Final Fantasy VII: Origins
I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any affiliated game.
Long ago the world of Spira began to die from a powerful unsent who began to consume everything in its path. The people of Spira led by a young Alex Shinra fled their world in a ship in search of a new planet far from the unsent. Twelve heroes, led by an old summoner named Yuna, fought the powerful unsent and sealed her away so the people could escape. The few thousand able to escape came across a beautiful small blue marble called Gaia.
On this new world the people of Spira settled in areas there were no indigenous life as to avoid spreading their technological influence. However the people of Gaia would find them and as history would go on the people of Spira would be called the Cetra or Ancients.
They passed on their knowledge of magic and other things and worked hand in hand with the people of Gaia. The centuries passed and the now called Cetra all but forgot the powerful unsent they named Jenova. The only thing they remembered it by was the black stone which held a portion of her life and power. This black stone is known as the Black Materia.
We come to a time where the Cetra hold dominion in a few places. In a vast plentiful plain which is to become the future empire of the Shinra family, a small village in the north near the mountains and the ancient city across the ocean in a place that can't be found except by those who already know where it is. Cosmo Canyon is of a people who are half Spira and half Gaia. They are unique and reside in a canyon where they commune with the planet and all of nature.
It is in Cosmo Canyon where our story begins, a story that will define Gaia for years to come.
Metal clashed against metal as two fierce warriors fought on a cliffside overlooking a canyon. The ferocity of the fight mislead the relationship between the two. They were brothers, Ashura and Indra. They were the sons of the chief of Cosmo Canyon and they were training so they could protect the canyon and it's people.
The eldest brother was Indra, he had long flowing silver hair and a semi muscular frame. He had perfect green eyes like the life of the planet. He used a katana in his fight due to its swiftness.
The younger brother was named Ashura. He had spiky blonde hair, eyes like the ocean and a tight athletic frame. He chose a broader sword than his brother. The two brothers trained everyday and everyday it ended the same with Indra being victorious.
Ashura fell to one knee. "All hail Indra." He chuckles. Indra walks to his brother and holds out a hand. Ashura grasps his hand and gets pulled up. "Is that the best you got little brother?"
The brothers sheath their swords and start walking back to their home. As the brothers walked back into their village they couldn't help notice the a group of people gathered. Ashura and Indra went to the crowd and looked down to see a mauled man.
Ashura bent down to the man and held his hands out. He whispered a small prayer and light began to glow from the bracelet he wore. The wounds on the man began to heal. Indra asked who did this. The crowd all began to speak as one but a man stamped his staff into the ground.
"Not who, what. It was those beast in the canyon outskirts. They attacked again. Come my sons." The man says.
Indra and Ashura follow their father Ramuh to their house up top of one of the cliffs. Once inside their father explained the situation. The beasts could no longer be allowed to hurt the people of Cosmo Canyon. The problem was, a city far away was calling for a representative from Cosmo Canyon and Ramuh intended to send one of his sons.
"This is going to be a test for both of you. Ashura my son, you are strong, gentle, smart and one with the planet in a way I've never seen before. That is why I am having you deal with the beasts. Indra, you're older, stronger and possess greater affinity with using the life force of the planet for defense. I know I can trust you to make it to Midgar, a city of the Cetra. There you will represent the village and see what it is, this Edea Shinra wishes from us. I will determine which one of you is truly worthy of leading Cosmo Canyon after this."
The brothers accepted their individual missions from their father. For Ashura he was nervous to disappoint his father and fail his people. Indra on the other hand thought his mission was too easy and his desire to be the leader would finally be fulfilled.
Indra and Ashura were powerful warriors. They were half Cetra and half human. This joining of two species gave birth to people who could commune with the planet. The Cetra had the natural ability to do so unlike those born on Gaia. The residents of Cosmo canyon all had the ability to commune with the planet but some, like Ramuh and his sons were more attuned.
Indra possessed the power to harness the natural life energies of the planet and use it in defense of the planet or at least that was how it was supposed to be used. Ashura's power lied in hearing the planet more clearly than any other on the beautiful earth, even the Cetra. He could also harness the life energies of the planet for offense but typically used it for healing instead.
The two brothers gathered their things and said their goodbyes to their father Ramuh. As they walked to the end of the Canyon together the brothers wished each other luck on their mission.
Ramuh watched his sons leave. He hoped for the best and prayed that his sons would do right. Ashura made his way through the rocky canyons to find the beasts responsible. The beasts had been a problem for some time and Indra had been suggesting the massacre of the beasts recently. Ashura had other thoughts on how to deal with them.
Indra made his way north east to the ocean. It would take time for him to get Midgar which was on the Eastern continent. There wasn't much known about the people of Midgar. They were the first of the Cetra but decades before there was disagreement on assimilation with the people of the planet. After the disagreement some people left Midgar and moved on to other continents to begin new lives.
Midgar however remained a large metropolis. Under normal circumstances, someone would have to go to the port town on the east coast to get to the Eastern Continent but Indra had an optional way to get there. He could gather energy from the planet and use teleportation magic to travel to the eastern continent. To do this he would be heading to a special spot where the lifestream leaks from the planet and flourishes the land. There was a small village called Gongaga where regular humans with now connection to the planet lived. Indra was heading there to use his magic.
The two brothers arrived at their destinations and looked into the sky. Both brothers looked at the full moon and wondered what the other brother was doing. Their father was going to pass on his leadership to one of them and though they both wanted it, the two believed Indra would be the successor because he was stronger.
It wasn't strength Ramuh was looking for though. He was looking for spirit and love of the planet. Strength didn't mean not having those things but he feared what it was that drove Indra. At the same time though, Ramuh feared for Ashura who was kind hearted and naive.
Indra readied the magic and invoked his power so he could instantly teleport to the Eastern continent and make his way to Midgar. He could sense great power from the city, the lifestream was strong in the area. Indra was on a cliff overlooking the valley surrounding Midgar. The city itself stretched far and was surrounded by lush land. "This will be all too easy."
Ashura walked through the forbidden part of the canyon. As he walked he saw golden eyes staring from the canyon cliffs. Ashura could sense rage towards him. "No, not just me. They hate all mankind, cetra, human and we of the canyon who bear both bloodlines." He looked ahead and saw a large wolf like beast walking towards him.