Zack wakes up in an old, run down church to come face to face with a young, beautiful girl. She smiles at him as he wakes up, and, confused of his whereabouts Zack asks 'Heaven?'
'Not Quite' The girl answers before smiling again. 'Church in the Slums' she explains.
'An Angel?' Zack asks as he fully looks at the girl.
She looks down and blushes before shaking her head.
'No. I'm-' but before the lovely girl can reveal her name the doors of the Church burst open and silver haired man steps in.
The girl recoils and yells to Zack 'We have to get away.' The silver haired man (who will now be referred to as Loz) smirks, finding this out burst amusing.
Zack steps in front of the girl and challenges Loz to a fight.
Zack is able to knock Loz back briefly but as Zack recovers from his attack, Loz strikes and hits him back. Then, Loz draws his own sword and knocks Zack back into the pews of the church.
As Loz approaches Zack to finish him off, the girl runs forwards, she tries to fight with Loz, but with little effort he just throws her back.
Just as Loz is about to finish what he came to do, Zack shouts out for him to stop, grabbing his attention again.
Irritated, Loz looks up – he'd forgotten about Zack – as Zack weakly stands Loz smiles to himself, knowing, it will be an easy battle.
As Loz approaches Zack, the girl tries to sit up, tries to yell, anything.
Zack lifts his weapon, hoping he can at least save the girl before Loz kills him.
Gathering the last of her strength, the girl yells 'Just run!'
Though, Zack pays no attention to her and run at Loz, his weapon high in her air.
As Zack Runs towards Loz, the girl's visions fades and she blacks out. Not knowing how the battle ended.
7 years later.
Cloud stares out of the window into the night sky. His best friend Tifa is lying unconscious behind him once again, plagued by her dreams. For seven years Tifa's memories have being ruining her. Every time she remembers the incident in the church, she loses consciousness.
From behind him, Tifa slowly sits up. Disoriented, she looks around.
"A memory? Is that it?" Tifa asked, looking at Cloud.
"Tifa…" Cloud began, trying to comfort his friend. But the memories were already running through Tifa's head, dragging her down. "Tifa!" Cloud yelled as he looked back at his friend. As the night faded into day, Cloud stayed by his friend. Waiting for her to awaken again.
Slowly, Cloud walked into the same church that was plaguing his friend. He waned to find out the hold this place had on Tifa. Cloud slowly stops as he realised his footsteps are not the only ones he can hear. He quickly looks up and his expression turns from that of suspicion to shock. Cloud runs forewords, his feet responding before his brain can think, towards his old friend.
Tifa quickly sits up in bed; she looks around the room realising she is alone, before running from the house. Tifa pushes the door open of the old church as slowly wanders around, her eyes sweep every corner before she sighs.
"He's not here anymore" she scolds herself.
"Are sins… ever forgiven?" Cloud asks his old friend as the two sit together in Zack's decrepit house. He let his friend get hurt and he can't help at all now, all he can do is watch while she suffers. How could anyone forgive that?
"That's enough!" Zack yells. "What happened to dreams and honour?" the two had promised each other that long ago, no matter what they did, they would always have honour and protect their dreams. Cloud looked up at his friend, had Zack lost his too?
Tifa wanders around the church, after all this time; she's finding it hard to leave. She knew the danger; she knew the memories would be stronger here… but she never thought they'd be that strong. As the memories hit again they physically hit Tifa and send her flying around the room, she the memories surround her, Tifa writhes in agony on the floor.
As Cloud walks back into the church Zack lingers in the doorway, not sure if the memories will hurt too much once he's inside. Slowly, both enter the church, and then a look of shock spreads across Cloud's face before he runs forwards, whereas Zack's fills with guilt as they both see the figure of Tifa, lying in pain on the floor. A pair of arms embraces Tifa and pulls her up. Tifa flinches at the contact and mumbles:
"Zack…" Cloud stares at his friend; he's never seen her this bad. "You're late," she accused. 7 years too late…
Zack flees from the church, unable to witness the scene any longer. The last thing he hears is Cloud, shouting the name her never knew.
"Tifa!" Tifa jumps up confused by her surroundings once again.
"Which is?" Tifa asks, tired of these flashes she can't remember. "A memory?" she asks before collapsing back into Cloud's arms, exhausted.
Zack stands alone far away from the church, consumed by guilt when a single feather flutters past him.
"An Angel?" he asks as he watch it fly down.
"I miss him too," Tifa explains to Cloud as she tires to persuade him too look for Zack with her.
"I'm not fit to help anyone," Cloud answers. He's let both Tifa and Zack down, even the most important person in his life.
"Maybe something will happen that can never unhappen, that scares you doesn't it?" Tifa accused, talking not only to Cloud this time, but herself.
"But… I let you down…" Cloud admits.
But before Tifa can interject a voice cuts through the tense atmosphere.
"Hey!" Tifa looks around quickly to see the man she's been dreaming about for seven years, and smiles for the first time in so long.
But Zack isn't alone; a brunette woman dressed in pink is with him.
"Cloud?" She questions, not sure if it's really him, while Cloud just stares back, Complete shock on his face.
To be continued.