FFVII: Rebirth Of Armageddon (starts)

[Nylf]

OOC: Well here we go.

He stared into the sunset from his late grandfather's ruined observatory. His red hair, turning grey slowly, showed how much time had phased him.

Unfortunatlye, time did not phase other things. As he sat their, he could sense Meteor awakening eep in space, it's dark will grabbing onto energy it could find so it could begin it's ultimate task.

Nanaki turned to the cliff, and jumped down skillfully, not missing a single footstep, and landed by the Cosmo Candle, a flame that had burned in the centre of his home since before he could remember. Several spheres of red energy appeared before him, all in a circle. He sat down, as each ball of light flickered in the flames, sometimes revealing their true form, a ghostly spectre of their true power.

"The time has come great guardians. The Planet needs help of heroes, I can tell as well. I know you have come to me, being the only one of your first heroes left, but I am too old, my hero days are history. There are ones out there more suited for the task. Go, find them, and bring them here. I know as well as all of you do, with the exception of our newer members, what is happenening, so I will assisst you in this. You have my word," the spirits flickered, almost as if discussing what the old Cancient had said. Eventually, they faded. Nanaki smiled.

"So, this is how Bugenhagen felt..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over in the distance, on the grassy fields before the great Cosmo Canyon, the sound of an engine could be heard. A large black assault trike roared through the wilderness, monsters being cut down by the rider as he rode towards the canyon.

The rider was tall, wearing a black leather jacket. his hair could be likened to a birds nest, being a similar shade of brown and looking about as messy. He wore jeans that were tattered with holes. One hand rested on the handlebars of his trike, theother holding a long sword in it. Normall designed for two handed wielding, the man was wielding rather weel with just one. He screeched to a halt, as a bizarre red light appeared before him.

Something deep within him told him to get closer, so he got off, and walked over to it. In a flash of multi coloured lights and ancient runes, three dragons appeared before him. Sieg, as the man was known by, stepped back and grasped the hilt of his blade, not knowing whether the dragons were friend or foe. They beckoned him to lower his weapon with hand gestures.

" Do not worry, descendant of the Great Calamity From The Sky, we are not your adversairies," the largest of them spoke to Sieg telepathically. The dragon was huge, and was technically high in the air, and if it's form hadn't been spectral it would have easily blacked out the sky itself. It had six ings and a silver hide from what he could tell. The smallest, a large black dragon, but barely a thrid of the silver one's size, who stood in front of Sieg, holding itself high on it's hind legs, now spoke.

"We are the three grand lords of the Dragons, Bahamut, Neo Bahamut and BahamutZERO. Our fourth brother, SIN could not be here. We are three of the many guardians of this planet, and we come seeking your help," Sieg sheathed his sword, and lowered his guard. Something in the back of his mind was telling him to trust the three. Their aura felt almost...familiar to him, as if he'd met them before. But a sharp pain through his mind erased the thought, as the second largest began to spoke.

"It is best not we tell you know. Go to Cosmo Canyon, where the Great Elder will tell you more," this one was twice the size of the smallest, who apparently was named Bahamut, this one must be Neo Sieg thought, and was a deep crimson red. It's build was far more eleborate than Bahamut's, but no-where near as large as the one Sieg guessed was ZERO. Sieg nodded, he was on his way to Cosmo Canyon anyway. Almost as if they could read his mind, which he worried they could, they smiled and disappeared ina similar manner to their appearance. Sieg shrugeed, and leapt onto his trike, before continuing to Cosmo Canyon.

Little did he know, he had taken his first step onto a path that not only decided his fate, but the whole Planet's as well...


OOC: All you do is post your introductory post and meeting with your Summons. Also, your decision to head to Cosmo Canyon.

 

[Shadowfaith]

Kali (Jenova Descendent)

A roar of an engine could be heard over the calm hills of the Gongaga area, disturbing the peace and alarming all creatures wandering at that time. A flock of wild birds gushed from their hiding place as a black motorbike raced by in haste. Its silver frame was covered in sleek looking black armour, topped with a screen which protected the occupant’s eyes from the harsh wind that blew forth. Upon the back was some sort of red symbol, unknown to the rider to be the logo of the Shinra Company.

