Heartstrings
Coda
by
TacomaSquall
The clouds hung low over the ruined city of Midgar. The late-spring winds were driving the
clouds north from the Mythril Mountains, towards Midgar Bay. The massive formations of water vapor piled up
on one another, as the zephyr from the south lost momentum, resulting in a
foreboding sky over the once-proud home of ShinRa.
The ruins were not abandoned, however. Squatters eked out a living in the ruins,
residing on portions of the upper plate that were still relatively intact, even
after the collapse of the entire upper plate more than a year ago. Scavengers searched the ruins for anything
of value, with the occasional treasure hunter looking for the rumored lost
wealth of ShinRa or AVALANCHE.
In addition to the usual scavengers and squatters, a large
party had gathered at the base of the ShinRa tower. They clustered near the entrance to HoJo's underground
laboratories. Two Turks, Elena and Reno,
stood side-by-side with their former enemies.
Scientists and support staff from the Research Center looked on,
alongside ShinRa staff. Nanaki, the
Kyrrawlen that HoJo dubbed Red XIII, was suspended in his sitting basket from
one of Alexander's arms. Bahamut's
least avatar perched upon a ruined portion of the plate, with chill Shiva and
sulfurous Ifrit flanking it.
Mako-twisted and human and Frogman stood side-by-side, for the first
time ever, their hubbub bringing the ruined city to life.
In front of this assemblage stood three men. One was the one-armed founder of AVALANCHE,
now the sole survivor of his home, Corel.
Beside him stood the man responsible for slaying Sephiroth, the former
ShinRa employee, Cloud Strife. Behind
these two noteworthy heroes stood the one-eyed leader of the Mako-twisted, Lord
Odin.
Cloud stepped in front of the other two, and gestured. Slowly, silence fell over the crowd in fits
and starts. As the silence grew, the
blond-haired warrior waited patiently for the moment when he could be
heard. Finally, he gestured broadly to
the gathered people and spoke.
"We are gathered today to mourn our fallen. In the last three years, our world has been
wracked by catastrophe and war. Many
have given their lives in the service of the Planet."
He looked at Barret, standing slightly behind, and to the
right. "We grieve the friends who we
lost at the beginning, when we fought for the Planet in blind naiveté." He turned and looked at his wife, and the
remainder of AVALANCHE. Tifa smiled at
him, encouragingly.
"We grieve for the people who recently gave their lives
fighting against powers as great and terrible as those we faced during the
coming of Meteor. Sahugin and Frogman,
Turk and ShinRa trooper, Research Center staff and Mako-twisted – all of you
will be missed."
"We grieve for dear companions, who will no longer be with
us." Cloud's gaze went to the
flag-draped coffins for Reeve and Cid.
"Our company is less for your absence."
"However, on this day, we look into a future that shines
ahead of us. Discovery awaits us, as
the Barrier that once bounded our world is gone. Beyond are new horizons for us to explore."
Cloud smiled.
"Within, as well, there are discoveries to be cherished. In the recent days, we have discovered a
capacity for cooperation that was unsuspected before. In opposing Chaos and Tenarrus, we found that old enmities could
be set aside for the good of the Planet.
We have discovered more of the nature of the summoned beings that we
once used to fight our battles, and have gained, at least, an alliance with
them."
Cloud looked again at Barret. A sly smile crossed his face.
"Reeve knew the chances of his death facing Lord Chaos in
Nibelheim. Before that battle, he gave
a letter to me, with instructions to read it to you after his death." Cloud reached into a pocket and drew the
letter forth. Slowly and clearly, he
read it.
"Greetings, my friends and employees. Since Cloud is reading this letter to you, I
must assume that I have given my life in the ongoing struggle to protect the
Planet. I am sure that many of you have
questions, and I will assay to answer them as best as I can."
"Some of you may be asking, why are we here? Why did old man Reeve want all of us to
gather in the ruins of ShinRa's capitol?
