Love Without Bounds - A Love Story from Edge City's Future...

DISCLAIMER: First of all, I must warn you that this story uses strong language and suggestive themes. Not TOO bad, but you get my point. Be aware of this while reading. If you find such things offensive, then don't come crying to me when you get offended. I warned you -- you shouldn't have read it if you don't like what it contains!

Okay, a while back, I started writing some Kingdom Hearts fan-fictions that, apparently, were very good. I didn't get much feedback in the threads, themselves, (the two threads in question are lost somewhere in the forums), but I got a LOT of PMs saying how much of a talented writer I was. Some people even offered to host my stories on another site! But, being the idiot that I was at the time, I declined. I should have realized that ANY publicity is GOOD publicity...

Regardless, those two stories, (links to them are in my siggy), will be revived in due time. I still have am incredibly elaborate storyline to play out. If you've read them, then good! But anything that you may have thought about Adrian is about to be blown to pieces. Seriously. And, I must say, Chaotic Brink is about to get veeeeeeeeeeeery interesting, indeed...

But enough about that. If you wish, read them. I will be making those stories more "available" soon by making each chapter a new post. For now, however, I want to tell you a story that takes place in Final Fantasy VII's storyline...

The storyline of FFVII extends over twelve years. That's right! If you haven't noticed that, then let me explain. PSP's Crisis Core, the first part of the story, (chronologically), happens seven years before the original release, Final Fantasy VII, for the PSX/PS1. Then, the next part of the story, the CG movie, Advent Children, (alternately, Advent Children COMPLETE for Blu-Ray), takes place two years after that. That's nine years, so far. Then, the "final chapter in this tale of life," Dirge of Cerberus, was Vincent Valentine's story, taking place three years after AC/ACC. That's twelve years. If Cloud was 21 in FFVII, that means that he was 14 at the beginning of CC and 17 when he and Zack went on missions. So, he was 23 in AC/ACC, meaning that he was 26 in DoC. So, it is a long story, right?

But what about the "secret ending" to FFVII, which is also the beginning of AC/ACC?

It takes place 500 years after FFVII, (495 years after the whole story ends). The scene shows Red XIII, (or Nanaki, if you prefer), with two of his cubs running through the Wasteland toward Midgar's ruins, on which Edge City was built. When the giant ruins come into view, they are covered in plant life: trees and bushes; grass and flowers. A flock of fowl fly overhead, evidence that the Lifestream has begun to flow normally in the area again. The bay that had once been full of polluted water and dead animals was washing up to the edges of the city, pure and blue. We don't know anything of the people who live there, now. Only that the city is being filled with life and color -- things it was lacking in the time of Cloud, Tifa, and the other heroes who made this sight possible...

But, after 500 years, how many of them are left?

None of them are alive except Nanaki and, (quite possibly), Vincent.

Questions are left unanswered. Mysteries, unsolved...

And those will be the subject of another tale. This story, which takes place in Edge City during the time when the flowers and other plants grow freely. When animals flock to the area, as opposed to scattering away. When people could actually live, love, and be at peace.

This is the story of Ador Strife -- the great-great-grandson of Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockheart... Enjoy!

- Ol'Sephy​

LOVE WITHOUT BOUNDS​

Chapter One
7th Heaven Bar
Central District
Edge City​

"STRIFE DELIVERY Service! You name it, we deliver!"

As Ador Strife listened to his next customer's request for his services, he mentally checked off all the things that he done for the day. He was very good at listening to everything that was said, while also being able to think about something completely different. Probably another trait that he had inherited from his great-great-grandparents, Cloud and Tifa. He was proud of the Strifes who had come before him. Even his parents were not something he was ashamed of, unlike how other people his age viewed their parents. He respected his father and loved his mother, both of whom had run their respective businesses in tandem. 7th Heaven bar was now run by his sister, Rose, who was the best barmaid that the establishment had ever seen. And Strife Deliver Service was his charge. He used the Neo-Fenrir, only a single step up from the founder of the company, Cloud. Cloud had once used a Hardy Daytona, the very first vehicle manufactured by Shin-Ra to only make use of two wheels. Then, after the Fall of Shin-Ra, Cloud abandoned the Daytona for a new model of motorbike -- the Fenrir. It was not originally called the Fenrir, though. It was called something else, but nobody cared what that was. All anyone cared about was that Cloud Strife had a personalized model called Fenrir. And the name stuck.

