Disclaimer: All characters you recognize are the sole property of their owners. All OC's and crazy theorizing belong to Ladygreensleevesd Ltd. All rights reserved.

A/N: Took me a long time but I finally got off my lazy ass long enough to write a chapter. I know, I'm surprised too. As always no Advent Children spoilers are contained in this fic (mainly because I don't know enough to spoil) just bits and pieces taken from the trailers.


Chapter Two:


Cloud had decided a long time ago that one of the hardest things to do was to let go. As he sank his buster sword into the soft ground on top of a cliff on the outskirts of Midgar he found it hard to take his hand off the handle. The wind lifted his hair from his face and it was cold. Cloud didn't mind, he'd been colder. He'd come to the place where years before he had seen his friend Zack gunned down. He was terribly cold that night when the Shinra guards had caught up to them. Zack had hid him behind rocks and walked out to face them alone. Cloud remembered the flashes of light like so many stars from their machine guns and the sounds that echoed off the stones. His stomach tightened thinking of it.

Coming here always made him realize how indebted he was to Zack and Aeris and so many other people as well. The guilt he felt stemmed from not being able repay them. Guilt made him feel weak and weakness led to self-hate. All his life Cloud was either living in someone else's shadow or trying to prove that he had worth. He had tried to join SOLDIER in order to step out of the shadows but in doing so he had realized that he cast no shadow himself. Cloud always carried the vague feeling that nothing he did was ever good enough. This was nonsense the others had informed him and Cloud had smiled wanly and pretended that it didn't matter. He was good at pretending.

As a child his mother had told him a story about a man who had accidentally killed his wife. The man was so remorseful and distraught that as penance he had begged the gods to mark him, so that everyone could see his guilt and that it would always be with him. The gods instead had giving the man a physical manifestation of his guilt, a great black demon that followed him. Cloud always thought that if he were to do the same the demon would devour him. So then he had made this pilgrimage to Zack's resting place in the hope that he could let go. But, as always, coming here had darkened his mood and thoughts. Coming here would not make the ache go away, not erase any remorse nor banish any guilt. Nothing had changed. He'd return in a worse mood than before to the orphanage where Tifa would give him hot food and pitying smiles. He felt uncomfortable when she smiled at him like that. Pity was the last thing Cloud felt he needed. Pity, to him amounted to admitting that he couldn't handle something by himself, it felt like he had let her down. He knew she meant kindly but when she'd catch his eye in the bar mirror and gave him one of those smiles he'd get up and leave. Cloud kicked the dirt and took his hand off the sword. He tried not to think about anything, nothing at all. He focused on the brown dusty plains in front of him, a few scrubby bushes here and there and the jagged rock formations that reminded him of giants' fingers. A bird glided in the drained blue sky. After a while he felt a little better and relaxed his jaw realizing he was grinding his teeth. Now he felt the cold. Time to go.

Cloud walked over to his motorbike. It was a large, black machine heavily modified. Zan had modified it with scraps of junk Cloud had found. Cid, with his natural love of machines, had nearly keeled over in awe when he clapped eyes on it. "What, no cup holders?" he had said. Making admiring noises and running his hands over it's sleekness he had asked rapid fire questions about the bikes engine and dynamics and other such things that Cloud didn't have a clue about. Fed up with his monosyllabic answers Cid had thrown his cigarette butt at Cloud. Zan had eventually come over and restored the peace.

Cloud hopped up on the bike and started up the engine, smiling as it gave a satisfying roar. He set off across the plains enjoying the speed and fluid motion and the deep powerful thrum that came from the engine. Feeling reckless and lightheaded Cloud gunned the bike and sped in and out between the rocks testing himself. He tried to visualize all his worries dissipating into the rushing air. However in his mirror he caught sight of a black moving mass behind him. At first he thought it was just the shadows of the clouds scudding across the landscape. But when one dark mass became two and then more Cloud realized he was being pursued. "Shit," he muttered. Cloud pushed a button and two compartments containing swords opened at the sides of the bike. Cloud withdrew the shortest lightest one just as one of his pursuers drew level with him and closed in. He didn't change his speed, not trusting himself to be able to control the bike if he went faster.

