The heavy footfalls of the beast beneath me brought a thunder to the silent air as we traveled. Both of us were beginning to tire or else our travel would have been more silent. She slowed and turned to follow a steep cliff in front of us, causing me to grip her fur slightly harder than she would have liked. With a snort of disapproval she turned a bit to let me steady myself. "Sorry" I whispered as I laid my head down on the back of her neck. I closed my eyes and began to drift off to sleep when suddenly she slowed and then stopped. "Why have we stopped?" I asked as I sat back up.

"Look and see for yourself" she answered me telepathically. I looked out over the cliff side to what lay below to find myself scanning over the remnants of a dead city. "Do you want me to stop here?" she asked. I jumped from the large cat's back. She stood half my height at her back and she had a lean body covered in white fur and some deep indigo stripes. Her ear and tail tips had long tufts of indigo, feathery fur and her eyes were completely black. She was magnificent and strong and obviously tired.

I knew she wanted to rest but I wanted to know my surroundings. My mako-blue eyes scanned my surroundings once more. I needed to be sure of them. Something in the distance caught my attention. It was thin and stood possibly as tall as me. Without a word I walked towards it, and the closer I got the more obvious to me it was that it was a buster sword much like the one I had on my back. It began to act as an amplifier and as I neared it, I could feel the city and something else… geostigma. At least half the children there seemed to have it; at least that's what I felt. There was something else as well; the presence of an ex-SOLDIER, like myself. "Let's keep moving. There's too much pain here" I said as I turned and got back on her.

"I feel it too, the geostigma and the SOLDIER" she said. "But we need to rest, especially you, and this may be our only chance to do it for a while. Do you want to aggravate your condition?"

"I'm fine" I argued as my eyes fell to my well-concealed body. I had buckled knee-high boots on over leggings and gloves over a long sleeve undershirt. Over the whole ensemble, I wore a tight, mock-neck, sleeveless dress made of leather that buckled at the neck, twice on the chest, twice at my ribs, and once on my hip. It was split up once side on the bottom for easy movement and everything I wore was black. Even my buster sword was made of a black metal. I had my reasons for being well covered and wearing black.

"You are not fine" she growled. "We can spend the night there and leave in the morning, okay?"

I ran my fingers through my messy bangs of my white-blond hair. "If I say no again, you'll make me go."

"I knew you'd agree" she mused. She paced the cliff for a moment looking for the least steep place and then, without warning, she jumped and ran down the place with the least grade. We hit the bottom hard and I had to brace myself so I wouldn't hit my head on her shoulder. She got her bearings and continued to run. It wasn't easy riding a beast of her kind. While running they had little regard for the comfort of their riders. Sometimes she was gentler because she knew I was in bad condition. We were old friends. I had raised her from a cub, as the majority of my people did. Though most of the time this was meant for training, not friendship. They were trained for speed and versatility. The best of them, like her, could run as fast as the fastest motorcycle at its top speed. They were magnificent, and not all were telepathic, in fact, none were. It was me, a part of my condition, that brought us closer that way.

I looked at the approaching city. It wouldn't take us long to get there at our current speed. I once again rested my head between her shoulder blades and closed my eyes. It wasn't long before I felt her slowing and sat up again. I stepped down off her back and looked around. Pain shot through my body as I scanned my surroundings. I could feel geostigma everywhere. So this was Edge.

We walked forward into the city. The sky seemed greyer since we had gotten here. The people droned around like lazy bees in an enormous steel hive. Parts of the city just seemed worn down while others were completely destroyed. 'So much pain and sadness' I thought. 'Why did I come here?'

Some children ran out past us as I noticed that we had begun to attract strange looks. "They must not see things like you" I said.

"What do you mean things?" she growled.

"Sorry" I said as I looked around some more. "I don't know if there will be anywhere to put you" I muttered as I realized that there wasn't even a zoo here. It was a grey and desolate place with sick children everywhere. I was broken from my thoughts by a tug on my dress.

"Miss?" asked a small, childlike voice. I looked down to see an adorable little girl with big brown eyes and long brown hair tied back and braided with a pink bow. "Is that your pet?"

