Author's Notes
A few items for attention. First off, I like to put quotes at the beginning of each chapter. Maybe this is weird, but usually the quotes have something to do with the general story of the chapter in question. If you think it's a stupid idea, by all means, let me know. I also like to jump around a bit in the story in order to keep the timeline intact. This is a trade off which some readers might get annoyed with, and others might appreciate. It depends on which you find more important... the overall flow of the chapter, or the clarity of the story. I find it makes the story a bit more clear to write this way, but it does interrupt flow... by all means, please let me know what you think of this style, even if you think it sucks like a Lewinski on crack.
This is the first fan fic I've written in a long time (maybe 7 years?)... I used to be a more prolific writer, but in more recent times I seem to have lost myself somehow. I had forgotten my origins, and actually forgot about my old favorites. Final Fantasy VII is a game which influenced me in so many ways... though that may sound somewhat cheesy. In any case, the title of this fic is most appropriate, as I feel this is a return to my origins, as much as it is a story about the origins of some of the events in FF7. I will insert the obligatory disclaimer, to quell the outrage before it begins... I have a blatant preference for the Cloud & Aerith pairing. It's worth mentioning anyhow in case anyone thinks I overdid it on the romantic scenes between them.
It goes without saying that for the most part I have a lot of difficulty writing up romantic scenes... except when it comes to Cloud and Aerith... somehow I don't have a problem envisioning that. Go figure. I can't even envision myself in any situations like those I have just written about.
Anyway, as I mentioned I used to be a very prolific and skilled writer, or at least I would like to think I was (maybe that's entirely in my head, lol). This really isn't up to my old standards, but it's a step in the right direction. Any feedback would be much appreciated, especially if it relates to my writing style or the storyline in general. I'm also interested in learning whether or not you all think that I brought Aerith back in a believable way. I wanted to avoid the type of story where Aerith just "poofs" out of nowhere and says "Hi everyone, I just beamed into the story for absolutely no reason!" The scene of her death in FF7 is one of the defining moments in video game history, I think, and to bring her back too easily in my fic would cheapen the moment for me. I don't know.. maybe I'm totally off my hinges. I'm weird.