Author's Note: Major Spoilers for FFVII OG, FFVII Remake, Rebirth and FFXIII Saga.
This will be my first ever fanfiction. It may be fragile since English is not my primary language. I may end up using AI grammar more often. But I've been reading Cloud x Lightning fanfics over the years. I've been obsessed with Cloud and Lightning when I was around Age 15 years old back in 2016. Especially when I found out that Aerith and Lightning both was voiced by Mayaa Sakamoto in Japanese. She is one of my favorite Japanese VA along with Cloud's VA Takahiro Sakurai.
Not gonna lie. I might be obsessed with these two for the rest of my life. So, I've been thinking maybe I should write my own Cloud x Lightning fanfic for my own sanity lol.
If there is anyone reading this, I just want to let you all know. I haven't played FFVII Rebirth yet and am still waiting for the Steam release. So some of the content might doesn't added up with the VII Rebirth.
Anyway, here goes. Hope you all enjoyed it.
In the past few weeks, it's been a long journey for Cloud ever since he crossed the Gate of Destiny back in Midgar, leading to an unknown journey after facing the deities, the Arbiters of Fate, and the fallen hero, Sephiroth.
Cloud sitting in top of the hill of green landscape while everyone else preparing to depart on Cid's Tiny Bronco landed on the landscape. after paying respect of the fallen comrade who died by the hand of Sephiroth.
Cloud still hodling the clean White Materia that Aerith give to him durning in his dream world. The Materia is no longer glowing pure white like before. He decided to put in his pocket. But then something doesn't right.
"The hell...?" Before he noticed, the clean Materia turned into Black Materia and having headache once again realizing that the White Materia is gone alongside with Aerith.
"The Reunion..."
"Hey! You comin or what?" Cid shout in distance catching his attention.
"Yeah, One sec." Cloud replied as he put the Black Materia into his Buster Sword as it absorded into the sword. As he looked into the skies, he noticed the cracks on the skies just like the one on the dream world.
"You have to promised not to look up." Aerith's voice tells him in his mind
"Don't look up." Cloud said as Barret and Tifa looked at him confused.
"Well, now I gotta look!" Barret said as he take a look at the skies, but it seems he didn't see the cracks on the skies like Cloud did.
"Fine, but don't let it get to you."
"Umm... Don't let what get to me?" Barret says still confused what the Blonde talking about.
"It's not real, Just an illusion." Cloud says still unaware that he is the only one able to see the cracks at the skies. "Now let's go get Sephiroth. He's hiding up north." Cloud told the group but none of them is convinced.
"North?" Barret says in doubt
"Trust me, he is. SOLDIER's intuation." Cloud says
"Oh yeah? Better hope you're right." Yuffie said in cheerfull as She and Red head onboard to the Bronco.
Tifa in other hand still having a doubt and unsure if she can continue thia journey.
"Alright, fine. We trust you." The Avalache Leader says walked toward Cloud and put his left hand on his Shoulder "Just remember We got everything ridin' on this. And that's load you'd best be ready to carry." Barret told the blonde if he is ready to carry the burden of this world.
"Don't worry about me. I can handle it." Cloud says as Barret and Tifa head toward the bronco leaving Blonde alone. Both of them still unconvinced that he is alright.
"Take care." Cloud turned around find Aerith or what's left of her. Approched him.
"You gonna be okay getting back?" Cloud asked as she smirked
"And if I said I wasn't?" Aerith smirked calling back their momments at Midgar Slums after taking Cloud to Sector 7. Cloud didn't said anything but chuckled remembered that momment.
"Don't worry. It's like a second home." The flower girl said
"I see.. but What if something happend?" Cloud asked as if still unsure to leave her behind.
"Don't worry.. Everything will be alright." Aerith says
"If you said so.." Cloud said as the Bronco Rotor blade started up and preparing to take off.
"I'II put everyhthing I've got into my prayers. I'II Stop the meteor. And... I wish you all the good luck. Especially you Cloud.." Aerith says waved her hand and turned back ready to leave.
"Aerith." Cloud says as she stopped "I will stop Sephiroth. Trust me."
For a few seconds. Aerith didn't said anything. And then she turned back her gaze toward Cloud once again.
"I know you will.. I believe in you. That is why you need to keep moving on trought this Journey, no matter what. " She said giving a lovely smile to him as Cloud nodded.
Cloud onboard the bronco taking a last view of the flower girl he cared most for the last time leaving her behind. They didn't take their eyes off as the bronco ramp fully closed. Until then... The blonde will's shattered into million pieces making him collapsed on the ground remembering to witnessing Aerith's death. The guilt had consumed him heavily for not able to saved her.
"Don't pertend you're sad. Why keep those feelings that's not even there. Face it Cloud. You are too weak to save anyone. not even yourself."
"Shut up..." Cloud growled trembeling as Sephiroth voice's once again can be heard inside his mind giving him a headache. before he noticed, a swarm of Whispers started to swarming around Cloud.
"Get off me!" Cloud yelled tried to free himself from the Whispers that consumed him and dragging him into a white portal. but then, his vision started black out.
"what ever happends.. don't blame your self... and Thank you for everything.. Cloud.."
