Koinu: Sorry this took so long. I just couldn't start writing. So yeah, thats my lame excuse... XD

Okay, this is the sequel to The Amarimono and if you haven't yet read that then I sugest you do. This also comes after the one-shot semi-sequel I did, Amari: Within the Life Stream. I highly sugest you read those before continuing with this.

I do not own Advent Children. If I did, Zack would be the main character and total chaos would rein supreme.

Eclipse of Memories

Chapter One

It was the light that made him awake. There was no pain, no anguish, just the pleasant knowing of being alive.

Kadaj sighed and took a deep breath without opening his eyes. He could feel a hard wood floor beneath him and the warmth of the sun on his face. He smiled, eyes still closed. They were back, and things would be different this time. He no longer heard Mother's voice within his head, no longer felt the pull towards Reunion. No, they were back and things were going to be very, very different.

Letting another light sigh escape his lips, he finally willed himself to open his eyes. Biting back a startled yelp he quickly raised a hand to shield his mako colored eyes from the blinding sun that had warmed him and lulled him out of his sleep. But, looking up at the ceiling, he found that this place was slightly familiar… Oh yes, this was the place where the healing water had come forth to help Cloud; This was the Church, Her Church.

He sat up suddenly, his eyes darting about frantically, searching for his brethren. A spike of fear went through him, then subsided and was covered by sudden relief. There, only a few feet away, sprawled seemingly in comfort on the ground, were Yazoo and Loz. But, once again his gaze swept the church, his eyes hard and questioning, there was one missing from his family: Liz. His younger sibling, his sister, was nowhere to be found.

Confusion taking a firm hold on him, Kadaj rose to his feet with a liquid grace that mimicked Yazoo's usual movements. The youngest of the brothers moved quietly, trying not to wake his brothers. He strode about the church, muffled thumps the only evidence of his moving about, his eyes still searching, searching…

And still he could not find her.

He had searched every corner, around every pile of rubble, and had even stared into the depths of the pool of healing water. Liz was nowhere. There was no sign of their sister anywhere, no trace of their sibling. It was if she had never truly existed outside of their imaginations and supposed memories.

"Liz…?" Kadaj called out and was surprised to find that his voice was almost more of a sob than anything. "Sister?" Again he called out, hoping for an answer, a mocking laugh, scornful words that told him that he would never make a good detective. But there was still nothing.

Wasn't she here? She had been the one that had convinced Aeris to send them back to the world of the living, and so it made no sense that she was missing.

"Kadaj?" More statement then question, Yazoo's use of his name almost made Kadaj jump. His brother had appeared at his side without his noticing, and now the elder of the two stood there, regarding the younger with questioning eyes.

"She's… not here…" Kadaj finally muttered. He sounded defeated.

Yazoo nodded and took his brother into his arms, cradling him as Kadaj tried not to cry. Yazoo hadn't seen Kadaj like this in years, not since they were children. But he knew Kadaj wouldn't cry. No, he couldn't cry, that was Loz's job…

Loz's job… that's what Liz had said that time, when the four of them had had their first real conversation.

"It's okay, brother…" Yazoo said soothingly, absently stroking his brothers head. "It's okay… I know… I know… Don't worry, we'll find her."

Everyone was at Seventh Heaven, talking and having a good time. Everyone except Vincent Valentine, that is. He wasn't much for the talking and having fun, though a slight smirk would cross his face from time to time, only to be dashed as Yuffie pointed it out to everyone else.

"Are you guys going to stay here all night?" Tifa asked with a laugh. Her eyes shone with the pleasure of having her friends here, having a good time.

A chorus of "yes" and "yep" and then an "it's not night anymore" came from the odd assemblage, which caused Tifa to laugh some more.

"Okay then." She laughed. "Then you're paying for the celebration beer. It's not on the house." There were at least two groans of complaint in reaction to this.

"Come on Tifa," Cid lit up another cigarette, "Don't be like that."

"Cid, you bum," Yuffie chirped, swinging her legs back and forth as she perched on the bar. She wasn't drinking tonight, "don't be so cheap!"

There was another chorus of agreement to back up Yuffie.

"What if I write you an 'I owe you'?" Barret asked.

There was an outburst of laughter, and even Denzel and Marlene, who had been busy petting Nanaki, joined in.

All except for Cloud and Vincent, but Vincent was excused from laughter. He was Vincent anyway, no one knew if he even knew how to laugh.

"Hey Cloud?" Tifa waved a hand in front of the blonde's face. "Cloud?"

Cloud blinked a few times, as if coming out of a trance. "Yeah Tifa, what is it?"

Tifa sighed, putting her hands on her hips. "Are you okay? You've been out of it all evening."

"It's not evening." Came another chorus. Tifa shook her head, trying not to laugh.

Cloud shook his head. "No, everything's alright…"

"You sure?" Tifa asked, getting in Cloud's face, smiling all the while.

"Of course Tifa, what could be wrong?" Cloud replied. "The Remnant's are gone, Sephiroth's been taken care of, the majority of the Geostigma cases have been cured… Everything's great."

Tifa frowned slightly as she looked at Cloud. He sighed and stood up, heading for the door.

"I'm going to go to the church, anyone want to come?" Cloud called over his shoulder.

"I'll go!" Denzel stood with a smile and a laugh. Tifa nodded, smiling once again.

"Marlene and I will meet you two there… I gotta kick these bums out first." She said, laughing as yells of disapproval went up around her.

Pain… Why was there pain? She couldn't remember.

Liz's body ached all over. Her eyes were tightly shut, as if in an effort to shut out the pain. She tried to move; only to have another wave of nauseating pain tell her to stay still. She moaned slightly.

Where was she? The rocky ground that jutted into her back and the cold, misty air were both new to her. Or, new to her in her waking state.

What was she doing here? The last thing she remembered being in her house in Nibleheim. It had been the day before her eighth birthday, but she had been busy making sandwiches for someone… who was it? Oh, why couldn't she remember? Then, it struck her, and she would have laughed at the stupidity of it. Sephiroth. She had been making sandwiches for him, for lunch.

Without warning, she felt a hand on her cheek. It was leather clad and cool. She wished for it to stay. Then, the hand left her and wisps of hair fell gently across her face instead as whoever it was leaned over her. The hand returned though, gently tracing the contours of her neck before stopping and pressing down slightly, searching for a pulse. She whimpered slightly at the pain.

The hand drew away and returned to her cheek, cupping the side of her face in a comforting way.

"Liz…?"

Oh, that voice. She knew it well and the concern it held made her heart swell with something close to pride. She had always wanted him to recognize her, and now he did, although these weren't the exact circumstances under which she would have liked.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly and with some force. Her protector drew away, a slight, satisfied smile on his lips. The remnant smiled despite the pain and found her voice.

"Sephiroth."

Koinu: Uh-oh, this doesn't look good. Liz is in Sephy's clutches! -laughs- Okay everyone, you know what comes now. Review if you like it, don't read this if you don't.