Summary: Kunsel is a mysterious person who's face is unknown to even Zack Fair, 'his best friend'. But what if he was more than that? And what if he went back in time? Could he prevent the horrible future?
A/N: There may be elements from other anime. Why? Because I said so. Characters may be OOC but IDGAF.
Kunsel was a very mysterious being to many.
In SOLDIER, he didn't have many friends and he wasn't a really sociable person though he seemed nice enough. His one true friend seemed to be First Class SOLDIER Zack Fair, though to some people it appeared that their friendship had been slowly detiriating, especially when climbed rank under Angeal Hewley's tutelage.
The Sencond Class SOLDIER always had information had information on anything and everything. Not a lot of people knew Kunsel had the kind of information he did (Project Jenova? Chaos? Omega?) but those who had came to him for info (Who's dating who?), they suspected him to be a former Turk. How else would he know so much?
His face was unknown. It was suspected that he had even taken his picture ID with it and that even when he had been recruited, something had always been covering his face. Many rumors had flown through the ranks. Some rumors said that he was disfigured under the protective helmet and ridiculous ones such saying that he sleeped, ate and bathed in it.
Of course no one was really sure.
No one knew Kunsel. No one knew what he liked, who he liked, what his dreams were, if he had family... One would assume that he would tell Zack Fair but no that did not hapen. He did not tell Zack Fair, a dear friend to him, things about him that no one would ever really ever get the privlege to know. He never said anything because he never got the chance to.
When Zack Fair had died he had been stunned, then in shock, denial and so on. It had devastated him, really. Yes, he was sad that Zack had died, but he was especially regretful of the way their relationship had ended.
Ever since Zack had recieved his aprenticeship under Angeal, they had steadily been going apart. His friendship with him had been put under strain and put to test. Kunsel was happy for his friend, really he was but sometimes he wished that he had never recieved such an opportunity but he always banished such thoughts. Many times he had wishedto voice his concerns to his friend but he didn't want to trouble Zack with his petty woes.
No, he wouldn't trouble his friend. So what Kunsel did was bottle his sadness and other emotions, and he buried them deep. He did his best to be happy for his friend. The next thing Kunsel did was watch as his friend became stronger and happy within his circle of friends that were the Shinra Elite.
He watched as Genesis slowly went mad and deserted. He watched as Angeal Hewley followed him and as Zack despaired (He wanted to help comfort his friend but Zack had made it his personal mission to help Sephiroth as much as possible.) He watched as he heard the news of Genesis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley were declared 'Killed in Action' and how Zack had came back from a particular mission with an intense sadness that he didn't even know Zack was capable of. Kunsel had known better.
Knowing how secretive and power hungry Shinra was, and how uncaring they were of human lives as to allow Hojo freedom for his expiriments, he had investigated. He had found out horrifying knowledge of crimes that had been commited against the Planet and against human beings. He found out about the Hojo's cruelty, in the worst way possible as well.
No one knew and Kunsel was sure that no one had even noticed, but he had gone missing for some time (a week? A moth? A year?... He couldn't remember) In that time he had spent it under Hojo's bloddied scalpel. For what seemed like an eternity he had been in agony and painpainpain...
In those days he had wished he had died, but alas he did not. No Hojo would not let him. Hojo had cut him open, poked and prodded, saw what made him tick and twitch. He would torture with taunts and threats of Zack being his next target as well as a new Cadet he had taken under his wing a while ago, by the name of Cloud Strife. He had been pumped full of mako that made him scream and dream nightmares.
So when Hojo had left for a while back to Shinra, he had taken the oportunity. Kunsel had forced himself off the blood stained table and had prepared to make the long trek back to Shinra, but not before he had painstakingly gone through the documents strewn through the Shinra Manner. From there he had learned of many of Hojo's horrible experiments (No wonder Sephiroth ended they way he did so cold and emotionless... though he knew that the General had cared for his SOLDIERs and Kunsel wouldn't believe otherwise)
The trip to Midgard was all for naught though. Kunsel had found that the General, Zack Fair, a Cloud Strife and a few others had been shipped off to Nilbeheim. From there it all went to hell. The General had gone mad and had attacked Zack and Cloud. Later he had been thrown into the reactor. Zack and Cloud had later on gone missing. During that time Shinra had been thrown into chaos.
Of course after hearing what had happened, Kunsel had deserted Shinra, seeing as his friend had died...he had no other reason to stay behind. He had honed his skills and with the unvoluntary enhancement done to his body he was easyly on par with Zack and maybe even one of the Commanders, though he couldn't really be sure. He had observed as Cloud Strife had found his way again and as he became a part of AVALANCHE. Cloud had become an admirable SOLDIER though an unofficial one and it was amazing to see how he had taken on the threat of Shinra and Sephiroth again with his return.
