I was sat in a back alley in the slums of Midgar, just thinking about what to do. I'd been through a lot and needed some time to think things over. I noticed the sky was darkening, but not evenly. The darkness seemed to be approaching me. It was getting colder. I shivered slightly and got up, starting to walk away from the approaching darkness.

"Cloud..." I heard the voice. It sounded distant, hollow... eerie. I walked on ignoring it. I found myself shivering more.

"Come to me, Cloud..." The voice was closer this time. I looked around frantically but I couldn't see anyone. I picked up my pace and kept going, not wanting to get into any trouble. Who was that? My hand automatically reached for and gripped the hilt of my Buster Sword.

"Cloud, help me!" I almost jumped at the sound of the scream. Tifa's voice. Without thinking, I ran towards the source of the scream, calling her name. Pulling my Buster Sword out as I ran, I could see her up ahead. She was lying on her side on the ground, her clothes torn and stained with both dirt and blood. I stood over her and noticed that she had been bound to the tree, her eyes wide with fright as she tried to wrestle free. Just before I could bend down and untie her, I felt something cold and metal digging into my throat. Forcing myself to remain calm, I turned around slowly.

I wished I hadn't.

The cold metal that had been threatening to cut my throat was in fact a sword, and as my eyes traced the blade, it was all too familiar. I faced the wielder, the hand that was holding my Buster Sword gripping it tighter. Those eyes... those green, cat-like eyes that always brought out horrible memories. The long silver hair, the Black Cape, and the single black wing that stretched outwards slowly and menacingly.

"Sephiroth..." I said slowly, pushing all thoughts to turn and run to the back of my mind.

The other man's lips creased into a nasty smirk. "So you remember me, Cloud... like I told you, I will never be a memory." His laughter made my skin crawl. I felt the blade being removed from my throat, but I felt it slice through my skin and some blood run down my neck. I hissed in pain but kept myself composed.

"Let Tifa go!" I ordered, raising my own sword.

"She's not here any more..." Sephiroth's blazing eyes, and his lingering note of maniacal laughter, faded into the darkness.


My eyes snapped open and I sat up, looking around frantically. I was in my bed at home. I breathed a sigh of relief, but as I turned around and lay down to go back to sleep, my hand touched the part of my neck where Sephiroth had cut me, and as I pulled it back to inspect it, I found blood on my fingertips.