Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me.

Final Fantasy VII: Beginnings

Prelude

Stars twinkled in the night sky as a small breeze rustled the leaves of a tree. A dog barked in the distance and another soon took up its cry. The town was still, but not yet asleep. Houses were still alit with families settling in for the evening. A jovial laugh cut through the evening façade from a local restaurant. A door swung open and then slammed shut closing in the alcohol induced laughter from the rest of the town.

Situated directly in the center was a large well sitting atop a wooden deck. Painted across the steel drum was the word Nibelheim, indicating the name of the seemingly friendly town. It was on this deck that a young boy, no more than fourteen, was pacing back and forth in a nervous fashion. He had unruly blonde hair and blue eyes that contrasted with his attire. He wore heavy brown boots, dark green cutoffs, and a dark blue shirt that seemed one size too large for him. The boy was thin for his age, but judging by his hairless complexion one instantly knew he was hitting adolescence.

The boy gave an exasperated sigh as he glanced around the town from his perch. He had been there since dusk, and it was growing later by the minute. He paused upon hearing the chime of a bell in the distance—coming from the abandoned mansion on the other side of town. It was now ten o'clock. Soon the men from Soldier would be returning to their beds until morning when they would finally take their leave.

Hidden in the darkness of an alleyway stood a young girl, thought to be a mere thirteen, studying the boy in a thoughtful manner. Her dark brown hair reached an inch or more below her shoulders, the color matching her innocent eyes. She wore a light blue dress two sizes too big over a dark blue spaghetti strap shirt and matching shorts, as well as brown boots. She was petite for her age, but it could not be denied that she was blooming into a very beautiful woman.

After a few more minutes the girl slipped out of her cover of darkness and made her way over to the town well. The boy's back was facing her as she climbed up the ladder and onto the deck. She cleared her throat, causing the boy to swirl around in surprise. He frowned slightly as she tilted her head to one side, waiting for him to speak.

Finally he murmured, "I thought you got lost or something. I've been waiting all night."

The girl shrugged helplessly and she flashed him an impish grin. "I had chores after supper. I didn't mean to make you wait, Cloud."

"S'all right, Tifa. You gonna sit?" Cloud waved a hand as he plopped down on the deck, letting his legs hang in the air. Tifa rolled her eyes and followed suit.

"So," she started slowly, "what did you want to tell me?"

"It's a nice night, isn't it?" asked Cloud gazing up at the sky.

"Clo-oud."

Avoiding Tifa's gaze, Cloud took a deep breath. "I'm leaving tomorrow."

"Are you and your mom taking a trip somewhere?"

"Not exactly. I'm…I'm joining Soldier."

Tifa sat forward in shock. "You're what?" she demanded. "What for?"

"I dunno, I just am," answered Cloud softly.

"That's the lamest reason I've ever head. Cloud, you don't just join Soldier for no reason. Aren't you happy here?" Tifa's voice cracked as she hastily wiped away a couple of tears.

At this Cloud glanced over at Tifa with a drawn expression. It hurt him to put his best friend through this. "Teef, I…I'm nothing here. I'm no one. You know how my mom is; she's always pressuring me to do better—and so far I've proven to be worthless. I'm always getting in trouble. Remember when the Mayor had to take me home after he caught me stealing flowers from his wife's garden? I want to travel—I want to see this planet, not just dream about it!"

Tifa sniffed as more tears spilled down her face. "I just don't understand…what about me? I thought we were friends!"

"We are!" insisted Cloud scooting closer to Tifa. "We're best friends! But, I have to grow up some time. Soldier will train me…I'll have a decent job. I won't be an outcast anymore."

"I never th-though you w-were an outc-cast." By this time Tifa was beginning to hiccup emotionally.

Cloud chuckled quietly. "I know that, Teef. But this is big—it's the chance of a lifetime to prove my self to this town."

"And what about me?" repeated Tifa with a whisper.

"I'll come back for you," replied Cloud looking down at his hands.

Tifa looked over at her friend with astonishment written in her eyes. "Really?"

"Yeah." Cloud returned his gaze to Tifa's and for once she swore she could see something different about him. "I won't ever forget you…I'll come back for you, Tifa. I don't know what I'll do without you."

"You promise?" she pressed her small hand reaching for one of his to lace her fingers with his. Cloud studied their entwined fingers and nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

"Yeah," he choked out. "I promise."

Tifa squeezed Cloud's hand and nodded absently as the tears continued to make their way down her face silently. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too," agreed Cloud pulling Tifa into a hug. The two friends clutched each other, not wanting to let the other go for fear they would never see them again.

"Make me another promise, Cloud." Tifa's words were barely audible as she whispered into his neck, her warm breath tickling his skin.

"Anything," he said pulling her closer.

"Promise me you'll come be my hero one day. Come save me from Nibelheim."

Cloud pulled away slowly, not fully letting Tifa go. Her eyes didn't meet his as she continued speaking. "I know I can be a pain sometimes, but you're the only one who ever puts up with me. I just want to feel like a princess once in my life. I want a knight in shining armor to rescue me one day. And with you going off to join Soldier…I want you to do that for me."

"Okay."

"You promise?" Tifa looked up hopefully, causing Cloud to stifle his laughter. She really was innocent. He didn't want that to change about her. Cloud studied Tifa's face, trying to soak up every tiny detail about her so as not to forget where his heart lay.

"You know I'd promise you anything. I'll come back, Tifa. I'll come back to rescue you." With those words Cloud leaned closer and captured Tifa's lips in a soft kiss. The pair broke apart not daring to speak the words they felt within them. Now was not the time. Instead they lapsed into a comfortable silence, with Cloud keeping Tifa close to his chest. Tonight would be their last night together. Their last night before adulthood took over.

The next day Tifa stood along with the rest of the townspeople as the Soldier group began their journey out of town. Joining their ranks was one of their own. A teen boy with spiky blonde hair and blue eyes.

The last Tifa saw of Cloud was him turning to give her a final wave. And then he was gone. While the rest of the town began to return to their daily routine, Tifa stood in the same spot gazing down the road with a heavy heart. Nothing would ever be the same.

A/N—I thought long and hard before finally writing this out, partly because I know this is going to be a big endeavor, and partly because I'm not sure if it will turn out okay. Beginnings is my version of the story before the video game. You might notice that I'm taking a creative license and changing a few things around, but I think it'll help make this story better. Of course, that's only my opinion. Feel free to let me know if this story is worth continuing. Thanks.