She was running. It was dark. She couldn't see a thing. She could hear and see her laboured breaths as she continued running, her body fatigued yet she knew she couldn't stop. Her feet ached, she couldn't see very well in this dark forest. Where was the light? She needed light. She needed to escape this accursed place. She wanted to rest but she knew she couldn't. The roar that echoed in her head reminded her that her life was at stake. She needed to escape but where to?! She lost her footing when the large beast knocked her over and her sword flew out of her reach. She landed on the leaf covered ground and she lay there at the mercy of her pursuer. Its teeth protruded out of its muzzle, its claws dug through her armour and into her skin and its scarlet eyes glared down at her.
"Please…" she uttered as if it would understand her.
It snarled lowly, narrowing its eyes and it raised its claw. She tried to reach for her sword but it was too far away. Her legs were pinned down by its hind legs, there was no escape and nothing useful within reach.
"No more…" she begged as she stared up at the beast in horror "No more please…I've had enough…"
She was helpless, she was terrified, she was going to die.
"I don't…"
The beast roared.
"No!"
Anne screamed as she woke from her nightmare and bumped her head against Ryu's beak. The Chocobo squawked in alarm and pecked her head.
"Ow…!" she whined nursing her head "What are you doing here, stupid Chocobo?"
Ryu squawked in a huff and raked his foot along the ground. Anne looked around, noticing that she had fallen asleep in her armoury. She pushed herself up onto her feet and yawned, stretching her arms out.
"What do you want?" she mumbled sleepily as she wandered over to the helmet prototype she had finished last night.
Ryu jumped up and down, feather flying as he squawked louder at the top of his lungs. Anne glanced out of the open door.
"It's not even sunrise yet, you greedy Chocobo!" she snapped and Ryu squawked, his wings knocking against her collection of swords "Careful, I spent hours arranging those!"
"Kweh! Kweh, kweh!"
"No, you are not getting breakfast, it's too early for that! Idiot Chocobo!"
"KWEH!"
He stormed out and Anne suddenly felt a sense of unease and doom.
"NO YOU DON'T YOU FAT, GREEDY, USELESS CHOCOBO!"
She charged after him and chased him all the way to Cid's farm.
"Get back here!"
"Kweh! Kweh!"
Anne skidded in the dirt as Ryu began charging down the fields, some greens having been dug out from last week.
"You thieving Chocobo!" she shrieked at him as he squawked and ran past her "No, stupid, get back here you lousy bird!"
"KWEH!"
"OI!"
Anne yelped as Cid waved his spear as he stormed out of his house.
"Get outta my fields!" he barked and began chasing her.
"Hey! I'm trying to save your crops!"
Anne continued chasing after Ryu who looked very pleased with himself as he yanked a mimett green out of the field whilst running off.
"RYU!"
Ryu eventually hopped over the fence and Anne leapfrogged over it shortly after, leaving the blond farmer brandishing his spear and yelling all sorts of curs.
"And don't come back!"
Anne sprinted after Ryu as he swallowed down the green and began cawing loudly.
"I'll roast you for my dinner!" Anne declared as they ran towards the town centre "It's too early for this! Ryu!"
"Kweh, kweh!"
Ryu had dashed out of the town centre, back towards Cid's farm via an alternate route but Anne didn't follow. Just as she had set foot onto the cobblestone ground, a wave of nausea struck her. She stopped to hold her mouth and try to settle herself, clutching at her stomach and swaying. Her vision was blurring in and out as she staggered to the dry fountain and leaned against it. She began feeling dizzy and coughed, leaning over to direct any vomit into the fountain. She slumped off the fountain and lay down on the cobblestones, holding her stomach and staring up at the sky with blank eyes.
"Die!"
She yelped as she blocked the wave of energy that was sent towards her. Cruel laughter echoed in the dismal room as she felt the heat through her shield and her arm shook.
"No," she whispered "No, I can't…I have to go on…"
"Your efforts are futile!" her opponent taunted "Just give up and accept your fate peacefully!"
