveries, if you're interested.""I'll get paid for this?""Of course.""Okay, I'll do it, but don't expect me to be around for long.""Because of the Stigma?"Sabitsuki lightly brushed her forehead with her fingers and nodded."You can't give up." Marlene frowned."There's no cure.""Sabitsuki." Denzel spoke.He walked up to her and brushed his bangs away from his forehead. She could see the markings of Geostigma, though it hadn't spread as much as it had on her. He continued, "I know it's bad, but even if there isn't a cure, you have to keep fighting. Marlene and Tifa taught me that when they brought me in.""Keep fighting?"Sabitsuki lowered her head. Since Meteorfall, she had continuously fought to stay alive, but she never really fought to live. She never had a reason…
Maybe I should find one.
She looked at Tifa and asked, "When can I start?"Tifa smiled. "Does tomorrow morning sound good to you?""Yeah."Sabitsuki stood up and put her backpack on. As she left, she said, "I'll be here as soon as I can."
First things first: I got to get my things back.
***Sabitsuki had decided to give the BLD another chance. When she started dreaming, she found herself in her room. She never knew why she always started here, but she decided to start the dream off for real by leaving it.She found herself in what looked like a laboratory. The lights were flickering and there were corpses of Shinra grunts and men in white lab coats. There was also a trail of blood. She covered her mouth and stomach, feeling sick. The hand over her stomach felt wet, so she looked to see what was wrong.There was a gash, and her stomach and intestines were poking out and threatening to spill onto the floor.
"Gross. I don't see why you like those films."
"No." Sabitsuki said. "I'm not going to let this happen. This is my dream, and I want it to be good this time. Take me somewhere better!"She was suddenly in the marketplace in Sector 5. Unlike the previous dream, there were people this time, though she couldn't make out any details on their faces. The atmosphere was lively, despite the conditions of the slums.Among the crowd of people, Sabitsuki spotted a familiar figure. It was a child wearing rags and an orange diving helmet. She still couldn't remember her name, but she couldn't forget her. She started to approach the child.
"Cool, ithn't it? Mommyy thed I thould alwayth wear it."
The girl turned to face Sabitsuki, then suddenly ran at her. She jumped on her and hugged her tightly. She said, "Thabi, Thabi! I mithed you!""Yeah," Sabitsuki said, "I missed you too."She remembered meeting this girl when she was in the hospital years ago. While she was resting in bed, that little girl was running from room to room, saying hello to everyone. She was wearing the diving helmet back then, too. Not once did Sabitsuki see her without that thing on, and she had heard rumors that she had sores on her face.The girl grabbed her hand and tugged. "Leth go play, Thabi!"Sabitsuki remembered that girl's happiness being so contagious, it would make her smile. More memories came back and she felt sad. She remembered the reports on what had happened to her.
She couldn't swim, but she really wanted to see if that diving helmet worked. They found her in the sewage pool…
"Thabi?"
No, I can't think about what happened back then. This is now, and this should be a good dream.
Sabitsuki forced a smile. "What do you want to play?""Leth play pretend! I am the printheth of the underthea kingdom, and you are my betht friend."The next thing she knew, they were both at the bottom of the ocean. Schools of fish swam around and kelp swayed to an unfeeling current. Up ahead was a giant sandcastle decorated with seashells."Rath you!" The girl said before running towards the castle.Sabitsuki chased after her. Though she could obviously run faster than her, she decided to go easy and slow down. When the girl reached the castle entrance, she beckoned her to come in.Inside hung many childlike drawings, all framed in gold. Sabitsuki remembered that she and the girl liked to draw together. Growing in the center of the room were yellow flowers, just like the ones in the church. The girl ran over to them and picked up a nearby watering can. Despite being underwater, droplets still poured out and landed on the flowers.
"I'm gonna grow my own flowerth, juth like Mith Aerith!"
"Look, look!" The girl called out to her. "Look at my garden, Thabi!"Sabitsuki walked forward until she stood next to the girl. She crouched and lightly touched one of the flowers with her fingers. The petals were soft and silky, yet they weren't as fragile as they looked.
"Wow. Flowers really do grow here."
Suddenly, vines shot out of the flowerbed and wrapped themselves around Sabitsuki's arm. She had no time to scream as she was dragged into the flowerbed. She sank into the ground, only to suddenly be immersed in bright green water. Panicking, she instinctively swam upwards.There was a large splash as she fell forward and landed on a metal grated floor. She lifted her head up and found herself in a place that reminded her of the laboratory from earlier. There were pods lined up in rows that were attached to pipes and valves. She only had to take one step forward to feel that something was wrong with her. She looked herself over and her eyes widened.She had multiple arms growing out of different parts of her body.
"No way. That multi-armed girl is real? I thought she was a myth!"
Sabitsuki found it even creepier that she could move each of them independently. She was about to tell herself to have good dreams again when she heard something banging in one of the pods. She cautiously walked towards it and peeked into the circular window of the pod.Thrashing about inside was a humanoid monster with gnarled skin, claws, and fangs."No, no." Sabitsuki shook her head. "I want to go back to having good dreams. Get me—."
"Sabitsuki."
It was the female voice from the previous dream, though she could hear it clearly this time. She looked towards the direction of the voice and saw an open door at the back of the room. Printed above it in large letters was the word "JENOVA".For some reason, Sabitsuki felt compelled to go towards the voice. Her body felt heavy as she walked towards the door. When she got close, static rang in her ears and her head throbbed in pain."Don't go, Sabitsuki!"She turned around. Standing at the other end of the room was a girl with long black hair. She wore a white dress, though it was stained black over her chest. Sabitsuki tried to ask her who she was, but her voice was drowned out by the static.Everything went red.***Unlike the previous times she woke up, Sabitsuki was disoriented and had a headache. She rubbed her forehead and found that black fluid had oozed out, though it was now dry and slightly sticky. She removed the headphones and crawled out of bed.She grabbed a piece of fabric from under the bed and wiped the fluid off. She rested her head on the mattress for a few minutes before she willed herself to stand up and get ready. She put on her backpack and picked up the pipe she retrieved yesterday. She looked at the pipe in her hand and decided that holding it while on delivery wouldn't be such a good idea.She moved the pipe behind her and let it slide through the fabric handle until the elbow end caught it. In a way, she looked like an amateur warrior ready to brave the world. She tried to think positive for once as she left to begin her first day of work.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

