Disclaimer: Final Fantasy 7 and all is associated characters, location, etc… are property of Square Enix.

Author's Note: Revision! Nothing major, though. I've slightly modified the scenes with Taefis in them to make her seem less… inhuman. And I've made some minor additions to the scene between Bart and Nimbus so that it doesn't seem so forced. It's still rather imperfect, but at this point in the story's development I'm not sure there's much more I can do.

Peace's End

By tfa1

Chapter 4: ROCKSLIDE's New Members

Nimbus awoke to find himself trapped in a cage, his robotic friend deactivated beside him. His cage was in a small room, built of wood and dimly lit by a small candle upon a four-legged table. Darkness lingered in the corners, but Nimbus was relieved to find that the room was completely dry. He suspected that they were on one of the higher stories of a multi-story house.

A miniscule stool was situated near the table, and upon that stool was a big, burly man. His skin was as dark as the room itself, and his short black hair sat idly upon his head. The vest he wore was rather small for his physique, and it was stained beyond repair. The prisoner couldn't even guess what colour his pants used to be. Nimbus stared in awe at the large man's left arm, which had been replaced by a large machine gun. He was polishing the gun with a rather dirty rag.

Without looking up, the man spoke, "I sees you're awake."

Nimbus gulped before answering. "Yes… Would you happen to be…'the Wall'?"

"Bart 'the Wall' Rockslide's what they call me. An' what 'bout you?"

"My name's Nimbus." He added soon after, "Or, at least it is until I find out what who I really am."

Still the Wall didn't move from his spot. "Must be one of them brainwashed folks." Nimbus nodded his agreement. "Well I don't trust ya! See, boy, in these dark times ya need to be extra careful. There's no tellin' who's an Imperial spy! That's why," he said, finally rising from his stool, "I'm gonna have to kill ya: you an' your cat… quietly."

He stalked forward, menacingly. "Wait!" Nimbus shouted. "You haven't even given me a chance to defend myself yet! There's no proof that I'm a spy!"

A smile crossed Rockslide's face as he stifled a laugh, halting his advance. "Hah! You're bald, did ya know that? It's a well-known fact that the Imperial army makes their soldiers shave their heads. An' that cat friend-o'-yours, do you know what he is?"

"He's a robot. Is there a problem?"

The larger man's smile disintegrated. "He's an Imperial spy, that's what he is! 'Aven't seen his kind in a long while but I know he's a spy!" Nimbus took a good look at his feline friend, and realized that the rebel was telling the truth. How else could he have acquired those blueprints? Why else would he have acted so… odd?

"A spy…," pondered Nimbus. "So that's why he asked me to join him: to get close to you! I've been used!"

"When ya hang out with Imperials, ya get used to it. 'Appens all the time."

"Does that mean you believe me?" Nimbus asked hopefully.

The larger man shrugged and continued his vigil over the prisoners for a while longer, but finally the look of shock and dismay on Nimbus's face convinced Rockslide that he was not a threat. He laughed as he let the man out of the cage, but left Smith within. "This is so pathetic you couldn't possibly be one o' them! Stupidest spy I ever saw. Whatever; I'll let you out, just 'cause you're so darn skinny that I could snap ya like a twig."

Nimbus would have taken offence to that if the man didn't have a gun grafted to his arm. Instead, he laughed as well, albeit nervously.

"So tell me," the dark-skinned man continued as he sat down, "What brings you 'ere to Old Corel?"

"Well, I was on my way to find you. Smith – the cat, I mean – told me we'd team up with you to take down some important Imperial centres, and hopefully find my identity… and I believed him. I need to find out who I am; where I'm from! Maybe we could help each other. Yeah! I… I would like to help in your rebellion! Please let me join you."

Rockslide gestured towards the black cat still locked inside the cage. "What 'bout 'im?"

Nimbus glanced at his former companion, lying lifeless on the cage floor. He had never trusted the cat, but he had to admit that it had grown on him, however slightly. For all he knew, though, the brainwash could have been Smith's doing. Nimbus was content to leave him deactivated.

Rockslide slammed his hand on the table in a gesture of excitement, but it startled Nimbus. "What a day this is! Awight, friend, you're now an honorary member of ROCKSLIDE (that's the name of my rebel group, ya see)! O' course, I still don't completely trust ya so I'm not gonna give ya any weapons. Now, let's get back to the surface. I hate it down 'ere an' I got a nice safe house up top. Called the Sixth Hell, it is. We'll plan our next move o'er there, and pick up a package I've been expectin.'"