The person who rode upon it was a young woman in her early twenties. Some would be entranced by her abnormally sleek looking silver hair and piercing emerald gaze, but many others would have fled at her unapproachable gaze. She wore a heavy black trench coat, which blew with the wind behind her, and a pair of black glasses that along with the screen protected her eyes from the particles of dust that would have abused her eyes.

Kali had been travelling aimlessly for days, stopping at random villages to see if there was any jobs that she could fulfil, of course, her help came with a small fee depending on how big the job was. She did not work for free, and certainly did not work big jobs for so little money. If villagers were unwilling to pay her price, then they could deal with the problem themselves.

As she rounded a corner, a bright light emitted in front of her, which would have blinded her if it weren’t for her glasses, but was still bright enough to avert her gaze.

Coming to a stop and placing her foot on the ground, she removed her glasses slowly and lifted herself from the padded seat. She calmly flipped up the holster and walked cautiously towards the glowing light, which seemed to be taking some sort of form.

Before long, there were three different creatures standing before her.

Immediately, Shadowfaith and Bloodfire were at her sides, ready to strike if any one of these creatures made a single wrong move. But they slowly lowered when one of the creatures stated that they meant her no harm.

“I am Leviathan, one of the beat lords of the universe. I guard the seas and the creatures that occupy it. I am here to guide you through the difficult journey that lies ahead of you. For the sake of the world you must accept this challenge.” The beast was what Kali would describe as a sea serpent, tall in length and silver-blue in colour, it was a truly magnificent creature.

Kali returned Shadowfaith and Bloodfire to their sheaths and crossed her arms gracefully over her chest, staring up at this mythical being. She replied calmly, “It depends on what the job is.”

“This is no job,” replied a beautiful looking bird, with shimmering wings and an aura of demand revolving around her. The Phoenix had a voice which demanded respect and a gaze which entranced even Kali. “This is your fate. If you turn your back on this request, then you will be the downfall of this world, you must accept this challenge.”

Kali sighed mournfully and lowered her gaze to the floor. “If I accept this, then whomever has requested me do this task, will have to pay the price and I will not work cheap for a job such as this”

The three headed dog, who she immediately knew to be Cerberus, guardian of the underworld, spoke in a gruff, hissing tone. She noticed that the middle head was the one to do the talking, as if the other two heads did not possess the ability. “You are a stubborn one. I can assure you that this job will be worth your wile. But for your pay, you must work hard and long.”

Kali nodded, turning her back on the three summon spirits and climbing back atop her bike. She replaced the glasses on the bridge of her nose and lifted the hold on the bike. The weight of the vehicle was held easily in her grasp, and she asked one more question, “Where and who do I seek?”

Leviathan was the one to answer the question. “Across the River to Cosmo Canyon, seek the wise one who takes residence there.”

And with that, Kali left on her way.

(OOC- I will do Lutalo's intorduction soon)

 

[Masa Mune]

OOC: Sorry about the delay in my post. This week has been a bit busier than usual for me and I haven’t been at home much, and when I was. I’ve been a bit to burnt out to type up anything halfway decent.

IC: A brutalized figure began to stumble into Cosmo Canyon using a broken tree limb for balance. Wearing almost comically large glasses, having his hair tied into a ponytail, and donning professor like robes, Syvet look like a totally different person,and indeed that’s what he wanted; he was even thinking of an alias he could go by incase any in the canyon where well versed in the work of his family.

Coughing up a little blood, he could only imagine the number that had been done on him, and realized, in hindsight, that it probably wasn’t the best decision to have Marci work him over after that fight. However, part of his plan was to look like an ill-prepared traveler, so the beating and drop off from the ship was necessary. True he had come across some monsters on the way and they made his injuries worse, but they were still easy enough to dispatch with a single bullet into the skull. As the pirate captain continued to walk and lose strength he finally reached his limit, a thought racing through his head before he hit the ground; “Well this sucks…”

Lying face down in the dirt, no longer having the strength to roll onto his back, his consciousness began to fade. However before he was engulfed by the darkness, he heard a voice, a voice he thought was of his own mind, “Is this all a Silverbane is made of?” The words shook Syvet to his core, attacking his pride directly, and through force of will stood up and continued onward to his destination.

