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Prologue
“Cloud, what are we going to do with him?”
“I’m not sure. Holy should spare him when we release it.”
“I know, but I don’t think she will be happy to find out we had a child.”
“I know, but I think she’s going to have a child…”
“What?! Did you…?”
“No, of course not!”
“Then who?”
“I think Vincent.”
“Oh…oh my goodness...well…we’ll discuss that later, but about the child…”
“He will be very young when we release Holy.”
“But we have to put him somewhere safe.”
“The Forest Moogles would keep him safe.”
“Well…yes...alright.”
“Let’s go then.”
“Wait! We need to name him.”
“We won’t have him much longer.”
“So, we still need to name him.”
“Okay…”
“How about…Daemon Frank?”
“Daemon Frank Strife… yeah, that has a ring to it.”
“Alright then, his name is Frank…”
Hi, my name’s Frank.
Frank Strife, that is. I’m the son of Could Strife and…uh… well, I was never told who my mother was.
Pretty sad, eh? I mean, I’ve heard of people not knowing their father, but their mother? I mean, come on, you would think that since she carried you for 9 months someone would’ve known. It’s just strange. Sadly enough, it was only by chance that I found out who my father was. I was found in the woods when I was 11, and Nanaki identified me as Cloud’s son. He told me that I was a survivor, a lucky one. Holy had spared me and froze me over for 11 years. I was found when I was 11, 6 years ago by Nanaki’s wife, Cielo.
Nanaki is the only survivor of the 9...well...10 if you count Shera Highwind, but he’s the only survivor of all the members of AVALANCHE. He took me in, and raised me as if I were his own.
Of course, there are others like me, survivors. The ones that I grew up with are all descendants of AVALANCHE, like me. Like Lanae Kisaragi, she’s the daughter of Yuffie. She’s 16, around 5’3”, and has green-gray eyes. Many of her traits mirror that of her mother, such as her skills as a thief and her ability to weasel her way into things. She has a habit of stealing my Materia, but she’s still really good in a fight. Nanaki told us a while back that she didn’t have a father, but she doesn’t seem to mind at all…
Then there’s Erin and Stephanie, the Valentine twins. Their father was Vincent, and they don’t know who their mother was either, so I’m not TOO alone.
Although they’re both 17, Stephanie was born a few minutes before Erin, and it apparently made all the difference. Erin is 5’5” with dark brown hair and amazing blue eyes. She’s always cheery and likes to take care of people.
Stephanie, one the other hand, is the darker one of the two. She’s 5’6” with jet-black hair that has scarlet red streaks in it, and she’s very…secluded. She’s not mean, and has her cheery moments, but those are rare. With her crimson red eyes she inherited from her father, she tends to scare those who don’t know her easily and-most of the time-unintentionally.
Last-but not least- is Steffen. He’s Nanaki’s son, although he doesn’t always act like it. He’s 3’2”, and has a fiery red coat like his father, but his mane and tail flame are blue like his mother, Cielo. He had golden eyes, and understands me better than anyone else. He’s a cool guy overall, my best friend.
Well, now that you know everyone, on with the story…
Shattered Image: Chapter 1
The Burning Village
“You said hotdogs are made out of WHAT?!” Lanae Kisaragi
He glanced over at her for a moment. She was leaning back on the saddle of her blue chocobo Sereni, her head tilted back in such a way that Frank thought she was asleep for a minute, but was soon corrected when he caught a glimpse of her green-gray eyes, which she shut again after a few seconds.
Sighing, he leaned back in the saddle, similar to Lanae, and then looked around at the Coral Mountains, which surrounded them as they rode on. Since he had nothing else to do, he thought about the list of things Cielo had given him to get. He hadn’t looked at it yet, so he thought of things that might be on it, which caused him to look back on the day so far…
“Frank, what are you still doing here?!”
The young swordsman had almost hit his head underneath the desk as he jolted upright at his name. He spun around to see Cielo, the blue wolf-creature like Nanaki, standing in the doorway.
