This is my version of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. I don't own any of the characters or the plot since Square-Enix owns them all. The only thing I have here is my version of the movie and most of that is based on the trailers and what not (I've started writing this before the movie came out so if there's any discrepancies to what you'll be seeing on screen, don't flame me). Enjoy the chapter and please review if you haven't.

FreeCorpKnight: Guess what! I've spent FOUR hours watching the Advent Children trailers!

Yuffie Kisagari: C-R-A-Z-Y (shakes head)

Everyone: (nods)

FreeCorpKnight: (goes off and cries in a corner)

--- Midgar ---

Flowers. That was the first thing he saw when he woke up. His blue eyes blinked at the sight of tulips blooming before him. 'So beautiful…' He thought as his mind took in the yellow and white colors. 'Hmmm… I wish you could see this place… Then again, I'm sure you're in the Promise Land looking over all of us…'

He yawned and stretched his limbs. It was time to get up but like every morning, he found himself transfixed by the peace surrounding him. Above, there was a rather big hole in the ceiling, one created two years ago when he fell from the Sector 5 reactor. The opening allowed a glimpse of the clear morning sky and for the sun to come in, bathing the plants below in golden light. Birds happily chirped outside, their songs marking a brand new day. Other than that, there was silence, a soothing sound to his troubled mind. This place was his sanctuary.

The mercenary shook his head, breaking free to the spell. 'I shouldn't be here like this… I need to get ready for the trip. I'm wasting time.' He reprimanded himself. Reno had called yesterday and wanted to meet him in Kalm. If the Turks wanted his service, it would be serious. The two of them didn't get along very well and for one to ask help from the other, it would be a big problem indeed.

After giving himself a few more minutes, the disheveled blond prepared himself. He picked out some clothes resembling his former SOLDIER uniform. The only difference was the color and an attached accessory. Instead of being purple, they were black, dark as the night. In addition, the silver wolf's ring adorned on his left shoulder symbolized his personality. He was the alpha male, the strong leader of Avalanche.

When he tried to put on his vest, Cloud winced. His left arm throbbed from pain and the numbing sensation would not go away. He gave up on his shirt, knowing that his bandage must be changed if he were to use his arm at all. Having the vest on would make the difficult task almost impossible. Ignoring the flaring pain, he slowly unwound the white linen, showing the irritated flesh once he was done. His entire forearm was dark red and his veins were painted black like some kind of twisted art. On his skin, blood and pus oozed out of the discolored flesh, staining the bandage gray. The gruesome appearance of his arm was not from any external injury but rather a side effect of an internal war. 'Well, best if I do this quick…' He thought as he held the old wrappings with his left hand and got the fresh ones with his right.

He has Geostigma and the disease was getting worse. This time, he could feel his whole arm weakening and secretly feared how he would be a year later. That is, if he was still alive. Nobody knew of his affliction save Vincent and even then, Cloud had been the one telling him. The ex-Turk's calm exterior cracked when his leader admitted it. It is hard to believe that one of the strongest men alive was doomed to die in such a painful way. Then again, fate had not been so kind to him before. He lost his hometown and his family due to Sephiroth's madness. He was partially responsible for the deaths in Midgar from the Sector 7 collapse and Meteor's close encounter. One of his closest friends, Aeris, had died while praying for Holy. Now, he's facing a disease with no cure. The future did not look bright for him.

"Ow!" The blond sharply gasped. He had accidentally touched his forearm while putting on the new bandage. His left hand convulsed briefly, letting go of the old wrappings. They fell onto his bed, forgotten. Cloud gritted his teeth and finished the job quickly.

After making sure that the extra long sleeve on his left would hide his whole arm, he grabbed two swords and his shades. He would be making a personal stop along the way and would leave one of them behind. Today was the day marking the second anniversary of Sephiroth's defeat and the end to Jenova. 'I'll leave my past behind and go with the future…' He promised. 'I've spent far too much time like this… It's time to move on…'

Leaving the church, Cloud walked over to his motorcycle, the Fenrir. Pressing a switch, it's sides extended. The protruding arms revealed an array of weapons, all of the swords he had collected during his time in Avalanche. Fitting the Ultima and Buster sword in their appropriate slots, he made one final check before getting on the bike. He would stop at Tifa's before going. He usually told her when he got a job so she wouldn't worry but he forgot yesterday. 'Oh well… Better late then never…' He thought before riding toward the Final Heaven.

Five minutes later, he arrived at the bar. It was closed but he knew the back door was unlocked. It was how he usually got in. He didn't want any undesired attention from the few customers she had. Publicity wasn't his thing and neither was dealing with overly thankful citizens.

When the blond entered, he found Tifa in the kitchen nursing a fresh cup of coffee. She just got up evidently, her hair in a tangled mess and face stretched in a yawn. When brunette heard the motorcycle coming down the street, she knew it was Cloud. Very few people could afford such things and even fewer would be crazy enough to drive them. Cloud stared at her for a little while before speaking.