“…”

“No, I feel I handled that quite well. After all, he’s already on his way there, and he’s not the type who will just do as we ask, this is obvious. This requires a certain amount of manipulation. Don’t worry though, the time is soon approaching when we will show ourselves to him.”

“…”

“Perhaps, but that is the reason for attacking at his pride directly.”

 

[Raposa Dalua]

It was not a dark and stormy night. Rather, it seemed to be quite a clear and beautiful day. The sun shone brightly, filtering down through the leaves of the trees and covering the ground with its warmth. Many types of birds were perched on their branches, singing their little hearts out, and the woodland creatures jumped and pranced about the area. The temperature was comfortable, the breeze was light and refreshing, and everyone appeared to be having a jolly good time in the forest. At least, that's what most people would expect. For out on the dirt worn path were two rather annoyed looking creatures, who had apparently been arguing for the last half-hour.

"For the last freakin' time Alexsis, we are not lost."

"Waarrk..."

"Yes, I am quite sure the map was not upside down when we took this route! Do you really think I'm that incapable? We've only been traveling the world for how long..."

"Kweh."

"I'm telling you, anybody could've gotten lost in that forest! It was bloody well enchanted, for Pete's sake! And honestly, did you want to spend two thousand some gil to hire workers that probably won't even find what we're looking for in order to get through the forest? I wouldn't even have gone in there if the different rumors I'd heard weren't so similar, and..."

And thus Naomi continued to rant on, completely oblivious to the fact that her golden feathered friend had both tuned her out and had come to a complete stop. The chocobo stared straight ahead, her amethyst eyes locked with the pale blue eyes of yet another chocobo standing directly in front of her; a chocobo who seemed to appear out of nowhere. Perched atop his back was a fluffy little pink moogle; a single white band was tied around his head. The yellow bird smiled and clacked his beak appreciatively, nodding towards the still ranting Cetra sitting on Alexsis' back.

"She just doesn't shut up, does she?"

The pink-haired girl instantly snapped out of her ranting state, having suddenly realized that both her and Alexsis were in the company of some new and rather odd looking creatures. Yes, of course a talking chocobo is absolutely stunning, but that was nothing compared to the strange appearances of the entities standing behind him and his fuzzy companion. The four of them were standing in an arc behind him; each appearing to have a rather different opinion on the situation they found themselves in. The one farthest to the left was overflowing with a firey spirit. His skin was goldish brown in color, and a spiky purple mohawk could be seen inbetween the two freakishly large horns protruding from his head. Despite being hunched over, he was still scarily large. Currently, his beady red eyes were narrowed, and he appeared to be holding something back (most likely to be laughter). Standing next to this flaming demon was a creature of the exact opposite element. Her icy blue skinned body was (barely) covered by an unknown, lavender colored fabric, which wrapped around and hung neatly behind her back. Her long, aqua colored hair was pulled into a high set ponytail, and even when it was pulled back it still trailed fairly close to the ground. Her expression was unreadable at best, though her dark blue eyes did hold some traces of amusement. To her right was an incredibly tall, incredibly old looking man. His beard was probably as long as the ice elementalist's hair. And, of course, he was completely bald. A rather bemused expression adorned his weary looking face as he adjusted the cream colored robes draped around him. Finally, on the far right, was a sumo wrestler. At least, that's the first thing that comes to mind when looking at him. His skin was a deep, tannish brown color, and his hair and eyes were whiter than the old man's beard. This huge, strong looking creature appeared to be rather impatient, and he looked on at their chosen spokesperson as though he wanted him to hurry up and get this over with.

