-DISCLAIMER-
I am in no way affiliated with Squaresoft or anything like that. All stuff is copyright Squaresoft.
* * * * *
Bugenhagen's tale was fascinating. Before that day, Cloud had never fully understood the Planet. He never knew why the Mako Reactors would eventually destroy the Planet, or that it could even die. He didn't know what Spirit energy was, or how the Lifestream worked. But now he did. Now he knew what Sephiroth was truly capable of doing to their world.
He climbed the rocks to the high platform carved from the solid red rock of Cosmo Canyon. In the middle of the circular platform was the Cosmo Candle, a fire which had been burning for countless. His companions all sat around the fire; Tifa, Aeris, Barret, Cait Sith and Red XIII, or Nanaki as they had just discovered. Cloud moved past Cait Sith and as he did so, the black and white cat grabbed his trouser leg. The ex-SOLDIER looked down. The giant stuffed mog was sitting - emotionless - staring at the fire. The flames were reflected in his black, plastic eyes. The small cat on top gazed up at Cloud. His tiny,
red cape swayed gently in the evening breeze. There was a sense of loneliness and depression in his animal eyes.
"I wonder how many years it's been..." the cat said softly. His eyes moved to stare at the Cosmo Candle and his mouth fell open very slightly. "Gosh, it brings back memories..."
His paw slowly released the material it was holding and Cloud turned his head away. There was something enigmatic about Cait Sith, something he couldn't quite place. He shrugged it off and moved to sit between Aeris and Nanaki. The flower girl turned her head to look at him, a mixture of happiness and sadness on her face.
"I learned a lot." she said to Cloud. "The elders taught me many things. About the Cetra... And the Promised Land..." Aeris lowered her head and gazed down at her feet. "I'm...... alone..... I'm all alone now..."
Cloud's stared lovingly at Aeris, watching tears well up in her eyes. He felt so sorry for her.
"But I'm..." Cloud paused. He had made the wrong choice of words. "We're here for you, right?"
Aeris looked at Cloud and shook her head.
"I know." she said. "I know, but... I am the only... Cetra."
"Does that mean we can't help?" Cloud asked, but he got no reply. Aeris turned her head away and gazed across the canyon. She was a beautiful girl and very friendly too. It hurt him when she ignored him or when she was unkind to him. This happened very rarely, but when it did happen it was like a stab with a poisoned blade.
"Cloud..." Tifa whispered from across the fire. She was staring into the flames. "Bonfires are funny, aren't they? They make you remember all sorts of things." She turned her head to look at Cloud. "You know, Cloud. Five years ago..."
Cloud nodded, knowing instantly that the only significant event that happened that year was the destruction of their hometown - Nibelheim - at the hands of the insanity-driven Sephiroth.
".........It's nothing." she finally said and looked back at the fire again. ""No, forget it. I'm afraid to ask..."
Cloud raised his head to look at Tifa and said "What is it...?"
"It feels like..." she started. "It feels like you're going far away..." She turned to look at him again. "You really, really are..... you... right?"
What did she mean? Was he really Cloud? Was he really who he claimed he was? Was he really who they thought he was? Had he really grown up in Nibelheim and left to join SOLDIER when he was sixteen? What was Tifa talking about? There was a high-pitched whine ringing in his ears and a bright flash of light lit up the canyon, but the others seemed to ignore it. He fell to his knees, gripping the sides of his head with all his might to try and overcome the pain. Tifa stood up and reached up to the skies.
"No, Cloud." she hissed. "I've been hiding it for some time, afraid that if I told you... something terrible might happen." Her eyes were strangely upsetting and made Cloud feel uncomfortable. This was not the Tifa he knew. "But, I'm not going to hide anything anymore." The light gradually got brighter and brighter until everything was complete white and all he could hear was the ringing and Tifa's voice which echoed for eternity, making the words difficult to understand. "You weren't he... Clo... id not... come... Ni...heim... ive ye... go."
Cloud blinked and the light vanished. Tifa was still sitting where she had been before, staring into the fires of the Cosmo Candle. His mouth hung open in awe and shock.
"Cosmo Canyon..." Barret said with no warning. "This's where AVALANCHE was born... I promised my guys someday... when we saved the planet from the Shinra, that we'd all go to Cosmo Canyon and celebrate..." His eyes sadenned. "Biggs... Wedge... Jessie... Now they're all gone... died for the planet."
Cloud felt like saying something. He wanted to remind Barret that his friends had not died in vain, that their mission could still be completed.
"...Really?" Barret spoke again. "To save the planet? We all... we all hate the Shinra... Do I even got to go on? Will they......" His eyes squeezed closed to hold in the tears. This was the first time Cloud had really seen Barret so sad. Sure, he was sad when Sector 7 was crushed and his friends died, but at that point he was so shocked that he couldn't cry or long for their return. He hadn't begun to truly miss them until now. "...will they ever forgive me?"
