Threnody For a Dream

Chapter One

He stood, a lone figure before the emptiness of the ocean, the waves lazily lapping against his ankles, the wind lightly brushing his spiky blonde hair. Behind him, buried partially in the sand, lay an enormous sword alongside his discarded footwear. Cupping his hands beneath the water and splashed it onto his face, the droplets running over and cascading down his chin in droplets. He breathed in deeply and closed his eyes in concentration, letting the salt air fill his lungs, before releasing it. An explosion; that much he could recall with clarity. It was preceded by…a fight? Yes…and someone called out to him, telling him to move. A hand pulled him back. And that cry, that shriek of "Cloud!" …who was that?

Cloud opened his eyes in frustrated disappointment, childishly kicking the water. Three days he had spent on this island and he was no closer to remembering who he was, or how he had ended up here, where ever here was. At least he remembered who he was: Cloud Strife, ex-SOLDIER turned mercenary. Most of his past was intact, to a point. He remembered working for Shinra, fighting alongside Sephiroth before quitting SOLDIER and hiring himself off as a merc in Midgar.

He trudged back onto the sand back towards his discarded gear. First he grabbed his sword, strapping it to his back and, once finished with that, picked up his boots, continuing his trek into a nearby copse of trees. Standing in the shade of the trees, small blades of grass gently prodding his feet, he dusted the sand off of himself before squatting down and pulling his boots on, setting off again afterwards. Making his way through the trees, Cloud could make out voices, far off in the distance. People from the nearby village he surmised. Cloud had found them during his wanderings the day before. It had started upon hearing a commotion down at the far end of the beach, loud shouts and hoots of laughter. He investigated and came across a group of young men, divided into pairs, passing around several of the same small white and blue studded ball. Cloud had watched from the shadows of the trees and nearby vegetation, studying them. Tall, dark skinned and muscular, several of them wore only a type of yellow balloon pant, save for one. He stood out from them, occasionally walking over to a pair and mutter some words to them before walking off. This man, their leader, Cloud presumed, had red hair that stuck straight up, a blue bandana wrapped around his forehead. He wore a kind of vest that covered his mid-chest area down to his stomach leaving his upper chest bare. He wore a yellow shoulder pad over his left shoulder, that was attached to a black sleeve covered by an arm guard. He, too, wore the same yellow balloon pant as his fellows. Cloud continued watching their practice for several minutes, only leaving once the group gathered their things and, still talking loudly, walked up a path and disappeared.

Part of him wanted to go investigate again, but he pushed the thought away. It wouldn't do, getting discovered by the natives. Sure, maybe they wouldn't attack on sight. Perhaps they would welcome him, even try to help him return home. But no. Cloud wouldn't take the risk. It was far better for everyone if he tried solving this problem himself. He continued his walk back towards his 'camp'. It wasn't much of one; he'd been doing nothing more than sleeping underneath some bushes further inland. He probably could camp out underneath this copse if he wanted, but his paranoia over being discovered overruled that thought. He was trudging along when he heard a particularly loud cry from behind. Startled, he spun around. The cry echoed through the air, from the opposite end of the beach. Cloud took a couple steps forward before changing his mind and turned back around. Whatever it was, it wasn't his problem.

Unfortunately, fate often has other plans.

Cloud had no warning; all he felt was the rush of wind and, as he turned around, saw a small white and blue blur before….

Blinding pain. That one sensation trumped every other. His head throbbed with the beat of his heart, each pulse sending surges of pain throughout his body. Cloud forced his eyes open, blinking back tears of pain. He was lying on his back, an orange sky above him. Tentatively he began pushing himself up, his head swimming. The pain increased, black spots appeared in his vision, but Cloud ignored them, struggling to get up. He couldn't. His strength failed and he flopped back onto his back. As the world spun around him and his vision began to fade, he could hear a distant voice calling.

