• Prologue


    It wasn’t too long ago when Cloud opened his eyes and became who he really was. It took awhile but we managed to get it through him; Me, Marlene, and Denzel,Cloud’s family. Cloud was never the social type, he always did things by himself always refusing help from anyone else and shutting everyone out of his life, including his friendsand family. But that changed now, he was no longer a wall, he has now become a door. I see it in him, his happiness that is, it’s returned back to the way it once was before hewent off to war before he became a SOLDIER. The battle with his “brothers”, Kadaj, Kazoo, and Loz, opened his eyes again. That battle introduced him to reality, the realityof teamwork. We never blamed him for leaving us, none of us did, but in his mind he wouldn’t accept it. That was three years ago and now we’ve both moved on. We livedtogether now, me and Cloud, we were both still young (25). We had our own “child”, his name was Denzel. He was a smart boy, brave too, we found him deserted on thestreet and decided to take him home and care for him. He and Marlene are now great friends, they took care of each other and kept one another safe.

    A while back Denzel and Cloud were infected with Geostigma, a virus that was spread through the life stream by the Genova cells. They were not the only ones that got infected though, many of Midgar’s inhabitants were sick and weak. Denzel accepted our support and let us help him, but Cloud…..he decided not to, he left us. He lived by himself and fought the virus alone, he said that he didn’t want to hurt anyone, but the truth was that he was still feeling guilty. It had been three years, but that still was not enough time for him to move on.

    Aerith, the last remaining ancient, was the cause of Cloud’s guilt. She was a kind and pretty young woman who, strangely, always wore pink. She was always found inthe church picking flowers to sell on the street. Cloud had first met her when he fell off the Shin-ra building and landed into the church, where she later found him passed out.After spending some time together they eventually got to know each other, more than I had wanted them to; but she had already had a boyfriend who cloud did not know about.Soon after we all found out that Aerith was the last remaining ancient, and that Sephiroth was after her. She needed our protection and we needed her hope. Since Aerith wasthe last ancient she had the ability to renew the life stream to the way it once was before Shinra poisoned it; but fate was not on our side. She was captured by Shin-ra and wewent in to save her, we were close, we had gotten through to where she was; but we were too late. Sephiroth had chosen his own path, he killed her, saying that she was in theway of his “mother”, the unidentified life form, Jenova.

    Jenova…an extraterrestrial lifeform , composed of strange cells that carry her will and power even when separated. Her cells give extra strength, life, and abilities to allwho get injected with them. The first person to be tested and actually survive was Sephiroth and soon after Cloud was injected with the cells also. Every single member of theSOLDIER was injected with the cells to ensure their protection and enhance their abilities. Those who had Jenova cells in them were also injected with Mako which leaves themmore resistant to physical attacks and increase their strength. These effects also have various effects on one’s mind, some beneficial (increase in magic) and some mentally(insanity). Sephiroth’s case is different from the other’s because he was injected with the Jenova cells in the fetal stage, which makes him stronger than any other SOLDIER orsubject as a result.

    But all that is behind us now, Sephiroth is gone, Geostigma is no more, and Cloud has moved on. It’s been three years, three years of waiting, three years of hope, yetI still feel a presence of insecurity. Nothing is ever peaceful for long, it’s been that way for us for far too long. Cloud is off running an errand now, another delivery from Rufus.We run a business now the Strife delivery service. It’s mainly cloud who goes and delivers Me and the kids stay home and clean the house, prepare diner, etc. it’s been betterlately many more people have stopped by to ask for deliveries or get a drink at the bar, still the same one I had years ago, just better.

    Now and again our friends stop by to payus a visit. Barret lives next door with Marlene, and when he goes to work we baby-sit her until he comes home. Vincent can still be found at the forbidden city wanderingaround keeping it safe from intruders, he stops by now and then but, as usual, doesn’t say much. Yuffie is still in search of Materia but she mainly stays in Wutai, her hometown;we haven’t seen her since the last battle with Kadaj and his brothers, she said she had some business to take care of. Cid is settling down with Shera while still having anobsession with the sky and his ships, he and Shera visited last month but only stopping by for a day or two until they had to get moving. Red XIII left after the battle with Kadaj,bringing Cait Sith with him; We haven’t heard from either of them after the battle either. The Shin-ra Turks have moved on and decided to do what they can to fix theenvironment; Rufus, Reno, and Rude come to visit once and awhile but only when Cloud is over, not when he is gone. Tsieng and Elena always stay at the base and only leaveto go on “missions”, they still cling to the hope of restoring Shin-ra.

    Our friends helped us through everything we have been through and without them me and cloud might not evenbe here; we owe them everything, everything we have, had, or will had is because of them, and it is their story that people will remember. But it is in these times that peoplewonder…is everything the way it is because of destiny? Or is it because of pure chance? This is my calm before the storm.

    Final Fantasy VII: Days on ruin (prologue)