Final Hell

"In my restless dreams, I see that town. Silent Hill. You promised you'd take me there again someday. But you never did. Well I'm alone there now... In our 'special place'... Waiting for you..."

Five years had passed since the night of the fire, and he dreamed of it still. The searing heat of the flames, the blinding light of his hometown going up in smoke... the burning... he remembered it all, could still feel it almost. As if the fire was still licking at him while he rested in bed.

Twenty one year old Cloud Strife sat up in bed, tired beyond words but unable to fall into a peaceful sleep. He threw the blankets off his body; they made him feel warm, and warmth was the last thing he wanted to feel. It reminded him too much of that day...

"Stop it." He whispered. He was letting his thoughts drag him down, and that wouldn't do any good at all. The blond stood and stretched, and glanced at the clock; it was 3:37. Good thing he didn't have to work tomorrow. He sighed and ran a hand through his unkempt hair. What did he have to do tomorrow?

No one needs me... no one wants me...

Cloud banished the dark thoughts and tried not to think of anything. He moved towards the door quietly, not wanting to wake those still asleep. Tifa Lockhart and her adopted son Denzel lived with him in the cramped one bedroom flat; If Cloud squinted, he could see the dark haired woman curled up on her bed by the window, with Denzel sprawled haplessly beside her.

It was struggle, even with two incomes and a shared rent. Tifa worked as a barmaid at all hours and Cloud did whatever odd jobs he could, fixing things or making deliveries. Denzel was a sixth grader and school was his job. They were doing the best they could.

Tifa hadn't been there, the day of the fire. Her family had moved away from Nibelheim before Shinra...

"Stop it!" Cloud whispered again, though it was less of a whisper. He froze; Tifa moved a little on the bed, but remained asleep. The blond let out the air he'd been holding, and slowly opened the door.

The kitchen was small and dirty, with dishes in the sink and the remains of Denzel's dinner on the counter. Cloud picked up the dish and headed to the trash can, scraping it off.

In the trash was a newspaper, dated a few weeks prior. As soon as he realized the food was about to fall onto the it, Cloud gasped, and reached right into the trash. He yanked the newspaper out and wiped it off quick, cursing quietly.

"Damn it, Tifa..." The woman kept trying to get rid of it. Cloud wouldn't let her.

Flattening out the paper, Cloud's eyes darkened as he gazed over the front page.

TRAGIC CRASH BENEATH MT. NIBEL

Midgar natives killed while traveling abroad

The image beneath the title made Cloud's stomach twist in knots, and a shot of heat raced up his throat, like he was going to be sick. Cloud turned away, gripping the paper so tight his knuckles were white and the paper was ripping.

Without looking at the newspaper, Cloud folded it back up and set it on the counter, biting his lip as he did. A few tears escaped his eyes meanwhile. No matter how much time passed, nothing changed. They weren't coming back. No matter what... Now he had more terrible things to dream about...

Just as Cloud was about to step away, something on the counter caught his eye. Turning, he saw something tucked into the newspaper.

"What...?"

Unfolding the paper, the thing slipped out. It was an envelope. Dingy, slightly grey, and with a few wet spots, it looked like it had been through some trouble. Cloud tentatively reached out to it, as if it might bite. When he grabbed it, nothing happened.

The man flipped it over and his eyes grew wide. It was addressed to him, but he'd never seen it before. He hadn't received any mail other than bills in a long time. And how would it end up in the trash? Slightly confused and a bit shaken, Cloud carefully ripped the top off and reached in.

"HOLY -" He bit back a scream and dropped the envelope onto the counter, jumping back. Something had been inside it, something very wet and very cold. Heart pounding, the blond reached forward again, and pulled on the envelope. He lifted it by the end and let the contents slide out.

A letter was inside, folded into three parts, and tucked into a plastic baggy so it wouldn't get wet. The other thing clinked on the counter, and began to roll, almost falling off the side. Cloud leapt forward and caught it, shivering from the cold touch.

It was a vial, like from a lab or a doctor's office. It was about the length of his palm and width of his finger. Inside it was half full with a light green substance, with condensation covering the outside. No wonder it had been so wet.

"What the hell?" The blond turned it over in his hand, his eyes trained on it. He felt like he'd seen something of the like before... in a dream of a dream. But it hurt to think about it. Cloud held it up, looking through it. It shimmered like water.

He set the strange vial aside and picked up the letter in the bag. It removed it and unfolded it, and saw that some of the water had managed to get inside. A few places in the letter were wet, and the ink had run because of it.

