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winterune · 5 years

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A Place to Call Home

Entry for Cloti Fall Festival 2019 Day 1 by @clotiweek.

Prompts: coming home

A/N: my first cloti/FF7 fic. Sorry if it’s weird or too long. So sorry for the late entry too!

Also available on AO3 and FFN.

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Home.

It was such a lovely word. Not so much as a place you live in but more of a sense of belonging. A place you belong to. A person you belong with.

Ever since Tifa left Nibelheim when she was fifteen, she never really had a place to call home. Her father was dead. Her town was burned to the ground. Sometimes, she wished Zangan hadn’t rescued her back then. Sometimes, she wished she had died with her father. Death felt like a better option than this crushing hatred, anger, and hopelessness she bore against the Shinra Company.

The Seventh Heaven bar she ran in the slums wasn’t much. It was only a deserted place of which someone needed to have their hands washed off. But Zangan had been about to leave and Tifa needed a place to stay—a place to work—because she had to move. She couldn’t stand still. Otherwise, she knew that one day, she would be consumed by these raging emotions she had locked deep within her heart.

So, Tifa opened the bar, and gained what little popularity the slums offered. Then one day, a man with a gun for his arm came and introduced her to Avalanche, an ecoterrorists set on bringing Shinra down.

“Aah~” Wedge sighed contentedly at the counter, a half-empty mug in his hand. “Home sweet home.”

Biggs, who was sitting beside him, smacked him across the head playfully. “Where do you think is your home, huh?” he said with a laugh, his own glass still full.

Tifa was filling Jessie’s glass when she chuckled at the interaction. “It’s all right. It’s everyone’s home,” she said. “So, do you want something to go with that?”

“Snacks, please!” Wedge’s hand immediately shot up. “Any kind is okay.”

Biggs shook his head at his friend with a click of his tongue, bringing his own glass of beer to his lips. Tifa just smiled and said, “Coming right up!”

Jessie, on the other hand, rolled her eyes and laughed under her breath. “You’re too kind, Tifa,” she said, drinking from her own glass. Tifa knew it was only a harmless comment, but for a split second, her hands stilled as she was about to take out plates from the cupboard, her fingers curling slightly.

She wasn’t kind. Not really.

The team had just returned from a covert mission above the plate. That was what they did: infiltrate bases, hack into computers, map out the reactors. Sometimes, Tifa would tag along. Most times, she would stay at the bar and gather what information she could glean from her patrons who had had a couple drinks too much, while also taking care of Barret’s six-year-old daughter on the side.

Tifa hadn’t come with them that day. From what she had heard at their meetings in her basement, they were planning to infiltrate and destroy the Sector 1 Reactor. She had actually come across Jessie building the bomb one night, and the sight of it had made her freeze.

Tifa despised Shinra. She wanted to see them burn for what they had done to her and her family. She still had dreams sometimes—of blazing fire under a scarlet sky, of heart-wrenching screams and dying wails, of her father lying in a pool of blood. She would wake up in cold sweats in the middle of the night, her pounding heart in her chest felt like it would burst. Her body would tremble, and she would curl on her side, shedding silent tears.

She could still see the silhouette of the silver-haired SOLDIER. The tip of his long, thin sword. The maniacal look he had as he cut her down. The scar still smarted sometimes, even though it had recovered a long time ago.

Sometimes, she would go and get water in the kitchen. Other times, she’d go outside for some air. Tifa would look up, expecting the stars would soothe her restless heart, only to frown at the vast metal plate spreading as far as the eye could see. How could people even live here? Without seeing the sky; without feeling the sun; cooped up under some pretense of a utopia that was sucking out the life and blood of the planet.

If you get really famous and I’m ever in a bind, you’ll come save me, all right?

From the far reaches of her mind, the promise she had made with a certain boy came back to her, and the thought made her smile ruefully.

He never did come and save her. He never returned. Tifa had tried looking for him when she arrived at Midgar, but no one seemed to know him at all. It was as though he had fallen off the face of the earth.

Tifa pursed her lips and clenched her fingers over her coat, wondering where Cloud was and if he were all right.

***

At one point, Tifa had forgotten about it. Running a bar and being a member of Avalanche had made her busy that she didn’t have time for idle thoughts. Gathering information, equipment, and arms; looking for promising new recruits; helping the team form plans—and finally, in a meeting a day before the big day, Jessie came up and said, “Everything’s in place. We have the map, the guard rotations, and of course, the bomb. If we’re careful, we may be able to finish this unscathed.”

Nods and grins. They were confident in this. Tifa knew she should feel the same, but bombing a reactor…did they really have to go to such lengths? What if innocents were caught in the crossfire?

With no objections, Barret closed the meeting and wished everyone good luck and a good rest. Wedge immediately proposed some drinks, followed by Biggs’s “Here, here!” and Jessie’s “A glass for me!”

But Barret frowned and hit the table with his fist. “You dimwits! Drinking the day before your big mission?”

“Come on, Boss,” Biggs said. “One glass won’t do us harm.”

“Yeah,” Wedge added. “It might even pump our energy for tomorrow.”

Barret’s scowl deepened, then shifted his glare at Jessie, who just shrugged and gave a resigned grin. “We’ll have it really light.”

“Real light. Sure,” Barret scoffed. He looked at Tifa, who cocked her head and smiled inquiringly. Of course, she knew that drinking tonight would be a bad idea, but Tifa also felt like she should give them what they wanted. Their first big job—against a giant, billionaire corporation at that—of course they needed to wind down their nerves if they were to have their best performance tomorrow. Barret probably knew that she understood the stakes, and that was probably the only reason why he finally, begrudgingly consented their demands.

They returned upstairs, where Marlene was keeping the few guests in the bar company. Tifa knew she shouldn’t put the girl to work, but she’s actually quite the genius. Keeping the stove off and every knives and other sharp utensils out of reach, Tifa only needed Marlene to take orders for food that she had already prepared in the kitchen. Marlene understood that perfectly and she never once made a problem.

At the sound of their footsteps climbing the stairs from the basement, Marlene looked up from her seat at the counter. Her face split into a bright smile at the sight of her father. “Daddy!” she squealed, spreading her arms wide.

“There’s my little girl!” Barret exclaimed, scooping Marlene up to his arms and giving her a big bear hug.

“That’s probably the only time you’d see a great big goofy smile on his face,” Biggs muttered under his breath, eliciting chuckles and snickers from the rest of them. They went to take their seats on one of the tables, while Tifa walked behind the counter to prepare their drinks and meals.

“Thanks, Marlene!” she said as she passed the father and daughter. “I’ll take it from here.”

Marlene’s reply was a grin and a wave and Barret walked over to his team with her riding on his shoulder.

Behind the counter was one of her favorite places. Not too near the crowd that their chattering and laughter were deafening, yet not too far either that she felt lonely. The perfect in-between place and at times, she could lose herself wiping the glasses while listening to the hum of conversation in the background. Not now, though, as now she had to prepare a pitcher of not-too-strong-but-not-too-weak drink, something that could ease their worries but still had them sober through the night.

Tifa was busy concocting one such drink that she didn’t realize someone had taken a seat at the counter.

“You holding up good, Tifa?”

Tifa almost jumped in surprise when she heard Barret’s voice so close. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. For someone so big, sometimes he could be so stealthy—or was it because her mind hadn’t been truly present?

“What do you mean?” she asked, getting back to her work.

She could feel Barret’s eyes on her for a while. Maybe she did know what he was talking about. She had told him what a girl from a backwater town like Nibelheim was doing in a metropolis city like Midgar—the abridged version at the least. But she pretended not to know, and Barret finally grunted.

“Well, if you’re good then that’s fine.”

Truth be told, she was as good as could be. Avalanche’s presence in her life helped a lot. The bar was as good as their home with how much time they had spent together in it. They were practically like her family now if she thought about it. So yes, she was holding up quite good.

“And about our plan,” Barret went on. “Do you have anything to say about it?”

“Do you want me to say anything about it?” she asked.

Barret clicked his tongue in irritation. Tifa glanced at him from the corner of her eyes before getting back to preparing their drinks. She didn’t answer until she finished pouring everyone’s drinks in their respective mugs. “I’ve said it before,” she finally said. “I’m not too fond with the bombings, but I can’t think of any other way right now, so I’ll follow your lead.”

Barret huffed and offered no reply. Tifa took that as cue that the topic was closed, so she brought the drinks on a tray to their table, where they accepted their drinks graciously. Barret joined soon after while Tifa brought them their snacks. They had saved her a seat and Wedge was telling her to join but Tifa just smiled and said she needed to take out the trash.

It wasn’t much of an excuse, but she felt she needed to take a breather around the town for a few moments. Why she wasn’t too keen with their mission was that bombings meant fire, and fire reminded her of that day. Sure she told herself that she didn’t want innocents to get hurt, but was that really the reason? In her heart, Tifa knew that the real reason was she didn’t want another Nibelheim incident to happen.

The barking of a dog interrupted her reverie. When Tifa came to, she realized she had strayed from her neighborhood and reached the train station. A dog was barking at a man slumped over the sidewalk, with one of the station guards standing over him.

“Hey,” the guard called. The man’s reply was a groan. “Hey!” the guard called louder, shaking the man’s shoulders.

The slumped man seemed to wince in pain, followed by more grunting and groaning. The only response he could utter seemed to be just that.

The guard bent down to look at the man’s face. “Hey, you all right?” he tried again to no avail.

A drunkard? Tifa wondered. Maybe she shouldn’t get too close. But the man’s face was contorting in pain as he groaned and panted, pounding his head or clutching his chest. Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t really leave him be, not now that the guard seemed to have given up and left him by himself. The dog started to whine, sitting on his haunches and nuzzling the man’s listless hand on the ground.

Tifa approached the man tentatively. On closer inspection, the blonde hair and the blue sleeveless garb seemed familiar. She crouched down before him. “Are you all right?” she asked, softly.

The man didn’t answer. He only grunted as he had his head down, his eyes shut, hands pressed over his head, fisting over his hair, as if there was a pounding headache he wanted to be rid of. Tifa pursed her lips.

Tifa gently touched the man’s shoulder again and slowly, quietly, said, “Hey.” She bent down her head to look at his face, and as the man slowly opened his eyes and met her gaze, Tifa froze, feeling a tug of familiarity at the face.

…you’ll come save me, all right?

“…Ti…fa?”

That voice. It jogged her memory.

He shut his eyes again, his head falling back, his whole body tensing at some invisible pain. A silent scream followed by a groan, Tifa panicked when she saw him about to hit his head with all the force he had. She grabbed his arms and held him back. He was so strong that it took all the energy she had in her to stop him from hurting himself. She should call a doctor, but she couldn’t leave him here by himself. The guard was nowhere to be found.

