Final Fantasy and its characters are owned by Square Inc., and I do not claim them as my own. However, this story, and all original characters do belong to me.

Nibelheim mansion.

There was something about it that stood out in my mind as I looked up at it through the old, metal gate. This would be where I could find my target. He was there... I knew it. Ready for a fight to the death, or whatever was to come, I kicked the gate in and marched boldly towards the door.

I didn't bother knocking. It could be considered my home, too, after all. If this was where Hojo's son lived, then I had every right to go right in. I closed the door behind me and looked around. How would I be welcomed? Would he notice I was there...?

Before I could even begin to formulate my own answers to such questions, my train of thought was interrupted. I had only stepped a few feet forward from the door, perhaps five, but even moving that far had been a mistake, as I came to realize. My guard had been let down too soon, and right when I noticed this, I felt an arm wrap violently around my neck from behind, and a hand grab a fistful of my hair and jerk it back.

"Who are you?" a masculine voice snapped quietly near my ear.

I gagged, choking, unable to breathe. His arm squeezed my neck too tightly for me to utter a reply.

"Idiot." After the word was spoken, I felt my hair be released. Then, I was half-dragged across the room, arm still tight on my neck. I couldn't get any air into my lungs, and remember trying desperately to free myself, but my muscles were weak, crying out for oxygen as well. Despite my struggle and attempts for freedom, I was unable to liberate myself from his grasp. I had soon blacked out.

Coming to consciousness, I was afraid to open my eyes. Somehow, I had begun to worry about where I would be when I awoke. Perhaps if I left my eyes shut, it wouldn't be real, I thought.

Knowing I couldn't elude the fact forever, I finally forced my eyes open. Vision was blurry a bit at first, and I saw the floor; I was standing, but my head tipped down, chin on my chest. My arms, I found, bound at the wrists, the ties were secured far on either side of me. As for my feet, I could see that they were bound together, but not to anything else. What a predicament. I had become a prisoner.

Slowly raising my head, I kept my expression blank, as not to expose any thoughts to the one whom had captured me. I gasped at what I saw. Leaning against a wall across from me was a man... It was me... Well, Hojo's son. Had he captured me then...?

"Awake...?" His eyes glittered dangerously as he looked at me. I felt a mess; my throat ached from the near strangling, my hair was all about my shoulders and face, and I was overall nervous in the situation. Was there no way to escape...?

"Good. Just so you know, I took the liberty of borrowing your supplies. You're absolutely helpless. But, that masamune..."

"Don't touch it," I growled in spite of my sore throat. "The Satsu-Masamune. It attacks... anyone else who tries to hold it..." I was sure he could barely hear my raspy words, but he seemed very interested in what I had to say.

Walking towards me, he placed a hand on the hilt, watching me all the while. I could do nothing to stop him. He went on, pulling the sword from its sheath at my side. "That was easy." He waved it in the air to the side. "Can't use it...?"

I grinned. This would be the perfect chance for a mind game... which meant the possibility of escaping. "Well... only I can use it... and I am Sephiroth..."

That was it. Furious, no doubt, he reeled back a fist and let it fly at my stomach. The moment seemed frozen, for I thought there would be no pain. Then, suddenly it hit me all at once, a sweeping wave of agony. Once again, I let my head fall down, gasping. I wanted to curl up, but couldn't in my position. Pain pounded through my body... he had considerable strength, just like me. I felt his leather-gloved hand clamp onto my chin and force my head up to look at him... I gave him no help�had he let go my head would've flopped back down again.

"Now, listen to me," he whispered, his voice fairly calm for being angry, "this is going to become very painful for you..." Going even further and using the grip on my jaw, he shoved my head backwards, and it smacked into the wall. Instantly, my brain throbbed, my head in pain. I felt embarrassingly useless. "This will only get easy if you do as I say," he went on sternly. "Who are you?"

"I... am you," I managed to choke through clenched teeth. He looked very displeased, but I would not let him abuse me further. My consciousness tapped a previously unknown region of my mind, and I heard strange echoes inside my head. I felt able to control my sword� It was a feeling beyond comprehension, but mentally straining. I watched, as I commanded in my mind, my sword flicker black in Sephiroth's hand. He looked down at it, a little startled. Before either of us knew it, a stream of the black glow, spirits, shot from the blade straight at the center of his chest. It was odd to look at; it seemed as though it was trying to seep past his skin and through his very being. Letting out a wail of pain, he threw the sword across the room, and the demons with it... they sunk back into the blade, and vanished.

Sephiroth stepped back from me. "Fine. I'll see about that. You... have fun in here. You won't leave this mansion, ever again." His voice and words were brutal. Hastily he turned and strode out of the room, slamming the door behind him, and I was left to myself, hanging like a convict on a torture rack.