Chapter 2: A Long Awaited Reunion
Gau jumped unnoticed onto a wild chocobo's back. It warked in surprise, trying to buck him off, but he managed to get it under control with tasty greens hidden away in his pouch. Speaking in his wild tongue, the boy whispered something into the bird's ear and it warked again before leaping off at full speed over the hills. The talons of the chocobo ripped into the soft dirt of the Veldt, gaining incredible speed as the air began to flow through Gau's long, emerald hair. He smiled in the bright afternoon sun, clamping his new treasure tightly against his chest as the bird's head bobbed up and down, accumulating more speed than Gau could have imagined. He would reach Doma in no time.
The whole planet had been rebuilt since the defeat of Kefka and Emperor Gestahl more than two years ago. After Decades of decay and war, peace and prosperity had been achieved. The inhabitants of this world were enjoying the quiet that the peace brought, and those that had lived their entire lifetimes in fear and despair were now able to sleep easier knowing that the next night would be free of raids, bombings, and fires. The once dead surface of the planet had again sprung back to life, showing its resiliency. Crystal clear water flowed down from the mountains, washing out the pollutions that had once filled the rivers and their tributaries. Birds once again migrated south for the winter, and beasts that had once grown feral and deadly were now roaming the free lands of the globe without incident.
It was the dawn of a new age for many, but the twilight of life for many others. Valiant warriors and brave soldiers alike were out of jobs, spread to the wind like ashes after a fire. Some became mercenaries, some bounty hunters, but those that once lived for the heat of battle never again would feel the fire in their hearts that a clash of swords would bring. After the battle with Kefka, magic had disappeared for good. Those that had relied on it perished or adapted to life without it, but their life changed drastically either way. Their time on this planet was over . . . it was their children's turn to rebuild the world in a vision they saw fit, and to keep the peace for a better future. It would never be the same for anyone. The absence of magic in this fresh environment gave rise to new inventions and bigger advancements in technology at a much faster rate then could have ever been thought. The world, in essence, had reinvented itself from near death.
Most embraced this new age of freedom and thought, but the Empire's remaining sympathizers had started construction on a sweeping metropolis in the months following the final battle, brashly naming it Neo Vector. The founders of this city sought to strike fear into the weak and once again rebuild their glorious Empire to the height of its power. With seemingly unlimited funds and manpower from their grand army, this new centralized capital city dwarfed any other on the planet. It was also the most technologically advanced, glowing at night from the millions of lights in its skyscrapers, and choking the clear blue sky with black smoke during the day from dozens of factories and chemical plants. They had remained non- hostile so far . . . but the other inhabitants of the planet had good reason to believe something more sinister was going on behind the mountainous steel walls that enclosed the city.
The Empire wasn't this planet's only lingering problem though. Kefka's vigilant cult still worshipped him, even in death, making them a thorn in the side of those who truly wanted to wipe the slate clean and start over. Since its inception, membership had steadily increased, but the cult actually gained more members than ever before after the demise of their deity. If you asked any of the brainless drones chanting at the base of his tower, many would say that they thought the mighty Kefka was a martyr, dying in order to rid the world from the dangerous and power-hungry Espers. During the war, they believed whatever the high priests and priestesses told them. It was in their faith to not question the scripture of their god, which stated that all Espers were inherently evil and wanted to invade our world and kill all humans. Needless to say they were all non-magic users themselves, and had not once experienced the wisdom and vast knowledge of the race of magic users.
The third and final faction, and the majority of world itself, was composed of The Returners. They had once been a revolutionary freedom fighting group, rising up against the Empire and its corruption. Their battle with that enemy had ended though, and they now had their sights elsewhere. They despised these dictatorial governments that lied to their masses, and, with help from other nations of the world, The Returners planned to wipe them all out once and for all. Heavily armed liberation groups had already formed in the northern regions of Narshe, the sprawling deserts around North and South Figaro, and the border town of Albrook. The few other cities that refused to join or remained neutral did so in fear of the shadow of the Empire that loomed over their heads.
