I decided to release this fic also so if you all like it review, if not I'm just going to stop updating it. If enough like it I may try to finish it but we'll see. I promise it gets better... and definitely will go to 'M' rating later
Set in ancient times, think of movies 300 and Troy if you will... though not related to either of them. Final Fantasy fic number 4 that I've put up, today, so read the other two I just made and read Kingdom of Advent Heart's newest update if you've read it before.
Any questions send them!
PROLOGUE
1000 B.C.
On the planet of Gaia, in the tribal brutish lands of the eastern continent an army of ruffians celebrated around a large blazing flame at the victory they had achieved. The howls and laughter these savages ranted late into the night howling on and on. In the midst of this group there were a couple who celebrated the battle won in a much more relaxed manner.
"Hojo, today was a great victory, you have proven that you are worth your merit." The tribe leader spoke to his main general. "We prayed that you would lead the Shinra peoples to victory and drive back those that dare claim such fruitful land, the gods above have answered our prayers. We have only to worry of those sorcerers of the north… the Ancients! We have lost many battles and lost many warriors at their gates, they have become a barrier to our final conquering of this land. Tomorrow we shall march upon them and finish what needs to be done!" The tribal leader cheered as he turned to his right and lifted his hand. A beautiful woman lifted her head and a made her way to his side.
"Honorable one, I am pleased by your approval of our victory." Hojo grinned as he pounded his chest and bowed not seeing the woman approaching.
"Take this as my show of appreciation… take my daughter's hand in repayment of what you have done for out people!" He grinned as Hojo looked up to her and grinned.
"Lady Lucrecia…." Hojo grinned. She wore an elegant white silken dress that flowed to the ground, a strict contrast to that of the armored warriors in which she was surrounded by. Lucrecia and Hojo were left alone and that was when her voice made itself known.
"I will kill myself the moment you touch me." She swore. Hojo laughed and stepped closer to the princess of their people.
"Vincent was a fool, I see he's gotten you into thinking that peace with these Ancients is the right thing for our people. We haven't traveled so far from our country in order to ask for friendship! We will take from them what they don't understand." Hojo grinned. Lucrecia sneered and as he reached for her she slapped his hand away and the second in command Vincent, approached.
"Are you bothering Lady Lucrecia?" He asked as he stepped between the two. Hojo laughed and then walked around Vincent who moved to block him.
"This is now my woman, Vincent, thanks to my bravery on the field… had you been so influential maybe you would have been able to win the lady's hand?" Hojo spoke as if questioning something. Vincent's eyes widened and he looked over his shoulder to Lucrecia whose sad eyes confirmed Hojo's words. Vincent bowed his head and left as Lucrecia made after him but Hojo stopped her.
"Why run when I'm right here?" he asked with a grin. Lucrecia slapped him and removed herself from his clutches and ran after Vincent. Hojo turned and looked after the woman and sneered, "he'll die tomorrow anyhow."
The Next Day
The Shinra army marched towards the gates of the un named city of the Ancients, the army of over a million were determined the finish what no other force of the planet ever could. They would be the largest and the first to conquer the Ancients and gain the secrets within the city. Hojo and the army of Shinra wasted no time and pushed forward in a primal rush to try and overtake the city with force.
"Onward… Show them that the Shinra are the greatest force of all of the planet!!!" The Hojo roared and that's when the sky ignited and the large force paused as a massive blotch in the sky appeared. The warriors paused and stared at the unbelievable sight in the sky. They believed that the enigma was a spell by that of the Ancients to distract them but the massive blotch began to descend and instantly the army tried to run from the battle field.
The matter slammed into the ground and erupted destroying the Shinra force.
950 B.C.
"That is how our people were moved from the once beautiful City of the Ancients, we inhabit the wasteland of our newest home, Midgar while our top Ministers devote their lives to keeping the threat of the Shinra away. That fateful day had been thought to have been a victory, a miracle, but instead it had brought unbelievable power to the most evil of this planet. The Shinra are our enemies and the most dangerous because of their supreme powers and abilities, they are the greatest threat to our existence, never forget that… if you see a Shinra get as far from them as possible." Elder Ifalna spoke… she was very young for being a teacher and had proved herself to the others by successfully defending Midgar from the attacks of the super Shinra Soldiers.
One of the students in the group began laughing because of something another said and instantly Ifalna reacted to the student.
"Do you find something comical about our people's situation?" She asked and he lifted his head and sighed.
"Sorry, it's just…" He replied instantly and Ifalna narrowed her eyes and the boy went on, "I want to know if we're supposed to be accepting why is it we must hate the Shinra?" Ifalna softened her glare and sighed.
