Dark Knight

In order to find his best friend, a 15 years old boy named Cloud Strife travel around the world together with his loyal servant Vincent Valentine who always protects him from death until the very day their contracts completes and parts their soul

Author's note:

This story is most of all inspired after I played Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and after I watch Kuroshitsuji. So you would found a lot of similarity from this story with those two. This story is completely AU, it had nothing to do with the original story of FF7 at all

Prologue
Knight in red armor

This world is unfair.

He never hate his life before, he always thought he have one of the nicest life. At least that's what he thought until one and his only best friend had suddenly disappear from him like a thin air. He started to began hated his life even more as rock after rock came flying to him as he struggle to protect himself from the assault.

"Going to run away to your mom Strife?"

"Ah, but he didn't have a mother, nor father."

"Well too bad Strife, your best friend isn't here to protect you anymore. Maybe he left you because he's sick of you."

He tried his best to ignore the mocking tone and the mocking laughs of the other boys that kept on making fun of him. He wanted to cry to be honest, but he won't do that. He won't gave them the satisfying feeling they seek for making fun of him, and beside hearing the last sentence make him drenched in anger as he rose to his feet and launched himself at one of three boys and punched his face repeatedly.

"Cloud!"

A woman voice sounded from behind and he turned around to see a woman in her middle age in blue dress make her way to them. He resist the urge to give the boy beneath him another punched and instead he straighten up and back away from the other boys, glaring at them as the other two boys was helping their friend that had been hit by him.

"Oh Gaia, Cloud… you're bleeding." He turned around to look at Auntie Miranda, a woman who live alone after her husband died. She was one of a few people that treated him nicely, but he thought that she's the most nice people that he ever met. He and his best thought of her like their own Auntie.

Cloud saw Auntie Miranda gave the three other boys a glare before she said, "I hope you guys ready to take responsibility after I told your parents."

The other boys looked down at the ground, feeling annoyed and a bit scared of what their parents might do to punish them. Cloud couldn't help but smirk at the sight and he feel more than satisfied that justice maybe was on his side after all.

Auntie Miranda too him to her house to treated his wound, giving him an antiseptic and something to treat his wound nicely. Cloud didn't refuse the offer, it was nice to have a little company after all.

"What happen Cloud?" Auntie Miranda asked softly, "This is the first time I saw you actually fighting back?"

"…it's their fault." Cloud mumbled, looking down at the wooden floor.

"What did they say? What did they do?" she asked again while treated the boy wound. She knew that Cloud is such a sweet and a nice kid, so she knew that there must be a reasonable excuse why Cloud attack them as well.

"They threw rock at me…" he said and added, "And… they said horrible things about Zack…"

Auntie Miranda smile softly at the boy and patted his blonde hair. She knew that Zack is really important to Cloud, knowing that the raven hair boy was the only family and friends that Cloud have. She had knew both of them long enough to realize that both of them care for each other so much like they treated each other like their own family.

"You know that's not true…" she said, "Zack care about you, and so do you. No one knew both of you better than both of you."

Cloud smile at the woman, relief that she tried to console him. But then his smile turn into a sad one once he said, "I wonder… when will he ever come back…"

Auntie Miranda gave the boy a reassuring smile. "He'll come back…"

"It's been two years already, Auntie Miranda…" Cloud looked away, "I'm starting to wonder whether he still alive out there…"

Auntie Miranda grab Cloud's chin gently, forcing him to look at her. "Have faith in him Cloud. He have the greatest best friend waiting here for him, of course he'll be back."

Cloud smile at her. "Thanks Auntie."

The woman smiled at him before she straighten up and said, "Now that you're here, how about a dinner with me? I can use some company."

Cloud grin, "That would be great."

After dinner at Auntie Miranda's house, he went back to his house that was built not that far from the village. He likes his house, because he and Zack always able to play freely without bothering another neighbor since they didn't have one. They can shout and played loudly without have to bothering anyone.

When he went inside his house, it was no surprising that no one had greeted him home like it used to be two years ago. For a really long time, he had shared this house with Zack who's also an orphan just like him. Spending time together every day had given them time to gave them realization that they treated each other like their own family.

