Shado: Ok, um, I promised myself not to write another fanfic. I already have three in the making, and they're slow with updating as it is. But this idea won't stop nagging me! T.T So in order to continue the other fanfics I'll write the first chap with this one. And sorry, if it takes a while to update. Being a junior is tiresome, and when I get home all I want to do is get chores over and done with and the same with homework then relax.

Oh, and I'm not sure what pairings are going to be in here. Idk if I want either a CloudxSeph, or a tempting threesome of CloudxSephxGen, or maybe CloudxZack. So whichever seems to work or what you guys want. For now the pairings plan is in the early stages.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Chapter 1 Radiance Of Flowers

He woke up in the middle of a field of flowers in full bloom. The boy was not much older than sixteen with fair skin, bright blond spikes for hair, and deep blue eyes that draw you in. Sitting up, the boy blinked and stared at the flower fields around him. He didn't know why he was here, or how he got there in the first place. In fact, he didn't remember anything from before he woke up. But for some reason, the boy felt calm despite his situation.

The boy had no memories of his past. He figured he was probably suffering from anmesia or got a nasty hit on the head. But, why was he out here? That puzzled him. He stood up, staring at the mountains that surrounded the tiny fields of flowers. A valley, he suspected, he was in a small valley. The mountains were covered in snow, and despite the fact it was spring, the air felt cold. His attention turned to the flowers, lovely colors of blues that matched the sky above.

How could the flowers survive in such icy temperatures? They must have evolved and became immune to the cold air, for there was enough flowers to fill a whole town. And then some. Looking over himself, the boy noticed he was dressed in dark blue jeans and boots that went a good four to five inches above his ankles with the jeans tucked inside. Black long sleeves that were tucked under leather gloves, and a matching black vest over the shirt.

From the facts gathered, the boy figured he was either somewhere in the far north or down south. Taking another good look around, he noticed white fluffy things floating in the sky. For some reason, they held a great significance to him. He didn't know why, but they held a secret about his name. Sighing, the boy searched for any pathways out of the valley. To his right he saw smoke rising from the smallest of the mountains.

With a nod to himself, he headed for the direction of the smoke. Where there's smoke, there's people. And the boy hoped that wherever he's going was where he was from. Through out most of the day he walked, and it took him almost all day to reach the smallest mountain. There was a well used path through the mountain, and the boy decided to wait until morning to walk through the path. He found a cave and curled up to the back where there was warmth and slept.

The next day he made his way through the mountain path. He tripped a few times, scraping his knees and elbows until they stung everytime he moved. Still, he traveled on without complaint. He wasn't even sure he could talk at the moment. He tried a few times, but the words didn't come out right. It was as if his brain knew words, but his mouth didn't know how to process those words into sounds.

By midafternoon, the boy found the small town he'd been searching for. He stood in the outskirts of the tiny settlement, unsure if he did know this place. No one looked familiar, and no one cared to pass him a second glance when they were near enough to see his blond hair standing out in the middle of greys and browns of the mountains. Seeing that he had no business with this town, the boy walked on to find a different place. He was halfway through the tiny town when a mother of three stopped near him.

"Are you all right young man? I can help you on your way, you'll need food if you're going to head south. The mountains farther south are more treacherous than these." she offered a kind smile.

Reluctantly, the boy nodded. The mother showed him the way to her little house. The three little ones all curious as to why the boy had such bright yellow hair. Everyone in the town had brown or black hair color. And to the boy he stood out like a sore thumb.

"His hair looks like a baby chocobo!" giggled one of the kids.

"What's his name?" the smallest asked, taking hold of the boy's hand.

The mother stared at him for a moment. "Do you have a name young man? I'm Silvia, my sons are Michael and Gabriel. That's little Abigale, you can call her Abby."

The boy smiled at each child, before pointing to the fluffy things in the sky. They looked up then at him, getting the picture.

"Those are clouds. You don't talk do you?" Silvia knew the answer.

He nodded, pointing to the clouds then at himself. Cloud. That was his name.

"His name's Cloud!" Abby squealed.

"All right Cloud, you may stay as long as you like here. And I'll assume you don't have a last name, right?" the mother asked.

