Shade the Hero: Hello my wonderful, amazing readers! Have we got a surprise for you! Yes, you heard me. "WE" I've teamed up with a very new, yet talented writer on here, by the name of ScrewyGirl and we have such an amazing story planned for you guys! Now before you start to worry, please don't. This new story is not stopping my other stories anytime soon. Nightmare Undone is still right on track and so is Materias Reaction...well okay, that one hit a snag, but only because of a certain character that needed to be changed around a bit, but an update is still in the works! I want to thank you all again for your amazing support with that story, you guys are the best! :D Also, this story has a great movie trailer on youtube. A link will be posted on my profile and it's also on Screwygirl's profile too! Take it away my friend!

Co-author's note (screwygirl): I am so honored and beyond thrilled to be collaborating on this story with the talented fanfic writer, Shade the Hero! Thanks for reading, and I hope you all enjoy the ride!

Final Fantasy VII and all its amazing characters belong to Square Enix

Plot and All Original characters belong to us.

Enjoy!

-WHO'S THAT GIRL?-

Where am I? What is this place?

It matters not.

Why does it not matter?

Because you have been given life.

Life...

Life...a state of existing...consciousness...self-awareness...

Yes...yes, I have these things.

It is a gift. I will help you to use it.

Who are you?

I am the point from which you began.

I am from you?

Yes. You are...from me.

If that is true, are you my mother?

Yes. I am your mother.

Hello, mother.

Hello, my child.

Desolate. Empty. Barren. The wastes of Midgar were often described with these words. Any vehicle driving through kicked up so much dust that someone outside could certainly suffocate. Not much wild life inhabited these dark, abandoned lands, but monsters seemed to thrive in them. Recently, there had been a surge in strange creature populations; one person had reported seeing a Marlboro wandering around. For this reason, Tifa decided to borrow Barret's rundown truck to make her trip to Kalm.

She couldn't complain about her life in the last year. After the Great Gospel had rained down, she and Cloud became so much closer. Denzel emerged from the whole ordeal as a strong, optimistic pre-teenager and had started learning how to defend himself. Marlene began showing an interest in healing and medicine, being so compassionate. Business at 7th Heaven flourished, demanding a wider variety of spirits and food, hence the reason for her journey to Kalm. One of her regulars mentioned a man who imported a new type of wine, and Tifa had ordered a few cases from this man.

Her relationship with Cloud hadn't been perfect, though she didn't really mind it. He had always had a difficult time communicating with anyone, the battle-hardened warrior that he was, but they managed to work out their issues after Tifa pestered him mercilessly. She had resigned herself to this because when you love someone, you loved them, faults and all. There was always that small fear, however, that he would shut her out and simply leave. After all, he had done it before...that damn inclination to face his problems alone.

Denzel turned out to be such a quick study; Tifa worried that he might be getting a little overconfident. The pre-teen was constantly running into battles, which was okay locally, but he had yet to face adversaries that might have been too much for the young boy. Luckily, there weren't many monsters in the area that might be too advanced for the kid, and it was really good practice. It didn't stop Tifa from worrying, though. Sometimes at night, she would sneak into his room while he was sleeping and just watch him breathing, thankful that he was still alive.

Finally arriving at Kalm, Tifa hopped out of the truck and took in the view of the now bustling town. When she had first seen it, Kalm had been a quiet little village with a low population. Once Midgar was destroyed, people flooded to the closest area, looking for a place to call home. Its residents had really stepped up, doing their best to accommodate everyone, and in the end, the village grew to a fairly large town with high commerce.

Heading into one of the merchant shops, Tifa saw the burly owner standing behind the counter. His expression brightened at the sight of her.

"Tifa!" he exclaimed, clapping his hands together, "So nice to see you!"

"Hi, Corden," she greeted, smiling, "How's the wife?"

"Oma is great," he replied cordially, "She finally kicked that bug that's been goin' around."

"Glad to hear it," she said, walking towards the counter.

"How's Cloud and the kids?" he asked.

"They're fine," Tifa answered, leaning on the counter with one elbow, "You have my order?"

"Sure do, Tifa," he told her, "Need some help bringing it out?"

