Archive of Our Own

At first glance, they resembled your average, everyday squirrels, the only exception being that half their body lay hidden underground most of the time. In all honesty, they could hardly be labeled as a monster, and they most certainly could not be considered a threat to an Avalanche leader, an Ex-SOLDIER, or a lab rat dog. But then Cloud had to assess it and had to find out it had an ability he could learn with the Enemy Skill Materia.

“I’ll take it from here,” he said when only one remained. All eyes turned to him in confusion. Red quirked an eyebrow at him, but upon noticing the familiar yellow orb being slotted into Cloud’s sword, he reluctantly nodded and sauntered off. Barret, of course, was harder to persuade.

“What’re you playin’ at, Spiky?! There ain’t no one here to show off to!”

“It’s got an ability we could use,” Cloud explained. His eyes locked on to the creature in front of him, daring it to make its move.

Barret’s frowned. “Don’t you got enough of them stupid enemy skills?” He shouted, firing off another stream of bullets in the monster’s general direction.

Cloud’s reply was a curt “Nope.”

“You even use them?” Barret hollered back.

“Maybe.”

“Oh for the love of—why’d I even ask?! Look, jus’ remember, our little run-in with ninja girl means we don’t got any materia to fix you if somethin’ weird happens.”

Cloud smirked. “Getting soft, big guy?”

“Yeah, yeah. Jus’ get yourself back in one piece, ya hear?”

“Copy.”

“Though, it would make for a good story if mister ex-SOLDIER here lost to a squirrel of all things. Wonder what Tifa an’ Aerith would say.”

“Shut up and get going.”

“Hey, Aerith? What time is it?”

“I dunno,” the girl in question replied as she continued poking at the stew. “Doesn’t something look off here?” she asked, holding the ladle up for Tifa to inspect.

“I think it looks okay,” Tifa answered without looking.

“I don’t know about that…but you’re the chef! Now for the taste.”

“They should be back by now…” Tifa mused, oblivious to her friend’s rather sudden coughing fit.

“Tifa, you need to loosen up a bit and relax. Come on, think about it! If there was a problem, they would have called. Cloud’s not great with the PHS, but I know that Barret at least would call if something happened. You worry too much.”

Tifa turned her gaze to the horizon. “I don’t know…you’re being awfully confident, Aerith.”

The flower girl huffed and put her hands on her hips. “That’s because I’m right! Here, help me finish up. It’ll help take your mind off it, and considering they’ll be back anytime now, you need to help me make sure they don’t die from this stuff.”

A booming “Hey!” suddenly cut through the darkness, causing Tifa’s shoulders to unconsciously sag in relief. They were back.

Aerith smirked and shot her one of her trademark “I told you so!” looks. “I gotta keep an eye on dinner. You go on ahead.”

Tifa playfully rolled her eyes before she turned to greet Barret and the others. “Welcome back! Dinner should be ready in a bit. Aerith’s just wrapping things up,” she chirped as she ran up to meet him.

“Sounds good….an’ sorry ‘bout that. We uh….ran into a small problem on our way back, and we had to…um…compensate.”

Tifa shook her head. “It’s all right. I’m just glad you made it back okay.”

Barret looked away guiltily and scratched his head. “Well I am, yeah, but—uh…know what? Here come the others. It might be better if I jus’ show you.”

He stepped to the side to as Red XIII came into view, the poor thing looking just about ready to collapse. As he drew nearer, Tifa quickly discovered why: there, on top of his back lay none other than…

“Cloud?! Is that you?”

In an instant she was at his side and checking him over for any potential injuries. Thankfully, he didn’t appear to have sustained anything serious. The only oddity was that he (his armour and his sword too, apparently) appeared to have been shrunk down to the size of a ten-year-old.

Wait. What?

“He’s asleep,” Red said, his voice barely above a whisper, “go get Aerith. See if she’s got anything that can help. Barret and I will go ahead and get him inside. We’ll explain there.”

“He got hit by some kind of Mini spell while trying to learn an enemy skill. It’s nothing we can’t heal, but we don’t have the means to help him at the moment.”

“Will healing materia work?”

“Probably not, but we can try. My guess is that we’re going need either cleansing materia or a remedy; naturally, both were stolen. To be honest, even that might not be enough; most status ailments wear off once the monster is defeated. I don’t know why Cloud’s case is so severe.”

“Me neither. The spell that fiend cast didn’t possess the characteristics of a typical Mini spell, but it caused the Mini status effect regardless. Personally, I theorize that it could be an ability unique to that specific breed.”

“Remind me why that matters again?”