"Ah good, we have your attention then," Naomi's eyes riveted back to the chocobo as he spoke up again, "C'mon then, I'll introduce you. Behind me, in order from left to right are as follows: Ifrit," the demon nodded at her, "Shiva," the ice goddess smiled kindly, "Ramuh," the elderly man gave a cheery wave, "And, of course, Titan," the earth creature gave no reaction. "I am Choco, and the little kamikaze sitting on my back is Mog. We five are the Elemental Masters, specially created by the Planet to protect it in times of danger."

Naomi continued to stare on, watching the mythical entities before her in awe. She knew it was rude to just look at them like that, and it was even more rude to not acknowledge the fact that she was being spoken to, but she just couldn't find her voice. Rather, her brain appeared to have been cut off from the rest of her body. Subconciously, she was surprised that she was still blinking. She wasn't even sure if she was breathing anymore. Seeing that he wouldn't be getting any sort of reaction out of her, Choco continued on with his explination.

"You see, this Planet is about to find itself in great peril yet again," to this Naomi raised an eyebrow, but continued to say nothing, "And we're going to need your help," Naomi, now looking even more surprised (if that's possible), opened her mouth to speak, but Choco cut her off, "I cannot explain much now, but you must make your way to Cosmo Canyon. There you will find a wise creature who will be able to explain the situation in greater detail. Will you partake in this quest?"

"S-sure..." the pink-haired Cetra managed to stutter out, having finally been able to fix the severed connection between her brain and her vocal cords.

Choco's blue eyes twinkled in amusement, "You sure you won't get lost?" he grinned.

At this Naomi became indignant, and would've given the cheeky little bird a piece of her mind had Ramuh not intervened.

"Perhaps we should save this conversation for a less desperate time, hmm?" the thunder summon spoke, his voice sounding raspy yet oddly firm despite his apparent age.

"Yes, of course. Let's go then," the yellow chocobo replied, looking back to Ramuh with a rather relieved facial expression.

Each summon, from Ifrit to Shiva to Ramuh and to Titan, all took their turn to leave. A bright white light appeared in front of each of them, and they all walked into the portals, fading away with the light as it disappeared. And thus the Elemental Masters left, disappearing as quickly and quietly as they had come. However, as Choco himself was traveling through the white portal, the little pink moogle on his back stood and looked at Naomi; a shy little smile adorned his face.

"Honestly Miss, I think you know how to shut up a whole lot better than Choco does."

There were a good few moments of complete silence. Naomi and Alexsis were still in a state of semi-shock, and still remained in the same spot even after the presence of the summons was gone and animals started to return to that part of the forest. Finally, Naomi managed to snap out of her stunned reverie, and absentmindedly ruffled the feathers on her golden chocobo's head.

"I guess we've got a new destination, Alexsis. And... since you're so worried about me getting us lost, you can take the lead and get us out of here. Does that suit your fancy?"

If Alexsis could let out an exasperated sigh, she most definetely would have.

 

[Argent]

As the Cancient padded slowly on the rocky path to an inconspicuous village high in the mountains, the sky dulled to a blood red. A shiver of nostalgia spread through her body. “Home,” such a word never had such a profound meaning until she left it. She breathed deeply the familiar air, tasted the ground’s simple smell, and listened to the soundless rhythm.

To think, the most moving and richest place she ever visited was the one she longed to leave. Yet, as her travels came to an end, no other place delighted her more.

Walking down the path, she paced down the familiar path of her childhood. Down between the rocks (Nani got stuck there once, hehe)... up and over the fallen stump (seemed so much bigger when I left it)... the field of canyon wildflowers (must be a drought, it is much smaller this year)... and finally over this stone, her heart and breathing slowed, Cosmo Canyon...

She paused, which felt fitting. Though she had been gone for five years, the Canyon seemed just as big and spiritual as ever. Never, not once in her journeys, had she found another place like this. Tears fell from her eyes; since she left no problem or memory caused even her eyes to well.

Her feelings were punctured by a high pitched squeal behind her. “Wowzers! We got one of the easier ones to find! Neato!”