Cloud looked at it, whatever it was and for a brief terrifying moment thought it was a demon, like the one from his mother's story. It was a large dog made out of smoke and shadows. Long limbed and sinuous it kept up easily with the machine and moved in nearer opening its mouth. Cloud shifted his weight and swung away from the beast's maw. He swung his sword at another one's head but it melted into the ground before contact could be made. Clouds gasp of astonishment was cut off by another one of the creatures bumping the bike. It veered wildly and Cloud struggled to control the heavy machine with one hand while cleaving his weapon into the nearest one's shoulder. It evaporated into the air. He shifted his weight again and leaned hard to the right narrowly dodging a rock. He felt one of the demons claws sink into his leg and swung his arm only to find that it had gone. More bumps from behind and Cloud looked in his mirror again to see even greater numbers of them. Cloud knew he couldn't fight them all off. They were closing in on all sides and he was in treacherous position trying to hold the bike upright while simultaneously fighting them off. Up ahead he could see the smoke stacks of Midgar growing closer. He sheathed his weapon, gritted his teeth and turned the engines to full power. The effect was instantaneous. Cloud's teeth rattled at the acceleration and his arms were beginning to cramp from holding on so tight. A final despairing jolt from one of the beasts nearly toppled him but he grimly hung on and was rewarded by the sight of his enemies disappearing into the dust and haze behind.

High up on one of the rocks a slim shadow watched.


Cloud slowed and pulled up outside the orphanage. His heart was beating very fast and there was a fine beading of sweat on his upper lip. He was surprised at how frightened he had been. Not truly scared but scared enough to get his blood pumping and heart racing. He hadn't being tested like that in a while and had in actuality enjoyed his dangerous high-speed chase across the plains. Calming himself and shaking his head he got off the bike. A girl in a tatty print dress stood in the doorway of the house. On seeing him she ran inside. It was an old peeling house with dim high windows and creaky wooden stairs. Only about six or so children resided there but it had a homely and welcoming atmosphere and Tifa made sure that everyone was welcome. Siwan, Kerr and Zan also lived there. Cloud surveyed the damage to his bike. Though they only seemed like phantasms the creatures had done some serious damage. They had left numerous scratches and dents in the armour. No matter, Cloud thought, Zan would fix it up.

Cloud walked into the cool dimness of the bar. It served as a breakfast room for the residents. Letting his eyes adjust to the light he saw Tifa wiping down the counter. Kerr and Yuffie were playing checkers, Siwan was whittling with a dagger and Zan was helping Tifa. It all looked very ordinary. Clearing his throat Cloud made his way over to the counter. "Oh hey Cloud, I didn't see you there," Siwan said. A round of "Hey Cloud" followed and Tifa pushed a plate heaped with food towards him. She always managed to get the best of everything and Cloud had a niggling feeling that she got most of the food from the black market. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind; it was none of his business.

"You look a bit pale, you okay?" Tifa said that to him every time he came back from the cliffs as if one day he would tell her. As always Cloud shrugged and started eating. Tifa's mouth twitched and she turned away. Zan came over.

"So how's the bike? Pick up anything new?" He was proud of it and was always itching to add on some new feature. Maybe one day he would install cup holders.

"Damaged it a bit," Cloud said vaguely, unwilling to tell anyone about his encounter.

"Again?"

"Again." Cloud finished, wiped his plate, stacked it and went outside. Zan followed. Cloud knew that whatever he did to the bike the boy would never be angry with him. He was far too calm. One time Cloud had totaled the bike after losing control and crashing into a parked car of all things. Zan had just swept his hair out of his eyes and taken out his tool kit.

A tall, rangy teenager with a mop of brown hair that fell in tangled curls over his eyes Zan was an excellent technician and mechanic. He had turned up on the doorstep six months ago having lived on the streets for a few weeks. He had failed in finding work, as most employers wanted someone older and sturdier and with his brown eyes that made him look perpetually sleepy Zan looked more like an artist than a mechanic. It was their loss as he was an extraordinarily gifted boy. His father was coordinator of Shinra's Infrastructure Development team and had drawn up the original plans for Midgar's plates and sectors. Zan was away on a school trip when the plate had collapsed and wiped out all his family and future. Surprisingly he didn't seem angry at Avalanche or Shinra or anybody else for the loss of his family. He just got on with things in his own calm and methodical way.

