Imagine there's no Heaven, It's easy if you try.

No hell below us , above us only sky.

Imagine all the people, living for today.

Imagine there's no countries, it isn't hard to do.

Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too.

Imagine all the people, living life in peace.

You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.

I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will live as one.

- Imagine, John Lennon

Enjoy. An Angel of Sorts.

For the both of us

You're gonna

Live.

You'll be

My living legacy

My honour

My dreams

They're yours now.

Zack's bloodstained form hung suspended in midair, like a stringless puppet. His eyes were dark voids, his

mouth hung open limply, blood trickling down his chin.

"Why did you let me die?" He moaned, his dead eyes filled with hatred.

"I protected you, and all you did was watch the life bleed out of me."

Cloud backed up, tears filling his eyes. "I'm sorry Zack, I didn't want-"

"I'm sorry won't cut it this time. I'm sorry doesn't erase the fact that you killed me Cloud."

"Z-Zack-"

"I thought we were friends Cloud. I thought- that friends protected each other." Zack turned his back.

"I guess nothing lasts forever, does it Cloud. You think your life is more important than mine because I'm

a monster? What possessed me to have a friend like you?"

A skeletal wing burst from Zack's shoulder.

"Goodbye Cloud. I hope the Lifestream throws you back into the darkness where you belong. The Lifestream is a place for fallen angels. There isn't room for traitors."

"But Zack!"

But where Zack had been, now stood a lifeless corpse, mutilated from the elements.

It turned, hollow eyes boring into him. Its mouth fell open, and blood poured from its eye sockets and mouth, filling up the blackness around him until it drowned him in hot sticky waves. He tried

to scream, but his cries were drowned in the blood of the fallen, and he was lost in a sea of scarlet memory.

_____________________________

Tifa shot up, awoken by a frightened moan. Cloud was clutching onto her arm with a death grip, he was breathing rapidly, and thin sheen of sweat covered his pale face.

Tifa gently ran her hand through his soft spikes, trying to calm him. His eyes were moving rapidly beneath their lids, and he was biting his lip so hard he drew blood.

"It was only a nightmare Cloud, you're safe." She cooed quietly.

He calmed a little, the corners of his mouth turning a little to resemble a pitiful frown. Tifa smiled, and remembered something that had many a time made him smile when they had played

together as children...

There was a gentle knock on her bedroom door.

"Come in." Tifa called from her piano bench, turning and watching as Cloud stepped awkwardly into the room.

"Hey Cloud!" Tifa welcomed with a large smile. The corner of Cloud's mouth turned into a half-smile at Tifa's greeting.

He held forward a plate of cookies. "Here, my mom made these for you."

Tifa smiled, "Thanks!" Cloud nodded in goodbye, turning towards the door.

"You need to smile more." Tifa said, standing up and walking over to Cloud, "It's good for your health."

Cloud frowned a little, turning back to Tifa. "I smile." He said, feigning annoyance.

Tifa crossed her arms. "Show me!" Tifa said, a smile of her own growing as Cloud looked at her in disbelief.

"Tifa-" he blushed.

"Oh, c'mon Cloud, there's gotta be some way to get you to smile." Cloud's right eyebrow raised and Tifa giggled at his confused and slightly panicked expression.

He was so cute when he did that.

Tifa walked closer to Cloud, grabbing his hand and sitting him down at the piano bench. At this point, he looked as if he were about to faint.

"Okay Cloud, just think of something that makes you happy." She said, sitting down beside him and running her fingers over the ivory keys of the grand piano.

Cloud nodded stiffly, staring at the piano in front of him. Tifa played a note, and Cloud jumped in surprise.

"Calm down Cloud." Tifa laughed, "You think, and I'll play, okay?" Cloud nodded, embarrassed and closed his eyes. Tifa played.

She watched his face as she played. At first his face was set in concentration, but as she got further into the melody, his face relaxed, and a smile played at the corners of his mouth.

It began to widen until he actually laughed. His eyes shot open in fright, as if not believing the sound had escaped his lips.

Tifa stifled a giggle, afraid Cloud would be offended, but couldn't hold it in, it was just too cute.

She burst out laughing, Cloud looked at her confusedly and slightly frightened as tears started rolling down her cheeks.

"Tifa- are you-" She tried to calm herself, but took one glance at Cloud's expression and fell into a fit of laughter.

Cloud's face flushed in embarrassment, but his own smile could resist creeping onto his face, and he joined her until they were both gasping for breath.

It was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard, and she wanted more than anything to hear it again. I want to hear you laugh again Cloud.

She continued stroking his cheek, beginning to hum the very same song she'd played for him that day.

Once he'd resumed a peaceful breathing pattern, she got up, stretching her sore back.

"I'll be right back Cloud." She whispered to him, patting his hand gently and walking downstairs.

_______________________________________

The floor was soaked in partially dried blood, smeared all the way to the staircase, up the wooden stairs and on the sides of the wall.

"I might as well get to work. It'll stain if I don't get it off soon enough." She mumbled to herself, not believing the sheer amount of blood that had come from Cloud's body.

She yawned, rooting around in the closet for a mop.

She poured the contents of the bucket onto the floor and set to work.

Cleaning, for some reason, was a task in which she sought solitude. A time to think, mull over what had happened, and take out any bottled up feelings on the stains she had to practically

beat from the carpets, counters or floor.

