Chapter Text
Silence.
That's all there was in the desert of a planet that once supported life died out many years ago now stands as a giant wasteland. A figure walks through the wasteland dragging with them a sword as big as their body as he makes his way to his destination Midgar. "My honor...MY dreams...they're yours now. You'll be...my living legacy.
In his mind those words echoed as he drags with him the sword that was given to him from the one who saved his life, someone he would NEVER forget. Cloud Strife continues to drag the sword, the Buster sword, a sword that represents honor and dreams that was given to him by his friend, his brother, a sword that also represents a SOLDIER 1st class. But he is no 1st class SOLDIER despite the eyes, the sword and the uniform he was an infantry grunt with Mako poisoning.
"I'm going to be a SOLDIER." That was his dream but that was dead dream now, as he had lost his hometown, his mother, his best friend, and someone he promised he would save. All killed by someone he once respected now holds with such hatred. As he made his way he started wonder what he would do as he was now alone he did not know who he could trust as he would not want to draw attention least THEY try to clean up loose ends, just as they did with "Zack."
In Sector 7 at the train station a women 20 years of age was returning from an errand step off the train making her way back to Seventh Heaven the town's popular bar and the hidden HQ of a cell of AVALANCHE eco-terrorist that oppose the Shinra Electric Power Company that drains the planet's life blood Mako. Tifa Lockhart adjusted the bag on her shoulder as she walks back to her bar with dread she knows they have think big to make a difference, but she thinks there could be better ways to do them. Barret thinks this is the only thing that Shinra would understand thus why he is planning with Jessie Biggs and Wedge on a plan for the reactor mission.
As she makes her way back she sees some people backing from something near the train graveyard. She moves to get a better look and sees someone stumbling as he drags with him a big sword he struggles until he falls to his knees Tifa makes her way to man's side.
"Are you ok?" Tifa asked as she got a better look at him.
Black sleeveless shirt, gloves, pants, and two shoulder pauldron's, and boots, and a brown belt, and blonde spike hair the sword tight in the man's grip as he tried to stand up again. Tifa put her hand on his arm, his hand went to hers thinking he was being attack. Tifa then got a better look at his face when he turned to and she froze at blue with glowing green eyes but she recognize that face anywhere the man glared then his widen.
"C Cloud?" Tifa with tremor in her voice.
Cloud then clutch his head in pain then collapse to the ground twitching as Tifa tries calm him down but she can't seem to reach him till he passes out. "Cloud! Cloud!" Tifa yelled as she tries to wake him up but he wouldn't move but he still was breathing. Tifa turned him on his back a look at his face she sees dried blood on the right side of his face and hair but doesn't see any cuts. Tifa started to panicked wondering what to do as some of the Neighborhood Watch came to help, when they saw him with Tifa she asked them to help her get him to her apartment.
Tifa got Cloud to her apartment. As she started to wipe the blood and dirt from his face and hair a thousand questions ran through her mind as she wondered what had happen to him. As he shook a little and grunted as if he was having nightmare, which was probably true. Tifa took his hand in hers and gently squeezed trying ease him but it does very little to help him as he still shook.
A few days go by and Cloud's condition came and went at times he would mumble in his sleep and groan when the head pain came back. Tifa has been by his side when she can while keeping him a secret from the team. She knows Barret will have a field day with this, while the others would probably be concerned with a SOLDLER in there mist. But she couldn't keep it up for eventually Barret and the others started to know what was going on with her, and Barret barged in with the others behind and saw Cloud. Tifa began to explain that he was a childhood friend and that she found him delirious near the station, but Barret didn't trust Cloud as he saw the uniform and the sword on the wall and felt they need to get rid of him, Tifa was not going let that happen. Everyone saw a side of her never seen before but Barret ask her what if he was Shinra, Tifa didn't know until he wakes up.
Cloud begins stir as he slowly open his eyes and getting up and saw he was in a small room, at first he thought he was caught by Shinra but the room he was in didn't look to be a cell as he began to think the door opens and in came a women with a white tank top with a black sports bra underneath, midriff expose, with a black gloves with a red vambrace on her left arm, black pleated mini skirt and long socks and red boots but Cloud recognize the long dark hair and red eyes as she looked to the bed and saw him awake.
"Cloud" Tifa said as she moved towards him as he look at her in shock.
"T-Tifa?" Cloud said shock.
"Oh thank god, you're awake I started to worry that you weren't going to wake up." Tifa said as she sat on bed.
Cloud stares in shock last time he saw her she was wounded and thought she was gone but here she stands alive.
"Cloud you ok?" Tifa asked as she looks into his eyes. Then she flinched when his hand came up to her face.
"Tifa" Cloud said once more shocked.
"Cloud what's wrong?" Tifa said concerned for him.
Cloud regained his composure. "Sorry I'm just-" he said but is lost for words not thinking this would happen. "Where am I?" he asks after a moment.
"You're in Midgar Sector 7 slums my apartment. Found you by the station when you collapsed." Tifa said then asked. "Don't you remember?"
"Sorry can't remember." Cloud said putting his head in his hands. Felt Tifa's hand on his arm and ask as he started to look to his left. "How long was-" he stopped as he saw Zack's sword on the wall. On instinct he looked around.
"Cloud?" Tifa asked as she saw him look around for something- he looked to her almost trying to ask till she spoke up. "I found you walking by seeing you about to fall. And you had blood on your face. What happened to you?'
Cloud flinch when she said blood then he felt he was on the ground looking up to see Zack about to be gunned down by the three infantry grunts left. Cloud reach out as they opened fire, Zack cried as the bullets hit him and he fell but that didn't stop as they approached him continue to shoot at close range repeatedly. Then he was back in Tifa's room eyes wide as he started to remember.
"Cloud? Cloud!" Tifa called to as she saw his eyes widen in sadness wondering what was wrong. Tifa tried to talk even by bringing up Nibelheim but he said he knows still sat there looking so grim and she wonder how he knew. Eventually she had to get back to the bar to get ready telling Cloud she would be back, looking back at him before walked out shutting the door.
Cloud sat there now remembering his unknown time in the lab and on the run and Zack's death. He reaches out to the sword held it in his lap starring at it remembering what happen to Zack, for an instant he had this notion that he defeated the army and they made it but that wasn't the case. Once more he sees the flashes he had when he died once more mourning his friend, closing his eyes. Cloud had to ask Tifa many questions when she got but for now he just sits there thinking what happens now.