~Sweet Sacrifice~

A/N: I originally wrote this when I was still pretty much a newbie at reading and writing fics. I also had NO beta to look this over for me. (Still don't lol.) So now it is just over a year since I wrote this, I have decided to revise (Maybe expand.) and separate this fic into chapters. Hopefully this will make a better read for you all.

So here we go. Enjoy the revised version of my first ever fic.

xxx

Disclaimer:

I do not own Final Fantasy nor the characters involved in the following story. This is also non cannon work based on cannon events. Totally fiction of my own creation. I also make NO money from this either. So please don't sue me Square Enix for what I am about to put your characters through.

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FemaleTengu presents:


~Sweet Sacrifice~

Nibelheim; a humble village, with a small tourist attraction. Which attracted a reasonable amount of visitors far and wide there for one reason and one reason only. The mountains. A truly beautiful sight which people had to see with their own eyes be able to believe and appreciate. It was one of the rare places like it on Gaia.

During the day the mountains looked like giant sized coal with a hint of silver shining when the bright sun rays hit parts of it. During the night however it looked haunting, and rare few dared venture there due to the strong sense of foreboding that practically radiated from the place. However at sunrise and sunset the mountains were the best times to view the mountains. The view would take anyone's breath away. In the time of dawn they looked like coal with a hints of gold, where the sun rays caught. However at sunset they had hints of copper and almost looked as if they were on fire. All in all the perfect spot to take your loved one, if you were into nature walks.

Now even though it was the time for the mountains to look full of fire, for one young teen this was sadly a sign. A sign that yet another day had passed since her protector had left for Midgar, to become a member of SOLIDER. The infamous elite unit which hit the papers on a regular bases. Yes. Another day had past that he hadn't sent a letter, when he said he would stay in contact. Another day to cast more shadow over her heart, and make her doubt if he'd ever return to her side or was even alive!

Days like these really made her wonder why she bothered worrying and waited for him. For all she knew he was dead, or had met a woman in the city, and decided to forget about her and his home town. Yeah. That would most likely be it.

Why wouldn't he lust after a woman of the city? After all Midgar was over seas, a good few day's travel from Nibelheim, and full of temptations a quiet country-life could never offer a young man. Also it was no big secret that city's were known for tempting men of the countryside. After all isn't that why most of the young men from the village wanted to go there? For a 'better' life? Yeah. Sure. That's what they call it these days huh?

These were just a small amount of conflicting thoughts that plagued her mind for a while now. But what bothered her the most is why she even cared, and was stressing herself out so much over his seemly disappearance from the face of Gaia. They were just childhood friends and not even that close. So why did it bother her so much? Was the fear that the promise he made under the stars that fateful night might have been broken? Or was it the thought that he could of gone off with some floozy from the city getting to her? Too many questions for her liking were beginning to distract her, and make her feel embarrassed once again. Just don't think too much. It will only wind you up more. She scolded herself. But it didn't matter how many times she did this. It didn't stop her thinking or asking the same questions over and over.

It seemed there was nothing at all to distract her from these 'silly' thoughts. These days all the young brunette seem to do was act either as a tour guide or do vigorous training in self defence. It did seem like it was all for nothing. That was until a few months ago.


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Out of nowhere strange monsters started wondering into the town and started to attack people. It didn't matter if their victims were man, woman or child. They were slaughtered. However they seemed to be killed off pretty easily. For a while anyway.

No one in the small village of Nibelheim really knew where these things came from, or why they were targeting the village. But soon whispers and rumours had started circulating between the locals, of how their local Mako reactor could have something to do it with. Electric in their small humble village had been cutting out a lot lately. However only the Mayor, and his underlings of the town truly knew what was going on. But they just flat out lied to everyone's faces. Hoping it would just all go away. Even when things were becoming to get really bad. What they didn't count on was the fact that ANYone with half a brain cell could figure it all out. It started as only speculation, and guess work. But in time people began to see through the lies. Which made them restless and angry.

FINALLY, as the attacks became more frequent and harder to fight off the towns mayor sent word to Shin-RA. He told them of the increasing problem and how long it had been going on. But to everyone in the village he claimed he had been sending word to Midgar since the problem arose. However everyone knew it was total bullshit, and what a lazy ass he was. They knew that he only got off his butt if something really was a problem to him personally. And in this case the last attack happened to involve his trophy wife. Coincidence?

