(Note: This is the re-rewrite of this fanfiction, but i still have some errors on some part coz i don't have a beta reader right now, so I'm seeking for one to make this story more interesting to read and make it more realistic to the other readers. Oh, BTW, this is my first fanfic so it won't be well written like the others you will read around here. :P Hope you all enjoy my own version of FF7. (^_^)V)
Prolog
After the defeat of Sephiroth, a new beginning awaits Cloud and the others. But with a new begging comes with a price, Geostigma. Just before Meteor hits the planet, the Lifestream coursing within Gaia came out and made a protective covering, deflecting the impact. Now, the people whose been exposed to it either dies or become sick that may also lead to death. But even with this newly found sickness, the people of Gaia start to rebuild and search for a new source of hope.
Barret Wallace, foster father of Marlene; traveled to help his hometown Corel, to rebuild it from the disaster Shin-Ra inflicted. Together with Cid, they're trying to produce an alternate energy source. Oil.
Yuffie Kisaragi, a mischievous teenage materia-thief, traveled home to become Wutai's heroine. But just after arriving, she noticed that the Midgar disease, also known as Geostigma is now infecting her hometown. And now, she's trying to find a materia that could cure the severe disease.
Cid Highwind, also known as 'the Captain' married Shera, his assistant in the Shin-Ra Space Travel Project that was aborted on the day of the launch. He is now helping Barret with the new development of the newly found fuel. He is now developing another aircraft named "Shera". It was powered by the newly acquired energy source he and his crew developed.
Vincent Valentine, a former Turks, stayed by the side of his beloved Lucrecia Crescent. She, the mother of Sephiroth, has been indefinitely frozen in mako crystals. Trying to atone for his sins, he travels from time to time to see the world.
Red XIII, also known as Nanaki, stayed at his hometown Cosmo Canyon. But after he found out that there's more of his kind, he sets of for another journey.
As for Cait Sith, or rather, Reeve Tuesti, along with WRO, a newly founded organization built to help rebuild Midgar from the damaged Shin-Ra caused. Being one of the building blocks of their new future, he managed to govern the new Midgar and became the head chief of WRO.
Cloud Strife and Tifa Lockhart managed to re-open the Seventh Heaven despite the things they have been trough. Cloud managed to open his own business called 'Strife Delivery Service' where he takes the packages and delivers it around the planet.
Barret left Marlene under Cloud and Tifa's care. With nothing else to do, Marlene tries to help out around Seventh Heaven. She also helps take care of Denzel whenever he's Geostigma started to hurt, making the little boy helpless and weak.
Denzel, a young boy who was orphaned due to Sector Seven's destruction, was brought home by Cloud to Tifa and Marlene, after collapsing in front of Aerith Gainsborough's church due to Geostigma. He tries helping Marlene with the chores whenever his body feels all right.
Now, things are starting to change for better or even, for worse…
Chapter 1 – Trying Too Hard
"Cloud, are you okay?", Tifa ask with a concern look in her eyes.
"I'm fine, just a bit tired I guess," he replies while staring at his plate, rolling and playing around with his food.
Uneasy expressions are clear on the children's faces. They glance at Tifa hoping she knows what's wrong with the blond-haired man.
"Have some rest after dinner, okay?", Tifa murmurs gently, her eyes soft with concern.
Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel finished their meal, full and satisfied, yet Cloud hardly seems to touch his. He stands up and quietly thanked Tifa for the food then walks toward his room. The remaining three feels uneasy about the situation. Eyeing each other as if another calamity is about to hit the planet. Seeing the children's faces makes Tifa feel that Cloud is about to detach himself from them once more. This is the same feeling she felt when she lost Cloud into the Lifestream.
"Tifa, is Cloud okay?" the little girl asks. Denzel keeps quiet but troubled expression is visible in his face.
"He'll probably be okay tomorrow… He's just tired, that's all…" she answers calmly, "You two wash up and get ready for bed." The two nods in agreement then slowly walks to the bathroom, still looking back at Tifa. She gives a warm smile to calm the two disturbed kids. Tifa knows that her fake smile is noticeable to the children but keeps it anyway. All she can think of at that point was Cloud's actions a while ago. Tifa fears that the sensation she's feeling right now will turn to reality; the sense of losing Cloud for the second time.
