Disclaimer: I own none of the characters portrayed within this fic save those I create myself.
This story will take place post AC but will not include elements or reference to Derge of Cerberus for varying reasons. That said enjoy, and remember the review button is your friend
Thanatos (One Winged Angel)
Prologue: Where is my dream?
Midgar….
Once a twisted labyrinth of steel fed by the lifeblood of the planet itself, now a living memorial to the folly of man.
High above the Midgar plains, top one of its loftier, and considerably dustier bluffs, a single man stands, looking out over the city.
His lips twist into a faint smile at the irony of his position. He had been here, in this exact spot, looking for exactly the same person just over ten years ago.
His smile faded.
Of course, back then he hadn't been alone.
Sadly he looked to his left and right, shoulder length silver hair fluttering in the fitful wind and ruffling the collar of his burgundy one-piece bodysuit.
A delicate, feminine hand rested itself on his shoulder and he cast another ghost of a smile over his shoulder, this one trying to be reassuring.
"It's ok", he said, his voice, slightly high for a man, quiet and unassuming, making him seem for all the world like a lost little boy, despite his tall, if somewhat slight stature, "I know I shouldn't be hanging around like this, but I miss them…"
The hand tightened slightly on his shoulder and he nodded reluctantly, casting one final glance out over Midgar.
"I used to dream about this…where is my dream now?"
Clash! Steel rings on steel, the force propelling the powerful combatants away from each other.
Clang! Another vicious blow from the slender blade of his opponent barely halted by the thicker, heavier blade he wielded.
The blades locked, almost bringing him and his opponent face to face.
"How did you become stronger?", came the deep, amused voice of his tormentor.
"I don't want to tell you!", the shorter of them replied with venom, forcing their weapons apart and lashing out a kick that would have gone through his opponent had it connected.
Flash.
Sliver hair billowing in the wind, floating with unearthly power, the once great general looked around in confusion as his opponent's thrown blade spilt in mid throw, ringing him with a circle of steel. A half dozen swords where moments before there had been only one.
Slash!
He felt fire blossom across his chest as his blond enemy streaked past, grabbing one of the blades in mid flight and releasing it as soon as it did it's damage. A faint gold/ blue aura surrounded the shorter man as he seemed to kick off thin air, accelerating back towards his hated enemy and grabbing another blade.
Slash, Slash, Slash, Slash.
The silver haired warrior's eyes widened in shock as his body began to succumb to the wounds and his opponent came in for the final strike, cutting the final blade down across his body with inhuman force and a cry of pure hate.
The golden haired swordsman landed agilely, his blades landing around him point first as he reached up almost casually to catch the blade he had just used to deliver the killing blow.
"Stay there for me", he said quietly, "Trapped in memory"
A single black-feathered wing ripped forth from the torn material by the silver haired man's shoulder, wrapping protectively around its owner, ready to return him to his place in the lifestream before the corrosive power of that last attack could damage his soul.
"I…will never be just a memory…Cloud"Cloud Strife sat bolt upright in bed, sweat flung from his slicked brow by the violence of the motion. He panted lightly as his mind registered his surroundings and helpfully provided him with a gentle reminder of where and when he was.
He was on the second floor of the bar christened "Seventh Heaven", the unofficial headquarters of "Strife Deliveries Inc" and also the home he shared with the orphans Denzel and Marlene.
Used to share, he mentally amended, the two nineteen year olds had moved out a few months ago to look for a place of their own and were renting an apartment not far from the bar so that they could still visit, and also so that Denzel could continue helping Cloud.
Now it was just him and Tifa.
Well, not quite. Cloud showed a rare smile, not missing the humour of the fact that people often thought he didn't know how to smile because they were never around when something amused him. He privately suspected it was part of some sort of cosmic joke.
He let blue eyes, glowing faintly from Mako infusion, glance at the softly breathing body next to him.
Tifa Lockheart Strife. His wife of seven years, was rolled over on one side, her breathing deep and even and her chocolate brown hair falling delicately over her shoulder.
His wife…and mother of his child.
Zeth Strife, born just under ten years previously after Sephiroth's aborted return and the death of Kadaj and his brothers.
Cloud frowned as bits of his dream returned to him.
This was the first time since that day he had dreamed of Sephiroth. Even his nightmares of the burning of Nibelhiem had faded upon his second defeat of his old foe and his final talk with Aeries.
Did this mean anything?
Cloud's brow furrowed further as he thought about anything he had heard lately that might have triggered his dream. There had been no mention of the events of that day recently, no one he recalled had even uttered Sephiroth's name in years. There was no talk of strange happenings or disaster on the horizon, no sudden disappearances or monster surges.
No killer diseases, he thought with a grimace, rubbing his left arm absently.
Still, there was a disconcerting feeling that something, had happened to trigger his unconscious thoughts, something potentially important.
"Father?"
The voice brought Cloud out of his musing. It was pitched just right to be heard above the faint noises coming from the streets outside, and quiet enough so as not to disturb even a fairly light sleeper like Tifa.
The voice belonged to Zeth, the nine year old with curious maturity, thick, messy, chocolate brown hair and crystal blue eyes.
He look at Cloud from the door to his and Tifa's room quizzically, hand over his mouth to politely cover a yawn.
The ex-SOLIDER wondered, and not for the first time, about his son's strange behaviour. Tifa had always shrugged it off, half-joking that it was nice to finally have a man in her life that had some manners.
Cloud's response had been to belch, a rare, if not inspired, show of humour. Zeth had looked ashamed rather than amused by his father's antics.
Pushing the memory aside, he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, resting his elbows on his knees.
"What's wrong Zeth?"
"…I don't know…", the young boy answered eventually, seeming annoyed that he couldn't give a better answer, "Something woke me up, but I can't remember what"
"You too huh?", Cloud said, slipping out of bed and shrugging on a thin grey robe, knotting the sash loosely around his waist.
Zeth looked up at his father curiously.
"You mean you had a bad dream too?"
"…I suppose you could say that", Cloud conceded after a small pause. There hadn't been anything particularly bad about the dream. It was just strange that it would occur after all this time for no apparent reason.
"You…you won't tell mother…will you?".
Cloud couldn't help but smile at that statement. For all his oddities, Zeth was still a young boy at heart, more concerned about an overly affectionate mother's impact on his growing self-image than the dreams themselves.
"I think it will manage to slip my mind son".
The dark haired boy sighed with relief, prompting his father to chuckle lightly. He really was Cloud's son at times, and it showed in moments like this.
"I think you better go back to bed before we wake your mother up", Cloud said, ushering Zeth back towards his own room.
When he was tucked in again, Cloud sat near his bed until his son's breathing assumed the even pace of sleep and stole quietly from the room.
He paused by the door before closing it, taking one last look at his sleeping child.
Everything was peaceful and normal; the dream was just an abnormality, nothing to be concerned with.
Everything was fine.
Cloud could have never known just how wrong he was.
----Author Notes---
This is just a teaser of sorts, me testing the waters of FFVII reviewers to see if it's worth continuing. R and R