Disclaimer: Before you read this, this story-line is based off of the story-line in Final Fantasy VII. The Final Fantasy VII storyline is not owned by me and is dutifully copyrighted to Squaresoft. Now, before you get confused, Aurora is no where in part with the actual game itself. I have added her in, since she is my own character, and added a twist to the end of the trilogy that I am writing. Any type of comments are very well accepted. Enjoy!

Broken Childhood Dreams

Chapter I

Wings from the flying birds above flew threw the blue skies of the small town that was widely known as Nibelheim. White, fluffy clouds patched the perfect sky that overshadowed that small town. Small cottages were built along the cobblestone road that lay in Nibelheim, and in the middle of a small cul-de-sac, sits a large well that pumped sparkling water from the grounds beneath them. Green patches of grass swayed gently with the soft breeze, mocking the trees that were often seen. Carrying through the wind, sweet innocent voices of children playing in the Nibelheim cul-de-sac echoed gently along Nibelheim.

"Haha! You're it!" Bellowed the innocent voice of a little boy with bright blonde hair. He was dressed in simple pants and a shirt that was sewn with love by his mother.

After those few words were spoken, he furrowed his brows and blew a short raspberry at a young girl. A grin was plastered against her cherub-like face as her little hand moved to untie the ribbon that held her hair. Letting the ebony locks fall onto her shoulders, her charcoal eyes flashed with a bit of mischievous painted in.

"Tifa?" The boy murmured with a fright to his tone.

A malicious giggle came through her lips, and in a flash, the boy was tackled into the ground. The young child laughed as he fell back and hit the cobblestone road against his back. He wasn't hurt. Tifa stood from where she tackled him, and in a mockingly manner, she replied, "You're it, now!"

Across the cul-de-sac, another young girl stepped out of a single, dainty white cottage. This little child, seemingly younger than the rest, had light brown hair that rested at the tips of her earlobes. Bangs parted in the middle allowed for the young girl's bright, round sapphire blue eyes stand out. A smile crossed her face when she saw the two children playing. Slowly, descending from her house, she crept towards the two.

Pounce!

Tifa let out a loud shriek as the hair on her neck stood on end. The little boy yelled out loud, as though he was being held hostage during a bank robbery. The young girl giggled at their frightening experience and leaned against the over-shadowing well that stood high above her. She crossed her arms across her fragile chest.

"I can be just as swift as you two can be," she said innocently.

"Aurora! You know we don't like to get sneaked up on." The boy said.

Tifa's eyes grew wide as her cheeks flushed with anger. Tifa surely didn't like being scared out of her mind, especially when she was being snuck-up on. "You meanie!" She waved her finger at her. "Cloud, you should scare her one day so she'll stop doing that to us!"

The boy, Cloud, seemed to have an uncomfortable look settle onto his features, and slowly, he backed away. "There's no way I'm getting into this!"

Tifa sighed warily, taking away some of the frustration that built up inside of her. Aurora held that grin on her face, but it slowly faded when she sat down in the shade.

The sun was burning bright in the evening sky, beaming its warmth down onto the world, where it seemed to only pierce its rays directly onto Nibelheim. The shadow of the well was soon cast over the little figures of Cloud, Tifa, and Aurora, giving them the opportunity of a nice cool-down after playing in the day. Gentle arrays of pink and purple stretched far across the sky, leaving the scattered clouds tinted with a crimson red. There was no breeze to awaken the town, but only the chitter-chatter of the three children. Other than their speaking, Nibelheim was completely silent within itself, disregarding the few various things heard coming in from the cottages. It was the day of rest, as the adults had told them, and it would be wise for them to go home when they were expected or called.

Aurora stood up, keeping herself quiet, and seemed to move toward her cottage. She turned her head to the side and brushed back a gentle strand of light brown hair from her side view. Tifa and Cloud were alone, quietly talking amongst themselves. Aurora let a sigh slip past her mouth, covering the truth of how she really felt about seeing the two of them so close together: lonely. I have no friends, she thought to herself. Cloud and Tifa are always together. When will I get a friend like that?

Stepping onto a stone-step that led her to her doorway, a gentle rustle in the bushes sounded in her ears. She brushed away the few strands of hair that laid against her bright sapphire eyes and peered towards the area the sound came from. A light glance was given towards Tifa and Cloud and found that they were still whispering amongst themselves. Thinking it was only the rustle of the non-existent breeze she shrugged her shoulders and walked into her home.

Aurora's mother greeted her when she strode into the small kitchen. On the stove was a pot with steam rising from its opening, letting the aroma of ginger spice and vinegar waft against the atmosphere. Aurora took a slight breath in, letting the bittersweet smell drift into her senses.