Still, he could managed to read most of it. Cloud began doing so.

Hey, Cloud,

Been a while. What's up? Sorry we left so abruptly. It was kinda unplanned. One morning, I wake up to go to work and next I know, Aerith's dragging me to the van telling me we've gotta go somewhere... you know me. Never could say no to a pretty face.

Cloud blinked at the letter, no longer reading it. His heartbeat quickened, his breathing hastened. It couldn't be... but the handwriting... the writing style... it was just like him...

She really needs to go the east continent for some reason. We're gonna head towards the Nibel mountains, near your hometown. I told her we should bring you since you know the area, but she says we can't involve you. She doesn't think we can involve anybody.

It's scaring me a little. She hasn't acted this way since ... this part was too wet to read. And I know, I'm a SOLDIER, I'm ready for anything, but... I've got this really weird feeling. Like something really bad's gonna happen.

I guess a lot of that's been going on lately. I mean, after ... this, too, couldn't be read. ... our group of friends has really thinned, huh?

I just don't want to lose anyone else I guess. I don't want to lose Aerith. So I'm sending you this letter.

There's no way I'm going to let Aerith get hurt. But, if we don't return soon, Cloud, I'm counting on you to come save her. You're the only one I would trust with that.

Look in Nibelhiem. I have a feeling that's where she'll be.

Thanks, man,

Zack

Tears were falling from Cloud's eyes to the paper in his hands, and his arms were trembling. The man stumbled over to the couch and sat down.

His eyes scanned the letter for a date, but he couldn't see one. Immediately he stood again and raced to the counter, grabbing the envelope.

There was a date in the top corner; it was dated a week before the announcement of Zack and Aerith's car crash in the Nibel mountains. It had been sent before their deaths.

Cloud's eyes slowly traveled from Zack's letter, to the vial of green liquid resting on the counter.

What was going on?

0-0-0

When Tifa Lockhart awoke the next morning, she found Cloud in the same place he'd been when he'd read the letter. The letter was on the coffee table, next to the envelope and the vial. He was staring intently at these items.

The woman was in a big baggy tee shirt that did little to hide her large bosom, and short white shorts. Her hair was a mess and dark bags were under her eyes. She glanced from Cloud, to the coffee table, and back.

"What's this?" She asked.

Cloud glanced up at her with blood red eyes. "... I was hoping you could tell me."

Tifa blinked. "Why's that?"

The man stood and frowned, turning from her towards the window. "Because it was in the trash. And you seem to enjoy throwing my things away."

The woman looked hurt by the statement, but she had gotten used to being hurt by Cloud's words. "I don't throw away your things, Cloud, I only got rid of the newspaper. Rereading the article about their deaths over and over again for hours won't bring them back, sweetheart..." The woman approached him and put a hand on his shoulder.

Cloud quickly backed away, turning on Tifa. "Then how the hell did that letter from Zack end up in the garbage!? Huh!" He swiped his arm out furiously, fire flaring in his eyes.

This shocked Tifa. Cloud threw biting words her way frequently, but he was hardly angry or loud. She glanced at the coffee table.

"Letter...?"

Cloud said nothing, only turned to stare out the window. The woman turned from him and sighed, and approached the letter.

It took her a moment to read it once, and then she reread it, and then reread it once more. "This is... is this real?" Tifa her hands fall.

"Has to be. His handwriting, his signature, ... I could almost hear him saying it all to me, in my head." A humorless laugh escaped the blond. A few tears came to Tifa's eyes, but they weren't for the dead. She sighed and set the letter down.

"Well, both of them are gone now. You aren't going out to Mt. Nibel looking for a corspe, are you?"

Cloud spun around. "I don't know." He admitted. "But Zack asked me to protect Aerith. What if she's still out there?"

"Cloud, she's dead!" Tifa said forcefully.

"They only found the incinerated car, no bodies!" Cloud retorted. "They could be out there still!"

At that the woman scoffed and stomped her feet. "If you mean, out there in the lifestream, then yeah! You'd be right!" The black haired woman was at the end of her rope. "You've been moping around for almost two months now! Taking fewer jobs, doing less around the house! It's like having two children to raise!" She threw her hands up in disgust. "Cloud, I love you like a brother, but you can't hold onto their memory like this!"

"No. Zack's right." The blond muttered.

"Right? About what?"

