Takes place after Kairi's rescue; contains spoilers for the end of Kingdom Hearts.

Written from Cloud's perspective.

AN: More flashbacks. Yayness.


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Ephemeral Blossoms

Part 5: Visions of a Scattered Heart

Akai Kitsune


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Crouched in a corner of the only bar in Traverse Town, I remembered.


~*~*~


I knew Midgar was a dirty, polluted city from the moment I saw it, doomed to remain that way as long as people lived within it. I had known it was crowded even before I left Nibelheim, but I never realized how bad it was until I caught sight of it on the horizon. Lights glowing from every angle, and smoke billowed from the various stacks that grew from each Mako reactor. I smiled tightly as I watched them work, the sounds of machinery and general city life filling my ears. It was a far cry from the peacefulness I was used to, but... I needed a change. I needed to find something different than what I had always known.

So I stepped down from the hill and entered a city for the first time in my life.




It's hard to admit how weak I was, back then. I was barely fifteen minutes into the city, walking past a long-abandoned construction site in one of the outer-sector slums, when I heard a group of people trailing me closely. Taking a short detour into the site, I picked up a long rod of slightly bent metal and turned to face them.

"What do you want?" I asked tersely, holding the rod defensively in front of me. I didn't know much about fighting, but I knew the basics of defending myself. I had made certain of that before leaving for Midgar. Stories of the roughness of city life traveled everywhere, and though most were exaggerated, but I knew they had to contain some truths. I was glad I'd listened to the tips of the casual traveler when they passed through my town.

One of the men smirked, reaching into his pocket. "Oh, not much, boy. As a newcomer to the city, you must have some cash with you. I was hopin' you could help out some poor folk from the slums."

"I don't have much to give even if I was willing," I retorted, entirely too close to home than I liked to admit. My mother and I hadn't exactly been wealthy in Nibelheim - I was relying on my ability to find a job in Midgar for support. I had enough to get by for a few days at most. I wasn't about to lose it to a bunch of bums on the street the moment I arrived.

The first man just laughed, a mocking sound that was used to the occasional challenge. "Oh, you might find yourself more willing than you think in a minute."

He pulled his hand from his pocket, lunging at me with a knife, and I immediately sidestepped, swinging the rod with me. It caught his back as he passed me, sending him flying to the ground. I barely had time to celebrate my brief victory when the others snarled in outrage and charged forward.

For once, I thanked whatever gods might exist in my world that I was born small, being much faster and more agile than the street thugs. I dodged most of their attacks, concentrating on knocking whatever weapons they carried away. I felt confident at first, but I'd never fought so many people at once before. It was no surprise when a stray blow finally caught me and sent me flying to the ground.

My head struck a rock, and I looked up, dazed, into the face of the man who'd hit me.

He grinned cheerfully, bringing up his knife. "Feeling a little more cooperative, now?"

I met his stare fiercely, giving my answer in my eyes. My hands were clenched into tight fists, so he would not see how badly they were shaking...

"I highly doubt that," came a cool voice from behind us, and suddenly a giant sword was pressed against the man's neck. I watched in surprise as the man dropped his knife, eyes wide with fear and astonishment.

The man holding the sword smiled at us, his long, spiked hair falling across his eyes as he leaned down next to the thief. "Take a look at his eyes," he smirked, giving me a nod. "That's the gaze of someone who won't give up, no matter what. Now, since you're obviously no match against a guy like that, why don't you run along and harrass someone who doesn't have friends with big swords?"

The street bum nodded weakly, gulping as the sword edged closer to his throat.

"A word of warning," the swordsman murmured, "I'm friends with a lot of people in this part of town. You should be more careful."

The sword lifted, and the thief fled. I looked around and discovered that most of the others had either run away already or were lying on the ground, unconscious.

"You okay?" the man who had saved me knelt beside me, peering over curiously.

"I... I'm fine," I said quietly, rubbing my head where I had hit the rock. I was going to have one hell of a headache later, but at least I was still alive.