"Tifa, I'm off to Kalm. New mission." Cloud finally spoke, breaking the silence.

"Ok…" The barmaid yawned again before asking, "Who hired you this time?"

"An aquaintance. Don't worry about it. We can trust him," he replied. 'I don't want to tell her that it was Reno… She'll probably want to come with me… I don't want to upset her…"

"If you're sure…" She didn't sound too convinced with his answer. "When do you think you're coming back?"

"I really don't know..." The blond admitted. 'I really hope that it's a small job… But if Reno was that desperate to get me, it'll be a big one…'

"Probably around noon… At the most." He knew that she was getting suspicious but he can't spare any details. 'Right now it's around seven… Five hours should be enough…'

"That's alright. Want to spend some time together when you come back? I got the afternoon off…" Tifa tried to sound casual with her question. 'It's been so long since we've done anything together…' She thought to herself.

"I guess…" He made himself a cup of coffee and sipped it. The caffeine and sugar soon made their way into his blood, dispelling the morning stiffness. The two of them drank in silence, each lost in their own thoughts but happy nonetheless. Finishing first, Cloud washed the cup and placed it on the counter. He was hesitant to leave, not wanting to part without saying how he had feelings for her. Yet, the nightmare he had in the afternoon resurfaced in his mind. 'What if my dream comes true? I'll never be able to rest again… No, I can't tell her now… Maybe later… Definitely later but not now… I have to go… But I don't want to… Not yet…'

As if sensing his discomfort, Tifa came up to him and gave him a quick hug. "You should go. Your client will get mad. Just be careful okay?"

"Thanks Tifa. I will." He promised before breaking away and exiting the same way he entered. "See you in the afternoon."

"See you," She called. Inside, she felt bubbly at the prospect of spending the whole afternoon with Cloud. 'I wonder what we should do… Maybe we should go shopping in that new store I heard about… No, he won't like that… A walk through the park and a quick snack in one of those diners… I heard there's a new one and it got pretty good reviews…'

"Auntie Tifa?" A small voice caught her attention. "I can't sleep."

Bringing herself back, she noticed a small boy standing in the doorway clutching a stuffed chocobo. Denzel was his name, one of the older orphans she's taking care of. 'I guess it's back to normal…' She thought walking the child back to bed. Even though she settled back into her normal schedule, Tifa worked enthusiastically, finally happy for a change.

--- On the road ---

Cloud sped out of the metropolis and picked up his speed. If he wanted to get to Kalm in time, he would have to hurry up especially when he planned to stop along the way. Leaning forward, he squinted ahead. 'There… That should be far enough…'

He slowed down and eventually parked the Fenrir on a cliff. From here, he could see Midgar in the distance and the desolate wasteland surrounding it. Even though all the Mako reactors had been shut down, the area around the city had yet to recover. It even seemed to get worse. 'No,' he thought as he focused his thoughts. 'I'm not here for that…'

He got out the Buster Sword he had packed earlier in the morning. It had originally been Zack's but when he died at the hands of Shinra, Cloud inherited it. He used it when he first joined Avalanche. Even when better blades were available, he didn't leave it behind or sell it. It was a part of his past but now that he regained his memory, there was no need to keep it.

Holding the sword in his hands, he decided to have one last swing before departing with it. The moment he raised it over his head, a memory buried deep in his mind surfaced and he was soon lost in the past.

--- Flashback ---

Cloud was riding at the back of a yellow truck. He felt ill and knew it was due to his motion sickness. The bumpy ride didn't help either. He didn't want to embarrass himself with a SOLDIER nearby. In fact, there were two of them on the truck. One was the great general Sephiroth, hero of the Shinra-Wutai war. He took liberty of the passenger's seat, leaving the other to sit in the back with him. That person was a familiar face and it didn't take too long to place him.

"Zack?" he asked.

"Yeah… Thought you didn't recognize me," the SOLDIER grinned.

Cloud was about to say something when the truck went through some especially rough terrain. He curled up into a ball, trying to suppress the bile coming up.

Zack noticed and gave him a tranquilizer. When he tried to thank him, the SOLDIER nodded first, understanding. Looking away, Zack looked at the pure blue sky. "You don't look that great. Try not to talk." Turning back to face Cloud, he said, "Besides, there's nothing to worry about. I'll look over you." After he said that, the memory faded away.

--- On the road ---

"No!" Cloud yelled in rage. He threw the sword toward the cliff's edge but it didn't go over. "No… No… Zack… Aeris…"

Taking a moment to collect himself, the blond walked over to the sword. When he picked it up, a breeze came by, stirring a few dead leaves around him. Cloud pointed the sword downwards and stuck it into the ground. Stepping away, he confided to Zack.