"Aerith..." Cloud whimpered as his started loses his conciusness.
Cloud awake and noticed his surroundings that he isn't in Tiny Bronco anymore. but instead he found himself in a sandy beach seaside city. as he lookes around the first think he noticed that he somewehre washed into Costa del sol, but then when he noticed the waters looks diffreant from Costa Del Sol, he knew this wasn't the seaside town that once he visited before.
"Where am I?" Cloud muttered still unsure where he is at. then something in his mind hit him like a truck.
"Tifa! Barret!" he spun around, trying to figure out where he was,
"Damn it... Where are you guys?.." He had no clue where the rest of the group was. Even he had no clue where he was right now. He decided to take a long walk through the sunset beach. Eventually, he found coastal houses that he had never seen before. Without hesitation, Cloud walked through districts filled with people wearing outfits he had never seen before. he keep wondering where is he at right now. he spotted a bar at a distances. having a confident to findout where he is now, he rushed toward the bar and he entered th bar wich is quiet crowded and spotted the busy barkeeper serving the customers.
"Welcome. How may I helped you?" a female barkeeper greeted
"What can you tell me about this place? I think I'm lost in the way." Cloud says flatly
"you mean you didn't knew? you are in one of most tourist-attracted seaside city of Bodhum! the city is known to best beachfront fireworks in the Cocoon."
"Cocoon? What's that?" the blonde asked geniuely
"Mister.. what have you been drinkin to make you asked that question?"
"I just- tch.. Forget it.." Coud sighed as he stepped out outside th Bar feeling annoyed. "this is doesn't make any of sense... where the hell am I... what the hell happend to me?"
"Freeze!" a loud voice came from a distance as Coud turned around find Squad of Armed Soldier causing the panic to the civllians in the districts. most of the Soldiers wearing full covered helmet and yellow-white vest armed with rifles. as he guessed it. this isn't Shinra's Infantry squad. Cloud drawed out the Buster Sword as he noticed that he is surrounded.
"Sword on the ground, Kid." a voice came reveal to be a tall dark skinned man wearing white-blue jacket. Cloud noticed the Shoulder guard of his indicating that this man is a Lieutenant rank in his position "you are surrounded, there is a whole platoon of Security Forces and you are alone. don't try anything funny."
Without saying a word, Cloud slowly lowered his sword as the whole infantry of riflemen started to relax. Without a blink, Cloud leaped off to the roof of the bar that he had visited before. The squad of soldiers started firing at him. Cloud had dealt with this kind of situation before when he was pursued by the whole Shinra army. To him, this "Security Forces" is nothing compared to his SOLDIER skills.
As Cloud Mastery jumped from building to building to avoid confrontation, he noticed that he was being pursued by a single person who was also masterfully chasing him. However, he had nowhere else to go, as there were no more buildings to jump into.
"I'ts over." a voice came from behind him reveal to be a rose haired woman wearing white turtleneck sleeveless coat with red cape behind her and also wearin a shoulder guard indicated She is a Sergeant of her rank. She drawed her gun pointed at Cloud and suddely it transformed into a Sword.
"I don't have time for your shit," Cloud said bluntly as he drew his Buster Sword from his back.
"So do I." she fired back as she and Cloud launched at the same time, clashing their swords together. The rose-haired woman kept dodging his attacks. Her reflexes and speed were quite superior to any normal soldier that Cloud had encountered so far. However, thanks to Cloud's SOLDIER training skills, he was still more superior than her. Cloud performed Punisher Mode fighting stance, and as the rose-haired woman once again launched herself, thrusting her sword toward Cloud, in a blink of an eye, he threw her off and smashed her into a wall.
Cloud slowly approched her and raised his sword above his head. her life is now at his hand as he could see her face trembeled in terror looking at him.
"Cloud! Don't!" Cloud eyes went widened as could heard a voice he would never forget.
"Aerith!?" Cloud thought in disbelief, letting his guard down as someone tall knocked him over. It revealed to be the dark-skinned Lieutenant. Cloud struggled to break free, but after a whole day being chased by an army, he lacked the strength to break free from the weight of someone holding him down.
"You okay, Farron?" the Lieutenant says to the Sergeant.
"Y-Yeah... I'm good, sir." The rose-haired woman says, recovered.
"You have guts for almost killing my subordinate, Kid. I'll give you that," the Lieutenant says as another soldier approaches and smacks his rifle stock against the back of Cloud's head making him unconscious.
Author's Note: Here is the first chapter. I hope you all find it interesting how Cloud ends up in XIII's world after the events of VII Rebirth. basically, The White Whisper is the one sending him into XIII's world for a purpose, and it's set a few days before Lightning's birthday.
This is based on "Heart of the Warrior" by ATK1373. Cloud will have a few major roles in FFXIII. This is of course will be a Cloud x Light fanfic, with a little Cloud x Aerith moments. As for Cloud and Lightning, I wanna they have a bad way at their first meeting. So, I figured maybe they have a fight at the begining. I honestly cannot believed that I almost let Cloud kill Lightning right at the first chapter because She isn't a l'Cie yet. and also, I loved Psycho Cloud sometimes lol.
Stay tuned for the next chapter, and please leave a review that could help make this story more interesting.