Oh! Greetings, Lord Denzel.
Come sit over here!
No! I'm meeting someone.
A date?
Give it your best.
Coffee...
Let me know if you have problems striking up a conversation.
I'll tell you some really interesting things.
Welcome!
How about some coffee?
Right away, sir!
Have a seat.
Yes, sir.
So, Denzel...
I don't have much time, so let's jump right into it.
The organization works in a completely different way now.
The time when we accepted anyone has long passed.
If you wish to volunteer, then you should call the leader of the region.
The WRO is now an army.
I understand. I am prepared for any danger ahead.
Prepared, are you?
All right, how about a few questions, then?
First, your personal history.
Personal history?
But... I'm only 10 years old.
I'm aware of that.
However, even a 10-year-old has a past.
And following, information pertaining to the attack on Mako Reactor 1...
Where's your mother!?
Huh?
She went shopping.
Oh, then let's go look for her.
Huh?
Wait a moment, let me go!
What's going on here, honey?
Sector 7 is about to be destroyed.
That's why we're evacuating to Sector 5.
A new home has been prepared by the company.
Destroyed?
The ones who blew up Mako Reactor 1...
are planning to go after number 7.
Is this true?
B-But, we can't just leave.
We have to let our friends and neighbors know!
There's no time, Chloe!
Furthermore, this information is highly classified!
I've already broken the rules...
even after becoming chief of the company.
Eh?
Denzel.
Take off with your father first.
I'll come back to you soon.
It'll be okay.
Hey!
Denzel.
We're going to Sector 5.
No! Chase after Mommy!
Your mother will be okay.
After all, we're your parents.
Chief! You're still here!?
The Turks are already on the move!
Right about now they should be done planting the bombs.
My colleagues are currently preparing transportation.
Stop speaking so recklessly.
Oh! Sorry.
Arkham.
Would you mind taking this child with you to Sector 5?
Company housing number 38.
No!
You head on first with Mr. Arkham.
I'll bring your mother back with me.
Daddy!
We bought a new big screen TV.
Watch it and wait for us.
This just in, we have new information concerning the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company.
Avalanche continues their terrorist ways...
I'm hungry.
All right, I'll go out and buy something.
They actually did it.
Wait here.
Wait, I want to go, too!
We interrupt to bring you a quick emergency announcement!
A very large explosion has taken place in Sector 7.
I repeat.
A very large explosion has taken place in Sector 7.
Hey, watch out.
What are you doing?
Where's your house?
I see.
How unfortunate.
Where are your parents?
It's Avalanche's fault.
Don't forget it.
Take revenge on them when you grow older.
Let's get out of here.
You shouldn't be here.
Was Shin-Ra really at fault?
Yes.
If you feel angry, then feel free to punish me.
Hey! What do you think you're doing?
Did you throw this?
Why?
Are you crying?
No.
Where do you live?
For now, come inside.
Goodness gracious.
When my son returns, I'll have him fix it properly.
For now, I think this will do.
I'm sorry, Mrs. Ruby.
If it wasn't for the times, I would've quickly sent you off to your parents.
My father and mother are...
There's no way they would have run off without you, right?
They were in Sector 7.
You're free to stay if you like, okay?
Seriously...
It's so hot.
That's quite a cute design there.
It's as if it belonged to a girl.
I suppose so.
Denzel.
Try this on.
I made it for you, but this was the only cloth pattern available.
Thank you, Mrs. Ruby.
I made it since there was plenty of extra cloth lying around.
Also, this too.
And next... I wonder what I should say now...
Huh?
I don't know anything about it, but it seems to be called Meteor.
Once it crashes into this planet, everything will cease to exist.
Just how do we prepare for such a thing?
Good grief.
Denzel, I plan on staying here until the end.
If the planet is destroyed, the result is the same anywhere I go.
What will you do?
If there's somewhere you want to go, feel free to take some food with you.
Even though you're only a child,
your final resting place is something you should decide for yourself.
Is it...
okay if I stay here?
Mrs. Ruby, I'm scared!
Denzel, go back!
Denzel!
Denzel, stay here.
Mrs. Ruby!
I don't remember how long I was out for.
When I came to, the house was already in ruins.
Mrs. Ruby passed out.
Then, I called out her name.
She opened her eyes a bit and whispered, "I'm okay.
Afterward, she asked if she could hold my hand.
She held the hand I put out for her,
however, she barely had any strength.
She said her son's hand was so big she couldn't hold on to it anymore.
At that moment, I was grateful for being a child.
Then, she asked what it looked like outside.
I was worried,
but I went outside anyway.
It was morning.
The neighboring houses were in the same condition as ours.
Hey, Mrs. Ruby.
Mrs. Ruby.
Daddy...
save me.
Mommy...
save me.
Mr. Arkham...
save me!
Hey!
Don't cry!
Why are you here?
Did you not hear the TV's announcement to take shelter in the slums?
I haven't seen any TV.
Jeez.
Nothing but people who know nothing, and people who think everything will be all right.
So, where's your family?
Mrs. Ruby is inside.
His name was Gaskin.
Mrs. Ruby was buried in the backyard.
The people from the truck helped out, too.
Her sewing tools and her son's books were buried along with her.
The thick dirt in the backyard puzzled everyone.
They said they'd usually hit the plate digging that deep.
I wonder if she was planning on planting vegetables.
Even now, many people from the country tend to do things like that.
I think she was going to plant flowers.
Inside the house, there were many flower patterns.
And several artificial flowers, too.
But really,
she wanted real flowers.
Her son was a Shin-Ra employee, so he lived in Midgar.
But, I think he wanted to grow flowers in proper soil.
Ah, sorry.
I've trailed off topic.