When next he woke, Cloud was being carried, gently bridal-style, by the same red-headed man that he spied upon earlier. A groan escaped his lips, causing the man to look down in surprise. "Don't worry," he said with a smile, "Yuna will patch you up right quick, ya?" Cloud tried to speak but the effort was too much. He felt sick. The pain and his companion's movement, slow and careful as it was, became too much. Before either could react, Cloud retched, a small stream of vomit mixed with the sweet tang of blood, flew down onto his chest. A few chunks had, unfortunately, landed onto his companion, who nearly dropped Cloud in a mixture of concern and disgust. "Careful, Wakka!" came a woman's stern voice from Cloud's side. He tried to swivel his head to look at the speaker but the pain was too much. "I am being careful Lu!" said the man, Wakka, in annoyance, "Unless you want to carry him and get sprayed, ya?" Cloud drifted off again, the voices of his companions arguing fading away.

He drifted in and out of consciousness, occasionally hearing the murmuring of voices, soft footsteps around him and feeling a warmth on his face, its lightness washing over him, causing the pain to recede. Eventually he did wake up fully, finding himself lying down in a cloth covered hut, his shirt and shoulder guard missing. He struggled to rise, freezing upon hearing a gasp. He turned to his right and saw a young woman, kneeling before a small wooden chest beside his cot. The robe she wore was white at the top, covering only her chest and leaving her shoulders and upper arms bare, her lower arms covered in white billowing sleeves that faded to pink. A thick obi sash covered her mid-drift, gold in colour and covered in floral designs. The rest of the robe was a dark purple, which was also covered in floral designs and she wore black boots. Her brunette hair was about shoulder length, but in his assessment of her, Cloud was drawn to her eyes: they were different colours. One blue the other green. "Heterochromia" he muttered, for he had never seen anyone with it. She frowned slightly. "I'm sorry, did you say something?" "Nothing." he replied, resuming his effort to stand. The girl gave a slight "Oh!", snapping out of her trance and moved to help him up, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

He took her help graciously but without comment, placing both of his hands in hers and standing up, his legs wobbling under him. There was a moment when he almost fell but caught himself in time thankful that he didn't crash into the girl and take her down with him. "I'm sorry, but who are you?" Cloud asked. The girl's blush deepened. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I should have introduced myself earlier. I am Yuna. It's a pleasure to meet you, mister…"

"Cloud. Cloud Strife. I assume you're the one who healed me?"

Yuna nodded. "You gave us quite the scare you know. One minute, Wakka went to retrieve the ball and the next he came running, talking about finding a stranger unconscious in the woods. Although," she giggled, "he did change his tune a little when you vomited on him." Cloud looked away, embarrassed. He had forgotten about that. "I don't suppose you know where he is right now?" he asked. "Or where I can find my shirt and sword?" he added. Yuna nodded, extending a hand towards the entrance of the hut. "Of course. Follow me."

They exited the hut and Cloud found himself in the midst of a small village made up of similar buildings, about five or six of them total. Glancing around, eyes scanning, he saw several villagers, young and old, scattered across the village, each occupied with a task. There was no more than twenty he surmised. As Yuna led the way, each person stopped and stared and, if there was more than one person accomplishing the same task, the whispers that accompanied them. Cloud ignored them, focusing on their journey towards the end of the village. There, laid an enormous stone building, elegantly carved with woven tapestries hanging from the roof, a tear drop shaped awning that casted the landing and the stairs leading to it in shadow. Two woven banners hung from the sides of the awning, with a larger one hanging above them.

Some kind of church or temple, maybe. Cloud wondered, continuing to follow Yuna into the structure. His guess was correct; upon entering, Cloud's eyes were immediately drawn to a series of four statues, all carved from stone into the likeness of men. Behind and to either side stood a series of choral benches, where stood priests singing. Another tapestry hung from the ceiling, above a wooden doorway and the stairs leading to it. This tapestry bore the symbol of, in Cloud's mind, what resembled a winged eye.

