Nanaki and the Fallen Angel Chapter 1

Purpose

By Brady Bryner, Bill Shofstall, & Anthony McKinley

Cosmo Canyon, Observatory 11:06 PM Jan. 25

Nanaki went home. He had only dreams of seeing that girl get killed. He damned himself for failure. A species made to protect, and he had failed. He went to the piece of paper one night and saw letters on it. They contained things that scared him more than anything he had ever seen.

"Nanaki. My pupil. I have a secret I have hid from you for your own good. Or so I hope it is. Your father had a second son. He was born when you were seven You knew him. If you search your memories, you'll find vague thoughts of him. His name is Anthony. He was captured by Shinra scientists, but escaped. The last time I have heard of a creature anything vaguely like him it was in the jungle. Their are more of your kind Nanaki. I urge you to find him. He will recognize you. He has a scar that runs the length of his right fore leg, and a tattoo of the number XVI. He may seem odd, but he has reason. I have spoken with him once since his escape. I couldn't bring him back though. He would have only got in the way." He looked at the note. A smile slowly pushed its way onto his face.

"Amazing..." A tear rolled down to his nose. He looked back to the note. Nanaki's expression became puzzled. He stepped away from the note and watched it go to being engulfed in flames from a normal pice of paper. He sniffed the air slightly. "He put magnesium on it..."

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Jungle, Unknown 2:00 AM Jan. 26

"Damn!" Nanaki couldn't find a trace of anything else but frogs and various small creatures, but nothing of his size. He became very angry. "Shit..."

"No need for profanity..." Nanaki turned and saw a red flash. He ran after it. He leapt over logs and pulled himself up on trees. He followed the sound of childish giggling.

"Stop this! Stop it now!" A red creature that looked like Nanaki hopped down in front of him. He had a tattoo and a scar running down his right fore leg.

"Sorry, sir. Just trying to have fun." Nanaki was visibly panting. "Sorry..."

"Who are you?" Nanaki recaught his breath.

"I'm Anthony. You must be..."

"Nanaki... How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"You sounded like you were giggling over there, but your over here."

"I was over there."

"How'd you get here?"

"A magic trick. Anyway... What do you want?" Anthony cringed and slinked far lower then Nanaki.

"I was told to find you and bring you home."

"I have a home in the jungle. I like the canyon, but no one remembers me." Anthony's expression became very sad.

"Whats wrong?" Nanaki had a confused expression that burned into his face. All night had been confusing.

"Is mother or father still alive? Is anyone alive?"

"Niether our father or mother are alive." Nanaki's expression also became sad, but he was still happy about finding some one in his family was alive. He then noticed a pendant around his neck. On a golden chain, their hung an inch thick diamond cut into the shape of heart. At the center there was a pulsing, glowing purple orb. "Whats that?" Anthony's expression brightened slightly.

"A lover's pendant."

"You're in love..." Nanaki's face had a sarcastic look creasing the top of it.

"Yes. Whats so odd about it?"

"Nothing. Where is she?"

"Down near the waterfalls."

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Jungle, Waterfall Caverns, 5:28 AM Jan. 26

"Kianki?" Anthony stumbled through the cave with the sound of water echoing throughout. Kianki stepped out from a smaller room inside of the cave.

"Welcome back... You've been gone for a while..." She wore the same pendant as Anthony.

"This is my brother Nanaki." Introductions were made between the two and they continued on. "I've been living here since I was eleven. I was only two when the Shinra caught me. There are many of us here. Kicks ass. Lots of food, friendlyness alround, except when those who think they're better try to prove it and get their asses kicked." They strode through the caves.

"I really wish you wouldn't swear so often." Kianki smiled and pressed her head into Anthony's neck.

