A/N: ok, so here is my first chapter in my first ever super long novel like story. I'm a slow typer so I wrote everything before typing, so please be patient with we while I catch up. R& R, cuz I love to hear what u think and I didn't get that special power so you have to email me if u want to tell me your opinion. If u don't have one, I don't care, email me anyway….we can talk about FFVII….Cloud Strife, the computer animated GOD…bubbles baths and rubber duckies,….whatever you're little heart desires. So yeah, here's my story, hope u likey!Oh, and I make it easy to follow along by showing point of views (POV) when it changes. It's mainly Cloud, Vincent and Tifa so it shouldn't be too hard to follow…but tell me if u have any troubles and I'll see what I can do.

"Every End…"

By Mako Rain

Chapter 1

Tifa POV

Tifa Lockheart stood behind the bar of the rebuilt Seventh Heaven bar in the slums of Midgar. It wasn't the greatest neighborhood; hell, it wasn't even the greatest city, but it was where she belonged for now.

♫…a song that's inside of my soul…♪

Maybe things will change for me, Tifa thought, just as soon as he…comes home. Who am I kidding? Cloud's been gone for months, he's not just going to walk in here all of a sudden and apologize for everything.

♪…pray to be only yours…you're my only hope.♫

The radio kept playing the song, a song that always made her think, of her childhood friend and soul mate, even though he was nowhere to be found. She finally turned it off with an angry sigh and continued to set up opening for the night.

Thankfully, the night turned out to be busy and money kept pouring in by the fistful from the greedy customers. I really need to get some help, Tifa sighed as yet another order was placed by table eight. Usually, over-demanding patrons couldn't faze her, she was, after all, customer service friendly if not optimistic. However, table eight and it inhabitants made her cringe. This was the rowdy men's third straight night in the bar, and not only was their tipping nonexistent, but tonight they decided to cause a little trouble and get fresh with her.

"Can I get you boys anything else?" Tifa asked, always being polite before irrational. A tall, semi-built man, the group's leader she figured, gave a chuckle and eyed her shapely form greedily.

"Yeah sweet thing, how about a place to stay for the night?" he chortled with his buddies.

She just sighed, because it was a sighing kind of say it seemed, and responded with a sweet, "Sorry, Seventh Heaven is a bar only, not an inn," and turned to walk away just as a big meaty paw of a hand shot out and grabbed her arm roughly.

"Now what kind of service is that?" he asked, face red with embarrassment and anger, still hanging onto Tifa's arm as she stared at his unwanted hand and then openly glared at him.

Before she could say anything, a tall blond man in his thirties got up from table seven near by and said calmly, "I'd watch where you put your hands there mate, Tifa's not one to be messing with lightly."

Cid Highwind smirked at the offender and Tifa glanced at her friend thankfully; she didn't feel like paying for any damages anytime soon, especially at her hand. The guy just stood there, blinked stupidly and kept hold of her arm more tightly.

"Unless you only want one hand left man…" came Barett Wallace's booming voice which matched all menacing 6'5'' of him. The guy visibly paled as he let Tifa go and slid sheepishly back into his seat.

"Wise decision," Barrett commented as he and Cid walked back to their table with Tifa following with a pitcher.

"Hey guys, this is on the house, and thanks for the help," she added quietly to her two past Avalanche members.

"No problem Sheera, happy to help," Cid said as he winked at her and she laughed at his harmless flirting.

"Sure lot a help you did just standing there." Barett snidely remarked in a mocking way as Tifa laughed again and drifted back to the counter, letting Cid and Barett duke it out amongst themselves; an obscene comment drifting ever so often, mostly from Cid, as they continued to bicker. Luckily, no more trouble came from table eight.

Cloud POV

Cloud Strife glanced through the front window of Seventh Heaven and smiled oh so slightly at what he saw. It had to have been the first real smile he'd shown in weeks, even though no one saw him as they talked merrily and enjoyed their alcohol. Plus, Could was hiding outside in the shadows outside looking in at it all.

It's better this way.

If anyone would have seen him, he'd probably have been pulled in and given a hero's welcome since that's what he was, a hero, in their eyes anyway. He was a real hero for saving the world twice from Sephiroth in various ways.

Still, if it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have been able to come back in the first place.

He didn't need the hero treatment right now and so settled in his corner by the window. He just wanted to exist without expectations and be himself for a while, just Cloud, and so he did by staying out, a loner of sorts. He'd always chosen to be alone and was usually content with that, but his calm semi- existence on the outside looking in only lasted until he saw her.

She had her usual work clothes on, her skirt train trailing behind her curvaceous form as she smiled politely at everyone she passed. Her now-shorter dark brown hair flowed freely and covered her face as she served drinks to the locals at the tables.

No wonder every male in the place is watching her. I can't force my eyes away either.

"Oh, Tifa," he sighed longingly as she went idly on her way, chatting with the regulars until a group of rowdy men looked like they were up to no good. Cloud's suspicions were confirmed as a bigger one grabbed Tifa's arm and just before Cloud had the chance to charge in, Cid and Barrett came to her rescue. Not that she needs rescuing, Cloud reminded himself; she can look after herself, after all. Still, he felt grateful that his friends were looking out for her.

Have they been here the entire time, while I was away?

He had only left about a week after everything happened with Sephiroth's short return before Cloud had destroyed this last form The Nightmare had taken; he wasn't sure how all of his friends would react to seeing him back. He had left to search the land awhile for a sense of physical peace, since that final battle and the revelations it brought had finally given his mind some much needed rest.

"I guess that's what dieing does to you," he mused as his past journey fled through his mind. His soul searching was almost complete.

On his travels, Cloud had stopped in Nibelhiem, his hometown where he and Tifa had grown up together, side by side. He'd sat at the well in his backyard on what he thought was the most nerve racking night of his life, where he'd made a promise to her so long ago…

Flashback

"Before you leave Cloud, please promise me one thing," Tifa asked, playing with her hands out of nervousness, waiting for what he would say.

He took her hands in his and said, "Anything for you, Teef." She had to laugh at his willingness.

"You haven't even heard the question yet."

Her laugh made him smile; a smile that brightened all the way to his eyes, glowing from the deep joy he felt tonight. It would be his last night with her. She would miss that smile.

"Since when have I been able to say no to you?"

She finally gathered the courage to look into his deep mako blue eyes and the effect they had on her visibly made him smile all the more, until a shadow passed over her delicate features; where the happiness she saw only a few moments ago seeped away to match her sad and serious expression. His face showed worry and yet something else, something like…hope? She pressed on, leaving him on edge until she got the words out.

"Promise me if I ever need you, you'll be there for me. You'll be my hero…won't you, Cloud?" She looked hopefully at their interlaced fingers and then back into his intent gaze.

"Of course," he said, slightly relieved that that's what it was, and not something that should cause her hopeless tone, or something that would make him reconsider leaving to join SOLDIER even more than he had already.

"I'm serious, Cloud," Tifa explained, trying to make her demand clear and reasonably acceptable.

"I know," he said, still pondering her slightly crestfallen look. He lifted her chin with his now free fingertips, forcing her to look at him in the eye.

"I'll always be there, I promise."

Cloud POV

That was an easy promise to make.

Cloud sighed as the memory slowly took its resting place in the back of his mind. He couldn't even do that for her. All he'd ever done was leave, causing Tifa more unhappiness then she deserved in life. Well, that was about to change, he vowed silently and continued to watch the barmaid unseen until closing, enjoying her swaying and singing to the music he could not hear.