"They have nothing but utmost hatred of us, we don't hate them, we condemn them, because nothing from Shinra can ever find light." Ifalna explained, "they possess far too much darkness."
"People say you actually hate them for killing your husband." Another child spoke and Ifalna's eyes widened and narrowed.
"Class is dismissed." She explained instantly and left the students in the garden to find they own ways home. Ifalna walked through the cobbled streets of the city and looked at the huts and various clay homes. "The Shinra are evil." Ifalna whispered as she continued through the city and out into the outer layers of the city into the wasteland, where the graves lay.
"My love…" She whispered and laid a hand upon a slab of stone that had been chiseled to depict her husband's grave. She sighed deeply and shook her head. She was still very young and had yet to give birth as the rest of the women her age had. "Why did you sacrifice yourself… why you?" She asked as she cried thinking back to the battle almost a year ago against the super warriors. Ifalna wanted to let her tears over take her but a sound distracted her. Ifalna looked up and scowled. "You!" She hissed
"Ifalna, I am sorry for your loss," Gast spoke as he appeared in rags suitable of a lowly merchant.
"How dare you come within our sacred city!? How did you get here without getting detected?!" Ifalna hissed and Gast shook his head.
"I come not to fight but to beg for sanctuary and to ask for help… They're exposing innocent people to the catastrophe that fell from the sky decades ago… the things they are doing are horrendous! I need help to free those who are innocent… I can't sit idle and allow my own people to experiment on innocent others… just for the sake of a war." Gast said with earnest and Ifalna glared at him before nodding.
"He always trusted you, and despite his death, I should as well… had you not aided in your own way, I would have lost much more than a husband that fateful day…" Ifalna whispered and Gast looked down and nodded.
"I wish there could have been another way…" he began but Ifalna spoke.
"What must be done?" She inquired and Gast immediately explained his goal. "Very well then, let us leave" she and Gast then made their way into the wasteland never looking back once.
One Year later
Ifalna and Gast found themselves trying to flee from the Shinra kingdom that now lay upon the old city of the Ancients. With the duo, was a single woman struggling to keep up. "I can't go on any more please leave me, go, save yourselves!" She cried softly as fatigue set in and she fell to her knees. In all their time trying to free those held captive by the Shinra kingdom, Gast and Ifalna had only been able to successfully bring this single woman, a wandering peasant with no real home from the clutches of the experimenting chambers and dungeons. In that year of failure and near death experiences, Ifalna and Gast had grown close and had even conceived a child that was sent to back to Midgar alone so that hopefully the Ancients there would have a way of protecting the child. Ifalna and Gast had never wanted to leave their little girl alone, but the decision had been for the best. They just hoped that a kind heart would protect the child and the Ancients of Midgar would accept a child made with a partial Shinra warrior.
"You have to stand Lyra there is no giving up now!" Ifalna ordered as she helped the newly pregnant woman stand to her feet.
"I can't, there's nothing left for me to live for! My husband is dead, my child will be without a father… I can't live like this!" She whimpered but Gast shook the woman slightly.
"Then live for the sake of the child! Don't let those barbarians capture you and make your child a slave to war!!" Gast spoke as the fight in the woman's eyes returned and the trio ran on. The trio had successfully eluded the main swarms of warriors and now hid in the shallow woodlands of the forest that surrounded the Shinra Kingdom.
Hours passed until daybreak finally made its appearance and once again they were on the move. Gast pushed both women to the ground and took a spear through a shoulder and fell himself. Ifalna and Lyra got up and gasped in horror as Gast ripped the weapon from his left arm and looked around for the assailant. Gast gasped as his eyes connected with a very young woman who had white hair down to her back and piercing green eyes. The six year old pointed towards the trio and instantly a group of men appeared behind her. Gast pulled Ifalna and Lyra to their feet and pulled them along.
"Gast!!" Ifalna cried in panic at the blood rushing out of his body.
"I'm fine!" He said as he looked over his shoulder as the warriors gained on them. "Ifalna, Lyra get out of here… reach the river and get to Nibelheim… they'll never look there for it's a worthless village to them… go!" Gast whispered to the two women and pushed them forward as he turned to slow the warriors down. Ifalna stopped momentarily to look at the man whom she had learned to love and nearly fell to tears, but fought them the moment Lyra's eyes were on her.
"You heard him… let's go!" Ifalna shouted as the two women ran. Lyra was hysterical and crying the entire time. She had only known the two for a few months as they had secretly explained helping her and many others escape. Though the plan had been for many more to be alive other than herself, Lyra had become close to the two and losing Gast hurt her terribly. The two finally came to the edge of the rushing river just as a horrified scream pierced through the woods. Ifalna froze and her bottom lip trembled as her worst fears were confirmed.
