Disclaimer: Dragon ball Z is Copyrighted (c) by Akira Toriyama, Bird Studio,
Shueisha, and Toei Animation. Licensed by Funanimation Inc. All Rights
Reserved.

Final Fantasy VII is Copyrighted (c) by Square Co., Ltd. All Rights
Reserved.

This is An Alternate-Universe Crossover, between Final Fantasy VII and
Dragon Ball Z. The Time Frame is just after the Cell Saga and Trunks is on
his way back home. And Sephiroth has just gone crazy in Nibelheim.

Previous Chapters can be found at: http://pedrajas.virtualave.net

To Tempt Fate

Chapter 2.

Five years later...

Tifa walked towards the train station at Sector Seven, lost in thought.  A
cold wind blew against her skin, and she rubbed her arms to keep warm. She
had often complained about her atiar, which consisted of a tight fitting
short shirt that accentuated her rather generous bust, a black leather
mini-skirt that made her already long legs seem longer, and a pair of brown
combat boots. It was an odd combination of clothes, but when you lived in
the slums, you made do with what you had.

  The smell of pollution in the air made her want to vomit, and a sour
expression appeared on her porcelain face. Today had not gone well at all.
Her bar, 'Tifa's Seventh Heaven', was frequently visited, but it made very
little profit.  After all, how are you supposed to make money when the
regulars didn't have any gil.

  Her thoughts wandered to her youth, back to a spikey-blond haired boy she
would probably never see again. <Cloud,> she thought silently. <I wonder
whatever happened to him?>

  As if an answer to her question, she heard a low moan ahead of her.
Curious, she followed the moan to its source, stopping in front of a
familiar figure slumped on the steps of the train station.  Her heart
stopped momentarily, and her body began to tremble as she recognized the man
in front of her.

  She crouched down to her knees and put a shaky hand on the man's shoulder.
"Cloud, is that you?" she asked. Her voice was a nervous tremor.

  "Wha--who?" asked the man as he looked up at Tifa, his glowing green eyes
devoid of intelligence.

  "Cloud?" Tifa asked again, unsure.

  "Cloud," the man repeated. "I'm Cloud?"

  Tifa nodded her head slowly her eyes were locked to his and like magic,
his green eyes sparkled with life and he jumped to his feet, almost knocking
Tifa off balance.

  "Yes! I am Cloud Strife!" Cloud exclaimed, declaring his identity to the
world.

  Tifa quickly hid her shocked expression and stood up. She forced her face
into a false smile. "Yes, you are. Do you remember me, Cloud?" she asked,
hope filling her voice.

  Cloud turned his attention to her, there was a moment of hesistation
before he spoke. "Tifa," he said in a soft voice. "long time no see."

  Tifa smiled and cupped her hands together. <He remembers me!> "Yeah, how
long has it been?"

  Cloud ran his right hand through his blonde hair, straightening out a few
stray strands and shrugged. "About five years..."

  <Five years?> Tifa thought to herself. <It's been longer than that. But
does it really matter?> "Yeah," she agreed slowly. "it's been a very long
time. What are you doing here in Midgar?"

  He shrugged again. "I--I don't know. To be a mercenary I guess.  I've quit
SOLDIER."

  "Quit SOLDIER? Why? I thought it was your dream."  Tifa asked startled.

  Cloud ran his right hand through his thick hair and shrugged. "Yeah well,
things change." he said in a soft voice. "Well, it was nice seeing you
again, Tifa. But I've got to get going. I need to find a place to stay."

  Hearing those words, Tifa began to panic. Here he was, Cloud Strife.
After so long and against all odds, she had finally found him, and now he
was leaving. She couldn't let him walk out of her life again. In a panicked
voice, she said, "Cloud, wait! You're a mercenary now, right?" after his
nod, she continued. "Well, I have a friend named Barret, he leads a group
called AVALANCE..."

----

The train moved at a slow pace, and within its hold, it carried the rebel
group known as AVALANCE. They all stood in somber silence. Each thinking
their own thoughts and dealing with their inner demons and guilt.

  Barret Wallace shrugged his shoulders and tried to shake his feeling of
dread. Blowing up that reactor was neccessary, right? Shinra was killing the
planet with those damn Mako Reactors, and if they didn't do anything, then
the whole world was doomed. Still, even with that knowledge, he couldn't
completely justify his actions.

  "So, I guess Cloud didn't make it," Biggs said in a disappointed voice.

  Barret just grunted and slammed his fist on a crate next to him. "It's his
own damn fault!" He slammed his fist down again, and the sound of his fist
impacting against wood resonated throughout the whole room.

  <Yeah, well, I hope he's okay,> Jesse thought to herself while looking out
the window, a somber expression on her face. <He was kinda cute.> She saw a
flash of blue outside the window and her eyes widened when she recognized
the figure. She was about to speak but was cut off by a loud pounding on the
door.

  Barret jerked his gaze towards the door, and his eyes narrowed. He looked
to Biggs and Wedge and put his right finger to his lips, indicating silence.
Slowly, trying not to make a sound, he moved towards the control panel by
the door.  With his gun arm ready, he hit the switch the the sliding door
opened with a loud swish!

  A gust of wind blew into the car and Barret nearly lost his footing when
he saw two crystal green eyes staring at him. "Jackass! You scared me half
to death!" Barret screamed as he took a step backwards away from the door.
"Do you always have to make an entrance?"

  Cloud hovered nonchalantly, outside the moving train. With a shrug of his
shoulders, he floated into the small cab and landed lightly on his feet. "I
guess. That's just the way I am."

  Barret shook his head in defeat and walked to the other cab, motioning for
the others to follow him. Biggs and Wedge immediately moved to comply with
the big mans orders. While Cloud just looked on in confusion.  Jesse
lingered until the others were out of ear shot.

  She moved towards Cloud and said, "I'm glad you made it," she looked down
at her shoes, a blush forming on her cheeks. "by the way, thanks for helping
me back there."