Why hello everybody! This is Nanami's (I helped a bit) first story on this site! We have a joint account, so you'll be getting some Nanami stories, some Shinko stories, and some we work together on. I'm Shinko, I'm basically the editor, I hafta make sure that Nanami actually writes. I've always wondered if people actually read these...I have an idea! If you read this, comment, you'll get a cookie. That means I'll have to disguise this sentence though...Cuz I don't want people to be all 'Cookie?! -reads-' No Brownie points for that. You've gotta read it without the knowledge of a reward! But yea, this is Nanami's story, I may get around to writing Shinko's eventually (Prolly not). Sorry in advance for any typos or grammar errors!
Chapter 1: The Fated Dance
"You should be celebrating…" The young brunette said as he quietly shut the golden balcony door, turning to look at the young girl that stood in front of him.
"What's there to celebrate?" She asked back, a hand softly running through the chocolate brown hair that cascaded down to her lower back.
"Well, we won an awesome victory, all thanks to you that is." He smiled, walking toward her and placing his hands on her narrow shoulders, lovingly.
"Crueak… that victory meant nothing," she turned around slowly to face her second in command, flipping the bang that covered the left side of her face slightly, "even though the battle is over, we have yet…"
"To win the war…" Crueak finished, placing a hand on her cheek, "but, we have struck fear into the hearts of our enemies."
"How long must this go on?" she cried quietly, leaning into Crueak's gentle hand.
"Nanami, don't lose hope yet, we can't have the men think that their general has given up." Crueak whispered softly, placing a tender kiss on her forehead.
"I'm just so tired of the fighting; I can't go on like this…"
"Yes you can, and you will, because, as long as my heart is beating and I have a sword in my hand, I will fight for you." Crueak smiled, wrapping his arms around her thin waist.
"I love you…" she said softly placing her hands on his chest.
"I love you too…" He answered back, kissing the top of her head before resting the side of his face against the soft hair, "Come, the others are waiting for you to arrive, they would like a word of encouragement from their general."
"I can't, not yet." Nanami said pulling away and staring toward the sunset.
"You have always loved it haven't you?"
"Huh?" Nanami looked toward him, a look of confusion spread over her face.
"The sunset, there has never been a day when you haven't stared at it." Crueak stepped beside her, placing his hand on top of hers.
"It is the mystery of it that keeps me drawn to it, I guess." Nanami looked up at Crueak.
"Lets' go inside…" Crueak said, wrapping his hand around her hand and leading her to and through the door into a large beautifully decorated ballroom surrounded with rich maroon walls and a large glass chandelier hanging in the middle of the room.
Nanami walked behind Crueak to the middle of the dance floor, where he pulled her close to him and placed one hand on her hip and grabbed Nanami's left hand with the other. Nanami smiled gently and placed her right hand on his shoulder as they began dance.
"Genesis, your mission is to find the General and bring her back here, use any method you wish…" the tall silver haired general said as he stood up from leaning on the stone wall of the cave that they hid in.
"Of course, General." The red head responded back, a smirk forming on his pale face, "It should be very easy. "
"Try not to dazzle her too much, Genesis. Just persuade her to follow you." Sephiroth sighed, noticing the smirk on Genesis's face.
"Of course, my dear friend, I will try not to, but if such a thing happens, who am I to stop it." He snickered.
"Just go, " Sephiroth retorted, flicking his hand as a sign of dismissal, "Just try to be back in twenty minutes."
"Of course, General." The redhead stood up silently, and walked out of the cave, his red coat gliding dramatically behind him as he stepped out of the entrance to the cave, "Now where does a nightingale celebrate a victory?" he asked himself, looking around the calm village. He laughed to himself before heading toward the mansion that perched on a large hill over the town, guessing that his 'nightingale' was there.
Nanami and Crueak had stopped their dance, when the music had finished, they turned to see the leader of the village step up to the microphone that was set on the small stage.
"Welcome, and congratulations to our outstanding army, for yet another fantastic victory. " He said into the microphone, his voice booming throughout the ballroom, "we are truly blessed to have such an army and of course such an amazing General to lead it." He laughed to himself, "It has always surprised me how such a small girl could destroy an entire army single-handedly, but she of course does have the Goddess's gift." He smiled, "I would like to ask said General to come up here and give a speech."