"This is why my life is better." Nanaki looked around. He was in awe at the beauty of the caves, and saw his own kind walking around casually throughout. Anthony and Kianki went down a passageway. Nanaki sat still and looked around. "Hey! Come on!" Nanaki ran after into a huge room. It wasn't like the other caves. It was more domed and was grayish and not blue. "This room is made completely of gil. A huge deposit is right over us. We can't stay here to long. The fumes will start to choke us." They filed out another exit and out onto a cliff. Nanaki was amazed, but at all of the times possible, Yuffie's death plagued him at this second. He held back any expression, just replayed her horrified look and the remnants of her body after the shot in his head. He finally snapped out of it and looked over the cliff. He could see all the way to Gongaga. Yuffie left his mind, and for several moments, his mind was clear of her all together.

"This is a great view." The sunrise had decided to come up at the time they had exited the caves onto the cliff. They saw the sun come up and then they proceeded to leave the jungle. It took several hours, but they stood just outside of Cosmo Canyon. "This is it." Kianki and Anthony smiled.

Kianki smiled even wider and said, "Its been a long time."

Anthony grinned reveiling his sharp, perfectly alined teeth. "Yeah." Nanaki looked closely at his teeth. He had two extra teeth in the front of his mouth that curved down further and slighty over his bottom row of teeth.

"What the hell?" Nanaki got his confused look back.

"What is it?" Anthony looked at him.

"Uh... Nothing..." Nanaki headed into the canyon, followed by the other two.

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Wutai, Yuffie Kisaragi's Funeral Pyre 10:43 AM Jan. 26

Godo sat before the ashes of Yuffie's pyre. Her body had been sent to Wutai immediatly. He pulled out a pistol and placed Yuffie's ashes to his temple. "I pray to Leviathian this is a nightmare. That my child has not been taken from me. But I know it is true." He placed the gun to his temple. "I served my people in life..." He tightened his grip. "And now I serve them in death..." He pulled the trigger sending his brains onto the ground to the left of him.

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Cosmo Canyon, Observatory 5:16 PM Jan. 29

"What!?!" Nanaki sat on a couch listening to Tifa's explanation of Godo's death. "This can't be happening..." He believed himself to now be responsible of two deaths. "Oh God..." He left to head to the bar again. Cloud ran after him.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"I have to forget this..." Nanaki ran off faster than Cloud could. He still dadn't told them of Anthony or Kianki's presence in the canyon, but it could wait.

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North Cave, Center of the Planet 7:47 PM Jan. 29

A man clothed in mainly bandages sat at a mechanical unit in the core of the Planet. A thin man wearing a red suit and tie walked in. "Mr. Shinra, I have the latest reports on the situation in Midgar."

"Thats president. Now, what are the reports telling us?"

"Yes, Mr. President. Uh... Reeve has taken control of the company as everyone else from your officials is either dead or missing, so he has assumed complete control of the corporation. He shut down the SOLDIER progra..."

"What!?! That bastard! Go on..." Rufus Shinra's face ruffled.

"He eliminated Mako reactors as a power source and uses alternative sources."

"Like what?"

"Hydro-electric, mainly."

"How the hell can he get hydro-electricity in Midgar? We're a power company, not a fuckin' charity."

"He started a charity as well."

"God damn it! What the hell is that jack ass trying to do?" He sent the executive on his way. He then pressed a button on his desk. "Scarlett..."

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Rocket Town, Cid Highwind's House 12:43 PM Jan. 30

Cid sat looking over a weapon he had made. Always good with tools. He pumped it, as it looked reminiscent of a shotgun, and fired into his back door. The door exploded into a shower of splinters. "Damn! I hope that it didn't... Hey! Shera! Did it hit the Tiny Bronco II?"

"No, sir." Shera walked in carrying a tray with tea. The pilot picked up his cup and sipped his tea. "Have you been considering what to do with the remains of the Highwind?"

"Hell yeah! Don't ask stupid ass questions. I'm gonna repair it, make it alot bigger. Maybe have some weapon silos added."

"Why?"

"In case those Shinra fucks come back for it." Cid puffed his cigarette.

