Chapter 1: Cosmo Canyon
Meteorfall, Geo-stigma, and Omega, these were three great crisis that humanity had to face in there days. No matter what was thrown at them they endured, but… monsters thrived. Humanity’s numbers dwindled. Only a handful was left who could fight. Humans were finally killed by hordes of monsters and time. Not one is left today. All my friends… gone.
For me, there was a silver lining; the life stream granted me favor. I had offspring with a pride of lionesses. Now I have this tribe in Cosmo canyon. You may not bare my flame but you are still leonine.
“Still ‘passing down wisdom’ to my children father?” asks a passing leonine
“Now Strife, you know I’m too old to hunt at my age. This is the best thing I have to do every day”
Nanaki’s four direct children are all around 60 years old. Two boys named Strife and Wallace and two daughters, named Lockhart and Valentine.
“I know father” begins Strife, “but if Lockhart or Valentine learns you’re telling their babies horror stories again…”
“Oh they don’t care!” interrupts Nanaki “They just hold grudges from when I left them in Cosmo and took you and Wallace to Midgar… I would have taken them but the trip was too hazardous for you all…”
“Just find something better to do father…” sighs Strife
Ashamed Nanaki goes for a walk through Cosmo canyon. Greeting all his kin, they are still low in number but they survive with none the less. Half the tribe is just lions who didn’t inherit the right genes or were lions to begin with. Evolution would soon yield a race of his people; it would just take some time.
He wanders through the ruins of the old town. Memories of everyone sitting around the bon fire come back to him and he smiles. He stops; not looking at what he knows is there, “Grandfather… I’m just glad I was there” He whispers. He passes through the cave of GI, the stench is terrible. On the other side of the cave he hikes up the canyon to Seto.
“Oh Seto, I’m old, I’m approaching 600 years old. My end is near I can feel it, I’ll give two more years, then the life stream will take me. I’m not going to just sit here though… Did you know the planet heals its wounds? I’m sure by now the north cave is healed up quite nicely. What am I saying? off course you knew that. I wonder what Cloud and everyone would think of it now. Maybe that’s what I should do; visit the north cave to see if it’s healed.”
He smiles and laughs as he drifts into sleep. In his dream he envisions the north cave. At first it’s the giant scar it was when they defeated Sephiroth. All of a sudden a wall of the life stream bathes over it. He sees rock being restored, and the surface becomes flat rock, then grass grows over, then beautiful trees. Finally it becomes an astonishing paradise, surprising do to the fact it’s surrounded by tundra.
A voice begins to beckon him to come to this place “just do it Red, one last adventure” He wakes up a little shocked. The voice was so familiar, and only they called him Red… Nanaki hurry’s back to his tribe.
“Strife! Gather your siblings and come to me!” roars Nanaki
Everyone gathers in the center of the old town where a fire burns. Nanaki emerges from a building wearing an armlet over his shoulders. Materia is present in the armor, 3 faint green and 1 purple glows can be seen in the shoulder.
“Everyone I am going on a journey up north” He pronounces “and I will be going alone”
Shock pulses through the crowd as Nanaki descends down the hill towards the exit.
“Father is this because what I said?” asks Strife as he passes
“Well no, but you made me start thinking, so I won’t be back anytime soon, you’re in charge. And remember I love you all.”
Strife watches as Nanaki fades into the western sun set.
To be continued
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