One kingdom of the world had remained neutral but not out of fear of the looming thread of Neo Vector. Cyan, new ruler of Doma, wanted nothing to do with this new war that was brewing because it posed "Too much of a threat to real peace and harmony" that he wanted to restore everywhere. He stated that the risk of repeating what had happened again was too great. The former retainer to the true king of Doma had paid the toll in past battles, losing both his loving wife and little boy to treason by the empire when Kefka poisoned their water supply. He could bear no more pain that came from war. All Cyan sought to do was start anew, to create a better Doma Dynasty in hopes to rival the greatness of the ones of old. However, people hadn't flocked to Doma with hands raised in the air praising his views and noble beliefs. The water still tasted bitter from the chemicals used to wash it of all poison, and the question of its purity weighed heavily in the minds of those that might settle down in his city. Cyan still remained loyal to his companions from two years ago, and those friends were located in very high places in the new government of the free world. Those that had assisted The Returners were most of what now made up the new Doma Empire. Some had seen too much death during the campaigns of the rebellion, and others had become weakened and dreary of all the fighting. They bore an undying loyalty and great adoration to the great templar knight of Old Doma. To Cyan's great appreciation, Gau had decided to call the castle of Doma his place of residence when he wasn't out in the Veldt, and became Cyan's loyal retainer. While Sabin visited from time to time on Royal business from Figaro, none of the former heroes was there more than the quickly maturing wild boy, who still enjoyed calling the king "Mr. Thou". Little by little, Doma was regaining its prestige.
Cyan sat back on his throne, yawning as his sword swung back and forth, clanging against the stone base every once in a while. It was mid afternoon, but the daily lives of a peaceful kingdom were for lack of a better word, boring. A sentry entered the throne room and kneeled before his majesty.
"Sire, Sir Gau approaches from the Veldt," he reported.
"Be sure that he is let in," Cyan mumbled. He had not slept in a while and was groggy in his response. His eyelids felt heavy and his muscles were weary from staying up. Cyan would listen to what Gau had to say and then he could go to sleep.
The grand doorway to Doma creaked and thundered as it swung open with the help of ten guardsmen. Gau was quickly greeted by the sentry when he crossed over the front gate and hopped off his chocobo. The wild bird immediately squawked and ran away, off into the bright horizon in the distance. Cyan's retainer was shown the way to the throne room out of respect for his position, but he didn't feel like walking. He started to run through the great halls of Doma to meet his friend Cyan, leaving his entourage far behind before the sentry even know what had happened. Gau was halfway to the throne room when the dark stone in his pouch brightened in color and radiated through the dense leather. Like a curious boy with a new toy, he removed it from the glowing carrying pouch and stared into its endless black and blue shine. He stared into its center until the color of his eyes synchronized with that of the materia, its unique beauty hypnotizing him. Gau's pupils dilated and then he blinked, the original color of his eyes returning. He quickly placed the gem back into his pouch and jumped onto an open window sill. The warm breeze from the nearby ocean blew over his face and he jumped, never again to be seen in Doma.
Back at the other planet . . .
"Finalization for launch is go," the space traffic controller announced over some loudspeakers outside the ship, "T-minus five minutes."
"I can't believe I'm doing this," Vincent grumbled as the crowd cheered from outside.
Neither could the hundreds of spectators that arrived to see the days launch. Rocket Town's mayor had decided to go as far as declare today a national holiday and the whole thing had become a major fiasco. In only two days, media from around the planet and from bigger towns such as Junon and Wutai had been alerted and turned Rocket Town into a thriving spaceport. All rooms in the local inn had been rented out, and even people in the surrounding houses thought it would be wise to offer extra rooms for a substantial price. Flashbulbs exploded every other second in hopes of getting a shot of one of the crew inside, waving and screaming to get their attention. There were T-shirts, hats, and even toy model spaceships being sold. Hell, even a miniseries had been copyrighted and was in development for the future that would document the triumph of its captain and the path of his dream. Beside all the hoopla, this was a historic day in the history of the planet itself. Cid Highwind and crew were about to embark on the first deep space mission ever attempted. It wasn't a mission to blow up Meteor, or for the first space flight . . . this was a mission of exploration and discovery.
Cid double-checked everything as the clock counted down the seconds. Cloud and Red were strapped into their seats by the scurrying grounds crew, both gasping as their restraints were put on a little too tight.