Yuna must have noticed his wandering gaze as she spoke up. "This is our Temple of Yevon. It may not be as splendid as the Temples you'll find elsewhere, such as in Bevelle, but…" She trailed off and froze, Cloud almost bumping into her. Before them stood two individuals. The first was a human woman, with long black hair that covered the left half of her face and was pulled into a bun with long braids trailing down her back. She wore several necklaces and a long black gown lined with fur along the top, and with long, dropping sleeves. This gave her a long neckline, exposing her shoulders and the tops of her breasts. The front of her dress opened just above the groin partially exposing her thighs, which were wrapped in a pair of lacy stockings. The rest of her legs were unseen; the exposed area was criss-crossed with leather belts sown into the sides of the gown. In one hand she carried a doll. Hmm, a black mage perhaps? Cloud thought, assessing her. He turned towards her companion, who was even more strange.

He, Cloud presumed it was a he, was a giant, blue-furred, cat-man! Six feet tall and muscular, with a white mane that crowned his face in two long braids, and flowed down his back. A broken horn sat upon his forehead. Leather straps covered his arms and chest, holding together both his arm guards and his chest guard, which was decorated with a skull motif. He wore a colourful sash around his waist, held in place by a red cord, along with a pair of white ankle guards. Both of these newcomers glowered at the two expectantly.

The woman spoke. "You got caught up with helping him, didn't you?" She asked. Her tone wasn't accusatory, but more taciturn, like she was just stated a fact. Yuna, however, didn't seem to mind the abrasive tone, replying, rather cheerfully if not a little sheepish, "Yes. I just wanted to make sure he was OK before I entered the Trial." The woman nodded, as if expecting that answer then turned to Cloud. "You took quite the hit from that Blitzball. I hope you thanked Yuna for her service. She didn't need to help you, but she did. You probably don't remember this but I was with you when Wakka brought you back to the village. My name is Lulu. And this," she added, gesturing to her companion, "is Kimahri. Don't worry; he's usually this quiet." Cloud nodded. "I remember hearing your voice last night while Wakka carried me before I passed out again. I'm Cloud." "So you were coherent when that happened. I'm surprised you haven't been reunited with your shirt or sword yet." Lulu remarked.

Both Cloud and Yuna flushed, and, when Cloud turned towards her to ask the question, she blurted, "I asked Wakka to bring it when he came here! It had already been washed earlier but I forgot it on my way to check on you. Now that I think about it," she slowly turned to Lulu, "where is Wakka?" "I do not know." replied Lulu, "Its possible that he's in the village and will arrive at any minute. In any case, we've spent too much time waiting." Yuna made to protest, but remained silent and nodded affirmatively.

Yuna nodded and stepped forward, joining the two and together they walked towards the stairs. Cloud, after a moments hesitation, followed only to be pushed back by Kimahri. Lulu turned towards him and spoke. "Only appointed guardians may enter the Trial with their Summoner, remember? You'll have to wait out here for our return. Wakka should be here with your belongings soon enough." Cloud nodded; though he had no idea what Lulu meant by 'Summoner', 'Guardian' or what Trial Yuna was taking part in, he felt it was best to act like he knew what was going on, for the time being. Perhaps, he mused, walking back towards the entrance, Wakka will explain more once he shows up.

Upon exiting the Temple, Cloud strode down the stairs and back onto the path to the village, stopping before a stone pillar that stretched up, connected to the Temple awning. Crossing his arms, he stood, leaning against the warm stone, his eyes scanning for the familiar red tuft of hair that belonged to Wakka. Time passed unheeded as the warrior waited and, as the hours passed, he saw no sign of Wakka during his vigil. As the day wore on, Cloud grew increasingly agitated and fidgety, tapping his foot against the ground impatiently. The sun had reached mid-day when he finally had enough and stomped towards the village, hands balled tightly into fists and grumbling obscenities.