Just as people began talks of packing up their things and leaving for the local villages of Cosmo Canyon or Rocket Town, Shin-RA sent word that they would be sending two of their best officers. They promised to send two of their best first class members of the elite combat unit SOLDIER. This had the young tour guide excited. 'Will I be seeing him again? Did he actually make it? How does he look now? What does he sound like? Will he remember me or has he forgotten?' Were some of the many questions racing through her mind and made her heart skip a few beats, at the delightful news. According to the reply her questions would be answered in a week, and she was to be their tour guide to the Mako reactor. Fortunately it was situated beyond the mountains of Nibelheim, and quite a trek away from the almost ghost town. Which meant the radiation wouldn't harm them. Unlike a lot of other villages, with Mako reactors.

A week normally would seem like not too much trouble for some people to get through. However as the time came ever closer the random attacks became more frequent, and so bad no one dared venture out of their home. Fear and hopelessness had gripped and was strangling the village. Everyone scared they'd get attacked if they even stepped out the door. The only times they went out was if they really had to, which began to make the local business' and tourism suffer. No one wanted to go to a place where they would get attacked.

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Today was the day they day were due to arrive. The young women had been sat on the water tower since early morn, with her hopes up. Watching and waiting for the men to arrive. Hoping HE would be with them.

It seemed like forever since she last saw him and she almost couldn't contain herself. Her thoughts were driving her mad.

“When I see him I'm going pound him for not keeping in contact, and having me worried.” She said with a frown on her features. “Then once he has recovered I'll hug him to show him how much I missed him.” She giggled to herself. Her cheeks slightly flushing rose red with slight shyness and self embarrassment. Idly swinging her legs back and forth, as she sat at the water tower watching and waiting. “Or would it be better the other way around?” She pondered aloud as she put a finger to her mouth in thoughtful pose.

Before she could carry on plotting what she was going to do to her childhood friend, when she next saw him a large transport vehicle could be heard pulling up but a few feet away from the entrance of the village. She also heard the voices of a few men too.

“Cloud?!?!” She gasped aloud, in excitement.

She then quickly jumped off the tower and ran to the entrance of Nibelheim, as fast as her legs would carry her. Full of hope and excitement, and trying to hold back tears of happiness. Had he really come home? After all these years of waiting, had he truly come home?

Sadly her hopes were dashed, once she reacted the entrance to the village. When she got there all she saw were two men, and some standard private officers. One of the men had long silver hair, glowing green mako eyes, with a very long katana attached to his back and all dressed your average city folk black clothing. The other man had black spiky hair, light blue eyes that had a hint of mako green, a scar on his face, a sword thick sword of some sort attached to his back and was wearing a black uni-form. Yes these were the hero's she read about in the papers. They were Sephiroth and Zack Fair. Two elite members of SOLDIER.

“Oh...” She simply mumbled as she skidded to a halt, feeling highly embarrassed.

Her cheeks flushed bright red, before she began running back into the village and into her house. Slamming the front door before storming up into her bedroom. Also slamming the door. Why wasn't Cloud with them? Shouldn't he of been with them? The disappointment was just heartbreaking. She wasn't sure how much more of this she could take.

“Why won't you come home?!?!?” She barely managed to get out as she began to sob hysterically.

Tifa just wanted to see him. Was that too much to ask?

Sure the men who had been sent were sexy and hot. Especially Sephiroth. He was her and every other young teens hero and or crush. But she just wanted to see Cloud again. He'd been gone too long without saying anything to her and it was beginning to grind on her sanity. This if anything was the last straw for her.

“Why did you have to get my hopes up you stupid idiot.” She sniffled as she threw herself onto her bed and hid her head in a pillow. “Come home already. You don't have to prove anything. Everything is here!” She pracially yelled into her pillow, before she choked on a sob. “C-c-come home... I miss you...” The brunette said softly on through the tears and hysterical breaths, while she wept.

If this carried on she felt like she would go crazy. All she wanted was to see him again and know if he were alive.

After a few moments her cries began to die down, followed by the urge to sleep off this crappy feeling. That's when the idea hit her, calmed her a little and snapped her out of her stopper. Quickly stopping her tears.

Sephiroth and Zack were top of the unit. So one or both of them had to know something about Cloud right? They just had to. But then again. Would they even bother with her? There was only one way to find out.

"Tifa get your butt down here!" A familiar voice summoned. "You need greet the men you will be taking to the mountains tomorrow."
"Ok dad. Let me just clean up and I'll be out right away." She yelled back.

Then as she heard him leave she went to the bathroom. Quickly washing her face and reapplying her make up. Her little mood swing had caused her beautiful face to look like she had been beaten with the ugly stick. And she wasn't about to go out like that.

"Ok lets go..." She muttered to herself as let out a big nervous sigh.

Tifa then straightened her clothes before making her way down stairs and out the door. Hoping that these guys weren't all bad, and would be kind enough to put her heart and mind at rest.

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A/N: So how was the first revision? Let me know what you think so far.