"Thanks . . ." Red coughed as the rest of the crew hurried to make last minute adjustments then strapped themselves in.
"Everything check out Shera?" Cid asked.
"Yes, all systems go." Shera confirmed as she flipped the switch for the fuel injection. She had originally signed on for scientific observation on this mission, but a gut instinct told her to look out for Cid as always. Shera would never let anything bad happen to the captain. She loved him, even if he didn't acknowledge it.
"Three minutes," mission control continued, a man's voice blaring over the loudspeakers. The crowd's anticipation grew after each tick of the giant countdown clock that had been constructed near the platform. The engines started to hum as the fuel started to take effect. Aeris was seconds away from her maiden voyage.
"Navigation online," Shera said as she flipped another switch. A screen flickered in front of her seat before showing countless numbers and calculations about path trajectory.
"Main computer online," Cid could hardly contain his excitement. He had waited forever to return to space, and this time he would be there for a couple weeks instead of a couple minutes.
"One minute," the controller began to count, "59, 58, 57 . . ."
"Urp!" Cloud was starting to feel not to hot. The ship began to shake and he braced himself against his seat.
All of Rocket Town and a few hundred others were outside now, waiting for it to lift off. Someone was jumping up and down in the crowd trying to get their attention. The rest of the mob watched the booster rockets glow dark orange, and then the ground began to shake as the platforms rumbled.
"30 seconds . . ."
Red glanced out a window and caught Tifa jumping and waving with Yuffie standing on top of Barret's shoulders behind her, doing the same. "Hey Cloud!" He yelled over the engines roar, "Look out the window! Everybody came to see us off!"
"T, T, T, That's . . . G, G, Great!" Cloud managed to get out before swallowing down his next words. The shaking had intensified and he was focused on not getting sick at this point. Cloud shut his eyes hard until little stars appeared. He was on the verge of showing everyone what he had for lunch today when . . .
"10 seconds . . ."
A giant Cait Sith jumped into the air and clapped his hands in front of the rambunctious audience, the tiny cat on its shoulder screaming through a megaphone along side mission control's countdown. The crowd counted down along with him, little kids plugging their ears as the engines sparked and the fuel was lit. Cloud kind of wished now that he had talked with Tifa and the others before he left, but due to the time restraints he would have to make due with only their adulation and cheers of encouragement.
'Embrace the Cold''
"5 seconds . . ."
"What the? Did any of you guys hear th-" Cloud could not be heard as the roar of the engines overshadowed his question. The ship lifted off the platform roughly in a blast of white light and heat, pressing the Aeris' crew hard against their seats, keeping them from moving even an inch. Tifa and Barret were waving happily as Cloud looked out the window finally to acknowledge them. He strained a smile and shut his eyes again until he was well into the air. The force of the thrust against the ground collapsed the roof of a few nearby houses and shattered their windows. Tents that had been set up outside the city by visiting media were blown into the sky, countless colors of canvas and polyester scattering into the winds. They sped upwards at thousands of miles per hour, creeping amazingly fast out of the planet's gravitational pull.
Vincent, who seemed unaffected by all of this, spoke to Cloud, "You worry too much. Relax."
'Whatever,' Cloud thought angrily. Three minutes passed and the last boosters were jettisoned to finish the launch cycle. The rockets dropped back into the stratosphere and their parachutes opened, falling into the North Wutai Sea without any problems.
The shaking resided soon afterwards and Cid had unbuckled his belt. He floated freely around the cabin to the navigation console and checked the ship's trajectory. "Everything looks good from here, "He announced on the intercom. "We are on course and will reach the black hole in a week. Feel free to go about your business till then."
Everyone felt a quick jolt as Cid engaged the extra thrusters and unlocked two of the unneeded engines. They were on the final push to the black hole. Red saw the two rockets float away, only to be pulled back to the planet's gravitational pull and fall somewhere in the ocean. Shera was on the com with someone from mission control before they lost all contact. Red was only able to pick up the last couple words of her transmission. ". . . be back in three weeks."
'Is it really going to take that long?' he wondered. Red floated back to his seat, strapped himself down, and then fell asleep.
