12/7/10 NOTE BEFORE YOU READ: This story has been published before and was set as "complete" however, after much thought and time passing since its end, I would like to re-pick up this story. So with its next installment coming soon, I thought it'd also be great to revise and edit the first part of the series, adding new things for things in Part Two and fix little mistakes here and there. Please review and enjoy!

Final Fantasy VII:

Angel on Puppet Strings

Prologue

Ding! The bell of the blacksmith's shop awoke Sebastian from his nap. He grunted and groaned as he got up out of his chair and stretched out his back. "Note to self," Sebastian whispered to himself, "no more naps in chairs." Sebastian wore a dirty old grey apron with his work clothes underneath. He fixed his glasses and rubbed his balding head and sighed. He tiredly shuffled out of his office to the front desk. The blacksmith's shop was old and dark, despite it being noon. The customer at the door hadn't fully stepped into the shop and was letting the bright light of the sun fill the room. Sebastian covered his eyes, trying to adjust to the new lighting, and made out a silhouette of a tall man.

Sebastian squinted, and with an annoyed tone said, "May I help you?"

The dark figure didn't answer. After another beat, the man slowly steps into the room, closing the door behind him. "I need you to make me these." His voice was deep and cool and relaxed. A old brown piece of paper was tossed at Sebastian, landing on the table in front of him.

Sebastian's eyes began to readjust to the dim lighted room, blinking quickly and wrinkling his brow. He stopped and took a step back, "What the…"

"I haven't much time, old man. Make me my things and I will be on my way." The figure took a step forward, into the light more. His body was bare, his skin was a pale, and the sound of gravel shifting was heard as his bare foot took its step.

"I don't serve madmen in my store." Sebastian replied, annoyed he had been woken up from his nap for this, "Get some clothes and maybe we'll talk." Sebastian began to turn around towards his office and stopped. The man was now standing in front of him. Sebastian turned his head back to look at the last position the man was in and, after confirming he was gone, looked back to face the man standing in front of him.

"Make me my things and I will spare you and your filthy shop." The man demanded his voice now more commanding.

"I'm not scared of-" Sebastian was caught mid-sentence, however, as the man's cold pale hand instantly found its way to his neck. Sebastian felt his feet began to leave the ground,

"You have a strange courage, old man. Foolish, but still courage." The man squeezed Sebastian's neck and smiled, "Fortunate for you, I'm in a good mood. Haven't felt the sun on my face in a long time." He squeezed harder, Sebastian began to gag and use his hands to pound on the man's arm, but his grip was strong, "Do not cry old man. Today is the beginning of my long delayed Reunion." Sebastian suddenly felt the pressure released from his neck and as he gasped for air, he realized he was being hurled across the room. Sebastian was about to let out a cry but before he could, a sharp pain shot through his head and then, all went black.

Chapter 1

Confrontation

Barren, brown, cracked earth and dust and sand as far as the eye can see. Above it, clear, blue skies, watching the lifeless world below it. In between them both, stood a lone city. The city of Midgar. The city, which lies between the all-seeing eyes of the heavens, and the bold strength and pride of the earth. The men and women and children, who reside in the city, unknowingly live between these two powerful forces of nature. Moving busily throughout their days trying to provide for families or have their share upon life.

In a small part of this city stood a simple tavern where lonely men, tired workers, and drunks come to share a drink alone or with company. Though the tavern was closed for the day, the waitress, Tifa Lockhart, stood at the sink with a bowl and a washcloth. She had long black hair that fell down past the shoulders by a few inches and wore a long black dress with black leggings underneath it. She had black and white tennis shoes and wore a little red string that was tied around her right arm. Her skin color was that of a whitish tan, though her soft pink lips and dark brown eyes contrasted her skin which brought about her beauty, yet a strong sense of independence and strength to her. She filled her bowl with cool water and tossed the cloth around her shoulder while taking the bowl with two hands into the back room. She opened the door and walked up a flight of steps, which led to a hallway with several rooms. She made the first left and entered the room with a little girl sitting on a chair beside a bed with a boy sleeping silently.

"How is he?" Tifa asked, her voice soft and soothing,

"He's burning up, but other than that, he seems to be sleeping fine." The little girl answered,

"Here, let me sit and try and cool him down Marlene." Tifa suggested,

"Alright then." Marlene replied and stood up standing near the bed. Marlene Wallace; a young girl who was shy around others she didn't really know, though very stubborn when she has to be. Her father and mother were killed when she was an infant and Barrett Wallace, a very close friend of Marlene's parents, adopted her. She wore a long plaid pink and brown skirt with a white sleeveless sweater and had light brown hair that fell down to her shoulders.

