Sorry for the extremely slow updates everyone! " I've just recently got my braces and let me tell you…it hurts like hell and I can't eat any solids so my mind is not completely focused or fully functioning for story writing, however I'm willing to try, just don't expect a masterpiece in my condition! (bows)

Right, well in this chapter Angeal, Sephiroth and Genesis meet Cloud, Tifa has no idea what relationship they all have or used to have with each-other. Zack was also acting very strange so Tifa interrogates him later. Well then, happy reading!

Chapter 6: Digging up the Past


Zack's blue eyes widened in shock at the man that was making his way towards Tifa, he almost choked on the next words as he said the name of the man who used to work with him for Shinra:" Cloud."

"Cloud?" Tifa exclaimed in surprise when she saw Cloud, far too early in her bar. His shift wasn't due till ten, now it was barely seven.

The blonde's blue eyes narrowed when he saw the familiar faces sitting opposite of Tifa, he asked in a low almost threatening voice:" What are you doing here?"

All the Firsts were extremely tense, as if readying themselves for battle. Tifa just looked lost between them all, she noticed some of her patrons were watching the scene, others were slowly moving away from them.

Cloud spotted a man trying to sneak past him, he grabbed the terrified man's collar and dragged him back, "Sit down and enjoy your drink." It was a command and the man quickly obeyed, seating himself as far away from the group as possible.

Sephiroth shot a venomous glare at Cloud as he said in the same tone the blonde used:" Shouldn't we be asking you that, Strife?" Cloud's glare only deepened at the use of his last name by them.

Finally, the blonde delivery man turned to Tifa, his glare not faltering at all.

"Tifa, do you know who these men are?" a fair brow rose in question and suspicion, Tifa swallowed, one hand gripping the white rag she used to clean her glasses.

"Y-yes, I do. Why? Is something wrong Cloud? Do you know them?" she had no idea any of them ever met before, let alone that Sephiroth knew Cloud's last name.

Cloud didn't answer, instead he had a stare down with all of them.

"Zack…" Tifa whispered quietly, trying to catch the spirit's attention, who stared at Cloud in a mixture of disbelief and underlined anger.

Cloud's head snapped to Tifa in alarm, his blue eyes wide.

"Zack? Did you just say Zack?" Cloud's eyes narrowed further upon Tifa's "deer-in-the-headlights"-look. "Where is he?"

"That's none of your business." Angeal stood up from his seat, his stance guarded. Zack's gaze briefly traveled to Angeal before returning to Cloud.

Cloud grunted in dismay, "Tifa, may I talk to you for a minute? Alone." She never heard that tone in his voice before.

Sephiroth, Genesis and Angeal all looked at Tifa alerted.

"I don't think that is a good-" Genesis was about to protest, but Tifa beat him to it.

"It's alright. I will be back. He's my best friend." She shot them all a reassuring smile, even though she herself felt slightly nervous. She knew Cloud would never do anything to hurt her, but anger was radiating off him in waves and he looked about ready to murder someone in cold blood.

Nonetheless, Tifa followed Cloud to the back, inside the storage room.


She almost froze at the sound of the door locking before she was suddenly pressed with her back against the wall, Cloud's piercing blue eyes staring at her intently.

"C-Cloud?" she was nervous, very nervous. Why was Cloud so angry? Was he angry at her?

"Tifa, just what the hell do you think you are doing? Talking with them?" he practically growled the question, spat it out like a bad taste in his mouth.

"Um, well, you see, we…I-I met them just today actually. They seem like really nice people and-"

"Where did you meet them? Why did you even invite them here? Why did you say "Zack" before? Do you know him?" Cloud's voice turned cold at mentioning Zack.

Tifa's head was swimming from all these questions, from Cloud's bruising grip on her forearms, from his steel gaze, glaring daggers in her skull.

She winced slightly when his grip on her forearms tightened, she thought he was doing it unconsciously from his anger.

Suddenly, a chair fell down on the floor loudly, it was only a step or two away from Cloud. Tifa almost jumped at the sound, Cloud glared behind him.

What Cloud didn't see was Zack. He was standing there, tall, intimidating, his muscled arms crossed, a heavy glare set on his features which only made him look even more dangerous than ever before. Cloud looked like a puppy in comparison to Zack.

