AN: Started writing this story back in 2007 as a present for my amazing beta SeveredWing. I was given three prompts to choose from, and I went with bounty hunter. Was hoping to write it all back in the day, but was hit by horrible writers block at about chapter 8. And big surprise to those who know me, it's still not finished even after all these years. Did get some inspiration lately, so have made some progress. Also it has been interesting to go through how I've "changed" as a writer.

I wasn't going to post anything before it was finished, but decided that this is part of my way to celebrate the remake being released. So hope you all enjoy and please leave some feedback, I'd love to know if you're interested in reading this. Feedback helps fight writers block after all.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Final Fantasy, I do however own the idea for the story. I've also taken liberties with events and characters in the wonderful world of FF7.

CAPTIVE HEART

In the field so green and so free, seeds gaze up

The clouds keeps them from the light

And the sky cries white tears of snow

But still, fragile seeds wait long for the sun to shine

Dark winter away, come spring

My young seeds once again will look up to the sky

And I know they will grow strong

My young seeds once again will look up to the sky

And I know they will grow strong

-Seeds of Love

CHAPTER 1: The New Kids

None of the children were talking. When the little girl had first entered the truck, she had asked where they were going. After the hard slap she had gotten as an answer, she had become quiet. It seemed all the other kids had done the same. At least, that's what happened to the three others that had been picked up after her. Now they were all just sitting, crying softly by themselves.

Somehow, she had the feeling that she was going somewhere bad. Was it because she had been naughty? She didn't think that she had been. Her mother shouted at her a few times every now and then, but she had always hugged her and told her she loved her afterwards. Now she couldn't be sure. And what about all the other kids? Was this what happened when you were bad? Her mother had always told her that if she wasn't good, she would end up where all the bad girls went, but she really didn't think that she had been bad.

While she sat quietly in her corner and worried, the truck drove on. During the drive they had picked up two more boys and another girl. There were now three girls and five boys in the truck, every one of them scared.

Driving always seems to take forever for children, and this was no exception. One of the new boys made the mistake of asking when they were going to be at their destination. His answer was the same as hers had been earlier.

When they finally did stop, it was to get off at their destination. At first, no one had moved. They had thought they'd just be picking up another child, but then the man who had sat with them in the back started screaming at them to get out. One by one they walked to the back and were yanked out harshly. The little girl fell to the ground and scraped her knees, but no one cared to even look at her. Slowly, she got up to her feet, standing back up in the line the children had formed. She wiped the tears from her eyes and saw where they had ended up. It was a big dark building that towered high above her. All the other children were looking at it timidly as well. This did not look like a place that was very friendly, not for people of any age. Suddenly, all the fear that had been pent up came back in full force. Where was Mother and Father?

/

Somewhere, deep underground, in the same building that the children had just arrived at, was another child. This boy had spent all his life in the small room he was in. He had come to hate it a long time ago. But still, it was a sanctuary from the rest of the facility. In here, he was safe at least. There were no tests, no experiments, no men in lab coats that smiled strangely at him. Yes, he'd rather spend all his time in this little room than in some other parts of the building.

He was currently resting and recuperating from some physical endurance tests he had done the previous day. He had not been allowed to stop until he had collapsed from exhaustion, yet he considered himself lucky. Most days did not end so easily. Usually, he was out for several days before he woke up, bruised and aching all over.

Not that that ever stopped Hojo. No, nothing would stop Hojo. Not even the death of the boy.

/

The little girl had been locked in an empty room for days. At least, she thought days had gone by. There was no way of knowing since the room was completely bare. Nothing, but gleaming white walls. The large iron door at the end was the only thing that did not glare at her. She had received food through a slot in it several times now, and that was how she guessed that a long time had gone by.

Yet no one had come looking for her. Not her mother, not her father. No one.

She had not seen anyone since the children had gotten out of the truck. They had been blindfolded and knocked out.

When she had first woken up inside the room, she had screamed until she was hoarse. Then, when her voice came back, she screamed some more. At some point her captors tired of her screaming. The next time she screamed she was blasted with water from the ceiling. So now she spent her time huddled in a corner, not saying a peep. She had tried speaking a few times, but always the water fell upon her. At some point she just gave up and sobbed silently.

A few more days went by (at least she thought it was days), and then something finally happened. Someone came in to her room. The girl was quick to scurry into her favorite corner, the furthest from the door and hide. She kept throwing glances at the man. A doctor, she guessed. He wore one of the coats that doctors usually had. He was about the same age as her father, but did not have her father's kind face. No, this man was thin, his coat seemed too big for him, and he had an angry looking expression on his face. The girl wished he would leave, but she did not dare speak.

"I am Dr. Vanvarda. I will be your handler for the time being. We will begin tomorrow."

Before she even had a chance to respond, he was gone. The girl felt very afraid. She hoped that tomorrow would never come, for surely it would not bring anything good with it.

/

For some reason, the boy had been left alone for some time now. They had not come for him for several days. This was unusual, especially as he was not that badly hurt. It had happened once or twice before, but he did not know the reason. Perhaps it was simply mind games. There were a lot of those, but he had learned to know when they occurred, and this did not seem like one of them. He hoped the peace would last, even though he knew it would not. Nothing but pain ever lasted long in this God forsaken place.

And so he waited.

To be continued…