Upon seeing his angry form, the villagers shied away from him but Cloud didn't care. He was on the warpath, eyes darting all across the village for a glimpse of his quarry. He was so enthralled with his search that he failed to notice the young man trying to get his attention. It took a shout of. "Hey!" before Cloud noticed him and walked over. He recognized the man as part of the group Wakka was leader of. He wore the self-same outfit as during their practices, and approached Cloud with a timid, but determined face. "You're looking for Wakka, right? He's down at the beach with the others practicing drills. He forgot to mention it to Yuna before he left so he sent me to find you. Come on!" Without another word, the two took off down the dirt track to the beach.

Down the winding path they went, careful to keep their balance against the steepness of the hill. Finally they arrived to the awed murmurings of the assembled men. Both men exchanged glances as they walked over to the crowd. At its head stood Wakka and another man. Cloud could tell right away this newcomer was, like him, not a native of this land. He was a younger man, only a couple years younger than himself, with dishevelled, spiky, blond hair with the bangs parted to hang above his blue eyes. His skin was the same bronze colour as the Besaid villagers, but what drew Cloud's attention was the stranger's outfit. Much like himself. it didn't exactly fit with the native style of clothing.

The stranger wore a yellow, white hooded jacket, which was open, exposing his chest and his necklace. A blue pauldron covered his left shoulder and a metal gauntlet covered his arm and hand. He also wore a black glove on his opposite hand. He wore a black-Cloud wasn't sure what the garment was- overall? that covered his body and ended in a pair of shorts, the right leg longer than the other, and bore a red symbol upon it. The same symbol, Cloud reflected, as the pendant on his necklace. This strange outfit was held together by a black belt. He also wore yellow shoes with grey spots on the heel and toe.

Finished his examination, Cloud stepped closer to better hear the conversation between the newcomer and Wakka. "So you know how to play Blitzball, yeah? Want to show us that trick again?" The boy grinned and accepted a ball from one of the players wordlessly. The group parted to the sidelines, leaving just the newcomer and Cloud, who stood opposite him. The boy winked at Cloud, who felt himself redden and scowled, both at himself and at the newcomer. The boy stepped back and closed his eyes. He threw the ball straight up and, eyes still closed, leapt into the air, using the momentum to push himself upside down and, with a powerful kick, slammed into the ball, sending it spinning, flying towards…

Cloud threw himself to the side just in time for the ball to smash into the ground, right where the mercenary just stood. He got up, ignoring the exciting cheering and talking of the other men, as they crowded the newcomer, and made his way into the crowd, pushing people aside. He came face to face with Wakka, who was chatting amiably with the boy, who was the first to notice Cloud, and once again winked! Cloud, refusing to look away, scowled at the boy, whose grin widened, before accosting Wakka. "You have something of mine." he said, interrupting the other man. Wakka jumped a little in surprise, before noticing Cloud and laughing. "Oh! Its just you man. Yeah I know, I was supposed to meet you guys at the Temple, but as you can see," he gestured around them, "I kind of got distracted yeah?" He walked over to a discarded pack lying in the sand, gesturing to Cloud to follow. He reached in, and pulled out Cloud's missing gear: a black, sleeveless, high necked shirt, and a metallic-black pauldron. Cloud immediately threw on the garments, snatching them from Wakka's grasp the instant the other man held them out to him. After he finished strapping his pauldron on, Cloud looked at Wakka expectantly. When the other man stared blankly back, Cloud raised his arm out.

"My sword."

Comprehension dawned on Wakka's face as he answered, "Uh, it's back in the village. You honestly think I was gonna lug it all the way here?"

"Yes."

Wakka frowned. "Well sorry to disappoint. I figured I'd-" "Give it to me when you got to the Temple." Cloud finished. He sighed. "Which hut? Or do I have to search through all of them?" Wakka shook his head. "I'll show you where. Its getting late and I need to meet back up with Yuna, see how the Trial went. Hey, new guy!" he called over to the boy, who had been talking with the other men and now strode over at Wakka's call. "We're heading on out to the village. You should come with us! I want to hear more about your technique, and where you learned to play!" "Sure!" came the chipper reply. The three headed off, with Wakka calling out his goodbyes to the group, his teammates, Cloud learned.

