Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or any of its characters. All rights belong to Square-Enix.

A/N: Welcome to my first Clorith rp! To just straighten out the facts, I am a CloTi and Cloris fan, but lately I've been admiring Cloud and Aerith a little more so I decided to write a fanfic just for them. For those who don't know, this fanfic is loosely based on the movie "Tristan + Isolde". Now, for those who may be asking "Why on 'Tristan + Isolde'? And why with Cloud and Aerith'?", I'll answer that for you:

1. Because the story of Tristan and Isolde is based on the concept of "love at first sight". Though I am not really a believer of this idea, I thought it would be nice to give it a try.

2. Cloud and Aerith share the concept of "love at first sight". They hadn't known each other for long, but were quickly falling for each other. I thought it would be better for the story if I used those two rather than another CloTi story.

And there you have it. So, without further ado, enjoy !

We Belong Together

Chapter 1: Broken Childhood

In this world, there are two flourishing cities: Midgar, which houses the humans, and City of the Ancients, which houses the Cetra. Though these two races have lived together for centuries, they have been bitter rivals. This feud started nearly four hundred years in the past, when the humans in their arrogance made the choice to try to conquer the Cetra. The more advanced Cetra's, with their magic and powerful weapons, were able to fight back against the humans and end any plans they might have had of world conquest. Three hundred years later however, when the Cetra king died, his twisted son, Prince Narcin, claimed the throne. This new leader found it in the best interest of his people to exterminate the humans, for they became a threat to the Cetra. Under his rule, he began to kill humans anywhere and everywhere that he could. The humans have now numbered to only a few thousand, while the Cetra's remain strong in population. After Narcin died, his son, Faremisu, claimed the throne, and ended this massacre of humans, but he still kept an eye on them from time to time to make sure they did not try anything hasty. Faremisu married another Cetra by the name of Jenova, and together they had one child: a son named Sephiroth. However, Jenova died five years later. Faremisu once again married, taking the woman Ifalna to be his wife. Nine months later, they welcomed a child, this time a girl, whom they named Aerith. Faremisu still rules with his wife and two children, though the two siblings have not been the best of friends.

The humans have never had a real leader to guide them. After their defeat centuries ago, the humans scattered, founding different towns, and remaining divided, just as the Cetra wished for them. The main gathering place for the humans has always been Midgar, but several little villages have also served as home. The names of these villages are Nibelheim, Kalm, Rocket Town, Corel, Cosmo Canyon, and Wutai. Each town has a village leader, who keeps in contact with the other leaders. Since the battle with the Cetras, the humans have never dared to rise up against them again. Sadly, this did not stop the senseless murder of thousands of their kind at the hands of the Cetra.

The Cetra are a race connected with the Lifestream and the Planet itself, able to communicate with it and learn of its knowledge. The humans are able to take raw energy from the Lifestream, and use it for their own benefits. The humans have given the energy a name: Mako. While they do not use it for purposes of war, the potential for doing so is incredible. The Cetra know if it's true power, and a small group plan to take action to ensure that the humans never know of its potential.

The afternoon sun shone on the endless fields of grass as the wind blew against the tiny, green blades. It was a beautiful day; for a certain father and son, it was a good day for hunting. Jason Strife was out on this day with his only son, Cloud, to catch tonight's dinner. Jason had already killed a boar they had found in the woods; now, it was Cloud's turn. His father felt it right to teach Cloud all that he had learned when he was a young lad. The lessons Cloud's grandfather passed to Jason would be given to him. They did not walk for long until they found a rabbit, sitting still in the grass. Cloud looked up at his father with a bright smile, which Jason answered back with his own smile and a small push, ushering Cloud to claim his prey.

The blonde, spiky haired child crouched down onto the ground, quietly closing the distance between him and his target. The rabbit didn't notice Cloud immediately, giving Cloud an advantage. The boy slowly unsheathed his hunting knife, getting ready to pounce on him. As soon as the rabbit caught sight of the boy and turned to run, Cloud threw the knife.

Father and son walked together up the hill which overlooked their hometown. Cloud raised his catch by the ears, looking at it with pride. Jason took a hand to his son's hair and ruffled it gently. "You've done well, my little soldier." Cloud smiled again. Knowing that his father was proud of him made Cloud proud of himself. Jason hoisted his son on his shoulders, carrying him all the way back to the village.

"Do you think that we'll be alright at this meeting tonight, dad? I don't know if the Cetra will like this."

