ATE: I never thought I'd return to doing something related to Final Fantasy VII, but here I am returning to my roots on this site. I'd like to introduce you to my new story Insight. At first this started as an idea that I wasn't sure that I wanted to make into a story, but thanks to a friend of mine that helped me brainstorm this concept into an actual plot I was encouraged to go through with it. As you might've already guessed by the summary, this story will take place during the main game and will follow my OC (The image for this story is of her, which I drew). I hope that you will find this story interesting. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Final Fantasy VII. I only own my OC.

Insight

~*~Chapter 1~*~

She sat at her desk, reading one of the many strategy books she'd been given. But at the time she couldn't seem to focus on the words at the moment despite having read that very book many times in the past. She ended up placing the book down before turning to her right where a window was located, showing a view of the upper plates of Midgar as the sun set on the large city, along with the light shining in through the gap that the Sector 7 plate had once been earlier that day.

To think she had once been part of that world outside her window, for she had not always lived in the medical wing of the Shinra Building. Once, she had lived in the slums with her parents when she was nothing more than a little girl, but those were days she barely remembered now. She used to write to them all the time in order to keep in touch with them, but in recent years she'd given up doing so, seeing no point in continuing.

What was the point in continuing to write letters when the chances of ever seeing her parents again were very slim? She had been there for so long that she couldn't even remember what they looked like. She couldn't recall the warmth of her mother's embrace or the sound of her father's laugh. She couldn't remember the happiness she once felt when she was still with them.

Nothing more than a distant memory…

The only thing she could remember of them was when she was first submitted to the hospital, and what led up to her being here.

Back when she was 5, she had been diagnosed with a disease (she couldn't recall what it was called), along with only having a few years left to live. She remembered her parents being distraught over being given this news, but a day or so later they were approached by Shinra, claiming to have a experimental procedure that could save her life. Her parents, being desperate to save the life of their only daughter, agreed to have her go through the procedure despite the chances of her surviving and filled out the paperwork before she was taken. The procedure ended up mostly being a success in saving her life, but the doctors and scientists informed her that she needed to remain in the hospital wing so they could monitor her health in case any side effects might appear and they could catch them early, all while they developed a better cure and the endeavor of improving it to be more affective.

That was 20 years ago…

Now here she was, staring out the window of the room provided to her by Shinra, wanting more than anything to see her parents again.

But again, what were the chances of that ever happening?

And even if she were able to, would they recognize the woman she'd become? She knew that she was different from how she was as a little girl, and that was something she couldn't deny. But she couldn't help but wonder if they forgot what she looked like.

She gazed at her reflection in the window, her gray eyes staring back. Dark brown bangs fell in her eyes as the rest of her hair framed the sides of her face, reaching to her knees. She was dressed in the simple white shin-length dress that she was given to wear by the doctors, the short sleeves reaching mid bi-cep and loose in an almost bell bottom fashion, while on her feet were white flats.

She hated that her skin was so pale from having been stuck inside for so long. It was a faint memory, but she recalled a time when her skin had more color and looked healthy, her hair being a brighter shade, and her eyes shining bright with hope. The reflection staring back at her was none of those things.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the door to her room slid open and in the reflection of the window she saw one of the nurses walk in. She sighed, knowing it was that time again.

Time for another injection.

She followed the nurse out of her room and down the hallway, knowing that she was being taken to wherever Hojo was in the Science Department on the same floor (though what separated the Medical Wing from the Science Department was a high security door that only a few had clearance for).

Originally she had only seen Hojo for exercises to evaluate her mental skills and such, but in recent years he had gotten more involved in her life (specifically concerning her health) by giving her weekly check-ups. Though she would never show it, the older man scared her, ever since…

No, she wouldn't think about him.

Not when she was about to see Hojo.

As soon as she was brought to Hojo's Lab the nurse left her there, the owner himself reading over a clipboard and seeming as if he didn't know she were there, but she knew better than to assume that.

"So…how do you feel today?" He asked, not once looking up from the clipboard in his hand.

"Professor Hojo, with all due respect, I fail to see the point in answering that question." She replied.

Every time she came in to see him, Hojo would always ask the same question, as if expecting a change in her demeanor or something.

Hojo lifted his beady eyes from the clipboard and grinned, almost as if he knew what she was thinking or was able to guess her line of thought.

"Humor me."

"I feel normal."

The older man frowned at this, not satisfied with her answer.

"Elaborate."

She quietly sighed, she should've known better than to think she'd get away with giving such a simple answer.

"I don't feel any different than the last time I visited. I don't know what you're looking for, but that's the only answer I have for you."

"I see…" Was Hojo's response before going over to a counter where he kept his supplies.

