III

Cloud parked his motorcycle in front of the bar and glanced up at the illuminated window for a moment before dismounting. He wasn't really planning on telling anyone about what had happened earlier that day. In fact, the main purpose of his visit was to take his mind off of it for a while.

It wasn't that he didn't trust his friends... He simply didn't think he should burden them with even more worry. Especially because he understood absolutely nothing of what had occurred.

He pushed the door ajar and, cautious as always, surveyed the room before quietly slipping in. Barret and Cid appeared to be in a slightly heated discussion, a few empty glasses on the table in front of them. Yuffie and Tifa were nowhere in sight.

Cloud sighed and an oddly lethargic feeling overtook him. He really wasn't up for a discussion; especially when he heard words such as tremors and earthquake being mentioned. Talking about something he believed to be connected to what had happened earlier was very unlikely to help him forget about it. In fact, when he gave it more thought, he wasn't up for anything at all. If only he could just forget about everything and drift away...

Like a shadow, he proceeded up the stairs to his room, making no sound at all, and the two men remained oblivious to his silent entry. However, no matter how much he wished for it, he was not destined to have much rest that night.

As soon as he stepped foot into the dark hallway leading to his bedroom Cloud's sensitive ears caught a new set of hushed voices - feminine, this time around. Surprised to find one of them unfamiliar he halted in his step in front of Tifa's door, tensing for no apparent reason.

Tifa's short, chipper laughter filled the quiet hallway.

And then, without any warning, the door unexpectedly burst open, making Cloud take a stunned step back. He could hardly remember a time when something could escape his always alert senses to the point that it could startle him. And now he hadn't even noticed the doorknob turn.

He glanced up expecting to see Tifa, but instead his light eyes clashed against the strangest, unpleasantly familiar shades of green. A grave expression sealed his features as his hand instinctively gripped the pommel of his sword. The now recognizable tingle in his nerves - which, he realized, was what made him tense - erupted again, but this time it was neither painful nor unsettling; instead, it appeared to be trying to calm him.

He pulled the sword slightly out of its sheath.

"Cloud! You're back!" A joyous shout escaped Tifa as she ran up to hug him; but he didn't spare her a glance. He seemed unable to shift his eyes from Nian's pinning gaze. "Oh," Tifa said following his stare. For a moment she forgot all about the girl, she was so happy to see him again. "This is Nian." She announced.

His jaw clenched, Tifa noted with surprise. Other than that, he remained completely still, in a suspiciously tense pose, with a cautious, mistrustful look. The girl on the other hand, seemed unfazed by his penetrating gaze, opposing him with remarkable calmness, her expression unreadable.

"Cloud!" Tifa whispered harshly into his ear. She was really starting to get annoyed. Have her friends lost all regard of other people's emotions? "Won't you at least try and be polite?!"

No response. The weird staring contest continued. Tifa didn't know exactly what was going on but she was not sure she could take much more of it. As if sensing her weariness the girl's eyes suddenly washed over her and Nian spoke, breaking the intense silence:

"Darkness weighs too heavy and the cries grow too loud for him to spare energy on trivial things such as hiding his emotions. Let him act as he feels right."

Utter bafflement on Tifa's face spoke for itself.

"He is in no mood for surprises," Nian elaborated patiently. Not that it made things clearer for Tifa... Then Nian's gaze was back upon Cloud. "He wants nothing more than to," she paused, "drift away." This time, she actually sounded smug.

"How do you-" Tifa trailed off staring at Nian wide-eyed.

A new kind of silence stretched on.

"I'm not sure," she admitted finally.

By then Cloud had taken out his sword, keeping it pressed against his leg. He would not let himself be so easily distracted. One sudden movement - that was all it would take. One sudden move from her.

Nian considered her options while the possible escape routes spread quickly in her mind. She needed to have a way out prepared in case the man before her decided to use the blade he was clutching at his side.

She knew now that surprising him by flinging the door open in such an abrupt manner was a bad mistake, but her reflexes took the better of her and she found herself unable to stop her feet from making the few inaudible steps and her hand from turning the knob.

His reaction, the strong feeling of endangerment, was alarming. It disturbed her to some extent to find that she was able to read some emotions and extract pictures from people's minds. And yet, something drove her to make that remark about his recent thoughts, as unwise as it was.

The air was still. Downstairs, her sensitive hearing was catching a slightly drunk but still friendly argument of two men. Nian focused. Tifa was confused, though that could easily be read from her face as well. She was also annoyed, and upset. He on the other hand, was impossible to read. As if he had sealed all his emotions and thoughts after her incriminating statement. But there was one thing she knew with certainty - he was a single step from shooting her dead.

She questioned her escape routes once more and, as her mind wandered off to find something helpful, she unexpectedly became aware of the cold metal of a weapon inside her jacket. A weapon she was sure she knew how to use with deadly efficiency.