Cloud's bike had been customized to accomodate his famously large, disassembling sword, the First Tsurugi. Reeve Tuesti, the Director of the WRO, (World Restoration Order), had had it built specifically for Cloud. To "keep him out of trouble," he had said. Now, many people have Fenrir-like bikes that had everything that the original had had. Well, except for the slots for a huge sword that breaks into multiple OTHER swords...

The WRO had dissolved after the Omega Crisis, which happened five years after the Fall of Shin-Ra. The Director saw that world was on the road to rejuvenation and saw fit to allow the next "government" to take his place. Now, there was no ruling company or order. The city of Edge had taken up the practice of democracy, the form of government that was used by the other, smaller cities and towns across the globe. After this relinquishing of power to the people, the WRO became known as the IMCE, (the Industrial Manufacturing Company of Edge). They were still around, inventing easier ways of life for the people through technology and science. Mako energy is a thing of the past as the IMCE discovered how to harness the power of the sun and the wind and the countless rivers around the world. Even crude oil was barely used! Everything was solar-powered, and the Planet thanked the people for this. It was healthy, comforting.

Anyway, back to Ador's bike, there were three newer models that were available to the public, all seemingly faster and sturdier than the Neo-Fenrir. The Nova-Fenrir, the model immediately after the Neo, was sleeker, with smaller design and a much more powerful punch. The Ultima-Fenrir was the epitome of automobiles when it came out. It was the same size as the Nova, but packed an incredibly stronger engine. It also was the first to sport a shell that extended over the driver, making for easier transport in the rain. Then, just when people thought that the idea of the motorbike had reached the prime of its life, the Ultima+ was released. It was so expensive to make, however, that only 50 of them were ever built. It ran off of solar power, while also being powered by the rush of air that blew past it while in motion. Thus, it had a never-ending supply of thrust. You could drive thing for days on end and it would never slow down, stop, or overheat. And, the part that was the highlight of its design was how it could actually collapse in on itself to become as small as a large backpack. It had straps that could connect to the collapsed form and the person could take it everywhere. If they were to drive into the mountains, they could drive as far as they could, then collapse the bike and carry it. When they could ride again, they would simply press a button and Voila! Instant motorbike!

Ador didn't want all of this flashy stuff, though. Plus, the Neo was the last Fenrir bike to have the ability to be customized with the slots for First Tsurugi. So, he customized it himself and put in the engine and the shell from an Ultima. (He would have used one from an Ultima+, but he would get assassinated if he even thought of taking one apart.) So, with the combination of the Neo-Fenrir's design with a Fenrir's slots for his sword, (whish was passed down through five generations of his family), and the shell and engine from an Ultima-Fenrir, he had a suitable mode of transportation for his job.

Speaking of which, he was just finishing up with his current customer and was about to head out. He hung up the phone and scratched his spiky, black hair. What was he forgetting...?

"Ador!" His sister was calling from downstairs. "Do you have any more deliveries today?"

Shit. He mentally slapped his forehead. It's her birthday today...

He tried to play it cool.

"Uh... Just one!" He called back as he picked up his keys and pulled on his gray cloak. It was looking like rain.

"How long will that take? Is it here in the city?"

He thought about it. It was in New Nibelheim, the city that was rebuilt from the ashes of his great-great-grandparents' hometown. He didn't like the stories about how it came to be destroyed, as it had to do with someone who he'd rather not think about. But that's where he needed to go. He could deal with that, regardless. Problem was, it would take at least seven hours to get there with the package, which he had to pick up at the Chocobo Farm near Edge, and a little less than six hours to get back. He would have to stay in New Nibelheim over night so that he didn't get tired on the way back and crash into a rock or drive off a cliff. And, even if he came back immediately, it would another thirteen hours until he got home. She would be asleep by then...