Tifa dabbed the boy on the head with the wet cloth and sighed. She pushed the boy's hair across his forehead to reveal a large mark. The mark looked like millions of veins under his skin that was the color of deep green. Tifa rubbed the mark with the wet cloth and the boy squinted.

"Daryl…" Marlene's voice trailed off,

Tifa turned to Marlene and smiled, "Don't worry, he'll be alright. Daryl's strong; he'll pull through in the end."

Marlene smiled and nodded her head, though Tifa knew better then to believe the words that she had just spoke. No one really knew the extent of damage the virus could do. Geostigma was a fast spreading disease that infected children, which caused serious aches, throbs, and extreme fatigue. The only known sign of the virus was a deep green sore about the size of a large baseball on some part of the body. While Daryl had his on his forehead, others had it around their arms, legs, and stomachs. Most of the children, as well as Daryl, who were infected, were orphans.

Tifa sat and sighed heavily, "Where is Cloud?" she thought to herself. She lay back in her seat and took a glance out the window, as if looking for Cloud. She sighed again as her eyes drifted around the room, to the floor and up the bed again to Daryl. "Nothing's ever going to be the same… are they?" Tifa shook her head, "No, not ever since she…" Tifa's thought cut short as there was an explosion in the distance followed by a slight vibration of the room. Tifa stood and raced to the window. The explosion went off far to the south of the city and smoke was already beginning to rise. Tifa had recognized the sound before she saw the smoke; she had too many experiences with explosions in her lifetime. She quickly folded the wet cloth and placed it on Daryl's forehead.

"Tifa, what's wrong? What happened?" Marlene asked,

"I want you to sit here and wait with Daryl ok Marlene?" Tifa told her, ignoring her question, "I want you to use the phone and call Cloud and tell him to get to the south end of town as fast as he can. Do you understand?" Marlene nodded. Tifa smiled at her and gave her a kiss on the forehead, "I'll be back as soon as I can." She raced down the steps and began to head towards the explosion.

Marlene dialed the phone and the dial tone went for a few moments before it hit the voicemail. "Cloud, Tifa says to come to the south of town right away! Please hurry!"

Tifa made it down to the smoldering building and watched as civilians help put the fire out. The smell of ash and melting metal filled the air. The heat waves rippled through the air and felt as though they wrapped around Tifa like snakes. "Get some water!" a man yelled as he carried a man from the firing building.

Tifa rushed over to one of the nearby civilians, "What happened here?" She asked,

"The blacksmith's store was broken into." Replied the man carrying a bucket of water and then rushed over to the fire. Tifa caught sight of the blacksmith and hurried over to him.

Tifa kneeled down to the Sebastian's level and put her hand on his shoulder, "Sebastian," Tifa said in a calming, yet concerned, voice, "What happened?" Sebastian looked up at Tifa, his eyes, scared, his glasses broken, hardly hanging on his face.

Sebastian was a friend that was made after she had returned from the long adventure with Cloud and the others. She was better friends with his wife, who helped look after the tavern when she was away.

"It seemed to happen so quickly. Tifa?"

"I'm here Sebastian. What happened?" Tifa replied,

"It was a madman! He walked into my store, naked mind you, and demanded I make him something." Sebastian began to explain,

Tifa looked confused, "Naked? Well, what did he want?"

"I don't know. He had his list on a piece of old paper but I didn't look at it, I told him to get lost and that's when he attacked me!" Sebastian made a gesture at his neck and then to the back of his head. Tifa peered over at the man's wound and saw a mush of blood, hair, flesh and bone. She used two fingers to raise his chin and saw hand marks and bruises where he was being chocked. "I lost consciousness, and when I awoke, the man had finished forging a blade, as well as taking some steel and iron from my special ore casing and used to it furnish himself armor."

"What did he look like?" Tifa asked,

"I don't really remember. It was dark and the glasses I had on broke after he threw me against the wall." The shopkeeper replied.

Tifa sighed and wrinkled her brow, confused. "Who could have done this all by themselves?" She turned back to the smoldering pile of ash, concerned, "Where are you Cloud?"

Stop pretending…

Who are you trying to hide from…?

Why are you running away…?

Cloud…? Cloud… CLOUD…!

Wake up…!

Cloud awoke from his slumber, violently, and sat up. He looked down on the blanket he laid on in the cold, deserted church. He sighed and took in a deep breath of the heavenly fragrance of wild flowers that grew beside him in the small patch of grass. Cloud turned to his right and grabbed a thermos with cold water and took a quick sip. He placed it back upon a small chest and he got up. Cloud was, as one would say, a fairly young man. He was about twenty and had spiky yellow hair with bangs that were in large clumps of hair. He had a metal shoulder pad for his left arm, which also kept a small cape in place to cover his arm. He wore black baggy pants with a fairly toned purple, short sleeve, wool shirt and a leather strapping that was made in such a fashion that the leather would cross itself and make an X formation across his chest and back. Cloud stretched for a moment when he felt his phone ring. He sighed as he looked at the missed call that read: "Tavern."

