Chapter 1:

What will be my future? Cloud thought.

A glistening purple-blue moon shone through the night while embers of an extinguished campfire were left crackling nearby. The wind howled along the sand dunes and gave the night an eerie ambiance as the temperature plummeted. Cloud was left shivering in his thermal suit as he tried to make camp along Route 17 and was doing his best to stay warm. It was the same make of one he had used during his time in SHINRA's military, embodying the red and black color schematic. It provided safety from the dangerous night temperatures in the desert, but no warmth. Monsters, many of which were thought extinct after the Meteorfall, were becoming prevalent in the abandoned wastelands. Mika spilled throughout the land, scattering human populations to a few cities and making travel between population centers dangerous. Particularly at night. Even from his encampment under the sand dune, Cloud knew that there were dangerous creatures out there hunting for their next meal. He could sometimes hear screeching and beastlike calls in the distance sometimes. Cloud had made his encampment well before sundown.

Cloud's current mission was to make it to a remote military outpost in the South reaches of the Continent. It was a somewhat ironic twist of fate, the continuing government called the WRO was his principle employer. This was not his first run to explore a former destination of importance, but most of his runs were to the closer former metropolis and coastal city of Junon. This run, however, was his first to traverse across the southern reach. Cloud was told that this was an outpost that had been forgotten about the aftermath of Meteorfall, It was called Base Iota, and it was possible that the soldiers there could still holding out waiting for orders from SHINRA that would never come. Cloud was given a stamped and sealed letter by WRO in the eventuality that he came across survivors.

Even with their efforts to try and re-establish some semblance of society without the industrial power of Mika, all the major industrialized population centers were in ruins. A tremendous amount of the population had died. JENOVA and Sephiroth nearly destroyed a planet already dying from pollution. Then there was plague Geostigma, and then the battle against the Advent Children that destroyed much of Junon. There still existed no cure for Geostigma once contracted. Though its rabid and malevolent spread had become a trickle once the remnants had been killed off. While the planet had been saved…humanity's fate was still an open question.

Which probably was the point, Cloud mused.

The Cetra, a predecessor civilization composed of a sentient form or fashion of humans, had died off in the aftermath of containing JENOVA thousands of years ago when the meteor containing the planet-consuming terror slammed into the earth and started its first rampage. Now would humanity survive? Or would we give way to something else too. Cloud wasn't sure. Cloud was a soldier, not a scientist. He has been fighting without thinking of such issues most of his adult life.

As Cloud laid huddled in his sleeping bag, his eyes were shut and he listened to the howling wind in the distance, he finally drifted along the edge of sleep. He thought he imagined a voice interrupted his thoughts. "Cloud" it said in a childlike voice. Then he heard the voice again, but louder. Cloud remained motionless, alert but unsure how to react. "Cloud." It said again. "Help me, Cloud." Cloud opened his eyes.

"What?" Cloud said.

Nothing responded.

Cloud took a deep breath, and turned over. His own inner demons couldn't be beaten by fighting, which was the only thing he was good at. He tried drowning out the voice by thinking back about Tifa. Their relationship had changed since the conclusion of the Advent Children. It was intimate and Cloud had opened up a lot. He stayed with her whenever he was back in Junon. He recalled the last conversation he had had with her before he left on this current adventure.

"Are you sure that…" She stopped, considering her words, "Do you think that the voice is real?" Tifa gave him a disappointed look when he revealed to her that he hid his condition. She gripped the edge of the bar as she considered the news. "Cloud, we should really try and discuss this with someone. I'm sure there's at least one doctor left in this city that could do something about this." She turned and stared at Cloud with a hint of worry coming across the room. "Maybe Barrett or Cid…or maybe even Rufus Shinra now that he's helping rebuild the city."

Cloud had merely shook his head, "I don't know what to make of this either. This isn't like Geostigma. There are no physical effects. They're no proof that this is anything except me and—" He stopped short of finishing his admission. Tifa waited a few patient moments. She had an idea of what he was going to say next.

"And what, Cloud?" Tifa asked.

"I don't think I belong here." Cloud said.

Cloud stopped. After he had had Mika poisoning and once again lost his memories, Tifa had been there to nurse him back to health. They had always had a close relationship, and they had fought together through all the major conflicts. Everyone had their inner demons to deal with. Tifa understood Cloud's more than anyone left. She stood up and walked up to face Cloud. She grabbed his hands.

"It really hurts when you say silly stuff like that." Tifa said, tenderly keeping his hand in her grip. She stroked his face and went in for a kiss. It was a long one meant to reassure him. Not their first since fending of the Advent Children, but one that encapsulated their nurturing relationship. He looked at her while she embraced him in her arms. He took in her powerful physique and honed, fit form. She sensed him eyeing her and opened her eyes, which were now a beautiful grey since Geostigma. She met his gaze. She took a deep breath and leaned back against the wall. The setting sunlight filtered through the shades nearby and highlighted her beautiful black hair. She gave him a warm smile.