Then before she knew it, his body went slack again, his chest heaving with exertion.

Tifa bit her lip. “Come on. You can’t stay here,” she said. “Let’s get you to a doctor.” She moved around to his side, was already moving to put his arm around her shoulder to lift him up, when an indiscernible mumble that sounded so much like her name stopped her.

She looked at him, at the hair plastered to his head with sweat, at the face slowly rising up to meet her, at the glazed yet glowing blue eyes. He was looking at her—really looking at her—as if he knew her. Clarity entered his eyes by the second, and slowly, his lips formed a wearied smile.

“Tifa,” he called again, somewhat weakly.

And in her mind flashed a memory of a water tower. Tifa! He’d called her. Seven years was a long time and boys had their voices change around that age.

“Cloud?” she asked tentatively.

The grin on his face grew and the pain and exhaustion she had seen in his eyes melted away until there was no more trace of them. She let go of his arm.

“Yeah, it’s me!” he said, and his eyes were bright, and his grin was lopsided, and it brought back all the memories she had tried so hard to lock away. But it wasn’t the fire nor the deaths—it was the warm and happy times, the smiles of the townspeople, eating dinner with her father, playing the piano in her room. Her friends, and…Cloud—the boy her age who lived next door, whom she would sometimes spot from her window. Before she knew it, tears sprang to her eyes and she had pulled him into her arms and hugged him tight.

All the pent-up feelings she had held for years came bursting out. She hadn’t realized it until she met him, but Tifa had come to miss him over the years, wishing constantly to find him somewhere, to meet him, to make sure that he’s all right. But now he was here, and she hugged him tight, fearing he might leave her again.

Cloud winced and groaned at the sudden embrace and Tifa leaped back, her hands up and eyes wide, forgetting how much pain Cloud had been in a moment ago. “Sorry, did I hurt you?”

“No, that’s OK,” he said, though she could see the grimace on his face as he tried to shift to a more comfortable position. “I mean, it’s been so long, right?”

That grin again. That boyish, lopsided grin. It pulled at her heartstring and made her eyes wet with tears.

Cloud cocked his head to the side, concern lining his face as he said, “Tifa?” She noticed the hand reaching up to her face just as a tear slid down her cheek.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, wiping away the tears and forcing herself to smile and nod. “I’m just—” so happy to find you here. The words were lodged at the back of her throat and for some reason, she suddenly felt embarrassed for thinking such things. “I’m fine,” she corrected herself. “Anyway, what happened to you?”

I looked everywhere for you, but I couldn’t find you anywhere.

Because she had noticed the hollowness in his cheekbones and a gauntness in his face. She had seen the pain in his eyes and the way his body seemed listless just a few minutes ago.

But all Cloud said was, “I’m fine,” and, “Help me get up.” And she did, and she watched as he leaned on that big sword that seemed familiar somehow, and maybe he was fine. Or maybe she just didn’t want to think otherwise. Because Cloud was back. Cloud was with her. And there was no word she could find that could describe how happy she was.

Cloud swayed on his feet, and Tifa immediately had her hand on his arm, only to feel how feeble he seemed. His muscles seemed to be wasted. He looked so thin!

Tifa bit her lip. Who was she kidding? No matter how she wished it to be otherwise, Tifa knew that Cloud was far from “fine”.

Cloud thanked her with a smile, but Tifa only tightened her grip. He looked at her and noticed her concern. “I’m fine, Tifa, really,” Cloud tried to convince her. “I just got dizzy. Nothing a meal couldn’t fix. Besides, we haven’t seen each other for years.” He paused, and for a split second, Tifa noticed his face contorting in pain again, before he said, “Five, was it?”

Tifa froze.

Five? If memory served her right, it had been seven years since they last met. Five years meant the fire incident. Did she remember wrong?

She looked at him and could find no deceit. Had he really been at Nibelheim at that time? She would remember if she had met him somewhere else, wouldn’t she?

Tifa had thought that having Cloud back in her life would mean feeling more like home. She did, for a short while. She was so happy to have her childhood friend back—she didn’t think she would meet anyone from Nibelheim ever again. Having him with her made her feel like she could finally breathe. The oppressing atmosphere was finally subsiding. Everything would finally go back to normal.

However, there was something different about Cloud. Tifa couldn’t tell what. An uneasiness about his behavior and inconsistent memories that she wondered if it were all her imagination and that she was the one with the inconsistent memory. And when he suddenly announced that he would be leaving the city the next day, Tifa felt that solid and warm ground she had finally found after all these years started to crumble once more and she did everything she could to make him stay.

***

Tifa told herself that she only did that because she needed to keep an eye on him, because he wasn’t well, but maybe that wasn’t all either. The uneasiness that had gnawed at her was only an excuse to be with him.

If she were truly being honest, Tifa didn’t want to be separated from him again. He was the last connection to her lost childhood. But, more than anything, she wanted to stay beside him, because not once in the five years she had lived in Midgar had she felt more at home than that moment she found Cloud delirious in the train station.

~ END ~

#thank you cloti #cloti fall festival 2019 #cloti #final fantasy #final fantasy vii #clotiweek #clotiweek 2019 #ff fanfic #fanfiction #my fanfiction #my story #ff7 fanfic

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droshawoluv · 5 years

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Cloti Fall Festival 2019 - Day 2. Family & Friends.

My submission for #ClotiFallFestival2019

#ThankYouCloti.

One of the things that may be overlooked at least in Advent Children Complete / the Compilation, is the importance of their friends to both Cloud and Tifa. There were a couple of moments that made me tear up while having this in mind, making them meaningful, and I want to point them out.

In ACC, right after Cloud shows his first signs of wanting to try doing things right and stop isolating himself + running away because his fear of not being able to do anything right in regards of protecting his friends nor family, you can see his phone falling in the water. This is meaningful when you remember that a couple of minutes before we were shown the super important talk that Tifa had with him, especially when she called him out about hating being alone, that’s why he keeps his phone even if he doesn’t respond to any calls, because when we see the phone falling we hear the voice mails that the gang leave Cloud and that he keeps, giving us the hint that he cherish those messages that his friends leave him.

Also, one of the many instances that Tifa read him like a book without him telling a single word beforehand because she knows and understand him more than anyone, but also because I can see her feeling the same way: hating the feeling of being alone, as she mainly experienced that with him leaving (plus the party splitting up). In that talk she was being very wise and a also precious bean ;;

The next moments were during the Bahamut fight: firstly as they arrive to protect both Tifa and Denzel, she is shown with the proudest of smiles as everyone is making their appearance; while as Cloud joins the fight, we have the very obvious and symbolic moment of everyone –incluing Aerith!- helping him reach unhuman heights gradually being more & more OP

The third one is a subtle moment during the Kadaj fight as they all arrive in Cid’s new airship, specifically after Tifa and Vincent talk about the importance of this fight to Cloud personally and explaining the situation, where you can see Cloud making a smirk as the Shera fly off. This to me was such a “I have my friends backing me up and trusting in me”, giving Cloud the confidence he needs during his process to redeem himself (that was already on its way).

And the last one, while it is just more of a personal attachment to it, it’s the scene I (try to) draw: when Cloud awakes at the church, as soon as Marlene welcomes him and he turns to look, the shot of everyone standing together watching him, silently, as you can see the smiles, the acceptance or the proud looks of everyone in their own means, giving him that final sign of reassurance that he did and is doing a great job, made me emotional, as if everything is starting to be on its rightful place, but also the vibe that he always had them, and there was no reason to consider him a guy who let down other nor he isn’t able to protect what he cherish, and that he deserves to be happy, instead of feeling guilt about it.

And I feel that all of those kinds of feelings and thoughts were in Cloud’s and Tifa’s heads as they look to each other very knowingly. They know each other as few can, she literally was in his mind to find himself, and I’m pretty sure, as they smile to each other, that they share a lot of those thoughts, with hopes to what is waiting ahead of them.

Add Aerith and Zack, his best (and only at some point) friend who had as a role model, being proud of him, and you have a Cloud full of confidence and support that will help him going in the right path. Everything’s going to be ok, and the reason of that is his last phrase in the movie.

“I am not alone”

Now that’s the importance of friends & family mainly focused on Cloud, but for Tifa’s case is maybe more impressive and meaningful, as we can see this particularly in On a way to a smile: Case of Tifa. Already in the very beginning (right before ACC events), as soon as she’s alone in the bar, she feels “a surge of uneasiness”, when she has no motives to think Denzel & Marlene weren’t there.

“A surge of uneasiness came over her. She wondered if she was all alone in the house. As the thought crossed her mind, it proved too much for her, and she called out: ‘Marlene!’”

- On a Way to a Smile: Case of Tifa.

While during her time with Cloud and Barrett in between the OG ending and ACC, she has a lot of moments where she struggles with the idea of her friends leaving one by one, especially when Barrett leaves, as she naturally thinks if the next one to leave could be Cloud too:

“Friends were a necessity to me so that I could live on without being suppressed by the guilt I felt. Even if they all bore the same scars, the same sins. We couldn’t live without comforting and encouraging each other. Maybe you could call that family. We just had to work together and do our best. Together with friend we can call family, there’s nothing we can’t get through.”

- On a Way to a Smile: Case of Tifa.

Cloud and Tifa hate being, or rather feel alone (even if, yes, Cloud does isolate himself but that doesn’t mean he likes it -maybe many of us probably did the same thing at some point in our lives- & as Tifa nailed it, he hated it; plus we have the disappearence of that lone wolf at the end). They find genuine and honest comfort in each other:

When Tifa is alone with her mind that may easily autodestruct her, Cloud tries to reassure her that he’ll be there to remind her that she’s much stronger than what she thinks.

When Cloud wants to disappear and die alone, she’s there to reassure him that they can fight together as they are a family (a feeling that Cloud confirms at the end).

“Cloud, who had stayed silent this whole time, spoke:

‘We’re not related by blood, but we’re family. Just like you.’

‘Well, see you soon.’ Marlene said goodbye with childlike impatience, and pulled on Cloud’s hand.”

- Lateral Biography: TURKS -The Kids Are Alright-

That’s why for me, there’s a big importance in the friends they have, and the family they formed together. And the reason why when looking at scenes like the one I drew it makes me tear up a little bit, because all of that rambling that I am making comes to mind in an instant.

And now, Cloud and Tifa have their happy ending with a bright future ahead (as they deserve): they have each other, as friends, as ‘more than friends’, as lovers, as a family that genuinely supports each other through all of their mental struggles. And those acts speak by themselves, and in my personal opinion, there’s no such bigger show of love care and affection than that. That’s why I love them both and get quite emotional because of them (at least one of the reasons hohohoho).

Shotout to Final Heaven Discord in all its quackenning glory.

