Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters, cities, creations, or their ideas. I do not get money or make profit from this fan fiction. This is just a fan fiction written for personal enjoyment and the enjoyment of readers.

Warning: This fan fiction contains extreme violence, swearing and mature themes. If you are under 17 or are offended by this, please do not read this fan fiction. If you are above age and are not offended, please sit back and enjoy.

Summery of the Story:

A year after the great disaster of Meteor and Sephiroth the world is back on its feet but the story of Cloud and his teammates was left unheard and unsaid. No one knows of the great struggle for the planet or of the hero who had slain the demigod Sephiroth. The truth had been carefully guarded from the general public for reasons that were to complicated to explain. But even so there were rumours, distant tales of a blond haired hero and a silver haired villain. They were the tales that both frightened and excited young children when heard and set parents to mumbling and guessing at the truth behind the legend.

Cloud and his team had managed to find peace and quite however, despite all the rumours. Neo-ShinRa had taken back control as a primary power under President Reeve and Wutai was once again an independent nation, both governments working to keep the identities and rumours quite. As for the planet, the Mako reactors have been shut down and now people are using solar, electric and waterpower. Despite the fierce battle with Sephiroth and Meteor, the planet is well on its way to healing. And with the planet no longer in danger Avalanche has settled down in their respective homes to begin their lives anew.

But one day Reeve calls upon Cloud to do a task the blond warrior would rather not do. One of the mako reactors has started functioning again and everyone Reeve has sent up to investigate has gone missing. Both Cloud and Reeve are worried about what that could mean. Not just anyone can waltz into a reactor and start it up. Only a select few have the codes to be able to do such a thing –and the missing people? Something is definitely going on up there in the Nibelheim reactor, and its Cloud's job to find out what.

Quite unexpectedly however President Reeve decided to pair up our hero with another that had been chosen to do the job. Maybe Reeve was doing the two of them a favour in pairing them up, or maybe he was just being over cautious, but either way a bitter Cloud and an irritated Reno now have to go up to Mount Nibel together to solve this mystery. But the night before both Cloud and Reno get an unexpected visit from a woman with fiery hair and jade eyes who leads them unknowingly into a fight, and through the little scuffle Reno ends up with a mystical item called a "Pheron Sphere" in his possession.

Who's operating the Mako reactor and why? Who is this woman with the jade eyes and flame colored hair?

And just what is this Pheron Sphere?

-=Differences in Opinions=-

Written by: Isrea

--=Chapter One=--

---Fire and Jade---

Midgar...

A city of ruined hopes and broken promises. A place where the dregs of human kind swarm from all over to form a cesspool of greed, vengeance and lies. It's a city in ruins. A constant reminder to the world of pain and suffering and more importantly, of Sephiroth and Meteor and of ShinRa and corruption... It's a city without a hope where the equally hopeless and purposeless come in vain attempts to bring meaning back into their lives.

A dying city of metal and dirt...

Reno Sinclair sighed as he looked out of his office's thirty-story window while pressing his forehead to the cool glass. It was always the same, no matter how many times he looked out said window. Midgar lay before him in a heap of dark metal. The city seemed even more looming and gloomy now then it had before, if that was possible. "Not much of a view." he stated and turned his back on the glass, only for his eyes to fall upon a large stack of papers that he needed to go through. He gave a snort and headed for the door, grabbing up the blue jacket that labelled him a Turk from the back of his chair, ignoring the cluttered mess as he entered the hall and started down the bleak white corridors.

The office itself wasn't small but it still seemed cramped to the red head. He hated desk jobs with a passion; he lived for the fieldwork. Reno gave an ironic smirk as he entered the hall and pulled on his jacket. They'd made him head of the landscaping division, in charge of fixing up the land around Midgar that had been damaged by Meteor. Elena had laughed but he had quickly set her right by proving that he could do the job competently enough. She'd gaped at him for it. Had he forgotten to mention his mother had been a landscaper? You could say he had a green thumb for this kind of thing. Surprising, isn't it?

Reaching the elevator at last he brushed a hand over his white dress shirt which was only a little wrinkled, dusted off his blue pants which actually had a crease in them, and flicked his long, neat ponytail back over his shoulder absently. It seemed that Reno was starting to take care of his clothes now a days –an impressive change. He'd told them all before that his slob dress and scruffy hair had been a mix of two things –lack of interested and partial disguise. It was easier to catch someone off guard with a sloppy looking rule breaker, goofball then it was with a stiff necked guy ready to spring, as well as a hell of a lot more fun. Punching the down button he waited a minute until that tell a tale 'ding' sounded and the doors slid open to admit him. He was immediately hit with the smell of sweat heavy air as he pushed his way to the back of the glass elevator and leaned against the cool crystalline wall as it began its descent.

