ATE: Hey guys! Sorry for not updating soon. School got me good this time. You readers are in for a big surprise!

Declaimer: I don't own FFVII. They rightfully belong to Square Enix.


Chapter 8

A Friend From Beyond

After the party was over, we started to clean up the bar. I offered to help the others clean up, but Tifa shook her head, telling me that I just got back here and that it was late. When she mentioned the time, I looked at the time and saw that it was 1:29 in the morning.

I went to my room by taking the stairs. I entered my room and saw that it looked the same as the last time I saw it, with the exception that there was another bed.

I got ready and got into the bed, falling asleep immediately.

--

I opened my eyes and saw that I was in the place filled with the lilies. I felt a glowing feeling in my heart, but at the same time I felt sad. Not the crying nonstop sad, but a reminisce sort of sad.

I remembered all the times I've been here before…meeting Aerith and Zack. Speaking about Zack, where was he?

"Look who's here!" I heard a voice say.

I turned around and saw Zack. He looked the same as always.

"Hi Zack!" I said.

Zack came over to me and to my surprise he hugged me in a friendly hug. He then let go of me, and looked at the ground.

"What's wrong, Zack?"

I then saw Zack starting to pout as he crossed his arms.

"You didn't come and visit me!"

I couldn't help but smile at how childish he was acting.

"Zack, I couldn't visit you. I wasn't able to."

"You weren't able to visit me for three months?!"

"I wasn't even on Gaia. It's been three years in my world." I stated.

It was then that Zack went quiet. I wonder why he was so quiet all of a sudden. He looked like he was thinking with his head hanging.

"No wonder why I didn't feel your presence through the Lifestream…"

He then looked up with a wide smile on his face.

"Why's he looking at me like that?" I thought.

"You've really grown!" He said.

"Well, yeah…it's pretty obvious…"

"And not just that! Your hair got longer too!"

If this were an anime, I would have sweat dropped.

"I missed you!"

Before I knew it, I was tackled to the ground by Zack himself.

"I missed you too! But I can't say I miss being tackled to the ground…" I said.

"What if I were to tell you that I have a surprise?" Zack asked.

"What kind of surprise?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise!"

I looked at Zack and was suspicious of what his 'surprise' was.

"Well it looks like it's time for you to wake up. Bye!"

--

I woke up to find that it was already morning. I got up and got dressed for the day. Even if it had been three years since the last time I was here, I still remember what I did here.

I went outside my room and made my way downstairs to find Tifa, Marlene and Denzel at the table. But where was Cloud?

"Good morning Tori." Said Tifa. I sat down at the table.

"Morning Tifa." I replied. "Where's Cloud?"

Just then I heard a loud yawn and turned around to find Cloud walking in half asleep. I saw that he was wearing sky blue PJs with chibi looking chocobos on them. And if that wasn't enough, the way his hair looked was funny. You would think that with Cloud's hair being as spiky as it usually was it wouldn't get messed up, right? Wrong! It was messed up so bad due to sleep, that it looked very wild pocking out in random places. I tried not to laugh as he came and sat down in a chair.

"Wow. I'm not sure if it's a sleepy Cloud or a sleepy chocobo that came and sat at the table just now." I said, mostly directed at Cloud.

Everyone (minus Cloud) was laughing. Cloud glared at me in his half-sleep state.

"You don't know what a chocobo looks like." Cloud said, becoming more awake with every second that passed.

"I know what a chocobo looks like, but I haven't actually seen a real one." I stated. "And if your hair wasn't enough, I'd say your PJs made my day!"

Cloud looked at what he was wearing and groaned upon seeing the chocobo PJs. I heard him mutter about Yuffie getting him the PJs.

"Dammit Yuffie!" He muttered.

"I win, Chocobo Head!" I said. I heard Cloud groan again.

"You just had to remember that…"

"Remember what…?" I asked confused.

"Nothing." He said quickly.

"If it's about the 'Chocobo Head' thing, I knew about it back home."

"That's even worse…!"

--

After breakfast I spent time with Marlene and Denzel in their room. Marlene asked me if she could braid my hair and I let her do so since my hair was so long, it got in the way more than it would when it was mid-back.

When she was done, I started to drawing pictures with the two. I caught a glance of Marlene's drawing and saw that she was drawing me. I smiled at that.

It was soon lunch time so I took Marlene and Denzel downstairs to make sandwiches. We made simple sandwiches that consisted of ham and cheese.

Cloud came in a few seconds later and I was forced to make him a sandwich. Just kidding! I chose to make him a sandwich.

As we were eating, I heard the front door open, but ignored it thinking it was a customer.

"Hey! I thought there were going to be gasps when I came in!"

That voice! It sounded familiar. I turned around and my eyes widen. Standing at the door was...

--

ATE: I'm gonna stop it here, guys.

Tifa: You can't do that!

Reno: Yeah! The Readers might throw stuff at you, yo!

ATE: And how do you know that they might throw stuff at me?

Reno: I read about it in the other stories, yo.

ATE: That's great Reno-- Wait a minute! RENO?!

Reno: OH SHIT! (Runs away)

ATE: Okay, so people might throw stuff at me.

Cloud: Or worse...

ATE: Like what, Cloud? (lights go out) What? Who turned off the lights?! (Lights turn back on and authoress has a sword at her throat)

Sephiroth: Like me.

ATE: AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!! Okay okay!! I'll continue!!

--

Zack…!

I looked to Cloud who had a surprised look on his face.

"Now there's the reaction I was looking for!" He said.

I got up from my chair and walked over to Zack.

"Zack…?" I asked unsure.

"The one and only, Zack Fair!" Zack looked at Cloud and smiled. "Hey Spiky! Long time no see!"

Cloud couldn't respond. I think he was too shocked at the moment. I couldn't help but wonder the same thing: how?

"How are you alive? Aren't you dead?" I asked.

"Well, Tori. Funny you should ask." Zack said with a grin on his face. "Remember about the surprise I told you about?"

It was then I realized what he meant.

"You don't mean…that you coming back to life was the surprise?"

"BINGO! We have a winner! Yes, this is the surprise!"

"I'm definitely surprised." I then looked at Cloud, who had the same shocked loon on his face.

--

(BONUS TIME!)

"Cloud, are you okay?" I asked.

I touched his shoulder, but I jumped in surprise when he fell over as if he were a statue. Even though he hit the ground, he didn't move an inch.

"Cloud!" I cried as I tried to move him, but he wouldn't budge.

"I think seeing me alive put him in a state shock." Said Zack.

(END OF BONUS)

--

"Cloud, are you okay?" I asked, touching his shoulder. I started shaking him. "Cloud? Cloud? Hey Cloud!"

Cloud just shook his head and blinked as if he were waking up.

"Cloud!" He looked at me.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

"I was just worried when you weren't responding."

"Oh, sorry…"

"Anyways Spiky." Zack came over and placed his arm around Cloud's shoulder. "You shouldn't worry her like that. You might regret it."

"Zack!" Cloud yelled.

"Sorry!"

"I think Zack should stay." I said.

Cloud looked at me like I was insane.

"Yeah! I don't have anywhere else to go! Please?" Zack started to do the puppy dog face.

"Fine…"

--

ATE: Surprised that a certain character returned? Didn't see it coming did you? Please Review!