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phoenix-downer · 3 months

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Secret Wish Chapter 2

Secret Wish: ~1110 words. Tifa keeps thinking about the nameless soldier who protected her and wonders if he's okay.

Story Info: Cloud Strife/Tifa Lockhart. Set during Crisis Core. Canon Compliant, Alternating POVs, Missing Scenes. Light Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Tifa’s thoughts were elsewhere as she tossed and turned in bed that night. Fluffy was perched on the windowsill, her red bandana vibrant against her soft white fur, her eyes as big as saucers as she stared out the window and made chattering sounds at whatever creature had caught her fancy.

There was something about the Shinra soldier that wouldn’t leave Tifa’s thoughts. He was just a member of Shinra’s Public Security Forces, going by his uniform. He wasn’t a SOLDIER, 1st Class like Zack was, and yet he’d protected her on Mt. Nibel from that creepy masked giant and his goons.

Why some random infantryman would do that for her, she wasn’t sure. His brave actions had saved her life and had gotten him wounded in the process. Why would he do that for her? They didn’t even know each other.

Something about the way he’d protected her…she couldn’t shake the feeling that…that it reminded her of Cloud’s promise.

No, there was no way. The hunch that had flitted around her mind for a few seconds was gone as soon as it came, banished by how silly it was. She’d meant to ask Zack about whether or not Cloud had made SOLDIER, 1st Class yet, but it had slipped her mind. She could ask him tomorrow.

And the mysterious soldier was just doing his job, right? That shouldn’t come as a surprise. Protecting people was what someone like him was supposed to do. But she also knew that donning a military uniform didn’t automatically make you brave or caring. Zack’s constant, puppy dog-like enthusiasm was a little much for her tastes sometimes, but she could tell he was a decent guy. He cared about the mysterious soldier, even though he far outranked him, and he cared about protecting her, some random villager from a backwater town, that much was clear. He wouldn’t have fought wave after wave of monsters and masked men to get them back to Nibelheim safe and sound if he didn’t.

Some of the other Shinra-affiliated people she and her father had come across…they gave her the heebie-jeebies. They were the opposite of Zack and his nameless companion, who made her feel safe. Protected.

Especially the nameless companion. Zack was SOLDIER, 1st Class, and yet her thoughts kept wandering back to the mysterious infantryman. He hadn’t made a single noise, hadn’t once complained about his injury. The way he’d leaned against her, trusting her completely to help him down the mountain, moved her. And the soft smile on his face after she’d given him water from her canteen…she hadn’t imagined that, right?

She glanced at the clock on her bedside table and sighed. It was too late to email Zack now and make sure the mysterious guy was alright. But she couldn’t sleep until she did.

Sighing, she pulled her phone out. “Is that guy alright? I’m a little worried, because it looked like he got hurt pretty bad. I’m glad you were there. Thank you, Zack. I had heard of SOLDIER and how tough they are. I hope we can talk a little bit more about SOLDIER one of these days, because there’s something I want to ask you.”

With that, she pressed “Send,” hoping that Zack had either put his phone on silent or was so tired he would sleep through any notifications. With that, she tried to sleep, a fitful rest marked by strange dreams of Mt. Nibel, of falling, falling, falling, of someone crying out her name…

When she woke the next morning, the sun was streaming through the window, and Fluffy was long gone. The errant cat had probably slunk downstairs the moment she’d heard Tifa’s father stirring to beg for food. Tifa was stiff and sore from yesterday, but not as sore as she would’ve been pre-Master Zangan’s training.

Checking her phone, she saw a little notification message. It was from Zack.

“Hey Tifa! Thanks for checking up on him. He’s doing just fine, and I’ve included a photo as proof. Thank you for helping him get down the mountain. I was just doing my job, but you went above and beyond, and he really appreciates it. And sure, you can ask me questions about SOLDIER. I can’t answer anything classified, but other stuff, sure.

P.S. Any word on Sephiroth yet? If you hear anything, let me know.”

She opened the email attachment, and sure enough, a smiling Zack was giving the camera a thumbs up from his room in the inn. The nameless soldier was in the background, helmet still on, sitting up on his bed but with his lips parted. Like he hadn’t quite been expecting the photo and Zack had taken him off guard. But it was clear from his posture that he was doing better, and Tifa was glad to see it.

Surprisingly glad to see it. She was shocked to feel tears blurring her eyes.

“Why…?” she asked no one in particular, touching her face.

Well, he had saved her life. She would’ve been upset if he’d died or if he’d succumbed to his wounds after what he’d done for her. This was a normal reaction to someone doing something so brave and heroic.

She stared at the photo for a few more moments, taking in every inch of it. Her eyes just kept being drawn to the nameless soldier, to his quiet bravery and steady determination. She’d fantasized about Cloud being a strong, fearless SOLDIER, and yet this infantryman was more impressive to her than any of her fantasies because he’d really, truly put his life on the line to save hers.

