Disclaimer - I don't own Final Fantasy VII or its characters.


A Whole New Beginning

At the foot of Mt. Nibel was a small and peaceful village named Nibelheim, where everyone lived a normal life and had daily routines. Everyone except a spiky blond hair 9-years-old boy, his name is Cloud Strife, who lived with his mother, Rayne Strife.

Cloud looked at the kids outside from his window and let out a boring sigh as he sat on his bed. He hated the other kids, they are all so childish and so irresponsible, it made him sick to even think to play with them, but Tifa, a girl with long black hair and big brown eyes who lived next door, could be consider a special case, she is a little more mature than the others. Now that he thinks about it, where did Tifa go?

'Cloud!' A soft voice called out which stopped the train of thought of the boy. The petit blond jumped off his bed and headed down the stairs towards the kitchen where his mother is cooking their lunch.

'Yes, mother?' The boy asked as looked up at his mother with his big blue eyes.

'Cloud, could go out and buy some breads at Mr. Gibbs?' The blond nodded his head and was about to head out before Rayne added. 'The money is on the table!'

Cloud took the money on his way out of the house. He quickly ran towards the store that's right the water tower and brought the breads his mother asked for. When he exited the store with a small bag carrying the groceries, he was about to head back to his house as fast as he can, but a small flash caught his attention.

The young boy stared at the outskirt of the village towards the ShinRa Mansion, where everyone said that is haunted by vengeful ghosts after it was abandoned. There he saw something red flashed among the grass, he looked at it and his house, back and forth, before his curiosity got the best of him and he went to the outskirt where the red object lays, he knelt down and took the strange object into his small hand.

'A necklace?' Cloud said as he studied the red orb attached by a silver chain. Pretty. Mom will definitely like it! He looked around him to see if anyone saw him picking the necklace before he ran back to his house.

'Mom! Mom! Mom!' The young boy shouted when he entered the house, he dashed to the kitchen and put the breads on the table before he dangled his find at his mother. 'Look what I have found!'

The widow took the necklace in her hand and examined it for a moment before she asked: 'Where did you get this?'

'I found it on the ground near the mansion.' Cloud answered honestly. 'I think you'll love it, so I pick it up.'

His mother stared at it for another minute and then she said: 'It's beautiful, but I think you should hold it.'

'Why?' The boy asked.

Rayne didn't answered and put the jewel over his son's neck and placed her hand over his head like a blessing as she said: 'Anybody could have pick this in the morning, but none did. It must be fate for you to find it. I'm sure it will bring you some good fortune.'

Cloud smiled brightly as he looked down at the necklace he is wearing right now and then his mother told him to go wash his hands for lunch. When he reached the bathroom, he saw a girl in a blue robe and some other boys near the mansion, one of them shouted to girl: 'Wait, Tifa! It's dangerous!'

Tifa ignored the warning and continued her way, Cloud thought she was heading towards the mansion, but she was going for the small road leading to the mountains, the boys did nothing to stop her and just followed her. Cloud's eyes widen and he quickly dashed out of the house, leaving behind a complete shocked Rayne.

He chased after the small group into the mountains where people believed that it was cursed, because of all the ill tragedies that happened among the stones and shadows, no one want to go through the mountain without a guide.

As he continued his way among the rocky road, the boys, one by one, decided to give up on following the girl, but Cloud couldn't allow Tifa to continue her way through the mountains, so he pushed his leg to their limit and he was able to reach her at the old wooden bridge.

'Tifa! Come back! It's dangerous!' The young boy shouted as he came to a halt before the two wooden posts that were the hanging bridge only support and the girl stood in the middle of it.

'Momma is on the other side of the mountain! I want to see Momma!' Tifa shouted back as she took another small step on the rotten wood plank, but a strong gust of wind caused the bridge to move from side to side, preventing the small girl to advance any further and held on the ropes tightly while the woods beneath her was cracking dangerously.

Cloud darted towards the girl without caring his own safety, but when he reached her, the woods they were standing on collapsed by the extra weight of another child and both children fell to the bottomless chasm.