She turned and saw what appeared to be a cross between a fox and a squirrel with an oversized red jewel embedded in its forehead grinning from ear to ear. “Hiya~! My name is Carbuncle! What’s your name?” He chirped.

Before she could respond, four glowing orbs materialized behind Carbuncle. Carbuncled added, “And this is,” he motioned to the orbs, “Undine, Salamander, Quetzalcoatl, and Boreas.”

The Cancient’s eyes furrowed. “I am Nahna-Buyenkah. Why are you appearing before me?” She asked, trying not to show how freaked out she was.

“Watch your tone, whelp! We could very well destroy you were you stand!” Salamander, the red orb, bellowed in a voice that sounded like steam rushing from a seismic crack.

Undine, the blue orb, rebuked Salamander with a voice smooth and cool, like the trickling of a swift stream. “We must not threaten. She has no idea of our intentions. Undoubtedly she hesitates to accept us.”

“Yes,” Quetzalcoatl, the yellow orb, responded in his voice which cracked with energy, “we need to tell her. What’s more, she seems nice to talk us. It’s my understanding that their kind doesn’t respond well when we communicate with them. She is doing fabulously.”

“Only because she is stupid, such is their way.” Boreas, the white orb, said coolly with the bitter harshness of a wind on the coldest day of winter. “Allow me: because of some oversight of your ancestors the meteor of days of old is returning to us. We were sent to seek what can laughably describe as those chosen few with the abilities to prevent that from happening. Since the pool of what is available is so shallow, we regrettably bequeath unto you our power...”

“It’ll be fun!” Carbuncle stated.

“You don’t have to respond right now.” Undine said, sensing the young Cancient’s hesitation. “The chosen ones are to meet in Cosmo Canyon. Nanaki will better prepare you then any of us will.”

Dumbfounded and stunned, Nana could do nothing more then nod which caused the four orbs to disappear, leaving Carbuncle behind.

Nana blinked and bore down on the little creature. “Aren’t you going with them?” She asked.

“Oh no, I like it here with you. If you don’t mind, I would like to join you within the Canyon.” Carbuncle responded.

Nana sighed and grinned. If nothing else, he’d make cute company.

 

[Shadowfaith]

Lutalo (Cancient)

Lutalo had just returned to the Cosmo area after a long journey across the sea to Wutai, who had needed a warriors help to fend off a herd of monsters that some how were being drawn to the village. It turned out that the reason for such a thing was the newly built communications satellite that the Wutians had been trying out so as to communicate with those that were farther away from their home town. The monsters were being disturbed by the high pitched signals that only they could hear. It was lucky that Lutalo could also sense it with his enhanced hearing, or the mystery would not have been solved and it was only a matter of time before the villagers would have been slaughtered in the monsters rage.

He had been on his way home to tell the younglings of the village a brand new story when suddenly a light flashed right before his eyes and these strange creatures appeared from seemingly no where. One was a woman dressed in yellow, perched above a rock and what looked like a harp in her left hand, she was beautiful to say the least and Lutalo found himself entranced, that was until a gust of wind broke his eye contact with the being and a his attention was drawn to a purple mass, which seemed to have two heads, one at the front and one at the rare, it was quite a disturbing sight in Lutalo’s opinion. The last to follow was a strange bull like creature, with monstrous horns emitting from its smaller head.

Lutalo growled in warning, but was soon silenced as the yellow clad woman in front of him played a claming tune on her harp. She smiled and spoke in a sweet and entrancing, that Lutalo would describe as more along the lines of singing than talking. “I am Siren, one of elemental havoc. I have been summoned here to ask you a great favour.”

Lutalo did not at all like the direction this conversation was taking, but when a creature was in trouble, his pride would disallow him to say no to any quest given to him. He puffed out his chest in a heroic pose and nodded for her to carry on with her request. She smiled thankfully and played another note on her harp before she continued in her melodic tone. “My request is for you to head back to your home town of Cosmo Canyon and speak to the one who once trained you long ago. He will explain all that there is to know, I have mealy been summoned to tell you this.”