Cloud stepped towards her and took the letter from her hand, pointing to a certain part. "He mentions how our 'group of friends has thinned'. He's right." A dark, forlorn look came over Cloud. "Tifa... you're all I have left. First the General's friends... then the General himself... now Zack and Aerith too... something's going on."

Tifa rolled her eyes. "You're calling those Shinra assholes your friends?" Her tone darkened considerably. "What did that Sephiroth jerk and his war buddies do for you?"

"Don't talk about him like that!" Cloud shouted, absolutely outraged. He kicked the coffee table, shaking it, and the green vial rolled off it onto the carpet. For the first time, Tifa noticed it.

"What's this?" Cloud didn't answer her, still trembling from anger. She huffed and ignored him, examining it. Her look darkened as she did. "... what the hell is this, Cloud?"

"I dunno." He shrugged, not looking at her. "Came with the letter."

Tifa glanced up in shock. "Why would Zack send you..." She looked back at the vial. "This is all too strange. Look, Cloud, just stay outta this. Zack and Aerith's death might not've been natural... but this all has Shinra written all over it. Just ... just stay away."

Shinra... the name sent all sorts of feelings through Cloud's heart. Feelings of hope, dreams, of brotherhood, yet also of horror, fright, and confusion. Shinra was the name of a rich company in Midgar that practically ran the city. It had connections all over the world, including Cloud's hometown of Nibelheim. Word was they were into a lot of dark stuff. Messing with Shinra could get you killed.

Which might be what happened to Aerith and Zack... Cloud knew that Aerith had some sort of history with Shinra; that was how she and Zack had met. And Zack was a SOLDIER, part of the elite Shinra army. Cloud had once wanted to be a SOLDIER... but his dream had died and with it, all his hopes for the future. Cloud tried not to think of it anymore.

His eyes went to the vial in Tifa's hand. What if it had something to do with what Aerith had been looking for? Maybe it was something Shinra was working with? Cloud reached out to take the vial from Tifa, until he realized the woman was holding it away from him.

"What do you want with it?" She asked. Cloud frowned.

"It was sent to me. It's mine."

Still Tifa seemed reluctant to let it go, but she did. Does she know what this is? Cloud decided to ask her.

"No... but I've got a bad feeling about it all the same." The woman's eyes lingered on it a little longer. Cloud held it tightly.

"Isn't it time for Denzel to get ready for school?"

With one last glare, Tifa headed back to the bedroom.

Cloud grabbed the letter and the vial, tucked them into his pocket, and then grabbed the keys to his bike from the key rack.

He needed some fresh air.

-=-=-

Fifteen minutes later, Cloud found he had driven to the airport without realizing it. Instinctively, his bike had led him where his heart had wanted to go. Now, if only he had the money to get a ride to the east continent.

If I can just get to Nibelheim, I can find them somehow... there has to be a cheap way there... Frowning in determination, Cloud thought nothing of the money he'd need when he got there, for food, lodging, and other such things. He really wasn't thinking at all.

The airport was a huge docking station for airships with commercial and private flights going in and out. Maybe someone had a cheap ride somewhere.... maybe he could hitch a ride across the water... he had to find a way.

Approaching the nearest pilot, Cloud found he was hesitating. He was devastatingly shy. "Uh... excuse me?" The blond muttered. The pilot glanced down at him. "You wouldn't happen to be flying near Nibelheim soon, would you?"

The man grunted. "Never heard of the place. Move along, boy."

So Cloud did. He asked the question of each pilot he saw, and received much the same answer. No one had heard of his hometown, and no one was willing to take him across the water for the cheap price he could afford.

Sighing, the man was about to contemplate stowing away on an airship, when a strong hand fell on his shoulder. Already high strung, the blond squealed and jumped, spinning around until he was face to chest with a tall man.

"Whoa, there! Calm down, boy!" The man muttered. His accent was thick and southern, and he looked a bit rough around the edges. Flustered, Cloud apologized for overreacting.

"I - I'm sorry." The other blonde shrugged it off.

"No need, I'm the one that scared ya! Don't apologize for me." Cloud took this as a mistake on his part and apologized again. "Stop fucking apologizing!" The other man shouted. Shocked, Cloud turned red faced and bounced back. Luckily, he caught himself before he could apologize again.

The pilot seemed to approve and nodded, sticking his hand out for a handshake. "Name's Cid Highwind. Best damn pilot ever. Heard of me?" The man smirked as if he expected Cloud had.