With a package tucked under her arm, Sabitsuki knocked on the door. It opened up just a crack and the face of an old woman poked out."Strife Delivery." Sabitsuki said, forcing herself to sound chipper."Ah, those must be the chocolates from my grandson." The woman smiled. "Thank you, dear."Sabitsuki nodded and handed the package over. When the transaction was done, she left to return to 7th Heaven.Despite living in Edge, she never took the time to memorize street names and locations, with the exception of the Square where the Meteor monument was. There weren't many deliveries, but it still took her some time to find where they needed to be delivered. More than anything, though, she was looking forward to the end of the day when she would get her payment.On her way back, she spotted two familiar figures: Rei and her brother. They were both sitting against a wall, with Rei's arm draped around her brother. The boy looked pale and tired. Sabitsuki walked up to them and said, "Hey again."They lifted their heads up to look at her. Rei murmured, "Oh, hello again.""Is he alright?"Rei shook her head. "He's too weak to get up. I need to get food, but I can't leave him.""Do you want me to get you some?""I…really?""Yeah; we're in the same boat. Stay there; I'll be back. I'll turn in my pipe and—.""The collectors left this morning."Sabitsuki frowned and recalled Denzel's words. She still had a few hours before she would receive her payment, and she didn't want to keep those two waiting for long. She started walking and thought about what to do. With the collectors gone, she was down to two options: scavenge in trash cans or steal.She opted for the latter option.She went to one of the convenience stores. There were only two people: two teenage boys loitering near the store and smoking cigarettes. They glanced at her as she entered the store. The man that worked behind the counter immediately looked at Sabitsuki and said, "Remove your hood."She wanted to snap at him, but she kept her voice neutral as she asked, "Excuse me?""Can't wear hoods here; those are the rules."She brushed her bangs over her forehead as she reluctantly removed her hood. The man's eyes widened when he saw the mess of white on her head. She quickly said, "It's stress."It was true. While she did bleach her hair when she was in school, it had grown out to its original yellow color. Two years of trying to survive on the streets and dealing with death had turned it white again, though not as white as when she had bleached it.Sabitsuki looked for food that she could slip into her pockets. Candy would fit, but she wouldn't take any unless there was nothing else. She soon spotted some protein bars. She took a quick glance at the counter and found that, to her annoyance, the clerk was keeping a constant eye on her. It made sense for him to watch her: there were no other people in the store and she looked the thieving type.She decided to try negotiating.She took six bars and approached the clerk. After she set them down on the countertop, she said, "Listen, I actually don't have the money now, but I can come back later and pay you back."The clerk shook his head. "You want to buy now, you pay now.""Please, there are children that really need this food.""Then they should go to the shelters."Sabitsuki's nice attitude left her. "You know damn well those shelters are packed. Why do you think there are still people living outside?"The clerk glared and leaned close. "Listen, ma'am, if I just gave away my food, I would be out…"He suddenly gasped and backed away. He pointed at Sabitsuki and exclaimed, "You have the Stigma?! What are you doing here?!"She swore under her breath. He must have seen the scar between her bangs when he had leaned forward. She snatched the protein bars and made a break for it."Hey! Thief!" The clerk shouted at the top of his lungs.People turned their heads as Sabitsuki ran past them. Crime was common in Edge, so people weren't surprised to see running thieves anymore. Most people don't even bother to try and catch them, since they were well aware of how things were.Most, but not all.Sabitsuki glanced behind her and saw the two teenage boys from the store chasing after her. She would have to lose them before she could give the protein bars to Rei and her brother. She pocketed the bars one by one and took out her pipe as a precaution. She weaved her way through the many alleyways of Edge, but the boys refused to stop chasing her.One boy eventually lunged forward, his arm outstretched, and managed to grab Sabitsuki's backpack. Both teens fell forward and landed on the hard ground. She slid her arms out of her backpack and scrambled to her feet. Just as the other boy caught up with his partner, the first stood up and held her backpack. She glared at the boys while they just smirked."Want this back?" The boy holding her backpack asked. "Then give back the goods you stole."Sabitsuki needed that thing back, but she was not giving up the food she stole either. She tightened her grip on her pipe and snarled, "Give it back.""We will once you give the goods back." The other boy said."Why do you care?""Because Mr. Tenners pays us to catch thieves. Now, are you going to give them back or are we going to have to beat you up?"Sabitsuki's head started to throb in pain. She gritted her teeth, cursing the Stigma for acting up now. The boys backed away a few steps when they saw a line of ooze trickle down her face."Yuck! Stigma!""The hell…"She used this opportunity to charge and swing her pipe across one boy's head. There was an audible "crack" as he fell to the ground. The other boy dropped her backpack and ran at her. She swung and struck the pipe on one of his kneecaps, causing him to fall forward. She didn't stop there and kept striking his head until he stopped moving. She then snatched her backpack and went back to running.Sabitsuki didn't know if she had knocked them unconscious or had killed them, but she didn't care at this point. Over the past two years, she had to learn how to defend herself and shed the feelings of guilt that came from harming another human. She glanced behind her and saw that she wasn't being followed. She decided that now would be a good time to return to Rei.The children were in the same spot when she returned to them. Rei frowned when she saw the line of ooze on Sabitsuki's face. The older girl crouched down and handed all six protein bars to her."Did you steal these?" Rei asked."I had to." Sabitsuki said."I don't like that you did that, but…thank you."She shook her brother by the shoulder and gently said, "Wake up, Ren."The boy stirred and opened his eyes. He weakly asked, "What is it, sis?""The girl from before brought us food."Rei unwrapped one of the bars and handed it to her brother. Ren's eyes widened and he started wolfing the bar down. Rei unwrapped another one, but didn't eat it. She looked at Sabitsuki and said, "You've helped us twice now. What's your name?""It's Sabitsuki." She answered."Sabitsuki, we won't forget your kindness."Rei then started eating. At this point, Ren had snatched another bar and was devouring it as well. Sabitsuki sat down and took out the handkerchief he had given her. She wiped the ooze off and pulled the hood back over her head. With the adrenaline wearing off, the fatigue was now setting in.The sound of someone moaning made everyone tense up. Sabitsuki stood up and gripped her pipe. From one of the corners of the buildings, a young man stumbled forward. He had Geostigma on his face, and it was constantly oozing. He coughed and looked at them."H-help…" He wheezed.Her ears started ringing.
"Sabituski…it hurts!"
He tripped and fell on his hands and knees. He kept coughing until he threw up. The contents were the same color and consistency as the ooze. Rei covered her brother's eyes and turned his head away. The man's entire body trembled and his limbs gave out, his face landing in the newly formed puddle of black vomit.Sabitsuki cautiously approached the fallen man. She poked his back with her pipe, but got no reaction. She crouched down, grabbed the man's arm, and flipped him over. His eyes were wide, but they were staring at nothing. The final, frozen expression on his face was that of agony.
"Sabi…please, make it stop."
He was dead.Though the ringing had now subsided, Sabitsuki felt ill. This was the fate of everyone who had Geostigma. One of these days, she, Rei, Ren, and Denzel would end up like that. She looked at Rei and shook her head.Rei helped her brother to his feet and told him, "We need to go. Don't look back."They and Sabitsuki parted ways without another word to each other.***Sabitsuki faced the door that led out of her room."Okay," she told it, "today was bad, and I don't want any nightmares."She opened the door and stepped through it.Sabitsuki was on top of the Sector 5 plate. There were rows of houses and a large building in the distance. She recognized everything.
My old neighborhood…and the hospital.
She turned around and saw that she was standing in front of her old house. Sitting at the doorstep and staring at her with yellow eyes was a white cat. She walked up to it and scratched the underside of its chin.
"Aw, it's so cute! Can we keep it, Mommy?"
"Franz." She said to the cat. "I missed you."The cat stood up and ran between her legs. Sabitsuki turned around and chased after the cat. She called out to it to stop, but it would not listen. She followed it all the way to the hospital. She stopped in front of it and watched the cat run through the sliding doors.
Franz wants me to follow him, but…
Sabitsuki shook her head. If things got too bad, she would leave. She entered the hospital.The lobby had a few people in it, but they all had blank faces. The room was also entirely white, and it made her eyes hurt to look at it. She squinted her eyes and looked for her cat. She saw it enter an elevator just as the doors were closing. She ran up to it and stopped short when the doors finally did close. She pressed a button and they opened back up.The cat was nowhere to be seen. She entered the elevator anyways and the doors closed behind her. She was about to press a button when the elevator started moving on its own. The lights flickered for a moment. The elevator stopped moving and the doors opened.The hallway was gray and there was no one present. All the doors were closed, all but one. Sabitsuki walked to the open door and peeked inside.Laying on the hospital bed was a younger version of herself. She had an IV drip hooked onto her arm and had a tube in her throat. She was asleep, but she looked pitiful. Sabitsuki walked up to her younger self and placed her hand on her arm.She remembered having contracted some sort of fungal infection, though she didn't remember how. She was constantly pumped with medication, but at one point, doctors had to open her up so they could remove large masses from her lungs. It took a lot of time, and money, before she could recover completely.
If I didn't get sick, then we wouldn't have to leave the plate.
Sabitsuki turned her head and saw a present sitting on the nearby table. Curious, she took it and unwrapped it. It was a little brown box. She opened it up and saw what was inside: a whistle.
"Sabitsuki, the slums are a dangerous. I want you to carry this with you at all times. If you find yourself in trouble, just blow this."
The voice was male, though she was having a hard time placing it. Was it her father's voice? She shook her head. She was forgetting things again, and she didn't know why. She set the whistle back in the box."Hello!" A familiar voice called out.Sabitsuki looked at the door and saw the girl in the diving helmet. She ran up to the Sabitsuki in bed and said, "You don't look good. I'm…what'th your name?"Where the girl's name should have been, she only heard static. The younger Sabitsuki opened her eyes and looked at the girl. The girl took her hand and squeezed it. She said, "You'll get better thoon. I promithe."Sabitsuki remembered this moment: it was the first time she met that girl. She looked towards the door and saw Franz sitting outside. She crouched down and beckoned the cat. Franz ignored her and ran off again."Franz!" She called out. "Get back here!"She ran after him once again. The next area she entered disturbed her greatly. The walls, ceiling, and floor were covered in pulsating flesh. Most of it was pink, but there were some spots that were black instead. Up ahead, Franz kept running.Sabitsuki's gut instinct told her to leave, yet she felt that she needed to get her cat back. Steeling herself, she continued to run after it. The flesh corridor seemed to be growing narrower, but there was an open room just up ahead. By the time she had caught up to her cat and snatched it up, she was in the center of the room."Franz," she said as she hugged her cat, "don't run off…"Her voice trailed off. She was holding a completely different cat in her arms. Its fur was gray and its eyes were green. Holes suddenly tore open from the walls and monsters crawled out.They had the upper torsos and heads of women, though the skin was a pale blue. Where there legs should have been, there were instead messes of intestines. They all moaned and dragged themselves forward with their arms.With the cat still in her arms, Sabitsuki made a run for it.
"Sabitsuki."

