Author's note:Ummm...Hi...This is my first story on this site believe it or not, but this version of "The Heart of the Lifestream" should be better than what I wrote a year or two ago (The last one made me want to cry T.T...Oh yes, it was bad.) Either way, I hope the charming people out there who read this enjoy bizarrities (if that's even a word) of what goes on in my simple mind. Onward my friends, onward!!

Warning: Some minor swearing(Cough, Cid and Barret, Cough), alcohol reference and drunken Goddesses. You have been warned! .

Disclaimer: I know I didn't mention this on the prologue part, but most of you should've guessed this...I do not, I repeat, I do not in any way, shape or form own people, places or things from the ever so popular game Final Fantasy 7. Thank you for reading this semi- dull part.

Part 1

As the world began to spin, Selena closed her eyes as she plummeted from the azure sky, waiting for her body to clash with the earth. However, Faera would not allow such a thing. Faera's soft body caught the young goddess and somehow, they just narrowly missed getting hit by a vast airship just passing through…

"WHA' THE HELL WAS THAT?!" cried a man with slicked back blond hair and 3 o'clock shadow as he stared at where the monstrous blur once was. "Did we hit it Cid?" asked a young girl clad in super short shorts, a tan vest and a black floral sleeveless shirt. "Lassie, shut yer mouth!" cried a mechanical cat sitting on the back of a large red beast that looked to be a cross between a wolf and a lion with XIII tattooed to his shoulder. Cid was not too thrilled. "It bette' not have fkin' hit! I'll be more pissed off than-" "Can it foo'! We better go take a look. It might be a monster just waiting for an ass whoopin'!" cried a large burly man raising a cybernetic arm. A woman to his right, sighed as she placed a hand on her well rounded hip. "Barret, control yourself. What if it's just an innocent bystander in all of this?" she asked, but Barret scoffed. "An' I'm the tooth fairy! Now let's park this turkey and check it out!" Cid flipped a few switches and the airship dubbed Shera, came to a hover and then slowly descended to the earth.

Once landed, the hatch opened and the team stepped out into the barren wasteland, weapons at the ready just in case of a battle breaking out. Instead, they found a group of four people standing about. As the team approached, they could distinguish two men standing watch while two women were crouched to the ground. "Do you think they've seen it, whatever it is we're looking for?" asked the young girl and the older woman shrugged. "I don't know Yuffie. Let's ask them. I'm sure they might have seen something." Yuffie looked from the older woman, then to the group of people. "Hey! Hey you guys over there! Have you seen a big red monster around here?!"she yelled to them and the older woman frowned. "Yuffie! You don't need to yell! Let's just go over and talk to them." Yuffie scratched the back of her head. "Oh yeah…good point Tifa." "Well, c'mon, we don't got all day!" Barret barked irritably as he marched closer to the band. Just as Barret went to take one more step, an earthen spike shot up from the earth. "Come no closer mortal!" bellowed a man with long shaggy sandy hair, his hand hovering in the air as if he were wielding the earth with ancient magic. "Mortal? What's he talkin' about?" Yuffie asked as she watched a beautiful blonde haired woman help up her red head friend. In fact, this very band of people looked very strange indeed. "Listen, we just want to know if you seen anything weird fly by around here. If you have tell us where and we'll leave ya alone." Barret bellowed over to them. This time a younger man with long shaggy silver hair stepped forward, a snarl working its way on to his face. He was livid.

"There's nothing here! Be on your way mortal, or you'll be very sorry!" he growled and Barret and the others noted that this man's silver hair was standing on end. "Sigmund! Control yourself!" snapped the blonde woman as she shouldered her injured comrade forward. The 

