"Why does humankind even bother? You wreck everything you've ever made then you start over like it'll be any different the next time." a grey hair boy wheeled the man known as Rufus Shinra to the edge of what seemed to be an unfinished building as he spoke.
"I suppose we're no good at facing our memories. We'd rather gild the past...Find something worthwhile among the rubble and build a future with that." Rufus explained to the boy.
"And thats why you Salvaged mother? to "Guild the past"?"
"We were trying to rid ourselves of a more immediate problem.."
"You can't mean the stigma..But you're the ones who brought that on yourselves in the first place. Well now. I guess you really do have a short memory." the boy turned to the view of the city before him.
"Hmm..no not me..for you see it is my choice to forget." Rufus smirked.
Lyna POV
The Lifestream. That's what we call the river of life that circles our planet, giving life to the world and everything in it. The Shinra Electric Power Company discovered a way to use the Lifestream as an energy source. Because of Shinra's energy, we were able to live very comfortable lives. But wasn't that because we were taking away from the planet's life? A lot of people thought so. Shinra used their power to try and stop anybody who got in their way. Shinra had a special group of warriors called SOLDIER, and all of the SOLDIERs had Jenova cells put inside them. Jenova was a calamity that fell from the sky a long, long time ago and tried to destroy the planet.
Anyway, there was one SOLDIER named Sephiroth who was better than the rest. But when he found out about the terrible experiments that made him he began to hate Shinra. And then, over time, he began to hate everything. Shinra and the people against them. Sephiroth, who hated the planet so much he wanted to make it go away. And the people who tried to stop him. There were a lot of battles. For every battle, there was more sadness. Someone I love went back to the Lifestream too.
And then, it came. The chosen day. In the end, the planet itself had to make the battles stop for good. The planet used the Lifestream as a weapon and when it burst out of the earth all the fighting, all the greed and sadness, everything was washed away. "Sadness was the price to see it end." It's been two years since they told me that.
My name is Lyna Matthews..right now i'm caring for my younger sister..she contracted the illness that has taken Gaia by storm..they call it Geostigma..from what i was told..you can only get it if you have Jenova cells inside your body..like the SOLDIER from Shinra..my sister was in SOLDIER..if we had gotten said cells genetically then i would be suffering from the disease too..my sister however has been in a state of depression since she was dumped by her ex: Cloud Strife 2 years ago..plus during her time at Shinra she was expecting a baby..however the joy for her and Cloud didn't last long..Sephiroth ended my nieces life before she was due to arrive..she never saw the sun or knew her parents..
"Lyna...how does it look?"..my sister looked at me...her stigma..it effects her ability to walk..when she does for long periods of time..she gets an attack from it..
"Willow..it looks worse than before..."
"sorry about this.." Willow looked down.
"no need to be sorry sister..you have simply inherited mothers memetic legacy through the lifestream."
i turn to the door as i see 3 boys at the door.."who are you?"
"i am Kadaj, this is Loz and Yazoo...we wish for you..our new sisters..to join us in the search to find mother."
"and in return?" Willow spoke up.
"i shall heal you."
heal..my sister...she would be able to walk again..
"drink this.." Kadaj held out 2 glasses of black water. "it will help.."
"Lyna..i'm don't know about this.." Willow is scared..i can hear it..but i without hesitation drink the water..i just want her cured..
Willow POV
i watch my sister drink the water..she's done it with no hesitation..well..whatever my sister does..i must follow her decisions so i also drink the water but hesitantly..afterwards...i feel my body tingle abit..Lyna's hair changes from it's natural blond colour to a dark grey but mine remains the same..only my eyes change...maybe the stigma keeps the same from happening to me..not sure..either way..we're joining the remnants..and hopefully..get my stigma healed..
"it's time we stop by the wastelands..our big brother will be waiting for us.." Kadaj smirked as Lyna and I followed.
Normal POV.
After a couple of hours of driving, Willow, Lyna and the remnants arrive by the rusted buster sword. Kadaj kicks it over as Willow remembers Zacks death.
Zack was like a brother to Willow, helping her when she needed it and in return she did the same..rarely they would leave each others side as they became partners over the years of working together..they had both reached 1st Class by the time of the Nibelhiem incident..both were exposed to large amounts of Mako energy but neither of them suffered mako poisoning like Cloud did..shortly after Cloud had recovered, she and Cloud made their way to Zack after he went off to fight the Shinra army to protect them..Willow stayed behind to watch over her love as he slowly but surely recovered..after Zacks death though..she felt like she no longer existed..she called out to Cloud multiple times as he walked away from Zacks resting place with his sword..
after that day she never saw him again..until a couple of months later..she saw Cloud and his friends: Barret and Tifa, along with Aerith who she had met before with Zack at her church in the sector 5 slums..as they encountered some monsters, Cloud and his friends saw a flash of silver and red fly by as an axe looking scythe landed in a tree, saving them from a battle as the monsters faded into the lifestream.