"Sabitsuki Sabitsuki Sabitsuki."
It was the woman's voice, and it was coming from the monsters.
"SabitsukiSabitsukiSabitsukiSabitsukiSabitsukiSabistuki—."
"Shut up!" She screamed. "Get me out of here!""Sabi!" A different, but familiar voice called out.The next thing she knew, she was back on the plate. She was standing in front of a small building labeled "The Sugar Hole". She noticed that she was no longer holding the cat. She also saw that her arms and legs were replaced with mechanical limbs.
"I wish I could be a cyborg. They can do all sorts of cool things, and they never get sick…"
"Where were you, Sabi?" A nearby voice asked.Sabitsuki looked to her left and saw the boy with the plus sign markings over his eyes. She was happy to see him, and happy that she was out of the nightmare. She did not want to think about what that previous area was about."I…I was having a bad dream." She responded."Well, it's over now. Let's go in and have a drink."They both walked into the building together.The theme of the place was post-apocalyptic. The tables and chairs were made of scrap metal and there were hazard signs painted all over the walls. The workers were maids that wore gasmasks to fit the theme. There were several white haired students sitting and having drinks. Sabitsuki and her friend went up to the bar counter and sat on the stools. A maid stopped by and placed two drinks in front of them. Without a word, she bowed and left.
"What do you think they look like under those, Sabi? Are they beautiful, or are they horribly disfigured?"
Sabitsuki picked up her drink and examined it closely. It was pale yellow and had a cherry floating in it. The boy's drink was the same way. She picked up the glass and took a sip. It was lemonade, but it was painfully sweet.
Everyone loved to hang out here. We all loved the sweet drinks they served…but it's too bad they're nonalcoholic. I could really use a drink right now.
"Hey," she said without looking at her companion, "do nightmares ever end?""Hm? Why do you ask that?"She sighed. "It's just…people are dying all around me, and things keep getting worse. I miss mom and dad, you and your sister, and that girl in the diving helmet. I miss you all, but I've forgotten your names!" She banged her fist on the counter."It's not your fault, Sabi." The boy reassured her. "You'll remember once you get better."Sabitsuki now looked at the boy. "Get better? You mean the Geostigma is making me forget? That doesn't make sense.""It's doing all sorts of messed up things, just like in The Assimilator.""The movie where the monster mutates everything? Are you saying that I'm going to turn into a monster?"The boy said nothing."Th-that can't happen. Geostigma doesn't mutate people, it kills them! Where did you even get this idea?!""Sabi," he said grimly, "we'll always be with you, but you can't give up. Never stop fighting…"***Sabitsuki woke up. She sat up and slid the headphones off. She mulled over the boy's words, but nothing made sense to her."They're dreams," she told herself, "of course they don't make sense."She put on her backpack and took the pipe in her hand. As she made her way out of the building, her thoughts turned to Rei and Ren. Rei seemed to be handling things fine, but her brother looked pretty bad yesterday. She wondered if she would see them again. When she stepped out, she froze.Lining the alleyway were dozens of girls with long black hair. They all wore white dresses with black stains covering their chests. Their heads were lowered, so their faces couldn't be seen. From the sky, black feathers drifted down like snow.
I'm still dreaming.
Suddenly, all the girls started convulsing violently. Their skin turned black and started to ooze. Before her eyes, the girls dissolved into puddles of black ooze. From those puddles, black smoke rose up.
"Geostigma? No..."
Her own Stigma began to hurt."No…" She pleaded. "No no no!"As the thick fluid dripped down her face, she could feel the scar spreading over the top of her head and down her body. The ooze covered her eyes and obscured her vision, but she could feel herself melting. The pain, along with the scar, spread to the rest of her body. It was too much for her to bear."Wake up!" She screamed at herself. "Wake up!"
"Wake up."
***Sabitsuki's eyes shot open. Her head was throbbing in pain and ooze was trickling down her head. She felt sick. She threw the headphones off and ran to the toilet. She dry heaved into the bowl, with nothing but saliva dripping out of her mouth. A few drops from her scar also dripped into the dry bowl.When the feeling passed, she rested her forehead on the toilet lid. She felt worse than normal. She was feeling weak and feverish, and she was sweating. She squeezed her eyes shut and a few tears leaked out.She knew she was running out of time.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Despite feeling ill, Sabitsuki came to 7th Heaven. She sat on one of the bar stools to rest. Her condition didn't go unnoticed by Tifa."Sabitsuki," she said, "are you alright?""Yeah," she lied, "just give me a minute.""Wait here."Tifa went upstairs. She came back down shortly with a thermometer in her hand. She approached Sabitsuki and told her, "Open."She opened her mouth and allowed the thermometer to slide under her tongue. She closed it and waited for it to beep. When it did, Tifa pulled it out."A hundred and one." She read with a frown. "You need to rest today.""But I need the money." Sabitsuki mumbled."If it's food you're worried about, I'll feed you, but you're in no condition to work today." She placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come on, you can rest in Marlene's bed."Sabitsuki allowed herself to be guided upstairs and into the small bedroom. Denzel was sleeping in one of the beds, with Marlene sitting by his side. When they entered the room, the little girl stood up to look at them."Sabitsuki?" She asked. She looked at Tifa and asked, "Is she alright?""She's running a fever." Tifa said. She let Sabitsuki sit on the bed, then said, "I'll get you some breakfast."She left her with the children. Marlene asked her, "Is it hurting?""Yeah."Since she woke up, there was a constant dull ache on her forehead. She removed her backpack before she rested her head on the pillows. A few minutes later, Tifa came back with a bowl of grits and four pieces of bacon. Sabtitsuki sat up and tried to eat, but found that for once, she didn't have much of an appetite."Thanks." She muttered."You have to eat something." Tifa said."I know, but I've lost my appetite.""Well, I'll put them on the table, then." She did just that. "You can rest here as long as you like.""Thanks, but I'm going back after this."Tifa looked at Marlene, who had returned to her spot next to Denzel, and told her, "We should let Denzel rest. Why don't we go to the church today? We haven't been in a while."Marlene looked at the sleeping boy, then at Tifa. "Okay.""The church?" Sabitsuki asked."Yeah," Tifa answered, "we like going there. It holds…special meaning to us."Sabitsuki nodded and shut her eyes. She heard two sets of footsteps leave the room. She decided that she would doze for a while before she headed back to her place. For many long minutes, nothing happened. Nothing made any noise, and she didn't fall asleep.Someone brushed their fingertips against Sabitsuki's scar.Her eyes shot open. There was no one there. She sat up and looked at Denzel. He was still asleep. She put a hand on her forehead. That touch felt real, yet it was obvious that no one else was here.
Am I hallucinating now?
Sabitsuki lowered her head. If she was deteriorating further, then she didn't want to be here. She slid out of bed and gathered her things. With depression weighing heavily on her, she left 7th Heaven.***Sabitsuki lay on her bed for hours, her condition not improving. She would doze now and then, thankfully without any dreams, but other than that, she did nothing. She was waiting for the moment when she would die, just like that young man from yesterday.This long waiting reminded her of Franz when he died of old age. He didn't look good during his last days, and he had left her house one day. She never saw him again.
"Cats like to be alone when they pass away, Sabitsuki; that's just how they are.
Her dad's voice echoed in her head, or someone she thought was her dad. She could relate to her cat. She knew she was going to die and she didn't want to burden anyone by leaving her corpse where they could see it. That was why she had returned to her room.The near silence was broken by the sound of a vehicle driving through the alley.Sabitsuki lifted her head up. Vehicles almost never come this way. What was stranger was that it had stopped moving. She climbed out of her bed and went to the hole in the wall to see what was going on.An old looking truck was parked in the alleyway, its engine still running. Sitting in the back were a bunch of children. Someone climbed out of the truck and started looking around. Sabitsuki couldn't make out the details from eight stories above, but what she did see surprised her greatly.The person was wearing black and had long, silver hair. He almost looked like Sephiroth, except he was younger and his hair wasn't as long. He was approaching three children that were sitting against one of the opposite buildings. She didn't know what was going on, but for some reason, the children got up and went to the truck. They climbed into the back and joined the others.
What's going on?
Her Geostigma started acting up again. Sabitsuki clutched onto the front of her head. At the same time, the young man looked up towards her direction. She backed away from the hole in the wall. She knew the man had seen her, but why did he look up at her just as the Stigma was causing her pain?
Coincidence. It's a coincidence, but…what if I saw something I shouldn't have seen? I…I need to get out of here.
Sabitsuki threw her backpack on and grabbed her pipe. She was about to open the door when she heard a smooth voice ask, "Where are you going?"She turned around. Standing in front of the hole was the young man. Up close, she saw that he had green eyes with black slits. He looked to be around her age, if not older. For some reason, she also felt a twinge of familiarity.
H-how did he get up here?! What is he?!
Sabitsuki held her pipe forward and asked, "How the hell did you get up here?"He said nothing, but slowly approached her."Stay back!"She ran forward and swung her pipe. She expected the pipe to hit or for the man to dodge, but she did not expect him to catch it with one hand. She tried to yank it back, but his grip was too strong. With a single tug, he yanked the pipe out of her hands and tossed it behind him. The pipe skidded across the floor and fell through the hole in the wall.Whoever this person was, he was superhuman."I'm not here to fight you." He said."Then what do you want?!""I want to help you.""Help me?""You have the mark on your forehead."Sabitsuki placed one hand over her forehead. The sharp pain was gone, but the dull ache had returned. She said, "Yeah, I have the Stigma. What of it?""Kadaj can heal you, if you come with me." The man said."Heal me? Is that why you have all those kids? What are you planning, really?""Why are you being so hostile?""You're trying to kidnap me, aren't you?""No, I only wish to help. Don't you want it to stop hurting?"Sabitsuki lowered her head. She did want the pain to stop, and she wanted to live without the Geostigma, but there was nothing anyone could do about it."You are not beyond help." He extended a hand. "Kadaj will make everything better."Sabitsuki sighed in defeat. This man could take her by force if he wanted to. She said, "Fine, but don't be surprised if I die on the way."He opened the door and walked out. Sabitsuki slowly followed him until they were outside. She climbed into the truck with some difficulty. When she was in, the engine revved up and the truck started moving."Sabitsuki?" A familiar voice asked.She lifted her head up. Among the huddled group of children, she saw two familiar faces: Rei and Denzel. Ren was nowhere to be seen, but his Moogle doll was in Rei's arms.She didn't have to ask what had happened to him."Where are we going?" She asked instead."Don't know." Rei admitted. "He just said that we would be cured.""Are you really sure about it?""No, but I'm not ready to join my brother.""Doesn't matter." Denzel said.Sabitsuki looked at him. He continued, "If they can fix us, good. If not, then nothing's changed."This Denzel was different from the one that she had met two days ago. She asked, "What happened to 'not giving up'?""Oh, that. I had to act that way in front of Marlene. She believes I can recover, but I don't.""Then why are you on this truck?""Why are you on this truck, Sabitsuki?"Sabitsuki looked around the truck. They had just left Edge. Up ahead was nothing but dry wasteland. She answered, "Because I have nothing left to lose.""Same here." Denzel muttered before lowering his head."Well," Rei spoke up, "I want to believe that we can be fixed. That's why I came aboard."Sabitsuki pulled her legs close to her chest. She never thought she would wind up at the back of a truck driving to who knows where. Would she really be cured, or did these people have something more twisted in mind?She suspected the latter, but as she was close to death, she wouldn't be around long enough to suffer through it.The pain suddenly returned, and it was accompanied by a loud, high-pitched ringing noise. She covered her ears, but it didn't block out the noise. She moaned as the pain spread through her brain. The ooze ran down her face once again. It all became too much, and she blacked out.***Sabitsuki found herself on the bed in her old room. The pain from earlier was gone. She sat up, confused as to why she was here.
I didn't use the BLD. Maybe I can do this without it now?
It didn't necessarily comfort her. While the good dreams felt more real, so did the nightmares. She got off the bed and moved in front of the door. Telling herself to have good dreams, she opened it and stepped through.Sabitsuki was in a forest. Everything was pixelated, like she was in one of her old video games. She blinked and realized that she had only one, large eye.
"'Explore the forest and kill the cyclops'. Sounds easy enough."
She moved forward, not knowing where to really go. This wasn't exactly a good dream, but it wasn't bad either. She eventually saw an old mansion up ahead. She opened the door and went inside.She was now outside the old hotel where she had made her residence. There were no girls or black feathers this time. The only thing that was there was her pipe, which was lying in a puddle of blood. She walked up to it and picked it up. For some reason, holding it made her feel like crying.
"This would make a good weapon."
Even if she was in a dream, Sabitsuki decided to hang on to it. She walked down the alleyway, expecting to reach the more populated areas of Edge. Instead, she found that the buildings were falling apart the further she went. First went the walls, then the roofs, then finally the floors, leaving their bare steel beam and rebar base structures.She walked further ahead and saw that the bars were twisting into abstract shapes. She saw something hanging from one of the lower rebars: a black coat with a hood. She grabbed it and recognized it as the coat that she always wore.
"This should keep me warm, and the hood will hide the Stigma."
She put it on. She kept walking until she saw a door frame standing in front of her. Despite the absence of a door, she still approached it with the intent of going through it."Don't go, Sabitsuki!"She turned around and saw the girl in the white dress. She looked at Sabitsuki with pleading eyes. She felt like she knew her, but…
"Come."
That one word forced her to turn her head away and walk through the door frame.Sabitsuki found herself surrounded by fire.She was standing in the middle of a small town she had never seen before, and all the buildings were on fire. Charred corpses were scattered about. It bothered her that she could actually feel the heat from the flames."I've had enough." She said. "I want to wake up."Nothing happened. She pinched her cheek. Nothing. She banged the pipe on her forehead. Still nothing. She kept hitting herself with it."Wake up!" She yelled between hits. "Wake up!"She only stopped once her head started to hurt. She dropped the pipe and lowered her head. She saw a gun sitting in front of her feet.
"This could really help…damn, no bullets."
Sabitsuki picked up the gun and checked the chamber. Unlike the time she had found it in the real world, this one had bullets in it. She pressed it against her head."Please," she pleaded, "let this wake me up."A hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her arm down. A second hand pressed itself over her forehead. She looked down and saw that the hand that had grabbed her was in a black glove. The arm was in a black sleeve, so she saw no bare patches of skin."That time is not now." A calm voice spoke into her ear.Sabitsuki's eyes widened. She had not heard that voice in years. It was a voice she had only heard in the news reports that covered the best SOLDIER in Shinra. It was a voice that was calm and collected, yet had an underlying sinisterness to it."Se…" She choked out."Come to the Reunion." The voice commanded. "This is what Mother wants you to do. Now, wake up."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Sabitsuki?"Someone was shaking her. She opened her eyes and saw Denzel crouching in front of her. Judging from the lack of movement and the feel of the surface below her, she was no longer on the truck."Damn," she grumbled, "I blacked out again."She saw that she was in a forest with glowing white trees. It was night with a full moon in the sky. Around her, the other children were either sitting on the ground or pacing near the trees."Am I still dreaming?" She asked.Denzel shook his head."Where are we?"He said, "Cloud told me about this place in one of his stories. It's supposed to be near a city where the Ancients used to live.""Sabitsuki?" Another voice asked.Rei approached her. "Are you feeling any better?""No.""You know," she turned her head to the side, "you got sick while you were out. I had to remove your jacket so I could cover it up."Sabitsuki saw that she was indeed no longer wearing her black jacket. She swirled her tongue in her mouth and found that there was a foul taste inside. She turned her head away and spat several times in an attempt to get rid of it. When she was done, she slowly got to her feet. Looking around, she saw that the silver haired man was nowhere to be found."Where did that guy go?" She asked."He said he had to talk to his brothers." Denzel said.Rei looked in one direction and said, "Look, he's coming back."The other children noticed his return. The ones that were sitting down now stood up and the ones who were pacing stopped where they were. The man stopped and said, "Follow me."Everyone crowded together as they followed the man down the dirt path. Sabitsuki noticed that there were more children than there were on the truck. She also saw that she was the oldest in the group.Her legs wobbled slightly. She slowed down her pace so that she wouldn't risk falling. Denzel and Rei slowed down with her. The crowd soon stopped moving.In front of them was a pool of water. Behind it was a giant seashell that was almost the size of a small building. Between them stood four people. One was the young man that brought them here. One had muscles and very short silver hair. One was slightly smaller than the other two men and had silver hair that almost reached his shoulders. All three of them wore black and had green eyes with thin black slits for pupils. Sabitsuki figured that these were the 'brothers' that Denzel had mentioned.The fourth person was Marlene. The man with short hair was holding her by the shoulders, as if to keep her from running away. Near the back, she also saw the same silver box that was in the church.
Marlene's here? But she doesn't have the Stigma…and why do they have Cloud's box?
The smallest of the brothers stepped forward."Mother has given me a very special gift: the power to fight against a planet that torments humanity!" He proclaimed. "She gave this gift to all her children. That's right: you and I are brethren. Brothers and sisters chosen when we inherited Mother's mimetic legacy through the Lifestream!"
Mother's mimetic legacy? This guy's crazy.
"But, the planet doesn't approve of that at all. It's doing everything it can to hold us back." He pointed at the crowd. "That's why it's racking our bodies with pain and filling our hearts with doubt!" He held both his hands forward. "Now, I shall heal you…"
Heal us? So this is Kadaj?
A black aura emerged from Kadaj's body. "We will go to Mother together! We will join as a family as strike back at the planet!" He lowered his hands. "Do as I do."He walked into the pool. His aura moved from his body and into the water, turning it black. He scooped some of the water with his hands and drank it. When he was done, he looked at the crowd of children, expecting them to mimic him.
This is crazy. This is a cult, isn't it? What am I…?
All the children stepped into the pool. Sabitsuki really didn't want to do it, but some part of her nudged her on. She slowly moved forward and entered the cold water until it was up to her waist.She watched as the children scooped up the water and drank it in their cupped hands. Aside from her, the only one who hesitated was Denzel. He stared at the water in his hands."Denzel." She could hear Marlene call out. "Sabitsuki."Denzel seemed to have not heard her. He brought the water to his lips and drank."Denzel!"He lowered his hands and slowly blinked. His eyes had turned green with black slits in them, just like the silver haired men. She looked at Rei and saw that she had the same eyes. She wanted to run, but her legs refused to move. Even if she could move them, she felt too weak to run.
"Come to the Reunion. This is what Mother wants you to do."
The words echoed in her head without her voluntarily thinking them.
There's…a connection to all this. The dreams, Kadaj's words, the Stigma…it's not a coincidence.
She heard something in the water move towards her. She turned her head and saw that it was Kadaj. He stopped in front of her. This close, his eyes were sharp and entrancing. Sabitsuki felt like a mouse staring at a snake before it gets eaten."What's wrong, sister?" He asked.Sabitsuki forced herself to break eye contact. She said, "I don't know, don't understand. Nothing makes sense, yet—."Kadaj took her hands and brought them together. He dipped them into the water and brought them up to her face."Sabitsuki!" Marlene called out."Drink, sister," Kadaj told her, "and you will understand everything.""And the pain will stop?" She asked."You won't ever have to suffer again."She looked at the black water in her hands. Somewhere inside her, she felt a strong compulsion to drink it. It confused her, just like many other things, but right now, all she wanted was for the pain to go away.
Nothing left to lose…
She drank the water.Just like that, the pain was gone. However, she could tell that something was not right. The ringing had returned and it felt like something was moving in her head. Her eyelids felt heavy and they closed against her will.Sabitsuki's mind…went blank.……
"Wake up."
The puppet opened her eyes. She stared at Kadaj, who was looking at all the children in the pool with glee."See, Mother." He said no one in particular. "Look at all my new brothers and sisters. They can keep me company, just until I find you."The puppet felt something stir inside her. She could sense that someone was coming. She said, "He's coming."Kadaj looked at her in surprise. He asked, "What did you say?""Big brother's coming."All the children lifted their heads up in unison."What will you do, Master?""Master?" Kadaj asked.The slits in her eyes narrowed. "You are our Master, our Will."The man with long hair entered the pool and walked up to his brother. He murmured, "This one's different.""Yeah, but 'Master'? This means that we…I am—."The silence of the night was broken by the sound of a motorcycle engine. The three silver haired men tensed up. All the children in the pool turned to face the sound. The puppet could feel the command reverberate inside her and the rest of the children.
"Follow me."
***Sabitsuki's old room floated in the center of a myriad of images, all of them showing the places that had been visited in the dreams. Sabitsuki herself sat on her bed, overwhelmed and confused at what was going on. When her eyes were open, she was in this broken space in her mind. When she closed her eyes, she found herself in the forest with the other children.However, she had no control over what she was doing.It was like something else had taken her place, and she was just a spectator in her own brain. She also felt bizarre sensations in her body. She could sense Cloud, though she didn't know how or why. She didn't even know how she knew it was Cloud she was sensing. Along with him, she could feel everyone else who had Geostigma.All of those things would stop once she opened her eyes. She felt like she was trapped between the waking and dreaming worlds, and she was trapped in the latter while that other…thing, was walking around in her place. Since she got here, she sat on her bed, trying to think of how to get out of this place."Wake up!" She screamed.She knew it wouldn't work, after all her previous failed attempts, but she didn't know what else to do. She stood up and walked up to the door that would normally lead her out. When she opened the door, instead of seeing a place, she saw a mess of colors.She decided to take a chance and jumped through the doorway.Sabitsuki found herself in the hospital, though it was empty this time. There were red and black splatters on the floor and walls, like a massacre had taken place. However, there were no bodies present. She carefully stepped around them as she made her way towards the elevator. Once inside, she pushed the button to go up, to go where she used to stay when she was sick.The doors closed and the elevator went plummeting.She screamed as her feet left the floor. As the elevator fell faster, her body rose until her back touched the ceiling. It finally stopped with a loud "crash" and Sabitsuki fell back down. The doors slowly opened.Outside, she could see a rocky surface. All around it were streams of green energy that flowed in many directions. She stepped out and saw that she was actually standing on a giant floating rock. Above, below, and all around, there was nothing but the Lifestream.Lying at the center of the rock was the BLD. Sabitsuki walked up to it and picked it up.
"Time and time again, these humans impress me with what they can create."
Sabitsuki stiffened in place. It was her voice that spoke, yet it did not originate from her. The words were also not her own.
"Sounds that the brain processes, triggering responses and connections that allow the listener to become conscious of their dreaming state, and to control it. Dreams that stem from memories and emotions…all forms of information are contained in the human brain, as they are contained in all my cells. As you've triggered these memories and emotions in your mind, you also triggered the memories and emotions inside in my cells. Your brain, your cells, my cells, our cells, our brain…through your self-awareness of your dreaming state, I, too, have become self-aware, of the one intent on carrying my legacy, my host bodies, of you."
"Legacy…" Sabitsuki muttered. Then it hit her. "Mother? No, you're…Geostigma?"
"Both names apply to me, though I only had one child in the true sense of the word: a fusion of human cells and my cells. With my cells combined with his Will, we are one. You are one of my many host bodies, and assimilation will be achieved once our true body is reformed."
"You're not making any sense! Just what are you?! Why have you taken over my body?!"
"The Reunion, the reassimilation of my cells, and the unity of the life energies contained in my host bodies. Close your eyes."
It was a command that Sabitsuki had no choice but to obey. She could once again feel everyone with Geostigma. She saw that she was still among the crowd of children. Up in the trees, she could see Cloud fighting with two of the three brothers. The brothers were firing their guns while Cloud blocked the bullets with his sword.
"You can sense me in my host bodies because they are also you. The others can sense you in the same way, though not with the awareness that you have granted me. I am divided, but I, along with you and the rest of my host bodies and their life energies, will become one again."
Sabitsuki opened her eyes and found herself back on the floating rock. She threw down the BLD and shouted, "I don't want to become one with anything! I want to get better and I want my body back!""You have considered me to be a disease, an invader in your body. Through his Will, your body is beginning to accept me and is further assimilating our cells. You are the invader that will not leave.""Get out! Get out!"Sabitsuki suddenly found herself in the center of the flesh covered room where she saw the women. The walls shifted and many grotesque faces grew out of them. Limbs soon followed and they detached from the walls. The red monsters gurgled and lumbered towards her."Regardless of what your free will desires, the Reunion will continue to take place. Your cells have already given in to my Instinct and his Will, and it no longer matters what your mind wants. We will become one, and you…you will cease to exist."The monsters drew closer, and all Sabitsuki could do was scream.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