Cloud shrugged. He was sure he didn't have one.

"Mother, can he have our last name? He can be part of the family." Gabriel looked eagerly at his mother.

"Sure, why not? We're at Nibelheim, in the middle of no where." Silvia smiled.

"Yay! We have a big brother!" Abby and the other two chimed.

For about six months Cloud stayed with the loving family. He helped Silvia with chores, and getting the little ones ready for school making sure they didn't forget their lunches or doing their homework. In return they taught him how to talk, read, and write. Cloud was a very fast learner, his handwriting was beautiful for a beginner. He could read the thickest books Silvia could provide for him from her small library in the house. But Cloud still had some trouble learning to talk. He knew the words, and how to put them together, it was just that his mouth didn't want to say the words.

Even though he was horrible at speaking, that didn't mean he had the attention from every single woman in Nibelheim. He noticed the only girl who ignored him was the girl next door to Silvia's house. He learned her name was Tifa Lockehart, and she was a hard one to impress. He thought she just didn't like him, until one particular day some bullies tried to hurt him. Not knowing how to defend himself, Cloud tried to run.

Tifa happened to be outside at the time, doing some errands for her father. When she saw the bullies with Cloud, she instantly ran to them and kicked their asses. Feeling like he owed her one, Cloud answered questions she had for him. It turned out she was more afraid of him, since he was the first blond haired boy ever to be in Nibelheim in history. But after they got to know each other, she told him she could teach him the basics of karate and taichou.

Not wanting to be a wimp, Cloud accepted. He knew she didn't really like him, he could tell she was still a bit scared of him but soon they became close friends. And in that span of six months Cloud felt right at home. Or at least he thought he was. But towards the end of those six months he stayed there, he felt the need to leave. The feeling grew more and more, until he could barely stand it.

So, he told Silvia about it. She listened, allowing him to take his time to explain as he did his best to string words together. When he was done she explained that he had an instinct that was telling him to leave and go somewhere else. He frowned, and told her he loved them as a family. Silvia smiled, and told him he can come back anytime he wanted. Right now his heart needed to do something else, and that he should follow it.

And so he did. Saying his goodbyes, while accepting a paper crane Abby made for him and the handbag filled with the needed accessories for his travel. Cloud felt sorry for leaving, especially Abby, who was the youngest and loved him dearly as an older brother. He understood that the paper crane was to comfort him when he needed it. And since it was made of paper, it was all right to keep it in the pockets of his pants without worrying about breaking it or the crane poking him.

After saying goodbye, he traveled once again. It was the end of summer, so the temperatures weren't as hot to the point he'd run out of water soon. He even stumbled upon plenty of springs and rivers along the way to wherever his feet wanted him to go. So he got plenty of chances to refill his water and take a bath to get rid of the annoying fleas that thought his hair was indeed a chocobo overnight he spent on the grass.

Cloud just felt glad the fleas didn't go anywhere near his lower regions. The annoying things only seemed to be attracted to the hair on his head. He was beginning to feel sorry for the real chocobos that live on the chocobo farms. If they were left outside they would surely get stressed from the amount of biting parasites under their feathers and can't find no relief without either a shower from the sprinklers or a good roll in the dirt.

Even with the battle of fleas, and a good amount of getting tired alot, Cloud still went on. He didn't know where he was going, but he knew it had to be somewhere important. He stumbled across small towns along the way, only staying briefly for food and then on his way again. It wasn't until he reached Junon he found out he was close to his destination. And that the place he felt the need to go to was Midgar.

His travels took him most of the end of summer and into early autumn. And the only way he could actually get to Midgar before the rains come in was to hitch a ride on a truck that was to deliver supplies to a bar in the slums. Of course Cloud had to help deliver the supplies, for there was alot and some where too heavy for the old man. He didn't mind, so long as he could get to Midgar and not worry about being drenched from the rains while walking through the desert.

When he reached Midgar, and after helping the old man with the supplies, he went about to explore. Once again he felt the need towards one direction, but it was still in Midgar. So he let his feet lead the way like always. All the while he was walking, he held the paper crane in his hand. He was in a strange place, and he knew no one. To help a sense of security, Cloud held the crane like a cherished object, or a tiny little friend that only he knew.

