Author Note: This is a crossover of FF6/3 and FF7; it has been plaguing my mind for the past years. Cloud will appear first in here. Biggs and Vick is the same person.

    A figure garb in black clothing slowly walk through the falling snow as the harsh wind blew against him. His face was cover by a black ninja mask obscuring all, a visor above his eye concealing them in its shadow. The loose strap of the visor in the back flapped in the window behind him, as he clutch the handle of a thin blade in its sheath by his belt. As he walk through the snow cover valley, he left no trace of his passing, not even a foot print in the snow as the stranger approach a mining community built into the sides of a massive mountain range.

    A huge archway stood as the entrance to the town, a windmill on top twirl as the steam rush by it from the pipe's exhaust. Two guards dressed in furry coats lean against each sides of the gateway. Muttering to themselves quietly as they stared out into the blizzard outside.
    Grumbling one of the guards muttered, "I don't get why we have to do this, no one could be able to even go through this storm?"
    Sighing at the constant complaints of his partner, the other guard muttered, "The elder doesn't care, beside who knows who might try to get the sper-eey."
    "Sper-sey what?"
    "The Esper, you idiot!"
    "Sorry, I don't understand pig Latin."
    "Hey, what's that?" the guard pointed to the distant, as a distinct black blur emerge from the blizzard slowly approaching them. The two guard stood tense as the blur slowly become more define taking the outline of a black garbed person. The stranger stopped several feet before them, saying not a word.
    "Who are you?" the other guard gasped as he reach for his weapon, while the other took guard to alert the others should anything happen.
    Speaking in voice from the grave, the stranger responded, "That is of no concern to you."
    "Why are you here?" the guard questioned slightly unnerved by the stranger response.
    "I have information that your elder may find interesting." he respond still moving not one bit since he first stop, a coat snow start to slowly cover his shoulder and head. Receiving no answer or response the stranger continue, "I have little time to waste here with you, I seek your elder and no one else." The guard was about say something when materializing out of the storm, a huge black dog came walking up to the stranger. Its eye's quietly scanning the two guards with suspicion.
    "Shadow?" the guard gasped as he suddenly realize who they were dealing with.
    "I seek no harm to your elder, for now." Shadow assured the guy slightly as he rub the massive dog next to him.
    Grumbling at his situation, the guard mutter, "Okay, but we'll be with you when you talk to him." Shadow not even nodding walk pass them with the dog close behind its master. The two guards let out a sigh as they quickly follow him.

    Inside the Elder's House, the Elder asked, "So what is the information you plan to sell to me, assassin?"
    Standing perfectly motionless in the center of the room, while his dog lie close by near the hearth, Shadow replied, "Word has gotten around about your discovery in the mines."
    "What discovery may that be?" the Elder ask questionably as he stare at the statue like form of the ninja perfectly motionless betray no sign of emotion to the naked eye.
    "That you have uncover an actual living Esper frozen in a block of ice." Shadow answer not bothering to look at the shock that fill the Elder face.
    Reaching into his robe, the Elder toss a bag of gold pieces at the ninja and mutter, "What do you know?"
    Catching the bag and putting it into his pocket, Shadow replied, "The Empire is fully aware of you discovery and has send a task force to obtain the Esper." "The task force is made up of three Magiteck riders and several Imperial soldiers, they will approach as soon as the storm start to die down." he stated as he turn to go signaling for the dog. As he open the door letting in the Arctic winds, Shadow turned and added, "Leading the force is Terra."
    "The Princess of the Empire," the Elder screamed as Shadow started to leave, "are you sure that this accurate information?"
    Whispering back in the wind, the Elder heard, "They'll show you no mercy, prepare yourself, for the Reaper hangs near."
    Stepping back into the house closing the door, the Elder turn to the two guards and ordered, "Prepare all guards for an attack and awaken the Whelk." The guards nodded as they quickly left the house raising the alarm lights quickly turn on in the entire town as the news spread like a wildfire.
    Watching the activity silently on a nearby cliff overlooking the whole scene, Shadow watched as the people frantically prepared for the coming of the Empire. He didn't care what happen to this town, more than likely the Empire will wipe the town off the face of the planet for resisting.  A pity, he thought as look at the gentle snow falling in the distance, he could make out strange blinking light slowly approaching. They come, he thought as he and the dog walk into the cavern entrance, he had business to attend to.

    Meanwhile the particular leader of the Empire task force sat in her Magiteck armor as she gazed from her perch on the cliff overlooking the valley below. Brooding she gazed at the monitor on her Magiteck as it display the mission objectives and detail. An Esper after all these years, actually alive, she thought to herself?
    "Princess," Biggs said as he approached her, "the rest of the forces have arrive and the storm has died down, we can now make it to Narshe."
    "Good," she said as start walking down the Cliffside, "We move out now." The troop salute as they follow her through the snow covered valley as it lightly snow to the distant town of Narshe. Activating the thrusters on the Magiteck armor they flew off toward their target.

    Sitting in the local inn, as the word of attack spread across the village a lone stranger sat contently in his table as he listened to the frantic yelling of the villagers as they run by. Laid carefully on his table, was the stranger's sword a wicked two-handed blade as tall as he was. Glancing at the nervous innkeeper in the counter the stranger could only chuckled as his glowing eye flicker silently. Brushing back his some of yellow spiky hair from the front of his face, the stranger stood up and left taking his blade. Standing in the arctic winds outside the stranger let out a shallow laughter as he stood there a midst the chaos.