“We need to know exactly what he was hit with if we are to figure out the best way to treat him.”

“Well why didn’t you say so? Man, why you gotta speak in cryptic riddles all the time?”

“I wasn’t.”

“Whatever. Look, jus’ try to talk like a regular human being next time, okay?”

“I’m not a human being.”

“That’s enough! Okay, new plan. Barret and Red, tomorrow morning, I need you to make a supply run for Remedies and any other materia we might need to restock. Kalm isn’t far, but I need you two up bright and early if we’re going to get the medication in time. Aerith and I will stay here and look after Cloud.”

Cloud's head spun as unfamiliar voices filled his ears. What was going on? Who were these people? Where was Mom? He cracked open an eye and surveyed his surroundings, but to his dismay, nothing seemed familiar. Am I even in Nibelheim?

Sleep reclaimed him before he could find any answers.  

(The next day)

Cloud woke with a start. Where was he? What happened? Was he dreaming, or was this for real? Would Mom be okay without him? In a flash, he rolled off his makeshift bed and scrambled to his feet, his smaller hands instinctively reaching for his sword.

“Oh, thank goodness. You’re finally awake.”

Little Cloud whipped his head around and immediately froze, staring up at the pretty lady in front of him like a deer caught in the headlights. “U-um, where…am I?” he managed to squeak out.

Tifa smiled warmly and crouched down so that she could meet his gaze. She couldn’t deny that he looked absurdly cute in this state. He just looked so…vulnerable, the polar opposite of the cool, collected ex-SOLDIER she was accustomed to seeing. Tifa was suddenly hit with an overwhelming urge to hug him and ruffle his hair, but she decided against it for the time being; this was still Cloud after all, even if he looked a bit younger. “You’re in a tent, Cloud,” she stated matter-of-factly, her voice filling with mirth.

“…You know who I am?”

His question caught her off guard. What else did that monster do to him? There weren’t any status effects that caused amnesia, right? Tifa tilted her head to the side. “…Cloud? You don’t remember?”

“Remember what?” He said, unconsciously mirroring her gesture.

The tent flap suddenly flew open, and a disheveled Aerith stumbled inside. “Tifa, we got company!”

Little Cloud’s eyes widened at this new revelation. “Tifa? Wait, your name is…Tifa?”

Tifa blinked. “…Yes?” Uh oh. She could practically see the gears turning in his head now. And was that…a blush? “We can talk later, okay Cloud? You stay right here. I’ll be back soon,” she added hurriedly before exiting the tent.

“How’s he doing?” Aerith inquired once the two were out of hearing distance. 

“I don’t know, Aerith. It doesn’t seem like he remembers us. I don’t even think I’ve ever heard of a status ailment that causes memory loss. Would the medication even w—”

The flower girl put her hands to Tifa’s shoulders and turned her so that they were fully facing each other “Hey. It’ll be all right. Barret and Red are on their way back. He won’t be in this state for much longer hopefully,” she said. “And, once he’s back to normal, I’m--I mean we’re confiscating his Enemy Skill Materia.”

Tifa chuckled at that last statement. “Yeah. That sounds good.”

“Right! And on that note,” Aerith said as she brandished her staff, “let’s get down to business.”

Tifa grimaced. Grashstrikes. Just my luck, she thought as she tightened her gloves.

Cloud was getting bored; after all, there weren’t many things to do when you were stuck inside a scantily furnished tent by yourself. He sighed. What was taking her so long? It had already been four whole minutes! His eyes briefly flashed to the mini Buster Sword propped up on the opposite side, and for a moment he considered it. A bit of sword training while he waited for them to come back sounded good to him. No space in here though. Wouldn’t want to break anything.  

Outside would have to do, then. Miss Tifa would understand, right? Little Cloud nodded to himself and hoisted the weapon onto his back. It’s a lot…heavier than it looks. The blade alone was almost half his size, but Cloud relished the challenge nonetheless. If he could master this, it would make him strong, and if he were strong, maybe then he would be good enough. Good enough to protect his mother. Good enough for…

That seemed to settle it for him. Little Cloud bounded out the tent and charged at his imaginary opponent. Bring it on. He swung the sword in wide, cutting arcs, deftly weaving his way through around his enemy’s defenses. In one swift motion, Cloud disarmed the foe and prepared to unleash his final attack. “Any last words? Cross Slash!”

Slash to the left. Now, to the right. Turn around, and….whoa!

He was going to have to get used to the sword’s weight all right.

Cloud groaned and pulled himself off the floor. This time, for sure. He tightened his grip on the Mini Buster Sword and tried again, remembering to properly distribute his weight as he swung.

