I Finally Found You
Prologue: The Future Speaks and the Past Relived
By: Empathic Soul
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII. Squaresoft™ owns the wonderful and insight-worthy game that set the record for me in all final fantasy sagas.
Cloud Strife, the so-called hero of the previous war against Shinra is now walking alone in the desolate area of Midgar Slums. It has been a year since Meteor crushed the city killing several people and destroying the reactors that surrounded the area. It has also been a year since he was able to gather enough courage to walk again in this deserted place, the place they now call Death Valley.It was ironic to call the place as such. When everyone thinks back, it has been Death Valley even before Meteor destroyed it. It was amusing to listen to the rumors that have been freely floating around the entire Planet. To some extent Cloud wanted to listen to some.
These were some of the rumors that he heard upon traveling around. Of course some of these rumors came from several parties and groups or some are even fanatics and advocates. He did not know.
The first one was Sephiroth was an angel in reality. He realized that the people were destroying the planet and therefore he sought revenge and protected the planet by summoning Meteor to destroy the people that has been causing harm to the planet and thereby killing everyone in the long- term. Well, this came from a group of Sephiroth advocates. They're fanatics of the General and even became bigger fanatics when they heard that he was the one who summoned Meteor. They believed Meteor was punishment from god. And literally, Sephiroth IS their god.
The next rumor was the Rufus Shinra was alive. Of course, this might be true to an extent because there was not a single fragment was left of Rufus after the destruction of Midgar. Well, not that Meteor would leave something just for people to know 'Hey, Rufus is dead'. But then again, this was not proven false, so it's neither true nor false. Again, this came from the Midgar Socialist Party, the Party that Rufus started to advocate "social policies" at the start of his term.
Another rumor was about Vincent Valentine being the head of a syndicate, specifically an underground syndicate of Vampires in Nibelhelm. Outrageous, that was what Cloud thought instantly. Rumors came from the people in Nibelhelm where they saw a monster transforming inside and then suddenly quieting down. The mansion was then declared haunted. Quite a story, the guy was probably having nightmares in his sleep.
Then Barret also had his own set of rumors. He was rumored to have jumped off the canyon because his metallic arm fell off. Cloud laughed at this one. Barret was no idiot, well not THAT much. Nevertheless, Cloud became relaxed when he found out that Barret was indeed of good health taking care of Marlene in the nearby village near Junon. It was a newly established village. He is currently living there with Elmyra.
Of course, Red became the head of Cosmo Canyon. Wise beyond age, that is the least that could happen to him. At least one rumor seems to be true. But in additional, he was said to have a female with him. Cloud thought to see this soon, after he investigates this one in Midgar.
Before that, Yuffie's rumor has gone widespread. It has been said that the ninja became one of the renegade bandits in stealing materia in different areas of the Planet. The bandits steal the materia and then sell it and give the money to the poor. Some kind of modern day Robin Hood... Reeve became president of Shinra or the government. He is now leading the Planet in Junon where he is currently under strict time management. He did not have any more time for anything else because he is always busy proof reading new laws and bills for the reestablishment of the new Junon Government.
Last but not the least, Tifa. Tifa was reported to be a government official. She volunteered to help Reeve in reestablishing a new government. It was enlightening to know that Tifa placed into good use the knowledge that she earned from school. Cloud was happy for her.
And of course the reason that he is here in Midgar Slums. It was because of Her. Yes, there are rumors about her also. Rumor though did not specify a name, unlike the others. She was not very popular with the people and very few knew of the important role that she played in saving the Planet.
But there was this one rumor that got Cloud on the move to discover if indeed she was back from there. If she returned to the living from the world beyond. If it were true...
He did not know—all he knew is that he would be happy.
To see her
His footsteps suddenly increased a bit in pace. His usual simple soldier attire was replaced into something less menacing. People now do not appreciate people wearing attires that catch attention even though you're some kind of hero.
He wore a simple black turtleneck with a pair of black slacks. His boots came nice to his attire making him look elegant and at the same time demeaning. Of course the hair is a standout as usual. He looked completely normal except for one single thing, his slightly damaged left hand where it is wrapped neatly with a bandage... no one knew why he wrapped it, it remains a secret for him.
But this rumor...
Yes
The rumor explicitly stated a woman about 22 years old was spotted inside the old Midgar Church, which surprisingly was not damaged during the entire Shinra explosion. It was the only area in Midgar that did not seem to be affected or damaged at all. The children who sought refuge there during the explosion, claiming to have seen a woman in pink calling them in there was saved from the explosion.
The people called it an apparition of a great heavenly being...
True, Cloud dared not to disagree.
He quickened his pace and from where he stood he could spot the Church, a bit deserted and ruined but not entirely destroyed. He felt his nerves going on the edge, his heartbeat getting faster. He felt nervous, anxious, scared, and hopeful, all in the same time.
He paused a few steps from the Church's entrance only to see something that caught his attention.
He saw this small girl holding a white lily and sitting in the entrance of the Church. He stopped and looked at her. Her long black locks flowed gently down her shoulders reaching just midway her back. She traced the petals of the flower slightly and paused noticing another presence. She raised her reddish eyes to meet bright mako green ones. She smiled.
"Are you here to see her too?" She asked with a soft smile.
See her too? Cloud thought. He did not know what it meant, or maybe refused to understand what it meant but he merely stared at the girl.
Ignorance is a bliss.
She merely smiled mysteriously almost like the way Aeris would smile at them when she knew something they didn't. Well, she smiled like that when she knew that she had to die to save the planet. That was a bad memory that Cloud would rather not remember.
The little girl stood up brushing her light blue dress. She stepped aside and pointed at the door.
"You can come in!" She smiled and sat back down tracing the petals once again as if Cloud did not exist.
If Cloud found this weird, he did not show it because he was too busy calming his nerves and reorganizing his thoughts in order to come up of the proper greeting if EVER she really was there. What was he to say?
Hi! Long time no see!
Crap!
Hey there beautiful!
Shit. She might as well kick his ass because of saying that.
How are you?
Are you a dork?
Where have you been?
Are you committed? Is she your girlfriend by any chance?
In short, he did not know. But why then are his hands suddenly turning the knob to open the door?
He slowly opened the door of the Church and his eyes widened when he saw someone who he thought he would never see. There she sat in the middle of the flowerbed, the same flowerbed that she showed him the first time they met. It was the same flowerbed where he landed after falling from the reactor. It was the same flowerbed where he gazed at her ethereal emerald eyes for the first time.
And there she sat, in her pink dress holding that single red rose. Her hair cascading down in gentle waves, not tied in a ponytail or a braid this time. Along with her were children sleeping on the flowerbed and looking extremely contented. Cloud could not help but smile. All worries gone, because she was...
Then he heard it. The sound of steel...
His eyes rose from her and then his eyes widened.
He could not believe it.
Why is that person here?
TBC