Jason was silent, for he knew that Cloud was right. In four hundred years, the humans had never had the strength to match the advanced Cetras.

"Well son, the Cetra only want to keep peace with us. Their main concern is that we don't try to go to war with them. Mako energy will only be used to provide us with a new source of energy for the towns. I can't imagine what other uses it might have, and Rufus has given us his word that it will never be used in such a way." Jason only hoped that such a man as Rufus would keep his word. As the leader of Midgar, Rufus was undoubtedly faced with many temptations day after day.

Cloud noticed that his father had fallen silent. He bent his head down and looked at his father's face. "Dad? Dad, what's wrong?"

Jason snapped back to reality at the sound of his little boy's voice. He ran a hand through his short, blonde hair to find his son's hand and take hold of it. "I'm fine son. Come on, let's get home before our lady starts to worry." Cloud laughed with his father as they continued their walk.

---

Ifalna was tending to the roses she had recently planted in the soft earth outside her city. Their red petals matched the same color of her beautiful dress. Her long, brown hair, which grew past her lower back, was softly moved by the wind. She used her hand to put a stray lock of her hair behind her ear to have a better view of her future garden. Some of the roses were close to sprouting up, while others were already above the ground, though still just adolescents. The beautiful Ifalna was humming a cheerful melody when the giggling of her daughter caught her attention.

"Mommy! Mommy, look! Elmyra braided my hair!" The adorable 9 year old girl plummeted into her mother's arms, burying her head in her chest with the happiest smile on her face.

Ifalna held Aerith tight until she held her at arms length to look at her hair. "It's beautiful, sweetheart." Ifalna noticed the bright pink ribbon that held the braid together. The ribbon was a perfect touch to match Aerith's pink dress.

Aerith looked down at the adolescent flowers that were starting to sprout. "Will the garden be finished soon, Mommy?"

Ifalna smiled and patted her daughters head lightly. "In a few months they will be. But I must take great care of them to make sure they stay healthy."

"Can I help you, Mommy?"

Ifalna smiled warmly as she looked into her daughter's green eyes. "Of course you can." Aerith's face became bright with happiness and joy. She jumped in excitement, eventually leaping into her mother's arms again. Ifalna laughed as she hugged Aerith once more before ushering her inside the house. "Come on. It's time for us to go in now."

"Awww!" Aerith liked being outside, and hated it when Ifalna would call her inside from playing. Aerith was running back to the house, her mother not far behind.

Ifalna, however, started to feel dizzy. Putting her hand to her head, she felt herself losing her sense of balance. Her vision became blurry as she could feel her strength leaving her body. "Mommy?" little Aerith asked. Iflana could not answer however as she fell to the earth. "Mommy!" Aerith ran back to her fallen mother with Elmyra behind her. Aerith collapsed onto her mother's body, shaking her in an effort to wake her up.

"Mommy! Mommy! Please, wake up, Mommy!" Ifalna spoke nothing. Elmyra stood and called to the house of Faremisu.

"Someone help us! The Queen is dying!"

Aerith shed small tears from her eyes, feeling them fall from her cheeks onto Ifalna's body. She looked down at her mother's neck, seeing something that horrified her. Black marks, almost resembling brusies, covered her neck; and as Aerith looked further, she saw them on her arms as well. She knew that nothing would save her mother now. Ifalna, Queen of the Cetra, was dead.

---

Cloud and Jason entered through the front gates of Nibelheim, welcomed by the various townsfolk that greeted them. Richard Lockhart was with his daughter Tifa when he spoke to them. "Jason! Cloud! Good to see you. Any great catches today?" Both males showed off their kills for the day, Cloud feeling extra proud for catching something other than a bird or a mouse. "Well, well, well…" Richard commented on the young Strife. "Looks like the little man is becoming like his father. While we're on the subject, my little Tifa is becoming exactly like her mother: feisty and sweet all at the same time. Zack is becoming a fine lad as well." Richard spoke of his eldest son, Zack, who was off elsewhere. Tifa's dark locks and brown eyes drew Cloud to her. Normally, she would hang out with Cloud and his friends as just "one of the guys", despite being a female. As she was growing older, Cloud was starting to notice her a little more. Not enough though.

"So Cloud, is that all you were able to catch? I thought you were capable of more."

"Oh yeah? Well, it's certainly better than what you could do."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

Tifa gave Cloud an angry look, and vice versa Cloud. However, she smiled quickly and gave Cloud a little push. She ran off, wanting him to chase her. Cloud was more than ready for the challenge, leaving behind his rabbit for his father to deal with.

