A/N: Hey guys this is my first Final Fantasy story so please be gentle with me. Reminder, I do not and have not played the games though I have read the plot online so expect that this story will not be as faithful to the game. I have only seen the movie and this story continues after Final Fantasy: Advent Children.

Summary: Darkness was defeated once again and Sephiroth knew the only way for him to have his revenge against Cloud is to destroy the source of his Light. A one-winged angel started appearing on Tifa's dreams and it's consuming her, taking over her body and making her do things she couldn't remember doing...

Prologue

'I know. I'm not alone... not anymore.'

He uttered more to himself than to the vision of his two friends leaving the church with smiles on their faces. Watching their backs as they disappear from his sight is surprisingly not as painful as it was before. He had always thought that he could have done something, anything to save them but he wasn't able to because he just wasn't strong enough. He failed them above all the other sins he had committed because of being so weak that is why all the while he never forgave himself. But now, something has changed. Like the world has become brighter than it was before and it makes him see clearly.

The sound of water splashing, children laughing and loud voices from the Avalanche members on the corner, filled his ears and bringing him back to the present time. It felt surreal, like he never expected everything to end like this even though this is really what they've all been fighting for.

He's all wet now, but it doesn't bother him. He is still trying to figure out if this; right here, right now, is real. He moved his arm to see if it's still there, the geostigma. But he could only see a white spot like an uneven tanned skin with a funny shape like that of a country in a map. The sickness he tried so hard to hide in order not to burden his friends anymore was finally gone.

And now what?

Now that he's finally defeated Sephiroth and the world is no longer in danger, what is he going to do?

A hand on his shoulder made him turn his head to the presence behind him.

"Let's go?" Says Tifa with her dark-as-the-night orbs looking squarely at his own Mako-enhanced blue ones. "Else you and the kids will catch cold if you all stay any longer on those clothes." She eyed his clothes and then Marlene and Denzel who both stopped playing in the water. She didn't notice Marlene jumping into the water earlier, probably jealous of the fun going on in the stream. "Come on."

Tifa removed her hand from the blonde boy's shoulder to offer them to Marlene and Denzel who moved to get off of the water.

"Lez get moving everyone. All thoze fightin' makes me so hungry I can eat a whole elephant!" Barret started hollering.

Marlene ran towards her father. "Me too! I'm so hungry, Daddy. But why do you want to eat an elephant? They're so cute and nice." She asked.

Yuffie snorted, "Good luck with that."

Scratching the back of his head, Barret tried to explain that it was just an expression and he haven't tasted one and doesn't plan to.

Cid was shaking his head. "I'm going ahead. Got some things to fix and all." He said, wanting to get away before anything awkward starts to envelope the place. He wanted to leave casually even though what happend today was very impactful in a way. So he waved his hand in the air as he turns his back and Red XIII follows him. "Call me when you... well, if you..." He coughed. "Damn, just... see you!"

Tifa giggled at the awkwardness she could sense from the guy and knew that even if he was fronting a strong and scary demeanor, there's a good seed inside that shell of a warrior. "Thank you for your help, Cid. We'll call you for a proper dinner one of these days."

Cid only shrugged his shoulder and waved his hand again indicating he's already leaving.

When Yuffie noticed that Vincent was stepping back too she confronted him. "Hey! Don't say you're leaving too?" And then their one-sided conversation started. If Cloud is an epitome of a man of few words, then maybe Vincent is the man of no words at all.

Watching the entire scene makes every second become more real and it makes Cloud's heart throb with some emotion he is not familiar with.

"Hey Teef! The kids are travlin' wit me in the truck, are you goin with spikey?" Barret asked.

Smiling, Tifa answered "No, I'm going with you and the kids." Then she turned to Cloud with a knowing and trusting look. Her voice when she spoke was low but it was very clear to the blonde boy's hearing. "See you at home... Cloud."

Black and blue orbs locked for a moment before Tifa disconnected when she felt a stinging sensation at the back of her head. Cloud immediately noticed something was wrong when she closed her eyes for a bit and her fingers touched her head to where she felt the something.

"Are you okay?" Cloud asked.

The raven-haired girl nodded and looked down to Denzel who is observing the exchange between his two guardians now. She was trying to dismiss Cloud. "Yeah. Just a little headache." Then she looked up to the blonde again. "We're going ahead now." She smiled at him to appease him and walked past through him while dragging Denzel along with her. But Tifa stopped just a few distance from Cloud and without looking back she said, "Try to live again, Cloud. Everything's fine now." And then she continued without stopping this time towards the others.

When the others have left, he pondered on what Tifa just told him. Everything's fine now. The exact same words Aerith told him. But what answered the nagging question he's had since earlier about what happens next to him are the words... Try to live again, Cloud.

Had he stopped living?

Afterwards he realized the answer was yes. But when it happened, he couldn't remember.

To live again...

Maybe that's it.