A Purpose Born
Chapter 1
Cold. It was the first sensation that crept into his bones, that shivering numbness which surrounded him, enveloping him and threatening to consume him. Snow fell gently across the windswept land, lazily wafting down from the silver clouds far above, obscuring his vision as the snowboard shifted beneath him. The dwindling visibility did not deter the man as he continued to build up reckless speed, gliding down the seemingly endless incline ever faster. The world seemed to be bathed in glorious, angelic whiteness, as if the man had entered into an endless paradise of beauty.
Yet the man felt none of this as he sped down the long, winding course. Cloud could only feel the cold seeping into him, the numbness which briefly fell over his tortured heart. He had believed his friends when they told him a vacation would do him good, that it would help him forget that emptiness in his soul, but it had only made things worse. He knew somewhere over those mountains, buried deep in an ancient gorge, lay the forgotten capital of the ancients. Deep inside the depths of sacred water lay the only cure for his ailing heart, the only meaning in his life.
Cloud had long left the others behind him, and for a moment he felt the bitter pang of regret at having ruined their own enjoyment of this place with his deep-seated misery. Lost in his own thoughts, flying ever-faster down the dangerous slope, Cloud never noticed the gradual buildup of stormy weather until it was upon him, gusts of wind flinging him about like a ragdoll as he lost control, careening down the slope as he tumbled endlessly. He felt the sickening crunch of bone in his leg as he landed against a fallen tree, careening around it and skidding to a halt.
Shaking his head to clear the snow from his goggles, he latched on to a branch and pulled himself forward, sheltering his fragile body against the roiling snowstorm. Pain coursed through his veins as he took stock of his own injuries, staring down at his leg, bent at an unnatural, sinister angle. In a sense it had been the only moment in which his mind had lingered on something other than her, the only time he didn't see her face in his thoughts, or hear her voice in his heart. And for that brief release from his burden, he was eternally grateful. The physical pain meant nothing to him as he leaned his back against the uprooted trunk, laughing at the irony of the moment. He had beaten down so many vicious monsters, defeated the most heinous of men, filled with limitless evil... and it was to be a snowstorm that was fated to kill him. He held no illusions of rescue, knowing that he had strayed far off the beaten path in his reckless plunge. It didn't matter, in a sense he welcomed death. He had been silently wishing for it ever since he had watched her die, watched the sword plunge through her fragile body, watched the eyes drain of life even as she smiled at him. Those beautiful eyes haunted his dreams, those soft lips seemed to brush against his in the shadowy world between dreams and reality, and her endless wisdom graced his ears whenever he quieted his mind enough to hear her sweet, kindly voice.
The errant thoughts brought out a flush of anger, a hatred which had never truly abated even long after Sephiroth had been defeated. His fist lashed out against the lifeless tree, smashing against it with all the strength his broken body had remaining, even as his leg twitched slightly in intense pain. Against unforgiving, frozen wood, he had half-expected to smash his own hand in the process, but instead his fist flew through soft dirt and came to rest on something soft, something... man-made. Curiosity overcame his pain for a moment and he reached deeper inside, pulling out the strange object, covered in decaying cloth and clumpy, frozen soil. He carefully unwrapped the rotting cloth, his sudden need to know overcoming his rage, as he revealed the plastic-wrapped contents within.
An ancient book lay before him, it's pages yellowed and faded with age, preserved only by the biting cold which never truly left this place. Cloud removed a glove and reached for a lighter in his pocket, striking up the miniscule flame, the only warmth remaining in this cold world. He gently warmed the side of the book, careful to keep the flame from touching the old tome, unsticking the frozen pages for the first time in decades. With gentle hands he opened the cover, it's label long since worn off by dirt and grime, and began to read, ignoring the pain that coursed through his body...
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Ancients:
Historical Research Project
Professor Gast
I am finding that conducting research of this nature without the funding or manpower of Shinra, Inc. is not as difficult as I imagined previously. The local people are far more cooperative with my efforts than at any site I have visited while working with Shinra's people. Ultimately the local legends are far more useful to me than an army of soldiers who are just as like to destroy evidence as to find it. Still, I cannot help but wonder if my choice was a wise one. There is no leaving Shinra when you know as many of their dirty secrets as I do, and I cannot help but know, as my involvement in many of them was precisely what drove their research forward. I deserve death, I have committed so many sins in the name of science, through my own naïveté and youthful innocence. Now I truly understand my sins, and perhaps in some small way my quest here, far away from Shinra's power-hungry President, will serve to make amends to the planet I have wronged so grievously...
...It was far too cold in the resort town for the man's taste; he had greatly preferred the temperate climates of Nibelheim or the tropical weather of Costa Del Sol. Still, this was the last place Shinra would look to find him, and in that sense it was perfect. No one at that bureaucratic monstrosity would honestly believe that he would walk across the frozen wasteland in an effort to pursue his research of the Ancients at the most obvious of locations. When others expect great subtlety out of you, it pays to be obvious, the man thought as he smiled to himself for a brief moment. But realization that he would be here, in the freezing numbness of the far-north, probably until the end of his days, wiped the grin away almost as quickly as it had appeared. Even here in town he had to be careful not to become too cozy with the outsiders who vacationed here, though he knew the locals would bring no trouble, they hated Shinra almost as much as he did, and if anyone recognized him, they said nothing.
Technically he was still a Shinra employee, on a long leave of absence to conduct research at his leisure when and where he pleased. But they had made it clear that he was to return with something of equal value to the unprecedented freedom they were allowing him, or not bother to return at all. He knew he was walking a fine line with Shinra's leadership, who tolerated his bizarre request only because of the immense value he had been to the company's Jenova project and SOLDIER programs. Sooner or later they would cease to find him useful, and dispose of him like any other employee who learned just a little too much about the company's dark secrets. He had not been surprised to find Shinra agents following him around the world, and he had only lost them with immense difficulty.
