There it was. Though he had never seen it before he knew that this was the place he was to go. High above a rust colored canyon hung a forest of odd design. Even though the land around it was rather barren, the forest seemed lush and almost tropical.
       The dark figure spun and collided with the trees. Branches twisted and snapped as the man came crashing towards the earth. His body suffered several small cuts and scratches; so many it would take a whole day to count them. The birds and other animals that took residence in the foliage disappeared deeper into the green curtains that hung all around.
       The man collided into a patch of soft dirt and skidded about the ground, his face cut and bleeding from sliding. The winds that had carried him had already begun to die down and soon they disappeared all together. The figure slowly began to rise and crawl on all fours.
       "Yes….I'm coming", he muttered as he limped along.
       The forest grew darker and greener as he walked deeper into it. The animals here regarded him with curiosity. They could not imagine what this creature was doing in their home.
       He continued deeper into the jungle until he came across an old temple. Or at least it looked like it was a temple at one point. The roof was gone and only the back and left side walls remained. The floor was uneven and broken and most everything was covered with vines and other plants. Still the man looked at it and felt at home. Somehow this place belonged to him, almost as if it was his by right. Upon the back wall was a large throne that was almost completely covered with vines from a nearby tree.
       He started out for the throne but was too tired. He turned over and fell onto his back, his chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. His hands fell out to his sides and lay limp, while all around him he heard the subtle croaks and chirps of frogs. He was now in the depths of the Ancient Forest.
       His eyes closed as he began to hear the voices rise up once again. They were talking all at once in a language that he could not understand. There were savage angry voices, high light ones, and even one that sounded as cold and dead as the grave itself. Slowly they all began to fade once more into silence. Then, one thick commanding voice broke the eerie stillness.
       "Welcome son… you have come to us at last."

*****

       Another day, another meeting.
       Today it was an emergency budget meeting regarding the recent Reactor #1 meltdown. Massive amounts of funding would have to be allocated toward the Reactor's reconstruction, and today, Reeve was going to present to the other executives the figures he and his assistants had come up with in the limited amount of time they had been allowed. After gathering his papers, he boarded an elevator and pressed the button for the 66th floor. For a moment, his thoughts turned to the red-cloaked stranger he encountered yesterday, as well as the teleportation spell the orange Materia cast. He ran a finger across the smooth surface of the former Choco/Mog orb, which was slotted on his Rune armlet. The elevator bell rang as it reached Reeve's floor, snapping him back to reality, and to thoughts of the meeting.
       He stepped inside the long conference room, and was relieved to see that he was not the last one there. President Shinra, Heidegger, and Scarlett were already seated in their usual spots; the only one missing was Palmer, the head of Shinra's fledgling Aerospace Division. As Reeve started to sit down, Palmer rushed in, followed by a tough-looking man dressed in pilot's clothes, who looked to be about Reeve's age. As Palmer and the newcomer sat down, everyone turned their attention to President Shinra, seated at the head of the long conference table.
       "Welcome, executives, to this emergency meeting," said the President. "I'm sorry that this meeting had to be called on such short notice, but I'm also glad that you were all able to come. First off, I would like to introduce Captain Cid Highwind, who is joining us today from Rocket Town."
       All stood, and firm handshakes were quickly exchanged between Cid and the executives.
       "Now, on to this meeting's agenda. First, Reeve will present the damage estimates for the Sector One Reactor. Next, Heidegger will go over Peace Preservation's investigation into what caused the explosion, and Scarlett will cover the additional security measures that are being taken at the other reactors. Finally, Palmer and Mr. Highwind have an update on the Aerospace Program."
       Reeve raised his hand. "Excuse me, Mr. President, but why are we having an update on Aerospace if this meeting is regarding Reactor #1?"
       "I would like to see what their performance has been up until now," said the President, shuffling some papers. "We may have to put some of their projects on hold because of the potential cost of the meltdown. Finally, if it turns out that we have to cut down on Aerospace funding, I want them to see where the money's going."
       Palmer and Cid exchanged wary glances.

