Gaea

Prologue

            Cloud and the rest of Avalanche were last summoned to Thunder Team Universe to finally defeat Sephiroth.  When the final battle was fought, Sephiroth died and was reborn.  Sephiroth, free from Jenova’s will, was brought back to their universe along side Avalanche. Sephiroth, with all his guilt, awaits the real horror that he will have to now deal with.

Chapter 1

            I was blinded for a second.  I blinked my eyes and saw a lake with a white structure behind it. 
            What? Where am I?
            Lake…Oh no!!
            Why here?
            I looked around and saw the members of Avalanche sprawled across the floor.
            “Why the fuck does it have to be fucking rough ass ride here?” The foul-mouthed pilot just got up.  All of them started to get up.
            “Is everyone alright?” Cloud asked as he got up.
            “I’m okay,” the girl ninja said brushing dirt off of her.
            “No one cares.” The man with a gun arm.
            “Oh be nice Barret.” The girl that guided us through the Nibelheim Mountains years ago.  I stood up and began to leave.
            I took only a few steps when I heard the click of a gun and the barrel pressed against my back.
            “Where do you think you are going?” The man in the red cape with a metal claw for his right arm.
            “I have no weapon.  I have no materia.  Being alive is enough torture.  Just… let me… go,” I said.
            “Let him go Vincent.” Cloud.
            “Cloud?  Are you sure?” Vincent said.  Cloud nodded and Vincent holstered his shotgun.  I took a few more steps and then stopped.
            “Once again, nothing I say will ever relieve your pain, but I am sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused.”  I started again to leave.  I reached the entrance to the Forgotten City when I heard someone running up to me.  I turned to see the girl ninja.
            “Sephiroth! Wait!”
            “…”
            “Don’t look so sad. Here, you should wear this.” She gave me a crystal bracelet with materia equipped.
            “You should at least have something to protect yourself.” She was smiling at me.
            Why? Why is she helping me?
            “No thanks,” I said and shoved the bracelet back at her.
            “GAWD! What’s your problem? I’m just trying to be nice.”
            “Why?”
            “…I uh…want to…travel with you, and because Cloud and the others won’t give me their materia.  I got tired of trying to get their materia, so now; I’ll just hang around with you.  I can help you out.  You know, buy food, weapons, materia.”
            “Cloud just sent you to spy on me, didn’t he?  I could care less if he did.  Follow me if you wish, but I’m not going to be held responsible for your safety.”
            “No, I left him. Seriously.” I started walking again.
            “Hey wait for me! You don’t even know my name, do you?”
            “I don’t care.”
            “My name is Yuffie.” She started to walk beside me.  We walked all the way to the exit of the Sleeping Forest.
            The branches blocked the exit.  I looked to the valley wall and started to climb.  Yuffie still followed.
            Amazing.  She is still following me.
            We climbed about halfway to the top when the dark clouds started to pour.  I glanced back to see Yuffie still climbing the, now wet, rocky cliff.  About twenty minutes later we reached the top.  I held onto edge and lifted myself up.  Behind me I saw the bloodied hand of Yuffie reach the edge.  She began to lift herself up, but suddenly lost her grip on the slippery surface.
            “AAAHH!  Sephiroth!!!!!!” I quickly slammed to the floor and extended my arm over the edge.  I grabbed her arm and saved her.  I pulled her up and onto solid ground.  I released my grip on her arm and she wrapped her arms around my body.  She started cry.
            Why me? Why must I endure this torture?