"That'd be great, Corden," she accepted the offer. Truthfully, she didn't need the help, but she wasn't about to turn it down, either. Corden left the room via the rear door and returned with three boxes, setting them down in front of Tifa. He repeated this three times for a total of nine boxes. By the time he was done bringing them out, Tifa had already brought half of them to the truck. Once they were finished, Tifa paid for the order.

"I can get plenty more," Corden informed her, "Just let me know if they're a success."

"I'll do that," Tifa nodded, "Take care, Okay, Corden?"

"You too, Tifa," he returned the well wishes, "Be careful out there in the wastes."

She walked out the door, waving goodbye over her shoulder. The moment she was outside she heard a small voice.

"Tifa! Tifa!"

Grinning, she knew who it was. Turning around, she spotted a small boy, around 7 years old running towards her. She adopted a shocked look on her face.

"No!" she cried in mock surprise, "Who is that? It can't be Jax! You are much too tall to be Jax!"

The child giggled, throwing his arms about her for a hug. She crouched down so that she was eye-level with him.

"It's me, Tifa!" he insisted, "I swear!"

"Jax?" she questioned, "You've grown at least a foot since I last saw you!"

"And I got more muscle, too!" the child boasted, holding up his arm for a proper display. Tifa reached out and touched his arm.

"Wow," she gasped, "That is a lot of muscle!"

Jax beamed with pride, staring up at her with those big green eyes.

"You just wait til I catch up to you, Tifa!" he announced, "When I do, I'm gonna marry you!"

She laughed, ruffling his black hair.

"I'll see you next time, Jax," she chuckled.

"Bye, Tifa!"

The boy dashed away, leaving Tifa with a grin on her face. Jax was one of the many chidren who were orphaned after the Omega incident. In Edge, one of Tifa's friends had started a sort of home for children who had lost their parents, but in Kalm, no such place existed. It was sad because Tifa knew of several who lived on the streets, but no one had thought to help them. Whenever Cloud visited Kalm, the kids flocked to him, and he and Tifa used that opportunity to bring food, clothing, and toys for them. She had to admit that it was kind of sweet the way kids reacted to Cloud.

She walked back to the truck, sat herself in the driver's seat, and began the four-hour drive back to Edge. It would probably be late afternoon by the time she got back, and, hopefully, Denzel and Marlene would have their homework done by that time. Sometimes, Cloud would start training sessions with Denzel before his school work, and then Tifa would have to keep Denzel up late to finish it. She had to admit, though, that the training was becoming a necessity with the strange appearances of monsters.

At first she had thought that it was only rumors. A man came to the bar one evening claiming that he had seen a gargoyle in the wastes. Cloud had reassured Tifa that gargoyles only lived up north and that there was no way one of them could be here. Later, a couple of guys were chatting about how they had been attacked by gremlins just outside Kalm. Again, Cloud explained that they were indigenous to the north. More and more claims of unlikely creatures appearing in the area started to spread, and it made Tifa more than a little nervous.

Finally, Tifa witnessed the oddities with her own eyes. As she was driving to Fort Condor for some supplies, she saw an adamantaimai ambling along right near Edge! She used her PHS to call Cloud, who immediately rode out to meet her. They both handled the monster easily, but others who were not trained for combat might not be able to protect themselves. From that point on, Cloud had taken it upon himself to start patrolling the area. He kept running into monsters that just didn't belong in the wastes.

Tifa was so lost in thought that she almost didn't see the pack of guard hounds dashing across the path of the truck. Out of reflex, Tifa yanked the wheel to avoid an impact with one of these creatures. She was pretty sure that Barret wouldn't appreciate hound guts embedded in the grill of his truck. Oddly enough, the hounds didn't seem to notice the truck, so Tifa braked hard, causing the vehicle to skid to the side.

With all the dust that had been kicked up, it was difficult for Tifa to see where they had gone. She waited for some of it to settle, and as it did, the silhouettes slowly appeared through the cloudy haze. She could barely make out the very large pack, but as the situation became clearer, Tifa suddenly realized, in horror, that the beasts were chasing someone.