blonde woman turned her attention to the group that stood before them. "Please, my friend has been injured. Can you help us?" she pleaded and the silver haired youth shook his head. "My lady! We are enough to help Faera! Please don't go along with the mortals!" he begged and the blonde woman shook her head. "Sigmund, we need a place to lay low for a while and with Faera injured and weary from battle will not help matters. We have no choice." She argued quietly and he clenched his eyes shut. "Fine…As you will it Lady Selena." He sighed grudgingly as he held his arms out for the weary Faera. "Stay here for a moment Sigmund. Shibuki, come with me." Selena ordered as she walked towards the new, but strange group. Moments later, Selena stood before Barret with an outstretched hand. "Forgive my friends' rudeness. I am Selena Talos and to be rather blunt, I was hoping maybe you could help us get Faera to a safe place. She's hurt and tired right now." Barret shook hands briefly with Selena before replying "The name's Barret, ma'am and we'd be happy to help get your friend some place nice and safe. Jus' follow us." Selena looked to Shibuki and smiled. "See! Didn't I tell you that they didn't mean us any harm?" she said as she playfully punched Shibuki in the arm. Shibuki chuckled, then waved Sigmund over. "It's alright Sigmund! We're leaving!" Sigmund nodded, picked up Faera and together, the little band journeyed off with their new acquaintances.

Meanwhile, a man in his early 20's sits and looks out at the vast wasteland surrounding a grim looking city. In front of him, a large sword protrudes form the earth, its blade rusty and corroding. He sighed as he ran a hand through his unique spiky blond hair that he often was told looked like a Chocobo's rear end. A breeze stirred about him as he looked up to see an airship flying over head. Guess Cid and the others are back from the Chocobo farm…Well, time to go then… Making his way to his custom made motorcycle, which he so honorably dubbed Fenrir, he mounted and took off. Dust and dirt shot from behind the swift careening vehicle as the youth sped home, dodging occasional out jutted stone that littered the land.

Minutes later, after crossing into the city and making his way through the overly busy streets of Midgar, he eventually sat parked outside of a little bar. "Cloud! You're back!" Cloud took off his goggles and looked down at a young boy with shaggy light brown hair. Cloud dismounted and ruffled the boy's hair. "Denzel, is Tifa and the others in?" he asked and the boy nodded. "Yep and they also brought some other people back with them too." Cloud tilted his head and repeated "Brought some other people back?" Cloud looked from the nodding boy then to the bar. Curiosity overwhelming him, he decided to investigate. Usually new people meant new trouble. That was something Cloud had experienced many times before and had yet to see it fail.

He walked into the cozy bar and looked around. "Just a minute Selena someone just walked-Cloud! Perfect timing…sort of…You just missed Cid and the others and-" Tifa yelled as she ran up to him. "What's this I hear about new people, Tifa?" He inquired and Tifa grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, that's interesting you should bring that up. Well, Selena and the others will be down in a moment after they finish taking care of Faera." "Selena? Faera? Tifa, how many people did you guys bring home?" Cloud asked quietly and Tifa raised four fingers. Cloud 

shook his head disbelievingly. "And you always tell me not to bring home any strangers…" he groaned, but Tifa shook her head. "But Cloud, one of them was hurt really bad! We couldn't just leave them out there like that." She argued and Cloud raised his hands defensively. "I never said you couldn't bring them home. Just how long are they planning to stay? You and I know we can't afford to house them forever. After all the 7th Heaven is not for housing adults. It's for kids like Marlene and Denzel." "Cloud I know that but-" Tifa began but the sound of foot steps stopped her. "She's sleeping right now and I swear that we'll leave as soon as she's better, Tifa." Tifa and Cloud's eyes landed on Selena as she entered the room, flanked by Shibuki and Sigmund. "Um, what's with the looks?" she asked, blushing a bit from the attention she was receiving. Tifa shook her head and said "Let me get you all a drink. It's been a long day for everyone." Tifa walked off into the kitchen, leaving Cloud and the newcomers alone.

"This is…nice…" Shibuki commented peering about and smiling. Sigmund eyes shifted about warily, as if waiting for an ambush. "It may be nice, but all the same…" he began as his lupine eyes landed on Cloud, and for once in his life, Cloud was terrified of someone. That was saying something. Selena turned to Sigmund and elbowed him. "Sigmund, behave yourself. Everything's fine." She chided as she sat down and rested her head on her currently crossed arms. Sigmund sighed and relaxed…a little. "You'll have to forgive him. He's still young and very protective." Shibuki said calmly to Cloud and Sigmund rounded on him. "I'm just doing my duty as a guardian, Shibuki! For the love of the Gods, it's Our Ladyship's life-" "Do not speak of the current situation in such careless way Sigmund. We don't need the innocent involved." Shibuki growled in a foreign language that only Sigmund and Selena understood. Selena gave a sigh and snapped "Quit your bickering and sit down. You're driving me crazy." The guardians bowed and chimed in unison "Of course my lady."

