~Chapter 1~

„…In my restless dreams, I see a town…"

„A town where people smiled."

„A town where children laughed."

„A town where I lived…"

„…With…Someone…?"

„No matter how hard I try, I just can't seem to recall anything else about me…"

„Where is that place...?"

„Who are those people…?"

„Who am I…?"

„What happened to me…?"

„I can only accurately remember my name…"

„Hey!"

„Sky."

„Hey, Sky!"

„Sky…Strife…"

„Hey, Sky! Wake up! It's already morning! Come ooon!"

Laying on his bed, Sky snorted. „Gimme a couple of minutes and I'm comin'!", he said while vigorously rubbing his eyes.

He was barely awake when he heard the loud noises coming from outside. He rolled on his bed once to the right, then twice, before he spread his legs and scratched his privates. The repeated action made him smile.

„Uhhhh…It's just waaay too early. Doesn't she know that I work at nights?!" He thought and went to fix himself. After a quick shower, he went and stood in front of his mirror and looked at his reflection as he dried his long dark brown hair.

He was a slightly tall young man with an average built. Being on the skinny side, he barely had any muscles. His skin was fairly tanned and without scars. He really had nothing to complain about, but nothing to feel proud of, save for his eyes. They were blue, had a strange glint to them and all the girls in the village loved staring into them!

„Except not really." Sky frowned. „At least not the last part…"

He dressed up, putting on his favourite garb, his martial arts uniform consisting of a ripped blue sleeveless shirt with matching pants and various red belts encircling his waist. He quickly fastened his straps on his sandals and went to open the door.

„Yoo-hoo, Sky! It's me! Molly!" grinned the person named Molly and waved in his face.

„Yeah, I can see that…" replied a flustered Sky. „So what's up Mollster?"

„I wanted to go to the ruins to visit Sage, so I thought I'd ask if you wanna come!" Molly giggled.

„Sure thing, let's go." Sky smiled and they left. As they went, he looked around and took in just how vibrant and lively the village where he lived was. Children were playing and running around, shops were opening and handling their daily fresh items, men were staring at him strangely, women were winking at him…And it made him sigh.

It was no secret that he was not well-liked among the men of the village, because of his shady occupation. A year ago, when he was found just across the grassy fields of Midgar, he was only allowed to stay in Ensfield, the village built upons its lands, if he were to take a job. However, since he had no skills whatsoever at anything and zero experience, he had no choice but to live a night life, where he entertainted women. It worked out fairly enough due to his looks, but it affected his life in a negative way in many areas.

„Especially down „there"…" Sky thought and shuddered. In order to push his bad thoughts away, he looked at his friend, Molly, who was happily humming a song as they went ahead.

Molly was his second friend in the village and a year younger than him. She was a friendly, cheerful girl, who was rather short with long rapunzel-like chestnut hair and similar colored eyes. She wore a dark green sleeveless ripped shirt with matching short shorts and dark brown boots that almost covered up her knees. Her ears were pierced with leaf-shaped earrings. Also she was the only child of the village's herbalist, Rory.

„Hey are you OK?" Molly asked loudly, stopping to look at him.

„Yeah…I was just thinking." Sky said and waved his hands around.

„Oooh about what? Cutesy squirrels? I love squirrels!" She squealed.

„Uh…Yeah…No…I…"

„Look, Sky! It's Eve! Hey Eve!"

Sky gulped and looked ahead. He blushed hard as a young female walked across the street and approached them. She wore a white blouse with a dark blue baggy skirt, over it a white apron with red lines, and had a white bonnet over her tied up light blue hair. She had light green eyes and a smile on her face. She carried a heavy apple basket in her arms.

„Hello Molly. Hello Sky." Eve smiled at them.

„H-Hey…" Sky blurted out feeling extremely embarassed.

„How are you two?"

„I'm super cool!" Molly yelled and smacked Sky so hard in the back that it caused him to fall over, flat on his face, right into the ground. Hard.

„Oh my gosh…" Eve knelt down next to him. „Are you alright Sky?

„Y-Yeah…" He replied weakly and smiled to himself. „Oh man this is my chance to finally score a girlfriend…!"

„Hey look! It's Sol! Hey Soool!" Molly loudly exlaimed and pointed ahead.

Eve hastily stood up and Sky did the same as they watched a tall man slowly walking towards them. Sky looked at Eve and frowned as he saw her face turn red, while she stuck out her arm to offer an apple to Sol.

„Right…" Sky thought sadly. „I forgot that Sol was the village's pretty boy and number one boyfriend material…"

However, it was for a reason. Sol was the village's monster hunter and his duties included to wipe out all monsters, or technically anything that was dangerous to the village folk, in the area, and because of that, he was highly regarded by the people. Only he was brave and strong enough to make the vicious creatures perish and enter the dangerous ruins of Midgar, when once in awhile it is filled with monsters.

As was said, he was tall and had a muscular build. He had tanned skin, short light brown hair and the same colored eyes. He wore a dark brown leather jacket over a simple white shirt with matching dark brown pants and boots. He carried a huge bag over his right shoulder with ease and had his left hand stuffed in his pocket. His expression was clear until he approached them.

Visibly frowning, he uttered a quiet greeting to Molly as he passed them, not even stopping for a minute while he ignored the rest. He just went ahead without another word…

The little group's eyes grew large and their mouths fell open.

„H-He...He did not even notice me!" cried Eve dropping her arm and squishing her apple.

„Well duh he did the same to me!" twitched Sky.

„Greetings schmeetings! I often see him in our shop!" Molly told them and rested her index finger on her chin.

„Reaaaaally?" curled up Eve to Molly's side deeply interested in the matter.

„Oh yeah. He and dad sorta have a deal. He supplies us with meat and unique plants and in exchange he gives some of our most special spices. Wonder what he uses those for..." pondered Molly while Eve pestered her for more possible information.

Sky looked at the girls, before he turned around and stared into Sol's back, soon getting lost in his thoughts.

„Sol…Why are you so serious? What could make you acknowledge me just a bit? I want to be your bro…" As waterworks formed in his eyes, he looked down to avoid being seen weak.

It only took him a minute to get over his dilemma, when suddenly screams of terror filled his ears.

„AAAAAAH!"

„What happened?!"

„The ruins! The ruins of Midgar are on fire! All the plants are burning!"

They gasped.

Yay, this is my first story! Please, review dear readers!