"Another job I suppose."Cloud told himself as he began to hear the dial tone to listen to his messages.

His face went from tired to concern as he heard Marlene's voice over the phone. "Cloud, Tifa says to come to the south of town right away! Please hurry!" Cloud closed his phone and sprinted outside to his motorcycle. The motorcycle was a large vehicle that was a metallic green. Its front was large and bulky though, when needed, the bulky exterior opened revealing secret compartments, which held eight swords, each one decreasing in size until the last one, which was about the size of an average humans' arm. Each of the small swords was made in such a way that they could be fused into each other. Making various smaller swords or, combined together, to create one large, powerful, bulky, sword. Cloud jumped onto his motorcycle and brought the engine to life. He placed goggles on, over his eyes and looked to the sky where he saw thick, black smoke slowly making its way to the sky, devastating its purity and innocence. They earth below seemed to laugh as the fire raged and the smog blinding the eyes of the heavens, as if the earth were trying to hide a sinister secret.

Twenty minutes later, Cloud reached the smothering building and saw a crowd getting the last remnants of the fire out. Cloud saw Tifa finishing up bandaging Sebastian's head wound not too far away.

"Tifa!" Cloud called,

She turned around, "Cloud! You made it!" She jogged over to him as he got off his bike,

"I came as soon as I heard." Cloud replied, "What happened?"

"It's Sebastian; his store was attacked by some man." They started to walk towards the destroyed building. "Apparently a man came into the store demanding Sebastian make a something for him. When he didn't, he was thrown across the room and when he awoke the man finished making sword and armor for himself and burned the place down."

"Does he know what the guy looks like?"

"No, glasses broke so he couldn't see anything." Tifa replied,

Cloud frowned and sighed, stopping in front of the store where the door used to be. Cloud looked around, nothing but ash and blackened metal lay scattered around.

Tifa made a wrinkled her brow, with a sad face, "The fire destroyed everything… Why would someone do this Cloud?"

Cloud began to walk into the store, scanning the ground, "I'm not sure."

"What are you doing?" Tifa asked, staying in front of the store,

"Looking for something; anything really." Cloud replied without looking up,

"For clues? The entire store was burnt to the ground, what could be here still-" Tifa stopped and watched as Cloud bent over and picked up something. She strained to see what it was but his back was to her. "Cloud?" Cloud knelt there with no response. "Cloud? What is it?"

Cloud stood and placed the mysterious item into his pocket and, as he walked back to Tifa, said, "I'm not sure yet, I'll take a look at it later."

Tifa frowned, "If it's something that might help-" Cloud walked right past and her to his bike, "H-hey!" Tifa was shocked, she quickly turned and cut off his path, "What are you doing?"

Cloud took a step back, "What's the matter? There's nothing else to be done here, I was going to head back out."

Tifa took a step forward, "It's getting late, aren't you hungry?"

Cloud shook his head, "No, I really should be heading out."

Tifa frowned, "'No' as in you're not hungry or 'no' but you want to leave." Cloud was about to reply, but stopped himself and sighed instead, "Please, just stop by for dinner? Marlene misses you, I…" Tifa paused, catching herself, "I have dinner all made, just need to heat it up." There is silence between them, "Please…?" Cloud looks at the ground beneath him and back up to Tifa. He gives a slight nod which is returned by a hopeful smile from Tifa.

By the time they returned to the Tavern the sun was already beginning to set. Tifa hopped off the motorcycle as Cloud begins to settle it, "I'm going to head in first and check up on Marlene and Daryl, ok?" Cloud nodded and Tifa headed inside. The engine dies and there isn't much noise around the neighborhood to fill the silence. Cloud takes off his goggles and sits in his seat for a moment. He looks towards the sky and takes in a deep breath, closing his eyes.

Tifa hurried up the stairs, skipping every other step. She turns into the room and she sees Marlene resting on the bed next to Daryl. She smiles, and softly walks into the room. She gently picks up Marlene and places her in the next bed over. Tifa slips off Marlene's shoes and pulls the sheets over Marlene. Tifa sits on the side of the bed for a moment next to Marlene, stroking her hair out of her face. "Cloud's back Marlene." Tifa says in a soft, but excited, whisper, "Everything's going to be back to normal soon." Tifa smile grows wider and she bends over, kissing Marlene on the forehead. She gets up and goes to Daryl. She looks at the sore on his forehead and gets another wet cloth from the bowl of warm water on the nightstand near the bed. She squeezes the excess water out and pats Daryl's head softly. "You're going to get better Daryl, don't you worry." Tifa lays the cloth on his head and leaves the room, closing the door gently behind her.