Cloud released his iron grip on Tifa, just now noticing that he was hurting her.

"Sorry Teef." He averted his gaze from her, his hands balling into shaking fists, his whole posture tense. He looked ready to lash out at anyone who so much as looked in his direction.

But that didn't deter Tifa. She tentavly placed a warm hand on his shoulder, he slowly turned his head to look at her, the previously sharp, piercing blues softening to their usual warm glow.

Wait…glow…

Blue glow…

Her eyes widened in realization. She looked behind Cloud, straight at Zack, noticing his eyes were the same glowing blue as Clouds. Angeal, Genesis and Sephiroth also had the same eyes.

But that couldn't be. Or could it…?

"C-Cloud…you…you all have the same eye colors…and t-they….they are glowing." She looked astonished up at her best friend, who grimaced and turned his back to her.

He was silent for a long time, before he spoke:" What did they tell you Tifa?" again with the questioning.

"Nothing," she lied, trying to play innocent. But he saw right through her.

"Enough playing games Tifa, I know they must have told you something." His jaw was set tight.

"Well, what do you know?" Tifa countered, she figured if the others were slightly more guarded about sharing information on their occupation then she wouldn't just spill anything without first finding out what Cloud knew and if she could trust him with that kind of information.

Hell, she didn't know if she could trust herself with that kind of information. But she would at least try and keep it a secret from her best friend, who seemed adamant on finding out what she knew.

"Listen…" Cloud turned to her, the anger still there. He ran a hand through his wild, spiky blonde hair, " I…I wasn't always a delivery boy." He locked gazes with her then, her brown-burgundy eyes slightly widened in surprise.

"What do you mean?" there was a period where Cloud and her had lost contact, one day, he just left and never answered any of her calls. Then after months of worrying, he sent her a very cryptic message, about how he was away on a "very important assignment on a unknown period of time, and that she shouldn't worry about him".

"I was a part of SOLDIER." He finally confessed his dark secret, staring straight at her.

"You what?" Tifa was in disbelief, a part of SOLDIER? The paramilitary program of Shinra? "But why didn't you tell me anything?! You know you can trust me Cloud!" there was anger and confusion in her face which she didn't bother to mask.

Zack had remained silent throughout this whole ordeal.

"That's why I had been away for months, years…I wanted to join SOLDIER. But…I was only a cadet there, I never actually got accepted into the program." He noticed her expression and ran a hand down his face in frustration.

"Wait…Sephiroth, Angeal and Genesis were all part of SOLDIER and they all have the same eye colors…if you never got accepted then why do you have the same eye color as them? That glow?" Tifa wanted answers and she would make sure she damn well got them, one way or another.

Cloud walked around for a while before he stopped and exhaled long and heavy.

"There was an accident…I got exposed to the mako energy that all SOLDIERs are infused with, the mako in their bodies gives them enhanced senses, speed, strength, agility, enhanced everything. That's why a lot of people think I used to be a part of SOLDIER before." He gave her a somber look, carefully analyzing her.

"The blue, glowing eyes…it's from the mako. Because of that, everyone calls it a "SOLDIER trademark" for having that iconic blue glow."

Tifa was thankful the wall was behind her, so that's why they all had the glowing blue eyes from the mako energy in their bodies. Wait…mako?

"Mako? Isn't that the fuel that supplies the city with electricity and energy?" she crossed her arms, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Yes. But in Shinra, the science department uses it to create better soldiers for obvious purposes. Anyone who opposed Shinra, SOLDIER would take care of it."

"You mean…." Tifa's eyes widened in horror, they…killed people? Cloud had killed people?

Cloud averted his gaze, a look of shame crossing his handsome features.

"Do you remember the conflict with Wutai? The Asian region we used to have?" Tifa nodded, it had been a few years back, but she remembered it clearly. Her friend Yuffie was from the Asian land of Wutai.

"Firsts were sent there to end the possibility of a upcoming war. There had been casualties, destroyed facilities, but we managed to bring an end to the conflict. Or rather, they managed to bring an end to it." His tone was again cold at the mention of them.

"You didn't fight in it?" it seemed that had been the wrong question to ask. His whole mood only turned gloomier.

"No…I..I was just a simple cadet back then." It seemed his position in Shinra was a sore spot for Cloud.

