Title: All Comes Back to This

Chapter: Chapter 1 – Year 02 BS

Author: SBX

Fandom: Final Fantasy VII

Pairing: None yet.

Rating: PG-13

Archive: To Fanfiction (dot) Net and eventually my website. If you'd like to archive it, just tell me where it's going to end up.

Disclaimer: Almost all the characters belong to Square Soft.

Warnings: Alternate universe, eventual yaoi

Notes: The first chapter of my AU FF7 fic. Each chapter will contain the events of an important year in my time line. I have no idea of how years and dates work in the FF7 world, so I'm identify years as either 'Before Sephiroth (BS)' or 'After Sephiroth (AS)' because we all know Sephy makes the world go 'round. :D Nothing happens quite as it should as you will soon find out, and it all comes back to one person: Cloud (because he make the world go 'round, too XD). And, as you will soon realize after reading this chapter, I've taken some liberties with some of the characters. Also, some characters will start out as 'in character' but will eventually become a little 'out of character.' Not because I don't know how to write their personalities correctly, or because I dislike them, but because of natural character growth. If OOC-ness bothers you, then turn around now.

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February 22, Year 02 Before Sephiroth Wutai Mountains

Early morning, still dark, thunder rolled and the wind howled as a dragon swooped and soared, eyes in constant motion searching for potential threats. She would not let anything approach her Queen on this special day of days. Never would she let anything interrupt the birth of the new Prince.

Lightning crashed nearby obliterating a great, ancient oak tree. The dragon eyed the smoldering tree remains wearily. If the storm kept up like this there was a potential for a forest fire, and would put the Queen and her offspring in danger. With the lightning came the thunder, so loud that it was almost painful to the dragon's sensitive ears.

The ringing that the sound produced almost prevented the dragon from hearing what she had been half listening for; a single, wailing cry that pierced through the sudden calm in the storm. The dragon flapped her mighty wings once to change direction, then allowed herself to glide gracefully toward the sound she had been almost breathlessly anticipating for months now.

The dragon landed outside of a cave, the source of the sound that had by now been quieted. The large creature had to huddle down to be able to fit through the entrance. She peered into the dim cave, its only illumination a rapidly fading fire, and spotted its Queen lying in the back on a bed of furs.

Kaida, Queen of the Dragoon people, and formerly last of her kind cradled a tiny infant that she had been forced to deliver herself. She gazed at her child lovingly with a gentle smile and silent tears. The dragon wondered at her Queens's tears. She had an offspring! She should be happy! And she was happy, but the dragon could tell that she was also a little bit sad too. Did she miss her mate? Did she wish he was here to share in the joyous experience? Incapable of reading her Queens mind, the dragon was forced to give her thoughts voice.

/My Queen, what troubles you/

Kaida looked up, startled. When she saw her self appointed guard, she smiled warmly. "Ah, Koko. I apologize for not noticing you sooner. I was off in my own little world again," she murmured quietly in an attempt to avoid waking the child. The dragon rolled its eyes and gave her own version of a smile.

/Understandable, My Queen. The child is quite a sight. And a boy no less! A future heartbreaker he'll be, make no mistake/

Kaida chuckled at Koko's enthusiasm. "Indeed, he will. He'll break at least one person's heart once or twice before he gets it right," she stated cryptically, a sly smile gracing her features. The dragon gazed at her curiously, a suspicion forming in her mind.

/You've already gazed into the boy's future…/

It was almost an accusation. Koko never quite approved of meddling in people's futures, whether it was for their own good or not. Kaida sighed sadly. "I have indeed. I'm afraid I won't live to see him grow to adulthood, so please allow me this small indulgence," she requested softly, not able to meet her companion's eyes. Koko stared at her in horror.

/What do you mean you won't see him grow! Are…are you dieing/

Kaida squeezed her eyes shut as she responded, "I am. There was a complication. I'm bleeding internally and there is no way to stop it. Which brings me to a something I must ask you." The Queen opened her eyes, all the strength and determination that came with her heritage shining in them as she gazed at the dragon. "I want you to deliver my child to a new family in Rocket Town on the Western continent. There is a couple who lives on the outskirts of the town that is incapable of having a child of their own and desperately want one. I want you to deliver my child to them safely. Can you do that for me?" Koko squeezed her own eyes closed, wishing with she was capable of crying, and nodded.

/I will do what you ask, My Queen. The Prince's future is safe with me. /

Kaida smiled gratefully, her eyes shining with unshed tears. She didn't say another word after that as she calmly and carefully prepared her son for travel. She wrapped him in thick furs, tucking him securely into a large basket. In the side she placed an envelope containing a letter she had prepared for the possibility, no, the inevitability this would happen.

