Back to Nibelheim, a final fantasy vii fanfic

Disclaimer: I don't own FF7 or anything in it.

Authors notes- Um, I wrote this the year after FF7 came out and it sat and did nothing for a long time. In 2001 I took it out, revised it and showed it to friends. Now, in 2002, I'm showing it to you fine people. Please R&R!

Back to Nibelheim

In a world of illusions,

the master was me,

convinced in the truths,

of my own fantasy.

In my little world I'd been a SOLDIER First Class,

truthfully, I was just Cloud.

A boy born in Nibelheim on August 19th,

who was too shy, to fit in with the crowd.

I left home at age fourteen,

a member of SOLDIER to be.

I tried but found I was too weak,

so I ended up joining the army.

I made a friend, I couldn't remember,

a friend, who saved my life.

As far from perfect, as he was,

Zack was too good for little Cloud Strife.

Too embarrassed to show Tifa my face,

I went back home that day.

Yet I couldn't let her see me,

I had no idea what to say.

The Great Sephiroth learned things about himself,

that made him go insane.

He destroyed my town, killed my people,

with his longsword and firey rain.

Then he went to see Jenova,

but didn't see Tifa and Zack.

I followed after as fast as I could,

Mt. Nibel in front, fires raging in back.

I got to Mt. Nibel's reactor,

in time to see both of them die.

One was broken, the other cut open,

my rage wouldn't let me ask why.

I grabbed up Zack's sword,

one thought in my head.

I would run Sephiroth through,

I would see Sephiroth dead.

I saw his surprise,

as the blade pierced his side.

From that memory, now,

my mind cannot hide.

I went back to mourn my friends,

just to find shock and surprise.

Upon looking I saw life,

behind two pairs of eyes.

Gently I lifted Tifa from the ground,

blood stained the floor, without help she would die.

I'd kept my promise, but too little, too late,

it took all of my strength not to cry.

"Cloud, kill Sephiroth," Zack breathed,

when the villain had limped out the door.

I pursued the man in the black cape,

but Sephiroth wouldn't take anymore.

I ran, sword in hand,

to detach Sephiroth's head.

But he turned at the very last moment,

"Don't press your luck," he said.

His sword slid between my ribs,

in the front, and out through the back.

My wound would give Jenova's cells,

a faster means of attack.

I'll never know where I got the strength,

but I grabbed the sword, pulled it out.

Even wounded, he should have killed me there,

but I won our first man-to-man bout.

That wasn't the end of the story,

I laid down, but death didn't appear.

Instead, it was Hojo, and men from Shin-Ra,

who, all during this time, had been near.

When Tifa's teacher escaped,

he took her far, and away.

But Hojo didn't leave empty handed,

he gained two new specimens that day.

I spent my new life in a test tube,

a gerbil, in a cage.

My body was showered with Mako,

and time never seemed to age.

Now I finally remember,

what happened during that time.

My 5 year absence from the world,

when I went back to Nibelheim.