As the trio walked the path Wakka and the boy, whose name Cloud learned was Tidus, chatted amiably about Blitzball, a conversation Cloud tuned out. He was so focused on the walk that he didn't immediately realize the other two stopping. Eventually, he did notice and, turning around, saw them standing a good twenty feet away, talking. Judging from Wakka's expression it wasn't a pleasant conversation. Cloud headed towards them, his head cocked to the side in curiosity. What could Tidus have said to make Wakka look so uneasy? he thought. Upon reaching them, he got his answer.

"What's the big deal?" Tidus was asking, annoyed. Wakka looked worried. "You said the last thing you remembered before waking up here was getting attacked by Sin, right? You must have gotten hit pretty hard by its toxin." "What are you talking about?" asked Cloud. The two looked at him. Wakka closed his eyes and sighed before turning back to Tidus. "Kid, you can't be from Zanarkand; it was destroyed about a thousand years ago. My guess is, you were attacked by Sin on your home island and, in the process, sent here. Sin's toxin must have scrambled your memories somehow. Although," he added as an afterthought, "I've never heard of that being a side effect of the toxin." Tidus' face fell; his cheery disposition vanishing. As he stood, shoulders slumped, and stared dejectedly at the ground, Cloud turned to Wakka. "Well I'm pretty sure Sin didn't send me here. Unless it can cause shit to explode." Wakka, who winced at the swear, frowned. He studied Cloud, as if seeing him for the first time.

"Where did you say you were from again?"

"I didn't"

Wakka nodded slowly, looking thoughtful. "In any case," said Cloud, "we should continue. We're wasting time standing here." Wakka nodded again and set off, the other two following. This time, Tidus walked beside Cloud. He still looked glum, but not as much as before. He leaned his head towards Cloud, curiosity brimming in his eyes. "Are you actually not from here too?" he asked, quietly. Cloud glanced up at Wakka; the other man was only a couple feet away, but Cloud was confident that he wouldn't hear his response. No use lying now that the truth is out in the open. Although I might be better off in the long run if I omit my suspicions. Cloud glanced back at Tidus. The younger man was watching him, eagerly waiting his reply. "Yeah its true. I'm from…"he paused briefly before settling for his answer, "far away. An island far from here. No idea how I wound up here though." Tidus nodded keenly, a smile creeping onto his lips. "Well, I feel better knowing I'm not the only stranger here." he said, throwing an arm over Cloud's shoulder, who growled at the contact and shrugged him off. He started walking away, ignoring Tidus' call of "hey!", trying to catch up to Wakka.

He almost succeeded; he was right behind the other man when an hand grabbed a hold of his arm and yanked him back. Tidus jumped in front of him, right when he stopped, and threw his arms out. "Why'd you run like that?" he asked, annoyed. Cloud scowled then continued walking, pushing past the boy without answering. This did little to deter Tidus. On the contrary, the boy followed alongside the warrior and continued to pester him with questions. Finally, Cloud stopped and glared down Tidus, who, to his credit, returned the look, hands resting on his hips. Cloud crossed his arms. "You're not going to let this go, are you?" he asked. Tidus raised his chin stubbornly. "Nope" he replied, popping the p. Cloud sighed in frustration. "Fine. I don't like physical contact so no touching." His face suddenly appeared before Tidus' causing the other boy to flinch in surprise. Cloud continued, "I also don't like questions. Or annoying people. So don't get the wrong idea: we. are. not. friends." he finished, poking Tidus' chest for added emphases. "Fine I get it." came the irritated reply. Satisfied, Cloud continued up the path towards Wakka, who was waiting on the summit of a nearby hill.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence; Wakka was thinking, Cloud was focused on the walk, and Tidus was sulking over the previous conversation. When the three made it up the hill, Wakka glanced over the side, down towards a clearing. Both Cloud and Tidus noticed this and turned their gazes down bellow. There, lay several ruins of crumbling towers scattered across the landscape. "There was a war once," intoned Wakka in a low voice, "people fought each other using machina-machines-and almost destroyed the world. Angry at mankind's sins, Yevon sent Sin as a punishment. This," he gestured to the ruins, "is the result. Sin destroys everything it touches." He turned towards Tidus. "This is why you can't be from Zanarkand; it lies in ruins. Destroyed by Sin over a thousand years ago. But don't worry, we'll find your real home and get you back there. Both of you." he added glancing at Cloud. Tidus smiled in response, though Cloud quickly noted how his eyes remained melancholy. Whatever the truth, Cloud suspected that Tidus was, in fact, telling the truth, however outrageous it might sound. Only time will tell I guess. He thought.