The dark figure was engulfed in black and purple flames, his grin wide and malicious as his eyes bore down upon her with a sadistic gleam.
"I will turn that pretty face of yours into dust!"
She backed off as he swooped down towards her.
"I don't think I can dodge that…" she whimpered.
"KWEH!"
"From the darkness light will come. Wings of rebirth shall protect the champion and the imposter of darkness shall be vanquished. And when the keeper of the fortress has been sent back to the cycle of reincarnation, hope will awaken and the king shall return."
"Anne?"
Anne blinked in confusion as she couldn't see the sky but she saw lots of faces. She lay on the cobblestones and heard murmurs of confusion as she held her head.
"I don't…" she groaned.
"Anne, you're awake?!"
"Yeah…"
She was sat up and she saw Yuffie pressing a hand to her forehead.
"Anne, do you remember what you just said?" she asked in a hushed tone.
"Did I say something?" Anne mumbled as she leaned against the fountain.
"Anne, this isn't the time to play pranks."
Anne looked helplessly up at her father who had approached her through the crowd. He crouched by her side with a frown.
"You're old enough to know better."
"…What?"
Anne had no clue what was going on. She remembered chasing Ryu and trying to stop him from pinching greens then she was sick and nauseated. Why were there so many people around at this time in the morning? Her father pressed a hand to her forehead after Yuffie and frowned.
"Well you are quite warm, you didn't fall asleep in your armoury again did you?"
Anne blinked furiously to get rid of whatever was clouding her eyes up and held her head.
"Where's Ryu?" she asked "I was making sure he wasn't stealing Cid's greens…"
"Oh, Shera used a sleep spell on him, he's just dozing in his stable now."
Anne leaned back and groaned.
"I really don't feel well…"
"OK, up we get."
Anne's legs were jelly as her father hoisted her up and began helping her back home.
"Honestly, what would your sister think?"
Pain shot through Anne's head making the blacksmith cry out. The townsfolk jumped as she clutched onto Mr Lockhart and looked up at him.
"Tifa!"
Mr Lockhart recoiled and lost his grip on her. Anne fell to her knees as her eyes turned a light orange and she stared up at the crowd that were in silent awe.
"What have you done to my Marlene?!"
The group stumbled back as the well-groomed man before them waved a hand dismissively, dark mist spilling out and filling the room.
"I have no knowledge of this girl," he sneered "But I may have use for you yet."
The blond of the group fell first, his figure swelling up.
"Cl-?!"
The woman of the group couldn't finish her sentence as her body began changing too.
"The fortress has claimed them," Anne said robotically "They await their rebirth else all hope for Gaia's restoration is lost."
Yuffie covered her mouth as Anne hunched over and fell onto her hands and knees, dry heaving. She blinked in confusion before dropping down to a lying position and closing her eyes. The whole town burst into excited chatter as Yuffie simply watched her friend being carried back home by her father.
"A waking prophet from our own home!"
"This will surely put Nibelheim on the map."
"I wonder what fortress she's talking about…"
The crowd dispersed into little cliques of excited children, gossiping house wives and sceptic men. Leaving Yuffie standing there, feeling lost.
"But Odin doesn't normally turn people into waking prophets…"
Waking prophets are people blessed by the Great Eidolons to receive visions of the past, present and future. As a result, they are forced to slumber in order to maintain their lives, only waking if they are gifted with a vision. Despite being known as a blessing, an Eidolon's power upon a mortal has dire consequences, resulting in an early death or being forced into a deathlike state. Each Eidolon has a speciality power that they give to the mortals they've chosen within their kingdoms. Therefore, because Leviathan normally bestows the gift of receiving visions, waking prophets are most commonly found in his kingdom. Odin's gift is bestowing strength upon mortals when his kingdom needs defending. Although he is capable of turning mortals into waking prophets, it was unheard of as he is only concerned about protecting his kingdom.
Yuffie sat down on the fountain as she considered this. Another possibility would be that Hojo, who controlled the Eidolon, might have had a hand in this. He always enjoyed experimenting with no regard for anyone else. But why would he target a town like Nibelheim and why a simple blacksmith? Perhaps something went wrong and Odin's power went haywire. Normally this would result in other victims too. Yuffie yawned drowsily. It was way too early to be thinking this much.