Cid Highwind was a few inches taller than Cloud, with goggles on his forehead and messy, short blonde hair. He had a bit of stubble, broad shoulders and a strong build, and was dressed in messy, oil stained clothes. Only his baby blue eyes gave off an air of innocence; everything else made him seem very intimidating and manly.

As he nervously shook the other man's hand, Cloud shook his head. "I'm afraid not." Cid seemed to droop slightly, but he recovered.

"Damn kids... don't know nothin' no more... well, anyway... I heard you needed to get to Nibelheim." The man grinned. "I'm headin' there myself. If you wanna hitch a ride, I'd be glad to give you one."

Cloud's heavy heart lifted. What luck! "You... wouldn't mind?" Cid rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Didn't I just fuckin' say that? Are you slow or something?" Cloud wasn't sure whether or not he should feel insulted.

"Uh... no."

"Good." Cid turned on his heel and stalked off, hands in pockets. "Cause I don't want any more idiots on my plane." Realizing he was leaving, Cloud hurried after the man. "I mean, damn, we've already got Sher..." Suddenly the man ceased to speak, and slowed to a stop. Cloud cocked an eyebrow.

"Are you all right?" The younger man asked.

Cid seemed to awaken from his stupor and blinked, grunting at him. "I'm fuckin' fine, all right! Hurry the fuck up!" The pilot resumed walking at a fast pace, and Cloud had to race to keep up.

Cloud wondered why anyone would be headed to Nibelheim. The town had been a small, unknown place to begin with... And now it's a ruin... Why was this rough pilot headed there?

The man decided not to ask, since he was getting a free ride. As long as he made it to the small town, he didn't care about anything else.

Zack... Aerith... wait for me...

-=-=-

It wasn't a surprise that Cloud was gone when Tifa returned to the room. She had been expecting it. He had begun running off pretty often, riding around on his bike. He loved that thing like it was his child.

Today she was a little more worried. The letter had really thrown her for a loop. And the green vial... a horrid shiver ran down the woman's spine.

Bad news...

Sighing, Tifa collapsed onto the sofa.

Things had been going so well. She, Cloud, Zack, and Aerith had finally adjusted to life again; Cloud was beginning to open up again. Zack had really helped him, Aerith too. Life had started to look up.

Now this... After finally recovering from his beloved General's death, Cloud was hit with this. Why us? Why always us? Tifa grabbed a pillow from the end of the couch and put it on her lap, leaning down and resting her head against it.

She hated the General. She hated every stupid piece of Shinra that had lured Cloud into its dark, twisted world.

"Mom?"

Tifa sat back up, seeing that Denzel was standing by the door, ready for school. She forced herself to smile. "Just a minute sweetheart. Let me get dressed."

A few minutes later, they were in the car, driving down the road. Tifa let her thoughts drift, trying not to worry about Cloud. She tried not thinking about all the dark things that had happened recently. She tried not to think of the shadow she felt was following her, like an ominous cloud...

"Mom!"

Denzel shouted just in time for Tifa to realize she hadn't been paying enough attention to the road. A pedestrian was on the path in front of her, about to be run over if she didn't stop in time. Tifa slammed on the breaks, tires squealing as she slid to a halt a few feet before the tall woman.

The car seemed to screech in agony, and those around panicked, frightened and shocked at the close call. Strangely enough the woman who'd come close to death seemed undisturbed.

Said woman glanced up at the car slightly, hardly looking at it, before meeting Tifa's eyes. The stranger had only one eye that was a strong blue, piercing like ice. A strange feeling passed through Tifa then. A feeling she hadn't felt in years. Cold, bristling fear.

It was going to be a long morning.

-=-=-

Luckily for Cloud, Cid didn't mind hauling his beloved motorcycle onto the airship.

"Beautiful machine." Cid said of it, looking it over with a mechanic's keen eye. "I could do some stuff to it, though. It hasn't been given the love and care it really needs."

Cloud let out a short laugh. "I would give it more care if I could afford it." Cid laughed louder.

"I hear ya." Once the bike was loaded into the airship, Cid led Cloud through the cargo bay towards the front, passing a few airmen on the way. Each one greeted Cid with respect, usually calling him Captain.

Cloud glanced over at the man and wondered why he of all people would want to go to Nibelheim. He decided the only way to find out was to ask.

"So, uh... why are you heading out there?" He asked. Cid glanced at him.

"Huh? What, to Nibelheim?" The man asked. Cloud nodded. "Lookin' for somebody. A friend went out to see her family there, and I'm goin' to see her."

Cloud glanced away and frowned.

"Why... uh..." Cloud tried thinking of a way to word his question. Cid grunted.

