Disclaimer: Characters belong to Square-Enix.
A/N: Woot! I also got to watch Final Fantasy 7: Last Order too! It's great to see a small portion of FF7 committed to animation, although I have to ask - what happened to all those other Turks? Did AVALANCHE kill them? It's so unfair, I wanna play Before Crisis! TT Anywho, let's go onto the comments. elvenarchess: Cool your boots, man! If I was to list all the little things I've changed, such as dialogue, we'd be here all day! Suffice it to say that so far I haven't changed anything substantially from the game. The only things I've added are the Sephiroth part at the end of the last chapter and Aerith's story about Zack (which she didn't explain in the game at all). None of these things change the course of the original game at all, so don't worry. If I've done any major changes, I'll let you know. As for including Advent Children - I don't think it will be. Actually this story was written 6-7 years ago soon after I first played the game and now I have other commitments and interests. Not to mention I had other ideas about what happened after the game ended (which I've posted here, if you're interested), and I feel it'd be pretty redundant if I wrote Advent Children when I have my own 'view' of how things turned out for Cloud and friends. stupidisstupiddoes: (great penname, btw!) Thanks so much for the fav and for the summary! (SPOILERS AHEAD!) Don't worry, when I said Cloud was a clone, I didn't mean he was literally a clone of Sephiroth. I simply used that wording because that's what Hojo refers to Cloud as later in the story. No worries, the Cloud/Sephiroth/Zack/Tifa thing will be revealed in due course. :)
-Ludi x
-oOo-
: Chapter Eleven : Son of Seto
Bugenhagen led them back into a room near his own. Inside one of the walls in this room was the door that had been built into Cosmo Canyon's very rock-face. The door was a block of thick iron, sealed and bolted. Bugenhagen looked at both Red and Cloud, who were waiting for him expectantly.
"We shall enter this door," the old man said. "But I must warn you, it is dangerous."
"What's inside?" Cloud asked curiously.
"The door leads into the heart of the mountain of Cosmo Canyon and out on to the other side of the valley. Inside are the Caves of the Gi."
"Caves of the Gi?" Red looked alarmed. "But the Gi are our sworn enemies. We can't go in there!"
"Nevertheless," Bugenhagen continued, "we must go through if you are to find yourself, Nanaki."
Whispering some incantations, Bugenhagen unlocked the door and opened it wide for Cloud and Red to enter.
"Let us go through."
Cloud stepped through the dark portal and looked around. They had entered into the bowels of the earth, it seemed: like the Mythril Mines, a natural, ethereal light exuded from between the rocky crevices, flooding the caves and ridges with an eerie glow. Yet, unlike the Mythril Mines, the Caves of the Gishone withan aura of black magic, cold and death-like, smothering in its wicked splendour. Loud, long moans echoed tortured, hungry voices within the resonant caverns and chambers, chilling the group to the bone. At first, Cloud thought that they were real, human voices: but as he listened, he realised that it was the sound of the earth, buckling and rearing in its fight to keep itself alive. He shuddered. If only those people up on the surface could hear those screams, then they would not even think to suck the Planet's life-force out of its body anymore.
Bugenhagen watched Cloud and Red assess their surroundings. He addressed Red mildly.
"Nanaki, you know where you are?"
Red nodded.
"Yes. This is where it all took place. The war between my tribe and that of the Gi." He looked up, puzzled. "But why have you taken me here, Grandfather?"
Bugenhagen did not answer the question.
"We must pass through these caves first. Then you will understand, Nanaki."
He began to float over into the heart of the caverns and then stopped and swivelled round to them.
"Come, let us move on."
Cloud and Red followed Bugenhagen through the dimly lit tunnels. Cloud's feet crunched against the flakes of brittle stone and dry moss. He still did not know why Bugenhagen had wanted him to come along. Why was Red's heritage so important to Cloud? He did not see why it should concern him, but he was curious as to what this mystery was.
As they wandered further through the dank, dreary caves, the cloudy dismal light suddenly gave way to the glowing flickers of burning torches. As Cloud looked about, he saw that there were cavities carved into the rock faces and that these were being inhabited. Out of the black holes peered narrow golden eyes that caused Cloud's heart topulse with fear. They seemed to bore into him like laser beams, full of loathing and vengeance. As Cloud passed them, the features of the staring creatures became clearer. Kneeling in their cavern homes, they had the faces and bodies of humans, but they were grey-skinned and bony. In their soapy grey hair were feathered head-dresses and coloured beads, and their finger-nails were yellowed and curling over.
"What are these beings?" Cloud asked, kicking away the hands of the creatures as their skinny arms reached out to grasp him by the ankles.
"They are the Gi," Bugenhagen replied. "They were powerful sorcerers who sought to rule the sacred land of Cosmo Canyon. They lost the war with our village and were sealed up in this mountain. Their vengeful souls could not be assimilated into the Lifestream. So here their shades remain."
"But why are they are not attacking us?" Red inquired, confused. Bugenhagen gave him a long side-glance.
"Because, Nanaki, they are afraid of you."
"Afraid of me!" Red echoed, shocked. "Grandfather, I don't understand!"
"Be patient, Nanaki. Once we have passed through here, you will see why."
Now more than just perplexed, the two trailed Bugenhagen through the grottoes. The Gi glared at Red with a mixture of hatred and fear as he walked past. They did not dare to move or even use their magic on the small party, but cowered in their bleak homes with an almost begrudging reverence.
Shortly, Bugenhagen led the two up to a painfully narrow, claustrophobic tunnel carved within the walls of the caves. Leading them through the shaft of dripping rock and mildew, they presently came out and into the open air of a great valley. All around stood the crests of the canyon, and a pale, milky full moon shone above them like a lustrous pearl. Stopping, Bugenhagen pointed up to the peak of the tallest mount.
