Hey folks, I'm back! Yep, that's right! Here's my second FF7 fic for yall! Little more original than my first...
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Square Enix, all that crap, yadda yadda yadda.
JENOVA
"A human being is part of a whole, called by us the 'Universe,' a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."
-Albert Einstein
The soft chirping of birds permeated the cold, morning air. Snow fell from the clear blue sky, creating soft blankets of pure white on the ground below. Several men and women sat on wooden logs or in the snow, all gathered round a campfire, small tents placed in a circle surrounding the crackling flames. The only standing figure was an old man, with a beard down to his knees and as white as the snow, gnarled hands fragilely gripping an old wooden staff. His body was bent and twisted with age, his face horribly scarred and contorted, and his ancient robe nothing more but rags feebly clinging to his body. Yet everyone around the fire was gazing with eyes wide in interest, their hands on their knees, ears perked as they listened to stories of their ancestors, the deceased who had continued to communicate with the world even when there were those who had broken off and settled down in one place.
"The Cetra," the old man began, his shaky voice adding a mystical quality, "your ancestors, could communicate with the planet. They could hear the smallest of murmurs when the planet went through the best of times, and they could hear the loudest cries when the planet was forced to suffer. Our people have always been kind to the planet we live on: we always return what we take, we do what we can to ease its pain, and when we die, we supply the planet with the very essence it needs to continue living: the Lifestream." Everyone scooted closer to the old man and the fire, warming their bodies and filling their minds simultaneously.
Among the listeners was a young man, around the age of sixteen, with bright green eyes and long, auburn hair that fell past his shoulders. He had fair skin and a healthy frame for a person his age, with prominent muscles that weren't too big. There was no facial skin on his smooth face, not one blemish or scar, and his hair was as shiny as the water that reflected the morning sun. The women of his tribe all considered him perfect in body and looks; yet he also was aware of his good looks and strong body, making him arrogant and self-centered. He listened with only mild interest as the old man continued to weave his tale of ancestors long dead.
"The Lifestream holds the knowledge and wisdom of those who had lived and died; it is a pool of information and guidance which all of us were once a part of, and will become a part of once again. It is the Lifestream, the essence of the planet, which our people hear when the planet is in distress. It is our ancestors, whispering guidance and advice, information and forewarnings that speak to us when we listen." The old man met the eyes of all those gathered round, the dark bags under his own sagging like weights.
"So, my friends," the old man cried, holding his arms out to the sky, shaking his staff at the heavens, "I now ask you to close your eyes and open your ears, listen to the planet as it tells us what we must do, and then obey, so that we may have a rich feast and good game to hunt!" The people gave a short cheer before shutting their eyes, some folding their hands in their laps, others dropping and pressing their ears to the ground. A period of silence befell the group as they went about their praying and listening.
Erik, the young man with a perfect body, snorted rudely as the old man finished his speech. Those who were near him gave him dark glares but he ignored them. What fools! he thought. Look at them, kneeling on the ground and 'talking' to the planet. Such nonsense was not worth living in cramped tents with two other people, packing up and moving whenever the seasons changed. Erik regretted not having stayed behind with some of the others who had been part of the tribe; they were smart to finally settle down and cease all this foolish 'speaking with the planet' business.
A bloodcurdling scream tore Erik out of his thoughts, which was promptly followed by another. Everyone looked up, all wearing the same startled expression, and gazed at two women. They were both breathing heavily, one with tears streaming down her face and the other with her face hidden in her hands. The old man scampered as fast as his weak legs allowed, his eyes anxious and frightened. "What is it? What is wrong?" he asked hurriedly, holding his staff as a weapon and looking intently upon the ground, as if searching for some sort of small beast that might have scared the women. Nearby men stood and began following the old man's example, hands balled into fists and eyes surveying the snow-covered ground.
The first woman spoke in between gasps; tears still flowing from her red eyes, "The planet!" she cried hysterically, digging her fingernails into her flesh, "The planet spoke to me and said, in a frightened voice, to beware 'Heaven's Dark Harbinger'. Then it gave a terrible groan and fell silent!" The woman again burst into sobs, rocking back and forth. The old man laid a reassuring hand on her shoulders and looked at the second woman.
At first the woman with her face in her hands did not speak; she only sat there, hiding from the world. However, she eventually pulled away and looked up at the group of bewildered men and women, her eyes large with fright. "The sky," she muttered quietly, still apparently shocked from whatever had happened to her. She held a trembling finger upwards, her wide eyes seemingly staring at everyone. "It said…death comes from the sky."
The old man, still calming the first woman, asked quietly, "The planet told you this?" When both women nodded, he again fell silent and a deep frown creased his lips. He appeared to be in deep thought and no one dared to interrupt the wise old man when he contemplated something that sounded so horrible. Even Erik was silent and attentive, his knuckles white as he gripped a small pendant tightly in his fist. The pendant had been his mothers when she was alive, and it was the only thing the young man had of her.
"Did the planet tell you anything else?" the old man asked. The women shook their heads slowly. Another period of silence fell on the group, the air still with tension. The birds had stopped their chirping and the powdery snow no longer arched lazily down to the ground. It seemed almost as if the world had frozen in time as the old man thought.
"We must find out what the planet wishes us to do," he finally said. With that, he slowly dropped to his knees, using his staff for support as he bent down. Everyone followed suit and pressed their ears against the white blanket. Erik, now truly afraid, fell to his knees as well and pressed against the cold earth. At first he heard nothing but the slight wind as it blew past the camp. Then there came a small murmur, almost impossible to hear, but just enough for Erik to make out. As he heard it, his eyes widened in fright and his jaw fell open but no scream issued forth. It was the same whisper all the Cetra heard now. It was the spirits in the Lifestream as they drifted around the planet, speaking on the wind's breath.
"Beware the Calamity from the Sky."
There it is! Hope you enjoyed it and stayed tune for the next chapter! Read and Review, please!