"I'm so sorry…" Lyra sobbed but Ifalna shook the woman and then spoke.
"You have to live now! Gast gave his life for you to live and I won't allow you to let his sacrifice be in vain! Please don't let his death be for nothing." Ifalna pleaded as she and Lyra dove into the river only to be carried down the strong current. The Shinra Soldiers arrived just in time to see the two women rushing down the stream at an intense rate.
"We can still get them!" The little girl spoke as she appeared with a frown. To her right a little four year old boy stood silently watching the water stream by. "Sephiroth, don't you think they should die for what they did!? For leaving us… taking away our brothers and sisters!! Because of them we are alone!!" She screamed at the stream rather than the boy who frowned but remained silent.
"We shall have their heads, Lady Jenova…" One of the warriors bowed and instantly the group of eight took off. Jenova looked to her little brother and grinned.
"We will make new friends won't we little brother?" Jenova asked as Sephiroth barely nodded and allowed himself to be led away.
The river's current was pulling Lyra under the water as she struggled to keep her head above the waters as rocks and jagged wood sharps decorated the water around the two women. "Lyra hang on to me!!" Ifalna yelled as she tried to conjure a spell that created a shield around the two. Lyra finally calmed her beating heart and smiled as the force field Ifalna created protected them from the rocks and sharp objects throughout the raging river. Ifalna's spell even blocked out the water and created a sphere that seemed to float across the water bumping into the rocks but causing the two inside no harm.
The Shinra warriors had ran rapidly to catch the two and succeeded. Several threw their spears at the force field causing Ifalna to momentarily lose concentration. Her spell came down and the two were tossed back into the rushing waters. Lyra screamed in fear as she saw the end of their ride coming. A drop without end in sight was coming towards the two women. Ifalna saw this and tried to create another spell but she paused in shock and widened her eyes in fear. Lyra finally turned and gasped in terror as a large spear protruded from Ifalna's back. "NO!!!" Lyra screamed as she tried to reach her friend but a spear lodged itself in her arm and from the pain and shock of the spear and the cold beating of the water Lyra passed out. The two bodies of the women carelessly fell over the edge of the waterfall while the Shinra Soldiers grinned and turned from the scene proud to have completed their task.
Miraculously at the base of the waterfall, several hours later, Lyra's eyes opened as she felt herself gently floating down the river. She whimpered in pain and suddenly her body stopped floating as the face of a man came into her view. "Help!! She needs help!!" He yelled as he lifted her body from the freezing waters and ran to shore.
Many months passed and Lyra had lived as she secretly promised Ifalna before her death. Lyra had never spoke a single word to any of the villagers of Nibelheim because she knew that she was only living to complete a promise and wanted no one to feel saddened when she lived up to that promise. Now she sat grimacing in agony as she refused to allow herself to scream as the child in her womb now struggled to make its way into the world. The man who had saved her and his wife had been doing all they could for Lyra since discovering her and now the couple were cheering Lyra on to complete the birth of her child, while being amazed she wouldn't utter a single scream.
"You can do this Lyra!!" The woman smiled her blonde hair matching Lyra's exactly. Lyra nodded to the kind woman and sent another push, the final push that gave life to her son. The man grabbed the child and went to cleaning him while the wife smiled and told Lyra she had succeeded. "He's so beautiful Lyra, just like you." She smiled and that's when Lyra's eyes watered… all the horrible experiments the loss of her friends, her husband… Lyra smiled and grabbed the woman's hand and spoke softly.
"Penelope… love him as if he was your own… please…" Lyra whispered as tears streaked her face just before her eyes closed permanently. Penelope gasped and touched Lyra's head and softly shook the woman while calling her name. Penelope let out a scream of agony just as her husband returned with the child who had no stopped his cries to listen to the other woman's cries.
After a few moment's Penelope looked to her husband and then to the child before taking him into her arms. "I promise Lyra… I'll take care of your son…" Penelope smiled as her tear streaked face gazed upon the child with bright nearly glowing blue eyes and a tuft of blonde hair. She stared at the child and smiled sadly, "You'll never know you're mother little one, she's in the sky with the stars, high above the clouds…" Penelope stopped and smiled softly a happier smile, "You will be Cloud… just like the clouds in the sky, because I don't ever want you to leave this planet, you'll always be here… just like the clouds are always nearby… I'll love you I promise I will." Penelope whispered to the child who giggle softly and attempted a smile.
Not much yet, but I'm getting there. I may update later tonight if I actually get some reviews, trust me, this is going to be sweet.