Why would he bring together ShinRa and Wutaian and the Research Center,
along with Kyrrawlen and Frogman and Mako-twisted? What purpose could he have for calling such us all together?"
"The purpose is simple – to make a last request of you all."
Cloud paused as he started to read the next line. He blinked away the tears that were forming
in his eyes. "The fact of the matter
is simple. AVALANCHE is not going to
last forever. I do not know who else
has died in our recent crisis, but I do know that we were facing a twin pair of
evils, one seeking subjugation and the other bent on annihilating us all. We have survived these perils, but only at
grave cost."
"At least one member of AVALANCHE has died, and another has
had his most potent abilities stripped away from him, if he still lives. Our seeming invincibility has been proven to
be just an illusion. In the days to
come, others of us may fall to side, as time and attrition take their toll."
"So I have asked Cloud to bring you together for a simple
purpose. I had him bring you to the
ruins of ShinRa's tower in Midgar, because you must never forget the horror we
have escaped from. I brought you
together because it is necessary for enemies to lay aside their old hatreds for
the sake of the Planet. There will come
a day when AVALANCHE is unable to protect you.
When that day comes, it will be necessary for you to stand as one
against the dangers that may threaten."
Cloud choked out the next words.
"When we are gone, you must rescue yourselves."
Cloud stopped, his voice too choked to continue. Reeve knew that we would not be able to
escape death forever.
As the leader of AVALANCHE tried to regain his composure,
the towering clouds above began to shed some of their moisture. It began to intermittently drizzle, a warn
rain that tickled the skins of those who had been called forth. Cloud took a deep breath and pressed
onwards.
"For that reason, I ask the executive board of ShinRa to
accept my nomination of Barret Wallace for the position of Chief Executive
Officer of ShinRa. He has proven
himself during the post-Meteor reconstruction to be an able administrator, and
he has the moral compass that my predecessors within ShinRa lacked. He will be able to transform ShinRa into the
non-governing backbone of the Commonwealth, able to provide technical and
military assistance to all."
Cloud looked at his burly friend.
Barret was beet-red with shock and surprise.
Cloud continued. "Barret,
you will not have an easy job. I
started ShinRa down a hard road, and I need you to keep a firm hand on the
wheel. It would be all too easy for
ShinRa to resume its dictatorial position, which would lead to the same
tragedies as before."
Cloud turned and looked at Yuffie. "Yuffie Kisaragi, you are the daughter of Lord Godo. Please bring word to him that it is time for
Wutai to take its rightful place as a proud member of the Commonwealth. With Wutai working alongside the members of
the Commonwealth, perhaps we can withstand any attacks from Lord Tenebrius' realm. Accordingly, I ask Lord Godo to consider the
restrictions imposed upon Wutai at the end of the Wutai War, less than a decade
ago, revoked."
"Also warn Godo that ShinRa will not permit any bids for
empire within the Commonwealth."
Cloud's tone became bleak. "AVALANCHE
will stop Wutai, with the help of others, if Godo seeks to extend his sway."
"Staff of the Research Center, I ask you to work in
conjunction with AVALANCHE to maintain the order. Continue to maintain your independence, but also be open to cooperation
with the other members of the Commonwealth, including ShinRa. You are the dreamers that can guide the
Commonwealth into an age of prosperity, tempered with a concern for the
Planet's life that ShinRa cannot match."
"Correspondingly, I would like to announce what I had hoped
to announce when Wallace City became open for settlers. I have begun a separate scientific division
of ShinRa. This division, the
Planetological Sciences Group, will work in conjunction with the communities of
Cosmo Canyon and the scattered survivors from Condor Fort and Mideel. Their
goal will be the continued exploration of the sciences of Materia through
communion and cooperation with the Planet itself."
"I would like to announce that their headquarters, the Aeris
Gainsborough Center of Planetary Studies, has had its foundation laid in the
hills overlooking Cosmo Canyon." Cloud
stopped, his eyes tearing involuntary at the mention of the lost Cetra. "Maybe, in time, we will also be able to
discover some of the secrets the Cetra used in their civilization."
