Nibelheim Academy Prologue
Tifa sighed in satisfaction as she put the final glass back into the cupboard and closed the door. She had just finished her first day of running a bar and restaurant and she was exhausted. Tifa knew that she should be glad that so much business had been done but after being rushed off her feet all day, she was glad to have a moment to herself. She looked across the bar and saw a newspaper someone had left behind earlier and instantly regretted it, wishing that she was still swept up in her work.
The paper detailed the latest in the conquest of the Corel Republic; War had been threatened by both Lindblum and Alexandria unless the Shinra Empire ended their occupation of the country. Tifa sighed sadly as she knew Nibelheim would be flattened in such a war, it being only a border town between the three nations. Many had already fled to escape the potential blood bath and only the stubborn and the stupid remained. Tifa smiled slightly, hoping that she was in the stubborn section.
Tifa gave one last glance across the bar, and, satisfied that everything was where it should be, before blowing out the last candle and going to bed. Her stairs which led to her bedroom were covered with boxes of personal items she had yet to unpack (She had planed on finishing them off today but business had been much busier than expected) Tifa paused at the final step and looked down at the items inside.
One thing stood out in particular and that was a photo taken two years ago during the Spring Festival. Tifa stood in the middle of a group of people in front of the newly built Nibelheim Military Academy. To the left of Tifa in the photo were her parents while to the right, were her parent's long-time friends, the Strife family with their young son, Cloud. Tifa smiled as she remembered the young boy, he was six years old in the photo, his spiky blond hair making him instantly recognizable.
The picture was from two years ago, just as Tifa was heading off on her trip of the Continent. During the time she had been away, Tifa had been to capitals of the nations of the Eastern Continent, learned many things and found out how to cook the best steak in the Shinra Empire. When she returned, her hopes of opening a restaurant were achieved and she had opened her business with much acclaim. At twenty-four years old, the future looked bright for Tifa Lockhart.
Putting down the photo, Tifa walked into her bedroom and collapsed onto her bead, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
XxX
Five miles south of Nibelheim, a squadron of soldiers were quickly moving north. They were part of a 500 strength force sent to secure Nibelheim as a launch pad for invasions against Alexandria and Lindblum for the upcoming War. Later reinforcements would follow the next day and strike as soon as they were prepared.
"Why are we doing this in the middle of the night?" One soldier grumbled to the Universe in general. He was podgy bordering on fat, had dark eyes and wore a red bandanna which covered the top of his head.
His companion, a tall, slim, young man with hair that pointed backwards and a bandanna that went in a thin red line around his head "Because you dolt, those damn Alexandrians and Lindblummers will know what we're up to if we do it during the bright day. The sooner we control Nibelheim, the better." He looked through several branches and saw the small town of Nibelheim in front of them, giving a hand signal move forward. He was Captain Biggs of the Imperial Shinra Army and the soldier who had asked the question was Corporal Wedge. They both wore the light blue uniforms of the Imperial Forces.
Behind them, a group of ten soldiers were dragging a large item covered by a large sheet. It had a large square bottom and the top had an odd shape with one bit that stuck several feet into the air. Wedge regarded it with a good amount of curiosity, as did all the other soldiers who didn't have to strain their muscles pulling it "What is it for?" He asked out loud.
Biggs and Wedge had been friends for years and served in several military campaigns including the bloody Siege of Treno and it was due to Wedge's simple mindedness that he hadn't been promoted. It was because of their friendship that Biggs allowed Wedge to speak to him without adding the protocol-correct 'sir' "Only the guys pulling it, the higher ranks and I need to know that for now Wedge. Needless to say, we'll be glad for it if we're attacked."
Wedge rolled his eyes, the truth being that he had peeked under the canvas when Biggs hadn't been looking but he was still unsure of what it was. And, as usual, Biggs was letting the fact he was a pompous ass get in the way of explaining what was going on "If you say so Biggs." Wedge said uncertainly.
XxX
Well above Biggs and Wedge and a mile north, Duke Baku, Commander in Chief of the Lindblum Armed Forces. He was currently on the Airship Cid IX named after the regent of Lindblum and the flagship of the entire fleet. Baku was currently at the helm, staring at a map that detailed the terrain around Nibelheim and frowning. He hated the idea of attacking before War had been declared but everyone knew the Shinra Empire would strike first.
A soldier wordlessly handed Baku a sheet of paper, a message from the semaphore towers of Lindblum had reached the five ship attack force. Baku grimaced as he read the message from Cid himself "Commence the capture of Nibelheim. If Shinra troops are present, bombard the area." Looking at the note made Baku feel ill. He had no intention to bombard a civilian area, he thought of his own adopted son and the horror that would come from such an attack.
That said, Nibelheim was too vital a point to pass up. It was situated at the base of Mount Nibel and covered the only route from the mountain into North-West Shinra territory. If Lindblum could capture the territory around the town, their troops would have unlimited access into the Western Shinra Empire and the War would be that much easier.
