I’d like to make clear and communicate as a follower of the Christ, Jesus, that I don’t agree with, nor wish to support or advocate the use of the transliterated Hebrew word ‘Sephirot’ or ‘Sephiroth’, which refers to the “enumerations” of God’s revelation, as described in Jewish Kabbalah, as a name for the main antagonist of Final Fantasy VII, who did great evil. Nor do I wish to glorify the ‘magic’ and ‘spells’, who’s origins are derived from polytheism and superstition, that the character Merlin was written as a user of, or the use weaponry as it’s presented separate from this specific story. It’s after having said that, that I write for a creative purpose, and for the ideas, emotions, and morals that are so beautifully presented in these stories that I love and admire.
A bright light filled the entire sky, as the stars began to twinkle, one by one, back into place. Small petals of radiance rained down from the sky, shimmering as quick as they disappeared into the palm of Leon’s hand.
“He did it…” he said.
He was standing among everyone else, sharing in their awe of the cosmic spectacle before them.
“Well how ‘bout that…” Cid said, resting his hands on his hips.
Yuffie turned to look at Leon. “Now that Sora stopped the darkness from spreading, will the heartless stop coming too?”
Leon closed his eyes and faced down at the ground. “The only way heartless would stop coming…is if everyone’s heart was filled with light.” He turned to look back at her. “The only thing that matters now…is what we do to rebuild our world.”
Aeris rested a hand on her chest, closing her eyes. She couldn’t hear the two talking. Only one thing was on her mind. Only one person was on her mind.
“Was he safe?”
“Will he ever come back?”
“Tomorrow, we can start looking for Merlin. He’s definitely here, and probably looking for us too” Leon said. “Right Aeris?”
Aeris couldn’t hear what Leon said. She was still lost in her trance.
“Aeris?”
“Oh?” Aeris turned around in surprise. “I’m sorry…what did you say?”
“Merlin’s probably looking for us here? Right?”
“Yes, that’s right” she said with a nod.
Leon smiled in agreement, and looked back up at the sky. The four of them stood there for a long time, without saying anything else. It was the first time, in a long time, they were able to look up at the sky of their home. Their garden of radiance. The place that shaped each of them into the person they are today. The place that fell into the hollow bastion of darkness that harbored great evil, but now, was ready to be restored.
_____________
One week later….
Leon stepped through the door, closing it behind him. He walked down the hallway of the library, passing by every shelf, one after the other. The morning light shined through the glass window, sending rays onto its green floor. Leon turned into one them, as he held the book up in his hand. “Yuffie, Aeris. I think you two should read this.”
The two of them were searching through the archives, looking for any trace of Ansem’s original research. They both looked up, as Leon showed them the title.
R------ --rd-- Defense Mechanism. It was tattered, and the front stained, covering the first half of the title, only revealing two ‘r’s and a ‘d’.
“Apparently, this town used to be built with a programmed defense mechanism, in order to protect it against any threat, like the heartless, or the nobodies.” Leon looked up at the two. “This book should tell us how to construct one, to aid us in fighting off any threat.”
The three of them gathered together, having a long talk about what their next step should be, and what the best way of constructing this mechanism was. After some time, they all heard footsteps, as someone else entered the library.
“Hey! Look who I found!” Cid called out.
Aeris turned around, looking at the familiar face she would always see in her dreams at night.
It was Cloud, standing behind Cid, looking back at everyone. Leon and Yuffie smiled, as Aeris slowly stepped towards him. Cloud kept his eyes low. He almost looked ashamed.
Aeris leaned in, as Cloud looked back up at her. She hadn’t seen his face in a long, long time.
“Hey…did you miss me?” Aeris asked.
Cloud looked back down, and aside. “Of course…”
“Looks like you finally made it” Leon said, walking over to the two of them.
“Hey Cloud! Where you been all this time?” Yuffie said, following Leon.
Cloud looked back at all of them. The memories of his struggle against Sephiroth came back into his head. The lonely nights, looking up at the fading stars, wandering through the darkness, searching for the light within him.
“I’ve been busy…” he said.
__________
Two weeks later…
Leon stepped through the doorway of Merlin’s house, closing it behind him. “Morning Cid” he said.
“Mornin’!” Cid said, typing away on his large computer, without turning around.