A few hours later of walking around, he found what he was supposed to be looking for. It was a girl, dressed in a light blue dress and high heeled sandels. Her hair was a mocha colored brown, braided and tied at the top in a big pink ribbon. She carried a basket of flowers, selling them to anyone who wanted one. To Cloud, she looked like an angel. He felt too scared to walk up to her, and he could feel himself blushing.

'Too scared to face a girl? You're more than that.' Cloud told himself.

Then a group of men, all dressed alike, made their way towards her. Tensing, Cloud suddenly felt like he needed to protect her. The men were a gang, and by the looks of it, a really well known one and feared alot. They surrounded her, arms crossed and had the look of predators across their faces.

"What's a pretty lil thin' like ya doin' around 'ere?" one of them asked.

"I'm just selling flowers." she said, standing her ground.

"Wanna know what I wann do? Do what flowers are best at." sneered another, while the others chuckled.

Before they could grab her, Cloud ran between them and knocked the first one to the ground. The others backed away a few steps, surprised for a tiny blond to get in their way and knock one of their men down with a hard kick. They all laughed, staring at Cloud.

"What do we 'ave here? A little rat caught in the lion's den full of angry beasts." laughed one.

"A good lookin' rat too." one stepped forward to grab his chin.

Cloud's eyes glowed a bright green, his iris's slanted like that of a cat's. He growled in warning, but the man didn't take heed of it. Without a second thought Cloud attacked.

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Tseng of the Turks was doing his usual mission of keeping an eye on the last Ancient on Gaia. The past few weeks he's been taking this mission more seriously. There's been a growing gang in the slums that has yet to be stopped and eleminated. They even injured a few of Tseng's men when he ordered them to weaken the gang for they were a serious threat. And yet they still held their ground.

And so everything was usual, Aerith walking about selling her flowers. Then his trained eyes caught sight of the familiar black and red jackets of the gang. Instantly he stood behind a corner, readying his gun and hoping he didn't have to blow his cover. But a Turk was meant to protect the target. And Tseng so happened to be the Head Turk. He took his missions and orders seriously. The young Turk was about to run and take fire, until a flash of gold caught his eye and then a second later one of the men was down on the ground groaning.

Tseng stayed hidden, holding his gun in ready for good measure. He watched in interest while the blond stood his ground, a total stranger, protecting an innocent girl. One of the men stepped forward, reaching to get a better look of the boy. Tseng blinked when the blond lunged forward with a yell. Within seconds the boy had two men down with the first, and aiming to do the same with the rest.

From where he was standing, the boy's eyes were glowing a bright green. Mako. Pure mako. Those eyes made the Head Turk shiver, they reminded him of Sephiroth when he was on a mission with every intent to kill. Then one of the gang members took the boy from behind, arm around the boy's neck choking him.

"Don't hurt him!" Aerith screamed, her hands intertwined in a small prayer.

"Sorry lil lady, but he go in our way. Now he must die." the leader said.

Glaring, Tseng stepped out of his hiding place and took aim. He fired at the leader, aiming straight at the heart. The big man fell, dead. The others panicked, and ran. All of them scattered, it was the end of this once dangerous and threatened gang. The boy gasped and fell to his knees, hand over his throat as he tried to breathe again. Aerith kneeled next to him, patting his back.

"You all right?" she asked.

"Y-Yea..." the boy choked out, coughing.

Tseng reluctantly stepped forward, instantly being granted a thank you from the girl.

"You're welcome. I was on patrol in search of this gang, so in a way I accomplished two things. Protecting the people and getting rid of a threat." the Turk explained, not wanting to explain he was practically stalking Aerith to protect her.

"Well thank you all the same." Aerith smiled, before turning her attention on the boy. "What's your name? I'm Aerith. And thank you for protecting me."

The boy glanced at both of them, blushing a little.

"Cl...Clou..d..." he said.

Tseng blinked, the boy had trouble talking. And yet he looked about fifteen or sixteen. Tseng stared at the boy, Cloud. He was a sight to behold close up. Even though they were in the shadows, Cloud gave off a radiant glow. He had an almost golden halo around him, an aura of the pure hearted. The radience nagged at the Turk's brain, he heard of certain people who have such a glow. It was in one of his childhood stories from Wutai. Tseng decided to look up the story when he gets to his office.