It's okay.
The train isn't working.
Doesn't look like it'll be fixed.
But still, these tracks will lead to the ground level.
Keep walking and we'll reach the bottom.
Is it too dangerous to stay in Midgar?
I haven't a clue.
However, we'll all feel better when we reach the bottom, right?
Don't trip over your own feet.
After all, no one here has time to help you.
You'll have to fend for yourself.
Oh.
Mama, Mama...
Mama...
It hurts, Mama.
That kid is infected!
Don't touch him!
He'll spread the disease.
Are you hurt somewhere?
It hurts behind me.
Do you mean your back?
Yeah.
At that time, no one knew anything about Geostigma.
Those who were touched by the Lifestream died.
People even said you'd be infected if you touched it.
But, in fact, it was because of Jenova that the Lifestream was...
Never mind. Had we known it then, it wouldn't have changed the situation.
I suppose so.
It was especially true for the children.
Yeah...
I began thinking while sitting on the railway,
that I wanted to be an adult sooner.
I thought it would help me solve some of my problems.
Hey!
These are pastries. Eat up.
That's for...
This place is huge.
It's not like you could've brought the corpse.
Are you worried about being infected?
That's nothing but a baseless rumor.
Even if it could be true, it's still only a rumor.
Even still, if you starve yourself, you'll die anyway.
If you're going to die, you might as well die on a full stomach.
Mm, tasty.
It's still edible.
It'll only rot if we leave it lying around.
That'd be a waste, so eat up.
Thank you.
I'd like some iron pipes.
As many as you can find.
Leave it to us!
The Sector 7 Exploration Crew can find anything you want!
Oh! We're really counting on you.
You guys are quite famous around these parts.
Edge's construction is going well.
We just need more materials.
Oh, right.
Your payment.
We have a deal!
I'm going to go report this to Gaskin!
Let's get to work, Denzel!
Sure.
Once I get some money, I'm going to eat something good.
Mr. Gaskin died a month later.
Everyone was buried in a special spot.
All the good people end up dying, don't they?
As Edge's construction progressed, the adults began to smile.
Even our friends in the Exploration Crew started to leave.
In the end, the only ones left were those who died from Geostigma and...
All we could find were screws and light bulbs.
Not much profit in it either, huh?
I suppose we should just settle in Edge, then.
We'll get free food, too.
We lost.
Yup, we lost.
But, I'd rather not starve to death.
Want to catch some rats to eat, then?
Rats?
Yeah.
I was told that people in the slums eat rats because they're poor.
My dad told me so.
Dirty grey rats.
This is the slums.
And we're poor.
Seriously?
Yeah, I'm going to eat rats.
I'll become a real kid of the slums.
We'll need spears.
Oh, really? Then, do it yourself.
Ricks?
I've been living in the slums since I was born.
I didn't know.
Now that you know, what about it?
You wouldn't have been my friend?
That's not it at all.
You never know.
You're a snobby plate-raised kid, after all.
Ricks...
Don't you forget.
The rats around here are filled with germs because of you guys.
They have some terrifying bacteria.
No one in the slums would be stupid enough to eat them.
I didn't chase after him.
I didn't think he'd forgive me.
Why's that?
I was, after all, a plate-raised child.
I always felt all right around the stations and rubble of Section 7.
But, I never thought I'd ever go to the slums.
I never went to Edge because...
I thought it'd be a place like the slums.
Poor and filthy.
What happened to Ricks?
He's doing well.
Although, I haven't talked to him since.
That's great. You still have a chance to make up.
I really thought of catching rats and eating them.
Since, I didn't have any money or a job.
It was worse than living in the slums.
I can't grow up if I remain as a plate-raised child.
I thought to myself, "I'd be saving a bunch of rats with scary bacteria."
Hey! Hey! Hey!
I thought like that before.
But, I was wrong.
That's why I'm still here.
Well, that's true.
Because you had the greatest meeting of your life.
But, it was under the worst conditions possible.
Oh?
Telephone service in Section 7 is unavailable.
Cloud? How rare for you to give me a call.
Did something happen?
Huh?
Cloud?
It's not him.
Who is this?
This is Cloud's phone, isn't it?
I don't know...
Who are you?
I don't know what I should be doing.
Are you...
crying?
Is something wrong!? Are you okay?
Cloud, Cloud!
Are you there?
I don't remember what happened next.
By the time I came to, I was in a bed.
Tifa and Marlene were watching me.
I suppose you know what happened later.
More or less.
Thanks to many people, I'm still alive.
My parents, Mrs. Ruby, Mr. Arkham, and Mr. Gaskin.
Even the people of the Exploration Crew.
The ones who lived.
The ones who passed away.
Tifa, Cloud, and Marlene.
That's why...
I want to be like one of those people who helped me.
This time, it's my turn.
So please, allow me to join!
You can't! No way you can.
You, shut your mouth!
A kid can't talk to me like that!
That has nothing to do with it!
Actually...
Truthfully, the WRO does not accept children as recruits.
See!
That can't be.
Then, why didn't you refuse my request to begin with?
Because I only made my decision just now.
After hearing your story, of course.
There are some things in life only children can accomplish.
And that is what I'd like you to do.
What is it?
Help adults call out their strength.
Oh, and also...
Thank you for looking after my mother.
You know kid,
you can pick a fight whenever you want.
There isn't much reason for you to be joining the WRO.
Why the sudden interest?
Cloud...
What about him?
He's always been part of an army; that's why he's strong.
I want to become stronger, too.
You know the times...
they've changed.
How so?
Let's see...
Instead of swinging weapons recklessly,
we pat the backs of those in pain.
In this generation, that's how you become popular.
It's not like I'm trying to become popular.