Little Nightmare

(Final7Darkness)

Up at the Shinra & Co. main building, Rufus was siting inside his office and was just looking outside through his window.

Rufus was lost in his mind because he was trying to understand on where he and the Turks have gone wrong.

Every time Rufus sends the Turks on a mission, Cloud and his party are always there and kept on winning. A woman walks into Rufus’ office and said, "Your cocktail sir".

Rufus stuck out his hand for the woman to place the glass on. The woman then left and Rufus began to drink his cocktail.

"Where have I gone wrong? Everything started to go wrong ever since Cloud joined that stupid rebel group: AVALANCHE. If that Cloud never joined that group, then all my plans could have worked. I could have build ‘NEO-MIDGAR’ and become rich, but noo! Cloud stopped that plan from every coming true"

The glass that Rufus was holding smashed in his very hand. "I would do anything to get right rid of Cloud once and for all, even if it means destroying the whole AVLANCHE group and all of Cloud’s friends!" Rufus carried on looking out at the midnight sky.

Something caught Rufus’ attention; something was falling from the sky. Rufus couldn’t tell what it was. "Is that a falling star?" wondered Rufus as he was standing up.

All of a sudden the thing that was falling from the sky was heading right towards Rufus’ office. Within seconds the thing smashed through Rufus’ office window.

Rufus looked back at the window and notice that a pitch-black orb like thing with a dark blue aura was glowing around it. "Is that a Materia?" said Rufus to himself.

Before he could touch it, the Materia entered his body.

Rufus placed his hands onto his head and started to scream like he was in pain. The woman who gave him the cocktail rushed in to see what was wrong.

"Sir!" said the woman. Rufus dropped onto his kneels with his hands still holding onto his head.

Slowly his blond hair was turning grey, his white clothes into pitch-black, and his skin completely white and his eyes went all black.

"Sir?" asked the woman as she slowly walks up to him. As the woman got a step closer to Rufus, he let go of his head and looked straight towards the woman.

As Rufus was looking at the woman, the woman felt like she wanted to scream but felt something was blocking her airways.

Within seconds, the woman dropped onto the floor, not moving. "Oh well" said Rufus in a deep tone of voice.

Rufus carried on walking out of his office, walked down the halls of the Shinra & Co. main building and left the building.

Out in the middle of an open field, Cloud and the party set up camp. Cloud was setting alight the fire, Tifa puts up the tents and the others were just resting by lying on the grass and looked up at the midnight sky.

Cait Sith was laying on his huge stuffed Mog when all of a sudden he was giving off a bleeping noise.

Cait Sith jumped up in the air and shouted, "Hay everyone! You should listen to this". Everyone stopped on what they were doing and started to listen.

"This is the12 o’clock news. Our top story for tonight is that the Shinra & Co. main building has been under attack from an unknown begins.

This begin has murdered a cocktail waitress that was working for Rufus and Rufus, the new President of Shinra has been kidnapped. Shinra Camera that recorded the thing leaving the building; but was not carrying the president.

As the Shinra soldiers investigated the president’s office, they discover that it was a force entry because the window was smash and the president must have used his glass cup to fight off the kidnapper.

They are now looking for any clues on the where about of the president’s kidnapper. We will up date you viewers when we they find some more clues"

"Someone kidnapped Rufus?" said Tifa. "Well it has nothing to do with us. Let’s get some shuteyes. I going to bed" said Cloud as he got up and headed towards his tent.

Thunder began to roar through out the fields and then rained soon after. The other party members rushed towards to their own tents and stayed in there.

As the first lightning strikes, Rufus appeared and he slowly walks towards camp. He stops after taking a few steps, Rufus aims his right arm towards Cloud’s tent and a bolt of lightning went shooting out.

The bolt of lightning struck upon Cloud’s tent and it went up in flames. Tifa looks out side wondering on what that loud noise was and notice that the tent Cloud was sleeping in was on fire.