"Good," the man nodded his approval. "You're pretty good with that thing, even though it was just a chunk of metal. I'd love to see you with a real weapon."

My eyes widened. "Really? I... I wasn't doing so well, I thought-"

The man laughed - a different sort of laugh than the thugs had - and took the pipe from the ground, raising it high and slamming it against the ground. I blinked as it suddenly bent even further backwards, until the two ends were nearly parallel.

"Fighting off those punks with a useless weapon like this is pretty impressive," the man smiled, tossing me the ruined metal. I caught it, dazed, and glanced up as he reached down a hand to help me up. "What's your name, kid?"

"Cloud," I answered, taking his hand and pulling myself to my feet with his support. "You?"

"The name's Zack," he replied, sheathing the giant broadsword at his back. "Are you new in town?"

"Yeah..." I waved a hand to the retreating figures. "Nice welcoming committee."

Zack shrugged. "That's a big city for you. I've gotten used to it by now, and if you're planning on sticking around, you should, too."

"I expected it, anyway." I scuffed a foot in the dirt, then turned and hunted through the rubble for a moment, finally emerging with another pipe. At Zack's raised eyebrow, I smiled weakly. "I'd rather not rely on a chance rescue next time."

"If you're looking for a place to stay for a while, I know somewhere close by," Zack offered, pointing north, past the junk yard and down a side street. "There's a bar just along that road called Seventh Heaven. They also act as an inn for certain people. If you go there and tell them you know me, I'm sure they'll let you stay."

"Th-thanks," I said quietly, my voice incredulous. "Why are you being so helpful?"

He grinned. "Common courtesy, kid," was his response. "Just so you know that not everyone from Midgar are jerks."

"I'm glad," I returned the smile. "It was... nice meeting you."

"Same here," Zack nodded, turning away to go back the way he came. "Take care, and if you stay at the bar, I'll see you again."

I didn't respond; I merely watched him until he disappeared from the dim lamplight, his giant sword swinging with each step. I hadn't even seen him fight and I knew he was incredibly strong. That... that was the sort of strength I wanted. Strength to prove myself... strength to earn the respect I had always lacked.

Maybe this was what I'd needed for years. I wasn't about to waste the chance, so I followed his directions and made my way towards Seventh Heaven.




"Welcome to Seventh Heaven!"

A loud, cheery voice greeted me as I entered, above the roar of the people residing within. I squinted over a sea of faces - it seemed more like a party than a bar - to find the one who had called to me. After a few moments, a dark haired girl squeezed through the men blocking her path and stood before me, smiling brightly. How she had noticed me I had no idea, but it was nice to see another friendly face.

She took my arm and led me towards the bar, pressing through the throng of bodies as best as she could. Under the brighter lights by the bar, I finally got a better look at her.

My eyes widened. Here, of all places...

"Can I get you anything?" she asked curiously, curving her head to one side. Her dark hair fell past her shoulders, longer than it used to be, but her cinnamon eyes were still as bright and pretty as always.

"Tifa?" I said loudly over the noise, staring at her in surprise.

She blinked for a moment, then gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth. "Cloud?! No way!"

I smiled, brushing a hand through my hair. "Yeah, it's me."

"I can't believe this!" she whirled around, tugging at the arm of the bartender behind the counter. "Uncle! Look, it's Cloud! My friend from Nibelheim!"

The gruff looking man glanced at me, a wry smile on his face. "Well well, so you're Cloud. Tifa mentioned you a few times. What brings you to Midgar?"

I scratched my head, the noise not really helping my headache, and answered after a brief hesitation. "I... I wanted to get out of Nibelheim, I guess." I glanced at Tifa. "I thought about what you said, Tifa... about joining SOLDIER. I couldn't really think of anything else, so I'm here to give it a try."

Tifa clapped her hands in delight. "That's great, Cloud! I'm sure you'll get into SOLDIER in no time at all!"

The bartender seemed amused by the idea, but I didn't pay attention to him. My focus was on Tifa, and how good it was to see her again. It really had been too long.