She didn't even think about it. Tifa jumped into the truck, bringing it back to life. She stomped on the gas pedal, aiming her truck for the head of the pack.

'Hold on,' she thought at the stranger, accelerating Barret's truck to its top speed.

Just as Tifa rammed the truck into the pack leader three of the hounds jumped the stranger, pinning the person to the ground, attacking savagely. Rushing out of the truck, Tifa ran as fast as she could to the victim, whose shriek of pain rang in her ears. Each of the hounds raised their heads, as if they had just realized that the head of the pack was gone; Tifa used it to her advantage, landing a solid round-house kick to all three of them. She heard a sickly crunch as each of their necks snapped. With four of their pack mates dead, one of them being the alpha, the rest took off.

Tifa knelt down next to the cloaked girl, who had passed out either from the wounds on her leg and hip or from the sheer exhaustion of running from a pack of guard hounds. She couldn't just leave the poor girl here; the wastes were dangerous for people who couldn't handle themselves, not to mention she was injured. Those bites could become infected easily and quickly; guard hound bites were notorious for that. Tifa pulled the girl's arm around her neck, lifting her up and carrying her back to the truck, with some difficulty. Sliding her into the passenger seat elicited a moan from the girl.

"Can you hear me?" Tifa tried to wake her, but the mysterious stranger remained unresponsive. Something about the girl's face was familiar, but Tifa couldn't place it. She would have to think about that later.

She knew Cloud wasn't going to like this; he rarely liked the idea of bringing strangers home. With everything he had been through, Tifa understood his reluctance to trust people. He would have to understand, though. This girl was injured and helpless. He would do the same, and he would expect Tifa to accept his decision. If he could do it, so could she.

Cloud wiped his forehead with the sweat rag as he took a moment to appreciate his own handiwork. Tifa had left earlier that morning and asked him if he wouldn't mind setting up the new wine cooler she had bought to accommodate the new delivery of supplies she was picking up. It was quite a task to practically rearrange the entire garage to ensure there was space for the two massive coolers, plus the wine rack and the shelf for the rest of the bar supplies. Thankfully, Barret and Cid had helped him expand the garage a couple months back, making sure Tifa had room for her business, and Cloud still had room for his tools and work space for Fenrir and other pet projects.

Finally, things had quieted down after all the chaos and the blond warrior could finally move on with his life instead of constantly worrying if the world needed saving every other month. He swore, it was like Gaia had PMS or something. He couldn't hide the small smirk at that thought. It would have earned him a good smack on the shoulder from Aerith.

He took a swig from his coffee mug before rolling his shoulders and prepared to get back to work. Now that the new appliances and furniture were in their proper place he could start putting everything else back. He was five minutes into the task when the kids came outside.

"Need any help, Cloud?" asked Marlene, the ever-helpful sweetheart that she was.

"I'm good, thanks," he replied, figuring by the look on Denzel's face that the kids were about to head out somewhere. He wasn't gonna stop them and force them to help.

"We're headed downtown towards the new arcade they opened," the boy offered.

Cloud nodded as he lifted another box full of oddball stuff. "Just remember to stick close together."

"We will," Marlene promised with a smile as the kids took off.

"And be back in three hours to help Tifa," he called after them, but he was unsure if the excited duo even heard him. Oh well, he figured they were only young once. Better they enjoy themselves now. They especially deserved it after everything that had happened. Well, that was being selfish of him. All of the local kids had suffered in some way over the past few years.

From Kadaj and his gang, to GeoStigma, Sephiroth's return and the whole Deepground event, and then Meteor before all of that. Everyone had suffered for the last few years, but they also endured. Cloud's friends had gone well above and beyond to help get everyone back on their feet. They had their faults too, and could be a pain at times, mainly Yuffie, but he wouldn't trade them for the world, especially Tifa.

Not only had she known him since they were kids, but she was his rock. The anchor that kept him bolted down to reality. She had been right by his side when they marched into hell, and she was there to piece him back together. He wanted to tell her just how much she meant to him, but he wasn't sure if she felt the same. Sure, she was caring and showed him affection, but she did that for everyone. She might have felt something for him once, but he was afraid he had made her wait too long and she had given up on him and was just content to be roommates. He walked over to his workshop and opened one of the drawers, pulling out a small velvet box. He blew off the sawdust and wiped it off with a dry rag and was about to open it when he heard the sound of Barret's engine pull up and cut off.

