"A beginning is a very difficult time..."
Frank Herbert, Dune
The Cetra were no more; their hold on the physical world had diminished over the centuries since Jenova had fallen from the stars, and now they had fallen completely into legend. All of their great deeds and all of their darkest secrets were lost to the mist of ages which lies at the end of every journey. As their influence faded into obscurity, one last task was left for them. In the ancient, forgotten capital, their last survivor called forth the power of the planet one final time.. and paid for it with her life. As long as one Ancient remained, hope remained that their influence would live on, but such was not to be.
Now the ancient city slept quietly, life had left this place long ago and not even the shadow of the Cetra remained. Once filled with laughter, love and life, it was now a cold, empty shell filled only with silence. Rays of light shimmered through icy crags so cold that few of even the hardiest of creatures dared to venture near. Silence pervaded the land like a blanket muffling all life...
A single rat, covered in thick white fur, scampered about, scrounging among the remains of an ancient, decrepit home. His whiskers twitched a moment and he stopped, his senses feeling a presence near... but a moment later he scurried about to another alcove. A sound echoed through the forgotten city as something stirred deep within. The rat froze, instinctive fear pervading its senses and filling its primitive mind with worry. Electric current seemed to reflect everywhere for a moment, lightning shimmering in all corners of the ancient structure. The rat dove into a bolt-hole and quivered in terror, his tiny red eyes shifting about in abject fear. Something moved within the ice, metal clashed against metal and groaned in protest as something opened for the first time in millenia.
The Dark Man stepped out from his prison, tasting the freezing air for the first time in ages. His breath condensed almost immediately, even as his body began to register the biting cold. Despite the icy emptiness about him, he seemed to to smile... his smile quickly became a laugh of the type that most would consider slightly less than sane... He felt the death in the world around him, and was pleased by it. The Dark Man reveled in the emptiness surrounding him... a moment later his hand found a piece of the metal which had bound him for so long and he eyed the creature quivering in the tiny bolt-hole. Soon after a high-pitched squeal echoed across the city.. followed by the sickly sounds of one animal feeding upon another...
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She was always there in his dreams, existing on the verge of consciousness that accompanies the most vivid of dreamscapes. Her vibrant green eyes were filled with with such loving intensity when she looked upon him. Cloud wanted these moments to stretch into eternity, but they were always over far too quickly. This time something was different... Aerith's hair fluttered in the breeze as she turned to him... this time as their lips met Cloud felt desperation in her kiss. As she pulled away from him, something was wrong.
Her lips formed a weak smile as her hand wrapped around his..
"I have to go for awhile..." Her voice, even in sadness, held such a divine quality. Cloud held onto her hand, refusing to let go of his love. He felt the cool breeze around him, drank in the scent of her... he could feel her soft skin against him. How could he go through his nights alone again?
"What is it? Why?" Even in the dream, Cloud remained cool, collected.. but there was no fooling her. She saw into the depths of his soul, and saw the hurt building up inside him again.
"Something is coming, something has awoken that should have remained buried... and I must fight it." A single tear fell across the lines of her angelic face.
"Then I will fight with you." Cloud brought her hand up to his face and kissed it gently.
"I can't ask you to, you've done so much for me... just hold me..." Cloud held her tightly in his arms and whispered...
"I can never do enough for you... I love you..."
The field of flowers faded to the familiar walls of Aerith's church and Cloud awoke with a jolt. He could still hear her in his thoughts, feel her in his heart... and he knew what he had to do.
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Shera glided across the sky... her propellers whirring loudly and smoke belching from some ill-maintained component. Cid cursed loudly, expelling the cigarette butt from his mouth with a quick puff of air.
"You lousy idiots! I told you to fix the #( thing." He threw up his hands in frustration at some of the crew just as Shera... the real Shera... appeared from below.
"Sorry, I just need to do some work on the intake valves, too many particles are getting through the air filters." Shera said meekly.
"Well.. uh... okay." Cid scratched his unshaven chin a bit.
"Sir, we're almost at the designated coordinates." A nervous crew member reported.
"Ah, the forgotten city you spoke about, it sure seems pretty from up here." Shera observed.
"Ya, well it ain't much anymore. But if you want to look around a bit, go for it. We're here for the fuel though, remember." Cid absently commented before he ran off, barking orders at some of the crew.
Shera looked down upon the deep crevice and the ancient city held within. It seemed so peaceful from up above, so quiet. She feared that disturbing its slumber might ruin the pristine beauty of the place. For a moment she thought she could see something, a shadow playing from the corner of her eye... but she dismissed it as imagination. With reluctance, she turned away from the railing and began collecting her equipment. She hoped that they would find the fuel deposits they needed for the new rocket. She would get it right this time and her husband would go back into space soon...
The Dark Man stood watch from below, scanning the horizon for the source of the sudden noise. A trail of thick black smoke followed the strange contraption which took up station almost directly above him. It was nearing sunset now, and the orange and purple tones cast the icy world into an almost mystical twilight. Shadows clambered about, casting ropes down to the structures nearby. As they slid down the ropes to anchor the strange machine, the Dark Man slipped into the shadows, his eyes searching every detail, committing every scrap of information to memory. A pair of figures slid down the ropes in near-unison. One seemed to struggle with the grip while the other slid with such natural skill and bravado that it was clear he was a leader of some sort.
"Ah hell, didn't I tell you? Don't get the damn ropes tangled up like that. She can't land here, so we gotta do this real careful, okay? CARE-FUL, got that?" Cid grabbed the offending crew member by the shoulder. "Now get the tents setup... no wait... on second thought bring the gear into one of those structures..."
As the leader was shouting orders rather ineffectively, the Dark Man observed the other one... ah a female... a mate perhaps? He began to calculate his next actions. The female was apparently enamored with this rather pathetic place, he thought. Ah, well refuse always finds its home, no? Well no matter, he thought, I need a... sacrifice. As she began exploring nearby structures, the Dark Man slid from his hiding spot and lunged into action.
Shera looked down at the old bed-frame, wondering what people had once lived here, who had once called this ruin home... She saw a small statue, worn and broken and yet somehow still beautiful. The figure reminded her of someone Cloud had once described for her, and she decided it might make a good gift for Cid's friend once she fixed it up properly. She collected the pieces and put them into her bag. Just as she slung the bag back over her shoulder, fear crept into her mind. Someone was here with her. She flipped around, fear enhancing her senses... but there was nothing. Stupid stupid, she thought, what would Cid think of his wife being so jumpy. She turned back towards the door and had only enough time to scream before the shadow lunged at her.