“Take this!” he yelled as he let loose a flurry of attacks. As per usual, his invisible adversary couldn’t withstand the assault, and in a matter of seconds it lay defeated on the ground. Cloud smirked.

“Anyone else?”

He wasn’t exactly expecting a response. And he certainly wasn’t expecting said response to sound so close.

Maybe it was time to head back inside.

“Hisssss!!!! ”

Yep. Definitely time to go. Cloud hurriedly slung the mini Buster Sword onto his back and darted off towards the tent. The Grashstrike, anticipating his movements, raced after him. It didn’t take long for it to catch up and cut off his escape, but Cloud refused to back down. Here was his chance to prove himself.

The fiend lunged forward and slashed at its prey with both claws, chipping away at Cloud’s weaker defenses. Using the Buster Sword as a shield, the boy fearlessly held his ground, resisting the onslaught with all the strength he could muster. He could do this. All he needed was an opening.

Despite his best efforts, Cloud found himself unable to shake off his attacker; the Grashstrike was simply too much for him. One particularly brutal strike caused him to lose his grip on the hilt, and within seconds the weapon was knocked completely out of reach.

Cloud glared defiantly into the monster’s beady eyes, refusing to give in. He wouldn’t run. He couldn’t run. A jolt of pain shot through his head. 

You are too weak to save anyone. Not even yourself.

Stop it!!

But through suffering, you will grow strong. Isn't that what you want?

No! Get out of my head!!

The monster—oblivious to his internal struggle— ignored its prey’s death glare and pounced. Cloud’s eyes slammed shut and braced for impact. 

Strong arms wrapped around his smaller frame and drew him close, causing his eyes to fly open in shock. “Miss Tifa!” he exclaimed. She had positioned herself between him and the monster, using her body to shield him from its fangs. Tifa bit back a cry as the sharp appendages sank into her back. 

“Aerith!” She called out through grit teeth. 

“I gotcha!”

A blinding bolt of lightning ripped through the sky, striking the Grashstrike and crippling it with a deadly burst of electricity. Tifa quickly turned her attention to the awestruck boy.

“Are you hurt?” She asked, her hands resting atop his shoulders. Cloud, still shaken up from the encounter, could only look away and shake his head numbly.

“ ‘m sorry, Miss Tifa,” he eventually managed to say.

Tifa’s lips curved upward at the predictable response. “It’s all right, Cloud. I’m just glad we made it in time,” she said as she ruffled his hair. The enemy, however, wasn’t done with them just yet. The Grashstrike reared its head and let loose a high-pitched screech, speeding towards the pair with newfound hatred. 

“Persistent, aren’t we?!” 

A beam of light erupted from the Aerith’s staff and instantly vaporized the monster before it could reach its destination. With the threat now soundly defeated, Aerith withdrew her staff and quickly made her way over to the others. 

“Tifa? You okay?”

“Yeah. It was….just a scratch.”

“Let’s get you inside. We can fix you up there.”

Cloud watched as the two women disappeared inside the tent, his hands balling into fists. Some hero you turned out to be, he thought bitterly. It was just like back at the mountain. Why did he always have to be so...powerless?

You have failed again, I see. 

…?!

“Cloud? You coming?”

“H-huh? Yeah...yeah I’m coming.”

“Aerith, I’m serious. I’ll be fine.”

“You’re in no position to say that. I mean, can you even see your back?”

“But--”

“I don’t want to hear it. Just hold still for a moment. Let me patch you up.”

Too tired to argue with her, Tifa relented and let the soothing warmth of the healing materia envelope her body. Cloud sat nearby, concern and guilt written all over his face. Knowing him, he would have probably been blaming himself for what had happened right about now. Tifa reached out and gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze. Cloud didn’t respond.

With the wound now sealed, all that was left to do now (according to Doctor Gainsborough) was to let her body recover naturally. Aerith continued to hover over her, halting any attempts she made to get up.

“You need to rest, Teef. Take it easy, okay?” 

“But Aerith, I—”

“Ah, Ah Ah! No buts! Look, just humour me for a bit. Plus,” she added mischievously, “you can’t hog him all to yourself you know. I wanna have some fun too!”

Tifa stumbled to her feet. “Now hang on just a minute…”

“All right! That settles it then. Come on, Cloud! Why don’t we let Miss Tifa rest in peace for a while? There’s something I want to show you.”