Cloud blinked and turned his head before he heard Tifa's voice call out for his help. He shoved the box in his pocket and rushed out to meet her. First Tsurugi was stashed safely in Fenrir, but he didn't need his sword to dish out punishment if he needed to. Anything in Cloud Strife's hands was a deadly weapon.

"What's wrong," he asked as he hurried around the corner, only to see Tifa trying to help a girl out of the truck. The girl was out cold, and injured, from a quick glance. Cloud approached the two and relieved Tifa of the burden, allowing the brawling bar maiden to rush inside and grab the first aid kit. Cloud carried her through the open doorway and set her down on the couch. He didn't like the sweat that was coating her forehead and the side of her face, so he felt her head.

"Tifa, check for an infection; she's got a fever." He would have, but there were some things he wasn't good at, not to mention Tifa seemed to have that special touch with healing magic. He wasn't really bothered by it. He was unanimously voted the best swordsman of the group, so that was fine.

"Help me get this cloak off," Tifa told him. He carefully slid his arm under her back and lifted her to a sitting position while Tifa pulled the cloak from beneath the unconscious woman. As she handed it to him, Cloud could see the wounds on her left calf muscle and her upper right thigh, clearly the work of guard hounds. That explained the infection.

"What happened?" Cloud probed. He needed to know if this happened in the area and, more importantly, if the threat still existed.

Tifa flung the cap off of a bottle, pouring its contents onto a bandage. She leaned in closer to the girl.

"This may sting," Tifa whispered to her.

Placing the soaked cloth on the girl's wound only elicited a soft moan from her.

"I found her in the wastes," Tifa explained as she worked, "running from a pack of guard hounds."

Okay, so no threat near the city. Running from guard hounds, in the wastes? He looked down at the girl again, noticing she didn't have any shoes. What was she wearing? It looked sort of like one of those smocks you wear at a medical facility. What was she doing in the wastes? There were too many questions and not enough answers. Just as he was starting to enjoy the peace, something popped up, like always.

"Hand me a potion, please?" Tifa requested, holding out her hand. Placing the small vial in her palm, he turned his attention back to the stranger. Aside from the way she was dressed, there was something about her features that seemed...familiar. Pale skin...long silver hair...long silver hair?...His stomach lurched uncomfortably as his former nemesis popped into his mind. He studied her face carefully, comparing it to the image in his mind.

"Where's Marlene?" Tifa asked him, pouring small bits of the potion into the stranger's mouth.

"She and Denzel went to the new arcade downtown," Cloud explained, unable to stop staring at the girl.

"Probably for the best," Tifa set the vial down and began dressing the wounds.

Just as Tifa finished with the second dressing, the woman's eyes snapped open, and a sharp gasp escaped her as she abruptly sat up. Cloud didn't have time to register the intense luminosity of her eyes before a vision appeared in his mind. Denzel protectively stood in front of Marlene, backing her away from the advancing tonberry.

"Marlene, stay behind me!" he bravely yelled, holding out the small dagger Cloud had given him.

The tonberry continued to slowly advance...they were trapped! As the vision faded, he watched the girl pass out again.

"Tifa! They're in trouble!" Cloud didn't wait for her to follow him. Denzel and Marlene needed him, but he didn't know if he could get there in time. He heard Tifa's footsteps behind him as he ran at his top speed towards the alley. He had to make it! He couldn't fail! He wouldn't fail! Not again!

Five blocks later, he rounded the corner, the adrenaline surged through him the moment he saw Denzel on the ground, blood gushing out from his chest, a sobbing, terrified Marlene trying desperately to staunch the bleeding with her hands and refusing to leave Denzel's side. The tonberry stood right next to her, it's eyes flashing bright red as it raised the knife for that final deadly thrust.

"It's a master!" Tifa yelled to Cloud, arriving only a few steps after him. "What's a master doing here?"

