A/n: This fanfiction is based on the known rumor that the dark-haired, obviously sick guy living in a tube in the Sector 5 slums in Midgar is actually nobody else than Zack himself.

So what if he had not been killed by the Shinra Soldiers after escaping with Cloud from the Mansion in Nibelheim? And what happened to make him change from the man Cloud parted with to the poor man we get to see in Midgar?

I think that this is something that hasn't been written before, at least not very often (cuz I certainly don't pretend having read all the FF7 fanfics out there). So I hope you'll have fun with it. Please read and review and tell me what you think of the idea^_^

Who am I

By Tifa Lockheart Nibelheim

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy 7, its characters, locations, etc. belong to Squaresoft. I don't intend to – and definitely do not – earn money with it.

Chapter 1: The end of a dream

So close…

All it would have taken would be a few more minutes…

A little more good luck…

But seemingly, they weren't meant to be lucky.

Just a short while ago thought, they had been. They had been able to flee, to escape the sick ideas of a cruel uncaring man.

And they had made it this far.

Just a few more miles, down the cliffs…

However, it was over, at least for him.

Those few miles were a distance he would never be able to cover.

Slowly, raindrops started dripping down onto his face, his battered body. Yet even if he had wanted to move and wipe them away, it would have been impossible.

His body did not want to obey his orders anymore, hips limbs were almost numb. Even his vision was black.

The shots had severely hurt him, lethally most likely.

Next to him, he heard his companion stir and slowly get up. Unsteadily, he made his way towards him.

How much did he want to show him that he was not dead yet, even if it was simply to encourage him to go on, to give him some last pieces of advice, to let him know that he would never be alone.

But he couldn't. No matter how much he wanted to.

While the rain was unhurriedly continuing to drip down onto him, slowly wetting his uniform, he felt a heavy weight being lifted from his chest as the other man took the broad buster sword into his hands and raised it.

So this should be it, right? The end.

I'm sorry… I wanted to do all that with you, I mean we're friends, right?

I never meant to leave you like this. I'm so sorry… But you can make, you can go on.

Have faith. Have faith in yourself.

Cuz I'll have to leave you now.

I guess this is goodbye… the end of my dream…

Those unspoken words echoed in his gradually blackening mind.

Finally it was over. He had passed out.

The rain was still falling down.