She extended her hand for him to take, but Cloud didn’t budge. The boy was practically glued to Tifa’s leg, and if she was being completely honest, he looked…terrified. Her eyes followed his gaze out the open tent to the fresh carcass lying on the ground. Oh. Maybe she went a little overboard back there.

Tifa seemed to understand what the boy was thinking a bit faster. She crouched down and gave him a gentle smile. “Don’t worry, Cloud. Aerith’s a friend. Her magic may be powerful, but she only ever uses it to defend herself. She doesn’t bite, I promise.”

Aerith puffed her cheeks at the remark, but thankfully Cloud appeared to relax at her words. Tentatively, he released his hold on her leg and stepped out from behind. He gave Tifa one last hesitant look before taking Aerith’s hand. “Where are we going, Miss Aerith?”

“It’s a surprise!” Aerith winked.

The walk to the flower field was rather awkward at first. Each time she would attempt to start a conversation, Cloud would reply with a one-word answer and return to being silent. She didn’t mind too much, for that was how Cloud acted even in his normal state; still, it was interesting to see how well he got along with Tifa. Very interesting indeed. This called for an investigation.

“So, Cloud. What were you doing outside the tent? Didn’t Miss Tifa tell you to stay inside?”

“U-um…I was…training.”

Well that was easy. “Training…?”

“Uh-huh. I have to train if I’m going to be strong.”

“Oh? And what exactly do you plan to do with that strength?”

Cloud paused for a moment before answering. “If I become strong, I can get accepted into SOLDIER. Actually, I went with my mom to fill out an application for it a week ago, but they turned me down before I could even sign anything. They said that I’m too young right now, but once I turn 14 I’ll be old enough to apply. If I get accepted, I can use the money to help my mum back home. Ever since Dad died, we haven’t been able to keep up with all the costs and other stuff.”

Then, in a quieter voice, he added, “The other reason is because most of the village doesn’t like us very much. They’ll find an excuse to blame mom for everything, even if it wasn’t her fault, all because she’s a single mother. I want to be strong so I can keep her safe if things get worse.”

Aerith smiled sadly. “I never knew...I’m sorry, Cloud. I didn’t mean to bring that up.”

“S’okay. The village actually isn’t all bad. There are a few people who treat us nicely.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“...So, how do you know Miss Tifa, Miss Aerith?”

“I should be asking you that, mister! I was almost jealous of how fast you clicked with her.”

Cloud’s gaze shifted to his feet. “W-well…it’s just that…she reminds me of someone I know. She lives back at the village, and she even shares her name and eyes.”

“Really? Well, what's she like?”

He blushed. “U-um…Tifa’s very kind…a-and really pretty. She and her mother were the one of the few people in the village who treat us nicely.”

Aerith’s eyes sparkled with giddiness. Never in her life did she think she would see the day Cloud Strife of all people willingly open up to her about his love life.That Enemy Skill Materia really was a blessing in disguise. She smiled to herself as she plopped down amongst the flowers. When she noticed Cloud’s quizzical expression, she merely laughed and patted the spot next to her, motioning for him to sit. 

“I...I really wanted to be her friend, but I had a hard time fitting in with everyone. Her friends would pick on me each time I tried to join their group. Then one day Tifa stood up to them and defended me. I was happy at first, but that only caused them to pick on me more. The only difference was that they did it when she wasn’t around.”

Aerith’s expression fell. “I know what it’s like…” she said quietly, her thoughts drifting back to her own troubled childhood.

“Yeah...but that was back then. Things are different now.”

“...Is that because you’re here?”

Cloud shook his head. “No I...I…”

Static and electricity tore through his mind, causing him to clutch his head in pain. The sensation left as quickly as it came. 

“It was my fault; I wasn’t able to keep her safe. I wasn’t...strong enough, so I wasn’t allowed to see or talk to her.”

“Oh, Cloud…” There was the real reason he wanted to join, she thought. 

“Tifa didn’t stop trying to include me though, and ignoring her made me feel really bad. Even when she found out about what had happened on the mountain, she didn’t give up.  She decided to see if there was another way for us to talk, and eventually we settled on sending letters to each other through our windows.”

Aerith grinned. She was so going to talk to Tifa about this when she got the chance. Maybe she should be the one to safeguard the Enemy Skill Materia; after all, who knew what else Little Cloud would tell her? What would happen if she shrank Tifa? Would she be the same?

“What happened next?” she asked eagerly.

“W-well, I was never good at writing back, but I did my best. Then one night she asked if we could meet at the water tower in the middle of town. I was worried at first, but when we actually met, it was really fun. We’ve been meeting up at night ever since.”

“She really is special, isn’t she?”

