Reflections: Aeris Gainsborough

Fanfiction by Jessie

He was the first thing I ever saw in Holy.

I was a child, just learning how to see,

and he shone so brightly, in my heart

I named him Hoshi-no-niisan, brother of the stars.

I saw him many times after that, strong and brave

and beautiful in the heart of Holy;

I told the silent image all my secrets,

and he became my brother, my friend, my hero.

I set myself to become like him,

strong and brave, so I would be worthy to meet him.

It is some wonder I didn't recognize him at first.

This brave soldier, my Hoshi-no-niisan.

And I have seen him in his strength, sometimes,

not that he’ll ever admit it to himself.

My hero, my brother, my childhood friend...

I swore, I’d yet make him worthy of himself.

I tried to protect him from his other half.

I knew none of them were ready to face Jenova.

He reached me just before Sephiroth,

already falling prey to the dark man’s influence.

He would have killed me if Sephiroth hadn’t done it first...

And I pray to the Breath of the Earth that my brother is okay.

Reflections: Barret Wallace
Fanfiction by Jessie

Cloud, you spikey-headed jackass --

would you believe that I envy you?

In all my life, I have truly loved only one other,

and the fears of what may someday happen to her

are lead in my heart.

But you, little wannabe soldier,

how many do you love?

How many love you?

Your childhood friend, your flower girl,

all those whose lives you’ve touched...

and me?

You don’t believe in yourself very often;

You probably don’t believe a word I’ve said.

But, I love you like a brother, you jerk.

I thought I could be a leader,

But you always assumed that role.

Leaving me behind on the Highwind,

while you did the dirty work.

I realize now that I was foolish to ever think that I,

An earth-hugging father of one,

could ever be the leader we needed.

You brought a group of unorganized misfits together,

and whipped us into a team;

More than I could have done.

And, so, I have to ask you one thing:

You ass hole, how is it that you are so strong?

Reflections: Cid Highwind
Fanfiction by Jessie

How does she put up with me?

I constantly treat her like garbage.

I yell for the simplest little things.

Why can’t she do it faster?

Why can’t she work harder?

Where’s that damn tea?

I’m so harsh to her,

just because I can’t find it in myself to tell her three simple words:

I Love You.

Instead, my mouth fills itself with curses,

my way of holding the phrase inside.

People think I’m cold and obnoxious,

that I only care about my airship.

And, once, they were right.

But, theres another love in my life now.

And, I wonder if she’ll ever know it.

Reflections: Cloud Strife
Fanfiction by Jessie

Two directions.

Evil. Good.

The thrill of darkness,

The purity of light,

To erase a life,

To return a breath.

A small, faceless boy

from a small, nameless village

seeking to be something more.

I did not ask for this fate.

No one will make the choice for me.

Not Barret.

Not Red XIII.

Not Cid.

Not Yuffie.

Not Cait Sith.

Not Vincent.

Not even Tifa, Aeris, or Sephiroth.

I realize that now.

I am my own man.

It is up to me, and me alone,

to decide what to use my skills for.

Zack, it was you I idolized.

It was you I imitated.

And, it is in your memory that I fight.

You taught me everything I know.

And, you’ve yet to teach your final lesson.

I will find Him,

give Him the Finishing Touch of my sword,

And avenge you, my friend.

Reflections: Red XIII
Fanfiction by Jessie

Everyone knows who I am:

I'm the smart one, the nice one;

dependable, level-headed Red XIII, that's me.

Ha! Fat lot they know.

Someday I'll show them;

I’ll act my age.

I’ll give in to my feral urges.

I’ll howl at the moon like the animal I am.

I’ll show them just how much Hojo’s experiments twisted my soul,

making me into something not quite mortal.

I'll...

Well.

Someday, I will.

Reflections: Sephiroth
Fanfiction by Jessie

I control the world.

They tell me, to triumph is ecstasy,

To rule all is complete happiness.

I am the power,

I am the world.

All inhabitants of this planet,

They live or die at my word.

Do they have faces, feelings, senses?

I almost remember the face of one

I sent away to die.

Was he bright, corrupt, hating, witty?

Did he like diamonds,

Was he a late sleeper?

I almost remember.

Others have come and gone,

All destroyed by my hands alone.

Did I not?

I control them.

I am the world.

Jenova,

Have you deserted me?

Do you leave me to my fate?

Alone in the world?

My last defenses have fallen,

And I hear the footsteps of doom

Coming ever closer, with each step they take.

Were they ever more than a nuisance?

Could they ever control the world?

I am the world.

But still, a small, unnoticed voice says within me,

Then what will exist if I am gone?

They come.

Reflections: Tifa Lockheart
Fanfiction by Jessie

When I look in the mirror, I see

a deep, still pool,

bright-colored fish moving slowly in the cool depths;

my heart.

Cloud, my fierce one,

your eyes give away all your secrets.

I see, sometimes, the shadow of doubt,

whether or not you can become everything everyone expects of you.

Cloud, my love,

can't you see it?

My love swims bright-colored and slow

in the still depths of my heart;

no less strong for being deep;

the Final Heaven of my soul.

Reflections: Vincent Valentine
Fanfiction by Jessie

It was the blackest hour of my life;

I lay bleeding on the ground,

and I could do nothing...

then a voice offered me a terrible bargain.

What choice did I have?

They would have done anything to save their research.

They took her from me.

They forced her to go into hiding, away from all she loved.

They took away the baby she bore, never even allowing her to hold him.

He took away my humanity;

forcing me to hide away from the world.

I never wished to see the outside world again.

Then, the boy found me.

He convinced me to use my new ‘gifts’ to help the world.

He said it was going to be all right.

But, even he could not understand the pain.

Every battle, every moment, I felt my remaining humanity slipping away.

Every new form brought on less control.

I saw her once again;

My dear, sweet Lucrecia.

She gave me the ability to become Chaos;

My strongest form.

And then, my greatest fears came true.

I’m now truly a monster.

Reflections: Yuffie Kirasagi

Materia.

Shiny, valuable beyond imagination.

It was all that mattered to me.

I earned their distrust that day.

I betrayed them, stole their materia,

And left them alone.

Even when they recruited me,

I was nasty, ungrateful,

A real pain in the butt.

How can they still accept me?

How can they still treat me like a friend, a companion,

when I’ve done so much to hurt them?

Look, Dad.

I’ve finally done it.

I’ve earned friends who’ll accept me for what I am,

Not what I can give them.

I’m stronger now, too.

I’ve climbed the tower and defeated you all, haven’t I?

Your little Yuffie has grown up.

But now, I’ve got a bigger task ahead of me.

Meteor is coming, and only my new friends and I can stop it.

It’s partly up to me to save All Creation.

And, someday, I’ll make you proud of me.