Cloud was happy to know Zack. He never knew his parents or his relative, he never have any friends that actually care about him. Now that he met with Zack and think of the other boy like his older brother, like his family, Cloud was really happy.

But then, Zack suddenly disappear from him. And the boy just never come back.

It was a real mystery how Zack suddenly disappear, and he wondered whether his best friend still alive or not. But he need to have faith in Zack, the boy was strong. He knew that Zack would be able to take care of himself.

Cloud always admire Zack. Zack is strong and a kind hearted person. The boy never hesitate on helping other people who in need, not to mention Zack is always protect him from other boys that liked to bully him.

But Zack wasn't here now, and Cloud have to defend himself. That's why he determine on getting stronger so he can make Zack proud of him once the boy came back. Almost every night, Cloud always practiced his sword skill. Even though he usually doing it with Zack, he still never fail to determine to practiced by himself.

Cloud decided on just getting some sleep now though, he's not in the mood for practicing tonight and his body still quite ached from the throwing rock despite that Auntie Miranda had tried to treat his wound. It would be best if he didn't tried to move that much.

He lay down on his side on top of his bed, staring at the other bed next to his where Zack usually slept. It was awfully quiet without the lousy and noisy Zack around.

How he wished that his best friend finally come back so he won't be lonely any longer.

"If you wanted to see your best friend, you have to find him."

When Cloud heard a voice from behind, he jumped from his bed and looked around to see a woman in a white dress with a brown hair. Her hair was tied into a ponytail by a pink ribbon.

No matter how pretty the woman is, Cloud was still scared like hell that a girl he didn't know suddenly appear in front of him. "W-who are you?"

The woman smile so gently that Cloud was quite mesmerized just how pretty the woman is, "You can call me… Aerith if you want."

"Aerith?" Cloud tasted the name with his tongue. It didn't ring any bell. He never heard anyone name Aerith before. "W-what do you want from me?" he asked, never let his guard down. Zack had teach him not to let his guard down whenever he think he was in a bad situation. "How did you get in here?"

Aerith kept on smiling, "Oh, don't be afraid. I didn't have any intention on putting you in harm way." She said, "I'm here just to deliver a message from our Goddess Cosmos."

Cloud stare at her like a question mark, "What?"

Aerith smiled in amused at the reaction she got from the little boy. "Cloud, you want to look for Zack, didn't you?"

Hearing that, Cloud stare at her wide eyes. How did she knew about Zack? and how did she actually meant by that? Does that mean Aerith knew where he is?

"Y-you know where he is?" Cloud asked full of hope that Aerith would say yes.

Aerith shook her head, and Cloud was very disappoint to that. But then his eyes filled with hope again when he heard what Aerith said next. "But I can help you."

"How?" he asked bewilderedly and excitedly about the thought of finally being able to find his best friend.

Aerith smile at him, and Cloud almost back away when he saw her walked to him but he stay still, wanting to see what Aerith trying to do to him.

"Give me your hand Cloud." She said, and Cloud hesitant before he offered his hand and Aerith took his hand into hers.

"This is a gift from our Goddess Cosmos." She said, smiling softly. "This will be hurt though, so bear with it for a while, okay?"

Cloud was wondering and eyeing her suspiciously when she said that, only to understand what she meant when he suddenly feel a huge pain in his right that was hold by Aerith.

"A-Argggghhhh!" Cloud scream, gasping and screaming like mad at the unbearable pain he felt in his hand. He abruptly drew his hand away from Aerith and holds it. Nothing actually happened to his hand, but it's hurt like hell, it felt like his hand was burning in fire.

Cloud fell back on his back to the bed, holding his pain in a failed attempt that somehow it could help lessen the pain. Only then he noticed that his breath become heavy and his sight started to blur.

From his half-lidded eyes, Cloud saw Aerith smile down at him and said. "The entrance is open for you now Cloud. You and him will be the one who change the other worlds out there."

That was the next thing he remembered before he lost in darkness.

The moment when he opened his eyes, he was faced by the dark ceiling and he sat up abruptly when he remember what happened. His eyes wandering around his bedroom, searching for the woman he had saw before, but Aerith's not there. She's already gone.