"Ador?" She would come upstairs and see him panicking if he didn't think of something soon...

"Uh, yeah! About..." He couldn't lie to her. He'd just have to cancel the delivery. "Y'know what? Never mind. I'll cancel it."

"Ador? You okay?" She started coming up the stairs. He could tell her the truth. It wouldn't hurt.

He grabbed the phone and hit the redial button. The phone dialed as Rose came in. She smiled as he told the customer that he'd have to wait until tomorrow. He smiled and said, "Thank you for your business!" Before hanging up. He turned to her.

"Alright. What shall we do for your special day..." He walked over to her and stood in front of her. She had been begging thier parents to take her to see the Northern Cave with Barret Wallace IV, the great-great-great-grandson of Cloud's companion, who bore the same name. The Strife family line was stonger than the Wallaces', as Cloud had been a SOLDIER experiment. He hadn't actually been in SOLDIER, the elite fighting force of Shin-Ra, but he had been mortally wounded by... Him. That evil bastard who had killed so many innocents. Anyway, Cloud had been hurt badly, as had his friend, Zack Fair, who actually was a SOLDIER, 1st Class. They had both been bathed in large amounts of mako, making them a higher level of human. SOLDIER members are showered in a little bit of mako. Cloud and Zack, however, soaked in it... For over four years. That's gotta do a little bit of something to you, and no mistake!

Presently, Rose was staring expectantly at Ador as he paced slowly in front of her, pretending to think about what he should do for her birthday...

"Aha!" He cried suddenly, making Rose jump. "I got it!" He turned to her. "We'll go..."

Her eyes glowed.

"Yes...?"

"To..."

"Uh-huh...?!"

"The Golden Saucer!"

She stared at him, then down, looking crest-fallen. He laughed.

"Pack your things. We're going north."

She looked up at him with such happiness and glee that she looked like she was going to melt.

"Really?!"

"Yep! Go call Barret. He's coming, too."

"Oh, my GOD!" And she took off out of the office, carreening down the hall and into her room. Ador just smiled.

And, that night, they three of them piled into the family car and drove to the Airport on the outskirts of Edge. As Ador watched Rose flirting with the young man, Barret IV, he suddenly got a chill. An image flashed into his mind of a girl with brown hair and a pink bow...

"Could it be...?" He muttered as they all filed into the airship's passenger bay, "Could it really be..."

"Aerith?"

 

Chapter Two
Lodge
The Great Glacier
Slopes of the Crater​

It had been a six hour flight from Edge City's Airport to the Icicle Inn Area. Bone Village, what had been the closest town to the rest of the world during Cloud's time, had been buried in an avalanche about a century ago. The whole population had been buried alive. So, they'd had to switch to a ice cruiser at the Gold Saucer. They'd been cramped up in that damn plane for a while, and were glad to be free of it. They had stepped out into a world of white. Everything was soft, and bright. Too bright for Rose's and Ador's sensitive eyes. They were descended from a SOLDIER experiment and a seasoned fighter. It was only natural that they be more attuned to their surroundings. They put on their snow goggles and got onto the snow mobiles that would take them to Icicle Inn, and then, the Lodge on the Great Glacier.

They made it to the Lodge, where the descendent of the man who had helped Cloud and his group when they had made their way to the Northern Cave had let them stay. He ran a mountain climbing business, taking the daring adventurers up to the top of the crater. Then, they could either come back down, or, as was the case with a lot of richer climbers, they could get picked up by airship, plane, or balloon. Ador told him that their group would be going to the bottom of the crater. The man had nodded. A group had come just the other day to inspect the crater. They had been picked up at the bottom, which was easy enough to get to. It was a long walk, though, at least four hours.

TO BE CONTINUED!!!​