"Well... I heard some bad news about one of your friends." Cid just looked at her with his cigarette sticking out of his mouth. A slight look of worry creased over the top of his face. Shera took a deep breath. "Miss Kisaragi was murdered." Cid's cigarette dropped from his mouth.

He stammered, "When?"

"New Year's Eve." Shera looked down.

"Why the fuck did it take so long for the news to get here!"

"I... I'm sorry captain..." Cid went into rage. He had fought with Yuffie for the whole time he had known her, but had never wished her dead, and was a bit fond of her. He turned and punched a whole through his wall. He picked up his gun and stepped out. "Where are you going?" Shera stumbled and tripped running after him.

"I'm gonna find out why shes dead!" Cid fired random shots from the weapon. He ran outside of Rocket Town and found the resting place of the Venus Gospel. He dug down into the ground. A massive storm came in to turn all the dirt to mud. He worked until dark, digging down into mud. He finally laid his hand upon a finely smoothed piece of metal. He pulled it up, covered in mud like himself, and tromped off through the storm. He came to the Nibleheim Mts. and began crawling over rock faces and through caves. A creature he had never seen before interrupted him. It had a diamond covered chest and stomach, with great red wings and body. It had seven heads, each a color of the spectrum. Cid looked at it. "Holy shit..." It raised a blue, purple, and red head and began to focus a beam in between them. Cid leapt out of its general path, falling down into a pool of water in a cave. He pulled himself out, hearing an explosion from above. "What in the fuck was that!?!"

He rubbed his hand across his forehead and found a large gash, as well as one on his thigh. He removed a vial of glowing liquid and rubbed it on his wounds. They slowly disappeared. "I'm too old for this shit..." He picked up his spear and gun and continued through the mountains. He found a relatively safe spot and held up there for a while, and ate his rations. The next four days he continued on until he came to Tifa's bar.

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Nibleheim Area, Tifa's Bar 6:05 PM Feb. 5

Tifa got up and began arranging several drinks and set up to go to work. She had just finished building more room onto the bar. She never looked at the left wall where Yuffie had drawn her last breath. The wall was cleaned well by the corener who had come all the way from Wutai. The floor was cleaned by Tifa who had decided to clean up the man's remains herself. She had dragged the body away and burned it. She sat down on a bar stool and poured herself a shot of bourbon, then another of scotch. She went back to the back of the bar. She grabbed several kegs of various drinks, and connected them to spritzers. A caravan of people with chocobos came through. They had served to be quite profitable. They had been the same caravan Nanaki had went across the river with. But Tifa worried most about seeing a man in a trench coat and hat walking among them. He hid in a cart and escaped. Cid came in almost two hours later at 8:07 PM.

"Hey... Tifa..." He was covered in cuts, and running out of potions to heal them with. "I've got some stories for you..." He recounted his run through to the mountains and the seen headed dragon. Tifa stopped him there.

"Wait... A seven headed, multi-color dragon... How big?"

"A leeetle bit bigger than the Ultima Weapon." He made gestures with his hands in vain attempts to illustrate the creature. "All I know is that the fucker was big, it...it was a real pissed off, and decided to take it out on me."

"Did ya' die!?!" She made gave him a sarcastic look.

"Yeah. Now my bodies inside of a huge, ugly mother with a baaaad attitude." Cid laughed and drank his beer, with an occasional cigarette. He had been trying to bring his habit down, but not quit. Or as he stated, "Quitins' for pussies!" To fill the void, he drank.

Tifa sat down and drank as well as he recounted tales of being attacked by a chocobo. "What!?! You were attacked by a chocobo!?!"

"It wasn't a normal chocobo. That thing was in full battle armor. It had big metal talons on its feet, and heavy armor covering its body and head. That thing was decked out. It rushed me and stabbed me with one of its talons in the side, and while I was down it tried to cut me open. But, being the best damn athlete there is, rolled to the side and jammed the Venus Gospel into its underbelly. It ran off crying about it. I don't understand why that thing was armored, but it can't be good."

