Darkness. It was everywhere. Wrapping around his conscious, his thoughts, his body…

He slowly opened his eyes, and immediately, pain swept throughout his entire body. The darkness was pressing upon his eyes relentlessly. He shut them again. He couldn't move. His whole body seemed like a ton of bricks. His breathing was slowing.

Thoughts slowly poured into his mind like water, and his eyes snapped open.

Am I…? He thought. But never finished. He couldn't keep track of anything. He tried to gather his thoughts, failing at each attempt.

* * *

He shifted. Warm, black silk blankets were wrapped around his body snugly. He was so comfortable, he couldn't even consider getting out of his cocoon. He snuggled deeper into the blankets.

"Are you having fun?"

His eyes snapped open. He looked at the dark skinned man beside the bed. The man's orange eyes seemed to be amused at something. He was dressed in such odd clothing. A tan trench coat that had long, flowing sliver blue-tipped hair flowing over it at the shoulders. There once were shoulder pads there, he could tell. He had black pants similar to his own, and he had no idea what kind of shirt the man wore. He did seem quite rich though.

The tanned man smirked. "I asked you a question. I'd like an answer."

Green eyes narrowed instantly. "I need answer to no one. You will be the one answering me. Now where am I?"

The other man's thin eyebrows arched. "Excuse me? That's no way to talk to a king."

Oh. So he is rich.

"Well then. I'm ever so sorry your kingness. Please, could you consider forgiving me?"

"And a king who brought you to his home as well. You really don't know what being thankful is, do you? I'm about ready to throw you out."

"I'd gladly leave if I knew where I was."

The oranged-eyed man's eyes lit up. "You are in my world. My Kingdom. My Hollow Bastion."

"Your what?"

The king sighed. "My name is Ansem Tenrai. I am the king, and ruler of Hollow Bastion, this palace. I am also the ruler of this entire world, which is named Hollow Bastion. Do you understand now?"

"You mean I'm not on Gaia anymore?"

"On Gaia? Do you know how far away that is?" Ansem paused and watched the clock. "You've been here three days. This is my room. I've been sleeping in my study. You're not well enough to leave, but you're well enough to get up and go to a guestroom." He put his hands behind his back and studied his black boots. "They never told me your name."

There was a brief silence before Ansem lost his patience and said hotly, "May I please have it?"

The green-eyed man idly twirled a lock of thin, silver hair around his fingers. "Why should I tell you my name, King Tenrai?"

"Because for one thing," Ansem began, his eyes narrowing, "I've taken care of you. I am also a king; therefore, you should not question my authority nor myself in any way.

"My name is Sephiroth Hojo. I'm the formal General of Shinra Inc. The Inc. stands for incorperated, if you haven't been able to get any kind of education." Sephiroth smirked as he saw that his host's temper was gradually wearing out.

"May I guess on why you're the formal General?"

"Go ahead."

"You're too damn bratty to rule over anything? Am I right?"

Sephiroth scowled. "No, you dimwitted aristocrat."

"Were you too stupid to tell which way was left and which way was right?"

"No, King Tenrai. You're the one that's stupid."

"Stop calling me King Tenrai. Call me King Ansem."

"Why? Hate your last name or something?"

"As a matter of fact I do."

"Good, King Tenrai."

Ansem put his white-gloved hands at his sides and clenched them tightly.

"What's the matter? You don't have a very good temper, do you?"

Ansem closed his eyes and tried to steady his breathing. "So, Mr. Hojo, would you please go to one of the guestrooms?"

"You better not be talking to me."

Ansem blinked and looked at Sephiroth. "But you said your name was Sephiroth Hojo."

"It is. And your name is Ansem Tenrai. Just as you would prefer I call you King Ansem, I would prefer it if you called me just plain old Sephiroth. No mister, no Hojo. Definently no Hojo."

"Sure thing, Mr. Hojo."

"Stop it. I'm not my father."

"So who is your father?"

Sephiroth blinked. "I'm…not quite sure. I think they just threw the Hojo in there because he was the man who took care of me. If you call…nevermind." Sephiroth slowly got out of the huge bed, and watched the blankets fold.

"The bed just made itself."

"Yes it did. Now, come. I shall lead you to the nearest guestroom. Your boots are by the bed. Your trench coat and shirt were completely ruined. I'll give you some money to buy new clothes."

"I won't be staying long."

Ansem rolled his eyes. "True. But could you try being a little grateful?"

Sephiroth watched Ansem walk out and stepped into his boots. He seems nice, he thought. But I can tell he wasn't always this way. He was like me, the way I am now. What happened? Why did I end up in this Hollow Bastion? How far away from Gaia am I? Why is Ansem taking care of me? How long was I in the Lifestream? What happened to Cloud and Tifa and…Am I dead? And is this hell?


"Sephiroth, are you coming or not?"

Sephiroth blinked and jumped slightly. Ansem was standing not two feet away from him. "I'm coming."

Ansem led Sephiroth down three flights of stairs. Sephiroth got a mini tour of the palace as he walked along.

For the next five days, Sephiroth recooperated. He rarely left his room. He occasionally wandered around the library, looking at Ansem's huge collection of books.

"He has more than I do…" He said, running his hands along the spines of the books on the shelves. "On every subject." Sephiroth stopped when he came to a section on the history of Hollow Bastion. "There are so many–"

He stared. Among all of the thick books, was a small, thin one. Maybe only 50 pages. Gently, he pulled it out. It was old, and the spine was bent. Had Ansem read this book many times before? Did he still read it?