"Hmm, just wheel it into garage and I'll get working on it," Zan rolled up his sleeves and opened up the garage. "Cid brought over some parts so I'll see where I can stick them."

"Sorry 'bout damaging-"

"Your leg's bleeding." Zan looked pointedly at the torn and blood clotted cloth. Cloud had totally forgotten about it.

"Tifa has a first-aid kit behind the bar. I'll just put some antiseptic on it." The other man smiled a conspirator's smile and ducked into the garage.

Cloud walked back into the bar. Yuffie and Kerr were arguing over the game board. "Can I borrow the medicine kit Tifa? Just need some antiseptic and cotton wool."

"Sure. You want me to help you?" Tifa took out green box and unlocked it. Cloud shook his head.

"Cloud you jerk. Don't you ever have your phone on?" That was Yuffie's voice. "I tried calling you about four times." She waggled her own phone at him.

"Sorry, I don't often check it." For someone who preferred his own company to others Cloud found a phone more of a nuisance than an asset.

"I tried calling you as well, you know," Tifa said softly. She was still looking in the kit though she should have found the antiseptic by now. It was the same thing Yuffie had said but Tifa's strained voice and set shoulders betrayed the fact that she really wanted to say something else and that phones were the last thing on her mind. The atmosphere in the room became strained. Kerr and Yuffie pretended to be engrossed in the game and Siwan bit her tongue. Tifa finally found the medicine and let her shoulders drop. She gave Cloud a wide pitying smile.

Cloud found he couldn't quite meet her eyes. He suddenly felt cold.


The hiss of escaping air woke Airmid from her sleep. In the days following Wren's disappearance, Airmid preferred to think of her friend as merely missing rather than dead, she had slept constantly. Fitful bouts of sleep no doubt brought on by the injections Archangeli had being given her. Airmid knew her time was nearly up, ever since the young silver haired man had stood smiling at down at her. He had called her the 'perfect vessel'. 'Vessel' to Airmid's young mind meant a ship and she entertained the thought that they would take her away to a big ship where she could meet Wren again. Deep down she knew the fallacy of that argument. But thinking of this alternative fate helped calm her and loosen the knot of apprehension around her heart. She had been on a boat before with her parents and brother and all she had of it was happy memories.

There are few things more terrifying than the unknown. Airmid was facing into the unknown, all alone and very much afraid. The unknown could not be prepared for or mapped; it signified change. Change had being a constant in her life and it was always associated with some past hurt. She didn't know what they were going to do to her or what they were looking for. Whatever they wanted she wanted no part in it. Airmid tried to work up some fighting spirit and set up her barriers. Another hiss of air and the door to her left opened and Archangeli and his assistant Scum came in. She stiffened immediately. They carried no needles or apparatus.

She backed away as they opened up her cell door. The two men looked down on her than at each other. The younger one unconsciously rubbed the scar tissue where Airmid had bit him. Without saying anything they stepped into the cell and Archangeli suddenly grabbed her hands pinning them by her sides and hoisted her over his shoulder. She went limp and mute with shock. They then went over to another large door where Scum entered a code, the door hissed open and they entered. Airmid glanced around vaguely before the door closed at the other children. Some of them looked at her with fear, some with worry but most with torpid disinterest. More doors, more codes and Airmid eventually found herself in a large clinical room with a steel table and restraints, a group of scientists and the three silver haired men.

Suddenly Airmid sprang to life. She kicked, screamed and bit. Flailing her legs around she caught her captor in the mouth making him drop her with a cry of pain as his hands went to his lip to stop the blood. Landing on her arm and momentarily dazed she jumped up again and punched and scratched whatever came near her. But they were all big, strong adults and she was only a small girl. Within minutes she had being restrained and was on her back on the cold table and a white-coated woman attached numerous electrodes to her arms, legs and forehead. The women had the same eyes as her mother and stupidly Airmid tried to catch her eye in the hope that she'd smile at her.

