Disclaimer: I do not own any of the ff7 characters or rights thereof. So don't sue me .

BRIGHT EYES.

Cloud and tifa are still having trouble after the events of doc. The deepground troops have all but been exterminated and the wro have officially sunk whatever plans the old shinra company had formulated.

But for some small reason cloud still can't seem to just be happy, and tifa is having strange thoughts towards the ex soldier. What happens when all the fighting comes to an end? Does it ever truly end at all? A mysterious stranger will assist the hero find his purpose for living after the end of journey.

Dark heart:

He opened his eyes groggily. His vision blurred form the sleep prior. He had forgotten how long it had been since he used an actual bed. Six weeks had flown by sleeping on rocks and in hammocks made for children. He relished the after effects of a good night's sleep.

He was struck with first an urge to move and then he felt it. The moment he rose to greet the ever hated day he felt a slight pull upon his shoulder. A feeling that had never before greeted his awakening even when he slept in his own bed. Thinking at first it was the sheet of the bed he reached to remove it. But to his surprise his hand did not feel the exile of a cotton sheet but the embrace of warm skin.

He laid morbidly still for what felt like hours. Terrified that he would roll over and life as he knew it would come to an end. The feeling of dread ebbed away however when he remembered it was the same presence that had accompanied him before he fell asleep.

"So you're up." A voice came from the darkness. It seemed so familiar that he almost mistook it for his own.

"How did you know?"

"You're less tense when you sleep. It's actually kina cute." Tifa's voice sounded sweet in the damp silence.

"Why did you stay…."

She took a moment of silence and then sighed "you're hopeless. But I'll tell you anyway"

Cloud eagerly awaited her response. She was slow but she was going to tell him the truth of her actions even if it took the rest of the night. However the sound of breaking glass and yuffie swearing in what she considered a quiet voice made sure that it would perhaps take longer.

"I've got it" Vincent said as the cloaked figure of the ex Turk cast a shadow under the doorway. he had obviously noted that tifa was in clouds room.

"How long was I out" he groaned as he rolled over to the sight he had eagerly awaited so long.

"Only a few hours. It's not even eight thirty. If you're still tired, rest a little." She cooed him as she brushed his face with a loving hand.

"Tifa can I tell you something….?" He stuttered in an attempt to quell the feelings that twisted his insides.

"Yeah sure. What's on your mind?"

He tried to speak but just as he found the courage to another loud crash and the sound of spilling water erupted from the kitchen.

"Can I take a rain check on that cloud? Looks like Vince is having a bit of trouble." The barmaid said as she rose "stay here I'll be back."

Cloud hung his head low, surprised at just how convenient it was that yuffie would have to destroy the house at the exact moment of his attempt to woo tifa. There was nothing for it. He had to get her alone. It was inevitable.

For a small moment he considered the Neanderthal method of clubs and hair pulling. Then the image of one of tifa's powerful kicks crossed his thoughts. Split seconds passed until his mind reverted back to the dreams and voices.

"Follow your dreams"

Why was he suddenly remembering zack? Was something about to happen?

"Cloud. " The voice of a small boy echoed.

"Oh Denzel. Hey buddy what you up to?"

"I was just wandering. Are you and tifa going out?" the child almost whispered as he plopped down upon the bed.

"Uh well I don't know…. How to answer that….. Why don't you ask tifa?"

"I'm going to but I wanted to talk to you first. She really misses you when you're gone. She says your name when she's asleep. I know she likes you. Don't you like her?"

"Well yeah I like her. But it's difficult. You see tifa's a lady. I don't really know what to say."

"If you like her why don't tell her." The child's words stuck like glue to the ex soldiers ears.

"Maybe you've got a point. Denzel?"

"What is it?"

"Let's not tell tifa yet. I want it to be special."

"Ok. Hey cloud?"

"Huh?"

"Are you two gona get married?"

Cloud stuck on his response "can I be alone for a while Denzel you reminded me of something I need to take care of"

"Ok. I'm glad you're back."

"I am too Denzel. I am too."

His mind was a mess. The one time he was vulnerable to his own emotions and he allows a child to dig into his heart. He felt like a mess. His thoughts jumbled into a macabre of insanity as he tossed the idea of marriage to tifa around. The strange part was that the more he thought about it the more he liked the idea.

Down stairs a cornucopia of cracked plates and soaked wood greeted tifa.

"What happened?" she asked dully.

"Yuffie dropped the plate" Marlene laughed as she tattled on the extensively older ninja.

An unfamiliar presence made itself prevalent as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Vincent did you feel that." She said the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end.

The Turk nodded as he drew Cerberus "yuffie take Marlene to clouds room." He said as he issued a plan of attack with his eyes to tifa.

Tifa waited at the doorway to the next room as Vincent attempted to flank by exiting the bar through a window on the other side of the room.