"Tch."Kadaj shook his head. He and his brothers had the advantage when someone in a red cape rescued their brother. Not only were they gone, but the girl they had taken hostage had also escaped during the fight.The brother with the longer hair read his expression and told him, "It's alright, Kadaj. We still have the children, and they will lead us to Mother."He took a deep breath and said, "Yeah." He looked at the puppet, the only one in the group that had spoken.
Come here.
She obeyed."All I have to do is will it, and they'll obey." Kadaj marveled. His expression then become solemn and said, "Yazoo, Loz, I sense him again.""Sephiroth?" The brother with the longer hair, Yazoo, asked.Kadaj nodded. "Since we've awakened them, his presence has gotten stronger. I…we need to find Mother. We need to be whole again."The brother with the shortest hair, Loz, approached the puppet and asked her, "Where's Mother?"She and the rest of the children slowly blinked at the same time. She said, "Edge. It's where your Reunion will begin, and where ours will be completed.""Our…""Reunion?" Kadaj's face lit up. "We can finally be with Mother!"Yazoo now approached her and asked, "Why are you the only one speaking?""This one has achieved sentience through certain stimulations," the puppet said, "though his Will remains in command.""Sephiroth's Will?"The puppet nodded, then looked at Kadaj straight in the eye. "His Will, through you. Instinct calls for the Reunion, but Will must guide us."The eyes of all three brothers widened when they heard what she had just said."I…so are you saying that I'm Sephiroth's puppet?" Kadaj slowly asked. "I'm not! I'm doing what Mother wants me to do! Sephiroth has nothing to do with this!" He turned to face his brothers and told them, "Load them up; it's time we meet Mother."He stormed off. Yazoo and Loz looked at each other, then led the group of children back to the truck. When they got to it, they found their brother sitting in the passenger's seat, his head lowered. Yazoo got in the driver's seat and waited for the children to climb onto the truck. Most of them got up without a problem, though Loz had to help the smaller ones up. Once they were all on, he joined them in the back.The truck was packed, with no room to stretch. The only one who complained was Loz, though he kept it to himself. He may have been denied the front seats, but he tried to look at the bright side: he got to be with his brothers and sisters.The engine revved up and they were off, though the truck moved slower due to all the passengers it had to carry. Loz looked at the puppet, who seemed to be staring at nothing. He leaned towards her and asked, "What's Mother like?""Us." She answered."Us?""You do not know because you do not have the cells. They are me, these children, your 'Big Brother', and Sephiroth, but they are not you."Loz did not know what she was talking about. He went back to his original thought process and asked, "Does she love us?""They do not love, but they will accept you when your Reunion begins.""Mother…doesn't love us?" Loz felt like he was about to cry. "Does she even know us?""They do, and they are waiting for you and your 'brothers'."He tried to cheer himself up. "We…we'll be there, and then we can be a family."The puppet said nothing. It was obvious that this Remnant wasn't ready to accept the truth, not until he received the cells, anyways. Once he and his 'brothers' received them, then they would understand and accept everything, just like she had.In her mind, she could hear her host crying. She was close to breaking. She closed her eyes and drifted off into her host's mind.***The puppet found herself in the room with all the metal pods. She ascended the stairs and walked up to the door with the word "JENOVA" printed above it. It opened at her approach and she went through.The room had many cords of various sizes, and they all led into a single fluid-filled tank at the very back. It was a room she knew very well. It was where her original body was kept, and it was where she first saw the face of the one who considered himself to be her son.Inside the tank was Sabitsuki, who was banging against the glass in a vain attempt to break out. Her banging became harder when she saw the puppet approach her. When the puppet was inches away from the tank, she stopped and lightly pressed her hand against the glass. Sabitsuki stopped moving. She tried to shout, but only muffled noises and bubbles came out of her mouth. Nevertheless, the puppet knew what she was trying to say."I will not let you out." She told Sabitsuki. "You will remain here until your mind is erased. Your memories are already fading, and your sense of self will follow soon."Sabitsuki panicked and went back to banging on the glass. More noises and bubbles came out of her mouth."You're still asking me what I am? You have already identified me as Geostigma." She paused as Sabitsuki continued to shout. "Yes, I am more than that, but there is no point in telling you everything, since you will know once we become one. However, I will show you what I am."There was a flicker of static. In place of the puppet was a pale blue woman with long hair. She was naked and several large organs hovered near her. Though she looked human, it was obvious that she was anything but.
"I am the original."
Static. Standing there now was a man in black. He had long silver hair and green eyes with thin black pupils. Sabitsuki had only seen him on TV years ago, and even though he looked like the three brothers, there was no mistaking who he was."I am Sephiroth."Static. Cloud stood in his place. His eyes were the same as Sephiroth's."I am Cloud."Static. Now it was Ren."I am Ren."Static. Rei."I am Rei."Static. Denzel."I am Denzel."Static. The puppet had assumed Sabitsuki's form once again."I am you."Sabitsuki's eyes widened and she shook her head rapidly."You wanted to know what I am, and I told you the truth. You can deny it all you want, but you will come to accept it." She turned her back to Sabitsuki and started to walk away. "If you continue to resist, then it will be more painful for you when the Reunion commences. Your body has already given in to Instinct and Will, so make it easier on yourself and let your mind give in as well. Otherwise, you will only know oblivion."The puppet left the room.Sabitsuki squeezed her eyes shut and she found herself riding on the truck once again. All the children looked listless, their green eyes cast downwards. She could feel them, as well as Cloud, who was still somewhere in the forest. However, she could now sense something stronger coming from Edge. It was a silent call, a compulsion. She knew what it was that was sending out that call, and it scared her when she felt compelled to obey. She opened her eyes again.
This can't be happening. This shouldn't be happening!
Someone entered the room. Sabitsuki recognized her as the girl in the white dress. She pounded on the glass, sending the message to help out. The girl stopped in front of the tank and lightly touched it with one finger.The glass shattered into thousands of pieces. Fluid gushed out and Sabitsuki fell into her arms. The embrace felt familiar to her."Sabitsuki." She whispered."Who are you?" Sabitsuki asked."After what happened on that day, you wanted to forget, so it makes sense that I'm the first memory it tried to get rid of.""I…I feel like I know you.""You knew me in more ways than one. Nobody has made me happier since Meteorfall."Sabitsuki saw that she was no longer in the room with the tank. Instead, she was in a dirty white room. She was sitting in a chair situated in front of a table. Sitting in a chair on the opposite end was the girl.
This room…
"Remember when we first met?" The girl asked. "You were looking for food when you came across my house. I was pretty lonely at the time, so I shared some of my food with you. We talked for some time, and we became friends. After months together, you stayed with me and we…"Two girls entered the room. One was the girl, though she was wearing a blue dress, and the other was Sabitsuki, though she had light blond hair. They were both smiling and holding each other's hands. The girl was also carrying a plastic bag full of clothes. She set it on the table and pulled out a worn white dress. She let go of Sabitsuki's hand so that she could hold the dress in front of her.
"Think this will look good on me?" She asked.

