Author: Silverhair Theory

Disclaimer: Everything belong's to Square-Enix or Squaresoft or whatever they're calling themselves these days. Even I belong to them. Sephiroth, however, is not owned by them as he is untouchable.

PART 1: NIBELHEIM

Chapter 1: If I was like you...

"Hey Spike! Woohoo, chocobo head? Anyone home?" The bigger boy tapped on the side of Cloud's head. Cloud ignored him and kept walking.

"What's the matter? Are you deaf and dumb, chocobo head? Are there any brains in that spiky head of yours?" Just keep walking... Cloud told himself. He'll get tired eventually...

"Stop ignoring me, chocobo head! Answer me or I'll kick your blondy face off!"

Cloud stopped. The bigger boy stopped as well and stared down at Cloud. "Well?"

"Yes." Cloud said, then turned and carried on walking.

"Yes what? What are you yes-ing to?"

Cloud gave a theatrical sigh. "Yes, Rex, I do have brains in my "Chocobo head" as you say. Which is more than I can say for you!"

There was a collective whispering and chuckles from the group of boys and girls that were hanging around, following Rex. Rex's face turned sour.

"Shut your mouth, chocobo head. Do you hear?" He grabbed Cloud by the shoulder and spun him around, putting his face only inches away from Cloud's own.

Cloud was silent for a few seconds, and small blonde and tall, lanky black stared with hatred into each others eyes.

"Make me." Cloud said.

Rex stood still for a moment, then with a shove he sent Cloud sprawling on the ground. There was a cheer from the kids surrounding and Rex grinned round.

Cloud struggled to his feet and the cheer died away to be replaced by boos and hisses.

Cloud looked around at them. The children he had grown up with. He knew every one of them by sight and most of them by name. And every one of them hated him.

Rex stood ahead, floppy black hair falling greasily across his face. Rex was tall, lanky and a bully. He bullied Cloud because he was the smallest, because Cloud couldn't fight back. Standing behind him were the rest of the gang. Thule, Rex's right hand man and muscle-bound hit-man. Mokuba, the sly, backstabbing one. Tsara, Rex's girlfriend and wicked at judo. Cloud had been slam dunked by her too many times.

Rex gave a growl. "Keep your eyes of my girl, short-ass." He ran at Cloud and before he had a chance to react had punched Cloud across the side of the face. Cloud stayed standing.

"Sorry. I'm sure looking at her is really going to make a difference."

Rex's lip curled. "I thought I told you not to open your mouth?"

"And I thought I told you to make me." Cloud folded him arms and smirked at Rex.

"Stop grinning at me!" Rex roared and leapt at Cloud. He bowled Cloud over backwards and Cloud landed on his back with a thump, Rex punching him repeatedly. He could hear the crowd egging Rex on in the background.

Rex's hands closed around his throat and Cloud gasped for air. Rex was squeezing, strangling him, Cloud clawed at Rex's hands but it was no good, Rex was too strong, Cloud was too weak, the scene was going white...

A shout echoed across the town square and the crowd cleared. Rex took his hands from Cloud's throat and got up, wiping his hands on his jacket with a look of disgust.

"You got lucky, short-ass. But don't worry, I'll be back." He turned and ran off, out of Cloud's vision.

Cloud couldn't speak. He could hardly breathe. He turned his head slightly to see who had stopped Rex and saw a tall, green-clad woman with short red hair rushing across the square from the schoolhouse.

"Cloud! Cloud? Are you okay?" She knelt beside Cloud and helped him sit up. He roughly stood up and knocked her hands away. It wouldn't do him any favours to be seen being helped up by a girl.

"I'm fine, Miss Shira." He said gruffly and his schoolteacher sighed.

"Those kids. They pick on you, don't they?"

Cloud looked scathingly at her. Really, was she so clueless? He turned to her and she noticed the blue lines on his neck. Her hand went to her mouth.

"No, Cloud, they didn't! Why, why are they so mean to you?"

Becasue I'm small. Because I'm different. Because I wear my hair different or have my clothes different. He wanted to say. But he didnt. "Dunno, Miss." He glared at her. Damn woman, she asked so many awkward and completely clueless questions.

"Well, I'll have a word with the headmaster." Miss Shira gave one last sorrowful look at Cloud then turned away and walked back over to the schoolhouse.

Cloud sighed and turned around. Miss Shira was the only one in the entire village who was nice to him. Oh, and sometimes that Tifa girl. But even she had been ignoring him lately.

He walked the last few minutes to his house and went in.

"I'm home, mom."

A small, blonde woman, who looked very much like himself came into the hallway.

"Cloud! My, you're home late. Did something happen at school?"

"No." Well, it was true. They had not attacked him until he was out of the building.

"Oh. Okay. Well, tea'll be in twenty minutes."

She went out, back to the kitchen and Cloud kicked off his boots and took off his jacket. He climbed the rickety stairs and went into his room, closing the door behind him.

He went and sat down on his bed and looked at the poster of Him.

Cloud had a lot of posters. Mostly they were pictures of swords and weapons, a couple were of motorbikes and one was of an airship. But the biggest poster, and the one he like best, hung directly opposite to his bed, so that wherever he was in the room, he could see it.

He had gotten it out of a van wreckage he had come across while out in the wood, when he was nine. He was fourteen now and the picture had occupied the same space since then.

It spanned the height of the room, and was divided into two bits, a small black side , with writing on it, and a larger side with a green background. Standing in the middle of the green was a man.

He was tall, handsome and wore black. He had long silver hair that reached his waist and was holding a long, thin bladed sword.

The poster said the man was called Sephiroth.

Cloud had known there was something special about the man when he had first laid eyes on the picture. He emanated a kind of power, that awed and sometimes frightened him.

Cloud had read the writing on the black side of the poster hundreds, maybe thousands of times.

Your Empire needs YOU

Interested in learning fighting skills?

Want to join the world largest fighting force?

Think you have what it takes to join ranks with some of the most valued fighters in the world?

Then sign up today!

If you are 15 or over, male, and have an interest in any of the above, join SOLDIER, the elite fighting force of Shinra Company and work for the most powerful man in the world, President Shinra.

Earn good wages and become skilled in over fifty different fighting styles!

You too can be like Sephiroth

That last line was what had always fascinated Cloud.

You too can be like Sephiroth.

You too...

Be like Sephiroth...

"If I was like Sephiroth..." Cloud said aloud.

"If I was like you..." He stared into the eyes of the man in the picture. They were green, almost powerfully so, and had an almost slit-like quality to them.

"If I was like you..." I'd make Rex pay. I'd slam dunk Tsara. I'd smash Rex's face so bad that he'd make a dent in the ground where he fell.

If I was like Sephiroth...

If I was like you...

A voice cut through his thoughts.

"Cloud! Dinner time!"

Sighing, Cloud got up off the bed. He went to the door and opened it. He looked back at the picture. Sephiroth's green eyes seemed to follow him.

"If I was like you..."

I'd be free.

Author's Notes: Yes, I know, It's kinda boring at themoment. But it will get better and I have about 13 chapters already written so I'll be updating regularly. Just review to let me know you want more!