A/N: This thing needs more Shadow fics. Seriously. Oh, and the rating is mostly for suggestion of, um, "mature topics" and my tendency to enjoy lots of cussing.

Oh, and I'm well aware that somebody who's probably a better writer than me has used the title before (I read like the first chapter, had to get offline so I skipped to the end), but I named it before I realized, and I'm sure as hell not changing it now. I *like* that title, OK? It *fits* (the pun man, the pun). And another thing: I *do* try to be original in my fics, and if anyone accuses me of copying (well obviously I'm copying, this is fanfic, it's impossible *not* to copy), I will look into it. If there is one thing I hate, it's cliches.

Disclaimer: You've heard it before and you'll hear it again: FFVI isn't mine, Shadow isn't mine (noo! Noo! Writer bangs the keyboard with her fists), even the damn title isn't mine, and I'm making absolutely no money off of this. If I was, I'd have a PS2 by now.

Summary: Shadow barely escapes Kefka's tower alive, and makes his way to Narshe, only wanting to stay there for the winter and then leave again. But in Narshe he finds more than he expected – old acquaintances and remnants of the past haunt him until he is forced to face his fears instead of running away.

By Junipertree – [email protected]

Shadows of the Past

Prologue

He breathed in the thick, tar-scented air that surrounded Kefka's tower, wondering why he had ever come here in the first place. Wondering why he had ever joined the Returners at all – it wasn't as if he really cared about their cause, anyway. Whether or not some clown sat on top of a pile of rubble blowing things up, he would always make a living.

Killing for money or killing for some 'noble cause' is still the same thing. I guess I just figured I had enough money. Shadow laughed hollowly at his own pathetic little joke, then sank to his knees, leaning against some odd structure for support. He did not really want to know what it was, but with his luck it was probably the desiccated corpse of somebody who had displeased the master of the tower. The ground was wet and muddy, but it wasn't as if Shadow really cared about his clothing or appearance. He was sitting in a little alcove on a path forking off from the 'main trail'. Most of the top of Kefka's tower was spikes of metal and nameless waste, with little paths formed mostly by the starving and vicious monsters that Kefka had let loose on top of his domain. Flies buzzed over everything, getting in your face, and there were many huge, black, beetle-like insects crawling around.

Small tremors had been shaking the building for some time now, and were slowly getting more violent. Rocks like a baby's cradle, he thought, and closed his eyes, almost lulled to sleep. Everyone else was running as quickly as possible towards the Falcon, and Shadow wanted to stay unnoticed until it was too late for them to return. Let them worry about their own lives.

The tower was really starting to crumble now, gigantic blocks of rubble were falling off the sides and huge cracks were opening around him. All he could hear now was the ripping of the earth, the cries of doomed monsters and the far-off sound of a dog barking…

Far off?

…Interceptor!

The large black dog bounded over a crack and skidded towards Shadow, barking and grabbing his sleeve in his teeth.

"No, Interceptor," Shadow shook his head. "I'm not going back. I'm going to stop running."

You think death isn't running away? For a millisecond, a shape flashed before Shadow.

"Aysha!" The shape disappeared, and Interceptor bounded off towards the Falcon. After a moment of indecision, Shadow dashed after the dog. What was…?

He stumbled and fell to his knees, scraping off the knees of his pants (and most of the skin underneath them as well) but Shadow hadn't gotten as far as he had by paying attention to pain. A huge gap loomed before him, and he barely made to leap. When he got to the Falcon it was just taking off, and Interceptor was on the tip of the stern, barking his head off. With one final dash Shadow made it, jumping on to the side of the ship, holding on to the uneven boards on the side as the Falcon took off.

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