I am running on smooth line at the moment. Lol with three Final Fantasy VII Advent Children stories up simultaneously. but i think the good thing is, for two of them, i already finished writing! so that leaves only one! this story i already finished writing, so it's just a matter of posting it up weekly.

Enjoy.

What is it like to be left behind? To be left alone.

The only light that shines is the sun that rises each day. Though yet, even the sun seems to be paler each day. It is the depression that the shining star sits through each day, as it watches an individual in the distance mourning quietly.

It is the human who finds it hard to speak her thoughts and instead quietly stores her pain inside. It builds on each minute as she stays awake, and finally when dusk comes, she tears. The water of her eyes leaking down her face and to her quivering lips. She sits waiting silently for him, with the hope of him returning one day.

Just maybe.

She tries her hardest, to not think of him. But each time she sits ready to go to sleep, her eyes would always find its way to the window. She would then stand up and make her way over to the window sill, where she'd sit and watch the quiet street fill itself with little people. She would wait forever for him, but in the end, he would never come. All she wants is to see him again, and to hear his voice. It is hard to wish for something she knew would never come true.

But still a wish is a wish, nothing could ever change that.

Sometimes the kids would watch her sitting there sobbing softly, and all they could do is stand by her and hold her hand. She would look at them and smile through her tears. It was a warm feeling each time they stood beside her in a quiet night. They were her only source of smile these days. Though she didn't have the love returned from another, she had love from two special kids.

"Tifa don't cry," Denzel would murmur softly to the older woman. His hand gently stroking her back, and then he would lean in gently and lay his small arms around her stomach.

Marlene would do the same, but what was different was that the little girl would sob along with the older woman. Together the little family would cry together, and shed tears over a man who never knew that it was him that caused pain. What an irony, he left with the reason to try and not cause pain to the ones he treasures.

The younger boy would stare at this woman before him with his heart silently breaking for her. If only he could go out there and find the drifting man and bring him home. Seeing Tifa smile is all he wants. If it meant running away from home, he would do so.

A best friend, still a best friend?

Morning would come later when she wakes to find herself surrounded by two small bodies on either side. Of course the blankets were already kicked off due to the hot weather of Midgar. But she didn't mind, what was hers was theirs too and if it meant sharing the bed, then so be it.

The day would come on longer as she wakes them up and watches them rush to the toilet. It would make her smile as she watches them fight over the smallest little things. But she knows those smiles would never replace the smile of seeing him. That smile was reserved and sacred. One that was locked away in her heart, waiting for the day that it would be released.

A rare smile.

She would catch Denzel staring at her from the side of her eyes sometimes. But it never bothered her. The boy had a strong ability to care for people; one that she knew was his best ability. He would sometimes come up to her and just ask her childish questions, just so that she would drift away from her thoughts.

"Tifa, why is a fridge called a fridge?" was one of Denzel's hard yet funny question.

"Why I don't know Denzel," she would suddenly smirk to him.

That was what she needed sometimes, a smile.

Care for me.

Days drifted into months, and into years. Still he never returns. Not even to say 'hi'. Would he ever know how much she cared for him? Was their childhood nothing but a memory? Their friendship broken due to his mistakes?

Slowly her face would go lower and lower, her strength also decreasing. The amount of food she ate never customized to her pain. Yet each day she would open up Seventh Heaven and serve the customers.

The daily and local customers would always ask Denzel about her, but he would always mumble the name of the pain. They would nod and understand straight away. All they could do was support them by giving them tips regularly.

Denzel had taken on the roll as buying the weekly groceries, as he noted that Tifa could be doing things better like resting rather than walking around. She would understand his judgment and stay at home with Marlene.

Life got worse as each day passed; she would grow weaker and weaker. Sometimes she took several minutes just to serve a cup of water, which of course Denzel and Marlene would step in and give a hand.

"Tifa maybe you should rest," a regular customer stood up and touched her hand genuinely.

"I.." her eyes fuzzed out. "I'm just tired," Tifa would mumble back quickly.

"Please," another customer would say to her, "Tifa just sit down for a moment."

"No," she fought back, clawing her way to stand up straight, but the blur in her eyes blinding her from things in front.

"Where are you?" Denzel softly whispers as he stares at the door hoping for him to step through it.

"I will be fine," Tifa mumbles again as she struggles to walk.

"Tifa you can't keep doing this," one male customer said to her as he took her hand gently.

She nods as she collapses slowly to the floor. The stranger's arms guiding her slowly to the floor. "Someone call an ambulance," one of the customers yell.

She stares up to the ceiling, pass Denzel's eyes and to the light.

"Where are you Cloud?" the boy read her moving lips.

The voices in her head and voices that surround her are similar yet she can't place her finger on it. Blinking her eyes open she just manages to see a clear view of a familiar figure at the window.

"Vincent?" she whispers in a question.

"Yeah, that's Vincent," a voice said next to her.

She turned her head to the side to see a young woman staring back at her.

"Yuffie?" she smiles.

"You scared us girl," Barret coughed.

Tifa smiled slowly as she set eyes on the man.

"Good 'ol wakey huh?" Cid cooed with a smile.

Her smile faded when she thought of him again. When she needed him, he was never there. All she had was herself and her friends. But all she wanted was him.

"We should um," Barret nodded, "let you rest."

"Where's the kids?" Tifa whispered quickly before Yuffie stood up.

Yuffie smiled and took Tifa's hand, "Tifa I think Denzel is one great kid, you deserve a medal for bringing him up," she said.

Tifa was lost in confusion at that. One great kid? What did he do?

"You will understand soon Tif," Vincent laid a warm hand on her shoulder and nodded before walking out the room.

"You should rest, I'll send Denzel up, he'll tell you," Yuffie smiled widely and left quickly.

"Little 'ady, get better ey?" Cid smiled widely before chuckling on his way out.

Quiet had entered the room again. Silent thoughts she tried so hard to pack away were surfacing too soon. When would this sadness end? Will she ever be happy again? What did happen after she fainted?

She squinted her eyes as she glanced at the window, outside was the grey sky above. Grey and dull, just like her, she thought.

"Tifa," the boy's voice startled her for a moment as she fixed her eyes on the door.

Denzel stood there nervously, his hand plastered on the wall and eyes fixed on the floor. Slowly he lifted his head so his eyes could peek their way through his hair.

"Denzel," she held her hand out to him.

He walked like a nervous child did and stood beside her.

"After you fainted," he began, looking into her eyes now, "I left Marlene in charge," he stopped and shrugged.

She nodded for him to continue.

"And I went to that white chapel filled with roses, I thought maybe if I went searching I could find him," Denzel said slowly.

"Did you?" Tifa asked with curiosity. There was still a part of her that had hope.

Denzel shook his head, "No I didn't."

"Denzel it's okay, I think I've realized that he just isn't coming home but still there will always be a part of me that will hold on to that hope," Tifa explained slowly to the child.