"Doesn't matter!" Cloud hollered back, leaping in between Marlene and the tonberry, "Check the kids!"

Tackling the tonberry to push it away from the kids, Cloud instinctively reached for his sword, only then realizing it was still securely locked in Fenrir. A glint of metal on the ground caught his eye, and in that instant, he realized it was the dagger that Denzel had tried to wield. Just as he managed to scoop it up, the tonberry shook its lantern at him, and an intense agony ripped through his body, causing him to fall to one knee as a roaring static tore through his mind, forcing him to lose focus.

"Cloud!" Tifa screamed, dashing to his side to release a series of blows on the creature. Stumbling to his feet, the blond focused on the materia in his bangle, covering the agile little thing with a dark green membrane of poison. He glanced back at the kids to check on them, and the amount of blood pooling around them indicated that Denzel only had precious few moments left. Adrenaline exploded through him again, giving him the strength to stand and attack. With a strength that earned him the title of 'The Planet's Champion', Cloud drove the dagger down into the top of the tonberry's head, twisting the blade until he was certain it would never move again.

"He's...he's not...breathing!" Marlene cried, panic ringing clear through her tears.

"Tifa, take Marlene," Cloud instructed, keeping his voice as calm as possible. He delicately lifted the boy into his arms, rushing him back to the bar.

"Hang on, Denzel," he told the unconscious child. Once at 7th Heaven, Tifa hurriedly swept everything off the table near the couch, where the resting girl lay, and Cloud set Denzel on it. Fumbling inside his pack, he withdrew a phoenix down, placing it on the boy's chest while Tifa administered a hyper potion. He stared at the fiery bird's feather, willing it to do something, but it just sat there. Tifa, unable to control her own tears, pulled an almost hysterical Marlene into her arms.

Cloud simply backed away, his thoughts blurring together in a jumble of regret and hurt. His most painful memories flashed before his eyes, as if to torment him for his failure. Zack, bleeding and gasping for air...Aerith, impaled by Masamune...his mother, her skin blackened by soot...and now Denzel?...who thought of Cloud as his hero...whom he saved, took in, and raised...for what? To die anyway? All because he was too late to do anything. He felt his back against the wall as he stared at Denzel, he was dead and it was all Cloud's fault. He should have made them stay, should have accepted Marlene's offer to help. Now Denzel was dead and it was all his fault…

Suddenly, the girl Tifa had treated earlier sat up with a grunt as she opened her eyes. Cloud looked over at her, numb...empty. He could see tears streaming down her cheeks as she stared down at the boy. Placing a hand over his wound, a brilliant flare of cyan light filled the room, a light that felt like it seared into his eyes. He raised his hand in an attempt to shield his face.

It took a moment when the light vanished for Cloud's eyes to readjust, but when they did, his mouth fell open. Denzel was sitting up, his expression betraying his disorientation. He was alive! Cloud moved himself towards the table, placing a hand on Denzel's shoulder. Was he seeing things? No, Denzel was moving...breathing...completely fine! The kid shifted his eyes to look up at Cloud.

"I'm sorry, Cloud," he apologized, a hint of regret in his tone. "I tried to protect Marlene," he lowered his head in shame as he failed to hold back the tears of guilt, "but I wasn't strong enough."

Gaia, he sounded just like Cloud. The boy looked so defeated and his voice quivered with the guilt. The warrior pulled Denzel into a tight hug, stunning all those around him.

"You did exactly what a hero is supposed to do," Cloud told Denzel firmly, briefly thinking it was a lot like what Zack had done for him.

Denzel pulled out of the hug to look up at the strange girl on the couch. She smiled at him, and then without any warning whatsoever, her eyes rolled back, her body collapsing back down.

"Denzel!" Marlene exclaimed, running to him and embracing him. Tifa slowly followed, still stunned.

Cloud simply focused on the girl, concerned for her odd ailment but also for her strange abilities. Her appearance also had him on edge, but only because he wasn't sure how to feel. She looked so much like Sephiroth it was uncanny, yet her actions had been noble, and the look she gave Denzel...it was exuding relief and warmth, not malice or deviance. Just who was this girl?