"Cloud!" "Tifa!" the two fathers called out at the same time. The two youngsters ran from their father until they were no longer within their sights. They both sighed, staring at the space that they last saw their kids. "They grow up so fast."

"Indeed. It won't be long until we will be planning for their wedding." Both men looked back at each other after saying this, and then gave out a hearty laugh, patting each other on the back as they went about their business.

Cloud chased Tifa behind her house, where she made it past a stack of wooden crates to the back area. Cloud was about to pass the crates, but something collided with his foot, making him lose balance and falling flat on his face. The sudden collision of his chest with the hard surface made Cloud cough, causing dust to rise just opposite from his mouth. He turned over, and saw the face of the person responsible for making him trip: his best friend Zack, a silly grin resting on his lips. "You should pay more attention, Cloud." Tifa came back behind her big brother and crossed her arms, giggling at a fallen Cloud. "You never learn do you?" she asked.

Cloud was embarrassed that they had tricked him again. However, seeing a rope behind their feet, and the ends of the rope near his hands, he knew that he would have his payback. "I may be a slow learner, but…" Cloud said as he gripped both ends of the rope. "… eventually I catch on." He pulled both ends of the rope, which caught under Zack and Tifa's feet and made them fall flat on their backs. They were now the ones who had been duped. Cloud laughed as he got to his feet and started to run, with Zack and Tifa now chasing after him.

---

The meeting was about to commence. The leaders had all decided to gather in Nibelheim to avoid suspicion and unwanted attention from the Cetra, such as meeting in Midgar. Rufus had arrived with his Turks, protective bodyguards with special skills, later than everyone else. All the leaders of their respective towns had come from far and wide to hear this. The leaders were as follows: Vincent Valentine of Kalm, Cid Highwind of Rocket Town, Barret Wallace of Corel, Bugenhagen of Cosmo Canyon, Godo Kisaragi of Wutai, Jason Strife of Nibelheim, and Rufus Shinra of Midgar. The leaders had not gathered in one place for over five years, and all were very eager to see each other again, as well as see what new discovery Rufus had uncovered next. Once dinner was served in the mansion, the Strife household, Rufus stepped forward with his Turks bringing up a covered table.

"Friends, thank you for coming. I called this meeting to show you the future of our race. As you all know, the Cetra of the north can communicate with the Planet; it is a skill they are born with. The way they communicate with the Planet is through the Lifestream. I have discovered a way to harness that energy." Rufus walked back to the covered table, taking the cloth in his hands and unveiling his new science project. There were four containers that held a green, glowing liquid. The other leaders did not know what to make of it. "I give to you… Mako energy." There was now audible whispers and talking amongst these guests.

Vincent Valentine stood up to ask Rufus a question. "How did you discover this, Rufus?"

"My company in Midgar has been collecting soil samples for months now. During the first digging, we came upon this green substance. After much studying, we found that if used right, it's properties can help power and entire town for at least fifty years."

More whispering and talking went on before Jason interrupted. "And what about warring capabilities? Can it be used for that?"

Rufus knew that question would come, and did his best to act like he didn't know. "We uh…" he cleared his throat before continuing. "We aren't entirely sure about that yet. Rest assured we will have an answer soon enough."

Barret Wallace laughed loudly for all to hear. "I hope you fools do find a way for that. God knows I'd like to open up a can o' whoop ass on 'em!"

"Heh, I'm sidin' with Barret on this one." spoke Cid. "These bastards need to know that we won't take their crap anymore."

"Gentleman, please." Bugenhagen interrupted. "The Cetra have done nothing to harm us for these last one hundred years. Using this as a weapon against them is senseless if there is no need."

Godo stated his feelings on the matter. "I feel that dear Bugenhagen is correct."

Jason left his seat to address everyone. "I would rather hope that you didn't use it all." People suddenly fell silent. "Rufus, this is an amazing find, it really is, but what are the risks involved? This blessing can't possibly come without a price. If this is indeed energy from the Planet, then we'd be robbing the Planet of its very life. And I know for a fact that the Cetra would feel the same way as I do." Rufus knew of these dangers already. "Are you all ready to face the Cetras? After what they have done to us before, I am not eager to repeat the mistakes of our forefathers."

Rufus tried to calm everyone by speaking again. "Jason, my friend, you have nothing to worry about. It was the furthest thing from our minds to resort using the Mako energy as a weapon. I don't want to start a war anymore than you do."