"Who's there?" tifa called attempting to startle the intruder. She dashed into the main area of the bar only to have a rather large gun aimed at her chest.

"Hold it right there little missy we wouldn't wana be fillin that nice chest of yours with lead now would we?" the stranger said pulling the hammer back on the huge revolver. "Your friend aint gona help ya much either."

"Vincent." she gasped as the ex Turk was slowly lead back into the bar at gunpoint.

"You have something we want. And we aint very keen on letin ya keep it."

"We don't have anything so just leave or…."

"Or what? If you haven't noticed you're in no position to make threats"

She took a moment to collect herself before trying to come up with a battle plan. She was a skilled fighter but flesh was obviously trumped by bullets and they also had Vincent in custody so she had to worry about him.

"I think the young lady asked you to leave." Clouds voice echoed down the hall

"Cloud stay there they've….." she was muffled by a hand over her mouth

"What the lady is trying to say is…" he was cut short by a dark and almost demonic voice as it beckoned what seemed like an unavoidable death.

"Leave now" the voice demanded in a tone that made tifa shudder.

"Now is that any way to treat a guest" the man sniggered "we were hopin to see so much more of our little la….."

"I said get out!" the voice boomed and suddenly the armed gunmen as if pushed by something strong were thrown to their knees. "Do not make me repeat myself." Suddenly the strange man whom Vincent had found earlier emerged from the darkness. He looked much stronger than previous but he still portrayed a sickly appearance.

"Well well what have we here" the stranger retorted as he stood. "I guess you think you're quite the hero huh. Well" his eyes took a glance to the darkness behind the man "try savin him mista hero."

He fired a shot aimed directly at cloud. Tifa screamed in horror as she found herself watching the invader unleash the shot. But cloud never fell. Blood never covered the walls nor did the gunman smile as his bullet tore through the target. Instead the bullet stopped. Midair stillness.

"Hey boss I think we should…..uh….agh." the mans henchman whom had been watching Vincent fell as the floating bullet suddenly turned on its axis and tore through the man's chest cavity.

"Damn."

"Leave or suffer" the man's eyes took on an ebony sheen as his voice became more demonic.

The man quickly rushed to his partner's side and lifted him in an attempt to escape. The dark eyed man followed the two out the front door with an ominous air.

"Should you return you will both die" he said just before he collapsed.

Tifa hitched slightly before deciding to act "Vincent are you okay?"

"Yeah"

"Go get cloud, make sure he's alright. I've got this one." She walked to the strange man whom she was both now terribly afraid of and eternally grateful to.

"Are you safe…." That was the first time she had heard his voice when it wasn't demonic or intimidating. At this tone he sounded youthful and perhaps normal if he hadn't just stopped a bullet in mid air.

"Yes thanks to you. Are you okay? Are you hurt?" she said as she checked him over. He didn't raise his earthbound stare

"…… Kara….." the man stuttered before he blacked out.

"What's a CARra" she was baffled by the odd word.

The man was now once again unconscious and tifa had no choice but to haul him back to his room.

"They're not amateurs they'll return we'd best be prepared." Vincent said as he holstered Cerberus which he had retrieved from outside after collecting wits with cloud. "They knew I was coming they must have scoped the place out."

"I'm sorry Vincent. If you want out now's your chance."

"It's not safe for either you or cloud so consider it as repayment for releasing me from my coffin. I'll stay until we know what it is they want."

"Vince you don't have to do….." he was already gone by this point. "I swear sometimes. But I guess he's just trying to keep from running out of topics huh."

"Is your friend okay?" the voice of a young man resounded from the bed in tifa's direction. He sounded weak but stable.

"Who….. Oh um yeah…. Wait you spoke…. Who are you?"

"………" the man never opened his eyes.

"You're not asleep so don't try to avoid me." She was aggressive.

"Who are you?"

"Tifa Lockhart. See I have a name. Tell me yours." She attempted humor before realizing that she was speaking to a very somber person.

"……."

"What don't you have a name?" she chided sarcastically

"If you must call me something call me wraith."

"Okay…. Wraith….. That's a strange name….. Doubtful it's your real name but it'll work for now. Nice to meet you."

"………."

"You don't talk much do you?"

"Those men….. Your friend's right they're not amateurs……"

"Well then what are they? If they were Turks I think I would know."

"Mercs. Lithium Company. I saw their badges….. They'll be back."

"Wait lithiwhat? You know those guys? Who the hell are you?"

"…………."

"Look I'm a compassionate person to a degree but I'm not gona let you get my family killed."

"Im sorry for your inconvenience." He rose not with dejection but with understanding and limped to the door.

"No no no. not what I meant. Look I just wana know who you are. You're really in no shape to travel and I couldn't forgive myself if anything happened so you don't have to leave. Just tell me about yourself a little. You might learn a bit about me in exchange." She attempted to bribe him "come on talk. How did you wind up in that crater? How do you know those guys? What are they after?"