Also I’m sorry to Cait Sith and Red for cutting them off!! they didn’t fit and I SUCK AT DRAWING HAIRY STUFF.

#Cloti Fall Festival 2019 #Thank you Cloti #Cloud #Tifa #Final Fantasy VII #FF7 #クラウド #ティファ #クラティ #Final Heaven #Cloud strife #Tifa lockhart #FF7 PARTY THEY ARE ALL PRECIOUS

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spyder-m · 5 years

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Cloti Fall Festival, Day Three: Liquid Confidence

Summary: College AU. Zack wants Cloud to loosen up and forget studying for just one night. He coerces him into a night of drinking, hoping it'll give him the courage to talk to his long-time crush, Tifa. Things go about as well as you might expect.

A/N: I struggled to finish this, even with the extra time I took. It isn't beta'd, so I'm sorry if there are any glaring errors. Still, I hope you enjoy it! I have a couple more stories in the works for the Cloti Fall Festival. Hopefully, I'll be able to get those done without as many issues.

Ao3 / FF.net

The Avalanche bar at Midgar University wasn’t typically the place students went when they were planning to study.

Most tended to favour the library, or one of the many cafes on Campus; somewhere quiet, where they wouldn’t have trouble concentrating.

Cloud, however, liked the atmosphere of the bar on weeknights. It was a small, hole-in-the-wall place often overlooked for the fancier clubs in the city. The few patrons there were looking for nothing more than to unwind after a full day of classes.

Their murmured conversation, the steady, trickle of liquid into pint glasses, the low static of the television all built a comforting white noise, easy enough for him to drown out, but not all-consuming and uncomfortable like the deathly silence of the library.

Cloud wasn't fond of the silence. It made him feel alone, reminded him of the harsh isolation he had endured in his childhood.

The fact that the bar wasn't used by many others for studying, was also a plus. As it was free from the palpable stress radiating off of over students, frantically cramming over their notes as they prepped for exams, trying to savour the last-minute knowledge.

Cloud found a relaxed atmosphere much more conducive to learning.

At least, that was the reason Cloud would give anyone who asked.

In truth, there was something else that swayed heavily in the bar's favour.

Nursing a beer, Cloud scrolled through the Gallery on his laptop. Having recently travelled to Midgar’s coastline over the weekend, he was hoping to build up his portfolio some more with some of the photographs he'd taken of the sea, the Western Continent lingering over the horizon.

His gaze flickered from the screen momentarily at the sound of a light, familiar voice, waking pleasant tingles up his spine.

His childhood crush, Tifa Lockhart.

She was laughing behind the bar with her co-workers and friends, Jessie, Biggs and Wedge, the lull in customers affording her a moment's break. The bright smile crossing her features shone, carrying over the room's dim lighting like a beacon.

Cloud couldn't help but want to be a part of that conversation, to be the one drawing laughter from her, to have that intimate place in her life. Yet, much like the child who had admired from afar; he was frozen, rooted in place by hesitation.

It was strange how little things between them had changed, even after the years that had passed.

Cloud had joined Soldier at a young age, leaving school in order to pursue a dream, a better life as part of their elite First Class. Overlooking the town blanketed by starlight, his parting words to Tifa; at her insistence; had been a vow to rescue her should she ever find herself in a bind.

Much to his dismay, Cloud had fallen far from the mark of 1st Class, instead having to settle for grinding among their lower ranks, hoping that something would come of his hard work, not wanting to return home a failure. Yet, he found himself discharged shortly after the Wutai War had ended, worried about the direction his life would take now.

His entire plan had been hinged upon him making First Class, his young, optimistic mind had never devised a plan B, never considering the possibility that he might fail.

Cloud couldn’t return to Nibelheim, he knew that much. As much as he cherished his mother and Tifa, he had always been isolated in that village. It had never been a home.

Besides, he didn’t want to be a burden to his mother, who had struggled to raise him alone. He wanted to provide for her now. To work and eventually earn enough money to find a home for her outside of Nibelheim, somewhere she would be appreciated.

Yet, being thrust abruptly back into society, after having only after known life as a Soldier infantryman, made that difficult.

Cloud suddenly couldn’t help but feel underqualified compared to others his age. Those that had left for Midgar in pursuit of jobs or apprenticeships.

The prospect of finding stable work seemed dim to Cloud. The skills he had gained working for Shinra didn’t exactly translate to many other industries. What business would want to hire someone inexperienced like him, when they could likely pay less to someone younger and equally as qualified?

Cloud supposed he could always collect bounties fighting monsters, but it lacked the security of a regular job. Much of his earnings would likely end up going towards potions and weapon maintenance, anyway.

Fortunately, it was around this time, that Cloud discovered that, in recognition of their services, ex-Solider members could apply for a scholarship through Midgar U.

Cloud had leapt at the opportunity, an idea already in mind for what his major could be.

Throughout his time working under Shinra, Cloud had developed an interest in photography. As a young man travelling the world for the first time, Cloud had excitedly taken pictures of the different places he saw.

Knowing that they might not be stationed for long and weren't there as tourists; he wanted to at least commemorate the moment, taking photographs to send home to his mother.

Over time, Cloud came to develop a fondness for the hobby. He found tinkering with the camera kept him sane through the hours spent travelling or patrolling. After years of blind trial and error, the idea of taking classes and receiving the proper guidance from experts in the field excited him.

He had never considered the hobby something a career could branch from.

When he signed up for Midgar U, the last he expected was to find Tifa working at the University's bar, Avalanche.

Yet when he had stopped by one day, in the hope of getting directions around the Campus, he had been met by familiar, amber eyes of the bartender.

Tifa, the one who had been a significant motivation behind his joining Soldier.

The revelation had struck him in a mess of emotion. His heart warmed to see her again, yet dread churned in his stomach as he remembered his promise to her, and how, because of his shortcomings, it would remain unfulfilled.

He couldn't tell if their chance reunion had been the best, or worst, thing to happen.

The thought of avoiding the bar, and her, altogether flashed briefly through his mind, lingering long enough to elicit a stabbing sensation through his chest.

He knew he didn't have the strength to actively push away someone he cared about. His heart was drawn back to the building, a pleasant flutter coming over him each time he entered and she called his name.

There was no way he would be able to stomach lying to her. His resolve would shatter beneath those warm, ruby eyes.

Instead, he endeavoured to steer clear of the subject, keeping their conversations as brief as possible.

She would wave to him with a warm smile as he took out his laptop and camera. He sat in the corner booth, just out of her line of sight as she would busy herself with preparing drinks. That way, he could look up from his work every so often, and quickly steal a glance without her noticing.

For Cloud, it was a perfect arrangement.

He could be in her company, without having to stomach any of the awkward conversations he knew would inevitably come up. Where had he been all those years? Why hadn’t he ever come back to Nibelheim? Had he made Soldier?

She couldn’t know that he had failed to make 1st Class. That, in spite of his training and the lengths he went to, his only success had been as a lowly infantryman. She couldn’t know that everything her father had said about him had been right.

Even when he had been stationed in Nibelheim alongside Zack and Sephiroth, Cloud had kept his helmet on and spent most of his time hidden inside the Inn. It wouldn't have helped his ego to stand alongside two, for all their famed accomplishments.

In the rare instances that he and Tifa shared any kind of lasting conversation, Cloud was always careful to keep the discussion around her; reasoning that as a bartender, she spent enough time listening to others.

To his surprise, Tifa had seemed touched by the gesture.

He learned that outside of bartending, she was making extra cash babysitting her boss’ daughter and teaching self-defence classes at the nearby gym. Cloud had recalled her mentioning in passing wanting to study under Zangan, a martial arts master who had lived in their village.

From the way he’d seen her arms flex carrying trays laden with drinks, it shouldn’t have surprised him.

She was studying a combined degree of business and health science and expressed ambitions of one day opening a place of her own. Perhaps a bar, or maybe a dojo where she could pass Zangan’s teachings onto a new generation. She hadn’t decided yet.

The details Cloud revealed about himself were curt. He was a photography major. He picked up freelance mechanical and courier work to cover his expenses and was hoping to one day save enough money to buy himself a motorcycle.

No mention of Soldier.

No reference to the promise they had once made.

To his surprise, Tifa seemed to respect the distance he placed between them, only delving as deep as he would comfortably allow.

Things were probably for the best that way.

From what he could gather, Tifa didn't need a hero anymore. She was more than capable of handling herself.

Cloud stretched his arms over his head, sighing amidst the satisfying crack of his joints. Leaning back over his keyboard, Cloud suddenly felt his body slump forward under an unexpected pressure against his neck and shoulders. Reflexively, his hands rose to brace against the table, almost knocking over his drink.

“Figured I’d find you here.”

"Argh!" Cloud grunted. "Damnit, Zack! Get off me."

Having a good six inches of height over Cloud, he often served a makeshift armrest for his friend; much to his frustration. His considerably bulk didn't make fighting him off any easier. Eventually, Cloud managed to find purchase against the man's solid chest, pushing him aside. He levelled Zack with a cold glare as they separated.

"Aw, I'm happy to see you too, Cloud."

Cloud had been assigned to Zack’s battalion in Soldier, and Zack had taken him under his wing, seeing much of himself in the young, fresh-faced recruit.

On the surface, the comparison might have seemed puzzling. Zack was proud and confident, easy-going, and got along with most people he met, while Cloud kept to himself, tending to focus his efforts more on training and studying.

Still, having grown up as only children in backwater towns, they had long sought the companionship they found in one another; becoming something more akin to brothers than a mentor and protege.

"What are you doing here?"

“What?" Zack feigned innocence. "I was just in the neighbourhood, so I figured I’d see what my best bud was up to.”

“Aerith’s busy, huh?”

“Study night.” Zack groaned, collapsing in the booth besides Cloud. “Her mid-terms are coming up soon and she said I was too much of a distraction.”

“Really?” Cloud scoffed, hands gesturing over the pages of notes strewn about his table. “I can’t possibly imagine.”

“I know, right?”

Expression blank, Cloud held Zack's gaze in silence.

“You’re too serious, Cloud,” Zack whined. “Come on man, when’s the last time you hung out with someone?”

“I hang out with Vincent all the time.”

“Vincent doesn’t count! You guys barely say two words to each other.”

“Hmm, you’re right. No wonder I prefer his company.”

“Ouch, Cloud. That’s cold.” Zack held a hand over in chest in mock hurt. Yet, his lips quickly twisted into a smirk, one that sparked dread in Cloud.

Zack's voice lowered as he nudged his elbow against his friend's ribs.

“Though, speaking of company you prefer.”

Brow pinching together, Cloud glanced to his right at the sound of approaching footsteps. Heat flared in his cheeks as he noticed Tifa approaching their table.

