It was cool and airy around me. My eyes were closed and I was almost afraid to open them. I, the great Weiss the Immaculate, being afraid? There's a real laugh. But honestly, I have never felt such power as I did in the last few moments of my life. Omega's power coursed through my veins as if my blood was on fire. What a rush it was; what a thrill greater than gallons of adrenaline! What an amazing feeling of ecstasy as I soared to towards the cosmos with Omega as my vessel. Then came Chaos. That's all I need say.
Now here I lie, floating in God knows where with no sign of life or my brother. Just me in this silent, cool place.
I'm dead, I won't deny that; and my plot to embark on a cosmic journey has been foiled and ruined. I won't deny that either.
I dare to open my eyes. Nothing is around me: only a void of the purest white. Strange how it is, that I don't fear anything here, I don't wonder what this place is, and I have no emotion towards anything.
Off in the distance, I hear something like a whisper. It is the whisper of a woman. Slowly, her whisper becomes clearer to my ears. "…Weiss…"
I recognize the voice but not quite. Rosso's? No, it bears no accent like Rosso. Shelke? No, the voice sounds older and Shelke is still alive. Not Argento's either.
"Weiss…I know you can hear me…" the voice laughs. Suddenly and painfully, I recognize the voice. The woman had been in my life for only a few short years. It was the woman who loved me when no one else would and the woman whose life was taken at Nero's birth. My mother.
"Mother…is that you?" I ask. What is this? My voice is choked and hoarse. My mother laughs again with a voice stolen from wind chimes. I would have jumped if I could have when hands suddenly came to rest on the sides of my face. I was tempted to slap them away for no one would dare touch me without permission. But then I remembered that one, I am no longer Emperor of Deepground; two, my plan had failed; three, I am dead; and four, this was my mother whom I would never strike.
"Of course it's your mother, Weiss," mother said. I could see her face hovering high above mine. That face I have not seen since I was…five years old. Her face was round, like Nero's and hair black as night swept around her shoulders. Willowy eyes as green as emeralds stared down at me.
Her slender fingers traced the shape of my face, the contours of my nose and ears, and ran slowly through my thick hair. Her hands snaked down my neck and explored the form of my muscles. Smiling, she said, "You have changed, Weiss. When I last saw you, you were but a little boy. Now look at the fine, handsome man you have become."
"Mother, I'm dead," I reminded.
"It doesn't matter. You are who you are," mother said. She lifted her face so that I only saw her chin. Sighing heavily, she added, "Where is my other son, Nero?"
I was about to answer when I suddenly realized that though Nero and I did become one in the last minutes of our lives, we were separated at our death. Again…we were separated. Though we swore not to let anything come between us, Death tore us apart. Nero could be billions of souls down the lifestream for all I know.
"I don't know," I answered truthfully.
"Well, well, well. Look what the lifestream's garbage service picked up," an agitated male voice suddenly exclaimed. Anger suddenly flared up and I sat up…if one could call it that.
"What do you want?" I growled. The new voice chuckled.
"Just kidding, Weiss. Welcome aboard the ship known as the lifestream! Parties, martinis, and lassies twenty-four seven!" the new voice laughed.
"Knock it off, Zack," a new female voice grunted. A young woman suddenly came into view. Her long brown hair was neatly braided behind her head and a pink ribbon was tied at the base. Her brown eyes were large and bright. She smiled at me. At me? Someone smiled at me? Is that even possible? "You'll have to excuse Zack. He has almost no manners. I'm Aeris. It's a pleasure to meet you, Weiss."
"Uh, I guess," I stammered. "Well, you shouldn't be glad to meet me."
"How so?" Aeris asked. Before I could answer, that annoying male voice jumped in.
"You know that massive load of people that entered the lifestream just recently?" Zack asked, "Those people were all killed by his orders."
I couldn't believe it. I actually felt embarrassed. I didn't like this. I didn't like the waves of memories these emotions were bringing back. The emotions: fear, embarrassment, pain, love are the emotions I had killed and purged from my soul eight years ago and now, one by one, they were returning though I wished they wouldn't.
