Summary: What if Genesis' degradation had resulted in nightmares where he's too weak to protect himself from the monsters lurking in the dark corners? What if those nightmares seem so close to be reality that Genesis fears the worst.

A/N: I just got my very first Silent Hill game, Silent Hill Homecoming! Yay for me! :D And this fic is based on that game and other horror games as well, but that will only be noticed in later chapters ^^ This is the first time I write something that will be in chapters and I will try to update often :3

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in Final Fantasy, Silent Hill or any other thing that belongs to a game/movie, whatever it might be XP

Hope you enjoy this odd fic of mine! ^^

Sanity's Requiem

His senses were dull as he slowly opened his eyes, vision blurry, no feeling anywhere, a squealing sound was the only thing he could hear. Lights appeared and passed above him and he realized he was moving, but not on his own.

The squealing in his ears started to fade and the feeling in his body slowly returned. Whatever he was laying on was rather hard and uncomfortable and he could make out the sound of old metallic wheels creaking below him. Trying to move he found out his body wouldn't listen to his command and with a more collected mind now he started to wonder:

What happened?

Genesis couldn't recall what had happened to make him end up like this. Or was this some kind of weird dream? He tried to think a little more to try and figure out what had brought him here when he realized; he didn't even know where he was. His senses recovered more and he could make out the faint smell of blood, it could be his, but he wasn't sure. With a bit more clearer vision he turned his head slightly backwards to find someone pushing him forward. A man in dark grey, or maybe it was the light that made it look so, clad like he was going to do some kind of surgery soon, but according to the dark spots covering his clothes he could as well already done a surgery.

Fear struck him like lightning and he breathe in sharply, had they made a surgery on him? Or was he the next? "Where are you taking me?" his voice was hoarse. The man above him didn't even spare him a glance. "Tell me where I am!" the lack of response made him frustrated and he tried to rise into a sitting position, good or not he didn't care, he didn't want to be here without a known reason. However, his body still wouldn't obey his command and he felt that something was holding him down, his arms was strapped to the stretcher he was lying on. Glaring at the man above him he started to struggle against the restraints with the power he had recovered this far, "Answer me, damn it!"

Entering through a pair of double doors a heavy stench of blood reached Genesis' nose. He remembered the battlefields he'd been on and the blood smell would cling to hair and clothing, that he had gotten used to, but this was ten times worse. Twisting his head to the side in disgust at the stench of old and fresh blood as well as rotting flesh.

Where the hell am I? This cannot be ShinRa, or is this one more of their dark pages no one knows about?

Passing an open door, his eyes widen in horror at the sight in the dark room. Below strong light a struggling figure release muffled screams while another stands next to the struggling figure lowering an instrument used in autopsy. When the next room closes up he turns his head to the other side only to be met by the sight of another heavily bleeding, struggling figure being choked, or so it seemed, by the surgeon above him in another room.

Shutting his eyes so tight it hurts he does everything to erase the horrible images in his head.

What in the goddess name am I doing in this place?

Short afterwards his journey comes to a stop and he open his eyes to blinding light right above him, and after a few seconds, he realize he's alone. This was his chance! Concentrating on his right restraint he rips his arm free to remove the second easily. Sitting up to look around his surroundings, he figures out to be in a surgery room with some nasty looking equipment lined up around him, all of them chained to the tables they lies on. Knives looking more fit to kill, and painfully by the way, than to be used in surgery. There wasn't enough light in the room to bright up the walls, only the light right above him and a weaker light from the top of a mirror and sink.

What in the world is this? I'm dreaming. I must be dreaming!

Clutching his head in confusion over the whole situation he slowly gets off the medical stretcher and gives himself a check after any possible bleeding. He had all his clothing, no gun holes or sword slashes. Walking over to the cracked mirror above the sink, he found he got no damage to his head or neck. "Why am I here if there's nothing wrong with me?" he questions no one. Turning and walking towards the middle of the room again he can't help but feel extremely vulnerable and lost as to where he is.