"Tifa, how do you know Zack?" he asked again, a tone of finality in his voice. Zack shifted behind him, his glare intensifying.

She briefly looked at Zack before she strengthened her resolve.

"I don't know who you are talking about. I know the Zack from that last party we had in the bar, you know the one with brown hair who kept hitting on Vince?" she crossed her arms, she wasn't so sure revealing she knew Zack was such a good idea.

Cloud's eyes narrowed in suspicion, he stepped closer to her, Tifa didn't falter, glaring right back.

"What are you hiding from me Teef?" Cloud searched her face for the truth, but she remained stubborn.

"Who did you think I meant Cloud?" she tried getting answers.

"Nobody." If he wanted to be like that then fine with her.

She brushed past him, she noticed Zack's posture hadn't slackened at all, though his eyes briefly softened in concern, in particularly eyeing her forearms, which had red marks on them.

Tifa unlocked the door and turned her head slightly to just look at Cloud.

"If you try to cause a commotion, I will kick you out Cloud. The rules apply to everyone." With that she slammed the door shut, leaving Cloud alone, Zack's spirit having left with Tifa.


"We shouldn't have left her alone with him," Angeal sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead.

Sephiroth kept a trained gaze on the door to the storage room, listening in for any signs of danger that Tifa may have been in.

"That's it, they have been too long in there already." Genesis was about to stand up and possibly break down the door and beat Cloud up, but Sephiroth stopped him.

"Don't let your temper get the best of you Genesis. If we hear any suspicious noises we will act. I don't think Strife is so naïve to try anything here." His gaze swept past the patrons, some looking nervous, others just ignored them.

"Sephiroth is right. We will wait as long as it takes for them to come out, I'm sure Tifa can handle herself." Angeal was on edge, but he didn't want to start a scene. It wouldn't be good for them and certainly not for Tifa losing her customers because three grown males couldn't control their temper.

"Do you think he would do something if Tifa told him everything?" Genesis inquired curiously, a hint of wariness in his tone.

"I'm sure Tifa noticed we were quiet reluctant to reveal any details or delicate information. It seemed Zack himself hadn't said anything to her other than his rank and for whom he works. It is safe to assume she knows not to tell him anything." Angeal had a point, but there was still a possibility.

The three men's gazes all shot to the door as it suddenly unlocked and opened, revealing Tifa, looking angry but not injured. They would have openly winced at how strong she slammed the door shut.

As Tifa approached them with a smile, Genesis' eyes turned into near slits, eyeing her forearms.

"He…did he do this to you?" as if reaching for something at his hip, Genesis wanted to grab onto his rapier, which he never brought with him while among civilians. Damn it.

"Don't worry about it, please! He didn't do it on purpose, really." She tried to convince the tense men, she could see it clear as day that their patience was thinning out.

Finally, Cloud left the storage room after a few minutes. He refrained from looking at the group again, instead he straight out stormed out of the bar, almost scaring a man out of his pants by the waves of anger he radiated and the way he stormed past him like an angry bull.

"What happened?" Sephiroth asked after he made sure that Cloud really left.

"Nothing…he was very tense and alert. He kept asking me how I know any of you and how I know of Zack." She took a deep breath, the conversation with her best friend still swimming in her head.

"What did you say?" Genesis had to know, he still eyed the red marks on her forearms with a critical eye.

"I didn't tell him anything. He kept asking me about Zack but I pretended I was talking about another Zack. He saw through my lies and he's suspicious…he told me how he knew you all." Tifa shook her head and noticed how the Firsts straightened in their stools.

"Strife used to be a cadet, but not a part of SOLDIER. After he got exposed to the mako energy by accident, he had acquired the glowing blue eyes, a SOLDIER trademark. Zack and him were best friends then." Angeal explained, leaning back in his seat with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

Tifa's eyes widened, wait… "They KNEW each-other?! But Cloud never mentioned him before!" Tifa quickly glanced at Zack's spirit, who remained quiet the whole time, his back as straight as a rod.

"I'm not surprised. I'm sorry Tifa but we are not allowed to tell you any information, it's classified. But I'll tell you this, they parted ways after an incident concerning a secret project of Shinra. Not even the other members of SOLDIER knew about it. Cloud didn't want to be a part of any of it anymore, Zack was against it as well but he knew the consequences of leaving Shinra very well." Sephiroth kept his face neutral, void of almost any emotion and that scared Tifa.