He walked over to the table and sat down in one of Ansem's high-backed chairs. He ran his fingers over the cover. The drawing seemed professional. But still familar in a sense. "Alone" was the title. It was in perfect cursive. Almost hesitantly, he turned to the first page. The words were in the same writing. Written in the corner was "By Ansem Tenrai." Sephiroth stared. In the middle of the book, was another thin book. It seemed to be a journal. He pulled it out, and watched as the book grew.

It became a huge textbook, filled with thousands and thousands of pages. He turned to the first page with writing.

June 14th, 8074

I am always alone. They never take me with them. They go out to eat and they go out to movies. But they never take me with them. Is there something wrong with me?

I look in the mirror and stare at myself. Not many people look as I do. I spend too much time outside, sitting in the grass, reading poems and fairy tales. That's how I always spend my day.

My sister is so imperfect. Yet my father just simply adores her. She doesn't like being Princess Lede though. She gets every little thing she wants. I don't find it fair. But I enjoy when my brother visits me. He's so smart. I actually have some one to look up to because of him, I'd look up to my mother, but she isn't alive anymore. She and my brother are the only two that ever cared for me.

When I grow up, I'm going to get married. I'm going to have a single child; a son. I'm going to name him Shinobi. And my wife will be kind and sweet. And she'll care for me. And I will care for her in return. We'll be a happy family, unlike the one I have now.

"8074? That's twenty years ago. He must've been a child…But his handwriting is so perfect. Better than mine…" He put the journal back inside the fairy tale book and watched it shrink itself. Then he slipped the book into his new black trench coat, the same style as Ansem's. "I'll read more of this later."

Sephiroth ran up the stairs, five at a time. He smirked, fully enjoying his towering height of exactly seven feet. But then again there were so many steps and so many staircases. He raced into his room, nearly knocking over one of Ansem's female servants. He took out the book and glanced around the room.

"Where should I put this for now?"

There was his bed and his silk blankets. Black of course. There was a dresser which held all of his newly bought clothes and other personal items. He slipped the book into the last draw there. He yawned and sat on the bed. "I'm really pitiful. Exhausted after climbing four staircases." He laid back and stretched, yawning again. He put his hands behind his head, snuggling into the pillows slightly and staring up at the ceiling.

* * *

Ansem watched Sephiroth dart from the library to his room. "I told that man to rest. Why does no one ever listen to me? I'm King!" Ansem sank into his chair in the dining room, looking idly at his meal.

Across from him sat a slightly older man. He had blue-black eyes, and flowing black hair. His hands were folded in his lap. His shirt, with long sleeves and a large number of saphires hanging on strong strings hung at the end of his sleeves. The color of his pants and shirt were the blackest of blacks, just as his hair. On his waist was a blinding white belt, with a silver buckle. Saphires were hanging on his pants from the knees down. In the middle of his belt buckle was a small saphire as well.

Leaning up against the wall were two double-bladed swords. One had a ruby and a topaz embedded on each blade, the other one had two saphires on each blade.

Ansem looked up at the man. The man's finished plate was taken away.

"What?"

"I don't get it. Why was I asked to watch that Sephiroth person? He's older than I am."

The older man looked at Ansem. "Because you have to repent for your sins as well."

"I truly could not care less…I'd rather be in hell than watching a brat."

"That brat nearly destroyed the gallexy. He's already destroyed a few planets with one simple spell."

"So they want Hollow Bastion to be destroyed as well?"

"Of course not, Ansem! They don't wish you or Hollow Bastion to perish. But you and Sephiroth have to go on a mission. It could be days, months, years…They could appear right now for all we know."

"Just who is this 'They' and this 'Them' you keep talking about, Shenter?"

Shenter closed his eyes. "I can't reveal Their name. If I did so, I'd be banished from There."

"But you're my brother! You're supposed to be able to tell me anything."

"I can tell you."

"Then why don't you?"

"Because I cannot."

"You…Just confuse me."

"Listen," Shenter began, opening his dark eyes and looking at Ansem, seemingly speaking to his soul. "I can tell you. You are very important to me. I can tell you anything. But if I tell you this, which I shall never do, it could ruin you completely. It would ruin me as well. And Lede."

"I don't give a damn about Lede."

"Neither do I. But she's our sister."

"She's from Gaia too, though! All Gaians are idiots…Including that Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth's brilliant, Ansem. And so are you. But you both have had hard lives. You've had hard pasts. So you turned to evil. Ergo, you must pay penence for your sins. If you want to go to a place other than hell. There is no heaven Ansem. You know that."

Ansem sighed. "But when will they come? I can't stand living with Sephiroth for more than a year! I'm already starting to crack, here! All he does is sit in his room and read. He barely eats!"

"Oh, I'm vaugely reminded of someone."

"Who," Ansem asked, blinking.

"You. You read constantly during your free time. You don't eat. My proof is your untouched meal in front of you. He's just like you, Ansem."

"I guess…"

"Rest assured, Ansem, they will be here soon. Very soon." Shenter said, grinning.

"How do you know that?"

"Well, for one thing, they just told me. And for another thing…"

There were shuffling noises behind Ansem, but he didn't look.

"They're right behind you."

Ansem jumped and fell out of his chair, slamming his head on the table and then the floor.

"Ansem, meet Them."

Ansem blinked and looked up. Standing in a straight line, three cloaked men stood in black cloaks. Their faces were hidden within the darkness. Ansem found himself frozen in place, loosing awareness of the present reality, staring at the darkness hiding the cloaked men's faces.

"Riyoji Jeremishou," They chanted.

Riyoji Jeremishou… Ansem thought. That woman who…