"Wonderful…"

- - -

No one would ever call New Corel a nice place. They wouldn't even call it an okay place. But, to Taefis Locke of Gongaga, it felt just like home.

In fact, the capital city was more fun than Gongaga. Here, everyone was an oddball; everyone was different. Even though everyone stared at her she knew they stared at everyone else in turn. This land of poverty, it was a place where only the strong survived; only the strong got what they wanted. And Taefis was strong. Those who looked at her knew she was strong.

Those who didn't figure it out were made to figure it out.

One group of men in particular – a group of five to be exact – just couldn't take a hint. After giving their leader a fistful of love, they came back for vengeance, two of them wielding wooden clubs. With a single fell swoop, Taefis took one down before he even knew it was coming. Then, with the same speed she used to hunt animals back home, she ran around the remaining four, leaping off of whatever stood in her way, as clumsy punches and flailing weapons failed to hit her. One of the club-wielders accidentally hit one of his unarmed buddies directly in the face, and Taefis used the ensuing chaos as an opportunity to sneak up behind the last unarmed man and subdue him.

It was just like hunting the stupid carnivores of Gongaga Forest, only less dangerous. Two men were left: the ones with weapons – Taefis liked a challenge. Ducking under a blow, Taefis planted a punch where the sun doesn't shine, and the man easily went down. The leader, being the only one left, his brain working in slow-motion, finally realized he couldn't win and ran off into the distance.

For the first time in a long time, the reclusive orphan felt good about herself. She felt like she belonged, as if there was a place in the world for her. As she walked the streets of Corel, she discovered many new things. Plants were one of those things.

Never before had Taefis Locke eaten a plant. For her, it was an amazing experience, filled with new tastes and sensations that she had never imagined could have been possible. Imported all the way from Mideel, the greenery she jammed into her mouth wasn't particularly easy to come by, but Taefis had a way with the people here. As long as men remained blubbering idiots fascinated by each and every single woman, she'd have no need for money for a long time.

Taefis was a hungry little woman. It didn't take long for her to realize that she had a penchant for spicy foods, and within an hour or so she had found one of the spiciest restaurants in town. In no time flat she was devouring jalapenos with the best of them. The hunter from Gongaga, before long, completely forgot about her mission.

- - -

It had been a long journey going to Old Corel, but Nimbus was amazed to find it was relatively quick going back to the surface. Old Bart Rockslide knew the sewers like the back of his hand, and he smelt like it too. The men emerged back into a world where darkness ruled. The pinpricks of light Nimbus had seen from the tent remained in place where they where, suspended in the sky.

A grin crossed Rockslide's face as he put his hand on his hip, the lifeless cat dangling from his other arm. "Them stars are fake, but ev'ry time I see 'em I feel better inside. There's nothin' like the light to fuel a guy's 'opes an' dreams."

"What kinds of hopes and dreams?" the smaller man queried.

"One day, when the Empire's defeated, I'm gonna tear down that plate; take down that fake sky. I'll bring light back to the Western Continent, an' rebuild Corel, like it was in the good ol' days. It is, an' will always be, my home." A faint glimmer of a tear ran down the bulky man's face, lost in thought.

Trying to hide his emotions, Rockslide roughly brushed the tear aside, but the damage had already been done. Under that frightening guise, Bart Rockslide was really a softie, hoping for a better life and a better world. It wasn't his fault that everything was the way it was, but Nimbus knew he wasn't going to take the blame for letting it continue. No matter what, his companion would strive to crush the Empire.

Maintaining his gruff appearance, the rebel leader kicked the door open to the Sixth Hell restaurant and moseyed straight into the kitchen. From the outside, the place looked like an oversized trailer, but the inside had 'diner' written all over it. Nimbus remained in the main area, and as he looked around, he could literally smell and taste the heat of the dishes. Stray spices floated in through his nostrils and burned his lungs. The heat made him start to sweat.

And yet there was one customer that could stomach it all; one customer that craved the heat and defied all sensibility. Everyone crowded around her to watch the frenzy. She was beautiful, yet menacing, with long, dirty brown hair and ratty clothes. To Nimbus, the woman looked like she had met the Devil and escaped with his lunch money. He wanted more than anything to avoid her piercing gaze, but alas it was not to be.

As her eyes discovered his face through the spicy haze, she dropped her utensils and gaped at him. After some time, something seemed to register with her. "I…" she began, "I think I've seen you before!"

Not too long after, Taefis Locke became a member of ROCKSLIDE.