Gau jumped unnoticed onto a wild chocobo's back. It warked in surprise, trying to buck him off, but he managed to get it under control with tasty greens hidden away in his pouch. Speaking in his wild tongue, the boy whispered something into the bird's ear and it warked again before leaping off at full speed over the hills. The talons of the chocobo ripped into the soft dirt of the Veldt, gaining incredible speed as the air began to flow through Gau's long, emerald hair. He smiled in the bright afternoon sun, clamping his new treasure tightly against his chest as the bird's head bobbed up and down, accumulating more speed than Gau could have imagined. He would reach Doma in no time.
The whole planet had been rebuilt since the defeat of Kefka and Emperor Gestahl more than two years ago. After Decades of decay and war, peace and prosperity had been achieved. The inhabitants of this world were enjoying the quiet that the peace brought, and those that had lived their entire lifetimes in fear and despair were now able to sleep easier knowing that the next night would be free of raids, bombings, and fires. The once dead surface of the planet had again sprung back to life, showing its resiliency. Crystal clear water flowed down from the mountains, washing out the pollutions that had once filled the rivers and their tributaries. Birds once again migrated south for the winter, and beasts that had once grown feral and deadly were now roaming the free lands of the globe without incident.
It was the dawn of a new age for many, but the twilight of life for many others. Valiant warriors and brave soldiers alike were out of jobs, spread to the wind like ashes after a fire. Some became mercenaries, some bounty hunters, but those that once lived for the heat of battle never again would feel the fire in their hearts that a clash of swords would bring. After the battle with Kefka, magic had disappeared for good. Those that had relied on it perished or adapted to life without it, but their life changed drastically either way. Their time on this planet was over . . . it was their children's turn to rebuild the world in a vision they saw fit, and to keep the peace for a better future. It would never be the same for anyone. The absence of magic in this fresh environment gave rise to new inventions and bigger advancements in technology at a much faster rate then could have ever been thought. The world, in essence, had reinvented itself from near death.
Most embraced this new age of freedom and thought, but the Empire's remaining sympathizers had started construction on a sweeping metropolis in the months following the final battle, brashly naming it Neo Vector. The founders of this city sought to strike fear into the weak and once again rebuild their glorious Empire to the height of its power. With seemingly unlimited funds and manpower from their grand army, this new centralized capital city dwarfed any other on the planet. It was also the most technologically advanced, glowing at night from the millions of lights in its skyscrapers, and choking the clear blue sky with black smoke during the day from dozens of factories and chemical plants. They had remained non- hostile so far . . . but the other inhabitants of the planet had good reason to believe something more sinister was going on behind the mountainous steel walls that enclosed the city.
The Empire wasn't this planet's only lingering problem though. Kefka's vigilant cult still worshipped him, even in death, making them a thorn in the side of those who truly wanted to wipe the slate clean and start over. Since its inception, membership had steadily increased, but the cult actually gained more members than ever before after the demise of their deity. If you asked any of the brainless drones chanting at the base of his tower, many would say that they thought the mighty Kefka was a martyr, dying in order to rid the world from the dangerous and power-hungry Espers. During the war, they believed whatever the high priests and priestesses told them. It was in their faith to not question the scripture of their god, which stated that all Espers were inherently evil and wanted to invade our world and kill all humans. Needless to say they were all non-magic users themselves, and had not once experienced the wisdom and vast knowledge of the race of magic users.
The third and final faction, and the majority of world itself, was composed of The Returners. They had once been a revolutionary freedom fighting group, rising up against the Empire and its corruption. Their battle with that enemy had ended though, and they now had their sights elsewhere. They despised these dictatorial governments that lied to their masses, and, with help from other nations of the world, The Returners planned to wipe them all out once and for all. Heavily armed liberation groups had already formed in the northern regions of Narshe, the sprawling deserts around North and South Figaro, and the border town of Albrook. The few other cities that refused to join or remained neutral did so in fear of the shadow of the Empire that loomed over their heads.
