"Aeris." Cloud smiled as he slowly made his way up the gleaming steps. The young girl was distracted from her prayer by the familiar voice. A smile crossed her face as she saw Clouds piercing blue eyes looking back at her. Cloud Leaped up the wooden steps with ease stopping at the foot of a giant chamber. "Something's wrong." He pandered for a moment "what is it?"

Cloud felt a sharp buzzing in his head as he raised his sword. "No! I won't!" he thought to himself.

A shadow glided across the polished Blue tile floor. He recognized the figure instantly but it was to late. Sephirtoth's dark cloak spread open as he descended behind Aeris. He landed forcing his extended blade through her chest. Cloud watched in horror as her smile vanished. Her eyes stared ahead into space as Sephiroth removed his sword from her back. He wiped the streaks of blood off of his blade and placed it back in his sheath. "If you won't do it I will." He smirked. Her body fell slowly fell to the ground staining the smooth coral floor below her. "AERIS!!!!!!! NOOO!!!" cloud ran forward drawing his giant sword.



"NOOOOOO!!!! AERIS!!!!!!" Cloud awoke covered in a layer of cold sweat. He wiped his hand across his forehead brushing the hair out of his face. He slowly slid out of bed trying not to wake Tifa. "I'm getting restless, I need to leave this town. It must be the heat." He thought to himself as he stared out the window of their Costa del Sol Villa.



Chapter 1:

"Why are we here?" Yuffie asked impatiently as she followed Cid to their seats. "We're here to see my friend." Cid sighed as they both sat down in the cheap red metal seats.

"Let me rephrase that, Why am I here?"

"Because I don't trust you alone in my house."

Yuffie let out a frustrated sighed "So where is this friend of yours?" she asked gruffly. Cid pointed down towards the small ring in the center of the large warehouse. Yuffie stared down. He was a strong looking young man with eminent dark blue hair. A silver patch with gold trim covered his right eye and a dark scar ran out of the bottom and down his cheek. "He's kinda cute in a rugged dirty sorta way, but there's something familiar about him. What is it?" She mumbled to herself

"What did you say?" Cid asked

"I said 'How could a sexy hunk like that be friends with a dirty old man like you'"

"Look, I'm letting you stay at my house so could you please just SHUT THE HELL UP! And watch the damn fight." Cid grunted as he situated himself in his seats. Yuffie decided if she didn't want to sleep outside she'd better do what he said.

The young man took of his black leather jacket exposing another deep scar that crossed his chest and stomach. He stared across the ring at his opponent. The other man was a giant. He had dented metal plates fused to the skin on his fore arms and a large tattoo airship on the top of his bald sweaty head. The bald man pointed at the boy. "Your mine Punk I'm gonna enjoy ripping out your heart!!!!" He screamed then Flexed his massive biceps drawing a large reaction from the crowd.

Yuffie couldn't help but laugh. "That sweaty guys twice his size he's dead."

"Just wait." Cid corrected her without removing his eyes from the ring.

At the sound of the bell Dell walked to the center of the ring meeting the giant. "Your mine kid!" the man laughed as they began circled around each other. "Talk with yer fists ya big pile o' shit."

The large man roared and lunged towards Dell. His attack was quickly countered. Dell grabbed his flabby arm with a grunt he broke through the metal plates and shattered the man's arm. The ogre retreated back to the ropes staring in shock at his disfigured arm which dangled limply at his side.

"Holy Shit!" Yuffie stared in awe at the quickness and sheer power of the young man.

Dell smiled as the giant man tried to collect himself. "I'LL KILL YOU!!!!!" He lunged flailing his left arm wildly towards the young man. Dell ducked under the attack and erupted upwards with his fist into the man's chest. He could feel the sternum splinter into pieces. The giant collapsed onto the mat. He coughed violently as blood erupted from his mouth and trickled down his chin. He reached up towards Dell grabbing his leg weakly. Dell stepped on his arm then placed his other foot on the side of the man's neck. With a quick motion the man's neck snapped into two and his head fell limply to the floor.

The crowd erupted. Dell slicked his hair back and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He bowed and headed out of the ring triumphantly.

Yuffie's jaw dropped as she stared blankly down at the giant body sprawled across the mat. "How the hell is he so damn fast?" she wondered out loud to her self

"It's because he was in Soldier." Cid said as he raised out of his seat.

"That's what was so damn familiar about him" Yuffie thought to herself "It's his eye. . . He has the same glowing blue eyes as Cloud! Or at least he did."

"Come on!" Cid ordered as he grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the entrance.



* * * *

Cid lit a cigarette as he walked into the dark smoky tavern followed closely by Yuffie. He took a seat the bar and Yuffie sat down next to him. A quick expression of urgency crossed Cid's face "you wait here OK?" Cid said as he stood up

"Where are you going?" Yuffie asked impatiently

"Where the hell do you think I'm going I haven't taken piss all day." Cid grunted

"GAWD!! YOU ARE SO DISGUSTING." She shuttered as he walked away chuckling to himself.

Yuffie looked up at the man sitting next to her. He was staring straight at her with a perverted smile across his wrinkled old face. "You sure is perdy. We don't get many lady folk in here." He smiled exposing his black rotted teeth. Yuffie smelled the Malt liquor on his breath as he breathed heavily in her direction. "Do you mind?" she snorted at him

"You smells nice." The man smiled again

"Well you don't so leave me the hell alone you dirty inbred bastard!!!?!" Yuffie yelled

The man started laughing as he stood up from his perch at the bar. He grabbed her arm with his sweaty hand and began to pull her closer to him.