“I was heading back there anyway, milady. I have just returned from a quest across the sea, I am tired, I must rest there.” Lutalo explained.

“Then this will not be something that would be getting in your way then.” Stated the two headed wind demon who he had long known to be the Summon of wind, Typhoon.

“But we will not lie to you, warrior. The task that lies ahead is not an easy one, but one that could cost many a life in days to come.” Kjata answered that in which Lutalo had planned to when he had gotten the chance, but of course, now that his question was answered, all he could manage was to nod and turn his back on them.

“I will do my best, Spirits”

 

[Nylf]

OOC: The people who have yet to post, please do so soon, or if you wish to quit, PM me. In the meantime, we'll just keep going I guess.

BIC: Sieg came to the gates outside the village, and screeched to a halt, his trike skidding till it turned sideways. He got off, and looked around. The place seemed to be in a perpetual sunlight, a warm red glow shining against the walls of the canyon. Various green roffed buildings stuck out. At a large fire in the centre of town sat a tall red Cancient, a rdge of brown fur running down his back. His fur was greyng in places, and his tatoos were fading gradually, but he remained an impressive sight. A sharp pain shot through Sieg's head, as he walked over to the creature.

"Hello Nanaki," Sieg said.

"How do you know my name? We have never met." the Cancient replied cooly, centuries of experience seemed to echo in his voice.

"I...don't know. Just, well it's weird, I guess I must've heard of you somewhere. Anyway, these three dragons, I think they called themselves Bahamut, Neo and ZERO, said to meet the Grand Elder, and is my gut right in guessing that's you?"

"You are right on both parts. I sent the Bahamuts to choose someone to help me, and know I have to hope they chose well. What is your name, and must ask, was there one with them called SIN?"

"My name's Sieg, and I'm afraid not, though the non-titled Bahamut mentioned them having a brother by that name,"

"This brings another point to my fear, but for know, you must be patient. I am awaiting the other summons to return with their chosen. Did you travel far?"

"No, I was actually just on my way here," Nanaki studied the Jenova Descendent. There was something about him. It was stange, but Nanaki felt like he had met Sieg somewhere before. The feeling he got, it was strange. It was the same as back when he was forty five, but it couldn't be. Anyone who had known him at that time was now deceased. But still, this 'Sieg' couldn't be dismissed as run of the mill. The Bahamut's had chosen him, and those three dragons, especially ZERO, had only ever reacted to one other human with anything near to alliance. And why would he be on his way here before meeting the Bahamuts?

"I think that is no mere cooincidence, but the other will be here soon, so let us pospone any further talk till everyone arrives,"

OOC: All you do is post your arrival to Cosmo Canyon, and Nanaki's original reaction to you. For those who have yet to post, the introduction is also needed.

 

[Shadowfaith]

Kali

She approached the gate upon her bike, only to be confronted by one of the locals, a disapproving look upon his face. He held up his hand and she came to a stop just in front of him. Her questioning look was enough to save her voicing her question, and the local answered with “I am afraid you will have to leave your bike at the gate. We do not allow anything that may harm our atmosphere pass here.”

Kali sighed, dismounting the vehicle and passing the local with a frustrated air. She didn’t bother to ask where this Nanaki was, and made her way towards the heart of the canyon village, where a warm fire glowed accompanied by an old Cancient of the same colour. His fur was greying in places, and his face looked to be aging also, butt he flame at the tip of his tail, still glowed like a raging furnace.

A boy sat at his side, and Kali felt a pang race through her body, as if she knew this being before her. As she neared, it became more apparent to her that this being was of the same species as her, a descendant of Jenova.

The wise, old Cancient turned his head to look at her, and gave a warm smile which entranced the young descendant and she could not help but return the smile, something in which she had not done in ages.

“Hello, Kali.” He greeted her. “Come, sit at my side”

Kali obeyed this and walked over to the glowing fire, sitting at the Cancients side, opposite of what the young male was.

“I was told that I was needed here.” Kali cut straight to the point.