Jason was not so sure of Rufus' intentions. "If we steal from this Planet, the Planet will strike back; if not directly, then by some other means."

The people still out and about in the town were on their way home. One man looked to the wall, seeing several shadowy figures. He squinted his eyes, trying to make out the images he was seeing. Just then, one of the images created a fireball in his hand. The man saw the face for but a moment until the figure hurled the fireball at the villager. The townspeople saw this happen, and started to run for their lives, screaming all along the way. The front gates were then struck by a bolt of lightning, causing them to break off of their hinges and crush two villagers who were unfortunate enough to watch it happen. More of these enemies poured in through the gates, attacking the villagers with fireballs, ice attacks, and other magic they were able to conjure up.

Back in the mansion, the leaders and their families came to windows, only able to watch in horror as more townspeople were massacred. They were even able to see some of the people be slain by a silver haired man wielding an incredibly long sword. He must have been the leader. They could see him giving out orders for the men to follow. The Cetra were making their way to the mansion. Jason and the other leaders acted quickly by using the tables, chairs, furniture, whatever they could find to barricade the entrance. Vincent, Barret, Cid, and Rufus with his Turks went outside to help the villagers. Only Jason, Godo, and Bugenhagen stayed in the mansion. Jason found Richard in all the madness and pulled him over to speak. "Hide the children!" Richard did as he was told and gathered the children to a closet. There were seven kids, including Cloud, Tifa, and Zack.

"Stay here, and don't come out unless we tell you to! Understand?" the children nodded their heads. Richard closed the door and moved to the back exit to get everyone else out. When he opened it, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. He slowly looked down, finding a blade sticking through his upper torso. The women screamed as they saw the sword suddenly pulled out of him, his blood pouring down his body and to the floor as his lifeless frame collapsed. At this exit stood the silver haired man with a small group of Cetra.

The silver haired man stepped forward into the mansion. He looked around, seeing the terrified faces of every person in the room. This brought a wicked smile to his face. The Cetra knew what was coming next.

"Kill them."

None in his group hesitated to start doing as they were commanded. The silver haired man started to hack away with his sword as well. The children inside the closet could hear the screams of their parents as they were murdered. When the screams were beginning to stop, they could hear loud thuds against the hardwood floor. THUD! THUD! THUD! The sounds became more faint though as they were beginning to stop. The children did not know it at the time, but the sounds were the bodies of their parents collapsing to the floor, lifeless and bleeding. When the screams had stopped, the only sounds left were footsteps. They echoed in the house, so loud that even the kids could hear them clearly. Soon, the footsteps inched closer to their hiding places. The hearts within the little children's bodies beat faster than you could imagine. Their breathing became heavy as fear sunk into their souls. They saw a shadow standing outside the door. Zack grabbed hold of the Cloud and Tifa, while the other children just curled their knees around their arms.

The silver haired man ripped the door off of its hinges, getting a scream out of the children as the action took place. He smiled once again when he saw their scared faces. "Oh… looks like I missed a few." The man said as he gripped the sword in his hand. The children closed their eyes as they prepared to meet their fate head on. They knew they were going to die, but did not want to look upon the face of their murderer. The man looked back at the table that had the materials Rufus brought with them. The man looked back at the children, remembering the reason as to why he still kept them alive.

"Get the materials, and bring the children as well." The Cetra did as they were ordered. Most of the children resisted, and were swiftly knocked unconscious. The only ones who were still awake were Cloud, Tifa, and Zack. Once they were outside, Zack bit the hand of his captor. The Cetra screamed in pain as his hold on the child loosened. Zack took this opportunity to help Tifa by quickly kicking her captor right in the groin.

He dropped to his knees, releasing Tifa as well. "Run, Tifa!" Zack screamed, ushering his little sister to go. As her father had always told her to do, she listened to her little brother and ran as fast as her legs could take her.

The Cetra who held Cloud was ready to shoot a fireball at her, but Cloud saw this move coming and knocked his arm away, causing the Cetra to shoot his fireball at a fellow Cetra, burning him alive. "Keep running, Tifa!" Cloud exclaimed, but was then met by a hard blow to the head, knocking him out cold. Zack was unconscious as well. The silver haired man looked over these two boys, grabbing a handful of their hair to examine their faces.

"These two have spirit. Make sure they are the first two to be used, and that they receive the most Mako."

The Cetra nodded as they carried out the order. It was a long way back to the City of the Ancients.