"I TOLD YOU TO BACK OFF!!!!" she screamed as her knee collided with the man's crotch. He let out a high pitched scream as he fell to the floor and curled up into a ball. Yuffie watched the man cry for a few moments then she sighed and sat back down at the bar.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're making new friends." Yuffie looked back at Cid who was staring down at the wheezing body on the floor.

The man let out a muffled squeal as Cid kicked him swiftly in the ribs. "Get up you pile of shit, you're in my way." The man rolled over and passed out. "See, Now that wasn't so hard was it?" Cid sat down and looked at his watch.

"Where the hell is he?" he wondered out loud.

A strained scream came from the man still laying on the floor as he was stepped on once again. "I'm sorry I'm late I had some unfinished business to attend to." The young man sat down besides them at the bar.

"What exactly was this unfinished business that kept you so fucking long?" Cid grunted as he lit another cigarette.

"I have my secrets, ya know." Dell smiled "I can't just go around tellin' everything to everyone, it's bad for business."

"you crazy bastard you haven't changed at all. Always worrying about your "Business."

Cid's smile slowly melted into a serious and stoic expression. "Now to get down to business. I think I have a job that you would be very interested in. . . .

+

+

+ Chapter 2:

Reno walked slowly down the eroded Midgar streets. Rubble from the once great city laid strewn around the ghetto that was now thoroughly covered with fresh vegetation.

A cloud of dust rose from the earth as he stopped suddenly in his tracks. He stared down at a beautiful Red flower that sprouted out of the path in front of him. "This is perfect." He bent over and tugged the flower from the earth and proceeded down the vacant road. "She would have loved this one." He reminisced to himself, as the flower reminded him of a once happier time.

he halted once again this time in front of the ruins of an old church that had once been a oasis in this broken down and forgotten part of the city. He lifted up his dark wooden cane and slowly wedged the ancient doors open. The faint light that shown through the opening was distorted by his figure as he squeezed himself into the main sanctuary.

He set the flower down in the middle of the large room on top of a pile of browning older flowers. He sat down on one of the old rotting pews, spreading his arms comfortably across the top of the wooden bench.

The sound of screams leaked through the walls from outside. "What the hell is it!" he cursed angrily as he rose from his perch.

"don't worry you'll be with him soon. Then you won't feel earthly pain like a weakling." The voice rang into the church.

The screaming began to fade into a gurgle most likely from the victim's mouth filling blood, then there was silence.

Reno kicked open the wooden door. Two cloaked men stood above the lifeless body. One of them was placing the man's bloody heart into a small metal box. "You will be with him soon enough then you will be great." He spoke directly to the box

The other man spotted Reno standing in the doorway of the church watching curiously. "The master will be pleased with us today" he said as a smirk flashed on to his rough face. They both started to step towards the church. Reno noticed the glimmer of a dagger inside one of the men's sleeve. "Don't mess with me! I'm not in a good place right now. You'd be better off if you went on your way."

One of them stared deep into Reno's eyes "Just think about how great you will be. Don't fight the inevitable. We'll all be with him soon."

* * * *

Dell lit up a cigarette and sat down on the wing of the small dilapidated plane. "I can't believe ya still have this piece o' shit" he smiled

Cid was tinkering with the engine. "It's my baby." He grunted

Pieces of metal fell to the ground.

"Ha, give the man a machine and a pack o' smokes and he's in heaven." Dell smiled as he hopped down of the Tiny bronco.

"Damn straight!" Cid agreed as he stood up from under the plane.

"So what do you think of her Dell?" he asked, wiping the grease of his hands

"Well she's pretty busted up. I'm not sure if she'll fly any time soon."

"No, I meant Yuffie. Is she like you remember?" Cid threw down his towel and tried to read Dell's face.

"I don't know, It's been quite a while. I mean I was only 16." Dell sighed

"Don't give me that shit. You remember perfectly." Cid grunted

They both turned suddenly as the back door of the house slammed open. Yuffie came prancing out into the yard. "What are you two talking about?" she asked curiously

"I should be going." Dell picked up his pack of cigarettes and walked quickly into the house

"Well, that was pretty rude!" Yuffie scoffed

"Leave him alone he has a lot on his mind." Cid pulled out his lighter and lit up another Cigarette

"Besides you of all people should respect that boy."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean!!" Yuffie crossed her arms and began tapping her foot

"He left Soldier because of you. He gave up his future for you." Cid sighed

"WHAT, What, I've never seen him before in my life. How could he have left because of me!"

"You didn't see him, but he saw you." Cid scratched his head

"He was a top assassin for Soldier. Shinra felt that by killing you, your father would surrender to them, during the war."

Yuffie's heart began to beat harder and harder. "This can't be. NO, This is impossible!"

"It's true, He was just a kid. He had killed before, but he had never done anything like this. After following you for a week, he decided he couldn't do it. He was only 16, and they asked him to kill a little girl. . . So he just vanished. He stayed in hiding until Shinra was destroyed."

"What do you think of that? Huh?"

"I need to be alone for a little bit." She said meekly. She ran quickly back into the house wiping the damp area under her eyes.

* * * *