Nanaki nodded. “The spirits visited you?”

Kali mimicked the Cancients earlier action, and wrapped her arms around her legs, leaning her head upon her knees. “They did, they told me that I would be rewarded for my actions if I took apart in this quest.”

“And they are correct, Kali. You will be rewarded, if you succeed that is.”

“What exactly do you take me for? I am skilled with blades, I have defeated many and yet you still question my abilities?”

The Cancient shook his head, staring into the warmth of the fire. “I do not doubt, Kali. But this journey will be like none you have ever faced before. More questions will be answered when the others arrive.”

Kali gave one more side glance, before she fell silent and continued to stare into the enchanting fire.

Lutalo's will come later.

 

[Masa Mune]

Syvet looked upon the steps leading into the town of Cosmo canyon itself, he had made it this far already by force of will, but even that wouldn't get him up so many stairs now. Falling into an unconscious state at the base, one of the "guards" soon came across him and hurried to get help.

It wasn't long before he was safely recuperating in one of the houses; powerful curative magic being used to try and close the wounds and prevent them from becoming infected. Once the treatments were over with, Syvet was left to rest, though he did not stay asleep for long.

Stirring to his senses, Silverbane looked around where he was, noticing quickly the very natural feel of the place. He couldn't help but assume he was finally in town by someone’s good graces. Realizing he had been seriously injured, he then proceeded to look over his body, finding all abrasions to be sufficiently closed; he was still slightly bruised, but curative magic couldn't take care of everything. Syvet then noticed that his robes were gone, and instead he had been put into something that was similar to what he had been wearing before hand. This immediately brought concern to his mind and he left the room to inquire about his clothing.

Upon exiting the residence he was startled by the greetings of a talking cat creature; "Ah, hello traveler, allow me to welcome you to Cosmo Canyon. I see your wounds have healed, this is good to see."

Stunned, Syvet had trouble mustering a reply but finally forced on out in character as best he could.
"U-um, yes... thank you for the treatment earlier. I was wondering though... what happened to my robes? I'm not really comfortable without them."

Nanaki grinned, the boy probably thought he was fooling him, but Eden had already informed him of their choice, and he could sense why... an ancient that had no healing abilities, but an incredible destructive force. Perhaps this is what would be necessary this time in helping to save the planet.

"Your clothing was so bloodied from your wounds, I asked for them to be cleaned, until then, please enjoy your stay here and perhaps we can talk later. If that interests you, meet me down at the large fire in the center of town... until then, I'm expecting to meet some others. Oh, by the way, I didn't catch your name."

The pirate hadn't thought up an alias yet and he was already being asked for his name. In a bit of a panic he said the first thing that shot into his mind; "Syvetsler!"

A look spread across the cancients' face that seemed to be a mix of intrigue and want to laugh, but he held it in and asked in a quizzical tone; "Syvetsler?"

Syvet turned pale at the thought of what he just said and could only hope to cover his fumbling.
"I mean Sylvester... It seems I may still be a bit disoriented from my trek here. I think I may wait a while before speaking to you again, so I might make completely sure I'm coherent... However, I would like to speak with you at some point. I am here because I heard someone here may be able to tell me about the Master Materias; a subject I have been researching for a while, much to the ridicule of my colleagues."

A sly smirk spread across Nanaki's face; his motive had finally come to light.
"Yes, I believe that will be a very interesting discussion to have with one such as you; I look forward to it."

With that the old cat began walking away, only to be stopped by a sudden outburst from Syvet.
"I just remembered, I don't know your name yet! I would like to know the name of the one I seem to be so indebted to."

Without bothering to turn his head back to the man, Nanaki responded in a cool and collected manner; "There is little meaning to me in a name; you may call me what you want... Sylvester." And with those words, the cancient walked off, leaving a flabbergasted Syvet behind.

 

[Argent]

I'm here! I'm here! Much apologies for the tardiness of this post: this week I had to write three(!) major essays and like a fool I procrastinated until the last second. I am still interested though and without anymore delay, the post!!

