Page 8 - RKJ 2019 Online Flip Version

long as none of them interfered with his desire And I think, maybe, he went on hurting
to end the lives of Shinra's descendants.
Every. Last. One.
He even had something they wanted. Now,
all he had to do was wait for Cloud.
[The Lifestream]
Cloud wasn't the only one who ever said that
he'd protect someone. Nobody remembers
now, not even you. But...I do.
Once, when we were little, you made a
promise. You said all I had to do was whistle,
and you'd come running.
I don't think you understood what you were
saying back then. But you were the only other
child I'd ever seen in my life, and I trusted you.
Besides, it was so funny watching you try to
teach me how to whistle. You never smiled,
ever. Except when I messed up. Then you'd
laugh a little, and I'd pull on the corners of your
mouth to try and make your smile bigger.
Hojo's laboratory was lonely, especially
when he started taking my mom away more
often as I got older. Yet you made it feel
different. Kinda...like a home. I didn't listen to
mom when she said something was wrong with
you. I didn't listen to the Planet, either, even
though it was already trying to whisper its
warning to me. I believed in you. I believed
you'd come for me if I were in trouble.
Somehow, you knew what was going on. What
Hojo wanted.
But...then Hojo found out about your visits.
I didn't know you weren't supposed to be there,
or how you managed to sneak in at night. I
always thought, somehow, that the rules didn't
apply to you.
Hojo took you away. The last time I ever
saw you, he put us in a room together, and
ordered you to hurt me.
But you wouldn't do it, so he hurt you
instead.
yourself have regrets, and you never look
you. back. But I find myself wanting to forgive you.
Even so, I know forgiveness is something that
After that day, I continued trying to teach
myself how to whistle. But by the time I learned has to be earned. It can't be given freely. I
how, you were gone. can't trust you again.
I hope you can earn my forgiveness.
You never came, no matter how hard I
whistled. I was angry at you back then. For a This is my gift to you...your life, a second
while I believed my mother was right about chance. Because even if I no longer trust you, I
you. That you were bad. But now I realize that still believe in you.
you didn't come because you couldn't, not
And if you need me...just whistle. I'll come
because you didn't want to. running, I promise.
You went on to save the world, I
guess...and I escaped ShinRa. Even though
my mom died, I had a happy life with Elmyra.
While I was living with her, I saw you on the TV
a few times...I thought about writing you a
letter, but that would have put us both in
danger. Besides, I didn't think you'd answer- so
many people already loved you, and you were
so famous, that I figured you'd never notice
one more piece of mail.
Now that I think about it, though, you never
really seemed happy, even though you were a
hero. The whole world was whistling for you,
and you came running. Yet I still don't think you
understood. “Beautifully written. It reads like the
introduction to a longer fic, which I now very
You fought for ShinRa, not for yourself. much want to read. I think what made it stand
You didn't have anything you really wanted to out from the others was that it was
protect. I don't think you know how much you accomplished; I felt that the author was in
meant to everyone, only what you meant to control throughout”
yourself. – Lic
You thought your cells, the way your body
was made, was what made you a monster.
You weren't a monster. But you became one
when you raised your sword against the people “Not only is the writing in this piece very strong
that trusted you to protect them. but the ideas it expresses are pretty thought-
I'll never understand the choices you provoking: the idea of how mercy is perceived
made, or why when Jenova asked you to hurt to those who receive it (especially somebody
me, it was so easy for you to say yes, when like Sephiroth) being among the most
fascinating. I also feel this piece has a lot of
you refused to do the same for Hojo. Yet I heart and knows how to tug at the emotional
know it wasn't entirely your fault. Jenova was heartstrings without outright yanking them. It's
using you, just like ShinRa did. a well-crafted piece”
I also know that you don't want to be
– Micah
forgiven. You're not like Cloud. You don't let