As Tifa washes the dishes, the long unasked question fills her head. 'Is Cloud happy with the life they're living right now?' 'Is he still blaming himself for the death of Aerith?' She still can remember the moment she saw Cloud carrying Aerith to the center of the pond where she was laid to her final resting place. Tears slowly crawled down her cheek, knowing that they will never see their friend ever again and at the same time, seeing Cloud takes the misery all to himself; locking it away together with his other sins. Tifa can only watch Cloud as he passed them without a word. Tifa tried to say something to ease Cloud's pain, but not a single word of comfort could escape her lips. Cloud walked toward the path where the group last saw Sephiroth. He stopped in his tracks and announced that he is determined to defeat Sephiroth, more than ever so that no more lives would be wasted and no more pain will come to others who will be left behind by their loved ones. Cloud started to walk on the path they chose with a tightened fist; the path where they will end all of the misery once and for all. Tifa tried to reach for Cloud's tightened fist, but her body won't let her. She knows that if she managed to hold his hands, it will just bring more pain to Cloud's aching heart. And he will just blame himself more for the death of a loved one.
Lost in thought, a wet plate slips from her grasp and fell on the floor with a crash. Tifa bent down to pick up the shattered pieces of the ceramic dish. Still a bit distracted, she cuts herself with a piece of the broken glass. Blood starts to drip from her index finger. Tifa stands up then heads for the bathroom. Afterwards she starts to look for a disinfectant on the medicine cabinet. She washes her finger with the liquid solution she found. Then she wraps a bandage around her finger to stop it from bleeding. As Tifa closes the medicine cabinet, she sees her reflection.
Memories comes flashing back once more; the time where she and Cloud spent together the night before the final battle with Sephiroth, cuddling with each other under the vast starry sky, sharing their warmth with each other and the things they wanted to do after the fight. These memories made her smile and at the same time sadden her for she knows that it wont happen again. She shakes her head to return back to reality. Subsequently, she gives out a big sigh then walks back to the bar to finish cleaning up.
As she gets back at the counter, the door opens followed by heavy footsteps.
"Sorry, we're already close," said Tifa as she wipes the counter clean, "just comeback tomorrow."
"Is that how you treat a regular of this bar?" a confident voice reacts, walking closer towards the counter with the thumping footsteps.
Tifa looks up to find Johnny, a regular customer from the former Seventh Heaven in the Slums in Sector 7 on Midgar. "Johnny!" Tifa bursts out of surprise, dropping the rag she's holding.
"It's been a long time since I've been here, well, technically this is the first time but you get the picture." He looks around; touching the counter while turning to Tifa then a grin took over Johnny's face. He usually dresses like a hooligan before, but now he looks like a businessman of some sort.
"Yes, it's been way too long Johnny," Tifa replies with a smile she usually does, "how have you been? Looks like you've changed."
"I've changed alright! Just opened a bar at Edge the other day and I though I should drop by and have a drink at least," scratching the back of his head from embarrassment, "or should I just come back tomorrow?"
"NO! I mean sit down…" she points a stool in front of the bar with her right hand while holding the rag with the other, "haven't seen you for so long…"
Johnny walks toward the stool Tifa pointed then sits with a creaking sound from the chair. "How's your business doing?" tapping the table with his fingers, "And how about you and Cloud?" Johnny looks at Tifa sharply then gives her a rascally smile.
Tifa suddenly gives out a gloomy aura yet smiles slightly to hide her true feelings from Johnny's unexpected questions. "Well my business is getting much better now, thanks to the people around here," she pauses, clenching the rag she's holding and by doing so, making her lose her fake smile.
"Well, how are you two getting along?" Johnny asks with a mischievous tone, grinning and raising his left eyebrow; still not noticing about TIfa's change of mood. He always does that kind of things to make someone more relax around him. It's not much but it always gets the job done but for now, it likely won't work. "At first, we're just doing fine… Just like a happy family like I always hope we could be… but now… I just don't know…" Tifa bows her head in regret. She tries to recall a memory that could make her feel all right and can bring a smile on her face once more, but all she can think about is Cloud. It gave her a fraction of joy but gave her more pain. Tears starts to well up in her eyes but she quickly turns around and wipes it off. "S-sorry bout that, I just got something in my eye."