"I know I'm not fit to help anyone… No one…" The mercenary bowed his head when he said these words. As if Zack heard him, a whirlwind came and surrounded him with gusting winds. Cloud sighed and walked out, leaving the sword as a memorial. He wasn't fazed at all by the miniature cyclone, passing through it as though it was nothing. Stepping back onto the bike, he drove off, not looking back once. The past was behind him and the future lies ahead. Time to talk to Turks.

The Fenrir zoomed down the road alone. No other vehicle, person, or creature was in sight and for that, the rider was grateful. He didn't want any trouble along the way. Cloud didn't slow down when the earth became green and vegetated. Ignoring the sign that split the road, he turned right. He had journeyed to Kalm many times before for previous jobs so there was no point to stop and look for directions. Five minutes later, he arrived in Kalm.

--- Kalm ---

The Turks had a small apartment in the outskirts of town. It was sparsely decorated with a lamp, couch, and some chairs. Then again, the Turks were usually escorting Reeve so there was barely any time for them to go 'home'. Home was serving their boss and wherever he went, they went.

Cloud drove up to the house and parked his bike. He strapped the Ultima sword onto his back, not willing to take any chances. It wasn't because he didn't trust the Turks because it came from habit. Better safe than sorry.

Knocking on the door, he was answered by the sound of breaking glass and curses. 'Reno drinking again…' The blond knew the guy all too well.

The door opened and a man in fiery hair poked his head out. "Hi Cloud! About time you showed up. Been waiting for like half an hour before I gave up on ya. Started drinking a beer or two. Want one?" He gestured toward the back where the refrigerator was.

'A beer or two… Really…' Cloud thought when he caught the sight of a dozen empty bottles on the countertop. "No thanks… How's Elena?" He asked, wondering how the young Turk was doing.

Reno took on a serious tone when he answered. "None of your business. She's doing fine. She's fighting that damn Geostigma and no way is a Turk gonna give up because of some stupid disease." Then he grinned. "Oh, by the way, you never did tell how Tifa's doing. Still…"

Cloud growled menacingly. He didn't trust Reno around the female members of Avalanche for a reason.

Thankfully, Rude chose that moment to enter. "We're not here to talk about that." The bald man reminded, relieving the tense situation between the Turk and Avalanche member.

"Yeah yeah… Well, he's the one that started it!" Reno stuck his tongue out at Cloud. 'Oh yes… Very mature Reno… I wonder how you got to be leader of the Turks…'

"Whatever… Why did you two call me down here?" The mercenary got right down to the point.

"First off, there's three of us and even though Elena's puking her guts out, she's still one of us. Second, we're here just to give you a warning so don't be an ass about it." Reno said before continuing. "There's been a sighting of three men looking like Sephiroth…"

"No! Damn it Reno! Don't lie to me! Sephiroth is dead and we made sure every clone there was of that bastard was dead so don't give me that crap!" Cloud cut in, his anger taking over.

"Woah! Woah! This was just one sighting you know so it might not be true." The flame-haired Turk raised both hands defensively. "But explain these…" Reno motioned to Rude who then brought forth four photographs. There were grainy black and white pictures and they captured three individuals. One wasn't familiar at all. He had short hair and seemed very muscular. The other two had eerie similarities to a former general, the same face and hair.

"No… No…" Cloud stepped back. 'Sephiroth can't come back… After all we've been through…'

"I know what you're thinking but these pictures are real. Heck, these are the originals." Reno said. "Doesn't matter… Anyways, I tried all my contacts and couldn't find too much about them… One guy said that they wanted to know where Mother was and babbled a bit about something called Reunion. I have no clue what those guys want… Mommy got sliced up by you guys so unless there's a bit of Jenova floating out there…"

'Jenova… Damn! Just when I thought it's all over… My luck really sucks…' Cloud thought, not paying attention to what the Turk was saying. "Thanks Reno, Rude… I have to go back. I have to tell the rest of Avalanche."

"Wait," Rude said, blocking the door. "There's more."

"Yeah, that's not all of it. We found… an old friend. He knows a bit about this Sephiroth stuff and wants a chat with you. Think you got time tomorrow? Our office in Midgar at thirteen hundred?" The leader of the Turks asked, stating the time and place to meet.

"Whatever…" The mercenary said before walking toward the exit. Rude didn't block him this time.

"Sure sure… I'll take that as a yes… No problem…" Reno waved the blond off and returned to his drink. "Oh, by the way, if you need us, call…"

"If I need to…" Cloud said absentmindedly as he disappeared out the door. When he rode out of Kalm, his mind raced as he tried to take in the new threat. This time there were three Sephiroth look-alikes. Facing one clone was bad enough but three…

'Planet help us…'

FreeCorpKnight: Yay! Done with another chapter!

Cloud Strife: …

FreeCorpKnight: At least it's longer than before…

Vincent Valentine: …

FreeCorpKnight: The Turks are in it!

Rude: ...

FreeCorpKnight: You people are so supportive… (leaves)