PROLOGUE:
The Tale of Seto
The smell of tobacco filled the air. A heavy sigh let out in the small tent. The white door flap
contrasted against the brown leather of the tent. It was torn in places, and had color worn spots covering
it. Inside rested the living place of the tent's sole resident. Inside, the owner of the tent puffed more
smoke off of the pipe that rested in his mouth. Inside, the owner lay, sick and old, on a single sleeping
bag on the floor. The sleeping bag was covered with patches, from the many wear and tears of the road.
After all of the travelling it had seen, its owner might as well sleep on the floor. The owner puffed on his
pipe one more time, before laying it on the small, collapsible dresser. He laid back down on the sleeping
bag, and retired to sleep for the evening.
As he began to drift slowly into sleep though, a voice cried out from a bit beyond the door flap.
"Grandpa Nanaki!"
Nanaki sighed. He turned towards the flap, a smile on his face. "Come on in, Seto."
A small figure entered through the flap. He stood on all fours, and his fur gleamed like fire. His
eyes were a light blue, which stood out against his fur. A mane of brown and red trailed down his back.
He stood with great posture, even though he was still a child by the standards of his species. His eyes
showed a child like curiosity, as he had not seen much of the world. His small paws left footprints on the
ground as he stepped into Nanaki's tent. Nanaki's great grandson now stood before him. Nanaki rolled
off of his old joints. His back haunches creaked as he stood up upon them. "What is it Seto?"
"Some of the adults were talking, and they were saying stuff that…"
"Stuff that I told you to report to me, if they kept discussing it."
Seto lay down on the ground in front of Nanaki. "Yes. They were saying-"
"Saying things about the east." Nanaki interjected.
"Yes."
"What were they saying, Seto."
Seto sat for a moment, fear in his eyes. Then he answered. "They were talking about how there
aren't a lot of towns anymore. They were talking about how all of the armies are going to take over
everything."
"Well," Nanaki said sympathetically, "I don't know about everything, but yes. They do plan
conquest."
"And they were ALSO talking about the evil."
"Evil?" Nanaki said, in genuine curiosity, "What evil?"
"They were talking about someone who has been going around and destroying the villages. They
also said that he isn't human."
"Really then. Well, what do they say he is?"
"They're saying that he's a de-de-de-" Seto stuttered, trying to pronounce the word, which was
new to him. "Oh yeah. They called it a demon"
Nanaki's eyes widened. How could it be? He has told the men who Seto spoke of not to talk of
such things around him, but they were wise. They wouldn't say there was a demon unless they had ample
evidence to convince them thusly. "What else did they say about this demon, Seto"
"They said that it was really really evil. And… oh yeah! They said that it-, " a look of worry
came over Seto's face, even darker than it had when he had first walked into the tent, "that it was going to
kill every one. They said that, even if the armies would go away, with the demon around, even Midgar
wouldn't be safe."
Nanaki slowly shook his head as he listened. "Even Midgar wouldn't be safe"? The thought
seemed surreal to Nanaki. After the lifestream had gathered around Midgar, to stop the dark spell, meteor
from striking the planet, the city had been left without power or machines. It was perfect for the new
world that the people would want. People had slowly decided to start a new life, without as many
machines, though they had still kept essentials, and some cities far away from Midgar still had all sorts of
machines. Midgar had since then become the capital of hope in the world. It was considered one of the
safest places on earth. If any evil could take out Midgar, then the whole world would be at it's fingertips.
"Well, Seto. I know a story that may cheer you up."
"Is it the one about seproth, and clode, and Meter" Seto said, mispronouncing some of the names
that Seto's favorite story revolved around. Nanaki often told Seto of his friends' and his valiant efforts
that saved the world, and stopped Sephiroth from becoming all powerful.
"No Seto. This is the story of your name sake."
"WOW! I've never heard this one before."
"Well. It was long long ago. When I was still little. Our people lived in a place called Cosmo
Canyon. We were at peace there, with men, just as we are now. It was a happy life. "Nanaki's face
turned dark, as h narrated the story. "But then the Gi came. They were a tribe of warriors, who sought to
kill us, and take over the canyon. My mother fought bravely and died, along with the rest of our people,
but it appeared that my father had run away. It was many years later, during my journeys with Cloud and
the others, that I discovered that my father did not in fact run away. He in fact had gone to protect the
secret back entrance to the canyon. He fought off all of the invader, alone, but he was turned to stone by
their arrows of poison. He was a brave soul. Do you know what his name was?"
Seto shook his small head.
"His name was Seto."
Seto's face brightened.
"I insisted that my son name his son Seto, after his grandfather, although he told me that he had
already planned to all along."
"Wow! I want to be just like grandfather Seto when I grow up. I'm gonna be a strong warrior."
"Well then, you had better get to training, if you want to become a strong warrior."
Seto dashed out of the tent, jumping, and biting the air, locked in a fight to the death with
imaginary warriors. Nanaki smiled. That had taken the child's mind off of things, but the news still
haunted Nanaki. What if there truly was a demon, which sought to kill them all. Would they survive, like
the last time the world was threatened. Nanaki sighed. If this turned out like it did before, the situation
would be grave. After all, Nanaki was the only one of the group that was still alive, and he was in no
condition to take on armies, much less a demon. He reached his jaws out, and bit his pipe with them, and
began to smoke on it, once more. Then again he thought. There is one other person who is still alive, if
that's what one would call being alive. But no one had a clue as to where he was, or if he even cared
about stopping the demon. For all Nanaki knew, he could have fallen in battle a long time ago.
No, that wasn't possible. He was too strong to have died during this peaceful age, though it was
turning to war. Nanaki puffed on the pipe one more time. Vincent, he thought, where are you anyway?