Leon set a large, rolled up sheet on the small wooden table that rested in the middle of the room.
Yuffie stepped through the doorway, followed by Aeris and Cloud.
“Morning you guys! Is today the big day?” Yuffie said.
“It is…” Leon said, rolling out the sheet.
On it, was a map of the entire town, from the outer plaza, to the bailey, to the castle.
Cid stopped typing, and walked over to the map, as the five of them gathered around.
“In order to set up a fully functional defense mechanism, we need to set up four wired signal points around the entire town. But to do that, we not only need a software to program it from…” Leon looked up at Cid.
“I’ve got it!” Cid said with a nod, holding up his fist.
“…but a power source as well.” They all leaned back, as they realized what this meant. The only power source large enough to get the job done was inside the castle, which was slowly falling apart more and more each day.
“What’s good for us, is that it’s portable. But what’s bad is that…”
“We need to enter the castle…” Cloud said.
“Yeah....that’s right.” Leon said. There was a moment of silence, as everyone realized the type of challenge before them. The castle was not only a labyrinth on its own, but the place where the heartless were most densely concentrated. It was also falling apart, and the power source they were looking for, the Main Generator, was in an unknown location.
Everyone looked down, as they processed the information. “How long do you think we have?” Aeris asked.
“I’d say about a week”
Everyone was quiet once again.
“Hey! Why’s everybody so down?! You think this is gonna be too hard for us?! Please!” She took a leap back, throwing her arms out and looking at everyone with a huge grin on her face.
“We’re the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee!”
Everyone smiled back, realizing what she was saying.
“You’re right.” Leon said. “Were in charge of putting this place back to the way it was…maybe even better. And this is where it all begins…” He rolled up the map, and walked over to the door. He stopped, and looked back, without turning around. “So let’s go”
OOC: What do you think about this? I've always loved all of those characters in the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee, and all the work they do. When I began writing this, I had the vague idea of making it into an RP, but I've rethought that idea now. Maybe a story, or something else? Or does an RP based on this sound interesting? I wanted to share it with you, and I wanted to see if you had any ideas, perhaps? Anything thoughts at all, I'd love to hear it
I’d like to make clear and communicate as a follower of the Christ, Jesus, that I don’t agree with, nor wish to support or advocate the use of the transliterated Hebrew word ‘Sephirot’ or ‘Sephiroth’, which refers to the “enumerations” of God’s revelation, as described in Jewish Kabbalah, as a name for the main antagonist of Final Fantasy VII, who did great evil. Nor do I wish to glorify the ‘magic’ and ‘spells’, who’s origins are derived from polytheism and superstition, that the character Merlin was written as a user of, or the use weaponry as it’s presented separate from this specific story. It’s after having said that, that I write for a creative purpose, and for the ideas, emotions, and morals that are so beautifully presented in these stories that I love and admire.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Prologue
A bright light filled the entire sky, as the stars began to twinkle, one by one, back into place. Small petals of radiance rained down from the sky, shimmering as quick as they disappeared into the palm of Leon’s hand.
“He did it…” he said.
He was standing among everyone else, sharing in their awe of the cosmic spectacle before them.
“Well how ‘bout that…” Cid said, resting his hands on his hips.
Yuffie turned to look at Leon. “Now that Sora stopped the darkness from spreading, will the heartless stop coming too?”
Leon closed his eyes and faced down at the ground. “The only way heartless would stop coming…is if everyone’s heart was filled with light.” He turned to look back at her. “The only thing that matters now…is what we do to rebuild our world.”
Aeris rested a hand on her chest, closing her eyes. She couldn’t hear the two talking. Only one thing was on her mind. Only one person was on her mind.
“Was he safe?”
“Will he ever come back?”
“Tomorrow, we can start looking for Merlin. He’s definitely here, and probably looking for us too” Leon said. “Right Aeris?”
Aeris couldn’t hear what Leon said. She was still lost in her trance.
“Aeris?”
“Oh?” Aeris turned around in surprise. “I’m sorry…what did you say?”
“Merlin’s probably looking for us here? Right?”
“Yes, that’s right” she said with a nod.
Leon smiled in agreement, and looked back up at the sky. The four of them stood there for a long time, without saying anything else. It was the first time, in a long time, they were able to look up at the sky of their home. Their garden of radiance. The place that shaped each of them into the person they are today. The place that fell into the hollow bastion of darkness that harbored great evil, but now, was ready to be restored.