Johnny now notices the sudden change of aura Tifa is now giving out. It feels like the cold snow you touch with your bare hands during wintertime. It makes him so angry that he started grinding his teeth and at the same time pities Tifa for putting up with Cloud's behavior. He knows and understands that Cloud had rough times in the past; seeing his village burnt to the ground; villagers laying on the ground with lifeless bodies and his mother dying in front of him; and Aerith dying for the sake of the whole planet's safety. But, that's all in the past now.
Moving on with Tifa won't be that hard. She'll always be there by his side, supporting him whenever he needs it and comforting him if there's something wrong, even Johnny knows that it won't be easy but still, Cloud should try. Every person in this world makes mistakes, even the most cautious person commits it and that's why we continue living, to correct them and change for the better. If Johnny could just tell this words on Cloud's face, he could… no… if Tifa's actions and words couldn't reach him and make him change, then how could he? A former drunkard who couldn't do anything but complain all the time that the planet is coming to its end? Who would want to listen to him? The only one who he could think of that could put up with his previous way of life was Tifa. Johnny was an admirer of Tifa in the past. She made him feel that everything's going to be all right even though nothings going his way. He would just sit in front of the bar, order some liquor and drink his problems out while telling Tifa how he despise his life and would just rather die than to live, however, Tifa keeps encouraging him until he became the man he is right now. But for Cloud, that's another case. He won't let those sad memories slip in his grasp even if it's entirely full of pain and sorrow.
"The hell is he thinking?" he yells with an irritated tone then slamming his hand on the table, "I told him that I'll kick his spiky little ass to the moon if he ever made you cry! Where the hell is that idiot?" He immediately eyes around the bar clenching his fist as he scan for the chocobo-haired man. He then questions himself if he could really do that to the one who saved Gaia from its certain destruction but this time he didn't care if he can or cannot. "Spiky! Get out here and I'll kick your ass to the moon as I promised!"
Tifa suddenly becomes surprise that Johnny reacts that way. "Shhh! Calm down Johnny… The kids are sleeping and Cloud as well…" she pauses for a second, "I'm just fine with the things they are now." Tifa looks at Johnny with content then smiles again.
Johnny starts to calm down but still embarrassed from the way he acted and still annoyed from what Tifa acted and said, "Sorry bout that…" He blushes then sits down, "Tsk… He's an idiot if he thinks that he'll get away with this! Treating you this way… what the hells wrong with his head?" grinding his teeth as if he's ready to punch Cloud.
"I'm fine really… he's just having some trouble with his new job, that's all… So don't worry about me," Tifa chuckles then smiles at Johnny, "Seems like I was wrong earlier, you really haven't change, you're still the hot-head-Johnny I know!"
Johnny flushes from what Tifa just said. He looks up to hide his embarrassment and then clears his throat, "Well, ok… If you say so," Johnny stands up then walks slowly to the door, "Oh! Almost forgot," he walks back to the counter while pulling something out from the inside pocket of his jacket, a calling card, "just give me a call if you need someone to talk to…" Johnny then walks to the door waving his right hand. "If you have the time, try talking to him and ask what's on his mind or something like that, all right? So the two of you could patch things up…" he opens the door, then stops.
"I'll drop in from time to time to check on you…"
"Thank you…"
"This is just a way of thanking you for all the time you listen to me whining on my stupid little problems… Now it's my turn to hear yours…" he slowly closes the door with a creaking sound from the hinges, "See yah later Tifa!"
Tifa gives a big smile, "Thank you Johnny!" she murmurs then continues cleaning the rest of Seventh Heaven.
To be continued...
(Tifa tries and follows Johnny's suggestion to talk to Cloud to know what's really running trough his mind. Next Chapter~The SOLDIER)
(Authors Note:wheew! It's a bit short but that's the first chapter and i hope you liked it! All comments and suggestions are welcome (even if its really bad T^T), well that's it! If any of you guys have the time to become my beta reader, I really appreciate it... Till the next chapter! (^^,)V Oh, and before i forgot, for the one's who are willing to become my beta reader, just PM me. Thanks!)