Could it be I'm in Wutai, captured? Bringing me here to find out any secret in SOLDIER? And the others I saw…, ShinRa troopers? They were no SOLDIERs…, and these are tools for torture…

Suddenly something caught his foot while he spaced out in thoughts and he hit one of the nearby tables with his left shoulder when he fell. A searing pain rushed through him and he sat up on the floor. Reaching under his coat to his left shoulder he felt the pain again, the scar from his duel with Sephiroth.

They say you don't feel pain in your dreams. But this has to be a dream; I'm probably just moving while asleep and hit my shoulder on something…

Genesis felt that he had a hard time believing his own conclusion, but he was going to stick on to it. Dream or not, he needs to get away before someone arrive. He stood up again and went to the closed double doors. Each door had a large window he could spy through, no one was in the next room and he exited the surgery room.

Looking around cautiously, he strains his senses to notice any sound or movement in the smaller room. A low splashing noise indicate he just stepped in something and he look down to find a pool of blood, which reminds him that the smell of blood still lies heavy in the air. After further watching the blood for a few seconds he notice it traces out of another set of double doors. The windows on the next doors are grimy and he can't see what's on the other side. After further investigation he finds a locked door to the staircase, two restrooms and a nurse office. Deciding the restrooms are apparent dead ends, the next double doors will probably lead to the hall he arrived through with all the nasty rooms and that he needed a key to get to the staircase, he settled on entering the nurse office. He knew no one was in there; it had been so quiet after he was left alone, a bit too quiet.

The office was small and the only light came from a board hanging on the wall, displaying x-ray images. One in particular caught his eye, a picture of a torso with a key on. Could the key to the staircase be inside of someone?

How the hell am I supposed to get the key if it's inside somebody?

He made a disgusted face at the thought. Looking around a little more he spots yet another door. After scanning the desks and shelves in the room he makes his way to the next door.

Entering a corridor with four doors to the left and plenty of stretchers lining the walls he cautiously makes his way to the first door. It was locked. The next one was locked too. As he continue down the corridor he notice that some of the stretchers had unmoving bodies lying on them, covered with bloody sheets and with an arm or leg sticking out from beneath. He stops in his tracks to look at the bodies for a second. Could it be that the key lies inside one of these bodies? A scream from a woman echo through the corridor and makes Genesis jump back in reflex.

Someone's here? And it's a female? It sounded like a scream of pain, maybe I should check it out…

A bit doubtful in his decision he closes up to the next door in the corridor, he's not sure if the scream came from this room or the last one after this, he will just check both. Opening the door he's surprised to find it's a child care department. An unsettling feeling falls upon him as he investigates the room, in the boxes where you would put a baby had pools of blood in them. One of the blood filled boxes even had a toy rabbit placed in it like it was taking a bath. He couldn't help but feeling watched as he searched the room too. Genesis felt a bit relived when he was back out in the corridor with only one door left to check, and with no key found he wish luck in the next room.

Upon entering the last room he finds a stretcher with an apparent dead body on it. He stands still, expecting the still body to suddenly rise and lunge itself at him, but nothing happened. Deciding he was a fool for coming up with that ridiculous thought, he made his way towards the stretcher, but very cautiously. It was clearly a woman and she had a wide open mouth as if she just had screamed. She had no clothes, making Genesis feel a bit uncomfortable, and had a gaping wound starting in her abdomen and reaching up to her chest, blood was oozing out of it. Had she been alive before the scream? Could he have saved her? Genesis just stared at the body, not really knowing how to feel or what to do at the situation. Moving his feet he saw something glint in the wound of the body, he immediately remembers the x-ray with the key.

Is that… the key? Was the x-ray hers?

After a few seconds thought he leans closer to the wound. And yes, there surely was a shimmering object deep in the wound. Looking around in the room he finds nothing of use to remove the object, leaving him with only one option. Rising his hands hesitantly towards the wound he makes a disgusted face. Seeing dead bodies pile up was one thing, but having to dig around in them wasn't anything pleasant. Holding the wound open with one hand, his fingers of the other hand digs down between the bleeding muscles to try and get a grip on the object he so much now wish to be the key. His gaze slowly travels to the ceiling as he then shuts his eyes concentrating on getting a firm grip on the object. After having the object slipping from his grip a few times he at last gets a hold of it to take it out, a faint smirk of triumph on his lips. Hurrying away from the body he holds up his hand to take a look at the object, a key. He let out a sigh in relief and exits the room he probably never will forget. He will never do that again.

