This chapter will make things a bit twisted, so be prepared! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter and please R&R!! Also, sorry for not writing in a while, I've been busy playing Kingdom Hearts and that game ROCKS!!!!



Disclaimer: As you already know, I own nothing of the Final Fantasy games.





{The Legend of Nanaki} [Chapter 3: Yunsano]





Now this was something to be surprised about, for Nanaki couldn't belive his eyes. "W-w-who are y-you??!" Nanaki studdered, for what he saw in front of him; another one of his own race.

It was a female, she looked like Nanaki, only she was skinnier around the legs and stomach. Not that Nanaki was fat, but he had more muscle in his legs and stomach than a female. And the last female he saw was his mother. Well...besides one of his playmates, Yunsano (You-en-san-o). They used to play all day and all night long. There were plenty females around that time, yet Yunsano was one of his best friends.

The female looked at Nanaki. She didn't move from where she was standing when she walked in. "My name's......my name is not important now, but I need to talk to you." she said. Nanaki barely shivered at her voice, for he had not heard any voice of his own race in so many years, especially a female's.

"Well...uh...okay, then where did you come from? I thought I was the last of my race!" Nanaki walked around her, just to see if she WAS real. She giggled a bit. "What are you doing, silly?" she watched him as he circled her about three times. He finally looked up at her tail.

"Blue flames!" Nanaki gasped. The only kind of his race he knew with blue flames on their tail, was Yunsano. He never knew why though, everyone else had red, orange, and yellow flames on their tail. She was also covered with ancient necklaces and bracelets. She had feathers in her mane as well as Nanaki. She also had gold and silver bracelets, and beaded necklaces with feathers, glowing rocks, and other rare materials.

"Y-Yunsano...?!" Nanaki looked into her eyes. She looked away. "......"

"You ARE!! Oh man! Yunsano, it's been so long! How many years now, over 30?!" Nanaki jumped up and down with a smile on his face. Yunsano kept her face hid. "45 years...." she mumbled. "Oh my god!!" Nanaki was pleased to see his best friend, yet he wondered why she was mad that he figured her idenity.

Nanaki's expression got serious. "What's wrong?" he asked in a deep, concerned voice. She looked him in the eye. "I just need to talk to you...then we can talk about other things." Nanaki nodded. He motioned for her to follow him. She followed him all the way up Bugenhagen's cliff.

He sat down as did she. They looked into the colorful sunset. "This is my favorite place in Cosmo Canyon, besides where my father and grandfather rest." Nanaki said quietly, not wanting to ruin the nice scenery with his best friend. "Yes..." she said softly.

"So what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Nanaki continued to talk quietly. "See, we've been waiting for you to come home...." Nanaki looked at her strangely. "What do you mean 'we'? Are there other of our race that's alive?" "Yes...and we've been waiting a long while. Will you come with me back home where we belong?" she asked innocently.

"Home? I am home. This is where I belong. I protect the canyon from the time the sun comes up, 'till the sun goes down and sometimes during the night." Nanaki stared at the glowing sun. "But, this isn't home. Didn't your father tell you about our home?"

"No, he never said a thing! Where is this 'home' anyway?" "You mean you don't know!?" Yunsano was shocked. "No...." "It's in the Promised Land, silly!" she laughed. "P-Promised Land!? I never thought it really existed! The city of the Ancients was real, I knew that, but the Promised Land?!" Nanaki had a twist of confusion on his face.

"Yes...that's where all of us go when it's time to leave the canyon. Over 300 of our kind lives there! Please, come with us, all of us are there!"

Nanaki stood up quickly. "You're begging me to leave Cosmo Canyon?! I can't! I LIVE here to protect it! I live here, I die here!" Nanaki faced the other way. "Huh? But----" "No buts, I'm not leaving. People here need me! And besides, father says there is a greater force of evil around here that is greater than Sephiroth's!"

Yunsano got up and walked over to where Nanaki was facing. He turned the opposite way. "C'mon, you're acting like a child! Face me please..."

Nanaki sighed. He faced her. She smiled. "Thanks. But will you come?" Nanaki stood up again. "NO! I'm not leaving! ...No...no you aren't Yunsano, Yunsano would NEVER try to take me away from my people! Now leave this canyon at once!"

She looked him in the eye. "These aren't your people, WE are your people! I know you better than the back of my paw. Come with us! Please!"

"Ha! You think you know me so well, then prove it! You faker, you're not Yunsano! You haven't even said my name this whole time! Who don't even know me at all!" he growled.