Shinra guided under a new leader of Rufus Shinra and his Turks took Neo Shinra to new directions. When the Geostigma had hit the Planet he had done what he could to help people but careful to not contract it as well. During the madness he had always throught to offer his services to Cloud and the others but he had always shook his head at the thought. What could he offer them?! Cloud who had taken on Sephiroth and won, Tifa Lockhart a beutiful woman and an amazing fighter, Yuffie Kusaragi a princess with amazing stealth and techniques, Vincent Valentime a legendary ex-Turk and marksmen and strenth, Cid Highwind an amazing mind and a useful set of technical skills as well as fighter, Barret Wallace a protector of the planet and with amazing tenacity, and last but not least Nanaki, a beast with amazing intellegence and fighting skill and a good listener.
They were a fearsome group indeed.
So through all the happenings, Kunsel had made somehow made his way to Arieth's church. He didn't know why he had ended there. He had vaugely felt guit but the moment he had entered the old church... He sat down near the flowers at the moment all he could think was of all the horrible pain he had been forced under and the emotions he had force under made their way to the surface.
He chocked and then suddenly he heaved a sob that ripped through his throat. Tears were running down his face and he hastily took off his helmet that he had still kept over the years. Raven black hair was exposed and messy long tresses that had been held by a simple purple ribbon came tumbling down his back. Light blue eyes bright with tears and mako were shown for the first time in a long while.
Kunsel cried. He remembered everything that had been done to him in vivid detail. The expiriments done to his body by Hojo and the things he taken from him (Hojo's sadistic pleasure was clearly shown... in many ways) He remembered the way he had screamed as he had been cut open and as Hojo poured various chemicals on to them... The pain as they had healed closed only to be torn open again and such torture had resulted on extensive scars to form and cover his body. He had grown new appendages; two black wings protruding from his back and hidden in his shoulders when retracted that were side effects of Jenova's cells though for some reason he had never heard her call...
He remembered his profound lonelyness and isolation. He remembered feeling horrible and useless at his inability to help his friend... and his helplessness. He remembered the intense sadness at his and Zack's crumbling friendship... He should have done more! He should have fought! He should have talked things out! He shouldn't have been caught by Hojo... He should have been stronger! If he had he wouldn't have become the monster tha the was now, deformed and scarred by the expiriments...
"Don't cry..." a feminin voice called out and Kunsel jerked his head up, mako bright eyes searched the church for its owner. The church was completely empty however.
"Who's there?" He questioned as he stood up from his spot, wiping his tears and emotions as his eyes searched. Really, who could have slipped from his guard?
The voice giggled and suddenly Kunsel gasped. A feeling of vertigo took over him as his surroundings suddenly shifted from the rundown church to a field of white and golden flowers as far as the eye could see. Kunsel nearly gasped at the sight had it not been for his training.
"Where am I?" he questioned to himself quietly as he took in everything. 'How did I get here?'
"It's okay. You're here because we need your help."
Kunsel swerved behind him and his eyes widened at the sight before him. There, right in front of his eyes was a familiar woman with kind eyes, long brown hair, dressed in a pink dress with boots. In front of him was Arieth, Zack's girlfriend,
She smiled at him gently. "I'm sorry we have to meet this way Kunsel." she says.
He stands there shocked for a moment before he composes himself. He nods slowly, not really knowing what was happening. "It's okay," he says slowly, "but why am I here? And where am I?"
She hesitates and her smile wavers a bit but she sighs after a moment. "You're in the Lifestream, the blood of the Planet and the place where life that has died comes to become part of the planet again. As to why you're here..." she swallows thickly, "I- There's no easy way to say this Kunsel, but you're here because the Planet needs your help. Though Sephiroth and Jenova hae been defeated the effects of stigma and battle have been left behind. The Planet is still in danger." she says gravely.
Kunsel gapes. "Wait, what? The Planet needs my help? Why me? I can't help with anything, I didn't do anything. And besides, wouldn't Cloud be a better option?" he replies, a tone of self hatred sneaking into his voice unknowingly.
Arieth frowns at Kunsel, not liking they way he thought of himself. Didn't he realize?... She had to correct him. This simply wouldn't do, especially for the savior of the Planet's WEAPONS. "Gaia can't send back Zack or Cloud because they have already been through enough. Going through the motions a second time would break them and the Planet won't allow that," she hurries as she sees the look of sadness pass over his face, "and the others Genisis and Angeal don't know enough. Sephiroth has finally found himself again."