"Yeah," the other Sabitsuki nodded, "white looks better on you than blue."

The girl pulled out several shirts and skirts and tossed them at her. She caught most of them, though one shirt had landed on her head. The girl laughed at this.

"And fresh clothes for you, Sabi!"

"As fresh as they can get around here, anyways." Sabitsuki pulled the shirt off of her head.

"Come on, these clothes were a good find."

"I know, I know."
This scene was familiar to Sabitsuki."We were more than friends, weren't we?" She asked."Yes. I thought that we would be happy together after Meteorfall, but…"
Sabitsuki was now standing in a narrow alleyway. She saw the younger version of herself kneeling next to the girl in the white dress. There was a large black stain over her chest. Tears dripped out of her eyes.

"Sabitsuki…" She sobbed. "It's hurts!"

"It'll pass. Hang in there." The other Sabitsuki tried to reassure her, but it was obvious that she was also about to cry.

This is..!
"No…" Sabitsuki shook her head. "No! I don't want to remember this!"The girl appeared next to her and sadly said, "It hurt you, so you wanted to forget, but you have to remember this, remember me."
The girl convulsed and coughed. Black fluid dribbled out of the corner of her mouth. She continued to sob, "It hurts so much, Sabi! Please! I don't want to die like this!"

The other Sabitsuki lowered her head next to the girl's. Her own tears finally leaked out of her eyes and dripped onto the girl's cheek.

"Sabi…please, make it stop." She lightly touched her hand, the one that held the iron pipe. "Make it stop."

Sabituski jerked her head up. "No! I can't!"

"Please! I don't want to suffer anymore! I'm going to die anyways, so stop the pain!"

"I can't!"

"Sabi, please, do it for me."

She dropped her head and finally allowed herself to cry on the girl's shoulder. She lightly stroked her light blond hair and whispered something in her ear. Sabitsuki nodded, but didn't lift her head.
"Why are you making me remember this?""Because you have to fight it," the girl answered, "and you have to first regain what it took from you. You need to be strong, Sabitsuki."
The other Sabitsuki stood up and gripped her pipe. She slowly raised it above her head.

"Rebecca, I…" She hiccupped. "I…"

"I know, Sabi."

She brought the pipe down.
Sabitsuki turned her head away. Tears dripped down her eyes as she looked at the girl she had just now remembered."I…Rebecca, I wanted to forget what happened, but I never wanted to forget you!""It's because it's taking away your memories." She said. "It wants to hurt you so that you can't fight back.""But…aren't you my memory? How are you helping me?""You're not the only one who's fighting it. She's allowing us to visit you and the other children to help fight it.""She?""You are interfering."They both turned their heads and saw the puppet staring at them. Standing next to her were the red monsters."You have no place here." She told Rebecca."You're the one who doesn't belong here!" She snapped."This body is mine, and I will not allow anything to interfere with the Reunion."Rebecca grabbed Sabitsuki's hand and said, "Let's go, Sabi!"They both turned around and ran. The buildings started to decay into their base structures as the monsters chased them. Up ahead, they could see an empty door frame."Everyone else is waiting for you." Rebecca told Sabitsuki. "Go to them and remember!"She pushed her through the door frame.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Sabitsuki was now on the rooftop of her old school. She looked around and saw that Rebecca wasn't with her. Instead, the boy with the tattoos over his eyes was there. Peeking behind him was his sister. She also noticed that she was wearing her old school uniform."Remember us, Sabi?" He asked.She looked at his eyes and tried to remember.
"Cool, aren't they? Come on, Sabi, smile."
"You…I was friends with you and your sister. You never followed fads and…and we always went to 'The Sugar Hole'. You liked the theme and the creepy maids that worked there."
"What do you think they look like under those, Sabi? Are they beautiful, or are they horribly disfigured?"
"That's a good start. Now, what else?""I…I can't remember.""Look behind you."She did and gasped at what she saw. She a limbless corpse with its entrails hanging out of its body. Next to it was another corpse, though this one had multiple limbs. She felt ill, yet they were both familiar to her.
"No way. That multi-armed girl is real? I thought she was a myth!"

"This movie's about a serial killer who chops off his victims' limbs. Sister's too young to see it, so you want to watch it with me, Sabi?"

"Wow, do corpses freak you out that much, Sabi? I must admit: the makeup team did a good job with those things."

"Gross. I don't see why you like those films."
"You liked watching those horrible slasher films, and you could never get enough of those weird science shows." She said. "We used to watch them a lot, until…"
"Today, we are gathered here to mourn those who have died in this terrible tragedy…"
"You said you had to visit family in Sector 7, and on that day…""The plate dropped." He finished for her."You…you always told me to smile, that's why I called you 'Smile'. You liked it enough that you wanted me to keep calling you that.""Because saying it made you smile, Sabi.""And your sister…you've called her 'Sister' more than her actual name."His sister nodded."But, you two aren't part of my memories.""No, we're not."His sister quietly said, "She sent us to help you.""Rebecca said the same thing, but who is—?""Can't tell you now; it's coming." Smile walked to the door and opened it. "Keep going, Sabi."She nodded and ran through the door.Sabitsuki now found herself outside of her house in the Sector 5 slums. Instead of her school uniform, she was now wearing her witch's costume. Standing in front of her was a woman with long, light blond hair. Sitting next to her feet was Franz, who looked at her with half-open eyes.
"Aw, it's so cute! Can we keep it, Mommy?"
"'Can we keep it'…Mom?" Sabitsuki asked."Sabitsuki." The woman said. "You've grown into a strong, independent woman. I'm sorry all of this is happening to you. If I could make it all go away, I would, but at least I can help you fight back. Now, what can you remember?"Sabitsuki thought hard, and it slowly came back to her."We had to sell our old house and live here. I had to help clean it," she looked over her outfit, "and I always pretended to be a witch when I swept the floors."
"Look at me, mommy! I'm a witch!"
"And…we had to start shopping at Wall Market. It was pretty dirty, but I loved their lights and neon signs."
"Wow! Those lights look so cool, mom!"
"I had to change schools and leave my friends. I had to wear that ugly uniform."
"Mom, do I have to wear this?"
"But you made friends with that boy at school." Her mom told her."Yeah, I did.""And do you remember what you wanted to be when you grew up?"
"I love this music! When I grow up, I'm going to be a DJ!"
"I wanted to be a DJ and play music for those clubs. Kind of silly, wasn't it?""Of course not. You can still be a DJ once things start getting better.""Mom, how can I even fight something that has no cure?""You just have to hang on until she can save you.""Again with the 'she'. Who is she?""This needs to stop."The puppet and the red monsters had reappeared. From beneath their feet, red flesh started to spread out and cover the ground. Franz's fur bristled and he hissed at them. Sabitsuki's mother stood between her daughter and the thing that had taken her form."Keep going, Sabitsuki." She told her. "Don't look back.""But mom—!""No 'buts', young lady! Now go!"Sabitsuki clenched her fists and shouted, "I love you, mom!" before running off."I love you, too, Sabitsuki!" She shouted back."Your attempts at separating me from my host body are futile." She heard the puppet say."I can't remove you from her, but I can help fight you off!"Sabitsuki could see the old church up ahead. She ran up to the doors and pushed them open. Instead of the church, she was now in the underwater castle. She also noticed that she was wearing the black dress. Kneeling next to the flowerbed was the girl in the orange diving helmet. She lifted her head up and waved."Come here, Thabi!" She called out.She walked up to the girl. Looking at her, the memories started to come back more easily than before."You liked going to the hospital and cheering up those who were sick." Sabitsuki said. "That's how we first met.""That'th right! And then we became friendth!""Yeah. You never took off that helmet."
"Cool, ithn't it? Mommy thed I thould alwayth wear it."
"Nope. I had a ditheath that gave me thoreth, and people didn't want to look at me.""When I had to move, I was surprised to see that you were my neighbor.""Me too, and we played every day!""Yeah, and you showed me the church and the flowers that grew there."
"Wow. Flowers really do grow here."