"So..." I called for her attention, searching for the right way to ask, "I don't exactly have a lot of money, but this guy told me you let people stay for the night-"

"Don't even think about it, Cloud," she said sternly, glancing at her uncle with a smile. "You'll be staying here as long as you need to. I would never turn away an old friend like you!"

I was surprised, but pleasantly so. Tifa and I had never been close, but I had to admit she was at least part of the reason I had left Nibelheim.

"Cloud... when we grow up, you'll protect me, won't you?"

"Thanks... thanks, Tifa," I murmured, my face flushing.

"What?"

"I said thanks!"

She giggled, her dark hair swishing against her back. "It's no problem, Cloud! But I can't believe you're already going to join SOLDIER - how old are you, thirteen or something?"

"Fifteen," I retorted, shaking my head at her. "You know I was always a year older than you."

"Oh, right," Tifa just shrugged, then disappeared as a hand appeared from the crowd. I felt guilty for distracting her from her job, when suddenly the idea came to me. I slid down to one of the seats closer to where Tifa's uncle worked, polishing glasses, and waved for his attention.

"You want something to drink, son?"

"Actually, I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help out around here," I offered nervously. "I mean, if Tifa says I can stay here, even though I can't pay much-"

The man grinned, reaching out a hand. "Well there's a first," he shook my hand eagerly. "A border who actually offers to lend a hand. Tifa wasn't lying when she said you were the nicest kid around."

I blinked. "Nicest kid around" wasn't exactly how anyone would have described me in Nibelheim - or even how I would describe myself. Maybe something more like, "Shy kid whose very existence causes trouble"...

"You can start in about an hour or so, when things start calming down," the man continued, ignorant of my train of thought. "This group of rowdies usually only stops by once a week, and you came on one of their wilder nights. They'll settle down and move on pretty soon. Then we can start cleaning."

A glass suddenly materialized before me, and I looked up at him questioningly. He chuckled. "Drink it, boy. You need it, trust me."

I probably did; I was famished, and I hadn't had anything to drink for hours. Fighting off money-grubbing thieves worked up an appetite but gave nothing to appease it. I drained the glass without another word.

Tifa returned soon, chatting amiably about business and how things had been for the past few years. She asked about news from Nibelheim, and how things had been with her family before I left town. I spent more time talking in that one hour than I had an entire month in my own town. It was a strange feeling.

Before she had a chance to ask anything about me, her uncle called for our attention and we began to clean up the bar before it closed down for the night. I was relieved, to be honest; I had nothing really to say about what my life had been like during her absence. The people were all the same, the buildings remained unchanged... even the Mako reactor still poured endless amounts of smog into the clear mountain sky. Nothing was different besides the unfortunate fact that I no longer had a friend with me. I didn't want to tell Tifa that - it would hurt her, and that was the last thing I wanted to do.

"Cloud...?" I heard her call as I swept the floor, maneuvering through tables and around the staggering drunks. I glanced back at her, resting my elbow on the broom.

Her eyes were apprehensive; shy, almost. "Cloud, I'm... glad you're here."

I gave her a small smile. "Me too." I guess Midgar wasn't as bad as it seemed before.

She opened her mouth to speak again, but suddenly there was a sharp pounding on the door. Tifa's uncle shook his head, raising his voice to bellow, "We're closed!"

The knocking persisted, and finally the man scowled. "Cloud, get over there and tell whoever it is to move on. I'm not in the mood for trouble-makers."

I resisted the urge to snap back that I wasn't in the mood for getting assaulted twice in one day either, but I swallowed the temptation and opened the door. The words of an irritated teenager already on my lips died the instant I looked up and recognized the newcomer.

"Hey, kid," Zack grinned down at me, visibly pleased. "Nice to see you made it here alive."

"Zack!"

"Eh?" Tifa exclaimed, rushing over and fully opening the door. "Oh, Mr. Zack!"

Zack waved enthusiastically, brushing a hand through his hair. "Hey there, Tifa. Did you actually let the kid take a job at this place?"

Tifa blinked, looking back and forth between Zack and myself. "You... know each other?"