_____________
One week later….
Leon stepped through the door, closing it behind him. He walked down the hallway of the library, passing by every shelf, one after the other. The morning light shined through the glass window, sending rays onto its green floor. Leon turned into one them, as he held the book up in his hand. “Yuffie, Aeris. I think you two should read this.”
The two of them were searching through the archives, looking for any trace of Ansem’s original research. They both looked up, as Leon showed them the title.
R------ --rd-- Defense Mechanism. It was tattered, and the front stained, covering the first half of the title, only revealing two ‘r’s and a ‘d’.
“Apparently, this town used to be built with a programmed defense mechanism, in order to protect it against any threat, like the heartless, or the nobodies.” Leon looked up at the two. “This book should tell us how to construct one, to aid us in fighting off any threat.”
The three of them gathered together, having a long talk about what their next step should be, and what the best way of constructing this mechanism was. After some time, they all heard footsteps, as someone else entered the library.
“Hey! Look who I found!” Cid called out.
Aeris turned around, looking at the familiar face she would always see in her dreams at night.
It was Cloud, standing behind Cid, looking back at everyone. Leon and Yuffie smiled, as Aeris slowly stepped towards him. Cloud kept his eyes low. He almost looked ashamed.
Aeris leaned in, as Cloud looked back up at her. She hadn’t seen his face in a long, long time.
“Hey…did you miss me?” Aeris asked.
Cloud looked back down, and aside. “Of course…”
“Looks like you finally made it” Leon said, walking over to the two of them.
“Hey Cloud! Where you been all this time?” Yuffie said, following Leon.
Cloud looked back at all of them. The memories of his struggle against Sephiroth came back into his head. The lonely nights, looking up at the fading stars, wandering through the darkness, searching for the light within him.
“I’ve been busy…” he said.
__________
Two weeks later…
Leon stepped through the doorway of Merlin’s house, closing it behind him. “Morning Cid” he said.
“Mornin’!” Cid said, typing away on his large computer, without turning around.
Leon set a large, rolled up sheet on the small wooden table that rested in the middle of the room.
Yuffie stepped through the doorway, followed by Aeris and Cloud.
“Morning you guys! Is today the big day?” Yuffie said.
“It is…” Leon said, rolling out the sheet.
On it, was a map of the entire town, from the outer plaza, to the bailey, to the castle.
Cid stopped typing, and walked over to the map, as the five of them gathered around.
“In order to set up a fully functional defense mechanism, we need to set up four wired signal points around the entire town. But to do that, we not only need a software to program it from…” Leon looked up at Cid.
“I’ve got it!” Cid said with a nod, holding up his fist.
“…but a power source as well.” They all leaned back, as they realized what this meant. The only power source large enough to get the job done was inside the castle, which was slowly falling apart more and more each day.
“What’s good for us, is that it’s portable. But what’s bad is that…”
“We need to enter the castle…” Cloud said.
“Yeah....that’s right.” Leon said. There was a moment of silence, as everyone realized the type of challenge before them. The castle was not only a labyrinth on its own, but the place where the heartless were most densely concentrated. It was also falling apart, and the power source they were looking for, the Main Generator, was in an unknown location.
Everyone looked down, as they processed the information. “How long do you think we have?” Aeris asked.
“I’d say about a week”
Everyone was quiet once again.
“Hey! Why’s everybody so down?! You think this is gonna be too hard for us?! Please!” She took a leap back, throwing her arms out and looking at everyone with a huge grin on her face.
“We’re the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee!”
Everyone smiled back, realizing what she was saying.
“You’re right.” Leon said. “Were in charge of putting this place back to the way it was…maybe even better. And this is where it all begins…” He rolled up the map, and walked over to the door. He stopped, and looked back, without turning around. “So let’s go”
OOC: What do you think about this? I've always loved all of those characters in the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee, and all the work they do. When I began writing this, I had the vague idea of making it into an RP, but I've rethought that idea now. Maybe a story, or something else? Or does an RP based on this sound interesting? I wanted to share it with you, and I wanted to see if you had any ideas, perhaps? Anything thoughts at all, I'd love to hear it
Edited by Jason1