       The meeting went on for two hours, during which it was decided that extra funds would be allocated to Reeve's department to cover the cost of rebuilding parts of Sector One that were damaged in the meltdown. The rebuilding of the Reactor itself was being put on hold, as no one knew how long the cleanup would take. Meanwhile, Palmer walked out the meeting with a downtrodden look on his face, and Cid's own expression was marked with fury. Apparently, the budget for the Aerospace Program was being cut again-- drastically.

*****

       "You have finally come to us Dravven."
       "What have I come for and why do you call me that?"
       "Because that is the name that has been given to you. And you are here….to avenge us!"
       "Avenge?" He didn't really need to ask. He felt his calling already. He felt it when he met the man in red. But he still did not understand why.
       "Yes, we shall show you."
       With his eyes closed, he saw nothing but blackness; but soon thereafter, his line of vision wasfilled with color, and slowly a scene began to unfold. Battle were playing out in front of him. Beings of ice and fire, water, and earth were battling against smaller forms. Many die in front of him.
       "What is this?"
       "This is your past. This is you."
       "Me?"
       "We are all you, and you are us. You are made of us. You are our son."
       The man once more focused on the battles in front of him.
       "Long ago we ruled this world. And the humans were our servants. The only ones who stood up to us were those that you see before you. The Men of Spears."
       "…The Men of Spears…"
       "They were only delaying the end. We would soon crush them. But then… they came."
       The scene changed once more. Now strange figures were scene on the battle field next to The Men of Spears. And the battle now looked very different.
       "Who are ‘they'?
       "Cetra….."
       The Creatures of earth, water, ice and fire were now on the defensive. There was pain in their eyes. The scene grew larger and larger and the man was transfixed by it. Suddenly, a dark shape screamed across his line of vision, and blacked out everything.
       "What?! What was that?!"
       "That…." The voice now seethed with anger. "That is the traitor."
       "…And…and who are you?"
       A mantle of bone came slowly into view. A large sword soon followed. In the back of his mind he heard the faint stamping of a horse's hooves.
       "I am one of many fathers. I am Odin."

*****

       "Michael…"
        "Yes?"
       "What happened yesterday, when you disappeared? Where did you go?"
       "Ahh… I forgot to tell you and Reno. I came here."
       "What?"
       "The Materia cast a teleportation spell. At the time, I was thinking about the office, and as the spell was cast, that's where I went."
       "I see… I have heard of such spells."
       "Have you?"
       "Yes… spells lost in time, spells so deeply buried that they never surface as Materia."
       "Apparently, they have been buried with the Summons."
       "Apparently."
       "Remind me to tell Reno… but don't let anyone else know about the orange Materia."
       "All right. Only Reno shall know, and no one else… How was the meeting?"
       "The usual. The President didn't say a thing about the Neo-Midgar project."
       "Hmm…"
       "Best not to dwell on it at the moment. The Reactor #1 meltdown is sure to delay the search for the Promised Land."
       "By the way, I forgot to tell you-- the Ancient will soon be in our custody."
       "Mmm hmm… Too bad we can't do a thing with her right now…"
       "Yes. Though I'm sure we could--"
       A knock at the door interrupted their conversation.
       "I'll get it."

*****

       The breeze slowly swept across his face. The faint sound of leaves rustling above him filtered into his head. Slowly the eyes opened. Out below him he could see the glowing red cliffs of Cosmo Canyon. He slowly placed his hand upon the ground and laughed.
       He had grown stronger. He seemed to feel the very pulse of the planet as his fingers embedded in the soil. He also felt them inside of him. Their powers coursed through him like an electrical current. He closed his eyes and felt the tinge of power behind his eyelids. It was invigorating. He slowly began to walk through the forest and peer at the animals. The whole forest had grown quite large, as if to recognize and pay homage to its new master. The birds had preferred to simply watch as he walked through. The small frogs leaped and scurried out of his path until finally he stopped in front of a large bullfrog that refused to move.
       "Rrrrribbit."
       Dravven looked down and smiled at the small animal. It was brave. It thought that it owned this forest.
       "Mother Shiva… grant me your power."
       His eyes flashed a light blue and suddenly out from his feet shot forth a sheet of ice. The bullfrog was encased instantly before it could even croak and the ice continued to creep up the trees. Some birds flew away but others were doomed to be forever perched upon the limbs of frozen trees. After a few seconds, almost half a mile of the Ancient Forest was covered in ice.
       "Thank you Mother."
       Dravven looked up to the sky. He began to think back to the dream and the visions. He though of Odin's words.
       "Yes, I shall get it. I know who has it. Father Typhoon…"
       With a gust of wind, Dravven was lifted into the air. He began to soar to the east, toward Costa Del Sol, toward Junon, toward Midgar, and toward the Shinra.