"I don't think the voices are real." Tifa said, "And if they are real, I'm sure I can help handle them. Please stay with me Cloud."

He then told her that he intended to accept this mission.

"I promise." Cloud said "We'll continue this again when I get back."

Her warm expression disappeared. She scowled. "Where are you going?"

The night had become silent as Cloud came back to reality. Tonight was the twelfth night into the trip. He was just about to approach Southern Mountainous peninsula named the Sebnin Point. They overlooked a narrow sea. On the other side was a massive island sub-continent where the Temple of the Ancients lied. More desert and mountains. He was close to the military base and would reach it by the end of tomorrow.

He drifted off into an uneasy sleep.

"Cloud it's coming! Please help me, Cloud! CLOUD!" A bloodcurdling scream of a child rang through Cloud's mind. He snapped awake, unsure how much time had passed since he dozed off. It was the dead of night and thick clouds had overtaken the stars, an unusual event in a desert. This was a real scream. Cloud thought. Unzipping himself and grabbed his Buster Sword from near his bike, Cloud sat alert for any immediate signs of danger. Silence. He walked towards the road and scanned his surroundings for any sign of danger, Cloud looked all around him trying to find any hint of danger or trouble. He couldn't see much of anything in the darkness, but he sensed a threat all the same.

It's just my mind, playing tricks on me," Cloud thought, trying to calm himself. He started walking back to his encampment. But when he got there, he stopped, carved into the wall were what looked like dozens of appendage claw marks on the surface of the rock. The carvings trended upwards...

Tap-Tap. Tap-tap. There were sounds of something atop the massive rock.

Cloud looked up and saw it.

It smelled of decaying flesh. He looked up and saw two yellow eyes glaring back at him. There were no pupils in the gaze. He raised his sword, stumbling back. Whatever it was, it was terrifying, but it was also physical. And if it was physical, then he could fight. Cloud jumped back as the creature leapt right at him and narrowly missed a killing blow. Cloud's sword locked into the jaws of the rabid creature and kept it from tearing into him. Locked with the creature, Cloud saw the shining yellow eyes and felt blinded. He screamed and flexed, trying to overpower it. It pushed back and Cloud was forced to his knees. It seems…knowledgeable. Cloud thought as his heart skipped a beat. The yellow light of the eyes was burning into his mind. Sensing an incoming attack from his lateral sides, Cloud pushed off the ground and tried to slice with his sword to cut through the jaws. Some flesh was sliced but its bones were stronger than his steel. Cloud rolled to the ground as the Creature tried to strike him down.

Cloud looked up and saw the two yellow eyes still coming after him, the yellow light left a delayed trail like an optical illusion as it moved. This is no wild beast. Cloud thought.. It let out a choked, beastlike chuckle as it came after him. Launching more lateral attacks at Cloud with its appendages to create an opening for a decisive bite, he parried one appendage after another before he rolled backwards. Then he stood his ground, feeling the timing of its attacks now as he swung perpendicular to the trajectory of an incoming attack. His intent was to cut through a limb. The limb, however, merely bent against his thrust though Cloud saw his blade had blood on it. A slight flesh wound. The monster's yellow eyes were pulsing and it came at him again. Cloud was trying to get a visage of the monster's attack patterns. It was multi-limbed, clearly. And fast for its huge size. And learning and adjusting to Cloud's dodging as he was adjusting to its attacks. It seemed spiderlike in its width but had a long vertical humanlike form.

Cloud was running low on options. Desperate, he picked up a rock and clubbed it against its head as it bent to bite into his shoulder between attacks. It connected. The rock cracked in his hands and the monster lost its balance. Cloud spun twice, gaining his momentum, and swung his sword again with all his might. The Buster Sword spun heavily midair and connected with a limb near the monster's center. The limb bent and finally the sword sunk into it, cutting through before sinking into the creature's torso. Cloud felt its body convulse and its muscles tighten. The monster let out a screech and backed away, standing vertically. Cloud's sword was pulled out of his grasp.

Cloud darted towards his bike. Slamming his hand on the eject button, a side compartment opened with four more swords. These were thinner blades more suited to cutting. He unsheathed one but was clubbed against his back with another limb. He slammed against his bike and felt a crack in ribs. He felt some blood seeping out of him and onto his clothes. Cloud tasted blood in his mouth. He tried to dodge the next attack but could only block against it with the thin sword. The second sword cut into his side but successfully stopped a second bladed swing from apply its full force and killing him, but it cracked. He was still knocked over and rolled over his bike and unsheathed a third sword. Cloud rolled away and coughed up more blood.

The creature's yellow eyes still stared at him.

However, it didn't immediately come again. Two of its limbs reached into its cut area and pulled Cloud's massive buster sword still attached into the side of its body. It made fleshy crunching noise as it pulled the sword loose. The Buster Sword finally came free of the body and an appendage fell to the ground with a fleshy thud. Holding his sword ten meters in the air, the thing screeched and slung it back at Cloud and it charged. Cloud sidestepped; he felt and heard the sliced air of the sword as it flew past him with astonishing speed. It slammed into the ground and sunk into the sand.