I smiled and laughed at the innocent question. "No, Dear. This is my friend."

"What's your friend's name?"

"Atlatl" I responded. Atlatl stepped forward at the sound of her name and brought her head down to the girl. "You can pet her" I said.

The girl smiled as she reached up and stroked Atlatl's fur. "My name's Marlene. What's yours?" she asked.

I was a bit shocked at her open and cheerful attitude but at the same time I knew she didn't have the stigma. "My name is Fayte Aegis. Nice to meet you, Marlene."

She seemed absorbed in Atlatl for a moment and then she asked "Why do you have a big kitty, Fayte?"

I wasn't expecting the question but I smiled. "I ride her. She takes me places." Marlene smiled wider and patted her head. "Want to try?" I asked her. She looked a bit scared at first but then smiled and nodded. I picked her up and swiftly placed her on Atlatl's back. Effortlessly I hopped on behind her and nudged Atlatl forward.

We rode at a slow walk through the city while Marlene pointed out different aspects of the city. It wasn't long though before we heard someone calling Marlene's name.

"Marlene! Where are you?" I looked over to see a woman with dark eyes and hair searching the crowd. She had a nice figure covered by a black zip up tank top over a white undershirt and black leggings with a long piece of cloth in the back and a short one in the front. She had a small ribbon tied around her arm which must have symbolized something I didn't know of.

"Do you know her?" I asked. Marlene nodded and waved. The woman ran over to us and I handed Marlene down to her.

"What were you doing?" she scolded Marlene.

"Don't worry, no harm done" I said as I reached out with my right hand. "I'm Fayte Aegis."

"Tifa Lockhart" she said as she shook my hand. "I've never seen you around here so I assume you're visiting."

"Yeah, do you know any places we can stay the night?" I asked.

"Actually, I have a bar called Seventh Heaven. We have an open room if you would like to come and stay."

"If you have a place for Atlatl then that would be great. We can work to pay if you'd like" I said.

"No need" she said. "Follow me."

We followed her across the city to a bar not far from where we had been. It became apparent that Atlatl wouldn't fit in the building so Tifa showed us the garage. She explained that the one who kept his bike there was currently out. He was apparently a delivery boy. Once Atlatl was settled in she took me inside and showed me my room. It was small but cozy and had a comfortable bed and once I was settled in I went back down the stairs and to the bar. Tifa was there cleaning the countertop.

"Thirsty?" she asked as I sat on one of the stools.

"Yes, thank you" I said as I rested my head in my hands. She walked over with a glass of water and I took it gratefully. At first I only sipped it but soon I realized how dry my throat was. I finished off the glass greedily. She quickly refilled it for me.

"Where do you come from?" she asked.

"I don't really come from anywhere. I'm an orphan" I said.

"Oh, sorry to hear. Are you going anywhere in particular?" she asked.

I shook my head. "I actually don't know where I'm going. I guess it really doesn't matter. I may never get there."

"What do you mean? I'm sure there's an end to your journey somewhere."

"There may be an end but that doesn't mean I'll see it. I have a fatal condition that may kill me soon. At this point I've actually outlived my expected lifespan" I said.

"That's not a very positive way to look at things. I guess I know someone who is a lot like you that way. You two look a lot alike, too." She paused and looked at me and then at my eyes. "Are you a SOLDIER?"

"Ex-SOLDIER" I corrected her. "How did you know?"

"Your eyes" she said.

"That's right. I forgot" I said indifferently as I fiddled with my now empty again glass. It had been a long time since I had a face to face conversation with anyone.

"I didn't know that there were any female SOLDIERs" she said.

"That's because there aren't" I snapped. She looked up in shock and I hung my head a bit. "I'm the only one."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I am a mistake they would never make twice" I said.

"Oh" she said.

"My parents died when I was seven and they plucked me off the streets when I was eleven. It had been eleven years since then and two years since the fighting ended. When will the promise they made to me come true? When will my life truly be better?" I said. She shook her head. "I really wish this borrowed time I live on would run out."

"You don't really wish that. Something will come along that will make you cherish the time you have left" she said.

"Maybe" I said as I looked towards the door. Marlene was there with a worried look on her face. "What's wrong, Dear?" I asked.