Reno started as a different scent reached his nose. It was the unmistakable smell of lilacs on a fresh spring breeze. For a moment if he closed his eyes he could trick himself into believing that he was really outside, far from Midgar, in a garden of some sort. He blinked and looked over in astonishment. Before his eyes was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen. Her hair was like liquid flame, falling down her back in waves that curled around her small waist and was filled with gold highlights that caught the light when she moved and shone brilliantly. Her skin was like ivory, smooth and flawless. He had to stop himself from reaching over to touch it, to see if it was as smooth as it looked. She wore black satin pants that hugged her shapely legs and hips, and black leather boots that reached her knees, done up the front with silver buckles. Her shirt, tight black satin as well, fit her torso nicely and revealed tantalizing curves and the perkiness of her breasts. Her arms remained bare; the shirt was sleeveless like a man's muscle shirt. The woman's face was set with high cheekbones, a small nose and full red lips. Yet she didn't look at all deliberately inviting like most women, with a high cut shirt collar and a proud air about her that never wavered.

But what got him most was not her smell or her looks... But her eyes. A startling jade that shone like green fire and seemed to glow with a mako tint. He found those eyes beautiful and fascinating yet unnerving at the same time. With another start Reno realized that he had never met this beauty standing beside him and he began to watch her gestures carefully as her gloved index finger tapped her chin thoughtfully, eyes unfocused as though she was thinking on something important. Reno felt wounded. How had such a girl escaped him? He prided himself on knowing all the beautiful ladies in Midgar. And this one was definitely a lady, Reno thought as he looked at her obvious figure. She had to be at least twenty, twenty one, he mused.

"I don't think I've met you before, babe. You new?" Reno asked suddenly, turning on the charm. He went to lean over her but was startled to find that she matched his height of 5'11" and a half. She was barely half an inch shorter then he was.

He watched as her eyes immediately snapped into focus with an amazing swiftness and she turned her green gaze on the red haired man beside her. She let her hand fall away from her chin, but not before flicking some of her own troublesome red strands from her face "Yes, I'm new. I've just arrived here today." she explained and Reno noted that her voice was as sweet sounding as he had imagined it to be, yet it held an almost mysterious tone to it.

"Really? That means you haven't seen much of Midgar, have you?" he replied, leaning his elbow on the wall of the elevator and turning to face the woman that had ensnared his attention. He gave her his best womanizing smile, which she returned with a little smile of her own.

"No. I came straight here." she cocked her head to the side in silent question and Reno found he liked the little gesture when before he had hated the feminine thing.

"Well, why don't I take you on a tour? I know this place like the back of my hand." he queried, a powerful desire welling up inside him at the thought of the tour, and what would come after. A woman had never affected him this much, he thought with a mental frown. What was so different about this one? Was it her eyes?

"I'd like that, Reno. I'd like that very much."

Reno grinned in response. "Tonight maybe?"

"You can't tonight." She said simply, those jade eyes pinning him to the spot. The elevator opened and another person stepped in but Reno didn't take notice of the blond man in the navy blue, nor the large sword he carried on his back.

Bewildered, he asked. "What?"

She gave him a mysterious little smile. "You can't tonight, you'll be busy." she explained, a tone in her voice that Reno couldn't quite put his finger on.

"How do you kn-" but he was cut off mid sentence as the elevator doors 'dinged' and opened as people began to step out and onto the ground floor.

 "Have fun tonight, Reno. But be careful. All roses have thorns." she tossed the words over her shoulder as she stepped out of the elevator and disappeared into the crowd, leaving a dumbfounded Reno on the threshold of the elevator. He quickly stepped out and looked around, but there was no sign of the girl with the jade eyes and flame red hair.

"What in the world was that?" he asked himself as he headed toward the exit. It didn't occur to him until later that he had not once mentioned his name.

****



Somewhere else in the ShinRa building, a few minutes before Reno's encounter with the mysterious girl, someone else was having an encounter of his own with much the same person.

