BOOK TWO: PURSUIT

INTERLUDE

After we had finished telling the first part of our story, recording it as the elders wrote down all of our words, we took a break for a little while, scattering to different parts of the canyon village. Talking about all these things, the pain and loss we endured and the struggles we faced together, wasn't easy. It brought back a lot of memories, both good and bad. But I suppose that's the nature of this sort of thing.

Still, we had gotten this far. What happened in Midgar was the dark foundation of our long journey. I'll never forget what happened there, the things that we did and what they led to. The pain and death they caused. It's not an easy thing to live with, but as Tifa said before, facing it, talking about it, is the only way to really deal with it. I don't think any of us has ever really done that until now.

The people we call heroes are expected to look out for everyone else, but who looks out for them? Who is there for them when they're the ones in need? My friends and I, all we had was each other, and that's still true today. We've become an odd sort of family, but a family nevertheless. We had slowly drifted apart over the last few years, each of us wrapped up in our own lives, the days of our journey together falling farther and farther behind us. It would have been easy to forget.

But I didn't want to. I couldn't afford to. If you forget the past, you'll just make the same mistakes over again, and I didn't want that. So I was glad when Nanaki called me last month and told me of his idea, his plan for us to all come back together and lay down our story. He pitched it as a history project, to preserve the truth of our journey for those who came after us, and that's certainly a part of it.

But I've come to agree with Tifa's thought that this project is also for us, to help us confront the dark things that had happened, that we played a part in so long ago, and finally put them to rest. To stare unflinching at the uglier parts of ourselves and find the means to cleanse our hearts and minds of the lingering pain left by all we had been through and the losses we had suffered. To forgive ourselves for what we were and what we had done, and to renew our bonds with each other.

I know she would want that.

When we stopped after finishing our story of Midgar, I wandered up to the top of the settlement, out in front of the observatory. From there, I could look out and see the entire canyon for miles, the desert wind warm and dry as it whispered past me. It's a peaceful place, and you should see it for yourself sometime if you ever get the chance.

As I stood there, I let thoughts and memories of Midgar and all that had happened there fill my mind. The bombings we had carried out, the lives they had taken. The friends I had made and lost in that dark place. Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie. I can still hear Biggs' laughter, see Wedge's goofy smile, and feel the soft touch of Jessica's lips on mine.

Some accounts say I never paid much attention to any of them, that Jessie and I never had anything tender together. Others claim the four of us were best friends right from the start. Neither of those are true, as you now know. But it's just an example of how our story has been mistakenly retold by those who know less about it than they think.

In any case, I found that Tifa was right. The memories are there, but I don't feel bound by them anymore, by the pain and guilt of what we did there and what came of it. We've been searching over the years for a way to atone for all that, I think. Myself, Tifa, and Barret most of all, whether we realized it or not. I think that's part of why we fought so hard against Sephiroth and Shinra during our long journey. But we were so caught up in finding redemption and forgiveness from others that we never took the time to give it to ourselves. Aerith told me once how important that was, that sometimes we were the ones who needed to do the forgiving. It's not easy, but it's the only way to really move on.

We still have a long way to go to tell the rest of our story, and even as I record this, I'm making my way back down to the Cosmo Candle to get started on the next part. But we had all agreed that before we moved on, we should pause first to reflect on what we had told of our tale so far. It's not been easy, but I believe it's worthwhile, both for you and for us. And I hope you'll feel the same way by the time this is all over.

Kalm was where the next phase of our journey started, and so that's where we'll pick up. A lot had happened by then, but still more was yet to come. Far more than we could have imagined. We were chasing after the man in the black cloak. Sephiroth. And that pursuit would lead us across the continent and eventually away from it. It was a difficult journey, full of rumors and whispers and deadly encounters, but it also bound us even closer together as friends and companions.

And maybe that was the most important thing of all.

— Cloud Strife