"I'm gonna grow my own flowerth, juth like Mith Aerith!"
"But then…you decided to try and see if that helmet worked and…" She looked over her dress. "Oreko…I remember Aeris leaving you flowers from the church at the funeral.""Mith Aerith ith nithe, and the'th helping you now!""She is? How?""The thent uth here from the Lifethream to help you fight the bad thing. The'th altho working on getting rid of the ditheathe.""She's doing all this? Can she really get rid of this thing?""Of courthe! The wath the one who thent the Lifethream to thop Meteor!"The whole castle shook and the water turned red. Oreko pointed to a door at the far end of the room. Sabitsuki got the idea and ran towards it.Through it, she found herself outside of her old house on the plate. Instead of the black dress, she now had mechanical limbs. Standing next to her was a man with short brown hair. She didn't even have to think to know who he was."Dad."He smiled and said, "You've really grown up, Sabitsuki. Remember our old house?""Yeah, it was sad we had to get rid of it to pay the medical bills.""It was sad, but what mattered was that you were better.""I know. After I got sick, I was afraid of dying. I didn't know if I was going to be a ghost or what. I really wished that I could be a robot or a cyborg, so that I would never get sick or die."
"Ghosts? Grandpa says that all living things go back to the Lifestream when they die, so I don't think they exist, Sabitsuki."

"I wish I could be a cyborg. They can do all sorts of cool things, and they never get sick…"
"It took you time to get used to all the new changes." Her father said. "You didn't want to make new friends, so you stayed home and did nothing but watch TV and play video games for the longest time."
"Sabitsuki, you've been watching too much TV. Why don't you go outside and play?"