He ran a hand through his blond, spiky hair in the usual fashion that said he was irritated as he exited the office that Reeve had been using temporarily, the heavy oak slamming behind him with the force of his push. The ShinRa building was a lot shorter then it had been, now standing at only forty-seven levels when it had previously been sixty or more, with Reeve's new office on the thirty seventh floor. Meteor had really done a number to humble the company. Now Reeve was trying to get Midgar back up and running with the new company "Neo-ShinRa," without use of the reactors, which was trouble enough when trying to figure out how to power everything. Cloud had to give credit where credit was due however. Reeve had just come up with a mixed idea of solar, water and electric power to keep the city operational while staying under budget. The older systems weren't nearly as efficient as Mako but it had worked.

But that wasn't the reason he had been called here. Reeve had just told him that the Nibelheim reactor had started running again by outside means and everyone he had sent up to investigate hadn't returned yet. It had been a rather morbid conversation and Cloud had dreaded what would come at the end of it. Reeve was asking Cloud to go up and look around with another person he had planned to send anyway. A certain red haired Turk. Cloud gave a snort as he continued down the hall, head bowed slightly. Like that would work out very well... Reno Sinclair was the last man on earth the blond would take anywhere with him. There was just too much bad blood between them to handle.

And that brought his thoughts back to his current problem.

"Damnit... Nibelheim... After everything that's happened you think Reeve would understand my feelings for the place!" he uttered to himself, and was considerably surprised when a sweet sounding voice answered him.

"He does."

Cloud's head shot up to meet the gaze of a crimson haired girl with eyes the color of shimmering jade. She stood in front of him, blocking his path with her fragile looking form. She held his gaze for a moment, green eyes meeting blue ones, before Cloud looked away, unnerved by the whole thing.

"He knows. He just thought that this trip would allow you to... sort things out. Perhaps leave the past behind you?" she continued.

Cloud gave another snort, this time disbelieving. "Right... My past is so firmly fixed in my mind it's impossible to forget. Or at least, what I can remember of it." he shrugged his shoulders in an attempt to appear unconcerned. It didn't work too well. He studied the girl with the green eyes for a moment, scanning her up and down with a cautious stare. He didn't trust her, whoever she was, but the woman just threw him so off balance. And those eyes… they reminded him of a different pair of eyes that had once burned with cruelty. He only knew one other with eyes of jade so pure and endless, and those eyes had always looked at him with malice and hate.

The girl in front of him was of remarkable beauty, but in no way did he react the way Reno had to her looks. If possible, he felt even more unnerved that something human could be so perfect. She cocked her head to the side slightly; giving him a look that Cloud suspected held sympathy in those deep pools that seemed to glow with a mako light. "Nibelheim, so many bad memories for you." she said suddenly, causing Cloud's eyes to widen just a bit. "I'm sorry you had to suffer the way you did, with all that was done to you... You did not deserve what happened any more then Zack did... Anymore then Sephiroth did... But the past cannot be changed and all we can do is keep on living, right? That's what you think, at least." By this time Cloud had gone pale.

"How do you… know all this?..." he managed to stammer.

"You could say I watch." she said cryptically.

"You watch?" he was puzzled, but no less freaked out with the whole conversation.

"Reeve is right Cloud. You have to go to Nibelheim and face what you fear. Your afraid, I know. Afraid of what you might remember, or what you won't... But sometimes knowing the truth is better then not knowing at all. And sometimes, sometimes, its better to face things and get them over-with, so that you can bury them and get on with your life..."

"But what if... Wait!" he abruptly got unreasonably bitter. "Why am I even talking to you about this!? Why am I even saying this? How do you know all this about me? Who are you?! What the hell is going on?!" he concluded, slamming his fist into the wall beside him in frustration. Without even looking away from her he gritted his teeth and waited for her answer.

She only gave him a mysterious little smile in return to his question. She then spoke in a soft voice, as if comforting a child, her green gaze pinning him on the spot. He felt the anger slowly drain out of him and what was left was only a vast weariness. "Follow him Cloud. Tonight... Follow him..."

"Who?" he said meekly, unable to do more under her direct gaze.

"The one with the emerald eyes...."

"Who are you?" he repeated.

The mysterious girl started forward as if to pass him but stopped abruptly beside him, their bodies aligned perfectly, her mouth close to his ear. One gloved hand raised and came to rest on his shoulder comfortingly. "A friend... of a friend." It was barely a whisper in his ear but he heard it all the same, like an ominous foreshadowing of something more. He closed his eyes slowly, took a deep breath and then opened them again.

And she was gone.