"Out with it, kid!" He demanded.

"Her family couldn't be in Nibelheim." Cloud told him. "The town... it burned down a few years ago."

The two stopped walking, and Cloud sighed. "Almost everyone died. No one lives there anymore." The blond glanced up at his friend. "Are you sure she went there?"

"Damn sure. Hell..." Cid glanced away. "But... she just left a few weeks ago..." Frowning, the captain crossed his arms. "Dammit all to hell..."

Cloud felt bad for confusing the pilot, but he wasn't the only confused one. Why would anyone go to visit family in Nibelheim? Did they start rebuilding the town?

"... Whatever. Guess she lied, or something..." Cid sighed. "I'm still going after her, that's for damn sure." He glanced up at Cloud and put a hand on his shoulder. "So, whatta bout you? Why're you going there?"

The younger man felt his face heat up. What do I say? What excuse can I come up with?

"... I'm looking for someone, too." He finally said. The lie made him feel worse, but he couldn't exactly tell the truth. And it was a half truth, besides.

"Heh. Well, luck to us both." With that, Cid kept walking towards the front deck. "You might as well hang out until we get there. Don't cause no trouble, ya here!"

The doors to the room slid open, and then closed. And Cloud was alone, standing in the hall. After a moment, he found his way to the observation deck, and sat across from the large window looking out over the airport.

A sinking feeling took over, a terrible feeling that he was making the biggest mistake of his life.

"Hey, fucktards, this is the Captain speaking, telling all you pansy bitches to buckle up and prepare for launch! Hell yeah!" The line clicked off, but Cloud didn't bother reaching for the buckle. He kept staring out the window.

On the one hand, Zack and Aerith might be dead. Two of the only people in the world he cared about, gone forever. Taken from him by the spiteful Powers that Be.

On the other hand, they could be alive. And, for some reason, wrapped up in a Shinra catastrophe that had to do with Nibelheim and the vial of green liquid that Cloud had. The blond had his hand in his pocket, nervously fidgeting with the vial.

Which was better? Being alone? Or being involved in a secret, deadly Shinra plot?

Cloud knew almost immediately: anything was better than being alone.

Once the ship did begin to shake and take off, Cloud reached for the buckle. He couldn't risk dying, not yet. He had to find Zack and Aerith first.

-=-=-

Tifa had a bad feeling after dropping Denzel at school. Instead of going to the store, she rushed straight home.

Cloud was still gone. No note, no nothing. He'd be back soon. He often took drives for long hours, gone from morning to late night. He was fine, Tifa told herself.

When she stepped into the living room, she almost didn't notice that she wasn't alone. Tifa let out a scream when she realized a stranger was sitting on her couch. A second look made her realize it was the same blue eyed woman she'd almost run over with the car.

"Oh my god, what the hell are you doing in my house!?" Tifa shouted, backing away with fists clenched. "I'm sorry about earlier, but you have no right to be here!"

"Forgive me, but I wasn't sure how long you'd be, and I didn't want to wait outside." The woman stood, her long white coat flowing behind her. She reached out with her only good hand. "Shalua Rui. I'm looking for Cloud Strife. Does he live here?"

Tifa looked at the hand but didn't take it. After a moment, Shalua let it drop. But she didn't let the question go. "Well?"

"What do you want with him?" Tifa asked her.

Shalua smirked but it was without humor. "Information. Don't worry; I'm not trouble. I just want to ask him some questions."

Tifa looked her over; Shalua was about her height, a bit taller, wearing red high heels, a burgundy skirt and tank top, with a scientist's coat. She had her long hair pulled up on her head, and wore glasses. It looked like she was missing an eye, and one of her arms was a replacement. This woman seemed to be made of trouble. Tifa didn't like it.

"Cloud's going through a rough time, he doesn't need anybody asking him questions."

Shalua chuckled, not backing down. "Fine. What about you?" Tifa blinked. "May I ask you questions?"

"... if you'll leave him alone."

"I can't promise it, but I'll try. I'll start with you." Shalua's smug face faded into a serious look. She approached Tifa, and the other woman held her ground.

"Where were you the night General Sephiroth destroyed Nibelheim?"

-=-=-

Authoress here. I'm writing a lot of fanfictions right now, but I couldn't resist starting this one. I love horror and writing horror more than anything else, and I've always wanted to do a scary fic. After buying Silent Hill 2 a while back, I could resist trying this story idea out.

I hope you enjoy it.

SULHADAHNE