"There was a caravan that came through here. It may have had some armored chocobos." Tifa gave him a tired look. She checked her watch. "Shit!!! We've been talking for four hours!"

"So?"

"I have to close up early tonight!"

"Why?" Cid was getting angry.

"I have to go after that caravan. The guy that..." Cid knew what she meant. "I think he was there."

"You said Red XIII killed em'!"

"I know! I cleaned up the blood and burned the body! But it was him damn it!" Tifa began fuming.

"I'll come with you." Cid's mood swung from angry to partially kind, with a side of psychotism.

"I think we should get Nanaki, too."

"Who the hell is tha... Oh, yeah. I guess we outta. But wouldn't that just make his mind get fucked up more?"

"Maybe. But it wasn't his fault."

"I know... I heard... That fucker woulda... He woulda... You know..."

"Yeah." Tifa slid on the Premium Heart, a memento of the times when she fought. She also grabbed a Colt 44. Magnum from behind the counter. She grabbed a box of bullets and placed them in a pack.

"Where did you get that?" Cid propped his own gun and pulled a bandolier of high-powered shells from his pack and slid it on.

"Vincent. Turks keep the damnest things."

"Really now?" A red haired man stepped in.

"Reno?"

"Hi." He seemed calm and posed no threat towards them.

"Isn't this the time you attack us, and get your ass whipped?" Cid snuffed his cigarette.

"Shinra is gone now. Actually, I came in here for a drink." Tifa rushed and got glass.

"What do you want?"

"A gin and tonic." She prepared the drink and gave it to him. "How much?"

"Nevermind it." She smiled.

"I take it you hear what happened to that girl. You were right here. Sad thing really. I'm looking for a man in a trench coat. People've been seein' that son of a bitch everywhere." He pulled a gun of his own out of his coat. "This is the Malamento. The firing is based on Valentine's Death Penalty. Faster with more power. Tseng's got one, too."

"Tseng dead. He was slashed by Sephiroth."

"So were you. Or so I heard from Cloud. Tseng dragged himself away and was found by Elena and Rude." Tseng walked into the bar.

"Does it really take this long to get a drink?" Tseng brandished his gun, and pointed it at Reno's head. "Now hurry up."

"Tseng, I unloaded your gun..." Tseng pulled ut his clip, and found that it was empty.

"Shit..." Tseng instead punched Reno. "Hurry up!" Tifa looked at Tseng.

"Whats going on?"

"We're after a man named Arkon. Maybe you've heard of him. Trench coat, hat, carries lots of weaponry." Tseng was calm and polite.

"That sounds like the guy who... Does he carry a golden gun?"

"Yes. His brother is Vernon. He looks the same, but carries a gun made of gil. That thing finds explosive bullets, but he hasn't posed any threat with it. At least no one has reported him being a threat."

Tifa remained silent, thinking of the man who killed the three men, and the man who had shot up the bar. He cleary shot two men with a revolving chambered handgun, like was described. Their bodies were blown to pieces in the entry and exit wounds. But when she was shot with the golden gun, her body remained intact, except for the entry. They both had shotguns, but one had a double barrel, and the other had a sawed-off single. They both had mako eyes. He could have been the same person, just changed weapons. "No..."

"And so... Huh? Whats wrong?" Tseng looked away from Cid to Tifa.

"They were both here. A man with a gun made of gil shot two men and killed the other with a double barrel shotgun."

"So..."

"The other man had a golden gun and a sawed-off shotgun. They both had mako eyes though."

"They were both in SOLDIER. Thats the problem. Their bodies regenerate at amazing rates."

"His throat was torn out!"

"What!?! He should be dead! Unless somethings possessing him. I'm not into voodoo shit so I can't offer an explanation." Tseng's face became disturbed. "Gimme a drink... Will ya'?"

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