The big man shook his head in disgust. "...Right now, I really don't know. But I know one thing. If there's anything I can do, to save the planet... or the people livin' on it... Then I'm gonna do it! I don't care if it's for justice or revenge, or whatever. I don't care..... let 'em decide for 'emselves."
He hopped to his feet and waved his arms eratically through the air in fury. "Urrrrrgh! I'm gonna do it!! Again.... Again.... AVALANCHE's born again!"
Barret dropped back down and watched the fire burn again, thoughts brewing in the chemistry set that was his mind. Cloud respected the man for his determination but couldn't help but wonder why he felt the Shinra was responsible for the world's ruin. But when he thought about it he realised that Barret had never seen the true might of Sephiroth. He had seen the aftermath of his merciless killings in the Shinra Building. He had seen President Shinra slaughtered at his own desk. He had seen a hundred innocent technicians and office employees killed with the infamous sword Masamune. But Barret had never seen Sephiroth fight. He had never seen him raze an entire town to the ground or decapitate a defenceless civilian. This was why Cloud knew that the man had to be stopped. Sephiroth possessed the power to destroy the world and everything living in it, and he probably would do so as soon as the preparations were complete.
There was a quiet growl from his left. It was Nanaki's time to talk to the group.
"......Long ago." he began "...When I was still very small. We were all around this flame..." But the beast shook his head, his mane waving in all directions. "No, never mind..."
Cloud became intrigued. "What happened?" he asked.
"It's about my parents." Nanaki growled. "When I talk about my mother, I am full of pride and joy... And that's fine. ...But when I remember my father, my heart is full of anger..."
As if from nowhere, Bugenhagen was on the platform. He hovered about a foot above the rock and floated over towards Cloud and Nanaki.
"...You really can't forgive your father...?" Bugenhagen asked.
"Of course. He... left mother for dead." Nanaki snarled. "When the Gi tribe attacked, he ran off by himself, leaving mother and the people of the Canyon!"
Bugenhagen shook his head. "...Come, Nanaki. There's something you should see." A confused look spread across Nanaki's face. "The place may be dangerous. Cloud. Will you and one other person come with us?"
Cloud nodded at Bugenhagen. The time for talking was over, now there was a quest for Nanaki to embark on and he needed Cloud's help. He didn't know what, but Cloud had a feeling it was to do with the sealed door in Cosmo Canyon...
I am in no way affiliated with Squaresoft or anything like that. All stuff is copyright Squaresoft.
* * * * *
Bugenhagen's tale was fascinating. Before that day, Cloud had never fully understood the Planet. He never knew why the Mako Reactors would eventually destroy the Planet, or that it could even die. He didn't know what Spirit energy was, or how the Lifestream worked. But now he did. Now he knew what Sephiroth was truly capable of doing to their world.
He climbed the rocks to the high platform carved from the solid red rock of Cosmo Canyon. In the middle of the circular platform was the Cosmo Candle, a fire which had been burning for countless. His companions all sat around the fire; Tifa, Aeris, Barret, Cait Sith and Red XIII, or Nanaki as they had just discovered. Cloud moved past Cait Sith and as he did so, the black and white cat grabbed his trouser leg. The ex-SOLDIER looked down. The giant stuffed mog was sitting - emotionless - staring at the fire. The flames were reflected in his black, plastic eyes. The small cat on top gazed up at Cloud. His tiny,
red cape swayed gently in the evening breeze. There was a sense of loneliness and depression in his animal eyes.
"I wonder how many years it's been..." the cat said softly. His eyes moved to stare at the Cosmo Candle and his mouth fell open very slightly. "Gosh, it brings back memories..."
His paw slowly released the material it was holding and Cloud turned his head away. There was something enigmatic about Cait Sith, something he couldn't quite place. He shrugged it off and moved to sit between Aeris and Nanaki. The flower girl turned her head to look at him, a mixture of happiness and sadness on her face.
"I learned a lot." she said to Cloud. "The elders taught me many things. About the Cetra... And the Promised Land..." Aeris lowered her head and gazed down at her feet. "I'm...... alone..... I'm all alone now..."
Cloud's stared lovingly at Aeris, watching tears well up in her eyes. He felt so sorry for her.
"But I'm..." Cloud paused. He had made the wrong choice of words. "We're here for you, right?"
Aeris looked at Cloud and shook her head.
"I know." she said. "I know, but... I am the only... Cetra."
"Does that mean we can't help?" Cloud asked, but he got no reply. Aeris turned her head away and gazed across the canyon. She was a beautiful girl and very friendly too. It hurt him when she ignored him or when she was unkind to him. This happened very rarely, but when it did happen it was like a stab with a poisoned blade.