"What are you doing, mommy?" Aurora sat in a wooden chair, across the room, facing her mother.

"I'm making ginger tea for your father, honey. He's caught a slight cold." Aurora's mother began to stir the pot, and soon, light bubbles were heard popping in the water. "I would like for you to stay clear of him. I don't want you catching what he has."

Aurora nodded at her mother's comment and glanced out of the window. Gentle fireflies buzzed around in the small town of Nibelheim, casting dim points of light about the area. The scene reflected in her bright eyes as she leaned her elbow upon the windowsill, sighing wistfully. She peeled her eyes away from the view and looked back at her mother, who was pouring the boiling water into a small teacup.

"Mommy… When will daddy get better? He's been sick for a long time." She glanced down to the wooden floor.

"Hopefully soon, kitten."

Her mother then became eerily silent.

Aurora looked away from the floor and back to the beautiful display that was outside. Yet, she saw something awfully peculiar. The sun had gone down, by this time, leaving the darkened night sky, and the few twinkling stars. The fireflies continued their wafting flight, each of them flying about as if they were dancing together.

Amongst the dimmed yellow dots, a young boy, looking to be older than she, stood against the massive well in the middle of Nibelheim. The boy turned his head to watch the fireflies, his eyes dimmed by his blonde hair. He caught Aurora looking at him. Quickly, Aurora turned away, looking at the windowsill frame, and once she thought she was able to stare at him, she looked at him, once again. She had seen that he had been wearing odd clothing, yet she didn't think anything of it. She just thought he was another foreigner. Finally, Aurora caught herself staring at him and felt her cheeks grow unusually warm.

Standing, she left the room, leaving it in silence.

Aurora found herself all ready outside, standing in the darkness that the veranda of her doorstep created. The boy she had found, earlier, had moved away from the well, walking towards a pathway that led out of Nibelheim. She gasped, lightly, and stepped down from her doorstep.

"Wait!" Aurora threw her hand toward the figure, as though she was trying to catch him in her grasp. Yet, nothing happened, and she didn't seem to get his attention. He ignored her. "Please? I wanted to only say hi…!"

The young boy stopped dead in his tracks, and quietly, he glanced at her. His bright blue eyes pierced into her soul, she felt, when he looked at her. Aurora couldn't help but shudder at his sudden movement. Slowly, she walked to him.

"Halt!" He commanded. His voice was powerful, yet Aurora didn't notice it. "Who are you?" He eyed her with a sudden suspicion.

"My name is Aurora Leohart." She threw her hands across her chest and folded her arms. "If anyone should be asking, it's me. I've never seen you before… What's your name?"

He turned to her, his body now facing hers. He was a plain and simple young boy, yet his eyes stood out to her. So innocent. So unknowing. "I'm Sephiroth," he finally murmured. "I've never walked out of my home, before. I figured I would and see what the world is like." He looked down at the ground, feeling slightly ashamed.

Aurora approached Sephiroth, taking his hand as though to comfort him. "The world is fun! Lots of things to do, new friends, and places to see!"

Sephiroth's facial expression changed to a sudden bewilderment. He tilted his head, softly, looking down at the ground. "I don't know what fun is. I've heard of it, but never felt it."

Her eyes suddenly widened at his last comment, not believing what he had just said. She grinned slightly and placed a small pebble into his hand. He looked down at it, blankly, as more confusion built up inside of him.

"Well… Do something with it, silly. Throw it at the well!" She pointed to the large contraption that was centered in the middle of Nibelheim.

"But wh—"

"Just do it!"

Sephiroth sighed and drew his arm back. With as much force, his arm slung forward through the air. He let go of the pebble, pelting it hard towards the well. He and Aurora watched the black figure move through the wind and watched it dodge right past the well. It landed onto her doorstep with a thud. Aurora giggled at his failed attempt to hit the well. Sephiroth's cheeks turned a slight red color. He picked up another and threw it at the well. Again, he missed.

"Watch me," she instructed.

Sephiroth nearly refused, but wanted to see if she made it. Aurora picked up a pebble and aimed at the well. She let go of the pebble as she threw it towards the well. It came down through the air, in a large curve, and hit the top of it. It fell back onto the ground with a light thud. Sephiroth grinned, lightly. Aurora saw his grin for the first time, and thought to herself, How cute.

"You ought to meet my friends tomorrow in the day. They're real nice," she said softly, looking at him.

"I can't do that. I'm not allowed to make myself known or else I'll get into real big trouble," he retorted.

"Why can't you?"

"I don't know. They won't tell me."

"But you can't have friends, then." Aurora looked at him, a saddened look spreading across her face.

"You're my friend, aren't you?" Sephiroth looked at Aurora, suddenly panicked.