He wrapped his faded scarf around his neck more tightly, careful to avoid wasting any precious body-heat, as he trudged through the town's main thoroughfare. A few of the townspeople nodded to him along the way, still a little wary of the strange hermit who was constantly out exploring the wastelands and asking bizarre questions about the area's ancient folk tales. Professor Gast, the mind behind the most insidious of Shinra's experiments, trudged into the general store unceremoniously, sniffling as he shook off some of the errant snow which had stuck to his thick coat. It had been well over a month since he had last come to the store for supplies and he was surprised to find someone new working behind the counter.
The scientist within him began categorizing her features almost out of habit, attempting to ascertain where she was from and what she would be doing here in the ass-end of nowhere. Her eyes were a vibrant green, an exceptionally rare eye color, especially among the races which were normally associated with the far north. Her hair was unusual for the area, falling from her pale face in long, curled locks and cascading brown strands; few people in this town bothered with such obvious care. Even her expression didn't fit well with the area, most people here were either blithely happy, enjoying their vacation in this frozen hellhole, or driven to misery endlessly serving the demanding tourists. He simply couldn't read this woman's expression, almost as if she wasn't quite human. Despite his usual neutrality on the subject of women, for he had no experience or talent with them, he found himself appreciating her for more than the sum of her features.
"You are new here." The professor commented matter-of-factly.
"Yes, the owner has kindly given me a job. Can I help you with anything?" Her voice was soft and sweet, it possessed an almost ethereal quality that was oddly soothing.
"I know where everything is located. Thank you. Might I inquire as to what brought you to this place?" Gast asked, his voice still monotone and scientific. She smiled softly, chuckling slightly with amusement.
"You speak so... formally. I'd ask you the same thing." She replied, her features bright and lively.
"I have historical research to conduct here. I am interviewing some of the local folk on various legends and myths about the Ancients, have you heard of them?" The professor asked, his mind focusing on the potential for new information.
She chuckled a moment longer and then mocked his tone of voice, speaking as if she were pretending to lecture.
"Why yes, I am quite familiar with the Ancients. Perhaps you should interview me, I could provide a great deal of pertinent information." She added, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Is something funny about all this?" Gast asked, annoyance creeping up into his voice as a strange nervousness came over him.
"I'm sorry. You just talk differently than the rest of the folk around here. Maybe we're starting off wrong. I'm Ifalna, nice to meet you." She said simply, but the grin was still there. Gast found himself strangely drawn to the woman, in the same manner as he was drawn to his research. Ifalna was so mysterious, so out-of-place in this freezing wasteland; she represented the unknown, which had always held great appeal for him.
"I am... Professor Smith." He lied. Certainly the last thing he needed was some stranger reporting his whereabouts to Shinra after all of the effort he had expended to keep them away from his research. Still she didn't appear to be any kind of threat... she had a manner about her that immediately put one at ease. No wonder the old shopkeeper had hired her, he thought.
"And I'm one of your Ancients." She replied sarcastically. "So what's your real name?"
"That is my name." Gast lied again, his voice cracking. She just nodded, a thin smile crossing her full lips; she was obviously not convinced. Her eyes were mesmerizing, and for a moment Gast caught himself staring into them longingly, almost forgetting what he had come here for. Scarlet flushed on his cheeks as he turned away and began fumbling for the neatly ordered list he had brought with him. Finally digging it out of his coat pocket, he shakily opened up the carefully folded piece of paper... only to drop it on the floor.
"Are you alright?" She asked sweetly as she slipped out from behind the counter. As he forced himself to his feet, wondering what bizarre episode had just come over him, he opened the list and went over it in his mind, calming himself and restoring his balance.
"My apologies, it's the cold you see... walking into this warmth was...uh... a shock." He said nervously, his eyes refusing to make contact with hers.
"Mmhhmm it is much warmer in here." She smiled sweetly. For a brief moment her hand lightly brushed his as she took the list away and he felt goose bumps travel up his spine. "Okay, I'll take care of this list for you, just sit down over there, relax and warm up." She continued.
Guilt clouded his conscience for a moment; he hadn't intended to make her run all over the store fetching his goods. He was more nervous now than he had been during his first lectures. Confusion followed, and Gast decided that he would just file the event away as anomalous behavior, to be properly explained later. The scientist felt an odd desire to see more of the strange woman, and decided that an interview with her could prove useful.
"That should be everything on your list Mister Smith." The woman laughed briefly as she set the various foodstuffs and supplies on the counter. For a moment Gast simply sat there, his expression blank, as if wrestling with some deep philosophical issue. Finally he forced himself to his feet and began nervously counting the bills, despite the fact that he already knew the precise amount his goods would cost. She just giggled for a moment, obviously amused by the oblivious researcher.
"You're not very good around women, are you?"
"I am a scientist, Miss Ifalna, I have no need for uh... distractions from my work." His nervousness vanished; calm returning to him as he thought about his precious research. "In that vein, however, if you know anything about the Ancients, even if it is a folk tale or myth, please come to my laboratory near the edge of town. I pay well for any information that helps with my research."
"I'm not really interested in the money, but if I can help, I'd love to." Something changed in her eyes then, those sparkling green orbs focusing someplace distant, almost as if she were peering into his soul, staring right through him as if his innermost thoughts were utterly transparent to her. The entire experience was unnerving, and it reminded him briefly of his instructors at the university ages ago as they had handed out final examinations, peering at the students as if just looking them in the eye could tell them if the person would pass or fail. For the first time since meeting the mysterious woman he began to seriously believe that she knew far more than she let on.