She still screamed and screamed and even after she had stopped she could still hear the screams echoing around the room. She gazed at the scientists who were talking quietly over a computer, the silver haired men looking over their shoulders and at a tube in which ribbons of green light undulated and danced. It looked as if they had captured green sunlight. The youngest silver haired man suddenly glanced up and caught her eye. He walked over to her and placed a gloved hand on her forehead brushing away wisps of hair while doing so. It was the kindest gesture Airmid had experienced in months and she found her eyes had blurred with tears. His lips moved as he said something to her. "Kadaj." She expected it was his name. Kadaj stepped away from the table and gestured to the scientists. One of them nodded and started moving his hands over the computers. The lights dimmed and a low humming filled the steel room.

A sharp pain jolted Airmid so that she reared off the table her chest straining against her bonds. A strange hotness seemed to cover her, starting at her feet and traveling up her body. It wasn't painful but made her teeth and bones feel like they were melting. At the back of her mind she felt a consciousness other than her own flutter. It was a queer sensation, like someone delicately walking on the web of her mind, plucking the threads and disturbing them. Airmid found that she didn't like this sensation at all. It was disorientating her.

"Child."

"Go away." Airmid mentally pushed the other person away and set up her barriers. She built a wall of memories around her mind.

A soft laugh sounded in her head. "Now child, there's no point in carrying on. Just let everything go and float away," the voice said more insistently. She could feel the consciousness growing stronger and plucking the strings harder.

"Go away!"

"Stop it! You're hurting her." Another voice, gentle and soft impeded and pushed at her mind. Airmid began to feel very frightened. She summoned up all her mental energy and blasted both bodiless voices out of the head. With a soft sound like a moth flying into a flame the voices disappeared.

While this was going on the glass of green light grew brighter and the ribbons writhed and snaked like eels. They intertwined and connected in a dizzying dance impossible for the eye to follow. All the while growing more luminous till the room was bathed in green light. The swathes of light moved across Airmids pale skin and limbs, her amber eyes dilated to slits and also appeared green. Just as suddenly as it had begun the light stopped and the girl on the table lay still. The ribbons of emerald moved in the same lazy way as they had done before.

The room was silent for a while then one of the scientists went over and checked Airmid. Her breath was coming in ragged gasps, her lips bloody where she had bitten them and her eyes puffy from crying. "She's alive," the scientist said in a bored tone. He removed her restraints.

"So it worked?" someone said.

"We'll see. Put her in the isolation chamber and feed her."

"She's only the second to survive," someone else said in a tone of awe.

"That's of no consequence," a detached scientific voice rebutted.

Meanwhile the stockiest of the silver haired men had picked her up gently and was walking to the door. Airmid hurt all over and her eyes burned. But she had kept her secret and the whereabouts of her brother safe. She turned a tired head to see Kadaj and the tall thin one arguing with the scientists.

"You told me it would work!" Kadaj said.

"We thought it would, but something's not quite right with the girl. Or maybe our calculations…"

"You're not being paid to calculate! Shinra are spending a fortune on Loki and it's you're job to see that's money well spent." In a final flourish Kadaj swept all the papers and apparatus off the table onto the floor.

"Calm down Kadaj," the tall thin one said.

"Listen to Yazoo…"

Airmid didn't hear anymore as the door had closed. So Yazoo and Kadaj were their names. She looked up at the man carrying her. Of stockier and more masculine build than the other two he had sharp cut features and sideburns so long and narrow it looked like his eyebrows had slipped down his face. She felt dwarfed by his size and obvious strength. He didn't speak or look at her. They had arrived at the isolation chamber. It was larger and better furnished than her original cell. Airmid didn't mind as she was bone weary and had a pounding headache. All she wanted was to put her head down and sleep. She felt slightly unreal and didn't want to think about what had just happened. The guard at the door saluted them. "How's it going Loz?" he said genially.

Loz just grunted.

So Loz, Yazoo and Kadaj. Airmid felt the knot around her heart tighten as she realized that these men were very powerful, very dangerous and that it would be impossible to escape from them. She found she couldn't get to sleep.


"So…?" Siwan said.

"So what?" Tifa answered. They were in Siwan's room. She was helping the sniper to clean her weapons. Siwan kept them in meticulous condition and the friendship between the two women had developed over this little ritual. Siwan had also taught Tifa how to clean, disassemble and reassemble a gun quickly. Tifa hoped that she'd never have to hold a gun again.

