The Nibelheim Incident (BC)

The shadow of Mount Nibel began to shape as the cool sun of late summer appeared in the dissipating overcast sky, cautiously slithering over the redbrick rooftops towards the frail gateway at the border of Nibelheim. Wispy mists of dust swirled nonchalantly across the wide clearing of the town square below her, blowing to and fro in the mild draught. The water tower at the centre of the square was as she remembered it from the images of her briefing; the wooden frame that encased the well's pump holding solid despite decades of rot, the small turbine at its height rotating hesitantly. General stores and traditional shops of varying sizes marked the circumference of the area, their signage grimy and tattered as if they had remained unkempt for a great length of time.

To the south, a silent path of paved granite began to gradually decline from the square, making its way beyond the boundaries of the town to the luscious meadows of the west, and vast Velamyu Forest of the east. The narrow street was lined on both sides by broad houses of pale sandstone, the most distant of which boasted small gardens that had been segmented by white fences to protect their private vehicles. She could see the old oak shutters of windows and doors had been bolted closed on many of the homes, their hinges clattering in the whispering wind, the resonance broken only from the eerie chimes of swaying bells.

Sighing, Samantha turned from her seated position on the ledge of the bedroom's bay window, slowly lowering her legs to the pinewood floor. A strange sensation came over them as blood was allowed once again to circulate, the muscles weak after almost an hour of being squeezed onto the compact surface. Shaking the numbness off, she started to pace back and forth across the room. She had waited most of the morning and what few hours had elapsed of the afternoon for the investigation team to arrive and now, as her mind for the first time began to ease slightly about her orders, she became aware of how little detail she had observed of her quarters in the past days. That's not like me…

The master suite of Gramps' Inn had become a local legend in previous years for the magnificence of the three-bedroom annex that extended out over the main entrance, somewhat spectacular amongst the duplication of the surrounding structures. The Company had rented the trio of rooms for the duration of the group's stay in Nibelheim, granting Samantha her own space as the single female of the party. Antique bookshelves stood in one corner, its collection of ornate hardbacks swathed in the burning light of the lone gas lamp. A low table sat opposite the pair of beds, placed precisely over a patterned rug of red and gold, its stumpy legs integrating with the entwining shades of colour. The layout was calming; an irony amidst the seriousness of the situation.

As she neared the window once more, the dry sound of scraping footsteps reached her ears, drifting from the square like ghostly murmurs. Peering eagerly through the panelled glass, she saw four men emerge from the main street, and recognised them at once. The Captain of SOLDIER, Sephiroth, had stopped before the others, his expression stern, the tails of his long leather jacket fluttering in the breeze. He was followed by Zack, whose casual stance reminded her of the first time they had met on the frozen plains of the Great Glacier. His Buster sword was still strapped to the back of his dark blue SOLDIER outfit, its blade glimmering in the faint sunlight. With them came two Shinra soldiers and, as the younger of the duo pulled his metallic blue helmet over his jagged spikes of blonde hair, Samantha gasped. It can't be…

'The place is oddly quiet.' she heard Zack say as he surveyed the deserted square.

'Too quiet.' agreed Sephiroth.

'Everyone must be staying in their houses, afraid to come out because of the monsters.'

'Maybe it's us they're afraid of.' said Sephiroth, his nose twitching. 'The stench of Mako is pretty bad here.'

As he started towards the grand building, Samantha grabbed her shotgun from the table, and darted from the room. Racing along the corridor, she took no notice of the bearded man at the end of the hallway as he stared at her in bewilderment, and vaulted the length of the staircase in a few bounds. She landed hard on the carpeted floor of the foyer, causing the bald innkeeper to glance sharply up from his newspaper, muttering his contempt as she slammed into the doorway.

She saw the four suddenly halt as the twin mahogany doors of the tavern swung open, both SOLDIERs hastily drawing their weapons. She strode from the entrance, her straight brown hair flowing behind her as she approached the party and, as she walked, she felt the black suit jacket of her uniform become taut around her petite figure. With a smile and flicker of her sparkling hazel eyes, she holstered her gun, and quickly saluted Sephiroth.