"Cloud!" screamed Tifa as she runs out of her tent. Tifa tries her best to get through the fire but she kept on getting burned.

"BARRETT! CID! YUFFIE! VINCENT! ANYBODY HELP!" screamed Tifa as she looked at the other tents, but no one came.

Tifa looks to her left and notice a man was standing in the far distances. As lightning struck, the man was gone.

Tifa just stood there helplessly as she watched the tent burning up and slowly it was killing Cloud.

Tifa was just standing there all alone, in the pouring rain. Seconds later, Tifa dropped onto her kneels and started to cry her eyes out.

Morning came and slowly everyone was getting out of their own tents. Barrett was the first to go out of his tent.

As he got out, he notice that Tifa was on her kneels in front of Cloud’s tent. Barrett rushes over to her and said, "Tifa! What the hell are you doing here?" "Why didn’t you came?" asked Tifa as she slowly looks back up towards Barrett.

"Didn’t came for what?" asked Barrett. "When I was screaming for you to save Cloud. You or the others didn’t came," said Tifa. "Save Cloud from what?" asked Barrett as he looks at her oddly.

"Are you blind or something? His tent is burned down from the thunder storm from last night," said Tifa angrily as she stood up.

"The thing is Tifa, there was no thunder storm last night, no fires, you didn’t shouted for us and Cloud’s safe" said Barrett as he pointed towards Cloud’s tent.

Slowly Cloud crawled out from his tent and before he could say good morning, Tifa grabbed hold of him and hugged him tight and she wasn’t going to let go.

Suddenly Cloud slipped through Tifa’s grip and landed on the ground hard. "Owe! Warn me the next time you’re going to do that" said Cloud as he was looking up.

Tifa and Barrett were looking at Cloud with their mouths open. "What?" asked Cloud as he stands up.

Cloud was standing up straight and began to notice that he was looking straight at Tifa’s skirt. He slowly looks up and he saw Tifa looking down at him. She was towering over him.

"OH MY GOD!" screamed Cloud. Tifa picks up the little Cloud and tries to calm him down. "Well this is the first, never seen anyone shrunk in someone’s arms before" said Barrett as he was looking at Tifa as she was holding Cloud.

"What’s the first Barrett?" asked Yuffie as she was skipping her way towards him. Tifa sprung round and hid the shrunken Cloud behind her so Yuffie can’t see him.

Barrett looks at Tifa and then looked at Yuffie. "Well, um…It’s the first time that Cloud has overslept, when he’s normally up first," said Barrett.

"Really! Cloud’s not up! Oh yar! Pay back time," said Yuffie as she rushed over towards Cloud’s tent. "Hay Cloud wake or I’m going to do it!" shouted Yuffie at the empty tent. "What is she doing?" said Barrett. "What kind of foolishness?" said Tifa. Cloud looks over and said, "Oh my god!"

Yuffie was shaking Cloud’s tent back and forth, started to sing horribly and even made loud growling sounds. Red XIII walks over to Yuffie and said, "Em…what are you doing?" "Trying to wake his lazy behind" answered Yuffie, as she started to shake the tent again.

"Why do that, when Cloud’s is right over there?" said Red XIII. "Why he’s so far away?" said Yuffie as she turns around. She then started to run towards him thinking that he at a far distance.

As she past Tifa, she has a glimpse of Cloud and said, "Hay Cloud, sorry I can’t stop, I trying to catch up with you". She carried on running till she stops and slowly walks back to Tifa.

"Em…is that Cloud?" asked Yuffie as she was walking up to Tifa. Tifa gave a sigh and said, "Yes" Yuffie then kneels down and took a good look at Cloud. Yuffie reached out her arm and started to poke him. "I could get use to this" said Yuffie.

"What cause him to shrink?" asked Barrett. "It might have something to do with the man from last night" said Tifa.