At the door to the staircase he holds his breath as he fits the key in the keyhole, if this was the wrong key…

*click*

Letting out the breath he was holding he opens the door. He would get out of here. The staircase was dark with no light source anywhere, even with his mako enhanced sight it was still hard to see. He could make out an elevator next to the stairs that only lead up. He was on the bottom floor apparently. He look around a bit, trying to adjust to the darkness. "B8? Or… B3?" Genesis wondered out loud taking a few steps towards the wall opposite the stairs were big red writing could be made out. While trying to figure out what number is written on the wall a sudden metallic scramble was heard from behind. Turning on the spot he reaches for his sword on reflex to strike whatever was rushing towards him, he realize it was not there and that they must have taken it when he was brought here. Something hit his stomach, but it wasn't even forceful enough to make him stagger. Looking down he can make out a wheelchair in the darkness. "What the…" was the only thing he managed to say before something else rolled down the stairs making a clinking sound until it fell to the floor and then hit a stop at the wheelchair. Standing like frozen to the spot for almost a minute expecting something else to fall down the stairs, he pushes the wheelchair out of the way.

What the hell is going on?

He bends down hand pick up the cylindrical object. A flashlight? He finds a switch and turns it on, getting a beam of light. Shining the light to the top of the stairs to see if someone, or something, was there, he sees nothing. Next turning to the offensive wheelchair, it looks completely normal. It had the seat towards him and it felt like the chair was urging him to sit down. Genesis realized how dumb that sounded.

What the hell's wrong with me? Trying to understand the language of a fucking wheelchair coming out of nowhere!

Giving away a frustrated growl at the thought he went over to the elevator to check if it functioned. While waiting for the elevator to reach him, he turns to look around the room again. His gaze stops at the wheelchair. Wasn't it facing the wall a minute ago? A cold chill travels down Genesis' spine but he shrugs it off. He must have bumped against it when he walked pass it.

*Bing*

Was the sound to bring his attention back to the elevator. But there was a problem; one of the doors only opened about 10 centimeters while the other didn't even budge. Deciding to force the doors open he puts his flashlight on the ground and begin the work. But the doors stuck firm to their spots and he put one of his feet to help. After getting the doors open enough to fit himself through them, he takes a step away to let out a sigh. When he bends down to get the flashlight something hits him from behind making him sit down in something rather comfortable. Flashlight in hand he has a rather surprised look on his face that soon turns to chock when he realize he's sitting in the wheelchair. How it managed to make it's way to him on its own was beyond his understanding. At the same moment he gets out of the wheelchair an alarming sound starts to echo, a siren. Looking around a bit horrified he's frozen to the spot. His disappearance must have been noticed at last.

I need to get away… and fast!

At the same moment he thought this a low screeching sound was heard that got louder and louder. It came from the elevator shaft. A second elevator came crashing down and Genesis shield himself from the blow of debris. Where they trying to kill him? Apparently they were. Dashing for the stairs only to stop on the top of the first flight of stairs he notice something that makes his whole being shiver; the walls, stairs, floors and everything was melting away. The wall opposite to the both stairs melted to reveal a huge fan behind a net wall with light shining behind it giving the new surroundings a creepy show of dancing shadows. A new light source was nice, but the darkness up and down the stairs seemed darker and almost haunting now.

What kind of sick place is this? Could this be some kind of trick? Oh, goddess please help me.

If Genesis' silent prayer was heard or not, he would only know if he continued forward from here. Taking the first step towards the next floor he tried to ignore his senses screaming in the back of his mind:

"Don't go, don't go, you will die!"

OK I hope you liked the first chapter w

It might not be the best thing ever but still I wish you could say what you thought about this.

Maybe giving some tips about this and that so I could make some kind of improvement on the next chapters :D