"Look Nanaki," he commanded in a suddenly regal voice."Look at your father."
Cloud and Red looked up.
At the edge of the cliff stood the mirror-image of Red - except he was older, larger, more dignified. Cloud saw that spears had been driven into the body of the great beast, and on his face were moulded the ravages of pain - and yet the face was noble, the face of a great man. As Cloud looked closer, he realised that the creature's expression was stuck fast, like that of a statue: no, it was a statue.
Nanaki's father was a lump of stone.
Red stood, speechless, both pain and wonder etched on his roughened face.
Bugenhagen glided over to him.
"That is your father, Nanaki. The great warrior, Seto."
"My father...Seto..."
Red stared up at the grey sculpture that his father appeared to be. What had happened to him?
Bugenhagen looked up to the place where he had memorised Seto was.
"Long ago, during the war between your kind and the Gi, it was not always certain that your mother and father would win the battle. The Gi were capable of a powerful black magic. For a time, it seemed quite inevitable that they would win."
Bugenhagen looked closely at Red, who stared back up at him earnestly.
"Your mother and father fought bravely. But while the battle was raging on, many fell wounded, your mother included. Seto begged her to return to the safety of the village. He stayed behind, and fought the Gi back into the caves." He paused, lifting his face up to Seto's with an air of regret. "Yet he did not escape unscathed. The cowardly Gi's poisoned spears pierced him, and turned Seto to stone. And yet, he protected our village and still, he protects us. His bravery, his strength and prowess cowed the Gi into submission. The fear he instills in them keeps them from invading us again."
He turned to Red seriously.
"He did not run away, Nanaki. Your father stayed here to protect us."
Red let out a breath and stared up at the unmoving beast.
"Can he...hear us?"
"Oh yes." Bugenhagen nodded. "He is very much alive, though he is unable to move." He turned to Cloud "Cloud, I want you to know this because I want you to realise that Nanaki has much to learn. This is his story, his heritage, and I... I am granting you guardianship of my grandson. When you take him back on your quest with you, I want you to take care of him, to nurture him into the adult he wishes to be."
"I understand," Cloud answered, bowing his head respectfully.
"But Grandfather!" Red intervened heatedly."I'm not going with the others! I want to stay here with you!"
Bugenhagen turned to Cloud.
"Cloud, could you please leave us for a moment?"
Cloud nodded, seeing his presence was no longer needed, and turned to leave. When he had disappeared back into the cave tunnel, Red turned expectantly to Bugenhagen. The old man thoughtfully moved away from his ward.
"Nanaki," he began, shortly, "you tell me that Cloud and the others are trying to save the Planet. Personally, I don't think that this can be done."
Red stood wordlessly, following the old man with his eye. Bugenhagen stopped, then spoke again.
"The Planet has had its life sucked out of it for too long now to hope for its redemption. It will die - and soon, there is no doubt about that. But..." he smiled suddenly, "there is no reason why you young people should stop chasing what you seek,or follow your dreams. Even if you don't stand much of a chance of realising those dreams, while there is life in you, just seeking them out is a force in itself."
He moved to Red and faced him seriously.
"I am old, Nanaki. I am a hundred and twenty eight years of age. It is a reality that you must face - that I will not always be here with you. I'm afraid I do not have long left to live."
"No, Grandfather." Red shook his head vigorously. "Please don't say that."
"I cannot hide it from you, Nanaki," Bugenhagen replied softly. "But, I want you to fulfill what you can in your life while I am still living. That is why I want you to carry on your journey with Cloud. Not only this, but your father would wish it of you. It is your key to becoming an adult, to 'growing up', and making your parents proud."
Red listened quietly and looked up at the statue of Seto, his father. Though the eyes did not look at him, he felt as though the great warrior was speaking to him, guiding him to a future he had not thought possible. He gazed back into Bugenhagen's blind eyes.
"Yes, Grandfather. You are right. I have been selfish, I have remained a child while pretending that I am an adult." He paused. "But now, my father has shown me the way. I am Nanaki, son of Seto, and my greatest wish is to protect this Planet and make him proud of me."
Red turned back to Seto; and from the eyes of the statue were falling great drops of salt water, sliding down the cold, stony cheeks and on to the rocks below.
Red felt choked with pride.
"Those tears...they're..."
Swallowing the lump in his throat, he bounded up to the top of the peak and stood beside his mirror-image, his father Seto. Above them, shrouded in blackened clouds, the moon watched over them, unblinking.
Raising his head, Red howled a cry - the ancient words of his ancestors - into the cool, night air.
-oOo-
Cloud leaned against the dank, damp wall of the darkened cave and sighed.
This was a turning point in Red's life, he knew that. From this moment on, Red would choose which way to tread, the path that would lead him to the fulfilment of his purpose. But that was not what was preoccupying Cloud. The fact was, that while Red was finding himself, Cloud realised that he did not know himself anymore than the young warrior did. He closed his eyes. There was an ache deep inside him. What was his purpose? Why did he not know himself?
The sound of Red and Bugenhagen nearing him caused him to push himself away from the wall to meet them. Red frisked toward him, his single eye shining bright. For the first time, Cloud saw something like a smile cross his face.
"I am coming with you!" he stated as he finally stood face to face with him.
"What happened?" Cloud questioned.
Red's fiery face looked up joyfully into his.
"I think I've just grown up, that's what," he growled in reply.
-oOo-
Next: Cloud and Tifa return to their hometown with unexpected consequences...