“Here you are Cloud!” Tifa announced, setting a brightly coloured cocktail before him.

“Oh, I uh- I didn’t-”

“It’s on the house." She beamed. "Barrett’s letting me come up with new drinks for the menu. I wanted to get a second opinion I could trust.”

Her head dipped towards his beer, lukewarm and untouched.

“You’ve been sitting on that one for a while, so I get the feeling you aren’t a fan of bitter stuff.”

Cloud flushed. In all honesty, he hadn't intended on drinking anything, yet felt it would have been rude if used their space and didn’t order anything. So, he always opted to ask for the first thing he saw on the menu.

Tifa; in a gesture so selfless and innately her; mistook this for him lacking a taste for, or knowledge of alcohol, and had freely made him a drink she thought he would prefer.

It was no wonder he’d been in love with her since he was fourteen.

She pushed the glass toward him.

“Here. This has pomegranate juice in it. I hear that’s good for brain power.”

“O- oh, right." Cloud said, opening his hand to take the drink. "Thanks, Tifa.”

Their fingers touched briefly as she passed the drink over, the fleeting contact sparking through his body.

Zack smiled knowingly as the two held each other in silence.

“You know, Tifa,” Zack’s voice broke Cloud from his reverie. From the gleam in his eyes and distinct lilt in his voice, Cloud knew that he was turning up the charm. “I’m quite thirsty myself. Are there any other drinks that you would like to test out?”

Tifa folded the tray under her arms, hand stroking against her chin. Zack's suave wiles having seemingly little effect on her.

"Y'know, I probably shouldn't. I can't imagine Aerith would be happy to hear you were charming other women into getting free drinks, Zack."

Zack swallowed, the smile that crossed his features a little forced, nervous.

"Well, I should be heading back. Don't work too hard, okay Cloud?" Tifa said, voice and air morphing with genuine concern, as she lightly touched his shoulder.

Cloud nodded, fingers tracing the pattern of the coaster before him with sudden, avid interest.

Once Tifa had begun tending to another table, a safe distance away, Zack chuckled, watching his friend practically shrink back into the booth. The fleeting, affection gesture having left him tongue-tied and visibly flustered.

“You know, if it’s so hard for you to talk to her, a little liquid courage goes a long way,” Zack said, tapping the glass still resting between Cloud's fingers.

“I’m trying to keep a clear head,” Cloud answered, turning his attention back to the screen in front of him.

“Then why order anything? It’s a bar!”

“I can’t just… Not order anything.” Cloud flushed, his voice gradually trailing off. “That’d be weird.”

“But coming here under the flimsy pretence of studying just so you can look at the girl you like; yeah, totally normal.”

Cloud winced. “Don’t… phrase it like that.”

"Hey, Jessie!" Zack's voice abruptly rose, calling one of the other bartenders with a snap of his fingers. "Bring us something hard, yeah?"

"Z- Zack! What are you doing?!"

“Trust me Cloud, I’m just looking out for you.”

"I somehow doubt that."

"C'mon man, live a little!" Zack's exclaimed. "You were with Soldier for six years! You've already lost your teenage years to drills and missions. Now you gonna spend your twenties studying? You’re wasting your youth!”

“I'm on a scholarship, I need to keep my grades up. You know this Zack.”

“Aren’t you in the top percent for most of your classes? Come on, Cloud! Your grades aren’t going to suffer because you took one night off. Don't be such a Chocobo."

Cloud glared, his hand subconsciously running through messy, blond spikes; hoping they would for once rest in a way that didn't invite such comparisons.

“I’m not scared of anything, Zack. I just don’t want to, I-”

"Kweh."

Cloud trailed off, his mouth hanging open, indignant. Zack watched him, stare mischievous and challenging as he continued to wark. Like a Chocobo.

“Real mature, Zack.” Cloud sighed, reaching to clasp one of the shot glasses. “How old are you again?”

“23,” Zack winked, clinking his glass against Cloud’s own. “Now drink up.”

Closing time was soon approaching.

The night had been slow and Tifa had retreated momentarily to the break room, wanting a chance to catch up on some of the readings for her next class.

Though Jessie, Biggs and Wedge were still learning the ropes of the job, she was confident they could run the bar smoothly in her absence. Beyond their usual regulars, the only one there was Zack, and he had been ordering shots; easy enough to handle.

On nights like this, when it wasn't particularly busy, Barrett would sometimes let them do coursework; reasoning it was better than just standing around to nothing.

It was one of the perks of working here.

Though, admittedly, Tifa had been having difficulty concentrating; her focus drifting away from the pages before her book to thoughts of Cloud.

It made sense, she supposed. Seeing him working so hard each night had motivated her not to slack off on her own studies, in the first place. His determination was something she admired and had always driven her to improve herself.

It had helped give her the confidence to start training under Zangan, to travel to Midgar and go to University, to aspire to start her own business.

She’d found it odd, initially, that he chose a bar, of all places, to study, but... it did suit him in a way.

Even as a child, Cloud had always done things his own way. Much of his time had been spent alone, not playing with the other boys. Even when they all left for Midgar to take on jobs and apprenticeships, Cloud had aimed to join Soldier.

Tifa paused, the memory stirring something within her; the root of what was troubling her.

Soldier.

Whenever they spoke, Cloud seemed to avoid speaking about what he'd between now and his leaving for Midgar. Namely, of whether or not he'd managed to join Soldier.

It was strange that he would gloss over such an important detail. Cloud had never really bee one for gloating, but Soldier had been a goal he was determined to achieve, a dream he'd invested so much in. If he'd been accepted by Shinra, he surely would have been proud to share the news.

Yet, he'd never even written. Leading her to wonder if perhaps he hadn't made it, after all.

Still, Tifa wasn't quite so sure.

For one, Cloud was friends with Zack Fair, the 1st Class who had patrolled their hometown years ago. Good friends, it seemed. That was reason enough for her to think he must have some connection to Soldier.

Unless she was overthinking things? He'd mention working courier jobs before. Was it possible he just had a regular delivery route above the plate?

At times, Tifa couldn't help but succumb to that small, insidious part of herself, taunting that Cloud never cared to share the news with her, because he had moved on. No longer concerned with her or the promise they had made.

Tifa sighed, lounging back in her seat, silently conceding that her attempts to study weren't going anywhere.

She'd just have to be patient.

She didn’t want to pry, after all.

Stretching her arms above her head and closing up her textbook, Tifa fished through her pockets for the bar's keys, ready to start closing up.

She was interrupted by the door swinging wildly open as Biggs slipped through, not quite managing to mask the frantic look in his eyes.

His expression alone told Tifa all she needed, even before Biggs could settle on the right words with which to explain himself. There was a problem, and he had been the one to draw the short straw, to have to break the news to her.

Tifa folded her arms, weighing Biggs down with a sharp glance. Swallowing, Biggs' hand flicked through his hair.

“Yo, Tifa," he stumbled. "You, uh... you might want to check on your friends.”

“Huh?"

Dipping his head towards the bar, Tifa followed him out, curious. Immediately her eyes were drawn to the slumped heaps of Cloud and Zack, surrounded by empty shot glasses.

Cloud must have passed out; his eyes closed and steady breaths rising from his chest; while Zack struggled to his feet, grasping onto the table for support.

"I thought I told you guys to cut them off.”

“Yeah, that’s what we did. But... Well, apparently Jessie is quite fond of Blondie. His friend’s a real charmer too. He's been talking her into giving them extra drinks all night."

Tifa frowned. She had only been teasing, but apparently, Zack had taken exception to her words. She sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose.

"We're going to have to get them out of here. Barrett won't be happy if he finds out about this."

"Yeah, you're right." Tifa nodded, approaching the booth.

"Alright, buddy," Biggs said, grabbing Zack's arm and throwing it over his shoulder. "Time for you to get going."

"S'alright. I-" Zack hiccupped, holding up his PHS. "I knew you were closin' soon."

Aerith slipped through the entrance to the bar not long after, her head bowed apologetically as she met Tifa's gaze. Smirking, Tifa's head dipped towards Zack's crumpled form, and Aerith rolled her eyes, fondly.

Noticing her approach, Zack's face lit up, ecstatic finally managed to pry his girlfriend away from her study session.

"Aer!" He exclaimed. "You came!"

Aerith stumbled as Zack collapsed against her waist, dragging Biggs with him as his arms surrounded her. Straining beneath her boyfriend’s body weight, Aerith offered a sheepish smile.

"I hope these two weren't giving you too much trouble."

"I’ll help you get them home." Biggs said, standing back upright and helping to support Zack, leaving Tifa to deal with Cloud.

Compared to some of the other patrons Tifa had to help escort out, in his drunken state, Cloud actually looked rather endearing. The soft flush colouring his pale cheeks, his hair looking even more tousled than normal, falling into his eyes.

Shaking her head, Tifa slipped partway into the booth, her arms wrapping around Cloud’s waist as she slowly extracted him.

Years of training under Zangan and regularly lugging around crates filled with alcohol had helped Tifa build her strength, and she was able to support his weight with less difficulty than Aerith and Biggs were having with Zack.

Though, Cloud's slighter build and height made it easier, his chin resting comfortably against the top of her head.

“Alright, Cloud. Let’s get you home.”

“Teef. ‘M sorry,” Cloud slurred, her voice apparently stirring him.

“It’s alright, Cloud. I have a feeling this wasn’t your fault.”

"No, not that." Cloud's head lulled to the side. Intrigued, Tifa's eyes scanned to the side, wordlessly, pressing him to continue.

"I always end up on relying on you... Couldn't keep my promise."

Though his words were vague, Tifa couldn't suppress the flash of hope they sparked in her; the want to know that he still remembered, that he still cared about that pledge they had made together.

"W- what do you mean?" Tifa asked, trying to contain the urgency in her voice.

She flinched through the tense, passing seconds that followed, her question hanging unanswered.

The alcohol had loosened Cloud up, to the extent that he was revealing more than he would normally be comfortable with. Something she could only hope to uncover through gentle coaxing.

Tifa realised, with a pang of guilt, that she may have been pushing too far. It wasn't fair for her to take advantage of Cloud's inebriated state like that.

In a flash of clarity, Cloud must have realised his mistake, as he had fallen into embarrassed silence.

Glancing through her periphery, she tried to catch of glimpse of Cloud's face; trying to discern something, anything from his expression.

His head slumped against her shoulder, dead weight.

“Cloud? Cloud?!”

Cloud was relieved to find himself in his bedroom when he woke the following morning. Woozy, and head weighing down the rest of his body like an anchor, but otherwise fine.

Pushing the shirts aside, he realised he was still wearing his clothes from last night, though his boots were resting at the edge of the bed. He cringed noticing the dark, sticky patches staining his shirt. Hopefully, those were just beer.