No, she couldn’t compare him to Cloud like that. Her heart belonged to Cloud and always would. Cloud would prove himself when the time came, she was sure of it.

Still, looking at this goofy photo of Zack and his nameless companion, she couldn’t help but smile fondly. The mysterious soldier probably had a lot to handle with Zack’s boundless energy and enthusiasm. They seemed good for each other, and they clearly cared about one another. And…she cared about them too. Maybe it was because they’d been through such a harrowing experience yesterday together, but she wanted to help them with their mission. Which meant she had to find more leads about Sephiroth’s whereabouts.

As she got ready for the day, she found herself hoping she could see the nameless soldier again and thank him for saving her. Surely that was alright. Cloud would understand. And helping Zack with his mission might give her more answers about what had become of Cloud, too.

It was time to start the day’s adventures.

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A/N: Thank you for reading! With that I am going into hiatus mode now that the final trailer for Rebirth is out (which I am avoiding because of how spoilery it apparently is lol). Hope everyone enjoys the demo!

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geekysteven · 2 months

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arikad0 · 5 months

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Final Fantasy VII (1997) vs Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (2024)

#the gangs all here <3 #ff7 #ffvii #final fantasy 7 #final fantasy vii #ff7r #ff7 rebirth #cloud strife #barret wallace #tifa lockhart #aerith gainsborough #red xiii #nanaki #yuffie kisaragi #cait sith #vincent valentine #cid highwind

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mitsame · 17 days

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some paper mario style ff7s for... Something

#my art #paper mario #ff7 #final fantasy vii #aerith #aerith gainsborough #tifa #tifa lockhart #cloud strife #barret wallace #red xiii

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waifujuju · 13 days

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Cloud Strife voice: me and the found family i pulled by being autistic

#FF7 #FF7 Remake #FF7 Rebirth #Cloud Strife #Aerith Gainsborough #Tifa Lockhart #Barret Wallace #Red XIII #Nanaki #Yuffie Kisaragi #Cait Sith #AVALANCHE #FF7R #Jooj Arts #You can infer Cid and Vincent are still there but up in the Tiny Bronco sdijfoiwejf

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shea-parfait · 1 month

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sharing the love

#clerifa #clerith #cloti #aerti #cloud strife #aerith gainsborough #tifa lockhart #cloud x aerith #cloud x tifa #aerith x tifa #ff7 rebirth #ff7 remake #final fantasy vii #final fantasy 7

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mmediocreman · 1 month

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rly wanted to draw them!

#ff #ff7 #ff7r #zack fair #cloud strife #tifa lockhart #aerith gainsborough

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gaylight-prairie · 29 days

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#Ff7 #Ffvii #final fantasty 7 #final fantasty vii #cloud strife #tifa lockhart #aerith gainsborough #sephiroth #my art #art #🍀.txt

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kiiseru · 2 months

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Am I...getting ahead of myself?

#cloti #ffedit #ffgraphics #cloud strife #tifa lockhart #ff7r #final fantasy vii #ff7 rebirth #final fantasy 7 rebirth spoilers #ff7r spoilers #ffvii rebirth spoilers #final fantasy spoilers #ffvii spoilers #myedit

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haunted-xander · 3 months

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The rebirth demo has me so hyped how DARE you make me wait until the end of the month for the full game

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spoopyium · 9 days

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More FFVII memes I drew after the rebirth brainrot consumed me but reeve and cait sith edition

#final fantasy #final fantasy vii #final fantasy 7 #ffvii #ff7 #final fantasy vii rebirth #cait sith #reeve tuesti #art #fanart #digital art #meme #cloud strife #aerith gainsborough #tifa lockhart #barret wallace

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phoenix-downer · 3 months

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Secret Wish Chapter 1

Secret Wish: ~1030 words. As Tifa helps Cloud down Mt. Nibel, he wishes their reunion were under different circumstances but longs to be close to her all the same.

Story Info: Cloud Strife/Tifa Lockhart. Set during Crisis Core. Canon Compliant, Alternating POVs, Missing Scenes. Light Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining.

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2

Cloud had dreamed of being close to Tifa again, but not like this.

She’d gotten stronger in their time apart. That was clear, going by how she could drag his pathetic ass down a mountain. The cowboy tour guide outfit showed off the muscles in her arms and legs and torso, but it was how she could support his weight as they painfully inched closer and closer to Nibelheim that was the real test of her strength.

He wanted desperately to ask when that had happened. How that had happened. There were so many things he wanted to talk to her about, but the red hot shame coursing through his entire body prevented that. He couldn’t even risk crying out from the pain of his injury—what if she recognized his voice?

As always, he buried his true feelings deep inside. They made him weak. They were proof of his weakness. He’d left her with grand promises and had nothing to show for it, and now, instead of saving her, she was saving him.