Finally she pressed a parting kiss to her son's forehead, her tears overflowing and falling on his face. Still he slept deeply. Kaida held the basket up for Koko, letting the dragon delicately take the handle in her mouth. But before she left, Koko had one more question.

/What is the child's name/

Kaida smiled proudly is she stated, "Shido. His name is Shido."

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Sunset the Same Day

Rocket Town

Sherry Highwind stood on her front porch watching the sunset, admiring all the beautiful colors that one could only see at this time of day. Soon all the color would be gone, leaving behind deep navy blue and white specks. And she didn't mind this. She loves the stars as much as her husband loves the soothing blue that comes with daylight. Sometimes she wished she could reach up and touch them, though she knows this is impossible. She'll just have to settle for using her telescope to get closer to the stars.

A breeze picked up, blowing her blond locks around. Sherry closed her eyes, reveling in one of the few quiet moments the busy little town she lived in allowed. Small town or not, Rocket Town and its people were always active. Peace wasn't something easy to come by.

So enthralled in the moment was Sherry that she almost didn't hear the strange sound in front of her. When she finally registered it, her eyes snapped open, the confusion on her face quickly turning to terror. Inches from her face was the face of a dragon, its sky blue eyes staring into hers. She opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out.

Woman and dragon stared at each other in utter silence. Sherry couldn't be sure but she got the feeling that the creature before her was trying to stare into her very soul. She was startled from her paralysis by a sudden wail somewhere below her. She recognized the sound instantly, and without any regard for her own safety Sherry broke eye contact to search out the sounds origin.

There, in a basket placed neatly at her feet was a baby. Sherry kneeled instinctively to retrieve the infant in order to calm it. Once the baby was no longer crying she looked up to see what the dragon was doing, and was stunned to realize that it was gone.

Sherry was still kneeling with the baby in her arms when her husband found her sometime later. When he saw her pale complexion he was immediately alarmed and hurried to her side. "Sherry! You okay? Are you hur—what the hell!" he cried, worry turning to shock at the sight of the baby in her arms.

Sherry blinked at him, still a little stunned, but getting better. She looked at her husband, her ever practical husband and realized she couldn't tell him the about the dragon. He simply wouldn't believe her. So, she decided, she would omit that part. She gave him a shaky smile as she said, "Look, Sidney. The stork brought us a baby."

Sidney blinked at her, then chuckled. "So he did. Well, we've been wantin' a kid. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, I always say," he stated gruffly. However gruff his reply, he couldn't help the grin that was spreading across his face. Sherry smiled back, her enthusiasm quickly matching her husband's. Sidney turned his eyes back down to the baby thoughtfully. "He looks like he could use a good meal," he stated authoritatively, "I'll head into town and get him some stuff, 'kay?" With that he pressed a happy kiss to his wife's lips before taking off at a run into town. "We can have a celebration with the whole town t'morrow!" he cried over his should, grinning like a loon.

Sherry laughed at her husband's antics, before turning her gaze to the sky. She smiled up at it, happy tears spilling from her eyes. She wasn't sure who she was saying it to, but she said it. "Thank you. You answered all of my prayers."

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Notes #2: You guys know who the baby is, right? I don't have to spell it out for you, do I? It's Cid, of course! And 'gasp' he was adopted! Ha! He would be horrified to know he hails from the same parts as Yuffie.

I feel the inexplicable need to explain the names chosen for the people in this chapter. Not that anybody really cares, but I'll tell you anyway.

Shido: The Japanese pronunciation of 'Cid.' Plain and simple.

Kaida: Once I decided to use 'Shido' as Cid's real name, I decided to use Japanese names for his mother and the dragon. This also led to me deciding that Cid would be born in Wutai, but that's not the point. So, for lack of a better idea, I went crawling through one of those baby name dictionaries on the web and looked for Japanese names and found Kaida, which means 'little dragon.' I liked how the name looked, and I liked the symbolism, so I picked it.

Koko: Means 'stork.' When I saw this one I almost died laughing. It was perfect for the purpose Koko would serve. The "the stork brought us a baby" line was born from this. This is the shit you get from over thinking names for your characters…

Sherry: Based on Shera's name. I thought it was a cute idea at the time, and I'm still really fond of it. I'm probably one of the few CidxVincent fans that still likes Shera after Square Soft had Cid and Shera get married. Shera is a sweetheart and nobody will ever make me think different.

Sidney: If you don't get where this one comes from then there is no hope for you.

Also in this chapter you will see the beginning of a trend that I've begun to notice about myself. I tend to kill off my original characters. I've planned the majority of this story pretty far in advance and I know for a fact that all of the originals that I made up die at some point. So if you're the type who really hates original characters, then this is the fic for you.