"Well then Cloud, I'll leave Aerith to your protection. Seeing you knock down those gang members shows you can take down men twice your size. That takes skills, I'll take my leave. Good day."

So Tseng turned, and left to the Shinra building. As soon as he stepped into his office he sat down and did his report first of today's mission. For some reason he had the urge to lie a little. Not a big one, but just a small one. He wrote down that there was a boy who protected her before he could, and he fired the shot without making himself known to them. It was the strange glow that captivated the Turk, and he wanted to find that story he hadn't read since he was a little boy.

Sighing, he stopped typing and sent the report in the computer. With a heavier sigh, Tseng leaned back in his chair rubbing his forehead to get rid of his growing headache.

"Now for that story..."

The strange man with a black ponytail walked away. He saved Cloud and Aerith, and yet they didn't get a name from the man. Standing up, Cloud smiled weakly at Aerith. Now that he was standing next to her, he felt more like a fool. Just a few minutes ago he was barely able to say his own name.

"You have trouble talking don't you?" Aerith asked.

Cloud nodded.

"Do you...have any memories? Before you woke up?" she pressed on, referring to when Cloud woke up on the fields of flowers.

"No...no..t...b-bef..ore...the field..." Cloud paused before pointing to the flowers in her basket.

Aerith smiled. "You woke up in a field of flowers? Did you remember your name?"

Cloud shook his head. "I...knew...the clouds...were my..."

The boy didn't finish, but the last Ancient understood. Her sweet smile reassured Cloud that he was right, that he did the right thing. Returning her smile, Cloud followed her. She lead him to her church where her flowers grew. When he was inside, Cloud felt safe. He couldn't explain it, but this church made him feel like he was meant to be here.

"I...what am...I?" Cloud weakly questioned, more to himself than Aerith.

"We're going to figure that out. That's why your instincts sent you here. I'll help, and don't worry you'll find out. I'll even help you speak!" she giggled.

Cloud smiled, making Aerith laugh. Soon both of them laughed, happy to meet each other. The blond calmed down when his ribs started to hurt, clearing his throat. The two of them sat down, and Aerith started on helping him talk without stuttering. Cloud was horrible, but they made progress within two and a half hours. At least a little, he was able to talk now and then without problems. It was only when he stumbled upon a word he wasn't used to talk yet.

"Let's take a break." Aerith sighed, standing up to stretch her legs.

Just when Cloud stood up, did the doors open. He stared when a young man, a few years older than he, walked in with a wide grin. He had wild black hair, with a stray bang hung over the side of his forehead. He wore a black uniform of loose pants, boots similiar to Cloud's, a black vest, and a broad sword strapped to his back.

"Hey Aerith, I'm off duty now so I decided to..." the stranger stopped when he saw the blond.

Blushing, Cloud lowered his gaze in respect. Whoever this was, he could tell it was someone in high authority.

"Who's this cutie?" the man grin widened, making his way closer.

"This is Cloud. He saved me from these gang members earlier." Aerith informed.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Wow. He must be strong for a puny thing."

Cloud blush deepened.

"Say, he's not much of a talker is he?"

"We were working on it. Oh, Cloud, this is Zack. My friend from Shinra." Aerith said.

"Um...hi..." Cloud scratched the back of his head in nervousness.

"Aw, don't be shy!" Zack brought the blond into a hug. "I'm not a bad guy, I'm just known to be actively hyper like a puppy and annoy people."

"Trust me, he does." Aerith giggled.

"Hey! You weren't supposed to agree!" Zack whined, pouting like a sad puppy.

"Well it's true." she laughed.

Cloud couldn't help but blush even deeper from the closeness of a handsome man.

Shado: yea...this story may make no sense, but think about the title and you may know...

Anywho, yes the first serious blushing Cloud gets is when he first meets Zack. Like I said, I don't know who Cloud should be with.

So what do you think? CloudxZack? Or a different pairing? So far I've only done Cloud n Zack, but I'm not sure if this story is actually one for that pairing.

Review plz!