Zack, on the other hand, was as upbeat as always as he protected them both, defeating another group of fiery Bombs like it was no sweat off his back. Because it wasn’t. He was SOLDIER, 1st Class, something Cloud could only dream of.

“And another group of those guys out of the way!” Zack cheerfully called, replacing the giant sword on his back like it weighed nothing.

“Thank you,” Tifa said, her voice sounding strained. Cloud was woozy and floating in and out of consciousness from the pain, but her voice cut through his thoughts like nothing else did.

He wished she was thanking him instead. That he’d done something worth thanking. Being jealous of Zack was pointless, stupid. No, Zack was just fine the way he was. It was Cloud who was too weak. Cloud who needed to change.

“How’s he holding up?” Zack asked, mercifully avoiding saying Cloud’s name. Cloud said nothing in response. Even if he weren’t in a lot of pain that made speaking difficult, he could never come clean about who he was around Tifa.

“You okay?” she gently asked, searching his helmeted face. So caring and compassionate even though she didn’t even know who she was.

He nodded, too afraid to speak.

“Need a break?”

He shook his head. Yeah, he probably did, but this whole thing was embarrassing enough as it was. He didn’t want to show any more weakness. He’d suck it up till they got back to Nibelheim and then he could curl up and make all the noise he wanted to.

“Keep going,” Tifa called to Zack, her breathing somewhat labored but her determination shining through. “The sooner we get back to Nibelheim,” she said, then took a few deep breaths, “the sooner we can get him help.”

“You’re pretty tough,” Zack said. Even with the general fog of pain clouding his thoughts, Cloud could tell Zack was impressed.

Well, Tifa was impressive. Smart, strong, beautiful, driven, compassionate, and caring. She was the whole package. The boys in the village had all wanted her attention growing up. Cloud still couldn’t figure out why she’d agreed to see him at the water tower that fateful night.

What does she see in me? I’m not the man she wants me to be. I can’t even protect her. Zack’s protecting the both of us.

“I’ve been training,” Tifa said in response to Zack’s remark. “And…this isn’t the first time…strange things…have been sighted…on Mt. Nibel. You really…can’t be too careful…these days.”

Cloud felt guilty for making her so winded. But Zack was the better fighter still, so this was the best they could do in Cloud’s current state.

“You can say that again,” Zack agreed. “I’ve seen stuff you wouldn’t believe. I dunno, makes it hard to know who to trust.”

Something had happened inside the reactor that was troubling Zack, Cloud was sure of it. He wanted to pick his brain later when everything didn’t hurt so damn much.

“Yeah,” Tifa said sadly.

With that they continued their trek down the craggy, creepy mountain that haunted Cloud’s thoughts and revisited him over and over again in his nightmares. It was pain, pain, more pain, and he kept slipping in and out of consciousness. One foot in front of the other till this hellish situation was over.

Tifa spoke to him only when necessary, but she was always so kind and gentle. Checking to make sure he was holding up okay, resting him against a rock when they needed breaks, offering him some water from her canteen. He about died when she unscrewed it for him and carefully held it to his lips as he drank, murmuring soft, gentle things to him. Encouraging him to rest and recover his strength so they could continue down the mountain once he was ready.

Was this like how things would be if they were together? He’d fantasized about her taking care of him like this more times than he cared to admit. He wanted to protect her and keep her safe from harm, but being doted on, being cared for when he was injured or sick…yeah, that was stuff he’d dreamed about too.

Then when she drank out of the canteen afterwards, his stupid lovesick mind pretended she was kissing him. Indirectly, sure, but this was the best he could do.

Zack was examining the two of them closely. A knowing smile spread across his face, and Cloud knew his friend had caught on to his secret. Cloud wanted to groan. He could only hope Zack would keep his mouth shut.

Thankfully, he did. Or if he didn’t, Cloud was too out of it to care. The rest of the way down the mountain was a blur. All that Cloud could really remember was Tifa’s arm around his waist and his arm around her shoulder. This wasn’t the reunion he’d wanted or expected, but…being close to Tifa again almost made up for the shameful circumstances of his return to his hometown.

Almost. Until he’d proven his worth, he couldn’t show his face to her.

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A/N: Thank you for reading! I love the part of Crisis Core where Tifa helps a wounded Cloud (wounded because he protected her!! Will never be over that honestly) down Mt. Nibel and wanted to explore that more. What Cloud might be thinking and feeling and then what Tifa thinks about the whole situation. The pining, dramatic irony of the situation, and delicious angst is just all so good...to be so close to the person you love but they have no idea it's you...and yet, what if they sensed it on some level even if their "logical" side rejects it and so they dismiss it? But that gut feeling is there and they struggle to reconcile it with what they "know" to be "true." And thus this story was born. The next chapter will be posted in a few days, hope you enjoy!