Sitting up, Cloud rummaged through his jean pockets, relieved to find his keys, wallet and PHS. His laptop and notes were piled neatly on his desk.

Glancing at the clock on his bedside table, it was shortly before noon, though Cloud's schedule was, fortunately, empty for the day. He wasn't sure how eager he would have been to turn up to class today, looking like he'd fallen out of a tree.

Still, for as much as he had dreaded what may have come of him given in to Zack's pressure, Cloud supposed things could have turned out worse.

Nothing particularly egregious, from the night before, stuck out to him. He just hoped they hadn't made things difficult for Tifa.

Rolling from his bed and, unsteadily, onto his feet. Cloud shuffled out of his bedroom in search of Zack.

Despite begrudging him for putting them in the situation to begin with, he wanted to make sure his friend had returned home safely.

“Zack?” Cloud called as he padded blindly into the kitchen.

“Oh, good morning, Cloud!” An all too cheery, feminine voice answered.

The blinds were closed, only the thinnest stream of light breaking through the gaps in the shutters. Aerith stood over their kitchen table, a vision of immaculately tied hair and bright pastel colours, as she tended to a bleary-eyed, dishevelled Zack.

His hands were clasped firmly around a glass filled with a questionable looking green substance; a herbal concoction of Aerith's, perhaps?

“Aerith, please.” Zack moaned pitifully; voice muffled against the tabletop. “Not so loud.”

“Don’t mind him, Cloud.” Aerith said as she massaged her boyfriend's shoulders. “Someone’s just cranky because they have a headache.”

"Oh, I don't mind. At all." Cloud replied, making sure to scrap his chair legs as loudly as possible against the floor as he sat down. "It's not often Zack's the one asking for quiet. I like it."

Zack's gaze lifted, his face twisting angrily at Cloud.

It was rare for Zack to be in a sour mood, so much so that Cloud sometimes forgot he even was capable of it.

“How come you aren’t in as bad shape as I am?” Zack accused.

“Because I actually took precautions. Drinking water, eating. If I had to suffer through this, the least I could do was make sure you ended up worse than I did.”

“That’s it. None of Aerith’s Miracle Hangover Cure for you." Zack pouted, cradling the glass protectively against his chest. "Not until you show some sympathy."

"Why don't I get us started on some breakfast, hm? Fried food's good for a hangover, right?"

Aerith moved into the kitchen, rummaging through their cabinets for a pan; a racket of clatters that left Zack wincing. Her search was halted by a knock at the door, so light and tentative it was almost drowned out by the ensuing noise.

"Huh. I wonder who that could be?" Aerith asked, eyes meeting Cloud's.

With a shrug, Cloud rose to his feet. Despite not feeling in the slightest bit presentable for visitors, his hand clenched around the doorknob. The lash of cool air from the open door was refreshing, but the relief it brought was short-lived, as Cloud noticed who was standing on the other side.

"Tifa?"

"Cloud."

Cloud's hand brushed over his mess of hair, suddenly conscious of how haggard he, likely, looked.

It was startling how Tifa awoke these insecurities in him.

Still, he supposed anyone would have felt self-conscious, watching her standing radiantly before in the sunlight.

Behind them, Aerith clasped her hands together, watching on with apparent rapt fascination. Even Zack had found the strength to lift his head. Cloud turned with a glare.

"Oh, uh... Don't mind us."

Rolling his eyes, Cloud stepped out through the front door, closing it behind the prying eyes of his friends. With his head swimming and a swirl of nerves tickling in his belly, it was already difficult enough for him to form a coherent sentence; he didn't need an audience.

"Sorry about... them."

"It's fine," Tifa chuckled, the soft peals plucking delicately at Cloud's heart. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess. Zack got off way worse, but Aerith's taking of him."

"Really? That's a relief. You both looked like you were in a bad way last night. I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

Sheepish, Cloud hand wrung at his neck, his eyes tracing over the doorframe. Tifa dealt with drunk patrons on a regular basis. For her to be concerned, they must have been in especially rough shape.

Still, he couldn't help but relish in the hearing that she had worried about him. Perhaps it was that flash of familiar comfort that kept him speaking.

"I guess in the end you were the one to help me out a bind, huh?" Cloud answered, the words slipping easily from his tongue.

"W- what did you say?"

Tensing, Cloud realised he'd caught himself a moment too late. As Tifa looked to him, those same captivating eyes seemed younger; wide and hopeful.

"I thought you had forgotten."

Honestly, nothing could have been further from the truth. The memory was something that hung over Cloud, a constant reminder of how he had failed, how he would never be good enough for her.

Yet at the same time, it was something he cherished; a connection between them that had not been severed by even time or distance. A thread that had pulled them back together.

Unsure of exactly how to express those thoughts spiralling through his head; of what she meant to him; Cloud simply shook his head.

"You don't need anyone to rescue you, Tifa. You don’t need me anymore."

Frowning, Tifa folded her arms.

"That doesn’t mean I don't want you to be part of my life."

Cloud glanced up, disbelief flashing across his features.

"Really?"

Tifa’s expression softened, offering a silent, reassuring nod.

Cloud exhaled, his hand sliding over his face.

"I'm sorry, I'm an idiot."

"So, I'll see you at the bar then?"

Cloud grimaced, hands wiping unconsciously over the stains in his jeans.

“Tifa, don’t take this wrong way, but I’m not sure I can stomach going back to Avalanche for a while.”

“Oh,” Tifa answered, her voice faint as her gaze lowered. Cloud's eyes widened, conscious suddenly of his word choice.

“No!" His hands rose, waving back and forth desperately. "S- sorry. What I mean is, why don’t we meet somewhere else? Without Zack. Just you and I.”

"Oh." Tifa replied, her own cheeks tinging pink. "I- I think I'd like that."

"Really? I mean, that’s great!"

Tifa's head dipped slightly at the enthusiasm taking over his voice. The thick, dark locks of her hair, obscuring the flush that spread across her face. They watched one another, her smile bashful, apprehensive, as if weighing over something in her mind.

"W- well, I guess I'll see you around." She said, eventually, her arms opening as she stepped towards him.

Any worries Cloud may have still held dissipated at the soft pressure of Tifa’s body leaning into him, warm and solid and strong. The fragrant scent carrying from her was homely, clearing the haze that still clouded his consciousness. His hand cradled her head, tentatively, his fingers tracing through her hair. He exhaled, content.

Though Cloud wasn’t exactly pleased with how he’d gone about it, he couldn’t deny that Zack had really helped him out.

Somehow, he had managed to bridge the gap between him and Tifa. Something that Cloud, with his apprehension, would have likely never achieved on his own.

As much as he hated to admit it, Zack had been right. Perhaps he should go out more often.

#cloti fall festival 2019 #thank you cloti #cloti #zerith #zeris #cloud strife #tifa lockhart #ffvii #final fantasy vii #fanfiction

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theclosetpoet7 · 5 years

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If My Heart Was A House

A Cloti Fic by theClosetPoet7

Rating: T, Written Prompts for @clotiweek (Cloti Fall Festival 2019) hosted by Final Heaven Discord Server.

Summary: The colour of their town changes little by little. Hearts burning brighter. Souls drawing closer. Their memories have yet again, increased by one. Cloud realizes that wherever Tifa is, he's home. [Prompts for the CloTi Fall Festival]

Day 1: coming home • cameos

“If I know what love is, it is because of you.” Day 2: family & friends • remake

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.“ Day 3: flushed cheeks • quotes

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart.” Day 4: starlit nights • colors

“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it.” Day 5: gratitude • battle couple

“Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go.” Day 6: lanterns • original game

“Nobody said it’d be easy, they just promised it would be worth it.” Day 7: sweater weather • tropes

“Autumn is the season to find contentment at home by paying attention to what we already have.” Day 8: free day

“Simple and clean is the way that you’re making me feel tonight. Nothing’s like before.”

#cloti #clotifallfestival2019 #clotiweek #cloti fanfic

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cateringisalie · 5 years

Text

Cloti Fall Festival 2019 (Day 1)

Written for the prompt ‘Cameos’

Visiting Nibelheim never became more comfortable, and the latest visit was no exception – even if the Mako taint in the air was faded to nothing. Hard to articulate how alien the place felt. At first glance it was a town five years out of time and impossibly here. At a closer look it revealed hundreds of inconsistencies, errors, shortcuts and mistakes. No need to venture into the long-since abandoned shell that purported to be Tifa’s house; Cloud was likewise reluctant to go home and find it still empty.

