Hey I'm doing a partner story for Valentine's Strife but it could be a standalone. Yay for my own version of Cloud's life!

Disclaimer: I don't own FFVII. Too bad.

Warning: Will contain man on man sex and also rape. Will contain torture and possible insanity. Lots of violence. Yay violence!

So I guess I don't really know why I'm writing this. Vincent is writing his own life story, and since he started last month, he's been happier, putting some of his past to rest.

I need to do that.

Well I guess I had an okay childhood. Nothing special, by far, but I guess I was lucky to have it as good as I did. I never knew my dad, and my mother never mentioned him. I get the feeling that she loved him though, and I found a picture of him once. I was always picked on, left out, or just flat out hated, by the rest of the kids in Nibelhiem. The only one who was nice to me was Tifa, but that's just because the rest of them were so cruel.

Up until I was ten, I stayed mostly home, inside and helping my mom with little things. After that, I realized that I needed to help out more, like with the small farm we ran. It was a rather large town, very spread out, and we had plenty of room for a farm on the edge. We had hired a few workers for it, but I took over for one of them. It was hard, but worthwhile. I got steadily stronger, and soon I was stronger than even the older boys. I got into fights more often, and was a little shit to everyone. Only two people fully escaped my anger, and they were Mom and Tifa.

I rarely saw her, but I really liked her. One day when I was fourteen, Brant, the town bully and Tifa's boyfriend, got mad at her for talking to me after I won a fight against him. I was cutting down the old crops, so that we could start on the next round. I was working our small fields almost single handed by then. I had a clear view across town to the square for when he hit her and knocked her out. I was running before she even hit the ground.

My mom saw from the window and she would swear my feet had grown wings to make me run so fast. I used all my speed and strength in one hit to his face, sending him back a few feet. I stood over Tifa, checking her over to make sure she was alright, when I noticed that the rest of the town's boys were closing in. I crouched over her and heard a loud growl. It took me days to realize that I was the one growling.

What happened next was a blur of fists connecting with flesh and blood spattering everyone. I looked down once at Tifa and saw a drop of blood had landed on her face. I was sure I had kept theirs away from her, but I felt my mouth and found that I had coughed some up from one of their kicks. The distraction let them get to me and toss me far across the square. I curled in on myself and protected my head as they let loose on me. I knew that I had a broken rib and maybe a broken arm. My leg was undoubtedly snapped clean in two.

I tried to drag myself away, but that was hard with the pain I was in. I blinked in confusion when two of them were pulled off of me, and then the rest were dragged off in turn. I looked up in a haze at a muscular man who was shouting to the mayor, Tifa's dad. I looked over to see that she had woken up and was sitting on the ground hugging herself. I curled in on myself painfully as she turned to look at me. I must have been a mess, and she shivered.

I mumbled some sort of apology that I was sure she wouldn't hear over the shouts of the boys and their fathers dragging them to Brant's house to be held until they could decide what to do with them. Tifa's dad left her side and crouched next to me.

"I'm not sure what happened, son, but someone hurt my daughter, and it seems all the boys were after you with a fury to best the SOLDIERs in Wutai." I protested with a gurgle in my voice, blood in the way. "Now I don't believe you would hit her, but I gotta look at what I've seen so far. If there are any witnesses, they can clear it up but I'll talk to you soon about your side. Then I'll talk to Brant and the boys."

I nodded slightly and the muscular man who saved me picked me up. He started talking as he carried me away from the puddle my blood formed. "I'm Zangan. I teach children martial arts all around the world. I'm just passing through for now, but I'll be back in a few years to take up a student here. If you're around I'd love to teach you. You have natural potential, and I really hope you'll take up my teaching someday." I groaned, and I heard my mom's frantic voice.

"Cloud? How bad is he? Cloud?" I tried to wave her off but my good arm was trapped against Zangan's chest.

"Don't worry, Miss, I'll make sure he gets taken care of." I blacked out after that.

I guess this writing thing isn't as bad as I thought.

Very short, but the next two chapters will be longer. And also posted today. I was prepared this time.