The rest of the journey passed quickly. Tidus, regaining some of his cheerfulness, began talking about Blitzball with Wakka, Cloud trailing behind them. They learned that Wakka was the captain of the local team, the Besaid Aurochs, the legendarily worst team to play ever. After Wakka's brother, Chappu, died in service to a military organization called the Crusaders, Wakka quit the team but had yet to find a replacement. This information led Tidus to leap out to the front of the group and declare that he would help them become champions. The two men stared at him, Wakka hopeful and Cloud incredulous. He was annoying before, but now…now I see him becoming a pain in the ass. Luckily enough they had just entered the village outskirts, the Temple of Yevon towering in the distance before them. "Alright, lets grab the sword first before Mr. Mercenary over here loses it." said Wakka, grinning at Cloud, who scoffed. They were just about to enter when Wakka stopped abruptly and pulled the two aside, off the path and into nearby bush. "Alright you two, I almost forgot about this. Since you got hit with the toxin, I think we should go over something real quick." he said. Cloud and Tidus exchanged looks, or, more accurately, Tidus glanced over at Cloud, who ignored him and looked stoically at Wakka.

"Go on".

Wakka nodded. He drew himself up and, passing his arms across his chest, he cupped his hands but kept them apart, as if he was holding an invisible sphere, before bowing his head. "This is the sacred gesture of the Temple; everyone knows it and is expected to do it when giving thanks to Yevon." he explained. "You'll be expected to do it when we get inside." Cloud bit back a snort. He had never been much of a believer in higher powers. Not since…

A sudden pain shot through his skull, like a migraine but worse. Spots appeared in his vision, as he dropped to his knees, hands clutching his head, breathing heavily. Wakka's face appeared for a moment, his mouth moving but no sound issuing from his throat. Cloud reeled from the pain, nausea forcing him onto his side. He could see Wakka and Tidus talking worriedly over him out of his peripheral but couldn't concentrate. The pain was too much. He vomited violently onto the ground, just missing the others who jumped back. He tried to will the pain away, but it was too much. He fainted.

Fire. Fire everywhere.

He was back in Midgar, on the streets of Sector Five. Avalanche had just escaped the collapsing inferno of the mako reactor through the sewers, climbing back onto ground level before splitting up again. Cloud walked past the burning, crumbled facades of nearby apartments that were caught in the explosion, ignoring the panicked cries and overall chaos around him. The job he was hired for was done; these people didn't matter. They were nothing to him, unless they paid him to help. He continued his walk, boots crunching against broken asphalt and cement, passing overturned vehicles and the mixed stream of first responders and brave (or foolhardy) civilians, eager to lend a hand. Tifa will want me to continue, thought Cloud. He shook his head; he had no interest in 'saving the planet' like the others. Why should he care? He could take care of himself now and when, if, the world ended just like Barret preached it would earlier.

