Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII or its characters.

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Awakenings

Cold...

...it's...so...dark...

"So, you're here..."

That voice...

...Why can't I move?

"Relax; it's almost time for you to wake up."

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The smell of incense gently brought him from the depths of unconsciousness. Returning to the world of the actively aware did not come without its price, however, and this price was almost too painful for him to pay. Memories of all that had recently happened tainted his awareness and burdened him to the point where he longed to once again embrace the utter darkness that he had just awakened from. His breath slightly quickened and one word escaped his lips.

"Tifa..."

Startling blue eyes snapped open and strong muscles propelled their body into action. Bolting upright, his forehead collided with a familiar form bending down over him.

"OW!" Large brown eyes squinted in indignation while the girl's hand flew to her nose. "What the heck did ya do that for?" Yuffie then whirled around and stomped out of the room, her muttering of "spiky-headed jerk..." just barely audible above her loud exit.

Cloud rubbed his forehead as he lay back down. His initial surprise at seeing Yuffie faded as he thought about the group's destination decision onboard Cid's airship. Staring without seeing at the decorative ceiling tiles, his mind once again flew to the images burned into him from the deck of the airship. I let her die... He convulsed as an involuntary shudder ran through him. Just as I let everyone else down... Strong hands gripped the tangled sheets surrounding him. And I...I couldn't even get the one who did it to her... His eyes blinked, as if to ward off the onset of tears, but no moisture came forth. What kind of monster am I? Any normal person would be crying right now...why...why can't I? Shaking his head furiously, he tried to clear it of the guilty thoughts running rampant. How could I have let this happen...she'd still be here if it weren't for my interfering. He shut his eyes against the all too familiar pain. Then, he released his grip upon the bed and sighed softly as the rest of his body went slack from the wave of exhaustion that tore through him. The welcoming blackness opened again and this time, nothing stopped him from succumbing to the emptiness of the void.

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Three figures stood silently in the room adjoining Cloud's. Cid moved as if to speak, but it was Yuffie who broke the silence first.

"...And I didn't even do anything to him!" She complained, wiggling her nose and huffing. "I was even considering being nice for a change...not that he really deserves it..."

"The kid's not to blame for anything..." Cid inhaled deeply from his cigarette before continuing. "One of my crewmen said he saw everything from his bunk. While he said the guy who did this to..." He paused and turned away, crossing his arms. "... he said the other guy looked like Cloud, he also said that Cloud charged out there to battle this other 'Cloud'."

Darren stole a quick glance at the pilot before returning his gaze to the floor. It was too all sad and confusing to follow for him. He hadn't believed it when they had searched the waters below the ship again for Tifa. She'd always been one of the nicest and strongest persons that he'd ever met. He felt as if the world had turned upside down. Another glance around the room showed him that the others felt the exact same way. Still, all his remorse couldn't hide his surprise when a large, fiery-furred creature entered the room, followed by a tall, dark, red-cloaked man.

"Red! Vincent!" Yuffie's face transformed from anguish to excitement in the space of a minute. "Gosh, it's been forever since I've had so many familiar faces around!" Then, seeing the solemnity of the situation once again, she dug the toe of her shoe into the floor and said. "Oh...sorry..."

"Yah heard all that happened?" Cid questioned of the newcomers.

"Yes, we were apprised of the situation..." Vincent replied, then casting his stare towards the only other door of the room they were in. "He is in there, then?"

Cid only nodded, chewing on his cigarette.

Nanaki's good eye turned on Darren. "And you must be Darren?" He said quietly.

Darren could only nod as well, though his speechlessness was spawned more from awe than remorse. He would've never believed that he would one day be standing in the same room as almost the entire group of the mighty force AVALANCHE, who had saved the world from not only Meteor and Sephiroth, but a gigantic Bahamut dragon and three destructive clones too.

"Well, we thank you for your timely appearance and in bringing this matter to light." Nanaki then sat and lowered his head in thought. "What else did your crewman see, Cid? ...I heard your story from the hallway as we entered."

