Deep inside the Magitek Research Facility in the town of Vector, two children laid side by side on a cold metal table. They were huddled together for warmth, for the frigid air in the room drew out the meager heat their bodies generated. The cold air whipped down from the vents in the ceiling, their frigid blasts chilling all in the room
Geshtal stood in the corner, watching the technicians work over the two children. The two infants, orphans from an orphanage in Albrook, had stopped crying a few hours ago. Both were blue from the frigid air, their bodies chilled down until their metabolisms had nearly stopped. As arrogant and uncaring as the young emperor was, even he was shocked at the treatment being displayed to the young children. He knew this procedure would produce the warriors he needed, yet such cruelty to let infants freeze like this!
He turned to one of the technicians standing by a bank of gauges. Your name, if you will? he asked.
Technician Third Class Cid Chere, sir, came the reply.
Why is the temperature in this room so low, Cid? asked Geshtal.
Our Esper sample has to remain chilled, or else it will become activated, sir, Cid responded. This is a very powerful Esper, sir, with some unusual properties. It is more than capable of annihilating the entire Magitek facility, sir.
Then why are these children almost entirely unclothed? Why have they not been kept warm?
Their metabolisms must be at the lowest point for the transfer to succeed, sir. Our last subject was kept warm, sir, and the results of that experiment were extremely unsuccessful.
How so? asked the emperor.
The previous test subject began to mutate rapidly, sir. It was affected by some kind of strange cancerous growths, and it began to show strange forms of energy discharge within the first 36 hours of the experiment. Subject Intangir was released on a distant island. We hope that the forces of nature took care of that problem, sir, answered Cid.
Emperor Geshtal fell silent as he considered Cid´s answer. The technicians had done the correct thing. If the test subject survived, perhaps it could be released from its island prison one day to serve the Empire.
The emperor wandered over to the chamber containing the Esper. Through the wonders of modern science, magical energies could be transferred from Esper to humans. Soon, with this procedure, he would have an army of invincible soldiers, ready to fight at his whims.
He bent over to read the label on the Esper´s chamber. Jenova. A fitting name, he thought to himself. He had captured this one himself, right before the human woman drawn through the gate had given him her child.
A technician approached Geshtal. Sir, we would ask you to move back against the wall. We are beginning the procedure now, he said.
As Geshtal moved back against the wall, he watched the energy start to flow from the Esper. As the energy made its bright, glowing way through the clear tubing, Geshtal smiled. He would have his army very soon.
**
The Guardian watched from the opposite corner of the room. He had not felt the need to express himself physically, and was thus undetectable to the room´s other occupants. He watched the energies flow from the creature encased in glass to the infants on the table. The flow was only a miniscule fraction of the energies contained in the creature, but they would be more than enough to empower the two children.
Suddenly, the Guardian´s awareness began to tingle. His hated enemy was also in this room. The Guardian cast his thoughts through space and time, trying to find the location of his enemy, to discover its intentions.
The energies stopped flowing into the children. Their bodies had endured as much of the energy as possible, and could endure no more. As the flow stopped, something began to happen to the case. A small crack was winding its way down the side of the case.
There. Hated enemy. Bane of creation. Angel of the Abyss. The Guardian´s eternal enemy, the being the Destroyer had left behind when it had followed the Creator out of this universe.
Abaddon.
The being was slowly running one of it´s phantom wingtips down the case, cracking the glass and releasing the creature. Before the Guardian could react, the case shattered open, releasing the creature inside. It howled, promising death to all in the room, before it vanished into the thin, cold air.
Abaddon also vanished, taking the creature with it. The Guardian followed Abaddon with his mind, following it as it sent the creature to a far distant planet. The Guardian felt the creature impact the planet, and felt the beings there close in and contain the creature over the course of hundreds of years.
All was well. This was simply the very beginning of that planet´s Crisis. He would worry about that when the time came. First, to see the damage Abaddon had wrought here on this world.
The Guardian turned his attention to the infants on the table. The girl was unharmed, and the energies were empowering her body with magic. She would be fine.
Abaddon had left a gift to this world with the boy, on the other hand. His mind was twisted, warped to the breaking point. A twisted mind, and powers such as this, would make this infant a demigod, willing and capable of destroying this world many times over. The Guardian began to shut the life processes down in the infant. No need to let something like this roam free. This soul would be a long time in healing.
Then, the senses that the Creator had imbued into his servant began to register. This infant was not an abomination to be destroyed. This infant was the Crisis of this planet.
With an ironic set of mind, the Guardian touched the destiny of the girl-child. If the boy was to be the Crisis, it was only fair that the girl would be one of the heroes. He altered her life slightly, providing a savior at her darkest hour. She would live, and fight, and just maybe, she would win.
The Guardian withdrew himself back to the blackness of space. This world would be facing a Crisis soon. Soon, there might be Six, instead of Five. He would wait, and prepare, and watch over this world.
As he began, he sent a small part of his mind to watch over the planet that the Jenova creature had impacted into. A crisis for this planet too. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe soon, there would be Seven.
**
Outside the chambers, Geshtal was shouting furiously. What in the hell went on in there? What were you people doing? I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED, you morons! If this is the kind of work you people have been doing, it´s over! I don´t need my empire destroyed by your incompetence! This way is through! Find another way to make these warriors!
Cid strode through the doors of the ruined test chamber. he shouted. Sir, your first two Magitek soldiers! Celes and Kefka
Geshtal stared down at the children held in the technician´s arms. There was no use in letting two apparent successes go to waste. Good. You will now help to raise these children, Cid. Come, let us talk about your job, technician