"If it was from last night that you saw a man then you might have been dreaming" said Barrett. "If I was dreaming, then how did I ended up on the floor from outside Cloud’s tent?" said Tifa. "You must have been sleepwalking," said Barrett as he crossed his arms.

"If we stay here for the night, I bet he will show up" said Tifa. "Alright fine" said Barrett as he gave a shrug. The eight of them stayed another night, waiting for the sun to set.

Tifa and the half-size Cloud goes off together so they could find wood. Along the way, the two of them began to hear a helicopter sound. The two of them looked up and noticed a helicopter hovering above them.

The side doors opens and two men wearing black suits were hanging out. One has long red hair and the other has no hair. "Rude and Reno? What are they doing here?" said Tifa.

Rude and Reno jumped off the Helicopter and landed right in front of Tifa and Cloud. Tifa gets into her fighting pose.

Reno gave a sigh and said, "We not here to fight" "Then what are you doing here?" asked Cloud as he looked up at them.

"Holy smoke! Cloud is that you?" said Reno. "Well what does it look like?" said Cloud. "If your not here to fight then tell us, why are you two here?" asked Tifa.

"We been given reports that the thing that kidnapped boss is located here" said Rude. "How do you know?" asked Tifa.

"Many people say that they saw a man dress in black was seen walking through this way," said Reno. "A man dressed in black? Could it be?" said Tifa as she looked down at Cloud.

Cloud looks up and said, "It must be. Who else dress in black"
"Who do you lot think it is?" asked Reno. "Sephiroth" said Cloud as he looked at Reno. "No your wrong" said Rude as he crossed his arms. "You mean it’s not him?" asked Tifa. "We just don’t know who this new guy is"

"Well this new guy might come back to our camp about midnight," said Tifa. "Ok. We come back before then and try and catch him," said Rude.

Seconds later a ladder came down from the helicopter. The two of them grabbed hold of it and went up with the helicopter.

"What just happen?" asked Cloud. "I think we’re helping them into catching the new guy" said Tifa. "Let’s go and tell the others once we get some wood" said Cloud as he carried on walking.

The two of them got some wood and headed back to camp. As they got there, the sun was beginning to set.

The eight of them sat around the campfire, waiting for the man to show. For Cloud and Tifa, they were waiting for Reno and Rude to show. It’s ten minutes till 12.

"Its getting late, I’m going to bed," said Cloud as he headed off towards his tent. "Don’t worry little man, we keep a look out" said Yuffie. The others looked at her like she done something wrong.

"What?" asked Yuffie. Before anyone else could say something, thunder began to be heard through out the land.

Lightning struck in the far distance Rufus appears again.He slowly begins to walk towards them.

Tifa looks out in the distance and notice that the man was heading towards them. "People look!" shouted Tifa as she was pointing out towards him.

As the man got closer, they all begin to see his face. "Oh my god!" said Barrett as he aimed his arm gun towards him. "Is that Rufus?" said Vincent as he aimed his gun towards him.

"What’s he doing here, hold on something doesn’t seem right?" said Red XIII. "Your right, his clothes, hair, skin and eyes are different" said Tifa.

Rufus stopped walking and aimed his left arm towards Barrett and fired a bolt of lightning. Barrett went flying back and he was out cold.

Red XIII and Yuffie went charging towards him but were unable to attack him. Within seconds, the two of them stopped moving because they were petrify by the looks from Rufus’ eyes.

All that was left was Tifa, Vincent, Cait Sith and a half-sized Cloud that was left for the fighting.

Rufus slowly walks towards them and started to laugh as he aimed his left arm towards Cait Sith.

As Rufus was about to fire, someone shouted out "STOP!" Everyone looked towards Cloud’s tent and saw a half size man walking out of it.

"If you’re looking for a fight, you found it" said Cloud. "But Cloud how are you going to fight in your state?" asked Tifa. "I may be small but spirit is big" said Cloud as he drew out his Buster Sword.