"We met before I reached your bar," I explained, moving aside so Zack could enter. "He's the one who told me to come here."

"Cloud and I fought off a group of street punks trying to assault some poor guy," Zack grinned, nudging me meaningfully.

I flushed, uneasy. "That's not..."

"Yep, the kid here is pretty good," Zack interrupted smoothly. "Those bums barely stood a chance."

Tifa stared at him incredulously. I felt a little insulted; sure, it was a complete lie, but she didn't have to act like I was incapable of defending myself. She didn't even know me that well.

"What's the matter, Miss Lockheart? You look like a drowned fish."

Tifa's mouth snapped open at Zack's comment, and I couldn't conceal a smile. She glared at me, obviously unimpressed by my tact.

Suddenly she smirked, as if she knew something I did not. "So, Cloud," she began slyly, "Did you tell Zack why you came to Midgar?"

"Well, no..." I felt a little uneasy by her expression, giving Zack a sideways glance. Did he hate SOLDIERs or something?

"Cloud here wants to join SOLDIER," Tifa waved a hand at me nonchalently.

"Tifa!" I objected, my face turning bright crimson again. The last thing I wanted was to get into trouble-!

"SOLDIER?" Zack repeated, his grin widening. "Now there's a thought. I think you've got the right idea, though - you're a lot tougher than you look."

I was pleased - although I knew it would get me into trouble later on - to see Tifa's jaw drop once again, and Zack laughed. "It's just not your day, is it Tifa?"

"Are you here for a drink before we close up, Zack?" Tifa's uncle called from behind the bar, still washing the shot glasses.

Zack shook his head. "Afraid not, 'Heart. I've got early duty tomorrow, and I wouldn't want to hold you up, anyway. I just wanted to check up on the kid," he winked in my direction. I flushed once more, embarrassed by all the attention. "Nice to see you all again... and Strife?" I glanced at him expectantly. "You behave yourself around these fine people. I'll be back in a few days, so I'll see you then."

With that spoken, he disappeared through the open doorway again, the giant sword glinting in the light of the bar. I gazed after him for a long moment, until Tifa closed the door and leaned against it, holding back silent laughter.

"What?" I demanded, irritated by her secrecy. "What's so funny?"

"Cloud," she gasped between bouts of giggles, "Do you even know who Zack is?"

I blinked, smiling sheepishly. "Umm... someone really strong?"

She slapped her forehead, as her uncle snorted, holding back his own laughter. "He's a SOLDIER, you idiot! First-class - second only to General Sephiroth!"

"Wow, hold on!" I shook my head in disbelief, uncertain if I had heard her correctly. "He is the second strongest fighter in all of Midgar?"

She just nodded, smiling at my clueless exclamation. I didn't even care than I had looked like a complete fool.

The second best in Midgar... probably the whole world.

And he had complimented me!

Whatever second thoughts I had felt when I entered Midgar, they were gradually beginning to disappear in the midst of my growing excitement.

I guess someone forgot to remind me of that old saying... pride comes before fall.


~*~


Hm. Can you say, foreshadowing? Next chapter - taking a deeper dive into Cloud's oh-so-wonderful past, ^_^;; Poor guy. He gets no respite at all.

As for Cloud himself, if he seems out of character, it's because he's not quite the Cloud we know just yet... I am writing him as how I thought he was before he met Zack, Hojo, or Sephiroth. From the game, I gathered that he was a shy, quiet, occasionally sarcastic kid, who carried a lot of bitterness because of how he was treated in his hometown. That's how I've been trying to write him as.

There's no indication in FF7 as to exactly how strong Zack was. We know that he didn't fare too well against Sephiroth, but who knows how strong he really was? I just liked the idea of him being one of the top fighters in the city. It would make Shinra seem all the more incompetant to lose the top two warriors in the army in one day, ^_^ Plus it gives Cloud something to gawk over.

Now I have to do something I have yet to do - a) thank those who have read and reviewed thus far, and b) beg for more! Come on, it's just one click away from making authors very happy people, ^_^;;

~ Akai Kitsune