A report based on investigation by Reeve on the previous visit indicated that the facsimile town would not last long. Not only a poor replica, but shoddily made too. Shinra’s cover-up had been assembled in haste and not remotely equipped to deal with the weather below the peak of Mount Nibel. The houses, the water tower, the hotel, the shops; all would collapse on their own, rotting and crumbling away over time – returning to the Planet much like the prior inhabitants. Not why she, Cloud and Yuffie were here. Set apart from the town as it ever was, the Shinra mansion was far from a copy. The dilapidated but still sound mansion stood, guarding its myriad secrets behind fake walls and with monster strewn corridors. Here remained the last instance of Shinra’s dabbling with Jenova – as far as anyone was prepared to guess or admit. The records and main site of the Jenova project, Cloud and Zack’s captivity, Sephiroth’s birth, Vincent’s transformation, and who knew what else remained. Little time to deal with the potential hazard before. Little desire to come back to the town. But the worry of what might remain here, that some vestige of Jenova might still lurk waiting to reawaken, re-infect, restart a sequence of events that would one day call the heavens down upon them – and the humans on the Planet with no Cetra to turn to in those dark, final moments. They might avoid the same fate as before, an intercession from the Planet itself, but too risky to depend on. They had been given every chance to rethink their relationship with their home world and should take it. “We could just torch the place?” Yuffie dithered on the threshold. “Not like there’s anything in here to save.” Tifa winced. Fire. As always. “It might work. But, not convinced it’d do anything but make getting down to the lab tricky. We don’t want to leave that stuff down there.” Yuffie rolled her eyes. “Sooner we get it done, the sooner we can get out of here.” Cloud shot her a smile and headed in. “Fine!” Yuffie stalked after him. No monsters in sight. Something of a relief, but hard to feel calm. The main building by day did not have the tension of night-time. Gloomy but the interior was clear enough. They searched the ground floor first. Thoroughly and later more lacklustre, no one wanting to take longer than necessary. Broken furniture, empty shelves, water-stained, illegible pages, mouldering food and dust all that was here. It made sense; the secrets were buried deep. A break before the plunge; they retreated to the doorstep and ate lunch. Yuffie fidgeted with a book, while Tifa took a moment to lean her head on Cloud’s shoulder and think about something other than what awaited. Not terribly effective. With a sigh, she suggested they resume; and get this done before dark. She sought out Cloud’s hand and gripped it when they ascended the stairs and pushed open the false wall. The stair spiralled down into darkness; Yuffie dropped a handful of glowsticks down as an initial marker – each had their own torch besides. They trailed down in single file, wooden steps creaking under their weight, the atmosphere heavier the deeper they moved. In the depths only darkness awaited, scythed through by their torches. To the left was the room of coffins and once Vincent’s resting place. Little else but sealed coffins. No stomach for finding out if there were others like Vincent dozing or these were other cast offs from Hojo’s investigations. The Planet had reclaimed the Mako from the tubes once containing Cloud and Zack. The library was damp and mouldering now. Perhaps it would be enough to let the deteriorating atmosphere take the papers too. Still risky. Jenova might be gone, but who was to say that these processes could not be pressed into use again given someone with Hojo’s mindset? Tifa shivered. She and Cloud took opposite sides of the room, checking the shelves and pulling anything seeming of note from the shelves to leave in piles along the way. Yuffie was fumbling in the lab, sending glassware crashing to the floor at irregular intervals until- “Hey guys? Found something weird.” “Weird?” The shock of worry faded. Weird was not necessarily trouble. Weird might be okay. “Yeah. Come see.” Yuffie had opened a locked cabinet and held what looked a lot like Materia. Odd, over-sized, yellow. It looked at about the same size as the Black Matera. “Look.” She held it out. Unlike other Materia, the orb she held was not smooth. A complex knot of lines, whorls, curves and what might be words in an unfamiliar glyph set jutted out above the surface of the sphere, the remainder of the material cut away. “What is-“ Cloud reached for it and cut himself off. “You too?” Cloud nodded. “What?” Tifa glanced between them; Cloud held it out. The familiar sense of knowing from the contact; much like how she once – briefly – knew how to summon Meteor. But- It faded too quick and evaporated in a moment. “What- What was that? It’s like... Like there’s a spell but it’s-“ “Incomplete.” Yuffie nodded. “Like it’s only part of it.” She was holding a similar Materia, though the design on the surface was different. “There’s more of them. This one’s different too.” “How many?” Cloud peered into the cabinet. “Seven by my count. Not sure if that’s all of them.” Tifa reached past her for a notebook held shut by a number of rubber bands. Someone – Hojo, Gast, Lucrecia, some unnamed lab technician – had transcribed the patterns on the Materia surface on the page. But contrary to Yuffie’s estimation, an eighth example was contained in the pages. “I think there’s one more somewhere.” Yuffie cursed. “I want to see what it does if you have all of them.” Tifa flipped to the front. “Not sure if you do. These were found when they were excavating for the reactor.” “Makes sense. Mako rich environment, get them occurring naturally-“ “They were found with Jenova.” The name near echoed around the lab. For a moment silence, distant dripping and claustrophobic stillness. “With her.” Yuffie tipped the Materia back off her hands and into its resting spot. “You mean they’re hers?” Tifa shook her head. “Not clear.” She peered at the page. “Looks like they were found around her.” “A barrier perhaps?” Cloud turned the Materia he still held over in his hands. “Maybe these were what kept her buried.” “Maybe-“ Tifa flipped ahead. “The notes are more concerned with spell in them. And I don’t know where the last symbol is from.” Yuffie shivered. “Just what we need. Hey maybe we should hang onto them though. Just in case?” Cloud nodded. “Don’t want to think about the idea. But if she or another like her comes back-“ “If we are right about this.” Tifa closed the book and hugged it to her chest. Clearing the basement took far longer than intended, but nowhere else did the strange set of materia get a mention – nor did they find the implied eighth sphere. Should be nothing, but hard not to worry about why and where it was now.

#clotifallfestival2019 #cloti #cloud strife #tifa lockhart #final fantasy vii #yuffie kisaragi #my ffvii fanfic #for some reason I thought this started tomorrow

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roxicodonee · 5 years

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Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Final Fantasy VII, Compilation of Final Fantasy VII Rating: Explicit Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife Characters: Tifa Lockhart, Cloud Strife Additional Tags: Cloti Fall Festival 2019, Cloti - Freeform, Kurati, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting Series: Part 3 of Unfinished Business: Cloti Sessions Summary:

AU, Modern Setting. With Aerith newly engaged, she and Ifalna think it's time for Tifa to have a man of her own. Ifalna believes she's found the perfect man for Tifa but Tifa doesn't want a man! She wants to focus on her new restaurant, not a boyfriend! But Ifalna isn't listening to any of her reasons or excuses and so Tifa creates a boyfriend from work to play pretend with her.

#clotifallfestival2019 #thank you cloti #AU #au modern setting #cloti fanfic #unfinished business: cloti sessions

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clotiweek · 5 years

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🍂In the spirit of giving, Final Heaven (aka @bestofcloti on Twitter) is hosting a Fall Festival dedicated to Cloud, Tifa, their relationship, and their fans. Starting November 14, join us for a week of fun featuring:

daily themed prompts!

movie/game nights!

flash prompts with unique prizes!

and the ultimate grand prize giveaway: a copy of the Final Fantasy 7 remake*!

But before the fun can begin, we need your help! Click the link below to vote on themes for prompts you’d like to see featured, film options for movie night, and your time zone so we can ensure the flash prompts are spread evenly to give everyone a change to enter!

✨Vote here for prompts! ✨

Special thank you to @clotiweek-archive for giving us this URL, and for @ymirrelleno for the beautiful commissioned artwork for this event.

💖 the Final Heaven team

*limited to Discord server members level Cloti Gold and above

#cloti #cloud strife #tifa lockhart #cloti fall festival 2019 #thank you cloti #updates

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clotiweek · 5 years

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Flash Prompt Day 1 - Cloti Fan Account Appreciation!

It's here! For the first day of Cloti Fall Festival 2019, we're keeping it relatively easy. Please make sure to follow the rules. You have until 4:00 PM EST to fill this prompt. Good luck!

#cloti #tifa lockhart #cloud strife #cloti fall festival 2019 #thank you cloti #flash prompt

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clotiweek · 5 years

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Cloti Fall Festival 2019 starts in 18 Days! Have you guys been working hard? We're really excited to get this started. We've finalized our giveaway prizes, and will be releasing more information soon. Thank you for everyone's support! :D

#cloti #cloud strife #tifa lockhart #cloti fall festival 2019 #thank you cloti #countdown

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clotiweek · 5 years

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🍂Hi everyone! It’s officially the last week of voting for our Cloti Fall Festival! We need your help in building this festival! Please let us know:

what prompts you’re interested in!

what movie you’d like to watch!

what your timezone is! (for giveaway options!)

✨Vote here! ✨

Cloti Fall Festival 2019 will run from November 14 - November 21 and will include a ton of giveaways and activities for our community to enjoy! We want to make sure we give back to the fans by hosting this celebration.

We are really thankful for those who have shown interest in this festival so far. We’re really excited to get it going, and we couldn’t have done this without your support!

💖Best wishes from the Final Heaven Team

*Restrictions apply. Limited to Discord server members rank Cloti Gold and above.

#ffgraphics #cloti #cloud strife #tifa lockhart #cloti fall festival 2019 #thank you cloti #updates

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clotiweek · 5 years

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The countdown continues! Cloti Fall Festival 2019 starts in 15 Days! Keep a lookout — we’ll be making an announcement on Friday, with a list of our giveaway prizes, and when the raffles will be held.

As always, thank you for everyone’s support! :D

#cloti #cloud strife #tifa lockhart #cloti fall festival 2019 #thank you cloti #countdown

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clotiweek · 5 years

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!! Cloti Fall Festival 2019 officially starts tomorrow! Can't believe it. Hope you're all geared up and ready for this. We are so excited! Our first flash prompt will be posted early tomorrow, so make sure to keep checking back!

#cloti #cloud strife #tifa lockhart #countdown #cloti fall festival 2019

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winterune · 5 years

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The Things that Matter

Cloti Fall Festival 2019 Day 4 hosted by @clotiweek

Prompts: Starlit Nights / “A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it”

Summary: Two years after they defeated Sephiroth and destroyed Meteor, Tifa and Cloud return to Nibelheim, where they sit under a star-strewn sky atop the water tower, reminiscing about their loved ones lost in the fire.

Also available on AO3.

~*~*~*~*~

Something stirred him awake and Cloud opened his eyes to darkness. The wooden, creaking ceiling; the lamp on the bedside table; the drawn curtains moving from a draft in the window. Moonlight shone through it, enough to light the entire room dimly for Cloud to adjust his eyesight. He blinked away the sleep and realized the bed to his left was empty.

Cloud sat up and looked around. Tifa’s belongings were still there, but the person herself was missing. Her bed was still in a state of disarray. There was no sound coming from the bathroom. Did she go out?

Groggily, Cloud went over to the window, drawing the curtain to the side. The window was slightly open, and he moved to close it, but a movement somewhere above him made him pause. Tifa was walking idly at the top of the water tower.

They had been in Nibelheim since yesterday. It had felt like a good opportunity to visit with no looming darkness hanging overhead. Tifa had been the one who had proposed the idea to him one night as they sat on the porch of her bar. The Shinra employees were gone and some of the survivors that had managed to escape the fire and Hojo’s experiments had gone back to live there, revitalizing the town. They had heard that the people had made a proper burial ground for those who had lost their lives in the fire, and Tifa had said that she wanted to pay proper respects to her father.

They had arrived yesterday afternoon and found the town livelier than it had been two years ago under Shinra occupation. It hadn’t been as lively as it had been before the fire, but it was as lively as could be. People had been up and about. The stores were busy. Children were playing around with balls or jumping ropes or hide-and-seek. Some of the women were chatting and laughing together. The men were carrying bricks or wooden planks for some other building needed reconstructing. A monument had been erected just outside the town in memoriam of the Nibelheim incident seven years ago.

Among the survivors, there were some they knew, some they didn’t. Most remembered Tifa, and Tifa had greeted them with wide smiles and tears. Some remembered Cloud and somehow, they had learned that he was the one who had put a stop to things two years back. Cloud hadn’t been sure how to react to that.

They had gone to the cemetery right after. Tifa found her father’s grave and, after some looking around, Cloud found his mother’s. And time seemed to stop. For a moment, he forgot where he was and what had happened and he was back in his house seven years ago, eating the food his mother made, talking with her about the job he had landed on in Midgar, and resting on his bed as he listened to his mother asking if he’d met a girl.

The tears started falling before he knew it. Cloud tried to blink them away, but they wouldn’t stop—a slow, steady stream down his face. He felt his throat closing up—a crushing feeling in his chest that was suffocating him.

How could he have forgotten? How could he have let himself forget?

He had been there. He had seen his house on fire. He had seen his mother’s body burning. And he had been too late.

