Blessed Be Thy Children

They called it Geostigma.

A disease that spread rampant through the world. Geostigma didn't care if you were male or female, big or small, weak or strong, adult or child.

It hit the children first. Some of them died. People I knew. Friends of mine. Children I passed in dark alleys. Forgotten by the world.

I got it in my right arm. It hurt all of the time. Sometimes, it was just a dull ache, enough to remind me that it was still there. Sometimes, it was so unbearable that I couldn't breath. I would curl up into myself, clutching my moogle until it left, or I passed out.

People didn't spare me a glance. They walked on by like I wasn't even there.

One day, I was walking along the edge of Edge (yes, that I realize how silly that sounds), and I saw a man with pretty silver hair. He was telling everyone who would listen that he could cure the Geostigma. He told me to tell anyone I saw with Geostigma. Most people ignored him. I didn't. They called him a liar. I ran off to tell the others.

I guess...he was a liar. But, at the time, I was too happy to think about what I was doing.

That's how I met Denzel. He was maybe four (five?) years younger than me. Geostigma knew no age.

"Come with me," I said. "They're going to cure us." And I led him back to the man. Denzel came hesitantly, but he followed me nonetheless.

They took us to a place. I don't really remember much about it. Just, that it was really sad. Many people had died there. So much pain and sadness...

The dark one spoke. He used hate-filled words to convince us. He led us into the water, which he had turned black with the materia. We followed him. All of the children. Denzel followed me. I heard the little girl yell for him.

By the time I realized what was going on, it was too late. I had already drank the water. Everything went balck.

(Wake up.)

She had a pretty voice. The angel. If she had asked me to jump off a bridge into a rushing river, I would've, despite my fear of heights and lack of swimming abilities.

I opened my eyes instead. Chaos surrounded me. A monster, a bahmuat, was attacking everyone. Panic ensued.

(Find a safe place.)

But what about the monster? I wanted to ask. There was no safe place from that thing.

(Don't worry, Cloud will take care of it.)

I had no idea who Cloud was, but if the angel thought he (she?) could handle things, then who was I to ask? I grabbed the little boy beside me and ran all the way to the first alcove I found.

I must've fallen asleep. When I came to, the sky was clearing. And it was raining.

It was so beautiful. I knew this was Her doing. The angel.

All around me, people were cheering. The little boy gasped, and held out his hand. I turned to see what was wrong, and wathced in awe as the Geostigma dissapeared. My arm started to tingle, and I held it up to see that it too had healed.

(There now, doesn't that feel better?)

I nodded slightly, then let out a giggle. I ran out into the street, so I could see the sky better.

"Thank-you," I whispered.