Final Fantasy VII: On The Way To A Smile: Case of Nanaki

Part Two

Making his way round Mount Nibel, Nanaki entered a forest that he didn't know existed and ended up lost. At first, he continued through on foot relying on his animal instincts but the forest appeared to be deeper than he had imagined. Even so, he continued to search for an exit thinking it was nothing to be worried about. It maybe a deep forest but, just by looking up he could tell which direction he was going in from the movements of the sun. Nanaki walked on using the knowledge about directions he acquired from humans. He should be exiting from the east of the forest soon.

A gunshot was heard. Nanaki couldn't tell which direction it was coming from because of the echoes from the woods but he ran in the direction that he guessed it came from. He found a ten year old boy being attacked by a monster. The monster was in the shape of a bear with a long tail. No, perhaps it was a bear. Its body was covered in a grey rusted metal colour and its front legs were bleeding.

It must have been shot. The wounded monster circled around the boy who had fallen back sitting scared. It appeared it was thinking what it should do with the boy. Before long, it went berserk, its eyes burning red with rage as it slowly approached him. Nanaki leapt out from the undergrowth he was hiding under and biting onto the boy's clothes, they left the area together. After taking the boy to a safe thicket, he stood facing the bear. As if the bear didn't care about who his new enemy was, it naturally ran towards Nanaki. The claws on its two paws could be seen under its fur. I'm going to be in trouble if I get slashed by those, thought Nanaki.

"Nibel bear's throats are their weakpoints! Go, Red!" The boy suddenly said. Nanaki was perplexed by the command but, it was true that many beast's weakness was their throat so he focused his attacks on the Nibel bear's throat. It's been a long time since Nanaki roared, raising his voice as he intimidated his opponent. The Nibel bear froze in its tracks and for the first time, was trying to gauge its enemy's strength. They glared at each other.

"What are you doing! Go Red!"

Stop saying whatever you please, thought Nanaki. Humans shouldn't say anything in battles where the beasts have no weapons but their own bodies. The forest is a beast's place.

That moment, he heard another gunshot. At the same time, blood burst out from the Nibel bear's throat as its massive body fell to the ground. Immediately out of the thicket came a human - it looked as if he was a hunter - jumping towards the fallen Nibel bear and firing a finishing shot. The Nibel bear stopped breathing.

The hunter then turned round and aimed his gun at Nanaki. It looked as if he was just on his guard and didn't intend to shoot yet.

"Dad, don't shoot. It saved me. It's fate. God has granted him to me. I want to bring Red back home with me," said the boy as he cut in between Nanaki and the hunter.

"'Red' you say?" the hunter asked back.

"Yeah. He's red so he's 'Red'."

What a disgraceful name, thought Nanaki. It reminded him of the mad man who once gave him the same name. He raised his voice and gave out a roar to show his dissatisfaction. The father and son backed off a few steps cautiously.

"You can talk, can't you?" the hunter said with his gun still aimed at Nanaki. "Long ago the Shinra Company put a load of prize money on your kind. A giant wolf-like appearance. Red fur and a tail that burns. Damn! If I had caught you one year earlier I would have been rich!"

"Red can talk?"

Yeah, it's true that I can talk. And I am most likely more wiser than you two too. But I don't want to open my mouth to the likes of you. Those that leave their guns poised and say whatever they feel like can't be friends. Nanaki turned round and made a little jump into the thickets.