"I think you should go after him, shake him and get him to tell you what's up."

"Who?" Tifa lied. She didn't like the way this conversation was going.

Siwan put down the pistol and gave Tifa a critical look. "You know damn well who. Cloud. It's like the blind leading the blind with you two. You fumble around for things to say then don't say them. You said you were childhood friends, sometimes you act as if you're strangers."

Tifa felt affronted. "Of course we're friends," she said in a hard voice, "but it's hard to get Cloud to open up. He's a private person." She defended her friend even though Tifa grudgingly agreed with the redhead. It pained her to see Cloud like that but pressing him would only drive him further away. So she let him be. "He has to sort things out for himself. I worry about him sometimes." Tifa bit her lip. She had only meant to think those last words.

"But," Siwan began but when she saw her friends face she gave up. "Okay have it your way. I'll try to keep my nose out of it. No promises though."

Tifa relaxed; usually Siwan didn't let the subject drop that easily. "Suits me. Come on. I promised Marlene that I'd bring her when I'm doing my errands." Right on cue Marlene burst in the door.

"C'mon Tifa! What are you doing, powdering your nose?" She tugged on the woman's hand. "Cloud's not here so you don't have to," the child added slyly.

Siwan burst out laughing. "You're your father's daughter all right."

Tifa blushed hard. Pushing them all out the door she grabbed her list and locked up. It was early evening and the air was cooling. A gaggle of teenagers congregated around the Meteor statue. She saw Yuffie and Zan in the middle of them. Yuffie seemed to be trying to wind her companion up. As always Zan took the ribbing with good-natured humour. Other groups of people stood around talking in the square. Tifa looked for the familiar head Cloud among them not really expecting to find him. When he wasn't at the orphanage Tifa envisaged him spending time with other friends, Cid, Barret, maybe dropping into see Red, even Vincent. Anything but alone. She didn't want to think of him alone. Siwan stopped and gazed up at the statue.

"Why'd they waste so much good metal on erecting something everybody would rather forget?"

Tifa found that she had no answer to that. Instead she looked down at the little girl holding her hand. Marlene wanted to run over to the teenagers. "How about a sweetcake?" Tifa asked hoping to distract her. Marlene nodded.

"Can I get two? They're really small." She made a circle with her thumb and forefinger indicating the size.

"You pig," Siwan said and ruffled her hair.

Marlene waved her off, "I'm telling Papa you called me that."

After they had eaten their treats they visited the shops. "I need to get more clothes for you Marlene. You've grown a lot."

"I had to take down the hem of her dress yesterday," Siwan said while dragging out lengths of pink ribbon.

"Can I have some ribbon Tifa? It'll be nice to tie back my hair with. Like Aeris."

Tifa suddenly felt like saying no. Last thing she wanted was to be reminded of her friend. She felt cruel for even thinking that. But it was true; she wanted to be spared the grief that Cloud so obviously felt over her death. She had so many good memories of Aeris but thinking about them made her melancholy. Maybe someday in the future she would finally let it go. She wanted it more for Cloud than for herself. Only then would Aeris rest peacefully in her clear water glade.

"I'll take this one." Tifa took Marlene's hand out of her pocket where the child was looking for money.

"You had that sleepy look again."

"Just admiring all the merchandise."

Coming out of the shop the group saw a large crowd of people converging around something on the ground. Tifa pulled Marlene away once she saw that the 'something' was the body of a young man. Blood spurted out from several bullet wounds in his side and his eyes were open. Beside her Siwan hissed, "Shinra soldiers!" The soldiers were in the middle of the crowd. One of them was shouting words that Tifa couldn't hear and holding up a poster. Marlene whimpered. The crowd grew more panicked.

"Go! Just walk calmly away." Tifa fought down the rising panic in her chest and started moving away. But Siwan had her teeth clenched and was reaching into her jacket for her gun. Tifa grabbed her and spun her around. "It's not worth it Siwan." She still hesitated. "Move!" Tifa pushed her roughly in the back and they began walking to the orphanage. Behind more shots rang out and Marlene screamed. Siwan covered the child's ears and started singing.