"Of course I am. But you just can't disappear on me. Visit me, at least." She smiled

warmly. A little piece of happiness began to rise inside of her. Her stomach seemed to be tingling, as though little butterflies were buzzing around inside of it. A wave of unfelt emotions ran through her body, and as her mother later described, she felt happy.

"I'll have to come out at night." Sephiroth looked at her and couldn't help but smile. Inside of him, secretly, a new feeling settled inside of him. It made him feel warm, yet he didn't let it show.

"Listen, I have to go, now. My parents will wonder where I'm at and come looking for me. Will you be out here, tomorrow night?"

"Of course I will. I want to have more of this fun." That smile stayed upon his face.

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Broken Childhood Dreams

Chapter 2

A soft sigh escaped the young child's lips as her light brown hair covered her sapphire eyes. She looked up to see the rest of the children playing, and amongst them were her friends, Tifa and Cloud. The rest were boys, one she new faintly, and the other's she didn't talk to. She kept herself away from the others, secluding herself in her own safety. Aurora only trusted Tifa and Cloud because they had always been her friends.

Slowly, she brought her knees against her chest, letting her skirt cover her legs. She was lost in thought, thinking of her new-founded friend, Sephiroth. She still didn't know why she hesitated so much when she was near him, and for some reason, she felt an odd connection between the two of them. She felt she could trust him, but she had only known him for three days. Why did she think on levels like this? Was she more advanced than her own age group? She made herself blend in only to make sure she didn't seem awkward to the other children. Yet, she felt strange to herself. But Sephiroth… Sephiroth made everything fit into place, for her.

Two shadows slowly approached her, and when she looked up, she saw Cloud and Tifa standing in front her. She twitched her head some, flipping her hair out of her eyes, only to get a better view. They looked concerned, and immediately, she knew that they were about to ask her questions.

"What's up with you?" Tifa nodded her head at Aurora.

"You've been really quiet," Cloud added.

"And you haven't really talked to us." Tifa frowned.

"Are you mad?" Cloud tilted his head down.

Aurora breathed in deeply, and let it out. She smiled warmly, standing from the area she sat, where she always sat: somewhere against the large well in the center of Nibelheim. "I'm just as fine as ever, guys." She managed to force.

"You've been acting different," Tifa seemed to say. "And it's bugging me a lot. I want to know what's wrong with you!"

Cloud looked at Tifa, thinking to himself that she was a crazy little girl. "Eh, don't mind her. She's running on adrenaline."

Aurora giggled to herself, waiting to have Tifa's hand meet her arm. But, it didn't. Aurora looked at her, only to see that Cloud was holding her wrist, and as Aurora saw, gently. She glanced at Cloud, a little confused at his sudden gesture. Tifa closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, a bit irritated at Cloud. She raised her other hand and landed a small punch to his arm. Cloud let go and held his arm, his glance turning to a glare.

"HEY! That hurt!" Cloud yelled.

"You touched me! I have cooties now!" She pointed a finger at Cloud. "Ew, gross! A boy touched me!"

Cloud grinned maliciously, and moved toward her, creeping. He raised his hands and began to tickle Tifa. Tifa began to laugh out loud. Aurora sighed heavily and rolled her eyes at them, growling in a bit of discomfort.

"STOP!" Aurora yelled and threw her fists into the air. "Just stop it!"

And with that, she made her way back to her home, strode inside, and trudged upstairs to her room. She slammed her door, hard.

Tifa and Cloud heard the banging footsteps and the loud thud coming from the inside of her home. They looked at each other; both shocked at Aurora's reaction. They always played like this, which is what confused them the most. They didn't do anything wrong.

A boy from their playing group approached the two children, his hands stuffed into his pockets.

"There's a rumor that Aurora's been seeing a boy at night." The boy told them. "Like a very weird boy that can't talk, or if he can, he doesn't talk loud.

"Have you seen him before?" Cloud nearly demanded. He got a very discomforted look from Tifa.

"No, no one has. They say he's a foreigner, or some crazy boy, or something like that. It's one or the other." The boy crossed his arms.

"Well, whatever it is, I want to see this kid and what he looks like," Tifa said.

"Right," Cloud replied.

Just as the sun had set and lied underneath its blanket of stars, the atmosphere in Nibelheim seemed to be asleep. Everything was still and silent, except for the little murmurs of crickets every now and then.

Two figures sat together near the well in the middle of Nibelheim, one a girl, and the other a boy. A gentle smile was seen on the little girl's face, and the boy seemed to be giggling lightly. As like Tifa and Cloud, they were talking amongst themselves in small whispers.

"Father told me that some people are really stupid," the girl said. "Like… He told me…" She looked down. "He told me that I was smarter than the children."