The boy's conscious was slowly slipping away, a red light and black feathers came into his view and he suddenly felt the grip of something on his shirt before darkness took over his sight completely.

***

Cloud... Wake up...

What?

Cloud.... They are waiting for you...

'Cloud!' A voice yelled as the blond felt someone shaking him. His eyelids seemed heavier than they used to, the boy forced them to open up, but he quickly closed again when the sudden brightness stung his pupils.

'Cloud! Thank Gaia, you're okay!' Someone said as Cloud felt the person hugged him tightly and released him when he winced in pain.

He opened his eyes again only to see blurs of two or three figures around him, he blinked a few times as the figures sharpen gradually. The first figure was his mother, the second, Tifa's father, Mr. Lockhart, a man in his forties with grey brown hair and the same color shade as her daughter, and the third one was Dr. Krauss, the town's doctor wearing his usual square glass, hazel eyes staring intimately at him.

'What's going on?' Cloud asked as he lay back down on his bed.

'You save Tifa, Cloud. You save her from getting more injuries.' Rayne explained as the grey haired doctor whispered something to Tifa's father before leaving.

'Son, I thank you for saving my daughter and I'm happy to see you well and alive.' Mr. Lockhart said in a very weary voice. 'But I have to ask you to not visit Tifa these days. She is still grieving for the recent news of my wife, her mother's death.'

That explains why she went to the mountains. Cloud thought, knowing very well that Tifa's mother lived at Rocket Town that's over the other side of Mt. Nibel. But I didn't save her... Someone or something else saved us. The boy couldn't find his voice to tell the adults the truth and with nothing to say to the man, he could only nod his head in acknowledgement.

After Tifa's father left too, Rayne let out a heavy sigh before she smiled at her son brightly, tears swirling in her eyes as she looked at him and then at the red jewel over his chest. 'I'm really glad you are safe, Cloud. This had indeed brought you good fortune...'

She leaned down to kiss his forehead telling him to rest before she left his room and turned off the light on her way. After a few minutes, when Cloud was sure that her mother should be back to her room, he got off the bed and made his way to his table. He opened the first drawer and took out a book which contained newspaper clippings of his idol, Sephiroth, who some considered as a blood-thirsty demon and some as the strongest hero who walks on the planet.

Someday, I'll be just like you Sephiroth... Then I will have the strength to protect Tifa with my own hands. I will become stronger! Cloud mentally vowed as he stared at the photo of a man in a black leather coat with silver shoulder guard on each side holding a long katana, he had cat-like green eyes and waist-length silver hair. I'll become a SOLDIER and one of the strongest on Gaia too!

SOLDIER is an elite fighting force of Shinra Inc., a powerful company which held the political, social and military power all over the world, which every kid around his age would wish to join to be just Sephiroth.

The boy closed the book as he stared at the starry sky and his fingers were playing with the red orb. He looked down at it and whispered: 'What do you really bring to me?'

When he went back to sleep, there is only one thought in his mind. I'm going to join SOLDIER.

***

Three days later, Cloud was packing his clothes and personal items in his duffel bag. Rayne who stood at the doorframe stared at her son with pride and sadness, she knew it was his dream to become a SOLDIER to prove to the townspeople that he is stronger than they think, but for her, he is still the small innocent child who she had gave birth to and who will always need her guidance. Yet her heart tells her that she should give his son this chance to face the world alone without her beside him.

'Cloud, are you sure about joining SOLDIER?' Rayne asked for the thousandth time since his son announced to her that he will be leaving for Midgar where Shinra Inc. is located.

'Yes, mom. I'm definitely and fully sure about my choice.' The boy replied sternly as he zipped his traveling bag closed and swung it over his shoulder.

Crystal tears flowing down the face of the blond hair woman as she covered her mouth with her hand to muffle a sob. The young boy reminded her of her late husband, strong and determined in every thing he does.

'Mom, please don't cry...' Cloud said in a comforting tone as he closed his hand around the one of her mother. 'I promise I'll be back very soon and I'm going to be famous when I come back.'