Kunsel frowns, confused as to why his General would be mentioned. Arieth as if sensing his unspoken questioned replies, " The Planet does not blame Sephiroth. She realized that Sephiroth was not at fault to do what he did. After spending years under the lies and cruelty of Hojo..." she shudders at the name but continues, " and the fact that he dind't really know how to be human... Zack had tried to help him but it wasn't enough. He needed more than that, he needed more time and people who genuinly cared about him. In fact I truly do believe that Sephiroth could have been saved by him." She sighs whistfully, imagining what the outcome and the many probabilities that the future could have been.
"And don't get me wrong... The Planet realizes that you've been enough already but you're our only option right now. You're capable of more than you think Kunsel! I know it. The Planet knows it! You're strong, Kunsel and the Planet adores you, just like Cloud and the others as hard as it is to believe."
Arieth giggles at the gobsmacked face on Kunsel. No doubt he would be confused.
And Kunsel was confused. Why would the Planet like him? Of all people? And him, strong? "Me? But..."
"No, Kunsel. The Planet loves you. And you were chosen because you're intelligent, you're informed and you know what's going to happen. You're strong. You went through all the horrible things that were done to you," Arieth voice carries determination, unwilling to let Kunsel keep thinking so lowly of himself, " and most of all you presevered! Kunsel you have the power to stop this from ever happening! Cloud and the others... they can be saved from Hojo and Jenova. And... and I know that you'll be exactly what they need. I know you can help them."
Kunsel remains silent, his mind racing through everything that was said to him. But maybe... "You think so?" he says tentively.
"I know it." Arieth's eyes glow with truth and determination. She holds her hand up in front of her and with a glow two twin swords appear before her. They were a beutiful work of art. The blade itself was completely black but one had a tint of blue and the other red. The blades gleamed with an inner light that seemed strangely comforted Kunsel. The both had hilts that were completely blck and the guard was simple.
"These are katana. They are unlike any sword that has ever been seen or made. These wil be yours Kunsel, to help you fight. You'll need them, believe me. These blades are special... as they are made from the Lifestream itself and a gift of the Planet and the Goddess Minerva."
Kunsel makes a strangled sound and Arieth continues. "Kunsel... do you want to do this?"
At the question he thinks about the possibilities... the things that could be done. 'If I do this... it won't be easy. The thing that'll have the most problem with is seeing them again. Sephiroth, Genisis, and Angeal still a trio and sane, Zack happy, Cloud... But this... this is the opportunety of the lifetime. Honestly, I don't know how I'll evem begin but I'll do my best. For their sakes.'
He takes a deep breath. He nods slowly and then smiles. "Yes, I agree. I- I-ll do it." he comfirms.
Arieth beams at him as she laughes happily. She flings herself towards him and then she was hugging him tightly. "Thank you, Kunsel! You don't know how much this me! And its okay, just so you know," she giggles at his confused look, "anyway you need to know what this will mean for you. Everyone will be alive again of course but no one will remember anything. I might remember but honestly I'm not sure. The thing I am cetain of is that you'll be the only one with your memory of what happened, of course. As for your abilities, they'll be transferred with you but your body will need a brief period to acustum to it and recuparate from the strain."
Kunsel nods at her, unserstanding that he will need to remember eveything that she has said.
"I warm you though, it'll be painful." She says gravely as she hands Kunsel both swords. He takes hold of them and he blinks as a scabbard appears over both of them. There are beutiful twin golden sperpintime dragons on them though both had different eyes. One had red eyes the other had blue eyes. A black leather armband appears on his upper right arm as well as a black choker with a silver bell and a few silver piercings appear over his ear.
"The band is more like a modified bangle for materia. The bell is to help keep animals and monsters away and some might even befreind you I think. I think that's it though." Arieth smiles as a thought comes to mind. "If you ever need anything please just come by the church. You'll alaway be welcomed there."
Kunsel smiles feeling a bit overwhelmed at the situation but determined to see it through.
"Please be careful, Kunsel. And remember that I have faith in you. Me and Gaia. Now then," she brings her hands together and a matiria appears in her handsand its unlike anything he has ever seen. It's a swirly purple, red, black, blue and it had white specks and it reminded Kunsel of the stars in a night sky, "good luck, Kunsel."
She touches her shoulder and the last thing he sees was a bright light and hearing a few whispered words before everything turns dark.
"Good luck, my Obsidian Weapon..."
AN:
I cant be exactly be sure on how the events of FF7 go but IDGAF. Oh yeah, flamers go screw yourselves and if you don't like it kindly just leave. Seriously just press the back button. And this may turn out to be MxM