Authors Note: Hi there!
This is my first fan fiction, and what better game to do fan fiction on than the famed Final Fantasy VII?
So anyway, this is CloudxTifa and ZackxAerith, as well as having many... 'surprises' all the way through. At least I hope they'll be surprises, I've been writing original fiction since I could write (which is since I was three, so a pretty long time) so I'm no newbie to this kind of thing!

I really hope you enjoy it, this chapter is only short, but it's more of an introduction. Though it doesn't really introduce anything, it just confuses you. I know this because it confuses me.
Please review with constructive critisism, though I can't think of a reason why anyone would, no flaming or anything like that.

"I knew I'd find you here."

Cloud turned around and put a hand up to his face, holding his golden hair away from his eyes. Standing in front of him was Tifa, her black hair blowing beautifully around her face in the strong wind. Cloud flashed a forlorn half-grin at her, and turned back around.

He was sitting on a cliff edge, overlooking the ruined city of Midgar, and the prosperous city of Edge by it's side. Behind him were many colourful flowers, that grew so happily and healthily, even in the harsh conditions of the terrain and weather. The spot was a very important place for Cloud.

He heard Tifa sit down next to him, kicking her legs over the side of the cliff.

"Hey, don't you think you come here way too often?" she said softly. Cloud hung his head and was silent, contemplating, while Tifa waited patiently for an answer, looking expectantly at him.

"I've been... hearing... seeing... him." Cloud finally said, his head still down and hidden from view. "I don't know if it's because something is up or what, but he's just been appearing and talking to me as if he's still alive."

Tifa looked at Cloud for a moment after he had finished confessing, a small frown on her face. She didn't need to ask who 'he' was, for Tifa knew whom Cloud was talking about. Zack, Cloud's best friend, who had died at the hands of the Shinra army six years ago, but not after taking out hundreds, maybe thousands of the troops. The man had been a SOLDIER first class, and Cloud had greatly idolised him, wanting to be like him. After 'The Nibelhiem Incident', when the two were kept in mako test-tubes for four years, having been experimented on, Zack had saved Cloud's life by breaking the both of them out of the facility they were kept in, and taking Cloud, while in comatose from mako-poisoning , all the way from Nibelhiem, to Gongaga, to Banora, and then to the outskirts of Midgar, where Zack hid the unconscious Cloud behind a few rocks while he fought the Shinra Army. On his death bed, Zack had given Cloud the symbol of his dreams and honour, the huge Buster Sword, which now sat peacefully in a church of the ruined Sector Five slums in Midgar.

"What's... what's he been saying?" Tifa practically whispered. Cloud looked up at her, his face like that of an injured puppy's. Tifa wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around him and comfort him, but she restrained herself.

"It's always the same, he'll appear and tell me that 'You never know when it could happen' then he just... disappears again." explained Cloud. "I... have no idea what to make of it."

Tifa frowned and shuffled closer to Cloud, leaning her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her and rested his chin on her head.

"It'll be okay, Cloud." said Tifa in a comforting voice.

It was silent for a while, the only sound was that of the howling wind, swirling around the couple and the unaffected flowers.

"Did I ever tell you," whispered Cloud after a while "What happened when he died?"

Tifa clenched her eyes shut. She had briefly met Zack when he had come to Nibelhiem with Sephiroth all those years ago, he was a good guy, and was concerned for Tifa's safety, even though she was a mere acquaintance to him. "...No," she replied "You've never spoken about it before -- ever."

Cloud sighed, rubbing his hand up and down Tifa's cold arm. "We were so close..." he murmured. "So close to Midgar."

"What do you mean?" said Tifa slowly.

Cloud put his cheek against her hair. "He died... here." he all but mouthed.

"I guess that explains the flowers." said Tifa, burrowing into the crook of Cloud's neck, trying to comfort him.

"Mmm," mumbled Cloud.

It was silent for a while more, until finally Tifa raised her head and looked into Cloud's shining blue eyes. "Hey, let's go home, okay?" she said sweetly. "I left Marlene and Denzel with Yuffie-"

"-And we all know how potentially dangerous that is." snorted Cloud.

"Well, you never know. We could go back to find that she's taken them on a materia hunt or something." laughed Tifa.

A small smile crept across Cloud's face, and was returned by a big one from Tifa. "Alright then, let's go." sighed Cloud.

The couple stood up, and walked away from the death-place of Cloud's hero, hand in hand. Neither of them knowing what awaited them in the very near future.

Cloud... Be careful...

Authors Note: Thanks for reading! Drop me a review, and I'll get back to you in this spot next chapter. Any kind of review is welcome!

Thanks again,
-Cat