The Past of the Future

This story is a crossover between FF7, FF8, and Tales of Symphonia. There might be sexual content in this, but don't plan on it. There is no Yaoi and just because three men live in the same apartment doesn't mean they're gay. This is part romance, but don't start getting on my case about pairings. If you have suggestions, put them in the reviews. This is my first fanfic, but don't flame me if it stinks. If you do like it, I'd like some feedback. Thanks, and enjoy.

I do not own any Final Fantasy characters. Those all belong to Square-Enix. This applies to all other chapters of this Fanfic. God…

"Dialogue"

Thoughts and memories

Cloud groggily woke up from last night's beer induced sleep. His usually spiky blond hair was matted down. His black shirt was stained with alcohol. He opened his eyes. He was still in the bar. The musty smell of cigarettes and mold emanated from everywhere. His own breath smelled like smoke, even though he hadn't been smoking. The room swirled around his head. He wasn't used to this kind of drinking.

"Ugh…"

He tried to get up, but as he brought himself up to his feet, his legs collapsed underneath him. He fell forward, his head hitting a table. Blood, he tasted blood in his mouth. The blood tasted like his pain. The pain that was unquenchable by alcohol. He couldn't feel his body. Time didn't seem to move, it was present, but it stopped. The room spun around him. He didn't like this feeling, this pain. It all just seemed to fade away.

"Aeris…"

He walked into the pool, holding her body. It was limp in his arms. Her long brown hair dipped into the water. He untied her bow, let it ride the wind. His hands let go of her body, but he would really never let her go.

"Why? Why did it have to end this way? She must be avenged. I will avenge her! SEPHIROTH! DAMN YOOOOOOOU!

"Cloud…CLOUD! Get your lazy ass up!" A short-haired blond man with a long grey coat and a red dagger on his sleeve was shaking him vigorously. Each jerk seemed to shake off more of the alcohol. "Come on! Take the booze like a man." He slapped Cloud across the face, but Cloud just lolled his head. "I can drink this much and barely get buzzed." He just tossed Cloud to the ground.

"Unngh…Seifer?" Cloud started to get to his feet. Seifer walked over to him and helped him up.

"That's more like it. If you can't take 10 mugs of beer, than you shouldn't be drinking."

"We can't all be drunks like you Seifer."

"I'm not a drunk."

"When I first met you, you were sitting on the side of the road with a sign that said 'Will kill for beer.'"

"That was a misunderstanding. I used to be a member of SeeD, so I have an expertise in disposing of unwanted people."

"But why for beer?"

"I was a homeless drunk then, I'm not anymore." Cloud started to laugh.

"You looked so funny back then. You had the biggest beard and your hair was really long. Woah!" Cloud fell to the ground. His legs still weren't working right.

"Dumb ass…I'm always going to have to take care of you, aren't I?" Seifer picked him up and hoisted him over his shoulder. As he walked out the door, he muttered something about Cloud being a nuisance and real men drinking beer. Cloud just gave a weak grin.

Back at the apartment, Seifer was taking a shower when Cloud decided to gather some strength and walk around.

"Bah! He says I'm a nuisance." Plates, beer cans, and clothes were strewn throughout the place. "If I don't pick it up, no one will." Cloud sighed. "I feel like a housewife." He gathered all of Seifer's clothes and tossed them into his room. Then he picked up the plates and stacked them next to the sink. Then it came to what he was going to do with the beer cans. He went and got a trash bag, and right as he was about to pick a half full beer can, Seifer popped his head from out of the bathroom.

"Hey Cloud! I forgot the soap next to the TV. Could you get it for…Ooomhp!" A beer can went flying through the air,beer that was still in it flying out of itmaking it look like a swirling vortex, and smacked Seifer right in the face. He went reeling backwards into the bathroom. Cloud could hear cursing echoing from the room. Seifer jumped out of the bathroom butt naked with an imprint of a beer can across his face. "WHAT THE FUCK! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!"

"Sorry, I thought it was the soap." Cloud picked up the soap and dropped it in Seifer's hand, and Seifer, who still had an outraged look on his face, made an obscene gesture at Cloud. Before the nude man could rage back into the shower, Cloud said, "You're a slob. Why in the history of Hell would a bar of bath soap be sitting next to the TV. Clean up after yourself. Jackass…" He pushed Seifer into the bathroom and slammed the door. "I hate my life." He went over to the couch to watch some TV. He tried to find the remote. After 3 minutes of no success, he had an idea. He reached under the couch to find a beer can. Wedged through the beer can like a knife was the remote. He flicked on the news.

"…has been seen wandering aimlessly through the streets. There have been reports of assault. If you encounter this man, contact the Shinra police immediately." Interesting. Cloud thought. Sounds like Seifer after he's had one too many beers. Who knows? They shouldn't make a big deal about it. Not in this city. Cloud got about 3 minutes of silence. From outside in the hallway of the apartment complex he heard a commotion, a great commotion. Is this the guy? Cloud thought. He walked up to the door and slowly pushed it open. He looked down the hall. There were crazily moving shadows at the bend.

"Wass yu doin' hunh? Gerrof me! You sonsabishes! Graah!" CRASH "WASSAT FOR? I'm tryin' to get back teh my apar'ment!"

Oh no. I was half right. It was a drunk guy, but it's no Seifer.

"COMMIN' THROUGH!" The familiar face of Cid came barreling down the hall followed by 5 angry apartment staff. Another was clinging on to his shirt. Amazingly, Cid's cigarette seemed to stay in his mouth no matter how loud he yelled or how wide his mouth got.

Why me? Why is it always my roommates? Cloud thought.

"HEY CLOUD! WASSUP?"