Baku looked up from the paper and nodded to the soldiers gathered around the table which the map was placed upon "Alright boys, we have our orders. Prepare to take the city but if there isn't any resistance, there's to be no bloodshed." The soldiers nodded, agreeing with the Duke. Baku was about to further his orders when a bright burst of light came from one of the Airships. A fire ball burst from the cannons and went plummeting to the ground, the explosion destroying a sizeable amount of the forest below.
"WHAT?!" Baku screamed in fury "Which idiot began the bombardment without my say so?!"
A soldier took out a miniature telescope and after having a quick look said "It's the Chocobo sir, Duke Onzlo's Airship."
Baku growled "As soon as this is over I'll…" He got no further as an explosion rocked the Airship.
XxX
"A direct hit sir!" The Shinra soldier called out triumphantly.
"Looks like they got hit badly too." Wedge added as the Airship started to veer wildly from side to side.
Biggs simply nodded in satisfaction as he saw the Airship retreat north, seeing that the damage was too great for it to return. He turned to the Mako anti air cannon and the group of soldiers running it, the canvas abandoned upon the floor "Alright, don't let your guard down, there's still four more Airships up there and I want you to bring them down as soon as…" He was cut off by a massive explosion rocked the ground and threw several of the soldiers off their feet.
Turning around, Biggs felt his mouth open into a small 'o' of horror "They're bombarding the town!" He shouted "Wedge, come with me, the rest of you, stay here and bring down those Airships!" Without even making sure that his orders were being followed, Biggs started to run down to the town, Wedge following behind him.
Wedge scowled in concentration as he followed his friend "Why are we running into a blazing town?!" He yelled
"We've got to get all civilians out of the area and into safety!" Biggs yelled as another bomb struck Nibelheim, this one tearing apart a small house.
XxX
Tifa ran down the stairs, still wearing the clothes she had fallen asleep in. She was panicked but still managed to retain her thoughts somewhat. She had seen the Airships from her bedroom window and realising the town was under attack with the first explosion and decided to try and help people escape from the onslaught. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, another explosion rocked the restaurant and Tifa was thrown off her feet and struck her head on a nearby table as she fell with the sound of shattering glass from falling bottles and glasses rang around her.
For over ten minutes, Tifa lay on the floor in a daze, her head hurting and unable to concentrate. After that time, Tifa managed to clear her thoughts and shakily get to her feet though she was still woozy. Tifa was only partly aware then when the door to her restaurant burst open and two Lindblum soldiers ran through, stopping as they saw Tifa "Well," One said "What do we have here?" His pointed hood that was part of the Lindblum uniform prevented Tifa from seeing his face, but she was willing to bet he was leering directly at her.
The second soldier walked up to Tifa and looked her up and down "Well, I think we're in for a little fun here. Wouldn't you agree darling?"
Tifa scowled as she realised what they were talking about. If she wasn't so woozy, she knew she could have taken them both on despite the fact they carried spears. But Tifa still found it hard to concentrate and her head was pounding furiously. Before anything else could happen however, a small voice came from the doorway "Tifa?"
Tifa turned and was horrified at what she saw. Cloud (who was only eight years old) stood at the doorway, he was wearing some light blue silk pyjamas… at least they were supposed to be light blue. All down his right hand side, Cloud was covered in the crimson colour of blood. His trademark spiky hair was matted to his scalp by blood and his expression was glazed over, as if all emotions, all thoughts were elsewhere.
Forgetting the soldiers standing before her, Tifa looked at the boy and managed to croak out "C… Cloud? Wh… What happened?"
"I was saying goodnight to my dad." Cloud replied in a monotone voice "And then there was an explosion. Dad told me to hide under the table to be safe while he got Mom. But when they came to me, there was another explosion, this one on our house. Mom and dad they… they…" Cloud stopped and looked at himself, noticing the blood splattered across his body. Looking up, he then noticed the soldiers for the first time and screamed with rage "YOU!! YOU'RE THE ONES THAT KILLED THEM!!"
The soldiers flinched slightly but recovered in an instant as one soldier said to the other "Take care of the brat, I'll get… Tifa was it? Ready for a good time." The two separated as the first soldier approached Tifa.
The second soldier approached Cloud and bending down said "Turn around little boy and you won't come to any harm."
Cloud glared at the soldier with all the hatred of destroyed innocence "You took my parents!" He screamed "What more do you want?" And with that, Cloud reached down, grabbed a broken bottle from the myriad that lay upon the floor and stabbed the soldier in his exposed throat before he could react. The soldier gurgled and clutched his throat but the flow of blood continued regardless. With a cry of rage, Cloud charged the soldier, his small body able to build enough momentum to knock him to the ground and while he was dazed, Cloud started to repeatedly stab him in the face with the broken bottle.