Cloud immediately recognised the scythe as he heard Willow's voice, still being in love with Willow at the time, he stabbed the buster sword into the ground and hugged her tightly, relieved to see that she was alright after they parted ways..she was shocked that he remembered her, after Zacks death but realised that he was traumatised by watching his best friend die as she remembered the pain she also felt..she hugged him back tightly and kisses his cheek, earning an "aww" from Aerith. Tifa had the look of jealousy on her face but kept it to herself and Barret said nothing, not knowing Cloud very well like Tifa and Willow did.
Willow joined them on their journey..she told them how her life had been after Zacks death..however even though she was delighted to be with her love and best buddy: Aerith again, her joy was cut short..Aerith died praying for Holy to protect the planet from Meteor...once again..the pain of losing who she considered to be her only true friend, left her in a state of despair yet..weirdly..she felt relieved..relieved that Aerith could finally be at peace and return to Zacks waiting arms..
when Cloud had fallen victim to another dose of Mako poisoning she never left his side, keeping her promise she made when he first fell victim to it..both she and Tifa helped him restore his memories and he returned to his old self..
hours before the last battle with Sephiroth..thats when it happend..her relationship with Cloud came to a screetching halt..
Flashback
Willow stood on the bridge of the highwind..watching the clouds go by the airship as they made their way to the northern cave..the pain she felt..the lives taken from her..Aerith..Zack..her unborn daughter..they would all soon be avenged.
"Willow!" Cloud called her from the hallway, his voice rather saddened..
Willow walked over to Cloud and he lead her to his temperary room and they sat down.
"whats wrong?" Willow asked, having no clue why cloud wanted to talk to her.
"i'm sorry Willow.." his voice saddend.."i can't do this anymore.."
"do what?"
"have you involved..Sephiroth hurt you once..he ripped the life of our baby girl from us..and harmed you in the process..i can't see you hurt by him again..seeing him hurt you again would ruin me..i wouldn't be able to fight to protect you.." Cloud tried to fight back tears.
"Cloud..i-" she was cut off by his lips on hers..
"Willow, i love you..but if we're gonna fight Sephiroth..you can't be a part of it..so i need you to leave..i'm sorry..but it's over..this is the only way.." Cloud let his tears flow freely now, he was clearly hurt that he had to do this.
"you're...breaking up with me?.." Willow gasped in disbelief...but she understood his reasons for the break up.
"i have to..it's the only way i can make sure your safe..and unharmed.."
Flashback end
After that, Willow left and returned home..shortly after the meteor crisis, she and her sister had moved into a house in Edge when homes were built and thats when she contracted the disease that they call Geostigma..
"hey Kadaj? is that where big brother lives?" Yazoo spoke up.
"yeah."
"think he'll be happy to see us?"
"not a chance."
"don't cry Yazoo!" Loz smirked.
"but mothers with him.." Yazoo complained.
"eh, maybe not brother.." Lyna spoke up.
"don't cry Loz." Yazoo coo'd his brother as he started to whimper.
"hold on..he's coming!" Kadaj pointed out as he spotted Cloud in the distance after hearing Fenrir's engine.
Yazoo and Loz looked at each other and then to Kadaj, as he gave them the nod, and they set off on their bikes after Cloud.
Lyna spoke up; "where do you want us brother?"
"beside me..Yazoo and Loz will keep big brother busy." Kadaj then proceeded to get out his phone and call Healen Lodge..
as Willow and Lyna watched the battle, Willow admired Clouds skill..but as he lost one of his fusion swords and looked at his arm, Willow then realised that he also suffered from the stigma.
'he's suffering..like i am..the stigma plagues both our bodies..' she thought..
She looked to Kadaj who was talking to someone on the phone, presumably Reno.
"don't tell me, you're leading me on...because i think you do have mother there...no need to shout...i don't want to talk to you anymore...put the president on." he began to growl.
Willow didn't like the way he was talking to the person on the other end of the line..it was the way Sephiroth addressed her and Zack during her time in SOLDIER..
meanwhile during the battle, Yazoo shot at Cloud, grazing his forehead. Cloud was almost overwhelmed by the Shadow Creepers when Willow called them off. Loz and
Yazoo turn back to leave, after having their fun. Cloud stopped, watched them leave, looking rather puzzled.
as he watched them leave however..he noticed Willow..memories flooded his mind as he looked at the floor, overwhelmed by the guilt of dumping her..."Willow...i'm sorry.." he said, as he drove off, continuing his journey to Healen Lodge.