Nanami blushed slightly before looking at Crueak, who just smiled and pushed her toward the stage. An applause greeted her as she stepped up to the microphone, lowering it slightly due to her height, "Good evening, and thank you," she said looking at the mayor and smiling, "for that wonderful introduction, I appreciate all that you say I am, but I am nothing without the brave men that stand behind me. " she smiled at the crowd, "it is their will and
loyalty that gives me the strength I need to win a battle, and I know, that they would die for me, which makes me feel honored.
"For forty-four days we fought through that abandoned wasteland, our food had run low, and our spirits were slowly depleting. The only thing that kept us going was not only our will to live, but our honor and courage. So I thank my men for staying strong, and for those who had passed away in honorable combat, let the Goddess be with them, and they will not soon be forgotten. Thank you." Nanami nodded as she stepped away from the microphone and walked off the stage, smiling at the applause that greeted her.
"Good job, you write that yourself?" Crueak laughed, kissing her on the cheek.
"You'd be amazed what being a general can do for your speaking skills." She laughed as she kissed him.
"Well then, shall we?" Crueak smiled bowing mockingly.
"Why not…" Nanami laughed as she began to dance to the rhythm of the music, Crueak following after.
Genesis walked into the ballroom of the mansion, chuckling to himself as he watched the couples dancing throughout the room, "So artist, yet so trivial. " he commented as he started across the dance floor toward his intended target. He stepped behind Crueak, tapping him on the shoulder, "May I?" He said referring to Nanami, who was currently dancing with the other women in a Rantarian waltz style dance.
"Oh, of course," Crueak said startled by the unexpected visitor. He smiled kindly before walking off.
Nanami started back to where the line of men were, looking curiously for her husband.
"I'll be filling in for a bit, my dear…" Genesis whispered into her ear, startling her.
"Oh really, well, okay," Nanami said cautiously, placing her hand on his shoulder and holding his left hand. Genesis smirked as he placed his hand on her waist. They started to dance to the music, performing the traditional Rantarian waltz, "Hm." Nanami said as he leaned back in his grasp.
"What?" Genesis said pulling her up swiftly.
"You dance well for someone who is not Rantarian… " She said as she spun out, holding Genesis's hand at an arm's length.
"Heh, so do you." Genesis smirked, pulling her back, "I've studied Rantarian culture, and it is how you say, very fascinating."
"Oh really, well, we are known for our folk dances." Nanami said as they continued their dance, "What do you mean by I am not Rantarian? I do live here don't I?"
"First of all, my dear, your eyes and skin color are too light for a Rantarian, and even if you have lived here all of your life, it doesn't change the fact that you aren't Rantarian." He said as they began to walk in a circle around each other, their hands touching.
"You're point?" Nanami retorted back bitterly.
"My point is, you don't know who you really a-"
"Who are you?" Nanami snapped, backing away and causing some people to look towards them, before they turned back to what they were doing.
"I suggest you don't cause such a scene," Genesis said grabbing her arm and pulling her close. He placed a red leather covered hand over her mouth before she was able to talk back, "All your questions will be answered if you just follow me, my little nightingale." He smirked, pulling her small frame closer as she began to struggle. He smirked before pulling her off into the shadows of the ballroom, releasing her once they were out of earshot and eye sight of everyone in the room.
"What the hell do you think you are doing!?" Nanami shouted, turning to walk back toward the ballroom.
"I wish I didn't have to do this nightingale but you give me no choice." Genesis snickered as he pulled a syringe from his coat pocket and stabbing it into Nanami's neck, empting the bluish liquid into her bloodstream.
"What…di-..you…d?" Nanami slurred as she placed a hand on her neck once the needle left.
"Oh, nothing, just injected you with Mako sedative." Genesis smirked as he threw the syringe off to the side, "It is meant to slow the Mako in your blood stream and cause the inflicted to fall unconscious, which means that you, my dear, have Mako within your blood." He said as he lifted the small girl into his arms, bridal style.
"pumedon.." she muttered before letting the darkness embrace her and entering unconsciousness.
"Never, my nightingale," Genesis smiled placing a light kiss on her cheek, before exiting the mansion.
Hello, this is Nanami! 3 This is an awkward chapter... it has always been, but I mean we all know Genesis is a pervert so it makes sense. So I guess I'll say something that mostly everyone says at this point... Review or be FIVEN'D!!