She started at the top of the stairs, making her way down, periodically checking on Cloud to make sure he was okay. The submerged herself in her work, imagining every stubborn stain

was one of the people who did this to Cloud, making sure it got the punishment it deserved.

Although she reasoned I probably wouldn't use a mop to beat the crap out of them.

She stopped when she reached the door.

A broadsword was lying there, absolutely doused in blood.

There were two holes by the base, and oddly enough, a tattered pink ribbon was tied tightly around the base of the wrapped hilt.

"I guess its Cloud's." She said, bending down to pick it up. She wrapped a cloth around her fingers and grabbed the bloodied hilt, balking when she tried to lift it.

This thing's got to weigh over a hundred pounds! It must've meant a lot to Cloud, carrying it all the way from wherever he was to here. After several tries, she managed to hoist it up and lean it up against the wall by the door.

"This sword must be reallyimportant." She said, out of breath from picking it up alone. She put away the cleaning supplies and put on a pot of mushroom soup, running up to the

bathroom to clean the blood from her hands.

_________________________

Flint could see the first shapeless lump in the distance. Midgar was a day's ride away.

"We'll be there by nightfall." Flint said to Fenrir, his dry throat hoarse from lack of use.

He dismounted, leaving the reins slung on Fenrir's back and whistling for Fifer. He gently unclasped his bridle, leaving it on the desert floor and scratching the Chocobo's nose.

"It's high time you were free Fifer." He said, rubbing the bird's head and earning a gentle wark. He looked into the Chocobo's emerald green eyes, and could tell the Chocobo understood

he meant goodbye. Fenrir gave a sorrowful wark, and nipped the other bird affectionately, earning a return wark. Fifer threw up his head and crowed excitedly, giving Flint a playful nudge

and sprinting across the desert ground, leaving behind only a cloud of dust in his wake.

Fenrir gave a low whistle that echoed across the plains, and Flint mounted once more, gently urging Fenrir into a careful trot towards Midgar. "Ready Fen?"

Fenrir gave a warbling wark and sped up, lifting his wings and digging his claws into the dirt.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

She went back upstairs after cooling the soup and carefully hoisted Cloud up into a half-sitting position against her.

She tilted his head back, exposing the pale skin of his neck, and poured small amounts at a time, making sure he swallowed before giving him more.

He only managed to get one mouthful down before groaning in pain.

"It must hurt." She said, carefully laying his body back down on the couch and placing a cool hand on his forehead.

He stirred, slightly out of breath, not opening his eyes but slowly regaining a slight consciousness. "How did I get here?" he mumbled groggily, pressing his burning forehead into her palm,

a small amount of relief his reward.

"I'm not sure, but you're safe now. No one can hurt you." Tifa said, happy Cloud had managed to regain a couple brief moments consciousness.

Cloud let a small sigh escape his lips. "Are you- an angel?"

Tifa, despite the circumstances, blushed.

She gave a small laugh. "Of sorts." She said softly, watching as Cloud's neck relaxed, his head falling into the pillow as he was pushed back into blissful unconsciousness.

________________________________________________________________________________

Tifa walked downstairs, still blushing. She sat on one of the empty bar stools, picking up the picture that was worn from years of caressing in gentle fingers and slightly faded from the light taking its toll, endlessly the subject of her reminiscence. The only picture she had of Cloud.

She laughed, looking at the goofy smile she was wearing and Cloud's face, the hint of a blush present as Tifa wrapped her arm around him.

Oh Cloud. Where has the time gone?

Tifa paused.

Will he- even remember me? He must've seen so many women while he was in SOLDIER. I wonder- if he's changed. She gently chewed on her lip in thought.

Have I changed?

She stared at her warped reflection on the plate she was absent-mindedly scrubbing, and furrowed her brow.

Of course he remembers me. She reasoned. Why else would he have come into the Seventh Heaven?

____________

Cloud could feel a cool hand on his forehead.

He felt hot and sticky, like the inside of his head was burning up, and he was trapped inside. Faraway, beyond the endless darkness, he could hear a familiar song being hummed- but for the life of

him, he couldn't remember where it was from. It reminded him of Nibelheim- so familiar.

His fevered mind kept submerging him in flashes of memory, forcing him to relive short moments of a fragmented past-

Needles- Mako- Nibelheim- Hojo- Test tubes - Blood- Pain- Screams- Gunpowder- Zack- Pain- Light- Darkness- Singing- Blissful unconsciousness.

He pressed his forehead into the cool palm. 'How did I get here?' He wondered, surprised when he heard his own dry voice, distant, but there nonetheless.

'I'm not sure, but you're safe now. No one can hurt you.' A gentle voice replied.

I must be in the Lifestream...

'Are you- an angel?' he asked, the question swirling confusedly in his mind.

The voice laughed softly. 'Of sorts.'

Satisfied for the time being, he let his mind drift away, the cool hand ever present, into a numbing sleep, devoid of any dreams, any memories, just darkness, and nothingness itself.

There you are, An Angel of Sorts. Hope you enjoyed, and thankyou to all my reviewers. Still not the last chapter, so stay tuned:) Anyways, I hope to have another chapter up soon, thankyou to all who've read and and enjoyed :D

Lucifer