He turned around a corner and paused. Ahead, several Shinra security officers, bedecked in their grey and black cloth uniforms, stood in the middle of the road, their vehicles blocking the sidewalks. A checkpoint. Great. Cloud thought despondently. Eyes scanning the area, he spotted a back alley behind, and off to the side. Out of the scrutiny of the officers. Perfect. He slipped nonchalantly into the mouth of the passage, gliding into the gloom. Dumpsters, that overflowed with garbage, made this alleyway home. The fallen detritus covering the ground, crunching beneath Cloud's feet. Up above, soft light glittered, cutting through the night. Their source: the many scattered windows and the occasional ground level porch that lined the passage, like silent sentinels.

Cloud was about to exit back onto the street when he felt it. The prickling at the back of his neck. The feeling of being watched. He spun around, unsheathing his buster sword in a whirl and stood facing the dim way. At first, nothing. Then he felt it again, from the other side. He spun around facing an empty street bathed in light. He gripped the sword tightly, leather gloves creaking. From far away came a whisper, the fleeting sound of laughter. Cloud tensed but nothing happened.

"It was always fun, watching you squirm."

Cloud spun around to face empty air. Breathing heavily, he tried to force himself to calm down. His heart pounded, blood ringing in his ears. Eyes darting all over the place.

"Yes, remember your training. Stay cool under pressure."

Cloud spun again, this time raising and smashing his sword into the pavement. The same, low, mocking laughter reached his ears again. He spun in a circle, eyes darting frantically. Everything seemed to loom over and around him, making him feel small and closed in. The lights cast large, scornful shadows that seemed to leap out at him, causing him to swing blindly through the darkness. Soon everything spun around him, encasing him in a dark, endless sea of shadows underneath an impossibly bright sky. He was baked in cold sweat, terror flowed freely through his veins. He snapped. "WHERE ARE YOU?!" He screamed.

His cry echoed through the night, and the shadows provided no answer. He collapsed to the ground, defeated, exhausted. Eyes closed in a silent supplication that this was over.

"Here I am".

Cloud's eyes snapped open, revealing his tormentor towering over him. His black coat whipped by a silent wind, light gleaming from silver pauldrons and long silver hair, tussled by the same unfeeling wind. Sephiroth smiled. "Hello Cloudy. Its been a while."

Cloud screamed and ran at him, sword poised. He brought it down, and-

The sound of shattered steel echoed around him. He looked down. The buster sword was shattered; pieces of his faithful blade lay scattered across the inky blackness. All he held was a useless hilt. He stared at the hilt; his sword, Zack's sword, had failed him when he needed it the most. Sephiroth's mocking laughter filled his ears again. "Poor, lonely, little Cloud. Lost the boy of his dreams. Lost his precious mother. Lost his precious. little. sword." Cloud faced him, and stood timidly before his foe, the remains of the buster sword shaking in his hands. Sephiroth grinned. Cloud had no time to react. His foe charged him with unnatural speed, a katana raised in his hands, then came down. It met no resistance.

Cloud stood numbly, impaled, his sword dropping to the ground from nerveless fingers. Sephiroth was still grinning, manically, like a demented clown. A smile that stretched from ear to ear. He leaned forward. "Nothing can save you from me, Cloud. Nothing. So run. Run far, far, away and keep running. I'll catch up eventually. Then, we can finally put an end to this crazy little game of ours." Cloud tried to speak, to retort, but all that came out was a watery garble, blood oozing, pouring from his lips and down his lips, chin, throat and onto his shirt. Sephiroth leaned in closer. Cloud felt like he was shrinking. The towering frame of Sephiroth filled his gaze. That terrible grinning face came forward, teeth parted and-