Despite the news of the event most recent before my death, Aeris's expression didn't change. She only turned to wherever Zack was. "But can't you feel his pain, Zack? What a terrible life."
"What would you know about my life?" I snapped.
"I can tell by just looking at you and listening to your responses to things."
"What gives you the right to be a psychiatrist?"
Aeris's eyes narrowed. "Weiss, I'm just trying to get Zack to stop pestering you. Besides, we've all got a story. Why don't you share yours?"
"Are you crazy? I'm not sharing it with anyone. Besides, I've got to find my brother."
"Weiss, you act as if Nero ain't already dead. You'll come across him soon. Besides, what else is there to do?" Zack asked. Honestly, I couldn't answer. Anger was rising up again. I kept getting cornered and treated like a child. Why? I hate being cornered.
"I don't even know you," I grunted, trying to give him an excuse.
"As if we'll ever get to really know the…infinite number of people in the lifestream!" Zack joked. He was right again. Darn.
"Fine, but don't you dare laugh," I sighed. Aeris sat down in front of me and finally, Zack appeared. My mother sat next to me. Sighing deeply, I began, "It all started when I was fourteen. Nero and I were living together in an apartment in Nibelheim, alone for mother and father had both returned to the lifestream…"
Nero jumped up as the doorbell rang. As he ran to see who it was, he shouted, "I'll get it!" His shout had made me nearly jump out of my skin and a long graphite mark had suddenly streaked across the page of my SOLDIER education workbook. I sighed and reached for my white eraser.
I heard the front door open and Nero exchange a few words with whoever was at the door before Nero shouted, "Weiss, someone's here to see you!"
I hopped from the chair at my desk and turned out the lamp. I ran my hand through my soft, thick silver hair and strutted out to the living room where the front door was. I was greeted by two sour looking faces of Shinra SOLDIERS.
"Can I help you?" I asked. The SOLDIERS simply let themselves in without invitation. The tallest one turned to me and put his hands on his hips.
"So this is Weiss? I was expecting more," he grunted as he looked me up and down. I cringed and clenched my fist. The SOLDIER walked around me, apparently inspecting my body. I cast a glance at Nero who seemed terribly confused. Unfortunately, I knew what was going on. The SOLDIER stopped in front of me. "You haven't responded to the notices sent, Weiss. Why not?"
I knew the answer. I narrowed my eyes and glared hard at the floor. Nero yelped as the SOLDIER brutally yanked my head up by my hair so that I was facing him. It hurt pretty badly but I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry. I only clenched my fists even harder.
Swallowing hard and giving the SOLDIER my most defiant look, I said, "Because Nero and I are not joining SOLDIER. Why else would I not respond?"
Fury flared in the man's eyes and he shoved me back so hard, I fell on the floor smack on my back. Nero tried to run to help me but the other SOLDIER only held him back. "Leave my brother alone!" Nero shouted helplessly. I raised a hand to signify that I was alright.
The SOLDIER who had shoved me crossed his arms. "You never had a choice in the first place, Weiss. Your talents are the possession of Shinra Company and of Deepground. Same goes with your brother."
I cast my eyes to my younger brother who seemed terrified out of his wits. I wasn't ready for SOLDIER and he definitely wasn't. Our quick glance, however, said that no matter what happened to us, we would not give them what they wanted. We were too strong.
The second SOLDIER spoke, "You two will have twenty-four hours to pack your things and get ready to leave. You may speak to nobody about this for any reason. Am I understood?"
For once, I heard the strangest thing come from my brother's mouth, "We will never understand why Shinra tortures children. We will never do as you ask!"
He was rewarded for his boldness by a smack in the head with the stock of the second SOLDIER's gun. He crumbled to the ground, crying as he covered a bloody gash on his forehead. The SOLDIER grunted, "You will do as commanded or pay with your life!"
With that, the two SOLDIERS left and slammed the door behind them. I quickly rushed to Nero's side and pulled him upright. Soft whimpers escaped his throat as he continued to try and stop the bleeding using only his bare hands. He gazed up at me with his large ruby eyes. Tears and blood ran down the sides of his round face. "Are you alright, Nero?" I asked.