"Lucky for me that this sword shrunk along with me" said Cloud as he went charging towards Rufus.

As he was running towards him, it started to rain and the sound of Rufus’ laughter echoed through out the land.

Cloud dived his blade right towards Rufus but before Cloud was able to touch him, Rufus slide to his left. Cloud’s Buster sword stabbed right into the earth.

Cloud started to pull it out, but the sword started to feel a bit heavier. "Is this your fear? Of being weak? This is your nightmare," said Rufus as he was walking towards him.

"Shut up!" shouted Cloud as he managed to pull his sword out and swung it towards Rufus. Rufus slides to his right as Cloud was swung his sword at him.

Cloud raised his sword up at the air and then slam it onto the ground. As the sword hit the ground, a wave of blue energy went zooming towards Rufus. This time Rufus did not move. He just stood there with a smile on his face.

The wave hit Rufus and smoke covered him. As the smoke faded away, Rufus was no where to be seen. Cloud dropped his sword and fell onto the floor. "Cloud! Cloud! Wake up Cloud!" shouted a female’s voice.

Cloud slowly opens his eyes. He looked straight up and notices a huge, gentle face looking down at him. Cloud sits up and notices that he was sitting on someone’s hand. Cloud began to panic as he shoot right up, back to his own feet.

"Calm down little one," said the female’s voice again. Cloud looks up at the person’s face and found that the person was somewhat familiar.

He looks up at the person’s face who was still smiling down at him. "Aeris? How is that…" "Possible?" said the person. "Aeris? It is you," said Cloud.

Aeris looks down at Cloud with a smile on her face, which slowly turned sad. "Hay Aeris, how come you’re a giantess now?" asked Cloud as he dropped back down.

"Cloud before I tell you this, promise me that you will not panic" asked Aeris. "Err, ok. What is it?" said Cloud as he looked up at Aeris. "The thing is, I’m not a giantess. You shrunk to a size that makes everyone look like giants" said Aeris.

Aeris looked at Cloud’s little face and notices that his skin had turn white. "Are you going to be alright?" asked Aeris worried. Cloud looks down and said, "Give me a minute"

A minute later...

"Ok now?" asked Aeris. "Yes. Where are we?" said Cloud as he looked back up. "Well…we’re inside your mind," said Aeris. "In my…in my mind? No way" said Cloud as he jumped back up.

"As you fell onto the floor, you didn’t get back up. The man you were fighting was not Rufus. The person you fought calls itself ‘Darkness’. Right now, he’s doing horrible things to the others," said Aeris.

"Hold on, are you saying that this person that looks like Rufus calls itself Darkness? You mean that Darkness is a human?" asked Cloud. "I didn’t say that. Believe what you want. You need to tell the others about it" said Aeris.

"How do I get out then?" asked Cloud. Aeris looks down at Cloud with a smile on her face and said, "I’m sorry". "Huh? What do you mean?" asked Cloud.
Aeris tilted her hand and Cloud went flying off. Cloud was falling towards the ground hard.

As he hit the ground with a thump, he opened his eyes and stated to breathe heavily.

Cloud slowly gets up and started to look at the area he was in. He was shrouded with very tall grass and huge craters that were scatted through out the place. He also notices that it no longer raining.

Cloud started to walk through the grass till he notices an object that was in the far distance. He started to get closer to the object and began to notice that it was a stature.

Cloud took a longer look at the very tall stature and notice that it was the moogle that Cait Sith was riding on. Behind it was Cait Sith. "What the hell?" thought Cloud as he was walking passed them.

All of a sudden, there was a huge scream that echoed through out the place. "Tifa?" said Cloud, as he looked behind him. Seconds later there was a sudden vibration, which was getting stronger and stronger.

Cloud looks out into the distance and saw black boots heading towards him. Cloud sprung round and started to run.

As Cloud was running away, something swoops him up into the sky. Cloud landed on something soft, moments later Cloud passed out.