The last image he had of his mother was of a strained smile just as he had been about to head back to his team. Cloud remembered wondering if it had anything to do with his choice to leave the town. But he never did get to know what had made her look so sad, because she had forced that smile and said, “Be careful,” without giving him any chance to say anything.

Cloud stared at his mother’s name, half-hoping that by doing so would somehow resurrect her from death. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, his voice breaking through the tears.

***

After putting on his boots, Cloud went outside and headed for the water tower. They had spent the day helping the townspeople after visiting the graveyard again. It had been a tiring day, but the effort they put on rebuilding the town was worth it. That was why when they went back to their rented room at the inn, Cloud was immediately asleep the moment his head hit the pillow. So, it had surprised him when he woke up to find night had already fallen and Tifa gone from the room.

Cloud curled his fingers around the ladder on the side of the water tower. How many years had it been since he last went up these steps? The rung felt smaller in his hand now.

He looked up. Tifa had sat down with her legs dangling down the edge of the landing. She had her back to him, so she hadn’t seen him yet. The rustle of his clothes and his almost-silent steps up the ladder seemed to alert Tifa of his presence, because just as he was reaching the landing, he found her looking his way, and her eyes went wide at the sight of him.

“Cloud?” she exclaimed, then shut her mouth self-consciously as her eyes darted this way and that. It was already late, and people were probably already asleep. “What are you doing here?” she asked in a hushed tone. “Weren’t you asleep?”

“I woke up and you weren’t there,” Cloud replied just as softly, bringing his feet down on the landing with a soft thud. Cool wind brushed past him and the air felt a tad chillier than it was down below. Cloud realized, then, that he was quite high, with no buildings whatsoever to block the wind. With mountains to one side and a vast plain to the other, the houses of Nibelheim lay quiet in the night.

He walked over and took his seat beside her, his legs dangling down over the edge. “I got worried.”

Tifa smiled. “It’s a small town. Nothing’s going to happen.”

“That’s not what happened seven years ago,” he said, his voice so quiet it was almost impossible to hear. But the air that night was silent, not even the sound of crickets could be heard, and Tifa heard it as loud as if Cloud had said it right to her ear.

It was a low blow, and he knew their circumstances were different now. Sephiroth was gone. The reactors weren’t working anymore. He doubted an incident like that would ever occur again. But still, there was an unease in his heart as he watched the town sleep that night. He half-expected someone to come barging out of a house carrying a burning torch, setting the whole town on fire. A maniacal laugh and the glint of a long, thin sword. Hysterical screams and dying wails. But the night stayed quiet with not much of an owl hooting or a wolf howling.

Both of them grew quiet, lost in their own thoughts. As Tifa looked to the sky, Cloud found his attention drawn to a certain house across the tower. His old house, where his mother had waited for him to come home. She had smiled at him when he told her he was leaving for Midgar. She had wished him luck. But, could it be that she had wanted him to stay?

What if he hadn’t left town? Would it have made any difference? He wouldn’t have had to be away from her. He would have been able to get his mother out on time.

The thought made him pause.

Would it, though? Yes, he had received trainings as an infantryman, but even with those trainings, he had failed to save his mother. What would have happened if he had stayed without receiving any sort of training whatsoever? Cloud scoffed at himself. He might have lost not only his mother, but Tifa too. He might have lost his own life.

“Doesn’t this take you back?” Tifa’s soft voice suddenly broke through his reverie.

Cloud glanced at her. She was leaning back and looking up at the sky. Her eyes had a faraway look, with a small, wistful smile grazing her lips.

He followed her gaze only to have his breath taken away by the vast open sky. In the clear and cloudless night, with neither building nor man-made light to obstruct the view, Cloud could see a myriad of stars in the sky—white ones and blues ones and even some bordering on red. Some shone so bright that it made him think it was close enough for him to reach up and grab it.

Maybe he could. Maybe if he reached up just a bit more, the star would be in his hand, and then the sky would open up and swallow him, taking him to where his mother was.

Cloud fisted his hand in the empty air and brought it back down to his lap.

“The stars were also so bright that night,” Tifa added.

They were. He remembered it. The bold announcement he had made. The promise he had to keep.

“Do you ever wish you could turn back time?” Cloud asked.

Tifa glanced at him, but he didn’t dare meet her stare. He was afraid that she would be able to tell what he was thinking. These self-deprecating thoughts that had constantly consumed him ever since they stepped foot in Nibelheim. Helping the townspeople was the only thing that could stop this train of thoughts.

Tifa didn’t answer immediately. Gradually, she looked away, back at the stars. The silence stretched on, and Cloud wondered if she would ever say anything, when she suddenly, quietly, murmured, “Sometimes. Sometimes I’d find myself looking at the sky and wish I could go back there and stop my father from going after him.” She paused, then chuckled under her breath. “Sometimes I wish I could’ve stopped Sephiroth somehow.”

Cloud glanced at her. “How would you have stopped him?”

Tifa shrugged. “I don’t know. Lock down the manor, for one.”

At that, Cloud smiled. Then he leaned back and propped himself on his hands, throwing his head back to drink in the vastness of the heavens.

“Do you think he’s happy right now?” he asked again. “Your father.”

It took a moment before Tifa replied, “He’s happy.”

“How do you know?”

“A feeling,” she said, “as a daughter.” Then, she looked at him and added, “Your mother’s happy too.”

“What—?”

Cloud stared at her, stunned. He hadn’t said one word about his mother, and there Tifa went and broached the topic he had been afraid to come near. The smile on her face was kind and knowing.

“Did you know, Cloud?” she said, looking up at the stars again, hugging her knee. “Back then, you were the person I most longed to see. I had lost my home, my father, my friends. I had lost everyone. And then I thought of you and the promise we made.” Tifa paused. “Even though I didn’t know it at the time, but you came for me, didn’t you? You came for me at my time of need, like you said you would. And just like how you came to my rescue, you also came to your mother. Right?”

Her words struck a deep chord inside him that Cloud was rendered speechless.

His gaze shifted to the quiet house across the tower—the house where he grew up in.

The painful image of it burning had been engraved into his mind so deep that Cloud wasn’t surprised he had kept the memory locked away, hidden even from himself. He had tried to break into his house—tried to take his mother out—but the gas had exploded and the force had thrown him aside. The hopelessness and powerlessness he had felt then had spurred him to run after Sephiroth into the reactor in the mountain.

A particularly warm breeze brushed against his skin, and for a moment, it was as if his mother was there, holding his hand and smiling at him.

Cloud looked up, but the image was gone, and the breeze had blown away, and in its place were the millions of stars filling his eyesight.

Tears burned his eyes and Cloud tried to blink them away.

“You came for her,” Tifa said again, enveloping his hand in hers. “That’s all that matters.”

Cloud met her gaze and when she smiled at him, Cloud was reminded that it was the same for her. That there was a deep-seated sadness in her heart much like his own that had only begun to heal.

That’s all that matters.

There had been this restlessness inside him that he couldn’t quite explain. He didn’t know when it started. But what he knew for certain was that, when he stood before his mother’s grave the day before, all the pent-up feelings he didn’t realize he had held came pouring out, and in its wake was a state of peaceful emptiness, that was slowly refilled as he helped the townspeople throughout the day. It was something he had forgotten—a contentment and fulfillment he hadn’t felt since the day he left his home.

Cloud looked at the starlit night and wondered if his mother was there, watching over him.

~ END ~

#thank you cloti #cloti fall festival 2019 #cloti #final fantasy #final fantasy vii #ff fanfic #ff7 fanfic #fanfiction #my fanfiction #my story #clotiweek 2019 #clotiweek

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spyder-m · 5 years

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Cloti Fall Festival, Day Five: Ghosts of Idols

Summary: AU. In the wake of the Nibleheim incident, Cloud and Zack are not captured by Hojo. Instead, they are celebrated as heroes for defeating Sephiroth and Cloud is promoted to First Class. When Shinra receives word of Avalanche's bombing mission, Cloud is tasked with guarding the Sector 5 Reactor. Cloud meets a familiar face among Avalanche's ranks; someone he thought perished in Nibleheim's fires. A loved one he must now face as an enemy.

A/N: I couldn’t come up with anything I liked for lanterns, but had what I thought was a pretty cool idea for an AU spin on the original game. Feel like there’s potential for a multi-chaptered story here... Shame I’m no good at actually regularly updating full-length stories.

The title also comes from lyrics to the Thrice song, “Where Idols Once Stood”, for those of you playing at home.

Ao3 / FF.net

“Congratulations; First Class Soldier Strife,” President Shinra’s gravelly voice broke, his mouth twisting at Cloud in a smile barring too many teeth.

Not privy to the formalities of the ceremony, Cloud wasn't exactly sure how to respond.

He recognised that President Shinra was his boss, and a powerful, influential figure he would need to treat respectfully. Still, he couldn’t help but feel jaded by the entire ceremony. How a man, who Cloud wasn’t even sure had known his name before, was suddenly happy to bask in the presence of the famed, hero of the day.

His conflicted feelings for the President aside, Cloud gripped the man's hand firmly, his head dipping an awkward bow.

The Soldier uniform clung to the newly formed muscle lining his arms and chest; forged from the years of training and bolstered by his recent graduation to Mako injections. Yet, it somehow felt ill-fitting.

The President's hand clasped Cloud’s shoulder, shifting his stance towards the thongs of press before them; cameras flickering in blinding flashes. The reporters' questions blurred together in a flurry of incomprehensible voices, crackling in his ears like thunder.

Cloud winced, still adjusting to the powerful senses the Mako had imbued him with.

It was too hard to focus on what they were saying, let alone form a coherent answer, when even the touch of their fingers against their camera’s flashes seemed to ring as loudly as a hail of bullets.

Having grown up shy and reserved, Cloud hadn't considered the spotlight being Soldier would shine upon his life. His hand rose, unsure, as he acknowledged the press.

This should have been the proudest moment of his life. Yet, their praise, the adulation he had always sought after, now felt empty.

At seventeen, Cloud had become one of the youngest to ever reach the height of Soldier’s elite; younger than even Zack or Sephiroth had been. When, just weeks ago, he'd been nothing more than a grunt resigned to a life of perpetual failure.

The Great Sephiroth, now branded a traitor and murderer, had been killed at his hands, in the midst of a rampage in Nibleheim.

Cloud, though only an infantryman, had survived a seemingly fatal wound; pierced clean through by Masamune’s blade. He had managed to overpower Sephiroth, pushing him into a vat of Mako beneath the platform, killing him.

Such feats were unheard of and in the realm of superhuman. The higher-ups in Shinra realised that there was no way such raw potential could be kept dormant. They needed to harness and nourish it.