The boy looked at her, his eyes piercing into her own. "Really? I bet you're not as smart as I am!" He challenged.

Off in the distance, Cloud and Tifa sat together. They peered around a corner of a house, watching the two. They've been watching them ever since they had seen Aurora walk outside, and it wasn't long before they concluded something that only children would think of.

"They're making babies!" Tifa whispered. "Hey… He looks just like you, Cloud."

"Nu-uh! I'm much cuter than he is, by far." He flexed his small muscles.

Tifa laughed at his antics, then looked at Aurora and the boy, once again. They had gotten closer, Tifa noticed, but it was too far away to be a hug. Cloud raised a brow at this, but said nothing of the sort. They both stayed quiet, watching the two.

"You know… You're the only one that's ever been nice to me," the boy whispered.

His hand moved to touch the side of her soft-cheek, pudgy from the baby fat that still remained. Aurora's cheeks flushed with a light pink tone, feeling the warmth grow inside of her body. A smile soon stretched across her face, softening her features.

"Everyone else just orders me around as though I'm some toy, though my father tells me he loves me." He paused for a moment. "But that, I don't believe."

Aurora placed her small, frail hand onto his own, entwining her fingers into his. She could feel the normal blood pulsating through his small veins, in motion with his small heart that pumped with his life. Suddenly, she let go, after hearing the light sound of a pebble moving against the ground. In the still atmosphere, her hearing was enhanced. She suddenly stood.

"Who goes there!" She demanded, out loud.

Tifa rounded the corner, her hands resting on her hips. She stood there, boldly, as she stared at Aurora and the boy. She seemed very dissatisfied, to Aurora, but Aurora took no heed to it.

"What are you doing out so late, Aurora?" Tifa hissed at her. She seemed almost jealous.

"What are you doing snooping around on my private time?" Aurora retorted.

Behind her, the boy stood up, just a couple of inches taller than Aurora, and neared her side. His eyes grew dark, suddenly, his blonde hair slightly covering his eyes. Aurora could feel the tense rising in his body, just as she was, about ready to explode like a volcano. She brushed her fingers against his arm.

Cloud stayed behind, knowing well that Aurora wouldn't like them spying on her. And, he was right, as he told himself. He cowered against the wall, but watched the scene that took place in the middle of Nibelheim. He kept himself in the shadows, masked by their darkness.

"Who's the boy?" Tifa's eyes switched to look at the boy.

"That's none of your business, Tifa." Aurora glared at him.

Before Tifa could ask any more questions, the boy cut the both of them off and took a stand at what he felt was right. His hands turned into fists as he opened his mouth. "…My name is Sephiroth." And, like before when Aurora first heard his voice, it seemed powerful.

"Sephiroth, eh?" Tifa grinned. "Well, nice to meet you after sneaking around."

She had something planned up her sleeve. Aurora could feel it in the pit of her stomach. The growing anxiety that she would probably face was building up, and a lot of pain would most likely be felt. She had always been able to feel when horrible things will happen, yet she never figured out why. Tifa turned her back and walked the way she had come. Aurora watched, her darkened eyes following the child.

The next evening had come, and Aurora was wondering why Tifa and Cloud were not present in the area that they usually played in. She assumed that they were mad at her and she would have to apologize to Tifa when she would see her, again. The feeling in the pit of her stomach had grown worse over the night and throughout the day.

The sun had kissed its last rays of its bright light over the treetops and buildings, illuminating the sky with a pink color, where it slowly faded into the midnight blue. Clouds were not seen, and there were far less stars than there usually were. The shadow the well created seemed to have grown darker, its large form seeming almost cynical and mocking.

The door to Aurora's room creaked open, yet Aurora didn't turn to face whom it was. Walking outside, she watched Cloud and Tifa leave her cottage, yet she thought nothing of it. They usually stopped near her house for a cup of warm herbal tea.

"Aurora, dear," her mother began. "Who is this boy that they speak of?"

Aurora's eyes widened at the sudden question. She turned around, hastily, fear stricken into her soul. Her expression became emotionless as her hands balled up into fists. Her knuckles turned white.

"Aurora, you can't hide from me. If I can't trust you, then we'll have to lock you up in your room. It's not safe, kitten." Aurora's mother moved toward the door, opening it.

Aurora turned to face the door, her eyes watering. "What! You can't lock me up! You bi—"

But before she was able to finish her insult, Aurora's mother had closed the door and locked it. Aurora yelled out loud, her eyes blurry behind the tears that swelled. She rushed to the window, placing her hand on it, only to see Sephiroth. He was looking up at her window, and even then, his eyes had pierced hers. She banged on the window, sobbing her soul into the world, and gently mouthed to him, "I'll always be your friend."