"It's Denzel" she said.

"What about him?" asked Tifa.

"He says it hurts and I don't know what to do" she said.

"Geostigma?" I asked.

"Yes, unfortunately" answered Tifa.

"I can help" I said as I stood. Marlene didn't ask questions as she ran out of the room so I could follow. She led me to a room part of the way up the stairs and sat by the bedside of a young boy.

"You must be Denzel" I said as I kneeled at his bedside. He nodded and then winced and brought a hand to his forehead. I reached out and moved his hand and hair. The geostigma had made itself at home on his forehead. He flinched away and moved my hand. I placed a hand on his cheek and turned his head back to me. As I leaned my face towards his, his eyes widened and he flinched away. "Don't worry. I don't bite" I said with a smile. I leaned down quickly and pressed my lips to his forehead feeling pain rush to my own. It was not at all an unfamiliar pain.

"It's gone" he said.

"I know" I smiled as he placed a hand to his forehead. "It should be gone long enough to let you rest."

"Thank you" he said. I nodded as I stood.

"That was very kind of you" said Tifa as we walked out of the room.

"I was happy to do it. The young should not suffer this way and since I became a SOLDIER I have been able to take pain away in that manner" I said as I walked towards my room. "I am going to retire for the night. We leave early tomorrow. Can't stay in one place too long."

"Goodnight, then" she said before I walked out. I gave into the searing pain in my forehead as soon as my door was closed. The pain exploded in stars in my vision and I barely made it to the bed which I collapsed in before I passed out.

"Oh dear, she's fallen asleep" said a female voice.

"She always did sleep a lot, at least when I knew her" a male voice added. I knew that voice.

"Zack Fair?" I asked as I opened my eyes. He wasn't far from me, leaning against a wall of the blindingly white room we were in.

"Fayte, it has been a long time since I last saw you. Wow, have you grown" he said.

"It's only been a few years" I growled. "I haven't grown that much."

"Ah, but you have grown and changed Fi-Fi. What's this I hear about you giving up on life?" he asked.

"I told you not to call me that and I can want life to end if I feel like it" I said.

He snorted in mock laughter. "If you wanted to die so badly you would have ended it yourself."

"Says who?"

"Says me. It's just how you are." He walked over and put a hand on my shoulder. "We just don't have room for you here, kid."

A tear ran down my face, as I was face to face with my only friend for the first time since he died. I grabbed his hand off my shoulder and pressed it to my face. "It hurts, Zack. I can't bear the pain anymore. Please take me away from it. Have mercy on me."

He opened his hand and pressed his palm to my face. "I know it hurts but someone else needs you. You'll know him when you meet him but right now he needs your help. Big things are coming."

"You can do it" said the female voice. "You're strong. You can make it."

My eyes widened and I panicked a bit as the messy black haired boy began to fade away. "Don't go" I begged as his mako-blue eyes disappeared to me. "Don't leave me!"

I shot upright in my bed, then grabbed my head and groaned. Sitting up fast sucked. My gaze averted to the window as my first memory of Zack filled my thoughts.

Another SOLDIER led me down a corridor and to one of the quarters at the end. "You won't be living here, but you'll report here first every morning" he instructed me. He knocked on the door and a thump came from the inside of the room then the door opened to reveal a lean, fair-skinned boy, a few years older than me, with mako-blue eyes and messy black hair spiked in the back. "This is Zack Fair. He will be your first instructor. I'll leave you with him." The SOLDIER walked off and Zack yawned and stretched. I couldn't contain a giggle at his very un-SOLDIER like behavior.

He looked at me and smiled. "I didn't know there were any female SOLDIERs" he said.

"There aren't. I'm the only one. My name's Fayte Aegis."

"Well, Fayte, I'm sure you know my name" he said. "They don't usually have SOLDIERs like me train anyone, but I guess that this is how it will be. I guess I should start with some rules… uh… rule number one: don't show up too early."

The memory faded as I smiled. All of his rules had been like that and it had taken me weeks just to follow rule number one right. I stood from my bed and walked over to the mirror, adjusting my hair before gathering my things and walking downstairs. Tifa was washing glasses behind the bar.

