Fire, Dreams, and Twilight – A Final Fantasy VII Story

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Prologue
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Fire…

Burning. The roar drowned out everything, flames leaping into the air away from the building, blocking all escape for the woman he knew was trapped inside. There was a groan, the old wooden frame of the house giving way, giving in, leaving no hope for the woman trapped inside. Mother!

The fire raged, turning the once quaint town into a landscape right out of a picture of Hell. Corpses scattered all about, thrown around like dolls that the owner no longer cared for. Only one person remained alive, once silver hair glowing orange and reds in the firelight, mad mako green eyes glittering with an unholy glee.

Nightmares…

It was a dark room, lit by a faint sickly green light, a place that whispered of such pain. Stacks and stacks of books were scattered around the room. Innocent looking things they were, holding such dark secrets, the knowledge within enough to send a grown man into insanity. A shadow against the backdrop of green, a man—no, a monster in human skin. The scientist watched the instrument panel to the side of the tank. And there was someone else, someone close, a lost name, a lost identity.

A lost life.

Everything else moved quicker now, faint images, snapshots instead of horrifying scenes.

There was a brown-haired girl, someone important, someone familiar—a bright spirit and powerful strength.

A maiden, the embodiment of innocence, but she was cold as ice when lowered into a crystal clear lake, her face peaceful even in death.

Piercing red eyes, tattered cape, guilt driven—once a Turk working to rectify a past mistake.

Other images flashed by, disjointed scenes that made no sense. A man with a gun arm traveling beside a lion-like animal. A young girl argued with an older man, an unlit cigarette left forgotten in his hand.

But then they all died away, leaving behind…nothing. Nothing but green. It felt almost liquid, suffocating. It hurt…Burning/freezing…nothingbutpain—

"Cl…ou…d…" And then it was gone, a soft voice soothing the pain away. Gentle hands gripped his shoulders, long unbound brown hair filled his vision, "Cl…oud…"

Warmth filled him, wrapping around him.

"Remember…"

Fire…

"Cloud!"

No!

He was jerked awake, eyes going wide as he stared up into a familiar face. Warm golden blonde hair spilled down over her shoulder, kind yet concerned brown eyes watched him in a manner only one other had done.

Not again! Not again!

His eyes traveled away from her face, his heart beating faster as everything fit together. Just…a dream? No, it wasn't. It was real! He knew it! It couldn't be her. She died! She leaned over, her hair just barely coming out of her ponytail, "Shh…it's okay. It was just a nightmare."

Words caught in his throat, forming a lump that he could not banish. It couldn't be just a dream. Couldn't. He'd seen it all before. Seen it…The doctor said they would stop! They said it would stop and it hadn't. He shivered, remembering the icy-hot burning-freezing, the sense of drowning. I'mgonnadie!

"It's okay, Cloud." But she was here…real. She was real, the warm hands petting his head was real. The warmth as she pulled his small body into her arms was real.

He choked back a sob, tears spilling out of his eyes as the woman gathered him up in her arms, "Mom…?"

"It's going to be alright," She cooed, patting his unruly spiked hair in a soothing manner, "It's alright, I'm here now."

But…the other felt real too…The images; they remained, burned into his mind's eye. He could almost see the flames flickering against the wall; almost hear the laughter of the one to start it all.

Cloud shivered, deep in his bones he knew.

It was not a dream.

A/N: 3/20/2009 – Revised! I fleshed it out, adding more detail and whatnot. Those who have read it before, let me know which you like better.