Okay, so this is my second attempt at a story I started before but abandoned for creative reasons. So here we go again. I own nothing. Note: this is in the The First Day universe.
Image for a moment, a world of pure white. The ground is covered in snow. Moving this snow would only reveal a hard ground made of pure ice. Occasionally, torrents of wind blew hundreds of specks of snow, along with small fragments of ice, into the air. They billowed and cascaded over the frozen landscape before coming to rest upon the frozen ground once more. The winds appeared to form currents of white water, flowing over the cold desolate land. The only contrast to this pure white image was a single figure, outlined against the landscape.
He wore a black sleeveless shirt with a high collar, a black plaudron over his left shoulder, dark pants, and a long black cloth over his left arm and his left leg. The plaudron had a large metal wolf's head design on it. The man had very spiky blond hair and a pale, snow caked complexion. Goggles shielded his eyes from the torrents of snow and ice. He carried a massive sword, which was loosely bound with ripped white fabrics.
He walked for a distance until he noticed a collection of large structures jutting out of the ground. He solemnly walked over to the rock and sat down. He pulled the goggles off his head, revealing a pair of blue eyes that almost seemed to glow. He stabbed the great sword into the ground next to him and reached his pocket, producing a canteen. He pulled off the top and took a quick drink, before re-placing in his pocket. He was about to stand up and keep walking, when he noticed a small object barely visible under the snow. He knelt beside it and pushed the snow off it, before picking it up. It was a doll, missing one button eye, but a bright smile still on its face. He then looked around and noticed various other objects still on the ground. One by one, he picked up a book, a few cups and other utensils, and a now scarred sign which read 'welcome to Radiant Gardens.' Then he saw the corner of a picture poking out of the ground. He walked over and pulled the picture out of the snow.
The picture was worn and bent. It featured three teenagers standing right in front of the 'welcome to Radiant Garden' sign. One of the three was a lean and pale young man with spiky blond hair and bright blue eyes. The young man seemed slightly uncomfortable but still gave a confident smirk. Standing next to him was a young woman with long dark brown hair, ruby colored eyes, and a confident smile. Her hair was mostly pulled back into a dolphin-tail ponytail, though some did fall over her left eye. A man with black hair, bright blue eyes, and a wide energetic smile stood between the two, one hand on each of their shoulders. His black hair was mostly pulled back with a single strand falling in front of his right eye. He had an 'x' shaped scar on his cheek, though it did not seem to dampen his bright spirit.
The figure stood still for a moment staring down at the picture, then he reached a hand out and touched the image of the raven haired man.
"Zack," He whispered, barely audibly. "I…I know I have no right to ask this but please forgive me."
Then his hand drifted over to the woman.
"Tifa," He said, his voice almost catching in his throat. "…For what it's worth,… I'm sorry."
He let go of the picture, allowing it to fall to the snow covered ground. Then, he walked over to the sword, pulled it from the ground, and resumed his solemn journey.