ATE: Here's the Sequal for Final Fantasy VII The Return Of The Cetra. If you read the prequal first then you'll understand what's happening in this story, if not, stop where you are and read the prequal before continuing. Enjoy. :)

Declaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII. I only own Tori, her family, and Amanda.

What I Longed For

Chapter 1

Thinking Of You

Here I am sitting quietly in my desk in class, waiting for the bell to ring so I can go home. You may or may not know who I am, but I'm willing enough to tell you just that.

My name is Victoria Stam, but I like to be called Tori for short. I'm a girl that's thin and has pale skin that has only a little hind of me being outside. I have wavy dirty blonde hair that is now almost halfway to my knees and has started to faintly look darker now. My eyes are the color blue.

You're probably wondering why I'm sitting in my desk quietly while my friends are talking to each other near me. Ever since I came back, I hardly talked as much as I used to and back then I was a chatterbox. The reason why was because I was forcibly brought back here and away from the man I loved and still do. His name was Cloud Strife.

That's right, I was in the world of Final Fantasy VII, but it wasn't just a video game, I was proven otherwise by Cloud himself when I first met him.

While I was there I learned that I was the reincarnation of Aerith. And it was there that Cloud told me that he was in love with me. I miss him so much.

After I defeated Sephiroth, I was brought back here. I found that I still had the white materia and the sword that Cloud had gotten me and taught me how to use. But now the only use I had for it was to serve as a reminder for all the precious memories of all the times when Cloud and I were together.

I then heard the bell ring and I left the classroom and went outside of the school building to walk home.

I knew that no one was going to be home to greet me once I got home. Both my parents are at work and won't be home until late tonight, my older sister Ashleigh was at college and lived in one of the dorms there, and my little sister Jackie was still in school with only 6 periods of class left.

I was only just a few yards away when my friend, Amanda, came up to me.

"Hey, Tori." She said. "Do you want to hang out?"

"No. I'm sorry." I said.

"What's wrong with you? Ever since you came back, you've been more quiet than usual, you always want to be alone, and you always look like you ped died."

"Actually, my pet died last week, remember?" I said.

"Well, you know what I mean. You've been acting like a loner and a emo, minus the crying."

"Amanda. Could you just leave me alone? I'm really not in the mood right now." I said.

"Oh, okay. I'll just go home then."

Amanda then left me. What she said was true, except for the 'minus the crying' part. Secretly, I would cry myself to sleep every night, with thoughts of Cloud. No matter how much I tried, I was always thinking of Cloud.

Even though we might be pulled away from each other, we will always meet again.

"That was what you told me right before I left you, Cloud." I thought.

It has been three years since I last saw Cloud, and I'm already 19. Today I had just graduated from high school.

Cloudm I sometimes wonder what you're doing everyday without me. Are you just delivering packages for the 'Strife Delivery Service'? Did you forget me and decided to move on? Or are you being like me and moping all the time? I sometimes wonder...

Just then I heard the sound of a motorcycle and turned around in time to see it ride past me. I couldn't really see who was on it but there was a few characteristics that I noticed. The person had blonde hair and wore black. I watched as it rode down the street in the direction that my home was.

Wait a minute! Blonde hair and wearing black? Could it be...could it be you...Cloud?

"Why am I standing around here for?" I thought. "I should be getting home."

I started running home as fast as I could, and I was only halfway there. I'm delirious to the point that I wouldn't let anything stop me from seeing if the person on the motorcycle was who I thought it was.

As soon as I was entering the cul-de-sac, the person on the motorcycle was just coming into the driveway of my home and parking. I urged my body to run faster to the mysterious person who was now getting off their vehicle. I knew that I was getting tired but I wasn't going to let my weariness stop me now.

They were starting to walk to the front door. I was halfway down the cul-de-sac to my house. Come on! I need to hurry! If the person rung the doorbell and saw that no one was going to answer, they might leave.

They were now at the door and I was a few feet away from the driveway. I just might make it!

"Come on! I'm almost there! Just a few more feet!" I thought.

But I never made it. I was so tired that I collapsed in the driveway a foot away from the motorcycle. I was panting as I wated the person's hand reach for the doorbell.

"STOP!" I desperately cried out as tears rapidly fell from me face.

I was now crying uncontrollably and I was hoping beyond hope that this was who I thought it wa.

I watched through my now blurry eyes as the person turned around to face me. I saw that they were wearing sunglasses, but I couldn't make out what they were wearing, only the color black. I then let my head hang to hide the tears that were falling down my face.

"Why?! Why didn' you see me walking as you drove by? Are you even who I'm talking about about?!" I yelled as I banged my fist into the concrete ground. I knew that my fist was getting scraped starting to bleed, but I didn't care at all right now.