'Samantha?' said Zack.

'Hey, Zack.' beamed the girl. 'How are you?'

'I'm good.' he said. 'And you? It's been a while.'

'A long while.' added the young soldier, his voice tinny through his mask.

'Huh?' stammered Zack, gazing confusedly between his friend and the Turk. 'You two know each other, too?'

'We've worked together once before.' said Samantha. 'Right, Cloud?'

'Enough of this.' snapped Sephiroth. 'Have you anything new to report?'

'No, sir.' answered Samantha, unfazed by his impatience. 'Nothing has changed in the last three days. Everything has been arranged as planned.'

'Good.' said Sephiroth. 'Then, we leave for the Reactor at dawn. We'll be spending a lot of time on foot tomorrow, so make sure you get to sleep early.'

'What do you want us to do until then?' asked Zack.

'We only need one lookout for the moment, so you can come with me just now.' he said.

'And me?' said Cloud.

'You may visit your friends and family.' said Sephiroth, turning as he made his way towards the doorway of Gramp's Inn. 'The other is on guard duty for the next four hours.'

'Visit your family?' said Samantha in disbelief, watching as Sephiroth and Zack disappeared inside. 'Cloud…you're from Nibelheim?'

'Yeah, why?'

'Then it must be you.'

'Samantha, what are you talking about?' he said, frowning.

'I met a girl here named Tifa Lockhart.' she replied excitedly.

'You know Tifa?'

'I found her on the mountain after I got lost.' explained Samantha. 'We helped each other out.'

'What did she say?'

'When I told her I was from Shinra, she mentioned that she had a childhood friend called Cloud who left this town two years ago to become a SOLDIER. She asked about you.'

'What did you tell her?'

'I said I didn't know.' shrugged Samantha. 'I couldn't be sure just by the name if it was the same Cloud. It seems the Planet is a smaller place than I'd thought.'

'Not small enough for me to have seen her since I joined the Army.' sighed Cloud.

'You'll meet her again tomorrow.'

'Huh?'

'I asked her to be our guide for the Reactor investigation.'

'You did what?' spluttered Cloud. 'So…she'll be travelling with us on the mountain?'

'That's generally what a guide does.' said Samantha sarcastically. 'I'm sorry, but I can't talk about it right now. Tseng is already breathing down my neck because I involved a civilian…'

Shit, she thought as the realisation of her neglect for Tseng's specific instructions struck her, I have to inform him that the team has arrived…

'What did you expect?'

'Look, I…uh…I have to go.' she said hurriedly, failing to acknowledge the remark. 'I…um…still have a lot of work to do. I'll see you around.'

'Samantha, wait!' he called as she jogged off, pulling her cell phone from the breast pocket of her suit.

'What is it?'

'Can I ask you a favour?'

'It depends what it is.' she laughed.

'If you see Tifa, don't tell her I'm back.'

'Huh?'

'It's just…'

* * *

'Sorry I'm late.' she gasped, letting her body fall against the tower. She panted hard, her face beaming with exhaustion. Cloud helped her onto the wooden ledge, and together they sat down at its corner. 'You said you wanted to talk to me about something?'

'Come this spring, I'll be leaving for Midgar.' said Cloud, clearing his throat. There came a long silence. He studied Tifa's expression, her young face thoughtful.
'All the boys are leaving the town.' she said eventually.

'But I'm not like them.' he said. 'I'm not just going to find a job...I want to join SOLDIER. I want to be like Sephiroth.'

'Sephiroth? The Great Sephiroth? But...isn't it difficult to join SOLDIER?'

'I'll have to train really hard.'

'But that means...'

'I probably won't be able to come back for a while.'

* * *

'…I don't want her to know I haven't made it yet.' he said, lowering his head.

'And you're ashamed of that?' said Samantha, surprised. 'Cloud, that's ridiculous. I'm sure Tifa won't care if…'

'Just keep it a secret, okay?'

'Alright.' she nodded, flashing him a quick grin. 'My mouth is sealed.'

'Thanks.' said Cloud. 'I owe you one.'