Chapter 1 - (Teaser Chapter)
The waves of the ocean crawled up the bank of the shoreline as the sun went down.
There sitting along the edge was Cloud Strife, who's thoughts were doing much the same in his mind.
He watched the waves with distant eyes, his thoughts increasing with every blink.
Most of his thoughts drifted around the past couple of years.
His friends and he had defeated his greatest enemy and saved the world.
At first it felt great, but lately all he felt was guilt and sorrow.
He knew the credit his group had taken for saving the world was not their's for the taking.
Sure, they had defeated the man responsible for it all, but it was thanks to the planet itself for the rescue... and thanks to her.
"Cloud?" the gentle voice burst through the cloudy thoughts of the man's mind.
"Are you alright?"
Cloud turned slowly to look over his shoulder.
His blonde, spikey hair seemed to match in detail with his blue, Mako filled eyes,
His trademark from being in SOLDIER, as he looked on to the woman behind him.
She stood with her hands behind her back. Her long brown hair flowing down her shoulders, but held with a clasp at the end, and her brown eyes burning with a firey passion.
For what, Cloud wasn't sure, but he smiled faintly at her none-the-less and nodded to her question. "Yes, Tifa. I'm fine."
Tifa Lockheart let her hands drop to her sides. The gentle sea breeze pushed through her hair gently, sending a relaxing sensation through her body as she stared into those capturing blue orbs.
"Are you sure?" she finally asked after several minutes of just staring.
Again Cloud nodded. He didn't understand her ambition, nor did he believe that he wanted to at times.
He noticed the ways she would look at him, and he knew she deeply cared for him.
Well, you would think that would be a definite thing since they had been friends since childhood, but he had started to believe that the feelings she had for him were more than friendship.
Sure, his feelings for her were strong as well, but... something was standing in his way... she was standing in his way.
"Well... okay. I just wanted to check up on you. Tomorrow's the big day, ya know? We'll get to see everybody again, it's been a while."
"Yeah," Cloud spoke quietly, pushing back his thoughts so he could focus.
"I'm looking forward to it," Tifa said softly.
Cloud could tell she was running out of things to say and that it was making her uncomfortable.
"It won't be that big of a deal. Everybody will say hi, talk for a while, then we'll all go home again."
Tifa turned to him slowly. Once again he was facing the waves, his eyes distant, but the Mako in them causing them to shine.
Her eyes softened slightly as she watched him. She knew why he was like this, and she wished with all her heart that it would be herself he wanted instead of her.
She swallowed hard and held back hurtful tears as she spoke again, her voice a little shakey.
"I wish we could all go on another adventure. We'd all be together again, things would go back to the way they were..."
Cloud closed his eyes and sighed. "Things will never be the same again," and with that he stood slowly, dusting the sand from his pants and pulling his boots on before walking past Tifa silently.
He didn't even look at her or say goodnight as he went. He knew she was watching him as he walked off, and of course he felt bad, but talking about his old 'friends' only brought up further memories, hurtful ones, and he didn't wish to think anymore on that subject than he needed to.
Tomorrow's reunion was going to be a troublesome day. He wasn't looking forward to seeing everybody because the only person who really mattered he saw everyday, and the only one he wanted to see... well, he'd never see her again.
Tifa watched Cloud, her expression baring that of a crushed soul.
All of the sudden it felt as if her heart was ripped from her chest and stepped on, being left there for her to pick up and replace.
She didn't understand how Cloud worked anymore, quite frankly she wasn't sure if she ever understood him in the first place now.
All he ever thought about was that ruthless day in the Crater... the battle they had faught, and the face they had seen once the Meteor was destroyed.
That face... this was the cause of all the problems. She knew Cloud was close with the girl, but now he couldn't have her, and it was killing him inside.
That thought hurt Tifa even more knowing that she wasn't enough to comfort him.
She shook her head slowly and made her way back towards the town.
She scuffed her feet as she went, kicking up a little sand, but didn't really notice it.
Her eyes scanned around once she was in town to Cloud's house. Once again she shook her head, this time becoming a bit angry at him.
She then stormed off to her house and went inside, not taking heed of the pair of crystal-like pacific green eyes watching her that quickly vanished as she shut the door.
(A/N: Like the title says, this is just the teaser chapter. It'll get better, you can bet on it. I don't really have much to say besides this takes place AFTER the main battle in the game. I don't own anything, Square Soft has that honor. I only own this fic and the characters that I WILL HAVE CREATED! So as always, review and tell me what you think!)
