12.29.06 Data File: Dawn of Beginnings

Data File 0.3: Chapter 3

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Cloud was alone, and he picked up a rock. He saw himself as a rock. No, not because it's thick, cold, hard, and fat... and that's not how he saw himself. He saw himself as a rock: useless, pitiful, and all alone. Well, technically, he wasn't alone because he had a wife and twins. He remembered his life when it was solitude... That was after 'her' death. He tried not to think about it. So many flashbacks whizzed by his head right now. In anger, he kicked a pile of dirt, and dust fragments flew everywhere, while some were taken by the wind. He watched them and said out-loud, "If I could be that free..."

He thought for a moment and said out-loud again, "No... Most men who want to be free end up getting another woman, and I could never replace Tifa. She'd be using my head... That's what all guys say. They get hypnotized. Oh gosh, I hope she's not Wutaiese like Yuffie, ew." He was silent for a moment, and said, "'He' is alive. I thought 'he' died twenty years ago..." It couldn't have been twenty years ago, but it sure felt like it. Cloud was an average 40-year-old man, but yet still kept his youth, and his face always remained the same. No silver hairs, no wrinkles, the only thing that aged were his eyes. The pupil had dulled, the blue iris was fading to grey, and the shimmering glow of the Mako tints in his eyes was almost dying out. If that Mako was to completely stop glowing, he'd collapse dead, because Mako glow meant he was alive. He frowned the day he noticed the Mako was dying out.

Tifa had remained very much the same, too, if not, more beautiful than she used to be. She was thirty-nine, a year younger than Cloud, and nothing changed about her at all, besides the wisdom look she always had on her face, and her figure wasn't as slim after having the twins... But she exercised daily to prevent gaining too much weight from giving birth. Cloud also exercised daily, but he could never be as agile as Tifa; the advantage to being him was that he was very muscular, and could lift things better than Tifa ever could. Sometimes Tifa did seem helpless, but he didn't mind... Since sometimes he did, too. Perhaps they were the perfect match for each other, after all.

He was smiling now... He sat on the cliffsides, the forbidden area for the twins... He didn't appreciate the twins climbing up here, in fear that they might fall and break their neck or something. Fathers always worry about their children just as much as their mothers do when they have enough time and attention to bond the way mothers do with their children. Fourteen years and Cloud never really did feel like a father. He didn't remember his father. Oh, the memories, they burn!

"I'd better be getting back to work." Cloud said out-loud to himself. He was unaware if anyone was listening, but never gave any thought to it. Before he left, he found a tree branch on the ground. He halted immediately, and turned around to stare at it.

Its leaves were fading, and golden-to-orange shaded. Its twigs and spidery wooden fingers were irritatingly sharp-looking. Its base was a stump that was as wide as Cloud's fist, so he could pick it up and use it easily if needed. How could you use a plain tree branch anyhow? Cloud wondered as he stared with the gust of wind blowing through his spiky hair. He found himself bending down and lifting it up. He stared at the possible splinters he could get, and brushed off the wood chips.

He swung the tree branch once, and was impressed with himself to know that after fourteen years, his grip had never gotten rusty. He smiled, and lurched forward, taking one humongous swoop with the tree branch. He had just done his simple attack. He gasped in shock to see he still had it in him. His love for fighting had never gone away. He was his old self again. He swung the tree branch a few times, taking a few fancy steps, and smiled.

Suddenly, his eyes widened as he began remembering all the fights he had with 'her'. It was too much... He did not want to think of fighting ever again, especially since battle had killed 'her' and it nearly killed Tifa and the twins. He was furious; Cloud threw the tree branch in the air, and went back to work as a mercenary. He knew his twins wanted to become worldwide famous mercenaries just because that was what he did. If they knew he was a warrior - just as they had always hoped and dreamed he was and thought it was impossible - they would also want to become warriors. They're so young... They might get killed if they went into a battle!

"You're too overly concerned."

Cloud froze. That was not his voice, nor was it his conscience. He looked around, "Who's there?"

"It's me."

The voice in his head, maybe? He didn't want to think, but he could hear it as if somebody was talking in his ear. "What?" he said.

"I know my children weren't too young to fight by the time they were seven years old."

"S - Seven?" Cloud asked. He sounded rather alarmed. Seven was definitely too young of an age to fight.

"Remember, I was the twins's age when I went to fight in the war. I was fourteen."

Cloud gasped. "It's you! You're 'him'."

"Yes..."

-

"Boys!" Tifa called. She was wondering around the house, and couldn't find them. She had already kept the customers busy and told them to be patient enough to wait for her. She had twins to raise, dude! She couldn't find them anywhere. She sighed. "Boys, are you doing your homework!?"

"Yeah, Mom!" Suna and Sora called back. Tifa looked around, but didn't see anything.

"Are you guys studyin' in the attic again?" Tifa asked. She looked up and saw the spiral stairs that lead there. She walked them up, and had to duck to avoid hitting her head. the stairs were only four feet tall, and the twins used the attic to play in. It was the same attic Cloud and her had used in the past, so she felt the memories were precious and she didn't want to demolish them.

"Yeah, Mom!" Suna and Sora replied. They saw her head poke through the small opening in the floor.