They sat down and Cloud just looked at them with confusion written all over his face. Selena tilted her head and said softly to Cloud "you can join us if you'd like. I'll make sure Sigmund doesn't try to tear you to pieces." Sigmund's jaw dropped. "Lady Selena! I'd never do such a thing in your presence!" he argued and Shibuki sniggered. "What about when you're not in her presence?" he asked and Sigmund gave a demonic grin. "Dead men tell no tales." He chuckled darkly, but stopped as Selena cleared her throat and motioned over to Cloud. Sigmund rolled his eyes and said "Okay, I'm sorry and I promise I won't tear your throat out, but I will also promise you this as well: if you do anything that threatens Lady Selena's life, I will bring you crashing to your knees in defeat." Cloud nodded and sat down with them. "So-so just who are you guys exactly? Are you a princess or something?" He asked as casually as possible and Selena snorted. "Something like that I guess. But as to what I truly am, I have no wish to tell you." She fixed her gentle green gaze on Cloud's Mako blue eyes. "You have very interesting eyes, ya know." She said to him and Cloud's cheeks lit up like fireworks. "Ummm…thanks, I guess. It's probably the-" "Mako poisoning. It does that to people's eyes if it gets into their systems and it looks like you had your fair share of it." Cloud sat speechless as his mouth hung open in surprise. "It's rude to stare and have your mouth open." Shibuki whispered to him and Cloud 

shook off his surprise. "How did you know? Not many people know that fact and the only people who do are people that were in-" again Selena interrupted Cloud. "SOLDIER. I know about that too. I'm just glad that program stopped. It sickens me to know that young men back then would practically flock to join SOLDIER, in hopes of becoming a great hero, and then turn around and be experimented on like a pack of guinea pigs. Especially using the planet's life in the sick minded experiments that they had to go through." She growled bitterly and Cloud could not help but be amazed that this girl knew so much. Had she worked with Shinra at one point? Just who was she?

"Here you go!" Tifa chimed as she handed them all a beer and sat down with them. Cloud popped the lid on his and was rewarded with the taste of the cold brew slipping past his lips. Selena looked to the others then back to Cloud like she'd never seen the phenomenon. "What is it?" she asked as she tilted her head and cocked an eyebrow. Tifa and Cloud looked at her strange. "It's beer. Don't tell me you haven't seen beer before?" Cloud asked in surprise and Selena shook her golden head. Cloud and Tifa looked at each other and tsked. "Well, you have now. Let me help you with that." He said taking the beer from her and popping the cap off. He handed it back to her, but Sigmund snatched it away. "Sigmund!" she whined as he sniffed it carefully. "I'm just checking for poison my lady. If there's nothing there, you can have it." He explained as he took a sip and sampled it. "Well?" Selena growled and Sigmund shrugged. "It seems fine, it just tastes like some sort of metal though." He said as he wrinkled his nose and made a face. Selena took the bottle back and sampled it herself. She nodded and replied "It's not sweet, but it's not bad either." Before anyone could say anything else, she had polished it off and set the bottle down with an empty thud. Shibuki gave a minor chuckle as Selena gave an unladylike belch and laughed a little oddly. "Selena are you alright? " Tifa asked as the girl got up and staggered a little. "I'ma fine…whoops! Hee hee hee!" she giggled as she stumbled over to the juke box. Cloud looked at Tifa and asked "You don't think she's drunk already? It was only one beer though!" Tifa and Cloud got up, followed by Shibuki and Sigmund. "What's this hic do?" she slurred and nearly fell over, but Shibuki caught her before she hit the floor. "I think you need to lie down for a little while my Lady." He advised as he picked her up and just before he went upstairs he growled "Sigmund, they better be alive when I get back, or else, you'll have me to contend with." Sigmund gave him a dirty look, then turned to glare at Cloud and Tifa before following after Shibuki. Cloud frowned a little and turned to Tifa. "I don't like this Tifa. I really don't like this."

Auther note(again): I apologize if any of the characters were OOC (Out of Character, for those who don't know). Anyways, read it and review. It would not only make me extremely happy, but that would spur me to do my best, 'kay?