“You were supposed to be gone an hour ago,” She growled.
“I can’t find my Materia!” He said quickly, avoiding her green-eyed glare. She had paused for a moment, then, “When did you have it last?”
“Well,” He scratched his head, “I remember having it at breakfast, then me, Steffen, and Lanae went to-“
He had stopped as realization came over him.
Lanae.
“Ahhh…. Dangit.”
Cielo stifled a laugh.
“That’s the third time this week, Frank.”
“Yeah, yeah. I think she’s goin’ for a record or somethin’.”
Cielo smiled her wolf smile.
“I’ll let you borrow some of mine until you get back. Now come on!”
Outside, he had lead out his green chocobo, Lightning, and was getting him saddled as Cielo talked to him.
“Everything I want is on that list. Make sure to get it ALL, and be careful. I know Nibelheim isn’t exactly close, to I’m letting you take a PHS. Stay on the worn pathway and don’t wander-“
She stopped short when she saw Frank’s eyebrows raised.
“Cielo I’m 17.” He said calmly.
“I know,” She sighed, “I just want you to be careful, alright?”
He smiled and patted her on the head, his fingers sinking into her soft-blue mane. She smiled and stepped back as he got on his chocobo.
“Oh,” she added quickly, “Erin and Steffen are there in Nibelheim shopping for the Medicine Man. Make sure to travel back with them.”
“Alright,” He said, “We should be back before sunset. I’ll call if something comes up.”
She nodded, and he began to steer Lightning out of the village.
“Wait! Frank! Wait for me!”
He stopped and looked to see Lanae running toward him, headband flapping behind her, as fast as her short legs could carry her.
“You moron I said WAIT!!”
She skidded to a stop next to Cielo, and then leaned over on her knees, catching her breath.
“Gawd, Frank…you’re…17…and you…already need a…hearin’ aid,” She panted, then shook her head, “I wanna… come…too…” She took another breath, and then stood up straight with a grin, “One sec.” With that, she staggered into the barn, emerging a minute later with Sereni. As she saddled her, Cielo turned to Frank.
“Do you mind?”
He shrugged, Lanae looked up.
“Of course he doesn’t! He loves me!”
Frank rolled his eyes, she stuck her tongue out at him.
“Besides,” She added, “Steffen’s there, right? I have to ask him somethin’.”
Cielo looked at her, “It can’t wait until he returns?”
She shook her head, “Nope, it’s that important.”
“She’s probably gonna ask him out,” Frank muttered.
“I heard that!” Lanae snapped.
Cielo laughed, “Alright you two, be careful.”
“Sure thing!” Lanae said as she climbed onto her chocobo. She looked at Frank.
“Alright you old man, let’s move!”
…So that’s where they were.
Frank turned the thoughts over in his head, but still couldn’t find any clue to what could be on the list. He turned his attention to Lanae, who he was sure was asleep now. She was practically laying on Sereni, her eyes closed and a content look on her face.
“Hey Lanae,” He said, “Wake up Lanae.”
She didn’t move.
“Lanae Kisaragi, wake up!”
She groaned in response, but didn’t budge.
“Lanae Aleena Kisaragi, WAKE UP!!”
Her eyes shot open and she sat up straight.
“You said hotdogs are made out of WHAT?!”
He rolled his eyes as she shook her head and looked at him.
“Whaddya want, old man?”
“Nothing,” He shrugged, “Just wantin’ to keep you awake.”
She dropped her jaw and stared at him blankly as he laughed and turned back to the front. She scowled.
“Okay, that was just plain WRONG!” She yelled, causing Sereni to squawk. She looked at the bird, “Yeah you agree,” She looked at Frank, “You know what? I’m just gonna stay righ here. You can go on alone!”
She stopped Sereni and sat, watching Frank as he passed.
“Okay,” He said calmly, “Have fun.”
He kept going. Finally, Lanae looked at her chocobo.
“Yeah, you know what’s goin’ on. Let’s do this.”
