Author's Note: I don't own Final Fantasy VII© and any of its characters. Characters and other authorized that are used within the story are copyrighted to their owners and this note goes through the rest of the story as it goes on. The plot is mine and if you think I got it from other sources, I repeat, this came on my own, and I wrote this on my own, Niika. Review if you must. No flaming and bashing. Read and enjoy.

Something in Seven

Prologue

For a start, let me tell you I am neither memorable nor a hero. I haven't done much and I'm only 20. A lot of you will wonder, what is this story all about anyway? And what good will even benefit you. In the meantime, let me introduce myself to you, I am Cloud Strife, and again, 20 at Midgar Heights University, and here is a peek of my life.

My youth isn't special as you may all thought, or some does. I am most of the time, quiet, and you hardly hear me talking to anyone. And what's really funny is people call me a tragic being. "It's like we're talking to a doll!" they say. It never bothered me…at least it didn't until she got around. Now, you may jump into conclusions, on who is this girl. The first time I saw her, I can hardly breathe, even in such a far away distance. She's a year younger than me by the way, but we're in the same classes at elementary. She's no ordinary girl at all and I am a fool to be one of those boys who can be so wrapped around in her finger easily. Ha, I think every guy here in this town is a fool. Who would resist her ruby red eyes and her silky black hair? She's awfully pretty. No, beautiful in every eyes. In this place, you're an idiot if you haven't even heard Tifa Lockheart. Since I was nine, I really have this huge crush on her, that I even told my mother, "I promise I'll marry her!" Tifa has her own group. And they're all boys, around her age, or a year older than her. And that's not all; she can give a pretty blow once you get in her way. As far as I recall, she hit one of her friends for hitting another that he went straight to the hospital. Nonetheless, no one can easily have a grudge at her. Not even me.

And this is where I try my social skills.

Two weeks after she moved in Midgar, people were in whispers and in anxiety. I, Cloud Strife was actually trying to get in her group. Unfortunately, things happened wasn't what I was expecting.

"And who are you supposed to be?" one of Tifa's friends asked.

"I'm Cl-Cloud." I know things aren't working out, now that I found myself stammering. Her friends were rounding me up, and I felt so small. I looked at Tifa; she was giving them a weird smile.

"Well, if you're thinking you can play with us, think again dumb blonde! Right, Tifa?"

"Y-yeah. Sure." She replied.

And that, I ran. Yeah, so much for a happy ending.

Like I said, my life wasn't special. Well, that's what I thought at least. For five years I have been living this kind of lifestyle. I'm Cloud Strife, fourteen and living at least in several years, I gained friends, two of them to be exact, Zack and Tifa. Tifa's talking to me. Call it life; she's like, visiting me, asking me if I am okay and all. In turn I wasn't feeling anything for her now. I feel naught about her, and it is completely empty.

Now, Zack and I became best friends when I joined the CAT. Now, Zack has black spiky hair, and believe me, we are totally diverse. He's humorous and girls dig him, self-assured, he loves to feint and he's sociable.

When we're both together, he's the only one talking, and I'm the listener. He has a big ego by the way.

Oh, and I almost forgot, my mom died and I'm living alone in tranquil and silent apartment. Sorry to be such a stoic guy but I am not missing her. Okay, I love my mom but I just moved on. It's not like I felt I haven't lost anything, but that's something I need to be blunt with.

Then for the time being, the most amazing thing just happened to me. Seven days after the competition of CAT, I found out from hearsay, a teenage girl just moved in Midgar. Hah, the only teenage girl I know in Midgar is Tifa. Well, at least Tifa will now have a playmate in her likewise characteristics. Back to the newcomer, I heard she was living with her mother down the street at 7th Avenue. I didn't bother to go there though. I have too much to fret.

Now, how did we meet? I met her at the weirdest way that I even thought it is impossible God can do this. Well, that's what I thought.

We met during my CAT meeting while we cadets were twirling guns. Zack accidentally hit my head with his gun and my head began to bleed. My vision became blur and

I fainted. My body was directed to the clinic. An hour later I was back to consciousness. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was the hand of the nurse.

"You're awake!" she said. She was putting some medicine on my head and put on a bandage. I moaned, feeling the pain in my head. Zack will pay later on, I'm going to make sure of that. The nurse kept talking and talking. What a big mouth.

I looked around and the room was all white. From the window, I can see the CAT twirling and you know. I sighed.

"You should be here for a while until you feel better. I'll come back in a moment." The nurse said, and closed the door while leaving.

"Hey," said a voice. I jerked suddenly as it came out of the blue. I looked around, and it was a girl around my age, I guess. She was smiling at me and she's wearing our school uniform, though as far as I know I haven't seen her yet. She has brown hair with the length of her waist and tied in a semi-pony with a pink ribbon. Her eyes are incredibly magnetic. They were green and you can't seem to break loose of your gaze. She was pretty. No, beautiful.

"May I ask why you are here?" she asked me nicely. "I've been hit with a gun by my stupid friend. It's not obvious isn't it?" I replied mockingly. She laughed. There was nothing funny on what I said, what is she, mental? She laughed again and sat beside me. She talked.

I'm not going to say more.

Her name is Aerith Gainsborough and apart from Zack, she's my best friend. We, Zack, Aerith and Tifa became close. What made me astonished was that Zack, that playboy had confessed to me, he has fallen in love with Aerith. It was unbelievable. We all know Zack is a charmer and that's it, he was never serious in a relationship. Though, I won't argue, whenever he tells me how great she is and that she changed his life, I can't deny, she did the same to me, and I felt something in my heart whenever I'm with her.

And when we were 16, she left Midgar without us notifying. Somehow, a part of me just left. She once emailed me, but that single email was the first and last. From that day on, I never heard anything from her since then.

This is how things have changed me.

Something In Seven is my latest update in the whole year.This story would get updated every month or two.I hope that from the prologue, you enjoyed reading it. And if you're all wondering how will this story be a CxA, I have something in mind. Thank you.

Niika™