"Thank you for coming to my memorial. Reeve Citan, President of ShinRa."
As Cloud's words ended, a hush lingered over the
assemblage. The silence was broken by
the rushing noise of rain from the clouds above. The people assembled began to walk away.
Hold!
They turned and stared as Odin drew himself up
commandingly. Awestruck by the presence
of one of the most powerful of the Mako-twisted, the assemblage paused in the
act of dispersal.
I will be brief. I
have one simple announcement.
We have heard the whispers that have already begun, since
our return. My master, the Triune
Bahamut, bids me tell you all that we have come to realize the wisdom of the
Cetra's actions in imprisoning us.
Hence, we will seek a place in this world, where we can
dwell separate from the realms of man, Kyrrawlen, and Frogman.
Do not fear that we will forget you. If the time comes, we shall come to your
aid. No longer, however, will we dwell
amongst humankind, as counselors, rulers, or enforcers. We will have no part of quarrels between
nations of mankind. Only should a
threat appear that jeopardizes all of the Planet will we return.
The one-eyed Seneschal of the Perpetual Court turned to
Cloud Strife. And it is time for you
to take your place by our side, brother.
No longer can you be just the human hero, Cloud Strife. It is time for you to join us in the role
prophesied for you.
"What?" Cloud was
flabbergasted.
You are the Thirteenth Knight. It is your quest to rescue the Knights of the Round, and return
Arthur to life.
Cloud shook his head in negation. "That's impossible!"
Tifa sprinted forward, only to find her way blocked by one
of Bahamut's massive claws. You cannot interfere with your mate's destiny. We grieve that he is being taken from you,
but it is necessary, before the taint he bears corrupts another generation.
"I don't care!" Tifa
called upon the full power of her Limit Break, rage and desperation fueling her
blows. They struck the flesh of the
Lord of the Mako-twisted, and he roared in pain.
The other members of AVALANCHE drew weapons and charged to
Tifa's assistance. They were met by the
Mako-twisted, who intercepted them before they could reach Tifa's side.
Before things could degenerate into an all-out brawl,
Cloud's cry stopped the combatants.
"Wait!" Mako-twisted, human,
Kyrrawlen, and Sahugin alike looked at the spiky-haired leader of AVALANCHE. His face wracked with sorrow, he looked at
his friends and companions.
"I will not allow anyone to destroy the peace we strove so
hard to make. Even ourselves." He turned to Odin. "I will go with you."
Odin nodded soberly to the leader of AVALANCHE. He placed his index and ring fingers into
his mouth and whistled. Sleipnir flew
to his master's side, the eight-legged stallion passing effortlessly through
the building downpour.
In shock, the members of AVALANCHE watched as the
Mako-twisted backed away, towards Odin and Cloud. Bahamut landed beside the two, and lowered its neck to the leader
of AVALANCHE. We must needs travel in haste to the Isle of Mists
and Shadows. It will be necessary for
you to fly with us, Thirteenth Knight.
I would be honored to be your steed for our journey.
Cloud forced himself to look away from his friends and
companions as he mounted the great dragon.
He focused his eyes on the multi-colored, scintillating hide of the
Dragon Lord, looking at each hand- and foothold before reaching for them. After a few moments of scrambling, he
perched himself on the Mako-twisted Lord's back.
The Mako-twisted took to the air, ascending swiftly towards
Atma, which floated beyond Midgar's ruins.
Not a word was spoken by the Mako-twisted as they departed.
Cloud succeeded in looking away. However, he could not stop up his ears. He could not prevent himself from hearing the despairing cry of
the woman he loved, left behind forever.
"Cloud, don't leave me.
You promised –" Tifa's voice
broke, and she began crying. "Cloud,
don't leave us?"
The note of despair in Tifa's voice was a sound that he
would carry with him until his dying day.
Tears ran down Cloud's face, mingling with the rain. In that moment, Cloud Strife hated the man
he had become, the man that Tifa had helped him grow into.
"Cloud!"
Fin