"My head hurts!" he moaned. He was still only nine years old so if he was in pain, that was all he could think about. Slowly, I brought him to his feet by his shoulders. Sweeping my right arm around his shoulders, I led him to the bathroom where we kept our few medical supplies.
He sat on the counter while I began cleaning the gash with antiseptic cleanser. He winced a few times. Finally, I found something funny to talk about. "Nero."
"Yes?" he asked nimbly.
"Did you see the face of that stupid SOLDIER when you told him that we will never obey Shinra? I wish I could have taken a picture and blackmailed Shinra with it!" I laughed. Nero chuckled and kept the smile there.
"Do you think we could surprise SOLDIERs more like that?" he asked. Grinning, I placed two Band-Aids over the cleaned gash.
I pulled him in for a hug. "You bet! We'll outsmart those idiots so bad, they'll be afraid to hear the names Weiss and Nero!"
Despite our little pep talk to each other, we packed in dreary silence. I packed most of my clothes but not everything. I came across the velvet box where my cure materia was stored. Getting this past Shinra SOLDIERS won't be easy. They confiscate any materia found and normally, it is never seen again. There was only one option.
I opened the top of the box and smiled as the warm glow of the materia beat against my face. I took the glowing orb from its house and rolled it around in my hands. I turned my head and moved the orb towards my left shoulder. I felt the warmth press against my skin. Slowly, I pushed harder until I felt a slight burning sensation. When I dared to look over again, my shoulder was glowing. The materia was in.
I packed the few remnants of our family in my suitcase. Those remnant relics of my family included the only picture of my mother and father, a picture of me when I was nine and Nero was four, a birthday card made for my 12th birthday by Nero, and my good luck cactaur needle keychain. That was all I had left of my parents.
Nero didn't pack much either. His room still had the few movie posters he owned and his calendar of wolves still hung on the wall near his futon. His suitcase was packed and stood in the middle of the floor.
Dinner was silent. Only the clanking of silverware against ceramic could be heard. Nero only picked at his food at first. He shoved the shrimp around his plate while fear filled his face. Even the food I ate, the food that I had cooked with spices, seemed dull and tasteless. Shrimp, soba noodles and chickpeas was one of our favorite dinners but we almost couldn't eat.
Getting ready for the first of many restless nights was silent. Only when we were about to go to bed did Nero say anything.
"I heard they turn SOLDIERs into monsters, Weiss. I don't want to be a monster," he stated.
"I won't let that happen, Nero," I promised. Nero didn't seem convinced.
"But…I've…got this darkness in me already…I don't want that to become a monster," he continued. There was nothing I could say. For once, I was dumbfound and couldn't help my brother. Silently, he slipped into his room and closed the door.
Neither of us ate our breakfast. We only stared into the porridge and glared at our glasses of orange juice. Once again, we were silent.
Then the doorbell rang.
Nero and I only looked at each other, wondering who would answer the door. Our lives were about to end. Not our physical life, the life of our very spirits. We didn't know it then, but we were soon to find out.
The door was opened and neither of us cared. In strutted the first SOLDIER from yesterday. He glared disapprovingly at the both of us and grunted, "You two have got ten minutes to get your little sorry tails out to the truck!"
We didn't disobey. After quickly cleaning our dishes, we gathered our few things and went out to the truck. Nero turned in the keys to our apartment and quickly rejoined me outside the truck.
A different SOLDIER stood outside the back of the closed in cargo area. He opened the back doors and beckoned for us to enter. I stood before that gaping black hole. This was it. This was the black hole that would suck the life out of me. I entered.
It was then that I sealed up my trust. Only Nero held the single strand of my trust. I could feel a hate building inside me already and I fought it. I fought it and thought I would win.
As we all know, I did not win that fight.
Nero followed closely behind me, shaking and sat down right next to me on the bench. The truck began moving and I gripped my brother tight in my arms.
As we left Nibelheim, we knew we were leaving the good days behind and entering a life of pain. We didn't know we were entering hell on Gaia.