"Huh? Cloud? Is that you? Hay wake up" said a female’s voice. Cloud slowly opens his eyes and found himself in a pair of hands.

Cloud looks up and saw that it was Tifa that was holding him. "Is this real?" asked Cloud as he was sitting back up. "I hope so," said Tifa.

"Where is everyone?" asked Cloud. "They’re…" before Tifa could finished her sentence, there was a rustling noise that was coming behind her. Tifa sprung round and placed her hands onto her chest, forgetting that she was holding Cloud.

"Oh god!" said Tifa as she pulled her hands away. Cloud was lying on his back with his eyes looking at emptiness and he was breathing heavily. "Thank goodness" said Tifa.

"Tifa!" shouted an unknown person. Tifa looks forward and saw Rufus, who was just standing there with a long black sword in his right hand.

"Rufus you monster! How could you do that to you own people?" shouted Tifa. Tears were dripping down her cheeks.

"That’s because he’s not Rufus," said Cloud as he was sitting up. Rufus smiled at them and said, "Nightmare"

Rufus went running towards Tifa and dived his sword at her. Luckily, Tifa dodged his attack and began to run away from him.

"Tifa! What happened to the others?" asked Cloud as he was holding on to her hand. Tifa looks behind, to see if Rufus was chasing them. She looks forward and then stopped as quickly as she could.

In front of them was another stature. This stature was in the form of Chaos, Vincent’s last Limit break. Cloud looks at the stature and said, "No". Behind the stature was Barret, who was on the floor. He too was turned into stone.

Tifa placed Cloud onto her left shoulder and carried on running. It begin to rain again. Lightning struck throughout the place. As the second lightning struck, Rufus appeared again.

"So you know who I am?" asked Rufus as he was looking at Cloud. "Your name is Darkness. What do you want with us?" said Cloud.

"Not you two, just you" said Rufus as his sword appeared in his hand again. "Me?" said both Cloud and Tifa. "Before you fight us. Tell me, why have I shrunk to this height?" asked Cloud. "Its your little nightmare. That is what you fear the most," said Rufus.

Rufus went running towards Tifa, aiming his sword towards her chest. He missed but was still been able to punch her across the face.

Tifa went falling back, as Tifa hit the floor Cloud goes flying off, a foot away from her. "Cloud!" screamed Tifa as she looked back.

"Is that your fear? Not being with Cloud ever again? Yes that is your nightmare," said Rufus as he was looking down at her.

Tifa began to cry and then screamed out, "Leave Cloud alone!" seconds later, Tifa jumped back up and went running towards Rufus and punched him across the face.

Rufus looks back at her. Placed his hands on his jaw and pushed it. As he was pushing, his jaw made a click noise.

Rufus picks up his black sword and said, "Give me more. More pain!" Within seconds, Rufus went charging towards Tifa.

Cloud slowly gets up and notices that he was under a stature. He looks up and saw a headless man wearing a suit. "Oh my god!" said Cloud as he was taking a few steps back.

He bumped into another stature.Cloud slowly turns around and notice that it’s the head from the headless body stature. "Reno?" said Cloud.

Cloud turned the other way and started to run. The rain was beginning to lower down and lightning strikes soon been replaced with thunder.

The sun began to rise, shining through the rain clouds.

Cloud stopped running as he notice that it was the morning. He tried to catch his breath.

Cloud starting to wonder on what he should do now. At this size he can’t do much. "Where’s Tifa?" said Cloud to himself.

"I’m…here," said a voice weakly. Cloud turns around and looks up. He saw Rufus holding Tifa on his left shoulder. "Come with me now!" said Rufus as he aimed his right hand towards Cloud.

Cloud puts his hands up and said, "Alright, you win. Restore the others the way they were". Rufus just smiled.

Slowly his hand was heading towards Cloud. His hand grabbed hold of Cloud and then placed him in his pocket.

The Materia that enter Rufus’ body went out of him. It began to glow again and opened at portal.