So, for succeeding where even Zack; a First Class; had failed and sparing any further casualties, Cloud had been swiftly promoted. He had finally managed to catch the role that alluded him.

Still, there was an absence, a sense of loss that weighed upon Cloud as he remained conscious of all that had been taken from him in the process.

He was no longer the same fresh-faced, young man full of dreams and aspirations. The incident in Nibleheim had exposed him to the horrible reality of war that had been glorified to him from a young age, and the shady nature of the company he worked under.

His hometown had been destroyed, his mother killed in the ensuing fire; his idol, the man he once considered a hero, twisted unrecognisably into a cruel, sadistic monster; Tifa… He hadn't received word of her condition after carrying her to safety. He didn't even know if she had managed to survive.

The final pieces of his dream, his life’s goal, had all been ripped away and now everything felt incomplete.

He would never have the chance to return home, could never bask in the vindication of showing the town that had shunned him the man he had become. His mother wouldn’t be there to welcome him back, to gush over how she proud she was. He could never earn the respect of Mr Lockhart, showing him the result of his years of hard work.

He could no longer become someone worthy of Tifa.

Celebrating seemed meaningless now that he could no longer honour the promises he had made.

As if sensing the despair weighing upon him, the only remaining presence in Cloud's life he could stand, the only person he could trust, put his arm around him.

Cloud glanced up, the flurry of doubt swimming through his head alleviated by Zack's soft, reassuring smile.

His friends normal, sunny disposition was restrained, recognising the gravity and weight the day carried. The sheen of his eyes dulled, sadness and sympathy lingering in his gaze.

It was comforting, a reminder that Cloud wasn't completely alone in all of this.

“You did it, buddy. I knew you would.”

Cloud smiled. It was ill-fitting, much like his uniform.

As a coping mechanism, Cloud pushed himself deeper into his work; now the one constant in his life that remained.

He was determined now, more than ever, to be the best Soldier had ever known; if for no reason other than to shatter the once great reputation of Sephiroth.

He would ensure that the honour, the pride that had once been attached to Sephiroth’s name would be erased forever. For, the man he had left the world as, the horrific, things he had done, was no longer deserving of such a legacy.

Following the tragedy in Nibleheim, Cloud; for his accomplishments; was already being presented as the new poster child for Shinra; the Silver Elite seemingly forgotten. Though, his name was still written in many company records, Shinra did not actively acknowledge it, wanting to swiftly sweep the massacre under the rug, not wanting to get caught up in such a scandal.

Cloud had heard that Shinra had even gone so far as to completely rebuild the town; filling it with actors to pose as Nibleheim residents.

Should word get out of the tragedy, the town would stand as direct proof against it. The only people who knew the truth were buried amidst the rubble under the newly constructed houses and markers.

Although, that wasn't entirely true.

Both he and Zack survived, that had witnessed the massacre with their own eyes. Perhaps that was Shinra had been treating them so well, why Cloud had been suddenly promoted. They hoped that they could compel them into remaining silent.

Although, it might not have been necessary.

Even if they came out with the truth, chances are that no one would believe them. Nibleheim had been so remote, so far from Midgar. The likelihood that anyone in the city knew of the names and faces, the lives that had inhabited that place, was minuscule.

The thought made Cloud sick to his stomach, a painful reminder of everything he had lost. The very idea of someone living in his home; or, an exact replica of it; pretending as though nothing had happened. Pretending that his mother, Tifa, Mr Lockhart, none of them had ever even been alive.

Cloud couldn’t help but see the act as an unconscious admission of guilt on the part of the Shinra, that they’d had a small hand in the massacre.

Though it didn’t excuse his actions, Cloud was beginning to suspect Sephiroth had gone on the rampage after suffering some kind of mental breakdown.

Zack had confessed overhearing Sephiroth muttering the library of the Shinra Mansion. Talking about being born from Jenova, the calamity that fell from the sky.

Thinking about it, Cloud felt it was possible that Sephiroth’s mental state had deteriorated following the deaths of his two closest friends, Angeal and Genesis; not to mention the atrocities he’d been exposed to over the course of the Wutai War.

For this to have gone undiagnosed and untreated by the company, eventually manifesting in the worst possible way, they bore some responsibility.

In the wake of such tragedy, questions were often raised about whether or it was fair to bury the memory of such controversial figures completely. About whether they could still be recognised for the good they’d done and what they’d achieved while they were alive.

Considering the hero status Sephiroth had attained in his time, Cloud was certain this conversation would inevitably come up.

For that reason, Cloud resolved to quash any thought of celebrating Sephiroth’s accomplishments by shattering them all.

Cloud didn’t want anyone to have a reason to speak of Sephiroth anymore.

That would be his revenge, his means of avenging his mother, Tifa, Nibleheim.

Perhaps, that way, he could find some semblance of closure.

Where Cloud had once been ridiculed for his short stature and lithe frame, there was now a palpable aura surrounded him, one that commanded respect.

It was difficult not to notice as he walked the halls of Shinra HQ, the subtle glances and whispers that would follow in his wake. His reputation proceeded him; the man who had managed to defeat Sephiroth.

The infantrymen who were once his cohorts looked at him differently.

Should he stop to speak with one of them, they would stammer in response, struggling to maintain eye contact. Though normally modest and reserved, Cloud couldn’t help but revel in the satisfaction and stroke his ego felt whenever they shrunk in his presence.

The glare of his eerie, glowing eyes would often punctuate an order, sending them scurrying frantically in all directions.

"Cloud."

Cloud's pace slowed, knowing by the call of his name, that there was only be one person who would approach him.

Over their time in Soldier, Zack had gotten to know him closely and knew there was nothing about him to fear. He had been someone who, despite holding a higher position, had never treated him as inferior, but recognised and believed in his strength all along.

Now, that day had come, and they were equals in rank.

"Come on," Zack called with a wave. "We need to get going. Heidegger just called an emergency meeting."

“Ah, Soldier 1st Class Strife. Glad that you could make it.”

“What’s going on?” Cloud asked as he stood at attention amongst the other Soldiers.

“We’ve received word that Avalanche is planning another attack on one of our Reactors. However, at this stage, we haven’t been able to determine which one."

Avalanche. Their name had been cropping up more and more recently; a group of vigilantes, enviro-terrorists who had set their sights on Shinra. Cloud had heard rumblings of their protests, the accusations they levelled at the company. How they were draining the planet’s lifeforce to power cities and towns.

It was a damaging blow to his already waning faith in Shinra.

Still, Cloud couldn't agree with their methods; planting bombs in Mako reactors across the city and cutting off the power, hoping to stop the draining of the planet's energy. They were too many innocent people being caught in the crossfire.

Shinra might have been corrupt, but there were genuinely good people working for the company; people like Zack, like the infantrymen he had been friends with. They would have to fight in the line of duty, in some cases even, die.

They didn't deserve to have their lives taken from them.

The planet was suffering under Shinra, but what about the pain of those who were killed in the explosions? The pain of those who had to continue living through the tragedy of having lost their children, the parents, their friends, partners, co-workers? It was a pain Cloud had become all too familiar with; one he didn't want to see others have to suffer through.

As far as Cloud was concerned, Avalance were no better than Sephiroth.

"Therefore, as a countermeasure, I want one of you stationed at each Reactor,” Heidegger instructed. “These people are dangerous terrorists, so don't hesitate to use lethal force. Let Avalanche serve as a martyr to any other sewer rats out there who might be thinking of following their example."

It never occurred to Cloud that Shinra's Mako Reactors had all been built to the exact same dimensions.

As he walked through Sector 5, approaching the building, he was shaken by each eerie detail that flooded back. How, much like the reconstruction of Nibleheim, it was startingly, precisely familiar, carrying a distinct memory and reminder of that night.

It awoke the flood of panic that had surged through his veins, the hot, viscous streaks of blood spilt upon that same staircase. His thoughts, somehow, became more visceral, than what he had lived through.

His heart lurched in his chest as he recounted passing Zack and Tifa's prone bodies, lying motionless of the stairs. He could feel his hand shaking against the handle of his sword, much like it had as he stood before Sephiroth, certain that he was going to die. The white-hot burn of Sephiroth’s blade searing in two different places as it cut clean through his flesh.

Exhaling in a cold-sweat, Cloud buckled to one knee at the entrance.

"Sir?" The voice of the infantryman crouched beside Cloud, pulled him from his reverie. His words, the touch of his hand against his shoulder, offering Cloud something to focus on.

"Are you alright?"

"I- I'm fine," Cloud lied.

Even with masks obscuring their faces and no way to clearly read their expressions, Cloud could sense the doubt radiating through the fleeting glances they shared.

Before they had the chance to pry, alarms began to blare from inside the reactor.

The infantrymen turned towards him expectantly, awaiting his command.

Standing back to his feet, Cloud readied Hardedge.

"Alright. On my signal, move in." Cloud instructed.

"Right."

Cloud heard Avalance before he had a chance to see them; a product of a Soldier's Mako-enhanced senses.

It was the clatter of the rifle along the ground that gave them away. The sound of a bullet misfiring and ricocheting off the wall, the guard grunting in pain before seemingly slumping to the floor, unconscious.

Cloud slid to a stop at the entrance of the reactor, catching sight of a young woman taking down one of the guards with a series of powerful strikes.

Despite himself, Cloud was impressed by the sheer speed and technique she demonstrated. He'd been under the impression that Avalanche were a group of ordinary, frustration citizens; finding strength in numbers and piecing together a militia from what they had on hand.

Yet, this woman fought with the skill of a trained, highly dangerous fighter.

Still, Cloud felt no cause for concern. It would take more than hand to hand skills for her to stand against a member of Soldier. Though, he took solace in knowing that their fight would not be so unfairly balanced.

Despite company orders, Cloud did not feel comfortable using force on random citizens and had hoped he could detain the protestors peacefully.

Sensing his presence behind her, however, the woman turned towards him, her fists raised and stance wide, ready to strike. Their eyes locked from opposite ends of the room, immediately honing in one another.

Cloud's forehead burnt as he, once more, was struck by that haunting flash of recognition.

It was a moment that had played out in Cloud’s head countless times.

A vision that only grew more vivid with each iteration.

With time and the hardships that had plagued his young life, Cloud had realised that the romantic imaginings of his young mind were unlikely to accurately reflect reality.

Yet, he could never have guessed how far they would stray, how opposite to his hopes and dreams things would actually unfold.

Her eyes, through enhanced Mako vision, were brighter, much more vibrant and closer to red than he could remember. They looked older, no longer wide and innocent.

Though, perhaps the most startling difference was how those same breath-taking, ruby eyes now pinned him down, not with admiration, but heart-wrenching rage.

As the pieces slid into place, his voice broke in a tremor.

“T… Tifa?”

“Cloud?”

"The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies." – Unknown

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