"There you are..." Tifa said. "Shouldn't we build this attic a little higher?"

"A taller house?" Sora asked.

"Sweet!" Suna said.

Tifa laughed. "We would have a three-story house if we did that, because this is on the second story... and it's cramped badly." Tifa rubbed her head. "I've always wanted to extend this house. Do you boys agree?"

"Yeah!" Suna and Sora said.

Tifa smiled. "Alright, I'll ask your father about this --" Tifa's eyes widened. "Oh yeah... Do you guys know where your father is?"

"No." Suna said.

"Nope!" Sora said.

"Really?" Tifa said. "Oh!" She placed both hands on her hips, but the twins couldn't see that, because all they got was a great view of her head. Tifa gave a pout, "He's been missin' all morning! He skipped breakfast, he skipped lunch... It's 2:30 PM now. I wonder what's up with this picture."

"Maybe he got a big deal!" Sora advised.

"I think Sora means..." Suna blushed for some reason. "... he got a pay raise?"

"Maybe." Tifa agreed. "I'll see if I can call him. Sometimes cell-phone reception gets bad out in Mount Nibel and the grassy fields around Nibelheim. Her head disappeared as she walked - more like sunk - down the stairs.

"Dad's gone missin'?" Sora asked.

"Wanna find out, brother?" Suna asked. "It's way more fun than this science homework!"

"Yeah!" Sora said. "Well, let's just finish this up. It's the right thing to do."

"Okay!" Suna agreed. "Then we search."

"Unless Mom gives us more chores." Sora added.

"Yeah..." Suna sighed and began daydreaming.

-

"Yo, dudes!" A familiar voice said. "Merry Christmas."

Two chocolate chip cookies were tossed in the general direction of the twins... This was earlier that Christmas vacation. "Thanks, Dad!" they said in reply.

"You're welcome!" Cloud said. He walked into the room and put down his handy backpack he always carried to work. "It's a gift from Santa. His leftover cookies he couldn't manage to eat up... He decided to give it to you two."

"Hey, Dad." Sora spoke up. "Does Santa Claus really exist?"

Cloud sat down on the couch with them, putting his arms around both of them... He was looking into Sora's beautiful eyes. He kissed the top of his son's head, and answered. "Of course."

"Really?" Suna asked.

"As sure as you both are alive." Cloud smiled. It was rare when their father smiled, and when he did... the Christmas spirit sure did thrive in the room. No matter which room in the entire house.

-

"Hey, Suna!" Sora called out. He waved his hand in front of Suna's face, trying to get his brother's attention. "You were zoning out." Sora blinked a few times. He tried to make sure his twin was okay.

"Oh, I'm alright." Suna said. He smiled at Sora and said, "Say... Remember a few days back... it was two days before Christmas, and Dad told us that Santa really did exist."

"Yeah, do you really believe him?" Sora asked.

"Yeah." Suna replied. "I believe everything Dad says. He never lies."

Sora pondered for a moment. "You know what? You're right."

"How far are you?" Suna asked. He looked down at the tip of his pencil and saw that he got the scientific answer incorrect. "Crap!" Suna blurted out.

"You got that one wrong, too?" Sora smiled. "Well it is kinda tough."

"Yeah, I didn't know the Planet's crust was made of ancient fossils as well..." Suna said.

"They told us to take out the answer that didn't match." Sora said. "I didn't know that there wasn't any Mako in the soil."

"Guess not." Suna said. "Mako is the Planet's lifeblood... I guess just like humans... There's no blood to consist of skin's contents."

"Uh," Sora said. "Whatever you said was right."

Suna laughed. Sora wasn't the brightest or most intelligent boy. Suna was very wise, though. They made the perfect team when they cooperated. Suna realized this as they did their science homework.

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Author's Note:

Another cute chapter! The fun and adventure hasn't begun just yet. I felt like writing some random drabbles with Cloud... He's awesome, he's a bishie, and he's competition for all bishies... sometimes competition for me when we try to impress my cousin... -- ha-ha.

After 14 years, you'd think Cloud had retired fighting and practically forgotten how to... Wrong! He hasn't lost it. He can still swing a heavy weapon around real good. Deep down, he wants to train his sons how to fight, but can't because he's worried for their safety. Who is this mysterious voice in his head? Guess guess guess guess!

Another mother and sons scene, yeah, I know. It's Tifa checking up on the twins... Not as cute as the breakfast scene, but I enjoyed writing another one. I REALLY loved writing the Cloud scene, though. Flashbacks are fun to write... I'd better write them more often. Science homework rules, but when it takes forever to finish, it can suck... I know this from experience.

I couldn't believe I wrote chapter 3 in an hour. That's a short amount of time! Also, I got 88 hits. That's a short amount of time to get a lot more hits, too! Review please... I enjoy answering questions, and I'll include reviews in these ending notes if you have something interesting you have to say. I answer questions, I improve the storyline if needed, I fix typos and verb/noun confusion, I do all that stuff... and nobody's given me criticism yet! I told you I NEED constructive criticism. Chapter 4 will be forthcoming really soon!

I suddenly like Cloud X Tifa... hmm... I love Suna and Sora... they're adorable.

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