He remember what Aerith had done to him and he remember the pain he felt, so he take a look at his right hand and his eyes widen when he saw a dark mark that almost looks like a tattoo in a weird shape where there's three head of something that looks like a lion.

Cloud stare at the mark in bewildered, "What is this thing?"

A scream suddenly can be heard from outside, startling Cloud. He felt how his heart almost stopped when he saw the horrible sight from the window of his room.

His village. It was on fire.

"Auntie Miranda!" was the first thing came out from his mouth and Cloud hastily jumped from the bed and took his sword that was hidden under his bed before he ran out of his house. He need to bring his sword just in case something or someone attacked his village.

It's not that Cloud is a great fighter, he's only 15, but he have to at least try and he need to get there fast. He can't lose Auntie Miranda, not after Zack had left him. No, he won't let that happen.

"Auntie Miranda!" he shouted, hoping to get an answer from the woman as he almost reached his village. But just before he was about to enter his village, two monster in a similar figure of a wolf with their bodies colored in blue appeared before him. After his studying on monster with Zack for quite a long time, Cloud was not mistaken that this monster is called Guard Hound.

Cloud swallowed and took out his sword, glaring at the monster. This would be his first time in combat and he's not sure how he manage to do this. Unlike Zack, he never have any experience in fighting before. Come to think of it, this was actually the first time that a monster attacked their village.

One of the Guard Hound ran toward him, Cloud gasped and dodge the attacked before slay it. The other started to attacked him but thanks to all of his practice he managed to dodge the attack again before he thrust his sword to it.

Pulling back his sword, Cloud pants, staring at the corpse of the Guard Hounds with a bit feeling of pride inside him. It was not the best attack, but at least he managed not to get hurt and killed it.

Ignoring the corpses of the monster, Cloud gathered his courage again and ran inside the village that was still on fire. He look around, noticing that there's a few dead body of the villagers and Guard Hounds as well. The heat surrounding him was unsurprisingly hot, but the smell that lingered around his nose make him sick and feeling ill for some reason.

The smell of a dead body.

It was terrifying. His body tremble as he stare at the pool of blood around the dead body and his stomach curled inside him in a sickening way. He was scared, he was scared that he would become like those dead body if he let his guard down. So Cloud resisted the urge to puke right here and now.

A grunt was heard near him and Cloud looked around, spotting a man lying on the ground. But from the way his hand trying to move, Cloud knew that the man was still alive despite the fact that the man was wounded.

Cloud ran toward him and kneels down, "Sir, are you okay?"

"M…Mo…Mon…sters…" the man tried to spoke, Cloud knew that from the way the man spoke he had trouble from breathing.

"I-I'll do something to help you sir." Cloud said, trying to lift the man up and drag him somewhere when he heard the man whisper again. "Be…hind…"

Only when Cloud realize what the man had said, he turned around and his eyes widen in horror when he saw this time a Chimera appear before him.

He can't move.

His body was trembling with fear.

The chimera growl, lifting one of its hand before started to attack to Cloud's direction.

Cloud shut his eyes.

This will be the end of his life.

Master.

His eyes wide opened hearing that voice and the next thing he knew, the mark on his hand suddenly glow and the same mark had appeared on the ground where he stood before it's glowing as well.

The chimera back away and Cloud squint his eyes when a red light appeared beneath him. It was too bright for his eyes to took and he shut his eyes closed. Only when he heard the sound of gunshot that he opened his eyes and he stared wide eyes at the sight in front of him.

The chimera died.

And a stranger appear in front of him. A man.

A man with a smooth long black hair wearing a red cape stood in front of him. A gun was held on his gloved right hand while his left hand was covered by golden claw armor.

The man then turned around, red bright eyes staring at Cloud's bright blue one as it was hinted with surprised.

In a deep voice, the black hair man spoke, "Are you alright, Master?"

One thing that I know about this story. Lame, ugly, and etc. But I really can't get this idea out of my mind.

I was playing KH and then watching Kuroshitsuji and the next thing I knew poof! This crazy idea popped inside my mind.

I'm not really good when it comes to writing a story about adventure and this sort of stuff. But I'm still learning… so please bear with me. Okay?

Review please? Tell me whether I should continue this or not.