"Well, he said that Cloud and...Uh...the other one fought around a bit. Each of them traded a couple hits, then the stared at each other, probably talking...my crewman wasn't close enough to make out any words, but the other guy must've said somethin' awful to Cloud, cause then Cloud attacked the killer with a limit break...I know this is true, cause I felt the ship rock as if we were hit by somethin'..." Cid shook his head at the thought, then went on. "Anyways, the other guy hung on the rail for a split second, then fell off... I arrived just as Cloud passed out, and he's been unconscious up until recently."

"Yeah...he woke up and broke my nose!" Yuffie stomped her foot angrily. Then, to their dubious looks. "Ok...maybe not broke, but it hurts like---"

"If he's awake, I think we should share our side of the story with him..." Vincent interrupted. "We do not have time for idleness, for it appears that danger threatens the planet yet again...and Cloud may be in the middle of it, once more..."

The gunman opened the door to Cloud's room, but seeing the blonde warrior resting, closed it while turning back towards his companions. Shaking his head, Vincent simply stated "At a later time, perhaps..."

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...Why am I here?

"Don't you remember? I will help you then..."

I...remember pain...and wind...rushing wind...

A soft caress. "You see? Not all that hard."

...I still don't understand...

"I want to give you the peace you deserve...but it's never that easy, is it?"

...it's not so cold anymore...I still can't see anything, though.

"Like I told you, it's only a little while longer..."

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With a crash, he slammed open the doors to the mansion's main hall. Not pausing in his long stride he turned towards the upper floor and practically leapt up the giant stairway. Entering the last room in the hallway in the right wing, he threw open a hidden door in the wall. Taking two steps at a time, he descended a long spiral staircase made dangerously unsteady by long years of neglect. Halting only to viciously impale one of the two-headed zombie-like creatures to inhabit the long dark hallway he now entered, he made sure it would never move again before resuming his journey into the large library in the basement of the Shinra Mansion. Attracted by his loud entrance, several pairs of glowing eyes marked his appearance into the room. The killer with Cloud's features chuckled evilly as he noticed the attention was upon him.

"It's done..." he sneered at the others in the room.

"Good..." stated a sinister voice from the office off to one side of the large room. "Then he is coming, I can assume?"

"I did everything according to plan...I even added a little extra...persuasion..." at this, the murderer laughed loudly, remembering how pathetic the woman from the bar had seemed...at the end of his sword.

"Fine, but your work is not yet done...not until he is stopped." The shadowy figure in the office motioned to the entire group in the library. "Now, we just have to wait...the secondary stage of our plan is initiated..."

The killer swung the masamune swiftly through the air before bowing rigidly and exiting the library. The others in the room soon followed suit and left the figure in the office alone.

"Now then, Strife...the move is yours..."

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...Aeris?...

"Hmm?"

What exactly is happening now?

"Nothing good, I'm afraid. This killer and his companions...they've found a way to corrupt the natural order of things. Things that should have happened didn't...and some things that shouldn't have happened...did happen."

... like what?

A soft giggle. "It's ok, soon you'll find our friends, and you'll sort it all out together."

...thanks...

"For what?"

...for everything...and I'm sorry...

"Come on, you have nothing to be sorry for..."

...Yes, I do...I really...envied you...for a while...and I never got to tell you...

"Tell me what?"

...how much you meant to me...to all of us...

Another giggle. "It's ok...you know..."

...what's ok?

"About Cloud..."

...oh...

"Alright! It's about time for you to go then...Just remember to be careful, I can't always be looking out for everyone like this..."

You've done so much already...I'm ready to do my part...

The presence started to fade away. "Oh, and one more thing..."

...Anything...

"Be their strength again. The upcoming battle will be tough, but, if everyone holds together...it'll be alright."

Thanks again...for everything you've done for us...I realize not everyone gets a second chance, and I'm going to make mine worth it!

"I know you will...Tifa..."

Warmth...

Water...

Breath...

Life...

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A/N: Well, this one's a little shorter, and sadly lacking of any action...but I suppose you need a plot in all of this...and can it get any thicker? Next chapter, though...it's reckoning time! Angry Cloud...Angry, Returned Tifa...and the crew all back together again. Darren even gets in on the action. But that's next time...so, if you'd be so kind...

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