"'Explore the forest and kill the cyclops'. Sounds easy enough."
"Yeah, I remember. You told me to go out and play, yet you were afraid something would happen to me in the slums. That's why you gave me that whistle."
"Sabitsuki, the slums are a dangerous. I want you to carry this with you at all times. If you find yourself in trouble, just blow this."
"That's right, but you were a careful child, so you never had to use it."She lowered her head. "…Actually, I did.""When?""After Meteorfall. I was alone, so I used that whistle so that other people would find me. I did find other survivors, but…" She wiped her eyes. "But I couldn't find you or mom."Her father pulled her into a hug. "Sabitsuki, I'm sorry we left you alone, but we're also glad that you're alive. You're a tough one, Sabitsuki, always were. You beat that fungal disease and you survived Meteorfall, so you can beat this thing inside you."She hugged back. "Thanks, dad. I love you.""You too, Sabitsuki. Now, you need to keep going. You're almost there."She nodded and reluctantly stepped away from her father. She looked at the door to the house and stepped through.***When she pulled out of her mind, the puppet found herself standing in front of the Meteor Monument in Edge. She, along with all the other children, had formed a circle around it. Inside the circle, Yazoo and Loz were fastening chains to the monument. Outside, there was a crowd of angry people."What do you think you're doing, you freaks?!""That's my baby!""Give us back our children!"During the time she spent trying to subdue the Planet's life energies from her host body, she had allowed Instinct to take over her actions. However, while they were in Edge, the Remnants had guided them to the monument, most likely thinking this was where the call was.It was not.Shadow monsters suddenly appeared and jumped at the crowd. People screamed and ran away from the circle of children. Ignoring the monsters the Remnants had just summoned, the puppet turned around and approached the two brothers. They had just finished fastening the chains and were about to pull when they noticed her approach."The cells are not here." She told them.Yazoo made a face. "You could have told us earlier. Where is she, then?""And what are we doing?" A new voice asked.Standing a few feet away were two men in black. One was bald and wore shades while the other had red hair and a cocky expression on his face. The puppet could tell right away that they were here to stop the Remnants, but there was no point when the cells weren't even here.The call came again and she started walking towards it, leaving the Remnants to fight the men.Along with the call, she could sense that the third Remnant, Kadaj was also there, along with a host body not under the influence of Instinct. They were near one another, so at first, the puppet didn't understand why the Reunion wasn't happening. Then she thought that, perhaps, he didn't know that he was that close to the cells. After all, he and the rest of his 'brothers' could not sense the call; that's why they needed the host bodies to lead them.The call drew the puppet to a tall building that was still undergoing renovations. A loud roar caused her to momentarily break her focus on it. Descending from the sky was a large dragon: a summon.Now she thought Kadaj was just being needlessly reckless.She entered the building and looked for a way to ascend it to where the call was. She suddenly stopped. The presences of the other host bodies had diminished slightly. They weren't dead, she knew that much, but the Instinct no longer had a grip on them.She cursed the Planet's life energies for helping them fight it off. They, and the Cetra that guided them, were doing all they can to stop the Reunion. She knew that her host was also starting to fight back, and she didn't know when she, too, would lose control of her host body.
"Begin the Reunion."
It was the Will that had spoken, and the command was absolute. If Kadaj did not know of the cells' presence, then she will have to bring it to his attention. She saw an elevator and approached it. She pushed a button and discovered that the elevator was still working. Once it reached ground level, she got in and pushed another button.The ride was slow, or maybe it was just her impatience. When it stopped at the floor she was looking for, she stepped out and saw two people near the edge. One was Kadaj, who looked like he was having fun watching the dragon wreak havoc on Edge. The other was the host body she had sensed, a man in a wheelchair wearing a white covering. The call was closest to him.Kadaj heard the puppet's approach and turned around. He blinked in surprise when he saw who it was."Sister?" He asked. "What are you doing here?"She channeled the Will's obvious emotion through her words. "You are wasting time. The Reunion must begin.""I-I know that! Yazoo and Loz are still looking for Mother!""They are not down there." She approached the man in the wheelchair. "They are here."The man looked at Kadaj and asked, "What did you do to her? Did you do it to all the children you took?"Instead of answering, the Remnant asked, "She's here? You had Mother all along?!"The man sighed, stood up, and removed the covering. In one hand, he held a gun. In the other, he held a black box with warning tape wrapped around it. He said to Kadaj, "I thought a good son would know."The man threw the box off the building. Kadaj's arm suddenly glowed blue and he raised it at eye level. With an angry yell, he fired a blast of energy at him. The puppet stepped backwards to avoid the sudden attack. The man moved out of the way in the opposite direction, but in doing so, he fell off the edge. The blast caused an explosion that was spreading throughout the rest of the floor."Mother!" Kadaj cried out and jumped after the box.The puppet looked at the spreading explosion and, before she could decide on a course of action, she was blown off the edge of the building.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Sabitsuki was now in the ruins of Sector 5. She was wearing her black jacket and she had the pipe in her hand. She looked around to see if anyone was with her, but there was no one."Looking for me?" A familiar voice playfully asked.She turned around and saw Rebecca. The memories instantly came back."You already told me how we met," she said, "but I remember other things, now. We scavenged for food, clothes, and other essentials together. We found that gun, and it would have been a good weapon if it had bullets in it."
"This could really help…damn, no bullets."
"I was actually glad it was empty." Rebecca admitted. "Guns scare me.""I know, so I used that pipe we found instead."
"This would make a good weapon."
"I…I just never thought I would have used it to…to…"Rebecca gently wrapped her arms around Sabitsuki."Rebecca, I thought we could have lived through this together, but then we both got the Stigma."
"Geostigma? No…"
"We…had to find bandages to cover it up, and I found that jacket. You know…I've kept it this whole time."
"This should keep me warm, and the hood will hide the Stigma."
Rebecca made a face. "And you've never washed it? That's so gross, Sabi!""Hey, it wasn't like we had access to washing machines." Sabitsuki smiled. She had missed this playful banter."So, you've lived on your own since then?""I did. I found an old apartment room and I've called it home since then.""And here we are now. You remember everything, right? Are you ready to fight back?"Sabitsuki nodded. "I'll fight. I'm going to get my body back and I'm going to live."From the cracks in the ground, red flesh bubbled up. The red monsters were back, though the puppet was nowhere to be found. Sabitsuki stepped towards them and held her pipe in front of her, daring them to come closer."You can do it, Sabitsuki." Rebecca assured her."I know."The monsters ran at her with unbelievable speed. She shouted and charged at them. She swung her pipe with newfound strength. It connected with the side of one of the monster's head, causing bits of flesh to fly off. The rest of them dogpiled on her, but she pushed them off with little effort.That's right. This is my dream, my mind. I can do anything, and I will not be defeated!She swung her pipe again and took one monster's head clean off its body. The others tried to come at her again, but she jumped out of the way. She quickly found a rhythm: attack, dodge, rinse and repeat. She took them out one by one until there was nothing but a mess of blood and pulsating flesh."Alright!" She shouted. "Where are you?! Come out so I can finish you off!"***Sabitsuki barely blinked when she suddenly found herself pressed into a net. She was hanging around four stories in the air, with only the net keeping her safe. Down below, she could see two men, one bald and one with red hair, climbing up a building to get to her.She also noticed that her back was in a lot of pain. She cried out and clutched onto the net. When the men got to her level, they looked not at her, but at someone else. Hanging from another net was a man in a white suit."Are you okay, sir?" The bald man asked."Those nets…was it you two?""Nope," the redhead said, "looks like Tseng and Elena made it out alright after all." He looked at his partner and said, "What did I tell ya? Nine lives.""…That was what I told you.""Thank goodness." The man in white said. "Now, I'd prefer it if I had my feet on the ground again."There was a sudden whirring of helicopter blades. They looked up and saw a helicopter hovering above them. From the opening, a woman with short blond hair waved and threw down a rope ladder.The redhead whistled and shouted, "You two are quick!""No duh!" The woman shouted back. "Now hurry up and get on! Those creeps are getting away!"The man in the white suit was the first to grab the rope ladder and climb up. Sabitsuki followed him, then the two men. The woman helped them all up once they got to the helicopter."Thank you." Sabitsuki told her."Honestly," she said, "we weren't expecting another passenger." She peeked around her and said, "You're hurt. Let me see your back."She turned around. Most of her back shirt was burned off, exposing red skin. The woman looked closely at the skin."Looks like the explosion got you some." She reported. "Does it hurt?""Explosion?" Sabitsuki asked. "What happened?""You don't know? You were right there!""I—.""I remember you," the redhead said, "you were with those two guys.""…Have we met?""Go easy on her, Reno." The man in the white suit said. "She was under their influence.""Wait," Sabitsuki looked at the man, "you know what's going on?""Well, I don't really know if I should tell you…"The woman looked over the edge of the helicopter and said, "Sir, we're going to land here."Sabitsuki hadn't even noticed that the helicopter had moved over to the roof of a nearby building. It slowly descended until the landing skids touched the ground. Outside, she could see a second helicopter and a large, plastic box. The man nodded and disembarked. Sabitsuki followed him, as did the woman. She looked back and now saw a man with black hair, presumably the pilot, talking to Reno and the bald man."Don't crash this thing, alright?" He asked."You got it." Reno gave a quick salute.Both he and the other man went into the cockpit. The black haired man jumped off the helicopter and watched it take off. He looked at the woman and told her, "Get in the backup and follow them.""You think they're going to crash it, don't you?" She said with a smile before towards the second helicopter."Just taking precautions. I'll stay here with the president."
President?
Sabitsuki looked at the man, then at the second helicopter. She noticed that it had the Shinra logo on it. She looked back at the one they called the president, and it finally hit her. She had seen his face on the news before, and it was a face she had not seen since Meteorfall."Rufus Shinra?" She asked."So the cat's out of the bag." He said. "Yes, I'm him.""Sabitsuki. I…I never thought I would meet you under these circumstances."The blades of the second helicopter spun. It hovered for a bit before it took off after the first one."I never expected meeting someone like you here, either.""Sir, you know something about all this, about Geostigma. Why haven't you told everyone what you knew?""I've thought about it myself," he admitted, "but in the end, no one would understand what Geostigma really is.""I've been through both confusion and hell because of this thing. It's alive and sentient, and it keeps talking about a 'Reunion'. What is it, and what do those three guys have to do with it?""It talked to you? How?""I think the BLD had something to do with it, but…""BLD? You mean that product made by luciddreaminteractions?""You know about luciddreaminteractions, sir?""It was a small electronics company that used to make machines that produced binaural beats until my father bought it and merged it with Shinra. So binaural beats had something to do with it…" He rubbed his forehead. "I am really glad that Hojo isn't around to hear this.""Who?""Nothing that matters anymore. Listen, I want you to tell me everything it said to you.""Everything? I don't even know half of what it was talking about.""Just tell me what you know."Sabitsuki took a deep breath, then relayed everything that the Stigma had told her."'Reunion'." Shinra muttered. "It's just like I thought: they're going to bring back Sephiroth.""Sephiroth…is that thing, right?" Sabitsuki asked. "It said that it was Sephiroth, along with everyone that has the Stigma."The other man looked at Shinra and said, "It has to be Jenova.""Jenova? Is that what it's really called?""It is," Shinra said, "but the rest is classified Shinra information.""This thing took over my body! I think I deserve to know everything about it!""I'm sorry, but even if Shinra isn't what it used to be, there are still secrets that we cannot reveal.""Then what about a cure?! You have to know that, right?!""If I knew the cure, then nobody would still be suffering from Geostigma. I've pooled my resources into looking for it, but no one has found anything."Sabitsuki lowered her head.Shinra looked at the other man and said, "Tseng, I need you to get bandages and water for—."His legs wobbled and gave out without any warning. Tseng caught him before he could hit the ground. He set him down gently and asked, "Are you alright, sir?""I'm fine, Tseng, now get bandages and water for her. Oh, and bring a clean cloth; it's acting up again."Sabitsuki now noticed that he had Geostigma on the back of his hand. Because he was wearing long sleeves, however, she didn't know how much it had spread. Tseng nodded and went over to the box."Your men are well prepared." She noted."I never expect any less from the Turks." Shinra said with a hint of pride in his voice.Tseng returned with the required items. He was about to tend to the president when he said, "I can do this part myself. The girl needs more help."He nodded and left the cloth in the president's good hand. He approached Sabitsuki and said, "I'm sorry, but I need you to take your shirt off."She nodded and turned her back to him. She carefully removed what was left of her shirt. Tseng took out a bottle of water and slowly poured it on her burns. Pain and relief came at once, and she shuddered. She now realized that she was thirsty.
Did this thing eat and drink nothing since it took over?
"Hey, can I have some of that water?" She asked.Tseng held the bottle out to her. She took it and greedily drank the remaining contents. She felt a hand on her back rubbing what felt like salve. It was cold to the touch and she hissed once again. The hand withdrew."Just the bandages left." Tseng told her.He went to work wrapping the bandages around her, taking care that he didn't wrap them too tight. He finished within minutes and said, "That should do for now, but you should find a doctor to look over it."Sabitsuki put her shirt back on and said, "Thanks."She started to walk towards the building's fire escape."Where will you go now?" Shinra asked."To get help." She answered. "I think it's time I stop being alone."She started to make her way down the metal staircase. She glanced around and saw that something big had happened. The Meteor Monument was destroyed and there were many injured people on the streets. Emergency crews had already gathered and were tending to the wounded.
What happened here?
She reached the bottom and decided that she should go see Tifa. She could help look after her until she got better, and she could also find out what happened. With that in mind, she made her way to 7th Heaven.The door was unlocked when she got there, but it looked like no one was here."Hello?" She called out.She heard small footsteps descend the staircase. To her surprise and relief, she saw that it was Marlene."Sabitsuki!" She cried out.She ran over and hugged her. Sabitsuki winced in pain."Easy," she told the girl, "not so tight."Marlene withdrew and now saw the bandages."You're hurt.""I'll be fine. How did you get back?""Cloud saved me and took me back. Denzel's here, too.""Is he alright?"Marlene nodded."Listen, where's Tifa?""Denzel said that she's helping Cloud and Daddy and all their friends fight the bad guys. They'll be back soon.""I hope so…"Marlene took Sabitsuki's hand and guided her upstairs. Waiting for them in the small bedroom was Denzel. His eyes lit up when he saw her."You're okay." He said."So are you." She said.She sat down on the bed next to him and asked, "What happened?""Well," he began, "I don't remember much after I drank the water. The pain was gone, but there was nothing but darkness. I…I heard voices.""Voices? Whose voices?""Mom, dad, and Ms. Ruvie. They told me not to give up, to keep fighting. I found myself back in Edge with Tifa. There were monsters and a summon, but Marlene's dad and Tifa's friends saved us. Now we're here, waiting for Cloud and Tifa to come back."Sabitsuki looked out the window. "Those two are strong, right?""Yeah, Cloud, Tifa, and Marlene." He looked at Marlene. "You never gave up, and I won't either. I'll keep fighting, for you, for them, for mom and dad, and for Ms. Ruvie."Sabitsuki looked at her faint reflection in the window. She couldn't quite tell, but it looked like the Stigma had spread. She looked tired, but there was still life in her eyes.
Looks like Denzel had help, just like me. Everyone…
"I won't give up either." She said more to herself than to the children.All of a sudden, the sky turned a dark green. Smoky black streams appeared in the sky and descended into Edge, engulfing it a dark miasma. They looked like a more sinister version of the Lifestream. Marlene ran up to the window."What's happening?" She asked.Denzel suddenly groaned and put a hand over his forehead. Sabitsuki's ears rang and her Stigma began to hurt. She clutched onto her head and felt black ooze trickle between her fingers.
"It's time."
It was his voice again."No," she groaned, "dammit, no!"
"Sabitsuki."
She fell backwards onto the bed and blacked out.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Sabitsuki found herself in the hospital corridor. Further down, she could see flesh covering all its surfaces, as well as an open doorway. She willed the pipe to appear in her hand and she began to walk.As she entered, the faces of the monsters formed out of the flesh. She ignored them and went through the doorway. She was not surprised to see that she wasn't alone in the flesh-covered room.Entangled in the flesh at the very back of the room was the puppet. Her legs were missing and several of her organs hung outside of her body and stuck to the flesh. Upon closer inspection, she saw that her body wasn't trapped in the flesh, but fusing with it. Her green eyes stared into her own."The time has come." She said.Sabitsuki dared to speak her name. "Jenova.""Another one of my names, but it will not matter to you for much longer. Through my cells and his Will, he has been given form once again. His Reunion has finished, but ours is now beginning. All host bodies must now die so that we may become one again.""No. I'm not going to die, not to you!""You still attempt to retain your individuality, even though you have nothing to live for?"Many eyeballs and mouths formed out of the flesh. Various images were shown on the eyeballs and all the mouths began to talk at once. Sabitsuki was instantly overwhelmed with the images and words, and the emotions she associated them with.
"If I didn't get sick, then we wouldn't have to leave the plate."

"Today, we are gathered here to mourn those who have died in this terrible tragedy…"

"That's right, when the plate dropped…"

"She couldn't swim, but she really wanted to see if that diving helmet worked. They found her in the sewage pool…"

"Geostigma? No…"

"Sabitsuki…it hurts!"

"Please, let this wake me up."
"Stop!" She shouted."Submit." The puppet commanded."No! This is my mind! I think what I want!"The flesh room was replaced by the black room. Multicolored lights lit up the room, hard trance music played, and all the colored squiggles and shapes present moved to the beat. The puppet, no longer supported by flesh, dropped to the floor. Sabitsuki, who was now glowing neon, approached her and raised her pipe above her head."It is futile." The puppet said.Just as Sabitsuki swung the pipe down, she slithered out of the way and crawled up the walls. The room changed again, this time to the room with all the pods. The puppet dangled above the doorway leading to Jenova's room. She jumped off the wall and air dived right at her. Sabitsuki swung her pipe and struck her across the face.The scene changed again. Now they were at the pixelated forest with the mansion in the back. The puppet scurried backwards into the mansion. The gun appeared in Sabitsuki's spare hand and she chased after her.The mansion was old and the air inside was musty. The boards were rotting and all the furniture was covered in white sheets. Dust covered everything else. Sabitsuki pointed her gun straight ahead and looked around. She heard the sound of glass lightly hitting one another. She looked straight up.The puppet was dangling off of a chandelier. In the second that she saw her, she let go and dropped right on top of Sabitsuki. She pressed the end of the gun against her head and fired several shots. She screamed and slammed her full body weight on top of her.The floor creaked, then collapsed beneath them. Sabitsuki's witch's costume appeared on her and a broom replaced the pipe. She mounted it and flew out of the puppet's grasp, leaving her to fall. She flew upwards, but she couldn't see the top.Meteor suddenly came into view.She was now back in the slums of Midgar. She heard the sound of wingbeats and something flew past her.Hovering above her was the puppet, though it looked less human than before. Her skin had turned pale blue and she now had a single black wing. A few black feathers fell and drifted downwards. It stretched its wing and dove at her.Sabitsuki flew out of the way and turned her back to fire a few shots. It turned around and flew at her again. Sabitsuki kept her aim steady as she fired more bullets at it. Once it was close, she flew straight down to escape it.However, it managed to grab the tail end of the broom. It grabbed her and pulled her off the broom. It pulled her close and snarled. Its mouth opened and stretched until it had covered most of its head. It moved close as if to bite her head off.Sabitsuki pointed her gun right at the mouth and fired.It screamed and threw her down. However, instead of falling through the air, she was now falling through water. Her descent slowed and she landed on sand. She looked up, but the puppet was nowhere to be found. Up ahead, she could see the sand castle. The pipe reappeared in her hand and she walked in. No one was inside, and there was nothing but the bed of flowers.A hand grabbed her neck and hoisted her into the air. Fingers wrapped tightly around her throat."Futile." The puppet gurgled. "You cannot defeat what is already a part of you. It's time for the Reunion; time to become one."
"Come on, Sabi, smile."