The other soldier looked on with horror. That was all that Tifa needed and swung her fist at the soldier, the force of the blow sending him crashing through the remains of the restaurant and landing heavily on the floor. Seeing that he was out for the time being, Tifa looked at Cloud and felt her stomach heave. The Lindblum soldier was obviously dead but Cloud was still stabbing his face with the glass bottle with such force that most of the glass had shattered and imbedded itself into Cloud's hands.
Tifa dashed forward and yanked Cloud off the corpse. For an instant, Cloud resisted and screamed wordless defiance before stopping, dropping what remained of the glass bottle and collapsed into Tifa's arms, crying furiously. Tifa held the small boy close, also letting her tears run freely.
XxX
Dr Hojo of the Imperial Scientific Society smiled in some satisfaction as he gazed upon the smoking remains of a downed Airship. The Mako cannon employed by the Shinra forces had been used to great affect and despite the fact that one Airship had managed to land Lindblum soldiers into Nibelheim; the attack had been successfully repulsed three hours ago. Turning back to the town, Hojo decided to concentrate on his current assignment, to assess the efficiency in which the technological units had performed.
Hojo knew he could approach the Emperor and tell him that the units had performed admirably and that an increase in resources for the ISM should be forthcoming. As Hojo stalked the ruined streets of Nibelheim he reflected that his only regret that he hadn't found a suitable test subject for… Hojo stopped as he was struck by the sight of a small boy, with spiky blond hair, bandaged hands and was coated with blood across his body. He was currently standing next to a building that had survived the assault with a beautiful young woman who looked as if she was suffering from some sort of concussion.
Hojo smiled as he turned to one of the soldiers assigned to his bodyguard "Who's that over there?" He demanded.
Wedge gulped nervously as the question was addressed to him. He had just gone through the worst 5 hours of his life and he didn't want to top it off by getting on the wrong side of an important man like Hojo. He gave a brief explanation of what he knew about Cloud and Tifa and finished it off by saying "When me and Captain Biggs came across them sir, they were in a bad way, Miss Tifa hurled a tonne of abuse at us even though it wasn't us what done the bombing. If you ask me, that kid Cloud is in a really bad way, his parents died right in front of him."
"Psychologically destroyed and numb yet if he did kill that soldier as this bumbling fool said, then he is a good physical condition. Perfect for me needs." Hojo thought. To Wedge, he said "I didn't ask you, simpleton. You are dismissed from my presence."
Wedge left in a depressed mood "Well, there's my last chances of promotion down the shitter." He then went to seek out Biggs in the hopes he could help Wedge drown his problems in alcohol.
As he left, Hojo walked over to Tifa, putting on, what he thought was a charming expression. As he got close to the young boy and woman he said in an oily voice "Good morning, Miss Lockhart. May I have a moment of your time?" A question which earned a cold, hard glare from Tifa.
"Cloud, could you please go see if they've got some food ready for us?" Tifa asked in a stony voice. As the small boy walked slowly away from the spot with his expression still carefully blank, Tifa turned to Hojo and growled "Unless you have something very important to say, go now. That child's parents were torn apart before his very eyes and we've just lost our town to a war of Shinra's creation. So you can see I'm not in the mood to talk with one of the Emperor's lapdogs."
Hojo kept his face blank as he inwardly seethed. He was sensitive about being referred to as the 'Emperor's lapdog', the Imperial crest emblazoned upon his coat constantly reminding him he was only able to do his research because of the Emperor's thirst for power. Putting these thoughts aside, Hojo said to Tifa "Actually, it's about the young boy I wanted to talk to you about. I see that he has been severely traumatised by the events earlier…"
"No shit smart ass." Tifa interrupted in a livid voice.
Hojo's eyebrow twitched but he kept his anger in check "Quite… Anyway, at Midgar, a facility has recently been opened which is dedicated to helping those who have suffered from a hugely traumatic event. I believe that young child could do with a spell there."
"Cloud stays with me." Tifa said, as firm as a rock.
"But do you know how to treat those whose minds have been severely damaged? Can you guarantee the best facilities and care for him?"
If it weren't for the facts that Tifa was exhausted and suffering from concussion, she would have definitely been able to summon up the strength of will to ignore Hojo. As it was, she simply said in a small voice "I… Cloud should… That is…"
Hojo smiled as he saw his victory was imminent "I guarantee that young Cloud shall have only the best treatment and care. He shall recover and you can visit him whenever you like."
That last sentence clinched it for Tifa who could only think of only one problem "How long till he can come home?"
"Well considering the events that have occurred, I'd say at least 6 months." This was plenty of time for Hojo to apply the experiments to Cloud and gauge his reactions.
Tifa nodded and more tired than ever said "Very… well." And unwittingly sealed Cloud's fate.
The End (Technically)
Well here's the prologue of an upcoming fanfic I'm planning to write. The sequel will be on a lower age level due to the lack of violence that this fic had. That's it for now, just remember to read & review!