Cloud blinked and looked around but there was no sign the woman had ever been there except the tingling of the spot where her hand had rested on his shoulder, the warmth from her gloved palm just now fading. Rubbing the back of his head thoughtfully he wondered if he had imagined everything. But it had felt so real! Shaking his head to clear it he started forward again. He had been known to hallucinate... but to have a whole conversation with said hallucination? What was getting into him? Putting his palm to his forehead as he felt an oncoming headache he told himself he had imagined the encounter and continued on down the hall until he reached the elevator. Pushing the down button, waited for the 'ding' and the doors to slide open before entering the crowded compartment, taking up position at the front of the crowd.

So engrossed in his own thoughts Cloud didn't even notice the red haired Turk at the back or his crimson haired companion with the jade eyes...

****

Coming down the steps of the ShinRa building Reno turned on his heel and headed straight for the train station up the street. A ways in front of him he caught sight of a familiar blond haired man, the navy SOLDIER's Uniform identifying him just as loudly as his hair did. Strife? What was Cloud doing in ShinRa? A sly grin spread across his features.

'Oh well. Lets go say hi, shall we?'

 With a new bounce in his step and a mischievous twinkle in his green eyes he started forward at a quick walk, passing hurried employees and co-workers as he glided down the sidewalk. Upon reaching his potential prank victim Reno slapped a hand on Cloud's shoulder with a rowdy "Spike! What'cha doing in Midgar? Come for the beer? Or maybe the girls?" and then followed up with "What, the brunette not putting out?" without missing a heartbeat. 

He had just enough time to duck out of the way of Cloud's swinging fist before dancing out of arms reach before the blond rounded on him. Dashing around the man and continuing down the sidewalk in front of the blond, Reno turned and proceeded to walk backwards, his hands stuffed into his pockets as he attempted to hold conversation the other fighter yet again. "So, what's Tifa been up to lately?" Reno continued as though the guy who had taken down Sephiroth hadn't just swung at him. For some reason Strife was holding his temper better then he had in the past. The two of them were not yet trying to rip out each other's throats. This intrigued him to an insane amount and he restrained his own tempting ideas of ways to insult the man.

The blond grit his teeth as he walked, refusing to give in to the red head's taunts. He responded as non-hostile as he possibly could, which wasn't very much. "Still thinking up gruesome ways to kill you. She's come up with some interesting ideas I wouldn't mind trying out myself..." he muttered without batting an eye.

"Why Cloud, I'm hurt!" The Turk cried in mock heartbreak.

"Not yet you aren't."

"Now, now. Lets not get violent."


"The only reason I'm not is because I need you in good condition for tomorrow, Turk." Cloud spat out bitterly, turning a corner that led toward the sector's train station. He mounted the platform in two quick steps and stopped to stare at his unwanted companion. The station looked much like any normal slum station except a bit cleaner and the train was a higher-class model. It wasn't much but it sufficed.

"What do you mean, tomorrow?" muttered Reno, sobered from his usual insulting self. He came to a quick stop and crossed his arms over his chest, looking the perfect picture of indifference.

Cloud gave a knowing grin that infuriated the red head to know end. "What, didn't Reeve tell you? Your going to Nibelheim tomorrow on field work." The Turk was about to give a satisfied smile and mutter something about 'finally getting away from the office' when Cloud continued. "With me."

Cloud stepped onto the train and gave a wicked smirk back over his shoulder at the Turk who was currently gaping at him stupidly. The blond was satisfied that he'd managed to at least shock the poor ass into a stupor for the moment, then disappeared into the depths of the train as the whistle blew. Finally coming out of his shock a few seconds later he managed to jump aboard the train just as the doors were closing and sought out a seat near the window. He looked for Cloud but the other fighter was no where to be found. So with a sigh he settled into the red cushioned seat and waited as the train pulled out from the station and started toward the housing districts, grumbling the whole way about dumb blonds with big swords.

-=To be Continued=-

Authors Notes:

1. This is some of my earlier work. Well, this is actually my first attempt at writing a fan fiction. I thought I'd put it up for you guys to read. Please read and review for me! I like to know what people think. If no one likes it then I will probably stop writing it… So please send me those e-mails everyone! Helping criticism is welcome too!

2.I know it was a short chapter but I promise the next one will be longer. I liked the way this turned out though. I hope you enjoyed reading it.

3. Comments/suggestions/reviews and hate mail can be sent to: AdinaWolf_X@hotmail.com   I would like to hear from my readers about what they think so send those emails everyone! Please no flaming though. I did my best! ^_^;;