"You really want to know?"

"Yes"

"I am a drifter between the worlds."

"Huh? Worlds you mean you're an astronaut?"

"No…… I am not from this world. I am from a different…… dimension for lack of a better word."

Tifa attempted to wrap her head around the man's story without thinking him a mad man. What he was saying was ludicrous and often the babble of a drunkard who lost to their addiction frequently.

"Quantum physics and all of that….. I am unique in my ability to move between time and reality…… you fear me?"

"What no I'm just a little lost for words."

"Don't lie it's unbecoming of you." His words reminded her of clouds from earlier mixed with Vincent's stoic demeanor "that man with the azure eyes. He is very important to you?"

" Oh you mean cloud. Well yeah his kina like my best friend. So yeah why?"

" It's deeper than that. Isn't it? I feel your heart call to him. Yet his heart is deafened by sadness. He has lost something dear to him?"

"Two friends…. Why….." she choked at the memory of aerith.

"……. I know …… you……….." his eyes this time turned ivory in their shade.

His skin darkened to a deathly pale color and his eyes shown like the glow of headlights in the distance. His hands clenched and the room became engulfed in a furious wind.

"Aeirth Gainsborough….. Zachary fair…. "Whispers as if the wind were trying to speak followed the recital of the names "you are tifa Lockhart. Owner of the tavern seventh heaven. Foster mother of a child named Denzel. You once lived in the town of nibelheim ransacked and burned to the ground by sephiroth. You lost everything that day. Cloud strife self proclaimed soldier first class a childhood friend of yours found and accompanied you later and defeated sephiroth honoring the fallen friends he had secretly sworn vengeance in his heart for. You later came to blows with a team of men under the leadership of kadaj who later invoked the power of a creature named jenova and thus allowed sephiroth to be reborn again. Then twice did strife defeat him. You also helped a man named Vincent valentine destroy the creature named omega and defeat the remnants of the shinra company deepground. You now harbor feelings for strife. However you will never admit to it." He suddenly returned to normal and tifa scared out of her gourd by this display of omnipotence stood shocked mouth agape with nothing to say "I know you…."

"What just happened" she was cautious as she approached the man who now stood emotionlessly staring at the floor "how did you know all of this?"

"…… they spoke…… to …….. Me" he shuddered as he fell to one knee

"I've got you" tifa said kneeling beside the man "are you okay…?"

The man shook and his voice took a tone that reminded her of cloud "they were such beautiful souls." He sounded like he was on the verge of tears "….Kara….."

"What does that mean?" Tifa said as she attempted to look into his eyes.

"It's a name" Vincent spoke bluntly as he handed tifa a picture he had taken from the pocket of the man she had come to know as wraith.

"So Kara. Kara is this girl?"

"I think so " he stared at the man sitting on the floor. He had appeared to be in a trance of his thought.

"We'll talk some later okay. You should get some rest. Okay wraith" no response was made so she stood and ushered Vincent out.

"what do you think happened to him……?" tifa said as she pulled the door closed "I mean he's weird granted but he didn't think twice about doing whatever it was he did that saved cloud….. Do you think maybe she….."

"That's none of my concern tifa." Vincent said as he flicked his cloak away from his body. "Clouds alright and none of us were hurt. That's what matters. Still I want to know what he did. He didn't use mako to do that….. You should get some rest. I'll keep an eye on…..?"

"Wraith. He said call him wraith." She said "you're right I could use some shuteye. I'm gona stay with cloud if you get hungry there is some……" she was silenced as yuffie squealed in what they took to be a satisfied tone "well was some food in the kitchen. Night Vince."

She accepted the nod that the Turk gave her as a sign of closure. Duly noted she turned and left in the direction of clouds room. She trailed off for a moment in thought. The memory of aeirith was not a kind one. All of AVALANCHE had learned to deal with it except cloud. But tifa also kept a small dark spot on her heart where the flower girl once resided. This stranger that had invaded their home did a grand job of turning her whole heart into a dark spot.

Thus sated she decided to seek out the only thing that relieved her of the dark heart she had allowed to become corrupted with the pain she hid within. Her knight in shining armor. Her rescuer. Her own personal body guard. Cloud. She needed him to keep the memories at bay. To keep the dark heart from becoming an empty one.

She walked into the room now entirely silent and pitch black. Silent of all but the soft breathing of the wounded ex soldier. She couldn't tell if he was asleep or just there, but she was too tired to be concerned with formalities and thus immediately crawled into the bed which was surprisingly warm.

"I told you i'd come back" she spoke softly before wrapping her arms around the man whom she now shared the space with.

Soon she fell asleep. No dream but it was peaceful. Quiet and black as night, as if her dark heart had spread unto the world around her. In this darkness she could almost hear him say the only three words she ever needed him to. She brushed it off as a tired fantasy and drifted into an exhaustion induced coma. The next day would not be so easily interrupted.