Anne woke up hours later and was greeted by the sight of her Chocobo peering over her, sitting comfortably on her legs. Anne blinked a couple more times and Ryu tilted his head curiously.
"Kweh?"
"What are you doing in my bedroom?" she asked slowly as she looked around to confirm that she was indeed in her bedroom "How did you get into my bedroom?"
Ryu looked behind him and Anne craned her head to see the wrecked doorframe.
"Oh!" she hissed as she shoved him off her bed and got up "You bad Chocobo! Get out!"
"Kweh!"
"Destructive Chocobo, get out of the house, you're not allowed in here!"
Ryu squawked loudly and began flapping around, blue, green and red feathers flying everywhere.
"Messy Chocobo! Get out! OUT I SAY!"
She shoved Ryu out through the door and he squawked, running back down the stairs, breaking one on the way and zipped out of the back door which had also been broken to accommodate his large size. She growled, brushing the feathers off her and shaking her head.
"Fat Chocobo."
"Kweh!"
"You are fat, you greedy bird!"
"Anne?"
Anne sighed as her father stepped in curiously, looking around and frowning at the mess.
"What on Gaia…?"
"He broke in and was in my room," Anne grumbled as she plucked a feather out of her hair.
"I thought you said she was a waking prophet."
Anne blinked as she saw a second person step in, eying her up warily.
"She seems to be awake and not experiencing visions."
"…Excuse me?"
"Anne, this is Weiss," Mr Lockhart introduced the man who was pacing around the small dining room, glancing around with a slightly disgusted sneer at the mess "He's here to take you to Leviathan's Kingdom."
"Um…why?" Anne frowned as Weiss glanced back up at her again.
"Your father claimed that you had been turned into a waking prophet," he said coldly.
"What?!" Anne exclaimed as she backed off "Sure I have weird dreams but I've never predicted…"
Nausea struck her again and she fell to her knees, clutching onto the railing in front of her.
"Anne?!"
"Do you honestly think I'd let you leave this island?" the smug looking man twirled his swords "You're as stupid as you look."
She gripped her sword and braced her shield as water encircled him, his eyes glowing blue.
"Shame that you woke her up but never mind. I'll have her life now."
"Get back!"
He charged towards her and she managed to block his attack, her arms shaking at the force of the impact.
"You shall pay for what you did to my brother!"
"Leviathan's captor will cross swords with the king and will cause the temple's collapse. The ancient will be rescued from her slumber with her bodyguard by the champion. This will happen after Bahamut's prince has been freed."
"What did you say?!"
Anne blinked as she saw Weiss in front of her, eyes wide and furious as he gripped her arms.
"Wh-What?!" she exclaimed as yelped as he clutched her tighter.
"Your vision, what did you see?!" he spat, ignoring her father's pleas to let her go.
"You're hurting me…" Anne whimpered and hissed as he shook her.
"Tell me!"
"I don't know what I saw, I can even barely remember what I dreamt!" Anne cried out as his nails began drawing blood.
Weiss looked displeased and he dragged her to her feet.
"We'll discuss this further at the cathedral," he growled and began pulling her down the stairs and towards the door.
"Anne, wait!"
"KWEH!"
Weiss's breath was knocked out of him as Ryu charged through the house and sent him flying through the front door.
"Ryu!"
Ryu squawked and bent down, nodding for Anne to get on him. Anne, sensing the danger she might be in if she went with Weiss, hopped on without a second thought.
"Anne!"
Anne screamed as Ryu got up and charged back out of the back door, his footsteps clumsy and wild. Anne clung onto him for dear life as he charged through the garden, hopping over the fence and began heading to the dark forest.
"Ryu, where are you going?!" Anne shrieked "RYU!"
"Kweh!"
Anne turned to see her father at the fence, calling for her. She reached a hand out for him as her home got further and further away as they entered Phoenix's kingdom.