Cloud ducked his head in an attempt to hide his reddening face. “Mhm. She really is. I’m gonna get strong for her too. Strong enough to protect her and be her hero. Maybe then she’ll be able to see me as someone special too.”

Aerith smiled sadly. Oh, Cloud. If only you knew…

“What are you making?”

She blinked. “Huh?”  Her gaze shifted to the neglected project she had forgotten she had started during their conversation. “Oh, this? It’s a flower crown. You take a couple of flowers and tie them all together into a shape, like this!”

“Oh. That’s...cool I guess.”

Aerith smirked. “You want one too, don’t you?”

“Nope.”

“Aw, don’t be like that. At least let me show you how to make one so you can surprise Tifa when you see her again.”

Cloud eyed her skeptically. “How will I even get this to her? I don’t even know where I am.”

She dismissed his question with a wave of her hand. “Don’t worry about it. We can give it to Miss Tifa when we go back; she’ll know what to do. And if that doesn’t work, I’ve got a backup plan.”

“And that is…”

“Magic. ”

Tifa awoke to the sound of faint whispering coming from outside the tent. Quietly, she rose to her feet and padded to the tent’s entrance. 

“What if she’s still asleep?”

“We’ll be fine! She’s a light sleeper anyway.”

Tifa smiled and shook her head. At least they were getting along all right. “Speak up you two! I can’t hear you!”

The tent flap lifted momentarily to reveal a very flustered Cloud and a sheepish Aerith. The two exchanged a knowing look before the former stepped forward, his hands behind his back. Tifa quirked an eyebrow. What were those two up to?

“U-um...Miss Aerith said you know how to get this to Tifa. Even if we’re not that close, she’s...she’s still my best friend, a-and she means a lot to me, s-so I wanted her to have this, as a thank you for everything she’s done,” he bumbled out. A pause, and then…

“I wanted you to have one too, to say sorry for what happened earlier...but I-I’m not very good at making these, so...so Miss Aerith did yours. I...I hope you don’t mind.”

Tifa knelt down and affectionately brushed the hair out of his eyes. “Of course not.” The boy, unable to meet her gaze, quickly pressed the handmade gift into her hand. 

“Cloud, this is…”

“I-I’m sorry! I know it looks a bit weird.”

She shook her head. “Cloud, it’s the thought that counts. I’m sure Tifa would love it either way, and frankly, I think it’s beautiful.” 

“O-oh? Well...this one’s for you,” he said as he held up the crown Aerith had made for her. 

Tifa smiled. “Do you want to help me put it on?”

“Oh..um..o-okay.”

She closed her eyes as he almost reverently set the crown atop her head. “Thank you, Cloud,” she said quietly.

He surprised them both by hesitantly pulling her into a hug. Tifa’s breathing hitched in her throat, but she managed to recover relatively quickly and return his embrace. “I’m sorry for what happened earlier. Thank you...for protecting me,” she heard him say. She kissed his cheek in response.

A flash of pink darted past them, but neither noticed. They didn’t notice a certain yellow materia being removed from Cloud’s sword either. 

Poof!

Aerith grinned; both of them owed her big time. “Oops, well that didn’t seem to go as planned! Guess I’ll be seeing myself out then, bye!” she said a little too cheerfully before disappearing outside. Once she was a safe distance from the tent, she reached into her pockets and fished out her PHS. 

“Hello? Barret? Yeah...it’s me. No, no, everything’s fine. I...How many Remedies did you guys buy?”

“Ack! Who put all this smoke in here?”

“I don’t cough* I don’t know!”

Cloud froze. That voice…

“T-Tifa?”

A pause...and then…

“Cloud? Cloud Strife is that you?”

His cheeks burned. It was her! But how did…  

“...Yeah. It’s...it’s me.”

Without thinking, Little Tifa rushed forward and all but crashed into him. Her arms wound around his back, holding him firmly against her. Cloud didn’t hesitate to return her affection. For a moment the two simply stood there, basking in the other’s warmth.

“I missed you,” he heard her mumble into his shirt. 

Cloud smiled faintly. “Tifa, I was only gone for a week,” he replied as he tucked her closer to himself.

The girl only tightened her grip on him. “A week is a long time! I thought you had moved away or something.”

“Tifa…I’m sorry.”

I missed you too you know. More than you know.

“Just...just promise to tell me next time, okay?”

His eyes widened in panic. But I can’t! The next time this happens, I’ll be…

“...Cloud?”

He tucked her head under his and pressed a kiss to her hair. “I...I will. I promise.”

The water tower. When he was ready, he would tell her at the water tower.