The Great Warrior of Cosmo Canyon
Chapter 4: The Aftermath
Back in the canyon, the rest of the Gi Tribe, with their lord and master defeated, retreated from the battle, giving the victory to the villagers. However, the battle did leave its mark on the canyon; a deep scar that will never heal no matter what the treatment.
Many villagers had given their lives to protect their family and home. Walking through the ruins of the canyon, Bugenhagen could see wives crying over the lifeless bodies of their husbands, and in some cases, their only children. It was hard seeing these sites, as Bugenhagen remember it all to clearly from the time when the beasts attacked his homeland.
Oh heavens, how could this have happened? I thought I would never again witness such horrific sites in my lifetime. Why? Bugenhagen could not stand to watch anymore. His only concern was to find Kasei and Nanaki to make sure that they were all right.
He ended up finding them cuddled together by the once burning Cosmo Candle, a site that he thought was impossible. How could the Cosmo Candle go out! This is truly a terrible omen. He approached the two bodies to find that Nanaki was whimpering beside the body of his mother.
"Kasei! Nanaki, what happened?" Bugenhagen questioned.
"Grandpa, those creatures attacked us and mother tried to protect me. She was hit badly, but thankfully it wasn't by one of those bad arrows that you told us about. She is hurt really bad though. Is there anything you can do to help her?" Nanaki asked his grandfather, still trying to hold back his tears and his own fear of losing his mother.
"Yes Nanaki, please wait right here. Stay by Kasei's side to keep her warm and to keep he with us. I will rush to my observatory and fetch some healing potions." Bugenhagen floated off quickly to get the medicine. Nanaki curled up next to his mother.
Sniffles, "Mother, please don't die. I don't want you to go away. Who will teach me to be a great warrior?" Since father ran off to save himself…why did he leave us at such a time? We needed him, and he abandoned us… "Everything will be alright mother, you will see…just don't die…" Nanaki cried himself nearly to sleep when Kasei quietly said…
"Do not worry my son…Ev…everything will be okay…I…I will not leave…you…I love you…my son…" Kasei managed to speak to calm the shaking pup down. She then passed out, but still breathed lightly.
Two hours passed, and yet still not Bugenhagen with a healing potion. Nanaki awoke, startled by a strange sound of footsteps approaching.
"Grandpa!" Nanaki jumped up in excitement, however the man was not his grandfather.
"Hmmm? What is this? Such a strange organism. Looks like this larger one will not survive. Unfortunate, but at least the little one will do. It would probably last longer in experimentation than that adult one…" The strange man studied Nanaki and Kasei carefully from a distance. Nanaki knew not who he was, but what he did know was that he was a nasty man, and growled in anger and fear.
"Hmmm, fascinating. The little one wants to fight eh? Hehehe. Very amusing." The man was not intimidated by Nanaki's ferocity, and instead just laughed. The strange man was dressed in a white coat, resembling a scientist. He wore small glasses and hunched over while he walked. The name one of his bodyguards used was Hojo1.
"Hojo sir, shall this specimen do?" One of the guards asked.
"Hmmm, yes, yes Rude, take that little one. Take him back to the lab."
"Yes sir." Rude was a muscular man, shaved head, and dark glasses. He definitely looked like someone to be feared thought Nanaki. He approached Nanaki to grab him and throw him in a cage, but Nanaki backed away and growled in anger. Then all of a sudden Kasei woke up and leaped at the guard to protect her son.
"Get away from my son!" Kasei roared and tried to slash Rude in the face, but he pulled out his side arm and shot Kasei in the chest. She dropped straight to the ground, blood scattering on the ground.
"MOTHER!" Nanaki could not believe what he had just seen. His own mother, murdered right before his eyes. Mother? Please get back up. Help me…
"Hehehe, guess we can't use the adult now. Oh well, the small one will do. Rude, Reno, lets get back to the lab. I want to start experimenting on the pup as soon as possible!"
The three men began walking back towards Midgar, carrying Nanaki in a small cage. The only thing he could see from the small bared door was his mother's dead body; fading away in the darkness.
Mother…father…where are you…?Nanaki could not believe what his grandfather had told him.
"That is your father, Seto. You thought that he abandoned the canyon and ran off by himself when in fact he was the only reason that the canyon did not fall." Bugenhagen told his grandson, who still seemed not to want to believe.
"Did…mother know?" Nanaki sadly asked.
"Ho ho hooo, yes she knew. The both of them made me promise to seal the secret cavern door and not to tell a soul. I am happy that you came back when you did. I wanted to show you your real father before I pass on."
"Grandpa…"
Bugenhagen jumped to a higher stone, "Ho ho, I have lived a long enough life Nanaki. This year, I will be 130! I am glad that I was able tell you the truth."
"Grandpa, you must continue to live. I don't want to think of a life without you. You must live! I will see to it. I will see to what is happening to the planet, defeat Sephiroth and come back to tell you!"
"Nanaki…"
"I am Nanaki, son of the great warrior Seto. I will come back a warrior true to that name grandpa, I promise you that. I will grow up and be strong enough to protect you and the entire canyon!"
"Nanaki…" Suddenly a drip of water fell from above and landed on the stone next to Nanaki.
"? That… That's Seto's… Seto…" Bugenhagen looked up, sadness filled his heart.
Nanaki looked up as tears continued to fall from his stone eyes, "S… Seto… Father!" He then leaped up closer to his father's lifeless stone body, looked up to the moon, and howled in remembrance of his father.
Nanaki…I love you my son…1Hojo – Hojo is a mad scientist from the "evil" company Shinra. He found the creature women known as Jenova and created Sephiroth and his failed "clones." He is also responsible for kidnapping Red XIII as a cub and also kidnapping Aeris to try and breed a new race of Ancients.