Rufus slowly walks into it. Once through, the Materia burst up into little green fireflys.

Every firefly that touched people that Rufus turned into a stature. Slowly they each was beginning to glow a light blue aura.

Everyone that was turned into stone began to move again. Reno has his head back onto his body.

"Huh? What happened?" asked Vincent as he was changing back to his normal self. "Where’s the others?" asked Barret as he walked up to Vincent.

"On top of all that, where did Rufus go?" said Vincent as he crossed his arms. Rude and Reno walks up to them.

"Damit! He got away! What are going to tell the others?" asked Reno. "Why don’t you lie to them. Say that the kidnapper has gotten away," said Vincent as he looked at them.

"Hope you find your friends," said Rude as he was beginning to walk off into the distance. "Same here" said Reno as he ran up to Rude. As Reno caught up with Rude, his mobile began to ring.

"Reno here…What did you say? Right we’re on our way" "What was that about?" asked Rude as the two of them stopped walking.

"That waitress who works for Rufus. What about her?" asked Rude. "She magically come back alive, alone with the other people that guy killed," said Reno.

"How many did he kill?" asked Rude, as they were about to walk. "All ninety nine people are back from the dead," said Reno.

"What! What are we going to do about it?" said Rude.
The sound of a helicopter began to be heard through out the area. "We have to start project: Reaper. Once we gather them all," said Reno. Rude looks at Reno and slowly his pupils slowly went red.

"Are you all right?" asked Rude. The helicopter was now hovering above the two of them.

A ladder fell down from it. Reno grabbed hold of it and, "I’m fine. Trust me"

The two of them entered the helicopter and started to head towards Midgar. The helicopter flies past Vincent and Barret, who was looking up towards it. Reno was seen lowering the window and threw out something at them.

Vincent grabbed hold of it and looked at the item. It was a disk. "What do we do with that?" asked Barret. Vincent puts the disk away and said, "I’m sure that Cait Sith knows what do with it"

"Let’s go then," said Barret. The two of the walk off, to look for the others. They found everyone apart from Cloud and Tifa. "Where the hell is that Cloud and Tifa?" said Cid.

"I hope they’re all right," said Yuffie.
"Cait Sith. Load this will you" ordered Vincent, as he handed it the disk. Cait Sith hold the disk and all of a sudden, it started to say something strange.

"Project: Reaper. Is decided to sort out things that are not ment to be in this world any more. Once read this disk, the project begins"

"What do you mean?" asked Cid. Before anyone could say something. Rain clouds began to cover the lands and slowly it began to rain.

Vincent draws out his gun and aimed it towards Cid. "Get down!" shouted Vincent. Seconds later, he fired and something dropped onto the floor.

The six of them walked towards the thing and they each notice that it was a monster. "Something is not right about this," said Vincent as he began to look behind. "I know what you mean," said Red XIII as he turned around.

They others turned around and they all notice the same monster but an army of them was standing a few yards away.

"What the hell!" screamed Yuffie. "Could this be Project: Reaper?" said Barret as he aimed his gun arm towards them.

Vincent took a few steps forward and said, "We can take them". Seconds later,
Vincent went running towards the monsters. "I think your right," shouted Cait Sith as he dropped the disk.

Barret, Yuffie, Red XII, Cid and Cait Sith went charging along side Vincent. The monsters started to charge towards Vincent and the others. Thunder and Lightning began to strike through out the land.

Cloud slowly wakes up and began to notice that he was in a bird’s cage. He looks forward and notices another person that is his size.

The person had brown hair, wears old fashion clothes and even had a monkey’s tail. The man with the monkey’s tail slowly wakes up and started to look at Cloud.

"Have we met?" asked the man. Cloud looked at him and smiled and went back to sadness. The two of them remain silent.

Outside the birdcage, a pair of red eyes was blinking. "Two down, two to go" echoed a creepy voice.

END