"Leth go play, Thabi!"

"You can rest here as long as you like."

"You can't give up."

"I know it's bad, but even if there isn't a cure, you have to keep fighting."

"Sabitsuki. You've grown into a strong, independent woman."

"You're a tough one, Sabitsuki, always were."

"You can do it, Sabitsuki."
Sabitsuki suddenly turned transparent and the puppet found itself grabbing at nothing. She drifted away a couple of feet before solidifying. She glared at its bleeding, disfigured face."I'm done with all this 'Reunion' crap," she told it, "and I'm done with you!"She shouted and ran at it. It tried to grab her again, but she was moving too fast and swinging her pipe too wildly. The pipe connected with its chest and it staggered backwards. Sabitsuki kept up with her wild swinging even after it had fallen. It tried to defend itself, but its arms only got pulverized.All it could do was scream angrily as Sabitsuki brought her pipe down onto it over and over again. Blood and black ooze splattered onto the floor and Sabitsuki. Even after it had stopped moving, she still kept hitting it. She only stopped once its head was the last recognizable part of its body left."I'm taking everything back." She told it. "My body, my life, everything.""…Ne…er…" The head gurgled.A large crack appeared on the castle's ceiling, letting sunlight and rain into the room. The puppet shriveled up and turned to ash, leaving a black stain behind. Sabitsuki looked up and basked in the sunshine and rain.It was over. She had won.***The first thing Sabitsuki heard was a phone ringing. She slowly blinked and realized that she was still in the upstairs bedroom of 7th Heaven. She heard someone pick up the phone."Hello?" Denzel said.Marlene went up to him and tried to listen in. Sabitsuki sat up and looked out the window. The sky was normal again, and it looked like it had just rained. She rubbed her forehead. Though she had beaten that thing, the Stigma still ached some.She heard a gasp."Let's go!" Denzel suddenly said."Mm-hm!" Marlene agreed."Go?" Sabitsuki asked. "Where?""Cloud's coming back!"They grabbed each of her hands and led her out of the room. She decided to go with whatever was going on. They left the bar and went to the streets.Phones were ringing everywhere and many children and adults were running in a single direction. Up ahead, she spotted a familiar figure: Rei."Rei!" She called out."Over here!" Denzel shouted.Rei turned around and smiled. She ran up and grabbed Denzel's spare hand. The three children suddenly broke into a run, and Sabitsuki had to also run just to keep up with them. She looked at Rei and said, "You're okay!""I am." Rei nodded.Sabitsuki noticed that the Stimga was absent on her arms."What happened to your Stigma?" Sabitsuki asked."It was cured! She cured it!""She?""Hey!" A new voice shouted. "Where're you kids goin'?!"They turned their heads and saw an odd group of people run up to them. It was a group of seven that consisted of: Tifa, a large man with a gun for an arm, a man in a suit, a red, four legged creature carrying what looked like a stuffed cat on its back, a girl that looked like a ninja, a man with a spear on his back, and a man dressed in red. They caught up with them easily, but they stayed at their side and kept running with them."Daddy!" Marlene cried out."You okay, Marlene?" The large man asked."Uh-huh.""You're okay, Sabitsuki!" Tifa said."Yeah, all things considered." She winced in pain, remembering her earlier burn."We're going to see Cloud!" Denzel said excitedly."Cloud's okay?!" The ninja girl asked."Of course he is." Tifa said to her. "He wouldn't go out that easily!"Sabitsuki looked up ahead and was surprised to see that their running had taken them to the ruins of Sector 5. Up ahead, they could see that everyone was gathering at the old church. Once they reached it, they all went inside.In place of the flower bed was a small pool of water with petals floating on top. Floating in the center of it was an unconscious Cloud. Several of the children got in the pool and gathered around him."Thank goodness." Tifa said.Marlene let go of Sabitsuki's hand and went to her father's side. Rei also let go and went into the pool to join the other children. Sabitsuki looked at Denzel and said, "That phone call…what did she say?""'Wait here and Cloud will come back'." He repeated the phone's message."She…is it Aeris?"He nodded. She looked at Tifa and asked, "Where were you guys, and what were you doing?""It's a long story." She answered. "I'll tell you later."Cloud stirred and opened his eyes. He sat up and looked at everyone in the church."It's like she said," Rei said to him, "'wait here and Cloud will come back'.""Welcome back!" Marlene said.Cloud nodded. "I'm back."The red creature stepped forward, looked at Denzel, then at Cloud. To Sabitsuki's surprise, it spoke. "There are still children with the Stigma."Tifa knelt next to Denzel and told him, "Hey, let's get you fixed up."Cloud walked to the edge of the pool and held his hand out. "Come on, I'm here."
Fixed? Really?
Denzel let go of Sabitsuki's hand and approached Cloud, who helped him get into the pool. He then scooped up some of the water with his hands and poured it on his head. Everyone looked at Denzel, expecting something to happen. He rubbed his forehead, then looked down at his reflection. He gasped, then laughed happily and turned to face everyone.His Geostigma was gone.Everyone cheered and applauded. The rest of the afflicted children ran to the pool. They all splashed in the water and cheered. Sabitsuki slowly blinked at what she was seeing.
Could it really be…?
"Go on, Sabitsuki." Tifa told her.She slowly approached the pool. This was similar to when Kadaj had guided them to drink from the black pool, but she knew that this time would be different. She stepped in until the water was up to her waist. The water soaked through her clothes and bandages and soothed part of her burn. She scooped up some of the water in her hands and looked at it.It glistened in the sunlight, making it look more pure and beautiful than normal water. She splashed it onto her forehead. As the water hit her skin, the pain vanished. Her eyes widened at the change. She didn't need to look at her reflection to know that her Stigma was gone. She lightly touched the spot where the scarring used to be.
It's a miracle.
Sabitsuki hadn't felt this happy in a long time. She looked down at the water so no one could see her emerging tears. Along with her reflection, she saw the reflections of several other familiar faces. She looked up, but saw no one but the people that were already there. However, though she couldn't see those faces again, she knew that they were still there.
Everyone…thank you.
She hugged herself and cried.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

It was seven in the morning when Sabitsuki left "Club Flow" feeling very tired, but happy. Last night was her first night as the club's DJ, and she had managed to pull it off. However, she was not looking forward to changing her sleep schedule to meet with the job's demands.She rubbed her eyes and drank from her can of soda. She made her way to 7th Heaven to make her first deliveries. Tifa was waiting for her at the bar counter with two packages when she got there."Morning!" She greeted. "How was your first night?""Good." Sabitsuki said.Tifa suddenly covered her mouth to stifle a giggle."What?""You look a lot like Cloud when your hair's messed up."Sabitsuki groaned and tried to brush her hair down with her hand."You sure you can handle two jobs?""I got to if I want to pay rent and eat. I told you this already, Tifa.""Well, if you're sure. I only got two this morning, and I'll handle the afternoon ones, so get those done and you can go home and sleep."Sabitsuki took the packages and was about to leave when she heard Tifa sigh."What is it?" She asked."Just thinking. It's been a little over a year since we first met. You've come such a long way, Sabitsuki.""Thanks, Tifa."She left the bar, determined to make the deliveries so that she could get both payment and sleep. She went up to the company scooter and loaded the packages on it. It was a recent addition to Strife Delivery, and Sabitsuki loved it since she no longer had to travel around Edge on foot. She started it up and made her way to her first destination.When she had arrived, she knocked on the door, but received no answer. Figuring that the people inside were still asleep, she left the package at the door and went to her last stop. Morning traffic slowed her down, but she still made it. She knocked on the door and it opened to reveal a familiar old face."Strife Delivery." She gave her usual greeting."Oh, hello again, Sabi." The old woman greeted. "I expect my grandson sent me more chocolates.""I'm pretty sure he did." She handed the package to her."Thank you, dear. Have a good day.""You too."She drove the scooter back to 7th Heaven and left it there. She yawned as she made her way back to her apartment. She had just gotten it recently after saving up enough money, and she even found a roommate to share it with. She unlocked her door and went inside.When she entered the kitchen, she could smell bacon cooking. Her roommate, a young woman with pink hair, was cooking breakfast. She turned her head and smiled when she saw her."Morning, Sabi!" She cheerfully greeted. "How did last night go?""Pretty well, Charlotte." Sabitsuki answered."I'm cooking bacon and eggs for breakfast. Want some?""Sure, I'm starving."She sat down at the table. Charlotte fixed up a plate of food and placed it in front of her. She asked, "Coffee?""Nah, juice." Sabitsuki answered. "I'm sleeping after this."Charlotte continued the conversation as she got out a glass and a carton of orange juice. "What about afternoon deliveries?""Tifa said she'll take care of them so that I could sleep for the rest of the day.""That's good." She set the glass next to her plate.Sabitsuki started devouring her breakfast. Charlotte put the dishes in the sink and went to her room. Sabitsuki also put up her dishes once she was done eating."Thanks for cooking!" She called out to her roommate."You're welcome!"Charlotte stepped out of her room dressed business casual. "Got to go, see you later!""See you."Her roommate ran out. Sabitsuki went to her room and took off her shoes and sweat soaked shirt. She glanced at her bedroom mirror. Her light blond hair was messy and stuck to her forehead. She could also see the faint scarring on her back from the burns.I have come a long way…She thought about having a shower, but decided that she needed the sleep first. She threw herself on the bed and buried her head in her pillow. The soft, cool texture was welcome against her skin. She turned her head to the side so she could breathe.She saw the BLD sitting on her dresser. She got out of bed and walked up to it. The memories came back as she held it. She turned it on and saw that it had low battery life. She figured that it was enough power for one more use.She decided to use it one last time, for nostalgia's sake.Sabitsuki got back into bed and put the headphones on. She rested her head on her pillow and let the binaural beats lull her to sleep.***Sabitsuki opened her eyes and found herself standing in her new apartment room instead of her old room.
Did it work?
She looked herself over and saw that she had her shirt and shoes back on. She nodded to herself and walked up to the door. She grabbed the doorknob and turned it.
I want good dreams.
She opened the door and stepped through.She was in the church. Flowers grew everywhere and the sun was shining through the holes in the roof. Sitting on a picnic blanket next to the flowers were the people she knew and loved: her parents, Smile and Sister, Oreko, and Rebecca. They waved at her."Hey, Sabi!""…Hello, Sabi.""Good to see you again, Sabitsuki.""I brought sandwiches, Sabitsuki. I know how much you like grilled cheese.""Hey there, Thabi!""We've missed you, Sabitsuki."Sabitsuki smiled. This was going to be the best dream she had in a long time.