"Leaving?" she asked. I nodded. "Well, have a good trip. I hope you find what you're looking for." As I walked out, I could hear the phone ring. "He's not here anymore" I heard Tifa say. I had half a mind to ask her who he was but I didn't ask anything. Instead, I walked out to the garage and woke Atlatl, who didn't protest. I climbed onto her back and walked her out into the city.

"Let's go back to the cliff. We can get back on track" I suggested. She nodded and took off at a run. The morning was sad and grey and once I was out of the city, where my senses were clouded by the geostigma around me, I felt some new presences. They were all fast moving; a SOLDIER and three others. 'Hopefully they'll let us pass' I thought as we continued in a straight line. As I neared them, the three presences began to feel odd. They were unnatural and two were suddenly after the SOLDIER.

"It's not your fight" Atlatl warned.

I tried to ignore it but suddenly I felt dark presences going after the SOLDIER. I couldn't just stand by and watch. "We have to do something, Atlatl" I said. "Now go there!"

She reluctantly obeyed me and charged at the men who were in a very dangerous motorcycle chase. There were two silver haired men and a blond. I knew immediately that the blond was the SOLDIER. As we approached, I took out daggers and threw them at the shadow animals that ran about. I had already missed a great deal of the battle. The blond was suddenly disarmed and the man with longer silver hair flipped his bike over the blond's and shot him, knocking his goggles off.

Once the man was back on the ground, I tackled him off of his bike. The blond seemed to notice as we skidded to a stop but he was being chased by the shadows. "Mother?" said the man I had tackled. I looked down at him. "Mother, it's you!" he said.

"I'm not anyone's mother" I said as I got off of him in alarm.

"No, you're Mother. You have to be" he insisted. He approached and tried to grab me but I blocked his every attempt. "Please come with us Mother" he said as the blond and the shorter haired one circled by us again. Atlatl was nowhere to be seen and the shadows all suddenly closed in on the blond but then vanished. The man I was facing looked up at the cliff and then ran off and grabbed his bike. They all suddenly retreated and left me angry that I couldn't do more. The blond skidded to a stop and watched as they retreated. Once they were gone, he turned to me.

"Who are you?" he demanded calmly. I took a moment to study him. He looked well built but hit it under layers of black clothing. Black pants and cloth hanging to the ground on one side was his choice and then his top was a vest zipped up so that it showed off only a little of his chest. He had one sleeve on his left arm and black gloves. His left shoulder had a black guard on it with a silver wolf coming out of the front with a ring in its mouth. My eyes moved to his face. He was fair-skinned like Zack and his blond hair was spiked up in all directions as if it could defy gravity. His eyes were mako-blue like mine and Zack's and he had been using a buster sword.

'This must be the SOLDIER that lives around here' I thought. I knew that if that was true I would have to be cautious. It had been a long time since I trusted my own kind. "My name is Fayte Aegis" I said as I placed my buster sword on my back. There was a thump behind me and soft breath on the back of my head. He seemed a bit startled by her sudden appearance. "This is my transportation, Atlatl" I said not even having to turn around to know it was her. "Who are you?" I demanded.

"Cloud Strife."

My eyes widened a bit. 'So that's who he is' I thought. He was a hero, a man known among all SOLDIERs, at least now. I was surprised he didn't know my name. Perhaps he was never informed. I figured that because I was a deserter, they would have told all SOLDIERs about me.

He revved the engine on his bike which got my attention but before he could take off, I stopped him with a wave of my hand. "Where are you going?" I asked. I didn't expect an answer.

"I'm going to Healin. Rufus ShinRa is there. I need to speak to him" he answered bluntly.

"I'm coming too" I said. "I have questions of my own."

He looked at Atlatl as I jumped up on her. "I'm not waiting for you."

"We know where Healin is" I stated. "But even so, you won't have to." I nudged Atlatl's side and she took off like a bullet towards Healin. By the time I looked back, he was already half a mile behind me and not gaining an inch. A laugh escaped me, but that wasn't the foremost thing on my mind. I wanted to know who this "Mother" was and why they thought I was her, and if there was anything I didn't know about myself, Rufus ShinRa would definitely know it.