Chapter 2: Departure

"I'm here," he said softly, "I won't go anywhere. So if something is troubling you, you can always tell me."

I smiled a little and hug him back, "I'm fine, really."

He didn't say anything, but held me against him even closer, "I love you."

NORMAL POV

Cloud let out a small sigh as he stared up at the crescent moon from his bedroom window. He looked over to his alarm clock on the nightstand. 'Midnight,' he thought and then looked over to the calendar on the door, 'Two years really have gone by. I felt like it was only yesterday that I fought with Sephiroth.'

He looked up at the window when a sudden gush of wind blew against it. "I wonder, would you have been angry with me for loving Tifa," he asked, "Aerith."

NEXT MORNING
Tifa stared absent-mindly at the breakfast she was making. She doesn't know why but ever since yesterday, she has been getting this feeling that something was about to happen. She quickly sighed and kicked the feeling back into the darkest corner of her mind, "Breakfast is ready," she said loudly for everyone to hear.

She turned off the stove and set the pancakes onto the plates, which she had already set down earlier.

Denzel and Marlene were first to show, and then Cloud appeared a few seconds after them. As usual, Denzel and Marlene sat on one-side of the four-seated dinner table and Cloud and Tifa on the other side.

"I can never get tire of your food, Tifa," Denzel said cheerfully.

She gave him a smile, "Thank you."

"Vincent called," Cloud said quietly to Tifa, "I have to leave on mission for a few days."

She frowned, "What kind of mission?"

Cloud looked over to Denzel and Marlene, telling them to leave the two adults alone for a moment with his eyes. They nodded and took their plates as they left the room together.

Once he was certain they were out of hearing-range, he turned back to her, "Vincent detected an unknown source of power near the ruins of Jenova Research Institute (AN- Sorry I don't know what the name of the place Sephiroth was born). He doesn't know what it was but he said he had never felt anything like it."

Tifa looked down at her food, which proved to be more interesting at the moment, "I… I guess I'll pray for your safety then."

Cloud frowned at her, "You're not going to stop me from going?"

She looked up at him, "What do you want me to say? I know you will still go even if I ask you not to."

His eyes soften and he gently moved a strand of hair away from her eyes, "I'm sorry," he smiled sadly at her, "It seem that even now, I still can't make you happy."

She quickly shook her head, "No," and grasped his hands in hers, "I have never been so happy in my life. Until I met you, I was never truly happy. I was always alone. I don't even know who I am. But then I met you… and I came to realize just who I'm really am. Not once had I cy since then, so, "she gave his hands a gentle squeeze, "please don't say you can't make me happy. You've done plenty."

He finally gave her a genuine smile and leaned his forehead against hers, "I promised to try harder."

She smiled, "Okay."

SCENE CHANGES

Vincent stared at the ruins of the once so high and mighty Institute. He looked around; trying to sense the unknown power he had felt earlier. However, right after he had called Cloud, the power suddenly vanished. He try going to multiple places of the ruins; trying to pick up another wave of that power, but no matter where he looked, he couldn't sense anything.

He frowned and leaned down to pick up a glass shard, 'what is going on? Sephiroth has finally been defeated, so why did this place start acting up? Just what is going on?'

SCENE CHANGES

Tifa handed Cloud his sack for the journey ahead of him. It'll probably take him three days to get to the ruins and then a week there with Vincent and another three days back. She frowned and waited for him to strap the sack around him. Once he was done, he looked up at her, "I'll be going now. Take care of Denzel and Marlene."

She nodded, "Okay, but promise me you're return."

He gave her a reassured smile, "I promise I will return," he reached out to touch her cheek, "I don't want to see you cry ever again."

She smiled softly and touched the hand on her cheek, "Just be safe."

He nodded and withdrew his hand. She moved away a few steps to give him space. He turned on the engine and tested the gas. "Tell Vincent I said hi," she said. He nodded again, "I'll see you," he said before driving off into the distance. She continued to wave until she couldn't see him anymore.

SCENE CHANGES

Vincent carefully made his way towards the heart of the ruins, where Jenova had previously been kept in captivation. By now, her body had rotted away and had become nothing but ashes, scattered around the universe. He moved aside a long pipe that used to connect with the main system –which is the thing that kept Jenova alive and sealed. Once Vincent got the rumbles out of his path, he quickly made his way towards the center. However, he didn't get close to the center.

For in the center, there was a capsule that remained unbroken. Though it was laying half-way in rumbles, the upper half was clouded in dust. Vincent pulled out his gun and cautiously made his way toward the capsule.

A sudden gush of wind blew passed him, almost sent him flying back. 'So this is what I was sensing,' he thought, 'This place have completely broken apart, yet this capsule continued to lived. What exactly did those bastards created?'

Beep! He instinctually stopped in his track and listened as the beeping continued. "What's going on," he asked no one in particular.

"Number LXX activate," a mechanic voice –a girl voice by the way- said from an unknown location.

Vincent frantically looked around the surrounding, trying to find where the voice is coming. Beep! He automatically turned back to the capsule, which is beginning to glow. "Awaken Sephiroth," the mechanic voice said.

"What? No," Vincent charge towards the capsule, ready his gun for shooting. 'I don't get what is going on, but I need to stop to the awakening,' he quickly aimed, "Go!" he shot straight at the capsule.

Boom! The bullets hit the capsule dead on, causing it to explode. Vincent waited impatiently for the smoke to clear, ready his gun again in case he need it. His eyes, however, widen when they landed on the silky strands of silver hair.

"It has been a long time, Vincent."

"Sepiroth," he breathed, barely audible.

AN- I AM SORRY IF THERE IS ANY GRAMMAR PROBLEMS. I'M JUST TOO LAZY TO REREAD THE CHAPTER. ANYWAY, I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THE STORY AND PLEASE REVIEW!