Final Fantasy - Gaia's Plight

An energy manufacturing mega-company known as Shinra, Inc. is harvesting the sheer life energy of the Planet/Gaia (known as the Lifestream) as a simple fossil fuel. The Lifestream is processed and made into products ranging from electricity and heat to Mako and Materia. The latter two materials can work miracles, granting the wisdom of the Ancients to the user. However, the Lifestream, like most other fuels, is finite in supply, and the Planet's lifeforce is being malevolently drained by the constant exploitation of Mako by Shinra. Though aware of the harmful effects, they function without remorse.

However, the real battle lies not with a corporation, but a force much more competent from the distant past. A long-thought dead warrior bent on becoming a god by draining all of the Lifestream from the Planet has risen again and will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.

Notes

• Lifestream is a substance important to life on Gaia
  
• Mako is the liquid form of the lifestream
  
• Available races are Humans, Cetra, and an unnamed species from the Cosmo Canyon

Rules

• The Usual
  
• pm me with questions
  
• Y'know what? just have fun ^_^

Sapientes wandered the streets, bloodied and bruised, and ended up down an alley. He slumped against a wall and looked to the sky. What were his orders? Destroy Shinra Inc. Did he succeed? Nnnegative.

Jeralin smiled as he walked down the street, near his nose, he held a lily, breathing in deeply, he smiled wider.

Today was a good day, as long as those men didn't come...

Sapientes tried to get back up, but ended up falling flat on his face in the street.

Movement out of the corner of Jeralin's eye caught his attention. Looking down the alley, he saw a man laying in the middle of the alley, dropping the lily, he ran up to the man, necklace bouncing wildly, "Sir? Sir? Are you alright?" He kneeled down next to the bleeding man and put a hand on his shoulder.

Sapientes looked up at... whoever had shaken him, and said "Shinra... must... stop... Shinra"

Jeralin closed his eyes with one hand on his necklace and his other on the man, the hand not holding the pendant began to glow, "Heal..." He breathed out. The man's wounds quickly healed over.

"Shinra? What about Shinra?"

Sapientes got to his feet and said "n-not safe... to speak here"

Cocking his head to one side, "Then where?"

Jeralin had to fight back a sudden sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, the feeling when they were near, "Anywhere away from here would be great." His voice suddenly tense.

Sapientes pulled out two of his blades and said "run for the bar 'Trixie's'. Recite this password: cleansing winter rusts the gears and leads the way to warm summer. I will follow"

Jeralin nodded, turned and ran.

He knew where Trixie's was, he had done some floral decorations there and was paid somewhat well for it.

He entered the bar, immediately drawing the gaze of some of the patrons. Walking up to the bartender, he whispered, "Cleansing winter rusts the gears and leads the way to warm summer."

Her eyes widened and nodded, "Follow me." She said quietly, so he did. Down to the basement and to a door, knocking she looked at Jeralin, "Hope you know what you're getting into." The door opened and he walked in.

Self-conscious, he located a chair and sat down, waiting.

Sapientes later entered the hideout, carrying the head of a Turk. He dropped the head on a counter and said "cleared. No witnesses escaped"

Jeralin leaped off of the chair when he saw the head, "That...tha...that's one of t...them...."

Looking up at the man, "T...thank you."

Sapientes stared at the man for a moment before mimicking "T... thank you." The girl from before shook her head and said "no Gladio. The right response is 'yer welcome'." Sapientes stared at the girl, then back at the man and said "yer welcome"

Jeralin looked around the 'base,' "What is this place?"

A burly man walked into the room and replied as he stood beside Sapientes "This is AVALANCHE Headquarters"

"AVALANCHE? The eco-terrorist group?" His breath caught in his throat.

"Put simply, yes. But our goals have somewhat... shifted" the burly man explained. He turned to Sapientes and said "Gladio, explain Shinra to our... guest." Sapientes nodded and explained

"Shinra Electric Power Company, also known as Shinra Inc. Function: multipurpose company. Primary function: power company, supplying Mako energy to the world and making electricity efficient and easily available. Secondary function: genetic engineering, space exploration, and military power including the elite group SOLDIER.

Originally a small weapons manufacturer known as the Shinra Manufacturing Works. Discovered how to refine Lifestream into Mako energy as an electrical energy source"

The burly man nodded and said "now explain SOLDIER"

"SOLDIER. Elite fighting force of Shinra Electric Power Company. Advanced super-soldiers with superhuman strength, speed, and agility. Much stronger than Shinra Peacekeeping Troops and Turks. Function: special missions that require the greatest use of strength.

Divisions: 1st Class, 2nd Class, and 3rd Class. 1st Class: responsible for the most important and dangerous missions, 2nd and 3rd Classes: assist Shinra Troops, assist 1st Class SOLDIERs, or lead less important missions. New units are recruited as 3rd Class. Greater units are later promoted to 2nd Class. Only distinguished 2nd Class SOLDIERs reach 1st Class.

1st Class privileges: use of personal items, clothing, and equipment, as well as the right to deny orders, assuming any responsibilities from their decisions.

Inspiration for SOLDIER: Approximately 30 years ago, the Jenova Project was initiated to produce a human-Cetra hybrid using the cells from Jenova and Mako Energy from the Planet. The result of this experiment was Sephiroth, who, although not possessing the powers of the Cetra as originally intended, was a child with exceptional abilities. Shinra recognized the potential of such a powerful warrior, so a method was planned to begin a mass production of more fighters of his type.

Using similar processes, Shinra began exposing promising warriors to raw Mako, giving their eyes the unique "glow". Although still eclipsed by Sephiroth's strength and power, the new warriors, called SOLDIER, were given powers far beyond those of a normal combatant. They were sent on the more dangerous or important missions, had access to more equipment and information, and were higher ranked than other members of the army. These forces would be used to great effectiveness during the Wutai War."

The burly man patted Sapientes on the shoulder and said "Gladio here, if ye haven't noticed his eyes, is a former SOLDIER. We saved him from Shinra and tried to turn him into one of our Ravens, but the man's got a will of steel."

Jeralin absorbed the information, nodding all the while. When he mentioned the Cetra, he leaped up as if suddenly receiving an electric shock, "C-Cetra? The Ancients?" He looked down almost in shame, "I... I am a Cetra... The Lifestream can... speak to me. I hear it in my dreams, I can feel it all around me." His hand went up to the pendant of the necklace.

Sapientes stared at the man for a moment, then went down on one knee and bowed his head. "Sapientes Gladio. We are the Sword Sages" Sapientes said. The girl rolled her eyes and pulled Sapientes onto his feet, saying "I can't believe a 1st Class SOLDIER would bow so easily."

The burly man nodded at the Cetra and said "that explains why they were after you"

Jeralin nodded, "It would. My name is Jeralin Arbour."

Watching Sapientes bow, he flushed red, "You need not bow to me. I should be bowing to you for saving me."

Sapientes simply stared at Jeralin. The girl laughed and said "it's no use talking to him unless yer givin' him orders. The guy's got all the emotional range of a stone wall"

Jeralin smiled and shrugged, "Everyone has emotions. They just seem to be locked away."

The girl pointed at Sapientes and said "alright Cetra, I dare you to make him crack the tiniest smile"

Jeralin eyed her then looked away, breaking eye contact, "I don't take dares. I learned not to the hard way."