*****

       A pause. Then, the door opened. Cid Highwind stood there; little trace of the anger from the afternoon meeting could be read on his face.
       "Mr. Reeve? I know it's late, but I--"
       "Just Reeve is fine," answered the executive. "Come inside?"
       Cid nodded, and stepped inside the dimly-lit office. Tseng was standing at the window, staring out at the smoggy night sky. Cid looked the slightly disheveled Reeve up and down. "Long day?"
       Reeve's brow creased, and he closed his reddened eyes for a moment. "You could say that. So, what can I do for you?"
       "Ahh, well, I was here late with Palmer and some engineers, going over some specs for the Shinra No. 26's main cooling system…" Cid said, adding bitterly, "Not that we'd be able to do anything with the %&*# rocket for awhile…"
       "I'm sorry about that…"
       Cid brushed off Reeve's comment. "Ahh, don't worry about it. We're used to budget cuts. $%&@ suits, always stickin' their money-grubbin' asses into everything-- well, most of ‘em anyway."
       Reeve shook his head. "Listen, Highwind--"
       "Cid."
       "Okay, ‘Cid'. What brings you here this late at night?"
       "Well, one of the engineers mentioned that you were a pool shark. I like to play myself, and I haven't played anyone really good in awhile--"
       "That's it? You were going to invite me out for a game?"
       Cid shrugged. "Well, yeah. You know, downin' a couple beers, slingin' the cue sticks, knockin' some balls around, that sort of thing."
       Reeve cleared his throat. "Thanks for the offer, but I'm afraid I can't take you up on it. Not tonight anyway. Maybe some other time."
       "Sure, what the hell. I'm in no rush," Cid replied; then, lowering his voice, he added, "Another time then…" The pilot then turned and left the office.
          That voice… where have I heard it before?
       Reeve went to the door and looked out into the hallway, but Cid was gone.
       "He sure left in a hurry, didn't he?" Tseng said, turning away from the window.
       Closing the door, Reeve replied, "Didn't you sense something familiar about him?"
       Tseng shrugged. "Of course: he's Cid Highwind. I've known him for a couple of years. Don't tell me that today was your first time meeting him."
       "It was… but that's not what I'm talking about… I mean--"
       Tseng's eyes locked with Reeve's. "Michael…is there something bugging you?"
       Reeve shook his head. "No… I'm all right… but I think maybe I'll take Cid up on his offer the next time I see him."
       Tseng replied with a nod and returned his gaze to the window.

       A few hours later, after most of the regular employees had gone home, Reeve had fallen asleep at his desk. With his head resting on his arms, which were folded on top of some expense reports on his desk, the Urban Development Chair found himself having very unusual dreams. Dreams of ancient battlefields, of strange people with green eyes, of mighty warriors on Chocoboback, and of large, legendary beasts. Reeve twitched in his chair. The images started to fly by him faster than before. As the violent imagery accelerated, the crystal on the Mythrill necklace he wore, tucked away inside his shirt, grew warmer.
       Reeve awoke, sweating. The first thing he noticed was the warm light emanating from beneath his shirt, from the crystal. He sat up, frozen in shock, not knowing what he should do. The crystal grew hotter, pressing itself closer to Reeve's chest, melting into his skin. He opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. Then, as quickly as it had happened, it was over. Panting, he drew the necklace out from under his shirt. The crystal was gone, leaving just the Mythrill chain and mounting.
       He leaned back into his chair, staring into space. What just happened? Did the crystal… absorb itself into me?

---

Completed March 2002 | Copyright 2002, Dravven and Reeve.

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