I couldn't take it anymore! All the feelings I had kept inside me seemed to erupt all at the same time. I was still crying uncontrollably to the point that my chest was heaving for air.

I didn't care if this person wasn't who I thought it was and that I might seem like a total crybaby at the moment. I know I may sound selfish now, but all I wanted was to see Cloud again.

As I continued to cry, I didn't take notice of the sound of the person approaching me as I fail to control my emotions.

Before I knew it. I felt his arms wrap around my crying for, and holding me in a comforting embrace. I leaned in closer and I felt the same body warmth that was like the one from my lover. I found out that it was a man since I smelled cologne on him. I knew that my tears were making his shirt wet, but he didn't seem to mind.

I then felt his fingers combing through my hair and it reminded me of Cloud when he did that to me. I soon stopped crying after a few mintues of this man repeating his actions during my break down. Whoever he was, he certainly knew how to calm me down.

When I felt that I was ready, I looked up at the man and saw a familiar face.

I already said that he was wearing sunglasses and black clothes, but his facial appearance I didn't quite get to until now. He had blonde spiky hair and on his left ear was a familiar silver earring.

When I finally found my voice, I then asked the question that had been on my mind since I first saw him drive past me today.

"A...a-are you...C-Cloud? I-is it...really you?" I asked as best as I could with the lack of air that I needed. Though I needed to get oxygen, I really needed to voice my question even more.

I waited for my answer and I got it only seconds later. He nodded.

I soon started crying again, but this time crying tears of joy. Cloud then helped me to my feet, but soon after doing so, I wrapped my arms around his waist. I then felt his arms wrap around me.

"Cloud... I can't believe it's you. I hoped and waited all the time to see you again. I missed you." I said.

"I missed you too." Said Cloud.

"Let's go inside."

I walked up to the front door , got out my house key, and opened the door. I walked inside and Cloud followed.

"It all looks the same..." He said.

"Not much has changed since you were last here."

"You're wrong. Some things have changed."

I looked at him with confusion.

"Really? Like what?" I asked.

"Like you."

"Well...I guess that's true. It's been 3 years since I last saw you. But you haven't changed a bit. You still look the same as when I last saw you."

"In my world, it's been 3 months since I last saw you."

"What? The last time I was there, I was 16. But I'm 19 now. You're still 23, right?"

Cloud nodded.

"Maybe there's a time difference between our worlds."

I then walked into the living room and sat on the couch to think. As I did this, I didn't notice that Cloud sat next to me until his arms wrapped around me, pulling me close to him, and causing me to lay on top of him on the couch.

"Cloud? What are you doing." I asked.

"We haven't done this in a while, or in your case, a long time." He said.

"True. Ever since I left you, I distance myself from my friends and family and every night I'd cry myself to sleep. I could never stop thinking about you." I said. "But now, we're together again, just like before."

I turned around so I was facing Cloud and saw that he still had his sunglasses on. I pulled them off with my hands and placed them on the little table near us. I then gazed at his beautiful blue eyes.

I was so entranced by them that I didn't noticed that Cloud's face was only inches away from mine. I found out too late when we were both locked in a kiss. His tongue was pushing on my lips asking for entrance. I gladly let him have what he wanted and soon our tongue were dancing in a passionate kiss. I now know that this isn't a dream and that Cloud is really with me.

After awhile we broke apart and looked at each other.

"You're tired." Said Cloud.

"No I'm not." I said while shaking y head. "I'm not tired one bit."

"I can tell you're tired. You were tired when I saw you on the ground outside crying."

"I already told you, I'm not tired."

"You're not a really good liar."

He caught me for lying. Well, I knew how stubborn he could be at time, and right he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

He then got up and picked my up bridal style.

"Where is your room?" He asked.

"Upstairs. It's the first door to the right." I answered.

Cloud started carrying me up the stairs and he soon found my room. Well, it wasn't that hard to find since it had a sign saying 'Tori's Room' hanging on it.

Cloud enter my room with me, closing the door behind him. After doing so he approached my bed and placed me on it. But I was surprised when he got on my bed and was laying to my right. True that my bed could fit two people in it and it was also very comfortable, but I just didn't expect him to lay with me. Maybe Cloud knew how I was desperate to be with him when I saw me crying outside. That would explain it.

I then felt Cloud's arms wrap around me again and pulled me to him. I snuggled up to him and laid my head on his chest. I felt warm because of his body warmth and I was comfortable in the position I was in. If only it could last forever.

I soon started to get sleepy and looked up to see that it was the same for Cloud. I then closed my eyes and was fast asleep.

ATE: I know it started out sad but it got better right? Please Review. I worked really hard on this and I want to know if you all like it.