They were two blocks away from safety when they heard the pounding of nailed boots on stones behind them. Siwan gave a furtive glance over her shoulder. Two Shinra cadets carrying semi-automatics were coming towards them. "Let's make a break for it," Siwan veered them towards an alleyway.

"But maybe they just want-" Tifa's sentence was cut off by a bullet ricocheting off the ground beside her foot.

Tifa dropped the bags and swung Marlene up into her arms. She ran with a speed born out of fear. Covering her back was Siwan who was taking potshots at the soldiers over her shoulder. "Which way?" They wound in and out of the dark alleyways between apartment blocks. Tifa was terrified they'd end up trapped in a cul-de-sac and have to fight. Martial artists could not stop bullets and Tifa had Marlene to think about.

"Just keep running!" Siwan left off another shot and a cry from behind showed it had had found the mark. Risking another glance she saw one of the soldiers down holding his knee. His young companion was momentarily confused not knowing whether to help his comrade or continue the chase. Up ahead she could see a dead end. Grabbing Tifa by the arm, which nearly caused her to fall, Siwan dragged them into a nearby open door and up the stairs not really knowing where she was going.

They ended up in a dusty unfurnished room with a pallet bed against one wall. A small rickety table with a chipped jug and basin stood beside the bed. The air felt stagnant. "That was close," Siwan reloaded her gun.

"How long do we have to stay here?" Marlene walked up to the window and pressed hands to the glass. "Stay away from the window Marlene," Tifa said in a hoarse voice. She was still shaking from the encounter. "We don't want to be seen."

"They don't seem to be following us." Siwan pressed her ear against the door and listened, "Did they just give up? They seemed intent on catching us."

Marlene turned away from the window her eyes wide. "What did they want us for?" Her lower lip wobbled. Tifa went over lifted her up and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I don't know but we're okay now." She stroked the child's dark hair. "We won't see them again," Tifa added unconvincingly.

Siwan looked away uncomfortably. They waited in silence for another hour to be safe then slipped out into the dark to the orphanage.


Miach entered his room cautiously. Someone had being in his room. Someone had being there quite recently. When a cursory glance around the room showed that whoever it was had gone, he sighed with relief. A sweet heavy scent hung in the air. The intruder's perfume Miach surmised. He took a few deep breaths through his nostrils. Orange blossom. The dust on the curtains had being disturbed and the faint outlines of fingertips were visible on the window. On closer inspection Miach found that they looked like a child's fingers.

He started breathing very fast. Maybe she had found him! His sister Airmid had found him! And she had being here to see him! Miach did a few excited paces around the room and fingered the necklace at his throat. It was a very fine silver necklace with a crescent moon symbol. Airmid had one just like it. But then Miach's heart crashed like a caged bird. Whoever it was wasn't Airmid. She would never wear perfume and she would have stayed here until he had arrived back. Miach gave a low moan of despair. He had tried looking for her but she had vanished, been swallowed up in smoke of Midgar. And if he was caught well…Miach didn't like to think about the consequences.

Miach went over to the washbasin and looked in. He was supposed to be washing the grime off his face but the sight of his own reflection captured him. Two almond amber eyes and snub nose with thin set lips stared back. He had a thin scar at the side of his mouth that made him look as if he was scowling though he wasn't. Miach realized suddenly how thin and gaunt he had gotten. His pale skin looked too tightly stretched over his cheekbones and a blue vein jumped in his neck. This was bad. He had to keep his strength up in order to rescue Airmid. Even though I don't know where she is, he thought bitterly. Unbidden, tears welled up in his eyes and dropped into the basin. He wiped them away and concentrated on his reflection once more.

Nothing. He couldn't feel anything. Airmid was well and truly gone.

When Miach finally broke out of his trance the moon was slanting in the window making the finger smudges on the window ghostly. He must have been standing there for a very long time.


Miach is pronounced Me-uch. (Because these things matter )

Thanks to my lovely reviewers and especially RealtFarraige for beta reading and coercing me into writing this chapter. As always constructive criticism and reviews is appreciated. See you in another few months!

RealtF: (pumps shotgun) Get writing.