"Things have been different around here without you around as much." Tifa says as she brings two plates of food out to the table where Cloud silently sits. Cloud didn't reply, instead he nods, as an invitation to begin to eat, and they do so. "Where do you go all the time? Why don't you stay with us anymore?" Still, nothing but silence, "You know this is your home too."

Cloud put down his utensils and sighed, "I know Tifa. I know this tavern is my home, but I feel like I'm not ready to be back here for a while. Even now I feel uneasy. I don't know why though and it's beginning to bother me. I need time to sort things out." There is more silence, except now with an uneasy tension. They try to begin eating again but as every tiny clink their forks make on their plates the tighter the tension grew.

"So you're running away from your friends again." Tifa said looking down at her plate.

"No Tifa… It's not that –" Cloud was cut short with Tifa whispering,

"Then what is it? Why is it that you always turn away from those who care for you? Why do you choose a life of solitude for?"

"Tifa… I…" Cloud's voice trailed off, as a searing pain was felt in his arm. Cloud winched and clutched his arm.

"What's wrong?" Tifa asked,

"Nothing." Cloud replied quickly, "Look Tifa, I appreciate your concern, but sometimes I have to be by myself. I need to reflect… do you understand what I'm trying to say?" He sighed, "Thank you for dinner Tifa, I got to go." He began to pull out money,

"This is your home Cloud. You don't need to pay for the food you eat."

Cloud looked down and paused for a second. He wanted to say more, but the pain returned in his arm and he tossed the money on the table rushing out the door, "Just give me some time. Good bye Tifa."

Tifa watched him leave and sat there a few moments after he had departed. "What's wrong? Why won't you let me in?" Tifa whispered to herself, she sighed and placed her head on the table as if she had a headache.

Marlene silently closed the door behind her and crept back up to the stairs and raced to the window and watched Cloud drive off, "Cloud…"

"Home..." The only word Cloud thought of on the way back to the desolated church. He sighed heavily as he pulled up in front of the large, wooden, double doors of the church. Cloud noticed took his goggles off and peered at the doors, seeing it was partially open. He opened the side compartments on his bike and grabbed two swords went to the doors and opened them slowly.

"Welcome home." A voice called in from the small batch of flowers near his sleeping bag. Cloud instantly took a step back, ready for an attack but he noticed his intruder had his sword sheathed. "Is that how you welcome an old friend?"

Cloud looked up from his stance and his eyes grew, "No…" he muttered in disbelief. The two swords in his hands began to fall loose from his grip, but Cloud shook the shock from his body and tightened the grip on his hands. In front of him he saw a man facing away from him with long white and silver hair that fell past his hips. He wore all black and a long sword hung from his belt. He turned around revealing his pale skin and dark eyes. He was holding a yellow flower, picked from the small patch of life left in the empty sanctuary. "Sephiroth…" Cloud whispered under his breath.

"I wanted to thank you for the sword and what better way to say thank you then in person?" Sephiroth began to smoothly stride forward towards Cloud, "It was just like my old one."

"What are you talking about?" Cloud snapped back,

"You were always a good puppet." Sephiroth continued, ignoring Cloud's remark, "Bringing me the black materia, for example." Past memories filled Cloud's mind and a shearing pain struck his arm. Sephiroth smirked, "Call that collateral damage."

"Wh-why…? H-How did you get back?" Cloud took a step back, confused and shocked, as the demon walked forward,

"Oh please Cloud you insult me. If I wanted you dead you already would be." Sephiroth replied, coolly, again, ignoring his questions, "I told you, I am merely here to say thank you."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't get you a sword."Cloud began to ground himself,

Sephiroth smiled and shook his head, he moved closer but Cloud stood his ground. Sephiroth stood two feet away from Cloud and laughed and a dark, evil echo followed him, "Poor Cloud, you always were the slow one, though you'd never understand now. Just wait and you will see." At that moment Cloud's phone rang. Cloud's attention turned towards the noise and he looked down for a moment but his impulse kicked in, remembering Sephiroth was there, and he immediately looked up, but no one was there. He found himself alone and nothing but the echo of his phone accompanied him. Cloud slowly relaxed and the phone stopped ringing.

"What… what just happened..?"Cloud asked himself.

The phone began to ring again and Cloud looked down at it.

You'd better answer it...

Mustn't keep them waiting...

Cloud paused, surveyed the room, and picked his phone up.