The Flow of Redemption
Chapter 1: Pathway
Final Fantasy 7 belongs to Square-Enix.
This fanfic is a "what if" on Professor Gast on that faithful day. All we know is that Hojo shot Gast, but what happened after that? What if, Professor Gast was not killed? What if he was only badly injured? And what if, he takes a walk one day through the city of the Ancients twenty-two years later...?
"All I can remember is the sound of the gun. I was told there was a lot of blood, but I was not concious enough to see it. I remember crying out to my wife. For her to take our daughter and run. I do not remember what happened after this. I do not know if they escaped, or if they were captured and placed under horrific experimentation. All I know is, I will vow revenge on that man, Hojo.
It has been twenty-two years since that day. The doctors have told me I am now fit to walk, they tell me to go on with my life. But I cannot. I still bear the timeless scars of those bullets upon my chest, both physically and mentally. They are my only memento of that incident.
I wonder if they still live, hidden away. Safe. My only hope. I will find them, I will go to the City of the Ancients and they, they will be there waiting for me. But with what? Open arms? Seems unlikely. It was my fault after all, my fault that that man found us. I wonder if I will be forgiven, by Ifalna...and Aeris...dear Aeris..."
The diary snapped shut as the old man placed a weather wore pen down. The diary itself was rather meager, the leather faded in places and pages torn out in rage and suffering. The man stood up, struggling with the effort. His breathing came on more rapidly as he tried to pace himself. He pulled himself towards the exit with a walking stick, ignoring the efforts of the local nurse who tried to convince him to lay back down upon the bed. There was only one goal he had in mind, the City of the Ancients.
He opened the door, immediately giving entrance to cold sharp breezes that tore at his bones. The weather of Icicle Inn was always rough, but he had never planned on moving away. Memories kept him firmly in place. He stepped forwards into the sparkles of faded light, sky lightly coated with pale golden clouds, hearing the snow crunch lightly as he walked. Too many memories, too much guilt. If it were possible, he was going to gain forgiveness.
His heart seemed to grow lighter with each step he made towards the exit of Icicle Inn. But before he finally left his home of twenty-five years, he could not help but raise a hand in farewell towards the people of the town. Though they resented him for causing the loss of the last Cetra, he could not help but feel grateful for their help in his recovery. And now, his journey was finally beginning.
The frosts outside the town was lighter, he was thankful. But even this kind of weather was hard on the fifty-two year old. Yet he forced himself through the gales and the drifts with the determination of will. Only the thought of seeing his wife and child after all those years substained him. His throughts strayed particularly to his daughter, Aeris. She would be a grown woman now. He wondered if she had the looks of her mother, or, he mused to himself, would have been unfortunate enough to recieve his end of the chromosomes.
Days seemed to pass as he made his way towards the mountain cave. The entrance to the City of the Ancients. The moment the caught sight of the dark hole etched into the mountainside he quickly hurried forward. Both with anticipation and exhaustion. He slumped to his knees the moment he was clear of the brutal winds, gasping for breath and rubbing his hands together for warmth. The cave was only the beginning of the path. He still had a while yet before he would truly enter the city.