"Fine, I'll prove it. "You are Nanaki, son of the great warrior Seto, grandson of the most inteligent person I know, Bugenhagen. Also you saved the world with some humans, and a little boy broke your necklace this morning that Seto had given you as a momento. Also, you have another momento of Seto and Bugenhagen, it's a weapon only you and your father can use, Limited Moon." Nanaki's jaw dropped.

"So you do know..." "Yeah, and oh, I forgot to give these to you." She handed Nanaki some colored rocks and feathers. "Wow...from my necklace! Thank you so much!" He put the rocks and feathers in a nap sack attached on his side.

"And I could go on forever! Let's see...your nickname is Red XIII, Hojo gave you that name and those tattoos, and the people you saved the world with called you that also." she laughed. "Do you know the names of the people who helped me save the world?" he asked.

"This might take a while, okay let's see... Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockheart, Aeris Gainsborough, Barret Wallace, Cid Highwind, Yuffie Kisaragi, Cait Sith, and Vincent Valentine. There happy?" she smiled. "Wow...how'd you know?!" Nanaki was impressed.

"Don't you remember Nanaki? When we were just cubs, we found out what our special ability was, we all had different ones. You could sense people from afar, and I was the psychic one. Remember?" "Oh yeah....so you read my mind?" she nodded.

"One question. Why did you guys leave me here at Cosmo Canyon when all of you went to the Promised Land?" "Nanaki...Nanaki....Nanaki." she shook her head. "You were captured by Hojo when we did, and we couldn't come save you. Sorry..."

"Hmmm, I guess I understand. But why have you come to get me now?" Nanaki was curious. "Back at the Promised Land, we are free and are able to do what we want, yet someone watches over us to make sure we do not do something that could eliminate our race, or any of that sort. The man watches over us and makes sure we're all there, he found out one day that YOU were missing. He almost forgot about you he said, and he wanted you to come back to be free, yet he almost forgot that he'd visited you and wanted always to return, yet he didn't want to leave us, so he wanted to send someone out to bring you there."

Nanaki thought. "Wait a minute, so he's seen me before?" Yunsano looked deeply into his eyes. "Yes, or so he says. He does not even speak of his name, so we do not know who he is. He just says it's his purpose to watch over us."

*I wonder...was it that man who visited me a while back and told me I was a legend?* Nanaki thought.

"Perhaps..." Yunsano spoke. "He might be the one you are seeking." Nanaki almost jumped. Yunsano sensed this. "As I've told you before, I can read minds." "Yeah, I know, it's just I....I'm not used to that..." Nanaki looked down.

"That's okay. But I have limited time here. I need to get back to the Promised Land. What's your decision?" She stood up. Nanaki jumped back. "I told you before, I'm not leaving!" Nanaki felt anger in his heart. "I protect this canyon, I live here, I die here!" Nanaki ran off. Yunsano stayed where she was and watched him jump down the cliff's edges and disapear into a cave. She shook her head and jumped off the cliff.

Nanaki ran as fast as he could to his father's cave. He ran with great speed down the cold winded caves of darkness. Soon he came to his father.

Nanaki ran up the cliff and opened his mouth, yet nothing came out. He thought of what to say to his spirited father, yet he managed to scramble together some twisted thoughts.

"Father, please listen to me, what should I do? Leave the canyon and be with my own kind and live in peace, or stay and protect the canyon from greater evil out there?" Nanaki felt tears swirling in his eyes. He was so confused.

The stone figure of Seto shook a bit as his eyes turned a soft goldish- yellow. Nanaki heard Seto speak inside of his mind. He listened carefully.

~**~ My son, Nanaki.......you must choose.....choose your path......live how you want to live.......the canyon will always remain protected by my power......go where ever you want in life, just don't ever forget the canyon....let it remain in your heart forever......never loose pride.....~**~

"But father! What if your power isn't enough to protect it? What if you cannot protect the canyon by yourself? If I leave, and you need my power, I will not be able to assist you!"

~**~ Choose your path, Nanaki.......don't be afraid....~**~

Nanaki looked down. "Father, I hope I don't regret this, but I've chosen to leave with Yunsano."

~**~ Then your path is set.....follow your heart....wherever you go....whatever you do.......never forget the canyon.......~**~

Nanaki felt the hot burning tears streak down his face. He nodded very slowly. Seto's eyes returned to the dull yellow color they've always been. Nanaki walked slowly down the cave, tears streaking down his face from his soft red eyes, and tail dragging to the ground instead of being up in the air, tall and proud with spirit flowing through it.







Wow....long chapter, eh? Well hope you liked it. Please R&R, and I'll go back to playing Kingdom Hearts which is the best game in the world (next to Final Fantasy VII, of course!)