'I know, I know...' The sad widow said as she embraced his son in tight hug and hid her face in the wild blond hair of her son.

They stayed in that position for a few minutes before Rayne broke them apart to wipe away her tears. 'Come. You're going to be late for your bus.'

Rayne knew she had to be strong in front of him, so he won't worry too much about leaving her behind to fulfill his dream. They walked out of the house, in complete silence, to the bus stop sign at the entrance of the town where the bus that will bring his son to Midgar will stop.

Suddenly someone shouted: 'CLOUD!'

Both mother and son turned around to see a raven hair girl limping towards them shouting the boy's name, Cloud put his bag on the ground while Rayne hurried to the girl's side to help her walking, but the girls stopped a few steps away from the small boy.

Cloud just stood there staring at them without knowing what to say as they heard the distant sound of a bus. Deciding to break the silence, he said: 'Good to see you alive and well Tifa.'

'That's it?' The little girl asked rather furiously which caused Cloud to stare at her dumbfounded. 'That's all you have to say after saving my life?'

The blond hair boy rubbed the back of his neck embarrassingly since he never thought of a speech of some kind for his depart. He gulped nervously as the sound of the bus is getting closer, he found himself mentally hoping that it would be here soon because he is very uncomfortable with the situation he is in right now.

'Will you come back?' Tifa asked more calmly which brought Cloud out of his thoughts. 'I mean you'll come back, to Nibelheim, to home, to us?'

He stared at the little girl to the woman back and forth before he nodded his head and said: 'I promise I'll definitely come back and when I do, I'll be as famous as Sephiroth does.'

'Then will you come and protect when we need it?' The raven hair asked timidly this time.

'Whenever and wherever you need me, I'll be there to protect both of you.' Cloud promised as the big bus came into their view. When it stopped right next to the stop sign, the boy picked up his duffel bag and looked at his friend and mother who are smiling warmly at him while their eyes were glistering with tears as he climbed into the back of the bus. From the vehicle's window, he waved at them good-bye.

I'll definitely become a well-known SOLDIER. The boy thought as the bus started to move again. Tifa, somewhat stubborn, limped after the bus like trying to catch it until she tripped and fell to the ground. Cloud stared at the fallen girl worriedly, but he felt a certain relief when he saw his mother helping the girl up before they were out of his sight. I won't disappoint both of you...

After thirty minutes, the spiky hair boy doesn't feel very good, he felt light-headed and his heart is in his throat. Suddenly someone lightly tapped his shoulder and a bottle of water came into his unfocused vision.

'Here, drinks this it'll make you feel better.' A soft voice said, Cloud thanked the mysterious person and drank half of the bottle. The clear liquid did make him feel less sicken than before. 'See, all better now, aren't we?'

The blond turned his head to thank his helper again, but when he saw this person, he had completely lost his voice.

'What? Do I have something on my hair?' The boy who was about the same age as Cloud is asked while the blond shook his head. It wasn't what's on his hair that's shocking him, but the color of his shoulder-length hair, it was silver, and his eyes, they looked almost like those of a cat and they are deep green just like his idol, Sephiroth!

'Wait, let me guess. My hair looks like Sephiroth?' The silver hair boy asked sarcastically and the blond nodded his head. 'Okay, just to make my point clear. I am not related to the legendary SOLDIER or anything. My hair is natural and not dyed. So could you stop staring at me like I have two heads, instead of one?'

Cloud muttered a small apology to his helper who just waved his hand to dismiss the statement before he realized that he is being impolite, for both staring and not presenting himself politely, so he offered his hand and asked: 'What's your name? Mine is Cloud Strife.'

The silver hair boy took the hand shook it as he said: 'Nice to meet you, my name is Kadaj Novia.'

Kadaj Novia. That's interesting. For some odd reasons, Cloud felt like he knew this kid, yet at the same time he felt kind of unsettled. Maybe it's too hot right now. He thought as he looked through the window where there are only red rocks and canyons, they have already entered one of the hottest regions of the world, Cosmo Canyon. Little did he knows, the heat was not coming from the natural dry land, but from the red orb he is wearing under his shirt.