Sereni warked and took off. They soon caught up with Frank and tore past him. He looked at her, then at Lightning.
“Oh I know they just didn’t… you’re gonna let her do that to you?”
Lightning warked and took off after them.
Lanae looked behind her and laughed. It had worked. She had done this to him Leviathan knows how many times, but she knew he couldn’t resist. She was the best chocobo racer in Cosmo Canyon, and he never turned down a good challenge.
They rode on, the Coral Mountains as their backround as they tore up the plain at lightning speed. Finally, Lanae began to feel Sereni tire beneath her. Although the chocobo was amazingly fast, her stamina sucked.
“But she’s a heck of a lot easier to ride than Reiko,” She thought. The red chocobo she usually raced was hot tempered and hard to get along with.
She slowed down Sereni, and stopped her to wait for Frank and Lightning, who soon caught up, and skidded to a stop next to her. Frank slid foreword, causing him the front of the saddle to hit him…in a vulnerable place.
“Ooo… that’s gonna hurt,” Lanae said, turning away as Frank let out a long string of words that used to come from her Uncle Cid. She tried not to laugh and changed the subject.
“So… what’s on the list that’s so important?”
He groaned a little, but reached into his saddle pack for the list. He opened it, then cleared his throat and began to read.
“17 candles, vanilla cake mix, confetti…”
He stared at it, “What the?! She sent us to Nibelheim to get cake mix? Why the heck…?
“Ahem,” Lanae cut in calmly, “Apparently you don’t remember, but Erin and Stephanie’s birthdays were last week.”
He groaned, “Ahhh… I need to get them something.”
She nodded, “Me too.”
He pulled out his wallet and looked in it, “Alright, I’ll get Erin’s present, and you cover Steph.”
Lanae made a face, “Dangit I knew you’d say that. What the heck am I supposed to get her?”
“I don’t know you figure it out.”
She scowled, and turned to the front. What should she get Stephanie? It wasn’t like she ever talked to tell anyone. The red-eyed Valentine twin was always secluded, and she rarely showed her personality. She wasn’t boyish, but she didn’t act like a girl like Erin usually did. Erin wore cute things and makeup (sometimes), but Stephanie…
“The sad thing is,” She thought, “She’d be gorgeous if she tried.”
Although she’d never say it, Lanae had always been a little jealous of the young gunwoman’s natural beauty. Lanae wasn’t one who cared much about what others thought about her, and that usually got her into trouble. Stephanie was always the same way, but she seemed to be respected more.
“Must be her father in her…”
She sighed and looked up at the sky. It’s blueness neverending.
“My mother went up into that,” She thought, “I wonder what it was like…”
She looked over at Frank; the young swordsman was staring at the ground, in a daze, his brown-blonde hair hanging down into his blue eyes. She smiled and turned back to the front, but then…
Frank wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings, so he didn’t notice when Lanae and Sereni came to a dead stop. Lightning, taking note of his master’s absent mindedness came to an abrupt halt, once again causing Frank to slide foreword and…well…you know.
“LIGHTNING!!!”
He sat back in the saddle, gripping the reigns. He was bout to let the green chocobo have it, when he noticed Lanae. She was a few feet behind him, staring straight ahead, her green-gray eyes wide and face slightly pale.
“Lanae…?”
“Frank,” She whispered, “Look…”
He turned to where her gaze was, and immediately his jaw dropped. There was smoke, a lot of smoke.
Nibelheim was on fire.
“Oh my dear Shiva…”Lanae whispered, then, “No! Steffen! Erin!” She took off at full speed toward the burning village, Frank close behind her.
They were soon upon the village, and even from their distance the heat was intense. As they came nearer, Frank slowed to wait for Lanae, who had had passed easily because of Sereni’s state, but as she came to him, she blew past him and disappeared into the flames.
“Lanae!” He yelled, but his only answer was the roar of the fire. He looked up to the sky.
“Leviathan help us…” He whispered, then rode in after her.
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