Synopsis:
Cloud is going through a tough time in his life, once again struggling with forgiving himself, and once again trying to get over the death of Zack and Arieth. Tifa tries her best to help Cloud, and just when things seem to be getting better for the both of them, something bad happens in Midgar, and Vincent and Cloud must jump into action once again.
Cloud x Tifa
Rated M
Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Final Fantasy VII, or anything associated to Square Enix, sadly...
NOTE: I'm going by the series transition. The first game was made in 1996, So I will assume the first game took place in the same year. Advent Children happened 2 years later, and Dirge of Cerberus happened 1 year later. Also, this story will tie in with my story, Undying Love.
SIDE NOTE: Anything that is "italicized and in quotation marks" is a thought.
UPDATE: I'm sorry for Zack's name being spelled as "Zach." I originally typed this up on my tablet, and autocorrect must have changed it to Zach instead of Zack, and I also must have failed to notice this error. I have fixed it though. Thank you to those who brought this error to my attention in the comments of the original story.
Scarred
«-¤ Chapter 1 ¤-»
Post-Traumatic Stress
Song to set the mood: "Stronger Than I Was" by Eminem
Time Period: 2 years after Deep Ground
Time: 02:00
Date: November 20th, 2001
Location: The outlands, just outside of Midgar
Cloud Strife stabbed Zack's old, rusty buster sword back into the ground where it belonged, as a memorial to Zack's memory, then stood there next to it with his hand on the hilt. He let go, then crouched down with a hand on the base and his head down, speaking to Zack in his head, "Hey buddy, sorry I haven't been around much to talk to you… how you been?" Cloud sat there for a second, as if letting Zack respond. "Why am I out at night, you ask? I… I felt… guilty… for not taking care of your memorial… so I came here to fix that…," Cloud stood up, allowing the light on his bike to slightly reflect a little off the old blade. "I promised you… that I'd live out both our lives…," Cloud sighed, and ran a hand through his spikey blonde hair, "Zack… I don't even know what I'm doing… I'm supposed to be this… this father figure to Marlene and Denzel, and at the same time… be strong… for Tifa… Tifa…," Cloud looked down. "It's hard Zack… I battle with all these emotions, and I can't hold them back like Vincent does, and I'm like a walking time bomb that's ready to burst into a mental break down at any time… if it wasn't for Tifa… I don't think I could hold myself together…," Cloud put his hands on his hips. "We're engaged now… Tifa and I…," He stood there for a minute, as if Zack was replying to him. "Yeah… you're right… she's a faithful woman… and I don't know why she puts up with my shit… but… I'm thankful for her… for what she does for me… if it wasn't for her… I don't know where I'd be…," Cloud stared over at Midgar for a minute then spoke once more. "Well… I better go now, Zack. I don't want Tifa waking up and seeing that I'm not lying beside her, then getting worried sick about me. I'll see ya' later, Zack," Cloud patted the old, tattered blade, and then walked back to his bike, Fenrir.
Cloud put a leg over Fenrir, then sat down, staring down, trying to hold back a tear. He slammed his fist down on Fenrir and cringed as a million painful memories flashed through his mind, drawing unstoppable tears from his eyes. Zack, laying there on the ground, broken, bloody. The painful scream of anger and sorrow that Cloud let out when Zack took his last breath, then laid there, lifeless, his eyes still open. Then Arieth, as she laid there, lifeless, as blood poured from her abdomen and from her mouth, her eyes still open. Cloud wiped away his tears and put in his earbuds, and turned on "Stronger Than I Was" by Eminem, trying to drown out the painful memories that plagued his mind. He leaned forward, revved the engine, and took off back to Edge, deaf to his surroundings.