"Cloud..." Tifa whispered from across the fire. She was staring into the flames. "Bonfires are funny, aren't they? They make you remember all sorts of things." She turned her head to look at Cloud. "You know, Cloud. Five years ago..."
Cloud nodded, knowing instantly that the only significant event that happened that year was the destruction of their hometown - Nibelheim - at the hands of the insanity-driven Sephiroth.
".........It's nothing." she finally said and looked back at the fire again. ""No, forget it. I'm afraid to ask..."
Cloud raised his head to look at Tifa and said "What is it...?"
"It feels like..." she started. "It feels like you're going far away..." She turned to look at him again. "You really, really are..... you... right?"
What did she mean? Was he really Cloud? Was he really who he claimed he was? Was he really who they thought he was? Had he really grown up in Nibelheim and left to join SOLDIER when he was sixteen? What was Tifa talking about? There was a high-pitched whine ringing in his ears and a bright flash of light lit up the canyon, but the others seemed to ignore it. He fell to his knees, gripping the sides of his head with all his might to try and overcome the pain. Tifa stood up and reached up to the skies.
"No, Cloud." she hissed. "I've been hiding it for some time, afraid that if I told you... something terrible might happen." Her eyes were strangely upsetting and made Cloud feel uncomfortable. This was not the Tifa he knew. "But, I'm not going to hide anything anymore." The light gradually got brighter and brighter until everything was complete white and all he could hear was the ringing and Tifa's voice which echoed for eternity, making the words difficult to understand. "You weren't he... Clo... id not... come... Ni...heim... ive ye... go."
Cloud blinked and the light vanished. Tifa was still sitting where she had been before, staring into the fires of the Cosmo Candle. His mouth hung open in awe and shock.
"Cosmo Canyon..." Barret said with no warning. "This's where AVALANCHE was born... I promised my guys someday... when we saved the planet from the Shinra, that we'd all go to Cosmo Canyon and celebrate..." His eyes sadenned. "Biggs... Wedge... Jessie... Now they're all gone... died for the planet."
Cloud felt like saying something. He wanted to remind Barret that his friends had not died in vain, that their mission could still be completed.
"...Really?" Barret spoke again. "To save the planet? We all... we all hate the Shinra... Do I even got to go on? Will they......" His eyes squeezed closed to hold in the tears. This was the first time Cloud had really seen Barret so sad. Sure, he was sad when Sector 7 was crushed and his friends died, but at that point he was so shocked that he couldn't cry or long for their return. He hadn't begun to truly miss them until now. "...will they ever forgive me?"
The big man shook his head in disgust. "...Right now, I really don't know. But I know one thing. If there's anything I can do, to save the planet... or the people livin' on it... Then I'm gonna do it! I don't care if it's for justice or revenge, or whatever. I don't care..... let 'em decide for 'emselves."
He hopped to his feet and waved his arms eratically through the air in fury. "Urrrrrgh! I'm gonna do it!! Again.... Again.... AVALANCHE's born again!"
Barret dropped back down and watched the fire burn again, thoughts brewing in the chemistry set that was his mind. Cloud respected the man for his determination but couldn't help but wonder why he felt the Shinra was responsible for the world's ruin. But when he thought about it he realised that Barret had never seen the true might of Sephiroth. He had seen the aftermath of his merciless killings in the Shinra Building. He had seen President Shinra slaughtered at his own desk. He had seen a hundred innocent technicians and office employees killed with the infamous sword Masamune. But Barret had never seen Sephiroth fight. He had never seen him raze an entire town to the ground or decapitate a defenceless civilian. This was why Cloud knew that the man had to be stopped. Sephiroth possessed the power to destroy the world and everything living in it, and he probably would do so as soon as the preparations were complete.
There was a quiet growl from his left. It was Nanaki's time to talk to the group.
"......Long ago." he began "...When I was still very small. We were all around this flame..." But the beast shook his head, his mane waving in all directions. "No, never mind..."
Cloud became intrigued. "What happened?" he asked.
"It's about my parents." Nanaki growled. "When I talk about my mother, I am full of pride and joy... And that's fine. ...But when I remember my father, my heart is full of anger..."
As if from nowhere, Bugenhagen was on the platform. He hovered about a foot above the rock and floated over towards Cloud and Nanaki.
"...You really can't forgive your father...?" Bugenhagen asked.
"Of course. He... left mother for dead." Nanaki snarled. "When the Gi tribe attacked, he ran off by himself, leaving mother and the people of the Canyon!"
Bugenhagen shook his head. "...Come, Nanaki. There's something you should see." A confused look spread across Nanaki's face. "The place may be dangerous. Cloud. Will you and one other person come with us?"
Cloud nodded at Bugenhagen. The time for talking was over, now there was a quest for Nanaki to embark on and he needed Cloud's help. He didn't know what, but Cloud had a feeling it was to do with the sealed door in Cosmo Canyon...