Disclaimer:I hate to write a disclaimer, so SE folks if you are going to sue me because I am bashing, hurting or kill your precious characters, please don't. I am just their fans.

Author's note:What is a writer's block? Is it a disease which are commonly killed a writer. The symptoms are lack of ideas, too much pressure and a busy life. If you ever felt these symptoms before, kindly proceed to the nearest hospital for check up. Thank you.

Side notes: Beta read by THE GENIUS M. L. Ayala

Revised on June 14, 2013

Theme song: Utada Hikaru – Prisoner of Love.

CHAPTER 4

Flashback

11 years ago, at Water Tower, Nibelheim.

"Sorry I'm late. You said you wanted to talk about something?" said Tifa while sitting near Cloud.

"Come this spring. I'm leaving this town for Midgar" Cloud replied.

"All the boys are leaving our town"

"But I'm different from all of them. I'm not just going to find a job," said Cloud, "I want to join SOLDIER. I'm going to be the best there is, just like Sephiroth!"

"Sephiroth, the great Sephiroth."

Cloud goes around and climbs up to the top of the well. He nods.

"Isn't it hard to join SOLDIER?" Tifa asked Cloud.

"I probably won't be able to come back to this town for a while"

Tifa was sad when she heard this.

"Huh?" Cloud was confused with sudden change in Tifa.

"Will you be in the newspapers if you do well?" asked Tifa.

"I'll try" Cloud replied.

"Hey, why don't we make a promise? Umm, if you get really famous and I'm ever in a bind… You'll come to save me, all right?"

"What?"

"Whenever I'm in trouble, my hero will come and rescue me. I want to at least experience that once."

"What?"

"Come on… Promise me…!"

"All right… I promise."

A shooting stars flashes across the sky

Flashback ended.

8:09 AM, Thursday, 15 July

Morning haze blinded Cloud's view as he stood near the window, looking out at Nibel Mountain. Outside, the sun had long since set. A grayish sheen of fog was visible through the window, and aside from the gentle tap of branch against the glass, all was quiet. He had been here since he left his family nearly two months ago. He really missed them, but his work had been preventing him from returning. No, it was not his work that prevented him from coming home, it was himself.

Tifa… He wondered if Tifa was alright. Has she been eating properly? He missed her the most. All of her, her tender touch, her loving eyes, her silky hair, her smooth skin and her soft lips.

He knew she would probably be skipping meals or sleeping irregularly. He wanted to ease her burden. He wanted to live happily ever after, if he could, forever with her. He wanted that, but he knew he couldn't have it.

Tifa will have her happily ever after, but not with me.

He felt guilty that he had blown his top at her months ago. He knew he had broken her heart. He just wanted her to stay out of his life. He wanted her to hate him if that was what it took to lessen the pain inside her heart. He knew he was being selfish and cold hearted, but he had no choice. He had to.

Someday you will understand, Tifa. I'm doing what is best for you.

His phone rang, pulling him out of his reverie. He picked up his phone and watched unidentified caller ID flash across the screen. He pressed the green button.

"Mr. Strife" the person on the other side of phone spoke. It was his client. "Did you get the job done?"

"Yes" replied Cloud.

"Good. I have no other job for you for now so I guess you can pick up your money and delivery slips this afternoon" said the client. "Thank you, Mr. Strife, for your hard work"

"I'm just doing my job" replied Cloud, before he ended the call.

He put his PHS near the table lamp and sat on the bed with a sigh. Heavy footsteps echoed in the room as another person approached him and stood near the window. Cloud turned to look at his companion, Vincent Valentine, and sighed again. Vincent didn't utter a word, which didn't surprised Cloud because Vincent was known to be dark and brooding, and he talked less than Cloud did.

"Cloud," uttered Vincent for the first time that day, "how long are you planning on staying here?"

He didn't bother to ask Cloud if he'd had his breakfast or not. Damn it.

"How long?" asked Vincent. His back was still facing Cloud.

"I don't know," replied Cloud, shortly.

"I know I should not interfere with your life Cloud, but you shouldn't have come here in the first place" Vincent said slowly, "Yuffie has been telling me that Tifa has been pensive, and sometimes she cries herself to sleep."

"Why are you here, Cloud?" asked Vincent again, but Cloud's eyes drifted to the floor, his mouth unable to speak, as if his vocal cords had been ripped out by a Bandersnatch. He knew why he was there, but he didn't know why he didn't have the courage to talk about that to Vincent.

"Are your sins already forgiven?" asked Vincent, but Cloud was still at a loss for words. He finally nodded, answering Vincent's question, but Vincent was not finish with him yet.

"Then, why are you here, Cloud? Here in Shin-Ra Mansion with me, not at Edge with your family, despite your own painful memory here. Why do you keep dwelling on the past? If I can move on with my life, why not you too? Do you wish to lose someone dear to you again before you can make up your mind?" Vincent's questions bombarded Cloud, but Cloud knew he couldn't answer Vincent now. He needed to think. He needs to breathe, because Vincent's questions were nearly choking him to death.

11:35 PM, Thursday, 15 July

"Tifa?" called Yuffie quietly as she slowly opened the Seventh Heaven's front door. The galley was pitch black, but the ninja remembered that she had left the light on before she went out to her apartment with Shelke. The Wutaian Ninja girl slipped into the Seventh Heaven and flicked on the light. Light footsteps soon followed her to the room, approaching her. Shelke stood in the middle of the galley inspecting the bar. It was eerily quiet and you could almost hear the wind whispering your name. The bar was the same as it was when they left, except for the door connecting to the back room and garage, which was now slightly open. Shelke readied her sabers while Yuffie got her Conformer.

As Yuffie pushed the back room door, Shelke slowly moved in sync with her, following closely behind. Nothing unusual, everything in place, except for some black sticky liquid on the floor. Shelke knelt down inspecting the liquid while Yuffie flicked the light on. The sight of the back room was awful. Blood was everywhere. Yuffie screamed upon seeing the crimson blood smearing the white tiles. But the owner of the blood was nowhere near the pool.

"Silence ladies, we don't want to wake Tifa," said unknown voice behind Yuffie. Yuffie threw her shuriken at the man, but he easily caught it and dodged Shelke's attack before taking her sabers. Yuffie and Shelke jumped at the man but he easily grabbed both of the girl's hands and placed them behind their backs.

"Easy, I mean no harm," he said. He had gray hair and a gray beard and wore a red cape.

"Who the hell are you old man?" growled Yuffie, "let me go, you asshole!"

"Watch your manners, young lady. That is not the way to talk to an old man like me," he replied casually.

"Who are you? And where is Tifa Lockhart?" questioned Shelke.

"She is upstairs asleep. I am Zangan, Tifa's Master"

Sorry to end this chapter cliffy. This chapter is merely filler to a plot. Sorry for the late update. Don't worry I am not going to stop writing this fic. It is just that my life had been hectic these days and hospital life is tiring. You know, check the patients, give prescription, on call, nagging supervisor and ER! I am tired so spare me a little, will you?

Okay so what happened to Tifa? Who knocked Tifa until bleeding? Is Zangan related to all this? Alright folks, until next time!

Things to look forward in chapter 5 – Cloud returns to Edge, New Evil rising and some Yuffentine moments

Lots of Love,

Hana

Read and Review.