Cloud knew he had to risk it. He ran and slid just, just barely dodging two appendages. As he fell under the creature that was propelled by its own forward momentum, Cloud stabbed, and pierced the creature into its body. He felt a snap! as the sword's blade broke off. Cloud rolled as the creature slammed down with its appendages where he been seconds before, and parried an attack coming at his side. He leapt, helped by the force of the attack, grabbed the handle of his buster sword midair, spun against the arc of the sword, and using most of his remaining strength (he felt his shoulder blade pop as he pressed against the momentum) turned and stabbed in an uppercut. Cloud's attack connected, and the thin blade went right into its under-belly. He felt the blade go in deep and sink in. This time, the blade didn't break. Cloud pulled the blade loose. The creature screamed as blood poured out of its open stab wound.

But it still kept coming.

Cloud let go of his thin sword and tried to duck while backpedaling away, but the creature charged forward and swung low. Cloud raised his arm to protect the side of his head as he did so. He felt one of its appendages cut right into the left side of his arm all the way to the bone. Cloud screamed, grabbed the buster sword with his right hand, pulled it loose as he fell forwards and slammed both himself and his sword into the torso of the creature. The armor on the torso of the creature, already punctured thrice, cracked and gave way as cloud pushed his sword forward with all his might. Cloud pushed the heavy and thick blade as against the cracked armor and then into its flesh.

The monster screamed a choked cry and belched more blood. It instinctively recoiled backward onto its two hind legs again. A fateful mistake. This time, Cloud held onto the hilt of his sword. As the monster recoiled backwards its blood and guts spilled into the open night air, and cloud wanted to puke at the scent of it. It didn't have enough strength to slam down onto Cloud who didn't have had enough strength to dodge. It fell backwards onto its posterior and more blood and guts poured from its open wounds. Cloud raised his sword and cut down on a second appendages, detaching it from its body as it writhed. A third appendage swung at Cloud's side and knocked him away. He was launched over ten meters away onto his back.

Cloud rolled over and was shocked.

"Why won't this thing die?" Cloud said aloud.

With its guts and organs hanging outside of its body, and two appendages on one of its sides cut off, it struggled to come back upright. The creature let out a defiant screech and its yellow pupil-less eyes met his. Grunting in pain, Cloud stabbed into the ground and used his Buster sword as an anchor to pull himself to his feet. He gave deep labored breaths, exhausted. He let go of his sword and stumbled towards his Fenrir bike just as the monster started coming after him yet again. Cloud gripped a handle of his fourth and final thin sword and turned. The monster stopped and gazed at him with its yellow eyes, just out of his reach. Stalemate. Cloud thought. With one side missing its limbs and its armored exterior breached, Cloud would be free to land a fourth and potentially critical stab into its body. Its yellow eyes continued to pulse at Cloud for a number of heartbeats as he stared back. The creature almost seemed disappointed to have lost, and confused that Cloud was able to still stand against it. It took a step back.

The clouds parted. A blood-orange moon emerged.

Cloud finally saw it.

It was a humanoid monstrosity. Its head was hooded under its own leathery skin. What Cloud had thought were appendages were actually four muscled human arms and hands with pale, dead-looking skin and dangerous lacerating nails centimeters in length. Even with two limbs cut off of the creature, it seemed fearsome in its pose and unlike anything Cloud had ever seen. It stood ten meters high on four hooves and the core of its body seemed to bear leathery armor everywhere except where Cloud had cleaved through. A gaping hole dripping blackish-red blood oozed from the wounds. Even covered by the orange moonlight, its yellow eyes continued to shine and pierce through the night. Never breaking its sight, the creature bent down and picked up its two severed limbs.

"I'll be back, Cloud." A child's voice entered Cloud's mind. It seemed happy.

Then creature roared and swung one of its severed limbs, splashing Cloud with a torrent of its blackish blood. Some of it seeped into Cloud's mouth. Oh no…Cloud thought. He began to feel light-headed. The creature took a few steps backwards and limped off. Cloud heard the echoes of its Tap-Tap, Tap-Tap as it trotted away.

Cloud reached into a side compartment of his bike held a button for ten seconds until he saw a small flashing red light. Then he reached for an anti-venom and, popping the syringe, stabbed it right into his leg. It was the only way to get the antibodies circulating to counteract the venom. Next he grabbed the bandages and, climbing over his bike, he revved it to turn it on. He then went to the exhaust pipes and, gritting his teeth, held an open wound on his torso caused by a broken rib until it was cauterized. Then he bandaged it. Stumbling to his thermal sleeping bag, Cloud zipped himself in and lost consciousness. He fell into a dreamless slumber shivering and unsure if he'd ever wake.