She took this time to look around the room as she waited, becoming curious upon seeing the red creature trapped in the glass containment unit nearby. As she got closer to the unit the creature lifted his (at least she assumed it was a he) head up and fixed her with his ochre colored eye (the right eye having been scarred that it couldn't be opened), and it continued to watch her cautiously as she knelt down in front of the glass so that she was eye leveled with him. The creature himself looked as if to be a cross between a lion and a wolf (she couldn't decide which he resembled more of the two), the end of his tail being alight with a strong flame and fur that had a mixture of dark red and orange. In the thin brown mane on his head were beads and two feathers, along with the creature wearing earrings and what appeared to be bracelets on his legs. There were black brands on his legs, but the most noticeable was the "XIII" tattooed above his left front leg.

She couldn't help but find him fascinating, not having ever seen such a creature before (at least not in any of the books she'd been given to read), and it was when she lifted her gaze to look at his good eye that she realized he must've been observing her as well. What surprised her was the amount of intelligence she could see in his eye, and she knew that this proud looking creature was more than just a wild animal.

"What is this?" She asked, looking over her shoulder in the direction Hojo was in.

"That is merely a specimen I plan on using for an upcoming experiment."

She turned back to look at the creature when she heard him growling and saw that he was baring his teeth. She'd been right in assuming his intelligence because he seemed to be capable of understanding what Hojo said, and it was apparent that he didn't like the idea of being an experiment.

"He doesn't seem to like the idea of being an experiment, as well as being trapped in that container." She noted.

"He's a mindless animal, not a pet."

"His eye tells me otherwise, Professor. He's more intelligent than you're giving him credit."

She turned around in time to see Hojo whip around to face her, his eyes narrowing in a silent warning that told her that he didn't approve of her opinion.

"Quit talking nonsense of things you cannot understand! If I'm not mistaken, you were taught not to consider such notions!"

She turned around and lowered her gaze to the floor, knowing that Hojo's words were true. Even as a child she was discourage from being imaginative in any way, and one could only imagine how that could affect a person's childhood. If anything, she really didn't have much of a childhood (assuming there was anything to begin with) once she started living in the Shinra Building.

Only more proof…

Lifting her gaze up to look at the red creature, she lightly placed a hand on the glass surface. She would've given him a reassuring smile, but given her circumstances she couldn't.

"I know what it's like to be trapped." She said quietly, watching as the creature turned his head so that his left eye was looking at her. "You constantly think of those you care about, wondering if you'll ever see them again. I've been wondering that for the past 20 years."

"I suggest you get over here, woman. I don't have all day." Hojo called, growing impatient.

She sighed at this, not at all looking forward to the injection the old scientist had prepared for her.

"Don't forget those who care about you, even if it seems like you might never see them again." She said before standing up. "Don't be like me…"

With that she turned away from the containment unit before making her way over to where Hojo was waiting impatiently for her. She held her arm out to him as soon as she stood before him and the old scientist didn't hesitate to inject the mysterious serum into her body. She was relieved once it was over, but it was short lived when she suddenly felt strange.

She couldn't breathe!

Why couldn't she breathe?!

She clutch at her throat on reflex, but her problems didn't end there. Her hearing soon became distorted to the point that the only thing she could hear was her own heart beating loudly in her own ears. She knew that other people entered the lab, but she didn't pay them much mind as she started to panic (something she rarely did).

What was happening?!

She soon became lightheaded and before she knew it everything went dark.

When she came to she found herself surrounded by the scientists, and it was at that time that they realized she was awake. She noticed that they seemed excited about something as one of them came up to her.

"We have good news for you." They told her. "You're cured!"

She took a sharp intake of breath at this, feeling as if this was all some sort of dream.

She was cured?

After 20 years of staying in this place and being used as a sort of guinea pig for the scientists to use as they developed a better cure for her disease, she was finally cured?

She couldn't believe it, and yet at the same time it was actually happening.

That meant she could finally go home and see her parents!

"I want to go home." She suddenly said, her declaration caught everyone's attention.

"You can't."

"What do you mean by that? You said I'm cured. I should be able to go home now."

"Calm her down." Hojo simply said, as if he hadn't heard her words.

"I want to go home! I want to see my parents! I haven't seen them in so long!"

Suddenly she felt a sting in her neck before becoming relaxed. She felt a pair of arms dragging her out of the lab and before she knew it, she found herself laying on the bed in her room staring up at the white ceiling. She sighed before closing her eyes, knowing there was nothing she could do in her current state, but she couldn't stop the thoughts in her head.

She was cured.

She wanted desperately to go home and see her parents.

But they wouldn't let her.

Why wouldn't they let her see them?

Hadn't she waited long enough?

It was at that point that she felt a presence in her room.

"I knew you would come eventually." She said softly, knowing who it was without looking.

She could hear their footsteps as they approached the bed and soon felt it dipped slightly as they sat down at the end.

"It's been awhile since your last visit." She told him as she opened her eyes.

"Sorry about that." He apologized, his familiar voice giving her some comfort. "You've…changed since I last saw you."

She let out a short humorless laugh, not at all surprised by this.

"Of course I have. I grew up." She turned her head to look in his direction, noting his appearance. "You haven't changed a bit. You never seem to do so."