One kingdom of the world had remained neutral but not out of fear of the looming thread of Neo Vector. Cyan, new ruler of Doma, wanted nothing to do with this new war that was brewing because it posed "Too much of a threat to real peace and harmony" that he wanted to restore everywhere. He stated that the risk of repeating what had happened again was too great. The former retainer to the true king of Doma had paid the toll in past battles, losing both his loving wife and little boy to treason by the empire when Kefka poisoned their water supply. He could bear no more pain that came from war. All Cyan sought to do was start anew, to create a better Doma Dynasty in hopes to rival the greatness of the ones of old. However, people hadn't flocked to Doma with hands raised in the air praising his views and noble beliefs. The water still tasted bitter from the chemicals used to wash it of all poison, and the question of its purity weighed heavily in the minds of those that might settle down in his city. Cyan still remained loyal to his companions from two years ago, and those friends were located in very high places in the new government of the free world. Those that had assisted The Returners were most of what now made up the new Doma Empire. Some had seen too much death during the campaigns of the rebellion, and others had become weakened and dreary of all the fighting. They bore an undying loyalty and great adoration to the great templar knight of Old Doma. To Cyan's great appreciation, Gau had decided to call the castle of Doma his place of residence when he wasn't out in the Veldt, and became Cyan's loyal retainer. While Sabin visited from time to time on Royal business from Figaro, none of the former heroes was there more than the quickly maturing wild boy, who still enjoyed calling the king "Mr. Thou". Little by little, Doma was regaining its prestige.
Cyan sat back on his throne, yawning as his sword swung back and forth, clanging against the stone base every once in a while. It was mid afternoon, but the daily lives of a peaceful kingdom were for lack of a better word, boring. A sentry entered the throne room and kneeled before his majesty.
"Sire, Sir Gau approaches from the Veldt," he reported.
"Be sure that he is let in," Cyan mumbled. He had not slept in a while and was groggy in his response. His eyelids felt heavy and his muscles were weary from staying up. Cyan would listen to what Gau had to say and then he could go to sleep.
The grand doorway to Doma creaked and thundered as it swung open with the help of ten guardsmen. Gau was quickly greeted by the sentry when he crossed over the front gate and hopped off his chocobo. The wild bird immediately squawked and ran away, off into the bright horizon in the distance. Cyan's retainer was shown the way to the throne room out of respect for his position, but he didn't feel like walking. He started to run through the great halls of Doma to meet his friend Cyan, leaving his entourage far behind before the sentry even know what had happened. Gau was halfway to the throne room when the dark stone in his pouch brightened in color and radiated through the dense leather. Like a curious boy with a new toy, he removed it from the glowing carrying pouch and stared into its endless black and blue shine. He stared into its center until the color of his eyes synchronized with that of the materia, its unique beauty hypnotizing him. Gau's pupils dilated and then he blinked, the original color of his eyes returning. He quickly placed the gem back into his pouch and jumped onto an open window sill. The warm breeze from the nearby ocean blew over his face and he jumped, never again to be seen in Doma.
Back at the other planet . . .
"Finalization for launch is go," the space traffic controller announced over some loudspeakers outside the ship, "T-minus five minutes."
"I can't believe I'm doing this," Vincent grumbled as the crowd cheered from outside.
Neither could the hundreds of spectators that arrived to see the days launch. Rocket Town's mayor had decided to go as far as declare today a national holiday and the whole thing had become a major fiasco. In only two days, media from around the planet and from bigger towns such as Junon and Wutai had been alerted and turned Rocket Town into a thriving spaceport. All rooms in the local inn had been rented out, and even people in the surrounding houses thought it would be wise to offer extra rooms for a substantial price. Flashbulbs exploded every other second in hopes of getting a shot of one of the crew inside, waving and screaming to get their attention. There were T-shirts, hats, and even toy model spaceships being sold. Hell, even a miniseries had been copyrighted and was in development for the future that would document the triumph of its captain and the path of his dream. Beside all the hoopla, this was a historic day in the history of the planet itself. Cid Highwind and crew were about to embark on the first deep space mission ever attempted. It wasn't a mission to blow up Meteor, or for the first space flight . . . this was a mission of exploration and discovery.
Cid double-checked everything as the clock counted down the seconds. Cloud and Red were strapped into their seats by the scurrying grounds crew, both gasping as their restraints were put on a little too tight.