"What do you mean Sephiroth by consequences?" dread filled Tifa suddenly, the anticipation growing thick.

"It's not an easy task of leaving SOLDIER. It isn't like any other job where you fill a form and leave. Some even say SOLDIER is for life."

Genesis didn't look like he was joking nor did Tifa question his words, "Because being a SOLDIER is such a dangerous job, there are not many known SOLDIERs who reach past the age of thirty-five or above. For various reasons, dying in battle, of wounds, mentally becoming unstable…or defecting from Shinra."

A gasp managed to make its way through Tifa's throat, her eyes disbelieving. She was thankful the bar was livelier now that the situation cleared, which allowed them to talk in relatively normal volume instead of hushed whispers.

"Defecting from Shinra? Why…what would happen?" that dread came again.

The three men averted their eyes briefly, Sephiroth drank his glass of scotch, getting a refill by Tifa on instinct.

"You would be hunted down by SOLDIER or any other force Shinra sends after you, for the rest of your life. Shinra is very delicate about protecting the company's secrets and in order to keep them safe after members leave, they send either people to kill them or people to watch them." Angeal drank a little of his own drink before continuing,

"However, it is not impossible to leave Shinra. They won't kill you immediately, only if there is a strong suspicion of spilling the company's secrets. You would be monitored and watched carefully your whole life, but you remain safe and undisturbed from Shinra…unless you reveal sensitive secrets to outsiders."

Tifa couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had no idea it was that serious. They were even worse than the FIB or even the mafia!

The barmaid sighed heavily, resting her head on her arms. No wonder Cloud never uttered a single word to her. They most likely have sent people after him to watch him carefully, to make sure he didn't say anything to Tifa or his other friends.

Now she understood everything. Why Cloud never told her any details of where he had been, why he just kept telling her it had been a important assignment from the company and nothing else, how she shouldn't worry about him and that telling her would just complicate things.

Wait a little second…

"Wait! Hold it! Aren't you making yourselves targets for telling me all this?!" Tifa was panicking, she didn't want any of them happening something bad or even worse, that they would get viewed as traitors and get killed!

But Sephiroth calmed her worries:" Don't worry about it. We haven't told you anything sensitive have we? We only said what we do and what rank we are. Other than that, you know of no deeper mechanics of the company." He sent her a small but reassuring smile and surprisingly it worked at calming Tifa down significantly.

Angeal chuckled and replied to Sephiroth's statement:" That's right. And besides, First Class SOLDIERs aren't being monitored as carefully as Seconds or Thirds. We have relative freedom and privacy. However, a lot more is expected of us in return. We are assigned much more dangerous missions, frequently sent to wars to resolve conflicts… etcetera."

Tifa nodded, taking in all the newfound information.

Zack had remained quiet for the rest of the day.


Once Tifa and Zack finally returned….well home, Tifa turned to look at Zack with crossed arms and a scowl on her pretty face.

"Why were you quiet the whole time Zack?" this time she wouldn't let any glares intimidate her.

The spirit sighed heavily and sat down on a chair…wait a damn minute…

"How can you sit on chairs all of a sudden?!" Tifa pointed at Zack's sitting form. That should be impossible for a ghost!

"Oh….right…I forgot to tell you. I figured out how to change my tangibility. I can change it so I remain unseen but I can actually touch, grab and hold things. See?" he grabbed a purple apple from the fruit basket for Tifa to see.

"That's…amazing.." Tifa looked in awe before she shook her head and her tone changed, "Zack." The situation grew serious again.

"Yeah, yeah…I have some explaining to do huh?" the man once again sat down heavily on the chair, a hand running through his wild, long ebony spikes.

"Alright…well…the others told you the majority of it already." Before Zack could continue Tifa interrupted him.

"Tell me about Cloud." She was persistent.

He looked up at her, his blue, glowing mako eyes staring into her brown, burgundy ones.

"I met Cloud when he was a cadet and I a Second Class SOLDIER…"

Cliffhanger! :D hehe Don't worry, I will try to update much quicker than the past few times. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter so far! What do you think of the story?