And she was right. He hadn't changed at all, looking the same as the first day she met him. Always wearing the same black business suit and tie, same hairstyle, same everything really.

Not a single change.

At this he seemed to avert his eyes, almost as if he was guilty of something. Regardless of whether or not that was true, she didn't bother asking him about it. It was something of a mutual agreement between them; if there was something either of them didn't want to discuss, they would dropped the topic and move on to the next. That was something she appreciated of him at times.

She sighed quietly before turning her gaze back to the ceiling, knowing that she'd have to be the one to change the subject now.

"I got another injection today." She started, and out of the corner of her eye she could see him lift his head a bit. "Unlike the others I've had in the past, I had the worst reaction to it. Apparently I've been cured by their latest iteration."

"Are you feeling okay?" He asked, turning to face her.

She glanced at him, taking note of the concern that showed on his face. Why was he so concerned about her wellbeing all of a sudden?

"I don't feel any different than I normally do. I…think Hojo did something to me when I passed out after being injected."

She was surprised when he suddenly got up from the bed before walking the few steps it took to reach where her head was laying on the pillow, gazing down at her with that concerned look of his before kneeling down.

"How do you know? What makes you think he did something to you?"

His questions confused her, or at least his concern did.

"I don't know how I know, I just do. I just have a feeling that he did. I wish I could just tell you more than that, but I can't."

He was silent at this, suddenly looking troubled before he sat on the floor with his back leaning against the side of her bed. She watched as he balled his right hand into a fist before slamming it repeatedly on the ground. It was only then that she realized he was angry about something, almost as if he hadn't liked what he'd just heard. Not hesitating in the slightest, she reached out to place a hand on his shoulder, causing him to tense up from the contact.

Rarely did such contact ever occur between them, but when it did it was the strangest thing.

After all, weren't imaginary friends intangible?

Nevertheless, she didn't like seeing him looking so upset when he was usually composed, which was why she felt the need to intervene.

"Stop." She simply told him.

At first he didn't seem to move at all, but after a few minutes he lowered his raised fist so that it lay limply at his side. He hung his head, looking almost defeated over something. She didn't know what to make of his body language, but something about it bothered her and she couldn't figure out why. Seeing that he wasn't upset she felt it was safe to remove her hand from his shoulder.

"I don't understand why you're upset, but you're acting as if this is your fault somehow."

He stayed quiet, and she wondered what he was thinking about.

"I want you to try and escape from this place." He suddenly said, lifting his head.

She stared at the back of his head, confused by his words.

"Escape?" She asked. "Why?"

"I don't think it's safe for you to be here any longer." He then turned his body around so that he could face her, his face set with a determined look. "I don't care how you go about it, but I want you to get out of here."

She turned her head away from his face to stare at the ceiling.

The idea of being free…

It sounded so tempting.

She wanted it so bad right now.

But…

"I can't." She whispered. "As much as I want to leave, I know I can't. What would I do? Where would I go?"

"What you do is your choice. And it doesn't matter where you go, just as long as you get as far away from Midgar as possible."

"You make it sound so easy, but you and I both know that isn't the case."

She heard him sigh at this.

"You can't keep following routine forever." He told her. "One of these days something will change and you won't know how to handle it."

"What if I want to just follow routine?"

"Tell me: is that truly your own choice or was it merely what someone else has told you to do?"

She thought about his question. Now that he brought it up, she started to wonder if it was her choice to follow routine or not. But the more she thought about it, the more she got confused. She felt doubt.

"I don't know."

Out of the corner of her eye she could see him turn his head away from her.

"You can't let them keep you here, Amalthea. What they're doing to you isn't right."

"What would you know?" She asked, turning to him. "It's not like you're here on a regular basis."

At this his head turned quickly to face her.

"I know enough." He said darkly, his eyes narrowing at her.

With that he suddenly disappeared, leaving her alone in her Spartan-like room. She sighed before staring up at the ceiling.

Amalthea.

That was her name, the only thing she could remember of her previous life.

What if her friend was right?

What if she wasn't safe anymore?

Amalthea had no reason to doubt his words. He'd been there for her ever since she started living here, though his visits were random at best. His visits were the only thing that gave her a shred of happiness and were something she'd always looked forward to. But never had they ended one of their conversations on such a bad note before, and she felt horrible that she was the cause of it.

What if this was the last time she saw him?

She would never see him again if that was the case.

She didn't want that.

She was lonely enough as it was, and now her only friend had left because he was mad at her.

'It's my fault.' She thought.

Feeling drained, Amalthea closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off into slumber.

ATE: So what did you all think of this first chapter? I know it's not much, but it's a start to something that'll develop in time. Just so you all know, I plan on mainly following the script of the original game since the Final Fantasy VII Remake hasn't been released yet, but once it has, I may go back and fix certain things such as dialogue and whatnot, if not just do a rewrite. As for the OC's name, I deliberately picked the name Amalthea for a reason (which I won't share for now).

Thank you for taking the time to read and please review! ;D