"Thanks . . ." Red coughed as the rest of the crew hurried to make last minute adjustments then strapped themselves in.
"Everything check out Shera?" Cid asked.
"Yes, all systems go." Shera confirmed as she flipped the switch for the fuel injection. She had originally signed on for scientific observation on this mission, but a gut instinct told her to look out for Cid as always. Shera would never let anything bad happen to the captain. She loved him, even if he didn't acknowledge it.
"Three minutes," mission control continued, a man's voice blaring over the loudspeakers. The crowd's anticipation grew after each tick of the giant countdown clock that had been constructed near the platform. The engines started to hum as the fuel started to take effect. Aeris was seconds away from her maiden voyage.
"Navigation online," Shera said as she flipped another switch. A screen flickered in front of her seat before showing countless numbers and calculations about path trajectory.
"Main computer online," Cid could hardly contain his excitement. He had waited forever to return to space, and this time he would be there for a couple weeks instead of a couple minutes.
"One minute," the controller began to count, "59, 58, 57 . . ."
"Urp!" Cloud was starting to feel not to hot. The ship began to shake and he braced himself against his seat.
All of Rocket Town and a few hundred others were outside now, waiting for it to lift off. Someone was jumping up and down in the crowd trying to get their attention. The rest of the mob watched the booster rockets glow dark orange, and then the ground began to shake as the platforms rumbled.
"30 seconds . . ."
Red glanced out a window and caught Tifa jumping and waving with Yuffie standing on top of Barret's shoulders behind her, doing the same. "Hey Cloud!" He yelled over the engines roar, "Look out the window! Everybody came to see us off!"
"T, T, T, That's . . . G, G, Great!" Cloud managed to get out before swallowing down his next words. The shaking had intensified and he was focused on not getting sick at this point. Cloud shut his eyes hard until little stars appeared. He was on the verge of showing everyone what he had for lunch today when . . .
"10 seconds . . ."
A giant Cait Sith jumped into the air and clapped his hands in front of the rambunctious audience, the tiny cat on its shoulder screaming through a megaphone along side mission control's countdown. The crowd counted down along with him, little kids plugging their ears as the engines sparked and the fuel was lit. Cloud kind of wished now that he had talked with Tifa and the others before he left, but due to the time restraints he would have to make due with only their adulation and cheers of encouragement.
'Embrace the Cold''
"5 seconds . . ."
"What the? Did any of you guys hear th-" Cloud could not be heard as the roar of the engines overshadowed his question. The ship lifted off the platform roughly in a blast of white light and heat, pressing the Aeris' crew hard against their seats, keeping them from moving even an inch. Tifa and Barret were waving happily as Cloud looked out the window finally to acknowledge them. He strained a smile and shut his eyes again until he was well into the air. The force of the thrust against the ground collapsed the roof of a few nearby houses and shattered their windows. Tents that had been set up outside the city by visiting media were blown into the sky, countless colors of canvas and polyester scattering into the winds. They sped upwards at thousands of miles per hour, creeping amazingly fast out of the planet's gravitational pull.
Vincent, who seemed unaffected by all of this, spoke to Cloud, "You worry too much. Relax."
'Whatever,' Cloud thought angrily. Three minutes passed and the last boosters were jettisoned to finish the launch cycle. The rockets dropped back into the stratosphere and their parachutes opened, falling into the North Wutai Sea without any problems.
The shaking resided soon afterwards and Cid had unbuckled his belt. He floated freely around the cabin to the navigation console and checked the ship's trajectory. "Everything looks good from here, "He announced on the intercom. "We are on course and will reach the black hole in a week. Feel free to go about your business till then."
Everyone felt a quick jolt as Cid engaged the extra thrusters and unlocked two of the unneeded engines. They were on the final push to the black hole. Red saw the two rockets float away, only to be pulled back to the planet's gravitational pull and fall somewhere in the ocean. Shera was on the com with someone from mission control before they lost all contact. Red was only able to pick up the last couple words of her transmission. ". . . be back in three weeks."
'Is it really going to take that long?' he wondered. Red floated back to his seat, strapped himself down, and then fell asleep.