1. The Birth of a Man.
Candle flames flickered on the walls of the living room. Chris sat in his room, thought to have been asleep. He could see his parents arguing in the other room. His father wanted them to move back to Nibelheim or even to Midgar, where his father's younger brother lived. His father knew that the war with Wutai was drawing near their small home on the boarder of Wutai.
The other day, Chris had seen the horrors of war for himself. His older brother, Danel, had been taken by Wutain soldiers and murdered. Danel had been only a lowly infantryman, a grunt, but as Chris had seen the horrors of war he had also seen the glory.
He had seen Sephiroth himself as he raised his frightening long katana and avenged Danel.
Chris looked out his window and into the small seaside town. He frowned; red-orange light could be seen near the town gate. The light grew closer, faster. Chris sprang up and ran into the living room, His startled parents looked at him.
"The towns on fire!" he managed to stutter out. His father's face grew hard and serious, "Chris, take your mother and get out of here. I'll go and try to help the others."
Chris nodded and led his mother to the door. His father grabbed his arm, "Chris, you are twelve now, hardly a child anymore. I trust you to take care of your mother should anything happen."
Chris nodded as his father handed him something cold and strange. He glanced down and saw his father's prized gunblade.
"Use it only when necessary."
"Yes, father."
"Good. Now go!"
Chris ran out of the house and to the dock where his mother stud waiting. Her brown shawl flowed in the smoky wind. Chris took his mother's hand and helped her into his family's small fishing boat. Untying it quickly, he pushed off and jumped into the boat.
Looking back, he saw only smoke and flames licking at his old home. There was no way his father could have made it. His mother sat at the end of the boat, crying. Chris refused to cry. He told his father he'd take care of his mother and he would keep his word. Chris looked down at the gunblade and then at his mother.
"We're going to Nibelheim."