The Tale of Seto
The smell of tobacco filled the air. A heavy sigh let out in the small tent. The white door flap
contrasted against the brown leather of the tent. It was torn in places, and had color worn spots covering
it. Inside rested the living place of the tent's sole resident. Inside, the owner of the tent puffed more
smoke off of the pipe that rested in his mouth. Inside, the owner lay, sick and old, on a single sleeping
bag on the floor. The sleeping bag was covered with patches, from the many wear and tears of the road.
After all of the travelling it had seen, its owner might as well sleep on the floor. The owner puffed on his
pipe one more time, before laying it on the small, collapsible dresser. He laid back down on the sleeping
bag, and retired to sleep for the evening.
As he began to drift slowly into sleep though, a voice cried out from a bit beyond the door flap.
"Grandpa Nanaki!"
Nanaki sighed. He turned towards the flap, a smile on his face. "Come on in, Seto."
A small figure entered through the flap. He stood on all fours, and his fur gleamed like fire. His
eyes were a light blue, which stood out against his fur. A mane of brown and red trailed down his back.
He stood with great posture, even though he was still a child by the standards of his species. His eyes
showed a child like curiosity, as he had not seen much of the world. His small paws left footprints on the
ground as he stepped into Nanaki's tent. Nanaki's great grandson now stood before him. Nanaki rolled
off of his old joints. His back haunches creaked as he stood up upon them. "What is it Seto?"
"Some of the adults were talking, and they were saying stuff that…"
"Stuff that I told you to report to me, if they kept discussing it."
Seto lay down on the ground in front of Nanaki. "Yes. They were saying-"
"Saying things about the east." Nanaki interjected.
"Yes."
"What were they saying, Seto."
Seto sat for a moment, fear in his eyes. Then he answered. "They were talking about how there
aren't a lot of towns anymore. They were talking about how all of the armies are going to take over
everything."
"Well," Nanaki said sympathetically, "I don't know about everything, but yes. They do plan
conquest."
"And they were ALSO talking about the evil."
"Evil?" Nanaki said, in genuine curiosity, "What evil?"
"They were talking about someone who has been going around and destroying the villages. They
also said that he isn't human."
"Really then. Well, what do they say he is?"
"They're saying that he's a de-de-de-" Seto stuttered, trying to pronounce the word, which was
new to him. "Oh yeah. They called it a demon"
Nanaki's eyes widened. How could it be? He has told the men who Seto spoke of not to talk of
such things around him, but they were wise. They wouldn't say there was a demon unless they had ample
evidence to convince them thusly. "What else did they say about this demon, Seto"
"They said that it was really really evil. And… oh yeah! They said that it-, " a look of worry
came over Seto's face, even darker than it had when he had first walked into the tent, "that it was going to
kill every one. They said that, even if the armies would go away, with the demon around, even Midgar
wouldn't be safe."
Nanaki slowly shook his head as he listened. "Even Midgar wouldn't be safe"? The thought
seemed surreal to Nanaki. After the lifestream had gathered around Midgar, to stop the dark spell, meteor
from striking the planet, the city had been left without power or machines. It was perfect for the new
world that the people would want. People had slowly decided to start a new life, without as many
machines, though they had still kept essentials, and some cities far away from Midgar still had all sorts of
machines. Midgar had since then become the capital of hope in the world. It was considered one of the
safest places on earth. If any evil could take out Midgar, then the whole world would be at it's fingertips.
"Well, Seto. I know a story that may cheer you up."
"Is it the one about seproth, and clode, and Meter" Seto said, mispronouncing some of the names
that Seto's favorite story revolved around. Nanaki often told Seto of his friends' and his valiant efforts
that saved the world, and stopped Sephiroth from becoming all powerful.
"No Seto. This is the story of your name sake."
"WOW! I've never heard this one before."
"Well. It was long long ago. When I was still little. Our people lived in a place called Cosmo
Canyon. We were at peace there, with men, just as we are now. It was a happy life. "Nanaki's face
turned dark, as h narrated the story. "But then the Gi came. They were a tribe of warriors, who sought to
kill us, and take over the canyon. My mother fought bravely and died, along with the rest of our people,
but it appeared that my father had run away. It was many years later, during my journeys with Cloud and
the others, that I discovered that my father did not in fact run away. He in fact had gone to protect the
secret back entrance to the canyon. He fought off all of the invader, alone, but he was turned to stone by
their arrows of poison. He was a brave soul. Do you know what his name was?"
Seto shook his small head.
"His name was Seto."
Seto's face brightened.
"I insisted that my son name his son Seto, after his grandfather, although he told me that he had
already planned to all along."
"Wow! I want to be just like grandfather Seto when I grow up. I'm gonna be a strong warrior."
"Well then, you had better get to training, if you want to become a strong warrior."
Seto dashed out of the tent, jumping, and biting the air, locked in a fight to the death with
imaginary warriors. Nanaki smiled. That had taken the child's mind off of things, but the news still
haunted Nanaki. What if there truly was a demon, which sought to kill them all. Would they survive, like
the last time the world was threatened. Nanaki sighed. If this turned out like it did before, the situation
would be grave. After all, Nanaki was the only one of the group that was still alive, and he was in no
condition to take on armies, much less a demon. He reached his jaws out, and bit his pipe with them, and
began to smoke on it, once more. Then again he thought. There is one other person who is still alive, if
that's what one would call being alive. But no one had a clue as to where he was, or if he even cared
about stopping the demon. For all Nanaki knew, he could have fallen in battle a long time ago.
No, that wasn't possible. He was too strong to have died during this peaceful age, though it was
turning to war. Nanaki puffed on the pipe one more time. Vincent, he thought, where are you anyway?