The waves of the ocean crawled up the bank of the shoreline as the sun went down.
There sitting along the edge was Cloud Strife, who's thoughts were doing much the same in his mind.
He watched the waves with distant eyes, his thoughts increasing with every blink.
Most of his thoughts drifted around the past couple of years.
His friends and he had defeated his greatest enemy and saved the world.
At first it felt great, but lately all he felt was guilt and sorrow.
He knew the credit his group had taken for saving the world was not their's for the taking.
Sure, they had defeated the man responsible for it all, but it was thanks to the planet itself for the rescue... and thanks to her.
"Cloud?" the gentle voice burst through the cloudy thoughts of the man's mind.
"Are you alright?"
Cloud turned slowly to look over his shoulder.
His blonde, spikey hair seemed to match in detail with his blue, Mako filled eyes,
His trademark from being in SOLDIER, as he looked on to the woman behind him.
She stood with her hands behind her back. Her long brown hair flowing down her shoulders, but held with a clasp at the end, and her brown eyes burning with a firey passion.
For what, Cloud wasn't sure, but he smiled faintly at her none-the-less and nodded to her question. "Yes, Tifa. I'm fine."
Tifa Lockheart let her hands drop to her sides. The gentle sea breeze pushed through her hair gently, sending a relaxing sensation through her body as she stared into those capturing blue orbs.
"Are you sure?" she finally asked after several minutes of just staring.
Again Cloud nodded. He didn't understand her ambition, nor did he believe that he wanted to at times.
He noticed the ways she would look at him, and he knew she deeply cared for him.
Well, you would think that would be a definite thing since they had been friends since childhood, but he had started to believe that the feelings she had for him were more than friendship.
Sure, his feelings for her were strong as well, but... something was standing in his way... she was standing in his way.
"Well... okay. I just wanted to check up on you. Tomorrow's the big day, ya know? We'll get to see everybody again, it's been a while."
"Yeah," Cloud spoke quietly, pushing back his thoughts so he could focus.
"I'm looking forward to it," Tifa said softly.
Cloud could tell she was running out of things to say and that it was making her uncomfortable.
"It won't be that big of a deal. Everybody will say hi, talk for a while, then we'll all go home again."
Tifa turned to him slowly. Once again he was facing the waves, his eyes distant, but the Mako in them causing them to shine.
Her eyes softened slightly as she watched him. She knew why he was like this, and she wished with all her heart that it would be herself he wanted instead of her.
She swallowed hard and held back hurtful tears as she spoke again, her voice a little shakey.
"I wish we could all go on another adventure. We'd all be together again, things would go back to the way they were..."
Cloud closed his eyes and sighed. "Things will never be the same again," and with that he stood slowly, dusting the sand from his pants and pulling his boots on before walking past Tifa silently.
He didn't even look at her or say goodnight as he went. He knew she was watching him as he walked off, and of course he felt bad, but talking about his old 'friends' only brought up further memories, hurtful ones, and he didn't wish to think anymore on that subject than he needed to.
Tomorrow's reunion was going to be a troublesome day. He wasn't looking forward to seeing everybody because the only person who really mattered he saw everyday, and the only one he wanted to see... well, he'd never see her again.
Tifa watched Cloud, her expression baring that of a crushed soul.
All of the sudden it felt as if her heart was ripped from her chest and stepped on, being left there for her to pick up and replace.
She didn't understand how Cloud worked anymore, quite frankly she wasn't sure if she ever understood him in the first place now.
All he ever thought about was that ruthless day in the Crater... the battle they had faught, and the face they had seen once the Meteor was destroyed.
That face... this was the cause of all the problems. She knew Cloud was close with the girl, but now he couldn't have her, and it was killing him inside.
That thought hurt Tifa even more knowing that she wasn't enough to comfort him.
She shook her head slowly and made her way back towards the town.
She scuffed her feet as she went, kicking up a little sand, but didn't really notice it.
Her eyes scanned around once she was in town to Cloud's house. Once again she shook her head, this time becoming a bit angry at him.
She then stormed off to her house and went inside, not taking heed of the pair of crystal-like pacific green eyes watching her that quickly vanished as she shut the door.
(A/N: Like the title says, this is just the teaser chapter. It'll get better, you can bet on it. I don't really have much to say besides this takes place AFTER the main battle in the game. I don't own anything, Square Soft has that honor. I only own this fic and the characters that I WILL HAVE CREATED! So as always, review and tell me what you think!)