"Wazzup fool, it's Barret i am the man! Oil Cloud, i just found the biggest Oil field you've ever seen, Surveyin's done, so I should be able to get out there and see Marlene soon. You let her know, all right, Spiky?"
"Reno called again..he said to hurry and he sounded kind of strange..be careful..okay?"
Cloud then ended his calls and got off Fenrir, walking up the stairs towards the front door. he pulled out his sword from it's holster on his back and blocked Renos attack with a metal rod..Reno then tried again but missed as Cloud stepped aside and watched Reno run outside, turn and run back towards the door only to have it shut in his face.
Cloud looked around the lodge and found the place empty..as he went to walk inside alittle more the door opened behind him as he heard Reno speak; "Okay, so you're good-"
and with that Cloud turned to the door, closed it with the expression of "no, fuck off" on his face and locked it. as he turned he saw another door open and Rude appeared.
"Yeah Rude, looking sharp!" Reno shouted from the other side of the door.
As Rude went to attack, Cloud aimed his sword at him and he immediately backed down as another man spoke up.
"Good. You fight like the SOLDIER you once claimed to be. You haven't lost your touch." Rufus told him as Cloud walked over to the man in the wheelchair as Rufus steered it infront of him.
"Rufus Shinra?...do i feel sorry for you." Cloud glared sarcastically at Rude who cleared his throat..
"The day of the explosion-" Rufus started.
"what do you want from me?" Cloud interrupted.
"-i managed to get out of the building-"
"who were those kids who attack me?"
"-before it collapsed-"
"i'm leaving!" Cloud yelled as his questions weren't being answered.
"we need your assistance Cloud."
"Not interested!" Cloud stated.
"I acknowledge that Shinra owes the planet a lot. It goes without saying that my company and I are the ones who put the world in the sorry state it's in. Therefore, it's our responsibility to set things right." Rufus explained.
"I'm still out here!" Reno yelled, hoping that someone will answer the door.
"As a first step we have commenced an investigation in Sephiroth's wake. It's been two years. Now that the world is on its feet again, what poses the greatest threat? Well, that one's easy. Geostigma. And we have reason to think Sephiroth is the one responsible. The populace, they blame mako energy, and the reactors… even the Lifestream for causing the stigma. However, isn't that blame misplaced? The Lifestream has existed as long as the planet, and even mako energy has been part of our lives for over forty years. And yet, there's no mention of the stigma in recorded history. So, what happened during our time to change all that? I can think of only one thing. The arrival of Sephiroth."
"Sephiroth is dead.." Cloud stated.
"Yes, but has his mind died? What if he somehow dissolved into the Lifestream, coursing through the planet undiffused? I know it is merely my speculation – but it is possible, isn't it? And we can't cure the stigma until we know the truth. So we took action. We went to look for traces of Sephiroth. We started – do you know where?"
"yep, at the northern cave!" Reno answered.
"And what do you think we found?"
Cloud became alarmed as he urged Rufus to go on.
"nothing...nothing at all..you can relax..however..not all went as planned..we were..interupted..by the same 5 who attacked you..Kadaj and his gang..along with the Matthews sisters."
"Kadaj and the Matthews?.." Cloud knew all to well who the Matthews sisters were but just played dumb..
"it seems Kadaj recruited the sisters to help him prepare for the moment..and if thats his goal..then he won't want us finishing what we started..really..what could they be thinking?"
"and what does that have to do with me?"
"you're our buddy aren'tcha?" Reno teased through the door but recieve Cloud kicking the door in responce. "aw, don't be that way bud!"
"Kadaj, Loz and Yazoo are young but violent..and with the sisters they're as dangerous as they come..like i said..If Kadaj's purpose is to do what's necessary to prepare for the moment – we stand in the way as his greatest threat."
"moment?.."
"Sephiroth...Reborn.."
"you done talking yet?"
"Let's get to the issue at hand. In order to combat Kadaj, we need someone with your expertise. Will you join us – former SOLDIER, Cloud?"
"heh..in my head." Cloud turned to the door, unlocked it and opened it alittle then spoke up again.. "whats this stuff about mother?.."
"Why? did Kadaj mention something?
"Rufus..if you're hiding something..."
"I'd never keep a secret. Not from a comrade. You must want to learn all you can about the stigma..Naturally, for the sake of those orphans you live with. Surely you long to see the smiles return to their faces, right? All we want in the end is to rebuild our world, Cloud." Rufus extended his hand out to Cloud as Cloud turned to face him..
"but i-" Cloud was about to speak as Reno cut him off.
"c'mon Cloud, together we can rebuild Shinra!"
this angered Cloud, and he decided that he had heard enough and left while saying "i'm not interested."