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With each step she took toward her home, Nana recognized more and more of the path. The statement “you can never go back home” held no bearing to Cosmo Canyon. Everything, the shops with the cranky man and the faded sign that said “Potions Sold Here,” the ancient but well kept observatory crowned at the highest point, the ceaseless fire that warmed her just to look at, and even the people all remained exactly in her memory.

Well, except for one difference: herself. Since leaving the Canyon, her eyes had seen and her ears heard more things then she ever imagined. Some filled her heart with happiness while others made her quake in horror. Thoughts raced in her mind about a family bound together in ruins of a great city and the humans trying to drive them away. She tried her best to help them, but in the end… no, now is the time for home, to be full of joy. But seeing the great red sky was like an open door, welcoming, inviting. She wanted to see Nani, to talk to him and tell him what she seen and ask for his wisdom while eating some Griffin Cookies and Sahagin Tea. That’s what she liked most of Granpa Nani: despite his age he still remembered the little joys of life.

As her feet padded a print in the soft red sand, she whispered silently, “I’m home.” Her little companion, waddling beside her, heard her and asked, “Is this your home-y?”

Nana smiled and leaned her head to his eye level. “Yes, it is. This is the place where I was born and where my family is and it is where my soul feels at peace. It is my home in all manifestations of the word.”

The squirrel-cat lifted its head in contemplation, “I think I have one of those. But I’m not sure…”

“What do you mean, little one?” The worried Cancient asked.

“Well, I think-y that there was a place where I felt like everything was safe and OK… maybe that was my home?”

Nana rolled her eyes upward, “That sounds a lot like one.”

“I would like to go back.” Carbuncle chimed.

“I think you will someday.” Nana smiled.

Passing by the various shops and homes, the familiar faces said their enthusiastic “hello”s and “my, you have grown”s. Within a few seconds, she noticed them; perhaps she was not the only thing in Cosmo Canyon that changed. After expressing quick pleasantries, she hastened her step toward the ancient, but well kept, observatory. Her summoned friend wandered the area, letting his nose lead.

She nudged the door and let her nose smell the incense and food. The dwelling possessed the same whirs of sound distinctive and familiar to her. She always thought of this building as Nanaki’s and everything about it seemed unique. “Nani,” she called as though she was a young child again, “Nana’s home!”

She heard his paws from upstairs, deliberate, slow, graceful. Though long life always graced those of her race, Nanaki taken his old age well: yet another thing she admired in him. Within seconds, her granpa’s gnarled face appeared before her with both a grin and a look of stern apprehension.

“My dear Nana, you have grown so much!” The ancient Cancient smiled as he brought his neck to nuzzle hers.

Nana laughed as she nuzzled him. His strong, gentle muscles still made her feel so small. “You and everybody else have noticed,” she commented, “but to tell the truth, I think you’ve shrunk!”

Nanaki chuckled, “Perhaps, child, perhaps.”

“Oh, there is so much I have to talk to you about.”

“I’m sure you have seen much of your travels. I would love to hear of them shortly, but perhaps some other time. I have been expecting some guests.”

“The chosen ones…”

Nanaki’s eyes flashed and his tone lowered. “What do you know of that?” He demanded.

“They have come for me, Granpa Nani. Five of them. I wanted very much to talk to you about it.” Her tone lowered to match his, but she was more frightened now then when the five spirits introduced her.

For a time the only sound were the whirring of the machines within the building. Finally Nanaki said, “Yes… something of great importance has occurred. You the others will hear of it, but only when they have all gathered.” With a sigh he added, “Go now and rest, I will have somebody tell you when everybody else have come.”

Nana nodded somberly. She had never seen her Nani talk to her in that tone before. She motioned to leave, but before entering the opening of the door turned and ask meekly, “Granpa Nani? Did I do something wrong?”

Nanki’s eyes open wide again. “N-no, child. I’m sorry, I was just surprised. Just… go now and rest. This will not be an easy task.”

“Okay, Granpa.” Nana said, smiling slightly. She left the observatory without saying a word.