Cloud sat up gasping; his breaths coming in short pants. A cold sweat covered him from head to toe, his clothes clinging to the damp skin. It took a couple minutes before he calmed down sufficiently enough to take in his surroundings. Once again, he lay on the padded floor of a hut. This time, however, he awoke to the blackness of night, rather than bright daylight. Turning to his side, he glanced around. He was alone, yet could hear soft murmuring and laughter from outside. Curious, he got up and walked outside. The bright moon and stars greeted him overhead, while in the middle of the village sat a fire, around which several of the villagers sat around. Cloud immediately recognized Wakka and Tidus among them and was surprised to see Yuna, surrounded by a mixture of older folk and children, curled up comfortably beside the fire. No one had noticed his arrival, until he stood within a few feet of the gathering. Close enough to be seen without joining. Eventually, Tidus noticed his approach and waved before excusing himself from the throng and walked over. "Hey, you're finally awake! Are you doing better?" he asked. "Yeah." replied Cloud. "What's going on?" he asked.

"Yuna passed her trial and is now a full-fledged summoner!"

"And, what's a 'summoner'?"

"No idea."

Cloud snorted in amusement. Tidus grinned in response. "Huh. I was wondering if you had any other emotions besides broody and angry" he teased. Cloud rolled his eyes. "Yeah whatever. What happened after…?" "After you collapsed?" asked Tidus. Cloud nodded, flushing. Tidus rubbed the back of his neck ruefully. "Well, its kind of a long story. Basically, Wakka and I panicked after you blacked out and brought you to his house, er, hut. We were planning on waiting it out, then going on together but…" Tidus trailed off, his gaze flickering from the Temple, to Yuna, then back to Cloud. In the light of the fire, Cloud could just make out the boy's blush. "You did something, didn't you?" asked Cloud. The boy chuckled awkwardly, his blush deepening. "Yeah I might have done something a little stupid. Wakka and the others weren't exactly happy with me after. But I couldn't help it! They said Yuna had been in there all day and hadn't come out yet! What was I supposed to do, just wait?!" exclaimed Tidus.

Cloud said nothing, watching the revelry of the villagers for a moment before facing Tidus again. "You went in after her." he said, neutrally. Tidus nodded. "She had protection in case anything went wrong." Cloud continued. "I know that now," said Tidus, "but at the time, I thought she was in there alone, hurt or worse, and it looked like nobody wanted to help. Nobody wanted to break the rules to help a girl in trouble!". Silence grew between them. Tidus shifted uncomfortably, while Cloud stared into the flames, thinking. "You know nothing about this world, right?" he finally asked. Tidus nodded. "You've never heard of this island, or Sin, or any of this, right?" Again Tidus nodded. Cloud stood silently, mulling things over before continuing.

"I have a proposition for you."

Tidus perked up at these words. Cloud continued. "We're both stuck here, far from home and with no way to get back currently. Normally I wouldn't even dream of doing this. But now…now I have no choice." He turned to Tidus. "Wakka, and I presume the others, believe that we are suffering from Sin's toxin. That's why they think we're acting so different compared to everyone else we've met. I propose we work together to keep up this charade and pool together whatever information either of us gains. If we work together, we might be able to get ourselves back home. So, do we have an agreement?"

He watched as Tidus considered his offer. Finally he answered with, "You just said you wouldn't consider this, so why? Why offer to help me?" "Because," came the reply, "I think this is the best chance we've got. Working together will give us a higher chance at success." Or, at least, I hope it does, Cloud mused silently. I don't like him, but…he reminds me of someone. A face appeared briefly in his mind's eye. It vanished as soon as he focused on it.

After several minutes, Tidus nodded. "Okay," he said, "I'll do it. I'll work with you to get ourselves back home." Cloud returned the nod, stifling a yawn. It had been a long day and though he loathed the idea of returning to bed, to sleep, he could feel his eyelids drooping. As he began walking back to the hut, Tidus called out. He stopped and waited for the boy to reach him. "I forgot to ask: what's your name?"

Cloud flushed with embarrassment; he struck a bargain with this kid and didn't even introduce himself? Must be more tired than I thought, he thought sheepishly. "Call me Cloud".